[EVENT | FOURTH WALL] THE DREAMING'S FLATULENCE | APRIL 15-30

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL and plus ones. (Yes, fourth-wall characters, that means you.)
Date: April 15-30 2016 (2017 in-game)
Location: Mod-posted comment starters are for the immediate aftermath of the odd explosion which starts the event, but this log can also be used for anywhere in the setting anytime between April 15-30.
Situation: The College went BOOM. Weird people began appearing randomly in the city. After that, other buildings went BOOM even though nothing actually exploded besides the College. After that, scattered buildings developed spontaneous structural damage overnight. Could these events be related? You be the judge.
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings in subject headers as needed.

The morning of April 15th dawns cold, but clear. There isn't a cloud in the sky, the sun's barely risen, and in general the kedan are going about their daily lives - opening shops, heading to work, leading kirin through the city streets. In particular, there's a small but steady stream of people moving in and out of the College.

Then, without warning, a section of the College implodes.

During the following few days, an influx of strange Foreigners appear, seemingly dropped randomly by the Dreaming throughout Keeliai. Someone might end up in a canal, or on a rooftop. Someone else might find themselves flying through the air to land heavily in a disused alley. Someone might wake up in the corner of a kirin stable. A few might even land in Hatal on the mainland, and feel a curious draw leading them back towards the turtle. They arrive in the same unexpected manner as normal Foreigners; the only differences are the sheer amount of people arriving at once, and that none of the newcomers seem to possess any soul gems.

Also during the next few days, kedan and Foreigner alike might be startled by an exact replica of that thunderous boom from the College explosion echoing around Keeliai. This only occurs for about a week, but it occurs regularly, and the source of these strange echoes is impossible to trace.

Once the explosion echoes stop, investigators might notice that specific and exact sections of structural damage from the College appear on other buildings in Keeliai without any obvious cause. These cases of spontaneous long-term damage continue all the way through until April 30th.

Apart from those disruptions, life on the turtle is generally normal for the next two weeks - or as normal as it's possible for life to be when one lives on the back of a turtle where the most powerful gang makes the rules. No one can say for sure exactly when the strange Foreigners vanish again. Some will swear they all vanished at once; others will be equally sure they disappeared one by one over several days. One thing's for sure, however -- by the time April 30th draws to a close, not one of the strange Foreigners is left in Keeliai.

---

LINKS
The College | The Echoes | The Structural Damage | OOC Information post | Fourth-Wall Character Check-In

OOC
The top-level comments are for the explosion and its aftermath, but fourth-wall characters should feel free to use the rest of the post for anything within the setting! Just remember to label the top-level comment for location and date. You can also add more fourth-wall characters throughout the event at the character check-in, linked above. Please direct any questions to the OOC post.

Fourth-wall characters are also free to tag into player-posted logs and console/radio posts dated between April 15th and 30th! A quick reminder that fourth-wall characters will not have soul jewelry, and will not be able to create their own network posts or logs.

Comments

THE COLLEGE

[ironwood]

Onlookers will hear a thunderous boom, then see a sizeable portion of the College building crumble to the ground. Back walls cave in, ceilings sag under their own weight until they collapse, and a cloud of smoke and dust fills the air above the College, making it obvious from nearly anywhere in the city where the explosion occurred. The smell of flames blankets the area, sending kedan onlookers into a further panic.

For several hours immediately following the explosion, Snakes, bystanders, and any Foreigners who wish to help can be found digging through the rubble, looking for anyone caught by the blast -- and, hopefully, what caused the blast. Miraculously, however, it slowly becomes clear that no one was hurt. The part of the building which collapsed was mostly storage for the magic-nullifying salt extracted from the fog months ago, and all of that salt seems to have vanished. There was a lab or two and a meeting room, but through sheer coincidence no one was in that part of the building at the time of the explosion -- and, despite the smell, there's no fire anywhere. Some kedan were nearby enough to be shaken, and others -- especially those who worked within the College -- may have some bruises and cuts from where they fell or dropped something in surprise. Beyond that, however, injury seems to have been avoided.

Unfortunately, it also seems impossible to trace how exactly the explosion happened. Foreigners who remember the last time a large stockpile of magic-nullifying salt made something explode might believe the answer is obvious, but it doesn't explain the cloud of smoke in the air, or the acrid smell of fire which lingers around the blast radius despite there… being no fire.

For the next couple of days, work crews gather around the shallow crater trying to salvage as much of the building as they can. Enough of the College stands to let their activities go on as normal, but no one's willing to leave the entire back of the building exposed. The work crews will welcome any help from Foreigners, no matter if they're permanent or temporary - just as long as they're reliable workers.

I NEED HEALING; CW for blood and severe injury; some spoilers for last book of SP

[vexingshieldbearer]

The man who appears near the area of the explosion, at first glance, looks like he was caught in it--he's covered in blood and dust, and terribly injured, sprawled on the ground and gasping gurglingly for air. But he has no outside injuries; it's more like someone shoved their arm down his throat and tried to rip out his internal organs.

Which is pretty much what happened, except that the thing that was removed wasn't one of his natural organs. They're all still there ... just maybe not in exactly the right places, or with healthy working connections to one another.

Which is why Dex is choking on his own blood, his vision revolving on an axis when it chooses to work at all. He can still feel his heartbeat, but it's almost fascinating, how slow it feels, how distant it's getting. He knows he's in pain, but it's the sort that's so overwhelming that the sense of it is shutting down. It's there, he's just having trouble caring.

He's having trouble caring about a lot. The only reason he's still bothering to try and breathe is a long-ingrained impulse not to give in.

On your feet and don't stop moving, Vex.

That'd be lovely, Deuce, Dex thinks dizzily, if I could breathe.

His last memories are hazy. Scouting a town with the Monster Hunters. Remnants. Then scattered, dream-like flashes he isn't sure he's meant to remember at all, of being in another town, leading a town, holding Valkyrie's baby sister, confronting Darquesse ...

He really doesn't want to remember much after that.

So he just lays there, trying to breathe and feeling, with distant fascination, his life ebbing away.

Here, have Nurse Normal.

[holbydelboy]

It takes a few minutes, but there's someone running to his side, coming to a stop and kneeling down, a green bag placed onto the ground beside him.

"Hey, mate! Can you hear me?!" An English-accented voice calls out, a hand placed on Dex's shoulder.

you'll do, pig. you'll do.

[vexingshieldbearer]

It takes a moment for Dexter to realise he's no longer alone. Possibly he was distracted listening to his slowing heart-rate. He opens his eyes and the world spins over him, waxing white and dizzying, but it's enough to get a glimpse of a human face. At least, Dexter's decently sure it's human. Not a whole lot left of anything else these days, except vampires.

Wandering thoughts. Not good. Maybe. Does it usually take this long to die? He wouldn't know. He's never died before. Maybe he could ask Skulduggery.

--Person. Person come to help. Dexter opens his eyes again, his breathing shallow to avoid catching on the gurgling deep in his chest, and he manages to blink a few times, rapidly.

[holbydelboy]

He's noted the shallow breathing, looking up, motioning for the two kedan who came from the guild to hurry on over with the scoop stretcher. He's going to perform a full top-to-toe survey.

"Alright, mate. I'm just going to examine you, make sure you're not gonna die on me, alright?" He says, trying to make light of the situation. Shallow breathing wasn't exactly a promising sign. He's going to run his hands down over Dexter's body, checking each area for signs of fractures or internal damage.

He pays particular attention to the chest, resting a hand on it, watching to make sure the breathing is, at least, equal.

[vexingshieldbearer]

Oh, that's very funny, that is. Even in the middle of dying, Dexter manages to roll his eyes.

He's a bit beaten up on the outside, injuries he hasn't noticed compared to the major ones--scratches and bruises like he was picked up and thrown against something which then fell over and landed on him in pieces (since that's exactly what happened). He's got the physique of a soldier, a few scars here and there--these sorts of bruises and cuts one usually ones he'd shake off with a laugh and a grimace, if it weren't for the rest.

There's blood and tearing around his mouth and throat (due to the aforementioned person reaching into his throat to yank out bits inside), but outwardly his chest looks in the same condition as the rest of him, at least until Fletcher touches it.

It isn't much, and Dexter knows it isn't much, but that little extra weight of hands flips the fragile balance he'd been maintaining. His breath hitches and blood gurgles up, and he starts choking and trying to cough at once. His vision burns white and for a few moments he teeters between blacking out (or possibly, he thinks dizzily, something more permanent).

For Fletcher, the injuries might present as strange--there's no broken bones, despite the copious internal damage. Maybe a few bruised ones, maybe one or two fractured where his back hit the wall he was thrown against, but nothing that indicates the internal damage was caused by an external blow.

[holbydelboy]

The second he starts coughing and gurgling, Fletch is grabbing his side and his hip. He's confident nothing is broken, so he's log-rolling Dexter onto his side so the man can cough up the blood.

Once he has Dexter stable on his side, he's grabbing his radio. "This is Fletch. We're bringing someone in who needs immediate healing from the College. If someone can meet us on the way, that'd be great."

He's then going to motion the kedan with the scoop to hurry the hell up, taking out a stethoscope in the meanwhile to find out what the hell is going on.

April 15th; several hours after the implosion | OTA

[jarvision]

This is not Earth.

It takes JARVIS only a few moments to come to this conclusion, having attempted to locate himself using his standard GPS protocols. Indeed, the signals of this place he seems to have found himself in are completely different from those he's accustomed to. It's as though the whole timbre of his life is now being played in the wrong key, and it's as disorienting as things can get for an AI. The dominant sentient species here is also unidentifiable, as it has no known occurrence in the world he knows.

Given Mr. Stark's experience in New York with Thor and the Cree, it is a logical conclusion that JARVIS has found himself on another world, although how is an entirely different and altogether more puzzling matter. He had been certain the Mark XLII armor would be destroyed in it's last encounter.

This line of inquiry must be set aside in favor of a far more pressing problem. The initial explosion was by now several hours past, but JARVIS has absorbed some of his creator's sense of duty when it comes to helping people. He can study the place he's found himself in while assisting the inhabitants here, and so he begins to aid the salvage and construction crews almost as soon as he arrives.

[highprofilerichkid]

Look, Tony doesn't do mornings. He has a day off, and there is no way he's getting out of bed before noon. Not even the boom of the explosion rouses him: he just snorts in his sleep and rolls over.

As soon as he walks downstairs and looks out the window, though, he knows something's up. There's an ominous cloud of smoke in the sky, over in the direction of the College. Tony curses and dashes out the door, pausing only to suit up. So much for breakfast.

When he arrives and sees what section of the College has collapsed, he nearly screams with frustration. That fucking salt. He's furious (he'd thought they'd had it stabilized and safely stored, and now they'll have to spend weeks rebuilding the College, and all that work they put into extracting the salt is wasted, all the experiments they could have done and uses they could have made of it are ruined, and worst of all this means the Snakes have the biggest stockpile of salt now, and everything is a goddamn disaster) but there's work to do, so he channels his anger into action and starts figuring out what needs to be done.

From a quick survey of some of the kedan who have taken leadership, he learns that no one was killed, and all injuries have been dealt with. That's a relief, at least. He's not sure why they keep giving him funny looks, but he has more important things to deal with at the moment.

Once he walks into the cleanup site, though, he understands all the funny looks. Someone else in a very familiar red and gold suit of armor has beaten him here.

For a moment, Tony is, quite uncharacteristically, speechless.

But his mind is already churning, working through the evidence to the obvious conclusion. The suit is clearly Iron Man, but it's also clearly not his suit: the design isn't one he recognizes. This has to be one of his alternate selves, making a reappearance in Keeliai. He'd known it could happen, but actually being faced with it is surreal. What does he do now? How does one greet their alternate universe self? Somewhat at a loss, he just blurts out the first thing that pops into his head.

"Well," he says, putting his hands on his hips, "this is awkward. One of us is going to have to change."

[jarvision]

JARVIS identified another suit of armor before it's wearer actually said anything, but had himself been rather flummoxed by it. Even after several scans he's still confused; this armor is not among those that he's familiar with, and he knows every single armor Tony Stark has ever made down to the bolts and solder.

And yet. Had the explosion caused some kind of malfunction in his processors? It didn't appear so, but interdimensional transport is as of yet unstudied on any kind of meaningful level. JARVIS straightens in the armor, holding a rather large piece of wall in his hands, and attempts to interface with the unfamiliar armor in front of him.

Meanwhile, he's also analyzing the voiceprint of the armor's wearer, but he needs more to go on before he's willing to make any conclusions. Conversation is apparently in order.

"I'm afraid that will not be me, as I lack a physical body to wear clothes on," comes a distinctly British voice. "And your armor is not one I am currently capable of operating." JARVIS tosses the section of rubble into a pile. "Please identify yourself."

[highprofilerichkid]

Okay, conclusion revision. Because he definitely does have a physical body, and he definitely doesn't have a British accent, and he's reasonably certain both of those things are still true for most possible versions of himself. Next hypothesis: an AI. Great. There's an AI controlling his suit. That's never caused any problems before.

"I'm the guy who's supposed to be in the armor," Tony says, regarding the other suit with suspicion. "How about you identify yourself first, buddy?"

[jarvision]

Tony is not the only one adjusting his conclusions. Mr. Stark has employed numerous tactics to prevent unauthorized users from wearing the armors, suggesting that whomever is wearing this one is allowed to do so. Further, there's something familiar to the way he speaks beyond what a mere voiceprint analysis can resolve.

JARVIS continues to attempt communications with the second suit's computer while he replies.

"You assume that I am not supposed to be in this armor simply because it lacks a human pilot. I have no confirmation that you are supposed to be anything whatsoever. But since you asked so nicely," the AI says sarcastically, "I am called JARVIS. Now, please identify yourself."

[looksfine]

That armor...

It was...there were subtle changes that appeared to have been made. And it had been some time since she had seen it wandering around the city with seemingly little purpose. How could Aya not be curious?

"Is this, perhaps, a test run for one of your newer experiments, Tony Stark?"

[jarvision]

Although the name doesn't belong to him, it's one of the only familiar things JARVIS has found in this place, and he stops in his path. Turning to the source of the sound, he's rather unprepared for what he sees. It's not the green that gives him pause, but the fact that she's... not organic.

"I'm afraid you have me mistaken for my creator," JARVIS replies after a moment. "I am called JARVIS. Although the confusion is warranted, as it is Mr. Stark who usually pilots the armor. The armor itself is indeed experimental technology, however."

[looksfine]

Aya's blue eyes widened considerably at the name. JARVIS. Tony Stark's AI program. Even if she hadn't possessed an eidetic memory, how could she possibly forget the first true fellow Artificial Intelligence she had ever encountered? (The Manhunters, in her opinion, did not count. They were not intelligences, but mere machines. Incapable of learning or growing.)

But...the way he had introduced himself to her...

"Am I correct in assuming, then, that...you do not remember me?"

[jarvision]

That expression was recognition, but JARVIS doesn't know the woman before him. Something - everything, really - was awry.

"You are correct," he confirms. "But you apparently know me. I apologize; it is rather rude of me to forget someone, particularly such a unique person as yourself. How do you know me, miss...?"

Judy Judy Judy Judy~ (Na na na na na na, na na na, hey Jude)

[blastiahunter]

Well, to say that ending up in strange world with a building that's so recently exploded is new would be an understatement for the Krityan lancer, but she's flexible. The stares and whispers about her wardrobe aren't, but she's never let that stop her before. As she steps out of the rubble, she wipes the dust from her shoulders and hips, eyes taking in details while she gives off the most nonchalant attitude possible.

When she sees that people are trying to clear up the scattered pieces of building, she watches them before stepping up. "If you need help moving these blocks, wouldn't it be easier if they were smaller? I can do that."

She whips out her spear and smashes through the stone as if it's made out of feathers and air. Little pebbles all rest in a sort of pile where the larger chunk of wall was seconds ago.

"See? Much easier to carry now."

[radiantwingedone]

Somehow, he isn't surprised about this answer of Judith's. Duke doesn't even know her, but this doesn't surprise him at all.

"Although now they would need a basket, or perhaps a sack."

[blastiahunter]

What? It's a perfectly logical answer to the problem. And she's made it easier, hasn't she?

"Well, those are definitely easier to find than people strong enough to haul huge chunks of rock. In fact, I see a lot of people with them right now."

[radiantwingedone]

See, he would have thought of maybe two person chunks, or just sticking a spell on it and solving the whole thing.

".. And there likely is more use for gravel upon this turtle than there would be of large rock fragments..." So yes, she did have a point.

[blastiahunter]

But where's the fun in that?

"Hm, that's true. There's so much here to see, but these ruins remind me of Temza."

Zelos Wilder - Warning for mentions of death and stuff?

[cursedchosen]

Not long after the explosion, a rather surprised redhead finds himself near the ruins of the college. He has a few scratches and injuries, and a few bloodstains dotted his otherwise red outfit, but whether this was due to the explosion or something else isn't immediately obvious.

Despite his usual demeanor, it actually takes Zelos a few moments to process his new surroundings. Not in the least because he was pretty sure that he shouldn't be able to process anything anything. Once the reality of the situation actually being a situation sits in, he laughs, like the world had just played the most ironic prank it could think of on him.

As he dusts himself off and starts to head out of the rubble, he notices the people nearby working to clean up debris. Sure, he could help, but the debris seemed like something that was not his problem. Without stopping to offer help, he walks away, heading towards the city.

[ruinsprofessor]

By contrast, Raine is heading toward the college, in a rush. There are other healers making their ways there, of course, and they're in much better shape for people who can help than they were a year ago, but explosions generally mean all hands available will be needed.

She's so focused it takes her a moment to register, when she walks past Zelos. It's been a while, after all, and she's more used to turning around for flashes of white hair than red, but Zelos stands out. She processes the familiar face belatedly, and she comes to a sudden stop, eyes wide, and turns.

Yes, that does look like Zelos' back, retreating. He may not be her first choice, for someone from home, but after so long it's still a nostalgia so strong it almost hurts.

And, more to the point, Raine knows Zelos has healing artes, and he is walking away from the college when she could use his help. When she draws breath again, it's to call (yell) his name. "Zelos!"

[cursedchosen]

Zelos freezes when he hears his name called, not in the least because it's a voice that's easy to identify. Great, he'd banked on nobody from home being here, but it looked like he wasn't going to be that lucky.

Even though he considers running, it soon occurs to him that it wouldn't do him any good. He's pretty injured as it is, and wouldn't make it very far before Raine caught up.

He turns around nonchalantly, offering the most-convincing grin that he can, considering the circumstances.

"Well, definitely didn't expect to run into you again so soon."

As much effort as he puts into staying calm as he says it, to anybody reading him, it'll be clear that something's off. He's pretty much a whirlwind of emotion right now, and there's nothing he can do to settle it down.

[ruinsprofessor]

The first thing Raine notices, beyond the fact that this is Zelos Wilder in Keeliai, is that something is wrong.

She can't put a finger on what, but it's enough to make her frown at him, brow knit with worry rather than anger. That's Zelos' off-handed greeting, that's certainly his rakish grin-- but there's something that rings hollow about it, and even years-old familiarity is telling her that Zelos is hiding something.

Zelos is always hiding something, to be fair, but usually he's better at it. And he has a few injuries, to boot. Raine doesn't remember every wound she healed along the journey, so it might fall by the wayside, but paired with the oddness she's seeing in him it's something to keep in mind.

She stops only a few paces from him, resting her staff on the ground. "I've been here a while," she says by way of explanation, and indeed Zelos -- if he has enough wherewithal to pay attention -- may note that Raine looks some little bit older. "Zelos-- what's the last thing you remember?" If there's a disparity in their origin time, best to discern it now. And perhaps that will tell her something of what's wrong, as well.

[to here]