metaverses | CRISIS ON INFINITE DREAMWIDTHS

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Months. [ eddie parrots.

he looks pale again but it’s not that deadly pale hue from before. the blood gives him color, allows a flush to creep up his neck.

he should move, he leans back. ] No?

I haven’t been here months. [ what’s happening??? ]

Yes, you have.

[ He can't lose Eddie like this, it's not fair. Panic wells up in the back of Steve's throat when the other man leans away and it hurts not to follow.

Even if Eddie can't remember, Steve doesn't want to make him uncomfortable. He sits back against the wall and covers his eyes, rubbing them to make the sting go away. ]

Look, forget it. That's not important, you're a goddamn vampire right now. We have bigger problems.

No. [ don’t do this to him, steve. don’t make him think he’s also lost time on top of all this alternate universe bullshit. ] I was—- I was at Rick’s. I was just—-

[ steve moves back and eddie wants to follow. ] If I can’t remember something like being here and us dating, that’s a pretty big goddamn problem!

Oh, really, because I think the part where you want to eat me and we're in a town full of monsters is more pressing right now!

[ Hissing angrily to avoid raising his voice, he glares back. ]

You don't remember, fine. Fine! We don't have to do the whole boyfriends thing if it's freaking you out but as far as I'm concerned you're still mine and I'm not going anywhere just because you forgot a bunch of shit, so we can figure that part out later.

[ eddie opens his mouth, shuts it, and repeats it again. then be crosses his arm over his chest, wants to run.

steve's upset and eddie can feel it as much as he can see it, there’s a change in his heart rate and just the smell of him? something? he’s not sure. ]

[ He looks away, blushing with the force of his words. ]

Sorry. I just meant ... this hasn't ended between us for me just because it has for you. You'll have to put up with me until it has, Munson.

[ and doesn’t that make him deflate a little. steve looks so lost and hurt and eddie—- eddie has a thing for lost little sheep. ]

Jesus Christ. [ he shakes his head, not sure if he’s not going to cry either because the punches just keep coming. ]

Okay. Okay—- We are talking about this later. We are going to talk about this later because I have a shit ton of questions. [ and he does because what the fuck? since when? since when is steve harrington not a ladies man? ] After the monsters.

[ he groans, makes himself climb off of steve so he’s sitting next to him against the wall. finally. it feels not great. ] But that ‘mine‘ talk is really doing something to the part of me that wants to bite you. [ but maybe that’s something he forgot? or not? eddie is sure he hasn’t forgotten anything and this is insanity. but maybe. maybe it was the dream after the boat, that shit. ] Maybe it was the Palantir… [ he mumbles to himself, tilts his head back on the wall.

he hates supernatural shit. ]

[ Jeez, he feels like this is a horror flick with comedy thrown in as a side-dish, he couldn't embarrass himself any more if he tried. With Eddie off him he stands up and starts summoning blood bags, taking off his backpack to stuff them in. It's more so Steve has something to do to hide his emotions, than anything. ]

The plant-what?

Palantir. [ he repeats, runs a hand through his hair and pushed himself up to his feet. ] From the Fellowship of the Ring, man.

[ he continues like he expects Steve to get that. ] It’s supposed to be used to communicate with people. Kind of like a phone.

I had a dream where I think I made a deal with basically a talking orb and now—- [ he shrugs. ] Where’s the blood coming from?

I'm not up to the part with orbs yet.

[ He's struggling through the Fellowship, everything happens so much in that book. Aragorn his favorite so far.

Another blood bag appears in his hand with a pop of air, the scent of ozone sharp around them. ]

From the nearest hospital, I guess? [ Oh. If Eddie's memory is wonky Steve should probably explain further. ] Ever since I arrived in this freaky dimension I've been able to summon things into my hand. Doesn't always work if I'm not desperate. Sometimes it gives me what another person needs instead, which is how I'm making these appear. For you.

You’re reading it? [ he sounds surprised but looks pleased a moment later. ] Guess I’m sharing my good taste then…

[ maybe they are really dating. or it’s henderson. he hopes he isn’t here. ] Are— is it just the two of us here?

[ but then, then, steve explains his power. eddie watches him continue to summon bags and wonders how long steve plans to feed him for.

and if he thought he really needed a joint right now, if one would show up. ] I probably don’t need that many right now. [ that’s a useful power, eddie thinks. in a pinch. he’d ask what he can do but that doesn’t matter right now because he’s a little murder machine at the moment, clawed and fanged even if he’s tamed at the moment. ]

The teleportation device is in the front pocket, in case we need it.

[ He doesn't know if he'll be able to summon anything once he's a wolf-guy so he stops only once six blood bags are in his backpack, zipping it back up at his feet.

He plants hands on his hips and levels Eddie with a considering look, judging how much information he can take. ]

Billy and Chrissy are here too.

[ oooookay. eddie asked and he’s not ready for that.

he’s not. he leans back against the wall, brows furrowed and hair falling into his face. ] Like Billy Hargrove and Chrissy?

[ he doesn’t need to specify which chrissy. it’s a strange feeling, the sudden dread in his stomach. ]

Yeah, and they're both fine.

[ He cocks his head, looking him over. ]

Are you freaking out right now?

That’s good. [ eddie knew billy hargrove through a strictly business relationship. chrissy too, but that could have been different. maybe. it seemed like it, like they could have at least been friends.

and then it all fell to shit. ] Yeah. Yeah, I am.

[ Steve feels so powerless. It's not a boyfriend-thing when he swears under his breath and paces over, slinging an arm around Eddie's shoulders. Well, it kind of is because he hates to know Eddie's freaking out but he also just wants to offer some comfort with no strings attached. ]

Come here, man, settle down. Take a minute.

[ eddie’s tactile as a person, needs a space invader himself. it shows when he follows instinct. in the moment he leans into that, leans into Steve’s side and tilts his head toward his shoulder, cheek pressed to it.

he realizes he feels better for it and it might be all the super natural bullshit, but it’s also just steve being kind. steve, who eddie doesn’t really know but is being so kind to a guy who’s supposed to be his boyfriend and doesn’t remember shit. or maybe is an imposter wearing his face. eddie has no fucking answers. ] Jesus. This is all so goddamn fucked.

But. But— them being okay. That’s— at least there’s that.

Billy's thriving and Chrissy ... she's healed. She can see. I got her a pink space-age phone and you should have seen her face, she was so excited.

[ Steve gives Eddie's back a gentle pat and rub, up and down until he can feel his own bones again and isn't so listless with stress. ]

I'm here, Eddie. You're not running alone anymore.

Good. [ hargrove was an asshole, sure, but no one deserves to die young like that. neither did chrissy.

fucking good that they’re here and thriving if the alternative is dead.

it takes him a few minutes to collect himself, to feel like that weight shifts. then he steps back, peels himself away from Steve when he feels more like the world isn’t about to swallow him whole.

when Steve speaks, he nods. trusts him because even back home they’d found him, were looking out. Steve was part of that. ] Thanks.

That’s kind of my new thing, man. Or it was? [ he’s gonna get in his head again. ] Maybe you were on to something with the monsters.

You don't need to run if we're together. I'll keep us safe. On that note ... hold onto my bag, will you?

[ Steve steps away to the middle of the alley, taking off his coat and then hauling his shirt over his head. He folds them to one side on a dumpster, beginning to take off his shoes. ]

If I'm doing this, I'm doing it properly. Suggestions before I start wishing for wolf stuff?

[ eddie take his bag, holds it to his chest and looks down it it for a moment. then he looks up, does a double take. ] Why are you stripping?

[ He’s not going to stare, he’s not. he thinks of werewolf stuff. ] Uh. Think of like retractable claws and fangs, strength and healing. Werewolves have good hearing, sense of smell, uh… you’ll have to avoid silver.

I like my clothes, I don't want to bust them up. Shit's expensive here.

[ Rubbing his hands together, he takes on board what Eddie has said and thinks of the werewolves from movies, how they stand tall and strong and are no one's bitch. Dustin said there was a hound that Sherlock Holmes hunted down once, Basker-something. Yeah, Steve thinks, he wants to be a smart wolf that can outwit the greatest detective of all time. Go for gold.

The alley is gross and cold under his bare feet. ]

Okay, uhhh. [ He claps his hands, feeling stupid as he addresses the sky. ] I wish I was a werewolf! The biggest, baddest wolf since Red Riding Hood. I want all that supernatural strength! Claws and teeth! C'mon!

[ He stands there in the echo of his wishes, looking back to Eddie. I want to be able to protect him; I want to be the monster. The werewolf. ]

How long did it take you to turn?

[ the enthusiasm has eddie smiling. reminds him of the way guys in p.e. used to hype themselves up for whatever the torture of the day was while eddie kept to the sidelines if he wasn’t completely skipping. then again, steve was a jock so it’s fitting.

he adjust the backpack, slings it over his shoulder to free his hands so he can spin the single ring on his left hand. it takes a moment to thing on that answer. eddie hadn’t realized he needed to be waiting for something, noting differences. ] Pretty fast. I was eating a sandwich and it started to taste like garbage.

I was less… [ he waved a hand at steve. ] I had less enthusiasm and flare with my wishing.

You criticising my flare, is that what I'm hearing? Because —

[ The Hnnggh!! breath is knocked out of him as Steve suddenly bows forward as if his shoulders have been kicked from behind. He groans and tries to straighten up, sending a nervous look over at Eddie — who saw enough of this shit back home, Steve is realising — and calling hoarsely, ]

Look away!

[ Before it starts.

The magic in the air has a blanketing effect on the transformation that apparently stretches out Steve's limbs, making him scream, then snarl as his face ducks away so as to save Eddie the trauma of watching him mutate. He screams as his bones reform, not quite snapping but popping into newly formed, stronger joints, and hair pushes through every inch of skin. Fur, in fact. His legs are facing Eddie as they elongate and thick paws brace against the tarmac, claws scraping, and his jeans shred from the calves down with the thickening of muscles. His thighs split the fabric and he claws at the belt to get it off, left in torn denim.

The whole thing takes less than a minute but it feels like forever to Steve, moaning on the ground first through his mouth then a muzzle full of sharp fangs as the white-hot pain recedes.

He stays where he is as he catches his breath, finally staggering up to a new height of nine-feet tall with a thick ruff of chestnut fur mirroring his usual hair, a mane of it ruffling in the wind; he throws back his head and howls, filling the alley with vibrations from the low, claiming noise. ]

Steve—

[ eddie calls out when steve stumbles, looks so nervous and who’s heart jumps just like it had when eddie bit down into his neck.

the warning is a good one, an attempt to protect in its own way. the thing is that eddie isn’t the best at listening at all times and it’s not the sight of it that sends an indescribable dread and fear coursing through him, even if he knows, objectively, that a werewolf transforms. it’s the sounds of bones popping, of steve screaming.

two sides of instinct battle for control. one wants to run, the other wants to rush toward steve. this time the vampire doesn’t win, not completely. eddie scrambles back into the wall, drops the bag. he screws his eyes shut, tries to breath and realizes he stopped for a moment and was fine and that’s a fucking rabbit hole right there that neither of them need to know about. he feels like he might lose all the blood he’d consumed, paint the alleyway with it, but he keeps that down even if the nausea stays. jesus christ.

when the sound stops, eddie moves from the wall, tentatively forward toward steve. he reaches out, ready to crouch down and check on him. ] Steve? [ and then he jumps back, because steve stands and he’s huge and hairier and a goddamn werewolf. because he howls and eddie’s bones vibrate with it and steve doesn’t quite smell like the best thing eddie could eat right up anymore which means this worked and it’s safe. ]

Holy shit! Holy shit, you’re a werewolf. [ christ, he hopes they can turn back eventually. at least steve can. ]

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