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metaverses2022-08-12 08:01 pm
metamods) wrote in metaverses2022-08-12 08:01 pm
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.
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.
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.
‘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.
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.
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.
no subject
Tony, huh? Heard about a guy looking for his son Tony recently. But it's probably not you, right? You don't look like the heir to a serious tech company. Not enough attitude.
Well come on, Tony, I know a place that has a slightly higher output, and I can make an interface for you.
definitely the first time in his life anyone has accused tony of not having enough attitude
Wait, hold on. Okay, first of all, I have a ton of patents and I've already run my own company just fine, so— [ That's bait, isn't it? Don't take the bait, Tony! Restrain yourself! Focus! ] —you know what, forget it. Whatever. Are you messing with me? My dad's here? Howard Stark?
[ That's amazing news... almost too amazing. Tony has a history of being the person who looks up when you say gullible is written on the ceiling, it's true. But "I know where your missing father is and you can see him again if you do as I say" is a very specific tactic that just so happens to have been central to, not to be dramatic or anything, almost everything bad that has ever happened to him in his entire life. So he's a bit better primed to be suspicious of that particular gambit. ] ...You're not just reading my mind and telling me what I want to hear to get me to trust you, are you? [ He would notice a technological incursion via Extremis, but that doesn't rule out more traditional methods of telepathy. ]
no subject
In fact, David sighs as he rises, the chair disappearing. Had he not the helmet, his fingers would come up to pinch at the bridge of his nose and use the old customer service sigh.]
I really should have guessed. No offense, Tony, but no matter the universe, you are a man that inspires headaches in me. Time and time again. At least, though, you seem in a relatively good state. I'm guessing that you need something charged for the sake of your health?
[He was given to understand that the earlier Iron Man suits in his own timeline had something to do with Tony's heart.]
Guess that makes it even more important to make sure we've got good power. As for Howard, yes, he's arrived. He's looking for you. If you want, and only if you want, I can advise him of your presence.]
And I'm not a full telepath, if that's what you're implying. That's not how my mutation works. Now, let's get moving.
no subject
Nevertheless, Tony follows along without further complaint, and takes the opportunity to start grilling his chaperone. ] So you're from another version of my universe? You know another version, or versions of me? [ The multiverse is hardly an alien concept to Tony, and the abbreviated orientation he'd gotten had covered this possibility, but that doesn't mean it's not weird to experience it first-hand. ] And no, I'm fine, I just... I need to charge the suit. Something about the dimensional transit drained the power out of everything I brought with me. [ If this guy knows him from other universes, there really is no point in being coy about the armor. ] And you're a mutant? Where'd you see my dad? [ Unrelated questions, but, man, there's a lot of ground to cover here. ]
no subject
[Needs to charge the suit. Yeah, that makes sense.]
The suit isn't at a point where it has an independent power source then. That explains a lot, and makes it all the more important to charge it soon. In case you get in trouble. And yes, I'm a mutant. Wouldn't claim a mutation if I wasn't. We're sort of picky about our identity after all. As for your father, online. But I can send him detailed coordinate data. If you want.
no subject
But, seriously— five versions of me? None of them were Mirrorverse evil versions, right? [ That's a joke. Mostly. A little belatedly, another thought occurs to him: ] I hope my dad is from the same universe... I mean, I guess it would be fine if he wasn't. It would just make things a lot weirder. [ IT WOULD NOT BE FINE. HE HAS NO IDEA HOW NOT FINE THAT WOULD BE. ] I didn't even set up my profile on that Multiverse MyFace thing they gave us.
[ Shockingly, his state-sanctioned social media profile hadn't been at the top of his priority list. It seems that had been a miscalculation. He pulls out his phone – easier to use the normie interface for now, since his Extremis-syncing crash course had been interrupted – and starts tapping away at it. ] Yeah, if he's in this city, can we send him the coordinates to meet us at... Where are we going, actually?
no subject
[David was more of a fan of using the man's first name, it took away some of the mystique of the older mutant.]
This way. There's a substation hidden near here, and I know how to tap it safely. Just don't do it after this point, because you could get in serious trouble.
[Which David could too, but fuck it, this is a bit of an issue and he's making a decision on the guild's behalf because he is the man on the street here.]
Not mirrorverse, but one was evil. And I hope it's the same Howard too. It might be awkward otherwise.
[He doesn't know if Howard Stark was a good father or not, but his money would be on no, given how Tony Stark acted.]
And don't worry, I've already got a message going off to him. Just running the encryption right now. Will unlock for only him.
[Easy to send those messages when it's literally just a thought.]
no subject
[ A substation is a sensible answer, and makes Tony feel better about following this random guy to an unknown location. ] That should do the trick. [ Tony grins. ] Good thing you're with me: I would never do anything that could get me in trouble. [ Yes, he thinks he's hilarious. ]
Did the evil version of me have an evil goatee, though? [ Asking the important questions. Little does he know, all his other versions have an evil goatee! It's his signature style, he just doesn't know it yet! ]
no subject
[Sometimes one wondered over how smart Logan was. Really, David often wondered how smart a LOT of the old X-Men were. He gestures for them to stop for a moment as he lets a clearly overjoyed to be free smartcar speed down the road before crossing.]
You'd get in trouble the second I took my eyes off of you. Good thing I have cameras hidden all over this helmet, right? And I've got the worst possible news for you. You're the first time I've met a Tony Stark without a goatee. I think it's just inherent to the name.
no subject
They've all got a goatee? Huh. Pepper's going to hate that. [ This revelation does put a thoughtful look on his face, though. He seems to give the matter deep consideration as they wait for the gleefully rogue smartcar to pass. ] ...Does it look good?
no subject
[And ain't that the simple truth of the issues of that family? Still, he snickers as he turns them into what looks like an alley, before opening a door. Turns out one of the buildings only looks like a building, and hides important stuff.]
Here's the absolute worst thing, and if you meet another Tony Stark, you can never tell them someone said this but... Yes. It looks so fucking good that it's infuriating. Which means if people grow them now, others assume you're trying to look like Tony Stark. Which is stupid!
[A friend of his back home who has a goatee may have complained about this. A lot.]
no subject
[ Tony follows David into the unassuming building, too distracted by the ego boost about his future facial hair to worry about whether this seems sketchy or not. ] Heh. Awesome. Maybe I'll try it out. Can I get you on record with that part about how it "looks so fucking good that it's infuriating"? I might need leverage so I don't get vetoed.
no subject
[The space inside looks to be a power substation, very interestingly disguised. David moves to a side room, an office really, and it takes him no time at all to get the door open.]
You absolutely cannot get me on record for that.
no subject
[ The inside of the building is approximately what Tony had been lead to expect, though he isn't sure why it's hidden away like this. But David seems to know his way around. Tony examines the interior as David leads him through it, and keeps up the train of conversation. ]
I haven't run into this Pietro guy. Not yet, anyway. I didn't even know Magneto had a kid. It's still strange that you know these other versions of me and people I know, and also people I might meet in the future. Man, the multiverse takes some getting used to.
[ Which reminds him: ] Sorry— I said I don't recognize you from my world, but I never asked your name. Or your superhero name, if you like that better. Either one works for me.
no subject
Just don't attach my name to it. And Magneto has three children. Technically. There's a lot of technicalities. The old man is a bit of a mess family wise. And yes, you might meet a lot of people who know you as an adult. There are a number of us just from my dimension of Earth.
[Not all of them who would like Tony of course. But he doesn't care. He sits down at a console and takes off a glove before laying his hand on it. This one is going to require direct interface. And the machine starts to hum.]
You won't recognize me because, given your age, I'm not born yet. And I won't be for a while. All of that assuming that, in your dimension, I will ever come to exist.
I'm getting the system to agree to play nice. Get whatever plug you want ready.
no subject
He'd gotten enough charge in the emergency batteries from the car charger to run some of the armor's baseline functions, and fortunately, swapping out of backpack mode is one of them. He lets the armor assemble around him, so that the reactor is accessible. And then he opens the assembled suit and immediately steps right back out of it, so that all his squishy human organs are not accessible. Just in case blasting the suit with huge amounts of electricity somehow goes wrong. Safety first! ]
If this is going to take a second, I should check the network and send a message to my dad, if it really is him. [ He pulls out his phone— nope, wrong phone, force of habit— he pulls out his new phone. ]
And is that a no on the name, or...?
no subject
You may call me Prodigy. And no, I didn't choose it. By my generation a lot of mutants are given their names by our elders.
[The machine makes a humming noise. There it was.]
There's a plug behind you, at your five. That's where you'll plug in.
no subject
[ Tony picks up the thick, high-voltage power cable that David indicates and inspects the plug. He's tempted to say something else sarcastic like 'good thing I packed my multiverse plug converter dongle', but the suit actually does have a configurable access port, so, he kind of did. It'll still take a couple minutes to cycle the reactor up, but it's way better than the car kiosk's measly little induction coil. He makes the necessary adjustments, and hooks the cable in. ]
no subject
[And given the one who gave it to him actually was the effective parent of another member of his team is totally the same person as named David, as well as others.]
Iron Man is iconic though.
no subject
'Iron Man' isn't even accurate. But it does sound cool. [ 'Iconic,' even. Nice. (David really should stop giving him all this ammo. He's going to fall over if his head gets any bigger.) ]
If this is all set, can you give me just a sec? I really do need to call my dad.
no subject
I am, but that doesn't mean I want to be known by that, thanks. Sometimes you just want being a genius to be your whole identity. You get that, right?
[David nods and keeps his hand on the machine.]
Just tell me when you're done charging. I have to get the system restored to normal.
fifty bucks on cheeky
As he talks, the reactor slowly starts glowing brighter and pulsing more quickly. It looks so much like it should be making a vwhooom vwhooom vwhooom sound effect that it's almost disappointing that it's silent. ]
Almost there, [ Tony confirms, after he's ended his phone call. ] Should just be another minute. [ And then, to fill the waiting time, he picks up the thread of conversation from before, perhaps out of some supernatural subconscious instinct that David might find the topic annoying. ]
If you don't like 'Prodigy,' why don't you change it? It's your superhero name. You could just pick something different. Rebrand, you know. Upgrade your costume, get a new catchphrase...
[ Tony gives David a bright smile and a wink. Whether he thinks he's actually being helpful or if he's just being cheeky is anyone's guess. ]
no subject
no subject
Because Prodigy is who I am. And fuck you, I like my costume.
[His attention turns to Howard and he rises to offer his hand to the man.]
Mister Stark.
no subject
Hey, you were the one complaining about it. I think it's cool.
[ Then there's a soft knock at the door, and Tony's attention becomes fully occupied by the arrival of his father. He breaks into a huge grin when Howard steps into the room. ]
Dad! You got here fast. We just got the reactor rebooted.
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