affliction mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
afflictionmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
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! )
lecture hall.........
The final nail in the coffin is the way he's mumbling to himself.]
Oh?
[At least with Idia curled up, Owen can loom properly. Can't see that he's shorter than this nerd like this...!]
Are you saying you want to die? [he does not know what a truck is but getting hit by one is probably??? fatal] It's not too late for that, if you want to try.
no subject
N- No, of course I don't want to die!
[he can say that with confidence before shrinking back down]
Besides, it's never as easy as "just die again" to get back in one of these stories. It isn't a solution.
no subject
[That is not true, but he wants to see how Idia reacts.]
Perhaps if you die you'd be stuck rotting in oblivion, but is that worse than being in a place like this? It's a peace you can't feel any other way.
no subject
[he's wholly willing to believe a random intimidating man he's never met has cheated death]
[and on one hand, that is cool, but on the other hand, the Lord of the Dead is cool and defying his will isn't something anyone should be doing!]
Anyways, if I were to die, I wouldn't be able to enjoy the next Fates/Edge CD release! That's unacceptable!
no subject
[You could. Or you can just not believe him.]
…Is that really all you have to live for? A “see-dee”? Incredible.
no subject
It's more than just a CD! Fates/Edge is a group that normies can't just understand! The sublime nature of their music! The lives shows where they sing and dance with all their heart! As a fan, it's only natural to want to support them for as long as possible! Obviously you've never had a fav like that and, for real, I pity you for that.
[... but when the adrenaline wears off he is going to panic.]
no subject
On the one hand, his rage is kind of hilarious. On the other hand he doesn’t even know what he said to set him off so how is he supposed to repeat this?]
You’re incredibly passionate about these things I’ve never heard of. I almost feel like I’m missing out.
no subject
[... about now is where he realizes, right, he's saying all this out loud. He's talking a lot of shit for someone in noogie range. He leans back in his seat, pressing his back almost entirely against the backrest, while hunching his neck down between his shoulders.]
... s- so, right, dying isn't acceptable right now.
no subject
But man, Owen doesn’t even need to say anything for this guy to work himself into a panic. How delightful.]
Really? When will it be acceptable, then? It’s not like you can decide when it happens… at some point your light might just be snuffed out.
no subject
[It's a bit strange how the idea of dying, while unacceptable to him, doesn't seem to quite unsettle him like it would other people. Like something's scratching the back of his brain about it but can never make it to his otherwise chatty lips.]
... if Fates/Edge ever stops touring, I guess?... but as long as they're trying hard I can keep trying, I guess...
no subject
It's been a while since he's gotten to toy with someone new.]
Hah? That's it? That's all you've staked your life on...? Well, I suppose there are people who don't care about anything but their own selfish, pitiful desires, who might be able to fool themselves that doing things for other people is something honorable...
But they don't even know you exist, do they?
no subject
Those people... I wish they didn't know I existed. Idia this, Shroud this, if they really wanted to do me a favor they would leave me alone...
Rather than abstract concepts like "good," "evil," "justice," "etcetera," I'm honest about devoting myself to the things I like!
no subject
[This is just going to keep getting worse, probably.]
Once you're gone, people will forget. Humans don't live very long, and things that live for centuries or millennia will eventually forget... but that is the only way you can ever truly be alone, otherwise you may just feel yourself being drawn back to people no matter how much you loathe them.
[...Not that he's speaking from experience, anyways.]
So until your existence comes to an end, you'll have to worry about liars and all of their ideals, but perhaps you can try to hide yourself away until that happens.
no subject
Ah, well, if the liars keep making good anime and games, it's fine.
[This is... surprisingly optimistic?!]
And, well, as much as I prefer to avoid people, I suppose an MMO would lose all it's charm I mean... I have a separate stomach for single-player story driven games but it's the online raid content that really gets the blood pumping. Other people are a necessary evil.
no subject
This the problem when you're from a world where your highest level of technology is still firmly in the "steam-powered" realm. Unfortunate.]
Hey, what's all this stuff you keep talking about anyways?
[He's done with being doom and gloom now.]
This "see-dee" and "em-em-oh" stuff.
no subject
[Idia, your inner monologue just became outer there for a second.]
Well, if you don't know that much, maybe that's reason enough you don't understand. A CD is a compact disk, it's used to store digital information that can be played back on the appropriate devices.
A tablet like this, [he holds his up and tilts it,] probably couldn't without an external adapter. If this is a school, though, [because this sure is a lecture hall] there's probably a PC somewhere...
... ah, dang, I probably have to explain that too...
A PC is a [
private conversation] personal computer. It's a device capable of miracles! Data storage, creation, connection, a PC can do it all. It can also play games, like MMOs. "Massively Multiplayer Online" games.no subject
Digital - what's that? Is it like magic? Data is just notes, isn't it, so why do you need to store it on a "computer"?
[Murr had a lot of data, at least before the whole... soul breaking thing, but this doesn't sound like that.]
How do you destroy it? What's online? You're very bad at explaining these things, you know. You can't just keep using terms you need to explain without explaining them. I'm not from a world with computers. What do they run on? It's not mana stones, is it? They sound too commonplace, unless you've got a wizard slaughterhouse going on. So what is it?
no subject
[............... wait, despite everything, there is a more shocking statement in that paragraph!]
Wizard slaughterhouse?!
[He's like a synonym away from a wizard! It's unclear if there's a difference! Either way, it's enough to be scary, scary! Imagine coming from a world where mages are the upper-class citizens and suddenly hearing about something so casually as a wizard slaughterhouse!]
Are you just trying to give me a taste of my own medicine, going on so quickly about such strange things!? S- S- Slow! Slowra! Slowga!
no subject
[Electricity? Never even heard of it.
Even if he's well-acquainted with lightning...]
Unless the wizards in your world don't have mana stones.
[He doesn't even know if magic does exist in Idia's world, but, like. It has to, right? Otherwise why does he look like that?]
no subject
[Idia has looked scared quite a lot during this conversation, sure, but there's something about how he trails off there that attests it would be something even the bravest person in his world should be scared of.]
A- Anyways, not everyone can use magic, and even mages can see the benefits of things like cell phones and PCs.
no subject
[Please he wants to know the lore. He wants to know about the horrible things that happens to mages.
But if Idia doesn't seem keen on explaining this, he'll continue on.]
Anyways, everything gets power from somewhere. My world doesn't have any of that stuff, but the magic technology we have... Well, it's powered by mana stones, isn't it? Who knows how many wizards have died in the name of the West's technological advances.
[...This also doesn't explain basically anything.]
no subject
... magic and technology can accomplish more by working together, so... why would one be undiscovered...?
[He closes his eyes, like looking for a solution underneath his eyelids. There's nothing obvious, though.]
I- I can't imagine that mages- wizards- go quietly...
no subject
There's a lot he wouldn't know.]
Most people don't want to die.
[Shrug!]
That's the only way to get a mana stone, though. Once you run out of magical beasts, you'll need to start getting mana stones from wizards. If you get enough humans, or if the humans have the right weapons... A lot of wizards wouldn't stand a chance.
[Not him, though. Obviously.]
no subject
... even if they did, then the blot accumulation would be...
Ah. You... ... you never said, did you... ... if you were a wizard...
no subject
I am.
[He doesn't bother to make any boastful claims - Owen already knows he's not the strongest wizard out there, even if that knowledge burns him, but there also isn't much more to say.
Without his magic, it doesn't matter. He's just as much of a threat as Idia is.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)