MOCK ROUND INTRO LOG

[foundationmods]

Welcome to Rokkenjima. This island may just be a copy in the middle of reformation, but the Witch extends her greetings all the same. Please, relax.

This game is just a trial run, but please do not think you can sleep through this. The Witch fully intends to put the system through its paces, so please put up a good fight.

The difficulty level depends on you. Think deeply on your moves during this short play time.

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 whatever it was when you laid eyes on the envelope.

...Speaking of, Every last one of you have an envelope in your hands, with a gold letter 'L' on it. It's the same letter you were reading before you 'woke' up here, after all. More than that, those of you who had supernatural or magical abilities will feel...strange, as if your abilities are being forcibly blocked. Try as you might, you just can't use them - though all of your physical abilities are intact, of course.

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...

What did you just get yourself into?


Mock Round Calendar!
The taken page still requires a little coding, but it should be done by sometime today.
Thank you for your patience!

Comments

[curryparty]

That...

I can't even imagine the kind of magic that would be necessary for something like that.

[Because the implication there is different times or different worlds and that's insane.]

[artificialhighness]

Because our host is a witch?

[A small, thoughtful hum.

She's never really given too much thought to different times and realities, because her existing reality was already A Lot and also robots are pragmatic creatures, even a seemingly froofy one like herself.

Especially now.]

I wouldn't know much about magic, if it is magic. We don't have anything like that.

[curryparty]

I actually attend a magic academy, myself... I'm still learning, though.

[Being at the top of the class isn't really worth trotting out, in his opinion, especially after the strife it caused.]

Still, I do know that this much power would require a large sacrifice on the part of the caster.

[artificialhighness]

Yes. Where you come from. But it seems there are many rules being broken here, or remade. That, too, is a part of life.

[It's been a long time since she's seen a scenery this complete, alive, changing moment by moment. There's something strange about it when she remembers to consider herself a part of it.

It's been a little while since she's truly met the unknown.]

But even a game isn't without sacrifices. Do you know why you're here?

[curryparty]

Rules don't usually get broken like this...

[Like, there's some design to the world that can't really be overcome. But the last part gets him ducking his head a bit in embarrassment.]

Well... because I have a wish, I guess.

[artificialhighness]

[And then plot twist: the world itself gets overwritten.

She hasn't experienced overwriting on that scale, but it's perhaps not as totally surprising to her as it might be to some people. Magic or not. She tilts her head at him when he ducks his head, following the motion like a bird.]

So do we all.

[So why embarrass.]

[curryparty]

That's probably why we were brought here, don't you think? Anyone who agreed to playing the game must have been someone with a wish they wanted granted.

[Let's juuuuuuuust go to this topic instead.]

[artificialhighness]

[She sees what you did there. She's not especially bothered by it, though.

They all have their secrets, when it comes down to it.]

Of course. There would be no reason to hold a game, otherwise. Will you play?

[curryparty]

Probably...? We've all been dragged to this island, so I'm not sure how we can turn it down now.

[Especially in the face of someone who can do that in the first place.]

[artificialhighness]

I suppose.

[She sounds a little bit dubious, beneath the quiet of her voice, but only briefly.]

I haven't decided yet if this is worth it. The letter was a little vague.

[curryparty]

It didn't really say much, did it...

[Barely anything, as a matter of fact.]

So wait, you might turn it down?

[artificialhighness]

As you said, we might not have a choice. But it's a good idea to go into it with our eyes open.

[Normally, she wouldn't have many reservations even about suspicious offers.

Normally she has the luxury; there's not much normal here, though, as it turns out.]

[curryparty]

It feels like we were just thrown into things, doesn't it?

[Ahaha... He's got plenty of concerns about it, but he also doesn't have the imagination to think that the game they are to play would be anything sinister.

Really, he just assumes that if there's ominous things going on, the game part was just a lie altogether.]

We still have to see how much we can even negotiate.

[artificialhighness]

I think there are a few of us interested in negotiating.

[She might have a bit of a skewed notion of sinister, considering: post-apocalyptic robot hell Earth. But all the same, she's seen enough strange people and robots that she wouldn't be surprised if the game part was played straight.

So to speak.

Asuma gets a curious look.]

Are you good at negotiation?

[He does have the babyface going... Not that she can talk, but anyway.]

[curryparty]

Negotiation?

[That gets him to pause a bit, thinking it over. And then, finally:]

Mm, no, not really. Actually, negotiation is probably one of my weakpoints.

[artificialhighness]

Is it? It is probably something you could work on.

[That's not meant negatively, really.

She's seen the power of puppy eyes and a squishy face, it's very potent. Not sure how much it would help him here, but that's encouraging at least, right.]

[curryparty]

Probably! But I don't think I could be ready fast enough.

[Ahahaha...]

Hopefully we have other negotiators.

[artificialhighness]

Maybe not for this game. But it's a good skill to have for any occasion -- I'm all right at it, but I wouldn't call it my main skill.

[Her main skill, as with all robots, is a lot more pragmatic.

Mostly.]

[curryparty]

What kinds of things are you skilled at, miss?

[artificialhighness]

Oh, just healing. Keeping my people together in a world that likes to take things apart.

[If one were to put it euphemistically. A bit too literally.

Well, she already gave him a taste of what sort of a world it was. The rest is up to his imagination. She's very much a small-picture sort of person, perhaps.]

Those should be the most important ones.

[curryparty]

Being a healer... that's pretty admirable, though! It's an important job no matter where you are, I think!

[Just. Especially so if the world is dying, probably.]

[artificialhighness]

It is an important mission in my world, yes. Though, not the only important role.

[She's quiet for a moment, as though in thought -- or as though recalling something.]

Still, I don't like to be away too much.

[curryparty]

I can imagine, with a job like that...

[And he smiles, a bit wistful.]

There's nothing really important waiting for me at school. Well, besides classes I guess, but I can always make those up.

[artificialhighness]

We all grow, throughout our lives -- even me.

[Since he doesn't know she's a robot at this point, the iron-y just turns into an origami crane with legs and does a tapdance off the table.]

No matter who or what you are, whether or not you have purpose, that purpose may become clear in time. Or it can change completely, even when you believe you've easily found it.

That is the world. Even here.

[Maybe especially here.]

[curryparty]

[Don't become mecha red.

Her words stop him in his tracks, and his eyes go wide for a full moment before he smooths it over with a smile again.]

...Those are some very wise words, miss!

[Though it's still hard to say if he'll be able to follow them.]