achates | [DAY 1-]

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[DAY 1-]

The night drags on.

The moon, full and bright, illuminates the world below as demons rise in indulgence of the hunt. All those who are not securely tucked away become prey, whose blood runs freely down the streets, whose screams fill the air in symphony, whose lives are snuffed out one by one as the night grows darker- but not quieter, no. Towards the far west, wind picks up in a deafening howl that tears through the forest violently enough to uproot trees, followed by a thunderous explosion atop the wall that sends large chunks of rock crashing down on parts of the immobile train, creating shockwaves felt all the way into town. Dark clouds gather overhead, smothering the moon and unleashing a downpour that continues unrelentingly until dawn, when the paltry sunlight behind the clouds is only enough to see that the rain that falls is in fact blood, thick and warm, coating the rooftops and the streets. Rivulets trickle towards the east, where they spill over the edges of the world and into the cavernous abyss of a mouth below.

Those who sleep will dream. They dream of being flat on their back, lying on hard metal, a warm breeze caressing their cheek, the faint scent of cherry blossom in the air. They dream of their bodies feeling like lead, heavy and unable to move, hardly able to breathe— and all the while in complete darkness. Whether they give in to exhaustion or struggle valiantly against it, they will eventually open their eyes to a different scene: of somebody's home before here, you and that person reliving the very last memory they had before waking up in the train just yesterday. It's a memory that culminates in darkness. Give in. Struggle. Open your eyes again and again and again, and eventually you will wake up to what you wish were just another bad dream: the unfortunate plane of existence we call reality.

It may not be a good morning, but it's morning. If characters glance at their COMP, they will see a bright number 7 on the screen that disappears as their chosen AI chimes in with a good morning greeting ("Whoa! Congrats on surviving the night, boss!" or "Yikes, you look like shit. Did you get any rest at all?"). Pulling up the map function shows fewer blue ally dots as expected, but perhaps unexpectedly, much fewer red enemy dots as well: there are very few demons to be seen, and those that are, show little interest in hunting unless they are attacked first. The forest is still and quiet, red Mandrake leaves littering the floor in abundance but the demons remain rooted underground, the Hares of Inaba huddled snug within their dens, bird demons taken roost underneath the canopy to keep out of the blood rain. The concert hall is silent today, guards at the door watchful and ready to snipe intruders. Inside the powerplant, the giant Ooze spreads lazily across the first floor, filling the space wall to wall, acid seeping underneath the front doors and burning its way outside. Indoors, outdoors, demons keep to themselves, seemingly sated.

It's almost peaceful. If you didn't know better.

The drizzle of blood tapers off over the course of Day 1, replaced by normal rain once night hits. The water that falls is clear, though bitter and metallic tasting, and the stormy weather continues for several days more. The temperature outside dips, even during the daytime, and the hunger that continues to persist (unless you're BB, who ate a Pixie, maybe) is made worse by the appearance of a hot dog stand that has been set up in front of the school building. Its existence in this place is wholly suspicious, entirely nonsensical, manifested as if out of a yandere devil summoner fever dream— and yet the mystery meat smells divine, and you are so so hungry.

"Hee-ho! Get your hot dogs here-ho! What? What kind of mee-hee-t is in it, ho? Don't worry about it, ho!"

JACK FROST

LOCATION
hot dog stand

STRENGTH
ice

WEAKNESS
fire

INFORMATION:
Jack Frost is a spirit originating from England who brings in cold weather during the winter and is responsible for the frost that forms on the windows of homes and buildings. Though it is usually friendly and innocent, it also has a mischievous personality and will freezes those it dislikes to death, smiling all the while.

SKILLS:
Mabufudyne: heavy ice damage (multi-target)
Megidolaon: mega almighty damage (multi-target)

NOTE: This demon is non-recruitable.

Can anybody resist that cute face? never mind the sales pitch. Jack Frost will operate on a barter system, though it really only seems interested in people's gemstones, or if they're willing to slaughter and bring it a Katakirauwa in exchange for a cold but still delicious hotdog dressed up in any variety of condiment. For those who muster the courage to go demon hunting to earn their meal, they will find that a single hotdog will stave off hunger for up to three days. For those who gave up their gemstone instead, K5 will be screaming at them not to do that, but also, please tell me. Maybe they'll rethink the offer, noticing that the gemstones they'd found on their person now feel slightly warm to the touch- growing warmer when in proximity to another person's gemstones, their colors more vibrant, stones faintly glowing as if with internal light.

Generous as Jack Frost is with providing dubious sustenance, it's a different story when it comes to the vending machine beside its stall. Inside are various drinks guaranteed to be cold, and include bottled water, coffee, teas, juices, blood and tears and many other questionable unlabeled liquids among its touted 100!!! varieties of beverage ("""beverage"""). Two problems: 1) there is no selection button, so you do not get to choose your drink; and 2) the machine will only take macca. Where to get macca? Figure that out yourself and earn your drink gacha.

[ Locked pending: SCHOOL investigation ]

[ Locked pending: GREENHOUSE investigation ]

[ Locked pending: HOSPITAL investigation ]

[ Locked pending: CONCERT HALL investigation ]

[ Locked pending: POWERPLANT investigation ]

OOC

Since I know a handful of you are still working on apps, this event log in general will be open to all players, but Investigations will be closed to current players only. See below for more information.

On Day 1 only, wild demon encounters will be scarce and it will rain blood all day, after which the weather will transition into normal rain and demon encounters will also return to normal rates, less during the day and more frequent after dark.

When characters fall asleep any time in the next several days (including victims of the concert hall lullaby that will begin again starting Day 2, as well as inadvertent naps for those of you who are like lmao yeah whatever, i don't need sleep, i'm fine), they will be able to see the circumstances around other characters' canonpoints. This dream may take the form of being a bystander, or from the point of view of the character, whichever would be more fun/interesting to play.

Players can advance time by posting new logs set on the current or next IC date— don't be afraid to advance time as needed! Plot beats will be adjusted accordingly, and there'll be ample warning if plot necessitates a deadline or specific event date for any reason. If you have any trigger warnings, please let me know here! Comments are screened, and warnings will be listed in the log format post for player awareness.

As characters investigate different locations in the setting, more aspects of the game will be unlocked and will be updated in the post above. In summary, from the previous TDM event, characters have found doors sealed by barriers in the school, greenhouse, and hospital. The concert hall and powerplant are still both heavily guarded by demons that prevent thorough investigation until dealt with.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(๑•́ -•̀) Honestly, I wasn’t aware a gemstone could be filled with something. Magic is not my forte, I’m afraid.

[ And rocks tethered to their health, or the barriers, or their souls(??) screams magic to Dimitri. ]

lolol ok well note to self - as in you, don't go around playing with things you don't understand. conspicuous gem stone that you get when you are here and the fat snow man want, clearly is something important and magical. be more wary.

I was also unaware the hotdog salesman wanted it at the time… I thought it was merely a pleasant looking stone until now.

But you’re right. I will exercise more caution going forward. Thank you, BB.

You better; BB-chan, would rather not have to start bullying you all out of stupid choices.

You are very kind to be looking after us. Please take care of yourself as well.

lolol when you are a perfect AI BB doesn't have to really but thanks for your concern ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

[ About that…]

BB… would you be opposed to me asking you some personal questions? It doesn’t have to be on the open network, if you would prefer me to send them to your ‘Inbox’.

lolol u can do it in the network or here BB doesn't really care whatever u are comfortable with

(>/////< " ) but ooo maybe the dms/inbox if we're gonna get personal and spicey w it?? don't want everyone in on it right?

I am not sure what you mean by 'spicey', but really it's all to your comfort level.

[ He's lying. He has a hunch what you meant by that, he's just not entertaining it. ]

I am wondering about AIs and if you are able to tell me more about them. It is not a race I am familiar with at all, and I would like to know more about your customs and ways of life.

[ Ala and Keigo readily answer questions, but most of their answers are 'I don't know', whereas BB has so far always been forthwith in explaining things. It's something Dimitri has appreciated about her, even if she still unsettles him. ]

oh that so?? out in public?? kyaa~~♡

sure, what do you want to know? AI's are more or less created by, for, or in regard to humankind. In a sense, we were orchestrated to look and act like humans to make it easy to be comprehended by them.

What are you looking to know? exactly like, you're kind of asking a crazy general question there (•̀ᴗ•́ )و For one, we do not have cultures or customs? That is a human thing

[ Made by humans? He's almost afraid to ask how. He gets the feeling if AI are 'made' the say way humans are BB would not skimp on the details publicly. Clearly this discussion should have been private, that topic is not appropriate to discuss in a public forum. ]

So, AI are not united, but rather, you share traits, behaviors, and mannerisms similar to the humans who made you?

Apologies, it was a rather general question. I am afraid you, Ala, and Keigo are the first AIs I have met. I do not wish to offend any of you, but I do not know how I should conduct myself around you. I don't suppose you have any pertinent information I should be aware when it comes to AI?

[ He was going to say 'your people', but if they are not united then Dimitri shouldn't assume BB knows anything about the other AI. It is likely that Ala and Keigo have had greatly different upbrings. ]

no.. thats not it at all? Its just humans /general

as in humans in general? all humans? traits from all of them? then some of us are based originally off of another existence that used to be, that is the case for BB

I cant say the same for A☆L☆Alala or K5. AIs can be made different and function in completely different ways. I would have to check their coding to give you exact answers about that... which actually speaking of, BB would love to do that but she wonders if she can with a COMP on? Without ruining them?

maybe if BB had a computer ( ◡̀_◡́)ᕤ

just a lot? there's a lot to know about AI; for the type of AI myself and the ones you know, we are likely the farthest away from human existences that you can understand. Also, basically, don't think we are humans; we aren't.

BB thinks starting from separating BB and A☆L☆Alala or K5 would help. Compare us more to like, two different weapons with different jobs. BB is like the beautiful Excalibur Sword, a magical sword with superpowers and strength. A☆L☆lala and k5 are more like regular swords you can get from the blacksmith.

I... think I am understanding you correctly. You are highly specialized... and specifically made to resemble someone else?

[ That is sort of like humans, in that a child is made in resemblance to both parents... but this sounds like there is a lot more intention behind the creation process. ...Still not willing to ask though just in case. ]

If you need your own computer I could bring you one from the school sometime. They seem to have a lot there, although Nao mentioned that the ones we saw didn't have Administration access. We were talking about getting a faculty computer for that.

[ He isn't sure how the faculty's administration status helps them, but Noa might explain it later. Maybe. ]

I was not specifically made to resemble someone else; the system needed an individual to attend to a job, so it found the best person for it and recreated me. Originally the person I am modeled after was a living human, but me and that living human have nothing in common.

Outside of some looks, and some personality traits.

[ Actually, she is a copy of a copy, but she is not telling him that. ]

eh? BB can look at it and maybe hack into it what do you need admin rights for lolol

[ Ok... so BB was made to resemble someone specifically, although only loosely- with nothing in common- except in the way she looks, and some of the personality traits... but that's not nothing in common. This is very confusing. ]

Ok. You were created by a human, based on the idea of another, different, human, one well suited to a task you need to perform, but outside of sharing a similar appearance visually and some shared personality habits, in all intents and purposes you are not the human you are based on- but rather a unique individual named BB, who just so happens to look human, but is not... Yes?

[ He is trying so hard here. ]

(´･ᴗ･`)Ah, for that you would have to ask Nao. It is her computer, I merely am helping her in their acquisition.

Created by an Alien High-Grade Super Computer to look like a human, specifically picked due to her stats and individual capacity for magecraft.

That individual AI was hacked into at some point by another human and had its data altered. Upon doing so, it malfunctioned. After its malfunction, the AI decided to get rid of its data and put it in a copy or clone of itself, which it then threw away in the trash.

That AI reset itself, the AI that was Trashed, is ultimately who I am made a copy of. This is because the Super Grade Computer decided that the AI that had been Trashed was suited for the task of Saving Humanity and the World at the time of my conception.

(•̀ - •́ )

[ I PERSONALLY, believe in him. BB is laughing. ]

Ok sure, BB will ask.

[ Oh! He's heard of magecraft from Caster and stats from Nao! BB also had mentioned earlier that Caster is BB's... keeper? Perhaps they are from the same world... ]

So, the person from which your visuals is inspired from was highly skilled in magecraft, along with some other desirable traits. So, this, powerful Alien Computer created an AI based on those traits and loosely on that person. However, a human came along and harmed them, and changed their "data". In this instance, what does data mean? I know that word to mean 'facts', or rather intel. I don't know how someone could be hacked apart and only have their intelligence harmed.

But, once they sustained this damage they were no longer able to function and complete their duty as necessary... So, to corrected the damage received by this attack, this AI removes the part of themself that was damaged and put it into a second version of themself? And then they got rid of the second version? That seems like an awful lot of effort to get rid of the damaged part. Was it necessary to create a second one, only to harm them?

So then, the original AI... goes back to it's beginning? Is that possible?

Then the Alien Computer that made the aforementioned original AI, then makes a copy of the AI that the original AI had made of itself? Which is you, BB. Because the Alien Computer believes (or believed? Did it only believe this at the time of your creation?) you have the skills, stats, traits, and magecraft needed to save humanity as well as the planet....

⸜( ⌓̈ )⸝ Do I have that right?

[ He is determined to understand. ]

I am only made up of data; it's numerals. Facts. Information. Coding. Coding can be altered, as it has numerical values. That is a bit more complicated to explain to someone who likely cannot conceive what it can mean.

So yeah dw about it lol

Correct, you are totally right.

This is because you cannot separate your existence from yourself. This is true to humans and this is true even in data. For instance, if you had say - multiple personas in one body. You would not be able to separate them without damaging your psyche. This is the case for a data base being, so the only thing she could do. Was take the compromised data, and place it into a body that can hold it. Then, get rid of it - so she can reset. This was the only way she could salvage her own existence.

Yes, she went back to how she was always at the start.

That last part is more complicated, but if you understand how alternate realities work and different timelines. BB can give you more information, because to explain that all - well... You have to understand a lot in the context of how reality works.

At any rate, yes, the Alien Computer created BB and designated me as its owner for the time being. To take care of the present world, ending the Calamity at hand. It has been since taken care of, and I remain as the manager of the Alien Super Computer called the Moon Cell.

[ BTW, that could be false, but we don't have to go there. It's the story she goes with, so it's the story we go with, too. ]

I see.
[ A little bit. ]

I think I understand.
[ Conceptually. ]

Even though you look human, you are made up of something else entirely.
[ New definition of 'data' unlocked. ]

I have to say all of that is rather fascinating. It sounds like you were given a great responsibility, BB. That must have been immense and I am glad your world could rely on you.
[ Dimitri hopes her service wasn't a thankless job. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[DAY 1-]

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welcome to fate

weh

hehe

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