00 - prologue

[afflictionmods]

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.

-----

( 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)

Comments

[undertakings]

[He shakes his head.]

I wasn't carrying my wireless with me when I got taken here, but even if I was, there's no guarantee it'd connect anyway. ...I don't think this is anywhere near the base I was stationed at.

[selfconcept]

It probably isn't.

[ He thinks that's a pretty accurate guess, considering his own circumstances. Pulling in someone like a god, render them powerless, and put him in a class like a normie human? That takes quite the skill. He'll acknowledge that. ]

Were you in the middle of military training?

[ That's the only thing he can think of when he sees Shin's outfit along with what he talked about. ]

[undertakings]

[Shin isn't anything close to what Hien is, but even so, there's enough that's off about this place that the range of possibilities is narrowed significantly. Still, it helps somewhat to hear that he's not the only one thinking that. But as for that question, well, that's easy enough to answer.]

No, we were under enemy attack at the time. [A beat.] Although the base may already have been annihilated, at this point.

[That last part is added almost like an afterthought, like he forgot to buy an item on his shopping list or something.]

[selfconcept]

Sounds rough.

[ But Shin doesn't seem to be having a hard time with it, or maybe he's a little like him and is good at hiding emotional things. ]

At least you won't be taken as a prisoner.

[undertakings]

[There's a blink at the comment and he finally turns to look back at Hien, staring at his face like he's actually seeing the man for the first time.]

The Legion don't take prisoners.

[selfconcept]

Then what do they take?

[ Bases? Lives? Opportunities for war crimes?? ]

[undertakings]

[can i answer all of the above--

Okay but no, there's a little more to it than that.]

They were designed to eliminate anything that their country designated as a target. This included military installations and personnel, but the ability to distinguish between civilians and soldiers was never programmed into their central processors either.

[So they just kill everything and everyone, basically.]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien looks very unimpressed, because that sort of solution-- ]

It's too costly. I guess whoever approved for those things didn't have the aftermath in mind.

[ He bets a recession will happen too. ]

I'm guessing anti-tank missiles don't do anything to them, if they have so much trouble.

[undertakings]

The empire that created them fell five years ago.

[So honestly, that's a pretty legitimate criticism. But as for the missiles, hm.]

Anti-tank weapons are effective, but guided weapons systems that require radar aren't able to operate under the Eintagsfliege's jamming. We can only rely on support from long-range artillery during our ground operations.

[selfconcept]

So... anti-tank rifles.

[ Snipers. Sounds exciting. ]

Then there's a matter of funding and stationing people who know how to use them and deal with the recoil.

[ ... ]

Things don't look so good. No wonder it didn't look like you had any hope for that base.

[undertakings]

We have our own armored vehicles, but training new Processors to operate them is still an issue.

[A shrug.]

But it's a situation we're used to.

[selfconcept]

... Odd, since if you lose, you would most certainly die.

[ Shin seems like a soldier. If he fought and lost multiple times, especially with the involvement of Legions and not taking prisoners... ]

[undertakings]

Yes, that's correct. I could die, and any of my comrades could die at any time.

[But his expression doesn't change from its usual indifference, nor does his placid tone waver.]

But that's just how it is.

[selfconcept]

... It sure is. Sorry, I should have clarified. If you were used to losing and they don't take anyone alive, I'm surprised that you're still alive. That would mean you encountered those things multiple times, right?

[ Maybe Shin is an expert escape artist. ]

[undertakings]

Yeah. But the Legion are programmed to retreat if enough of their forces are eliminated... so if you can fight until that point, then you can survive that battle.

Even if you incur losses in the end.

[So less losing specifically and more Pyrrhic victory.]

[selfconcept]

Is that why you don't do this?

[ He puts each index finger on both corners of his own lips and raises them a little. No smiles allowed, apparently. ]

[undertakings]

[This is probably not the first time he's been asked that (or something to that effect?), nor will it probably be the last. But he can't help but see the irony anyway.]

...Is that really something you should be asking me?

[He's not the one who got hit with a rock and shrugged it off??]

[selfconcept]

Yeah. Why not?

[ He fails to see the irony here. All the more so, since he's just as much of a lineface as Shin is. ]

[undertakings]

[Hien plz!! Shin just lets out a small sigh in response as he debates if he should even bother answering. After a long pause:]

Because I could ask you the same thing.

[selfconcept]

I was mostly wondering if you stopped smiling because you got into those situations often.

[ Legions wrecking things, people dying, and all that. ]

Because something like that would take a toll on someone, even if they don't realize it.

[undertakings]

[His expression shifts to puzzlement before he falls silent in contemplation, eyes downcast as he thinks.]

That's not really... [He stops when he finds himself not really sure how to finish that sentence. It takes a few more moments before he seems to gather enough of his thoughts to respond again.]

There isn't a reason for me to smile right now. That's all.

[selfconcept]

Yeah, same here.

[ There's a bit of silence as Hien thinks about what he wants to do. He stops forcing the smiling expression on himself with his fingers and stretches his arms forward. ]

I lost someone who was like a son to me before I came here.

[ Despite Hien not looking all that old. He looks early to mid 20s. ]

But I don't smile that much in the first place anyway. That's why making others laugh in my stead is something I wanna do.

[ He looks at Shin with some interest. ]

You ticklish?

[undertakings]

["Like a son" can mean a whole lot of things at least, and it's not inconceivable that someone of Hien's (apparent) age could have someone that they cared for like that. So amidst all the other oddities about him, that part barely even registers to Shin. But still, he'll listen quietly even if he's not even really sure why he's being told this. At that question though, he'll jerk his head up to give Hien the flattest look he can muster.

Firmly, and without hesitation:] No.

[selfconcept]

You sure?

[ He wants to see him laugh somehow. Hm. He sounded so absolute in his answer that he wonders if he only said it like that as denial.

... ]

Okay, maybe next time.

[ ??? ]

[undertakings]

[He doesn't even bother to answer that verbally, just narrowing his eyes in a clear show of displeasure and a look that more or less says, "Don't even try."

You'll never take him alive!!!]