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

[seasonsmods]

Knocking on the 4th Wall
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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

Comments

roy mustang / fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood / visitor!

[p51]

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. ]

1

[roundandaround]

Eh?

[Rinku tilts her head and then smiles.]

This is Nightwake, in Ellipsa! Although I guess it's just a digital copy of it. We were supposed to come in here to test how well we could do fighting monsters and stuff if we were as strong as we could be. Are you new in town?

[p51]

[ Nightwake. The name of the city, supposedly, or at least the name of the part of the city they’re in. Ellipsa must be the country, then. A country he’s never been to, never even heard of. A digital copy — this isn’t real, then? That hardly makes him feel better. Fighting monsters is the only thing that’s even vaguely familiar, though monsters is awfully vague. Homunculi? Something else? ]

Yes, I suppose I am. [ It’s said slowly, contemplatively. New in town is one way to put it. ] You’re a local, then?

[roundandaround]

Uh... hmm. Not really? But I've been living there for a year, so I guess maybe... how long do you have to be there before you're a local? A bunch of us were taken from where we live 'cause I guess the only way to save the world was to kidnap people, which sounds really bad but I know they're trying...

[p51]

[ Kidnapping. That’s intentional, which means he’s probably not here by accident, unless something has gone very wrong. It also means that there’s presumably someone in charge of this whole operation. Someone he can talk to. Someone he can threaten, if he needs to.

He doesn’t for a moment believe that he’s here to save the world. ]

That’s very helpful. Thank you. [ Politeness is key, especially when this woman has been nothing but kind. ] May I ask for your name?

[roundandaround]

I'm Aimoto Rinku! I'm a Summer, what season did you get? They're all really good ones when it comes to powers.

[p51]

[ Mustang schools his expression, leaving it blankly befuddled. Which, to be fair, is a rather accurate expression of how he feels. ]

I’m not entirely sure what you mean. [ He says it carefully, still polite, but nonetheless guarded. Aimoto seems nice enough, but he knows better than to let down his guard around a complete stranger. ] I arrived here only recently — [ by which he means ‘a few minutes ago ] — and I’m afraid I don’t know very much about this place.

[roundandaround]

Eh? So you didn't volunteer for the simulation? That makes sense, but... [She scratches her head.] Did you just show up here in Nightwake? Not someplace else? Come to think of it, I wonder if the simulation even has the arrival areas anyway, huh. I don't get it, but maybe I can help you figure stuff out!

[p51]

No. I didn’t volunteer for the…simulation, was it? [ He doesn’t like the sound of that. ] One moment I was doing paperwork, and the next moment I was standing here.

[ He can guess at what the arrival areas are, and assumes that here — Nightwake, that is — isn’t one of them. That combined with the little bit Aimoto had said about volunteering for this makes him think that something has gone wrong. Maybe the higher-ups of this place didn’t intend for him to be here.

Somehow, that isn’t a comforting thought. ]

Oh — where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself. You’ll have to excuse me. Colonel Roy Mustang, at your service.

[ He watches her carefully, searching for any hint of recognition at the name. ]

[roundandaround]

[Rinku doesn't seem to recognize him because her fourth walling is opt-in and full-cast but she bows and smiles.]

Oh, like from the military from someplace! That's interesting! [nod nod nod] Yeah, the people who were already in the real Nightwake were asked to volunteer to test this out. It's weird people would start coming in through here instead of the usual places to enter... but it's also weird we can't log out, either, huh.

[p51]

[ Not a hint of recognition. If that’s the case, then she definitely isn’t from Amestris. She’s probably not from any of the neighboring countries either, which doesn’t bode well for Mustang being able to easily get back home. ]

That does seem strange. [ Agreeing is probably the right strategy here, he decides. Besides, this girl can clearly talk enough to carry the conversation by herself. ]

You were one of the volunteers, then?

[roundandaround]

Yeah! I wanna do everything I can to help. After all, that way we'll save Ellipsa faster, and we'll get home faster too! Plus a lot of the missions and quests and stuff are lots of fun. Usually. Not all the time, but...

[p51]

Do you like it here? [ His tone is gentle, but his eyes narrow. She certainly seems to, which leads Mustang to wonder if she’s brainwashed or just the sort of person who can thrive wherever she might find herself. ]

[roundandaround]

Yeah! Every day is new and exciting, and the people are great too!

[Rinku claps and bounces on her heels. She pauses, though.]

I feel weird about that sometimes since we should be at home, and it's been a long time... But this place is way nicer than other ones you could go to, and it's always fun, usually anyway, and I know we're all doing our best and we gotta save the world, so... But! But even if you miss home sometimes, at least it's never lonely!

[p51]

[ She isn’t entirely naïve, then, though she’s far more positive about the situation than Mustang thinks is strictly necessary. It’s an interesting way of looking at the world, at least. ]

I’m glad to hear that. It’s important to find happiness, no matter where you are.

Nightwake!

[nomorewaiting]

Huh?

[Winry looks totally surprised to see a new, familiar face. Since when has he been here?

Ed is going to have a time seeing him, ahahah.

Well, that's really not her problem (and not even her headache at the moment), she beams a friendly smile at the Flame Alchemist because she is, in fact, glad to see him anyway!!]

Oh, hello Mister Mustang! This city is called Nightwake, we're in a world called Ellipsa or well, at least in one version of it, that's a bit more complicated right now.

When did you arrive, sir?

[p51]

[ It’s something of a relief, seeing someone he knows, even if it isn’t someone he knows well. Winry Rockbell had always been in Mustang’s periphery, Fullmetal’s childhood friend and automail mechanic. He knows of her, knows her name and face and the bits and pieces of information Ed has let slip over the years, but he doesn’t know her as a person.

She’s an ally, though. Or at least an ally to Fullmetal. His smile shifts into something a little more genuine, and he inclines his head in greeting.

Immediately, she proves herself useful, since she clearly knows more about this place than he does. The city is Nightwake, and the world — the world, which is something that definitely warrants more investigation, and maybe a mental breakdown — is called Ellipsa. Etymologically related to ‘ellipse’, or something completely different? He isn’t sure, and decides that it isn’t worth asking about.

Ah, but she’s asked him a question, and it’s only polite to respond. ]

I arrived…oh, three minutes or so ago. [ And then: ] Would you mind going back to that bit about this being a version of a different world?

[ It’s phrased as a question, but something in his tone makes it clear that he’s giving an order. ]

[rebody]

[ While Mustang asks around about politics, Al's ears perk up at the sound of a familiar voice. Oooh, that's a face he hasn't seen in quite a while. He waits for their conversation to finish before crossing the room and waving Mustang down.

He might think it's Ed approaching him, because....you know, that's what Al's going for. The long hair, the red coat, the gloves. The face (softer) and the build (bulkier, taller) make it clear that it's not, though this mystery guy looks like he's probably an Elric relative. Not many steps to guessing who this rando is, even before he speaks. ]

General! Hello!

[ No more cool metallic reverb and deeper than it was a few years ago, but Al's voice nonetheless.

He studies Mustang for a moment. Hmmm. No eyepatch. And he definitely doesn’t look like he just downed a bottle of gin for breakfast. Either he's from before that fight he had with Bradley, or he's from Ed and Winry's world. ]

Did you just arrive? I can't answer much about local politics, but I can try to answer your other questions if you have them.

[p51]

[ Mustang’s first thought is indeed that it’s Fullmetal heading over, but it doesn’t take him long to correct that assumption. This man is. Well. Taller. He carries himself differently too, less aggressive and more approachable. ]

Alphonse. [ It’s a guess, but one he’s quite confident in. Who else sounds like that? Who else looks like that? He’s a little disappointed to see the younger Elric wearing the same gaudy outfit his brother had favored; Mustang had thought Alphonse had better taste than to dress like Fullmetal. It’s like looking at a taller, less rabid Edward.

But oh, it is good to see the boy outside of that suit of armor. ]

I’m new, yes. [ He certainly will take Alphonse up on his offer to give information, but first — ] I see you managed to get your body back. Congratulations.

[rebody]

[ Al brightens a little; he was prepared to have to introduce himself, but he's pleased that he doesn't have to. He knows his voice has changed, and since that was the only defining feature of his real self, he wouldn't blame anyone for not recognizing him now, honestly. ]

Thank you, ahaha. It's been a few years, now, but I think I've finally caught up on all of my sleep debt...

[p51]

[ A few years? Mustang considers himself lucky he even recognized Alphonse, if that’s the case. ]

I can imagine. And food too, yes? I remember that was one of the things you missed. You must have tried nearly everything there is to eat in the last few years.

II a

[hadaeemadatawila]

Impressive. One of my best friends can do this, too. I wish what I could do got transported to this place. Although I haven't really checked yet.

[p51]

[ Another fire user? Mustang narrows his eyes. Not a big deal if it’s a seasonal ability, but if it isn’t…well. It’s certainly worth investigating. But not right now, he decides — that would be far too overt for his tastes. ]

What is it that you can usually do?

IIa

[heartofmetal]

[Ed recognized Mustang, of course. He had first heard the snapping of fingers close by and had a bad feeling, which turned out to be true.

(It's not that Mustang is 'bad' in a evil sense, just annoying-- Even if more powerful allies is a good thing! But oh why did it have to be Mustang.)

Instead of greeting Mustang like normal, Ed uses his seasonal magic to burn an approaching monster is a even bigger and more impressive flame.]

Yeah, your little flame isn't impressive at all, General.

[He knows how ironic it was that Ed of all people would be using fire.]

[p51]

[ God-fucking-damnit.

In all fairness, he isn’t upset to see Fullmetal (because he is Fullmetal to Mustang right now, not Elric or even Ed, not while they’re still in potentially hostile territory), because while the boy might give Mustang gray hairs, he’s an incredibly useful ally. Smart and strong, a rare combination, and one he can’t afford to pass over.

On the other hand, he can practically feel the wrinkles forming. Fullmetal with fire. Who on earth thought that was a good idea? Fire takes years to learn, and even Mustang isn’t foolish enough to believe that he controls it. Fire is wild. Fire is dangerous. Fire isn’t something that a teenage boy with the anger management skills of a block of straight chlorine should be able to mess around with.

That’s a lecture for a different day though, even though he’s sure he’ll lose sleep over it, so he forces a bright smile. ]

Most impressive — although I must admit that I didn’t consider you to be a copycat. [ Fire is, after all, his thing. ]