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apocalypsehowcomm2023-07-01 02:58 pm
NPC Interactions - July 2023
Please note the following:
- To interact, simply place the name of NPC you wish to thread with in the subject line and provide a starter. These do not need to be complex in their set-up and NPCs can be found anywhere one might reasonably find them. In the office or around Gloucester.
- Each player will be limited to one NPC thread on this post per month. This is to keep things manageable for the mods and to encourage players to share whatever their characters might learn in these interactions with the broader group.
- These NPC threads can be used for AC, but if players are using them exclusively to meet AC requirements across multiple months, the mods reserve the right to request additional non-NPC proofs.
- Interaction with NPCs is not required to participate in the plot of the game. This is simply an additional, optional venue for engagement.
The Warden (i.e., head) of the Apocalypse Disruption Initiative/Apex Detectives, Inc., and a very busy woman. She is short, serious, and direct, but can turn on the charm when she needs to. She is the public face of the business and directs strategy for the organization. She is also an avatar of the Hunt… or working her way there from an alignment. Her status as an avatar came as a surprise, but she has decided to at least partially embrace it, the better to fight the monsters. Nia has indicated she intends to find a way to get Player Characters home or stop them arriving in her universe and then find a way to stop herself from becoming one of the monsters ADI is sworn to fight. She places the mission and practicality first and has been shown to have the ability to smell Entity affiliation on others, as well as know strategically useful information. Nia is most likely to be found at ADI Headquarters.
This month, she seems to be focusing her energy on piecing what remains of ADI back together, and is drowning in paperwork. As the month of July goes on, she will gradually begin to show signs of agitation and paranoia, as though she's trying to catch someone following her when there's no other sign that anyone is doing so.
Formerly Nia's assistant, currently working in PR for ADI. They have a close, personal connection with Bonnie. When they're not at ADI Headquarters, they might be found out on the town with Bonnie or dropping in to visit her at the Flophouse. They are average height, polite, and eminently calm. They also seem to have a knack for reading other people.
This month, they are quite busy with their general work duties in the aftermath of the Wolf Trap incident, working to cover up the supernatural disaster and near-apocalypse as well as spin a story for local papers regarding the sudden mass exodus of many longtime ADI staffers in June. Reyes seems to be absent from ADI for long stretches at times. Word on the street is that they're heavily invested in investigating Dogtown.
HR for New Arrivals at ADI. She is a motherly, older woman who is typically patient, but also has a passive-aggressive snap to her if someone tests that to the breaking point. She is responsible for acclimating new arrivals and for those with a keen eye, she always carries a pistol in a shoulder holster, hidden beneath her cardigans. Due to an event incident, Pam is missing her left hand; she simply covers the stump with a pinned cardigan sleeve when wearing long sleeves or a pretty, fluffy cuff when wearing short sleeves. She's most often found at ADI Headquarters.
This month, she has been busy putting together a Christmas in July party; in the aftermath of that event she will spend the remainder of the month basking in the satisfaction of having finally thrown a holiday party that did not result in mass trauma.
Proprietor of the Flophouse. Bonnie is a tall, red-headed woman from another world, one of the first to find herself dragged into this new reality more than a year ago. She's a Bohemian sort with a lot of manic energy. She also places much greater emphasis on retaining one's humanity over being strictly human. Bonnie has a close, personal relationship with Reyes Amador, and will keep the people in the flophouse apprised of anything important ADI is doing so that they can help, if they wish to do so. She's most often found at the Flophouse or out on the town with Reyes.
This month she has purchased a Cricut and opened an Etsy shop selling stickers on a whim. It is going poorly.
A young person living in the flophouse as Bonnie's roommate. They are a native to this reality and read a cursed book called The Long Road Ahead around the same time that Bonnie arrived. They now feed on cherished memories to give horrific visions of a potential future to those who wish to avail themselves of the exchange. They are rail thin, sickly, and always keep a blindfold over their eyes. They can sometimes be found in the common area in the flophouse with a white walking cane to guide them. (This NPC provides an IC conduit for OOC 'canon updates.')
This month, as is usual for her, the Visionary is holed up in their room and reluctant to take visitors...though perhaps even more so than usual.
A young man living in one of the flophouse's unused rooms. He is native to this reality and was originally part of a Desolation-based circus called the Fenix Down Extravaganza. He was called away from the circus on "family business," just before PCs murdered all Desolation avatars of the circus. Formerly known as Pyre, Cole was subsequently known to be lurking around Wolf Pen, WV during the events of Appalachia before he starting lighting fires on his way toward revenge against ADI for the circus and for their murder of his father, Carl Watts, in Wolf Pen. In his search for revenge, Cole attacked a Gloucester Eye cult, thinking it was associated with ADI and was turned from a man made of wax to one made of viscous eye jelly. He has lost cohesion as a being in many ways, along with access to much of his Desolation-based abilities, and is currently trapped in the form of a melted, mostly faceless flesh-blob monster. He lurks in the Flophouse, avoiding contact with people where he can. This NPC was spared by players from death and hidden at the Flophouse as part of a poll that took place in December 2022. As of June 2023, Cole has repaid some of the kindness shown to him by developing a truly private network app just for off-worlders.
This month, Cole remains holed up in his room as he has been since moving into the Flophouse, but he's always up for a chat over his network. After the kindness shown to him recently, he might even open his door for an in-person visit…if you can stomach his blob monster appearance.
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The people in ADI have been very accepting of me, but I am afraid that my experience outside of these walls has not been the same. Where else could I go? If I am to live freely, how can I leave ADI?
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Unless you're living under a constant glamour? I... I'm so sorry. I don't know that there is anywhere. We're not- we've had this glamour to keep the government at bay for years now. If they knew it wasn't just people, but non-human people coming through to us... I don't know what they'd do. We've been lucky no one here's mentioned-
[She breaks off as her eyes widen.]
Oh, oh, god. What if- We might need to talk to Nia. Neil and Rae we can trust, but I don't know about someone like Benny. He- The groundskeeper in the housing. He hated-
[Pam rises, her tea forgotten.]
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Rue leaps to their own feet.]
Pam? What are you saying? Where are we going?
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[Pam motions to Rue to follow her.]
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You think that he will tell the government about the goings on of this place? And all it contains? How frightful.
cw: paranoia, mention of death and dissection
[Pam shakes her head. It's a relatively short jaunt to Nia's office. Pam knocks and enters when called for; she motions Rue to follow.]
Nia, there's- Rue got me to thinking. What are we going to do about Benny and others like him? The ones that might-might tell the government about what's happening. What's really happening with people from other universes turning up.
[Nia's brows rise and she looks sharply from Rue to Pam and back to them again.]
They can't know about you.
[Her eyes are on the owlbear and there's genuine concern in them.]
Best case scenario, they'd just kill you and dissect you.
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There's just no preparing Rue for the severity of what they are being told. True, they had known of the danger of being seen as their true self out and about among the humans, but until this very moment, Rue had taken that to mean that they would cause fear and panic among the population. That the very sight of them would be too frightening to behold and that they would never truly be accepted into any community.
And now they are being told they will be murdered on sight and turned into a science experiment.
There's just no preparing them for how terrifyingly that imagery is, how quickly it crashes against them, how utterly helpless it leaves them feeling. Rue stumbles in place, suddenly feeling lightheaded, holding a great paw out to catch themself on the door frame. Their head is swimming.]
Dissected? Simply for how I look? And that is the best case scenario?!
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I'm sorry, Rue. That- I could've said that better. [Another glance at Pam.] But it's true. That's why we've... why I sanctioned the use of supernatural abilities by someone. In this case, it's vital to keep you and others who are distinctly inhuman safe.
[Pam rubs their arm.] We're going to keep you safe, Rue. If- can we hide people if we need to? Pretend Benny's gone mad, maybe?
[Nia looks dubious.] Maybe. We'd need to check with... them. [The look she gives Pam is a significant one.] See if they'll deal to extend the guise here, if we need it.
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They feel as if they can hardly breathe.]
Damn your air of mystery. [Rue does not raise their voice, does not yell or try to take up anymore of the room than they already are, but their tone goes sharp, firm with an authority they haven't held in months now.] I thought you were through with these secrets. If you have brought me here and now my life is on the line, I deserve the full, unaltered truth.
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I think they meant brought them to your office, Nia. I'm sorry, Rue. I-I shouldn't have worried you like this. We'll need to figure out what to do. Nia, it might be time to make a trip to Washington.
[Nia swears softly and pinches the bridge of her nose.
Pam continues:] And we're talking about the person who's been allowed to continue using their abilities to maintain the illusion. They're not... simple to deal with, which is why a very limited number of people are authorized to visit them. We'll figure this out. We'll keep you and everyone else safe. We just... need to strategize.
And maybe track down Benny to see who he's been talking to.
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But for all their growing fear and irritation, none of it is directed at Pam. There may not be many left in ADI that Rue trusts, but Pam will always make the cut.]
Tell me what I am to do.
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[Her eyes are quick to turn to Nia for confirmation, and the Warden gives a small nod. Pam continues:]
We just need to make sure no one in Gloucester sees you outside. Just- make sure you're careful. Especially if you're visible from ADI grounds when you're on them. I'm so sorry.
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[They do not mean to be so chilly to Pam, but of course the news that they shall lose even more freedom simply to live stings just a little too raw.]
I shall hide myself away, until this has been taken care of.
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I don't like it. I'll try to fix this ASAP. Or at least put a band-aid on it so you're not in any more danger than you were before Benny left. That's all I can promise, Rue.
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Thank you, I do appreciate that you are both trying. It does not make the situation feel any less hopeless, but it is something. Pray, I hope you enjoy the rest of your afternoons.
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A day later, Rue will find some homemade, (plastic covered) chocolate chip cookies and some bags of fancy tea on their desk when they come in to work. There's a tiny card with it.]
Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. We'll work on getting this resolved. I promise. -Pam
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