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

[Is Phantom certain he wants to deal with the consequences of leaving wherever this place is? No. But is he content to not poke at the confines of this new cage? Also no.

Having someone else do the guinea pig work for him is appreciated, though.]

Should I take it that there's interference to leaving, or are you simply bad at directions?

[There's a glance over to where Phantom is, but if Shin's insulted by the jab at all, it doesn't show on his face.]

I can't discount the possibility I might have gotten myself turned around as I was walking, but I don't find it too likely considering the short distance. I don't know if I would call it interference, though... it's like walking straight into a tunnel only to find yourself back at the start.

[His tone is blunt and businesslike, like he's delivering a report or something, but really, even he can't help but think that what he said sounds more like something he'd find a story or an urban legend. Still, he doesn't exactly have anything else to compare it to, so.]

I don't know what you would call that if not interference. Perhaps it's an illusion or misdirection of some kind.

[Despite himself, he sounds more curious than needling now. He moves a little closer to the fog and lifts a hand before dropping it again with a grimace. Adjusting to magic being turned off is going to take a little longer.]

Interference in this context implies there was some form of intent involved, doesn't it? I wouldn't normally consider being waylaid by fog to be related to that...

[But in fairness, he does understand that this is also a distinctly abnormal situation to begin with, so there's not really any force behind his rebuttal either. He'll watch quietly as Phantom does his thing though, even if it ends up being nothing in the end.]

...Were you trying to do something?

If my mirristry hadn't been stolen upon arrival, I should have been able to detect such an illusion. Or other paltry efforts to distort the space around this area.

[At least, he thinks it's this place's fault. Maybe he's just in hell. Maybe that's the same thing.]

[He raises a brow ever so slightly at the explanation, letting a small pause hang in the air before he speaks up again.]

...Mirristry?

[Ah. Of course. He can adjust his explanations for a Nexus if he really has to, though he gives a small sigh first.]

Are you familiar with the word "magic" instead?

Only from books and television. But it's not something most would take seriously, unless they were referring to stage magic.

[Not that he sounds judgmental when he says it; he just states it like a fact.]

I've never heard of a world lacking magic entirely. Very well, then I'll explain in brief.

[Did he ask? Too late. Phantom wants to think aloud.]

Most magic systems operate on similar principles, using whatever forms the fundamental energy of the world to fuel it. Anima, mana, aer, fonons - each world applies their own name to the same concept. A magic user brought from one world into another would find their abilities possibly altered by the energy source, but the same in essence. Therefore, if my magic is blocked, it stands to reason that the cause is some application of this world's magic. Therefore magical interference in the form of this fog would also follow.

[Honestly, even on the best of days Shin has a tendency to tune out whatever he doesn't care for. So when it's apparent Phantom is winding up for a mini-lecture, he finds his attention shifting back over to the fog, turning his head to observe the unnatural transition between blue skies and the wall of mist as the other man talks.

With that said, he does catch enough of the tail end that he's able to draw some conclusions, one of which is this:]

In other words, you can't do anything anything about the fog either.

[GEH.

Annoyingly, it's not even the incorrect conclusion to draw.]

...Not at present. I require more data first. [...] If I intended to do anything.

[He's politely not going to point out that Phantom just tried something five minutes ago.

But he does turn to look back at him.]

For whatever it's worth, I don't think it's urgent that we figure it out. If it really is something that someone created deliberately, it'd be faster to just go straight to the source anyway.

Depending on the mechanism, relying on brute force is likely to backfire. But I suppose the urgency will depend on whether the present food supplies represent the total of what we have.

[Phantom is sounding pretty blase about this possible development though.]

[Can't wait for the reveal that Phantom has stolen all the chips in the convenience store and is hiding them under his bed.]

If that becomes an issue, we can always trap the animals. There doesn't seem to be any shortage of squirrels or birds around.

[At least give him credit for taste, he's hoarding the instant noodles.]

Then whatever is beyond this fog, it's not likely to be a heavily populated area.

[Probably? There's a tiny bit of a question there.]

[No credit, never!!]

I don't think we can really tell at this point. It's not uncommon to see those around even in cities...

[Although... hm. He cants his head slightly in thought.]

Can you suppress noises with magic?

[Phantom is trying moderately hard not to look like someone who has never been outside and touched grass in his life.]

Interesting. It wouldn't be a common application. Most illusion would be about creating something from nothing, but you could mask one noise with another. Perhaps...

[Phantom......... love yourself. Touch that grass.

Anyways, there's a nod in response.]

Then it might not be impossible that it's being used to cut us off from the outside. Or at least prevent us from figuring out what's around us.

[He will do neither.]

Yes. Assuming there is something outside at all. [And not an empty void of space vacuum. Nah, who would have that?] At any rate, it would seem more productive to inspect the area that is available to us at the moment.

[An empty void would be horrifying in its own way but apparently animals can scamper through the fog so they're probably safe?? Unless they're actually just secretly abominations in disguise.

Well, putting that aside.]

Yeah. I haven't found anything that out of place so far, though.

Edited 2022-05-28 05:26 (UTC)

00 - prologue

fog

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject