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 should not have to repeat myself.

[ Inference is being made here, and she is being coy. What does everything mean - she is assuming, he knows a lot. Assuming that he thinks, she thinks - he knows a lot. Assuming all the same, and playing into the conception of assuming. ]

Tell me everything you know now, [ Whatever you THINK she wants to know in this moment regarding the topic at hand. Tell her. ] or else.

[ Or else what... or else she is going to kill him, he is going to suffocate right here in this room. but he doesn't move to push BB off of himself or anything, just accepts that he's going to be a floor rug for a minute here until he's satisfied BB's "everything." ]

Okay... well...

[ He'll start with Pixie, then. ]

My team and I, we can summon things like these demons. We call them "Persona." There are hundreds of 'em, but Pixie was one of the first I was able to summon. Lovers Arcana. Support skills. A lot of it is different from what the COMP claims.

I see - ignore the comps situation and continue to talk about those Personas. [ She listens, intently, and as a reward makes it a bit easier for him to breathe - she is still sitting on him. ] Tell BB all about them, and what you know.

[ Thank you magnanimous BB-chan for allowing him to breathe. ]

Personas are... I guess you could call them a manifestation of one's inner strength. They take the form of some of those demons out there. Pixie was one of my firsts. Similar to Personas are Shadows, which arise from negative emotions. Like humanity's sadness.

[ he glances up at BB. "all humans are sad," isn't that what she said? ]

If these demons are the same thing, then there must be— or, must've been... a whole lot of people who lived here, before.

Forget about the truth of this world, and only focus on your own. Once we have established what is your world, we can find the differences of this one - if there is any correlation or connection. BB will be sure to find it, so, this Persona thing? Is it an ability unique to yourself or others? [ She doubts that it is unique individually, but will ask all the same. ] Do shadows take up the same form as Personas?

These Personas, how are they manifested? If they are magical in conception, it would take a lot of energy to manifest them into existence. Is there more than one? Have you recognized other figures from here that match the Personas of your world? Continue.

[ "Forget about the truth of this world, and only focus on your own." She's right; he's getting carried away here, in a whole different world with all different rules, he could theorize infinitely to no end.

But his knowledge and his experience is his own, and that, he can share. ]

It's not a universal ability, but it's not a common one either. Being able to summon multiple seems to be unique to me... the rest of my team can only summon their own. I guess it's magic... We use a summoning medium called an "Evoker" to draw out the Persona. I recognize Pixie. She looks exactly how I remember. From the COMP database, I also recognize High Pixie, Apsaras, and Sarasvati. I've created Slimes before.

[ this is more consideration he's giving Personas than he ever has before, he does NOT like thinking too much about them because then things start to unravel. He can use them, that's the most important thing. He can fight with them. Protect the people he needs to protect. That's all he needs to know. ]

Okay, that's good, [ Summoning multiple is unique to him, whereas singular to others - interesting. It sounds like a Master and Servant relationship at least. ] anything else on the list that looks familiar please let BB know. I have recorded the list you provided to BB and will maintain its categorization as required. [ A pause, she is still straddling him, continuing this conversation. ] What is the point of using these 'Personas', though? I assume you are unable to use your regular personas at this time, as BB's abilities are locked down. So are yours?

[ What's the point of Personas...? There's a short answer and a long answer, both of which Minato mulls over before responding ]

...I don't have my Evoker, but even if I did, I don't think I can summon them. [ he touches the tips of his fingers to his chest, as best he can without bumping into BB. it's empty inside, of course. it hadn't always been that way. ]

Normal people can't see Shadows, let alone fight them. With a Persona, I can. We fought Shadows to protect people...

[ and inadvertently brought upon the end of the world, BUT, ]

What are you, [ An unamused yet playful look. ] a superhero of your world or something?

Just kidding, don't answer that, BB doesn't care for its answer that would be useless. [ Kind of, knowing whether he is the world's savior or their enemy really doesn't matter at this point. ] What do the Shadows do? Why kill them?

Is it a balancing issue? Like, the world has too much dark matter so you have to get rid of it?

They cause what we called "Apathy Syndrome." Basically... sapping away people's will to live. They stop feeding themselves, taking care of themselves... It's not like they die, but... "not living" is about the same thing, isn't it?

[ Just sort of existing, and nothing more. The kind of "life" he used to lead, which could have been considered dead if not for the fact that he still breathed. ]

Oh, huh, that is bad... Taking the one thing from humans that they need the most. [ She taps her chin, then says - ] BB only wants to know how the shadows came to be - what made them come out? A significant event likely took place, otherwise, this would be a normal occurrence for your realm - Annnnd, it does not sound like it was. At least from the tone of how you speak and what you say.

That's a good question.

[ If he's come across the answer at any point in his journey, he's tucked it away in his pocket to reflect on later and never did, too preoccupied with trying to stay alive. ]

Shadows come from people, but... [ what causes people to create Shadows? ] I dunno. There was some sort of experiment gone wrong. Shadows have existed before, I think, but after that... things really got out of hand. They became more widespread. Dangerous. Maybe something like that happened here. An experiment.

Good thought, that's your job to figure out if it is the case or not. Good luck. [ BB decides that is enough for right now, she has a good amount of info to go on and lead her into some findings. When she stands up, she moves towards the side. Meaning to walk over to where her stuff was stacked. Rummaging through her batty backpack. BB pulls out a notebook with a pen.

She walks back towards Minato and hands it to him. ] Your other job, is to write every name of any Persona you know. Shadows, and what they can do.

[ She's... giving him homework?? Minato takes the notebook and pen but like. god. he made it to graduation day through willpower alone, he shouldn't have to do homework anymore. ]

Okay.

[ He'll do it, but. damn. okay. Minato survives Day 1 only because he's cooped up inside the church for much of it trying to finish his homework. ]

[ DAMN RIGHT - this is LIFE OR DEATH! BB clunks him on the head playfully by hooking her fist downwards at him. With a BONK! ]

Don't give BB-chan that face, if you finish your homework BB will give you a prize ~ ♡!!

[ Minato gets BONKed. At least it's enough to make him look back up, unable to resist the tantalizing promise of a Prize ]

What kind of prize...?

[ She makes a kissy face, ]

A Smooch!!

[ BB inwardly: DONT SAY YES. ]

[ He doesn't say yes, but he also doesn't say no. He doesn't say anything at first: there is no doubt in his mind that this is one of those delicate moments where if he chooses wrong, he will immediately get slapped and/or get his foot stomped on, and reverse the other person's social link forever.

... ]

...okay.

[ Zero emotion. Expressionless. Just simple acceptance and nothing more. He can be good at that. ]

NO!!? WHY DID YOU SAY OKAY?? [ BB just, squeaks and backs away rather immediately pointing a finger at him as if he had wronged her. ] ABSOLUTELY NOT!! PERVERT!! GO DO YOUR HOMEWORK!! BB EXPECTS IT DONE BY TOMORROW!!

[ And then she storms away, running off to the back of the church. ]

[ how can his neutral non-answer be wrong!!! he is absolutely not going to be able to finish this by tomorrow but that's okay, if he can avoid BB in person for a bit longer he can buy himself some more time, and it doesn't look like she'll be seeking him out for any reason so it works for him. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[DAY 0] TDM.

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