metalogs | DOWNBURST: PART I

Entry tags:

DOWNBURST: PART I

DOWNBURST (I)

➢ This log will cover the next three weeks of in-game time – from June 10 to June 30. This period will kick off with Kon freaking out with his friends with the Alliance HQ attack occurring soon after.

➢ Arcadia is open for business and tours, even if no one moves in. If anyone wishes to investigate Arcadia, they can feel free to – for what someone might find, please hit up the mods with any questions below.

➢ Around June 21st, Mechanima will announce that the parasitic infestation of Central City has been stopped. He’ll give credit to the efforts of Spider-Boy, Spider-Man, and Sleeper for their efforts in stopping the spread of the parasitic entity. But the quarantine is not lifted – he’ll cite the attack on the Alliance HQ as part of his reason for maintaining it. The subtext is that he doesn’t want to give Fantastic back “his” toys.

➢ During the last week – with the assumption that no one, or almost no one, has moved into Arcadia – the guards will begin bearing down on the Starfallen more obviously. Whoever’s giving them orders is antsy, and the guards are being made to act on that.

➢ What happens with (or even to) Arcadia will be decided by the playerbase. If you have any ideas, please feel free to hit us up! We’re down to hear what anyone has in mind.

➢ Fantastic’s big move will happen in the next event log on June 30th, as it will be dependent upon actions here. We’ll let you know if this date changes on mod channels.

➢ For characters seeking The Fixer, Frances, or Atomight, there will be comments below. We’ll be treating them like NPC engagement threads for the sake of ease.

➢ For any questions pertaining to this log, please hit the mod question thread below, as that is where we’ll be responding to any questions in or around this event.

THE JUSTIFICATION

It begins with Kon. On the surface, there were no obvious plans for Fantastic to take over the Alliance. On the surface, Atomight should have been allowed to continue in the same shoes, no matter how much disdain he started to receive from the public and his fellow heroes. But these plans had been in motion for a while, with Fantastic eventually being the beneficiary. When the trigger comes to set off Kon, it’s meant to show that Fantastic was the right choice all along. And wasn’t he? After all, Kon’s destruction was evidence that a stronger, firmer hand was needed. Fantastic wouldn’t showboat about it. Kon needed help.

The end result—Kon’s explosion of sorts—was proof enough. Not that Fantastic would say this. No, the Alliance leader wouldn’t let such a thing be used for publicity. That would be too much. It’s better if publicity makes itself.

Enter: the Alliance HQ in Central City. If Kon’s takedown can be passed through word of mouth, the attack on the Alliance HQ was meant to be breaking news that would get around-the-clock coverage. After all, the Alliance is meant to help metas of all stripes – Starfallen and otherwise. Fantastic even had a headline in mind: “Fantastic Stops Challenge to Alliance Authority.”

However, nothing ever goes as planned. First: a weird bodyswapping parasite arrived in Central City and forced Mechanima to place the city under quarantine. Second: it was meant to be a two-pronged attack, but Fantastic’s guy putting everything in place didn’t have the hold on his subjects that was meant to be in place.

So, the Alliance HQ attack is one Starfallen who can’t control herself: Doreen, also known as Squirrel Girl. But here, she’s known as the Felonious Fox. Taking her down is of the utmost importance – and so is figuring out what happened to her. It might not be a bad idea to ignore Mechanima’s quarantine on Central City as a whole to make that happen, lest she be forced to do something she’ll regret.

As for Fantastic? Without his two-pronged Starfallen attack to stop, he has to improvise.

ARCADIA

Within 12 hours of the attack on the Alliance HQ, Fantastic is on television making a statement:

“Hello, hello.” He flashes a smile – it’s clearly meant to disarm the audience, as seeming confident is most important in times like these. “I have been involved in an investigation for the last day about a number of Starfallen who have been engaging in duplicitous acts and have come to a troubling realization. These Starfallen have been manipulated and implanted with dangerous directives in order to bring harm to both themselves and others. Needless to say, this discovery was alarming … and worrying. The suspect is a hypnotist with no known powers.” Here, a picture of The Fixer flashes on the television. “This man is on the loose and we welcome any leads to stop him.”

With no preamble, he continues: “I hoped to make this announcement under better circumstances, but ah – better sooner than later, right? Today, I’d like to introduce you all to Arcadia.” The video cuts out to show a beautiful, state-of-the-art compound near Excelsior – which can be seen in the distance. “For months, the Starfallen have arrived in this world with little support beyond what the Alliance has provided them, and we’ve put together a project that we hope will be of great service to new and old Starfallen alike. We thank the great citizens of Excelsior for working with the Alliance in making this dream a reality.” Fantastic pauses again to smile – he attempts to exude as much warmth as possible, but he mostly just looks proud of himself.

“Now, let’s introduce you all to … Arcadia.”

Fantastic is now gone, and a video begins, flashing a logo covered in Greek olive branches: Arcadia. The subtitle? “A Place For All the Travellers of the Stars to Feel Safe.”

THE VIDEO

➢ First off, the beginning of the video makes one thing clear: all Starfallen are welcome to visit Arcadia and take a tour as soon as they’d like. There are openings today for tours if they would like, and these tours are as safe as anyone might like.

➢ The video itself is a guided tour of Arcadia. Meant to be a permanent residence for all Starfallen, it’s a compound that has state-of-the-art technology designed to keep the Starfallen safe. The only way to enter the compound is by passing a number of randomized screenings, ensuring that no one can enter unless they pass one of these checks.

➢ Arcadia is pristine. Neither the Alliance nor the architects and engineers of Excelsior cut any corners when it came to ensuring that the location was beautiful. Most significantly, while it largely resides on a patch of cleared land outside of Excelsior, there are options to elevate Arcadia above ground should the people there need to protect it. Arcadia is able to rise up like an island in the sky to offer protection to its people.

➢ All of the homes inside Arcadia are beautiful. All of them come pre-furnished, and Starfallen will be able to pick the interior colors, types of appliances they’ll need, and any other amenities they might require. Need a hot tub? No one at Alliance HQ will be asking any questions. Have specific dietary requirements? Never worry – Arcadia will provide anything needed so that someone can live their lives as discreetly as possible.

➢ Security is important. Beyond the randomized screenings for entry, there will be guards in Arcadia around the clock to ensure that Arcadian citizens are not harmed. These guards will be armed with depowering devices should anyone attempt to attack the Starfallen, largely making it possible to neutralize their attack. Some of the guards are even shown without their gear in the video: they’re all generically attractive men and women of all stripes. If they weren’t guards, they could easily be models.

The video ends with a request: “Come and see Arcadia today. We’ll do everything we can to make this the home of your dreams.”

NOTES ON ARCADIA

➢ With its introduction out there in the world, Arcadia’s doors are open! While there are scheduled tours, it doesn’t seem as if anyone will be denied entry if they want to check out the location. Visitors are provided with a guest pass for a day – unless they choose to sign up to stay before they leave. (Hint hint: there will be a lot of pressure to sign up, but no one will be forced to stay.)

➢ Arcadia is a bit like the Tardis from Doctor Who. While it doesn’t seem like it could possibly house all of those different apartments for Starfallen, it seems to be endless. Anyone who’s able to sense magic can guess that some spellwork went into this accomplishment.

➢ Should anyone visit and go off the beaten path and explore without a guide – or just wander off to “find a bathroom” and end up somewhere they shouldn’t, for example – they’ll find strange engraved symbols on the lowest level of Arcadia. Near here, there will be an additional magical residue that differs from what might be sensed throughout, as it’s much darker and insidious in nature. At the core of the compound, near a sign indicating that it’s the Mechanical Room keeping Arcadia afloat (figuratively and literally – should it need to elevate into the sky like an island), the magical residue turns into magical resonance. Something powerful is happening in there. Something dark.

➢ Guards are present throughout doing patrols, but they’ve been directed to not make contact with the Starfallen at this time. Trying to interact with them will lead to some small talk. These guards seem like your average Joes turned guards. They have families, pets, and favorite movies. They also think Fantastic is really, really cool.

➢ Even if the tours are guided, characters are largely allowed to move freely. They can visit several times before making a decision, but the pressure to sign up for a spot in Arcadia will escalate over time. No one is being held here against their will, but leaving isn’t the safest decision.

➢ Given Excelsior’s reticence toward metas and Starfallen, anyone heading into the city to get a sense of the sentiment toward Arcadia will get mixed opinions. But the people there are largely accepting of their fate. Having Arcadia nearby will mean that any dinosaur-shaped problems won’t be allowed to get out of hand. The Starfallen will surely help. The people of Excelsior will be able to explore their ideas, even if they turn into people-eating plants, and the Starfallen will help. Of course, many of the businesses in Excelsior have either been blackmailed into accepting their fate – or paid off. No one is happy, but they can see the upsides. Albeit reluctantly.

➢ As if geo-tagged, edits of the same video advertising Arcadia will appear wherever the Starfallen are, whether it’s on televisions in department stores, on ads on their social media, or elsewhere. It’s apparent that Arcadia is being pushed and it’s being pushed hard.

PROTECT AND SERVE

With the Fixer on the loose and loudly described as a danger to all Starfallen, the guards that were hired to protect Arcadia will now appear elsewhere, especially in locations where Starfallen frequent. Want to get your quadruple-shot caramel macchiato? A guard will be there, ensuring your safety. Want to see the newest multiversal pic of epic proportions with a generic and predictable ending? A guard will be buying a ticket, too. These guards are there to keep the Starfallen safe – and avoiding them will be difficult.

For a select few Starfallen, the guards won’t just be keeping an eye on them and monitoring their movement. They will be acting. In some cases, this action will be positive – but in others, it will be negative and threatening. Trying to challenge the authority of the Alliance is an unwise move when the Starfallen are at risk.

NOTES ON THE GUARDS

➢ For most, the guards will be an ever-present, creepy part of their lives. They won’t be immediately violent toward anyone that they’re observing, but they will be quick to act if someone tries to dodge their surveillance. Unless someone effectively goes into hiding, the guards will mysteriously be able to spot them again to “protect them.”

➢ Engaging with the guards violently will lead to problems. At this stage, they’ve been directed to only act in extreme circumstances – attacking them counts as extreme. These guards have been equipped with teleporters, enhanced speed and strength, as well as immensely powerful power inhibitors that depower any Starfallen within a five-foot radius.

➢ For a handful of Starfallen, their actions will be marked as threatening without provocation: Mark Bryant, Bart Allen, Heron, and Huvrye Tirvio. Since they pose a threat to the ability of the Alliance to protect all Starfallen, the guards will seek them out and attempt to apprehend them. Should they be successful, the Alliance will release a statement to the media about how some troublesome Starfallen have been stopped for the greater good. How these interactions go is up to the players themselves – the guards do not have to be successful.

➢ One Starfallen in particular, Ken Kaneki, will be approached by a guard without her mask as she offers him a place in Arcadia. The Alliance has noticed that he seems to be having a hard time adjusting to his new world and they’re here to help. The guard in question has no idea about why Kaneki might require additional assistance, but will promise that all of his needs will be met. If they’d like to talk in a more casual setting – including with her imposing armor off – she’s happy to go change. (Of course, the armor can be reapplied at the touch of a button, but she won’t be telling Kaneki that.)

➢ When the guards first appear, they will largely be omnipresent and creepy, but harmless otherwise. As the weeks go on, however, the guards will get antsy and will be hovering closer. Engaging with them at this stage is likely to cause an altercation – with the guard insisting at some point that the Starfallen may need to be brought into custody “for their own safety.” These altercations will only begin near the end of the period this log covers.

➢ Any captured Starfallen will be briefly imprisoned in Excelsior before being offered a spot in Arcadia. Jailbreaks and escapes are welcomed and encouraged.

Threaded | Flat

If you would like to engage with NPCs regarding this event, please comment under this header. Please include which NPC your character is reaching out to, the method they're using to reach out to them, and feel free to include any details regarding what you're looking to get out of the interaction so we can lead it in that direction!

« « « ARCADIA

[Logan's not fond of the concept, has no intention what so ever of being shipped off there - or, a they say, encouraged to move in. It sends little alarm bells off in his head but he knows better than to flinch and respond so soon. There's no immediate threat, so far as he can tell, but there seems to be a plan in motion that's hard to ignore. Even for him, willfully trying.

So he wants to know what Arcadia's like - ends up in one of their tours, grouped together with a few other people and lead around. Possibly passing by other groups or individuals doing the same, he's looking a little better - clean shirt, blazer and trousers and a cleaned up beard. He's got his hands in his pockets as he walks, eyes focusing on certain elements longer than others - like he's looking for certain spots of the homes they tour just as scrutinized as the check ins and heavy guard presence. For their safety. He scoffs a little any time that's brought up.

He's hanging back a bit, by the tail end of the tour - splitting away after flaring his nostrils to see if he can smell any guards nearby. Coast is clear for a little diversion - you're not going to tell on him, are you? Or maybe you're gonna walk right into him as he looks around for the bathroom. In the opposite direction of said bathrooms.]

« « « EXCELSIOR

[Having illegally fled quarantine with the help of a wizard, Logan's not heading back to Central any time soon by the sounds of things - which is fine, he can fly by the seat of his pants here. But people are starting to harp on him not only about Arcadia but the urge to sign up, jot his name on a line to somebody or someother. Which is kind of annoying? And like the old man he is, he's ignoring it like he ignores the 256 open tabs on his phone's browser.

But tonight he's got a cigar in one hand and a drink in the other, having found a decent bar to haunt. He should eat something but instead he's having a cocktail of booze and a few pill capsules, throwing them back before lighting up his cigar and massaging the knuckles of one hand. Fresh scabs are still healing in between. Bar nuts count for protein or something, right? He scoops a handful, then turns in his seat to look sidelong at something that catches his eye before settling back into a hunch.]

Yeah, I see you.

« « « NOTES

[For further plotting or questions, you can reach me on plurk at witchpunk.]

[ It starts out slowly: a few broken security cameras here, a person-sized hole carefully sliced out of a window there, plus several incapacitated guards, and then suddenly the Alliance HQ goes dark. The power has been cut, and Felonious Fox, noted cat burglar and pain in Fantastic's side, is inside the building and having an absolute field day.

The only goal seems to be wreaking as much havoc as possible. Fox tears through the building like a hurricane with a grudge, destroying whatever equipment she can find, graffiti-ing the walls, and tossing the guards around like ragdolls. When the local news arrives on the scene, several guards come crashing through the windows, followed by the remains of their weaponry - laser guns that have had their barrels twisted and broken like pretzels - and then followed by a giant, heavy oaken desk, which lands on the roof of the newsvan with a crunch. Once she notices the cameras, Fox seems irritated, but not above hamming it up a bit: she grins under her mask and gives them a wave before taking off again.

Fox isn't immediately recognizable, but if anyone's paying attention, they'll notice the image inducer on her wrist, and how Fox's tail flickers and turns brown for a moment when she turns to run.

Around the same time this goes live, everyone on Doreen's contact list will get a frantic mass text from Tippy: ]

HEPL STMNGS REELY WRITE

WRONG!!!!

STUPD AUTOCORRECT!!!!!!!!!

[ If she gets too much attention indoors, then Fox flips out a window and starts scaling the building with her claws. Whether you find her inside the building, or meet her up on the rooftop, she'll turn to you with an irritated glare. ]

I'm a little busy right now!

[ Be warned, though: as a villain, Doreen has zero hangups about using her full strength against her enemies. She won't hold back, her claws are out and she's ready to rumble!

((PM me or hit me up at

sonopants if you have any questions! ))]

Edited 2023-06-11 04:12 (UTC)

Honestly, Accelerator is used to being under surveillance. Even though it wasn't discussed openly very often, it was common knowledge that the higher ups of Academy City had a myriad of ways to watch over people. Satellite surveillance was the obvious one, with other on-the-ground methods such as through the public space cleaning robots. There were even things like the insertion of specific sound frequencies into the otherwise benign music shops played, so Anti-Skill had an alternate way to pinpoint locations in recordings in case they couldn't do so via GPS. If an esper left the city, they were required to have tracking nanomachines inserted into your body.

Essentially, it had been a part of daily life for him for a long time. And for a long time he didn't care (though 'depressed resignation' might be a more accurate way of describing it). Though, that had changed the night of September 30th, when the spec ops team Hound Dog attacked him and kidnapped Last Order. After that, he still recognized it as a part of living in Academy City, but it didn't make him particularly happy.

Central City offered an amount of freedom he never had before. Registration didn't mean being restricted to one city, it didn't mean tracking nanomachines and, as far as he knew, satellite surveillance. As long as he showed up to work and school and did well, the Society didn't seem to care how much he roamed on his own time. It isn't something he gives much thought to until all this Fantastic nonsense starts up, which may have been a mistake on his part. He keeps tabs on it, he isn't stupid, but maintains it's not really his business to get worked up over it like some people are on social media.

Then there's the video on Arcadia, with its state-of-the-art technology. And the guards start showing up. In parks, on sidewalks, in the grocery store, in the convenience store when he's stocking up on canned coffee. It's when he's leaving one of those stores late one night that two guards approach him, voices less concerned and more suspicious. He's out awfully late (for a child), in an unsafe area (for a child), does his guardian know where he is? Accelerator quickly grows irritated, then exasperated, telling them to fuck off. But they go on, this time turning the concern on - you know, if he was in Arcadia....

Then mention of Arcadia makes him stop. They keep going on about the gated community. Something in him cracks, and he finds his apathy is swallowed up by a crushing need to reduce these two to smears on the ground.

Do these people deserve that? No, probably not. They're just people, they're not out to drag him back to the hell that are those research institutions in Academy City, they're not trying to kill him. Hell, they're not even trying to attack him. But something inside of him is reminded of all of that, and there's the simultaneous building up of stress and wearing down of his tolerance from being openly surveillanced like the other Starfallen. It's like a dam is breaking that he didn't realize existed until now.

He isn't going to kill them, though. He's just going to vent a little and then be on his way.

His mouth twists into a smile that's more like a slash across his face. "Goddamnit, you two don't know how to read the room, huh? Here, let me shut you up before I really get pissed off and kill you instead --"

He retracts the cane portion of his crutch into the arm cuff and reaches up, flipping the switch on his choker before promptly sweeping his hand, clenched into a fist, square into the chest of the guard that's easily twice as big as he is. Normally, he'd manipulate the vectors behind the kinetic force of his punch to be able to send the guy straight into a wall, but... nothing happens.

Then he realizes even though he's doing the calculations in his head, his leg strength is the same as when his choker is in normal mode (that is, pitifully weak). He doesn't get much of a chance to ruminate on any of this, because that guard is taking that attack for what it is. With a loud, "Hey!" the guard is grabbing his arm in one movement and wrenching it behind his back as the other one tenses and prepares to step in.

Mark's been vibrating with nervous energy since Fantastic took control of the Alliance. Probably came from being a really traumatized by his own government and their opinions on controlling the bodies of humans with powers. But that's not really the important thing with everything imploding. The important thing is that he always had somewhere he felt safe.

Loki probably had no idea how much Mark appreciated having him as a boss. And there was another great benefit to the whole thing. His coworkers liked him. A lot. And it was a Meta-friendly workplace. So Mark's just at his desk when there's a frantic text from her.

Some sorta guild guard is asking about you. Sent him to your office. Hide.

Mark is immediately up and heading for the hardest to navigate place in the entire building. Nothing like costuming to hide. There are plenty of racks to hide in.

And, well. Mark sends a message because it's the only thing he can think to do.

Boss, sorry to bother you. Apparently the Alliance is sending some fucking guard to stalk me. Jenna at the front desk says he looks kitted out for 'acquisitions'. Are there any other good ways out of the theater from the costume department

Threaded | Flat

QUESTIONS & ENGAGEMENT

NPC ENGAGEMENT

james "logan" howlett | xmcu