ROUND 3 INTRO LOG

[foundationmods]

Welcome to The Island. The Witch extends her greetings to you on this fine day, and is pleased to finally begin the game. Please, take a seat.

Though this game may be more difficult than originally expected, there are high hopes placed upon you. Fight well against what awaits you in order to reach a truly sparkling end.

The difficulty level is challenging, but also depends on you. Think deeply on your moves as you play.

You wake with a start - even if you don't remember falling asleep in the first place - and find yourself standing on the dock of what looks like an island. There's a noise behind you - and if you turn to look, you'll see a plain white boat taking off and leaving you all behind, not stopping for a second if you try to flag them down or scream at them.

It doesn't look like you can swim to shore, either - there's nothing but sea in all directions, and something tells you trying to swim out will end up badly. However, a small dip, if you were so inclined, would be fine. It's not like the weather is bad for it - it feels like it's summer, despite it having been firmly springish at the Foundation.

...Speaking of, what happened? The last thing you remember is being...wherever you were, and then seeing a yellow bird come towards you. Perhaps it was in the corner of your eye, or landed on your shoulder...regardless, all of you saw the bird before you were whisked away to this strange island.

Is it a new SCP? Something like this isn't outside the realm of their abilities, after all.

And there's something else. Your abilities are blocked, beyond those natural to your body. Try as you might, you just can't use any of your more supernatural or superhuman skills - though all of your physical abilities are intact, of course.

There is also a...letter? on your person, as if it was there all along - in your pocket or in your hand. It is...a remarkably plain envelope, and even the letter itself is plain parchment.

It reads:

'To the players in this game,

First and foremost, let me begin with an apology: for many of you, this is not a good time to bring you here, and forcing you to play in this game instead of asking nicely is quite rude of me. For that, you have my apologies.

However, as you will soon find out, this game is quite necessary. I hand-picked all of you because I felt you were the best for this task, strange circumstances notwithstanding, and I am sure you will excel beyond even my expectations. Please give me some consideration and play this game to your best efforts. Success will be greatly rewarded.

I will be watching, and I will intervene if needed. But I think all of you are up to this task. I am in your debt for this.

- The Witch of ██████████'

...hm.

If you decide to head up the path, you'll find Goat....men? waiting for you near the doors to the mansion. Despite their bright red eyes, they merely bow politely and wordlessly bring you into the mansion, showing you your rooms and then stating that they will prepare food for you or anything else you should need whenever you want, in surprisingly deep voices.

As they leave, you can't help but wonder...

Where are you now?

Round Calendar!
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Comments

[cryosurgeon]

It might be considered a blood-linked ability, given its utilization. The semantics don't matter to me, only that it can benefit those who are injured.

[So he looks a bit creepy, but he's apparently a kind doctor? Not that Erhard puts much stock in how he looks or comes across to others, his only duty is to heal.]

[fullbodied]

[she's getting some inherent tension in that. but..]

Well, hopefully if you can't heal, you've got some medical skills or something. I sure don't.

As for whether or not this is an SCP we're supposed to evaluate, it'd be weird to send so many new intakes on a mission like this, don't you think?

[cryosurgeon]

I am a doctor, Agent Takamaki. A surgeon, to be exact. So if anyone here requires medical treatment, I'm qualified.

[He doesn't sound arrogant at all, simply stating a fact.]

It is concerning that so many new recruits would be here. Maybe our superiors misjudged the seriousness of the situation. Even if the SCP is child-like or playful in its actions, it could still be dangerous.

[fullbodied]

You don't have to call me Agent, y'know? Just Takamaki works. And got it, so you're the doctor we'll probably end up needing.

[she sighs. even if he's just stating a fact, it's still a bit too formal for her.]

[cryosurgeon]

Alright. Takamaki, then. Hopefully my services won't be needed, but I'll be ready just in case.

[He does pick up on her sigh. It reminds him of how the other doctors at Resurgam often responded to his personality. He knows he can be off-putting and normally he wouldn't care much, but part of being a Foundation agent is being able to work well with others.]

I'm sorry... I'm still not very good with social graces.

[fullbodied]

Really?

[she teases, and well. tries to lighten up.]

Just... lighten up. Things are probably gonna be crazy enough, even without the formalities.

[cryosurgeon]

Lighten up? I....

[He actually looks a bit awkward.]

I don't even know how to smile, Takamaki.

[fullbodied]

... What, really?

Not at all?

[cryosurgeon]

[Erhard shakes his head.]

I've never smiled, not even as when I was a child. My own parents found me... odd.

[He doesn't feel shame over his parents' attitude, but he imagines it might be disturbing for her to hear that they considered him a monster, so he tones it down a bit.]

[fullbodied]

Why?

I mean, why didn't you smile? Didn't you have any reason to?

[cryosurgeon]

My parents were anxious around me, even distant. Then they died when I was still young. I spent all of my time studying medical textbooks, even after I was adopted. I never bothered to socialize. It was unnecessary for saving lives.

[fullbodied]

That... sounds really awful. You were that into saving lives, you never bothered to speak to anyone else?

[it's admirable, but also... something she can't abide by.]

Say... Would you consider your skill at saving lives is pretty phenomenal by now?

[cryosurgeon]

I always preferred learning over social interaction. I don't feel lonely or isolated by it.

[Her second question makes him think for a moment. He knows what his answer is, but he's been told that the way he phrases things can come across as arrogant, when in reality he's anything but that. Ugh, this is why communicating with other people is so difficult, outside of issuing orders to medical staff.]

I don't think about labels for what I can do. Others have praised my skills as a surgeon as remarkable, but... compliments mean nothing to me. All that matters are the results, the lives that continue on because of what I do.

[fullbodied]

Okay, but I was getting to a point with that question, honest.

Since you're already pretty good at the whole "doctor" thing, have you considered maybe taking a break from studying that, and focusing on socializing?

So you don't have to apologize all the time.

[cryosurgeon]

I can't take a break as long as doctors are needed. My learning to smile isn't as important as the lives of others. Besides, I... I wouldn't even know where to begin. It isn't as if I've had many opportunities.

[fullbodied]

I'm pretty sure a good doctor should be able to care for all the needs of his patients. But if you can't even begin to understand their emotions, how are you going to do that?

Stop making excuses! If you need help, ask for it!

[cryosurgeon]

[Erhard falls silent, just staring at her wide-eyed.

All his patients' needs? Their emotions? Does that really have anything to do with their health? Actually, there's plenty of evidence that mental well-being contributes to recovery, and negative feelings can cause or exacerbate certain illnesses....

So that means he's been failing as a doctor, because it's a skill he lacks?]

I....

[fullbodied]

Yeah?

[she's waiting, expectantly. WHAT CONCLUSION HAS HER STIRRING SPEECH DRIVEN HIM TO?]

[cryosurgeon]

[Damn it, Ann, you've all just arrived and he's already confused as hell.

Erhard's fingers flex again and again, stiff and crooked like claws rather than fists. Is it a tic, or some kind of stimming? He doesn't even seem to realize he's doing it, but he definitely won't meet her eyes anymore.]

I... can try.

[fullbodied]

Great! First things first, no more calling people Agents!

[cryosurgeon]

But... there's Foundation protocol....

[WHAT DO]

[fullbodied]

Fuck the protocol! We're not here on foundation business!

[see, you're overthinking it. she gets to be an emotions senpai. she's senpai-ing everywhere.]

[cryosurgeon]

But... but if this is an SCP, we... it's our job to act as agents of the Foundation, to protect lives....

[Logic and protocol are familiar. Emotions are not. Ann is trying to drag him out of his comfort zone and it's like pulling a hermit crab out of its shell.]

[fullbodied]

Okay.

Then before you call someone an agent, you should ask them what they wanna be called. I don't like being called Agent, so don't do it.

[cryosurgeon]

["So don't do it." That's like an order, even if she's relatively new like him. He can think of it as an order or at least a request, and suddenly his brain can accept it.]

Alright. I won't call you that anymore. And I'll try to remember to ask the others.

[Teenagers are dizzyingly confusing sometimes. He really needs coffee.]