CRISIS ON INFINITE DREAMWIDTHS: EVENT END

[metamods]

AT THE END OF THE WORLD

The sound isn't unlike thunder when the universe begins to crack apart. Loud, thrumming thuds that tear the sky and the fabric of reality. The nexuses are being stomped out, engulfed back into the void one by one.

Characters may be in these nexuses as they're slowly engulfed by the cracks. Some may be saying they're final goodbye's to old friends, new friends, or simply watching as the apocalypse descends on whichever world they're in.

And then, just before they're about to fall into oblivion - they're snatched away.

IN CENTRAL CITY —

Outside The Alliance HQ, Chaos Gate and the Silent Mystic stand with their eyes tightly shut, hands linked together as one. Above you the sky has turned a deep crimson. The crack is a yawning chasm as buildings are torn apart brick by brick, falling into the abyss.

If something isn't done soon then you're all dead.

This world is a nexus and this can't be changed, but it can be pulled from the 'between' it has fallen into, and restored to its proper place. This will require an enormous amount of energy. The mystics bid the gathered to join hands: they ask you to remember their world, the one they left behind and tether this world to it. Your strongest memories may bleed out, giving the people around you a glimpse of who you are, what you were.

The universally displaced are here with you. This is a last mingle opportunity. The comm will remain open so people can continue to play any threads they didn’t get a chance to during the run of the event. They too can join hands and share their memories, but as they are not tied to this dimension, when it’s restored they will either return to their own worlds or the nexuses they left behind.



CONNECTION —

Everything goes dark.

It feels endless, swallowing your sight as well as all sound as it closes in. Slowly, glowing threads begin to appear, tying one person to the next, then to the next, and so on. Only those who are linked to Metaheroes are tied with these golden glowing threads. The threads flow down to their feet and then shoot up towards the sky.

There's a boom, different to the thunderous cracks of before. The sky rushes back into place, day and night speeding by as it hurries to realign itself to the proper date and time. It's dizzying, for a moment, before it begins to feel grounding. Right.

The air feels different. Fresher, somehow. The sky is brighter; the world seems fuller, like it has been allowed to become what it should have been all along. A cheer goes up. The people are elated, relieved to see the sun again.

Players may be troubled should they have ventured into other worlds. They have seen the nexuses that have fallen to ruin, know how they too once felt exactly like this.



THE WORLD CONTINUES TO TURN —

The world has been restored to its proper place. Interdimensional communication is coming through again. The Guilds, exhausted as they were putting fires out across the non-meta cities, are relieved. Perhaps this is finally over.

With the return of interdimensional communication comes the return of interdimensional travel as well. This technology has been used in this world before; it was only with the advent of the recent powerful Confluences that it all went dark. Now that it’s back, the Guilds start to make plans immediately. It will take a little time to organize everything, but once they have a system in place, it shouldn’t be too difficult to locate everyone’s home universes and return them there. They set a tentative date for September 4th to start trying to return everyone home.

That being said, the government is none too happy with any of this. The Guild Systems were put into play by two metahumans who wanted the best for the world, as a means to protect them from those who would do them harm. Years have been spent slowly wrestling control from those two and now there is an opportunity.

Behind the scenes a storm is brewing. If they can spin this to blame the Unaligned then perhaps they have no more need for the Guilds. The Society is a thorn in their side that they’d like to finally be rid of, but they’re essentially untouchable. The Unaligned, however, are flagrantly breaking the law. Constantly putting themselves in the spotlight, making it all too easy to yank the rug out from under the metahuman leaders.

How wonderful for them that these strangers from away have made such a wreck of the trust in the systems that protected the metahumans of this world.

Mechanima is all too aware that things are about to go to hell. The Society is welcoming all metahumans, regardless of moral alignment, to join them. It is heavily encouraged among the rumor mill that the Unaligned should start reconsidering their position.

As the days go on, things begin to change across Meta.

• Excelsior has become vehemently anti-metahuman. While this outrage may pass, they’re passing new AI laws in rapid succession. Limitations on what AI can and can’t inhabit. Limitations on robot bodies, on mechanical prosthetics, on the research that can be done into what gives things the spark of life. Magic is essentially forbidden within the city. Any abilities that can be mistaken as magic are treated as suspect.


• Sunset Falls is worse for wear. Yet the people remain as grateful as ever to the metahumans who stepped in to save them. That gratitude outweighs any fear that they could have caused this - Sunset Falls has disasters all the time that have nothing to do with interdimensional weirdness. They continue to be unbothered by the metas among them.


• Central City, having witnessed all the off-world metas stepping in to save them, is oddly grateful for this - but they haven’t forgotten what happened. The disappeared are among them again and are unharmed despite their sojourn through the universe, but the fact that it happened at all is cause for concern. Confluences are a problem. They want answers, they want solutions.


• Little Love remains untouched and unchanged.

I DREAM A DREAM SO PRETTY —

Two days after the apocalypse is averted, every off-world meta will find a pillow lying on their doorstep. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live - one of these pillows will find its way to you.

If you’re quick or wary enough, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the being that placed it there: a figure clad in blue robes. They’ll appear seemingly out of nowhere and lay the pillow down before vanishing into dust. Should they happen to notice they’ve been spotted, they’re clearly started, and lay a finger to their lips before departing.

Atop the pillow is a note: an invitation from the Dreamers of the Willow Maiden. You would have undoubtedly heard of this group: they have a presence in this world, though their reputation’s benign. They’re oddballs and weirdos, but ultimately harmless. They believe in the power of a good night’s sleep - literally.

If the note is to be believed, then the Willow Maiden herself has requested an audience with you, and this audience can only be granted in the world of dreams. Should you accept this offer, the note explains, all you need to do is lay your head upon this enchanted pillow. Sleep will come to you quickly.

Your dreams will be extremely vivid. There are recurring themes bleeding through them: your greatest accomplishment juxtaposed with your greatest failure. The moment you could have acted but stayed still. Highschool embarrassments. Falling. Flying. Here in your own dreamscape, you’ve got more control than anywhere else; you feel as though you can do anything. But beware: these dreams grab for you, both the nightmares and the fantasies. It can be easy to lose yourself and forget what exactly is real.

Luckily, the dreams grab for others as well. Sleeping metas may find themselves involuntarily wandering into one anothers’ dreams. Visitors to a dreamscape don’t have any powers outside of what they normally would, but they can reach out to the dream’s host, should they want to.

If no one else arrives, don’t worry. She is patient and waiting, and doesn’t mind that you stumble. Fall too far into the abyss, and she’ll reach out her hand to steady you.




THE WILLOW MAIDEN —

As you find your way out of the haze of your subconscious with uour allies at your side, the Willow Maiden greets you. She is a massive tree nymph, long-limbed and wooden. She is curled against an enormous tree, looking like a statue. At your approach, she lifts her head from the crook of her arm and extends a hand in greeting. Her smile is warm and motherly. You may feel distrust, but that feeling of safety and protection that guided you home radiates from her.

“You from a far away land, come to this world and made its own.” Her wooden lips don’t move, the words echo through your soul itself. “I can do little for you now but issue warning. Danger is waiting in the dawn, in the shine of her sword. You won this battle, your strength and the strength of all those you have touched has saved you… but she is coming.

She is coming.


“My time is short… your words cannot reach me as you are now. Carve yourselves a new future. One in this world and all others. Dream, and in those dreams, you shall become more powerful than even she can stand. My gift is the gift of new life, new lives, new futures… I have shielded you from her gaze until I could no longer bear it and now… I must rest. May the next time we met be true conversation.”

The Willow Maiden lays her head back down on the curve of her arms. Within moments, she’s asleep.

You wake. Not with a start, but as though you’ve been gently roused from a deep and restful sleep. The dreamsharing effect lingers, and can reoccur off and on throughout the month of September, but you will not find your way to the Willow Maiden’s realm again.

IN SUMMARY.

• The fourth wall ends in a near apocalypse. Characters will have a chance to say goodbye while the metaphorical walls are closing in. They will be pulled back from the brink at the last second.


• Through the collective effort of metaenergy, Metaheroes will rejoin the multiverse, tethered to the worlds which playable characters come from.


• As a result, there's tentative optimism that characters will be able to go home
.

• Anti-meta sentiment is growing across Excelsior, and within governing bodies. Government officials will begin looking to blame Unaligned heroes for various crimes and disturbances.


• It's a good time to pick a side. Or don't.


• Amidst all this, The Willow Maiden invites players to Meta's first dream share event. The dreaming effect lingers and characters may find themselves intermittently sharing dreams throughout September.


• However pleasant this is, however cathartic - it doesn't change that things are tense in the waking world. The Willow Maiden's warning will ring in your ears, too: who is coming?

Comments

ripley arkwright | oc

[exasperation]

( i. childhood pact )

[ it’s been a few weeks since ripley and ford had discovered their powers. a few weeks of giggling to themselves and trying to act like everything is normal, while shooting knowing looks at each other and pelting off to the backyard once school was finished. it had been one of those evenings where the sky had cast an orange glow upon everything. ripley and ford were sitting on a bench, with a bunch of crayons and pencils, trying to design superhero outfits. it was not going well, due to their lack of drawing skills at the age of nine, but they were proud of their work. at least ripley was, when he brandished his piece of paper.

ford nods approvingly before setting his paper down, his face oddly serious, “Hey, Rip?”

“Yeah?”

ford holds out his pinkie, “You promise we’ll do this together?”

oh. ripley’s eyes go wide and he nods vigorously, linking their pinkies together. the most solemn of promises. ]

( ii. meeting phasar )

[ it was just a job. ripley yawns as the packages are placed next to him and he simply pokes them with his finger, sending them to the right location. it’s not glamorous and it’s certainly not something he enjoys but it pays the bills at least. discreetly. he doesn’t want his funds being noticed by the government. though ripley doubts they’re paying much attention to him. surely one rogue hero leaving the program isn’t a big deal right? right?

even though he knows, he knows ford would see it that way. they had always been together. ripley swallows it down, teleporting another package and ignoring the faint mist in his eyes when the ground shakes. he yelps, his arms flailing when he sees a giant hole in the warehouse and standing there was phasar.

oh shit, ripley thinks, before thinking, no mom I didn’t swear, I swear.

“Fear not, citizens!” phasar bellows out, “You’ve been saved!”

ripley looks at the empty warehouse and back at phasar. to his credit, phasar seemed quite put off by the lack of fanfare, but then he zeroes in on ripley. oh dear, ripley thinks, his mind gone numb. he quickly makes his way towards ripley, who clutches onto a cardboard delivery box for dear life.

phasar leans over ripley, his look rather salacious. ripley sweats in response.

he starts, a smirk upon his face, “So, since you’re rescued by me personally, perhaps you want to —” — and ripley immediately twitches, his hand brushing over phasar’s costume. and that’s all it took. he was there. then he was gone. ripley blinks. stares at his hand.

surely he hadn’t just teleported the biggest superhero on the planet had he? it takes him a moment to locate phasar. no, not europe, not greenland, more ice — ripley teleported him to the arctic.

nerves failing him, ripley immediately ran out the front door of the warehouse. he needed to go hide. hide and never be seen again. ]

( iii. closed to eddie )

So uh.

Things are bad here. Can I stay with you for a while? I’ll pay rent. I’ll even watch Tom Cruise films.

( iv. wildcard )

[ got a prompt / memory in mind? hit me up @ timmtams or pm this journal. ]

[frenchkissed]

( these past few weeks have been... a lot, to say the least. he'd consider a run-in with ripley to be an 'up' among so many 'downs'. creating a family? also an up. being on the wrong side of the end of the world? definitely a down. )

Things are bad where? Are you all right?

( venom has been aching to eat someone! give him a reason!!!! )

You don't have to watch Tom Cruise. The Office on repeat is plenty.

[exasperation]

I'm okay right now, but people are going nuts over metas and I don't think it's very safe.

Sorry, I mean, it's not very safe, thinking doesn't need to be involved and I have to get out. Can I stay with you for a while?

[frenchkissed]

Hey, yeah... Totally, man. We'll get you out of there.

I'm sorry. Things are getting so bad everywhere... I get it. Like, logically. People are scared, and metas keep showing up and blowing holes in the space-time continuum. Still, though...

How soon can you be here by? I'll need to talk to Diana, but I'm sure she'll be okay with it. She'd want to see you safe, too.

[exasperation]

I can get my stuff there quickly and my Guild has a transporter lined up, so soon as possible.

[frenchkissed]

ASAP.

Got it.

...And you're all packed up?

[exasperation]

I don't really have a lot of stuff. Besides clothes.

[frenchkissed]

Yeah, all right. Clothes seem easy to transport.

Of course, you can totally stay with us. Just... know that you're moving in with three alien cannibals and a literal goddess of a woman.

Beyond that... you wanna come with us to the fair next weekend?

[exasperation]

What fair?

[ normally, he'd be more aware of going-ons but he's been a little stressed over the potential mob and pitchfork situation. ]

[frenchkissed]

The Little Love County Fair... or something like that. It's a small thing, I think. Diana might be entering some of her animals in it.

It could be fun. Chill. Winning prizes, eating caramel apples. Peak autumn, y'know? Plus the meta hate hasn't been all that strong around here, so I don't think anyone will care if you teleport to the bathroom.

[exasperation]

Sure, sounds like fun. I don't think I've ever been to one of those before.

[frenchkissed]

You’ve never been to a fair?

Well, they can be cool. Might be a weird tonal whiplash after being, y’know, driven away from your home, though…

What’s going on exactly, anyway? Did someone throw a rock through your window?

[exasperation]

Not yet. But there's a lot of vandalism going on and considering I just advertised myself, I'm pretty sure they'll be knocking on my door.

Actually, maybe breaking down my door.

[frenchkissed]

Rough time to launch a business.

Granted, it’s not like we could’ve known the universe would literally split itself into pieces, like, a week later. But.

Maybe you could get business drumming here in Little Love? People are pretty cool here.

[exasperation]

I can try, but first I need to get out of Dodge.

[frenchkissed]

Yeah, dude, come over.

We can talk business stuff later.

[exasperation]

Seriously, thank you. I'll help with rent or any household chores.

[frenchkissed]

Uh, we’re all doing the Alliance thing now, I think, so I think money is alright.

You ever groom a horse before?

[exasperation]

Uh, no.

I could. Learn. Probably?

[frenchkissed]

Yeah, goat slopping and horse saddling isn’t hard. Just gotta wear something you don’t mind getting messy.

[exasperation]

[ he's bad with messes but survival comes first. ]

Sure, I must have a goat slopping outfit. Somewhere.

[frenchkissed]

Comes in handy.

‘Til we figure out your bed situation, are you cool with staying in the barn for tonight?

If it helps, me and V will be out there with you. Like barn neighbors.

And Jesus was born in a barn, you know.

[exasperation]

I'll take anything that's not outside.

[frenchkissed]

Sounds good.

WE ARE IN!

[exasperation]

Thanks, Eddie. And uh, thanks Venom.