intro log.

[fracturamods]

welcome mingle

( AND SO IT BEGINS. )

There's nothing but the clatter of train tracks, and the odd feeling of almost floating.

When you wake, it's hard to tell exactly what it is that you're missing - only that you are. There are pieces that aren't quite right, even if you're not sure where those pieces would normally be. Pieces of what, exactly....? Well, if you had to put a word to it, it would be - yourself, probably.

The place you've found yourself in is strange, certainly. It's probably worth exploring a bit. Though it just as easily seems that the only form of welcome or explanation that you have, comes from nothing more than a slab of marble.

Well - that, and all the people who seem to have woken up alongside you, lost and also probably Doing Their Best™.

There's no need to fret that much though. It's hard to say exactly where you're going next, even though some places might feel a little bit more like a clue, but what you do know is one unshakeable thing:

There's still much more ahead of you.

Comments

welcome primer

[souheki]

[At least Taksaka isn't alone?? There's a tall man in white robes standing next to him, staring at the pillar with an expression that's almost comically serious considering what they're looking at. At Taksaka's outburst, he looks over, and though he does glance at the horns, he apparently doesn't care that much, because all he says is:]

Do you understand this language?

[HE'S FROM ANCIENT CHINA HE'S NEVER SEEN A KAOMOJI IN HIS LIFE]

[unmuted]

What don't you understand?

[souheki]

[The actual answer is "literally anything" but. He'll just. Point to the stupid fucking "(∩｡･ｏ･｡)っ.ﾟ☆｡’`" at the top, to start with]

I have never seen symbols like this.

[unmuted]

[he squints at the emoji.]

They're faces humans like to draw on notes. I think.

[what the fuck that one is, he doesn't know.]

[souheki]

["humans"..............

...k]

Then this was likely written by a human.

[WHICH HE... used to think was most of the general population, even if some of them were more dead than others, but apparently that's not the case anymore??]

Is it a regional dialect?

[unmuted]

I don't think it is, but I wouldn't know.

[souheki]

[HM. Well, it's more than he knew before, at least, so that's something.]

What do you make of the rest of the message?

[All this stuff about being "broken", shattered souls, and living life to rebuild it... it's surprisingly not such a foreign concept in theory, but it's difficult to believe that this is supposed to be the. Afterlife? Spirit realm??? ANYTHING AT ALL HE'S EVER READ ABOUT, EVER...]

[unmuted]

It sounds like something that damn Visnu would write—but he's gone.

So I have no idea who could be behind this or what's going on.

[souheki]

Visnu?

[He's absolutely butchering the pronunciation, but he says it very carefully, like he's at least trying hard to get it right...]

[unmuted]

[................. he's not sure whether to be amused or appalled that this guy doesn't know who visnu is.]

Is this what they meant by different worlds...?

[souheki]

[LISTEN... he's doing his best

Given that reaction, though:]

They are well-known, where you are from?

[unmuted]

One of the Primeval Gods. Creator of the universe?

[souheki]

[Ah. Yeah, that's probably someone everyone would be familiar with, huh.

Actually, hold on--]

How is he "gone"?

[unmuted]

He disappeared. Humans can't even use his magic anymore. Nobody knows what happened.

[souheki]

[HM. That seems... concerning?? But Taksaka said "that damn Visnu", which doesn't sound particularly affectionate... then again, Lan Wangji knows people who would use phrasing like that as a term of endearment, so it's hard to say.

But as fascinating as this all is from an academic perspective, Taksaka apparently thinks it's irrelevant, so he'll leave it be. If no one knows what happened, he thinks it might be worth consideration, but he's not about to be presumptuous about someone else's entire world.

So he just makes a quiet sound of acknowledgment, and stares up at the pillar, thoughtful and silent.

...Yep.

HE'S A GREAT CONVERSATIONALIST.]

[unmuted]

[...

well, at least quiet means he's not annoying taksaka, so taksaka is fine with this.]