awakening

[deceptura]

wake up.

When you wake, you'll find yourself laying on a cold, hard sidewalk. The gentle sound of rain fills your senses, and you can feel your clothes, damp, clinging to your skin. The sky is still a little bright, but it won't be for much longer. The sun is setting. You rise, and pull the hood of your top over your head to shield you from the rain. The clothes you're in will keep you safe and warm from the cool, rainy weather.

You survey your surroundings. You only vaguely remember where you were before this, and not much else. Though you also remember the gentle voice in your head that offered you an opportunity you didn't want to pass up: The chance to remember who you are.

And perhaps that starts here and now, in this strange futuristic city you've found yourself in.

Not long after you get onto your feet, a screen -- a hologram, for those who would be able to recognize that -- pops up in front of you. A soothing, calming voice speaks to you:

Greetings, [name], and welcome to Harmonia. My name is Abby and I will be your personal assistant. We will be making our way to the DICE building at the heart of the city. I have connected you to your other associates in the instance where you must communicate with them. Please listen and watch carefully as I will be providing you with directions to the location.

Suddenly, the screen changes to a navigational system of sorts. Those who aren't familiar with technology may be at a total loss, bu Abby is here to help.

Directions may be as follows:

Head 40 feet north and make a right onto Cygnus Bridge. After the end of bridge, turn left.

And for anyone who defies Abby, they'll be met with something cryptic. Something worrying.

Something dangerous.

You will follow these instructions if you value your life.

Comments

[nyansensical]

[They're not sure what's happening, when they come to laying on the ground, staring at the buildings towering above them. Everything feels... Strange. Fuzzy. Like there's something missing, something wrong, but it's not something they can place.

They push themself to their feet, seemingly unbothered by the feeling of damp clothing clinging to them, and before they even get the chance to get oriented there's...A projection and a voice. They blink at the greeting, confused by Abby's appearance and their insistence that they need to go to the DICE building.

They hesitate for a moment, before sighing and following the nav towards their destination. Hopefully...They'll get some answers.]

[yuanqi]

[ oh! it's a person!

the sound of hurried footsteps probably announces wei wuxian's presence ahead of time, but eventually he appears, holding his hood so it doesn't slip back. he's already stuffed in inordinate amount of hair in there as it is, running in a light breeze is just pushing it. ]

Hello! Are you following the— [ he blanks for a second, which is a very new feeling because he's not usually lacking for words, but he's tripping over the scale of this place still. ] —..ah! Directions! Do you know Abby?

[ she said she was his personal assistant though, after all, so maybe this is a foolish question. ]

[eyeshadowing]

[ yuri would be lying if he said he wasn't completely out of his element here. the technology, the city -- none of it is comprehensible to him. he doesn't understand how someone's talking to him like this when there's no one in his immediate vicinity. he doesn't understand the screen in front of him.

and after abby speaks (and subsequently connects yuri to the others), yuri lets out a dry laugh.

all of this can be heard by the other participants. ]

"Yuri", huh... [ a pause. ] And why should I trust you when you won't even show yourself to me?

This is my true form, Yuri. You will follow these instructions if you value your life.

audio;

[nyansensical]

[The voice coming over the device is soft, slightly feminine, and decidedly monotone.]

Hey, hey, not everyone has a physical body to show off, y'know.

audio

[rupturingheaven]

Isn't there a saying about attracting more flies with honey rather than vinegar... You would think an incentive would work better than a threat.

[Byleth is just as uncomprehending of all of this, but she's just... rolling with it. Might as well, right?]

audio...... i just realized what hell this cr is going to be oh god oh no

[raygunner]

It does seem terribly suspicious, doesn't it?

[wellfunctioningarm]

Heart of the city, huh? Should be easy enough to find.

[... Despite saying that, he's going to follow the instructions as he gets going. If this is to remember who he is... Well.

... Maybe he's not sure if he trusts this, but it's his only lead as things stand. So he'll play along for now.]

audio;

[nyansensical]

Heart of the city just means more buildings to get confused by.

[The voice comes over Nero's chip - smooth and monotone, slightly feminine. Sounds a bit more natural than Abby, just lacking inflection.]

Audio

[tsunotarou]

It was pretty easy.

[following the detailed instructions helped!]

Are you near the building yet?

[yuanqi]

[ the fact that the damp, clingy clothing isn't really a bother is one observation he makes right away. so he's the type of person who doesn't mind being grimy! that's.. something. nothing else about this makes sense, so stick to what you do know.

he jumps back and away from the hologram when it appears, hands raised defensively. after a moment or two of the strange voice speaking in that unnatural way that manages to fail at being even a little soothing, he moves closer to inspect it — leaving no angle unexamined. can confirm: it's weirdly floating?? ]

Hmmm. But what if I go this way, huh, Abby?

[ he just wants to know. wei wuxian gets all of three steps in the opposite direction before abby responds with her cryptic threat. of course, he's already been connected to everyone else unbeknownst to him by then.

he laughs nervously and scoots in the proper direction, for lack of options. ]

It was a joke! Abby, why are you so serious?

[ not that she has an answer for him, other than to repeat her instructions in the same weirdly cheerful monotone while he gets moving.. ]

voice

[eyeshadowing]

Well well well, it looks like we have a troublemaker on our hands.

[ he says, as if he isn't one himself.... ]

I think Abby could afford to lighten up a little, if you ask me.

[tsunotarou]

Did you fight with ABBY?

[Because why would you?]

[philoxenia]

[ she... you know, she isn't sure she wants to follow those instructions, actually. something about it makes her feel deeply uncomfortable, and she spends a while intentionally not going to the bridge. unfortunately, apparently abby has something else in mind. ]

... "If I value my life"?

[ something in her wants to follow those even less, then! ]

You know, something a little less threatening would help here....

audio

[eyeshadowing]

Is it a threat, though?

[ yuri. stop menacing people over voice chat. PLEASE. ]

Or is it a warning?

audio;

[flameandash]

[Time to be incredibly unhelpful!]

Why, are you scared of what the disembodied robot voice could do?

audio

[rupturingheaven]

Not exactly enticing, is it?

voice

[tsunotarou]

Did ABBY threaten you?

[Because Malleus followed the instructions and is now at the bridge, and it's not so bad really.]

[tsunotarou]

[Waking up with rain falling on his face is a bit... Relaxing.

He sits up, head raised as the rain falls and he closes his eyes. He's enjoying the buzz in his head, where nothing comes to mind, until someone talks.]

Malleus.

[That's an interesting name. Might as well follow the instructions. He stands up, and follows the directions even if the weird screen is weird.]

Cygnus Bridge... I think.

[He's staring at the bridge, and Abby speaks again. Apparently he's going in the right direction.]

Left after the bridge. Got it.

[Hopefully there'll be others at the other side.]

[nyansensical]

[He's not alone, at least! There's plenty of people in this city, and one, apparently, has noticed him confirming his directions.]

Are you dealing with Abby, too?

[Just...right to the point. Their voice is gentle, slightly feminine, and oddly...monotone.]

[rupturingheaven]

[There is in fact someone lingering at the other side of the bridge!

She looks up when she spots Malleus out of the corner of her eye, and lifts a hand in greeting.]

Are you going to the DICE building too?

[itsjiaheng]

This is me.. turning left.

[ this jongdae announces, coming to the place Abby and her helpful arrows and computer voice have instructed.

he recalls that she said something about 'associates', so maybe there's someone else on their way here? ]

This thing have any other functions..? Like.. 'hey Abby, show me a map'..?

Please listen and watch carefully as I will be providing you with directions to the location.

Okay, but a map would still be—

Please listen and watch carefully as I will be providing you with directions to the location.

[ maybe memes just live in your bloodstream and become a part of you unconsciously because his immediate reaction is to put his hands on his hips and mockingly mouth the words abby's repeating. spongebob_meme.jpg lives in us all. ]

Okay. Fine.

audio

[wellfunctioningarm]

Don't you know? A map would be too useful.

[He's really trying to keep the snicker out of his voice after hearing that. Trying.]

audio

[philoxenia]

... A map really would be better, wouldn't it? I'd feel more comfortable following a map than a mysterious voice.

[ says the mysterious voice. ]

[tsunotarou]

What... Are you doing?

[He watched you meme, he totally did.]

[nemesism]

[ He isn't sure about... this whole ordeal, but he figures he might as well listen and follow the directions. A sigh comes out, as if by reflex, as he looks around. "Renatus", huh... it sounds a little fancy for him, but he walks and walks... until he's at the end of the bridge and turns left.

That's a big building. Wow.

But the clothes clinging to his skin feels gross and uncomfortable, so the first thing he does is go up to the door, but then he stops once he gets out of the rain. It feels... like a looming horror movie scene. He's anxious, but for so many reasons, even if he's not sure why. ]

Abby, how many, um, "associates" are there...?

[ He waits, but there's no response. ]

... You're not a very good personal assistant.

[nyansensical]

More than you'd hope.

[The voice comes from someone who's just hovering near the door, hair plastered to their face. The rain is kind of awful, huh?]

But I kind of wonder if Abby doesn't know all the details.