TDM 004

[etrayamods]

⏵ the usual arrival ⏴ NOTES\WARNINGS: Horror elements, themes of addiction, supernatural changes, light mind control Arrival goes as anticipated. Characters awaken in the sterile white glow of artificial lights, the hum of soft machinery thrumming in the background like a mechanical lullaby. The hospital room is pristine - almost too pristine - sterile, but oddly calming. Every surface gleams in a way that feels calculated as if someone had specifically designed the space to be comforting. Yet, a faint whiff of antiseptic clings to the air, and the silence feels unnatural. The first face they see is Aurora's: her smile appears to be warm, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She might offer a quick explanation, or leave characters to figure it out for themselves depending on their approach. The door to the room swings open, revealing a hallway that stretches out ahead of them. They're free to explore their surroundings now, but something tells them this place is more than just a hospital. The lobby is a stark contrast to the sterile rooms above. It's warm, almost welcoming. Currently, an array of cookie trays are strewn about the area just inside the door that leads them to the outside world, decorated with frosting shaped into leaves, pumpkins, and the occasional snowman. They aren't perfect, but - the companion bots tried their best, they're still figuring out this whole cookie decorating thing. At least most of the cookies are normal cookie flavors this time. However, it doesn't feel as if this is what they should be eating. Something is telling them to go outside. To find something more filling. ⏵ the unusual arrival ⏴ Perhaps you skip all of that, somehow, slipping through the cracks of the system. You arrive outside of the normal purview, outside of the hospital walls. Perhaps you come to, standing in line for a food truck covered in slime. You could be anywhere, though. At the Diner, perhaps the apartments, or a random shop. Anywhere. It’s okay, though. This has happened before, and they are more prepared for it. No matter where you are, the helper bots will be ready with a quick and convenient remedy. A companion bot approaches you, bidding you to step into a clear tube. Should you do so, it will seal before power-washing you from head to toe in an efficient handful of seconds. And then it will release you, sopping wet but clean! Oh dear, are you catching a bit of a chill? …They will come up with a solution for that next time, I’m afraid. ⏵ lunchtime ⏴ As the swelter of summer begins to fade into the first hints of autumn, a small fleet of food trucks arrives in each part of Etraya. When you arrive at one they offer a stamp card with a little map of Etraya and the location of each truck’s loop. "Make sure you don’t lose it," the cashier warns in a friendly tone despite their vague and shadowy visage. Once you begin sampling their offerings, stopping becomes near-impossible. The food is delicious--or seems to be. However, each dish comes with a catch, and the more you eat, the more its effects intensify. To break this curse, one must sample all and fill their stamp cards. Traveling between the Apartments, Hospital, Ramsey Farm, S.T.A.R. Labs, Bangsan Market, and Corrine’s Cafe, Bau Haus serves dumplings and bao so good you'll start feeling feral for them. And the more you eat, the more animalistic you become - your senses sharpen, your temper flares. Senses and reflexes may become sharper, and boy does that slab of uncooked meat sound satisfying. Do you feel the need to growl at people who come too close to you and your meal? Surely that can't be related. Moving between Hannibal Lecter’s house, Sector 5 Church, Wayne Tower, Daily Planet, Shinra HQ, and Clint Barton’s Apartment Building, the Owl Feather serves soothing tea and delicious boba. But overindulgence may make you overly affectionate and obsessed with helping others, whether they want it or not. Muy Biento serves Mexi-Japanese fusion bento boxes from the Avengers Compound, Bishop Publishing, Dhali-Wal-To-Wall Books, and Cafe Millennia. There are teriyaki chimichangas, tempura carne asada, carnitas onigiri, and more. After a meal, you begin seeing ghosts out of the corner of your eye, always vanishing when you turn to look. Serving fried chocobo and "popoto" wedges, The Golden Chocobo makes you ravenous no matter how much you eat. Soon, you'll be eyeing increasingly strange items to satisfy your hunger. It travels between Ebbet’s Field, the Diner, Wayne Manor, and the Bunker. Offering crepes between Xavier Institute, Harry’s Hideaway Pub, Roxx, Kwikk Trip, and Big Belly, Thyme Served’s food seems innocent enough—until the night terrors begin. The more you eat, the worse they get, with the truck still there the next day, calling for you. Perhaps… a banana one this time. Bill’s Buffalo Burgers travels between Beviin-Vasur Farm, Point Blanc Academy, and Muten-Ichi-Ryu Dojo and serves only one burger - topped with pork rinds for a satisfying crunch, but it sounds good to you. However, after your first bite, you're told there's a price: a lock of someone else’s hair. Refuse, and it will feel like hair is stuck in your mouth, driving you mad until you pay the price. After all that trouble, you go home and can’t stop thinking about getting another burger. Offering blue milkshakes and ice cream, repeated visits to the Milk Man will turn your tongue—and eventually your blood—blue. A creeping chill settles in, growing worse each time until no amount of warmth can help. ⏵ nova city ⏴ Nova City, vast and sprawling in its corner of Etraya, remains mostly abandoned. Its towering buildings stand silently, watching over empty streets where only stray cats and the occasional bird roam. The dragon, Zhaera, perches protectively atop the tallest spire at the heart of this desolate city. She has been guarding her egg since her arrival, waiting for the young dragon within to mature enough it can survive in the outside world. As its incubation period draws near, her anxiety grows. A tremor spreads through Etraya, an instinctive call to those nearby. As the egg nears its hatching, strange forces awaken within Etraya itself, spreading too into Nova City. Shadowy creatures crawl out from the ground, surrounding the tower the dragon and her unborn child have taken shelter on. The air crackles with the energy coming from the egg itself, and the cats throughout the city seem unsettled. The sheer amount of magic the egg gives off is enough to attract anyone capable of sensing it. The dragon, normally composed and fierce, appears to be visibly distressed by the changes going on in the city below it. Her maw opens, sending flames to ward off the inky black tendrils intent on getting to her egg. But she may need some assistance keeping it safe. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ This TDM covers September and October. The events happening in the TDM are game canon. Threads can be kept as game canon if wanted! For any questions relating to the contents of this log, please use the mod queries thread. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

Comments

Mod Queries

[etrayamods]

Questions/Concerns/etc can go here.

Gotta Stamp em All?

[hauntedsnowfall]

Inquiry for the stamp cards!

Do you need to get all seven different food trucks, or do you need to visit the one food truck at each of its stops to cure yourself?

I wanna know if we are increasing the stat modifier or if we are taking all the stat ailments.

Lorenz Hellman Gloucester | FE3H

[bergamotrose]

Unusual Arrival

There's a tall, slim, reed of a man-- hair both pristine and violently purple, clothes perfectly pressed... If not for the strange film of gooey slime that clung to his person. Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, standing in line for a food truck, stared at his hands in utter befuddlement

"What even is--?

He scarcely had a word out before he was being tapped on the shoulder. Turning, he cast the strange artifice an aggrieved look.

"Do you know who I am? If you can't explain, then I most certainly will not enter that thing!"

Except-- the bot was grabbing a lanky arm, and Lorenz wasn't strong enough to fight it.

"Unhand me! Or, I swear I'll--"

Too late. Lorenz was shoved into the contraption as if he were no more than a snarling cat... To which he would deny any resemblance.

Food Trucks

"Hm... I understand what tea is, but what exactly is 'Boba'?"

The question, asked by a soaking wet stick of a man who was coping by tying his hair into a braid, was not one he expected an answer to necessarily.

"'Ube' as well-- although, with that color..."

He couldn't resist. Without waiting for an explanation, Lorenz was at the counter ordering an iced ube boba. A purple drink for a purple stranger.

Wildcard

[Ooc: feel free to make up any prompt you want. My plurk is woodrift.]

Unusual Arrival

[sleepfan]

Linahrdt doesn't see Lorenz at first - the only reason he's in the area at all is because he is stalking the little machine. Previously, he'd tried to take one apart, but it had expressed eerily sincere distress. The scolding had done little to dissuade the mage, but if the little machines were sentient, it would be wrong to take them apart. Just as it would be wrong to remove limbs from a living person. So instead he's taken to stalking them, recording their movements, and being sure to write down their numerous oddities.

Initially, Linhardt dismisses the yelling he hears, used to tuning out other people's tantrums even if this particular one does sound somewhat familiar. A flicker of the eyes confirms whomever it is doesn't have red hair, so Linhardt dismisses it and refocuses his attentions on the robot.

That is, until the cleaning tube finishes and Linhardt finds himself having to look up in order to see where the robot is going. Upon which, he catches sight of Lorenz, looking like a cat that had just been thrown into the fishing pond.

Unfortunately, Linhardt's not going to be of any immediate assistance to the other man from his world. He's too busy laughing - his body shaking in silent, unmistakable laughter even with the pale hand covering his mouth. When he thinks he's done, Linhardt takes a breath and tries to make eye contact...only to once again start laughing.

It feels good.

It's been too long since he's laughed. The way Gloucester's hair is sticking to him... the look on his face... it's an absurd picture that belongs in one of Dorothea's operas.

The distant, responsible part of Linhardt's mind wonders if Gloucester is also going to react to Linhardt with hostility, but as soon as he sees the man's waterlogged clothes, his brain gleefully supplies that Lorenz appears to be unarmed and Linhardt could take any spell Lorenz flung into his face.

Worth it. The joy is worth it.

"Oh...thank...you..." Are the first words he manages to get out. Whichever god or goddess rules this place, thank you.

Wen Kexing | Word of Honor

[ghostlord]

[the unusual arrival]

Wen Kexing is not a man who enjoys being manhandled. Nor does he approve of being shoved into a tube and power-washed. Now he is soaking wet and livid. His white fan flashes into his hand and he is focused on the bots, ready to slice them to pieces.

But even he, with his limited knowledge on technology, knows they aren't real. He would be better off finding out who controls them. Grumbling under his breath, he finds a place to sit, hoping the daylight will dry him. It's not like he has an extra set of robes!

"Pointless." he sighs, glaring at any and all that come to his attention, "...A-Xu..." he clenches his teeth, his fury growing, "I'm sorry."

Had he really failed the man again?

[Nova City]

"Don't you have any manners? A mother should be able to celebrate this time in peace." Wen Kexing lands near the dragon, showing no fear whatsoever. He lashes out a the inky tendrils viciously, laughing as he cuts them to ribbons.

Okay, so he might be using this opportunity to blow off some steam. Surely that's acceptable? He is very good at fighting...and defending.

"Protect your egg. Leave this trash to me." he calls to the dragon.

[Wildcard]

[Got an idea? Go right ahead or poke me on Plurk at tiger_eyes!]

Nova~

[fated_dance]

One nail is out, thanks to his Lao Wen. But now is enough time to get moving again, to prepare for the next.

Zishu just hadn't expected (though he should have!) to be pulled into the thick of things! There's just no way he'll leave Wen Kexing to fight alone, so naturally he's right beside the other man, sword out and lashing at anything that gets too close.

"Leave these things to us," he adds to the dragon. And it's a relief to move with more ease, as his shoulder heals.

Nie Huaisang | Mo Dao Zu Shi

[illicitly]

A. The Usual Arrival

It'd been quite a disorienting experience for Nie Huaisang, waking up in a bed somewhere else he doesn't recognize, rather than the one he'd gone to sleep in at Lotus Pier following the second siege at the Burial Mounds. At least, the nice lady who greets him seems pleasant enough and he remains seated on the bed like an obedient child during the duration of her explanation of everything. Most of what this Aurora says goes completely over Nie Huaisang's head; even if he hadn't arrived not ten minutes after witnessing his enemy's wife kill herself because of his own actions, he still wouldn't be able to follow an esoteric lecture about multiple universes very well. Nie Huaisang's able to grasp the most important part of it though. He's here to prove his world is worth saving.

Talk about pressure.

Once Aurora departs, he takes another moment to just try and process all that's happened before finally getting dressed, gathering his things, and tucking in the odd little ear piece into his ear as instructed and heads out of the building.

"Hello? Excuse me," he calls out to the first person he sees walking by. "Do you know where I could find lodging and supplies? I'm new here, you see, and don't know my way around this place yet."

B. Lunchtime

Eventually, Nie Huaisang bumbles his way over to the food trucks, finding himself quite famished after leaving the hospital. Did he even remember to eat with everything that had transpired that day? He honestly doesn't remember. At any rate, he probably should eat something while he can but there are just so many options. And each truck has even more options. Just what is he supposed to do? How is he supposed to decide anything? It's all just so much...

So he just stands there, staring blankly at one of the trucks, while nervously twisting a fancy looking ring back and forth on his finger as he tries to contemplate his next move. Eventually, Nie Huaisang just sighs loudly, shaking his head, and turns to the closest person that seems like they might have a better idea of what to do next than he does.

"So. What do you recommend trying? I'll have whatever you're having."

It's as good of a plan as any. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully.

C. Nova City

Nie Huaisang's dressed more plainly now, abandoning his fine silks and fancy jewelry, in favor of a simple long tunic and trousers, his hair swept back into a simple, high topknot. It's not the peasant or merchant attire he wears whenever he wants to travel incognito but it's good enough. He's simply out exploring on his own, trying to get the lay of the land and what he suspects will be his new home for the foreseeable future, when he stumbles into Nova City.

Something about it eerily reminds him of Yi City in atmosphere, only without all the spooky fog and potential mass murderers doing unspeakable experiments. Or whatever it was that Xue Yang was doing all those years. Nie Huaisang never did investigate or venture in too deeply after confirming he was there.

His spiritual senses are nowhere near the same level as those of his peers but what Nie Huaisang has is enough to pick up that something is happening. He's far too intimidated by the dragon to go anywhere near and for several moments, he dithers over what he should. Should he proceed further? Should he turn back and look for someone else far more familiar with this place than he is? Right now, Nie Huaisang truly has no idea what he should do but he starts backing away from the scene, unaware of that somebody's coming up behind him.

"Aaah!"

He lets out a sharp yelp when his back collides with someone else, whirling around so quickly that his ponytail probably whips them in the face.

D. Wildcard

[OOC: Will match format. I'm open to any of the food prompts! If there's something else you're interested in, feel free to toss a starter at me or hit me up via PM!]

kazuki kurusu ❥ buddy daddies

[henhussy]

❥ The Usual Arrival

[Kazuki wakes up in pain, though he's not exactly surprised by that. Of course, the good painkillers would've worn off by now. Now? When's now, though?

Grunting a little, he sits up and realizes he's in a hospital, and a nice one at that. Definitely not the type of place Rei would've brought him. It's also not a place Rei would've gone willingly, and his arm had been worse than any of Kazuki's injuries. Why would he be in a hospital?]

Rei? Miri?

[And that's when she comes in, and explains the gist of what's going on, and then she leaves him to his own devices. Just like that. Unfortunately, all he's got to put on is a the cheap Santa suit he'd been wearing for Miri's Christmas party, and so he pulls that on, still feeling stiff and sore and limping slightly as he makes his way down to the lobby, on the lookout for new clothes, not quite registering the situation yet.

The weird surreal appearance of a shoddily-baked cookie display in the lobby of a nice hospital is the first thing that really makes it hit home that he's not where he belongs, where the rules make sense. That Miri and Rei aren't here. Picking up one of the cookies, he lifts it to his mouth and sniffs it before taking a melancholy bite, feeling abruptly lonely and bereft. Just as his eyes are starting to sting a little, someone else comes up to the table, and he jerks his head up, sucks it up, and looks at them.]

Oh. Uh. Hey. The cookies...they're decent.

❥ Lunchtime

[Most of the fares on offer don't really appeal all that much, mostly because Kazuki is more into home-cooked meals than takeout. Especially when he can cook those home-cooked meals himself and he knows exactly what's in it and that the ingredients are top-tier. But when he comes across a truck with blue ice cream and milkshakes, he's too curious not to.

After he's devoured his first ice cream, he feels a little bit better. So he decides why the hell not and goes for another. After all, it's not like he has to set a good example for anyone, here. All by his lonesome. So he digs into a milkshake next, and it's only after he notices his blue mouth in a shop window that he realizes it's done that. He can't help but think that Miri would find this hilarious.

After making faces at himself in the window for a few moments, he feels better, and turns away, tugging at the hem of his hoodie and frowning a little.]

Damn, it's cold all of a sudden.

❥ Wildcard

Feel free to hit Kazuki up wherever! Write me your own starter or hit me up by PM, plurk at onlilypads, or discord at onlilypads and I'll write you something custom!

lunchtime

[pollicitation]

[It was a good thing she decided to hold back on the food to study each and every one of the food trucks on her stamp card. Eve was not the type to simply partake in whatever an area has to offer, knowing full well the consequences of letting her guard down around unknowns. Her cautious nature seems to have been a good call as her glowing red eyes land on the blond making stupid faces at the window. She noticed the amount of treats he had: a couple of ice creams and a milkshake.

There will be a pause as she continues to watch him with a careful eye, noticing the sudden change in his demeanor. What could it mean, she wonders to herself.

Heading over to him, she will watch him for a moment, noticing he was tugging at the hem of his hoodie while complaining about the cold. All she was wearing was a long scarf and a very scandalous outfit in general. Trying her best to use a concerned tone of voice, only for it to fall flat, she will try to act the part of someone concerned for him.]

What's wrong?

Fandaniel | Final Fantasy XIV (very tentative)

[endcaller]

I. Unusual Arrival(Cw: suicidal ideation)

[He is falling into the darkness, towards the heart of Zodiark. All around he can feel the ancient Primal's energy pulsating. Voices cry out in the black, desperately trying to convince him to not do what he is about to do. But the dead hold no power over him, he will seize control of the Primal and turn his wrath on the warriors above.

Someone will slay him, then the star will come undone. The heavens will open and sheer black despair will tear the souls of the living apart. They will witness a hell of his own making and they will die, they will all die and it will be beautiful.

Fandaniel hurls his will into the shadows and feels the constellation of souls within Zodiark recoil in horror.

Mine! The Primal is mine now!

Then, suddenly, the darkness around him seems to ripple and shift. He can feel the souls spin away from him followed soon after by the energies of Zodiark. The black closes in on him.

No, this isn't how it's supposed to go, this is all wrong, all wrong...

He reaches out a hand, not knowing if he is reaching up or down anymore. If not for the sickly feeling of motion in his stomach he'd might as well be hanging still.

Everything turns black. Then, everything turns white. He comes to lying on his stomach, a gravelly texture beneath his cheek. His lungs are expanding and taking in air, his heart is beating, all sure signs that he isn't dead. One madness-darkened eye rolls open and he sees the blurred outline of shapes and sunlight. It is all too much to take in and he closes his eyes again. Maybe if he lies here someone will throw him back into the abyss and he can drown in the depths. It would be so easy to just slip away down there and never awaken again.

The thought is sweet. He imagines dying, his blood cooling, his breath stopping as merciful nothingness closes in. Then he imagines his world. He imagines its people toppling his spires. He imagines their triumphant, hopeful faces... and it makes him sick! No, he can't die here, not like this. Why should he die but not them? Neither he nor anyone else is worthy of living.

If he has to endure for now he will find a way to fix this. He is nothing if not a patient man, after all.

Yes, it's decided.

He will set his plans back into motion, find another way to destroy all of creation, and invite fiery oblivion.

All he has to do is wake up.

With a soft groan, he pushes himself upright. A hand, not human, grabs him by the arm and hauls him to his feet. Stars burst behind his eyes and before he can comprehend what is happening he is being gently shoved toward a glass tube. ]

Unhand me!

[To his surprise the creature, no, robot obliges and draws away. Fandaniel takes a moment to catch his breath, to let his racing thoughts slow enough to fully observe his surroundings. When he notices someone else walking by he jogs up to them with a swaying movement that is nearly a dance.]

Yoohoo! Excuse me? Where am I?

II. Lunchtime A [Nothing much will happen but over 25 for this please]

[It's a while later that Fandaniel finds himself at the Owl Feather, watching people mill about the chocobo-less carriage with the detached interest often reserved for people who make spectacles of themselves in public. They seem to be enjoying the sweet drinks and many of them also seem to be acting overly familiar with each other.

He approaches the stand and bristles whenever anyone tries to touch him, though his smile remains breezy if not a bit cold.]

My! Aren't we affectionate?

III. Lunchtime B [Nothing much will happen but over 25 for this please as well. ALSO: CW for being cursed text.]

[Ascians are ancient immortal beings of pure spite and shadow. Fandaniel is merely a shade living in another man's corpse. He doesn't need to eat, sleep, or drink to sustain himself. It's been centuries since his last proper meal.

Unfortunately, there is a part of him that has always been a scientist, and after a while of watching people at the Owl Feather he decides to test a theory: It's the food that is making them act strange.

After a few drinks of boba, he is lazily twirling around the stand. When he sees someone new approach he drapes himself across their shoulders from behind and purrs into their ear.]

Hi.

Don't eat here.

IV. Nova City

[Fandaniel feels the call within him and answers, flying in the direction of Nova City. When he arrives he finds the sight of it strangely haunting and beautiful: A dead city, long abandoned, like so many civilizations before it. Well, except for the new mother lighting up the darkness with breaths of billowing flame.

He lands in the street, close enough to see her between some empty buildings, driving away the shadows.]

Well, isn't that a sight? Is she the one who called us?

Unusual Arrival; PSIIII ❤

[odinpusrex]

[Unlike Fandaniel, Barnabas is not subjected to the sudden upheaval from his reality into this one. That's already happened to him some moons ago, and so he is growingly familiar with the chaotic nature of Etraya and the oddities it sees fit to spring upon everyone. That it should litter its streets with new arrivals again is almost expected at this point.

What is less expected is the spritely man approaching him in such a swishy manner. As he stops to allow Fandaniel to catch up with him, he turns his dark, steel-like stare upon him. Barnabas holds himself in a way that both boasts of confidence, yet exudes utter indifference. There's a listlessness about him, a detachment, despite the intensity of his stare.

Not entirely unlike a certain Garlean prince.

Yet unlike him, when he speaks his accent is Scandinavian—or rather, it is close to how the Viera or even the Hrothgar speak.]

You have arrived in Etraya.

[He speaks slowly and measured, the natural lilt that accompanies the accent is muted into a near monotone from the aloof way he holds himself. He quickly flicks his gaze over Fandaniel, before letting it settle on the man's face once more.]

What are you?

amara borderlands / borderlands

[phaseflex]

a. unusual arrival

[generally when you go through a door, it's nice to end up in the room you expect to be in. amara had just been going through one of the mechanical doors in sanctuary, nothing exciting.

then she's here, covered in slime.]

Uh.

[standing in line for a food truck.]

...Uuuuhhh... what?

[and now helper bots are coralling her.]

Hey-- don't I even get a coffee? Hey!! [her voice becomes muffled as the tube seals shut, which is probably for the best. it wouldn't be too difficult to pick out some of the noises she makes as loud cursing at the robots, the food truck and the shower.

amara stops when the door hisses open again, glowering at them and looking impressively like a soaked cat.

the glowing blue tattoos that line her arms slowly shift to a more orange colour as she reaches within herself and grasps the incendiary element to grant some warmth.]

Man. What the hell.

[amara has been through a lot, but this is the first time she's been dumped in the middle of a city with none of the other vault hunters or crimson raiders around and no ECHOnet connection. she stands there for a few minutes just trying to mentally catch up. help a girl out?]

b. nova city

[who doesn't like a bit of looting while checking out an abandoned city? she almost feels like she's back on pandora, if there was more sand and a few more people yelling about poop trains. amara is peering into the broken storefront of what might've been a clothing shop when the call goes out, frowning suddenly and shaking her head like there's something caught in her hair.]

Calling out to me like one of my Sisters, huh? In another life, you'd be a Vault monster.

[a cat yowls nearby, and some tendrils start to erupt.]

Finally, a fight!

B

[levelshift]

[Accelerator pokes around Nova City sometimes. There isn't much there aside from cats, but it's quiet and the cityscape reminds him a little of home, so finding a skyscraper to sit on and drink coffee is a nice break from the usual Etraya.

Today is a bit different. Even though it's magic, the force the egg is giving off is something Accelerator can pick up on, so he heads over out of curiosity. He figures he'll hang around a bit then leave -- he isn't expecting to run into anyone or anything else here.

But he hears the yowling of a cat, clearly a call of distress, and Last Order and the Sisters would kill him if he didn't go help out some poor feline, so... he heads in that direction, turning the corner to find the cat, some woman, and... tendrils. Black ones, not the exact same as the thing in Moorcroft but close enough that he's clicking his tongue and switching his choker to esper mode.

So there's a skinny twig of a teenager there, leaning on a crutch and looking irritated.]

Fucking seriously? We aren't getting a break around here, are we? [So annoyed!!] Oi, unless you wanna die you should get out of here.

Robin Buckley | Stranger Things

[grivences]

01. leaving me here on my own

[ This is not Hawkins. That much is immediately obvious to Robin. Why is it obvious? Because she's lived in Hawkins her whole life, she'd like to think she knows every inch of it intimately at this point (even the Upside-Down parts), and usually when she's in Hawkins, she's not covered in slime and being manhandled by a robot.

She does not go quietly into the tube shower, ohhhh no. She puts up one hell of a fuss, wriggling and thrashing until the companion bots let go of her. ]

Let me go—!! I'm not going to let you invaders bodysnatch me in one of your creepy tubes!!

02. por ti seré, por ti seré

[ If there's one good thing about being trapped somewhere weird and foreign, it's all the cool, weird, foreign food that Robin now suddenly has access to that she never had access to before. What's teriyaki? What's a chimichanga? Who knows, but now she's eating both at the same time.

The food is messy because she's still not sure how to hold it when she's eating it, but it's delicious. That is, until she catches a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. Or, rather, someone. Someone who couldn't possibly be standing behind her in line at the food truck, because he died last summer. Didn't he?

She tries not to react, blinking her eyes furiously in rapid succession until the vision goes away. But when she turns to walk away from the taco-sushi cart, she is just confronted with another ghost, one she had tried not to think about since she disappeared a few years ago. ]

What?? No. No, no, no... This can't be happening.

0X. the wildcard option

[ If you want to do something else with Robin, HMU @ millennialfalcon to chat! I prefer brackets but will match prose if desired. ]

02 ofc

[bubblegumheart]

[Surprise, Robin! It's another ghost.

Only it's not, because Chrissy doesn't vanish when she looks away, which is a good thing. In fact, she's only here because she's made it her new personal mission to try all the food trucks while they're around.

She appears to be going the sensible route, though, because she's just stepping up to order a burrito and a lemonade. While she waits, she turns and spots someone vaguely familiar talking to herself.]

Excuse me- are you okay?

Ethan Chandler | Penny Dreadful (The City CRAU)

[savors]

Nova City— (werewolf or human flavor)

[ it isn’t a sense of duty or compassion that has him tearing through the shadows as if they were made of paper because, at least right now, he is the furthest thing from a man. the sounds that leave him are guttural in nature, made up by little more than growls and grunts.

the dragon would make for a better meal, but the ones pursuing it came to him first. which is likely why he occasionally spares a glance towards it, sizing up the creature for a later date. when there is no reason to fall back on, there is no room for Ethan to think about the egg.

should someone attempting to be helpful bump into him or occupy his space, they earn a warning in the form of snarl.

fortunately, before he has time to attack them, he takes a knee and digs his claws into the ground as the wolf’s time runs out. and oh, it definitely fights the idea of having to relinquish control, but it doesn’t have a choice in the matter. following a series of unpleasant popping noises, the sounds of his bones sliding back into place, his fur recedes.

in place of the wolf is a charming looking man who looks like he was plucked straight from an old western flick—right down to the gun belt that hangs around his hips. Ethan lets out a groan, pushing himself back up to his feet to see..

well, he isn’t quite sure what he is seeing right now, but he knows this isn’t where he is supposed to be. London doesn’t have dragons, The City didn’t have dragons. ]

Oh, fuck me. Not again. [ a beat, just long enough to rake a hand through his still-damp hair from arrival. unfortunately, he thinks it has to be blood so he tentatively draws the hand away to look at it. just water.

his sense of relief is palpable, at least until he finally snaps out of it and sees he is in the middle of some kind of battle.

now this he can do. need help? he has your back, quite literally. ]

I take it this isn’t the welcoming committee?

Lunchtime—

[ the fact that he is hungry and the smell of food is actually appealing is a good sign, it means he didn’t eat anyone after arriving here. a small victory in the grand scheme of things but he isn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. food will help build his strength back up, then he can go about finding a solution for his wolfy problem.

the last time he kept it to himself people almost died.

he also uses the time to trade notes with other people. he might be a werewolf but he isn’t a savage and is a perfect gentleman. ladies, however, will be the main recipients of his charm. he will even go as far as to tip his hat to them. ]

The food is good, but I think the view is even better.

[ is it the food getting to him? no, he really is a natural flirt, it will just be compounded when it finally kicks in. ]

Wildcard—

[ If nothing is jumping out at you, or you have another idea, feel free to hit me up over at accessories. Or wing it, I’m flexible! ]

nova city

[magike]

( rowena's still not recovered well enough to be out, but she's stubborn and bored, and at least her pain is much more minimal, only at certain movements leaving her to move well enough to walk through the city. especially when something shakes it, and as much as she wants to avoid it out of self-preservation it's also that same instinct that moves her towards it, knowing she can't survive if something destroys the city.

which makes her barely see the man, bumping into him when the sight of the dragon surprises her, and it isn't until he's knelt on the floor that she notices the sound of the growl, turning her back to him, looking at him.

she was almost about to ask if he was okay when he speaks first, making her file away both the sound of the growl and the popping for later. dragons. more pressing )

That thing? I'd suggest backing in a different direction but... it might have us spotted.

Ellana Lavellan | Dragon Age: Inquisition

[maserannas]

look what's out in the lobby

( Ellana picks up one of the cookies decorated as a gourd, the pumpkin familiar, albeit mostly from village gardens or served on table in various cooked forms. Her half-arm, ending at roughly the elbow, tucks against her side as it keeps the staff she'd been carrying from leaning against anything else, let alone falling down. )

At least there's cookies.

( The bright side to yet another absurd adventure. After all, finding herself waking up somewhere else claiming she was supposed to be responsible for turning the tide of opinion on her world and universe was, shall it be said, exhausting.

The cookie, she determines, is either dreadfully unsafe, or perfectly edible. Bringing it to her mouth and taking a small bite, she figured she'd hedge her bets either way, before dealing with what people she did or didn't find outside. Or inside. Or anywhere. She had no idea yet, but it turns out no, nothing can stay fixed for more than five minutes, even when one's ex isn't bent on destroying the world as you know it.

In that context, really, everything about this is rather hilarious. In a dark way. )

watching those food trucks and having trust issues

( The cookie has handled anything like hunger she was feeling after first walking out the doors and into the great beyond, which as it stands, is both exceedingly familiar for the concept of layouts, and exceedingly unfamiliar for the particularities of architecture and the rest. Ellana shook her head, breathing in the scents from the near-by food seller, housed in a peculiar sort of wagon-like vehicle.

A slip of paper fluttering towards the ground and dancing her way, blown by the breeze, catches her eye. Barefoot, it hadn't been a day for shoes and rough treks requiring their use, or political posturing (thankfully now at minimum, disbanding the Inquisition had some particular benefits while it likewise had particular setbacks, but that one was incontestable in her mind), so she dips down, tucking her staff under her arm ending at the elbow so her good hand could catch the paper slip and pick it up. )

I think you dropped this?

( Turns into a question as she stands, holding out the paper slip (the food stamp card that she doesn't know is a food stamp card) towards the person walking close by. As good a chance it's theirs as any, and a conversational opening at worst. )

shadow creatures, shadow features

( Dragons, well, dragons are creatures she'd prefer to live and let live, as much as possible. Immense and incredible and powerful, and also addictive to The Iron Bull in his particular adrenaline chasing ways.

The one defending her... nest? Was that dragon, strange as it looked to her for its unfamiliarity, nested on top of that immense building? All indications pointed towards yes, and towards the center of pulsing magic being the one and same.

The shadow creatures, whatever they were, didn't feel or act like spirits - nor demons, in her estimation. Not that what she knew had much bearing on what was true to the reality of this place, at this time. What she could understand was the calling to be here, what she could parse was the dragon protecting her nest, and what was self-evident by observation was how the shadows were attempting to creep in, possibly consume the egg?

Secure in those understandings, Ellana settled her stance as she cast a disruption field over shadow creatures stalking towards the building with its nest from the north side. They slowed, mired by the magic into fighting for each step forward, none large enough to eclipse the width of the field itself.

Switching tactics, Ellana pooled mana into her stump of an elbow, using that as a focal point rather than her staff when she down a crushing force of magic over the slowed creatures, stunning most of them, sending two tumbling outside the range of her initial spell. )

Can anyone explain why there's a dragon nesting on top of a building this massive, and why there's so much magic here?

( Not expecting an answer, but letting out frustration at the impenetrability of present circumstances by simply asking the world exactly what she thinks: rhetorically. )

lobby

[illicitly]

[The cookies are rather tantalizing and delicious or so it would seem from the orange icing smearing the corners of Nie Huaisang's mouth. They're hardly filling, nowhere near enough to satisfy him, and he most definitely hungers for something much more substantial than these little treats. Still, they're better than nothing considering he hadn't even had time to eat breakfast before getting spirited away to this strange new world.

Once he realizes that he's not alone in the lobby and takes notice of the dark skinned woman with the pointy ears, he freezes in his unrepentant munching, much like a child who'd just been caught stealing treats before dinner. Once he swallows his mouthful of cookie, he answers in an equally weary tone.

Surviving a siege of the undead will do that to someone, even after a full night's rest.]

They're not too bad. I've never had cookies like this before but they're tasty enough, I think.

will solace ☀ riordianverse

[solarheals]

arrival

can you tell me-- where are you?

Will has definitely woken up in worse places than a nondescript hospital. He listens to Aurora's whole spiel. (He tries to focus, really, but holograms and AI are just really cool, and he's refraining from making a dumb Star Wars reference. No one is around to roll their eyes at him, which makes him feel a little forlorn.)

When she's done, Will is left to explore. He ignores the cookies, instead deciding to explore the hospital. For such a well-kept and highly-outfitted hospital, it's very empty. At some point, he picks up a duffel bag and starts stuffing supplies into it. Will is careful not to take too much-- if there's an emergency, the hospital will need supplies-- but he also knows not to take an opportunity like this for granted. There's no guarantee that he'll be able to make it back here later if he does need supplies. There's no nectar or ambrosia (not surprising but very inconvenient) so he stocks up on mortal medicines instead. He doesn't bother hiding it: anyone else exploring the hospital may stumble on him in a supply closet, sorting and re-sorting his duffel bag to fit another pack of sterile gauze in it.

In his defense, he's used to things getting very deadly, very quickly. And, in his experience, you always need extra gauze.

lunchtime

i need to get my bearings

Will has worked up a major appetite after ransacking the hospital storeroom. He takes the stamp card, though something about the stranger is a little unsettling. The smell of food wafting from the nearest truck sweeps that thought right out of his head. He needs to eat if he's going to explore Etraya more. And it all smells so good.

one more look at the ghost before i'm gonna make it leave
cw: references to war, child soldiers, death, ptsd

This isn't the first time he's seen ghosts out of the corner of his eye, but it is the first time he's seen it when he hasn't been near-delirious from exhaustion.

It starts with a glimpse of blond hair and an orange t-shirt out of the corner of his eye. It looks so familiar but when Will turns to check, it's gone. Of course it is. Lee died years ago, and his soul is at rest (hopefully) in Elysium. It doesn't stop the way his stomach drops and his chest feels cold.

But it keeps happening. Short, with wild black hair. (Michael.) Long brown hair and a sad smile. (Silena.) Luke. Beckendorf. Jason. His half-siblings. Octavian. Campers who died in his arms because he couldn't heal them faster than death could take them. He only ever gets glimpses, which is somehow worse. Is his time in Tartarus catching up to him? Is that why he's hallucinating? He'd been fine until now so what...?

Eventually, he snaps. Enraged and scared and sad, he whirls around the next time he sees a 'ghost' and screams.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

His eyes are filled with unshed tears, his breathing is ragged, and his body is curled tight like a spring. It takes him a moment to come back to himself when he realizes he's just screamed in someone's face. Will tries to look apologetic but only manages to look exhausted and overwrought.

"Sorry," he whispers.

please, i know it's hard to believe

It doesn't take him long to figure out that the food is to blame. He also figures out that the way to break the curse is both simple and unfortunate. He has to eat from each food truck. Will feels a little stupid for falling for this in the first place-- he should have known that free food and a shadowy stranger meant bad things!-- but there's no reason to bemoan his luck. Fill out the stupid stamp book and (hopefully) stop having night terrors and feeling like he's freezing inside.

Exhausted, he finds the first person who has any hair and walks over to them.

"Food's cursed. Can I have a lock of your hair?"

nova city

and these shadows keep on changing

The call is impossible to ignore. Duffel bag slung over his shoulder, Will makes his way to Nova City. There's a nagging voice in the back of his head that he ignores... until he actually makes it to the city and sees the chaos unfolding.

Right. He should've brought a weapon.

The creatures emerge and the tendrils arc toward the dragon and her egg. Will starts to glow like he's swallowed sunlight, becoming brighter and brighter until it hurts to look at him. Then, a beam of light shoots from his chest and cuts through the shadow creatures. He staggers, but it didn't drain him the way it did in Tartarus. Still, he can't do this indefinitely.

So he does what any self-respecting demigod would do.

"HEY, OVER HERE! COME GET ME!"

He glows like a beacon and starts running, hoping that he's irritated the creatures enough to get some of them to break off from the group. And that he's fast enough to outrun them.

Arrival

[sleepfan]

And stumble upon him in a supply closet someone does: Linhardt has had the same idea, albeit for slightly different reasons, and instead of stuffing medical materials into a duffel bag, he's stuffing them into a large leather bag. His focus had been on acquiring items he hadn't encountered back in his world, leading to an eclectic collection of items including (but not limited to) a stethoscope, a scalpel (still inside its sterile pouch), several pairs of nitrile gloves, surgical thread, antiseptic wipes, a single pulse oximeter, 2 thermometers, and several different gauges of needle.

Linhardt leans over to get a better look inside Will's duffel bag, not bothering to disguise his interest in the other man's treasures. It's very well organized. He approves. Linhardt turns his attention to the young man and finally speaks, "Would you explain your reasoning for what you're selecting?"

The organization combined with the purpose of Will's motions suggests to Linhardt that the other is from a world more like this one and that he understands the purpose of all of the devices. Similar to the woman who had told Linhardt about 'radioactivity' and 'batteries'. The reason for the question becomes more clear when the healer pulls out a notebook that looks more akin to a medieval artifact than an actual notebook, complete with hand stitched binding.

"I would like to be a more efficient thief." Although he says the words with only a small amount of inflection, there's a slight gleam in his blue eyes.

[redheadedstepdad]

⏵ the unusual arrival

[ this is neither the first nor the last time Shanks endures a good hose down. he's not even mad about it, in fact he'd say it's almost invigorating.

it's also not the first time he finds himself in a weird place with no memory of how he got there, so this is par for the course for him, so when he steps out of the tube, he asks very loudly. ]

HAS ANYONE SEEN MY ARM?

[ given how amused he is at the companion bots' confusion, it's probably obvious he's joking, but the man is missing his left arm. ]

⏵ lunchtime

[ he's more about drink that food, but Shanks has never been one to look at a gift horse in the mouth. he takes his stamp card and immediately starts collecting and eating food from every cart.

one might find him dangerously balancing several dishes with his one arm, the stamp card on his mouth. or sitting down by a tree surrounded by several take out containers.

or, slightly later, you might be approached by a feral-looking, one-armed redhead with a sword, who asks very politely: ]

May I have a lock of your hair?

[ this is fine, probably. ]

⏵ nova city

[ the magic here is different from what he's used to, but he can still feel it— a static in the air.

he follows the trail to the dragon, and once he sees a mother protecting their child it's easy to pick sides. he wields his sword against the tendrils, putting himself between them and the egg.

Shanks can be an immovable object when he wants to be, and if the tendrils want to get to the sword they'll have to go through him first.

he'll call out to anyone who comes close and seems to be on his side. ]

You take the left, I'll take the right!

[ there's a wild smile on his lips as he says it. the man enjoys a good fight. ]

Wildcard

(( hmu fullofmystery or xolpup on discord for anything else, im happy to roll with anything ♥ ))

nova city. (these two would be trouble)

[savors]

[ despite the seriousness of the situation, he lets out an incredulous laugh when he hears the voice, tipping his hat up with the flick of a finger to show him he heard him. ]

And here I thought you were never going to ask.

[ a showman to the core, he unholsters both guns, makes a show of twirling them around like he would do during one of his performances, and proceeds to unload on his designated half of the tendrils. he even takes one out that decides to try and sneak in through the middle. ]

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if supernatural things didn’t plague my life, then I remember this is what I’m good at.

[ some idle chitchatting never hurt anyone. far be it from him to bypass the chance to get to know another fighter. violence isn’t something he enjoys but, when it comes down to it, it’s practically in his blood. ]

I don’t have enough bullets for all of them, but if we can make a dent in them maybe we can save her.

Rufus Shinra | Final Fantasy VII

[ambitiousblond]

The usual arrival

[It all feels surreal- waking up in another hospital bed but he has to focus on this Aurora and what she's saying. He tries to get as much information as he can before she fades, leaving him alone with more questions.

Hadn't they done enough to save the planet? Hadn't there been enough sacrifices?

Perhaps this was a chance for him to atone for what the company did over decades but he's getting ahead of himself as he pulls himself out of bed, wincing when his bare feet meet the cold floor. A reminder that this isn't some drugged out-of-his-damn-mind vivid hallucination. He's not going to linger and investigate this hospital, he's heading out as soon as possible.

The cookies are an interesting touch to this whole kidnapping to another world thing- the bot offering him a vaguely chocobo-shaped one uses 'chocobo 'shaped' or chocobo 'flavored' interchangeably when describing them but he takes it nonetheless when the bot practically shoves it in his hand and hand of the person who has the misfortune of walking by at that point.]

I have to give points for chocobo cookies- the last time I got kidnapped the food was terrible.

[ Not that he's going to try the cookie, at least not first until the other person is brave enough to test what 'chocobo flavored' is.]



Nova City

[The dragon doesn't concern him- it's not attacking and Rufus has to deal with the more immediate threat- the shadow creatures. They look too much like the things that he's seen in Hojo's lab so not something he wants to get near.

He's at a disadvantage- none of the Turks seem to be around and the pistol he keeps in a pocket just in case only has a few rounds, if he remembers correctly.

The only other 'weapon' he has is the small camping knife handed to him by Evan but that would be worse than useless, requiring him to get closer to the creatures than he cares to be. But that doesn't stop him from a well-placed shot taking down one of the creatures who was about to lunge at the back of the person seemingly coming out of nowhere to join him in this predictment.]


Watch your back- I don't think these are things you want to get up close and personal with.


Choose your own adventure

[What to go off the beaten path? Feel free to drop a starter here and/or message me with any ideas, etc]

eyes emoji (usual arrival)

[anciently]

Oh, I can definitely relate to that.

[ The voice will be familiar to Rufus, and when he turns, he'll be faced with the mild expression (and judgmental, raised eyebrows) of one (1) Aerith Gainsborough. The florist is standing not far away, arms crossed, watching him with...perhaps more scrutiny, and even less animosity, than he might be used to.

If he's "used to" any sort of reaction from the last Ancient. ]

You're back. [ Is what she adds next, keeping her distance. ] ...You and Tseng both vanished at the same time, seemed like. Is he around here, too?

[ Makes sense, that the President and one of his 'closest' companions would come and go together. If their disappearance had made her feel any kind of way, she isn't sharing it. ]

Hikaru Shidou | Magic Knight Rayearth | new

[godkaru]

lunchtime

[The arrival had been find and all, and she'd gotten about as many answers from Aurora as she could. But Hikaru was still curious about everything, and set out to look around the area. Of course, finding a food truck.]

Mm... They'd want me to eat... And I am pretty hungry. [She doesn't know what kind of money they take, but she knows she thinks best on a full stomach. Then she can figure out how she should help here. And things worked out in Cefiro just fine with paying for things anyway, surely they could here.

She does find herself at the Muy Bento truck, staring at the options.]

Hey... what do you think is good?

[Of course after she's made her choice, the effect begins and she can be seen walking around constantly turning her head sharply trying to catch sight of the ghost. So much so, in fact, she occasionally runs into a corner, or even you!]

I'm sorry!

nova city

[Hikaru ends up finding her way to Nova City. While there aren't many other animals besides the cats and birds, she follows the sound to the building Zhaera is perched on.

For all that Hikaru is smiling happy usually, she looks solemnly up at the dragon.]

An egg...? Hey- [The tiny redhead will reach for the nearest person.] What's going to happen to the egg? Should we help?

lunch time - run in

[banworthy]

Oof.

[ His response is a dialed up to try to gain even more sympathy. Of course, a simple side-step and hand on the shoulder would have ensured they never collided at all, but Vincent made the decision to let things play out as they may. ]

It's fine. [ He steps back and pushes his glasses up. ] Hey, are you all right? Kind of reckless to be running around like that, isn't it?

vincent smith | silent hill 3 | new

[banworthy]

the usual arrival

[ Waking up in the hospital bed had been a surprise. Well, waking up had been a surprise. He still remembers the feeling of the blade buried deep in his back and slowly bleeding out listening to the ramblings of a madwoman.

What an ending to his life.

Only it wasn't the end. Of course, he humored the idea that he just blacked out and Heather had somehow saved him, but the truth was rarely so forgiving and merciful.

Either way, here he is - alive and well. Aurora is explaining his situation as he marvels over the fact that he's breathing. He'll digest what she said later.

Vincent leaves the hospital room soon after. There isn't anymore information to be gathered lying around, after all. He wonders where he can begin his search, but at least there is a tray of cookies. Instead of taking just one, he scoops the entire tray up into his arms.

Figuring that he can't leave the hospital with the tray itself, he plops himself down in one of the chairs out in the lobby. Looking the cookies over, he starts to eat them quietly. Eating his feelings, really. His shoulders shake in silent merriment and mirth. ]

nova city

Well, don't look at me. I don't have any powers or any means to do anything about this. [ His arms open wide to gesture to the situation that he and the hapless person with him finds themselves in. There is nothing that he can do to fight against the shadow entities or the dragon. ]

What a racket that it's making, though. Makes you wonder if the egg is hatch now. [ He pinches his chin between thumb and index finger. ] Still - [ Not his problem even if he is curious. ]

But don't worry. I won't leave you completely without assistance. I'll give you your last rites here and now. The God that I worship will welcome you in her arms. [ Whether that welcome won't lead to screams later is another matter entirely, but! ] I can ensure you, at least, that she will see you as her own and hopefully that will grant you peace as you go off to do what needs to be done.

[ And he smiles. ]

wildcard

[ Eh, throw whatever you like at him. I'm still voice-testing. ]

nova city! omg I love Vincent, he's one of my all-time faves

[illicitly]

[Nie Huaisang just stares at the man in disbelief. The idea that he might be the more capable one here has never occurred to him until now. His role in threatening situations has always been that of the protected. Even when he's on night hunts, he stays firmly under guard or hidden in the shadows and any fighting stances he happens to take are primarily for a show of solidarity.]

Then we both have a major problem! I can't fight those things either! If you have a plan other than praying over my dead body, I'm all ears!

[His stress levels here might be just a teensy bit high. He's not completely as helpless as he claims but he's by no means a skilled or competent fighter.
He's not without spiritual abilities but they're weak and he's far too careful to risk using them unless his hand is forced.]

Otherwise, we better start running and leave this matter to someone else!

Sleeper | Venom/Marvel Comics | New Player

[definecat]

A. Unusual Arrival (feel free to suggest a location)

option 1- Pre bath

Sleeper did not expect to be torn from their home, let alone put in a completely alien place. And that's saying something since they might technically be considered an alien themself, for all that they were born in New York City. The bot's insistence that the cat get in the tube was not met with pleasure. They've been trapped many times before in such containers, and they aren't about to do so now. Their back is up, all four eyes narrowed and plenty of teeth showing. Definitely more than one expects from something that otherwise looks mostly like a standard housecat.

"Unless you tell me exactly what this is and how it works, I'm not getting in there."

Guess what, Sleeper, you aren't going to avoid getting in there.

option 2- post dousing

"Hey, didn't anyone ever tell you that cats bathe themselves?" The cat in question was drenched and had it's back and tail up in a combination of anger and disgust.

Shaking as much water free as they can, the animal began to do a more feline version of a bath, trying to soothe their ruffled nerves. It wasn't fair to get snatched, ambushed and bathed, and they really wanted to get a grip on things so they could find out who to hurt. Well, maybe not hurt, but possibly scare within an inch of their life.

Finishing the quick tongue-bath, they glance around, only then realizing they have company.

"Can I help you?" Yeah, this kitty is probably not in the best mood.

B. Nova City

Sleeper was first drawn to the city because of all the stray cats. It's easier to blend in when there's more almost like you. But the dragon has them wary, considering Knull's fascination with similar aspects. But the being at the nest at the heart of the city isn't one of their kind, but something else entirely. And clearly also a loving parent.

The shadows, on the other hand, are almost too familiar. The cat-shaped being isn't always that shape for the fight, their substance flowing swiftly from one shape to the next as they claw with blades as sharp as adamantium on tendrils and appendages of their own. While fire-breathing is outside the range of their chemokinesis, spitting out highly flammable substances like napalm for the dragon to set off is not. They're just also having to work to steer clear of the flames themself.

All inky black and bright yellow and glowing red eyes, it's probably only which side they're fighting on that might keep them from being reduced to a puddle of oozy residue. Hopefully whoever is joining in was paying attention.

C. Wildcard me

[OOC: Feel free to suggest ideas or change things up a little. If you have questions, PM the journal or contact me on plurk Bugly42]

Unusual Arrival, Option B

[bigpoofymammoth]

[Likewise, Manny is also not in the best mood. Although he’s starting to feel better now that the slime's off his body. The mammoth regards the cat's question with some level of curiosity.]

Well for starters, I'd like to know exactly what’s going on around here.

Manny | Ice Age Series | New Player

[bigpoofymammoth]

[Unusual Arrival]

[Of all the things Manny expects in life, suddenly appearing outside of a strange shelter is not one of them. It’s one thing for him to be taken away from his family and friends. It’s another for him to be covered in slime for some unknown reason, which had soured his already-bad mood by a lot.]

Ugh, what’s with all this slime?

[The mammoth says as he tries to flick it off his face. That's when a bot comes in. Manny watches as it comes closer and closer before it grabbed hold of his trunk.]

Hey! What are you-

[He didn’t get the chance to finish speaking when more of those bots appeared and he’s suddenly dragged into a tube. In a matter of seconds, he went from being covered with slime to being covered in soapy water. As soon as the cleaning process is done, the tube ejects Manny back in his original spot.]

Well, at least all the slime's taken care of.

[Lunchtime]

[Manny had taken some time to explore this new place that he found himself in. He'd seen and met a wide range of people, from regular humans to other talking animals.

The mammoth could be seen looking through the menu at one of the restaurants. The problem is, most of the food being served are completely alien to the pachyderm himself. And he had seen the effects they have on others, which discourages him from having lunch at this point in time.]

What’s with all those meals served around here? Don’t they have anything normal for anyone to eat?

[Nova City]

[Manny is no stranger to large, reptilian creatures that are protective of their offspring. The first thing that came to mind when he meets the dragon is his encounter with a mother Tyrannosaurus back in his home world.

When he sees the black tendrils trying to reach out for the dragon's egg, Manny rushed in to help out with fending them off. He knows what its like to defend one's own offspring from danger. As the dragon sends out flames from her maw, Manny instinctively moves out of her way.]

Watch it! I'm trying not to get burned around here!

[Wildcard]

[OOC: Come at me with anything. If you want to discuss something with me, I'm open on Discord or at Plurk by HyperGaming999.]

Lunchtime

[strangevoices]

What's 'Normal?'

[Lola looked up at the large pachyderm, either unbothered or uncaring about the literal elephant in the room, and offered him a sympathetic shrug. She was busy chewing on the straw of her iced chocolate chai-- which tasted like fancy chocolate milk-- and was eyeing the menus in curiosity.]

This all looks like normal human food to me. Unless you're looking for normal food for You... But isn't that most any plant?

Lola Lang | OC

[strangevoices]

The Usual Arrival

[Hospitals weren't new to her-- at least, no newer than anything else she had encountered since she was given her task and her new perspective on the world. But the last time she had been in the hospital, it was to be at someone's bedside.

Being in the bed herself was new.

Lola, ever moving and unable to stay still for long, kicked her feet under the blankets as Aurora gave her the official explanation-- and, as soon as she was able to politely leave, she was down in the lobby piling as many cookies as she could into a little napkin to save for later.

To anyone who seemed helpful, she would ask:]

Excuse. I'm looking for my uncle...a tall, skinny, grumpy guy who looks like he could nap for a week. I have something of his, and I need to give it back.

[The weight of the item underneath her flannels made her... Uncomfortable. But, she would rather hold it than give it to someone else. ]

Lunchtime

[STAMPS.
STAMPS.
STAMPS.

The drive to collect had ignited a fire of curiosity inside of her, and people following the food truck routes might spy either 1) a small teenager with white hair and a beaten up newsie hat ordering as much as she could, or 2) a particularly brave mockingbird perching above the crowd, eyeing everyone's plates with a very obvious intent.

Any stray fries would be swooped upon immediately.

The teen herself was absolutely giddy about the food options.]

I thought birria tacos were great, but birria onigiri?

Awesome!

Jason Todd | Batman: Wayne Family Adventures | New Player

[leastdramatic]

The Unusual Arrival:

Jason's adventures as the Red Hood never involve the multiverse. So his sudden arrival to Etraya has unnerved him. Knowing his current equipment is limited and now covered in slime isn't helping his mood either. But he'll have to tackle one problem at a time for now. First thing first was to gather more intel about just where the hell he is.

Unfortunately for him, the rather insistent robots are more hindrances than helpers.

"Try that again and I'll shove you guys in that tube," he snaps.

Nova City:

There was no missing that call. Though Jason was still disoriented from being pulled into Etraya and still looking for answers, something... someone was in distress. So he heads right into the desolate area and sees Zhaera trying to protect her egg. Jason doesn't know what's trying to attack her but he knows she needs help.

He fires his grapple gun and swings up to the roof an abandoned building. With him on higher ground, maybe he can spot the tendrils' source and direct the dragon to attack it.

Wildcard:

((OOC: Hit me with whatever! Feel free to PM this journal or at angriestbird if you have any questions or concerns))

Unusual Arrival

[definecat]

"My sentiments exactly."

The voice might be hard to place at first, because the only other being nearby is a cat. At least, they mostly look like a cat.

Eddie Munson | Stranger Things | New Player

[satanicpanics]

🦇 The Usual

[ It’s the hum of machinery that wakes him. It’s a soft noise, but absolutely deafening in an otherwise silent room, and it jolts him from a sleep as deep as death—because that’s what it should have been. He felt the life slip from him as the world went dark and silent, and that’s…well, that’s not what he’s experiencing now. He's awake, he's breathing, and knows that any moment now, his brain is going to catch up and he’s going to freak out. Until then, he allows himself to live in this almost pleasant, post-waking fog.

He pauses to observe the monitor, taking note of the fact that it’s keeping track of a heartbeat—his heartbeat, steady and strong. He forces himself upright, doing his best to ignore the pain shooting up and down his body, but when he takes a look—there’s not a mark on him. No blood, no scars. Several signs of life, but few signs of anything having actually happened.

Interesting.

He opens his mouth to call for someone. A doctor, Dustin, his uncle—because he’s really feeling that panic set in now, the beeping of the heart rate monitor is amping up, and he’s ready to bolt—but he doesn’t get the opportunity. He jumps and swears beneath his breath as a white haired woman approaches him. He closes his eyes in an attempt to calm himself, but the woman is speaking, explaining, and Eddie barely comprehends a word of it. He’ll ask questions later, because this is probably all a very elaborate dream anyway.

Then he’s turned loose, left with nothing but the same torn and bloody clothes he’d arrived in. It doesn’t feel great, even if it does serve as his lone piece of evidence that something did happen to him and the world’s gone all sorts of screwy.

He doesn’t stop to enjoy the cookies. Instead, he works on making his way outside, though the first person he sees gets stopped. ]

Hey man, so, uh, turns out that living in your own filth? Yeah, not the most ideal situation to be in.

[ He picks at his bloodied clothing with a grimace. He’s clearly high-strung and jittery, about two seconds from bolting as he bounces on the balls of his feet. ]

Know where I can find something else?


🦇 Lunch

[ Truth be told, Eddie just wants a bowl of cereal. Something sugary and artery-clogging and familiar. But that doesn’t seem one of the offerings here. It doesn’t really matter. He hasn’t eaten a proper meal in a week, and he probably shouldn’t turn his nose up at what’s being offered.

He starts with the closest (?) thing to his coveted cereal—Bill’s Buffalo Burgers. Which apparently doesn’t even have a menu because it only offers one item. ]

Wow. Really spoiled for choice, huh?

[ It’s not bad, but of course it comes with a price which leads Eddie tapping the nearest person on their shoulder with his best smile. ]

I’m aware that this request lacks the level of charm needed to actually work, but, uh…if I said I really needed a lock of your hair…? I mean, I’d trade with you if you really wanted, but…

[ It turns out that all the food has some effect or another, whether it be night terrors or unbearable chills, but it’s almost at an end when Eddie collects his meal from Muy Biento and marks it off his card. And it seems okay for a time—until he begins to see people who shouldn’t possibly be there, lurking just in the corner of his vision. Many of them are people he only knows though snapshots in the local paper—kids who died way too young and way too tragically. Once or twice, he think he sees his mother with her soft brown hair and eyes, and he desperately tries to get a better look, but any time he turns his head, the phantoms disappear.

It feels like a knife in his stomach, but it oddly doesn’t frighten him. He shouldn’t be here either, right? Is he the same as them? With a frown, he reaches out for the nearest person, touching their shoulder. ]

Hey—weird question. You can see me, right?


🦇 Wildcard

[ I’m pretty easy, so feel free to throw me something, or reach out to me at muttonchops or PM me if you want to figure something out together! ]

Lunchtime

[bigpoofymammoth]

[With how big Manny is, you might as well be tapping on his elbow instead.]

Yes, I can see you. What makes you think otherwise?

damian wayne

[batricide]

arrival.

[ this is bullshit.

by now, damian thinks he should be used to being launched from one no-win scenario to the next. some part of him has gotten a little numb to it, but no so numb that he's unable to react when the fate of his whole universe is dropped on his lap, and it's contingent on his ability to curry favor with someone. even he has to admit they are completely and utterly fucked, as he is many things but likable has never been one of them.

as they say, it's out of the fire and into the pan.

first things first - ditch the prison uniform. can't do anything for the fact that this echo and the robots saw him, but the multiverse is full of faces that don't particularly like him - or could be looking. he stashes the jacket with his prisoner ID and penitentiary in the trash and sets out to find something more suitable. Considers that he might just take something before it sinks in how empty the streets are.

And that sure is Wayne Tower hanging in the distance. Damian stares at it ]

... You have got to be kidding me.

[ maybe this is the moment you come across him, looking like he's about to implode with barely contained rage. or maybe you catch him ten minutes later, rummaging through an unmanned department store trying to find less conspicuous clothing because these pants sure do glow. ]

dine and dash.

[ he goes about as long as he can without eating. gets his lay of the land, does his snooping, tries to suss out how he feels about his understanding of his already fubar'd future and has at least one emotionally poignant punch to a wall - but eventually he's standing at a food truck, looking marginally less murderous (and considerably more fashionable, if one's idea of fashion is based on looking as plain as possible) but no more thrilled to be here.

Muy Biento

Seeing things out of the corner of your eye is a terrible thing for an ex-assassin's nerves. Seeing people who should be dead is another. Damian's barely two bites in when he sees the flicker out of the corner of his eye, recognizing the pale face and the cruel smile and moving before his head has even fully turned. The lid of a trash can is wrenched free and launched like a frisbee -

it's only the second before it leaves his hand that he realizes there's no clown there. The would-be weapon slams into the wall with enough force to dent it. Maybe it's a few inches above your unlucky head, maybe you just watched a man potentially break someone's skull over nothing.

Regardless, Damian looks stricken. There's the barest tremor to his hand before he clenches it and shoves it in the pocket of his pilfered jacket. ]

I - I'm sorry, [ he's quick to regain his composure. looking back down at the food he's - surprised he still wants to eat. ] that was... an accident. Are you okay?

[ bill's buffalo burgers
may just be what sets him down the path untaken, because stealing someone's hair in exchange for food is ludicrous. he's not gonna do that. his refusal is loud and immediate - and so is the consequence for it.

forget anything any of gotham's rogues could do to him, this just might what breaks him.

he ignores it for as long as he can. stopping mid-scouting to try to scrub at his tongue, but alas. there's no stopping this. offering his own hair isn't good enough - so, hello stranger with hair to spare. damian is putting on his absolute best impression of anyone other than him and offering a pleasant smile, pretending like he knows how to be a civillian as if he'd ever been one in his nineteen years of life. ]

Do you have a moment? I've got the weirdest favor to ask.

[ and all the while there's that endless, gnawing hunger. compelling him to back despite the food clearly being - wrong. maybe this whole thing is just another form of torture. ]

wildcard.

[ damian's likely to approach anyone who looks like they're in need so feel free to throw your own prompts at him! ]

muy biento

[shabuir]

[ Fortunately for Damian, the person he almost struck with a trashcan lid is probably one of the few people in Etraya who could take the blow. It might still hurt, but the Mandalorian armor Fett is encased in would at least absorb most of the impact.

Unfortunately for Damian, said person is also heavily-armed and a fellow former-assassin to boot—which means Fett has a blaster trained on him before he can even stammer out his apology. ]

Didn't look like an accident, [ Fett says, voice cold. ] Looked like you missed.

[ A blaster going off when you don't mean for it to? That could be an accident. Throwing a projectile at someone hard enough to dent metal? Less so. ]

Logan Howlett/The Wolverine | MCU

[educated_wish]

the usual arrival;

[ Logan is grumbling the entire way that he explores. He doesn't like being here already, Aurora gave him a bad feeling with that odd smile. When he spots the cookie trays in the lobby, he groans. He's never been the kind for sugar. ]

What? Can't someone get me some fucking beer? What is this shit?

[ He breaks some cookies significantly, just because he's feeling annoyed. ]

lunchtime A ;

[ What was that about him acting bad because he was annoyed? Now he's going to act odd because he consumed from food from the Bau Haus at S.T.A.R. Labs. He's becoming more feral. This isn't exactly new to him, he's seen it happen to his brother and had it happen once or twice to himself. But he's never been this bad.

He's going from person to person, sniffing them out, trying to analyze their scents. He's obviously looking for something, but what?

Did he just grab someone's hair and outright smell it? ]

lunchtime B ;

[ As a contrast, when he goes to The Owl Feather at the Sector 5 Church, he starts feeling more affectionate and helpful. It's odd, he resists it, but it still happens. He can't ignore it. He acts it out by helping people with getting napkins and things to eat their food. He may even try to feed a person or two.

He's making faces the entire time, as if he absolutely hates himself for this. ]

lunchtime A

[illicitly]

[Nie Huaisang's hair is rather eyecatching as far as men's hairstyles go, silky smooth and easily reaching his knees. He's walking away from the food truck, a fresh steamed bun of his own in hand, and a smile of pure bliss settling on his lips after finally finding some food that actually looks familiar enough for him to be willing to try. He can't wait to sink his teeth and try one of these; it smells delicious.

He's looking around for a good place to sit down so he can rest and eat when he suddenly feels his hair being tugged...and lifted? He tries to turn around so he can get a better look at just who is, wait, what is even happening right now? Is this stranger sniffing him?]

Pardon me but can I help you? Y-You didn't even buy me a drink first...

[Nie Huaisang can't help get a little defensive, flustered as he is. He's always been a bit fussy over his hair and coupled with a naturally nervous temperament, his anxiety is spiking a little after being accosted in such bizarre fashion.]

Diego Hargreeves | The Umbrella Academy (Netflix series)

[bargain_batman]

⏵ the usual arrival ⏴

“Mom?” he hoarsely uttered as his eyes tried to focus on the figure in the room. The area was unfamiliar and so bright that Diego struggled to find his focus. It took a couple of seconds longer than normal. Nothing about the room seemed normal, not for someone that never spent time in a hospital or clinic.

The figure wasn’t Grace which prompted him to frown, confused about what Aurora explained as well as his surroundings. He was supposed to be with his siblings. Both of his sisters were hurt and had he just seen his dead brother? Yet there were no answers on if any were present.

Diego rubbed his face hard and dropped his hand much like his shoulders had in defeat. It should’ve been a positive thing that he was alive even if he couldn’t understand where he was. This was in Five’s wheelhouse. Could his brother even find him here?

Entering the lobby jolted him from his thoughts. Aurora hadn’t looked like Grace but seeing the cookies gave him another pang of grief, reminding him of his mother. He picked one up in the form of a lopsided snowman, when someone entered his peripheral sight.


⏵ lunchtime ⏴

His body was his temple. At least, that was what he told his brother Klaus. Yet a cookie wasn’t going to help him make it through the day since Diego still didn’t understand what he was supposed to do in this place. His body was on edge, prepared to fight. Not that anything had been aggressive toward him but his fight or flight mode was always fight.

He looked at the food trucks suspiciously, trying to see what they were about. It didn’t seem as if any currency was needed. There were just weird vendors, going on about not losing the stamp card that was necessary at all the trucks. Diego kept watch at the Owl Feather, considering making his way to Muy Biento for actual food.


⏵ nova city ⏴

There was a dragon. A DRAGON. Diego couldn’t believe what he saw. He traveled to Nova City out of hope to find his siblings. He’d heard the area was desolate and it seemed like some place that his family might seek refuge to get their bearings. His mouth hung open as he saw the beast move over a nest. An egg.

Shadow figures started to appear as if to attack the nest. The dragon seemed on edge as the shadows advanced on her. Diego took out his knives, not sure how he could fight the dark figures but felt the need to do so.

lunch

[100more]

Hob has already gotten himself a boba drink from Owl Feather and finds it quite enjoyable. The tea is sweet, but not too sweet. Refreshing with the current weather. He's considering going back for another one when he spots Diego looking around a bit.. shiftily.

"Good afternoon," he says with a friendly smile.

marissa newland | worm

[castfireball]

i: arrival.
[ Sitting in the hospital lobby, as far as she can get from the cookie assortment as possible, is a young woman wearing stolen, ill-fitting scrubs in her late teens or early twenties. It's hard to tell, with the way her shoulders are bowed forward, her hair falling in a curtain over her face. Occasionally, when she looks up, it's possible to see that there are deep, dark bags under her eyes, and those make her look older, too.

She never looks up for long. It's just that she's looking for someone, until she remembers she shouldn't be.

When a companion bot toddles up to her to offer her a cookie for the umpteenth time, Marissa murmurs something barely audible, the fight very clearly gone out of her. Maybe this robot has been wearing her down. Maybe it's something else. ]

Please. Stop.

ii: muy biento.
cw: eating disorder
[ Marissa hasn't eaten well in a while.

It's not a relapse. She knows what those look like. She remembers being able to help someone through it, until she couldn't. It's just that Marissa hasn't had much of an appetite in a long time. She eats when she remembers to, and if it isn't as often as she should, well, she's a lot better off than some people, isn't she?

This place won't let her forget. The bots still keep wheedling her towards food, and so Marissa relents, opting for some fusion place so she can take it back to her apartment, put it in the fridge, and be left alone.

On the way back, she takes a nibble. And that's when the guilt must really be setting in, because she sees a row of teeth in the corner of her eye, and then a limb, and then a series of sores, and every once in a while - once in a very precious moment - a thin arm, wrapped around a fragile looking waist. ]

No.

[ She croaks, and then reaches out, getting more and more disoriented the closer she gets. ]

Wait.

[ She's always just out of reach, and can Marissa blame her? ]

I'm sorry.

iii: wildcard.
[ just topleveling for fun, not here to app! feel free to hit me with a starter of your own as well. ]

ii

[equivo]

[ He hasn't been out long. And unlike the first time he got out of prison, there's no numbing layer of fading dissociative conditioning to blunt the edges of how huge the world seems outside of a cell.

All he's got now is a pack of cigarettes, sunken eyes, and a tremor that won't fucking quit. Him against the big, wide world.

But the world, as it so often fucking has, turns out to be a lot smaller than he thought.

Krouse stands at an angle to her from behind, staring. He looks almost like himself, except for the hair. He's been this bad off before. After New York, when he sharpened like a knife at the back of everyone else's necks to keep them moving, never seeming to sleep except in huddled half hour spurts, fresh black eyes fading ugly into the deep shadows under his twitching focus. He looks older. So does she. He doesn't know what to think about either of those things. ]

Marissa?

[ He croaks, disbelieving. ]

Hernan Guerra (superman) | DC animated | New player

[sonofzod]

[ The Unusual Arrival ]

[ Today would be a day of firsts for Hernan. In all his years of being Superman, he'd been struck with all manner of projectiles, bullets, and lasers. None of them left a mark. But Project: Fair Play had. The red beams had burned him, and under a constant barrage, knocked him off his feet. That was a first.

When he landed, it was on his back, striking the roof of Gotham Clock Tower. The bot is efficient in getting him up and shoving him into the tube to be washed. Then he's left, soaking wet, on the clock tower still. This was also a first.

He zips up into the sky, not only to dry, but to figure out where he is. When that proves fruitless, he drifts back to earth and stops a passerby to demand an answer. ]

What is this place?

[ Bill’s Buffalo Burgers ]

[ He doesn't eat burgers usually. But he's been dropped in a strange place and there's something oddly comforting about a burger. He appreciates the taste and crunch. And isn't really disturbed when the proprietor asks for a lock of hair as payment.

He spies a stranger and approaches. He could have easily lopped it off clean with a shot from his heat vision. But he'd be polite and ask first. ]

I need your hair.

[ Well, "ask" ]

[ Wild Card ]

[ or if you have an idea, let's give it a go! I'm looking for a place to put this guy. So let's plot. ]

Burgers

[twin_blade]

[ This is a very strange realm, quite different from Tal'dorei, which is in a great deal of danger at the moment, so Vax is not too pleased to wind up here somehow. At least he's not without his armament, so he feels protected to an extent. But what of the others? Is his sister safe? It bothers Vax deeply that he isn't with her to watch over her, protect her, because what if something were to happen to her again?

There's a lot of these thoughts going on inside of his head when he hears a stranger's voice speak to him with... a most unusual request. The half-elven man turns to look at the tall, handsome stranger and gives him an uncertain stare. ]

... What?

[ Let's be real, Vax has gorgeous hair that falls past his shoulders, but he's not used to someone just asking for it. ]