Seasons Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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seasonsgreetings2024-03-15 12:11 am
seasonsmods) wrote in seasonsgreetings2024-03-15 12:11 am
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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
Right, off we go!
[He touches the crystal with his other hand, and they get teleported to the summer guild HQ (sorry, Shang Qinghua, he just picked his own guild - force of habit!). He lets go of his companion and puts the crystal away.]
Sorry, this was kind of a shitshow. Keep drinking the potions until you're full fixed up, even if they taste like crap, okay?
no subject
'sfine. I'm the one who asked you to go all lord of thunder on the thing.
[Rubber boots. He should start wearing rubber boots. Because holy fuck, he'd been- Shit.]
Well, I guess there are advantages to not really being mortal anymore, huh? Not- not dead this time.
[If there's just an edge of hysterics in that voice, who's to say? Because this? Was worse than seeing a roomba zapped!]
no subject
Honestly, becoming more or less immortal isn't a bad trade-off for abruptly getting sent to another world, all things considered. Also isn't your new job an upgrade?
[Then again, a wilfull king and sect politics might just be enough of a stressor to cancel out the (hopefully) improved pay grade!]
no subject
Sure, if I hadn't had to work for it from the ground up. I've been there for almost sixty years, bro. Longer than I was ever in the... first world.
[Hard to think of it as the real world now, not after so long.]
Was sent in as a baby, with one hell of a psychotic System. Not like my bro there, who transmigrated into a fully adult, immortal body. Lucky asshole.
no subject
[Besides--]
If you wrote the world, how'd the other guy end up in it too? Was he a reader?
[The way Shang Qinghua said "my bro there" makes Hijikata assume that they weren't already friends in their original world.]
no subject
[Shang Qinghua snickered, taking his time seeing if his legs wanted to cooperate in standing up.]
Yep. My favorite anti-fan. Got so pissed off at my last chapter he fucking choked. Kid with a chip on his shoulder big as Beijing. Serves him right to come in as one of the villains.
no subject
Wow, now that's what I call a hater! I assume he tried to change the plot if he hated it so much?
[He halfway wishes something like that could have happened to him... why couldn't he be sucked into the world of
Sailor MoonTomoe 5000? But no, he left his otaku phase behind him! Besides, he's been doing enough world-hopping as it is.]no subject
Sure did. Tried so hard he switched the genre entirely by accidentally seducing my precious protagonist son! Harem never had a chance to even start.
[Transmigration experience, 1/10, would not recommend. One point awarded for the number of gorgeous men.]
no subject
Okay, that is a derailment. How'd you two end up getting along eventually? Just a case of 'misery loves company'?
[At least he's inferring that that happened - then again, a 'bro' can still be a total jackass. He would know, what with his pain-in-the-ass friends back home.]
no subject
Mutual invested interest in not dying horribly. And because he's the only guy in the world who gets the jokes, you know?
Plus, black powder fan or not, he paid for all the extras and has one hell of a memory, which really comes in handy. After sixty years, there's a lot that I don't remember. I'm an old man, you know.
no subject
You cultivators age so well, it's unfair, really. Is it all the cultivation you do?
[What else would it be, really?]
Is that guy here too?
[Shang Qinghua's king already seems like a handful, so he isn't sure what scenario he should root for here!]
no subject
Yep. Forming a golden core slows down the aging, and from there you can become immortal if really put your nose to the grindstone. Plus some luck.
[Good skin care routine? Which he doesn't have because he barely has time to eat and sleep sometimes.]
Nope! You'd know it if he showed up, because his husband would probably rip a hole through time and space to get to him, and it'd be everyone's problem real fast.
My son does not play games when it comes to Shen-shixiong going missing.
no subject
More importantly, he's starting to lose the plot here.]
Okay, sorry, I've got to ask... who actually is the protagonist? He's not your real son, right - I mean, the son of the guy you transmigrated into?
[With immortality in the game, these things can get super complicated since everyone stays young forever and you end up with countless generations all living at the same time! So far, the characters he's taken stock off are Shang Qinghua, his king, his martial brother and other sect members, the hater who transmigrated into a villain, and the protagonist son he fell in love with; that's already enough for a soap opera!]
no subject
[Might be immortal, but he's not exactly powerful when it comes to immortal master cultivators. Which is so unfair.]
I met his bio mom all of once, and she was one scary lady. Wouldn't have wanted to do the tango with me even if I did go for women.
no subject
[He is interested in women, but he knows that they can be damn scary!]
You've really got your hands full, huh? You wrote a lively world.
["Lively" is putting it gently, but given that he electrocuted Shang Qinghua, he wont dunk on him for writing an overly convoluted story! Speaking of which--]
Drink some more potion.
no subject
[If he ever gets back to his original world, should absolutely write about them. Shrugs his shoulders.]
That's putting it mildly. If I'd known I was going to have to live there, I would have done things differently, you know? Like not dooming the character I kinda based off of myself to die badly.
[Makes a face before drinking the next potion. Bleh.]
no subject
[Sorry, Shang Qinghua, but this is kind of amusing to him! How hard can one author screw himself over?]
no subject
[And in, yep, his king. The one he serves and lives with. With a big ol' implied yep for having transmigrated into that very character. Oh so casually mentioned. As you do.]
no subject
[From one-note victim to employee and now roommate! What a trajectory.]
Is he participating in this VR experiment too? You were just pulled in randomly, right?
no subject
Yep, was trying to get some work done.
I haven't seen him. My king doesn't spend as much time around computers.
no subject
Do you want to stick together? Or do you plan on staying in the city for a while?
[Does Shang Qinghua want to stick with the guy who electrocuted him and who's apparently set to head back out into the Segments where all sorts of monsters roam? Or does he want to stay within the only safe barriers that still exist and maybe enjoy some free fancy drinks from the unmanned Ellipsabucks? It's probably a tough choice...]
no subject
Eh... no offense, really, but I think I've had enough of danger for now and want to go find out if there's such thing as ice cream in the meta.
[Doesn't blame his friend, really. But there are some things that make you just want to curl up with a blanket over your head and re-experiencing something that's literally killed you before is at the top of the list.]
no subject
There better be! Because if there's no ice cream, there are probably no cigarettes either, and I need some more packs before I head back out there.
[He pats his shoulder with a little too much enthusiasm.]
I'll see you around! Stay in one piece.
no subject
No kidding. If I smoked, I'd want one right now too.
See you back in the real world. And don't let your head get bitten off or something out there.