INTRODUCTION

[petoskeymods]

INTRODUCTION

A sound wakes you up, muffled yet somehow near - the sound of a trumpet being played, from somewhere outside the building you're in. There's no fog, no headache as you greet a new day - only the confusion of being in an unfamiliar cabin, lying on top of an unfamiliar bunk bed in somewhere that is certainly not where you last closed your eyes. You're also pretty sure you weren't wearing this outfit before you somehow arrived here - so that's an uncomfortable thought. Yet, the cabin you're in is comfortable, but looking in the steamer trunks near the bunks will only result in finding normal toiletry items and sets of underwear and more of the same strange uniform. Your personal items have been stripped away - well, in the cases they're not absolutely essential for you to live.

Stepping outside, you find yourself in a very forested (and ungodly humid) area, outlooking a wide lake - there's cabins and other buildings next to yours, but the main thing that'll most likely attract attention are the three adults standing out in front of the largest building, bearing the name 'LODGE' on it in large letters. A woman, an older man, and a man in full priest garb, tooting away on a trumpet - your wakeup call, apparently. Just in front of them is a picnic table littered with markers and 'MY NAME IS' nametags.

Maybe you should go and demand some answers? Or will you just decide to explore...and try to find a way out of this weird camp?

Comments

[sophistryking]

Herding. That's an interesting word to use... [He kneels. His face is still, get used to that. His eyes flicking to the arm.]

Anything else?

[finalguard]

[ Boa takes a deep breath and finally manages to steady himself for proper speaking. ]

The wildlife might be immune to special powers.

[killtheanimals]

[Wait what.]

What do you mean?

[finalguard]

[ Another deep breath. ]

This is going to sound convoluted, but... Since arriving here, I can do something I couldn't before. It's kind of... Well, I just knew how to do it with no testing needed. What I can do is let things decay at touch.

There was a moose that attacked us and I used this power in self-defense. It worked and... then reversed itself.

I only say 'might' because I have not tested this ability enough yet on other things...

[killtheanimals]

[Uuuuuuummmmmmm??]

So-- Let me get this straight. You didn't have power before you woke up here? But the power you were granted doesn't work on the animals.

[He's normally quick to pick up on things but even this is a lot, to say nothing of all the screaming about bullet wounds and shounens trying to shounen unadvisedly in the background.]

[finalguard]

[ Boa nods. He's not.. going to judge. His arm hurts as hell, he's exhausted and the adrenaline is still kind of clouding his brain. ]

I didn't test before because there was so much going on, but in that situation I felt it was my only chance. I'll.. have to test more now, to be sure.

1/2

[killtheanimals]

[Hhhhhhh he hates this? He hates this a lot.

Still, outwardly he only gives a sigh, gesturing for Boa's arm.]

Here. I can help with that.

[Though whether or not he offers it up, Mitsuru will begin... singing? It sounds song-like, a soft chanting that summons up an equally soft light...]

2/2

[killtheanimals]

[...That does absolutely nothing. And upon seeing that, Mitsuru's eyes go wide.

HEY... WHAT.]

[finalguard]

[ Boa'd have been shocked about this light display maybe an hour ago, but after what Ren pulled in the forest, he just acknowledges what Mitsuru is trying to do with vague appreciation.

Even if it... really doesn't do anything whatsoever. ]

You have one of those Personas too...?

[killtheanimals]

Persona?

[His voice is quiet because he's still confused as to why the hell that spell didn't work.

Still, after a second he shakes his head.]

This is my own magic.

[finalguard]

Ren did something similar in the forest and he called it such. The arm was broken before.

[ He's just... gonna leave it open whether or not he feels any better after Mitsuru's attempt. Yeah. Hm. ]

[killtheanimals]

[Ah. Well.]

It didn't work, did it.

[It should have been able to heal simple bruises like this...]

[finalguard]

[ Well, if Mitsuru wants to hear the truth... Boa shakes his head. ]

It did not. This seems to be the limit of healing.

[killtheanimals]

They've messed with our powers as well, then.

[Both giving and taking away...

Tch.]

[finalguard]

They could have just taken people who don't have any abilities - and left it that way.

Why do through all this effort of mixing things up?

[ Obviously so they can't use anything to escape, but... why them? Why such complicated targets? }

[killtheanimals]

...

Think about the power they gave you. What uses can you come up with for it?

[finalguard]

... kill.

[ Which... hm. Boa doesn't look entirely comfortable with this implication. Becoming the strongest is one thing, but he's not even aiming to be the strongest in human-to-human combat. Murdering things at a touch wasn't on his wishlist at all, but now.. Welp. ]

Clear the path, if I can get rid of plants this way, maybe?

[killtheanimals]

[Mitsuru doesn't seem fazed by the idea. He'd more or less come to the same conclusion himself, after all.]

So, we can't hurt the guardians and we aren't allowed to escape, but we are allowed to kill... Most likely. Among other conveniences if you think creatively.

[Like the clearing plants.]

Doesn't paint a very good picture, does it?

[finalguard]

[ He shakes his head. ]

Not at all.

[ He thinks about it for another second, then adds: ]

I can't say I'm surprised. It's the first thing I thought when we came here, that there's always a reason for this kind of effort.

[ Not that... murder is a very good reason on its own, but there's probably more to it... ]

[killtheanimals]

They've already dragged people here from other worlds...

[Hmph.

And on that note, he sees they are getting ready to knife Akira and... Ew.]

Some of my magic still works. I'm going to go deal with that.

[sophistryking]

Did both of you try? Or do you only have your powers as a point of reference?

[There's a lot of different things out there.]

[finalguard]

My own only.

[sophistryking]

Then there's a chance that other powers will work.

Anything else? [You know, like the arm?]

[finalguard]

[ Boa doesn't get the hint to the arm, he's not exactly primed on subtlety right now, so he just shakes his head grimly. ]

[sophistryking]

I see... In that case you should tend to your wounds.

[He nods and- What's happening with this gun stuff?]