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

[exofractured]

I can--

[He absolutely cannot handle this, or anything, himself. So after a moment he holds the blanket out towards Hien and points to the place in the fort that looks best-defended to him.]

That should do.

[selfconcept]

[ Where Phantom points, the blanket shall go. Now that the blanket is set, the blanket fort looks pretty decent that was made totally last minute. ]

There you go.

[exofractured]

[This is actually a very nice-looking fort! So this is how Phil feels when Marcus takes care of him. Filtered through someone else's memories, the sense of embarrassment at being a useless adult, combined with something warmfuzzy, is temporarily disorienting to Phantom.

Ah. But if memory serves, there's something a civilized person should say here.]

...T-thankyou.

[If he says it fast enough, he can outrun even embarrassment!]

[selfconcept]

[ Cute. Seeing Phantom react like that is very cute. It's very endearing. Hien can't help but to smile a little. ]

Of course. I actually live right next door in room 8, so if you need help, you can come and ask. I probably won't be doing anything important.

[exofractured]

[That... that even sounds sincere. What does he do with this information.]

I doubt any of us are, here. [...But one more little nod of thanks. He might sprain something if he said it twice.] You can call me Phantom. And you are?

[selfconcept]

I'm Hien.

[ If Hien was in his usual attire, he'd be another sort of phantom himself... ]

Is it some sort of codename?

[exofractured]

Nothing as dramatic as that. I simply picked a name fitting for myself.

[selfconcept]

Why is it fitting?

[ He's curious, so he slightly tilts his head to one side. Tell him about yourself, mister phantom. ]

[exofractured]

[Oh no. Blanket fort and the opportunity to monologue? Hien is in very real danger of Phantom permanently imprinting.]

I'm an empty reflected shadow of- [brief pause for him to adjust to inter-world lingo] -a mage's experiment. With my power sealed here and my connection to him severed, what would you call me if not a ghost?

[selfconcept]

[ More experiments. Hm. ]

Dunno. You look humanoid to me.

[ He reaches out to gently pat Phantom's head, despite how they're pretty much standing at the same height. ]

And warm. Full of life.

[exofractured]

Hmph. A shallow illusion.

[Headpatting is... very slightly disruptive to villainous monologuing. But probably not worse than the fact that, after the day Phantom's had, those words are nearly enough to make him tear up.

Of all the traits to inherit from his creator, this is the worst.]

Don't patronize me, I'm not a child!

[selfconcept]

Do you want me to stop petting you? Your hair feels nice.

[ He won't deny patronizing, but only because he feels like Phantom would insist that Hien was. He seems unaffected by Phantom's outburst though. ]

[exofractured]

[...please hold while Phantom systems are rebooting...]

What a foolish reason. [... ... ...] ...I suppose I'll permit it.

[selfconcept]

Thanks. It's okay to relax sometimes.

[ There, there. He'll try his best to comfortingly pat Phantom's head. ]

[exofractured]

[If anyone were to witness this Phantom would be forced to commit attempt a murder. But he ducks his head a tiny bit more for pats. That may continue.]

You certainly seem to be. Playing pranks while most of the others are talking about being kidnapped or searching for escape routes?

[selfconcept]

[ Cute. Cute!! Hien continues to pat Phantom's head. ]

I don't really have a stake in this when all I have is myself, so I'm not in a hurry to leave.

[exofractured]

How rare. You look quite humanoid yourself. [And warm! Good at petting!] That usually comes with attachments.

[selfconcept]

Yeah. I'm a humanoid... I guess.

[ He shrugs with the other arm that isn't being used to pet Phantom. ]

I still get attached, but that would mean I would have to stay in a single place for a while. I usually don't.

[exofractured]

[Is there a point at which he should demur that this has been enough petting. Dignity might be coming back on line in another minute or two.]

Then it seems this place should be unusual for you in more ways than the obvious.

[selfconcept]

I don't know how long people are being forced to stay. To me, 80 years isn't anything.

[ No dignity. Only petting. ]

[exofractured]

[Phantom freezes, deer in the headlights impression again. Because this is a potential eldritch being?

No, he's just having the cringeworthy realization he ranted about not being a child to someone that considers his entire lifespan a trivial amount of time.]

How old are you? Specifically.

[selfconcept]

[ He'd be right about the eldritch being if powers were a thing—

He continues petting despite Phantom's expression. ]

I dunno. I stopped counting.

[ He's Very Old. ]

[exofractured]

[Well now he can't duck away from the petting, because Hien called him humanoid and he's not going to give the impression that he's intimidated in return.]

I see. Perhaps I looked too lightly on whatever brought us here.

[selfconcept]

[ Phantom: I'm not scared of you
Hien: your hair feels nice ]

Well, it's fine. I'm very easy to drag into other worlds. So don't overestimate whoever it is too much.

[exofractured]

[THE DICHOTOMY OF HUMANOID CONSTRUCTS]

I suppose we'll find out, if they choose to reveal themselves.

[F-finally gathering his dignity to step back from patting though. That's probably enough.

For now.]