[Open] Oh, Worm?

[codicies]

Who: Everyone who wants to get in on Worm Plot related things
What: There's a bug going around, and it might be a little more literal than you realize!
When: Backdated from the start of April through May
Where: Central City
Notes: Relevant context: April Confluence, May Confluence, and Mechanica's announcement.

---

01. Hivemind Shenanigans (CLOSED)

(For any of Dylan's close friends who received a bit of symbiote goop from him get to be part of a little mental groupchat while this plot lasts. Keep in mind:

• Your character can shut the groupchat out at any time.
  
• Your character can choose not to project thoughts.
  
• If you want to have them accidentally project thoughts and emotions, that's cool too.
  
• Even if we didn't thread out your character getting a bit of Dylan Ooze, as long as they're close friends, we can handwave it and let them join the hive.
  
• This isn't permanent! Dylan will be collecting pieces of himself from the others once either the vaccine is developed and/or the worm plot ends. )

---

02. Interacting with the Infected

Many citizens of Central City seem... off. Some are exhausted, with fuzzy memories, and powers on the fritz. It seems like they're wasting away.

Then, suddenly... they're back to normal, as if nothing ever changed. Sick? When were they sick?

The symptoms are explained in detail during the April Confluence Post. Do your characters try to help the sick? Make them remember when they were sick?

Or did a firm handshake from the formerly-sick acquaintance leave you with a creepy-crawly feeling you're unsure how to explain?

---

03.Vaccine Development (Location: Broadmoor Hospital)

Any science-y types who want to help with Pete Ross' attempt at making a vaccine will be directed to Broadmoor Hospital. Knowing that Dylan is immune to the disease, he'll be closely inspecting samples of Dylan's symbiote matter to isolate the biomarkers that repel the worms.

---

04. Wildcard

Is there another way you want to engage with the Worm Plot? Are you stuck in Central City when you just want to get back home to Sunset Falls? Are you loudly complaining about the Society's secrecy regarding the whole matter?

Comments

QUESTIONS & PLOT ENGAGEMENT.

[metamods]

Re: QUESTIONS & PLOT ENGAGEMENT.

[arach_kid]

Would the Society have gotten any samples of the parasites or the infected that Pete can study?

[metamods]

Pete will have access to several symptomatic members of the Society who are still in the early stages of infection. If he would like to get one of the parasites by itself, he will have to figure out a way to get them out of host bodies.

03

[arach_kid]

[Broadmoor Hospital has been gracious enough to temporarily give Pete acess to a lab on site. It's not anything special, Pete's idea being only one of many potential solutions to the issue being worked on, but it should be enough.]

[Dylan, anyone coming with him, and anyone willing to work on the vaccine will be directed there.]

[Currently, he's swapped out his leather jacket for a labcoat and is moving about getting all the equipment properly set up.]

[codicies]

[ It was different from the clinic where Hunter had been treated. The clinic had been smaller and quieter. Broadmoor Hospital was abuzz with activity, especially with the influx of this new, unknown illness.

Mostly unknown, anyway.

When Dylan tells reception who he's here to see, he's directed to the room Pete's using as a makeshift lab. He enters with his friends and introduces himself, before getting settled in on a chair near the lab table. ]

So, uh, I guess I should tell you why I'm immune to this thing. And what I know about it.

Do you have symbiotes on your world?

[demigoth]

[ Nico wasn’t sure what to expect in the lab and, really, he’s only here to make sure there isn’t any funny stuff going on. He’s the quick exit.

He’s also the one narrowing his eyes and frowning when Dylan immediately starts talking about symbiotes and immunity. Maybe let them ask, when you’re this magic alien goo boy that makes you extremely handy right now, Dylan? ]

He means hi.

[badbutsadboy]

[Hunter is the paranoid one with his arms crossed, looking around in case he sees anything too shifty. Someone has to buy some time for them to get Dylan away. His magic is a good possible diversion to get someone off their back so Nico can grab them both and shift away.]

[Flapjack is sitting on his shoulder ready to transform at a moment's notice.]

[He eyes everything warily. They're dealing with the guilds after all. Even with a common enemy, there's still risk they'll work against their own best interest.]

[The Emperor's coven certainly had.]

[arach_kid]

Slime creatures from outer space? I'm familiar. More than I'd like to be, but that's mostly because Bizarnage doesn't exactly leave a good first impression. Or a good second impression, for that matter.

[Partly because Bizarnage wasn't a natural born symbiote, but a botched Cadmus experiment that tried to recreate one from a DNA sample. Not one of the lab's better ideas.]

[nerdylilspidey]

[Spidey, having been directed to the lab upon arriving at the hospital, is entering the room with a dramatic flourish. It's not his usual flair of climbing in through the window (and only because he couldn't quite figure out the room number from the outside), but it'll do.]

Hey guys! Spidey here, ready to help fight some parasites with science!

[And he's announcing himself as promised. Fork over that crispy twenty dollar bill, Pete!]

[definecat]

[Sleeper, on the other hand, had found getting into the lab a little more annoying. First their presence was objected to as an animal, and when they'd shifted into a giant, inky black humanoid with yellow stripes and no obvious features beyond too many eyes, security had reacted as if they were a threat.

When they explained that they were here to assist with the parasites, and that they had experience with alien lifeforms and a specialty in chemistry, well, that hadn't gotten security to lay off, but at least they got an escort to the lab. Just in time to hear Spidey's entrance.]

Given the fine line between parasitism and symbiosis, I wonder if I should be offended by that.

[They aren't offended. More amused, and maybe once the team working on the project acknowledges them, security would be less concerned.]

Would someone please explain that I may be an alien monster, but I'm not actually here to hurt anyone?

[nerdylilspidey]

[That is definitely not where Spidey expected to hear that voice from. He actually turns to stare for a second, eyes wide behind his mask.

God, I clearly need to get out more.]

Y'know, I bet if you dropped the monster part, that might be a slightly easier sell. That said, I for one am very happy to hear that you're on our side. As in, y'know, the side of not hurting people.

[definecat]

Maybe, but I wouldn't want to sell myself short.

[So they're not exactly human, but then, they aren't exactly a normal symbiote by most people's standards.]

Besides, you do realize the entities we're talking about have a hive mind, just as my kind do, right? So what happens to one is going to cause ripples. Not against stopping the uncontrolled spread, but not all of us have the option of forgoing a host-body.

Dylan Brock | Marvel Comics

[codicies]

01. Hivemind Shenanigans

• 01A. Mid-April, during the school day
  Hey, guys... hypothetically, if an engineer designed a satellite dish with a parabolic cross section, and the dish was 5 m wide at the opening, and the focus is placed 12m from the vertex... what's the depth of the satellite dish at the vertex?
  
  Just curious.
  
  
• 01B. Throughout April, into May
  [ As Spring blooms, Dylan's stress keeps compounding. Between recent trauma he hasn't addressed, the stress of trying to make sure the worm invasion doesn't set a nasty precedent, and unresolved grief over Eddie and Venom's disappearance... he's got a lot on his plate mentally.
  
  While he manages to contain his thoughts, anyone paying attention might be able to glean some of his frustration and anxiety as it bleeds through. ]
  
  
• 01C. May 11, a little while after this conversation.
  Hey, guys. I'm going to try to help develop a vaccine. I don't know what it's going to be like, but just FYI in case anything weird happens with the hivemind while working with my symbiote ooze. I dunno. Later!

04. Wildcard
(HMU on Plurk at thepreciousthing to plot something if you want!)

01a

[qualityfriend]

Uuuuuggggghhhh, this sounds like an annoying physics problem, and all of my old notes are in Gotham. Maybe you can google it?

Re: 01a

[codicies]

What if I'm not able to get to my phone right now?

Hypothetically.

[qualityfriend]

It's not so urgent that whoever's asking for the calculation can't wait, right?

01C

[definecat]

Excuse me, you're doing WHAT?!?

Re: 01C

[codicies]

I'm helping solve a problem.

Re: 01C

[definecat]

It's dangerous to let people experiment on you. Do you have any idea what your father would say? I know I do.

01B

[badbutsadboy]

[Hunter isn't sure what to say really so what he offers is almost a...a light gentle touch of his mind at first. A presence. A feeling of concern and care.]

[He does it first before he thinks of what to say.]

[The thought is soft. Ever so gentle.]

Are you okay? You don't have to talk about it if that would make it worse! But...

I can tell you're upset. I just want you to know I'm here if you need to talk about anything.

[codicies]

[ Despite its softness, Hunter's mental touch is a beacon of clarity through the fog of anxiety and exhaustion. With something to prioritize — someone to prioritize — he can feel his turbulent thoughts start to settle.

He's been in people's heads before, and had others in his, but never before has it been so... gentle, so caring. Even Jean Grey had been precise and direct when she came to his aid.

He's alone in his room when Hunter makes contact, and for a moment he closes his eyes and lets the soothing contact wash over him. ]

Nothing in particular, he finally answers. Just stressed, I guess.

[badbutsadboy]

About what?

[There is more of that feeling. A gentle touching. He's not even trying to do it, not entirely aware he's doing it. It's rooted in feeling and what he's feeling is a desire to comfort, to do the emotional equivalent of petting his hair.]

[He's not even aware of how it's coming across. It just is. It's just how he feels.]

01 - wildcard

[demigoth]

I hate this so much. I can’t focus long enough to keep you all out.

[codicies]

Sorry.

I'll see if I can... manage the traffic in here or something. Route stuff away from you as it comes in.

[demigoth]

Hello, operator? Hold all my calls.