CONFLUENCE 04

[metamods]

Who: All everybody
What: A Confluence strikes!
When: March 27, 2022
Where: Sunset Falls
Content Warnings: Comic book violence, ghosts and demons.

CONFLUENCE

Weird things happen in Sunset Falls.

This is a given. The residents of the town have never known a time where the paper didn't feature a mysterious occult murder as a headline, or a student wasn't being outed for using a little mystical enhancement to boost their athletic prowess.

So when the Alliance arrives, stating that residents must vacate the area as quickly as possible, nearly every person grabs a go-bag and gets the hell out of dodge. If something is big enough to earn the capes' attention, then it's surely not worth risking life and limb to find out if they're bluffing.

Guild members receive an emergency bulletin telling them to teleport to Sunset Falls at their earliest convenience. The notice warns them to prepare themselves, grimly remarking that if Confluences have been bad in the other cities then they will be a complete and utter nightmare in Sunset Falls.

This time, however, there is no great fall to kick things off.

New arrivals come into awareness seconds before they make impact - but this time, they're flying up and through the floorboards of Sunset Falls' high school gymnasium. The ground underneath flickers an ominous purple, a lingering gaze may feel the void gazing back in confusion... and then there's a burst of burning wind. Something rushes out of the void as it closes, leaving you to crash back down to the ground. There’s nothing left but broken shards of gym flooring scattered around you…and the lingering touch of something angry and malicious being freed.

Exiting the gym brings you directly into the main lobby. You can see people standing outside the doors, seemingly unaware of what has transpired behind them. Suddenly, there's a rush of wind and energy behind you, making a mad dash for the doors. They swing open hard enough to crack the windows, and then all is suddenly quiet.

01. SPRING THAW

Spring thaw has come swiftly this year. In the span of a few moments the temperature has gone from frigid to a balmy summer day, and only continues to rise.

As the disoriented new arrivals step outside, they find themselves standing in what could be a sweltering summer day. The heroes standing guard jolt in alarm as the doors behind them swing open. Air rushes out, a blast of frigidity that's a relief in the suddenly sweltering night. They turn, and spy the new arrivals. It seems like they’re almost - though certainly not quite - as confused as the rest of you. The recent Confluences have all happened with a bit more fanfare than this.

But the night is only getting hotter. If that’s the end of it, no one’s going to complain. And it must be over now, right? The citizens of Sunset Falls have already started to return, vague figures in the distance trickling out of alleyways and from behind buildings. Fantastic, the squad leader on this expedition, attempts to radio back to headquarters with this news - only to drop the communicator when it begins to wail in unearthly woe.

The people gathering around the school are getting closer. One by one they step into the streets, into the halogen glow of the streetlamps, and...

Something seems a little... off about them. Their eyes are distant and they appear to shimmer slightly in the dim light. Heroes and villains alike pause and glance between each other, a confused murmur breaking out as some recognize certain faces amongst the crowd. Some of the heroes born in this world shout out names in elation; others shrink back as they spy a less friendly face amongst the ghoulish collection.

The metas closest to the doors — Fantastic of the Guardian Alliance and Chaos Gate of the Society — take a few steps back. They're not naive enough to believe this is a good sign. Fantastic gestures for the new arrivals to get back inside the school and shut the doors. Chaos Gate extends a hand to summon her staff and gives a merry shout: everyone should prepare for a mess! This is a horde of ghosts, and they probably aren't that friendly.

Some of the apparitions appear to be wearing costumes that belong to decades past: spandex and capes in bright neon colors and embroidered with psychedelic shapes. Others simply look human, wearing civilian clothing marked with arcane symbols.

Either way, they're metahumans, to be sure - all of them know how to use their powers, and they’re looking to use them on all of you. Former hero or former villain, it doesn’t seem to matter. None of them seem to entirely register who or what it is they’re fighting; they won’t respond to attempts to talk them down, even from those guild members they used to know. They’re just attacking, lashing out with something like desperation. If you want to get through this, you’re going to have to fight back.

Spectral though they are, striking one of the ghosts feels like hitting someone of flesh and blood. But the more damaged they are, the less human they look. They begin to crumble and decay, looking less like living people and more like ghouls the more they’re beaten down. When they’re finally defeated, they burst in an explosion of unknowable spiritual energy…and also ectoplasm. Slimy!

02. SUMMER SWELTER

Should new arrivals, or metas who came along to help with the Confluence, break free of the throng of ghosts and flee into Sunset Falls, they won’t find themselves entirely safe. The ghosts won’t pursue, but they aren’t the only thing that slipped through the cracks in reality tonight.

The farther you get from the school and its host of the dead, the hotter it gets. The heat is oppressive; a shimmering haze rises over the pavement, and all the various birds and bugs of the evening have gone utterly silent.

The first sign is a pressure in your lungs, the air growing scalding to breathe. Then, without warning, pieces of your surroundings begin to spontaneously ignite. The roofs of the dark and vacant houses start to smoke; power lines burst and shower sparks and bits of melted wire and plastic. At the epicenter of the inferno, you can see a luminous shape shimmering through the air: a fire elemental.

It needs to be put out before it incinerates everything! You won't be able to rely on punching or regular fighting here - fittingly for a creature born of Sunset Falls, you'll have to rely on a more creative use of powers, and maybe some magic.

For each event with a clear antagonistic NPC force — such as the Vlog Squad, in the February arrival — interested players can pitch their characters' encounters with those NPCs. Whether characters are heroic and suited to the role or not, the aim is the group effort of pitching in, so we highly encourage collaborating on these encounters. Once enough NPC encounters have been submitted, we'll determine if and how the trouble has been addressed, and select one of those encounters to be the final, conclusive one in the game. Everyone else's encounters will also have taken place, but may have been temporary stopgaps in addressing the conflict rather than a conclusive blow. For this Confluence, we are asking that submissions be finalized by 3/5.

How it works:

• Reply to the relevant top-level comment with an encounter and/or questions about the encounter. The mods are happy to go back and forth with before locking in exactly what a character or group of characters does. Any conversations between characters and NPCs will most likely be happening prior to combat unless specified by the players.


• The mods ask that players present two options. In one version, the character or group of characters kills, immobilizes, or otherwise apprehend the villain(s). In the other version, one way or another, the villain escapes or overcomes the character or group of characters. Players who wish to have a specific spot in the timeline (near to the beginning or near to the end) should make this request explicit, and the mods will make efforts to accommodate this.


• The mods will RNG the results for the final encounter. For all other submissions, the escape/overcome option is selected. Open calls for collaboration which result in multiple player characters contributing to an idea or solution (see: Kamala Khan's solution to the Cerberus fight) have a much higher chance of being the final encounter, as we want to reward player collaboration and innovation. Please be sure that after everyone has weighed in you return to the top-level comment to report exactly what is happening and who is doing what.


• The mods will reply to player submissions with a brief outline of how all of the run-ins go, whether it's a fight or a slapstick series of hilarious accidents that involves the character(s).

Request NPC encounters using the following form —
<B>Characters involved:</b> Name (username) <b>Details of the encounter:</b> What's the plan? <B>How might the villain escape or overcome the player character(s)?</b> <B>How would the player character(s) kill, immobilize, or apprehend the villain?</b>

EXAMPLE—

Character(s) involved: The Iron Giant and Hank Hill
Details of the encounter: Hank will ride in Iron Giant's hand as they search the city for the Vlog Squad, eventually spotting them in a public park. They land explosively in the middle, throwing all of the squad off of their feet while the Iron Giant sends out a signal to scramble their livestreams and begins trying to catch the offenders up in both hands. Hank will try to tackle at least one of them.

How might the villain escape or overcome the player character(s)? Playlist slow motions Iron Giant and they easily duck its grasp, and Filter leaves Hank floating upside down as they make their escape.

How would the player character(s) kill, immobilize, or apprehend the villain? Iron Giant grabs Playlist before she can slow it, then picks up and captures all but Emoji; Hank throws a branch and beans that guy right in the head. Iron Giant gathers him up too, and they turn them in to the first batch of emergency responders they find.

03. SAFE AND SOUND

The foes finally vanquished, Fantastic - covered in ectoplasm, scorched, and thoroughly pissed - shouts that he's radioing back to HQ. If anyone doesn't want the ride back, they have five minutes to get out of his sight. The new arrivals have less of a choice in the matter as he's not bothering to clarify what "a ride" means. He simply slams the button on the communicator and barks into it that they've handled things and are ready to go. With a rush of arcane power, those who haven’t vacated the area find themselves somewhere else.

The gymnasium has been foregone in favor of a more permanent arrival space. Powers are still dampened here, but not turned off entirely. Anyone displaying intentions to harm others in the space is met with a swift time-out. Fantastic can be approached for conversation, although he doesn’t seem terribly interested in offering any actual assistance.

The guilds check over new arrivals, and once given a clean bill of health, a hot meal and the option to take a nap in a secured space, they are shuffled off into the Diadem Hotel. Recruiters from both the Society and the Alliance approach in the hotel lobby, each pitching an offer to join their respective side.

04. PACTS FORGED AND BROKEN

Evil is a very real presence in Sunset Falls, lurking in the shadows and waiting to manifest in the hearts of men. The more angry and down on their luck a person is, the easier it is to sway them to make things just a little easier on themselves.

The new arrivals have escaped and made their way to Central City, seemingly safe for the time being. But not everything that slipped free from that strange void was a human spirit. It seems that something may have followed you home.

It begins with the sound of whispering. Your deepest desires, your greatest fears: this voice knows them all. It waits until you're alone, or in a moment of desperation against a foe far stronger than yourself, and then it begins to beckon.

The demon will offer pacts, offering their greatest wish in exchange for but a shard of their soul. Power, money, fame - all of it can be yours if you're willing to offer succor for this starving creature who only wants to make your dreams come true. He's got a compelling voice and you may find yourself inclined to agree, offering what he asks. How could you ever refuse such a deal?

Agreeing will result in a sharp pain somewhere indescribable, as if your very existence is being splintered. For but a split second you're incomplete - and then something slips inside the crack that is left in its wake. Each pact made seems to make the world just a little worse - Sunset Falls and Central City in particular seem to have increased amounts of bad luck, as if it’s following the new metas around.

One does not make a deal with a demon lightly. Please report any pacts made here.

SUMMARY

• New arrivals will be erupting through the floor of Sunset Falls High’s gymnasium. After the fighting ends, they are brought to the Guardian Alliance HQ. Older characters are given the option to teleport with them or can make their own way home.


• The breech has also set free a number of souls who were laying dormant. These souls manifest in the streets and will attack player characters. They appear confused and disoriented but cannot be talked down.


• A fire elemental has also manifested. Player characters will need to work together to put the fire out. Players are encouraged to use the OOC comm to coordinate, and can report their attempts here to find out how they’ll play out.


• A demon has tagged along. He will tempt people into forging a pact with him, granting them a wish in exchange for a fragment of their soul. This is a player plot opportunity and the consequences of this are not immediate. Please reply here if your character strikes a deal with this demon.

Comments

QUESTIONS & NPC INTERACTIONS

[metamods]

Please put QUESTION or NPC INTERACTION in the subject line of your reply! This covers interactions with both the Guild NPCs, the Fire Elemental, and any attempts to communicate with the dead.

QUESTION

[a_gaggle_of_ghosties]

So, how would all the ghosts work with Nox? There are two main things I want to be sure I'm not stepping on any toes with before I tag in with him:

1) Since his presence alone can cause ghosts to act up (everything from returning to whatever state of mind they were in prior to their death, cause them to get angry and lash out until he forces them to calm their spectral shit down, want to seek him out, or any number of other unpredictable responses), and the range at which this happens can vary dramatically, would his being present for the confluence affect the ghosts in any way? At the very least, being in the same general area's enough for him to get a rise out of most ghosts (only rarely does he have to be within something like ten feet, and the longest range this has happened--to a ghost not actually related to him, anyway--was "being on the same planet").

and

2) Would he be able to bind them? The main reason I ask is that even though they're ghosts, they've got a mostly physical form that just explodes into Ghost Goo once it's taken enough damage, so I'm not 100% sure how it'd work. Any kind of power gain or mental strain would probably be negligable no matter how many he bound, since (presumably) none of them are Force users, but I'm trying to get an idea of just how he'd be able to deal with them. Additionally, since he has the ability to calm them, would he be able to calm some of the ghosts and find out more about why they're attacking in the first place?

2.5) Since the ghosts pop when they take enough damage, would more extreme forms of damage like cutting them in half or (in Looma's case) tearing them apart, crushing them, etc. be considered enough to do the job or would it just result in bits and pieces of ghosts still crawling around trying to attack people?

NPC INTERACTION

[howlett]

Characters involved: Logan howlett
Details of the encounter: This plan is entirely predicated on the hope that there is some kind of water tower somewhere in Sunset Falls——

Logan will aim to secure this thing's attention and draw it to a location where he can get the jump on it. Cutting down the supports on a rooftop water tower or else hacking a hole in the wet-riser he'll try to smother thing.

Leading the elemental to an area adjacent to the water tower would benefit from the help of other participants, but he'll volunteer to play the bait situation knowing 3rd degree burns are probably inevitable.

How might the villain escape or overcome the player character(s)? It may well not big a large enough tank of water to do much more than make the elemental a smaller. In which case, it'll probably attempt to incinerate him before it moves on.

How would the player character(s) kill, immobilize, or apprehend the villain? Letting it get close enough to grab him is crucial in making sure the elemental is right where he wants it. Leading it directly up the side of (or underneath) the tower Logan waits until he's actually engulfed in its flames before cutting his way into the tank.

DEMON PACTS

[metamods]

If your character wants to make a deal with the demon please reply to this comment with the following form.

<b>CHARACTER NAME</b>: Character's name <b>CHARACTER WISH</b>: Please provide the exact wording of the character's wish. <b>DESIRED OUTCOME</b>: What you would like your character to get out of this. How you see this wish playing out? Please be aware that this is a deal with a demon and so there may be unforseen consequences down the line.

[thecoolerloki]

CHARACTER NAME: Kid Loki
CHARACTER WISH: "I wish I had killed Ikol before he was able to kill me. I wish to be Loki, always."
DESIRED OUTCOME: I AM HERE FOR UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES AND EVERYTHING BACKFIRING ON HIM! That said because obviously this is a wish that involves another player, I don't expect it to be fully granted at all or even granted in a "desirable" way. I'd prefer for it to be something that only affects Kid Loki, maybe altering his memories or altering him somehow.

Basic idea of an outcome would be his story and character being rewritten from the beginning, so that he would be the type of person to kill Ikol, sooo he wouldn't be himself and he wouldn't be "good". This would only affect his view of what happened, and could be affected further by demonic influence. Also something something trapped being unable to change or grow because of "always"... I'd like to end the plot with his memories/story eventually being returned, and maybe canonupdating him then to his death.

loki odinson | mcu | ota

[dothelokimotion]

( i. spring thaw ) cw: violence, death

[ the heat was getting to him. usually, his shapeshifting abilities trump major changes in temperature. his frost giant nature hadn't interfered all this time. it made sense though, that it would pick now, when loki is displaced and vulnerable.

well. not that vulnerable.

he eyes the horde of spectral costumed ghosts making their way through, his nose wrinkling at the sight. ]

Who are the local heroes here? Is it still the Avengers? Can we blame this on them? Because it certainly isn't my fault.

[ one of the ghostly superheroes lunges for him. quick as lightning, one of loki's hands flash with a dagger, embedding itself directing into the ghost's head. he watches it explode with an expression of pure disgust. ]

I refuse to ruin my clothes for this.

( ii. magic things at sunset falls )

[ acclimatization is key.

which is why loki first started in sunset falls. he's not sure if it is the center of a convergence — an alignment of celestial bodies and powers fixating in a specific area — or something else. and there is a quiet thrum of fear in his heart that it could harken the worst. like thanos. his own shielding should protect him from being found out, but who knows how many stones thanos had now?

( thor will stop him, his heart believes. thor will die, his mind replies )

either way, dressed in a black midgardian suit, he stops near the edge of the woods and extends his arms. green light spreads from his fingertips and he closes his eyes, letting his senses spread along with it. if you interrupt him, loki will snap back at you. ]

Do you mind.

( iii. wildcard )

[ got a different prompt you’d like to do? ping me on timmtams / pm this journal ]

i

[azulescarabajo]

[ Jaime is, somehow, pretty comfortable. The scarab suit is pretty good at climate control and even if everyone else is wilting a little, Jaime seems to be dealing just fine.

Plus, you know, he grew up in south-west Texas. He hovers a good ten feet off the ground, iridescent wings blurring as he stares at the oncoming wave of ghostly apparitions. Squinting down at Loki, he tries to make sense of what he's hearing. Thankfully this is not his first time getting yeeted into an unknown situation by forces beyond his control. ]

Uh, I dunno who the Avengers are but I was thinking maybe Justice League? Don't think we're quite close enough to Gotham to attract the Bat but maybe Teen Titans'll show up--

[ He cuts himself off and levels a blast of energy at an oncoming ghost, wincing as it explodes into ectoplasm. Also because Khaji Da is chattering at him. ]

...But I can't get the Teen Titans on the phone, which is, uh. Bad? Let's go with bad.

ii.

[hevenly]

[ Angela has been exploring Sunset Falls off and on since she arrived. For one thing, she had a debt to repay the school for stealing a pair of gym shorts. For another, she has heard that the youngest incarnation of her brother will be spending time with a magician here, and she wishes to meet the man in question.

So when she sees someone clearly doing magic, she approaches. ]

No. Do continue.

[ She is clearly not remorseful for having interrupted. ]

ii

[thecoolerloki]

[Loki hasn't quite settled into Sunset Falls yet, with most of his time here spent stuck in a haunted house. And he's now living in that haunted house so that's fun.

But he should know this place, at least as well as he knows Broxton. It's that same train of thought that leads him to the woods alongside his other self. Of course, he hadn't been planning on doing any magic, always forgetting that it's now at his disposal.]

Do you?

i

[slidesrightoff]

I don't think you have a choice.

[Eddie's wardrobe is, tragically, already ruined. He had opted for just his normal clothes too, so it was doubly tragic. He liked this jacket.]

The local heroes are called The Alliance and I mean you wouldn't be wrong to guess them, but seeing as that guy over there [He motions to Fantastic.] who looks like a wet, pissed-off cat is their leader, I'm guessing they didn't have anything to do with it.

ii

[chin_godzilla]

(Oops. Godzilla hadn't expected his walking around to be interrupting something, but that's where he's at right now. Even with the charm keeping him at about 7' in height, he normally has a heavy footstep. And since he's not trying to sneak up on anyone...well. Here he is.

The lizard, completely unbothered by the heat, decides he's gonna take a seat right where he's seen and decides waiting to wait patiently. It's not like he knows anything about magic, anyway, so it's probably best to let the man do his thing. Or keep lookout! Godzilla's been a bit on-edge since the ghosts attacked and he'd rather not have an encore out here.)

i.

[monomachy]

[The heat doesn't bother Diana; she's from a tropical island, after all. What does bother her is the appearance of all of these spirits, and their immediate aggression. She's tried talking to some of them, urging them to return to the Underworld, but it's no use. They continue terrorizing the people of this city, threatening harm, and the options left to her are both few and grim.

She has not yet found a replacement for God-Killer, and so her shield and her own hands are her only weapons. They are enough, of course, but they also make everything... messy.

Trying very hard not to think about all the ectoplasm under her nails and on her armor, she happens across a man yelling about heroes and his clothes. She envies him his dagger. Diana grabs the cape of an approaching specter, keeping it from leaping on him, and throws it behind her into the nearest brick wall. She does not look back at the splatter it leaves.]

You care so much for your clothing? [She sounds amused. But also:] Why would this be your fault?

spring thaw

[tinglesense]

[ Peter is only at the school when this happens because, you know, he attends school here. Somewhere after the initial confusion, he slips away to ditch his regular clothes and stick to being Spider-Man.

But he's not expecting ghosts. Jeez, is this another weird spell thing? Dr. Strange is probably going to be pissed. Hopefully Peter can avoid being in the vicinity for that, since he's getting really damn sick of being connected to magic bullshit.

He's also not expecting Loki. Oh, man, okay. This one looks a lot like the one from his world, the one in textbooks and all that.

He swings into this scene just in time to see Loki stab a ghost. He has a little bit of a moral crisis about it, because stabbing people isn't great, but…these aren't people, right? They're kind of like zombies or something? Shit.

He lands a few feet away, poised to take off again. He doesn't have any sharp instruments, but he does have his regular fighting abilities and his wits. That will have to do. ]

I have it on pretty good authority that the Avengers had nothing to do with this.

wildcard riffing off ii

[rehandle]

[ It's as Loki turns away from his magical assessment out by the woods and its handful of interruptions that another presence makes itself known, lingering at the edge of the path back to town.

To his credit, Stephen at least hadn't introduced another intentional distraction - which may or may not be because he doesn't want to provoke another attempted stabbing without some distance between them, but the result's the same.

In mild greeting: ] Loki.

i;

[sinistral]

Go ahead and blame them, [or so says the voice off to Loki's left.] Probably won't do you much good.

[Bucky personally has chosen to forego knives in favor of a handgun, because he doesn't want to get close enough for knife work with the slime these things are leaving behind. Gross.]

What is the clothes ruining criterion? Just for reference.

Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle) | DC Comics (New Earth) | ota

[azulescarabajo]

i. spring thaw

[ Jaime can be found zipping around the school, wings fluttering as he tries to stay out of reach of the ghosts. It's not working very well because being meta-human ghosts, some of them can fly. He's dodging, rolling, weaving away and firing off what he hopes are limited blasts of energy from his cannons or shifting his hands into claws or blades to slash at them when they come too close. ]

Why does this always happen at high schools?!

[ It sucks. IT REALLY SUCKS! He blasts another oncoming ghost and tries to dodge back out of the way. ]

Where's the Titans when you need them--?

ii. safe and sound

[ Despite the ghosts being dealt with Jaime has as of yet refused to drop his armor and resume his civilian identity, especially since he's being corralled by the Society and Guardian Alliance. Khaji Da is making unhappy noises about some kind of dampening field, too, which has Jaime on edge. He hovers at the edge of the gym, sipping on a bottle of water and chewing on whatever food he's been offered. ]

We'll figure it out, don't worry...

[ He mutters to himself. Maybe. At least that's what it looks like. When someone steps a little closer or seems to notice him muttering to himself, he straightens up and puts his shoulders back a little to try and seem taller, then ruins the effect by taking another swig of water and sighs. ]

...So uh, ghosts, huh?

[ He's good at conversation. Promise. ]

i.

[hevenly]

[ To Angela, fighting a horde of undead doesn't feel like anything out of the ordinary. But maybe that's just the life she's lived.

She's mired down in the middle of the gym floor, surrounded by ghosts on all sides. If she could only make her way to the bleachers, then perhaps she could better assess the situation and come up with a plan of attack...

Spotting a blue blur zoom by overhead, she calls out to it. ]

You there, fae creature! How much can you lift?

[ Asking for a ride isn't the most noble thing, especially when you weigh over 400 pounds. ]

Angela | Marvel-616 (CRAU) | ota

[hevenly]

01. breaking ground

***cw: body horror and brief nudity***

[ Angela breaks through the floorboards of the gym floor horns first. She would complain about the rough entry, but honestly, she's felt much worse. Once she is clear of the debris, in fact, she begins to feel a worse pain in her head, and in her legs— a pain she has felt before, when she was reverted in and out of her monster form. In a grotesque display of bones shifting and fur retracting into her skin, she shifts from a Minotaur into a more human-looking appearance. But when the changes are finally complete, she knows she is not human. She can feel her Asgardian strength returned to her! Something she had begun to doubt she would ever feel again.

Shakily, she gets to her feet, and realizes belatedly that one thing that was not returned to her is any clothes on the lower half of her body, leaving her wearing a shining gold armored bodice, a wide belt with a sword hanging on one side, and nothing else. Well, nothing else besides the ever-present ribbons which float around her neck, but they do little to preserve her modesty. Angela herself doesn't seem to care very much at the display of nudity, but for the sake of those around her, she walks barefoot to the corner of the room where there is a small pile of old gym clothes, and pulls on a pair of gym shorts. Altogether it is an incongruous look, but she'll make do. ]

02. begone, ghost!

[ It soon becomes clear that Angela and the few who emerged from beneath the gym floor alongside her are not the only ones who don't belong. As waves of powered individuals appear, Angela recognizes them instantly as the ghosts they are, having dealt with ghosts before in a dream that felt so lifelike it can only have been a vision of a life unlived. Feeling her mundane broadsword unsuited to such an otherworldly task, she instead draws her ichors, twin golden blades made of liquid metal that reform themselves into axes as she swings them in a deadly arc at one of the attacking ghosts, resulting in a spray of gooey ectoplasm. Another nearby ghost sees this and, enraged, lets loose with red-hot force beams from his eyes, straight in Angela's direction.

By all likelihood, she'll be able to withstand such an attack, but if someone else is feeling heroic, they're welcome to intervene on her behalf! ]

03. what do you mean, “free money?”

[ Once things in Sunset Falls have been resolved and the group is relocated to Central City's Diadem, Angela decides if she is to remain in her true form, she really ought to buy herself some more suitable clothes. Or at least a new pair of boots. No problem, you might think, with the benefit of the limitless credit card from the Alliance. However, Angela makes a face when handed the card. ]

No. I cannot accept this. Nothing is for nothing, everything has its price. I will not make my start in this new world by receiving handouts.

[ So she resolutely tosses the card aside, and storms out of the hotel... still barefoot and wearing gym shorts. ]

0x. wildcard

[ Want something else? HMU @ millennialfalcon or ©hris#1234 to plot something! ]

3

[thecoolerloki]

Sister!

[Loki calls from behind after witnessing that whole exchange. He still doesn't really get why she's... like this, but he's starting to understand some of it at least.

As such, he holds up a credit card of his own, one earned through scams, but still earned. Not limitless.]

Would you care to go shopping with me?

[Because someone should probably handle this before she embarrasses the rest of them any more.]

billy kaplan-altman ( marvel comics )

[wordiness]

SPRING THAW

[ maybe you were fighting a ghost, maybe you were just near someone else fighting a ghost, but regardless, right as the thing pops!, there's a voice at your back: ]

shieldshieldshield!

[ and right before you're splatted with gross slimy ectoplasm, a blue shield springs up around you and the guy that just spoke. who.. turns out to be billy kaplan(-altman), floating a few feet off the ground and looking super grossed out. ]

Oh, gross, why can't they ever just be, like, the misty ghost-types that just, I don't know, fade away? [ great question, billy. ]

SAFE & SOUND

[ hey, so, maybe you were double-booked in a room at the hotel, or maybe you just got the room number wrong or something, but it doesn't seem like you're, uh, on earth anymore when you step into this one.

the ceiling overhead and the floor beneath are gone, leaving just a starry nebula swirling past, stars glittering in the air. each footstep into the "room" leaves a brief golden impression behind, like a burst of stardust beneath one's feet.

and hovering over the bed? billy, out of his suit and dressed comfortably in leggings and an oversized, long-sleeve shirt falling off one of his shoulders. he seems to be swiping past images in the air like pictures on a phone, brows drawn together and frown fixed on his mouth. when he notices someone else in the room, though, he glances up, eyes widening. ] Oh! Hey. Uh, this-- [ shit. ] What are you doing here--? [ in.. his room.. ]

WILDCARD

[ idk, hmu at perilous for other ideas and stuff!! ]

safe & sound.

[ikols]

There are drawings people do of babies in wombs surrounded by space that looks like this setting. Have you seen them? Art, they call it. If I find a babe anywhere in here, I am leaving post-haste.

[ Having not bothered to wait for Billy to finish his Google search, Loki strolls inside the Wiccan-themed room after testing a step or two, hands behind his back. His hair is loose and he wears a plain white top with dark jeans, about as casual as he comes, scrutinising not the screen of images but what Billy is wearing too. ]

Is that my tshirt?

[nerdylilspidey]

[i. SPRING THAW]
[Peter is one of the last people to come staggering out of the building, only to be greeted by a throng of... Well. Monsters? Ghosts? Zombies? He's not sure, but he's pretty certain that he's in no shape to even try to fend off this mess. He should find someplace to wait it out, lay low, maybe an ambulance will come screaming in soon and he can sneak into it and snag a decent first aid kit, sit down with it and try to patch himself up. That comes first. He can't find a horde of ghost zombies. He can barely keep himself upright! He'll be of no use to any of the people who are probably definitely going to get hurt in this wild fray and he's just going to do more harm than good and he can not fight them.

Right?]


...Ugh. So much for Plan A...

[And on goes the Spider-Man mask. He attempts to repatch the wound in his side (which somehow doesn't seem to be bleeding as much, go figure) with some more web-fluid, straightens up with a confidence he doesn't actually feel, and marches right in.]


[ii. SAFE AND SOUND]
[The exact instant the coast seems to be clear, Spidey just kind of drops down onto his butt with a heavy, shaky breath. He's a real sight to behold, costume torn up, burnt in places, covered in blood and ectoplasm... It's a straight up miracle the eyes of his mask are still in place. And that he somehow manages to pump a fist into the air and let out a weak victory cry.]

Wooo... Nap time, anyone? No? Just me?

[When they're all whisked away to... someplace, he wants to be more suspicious of the people flitting around and offering food and medical attention and a place to sleep, but his body is screaming at him after what he's put it through. Spidey does at least insist on his mask staying firmly in place, and he knows someone pointed out a bed he could lay down on, but the rest of it is kind of a blur. He's much too preoccupied with the soft spot he's parked his tuchus in and the bottle of water he's somehow obtained and with just thinking What in the WHAT is happening?]

ii

[azulescarabajo]

[ Jaime is also in the mask-stays-on-club. Luckily for him his suit is made of alien technology and is able to repair most of the minor damage it took during the punch-up, so he's able to look almost good as new. Groaning, Jaime sinks down to sit next to Spidey and swigs from his own bottle of water. He glances sidelong at the other bug-themed hero. ]

...You look beat, man.

[ A pause, and he offers a hand. ]

Blue Beetle.

Eddie Myers | Original Character

[slidesrightoff]

01. Spring Thaw
[There was no official reason for him to be there, but he couldn't just sit out of a confluence though he was unaffiliated. Things tended to go sideways and the new arrivals always seemed a bit dazed, and if there was some way he could help, he would.

That said, he absolutely did not sign up for this. Eddie had taken a wild swing at the first ghost to get close to him and was still wrenching from the goo that had burst into his mouth minutes later. The joys of a metal body meant he was able to punch through some of them like tissue paper, the downside being he was more goo than cyborg at this point.

Eddie stops to futilely attempt to wipe some of the goo off him and feel somewhat less gross. While it was a nice thought, it left him completely open for a meta ghost behind him. Eddie shows no signs of noticing.]


2. Summer swelter
[Eddie had forgotten what the change in temperatures felt like, as it had been almost a lifetime since he experienced it in the time before his accident. He doesn't realize just how much hotter things have gotten until it's full-on sweltering, and for him to realize something is hot means something has gone horribly wrong.

It doesn't take him long to spot the cause, and his stomach sinks. Shit shit shit. He really hates fire. Sure, he may make him look like a coward, but he sort of shuffles backward until there is a building between him and the thing that can cook him.]

Fuuuuuck.

[Eddie peeks his head around the side of the building hoping that the fire elemental would just be a figment of his imagination. No dice.]

( spring thaw )

[exasperation]

[ he doesn't want to be here, he doesn't want to be here . . . ripley does his best to make himself as innocuous as possible, dodging and staying far, far away from the ghosts. and superheroes. actually, all of them. all people.

but then this guy seemed to be not paying attention and . . . could he let that happen? yes, but then he'd be like ford. selfish. so with his eyes clenched tightly, he quickly runs up to the ghost and touches it for a second.

but that's all he needs it for the ghost to "blink" out. he sent it to a freezer. ripley wipes his hand frantically over his pants. ]

Ugh, awful.

Doreen Green (Squirrel Girl) | Marvel comics | ota!

[eatsnutsandkicksbutts]

Spring thaw!
[ When possible, Doreen always, always, always tries to talk things out with people and come to some kind of understanding before she resorts to fighting. Unfortunately, the surprisingly solid superhero ghost that she is currently wrestling with is not very open to conversation, since he keeps trying to blast her face off with his distressingly lifelike eye lasers. ]

Look, all I'm saying is that ghosts are usually all about wrapping up unfinished business, and I'd be more than happy to help you with that! Shooting lasers at people does not count as unfinished business, and if you don't think I'ma punch a weirdly solid ghost, you have been sadly misinformed!

[ She punches that ghost! ... And unfortunately, the ghost explodes hard enough to cover her in ectoplasm, along with whoever was unfortunate enough to be standing nearby. Doreen pauses for a few horrified seconds before glancing over at you. ]

... first of all, oh my god, second, I am so sorry.

Safe and Sound
[ The fight is over, everyone has been teleported away to a safe location (which somehow feels just as weird as falling upwards through the floor of a gym and fighting a bunch of exploding ghosts, but that's something to be dealt with later), Doreen has squeezed most of the ectoplasmic gunk out of her tail and cleaned up her costume as best she can, and now she is just chilling. She is sprawled out in an armchair, staring up at the ceiling with the thousand-yard stare of someone who has had an incredibly long, incredibly strange day. ]

Ok, today was weird, right? Even for us?

[ She's talking to the little grey squirrel perched on her shoulder, but she could just as easily be talking to you! It has been a super weird day! ]

spring thaw

[hevenly]

[ Angela wipes the goo from her face and shakes it out of her hair, but her stoic expression does not falter. ]

I do not believe these shades to be natural. [ Are ghosts ever "natural?" ] They will not listen to reason.

clint barton | mcu | ota

[arrowsguy]

01. SPRING THAW.

Well, fuck,

( somewhere, he can hear one of his kids telling him that that was a bad word and he shouldn't be using bad words. but his kids are a long, long way from whatever this is and all clint can think about is how hot it is and how freaky those...people in the distance look. it's like they're not quite right, a little too out of sorts. clint can't exactly place why but it turns his stomach either which way.

so, he was just going to do his best to avoid all that, if he could, let someone else deal with it for once. that's what he's decided on and he turns to do exactly that but...something stops him.

he sighs, shoulders slumping and he curses under his breath five seconds before he turns around to face the weird, freaky people again. )

Okay, so what's this now? What are we dealing with? Is it too much to ask that they're just a very strange welcoming party?

( probably not what that is. )

02. SAFE AND SOUND.

( it feels a little bit like high school again what with the recruiters slinking around like they are. except this time it's recruiting for guilds instead of recruiting for various military branches. clint's not sure one's better than the other.

he mostly ignores them though, focused more on getting something to eat and thinking than he is on playing the game. he doesn't even know if he's ready for anything close to it so he's just going to keep his head down, hood up and hope that gets him some privacy.

he doubts it'll be that easy but he can try. he's just some guy that ended up here who's trying to have a decent meal. see, totally normal behavior. )

03. PACTS FORGED AND BROKEN.

( clint's been followed before by any manner of man and monster. he's been followed but he prides himself on his ability to slip free of the situation and not end up kidnapped and hogtied in some dirty warehouse somewhere.

but this feels different. it feels like something else all together. neither man nor monster. there's a whisper in the air, something low and sinister and it's hard to ignore. he swats at the side of his head like that might dispel the voice. he knows if he turns around, he's going to see something that he doesn't want to see so instead he ducks into the first open store that he sees.

he doesn't need anything from this place but he wants to get that voice out of his head and away from him. he needs a minute to breathe, get his focus back.

and maybe he'll buy something to distract himself later. )

04. WILDCARD.

( if there's something else you'd like to do, feel free to toss it at me. i'm at jortles for plotting/questions. )

3

[thecoolerloki]

[Loki's used to hearing little demonic voices in his head. Ikol, Mephisto, Nightmare, his own thoughts... so far the whispers have yet to bug him, mixing in with all the rest.

Which is why he's casually out and about shopping! This store happens to be a comic book store, and he nearly blends in with all the displays as he harasses some poor employee.]

Are you certain you're out of green dice sets? You should check over all stocks before you make such a claim. And while you do so, would you be so kind as to grab a few sourcebooks for me? 3.5 for sure and then I'd like to check out the newest edition as well. And all of their extra materials, obviously!

Logan | Marvel 616 | OTA

[howlett]

SPRING THAW

Bumping into old friends wasn't supposed to be part of his ill-timed trip to Sunset Falls. Neither was having to kill them. Given that people seem to get swept up in these confluences from across time and space the first few apparitions caught him off guard— it's hard to tell dead-Deadpool from normal Deadpool after all.

Now he doesn't seem to trust anyone who crosses his path and when he ends up in the same dark alley as you, he's already on guard.

His claws snikt and he stares you down.

"Are you... real or? Jesus, I need a better ghost-detector..."

PACTS FORGED AND BROKEN

Just like him, those being dropped in via confluence are starting to settle with some degree of permanency. What else is there to do when there's no known way of getting out?

If he's dropping in it's definitely to keep tabs on you. Either staking our your new address or letting you know he's around if you need him.

Which could be sooner than imagined.

I know what you want... a voice filters through the room and Logan's struck with the distinct feeling you're not alone.

"Did you hear that? Is someone here?"" He whirls around when that whispering comes again. "Is it talking to you or me?"

WILDCARD

[ooc: Something else? DM me or surprise me with whatever! I'm up for it. ]

spring thaw

[thecoolerloki]

For his part, Loki doesn't seem all that surprised to have Logan potentially threatening him. Or bothered even. He smiles, as if answering a normal greeting.

"Real! Should I ask you as well?"

He's not getting into the technicalities of him being a ghost, though.

clara oswald | doctor who | ota

[bossily]

spring thaw
[Clara doesn't need to be told twice that sticking around outside is a bad idea. In fact, it seems downright terrible, what with all the weird ghostlike superheroes showing up.

She grabs the hand of the person nearest to her and drags them along after her, for their own safety. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact she's afraid and trying to act far braver than she currently feels.]

No one needs to see that much neon spandex gathered in one place. Trust me. Your eyes will never recover if you look directly at them for too long.


safe and sound
[Okay, so the Doctor hasn't managed to show up just yet. Her phone also in no way will connect to the Tardis. That's fine. She loves it when her interdimensional and interplanetary phone won't work someplace. She just has to take matters into her own hands.

Being stuck on this planet isn't something she's necessarily looking forward to. So she waits until she's been shuttled to the Diadem Hotel and is settled in. She probably ought to sleep, but Clara's too focused on seeking out the Doctor for herself. He's surely here somewhere. Just lost and doing his own strange thing. She makes her way through every floor of the building, knocking on every single door.

She's smiling as she hears the door opening, but the second the door actually opens to reveal a face that isn't the one she's looking for, she's quick to frown.]

Well, you're not the right person.

[It's said as if it's their fault.]

( spring thaw )

[exasperation]

[ why is he being bullied like this . . . ]

I. I don't think that's the main issue?

mal oretsev ‣ grishaverse (s&b netflix)

[tochnyy]

01. SPRING THAW

[apparently, ghosts can be shot with rifles. which is a new one. mal's never seen ghosts before but he's seen volcra, seen magical beings and magic users before.

what's ghosts?

unlike some of others arriving with him, mal's got a weapon with him. he has his pistol and he's using that because what else does he have? unlike some of the others here, mal's not-- he doesn't have powers. so he has a gun and that seems to work until, it works too well and the ghost he's shooting at that has him backed into a corner explodes. and there's malyen oretsev, standing covered in goo.

it isn't the worst of things but--] What the fuck is this stuff?

03. SAFE & SOUND

[the food here's better than anything the ravkan army could ever provide it's cooks. for saints sake, mal is sure this is all richer than whatever they feed the grisha in the little palace.

the pasta he's shoveling into his mouth is coated in thick cheese, there's fresh vegetables in his salad.

this place is a dream.

or a really good army recruiting ploy; better than the ravkan army that still managed to get him with the promise of one warm meal a day, somewhat consistently.

he's been promised a room with a bath, which he'll believe when he sees it. it's all too good to be true but if mal's died and this is a dream, some weird work of magic that he'll wake up from and find himself on the fjorden forest floor or in the fold. someone's tried to explain that it isn't a dream, that they've been pulled from other worlds.

that everyone has powers now.

but... but that's too unreal. too unreal, like the moment he realized alina was the sun summoner. it doesn't matter that the hurt and anger over that is gone, he can still compare the shock to it. luckily, scared and confused, mal's pretty good at compartmentalizing. you can't be a good soldier without that. so, no thinking. only eating.

which means as someone approaches him, he's not looking up from his meal.] I'm not interested in listening to another recruiting pitch right now. Thanks for the meal though.

safe & sound

[sunmon]

[ she'd seen him at the alliance headquarters, pulled in with the others. she's sure he's not a ghost. she wants to believe it and she fears it all at once.

because she'd left ravka behind. at least, she was ready to. forget all about how terrible it had been to her and enjoy this new, luxurious replacement. forget the fold and the war and the people who'd only ever hurt her. she could do it, she told herself. she could enjoy this peace.

so mal's face in a crowd haunts her more than any ghost, any memory of that awful haunted house of strange's, and she makes her way to where they're gathering the new folk.

it shouldn't surprise her that he's not receptive. ]

You should be.

[ she crosses her arms under her chest. he'd forgotten her, left her behind, but — but he was still mal. she'd been so scared that day on the fold, torn away from him in kribirsk, and she would never stop hating herself if she did to him what he'd done to her. left him to deal with it alone. ]

The Confluence changed you, you know. [ you're like me now, she thinks bitterly, and feel just a little bit satisfied, a little bit vindicated. ]