[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

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?

[codicies]

I have til the end of class.

[qualityfriend]

.....

Is this a test question.

[codicies]

Before I answer that, can I point out how well I'm utilizing my creative problem solving skills in reaching out like this?

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.

Re: 01C

[codicies]

I've got friends coming with me so if anything goes sideways they'll start kicking ass and get me out of there.

Re: 01C

[definecat]

Take it from someone who grew up in a lab. Once you're in, it's not that easy to get out. Especially if they figure out how to contain people like us.

Re: 01C

[codicies]

That's why I brought Nico and Hunter, whose powers make them difficult to contain.

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.]

[codicies]

[ Dylan drinks in that comfort. The gentle mental touch comes with the certainty that Hunter is choosing to do this — He could turn his attention to literally anything else, but Hunter decided to connected with Dylan.

He wanted to connect with Dylan.

With that in mind, the gentle contact is more comfort than Hunter could ever realize. Dylan feels tears well up in his eyes, wondering if this is how Hunter felt when Dylan had tucked him in with the warmed blanket.

The worm stuff, he says. It's not a lie, but it's also not everything. Still, it's the most pressing issue at the moment. I'm worried. I need to make sure this goes right. But I'm not a hundred percent sure what right even is.

[badbutsadboy]

I think...trying to help the most people you can is right. That includes the worms, if they don't really understand they're hurting people.

If this doesn't work and they have to be hurt or killed to stop them, and there's no other way, at least you'll have tried to do all you can to stop them without hurting them.

[It takes him a moment to collect his thoughts but he finds them.]

Doing the right thing...I don't think it's an end point, a final outcome. I think it's all the things we choose along the way to try to help, whether they work out or not.

You're trying to help a lot of people at once. So you're doing the right thing. Whatever happens won't change that.

[codicies]

Thank you.

He doesn't have much else to say. But he doesn't want this to end, either. He reaches out mentally and holds his thoughts there, like he's mentally taking Hunter's hand. There's safety in it, laced with a tinge of longing.

I miss you.

It's not like they hadn't seen each other recently. But Dylan's tired and stretched thin, quite literally in several places at once. Even when trying to push those extra sensory inputs out of his mind, each one is a little bit exhausting. He wishes the comfort Hunter's giving him now over the bond could be given in person somehow.

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.

[badbutsadboy]

...what's an operator? How can you hold a call?

[demigoth]

They don't have operators anymore??

[codicies]

I guess not?? I'm not entirely sure what they do. I thought you just forgot the world "secretary."