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.

-----

( 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

[ Hien was about to enter his dorm room, but then suddenly some other guy comes out of nowhere and swipes his keycard before being flat out denied. He squints at Madara with his weird checkerboard-patterned eyes. When he opens his mouth, his voice is distorted and full of static. ]

Bold of you to try and break into my room in front of me and my bag of chips.

[ He has a bag of chips in hand. ]

[Weird eyes are fine. He knows Mika. This is Totally Normal (tm). But the voice is a little...???]

Ahh, sorry, sorry! I didn't see you standing there! My bad!

[He looks up at the nameplate like he didn't notice it before, pointing it out as if to illustrate that he is just a silly guy making a mistake.]

Oops, not mine! Are you thinking about sharing those chips, though?

[ Hien looks at Madara as if to say "is this guy for real", but it changes back to his blank look. ]

Sure. Open wide, kiddo.

[ Hien doesn't look all that older... ]

[KIDDO. Madara opens wide, but not for a phantom chip. He's laughing.]

Been a loooong time since somebody called me that! You sure are a funny guy!

[ Hien didn't think what he said was that funny, but the laugh earns Madara another squint. ]

Well. You're a kid.

[ Nothing strange about it to him! He holds a bbq chip, looking down at it in short contemplation(?), until he decides that, yeah, he'll attempt to shove this chip into Madara's mouth. ]

[Shove all you want, he'll take the chip without fuss. BBQ is a cowboy thing, right? Something like that. Matches his shtick or whatever.

Anyway, chomp.]

I'm not much of a kid! Though I guess if I haven't had my coming-of-age ceremony yet, you'd think that... Yeah, makes seeense! Can't fault you there.

[He puts out a hand for a handshake.]

Madara. Nice to meet you!

Hien. You're awfully cheery for someone who possibly got kidnapped. Kinda like that guy from the health room full of bandages.

[ He can only wonder what kind of--actually, he'll just ask. ]

Is your coming-of-age-ceremony some sort of ritual with candles and shit?

Sorry! I'm just a cheery kinda guy! Not a lot shakes me up when there's stuff to look into. You get me, I get kind of like... maaaaybe a detective or something like that?

[Shrug, still smiling.]

Candles? Well, maybe sometimes? Usually we just dress up reeeally nice and go to a temple.

[As if he's gonna have one. Laughable. But that's literally neither here nor there. He at least knows the concept!]

... Do you sacrifice animals, because you should know, that doesn't really do anything to please the gods or whatever. They happen to like seeing those animals being alive.

[ Madara is so cheery that Hien just... stares at him some more. He has never seen anyone genuinely be this cheery in his entire existence. And that's saying something.

He feeds Madara another bbq chip. ]

You don't have to fake it, you know. It's energy wasted, even if you found distractions.

Animals? Animals are man's best friend! That'd be preeeetty weird in my day and age. But maybe for other people it wouldn't be?

[Well, guess this chip eating thing is happening. Like it's totally normal. Just. Chomp.]

Fake what? [Blinking, chewing, swallowing...] Oh, what, the cheerfulness, right? Sorry about that. I'm juuuuust like this! Like the helpful big brother type, or that's what they tell me. I can't help it! But I get that a lot... people think you can't reeeeally be this high energy alllll the time. Too bad for them... Being tired and all that's gotta be a drag!

Oh.

[ So he's manic. Okay. Understandable. He nods like he gets it and feeds Madara another chip. ]

So what is your day and age?

[Manic pixie dream cowboy.]

Ahh, I don't know if it'd mean much to you, but it's the 2020s at home. You don't seem toootally like me; sorry to point it out! Well, if that doesn't make sense to you, I'll explain better.

[ That's so much to unpack from a single phrase. ]

2020s...

[ He looks thoughtful for a moment. ]

You're right that I'm not like you. I might have to feel sorry if you were.

[ Anyway, he feeds Madara another chip. ]

But I'm familiar with the premises. College campus, dormitories... keycards to unlock doors like hotel rooms. All that jazz.

[Sometimes you're a hot fucking mess, dude.]

Well, don't go looking down on anybody, including yourself. You're my benevolent chip provider after alllll!

[Chomp. Chew. Swallow. Some talking behind his hand.]

Yep, that's what I'm getting from it all, too. It feels like... a really crummy, dreary resort, but it's a school too? Like a university. Noooot a fan, gotta say!

Right. Well, it sure beats a lot of other places. We even get a bed. For free, even.

[ He can't say that about a lot of places, but he gives Madara the rest of the bag. It's still full of bbq chips. ]

Just gotta make what's best of it. See you around.

[ Since his dorm room is literally right there, Hien slides his own keycard and walks inside. It's time to Sleep. ]

Oh, no doubt!

[FREE CHIPS? FREE CHIPS!]

Thanks for the snack!

00 - prologue

dorms

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject