theafflicted | 00

00 - prologue

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.

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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

[Waking up in a lecture hall after dozing off wouldn't, by itself, be an entirely unfamiliar experience to Phantom. Just not his experience. For a long time he's staring around as if dazed, his eyes focusing on nothing in particular. He prods the mark on his wrist and then reaches up to press his hand to his forehead. Headache? He's definitely not looking so hot.]

Phil...?

[He finally shoots to his feet and... almost immediately has to scramble to catch himself on a chair. This is not his most coordinated day.

When he eventually makes his escape from the lecture hall he prowls around the rest of the campus to get his bearings. Glancing through the name plates of the dormitories, he pauses in front of the one marked as his, looking like he just swallowed something spiky and probably poisonous.]

Absolutely not.

[Time to skitter off somewhere safer. He at least seems to find a temporary refuge in the bookstore, where he browses through the textbooks with every sign of actual enjoyment. He takes a few to compare, mostly science but some unfamiliar, and sits down on the floor to leaf through them and pick out a stack he can actually carry out in his twig arms. He eventually settles in the lounge with his textbook hoard, where he can be found reading diligently. Or asleep with a textbook on his face. It's been a day, okay.]

[ Unsurprisingly, Xingqiu has found the bookstore to be where he's going to be in for quite awhile. So, naturally, he is in here most of the time whenever people pass by or come in.

When Xingqiu notices someone else come in, he will peer up from whatever has managed to catch his eye the latest. ]

Find anything you'd recommend just at a moment's glance?

[Phantom looks up from his textbook hunt - guiltily? suspiciously? He can do both at the same time - before he lifts his chin a little in challenge.]

The only thing obvious from a passing glance is that the marginalia seem to have been written by idiots.

[ ...Wowee, look out world this one is sure a feisty sort. Xingqiu radiates a little bit of amusement at this, considering his relatively simple question. ]

Hmm! An astute observation.

[ He looks back down at his engaging story. ]

If you do manage to stumble across some kind of interesting tale, do let me know? Since we're both hitting the books and all.

I'm unlikely to find one among the science textbooks.

[There's a little pause for processing like Phantom's waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting. Suspiciously. And maybe slowly relaxing.]

Does this really seem the time to be browsing for fiction?

Alas.

[ At this time, Xingqiu gives a pause. Apparently picking up an interesting thread in the current story.

Then after the momentary pause he looks back up. ]

I'd say it'd be the prime time to browsing fiction, wouldn't you? The story of a place can tell you a lot about the history of the land and the people that live within it. Indeed, it's without a doubt one of the best places to start, if you really think about it...

[ ...he sounds really thoughtful about it, but he really is kind of indulging in his favorite past times as well. ]

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bookstore;

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Lecture hall

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lounge

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lounge

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dorm!

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