Event - All In Your Head

[apocalypsehowmods]

↬ Main Navigation

All In Your Head

➥ Night's Embrace

(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

(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

(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

(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).
  
  

↬ Main Navigation

Comments

[setthetone]

[Oh, it seems like Carter disapproves, does it. That's maybe because he does. A lot.]

You threw rocks at me. I had to drag you back to ADI myself.

[That's how "fine" it was, okay.]

Someone to...

[He trails off and just looks at Luka in sheer disbelief. The pause drags on and then his hand flies up, gesturing at all the occupied beds in the med wing.]

I haven't slept in 72 hours!

[cuttypie]

[It just seems like he disproves a lot. Luka actually manages to shrink down a little when he starts yelling, because he was trying to help? Can't you see that he was really just trying to do a good deed here?

Except.

He glances at the very occupied selection of beds and he ducks his head a little.

...whoops.]

I...I thought that maybe it wouldn't be this bad...

[At this point he knows his excuses are just pitiful.]

I really was trying to help.

[setthetone]

[Carter pinches the bridge of his nose and exhales, wondering for the umpteenth time what goes on in that head of his. He really thought it wouldn't be this bad. He probably means that.

Idiot.

But Luka did just go through a very traumatic event (again) and he doesn't have it in him to berate him in this vulnerable state.]

It's... you know what, don't worry about it. It's fine. We'll... let's just talk about it later.

[He sighs and reaches out to gently pat his shoulder.]

I'm just glad you're okay. You had me worried there, you know? Wasn't sure what a second run-in might do... But your vitals look pretty good right now.

[cuttypie]

[He really does mean that. But some of the tension in his muscles goes out when Carter doesn't push or start to launch into an argument, which he was fully expecting.

It takes him a second to realize that he's not chastising him--at least, not yet.]

That's--that's good, I didn't think there would be any lasting effects, or maybe your treatment plan is just that great...

[The world's weakest joke. But he's feeling far more coherent now than he'd been minutes ago. It's just that a few things are coming back to him in fits and spurts, and he remembers...he moves slightly, a stab of pain working its way up his side, as he looks down at his bandaged hand.]

...she got me pretty good, didn't she?

[setthetone]

[Carter sobers and nods.]

She did. ... But hey, I got her better.

[He reaches up to flick one of the lamps which gives a slight metallic whir.]

So you just take it easy, okay? You should feeling better soon. Do you want something for the pain?

[cuttypie]

You better.

[It's another weak smile, and he knows he really shouldn't laugh but there's something so endearing about Carter saving him. Being here.

Again.]

I think I'll be okay for now.

[A beat.]

You're starting to make a habit of saving my life, you know.

[setthetone]

Ahh, that's because you're starting to make a habit of getting in trouble.

[Carter jabs his finger in his direction but it's more of a tease now than a rebuke. There's no way he can stay mad at Luka when he's smiling like that and relief floods him like molten lead, making all his limbs heavy with exhaustion.]

Admit it. You just want to give me a hard time.

[cuttypie]

It's true. It was my main motivation for doing this.

[He sees the change in energy, the tease rather than any actual accusation, but he's just glad that Carter isn't yelling at him.

He still is fairly sure he's probably going to get yelled at later, but at least he'll be well enough for that by then.]

I'm sorry to make you worry. [It's a little hesitant, mostly embarrassed.] I really didn't think it was gonna get this bad.

[setthetone]

I knew it.

[He smirks but it quickly softens around the edges. He reaches out and takes Luka's good hand, giving it a light squeeze.]

It's good to have you back.

[He leans in with a meaningful pause.]

Because you are so taking over my shifts once you're back on your feet.

[cuttypie]

It's good to...be back.

[He can only imagine what poor Carter must have had to deal with, with him being all delirious--again, and injured to boot.

There's a laugh and a wince because he keeps forgetting not to laugh but he can't help it.]

All right, I guess I deserve that.

[setthetone]

You do.

[And he'll make sure you won't forget it.]

If you ask nicely I might help out, though.

[Maybe.]

You think you're ready for some food?

[cuttypie]

[He's not going to live this down, is he? Ever?]

At least there's that.

[There's a smirk, even though he does feel bad about how much Carter had to take on while he was out. It wasn't like at county where they could just call someone who was off, if people went down here, that was it. They were it, unless ADI had untold medical reserves that he didn't know about.]

Mmm, yeah? I think so.

[He tries to sit up a little, gingerly, trying not to jostle his injuries.]

This'll make a story someday, huh? Nobody would believe us.

[setthetone]

Yeah. I'm not sure I would believe us. I'd probably convince myself we dreamed it up or breathed in some fumes...

[You know. Healthily repress the whole thing. Good decisions like that.

He gets up and returns shortly after with a small tray and some bread. Nothing too heavy or upsetting for his stomach.]

Let me take a look at your hand while you're at it.

[cuttypie]

I'm not so sure that didn't happen. Maybe we're still at county, passed out on a gurney somewhere.

[It's amusing but also kind of horrifying to think about for too long. Then again, they'd spent enough time here that it couldn't possibly be a dream. But what happens if they--when they did go back? How could they deal with this? Explain it?

Healthy repression sounds good to him!]

Thanks, Carter.

My memories are still kind of bad but I thought that I was getting through to her. I told her that we could help her. And it didn't matter. If she's that far gone, what hope is there for the next poor person to get caught up in this?

[He goes for the bread first, he can't remember when the last time it was that he ate. He offers his injured hand to Carter for inspection.]

[setthetone]

I'm sorry. I'm sure you gave it your best.

[He gingerly takes his hand, examining the stitches, making sure no infection is spreading and puts a new bandage on it.]

Maybe it's something we simply haven't found yet. Like the darkness effect. I was trying to talk to you but there was no getting through to you either. Maybe we just need to find the right medicine to break them out from this... Entity disease.

[It's easier, trying to rationalize it. To... pathologize it, in a way. Turn it into something you can treat and not something beyond any human control whatsoever.]

Or maybe we should focus on making sure people don't get caught up in the first place.

[cuttypie]

[It helps, Carter saying that. It won't alleviate all the guilt, the doubts, the feeling that if he just maybe said something else, if he tried something else, he could have gotten through to her.

Or maybe it's impossible to. Another part of him wonders if maybe there was no hope ever, that once someone started down that dark path there was no turning back.]

If only we could isolate what's causing it. There has to be something causing it.

[It's gritted frustration. The supernatural had to be based in science, with something they simply haven't discovered yet, or don't have the tools to observe.]

Prevention if we can't cure it? [A faint, wry smile.] It's the next best thing if we can't fight it directly.