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

[le_mat]

... are you legit asking someone to stab you.

[bladeisme]

[Shrugs???]

It was just a thought. Besides, we have healers here.

[killtheanimals]

Something's suppressed our powers. I've noticed several of mine don't function the way they should.

If there's anything we could use effectively against him, I doubt we still have that ability.

[soylentprotag]

... You're missing parts of your magic?

[That's the first he's heard of it, but it... somehow makes sense, that if they've lost so many things physically, they would have lost non-physical things, too.

... That's even more alarming, actually, in a way.]

He was the one who gave that gun back. He probably has a very good idea of what we can do.

[Isn't that just great?]

[killtheanimals]

Yes. I was unable to heal a wound that had already been healed, though I was able to heal myself just fine now.

[A gesture at his arm.]

Perhaps a means of making sure we aren't able to heal all damage done to us.

[Like, say. A disease.]

[soylentprotag]

... Oh. You can heal things like these bites, too.

[He mostly just has bites on his temples and maybe a couple on his non-bandaged arm, and has been grumbling as he scratches them now and then -- it's a new kind of annoyance that nature's brought him at this point -- but he hasn't really paid them a lot of mind until this... whole thing.]

It... would make sense. To keep us under control.

[To possibly take them out, like they tried to do to Ren and Boa, and maybe Floe and Lance, too. The other day. He doesn't say that out loud, though.]

[killtheanimals]

[He sure can. If you ask nicely maybe he'll consider healing those for you too, Lenka.]

And yet they've given some of us powers as well.

[soylentprotag]

[Even if Mitsuru seems fine with using his magic to move clothes and mess around with flies, it still seems kind of like a petty thing to request for. He'll just live with it like a true shounen. He's communing with nature. Negatively.]

... To even the playing field.

[He doesn't know what that would be for. The theories... the ritual killing games, possibly offering them as sacrifices for the gods, all of those things. And the fact that some of them seem to be set up to be hostile to each other.

He's not liking the picture he's getting, even without their resident creeper priest directly involved.]

[killtheanimals]

Which brings to mind the question: just what are we meant to be playing?

[le_mat]

You said it was on instinct, right?

Huh.

[a pause - and then Ren wheels around to knuckle punch Ichigo in the shoulder with no warning]

[bladeisme]

Yeah, it wa...!

[Almost instantly, Ichigo reacts - faster than it seems possible for a human to move, moving to twist his body around and catch Ren's fist in his palm, eyes going from concerned and thinking to something much sharper and intense.

...Yet, the glow of Blut Vene activates, bright blue trailing from his palm and down his wrist. It's gonna feel like you just punched a wall, Ren.]

...Like that.

[Hm. Welp.]

[le_mat]

[Oh. He's fast. Ren isn't used to other humans being faster than him. And shit, that hurts, and he hisses at the pain. But after the gunshot it's more than bearable.

Still, his eyes sparkle like he just found something very very interesting]

...nice.

[bladeisme]

...Thanks.

[He grins a little - it's nice to know that he didn't hurt Ren too badly, and he lets go of his fist, rubbing his palm as the vene disappears.]

Anyway, if that didn't pop up on his face, then he's not a Quincy, at least.

[soulcandy]

[Wait.

What?]

Quincy???

[bladeisme]

[...HE KNEW HE FORGOT TO MENTION SOMETHING.]

...Uh...surprise? I found out about it a little bit ago. Dad told me mom was a Quincy.

[He's signalling 'WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS LATER' with his eyes, though.]

[soulcandy]

And you didn't think to mention that to me?!

[YEAH UH THEY NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION IT SEEMS]

[le_mat]

I didn't get a great look when it happened but I think it was more like... like a rock cracking? Shirou would know better than I would.

[Ren cracks his knuckles - two are swollen, but thanks to his Personas he's a bit sturdier then he'd be otherwise, so it's not too bad]

[bladeisme]

[He nods - and reaches out for Ren's hand, if the other teen will let him take it, frowning at the swelling.]

...Looks like you'll need to put some ice on this.

[Sometimes, the Doctor's son doesn't turn off - and right now, it's on all the goddamn time.]

[le_mat]

[He allows it, a little surprised but not particularly bothered]

Not the first time I've popped a knuckle. It's fine.

[killtheanimals]

[...]

He doesn't look like any golem I've seen before, but...

[le_mat]

Could be a spell, could be some kind of armor. Could be he's a giant bug and that's his exoskeleton. Until we know more it could be anything.

[bladeisme]

Golem? Like a creature made out of rocks, or something?

[Since Ren did mention the 'cracks like a rock' and all.]

[lovebun]

Uuuuuh what'd a Quincy?

[bladeisme]

[HM. WELL.

This'll be....interesting? He kind of regrets opening his mouth, but...Hell, he's come this far, and everyone here is far from normal.]

A quincy is someone who have enough spiritual power to produce weapons from spirit energy - and those powers actually come from the fragment of the soul of the man who founded them.

[BLEACH IS A WEIRD CANON.]

[killtheanimals]

[...?]

There are fragmented souls where you come from...?