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

a.

[messianic]

[Minato............. accepts it. He didn't have anything in his hands anyway yet (he couldn't find a clerk to pay and that's!! Stealing!!), apparently, so he accepts the cat ears after tugging a hand out of his pocket.

... He reaches up (one hand still in his other pocket, nerd), and puts them on his head.

And:]

And a happy Nyan Year.

[His expression never shifts.]

[survivaltricks]

[well, at least one of them doesn't feel too bad about stealing. "stealing." is it really stealing? Akira's definition of "theft" may be pretty fast and loose]

[either way, he flashes this blue-haired stranger a thumbs up, his own features still bland and unchanging]

Purrfect.

[heh. get it??]

[messianic]

[Of course he does, it's the most obvious pun of the lot.

Minato just quirks an eyebrow in return, tilting his head so the ears jingle.]

But is it really Christmas?

[survivaltricks]

[meanwhile, Akira finally slips a pair of cat ears onto his head, reaching up to give them a flick so they jingle in unison with Minato's. nya!!!]

Actually, I think it's March?

[it was March the last time he checked, anyway]

But heaven forbid our big box retailers put out their Christmas material too late.

[HE IS SO IMPASSIVE]

[messianic]

[Nice. Minato leans over to flick Akira's ears too.

Jingle jingle.]

Oh, March matches up to what I remember too. Good... at least there's that.

Anyway, I think the ears are all-holiday-friendly.

[survivaltricks]

You think so?

[jingle jingle]

Maybe I should've said Happy Golden Week Instead? Ah, but I can't make a pun out of that. . .

[messianic]

Yes... you'd have to be very fur-midable to make up cat puns about Golden Week. Or just super clawful.

[Without missing a beat.]

[survivaltricks]

[SUCKS IN A SHARP BREATH]

The student has already surpassed the master. . .

[messianic]

[Stares at blandly.]

...Since when was I the student...?

[survivaltricks]

Since always, of course.

[how long has "always" been, anyway?? two minutes???]

[messianic]

Ah.

I never knew.

How could we know each other for all this time without me ever realizing?

["All this time". Also two minutes]

[survivaltricks]

Good question.

[waggles his fingers MYSTERIOUSLY at Minato]

Ooooon the bright side, you can become someone else's master.

[messianic]

[Hm.]

Pass.

[Oh.]

I'm not that interested in something like that. Sorry that all of your training has gone to waste.

[survivaltricks]

[SNORTS IN AMUSEMENT. . . and then presses a hand against his chest in a faux solemn manner]

Betrayed by my only pupil. . . who could have seen this plot twist coming?

[messianic]

[What weird RP thing are they even doing.]

... Anyway. Master, what's your name? [pls don't call him that.]

[survivaltricks]

[who the fuck even knows with them]

Senpai.

[a beat]

Kidding, you don't have to call me that. It's Akira Kurusu.

[messianic]

Nice to meet you, Kurusu-senpai.

[This is BACKWARDS, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE.]

I'm Minato. Minato Arisato.

[survivaltricks]

[THE DYNAMIC HAD TO BE SWAPPED AT SOME POINT!!!]

Nice to meet you too, Arisato-chan.

[oh fucking no]

I'd ask what brings a pun master like you to a place like this, but. . .

[they both know why he doesn't ask]

[messianic]

[He... mouths "-chan" to himself with faint puzzlement, but otherwise does not protest.]

... But you don't believe my answer will be very exciting?

[survivaltricks]

[if it helps, Akira's eyes are sparkling with a bit of mischief when he says "-chan." he's awful]

Iiii don't think it'll be anymore exciting than my own answer to that question.

Unless you know something I don't.

[messianic]

[The pause in response to that is a tad bit too long and a tad bit too heavy.

... He doesn't think... this is the afterlife. He shouldn't be in the afterlife either way, but he doesn't think--

He's pretty sure, from talking to some other people here, that they aren't in the same situation. Something else weird is happening here, right? That has to be the case, because he doesn't want to believe all of these bright souls are also...]

... No, I don't think I know anything else, unfortunately.

We're all in the same boat of just wandering around and trying to learn something useful.

[survivaltricks]

[. . . Minato's a fool if he thinks Akira, for as lighthearted as he's been so far, doesn't notice the weight in that pause. the longer the silence stretches on the more curious his gaze becomes, eyes locked on Minato's features, studying him carefully with eyes that are surprisingly sharp for how hidden they are by his glasses]

[what was that for. . .?]

[. . .]

[there's no way to get an answer now, is there? they're all new here, and he barely knows who this person is. Akira isn't the type to press; he prefers people to open up to him on their own time. by their own choice]

Damn. And here I was hoping you were secretly an insider.

[oh and now we're back to verbal shitposting]

[messianic]

[Yeah, he's glad to roll with the change in subject back to verbal shitposting.]

Like a mole or a spy...? Wow, scary.

[He clearly does not think that's a Thing.]

[survivaltricks]

I was thinking about interrogating you for the identity of the person who wrote the message on that slab, but I guess that'd be pointless.

[he was not thinking about that at all]

[messianic]

I guess you'd better tell me what your interrogation tactics are, so I can brace myself for the future.

[you'd better!!]