enodia_ic | THE STORM

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.

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)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Fuck," Zeke hisses as the light on his phone sputters and goes dead for the third time in a row. Somewhere on the floor of some coworker's bathroom was the third to last smoke in his pack, and between the dark and his sunglasses he was halfway to fucked trying to find it. This is why he should have just tried asking if he could smoke in someone's room first. "Watch your feet or you're going to the commercial center to steal more."

The golden glow coming from the pools of oil in Eureka's flower resembles a giant eye, or some sort of fucked up deep sea creature. It's the only light source in the bathroom while Eureka feels around the ground with their bare foot to Help their dear, precious friend in his time of need.

"Found it," they announce with pride, picking it up with their toes and passing it off to a dark vine, and then to Zeke.

As an afterthought, they flick open their Zippo to provide more light. "Oh, the tub's clean. We can sit in there."

"Mm, tastes like athlete's foot," Zeke says and wrinkles his nose at Eureka before sticking the cigarette between his lips to light it. Look, he's had worse things in his mouth than a floor-foot-vine cig.

"This thing looks barely used." Zeke squints at the tub in the dark. "Who even lives here? Do we have salt dudes?"

"You're lucky to taste these toes for free," they say, brushing him off as they take a seat in the tub.

"Oh, yeah. Doesn't Lot's wife live in this unit? I haven't heard from her since February."

Zeke perches on the edge of the tub, folding one long leg under him to indicate that he is a bisexual gremlin, and blows his smoke toward the drain. It reminds him of smoking weed in hotel rooms and his parents' house, except he's 32 years old, hasn't spoken to his parents in almost a decade, and technically no one has told him he's not allowed to do this.

"Bet she washed herself down the drain because it's easier than a divorce." He holds the cigarette out to Eureka to take. "Fuckin' genius way to lose weight, too."

Eureka yoinkeths the cigarette and leans back like they're taking a luxurious bath. —Actually, that's not a bad idea.

"Here's to you, Edith," they call to the drain before taking a drag and blowing it in Edith's direction. "Hope you find a sexy sewer man who loves to fuck and won't sacrifice your daughters to impress the hot new guys in town."

THE STORM

IN APARTMENTS: Zeke & Eureka Sssmokin'

IN APARTMENTS: Zeke & Eureka Sssmokin'

IN APARTMENTS: Zeke & Eureka Sssmokin'

IN APARTMENTS: Zeke & Eureka Sssmokin'

IN APARTMENTS: Zeke & Eureka Sssmokin'

Re: IN APARTMENTS: Zeke & Eureka Sssmokin'