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wilderlogs2018-03-07 06:14 pm
wildermods) wrote in wilderlogs2018-03-07 06:14 pm
THE SQUAD DOES AN INTRO - [modplot] [event]
THE SQUAD DOES AN INTRO
In their homeworlds, they suddenly hear water flowing over stone, the wind through the leaves, and the gentle rattling of Kodama. The hushed sound of treetops waving in the breeze lull them to sleep whether they want it to or not, and in what seems like a dream they fall through a tunnel that passes through layers of dirt and roots and then through seemingly endless boughs of trees.
During this impossibly long fall, spirits whisper in their ears. They tell them that they must save the Wilderlands and the Green. They tell them that they will be given the power or weapons to do it - or that they're already strong enough as they are. They tell them that in the times they're not needed, they may find themselves trapped in the faerie realm known as the Brugh, but that the mirrors will let them speak, and the mirrors will let them see.
And they tell them that they're about to become lost in the forest and that there are others like them, just as lost.
When they wake up, they find themselves in the ruins of an abandoned city; the forest has overtaken it, threading new life through the decay, but the green of the leaves and vines pales in contrast with the broken buildings and streets. Every single building in this city was once a vibrant shade of emerald, and even now, after the slow ravages of time, the green ruins glimmer like they're hewn from precious gems.
The only things that aren't that bright shade of emerald are the statues. Countless statues are scattered through the abandoned city, shaped like men and women and children and pets, all dressed in 1900s era Earth-style finery. These figures are extremely intricate, almost too detailed to be believably carved by a human hand. Many of them are smashed and broken.
Some of the statues don't look human. Among the humans are little beings shaped like china dolls that are made of stone like the rest, instead of porcelain. And in the middle of the city, standing near each other are three strange petrified figures: an axe-wielding man that looks like he was made of metal before being petrified, a man who looks like a human-lion hybrid, and a living scarecrow. All three have expressions of surprise or anger on their faces.
When the characters are brought into this place, the magic that brought them in seems to have trouble getting them all in the same place at first. They find themselves spending brief amounts of time in one spot (sometimes just minutes, sometimes longer) before they're teleported again. Each time they teleport they find themselves near someone new, someone just as lost as them. Those that don't speak the same language may find some difficulties communicating, but over time, the magic of the Wilderlands will kick in, and plant a whole new language in their heads. This magic works faster the more they emotionally connect with other and find understanding without words.
The teleportation keeps zapping them in different places all over the city -- and sometimes outside it, where they can see an abandoned road made of yellow brick that trails off into the distance. Fortunately, the people they keep getting paired off with seem like normal people just like them, and beyond that, they're entirely alone in the ruins.
Probably.
✦ Post in actionspam format. Plots and mod-run events in the game are meant to be in actionspam format to keep a brisk pace.
✦ Please see the OOC post linked up top for more information about the event.
no subject
There's something like eight of us here already, if you count the monkey, which I'm not sure I do. I wouldn't if it weren't speaking English at me. [Well, speaking something that eventually Dixon could understand, and since English is the only language he even has a halfway grip on he's going with that assumption.] Maybe one of them can give you a jacket or something.
[He furrows his brow at the kid's attire. It takes him a moment to put the joke in the shirt together, and then he kind of rolls his eyes. Kid probably got it from his daddy or something. He'll say something about it later.]
Look, you familiar with the Wizard of Oz? Because I don't remember much about it and it seems to be a theme here.
no subject
[ He says it slowly, like there’s a way for this to make sense if Tim can just give it the right inflection. ]
But the monkey speaks English.
[ No, that doesn’t help with the believability much. He can’t get around the idea that Grodd wouldn’t share his knowledge with lesser primates.
Tim is abruptly thrown off his thought process by the man's continued concern about getting him a coat. It’s nothing but kindness, and he knows that he should appreciate it. He can’t stand how small it makes him feel and shifts his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably. ]
I don’t get cold that easy. Don’t worry about it.
[ He moves on before saying no hangs in the air too long. Adults can get funny about the ]
There’s over a dozen books set in Oz, plus the movies, but I read them once as a kid and that was it. They didn’t have enough fight scenes... You think this is meant to be the Emerald City? It’s an expensive gimmick, if that’s what it is. I don't see what the payout would be.
no subject
If Tim had responded by worrying about the cold, Dixon might have had to consider giving up his coat. It's more a light jacket than anything else, with more weight due to a pack of cigarettes and an iPod in the pocket than actual warm material, but it would be pretty hard to justify not offering it. He's relieved that the topic can be dropped, perfunctory concerns given the appropriate lip service.]
We're enough fight scenes for me either, which is why I don't remember jack about it. But I do know it had a yellow brick road, just like the one out there. [He points in the appropriate direction on the horizon.] Haven't tried to follow it yet, though. I've seen about seven or eight other people around here so I figured at least two of us should stick together.
[If the weird magic wouldn't keep bopping them around. Dixon feels like he's eventually going to get motion sickness from the teleportation nonsense.]
no subject
[ The adult-teenager communication divide takes the blame for the man's tone. Tim lets it roll by like water. They’re in the middle of a crumbling city; getting the respect of a man he doesn’t know and will probably never see after today is not a hill Tim wants to die on, or even climb.
There are so many other things to stress about, like how to get to the yellow brick road. If this is a supervillain – and to Tim's thinking, that’s a very small if – then yellow brick road is only there for one purpose: to be followed. There’s a dangerous forest and… a crossroads? Doesn’t one turn lead to the witch's place?
Tim’s eyes follow Dixon’s hand for the direction, then flick to the sky for the sun's position and trace along the skyline. He’s trying to memorize the road’s relative location, not wanting to drag some innocent person down a dangerous path. ]
You’ve seen seven people? Where are they? Who are they? For that matter, who are you?
[ The news of so many people alarms him. Tim had been leaning towards this situation being a targeted attack, either at vigilantes or people with heavy connections to the wealthy. Nine people, possibly ten with monkey, reduced the odds considerably.
He has a lot more questions but he doesn’t want to clutter the conversation yet. Get the answer to who and build from there. ]
no subject
[If there's anything Dixon doesn't look like, it's "connected to wealth". Everything from haircut to stance to accent screams smalltown. He slips his arm through the straps of his shield and leans it down against his thigh on the ground, having gotten fatigued from holding it and now relatively certain Tim's not a threat.
But just because Tim's not an obvious threat doesn't mean Dixon stops watching him. Dixon's thick, but he's at least a little observant; he can tell the kid has some wheels turning as he looks into the horizon. Smart kid.]
Dixon. I just got here, I don't need you giving me the third degree. [Probably a poor choice of words given that half his face is healing from an awful burn, but he doesn't seem to notice it.] The other folks were, ah, gimme a minute. A green space man, a chick from Saturn, a girl with a sword who called herself Saber, some kid with a dragon, some knock-off Superman, and shit, some other girl I didn't see much of. Don't know where they went.
no subject
I’m Al. Please don’t sing the song.
[ Dixon seems decent, but the fact is he could be one of the perpetrators just as easily as a victim. Meeting so many others, when Tim has found one so far, is suspicious without the shield and the injury. The burn isn’t brand new, but it is recent.
He can’t come out and introduce himself as Tim Drake - or Wayne. If Dixon’s not involved, it doesn’t matter if Tim is Al.
What matters is Tim has to tamp down on the questions to avoid annoying the source. It’s so hard with a list of people that tantalizing. Green space man – is it Martian Manhunter? Is the Justice League already here? The girl from Saturn rings a distant bell; Tim will figure it out later. He doesn’t know anyone who has a dragon, although Beast Boy could easily pull it off. Saber is an assassin, and the mention of her makes his hand tighten on the collapsed bo. There’s not enough information on the final woman.
Tim chooses the intended to ask about carefully, but there’s really no contest. A knockoff Superman has about a 20% chance of being amazing news, and an 80% chance of being a major disaster.
]
I’m sorry about all the questions, Mr. Dixon. I think we’re both having a bad day. When you say knockoff Superman, I don’t what you mean. Is he talking backwards or funny, is his skin chalky or blue, or is he my age?
[ The last option covers the best and worst outcomes, but differentiating Kon and Prime will sound ridiculous to an adult (who probably thinks all teenagers sound angry and entitled) and will reveal Al is up to his neck in capes. The rest of the options aren't better, but he could get them from the news. ]
no subject
[The reference goes over his head.
This isn't the first person here asking if anyone they knew was around, or grilling him (in his opinion) on the particulars of the people he's run into so far. Granted, the first person to get on his case about finding someone was a screaming monkey who aimed a sword at him, so maybe Dixon's feeling a little put-upon at the moment.
Still, he thinks he should probably stick around "Al", at least until the teleportation glitches again. He's not particularly eager to be left to his own devices today, and as the clearly older person here, he figures that means he's in charge. It's not that "Al" doesn't look capable, but he's still a youth.
And Dixon likes the idea of being in charge and having something to do besides wander, baffled and in a sort of stupor, through the ruins knocking over statues and kicking shards of emerald around, wondering if this strange new set of circumstances is a net to catch him in his downward spiral or an acceleration of the pace.]
Said he was Superboy, but yeah, he was around your age. They got knock-off Supermans with blue skin now? They've thought of everything.
Say, a few of the people I met said they heard the same funny voice in their head that I did before we got here, some kind of assignment or so on about The Green and lost souls and all. I'll reckon you got that too?
no subject
Why would I tell you the name of a song that’s the bane of my adolescent existence? If “Dixon” featured prominently in a really dumb song, would you hand that information out for free?
[ The answer is no, obviously. This routine is courtesy long ago introductions of “Alvin” being called out as lies because no Alvin would admit to that name. He’s tried to make it authentic, including acting like it’s more important than Superboy. ]
Wow, did you really meet Superboy, or are you just yanking my chain? What’s he like?
[ You know, is he crazy, homicidal, and obsessed with his old girlfriend? Or is he a nice guy with surprising esteem issues and a smart mouth? Details are important. ]
I don’t think he’s around anymore, but I saw a picture of him in the Daily Planet years. I couldn’t have been more than thirteen or fourteen.
[ That would be 3 or 4 years ago. ]
And... yeah. I figured it was a dream, but... not if you heard the same thing. Save the wild, protect the Green.
no subject
Dixon doesn't really like feeling at a loss or stupid, but it happens a lot. Just because he's learned to roll with it doesn't mean he doesn't notice it.]
Just some kid. He was bragging about how weird his world was, how he's been to other dimensions and parallel universes and all that stuff. Said something about Earth Prime. It was only a few minutes before the thing jerking us around kicked back in.
no subject
Tim's head moves up and back at the mention of Earth Prime, as if his brain can physically recoil from an idea of Superboy Prime being here. Is this where they trapped him? Did he get out again? Oh, - ]
- Shit.
[ He curses aloud and doesn't bother to apologize. Tim doesn't have any kryptonite on him. What he does have is a Batbelt under his shirt and, more visibly, a pair of pajamas with a logo that he's positive will make Prime spit fire.
He's wasting time panicking around someone that Prime won't know from Adam. He can't risk being near anyone if S-P comes back. Dixon talked to him once, with no apparent issue. He'll be fine if Prime doesn't think he's related to heroes. ]
If you see him again, be nice to him, but don't try and stick with him.
[ Tim turns on his heel and starts walking in the other direction, nowhere close to where Dixon had come from or where the yellow brick road was indicated. ]
You should probably forget what I'm wearing, too.
no subject
Hey-
[But then the teleportation kicks in, and Dixon couldn't pursue Tim for more of an explanation if he tried.]