I Wish I Had a Castle in the Sky ( OPEN )

[sidecars]

WHO: Everyone!
WHERE: All over America
WHEN: Nov. 14th-24th
WHAT: The Cosmic Cube is creating multiple realities for all the imPorts. Where are these "universes" coming from and who is wielding it? Are you strong enough to withstand the temptation of a new reality and thwart this misguided attempt at happiness?
WARNINGS: N/A

Hey, Davis! Did you move anything? I've got that Barnes kid's stuff logged. [ He has a digital tablet propped up on a clean, steel table full of plastic bags and baskets filled the different paraphernalia. It's rather reminiscent to an experience in the American security line at the airport. One such basket belongs to James Buchanan Barnes. ] Think something's missing. Says six item's logged, but only—Davis?

[ The man was right there a second ago, wasn't he? Looking around there's no signs John Davis had been there at all, except for in his memory. Shit, has he been talking to himself this whole time? Well, it isn't anything important. The string bean isn't going to miss one dumb little paperweight or whatever it was.

Little does he know just how powerful it is... ]


[ John spares no time or energy leaving Cap Canaveral. He doesn't even put up his cleaning cart before he's zipping through security at the blink of an eye. People've been calling him crazy for so long it's isolated him from the regular rhythm of society, but it's all been worth it for this chance. He will be a hero finally, just like the rest of the imPorts he idolizes. People will start to think twice about him and everyone else with powers. They will have the rights they need to protect this country and keep the Commies out.

This is the energy driving him to hold a dangerous item in his possession. He doesn't know a whole lot about it, only what he's gleaned from gossip rags and conspiracy theory websites. But it's worth the chance to find himself in prison, or worse. In the security of his lonely little apartment he holds the Cube in his hands as it pours out tremendous power. Without words it becomes in tune with his inner self and his wishes. It feeds off of it to create something more than itself. In his world imPorts will have just what they want, whatever it is, however contradictory.

But in truth, what good can come out of a thief too wrapped up in his own fantasies? That is no hero, and John cannot truly control the power he is playing with. As it feeds, the air around him turns hot—too hot to even breath. It's like the oxygen is burning up before it reaches his lungs. The world around him begins to fade as he holds on for dear life, but in the end his consciousness is snuffed out; a small sacrifice for a new world. ]

Comments

TEAM BUZZKILL

[sidecars]

Clues can be found in the latest Majority Report as to just who would be crazy enough to mess up this world for the imPorts. Find the man responsible using NPCs and the knowledge of other Marvel characters experienced with the effects of the Cube.

If you have questions, post them here.

Kavinsky and Billy [lets fix this shit]

[inmyothertights]

[ There's a lot of things that Billy wakes up to and thinks well. This shit again. Mostly, admittedly, it's things like someone he thought was dead being brought back to life - the typical superhero thing. But this is different. This is weird and wacky and it's feeling very much like Billy's magic, only-

-only it isn't Billy's magic, which, to a degree, is somewhat comforting. After poking around with what it could be, gently, Billy is in the magic shop, surrounded in blue light and resisting the magic as much as he can. Fortunately for everyone involved, he's being almost...responsible about this.

Actually he's being pretty damn good at it, for once.

The door isn't locked, which is why Kavinsky should be able to stroll in. Billy is floating over the counter, about six feet off the ground, his hands open as he tries to find a way to reign in all this magic. ]

Oh, what the hell-

the imPort-ance of being earnest aka generic period drama starter

[brushoff]

generic top level
[ To start with, the period drama AU takes the form of a fashionable club, where the idle rich to idle middle class can gossip, play card games, and judge people from afar. Resplendent chaise lounges dot the room, as well as a few card tables. There's so much velvet in the decor--like, an embarrassing amount of velvet. Newspapers dot the side tables, as well as half-drunk glasses of port by people who were just too damn lazy to give their glass to one of the servers. The club is mixed gender (how scandalous!), and tries to push the boundaries with regards to what's hot and new--there's gossip that the club will get a table tennis table sometime soon!

There is a more servants quarters area, where those unfortunate enough to be stuck in the lower class can hang out and gossip and probably bitch about their lot in life, holy shit is it amazing how incapable these upper class people are, goddamn son learn how to tie a tie. It's also nice, but not as nice as the main area. The chairs are more wicker and hard-back and there's just one table but hey, good of this place to have a servants quarters area to begin with.

The current gossip is that Lady Lachesis is holding a ball next week! Who's going with who, who's wearing what, will the lady actually show up to the ball, she's grand at hosting them but not grant at attending, and so on and so forth. ]

Dorian specific starter
[ Dorian Gray, recently married but never boring, can be found lounging on one of the divans, reading a newspaper. His attire is very 1880s in the mishmash of period attire we've got going on here and exceedingly upper-class (because look, if the cosmic cube can make people think they're youkai, it can make people think they're wearing frilly shit).

When someone approaches, Dorian gives them a small little nod before closing the paper and setting it off to the side. ]

Do you have any mind to see Lady Fey's play? It sounds interesting, but it also sounds so terribly juvenile. [ He sighs dramatically. ] Add in the fact that Lord Komasan is starring and frankly, I don't know if I can even muster up the effort to consider attending.

( ooc: I have no absolutely idea what I'm doing! please bother me on pm or @allikateor on plurk if I've set this up wrong. Also, if you want to take this setting and use it differently for like, heartfelt confessions on the moors or dramatic horse rides or something like that, this is not my baby, do with it as you will. Here's the write-up, fyi. )

Are you ready for nearly-gentleman Daryl?

[dirtyredneck]

[Dorian Gray and Daryl Dixon absolutely no love for each other. The two were cut from wholly different cloths and rose to their nearly equivalent stations entirely devoid of crossed paths. It was only when Daryl's call as an investigator into the corruption accusations surrounding the private security firm known as RISE that either were made aware of the other. Dorian should have, perhaps, been on Daryl's radar due to his most privileged of positions as a Lord of Heropa, but Daryl had never cared for mingling over-long with any of the inheritance crowd. Having earned his position through hard work, he was rather fond of looking down his nose at those who hadn't now that he was their equal. Or, in the case of some, their superior.]

I hadn't thought to attend myself.

[Though his words were perfectly cultured, his accent still danced lightly around each syllable. No love he may have had, but he could still play the part of politeness society dictated. And truthfully, he had a soft spot in his heart for Dorian's husband. Lord Tobias, having become a dear friend of Daryl's over the last couple months, was, perhaps, Gray's only redeeming quality.]

Plays aren't really my cup of tea. Much prefer a quite ride along the riverfront. Lets me watch the world that doesn't think it needs so much watching.


[ooc: because clearly I need a reason to put him in this ICly]

The Admiral's Daughter: Mako Mori

[redshoerevenge]

Mako Mori, daughter of Fleet Admiral Stacker Pentecost, went where she wished whenever she wished, generally unaccompanied, which was more than a little scandalous in its own right. Perhaps worse, were the rumors that she had a great deal of training in various arts of war and had chosen an intellectual life rather than accept any offers of marriage. She was twenty-three and by all accounts well into being a spinster. While other girls were set on a husband, Mako was entirely too interested in riding, hunting, Naval movements, and strategy. She was also the sole heir to Admiral Pentecost's estate and minor fortune.

Dressed in black, with her hair sporting two delicate braids in blue ribbon amid her long black hair, she was an oddity as her eyes swept the club but seems to care little what anyone thought about that. She watched the crowd for a moment, until someone bumped into her, that is. Her hand went out, with a soft pardon me, as if she were at fault.

Owari no Seraph

[dejerate]

Generic Setting Prompt:

[There's a lot that changes with the Alive and Well adjustment to Yuichiro's Japan. There's particular families with more influence, still some vampires out there, but they aren't ruling over Japan like they do in his canon setting.

There's no virus, so there are more adults around than Yuu would otherwise be used to. It's a pretty normal, modern Japan setting, really.

The only difference is the vampires, who mostly stay underground.

ooc: Throwing this out there if anyone wants to do anything with this particular setting in general?]

Hyakuya Prompt:

[Yuu, of course, is still at the orphanage. Without the virus, he's remained there with the other kids, including Mika. As they got older, there was less and less chance of anyone adopting them, but they still tried to at least be glad if one of the younger kids got a nice family and home to go to.

At the same time though, being sixteen, they're at school and sort of making plans to eventually figure an orphanage of their own, run and owned by Yuu and Mika themselves. They're in the park near the orphanage when Yuu pipes up.]

Oi! Akane, watch him!

[Because the younger kids are playing ball, and it's about to leave the park and head out to the road. He calls out to the eldest girl, warning her to keep an eye on them in case one of them runs out after the ball without looking.

Sorry if that might land on anyone that might be passing by?]

Owari no Seraph (1/2)

[allforyuu]

[Mika tenses up, prepared to dash over to them if Akane doesn't notice. Luckily she does, diverting the younger girl's attention away from the street.]

[He calms down considerably afterwards, but he doesn't look away from the two of them until Akane holds her hand.]

Owari no Seraph (2/2) and open!

[allforyuu]

[He reaches into the picnic basket and lifts out several bento boxes. Since Mika had worked to cook them all a nice lunch he isn't going to let the food go to waste.]

Anyway, as I was saying. Once we find some jobs, we should get her a proper birthday gift.

[drizzle]

It's okay! I got it cover.

[So says one of the meddling neighbors from the apartment complex next door to the Hyakuya orphanage, bringing over the ball that happen to catch her attention as she was returning home from school. A bright smile will appear as she bounces the ball over the younger children once she was close enough.]

Oh? I didn't know you guys were going to be at the park today. If I'd known, I would have returned straight home today to help out. Kinda seems like you need it.

[There was no question over if they need her help or not. She was giving herself that responsibility as usual.]

Especially if papa Yuu was asking mama bear number two to help out. [All said in a playful tone, of course. It was too natural for her to tease him from time to time.]

BATTLE NETWORK AU

[hypnotherapy]

top level
[ As soon as you're overtaken by this bubble, it's...a nice feeling, actually? Buildings are colourful and bright, and the streets are bustling. Kind of crowded, but not too much. There's some invisible collision detection at work, making sure nobody really bumps into each other on accident.

And when you pull out your communicator, it appears to be something else entirely. People comment on it, too - "Isn't the newest PET model amazing? I heard it can even project little holograms of your netnavi!"

What is a netnavi? Why, it's your AI companion, of course. Maybe you've only been with them a short time, or you've had them your entire life, but you've certainly been by their side, and they've been by yours.

There's plenty of places to go. Why not look around? ]

exploration (netnavi)

[ If you're an AI, or simply because of the whims of the cube, maybe you're not a human with a navi partner - you're a netnavi with a human partner. It could be someone from your memories, someone completely new, or a mix of both - whatever your brain pulls out as appropriate.

Or maybe you're going solo. Who knows? In any case, you can access both the physical world, where humans live, through a copybot - or you can wander around the network, where it's netnavi territory. Simpler programs go about their business, and navis chatter and wander here and there. Everyone's friendly, and perfectly happy to see you in some way or another. ]

distortion

[ But sometimes, things glitch a little bit, or fade out. If you're a netnavi, this might be especially disconcerting. But it seems to happen more near a certain blue-wearing individual, conspicuously tall in the human world and conspicuously bright and highlighted in networks.

If you greet him, even if he doesn't know you - he's happy to talk. He seems placid enough. ]

Oh, hello there.

Enjoying yourself?

OTA

[snarkbot]

Open/netnavi:
[ Skeets slips easily into the role of a navi. After all, he was already an AI who was a human's companion. But in this version his hologram/copybot looks like a chubby gold boy with a round helmet with fins and dark goggles. And his name is GoldMan.

His human is Booster, of course. To natives unaffected by the bubble it looks like Skeets is talking to himself, but in the Battle Network AU there's a cheerful Booster Gold -- or at least, Skeets' idea of Booster. They've been together for ages now.

Regardless of where you run into him, Skeets will nod politely. ] Hello. How are you?

Distortion:
[ Skeets doesn't know this other netnavi, and it's a bit odd how bright he is. But he's friendly and Skeets is polite. ]

Is there something I should be enjoying?

[tadeadshi]

[Tadashi definitely feels something shift, some piece of reality changing and when he turns around everything changed. Heropa is not this bright and his comm's different. Familiar in a way he hasn't thought about in a while.]

A PET?

[With Megaman and Lan both gone, that leaves only one other this could be related to. He holds the PET closer and fiddles with some of the controls. It's unlikely but he has to try.]

Magicman?

SILVER AGE SASSAFRASS

[musclemothers]

GENERIC TOP LEVEL: please feel free to play around in this universe on your own!

Welcome, everyone, to the Silver Age! Read the link if you'd like more details, but this is all you have to know: life is simple again, distilled into hysterical capers of good vs. evil, where good is always right, and never really hurts or kills evil, which is honestly more mischievous than anything else. Here, you have the superhero spanx (or supervillain vavaoom) of your dreams, and everything's just a little fuzzier, just a little brighter.

Want to play around with word bubbles? Maybe have a good old round of fisticuffs? Find a sidekick? Well, then, partner, come on into this beautiful little fantasy and play at your heart's content!

RUSTY TOP LEVEL

[musclemothers]

ALSO KNOWN AS: do you want the asshole scientist? Here you have him!

[Welcome, one and all, to what good old Rusty Venture wishes the world was like. He's taller and broader, with the sort of V-shape that befits all superheroes and superscientists alike, with a full head of hair and a snazzy labcoat that hits him quite flatteringly at the mid-thigh. In this little bubble, Rusty's walking like the cock of the walk, as though he owns the place, humming a little ditty underneath his breath and toying with the pen that's tucked behind his ear, because of course a superscientist always needs a writing utensil for his next magnificent idea... and because he makes so few mistakes that he can afford to write in ink.

What an absolute daredevil.

Hero and villain alike, watch out, because Rusty's coming... and he may be looking into acquiring a Boy Adventurer.]

OTA

[prostheticbody]

[The Major is no longer a major, because haha, ladies in the military, what a silly idea. Instead, she goes by Lady Copborg, a detective with a robotic body and plenty of non-lethal gadgets to catch criminals. Her perfectly lifelike prosthetic body is now slightly less so. She maintains an hourglass figure, but her body is silver, with a control panel on her chest full of blinking lights and switches. Her trademark hair remains purple, but is in a more period-appropriate hairstyle. She wears a trenchcoat, concealing her extendo-matic arms, perfect for catching crooks from afar. And to top it all off, her left eye is covered by a large red lens.

She's hot on the trail of some thugs when she turns to you, her crimefighting partner.]

With my x-ray eye, I can see a bank robbery taking place on the next block!

OTA

[foreshadower]

Have you ever seen a more...dark, sinister villain? A man who walked the shadows, like he owned them? A man with a cane that seemed to spew them when he only pressed a hidden button on the side?

Why that man, that sinister, shadowy man, was currently eyeing the bank across the street. Complete in costume, a unitard, tophat, and even curls on his shoes -- if just to emphasize the dastardly deeds he was about to commit. The grin on his face said enough too, didn't it? The way he smiled like he had quite the secret. Like there was something quite rakish that he was about to do. ]

It was a jackhammer. A jackhammer made of shadows. Hammering at the concrete in front of the bank. ]

Behold! [ He threw out a hand, at the shadowed machine. ] Watch as we sink into the Earth! Never to be seen from again!

[ Except for, you know, in the bank. When they jackhammer a hole big enough to come in from the bottom. Teleportation powers be damned, this was fun. ]

SLUMBER PARTY AU

[redhott]

[ The parents have retreated to the sanctity of their bedroom, food's been left out, and there's plenty of room downstairs for everyone and their sleeping bags to get comfy and have a good time at Kyle's latest sleep over party. He's also got the TV on low, and anyone is free to change the channels, put on a movie, or play some of his video games. Just don't break anything!

It's a little early to go straight to bed, though, so Kyle's got a few traditional games set out: Twister in the kitchen, spin the bottle in the living room, and seven minutes in heaven by the coat closet. ]

TRUTH OR DARE

[redhott]

SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN

[redhott]

SPIN THE BOTTLE

[redhott]

[ BE shameless, it's okay. NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW e___e ]

OPEN PROMPTS

[redhott]

[ Put anything else under here. Are you trying to sleep? Or sneak some alcohol in the kitchen? Maybe you're playing video games with a friend? Do what ever! ]

alive & well | ota

[drizzle]

[After a long day at work, Nike will be heading back home feeling exhausted, but satisfied in another successful and fun day at work. She can be found either

a) visiting her relatives to sneak in some snacks before dinner
b) window shopping at the mall or shopping plaza or even at a bridal store
c) at the park; either relaxing under a tree or feeding the ducks by the pound

Before it grows too dark, Nike can be found returning home with a large smile on her lips that may seem almost force as she doesn't want her family to realize just how exhausted she was feeling at the moment. She still had enough energy to play with anyone willing to or needed her for something else. It wasn't in her nature to reject anyone in the slightest.]

I'm home!

[redigere]

[On days like this, when she knows Nike-neesama has a long day ahead of her, Naminé makes sure to clear her evening schedule in anticipation of her sister's return, and sets the table for tea. The pot is old but lovingly handled, the tea leaves a special blend prepared by her own hands. She's been greeting her sister like this for a few years now, now that she's old enough to not be ordered to bed early, and it brings her no small amount of pleasure to do it. True, it's still an uncomfortable thought sometimes, that she's essentially singing her sister to sleep with her inherited power of hypnotism. But Nike-neesama's assurances that it helps her rest help Naminé, in turn, rest easy herself.

She's sitting at the table now, sketching out the arrangement of teapot and flower vase in front of her, but sets down her pencil when she hears her sister's voice.]

Nike-neesama, welcome home.

high tech low life //: dystopian cyberpunk

[raw]

( ooc post details )

1. ON THE INSIDE
( open to anyone who wants a cyberpunk thread. )

"I think we're being followed," Elliot whispers, leaning in close, his eyes wild. He doesn't actually look back over his shoulder, but he doesn't have to right now, can feel the prickle of eyes over the short-shaven hair at the back of his neck. His footsteps increase and he hastens down the grimy alley, wondering if he should drop down into the maze of the underground's or try and flee through a building. The road ahead is clear, but it has a dozen cams, is lit up by the constantly moving neon of the billboards.

OR

The gun is steady in Elliot's hand. If asked he'd say he's never used a gun before, but even here, as in the real world, he would be wrong.

"I know what you are," he says, voice rough with dehydration and lack of sleep. "You hid it pretty well. Nothing in the database, all those childhood photos, the phone calls to your parents — you've even got a heartbeat." He pauses, a little choked up, like he's remembering what the feel of that heartbeat was like. Looks away for a moment (grab the gun?). "But you should know better than to try and hide shit from me."

OR

"You want me to run you a sim?" Elliot offers, slouched back in the hair of the shitty little apartment, something easy and wry in his eyes. He always looks happier in front of a computer, even if he never seems to enter virtual reality much himself. He's a master at coding, seems to be able to see the three dimensional world just as clearly in those lines of code as someone can with a VR headset. "I've got this cool new one from some guys in China." He lifts an eyebrow, teasing. "Or there's that other one you like..."


2. ON THE OUTSIDE
( open to anyone who wants to snap elliot out of it. )

Elliot walks through de Chima, talking to himself.

This isn't a new sight. Probably his sitting and tapping at a virtual keyboard on a bench is new, though, his eyes wild.

Don't get too close, though, or you might struggle to remember what is real, might start to see his imaginary computer and imaginary desk yourself.


3. DO YOUR OWN THING
( open to anyone who wants to write their own cyberpunk starter without elliot, or if you want something npced idk. )

There is surprisingly no sound when fifty thousand people simultaneously open their eyes as the primary server dumps them back in the real world as unceremoniously as a wave dumps a surfer into the sand. Lifers who have spent years in virtual reality are confronted with their own flesh bodies. Some have been well cared for by the nursing staff who make their livelihoods out of exactly that purpose, clean and shaven and oxygenated, regularly stretched and rolled, bedsores cared for and IV drip changed. But others aren't so rich, or so lucky.

Not everyone gives their lives over to the machine, though. The long five-day coupon lines go from sweat-stink quiet to confused masses of flesh in an instant, people who were simply distracting themselves as they waited for their ticket to be called shoved back into the monotony of reality, turning to their neighbors in confusion as they realize this wasn't some personal hardware failure — everyone's offline. The grim press of arms and legs and shoulders and thighs against each other is offensive; people start to complain, bored, agitated, scared. It won't take much for panic to cause a crowd crush situation, even as a metallic neutral tone requests valued consumers remain calm, and elevator music pipes through the thunder rumble of agitation.

Somewhere on the other side of the city, a building explodes.

on the inside. option b.

[jalan]

Elliot speaks. Daenerys is still. Very still.

Unblinking, even, her expression softened to something neutral. A heart beat continues to thrum but outward emotional affect has departed. Around them, lights flicker staccato jazzbeats and sonorous advertisements bray into the night from too far away to make out a word. A siren raises like a wolf howl. She is still, which means her eyeline is steady.

Unlike his. Smoothly, swiftly, she swipes a hand out and cages a grip over gun and fingers all, bending his aim aside without letting go of either. She steps forward. Up close--

Up close, he ought to remember, but maybe here, in shadows and harsh lights, her unreality makes itself more visible to the human eye with powder-pale skin and silver-blonde hair.

"It was never my wish to cause you pain," she says, looking from eye to eye. "Sometimes, that is why secrets are kept. To prevent pain."

Bonny and Buck [Closed]

[attainment]

[Riding high and fast after their latest bank robbery, "Pretty Boy" Barnaby and "Baby Face" Bucky blaze down the dusty country road in their stolen 1932 Ford convertible. With the wheel firmly in his hands, Barnaby throws a glance over at his partner and flashes him a brilliant smile.]

Just a little further, and we'll be past the state line. [And then the rangers' hands will be tied, once again foiled by Barnaby's fine art of weaving in and out of jurisdictions, at times narrowly escaping by the skin of their teeth.]

Honestly, the newsboys should send us presents for this one.

[sidecars]

Tell me about it! They'll be rollin' in it this time tomorrow, huh? [ His own cheeky grin matches his partner's. His Thompson rifle's balanced against his thighs as he holds on to his cap, watching their backs in case any coppers decide they want to try and be heroes.

Catching Barnaby's green eyes, he leans in closer for a kiss. It's another job well done between them, though Bonny is definitely the brains of this operation. Bucky simply adds to the flair of their operation. ]

lower quarter shenanigans | closed

[knightunerring]

[The lower quarter of Zaphias is usually bustling because so few people have the luxury of idleness, but Flynn has always enjoyed the energy. It suits him; between his time training as a newly enlisted knight and the responsibilities he still juggles taking care of the younger orphans, he seldom has much time to stay still either. Even if this is nominally his rest day it's no real exception, and he's a little out of breath from walking so briskly when he opens the door home. It's... a little odd that none of the other kids are around, but today he's only looking for one in particular.]

Rita, are you ready to go? I can get you into the library for a little while, if we hurry.

Re: lower quarter shenanigans | closed

[blahblahboom]

Finally.

[Rita groans, rolling off the couch as she sets down one of the cats. She didn't know where everyone was, but she was sooooooooo bored. She had read every book the lower quarters had available. But Flynn had promised to get her something better, so she had tried to be patient.

Key word: 'tried']

I was waiting forever.