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

[ornithologist]

Apart from the general post-apocalyptic energy going on, you mean? [ he asks pointedly, a bit exasperated.

Truthfully, Harold is disappointed in himself as well. He's not usually so reckless without good reason. But it's like something had come over him; he'd felt compelled to help, a sensation that he's particularly weak to in the first place. He'd love the full trivia rundown on parahuman science at some point, but Krouse is right that it's not their current priority. ]

It seemed that there was... [ He hesitates, then sighs, letting himself in for it. ] Someone here that needed help. How was I to know that I am incredibly unsuited to giving it?

[ There's plenty of times he does effectively help people, after all. Just not this one. Er, or this dragon?

Harold rubs at his eyes, glasses pushed up to allow the motion. He feels overwhelmed, mildly terrified, more than a little in shock. It's been a few days since he woke up here but he knows from experience that real, life-altering traumatic events don't make themselves quiet companions that quickly. He wonders what his means for John at home without him, what this means for the numbers -- John had made clear he wouldn't do it without him, for some reason -- and what this means for his whole world. He doesn't necessarily believe his whole world is in danger, but he can't discount it, either.

And he's really just so tired of people who want to play games with human lives. ]

[equivo]

[ Harold looks tired.

It's more than just this, Krouse thinks. It has the feel of a larger tiredness, a continuity of effort. The kind of tiredness that sinks its claws into people who think of helping as a call they have to answer, whenever it comes, whether or not they're equipped for it. ]

We've all got our strengths.

[ The words slip out before Krouse can think better of - what, trying to be comforting? That feels like a joke. Harold's right. He's not cut out for this kind of thing, and whether he's cut out for anything else isn't relevant to the situation.

But Krouse still said it, and the words hang in the air as he awkwardly glances at a manhole cover. No shadows. ]

It's not all like this. A lot of the tests are more intellectual. And you're supposed to do them in pairs, at least. So.

[ Right. Because that's what Harold wants to hear, Krouse is sure. Reassurances from someone maybe a third of his age. ]

Just be more careful next time, yeah?

[ornithologist]

[ Does the survivor's guilt weigh so heavily and, more to the point, so transparently on him? Perhaps it does to someone familiar with looking for it. Harold is not a trained spy, merely a naturally private person. He recognizes the attempt at comfort, awkwardly offered as it is. There's just the smallest hint of a smile around the corners of his mouth. He would not discredit someone for their age, just increase his protectiveness. They deserve to have time enough to make mistakes, in his opinion. ]

I assure you I will be, [ Harold says sincerely. ] Particularly as I have a rather long walk ahead of me back to civilization. I shall not be repeating this visit to Nova unaccompanied.

[ The apartments and shopping center being what passes for civilization. Harold truly isn't looking forward to that walk, which is probably obvious based on how painstakingly he'd limped after Krouse. ]

Please do let me know if I can be of intellectual assistance to you in the future, Mr. Krouse, [ he says mildly, with a delicate tenor, as though it means nothing. Just an open-ended offer for no particular reason. Tests that are more intellectual and in pairs, is it? ]

[equivo]

[ Krouse laughs a little, dry and papery, and flicks ash off the end of his cigarette with a light flick of his thumb. ]

You don't have to walk the whole way. I'll take you.

[ If he's aiming for not being seen as helpful, he shouldn't be compounding his lousy attempt at being comforting with offering a free ride - but he rationalizes it with the fact it'd be a waste of all his previous effort if Harold gets eaten by something else, or falls into a pit trap (he's seen what some of these people get up to), or winds up laid up for a couple days from overdoing it.

Krouse lifts a hand to ward off protest: ] I need to pick up some things from my place anyway.

[ He could go for an energy drink. He could pretty much always go for caffeine. Makes a decent excuse for many occasions. ]

And thanks. I'll keep it in mind.

[ornithologist]

[ It's a bit like playing chicken, Harold thinks. Ms. Shaw is especially like this, even more so than John; she doesn't want to be thanked or appreciated no matter how many times she does something good. Harold isn't about to press the sentiment on someone who isn't interested in receiving it, but he is paying attention, he does notice, and actions speak louder than words. ]

It's not as if I have any meaningful sense of pride left anyway, [ Harold sighs, openly sarcastic. He used to be an avid runner, and now here he is dreading several hours' walk. It's a loss he still hasn't fully become accustomed to.

But Krouse is right; this is not the time to be taking chances, and this much physical activity could make it difficult for him to function for a while as he recovers. He doesn't have his usual medication here. Whatever short-term nausea he experiences from the rapid teleporting is likely to be far better than the alternative. ]

Is your introductory spiel on parahuman science still on offer?

[ If they're going to be traveling together and need a topic of conversation, Harold may as well spend it productively. ]

[equivo]

[ Parahuman science makes for a viable reason to pace the jumps. Harold's not going to get anything out of it if he's heaving the whole way back.

He's tempted to overexplain himself as he stubs out his cigarette on the nearest wall and tucks the butt into a pocket ashtray he carries thanks to a chorus of annoying voices in his memory. He could tell Harold he doesn't see it as something that should wound anyone's pride. It's just easy and convenient for Krouse to do it, and a little queasiness isn't a big deal, and it's not even really about the limp.

But a voice that's not annoying, older than the chorus, tells him that you realize that telling me it's not a big deal makes me feel like it is one, right?

So he just cups his hand under Harold's elbow instead, nonchalant in comparison to his tight grip from before, and inclines his head. ]

Yeah. Revised crash course edition.

[ He turns his head, scanning for something to swap with, able to take his time now that the imminent threat is behind them. ]

So. Let's talk brain structure. I have an extra lobe in mine. It's called the corona pollentia. A lot of people where I'm from have them, and most of the time, they don't do anything. Just a little node of extra neural tissue.

But under the right conditions, that little node develops. We call it a trigger event.

[ He swaps them forward, replacing another concrete-sided garbage can, and waits a few seconds before he keeps talking. ]

When it develops, you get a power. It's not generated by the lobe itself. It's more mediated by it. Think a signal controller on a control valve. Following so far? Any questions like 'wait, does that mean your brain did spontaneous rapid neurogenesis?' or 'what the hell are you even talking about?'