THE ALLIANCE EXPO

[metamods]

Who: EVERYONE
What: A crisis occurs at the Alliance Expo.
When: April 13
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: character death, loss of autonomy/self, mass destruction

THE ALLIANCE EXPO

Every April, Central City hosts a guild publicity event known as the annual Alliance Expo, ostensibly to memorialize the Godfall Incident.

Most people will have heard this major historical event referenced by now — the name is inscribed on city monuments, evoked in political debates, taught in a history class, and reimagined for movies. If not, at the Expo itself, informational booths paint a very black and white picture of how good triumphed over evil.

On April 3rd, 1985, a young metahuman named Starstruck nearly obliterated Central City. Seeing the risk of his unchecked rage unraveling reality itself, heroes and villains joined forces to stop Starstruck and save the world from its certain destruction.

In the wake of the incident, Metahuman survivors came together — not as heroes and villains, but as citizens of the planet. At this first Alliance Expo, they created the Guilds with the common goal of protecting this universe.

Since the 80s, the Expo has opened to the public. Like the Alliance itself, it has evolved (or devolved?) to be more commercialized. Nowadays, the Expo is a publicity event where vendors sell branded merchandise and knockoffs of licensed and unlicensed heroes alike.

OPENING CEREMONIES —

In the spirit of its early days, when the Expo was meant to be a point of connection for all metas, it still offers free entry to metahumans who are in costume (or whose identities/meta status are known). As with any convention, inside the crowded Central City Convention Center, attendees must wear their badges on lanyards as they navigate booths and schedules. The show floor provides curated museum-style exhibits about the Godfall Incident and other pieces of metahuman history, as well as art installations and even some branded food and merch stands that venerate the heroes who saved the day.

Of course, non-metas attend as well, but in smaller numbers. Many of them are fans of capes, who arrive dressed in dated costumes of their favorites and chat about their favorite era of a particular hero's career. Having paid for the rare opportunity to rub shoulders with their idols at this prestigious event, they may overwhelm new heroes with requests for autographs or comments (or critiques!) about their wardrobe. In addition to fans, meta attendees may run into investors sidling up to heroes with hopes of getting in on the ground floor to make a mascot of the next big hero under the guise of altruism.

A speech from Frances Starling kickstarts the opening ceremonies. Following her scathing, undisguised criticism for the commercialization of a tragic event (and reference to the particular surprises it posed to its stakeholders), she acknowledges that she feels an obligation to be here. She devotes most of her speech to addressing the new Confluence-created metas about the danger that comes with being a metahuman and a citizen of this world, emphasizing that no meta is obligated to throw themselves headlong into danger. Metahumans, she says, deserve the chance to live a quiet, modest life as much as anyone else.

The dazzling display that follows is anything but modest. The Expo's opening ceremonies continue apace with indoor fireworks, a hologram movie, and a band with a lightshow. In addition, new metas get the chance to perform in a variety of ways:

• The Alliance's staffers are more than happy to facilitate any talented metas who wish to show off their skills during the ostentatious opening ceremonies.



• Some time later, new Alliance heroes are ushered onstage to debut their hero identities to the world. An announcer excitedly reads code names as facilitators nudge the new heroes onto the stage to parade around the catwalk and show off their costumes and gadgetry. Stars explode around them, and time is made for anyone who wants to give a little speech.



• The Expo has also pre-arranged a dramatic performance with the new guild members: just as the new Alliance heroes make their debut, new Society members arrive to "crash" the celebration and cause mischief. In the loose scripting that prepared participants for the event in advance, staffers encourage them to ham it up and mug for the cameras. Some may have pre-arranged choreography — of their own, or at the behest of the Alliance's marketing team. For playing along and making the heroes look good, Society members will be rewarded handsomely ... off the record, of course.

THE SIMULATION —

Squat in the center of the show floor is this year’s big draw: a virtual-reality simulation recreating the Godfall Event, developed using the memories of witnesses and edited for gamification. According to the brochures, it's part training exercise and part memorial for all the superheroes who fell against Starstruck.

The marketing team of the Alliance clearly had a field day. Programmed using state of the art Winters Industries technology, the simulation allows anyone to step into the role of a hero and relive the Godfall Incident — or at least, a heavily sanitized version of it. Even the marketing team recognizes that it would be upsetting to faithfully recreate the carnage of that day and market it to the world. Though it claims to be recreated from the memories of those who lived it, the introductory cutscene provides a more palatable version that plays out like a Saturday morning cartoon:

You are a hero of the 1980s. The costumes are bright and colorful, the hair enormous and flowing. The hues of the simulation are oversaturated and vaguely psychedelic. You may find yourself delivering bombastic, alliterative catchphrases or striking dramatic poses for no particular reason. It’s fun! Just go with it!

At the center of all of this, Starstruck destroys (random, and of course) unoccupied buildings with his energy blast powers. A classic 1980s cartoon villain, his hair is the biggest and the pointiest, and he’s wearing spikes and eyeliner. The VR replica doesn't quite match the brochures outside, but it’s close enough, right? As soon as he spots heroes approaching, Starstruck stops destroying (random and, of course, unoccupied) buildings to monologue at length, cackling about his plans to destroy the world and how you heroes can do nothing to stop him! This is a VR game, not just a cutscene — participants can interact with Starstruck. Go on! Walk up and punch him mid-speech!

Any attack will start the battle in earnest. As promised, this is just a silly sort of beat-em-up game. Starstruck has several different patterns of energy attack, which he’ll mix up some. In his second phase — indicated by him getting angry and glowing red — he whips out some larger attacks, but he’s never too difficult to defeat. You came in here to play a fun game, maybe try out some new powers, and ultimately feel like heroes, and that’s what the game is going to deliver.

You know. Probably.

Notably, Atomight appears to be perturbed by all of this. The hero does not stay on the show floor long, excusing himself curtly after the simulation is announced. Any who linger too close to Conference Room C may hear an explosive argument between the leader of the Alliance and the head of marketing. It seems that Atomight painted a very different picture of what this event would be, and the marketing team of the Alliance ran wild without the input of its chair. He returns to the event, though. Obligation keeps him rooted here, unhappy but unwilling to abandon the dream that founded this.

A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX —

As everyone is distracted by the glitz and glam the Expo offers, no one notices as someone makes their way to the simulator’s core console and slip a USB into the drive.

Inside the simulation, something subtly shifts. The bright colors dull to something more realistic. The punches and kicks lose their sound effects. The screen tears briefly as the simulation splits, duplicating itself into multiple instances. Then it all goes dark.

When the lights come back on, participants stand in the midst of a mostly destroyed Central City. A massive column of light shines in the center of the city, so bright it hurts to look at. The air sears your lungs. People scream, racing away from the slowly expanding field of energy, leveling buildings as it goes.

At the epicenter stands Starstruck, and the energy that is destroying the city is radiating out of his form. However, on closer inspection, he's changed too. This is no longer some over-the-top, dramatic villain. This is a teenage boy, looking terrified, alone, and unstoppable.

And you know he can’t stop.

He wants to, you can tell he does, but he can’t.

So you need to stop him.

It’s no wonder Atomight didn't want this celebrated.

You struggle to remember that this is a simulation - for some, the thought may slip away entirely. It feels real enough. Hero, villain, unaligned — however you think of yourself doesn’t matter. You’re standing shoulder to shoulder with friends, lovers, and enemies to do the unthinkable. Some of you may be freshly sprung from the maximum security metahuman jail. Some may have bolted away from parents, donning makeshift costumes, knowing that this may very well be your last stand. Others still may be in plainclothes, your metahuman status hidden to the world until this exact moment.

While some participants may retain their own values and minds others can be compelled by the AI of the hero role they're placed into in any of the following ways:

• TURN AWAY AND RESCUE CIVILIANS — Some heroes can't face the moral quandary posed by Starstruck's fall. Maybe you leave the hard choices to others and focus on what you can do and who you can save.



• CONVINCE OTHERS TO TRY TO REACH STARSTRUCK (OR DO IT YOURSELF) — If you've taken on the role of one of Starstruck's teammates, you may stand between your friend and the adult heroes trying to take him down. You're driven by the sense that if you could just get within earshot and talk to him, you could reach your friend and calm this whole thing down.



• FIGHT THROUGH YOUR FRIENDS TO STOP THE VILLAIN — Those in the position of grizzled heroes or cynical villains may believe the situation is well past something that words can solve. You've seen the reports, and you know you have less than an hour to stop this kid from destroying the planet. You’ve weighed his life against the billions on the planet and have made your choice, no matter how much it sickens you to do so. And now you have to snuff out this child’s terrible light, even if you have to fight your way through your own loved ones to do it.
  
  
• DESTROY THE WORLD? — Especially unlucky participants may get shuffled into Starstruck's AI and stand as the harbinger of this apocalypse, right at the epicenter of the blast.
  
  His emotional state — your emotional state — swings wildly between anger, horror, grief, and regret. But one thing is clear: he never wanted this. And neither did you. Loss weighs heavily on you, dragging up your own dark feelings and memories of loss, inadequacy, pain. It assails the senses and doubles you over. As the darkness encroaches, the energy around you pulses and expands further.
  
  You can't hold the energy in; your powers are out of control. Will you ask someone to end it — and you with it? Or will you decide that if you have to die, the world should go with you? Or maybe your friends can find the right words to talk you down, miraculously saving you from your own might.

OUTSIDE

It takes time to notice. At first, the party continues apace — until alarms blare. The technicians and technopaths stop what they’re doing and run for the simulation room. Those who run after them and can read the monitor data can't quite determine what exactly has gone awry — but on thing is clear: the participants aren't responding to reality, and many seem to be in genuine distress.

The technicians are also distressed as they declare that the simulation can't be shut down. Pulling the power could cause serious damage to those still inside — the safety protocols, after all, also rely on that power, and people inside are throwing around attacks that could seriously injure each other if they weren’t safely within a VR space.

Those on the outside can work to save the trapped participants:

• Can you help the technicians diagnose the problem?


• Can you convince them that you should go in and pull people out yourself like in Sunset Falls? Careful - that might not exactly work the way you expect, but it’ll be easy to slip past the distracted workers if you really want to try.


• Maybe you want to investigate what triggered the failing in the first place and go for the convention center's security footage, which reveals the masked figure with the USB. How will you track them down?


• Got another plan? To pursue these and other options, please collaborate with other players to develop a plan and pitch your approach to the mods HERE.

AFTERMATH —

Maybe you defeat Starstruck, or whatever unlucky person happened to be playing him today. Maybe you somehow manage to talk them down this time. Maybe you stood by and let him destroy everything, unwilling to sacrifice one life for millions. One way or another, thanks to the work of those outside, the simulation reaches its end.

For those emerging from the simulation, the VR Hall comes back into focus. Medical staff run inside — mercifully, the safeties didn’t fail. As real as it all felt, no matter what powers were being thrown around, no one comes out physically hurt. After a brief check-up to ensure that there’s no lingering side-effects, the healers and medics determined that any scarring you’ll walk away with on this day is all mental.

Those who return to enjoy the rest of the Expo will find the mood sobered. However, plenty of vendors still need to offload their wares, and plenty of attendees want their money's worth. Nothing even really happened, right? Just a glitch? In spite of all you’ve just seen and felt, the Expo kicks back into full swing pretty quickly after the situation’s resolved, as if nothing even really happened.

The booths and informational posters with their shiny, marketable version of the Godfall Incident are still firmly in place. Knowing what you know now, can you really rejoin the party...?

Not wanting any negative PR, the Expo organizers are offering everyone involved in the VR incident a free goodie bag of convention swag! Enjoy your branded lanyards and tea cozies. If that isn’t enough, they may be able to slip you a little hush money.

IN SUMMARY...

• The Alliance Expo is part job conference, part tech conference, and part comic-con, and all metahumans attend for free. New guild heroes and villains will be publicly introduced.


• While operating as intended, expo attendees can relive a light-hearted, propaganda version of the Godfall Event via VR simulation, where participants step into the shoes of a real hero who existed during this time to experience a light-hearted, Saturday morning cartoon version of events.


• After someone sabotages the simulation, the simulation becomes realistic recreation of the Godfall Event. Participants may be overwhelmed by the programmed AI's memories and motives, and can take the role of either any hero or of Starstruck himself, a terrified teenager who lost control of his powers.


• The simulation runs multiple simultaneous instances, so multiple characters can take on the role of Starstruck or the role of his savior and/or killer.


• Those outside the simulation can work together to investigate or fix the crisis. To pursue these and other options, players should use the OOC community to collaborate and develop a plan to pitch to the mods HERE.

Please direct any questions regarding this log HERE.

Comments

QUESTIONS & NPC INTERACTIONS

[metamods]

For questions about the event, including how to engage with the mystery element or attempts to shake up the events unfolding, please put QUESTION in the subject of your reply. NPC INTERACTION covers conversations or actions towards NPCs around the Expo, the AI within the simulation, and the saboteur.

QUESTIONS

[planetary_bonds]

For those of us wanting to walk in Starstruck's shoes, I don't recall if it was ever mentioned what kind of power Starstruck had that went haywire but would you care to elaborate? or is that something we'll end up finding out through the course of playing? like I remember the setting being vague about how starstruck ended up going rogue, and the VR simulation hints at something going Wrong with his powers so, y'know. is the info lying around elsewhere or summat

QUESTION

[portolan]

In the simulation, do PCs look like themselves, the historic person they take on, a mix, player choice?

QUESTION

[seenicroute]

If the USB is left behind and found, would someone who touched it gain any psychic information on where it came from and how or was the USB removed by the masked person?

[tinglesense]

Quick question: do we know Starstruck's civilian identity, either learning it from being in his shoes or is it listed in a brochure somewhere?

The AI

[howlett]

"no one comes out physically hurt." Should I take this to mean by the AI itself? Like if this dummy gets confused and disoriented by the AI stuff he'll still be able to pop his claws and cause some unintended damage outside of the simulation, yes?

[sunmon]

Just to confirm: if you die in the Matrix, you don't die in real life, right?

Peter Parker | MCU | ota

[tinglesense]

A; SIMULATION WORLD: BEFORE

Early in the expo event, Peter decides to try the VR because of course he does. It seems too cool not to try out, and it's not like he can really participate in all the guild stuff anyway.

His avatar for this go round is named Centauri, and Peter finds him pretty familiar, considering his hero outfit looks a lot like one of Peter's heroes. Inside the simulation, Peter definitely reacts at first by saying, "Holy shit, I'm Iron Man."

Not exactly; Centauri's suit isn't anywhere near as high tech as any Stark technology that Peter has seen or interacted with. This is the 80s, after all, and he's also not actually Iron Man. He can still fly though, so that's pretty cool.

It doesn't take Peter long to figure out the controls. But more than that, it doesn't take Peter long to realise he doesn't need the controls. Thanks to his technopathy, he can…sort of feel the code of it.

Is this what it's like to be Neo? Man, this is awesome. So Centauri's suit might not be all that cool, just has some missiles and some canons and flies, but Peter can do…pretty much whatever he wants.

So you can find him as Centauri in the suit flying around mostly doing tricks (this is before the "save the world" scenario starts).

Later, he ditches the suit. If you have cool Matrix powers, why do it in an Iron Man suit? No way. Gotta do it on your own! The civilian identity of Centauri is Eddie Wilson, a fairly handsome blonde man in his 30s. Peter's not too concerned with it, but he knows…actually way more about this man than he needs to now. Later, he'll wonder what happened to Eddie Wilson. For now? MATRIX POWERS. (Note: Peter doesn't look like Eddie here, he still looks like Peter Parker. Eddie just had a bio tagged along with the avatar choice, and Peter got extra feedback from technopathy.)

Obviously he has to do the whole stopping bullets thing at least once. But first, he has to go find someone to shoot at him.

Otherwise, feel free to notice Peter ("Eddie") and his cool new Matrix powers, like slowing time around him or flying around completely defying physics in ways that make no sense.

Want to team up to fight cartoon villain Starstruck? Sure! "Eddie" is massively OP for this fight, and without an Agent Smith type to stand against him, it's probably not all that hard a fight, rip.

B; SIMULATION WORLD: SINISTER CW: PARENTAL DEATH, GRIEF

Peter takes a break from the simulation after the battle. It's only fun to be able to do literally anything you want in a VR scenario for awhile, after all. But he kind of wants to try a different avatar, so he goes to try again.

He starts out as some teenage antihero, but in the end that doesn't matter. He can sense the instant the change happens, rippling through the code and screwing up his senses. He has a wild moment where he remembers the illusion that Mysterio put him through, where he couldn't even tell up from down.

When he shakes that off, he's not a teenage antihero. Instead, he's Starstruck, caught in the middle of…wait a minute. No. This isn't right. This wasn't the scenario from before.

He can feel the panic rising in him as energy radiates out around him, starting to crumble things in its path.

"No, stop," he says. He holds out a hand, searching for the Matrix power, the ability to stop the code from doing whatever the hell this is. But it doesn't work. In fact, in backfires spectacularly, and he forgets what was real before, tied up in Starstruck's memories somehow. This…is this magic? God, he hates magic.

But forget that.

Starstruck's own guilt and anger compound with the guilt and anger that Peter himself still feels at all of his losses. Starstruck's parents were murdered, and the longing for justice is overwhelming. The emotion compounds on itself and he can't stop. He can't stop his anguish from spiralling outwards, the energy radiating off of him. It's horrifying for him.

He turns to reach for someone else, but they're outside the spreading energy field. For now.

"Help me!"

Or stop him.

C: THE REAL WORLD, AFTER

Eventually it ends how it ends and Peter finally slams back into his own memories, but what happened in the simulation lingers and it's hard for him to detach. Something went wrong.

Also, they were lied to. Starstruck wasn't a megalomaniacal villain. He was a messed up kid dealing with trauma. Or…not dealing with it. Wow, sounds familiar! Peter doesn't have world ending powers, thank god, but…

Yeah, anyway. Come catch him from his very very obvious panic attack: arms wrapped around himself, close to hyperventilating.

D; WILDCARD

[ This not doing it for you? Want Peter just at the expo? Want to try to talk to him about what he figured out about the origin of the hack? Throw something at me here or catch me on plurk at boywonder ]

C

[kid_flash_found]

Bart hadn't really wanted to be involved with this beyond the basic glad-handing and being visible. But he had been around. And he'd done what he could to at least help with seeing to the well-being of those on the outside without plugging in himself.

However, he'd seen some of the shell-shocked faces, and one in particular had him coming over after he realized Peter had just stuck himself in a corner to panic. So he came over with a quiet "Hey," and sat down next to him, putting an arm around him in what comfort he could until his friend was ready to respond.

B - I mean, stopping you is a *FORM* of help, right?

[helpdesk_hero]

He hears the voice, the plea. The pain. Another day he would pity the child, pity what the world has done to him. Another day he might have let others step up to act, to cosset, to chide and guide back to the 'right path'.

Except he'd abandoned that path long ago, hadn't he?

Thunderclap had once been a hero. Had once stood shoulder to shoulder with these people who called themselves the saviors of the world. But they weren't that. They were corrupt in their own ways, ignored the true pains, failed to see that the only way to save everyone was to take them away from the paths they walked, away from the structures of powers that ruled their lives. He would save them. He could save them. But only if they let him.

And only if this child didn't destroy it all first.

Getting here hadn't been easy, but here the former hero, known once for his nobility and honor before his descent into what some considered madness from channeling too much electricity over too many years, hovered. His dark gray uniform was torn and burned, but the silvery-blue streaks over it meant to evoke the image of lightning were shining with reflected light from the electricity dancing over his gauntleted hands.

You can't do this, he's a child. This... this is wrong. Something is very wrong a voice in the back of his head said, insisted, pleaded. David's voice. The voice of the person that had been pushed down under the power of the AI that had taken control.

IT was a weak voice. It wasn't needed. Instead it was Thunderclap, or the memory of him, that called out.

"I'll help you alright, kid. Help us all."

C - i should just rename this icon 'for peter'

[portolan]

[ CW: Balthier mixing up own identity with previous name/dead name ]

He's in an absolute daze as he stumbles out of the VR equipment and away from that horrid room. For the first time in weeks he's looking around for Fran, trying to remember where the Strahl is. All he wants is to recede into the farthest corner of the sky where no one can reach him.

Which of course he can't have. And in a momentary panic, he wonders if that was ever real. His whole body feels hot and he misses a step, stumbling into someone. Was Balthier real? All he can remember is being Ffamran -- dreams of escape, hurting inside as he listened to what he was told, constructing a person he wished he was-- That was real. He knows that was real.

But wasn't Nolan real too? And he couldn't stop Thunderclap. He couldn't save Starstruck. Couldn't save his friend.

Couldn't.
Couldn't.
Couldn't.
Couldn't.
Wouldn't.

He stumbles into the main room, eyes desperately searching for someone he knows. An anchor to which set of memories he should be listening to. He wanders through the people, panic rising with every face he doesn't know. How did he get here? Is he still in a simulation, a spell, a--

The crowd shifts and he sees Peter huddled against a wall. Peter. He knows Peter. And scions, Peter looks terrible. His feet take him there without him really knowing what he's doing, only to see Peter is breathing too fast, too shallow. "Peter?" His voice is weak. Hardly his own.

And he hates seeing him like this. Memories screaming -- their disagreement, worrying about the kid, that time Peter overshared about losing everyone, Nolan so terrified for his friend, standing in Judge's armor being told to murder a schoolmate -- Balthier wraps his arms around Peter, enveloping him in a hug.

"You're alright. You're safe." But it's just as much for him as it is for Peter.

B

[nepotis]

Harry thought the VR game would be a laugh. And it was, at first. But as time went on, things tipped sideways, and after a point he's forgotten about being Harry, and has instead become TRIPLE TROUBLE, a seasoned villain who has been released from a stint in jail in exchange for trying to rein in Starstruck's rampage. He knows Starstruck, vaguely, and knows that the kid is in over his head. So while other villains-turned-saviors are begging T.T. to triplicate their weapons to try to take Starstruck down, instead he chooses to approach, carefully, hand outstretched as he calls out.

"Kid, you've got to stand down. Whatever reason you've got for doing this, it ain't worth ending it all, yeah?"

C

[slidesrightoff]

Eddie had sincerely hoped against hope that he was wrong, that everything touted about "the Godfall incident" didn't scream of sanitized propaganda, and that it really was the workings of an overly powerful megalomaniac.

But this world bore too many parallels to Mercury City. The players were different but the game was the same. Events had been sanitized for years, keeping the public satiated with daring tales of heroism while the true horrors kept the victors up at night.

And now he'd been proven right, to his detriment, and the horrors have spread, an entirely new generation of people hurt.

It just made Eddie angry.

Later, perhaps, when things had calmed down. Anger would help no one now, least of all the people who need help the most. He moves around the room, trying to help people snap out of it when Peter hugging himself catches his attention, and he beelines over, staying at least an arms length away so as to not crowd him.

"Take deep breaths--in through your nose, out through your mouth," said Eddie, quiet and reassuring. "You're out of the simulation now. This is real."

C

[doctopoda]

Otto had barely anything to do with the entire virtual reality debacle. He's had his fill of machines altering his perception; he wasn't going to tempt fate again, not for some sort of fancy video game, and apparently he was right.

Still, he'd followed the sound of the ruckus, and stuck around until the situation was resolved. He's turning to go, even less interested now in all the Guild hoopla, when he sees a familiar face.

"Peter?" He doesn't suppose he's the most comforting presence in the world. But the kid's alone, visibly panicked, in a crowd that seems largely more concerned with taking photos of the commotion than anything else. So he approaches anyway, his size and a few sharp movements from the actuators easily clearing a bit more space around the both of them. "Come on," he says, venturing to lay a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Let's go out in the hall, it'll be quieter."

[helpdesk_hero]

I. Booth 'Babe' Time

To say stepping into the convention hall during demonstrator set up hours had made David nervous was an understatement. Last convention he had been to had been a mess of fans, of bwitter blowing up over him fake-flirting with Kon, and... And the fallout afterward. Of everything. So yes, he's come into this concerned. Especially when an Alliance rep had sent a text to tell him that he would of course be joining the debut of heroes.

David had happily send back a 'not unless you want me to blow my secret identity, because I'm working today', and made it right over to his booth.

A booth that he had been at for most of the day now, bored. Turned out most people were here for the cosplay and the autographs and the selfies and the merch. Turned out less people were here about the less showy presentations, like the one set up at the Adaptech booth, manned for the first half of the convention by the newest employee, the low man on the science side of the totem pole.

David was bored almost out of his mind, and as another set of convention goers decided they were bored with the demonstration and walked away, David moved to lay his head down on the table and sigh in exasperation. And, because of the placement of where he laid down, well... The central feature of the demonstration, a highly advanced robotic arm moved through one of its pre-programmed routines and reached out to pat his head.

"Yeah, thanks Andy. I appreciate the support," he mumbled as the hand continued to pat his head, and with quite a good bit of gentle caution. At least the new force calculations were spot on.

So there he was, a man in yellow shades, a dark gray shirt and slacks, and nice yellow vest, head down on the table, his head being pet by a robotic arm. All under the Adaptech sign and logo and a banner proclaiming 'Prosthetics and Assistive Technology of the Future'. Oh, and of course there was the smaller sign on the front of the table and all the pamphlets encouraging people to 'Come meet Andy, latest in the line of our new prosthetics research. Shake his hand, arm wrestle, fist bump, and see what we can do for you.'

Apparently nothing, with how bored David was.

II. The Simulation Is Strong With This One

His replacement takes over in the afternoon, telling David to go and explore the sights and enjoy everything going on. David highly doubts he will, but he puts on a smile and nods and pretends to be excited as he walks away. Initially his intention is to look around, find friends, find his boyfriend because he knows Balthier is around somewhere. But as he passes the simulation area... Well, how can he pass that up? Enough time dealing with the Danger Room had him curious, and before David knew it, he was signing up to enter. His role was assigned, and things started.

It's horrible. It's bright. It's gaudy. It's the eighties. Reminds him of Cable's horrible outfit actually, though David can't quite say why. But he's going through the whole thing when... Something happens. It changes.

The simulation shifts around him, and it feels raw to his technopathic sense. IT was raw, cutting into his power like knives. And all David can do is try and regain his balance. Hard to do when everything around him changed. Including his costume. He didn't even remember the name of the former-hero turned villain he was inhabiting. Hadn't even realized the guy was a villain until now. But here he was anyway, clad in deep gray costume run through with silver streaks that looked to emulate electricity. The same electricity that was now coursing around the metal gauntlets on his arms.

"Thunderclap!" another voice called out to him. Not him? David's head hurt so much. But he knew the voice was calling for him, and David turned to it.

"He has to be stopped," David said, looking away from the other person in the simulation to the figure in the pillar of light. "This has to be stopped."

Stop him. Have to stop him. No one else will have the will to do it. It must be done, a voice whispered in the back of his mind. The voice hurt, like electricity in his head, dancing across his mind and DEMANDING.

David shook his head to try and shake the voice away.

"Something's wrong," he observed.

[OOC: Some details of the hero David's playing in the simulation is here. Over time the AI will get more and more in control of David, making use of the vulnerability his technopathy gives him to technopaths and AI consciousnesses. But this means that as he's playing a more villain persona means he'll be more likely to lash out at heroes who try and stop him through force or conversation. Hit me up there to discuss ideas/plot if you would like.]

III. After The Simulation

When it's all over he feels like a puppet with his strings cut. Perhaps that's because it's exactly what it is. Worse than that, he's sick to his stomach from all that his mind remembers happening, from the sensation of power that wasn't his coursing through him, from the violence of it all. And all the while he found himself suffering one of the most debilitating migraines of his entire life.

He'd felt many like them before, but the specific way this one hurt, the way it made his digits feel fuzzy and gave everything a radiating aura around it, made light too bright and sounds too loud...

This one was an overcharge of his technopathic abilities, and he wanted to be sick.

"Water," he croaked out, to anyone who might be close enough to hear the request out, as he tries to keep from breaking down.

So many things had happened in there, all terrible, and David just wanted to cry.

[OOC: Have other ideas? Want to do something not listed? Hit me up at my plotting comment here or at churbooseanon]

I

[doctopoda]

Otto, for his part, is using the demonstrator's hall as an escape from all that ridiculous fanfare! This is more what he'd pictured, when he decided to run by the Expo - all the costumes and autograph signings had been a surprise. Apparently it's more of a Comic-Con situation? Which might have been fine, if he didn't attract attention just by being there. He ducked into this hall to escape some folks who were trying to get him up on a catwalk, of all things, and was immediately relieved. This is more like a scientific convention - he gets this.

The Adaptech booth immediately draws his attention. He'd hoped to do some work in prosthetics later down the line, back home; of course he'd seen how his work with the actuators could have revolutionized that field as well. Pricey as hell, but he’s sure he could have driven the manufacturing cost down...

...well. It never happened, anyway.

"Long day?" he asks the top of the booth runner's head, picking up a pamphlet. Two of the actuators immediately move to inspect Andy the Arm. Otto's admiring the precision of the force being applied; they’re making distant noises about winning a contest of strength. Which they will not be doing, thank you.

II, probably III

[portolan]

Nolan is running, running, running. Away from his father. Away from his decisions. Away from that person he just--oh God. He's going to throw up.

And then there's someone he recognizes. A friend of his father's? An uncle? The details are blurry.

"Thunderclap!" he calls.

Thunderclap turns to him at least. Says Starstruck has to be stopped.

"I know," he says. He licks his lips. He always does that when he's nervous. His costume pulls weirdly. It's only the second time he's worn it. It doesn't feel like it's his so much as he feels like a kid playing dress up. "I just need to talk to him. I can -- I can fix this."

Another conversation, pleading with his father. Cid? Harry? Their faces blur together.

Let me talk to him. Let me give him a chance to leave.

You know I can't do that, Ffamran.

He's my friend.

Power comes with responsibility. Harden your heart. Do what you must. And don't you dare make me look weak for giving you this position.

Balthier squeezes his eyes shut. When was that? When is now? That happened a long time ago, didn't it?

For a moment, he flickers from the 16-year-old kid to himself. But at the thought of what he had to do that day, he rockets back to Nolan. It's safer, and that lets the AI dig it's claws another tick deeper.

booth babes!

[eatsnutsandkicksbutts]

David might not be enjoying himself at the expo today, but judging by the sheer number of knockoff superhero action figures that are sticking out of her utility belt, Doreen is having a blast. She's already checked out the wrestling and some of the exhibits, but since her tail has started attracting a little too much attention from the crowds, she's noped out into a quieter area of the exhibition hall to get a break.

"What's up, Andy!" she says, giving the robotic hand a cheerful fistbump, and grinning hugely when the gesture is returned. "Ohmygosh." She turns to David. "Does Andy do secret handshakes? Wait, I guess they wouldn't be secret if he did, huh?"

loki odinson | mcu

[dothelokimotion]

( i. discount merchandise )

[ in terms of mischief, this is small. practically harmless. after all, who would even care?

and he needed a distraction. things were unusually hectic since he arrived, trying to find his legs in this new world. not the only loki, but displaced in everyone's hearts and trying to find a corner of his own. it doesn't help that he has some of the kid loki's memories battering his head for a bit. it complicates things.

but thankfully, loki is great at compartmentalisation. or repression. same thing really. with magic, he's claimed a booth and is selling all kinds of bootlet toys. you have your "Tin Man" with a sequin sewed to his chest, “The Bulk” which is just Shrek wearing purple pants, “Captain Amurrica” who seems to be only wearing flag underwear and of course “Dr. Salt ‘n Pepper” which is Jareth from Labyrinth but his hair is black and white.

there are other variations of course, but if you want to know about them you’d need to ask loki who is leaning forward, a twinkle in his eye. ]

Interested in a purchase?

( ii. the simulation — in the shoes of a hero )

[ this is what he’s been missing. shedding his skin, slipping into a new identity altogether. no nostalgic scenery, no past hangups. just this illusionary world in the past. normally, he could conjure his own but those were always dangerous. you could sink into them and never want to escape. this was just a diversion, a momentary fancy.

wearing this, loki waves at his fans as he does his “patrol” around the city as The Sorcerer, an alien from a mystic realm here to maintain the balance between good and evil. he even blows a kiss now and then. ]

No, you’re welcome.

( iii. a glitch in the matrix ) cw: potential violence for this prompt

[ and then it all goes to shit.

which isn't unexpected, but his mind is tied to it. the grafted personality keeps switching to villain and he finds his hands twitching to commit . . . what? violence? pain? madness? was his own personality bleeding through this heroic persona he stepped into?

and thor's voice keeps ringing in his head, you're the worst brother. this is always where you were going to end up. you can't escape it. he digs his fingers into his ears and rasps out. ]

Shut up. Shut up.

( iv. aftermath )

[ all in all . . . a disappointing experience. of course, it was taken advantage of. abused. the flaw of mechanical illusionary work. loki expected nothing less. but the brief high of heroism has long faded in what took place and all he could taste was his own bitterness on his tongue. even in a false world, loki couldn't do it. maybe he never could. always one for grand gestures, never enough to matter.

he pushes his hair back, tired and mutters to himself. ]

I suppose it's nice to know heroics still means act first, ask questions later.

( v. wildcard )

[ got another prompt / idea in mind? feel free to hit me up @ timmtams or my plotting comment. ]

ii and we could eventually go into iii?

[thecoolerloki]

[Loki rolls his eyes at his other self.]

This is what you find fun? LARPing without even taking on the boss fight?

[Meanwhile, he's been placed in the role of Wren, a Batfamily/Hawkeye-esque hero who relies only on their wits and gadgets. In terms of costumes, it's these two merged.]

Balthier | Final Fantasy XII

[portolan]

I. Introducing the Kraken – OTA but especially Ripley

Balthier was told in no uncertain terms that he needed to premier his villain persona at the Expo, in part to actively conceal that he is taking over for the Acquisitioner, a beloved black market tradesman who has been operating for years. He’ll have his own actual villain identity at some point, but today he’s wearing so many ruffles on a 17th century looking getup, a mask that looks vaguely like it has a beak, and a big hat. If you catch him wandering around in the morning he’ll gladly insult you, flirt with you, or throw illusions of water-based powers your way. His voice is obscured, but anyone close to him may recognize his particular brand of charm and wit, or his occasional slip-up on his absolute distaste for being slapped with water-themed piracy.

He’s also checking on messages for the business. Can’t exactly run a booth for a discreet operation.


II. My First Con – OTA

After changing out of that absurd costume (he absolutely had a fantastic time but is ready to be himself for a few hours), Balthier takes to wandering the expo. He’s never been to a convention before and is fascinated by the bizarre mixture of theatrics, commerce, booths that operate like an outdoor market, and the showcase of technologies and propaganda.

He intends to go find his boyfriend at some point, but runs into Peter first and gets sidetracked into trying the VR sim. He’s intrigued, as VR is new to him and his illusions powers can produce a similar but more limited experience. He’s getting ideas, and the ability to flip through avatars to see if any powers here are similar to his from home is appealing. But the sanitization of the events and stories reminds him too much of Archades and the Empire’s quest to justify its behavior.

While he’s in there, he’ll happily hang out with others, complain about propaganda, and test the limits of the simulation’s powers.


III. Glitch in the Matrix – OTA, CW: grief, violence, death, compulsion, deadnaming self

Balthier is ready to make his goodbyes and disengage when the hack hits.

The first thing he notices is that he can’t leave. He frowns, trying again. “Hey, what am I doing wrong? The command isn’t responding.”

But no one answers.

He looks around. He doesn’t see anyone from earlier. So he starts walking. He feels – shorter?

That’s when someone grabs him, and his whole body goes rigid with a mix of fear and shame. He flinches and for a moment he thinks he sees Cid, his father, in front of him. He cannot be here, though. He’s on another world. And he’s dead.

It’s not Cid. But it’s someone Balthier feels the same about, telling him he has to get out there. Has to stop this. He can’t keep being a coward. He has powers for a reason.

He doesn’t want to use those powers. Doesn’t want to be a Judge. Doesn’t want—

Scions. What is happening? There’s another set of memories in there. Another set of feelings. And they’re mixing up with his worst teenage memories.

He breaks away from the figure, running down the alley. Someone said something about Starstruck. He knows that name. Knows the boy under the mask – his friend.

Oh gods, they’re going to fight his friend. He has to get there first. Has to stop this.

Maybe it is time to use his powers. Even if they’re terrible. Even if he hates them. Because all he can do is control others. Take away their agency. Their story. And he hates being that person.

But maybe today it matters. So when he runs into someone, someone he thinks can help or should stop, he tries to compel them.

And it just pushes him farther into Nolan Clark, farther into Ffamran mied Bunansa, and farther away from Balthier.

[ OOC: Particularly interested in someone arguing with Nolan that he NEEDS to use his powers to control others. Preferably an authority in his life, and preferably a bully.

Also interested in someone who would be willing to be compelled by him to do something dark, which he will then (poorly) try to fix. ]


IV. Aftermath – OTA

Catch him suppressing the shake in his hands and voice and trying to comfort others while barely resisting a panic attack. He wants to retreat to the Strahl, he wants to find his loved ones, he wants to comfort Nolan and Starstruck, and he’s having trouble remembering which reality he’s actually in, that the person he thinks he is actually exists. Oh, also, he died in the sim and that's Not Great.

[ Want something else or to chat specifics? Hit me up here or on plurk portolan ]

( i )

[exasperation]

[ ripley didn't really want to visit. this is just a quick job, in and out. he can do that. he's not sweating profusely and discreetly dabbing cologne to mitigate that as he passes through.

but he yelps as the water based illusion comes his way. ]

What?! Why?! What?!

ripley arkwright | oc

[exasperation]

( i. outside the expo )

[ there was no money or power in the universe that would make ripley step inside an expo full of superheroes. he was jumpy just hearing about it. the idea of so many powered, government or guild entities in one place . . . oof. terrifying. if he wasn’t doing a delivery job, he wouldn’t have come near it. as it stands he was only passing by and had slowed down to take in the sights when he bumps into a superhero cardboard standee and nearly jumps out of his skin. ]

— Ack! Stay away!

[ ripley touches it and it blinks out only to appear a few steps away, making a bunch of people stutter in shock. to his credit, ripley looks vaguely sheepish. ]

Sorry.

( ii. outside — helping out )

[ ripley vibrates outside as everyone seems to worry about the trapped people inside. he seems to be chewing on his lip as people try to make plans and fret. his policy is non-interference.

don’t interfere. don’t involve yourself or people will know. they’ll come for you.

and yet.

ripley clears his throat. loudly. maybe too loudly because he looks immediately regretful of his tone which comes out a little squeaky. ]

I can . . . get people inside. It’s not any trouble. If anyone is volun . . . teering . . . ?

( iii. aftermath )

[ he does feel bad.

he wasn’t involved, other than getting people inside but he feels bad. there’s so much exhaustion and pain rolling off in waves from the people leaving the expo, battered and beaten. it’s horrible, really, when something good gets twisted beyond belief. that’s why he never tries, never attempts to hold onto anything good.

he’d just lose it. he always loses.

still, he approaches a couple of people, awkward and tentative. ]

Uh, if you want, I can get you home. Or like. A trip to a good spa? If you want.

( iv. wildcard )

[ got another prompt / idea in mind? hit me up @ timmtams or my plotting comment. ]

II

[seenicroute]

[This is such a mess and Ulari doesn't even want to involve himself. This is the kind of thing "heroes" are supposed to deal with. He's made certain that he's not considered one of those. Although the brief flash of something he'd felt from touching a wall outside does pull at him. Cause that itch. The curious desire to follow a lead. It's both thrilling and frustrating.

But he hears someone offering to get people inside and he turns to see who it is. Oh. It's Mr. Arkwright. How convenient.]

Why yes, get me inside the room if you don't mind. As close as possible to the central computer.

Harry Osborn | The Amazing-Spider-Man | OTA

[nepotis]

A ••• Opening Ceremonies

[ Harry isn't much for fan conventions, normally... But he wants to know more about this world he's stuck in. If he has to be here, might as well know something about its history and the way the people think. He doesn't come in costume, instead opting for a ball cap in an attempt to avoid being recognized as "the guy who totally didn't steal a semi truck." The disguise works for the most part, and he's able to blend into the crowd largely unnoticed. The booths are uninteresting— he doesn't give a shit about hero merchandise— but he listens intently to Frances Starling's speech. He's never been the kind of guy to want to live modestly, but he's not exactly in a position to have the same kind of lavish lifestyle he's used to, cut off as he is from both the Oscorp fortune and any guild support.

After the speeches, he stands in the crowd of spectators watching the heroes present themselves and the villains play-act at foiling their presentations, scoffing and shaking his head. ]

Do you actually believe any of this bullshit?

B ••• Unwanted Attention

[ Unfortunately, Harry's disguise only works so well for so long, and he is eventually recognized as Harry Osborn, the guy from Rue Moore's post who had a pathetic birthday and apparently decided to follow that up with a carjacking. He's no stranger to a nosy press being all up in his business, but usually it's for sleeping with supermodels and throwing wild parties. This public shaming and false accusation of theft is not the kind of attention he wants. A paparazzo tries to get up in his face and he snaps, shouting at them impatiently. ]

Stop wasting your time taking photos of me, and work on finding the asshole who stole my face and then stole that truck!

C ••• Virtual Reality Bytes

BEFORE

[ Needing an escape from the paparazzi, Harry decides to enter the VR game, because... Why not?

He puts on the headset and finds himself in the role of TRIPLE TROUBLE, a smooth-talking villain with the ability to triplicate anything he touches. At first, Harry just has fun creating multiples of stuff for shits and giggles. Lamp posts, soccer balls, pedestrians he passes by... Nothing is safe from his triplication spree.

Eventually, though, the novelty begins to wear off and Harry instead focuses on the plot of the simulation. His character has been sprung from jail to assist the heroes in taking down Starstruck, and as much as he bristles at being made to play at heroics, Harry has nothing better to do and at least while he's in the simulation, the press isn't riding his ass. So, he plays his part and triplicates the heroes trying to capture and restrain Starstruck, even though he isn't really sure that they have the runaway villain's best interests at heart. ]

I mean... How dangerous can he be? He's just a kid, throwing a tantrum.

AFTER

[ As the simulation takes a cruel turn, however, it becomes clear just how lethal Starstruck's ability can be, at which point Harry's consciousness fades into the background, and the Triple Trouble personality takes over, as he rushes towards the front lines, trying to break through the barrier that has been set up to keep people at a safe distance from the destructive power Starstruck is unleashing. ]

Let me through! I can talk him down, I know I can! At least let me try...

X ••• Wildcard

[ Want to plot something else? HMU @ millennialfalcon or ©hris#1234! Will match prose or brackets. ]

A ••• Opening Ceremonies

[arrowsguy]

I've heard worse.

( maybe worse isn't the right word to use here. but, he's definitely been around for his fair share of superhero speeches and while this one wasn't one he wants to listen to again, it wasn't terrible. )

Might be great to use to lull myself to sleep later and if that works, I really will consider him some kind of superhero.

Logan | Marvel 616 | ota

[howlett]

OPENING CEREMONIES | EAVESDROPPING
A]

If he ever needed validation that passing on the Alliance was a good idea— this is it. The Expo floor is so many things he can't stand in one place but this Godfall thing people around here talk about seems like some history worth getting to know.

Especially if members of the Alliance seem decidedly uneasy about representing it this way.

The pre-arranged a dramatic performance with the new guild members makes it easy to keep tabs on people. The hammy theatres make it a little harder. Most interestedly though the hidden handshakes and whispered conversations with meddlesome Society members haven't gone amiss. This is exactly the sort of shit he's been keeping his eye out for. Something's weird about these little meta factions.

Weaving through the crowd quickly to follow one such conversation he might bump into you. Or maybe you're clocking the same curious conversation he is.

B]

For Logan, the other most interesting thing about the Expo is that all of it seems to annoy Atomite even more than him. He follows the big guy's dramatic exit after the Simulation announcement only to find the real show happening behind closed doors. If you had the same curiosity, you'll find Logan planted outside Conference Room C, indulging in a cigar as he listens in on the explosive argument unfolding in there.

He smirks and nods towards the closed door. "There's a wall in there I'd give to be a fly on."

A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX
[CW: violence]

When it starts, it's so hokey. So sanitized and over-simplified. It's easy to write it off as a tourist attraction and impossible to tell when the tone shifts and takes him with it. Or when he stopped feeling like he's looking at a children's book and started feeling like his boots are on the ground, right there where Starstruck is going nuclear.

He can feel the people slamming off his shoulders as they rush away from the blast radius. They radiate panic. He's certain he can smell the stink of real fear thick in the air. His claws come out when:

A] He feels a hand on his shoulder; heavy and serious. Someone yells at him to stop. Their voice sound distant amidst the chaos around them, but he knows what they're pleading. Patient. Faith. Trust in their teammate. Starstruck can stop himself. Surely we don't need to take him down? But Logan's been here before. With Scott. With Jean. With Mav. With Laura. Someone's got to be the kill switch.

"Someone needs to shut him off!" he barks back and shoves you away.

B] Starstruck's power is crushingly intense. It tears at him with every step closer until his flesh can barely keep up with the rate at which it's being rended from him bones. Claws out, he forces himself forward until he can reach the man's back and throws his weight behind his fist in the hopes one good stab will shut him off.

WILDCARD
[OOC: Snoop with him, or try not to get stabbed by him or gimmie something else entirely! roximonxide or roximonoxide#9229 on Disco]

( glitch, a )

[bestversion]

[ she had slipped in with the technicians to help people out of the simulation. getting in and out of places is easy for her with her embiggening powers. or in this case, shrinking into someone's pockets and slipping out later.

she hones in on logan. he looks . . . real mad. even angrier than the time they took on the inventor. she feels the brief trickle of fear on her neck, but she pushes forward. ]

Wolverine, you need to stop!

Mina Ashido / My Hero Academia

[pinkxeno]

OPENING CEREMONIES —

[ It's easy to tell Mina is a metahuman; she continues to refuse to use her holowatch to look more like the rest of the population. She is very much pink and very much willing to remain pink, and naturally that means she can go to the expo for free without needed to be in her hero costume and instead she can wear something like this. Even though she isn't wearing her hero costume, Mina did bring it along just in case!!
).

She refuses any weirdo aka investor, but little children amazed at her skin? Mina can't help but to give them all a hug and a big thumbs up, letting them know they too can be heroes one day! Naturally she hasn't made a name for herself yet, but she training to become a pro-hero and she will take this chance to try to build her public image a little. Other Metas can certainly find her happily taking pictures and giving autographs, and pretending to fight with some of the kids (and pretending to lose, dramatically falling onto the floor with a loud "Oh noooo, I was defeated!").

being the charismatic and easy going person she is, Mina will participate in the catwalk to show off not only her Hero Costume but also her power by creating little blobs of acid that she drops onto several items to melt them away. Her speech is simple: A hero wants to help people, no matter who they are! As a true Hero, you go beyond: further beyond. And you do all you can to save others. Plus ultra!!" it's short, and that last part was a bit confusing, but people still enjoy it. After that, she heads backstage again, to change back into her civilian clothes. ]

THE SIMULATION —

[ Mina will not participate in the simulation. She isn't exactly sure how this place does things but... ]

It feels a bit... unsavory, doesn't it? [ she says this while leaning against a wall, a colorful drink in her hand. She did try the simulation for a little bit, but after she realized what was going on, she decided to stop.

Honestly? This is really not her thing. ]

[nepotis]

[ Mina may be comfortable showing off her proud pink self, but Harry is opting for a more incognito approach. He watches the opening ceremonies with some passing interest, taking note of all the "heroes" that go up on stage to introduce themselves.

He recognizes the pink girl from her picture on his anonymous network post last month— hard to mistake her for anyone else, really— so when she changes back into her civvies and reappears into the crowd, he sidles up by her, smirking. ]

"Plus ultra?" [ He sounds a bit skeptical. ] What the hell is that supposed to mean?

yelena belova | mcu

[siracha]

[ gonna set some open + closed prompts up in here. if you would like to do a thing, please drop me a line over on plurk (thwip) or HERE! ]

closed to clara — ;

[siracha]

[ The moment the simulation ends, it’s a very wrong feeling that settles in her chest. She stumbles out from the simulation chamber with the woman next to her, shaking her head. She lets out an exhale.

Stopping someone from destroying the world is one thing, but a child is something all together. Whether it is the truth or some twisted alternate storyline to the propaganda that the simulation initially started with (the costume she’d found herself wearing was truly awful), it doesn’t matter. Something shifted from bright colour and a dumb PG experience to something that drags out a few too many too-unfortunate memories, and hits a little close to the things she’d never wanted to think about again. It scrambled her own sense of morality — or what little ethical know-how she’s always adhered to, and it leaves her feeling a little more shaken than she’s ever going to admit to.

But the other woman next to her — Yelena looks in her direction, notices her doubled over on herself, very clearly upset. Yelena is … not particularly good with sympathies or comforting anyone (she’d had that trained right out of her, for the most part), but she approaches Clara and clears her throat. ]

It’s over now. [ She starts, knowing it is not exactly helpful to state the obvious. It’s with … slight hesitation that she continues. ] Are you okay?