[DAY 1-]

[panopte]

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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.

Comments

[nterwebz]

Nao very politely motions the team aside. Come, come. Come, come. Side meeting. Here. Now. That's what her hand motions say 'cause that idea...

[sootprints]

Oh! Group huddle. Okay. Kate politely excuses herself before the Ooze and comes over to join.

Are they really thinking about feeding it those suspicious hot dogs? Kate thought their goal was a contract...

[blastoffed]

Probably not, really.

"So how are we even gonna do this? We probably can't get it to move unless we bring something real good."

And, knowing how demons are, whatever will be right for this will include blood in some manner. That's just how things are around here.

[nterwebz]

"I don't think hot dogs are gonna work. Big O is really big and eating hasn't worked," Nao whispers.

She pauses to pop her head over her shoulder to look at Big O and wink, then drops back into the huddle proper. It doesn't show on her face, but she thinks that someone, somewhere is laughing at her.

"The goal is a contract because if he goes into the COMP, the power plant will be unharmed. We want to encourage him to contract and come with us to find a solution to his hunger, not stay here -- and I mean that second part."

Why are the demons here so hungry, anyway? Nao is well past the point of discerning that these demons may share similarities with the youkai of her world, but they're different. Yadda yadda magnetite and magatsuhi -- but why do they need that stuff? The natural point of eating is to sustain one's self...

Where do these demons even come from?

[sootprints]

"Right, so instead of thinking of something we can bring here, we should think of something we can bring the Ooze to." Kate adds with a nod. "If it can get what it wants by staying here, it would have no reason to contract with us. But... since nothing here has worked, it stands to reason that any solution would have to lie outside of this place. Maybe we can convince it of that?"

[blastoffed]

"How did it even get here in the first place? Sure wasn't dragging itself through the door with that size."

Oh hey, hmmmm...

"It probably got there while it was as small as the rest of the demons of that kind, and grew to that size somehow. Do we know how it got that big?"

True, devouring humans probably had something to do with it, but...if all it took to turn all giant was eat a few humans, this town and its surroundings would be crawling with humongous demons. No, it must be something else, thinks Kaito.

[nterwebz]

"That seems like something worth asking him. Kate's right, though. We should be convincing him to contract with us and leave the plant to find a solution. We're looking for answers, too."

She pauses. "I heard he ate to reach that size, but that just adds more questions."

[sootprints]

"Yes... that's what the little oozes said. That it became so big and powerful after eating a lot of humans and demons. I don't know if that's the only reason why, but... "

It could be. It's not like they know of some other way that this could have happened.

[blastoffed]

"I'm not convinced. This can't be the only one in the entire town that has been eating a lot of humans and demons, and even if it did, I doubt it decided to hang out at the exact same place for whatever amount of time it took it to get that big."

In that case, there's only one explanation, in Kaito's opinion.

"Something where it is or a little beyond it must have made it big, that must be it."

He probably is wrong, really! But despite that, Kaito looks pretty sure of it because, well, he's not the kind of person to doubt his thoughts and ideas.

"Let's go ask and see if we can get it into a contract."

He thinks it might be time to return and talk to it, perhaps changing focus so it doesn't think of food and eating them.

[nterwebz]

"Kate-chan, do you want to give it a shot?"

Nao wouldn't mind contracting with Big O, but he seemed more interested in talking to Kate about the matter. Maybe she'd have better luck? It's not like she can't ask the big guy about squishy matters if it contracts with Kate.

[sootprints]

"Me!?" Kate nearly jumps in surprise.

"... I suppose I could try..." she adds after a moment. If successful, she would have to release one of the demons she contracted with. She can't help but think that the only reason it focused on her is because it doesn't like repeating itself, though...

"Um, but maybe we should check... Keigo, what happens with demons we contract with? Do they go inside the COMP...?" What's that like? Can it accommodate a giant Ooze as well as any other demon?

[panopte]

It'll be stored inside the COMP as data, same with any other demon you contract. There is only room for two demons in your COMP, but you don't have to worry about it taking up extra space or anything. You can think if it as words in a book: "whale" and "mouse" have the same number of letters, but conjure up images of very different sizes.

The hard part is getting that "whale" to agree to be part of your "book" in the first place. It doesn't hurt to try, though, so let's see how negotiations go!

[nterwebz]

[ "It'll be stored inside the COMP as data, same with any other demon you contract. There is only room for two demons in your COMP, but you don't have to worry about it taking up extra space or anything."

Nao's head turns almost mechanically to look at Keigo via Kate's comp. She stares. ]

[sootprints]

"So if they're stored as data... what's that like for them? ... Would they feel hunger?"

[panopte]

What's that like? I'm not sure how to explain it... But they would not feel hunger, nor pain, nor excitement, nor ...anything, really.

[ It's existence, but little more than that, being stuck inside a COMP as data. They don't get the benefit of interaction that the AIs do unless they're summoned, and even then it's only briefly. ]

Is that the angle you want to go for?

[nterwebz]

If Big O is as exhausted with his hunger and emptiness as I imagine, that may be a desirable sorta nirvana to him.

[ Not to her, but to him? Yeah, maybe. ]

Kate, do you wanna? Or would you rather I try?

[ She glances over her shoulder at the big lug. Hungry, yet so polite! She really wants to hugsquish him and he'd be an interesting addition. She could always bully someone into letting her use their electric type and get rid of the truth eating goat.

Squish. ]

[sootprints]

[ Kate nods. She was thinking the same. Maybe this is the best angle to use...

She hesitates at Nao's question. ]

... I will try.

[ But it is reassuring to know that Nao could, too, if it turns out the Ooze isn't all that fond of Kate after all. ]

Let's resume our talk with the Ooze.

[blastoffed]

Don't worry too much, it'll be fine! You got this under control, we promise.

['We' as in Nao and him. Kaito is drafting Nao into this reassurance too, without consulting her -- he's sure she'd agree no matter what.

Let's gooooo, resume our talk with the big one]

[panopte]

The three of them return to the big ooze and find that it is zzzzing

[nterwebz]

So cute!

idk what format we're doing anymore

[sootprints]

[ Kate will approach, not too close, and politely clear her throat. ]

Um, hello? We're back, and we think we may have an idea that could help you...

Guess we ping-pong from one format to the other, haha

[blastoffed]

[Seeing the big ooze had fallen asleep, Kaito sighs under his breath]

...we weren't gone for that long...

[He can't believe the big goopy thing just fell asleep while the humans discussed the situation for, what, five minutes? That's kind of rude of it, he's sure.

But hey, this is a good chance for Kate to show her wish to make a contract and show she can handle it. Maybe it's a good thing it fell asleep after all]

[panopte]

[ Too bad this isn't like Pokemon where it'll be easier to ambush and catch a sleeping demon. At least it doesn't take much to wake the Ooze up, which it does with a blubbery groan, turning to each of them in turn. ]

yOU hAVe fOuND sOMeThiNG THaT wILL sTOp tHIS hUngER?

[nterwebz]

Weeeeeeeeeeell...

[ Nao nearly gestures to Kat, but stops herself. Go ahead, Kate! ]

[sootprints]

[ There's a moment of hesitation... but then Kate gathers her courage and steps forward, speaking with an air of confidence and authority. Like a real aristocrat. ]

Yes. I have a proposal.

It's clear that what you need can't be obtained just by eating whoever wanders your way, and it isn't anything you'll find here. So instead of repeating something that isn't working, how would you like to try something new?

I propose a contract. If you join me, we can search for something to satisfy you. If I fail to find such a thing, it will be no great loss to you. You will be back to where you are now.

But there is one thing I can offer with certainty: a reprieve from that hunger. For as long as you are with me, within this COMP, you will feel no pain or hunger.

What do you say to that?