apocalypsehowcomm | Event - All In Your Head

Event - All In Your Head

All In Your Head

➥ Night's Embrace

Photo of a young caucasian man with brown hair and blue eyes holding up a large light. He is wearing a yellow coat and looking toward the camera, apparently gazing into the darkness that his light is illuminating.
(cw: supernaturally-induced hysteria/intense emotion; violence; maiming; assault, burglary; murder; implied violence against children)

There's been a sense of unease hanging over Gloucester as the Ides of March approach. First a few, and then a great many locals begin to hurry indoors each evening, lights kept blazing in the windows of homes and businesses all night…when they can be. Stories of assault, burglary, and vandalism dominate the news and no one can seem to agree on the cause, psychiatrists weighing in on air as reports flood in of a woman, a creature, that hunts in the night, along with perpetrator after perpetrator with no history of violence before they suddenly broke into a neighbor's home to smash every source of electric glow. It might be mass hysteria, the talking heads hypothesize, or perhaps pranks taken too far. The alternative is not spoken. It's safe, though, with the lights on and the door bolted. Stay inside, stay in the light, and nothing can harm you.

Too bad about the blackout, then.

It's the night of March 16 when the efforts of the shadow woman meet success thanks to the earnest efforts of a kindred spirit. Gloucester is plunged into darkness with only the waxing moon to dapple the city in silvery shadows, the entire grid taken down. ADI Headquarters and apartments flicker weakly back to life on emergency power, though there's more shadow than light in their halls. Bonnie's Flophouse, like much of residential Gloucester, doesn't have even that saving grace.

The attacks are swift and furious. The shadow woman seems to be in many places at once, appearing simultaneously in family homes, all night businesses…and ADI properties. Where there had been some reprieve in the last days for those in ADI apartments or spending the night at headquarters, as of tonight those places are no safer than the city streets. Some of those she catches she kills or maims; others are sent spiraling into blind terror by the touch of her claws and released to run and be chased again.

But still she does not step into the light, seemingly repulsed by what little brightness can be found or made. Best hope the batteries in your flashlights are fresh.

➥ Illuminating

Photo of a black woman in a white sweater gesturing forward with one hand and holding a dry erase marker up with the other. She's frowning slightly and only the lower half of her face is visible.
(cw: derogatory language; mention of long-term imprisonment and murder attempts)

un: n.lehrer

To All Staff,

Report to ADI HQ for an emergency meeting at 11 AM in Conference Room 6. I will be broadcasting over the network, but I would prefer to have everyone together so that we can hand out equipment. Reyes has briefed me on what's been going on while I've been away.

Katie Dunn, an avatar for the Dark native to this world, was recently set free by Deepthi Anand. Dunn is practically allergic to light. We'll be handing out supplies for those who attend the meeting in-person. More soon.

- Nia Lehrer, Warden

It's only a few hours after the message goes out that people who come will find Nia Lehrer stepping up to a podium in the designated conference room. There's also a filming set-up so people can watch the broadcast on the network. Questions that come from the network will be… read by Reyes for Nia to answer, but a back-and-forth conversation may be more challenging for those not physically in attendance. On the wall behind her, there's a projection of a seemingly harmless-looking woman.

There's a definite air of relief among the native staff, along with a significant uptick in focus. Non-native staff may notice a similar sense of renewed determination and attentiveness for themselves, if they let themselves be swept up in it. Whatever fog and oppressive sense that's hung about for the past month or more appears to have dissipated… at least for the moment.

"Thank you all for coming. I'll make this brief: Katie Dunn is one of the most dangerous avatars we've ever encountered since I joined the Apocalypse Disruption Initiative. We've had run-ins with her more than once, but haven't actually figured out a way to kill her, yet. Her capture was a major achievement about two years ago. Which makes her escape particularly frustrating. What's done is done, though.

"Deepthi Anand developed a connection of some sort with her while she was assigned to assist with guarding her while here at ADI. I suspect that's why she returned to free her. And make no mistake, everything I've seen about the attack points to Deepthi… with her boosting Katie's abilities somehow. Right now, we're most concerned with keeping the lights on. Cape Electric has been trying to restore power, but each time they fix something, another piece of the grid gets hit. Whoever blew the entire town's power supply gave her the in she needed to wreak havoc.

"We're going to need all hands on deck. First, we block her ability to cause problems. For that, I need people willing to help with requisitioning generators and high-powered lights, and getting them to the places and people in town who need them most. Hospitals, nursing homes, food supply warehouses, all-night locals, playing interference for electric company personnel. I'm also going to need PR folks spinning up some reasonable explanations for these blackouts and what's been happening with people who get touched by her. Electromagnetic storms? Something about tectonics. Experimental drug from the military that blew through on the wind. Whatever you can come up with.

Little Ms. Blackout wants to play games to create fear and turn people on each other? We cut off that power flow to her, and she becomes an inconvenience, more than an actual problem. I expect her to start targeting us more directly once we start squeezing her, so we'll be issuing flashlights to everyone here. If you know someone who needs one, tell us, and we'll get them one, too."

Nia takes a breath. "While Dunn doesn't like the light, she can survive in it. Direct exposure to it will ward her off, but as long as she can find some kind of shadow, she can squeeze herself into it to stay alive. We know she has the ability to split into multiple shades of herself to cause wider problems. We caught her by trapping all of those in beams of light last time. We need a more coordinated response to be able to handle her, though. I'll be here, working on that if anyone wants to weigh in. In the meanwhile… let's make that bitch's life harder, huh?"

➥ WALKING HELL

Photo of a masculine figure walking into a very foggy forest. The figure is in silhouette. In the fog, an enormous, spectral, alien shadow is visible. It is holding its hands up and its eyes are glowing.
(cw: altered mental state, hallucinations, violence, scopophobia, body horror)

Suddenly and without much warning, the world changes. Or….it changes for some people, some of the time. Anyone who finds themselves outside the sanctuary formed by ADI’s buildings will feel woozy, perhaps drowsy for a moment before they blink….and find themselves trapped in a nightmare.

The exact flavor of the nightmare isn’t always constant. In fact, it may not even feel like anything at all is wrong….at first. Characters may continue on after their brief dizzy spell, going about their business until they slowly start to realize that the strangers that they pass in the street are watching them. Watching them as they pass, watching them as they walk away, watching them as their heads turn at unnatural degrees to just keep watching.

Or maybe the nightmare is more immediately obvious. A hole you fall down and just keep falling down for what feels like forever. An angry mob of townspeople who descend on you at random, hands like claws that seek to rend your flesh. It can be any number of things. And it can change. Characters might find that seeking to get away from the source of this horror might work….for that particular horror. Get far enough away, and trade one nightmare scenario for another. They might even find familiar faces stuck in the same situation and can try and work together to get out of whatever nightmare they’ve found themselves in. (It won’t work. But they can try.)

The nightmares don’t come over everyone at the same time, though, and they may even be intermittent for some. Characters might find themselves walking with a friend, only to have one of them begin to react to something that the other can’t see. (..Any injuries sustained, however, will become visible. Even if what’s causing it isn’t. Where did that chest wound come from?)

Even if you’re alone, snapping out of a nightmare might mean finding some of Glouscester’s townspeople staring at you in something like distress or horror. Trying to get medical help from them…will only exacerbate their concern. What wounds, you don’t have any wounds. But you do…don’t you? They’re definitely there.

The only true safety seems to be in ADI Headquarter or housing. ADI staff will be concerned when they do hear reports of the nightmares, but most will swear that they can’t see any wounds that characters have either. And they understand it might be terrifying….but things still need to get done. Characters will be asked but not pushed to go out into town. Or they can just stay inside until this is fixed. Whenever it’s fixed. If it’s ever fixed.

➥ Dunn With This

Photo of a caucasian woman in light clothes on a black stage. There is a spotlight on her and she is clutching her head and writhing while lying on the ground.
(cw: attempted capture and imprisonment; reference to attempted murder; violence)

There comes a time when the best defense is, as they say, a good offense. The work ADI has done to cut off Dunn's power by turning back on the lights and calming the public is working; though there are still sightings around Gloucester, she does not seem to have the full free reign she enjoyed in the first nights of the blackout. It's clear that she hasn't given up on whatever she means to accomplish, that she isn't prepared to retreat or lie low.

It's ADI's turn to go on the attack. Word comes down from the top that all staff with field or combat experience are requested to assist in a coordinated effort to recapture Katie Dunn. The plan, as it stands, is to lure each of her shades to a location where she can be pinned in a beam of light. The catch, of course, is that they've done this dance before and she'll be expecting them to try just that. As such, the floor is open for suggestions.

Characters who volunteer to participate in the effort will be informed that the planned procedure for an encounter with one of the shades is for an agent (chosen from those quickest on their feet) to act as bait and try to get Katie to chase them to a predetermined location where other ADI agents lie in wait with a rig of floodlights. It's tricky, dangerous work, and there's no guarantee she won't catch on and avoid the trap or even attack the agents waiting there for the return of their comrade. Worse, it's unclear whether the multiple shades of her roaming the city are separate entities or if they're a hive mind instantly aware of whatever trap one of them falls into.

Characters may also propose alternate plans and methods, and agents will be allocated to assist with any such plans that are deemed to have a decent likelihood of success. Or, of course, they could strike out on their own, though ADI strongly advises against it.

➥ Mod Notes

GENERAL - Players are welcome to play background NPCs for themselves when they are needed in a thread. If you need more information on general behavior for these types of NPCs, please feel free to ask! In general, the information provided in the prompts should be sufficient and ordinary people will act like… ordinary people! You're welcome to make up any details beyond that for your specific scene. Nia Lehrer and Katie Dunn will be available as mod-played NPCs for their specific prompts via the starter below. Also, please remember that character deaths are permanent and plan accordingly!
NIGHT'S EMBRACE (16-18 March) - Characters may find themselves the victims or the perpetrators of the violent and wild acts induced by the shadow woman and her touch. They may also be able to ward her off of an active attack if they're lucky and happen to have a good flashlight with them. After the 16th, nowhere will be safe in town, and characters may find sleeping a challenge when there's a good chance they'll be attacked in the middle of it. Sucks that the coffee pot runs on power, too.
ILLUMINATING (19-23 March) - Nia will be available to take questions directly from PC's during the meeting. Players will generally be welcome to threadjack as everyone will be hearing Nia's responses collectively at the same time. Network interaction will be possible, but less focused on quick back-and-forth, and more Q&A-style things that Nia can respond to. Characters in the Administration and Public Relations departments will get a particularly heavy tap to assist with requisitions and spinning up stories, but everyone is welcome to help with either the logistics of acquiring supplies or actually bringing them to people in town or setting up extra floodlights around town. The locals will be very grateful, but confused by the gifts of the generators and lights. Characters with mechanical knowledge will be asked to help with actually installing these for people. If you would like your character to come up with a specific IC story for the blackouts and/or crime streak, please let the mods know in the Questions header on the event OOC post! We will incorporate these into our Headline News items next month.
WALKING HELL (22-28 March) - This prompt is very much open to players inventing their own nightmare patches. As stated in the OOC summary, the nightmares can last for any amount of time (including days). Anyone not experiencing the nightmare (including other PCs) will not be able to see what the character is reacting to or see any sort of wounds they suffer while stuck in the nightmare. Any wounds sustained during the time in the nightmare will continue to be visible to PCs and some NPCs even after it ends, but will not be immediately life-threatening no matter what. Two characters in the same place who are both stuck in the nightmare will see the same thing. Please remember to appropriately warn for any triggers/content warnings, especially considering that they are going to vary greatly between different threads. Here is list of player-requested content warnings to keep in mind specifically.
DUNN WITH THIS (29-31 March) - While characters are advised by ADI to use the tactics noted above, they are welcome to employ alternate methods of dealing with Katie Dunn. They will have ADI's general support regardless of whether they follow ADI's playbook or come up with their own tactics, including equipment as well as the ability to recruit background ADI NPCs to their plans. However, NPCs generally will not agree to take part in anything that looks like a suicide mission (if you have any questions about whether background NPCs would agree to your character's plan, please submit those under the Questions header on the OOC post). Katie will be available for (hostile) NPC interactions. Please note that the outcome of all encounters with Katie must be decided by March 31, as the outcome of this event will impact the April TDM. If threads have not reached their natural conclusion by that date, players will be asked to decide OOCly on the outcome (and are welcome to continue to tag to reach that conclusion ICly).

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

See? This is just proving his brain right, Steve.

"You need backup," Winter grinds out. "So if you do or don't stand up again. You have someone to haul you out." That's his job. He protects people. He drags them out of danger. Even if they don't want him to.

It's just... more personal with stupid Steve Rogers. He wishes he knew more about why. End of the line. What does that even mean.

"Maybe. Is this you offering?"

After all, if Winter doesn't want to be Bucky, then Steve certainly doesn't want to assume.

He's also not stopping, of course, perfectly capable of holding a conversation while he walks, eyes scanning his surroundings.

"Yes," Winter says, unequivocally. He has to stifle the urge to say something sarcastic. Why does Steve of all people bring out this urge to be-- to be mean? That's not right. He's... he's got to squash that. "I've got my rifle. And I'm tailing you. And now we're on comms." Sort of. Bluetooth counts as comms, he figures.

It's not being mean, Winter. It's teasing. It's okay. (At least, that's what Steve would say if he knew, but he doesn't, so he has to assume the guy either doesn't remember enough to want to tease him, or just doesn't want to. Either is - well. Not fine. Exactly. But he could accept either, anyway.)

"All right. If you're careful," he says, because Steve is apparently capable of being that kind of hypocrite.

But he'll at least fill the guy in on the plan. Such as it is: "I'm thinking if she's smart, she'll have caught on to the general strategy by now. So, I figure it's best to try something a little different. No bait, no group of agents lying in wait. I think she's smarter than that."

Edited 2022-04-10 02:13 (UTC)

"You know this is exactly the same thing," B points out. "Except you being the bait and attempted trap at the same time. And now with me as an additional trap." Which doesn't mean he doesn't think the strategy is sound, in his mind. Yes, it's what was used before, but there is no other way to catch her, really. Not that doesn't risk civilian life, and Winter, at least, is not willing to do that.

"Well maybe she's not used to people multitasking," Steve puts in. "Or maybe she is, but those people aren't me. Or you." Because he certainly has no doubt of Winter's capabilities, no matter who he thinks he is or what he remembers.

"Besides," he adds, sticking close to the shadows, but trying to be aware of where and how far back a sniper might be following him, "two traps, maybe that's new."

He blows out a breath. "Wanda would be real useful, right about now."

"Only if she was going to scare people to use her magic," Winter reminds him. Which means, not very useful, in the end.

He does feel a little pang at the mention of her, though. "She was. Kind to me," he admits quietly. "When she was here."

Ah, shit. That's right. "Well, what're a few jump scares between friends," Steve murmurs, but the joke's a flat one and he knows it. If he knows anything, it's that that's not how it would work.

Even if he might honestly consider letting someone terrorize him if it would mean they could put a stop to something like this faster.

He has to resist the urge to glance up and around at that, settling for smiling a little to himself. "I'm not surprised. She's a kind person. Like you. Been through a lot, but never lost that kindness anyway."

Like you, he at least doesn't add.

"I hope she's back where she belongs, if she's not here."

"I do, too." There's no hope that he believes it in his voice, though. Winter is not quite the optimist Bucky used to be. Not about this. He's pretty sure all the people who disappeared are just dead somewhere, sucked dry by a fear-entity or murdered by a monster.

"Strange kept trying to make me remember," he says, moving on a little rather than dwelling on that. "Wanda didn't, really. Not once she realized I didn't know her." He frowns as he follows along at a distance, mostly to himself. "They both would have wanted me to be more like a person," he adds, again, mostly to himself.

Yeah, Steve can hear the way he doesn't believe what he's saying. But hey, at least he says it. And he figures if nothing else, Winter is not the kind of guy to say something just to be polite. Maybe he wants to believe it, even if he can't.

Steve will try to believe it for both of them, then.

He frowns a little to himself as he moves, considering all that. From kept trying to make me remember to would have wanted me to be more like a person.

"You seem like a person to me," he points out, voice still low and quiet. "Maybe a grumpy one, but - people can be grumpy. That's definitely a person thing."

He might be trying to get a laugh. He might also not be expecting one. He still says it, anyway.

"You seem to bring it out," Winter mutters, but plenty loud enough for Steve to hear. It's not quite a laugh, Winter has yet to really properly laugh, but it's bordering on an actual tease. Kind of.

Then, he says more clearly, "The Stranger is mine, I told you. So the less I act like a person. The more I scare people. So I'm trying to be better." And, he has to admit wearily, "I don't know what the hell I'm doing." He's got friends who tell him he's doing okay, but he doesn't know what he's doing, so he can't make a point to do more of it.

Steve smiles into the dark. "One of my many talents."

But as for the actual, serious matter at hand: "Pal, nobody knows what they're doing. You're doing fine, as far as I can tell." But then he stops, thinks about how that sounds. How it might be belittling. "If it's been hard work for you," he adds, "then it's paid off. Really."

Winter may not know what he's doing, but he's still doing it pretty well. "There's a difference between being popular and being a monster. A big one. Just - keep that in mind, too." Because he doesn't want Winter to feel like he has to be liked, like he has to play into what people want him to be, just to avoid being terrible. There's a lot of space in between those two extremes, and Steve isn't sure that anyone's told him that. So it's his job, he figures, to explain things like that. Just in case.

God, he feels so lost. This is that part he wanted to be there for... and now he is, and he has no idea what he's doing either. How ironic.

He senses movement, comes to a stop - but no. It looks like just a stray... something? Maybe a raccoon. Massachusetts has raccoons, right?

"I'm never going to be popular," Winter snorts, and a little red dot appears on the wall just above where Steve is looking, then down. It's definitely a raccoon.

The dot vanishes again.

"I just don't want to be frightening." A pause. "Or to upset people. Who say I matter to them." He remembers Yelena's fear that he was regressing all too clearly.

"Popular's overrated," Steve agrees, relaxing a little when the dot disappears, like Winter's determined it's not a threat. So it's not a threat. He keeps moving.

"Well, sometimes people get upset," he says, carefully, "even if you're not frightening. You know that, right? I mean - if you're being specific about being frightening, that's fine. But people argue or worry, that's just gonna happen. Especially when you matter to us."

He pauses, then adds, "I'm not frightened of you. I never will be. I might be frightened for you if something happens, but I promise, that's different."

"If people argue with me then I'm not scaring them," Winter points out. "The goal here. Is to not feed the Stranger. Arguing people aren't feeding the Stranger. So that's. Fine, I guess."

It's not really all that fine. He doesn't know how he'd react if someone actually got angry with him. He might get angry back. He might wilt. Maybe it would depend on the day, or on who's yelling at him.

"Being frightened for me counts, sometimes," he adds. "So. Maybe try not to do that, either. If it's to do with me not being a real person."

Steve hums by way of agreement, since nodding isn't really the best option in the dark. (Then again, maybe it is, clearly Winter can see him.)

Of course, he's not thrilled to hear that being frightened for the guy counts; he snorts out something like a laugh. "Sure, okay. I'll try not to do that."

Then again, "It's not... It wouldn't be about that, though." Sure, it's not great that Winter thinks he's not a real person. But honestly? It doesn't exactly make no sense, either.

Steve's quiet a moment, then decides to say something, at least. "You're my friend. I'd be frightened that something was happening to you."

Winter considers, creeping along the rooftop he's currently crossing. "That should be fine," he decides. "For the Stranger, anyhow. Might feed someone else, but probably not enough to be a problem."

He chews on the inside of his cheek, considering something else unhappily, then asks, "Am I really your friend? Here? I'm not. Him. Not really."

"Oh, good," Steve says, both actually relieved and maybe a little sarcastic, at the same time. He's still getting the hang of how things - entities, their impending doom, etc. - work around here.

Of course, at the question, he stops walking for a moment, glancing over his shoulder in the direction he thinks Winter is in. (Anyone's bet if it's actually right, although he can certainly make an educated guess based on experience, even in the absence of super senses.)

"Maybe I should've said 'I'm your friend,'" he hazards. "I don't want to speak for you."

But that's only part of it. "I know you're not him." It's very clear, by now, that this is not the Bucky Steve knows. "Do you think that means we can't be friends, though? If you wanted to be."

Close enough, really. It's up and behind, albeit a little too far to the left.

His immediate and gut-deep response would be yes. The strength of the feeling is a little scary, honestly. It sticks in his throat a little and he has to swallow a couple times before he can say anything. "As long as it's okay. That I'm different."

"Yeah," is the immediate response from Steve. "It's okay."

It is. It's weird, but that's his problem, not Winter's. And Steve can damn well do his best to keep it to himself. "If I ever... make you feel like it's not okay. If I'm acting dumb or - I don't know. Weird. You can tell me."

He wants to know, if he's making things harder than they need to be, even if he isn't sure Winter will notice it any more than he will. Still can't hurt to ask.

There's a long pause. Then: "Okay."

He notices. He can't not notice, when Steve realizes something sad or awkward or not quite right, because Steve can't hide his emotions for shit. But he also notices Steve tries to, anyway, because-- because he doesn't want to upset anyone.

"I'm not changing my name," he says, and kind of regrets it, but he wants that to be clear. Steve hadn't been happy about the name. But it's his and he wants it.

"Okay," Steve agrees, because - well, because it is. It is. "I never... I didn't mean to make you think you should. If that's what I did."

He might have messed that up, a little, when they'd first met. He could make the excuse that he was off kilter, but it would still be an excuse.

"I might mess up. Every once in a while. But that's on me, and I'll do my best not to."

"Messing up is fine. Looking like I kicked your puppy whenever you hear is less fine." Not that Steve does that. Not much, anyway. But he just wants to make sure Steve knows.

He tries to explain, which is probably stupid when they're on a mission, but he can't seem to shut himself up. It's a problem with Steve, sometimes. "I decided on it. Me. It's mine, now. It's what people who love me here know as. Me."

"I don't -" Steve starts to protest, but then he cuts himself off. He'd wanted feedback. He'd literally just asked for it.

And just because he thinks he doesn't look... like that, doesn't mean he doesn't.

Besides, Winter is going on, and Steve would probably be an actual monster if he tried to argue with that reasoning. Not that he wants to. It's... it's good reasoning, really.

"Okay," he agrees. "It is yours. You should have it, and I don't want to take it away from you." That's honest, too. The fact that the guy has people here who care about him like that is just the cherry on top. He deserves that, too, whatever name he goes by. "I don't want to take anything away from you." Especially not to make himself feel better, Jesus.

"It's just Winter, right?" he finally confirms - just to make sure he's not missing something he should know about. "I mean, it's fine if it is. I just wanted to get it right."

Though Steve can't see it, Winter makes a face, but his voice actually has some tone to it when he replies. That tone is distaste. "Technically on file with ADI. As Winter Soldier. I didn't know better when I got here. I don't go by the whole thing."

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