T̷h̷e̸ ̵G̶a̴m̸e̵ - A VR Role-play

[FrankieDoodle]

Charlie's eyes narrowed as the man smacked her shin with his staff, baring her teeth as he demanded answers from her.
"Talking about what, exactly?" she growled, brandishing the twin scythes more threateningly. "I have no idea where we are or why I'm here. How do I know you're not the one who brought me wherever this is?"
She eyed his staff and his slight form. With her combatives training and weight advantage, he wouldn't present much of a challenge if it came down to a fight. But something held her back-maybe it was the flash of fear and surprise she thought she saw in his eyes, or maybe it was just that she didn't like to make enemies. Either way, she didn't make a move to attack him... yet.

Dex looked around, calculating his escape if things were to go bad. While he didn’t know how fast she was, he assumed he could outrun her, or at the very least climb out of her reach.
“Playing dumb now, eh?” He said, moving a little farther away. “Me? Brought you here? Why would I do that?” His tail nervously flicked from side to side, as he twirled his weapon between slender fingers.

He looked her up and down, noticing she seemed experienced with her kamas. Her body language reeked of confidence, and he didn’t have to be a genius to figure out he was no match for her.
Just got to keep her talking until I can think of a plan. Had his mother been present, he knew the “fight” would’ve ended quickly, had it even started. Not only was she skilled with the krabong, she also knew how to make someone shrivel away, simply with words. He held in a shudder, almost hearing her scold them both.

“When did you get here?”

 

[Rubysword]

Dex looked around, calculating his escape if things were to go bad. While he didn’t know how fast she was, he assumed he could outrun her, or at the very least climb out of her reach.
“Playing dumb now, eh?” He said, moving a little farther away. “Me? Brought you here? Why would I do that?” His tail nervously flicked from side to side, as he twirled his weapon between slender fingers.

He looked her up and down, noticing she seemed experienced with her kamas. Her body language reeked of confidence, and he didn’t have to be a genius to figure out he was no match for her.
Just got to keep her talking until I can think of a plan. Had his mother been present, he knew the “fight” would’ve ended quickly, had it even started. Not only was she skilled with the krabong, she also knew how to make someone shrivel away, simply with words. He held in a shudder, almost hearing her scold them both.

“When did you get here?”

Charlie scoffed.
"I don't know. I just woke up, up in one of those caves and I have no idea how I got there."
She eyed him as he edged away from her and relaxed her stance a bit. It looked like he wasn't going to attack her.
"Do you know where we are, or are you just as clueless as I am?"

 

[FrankieDoodle]

Charlie scoffed.
"I don't know. I just woke up, up in one of those caves and I have no idea how I got there."
She eyed him as he edged away from her and relaxed her stance a bit. It looked like he wasn't going to attack her.
"Do you know where we are, or are you just as clueless as I am?"

Dex frowned, her story sounding very similar to his own. If neither of them knew where they were, or what happened, then who did?
"Interesting," he said absentmindedly, watching as she lowered her weapons a few inches. He kept his krabong raised and at the ready, just in case it was a ruse to make him lower his guard.
He shook his head, his lip curling in disgust. "Clueless? I'm not clueless," he spat. "I'm not the one that wound up in a cave. I woke up in the forest."

 

[TamingMaster]

(Just a note but there isn’t access to phones since the city is kind of a dystopia. Though you’re fine with the middle part of the city being more rich/desirable the contrast is good.)

(Don't know why it double-quoted like that lol)

Nina shrugged, her optimism growing slightly. This was the closest they'd had to a plan since she'd woken up in this strange world, and that was enough for her. Even if the plan was just to go to an unknown "Travel Station" in the center of an odd, alien city full of cold, unhelpful people, it was still something.

Squaring her shoulders with as much confidence as she could muster, she strode forward, leading the way into the city center. To her great relief, the original sign hadn't been the only one. At nearly every street corner stood another sign, sometimes with words, sometimes only consisting of a large, glowing neon arrow, pointing onward. She fell back a bit so she was walking beside Damir, rather than stomping along out front, all by herself and painfully aware of it.

"I'm glad there are more signs," she said, finally breaking the silence. "I was a little worried that I'd have to find it all on my own, which would've only ended in disaster 'cause I have a terrible sense of direction." Laughing a little, she relaxed slightly, only to become anxious again when she realized that the light had changed; dusk was approaching.

A sound began to reach Nina's ears as they drew nearer to the middle of the Safe Zone. It sounded like the rumble of distant thunder, permeating the air around the two companions and humming in their ears. Over it, she could hear and feel the slowly increasing rate of her heartbeat; her anxiety was growing with each step. As they walked, the scenery also changed. The grime-encrusted sidewalks and cramped alleyways had given way to wider roads and trash-free streets. The buildings were slowly becoming taller and more windowed, exhibiting warped reflections of their neighbors like giant, heat-damaged mirrors. Even the directional signs had been upgraded, with clean, sharp lines and fresh, unmarred paint that seemed almost freakishly smooth. It was a stark, slightly unsettling change from the dingy little shops of earlier.

Then they turned the final corner and entered into full view of the Nucleus. Nina immediately came to a stop, feeling her jaw drop at the sight of the monstrous thing.

It was a huge, perfectly circular dome of glass, resting on top of an almost Colosseum-like building. The translucent glass of the dome was bent up and down; it was dimpled, like unruly waves, and colored a light purple-blue color. The base building was made of a white material that reflected both the artificial and natural light around it, with Roman columns and architecture evident in the design. The entire building glowed from within, rising from the concrete like an enormous, shiny Kraken and leaving a shadow of light over the two people standing outside; a gaping, doorless archway beckoned them to enter. Large tunnels snaked away from the walls and disappeared into the earth like tentacles under waves. Emotionless, hurried people rushed in and out of the building, some with phones to their ears, some with suitcases and watches that they checked constantly. Suddenly, Nina identified the thunderous noise she'd been hearing: it was the roar of dozens of trains clunking over tracks simultaneously, combined with the constant muttering of thousands of different voices.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Nina finally spoke, still trying to take in the large building in front of her. "Well," she breathed, "I guess that's the Nucleus."

(Ahh sorry this is so long but I got swept up in the Nucleus's description lol)

(I'm going to continue without the tech. Also, the description is really cool!)

The inner city was breathtaking, compared to the more derelict parts they had been trudging through previously.

Poverty-stricken streets had been changed into expensively clean walkways, clear of rat-infested garbage. The dim, flickering lights had becoming bright, white lights, illuminating every corner of the city. The people, too, had gone from old rags, laced with holes, to cleaner and obviously more expensive clothing.

Even more breathtaking was the Travel Station itself. The pure white architecture, the purple glass that faded into a deep blues, the blinding light, it was like nothing Damir had seen before.

When he finally overcame the awe, Damir noticed the people around them staring, almost in disgust. It gave him the chills, even more than it had with Zahara.

"We should look inside," Damir said quietly, taking a few steps towards one of the stairways that led down into the station.

He took a few steps down the stairs, using the handrail to steady himself as he made his way to the bottom. The stairs, like most of the other things in the inner city, were pale stone.

Inside the station was completely abandoned, aside from the chrome trains whizzing by. It was still clean, like the city outside, it was just devoid of people.

The stairways, that led back up to the city, came from many directions, surrounding a central line. Small bridges arched over the train lines, connecting the two platforms. Railing surrounded the edges of the platforms and bridges, leaving only a gap for boarding. And huge, circular lights, spead across the open ceiling, left no place for shadows to hide, beaming white light down on the shining floors.

"Woah," Damir breathed, his feet tapping gently across the floor as he walked closer to the trains that raced by.

(Feel free to change any descriptors. @LittleBrownie - I'm assuming Evan hasn't arrived yet?)

 

[TamingMaster]

Lyra peered at the other person’s hand, a 0 in bold, it stood out even against their blistered skin. She glanced at her own hand, 63 stood out against her pale skin.

The person stiffened and their expression shifted into a somewhat annoyed face, she sighed unsure of what had made them change so suddenly. “63” she replied to their stern question, “so um what’s your name? Its getting kind of annoying calling you just ‘a person’ in my head” she asked shifting so she faced the other person.

Fabian gritted their teeth tightly, trying to contain the rush of emotion that was building inside them. She has 63...? That means... if you round it up... there could be over 100 people here... Which means that-

They stood up, pulling the jacket on roughly, slinging their bag over their chest. It was followed by them grabbing the hammer, taking a few steps through the cave.

Their hands stung, but they didn't care anymore. They had to get out, they had to go home. They missed their moms, they missed their friends, they missed the way things were.

They didn't want to be here anymore.

Tears welled up in the corners of their eyes, only to be blinked away vigorously. They gritted their teeth again, replacing the fear and sadness with anger, before stepping out of the cave and heading in the first direction they picked.

The sky had cleared, almost as if the storm had deliberately chosen to go elsewhere.

Fabian wasn't complaining though; a little bit of warm sun was just enough to start melting some of the snow, from the edges of the biome. It was enough to wake them up from their exhaustion and kick them into action.

If this was a game of survival, they planned to win.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Fabian gritted their teeth tightly, trying to contain the rush of emotion that was building inside them. She has 63...? That means... if you round it up... there could be over 100 people here... Which means that-

They stood up, pulling the jacket on roughly, slinging their bag over their chest. It was followed by them grabbing the hammer, taking a few steps through the cave.

Their hands stung, but they didn't care anymore. They had to get out, they had to go home. They missed their moms, they missed their friends, they missed the way things were.

They didn't want to be here anymore.

Tears welled up in the corners of their eyes, only to be blinked away vigorously. They gritted their teeth again, replacing the fear and sadness with anger, before stepping out of the cave and heading in the first direction they picked.

The sky had cleared, almost as if the storm had deliberately chosen to go elsewhere.

Fabian wasn't complaining though; a little bit of warm sun was just enough to start melting some of the snow, from the edges of the biome. It was enough to wake them up from their exhaustion and kick them into action.

If this was a game of survival, they planned to win.

Lyra rolled her eyes, moody much? The other person, who’s name she still didn’t know, crossed to the other side of the cave leaving her sitting alone on the cold stone floor.
here I thought perhaps we were getting to know each other, even just a little. She let out a groan and pushed herself to her feet.

Lyra leaned against the wall deciding to give this person their space and let them bash their head against the wall should they feel the need. By no means was she going to stop them if they did, free entertainment. She smirked to herself and tried to not laugh.

 

[Rubysword]

Dex frowned, her story sounding very similar to his own. If neither of them knew where they were, or what happened, then who did?
"Interesting," he said absentmindedly, watching as she lowered her weapons a few inches. He kept his krabong raised and at the ready, just in case it was a ruse to make him lower his guard.
He shook his head, his lip curling in disgust. "Clueless? I'm not clueless," he spat. "I'm not the one that wound up in a cave. I woke up in the forest."

Charlie scoffed. "Oh, my bad. You're not clueless, you just have no more idea what's going here than I do. Big difference."
She relaxed and tool a step back. "Well, if that's all, I think I'll be on my way to find someone who does know what's going on."
She eyed him as she began backing away, not turning her back on him before she got to a safe distance.

 

[FrankieDoodle]

Charlie scoffed. "Oh, my bad. You're not clueless, you just have no more idea what's going here than I do. Big difference."
She relaxed and tool a step back. "Well, if that's all, I think I'll be on my way to find someone who does know what's going on."
She eyed him as she began backing away, not turning her back on him before she got to a safe distance.

Dex didn’t argue, instead glowering up at her as she moved away. “Good luck with that,” he said under his breath, lowering his weapon once her back was turned.
He stood up, flicking an ear in disdain as he looked around the mountains that surrounded them. While he didn’t want to turn around and go back, the thought of climbing up to who-knows-where didn’t seem like such a great idea, either.

He eyed the direction the woman sulked off to, almost tempted to follow her. After all, she was the only person he’d seen for miles. At the very least, it would keep him company. Not that he needed it, he kept telling himself. He was just fine being alone.

He shook his head, turning the opposite direction. Following her would have meant admitting defeat, something he wasn’t willing to do, not yet. With his head held high, he began the trek up the slope, his sneakers slipping over gravel as he walked.

 

[Yowza Wowza]

Like when a comet takes its catastrophically suicidal course by hurtling past the sun, only to lose more of its own material-- The moment Tem took off, Aros was flinging himself after them at sickeningly high speeds, needing no goading or prodding to get on the move.
The moment he left the immediate vicinity of his allusion, rounding a corner in an attempt to keep Tem in his sight, he knew it had shuddered and flickered from existence, meaning that more then likely the mad creatures would begin pouring after them within little to no time-- And that knowledge sent an extra spurt of energy through his legs, making him gain speeds he'd never thought possible of himself until that very moment-- But even that did little to help him close the distance between him and his newfound 'companion'. It was sort of startling, just how fast they were, running on all fours and putting even him to a sad shame-- Their black tail, ears, and hair whipping in the wind, much as his own ravenous hair did.
There was several times they had to vault over logs and branches, causing him to fall even further behind. Ahead, Tem's furiously loud obscenities should have been a warning to him, but after bounding over the latest fallen tree, he found himself scrambling desperately to lose velocity on a seemingly newly formed slope, veering to the side in an attempt to not go body slamming Tem-- Who's own miraculous speed having apparently left them crouching uselessly in front of a riverbank that hadn't previously sounded like it was there before, no lapping or trickling sounds to give them a fair warning.
His attempt at not knocking them into the water was going horribly for him, however, seeing as he had slid directly into a slippery patch of mud, causing him to lose his footing-- And finding himself landing on his knees in the murky water, splashing it up over his waist-- But at the very least not landing anywhere deep.
Aros was back on his feet in hardly a split second, whirling to face Tem, his eyes darting behind them to make sure he couldn't see a slightly concerning brigade of rabid squirrels snapping at their heels.
"What?" He blurted, looking back at them when he finally computed hearing their 'just leave me' comment. "We gotta go, we don't exactly have time for lollygagging." He muttered, shifting from foot to foot as he felt silt filling his boots, but his brows snapped together, before his eyes seemingly dawned with an understanding. "Wait, can you not swim? Crap, uh, maybe there's a crossing? Or you can jump across from one tree branch to another?"

Rather than listen to the individuals pelting questions, Tem stood there holding in their laughter at the amount of silt drenched over Aros’ lower half. They couldn’t help but let out a snort and return their focus to the river. Still with their ears pinned against their head, they gazed down and up the stream with resentment, noticing the debris that floated by. None were reliable for crossing, but there were some strange green boulder-like objects in the water that went against the current, holding their own. “Yeah.. I hate water.. and I’ve already taken my monthly bath” they muttered.

‘Snap!’

Tem jumped a full 180° and stared down at a single squirrel that managed to beat the rest of its group downhill. The squirrel twitched, flicked its tail and eyeballed the two humanly figures.

Tem gazed deep into its pitch black, soulless saucers for eyes, sensing the deep maliciousness intent in the little creatures body. Why isn’t it doing anything... why... is it just sitting there... They casted Aros an awkward glance, then without warning the squirrel started to scream at the top of its lungs, alerting its fellow squirrels in earshot.

Quick to react, Tem withdrew their single sandal from under their foot and launched it straight at the shrilling squirrel. Once they landed a hit and knocked the animal unconscious, they gave a victorious hiss and scrambled onto the shoulders of the towering Aros. Ignoring how uncomfortable or upset they may have made Aros by clambering onto him, there was certainly no other way to go about it now that the squirrels were going to be descending onto them at any second by the sound of the ground rumbling underneath their feet. “We need to go. NOW!” they yelled urgently, pointing at the scattered some-what ‘alignment’ of green boulders that brought the two sides of the river together.

 

[Yowza Wowza]

(@TamingMaster @Thing2 )

The sound of the never ceasing hum from the electricity running through the train was the only sound that kept Evan grounded, that assured him that he was being safely being relocated from the dangers of the Distant Lands. He didn’t want to think about the chances of him being taken somewhere much worse as much as it was in his nature to do so.

No.

If it’s called the Safe Zone. It has to be safe.

Anywhere but out there.. in the forest.. the desert.. there were things out to get me.. and they got Lyra.

Evan messed up his face and shuddered, leaning his back into the bench. He glanced at either end of the aluminum tube then towards the windows for any change of environment. It was like he was just traveling in an endless void with no clear passage of time. Only seeing the reflections of the interior on the windows, he let out a sigh and figured he’d finally open food bar to get something in his stomach.

As he ate small bites of the vanilla-y flavored bar, he took out his four silver coins and fidgeted with them.

“They came while you were asleep” she explained “I found them, they washed up so I split them between us. Four for me, four for you”. She held out her four to show him that she had four too, Lyra grinned.

“This must mean somehow we can spend these.”

Evan shoved the rest of his food bar into his bag and threw himself forward in a hunched sitting position. He inspected the silver coins closely, looking for some sort of monetary significance but all they held was an odd circuit board-like texture on its surface that wasn’t noticeable unless you seriously looked.

They.. have to be worth something right? Maybe it’s like a cryptocurrency? But in a tangible form?

The floor of the train jumbled and noises of metal shifting echoed throughout the tunnel. The gears maneuvered and initiated its breaks for the upcoming stop.

It’s blaring horn once again rang out, and following out into the opened space.

It wasn’t long until complete white flooded in through the windows, forcing Evan to shield his eyes from the bright atmosphere of the Nucleus. Then with ease, the train slowed to a complete stop and a hiss from the doors opening.

“Arrived at Safe Zone, please exit through the nearest doors.” the automated voice informed over the intercom followed by a subtle alarm that awaited Evan’s departure.

Evan hesitantly lifted himself up from the bench and started out of the car. Once his feet were firmly planted on the platform, the doors abruptly closed behind him in the upmost urgency as it’s air brake released. Startled, he moved far from the train and watched as it departed the brightly lit and empty station.