expiationlogs | { Player Event } What's true of all the evils in the world is true of the plague as well

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{ Player Event } What's true of all the evils in the world is true of the plague as well

Who: You. (Open to all)
Where: All over Aldrip.
What: This is the log for what we’ve been affectionately dubbing The Organ Player Plot. Various places around Aldrip are facing dangerous supernatural occurrences. It’s a scavenger hunt in some way.
Warnings: MANY SNAKES, Body Horror, Organ Trafficking, Horror Themes, Violence, and we will be updating this as we go along.

A waking scream in the darkness is the first unheard omen.

Snakes, hundreds if not thousands, slither forth from the depths of Lorentia Cave and swiftly invade Aldrip. They are the heralds of the terrible things to come, and there are no corners safe from their encroachment. The serpents come in all shape and sizes, venomous or not, and are quick to become agitated if approached. Their readiness to strike and unwillingness to back off once provoked indicates the lack of survival instinct to flee. They are on the search for what's missing, and they will put up a fight.

An invisible haze sets upon the city , filled with anguish and fury, afflicting residents as it washes through the air and buildings. Children, the elderly, and the sickly are the first to complain of ailment. Within the next few days, patients begin to flood the doors of any hospital or clinic with more serious conditions-- fevers burning from them inside out and excruciating phantom pains that make them writhe in bed.

The longer what's stolen is not returned, the worse things get. Who knows how many bodies will pile high from these plagues if nothing gets done...

ooc//
[ Dara is currently locked behind a barrier in Lorentia Cave to stave off the further spread of deadly miasma. Please retrieve a protection talisman from Seimei and retrieve what she’s lost (and hopefully return it…) !

How This Works–
To begin the search for the supernatural sources a participant can select a number that corresponds to one of the squares on the map (seen below). To go on a route head on down to the numbered top levels in the comments and reply to it. This is your character kicking off their investigation. Some routes will lead to nowhere, some to something, and others to ;)? You’ll find out.

During exploration you will receive responses from either

quizpersona or

cursegod. This is not an interaction with that particular character unless indicated otherwise.

This event will handwave wrap up by the 20th if no conclusion is reached before then because Dara needs her poor organs back. ]

The Map

Happy Belated Easter lol

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Izuku reached out to Todoroki as soon as he'd set his mind to joining the search. It's always better to tackle this kind of situation with a partner, for the extra eyes and to make sure nothing gets missed just because he wouldn't have thought of checking somewhere that someone else might go to first.

He keeps them in the residential areas -- higher risk of people getting exposed if a...piece is where they live, and it's a better fit with their training anyway. Which might not be a very Plus Ultra mindset, but this whole situation is far enough out of his comfort zone as it is. It's not like UA teaches a class on organ retrieval.

As far as he knows.

...Izuku's going to focus on the task at hand now! That feels wise!]

Probably best to go block by block, right...?

[He really wishes he had his costume. Maybe that would make this feel less weird.]

((OOC: I'm fine with any tag order but idk if Cytes has a preference))

Shoto hadn't been sure how to get involved, or that he should get involved. They've both been having a hard time, but when Midoriya wants to do something, there's no stopping Shoto from involving himself the moment he knows. Not when it's Midoriya himself asking. Or mentioning it. The mere mention of things akin to hero work and Shoto knows what it entails.

In his opinion, Izuku chose wisely for them both and his faith in it wouldn't have been different even if it had been an unfriendly terrain. "Block by block." He agrees, there's no reason. "Normally I would suggest us going one block apart, but in this case, in this place and with no ease of really reaching out, we should go together." Support gear would be great, updated costumes would be great, but they will work within what they have at that moment and excel.

((OOC: I'm alright with anything! And everyone keep brackets if they want, of course.))

[ This part of the residential area is never really quiet except maybe for the very early hours of the morning—but never like this. Shoto and Deku explore the first block, and the a second, but it's not until the third that they notice a small commotion. Two of the local youths burst through the door of one of the residences in a hurry. "Ewewew, come on! Let's get out of here." without sparing much of a glance to the two heroes they sprint as fast as their legs can take them down the street. Something has put the fear of the unknown into them.

In their wake they've left the front door of that house open. The door slowly swings in the light wind. No signs of life come from within the abode, or at least not from where they stand. Will they investigate? ]

[Those two couldn't have gotten Izuku's attention faster, short of actually shouting for help. Something is up in that home.]

Shouto. [The snap to using hero names is instant.] Something's wrong in there.

[It might not be related to their current search, but that hardly matters to him. Anything that causes fear and distress is worth checking out. Even if it wasn't, Izuku'd still do it, because screw ignoring people in need or problems at hand, but still. Figuring out what scared those kids and dealing with it is important; if it proves to be an actual lead, that's a bonus in his book.

He's already beelining for the door -- he's not going to barge in without a plan, since he's got a partner, but if Todoroki's got any concerns to voice he's going to have to either hold Izuku in place or walk and talk.]

Shoto doesn't even need his name said but his eyes are focused on the running people. As long as they're going in the opposite direction of the issue, he doesn't mind for now. If they were injured they'd have stopped to ask for help or be showing signs if they were in shock. "I agree." Keeping things simple for communication between them, Shoto voices what neither of them need to when people could be in there, could be in trouble and need them.

They can do both, because very obviously both men are already assessing the situation ahead of them. He only glances at Izuku again, the movement isn't surprising and their plan is only going to be able to be made while they understand what's going on. He does hang back a beat or two, Izuku is more agile than him and he can shield where they need if he has a better assessment.

[ The very moment that they step through the door the sound quality within the space becomes weird; something about it is off-putting and feels inherently wrong. Like the volume dial on the ambient sounds of life has been turned to the mute option. Linger any amount of time and a soft static will register as something that exists in the background. Being the nearest of the two Izuku catches a glimpse of a hazy room from where he stands.

Concentrate on the static any further and they may be able to determine there's a waxing and waning fluctuation to the sound. Should they try to speak to one another they will quickly learn that to be able to hear what the other is saying they will have to yell over that gently pulsing static.

Will they journey further in? ]

[Izuku comes to a dead stop a few steps in, when the sense of something being off fully hits. He assumes it's Danger Sense, at first, but it doesn't feel quite right -- which actually makes it even more distressing until he's certain it's not One For All getting messed with. Just one of his normal senses. How comforting...

Once he's confident he's not actually picking up an active intent to cause harm coming from anyone (or anything) deeper inside the building, he moves to get a better look though the door to that room. If they have to sweep the building, they may as well do it properly, and he's the one with the built-in attacker detection so he should probably lead.

Which he tries to explain to Todoroki, but who knows how much of it he even gets out before one of them realizes there's an issue there. Communication shenanigans incoming...?]

Shoto certainly doesn't like the shiver up his spine from the sudden look of the place. He can see why the people ran out, but not ran out screaming like they did. His eyes are elsewhere, his mind is focused, but it's not until he hears something thrumming under whatever that sound is that he looks at Izuku standing beside him. He's trying to say something, that's clear enough, but the squint of Shoto's eyes and the tilt of his head indicates he has no clue what that is.

He notes that as he speaks his own voice is being drown out by something. It can't be another quirk user, that doesn't equate to what's going on. This place has stumped him before with the weird shit it's thrown but this is the pinnacle. Either way his hand moves to Izuku's arm to drag him closer and try speaking moderately loudly toward his ear. If Izuku can hear him, it's staying together and sweeping, just like the other hero thought. Mind you, Shoto will always follow Izuku's lead, but that's not to say he doesn't suggest the common thought to confirm it with his classmate at that moment.

[So Izuku's anxiety is already not in a great spot. He's still able to keep it contained within the persona of Hero Deku, externally, but internally? He gets dangerously close to panic spiraling when his friend suddenly grabs him and pulls him back, because oh no oh crap did something get past Danger Sense what has Todoroki noticed that Izuku missed--

He stares at Todoroki, wild-eyed, before he realizes the other boy is trying to say something to him. Trying, and not quite succeeding, because it sounds like his friend is muffled even though he can see that he should be able to hear him.

Oh. Oh, shit.

Okay. Alright. They can deal with this. Raising his voice feels like a risky move, but they need to know if they can hear each other at all in here, so reckless play it is. Just in case, he pulls out his tablet-smartphone and types what he plans to say into the notes app, so he can hold up the screen as a sort of makeshift subtitle.]

Team sweep, I'll lead. [He taps his temple four times with one finger -- he'd rather not announce Danger Sense right now, staticky sound-void or not.] You wait, I enter room. Follow me on all clear. Sweep room together, find next room, repeat. Okay?

[Granted, he's not entirely sure how he'll give an all-clear when the audio balance of reality is shot. Walk back out? Send a text? Whatever, he'll think of something.]

[ They don't have to go very far in that search. As if to invite them further towards the center of the room the static humming begins to morph further in order to adopt more of that gently but steady beat. The nearer they draw to that first common room the more they may realize it resembles something recognizable.

Should either of them concentrate enough there are a great many things they can discover. The first is that whatever it was making it hard to hear each other wanes the further they venture into that specific room. The second is the eerie way their own heartbeats begin to stutter and align with the one echoing off these four walls. Lastly, that it's hard to determine where exactly the heartbeat originates from—but ultimately it’s coming from below their feet somewhere. ]

Shoto remembers that one time that they were supposed to just sweep an area and not shove their face into something crazy. And yet he should've known that he and Izuku would've found something much more than that with both their knacks for getting in trouble. The resonating sound hits his ears and he frowns as he begins to realize it isn't just his own guess at what the sound is that's thudding waves through the very air around them.

The flutter in his chest isn't unnoticed, either, and his hand settles there very clearly uncertain of what's going on. He's not clear which it is, the sound resonating into his chest, or his chest resonating into the sound. His hand, again, grabs onto Midoriya's wrist and he pulls gently. He's unwilling to stop, but also, he pats his chest in time with the beating of that sound, trying to gesture that it's the same as his own. When he's done it, he points at Midoriya with a questioning look on his face.

They have no choice but to go on, of course, someone could be in trouble with how the people ran out of here. With how his heart is reacting. If he knew why that beating was happening and why the reverberations were under their feet, he might be able to just freeze the house section by section but without knowing who is there... He may hurt someone instead. Use of sound is a quirk in his world and even if it may not be someone from his world, he doesn't want to find out about them at the funeral he caused.

[This is not a fun sensation. Izuku's not even sure how his hearing is being affected anymore, if every sound is muffled but the beat or if the beat is just that loud or both or neither. He can't tell if he wishes Jirou or Shouji were here or if he's glad they're very very far away.

He's still going to continue checking the room, because he can't back out of an investigation just because something suspicious is freaking him out. It's not like they have backup they can report to, or teammates better suited to the situation who can tag in, or...anything other than themselves and their Quirks. Even if realizing his own heartbeat is syncing up with the rhythm is kind of terrifying. As is having Todoroki grab him and indicate that it's happening to him too.

The other boy gets a silent nod in reply, and will be able to see that that hero persona is starting to crack a bit. Izuku doesn't even bother trying to talk this time -- he does not trust sound at all right now -- instead going straight to his tablet.

we need to check if there's a lower floor]

Shoto's hand stays tight on Izuku's wrist a moment before he realizes that Izuku is trying to figure out how they can communicate without voices. The tablet is a good way to go and he leans in to see what gets typed, at that point long having let go to let him type of course. "I see..." He says, only realizing after that no one can hear it other than-- well not even himself. So he nods his head, why bother getting out more than one when he can pluck and type below it.

I agree, but neither of our quirks are suited here. I can't use ice until I know that no one else is around or I risk killing them if they're frozen for too long.

What he's more concerned with are the edges that begin to fray here regarding Izuku. If it continues, he will stop him well before they go anywhere.

[He's not getting any worse at the moment, at least. Not getting much better, either, but being handed an opening to strategize and assess without having to think about the distressing pulse rising up around them is something he's not going to pass up. It's a practical distraction, and something to keep him from getting lost in his own head.

It's true that they can't exactly preemptively freeze every surface in the building -- even if they did know someone was in here, they'd need to have a much better idea of where they might be. And most of the Quirks bound up in One For All are defensive or supportive, so unless they have a very good reason to start busting up parts of the structure it's only good for Danger Sense, which isn't exactly helpful without any harmful intent to trip it.

And yet.

Then we continue recon until we have more information. If our Quirks can't help us, then we'll have to do things the hard way until we find something they can apply to.

And if they don't find anything like that, they keep doing things the hard way until the problem is solved, even if that means having to find someone else better suited to the situation. Izuku can't let them resort to that until he's absolutely sure they can't handle this themselves, though.

So. Take a deep breath, straighten up, square his shoulders. Reassemble his hero persona as best he can, because if he keeps wearing confidence then maybe he'll start feeling it again. Don't think about what they're experiencing, don't think about the fact that it could be more of this world's awful mind-screwing nonsense. They've got this. He's fine.]

Shoto, though noticing his friend's hesitation is trying to think of how his quirk would help, and he's not sure it would unless they were tracking vibration for some reason. Something else he wants to develop. But not something he's willing to bother with unless they need in this moment. Their hand to hand and combat training will help them against most things, right? ...Right?

Shoto nods his head, enough so that it's impossible not to know that he's agreeing. But. He also has something else to do. Seeing Izuku have to steel himself, makes Shoto worry. Not for himself, but if he lost Izuku to not dealing with something... So, he sets his hand on Izuku's back, the other one typing on Izuku's tablet so he can hold it and Shoto can type.

I am here.

Is what he types, patting him and doing as their teacher had lead with example of: Smiling a soft smile with another nod of his head. No matter what it is, they'll be able to face it.

[Those three words hit Izuku harder than he ever would've expected. It's been so long since he's heard them, and yet they're ingrained in his being so deeply that he hears All Might's voice clear as a bell in his mind as he reads them. He doesn't know if that was his friend's intent in using that specific phrase, but he knows it's not something Todoroki would just type without thinking, that he picked those words because they mean something to Izuku. It eases his anxiety a little, but more importantly it puts the tiniest smile on his face, just briefly.

Right. He's not alone, and his partner isn't a stranger. This is his friend, who he trusts and respects, who he knows and who knows him. He doesn't have to face this by himself.

He takes the other boy's forearm in one hand, positioning his grip so Todoroki can grip his own in return. This should let them at least indicate they've noticed something by squeezing the other's arm. Then he leads them very slowly, trying to pay attention to how the sound changes based on their proximity to that room (without thinking about whatever might be causing it or any other effect on his hearing, hopefully). Step one, figure out if there's a basement or lower floor for it to be coming from.]

[ Matters of the Heart are complicated. As Izuku and Shoto take their time to do a diligent survey of the area the low, dull, scratchy beating in their hearts begins to hurt. Gently at first it begins to build over time... Eventually it'll hurt in the way betrayal hollows out the chest. It hurts in the way anxiety gnaws away at one's core. It agonizes in the way that loss chews away a piece of you that's unlikely to return.

Who is to know for sure who these emotions belong to? So hard to tell when everyone present is feeling them.

The slow march across the floorboards is a smart strategy. Indeed, as they progress closer towards the southern wall the beating gets clearer. It's a tripping hazard over here with the uneven floorboards. There is also a door that looks like it leads to stairs going down on the northern wall.

Where will they look? ]

[Moving slow started as a strategy, but for Izuku at least it gradually becomes an inevitability. He's got a frankly terrifying level of pain tolerance, but only physically; he has always felt strongly, empathized openly. He can't tell if he's being forced to feel this hurt now, or if something is dragging old pain up out of him to feel again all at once, but either way it's not helping the lingering fear that something is messing with his head. Which just adds even more emotion to the pile.

Eventually he brings them to a stop, partway between the odd floorboards and that door. Tears are already flowing down his cheeks, and it makes typing his next message harder, but it also makes the message feel even more important.

can you check the door?

He's sorry, Todoroki. He needs a moment. Maybe a lot of them.]

Shoto isn't sure about what Izuku is going through, but it seems like maybe it's a lot for him. So he nods his head after reading the message, patting his shoulder. A quick wipe of those tears away and Todoroki puts his hand up in a 'stay here'. The hero ices his forearm over in case he comes into contact with something too toothy for his flesh.

Pausing at the door for only a moment he steels himself and opens it to check the room, looking at the unblocked portion first.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{ Player Event } What's true of all the evils in the world is true of the plague as well

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tfw you've read Poe but your character hasn't

😉

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