achates | [DAY 0] TDM.

[DAY 0] TDM.

Error in final launch sequence:
Failed to execute MI command:
target remote localhost: 01633
Error message from debugger back end:
Cannot access memory at address 𝟹͚̽𝚡̰̍̂𝟸̠̯̘ͭͧ𝚌̭͉̺͖ͥ𝟿̳̰̒̇ͅ𝟷̦ͣ̉͌̅𝚋͓͎̈̒̀𝟻ͭ̌͂𝟷ͩ̓𝟾̦
Failed to execute MI command:
target remote localhost: 01633
Error message from debugger back end:
Cannot access memory at address 𝟹̖͇͕̃𝚡͉̹̯͇̻̉̓̂𝟸͚̹͈͓̩͚̲̼͒̾𝚌̱̠͙̝̪͇̈̌̂̃̄ͭ𝟿̱̜̪͓̳̹ͤ̊̈́ͦͥ̑𝟷͖̱̝̀̒̇̂̄̈́̓̇ͅ𝚋̥̯͉̹͛͛̊ͤͦͩ𝟻̬̮̈́̋ͯ͛̉̐𝟷̋ͩ̔̔𝟾̼
Waiting for debugger connection...
Debugger connected
Debugger connection lost.
Waiting for debugger connection...
Debugger connected
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Debugger connection lost.
Shutting down...
Rebooting
Download in Progress:
File download complete
Time elapsed during download operation: 00:12:33.131
Rebooting
Launching Demon Summoning Program. . .

You open your eyes to the end of the world, but you do not see it.

Instead what rouses you is screaming and crying, blood and tears: all around you are signs of life. Inside the overturned train, people begin to awaken, sprawled on the ground as if thrown violently from their seats, broken bones and bleeding wounds struggling to rise from the carpet of shattered glass from the windows at their feet. Emerging from the wreck, characters will find themselves at the edge of a dense forest, a towering stone wall at their backs. Bright eyes peer out from the shadows of the foliage, more and more blinking into view like stars in a darkening sky, but despite being drawn to the scent of blood that hangs heavy in the air, nothing steps out of the forest. Not yet.

None of the passengers can recall what happened, what they were doing on a train, where it was going- there's more they can't remember, but overshadowing the gaps of memory are things they have gained in return. A familiar item that is not theirs. A gemstone that feels lighter than it appears, as if hollow inside. And a device that wraps around their wrist (or rests on their head, or hangs around their neck, or however it presents itself to each character) that starts up on its own the moment the character turns their attention to it, as if waiting. Each character's COMP has a "navigator" selected at default, either "A☆L☆A" in bright neon orange, or "K5" in cool slate blue, although the presiding navigator can be freely switched between them.

Heya, boss! My name's Ala, your new navi!

You wanna know something really funny? Go ahead and touch the map on the corner of the screen to enlarge it. See all those little red dots? Those are demons out to kill you. Haha! You're surrounded!

Heya, boss! You can call me Keigo, your navigational AI.

If you touch the map on the corner of the screen, you can enlarge it and see the positions of all your allies. Looks like some of you are already heading out: see those little blue— oh. That one just disappeared. ... Try to stick together.

Along with providing a map with enemy/ally positions, the navigators will walk characters through the demon interaction, recruitment, and summoning processes, with advice varying between the two navigators (click to expand)

Just beat 'em up and force 'em to join! They can't say no if they're dead!

Nobody is immune to bribery, not even demons. What do you even have, though...? No matter what, don't let them get that life stone.

More demons incoming! Ooh, you're screwed. You'd better run! Don't worry, I won't tell.

Let's hide here. We'll wait here until that demon passes, then move!

Look, a body! Are they still alive? Wonder what's in their pockets...?

It's already too late to help. But better them being demon food than you.

Or, you could stay. There is nothing forcing anybody to leave the relative safety of the train. Those who stay behind will find the conductor's cabin empty, save for a small black cat perched on the headrest of the driver's seat that peers out with bright golden eyes at those who enter. Otherwise, there are no signs of a fight or struggle inside the cabin. Elsewhere, there is unclaimed luggage in the overhead compartments with an abundance of clothing and blankets, although characters will not find any of their own clothing except what they're already wearing. The dining cart is still stocked with enough food and beverage to last each passenger at least two days— maybe longer, if people keep leaving/dying... But at the same time, maybe shorter, considering the pervasive hunger that gnaws at the pits of everybody's stomachs, an emptiness that yearns to be filled by something... more.

As minutes stretch into hours, it becomes painfully clear that nobody is coming to help. Everybody only has each other, this town, its inhabitants. The forest is dark and unforgiving, near impossible to navigate even with a map. Strange creatures jump out from the shadows, eyes bright, mouths salivating, hungry. Strong hands claw through the dirt underfoot to grab at people's feet, pulling themselves up, mouths wide open, hungry. Sharp talons swoop down from the skies above, snatching characters up into the air, crushing skulls and snapping spines. Hungry. The demons here seem delighted to see such a feast wandering right into their home; those who are stopped for attempted conversation express surprise that characters are able to see them, but ultimately the hunger wins, and hunger does not listen to reason.

Casualties are inevitable. Blood mist permeates the air, and follows even as characters break out of the forest and across town, all the way to the fraying end of the world. Out in the open, however, the sun rays beat down bright and harsh, and those hungry eyes shy away from the sunlight to remain in the shadows, inside husks of buildings and thickets of overgrown fields. Characters will be able to find refuge in the greenhouse and the church, and some of the standing houses are truly vacant (as opposed to "surprise! there's actually a demon inside!" vacant); the only eyes that follow you are those of photographs hung crooked on the walls, of familiar strangers and forgotten friends. Look, there's a picture of you too.

Other locations require more caution to explore:

The sound of crying can be heard from the upper stories of the school building, thin wails echoing up and down the deserted halls, and human-like shadows peer out from the broken, unboarded windows, as if watching. A barricade inside the front doors makes it difficult to enter from the main entrance, and with most of the windows boarded up, the hallways inside remain dark even during the day. The smell of rot is prominent, heavy and cloying, especially in the auditorium-become-mausoleum that is littered with crushed bones, thin and brittle, every last scrap of flesh already nibbled away. A flock of demons crowd around outside principal's office, where a blizzard blows through the entire hallway, rendering visibility near zero and temperatures below that.

The hospital is also deathly cold, breath visible in puffs of mist that sometimes form into screaming faces, and when all is still and quiet, you look up and see yourself. Shadows form into mirror images of the characters who enter the hospital, silently approaching others and attacking once the person's guard is down. If a demon borrowing your face isn't bad enough, Phantoms go a step further and take the form of people who are close to your character: friends, family, foes. Exploring the hospital may or may not be worth the potential backstabbing, considering the fact that the supplies found are maybe not the most sterile, half the equipment is rusted or corroded, and a lot of the medicine is unlabeled tablets and capsules inside unlabeled bottles (essentially, take at your own risk). Moreover, hordes of all sorts of demon ghosts will bar characters' way down to the basement, gathering in massive numbers anytime somebody tries to descend. Electricity bounces around the top of the stairway down, while bright flames lick the bottom of the stairs; particularly unlucky characters may be hit with a confusion spell, liable to throw themselves headfirst down the stairs to be consumed by the waiting demons below.

Hauntingly beautiful music can be heard from within the concert hall, and listening to their song puts you fast asleep— possibly in the middle of the street if you're not careful— while those who manage to make it past the front doors are immediately frozen in a hunk of ice or electrocuted to a crisp before being kicked to the curb. The concert hall appears to be actively guarded, and it's clear that strangers are Not Welcome. Even the other demons keep clear of this building, drawn to the music but lingering far enough to not be overwhelmed. Characters may have an easier time of initiating conversations with demons from around town or inside the houses nearby the concert hall.

The crackle of electricity can be heard from inside the power plant's upper stories despite the blackout, and the entire building shakes from time to time, as if caught in a thunderstorm, or an earthquake. A slow drip... drip... drip... can be heard throughout the building, of amorphous demons clinging to the walls like mold and leaving puddles of caustic acid Everywhere. Anybody who enters the power plant's front entrance is met with a massive agglomerate of black Ooze that has expanded to fill the entire first floor from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, preventing anybody from going upstairs while it remains. Arms and legs poke out of the demon's body in places, desperately clawing and kicking, weaker, weaker. done.

OOC

Welcome to Day 0! What better meet-and-greet is there than everybody being tossed into the fray to fight for their lives? ('': For convenience, here are the game info, locations, and demon compendium pages; please use these as reference for what more can be found in the setting.

The characters' COMP will turn on only after they notice and focus on it. If they do NOT activate the COMP, they will not be able to see the demons or interact with them in any way other than being killed. Activating the COMP will allow characters to see demons and somewhat understand their language, with an added effect of allowing physical attacks to harm demons, and mitigating the damage taken from demons.

For characters who app and are accepted, please report demon recruitment here. Characters who are just tdming do not have to report. Recruited demons are inclined to listen to their summoner, but are not necessarily friendly at the beginning: if your character shows weakness, the demon may be just as likely to eat them as they are to protect them.

There will be no NPCs in this game other than the two navigators and some key demons. You're on your own for now!

This first event/tdm is open to the public, and can be used for test driving at any time after the game starts. I'll be keeping a pulse on threads for when characters have gotten their bearings and seem to have a general idea of how they want to proceed into the next day, and we'll go from there.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

on the train
[ the screams startle satsuki awake, and the first thing she notices is the strong smell of blood around the area. her body is sore for sure, and she checks herself for any and all lacerations. all she needs is to move the wrong way, to shift her body in the wrong direction and a shard of glass can rip through her neck in an instant... no, no time to really think about that. not when there's so much chaos around her, the sound of wailing filling her ears, making it that much harder to think and focus on the task at hand.

for starters, where was she and why was she on a train? the last thing she remembered, she was trying to save someone's life-- wait. who's life? what was happening to them? satsuki wracked her brain trying to remember who's premonitory corpse she had even seen...

with that, something occurred to her. all of this destruction, so much blood and broken bones, and a trainwreck. the spectre of death hung heavy in the air... so, why then? why couldn't she see them? this should be a good thing, but that just added to the mystery unfolding... but, she doesn't have time to think about it.

instead she heads back to the train, searching through the cabins for any clues as to where she was going. as she walks through, she stops every so often to check under the seats, check wherever someone might be before muttering to herself. ]

Not here either...

[ no clues, and no corpses. it was too strange. ]

at the school
[ none of this was real. satsuki had already determined that, trying to come up with some rationale as to what was going on. talk of demons and silouhettes of creatures that shouldn't exist. the constant, lingering threat of death yet not a single premonitory corpse to be found. either way, it felt like she had to do some kind of investigation around this town. leading her to the school, and... well, an immediate spring into action once she hears crying. even if there were shadows inside, she couldn't just ignore it...!

except when the temperature drops as she goes deeper in. she rubs at her arms in an attempt to keep some body warmth going as she explores. focusing hard on everything that she doesn't notice someone else being there until she bumps into them, and immediately recoils. unconvincingly putting up her dukes before she gets a good look at who she ran into. ]

Wait... you're, you're not one of them are you?

and hopital
[ so she would need to try and find medical supplies in some form or fashion. unfortunately, she didn't anticipate the hospital being cold too. dang it, she really needed to find something to keep herself warm... but, there wasn't much time for her to think about that at all, as the image of a familiar face passes by, and she takes off running.

a flash of short blonde hair, face only visible for a moment... and she can't help herself but to yell out. ]

Wait, hold on--! Akira, it's me, Satsuki!

[ she's going to get herself killed, but she's at least not going to abandon her friend here! ]

the rest
[ hiya! i'm chase, i have no idea what the heck i'm doing. satsuki minazuki here is an athletic, tall girl who usually can see the corpses of folks about to die in 24 hours, but surprise! doesn't work here. still figuring stuff out atm, but if you wanna plot, ask questions or anything else, hit me up either through messaging this journal or at

jusenkyo!

[ Kate isn't doing so great with the cold, either. Her dress has a jacket, at least, but everything about this is too unnatural... Did she just walk into a trap? Shouldn't she have been more careful?

But just as she's internally kicking herself for that, she ends up running into another person. She jumps back and holds her hands up in what's intended to be a placating gesture. ]

No! I'm not with them, I swear!

[ The response comes out very hasty and frantic, because as Satsuki gets a look at her, she'll see... something that looks pretty similar to the shadows that were in the window earlier. ]

[ she clearly looks suspicious! in fact, satsuki's ready to brush that off as her being tricked, considering she can't make out any features that the other girl should have. it's only when she hears how quickly kate's trying to defend herself that satsuki relaxes, even if it's just for a moment. ]

Oh, good! That's a relief.

[ it might not be smart to just take kate at face value, but she sounds just as scared as satsuki is, so why would she lie about it? ]

Are there other friendly ones like you here?

[ ... Did she just accept that so easily? Kate's not sure, but she'll take it. Some of the tension lifts from her shoulders, and she shakes her head. ]

I don't know. I don't think so.

[ As much as she'd like to say something to inspire a little more hope or trust, the fact is that not trusting in shadowy strangers and demon-like beings is usually the right choice. ]

It's dangerous here. It might be best to turn back.

Yeah... yeah, I know.

[ it's incredibly dangerous, she seriously shouldn't be here. especially if this shadow is the only nice one here. satsuki's only got so much she can do as a human being.

not to mention, there's a very strong chance that she could succumb to hypothermia if she's here much longer. even so-- ]

But there's someone upstairs that needs help. We can't just leave them there.

I'm worried about that, too... but it could be a trap. There are demons that imitate human voices...

[ Is it wrong to hesitate? Or is it foolish to press forward?

Dark smoke starts to rise from Kate's head, though it's quickly blown aside by the cold wind in the hallway. ]

[ a moment of surprise crosses satsuki's face, as if she hadn't even considered that it could be a trap. she was taking it at a complete face value, that someone would have to be up there. that straight up changes everything and momentarily, she actually does consider heading back.

satsuki does, however, get a glimpse of something odd going on with kate's head. well, more odd than her just being in silhouette. if she gets them both killed, then they'd have played right into the demons hands, and they'd get stronger... probably?

...she has to make a quick decision, and-- ]

...we still should check it out. Maybe just give it a look and then run if it gets too dangerous.

[ she's pretty damn fast, after all. ]

[ There's a pause as she weighs their options. And then she nods. ]

... Okay. Let's hurry.

[ It's risky. But Kate doesn't want to abandon anyone. If someone else is willing to take the risk, then she needs to do her part too.

She points to where the stairs are, as the blizzard threatens to obscure it, and presses forward. (also here is an investigation for us!) ]

Edited 2024-09-07 19:06 (UTC)

[ getting past the blizzard was, of course, not great even if the feeling didn't last long. it was still bitterly cold, and just enough of a temperature shift could lead to her getting nauseous, but she can't worry about that now.

she's surprised by how quiet the school felt, as if there were no other signs of skittering around or soft cackling. only crying...

as kate and satsuki make it up the stairs and find the separate cries, satsuki tries to parse what she's listening out for. right now, she keeps her voice quiet as not to alert anyone. ]

Someone's here. Down the right wing... they might be trying to hide. [ a brief pause. ] We should check that way out.

[ Kate nods, and the two of them continue down the wing to the right. They follow the sound to the bathroom doors just as the crying quiets down, though some muffled gasps can still be heard through the door to the girls' washroom... ]

... If they see me, I might just scare them more... I'll open the door, and you try talking to them. Okay?

[ And if it turns out to be dangerous, she'll slam the door and hope the two of them can get away fast enough. ]

[ (un?)fortunately, most of the corpses are out in the forest, but when Minato picks himself up off the floor he has much of the same disconcerting feeling: he should be a corpse by now, so why...?

he never was very great at figuring out why, never cared enough to pursue such mysteries and even now he spends a moment collecting himself and ultimately deciding to move on, watching Satsuki search the cabin for a second before he speaks. ]

...Lose something?

[ If nothing else, he'd like to make himself useful. ]

[ she's a bit surprised to hear someone else close by, mostly calm about this. satsuki jumps a bit, her thoughts scrambling a bit.

she glances to her side and back to the young man again, trying to think of how to explain. ]

Ah-- well, you see...

[ 'i've been looking for corpses after this accident. someone would succumb to blunt force trauma or blood loss.'

yeah, she probably shouldn't say that. so then... ]

I'm looking for anyone that might be in trouble. That might be close to dying.

[ not a lie! they'd be close enough, if she saw the smoke. ]

[ For whatever reason, Minato looks down at his own hands, first. But he's not... really... in trouble, he thinks, even if the entire situation more or less demands that this is. He's not dead, is the problem here. ]

Most people must've gotten lucky. Relatively, anyways... Have you seen what the train looks like outside?

Yeah. That's why I thought to look in here.

[ because as horrible as things look out there, apparently either no one'll die or those that have died can't be saved. it's the only conclusion she can come to, if she can't see them. ]

This might seem like a weird question, but... did you notice anything missing when you woke up?

[ it's vague, for sure. but maybe something like that could help her figure this all out. ]

Um.

[ There was the feeling of something missing, but of course nothing Minato thought very much about after the initial recognition of it. It's a familiar feeling, nagging, that he knows won't come to him as long as he focuses on it, but will more likely than not jump out at him while he's falling asleep or is otherwise occupied. ]

Yes...? [ why is that a question ] I thought more like I was the one missing, but... well. Never mind. What are you thinking?

[ satsuki grumbles a bit. it was hard to tell if he was stating that as if it were an obvious fact or if he had to think hard about it. then again, as he keeps speaking, that becomes a little more clear. ]

I guess so, we are missing from home. At least, I am. [ minato could be from here? but, it sounds like that was wrong too. ] It's kind of... there's something I should be able to do here, but I can't do it anymore.

It's bugging me, there should be a lot more corpses around...

[ said as if she forgot her keys. and, just kinda without thinking too hard about it. ]

Isn't that a good thing...?

[ like. doesn't that mean more people managed to survive? ISN'T THAT A GOOD THING. it might seem weird, but Minato is perfectly fine with there not being more corpses. ]

[ Satsuki's not the only one who's seen a flash of blond hair while traversing the hospital hallways, but the difference seems to be that the young woman is more hasty about chasing after the sight of it. Also, said blond hair probably isn't in the form of a braided bun.

Her yell and footsteps are hard to miss, and that means that demons shouldn't be too far behind. He's no hero, just some wandering thaumaturge who'd rather not deal with the inevitable flock of demons that'll come this way due to the ruckus she's making. His strides pick up in pace, and as he runs after her, he reaches out to grab Satsuki's wrist, taking care that the hood of his white robes stays covering his head the whole time. ]

You know, you should take a moment to think things through more calmly.

[ satsuki's not one to stand still, even when she's getting grabbed. she struggles momentarily, a little frantic in how she's trying to keep going. ]

But... but even if she can defend herself, against those things--

[ would demons even be afraid of akira? she could be scary enough, but even then. ]

[ His grip on her wrist is firm and steady as she frantically tries to struggle, but not tightly so as to as to cause her pain. ]

Yes. More likely than not, she'd be outmatched. As would you, if you run in without a plan.

[ ...... ]

That's if that's the real her, of course. Is she the kind of person who'd run off without even sparing a glance back at you yelling for her?

[ It's a genuine question, since he doesn't know who Satsuki's talking about. ]

[ satsuki's quiet, and eventually stops flailing about. the gears in her mind are starting to turn as she considers what merlin's saying. right, if she runs in, then the demons would inevitably rip her apart if she doesn't think too hard about it. even akira, as much as she'd fight back, wouldn't be able to--

then, it hits her. was she that kind of person? no, of course not. in fact, akira would be the one yelling at her for running straight ahead with reckless abandon. so then-- ]

...it's not her.

[ she feels defeated, even if she's safe from death for the moment. her shoulders slump a bit at the realization; her friends aren't here. good? sure, but it still sucks to see her and it not be real. ]

[ With a nod and a soft "mm" of affirmation, Merlin relaxes his grip on Satsuki's wrist, letting go once she comes to the realization herself and he's sure she won't run off into a deathtrap.

He doesn't even have to be an incubus to taste the disappointment she feels at being baited so hard. ]

Trickery and illusion is how those creatures get you.

[ once merlin lets go, satsuki grips onto her wrist herself. she's not running away, but the way he talks about them's got her interest piqued. ]

Do you know how to deal with them? It feels like they're everywhere.

[ He waves with one of his hands, the sleeves of his robe falling down to reveal the COMP strapped around his wrist. ]

You'll have to use one of these wearable devices, if you have one of your own.

[ Which is kind of weird for a guy who looks like he walked out of a fairy tale to talk about, but hey, some things are better off not questioned. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[DAY 0] TDM.

satsuki minazuki | liar satsuki can see death

school

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train

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hospital;

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