[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.

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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. )

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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?

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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.

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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

[demigoth]

Or when I think we’re done.

[ He’s got the black-haired guy pinned with a glare. If he knows about symbiotes and doesn’t have a good impression, then it’s worse than it was two minutes ago. Now, someone who doesn’t like symbiotes is running the test. People don’t like to go against their preconceptions. ]

Dylan’s the nice one.

[badbutsadboy]

This all has to be done without hurting him.

And you should tell him everything you're doing.

[It'll help them have a better chance of telling whether what he's doing seems shady.]

[arach_kid]

Oh, absitively posolutely. Nobody even needs to be under for this. All I want is a sample to for a comparative study with the parasites. You don't even need to be here after if you don't want to.

[He could stay if he really wanted to, but the sample was the only thing Pete actually needed from Dylan.]

I'll even return the sample afterwards. Or do whatever else you want me to do with it.

I take scientific ethics seriously, guys. I'm a clone, I've seen how bad it goes when people don't.

[codicies]

[ Dylan relaxes a bit at that. Sure, he could be lying, but it seems convincing enough. Looks like he'd been getting worked up for nothing. ]

I would like it back when you're done with it. I've been stretching myself kind of thin this past month or so.

[ Idly, he wonders if Pete is one of the Spider-Man clones. He knows there were a couple. Is it rude to ask that? From what he's saying, it sounds like his experiences related to being a clone weren't the greatest.

While he's not projecting his specific thoughts, he's not making any effort to hide his curiosity, either — in his head or on his face. ]

[demigoth]

What’s a clone?

[ His eyes snap from Pete to Dylan, and his tone goes from bored but curious to accusatory. You can’t just casually drop that you’ve been spreading yourself too thin when you’re actually sharing YOURSELF. ]

Why didn’t you say anything??

[codicies]

[ Dylan goes a little pink at Nico's sudden accusation. ]

It's not a huge deal! I'm just tired, that's all.

Besides, if this vaccine thing works out, it won't even be an issue for much longer.

Anyway — [ SUBJECT CHANGE! ] — a clone is like... making a copy of someone using their DNA. You know how a kid looks like a mix of their parents? It's like that except there's only one parent.

[ He pauses, then turns to Pete. ]

Right? I'm not saying anything wrong or offensive, am I?

[badbutsadboy]

[Hunter's brows furrow at the conversation and then he unfolds his arms.]

[He knows what clones are now. His favorite character on Final Frontier is a clone.]

[But what he doesn't know is what Dylan thinks of them. He doesn't seem to be think they're bad. And he's not reacting badly to this...science person.]

[arach_kid]

A little oversimplified, but you've got the gist at least. Clones aren't necessarily going to have exact copies of another person's DNA, and they might have DNA from multiple sources. I've got some from at least two, possibly more.

[Pete was pretty blasé about the whole clone thing. His life as a clone hadn't been too bad, but he knew how lucky he had it. Things could've easily gone sideways if the Operation: Re-Birth hadn't been shuttered and General Ross hadn't taken him in.]

Point is, I know what it's like to be a science experiment. I'm not interested in turning someone else into one.

[demigoth]

Fine, they're twins or whatever, that's not the huge deal. Dylan being STUPID is the huge deal!

[ All those words to say twins. That's all Nico's brain really gets from it; he's a little preoccupied right now. He might revisit it later and amend it to "twins made like Prometheus made man", if he's navel-gazing. But now? Nope. ]

If you're feeling tired and stretched too thin, then you can't protect yourself right.

[ Nico holds his arm out to Dylan, shaking it at him. ]

Take your goo back.

[codicies]

[ Dylan stares at the offered hand for a second, unsure how to respond, before he looks back up to Nico's face. ]

Maybe not, but the point of all this is that I'm protecting you.

It's really not that bad.

[badbutsadboy]

Nico, he's stubborn, and the longer this takes, the longer it's going to take for there to be a cure so he stops worrying about anyone else getting infected.

Even if it takes it back from the two of us he already gave some away to other people. It won't make it so he's that much less tired, it will just leave us exposed so we can't protect him.

[He whips out the ol' take-charge authority voice.]

Let's just let them get this over with. Then we can take him somewhere safe until all this is over.

[arach_kid]

Deliberately exposing yourself to the possibility of infection isn't going to help anybody.

[Pete understood the impulse, but it was still a terrible idea.]

I promise I will get this done as fast as I possibly can.

[demigoth]

You make it sound like there’s no reason to take it back.

[ He’s down to grumbling though, instead of shouting. Three against one’s not going to win him the argument. He thought for sure Hunter would be on his side. If he turns out to have been right, be prepared for an eternity of I told you so. ]

Fine.

[codicies]

[ Dylan smiles, relieved, then turns back to Pete.

He extends his hand, summoning up a jawbreaker-sized globule of symbiote ooze and offering it in Pete's direction. ]

Is this enough?

[badbutsadboy]

[Hunter just watches, still wary. Planning to intervene if too much is asked of Dylan.]

[arach_kid]

That'll do it.

[Pete's had sterile gloves on and a specimen jar ready for this exact purpose. He uncaps it and holds it out towards Dylan.]

Just go ahead and drop it right in here

[demigoth]

[ When he sees the specimen jar and realizes that they're going to shut away a part of Dylan, Nico suddenly looks like he's about to claw his way out of his own skin to get the jar, and fighting the urge. ]

It's not going to be able to breathe in there!

[arach_kid]

[Pete's eyes widen beneath his mask. He knew what they said about assumptions, although the ass was just him.]

Shit, sorry. I didn't even think to ask. Symbiotes in my world don't need to breathe. I assumed it worked the same for yours.

[codicies]

[ Sleeper's survived in the void of space before. But...

It might be a good idea not to encourage him to trap the ooze in an airtight space. ]

I don't actually know. Since the human part of me needs to breathe I haven't really tried... not doing it.

Might be best to give m— it some openings for air.