Multiple Settings Trinity Night = Limbo (IC thread)

[Shadow Survivor]

locked n loaded MageMantis seaweed

It was common for the headquarters of powerful organizations that dealt with the supernatural to keep their location secret, and the Supernatural Research and Suppression Force was not the exception. After losing the base of operations twice, having to deal with spies from all accross the globe and even traitors from within Japan itself, it could be said that the S.R.S.F. learned said lesson the hard way. Even so, it had more than proven, across its thirty or so years of life, that it was more than capable of dealing with threats in a swift and efficient way that is simply impossible without teamwork.

--- In other words, you did not simply expect to be given their address, did you?

How new recruits got there varied from individual to indivudual, but every single method shared one thing in common. It could have been a day, a week, a month... Hell, maybe a year since one had somehow learned they'd be forming part of this organization -Assuming you had the priviledge of gathering that much information-, and then you'd be simply kidnapped. Some claimed to have simply fallen asleep during an international travel, others believed they had been quickly ambushed while on the street, thrown into a van or the like, with little to no chance of resistance. There was always someone who was given a fake address, only to be put to rest. Oh, and of course, you had the classic one where your own, former comrades turned you in; that one would never get old.

Whatever the case, here you were. All thirty of you.

Disoriented and throbbing, you blinked awake sprawled on the unforgivingly cold floor. Harsh white light assaulted your eyes as they struggled to adjust to the unfamiliar, large room. LED panels, like a constellation of judgment, glared down from the high ceiling. But the light wasn't the only thing that was white. The walls and the floor itself were white too... Gathering so many people blessed -or cursed- with supernatural powers had always been a recipe for disaster, especially in a situation like this, where it was unlikely that everyone would be content with the rough treatment they'd received thus far, that's why, to ensure that things would not inmediately get out of hand, the S.R.S.F. had assigned this task to...

... Just a single agent?!​

"Alright, everyone, settle down." The man spoke with confidence, decimating all trace of complaint and murmur with attitude and no need for spells. His eyes, his hair and even the cloak he wore all shared the same pitch-black color, making him stand out when surrounded by so much white. Perhaps the most outstanding of it all was that this man possessed only one arm, the absence of the other having not been replaced by a prosthesis of any sort. "My name is Adrien Von Dread, and I will be evaluating whether you are ready to join us in the S.R.S.F. or not." At this, potential recruits reacted in different ways. Those who were acting Hunters inmediately recognized that family as one of the most old and prominent in Europe, as did those that had put enough hours of study into the occult and its roots outside traditional Sorcery. Others were more confused and troubled to find out that they had to face yet another trial to see if they were worthy of becoming an actual member of the S.R.S.F.

"As you may be aware, we are always short on personnel. However, time has done enough to prove that one bad agent is usually worse than no agent at all. Bad judgment calls could lead us to making a mess worse than what it already is." He made a fair point. The Supernatural Research and Suppression Force operated at all levels, but it focused greatly on big catastrophes and events. In such scenarios, it wouldn't be surprising if the decision of a single individual turned out to be the reason why humanity was saved or doomed. "Thus, I will aim to cut your numbers in half." He wasn't lying... Half of the group wouldn't get past this. Question was... What sort of excercise did he intend to use in order to test your skill and wits? "Before that, though, I will do my best to answer any questions you might have. Naturally, if anyone wants to forfeit now... I can arrange that, too." Then, as an afterthought, he added: "Assuming you are amongst those that have the option to forfeit, that is."

Not everyone was there willingly, after all.

 

[locked n loaded]

CHIAKI HAMADA​

The air-conditioning of the Kamakura Y.P.P. Branch’s base blows weakly, sending cool breezes trickling through the room as Chiaki stops at Chikamoto’s desk, having finished sweeping the floor and tossed the garbage bags outside for disposal. She looks around, taking in the hall for the last time, and turns in her badge.

As Chiaki retracts her hand, her captain stops her movement with a tap on her wrist and slides a license across the counter—a permit to carry her Hunter’s weapon and components. She picks it up, turning the glossy plastic over in her fingers to find her photo smiling up at her, and for a second, she’s stunned silent. Then, she laughs and turns back to Chikamoto. “Are you planning a surprise for me?” she asks, yet she carefully places the card in her breast pocket all the same.

“I’m not allowed to tell you that,” Chikamoto says, a response in and of itself. Paired with the permit—a hint to be prepared at all times—Chiaki lets the secrecy paint a picture of her recruitment to the S.R.S.F. and sighs jokingly. Looking back at Chikamoto, Chiaki bends in a slight bow. “Thank you,” she says, and though she doesn’t know how to verbalize her sentiments, the words hang between them. Thank you for your preparations, thank you for your preparations, and thank you for taking care of me during my time here.

Chikamoto smiles back. “Me and your juniors will be cheering you on,” she says. “Still, if things don’t work out, you’re always welcome back.”

Now, as Chiaki wakes up to a foul taste in her mouth and a headache pounding away at her skull, she can’t help but thank Chikamoto for her warning, even if this is far beyond her expectations. She rolls to the side and pushes herself upward into a seated position, rubbing harshly at the sore muscles in her back courtesy of sleeping on the floor. Stiff discomfort is plain across her face, but her lips remain shut in a thin, vexed line. “It’s so noisy,” she says, a muttered observation masked by a sigh and the grumbling of the people around her.

When Chiaki’s back continues to ache despite her efforts, she stops her massaging motions in acknowledgment of their futility. Instead, she turns her attention towards organizing her clothing, straightening the lapels of her Y.P.P. blazer with a flick of her wrists before she smooths her palms down over her shirt, gaze shuttering as she discreetly notes the absence of her belongings.

Finishing her checkup, Chiaki’s eyes flicker upward, evaluating, before they widen in faint recognition as they land on the man in black—a Von Dread. Nevertheless, she exhales again and finally rises to her feet to see over the other cadets as they start to stand. Experience brings her to a ready position, hands warming themselves with minute movements. After all, standardized combat is always more reliable than relying on spellcasting, especially if this test is an extensive one. Hearing the evaluator open himself to questions, Chiaki seeks to find just that, asking, “How long will the assessment be?”

coded by archangel_

 

[MageMantis]

Frostfox​

---

Frostfox awakened to the bright room. She began to rise to her feet, immediately having her high-tech lenses flip in front of her eyes from her helmet upon noticing other people in the room. Her high-tech lenses flickered to life with digital pupils that matched her real ones. The last thing she could remember was being instructed to wait alone in a room to get recruited, and then everything went dark. Frostfox listened to the singular agent the S.R.S.F had sent to keep them in check. She opened a slot in her armor and took out a pack of bubblegum, opened it with little ease and took a gumball. Afterwards, she put the pack back into the open slot and closed it shut, and tossed the gumball into her mouth. After a bit of chewing, she blew a light blue bubblegum bubble as she listened.

The woman with a wolf's head made it a point to avoid eye contact with everyone else. She also made sure to stay in the back in the room. She didn't have the option to forfeit; Her recruitment was a means to an end for her, her only ticket back to a normal life. She rested her hands on her hips as she continued to listen. As she listened to the man's speech, she looked around the room and a question came to her mind. When the man with the pretty cool name completed his speech, she finished blowing her bubblegum and waited before speaking. She turned her head to the orange-haired Paninaro who asked about the length of the assessment. It was a good question, and if it was a combative challenge, while it may be possible to wait out the time limit if it was short enough and play defensively, she was more than willing to be the aggressor. She went to follow-up the orange-haired Paninaro's question with her own,

(Received permission for this) "Like, how are you going to cut the amount of us in half? Like, there's an odd amount of us." Frostfox pettily remarked, referring to how there were actually thirty-one recruits present in the room. She awaited a response from Adrien, staring at him with a judgmental look across her fur-covered face.

 

[Shadow Survivor]

"..."

Even though he had not always been in charge of greeting potential new recuits, it would have been a mistake to claim Adrien was lacking in experience when it came to handling situations like these. His lifestyle as a Profesional Hunter, combined with his own personality, both having been built from the bottom up through loss and effort, formed an impenetrable wall ready to intercept word or action came his way. Still, he had to admit, this semester was different from previous ones: Normally, only a handful would get an actual agent licence, while the rest would either be sent back with their memories wiped or be relegated to reinforcements at best and to administrative tasks at worst. This time... He could tell with a single glance that the selection was way above average, almost to the point where he suspected that the Directive Committee had something to do with it.

"How long?" Despite keeping a cold exterior, Von Dread's only visible brow raised, showing brief signs of incredulity or perhaps even slight amusement. Perhaps he did not expect this sort of interrogation to be the one he'd have to answer first, that being said, he remained non-chalant as he prepared his response. "Frankly, that depends on your performance but, in general terms, probably less than ten minutes. Most applicant finish within the first two to four minutes, and I don't believe I remember anyone who has gone over seven. Does that answer your question?"

--- It should have.

True, the details of this misterious test were still unknown to many, but Adrien had cleverly left a trail of crumbs with his response, one that could be followed to figure out at least what type of evaluation this one would be. For those short on neurons or too slow to pick up, a timer that depended on individual performance spoke of a goal that needed to be completed or a condition that needed to be met, like solving a riddle or landing a solid blow.

"Is that so...?" He replied to Frostfox's question with one of his own. "Well, it should still be possible to split an odd ammout evenly, no...? You just need to add decimals." He pondered out loud with a rather sinister remark, making it rather hard to tell whether he was poking fun at the potential new recruits or actually meant each and every one of his words. "That said, we only prepared thirty pods total, so that could indeed become a problem." Calm and collected, he looked at one of the white walls and, the moment he did, several panels in the floor below began to shift and accomodate, so that several human sized containers could emerge from below. Naturally, giving the sheer amount in display, more than one was forced to change their position within the room as well. Machines like these came straight from the science-side, proving once more that the S.R.S.F. was a joint effort. "Ms. Laurent, would you be so kind to pocket your invention?" Adrien's gaze focused on a singular person, one of the applicants. And then, almost inmediately...

------- The figure of the thirty-fist rookie came undone, turning into threads that would quickly merge with the attire that the person addressed was wearing, resulting in a design more elegant than the one she originally had to begin with.

"Ah. Forgive my manners, Mr. Von Dread." She spoke politely, but there was definitely a contained discharge of irony held back behind that devilish grin. She tossed her hair, as if to say that she didn't mind having been caught at all, instead twisting it into a victory of sorts. For Sorcerers of High Pedigree, this was common practice. "Force of habit, I guess. And please, call me Ariel."
​

"..." With that settled, the veteran hunter proceeded to share what the next step would be: "Once you get comfortable inside these pods, your body will be put to sleep." At this point, even Von Dread had to pause for a moment. It seemed that while his knowledge for the occult had yet to be matched, the how-to of complex machinery often escaped his grasp. He would make an effort to put it into words everyone would understand, alas, there was no guarantee he'd succeed with such a diverse selection. "Your mind will connect to the local network and be sent to an artificial suspended reality... Some like to call it Virtual World." He cleared his throat. "Think of it as a shared dream landscape where dangerous scenarios can be simulated without supposing a real threat to the diver." In other words, the S.R.S.F. used this technology as training wheels to prepare future agents for situations hard to replicate in practice. A wise approach. "Do note, however, that a high-synch rate..." Did he say that right? "..." Yeah, no use speaking from memory. "... It will be an hyper realistic experience. You will feel real pain if you are injured and if you suffer too much damage, it might leave your mind troubled." Definitely not what you want to go for during a job interview's pitch.

Your belongings would need to be held close to you, a step required to trick your mind into carrying them over to the Virtual World.

Now then, it was time to get set.

 

[seaweed]

“Mitsu”

Truth be told, Mitsu didn’t give a rats ass where she was right now. All that mattered to her in the moment was the fact that clasped around her throat was sweet, soft nothing. No collar—which meant no handler! Her head was throbbing, as usual, but that was okay. She could get rid of it now. No more handler, no more headache!

If only this strange man would stop talking! But as he continued, Mitsu realized that what he was describing sounded suspiciously like what most would call a “game”—what fun! She was paying attention now, and as she did, she found two words forming bigger and bigger within her mind.

NO CONSEQUENCES

Well, that’s how it sounded to her right now. Never before had someone told her she could do anything she wanted! What she wanted to do was get rid of this godforsaken headache—and thus was ready to accept the embrace of one of those beautiful pods the instant they popped open.

 

[locked n loaded]

CHIAKI HAMADA​

Under seven minutes? Chiaki raises a brow to herself, mildly surprised by the brevity of their testing. Given her capabilities, she doubts she’ll score on the quick end, at least not for hunters. After all, she’s well aware that her appeal is her experience, and her specialty has never lied in chaining rituals together for explosiveness. Still, Chiaki’s willing to bet that she’ll be among the top half, even if she ranks among the end of them.

“Thank you,” she tells their examiner, brief but respectful. The latter is something a few of the others seem to lack, but from the girl’s showcase of her double and the fox’s mechanical body, it seems to be out of a justified assurance of their strength. Of course, grounded teammates are always more reliable, but Chiaki will never be able to say that prefers them.

It must be her starting point speaking, those memories that she still treasures of gazing up at starlit nights on a monster hunt or cruising too fast down the road with the wind coursing through her hair and music leaking out through open windows on an afterschool patrol. No, she’ll never be able to forget a team like that.

Chiaki sighs and steps forward toward the pods that Von Dread has just finished explaining. Her eyes sink with quiet sorrow, half-healed under the passage of time, but her lips curve into a faint, nostalgic smile as she seats herself, stashing her harpoon and casting supplies by her feet.

Glancing upward, she notices her neighbor, a woman with long, black hair and a drab white shirt, lying down. Watching the speed the other embraces her sleep with, Chiaki lets herself sink into the liveliness around her, rejoining the moment for the living and tucking away her thoughts of the past for another day. Heart soothed, she leans back, relaxing into the cushioning of the pod as her eyes flutter shut and she slips into artificial sleep.

coded by archangel_

 

[November Witch]

Laipei

Status: Excited
Location: (READACTED)
Interactions: Shadow Survivor

Things were a little bit different for Laipei compared to everyone else. The girl was told about the protocol about getting into the training for the SRSF. Once it was time to go, she simply powered herself off. Those picking her up were free to check themselves and make sure if they had any doubts. But she wasn’t kidnapped or knocked out. Simply fully powered off before being transported to the facility. It wasn’t a big deal, nor did time seem to pass for Laipei herself. One moment she had been powered off, and the next, she was booting up and surrounded by other candidates for the program.

Her eyelids opened, revealing glowing pink eyes. She had been slumped against a wall, hidden by a few candidates who stood near her. But even when standing, she was quite short, standing at only 5’3, she would still be hidden by those around her. She had gotten up a few moments after everyone else had, due to running a quick systems check and diagnostic. But she was in perfect condition and good to go! Her internal computer processed what this single agent was saying. Her transparent blades that were laid next to her on the floor floated up to her waist, forming a sort of pseudo skirt. They ever so slowly orbited around Laipei's waist.

…Analyzing…

…

…

Adrien Von Dread. A member of the Von Dread bloodline. One of the most prestigious and longest lasting in Europe. As much information that could be compiled online on the surface and dark web flooded her database in just a millisecond. So that’s who he was. Interesting. Lapei remained silent as questions were asked, both snarky and genuine. However, upon hearing there was one more person than pods, that was when Laipei spoke up, though she was oblivious to what was happening on the opposite side of the room, not being able to see through the sea of bodies between her and what had just transpired.

“I don’t need a pod Mr. Dread. Just beam it directly to me.”

The android tapped her head to emphasize her point. There, now everyone would have a pod! Or so the android thought. Though, as students began to move towards the pods, she would as well, however, she would simply lean against the wall nearby, her arms crossed, and fingers tapping against her arm. It didn’t make a metallic sound. In fact, most of her outer body was a smooth, soft, polymer material. It was meant to feel similar to skin. She would watch people pass her to enter the pods, scanning them, and searching the internet for any and everything about these people, and attempting to calculate who would and wouldn’t pass the test.

Anyone who was invested in music, or up to date on technology companies for whatever reason, may recognize Laipei as either an up-and-coming android idol, the face of a tech company, or both.

 

[Shadow Survivor]

“...”

Adrien briefly closed his eyes, as if to summon an impenetrable barrier of patience in order to protect him from the attitude of those of a newer generation, be them humans or otherwise. Not too long ago, following a superior’s order or advice was acknowledged as something that would boost one’s survival considerably. Nowadays, many had an excuse ready to cut such ties of dependence. He couldn’t say that he was happy with it.

“Very well then... As you like.”

Recognizing a losing battle no matter what angle he adopted, the hunter conceded rather easily. The least thing he wanted was to become a potential enemy of an idol’s fanbase over something so petty.

—----

As soon as you surrendered your minds to the machine’s will, the white room used to both contain and protect you scattered to the winds, as if it had been nothing but a mirage from the start. But that’s not the only thing that felt surreal: Even though most recruits had chosen to follow orders and find themselves a comfortable spot inside a pod, the next thing they knew, they found themselves standing, completely unrestricted, as if a part of their memories had suddenly gone missing.

Above your heads was a beautiful, night sky, a breathtaking tapestry of stars. But perhaps more alluring was the urban landscape that unfolded below. Neon signs and street lights, and bustling traffic, all breathed life into a metropolis that extended as far as the eye could see. Cold wind whipped through the air at that altitude, and more than one recruit was unable to suppress their shivering.

Everyone knew this was a simulation.

In the year 2099, only a few were alien to the concept of immersive virtual reality. And yet, this experience was on a completely different level.

Had you not been told… Had you not been a witness to the contradiction of being one place one second and another the next… You would have never found out it was all a fake.

The place you had arrived at was the rooftop of one of the highest buildings in the city. Around it were others of similar size, and proximity left open the possibility of jumping from one to the next, if one was daring enough.

“This scenario is one of my favorites.” Adrien’s voice could be heard, but it gave no hints that pointed toward his actual location. It was possible that he was not there physically, but spoke from outside the dreamscape. “The objective is to catch the target before it escapes from a five kilometer perimeter. If it does, it’s over for everyone. Good luck.” He said no more and would reply to no questions. You’d need to find the target on your own.

— A glimpse of light, moving through the air.

Spoiler: Alertness Challenge!

Chiaki: Success!
Mitsu: Success!
Frostfox: Success!
Laipei: Success!

Your body instinctively reacted to the promise of danger, moving before you could even finish a proper line of thought. The next moment, an oval shaped projectile touched the edge of the building…

… Before detonating with a deafening ‘Ka-boom’.

A good chunk of the rooftop was gone, and the couple of aspirants that had once stood the closest to that side of the building had left with no trace as well. Their bodies had completely evaporated after a single, underhanded surprise attack.

Adrenaline began to pump through the veins of many, as the survivors struggled to pick themselves up and identify the location of the newfound theat. There… Two buildings away… Was a mysterious figure covered in black robes, a bow firmly in its hands.

Two more figures dashed past it, continuing to distance themselves from the group.

Spoiler: Initiative Check!

Tutorial: The first round, Player Initiative is determined by Mobility, Athletics and Alertness, plus a random 1d4 component. Any rounds after that it's Mobility + dice (this means it can change, every round!) In a tie, highest mobility acts first.

Chiaki: 5+4 = 9
Laipei: 6+1 = 7
Frostfox: 5+2 = 7
Mitsu: 2+1= 3

 

[locked n loaded]

CHIAKI HAMADA​

Mm, that’s one way to eliminate half of the participants.

Chiaki leaps back from the blast, an arm raised to shield her eyes from the glare. She wasn’t expecting Von Dread to be so hasty, though she supposes the S.R.S.F. has the right to set whatever standards it chooses, with the pool of applicants waiting to make it through its doors. If that standard is constant battle preparedness, then so be it. The first rule of the Youth Patrol has always been to be ready at a moment’s notice, able to leap from standby to action as soon as a call came in.

Eyes narrowed, Chiaki surveils her surroundings, taking note of their armed attacker and the feeling figures. Given the test’s cooperative nature—

Chiaki drops to the roof, hands flickering between her supplies. Saltwater and scented oils pour out of corked bottles and smear under nimble fingers, sketching out the outline of the gate before a sprinkle of salt activates it. With her ritual pulsing, she adds an offering of boiled shrimp and rocks forward, hand already reaching out in a Hunter’s surety.

And success comes, leaving the gate in a cascade of water given form. Under her grasp, it settles into the form of a large fish, leaving Chiaki crouched atop its form as she pauses, waiting a moment for any possible passengers before allowing the spirit to bolt toward the fleeing figures.

Cast x1 Gate of Still Waters: Passage

coded by archangel_

 

[November Witch]

Laipei

Status: Interested
Location: (READACTED)
Interactions: Shadow Survivor

The android would watch as all the students filed into their pods, at which point, she received the invite. It was at this point her main focus would be ported into the virtual world everyone else found themselves in. Her rudimentary systems still functioned in the real world, keeping her balance and a vague awareness of her surroundings. But all things considered, she was in a totally different world now. Atop massive buildings, close enough to leap from one building to another. Laipei half considered investigating the code of this virtual world. But she figured that she’d get in trouble or be called a ‘cheater’ for attempting something like that. So, she figured she’d play ball like everyone else was.

Speaking of which, after Mr. Dread was finished speaking, an oval shaped projectile came whistling towards the building the participants stood upon. She’d catch it quickly and move away from that portion of the building quickly. It crumbled and collapsed as she heard screams from students either falling or injured. It was unfortunate, but she knew that the test was just that. They’d be fine… Hopefully. Somewhere to her right someone seemed to summon some sort of large fish as transportation. Being an android, Laipei obviously weighed hundreds of pounds. Even if she knew and trusted this person, it's likely she wouldn't test the fish's weight limit in a mission setting like this.

The blades around her waist would start to spin around her faster, as if getting ready to be used. Eager to experience combat. Even if Laipei preferred words over weapons. Her eyes would quickly identify the source of the explosion, and the figures running from the group. It was incredibly likely that the target was one of those attempting to run away. So, Laipei would get a running start before attempting to launch herself from one building to another. One that would get her closer to those running away. She would choose the figure on the left to attempt and pursue.

As for the bow user, Laipei knew she could likely calculate the trajectory of a mere arrow. She readied herself to dodge or intercept it if the cloaked man looked her direction. For now, however, she would focus on her speed and attempt to catch up to the left most figure.

 

[MageMantis]

Frostfox​

---

Upon noticing a large projectile hurling towards a nearby part of the building, she pointed her claw-like cannons to the coming chaos and activated their rockets to propel herself backwards from the sick explosion that engulfed multiple participants. She watched as a group of people were blasted to oblivion by the epic fiery inferno.

"Losers, should have moved quicker." Thought she.

Frostfox noticed three figures in the distance start taking off. "Bingo." Frostfox thought. She then noticed the orange-haired Paninaro prepare to pursuit the persons of interest, and...

"OH...EM...GEE...Is that who I think it is?" Thought Frostfox. While she wasn't a mega fan of Laipei, she was familiar with her music, and some of her songs were kind of fire. She watched as the Laipei danced across the rooftops. While awestruck, she wasn't going to let her get in the way of winning this challenge. Her old life wasn't going to reclaim itself. She sprinted forward and leapt off the roof, activating the rockets of her claw-like cannons mid-air as they pointed at about her vertical 8 o'clock, soaring through the air at high speeds.

She felt the wind rush through the fur on her face as she sailed over ultra-realistic digital buildings. She had been in impressively realistic simulations before, but something about this one felt immensely immersive. Seeing that Laipei was pursuing the figure on the left, she went to take her chances with the figure on the right. She changed trajectory to the figure on the right, flying towards the figure at full speed. She prepared to dodge any projectiles that came her way.

Game on.