[Homestuck] Sburb .8: Psalm of Stars

SBURB .8
PSALM OF STARS
OOC thread ​

Welcome to SBURB .8, an AU Homestuck RPG. Yes, though the wait has been long, the moment has finally arrived! Prepare yourself for a grand adventure full of action, drama, horror, suspense, comedy and tragedy, as our brave heroes fight wicked creatures in a fantastical kingdom from your wildest dreams! To the players, play wisely; and to players and spectators alike, I hope you enjoy the show.​

***

RULES​

Please read the rules thoroughly before playing. Most of this is stuff you know, but read it anyway because you know there are gonna be subtle differences, and you'll regret not knowing them if you end up breaking them. Pay special attention to POSTING ETIQUETTE; that's the part you have to have down pat!

PLAYER CONDUCT
- I hope I don't have to say this, since most of us are on speaking terms; but please be courteous to other players. If you have a disagreement with someone in the group, bring it to me, do not air it out on your own. This is our game and we can all enjoy it, if everyone agrees to be open about what's bothering them so that I can fix it with my boundless creative genius-*brick'd* Ahem. Yeah, anyway, let me know if something's eating you.
- You have control of your character and only your character. The focus of your posts should be, above all else, your character's perspective and actions. If another character is mentioned in your post, even if it's a chat log, make sure the respective player knows about it and gives the OK. In the smallest cases this prevents duplicate actions/logs; in the largest ones, it can keep you from taking a character in a direction their player didn't intend.
- There are two major forms of metagaming I want to avoid. First is using Homestuck knowledge to figure things out in this game. Homestuck is not part of this universe's canon; the official stance is that it is "some weird comic," and it will be treated as such any time it is referenced, thus offering no real insight to the characters. Second is a procedural thing: If your character is given new information, assume the other characters do not know it until your character tells them personally. This is to give you something to use Pesterchum for (assuming you can get to a computer, which won't always be the case!), and it otherwise encourages communication between players and characters. Other than that, just work with your character's natural limits; don't do something he/she wouldn't do, don't use knowledge he/she wouldn't have, and so on.

POSTING ETIQUETTE
- I'm looking for an average of one or two posts per day. Absolute minimum 1. Might seem like a lot for some of you, but I want to keep this thing rolling, and as long as you hear from me often enough, you should (ideally) have something to do and some goal to work towards at all times.
- Here's the basic format: Each post should contain (1) narration and (2) a command. The narration is the role play bit: You write from your character's perspective, same as you would in any other role play. The command is your attempt to advance the story: You give me one action your character is attempting and I give you the results of it the next time I post. Use narration when you wouldn't require my input, such as in messing around in your room or chatting with other players; use a command where you would, such as in interacting with NPCs or during combat.
- Please keep your narration in third-person, past-tense, limited omniscient perspective. This is a lot of fancy gobbeldygook to describe what most of you should be used to doing: You have complete control over one and only one character, you refer to him/her as "he/she" and not "I" or "you," and everything is in past tense. It's poor form to have people writing in different styles, and sometimes it gets disorienting for people trying to catch up.
- Your narration portion can be as long or short as you want, but the longer and more detailed it is, the more likely your command will have the intended effect! Example 1: If you're looking for something and your command is just >Search for [thing], who knows what you'll find? Maybe tell me where you're looking and describe the thing you're after. Example 2: In a fight, if you're specific about what you're aiming at (stomach, limbs, some rocks precariously perched above your adversary, etc.), how much power you're putting into a strike, and so on, you might find you waste less energy, hit more often, and deal more damage, among other things.
- No one really has a "turn" when they're expected to post. If you have something to post, go ahead and post! That said, it is good form to talk to others in the group and see what their plans are, especially if you're in a party with several characters. I will try to respond to commands as quickly as I can so we can keep up the pace, but as long as you're not waiting on me, you can and should post any time.
- If you need to say something OOC... well, there is an OOC thread for that... but if it just has to be said in the IC thread, make sure it stands out. A page break and an "OOC:" prefix are preferable.

TIPS
- I will make every attempt to reward creativity, attentiveness, and exploration. Be thorough in exploring your environments; try out interesting commands that come to mind, both in and out of battle; and pay attention to clues in the narration! Missing something is a lose-lose, since you don't get cool stuff and I can't show off my work, but I can't just hand you all the goodies on a silver platter. Keep your eyes peeled, both in- and out-of-character, and don't be afraid to take risks.
- There are no stats for a reason, and no, it's not just because I'm too lazy to crunch the numbers (although that is definitely part of it :L). This is still a narrative RPG, so it needs to stay grounded in that. When you're in a fight, just fight your hardest, and don't worry about how much HP the boss has left or how powerful he is. I will try to avoid totally unwinnable fights, but some of them are not meant to be won; in those cases, I'll make it as clear as possible what you're supposed to do, whether it's hold out for a certain amount of time, or just run. If you think a fight's going on too long or you're being unfairly pounded, remember communication. I need to know what's on your mind if I'm gonna do anything about it.
- Bear in mind that your character can die at any time. The world of Sburb is a wondrous place, but as any avid Homestuck fan can tell you, it hides as many dangers as splendors beneath the surface! Be mindful of your mortality at all times. That said, this is not Paranoia or World of Darkness; the GM is not out to get you. If you do bite the big one, don't lose hope, as your role in the story may not be over just yet. Sburb works in mysterious ways...​

***

CHARACTER ROSTER
~~~~~


GWEN ARLINGTON
Played by FEARLESS​

Spoiler: Info

Age: 16
Interests: Like many of your friends, you are studying several LANGUAGES. JAPANESE seems to be the norm, but you are also studying NORWEGIAN and FRENCH. Also like your friends, you hold the medium of JAPANESE ANIMATION close to your heart, and you hope to be an ANIMATOR someday. You are also fond of DRAWING, but you AREN'T ALL THAT GREAT AT IT. You do not draw stick figures though. Stick figures make you SHUDDER IN DISGUST if drawn by anyone over the age of six for anything other than comedic purposes. Another interest is SEWING and COSPLAY, but you are very LAZY and barely ever do it. In fact, you are so lazy you neglect your HOMEWORK in favor of playing GAMES with your friends and surfing the internet for YAOI. You also enjoy SINGING, but again, you are very LAZY, and don't really record yourself. You just sing for lulz.
ChumHandle: northernLights
Text Color: #C7ECFF
Typing Quirk: You are given to swearing, but typically in a censored or child-friendly manner. You also misspell things every now and then.
Strife Specibus: axekind
Personal Symbol: Crescent Moon
Class & Aspect: Heir of Tide
Guardian: MOM

Spoiler: Quests

ACTIVE
BEGINNINGS
Though this tale is one in a million, it begins as humbly as any other.
- Introduce your character! Post once in the thread, narrating your character's life. You can explore your room and share your INTERESTS. Perhaps you're just waking up and preparing to tackle the day, or maybe you've just finished your homework and are about to sit down at your computer. You may make use of chat logs, if you like. At the end of your narration, please use the following command: ">[First Name]: Retrieve Sburb." This will show that you've read your Quest and are ready to begin.
- This is a GROUP QUEST; all players must complete it together.

COMPLETED
----------

~~~~~


ALEX ADAGIO
Played by PLUMS​

Spoiler: Info

Age: 16
Interests: You enjoy ANIME, specifically STEINS;GATE and PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA. You also like to WRITE in your spare time, which typically results in VARIOUS FANFICS FEATURING YOUR FRIENDS. You also enjoy reading WEBCOMICS, such as QUESTIONABLE CONTENT and MS PAINT ADVENTURES. You listen to INDIE and TRIP-HOP TUNES, which you sometimes wish to make for yourself, but you DOUBT IN YOUR ABILITY. You also play with PHOTOSHOP from time to time, although you are NOT VERY GOOD AT IT. You often FAIL AT VERBAL COMMUNICATION when addressing others.
ChumHandle: crimsonBallad
Color Code: #E93E5A
Typing quirk: Your spelling and grammar are strong, but you tend to abuse emotes and the word "JEGUS." c:
Strife Specibus: kazookind
Personal Symbol: Quarter Note
Class & Aspect: Thief of Voice
Guardian: MOM

Spoiler: Quests

ACTIVE
BEGINNINGS
Though this tale is one in a million, it begins as humbly as any other.
- Introduce your character! Post once in the thread, narrating your character's life. You can explore your room and share your INTERESTS. Perhaps you're just waking up and preparing to tackle the day, or maybe you've just finished your homework and are about to sit down at your computer. You may make use of chat logs, if you like. At the end of your narration, please use the following command: ">[First Name]: Retrieve Sburb." This will show that you've read your Quest and are ready to begin.
- This is a GROUP QUEST; all players must complete it together.

COMPLETED
----------

~~~~~


KIERAN WILSON
Played by CLAWTOOTH​

Spoiler: Info

Age: 17
Interests: Boy, do you love MUSIC. It has been a part of your life for AS LONG AS YOU CAN REMEMBER. Playing it, listening to it, writing it; you JUST LOVE IT. You are particularly fond of the CLASSICAL and FOLK genres, although you’ll listen to WHATEVER SOUNDS GOOD. You play VIOLIN and PIANO and are an EX-SINGER. You think you are INTOLERABLY BAD AT IT, but a number of your friends STRONGLY DISAGREE. You keep this as a hobby, and devote most of your energy to WORDS and LITERATURE. In particular, you enjoy WORD RELATIONS and LINGUISTICS. You also enjoy CLASSIC LITERATURE, but you HAVEN’T HAD MUCH TIME TO READ any. In addition, you also enjoy media from OTHER COUNTRIES, in particular: FRENCH FILM and ANIME, the latter of which you commonly ENJOY WITH YOUR FRIENDS. Like them, you know a FOREIGN LANGUAGE--being FRENCH--but you are NOWHERE NEAR FLUENT. You also have a STRANGE TALENT for pronouncing JAPANESE, although you CANNOT STRING A SENTENCE TOGETHER in it. You enjoy GAMING, both VIDEO and TABLETOP, and you frequently ROLE PLAY in both. Given your choice, you tend to employ MAGES. You spend an INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME ONLINE, from doing things such as FORUMING and SOCIAL NETWORKING, to WATCHING SILLY VIDEOS. This form of INTERACTION suits you because, if needed, you can STILL GET YOUR SPACE. However, you HAVE TROUBLE MAKING FRIENDS because you have NO SELF ESTEEM and little SELF-CONFIDENCE.
ChumHandle: eruditeVirtuoso
Text Color: #006699
Typing Quirk: Owing to your love of literature, your grammar, spelling, and vocabulary are superb; but your mind is quicker than your fingers, and you tend towards some embarrassing spelling mistakes, yto the amusmeent of your firends and your own trepidatioin. Your favorite forms of punctiation are...ellipses...and double exclamation points!! And sometimes question marks??
Strife Specibus: instrmntkind
Personal Symbol: Treble Clef
Class & Aspect: Mage of Space
Guardian: BROTHER

Spoiler: Quests

ACTIVE
BEGINNINGS
Though this tale is one in a million, it begins as humbly as any other.
- Introduce your character! Post once in the thread, narrating your character's life. You can explore your room and share your INTERESTS. Perhaps you're just waking up and preparing to tackle the day, or maybe you've just finished your homework and are about to sit down at your computer. You may make use of chat logs, if you like. At the end of your narration, please use the following command: ">[First Name]: Retrieve Sburb." This will show that you've read your Quest and are ready to begin.
- This is a GROUP QUEST; all players must complete it together.

COMPLETED
----------

~~~~~


SASUMI CAPRIE
Played by SUMI​

Spoiler: Info

Age: 16
Interests: You have TOO DAMN MANY. You primarily enjoy CREATIVE WRITING and playing the ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR. You also play the FLUTE and KEYBOARD - although really you aren't a very good musician. You're much better at POETRY and FORTUNE TELLING. Oh, you forgot about that. You FORGET A LOT. You are particularly interested in ASTRONOMY and know quite a lot about it. You believe in an ULTIMATE FATE, although it is unclear to you what that fate is or how it relates to you! Your INTERNET FRIENDS are extremely important to you, and you spend much of your class time and home time on your TECHNOLOGY PHONE talking to them! You also enjoy things like VIDEO GAMES and ANIME and TV SHOWS which you only watch on your LAPTOP COMPUTER which you also take with you EVERYWHERE. You have a PECULIAR FASHION SENSE and are inspired by JAPANESE STREET FASHION. This very much reflects your personal lack of ORGANIZATION. Which happens to be your LEAST FAVORITE THING. You are NEVER ON TIME and are honestly a little bit AFRAID OF CONCEPTS OF TIME. You kinda OVERTHINK THINGS a lot.
ChumHandle: tsukiKiri
Text Color: #D13D1D
Typing Quirk: 何時？> You speak differently depending on who you are with, but generally you are quite chipper and happy!! You tend to use two punctuation marks, and lengthened words are by three letters. You use smileys a bit much too. :x
Strife Specibus: pistolkind
Personal Symbol: 愛
Class & Aspect: Rogue of Time
Guardian: FATHER FIGURE

Spoiler: Quests

ACTIVE
BEGINNINGS
Though this tale is one in a million, it begins as humbly as any other.
- Introduce your character! Post once in the thread, narrating your character's life. You can explore your room and share your INTERESTS. Perhaps you're just waking up and preparing to tackle the day, or maybe you've just finished your homework and are about to sit down at your computer. You may make use of chat logs, if you like. At the end of your narration, please use the following command: ">[First Name]: Retrieve Sburb." This will show that you've read your Quest and are ready to begin.
- This is a GROUP QUEST; all players must complete it together.

COMPLETED
----------

~~~~~


ASHWIN MAGHAN
Played by WHAT?​

Spoiler: Info

Age: 15
Interests: You are a fan of all sorts of KNOWLEDGE, especially on the MECHANICS OF THE WORLD AND ITS SOCIETIES. This manifests itself through your love for both the SCIENCES and HUMANITIES, though you are especially savvy in ARCHITECTURE, HISTORY, CHEMISTRY, and LANGUAGES. A shame you are ONLY COMPLETELY FLUENT IN ENGLISH. You consider 1920'S ERA FASHION to be RATHER LOVELY, you are an enormous fan of JAZZ and BLUES, a strange contrast with your CONSTANT INTERNET TIME and your ADORATION OF JAPANESE ANIMATION. You enjoy ANY FICTIONAL WORK as long as it is WELL-WRITTEN. You are a GAMER, your interests in that field as ECLECTIC as in any other. You have a personal fondness for CARTOGRAPHY, and seek a COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD through this hobby.
ChumHandle: sophophilicGentleman
Text Color: #9ACD32
Typing Quirk: You are prone to inserting your slightly confusing and long-winded phrases with excessive word usage and general verbosity in itself, adding an addressive suffix of some sort, good sir or madam reading this short introductory phrase.
Strife Specibus: tapemsrkind
Personal Symbol: Lightning Pin, The World Ends with You
Class & Aspect: Sage of Mind
Guardian: FATHER

Spoiler: Quests

ACTIVE
BEGINNINGS
Though this tale is one in a million, it begins as humbly as any other.
- Introduce your character! Post once in the thread, narrating your character's life. You can explore your room and share your INTERESTS. Perhaps you're just waking up and preparing to tackle the day, or maybe you've just finished your homework and are about to sit down at your computer. You may make use of chat logs, if you like. At the end of your narration, please use the following command: ">[First Name]: Retrieve Sburb." This will show that you've read your Quest and are ready to begin.
- This is a GROUP QUEST; all players must complete it together.

COMPLETED
----------

~~~~~


VANYŌ BEATS
Played by Saxima​

Spoiler: Info

Age: 17
Appearance:
Interests: You love MUSIC; you're cool with pretty much ANY KIND, as long as it SOUNDS GOOD. Your IPOD contains many songs that are in JAPANESE, a language that you are just as fond of as ITALIAN. You also play a few INSTURMENTS, but you are the BEST AT VIOLIN. You are NEVER FAR FROM YOUR LAPTOP, with which you spend nearly all your time on the INTERNET. You are well-versed in the online world, and enjoy minor law-breaking activities such as PIRATING MUSIC AND MOVIES. You are SARCASTIC, as most teenagers are. You're also something of a CHRONIC LIAR, and you are PRETTY GOOD AT IT. People call you a NERD, but really you just think people online are MORE INTERESTING, and you've MADE MOST OF YOUR FRIENDS ONLINE. When you get out of the house, you TAN like there's no tomorrow and often go on DANGEROUS ADVENTURES with LEGITIMATE HEALTH RISKS.
ChumHandle: symphoniousQuintessance
Text Color: #669bbc
Typing Quirk: You space your ellipses . . . to better emphasize . . . your pauses. Your grammar, spelling and capitalization are usually superb. You like to believe that you popularized the smilies of "c:" and ";~;" seeing as those are the only ones you use.
Strife Specibus: bow&arrowkind
Personal Symbol: Sixteenth Note
Class & Aspect: Seer of Heart
Guardian: SISTER

Spoiler: Quests

ACTIVE
BEGINNINGS
Though this tale is one in a million, it begins as humbly as any other.
- Introduce your character! Post once in the thread, narrating your character's life. You can explore your room and share your INTERESTS. Perhaps you're just waking up and preparing to tackle the day, or maybe you've just finished your homework and are about to sit down at your computer. You may make use of chat logs, if you like. At the end of your narration, please use the following command: ">[First Name]: Retrieve Sburb." This will show that you've read your Quest and are ready to begin.
- This is a GROUP QUEST; all players must complete it together.

COMPLETED
----------

~~~~~


TOMÃS DA SILVA
Played by COLONEL CATASTROPHE​

Spoiler: Info

Age: 18
Interests: You have a love for LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGES in general. At the moment, you are BILINGUAL, being fluent in both ENGLISH AND PORTUGUESE, but you strive to learn more. You are also able to be SARCASTIC in several languages. You have a passionate love for MUSIC; your favorite genres would have to be POST ROCK and ELECTRONICA, especially when combined. You get a rush from HELLA TIGHT BASSLINES. You also like to think of yourself to be an ARTIST. You enjoy WRITING, DRAWING, AND PLAYING MUSIC and while you're INCREDIBLY AVERAGE at all of these, you still enjoy doing them simply because they're FUN. And did you mention your love for ANIME and MANGA? Well you totally love those.
ChumHandle: spiritualProtectorate
Text Color: #00AFFF
Typing Quirk: You are almost always calm, both in speaking and typing. This is further accentuated by your dry, dead-pan sense of humor. Your matter-of-fact manner of speaking tends to leave people wondering whether you're serious or not; you revel in this confusion.
Strife Specibus: bladekind
Personal Symbol: 地
Class & Aspect: Knight of Force
Guardian: GRANDFATHER

Spoiler: Quests

ACTIVE
BEGINNINGS
Though this tale is one in a million, it begins as humbly as any other.
- Introduce your character! Post once in the thread, narrating your character's life. You can explore your room and share your INTERESTS. Perhaps you're just waking up and preparing to tackle the day, or maybe you've just finished your homework and are about to sit down at your computer. You may make use of chat logs, if you like. At the end of your narration, please use the following command: ">[First Name]: Retrieve Sburb." This will show that you've read your Quest and are ready to begin.
- This is a GROUP QUEST; all players must complete it together.

COMPLETED
----------

~~~~~


ABRAHAM ROCKWELL
Played by JOJOJ13​

Spoiler: Info

Age: 16
Interests: You have an absurdly huge amount of OBSESSIONS that, for REASONS UNKNOWN, you rarely show to anyone. You are passionate about JAPANESE ANIMATIONS and COMICS, especially manga with OPPRESSIVELY DEPRESSING CHARACTERS, and anime which GLORIFIES HOT-BLOODED MANLINESS. You also enjoy SLICE-OF-LIFE series, like K-ON! and LUCKY STAR. You try to hide this fact as you feel it is too EMBARRASSING, but PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE KNOWS. You have the strangest hobby of LOOKING RIDICULOUS at the worst times possible. What? No, you do not really have the GREATEST MOUSTACHE KNOWN TO MAN. That is just a CLEVER DISGUISE, which you wear UNREASONABLY OFTEN. You also make HORRIBLE PUNS, in full awareness of how horrible they are but with NO INTENT TO STOP. Far surpassing any other interest is DRAWING, which has been your guiding star since childhood; but you are NOT VERY PROUD OF YOUR WORK, though it is decent enough that you CALL YOURSELF AN ARTIST.
ChumHandle: pseudoIsolophilia
Text Color: #4B0082
Typing Quirk: You pause often for thought, which befuddles your attempts to speak intelligently. You also use ._. way too much, it's not even funny. ._.
Strife Specibus: lancekind
Personal Symbol: Chinese Symbol for Freedom
Class & Aspect: Bard of Doom
Guardian: FATHER

Spoiler: Quests

ACTIVE
BEGINNINGS
Though this tale is one in a million, it begins as humbly as any other.
- Introduce your character! Post once in the thread, narrating your character's life. You can explore your room and share your INTERESTS. Perhaps you're just waking up and preparing to tackle the day, or maybe you've just finished your homework and are about to sit down at your computer. You may make use of chat logs, if you like. At the end of your narration, please use the following command: ">[First Name]: Retrieve Sburb." This will show that you've read your Quest and are ready to begin.
- This is a GROUP QUEST; all players must complete it together.

COMPLETED
----------

 

Sasumi rose from her bed, lazy and stretching, popping her jaw. It was dark in her room, but only because she'd closed her curtains. It was probably already late, at least eight o' clock. She threw the covers from her body, yawning twice and scratching her head. Her hair all shook, and she flipped it back and forth before standing and leaning back to crack her back. Before heading to the bathroom, she pulled her technology phone from the charger attatched to the extension cord coiled next to her pillow. Immediately, she logged into her messenger, then began applying her black lipstick.

-- tsukiKiri [TK] began pestering eruditeVirtuoso [EV] at 20:19 --

Spoiler

[08:19] TK: 何時？> Did you hear??
[08:19] TK: 何時？> @ U @
[08:19] EV: did I hear what??
[08:19] TK: 何時？> It's here!! They're finally releasing!!
[08:20] EV: REALLY?? I didn't think it would ever arrive!!
[08:20] TK: 何時？> Neither did I but apparently so!!
[08:20] EV: So ... today's the day ...
[08:20] TK: 何時？> Oh my gosh I hope the mail orders arrive quickly
[08:20] TK: 何時？> hehe
[08:20] TK: 何時？> yes, today is the day hehehehe
[08:21] EV: do we ... still thik this is a good idea??
[08:21] EV: *think
[08:21] TK: 何時？> I dunno even!! I feel like it's a momentous thing... but I don't even know why yet!!
[08:22] EV: I feel the same way!!
[08:22] EV: Is Mr Slow awake yet??
[08:23] TK: 何時？> Mr. Slow?
[08:23] EV: ...
[08:23] EV: Alex
[08:23] TK: 何時？> Oh!!
[08:23] TK: 何時？> Hahaha I don't know. I don't think so.
[08:23] TK: 何時？> Usually he is online when he's up hehe.
[08:24] EV: Slow in name and nature huh ...
[08:24] TK: 何時？> Pfff. Well, I have a feeling we'll need our rest.
[08:25] EV: I do to ... though, I get the feeling a certain sibling of mine isn't ogin to give me much
[08:25] EV: *going
[08:25] TK: 何時？> I am unsure what the stars say, still. I wish to go check but it's cloudy and rainy. u__u Which is not a great omen but either way!!
[08:25] TK: 何時？> Hehe.
[08:26] EV: The stars can either guide or mislead remember ...
[08:27] TK: 何時？> I don't think they'd do that!! I should read your fortune :3
[08:27] TK: 何時？> Once I can see the sky again.
[08:27] EV: Sounds like a fun thing to do ^^.
[08:27] TK: 何時？> My fancy phone is supposed to show all the stars and planets but I don't trust it much hehe.
[08:27] TK: 何時？> Oh shoot be back in a moment my stupid father needs me.
[08:28] EV: Well, good luck haha

The lipstick had only just dried to her lips when her father figure called her out. "****, Jesus, fine, I'm coming!" She yelled out, sighing and pouting at her mirror before leaving her room, bothering only to grab a hair tie. This was an important day and important things would be happening! It had been announced late that night that SBURB would be on its way to the homes of pre-order-ers, finally. Though months past the original release date, Sasumi couldn't help but still be excited. She was so ready to play the game! It felt important - monumentous, really. She wasn't quite sure how, yet, but it felt like it had to do with the Ultimate Fate and if such, it couldn't just be ignored or passed off like any day.

Once she had seen her father - he'd just wanted to show her some new shoes he'd bought - Sasumi immediately returned to her bathroom to ready herself. One had to be ready to spend mulitple hours in front of a computer! She straightened her bangs, adjusted her glasses, swiped on a bit of mascara, and continued to message Kieran.

Spoiler

[08:35] TK: 何時？> Sorry, I've returned. Sigh that man!!
[08:35] TK: 何時？> Anyway
[08:35] TK: 何時？> are you ready??
[08:35] EV: ... maybe
[08:35] TK: 何時？> Are you sooo ready?
[08:35] EV: haha!!
[08:35] TK: 何時？> hehehe
[08:35] TK: 何時？> :3
[08:35] EV: my body is ready
[08:35] TK: 何時？> ;o
[08:36] EV: Crap what does my brother even want?!?!
[08:36] TK: 何時？> Is he bothering you again?
[08:36] EV: I think so ... I'll talk to you later ^^
[08:37] TK: 何時？> Okay!! Bye!
[08:37] TK: 何時？> Talk to you... ONCE I HAVE SBURB!!

-- eruditeVirtuoso [EV] ceased pestering tsukiKiri [TK] at 20:37 --

Sasumi then quickly dressed, arranged her hair, and started up her laptop computer. The stickers plastered all over the case made her smile. Once more she cheked the mirror, then began her quest for the disc.

>Sasumi: Retrieve SBURB​

 

SBURB.8

Spoiler

A young girl stands in her bedroom. It just so happens that today, the 21st of March, holds absolutely no importance to this girl whatsoever!

What will her name-

Spoiler

Okay, yea, no, we're not doing that bullshit.

Spoiler

Gwen Arlington looked about her room, sunshine pouring in through the window. Lazy day? Pff, you have no idea. Pretty much every day was a lazy day. Her life thusfar had been so monotonous, so boring, it was almost unbearable.
She reached for a book lying open beside her, glancing at pages she couldn't read, before tossing said book into the closet and wondering if the mail was here yet.

Spoiler

She rose from the floor, grumbling. The mail better have freaking come. She didn't want to have gotten up for nothing.
She rubbed her eye with her fist and headed for the door, when a ping came from her computer. Oooh, messages? The mail could wait. Friends came first, even if potentially the best game ever might be mixed in with the post.

Spoiler

Spoiler: Pesterchum Log

[09:38] -- crimsonBallad [CB] began pestering northernLights [NL] at 21:38 --
[09:38] CB: Gweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen.
[09:38] NL: Plumssssssssssss
[09:38] NL: what's up bro?
[09:39] CB: Nothing much. About to go get my Sburb disc.
[09:39] CB: Too excited for this, man.
[09:39] NL: Same here, man.
[09:39] NL: Gonna go check for it in a sec
[09:40] CB: This is gonna be great. :D
[09:40] NL: It's almost surreal, we've been waiting for the damn thing for so long.
[09:41] CB: Hopefully it's worth it.
[09:41] CB: Heck, it better be worth it. xD
[09:41] NL: Pff I was just about to say that
[09:41] NL: MOIRAIL TELEPAHY POWERS ACTIVATE
[09:44] CB: *palebump*
[09:45] NL: I suppose I should go get the disk so we can actually PLAY.
[09:45] NL: See you in a 'mo.
[09:45] CB: Aight. I'm about to get it too.
[09:47] -- northernLights [NL] ceased pestering crimsonBallad [CB] at 21:47 --​

>GWEN: RETRIEVE SBURB​

 

[OOC: THIRD FLUCKING TIME WRITING THIS POST]

Claw closed his book after looking up to check the time on his clock.

Looks like they'll be waking up around now ... He thought.

Today was the day, the day that they would play the game ... and although he felt terribly exited at the prospect, there was a grain of doubt and anxiety in his mind about the game they were going to play. A game that could alter one's own surroundings? It didn't seem very safe ... and he was a little worried. But, it was for his friends, and it seemed like fun.

He got up form his bed and walked over to his trust computer desk where, after clearing his long hair out of his eyes and away form his face, he sat down.

He looked out of the window, the watery March sunshine warm on his skin as he sat there.

He suddenly jerked back to looking at his computer screen as he heard the tone signifying his friend was messaging him on Pesterchum (a B flat). It was Sumi, no doubt wanting to tell him the good news he had found out hours earlier about the game being delivered today ... he thought he would let her tell him, he didn't want to crush her enthusiasm by telling him he already knew ...

Spoiler: the thing you already read

[12:18] -- tsukiKiri [TK] began pestering eruditeVirtuoso [EV] at 12:18 --
[12:18] TK: 何時？> Did you hear??
[12:18] TK: 何時？> @ U @
[12:18] EV: did I hear what??
[12:19] TK: 何時？> It's here!! They're finally releasing!!
[12:19] EV: REALLY?? I didn't think it would ever arrive!!
[12:19] TK: 何時？> Neither did I but apparently so!!
[12:19] EV: So ... today's the day ...
[12:19] TK: 何時？> Oh my gosh I hope the mail orders arrive quickly
[12:19] TK: 何時？> hehe
[12:20] TK: 何時？> yes, today is the day hehehehe
[12:20] EV: do we ... still thik this is a good idea??
[12:20] EV: *think
[12:21] TK: 何時？> I dunno even!! I feel like it's a momentous thing... but I don't even know why yet!!
[12:21] EV: I feel the same way!!
[12:21] EV: Is Mr Slow awake yet??
[12:22] TK: 何時？> Mr. Slow?
[12:22] EV: ...
[12:22] EV: Alex
[12:22] TK: 何時？> Oh!!
[12:23] TK: 何時？> Hahaha I don't know. I don't think so.
[12:23] TK: 何時？> Usually he is online when he's up hehe.
[12:23] EV: Slow in name and nature huh ...
[12:23] TK: 何時？> Pfff. Well, I have a feeling we'll need our rest.
[12:24] EV: I do to ... though, I get the feeling a certain sibling of mine isn't ogin to give me much
[12:24] EV: *going
[12:24] TK: 何時？> I am unsure what the stars say, still. I wish to go check but it's cloudy and rainy. u__u Which is not a great omen but either way!!
[12:24] TK: 何時？> Hehe.
[12:25] EV: The stars can either guide or mislead remember ...
[12:26] TK: 何時？> I don't think they'd do that!! I should read your fortune :3
[12:26] TK: 何時？> Once I can see the sky again.
[12:26] EV: Sounds like a fun thing to do ^^.
[12:26] TK: 何時？> My fancy phone is supposed to show all the stars and planets but I don't trust it much hehe.
[12:27] TK: 何時？> Oh shoot be back in a moment my stupid father needs me.
[12:27] EV: Well, good luck haha

He sighed and looked around his room, casting an appraising glance over several items relating to his various interests. His series of classic literary works, from Austen to Dickens and the Brontës to Hemingway, his gaming paraphanalia, consoles and games messily arranged from near constant playing. His collection of various CDs or various genres of music and more. He took a gander at his faithful violin case, of course his real violing was stored in his strife specibus but he kept the case in case of non-musicstrife purposes, plus it was damn cool, so why not.


Hearing the B-flat tone again, he turned back to his computer,

Spoiler: more stuff you already read

[12:34] TK: 何時？> Sorry, I've returned. Sigh that man!!
[12:34] TK: 何時？> Anyway
[12:34] TK: 何時？> are you ready??
[12:34] EV: ... maybe
[12:34] EV: haha!!
[12:34] TK: 何時？> Are you sooo ready?
[12:34] TK: 何時？> hehehe
[12:34] TK: 何時？> :3
[12:34] EV: my body is ready
[12:35] TK: 何時？> ;o
[12:35] EV: Crap what does my brother even want?!?!
[12:35] TK: 何時？> Is he bothering you again?
[12:36] EV: I think so ... I'll talk to you later ^^
[12:36] TK: 何時？> Okay!! Bye!
[12:36] TK: 何時？> Talk to you... ONCE I HAVE SBURB!!
[12:36] -- eruditeVirtuoso [EV] ceased pestering tsukiKiri [TK] at 12:36 --

He hear the unmistakable sounds of his Brother in the music room downstairs, and since he could actually hear that meant that is brother wanted him to hear without the soundproofing getting in the way. This meant only one thing - well one of two not-disimilar things - either he wanted to jam, or he wanted to strife.But Kieran decided that the game was far more important than his stupid brother's whims for the moment, and so he should get about to installing it as soon as possible.

>Kieran: Retrieve Sburb!!

 

Alex greeted the darkness in front of his eyes with a sigh. He brushed the black strands out of his face, his room exploding into focus. The hardwood floors were relatively clean (as per his mother's incessant complaints regarding the dust). The dressers were near overfilling with clothes, most of which were some of the boy's older t-shirts. With a sigh, he rose from the bed, heaving the cover onto the floor. Typically he would fold the comforter, but there was no time to waste: Sburb was finally here.

As the boy began to stride towards the bedroom door, he could hear the laptop underneath his bed unleash a loud beeping noise. The boy reached underneath the bed, pulling the screen into view. Apparently, his best friend Gwen (morails, as they liked to call each other), had left him a message on his Pesterchum account.

Spoiler: Pesterchum Log

[09:38] -- crimsonBallad [CB] began pestering northernLights [NL] at 21:38 --
[09:38] CB: Gweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen.
[09:38] NL: Plumssssssssssss
[09:38] NL: what's up bro?
[09:39] CB: Nothing much. About to go get my Sburb disc.
[09:39] CB: Too excited for this, man.
[09:39] NL: Same here, man.
[09:39] NL: Gonna go check for it in a sec
[09:40] CB: This is gonna be great. :D
[09:40] NL: It's almost surreal, we've been waiting for the damn thing for so long.
[09:41] CB: Hopefully it's worth it.
[09:41] CB: Heck, it better be worth it. xD
[09:41] NL: Pff I was just about to say that
[09:41] NL: MOIRAIL TELEPAHY POWERS ACTIVATE
[09:44] CB: *palebump*
[09:45] NL: I suppose I should go get the disk so we can actually PLAY.
[09:45] NL: See you in a 'mo.
[09:45] CB: Aight. I'm about to get it too.
[09:47] -- northernLights [NL] ceased pestering crimsonBallad [CB] at 21:47 --​

Smiling to himself, Alex placed the laptop on his bed and scurried out of the door.

Today would be his time to rock it.





> Alex: Retrieve Sburb

 

He awoke with a fine mist in his face.

His eyes blurred in the darkness shrouded around him, Ashwin's first view of the morning was but that of a dismal grey - a pure canvas that obscured but his entire view from his window, and the tendrils of this strange fog itself slowly entering its way into his home. It was still but a simple, early morning, and Ashwin's first feeling was immediately that of falling back to sleep. The fog and its misty cousin seemingly invading his bed which stood right next to the window appeared to wish their support of this - and indeed, this return to dormancy was almost successful.

Almost.

Ashwin lethargically picked up his phone to take a quick glance at the current time. Only a handful of minutes to nine in the morning, which was still much too early for himself on a rather lazy day such as this. However, a moment of blank staring at his phone allowed something to click in his mind. He stared upwards at the notification bar, and immediately gasped as he connected the symbol of the calendar with a previous memory. Ashwin dropped his phone onto the bed and began to scramble for his laptop. He found it resting upon the seat of his swivel chair, and with a swift motion, turned on the machine.

Today was the release date of SBURB .8, and he was absolutely overjoyed.

Of course, however, that meant that he was forced to visit the cursed mailbox, especially with the current melancholic conditions of the morning.

As he waited for his laptop to boot, Ashwin collected a simple set of shirt and pants to wear on his potential trek outside as he peered out the window from his bed. The fog seemed to be thick and almost erratically obscuring - the tree on the front lawn was barely visible, and beyond that he was able to see only a monumental barrier of grey. Looking towards the west, he only barely was able to see the outlines of the dark forest that stood but a few minutes away from his home. Everything was set in a dullness of colour and blur. It was as if the landscape of dreams and clouds had come forth to his small, isolated neighbourhood. And yet, it was within this misty gaol that he would have to venture through to reach his home's mailbox, which was conveniently located a good many meters away from his home. Extremely close to the notoriously dark and odd forest as well. Ashwin let out a soft sigh.

As he turned back to his laptop screen, he had found that Pesterchum had automatically logged himself in. At this time, he was not surprised only his friend Tomas was online. Ashwin, wishing to rid of the dullness of the world around him with a sprightly and sparking conversation, sat himself upon the swivel chair and began his queries with his interesting friend from across the seas.

Spoiler: Open Pesterlog

Tomas had gone off on his own adventure, it appears. Indeed, Ashwin had his own personal quest to follow through. As the time continued to pass, he felt a burgeoning eagerness of the game that had forsaken his previous fatigue and lethargy. He also personally enjoyed the idea of various genres, though he was immensely interested in the factor of the plot. Perhaps the level of the plot of this game may be upon the same branch as Dickens or Dostoyevsky. The artistic ideas of this mystery drove his mind to daydreams. The possibilities were endless, and he certainly could not wait. He simply hoped, however, that by the time he reached the session his friends had planned, he would begin to properly address PI and PP by their real names, as he had done for his five other much more active collection of friends. Thus, he was about to log off of Pesterchum for the time when the sudden presence of something - or rather, someone logging on, caught his eye, and Ashwin let out a quick yelp.

Spoiler: Open Pesterlog

Ashwin informed himself not to fall victim to any further of these distractions, and quickly logged off of Pesterchum.

He stared out the window for a moment, swivelling his chair to look directly at it. The fog continued to be concrete-thick. He leapt up and grabbed his large blue long-coat, the ends trailing close to his calves. Perfect protection for this dangerously thick fog, as Ashwin at the time was almost used to it.

Finally, he picked up his hat from upon the stand in his room, and set it upon his head. Finally was he able to venture outside into this mist-obscured world, and retrieve his copy of this tantalizing game named only SBURB.

> Ashwin: Retrieve copy of SBURB

 

He didn't know how he got there, or why he was even there. But at the same time, he didn't really care. They said that if you gazed for long into an abyss, the abyss gazed also into you. You also realized how boring it is.

The empty emotionless expanse of darkness stretched out as far as the eye could see. But only one person existed in this world, the boy. Well…that was a lie.

There was something else. But only if he could see the damn thing and find out what it was. There was a light. It was dim and distant but it was there. In the corner of his eye, he could see its glow and he could feel it shining on his back. But it was a sneaky little bastard. As soon as he would turn around to see what was behind him, it would move back to his blind spot as if it knew he was going to move.

After a few more attempts of trying to catch at least a glimpse of the “lightâ€, he gave up and found himself staring into the dark again. He could feel a bout of nausea in his stomach. The air was dry and thick, as though warning the boy that he was in a different plane of reality. With each breath, the sensation of puking came closer but never truly reached him.

Just bring me back to planet Earth already.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

A soft rumble echoed throughout the void. What was that? he thought as he instantly looked from left to right, trying to find the source. The light acted the same as usual and hid in his blind spot. Continuing to look around for the source of the growl, he walked forward only for him to fall on his face as the ground began to shake. And as he lay on the floor, he could feel the ground slowly slither and writhe under him. Pushing his ear against the floor, he could hear it, the growl, underneath. Whatever he was upon, it was alive.

He brought himself up to his feet but as he got up, he felt as a soft tug on his ankle from behind. A chill ran down his spine and he tried to pay it no attention. He had watched horror films before and he knew how this went along. Taking in a deep breath, he calmed himself of his nerves and with all his might he tried to shake his leg out of its grip. But as if it had been super-glued to the surface, it didn’t move and stayed in its position. Dammit, he thought as he turned his head slightly to try to catch a glimpse at whatever held him. But there was nothing. He fully turned around to see what was behind only to see the infinite darkness before him and to find that his ankle had been freed. What the hell?

A hand touched his shoulder. His eyes widened in panic as he saw it in the corner of his eye. Like a shadow, it was black but a shade lighter that distinguished it from the darkness. Turning his head to see what held him, the boy only caught a glimpse of those beady white eyes that stared viciously at him before he snapped.

-///-

​

He awoke with a startle, his heart beating fiercely against his chest. Sweat ran down his brow and he found that the shirt he had worn to bed was drenched in sweat as well. He touched his face to make sure he was really there. He started to breathe in and out to relieve the pangs of fear that gripped him. And as he tried to calm his nerves, he thought and attempted to make sense of what had just happened. What the fuck was that?

It was a dream but everything felt far too real. The air that burned his lungs, the shaking of the ground, the echoes of the soft guttural growls and the grip of that cold black hand made it all seem like he had really been there. But as soon as he saw those eyes, he found himself on his bed, clenching tightly to his bed sheets. “No, it was just a nightmare,†he rationalized. He had other things to worry about. Sburb had been finally been released so it was time to get ready for the day.

Wiping the sweat from his face with his shirt, he took it off and threw it inside an already full basket of clothing. Opening up his closet, he took out a pair of blue jeans and a red shirt with the kanji for “earth†written on it in a lighter shade of red and put them on. Walking over to the stereo on his desk, he put on some nice relaxing music, turned the volume up to 11 and sat on his chair to relax. Looking to the computer that sat adjacent to the stereo, he saw that he had left his computer on for the whole night. It was a bad habit of his to just fall asleep and leave things on. Somebody was pestering him as well. It was Ashwin, his sesquipedalian bro.

Spoiler

Well it was time for him to get that disc.

>Tomás: Retrieve Sburb.

 

Lazy days were few and far in between all of that avoiding pretty business. Or maybe she was just exaggerating.

Nah, she wasn't.

Today was one of those nice lazy days that she used to have often, back in the days of actually wanting to be cute and adorable and wear dresses and 'omg, look at me'. Man, she was glad those days were behind her. Far, faaaar behind her.

She opened her eyes too look at the ceiling which reflected the pale morning light, coming from the south window, which happened to take up the entire south wall of her room. She liked that window, it was the one she faced while playing one of her many instruments that were littered about her floor. A guitar, a saxophone, a cello, some other ones . . . But none of these were ones she was particularly good at; she was best at the violin, which sat lovingly placed in the southwest corner of her room, propped to play whenever she desired.

However, she was sure that she wouldn't be playing it today, for today was the day. A very special day. Today the people who pre-ordered the esteemed SBURB would be getting. After months and months and months of waiting, she was finally going to get it.

But that could wait for a moment. Vanyō walked over to her desk that sat south of the door that led to the hall way that led to the game room. Upon it sat her sleek white laptop that she had etched a sixteenth note into; the original symbol reminded her of a fruit she wasn't fond of. Her computer quickly hummed to life with all the speed a top of the line lappy should.

If her sister was of any use, it was in the way that she could treat expensive like nothing and slap Bill Gates in the face and then go to Apple and say “I turned in my application here, but the said you all had no Jobsâ€.

Like a dork, Vanyō found herself doubling over in laughter on her chair. After minutes of pain-inducing laughter, Vanyō found her lappy all booted up and herself automatically logged into Pesterchum. She checked her messages and there were a few from some not important people, but there weren't any from her friends, the ones she would be playing the game with. She wondered if thy were as excited as she was, although she probably didn't show it as much as Sasumi.

Unfortunately, the one thing she wasn't excited about was leaving her room – and chancing running into her sister. Vanyō found herself shivering – it got worse at the prospect of trying to wear a dress . . . She looked at the northeast corner of her room where a window that looked into the living room sat. The curtains were drawn on that one, so no one could see in.

Getting up from her chair, she creeped over to the window, crouching under the window seal. She moved one of the curtains slightly and peeked out into the living room. Sister wasn't there – maybe she was in he room. Or better yet, maybe she was out shopping again. That would be great, because then Vanyō wouldn't have to sneak around the house like she usually did to avoid her Sister.

Excitedly, the girl made a dash for the door.

> Vanyō: Retrieve SBURB
​