Event - The 25,000 Light Year View

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The 25,000 Light Year View

The atmosphere in the lower level gym at ADI headquarters is… tense, to say the least. Nia, Neil, and Rae are present with the rest of those remaining at the organization (or willing to come when called by Neil and Rae for a final statement) seated in benches and chairs that have been dragged in. It's not the usual, orderly meetings that some might have gotten used to for mission briefings.

Neil speaks first. "Thank you, everyone, for coming in. Lot's been happening, but we've come to… an understanding about where we need to go. The artifacts that were in the Vault have all been accounted for or noted as destroyed in some manner with a few exceptions. We're still chasing- ADI is still chasing those down with help from anyone who might want to give it. Won't pretend this is going to be a kumbaya moment, so let's get down to brass tacks. There's an apocalypse on. Whatever this organizations stands for now, its original mission was to uncover and stop those. That's still my mission."

"Mine, too," Rae chimes in.

"It's one we all share," Nia adds.

Neil nods before continuing. "So, we stop this, and we go our separate ways. I'll be leaving ADI and starting my own organization. We've seen a large number of threats in the Appalachian region and a lot of folks heavily impacted by decisions ADI's made. I'll be taking my organization there. Already been in touch with our- with ADI's field agents in the region. Some will be joining me. Along with a certain newsperson who keeps sniffing around. We'll do what we can to do right by the people who've been hurt most. That's going to be our focus. Support and security. We're not feeding the Hunt anymore by running down threats."

Rae steps up next. "And I'll be going where I need to. Lot of threats out west. If you're looking to do some good that won't be working for the Hunt… maybe think about heading that way."

Nia is the last to speak. "And I'll be staying here in Gloucester. ADI will be staying. And I will be its final Warden. We're stopping Zyrian, then we're figuring out what the hell is going on with Dogtown to get all of you people from other worlds home. Or at least stop anyone else coming in. After that? I'm out. What happens after that is still in the works. But Neil's agreed to stay in touch to help with everything… once I'm gone." There's a flicker of emotion across Neil's stoic expression. Regret, frustration… grief. "But right now, we look to Wolf Trap. I-"

There's a pause, and Neil and Rae look to Nia in concern as she puts a hand to her temple. She recovers, though. "Huh… We look to Wolf Trap, Virginia. We'll have buses to get everyone down there. We'll be arriving just as Copernicus' launch of the New Horizon's project is underway. That's where Zyrian Steel's going to do his ritual. We need to find the server rooms at the event. Those are important."

Rae squints at Nia, "You sure?"

Nia nods. "Yeah. I'm real sure about that. It'll be dangerous, though, and that's not the- it's not the only threat that's gonna be there."

Neil's looking wary. "Nia?"

"There's something else. The Web? It's not just the Vast that's involved in this, I don't think. It would make sense, right?" She shakes her head. "We'll be facing multiple Entity threats down there, not just the Vast. And I'm sure Zyrian's gonna kick the ritual off on the last day, once he's had time for-for something… not sure what. But he's a dramatic bastard, if nothing else. And timing's everything."

Neil and Rae exchange uncertain looks before Neil speaks up again. "Coming is voluntary, like always, but we'll want boots on the ground to cover as much ground as possible. They'll be holding the biggest events and productions at the Filene Center stage. But we're expecting tech booths scattered all throughout the park. Be on your guard."

"And bring a gun," Rae advises.

➥ Links

• General Setting Prompts - Part 1 & Part 2
  
• NPC/Mod Response Prompts - LINK
  
  

Wolf Trap Park
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Comments

[rainestorms]

"Ah, interesting," Raine turned the toy around in their hand, unbothered by Winter's assessment. "There were toys like this when I was a kid."

They glanced back up at Winter warily.

"I don't think we've had the chance to talk before now."

[worthallthis]

"No. But I know your people. They're okay." Rue in particular is pretty great, and he's developed a fondness for Hunter. He pauses, then asks tentatively, "You had toys that were in distress?"

[rainestorms]

"My people?" Raine replies, a curious lilt in their voice. "Who exactly are my people?"

Raine had to think over the various things that screamed from their childhood.

"Well, Grudgeby balls scream sometimes. And there were one or two other toys, one of them was a doll... Also our school bells in Hexside weren't bells. They also screamed. But that's not a toy."

[worthallthis]

"Eda and Rue," Winter answers. Though Eda makes him a little nervous with her comments about wanting more power.

He pauses, then adds, sliding her a look that's hard to read but might be skepticism, "And you had very weird toys. I don't think they're supposed to do that."

[rainestorms]

"Rue actually is not from where Eda and I are from," Raine chuckled at Winter. "Not everybody who's green or owl-like are from the same place."

They gave him a cheeky smirk, and returned to fiddling with the toy.

Humans. If only they could see the Boiling Isles. It would scare them to death.

"I could say the same for Human things." They amusedly fire back. "You all are quite obsessed with a lot of very strange things. And you kept giraffes around."

[worthallthis]

Now his expression is clear: he's confused, at least for a moment. Then he realizes what they meant, and corrects himself, "People who are yours. Who are important to you. Not the same species or world. I didn't know you and Eda were from the same place."

Also, because distractions are good when you're freaking out, he asks, "Who keeps giraffes around? They're huge. And awkward."

[rainestorms]

"Oh." Raine's caught off guard- most people guessed that they knew each other due to how familiar they acted, so this was a first. "We are. So is Hunter."

Still, they remain just as amused by Winter's confusion.

"You have entire.. Observation parks? For them! With human realm animals!" They chuckled.

"Giraffes were driven out of the Boiling Isles a long time ago, and now they live in the human realm. They weren't very pleasant to be around."

[worthallthis]

Hunter's another good one. Winter's fond of Hunter. Possibly in large part because he's rescued him twice, now.

"They're just. Big deer things with long necks. What's unpleasant about them," Winter asks, baffled. He has, honestly, not been around any giraffes in his life, and only knows what they are because of that museum trip they went on a while back.

[rainestorms]

"Big deer things?" Raine quizzically tilted their head to the side. Eda had explained to them what deer were after they'd seen one themself, but Raine didn't think the two had much similar to each other.

"Giraffes are demons.. quite frightening ones too. I've never seen them in person, but there's plenty written about how their looks are just a facade, and that their faces unfurl to-"

They try to imitate it with their hands. It's not very successful, or maybe Winter just has no frame of reference. Or both.

"-Look quite grotesque. I can't remember why exactly they were banished.. Maybe they ate too many people..?"

[worthallthis]

" ... I think we must be talking about different things," Winter finally comes up with, because yeah, that made no sense to him and also doesn't fit what (admittedly little) he knows about giraffes. "Maybe they're different in your world. My world doesn't have demons at all."

[rainestorms]

"Well, I'm not from the Human Realm. I'm from the Demon Realm. But in.. I suppose my version of the Human Realm, many of your legends come from us. Like griffins. And we get a lot of your junk." Raine explained, perhaps a bit too nonchalantly for how confused Winter seemed to be.

"So it's possible. I guess I'd have to go look."

[worthallthis]

Winter pauses, then has to ask, "And what are griffins like in the. Demon Realm." Because if they're anything other than a lion-eagle hybrid thing, then he'll know they're definitely from different universes.

[rainestorms]

"Well, in the Demon Realm they're pretty similar to the Human Realm myth. Bird head, lion body," Raine began to explain, and began to look something up on their phone.

"Only, humans ended up changing the bird part. Actual griffins have the head of a pigeon."

They hold up their phone and show him a picture of a pigeon.

"I guess humans thought the other one looked cooler.."

[worthallthis]

"Or was more dangerous and they wanted it to be threatening instead," Winter suggests. "Pigeons are way cooler than eagles." Says the Brooklyn boy, even if he doesn't remember much of it. Back in the 30s, pigeons weren't pests, they were food sources and messengers still. Domesticated, not feral. So he has good impressions left over in his brain.

[rainestorms]

"More dangerous is definitely probably why," Raine chuckled. "But the gryphons we have at home are definitely still dangerous, they can cover you in spiders if you're not careful. But, humans wouldn't know that. The only one I know of who's been to the Demon Realm recently is Luz.."

Raine fell quiet long enough to give thought to worry about the small but capable human girl.

"So if you don't have magic, or gryphons, what does the human realm look like for you? Like this one?"

They gestured to their surroundings.

"Or are you like Manji, from a different time period all together?"