HOUSE OF M(ETA)

[metamods]

HOUSE OF M

A DREAM IS A WISH…

In dreams you will lose your heartaches,
whatever you wish for,
you keep.

Anti-Meta sentiments are on the rise. This is no secret. Check the news and you see it, politicians arguing about the dangers that superhumans pose to the world. What if they go rogue? What if they stage a mutiny? How can they tell that heroes are really the good guys, when so many of them have secret identities. In the last week, multiple protests against metahumans potentially moving to their cities have broken out across the United States. Some cities have proposed legislation that would make it illegal for metahumans to live within their borders.

Excelsior is leading the charge, politicians are looking to ban any metahuman whose abilities are not technical in origin from living there.

It is little wonder, then, that so many go to bed dreaming of a better world. One without the hardships of this one, or of the one they endured before.

Meanwhile, across the country, Sunset Falls is in a state of change. Mayor West finally has candidates willing to take the position of Mayor from him. This shift in the city's attention prevents anyone from paying much mind to the odd and potent energies taking shape. Sure, there are strange occurrences happening. A young woman walks by the school and immediately forgets her name, her job, and where she lives. Others report a strange feeling of being watched. Those sensitive to it may feel something otherworldly and strange hanging in the air. Bearing down on them with oppressive force.

And, dear heroes, as you know - two forms of surging energies create what is known as a Confluence.

THOSE LEFT BEHIND

You wake to pandemonium.

An emergency broadcast is blaring across any transmissible signal. A Confluence of unprecedented size has struck. Half of the country has been consumed by it.

By noon, there is a quarantine in place - not that anyone seems to be trying to leave the affected area. No, this quarantine is to prevent people from trying to go in. Unauthorized access is not permitted, not until the capes in charge have a better idea of what is going on. Once again, the Godfall Protocols are enacted. All able-bodied metahumans are recruited to the task, and once again, the Starfallen will find themselves standing shoulder to shoulder with those far weaker than them.

This time there is no giant monster to fight. Just a barrier, invisible to the naked eye, that seems to alter anyone who enters into it. The early metahuman scouts report themselves to be unaffected for the first few hours, but any normal humans who enter this space quickly find themselves… no longer themselves.

Atomight, Frances Starling and Mechanima are all at the Alliance HQ. For once, the three faction leaders seem to be in perfect harmony. This is a bad idea, they cannot send their people into this No Man’s Land… but they have no choice. The Godfall Protocols are what they are, they were created for this very reason. Though they are not arguing with each other, the government agents suddenly standing in HQ are telling a very different story. The three of them are not hiding the fact that they are all too aware that their “freedom” comes with a price, and their resentment is reaching a boiling point.

At some point during these early hours, Atomight finds himself temporarily locked out of his office. While the three leaders are distracted trying to regain entry, Fantastic takes center stage and begins issuing the most scripted heart-felt speech you have ever heard. Unlike the other three, he doesn’t seem to care much for what he could be sending people into. This is not a speech meant to inspire confidence that all will work out in the end, that the weakest among them will be taken care of, it is a speech to inspire soldiers.

By the end of this first day, they have gathered enough information to make a determination. The Starfallen seem to be more resilient to whatever effects are occurring than the rest of the population. They are called to a unique, private meeting - one in which all three leaders attend.

“We don’t know what you will be facing there,” they state plainly. “But we know you have the best chance of making it out with your minds intact.”

The choice is yours. You can help secure the area, you can retreat to Little Love and hope that this expands no further, or you can step into the unknown.

You can engage with the leaders here.

HOUSE OF (M)ETA.

Inside the quarantine zone, all is well.

Your alarm rings a little late and you find yourself groggy and briefly disoriented, as though waking from a very long dream. One that you find yourself considering to be unpleasant, and not worth thinking about. You stretch and slide out of bed, perhaps kiss your partner good morning and prepare yourself to wrangle your children and get them prepared for school, but today is like any other day. The world is as it always has been, and you find yourself oddly comforted to know that things are not as bad as they could be.

And then your day begins.

If you are a card carrying member of the Guardian Alliance, then you report to work before most of the world is up and running. Atomight appears to be busy in Central City, as he is not present and is not answering any calls, but you know what to do. The Guardian Alliance is all about finding ways to be useful, without enrolling in any of the government run Metahuman departments. It pays less, and you have to have frequent check-ins with actual government approved heroes, but you find a measure of freedom in it… though the pressure is immense. One wrong move and you may find yourself imprisoned for “irresponsible” use of your powers, branded as the reason why metahumans should stay under the thumb of the government after their service ends, and not allowed to organize themselves in fear they may take over the world.

If you took the darker path, then you will find yourself reporting to an ordinary office building in whatever city you live in, for a boring job that you do not have. Villainy is not a safe passtime, but those who band together tend to stay alive a little longer. The Society of Villainous Reformation exists to provide the community that most villains lack. Villainy comes in many shapes and sizes, and the Society has all sorts. The only uniting factor in this faction is the fact that you do not want to be used the way heroes are. You want to use your powers as you see fit, whether that means you get an edge on tests or rob banks to your heart's content is up to you.

Or are you a vigilante? A complete wildcard, answering to nothing and no one but your own personal sense of justice? Vigilantes have a reputation for being brutal and efficient, needing none of the teamwork and oversight that the guilds use. They are also generally less accountable, unless The Society or the Guardian Alliance steps in.

Starfall, formerly Starstruck. He was one of the first heroes to enroll in the government's War Hero project, which has now become a mandatory military service for all young metahumans upon reaching 18.

The most concerning thing right now in the world is the cult, the Battlements of the Shining God. They are known to sacrifice people to their fearsome God, stating that it will give them the power to put things right. But… you have never seen them in person. Only heard of the wreckage they leave. But disturbingly, if you tune in to the nightly broadcast that the Dreamers of the Willow Maiden put out to help lull you to sleep, you will note they seem… off. Warning of a war that is coming. You are fairly certain you can handle a confrontation with them, though. After all, nothing you couldn’t handle has ever happened.

And as you fall asleep at night in this perfect world, in your perfect life, you swear you hear The Lady herself whispering in your ear. Wake up, wake up, this dream is not yours to live.

Yet when you try to hold on to those words, they slip from your thoughts. And when you awaken, all remains as it should be.

SNAP BACK TO REALITY

For those who agree to go into the quarantined zone, you find yourself given the best gadgets both the Alliance and The Society can offer. They are unsure how to prepare you for this, though the scouts that made it back say that things seem… fine. Peaceful, even. Everyone seemed so happy, but they did not recognize them.

Contact will be difficult to maintain. The radios were functioning while they were inside, but it seems that the further they went into these zones, the worse communication got.

When removed from the quarantine zone, those who were affected regained themselves bit by bit. Some held on stubbornly to their illusionary life, but when presented with undeniable evidence of the life they had before, and reminders of any joy they found within it, they came back to themselves.

“Are you saying that they have to befriend them to remind them of their sanity?” Mechanima asks, torn between incredulity and amusement.

“What he’s saying,” Frances cuts in, “is that they need a reminder that they have a life worth living outside of whatever the hell is going on in there.”

Atomight nods. “This appears to be a shared delusion manifested by magic. So, a mass psychic relay would be the best way to break the hold. However, it will take time to do safely.” He turns to the gathered volunteers. “Your job is to start cracks, so the whole thing shatters when we deliver the final punch… and no one soul is left bearing the brunt of that psychic backlash.”

There’s a moment of silence. You find yourself being handed resources for your trip inside - no weapons, just first-aid kits and any items you may have told people to gather that could remind your lost friends of who they are.

"This is going to change everything," Atomight continues. "Even if all this goes to plan, the fact that it happened at all means things won’t stay like they’ve been."

He doesn’t elaborate. Mechanima’s mask turns to troubled static, and Frances throws a glance back towards the Alliance’s tents. Many of the native metahumans are gathered, and Fantastic is posing for photos with them. The hashtag #METASTOTHERESCUE has been trending for hours, and were you to believe social media, Fantastic is the one leading the charge.

You turn, take a deep breath, and walk through the invisible threshold into another world. The teleportation devices you have been given will take you directly to the city of your choosing.

IN SUMMARY...

• The unrest in Excelsior and the upcoming election in Sunset Falls has caused a massive confluence, which has affected a great portion of the country.



• Anyone within the border of these affected areas finds themselves thrust into an alternate universe, wherein they lived a very different life as a native citizen of this world. In this version of the world, the Godfall Incident never happened.



• All metahumans - regardless of if they belong to Society, the Alliance, and the Unaligned - find that the Godfall Protocols are being enacted, meaning that metahumans will be conscripted into assisting. Knowing most metahumans do not stand a chance against whatever metaenergies are causing this, the leaders of these groups are asking the Starfallen to enter willingly.



• Being in the alternate universe for more than 72 hours will make you start to believe that you are part of it. It is very keen to assimilate you into it, and you may find yourself slowly developing false memories the longer you are in there.



• Exiting isn't an immediate cure, but the longer you are out, the faster you will come back to yourself.




• You can bring your AU-affected friends back to reality by reminding them of who they are, and that the life they have outside of the bubble is equally good as the one inside.



• Anyone who wants to sit this one out can kick back, relax, and enjoy some Kansas hospitality. Little Love is a safe area and will protect any citizens who do not feel capable or are unwilling to jump into the unknown.

Please direct any questions regarding this log HERE.

Comments

edalyn clawthorne 🦉 the owl house 🦉 hoot hoot, ota

[harageous]

i. (AU) College — Office Hours

( for eda, the concept of "office hours" was something she seemed to only very loosely grasp. she always took the time to list her office hours, but they didn't actually mean anything. they were just nice lettering. whether or not eda could be found in her office is based entirely on the positioning of the stars, the strength of the wind, and the tail feather of a turkey. her students have already pretty much learned to grab professor clawthorne (of mythology & folklore studies) whenever she was present.

rather than hope she might be in her office.

which, remarkably, is exactly where she is today. the thing that her students don't know is that she tends to end up in her office whenever she is trying to do something she wants to keep hidden from others. usually her kid. he's a good kid. she doesn't want to worry him too much.

then her door cracks open and she freezes, her single hand wedged between two books on her bookshelf. )

Hey.

( nonchalantly or attempting to. eda looks a little sweaty. )

What's up? I'm just cleaning a little.

ii. (AU) Sunset Falls – "Home"

( in reality, eda had only just moved into a nice little house in sunset falls through the help of a handful reliable humans who were kind enough to begin greasing the wheels for her. it had landed her a home in the human realm. she had a lot of complicated feelings about that that she isn't quite ready to address yet.

thankfully, it wasn't relevant anymore. she's not living in a haunted house in a version of the human realm that's missing its most important human—no, she's lived here for the last handful of years in her father's old hometown with her kid. well, her son. adoptive son. her godson. her kid.

it didn't matter what he was called. he's been family from the day his parents had named her the godparent. before the incident. before custody was given over to her.

what matters is figuring out whether or not he's the culprit for the mess on the driveway. she assumes it's meant to be art, but it looks like little more than a mess of chalky colours and lines.

was it supposed to? )

What do you think it is?

( she asks, looking over at the other person attempting to decipher the mystery artwork on the driveway. )

Two bears high-fiving?

( or maybe they were dancing. . . ? )

iii. (AU) Grocery Store – f i g h t

( the best part about valentine's day wasn't the holiday. no, forget that. who needed anything as mushy and romantic as valentine's day? it was just a capitalist conspiracy.

the best part was the d i s c o u n t   c h o c o l a t e.

her first order of the day, that being the day after valentine's, is hit the grocery store. maybe a few. who knows! the wind will guide her, guide her into getting her hand on fistfuls of chocolate.

except there is an enemy.

a vile, despicable cretin who dares to be taking the last of the clearance chocolate. immediately eda is leaning over the bin, swiping her hand towards the individual and their armfuls of her chocolate. )

Hey, hey, hey! Get your grubby mitts of my chocolate! Can't you see I only have one arm?

( not a free pass, actually!

not going to stop her from trying it though. she could really use some backup. )

iii. Wildcard – Give Me Your Best Shot!

(( ooc: plotting comment here. you're welcome to hit me up there. or hit me with whatever, i'll roll with it. live deliciously. ))

II

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth has already been living in this neighborhood for some time, and he passes by Eda's house sometimes on his way home. He'll pause to inspect the... "artwork" with her.]

...I might have said flowers. Or perhaps jellyfish?

The legs are usually more distinct with animals.

((Happy to assume they've met in passing in this AU, just from being around the neighborhood?))

[harageous]

((ooc: works for me! it's important to be on good terms with your neighbours. they'll be the ones to cover for you when sketchy stuff happens. ))

Jellyfish.

( she repeats, then traces the shape of what she could only assume to legs in the air.

then she nods, deeming that an acceptable possibility. )

I don't know. If you tilt your head, it kind of looks like. . . . a werewolf in the moonlight?

( she taps a gentle finger against sephiroth's shoulder, encouraging him to give it a try. she tilts her own head, trying to get another look at it. )

[unkindled_madness]

[Nothing unusual or unpleasant about an acquaintance tapping him on the shoulder! Sephiroth tilts his head obligingly.]

...in which form? A wolf or a man?

[It remains unclear.]

[harageous]

In the middle. Like the movie versions where they get all Hulk'd out.

( or maybe she should have mentioned comics?

but man, if this thing is a wolf then hunter definitely did this. )

You watch monster movies, right?

[unkindled_madness]

...I've seen a few.

[This is not a man who's deeply invested in pop culture.]

Mid-transformation would explain the... chaotic lines.

[harageous]

You should come over for movie night with me and my kid. Bring a friend, bring several.

( said very casually, but it is a genuine offer. nothing like getting to know new people through some terrible films. )

They could be excited lines too. Those kids down at the end of the street might have done it. Kids get all shakey when they're excited, yeah?

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth smiles.]

I'm well aware.

...I think my daughter would enjoy movie night.

[harageous]

( there's a returned smile to that.

"i'm well aware".

she bets. kids are little monsters. )

Yeah? Who's your daughter?

III also AU'ed

[welcome_summer]

[Mayuko wouldn't have guessed that the professor was that much of a chocoholic. She thought back to Eda's classes. While she had started her library science degree out of state, she had finished here. She had always loved mythology and folklore (and there was SO MUCH living folklore in Sunset Falls), and squeezing in an elective course had not been a problem.

At 5'8", there's not many women who stand taller than her. Her friend Ebi, for one, and Professor Clawthorne for another. Still, while she looks worried, she stands taller. Look authoritative, figure out if the other person is human, metahuman or... something else. She's a mayoral candidate, after all.]

Dr. Clawthorne! I thought I recognized you. Is there a problem?

[harageous]

( great timing!

the appearance of someone familiar immediately empowers eda—not that that actually achieves anything. it just widens her stance and makes her feel a little stronger. but isn't that enough? she tilts her head to get a good look at mayuko, more out of an effort to acknowledge her than needing confirmation.

she had known who it was at the sound of her voice. it's one of her students and one of the better ones at that. she's a bright woman with good taste. good enough taste to take her class! )

Like you wouldn't believe.

( then she snaps her gaze forward, meeting the gaze of the man at the other end of the bin. he's just about to say something, but eda speaks first. )

This maniac is trying to steal my chocolate.

[welcome_summer]

[Mayuko looks at the unfortunate man who attracted her ire, advancing and crossing her arms.]

That is an awfully large amount you've got there, mister.

[The man looks down at the sweets. "B-b-but they're my girlfriend's favorite! You never see these on sale except for now!"

Mayuko humphs and looks over at Eda. well, prof?]

[harageous]

( there's really only one appropriate choice of action that one can take in a situation like this.

advance!

the sudden interjection of mayuko into the situation serves as a decent enough distraction. she doesn't need much. she just needs that guy to focus his attention elsewhere for just a couple seconds while she boldly swipes some of the chocolates out of his arms. the trick is to be quick about it.

real quick. )

And I'm a single armless lady drowning my sorrows in chocolate. Stop cheaping out on your girlfriend! Buy them full price like a real man!

( then she's turning around, facing her back to the man and trying to disguise the new collection of candy wedged between her arm and her torso. eda taps her shoulder against mayuko's, encouraging her to come along with her. )

C'mon, my precious student! I don't need you sullying your eyes with scrubs.

( let's go!

before he realises what happened. )

[welcome_summer]

Of course, Professor.

[With one last forbidding look at the vanquished foe, Mayuko follows along. She almost feels bad, but well, when Eda gets on a roll, it's better to stay on her good side than stand in her path and get bulldozered.]

You are going to let your precious student have one of those, right?

[Mayuko's boyfriend could've bought out the entire chocolate aisle before Valentine's, what does she need one more for?

It's the principle of the matter, she tells herself.]

[harageous]

( good thing she's quick on the uptake. that guy, not so much, but eda isn't planning for either of them to be around when the gears in his brain finally start turning. more like onward and forward—possibly to more stores.

with a quick motion, eda affectionately elbows her. )

Loyalty always gets rewarded.

( that's a promise. )

You pick up any yet?

[welcome_summer]

I have some waiting at home, actually.

[Between traveling together to find information on the battlement cult and then being called on another Alliance mission, Hatori had found a moment to pick up chocolates and leave a note on the counter. It had been the subject of many "AWWWW"s from their younger housemates and Hatori's relatives who lived nearby.

She shakes her head, but there's no hiding her happy glow.]

But a box of cordials for the road won't go amiss.

[harageous]

( a click of the tongue. )

Ew. You've someone? Disgusting.

( while eda's choice of words might seem harsh, she says them with nothing but friendliness. it goes without saying that she's rather proud of her student, especially to be able to find happiness with someone.

eda gives her a small bump with her hip in approval. )

But let's make that two boxes. One's good, but two's always better. Didn't I ever teach you that?

( no. she did not. )

II

[badbutsadboy]

[Hunter, who has sidled up next to her, rubs his chin, too.]

[He is not the culprit. It was some of the neighborhood kids.]

[He just got back from the library where he was being a lil' nerd and grabbing a lot of lil' nerd books. His backpack doesn't have any of his school books or notebooks. They got dumped on the kitchen table.]

[So now it's full of library books.]

I think they're dancing. [He points to weird frills around their waists.] Those look like tutus.

[harageous]

( well, that sure solves the mystery.

it's almost a little disappointing, but she doesn't expect him to refuse to claim ownership of his own art. or at least he had better not. eda has tried her best to be supportive of his artistic pursuits. and in a normal way even. )

Hey, where were you?

( a gentle tap of her knuckles against his shoulder. )

Tutus, huh? So it really could be the bears, huh!

[badbutsadboy]

I went to the library. We were talking about exoplanets in physics.

[AP, of course. He's always been an overachiever. But also just naturally curious. One of those freakishly rare kids that loves school.]

There's one that's so hot on one side it vaporize iron and colder on the other side so that it rains molten iron. And also one that they is mostly made of diamond.

So I got some books about space.

[Gosh, he might even put off the joy of homework to...aggressively learn something else instead.]

[harageous]

You take after Lily so much it disgusts me.

( nevermind that hunter isn't actually related to them and nevermind that eda is a teacher herself and should be encouraging this insatiable curiosity. but the kid is a nerd.

such a nerd. )

Yeah? You just went to the library? You didn't go sneak off with a bunch of local offbeat kids to go smoke at the water tower?

( no, that's something she'd do.

but she likes to affectionately tease him. )

"Space" is code, isn't it?

[badbutsadboy]

Oh yeah, it's definitely code, Aunt Eda. We go hang out and get ripped. Just totally baked. In fact, we just got done painting the shed. 420 blaze it.

[He says it in the same dorky-sounding voice he always has, the words sounding utterly alien and ridiculous coming out of his mouth. He's banking hard into the fact he just is absolutely not the type, for the sake of comedy.]

You're raising a real juvenile delinquent. I'm a man on the edge.

[harageous]

( the delivery of hunter's words is far too much for her. a wide, amused grin stretches across her face before she starts to laugh, amused and warm. hahahaha!

what a mental image.

distantly, in the back of her mind, she bemoans the fact that she hadn't been able to record it on her phone. )

Ohhhhh, I knew it! I was always onto you, you little criminal. No one likes learning as much as you say you do!

( joyfully, she taps hunter's shoulder a few times before gesturing up the driveway to their house. )

I love ya. C'mon, let's get your "contraband" inside.

[badbutsadboy]

[He's smiling widely as he follows her.]

[This is a pretty typical day for the two of them.]

[Light. Happy.]

[Fake. It's not real and you know it.]

[There is movement out of the corner of his eye, in the side yard of their neighbors house. A shadow. He looks, but there's nothing there.]

[Probably just their dog or something. They have a large, black, leggy Borzoi.]

[He only pauses for a second before following her inside.]

[But the sudden quiet is noticeable.]

[harageous]

( by the time that the two of them reach the living room, eda can't stand it anymore. it just feels weird! the drop in mood had been both sudden and harsh, a sharp contrast from how the two of them had been literally just moments ago.

it's impossible for her not to be concerned. )

What's the matter?

( asked as she flops down onto their well-loved couch. )

You don't really think I think you're on drugs, do you? C'mon!

( obviously that isn't the actual problem, but it's a good starting place. )