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

[ Kate meets Armin's gaze when he glances at her, but it's hard to tell what kind of expression she makes in return.

But it's time to explore, so she gets to it! She starts with the kitchen, opening up cupboards one by one. ]

There's food in here.

[ She thinks. It's labeled as food. Hopefully it's usable. Before moving on, she stops to turn the faucet on the sink... but nothing happens. Bummer.

She continues to the next room, but there, she sees the pictures decorating one of the walls and stops. The faces of children, most of them around 11-15 in age. And in the center, the smiling face of a blonde girl with a familiar silhouette. ]

What...

[Armin does his fair share of exploring too. The confirmation of food is not as comforting as it should be. Everything must be checked for tampering or spoil. That pervasive, gnawing hunger hasn't left Armin's gut. He wonders if Kate feels it too.

[He knows he's not starving, so he'll resist until he is. He's done it before a thousand times.

[He just happens to be nearby when he hears Kate's voice again, turning with a soft:] Hm?

[She's looking at a photograph. Armin only learned of their existence a few years ago. He's always interested to see them. They'd seemed miraculous the first time he laid eyes on one.

[This photograph, however...

[A familiar silhouette, indeed, but this one has a face...]

Is there something wrong? [He'll make evaluations, deductions - no out loud assumptions, however. Let Kate do the talking.]

They're... children from the manor. From the place I came from.

But why are these pictures here? Why do they look so lifelike?

[ Kate, on the other hand, is seeing a photograph for the first time. She reaches a hand out to feel over the surface of the picture with her fingertips, where the blonde girl smiles back at her.

But her touch smears a trail of soot over the photo, and she pulls her hand back quickly, lest she deface it. ]

[Armin can't see Kate's face, but he recognizes the confusion - the awe, even - all the same.]

It's called a photograph. Have you seen one before? [He assumes not - she can correct him if he's wrong.]

A device called a camera is pointed at a subject - like the people in this photograph. [Is one Kate? Surely, the blonde girl with the ribbons in her hair must be. Or...maybe it's just coincidence, another trick.] The device creates a flash of light, which burns the image of the subject onto a special type of paper called film. You develop the film to create a full-sized image like this one.

It's all science, but when I was young, I didn't know what they were either. It's kind of amazing, isn't it?

[As for why this photo is here...

[He frowns just a bit.]

I couldn't tell you how they got a photo of the place that you came from, but...

There are a lot of things I don't yet understand about this place.

[ She shakes her head at his question. No, she's never seen one before. He goes on to explain as she continues to stare at the picture. There's a quiet nod, acknowledgment of the explanation, and of how amazing the science is. Normally, Kate would be excited about it, too. But... ]

Emilico... the girl in this picture... I have to go back to her.

[ Is the picture here to taunt her? To show her the friends she can't be with, the people she might lose forever if she doesn't return soon? Should she be angry right now? If only she could make such a face. ]

[There is, to this, more than a little dread. Armin doesn't know how to return home; personally, he doesn't really want to. Hell is everywhere you turn. Why not this one? At least it's not an ocean of blood.

[But everyone here has been made a captive. Armin can't accept that either - for himself, maybe, but not for others. He still doesn't know whether he should trust Kate, but he'd like to. He'd like to trust a lot of people. And he'd like to think that she deserves to go home to Emilico, whoever she is - not Kate, apparently. It's a good thing he managed his assumptions before saying so.]

There's a mystery here to solve, but it isn't hopeless. [It might be. He doesn't even believe what he's saying, though he says so with the same confidence, the same smile he so often wears. It's measured at just the right size to suit the conversation. He's so well-practiced.]

That's what I have to choose to believe right now. [More honest; still dishonest. Because that may be good advice, but he hasn't taken it.]

I don't plan on sitting still, though. [She's young. This burden shouldn't be on her shoulders.] More than anything, I'd just like everyone to remain as safe as they can for as long as they can. There's always an answer. [Even if it's a bad one.]

We'll find it somehow.

[ She's quiet as he speaks, standing with her gaze still fixed on the photograph. But after a bit... ]

... I'm good at solving mysteries.

[ If that's their ticket out of here, then there may be hope after all. She just has to solve it. It's simple. It's painful to lose all she's built again and again, but she can build her way back there again. Emilico just needs to hang in there for a little while... and Kate needs to have faith that she will. ]

Thank you, Armin. I won't stay idle, either.

[ She glances up at him. ] Let's find a way out of here together.

[Allyship is necessary - vital - in a place like this; perhaps unfairly, Armin still considers Kate a child. Even if he knew her age, he wouldn't want her to have to fight. He doesn't want anyone to have to fight, but especially not children. He's so tired of watching children being thrown into war.

[She could be a liar, or a demon, or some other terrible trick of this place, but there's no way he'd be able to abandon her now.

[He gives her a steady smile - certain, though he isn't - and nods.]

Then we will. I promise you, Kate. [Can he keep it? Doesn't matter. He makes promises all the time that he can't necessarily honor. Oh well.]

For now...

This seems like a safe place to stay. [He doesn't want her running off on her own, but he can't exactly tell her that.] A home base, maybe.

If you'd like to stay here, I'll come by too. [To check on her.] We'll all need a place to sleep eventually.

How does that suit you?

[ By any measure that matters, Kate is a child. But like any 13 year old, she's sensitive to being treated too much like a child. And like only some teens, she's been faced with plenty of problems that some would say aren't meant for children. Unfortunately, the world just isn't that kind. It's a world that forces children to become strong, to grow up too quickly... to find their way on their own, without any guidance. But maybe...

Maybe Kate can make her own allies. Even without Emilico here to help her do so. Even without starting with the upper hand. Starting from scratch... ]

I'd like that.

[ There's warmth in her voice. ]

I'm not very strong, but I'll find a way to help.

[It's a cruel world that requires children to grow up before they're allowed to be children. Armin knows this very well, a soldier at only twelve years old.

[He doesn't wish to put that pressure on Kate. He'd like to take it off of her shoulders if he can, but...

[That just won't be possible in a place like this. He gives her a firm nod.]

I'm sure you will. We'll all have to if we want to survive - and we will. Together. [It's a mantra he's so very used to reciting; he hasn't fully believed it in a long time.]

For now...

There are probably more people in that forest who need help. I'd like to assist. While I'm gone, maybe you could try to prepare the place, and look for any clues.

... I understand. You should do what you can.

[ Those who have the power to help others should use it. She can't argue that. Armin might be able to save somebody's life. In contrast, Kate is as good as powerless.

There's a wisp of dark smoke rising from her head, though. ]

Be careful.

[ She'll keep occupied, setting up the house, finding food and water, and maybe even venturing out if there don't seem to be too many demons, but she will be here when he returns later. ]

[With a firm nod, Armin's voice is strong and assured.] I will.

I'll see you later, Kate.

[And, indeed, once he's ferried all from the train to the town that he can, he'll return, doing all he can to withhold his exhaustion.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[DAY 0] TDM.

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cw: food insecurity/scarcity/starvation

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cw: blood

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temporary roomies? :}a

yeah!!

WHOOHOO! we can proooobably move toward a wrap or skip - lmk

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I'll just put a little bookend here - hmu if you wanna start something else soon!