JUNE 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

[sodder]

JUNE 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to June's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: FAIRY FANTASY HORROR.

All Test Drive Memes contain at least one clue to the Deerington's upcoming in-game events for the month! Keep your eyes peeled! But...not literally.

Characters may die during TDMs, but you do not need to count it towards a game-canonical death unless you want to. Consider it a freebie. All TDMs can be considered game canon as TDMs introduce minor aspects about the world of Deerington that can be revisited by characters later on in the game. You may also use TDMs for your application writing sample as well as AC.

CW: Alligators (pictured & written), pictures of skulls, violence, mention of corpses, possession, possible death
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK

The low sound of growling coming from the pipes should probably be a cause for concern, but is it really that strange for Deerington? Is anything that strange anymore? There's been people talking about monsters again, the kind that snatch kids and small animals without mercy through the gates in the road and someone said they saw something that looked practically prehistoric pop up through a manhole on the north side of Main Street. He was drunk, though, so who's really gonna believe the ravings of a college kid on a bender.

The growling sometimes comes with hisses, a strange snapping sound, and the occasional scratching of claws against metal or stone. There's something down there alright, but are you going to go try and find it yourself or just hope someone else takes care of it?

Anyone who ventures into the sewers will find that it's become home to some rather large and terrifying beasts; alligators, to be precise, but not normal ones. Oh, no, that would be too easy. These have clearly been mutated, grown to a much larger size than any alligator anyone has ever seen, with teeth as sharp as diamonds and they're ready to rip you apart in one bite. The skin is hard as rock on top, but the underbelly is still soft as ever. Looks like you'll know where to aim if you decide to fight.

Those who don't go into the sewers can still find that the alligators are indeed popping up from manholes, or coming out of from the drains along the road, and if you're not careful, they might even manage to somehow find a way through the pipes and into your home. It shouldn't be possible, but anyone who's been in this town long enough can tell you that anything is possible.

These large alligators take at least two people to take it down. One particularly strong person may be able to fight it off themselves, but it's going to be dangerous and you'll probably walk away severely injured. The more who join in, the easier it will go. Normal weapons will work fine on the underbelly, but the top skin will be incapable of being penetrated by even the most advanced of weapons. Magic seems to have a particularly strong effect on them, however, so maybe you should think of teaming up with a wizard.

RIDDEN THE BACK OF THE WIND

The smell of corpses is what hits you first; it's overwhelming and impossible to escape, no matter how hard you try. It seems to take over the entire town at random intervals, and the first thing you'll notice is the locals running indoors. They'll slam all windows that face west shut and lock them tight, or maybe go so far as to close any open windows and doors all together, and they'll stay there until it's passed. You'd be wise to do the same.

The wind picks up quickly and there's the sound of what could be hummingbirds, but doesn't sound quite right. The fairies that come through are looking primarily for the dead or dying to whisk away their souls, but being particularly sadistic bastards, they're prone to getting sidetracked by tormenting the living as well. They'll swarm unsuspecting victims in the outdoors, picking them up and pulling them high above the streets as they circle them. If you're caught, they'll swarm around you, the humming becoming unbearably loud and the vibrations shaking your body down to the very core. The evil within them will consume you and when they drop you - which they always do - you'll find that you're filled with a violent and uncontrollable rage.

This rage will cause you to attack anyone and everyone around you with whatever weapon you are most efficient with. You're not just here to do mild harm, you're out for blood, and you'll soon as kill your best friend if it means quieting the darkness welling up inside you.

The only means of curing the darkness is by purifying it with light; this can be interpreted metaphorically by having someone with a pure intentions try and love you through your own pain or literally by having someone use light magic or bright, shining sun lamps to literally overwhelm the darkness inside of you and give it no place to escape. It's entirely up to the player.

Character Arrival

You can read how all characters arrive in Deerington here.

There is not a collective "all these characters showed up at the exact same moment" occurrence in Deerington. Since characters fall asleep, die, or pass out at various times throughout all their worlds, it wouldn't make too much sense if they arrived in game all at the exact same time. There should be some discrepancy between character arrival, whether by a couple minutes, hours, or even days up to a week.

The players are entirely in control of how/when they want to play their characters arriving in Deerington. For TDMs, you can play it like your character has just arrived and that can be maintained as your game canon, or you can wait until game events for that moment. Or you don't need to acknowledge it at all. The flexibility for character allows a bit more of an organic feel to the character arrival situation, so please play it to whatever feels right for you.

If you are interested in having an "arrival" introduction for one of your TDM prompts, you are more than welcome to explore that option.

Comments

QUESTIONS

[sodder]

[moonfang]

HELLO

How would the faeries in this prompt respond to someone who reads more as high fae than human/mortal? Respect, fear, reinvigorated attempts to harass...? Zangetsu is a Lost Carnival CRAU and he's basically as fae as you can get without being born that way

Tom McNair (Being Human)

[mcnair]

▶TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
(Tom arrives in Deerington just like everyone else. In bed, after having a horrible dream. Or was it a nice dream? Tom can't quite figure it out.

He leaves the house immediately, shucking off his father's jacket onto the porch. It's warm out. Much warmer than it gets in Barry. This was more than he was used to. Sweat drips down his temples and he blinks a few times. Was that... was that a scaly creature meandering down the street? It picks up it's lumbering pace when a stray cat appears. Tom quickly reaches into his jacket and pulls out one of his stakes and goes running towards the alligator. Yelling loudly in his Derbyshire accent, all mishmash in his mouth,)

Gettoutta here, cat! And yew, what are you doin' out here? Are we in Florida?

(It was rhetorical, as he doesn't expect the beast to answer.)

▶RIDDEN THE BACK OF THE WIND
(Tom had just been attacked by the faeries. They swarmed around him and he's practically growling, nearly drooling angry. Like a sick and angry dog. His face is all screwed up like a disgruntled Muppet and you seem to be in his path.)

Move, or I'll move ya.

(The person standing in the way, perhaps they just witnessed the faeries swarm around Tom? Perhaps they've seen this before, know the light trick, or maybe they think they can talk him out of it? Act quickly, he's pulling a hunting knife from his waistband, twirling it between his fingers.)

Tick Tock

[demonicbeauty]

[There aren't a lot of alligators in Valeria. Ariadne's only seen them twice before, both times in the menagerie of some wealthy lord or lady she was sent to rob. But the scent is decidedly distinct. And the fact that she's been picking it up so much lately is more than a little upsetting.

But they did warn her that strange things happen in Deerington.

So she's doing her best to carry on as usual, until she comes onto the scene. Cat. Alligator. Boy. At once, Ariadne drops the bag of groceries she was carrying, falling into a quick squat. She grabs a stone from the side of the road and immediately throws it at the alligator, hitting it on the side of the head.

On the plus side, it allows the cat to escape. The unfortunate part is that it gets the alligator's attention.]

Pick on someone your own size!

[Which is...not actually Ariadne. She's ninety pounds soaking wet. But at least the cat will be okay.]

Simon Templar || The Saint (2017)

[pacifisticuffs]

i . TICK TOCK

[ Simon still has no idea what to make of any of this. Is he hallucinating? Is he dead? Is he being held and drugged by Rayt Marius for some sadistic reason of his own?

The bottom line of it is, when he tested whether or not he would actually disappear if he didn't eat the food in his "blessings basket," he almost did. Whatever this place is, hallucinations, death throes, drugs--it's enough for him to treat it like some kind of reality, for the time being.

Which is a sentiment much easier when there is not an an enormous alligator coming up to the street through a sewer grate that has no business letting something that large through.

His first thought is "Well, now I know this isn't real," but it's a thought that comes as he's already running across the street to shove a woman away from the things jaws and jump back before he can get chomped himself. ]

Don't muss up the suit, old boy, I've only got the one.



ii . RIDDEN THE BACK OF THE WIND

[ When he hits the ground, the vibration is still in his bones, even as the wind gets crushed out of him.

Something broken?

Doesn't matter.

He rolls onto his side, then onto all fours.

Doesn't matter.

There's bile in his blood. All the rage he tried to turn on Rayt Marius and failed, all the rage he couldn't make himself use against Xander. Weak, Xander told him when he couldn't pull the trigger. Weak.

For a few seconds Simon stares at the pavement, struggling with the feeling that seems to be settling into his soul.

He'll show Xander weak.

Simon gets up, dusting himself off as briskly as he would any other day. And his attention locks on the nearest pedestrian.

He attacks, doing his best to slam them up against the nearest wall. ] Now, what are you doing out here, hm? It could be dangerous. Hate to make that smell any worse, wouldn't we?


iii . WILDCARD A

[ Simon is sitting in a coffee shop, the camera held just so, framing his face at an attractive angle. ]

Hello darlings. [ He flashes a winning smile toward someone off camera, his eyebrow going up just a touch at whatever reaction he gets. ] My, my. The locals are inhospitable, aren't they?

[ In any case. He lounges backward, showing off a little more of a clearly expensive suit. ]

I find myself a bit desperate for the company of a brandy and a friendly face. I would take one or the other if I can't have both. Any ideas as to where I could attain them?


iv. WILDCARD B

[ Simon needs clothes. To wit, he is in Stacy's Department Store, holding up a plain white button-up shirt like it's a turd he's been forced to deal with bare-handed. ]

I suppose it can be tailored.

II

[bardish]

Shit-- fuck-- shit!

[ It's pretty alarming, seeing a guy just fall from the sky like that. And while he's not exactly a total newbie anymore, he's still new enough that he's not totally cool and unfazed by all the insane bullshit that happens here. Like, he's only just gotten used to all the damn curses, and now we've got roving packs of faeries picking people up and dumping them from the sky.

At least he's still alive. Jeff draws in a breath, still a little shaken by watching the guy freefall to the pavement, and rushes down the street to try to offer him some help. ]

Hey... Are you-- jesus!

[ WHAT IS WITH FANCY BRITISH GUYS ATTACKING HIM IN THE STREET? Jeff pushes back at him, trying to slip out from between the guy and the wall he's being trapped against. ]

White flag, truce, I come in peace, asshole!

Greg | Over the Garden Wall

[turtburglar]

a. tick tock tick tock part 1

[Greg is having fun. He's currently building a house for his frog, who is tucked under his arm, croaking every now and then. Twigs are piled up in a square-ish shape in front of him, and he squats down on his little legs to pick up a new twig.

He's tiny, maybe 7 years in age, and he's humming to himself as he builds his frog house. He has overalls and a teapot stuck on his head, the leftovers of a Halloween costume. He doesn't notice the alligator coming up behind him, teeth snapping, until it's pretty close.]

Wah! [he screams, and then he's reaching in his pocket and throwing a bunch of colorful candy in the alligator's direction. It bounces off the alligator, only irritating it more.] Be gone, great dragon!

b. tick tock tick tock part 2

[Somehow, Greg has strapped ropes around this alligator and is now on top, holding on for dear life as the alligator flails. His frog is off to the side, croaking and not helping at all.]

Whoa, whoa, down boy!

[The teapot on his head flies off, falling in the dirt without breaking.]

I shall ride this dragon yet!!

c. ridden the back of the wind

[Greg suddenly runs into your house with no invitation, slamming the door behind him.] Whoo! It stinks out there.

[A pause where he adjusts the teapot on his head, the frog in his arms croaking.] I didn't do it, if that's what you're thinking.

Tick tock tick tock part 1

[laminae]

[Oh, geez, that's one big alligator, and one very small child. It's easy to see where that situation is going to go if someone doesn't step in, and even though Fern isn't the nicest person he isn't about to let some kid get eaten. Thankfully he's fought bigger monsters than this one before, so he doesn't hesitate to dash in between the two of them.]

Dude, this isn't a dragon.

[There's a whistle in the air, and from his palm one of his blades of grass forms itself into a sword, which he points threateningly at the alligator. It doesn't seem enthused about that, and opens its jaws, showing off rows of huge, pointy teeth.

He glances back at the kid briefly.]

You should get back.

carol danvers | mcu

[energyblasts]

(A) TICK TOCK
[ Giant alligators. Great. Where's a flerken when you need one? Oh, that's right. Fury took off with him. It's cool. She's totally got this. Sure her powers are dampened a bit andd flight is totally not a thing she wants to try again, but she's got this in the bag. Foot firmly planted on the manhole that she pushes back down every time Tick Tock here tries to poke his head out. All the while clapping her hands together every couple of seconds in some attempt to jumpstart her powers. So far? A whole lotta nada.

It's kind of a weird scene, she gets it. Which is why she totally doesn't blame anyone staring at her. But she's definitely going to stare back with a slow clap. ]

...this doesn't look as weird as it does.

[ Said as she slams her foot back down on the alligator popping the manhole up.

Deadpan. ]

Ok. Maybe it does.


(B) CRASH LANDING ARRIVAL
[ She is no bird nor plane as she falls right out of the sky with absolutely no grace whatsoever. Kinda hard to, really. This is definitely what she gets for thinking to hell with it and taking off after waking up in a bed that is so very clearly not her own. So she drops from the sky - rolls through it - and crash lands right into whatever display is there outside whatever shop this is on the street here. Things go flying, wood splinters, a lady screams. You know, the usual when someone drops out of the sky so unexpectedly.

When everything settles, she finds herself laying against whatever cart this used to be (because it is so not a cart for anything anymore) and slumps an arm over it as she sits up a bit, blowing the mess that is her hair out of her face. ]

Ow. So glad I had all this stuff to break my fall... and maybe my arm.

[ This sucks? This sucks. ]


NETWORK
USERNAME: C.DANVERS
I thought you were supposed to count sheep and not deer when you had trouble getting to sleep.

(( canon point is ending of Captain Marvel. also open to wildcard prompts. catch her trying to fix up a motorcycle or hitting up any available garages/autoshops because it's not just her powers that are busted. ))

network; un: c.snow

[trigeminalheadache]

Usually the suggestion is to imagine an endless stream of white sheep jumping over a fence, counting each as they go. The idea being it's something simple, rhythmic, and repetitive to lull you to sleep.

You could probably do it with deer. Or anything you don't have overly exciting, I suppose.

Edmund Reid | Ripper Street

[whilstibreathe]

⁃ TICK TOCK TICK TOCK

A descent into the sewers is not so unfamiliar for Inspector Reid. The notes of terror that sing through the populace deserve to be quelled, and though he may not have jurisdiction in this strange town it remains his solitary duty to restore order to a world in chaos. He knows there must be a logical explanation for the snapping and thrashing and the reports of missing persons, and intends to bring whomever has inflicted this to heel. To make example of the person or persons responsible, and insist the town back to sanity. He's seen too keenly what happens when hysteria and confusion are allowed to spread like a cancer, and he won't have it. Not here. Not now.

Up to his ankles in water, he hears the gentle splashing first. It's like a slithering of something moving just atop the water that flows at his side. Armed only with a billy club, Edmund turns to greet the culprit. The big man can't quite believe what he sees. The alligator's teeth glint with the ripples of water, and inexplicably he shouts a warning as if the creature will comply.

"You stay back!" Edmund brandishes the billy club and aims for its nose.

⁃ ARRIVAL

He walks the street with a certainty that belies how out of place he feels. Unafraid, Edmund means to learn the town on his feet. To peer into shop windows and look past alleyways and come to his own understanding of just what this all amounts to, and why he's been brought here. There's an absurdity to it all that he simply can't abide. The whole thing is impossible and foreign. He can't liken it to a dream, because even in the furthest reaches of his imagination he's never conjured up something quite like this.

The tall man cuts an unusual picture in his three-piece suit and tie. Overly-formal and yet clearly of a bygone era, topped off with a bowler hat. Edmund drips Victorian sensibility in every move. He stops often to examine what he can't understand. The machines that spell progress are of particular interest, so don't mind him as he stares openly at those going about their work.

⁃ NETWORK
TEXT | UN: EJJR

I'm given to believe this transmits messages instantaneously? What is this invention?

network | un: saintly

[pacifisticuffs]

A regression created by those who are discomfited by phones.

yuki

[notaprince]

i. TICK TOCK TICK TOCK

[Are all American cities like this? Because if so, Yuki is going to have to reconsider his stance re: international travel. Because that is a crocodile. ...or maybe it's an alligator? Or, uh, a caiman?

Nevermind, it's not important. What is important is that it's enormous, hissing and currently slithering along the road. Normally Yuki is an expert at keeping his nose out of other people's business, sometimes to the point of indifference. But that's a large toothy reptile and it's currently crawling very fast towards someone, and listen, he's had Some Growth in the past year, so he can't just. Turn and walk away.

There's a moment of hesitation before --] Damn it. [-- and then whoever's been cornered by the crocodile will find a teenage boy who looks about 100 pounds soaking wet vaulting between them and the animal, armed with a piece of rebar. Yeah, Token Hot Anime Kid is apparently gonna...fight the crocodile.

Yuki doesn't seem concerned, aside from tossing over his shoulder:] You should probably get out of here. Now. [...well. His bedside manner could use some work.]


ii. RIDDEN THE BACK OF THE WIND

[When Yuki comes to after being grabbed and swarmed by the -- fairies? Something tiny and horrific and biting -- he's naturally annoyed. Of course he is. It's not enough that he's been taken from his home, now he's been menaced by fairytale creatures. He'll stagger to his feet, rubbing at the bright red marks blossoming over his arms, from tiny, vicious hands.

When he almost bumps into someone -- man, woman, child, whatever -- Yuki recoils like a snake, eyes narrowing, snapping out:] Watch where you're going.

[Anger isn't new to him (he's been angry in some capacity since he was five years old), but this bubbling, overwhelming rage is. It's intense enough that even Yuki's long-honed control is immediately fraying, and it doesn't take much on the part of whoever had nearly run into him -- a misspoken word, an attempt to reach out -- for him to snap.

When that happens, he's immediately moving to try and roundhouse kick them in the face. So. Y'know. Duck?]

iii. ARRIVAL - NETWORK VIDEO, un: musmuridae [[cw: rats, mice, swarming imagery]]

[The video switches on, showing the underside of a table, apparently. It looks like whoever owns the Fluid has dropped it on the ground, perhaps. Either way, the feed focuses on the table leg for a long moment, before the soft sound of scuttling starts. It's distant at first, coming closer and closer, dozens of tiny scampering feet, until it's deafening.

Then the rats appear. Long tails whipping around, bounding and scurrying around and over the Fluid, up the legs of the table, up the chair, sleek bodies swarming as they flock to whatever's on top of the table. There must be dozens of them, squeaking and fighting each other in an attempt to get up first. The shuffle and soft squeaking continues for a good five minutes before there's a very soft, weary voice coming from atop the table:]

I see. Thank you, for your time. You can go.

[There are a couple protesting squeaks, but then the rats begin to retreat. There's a glimpse of an oddly bright, silvery rat among them that wasn't there previously, but then there's a startled "hm?" and the feed goes black.]

III. Video | Username: kanakana

[repeatedapology]

[ Only moments after that video cuts off, Rena sends a video of her own despite the fact that was clearly an accidental message. ]

SOOOO CUUUUUTE! You have so many pet rats! How did you teach them those tricks, huh huh??

[ Yeah this should probably be weird, but she's focusing on the important details! ]

randall flagg / A LOT OF STEPHEN KING STUFF but mostly the stand

[hardcase]

[ 1 - tick tock - cw: alligator death ]

[ Team up with a wizard, huh? Well, here's one. And he's got a hell of a talent for magic, too. When he sees someone struggling with a gator, all it takes is a wave of his hand before it keels over, cold and rotten inside and out before its belly hits the ground.

The dead gator might be a relief. The way the grass browns and wilts all around it is a little suspect, as is the cold chill that pierces the air when the unexpected savior speaks: ]

That's a world of trouble you were in, friend. Didn't anyone ever tell you to stay out of the sewers?

[ Maybe he comes off well. He can, when he wants to. Or maybe something about the way he speaks and stand there grinning like a kid in a candy store is off-putting enough that you kind of wish you took your chances with the alligator. ]

[ 2 - network - text - un: rf ]

The second I got here, I thought 'oh, I must be in Maine'.
How'd I know that? Am I just omniscient?
Nah.
Maine always just has a distinct aura of dogshit.
I'd ask 'who hurt ya, Maine?' but I already know the answer to that.

Anyway, howdy-do. I'm Randy. I'm sure we'll be best pals.

[ 3 - wildcard ]

[ Anything goes or hit me up at dandymott or vellocet#7191! ]

tick tock

[poorlydied]

[ don’t get him wrong — gerard is grateful that the alligator didn’t kill him. dying once (twice?) is enough. but the way the man killed the alligator, and the ease with which he did it, rubs gerard the wrong way. the rotting gator and browning grass reminds him of the corruption more than he’d like to admit. ]

Yeah, something like that. But I’ve also been told to stay away from people with magic rotting powers, so. [ a shrug. then, almost reluctantly: ] But thanks for that, I guess.

Snow White || Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

[onebadapple]

I: Tick Tock

"That was very rude! Apologize at once!" How is your day going, well? Dealing with orcs, perhaps? Or the alligators trying to bring you down into the sewers as a snack? Perhaps you might not expect, however, one alligator to be looking well, contrite as he's being scolded. Snow White is wagging a finger at the behemoth, clearly
unbothered by the creature's size, deadliness, and well... everything else about him.

"Going about and trying to snap at people, you should be ashamed," she 'tsked' and the alligator, for his part made a gurgling noise, looking well, if an alligator COULD look embarrassed, this one was doing a splendid job of it. "Now now, I know you're hungry but snapping at people simply won't do!" The alligator made another noise low in his throat and Snow White shook her head. She looked around and then waved at a passerby. "Why hello there! Do you think you could help us please? It won't take but a moment! My new friend needs something to eat and he's very hungry, but rather than be rude and snap at people, we need to find him something else to eat!"

Yes, it's going to be that kind of day.

II: Network Video: Filledwithsunshine

[The bright, cheery face of the 14, fairy tale Disney princess is on the screen and waving a bit.] Why hello there! My name is Snow White! It's really so nice to meet you all! I'm sure we can be wonderful friends!

I was wondering if anyone could be so kind as to explain a few things! This is really all so new to me! Are you all under curses and poisoned apples as well? Is this where everyone who is poisoned goes? I'm surprised there's so many of us here!

un: yukio💕

[sugaryspice]

[ From one bright ball of sunshine to another, have a waving Yukio, Snow White. ]

Hi, Snow White!

Nice to meet you, too. I'm Yukio. I don't think anyone here is poisoned or cursed? Did something happen to you and are you ok?

Dani Ardor | Midsommar

[thequeenmustridealone]

[Arrival]
[Nothing has been going right this entire trip. She had felt her mind slipping farther and farther away as time went. The ritual, the dancing, Christian. Everything felt so distant and yet in her face. Choking. She was close to panic what seemed like every few minutes.]

[And then she felt as if something slipped out from under her. She had gone to sleep and woke up being dragged? Dragged across the ground and unable to do anything about it. She couldn’t scream, she couldn’t cry, she couldn’t stop the sharp rocks under her from digging in.]

[Someone was talking. They needed her?]

[Before she realized it she was launching herself out of bed, hit the floor, scampered to the door way and… stood there, heart racing. Scared. This wasn’t the sleeping barracks. This didn’t look like any painted building in Sweden.]

[She stumbled out of the room and down to the kitchen, knocked over a basket on the table, hands shaking.] I’m sorry! I'm sorry… [She said to no one, stumbling out the door and outside.]

[She was having a panic attack, breath coming short and fast, uneasy. Her hands down at her sides, she started to walk, just walk, straight, down the road, trying so hard not to cry. What was going on!? She spoke to herself in a whisper as she walked:] You're okay. You're okay!


[Ridden the Back of the Wind]
[After taking some time to calm down, and with some help from others she learned about this place, the basket, her home, and that this is a dream. That she’s here to help someone. It all feels like too much, and yet there is something about it she wants to explore.]

[It’s almost freeing, in a way, to be here and not in Sweden. Not with Christian and the others, even if half the others were still missing. Everything in the real world felt out of place, but this? This felt enchanting, and a bit frightening.]

[The smell hit her first and she raised a hand to cover her mouth and nose, gagging once as she turned to look around. Someone slammed a window of the house near her, and suddenly the street seemed empty.]

[Hand under her nose she choked on the smell again, starting to walk faster. Whatever this was she wanted no part of it.]

[Perhaps you catch her starting to walk faster, or maybe you are there when the buzzing of wings starts. Fairies, it seemed, we’re coming, and they weren’t the sweet things she would have liked…]


[Network]
[She looks like she’s a bit frazzled, but holding it together. Her blonde hair is sticking out everywhere in a messy bun, and her eyes are red, but dry. She takes a long, slow breath then speaks clearly, slowly.]

I’ve been told this is a dream, but that seems impossible to me. Then again everything in my life lately seems a bit impossible.

[a pause, then she bites her lip, thinking.] Would anyone know a guy named Christian? I suppose I should look to see if he’s here or not. I don’t think he will be, but at least I can say I tried looking.

Um… [She wagged her hand to her side a moment, looking uneasy, before saying…] Is anyone here a doctor. A psychiatrist, actually. If so I’d like to speak to you. Or whoever, about medications.


[Wildcard]
[Feel free to start something else! I’ll match the format! I’m also Voice Testing!]

[huminthedrum]

[It's a near miss; Baby was walking in the opposite direction, and stops just short of slamming into the girl walking determinedly towards him. Or -- towards something, anyway.

He stops and touches her shoulder lightly, just to get her attention.] Hey, sorry. Didn't mean to crash into you like that.

[He can't quite hear what she's muttering to herself, but after a few tries he manages to read the shape of the words. You're okay, you're okay. Which is concerning, to say the least.]

A -- are you? Okay?

John Murphy | The 100

[reproached]

RIDDEN THE BACK OF THE WIND

[ The antitoxin didn't work. That's the only possible way to explain what Murphy sees when he opens his eyes, the traces of faded nightmares flickering at the edges of his mind while he takes in the present situation.

The room - like something out of an old movie or a magazine or any other photographic relic of Earth before the bombs - is among the cleanest rooms he's ever set foot in, constructed not only within the current century but possibly within the last five years. Nothing is faded, rusted, recycled. Everything around him looks like it was chosen specifically to be here, right now, in this room.

Except for Murphy, of course.

He can feel the glittery makeup of his divine ceremonial debut still caked on his face. Scrubbing that off is a priority, second only to ensuring that the mind drive is still in place at the base of his skull. And it is, his fingers tell him. Safely hidden under a bandage.

Murphy stalks with silent steps out of the bedroom, and only after thorough reconnaissance of the house does he allow himself to run the sink and wipe his face clean. Despite the eerie music floating through the air, there's no one else here. For now. It's time to scavenge what he can and make a break for it before his mysterious host returns.

He figures he'll have to tear the kitchen apart in order to find food, but when he gets there, he discovers the welcome basket waiting for him. Maybe he's supposed to be here, after all. It looks like the kind of thing his wackjob worshipers might offer up to him, which probably means it isn't poisoned, but he's not starved enough to risk it yet. He tucks the packet into his vest, hides his knife up his sleeve, and stuffs the other items into his pockets for later inspection.

The village waiting for him outside looks about as make-believe as the house. Oddly deserted for such an idyllic place, but Murphy's used to that. He's glad for the absence of others, in fact, since it means he doesn't have to keep skulking around. It's just a few steps, however, before he gets a whiff of that distinctive corpse perfume he's come to know so well. The stench makes him gag and he tugs off his tie, wrapping it around his face as a makeshift mask. It does very little to stifle the stink. Really, that's too much to ask of a silk tie.

Murphy hardly gets a moment to recover before the humming draws his attention back. The sound reminds him of drones. Or insects. Bad news, either way. He turns slowly to look over his shoulder, already dreading whatever it is he's going to find. ]

wildcard

(( Make your own prompt! You can hit me up at pana or pana#3353 for plotting. ))

ridden.

[thighzits]

[What he finds is a very short girl with clunky headphones on, sipping at a to-go coffee. The sound is still there, over the tinny buzz escaping from her speakers, but she doesn't seem to notice it. It isn't until a pair of eyes catch her attention that she looks up from her phone, preemptively annoyed. Syd doesn't liked to be looked at, much less in public, and much, much less by men.]

What?

[Biting and defensive, as she starts to slip one headphone off. More music spills out, something with acoustic guitar and a woman's angry voice, and the look on her face crumples up to match. She can hear the humming now, and the smell is worse than when she left her apartment, and this guy is pissing her the fuck off.]

What are you looking at?

[Okay, so that's a little more angry and confrontational than intended. Deep breaths, Novak. Reel it in, he hasn't done anything.]

Alex Claremont-Diaz | Red, White, and Royal Blue

[bisexualdisaster]

Tick Tock

Alex has heard the tales of alligators in the New York sewers, of course. Or well, he's heard that it's a popular tall tale. He doesn't think anyone's actually believed it maybe ever.

So he is zero percent prepared for one to pop out of a fucking manhole.

"Holy fucking shit!"

He can do nothing but stare for a few precious seconds, then instincts take over and he is running. It's times like this he really misses Cassius and Amy. He's not sure if either of them or even both of them could take out an alligator.

Or is it a crocodile? His brain spins as he tries to remember what he's read about the two before ultimately deciding it doesn't matter. It's a giant reptile trying to eat him. Etymology can wait.

When he sees another person, he yells out a warning. "RUN! There's a--" he gestures behind him. "Dinosaur that refused to die!"

Network | un: fsotus

what do people do for fun around here?

come on it can't all be weird crocodiles and creepy deer. where are the parties??

Tick tock

[teamfun]

You know, it would be super fucking swell if they could have one full week go by in this shithole without some nonsense going on. Maybe it's too much to ask for, but here they are. Louis turns at the warning and holy shit that's an aligator. Or a crocodile. Whichever. Dinosaur works, actually.

"The fuck did that even come from?!!"

But you know, he's definitely running because all he's got is a goddamn chair leg and a few knives and he's not Bear Grylls. He absolutely cannot fight a croco-gator.

Rena Ryugu | Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

[repeatedapology]

Arrival/Network (Video | Username: kanakana )

[ Rena’s arrival was jarring to say the least. One moment she’s in 1980’s small town Japan with her friends, and the next, she’s waking up in 1950’s small town USA. And while she’s generally a superstitious person, the note from the basket feels like a lot even for her.

Doing her best to keep her cool, she decides to explore a little, taking the Fluid with her. While on her walk, she learns how to make it work and send out a network video: ]

Hi hi! I’m Rena Ryugu! Wow this little watch is amazing and soooo cute! My friends will be soooo jealous I basically have my own payphone and TV! Oh right! I was wondering… how long are we expected to stay here? I need to get home right away!

Tick Tock Tick Tock

[ Most people realize how dangerous a mutated alligator would be almost instantly. Rena, though? She happens to run into one not far down the road from her. A normal reaction would be to flee, but the girl is starry eyed over the beast and is doting over it loudly. ]

OOOOH!! You’re so cuuuuute! I’m just going to have to take you home~! [ But as she takes a step closer to it, the gator hisses loudly at her and causes her to reconsider. ] Y-You don’t want to? Aaaw but I’d take such good care of you!

[ Please save this girl before she gets herself hurt... ]

Ridden The Back Of The Wind

CW: blood, murder

[ What’s less cute is the fairies that tormented Rena. At first of course she did find them cute, but that only took moments to change as they lift her up. She screams and begs for them to let her go, but it’s too late. It doesn’t take long for the rage to take over the poor girl, and unfortunately for anyone who gets in her way, she came armed. Including the fairies who had tortured her, which she took care as many as she could.

Perhaps it’s you who she happens to come across as she drags the large, bloody cleaver down the road. Her blood soaked clothing is probably an alarming sight. She stop in the middle of the path, a blank look on her face. ]

Say… are you the one who dragged me away from home? I wonder… I wonder- [ Rena lifts the cleaver up, her blank look darkening. ] I’m going home to my friends! And if you get in my way, I’ll kill you!

(( OOC: anyone who maybe wants discuss character death, feel free to message me at sekoshi! ))

Wildcard

(( None of these working for you? Hmu @ sekoshi ))

Video; UN: Feedthebunny The world is going to explode with this much energy

[lightthedarkness]

Hi Rena-chan! My name is Usagi Tsukino! It's so nice to meet you! And um... well, there's sorta... okay so there's no set... time... like, some people are only here a month and some people have been here for years.

Ichigo Kurosaki | Bleach

[not_so_hollow]

i. Ridden the back of the wind [CW for potential violence]

[It is the smell on the wind that has Ichigo faltering in his movements. There are a lot of things he can handle, and while this was one of them, it is still a challenging thing to push through to keep moving. To find a place, shelter at all to escape it. Because it is literally the worst thing he has ever smelled. Death, amplified.

Ichigo hears the hum before he sees the faeries, a sound from behind him that approaches quickly, starting low and increasingly in volume until it's on top of him. The teen only has time to look over his shoulder and dart his eyes up to catch a glimpse before he is being ripped off of his feet. The ground beneath him is getting farther away rapidly, and he is quick to use the smaller blade held in his left hand to try to stab at the deceit fully strong target behind him.

It's like it knows, and as soon as the blade moves, Ichigo is falling. Dropped carelessly before any damage can be done. That humming sound is only getting louder--ear splitting, and it's absolutely disorienting. Enough so that, where Ichigo might have landed with some form of grace, he is crumpling when he hits the ground hard and drops to his knees. And he might have been able to scramble to his feet and still escape if it weren't for the fact that that sound is so intense now that Ichigo can feel it in his body. A deep vibration as it encases him.

It's maddening. His hands come up so he can slap his hands over his ears, both of his blades abandoned on each side of him as he curls forward until he is practically in a ball. It does nothing, and Ichigo honestly thinks that his head might explode from the sheer pressure and volume bombarding him.

And then it's gone.

What moves, leaning back up to sit on heels, is not the same Ichigo that had been running just moments before. He is rage. Death dealing rage, that won't stop until every light has been erased from existence. Those hands drop from his head and lower to find the weapons at each side of him instinctually, hands gripping the hilts with a strangling hold. A grip that means to kill.

Anyone approaching him will see him tip his head to crack his neck, as he gets to his feet in an incredibly twitchy and wholly unnerving way. He is ready to paint the world with blood.]



ii. Character Arrival

[Ichigo has been here for a couple of hours now, but he is only now venturing out of the place he had woken up in. For one, it was probably the most disorienting thing he had ever experience… to go from Renji practically dragging him to the most important fight of his--no, everyone's lives, to this, was a mind fuck of it's own that he needed to process.

Secondly, he isn't in the best condition. Resting to a while and trying to get his bearings seems to have helped a little bit, but he is still feeling (and looking, his clothing in tatters and covered in cuts and bruises) like battered shit. The adrenaline from before just isn't quite there, since he can't feel any of the high charged, battle ready reiatsu around him anymore. It's not that he doesn't have a sense of get up and go, but after how he was batted down like a fly easily despite his confidence that he could do it? Ichigo is going with a little bit of caution.

Walking down the street isn't an easy feat, not without the aforementioned adrenaline boost driving him. But Ichigo does it, both hands ready to draw the sword on his back and the smaller one at his hip at the drop of a hat. Taking in his surroundings with an incredibly tense look.

How the hell is this actually happen? Is he still vivid dreaming? It feels real, but there is just. No possible way this could be... is there?]

iii. Wildcard

I'm open to any and all ideas, just lay them on me! Hit me on pm or plurk papapapanic !

arrival!

[shiro2hero]

[One of these days, he's going to stop being surprised by seeing people turn up on the streets, bloodied and tense. One day, it's not going to be a shock, and he'll just... bust out a first aid kit or something. Today is not that day. Today is the day he spies someone armed and looking more wary than Keith after a Deerington Party.]

[He stops, a few paces off from the young man. In contrast to the Townsfolk, Shiro's a study in brick wall build and monochrome clothing. No pastel hair or 1950's outfit here -- dark sweats and more grey than black in his hair. Hopefully that's enough to set him apart from the rest, but... just to be sure?]

[He'll give the poor guy some space for now, pausing as he steps out of the coffee shop.]

Hey - you need a hand? Or a bandaid?

[... yeah that was meant to be funny.]

entrapta | she-ra and the princesses of power

[hairckervoice]

tick tock tick tock;

[ oh shit there's a giant alligator on the loose!! it popped up through the manhole and is rampaging around!! worse yet, it's noticed you, and is growling. but hey, you're not alone! there's a woman next to you, keeping pace with you easily, with... her hair? yeah, her hair is extremely long, prehensile, and she's using it to travel. you know, just a normal day in deerington! ]

Good news!

[ oh, wow?? did she find a weakness? she sounds confident! ]

If we get bit by those teeth, we will definitely die! Or at the very least, bleed! My observations have led me to believe they're even harder than diamonds. This is incredible!

[ then she laughs. a little maniacally. it's probably fine? but then she sober up a bit. ]

And terrible. We're all going to die.

[ good... news? ]

ridden the back of the wind;

Fasssscinating...... it appears to be a fairy of sort, though it doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before! Oh, and it brought friends!

[ several fairies are now gathering around her and humming.... trying to torture her. being unbearably loud. but she's not annoyed, or scared! she's delighted! what the hell. ]

They seem to be emitting some kind of sound.... interesting. I wonder if they're trying to communicate with me?

[ the fairies are now lifting her up into the air.... uh... maybe you better rescue her before she gets carted off and cursed? or, like, warn her.... otherwise, this might not be pretty. ]

arrival;

[ whatever you're doing, you might notice a girl and a robot following you about 10 feet behind. the woman is... talking? ]

Deerington Log 1. Subject appears to be humanoid.... it is bipedal, seems to be in possession of a 'FLUID' and heading towards an unknown location. Oh, now they're turning around.

[ she sees you looking at her, and waves... with her hair. ]

Hi there! Are you a regular inhabitant of this Deerington? Or were you also brought here? What exactly are you? Tell me eveeeeryyything!

wildcard;

[ you know what this is, hit me ]

Arrival

[noblebeast]

[ Fortunately, he comes from a world of quirks, so having someone wave at him with their hair is pretty damn tame. ]

You know, I can hear you.

Diego Hargreeves // the umbrella academy

[trajected]

[i. TICK TOCK TICK TOCK]

What the fu -

[ He wasn't expecting to run into a giant ass alligator when he woke up this morning. Really, who is, but it's not even the sort of thing you think about expecting. Which is why Diego's taking more than a few steps back at he sees the thing crawl its way up, out of a manhole.

How the hell did it even squeeze through there?

So Diego does what's instinctual to him, which is draw a knife from where it's hiding along the waistband of the back of his pants, and he throws it. Which was potentially a very stupid idea, because the knife clatters off the scales of the alligator like it was a toy knife and it draws attention right to him. ]

Shit.



[ii. RIDDEN ON THE BACK OF THE WIND]

[ Diego doesn't need any help getting angry. He already has a pretty healthy (read: unhealthy) relationship with aggression, and just showing up at Deerington was enough to start getting all up under his skin. But then there's the smell of decay. If this plays smells like this all the time, well, that's going to be a big problem.

But of course that's not even the worst of it.

Getting swarmed by fairies hurts his dignity more than anything else. It gets his temper going, because anger, he's found, is the best way to soothe a bruised ego. So once he's back up on his feet, he doesn't take very many steps before he's whipping a knife out and throwing it.

It misses on purpose, but it's clearly a warning. ]

Were you laughing at me?



[iii. NETWORK - text; un: hargreeves]

So we all just pretend like we're cool with this place?

iii; un: séances

[channellings]

i mean yeah that's pretty much what i've been doing

[yup, he's just. gonna act completely, one-hundred-percent nonchalant about all of this. it's fine. (no, it's actually not—) but he won't let diego know that.]

Lorne Malvo | Fargo (TV)

[yes_or_no]

ARRIVAL

[ A slightly older gentleman, dressed in nondescript attire that's appropriately for the weather, sits on a park bench reading the Deerington Times. He adjusts his glasses, looking to the casual observer as if he doesn't have a care in the world other than closely reading the local news.

In truth, it takes a lot of practice to look this engrossed in a newspaper while hyper-focusing on everything else around oneself. And Malvo has had a lot of practice throughout his career. There's a lot to take in, but he's a very patient man.

Eventually, he lowers the paper to catch the attention of someone passing by. ]

Excuse me. I wonder if you might be able to clarify something I'm reading here in the paper. There's a lot of strange stories. Any of it true?


TICK TOCK TICK TOCK (cw: gun violence)

[ Wandering through sewers isn't really Malvo's idea of a good time, but he's certainly done worse for less of a payoff. Something (or someone) has been reported to be snatching kids and pets in broad daylight, and while Malvo's not the vigilante type nor the daredevil type, it's worth checking out what's going on.

What he see down there is not what he's expecting, but he unloads his silenced pistol into the creature all the same. The beast stops, stunned, but not yet deterred. Malvo stares it down coldly.]

Alligators in the sewers. That's certainly a new one. Thought that was only in New York City.

[ He reloads. ]


WILDCARD

[ ooc: Got something for me? Just go for it! ]

arrival

[phaseflex]

[well, if he was going to flag down anyone to ask about the strange happenings, he made a good choice with amara. she's not even from earth! or human. sort of. it's complicated.]

Hmmm? [she hums as she peers over, looking at the newspaper.] They actually report that shit?

[for some reason... she'd expected them to try and hide it, act like everything was normal. why? well, she's heard those betties talking about needing the town perfect for some kind of... evaluation. that, and... well, it would be the creepiest possible option!]

Yeah, it's all true, man. Sorry. You might not want to hang around here long; there are war bands about. Getting decapitated would kind of put a damper on your day, I assume.

Emerald Sustrai | RWBY

[hallucinogem]

a. poison's in my bloodstream, poison's in my pride [faeries]

Emerald has had more than enough of being taken places against her will and ending up in worse and worse situations further and further away from the only person she actually cares about. But for as much as it hurts that one she isn't here, the other, far worse she isn't here either, so it's... a wash. And it's fine. She'll find a way back home soon enough. Her footsteps echo right past what sounds like growling and gnashing from the sewers below, and she's definitely not in the mood to fight any Grimm right now, so she's just going to keep walking and exploring the streets of the town.

The... suspiciously empty streets of the town. And the thought processes about as quickly as the faerie swarm descends on her. It's. Disorienting, it's dark and loud and a thousand at once, it's trembling arms and clenching fists, it's seeing red and carving flesh and she's on the path again, on her knees. And the bladed guns at her sides slip easily into the waiting grip of her hands, and her eyes blink and her teeth grit, and she screams the kind of deep bellow that she'd only ever heard Hazel make before, low and heavy in her register.

"Salem!"

And she charges forward almost blindly, too consumed to remember that she has ranged weaponry, towards the closest person she sees to slice at whatever part of them they're stupid enough to leave exposed.

b. yes i know the secrets of the iron and mind [network]

When the text comes through, it's from someone who identifies themself only as 💎.

What do we do around here when we aren't fighting enormous alligators or hiding from clouds of locust things?
Don't say survive. I've had enough surviving. I feel like doing something to live.

c. i've opened up my veins too many times [wildcard]

((anything in particular you want to explore? hit me up here or on plurk at roseward!!))

un: yukio💕

[sugaryspice]

do you like playing games? 🤔

Qrow Branwen | RWBY

[bolstafir]

i. is this the real life or is this just fantasy ( arrival )

[Waking up in a strange place is not a particularly novel experience for Qrow. Neither are intense, vivid dreams preceding it. What is alarming, however, is the fact that the common denominator that preceded both is absent; he hasn't touched a drop of alcohol in weeks. So what is this? Was he drugged? Kidnapped? The latter isn't entirely implausible--he is a Huntsman working directly with Ironwood, and the discontent in Mantle is palpable, especially with the election so close. But at the same time, kidnappings don't generally come with a soundtrack or a comfortable house reminiscent of Tai's log cabin on Patch, and they especially don't come with your signature weapon considerately propped up against the wall.

Further investigation has him discover the letter and then the food, which he's suspicious of initially, but reluctantly accepts when he does, in fact, find himself start to disappear from refusing. Thanks, he hates this place already. Once that's sorted out, though, he grabs the letter and goes outside with it, stepping in the path of anyone who looks like they might have a clue what's going on and waving it vaguely in their face.]

Do you know who wrote this??

ii. tick tock goes the clock

[Monsters popping up out of manholes is far from the strangest thing a veteran Huntsman has heard of, honestly. And after a lifetime of killing monsters, of course he would follow the rumors in the direction of the sewers by himself without telling anyone??? What do you take him for here, someone who isn't incredibly reckless with his own life, especially when it comes to doing something good for the sake of others? Gods. Give him less credit than that.

Luck is never on Qrow's side though, and before he can actually get down to the sewers, one of those alligators shoots up out of a manhole right in the middle of a crowded street instead--leaving him in the wonderfully disadvantageous position of having to manage himself in a fight with a deadly monster and dozens of innocent bystanders worth of potential collateral damage from either the fight or his own damn Semblance.

Maybe you're one such bystander, in which case you'll be yelled at to stay back, but he may be more open to your presence if you're clearly a combatant--especially after he's knocked to the ground after a blow from the creature and crimson sparks flash across his body for a moment. He looks a little stunned, as though he knows what that means, but wasn't expecting it.]

I really hate this damn place!

iii. ridden the back of the wind

[The one, singular positive in the existence of Grimm is that killing them didn't leave behind corpses. Qrow feels on edge the moment that scent hits his nostrils, reserved for those situations where human casualties are involved; it brings to the forefront times in his life that he doesn't care to revisit, bandit raids leaving entire towns in flames, people taking their last breaths under his own blade for the cardinal sin of getting in the tribe's way.

(More recent times, too. Fallen Huntsmen in Grimm-infested regions. Shion village. Brunswick Farms. Beacon.)

He doesn't need experience in intelligence gathering to see how the locals scatter, dashing toward shelter, nor does he need any further excuse to hightail it himself, Harbinger fully extended in scythe form just in case. He does, however, call out to the nearest person also looking for shelter and ask:]

What is this, what's going on?

[The locals, predictably, do not answer him. But perhaps you might feel graciously inclined to help out a clueless newbie...?]

Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality

[clickclickbloom]

[It may have been minutes or hours since Qrow had last seen Ruby, but it had been nearly six months for her. There were only so many people that lanky carrying around swords like that. She felt a big old grin played across her lips as she dashed down the side walk and leaped into the air to get him in a big old tackle hug.]

Uncle Qrow~! Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're here. I missed you so much!

[The townperson who Qrow was trying to talk to is just going to stare at the both of them like they're from another planet (Which... I mean they aren't wrong) before leaving in a huff.]

Runaan | The Dragon Prince

[tokenelfcharacter]

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK TICK TOCK etc ;;
Move!

[Did someone just yell that out of a tree? They sure did. Hopefully, you duck, because something blurs into view, from that tree. Landing behind whoever may or may not have been in the way. Landing on the open maw of an alligator, snapping the jaws closed before it can snap shut on an unwary passer-by. Seems as if the creature had crawled up from the manhole in the middle of the street...]

[... only to be waylaid by a pale man, with hair long enough to rival a Disney princess. Attempting to stab the creature in the head with his blade.]

[The alligator appears to be repelling the blows, somehow, and starts to heave itself all the way out of the manhole. The pale man whips his head around, braid and all -- and oh hey. That's not a human man.]

Either assist or leave! You're in the way, just standing there!


ARRIVAL ;;
[Well, once you've tangled with a giant magical-seeming alligator what else are you supposed to do but start looking for a way out of town? Does it matter there's a tear in his leathers? A couple deep scratches down his leg from alligator teeth?]

[Nope. Doesn't matter.]

[He has a duty to his people, to his land. Some human town will not keep him from that. Even if he's reduced to skulking through the shadows. No matter - he is an assassin after all. The darkness suits him just fine. But even an assassin must pause to rest, and try to bind up an injury.]

[Maybe he can be spotted then, crouched in the shadow of a farmhouse on the edge of town.]


wildcard ;;
[ Another idea? Go for it! ]

Arrival

[undermoonlight]

[One of Atsushi's first tasks was to familiarize himself with the town map. He had been walking the edge of town when he spots movement near a farmhouse. Curiosity gets the better of him.

He folds his map and pockets it, approaching with some degree of caution-- Which quickly turns to concern.]

Are you okay? Did you get injured?

Daenerys Targaryen | Game of Thrones

[stormborned]

CHARACTER ARRIVAL; (library)

[ This is similar to a place Daenerys has only heard of in stories, mostly from Viserys when she was very small; he'd said that in the Citadel, in the city of Oldtown and province of The Reach, there were so many books and scrolls kept by the Order of the Maesters of the history and lore of Westeros, that it would take a single person one hundred years to read everything in it. The library she steps into here in Deerington is probably not nearly as large as the Citadel in the land of her birth, but the amount of books it appears to hold suggests it may be more than enough to sate her curiosity.

She wanders into a particular row with non-fiction titles purporting to be relevant to the history of the town, hoping to glean some information from them. But when she tries to read them, she finds confusingly that many of the pictures have been blurred out or distorted somehow, and the words written on the page seem to move and waver right before her eyes. Dany blinks, shaking her head slightly as if it's her own eyes playing tricks on her, but when she reshelves the book and takes another one of the same subject to open and look through, she's startled to find the same thing. ]

Strange, [ she murmurs to herself, not fully aware if anyone is close enough to overhear. ]

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK;

[ Growling sounds emanating from the water pipes and street drains is strange enough - the noises cause Drogon a great deal of discontent as it is, given the potential threatening nature of what could be causing them - but when a giant reptilian creature pops unceremoniously out of a sewer grate on the street, directly in front of them, Dany is quite certain this place is cursed.

Luckily she's got quite the terrible fire-breathing lizard of her own to protect her in the form of her black and red winged dragon, even if he's a bit smaller now than the size she's been accustomed to. Without hesitation Drogon is at her side, extending his enormous wingspan and flapping his wings while emitting a menacing roar at what's just crawled from the sewer depths, and Daenerys wastes no more time. ] Dracarys!

[ ...Time to find out if alligator truly tastes like barbecued chicken, Deerington. ]

WILDCARD;

[ pick a scenario or location of your choosing! up for plotting at spinebarrel. for timepoint reference in the series, Daenerys is from end of s6, after rescuing Meereen but before she sets sail for Westeros, and Drogon has been nerfed from his size at that timepoint to the size of a standard car, more like his s4/s5 self. ]

library

[inquiryguqin]

[He was one of the recently hired library assistants. He shelves the books. Categorized them by title, genre, and name. Becoming familiar with the library system and the English language of the books takes time for him to learn. He helps patrons becoming familiar with books.

He was close-by, shelving the books from the trolly back to the shelves in their rightful place.]

Most of the books are like that.

[So it's not her imagination that the text are glitchy]

Hunter Zolomon | dctv

[garrick]

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
[ Of all the things to be expecting from the sewers, Hunter Zolomon hadn't really thought about alligators until he wandered by one of the gates in the road, a noise catching the speedster's attention. It certainly snaps him out of his thoughts and for a brief moment there are no concerns over how he had managed to lose the fight against the Flash, how he'd failed in destroying the multiverse world after world, or the low simmering rage at how he'd somehow managed to wind up in some bizarre dream-like place with no escape. There's just the noise of claws against metal, a low growling noise accompanied by the odd hiss here and there. A noise that doesn't care that Hunter Zolomon, most notorious serial killer of Earth-2, had wound up somewhere he didn't wish to be.

Alligators. Big ones from the sounds of it (somehow a small creature kicking up so much noise was hard to envision). A normal person would probably move away from the gate to make sure they didn't get eaten should one suddenly rise up. A hero would go on down there, intent on taking out the threat to this strange town and those who could find themselves at the mercy of sharp teeth. A villain? Well, they would simply enjoy the chaos if they were worth their salt and Hunter take a step back, opting to play the dumb newbie for now; and if someone should get eaten, then it would only prove the entertainment to be free in this place.]

(option 1)
[ Hunter stands to one side, arms folded and head tilted as he studies the gate. How easy it would be to play idiot newbie for now, to feign ignorance on every little thing. He even goes as far to look over at the nearest person, expression showing nothing but utmost concern.]

Tell me those noises aren't normal for this place.

(option 2)
[ He'd told himself he wouldn't waste too much time playing the hero in this place, but the resolve doesn't last that long. How boring it would be to not play with people before shit hit the fan, to perhaps build himself up again before dashing some hopes and dreams. That all boils down to who is in this place; Hunter knows how the multiverse works and if he's here in this place there's a chance there could be others from his world or Earth-1 too. Whatever game he starts to play, Hunter knows he's going to have to change it up somehow. Doing the same thing as last time would get tedious and quickly.

It doesn't stop the speedster from watching as an amazingly large alligator bursts out of a nearby gate, murderous intent easy to see as it begins a lunge at a nearby person. For others it would have happened in the blink of an eye, but for a speedster it's almost as if the whole scene is playing in slow motion and Hunter reaches out, snagging the back of the person's shirt or jacket to pull them back and out of the alligator's reach.]

Woah there! Might want to watch out for those things.

ARRIVAL
[ Nothing in this place made sense. Well, it made sense after reading the letter and eating some food, but Hunter knows that it shouldn't make sense. He's seen some weird worlds in the Multiverse but this one wins for strangest. He would have thought it an afterlife but that didn't ring true and it was only natural for Hunter Zolomon to try running out of Deerington,intent on finding a way out.

It took two days to get over the pain the town inflicted upon the speedster for daring to try and leave. Once the bleeding had stopped (and feathers unruffled) Hunter had opted to slowly explore the town, honest to God walking and eventually Hunter finds his way to the coffee shop. It's not long before he's ordering a hot drink and taking a seat.]

Here's to hoping the coffee stays consistent across all worlds.

NETWORK: TEXT, UN: sixfour.
Any tips for a newbie in this place? Already seen the alligators so wondering if there's anything else to watch for that hasn't been mentioned.

Important question; is there a burger joint here?

WILDCARD
[ ooc: anything goes, feel free to PM or message on sailorstarmaker

arrival.

[trigeminalheadache]

[ jane dough isn't jitters, but caitlin has long stopped holding a grudge against the place for what it isn't. there was a brief one she held for the very nature of the cafe—the fact that she'd talked herself hoarse and drank enough coffee to drive her from caffeinated to anxious mess before knowing that a pastry would stop it all. some people might have avoided this shop after that, opted to exclusively get their coffee at the diner, but she just makes sure to get a scone or muffin or whatever else looks good with her latte.

it's a slower morning than typical today. maybe it's the fact that it's practically summer, maybe it's just her mood. either way, she's stretching out her morning routine, in no particular hurry to get to work. she's half lost in thought, easily missing who just sits next to her. it's some tall guy? she'll look in a moment.

the thought disappears when she hears his voice. it's a voice she can never ever forget. it's him. her mug is set down on the lower table with a quiet thunk, freeing up both hands. just in case.

she still isn't looking at him. ] It's pretty consistent. [ a pause, then: ] You should get a muffin to go with it.

Yuichiro Hyakuya l Owari no Seraph

[dejerate]

Arrival:

[Yuu is a mess. Given what had been happening back home last he recalls. When he wakes, being inside, being in a bed and in unfamiliar surroundings isn't the strangest. It's happened before, when he's passed out from overdoing it, exhausting himself and having to be carried off elsewhere to safety. It's why he glances around, anticipating seeing one of the others. Except he doesn't see anyone.

So naturally, he barely gazes at the basket aside from idly grabbing something to eat on the way as he goes off to find his squad. Except they may or may not also be around.

Not that this stops Yuu calling out. Really. Really loudly in searching for them expectantly. Both inside and outside the building wherever he woke up. Sorry for everyone else's ears. Nobody actually needs to hear anyway, right?]

Mika? Mikaaaaaa?! Shinoa? Telephone Pole? Yoichi? Mitsuba? Narumi?

Ridden the back of the Wind: CW: mentions of human experimentation, child soldiers.

[Even as trained for combat and as used to fighting as Yuu is, being a child soldier back home, it doesn't mean he's totally unaffected by the smell. It's unnerving. But even as he tries to find out what's going on, what happened, the source of it, he can't seem to find anything. Or anyone. He's thinking it's too quiet, wondering where everyone is when he hears the fairies. Which means it's decidedly too late for him to even try to flee.

Yuu yelps, cursing at the fairies and resisting, trying to break himself free somehow as he's dragged upwards by them. When he's released, it's. Almost all too familiar. And not in that nice nostalgic way. Yuu's lost control before. More than once, due to his having been experimented on with the Seraph of the End project. Due to him never having been entirely human in the first place.

He grips his sword, his Cursed Gear that wields (or usually wields) Ashuramaru, the demon he made the contract with for his power. In exchange for helping Yuu gain that power to take on the vampires, Ashuramaru getting the chance to eventually completely take over Yuu's body for his own ends. Whoever is nearest might want to move. Yuu is fast, inhumanly so given his enhanced speed and senses. And he's moving in to strike. And he's been trained to kill. To exterminate vampires. He's won't be holding back. Has ended up stabbing his friend while in such a state previously.]

Network:

[His username simply says hyakuya. Not actually his real surname but the one he took up after being claimed by the other children of the Hyakuya orphanage. Since he doesn't remember his original surname of Amane. He blinks, starting the thing strapped to his wrist initially with a large green eye visible before he pulls it back slightly more, showing a teenage boy with messy dark hair and big green eyes wearing what appears to be a military uniform. He raises a gloved hand to his mop of dark hair, rubbing at the back of his head, at the back of his neck as he considers the phone.]

Um, I hope this works? I think I did it right. We don't really have this sort of thing back home. Or -- not anymore, I mean. Not since everything changed with the virus and all. But...what'd the letter mean about a tattoo? I haven't found one yet, at least. But for all I know it might be somewhere hidden under my clothes yet I guess.

[He gives a shrug then, figuring he could look over his body as best he could without an audience.]

Hated school enough that brief period Guren made me go to 'make friends'. Like I want to go now with some dream. No idea what the letter meant about offerings anyway. Offer what? It's not like I have much if anything personal to offer.

But I dunno why I'd dream of this place anyway. Never left Japan before. And I don't want to! Mika -- my friends back home need me, dammit. I don't have time for this nonsense.

[And there's Yuu giving up in frustration at this whole situation, reaching to try turn the thing off. Which. May take a couple of attempts, earning a close up of his furrowed brows and pout before he manages it.]

Wildcard:

[Want another option? Lemme know here!]

Video: UN: be-lou-ga

[teamfun]

[Louis raises a hand to the feed in greeting, offering a lazy smile of welcome.]

I hear you on that one, and high school here can be hell. Sometimes literally. You can always get a job, if you don't want to. And hey, insider knowledge? You still get paid for going to school if you only show up for like... two or three classes a week. You don't even have to pay attention. I myself have mastered the art of class-napping.

Anyhow, welcome to Deerington. Much as you can feel welcomed in a nightmare dimension, anyway.

gerard keay | the magnus archives

[poorlydied]

arrival. cw: mentions of death, smoking.

[ gerard keay has not dreamed in three years.

there’s a moment of brief, peaceful bliss as gerard gazes up at the pine trees. jon must have burned his page. he’s free. but before that can properly sink in, gerard sees the sky and the trees move, feels the scrape of rock and sticks and dirt against his skin. it’s painful — the kind of pain that the living feel. and then there is an apology, and a deer, and this isn’t like any dream he’s ever had. it’s wrong.

then, gerard keay wakes up.

he’s not in a hospital bed, and he’s not with the hunters. he’s in a small, ordinary apartment, but not one he recognizes. gerard is overcome with a wave of sensation, and the variety of it is disorienting. in the skin book, all other feelings (if it’s possible for the dead to feel at all) are drowned out by a horrible, out-of-place experience of pure existential distress. but now, gerard can feel warmth, and register that he’s breathing, and feel sheets on skin and the clothes on his body. god, he could use a cigarette.

so gerard skims the letter, eats the berries for some sustenance, and makes his way into the town. disoriented as he is, gerard still cuts an imposing figure — over six feet tall in his black platform boots, wearing a long black coat over ripped jeans and a black shirt. his ears, nose, eyebrows and lips are pierced, and combined with the dark circles under his eyes give him a rather brooding, intense look, even though mostly, he’s just lost. it’s obvious from far away that his hair is dyed black, and that he probably did it himself — the dye job is truly awful. but if you’re close enough, you can also see his little tattoos on each of his joints — unblinking eyes, etched permanently into his skin.

after a few minutes of wandering, gerard figures it’s probably just easier to ask for directions, and he approaches your character. ]

You know where I could find a corner shop?


tick tock.

[ gerard hears the scratching and hissing when he’s making a late-night run to hart mart. it sounds like it’s coming from below the street, and gerard’s first thought is: buried. his second, and related thought is: what if someone’s trapped down there?

which is why your character can find a lanky goth attempting to pry open one of the manholes. he’s stronger than he looks, and is eventually successful. gerard flicks on his lighter, shines it down the hole, and calls out: ]

Hello?

[ almost on cue, a giant alligator bursts through the exposed sewer, and gerard only barely manages to get away quickly enough to avoid being eaten. for now. ]

Shit shit shit —

[ the poor guy’s only got a lighter and some decently heavy boots as weapons. maybe your character can help him out? ]


ridden the wind. cw: references to gore, child abuse.

[ gerard knows the smell of death all too well, knows that it brings nothing good, that it is best to be avoided. so often it’s the odor of sick, of decay. or maybe it’s a mutilated corpse, left hanging in a bookshop for far too long. either way, gerard wants no part of it, and when the smell comes, he does his best to shut himself up inside.

he’s successful, except for one unfortunate time: he’s out by the koi pond when it hits, and there’s no shelter to be found.

the next thing gerard remembers is hitting the main street pavement. he’s angry. so, so angry: at his mother, who neglected him when she wasn’t using him to fulfill her dreams of power and ambition, at gertrude, who bound him to an agonizing, death-but-not death existence, and then left him behind. at the hunters, for keeping him that way for so long.

gerard’s wearing a proper scowl now, and when your character bumps into him by mistake, he grabs them by their shirt collar, lifting them up off the ground. for someone so skinny, he’s surprisingly strong. when he speaks, his voice comes out as a snarl. ]

Watch. Where. You’re. Going.

arrival

[notaprince]

A corner, presumably. [It's -- ruder than he means it to be, but that's mostly because Yuki is not great under pressure. And this is beyond pressure; an extremely realistic dream world apparently populated by crocodiles and malevolent fairies and sentient deer. He winces immediately, shaking his head and burying his face in one hand.]

No, sorry, that's -- that was unkind, I'm sorry. I don't...have any idea where we are, but um. [Be nice, be nice, be nice, if you don't have your nice friendly persona what do you have.] I can -- help? Find one?

Beverly Marsh | IT (2017) |CRAU| CW: thoughts of Pennywise, alligators,

[gristle]

Arrival

[It's not supposed to be like this. It's just really not. She's not supposed to be here in a new place, but the explanation makes her wonder if people in the Sphere are still looking for her, or if they think she went home or if god forbid she's asleep there just in some weird sort of status. The thought haunts her, and for the first time in over a year, Beverly just stumbles out into the actual sunlight and breathes air that isn't manufactured and doesn't come from some sort of filter. She thinks anyway, that's how it feels to her.

Her lungs aren't exactly working right, and Beverly doesn't know if it's anger or panic or if they've just forgotten how to process things that aren't filtered. The place smells different, and the sunlight on her skin is almost too warm. There's a fine tremor in her hands, and her jaw is just set into a fine but all too familiar line: she's angry and she doesn't like it. She doesn't like any of it.

For those who know her, she's another year older, and it shows in her face, the way that she'd lost some of her baby fat into muscle and tension. Not that Beverly Marsh has ever had all that much baby fat to begin with, but it's just naturally aging and the way that Bev had been working out that had given it to her. Standing taller in more ways than just height, Bev holds herself a little differently now. Even when her chest is heaving a little bit and she takes big gulps of air in order to try and regulate what entering her lungs so she doesn't have a panic attack, much of the fear has left her and it shows.

Then of course, there's also the sword that's around her waist. It's not a great sword, but it's handmade by a friend who had learned blacksmithing, and Bev just reaches out and touches the simple handle of it before she looks around at the familiar small town and the claustrophobic fear that it begins to inspire in her, replacing some of the confidence that she'd had. Muttering softly, Bev doesn't care if there's anyone actually listening when she just says:]

They couldn't bring my fucking dog too?

Tick Tock Goes the Clock

[Now this is all too fucking familiar for Bev's liking. She'd heard the rumors quickly, and her brain immediately went to the one thing that this was, and it sure as hell wasn't alligators. No, it was something far worse than an animal in the sewer and Bev isn't surprised that if she's in some sort of dream that fucking Clown would be here too. It's too early for him to be back, and Beverly knows it just like how she knows that she goes back to fight Pennywise when she's old (and other things too that she's not going to think about, because if she thinks about them then she's going to go insane and she can't go insane when there's this threat in front of her.) but in places like this, that doesn't matter.

Armed with a flashlight, and with her sword drawn, Bev just seeks out the sewers. It's probably a stupid idea (is a really stupid idea) for Beverly to go alone. But she has to know. She can't not know if it's really IT or not, even if there are those other reports. The other reports remind her of what people at home would chose to see or to not see. Calling it a monster alligator in the sewer would be what the adults would do.

If they acknowledged it at all.

But Beverly waits, lingering in the tunnel and deeply breathing in the humid, fetid, foul air. She waits, and she watches, keeping her eyes so focused on what's deeper inside the tunnel that she doesn't pay any attention to who--or what--may be behind her inside of it. It's something that she knows better than to do, but sometimes knowing better isn't comparable to the memories of what could be waiting for her are.]

Network. Audio. SN:Marshes.

[It's weird to be doing this with a... phone-like thing (even if it still feels a little impossible that the thing in her hands could be a phone and not something else) and not with pressing the now useless golden sphere behind her ear. Still, it's a network, and Beverly knows how to use them. And she knows that she's gotta use them if she wants any sorts of answers to her questions. So, she starts slowly, working up to them.]

If I had to get kidnapped for the third time in eighteen months, couldn't it be to some place that isn't a creepier version of Derry?!

[There's a plaintive tone there that Bev doesn't quite enjoy, so she continues on more quickly:]

Yeah, I know how this place works but what's more important: is there anyone here from the Sphere City under water? Or from a place called Riverview?

Oh, and I'm Beverly. Beverly Marsh. If you know who that is.

[And then a little bit under her breath.]

I hope some of you know who I am. It makes it easier.

arrival

[fayzedandconfused]

[ Brianna stops short on the sidewalk, breath catching in her lungs, as she catches sight of the familiar red hair. Well... not entirely familiar. Beverly holds herself differently, seems a little older, maybe. And is that a sword? But it's been six months. Brianna probably looks older, too. ]

Beverly?!

[ She ditches her skateboard on the grass and rushes over. She can't help the grin on her face, but it fades a bit when she gets close. There's no recognition in Bev's eyes. ]

It's you, right?