metamods: (Default)
meta moderators ([personal profile] metamods) wrote in [community profile] metalogs2022-04-30 09:57 pm

APRIL CONFLUENCE





APRIL CONFLUENCE

It comes to the precogs in a flash: On APRIL 26th, a confluence will occur in Little Love. Any available metahumans are requested to take a trip to the tiny town and stand guard.

Just as it has the previous four times, an OMINOUS STORM rolls in. Thunder booms and a bolt of lightning crashes into the field below.... but nobody falls from the sky. In fact, nothing weird at all seems to happen. The storm runs its course and in the end, the night is uneventful. The metas standing guard are left wet, cold, and frustrated.

THE ALLIANCE and THE SOCIETY do a thorough sweep but seem to decide everything is fine. Confluences appear to be winding down once again and all breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

Yet unknown to them, the new arrivals have come through… but this time rather than crashing into the ground, the lightning strike has EMBEDDED THEM deep, deep beneath the ground.

The following morning, the residents of Little Love are stunned to find their FRESHLY PLANTED POTATO SEED has reached full maturity overnight. Curious and wary, one brave farmer wades into the towering stalks to investigate the potential cause. She fails to come back out.

A little later into the week, one disappearance has become dozens. The Alliance receives a call stating that SOMETHING has been calling to the townspeople in the crop field. Anyone who sets foot in it doesn’t seem to be coming back out, and the town is small enough as it is already. 

Once again, you’re asked to go INVESTIGATE.



HARVEST —


Nothing seems off about the fields at first. But a thermal scan reveals just where the missing farmers have gone - they’re IN THE GROUND. Alive, but appearing to be in a deep state of slumber.

And you, new arrival, have been PLANTED right beside them. You may remember a fleeting glimpse of the world rushing by, but that now feels like a bad dream. You’re having a much nicer one down here, surrounded by all your brothers and sisters.  You can HEAR THEIR VOICES in the back of your mind, compelling you to stay here with them forever. The earth around you is like a warm embrace. Why would you ever want to leave it?  Your body will feed it and give your brethren strength. 

Some of you may snap awake at that particular thought. You begin to desperately CLAWING YOUR WAY UP. Your hand breaks the surface and someone screams at the zombie, but someone else is there to quickly grasp your hand and yank you up and out. There are THIN WHITE ROOTS all over you - easily torn off, but unsettling all the same.


PRUNING THE GARDEN



Your captors do not appreciate their garden being invaded. And for every person that’s pulled out of the ground, A MASSIVE POTATO the size of a large dog is disturbed and springs free. They don't appreciate being woken up. 

These YOUNG SPROUTS are full of piss and vinegar, ready to fight anyone who comes too close to their nesting grounds. Others are eager to return to the soil, and keen on adding to the collective by taking you with them.

Meanwhile, the remnants of last fall’s harvest appear to have adopted a persona not unlike that of a SENIOR DOG. They want to be left alone and will lash out at any of these whippersnappers intruding on their space. You may find an unlikely ally in a particularly CRANKY SPUD.  If you're patient, kind, and maybe a little off-kilter (who are we to judge), you can try to ADOPT one of the SENIOR POTATO MONSTERS. Good luck?


ALIEN CAVERN —


For those of you unfortunate enough to be pulled into the earth, you’re in luck - the potatoes seem to be overestimating how much room they have to work with. The next thing you know you’re falling through the CEILING OF A CAVERN, splashing into a shallow glowing river.

There’s NO WAY OUT, and even if you're able to fly, the hole above you appears to have sealed itself up.

Your mouth is full of dirt. Perhaps you feel compelled to DRINK THE WATER to clear it, or perhaps you swallowed a mouthful as you hit the ground. Regardless, swallow any of the glowing water you’ll BEGIN TO GLOW as well.  You’ll also become keenly attuned to the nature in this cavern. You’re probably a little stoned, but your senses tell you all of the organic material appears to possess a RUDIMENTARY SAPIENCE

Follow the stream to its source and you’ll find an impressive piece of ALIEN TECHNOLOGY. It’s difficult to discern exactly what it does, but as its surrounding area is surrounded by exotic looking plants you guess it may be some sort of TERRAFORMING MACHINE. It looks like the bolt of lightning caused it to go haywire and its pushing energy out into the fields, trying to terraform the planet into whatever its now warped parameters tell it to. A VISCOUS BLUE LIQUID is leaking from the tank and into the water supply. And you may feel regrets about drinking that.

Bring it offline. Once the machine has shut down, the POTATO-BEASTS abruptly crash through the ceiling and burrow through the ground underneath your feet. Your rescuers look down at you through these massive holes and as the sunlight strikes your skin, FLOWERS begin to bloom all over your body.

Someone makes a reluctant call to HQ and tells them to prep the medical team.


AFTERMATH —

RETURN TO HQ



After the potato beasts are taken care of (or adopted?) and the chaos from the strange underground Confluence abates, the guild places a call back to headquarters to bring everyone back with a teleportation spell. The spell reaches out for whatever metahumans it can find in the area and pulls.

All the metahumans who were involved in the Confluence — new arrivals and old — to a white training space that has already transformed into a luxurious waiting room. Everyone present receives a cellphone.

Atomight isn't there in the flesh this time, but there is a broadcast over the network to those stuck at HQ:

Thank you for your help out there. We would like to issue an apology for the way you arrived here. To those of you grappling with your new abilities, please rest assured that this room will give you a much needed reprieve. We have staff on site who can work with you to gain control of you new abilities, and nullifiers if you find it's still too much.

You are the fourth set of newly powered individuals this confluence has brought. To those of you who have been flung far from home, we'll put you in connection with the others. Many of them are here today and can advise you of what your new reality is.

We of the Guardian Alliance are committed to doing everything we can to get you home, and to give you some time to get your feet under you. And as this may be your home for a while longer, I wish to formally extend an invitation to those of you who wish to use your powers to defend the innocent to join us.


Once everyone gathered has been looked over and attended to they're directed to:


THE DIADEM



As always, there is space aplenty for new arrivals in the DIADEM HOTEL. (Though there's a lot of you now, so you'll definitely be matched with a ROOMMATE, possibly at random.)

The Diadem Hotel is a luxury hotel usually reserved for the obscenely wealthy. Its rooms are enormous, the beds quite literally enchanted to offer the perfect night's sleep, and the food would usually cost your life savings just to sample. But don't worry! Everything is COMPLIMENTARY, and everyone gets an Alliance credit card to spend on entertainment, clothing, and whatever other necessities they might need. The cards appear to have an obscenely high limit and there doesn't seem to be an expectation for you to pay it back.

You might get approached by GUILD REPRESENTATIVES and invited to join. Depending on your character's actions during the Confluence crisis, they might get approached by one guild and not the other. Recruiters are charming and personable, talking up the perks of being in the Guilds (see more on our FAQ and GUILDS pages). They won't be harassing anyone, but a "no, thank you" might be returned with a "think it over" and offer of a calling card. Be careful, though. You only have TWO MONTHS to join a guild and secure guild housing. If you don't join one or the other, you'll be on your own. Oh well. Live it up while you can, right?


IN SUMMARY...

  • NEW ARRIVALS arrive in LITTLE LOVE during a storm. At first, the Confluence escapes notice, as these arrivals arrive UNDER THE GROUND.

  • At first, sleeping arrivals may feel compelled to STAY underground with their newfound root brethren. Eventually, they realise the error of that thinking and CRAWL OUT OF THE GROUND like freaky plant zombies, covered in roots. "Get this stuff off of me!"

  • MUTANT POTATO-BEASTS also crawl out of the ground with arrivals! You may be able to make an UNLIKELY ALLIANCE with one of these creatures and even take it home with you!

  • Those PULLED INTO THE EARTH can explore an ALIEN CAVERN completely with glowing, questionable water. Arrivals need to shut down an ALIEN TERRAFORMING MACHINE before being rescued by farmers and potato-beasts. Delicious(?).

  • As always, new arrivals will later be transported either to GUILD HQ or the DIADEM HOTEL. Enjoy your new guild perks for the next two months! Decide to join a guild (or not)! Pluck that last stray potato root off yourself and meet your fellow potatoes arrivals.

  • Ask any mod questions HERE.
defendure: (Jet)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-03 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Well. Izuku grew up with Quirks and also comic books, so the idea of it is...not so hard for him! He's always been a giant nerd so he like, grasps the concept but is still floored that's Actually Happening.

He lets himself get brushed off, helping after he realizes there are some root-things on him too... ]


I-I see...and you're the only other one here? I mean, from our Earth.

[personal profile] pinkxeno 2022-05-03 11:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I arrived a bunch of months ago! [ four months ago, to be exact. ] I've been here on my own, you're the only one to arrive after me. [ well, that's because she still hasn't met Bakugou ]

Usually everyone falls from the sky, tho! No one gets hurt, but it's pretty scary and a lot of things get broken. But coming from the ground is new. [ she looks down, kicking the dirt a little. Hm... Confluences are always confusing, but even so, they follow a pattern. ]
defendure: (Elasticity)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-04 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
O-oh, well, then we'll have to stick together! [ He assumes Mina knows more than him if it's been months. Though she is admittedly kind of less into the details than Izuku would be, so she might not have all the information he'd want? But still, classmates should stick together, right? ]

I, uh, can't say I enjoyed waking up to being buried alive, really.

[personal profile] pinkxeno 2022-05-04 12:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Hm? Oh, yeah-

You aren't hurt are you? I'm gonna need help with this. [ new arrivals aren't usually physically hurt. But something isn't right either. Being hurled through the sky is a Thing, and if that doesn't happen it means something is certainly up.

Mina might not say everything the way Midoriya expects, but she does know most of what is going on, and so she kneels down to touch the ground where her friend came from]


Confluences are like... A mix of magic and superpowers that form a messy storm. People are brought in from different worlds, but they are also given quirks and the people who live here also get them sometimes.

[ Mina looks back at Midoriya as she explains, suddenly kicking the ground to make the hole bigger. Yes, she plans on going in]

And quirks go haywire because of that. Some farmers disappeared so that could be related. [ she might not have Hero classes in this world, but Mina has been doing Hero work here]
defendure: (Earphone Jack)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-04 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
N-no! I mean, a little dirt won't stop me or anything. So, I can absolutely back you up! You said some farmers are missing?

[ In that case, explanations can wait and they have something they need to be doing! Or at least that's how it is for Izuku - he always hones in on things he'd like to help with, being himself. ]

[personal profile] pinkxeno 2022-05-04 09:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Hm! For a week now, all in these cropfields. We were asked to investigate. [ Mina puts her hand into the dirt, trying to reach for something - or someone - although she is mostly making sure the way is clear before she drops in. ]

If one of the farmers got some sort of strange quirk, that could explain what has been going on. [ she suddenly rises her head, looking back at Izuku ] Do you still have yours? Because of the Confluence, people lose their original quirk and get a new one!
defendure: (Decay)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-04 10:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Izuku activates One For All as a test and lightning runs over his skin like usual. So. ]

Um, mine is still active? Is yours? [ He might have an extra or two, but he doesn't know about those yet. ]

[personal profile] pinkxeno 2022-05-04 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Mina nods, rising her hand and engulfing it in acid - thus clearing it from the dirt. ] Mine never changed, and I never got new ones, either.

But that's good! Though, I think the Guilds would help if you got your powers all wacky. [ proooobably? mostly the Guilds give them money, but they seem to want to teach people to control their newly found powers as well. ] Oh!!! You don't know about the Guilds!! [ he doesn't know a lot and Mina might be to blame because she hasn't explained everything.

And she would explain it now, but something underground moves, and Mina is quickly to head there, in case it's a farmer. It's not a farmer, however. It's a mutated potato instead, the size of a dog. ]
... that looks cute.
defendure: <user name=lapinhg site=twitter.com> (Mushroom)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-05 12:26 am (UTC)(link)
The Guilds? [ It's okay, Mina doesn't have to be good at explaining things because she's cute and nice. Those are way better qualities than being a walking informational brochure.

Also: Izuku is absolutely the castmate you want around if you want to adopt or admire a weird monster potato. He doesn't see the cute, but... ]


U-um, I'm not sure what it is, but...do you think it eats fertilizer or something?

[personal profile] pinkxeno 2022-05-05 08:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ wait, potatoes eat fertilizer? Mina looks back at Midoriya with a very confused look because she is not a gardener why are you asking her these things ] Isn't it water?

[ ANYWAY! That isn't the main issue at hand, is it? Even though she will probably check it out later if they drink water she will forget about it actually, and Mina turns to the potato again with a big grin ] Hi~ Did you just arrive too? I know it's confusing, but you'll be okay! [ maybe the potato is a meta. She has met squirrels who dab, there is a big possibility of that-

Except the potato is an angry potato and literally charges at her. Mina jumps to the side to avoid the angry thing, blinking ]


That's rude!! What did I do?!
defendure: (Parademon)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-05 05:15 pm (UTC)(link)
W-whoa! Maybe it's just afraid of us?

[ Katsuki would probably be roasting the thing right now, but Izuku holds up his hands and sort of tries to calm the thing down, showing a gesture of pure peace and goodwill. ]

[personal profile] pinkxeno 2022-05-07 11:53 am (UTC)(link)
I dunno- [ Mina waves her hand back at the potato, but the thing? It decides to attack... except it just slams against Mina's leg ] What was that for?! Will you stop it?! [ yeah, it will keep trying to come at her and Mina decides trying to jump to the side to avoid it is best ]

Should I smash it?! [ turn it into mashed potato? ]
Edited 2022-05-07 11:53 (UTC)
defendure: <user name=lapinhg site=twitter.com> (Poltergeist)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-07 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
W-well, it is attacking, but it's not...very...

[ Effective...? ]

We can probably just walk away from it...

[personal profile] pinkxeno 2022-05-08 11:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ but it's annoying.

So Mina just... grabs it and shoves it back inside the hole. LOOK. IT'S A WAY OF DEALING WITH THIS. ]


You stop that or I'm gonna drip acid on you.
defendure: (Water Control)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-08 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
- O-oh! I mean, I guess that's one way of dealing with it.

[ Shoving it back in the ground, he means. ]

Should we bury it deeper?

[personal profile] pinkxeno 2022-05-08 09:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Mina quickly nods. Out of sight out of mind, right???] Yeah, deep enough so it doesn't come back up!!

[ except... You know, they actually have to go down there in order to find the farmers]
defendure: (Landmine)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-09 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ Consider: the angry potato digs a pit fall under their feet while it is trapped underground. ]

[personal profile] pinkxeno 2022-05-09 11:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[ and consider: they fall because these two apparently share one single braincell.

Eventually they hit the (under)ground, at least, most likely a tunnel dug by more angry potatoes.

Mina coughs out some dirt she managed to swallow ]
This is terrible. [ she is so glad none of their teachers are there ]
defendure: <user name=lapinhg site=twitter.com> (Playtime)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-10 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
A-are you okay?! [ He tried to sort of...cushion them at the last second, with Float, which meant grabbing Mina around the middle. But it didn't work out perfect...

He tried, though! ]

[personal profile] pinkxeno 2022-05-13 03:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[ thank you for your attempt, Midoriya! Even though she has no idea he could fly??? float, Mina, but she also doesn't realize it happened. She is just glad she isn't hurt, and Midoriya doesn't seem hurt either.

She shakes her head to get the dirt off of her, before looking around ]
I'm fine. Just... dirt. [ a long long shower, that's what she needs.

With a sigh, Mina gets up ]
Okay... the farmers might be in these tunnels. We should go look for them.
defendure: <user name=lapinhg site=twitter.com> (Iron Ball)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-13 03:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I-I don't suppose you have a flashlight?

[ Izuku doesn't but he's just asking as he starts walking into the tunnels. May as well!

The angry potato grunts at them because it also fell down. It's not bright. ]

[personal profile] pinkxeno 2022-05-13 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
I do! [ actually, Mina is well prepared, since Confluences are so unpredictable. In her pouch, she a lighter, a flashlight, batteries, rope, a knife, and of course her communicator. In fact, she takes the communicator to make sure it's still working or if there are any messages from the Guild ]

Hm... the Guild still hasn't contacted me, so I guess they are still figuring out what's happening. [ she glances back at the Potato and decides it's better to ignore it, if its going to stay quiet ]

Ah!!!! [ her voice suddenly echoes through the tunnel ] I didn't tell you about the guilds!!!
defendure: (Atom)

[personal profile] defendure 2022-05-14 01:36 am (UTC)(link)
W-well, you can tell me as we look? I gather it's an organization you join, but not much else.

[ Lightly prompting, so they don't get too distracted immediately off the bat... ]