metamods: (Default)
meta moderators ([personal profile] metamods) wrote in [community profile] metamemes2023-10-07 06:09 pm
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TEST DRIVE MEME: OCTOBER EDITION




TEST DRIVE MEME

A Confluence, capitalized, is the converging of one or more supernatural forces. It’s common to see these at least once a month, but you might see two or three in an especially wild one. Only one of these confluences brings in people from other worlds.

Your arrival is a welcome one! Though not all the following confluences will be so joyous, the people of this world are taking you as a sign that things are finally settling down.

With that being said, you might notice that the history of this world is… changing. The world itself seems to be altering bit by bit as it settles into its new timeline. Where once metahumans as powerful as you were a rarity, now there’s a plethora of them.

You can be Neutral, living your life as an ordinary person without using your powers. But the moment you decide to make use of them, you need to make a choice.

Will you join the Guardian Alliance and use your powers for the sake of others?

Or will you join The Society, and use them for yourself?


BRAVE NEW WORLD. CENTRAL CITY.

You’re falling through the sky. Wherever you were before, whatever you were doing – it no longer matters. You find yourself hurtling towards the earth at unprecedented speeds. Thunder rolls and lightning crashes, and you smash into the hard pavement of an unfamiliar modern city.

But you’re fine. Not a scratch on you.

Around you, other people are falling like meteors. Colliding into the pavement of this street – it appears as though it was blocked off, as though someone knew you were coming. You barely have the time to process what just happened before you feel it. Something extends its presence to you, equal parts a welcome and a warning.

You are here for a reason, though that reason is yours to define. Do not let Her decide for you.

No sooner do those words enter your mind than do you hear the crash, barely having time to duck as something throws a car towards your head. The city has come alive – literally. Bits of iron and steel are weaving together to form an Iron Giant, one hellbent on knocking you and all those who fell with you right back into the sky.

It looks like you have a choice: fight, or flee.

Whether you defeat the enemy or wait to be rescued, eventually the Guilds will arrive. Heroes and villains in brilliant costumes surveying the scene, agreeing to work together just long enough to get all the new metahumans off of the streets and into somewhere more secure.

With a flash and a bang, you find yourself standing in what appears to be a school gymnasium. There, you’ve given medical treatment, something to eat, and told exactly what has happened to you – you’ve been displaced and granted into another world. You can go home, but it’s temporary – for now, at least. And they’re here to get you settled.

Once you’ve been given the introduction to your situation, you’re given the proverbial keys to a pretty lavish location. Hopefully, the LUXURY HOTEL they've put you up in will ease that sting.

The DIADEM HOTEL is 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 for just a small taste. But given the circumstances, the Guilds feel its the least they can do to aid your transition into this world. everything is complimentary, and everyone gets access to a credit card provided by Winters Industries to spend on entertainment, clothing, and whatever other necessities they might need. The cards have an obscenely high limit and there doesn't seem to be an expectation for you to pay it back... unless you go completely overboard, that is.

There's a shopping center immediately across the street. It has an impressive array of outlet shops that cater to your every need. Food, clothing... and swords? If you can think of it, it's for sale. Although anything clearly supernatural or metahuman seems to be at a minimum and offered under the table. You can grab clothing made to withstand any superpower and a surprisingly mediocre Taco Bell order while you're at it.

There's a Super Cinema in the shopping complex across the street that's showing the premiere of RUN BOY RUN, a story about a young boy who is granted the ability to speak to people’s shoes – but spends every waking minute of his life ignoring his calling. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll rethink what it means to have powers – and you’ll come out with a new appreciation for fine footwear.

You’ll also find a celebration in the (quickly being rebuilt) streets. It’s become an impromptu street faire, with food vendors and other craftsmen popping up to celebrate the world returning to normal. A sign that the meta-energy isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon and the weird world you’ve been thrust into is happy to have you.

For now, at least. It’s Central City. Their opinions change like the weather.


HALLOWEEN FRIGHTS. SUNSET FALLS.

Sunset Falls is a terrifying place to live at the best of times, but it’s especially heinous during the month of October. The residents often find themselves plagued by out of towners who visit the leylines to conduct poorly researched rituals. Most of the time, these end with the summon beasts simply devouring the fools who brought them into this world before expiring.

This time, however…

A new shop appears within the village, Randor’s Resplendence, and it offers sweets, treats, and tricks. The proprietor, Rancor, is a tiny man of about fifty with a charming smile and a persuasive attitude. You will find yourself unable to even consider hurting this sweet old man, and though he might not be able to convince you to buy anything, you will find yourself wanting to take a candy or two.

Red candies cause your passions to run wild. You may find yourself suddenly falling in love, or hate. The further you give in to your passions, the hotter the fire within you runs. Careful not to burn anyone!

Blue candies cause you to rethink your life entirely. Abandon your name, abandon your job, and become who you were truly meant to be. If you are an ambitious person you become complacent, and slackers will suddenly find themselves becoming over achievers. However, the deeper you fall into this transformation – the more you find yourself wanting to scream. And a banshee’s scream is lethal.

Green candies seem to have a delayed effect. You may find yourself looking at an item you never cared about before – and now you want all of it. And you can and will attack that stranger for their pretty broach. Before long you will find yourself sprouting scales as the dragonification process sets in.

Yellow candies cause you to burst into song, singing your heart’s greatest desire for all to hear. Those who hear you will be drawn to your siren’s song.

All of these candies will wear off after 72 hours.


SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. EXCELSIOR.

Excelsior has had it rough the last few months. Though the power grid is back on, the lingering effects of the outage have left their mark. Entertainment is scarce, and in these dire times, the kids make up their own fun. Rumors of a dangerous new game spread quickly throughout the schools, both civilian and guild alike. Passing by any infected device turns you into a player, whether you want to be or not.

It spreads through an app. The app, called SURVIVOR, appears on your home screen after you’ve encountered it. The icon is a garbled mess of pixels, seeming to glitch further the more you look at it.

The moment you interact with this app – whether to open it or to delete it – you’ve sealed your fate. The connection between your mind and body is severed, and your mind is thrust into the realm of the game. And much like a zombie from a horror movie, your body begins to move on its own – wandering the streets to spread the infection, at least until other orders come.

As for your mind – well, SURVIVOR is just as it says: it’s a survival game.

You find yourself standing in the middle of a replica of Excelsior. Some will find themselves designed as HUNTERS, armed with a weapon of their choice and told to do as Hunters do: hunt. Hunters who fail to fulfill their roles will find themselves forced into it: they'll be transformed into a monstrous creature, feral, bloodthirsty, and lacking self control. There are many Hunters in the game who have already suffered this fate; they stalk the streets, eager to find prey to devour.

The rest are PREY. There are more prey than Hunters, and they are given no weapons. Death in this simulated world is not permanent, though the pain is very real. Any who fall to the hunters will find themselves trapped in a digital hell, able to watch but do nothing to assist their team until the Gamemaker resets the match. While Prey are given no weapons, they are welcome to find makeshift weapons to utilize to the best of their abilities.

Discerning who is a Hunter and who is Prey is easy: clothing is color-coded. Hunters are dressed in all black, Prey all have bright colors. Changing clothing within the game is not possible, but Prey may attempt to hide what they are by painting over their clothes with paint, or dirt, but it's not a permanent fix, and any substances will fade after an hour, leaving them to need to find something else to cover it with.

In order to survive this nightmare you must outwit, outlast, and outstand your opponents – and, most of all, outsmart the Gamemaker. There are weaknesses in the code that can be manipulated by magic, technology, or might – break the game to break free.
CLIFF NOTES.


➢ In Central City, the city itself is coming alive - forming into a massive Iron Giant that's intent on shoving Starfallen right back to where they had originally come from.

➢ Off in Sunset Falls, tourists are enjoying all things Halloween-y. There is also a new shop that is offering out some suspicious candies that, depending on the type, cause different status effects.

➢ Excelsior is experiencing a virus problem - one that is causing people to get stuck in a virtual reality horror game where everyone must fight to survive.

➢ You do not need an invite to play on the TDM! But you do need an invite to join the game. Current players can extend one invite this cycle.

Current Players are welcome to treat this as a bonus event. These events are canonically happening within the game but can be largely ignored if you'd prefer to use the month for personal plots.


WILDCARD
The world you've landed in is one that takes inspiration from all walks of comics. Explore the CITIES away from the chaos occurring to get an idea of what day to day life life is like. Something is always happening, whether it be big and bombastic as supernatural entities invading or as subtle as cats getting stuck in trees.

Perhaps you've encountered a supervillain (or hero) who needs to be thwarted, or a metahuman with unusual powers creating bizarre effects. Maybe you yourself are here to take advantage of the chaos, benefitting from other's suffering.
feathersandflames: (Come In Real Close)

[personal profile] feathersandflames 2023-11-02 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, but like in a tangential sort of way. Also, she came after me, but everyone seems to forget that. Not jealous. I'm fine. Really.

[Though sometimes Bette does wonder what would have happened if she'd gone the Batgirl route instead of the Flamebird route. Would she have been accepted more easily? Or was the fault not in the codename she used, but in Bette herself? These were, she knew, ugly thoughts, and ones she hardly wrestled with anymore, but every once in awhile it reared its ugly head.]

But like, see, the colony is here - [she makes a small box-shaped move with her hands] - and I'm here - [she moves her hands over to the left and makes the same move, but on a smaller scale] - in the guest house. Where it seems like sometimes people forget a guest is residing.
robintohood: ([RH] First mistake)

[personal profile] robintohood 2023-11-03 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
Heh. Meanwhile, I ran away while flipping them off and then the door got locked behind me. They got their own special rules.

[Not that Jason regrets becoming a vigilante more violent than Bruce]

Maybe it’s for the best.
feathersandflames: (Challenge Accepted!)

[personal profile] feathersandflames 2023-11-03 05:20 am (UTC)(link)
Rules are great to have in theory, but not every rule works for every person. I learned that the hard way with Batwoman. She wanted me to be more like her - training, everything - and while I'd always looked up to her...wanting to be like someone and having that someone wanting to put you into a specific mold are two very different things, sometimes at odds with each other.

[The most important thing that she'd learned? Though they were both Kane women, they were each vastly different from each other. Kate had suffered loss, she was looking for a way to serve. Bette had been in it for the glory, and now she was looking to prove that she was more than just that. They both wanted to do good, but how they wanted to go about it were two very different things.]

It's funny. You ran away from the thing that I sometimes wish the most for. I'm not judging you for it, but I have to wonder if I'd have felt the same if I was part of the colony, as you put it. Or would I also have hightailed it away, back to LA or something.
robintohood: ([RH] You and your toys)

[personal profile] robintohood 2023-11-04 12:22 am (UTC)(link)
It's a hell of a difference between knowing of Batman and him being your teacher and mentor. Not to give you my whole sob story here but I got older and started fighting him more than working with him.

Seems like you've had plenty of time to think about this stuff.

[It's stated in a neutral tone. He's not entirely sure yet what to think of Bette for now. He'll need to talk to the others in the BatFamily to get their opinions as well]
feathersandflames: (Flamebird)

[personal profile] feathersandflames 2023-11-04 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
I don't mean him being my teacher, necessarily, but more him kind of generally accepting me and allowing me to function as Flamebird in Gotham. Thankfully that doesn't seem like it'll be a problem here.

When you're sitting on the sidelines, it's easy to let your mind wander and think about what-ifs and how-abouts.

[Batfamily opinions. Bette's often wondered what they think of her. If they've thought of her at all. The closest she'd come to working with them was when they swooped in during the time she was trying to break her cousin Beth out away from the DEO, and even then they'd only been in the same area. If she knew where Jason's mind was at, she might have been stressing a bit.]
robintohood: ([RH] Got it?)

[personal profile] robintohood 2023-11-04 08:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[With a hint of bitterness from Jason's tone]

Take it from someone who had to be under his wing for years; it's not worth it. You're better off on your own away from the rest of the flock.

[Jason has repeatedly tried to pull himself away from Bruce's influence. He hates how emotionally he still gets over his adoptive family]
feathersandflames: (Default)

[personal profile] feathersandflames 2023-11-05 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
[Despite the mask that covers, well, everything, Bette manages to pick up on that little hint of bitterness. She tilts her head to the side, studying him, worry flittering over her face.]

Batwoman was already a hard enough taskmaster. She insisted on calling me Plebe when she finally agreed to train me. Plebe.

I'm sorry the experience was rough for you, but I hope you're in something of a better place now?

[The emotional ties can be an unfortunate sort of consequence, really, when it comes to mentor-mentee relationships, or anything as high-stress as being costumed crimefighters. She's seen that first-hand herself.]

And I get it if I don't exactly inspire trust, given my own Bat-connections - however thin they might be - but I hope that in time we'll at least get to be friends. Because after all this, that'd be kind of nice. And, you know. I could use a friend.
robintohood: ([RH] You and your toys)

[personal profile] robintohood 2023-11-05 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
[Jason looks at Bette as he considers some things. She hasn’t given Jason much reason to distrust her so far. The distant Bat connection complicates matters but she seems surprisingly open for a masked vigilante.

Finally, Jason responds by giving Bette the name and Central City address of a bar]

You might find some friends there.
solarheals: (12)

will solace ☀ riordianverse

[personal profile] solarheals 2023-11-05 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
arrival
[ Will has become somewhat an expert at falling recently. Falling down steep inclines, falling from the clutches of giant demon-birds, and even falling down a literal river of pain. So he'd hoped he'd be done with falling for awhile, but that's not in the cards today. He takes stock of the situation, which doesn't take long because the situation is that the ground is rapidly getting closer and Will has no way of slowing himself down.

So he prays to his dad. Hey, Dad, it's Will. Sorry I don't have offerings but I'm plunging toward certain death so if you could help out I'd really, really appreciate it. Love, Will.

The ground keeps rushing toward him. He's rapidly running out of ideas so, with mere feet left, he squeezes his eyes shut and hopes for the best. Will hits the pavement and his eyes fly open with surprise. He's not dead. He's not even hurt. Shakily, he pulls himself out of the new Will-shaped crater. He takes a shaky breath and whispers: ]
Thanks, Dad.

[ Was it actually Apollo? He suspects not. But he's not about to take the chance and not show gratitude. ]

the iron giant
[ This is unpleasantly familiar.

But this time, instead of his fellow demigods, people in bright costumes are intervening. They all look like they're straight from a comic book and Will can't help but grin a little. He was never much of a fighter, so there's nothing he can do to help on that front. But he's more than capable of herding people and carrying stragglers to safety. He hands children to their parents, he carries the elderly on his back, he does what he can to help.

The Giant steps hard on the pavement, and a wide crack opens that nearly sends Will plummeting (again). His quick reflexes keep him from that fate, but he has scant seconds to help the people dangling helplessly above the abyss of broken concrete and rebar. ]


Take my hand!

street faire
[ Will likes people. He likes being surrounded by the texture of life-- the sights and sounds of celebration, the smell of cooking food, even the enthusiasm of people hawking their wares. He overhears snippets of conversations about meta humans and heroes and guilds. They talk openly about the Iron Giant and people falling from the sky, but none of them seem panicked the way mortals usually are.

He turns that over in his head as he ducks his way through the crowd. Perhaps he's not as attentive as he should be when he accidentally walks into someone (or, maybe, they walk into him). ]


Oh, sorry!

[ Maybe he lucked out and nothing got spilled on him this time. ]

sunset falls
[ Any demigod worth their salt would know that the candies are a trap. But the moment the old man opens his mouth, the trap is already sprung and Will doesn't even consider refusing the offer of free candy. He takes a yellow candy and thanks the sweet, harmless old man before being on his way.

It never occurs to him not to eat it.

He thinks nothing of it when he starts to sing. He's a child of Apollo and of Naomi Solace, of course he sings. But he doesn't have the raw talent some of his half-siblings do, so he usually sings songs he already knows. But not this time. Will sings about his deepest desire-- to be stronger. It's probably a song worthy of a shonen anime protagonist, but the desire for strength comes from somewhere deeper. He's a healer and he wouldn't trade that for anything. But he wants to be strong enough to prevent the injuries in the first place.

He sings beautifully, but the way he enraptures people is new. Mesmerizing singing isn't one of his demigod talents. Will finds he can't stop, like the magnetism drawing others to him affects his ability to stop singing.

Slowly, distantly, a sinking feeling sets in. ]
demigoth: (038)

Iron Giant

[personal profile] demigoth 2023-11-05 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ Giant robots are going on the list of bad guys that Nico would like to never see again. This is… three? Five? He’s lost count.

And then, rather suddenly, he’s lost contact with the ground and drops like a rock. Thank Hades for the broken pipe - he almost misses the catch, and water is spraying hard against his back from across the chasm with the force of a fire hydrant.

He would very much not like to find out if the drop goes all the way to the Underworld. There are better ways to visit than the hard way.

But before he can judge the safest climb up, there’s a proffered hand and a familiar halo of blond hair above him.
]

Will?!

[ Nico has a million questions. How is Will here? How long has he been running around Central City and not telling Nico? What is he doing fighting a giant robot? But he remembers his predicament quickly and lunges up to clasp the offered arm firmly just under the elbow. His feet are braced on and outcropping - with a little help, he’ll be back on what’s left of the street in no time. ]
solarheals: (13)

[personal profile] solarheals 2023-11-05 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
Nico?

[ He has a million questions, but there's no time for them now. He grabs Nico's arm with his other hand and pulls. Will doesn't let go, even when Nico is on solid ground again. He looks Nico over, surprise giving way to concern. ]

Are you okay?
demigoth: (058)

[personal profile] demigoth 2023-11-05 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
[ Well, it’s not like he’s going to argue about being hoisted out. Nico has to think about the question. Yes is only maybe the right answer, because now that he’s considering it: no, he wrenched his shoulder catching his falling weight. That’s going to hinder any robot swordfighting.

Oh right, the robot. Nico checks, and it’s currently trying to incorporate a Corolla into its design. It’s fine.
]

I- I’m fine. What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at camp.

[ Where it’s safe and guilds don’t take advantage of him. ]
solarheals: (07)

[personal profile] solarheals 2023-11-05 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ He looks Nico over again, only because their definitions of 'fine' don't always line up. But Nico seems more or less okay, save some possible abrasions. He lets go of Nico's arm. Will can tell that he's already thinking of fighting the giant.

Will's attention is only turned away from Nico when he hears the shriek of metal on metal as the statue (automaton? wayward robot? collective hallucination?) bulks itself up more. He snaps his attention back to Nico when he hears the question. ]


I was, then I was falling out of the sky. But let's get to safety first, then we can sort this out.

[ The Giant stomps forward, but is rebuffed by a flying hero shooting lasers out of their eyes. ]

Should we... help? [ They seem to have it covered but... ]
demigoth: (041)

[personal profile] demigoth 2023-11-05 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Obviously, he's thinking about fighting the automaton. It's torn up an entire city street, and it keeps making itself bigger. But Nico's also prudent when other people have a battle covered, and he doesn't need to ask if Will has a weapon. Obviously, Will turned up without anything again, and Nico's got his doubts that the Care Bear stare works on electronics. ]

I think Atomight has it under control.

[ He says Atomight like Will knows who that is. After all, why wouldn't he? Nico had been here, gone home for a second that was more like 4 months, and come back to remember everything that was missing. So - Will remembers. ]

I could help him, while you check on people, but I don't want to get separated.
solarheals: (02)

[personal profile] solarheals 2023-11-05 04:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Will feels like he's missing something. He's never heard of an Atomight before now, but Nico seems to expect that he's familiar with him. He adds that onto his list of things to ask about later.

It's tempting, a little, to step aside and let someone else fight. And this Atomight seems to be doing fine. But even the thought of turning away makes his stomach knot itself up with guilt. People need help. And he doubts Nico can turn away from this any more than he can.

Will's eyes glint with determination. He looks around a moment. ]


If we get separated, we'll meet up there after we're done. [ He points to a statue on the far end of the street. ] Okay?
demigoth: (031)

[personal profile] demigoth 2023-11-05 07:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ No, it isn't remotely okay. Every bad idea he's ever seen involved splitting up or staying behind. ]

Okay.

[ Okay like a visit to the infirmary. Okay like going to Panera Bread at the mall instead of a pizza place. Okay like Episode III or VI or however they ordered the lava one. ]

I'm just going to hack at its legs and - wait.

[ Nico's aware that, at minimum, Tim has electronics on his jacket that means Tim can find him. So, if he gives his jacket to Will, then Tim can find Will if he gets lost or dragged off by a rabid microwave. He shakes off his jacket and holds it out. ]

Put this on. I'll explain later. I'll be right back.

[ Yeah, someone should start him on horror movies soon. ]
solarheals: (05)

[personal profile] solarheals 2023-11-05 08:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He's not thrilled about possibly splitting up either, but... is it his imagination or does Nico seem more nervous than he usually would be?

He takes Nico's jacket with a baffled look on his face. It's not even that cold out. ]


O...kay. [ He pulls on the jacket. At least it fits okay. ]

I'll clear the area to give you and, uh, Atomight room to work. But, seriously, I'm going to need a lot explained to me after this.
demigoth: (008)

[personal profile] demigoth 2023-11-05 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
I promise I'll explain everything.

[ He doesn't even know what everything is, but that's a later problem. Nico runs off to join help stop the machine. In the end, Atomight did have it largely under control, but Nico and a few other metahumans who pitched in to help were able to cut the robot off from fresh material and side streets, keeping the fight localized.

About 20 minutes later, Nico limps back to the statue. He got hit in the leg with a piece of debris, but feels better when he sees that the statue has fared worse. Something melted a hole straight through its stomach.

And then he feels worse. He hopes Will wasn't nearby when any similar stray shots made it this far.
]

Solace?
solarheals: (13)

[personal profile] solarheals 2023-11-05 10:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ While Nico, Atomight, and the other heroes take on the automaton, Will helps out the lost and injured. The police set up a barrier quickly, so he focuses on getting as many people to the other side as he can. It was surprisingly well-organized, not the haphazard response he's seen in similar situations. Some people were even cheering on Atomight and live-blogging their reactions.

They can see it, all of it, exactly the same way Will does. Like the Mist just doesn't exist.

Nico's voice brings him out of his thoughts and he walks over from the other side of the statue. ]


Over here.

[ Will is no worse for wear. He's dirty and sweaty and there are a few small scrapes and scratches that have already scabbed over. ]

Are you hurt?
overlyprecocious: (506)

[personal profile] overlyprecocious 2023-11-05 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[Tim is mostly chilling at the fair as an excuse to get out of the apartment and not deal with any overbearing family members for a little while. (Not that there isn't an overbearing family member in the crowd somewhere, letting Tim have some space.) He does twist out of the way a little when the boy walks into him, enough to make it more of a bump than a full-on collision.]

It's cool. You okay?
solarheals: (Default)

[personal profile] solarheals 2023-11-06 01:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Will has the presence of mind to look a little embarrassed. Not paying close attention to one's surroundings can have deadly consequences for a demigod. Luckily the other teen is 1) not a monster and 2) pretty chill.

He smiles. ]


Yeah, just a little distracted. Did you see what happened before, with the giant robot?

[ Did the Mist conceal it for him? ]
codicies: (01 talk)

street faire

[personal profile] codicies 2023-11-07 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, 'scuse m—

[ Dylan stops short when he gets a good look at the stranger's face, then he lights up. ]

Holy shit, Will? Is that you?

[ Without waiting for an answer, Dylan cranes his neck, scanning the crowd for that pouf of Nico's black hair. ]

Does Nico know you're back yet? Probably not, right? I imagine he'd be sticking to you like velcro the moment he saw you again.
solarheals: (06)

[personal profile] solarheals 2023-11-07 09:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Dylan might recognize Will, but it doesn't go both ways. All Will can manage is an awkward half-smile as he wracks his brain to remember the other teen. Nothing is coming to mind, not even a spark of familiarity.

But Dylan immediately pulls his attention elsewhere. ]


How do you know Nico?
codicies: (01 neutral)

[personal profile] codicies 2023-11-07 10:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Will's awkward smile is enough of a clue that Dylan isn't too surprised when Will doesn't recognize him. His expression falls a bit, though.

He pulls out his phone and starts scrolling through pictures as he speaks. ]


Nico's my best friend.

[ To help prove his point, he holds up a photo of himself and Nico together, just chilling out in the attic safehouse and making faces at the camera. ]

Which I'm guessing doesn't line up with what you know. When you fell in, they gave you the spiel about this place being a new world, right? We're time-displaced, too. Narnia-style. So Nico's been here for over a year.

[ Dylan scrolls through his photos again. ]

And sometimes people disappear and come back, but it's like they're arriving for the first time again.

That's, uh... that's why I recognized you.

[ He holds up the phone again, showing off another photo of Dylan and Nico, along with Will, a blond girl, and a white-haired boy. ]
solarheals: (10)

[personal profile] solarheals 2023-11-10 05:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Will looks at the photos in clear disbelief. It's definitely Nico and definitely him, but he remembers none of it. A creeping dread settles in. A shortlist of ways he could've lost his memory comes to mind, unbidden-- a god's intervention, some sort of curse, maybe even an after-effect from his jaunt to Tartarus.

Narnia and superheroes and Nico being here but also back home and the Mist not working and...

It's a lot to take in. So he gives Dylan a dumbfounded look. ]


I don't remember anything. Not even a hint of a memory.

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