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seasonsgreetings2024-03-15 12:11 am
seasonsmods) wrote in seasonsgreetings2024-03-15 12:11 am
Entry tags:
Event #7: Knocking on the 4th Wall (Inside the Metaverse)
Knocking on the 4th Wall
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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".
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.
• 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.
no subject
Eva-chan?! How're you a kid again?
[Or, wait - what if she was pulled in from a different timeline?]
You know who I am, right?
no subject
[That mischievous grin wasn’t fooling anyone, EVA!
She evidently realised this quickly, changing her angle of ‘attack’ as she eyed the goopy remains of the monsters, a wicked gleam in her eye.]
…Hey, if I turned these creatures to Mayo you wouldn’t just go eat them off the floor, riiiight Hijikata-saaaaann~?
Kikiki, we have met before and we haven’t met before. I’m not the old lady, Eva, but she’s my ‘piece’. I am the witch who exists within her, EVA Beatrice.
[Even in person, without seeing the names written down, the difference between ‘Eva’ and ‘EVA’ could be heard in a way that was not entirely explainable. Perhaps it was simply that the witch’s name carried the weight of her magic, where her human name did not.]
no subject
What do you mean, she's your "piece"? Are you a split personality, or more like a possessive spirit?
[Eva never mentioned anyone named Beatrice, so where does that come from? He's half convinced that this is an apparition possessing his friend and taking the form of her younger self - and if that's the case, he needs to take her out!]
no subject
I'm a lot of things.
But we don't have time for a plot-dump now, right? Not that it would make sense if I were to just spell it all out without any context. So for now, let's just say your first guess is pretty close.
[She could already hear more of the slimes squelching around nearby, readying themselves to come in and ambush the two of them. EVA kept floating, the pressure of her magic rippling in the air as she readied her staff. Between her power as a witch and her fully charged Spring Magic, she was pretty confident.]
A split personality with magic- yes, that's close enough to the truth for now.
[Besides, the game board she came from was a Mystery- you don't just tell someone the solution like that! It goes against the principle of the matter!]
no subject
How such a thing could happen in practice, he has no idea. He isn't a psychologist! And so, he focuses on what he actually knows something about: Slicing up monsters. He'll count on Muramasha's enhancements to deal with even the Darkness-infused resiliency of the creatures, but even if he deploys his fire alongside the steel, chances are that the little witch's golden magic will deal them the greatest damage!]
And here's one that's really crusty!
But as he didn't have any follow-up questions for her yet, she could turn her attention to the battle at hand.]
If they're gonna keep reforming, let's make these things wish they were dead already!
[The little witch unleashed a tornado-like blast of Spring Magic, aiming to push back and mince up the nearest creatures. She wasn't sure if they could feel pain, but the cruel streak within her hoped they could.]
I love these crusty tags!!
[Really, getting out of this precarious location is his first priority - and thanks to EVA's slicing winds, a convenient path opens up for him to dash through (she, of course, can just comfortably float overhead!).]
Crusty tags love you too!
So, do you have a plan or what? There must be some reason you wandered this far out!
[Go on, Mr. Vice Commander! Never mind that it wasn't even his fault...]
🥰
[This whole experiment is definitely off to a wonky start!]
I assume the same happened to you - or did you travel out here to tackle the Darkness right away?
[Regardless of that, though, being together enables them to actually conduct the tests they're here to carry out. He looks around to determine their options and ends up offering a hand to EVA while taking a Travel Crystal from the hologram-like inventory screen.]
Let's teleport to the Winter Segment airship station. Even if I got myself a vehicle, going around the Cherry Blossom Park would take too long.
no subject
[Whilst Hijikata fiddled around with the menu, she called on her magic to shoot the pursuing slimes high up into the air, a wicked grin on her face.]
Fine, fine, but I wanna watch them go splat first! Don't you wanna play with them some more? Kikikiki~~~
[...She'd probably be out here a while tormenting the poor slimes if he didn't drag her out. She at least reaches for his hand!]
no subject
I can't say I do, no! - To the Winter Segment airship station!
[The Travel Crystal, heeding his command, glows red and promptly teleports both of them a couple of day's journey's worth west. Cold as the Winter Segment is, even this close to the Spring Segment's border with the sprawling Cherry Blossom Park still in view, it's not overrun with enemies - not as far as he can tell, at least.]
Alright. Let's get this experiment started. Are you ready to combine your magic with mine?
no subject
I'm ready when you are. You can keep up, right?
[A wicked, competitive little grin as golden butterflies fluttered around her.]
no subject
With the distance eventually bridged in one way or the other (and surely not without some more bickering and bantering), he resolutely walks close to where the ominous wall of Darkness looms, takes a wide stance, and summons a fireball in his hand.]
Alright, then! We fire at 'three'! One... two... three!
[He enlarges his missile and launches it into the shadows - hopefully alongside EVA's!]
no subject
[EVA held out her staff, letting the winds twist around her to form a tornado- focus, focus- and at his count, she yelled out with him.]
Three!!
[A twirl for flare, sending the cutting winds right into the wall of darkness, along with his fireball! Her eyes gleamed wickedly, eagerly awaiting the affect of their combined firestorm.]
no subject
Nice!! At least here in the simulation, it seems like the researchers' prediction was right.
[He's not yet convinced that it'll work exactly like this in the real world, but at least the experiment isn't an outright failure!]
Let's keep going. Maybe we'll discover something in there!
no subject
The little witch stared at the break in the darkness- unable to hide the surprise from her expression.]
It really worked... Kikiki, looks like they were right, yeah!
To break through the darkness cutting this world off from everything beyond doesn't feel like it should be real, does it? It's like we're breaking all it's rules.
[Skipping forward to take a peek into the world beyond the darkness.]
...Hey, what're you hoping we'll find out here, anyway? How far do you think we can get?
no subject
[He readies a larger attack than before, the heat of the fire strong enough to start melting the snow on the ground where he stands.]
Again, on 'three'!
[Once more, the combined forces of their seasonal powers tear the hole open deeper and wider, but all they can really make out in the now visible space is an expanse of black sand.]
Hm. That doesn't look promising.
no subject
...you sure about that? What if there really is nothing beyond the darkness? Or if what's there is something not everyone can see?
[A sigh escaped EVA as she restrained herself. She could talk more freely amongst the witches from home, but Hijikata... he wouldn't understand, would he? He wasn't a witch!]
Back home, that's a key difference between a 'Witch' and a 'Piece' on the gameboard. Us witches see the world in a totally different way, from a level above them... but you wouldn't get it, right?
[She twirled her staff, studying him. Searching for something in his expression as she cooly sent more blasts of wind into the darkness beyond, kicking up the sand.]
...Well, if it's something like that, we might need to rethink.
no subject
[He may not understand the logic on which her reality operates, but at least he's willing to engage with it!]
no subject
That was just an example! Like, if I asked you what your gameboard was called you wouldn't be able to answer, right?? That's what I mean!
But let me see what I can do-
[An exaggerated eyeroll, before she let more golden butterflies materialise around herself and flit into the oppressive darkness- but their light was soon overcome, too, and they petered away into dust.
...She'd probably said too much just then, right? Oh well, too late to worry about that now.]
Nothing... Do you want to try and head further in? There might be ghosts waiting in there for you.
no subject
My "gameboard" is called 'Gintama', if that's what you mean.
[Is she a 4th-wall-breaker like him? Is that the nature of witches where she's from?]
1/2 - of course EVA will bulli!
'Gintama', huh... so you do get it after all~ You can see things like a witch too!
[A smug, but all the same delighted, smile.]
Mine's 'Umineko no Naku Koro Ni'.
2/2 - tw nsfw jokes
Hehe, trust yours to be named like that though, are you sure it's not Kintama?
no subject
[It doesn't ring a bell. While both are old series, Umineko having started its original run only 4 years after Gintama, the latter never parodied it, so it escaped his notice, for better or worse. Even so, this is huge!! She really can see the 4th wall!]
Yeah, no, it's Gintama. Our protagonist is a silver-haired bastard, and we deal with too much unsavoury bullshit to deserve to be called 'Kintama'. What genre is yours? We're part action, part drama, part parody, part comedy.
no subject
[Definitely the action character sort- and with all his eccentricities, the comedy side felt natural. She gave a conclusive little nod.]
It's a murder mystery with a good helping of horror. There's a bit of fantasy and romance weaved in there, too.
...My piece gets a bit of a rough time of it, whatever the iteration, hehe~
(no subject)