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

[imitationsoul]

[ Well. That was different and even Miach did not see anything like it common. She remains in her seat in the lecture hall for a bit, just kicking her feet and silently observing the people around her - as well as keeping an eye on the podium. It stands to reason a teacher will appear at some point, right?

When that decidedly doesn't happen and the hall has already mostly emptied, Miach decides to give up as well and go exploring. This leads her to the convenience store first of all and boy, isn't that just a treasure trove? She has heard of Snickers, seen them in old movies... but actually having access to something like that, just needing to reach out and take it? Well, don't mind if she does.

So here's young woman just chewing with much gusto on a Snickers while making a face like she absolutely cannot stand the taste... When she's finished, she reaches for a different brand of chocolate bar instantly though...

And finally in the dorms, she's going to be reading every single name plaque on the dorms - the one she's currently studying might well be yours? Might need to ask her to move to get into your own room... ]

dorms

[goodfaiths]

[ Miach happens to be standing right in front of Riku's (and...Owen's? Who's Owen?) dorm when he manages to finally find where he's supposedly staying now. It's unnerving, that's for sure, but who needs to think about being trapped here when you can make a new friend instead. ]

Uh, hello! Did you need something? I haven't checked out the room just yet, but...

[imitationsoul]

[ The friendly tone is exactly what Miach does not want from people and for a moment she contemplates walking away without a word, like she might have done when she was still in middle school and someone tried to take pity on her loner self.

But this situation isn't nearly so mundane and any willing source of information is worth something she supposes. Turning around, she gives Riku a quick once-over to try and decide which room owner he might be. ]

You're Japanese. Do you remember what year it is?

[goodfaiths]

[ She was able to discern that pretty quickly – so quickly that he's surprised for a moment before he answers: ]

Um....2017? Is that what you remember, too?

[ He's hoping it is. He won't know what to do with himself if that's not the case. ]

dorms

[exofractured]

[As if he's going to ask her to move. Phantom is eyeing the door to his room with the look a cat gives the filled bathtub it's about to deploy all limbs in a frantic whirlwind to stay out of.]

If you're so taken by it, then by all means. Enjoy listening to the barking of a rabid dog for hours.

[Please trade with him. Please.]

[imitationsoul]

[ First impression of Phantom: this is a nice expression and people should express their distaste so openly more often. ]

What, are you already familiar with your roommate? Talk about moving fast.

[ The idea of coming in from the same place has not yet occurred to her, with how different everyone looks and how little anybody seems to know about her time period. ]

[exofractured]

Oh, we're very well acquainted. Perhaps you had already left the lecture hall before he attacked me.

[In the dignity vs slandering Marcus battle, one side is clearly winning.]

I take it not everyone was so fortunate with their assignments.

convenience store!

[magicam]

[So it's one thing to watch a cute girl practically inhale a Snickers - he's not going to judge, maybe she got yeeted into this world, like, when she was really hungry or something?

But it's an entirely different thing to watch a cute girl inhale a Snickers while looking like she hates it, and then go reaching for something similar. When there's a whole array of snacks surrounding them.]

Ah, hey, sorry for watching, but Cay noticed you didn't seem to like that... was it too sweet? Because all of those are gonna be sweet, yanno?

[Too sweet is. Relatable.]

[imitationsoul]

[ 'Too sweet' huh? She feels like she can barely taste how sweet it is when everything she's been fed for the last few years has been so subtle. The amount of overload in eating a chocolate bar is hard to describe in terms of flavor at all.

She hesitates in opening the second snack and turns to her new companion with a self-satisfied smile. ]

Oh, I know. It's not really about liking it - I'm proving a point here.

[magicam]

Proving... a point?

[Was she, like, never allowed sweets? Even for someone who is so sick of them a fondness turned to outright dislike, that's a bit sad!!]

convenience store!

[cloudalike]

Was there something wrong with the candy?

[ That face she made was very... expressive. ]

Not poison, you don't think?

[imitationsoul]

That depends on who you ask, right? I'm sure most people at home would call it a poison indeed - after all, it clogs your arteries and generally worsens your health.

[ And she does sound very enthused about that, really! ]

But if you mean poison in the traditional sense, then no. I doubt there's anything wrong with it.

[cloudalike]

[ HE DID NOT KNOW ANY OF THIS. ]

I-is that all true!?

lecture hall

[cheerfuldays]

( it feels a little silly, leaning over like they really are in a normal school, but. after a moment, shizuku does just that, almost whispering- )

Do you know what we're here for?

[imitationsoul]

[ It really is rather nostalgic for a formalized school setting, to be approached like this. Unfortunately, all Miach really has to offer is a shrug. ]

A lecture, one would assume.

[cheerfuldays]

( but no known subject... hrm. )

I don't recall signing up for any lectures or presentations. Goodness, I'm not even sure if I'd have the time... Do you... Um. This might sound strange, but did you feel a strange pain before waking up here?

Convenience Store

[herlocksholmes]

[That's indeed a face of intense distaste. Someone isn't enjoying that candy bar, huh...

Despite that, Sholmes asks, as if he didn't see what's plainly obvious]

Ah, what's the verdict? Is it any good?

[It's often he prefers to find information firsthand, but sometimes you have to rely on other people. His curiosity is high, and there's too much to see and check to sit around and consume every single candy bar here!]

[imitationsoul]

[ This is a more complicated question to Miach than Sholmes might realize. She finishes chewing on her bite, looking rather thoughtful now. ]

... probably is? Sugar and fat were generally regarded as tasty treats after all. Or rather they are, here.

[herlocksholmes]

Is that so?

[One comment later, I'm forced to take back the meta I wrote, because Sholmes, with far more enthusiasm than it warrants, wastes no time in getting one of these Snickers for himself. Investigating is left aside, Sholmes instead choosing to indulge in this distraction]

Does that mean where you came from sugar and fat are no good at all anymore?

dorms

[undertakings]

[He's always had a habit of walking silently, regardless of whatever kind of footwear he was wearing at the time. That held true even now, with the hard soles of his uniform's boots barely making a sound against the floor as he makes his way over to his assigned room. As such, if Miach isn't paying attention to the rest of the hallway, then the sound of his indifferent voice ringing out from right behind her might be a bit surprising.]

...Excuse me.

[imitationsoul]

[ It would not normally have startled her, but she's spent quite a hot minute squinting at 'Herlock Sholmes' here and that had taken up most of her attention. As such, Shinei is treated to the very rare sight of Miach jumping a little. ]

... ah. You're... [ giving him a look, he does seem Asian... ] Shinei Nouzen?

dorms

[teidaisei]

[ He is indeed trying to get into his dorm but. There is an obstacle in his way, of which Miach is only half. Kawase clicks his tongue loudly, arms crossed. ]

After everything they've put me through, they could at least get my name right.

[imitationsoul]

[ Usually, Miach would try to guess his name now but he looks Asian and both names appear Japanese so it's a 50/50 chance that she's not going to take.

He's said something more interesting anyway. ]

Is it not? That's the first I've heard of them getting anything about us wrong.

convenience store

[ignihidden]

[Idia was raiding the place to get his own array of snacks. He hit the chips first, then the non-chocolate candies, then as he's working his way along the shelf to the chocolate candies he's absolutely frozen in place by the fact a woman's there.]

[... a woman adamantly shoving a chocolate bar in her mouth?]

[How would this go in a game or series... a strange woman, the protag offers her another candy bar, the connection forms-]

[-offer it coolly, offer it with style-]

[-nope! Not possible for him! When he finally does work up the courage to try he's basically extending his arm with a Kit-Kat firmly grasped in his fist. And because he took so long to work up his confidence (he probably walked away and did a loop before coming back) that the moderate body heat of his hand has melted it slightly.]

[Honestly, you know, if she ignored him, that might be kinder.]

[imitationsoul]

[ On the one hand: anyone who actually pays attention to her and tries to be helpful earns an immediate minus in Miach's book. She prefers to surround herself entirely with self-centered people, it's her general MO to keep watch for those who disregard her and then grab them to her circle.

On the other hand... nobody has ever been this bad at being helpful before. And that counts for something?? Also his hair is impressive. ]

Is that an offering or a bribe?

[ She does hold her hand out expectantly though, RELEASE THE KIT KAT FROM ITS JAIL. ]