decepturus | awakening

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

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.]

Well, yeah. Obviously.

[ wait. waitaminute. fuck. ]

God.. this thing is broadcasting constantly?

[ that means he'll have to curate the nonsense that he just says and the idea is already exhausting on its own. ]

I don't like blindly following the directions without knowing you know... the layout. You ever see the thing where people just drive into a river or something? Not that that's likely because we're walking but that's the idea.

[Ain't that a mood. Nero's one of the people who talks to himself pretty regularly to sort things out, so knowing people can just hear that?

Yeesh.]

Yeah, talk about a disaster waiting to happen. But apparently blindly following the directions is the only option we get. Which is just great.

[... Should he mention the "if you value your life" bit? ... Nah.]

Yeah, it's so good. [ haha sarcasm. abby pls don't be offended. :') ] But apparently I haven't completely satisfied the conditions of this quest so I'm just here now.

Did you get past the bridge part yet?

[ there is a audible groan because he realises something. ]

What if this is a test? I'm really not prepared.

... 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. ]

[ mysterious indeed... ]

It's true~! If you told me to go somewhere I probably wouldn't listen either.

...

Which isn't to say I think you'd do anything shady or anything. I have no idea.

[ well... it gets her to laugh, even briefly. ]

Um, I'm sorry, I didn't mean... well, that is to say... I agree with you. And you can only take my word for it, but I wouldn't do anything shady.

What... Are you doing?

[He watched you meme, he totally did.]

What? I didn't do anything..

[ he says the words a little too quickly and his attempts to look casual are also probably a little too forced. Nothing to see here REALLY. ]

I'm just standing here. What are you doing?

[ because turning these things around is always super effective. ]

Watching you.

[Because that's the obvious answer, of course.]

What else is there to do?

[ he's not sure what to make of that answer so he just laughs nervously. clearly it's only because he's the only one here. ]

We're supposed to be going somewhere, right? I feel like after a point standing around is gonna be like... illegal.

Why would standing around be illegal?

[Malleus will look towards where the direction the voice had told them to go though.]

We should move.

Because creepy robot voices can be super literal sometimes, so standing around could be seen as not following the rules..

[ which is to say he has no objections to their continuing. maybe he'd assumed he was just supposed to wait there and maybe he'd... just not gone far enough ahead for the waypoint to change.. ]

Ah... Did not think of that, at all.

[So now he's thinking, and just...]

So lets move?

I’m going!

[ going.. going.. in the direction that is simply not the way they’ve come. a start! the rest is following the arrows again until abby tells them to stop, he’s guessing.

I guess the hard part about all this is the small talk, huh? Even if I asked you wouldn’t know how to answer it, would you? Dunno why I’m weirdly okay with it though. Brain chips?

[ he sounds weirdly okay with that idea too. ]

[This guy seems to talk quite a bit. and what does he mean?]

What about brain chips?

[ he sure does! what better way to prevent awkward silences than to allow as few opportunities as possible! ]

Oh, you know. Like microchips in your brain. You could probably control people that way... maybe?

Don't think I know what you're talking about.

[Huh... Maybe they come from different places!]

What is a microchip?

awakening

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