[b][color=Crimson]Date:[/color][/b] November 3rd, Afternoon [b][color=Crimson]Weather:[/color][/b] Mild; Warm [b][color=Crimson]Location:[/color][/b] Aomori Gakuen - Gym [i]'This earthquake won't last forever, everyone just has to stay safe until it passes'[/i] is a comforting line of thought any common person would use at a time like this in order to remain calm and collected. In that sense, though all of you possess different backgrounds and personalities, your goal becomes ultimately one and the same. [url=https://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=gLcW8Jyn2rM]---However.[/url] The sanctuary that your gentle words have managed to create easily breaks apart as reality begins to work under mechanisms you are definitely not used to. Your world spins and, in the blink of an eye, the walls at the sides of the gym become the floor and the ceiling, respectively. [img]https://i.imgur.com/GeH3vVh.jpg?1[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/K00CYCu.png?1[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/WcPtVum.jpg?1[/img] [b]Everyone:[/b] [i]"Uwaaahh-!!!"[/i] Fortunately, you manage to land in a way that does not cause serious injury. That doesn't mean it doesn't come without pain. Most are left in a daze, unable to process what just happened. But your mind goes the extra mile and informs you of a very frightening fact: Had you been closer to the wall farthest from the door, the fall might have been lethal. You are in danger, and just now you're starting to grasp the severity of the situation you've being caught into. From this point onwards, you won't be allowed to catch a break. Former words of caution have lost their meaning the moment gravity shifted, turning literally every piece of furniture into a deadly projectile. You and several others are forced to dodge in the nick of time to avoid being crushed under their weight. It's a good thing that you made an effort not to lose sight of these potential threats for too long. Human beings are slow, clumsy creatures who tend to freeze during situations like this one, and being on high-alert is what will ultimately assure your survival. Sadly, life is set on shitting on you today, as indicated by another sudden and inexplicable shift in gravity. This time, the wall with the door on its far right becomes the new floor. Having been thrown against the right side wall before, this places you exactly above the door. Orochi and Azume, who were the closest to it at the time, aren't allowed even allowed to react and their bodies slam against it. Somehow, their combined weight is not enough to force it open, however, Instinctively understanding that landing there is not exactly safe, the rest makes a jump in order put themselves far enough from the deathtrap the entrance has become. [img]https://i.imgur.com/IE0P8Zy.png?1[/img] [b]Masahiro:[/b] [i]"Tch...! Everyone, jump... Now!"[/i] ---But. Misfortune always strikes when one least expects it. A makeshift weapon no one saw coming -A big speaker formerly hung to the wall next to the stage- crashes against the body of Onaga Mai, its weight enough to immediately throw her off balance and cancel her escape right then and there. It's bad... From that height...!!! [@Duthguy]Driven by instinct, your body acts on its own, your hand reaching for the girl as her falling body passes right next to yours. Because it takes more courage out of you to make a jump that it would take the ordinary person, you are the only one person who can do anything to stop Mai's tragic descent. If this were cutscene taking straight one of those videogames you usually play, you'd be easily able to princess carry her out of danger without a sweat. That said, in real life, things don't look great for either of you. Case in point, your act of heroism does nothing to save the girl you like, and instead drags you down with her. Before you know it, your world is spinning faster than it did mere moments ago, when this whole thing began. Your body slams against Azumi's, then Orochi and finally the door that leads outside the Gym. This chain reaction forces the door open and you break through the boundaries that separate normality from complete insanity. Desperate and aware that your fall will not stop unless you put an end to it or you crash against something in an unsightly way, you fight your fears and aim for the handle of the now open door. ---You miss. [img]https://i.imgur.com/IE0P8Zy.png?1[/img] [b]Masahiro:[/b] [i]"Amari... Onaga... Hold on..."[/i] One of your hands is caught firmly by the Janitor's, while the other never let go of Mai. As more students join Tachibana to assist in pulling you up, you see the look in their faces. It's the only place where you can look, as looking down... Would not be a good idea. But... With these expressions its enough, you don't need to confirm. Tanimoto Orochi and Kamei Azume, both first years, weren't as lucky as you two were... [color=crimson]Everyone's sanity -5[/color] ... Or were they? Before anyone can even register what happened... [center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFhjCap_ycg[/youtube][/center] [center][i]They are all knocked unconscious by a mysterious force, marking the tragic end of their normal lives.[/i][/center] [center][hr][h1][color=crimson]Chapter 1: Memento Mori[/color][/h1][hr][/center] [b][color=Crimson]Player Characters:[/color][/b] Ishikawa Goben & Sato Yui [b][color=Crimson]Location:[/color][/b] Aomori Gakuen (?) - Rooftop When you come to your senses, you find yourself standing in a familiar yet strange place. It's nighttime... How long have you been here in the rooftop? And more importantly, when exactly did you come here? As if you had been suddenly forced awake from a deep trance, you try to piece back together the fragments of your memory, trying to account for the information you're missing. However, it's all for naught... It's all jumbled up. It's like the day after a wild party where you can't remember a thing. For you all know, you might have simply been transported here after the earthquake, but that's an explanation that's hard to come into term with easily. A heavy silence fills the rooftop. Tachibana Masahiro is seemingly the only one there besides the two of you, staring absentmindedly through a broken fence, his back facing in your direction. For the very first time in a long time, he feels... Distant. The spirit of optimism and perseverance has abandoned the shell that was the Janitor's body, leaving nothing but a lost human being. That's right, while you weren't exactly close to neither Tanimoto nor Kamei, Masahiro must have been, and after what happened during the earthquake... It wouldn't be strange for Tachibana, being the adult responsible for the whole group, to feel guilty of all that transpired, even if the forces that brought it up were beyond his control. [img]https://i.imgur.com/IE0P8Zy.png?1[/img] [b]Masahiro:[/b] [i]"What the hell..."[/i] But his first words just leave you dumbfounded. Fortunately, all it takes to understand what he means is a peek through the same fence. what lies past the school gate... [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/LD7FbLf.jpg?1[/img] [i]...Is a world beyond human understanding.[/i][/center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/IE0P8Zy.png?1[/img] [b]Masahiro:[/b] [i]"... Just what the hell is going on-?!"[/i] [hr][b][color=Crimson]Player Characters:[/color][/b] Amari Hideaki & Sazae Yokoi & Tanaka Amélie [b][color=Crimson]Location:[/color][/b] Shopping District (?) - Mazonix [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/n3qGaNA.jpg?1[/img] [i]The reality you knew so well has been redefined with a bluish alien hue.[/i][/center] Slowly picking yourselves up from the floor, it takes a moment to pinpoint your exact location. After all, while there is no structure as big and grand in the island as the great Mazonix Shopping Centre, numerous signs of vandalism have turned the place into a shadow of its former glory. Windows have become no more than glass shards scattered over ceramic tiles, and whatever is left of the displays is worn out or in complete disarray. From a glance, nothing, not even clothes is salvageable. If you had to guess, you'd say the place has fallen victim of multiple raids. That said, that image does not match with the memories you have of Mazonix. Just what on Earth happened...? Perhaps the question can be answered by the strange lights that float aimlessly through the corridors. As a human being, while cautious, you are naturally curious to know what they are supposed to be. Approaching an orb as big as the palm of the hand reveals that they do in fact emit heat. That's probably the reason why the place remains warm at this time of the night (?) when the glass ceiling is no more. However, should you draw your body too close to it, you wouldn't get burned. Much like a ghostly entity, they would pass through you, inflicting no harm as they do so. Together with the bluish hue the world has adopted, it almost feels as if you've been assimilated into a star-filled night-sky. [@Seirei No Hai]Just as you manage to recover, you become aware of Natsumi's presence, who seemingly happened to 'land' fairly close to you. Though the two of you can be called best friends, your personalities differ greatly, Natsumi being both a coward (in a cute way) and and introvert, while you were, well... You. Right now, she looks rather lost, perhaps desperate for guidance. Before you know it, the girl catches you in an embrace. [img]https://i.imgur.com/pvE80pm.jpg?1[/img] [b]Natsumi:[/b] [i][b]*sob*[/b] "I am so glad you are safe, Yoko-chan..." [b]*sob*[/b] "... But, what are we going to do now?"[/i] A tough question to answer, all things considered. [@Vertigo]Kimura Toru, seemingly the last member of your small group, helps you get back on your feet and politely returns your bag with your belongings, that he found not far from there. Toru has been a guy that's been hard to interact with during your time at school, mostly because his prodigy student image didn't seem to allow him much free time. When it comes to sports, he is someone who values focus and growth over adrenaline, as evidenced by his choice of joining the archery club. He's... Overall a good guy, and a good amount of girls seem to find him attractive for one reason or another, but you can't say you know him very well. As such, it's hard to get a reading on him, figure out what thoughts lie underneath that poker face of his. [img]https://i.imgur.com/BbMi6JW.png?1[/img] [b]Toru:[/b] [i]"If this place is truly Mazonix, then we should avoid wandering too far off from each other. It was built as a 'maze' to keep customers inside, hence the name."[/i] [@Duthguy]There is not a trace of Mai. All that remains is the nostalgic feeling of your hand having briefly held hers... [hr][b][color=Crimson]Player Characters:[/color][/b] Tsuchihana Ren & Amano Ayane & Amisaki Kyou [b][color=Crimson]Location:[/color][/b] Location Unknown - Parking lot (?) [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/4XBXpuV.jpg?1[/img] [i]A peek at your surroundings. That's all your granted before your vision again fades to black.[/i][/center] The Student Council President, Osaki Kiyoko, is the first to act. Having been somehow able to cling to her phone after all that's transpired, she uses its screen to banish part of the darkness that has fallen into the room, enough for you to be able to see each other. Following her example, all of you do the same and eventually find out that Kumagai Arata is the final member of your stranded group. But perhaps what draws your attention the most are the mobile devices themselves. All that's displayed on the screen is the color white. It's so bright that it can be used as a flashlight, so that's useful, but it has come at the cost of all its other functions. It cannot be used to call your friends and it does not respond to any of your commands. You aren't even sure if it will run out of battery or not. Once you've 'accidentally' turned it on, it can't even be turned off. [img]https://i.imgur.com/8TyFUZu.jpg?1[/img] [b]Kiyoko:[/b] [i]"Everyone, are you alright? Has any of you sustained injuries of note?"[/i] Being born a leader, and a kind one at that, it's no surprise that, again, the silver haired girl snatches the initiative to get the group moving. Even in this situation and after all that you've seen and experienced in the past minutes, she can remain calm and collected. But make no mistake: This girl is far from being a robot. If anything, it takes an extraordinary amount of effort for her not to fall on her knees right there after the loss of Kamei and Tanimoto. But... For the sake of those she can still protect, she has to keep moving forward. That's just who Osaki Kiyoko is, someone who always puts others before herself. After everyone is able to confirm that, besides of the few scratches and bruises that are to be expected given the incident at the gym, everyone can move, the group decides that its best to investigate and search the place for clues that may help you figure out your exact location. The first conclusion that one can grasp with no more than a glance is that you aren't at ground level. You are standing at what appears to be an underground parking lot. It may belong to a shopping centre or another facility of similar size (because its huge), but it goes without saying that you don't ever recall ever being here before. Though there are a few vehicles parked here and there, most of them have suffered damage beyond repair, as if they've participated in some kind crash or accident. Those that managed to remain in one piece simply lack a key and, with the way electronic devices work here, it is safe to say that any start-up trick taken straight from TV shows won't help you get one running. Each of you begin to explore in a different direction, but you agree beforehand to never get too far from each other. In this way, anyone could keep tabs on someone else at all times by searching for their phone light. Most of you fail to find someone of interest, however, Kumagai finds the price. [img]https://i.imgur.com/K00CYCu.png?1[/img] [b]Arata:[/b] [i]"Uh, Guys! Over here, I think I've found something-!"[/i] You all rush to the boy's location and soon find out what he means. There is an ambulance parked there. Could this be the parking lot of a hospital? Regardless, it appears it's in good shape. Further investigation reveals that there is no one on the driver's seat and both of its front doors are locked. The backdoor however has been left slightly ajar, as if waiting for you to open it. Weighting your options, you- [hr][b][color=Crimson]Player Characters:[/color][/b] Date Nobu [b][color=Crimson]Location:[/color][/b] Outskirts - Jitsuryoku-hima's Cemetery (?) [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/3N45W2d.jpg?1[/img][/center] Some people like to throw themselves over the grass, relax and watch the night sky, waiting for a shooting star to show itself and grant them a wish. And what a better place to go sightseeing than a graveyard, right? For circumstances that still remain unclear, you've awakened in an strange location, gazing at blurry eldritch skies and with the not-so-subtle hunch that quite a few hours have gone by after today's earthquake. But the most outstanding fact has to be your position: Laid on the ground with your head resting on something rather comfortable, you find yourself inexplicably content. That is, until the realization that whatever you at some point turned into your pillow feels warm, smells clean and makes tiny movements from time to time. To put it in words that anyone may understand: Your head is resting over something that's [i]alive.[/i] And what a surprise is it to find, once you fully come back to your senses, that the name for the species you are looking for is 'human being', one that without a shadow of a doubt... Is a female. [img]https://i.imgur.com/CzS8jWh.jpg?1 [/img] [b]Chikako:[/b] [i]"..."[/i] Even after you somehow manage to escape 'her clutches', Murai's reaction is rather lacking. She watches you silently with curious eyes, maybe even wondering why you would consider resting on a girl's lap such a crime. Scanning your surroundings, you are unable to find a trace of any other student that was with you at the gym. Fate has been cruel enough to leave you stuck in a graveyard at night with one of the school weirdos. Isn't this girl in the occult club? OMG, she actually is. For all you know, she might have kidnapped you right after you lost consciousness and now you are here to perform some sort of bloody love ritual. It's rather dark, but with your phone you should be able to find your way through the grave-stones. Mind you, while you somehow managed to keep your belonging close (and intact-!), neither of them seem to respond to any command. Their screen just emits a pure white light that can be used as a makeshift flashlight. Your attention is eventually drawn towards one random grave-stone. It's only natural... After all, the date it displays is not something an ordinary man would overlook. The name has been crossed out and most of the stone has fallen into decay, to the point where it wouldn't be incorrect that this place represents whatever is left of the graveyard, rather than a graveyard proper. [center][b]'137 days. [i]"Don't give up hope."[/i] 2047 - xxxx'[/b][/center] Well, that's encouraging. Someone who was born at least thirty years 'into the future' lies here. This has got to be some kind of joke... [img]https://i.imgur.com/CzS8jWh.jpg?1 [/img] [b]Chikako:[/b] [i]"... Bread?"[/i] Looks like Chikako has some 'food' to spare. Still kneeled down on the ground, she reaches out with her hand, offering a portion of Japanese bread with the same expression she has shown the entire time thus far. Naturally, by this point, you have made an effort to remain at a prudent distance, so if you wish to retrieve it, you'll need to come closer...