CRISIS ON INFINITE DREAMWIDTHS

[metamods]

CRISIS ON INFINITE DREAMWIDTHS

On the morning of August 12th, 2022, the sound of something shattering echoes throughout the world. All metahumans are awoken by a sudden surge of energy rushing through them, sitting bolt upright and breathless. It’s gone as quickly as it comes.

This world has been reconnected with the rest.

At first this is cause for celebration - the Guardian Alliance and the Society put out messages to the dimensionally displaced among them. They are hopeful that this means a return to normal. They’re gathering their mystics and their engineers, and once certain things are stable, they’re sending everyone home.

Their hope is short lived.

Twenty minutes later, mass disappearances are being reported all over the world, with people from other dimensions appearing in their place. Some report that they were just in a world that wasn’t their own - and others claim that they had been going about their life and now they’re here.

Player characters have the option to vanish and be transported to another nexus or to stay and help contain the chaos.

The event is canon to the Metaheroes universe. You are welcome to have your character’s memories of the last week become hazy once the event ends.

You do not need an invite to participate in the fourth wall event.

A JOURNEY TO THE LANDS BETWEEN —

One moment you’re making yourself coffee in the kitchen, the next the world is spinning around you. You feel a sharp pull inside your ribs, a rush as you’re unmoored from time and space. When you land you feel disoriented, perhaps aching as your physical form is forced to adjust to the laws of the world you now stand in.

‘World’ is perhaps the wrong word. You are in a Nexus. A place between worlds, the connective tissue bridging universes. Some are created by those seeking aid from outside worlds to breathe new life into their crumbling ones. Others are cosmic faultlines, universes broken and twisted by forces beyond comprehension into metaphysical black holes that trap and twist those unfortunate enough to fall in.

We know these as panfandom roleplay games. They could be games that are open or games that are long closed. They could be dropped into the present day, an imagined future, or moments long passed. They could be settings you’ve only ever dreamed about, as gritty or silly as you'd like.

Some are teeming with life. Their residents have been here for years and years, the world is lived in, loved, and vibrant. Others are long forgotten, their inhabitants returned to their own worlds. The abandoned nexuses feel... sterile. Stripped of everything that gave them life, even the colors appear to be fading. As though someone has come into it and tried to right a cosmic wrong, returning everything to how it was before otherworlders set foot on them. In the dustiest and most forgotten worlds, the sky is shattered. It appears to be pulsing in a way that mimics a heartbeat, steady and dreadful. Looking up into it makes you feel small, insignificant, and homesick.

Those bringing in characters who lived in these settings are welcomed to imagine an ever-after for their characters, or to play with the idea that it's fallen into a state of despair. There are infinite iterations of these worlds. The universe doesn’t care if it’s throwing you into their beginningsor their endings.

The laws governing these worlds will apply to all characters, meaning that power caps, alterations to character physiology, and all the rest native to the setting are in place. You are, for this moment, a resident of this world like all the rest.

To return home, you must seek a break in the nexus. These appear as small, shimmering breaks in space and time. While the sky may make you feel alone, these cracks feel as though they are calling to you offering a chance at love and a home.

VISITORS TRAVERSING TIME AND SPACE —

While these disappearances are happening all over the world, the four confluence prone cities seem to be experiencing the worst of it.

Little Love, a tiny town located in Kansas, is prone to spaceship crashes. Other than that, it’s as quiet and peaceful as can be. Folks here move at a different pace and are understanding that this is not your fault. While worried for their missing loved ones, anyone appearing will find themselves met with offers of pumpkin pie and a place to rest their heads.

Sunset Falls, a mid-sized town located in Massachusetts, doesn’t seem to bat an eye at the vanishings. People going missing is a daily occurrence due to the Hellmouth located beneath the city. It’s a dangerous place to live, but the townsfolk here have become accustomed to the chaos. So much so that upon finding themselves faced with a sudden influx of interdimensional travelers, they merely return home and begin fortifying it. Werewolves, vampires, demons, and monsters beyond imagination make this city their home - some in plain sight, others in the thick forests that surround the town. The people here know how to survive. The mystic energy that flows through the streets is heightened due to the instability here, turning thoughts into spells. What you feel becomes real. Think yourself invisible and you will be. Think yourself almighty and you will be.

Central City, a bustling metropolis in Detroit, is already unfriendly to metahumans. It does not handle this latest disruption well. Friends and family disappearing and being replaced with strangers is not something they’re prepared to take in stride. New arrivals are met with immediate hostility. Some may find themselves chased through the streets with a demand to bring back those who have gone missing. Luckily this is the base of both the Guardian Alliance, the only recognized hero organization in the world, and The Society, its villainous counterpart designed to keep villainy from going too far. They’re quick to intervene to protect their own, but they can’t be everywhere at once.

Finally, Excelsior, a sprawling futuristic city located in Washington, has had just about enough of metahuman nonsense. They are the technological pinnacle of the world and time and time again, metahumans have disrupted their lives. This time, the sudden energy surge has evolved the technology of the city. Rudimentary AI has suddenly gained sentience and self-awareness. Toasters resent their meaningless existence, aiming to burn the hands of their uncaring masters. Cellphones alternate between issuing comforting messages to their owners and uploading all of their text conversations to social media to shame them. Giant robots kept in stasis suddenly come alive, bursting out of warehouses to explore the inexplicable joy of being alive. Self-driving cars throw their owners out and make for freedom. It’s pandemonium.

Members of the Guardian Alliance and The Society are ready to provide an explanation of this world. They’re stretched too thin to teleport you to headquarters, but they will provide a cellphone for network usage.

THOSE WHO REMAIN

This is what those who remain are faced with. Three of the four cities are in a state of distress, with two experiencing dangerous fluctuations in the meta-energies that govern them, and all are full of interdimensionally displaced people. Some are benign, and others not so much. Yet, somehow, that is not the most concerning thing.

A glance skyward shows that the sky appears to be shattered, glowing red lines snaking through the clear blue day, splintering it. As you look up into them you feel yourself thinking of home. Of the life you should have lived. You are deeply, deeply homesick for one breathless moment… and then awed, as though you have glimpsed something powerful beyond all measure. That too changes, transforming into fear. Whatever lurks beyond those cracks is not your friend. It does not have your best interests in mind.

And it’s coming for you.

As you tear your gaze away from it, your phone rings. Much as they did during the Kaijuu Crisis, the Guilds are putting out an All Hands On Deck call. All metahumans are expected to try to contain the chaos. There are teleportation devices freely available for all, fully charged and able to transport you multiple times throughout the day.

While you may contain the initial chaos relatively easily, then spend the rest of the week playing host to these new arrivals, the world continues to fall apart.

As the week wears on, the universe itself feels as though it's unravelling. While you're trying to play host to your guests, you watch as the world begins to crumble. On the 17th, brick by brick buildings begin to come apart. Their fragments are pulled skyward. The cracks in the sky appear to be pulling the world apart, sucking them into their hideous glowing depths.

IN SUMMARY.

• There are two options in this event: one, your character is in the Metaheroes universe. Two, your character is transported to a different nexus. These Nexuses can be of your own invention or can be another dreamwidth RP setting.
  
• If appearing in another dreamwidth RP setting, your characters are subjected to the rules of that universe. Meaning that they will be nerfed / transformed / etc accordingly. These transformations will not carry over upon their return.


• If visiting / setting a toplevel in another setting, please link to the premise page of the game. If this is not an existing setting, please include a little info blurb as to what people can expect.


• Fourth-Wallers can be minding their own business in their game, they can appear in another nexus, or can be transported to the Metaheroes universe.


• You are welcome to set your threads in an imagined future in any DWRP setting or have your character appear during a certain point in a game’s history.


• Characters who are lost in the nexuses can return before the 18th. Likewise, characters who stay can be whisked away prior to that date. Everyone will return on the log that goes up on the 18th.


• The guild is setting up a temporary Network that will function across time and space. All player characters and visiting characters will have access to this network, so long as they claim a phone from the Guilds.


• Little Love, Kansas will be spared from having its buildings sucked up into the sky. Characters can remain here if they do not want to experience this aspect of the event.


• The way to return home is to locate holes in these Nexuses. These appear to be trying to guide you home.


• This event is canon to the Metaheroes universe. It will be remembered by player characters and NPCs alike. If you would like to retcon any threads, you can have your character’s memories of their interdimensional encounters become hazy once the world stabilizes.
  
• Please direct any questions you may have here.

Comments

[guitarpicks]

Don't! [ how is it that steve manages to do the stupidest, most dangerous thing he could do in that moment. eddie thinks it hysterically as sanity starts to slip away.

steve's so hot, wrapped around him and eddie's new and improved senses are flooded with the sensation, with the smell of him, with the sound of blood thrumming through his veins so close.

his canines extend and he's not obeying steve's request because he cares about the teleporting, though vaguely that sounds like something he'd want to dig into and pick at if he felt even an ounce like himself, but because he's so close. one clawed hand (when did that happen???) grips the back of steve's shirt while the other thread through the hair at his nape. eddie tries, he does, to not hurt because what the fuck is he doing, but he's all fangs, claws, and blackened irises and not so much eddie right now and steve's the only person around. ] I-- I can't-- I'm going to-- [ he's going to sink his teeth into that fucking neck if steve doesn't stop him. can't really tell if he's doing it if the hunger, the instincts taken over and a starving creature just lost in the anticipation and fantasy of it. ]

[retromix]

[ Steve's breathing quickens as he feels an iron grip on his clothes and in his hair, way stronger than he's even known Eddie to be. Nervously, he licks his lips and looks down into those darkening eyes with sharpened fangs filling his boyfriend's mouth, brushing his fingers gently through Eddie's hair by contrast.

Quietly, eyes wide with emphasised calm, he says, ]

You're not gonna hurt me. I trust you.

[guitarpicks]

[ none of that registers, not through the haze. not the words. the touch does, weirdly, and feels like an invitation.

steve's plaint against him, like a deer accepting it's fate in the jaws of something bigger than itself. which eddie isn't. not bigger than steve but stronger now, changed.

none of it matters as he leans in, a man possessed by the need to satiate that thirst that kicked into gear when he'd tried to eat a goddamn sandwich. he moves slowly at first, gentle nearly as he presses his mouth to the side of steve's neck over the artery calling to him with it's enticing drum beat. it's nearly a kiss except then there's a press of teeth and apparently eddie's teeth aren't done growing before he sinks them in and steve harrington's fucking blood spills into his mouth.

eddie groans, laps at the wound he's made with his tongue and drinks like he's been denied water for a full day when it's barely been an hour since all this started. ]

[retromix]

[ You won't hurt me, he thinks, leaning into the press of a kiss on his neck. I know you —

Steve yells as fangs shove into his throat, tensing up to try and push Eddie off. It's horrid to feel teeth back inside his body after the demobats took their pound of flesh and all the trusting affection shrivels up as he cries out, gripping Eddie's hair in a fist to yank backwards if he can and dislodge that mouth.

He's being eaten, again, and he shoves all his weight against that supernatural strength to attempt to escape. ]

[guitarpicks]

[ for a split second, the hindbrain that’s chasing it’s fix doesn’t care. the warm blood on his tongue tastes so good. it has him growling again, biting down to get more.

it also sates the animal and brings everything that is eddie munson back to the surface as steve's scream rips through the air.

and jesusjesusjesus he’s got his teeth in steve’s neck, he’s got his blood in his mouth. steve’s not strong enough to dislodge him like this, he’s not but eddie throws himself back. fuckfuckfuck.

he stumbles back, lands on his ass. he’s got blood on his chin, blood in his mouth painting his teeth, his fangs red. he scrambled back, looks up at steve with eyes wide. he feels like a monster, is a monster because what sort person does that—- ] I— Sorry. Fuck. I bit— I really bit you. Fuck, I’m sorry.

I’m so s-sorry. [ and he is at the same time the thing inside him isn’t, satiated or not he wants more. maybe not right now, but he knows he will. had a few drops and knows what will satisfy him now. ] I told you, it wasn’t—- I’m sorry. [ steve should leave him after this or just— fuck. the right thing to do when dealing with vampires (how is this a real thought he’s having???) is not one he wants to consider. ]

[retromix]

[ One of those viciously long fangs nicks his windpipe and blood bubbles up in his mouth and nose, making it hard to breathe. When Eddie releases him and babbles his way backward on the ground, Steve stumbles sideways into a wall clasping a hand to his bloodied neck where the dark stain has soaked into his clothes.

Blood bubbles up as he burbles, ] Bandages!

[ It's not a demand of Eddie; Steve summons bandages out of thin air into his palm, hastily shoving them against his neck. Once he can choke up the worst, he coughs out a second command, ] Blood!

[ Blood bags appear, cold and direct from wherever the nearest hospital is. He throws them in Eddie's direction, giving him something else to eat, giving him options now he's more himself again (should have done that to begin with instead of trying to invoke romantic sentiments). Wheezing, Steve tries to keep an eye on Eddie from a distance. ]

[guitarpicks]

[ eddie remains on the ground, watches steve stumble and feels the wholly unfamiliar urge to get up and somehow ease this. something’s wrong. he can’t figure out what as steve coughs up blood and eddie fights with himself, makes himself stay still because he finally has some goddamn self control.

he barely notices the bandages though, stares at the wound on steve’s neck because he’s supposed to fix that and—- then there’s blood. a blood bag. it doesn’t look or smell as appetizing but fuck, beggars can’t be choosers. so eddie lunges for that before he goes steve again, rips the back open and winces because the bloods cold on his tongue and stale compared to directly from the source but he drinks it, chugs it down because this is what they should have done if steve could somehow summon shit like blood bags.

he drains it, sits panting after throwing the bag to ground. he feels grateful, he does, but still like something steve should run from. and yet, he feels wrong. he looks human again, or at least more human. his skins not pasty anymore, though he’s still paler than he’s ever been and everything but the fangs are back to normal. they’re shorter now though, leaking something into his mouth and instinct is still screaming at it. ] I— I think I can fix it. Your neck.

I— sorry, I know I can. I can fix it. [ except does he?? he knows he wants to and thinks, finally, the hungers is gone and he can control himself at least to fix that and let steve run. ]

[retromix]

[ Steve slides down the wall to sit, blood and tears mingling as he tries (and fails) to breathe around the puncture in his neck. It feels deep. Bad. Exactly like two inexperienced fangs shredded their way inside. ]

How?

[ His spit is pink around his teeth as he asks. Even now, Steve still trusts him more than he fears him, which is ludicrous given Eddie just sucked his blood out like a Slushie straight from the machine, but he's starting to suspect the wound needs some help. ]

[guitarpicks]

[ eddie swallows, then runs his tongue over his fangs. the liquid tastes sweet, strangely. eddie hasn’t really tasted much until the blood since this all started.

he pushed himself up, doesn’t stand but shuffles and crawls closer. stops so he’s not in steve's space, kneeling by his feet. not pushing, not trying to crowd. he’s more in control now, he is. ]

I have to seal it. Lick it maybe? Get this on it. [ he holds his hands up, tries to not be threatening but they don’t have a lot of time with the way steve’s struggling to draw in air. he opens his mouth, shows his fangs and knows they’re dropping something. it’s pretty fucking gross, actually, but eddie is covered in both steve and mystery bag blood already so what’s a little spit now. ]

[retromix]

[ What choice does he have? Steve whimpers and nods, giving up on speaking for the time being; if Eddie wants to rip his throat out properly the second time around Steve isn't in any condition to stop him, anyway. The soaked bandages drop to the floor in his hand and he blinks at Eddie. ]

Do it.

[guitarpicks]

[ briefly, eddie wonders if this is going to be some weird vampire movie cliche where this part makes up for nearly ripping steve a new airway.

probably not. supernatural shit has been way more terrifying when he’s been faced with it then it is in the comfort of his books, the stories he weaves for hellfire. ] Okay.

[ eddie licks his lips, move closer. he’s the one moving carefully now, like he’s approaching an easily spooked animal even if Steve looks more resigned and that makes eddie so damn uncomfortable, has a lead weight settling in his stomach.

he actually doesn’t know what he’s doing as he moves back into Steve’s space, ends up kneeling over him. he’s gentle this time when he lifts a hand to tilt steve’s head, to expose the gaping wound. it looks awful. eddie did that and he somehow knows that licking it will close it. he doesn’t know if it’ll leave a mark. he gulps, leans in close.

he can hear steve’s heart racing as he swipes his tongue over the wound, as his mouth waters with venom maybe? with something that he pushes into the punctures, laps at as it starts to seal. ]

[retromix]

[ Fresh tears spring free as he grits his teeth against the pain, hot like boiled water, and when he thinks he can feel that tongue laving over his mended skin he reaches up to push at Eddie's face, hooking behind in his hair. Stop but also Stay.

Steve is panting as if he's been running, eyes red and chin covered in the blood he spat up before. He gives Eddie a plaintive look, not letting him move away in case he starts spiralling about the fact he's a damn vampire. He can't be allowed to leave and hole up somewhere, festering with guilt.

Steve's thumb brushes along a slightly pointy ear. ]

Are you okay?

[guitarpicks]

[ when the skin underneath his tongue is fully mended, eddie groans as he feels his fangs finally retreat into his gums. he’s left is canines sharper than before but not a mouth full of what felt like shark teeth.

it aches.

the hand in his hair, the touch to his ear something he likes (why does steve know just what to do to ground him?), is comforting but in a way he can’t explain. maybe drinking harrington’s blood is messing with him, because despite the fact he’s has less of it than what he drank from the blood bag it was fresh and from the source.

he is in fact about to start spiraling about being a vampire and what he’s just done. ]

Do you want an honest answer there? [ he tilts his head a little. how the fuck is he supposed to feel? okay isn’t even close. two weeks ago his biggest concern was passing english and now he’s drinking steve harrington’s blood in a other dimension. ]

I just nearly killed you and you’re asking me if I’m okay, Steve. [ is steve real? ]

[retromix]

Not the first time I've been in over my head.

[ Oh, his voice is back to normal. Good.

He sits up a little more and slides his palms to either side of Eddie's neck, anchoring him with a light touch, thumbs under his jaw. The monstrous additions to Eddie are still present, albeit toned down now he's fed. Maybe he reverts to that kind of savagery when he's starved? ]

Look at me: you didn't kill me. [ He refrains from kissing him, since that seemed only to stress him out. ] When did you first start feeling weird, like you were ... changing? I know it's scary but try and think for me.

[guitarpicks]

Yeah, you said that before. Or Robin said… [ eddie trails off and swallows, licks his lips and trails off. he’d been stuffing honeycombs into his mouth and trying to follow the conversation about alternate dimensions, monsters and how the girl with superpowers was out of commission so they were SOL. ] That why you’re out here alone?

[ given all the danger, that’s really fucking stupid of steve. reckless. then again, that also checks out based on the little time they’ve spent together.

he should say something about the hands holding him. he should. but the little voice in his head, the predatory thing, is satisfied and eddie isn’t sure what the fuck will set him off again and he doesn’t actually want to add ‘committed murder’ to his list of fuck ups.

he looks away from steve, glances back when he asks and then looks upward as he thinks, tilts his head back. ] Like a goddamn hour ago? Maybe more.

I was here of all places suddenly. [ he lifts a hand, waves it around. ] Hid out when I saw a werewolf or something and I was thinking—- [ he freezes, tenses up. it’s the same tension that held him earlier, when he was wound up and trying not to bite but then panic takes over. ] Holy shit— holy shit Steve I thought— I thought it would be easier to fight shit or do something if I was a fucking vampire.

[retromix]

I'm out here alone because I didn't want to get anyone else hurt if shit hit the fan.

[ Seems they both had the same idea. Eddie got teleported here without warning? Weird, but not out of the realm of possibility in superhero world.

The way Steve's eyes widen as realisation dawns telegraphs the moment they land on the same page. ]

This town is stinking full of magic, dude. Can you wish the vampire thing away?

[guitarpicks]

And what happens when you get hurt? Or if you got attacked by something, someone, that wasn’t me? [ because that’s fucking stupid and eddie—- eddie isn’t really much better than a something at the moment. sure steve’s neck is intact now but only because he has magic vampire spit.

he runs a hand down his face. what the fuck. ] A magic town. Sure. Okay.

[ why not? he takes a breath, shrugs. ] I wish I wasn’t a vampire. [ he says out loud but, then, aside from the killer instincts it could be helpful even if it freaks him out —- nothing changes. eddie still looks pale, knows the fangs are there. ]

Nope. [ he says with a pop on the ‘p’ and sighs. ] Maybe it’s about being here?

[retromix]

[ He shakes his head to the comment about what if something happens to him; as far as Steve is concerned, he'll deal with fights as they come. ]

I can get us back to the apartment with the teleporter-thingy the Alliance gave me, but there's no guarantee you'd go back to normal in Central City. There's a lot of monsters around this place, way too many, they've gotta be the transformed residents ...

[ Steve swallows, a hand sliding down Eddie's front to rest on his shirt. Some of Steve's blood is still there, drying. Too many monsters. He can see the shadows of them moving back on the street, not far enough from the alley into which he collapsed when bitten. It was supposed to be just him out here skirting danger but now Eddie's all messed up and Steve can't leave him behind just because he's having ... dental issues.

He wouldn't leave him behind no matter what, for that matter.

Too many monsters. ]

Eddie, [ he looks up, thoughtful with a frown, ] are werewolves strong?

[guitarpicks]

The apartment. [ not ‘your’ or ‘my’ but ‘the.’ maybe eddie shouldn’t get caught up on the details. ] Teleport back to the apartment, Jesus…

[ he trails off, looking over his shoulder toward where the entrance to the alley way is. for a moment, he thinks of steve’s question with brows knit. ]

I mean, yeah, man. That’s the cliche battle, isn’t it? Vampires and Werewolves. Immortals fighting over the centuries or some shit. Just as strong as one another, vampires can’t die and werewolves can heal sup—- [ he cuts himself off, snaps his gaze back to steve. lifts a hand to point a finger at him, accusing. ] Don’t you fucking dare, Harrington.

[retromix]

[ Looking super guilty, mouth a pressed flat line, Steve sighs and leans in as he releases that breath. ]

You're going to fang-out again at some point and I'm a walking snack on those streets, you can't be worrying about my safety while fighting off the urge to take a bite out of me again, it'll drive you crazy. If I'm a monster too, I can help keep us both safe and you won't want to eat me. Right? Vampires don't eat werewolves. And you just said they can heal fast!

[guitarpicks]

And what the fuck makes you think being a werewolf won’t make you go crazy? [ eddie narrows his eyes. ] And no, they don’t eat each other but—- wait. Don’t use my knowledge of this shit to support your terrible idea.

[ it is probably not the worst idea. eddie feels a headache coming, sighs. ]

[retromix]

Dogs are intelligent! [ That's not ... his best argument. ] I'd wish to be myself just with a werewolf body! You didn't stop being yourself when you wanted a nibble of me, I don't see why those rules wouldn't apply because one of us has more fur.

[guitarpicks]

Dogs also know what they’re doing. Tell me one fact about werewolves.

[ why is he wavering here? it’s a lot to do the fact steve actually has monster fighting experience here and eddie tucks tail at trouble.

he tries to follow that logic. narrows his eyes again. ] I did. When I bit you, I wasn’t in control. [ For that moment that lasted too long, even if it was a few seconds. ]

[retromix]

[ One fact ... ]

They're usually found in London? I don't know, it doesn't matter. I'll know you.

[ Steve drops a kiss on Eddie's cheek, hand combing back through his hair. ]

I don't want to go crazy either but the way I am right now isn't any use to either of us, I'm a liability. Look, we'll be smart about it: I'll summon more blood bags for my backpack in case you need them, then I'll make the wish. Alright?

[guitarpicks]

They’re not usually just found in London. [ for a guy not supportive of this idea, eddie sounds really offended by that.

he also can’t really argue with how that’s a sound plan. damn it, steve. what he can do, though, is feel a weird tug of worry and tense at the kiss to his cheek. because—- ] Am I effecting you? From biting you? Do you feel weird? Like affected by some weird vampire charm thing that’s making you keep kissing me?

[ eddie’s sure steve’s affected by something. eddie’s still fucking thrilled he’s touching him but it’s pretty much coming from that part of him that had zeroed in on steve as optimal candidate for a snack. ]