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

b

[selfconcept]

[ He plucks one of those trail mix bags from her arms, immediately opening it and eating them. His checkerboard-patterned eyes just stare at Mae the entire time as he does all that too.

Share. ]

[totaltrashfire]

[Wow, what an intense stare...

But she won't give up!]

There's a whole row of these, you know.

[Even if she just removed a sizeable chunk.]

[selfconcept]

[ The trail mix that he just stole from Mae is gone. He eats fast. Maybe he vacuumed it all. Who knows...? Either way, he plucks a bbq chip bag from Mae's hold next and does the same thing while staring at her the entire time. His eyes, as weird as they are, seem to be saying, "what are you gonna do about it". ]

[totaltrashfire]

[Wow, and she thought she could scarf down some snacks. This guy may even be beating her friend's cheeto eating record, and he barfed orange after.

She stops being impressed when he takes another bag from her. Do you want to fucking go!?

Is what she would say, but there's no conveniently placed weapons.]

Alright, weirdo snack thief. I'm onto your game.

[And she's going to move out of his grab range with her goods!]

[selfconcept]

[ The snacks she's holding may be out of his grab range, but her head? It's within his grab range. So he just grabs the top of Mae's head in an attempt to not let her go anywhere. He's 5' 10" in height and has a pretty big grip strength, so good luck Mae.

He wants those snacks, despite how there are still many left on the shelves. ]

[totaltrashfire]

Hey!!

[She wiggles and thrashes to escape, but his grip strength is indeed too much for her.]

Let go of me! I'll bite your ankles!!

[She can't actually do that, but she kicks at his shin to get the point across.]

[selfconcept]

[ He takes the kick to his shin. It hurts, which only adds to the current pain, but he's very good at not letting it show up on his face. He just keeps staring at her while keeping his grip on her head. ]

Bite me.

[ His voice is distorted and full of static. Surprise! Might be why he didn't talk for so long. ]

[totaltrashfire]

[The voice... actually gets her to stop for a second. It's not exactly the same, but with how distorted it is, it reminds her of...

(She only just notices she hasn't heard him singing since she got here. But now there's this guy.)

...She grabs his arm where it's gripping her head and yanks to try and get to it with her mouth. She will bite!!]

[selfconcept]

[ His hand manages to slip off her head and she's successful with her bite. Wow. That hurts. He hates physical pain!!

Despite all that, he stands there as if none of it affects him at all. He's surely screaming on the inside though. Don't worry. ]

You sure are a nippy cat.

[totaltrashfire]

I'm not a cat! And you're a grabby person!

[Her snacks are all over the ground now. Ugh. She kneels down to grab them.]

[selfconcept]

Well.

[ How does he say this to someone who looks like a cat, but denies that they're a cat. ]

... Yeah. And you're a furry, I guess.

[ Nailed it. ]

[totaltrashfire]

[Mae's face scrunches up.]

Wow, look at kinkshamer Mcgee over here. [She isn't even actually a furry!!] Why do you talk like that, anyway?

[selfconcept]

Well, I mean. If that's your kink.

[ He didn't mean it as a kink, but here he is.

He's ignoring the voice question. ]

[totaltrashfire]

It isn't! Wait, never mind. You didn't answer my question, and you made me drop all these snacks!

[Fiend! Scoundrel!]

[selfconcept]

Yeah, what a shitty guy, huh? But you kicked and bit me, so it's fair.

[ Is it really. Anyway, Hien lowers himself to pick up a few bags of snacks. Does he give them to Mae? No. ]

[totaltrashfire]

[Grabs for the bags closest to him!]

All's fair in love and snacks.

[selfconcept]

Do you love me?

[ He looks at her dead in the eyes while asking.

If she's taken off guard, he'll take more snacks. ]

[totaltrashfire]

[She is, which does lose her some snacks.]

It's just a saying. Probably from the Bible or something.

[It isn't but she doesn't know.]

[selfconcept]

Is that so... I never read the Bible.

[ Despite having ample opportunity to.

He's taking those lost snacks tyvm ]

[totaltrashfire]

Me neither! My mom works at a church though.

[She is going to. lay her whole body over the remaining snacks. Or at least the ones she can reach. She's short but sturdy!]

[selfconcept]

[ When Mae is all over the remaining snacks, Hien merely stares at her for a moment with his own snacks in his arms and slowly blinks. ]

These snacks aren't good for communion.

[totaltrashfire]

No but they're good for me!

[She isn't budging.]

[selfconcept]

... Can't argue with that.

[ He really can't. ]

Also, are you gonna hoard all these like a squirrel preparing for hibernation?

[totaltrashfire]

That's a good idea. I can sleep until the cops show up. Or whatever.

[They've been kidnapped, so surely someone is looking for them...?]

[selfconcept]

You depend on cops?

[ girl

have better standards for yourself ]