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CONFLUENCE 017
Who: Everyone!
What: A Confluence! An invasion!
When: Early April
Where: Everywhere!
Content Warnings: Nonconsensual life takeover, drug use, death
➢ New arrivals will be appearing in Central City. Their arrival will be expected and handled by a number of local heroes, helpful magic, and a few drones–except all of them (sans the drones) will be feeling tired and a touch under the weather. What gives?
➢ Central City dealing with some pod people. Not obviously, of course, but this is a problem that metas of all types are free to investigate. How people choose to deal with them is up to you, but feel free to hit us up with any questions about this mini-event down below.
➢ Little Love has a … cow problem. Or a goat problem. It depends upon your definition of problem. It's time for the great cow strike of 2023. The goats are just passing the word.
➢ Sunset Falls had a ghostly problem that has now become a withdrawal problem.
➢ Excelsior is on its anti-meta propaganda again. There are some citizens from the city exploring other locations to see if they can spot some trouble. Central City seems like it's in some trouble–it would probably be best not to let the propaganda engine catch wind of that, huh? Pod people are just a different name for metas, as far as they're concerned.
What: A Confluence! An invasion!
When: Early April
Where: Everywhere!
Content Warnings: Nonconsensual life takeover, drug use, death
ARRIVAL
A Confluence, capitalized, is the converging of one or more supernatural forces.
Wherever you were, whatever you were getting up to back home—it doesn't matter anymore. One moment you're standing, laying down, sitting, getting shot at—the next, you're falling. It's not from a short distance, either. The sky opens up, and out of it comes you. Maybe you've got the ability to catch yourself before your face meets asphalt, but if you don't, don't worry about it. The citizens of CENTRAL CITY are here to lend a hand. The thing is, some of them might find it difficult to control their powers. Many of them might keep you from crash landing, but you'll still fall and hurt your leg (if not break it). Their skin is pallid and they have dark rings under their eyes. Well, some of them, anyway.
Whatever way you've arrived, you're here now. Your saviors can't seem to focus to stick around too long, and just absently point out where you're going. That's right: you've been dropped off close to the DIADEM HOTEL and won't have to walk very far to get to your temporary housing.
Welcome to Central City.
Wherever you were, whatever you were getting up to back home—it doesn't matter anymore. One moment you're standing, laying down, sitting, getting shot at—the next, you're falling. It's not from a short distance, either. The sky opens up, and out of it comes you. Maybe you've got the ability to catch yourself before your face meets asphalt, but if you don't, don't worry about it. The citizens of CENTRAL CITY are here to lend a hand. The thing is, some of them might find it difficult to control their powers. Many of them might keep you from crash landing, but you'll still fall and hurt your leg (if not break it). Their skin is pallid and they have dark rings under their eyes. Well, some of them, anyway.
Whatever way you've arrived, you're here now. Your saviors can't seem to focus to stick around too long, and just absently point out where you're going. That's right: you've been dropped off close to the DIADEM HOTEL and won't have to walk very far to get to your temporary housing.
Welcome to Central City.
DIADEM HOTEL
The DIADEM HOTEL is usually reserved for the obscenely wealthy. Its rooms are enormous, the beds quite literally enchanted to offer the perfect night's sleep, and the food would usually cost your life savings just to sample. But given the circumstances, the Guilds feel it's the least they can do to aid your transition into this world.EVERYTHING is complimentary, and everyone gets an ALLIANCE CREDIT CARD to spend on entertainment, clothing, and whatever other necessities they might need. The cards have an obscenely high limit and there doesn't seem to be an expectation for you to pay it back... though if they catch you abusing it, their accountant will be coming for your head. The employees here seem to be largely untouched by whatever's affecting the citizens outside–but that's probably because they know better than to touch some strange metas they come across.
There's a shopping center immediately across the street. It has an impressive array of outlets that cater to your every need. Food, clothing... and swords? If you can think of it, it's for sale. Although anything clearly supernatural or metahuman seems to be at a minimum and offered under the table. You can grab clothing made to withstand any superpower and a surprisingly mediocre Taco Bell order while you're at it. There's a Super Cinema in the shopping complex across the street that's showing ARCHETYPE 2: WAYS OF THE MOUNTAIN. It's a long, long movie about an alien species that needs to eat rocks to survive. While critically acclaimed, few people can summarize what it's about other than that it's a science fiction marvel for the ages. Not seeing it basically means you're not cool, but it feels like no one has truly seen it because no one even knows what it's really about.
There's a shopping center immediately across the street. It has an impressive array of outlets that cater to your every need. Food, clothing... and swords? If you can think of it, it's for sale. Although anything clearly supernatural or metahuman seems to be at a minimum and offered under the table. You can grab clothing made to withstand any superpower and a surprisingly mediocre Taco Bell order while you're at it. There's a Super Cinema in the shopping complex across the street that's showing ARCHETYPE 2: WAYS OF THE MOUNTAIN. It's a long, long movie about an alien species that needs to eat rocks to survive. While critically acclaimed, few people can summarize what it's about other than that it's a science fiction marvel for the ages. Not seeing it basically means you're not cool, but it feels like no one has truly seen it because no one even knows what it's really about.
CENTRAL CITY
Typically, Central City is a city of architectural marvels offset by terrible income disparities. Typically, the people here are aware of where not to go; they know which shadows to avoid, which neighborhoods to leave abandoned, and which pizza shops aren't likely to see trouble at all hours of the day. To the outside eye, all of these things remain true. Much of the city continues to be little more than a dilapidated shell of itself–a recurring reminder of what it could be if its citizens weren't afraid of its potential.
At the moment, Central City's citizens are feeling A LITTLE OFF, ALMOST AS IF THEY'RE BOTH IN STEP WITH ONE ANOTHER AND NOT. Why is that? An odd, new INVASIVE SPECIES HAS BEEN TAKING ROOT. That's right. It's pod people time.
To anyone observing the city, nothing has changed. But the people inside will undoubtedly notice the shift. A large number of people have been seen coming from the abandoned, forgotten parts of the city, dressed as if they're keen to return to their 9-5 job. The crime syndicates are keeping quiet; many of its members are fatigued and unaware, trying to go about even their most basic tasks like shaking down local businesses without feeling like they want to fall asleep on their feet.
That's the thing: CENTRAL CITY IS SAFER THAN USUAL because a whole lot of citizens are currently dead on their feet. Not literally–not yet anyway. At first this might seem like a blessing in disguise, but all of the strange behavior is likely to add up. What does this strange behavior look like–and what comes next?
➢ Right now, no one knows that there are pod people, and–in fact–that they have been quietly taking root for a while. A large part of this is because they're difficult to spot before they fully absorb an identity. Think of an ability that makes it hard to focus on someone–that's what's going on with them. As a group, they have a simple cellular structure and seem to have a central nervous system that they share. Yep, it's a hivemind folks. Now–where is that hive?
➢ As a species, the pod people are symbiotic in nature. Their "barely noticeable" forms are only illusions; their true form, at birth, is parasitic and worm-like in nature. They insert through someone's skin and begin to take root, sucking away at their energy bit by bit until they can begin to take on a life of their own. They quite literally form a new body near the hive and hatch out of it. Once they hatch, their host body will begin to wither quickly and die, as its memories and energy are no longer needed. Once they take on this form, they are able to sustain themselves away from a host.
➢ They absorb all aspects of someone's identity: their appearance, their quirks, their memories, and everything else. One might even ask if THEY ARE NOT TRULY THE PERSON THEY TOOK OVER WHEN THEY'RE DONE. Everything about them is the same, after all–EXCEPT FOR A NEED TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD NEWLY BORN PARASITES FROM THE HIVE TO OTHERS VIA TOUCH.
➢ The process of the takeover happens in six steps:
At the moment, Central City's citizens are feeling A LITTLE OFF, ALMOST AS IF THEY'RE BOTH IN STEP WITH ONE ANOTHER AND NOT. Why is that? An odd, new INVASIVE SPECIES HAS BEEN TAKING ROOT. That's right. It's pod people time.
To anyone observing the city, nothing has changed. But the people inside will undoubtedly notice the shift. A large number of people have been seen coming from the abandoned, forgotten parts of the city, dressed as if they're keen to return to their 9-5 job. The crime syndicates are keeping quiet; many of its members are fatigued and unaware, trying to go about even their most basic tasks like shaking down local businesses without feeling like they want to fall asleep on their feet.
That's the thing: CENTRAL CITY IS SAFER THAN USUAL because a whole lot of citizens are currently dead on their feet. Not literally–not yet anyway. At first this might seem like a blessing in disguise, but all of the strange behavior is likely to add up. What does this strange behavior look like–and what comes next?
➢ Right now, no one knows that there are pod people, and–in fact–that they have been quietly taking root for a while. A large part of this is because they're difficult to spot before they fully absorb an identity. Think of an ability that makes it hard to focus on someone–that's what's going on with them. As a group, they have a simple cellular structure and seem to have a central nervous system that they share. Yep, it's a hivemind folks. Now–where is that hive?
➢ As a species, the pod people are symbiotic in nature. Their "barely noticeable" forms are only illusions; their true form, at birth, is parasitic and worm-like in nature. They insert through someone's skin and begin to take root, sucking away at their energy bit by bit until they can begin to take on a life of their own. They quite literally form a new body near the hive and hatch out of it. Once they hatch, their host body will begin to wither quickly and die, as its memories and energy are no longer needed. Once they take on this form, they are able to sustain themselves away from a host.
➢ They absorb all aspects of someone's identity: their appearance, their quirks, their memories, and everything else. One might even ask if THEY ARE NOT TRULY THE PERSON THEY TOOK OVER WHEN THEY'RE DONE. Everything about them is the same, after all–EXCEPT FOR A NEED TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD NEWLY BORN PARASITES FROM THE HIVE TO OTHERS VIA TOUCH.
➢ The process of the takeover happens in six steps:
1. INFECTION - the symbiotic parasite is passed via touch
2. ENERGY DRAIN - the parasite begins to take root, causing fatigue in its host
3. MEMORY LOSS AND DISASSOCIATION - there is an odd sense that someone is in two places at once; in addition, it's hard to recall facts about themselves and the people around them
4. HIVEMIND AWARENESS - there is always a sense of power nearby in Central City, as well as safety–there will also be telepathic awareness of other hosts who are at this stage
5. COMPLETE TAKEOVER AND LOSS OF LIFE - the original host begins to wither into a husk, begins to die
6. REBIRTH - the new pod person is born and they are autotrophic in nature: small parasites can be passed from their body, always replicating so that they can continue and spread
2. ENERGY DRAIN - the parasite begins to take root, causing fatigue in its host
3. MEMORY LOSS AND DISASSOCIATION - there is an odd sense that someone is in two places at once; in addition, it's hard to recall facts about themselves and the people around them
4. HIVEMIND AWARENESS - there is always a sense of power nearby in Central City, as well as safety–there will also be telepathic awareness of other hosts who are at this stage
5. COMPLETE TAKEOVER AND LOSS OF LIFE - the original host begins to wither into a husk, begins to die
6. REBIRTH - the new pod person is born and they are autotrophic in nature: small parasites can be passed from their body, always replicating so that they can continue and spread
➢ COMPROMISED METAS WILL FIND IT DIFFICULT TO ACCESS THEIR POWERS RELIABLY. When the new pod person is born, they will be born with the power that their previous host had.
➢ STOPPING THE POD PEOPLE IS AN OPTION. So is SAVING THEM. No matter what, some investigation into what they are, how to manage them, and if they're truly harmful is needed. After all–being a part of a hive mind might actually not be so bad. It seems to have helped Central City.
➢ STOPPING THE POD PEOPLE IS AN OPTION. So is SAVING THEM. No matter what, some investigation into what they are, how to manage them, and if they're truly harmful is needed. After all–being a part of a hive mind might actually not be so bad. It seems to have helped Central City.
CLIFF NOTES.
➢ New arrivals will be appearing in Central City. Their arrival will be expected and handled by a number of local heroes, helpful magic, and a few drones–except all of them (sans the drones) will be feeling tired and a touch under the weather. What gives?
➢ Central City dealing with some pod people. Not obviously, of course, but this is a problem that metas of all types are free to investigate. How people choose to deal with them is up to you, but feel free to hit us up with any questions about this mini-event down below.
➢ Little Love has a … cow problem. Or a goat problem. It depends upon your definition of problem. It's time for the great cow strike of 2023. The goats are just passing the word.
➢ Sunset Falls had a ghostly problem that has now become a withdrawal problem.
➢ Excelsior is on its anti-meta propaganda again. There are some citizens from the city exploring other locations to see if they can spot some trouble. Central City seems like it's in some trouble–it would probably be best not to let the propaganda engine catch wind of that, huh? Pod people are just a different name for metas, as far as they're concerned.
WILDCARD.
Metaheroes takes inspiration from all walks of comics. Take a look at the CITIES to get an idea as to what day to day life is like in the other cities. Perhaps you've encountered a supervillain (or hero) who needs to be thwarted, or a metahuman with unusual powers creating bizarre effects. You can also take a look at the MISSION BOARD to get your start as a professional hero, villain, or vigilante.
no subject
But perhaps not quite so much in Dylan's case.
"I did know Eddie and Venom," he says. He never really understood them, but Eddie was always friendly with him. "Were your versions... adequate parents?"
cw, briefly implies some physical abuse in dylan's past
But... Dylan knows that there are certain responsibilities that come with his father's new powerset. And he knows it's probably for the best that his dad prioritizes them over him.
Even if he hates it.
"I don't know," Dylan finally says. "I mean, they didn't actually know I existed for most of my life. I was raised by my grandpa." There's a pause as some old, unpleasant memories start bubbling up — The resentful glares his grandfather would periodically shoot him, how he'd unleash hell on Dylan for any perceived slight. Growing up, he'd become quite adept at performing first aid on himself. "And he was... bad."
Dylan leans against the ornate stone wall of the Opherium, turning his gaze skyward as he's lost in thought. "When dad and Venom found me and got me out of there... they tried. They could barely take care of themselves, but they did everything he could to make sure I was safe." What a novel sensation it had been to feel completely safe at home. Not just safe, but wanted. It had taken some getting used to.
Of course, here in this world, when this Other Eddie had been here... he'd grown accustomed to it all over again.
He turns his gaze back to Sephiroth. "So I... I guess yes? But my idea of what's good is probably skewed by the first twelve years of my life."
no subject
"...I'm sorry to hear that." A pause. "But it may be a positive sign, that you're able to recognize a skewed perspective."
Sephiroth isn't going to speak of who raised him, not even vaguely. That man is not to be acknowledged.
"...I went to war at fifteen." Or was it fourteen? "At the time, it was an improvement over my previous circumstances. It was only years later that I began to understand it was still far from ideal."
It had seemed like freedom at first. To be out under the open sky in full view of other people instead of secreted away behind locked doors, poked and prodded daily. But he was still following orders of where to go and who to kill. A skewed idea of freedom.
no subject
"It says a lot when war is an improvment." Dylan's brief experience with war had been cathartic — He had been awash with grief, and reveled in the chance to unleash his fury on an endless wall of invaders. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Did they even give you a choice?"
no subject
Shinra had been all-powerful in his world, then. He hadn't known its limitations, or his own power. It's easy to look back and think he might have defected, might have killed the worst of them, might have survived without them. He didn't know.
"It can be hard to imagine... more. But you can want it."
no subject
Dylan's glad he's not alliance. If Fantastic really did ever get control of it, sounds like it would be a bad time for everyone.
"The... thing you wanted, the things you couldn't imagine... did you ever get them?"
no subject
Oppressive systems, is it? For all his academic reading, anyone writing on subjects like that must have been doing it underground. He wonders how many resources Shinra put into suppressing it.
The question makes him pause, and then he smiles, faintly. "Yes. I have more than I could have imagined. And there is more still, I expect."
no subject
"I'm glad. It sounds like you had it rough before." He turns his gaze skyward. With all the light in the city, most of the stars aren't visible, but he locks onto a particularly bright one, fighting its way through the city's light pollution.
"For all the trouble this world can be sometimes, it's been pretty nice here."
no subject
He also glances skyward. The light pollution isn't quite as bad as Midgar, is it?
"There are some aspects of this world that I could do without, but I have what I need. Do you, as well? You mentioned a sibling."
no subject
As he talks, he pulls out his phone and scrolls through some photos before showing Sephiroth a photo from his family road trip last year.
"The cat in my arms, that's my sibling, Sleeper." He pauses. "They're a symbiote, like Venom, but they like to stay shaped like a cat."
no subject
"Then, are you able to shapeshift? Or are you different enough not to have the ability?"
no subject
"I can do this much. I can shapeshift the ooze. I've... never really tried to shapeshift the rest of me. Not sure how I'd even start trying."
no subject
Sephiroth pauses, and then shakes his head at himself. He hasn't attempted it in some time. Dylan's case is clearly different, and he's achieved something more already.
"Perhaps you might ask how Sleeper accomplishes it."