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

selfies

[partymagician]

[ Fai happens to be passing by while he's taking a selfie, so he pauses to get himself in the background of the photo. ]

Having fun?

[ Doesn't seem like it, judging by that displeased look. ]

[pr159]

[ wow, get out of his shot???

he shrugs. ]

Could be worse. It's got some halfway decent filters, at least.

[ "displeased" is just kind of his default. ]

[partymagician]

Filters? What's that?

[ He knows about coffee filters and car filters, but that's it. ]

[pr159]

[ Oh, you're one of those. ]

It's like a preset effect that alters a picture's color and lighting in a particular way. Like so:

[ He will show one of the (very attractive) pictures he just took, and then slap this place's equivalent of an Instagram Amaro filter over it. ]

In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, most are designed with the intention of minimizing the appearance of any imperfections.

[ NOT THAT HE HAS ANY (okay he has many but he also has makeup) ]

[partymagician]

I see...

[ The pensive, yet unserious, expression on his face gives a bit of doubt to that. ]

Are there any cute ones?

[pr159]

As far as filters go, no, not really, but there are plenty of stamps you can add for decoration.

[ He throws on some cute little rainbows and flowers or some shit. And then a skull and crossbones. ]

See? Something for everyone.

[partymagician]

Oh, that is cute!

[ He grins, satisfied with the stickers. ]

Take a picture with me so we can decorate it.

[pr159]

...Sure. Why not.

[ Are we doing this on his tablet again or is Fai trying it for himself!! ] ]

[partymagician]

[ We're using the tablet! Fai makes the decision for him by putting an arm around Rideaux's shoulders as he gets ready to pose for a picture. ]

Go ahead and take it!

[pr159]

[ Wow he kind of hates this but he does it anyway, putting on his best phony smile just like whenever he lets a fan take a picture with him. ]

3, 2, 1...

[ Snap! ]

There.

[ And he goes ahead and adds a nice filter that washes it out just enough to erase his dark circles. ]

What decorations do you want?

[partymagician]

[ It's a weird image, especially after Fai has seen Rideaux's more natural expressions. ]

What a cute picture~

[ He hums like he's really thinking about the decorations he wants. ]

Put sparkles around us.

[pr159]

[ This picture is getting entirely too gay for his tastes, but he rolls with it and swipes a trail of sparkles around them. ]

Anything else?

[partymagician]

[ He’s about to make it worse— ]

Get that tiara! Put it on your head. I bet it would look cute.

[pr159]

[ Nope, he's got limits. ]

I'd say that's more your style than mine.

[ And he sticks it on Fai's head instead. ]

[partymagician]

[ He can't help but grin, absolutely amused. ]

Oh? Does it look cute on me?

[pr159]

Sure.

[partymagician]

At least sound a little more impassioned.

[ He reaches over Rideaux to get to the tablet so he can put a little flower sticker on top of his head. ]

[pr159]

Sorry, not really a tiara person.

[ He drags the flower over a little so it's at least slightly more like a hair decoration than something actually blooming from his head... ]

[partymagician]

More of a hat guy?

[ He smiles, placing two bows on either side of his head, right under the tiara. ]

[pr159]

I wouldn't say so, but between a hat and a tiara, I think I would take the former.

[partymagician]

[ He hums as he hunts through the stickers before landing on a fedora and setting that on top of Rideaux's head. ]

How's that?

[pr159]

[ His world may inexplicably have Pepe memes, but I don't think they have the Fedora Guy stereotype, so. ]

That's... fine, I suppose.

[ Kind of goes with his striped suit tbh. And covers up the flower. ]

Are we satisfied now?

[partymagician]

Yep! I think the fedora suits your outfit quite well.

[ He grins. ]

It’s too bad I lost mine in the last world I was in.

[pr159]

Truly a shame.

[ He wouldn't wear a real one anyway because fuck hat hair.

But okay, he's saving the photo.

also edits because I SHOULD PROBABLY NOTE that he does not bat an eye at the "last world i was in" part ]

[partymagician]

[ Oh! He didn't even care about the mention of other worlds. Interesting! ]

It is, it is~

[ He grins. ]

Like the picture enough to save it?