Event: Not so Super Heroics

[trpmods]

It was early in the morning when it happened. Everyone was asleep when the tendrils of some outside force reached out for their target as it had so many times before. It was silent and focused on what it needed to do now. The plan had been made already and this was just the first necessary step.

Billy was alone and the force grasped him tight and forced him awake. It compelled him forward and toward the water, toward the cave with the door in the back of it. When he got there, it was already open and waiting, the inside just as dark as it ever was. As he walked in, the door slammed shut behind him to shut out any lingering light. Was this Calibrations? Was this like what they’d done before? No.

No. The feeling was wrong.

It wasn't like before. Most obviously it was because it was just him, walking through the dark, hands lit up to guide him. He couldn't shake the compulsion, but he was aware enough to worry as he made his way through the tunnel. As far as he knew they'd never pulled anyone solo before now, unless they wiped the memories, and as much as Billy tried to think well of their Agrii captors, it was hard not to be concerned.

Billy stepped out into the waiting room and continued on, still driven, back to through the main corridor until he saw his name and that familiar greeting along the wall. ‘Welcome to Calibrations’. His feet carried him on into his room, and in what felt like an instant he was soon asleep.

It was then he realized the truly frightening thing about being down here alone. He didn't find himself inside someone else's mind, but inside his own, and even here he seemed to have very little control

There was Teddy. And seeing him opened up that ache in his chest, lost in a wash of bitter sweet memories, each kiss, every whispered encouragement. And then, jarringly, those were interspersed with vivid memories he wanted nothing to do with: Teddy strapped to the wall as the Warden tried to perform vivisection on him, taunting Billy as he cut into him, over and over. Billy screamed, tried to stop him, but couldn't hear his words no matter how he tried.

Outside these memories, Billy's body glowed, a low rubble running through the earth. "Stop," he pleaded, face twisted.

The memories switched again, showing each and every near miss, each time Teddy was nearly taken from him, and then- that night in the rain, and those words Billy never wanted to hear again, Teddy removing himself. A break. Some time apart to be sure. Had Billy made Teddy love him? Had he made Teddy? That sweeping guilt and loss threatened to swallow him up again, and Billy struggled to try and bring the memories back around.

He was thrust back into the Cube, back into that helpless state of watching Teddy be cut open by that mad man.

He was chanting desperately, still unable to hear himself.

"IwanthimtogotosleepIwanthimtogotosleep"

The Warden simply looked amused, "Hmmm, do you really just want me to "go to sleep"? You don't want to punish me? Hurt me?" He went to pick up his scalpel again, "The idealism of youth...I suppose you think you're above murderous thoughts. So childish."

"IwanthimtogotosleepIwanthimtogotosleep"

"Here, let's see if we can't get you to change your tune." The Warden stalked towards Teddy, and a loud buzz rang through the room. Billy's eyes started to shine.

There was each and every kiss, every fight, every word spoken in anger, it was a never ending assault of loss and regret, and Billy was helplessly trapped. Those rumbles grew louder, more insistent, a faint tremor running through the city.

Billy was thrust into a new memory. Sons of the Serpent and their attack on pride.

"As the serpent drove Adam and Eve from Eden...So shall we drive out the unfit--the inferior!" they recited, as they fought with Teddy.

"You're actually using the bible to justify murder?"

"What would you know about the bible, sodomite?"

"This sodomite went to an Episocopal school for six years, so if you want to swap bible verses, how about Exodus Twenty-One, verse Twenty-Four---an eye for an eye."

But of course Teddy only pressed a mocking kiss to the terrorist's cheek. From there, just as it had that day the memory seemed to pick up speed, highlighting poignant moments. Teddy was shot. The Avengers arrived. Teddy was grabbed by the terrorist, thumb poised over the trigger to his nuclear device.

Billy felt hot with rage.

"Let him go or yours will become a suicide mission."

"You'd risk millions of human lives for one alien invert?"

"Try me"

"Then let what happens here today serve as a warning that the wages of sin...are death."

His thumb pressed down, and like that day Billy felt his power surging through him, expanding outwards indiscrimately in a show of raw magic, desperate to end this torture. It rewrote the world around him as it grew ever bigger, a sphere of pure, reality warping, chaos magic that threatened to go on growing unchecked, swallowing everything in its path and forcing it to fit the narrative of the world it was building. A safer world.

Just as had been planned.

The spell spread through the space like a virus, taking over everything. The world itself bowed under the force and transformed as it only might during an Energy Storm. The rooms all filled with the power Billy pushed into the world. And then, only after it was settled and secure, did that same force from before reach out again. Except, this time, it grabbed everyone.

Whether asleep or awake, the compulsion will grasp you as it did Billy. It will pull you into that cave and through the door. This time, however, there are no pink, runny letters welcoming you to Calibrations. Oh, no. There is no sign. There are no rooms. Instead you find yourself in the bright and vibrant space of what looks like a superhero comic.

The space is far bigger than the room should allow, sprawling into what appears to be an entire city. Distantly you can hear almost over-the-top ‘evil’ laughter. Alarms of banks. People calling for help or just going about their day. You look down at yourself and perhaps see your clothes completely changed. Is this a superhero outfit? Are you now a superhero? Are you in some sort of campy disguise? And why now do you feel like you might have powers? Different ones, perhaps, than before? Or new ones for the first time?

What is going on here? And where is Billy?

It’s up to all of you to find out.



FAQ


WHAT’S GOING ON?

Billy had a tantrum and now we’re all dead. No, just kidding. What really happened was that Billy has cast a spell over the area around you all and it is changing reality as we know it. What does that mean? When you arrive in the Calibration Space, it is going to be transformed into an old-timey comic city with all of your characters there as the superheroes! Or super villains if you really want. This is your little world to explore!

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR MY CHARACTER?

You get a lot of flexibility there. Essentially, your options are endless. You can have them gain a new power or lose the ones they have. You can put them in a very silly hero outfit or make them the new Clark Kent in glasses and a suit. You can keep them the way they are if you really want to and be the little sore thumb walking around. It’s entirely up to you and what you think will be fun to play.

DOES MY CHARACTER KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Also up to you. We are not going to force any memory loss but you are absolutely welcome to have your character forget that this world isn’t real or that they’re not really a hero. We are giving a lot of leeway with this since memory loss hasn’t been brought into the game before. If you’d like, you can explore it here.

DO I HAVE A PLACE TO SLEEP/EAT/MONEY?

The world will warp around you. That means, yes, there will be a place for you to sleep and food in the fridge. You might even find your wallet filled with fun, comic money! This place believes you belong here so it is going to make it easy for you to do what you need to do. Anything necessary will be there.

WHAT ABOUT MY BABY/DOG/DRAGON/RICHIE?

All animals/dependants will be safe and asleep back at Temba. If you would like to have them with you, they can be and will follow the rules of the space. I.E. you can give them powers or little costumes or anything else you like. You can also handwave some nursery/kennel in the “city” if you like that they can hang out with

CAN I BRING HOME THINGS?

No. Sorry. No souvenirs.

IS THIS CALIBRATIONS?

No. It’s in the same place but there are no rooms and no dream-walking. This is all very real.

WHERE IS BILLY? IS HE GOING TO FIX THIS?

Good question.

WHY DID THE AGRII DO THIS?

Also a good question.

DID THE AGRII DO THIS?

I love these questions. Really fun.

BUT NO ANSWERS?

Not yet.

WHAT ABOUT AN OPT OUT?

Opting out is a little difficult here. If you would like to, feel free to have your character just be a normal citizen in the town and put them in a neutral space to hang out in. This can be sort of like a mingle and keep your character out of the action. You can also have them either think they are part of the world or not if you want. Entirely up to you. And hey, if you’re in this world at least you’re fed and there may be coffee.

WHEN WILL THIS END?

This event will start May 3rd and run until June 7th to take us past the next AC round.

Anything else?

Ask away below~

Comments

[doubled_speed]

As a general question, is it a sansa issue that might not actually turn out better for it having happened? Because of conversations it could inspire and reinforcement of where someone's priorities are, to care and be interested even after weird mind control?

[theladyofwinterfell]

I didn't particularly sign up for it or get a chance to plan anything surrounding my own character but honestly, Sansa wouldn't take it well. That's fine to play, I'm not stepping on anyone's toes, but it will definitely affect her relationships with Tommy and Kyle immensely.

[doubled_speed]

It would affect her relationships even when it isn't a situation they wouldn't have had any control over IC?

[theladyofwinterfell]

This all kind of got dropped on me without my involvement, to be honest, and it's not the sort of thing I normally like to play, I'll say that up front. Sansa has a lot of issues with intimacy and even with it being wacko Billy stuff, it would still upset her.

I know I can't opt out of the plot and I want you guys to do what you want to do so I'll just have to figure out some way for her to ignore it all.

[theladyofwinterfell]

We fixed it, we're just retconning the relationship being as serious as it was and I'm going to hiatus. I hope the plot is super fun though! The write up is fantastic and there's lots of fun threads to read.