multiversallogs | The City at Large & Mission Alpha

Who: OPEN to all residents.
What: The ant-situation is changing!
Where: Throughout the city.
When: NOW. This thread will likely cover a few days.
Warnings: To be updated.

Dear Mission Alpha,

It is your undeniable privilege to bring back as many of the so-called 'crow pearls' as possible to the Temple. Any temple. No one important cares how you do it, just get it done. Try to be substantial about it, let's say more than 50, hmm? The actual task here is to deprive our deranged ant-friends of as many pearls as possible, but no one is going to be rewarded for stories like 'oh we absolutely threw two tons of pearls down the whirlpool, we swear on our broodmother's grave', okay? Okay. Peachy. Bring me the pearls, chop chop.

Your totally sweet gods have decided to lend you some ...boons I guess, however that goes, to aid you in your quest. Useful objects. For you, my gifted pilferers and negotiators:

A Skeleton Key - it will open any unwarded lock. It will not open warded locks. That means magical locks. No magical locks will be opened with this key. Unless the magic is broken first. Good luck with that.

Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card - I realize no one has bothered to build proper jail cells in Our City yet so it's more of a Fend-off-The-Local-Authorities-Free Card but that's not as catchy. Think of it as An Official Voucher From the Gods that says you're on Official Twelve Point Business and can't be arrested right now. Keep it for the Sheriffs as it might not have the desired effect the Militia.

Privacy Ward or App For Your CiD - Well you don't want to get caught leaking signals and communication everywhere, do you.

It is a week and some change after the ants first noticeably began their labour and it seems they have finished rebuilding their houses. It's hard to see exactly what is going on from the ground, but the brave few who have ventured into and up the hives or climbed neighbouring buildings get a good enough view. The rooftops are now crowned with organic spires, much like malformed and undernourished termite nests reaching for the heavens. They are not the best constructs, some of them have broken off or imploded, but the majority of the spires stand.

Then one morning, individual ants are seen climbing to the very top of their towers. They then sit still, mandibles locked and antennae arched. It's hours before any change becomes noticeable, and by then it's too late. The ants have sprouted strange fleshy fungal tentacles, all filled to the bursting with spores.

Soon there after, reports come in from all across the city about people acting out of character; some have become catatonic or violent after brief a period of sickness. Individuals have been seen entering the ant-occupied buildings to help defend the ants against intruders, others have attempted to climb high points in the city or thrown themselves in the rivers.

Once again the City is under siege, but this time the enemy is invisible.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"The last," Gabriel says, falling into step beside Eddie. Actually it's more like comic book mutants but he can't really say that without giving himself away. He doesn't want the attention.

"What about you?"

Eddie pauses for a second. If Gabriel is also an ordinary human being, and heading out there on his mission, this is now a threat to Eddie's reasons for being justified in staying here. Saving face becomes a priority. "... Then why are you going out there? You don't seem stupid." This is the only serious expression he's managed in the whole conversation. It... could possibly be mistaken for concern.

Then he shrugs. "I'm from what I've gathered is a pretty boring universe. We had to make do with our own strangeness."

There's a wry twist of his lips. "I have to," he says, glancing over at Eddie. It's clear he doesn't take offense at the question, and is possibly grateful for the possible concern. "I just... do."

There's a longer explanation about redemption and penitence, about trying to tip the scales back after years of being a bad man, but these are not conversations Gabriel tends to have with other people. They're things that are inside him, ideals that guide him now.

"Funny. I guess I could say the same about my universe too. Oh, well."

"No, you don't." His frown deepens, but he lets it drop, after a pause, and some difficulty. His smirk is a bit forced, but after faking it for a moment, it looks real again.

"I lived in a city overrun with organized crime, undergoing this fascinating shift in its structure due to a guy with a ton of money, skills and free time deciding to be a vigilante. And that is pretty weird, but not hey, there are real vampires weird. Hmm?"

"That sounds interesting. And weird, yes." He shrugs. "My world... there were rumors of people with powers, like comic book superheroes. No one could prove it, though. And that still doesn't beat real vampires."

"It gets better. This other guy dresses up like a clown and pretty much holds the whole city hostage and messes up the underworld even more, just to screw with the first guy." He's cheerful again. This stuff is awesome! He has momentarily stopped walking toward wherever he was leading Gabriel.

"Then the clown guy seriously messes up the district attorney, and he goes nuts and starts flipping a coin to decide whether he should shoot people or not. This is all going on while no one actually has any super powers. They're ordinary people, pulling this off, right? Except for the fear gas, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that spraying people in the face with drugs counts as a power... So, do you mean rumors like "Uri Geller can bend spoons with his mind!" rumors, or what?"

"...Seriously?" Gabriel makes an incredulous face. "That's messed up. I thought my city was messed up but... no."

He shrugs. "They say people with the right genetic mutation can have just about any power. Flying. Time bending. Teleporting. Mind reading. Some doctor wrote a book about it. But it's all rumors, no one's come out and said they're one of these special people. There were rumors for a while, too, that they were being hunted by the government and other groups."

He pauses a moment. Puts on his best I don't even know face. "Guess I'll believe it when I see it."

"Seriously, and if I'd been permitted to stay only a little longer, I would have done spectacular things with the whole scenario." Long sigh. He gestures to encompass the room, his makeshift work spot, and all the craziness beyond these walls. "This is what I have to work with, now."

He begins to walk again, pausing after a few steps to make sure Gabriel will follow him. "I would expect any universe where that sort of thing doesn't exist will still get the same sort of claims. Mine certainly did. I'd also want proof."

"Really?" It's not mocking, his question. He seems genuinely interested. And yes, it's terribly disingenuous of him to pretend he's not one of the people he's been talking about, but that's just his way. He swears it's for good reasons these days, but it's still who he is.

"Yeah. People can say they can do anything. I'd want to go meet them in person and find out for myself." He does follow, falling into step beside Eddie. "I can understand people wanting to hide it, though. It's hard to be different."

"Really," Eddie repeats, without any hint of reluctance in his tone, neither on account of shame nor thinking he won't be believed. Oh no, this is great stuff. "I've made no secret of it, here. The game is different, and I'm on my best behavior, with my inconsequential job and all that.". He snrks, shakes his head, and keeps walking.

"Yes, and it would also be completely understandable for them to keep that secret, seeing as how that is a strong advantage, in and of itself.". He says this with a slight smile, instead of pressing this further, to indicate that if the man is lying, the possibility has occured to him. He's sure he'll figure it out, either way.

"I suppose it is."

The statement is harmless, noncommittal. Maybe he honestly means it that way.

Maybe he's playing his advantage.

"What do you do? Your 'inconsequential job'."

With that kind of ambiguity, he'd prefer that the fellow is lying. Wouldn't that be funny? At any rate, there's no telling, right now.

"They have me doing organizational work for the newspaper. And puzzles. Clearly, these things are in high demand during fungal epidemics."

Gabriel shrugs. "I was a watchmaker. Then I was summoned by the gods for this quest. But they needed help, so here I am. I'm still not clear on what these pearls will to do help but it's what I was asked to do."

"Mhm, so let's get you set with sweet lockpicks, so you can be a proper ~instrument of the gods' will~."

Eddie rounds a corner, and will indeed go about gathering the materials he has in mind, and a door with a deadbolt in mind, too, so he can show him a few things. He is not exactly a patient teacher, but he does, at least, know very well what he's doing.

The City at Large & Mission Alpha

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[[oh god, itallics everywhere. Sorry ><]]

[No worries, bb. :D]

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