seasonsgreetings | Event #7: Knocking on the 4th Wall (Inside the Metaverse)

Entry tags:

!4th wall

Event #7: Knocking on the 4th Wall (Inside the Metaverse)

Knocking on the 4th Wall
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION

Prelude (Pre 4th Wall)

On March 14th, everyone received a message. The Research Center is ready to try another test to find ways to beat the Darkness. This time the test is not done with the robots that were previously used, but instead everyone who volunteers will be participating in a virtual reality simulator. They're asked to come over to the Center on March 15th.

The researchers will explain that the purpose of this simulation is to see how several fully powered power holders fair against the Darkness. They have gathered enough data on it and the dark energy in general to determine the effects it will have on nature, monsters and wildlife if the barrier is taken off. This is the only safe way to actually test their theories.

After all the necessary explanations, everyone is asked to log in to the metaverse. Anyone logging in may notice that there are a lot of glitches as they enter.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, anyone looking at any kind of a screen (their own device, television, a digital advertisement, etc.) will have their mind sucked into the metaverse, due to the virus residing in the program. Their bodies will be left in a sleep-like state wherever they may be.

Wrong Turn at Albuquerque

The Research Center staff intended for all otherworlders to start near the Research Center so they could get used to the metaverse in peace. There are no natives in the simulator, so testing out powers around the city would have been safe as well. However, because of the glitch, people can appear anywhere, either in the city or anywhere on the segments (save from the one closed off location).

Sometimes the scenery and items in the world glitch a little bit, reminding anyone that this is the metaverse. Except the glitches weren't meant to happen. Luckily they're all mostly aesthetical, but some items may work differently than they should. You have a spoon? It actually works like a fork.

Luckily, this doesn't mean they will be without any items. They can open a menu with the device on their wrist that lets them get anything at all from Riki's Rewards during the simulator without any cost. They can think of this as special opportunity to test out all kinds of items before buying them, as they work exactly the same as they would in normal space.

For some reason, the Shady Shop also appears in the menu. That was not anyone's intention as the items are, well, shady.

Other than the two shops there are basic potion and magical item menus that people can use where needed. Even vehicles, such as airships can be summoned through the menus for easier traveling in the segments.

Some might find the glitches concerning and wish to return and tell the researches about them. The problem with that is is that clicking "Log Off" won't do anything at all, even if it's supposed to boot someone out of the metaverse. But that's not the end of the strange things going on.

You're in the Metaverse Now

Along with the otherworlders that were participating in the test, others start to join in as well due to unforeseen circumstances. Luckily, they have the same "settings" as everyone else, so they're not completely without aid wherever they end up in. They also have all of their powers unlocked for the duration of their stay in the metaverse (including all animal transformations).

As part of the strange glitch going on everyone also has access to any powers from previous worlds, if they have experienced other places before. It would seem the powers can also be shared through the item inventory, should anyone want to temporary use another world's abilities. This is possible with even a person's native powers.

And as if that wasn't enough, people who weren't on Ellipsa start appearing as well. Anyone who doesn't currently have a body on Ellipsa has a mark somewhere on their body, signaling that they're just data. This mark is somehow related to the characters that has it and emits a faint light.

All of the people who are just visiting will also be able to enjoy the metaverse the same way as anyone else. They have been sorted into a Seasons and have access to full powers - and the same item inventory. All that's different from the others is that they have no physical body to return to in this world.

Communication is the key

During the metaverse adventures, people are able to communicate through their devices, but the messages will not go out to the "normal" network. So the messages are only between those in the metaverse, but at least the network works the same way as it would in the "normal world".

Happy communicating.

It's Getting Dark, Too Dark to See

The goal of the metaverse is to have a safe environment to test powers against the Darkness. All of the barriers have been taken out, except for the one surrounding the city of Nightwake. The city acts as a safe haven to anyone who needs a break or doesn't want to fight.

Everyone is encouraged to go to where the barriers used to be and use their full, unlocked powers against everything and anything the darkness throws at them to see how well they can fight against it.

Thanks to all powers being unlocked, destroying enemies powered up by the Darkness is a lot easier, but pushing back the approaching darkness still needs something more than just raw power. Though with enough power holders of different seasons working together and ~~crossing the different seasonal element streams~~ fusing together different elements from each season in a single attack, it's possible to halt the advance, much like a barrier would, for 24 hours.

Due to the barriers being off, all creatures are stronger due to the Darkness's influence. Even creatures that normally have no danger level can now at least do Dark damage. Some Slime especially may seek vengeance.

Unfortunately, due to the weird glitch in the system, everyone inside the metaverse is able to feel pain when they originally weren't supposed to, to make the experience safe. It feels very real, and there's a chance any non-lethal wounds will appear on the person's real body.

Effects of "The Darkness"

The Darkness is slowly expanding from all sides. Very slowly, at a snail's pace. Everything it touches turns into black sand, before transforming into something different. Some may even recognize the things that rise from the sand, as they're monsters, fauna or people from their own world, made into more twisted forms. They may even be creatures from a popular media from back home... or at least, someone's home (players').

If a Power Holder walks into the Darkness, they won't immediately turn into anything. Instead the transformation is slow and painful. Leaving the area will stop the transformation, but any damage already done remains. If the person changes completely, they might lose their sense of self completely and attack anything in their sights.

What they turn into depends on the individual (player's choice) and the only way to reverse the changes is to die. Luckily that isn't permanent even in the metaverse. The person just gets booted out, but can re-enter anytime they want to (or in this case; is forced to). This was told to anyone before entering the program, so they could go all out and test limits as much as they want.

Wait... Did I Save?

A screen appears either when someone dies or gets forcefully booted out of the metaverse. It has two options: Remember or Forget.

Clicking "Remember" will automatically save everything that happened into a person's memory and proceed to boot them out. Clicking "Forget" will lead the person to a series of "Are you Sure" pop up windows. As the very last resort, the window suggests an option to only partially forget events that transpired in the metaverse. Choosing to still forget everything will make the person wake up from a long, dreamless sleep. The memories erased cannot be found later on, as they have been completely erased from their metaverse-selves. Even someone telling them what happened won't sound familiar.

This option is also available for any visitors during the time they're visiting. Whenever they die they get booted out and can be immediately returned to the metaverse (by the power of players) with or without their memories, depending on what they chose.

Of course, anyone can then tell the person about the very crazy stunts they made the last time they were in the metaverse. They could be complete lies, but they wouldn't have any solid proof, other than "I would never do that".

Time to Say Goodbye

Finally, on March 31st, a message comes from the outside. It's telling everyone stuck in the metaverse that they can finally leave out of their own will and stay out this time. People can then choose to leave immediately be pressing by pressing the "Log Off" button on their screen or take a moment to say goodbye to the temporary visitors of the metaverse.

The screen asking if someone wants to "Remember" or "Forget" appears, once again. This time the Forget option is even more insistent on asking if the person is sure about their choice, especially since the memories that are erased can't be taken back later.

Once everyone who exists on Ellipsa has returned to their bodies, the metaverse will be shut down. All visitors have been booted out and returned to where they came.

OOC TIPS

• Ask 4th Wall related questions here. Read the 4th wall FAQ before asking them.

• You don't need to comment on the plotting post to participate & anyone can participate in the 4th wall (there's no separate invitation needed). However, if you wish to app in later, you need an invite if you're not a friend of the mods.

• This post is open to tag and top-level by everyone! Those arriving for the 4th wall can write 4TH WALL or VISITOR on their post and/or link their top level here!

• Check the Opt-in top-level if you're considering bringing in a character that already exists in the game.

• Smut is not allowed on the event post, so if your thread is heading that way, please move it to a separate entry (like to your musebox or characters' journal).

• Remember to content and spoiler warn as necessary!

• Reminder to players in the game that this month is Activity Check-in month and check-in ends on March 31th, at 23:59 PST.

code bases by tricklet

Threaded | Flat

01 ∞ An Excited Appearance

[When she appears in the metaverse city, Silicia wastes no time being upset. She's plenty confused, but that's quite fine with her; Life tends to be confusing when you've only recently escaped your lifelong prison. There's a skip to her step as she looks around, popping into shops and examining buildings with excitement in her golden eyes.

What she seems especially interested in, however, is all of the flora. Silicia crouches by a patch of grass and carefully inspects everything at her feet.]

Wooow..!

[Then she grabs a handful of grass and stuffs it in her mouth.

A moment later, after spitting it out, she declares in delight:]

02 ∞ Spring Segment

[She wastes no time before rushing out into the segments. The warnings of danger haven't fully sunk in either. Silicia is trying to climb trees and rolling around in the grass without even considering that she might be in danger. You can find her frolicking around like a grown child, even when there are monsters within view of her.]

03 ∞ Winter Segment

[Once she's returned from her run around Spring, Silicia hears about 'snow.' And then she plans ("plan" is a strong word,) a trip to the Winter Segment. Completely underdressed and barely a few minutes' walk out, Silicia stops to just stare.]

[A - Power Drunk (city)]

[Having strange, new powers to explore isn't something new for the scrawny little seventeen year old having found himself in Nightwake. Not in the same way as others, of course - he's never been outside of his own world, beyond crossing planes to the land of the dead.
But becoming a Grim Reaper... it makes you special. It gives you power. Things he's already learned to master in the near-decade he's been dead.

This is new, though. Something he's never even considered possible! "Autumn" powers, or something like that. That's what he was told. Apparently it has some sort of connection to the earth? Dirt and the like?
What interested him the most, however, was the metal manipulation. Just how far can that go? Other Grim Reapers have that sort of ability, back where he's from - some are powerful enough to level entire city blocks if they want to.
(The Reaper who's already spent months in Ellipsa just so happens to be one of them, in fact.)

So with very little thought behind it, he turns toward one of the city's buildings beside him, lifts a hand toward it... and in one grasping motion, contorts the building's entire wall into a ball of metal filled with cement and broken glass.
The smile on his face thanks to those results is wicked. ... And its with that smile that he spots someone standing nearby.
After some thought, he lifts his hand toward them just has he had with the crumpled building --

-- But pulls it back with that horrid little grin dissipating into something a little friendlier.]

... Kidding.
Quite the power, though, isn't it?

It's amazing to think they would give such powers to just anyone... and without consequence.

[B - Poking Around (city)]

[Loupgarou. That's the name he uses, given to him by everyone's favorite microwave oven - a pretty fitting moniker, even he can agree with that. Those who have heard the story or seen the memories probably think of him exactly how he thinks of himself -
A heartless monster, something that exists purely to use and consume those around him. Nothing but metaphorical fangs and claws, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting for his own gain.
An abomination. A maneater. The wolf.

... Aaaand it's that very "wolf" that's currently standing on his tiptoes in front of the window to a pet shop, peering around to see if it's got any animals for him to maybe go in and play with.

Like, c'mon. No matter how terrible, how horrible someone may think he is - or he thinks he is! - Andy's still just a kid.
He may have horns and fiery orange, slit-pupil eyes, but there's still a childlike curiosity burning in them when he turns to the nearest person he can find.]

This city only lacks humans, right? Do you believe all of its animals have gone missing, too?
I have not had the chance to hold a cat in years... there were very, very few among the dead.

[...

Despite the moniker, yes. He's a cat person. Go figure.]

[OOC: I can't think of any other good prompts, so if you can, feel free to toss them my way!!
To sum this idiot up, he's the close childhood friend of Chipp (

nugrass) and the source of all of Chipp's childhood anguish. And like, a LOT of his scars. It's fine, probably.
CHIPP'S CR, COME GET Y'ALL'S JUICE]

OOC: General AoT triggers in threads may apply; titan-related gore/cannibalism, food scarcity, forced to live underground, general violence, death, murder etc. They are likely not suddenly sprung on people, however, so they're easy to skip.

Also, his name in canon is spelled Furlan, but I prefer to use Farlan.

You're in the Metaverse Now
[Nightwake Central]

Farlan is pretty sure he should be very dead right now. That's the last thing he remembers happening. Well, he remembers waving goodbye to Levi, who had just arrived to the scene. After that, it's luckily mostly a blur, apart from the pain. He automatically looks down, but he's complete. Like nothing had happened. The only different thing about him is that he has a glowing feather-like symbol on his neck that definitely wasn't there before. He's still wearing the basic Survey Corps uniform many of his world sometimes wear, and his gear seems to also be intact, at least.

After assessing that he was indeed alive (or not? Maybe this was afterlife?) he looks around. The place he seems to have arrived to is very weird to him. He has never seen buildings like these.

"Either I really hit my head, and I'm hallucinating in my last moments, or the afterlife is really weird."

He decides to walk around and see if he can find out more about the situation.

Testing
[Anywhere within city]

At some point, he's figured out the basics of where he is and that he has 'powers' now. Apparently, his chosen season was Autumn, which meant he could control the earth.

He puts this to the test on a random patch of nature within the city, focusing and forming more earth from thin air and molding it into different things. Before long he's made silly sculptures of various things; mostly brooms, birds (or what are supposed to be birds) and crates (really complicated, he knows).

"Man, Levi would kill me if he found out I'm making cleaning supplies out of dirt", Farlan laughs to himself. Then he grins. "Maybe I'll make more."

Wildcard

Farlan is staying inside the city, but he will likely eventually find a horse and ride around or find good things to eat. He will likely be testing various Autumn powers.

Edited 2024-03-16 11:06 (UTC)

OOC: General AoT triggers in threads may apply; titan-related gore/cannibalism, food scarcity, general violence, death, murder etc. They are likely not suddenly sprung on people, however, so they're easy to skip.

You're in the Metaverse Now
[Frostreign]

Moblit had been flying in the air, his last thoughts being he needed to save Hange. That had remained as his last thought.

Or so he thought. Moblit appears in Frostreign, into a random pile of snow. Which is weird, since he was in no way near snow, and it wasn't close to winter at all.

After getting himself out of the pile, he looks around, shivering. Nothing looked familiar, but at least it didn't look out of place in their world.

Until he turned around and saw that the snow suddenly just ended, and it was more like spring with random piles of snow around (Coldreach).

"What...?"

Well, he needed to get out of the snow and cold, so he made his way into the warmer looking area. It started strangely getting warmer, too, the closer he walked towards the other district. But it was still some ways to go.

Later
[Coldreach]

Moblit finds his way into one of the empty cabins in Coldreach. It was warmer there, and he could think about his next move for a while without freezing over. He has changed into local clothes for now, letting his uniform dry in front of the fireplace.

That's when he discovers the 'device' and as a curious soul of the fourth squad, he ends up investigating it.

He ends up sending a message and wait. If no one contacted him, he would just continue exploring the place by himself after resting his tired body.

Wildcard

Once he's more accustomed to the world better and rested, he's likely testing out some of the Spring powers somewhere and making notes.

[Arriving at Cherry Blossom Parks]
Dick wasn’t stupid. Not completely anyway. He didn’t know how he ended up in some weird pink forest full of cherry trees, they were pink so they had to be cherry trees right? But when he saw one flicker to blue to green and back to pink with what suspiciously looked like the kind of glitching he’d seen on TV during a storm he figured it out.

“How the hell did I end up in that crappy simulation?” He almost growled. He had ignored that message for a reason! He was sick of being someone’s guinea pig and didn’t want any part of any tests!

Without much else to do Dick picked a direction and started walking. He had to run into someone eventually right?

“HellooOOOOooo!” Dick yelled out. “I didn’t consent to this test so if anyone is watching this can you like… unplug me or something?”

[Darkness to the north of Cherry Blossom Parks]
(Content Warning: Needles)

Okay… maybe walking until he found someone to ask what the fuck was going on was a bad idea. When had noticed the trees thinning with just darkness on the other side he had thought it was another glitch, like maybe he was heading towards a cliff and the rest of the world would load in once he was close enough to peek over the edge but he was wrong. Very wrong.

Before he start backing away from the black sand a hand was already reaching out of it.

“Oooooh! Hello Richard!” The sand cooed as it took on the form of a woman with crazy bleached curls.

Dick hissed ears back as he tried to pull his hand free. “Let me go!”

“Oh I don’t think so.” The woman was already a little taller than Dick, and she had heels on, so she easily used her hight to tower over him. “It’s been over a week and you’re still getting those nasty little headaches aren’t you? You know what that means~”

A glint of light caught Dick’s eye and he realised she had a syringe. Dick yowled and lashed out raking his claws against the woman’s face.

She screamed letting go of Dick who backed away his jacket sleeve crumbling away into black sand where she had grabbed him.

“He hurt me! Castel he hurt me!”

Dick had been so panicked at the sight of the syringe that he hadn’t noticed another form coming out if the blackness this one grabbing his other sleeve to pull the cat off balance before grabbing him by his throat and even lifting him up so his toes left the ground.

“I’m going to make you regret that.” Castel swore as Dick tried and failed to break free.

[Wildcard]
Got an idea that isn't here? Lets hear it <3

Edited 2024-03-21 18:51 (UTC)

--1. You're in the Metaverse Now, Part 1

[ The afterlife, Kenny surmises, is hella weird, but at least it's a significant improvement over the nothing, which he expected, and the fiery pits and brimstone, which he considered. That would've been fitting. Not this... serene looking town with buildings that are too tall and strangely dressed people. ]

[ He feels weirdly calm, too, and he's not sure if it's this place or dying that did it. Finally telling the brat who he was and handing off that serum felt like a huge weight finally lifting off his shoulders. Perhaps it rests on Levi's, now, but there's nothing he can do to help it. Besides, the runt is resourceful. If anyone can handle and make good use of it all, it's gotta be him. He feels a spark of pride. ]

[ You may find him leisurely walking around, hands in pockets and long legs taking obscenely huge steps, like a giant spider, hat flicked slightly backwards off his forehead. He's looking up at the buildings, whistling at shop windows and marveling at the street food. You'd think he's just some good-spirited, harmless ~~boomer~~ grandpa from the countryside seeing the big city for the first time. ]

[ You'd be wrong, of course, but it's pretty much the impression he gives out. ]

[ At least until he pulls a gun on whoever just asked him to pay for a coffee or a whiskey or a pastry and then zooms off with the help of cables that look suspiciously like everyone else's 3DM gear (if you're familiar with any other AoTs). ]

[ You may also find him relaxing in a coffee shop or in the park, feet on the table or the bench, hat tucked down over his eyes. He may or may not appear to be sleeping, but any attempts to approach him will end in a sudden, very intense stare from gray eyes. ]

[ If you've met Levi before, those eyes will probably look oddly familiar. ]

Fuck yer lookin' at?

--2. You're in the Metaverse Now, Part 2

[ You may also come across him attempting to practice his Seasonal powers in a dark alleyway or a park. Just like for most Ackermans, it seems to come pretty easily to him just through feeling it out; the shadows around him are already spreading and growing into something more tangible until he suddenly disappears among them like a phantom. ]

[ Only moments later, his grinning face pops up right next to yours. ]

Boo.

--3. It's Getting Dark, Too Dark to See

[ Kenny isn't exactly a good person, nor an altruistic one, nor somebody who might help others with no benefit to himself (or so he would have everyone and himself believe, at least), but the call to fight this Darkness sounds interesting. There's plenty to explore in the city, but it's all rather dull, and he gets bored easily. ]

[ A proper fight is just what he needs to get that settling stiffness out of his limbs, and this sounds like a fight worth having. Whatever the hell this Darkness is sounds big and weird and like it might be a challenge, and Kenny will be setting off toward the Segments like he's out for a stroll in the park. ]

[ Why the hell not, right? ]

[ You may also run into him already fighting the creatures, laughing manically and using either a crooked knife, or the flying gear and guns. It's probably best not to interrupt him, but hey may get curious and land next to you even if you didn't say anything. ]

Here to get in my way?

--4. Wildcard.

[ Open to other scenarios as well! Feel free to hit up my plotting post to talk more. CWs: aside from the usual AoT warnings of violence, gore, death, etc, Kenny is a notorious serial killer turned government hitman. His jovial attitude is genuine, but he can flip in a moment and might react with violence instead. He has, however, been a little chilled by his death experience, so he should be somewhat non-lethal to anyone who doesn't antagonize him (or isn't a cop). ]

arrival

Oooh. They built a whole city while I was asleep!

[The blonde newcomer is too busy craning his neck and staring at the city in awe to notice anyone else nearby. The city is so big! He hasn't noticed the mark on his collarbone.]

Humans are really amazing!

[Remarkable! His wings appear and flap in delight, but they slow down when he realizes something.]

But...where did all the humans I know go?

it's getting dark, too dark to see

Are you okay?

[Tristan didn't mean to wander near the darkness, but now that he's hear he approaches anyone who looks injured or in pain and pulls some flowers out of his pocket.]

Please eat these as I grew them myself. I have now mastered the human skill aggroculture.

[He looks very pleased with himself.]

Edited 2024-03-16 22:33 (UTC)

City

A seasoned space pirate with roughly a century of exploratory experience, Zellias has seen more than his fair share of weird bullshit. That said, lately things have been happening back in his home nebula that have managed to catch him very off guard, and this whole waking up in a strange city after definitely going to bed on his own ship shit is no exception. He hadn't been that drunk when he'd gone to bed. Right? His cleric's right, he should really lay off the booze.

Probably hung over and clearly in no mood to fuck around, the one armed, sharky toothed elven sorcerer quickly approaches the nearest person he sees, and immediately makes a great first impression.

"Hey! You! The fuck planet is this!?" Actually wait no that's not a great way to get information. He has high charisma, he should use it! He stops himself, takes a deep breath, and takes that very rude outburst from the top. "Sorry, mate. I meant, can y'tell me where this is?"

There, that's kinda less rude, right? Look, he's working on it.

Segments

Uuuugh of course there's a bunch of monsters and shit running around. Zellias can never escape this kinda shit, but then this is the lifestyle he's chosen. It's his own fault really.

Right now though, he's actively avoiding as much combat as he can. Just because he's good at fighting doesn't mean he wants to jump in like a madman every time a monster shows up. Besides! The giant scary woman that protects his tiny sorcerer body from getting totally shitstomped isn't here to make sure he doesn't die, so like why welcome trouble?

Except he's actually really bad at self preservation, and as soon as he spots some rando (YOU) maybe having trouble holding their own against a thing that seems to be trying to eat them or whatever, Zellias heaves a giant, put-upon sigh and pops out of whatever little hiding place he's tucked himself into. Don't be fooled, he's absolutely not trying to get the monster's attention as he pops off a few small rays of fire at it in hopes that's enough to just kill the thing, but unbeknownst to him he does attract the attention of something else. Ooooh noooo, what an oopsie.

Wildcard

[GET WILD, GET CRAZY, HIT ME WITH WHATEVER]

Arrival

Ahh, w-where am I? Charla? Natsu-san? Lucy-san? Anyone?!

[This tiny teenage girl is starting to panic!]

Segments

[That same panicking girl from earlier? Well, now she's facing down a monster without a hint of fear, her hair turned pink as a magic aura emanates from her body. Anyone familiar with dragons will sense a power very close to one from her.]

Roar... of the Sky Dragon!

[She takes in a deep breath, and exhales a whole tornado. It crashes into the monster she's fighting and sends it flying, but other than that...]

No effect?!

Edited 2024-03-17 04:50 (UTC)

( A. You're in the Metaverse Now )

Kita is nothing if not a very down to Earth sort of person. He doesn’t believe in things like magic or aliens or other planes of existence. He doesn’t even particularly hold any spiritual beliefs, simply enjoying the routine and structure that came from his Grandmother and the family shrine. It has never been about worrying that some entity is watching him.

So, this particular experience is unnerving as he finds himself in the middle of a very unfamiliar place, a faint glowing fox marking on the side of his neck and in general a sense of unease about his unfamiliar surroundings.

He starts to walk around, face pensive and perhaps looking for someone that seems approachable and maybe not as out of place as he feels.

( B. Communication is the key )

un: kita.shinsuke

[ At least there are many things that work more or less like Kita knows. ]

Does anyone else feel a bit overwhelmed?

[ He wouldn’t normally voice such thoughts but this is an extraordinary circumstance. ]

( C. Wildcard )

[ Will match styles and such. I did leave the first prompt pretty open-ended for variety’s sake. If you’d like me to give you something more specific let me know! ]

① YOU'RE IN THE METAVERSE NOW

[ Ryouma discovers the ability to open context menus quite by accident, but once he does, he sits down and looks through everything.

He's used to ending up in unfamiliar places with shifting definitions of what is and isn't possible, but there's something strange about this place. It's not his first time in a simulation, so that's helpful, although this menu business takes a little getting used to.

The fact that he's alone is odd, but he's not worried because he knows Oryou needs no help from him to take care of herself. They were together in Chaldea before he showed up here, so he has no awareness of their separation despite her presence in Ellipsa, but that's time weirdness for you.

As he's flipping through his options, his eyes land on something exciting, and he gets an idea. It takes him another five minutes to remember how to pull up a map, but he heads off further into the city with purpose once he does.

A short while later, a message appears on the network, and Ryouma parks himself on a bench in front of the airship hangar to wait. ]

② AROUND SOLARPEAK

[ Ryouma continues to enjoy the fact that there's no one here to stop him from doing whatever he wants, so if you happen to visit Solarpeak, you might notice a weird horse running around.

Sometimes, he's on the beach, laying on his side in the surf (which might be alarming if you aren't sure what you're looking at) or snoozing in the sun to dry after playing around in the water. Other times, he's wandering the empty streets, but in either instance, he doesn't startle or run off like a normal horse might — just the opposite! If he spots someone else, he'll trot right over. ]

Oh, hi! You're the first person I've seen in a while.

[ Which is why you make your own fun. ]

③ WILDCARD

[ ooc; Want something else? Feel free to toss me a starter~♡ ]

[Botanical Garden]

[Floyd's first course of action upon arriving in this weird place was to try to figure out where his brother was. Really didn't care about anything else, Jade could explain it to him later if he miraculously changed his mind.

As it was his mood was starting to sour since he knew if he wanted to know where Jade was... he was going to have to find a bunch of mushrooms. His brother's obsession with them had made him so insufferable that even just looking at a mushroom would piss Floyd off.

Anyway, he found his way to the botanical gardens and low and behold. A cluster of mushrooms, and as predicted, Floyd was already getting annoyed. Ironically, since his twin frequents this spot, it'd be easy to think his brother is up to his usual mushroom tending.]

[Go fish]

[Far from the threat of mushrooms, Floyd had taken to trying all the food this place had to offer. Meandering through one part of the city to another, and just stopping to have a little meal. What he failed to notice, however, was that his ears were starting to revert into fins, or that he was starting to turn green in places, or that the fin on his back was coming out and the spines were ripping the back of his shirt.

He could probably use the heads up, since he forgot to take his "stay human-shaped" potion today.

Alternatively, once he has realized that he's reverting to his true form, he's going to start harassing the first people he finds, looking a little panicked.]

Oi, you know where you get potions and stuff from home. I got, like, 6 hours before I'm gunna turn into a big sea monster all over your floor.

—out of the ashes i rise.

( One (1) Katherine Jane Galloway is supposed to be setting up Fortress for the evening. She's supposed to be back in Avalon, living life and making money.

Instead she's standing in the middle of an unfamiliar city with a shiny little mark of a stick person mid-run on the side of her neck. Hands go to her hips and she exhales in an irritated little breath which flickers with flame.

Well, that's new. She blinks, brown eyes flitting from one side to another to check if anyone noticed that, but it seems like everyone here is equally as disoriented, getting their bearings in an unusual situation. And maybe it's lucky for her that she's already lived through one multiversal world pulling her into its clutches and giving her powers, because she quickly gets over the initial surprise at unexpected fire powers in favour of finding some way to spend her time.

There's a little cafe with outdoor seating a few doors down, but all the seats are empty and there's not so much as a single staff member standing to greet potential customers. Strange. Kate frowns, a sharp fang catching her lower lip as she folds her arms around herself, the motion dragging her attention to the new device on her wrist.

And from there, it's really only a matter of time before she's purchased a Tentacle Rope from the shady shop and tucked the bag inside the pocket of her jeans. Whether it's ever going to be useful or not is a question for later Kate, because right now she's more preoccupied with flagging down the nearest person with a wave, loose hair bouncing around her as she strides over. )

Oi. You know what's going on?

—you can run but you can't hide.

( After a while, with all the information digested and understood, Kate decides that she's going to take advantage of this whole thing.

To put it simply: this is a free digital holiday, away from the pressures of running (several) businesses, where she can kick her feet up, hopping up onto an empty bar and reaching over to pull herself a pint of beer before she shrugs off her blazer and takes a drink, brows lifting when someone comes through the door. )

Thirsty?

( She's already reaching for the glasses. )

—breath on your skin, i've arrived.
↪ closed to Caster.

( She knows that silhouette. That cape.

And, casual as you like, Kate slides up right behind her. )

Hey, Princess.

—a different kind of spice tolerance (nsfw adjacent).

( It is of no surprise to anyone who has ever met Izumi Tachibana, but the first thing she does upon discovering the stores at her wrist is to order spices.

Lots. Of spices. Spices from both Riki's Rewards and that, uh, slightly different shop. Because it wouldn't do, as a curry connoisseur, to not investigate all available spices in the creation of her curries.

Which means that, after a few hours cooking (don't ask where she found the space to), she's enjoying some fresh air with a bowl of curry and rice in her hand, sitting on the step leading to the building she'd been cooking in as she watches people walk by.

If anyone seems to slow, or stop, or look at her meal with hunger in their eyes she'll smile and ask; )

Do you want some?

( The spice blend hasn't triggered any, uh, unwanted effects in her but still. We recommend a healthy amount of caution when imbibing strangers' foods. )

—wildcard.

( Hit me with anything! Also note for the above prompt: Izumi is using a mix of spices from Riki's Rewards (perfectly normal spices) and the shady shop (chance of Horny), so...! Have fun with that and don't forget to take the actual NSFW stuff off-post! )

You're in the Metaverse Now

The powers I had in Avalon...how is that possible?

Haha~ This should be interesting~

[Dark, shadowy magic was curling around the witch's hands- not her own from home, no, but that she'd attained in Avalon. And it hadn't taken her naive or Seasonal magic either!

Don't mind her cackling ominously to herself whilst surrounded by fire and darkness. Such a reassuring sight!]

It's Getting Dark, Too Dark to See

Well then... let us see what we can do, shall we?

[Caster hated fighting, but she had come in here to do just that hadn't she? And so, she was preparing herself to fight against the incoming darkness and its associated monsters. Just how well would her full magical strength last her, she wondered, as she floated above the ground with her cloak billowing around her.

...And many, many magic sigils opened up in the sky.]

Interlude: Cat-ster

Mrrr...

[After a series of physically draining battles and emotionally draining encounters, Caster attempted to log out the simulation...but had no such luck.

So she decided the 'best' solution to this problem was to turn into a black cat, and go stalking the city that way. Either to scratch someone who annoyed her or flop by someone who she liked. Either worked.]

Wildcard
[ooc: Feel free to wildcard your own prompt, or Disco/PM me if you have other ideas.]

You're in the Metaverse Now

[New world, who dis? Erza isn't a stranger to alternate universes, but this is something entirely new to her. A world full of magic and yet no guilds to guide them all. This didn't feel right, especially with everyone just being so... cheerful. Was this natural? She had to know.

She'll approach someone and get their attention.]

Excuse me?

[Please don't be intimidated by the statuesque redhead in armor. She's actually quite friendly despite the size and power]

It's Getting Too Dark To See

HAAAAAAA!

[There was resistance. This made no sense - the beast that she confronted was chopped in half by one of her powerful slices, but there was obvious resistance, like it was strong against it. They kept talking about the darkness, but this... this was crazy!]

They can't all be this strong, can they?

Wildcard

(OoC: You know the drill: PM me here or on Plurk at

AshBlaze

Metaverse beginnings

"Hmph. I told Master not to choose me for missions again," Jason complains out loud with a huff. "Now where did we rayshift this time?"

As it stands, Jason is in the middle of a weirdly Roman city (Dayrise).

"Rome, again? What did they mess up this time? I swear I better not be thrown to the frontline, even if I'm a Saber."

Is he just going to complain? Most likely. Very most likely.

Metaverse Around

Realizing this wasn't another Rayshift had been both a relief and a pain in the ass. That meant he had no one to ~~boss around~~ ~~ask help from~~ ~~listen to~~ experience this thing with. He would prefer if it were Heracles, but Master would have been good too, he supposed.

Instead of testing his supposed powers, Jason is relaxing. May it be-

1. At a spa or public bath in Dayrise
2. Drinking in a random bar anywhere in the city
3. Eating delicious food at any restaurant in the city
4. Taking a nap somewhere

He's not going to any work if he doesn't need to, thank you very much.

Wrong Turn at Albuquerque: Jungle of Judgement

This place...

[It was with a resigned sigh that Rider recognised the place the glitched metaverse had taken her. The Jungle of Judgement, really?

She knew she could head back to the city. It wouldn't be difficult from here.

...But for now, it was as if most of her strength suddenly left her. Rider sat down against one of the trees, glancing up if anyone comes by.]

...I would not stay here, if I were you. There are...monsters, here.

You're in the Metaverse Now

[There were a lot of people Rider didn't recognise around and about the Metaverse. She focused on trying to see if there was anyone she knew, but mostly tried to avoid the crowd-

But she can be found relaxing in various places around the city; cafes or the library, or perhaps the colosseum. Procrastinating, or preparing herself for the fight, who's to say?]

Um... can I help you?

It's Getting Dark, Too Dark to See: Going Gorgon

Part 1
...I am going to try and push my limits, but... I may not be able to control myself when that happens. If that troubles you, then I suggest you keep your distance.

[It was high time she could see what she could do. To utilise her strength fully.

And the best way to do it was to push herself in battle.

Blindfold over her eyes for now, Rider summoned her chain weapons to her hands and readied herself to fight.]

Part 2
[And unleash her true strength she did- lashing out at monster after monster after monster, carefully monitoring the feelings within her body; How her monstrous strength was flowing through her, the way scales prickled underneath her skin, the spiralling of her mana.

Perhaps it would alarm anyone nearby to suddenly find a giant, monstrous snake woman fighting the creatures alongside them.

Gorgon was not the most stable- but at least for now, her focus was on their mutual enemy. And she managed to hiss a warning to them; ]

...Be careful.

Wildcard
[ooc: Feel free to wildcard your own prompt, or Disco/PM me if you have other ideas.]

Edited 2024-03-17 22:29 (UTC)

( A. You're in the Metaverse Now )

[ Nagi finds himself in an unfamiliar park, in an unfamiliar place. One thing’s for sure it’s not Blue Lock. He’ll walk around for a little bit before finding a bench and just laying back on it and taking out his phone. He frowns, everything’s working backwards. If he wants to scroll up, he has to make the scroll down motion.

He gives up relatively quickly on playing a game. ]

What is wrong with you?

[ He says to his phone, stretching out more on the bench and unaware if anyone’s nearby. ]

Guess I’ll just take a nap.

[ Anything else is just too much trouble. Reo will find him eventually. There’s some light glowing on the inside of his wrist, if anyone looks close enough it looks like an HP bar from a game. ]

( B. Communication is the key )

un: nagi

[ Reo did not find Nagi on the bench. Leaving Nagi confused and turning to his phone. ]

Where the fuck are you Reo?

( C. Wildcard )

[ Will match styles/tenses. Open to messing around with powers and darkness stuff but Nagi wouldn’t really try to figure that out on his own. ]

Edited 2024-03-18 14:16 (UTC)

Arrival

[Shang Qinghua stared, appearing on a street corner with phone in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, absolutely startled. And so not prepared to be outside, considering the messy hair and slippers.]

What the- How did I get here?!

[The fuzzy ears on top of his head (that still hadn't gone away, dammit) twitched in every direction as he tried to figure out what'd happened.]

I've heard of people sleepwalking... but sleep teleporting? And I wasn't even asleep!

Segments

[Positive: He'd figured out where he was. The simulation the research center had been planning. Which, in theory, meant that he was at least safe?

Negative: 'Log off' did absolutely nothing. He was stuck there. His username was stuck as something particularly incriminating. And he'd had the bright idea to leave the city so he could finish the sim at home because he'd literally not signed up for this!

Extra negative: He'd watched a cute little bunny dissolve into freaking sand and turn into a fucking Abyssal monster and it was chasing him!!]

Shit!

[Misc] Open!

a. welcome to the metaverse

[ "Sapphire Fuller" (real name Aoko McCormick, but good luck ever getting that out of her) looks like she could, maybe, possibly, be the little sister of a certain pigeon-girl.

She also looks like she's running for her life from a pair of robot dragons in the Spring segment.

MOSTLY ... MOSTLY BECAUSE SHE IS. She is running for her life, and there are huge robot dragons in hot pursuit. ]

Are you KIDDING ME?! Wah-! [ DIVING DODGE-ROLL OUTTA THE WAY OF A LASER BEAM. ] A little help here! Someone? ANYONE?!

b. in the city

[ ... So! That all happened! She'd been minding her own business, doing her thing back home, everything was fine and as normal as her life ever gets, when she'd suddenly found herself dumped out in what she now knows is the segmented wilderness of? a city in some magical metaverse?

Swear to god, if this turns out to be another Cocoon tragedy, she'll — she'll ... do something. Her best, probably, which may or may not involve her fist meeting some rancid corporate executive's face.

But for now, she's recovering from her exciting trial-by-fire introduction to the Ellipsan Metaverse by exploring the city proper. ]

Hi! Are you as lost as I am? Do you wanna get parfait about it?

[A: the fun powers: around Ellipsa]
[Kantera has a little blue dragon perched on his arm! It seems different from the kind that gets summoned from a necklace, at least in part because there's no danger around.]

Oh, I have missed you, Periwinkle. What a shame that I don't think you can stay.

[He's also sent texts to his friends and loved ones, though only those in the simulation would have reached them, asking them to come by and help him test out some powers.]

[B: the Bad Power: summer segment, tw: gore, body horror]
Ah...

[It's rare to see the pieces of a body. The Explodie that caused this has already left, so it can't have been that recent, but the nature of Ellipsa means that corpses only last for half an hour before dissolving into dust. And isn't the metaverse specifically supposed to immediately log someone out on death?

Kantera's head is fully separate from his torso, and the rest of his body is similarly fragmented. So it may take a second for someone to realize that those groans are coming from him. His eyes blearily track your approach.

He's not, in fact, dead. You can thank(?) Heroes Never Die for that.]

Help... me...

[C: wildcard]

Edited 2024-03-19 01:59 (UTC)

i. commencing countdown, engines on — nightwake

[ Roy Mustang is not prone to panic, but this probably warrants some…mild hysteria. Mild, because he’s very carefully pushing down the cold dread washing over him as he looks around and doesn’t recognize a single thing. This is wrong. This is incredibly wrong, and he’s never been here before, and —

Ah. The hysteria is creeping slowly past mild, now.

He takes a deep breath, looking around carefully. Assess surroundings first, then freak out.

There are tall buildings around him, high enough that he has to crane his head to see where they end and the sky begins. He’s standing on the edge of a street, and there are people around him, but none of them look surprised at the fact that he’d just…appeared. Because he certainly wasn’t here thirty seconds ago. Everything is strange, sharp-edged, metal and glass and neon lights. (Glowing like that, they’d have to have argon inside them…or maybe mercury.)

He turns to whoever happens to be nearest, plastering his best yessir, ready sir smile on his face. ]

Where exactly is this?

ii. the stars look very different today — segments

a.
[ Mustang snaps his fingers, and the air around him burns. It’s just a combustion reaction, manipulating the oxygen in the air until there’s enough to spark. Nothing too complicated, scientifically speaking.

And yet that simple science, oxyhydro and combustion and smashing protons onto nitrogen, is enough to send a wall of flame leaping between him and the approaching monsters. Another snap, and the monsters burn.

He half-bows to anyone that might be watching, face carefully blank. ]

My alchemy certainly isn’t as impressive as the seasonal magic here, but it seems to do the trick.

[ Understatement, because it certainly doesn’t hurt to be underestimated, but there’s some truth to it. The seasonal powers are terrifying in their versatility. ]

b.
[ When he’s not fighting, Mustang will be strategizing how best to take down the monsters, trying to find a way back home, and asking around about the current political climate of Ellipsa. For…reasons. Non-coup related reasons, he promises. ]

iii. wildcard.

[ Have an idea for something? Feel free to hit me up! My Plurk is chaoticgood, if you’d like to plot over there. ]

Arrival

His power is---

Eh?

Noriaki Kakyoin looks around, confused. Noriaki Kakyoin shrugs and wonders if the last few hours have been a dream (not a very nice dream it'd've been, mind you.

Still, Noriaki Kakyoin's not a teenager who'd just sit around and wonder idly if he can walk - and he finds that he can, surprisingly, no injuries suddenly - and so, he wants to find out....

who knows what? For now, he'll be walking around in the city. ~~Warily and suspicious of everyone.~~ ]

A) Wrong Turn at Albuquerque

[Hijikata volunteered for the experiment. After all, fighting the Darkness is what they all were called to Ellipsa for, right? At this point, many otherworlders who've been around for a long time have achieved full mastery of their magic, and the simulation should be safe enough for even those who are still beginners. What could possibly go wrong?

A lot! And he should've known, really, going by his past experiences! Regardless, he's pretty damn confused when he finds himself at the ass-end of the Spring Segment, amidst the endless blooming trees of the Cherry Blossom Park, all too close to where the barrier used to keep the Darkness at bay. From where he's standing, he can see the all-devouring blackness, incrementally crawling forward and turning the green leaves and pink petals to ashes.]

...

[Normally, he's good at keeping a cool head, but maybe his exploration encounter with a strange cocoon that flashed him endless visions of loves ones' gruesome deaths a few weeks ago left his mind a tad more shaken than he anticipated. He steps away backwards, as if the Darkness could suddenly move in on him faster if it wanted to - only to let out a startled shout as he walks into something goopy. A slime! He quickly draws his sword and chops it into blocks, but he's a lot less collected about it than usual.]

Shit-- seriously, you damned thing--

[Is he all alone out here?]

B) It's Getting Dark, Too Dark to See

[Once he has, whether on his own or with some emotional support, regained his composure a little, he gets his head in the game. They can fight monsters until the cows come home, but what they really want to accomplish is to make a dent in the Darkness itself! He observes it from where he and his companion are standing (whether this is still the Spring Segment or a completely different spot on the map much later - they're in here for a good while, and Hijikata definitely will be - or has been - map-hopping with the Travel Crystal from the shop.]

Any new and innovative ideas? I just eats my fireballs, even ones shot from the fire bazooka.

C) Wait... Did I Save?

[Hijikata immediately chose the 'Remember' option when they were finally given the option to log out for good. Why would he want to forget? He's always remembered everything - Prismatica, Avalon, all the people and experiences.

Waking up back in the Research Centre feels surreal... and maybe he's not alone! Maybe there's someone who's been putting a hand on his shoulder or something so he doesn't turn to stone over the long testing period! They couldn't have done it without those volunteers, after all. But if no volunteer is present, he's in no way above chatting up his likewise newly awakened VR chair neighbour.]

This is the real Ellipsa, isn't it? After a while, you kind of forget how many layers of metaverse you're on.

Threaded | Flat

Page 2 of 3

Silicia ∞ Original Character ∞ Visitor

Andy (?) | Original | Visitor

Farlan Church | Attack on titan | Autumn | Visitor

Moblit Berner | Attack on Titan | Spring | Visitor

Richard "Dick" Fords | Citizen (Catizen?)

Kenny Ackerman // Attack On Titan // Winter // Visitor