Crash Log #1 & Will-o'-Wisp Mini-Event

[spoofer]

Characters: Second wave of Xistentia arrivals, greeters/rescuers
Summary: The second wave of characters arrive in Xistentia unexpectedly early... only to face an unexpected threat. D.E.S.T.I.N.Y.'s multiversal attack is disrupting the energy flow, causing a very unusual stampede— of will-o'-wisps, that lure travelers off their path with thoughts. It's up to the residents of Xistentia to help the newcomers!
Date(s): Mid-June 2017
Warnings/Notes: Coercive magic, collisions, moderate injury, dystopian themes

Wisp Mini-Event & Crash #2

Wish you were here. Love comes in waves

A WARNING FROM DAEMONS

Early in the morning, the glow of light to the East, where F.A.T.E.S. resides, begins to turn red in warning. Seconds later, all of the daemons begin to project the same message to their owners. The alarm continues to repeat until the characters acknowledge.

F.A.T.E.S. WARNING SYSTEM
Threat Assessment: Mild
Phenomenon Type: Native Creature Behavior
Predicted Duration: 24 hours

Due to the cosmic energy disruptions by D.E.S.T.I.N.Y., will-o'-wisps are engaging in unusual migratory activity. Residents are advised to remain in the city, or be on-guard against a low level of psychic influence. Wisps feed by creating visual, auditory, and olfactory illusions based on the viewer's needs and temptation. Individuals in compromised emotional states are more susceptible.

The migration will be complete in 24 hours.

It seems straightforward enough. But as dusk begins to fall, the distant sounds of crashing and outcry come from the beach once again. It's familiar-- the first wave of Xistentia residents arrived the exact same way only 2 weeks ago. They're going to need your help.

CRASH LAND INTO ME

For the second wave of Xistentia arrivals, the day is not nearly as ordinary.

Exit one dimension, enter the next. It was chaos: pressure against your ears, light bending in an impossible, unimaginable way. The very molecules of your body vibrating against one another. If you have windows, the view outside makes no sense. Even if not, your hands, your face, your feet seem like an uncertain thing. It's the feel of reality itself tearing apart, reshaping, reconnecting, thread by thread.

And suddenly, there's a beach— or ocean, whichever you land in. Smoke. Fire. Salt water churning up, fizzing around. It's dark— you've arrived at nightfall.

Maybe you crash, in a ship wrecking into sand. Maybe you merely stumble out of a portal, a ragged wormhole in space. Or maybe you fall off the back of an incredible steed, some creature that carried you into this place. Either way, there's pandemonium around you. Incredibly, severe injuries are far and few between— nobody's screaming about the dead. But you might have to help pull someone free of wreckage, or move quickly to salvage burning belongings from the landing craft. Maybe it's the crafts themselves, that you're trying to salvage.

Likely, you don't know them, these other strangers who arrived here^[1]. Maybe you don't trust them— you just came out of a dying world, after all. But you all have one thing in common: you're here now.

When you get a second to breathe, the danger doesn't end... because that's when the wisps come.



At first, they're just a stream of pretty lights. Like fireflies, except that their illumination holds steady as they float through empty air. It's helpful for those of us who don't have night vision. However, as the minutes wear on, the terror and stress of the day starts to change to longing. And then the illusions begin. Voices of lost loved ones calling out, or flickers of familiar figures in the distance. The scent of burgers or cinnamon cake floating through the trees.

Maybe the ones you lost aren't lost after all. Maybe there's dessert out there. Isn't it tempting to follow? But watch your step-- there are ditches, fast-flowing rivers, and sleeping trolls you might run across. The wisps are impervious to these dangers, but you likely are not.

SAVE THEIR SOULS

As rescuers venture into the forests, the wisps' illusions change to accommodate the wishes and fears of the new intruders. Each person sees their own illusion, blind to the experiences of others. However, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Resistance from the psychic intrusion is far easier when you know what you're dealing with. Still, that doesn't mean that persuading a traumatized apocalypse survivor is easy. They've been through a lot, and if you're claiming that they're seeing things that aren't there, who's to say you aren't imaginary, yourself?



And the trolls get cranky when their sleep is disturbed.

By morning, however, the wisps have cleared and the other creatures of Xistentia are off on their business. Maybe that's when you choose to come out and help, to find new refugees sleeping in trees, thickets, beach-wrecked fuselage, and other places they had found sanctuary for the night.

WELCOME TO THE CITY

The second wave of arrivals comes into a city that is very different from the one that the first refugees did. Sure, there are still animals and overgrown trees intruding in many buildings and streets— but the center looks very civilized now. Eight full city blocks where the hedges are groomed and the building facades are clean and orderly.


There are a number of fully operational businesses, including restaurants and a tailor. Agriculture is taking off gradually, albeit in a disorganized fashion, thanks to the fact most of the people involved are amateurs. Street lights, the beacons that sense character interactions, are fully operational throughout the day-- likewise, most of the city's functions work just fine now, including indoor lights, plumbing, electricity, etc. Cable isn't great, though. Depending on how badly your encounter with the Wisps was, you may also get acquainted with the hospital. It still looks shabby and moss-eaten, but its glowing recovery enhancement beds work very well. Better bring someone with you, though!

Current Sentient Population
of Xistentia:
222

We now have Instagram!

There's a lot to explore, if you're into that. The two most prominent landmarks are the Central Citadel that overlooks the sea to the West, and the Temple on the Eastern edge of the forest. The former has a bar and lounge, and an oddly self-replenishing availability of liquor, as well as a variety of defunct audotitoriums, bedrooms and technology laboratories. The latter contains strange stone artefacts that blur the line between magic and technology, but are largely unresponsive to touch. The only exception is one sleek screen, black and shiny as volcano glass: an amenities request interface. Tell F.A.T.E.S. what you need.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

hells yeah

Footnotes

1. Some of these can be nameless, plot-device NPCs to facilitate interactions! But even in this case, please avoid gore in describing their current state of being. Anyone dead or catastrophically injured will have disappeared by the time your characters make it to Xistentia. There are no corpses or dying here.
   
   
2. But like OOCly ask permission ofc.

Comments

Jaden Cosgrove | Original Character | OTA (cw for gruesome injury)

[poenitudo]

I. Crash.

[ Blood and fire. It felt like home, in the very, very worst way. He went through the portal without thinking, without hesitating - with the world quaking under his feet, hesitation would have meant ending up crushed under a building. But he dropped right into the ocean, which he didn't expect; portals to the Other World were always solid, not unstable like this one had felt.

When he gets to the beach, feeling scraped raw from the impact of the ocean, he can tell he isn't where he was supposed to be. This isn't the Other World; even in the darkness, he has an incredible sense of being displaced. Nothing here feels like it should, and Jaden falls to his knees, the water still lapping at his feet, his clothes hanging heavy over him.

He doesn't spot the little moon-like shape that comes zipping towards him, making happy little robotic noises. ]

Where the hell am I?

[ Xistentia, the little moon says. Jaden spits out blood in the sand. ]

II. Wisps.

[ Somehow, he makes it to the forest, dragging his feet, tiredness making everything difficult, heavier. He doesn't even realize he's been following the wisps until it's too late, and he looks around only to find himself surrounded by them, beautiful and eerie. He reaches out to one, helpless to resist, but movement in a nearby shrub startles him, making him turn. ]

Who's here?

[ His mouth falls open on a silent gasp at the voice that echoes around, like a rush of wind that makes him spin around wildly for the source. Let's play catch! it says, giggly and happy, followed by the thump of small footsteps. ]

Cody? Cody!

[ Jaden follows the footsteps helplessly, taking off into a run as he tries to catch up. Cody is here, Cody is alive, did this place save his little brother? He runs, and runs, Cody's voice tantalizing.

He's not looking at his feet. He's not looking at the ground. He entirely misses the ditch - a ten-foot drop he falls into at full speed, turning over to his back. So he doesn't see, either, the branch sticking out from the dirt like a spike or the fallen tree it belongs to, lying in the bottom of the ditch.

But he feels it, when it pierces through his thigh, a scream tearing through his throat as it does. ]

III. City.

[ Jaden ends up in the hospital. He wakes up, disoriented and thirsty, but his leg is fine - due to his own regenerative powers, or the recovery bed, he isn't sure.

One thing is for sure, though, is that he doesn't expect any visitors... ]

Maybe I should just make myself a home here...

IV. Wild.

[ Hit me up with anything! Will match brackets or prose! ]

II

[hasitsthorns]

[ Assisting the people who had crash landed was something that helped Rose feel like she was contributing to this growing community. (They even had Instagram now!) Though admittedly hesitant at the mention of the will-o'-wisps - she has experience with the little buggers and their mind tricks - she pushes it aside and sets off running for the beach with her pack of dogs in tow.

Cutting through the forest to the beach is the quickest route, but she gets stopped in her tracks by that pained scream. Her dogs hear it, too, ears perking up at the sound and a couple even throwing their heads back and howling in response. ] C'mon, boys, [ she whispers, eyes glowing in the half-light of the wisps illuminating the way.

The acrid smell of blood is one she'll always be able to pinpoint. Something about the predator in her, she's sure, and also having spent so much time with it on her her hands or her person. Either way, it's not a good smell and definitely worrying.
Apollod stops her from making the same mistake at Jaden by blocking her way before she can walk right off slope into the ditch too.

She spots him then with the sharp end of a tree branch spearing his thigh. That's the blood she had caught on the air, that her dogs are notably anxious over. ] Hold on, dude, [ she calls out, before hopping over her pup and essentially power-sliding her way down the side of the ditch. The dogs follow - a bit more carefully, even if Apollod still manages to fumble and roll - and hang on the fringes of this scene. ]

Okay, so, good news. I'm here to help! Bad news: getting you out of this mess is going to hurt. A fucking lot.

i

[helical]

[ alec hears jaden by the water and approaches with his witchlight in hand, lifting it to create more light around them. there's a moon floating around him, and he wonders if it's the same version of the snow leopard that was tailing him until he told it to wait for him somewhere, before it tripped him.

that's not his most urgent question, though. ]

Are you injured? [ he looks over his shoulder, back to jaden. he can't tell if he's hurt. it's too dark, his clothes too wet. ] I can take you to someone who can heal you if you are.

ii

[locoparentis]

[Declan is smarter than this. He's smarter than to wander out into something like this, but then he thought that he might be smarter than that, but Ronan, who is led by his temper and rarely by his brain, isn't. Remaind is with him, whispering about the dangers, and Ronan, impervious (not true) to the magic of lights (not impervious, simply exposed, it was a dream that invaded the Barns when they were children and when they returned, and Declan finds them just another reminder of how ordinary he is) he doesn't follow them. He just keeps his eyes open.

And then he hears it.

Remaind, in the usual fashion, caws out Cody. Cody!]

That's not helpful.

[Declan says it carefully.]

Where are you trying to go?

iv

[mordacita]

[ Jaden is out of the hospital by the time Rafa runs across him. He's not far out of it, since the vampire is watching proceedings from just outside, but it's far enough.

It's still dark enough for Rafa to be out without his sunglasses. His arms are folded over his chest, while he watches the new intake leave the building. He's never been fond of hospitals. They tend to be filled with the sick and dying, neither of which is overly appealing to him. By all accounts, there's no one dying inside this hospital, and so Rafa could have made an exception, but he still lingers outside instead.

His first thought: they need more numbers than this.

His second: he'll revise the first, if they're all like that boy.

Jaden's scent hits Rafa at once. Warm, earthen, not solely human. Rafa has been around werewolves for long enough to pick it out at once. Someone as handsome as Jaden would likely have caught his attention regardless of that scent, but with it, he's impossible to ignore. Curious, and quite pleased, Rafa approaches him. ]

You are a new arrival? [ It's not really a question. They are few enough here that he knows the new faces when he sees them. ] You are prettier than the last ones. I dare hope this trend continues.

( iii. )

[creatio]

[ She's looking for someone.

Actually, she's looking for multiple someones. Having found Jace, she now knows that her home world is in danger too. So that means her mom, Simon, Luke, Isabelle. All people she cares about, all people she can't afford to lose. The hospital seems like the safest bet - Shadowhunters can heal themselves, but it's still a port in the middle of a storm and if they're looking for each other than this seems like a good place to pick.

So far, she hasn't seen any sign. Clary's trying to not let that worry her, even as she peeks into another ward, catches the tail-end of someone's statement. Immediately her gaze seeks out the speaker. Part of her thinks it would be easier to just go about on her search, but he looks tired and something stills her. ]

Maybe. But I hear we get apartments and I'm kind of hoping they don't smell of bleach.

[ His voice was rough, and so she steps towards his bed and the table bearing the jug of water. ] You thirsty?

[ She is clearly not a nurse, but what the hell. ]

alec lightwood, shadowhunters, ota

[helical]

I. CRASH — Facilis descensus Averno

[ this might be the least pleasant portalling experience of alec's life. he'd gotten used to the nausea and the oddness of traveling through them, but this is something else. it's like being pulled apart and put back together, and he has no time to recover from the nausea when he finally lands — face down into sand and water, inhaling, coughing water and sand out of his lungs. he's soaked through, as if he'd been swimming to shore, but he can't remember doing as much.

lifting himself up on shaking arms, he squints out into the gloom. he can taste blood, probably from a scrape on his face somewhere, but he can't be bothered to check or heal himself. he's afraid, and not for himself. ]

Magnus? Clary? [ it's dark, and there are noises of others, as lost and confused as he is. he coughs again, a wheeze, spitting to clear the sand and water from his mouth, his lungs burning and his clothes clinging to him uncomfortably.

then he pushes off his feet, reaches inside his jacket to take out his witchlight and starts heading toward shadows and shapes, saying magnus' and clary's names in the hopes he'll hear one of them call back to him.

hoping they didn't crash in the middle of this river or lake or ocean or whatever it is.

in the meantime, feel free to call him over for help, or to ask for him to shine light on something — as harried as he is to find his family, he won't ignore anyone injured or requiring assistance. ]

II. WISPS — Pulvis et umbra sumus

[ he's not sure why he keeps getting whiffs of his mother's perfume, the one she used to wear when he was a child. or why he can smell izzy's too, at intervals, as if coming through from the trees. he keeps walking, head down, hand on the handle of his seraph blade strapped to this thigh. he doesn't trust what he can smell, isn't sure he can trust what he sees. is it really a forest? is that an illusion, as the smells must be?

there's the crack of a branch and the rustling of leaves, and alec whips around, hand leaving the blade to get his bow instead. someone walks by, and alec turns in time to feel his stomach sink at the sight. for just a moment, it looked like jocelyn. ]

Who's there? [ he tries to follow, stepping carefully onto the forest floor, nocking an arrow and keeping aim. he ignores the thudding of his heart telling him he found his way into hell, somehow, and he's seeing a punishment for his deeds. he's forgotten that the smell of perfume from earlier was associated with good memories. he's forgotten anything but following the shadow passing through the trees. ]

III. CITY — AB ORDINE LIBERTAS

[ wandering around the citadel had been curiosity, at first, until he'd found one of the situation rooms. it's covered in vines and and leaves, but whenever alec pushes some aside, he finds a fully functional screen. it looks like the screens of the institute back home. not quite the same, but serving a similar purpose.

it might be good to take a closer look. to see if this can help them protect the city. he hears someone approach, and without sparing them a glance, busy gently removing a vine stuck right across a screen, speaks: ]

Think we could clean this place up? [ he peers at the screen now that it's clearer, almost talking to himself. ] Looks like we could keep a better eye on any intruders using these.

IV. WILDCARD

[ choose your own adventure! prompt with anything else you'd like or hit me up to plot something. ]

ii

[estrayer]

[ Here's the thing: it's not Jocelyn. Jace turns at that voice, his eyes wide, and his stomach giving a familiar tug. He's looking right into the face of his parabatai, who currently has an arrow aimed right at him. Jace immediately lifts his hands. He knows what's happening here. He'd had to fight through it, too; the draw of the familiar, of something that can't be real and yet tempts you into thinking it is. ]

Alec, it's me.

[ And it shouldn't be Alec, actually, not when Jace was sent alone. But that doesn't matter. This certainly is real. His eyes can be tricked, but the rune on his lower stomach cannot. He knows who he's looking at. He has to hope that's enough to bring Alec through the illusion, too. He takes a careful step towards him. ]

Whatever you think you see, it's not real. It's some kind of magic. Put the arrow down.

iii

[mordacita]

[ If it was anyone but Alec Lightwood, they probably wouldn't have even heard Rafa approach. As it is, he can't be too frustrated his sneaking failed; it's proof of who this is, if the scent, and the tattoos, and that manner of dress, and that manner of stance were not enough. The truth is, Rafa would know him anywhere. It's only been a month or two since they saw each other, and it still feels like too long. There's no mistaking the thrill in his voice when he answers. ]

It is much more clean already. You should have seen it last month. Those screens? That would be easy.

[ Jessie, Rafa's umbreon, is far less restrained in her greeting. She bounds up to them, crouches, and launches herself straight at Alec's arms. He's very tall, so she'll have to bounce off his knees on the way up. She's determined to be petted, though. She's missed this one.

So has her owner. ]

You took your time, my friend.

III; i tried to think of something serious but

[hasitsthorns]

[ He'll hear the sounds of nine creatures approaching, actually, as Rose and her pack step into the situation room. It hadn't taken her dogs too long to sniff Alec out. Apollod had told her he was here, which. She had hoped so after encountering Magnus. She has to think the multiverse has some compassion for bringing them both here together. Two of her back in her life. Not under the best circumstances, of course, but... She isn't about to feel bad for being glad to see them again.

At his remark, she squints. ]

-Why do we need to clean it? It's fine.

[ It's

really not. ]

Everything works, yeah? The vines give it a nice earthy aesthetic, I think.

iii, pardon him

[fiachdubh]

[ He thought the Citadel was empty. Honestly, he was going to go to the bar and filch another bottle of whiskey - to look good in the loft, of course, not to drink mindlessly when sleep wouldn't come, of course not.

Just don't tell Adam, is all.

When it turns out the Citadel isn't empty. ]

To me, looks like there's only one intruder around, and it's you. [ Because, hello, never seen you before, dude. He dofinitely wasn't there when they all first arrived. ]

( iii. ) gotta let alec meet the murder twins.

[aberth]

[ The vines are comforting in a way that Adam couldn't exactly quantify. If he tried, it would make him seem stranger than he'd like, would remind people he's something other. If he tried, he would be reminded of Cabeswater.

So when he stumbles across the man clearing away the foliage, he doesn't initially speak. Barricaded seems to take that as personally offensive, and so the toy car lets off its sirens in a wail, prompting Adam to sigh in a noisy burst. ]

Are there cameras?

[ He hadn't noticed them, but he'd been otherwise preoccupied. ]

1

[healingdork]

[Will is definitely out and about doing the medic thing. He's grateful that people are being saved from dying worlds, but he really wishes they could work out a way to bring them here more safely and not, you know, crash landing them. He really hopes this isn't going to be a reoccurring thing whenever new people show up. As much as he likes feeling useful, he'd rather have nobody to patch up because it would mean nobody was hurt.

He's moving around, looking for anyone else who might need some medical assistance, when he spots Alec and does a double take, squinting at him to try and see him more clearly.] Alec...? Is that you?

magnus bane, shadowhunters, ota.

[lacquers]

a. guide to landing gracefully in a new world.

[ Magnus went into the portal thinking of somewhere a lot more pleasant and a lot less waterlogged than where he ended up. It's a little bit of a shock to the system, first awareness coming in the form of landing knee deep in salty water and blinking into the dark. There's a split second where the most visible thing about him are a pair of golden eyes, but that's soon replaced by a handful of magic. Blue flame that's going to have to suffice for light, at least for a little while.

His whole head is full of two thoughts: Alec and Clary. Before he's even settled with both feet on the ground, he's already looking for them, casting his eye around the area and calling their names into the dark. If the first, second, fifth, or tenth person he finds isn't one of the two he's seeking, but any among those number are injured, he'll stop for a moment or two in order to help. You might be one of those people and if you're willing, he'll use a little magic to heal you.

It might be that he asks if you've seen a man, tall (taller than him, he says, and indicates with his hand), with dark hair and hazel eyes. No? What about a young woman, bright red hair, both of them bearing what look like so many tattoos all over their bodies? He looks around while asking, as if hoping they'll appear. More than anything, he needs to find them.

Quickly. ]

b. careful what you wisp for.

[ Should you run into Magnus at some point after the wisps appear, he will be only too quick to advise steering clear of them. ] I think it goes without saying that caution is our friend here, [ he observes, looking in the direction of whomever might be nearest. His brow's furrowed in a way that would seem to indicate he's not super thrilled about the situation. ]

[ That may not be possible in the long run though. Being aware of danger everywhere doesn't mean you're aware of every danger all the time. Even Magnus might be spotted shaking his head or closing his eyes for a moment to try and clear whatever illusory sensation happens to be creeping into his periphery at the moment. You might catch him humming softly under his breath or pausing in the middle of the path to look around at nothing in particular.

But, if not, he might also be around to witness someone else becoming ensnared. In which case, ] Whatever you're seeing, it's not real. [ His voice is gentle, but firm. ]

c. what you can see.

[ Arriving in the city means there's some reprieve from wisps and temporary jaunts into the past and trekking through unknown wilderness on a new world, sure. But it doesn't mean everything is suddenly hunky dory. You wouldn't know it to see Magnus now though. He seems pretty pleased to be out of the woods. Literally.

Anyone who runs into him can wonder at how a man who just crash-landed on a new world and then took a trek through goodness-only-knows comes out the other end looking so impeccably groomed. Never mind that he now wants to take a twelve-hour power nap. Preferably in a soft bed. ] I wonder who we see about accommodations. [ It's possible he's not addressing this to anyone in particular, but maybe it's that giant butterfly fluttering around his head. Could be, right? ]

a

[helical]

[ alec was getting more and more concerned, the fear settling in his chest like a needle bring driven in, inch by inch. magnus and clary could be anywhere. what if they'd been thrown into another place, the portal having broken in the process of the transportation? what if that was why it had felt so off?

he can't let himself think that way. he needs to keep looking. as he trudges through the sand, he wipes at the cut on his cheek, runs a hand to rid himself of the sand stuck to his face.

when the hand falls away, he spots a flicker of blue in the distance, a familiar shade, a familiar movement to it. hope sparks as hones in on the light, hurrying toward it. he calls magnus' name again, but his voice croaks, the sound barely carrying at all. it has to be him, right? he knows how his magic looks like the back of his own hand by now. he would recognize it anywhere. but blind hope can be dangerous. part of him wants to be cautious, say it could be another warlock, but the rest of him has to believe it's his husband so he can keep taking steps forward.

he gets closer, close enough to see the person is kneeling. he moves faster now, nearly at a run, until relief floods him. it's magnus, seemingly whole, kneeling in the sand. something wound so tight he could hardly breathe disappears, concern and worry and terror replaced with this brighter knowledge that things are going to be okay.

alec he says his name again, but it's more like a gasp than anything; he stumbles closer, collapsing on his knees next to him. ]

Magnus — [ a hand touches magnus' shoulder, his arm, fluttering along to his chest and then to cup his face. ] Are you okay? I was starting to think — [ nevermind that. he shakes his head, kisses magnus' forehead, right over that mark, lingering there a moment. just breathing in. it feels too soon to have feared for his husband's life again. his heart is thudding in his chest and his hands may be trembling, arms shaking with adrenaline. magnus is alive, and well enough to use his magic.

next, they'll find clary.

for now: magnus is alive. it's all alec can focus on. ]

c

[mordacita]

[ Rafa is not surprised to see that Magnus looks impeccable. Nor is he, after seeing Alec, very surprised to see Magnus at all - but he's delighted, there's no question of that. The truth is, after running into his husband, Rafa has been looking for this particular warlock. It had taken some doing - he had of course checked everywhere he knows with alcohol first - but finally, here he is. Rafa zips up beside him, and then falls into step as though he'd been there all along. ]

I had to ask a unicorn. I have had stranger days, but not many.

[ Everyone's daemon is different. Rafa would bet everything he had on that butterfly, though. He certainly hasn't seen many of those flying around, and it's staying close enough to Magnus that he doubts it's a coincidence. ]

Do you think they are aware you are married? Perhaps you can move, if not. We all have a room assigned, you see.

Declan Lynch | The Raven Cycle | ota

[locoparentis]

i; out in the wilds

[Declan didn't think this through, which is an uncommon behavior pattern for him, but knowing what he knows about this place, and knowing what he knows about the possibility for whatever to happen (Matthew, Matthew, Matthew is what he thinks, unwanted, unwarranted, because no matter what he said to Ronan he can't imagine Matthew dead, his curls matted, vomiting black ooze-) he thinks if he's going to find anyone from home, it's going to be out here.

Still, there's a measure of caution to him, because Declan is nothing if not cautious. It's not until he thinks he's alone that he starts to feel the itch of paranoia.

He doesn't call out for help. Instead he takes a step, does not let the lights distract him, and reaches for whoever it is that stepped into his circle.]

Didn't you hear the warnings?

[You're one to talk, Declan.]

ii; welcome to the city

[Restaurants. Hospitals. Trimmed hedges.

Declan loves civilization.

He's bright and brilliant at the Hanged Man, a veritable font of energy, moving from place to place. There's an electric charm to him, a shining beacon of boyhood and cleverness, impossible to resist. He's Niall's son through and through, although no one here except Ronan would recognize it, that's what he looks like now, laughing at someone's joke or taking a drink at the bar, attracting attention like a lightning bug.

Funny thing, lightning bugs.

He sees someone hanging back, just a little, and there's the tease-]

You can say hi, you know.

[And the smile.

Oh, the smile.]

iii; wildcard

[make a scenario for me!]

( ii. )

[creatio]

[ It's not that she makes a habit of defying death and then drinking.

Technically she's not even legally allowed to do so. Eudio had changed that, though it still hadn't become a habit. But Clary's sore and tired and she doesn't know how she's going to be able to sleep without a little extra comfort. So the Hanged Man. It's got a macabre title and since she's used to the pun of Pandemonium she thinks it's her best bet.

The boy at the bar wasn't originally where her attention lay. Mostly she'd been trying to figure out if she needed I.D., considering this is a whole new world. But then he'd caught it easily enough, a king surveying his kingdom. Clary huffs when he talks, but there's a smile crossing her face despite herself. ]

Who says I want to say hi?

Jace Wayland | Shadowhunters | OTA (note: Shadowhunters 2a spoilers in prompt & threads)

[estrayer]

A. CRASH LANDING

[ He was supposed to be in a demon's lair. Or whatever passed for that, anyway. He had expected to come out of the portal and into a fight, which explained why there was a glowing seraph blade in his hand.

Instead, there's a beach full of other people, some falling into the sand, and others in the water all around. Wide-eyed and confused, Jace nevertheless acts on instinct. He rolls clear of his own portal. The blade vanishes, and he pockets the hilt while dropping by the side of the first person he sees who's faceplanted in the sand. ]

Are you okay? Give me your hand.

[ He says, while reaching for their arm. He is not where he's supposed to be and none of this is what he expected. It doesn't matter right now; most of these people look like civilians and some of them might be hurt. He'll get that under control first. If the demon he's after is here, he'll find it. ]

B. WISPS

[ By the time the lights appear, Jace's witchlight is already glowing in his hand, and his nightvision -
imperfect though it is - is lighting his way. At first, he doesn't realize what's happening. He's in the forest walking away from the beach, and he thinks nothing of the lights. It's nighttime; he dismisses them, thinking they're fireflies. Or some alien version of fireflies.

Until that voice hits him. ]

You are my greatest achievement, Jace.

[ He stops moving. That can't be real. It can't. Valentine was under lock and key before he came here.
He couldn't have escaped. There's no way he could have followed Jace, it's just impossible. Like almost everything else he'd ever achieved over the years. But no, this had to be different. It needs to be. It's - ]

Jace Wayland. This unit will guide you to the city.

[ He wheels around. There's a brown falcon, hovering at head height and staring at him. He stares back,
his heart thudding in his chest, because he knows that bird. The last time he saw it, it was lifeless on the floor, after his father - after Valentine - had killed it in front of him. This isn't happening. He must have hit his head, or there's some kind of magic going on. He's hallucinating. ]

This isn't real.

This unit will guide you to the city. Do not follow the lights.

[ Unit? Shaking his head, Jace backs away. He turns, blindly, uncaring, and then in front of him, Valentine stands, as if they'd never been separated at all. He's even holding the Mortal Cup,
which Jace knows has to be a lie. This is not real. It's not, it can't be. He blinks, hard, willing his Sight to let him see through the illusion. It works, to a point. He can almost see the lights behind the image. Then Valentine speaks, and he slams back into solid focus. ]

It's time for you to work. The sword was only the beginning.

Shut your mouth. I'm not going anywhere with you.

[ Except that he is, very slowly. The hallucination leads him ever deeper into the forest, while the very real,
and very concerned falcon daemon calls for him to stay. ]

C. CITY

[ He isn't over the falcon yet. The forest with its wisps and it's trolls and, god, whatever else was in there, may be behind him, but one of the most disturbing parts of it is still tagging along. The bird flies along behind him,
and every time he stops, it tries to perch on his shoulder. It never seems to lose that urge no matter how many times he pushes it off. ]

This unit will guide you to your apartment.

[ Jace's jaw clenches. ]

I know. I heard you the first fifteen times. I need you to take me to D.E.S.T.I.N.Y, can you wrap your circuits around that? I'm not staying.

[ He already has regrets about entering that portal. If his world is really about to die, this is not where he wants to be. It's too clean, too nice. Too unbecoming of the front lines between life and the apocalypse. The daemon is giving the same tired explanation of what they're supposed to do here, when Jace cuts it off. ]

I don't have time for that. Just show me the city. Not the apartment complex.

[ And so he explores, finding stores and businesses and a hell of a lot of encroaching plant life, but nothing even as challenging as the wisps. This isn't the demon he'd come looking for. If you imagine that would make him happy,
think again; Jace's mood worsens the longer the day goes on. Find him anywhere around the city; the later it is,
the more irritable he'll be. ]

D. WILDCARD

[ Create your own adventure! I'm halfbloodly on plurk if anyone wants to plot. ]

( ii. )

[creatio]

[ It's harder than she'd like to shake off the projection of her mother. Clary doesn't know why it's so strong, why she can smell her perfume trailing through the forest. She wonders if it's simply because she hasn't seen her in a few months - her time in Eudio was the longest she'd ever spent away and yet she'd stayed safe in the knowledge that she'd get to go home eventually. That Joceyln was safe, they'd found her and she was protected again, that Clary would see her soon.

Here, it's a little harder to keep ahold of that certainty. What if she doesn't get home? What if she never sees her mother again?

It's that thought that rests at the forefront of her mind when she sees - no, not Valentine, it can't be. She reminds herself that these things are not real. When she focuses, the lights behind him are a little clearer. Another projection. What is clearly not a projection - and instead solid and real behind the wisp - is Jace. Clary could almost weep in relief, even as she's stumbling over roots and stone to get to him. ]

Jace!

[ She reaches for him, refusing to look at the projection at her side. Her hands are warm when they press into his arm, slowing him, trying to ease him into a stop. ] Jace, look at me. It isn't real. It's leading you to danger. [ She'd almost fallen to her death, she knows. ] Don't look at it.

Farraige | Original Chracter | OTA

[cantseame]

I. Crash

[It doesn't take much to motivate Farraige into action. While he's been spending a little more time to himself beyond talking with Rosie and occasional pleasantries with the others, his focus has been inward. But now his attention returns to the outside world, finding the presence of new arrivals appearing where he stumbled up not too long ago.

While he holds hope that maybe he'll find his lost friends amongst the crowd, at this point he very much doubts it. He'll be keeping himself busy, tending to those passing through, offering directions and aid to those who need it. Stranger still one might find a jellyfish gliding through the air, getting his attention to those in need of aid.]

II. A Sight for Sore Eyes

[Farraige is no stranger to magic used in conjuring illusions. While he doesn't have much in the way of power to dispel them, he knows well enough what trouble can come of following voices of the lost. If one were to catch him at an inopportune moment, you might find him with an expression of longing. While he is resistant to their charms, he is not completely immune. Even so, his grip on his staff remains firm. He's not keen to see anyone get lost so soon.]

Best not pay them any mind. You'll live a much happier life without chasing shadows and history.

III. We built this City

[With trouble winding down, Farraige is returning home. A bit tired from the day's events, but he'll welcome a kindly word all the same. One might find him at the entrance of his home, taking a moment to sit and relax. There's plenty of room for more company, if you're keen to sit and have a chat with a wizard with kelp colored hair.]

IV. Wildcard

[Feel free to hit me up on plurk at chrysm if you have any thoughts/suggestions/ideas/etc!]

ii.

[lacquers]

[ Magnus, being familiar as he is with a wide variety of magic, knows better than to let himself get led astray by the wisps and their illusory temptations. Still, hearing and seeing a thing or two is enough to make a person feel slightly off-balance. It's with a furrowed brow and a slightly insistent tone that he agrees with that statement: ] Of that, I have no doubt.

They are persistent, aren't they? [ The wisps or the memories they invoke? Who can say. ]

clary fray ( shadowhunters | ota )

[creatio]

ａ． Ｄｒｅａｍｉｎｇ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ Ｃｒａｓｈ

[ For a long moment she can't breathe. The chaos of travelling by portal tends to do that, hits whoever's coming through with a wave of nausea. She's not quite used to it, but it's become almost familiar. This time though, it's different, this time it's not just sickness that's crashing over her head, but water. Clary gasps without meaning to, flooding her lungs with saltwater even as she's kicking up to try and break the surface. Swimming wasn't exactly in her repertoire beyond childhood lessons, and her thoughts are cloudy with the pain in her skull, disorientating her even further. But she manages it, sheer force of will carrying her up.

It doesn't help. All she can see is smoke and fire, all she can hear are people calling for help. Clary spits out the saltwater that's still in her mouth, throat burning. ] Magnus? [ Her voice is already croaky, words followed by coughing. ] Alec?

[ Eventually she stumbles on to the sand, hair sticking to her face in wet tendrils. This is not the Little Mermaid aesthetic she was going for, but that's thought is long gone when she spots the Pikachu, sinking into the sand on her knees as it starts to explain. ] Wait --. [ Clary wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, grimacing at the gritty feeling of it. ] Tell me later, I need to help people. I need --.

[ She needs to find Alec and Magnus. ]

ｂ． Ｍｅｓｓａｇｅ Ｆｒｏｍ Ｈｏｍｅ

[ The daemon, Pikad, still tries to relay the information as Clary gets to work helping those around her. She doesn't mind, but she doesn't take very much in, more interested in action than information. Alec would probably judge her for that, she thinks. But then, he doesn't have to know.

Eventually she gets to take a breath, glancing back at it with interest. It looks like a Pikachu, moves like a Pikachu, but it doesn't sound like one. ] You know, this is super disappointing to me. You're supposed to make the sound. [ Pikad offers apologies, and Clary grins, pulling her now drying and frazzled hair out of her eyes to tie it into a rough knot. ] Whatever, I'll get over it. So what do we do?

[ He mentions a city and she hums in recognition, scouring the beach once more for familiar faces. It's that which catches her attention easily, a flash of red hair in the distance. Clary's heart pounds heavily inside of her chest, adrenaline climbing. ] Mom?

[ Her name is replied, soft and weak, and then the figure seems to turn away. Clary doesn't even stop to think, just pulls the Pikachu into her arms and runs after her, towards the forest. ] Mom, wait!

ｃ． Ｗｈａｔ Ｈａｐｐｅｎｓ Ｎｏｗ？

[ The city is strange. Not bad, but still weird enough to give her pause among the streets. It feels like it shouldn't exist in the same way Eudio shouldn't. Didn't. The thought is an unpleasant one that she skirts around, avoidant. Clary doesn't need to go to the hospital, she has her stele for any injuries she incurred, and besides she never liked them anyway.

Still, she's feeling raw and upset which is why she heads to the Temple. It feels like the right thing to do.

She's not expecting the bar, which probably means with her life she should have expected it. Clary eyes it up, curious and cautious. ] Should this be here? Isn't it kind of disrespectful?

[ She won't deny a drink though. She needs it. ]

ｄ． Ｗｉｌｄｃａｒｄ

[ Create your own! I'm at athosing if you need me. ]

a.

[lacquers]

[ Finding Alec has helped diffuse some of Magnus' worry, but they're still missing one person who went through that first portal with them. So, where are you, Clary Fray? With witchlight and magical flame in hand, they're combing the beach, halting only for moments at a time to try and help those they come across.

Every time it's not Clary, Magnus will shoot Alec a worried look. It doesn't make sense. Why did they get separated? Later on, when the whole world's not falling down around their shoulders, Magnus is going to wonder about that one at length. Obviously, something interfered. He hasn't listened to a word his new friend the unnervingly large butterfly has to say on that matter or any other, not yet.

Explanations later. They have to find Clary.

At one point, they're working their way down a patch of beach dotted here and there with detritus that's hard to identify in the dark. Magnus casts some light on the area as they walk. Then, as they're going-- ] Alexander, is that--? [ He raises his hand, gesturing ahead to what looks as though it might be a familiar head of fiery hair. ]

Clary? [ he calls out ahead of them. ]

Mandy Slade | Velvet Goldmine | OTA (cw for mention of soft drug use)

[smileslie]

Crash: Take your time she's only burning
[there's a moment--just the barest fraction of a second, really--where Mandy seriously wonders if she's gone back in time, as she stumbles through the portal into what could kindly be termed as hell. Because it's been years since she's been tripping like this, since she's been able to afford anything better than bad beer and the occasional joint. And she feels disconnected from her entire self for just a moment for her to seriously wonder if this is a really intense trip.

But she doesn't feel disconnected from her self in the good way, like when she'd get high as a kite while Brian was off with Curt. And the crash comes so much faster, and it's...jesus. She's seen pictures of plane crashes, obviously, but now she understands too well why some of the entourage hated them.

She's standing numb for a long moment, staring at the wreckage. She knows how to make a costume out pins and prayers, make a stage beautiful with a handful of glitter and some old curtains, but she has no idea what to do here. Then her heavy handbag drops from her limp hand, spilling to the sand at her feet. That, at least, snaps her out of the shock for a moment]

Oh, bloody hell. [anyone who is familiar with what a posh London accent is supposed to sound like will hear something unusual weaving in and out of her voice as she kneels to scoop up the meager contents of her bag]

Jesus, if I'd known I'd be landing at the arse end of the universe today I would have at least bought another pack of smokes.

[Which is a ridiculous thing to be worried about, she knows that, but sometimes ridiculous things have been all she's had, and it seems that may well be the case again. She's so occupied with wiping sand from cheap makeup and seeing if either of her lighters is salvageable that she hardly notices the approach of any person, let alone the thing shaped very much like a Siamese cat that walks calmly to her side]


Wisps: I'll use you and I'll confuse you
[after she got her things together and got the run down from the cat--jesus, she was going to crack up about that later--Mandy really did intend to go and help, honestly. At the very least, she would have offered them aspirin and a smoke. But now there's that strange light, and under the circumstances it seems silly to totally ignore it. She keeps idly tidying herself up, wiping sand from her legs and raking fingers through her hair as she walks closer to the trees. Something inside her tells her it's positively idiotic to be walking into the dark woods alone. That she should know better.

But...]

You got me girl on the run around run around--

[in any other time and place, Mandy would have stopped dead in her tracks then. Not just because that was the voice of a man ten years gone even if he wasn't technically dead, but because to actually go near it would be the stupidest thing she could do. Instead, something in her chest lurches and pulls her feet forward, and she hardly seems to notice the way her chunky black heels are making her trip in the sand as she starts forward.]

Brian..? [anyone who is near enough to hear her voice--and they'd have to be very close, because it's incredibly soft--would hear a mixture of confusion, fear and desire that's even more confusing for the woman feeling it. There is still a part of her that is absolutely terrified by what the voice is making her feel, as much as she loves feeling it. She'd probably be even more terrified if she realized it was drawing her towards a ditch]


wildcard
[if anyone wants something different with a former swinger/presently pretty grumpy bi lady from 1984, hit me up at keenquing!]

crash!

[tangleofgarlands]

[Arthur's not exactly sure who he'd been expecting to see at the beach, but it's not who he finds.

He'd assumed, after running into Amanda Perry, that the entrance point to wherever they are now was the city of Eudio; he'd never really made friends with anyone else while he was there, but he did recognize some of the faces in the crowds. To be honest, he'd been trying not to think about home; every time he did, despair threatened to overwhelm him.

But despite the lack of peacock-bright eyeshadow, despite the drab clothes and the limpness in her hair, he knows the woman on her knees immediately--how could he not?]

Er--Miss Slade?

[It comes out barely louder than a whisper. He drops to his knees next to her and starts helping with the spilled contents of her purse, taking a deep breath and trying again.]

I, ah, we haven't met, but I live with Malcolm and the rest of the Creatures. Well, lived, I suppose.

[He can't meet her eyes, and can't bring himself to mention their other mutual acquaintance--just thinking about it makes him flush hotly with embarrassment. Years of loyalty win out, though, and he focuses on gathering her things.]

barclay odell ⛵ original character; ⛵ closed to kenzi

[disbands]

[Barclay arrives alone, bedraggled and sodden in sea water. To be perfectly honest, it's his preferred way to arrive, if he has to come out of one burning, self-destructing dimension and into another. He swims toward shore amid screams, watching a jet turbine explode and send gouts of fuel fire into the sky. People shouting, running across the beach, falling out of glowing spiralling portals that reek of ozone, and carrying children, bags, valuables, mementos, sprained limbs. It's madness. Swimming out of the depths of some unimaginable, magical sea seems considerably

more straightforward, really.

He has a fire going within an hour, shares it with a small family which has two mothers and one son. Thanks to his time in Eudio, this configuration of people no longer shocks or bothers him. He's happy to lend them his coat, which already dried, to cover up the little boy while they work on getting the moisture off his tiny trousers and shirt. They share their food with him and he's careful not to eat too much, but he's happy to accept water. He drinks enough of it to have to go piss, later.

And that's when Kenzi's voice reaches out to him, in the dark. A distant cry: Monkey faced orchids?

It's unbelievable. But nobody, no one, not a stranger in a multiverse of billions, could have replicated that combination, of her bright little voice and his exact choice of bouquet flowers. His trousers are closed in a moment. He's on the move, having no idea at all that F.A.T.E.S. has long since put out a warning to the people of this world&mash; that tonight is the night your eyes and ears will tell you the worst, most dangerous lies.]

[moshennik]

[ The message irks her, mostly because it's more of that too-big-words-saying-very-little crap that she's been getting since she arrived in this city. She'd only crashed on Vex's couch for a few days before she found her own hovel to hole up in, her pride demanded it despite her general gluttony/laziness. She was scrappy and resourceful and she didn't want to intrude on Vex's glum-ness for too long.

Anywhoooo, she hears the message and then a little while later when she's on the street trying to hustle some drunk guy out of his money with a set of trick dice (they were actually real dice but her powers made them turn trick), she hears the sounds. They're horrible. And suddenly people are running not away from them but towards them. Okay, so it's not a hallucination.

This is how it was last time.

She's been hanging out with Bo and Dyson for too long now (or at least, she did, in a different life). So Kenzi goes into hero mode because she isn't about to stand around and do nothing and starts racing towards the action, the beach without any thought that maybe Barclay might be amongst the new arrivals.]

Arthur Stuart | Velvet Goldmine | OTA | cw: standard 70s groupie shit

[tangleofgarlands]

like a peppermint eaten away | willowisp

[He knows it's probably not smart, but the minute his vision starts to dance with glittering lights, he's compelled to follow them as though by a hand pulling him along, and all he can do is yield to it.

They look like the lights he saw with Curt, up on the roof of the Rainbow, so much so that at first, he thinks he's imagining the voice he hears:]

"Come closer."

[He loses sight of the lights, and something inexplicable tightens in his chest, pulling him forward even faster--hoping against hope that he'll catch it, that it will somehow lead to him, that maybe this wasn't all in vain.

Then he sees something bright, not glowing but pale and gold and fine, through the branches. He hears the voice again, and when he steps into the clearing, everything seems to stop, the moment stretching like honey. Curt smiles at him, soft with something fond and familiar, and reaches out with his hand.]

"Make a wish."

[He trips over his own feet in his haste, but he doesn't care; he's so desperate to close the distance between them, to throw his arms around Curt's neck and bury his nose in the familiar smoky smell of his hair and never let go, he doesn't even notice the sharp drop until he tries to step on thin air and loses his balance completely, tumbling into a sheer-walled ditch in the ground.

When the world rights itself--or, rather, when he stops turning end over arse--he can't feel his ankle or drag in a full breath, and Curt and the lights are both gone.

In contrast with the last fleeting seconds, the loneliness he's been trying to keep at bay for the past few weeks is a ragged, cavernous wound that hurts more than any bony part of him had slamming into the earth; the despair overwhelms him as quickly as the fall had, and leaves him shuddering and raw in its wake.

Apart from his own ragged gasping, the silence is deafening; there's no one around to hear him and mock him or yell at him, so he doesn't bother to try to stem the tears.]

[healingdork]

[Will is making his way back to his little home only after he's sure nobody at the crash site needs any more medical attention. He's got his bow and arrow with him, holding onto the bow as he walks because he's not taking any chances in these woods, not when he's on his own and still isn't entirely sure what's in them.

He stops, frowning, when he hears something a little strange and strains to get a better idea of what it might be. ... It sounds like... crying?] Hello? [He calls out in concern, wondering if someone might be hurt or lost.]