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theafflicted2022-05-21 07:30 am
afflictionmods) wrote in theafflicted2022-05-21 07:30 am
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.
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! )
no subject
...If they pass this unwinnable boss fight, anyway.]
Eh?
[Deer-in-headlights Idia, meet sunshine boy Cater once more!]
But then how are we supposed to get to know our neighbors? Cay totes doesn't mind people stopping by, unless they turn out to be, like, suuuuuuper unbearable, you know? You should let people meet you, too, just in case!
no subject
Isn't that what the community lounge is for?! You could be that kind of guy!
[That was a great place to socialize. Hypothetically. He assumed it was. Meanwhile, he had one place to hide himself! And it was currently under attack from a "call me anytime~" kinda guy!]
I stand out like a sore thumb so I don't really want to do any side quests.
no subject
Ehh? You think I'm the kind of guy to just go hang out in the lounge for fun? Isn't that kind of pathetic? Like you're just waiting for someone to come by so you can totes be like ~oh hey~~?
[Apparently the hypersocial normie even has meet-cute standards. Who knew?]
Well, you're like... not wrong about that, I guess...
no subject
[Just, like, huh, there's something even a popular guy finds pathetic.]
[He glances over at the closed door, then over to their beds and desks.]
... it's totally visible, too... maybe the student store has curtains...
no subject
...So he guesses he can relent a little, too.]
Hm... Well, we don't have to have it open all the time. Cay likes having quiet time to himself sometimes, too, you know, and the vibe is totes different in the middle of the day and at, like, 2am, yanno?
no subject
[maybe he could go hide in a janitor's closet]
[It's not like his room is a fort with his PC and all his merch and games. It's just a room and all he's got right now is a tablet. Speaking of,]
... So,
[he pulls out his tablet and pulls up a date/time app with the hours of the day. He holds it up, partially over his face.]
... l- let's decide...
no subject
Or maybe he'll just start taking longer showers. Who knows.]
Decide... a schedule? For the door being open?
[Why is that simultaneously pathetic and kind of endearing?]
no subject
I'm leading negotiations with... twenty out of twenty-four hours closed.
[He shoves the tablet over into Cater's hands for him to start selecting hours he wants it open or closed. Despite hardly seeing Idia's fingers move, it's apparently already been quickly set up to toggle between a green CLOSED or red OPEN.]
[(... shouldn't those be opposite colors?)]
no subject
Hmm... Cay will counter-offer with eighteen of twenty-four hours, but you can close them whenever he's not here.
[Tap-tap-tapping away to select three two hour chunks on every day....... except, conspicuously, Saturdays, before handing it back.
(Definitely not questioning Idia's color coding system. It's his tablet.)]
no subject
[While the absence of Saturdays was confusing, it was technically a boon. After all, wasn't Saturday the extrovert's paradise? Being confirmed that he'd have those hours 100% closed was a blessing!]
[(Or, well, will be... speaking of...)]
[Before he can comment on it further, there's a sound from some sort of intercom- which is a little spooky, considering there's no visible speakers in the room.]
H- Huh?! Orientation?!
no subject
But (for now) Idia's right - if Saturday is blocked out as extrovert socialization time, then it's only fair Idia gets a day all to himself inside, right? It makes sense to him, and, like, it's better than some random day in the middle of the week, right? Right.
Anyway. Speaking of. That announcement sure is spooky-loud, all things considered, and Cater jumps as it rings out.]
...I guess that makes sense...? C'mon, let's go.
[Hopping! Up! From the bed!]
no subject
[... well, the part that they're at a school. That's about it and that is everything they have to work on. Besides, an orientation should be like a tutorial and explain the rules and controls. He's got no reason to refuse it. Although,]
... what do you mean, go? Th- They said... the tablet...
no subject
...Which rules out the Headmaster being behind things even more than before - he wouldn't have waited to extol his magnanimity, and definitely wouldn't be explaining anything.]
Yeah, go! [Don't make him drag you by the arm, Idia, he will.] You think anyone's really gonna be, like, quiet and organized enough in asking questions for you to catch everything through the tablet? Nuh uh. So c'mon, c'mon! Cay'll do a snack run for you later in exchange, or something?
no subject
R-Really, I only survived being in a room with that many people before because I was so startled...
[He is absolutely hesitating, he probably needs to be dragged. What is that oversized hoodie for if not yoinking a nerd to where he needs to be?]
no subject
And now you totally have time to prepare yourself for it! Hide in your hood or something on the way, Cay totes won't let you trip since he'll get hurt, too, if you do.
no subject
[How long could he fight this for? If he fought it long enough would Cater give up and go alone? Maybe it was an advantageous trade. After all, his last snack run had resulted in no less than THREE face-to-face conversations he couldn't escape. One major social event exchanged for all the possible one-on-ones.]
[His shoulders slump forward, and his free hand comes up to shove his hood over the flickering blue flames.]
I- I won't trip...
[idia has (reluctantly) joined the party!]
no subject
And, you know, there's still the small comfort of the presence of someone familiar who is way more socially awkward. That helps, just a bit.]
If you feel like you're gonna, just grab Cay's arm, oka~aay~? His balance is totes good enough to catch you~!
no subject
I said I won't trip...!
[In terms of the pain sharing, grabbing on made sense but,]
[In terms of "kyaa cay-kun catch me" it was way too embarrassing!! He's just going to endeavor to tightly hold his tablet with one hand and make sure he didn't trip while being dragged along.]
no subject
Haa...]
Right, right, but just in case~!
[...Yeah, okay, he might be bullying, just a little.]