Chapter Text
It’s 11:50 PM, and a young man is stumbling through my underbelly.
He is lost, disorientated. His body aches, and his mind slowly spills out onto my shores. Into the end that rests between the isolas. The scientifically minded of my people will discover that there was a 0.37% increase in the pale seemingly overnight.
But for now, the boy makes his way out of the tunnels, and into the light. He steps onto the 11:59 PM light rail city service and finally succumbs to unconsciousness.
Though he will not hear me, I will speak to him. As I do to all of my people.
Those who oppose fate and desire change…from time to time, they were referred to as tricksters.
He is the Trickster. He will rise and oppose the abyss of distortion…
SHIVERS [Impossible: Success] - …and it would appear he is about to wake up.
LIGHT RAIL – Light bursts into the carriage. Like a bomb going off, a flashbang, it startles you into wakefulness. The carriage rocks gently, and there’s a steady ‘ka-click, ka-clack’ of the tracks and wheels. It’s crowded. You’re sitting in one of the seats, a small black bag on your lap.
PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Medium: Success] – You hear two girls giggling to each other.
“What? Are you for real, a mental shutdown?”
“It’s the truth!” Insists the other.
“To a person, though? That’s gotta be a joke. You really love all that occult stuff, don’t you?”
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] – A ‘mental shutdown’ refers to a recent phenomena sweeping Seol, more specifically Seol Cite, where perfectly healthy people appear to suddenly either: go psychotic, or die in suspicious circumstances.
LOGIC [Godly: Failure] – There has been no satisfactory explanation given for these ‘mental shutdowns’. Maybe it’s the city life stress?
ENDURANCE – Better not be…if people who’ve lived here their entire lives can’t handle it, how will you?
VOLITION – Er…handle what?
ENDURANCE – What do you mean? Handle…uh…handle…
- I’m listening, go on.
- What the actual fuck is happening right now?
YOU – I’m listening, go on.
ENDURANCE – I don’t know. I don’t know why I said that.
LIGHT RAIL – An announcement from the speakers. “The next station is Tan Valley. Tan Valley station. The doors will open on the left hand side, in the direction of travel.”
INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] – This is your stop.
LOGIC – How do you know that?
INLAND EMPIRE – Do *you* know where we’re supposed to get off?
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Formidable: Failure] – No.
INLAND EMPIRE – That’s what I thought. Now get up, man.
- Can’t argue with that, I suppose. [Get up.]
- This is not normal. I’m not going to listen to strange voices telling me what to do. [Stay seated.]
YOU - This is not normal. I’m not going to listen to strange voices telling me what to do. [Stay seated.]
INLAND EMPIRE – Yes, you are. You get up and leave the carriage.
YOU – Can’t argue with that, I suppose. [Get up.]
VISUAL CALCULUS [Medium: Success] – You have bigger problems then weird feelings and intuition you can’t explain. You’re currently in the middle of a big city with total, retrograde amnesia. How are you going to navigate?
LOGIC [Medium: Success] – Yeah, undergoing total memory loss is never super convenient, but now of all times it is especially not good.
Task gained: Find out where you are.
Task gained: Find out where you’re supposed to be.
DRAMA [Formidable: Success] – If you are going to panic, sire, you should really sell it. Let everyone know the anguish you’re under! Show them the depth of your sorrow!
- What the hell am I going to do!? (Start panicking in the middle of the station.)
- [Drama – Easy 8] Start panicking, but really sell it. Put your heart into it.
- [Composure – Challenging 12] Stay calm.
YOU – Stay calm.
CHECK SUCCESS
COMPOSURE [Challenging: Success] – It’s not as difficult as you thought it would be. The total amnesia is actually helping, it’s like it’s completely disconnecting you from the reality of the situation.
SAVOIR FAIRE [Medium: Success] – You’re just standing in the middle of the station. Since you’re not going to have a panic attack, you should go sit down or something.
LOGIC – And think. You’re going to have to do something.
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Easy: Success] – You could always *ask* someone for help. People are polite around here.
EMPATHY [Medium: Failure] – Yes, they’d be happy to help!
HALF LIGHT – No way! You can’t let people know you have amnesia, they’ll call an ambulance or something and chuck you in a loony bin!
SAVOIR FAIRE [Easy: Success] – Also, it’d be super uncool.
VOLITION – Coolness is not of vital importance, here. You’ve got to get to wherever you’re meant to be.
ENCYCLOPEDIA – Where? You’re suffering from total amnesia, here. You don’t even know what that thing you were on is.
LIGHT RAIL STATION – It’s in the name.
ENCYCLOPEDIA – Yeah, but what does that mean? It’s just words. Not very helpful.
LIGHT RAIL STATION – Well I can’t tell him. Not my job.
INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] – You get the distinct sense the light rail station is sticking up it’s nose.
Task gained: Find out what a ‘light rail’ is.
- Fuck you, light rail station. (Kick the bench you’re on.)
- Am I talking to a building right now? Is this normal?
YOU – Am I talking to a building right now? Is this normal?
LIGHT RAIL STATION – If you have to ask, the answer is no.
LOGIC [Easy: Success] – It’s not.
- Should I be concerned about this?
- Okay, just wanted to ask. Carry on.
YOU – Should I be concerned about this?
COMPOSURE – Nope! If you start worrying you’ll undo all my good work preventing a panic attack. So stop thinking about it.
SAVOIR FAIRE [Easy: Success] – Hey, wait a second. Look down, what are we wearing?
VOLITION [Easy: Success] – Why does that matter?
SAVOIR FAIRE – We gotta know what we’re working with.
SHUJIN ACADEMY UNIFORM – You’re wearing…a school uniform. It’s rather sleek, though, a white turtle-neck with a black blazer and red buttons. Wow, stylish. The pants are red and black plaid, held up by suspenders. Black shoes. Also, you’re wearing glasses.
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] – Wait, what? Your eyesight is fine, you don’t need glasses. No, these aren’t even prescription. Why are you wearing these?
SAVOIR FAIRE [Easy: Success] – Fashion, baby.
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] – To hide…
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Easy: Success] – Don’t you feel smarter just wearing these?
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) – Well, there’s no drawbacks to your sight on these, so go wild I guess.
- I don’t need these. (Take them off.)
- Yeah, fashion! (Keep them on.)
YOU – Yeah, fashion! (Keep them on.)
COMPOSURE – Yes, they’ll make you look sophisticated.
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Easy: Success] – A school uniform…so, you must be high-school aged.
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] – There’s also a pin on the blazer. It has ‘2’ on it.
ESPRIT DE CORPS – A second year high school student would place you at about 16-17.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Easy: Success] – Oh, yes! You know what that means, right?
LOGIC [Challenging: Failure] – Uh…no?
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] – 16 is the minimum age for minors to be able to obtain a motor carriage license, and drink under parental permission.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – And also the age you can start banging chicks!
VOLITION [Medium: Failure] - Wait, really?
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – Yeah, man! Get to it! And drink, and stuff.
SUGGESTION [Easy: Success] – You can’t just get to having sex. You have to ease into it, get to know the lady first.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – Come on, if you’re a high school student then you’ll be hanging around a bunch of other horny teens all day. It shouldn’t be that hard. Unless we’re ugly.
Oh, god, what if we’re ugly?!!
Task gained: Guage your own attractiveness
Task gained: Bang a chick
VOLITION [Easy: Success] – No.
Task removed: Bang a chick
REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] – Wait a second, look over there!
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Trivial: Success] – Among the crowds of people waiting for light rails and leaving the station, you spot a distinct black and red silhouette. It’s the same school uniform you’re wearing.
ESPRIT DE CORPS – Perhaps you know each other?
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – A chick!
SUGGESTION – Can you put a lid on it, dude?
- [Go up and talk to her.]
- [Leave her alone.]
YOU – [Go up and talk to her.]
VIOLET GYMNAST – She’s very easy to pick out from the rest of the crowd. For one, she has vibrant red hair, along with a bright red ribbon. She’s also the only other person you can see wearing the school uniform you are. She’s rather petite and slim.
HALF LIGHT [Easy: Success] – She has violent in her name! You can’t trust her.
RHETORIC [Easy: Success] – Violet. Violet. Can you read, Mr. Twitchy?
INLAND EMPIRE – You feel like this will be funny, but not for a long while.
- “Excuse me, do we go to the same school?”
- “Hi, I need some help.”
- “Do we happen to know each other?”
- “Am I ugly? Be honest, I can take it.”
- “Do these glasses look good on me?”
YOU – “Excuse me, do we go to the same school?”
VIOLENT GYMNAST – She’s standing by a public payphone, a frustrated expression on her face, when you go up to her.
“Oh! Um, yes, it would seem so.”
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] – Her eyes flicker to the pin on your blazer, and so do yours. She’s a first year. She smiles.
VIOLET GYMNAST – “I’m only a first year, though. I’m transferring, in fact! You must be my senpai!” She bows. “My name is Yoshizawa Kasumi! It’s nice to meet you, senpai!”
AUTHORITY [Medium: Failure] – ‘Senpai’? Is she calling you a name? This little girl?
- “Are you calling me names?”
- “’Senpai’?”
- “Nice to meet you, too.”
YOU – “’Senpai’?”
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – “You’re a second year, aren’t you? I’m only a first year, so that makes you my upper-classman.”
RHETORIC – Still confused.
SAVOIR FAIRE [Medium: Success] – This girl is cute. Please don’t ruin this by telling her you have amnesia.
DRAMA [Medium: Success] – Yes, do not do that.
- “I’m afraid I still don’t understand. What does ‘senpai’ mean?"
- “Oh, okay. Moving on…”
- “That’s right. I’m your senpai.”
YOU – “I’m afraid I still don’t understand. What does ‘senpai’ mean?"
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – “Uhm…you go to Shujin, right? And you’re a second year? I’m in the first year, and you’re above me, so that makes you my senpai…” She trails off at the sight of your blank stare. She seems to understand that you’re not familiar with what she’s talking about. “Are you from the country, senpai? It’s a term of respect. You’re above me, in terms of authority, so I call you ‘senpai’. You would call me ‘kouhai’.
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] – She thinks it’s a little weird that you don’t know this, but her opinion of you hasn’t lowered. She seems to be a nice girl.
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – She’s still smiling, if a bit hesitantly.
- “Oh, okay. Thank you. Moving on…”
- “That’s right. I’m your senpai.”
YOU – “Oh, okay. Thank you. Moving on…”
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – She’s waiting for something…
SUGGESTION [Trivial: Success] – Heads up, people usually introduce themselves when they speak to someone new.
- But I don’t know my name.
- I don’t care.
YOU – But I don’t know my name.
CONCEPTUALISATION [Medium: Success] – Oh, this is the perfect chance to stretch those creative muscles! Come up with something new!
LOGIC – You don’t really see how Yoshizawa can help you. It’s not like she’ll know where you’re meant to be. You clearly don’t know each other. But you don’t have any better ideas, so…
- [Conceptualization – Medium 11] Invent a name for yourself.
- “I’ve completely lost my memory.”
- “Where are we?”
- “I’m a little lost. Could you help me?”
- “Do you know what a ‘light rail’ is?
- “Am I ugly? Be honest, I can take it.”
- “Do these glasses look good on me?”
- [Suggestion – Heroic 15] Flirt with her.
YOU – Invent a name for yourself.
+1 Re-invent yourself!
CHECK SUCCESS
CONCEPTUALISATION [Medium: Success] – Kurusu Akira!
- Extremely cool. I like it.
- What does it mean?
- “I’m Kurusu Akira, by the way.”
YOU – Extremely cool. I like it.
CONCEPTUALISATION – Yes, isn’t it? It’s snappy. The syllables click.
REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] – Snap-snap. Click-click. I’m in favour.
- Extremely cool. I like it.
- What does it mean?
- “I’m Kurusu Akira, by the way.”
YOU – What does it mean?
CONCEPTUALISATION – It could have multiple meanings, depending on the characters used to write it. One possible meaning could be “bright dawn”.
In another isola’s language, ‘Akira’ also sounds like ‘A killer’, and ‘Kurusu’ sounds like ‘Korosu’ which means to kill. If you rearrange the family and first name, it means ‘A killer who kills.’ Isn’t that cool as fuck?
- Never mind, this is lame and I’m not saying that.
- That just makes it even cooler!
- “I’m Kurusu Akira, by the way.”
- “I don’t remember my name. Sorry.”
- “I’m currently in between names right now.”
- Just don’t mention your name. Or, lack thereof.
YOU – “I’m Kurusu Akira, by the way.”
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – “Nice to meet you, Kurusu-senpai!”
- “I’ve completely lost my memory.”
- “Where are we?”
- “I’m a little lost. Could you help me?”
- “Do you know what a ‘light rail’ is?”
- “Am I ugly? Be honest, I can take it.”
- “Do these glasses look good on me?”
- [Suggestion – Heroic 15] Flirt with her.
YOU – “I’ve completely lost my memory.”
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – “Huh? Um, haha, that’s funny, senpai.”
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] – She’s not actually amused. A little confused.
- “I’m not joking. I woke up on that thing (point toward the ‘light rail’ things) without any memories and a voice in my head told me to get off here.”
- “Yeah, what a funny joke, right? Ha ha.”
YOU – “I’m not joking. I woke up on that thing (point toward the ‘light rail’ things) without any memories and a voice in my head told me to get off here.”
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – She doesn’t know what to say.
- “Please believe me.”
- “Do you not believe me?”
- “Also, is talking to buildings normal? I asked the building but I don’t know if it’s a reliable source of information.”
- “Like, do you ever talk with yourself? That’s the kind of thing I’m getting here.”
YOU – “Please believe me.”
SUGGESTION - …see, you’re saying that, but the tone just isn’t right. Too flat.
COMPOSURE – That might be my fault. Sorry, but if I release my hold on your emotions you’re going to completely spiral. You’re just kind of blank right now.
SAVOIR FAIRE [Formidable: Failure] – Fuck it, you already told her you lost your memory and you hear voices. Her opinion of you can’t get any worse. Let it all loose!
- Let your emotions loose.
- Nope, don’t want to have a panic attack right now, thank you! (Keep it all locked up.)
- [Drama – Legendary 14] Fake your own desperation, despite the fact you actually are desperate.
YOU – Fake your own desperation, despite the fact you actually are desperate.
-1 Staying calm
CHECK FAILURE
DRAMA [Legendary: Failure] – Really sell this, sire. Put your whole heart into this performance. She’s not going to believe you unless you really display anguish and terror in your words and actions. Remember, you’re meant to be desperate.
- “Please, I…I’m really scared! I don’t know what to do, or where I am, or who I am! I beg of you! I BEG OF YOU!”
- (Grasp her hand in yours.) “My fair maiden, I must implore you for your assistance! When I woke up in this strange land, the only person I could find to assist me was you, my dear, for we both don this uniform! I know not of the place we reside, nor where I am meant to be! I am so confused, so lost, so alone!”
- Just (pretend to) completely break down.
YOU - (Grasp her hand in yours.) “My fair maiden, I must implore you for your assistance! When I woke up in this strange land, the only person I could find to assist me was you, my dear, for we both don this uniform! I know not of the place we reside, nor where I am meant to be! I am so confused, so lost, so alone!”
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – As you grasp her hand, her face goes completely red, as red as her hair. She stammers. “Hu-huh? Um, please let go of my hand, senpai! I-I believe you, so please calm down!”
You release her hand. The redness slowly disappears from her face, and she gently rubs the hand you grabbed with the other.
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] – You grabbing her hand like that distracted her from what you were saying, so she missed the archaic language. But she got the gist from your tone and actions.
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – “So, um, you completely lost your memory, you said? That’s pretty severe!”
RHETORIC [Medium: Success] – Yeah, you think?
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – “I think you need to go the hospital or something! That’s really serious, senpai. Do you want me to call someone? Oh—er, but you wouldn’t remember if you had anyone to call…Do you feel okay? Does your head hurt?
EMPATHY [Trivial: Success] – This is not what she was expecting to happen today.
SUGGESTION [Trivial: Success] – She’s a little out of her depth, here.
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] – Maybe say something to reassure her?
- “I’m okay. Physically, I mean. A little sore. But it’s really just the memory loss.”
- “I’m sure it’s just a temporary thing. I’ll probably get it all back any second now! Don’t worry about it.”
- “I mean, I’m sure it’s not a big deal. This probably happens all the time, right?”
- “You’re right, maybe we should call someone.”
- “I’m kind of freaking out here, yeah.”
- “You think I’m dying?”
YOU – “I mean, I’m sure it’s not a big deal. This probably happens all the time, right?”
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – “Oh, no…It doesn’t, senpai.” She sounds sorry for you.
INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] – You feel like there’s somewhere you’re meant to be. You remember this, despite the total erasure of everything else. Staying with someone…
INTERFACING [Easy: Success] – Aren’t you carrying a bag right now? Maybe there’s clues in there about what you’re doing here, and who you are?
SCHOOL BAG – You open the bag and begin to rummage around. There’s not much in here, a water bottle, a wallet (cash, but no ID)—oh, wait! In one of the pockets, there’s a small piece of paper. On it is written an address for a ‘Sojiro Sakura’.
YOU – “I’ve got an address written here!”
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – “You do? That’s great, senpai! Let’s see…oh, I know where this is! I’ve been in this neighbourhood before, there’s a café there my dad visits sometimes.”
“But, I really think you need to see a doctor first.” She frowns.
- “What is a ‘doctor’?
- “I don’t want to go to a doctor. I’m fine. I just want to get to wherever this place is.”
- “I’ll be chucked in the loony bin if they find out about this. No way.”
- “No. Let’s go!”
- “I had some more questions before we go, actually.”
YOU – “No. Let’s go!”
YOSHIZAWA KASUMI – “Senpai, you really should…oh, okay. Come with me. We’re going to have to catch another light rail. Ah—you don’t know what that is, do you?”