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

★ I. Settling in for the night

[The church was the obvious choice for everyone to congregate as sunset began to fall, the demons stirring restlessly as the full moon overhead shone brighter and brighter. For Shun'ya, this meant the uncomfortable reality of having to potentially sleep around complete strangers without his usual loyal demons able to act as guard but... well, he's endured more unpleasant situations, so he simply cracked on.

Either prowling the perimetre of the church, trying to see if there were any holes in the wall or broken windows that needed a few barricades here and there, or dumping the blankets he pilfered from the train onto one of the pews for his fellow captives to take if they wanted to make a pillow or wrap up warm for the night. Either way, he was constantly moving, walking around, staying busy, and despite his casual posture, looked more and more tense the darker it became.

Anyone willing to interrupt his incessant patrolling?]

★ II. campfire songs

[Eventually, though, it became dark and cold enough to warrant a fire. It did nothing to drown out the howls and shrieks of the demons just beyond the church's boundaries, but so far the demons were staying away... hopefully for the whole night.]

I despaired, calling for, fa~ar away~

[But you know what drowned out demons that were noisy and not an immediate threat? Singing!]

Like extinguishing the light, the night sinks into the sound of gunfire~

[Shun'ya is singing - with a surprisingly nice voice - as he tends to the campfire, seemingly unbothered about their situation. If anything, he looks as if he's enjoying himself...]

Memories stained with blood in despair, scars that struggle in chaos~

[Even if his song choice could, uh, do with some work.]

Ah, the more one desires, the more one hurts oneself~

★ III. frontrow seat

Well, they're dead.

[Shun'ya's comment is blithe, staring at the screen his COMP is projecting for anyone to look at without needing to crowd over his shoulder. He's sitting, elbow on his knee and his chin resting on an upturned palm, his expression more mild than concerned.]

Always happens with newbie devil summoners... give them a COMP and they think they're invincible...

★ IV. Wildcard

[OOC: Or you can just toss any scenario at him and I'll roll with it! He'll mostly be pottering around the church, doing everything and anything except sleeping lol... lmao...]

[ A bit aways from where Shun'ya has been vibing, so to speak, is where the mage quietly left to, taking a step outside.

Or rather, snuck away to, to do nothing of import. All he did was discretely (in his opinion) summon Cait Sith, with a quietly muttered apology for foisting a task on it so soon after its rest, and send it on its way to the concert hall with a mission to tail...a certain group of people. He didn't ask it to throw away its life on behalf of anyone else, or anything. All it needs to do is watch for an opportunity, a single moment, that it might be able to jump in. That's all.

After all of that's been said and done, however, Merlin returns to the rest area he set up (and which has now apparently been hijacked). ]

That's unfortunate. I was hoping things wouldn't go so south, so soon.

[ It's been how long again??? Unfortunate indeed. ]

Hahah...

[Shun'ya utters a short laugh, though its thoroughly lacking in mirth or bitterness. It's a bit of a strange noise, really, with an emotion not easily defined... but it's swiftly covered up by Shun'ya straightening up and slanting a knowing look M's way.]

It's pretty tragic, eh? But who knows, they might still pull it off. Humans are pretty good at fumbling a miracle out of their asses.

[His smile turns impish.]

Especially if they find themselves with some unexpected help at the most convenient of times.

[ The impish smile, the knowing glance, none of it misses Merlin at all when he returns. But he just carries on, playing dumb. Being heartless and callously indifferent.

(Because the alternative would be to acknowledge that the Mage of Flowers did such a thing, was anything otherwise.) ]

That'd be nice, wouldn't it? I much prefer happy endings over sad ones.

Edited 2024-09-08 06:16 (UTC)

Who would've thought Mister M was such a sap, deep down?

[Shun'ya's tone was teasing, but not malicious. He raises his arms above his head, stretching his back out until it popped loudly.]

Ngh. Well... [He lowers his arms and rolls his shoulders, trying to loosen them.] Can't say I'm much different. I've had my fill of sad endings, but reality sure does love sticking to 'em.

[ Shun'ya is so lucky he decided to move on that quickly from that dig at Merlin, because instead of saying anything, Merlin simply gives the other man's noggin a soft (in his opinion) tap on the back with his staff in response to the "sap" comment. A gesture easily mistaken for embarrassment or annoyance, not the attempt at correction it is.

(Being a sap would imply he had sentiment, and thus proper feelings.) ]

I take it that you've been around the block when it comes to these sorts of things, more often than you'd like.

[ That much was obvious; "Rosie" was probably the most skilled and experienced in this sort of situation out of everyone he's encountered so far. ]

[Shun'ya just grunted quietly at the headbop and didn't acknowledge it, far too used to his mentor delivering the same whenever he said something too deranged or almost killed himself with this or that dangerous stunt.]

Hah, well, yeah. As they say, no self-respecting devil summoner dies in his bed.

[A hyperbole, as Shun'ya knew many devil summoners that had, actually, died in their beds, but even those were mostly violent deaths (demons getting their revenge by sneaking into their homes when their guard was down, or assassinations from rival devil summoners). The sentiment remained the same: a peaceful end was not on the cards, and correspondingly there were few, if any, happy endings for them.]

And they die young too. I think I've only known like, five old farts in this business, and all of them were the top dogs in the Kuzunoha clan. The exception, not the rule.

[ Merlin lets out a soft "hm" of acknowledgement. ]

Sounds like a lethal occupation, to say the least. Why do they do it?

[ His voice may be casual, but his intention is anything but. It's a question that he wants to probe a little deeper, find out what makes humans like those tick. ]

Who the hell knows. Arrogance, probably.

[It's... an unexpected answer, but it was an honest one. Shun'ya knew what the correct answer was: "oh, because it was an honour, because they want to protect Tokyo as is their ancestral duty and/or the right thing to do, etc, etc, etc", but Shun'ya didn't have to worry about any Kuzunoha elders overhearing his derisive comments and throwing shade on his mentor as a result. Shun'ya can say whatever the hell he wants - for once.]

Ignorance, too. A lot of them acknowledge the short lifespan, but always fools themselves into thinking they'd be the exception. 'Ah', they'll say, 'everyone dies young in this business, but not me, because I'm different!' And then they get eaten or blown up or something equally grisly before they hit the big 4 O. Tragic.

Shun'ya Iijima

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★ II. campfire songs

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wildcard

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