Hidden 1 mo ago Post by Crawkid
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A plastic grocery bag crinkles as it dangles from his hand, just a few items from the gas station on the way home from the basketball court. Head of brown hair bobs with old school headphones and a walkman; the only thing he reaching his ears is some music his mom burned on a cd a long time ago. As he vibes with it, his mind passively picks out interesting sounds to use later in his own music.

All in all, a regular Saturday morning for Talon.

He continues to bop his way along as he reaches the door of his flat. Through the brick-edged doorway and up the staircase to the side. One key turn, the door opens and locks shut behind him, and a backpack hits the floor. He'll empty it later, and put things where they belong. he doesn't move right away, however, too into the song to stop it midway. It's only when it flows through to its natural end that he feels right hitting pause and slipping the headphones down.

The sounds here were totally different than the booming base. Quieter, but always with a buzz of lower level noise. People talking out loud, children laughing, horn honking, tires squealing, the far off music of the local cantina. And in that new vibe, he starts humming and bopping his head to a beat he has not even yet crafted.

His movements were fairly well practiced, his task absolutely mundane. One instant ramen in the microwave and a sports water on the counter. The bag gets crumpled up and tossed in the garbage basketball style and he finally grabs his bag.

He could study later, or even tomorrow.

The bag has now been abandoned again, this time at the foot of his bed.

With an exhale, the young man would set the walkman down and plop down into his comfy gamer's chair. For a moment he stayed still, just collecting his thoughts and running though the mental checklist of what he wanted to do while at his desk.

The first thing he wanted to do was have some game time, check out this new game that his buddy recommended him. It sounded interesting, because while most MMOs were about killig slime monsters and orcs, this one had ghosts and demons and the like. A little different with a harder edge, supposedly.

Navigating there wasnt hard. In fact, it was the usual. Pop in the disk, write in a code, enter a username, password, and start a new character. For something like this, he wasn't really going put much thought into it. Infact, he was just going to use his name.

He messed around with the sliders a little bit - something that actually turned into a two hour venture, given how many options there were.

And then he pushed play.
Hidden 1 mo ago Post by AwesomeZero5
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The starting area was based off of game-play region according to a couple of the pop-ups. It seemed that the local area would be the town of Coleburgh. An old coal & natural gas town that had long been covered in thick layers of smog before the 'disappearances' had begun throughout the world. The place resembled more of a large industrial age city, with brick buildings standing tall though soulless. Factories pumping out smoke without people to run them, and generally a rather eerie and depressed atmosphere to the place.

The spawn point would be right in front of a decaying puppet store, given a little bit of an introduction animation to arriving there.

Aread Khosrow, a 'Half-fae' in this game would spawn out of the puppet store opening the door. A short humanoid, with sligthly pointed ears, and a mostly slim figure overall. Their skin was a a deep faded purple, and eyes a bright red to match. Along their body were faint bluish-veins pushed to the surface, that looked like they came from a painful transformation. The blue would match the small dragon-fly like wings along their back.
The character had brown long skirt, over a pair of baggy pants and was holding a large gnarled branch wrapped around an amber stone. Their, starting weapon.

A game pop-up would appear on the gaming screen!
It was blurry and had suddenly flashed onto screen with a big green button.
It was hard to read all of it from the smaller text, but in big bold lettering:




NEW PLAYER EXPERIENCE SIGN UP NOW!
IN DEPTH GAMEPLAY
INCREASED EXPERIENCE, WITH 3D VISUAL TRACING
REALISTIC FIRST VISUALS UPDATE OPTION AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT 5 MINUTES!



Without thinking much about it, Aread would click the option.
Figuring it would be helpful as a 'new player', and that most others would probably do so as well.

"Guess they're trying to speed level new players closer to the higher level content."
Aread would speak up.
Hidden 1 mo ago Post by Crawkid
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Having already spawned it, Talon stood off to the side of the spawnpoint. He would look around the spawn area with a little half grin, and definitely took a moment to take in the music. "Nice, moody." he nods to himself. Then he checks out his weapon, which was essentially just a sharpened stick. He snirks, "Oh yea. I guess that's level one for you."

He had created a bog standard human, and used his first name. The idea was to use the character as a temporary one, to learn the game before starting something more interesting to get more serious. But that didn't mean that he hadn't had some fun with the looks. He had chosen to have black, short hair and blue eyes. Theres not a lot to modify on a human body, but there is makeup. Yes, even on male characters.

He took, in contrast with his blue eyes, golden eyeshadow that shimmers just a bit lighter than his skin tone. And from the outside corner of his eyes, a little spike of red, that takes a sudden angle, coming down to his mid-cheeks. He liked it because it had reminded him of some MMOs from some anime he had watched.

He was about to take a more thorough look around the are when a window popped up infront of him. "huh.."

Increased experience? visual tracking? Heck yes.

He too would push the button.

Then, hearing someone speak up, He looks over and nods, "That makes sense."
Hidden 24 days ago Post by AwesomeZero5
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Aread would go ahead and click the button as well. It seemed like it may be a helpful boon, and install some quick software updates or expansion packs and whatever else. It typically felt easier to download all the content up front, instead of incrementally along the way. That way, he didn't have to worry about forgetting it or anything else weird like that. It's happened once or twice in other MMOs with 'locked content' areas.
Which can be annoying if you have a quest, or plans with a party to explore the area only to have to sit out an hour or so game update.

Once the two had accepted the pop-up request.
Things would take a darker and perhaps weird turn. The visuals of the game would glitch and distort into a 'blurry' haze for the first few seconds.
Before the entire screen would blast a blinding white light.
If someone could stand looking at it for a moment, they would see the vague outlines of three eyes staring at the observer, along with a set of drooling, sharpened fangs leaking onto the void.

Things would shift again as the vague 'haze' of the game's last image would rapidly approach toward the eyes.
Practically charging and then entirely overlaying one's field of vision. Until it seemed the game itself aimed to entirely impose itself onto the players' retinas, forcing them into a first person view of the game.
Although, it would likely extend beyond that. As whatever unnatural force was involved, not only tried to put the players' in the perspective of their game avatars, but fully inserted into the avatar's bodies as well.

A presence in the background fading with a pained laugh.

Aread would be on his knees in the middle of the sidewalk. Reactively clinging onto the staff for balance, despite the fact the half-fae looked almost ready to hurl. It looked like they didn't have a pleasant experience either.
Hidden 23 days ago Post by Crawkid
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Talon was always the kind to like new things, and advancements that make things easier or more fun. 3D visuals and visual tracing? That sounded awesome. He schooled his excitement and hype a little bit, trying not to let it run away with him. It might not be a proper experience - judging by the time limit, maybe it's even in beta. But at least the idea of bumping up beginners sounded good, even if everything else ended up buggy. No one wants to grind through the lower levels.

He blinks as things begin to blur, and then there was the flash! "Gah!" he looks away at first out of reflex, before looking back into the whiteness, trying to make anything out. In the end, he didn't quite see all that was there to see, but he did see some vague oval shapes before it was gone again...only for the game to rush forward and begin messing with his vision.

In the end, he doesnt end up on his knees - still standing, but haunched over with his hand over his eyes. "God...DAMN, that hurt..."

Hidden 21 days ago Post by AwesomeZero5
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"I turned brightness down. How the hell-..."
Aread would groan out. and rub at his eyes. The motion was rather realistic in comparison to a simple emote. It didn't look like it was pre-programmed in, and this game didn't have a natural VR headset compatibility built into it. Perhaps something strange simply to dismiss but it was another small detail.

The half-fae would continue to rub at their eyes for a moment or two. Their vision was covered in different colored spots, but was soon returning to normal. They could see the cold and silent street covered in a mixture of dust and ash as if the place hadn't been traversed in ages. The wary and coated stone with very few splecks cleaned from where it had rained a long while before.

Aread would look around the area. Stumbling back to their feet. Before quickly turning around in multiple circles. Adjusting their hands in front of them, flexing the individual fingers to type on an imaginary keyboard. Motioning as if he was controlling a mouse.
But there would be no sign of, reaction from his own movements.
He also, didn't feel anything in front of him.

"What-"
"Where..."
Aread would suddenly snap over toward Talon. Quickly hurriedly pacing over toward the standard human. Before trying to slug the human's right shoulder, not enough to leave a sting, but enough to get attention, maybe hurt as much as a small pinch.

"Did you feel that? Where are you right now?"
He'd shoot the words in a worried pace. Biting down on his lower lip to keep himself from overloading Talon with more questions.

The skitters of vermin, or other creatures could faintly be heard in the distance.
Better than any surround sound than most speak systems, at least without studio quality.
Although, there was also a distant groaning-.
Hidden 20 days ago Post by Crawkid
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The human had to take a moment to get his eyes working, through the usual way of squinting and rubbing. It clearly has not become apparent, nor registered to him, that he was a character that should not be able to move himself like that. He hadn't even yet realized the weight and feel of his coat moving with him yet.

And in that state, the half-fae had approached him.

Given that he was supposed to be alone in his place, let alone his room, the physical contact got an immediate reaction from him. A gasp of surprise, and instinctive moving away and putting his hands up, "Woah! woah who- ...what do you mean where am I? I'm -! ...I'm...?"

He blinks as he registers the person infront of him, not only incredibly odd, but also looking exactly like that character he had just seen on his computer screen a moment ago. Perhaps his next thought would have been to wonder if the guy playing that character happened to live near him, and cosplay...if he had not noticed the landscape behind the man. The unfamiliar yet newly familiar sight stunned him. What was going on? The streets dont look like that...

He stood still as seconds went by, his gears slowly changing. Then he took a deep, slightly shakey breath, "y-yea...yea...ok. That's...too real." Another moment of stunned silence later - he finally turns his attention back to the other guy, his eyes widening with realization, "Yea, I did feel that!"
Hidden 17 days ago Post by AwesomeZero5
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Aread would stare at the human in front of him for a moment. A large part of that was simply trying to remember the other person's name. He saw it a moment ago on their nameplate. But it was rather a struggle to recall on command only after a few seconds of seeing it. He'd click his tongue a few times and simply look around in worry as the wires of brain starting sparking up again.

"Taon..."
"Overlords Supreme..."
"Ah! Talon, yes that was it."
His brain worked round about to get a name.
It had pulled up an association first, before getting the answer.

"Yes, Talon's your name right? Uhm, mass hallucination... but it would seem you confirmed it. Also... pain wouldn't seem as likely."
"shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit."
He groaned and rubbed through his hair and arched his back in confusion.

"So, we may be in a brutal legends situation. But, no way that's real right?"
Aread would click his tongue for a few moments. Before mimicking movements of a computer in the air once more. He was trying to figure out how to interact with the world once more. Grumbling too himself, as it didn't seem to work.

"Alright, so let's... assume this is a brutal legends or spy kids 3 situation, since we can both feel things. That means we have to... continue onward to complete the game, or find some form of... evil overlord to let us out. But we have to figure out how to, fight for lack of a better word."
He closed his eyes. Before starting to wave the magic staff about in the air.
Trying to focus, trying to reach deeper into his mind, or himself.
Maybe, something would seem familiar, or maybe something would happen.

He could... vaguely sense something.

The faint groaning would grow closer...
Hidden 8 days ago Post by Crawkid
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It's still settling into his mind, how the streets look. How the buildings look. How this person looks...

Wow, and to thin he could have been almost anything. If he had known, he would have second guessed his choice to make a human.

Talon thinks he looks cool in his own way, but still.

The settling continues, and he sighs with regret as he starts trying to think things through. Trying to ignore the earth-shattering idea of having just been...absorbed into a game? Transported into a world? He watches as his comrade in world hopping does enough freaking out for the both of them. Pursing his lips, he nods slowly. "Yea I uh...don't really get those references youre making there. I barely even remember the trailer for spykids3 and...have no idea what the other one is. but -"

Talon frowns, testing moving his hands or his weapon, "...isn't this like an isekai?"

He stops and frowns, looking around again, "..but..aren't isekais like...getting pulled into a better world, usually...? This place is a d-"

While looking around, his eyes catch on something. Or someone. At first, what Talon saw was a guy slumped over but still shuffling towards them. Then there was the groaning, which he only just realized he had been hearing for some time now. The human tenses up. Did a game like this have zombies? No way right...? It was supposed to be about demons and that kind of thing...right?

it was then he saw the concealed culprit- the brown paper bag in the figure's hand giving him reason to relax a little bit. Looking over at his compatriot, he nodded back in the man's direction, "...wanna check out our first NPC?"

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A vision of a card would flicker in and out of Aread's mind. He wanted to search for, someway to escape this situation. Someway to slip out, and his mind would drift between a vague image of..., some creature, to an odd transparent outline. A card would appear briefly inside of his hand as well as he reached out for it.
He gripped tight onto the image in his head, and in the card in his hand.
Shattering the card into some form of mystical ether.

Aread would vanish from sight entirely. Using The Shadow.
He would turn translucent at first, and then would vanish from sight entirely.
Looking around, he didn't feel much different and his surroundings didn't seem to change.

"Spy kids are classic movies. As for Brutal legend it's a bit more a cult classic video game series about being pulled into another world by a magic belt to fight demons if I remember correctly. It has a lot of inspiration from the metal genre-."

"Isekai... that sounds like one of those ani-moo type of deals, yeah?"
He struggled and rubbed at the bottom of his chin. Still quite invisible, but he was fairly audible.
He could still be heard if was making a decent amount of noise, talking being an obvious way to be noticed.

Once the groaning got too close, Aread would ready his staff. He might need to swing on a monster.
Only to see a person shuffling toward them. This game was a paranormal one, so it didn't seem out of the question that zombies might be around. In truth, just about anything goes in this situation. A bleak town with zombies in it didn't seem out of the question.

"Suuuure."
Aread would state.
Despite not being visible, his tone conveyed a cautiousness to it.
As he would approach toward the stumbling guy with his staff raised defensively.
Hidden 5 days ago 5 days ago Post by Crawkid
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"Well yea, I know they're classic movies....I just stopped after the sequel...." He pauses his attempts to make anything happen with his hands and grumbles, noticing that his new friend has turned invisible. But that didn't stop or change the conversation once he realized what had happened. After all, they were in the same situation, just trying to figure out how things work.

It's cool that the guy could figure something out. Whether or not he figured out how to turn back visible was going to be another thing, but it can't be that tough. Or he hopes it isn't anyways. Not that Talon has the ability to turn invisible. What were his skills again? OR...what the game called them...cards?

He'd have to think about that more later- for the moment the old drunk has his attention, as the NPC represents a more tangible form of progression.

"And its anime, not animoo" He says, the last point he wants to make on the previous topic, right before ending it there and speaking up, "Hey old man -"

"Hrg? Old Man?! You fool! Is that any way to talk to someone?"

Talon grins, just glad that at least interacting with people around here will be easy. No need to mentally push a button or anything, like a real isekai, "Oh don't be like that. We- er.." Right, invisible..."Im just someone who got kicked out of his home and I'm just getting into town. I could use some help figuring shit out."

"Well you don't ask for help like that!" yells the man, his mystery bag sloshing as he stands up taller, "No wonder ye got kicked out, your parents were failures."

Ouch. Enough to rankle some people, but Talon was having too much fun messing with this guy to take it too seriously, and just grins, "Oh come off it, and just point me around will ya? I'll pay you as soon as I get some money."
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