theafflicted | 00

PROLOGUE

It doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing – something strange begins to happen. There's a sudden burning sensation that wraps around your right wrist and part of your forearm. If you glance at the affected area, you'll find that it's...glowing. The glow is pale blue, and it's so bright that it hurts to look at. The burn itself isn't so painful that you feel like keeling over just yet, but it does hurt nevertheless.

But before you have time to try to soothe the pain, you start to feel lightheaded, dizzy. Perhaps some of you may attribute this to any injuries you may currently be sustaining. For those who were previously unscathed, however, there's quite possibly no explanation for this other than the sudden appearance of the mysterious burn on your arm.

There is no time to mull it over, though, because it is the last thing that you see before the world suddenly fades to black.

-----

When you regain your senses, your vision is blurry; but when it starts to even out and you survey your surroundings, you find yourself sitting in a rather uncomfortable chair. Looking around you’ll see rows and rows of chairs, all facing the same way towards a desk, a podium, and an empty wall. A projector hangs from the ceiling and the lighting is bright and artificial... For some of you, it might be reminiscent of a college lecture hall. For others, you might have never seen anything like this before.

Your wrist, by the way, feels perfectly fine...though there’s now some kind of strange marking on it. It looks like a scar of some sort, and if you choose to touch it, it doesn’t feel inflamed or damaged in any way...but that doesn’t mean you don’t experience any pain. Perhaps the last thing some of you remember is a hard-fought battle, and the aches from your injuries still linger; some of you might not even remember getting hurt, and yet, your body aches like it has; for the lucky ones who feel fine, well. Pray that it lasts for a little while longer.

Because the moment someone gets hurt – emotionally or physically – there’s a small chance you’ll feel it, too. Where and who and what it’s coming from, though, is on you to figure out.

In front of you on the desk is some kind of device – a tablet, for those of you who are familiar. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be capable of doing much of anything right now, other than take photos and videos with the Camera app. There's also a translating app for those of you who need help reading some of the text around campus, as it is all in English. (Verbally, however, you can understand everyone in your own language. Tablets are also in characters' native languages.) It seems to be incredibly durable and hard to break, but you may want to be careful with it regardless.

Something shifts in your pocket (or...in your socks/shoe/what have you, if pockets aren't a thing) as you move around. Should you reach in and feel for it, you’ll find some kind of card – those who are familiar with modern technology will recognize that this is some kind of card you need to swipe. It has your name and a photo of you on one side, and the back of the card has the word "KEYCARD" on it.

There are also other people here, scattered throughout this mysterious classroom you’re in. In fact, there’re a bunch of you — 29 others, to be exact.

And now... you’re free to do whatever you want. Mostly anything, at least, given that once you step outside and explore, you’ll notice an ominous fog behind the various buildings within view. Still, this is a good time to get your bearings, check on what you have - and don’t have - and talk to the people around you until orientation starts.

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( OOC: Welcome to your Intro Log! The partner system is in effect for the Intro Log, meaning that yes, pain share is happening! For some notes regarding the partner system, your character will not know who their partner is upon arrival. It’s entirely possible that they find out now if their partner gets or is already injured, or if they can pick up on their mood. Otherwise, they’ll find out later today...!

Anyone who tries to leave campus grounds will have to enter through the fog, but no matter what, they will mysteriously wind up back onto campus grounds. And for clarification, the keycards are what characters need to gain access to their dorms!

Finally, we will have an NPC Reveal at 6pm EST today! )

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's a good idea. I can sleep until the cops show up. Or whatever.

[They've been kidnapped, so surely someone is looking for them...?]

You depend on cops?

[ girl

have better standards for yourself ]

No way. Fuck the cops.

[What have the cops ever done for her? Nothing, that's what.

Okay but.]

But how else are we getting out of here?

We'll probably figure that out soon, but that's the part you leave to other people, because they're very motivated and you won't have to lift a finger.

[ Scummy, but true. ]

[Mae finally gets up off the snacks, though she does scoop them close to her body as she goes.]

...Maybe before I would have agreed, but... [She shakes her head.] Might as well see if I can help somehow.

[ Hien seems to be in thought as he stares at Mae for a bit. ]

Can you read the stuff on the back of the chips?

Uh yeah? Of course I can read the stuff on the back of the chips.

[Hold please while she actually looks at the chips.

...

...

...]

...I cannot read the stuff on the back of the chips.

Use your tablet. It has a translating camera.

[ Anyway, the point he wanted to bring up was: ]

If you wanna help out, you can help people who don't know how to use a tablet.

[Huh, that's nice. Good to know.]

Sure. I can help with that. Probably.

I've only ever had a laptop. [There's no reception in her town so she never had a phone.]

You'll get the swing of things.

[ Look. He has faith in her. ]

[Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence, static guy.]

Maybe. I'm not so good with change.

[Scooping the snacks into her shirt basket.]

Neither are most people, so just think of it as learning. You'll probably like it.

[ He raises his own tablet and takes a picture of the snack bags in his own arm. ]

Like taking photos, even though this thing is bulky as hell.

[She doesn't think it's as simple as all that... but she also doesn't want to get into it.

So she focuses on the other thing instead.]

They could have given us a phone instead of a tablet.

Hey, if your voice is all staticky, does it interfere with the video? Or voice recordings?

My voice isn't really magical. What you hear is what you get.

[ He turns on the video function to record the floor, but it'll still pick up the audio. ]

A phone would be useful for being compact, but we'll probably have to use the big screen for things later.

[ He stops the recording and plays it back. It's pretty much the same thing, except the video sounds like it's from some awful 144p video just from the voice alone. But the quality of the floor is pretty clear. It's pretty jarring. ]

Whoa. That's pretty wild.

[It's like someone screwed up the audio, but it's just Hien's voice. Hien's voice is like screwed up audio.

She's starting to get used to it, though, so it doesn't freak her out.]

At least we know we can understand you, though. Kind of.

Yeah. Contrary to most opinions, I'm actually not a monster that speaks gibberish.

[ Yeah. It's fine. He puts the tablet away and keeps his bunch of snacks in his arm. ]

I'm gonna find a spot to nap, so see ya.

I never said you spoke gibberish! [She can understand him just fine! He's just... staticky!

At his declaration, though, she shrugs.] Uh, alright. Be alert for kidnappers though.

00 - prologue

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