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

[harageous]

( ah.

that much causes eda's expression to soften, a momentary crack in the brave front that she's been trying to put forward. between the two of them, hunter is still just a boy. he's young, he's fragile, and the least eda could do was try to be a strong presence for his sake. any falling apart was to be done later.

yet being told that she made for a great aunt is enough to make her want to cry. the kid is just trying to be nice and she shouldn't take it so seriously, but— )

Yeah, me too. Would have been lucky to be your aunt, kid. I was real proud of you.

( an honest statement. her heart still mourns for the life they lost, for the world that never existed, and for the gift of being given a child to raise. not like how she found king, rescued from his own lonely tower, but entrusted to her. )

You deserved better than what you got.

( hopefully that's something he knows already. )

[badbutsadboy]

[Someday there are words that are going to be said to him.]

["Yeah. Gonna make sure you're safe too, Hunter. You're family now."]

[They haven't been said yet.]

[Still, this is close. Maybe he isn't her family. Maybe he isn't Hunter Clawthorne, but she's still able to look at him and wish he'd been instead. Rather than hating him, rather than wanting nothing to do with him, rather than even just having empathy for him but not wishing for something they could've had.]

[And he wasn't entirely different, he and the other Hunter. There are some things they share. He isn't going to be be a total defeatist when it comes to his character; he can be objective enough to acknowledge that maybe there is some good in him. Maybe he can be even better. His friends back home had to have seen something to see him as worth being kind to, right?]

[And maybe this means there's hope in earning her esteem in this world. Perhaps not the same level of love and affection but...something. She might agree to be his mentor, right? Maybe he can prove himself to her.]

[But then she says "You deserved better than what you got" and it just breaks him. It's not the first time someone's said it to him, but it's the first time it's been said to him by someone that experienced what he used to be like, that saw him at his worst.]

[Sometimes he wonders if the people he's met in this world would feel the same way about him if they'd faced him as the Golden Guard, if he threatened them, if he'd kidnapped them, if he'd been vicious to them. His friends back home are, after all, pretty exceptional.]

[But Eda not just heard about how awful he used to be. She had seen him at his ugliest.]

[So to hear both things from her, spoken one after the other...]

[He slaps his hand very suddenly to his face, covering his eyes. His other covers his mouth. What he's doing becomes pretty obvious when the first few tears can be seen dripping off his face from underneath his hands. There's a light sniffle and a snorfling noise as he tries to hold most of it in, but he can't. They aren't wracking sobs, but he does start to sob, clearly trying his best to stifle it, like he's used to trying to cry quietly.]

[It's different from the way he'd cried while regaining his memories. Through most of that, he'd cried as the other Hunter, slowly regaining a hurt he'd never known.]

[This time...it's mostly as his real self, his current self.]

[This time it hurts in a different way, one that doesn't feel like something awful is eating him alive. This time it feels like poison is draining out of him, like a wound's been lanced so maybe eventually it can actually heal.]

[harageous]

( this time eda is here. not the version of her that now only exists in their fading memories, but the real one. the one who still chooses to be here, right where she is, despite the cold realities of their fraught past.

there may not be much she can do as herself, as no one more than luz's mentor, but she can still be here.

eda places a hand on hunter's knee, trying to remind him that he's not alone. this isn't like what earlier must have been, terribly alone and left to suffer through the return of his memories without an anchor. but what anchor did this kid ever really have aside from flapjack? )

It's okay. Take your time.

( there is no rush. there is nowhere else they need to be. she also didn't particularly imagine that any of the alliance heroes were going to get involved. after all, they played their role here.

gently, she rubs her fingers against the space just above hunter's knee in a steady back and forth motion. it's okay.

then after a beat, she adds: )

But you better wrap it up or they're gonna think I did something to you.

( the tone behind it is nothing but warm and playful, a clear joke. she laughs a little, but it's quiet and tired. )

[badbutsadboy]

[Her company is comforting. This is current Eda choosing to be here, to be kind. It's a kindness that might actually stay.]

[The joke does its job. There is a loud snorfle that is clearly more of a laugh than a sob.]

[He looks a little less sad as he wipes at his face with his sleeve, trying to get rid of the snot and tears.]

[When he looks at her it's clear the crying helped, and so has her presence, that he feels slightly better.]

I'm okay. I'm okay.

[He's ready to leave.]

[harageous]

( once hunter manages to pull himself together—or at least well enough for the moment—eda finds that she doesn't have any further desire to remain in this place. the first thing on her mind is immediately getting the both of them out of here and away from these people.

she gives his leg a few pats, almost as if to warn him, before moving to stand. )

Then why don't we get out of here?

( because please. she'd really like to leave.

eda extends a hand out to him then, offering to help him up off the floor. )

It's not like you know, but Big Owl Mama over here did get a swanky place.

( although the décor is vastly different than what he might remember from the fake reality. )

You can pick out a room.

[badbutsadboy]

[Hunter looks at her hand for a moment as if surprised she's holding it out, even despite how kind she's been. Then he takes it and lets himself be helped up.]

[It takes him a moment to speak because even though she offered to let him stay with her, he almost expected her to back out last minute. To find some reasonable excuse.]

[He nods a little nod.]

[Still, old instinct takes over.]

You should set things up the way you want. I can make do. Any room is fine.

[harageous]

( there's a little laugh at that.

what was this kid talking about? one of the best parts of moving into a new place is picking out a room for yourself. )

Don't be so modest! Pick out a room. There's one with a great window you might like.

( she gives their joined hands a little tug. )

You just can't have mine. I'll show you which one that is.

( he probably still remembers which one was hers, but it's about the spirit of it. )

[badbutsadboy]

[She's still holding his hand. It's Nice. This feels like a thing parents probably do.]

[Hunter lets himself be tugged along. The anxious Palismen meet them in the hall, finally finding them after all the tumult. The rest of the day is a blur. Of picking up what few belongings he has from Jason's. He doesn't bother with bothering Jason to ask for a bag or something, just stuffs everything in a trash bag, and is extremely insistent on not needing anything more, enough that trying to talk him out of it would be a genuine fight.]

[Jason shouldn't have to be bothered when he's already done so much and he doesn't want Eda to have to go back to the new place to get a bag, or go out and buy a bag. He's being very stubborn about it when he already feels like he's imposed, like he's about to impose even more.]

[They arrange a lift out to Sunset Falls, he follows her up to the front door of pretty nice-looking house all things considered.]

[He doesn't have a clue how much his situation has mirrored that of so many other young people. Being taken into an unfamiliar home, all their worldly belongings in a trash bag, unsure of how long they're going to stay, of whether it'll last.]

[He looks more unsure of himself than he ever has as the Golden Guard as she leads him over the threshold.]

It's really nice. How did you find this place?

[harageous]

( much about the day feels surreal, a blurred mess of memories and feelings and the unshakeable sense that something really important is happening.

and it is, isn't it?

attached to her hand is a young witch who has experienced unspeakable terrors, been trapped in the fantasy of a happy life, and then had it all ripped away. it's hardly a surprise he was so miserable when she found him again, his heart all but bleeding out of his chest.

this isn't like when luz came into her care. she's always had a loving home waiting for her.

hunter's belongings are gathered up into a trash bag, just thrown in so he could quickly be on his way as if he'd been some sort of burden, and he is so quiet on the ride out to their new hometown. for as unfamiliar as this is, it is also all too familiar.

something pulls in her chest.

there's no going back. even after they leave, hunter's in her care now.

eda still holds his hand as she guides him into the foyer of his new home. )

I won it in a game of cards. Only chumps welch on a bet.

( then she clicks her tongue and grins. )

Welcome home, kid! This is it! I told ya I'd make it happen.