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

[Armin can lower the proverbial hackles - somewhat - when Kate shows that she recognizes Alice, though, of course, he only trusts Kate so far as he can, and trusts a near stranger even less. He shows none of this, fingers easing away from the metal holster on his hip and subtly drifting back to his side instead. Alice is addressing only Kate, which doesn't bother Armin a bit. He's watching, hairs on the nape of his neck bristling.

[He's damn quick with a blade. One wrong move, and he's already decided - Kate is the priority here.

[Maybe "Bowl Cut Boy" is supposed to offend him, but he's heard it enough, and worse. He lets out a short laugh, and it sounds entirely amicable.]

My name is Armin. Kate and I have been keeping an eye on each other while we rest.

[ With no face, there's no telling if Kate notices any of the tension in the room. She steps forward to greet Alice. ]

I'm Kate. [ Armin just said her name, and she nods when he explains his presence, but she'll confirm it for Alice. She turns her attention to the damaged hoodie and dried blood. ] You're hurt... What happened? Do you need treatment?

[ She'd like to know what brought Alice here, too. It doesn't seem like a coincidence that she'd come knocking on their door. ]

[Even though she's not actually wounded, the mere insinuation that Alice might not be in top condition makes her stand even straighter and lights a stubborn fire in her eyes.] I'm fine. The hospital was a little dicey, but it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle, especially since I have Poser on my team now. I suppose I got a few minor scrapes, but Frankenbun sewed me back up without any trouble.

[Well, the truth is that she couldn't actually handle it by herself and she relied on Rosie to get her out of there, but there's no way she's spilling those beans with a total stranger around.]

I came looking for you because sometimes you have all the survival instinct of a particularly upper-crust lemming. Leaving you alone at night would bug me. [Translation: she cares.

Turning to Armin, Alice says,] ...thanks for looking after her, by the way. [She makes it sound like she's pulling teeth, but Alice genuinely means it.]

[Armin is no stranger to abrasive personalities, and Alice's doesn't particularly bother him. He inclines his head, that placid smile still on his face; he looks tired, despite.]

It's no trouble. [Of course it is. Looking out for anyone but yourself is trouble - but Armin always has, always will.]

Please. Rest here for the night. It's best for us to stick together where we can.

Huh? [ She came looking for Kate? There's a small start at that, a mixture of feeling surprised and touched and a little bit insulted. ] I'm not that helpless...

[ ... but she did make some missteps before, back in the forest. And she could really use some allies right now. It seems almost like a miracle that she already has two people right here who are willing to help her. ]

Armin's right. And I'd be glad to have you here, Alice. [ Warmly. ]

I'd put on some tea for all of us, but I don't think the stove is working.

Bunking down here for the night isn't unappealing, [she muses at Armin's offer.] It's better than the church, anyways. The vibes there are rancid. [And not just because of the skeletons. (Looking at you, Akechi.)]

Sure you aren't, Kate. [Sorry, Alice will never let Kate forget the incident in the forest. To punctuate her point, she gently ruffles Kate's sooty hair—it's bizarrely satisfying, almost like Alice has been meaning to do it for a long, long time.]

...I'll take a look at the oven. [Alice drops off her bag of supplies at the table and kneels down beside the oven, inspecting it closely.] Gas main's closed, that's all. [She twists the valve open with surprising ease for a girl of her build.] Do either of you have a match? A lighter works too, but I'll judge you for smoking.

Edited 2024-09-08 19:30 (UTC)

[No match - not a smoker, as it were, but Armin steps forward anyway.]

For lack of anything else...

[He calmly moves the edges of his coat back to reveal the holstered, dual blades that rest on his hips.]

Please, don't be alarmed. This will create a spark. [He draws them slowly out, attempting to clearly show that he means no harm. He's still a safe distance away from both of them - far, far out of reach of the blades.

[He holds them even further away, pressing the metal together. The sound isn't pleasant, but, sure enough, when he swiftly draws the edges against each other, it creates a significant spark.]

[ Not the hair!! Alice's hand will be sooty after ruffling it, but it otherwise feels like a normal head of hair. Kate reacts with surprise, but doesn't stop her. As soon as Alice steps away, Kate brings her hands up to try to smooth and straighten her hair again.

But then she follows them to the kitchen to watch with interest as they try to get the stove working. ]

Oh! Good thinking. [ Both getting the gas moving, and using the blades to make a spark. The weapons are evidently no surprise to her, though the workings of the stove itself are something of a novelty.

Kate will do her part, filling a kettle with clean water fetched from a well earlier that day and pulling a tin of tea leaves out of the pantry. ]

[Even though Armin assures her that he means no harm, Alice can't help herself from tensing up the moment he puts his hands on his swords. Before she realizes it, her brain runs the calculus on her chances if he lunges, if he goes low, if he tries to end it with a clean decapitation- Alice crunches the numbers on these possibilities so quickly and so automatically that she's more surprised at herself than at Armin.

The fire ignites, and she forces herself to relax. Time to act like a normal human being and not a hypervigilant freak.]

Nice.

[As Kate puts on tea, Alice rummages through the supplies she brought.] Bad news: I didn't find any crumpets, so we can't host a classy garden party for our resident proper young lady. I scrounged up some biscuits, at least, but we'll have to dip them in the tea if we don't want to break our teeth.

Edited 2024-09-11 18:17 (UTC)

[Armin sheaths his blades again as soon as the fire is lit. Alice and Kate both bring something to the table, so he does too, reaching into the pockets of his long black coat and pulling out a few wrapped cubes of butter. He's tested him themself with no ill effects yet. The hunger he feels is positively gnawing, but no food seems to help. Nothing he isn't used to, at least.]

I'll offer this, then.

[He holds his hands out.] These should make the taste a little more pleasant, at least.

[ The tea steeps, and then Kate pours it into three mismatched mugs. Now there are biscuits and butter to go with it. ]

Incredible... I didn't think we'd actually be able to have a tea party.

[ She looks to Armin and Alice as she holds her cup in her hands, but as always, her expression is unreadable.

It's surreal to end up in a place like this, ripped away from the Shadows House and thrown into a world full of ravenous demons. And it's even more surreal that in a single day, a few of them were able to come together and create a moment of comfort and normalcy like this. There's something hopeful in that. ]

[The inexplicable urge to protect that (lack of a visible) "smile" just barely wins out over Alice's instinct to be a ruthless megabitch about everything and to everyone, so she keeps her mouth clamped firmly shut when not nibbling on biscuits or sipping on her drink. She doesn't want to ruin the moment.

...even so... there might be a faint smile on Alice's face as she stares into her mug of tea.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[DAY 0] TDM.

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we can proooobably inch toward a wrap here and handwave a nice tea party but lmk what u guys think

works for me! it sounds like the next day is coming soon!

let's wrap it here, then!