June Event: Chaos, Chaos!

[lifeaftr_mods]

JUNE EVENT: CHAOS, CHAOS!

Who: Anyone and everyone!
What: It's just a little chaos...
When: June 17th - June 22nd
Where: Primarily Io, though also across Ensō and the islets if applicable
Warnings: Violence, possible body horror, potential anxiety and dysmorphia associated with body-swapping

Who Keeps Spinning the World Around?

The morning of June 17th, you'll probably notice things are amiss rather quickly. Your hands aren't your hands, or you're no longer in a squishy human flesh shape, or worse. Maybe your Lawful Good persona has plummeted into an outright Chaotic Evil one. Or maybe you wake up with a brand new power in your hands! Whatever the case is, no explanation is going to be immediately forthcoming, from Eleu or the Storyteller or anyone else. You'll have to figure out this mess on your own. Adjust to your new circumstances, master your new powers, and do what you can to make it through the next few days...because they're going to be some very interesting ones, for certain.

Catch Me If You Can!

Come June 20th, whether you're back to normal selves or not, Eleu has a job for you. A request, even. They're going to need your help to take care of this little problem and put a stop to all this absolute madness.

Those interested in helping can get in touch with any of the honeybees buzzing anxiously about Io, and they will redirect you to the Honeycomb, which has now been provided with several barrels of Honeycomb Sledgehammers for your use. You don't have to take one if you don't need it, but they make a very powerful weapon. Additionally, Eleu will take care to assure that, in exchange for your help, you may keep the Sledgehammer, if you so choose. Those interested in assisting may access our boss fight at its top-level below. This is a single thread with no order, but anyone may participate, regardless of their current state of being. Don't worry about how you contribute, or tag speed. Anyone who's concerned about being left out is welcome to reach out to us to handwave or backtag their involvement, if necessary!

The Clown Box is going to put up a fight, though. And it's not going to be pretty.

Event Timeline

[ ♆ ] June 17th: Chaos begins!
[ ♆ ] June 21st: On the eve of the final battle, Storytelling commences.
[ ♆ ] June 22nd: Characters confront the Clown Box, and all parties return to normal.
[ ♆ ] June 25th: All parties become privy to the final outcome involving the Clown Box.

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[counterblows]

Well, there's a trick to it. I mean, it's...my body's currently just...like this, right now. I can get back into it, when I'm...also like this.

[A small shivering collection of pixels hovering in the air.]

[God, he hates his life so much right now.]

[forwearemany]

Acknowledged.

Suggestion: perhaps reducing sensory input would be of assistance.

(Tune out the world, in other words, and concentrate on what he's trying to do.)

[counterblows]

I don't have senses. I'm not...

[He's a little chunk of code, given substance, and oh god this isn't right. Is he a full A.I. now? Is he just a fragment? How do you tell? Would he even be able to?]

[Can a computer chip have an anxiety attack?]

I don't...interpret information the way I usually do!

[forwearemany]

You are unable to shutdown input?

(Their own experience as a synth is thet such things can be done easily. But then, platform operation would normally be easy too.

They aren't sure what will be difficult and what will not be for en organic turned A.I.)

Panic is unlikely to be of assistance.

[counterblows]

I can't panic. I'm a machine. And even if I could - do you know how unhelpful that is? Don't panic. Yeah, that'll get rid of it. That'll make everyone feel so much better. I'll just shut it off - how about that?

[He's not doing very well. He's - he's having trouble reapplying what he knows of A.I. to himself and this isn't helping. Think. Slow down, think.]

[Time moves slower for A.I. Their ability to parse time is so much further than what humans can perceive, so: have a panic attack in the space between seconds.]

[He doesn't know how to do that.]

I don't know...if I'm an A.I. or just a fragment of one. Fuck, how am I supposed to tell?

[forwearemany]

(They have a tendency to say the wrong things, they're noticing.

Perhaps they should think more about their vocalizations.)

Though we once believed panic was not possible for synthetics, experience has taught otherwise.

Regardless, you are otherwise correct: we will cease telling you to stop.

(They chatter, headflaps rippling.)

You were not fragmented as an organic: it seems unlikely you would be fragmented as an artificial intelligence.

[counterblows]

[He wasn't fragmented, says Legion. That's funny. real funny, 'cause it felt - it feels like he was. He had to put himself together again, piece by fucking piece. Does he have to do that again? Again, and again, and again, and again? How do you know what parts of you are missing? Is it a phantom pain? Is there a means to access it?]

[He thought he knew, with Epsilon. But it's so much harder when you're in it.]

Yeah, you'd think "organics" can't get fragmented.

Trust me. They can.

[forwearemany]

(He speaks of his trauma.)

Acknowledged.

(They crouch down next to him.)

Our ability to assist is limited: wireless access is restricted, we do not fully understand the shift in perceptions that occurs when an organic is made synthetic, and you are not Geth.

(They aren't going to leave him, though.)

[counterblows]

You're right. I'm not. I just have to...

[God, how did Church do this? Probably because he was accessing old abilities he never really lost - only forgot he had. He just has to move closer to his body, and maybe that'll be enough. Just...jump in.]

[After a second, the holo-avatar fizzles out into nothingness.]

[Then Wash's body stirs.]

[forwearemany]

(They watch as he attempts to work things out, before finally managing to move back into his platform.

Their headflaps lift.)

Washington-Agent?

[counterblows]

[Slowly, his head lifts, and he rights himself. His stance is unsteady, but at least he's back to standing on his own two feet.]

Yeah. Back to...well, myself. I guess this place was kind enough to provide me with an actual body this time.

[forwearemany]

You have experienced this previously?

(They have no idea he was that cat.)

[counterblows]

Yeah. Yeah, I sure have.

[Darkly. He wants to bring that up to as few people as possible.]

I thought I was getting back to normal. Turns out it was this place just having a laugh.

[forwearemany]

Acknowledged.

(They get up.)

You are showing signs of extreme distress.

[counterblows]

You think?

[Tell him something he doesn't know.]

This isn't exactly fixable. It's live with it or give up even trying. At least until it wears off, and - who knows whenever the hell that's gonna happen?

[forwearemany]

We have been returned to our platform.

(They chatter.)

It is unlikrly to be long before you are as well.

(More chattering.)

We have been unable to complete necessary tasks while trapped in organic form. We will attempt to "catch up".

Will you accompany us?

(They do not wish to leave him alone in this state.)

[counterblows]

I can't actually go very far from this thing, you know, so if you wanna get stuff done, I can't exactly tag along.

[He gestures at his limp shape on the ground with an annoyed jerk of one holographic hand.]

[forwearemany]

Acknowledged.

(They immediately sit town, in that case. Their tasks can wait. They will not abandon a distressed ally.)

[counterblows]

I just said you don't have to stick around. This...might take awhile.

[All it does is raise questions, and he'd rather not explain A.I. theory to whoever happens along; he's not enjoying this as it is.]

I have no idea how to speed it up.

[forwearemany]

Yes. We are choosing to.

(And that's that.)

[counterblows]

Well, fucking enjoy it, I guess. I'm not gonna be of much use to you.

[He's cranky, he's reliving all his trauma, and he's not interested in philosophical discussions. What else are you gonna do?]

[forwearemany]

That is acceptable.

(They don't expect him to be.

They've had months of practice standing still and doing nothing in the AI core on the Normandy. At least this time, it is not because their crewmates see their existence as unwelcome.)

[counterblows]

Oh, it's acceptable. Good. Wouldn't want to be unacceptable.

[He glares at his body like he'd like very much to kick it. He can't. He doesn't even get the satisfaction of kinesis anymore.]

[forwearemany]

You are our ally.

(They watch him, calm and seemingly impassive.

They wonder, is it common for organics to be unable to break cycles of negative thought?)

[counterblows]

And that makes it all better.

[This isn't his worst nightmare, exactly. It's not something he'd consider the worst possible thing to happen to him. But it's certainly not something he enjoys being done to him, to say nothing of the logistics of what it entails.]