THE STORM

[enodiamod]

THE STORM

THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

It was a dark and stormy night...

Shortly after 2AM, the sound of howling wind accompanies the rise of a bizarre storm and wakes up just about everyone in Enodia Station. Outside, the dark sky is overcome with swirling color like a frenetic aurora borealis and chaotic bolts of energy leap through the air with unpredictable ferocity, leaving scorched patterns and destruction in their wake. The raucous gale continues too and some residents claim to hear a whistling, melodic sound obscured within it. Barely audible but just there. Zeke Zelizer even insists they recognize the tune (it's obviously Help Me by Alkaline Trio!), though nobody else agrees or believes them. Perhaps more importantly, Noah Moon remembers hearing a similar melody just before the pulse. How strange.

Despite the presence of several backup generators, the storm also causes the Station to lose power soon after it starts, leaving the buildings dark and stuffy and increasingly hot on this summer morning. Occasionally, power returns long enough for the lights to flicker, but it never fully returns while the storm rages. Even the forcefield that surrounds the Station goes down and stays down. Electrical devices are similarly impacted, going dead in an instant and refusing to work properly, though some sporadically come back to life. Enoch Waldinger is able to use their phone to get a brief recording of the storm from a cracked window before the device gives up the ghost.

In the midst of this unfolding chaos, the directors make the call that everyone should shutter up their windows, stay put, hunker down on the lowest available floor, and wait this out. This message is passed along to everyone via a telepathic shoutout from Director Mora's assistant. While a few residents are working overnight shifts for Medical or Security and end up stuck in other buildings, this leaves most of the Station's occupants on the first floor of the Residential Building and forced into an unintentional sleepover. Get cozy, everyone! Some arrive dressed in their pajamas and wrapped in blankets, ready to try to get back to sleep, while others show up with candles, snacks, and the intention to start games for a proper sleepover experience. Either way, it's going to be a long night.

AROUND THE STATION

While most residents stay put, not all do.

Those that want to access other buildings to check on things there are directed to Lenz Polzin, who can create a portal to send them where they need to go. Probably. Who knows how this storm might impact anyone's abilities? Shortly after dawn, Director Madgy directly requests that Eden Chen and Annie Song be sent over to the Research Building to check in on the Liminal moles. With the power out, the forcefields that reinforce their cells are down and the last thing he wants is for the creatures to escape or wreck the place.

Those that want to go out in the storm itself will either need to sneak out from an upper floor or walk directly past members of the Security Division that are now stationed by the exterior exits. While Director Riddle hasn't instructed them to stop anyone that wants to leave, she has instructed them to strongly discourage this because of the danger outside and to let her know about anyone that heads out into the storm.

OUT IN THE STORM

Any character that wants to leave the Residential Building, either via teleportation or by heading out in the storm, will need to fill out the form below just to see how that goes. They're taking a risk, after all!

Any character that chooses to leave the Residential Building may or may not be able to get back. This will be clarified in their results. Players should keep this in mind when making the decision to leave.
<b>CHARACTER:</b> The character that intends to leave during the storm. <b>DESTINATION:</b> Where does the character intend to go? Are they heading to the Commercial Center to make sure their business has been properly secured or the Medical Building to check on a friend working the night shift? Do they just want to go outside and risk the storm to satiate their curiosity? <b>METHOD:</b> How does the character intend to get there? Are they being teleported, are they going on foot, or do they have some other method to get around? <b>ANYTHING ELSE?:</b> Anything else!

AFTER THE STORM

The storm finally begins to calm in the early afternoon. The wind quiets, the sky clears, and the inexplicable energy crackling through the air disappears. Heading outside, residents find that the buildings are damaged, but this is mostly limited to the char marks from that wild energy and the occasional broken window. Unfortunately, [Character F] finds that they didn't secure their windows properly; at least one room in their apartment is filled with broken glass and was thoroughly wrecked by the storm. Hopefully it won't be too difficult to get things back in order! Around the grounds, the natural world is similarly scarred and the area is littered with the debris of unsecured objects and damaged flora.

While exploring the grounds, Minty Payne encounters the bizarre bird that had been previously captured in the Riftlands. It briefly imitates them before screeching and starting to get aggressive. They scramble to recapture the bird by bribing it with a snack and leading it into a corner where it can be captured and are able to do so! Fortunately, this was the only Liminal creature to escape and the Liminal moles remain safely in their cages in the Research Building.

» VIBE CHECK: How is your character feeling about the storm? What are they hoping for when they roll up for the Residential Building sleepover? Are they dressed in cute pajamas or looking like a scruffy mess?

» THE HALLWAY: Many of the residents end up camping out in the hallway of the Residential Building's first floor, clustered into small groups to doze, talk, or even play silly sleepover games. Whatever gets them through the storm!

» IN APARTMENTS: It's up to those that have an apartment on the first floor whether or not they want to let others into their homes. Let everyone know your verdict here and open up your room to scenes if your character is willing to take others in!

» AROUND THE STATION: Not everyone chose to stay in the Residential Building. Those that didn't can fill out a form here to see how that went!

» AFTER THE STORM: Once the storm has passed, explore the grounds to inspect the damage or just try to unwind.

» OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

(CODE)

Comments

BRAVE THE STORM

[enodiamod]

BRAVE THE STORM: Rory

[coulee]

CHARACTER: a rory accompanied by a rufus
DESTINATION: mew'n'brew cat café (commercial center). the kitties need to be cared for, tyvm!!
METHOD: transit by lenz™️
ANYTHING ELSE?: f him up portals

BRAVE THE STORM: Rory & Rufus

[enodiamod]

Rory and Rufus are safely teleported to the Mew'n'Brew! ...Unfortunately, rather than finding themselves in the middle of the café, they find themselves in a locked and very dark storage closet that requires a key to open. That key is typically kept by the cash register. But they're resourceful guys! They'll find a way out!

Beyond the door, they can hear restless meowing.

BRAVE THE STORM: Taby (& co?)

[misapplied]

CHARACTER: Taby McLeod
DESTINATION: To the garden... to look at the Mole Hole... just in case! And then back to the residential building if they don't die :)
METHOD: Going on foot baybee
ANYTHING ELSE?: Possibly has Rhodes and/or Linus with them sorry they're all so stupid

BRAVE THE STORM: Taby (& co?)

[enodiamod]

Out in the storm, the force of the rushing wind pushes back against Taby and makes it difficult to stay on their feet. Even if they're with others, it's difficult to hear them over the gale. They're about halfway to the gardens and the mole hole when they get the sense that something is moving toward them from behind. Fast.

What do they do? Brace for impact and kinetic absorption? Dive to the side? Drop to the ground? There's no time to think.

Re: BRAVE THE STORM: Taby (& co?)

[misapplied]

DUCK AND COVER!!!

Re: BRAVE THE STORM: Taby (& co?)

[quickpickled]

V belatedly Rhodes would have come along this terrible adventure and just like run to the side at Big Thing Approaching if that matters THANK YOUUU

BRAVE THE STORM: Taby (& co?)

[enodiamod]

A thick branch broken from its tree goes flying over Taby, but crashes into Rhodes' back as he fails to get far enough to the side, knocking him off his feet and sending him tumbling. The remnants of the branch break into pieces and are scattered in the wind. A bolt of energy erupts right above the pair's heads but doesn't get quite near enough to be dangerous.

Do they keep going?

Re: BRAVE THE STORM: Taby (& co?)

[misapplied]

yeahhhh they do

Re: BRAVE THE STORM: Taby (& co?)

[quickpickled]

Ow! Inconvenient! But he's never let a little branch stop him. In fact, this makes it more intriguing.
They'll keep going.

BRAVE THE STORM: Taby (& co?)

[crawlwaller]

Linus definitely tagged along

BRAVE THE STORM: Taby & Rhodes & Linus

[enodiamod]

Continuing on through the shrieking wind, the trio moves farther and farther from the relative safety of the buildings at the center of Enodia Station. Out here, there's less shelter from the wind and the debris and the energy rushing through the air in fragmenting sparks. Out here, the sound of the wind is somehow even louder and that melody behind the noise seems to enter into a quickened, frantic fever pitch. Or maybe everything is just coming together now into a cacophony.

Finally, after what feels like a long time of trudging and fighting against the storm, they approach the mole hole. While it's still mostly filled in, the top layers of dirt have been whipped up into the air. As they get nearer, another layer is ripped upward and for a moment it's difficult to breathe and impossible to see. Before they can properly get their bearings back, they hear that crackling energy not far off from them. It sounds like it's coming closer, rushing toward them in a mounting wave.

What do they do?

BRAVE THE STORM: Taby & Rhodes & Linus

[misapplied]

Wow! What a stupid way to die. Taby only has time to do one thing, so she attempts to leg sweep Rhodes and knock him over due to the following logic:

She almost let him die earlier by dodging a branch that would not have hurt her if it hit her, so she owes him one

If the storm energy works on lightning rules, he's gotta get closer to the ground to have a shot of survival

This is faster than yelling "DUCK!!!"

BRAVE THE STORM: Taby & Rhodes & Linus

[crawlwaller]

Linus jumps in the hole (the hole that just had a huge layer of dirt pulled out of it by the storm? Yes.) He flattens himself, thinking whatever it is will pass over him.

BRAVE THE STORM: Taby & Rhodes & Linus

[quickpickled]

Rhodes almost skips over Taby's leg sweep but the wind doesn't help, and he overcorrects and he falls flat against the ground anyway.

That's it that's all he has time for.

BRAVE THE STORM: Sal & Rye

[artificialgravity]

CHARACTER: Sal and Rye
DESTINATION: They're going up to the roof to get a better look at the storm.
METHOD: Years of breaking-and-entering skills with an anti-gravity boost.
ANYTHING ELSE?: They probably didn't think this through.

BRAVE THE STORM: Sal & Rye

[enodiamod]

Getting to the roof is no problem. While the door leading up from the stairwell has been locked, there isn't anyone from Security stationed up there to even attempt talking Sal and Rye out of this decision and the lock can be picked or broken without too much difficulty given their experience. However the pair approach the problem, they're soon able to open the door.

Even from the doorway, the lights in the sky seem brighter and the wind feels overwhelmingly strong. It howls and rages and tears at the pair, as if it might just carry them away if it catches them from the right angle. The metal railing that encircles the roof is rattling violently and many of the things kept on the roof for social events (like grills and seating) have been scattered around or even swept away in the wind.

Do they continue out onto the roof?

Re: BRAVE THE STORM: Sal & Rye

[artificialgravity]

Rye absolutely wants to continue. He'll try making him and Sal a little heavier so they don't get blown away by the wind.

BRAVE THE STORM: Sal & Rye

[stophit]

Sal has to fight against his instinct to grab Rye to make sure he doesn't get blown off the roof, since Rye's powers are what's holding them here. He's also eager to keep going, but keeps an eye out for objects on the roof that might suddenly get tossed at them by the wind. He'll put himself between them and Rye, if he has to.

BRAVE THE STORM: Annie and Eden 💪

[philomathean]

CHARACTER: Annie (and Eden)
DESTINATION: The Research Building per Director Madgy's request
METHOD: Teleportation, I assume!
ANYTHING ELSE?: She's staying in her human skin suit unless things break bad. I'm personally open to this going awry, even though it's a Volunteer slot.

BRAVE THE STORM: Annie and Eden 💪

[enodiamod]

While Annie and Eden arrive precisely where they expected to arrive, just outside of the mole pup cage in the Research Building, the trip is somewhat longer than expected. After stepping through Lenz's portal, they don't immediately emerge in the new location as they typically would. Instead, they spend what feels like a long minute in pitch black emptiness with a single mote of shifting, flickering light. It's a brief delay...but a thoroughly unsettling one. Yikes!

Once they finally arrive in the Research Building, they find that the three mole pups are huddled up together, seemingly comforting each other as the wind howls outside and making no effort to escape. From the floor below, though, they can hear crashing sounds and Annie can feel the tremors of something huge and heavy moving around in the area of the mother mole's cage.

What do they do?

BRAVE THE STORM: Annie and Eden 💪

[philomathean]

Hmm, Annie really did NOT like that. The second they arrive in the Research Building, she reaches for Eden’s hand to give it a quick squeeze—maybe out of a sudden sense of empathy, maybe just to ground herself. She makes a mental note to move Eden and Willy’s predicament to the top of her To-Solve list.

“Whatever is down there is massive,” Annie warns and shakes out her limbs in preparation for a shift. “Personally, I’d rather try my luck than go back through that portal for reinforcements.”

BRAVE THE STORM: Evan (open if someone decides to follow)

[hulled]

CHARACTER: Evan
DESTINATION: She heads outside--but not to sate her curiosity. She can hear something (do we consider animals to be 'someones'?) calling for help. She's not going to sit around and let them suffer.
METHOD: She'll leave on foot. She's dealt with all kinds of storms--even if this one is causing a sort of tingling caution in her bones.
ANYTHING ELSE?: Max and Scrap are inside--if someone would be kind enough to keep an eyeball on them.

BRAVE THE STORM: Evan (open if someone decides to follow)

[enodiamod]

Leaving Max and Scrap behind, Evan heads out into the storm. The animal she's hearing -- she can't quite make out what it is just yet -- is barely audible over the deafening wind but she can make it out just enough to continue following its voice. With each step, the wind pushes and pulls at her, trying to exert its wild will over her and making progress slow. She's heading in the direction of the trees and the pond, away from the cluster of buildings at the center of the Station.

Then a shadow passes over her. She looks up just in time to see a displaced metal table heading right for her.

What does she do?

BRAVE THE STORM: Evan (open if someone decides to follow)

[hulled]

She hits the ground in a somersault and attempts to roll away from the table. She doesn't care so much about the mud and the muck as she does that voice calling out to her.

With at least one rogue bat nearby, she's able to borrow its hearing abilities to increase her own. She lets out a series of screeches and chirps that allow her to better 'see' around herself, through the darkness of the storm, with echolocation.

"I'm coming!" She sends out toward the pond. Whether she actually makes it there is unclear.