Complete Challenge High March Morning Glory

Tick Tock · Apr 18, 2023

-1 Lucidity from Twice
+1 Lucidity from +85 roll
Total Lucidity: 2

There was an air of dread within the room. It was by no means empty, but something else felt likewise. She was in Raina's company, so why should she feel like this..?

Her hand froze it's hold onto the pen, ceasing what little noise she did when pressing it over the pages, her eyes traced for the source of this hollowness over the janitor's 'office', yet the answer felt closer. As if...

The panic out of Raina snapped her free from it, the rise on her tone being far more worrisome than the fact questions seemed to pile like weighs over her sanity- Their sanity now, a hand reaching out to cover the her- The troublemaker's lips.

Shhh. Someone may hear us... I understand, but we have eachother's backs, yes? We have to reach the rooftop, nothing else matters.

Nothing else. Nothing... Nothing in this world.

Even if it all felt like a monotone, old movie to her, save for the vibrant colours Maria and Raina had, and the dangerous black on Wendy's pink. Nothing.

A world that span around a little once Erika turned to face over to the door and ended up being tackled in a figurative and literal sense. Her groans were muffled, mitigated thanks to having landed on something warmer, softer and louder than the cold unclean floors -- The unmistakeable sound of a heartbeat, but the heat was different to that of a blanket or a body. It somehow felt right, like this warmth went through the boundaries of the physical, and when eyes met the source, it all made sense.

Of course, who else could make her feel so powerful but this silly troublemaker who somehow made her heart beat like it never did in years, and even went as far as to follow a white knight's routine to ask about her injuries. Did she clear her throat because of the smell? Were lavenders too strong in the morning for the one who assaulted/saved her? Well that's her perfume of... Usual. Usual?

...I'm okay, just a heartache.

She smiled It hurt to realize that these feelings can't be real, or else, she might have found her reason to be beyond 'just another good singer', right before her happy ā̸̱c̶̗̀c̴̻͋i̸̪͋d̸̩̊ę̷̒n̶͇̚ț̴̚.

JANITOR!

What the...

Erika kept herself under the table, trying to process how they went from hiding like romeo & juliet to breaking their entire plan out of a sudden for a conversation with the Janitor himself? But of course, Raina's genius ignited a lightbulb atop of Erika. In a most literal sense because the lights were turned on once the Janitor came in, but most importantly...

This was part of her masterplan of course! Distract the Janitor, while she goes there to take the keys. Of course, the fan service was an extra, but nonetheless necessary to culminate with their plans!

Erika took a deep breath, awaiting for the time that the Janitor would speak to position herself just right to steal the keyring from him, because a few more could help better than one, and perhaps more adventures lie past the rooftop itself...

"Ye-yes! Thank you, Ms. Pöltl! I'll do that in a second!"

It worked like a charm apparently, but it did gave her two important little details: One, the teacher clearly couldn't distinguish who of the twins is she, even if she wore the cap she's supposed to wear every single day at school... Or did she always wear it?

Or perhaps, the teacher never seen her wearing it in the first place. But now that questions begun to pop up in her mind, the train of thought begun to lose itself, hard enough that she had to hold onto it physically so by letting a hand reach her temples once pain begun to surge through.

It let her catch a glimpse of Wendy and Mr. Perfect leaving together to the nursery. Somehow, the pinkette looked fairly more familiar than it did moments earlier- Of course, they were classmates, so that must be it, right?

Right...

She headed over to her desk and adjusted her cap a little as she took a seat, Maria curled her hands tightly into fists and focused her gaze onto them. To the colour of her skin and the way she could catch a bit of white if she tried hard enough to visualize who she is as a person. And it's then that her hands begun to tremble and blur out a little.

I have to know. THEY need it. The truth. Give me THE TRUTH!

The truth. Show us the ugly. I demand it.

She whispered, letting her hand swipe on the air as if to gesture not just herself, not just her eyes but others. And not just a vision.

But the truth hiding behind these walls...

Summary: Erika yoinks the keyring from the Janitor (or tries to) while Raina distracts them, after a very fan servicey moment that left her more sad than lovestruck like she initially thought.

Meanwhile, Maria attempts to make the facade of reality drop for the whole school, even if only for a few seconds, to let the people she's seen and interacted with at least peer through what everything truly looks like.

Rolls

Roll Result
1d100 (72) = 72

Stealing da Key | Erika

Roll Result
1d100 (93) = 93

Alter DC 75 | Maria

Tarkya · Apr 23, 2023

"JANITOR!"

The janitor jumps, yelping. The coffee cup drops from his hand, spilling its scalding contents across the ground. It goes ignored as he stares at Raina and Erika, mouth opening and closing as Raina starts to barrage him with questions.

It's only once he's recovered that the expression is replaced with panic.

"Shhhhhii-

-hhhouldn't you kids be in class?"

He leans on his desk with a grimace and attempts to look casual. His attempt is stymied by the cascade of empty cups he knocks to the ground, instead.

"..."

"You shouldn't be here."

His eyes dart. He scratches at a red welt on his neck, then looks back to Erika and Raina. He looks at them, and past them, eyes seemingly searching for something.

"Unless...

...were you sent here to help... clean things up?"

His acting is just generally terrible, but it's probably to everyone's benefit here. He turns towards the desk, shuffling around cups as if looking for something.

"They say a kid that volunteers... uh.... excels-in-more subjects than others..."

The man gives the two a look, as if he's hoping for them to catch on to something. He looks almost proud of himself, before it fades away into nervousness.

"A-anyway... If you're going to help clean up, just remember not to go places that are off-limits. They're not safe for kids like you.

Now, let me get the-"

He reaches for his belt... only to find nothing at his belt. He looks down, frowning. "Wait, did I... oh no..."

Raina had a fruitful conversation with the janitor! Or was it...?
Erika nabs the keys! The janitor is perplexed.

You may now access the Roof!
You may now access the Basement!

Using the Exploration action will allow you to investigate these areas more closely...

The journey from classroom to nurse's office seems to pass in a blink. Almost literally, at least for Sean - one moment they're being shuffled out of the hallway by Raijin, the next moment they stand before a nondescript woman in a familiar outfit.

"Oh, Raijin! Helping out your classmates again?"

"I am. Wendi and Sean here are both feeling under the weather."

Raijin quietly shuts the door behind him once everyone is inside. He leans against the door frame, frowning.

"Well, we can't be having that. Sean-kun, Wendi-chan, please do take a seat on the beds."

The nurse clicks her tongue and turns towards her desk, pulling out a few plastic thermometers. She hands one to Wendi, and one to Sean. And as she approaches Sean...

"Under you tongues, please! And try to relax, okay?"

A flower slowly opens and closes like the iris of a camera. Pollen drifts from it, thick and cloying. The smell is overwhelming as it coats your face and clothing. It turns away, but the damage is done. Thoughts fragment and memories begin to fade. The room is filled with pollen, but it's harder and harder to see it.

Maybe you really are just sick, like the nurse said. Those memories of another world, of something beyond this school, begin to fade away...

Raijin escots Wendi and Sean to the Nurse's office, where the School Nurse(?) takes them into her care. But Sean sees something else.

Along with your other actions, you may choose to Assault. Sometimes, violence is the answer.

School Nurse?
DC: 50 Retal: 30

❰ 3 / 3 ❱

No████a██y. The School Nurse? reduces the Lucidity of all targets by Xd2, where X is equal to the number of LP remaining at the end of the cycle.
Teth████. Retaliation damage is added to the Awareness meter.

"The truth. Show us the ugly. I demand it."

There's a moment when you feel foolish, speaking such magic words into the air. Something in your thoughts whispers this, at least. Fortunately, no one seems to notice, except for Keir, who starts to turn your way.

"Wait, you-"

Moonlight filters through cracked windows. Something sharp and floral permeates the air, coats your tongue. Something creeps across you, dragging across metal plates and twisting into your joints.

Yellow tendrils, twining around your body, creeping across the ground, swallowing the room like kudzu. Sprays of flowers grow from swaying piles, regularly placed. Like students sitting at desks.

An elven woman behind you. A beastfolk, eyes wide. You see his mouth move - he's shouting frantically, but you can't hear anything. He starts to tear at the vines around his body, but they rise and coil.

Smothering. Swallowing.

One by one, flowers begin to bloom.

"Reality" returns. Birdcall twitters as the sun sets. Class continues, the teacher muttering on as the sound of scraping chalk continues.

A seat lies empty. And while something whispers that the seat was always empty, you know better.

You... you want to bring others?

Mei looks around the room. There are more than a few empty seats now, though no one seems to be mentioning them. She doesn't even seem to look at them for long. She stares first at Keir, and then at Maria, before turning her wide gaze back to Petra.

No, no, it has to be you. No one else. They could be one of them.

Her eyes are too wide, and she maintains eye contact for a little too long. Then-

The world shifts. Something pricks across your skin. The smell of flowers is overwhelming. In front of you, vines coil and flowers sway, pollen drifting from within. You see-

"But I trust you, Petra. You've always been nice to me..."

And then, just as suddenly, all is normal. Mei looks side to side, then seems to withdraw into herself, trying to look unassuming in her seat.

"We've been talking too long, it's suspicious. Remember, just you."

Maria successfully uses Major Alter! She reveals a truth.

Keir attempts to counter Maria's Alter!
1d100 (57) = 57
K██r fails! █e gains +18 ██are██ss.
42/40
███r is f███d ██ ███ M███████ ██████.

Maria and Erika are being Watched. Their attention gain is doubled next cycle, and they cannot Play Along.

Afternoon Classes to End of School/Clubs

Lucidity is a measure of your grasp on reality and the ability to exert your will on. As you gain Lucidity, you become better able to perceive abnormalities and remember the truth. Losing Lucidity causes you to sink deeper into your false memories.

You gain a point of Lucidity if you roll 85 or better on any dice roll. You may spend a point of Lucidity to change a 1d100 roll into a Mastery or Expertise roll.

If you drop to 0 Lucidity, your character is considered disabled and you will be unable to take any actions in the next cycle. Afterwards, your lucidity is set to 1.

The measure of the world’s hostility towards you. Questioning the world and taking actions that break the plausibility of the scenario increase Awareness, which will make things more dangerous.

If you fail a check with a flat roll or succeed with a Mastery/Expertise check, the difference between your roll and the DC is added to Awareness. A Critical Success negates this gain.

If the Awareness meter reaches its maximum, you are found.

Interrogate

Some of these students seem more important than the rest. They might have some of the answers you seek.

Choose a named NPC and roll a 1d100. Each NPC has two DCs: one to get basic information, and one to get more in-depth answers. State which DC you're aiming for and what kind of information you're trying to get.

If you fail by more than 25, you unnerve your target and must roll future interactions with the character with Disadvantage. This can be negated by spending Lucidity or using the Alter action to make a Moderate change.

Mrs. Pöltl: DC 25/75
Raijin: DC 25/100
Mei: DC 25/100 (1 failure)

Explore

There are opportunities to slip out of class between breaks. Maybe you can find something interesting if you poke around.

Roll a 1d100. For each multiple of 25 you roll, you find higher

If you roll below 25, you get caught and must roll future attempts at exploration with Disadvantage. This can be removed by spending Lucidity or using the Alter action to make a Moderate change.

7 successes

Alter

When has being passive accomplished anything? You have the power to bend the world to your whim - why not give it a try?

Declare if you are making a Minor, Moderate, or Major change, and describe what you're trying to do as a Narrative Action. Player characters and certain NPCs will be unaffected by these changes, and may be aware that something has changed depending on what you change.

Minor: (DC 25) Make a minor or immediate change, such as altering your appearance or the name people call you.
Moderate: (DC 50) Make a moderate or retroactive change, like altering your reputation or making people forget something you've done.
Major: (DC 75) Make a highly disruptive change that alters the environment, or show off your full might without regard for how people might react.

A successful change will create new opportunities you can exploit in future cycles. Any Awareness gained by using this option is doubled.

Play Along

There's no reason to draw attention, or you just don't think anything is wrong. Sometimes it's better to just go with the flow.

Roll 1d20. You reduce Awareness by that amount, and gain a point of Lucidity.

You can activate traits after rolling.

Jin - Investigation Mode

You still have access to your UI, limited as it is. You can gather additional information and avoid trouble in the process.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You gain advantage on Exploration actions.

Tick Tock - Twice

You are two. You can work together or split your efforts to great effect.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You can take two actions this turn, except for Play Along.

Magnolia - Painbearing

You can feel the pain lurking under the surface of others and ease it. And there's a lot of pain here.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You gain advantage on Interrogate actions.

Seigi - Guts and Effort

For better or worse, you've got a reputation in class. You can take advantage of that.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You negate any Awareness gained from your roll.

Sean - Reach for the Stars

You've seen beyond the curtain. You can act recklessly when the circumstances call for it.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You roll a 2d100, gaining Awareness equal to the difference between your DC and final roll.

Magi - ???

Reach 5 Lucidity to unlock this trait...

OOC

@Sean Poteitoku @Magnolia @Magi Heart @Seigi Ling Ling @Tick Tock @Jin
Comms thread
There is no word limit. List events of importance as a Narrative Action.
I will track Awareness, so don't worry about calculating that.
All players are seen as their RL FC unless they use the Alter action to change that.
No set cycle time, but I’ll check in with anyone who hasn’t posted around the 3 day mark.
You may format headers and text as you wish, but please make sure your Action section can be read easily.
Sheets do not need to be finalized unless combat occurs. You cannot use passives that alter Saves or Checks unless you finalize your sheet.

Lucidity: <current value>

Rolls

Action Taken: <the action you're taking, and the DC you are targeting if relevant.>
Narrative Highlight: <any actions of particular note>

Awareness:

Sean Poteitoku · Apr 23, 2023

Lucidity: 5 -> 4

Sean was going to try to redirect Raijin towards the cafeteria. He'd act like the teacher had originally said the cafeteria and not the nurse's office... but he didn't even get the chance to. He was forced to the nurse's office. I have a bad feeling about this...

His suspicions were confirmed when he laid eyes on the... plant nurse?

...Plants. The teacher, the nurse... Whatever's happening, it has to do with plants. And what do plants hate?

Fire.

Almost subconsciously, Sean's hand engulfs itself in flames for just a moment as he tries to push the "nurse" away... which doesn't seem to work at all, reminding him of just how weak he used to be. I shouldn't be this weak... He instead opts to move himself away from the "nurse".

Without thinking, he speaks... sounding legitimately slightly scared for once. "Back off... I need my personal space."

Sean... glances to Raijin. ...Would he help?

Rolls

@Poteitoku
Assault (Mastery Check)
1d100 (15) + 20 = 35
Pyromancy | Sean Poteitoku | Thread Code

Awareness: 26 -> 86

Magi Heart · Apr 24, 2023

-----

Lucidity: 3̵̡́

"Raijin, please escort her to the nurse's office."

"*GASP* Wowzers... I... I would..."

"Do you need any help walking, Wendi-chan? It wouldn't be good for you to fall."

"*Blush*, oh I'm okay! I'm a tough girl too! Hall Monitor and all! I wouldn't mind the hand though♥!

"Raijin, could you take Sean to the nurse's office as well?"

"Oh? Maybe there is something going around?"

Wendi would get especially close to Raijin as they moved down the hall. The little event that occurred afterward was now out of her eye and earshot. However, the strange feelings persisted. As if somehow she had just missed something. So many strange things happening in her head today. That too felt familiar as if... it was normal for her to be in a state of... dissonance?

What about being reliable?
What about the C.O.O.L motto?
...
What was that motto again?

" Well, we can't be having that. Sean-kun, Wendi-chan, please do take a seat on the beds."

That was fast... were the halls always so short?
It's like she shadow-stepped there.
Or astral jumped... or
Wait what even are these terms?
Wendi might have stayed up too long watching anime again...

The pinkette sat on the bed as instructed. Placing her hands together in her lap. Her expression was particularly gloomy. A contradiction to how good she SHOULD be feeling. It's a special day right?

"Yes ma'am. I have been feelin-"

"Back off... I need my personal space."

"Eeeeeek!!!!!"

Wendi's eyes grew wide and she fell back on the bed as fire appeared in the red-haired boy... Sean's hand. She then watched in horror as that fire was lit against the nurse's body! He was trying to catch the nurse on fire!!!!

What on earth?! Did he have a match?
No, it was something else...
It was like magic.
But the NURSE!

Wendi uncurled herself in haste and rushed towards the nurse. It was her job to prevent unruly acts and this was pretty unruly!

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? Are you burnt? Do you have third-degree burns? You can show me the wound. I took a class in medic-..."

Wait did she? That didn't even exist, did it? Why did she feel like if she wanted to.. she could heal a wound without tools? What if she could make it worse... If the nerves all burnt away the pain would stop so... something about this almost excited her in some morbid way. She felt a shiver as her hands glowed and a small light came from them.

"G-gee whiz! Did it work? I, what am I...?"

Magic?Tthe thing Wendi wished she had. The thing that was a major reason why she... why she... wasn't it because of Raijin? Wouldn't magic just make everything better? No way! It's a fantasy! She had to abide by C.O.O.L, she had to do her best in school and magic...

Wendi frowned.

She still held the thermometer tightly in her hand. She was the Hall Monitor, she was Raijin's best girl for sure, and she wanted to be a hero like in anime! A magical girl so... so...

That's why she did her best...
So when there's trouble...
Magi...
...
Wendel...
....
Wendy...

Wendi...
Discipline... was needed.... but also there was Raijin.

"Raijin-kun be careful! Sean-kun calm down!"

Now she was between all three of them. The Nurse, Raijin, and Sean. Kuin Wendi, Hall Monitor, and super C.O.O.L girl stood with her fists clenched. A scolding look on her face. Still, she looked a bit silly, considering she was pint-sized compared to all of them. How was she effective at this? If it was middle school maybe, but this... how... This was supposed to be a special day... why is it so weird? This isn't a good kind of special. This needed to stop so the real reason it was special could happen!

"Please no fighting in the Nurses Office! No running in the halls either! DEFINITELY no lighting fires on the school grounds!

She looked to Raijin and knew he would help her as always right?

Sigh, the feeling in the back of her mind and the depths of her heart. If only everything would just stop. Let this be normal... the feelings...

"Please, no violence. What's wrong with you Sean-kun?! You aren't a troublemaker! Be nice or you'll be given detention or...or worse (what does that even mean?). Let the nurse... do... her..."

Why... was everything so wrong...
She of all people should be... fully aware and yet she just... refuses...

W̷̼͝ả̵̗ş̵̂ ̵̜͘ť̷͎h̴͎͝ḛ̶̛ ̵̗̍t̶͈̀r̸̯͠u̶̩͛ṭ̷͌h̷̟̏ ̴̻͐t̴̻̋h̵̢͒a̸̘̽t̶͎͛ ̸̩̄b̷̩̾a̴̗̎ď̸͓?̶

Rolls

Roll Result
1d100 (67) = 67
Minor Alter | Kuin Wendi | Heal Nurse
Narrative Highlight: Wendi discovers that something like magic is happening, After healing the nurse of wounds she may or may not even have. Wendi now stands between everyone and is trying to prevent any further escalations...

Awareness: [ 86/200 ]

@Sean Poteitoku @Tarkya

Magnolia · Apr 25, 2023

Lucidity [ 3/5 ]

As she spoke with Mei, her eyebrows twitched, feeling something chilling through her spine as she vaguely heard someone demanding the truth. Her eyes, partially averting from Mei, shifted to glance at Maria and Keir, her two classmates, even if she barely talked to them, something about those two felt so-

'What..?!'

Her thoughts, her attention to Mei faded completely, witnessing a stomach twisting sight of the 'truth' one of her classmates so demanded, followed with a price that made Petra's heart throb, along with the pain that followed up with the boy being entangled by vines, that certainly wasn't limited to himself. No... Petra looked in front of her, feeling the strong smells of petals, flowers that once she could at least appreciate their beauty and scent, yet now, were source of the horror that tightened her chest to a point it was almost hard to breath.

"K-Kawaguchi-san, I..." Petra's voice faltered, even if her expressions remained unchanged, her body couldn't lie. But she tried to put it under control, despite the flurry of emotional pain almost overwhelming her. "I... I will see, okay? I..." Her voice and tone shrunk, just like it always did when she was still alive.

She pursed her lips, forcing them to stop quivering, before suddenly everything returned to 'normal'.

It was already too late, however. All the pain felt even clearer now, and the damage has already been caused. Petra could feel a headache building up, holding her head and casting a glance at Maria, then looking at the empty desk, then at Maria, with a gaze that showed every inch of fear that her expressions did not.

'Is he... Is he gone..?'

Her gaze returned to the desk, casting only one last side glance to Maria, as if inviting her to follow, or rather, pleading her to.

There was still so much pain going on, so maybe, just maybe...

Taking steps closer to it, Petra narrowed her eyes, keeping her focus on the desk and tracing her shaky hands on it. Something rough, covering vines that moved away as soon as contact was made. Her eyes looked around, seeing no sight of anyone even bothering to question what had happened, as expected... And still, why there was this generalized feeling of...

"Mourning... They... They are mourning..." She would mutter if Maria was close, and keep to her mind, if she wasn't. "All of them... Why..." Petra's chest heaved as she tried to control her erratic breathing.

Rolls

Roll Result
1d100 (93) = 93
Investigation | Petra Hemmingsen | 1832C3

Acquire 1 Lucidity

Narrative Highlight: On the verge of panicking, Petra tries to investigate Keir's (?) desk further, trying to understand what happened, while feeling the mourn everyone in the class seemed to emanate.

Build Sheet

Seigi Ling Ling · Apr 25, 2023

Lucidity: 2

The school was going to hell. Thankfully, Raina was blissfully unaware of what exactly had been happening. Instead having a FRUITFUL conversation with the janitor - or so she thought! Her Raina senses were tingling as he kept talking. She could tell he was a smart boy, but Raina hated people who couldn't be straightforward! All in all, the janitor wasn't helpful at all except that clearly he acknowledged that this place was wrong. No, THEY were wrong. Aliens invading something that... shouldn't be?

What shouldn't be?
Raina wasn't really sure.

"Huuuhhh...." She tilted her head. "We already BORROWED the key, cuz we're awesome like that! Foresight, they call it." Though somehow she knew she could trust the guy. Raina's guts told her so. "Hey, Erika, the plot-device-janitor who wasn't helpful at all wants us to go see the skyline, so let's do that!" That said, the basement felt tempting too. Though between creepy horror scenarios and exciting sky mysteries, the choice was rather easy!

Not to mention they had all the time in the world, yes? So they could always check out both! If only they had two keys...

Taking Erika's hand, Raina dragged the petite girl along, couldn't risk the janitor wanting the key back too early. "Maybe we can hunt some ghosts after the rooftop." She hurried along, all the way back to the top, through the door, and... a ladder?! "NAAAANNIII!?" This was a Japanese school, after all. "Who made this cra-COUGH carp!? How would you get tools up there? What if there's an emergency? This is a fire hazard to both the building AND my soul!" She sighed, before taking the ladder first.

Raina wore a skirt, you pervert.

Crack
Fracture.
The world, splintered.
The deceptions, quelled.
The truth, unveiled.

Exposed. Macabre. Disquieting. Thrilling. Disorienting. Emancipating. Monotonous.
The world emerged once again, whole. The mirror, once again flawless... Or was it? A fragment once broken would forever wear scars, without exception.

"Huehuehuehuehuehue." The resonant laughter of Nanami. Unrestrained, unfiltered, and most of all: delighted. "Splendid!" She declared, arms stretched, embracing the revelation. Truly splendid. She already had suspicions. But now, certainty bloomed. She remembers.

She wasn't like Seigi, who sought comfort in her fantasies of heroism.
She wasn't like those frail Starcalled, constrained by their imperfect immortality.
She was Nanami. She was Titania. She was Primordial Dissonance.

And she remembered. Always. Yet, amidst this epiphany, there lingered enigmatic fragments... pieces that she...

"And now, what are you planning?" She asked @Magnolia. She asked Maria. A straightforward and simple question. What reason had she to bother? Why should she feel motivated? Plenty others to shoulder the burden. Nanami would... observe.

Rolls

Seigi is truthful to the janitor and goes visit the rooftop with Erika. I think.
Nanami is having fun.

Roll Result
1d100 (42) = 42
Xplore

Tick Tock · Apr 25, 2023

Lucidity: 2

Everything inside of her seemed to speak against the idea, but it's only because of this that she decided to continue, regardless of how a body could react. The world conspired against her, showncased by the boy who seemingly rushed words and eyes in her direction only to disappear not a second after as reality revealed itself to her within what should have been the classroom.

The headaches got worse, and something else begun to creep over her limbs- Within them. Her tongue could taste this floral fragance yet her body refused to elaborate like it usually would, but her eyes didn't fail and neither did her neck when Tick tried to look around for what little time she might have inside this bubble of anti-reality and flora that sweetened her nose despite being sure that couldn't be possible.

An elf. A beastfolk. The screams from the later going unheard, and the flowers that shaped themselves as students aswell as the vines that swallowed whole the man forced her eyes open; Tick's arms shook in that instant, but by the time porcelain cracked against it's will, Maria found herself holding her head instead. The man gone, along with the ginger of earlier and the elf. Only Petra seemed to be there, aswell as the introvert who took a liking of her.

Yet the way the silver-haired girl stared at her told a story of it's own; She saw. That was her wish, wasn't it? For everyone to see, but perhaps the visions were different..?

Stop...

She mouthed. This girl saw, and that made her far more trustworthy than the rest who seemed to play like nothing had happened, among them their teacher. The sensation clawed at her heart, if only because something out there had to have taken notice of this, else her own body wouldn't be so repulsed of the idea of checking the desk. But watching Petra make her move towards it compelled her to stand up and act, as naturally as possible, while both got near the now empty, peerless desk.

Are you okay, Petra? This desk's empty. You could take it if you want it.

While her voice naturally questioned her schoolmate's awkwardness, her eyes told a different story, a comforting hand reaching to stroke the girl's back before the last bits of her sanity could wash themselves away, and perhaps her own along with it.

The flowers... Mourning?

How about you take a seat and we-

"Huehuehuehuehuehue."

Her brows rised for a moment, blue eyes reaching for the source of that laughter and landing on the ever elusive Nanami. Raina's sister, if her memory wasn't entirely wrong. But has she always been sitting there? Maria couldn't tell, only that she had begun to act stranger than usual, even while the bluenette tried to take Petra back to her desk to let her process things out without rising an alarm. The teacher would get mad if they slacked off.

I don't know what you are talking about, Nany. But if you wish to hang out with us, you are more than welcome to.

Dry words cut through the air much like her unfocused stare did, blank eyes practically watching the wall behind her and Nanami all at once.

The thing Erika likes the most about Raina? How unpredictable she can be.
The thing that annoys her the most about Raina? How unpredictable she can be.

Here they stole the keys from the poor clueless janitor, and she goes ahead and boldly CLAIMS that they 'borrowed' them, as if it wouldn't be so obvious that an adult could tell the difference between stealing and asking.

But that was good. Predictable is boring anyways, but so would be for their story to end here, with the keys forever out of their reach and with a huge BAD ENDING screen flashing on their faces.

Raina please be nice with Mr. Janitor. He is trying his best despite being just a stepping stone in our adventure.

Erika sighed off, giving an apologetic bow to the man (because she totally wasn't the one who stole the keys in the first place), only to get yoinked away by her hand once the crazy delinquent hurried over with the keyring they stole, a bit sad she couldn't wave a good-bye to the man, given her grasp on her notepad.

You made my heart freeze you dummy, what with revealing the truth to the guy we just sto-

Borrowed the keys from. Hopefully when we meet some ghosts you won't tell them we plan to exorcise them and send them to the afterlife, hmm?

She giggled, bumping her shoulder against Raina's as they made their way towards the rooftop. The door finally opened with the twist of a key, but while the ladder seemed completely normal in her eyes, her partner-in-crime saw fit to exclaim to the seven winds.

Who made this cra-COUGH carp!?-

Good.

Erika approves of good use of non-cussing words such as 'carp' or 'sheet!'.

Why, fire is not a problem for such a fiery soul such as yours, Raina. Now enough rodeos, don quixote! Let us-

Her lips sealed themselves shut as Raina beat her in initiative rolls apparently and jumped her way straight to the ladder before she could. The loudest swallow she ever felt in her life followed, as Erika followed right behind her friend, while keeping her eyes shut. The devil's temptation asked for the fan service to be fulfilled!

KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! RAINA YOU PERVERT, WHY ARE YOU WEARING A SKIRT AND CLIMBING UP FIRST?!

She yelled, a rosy tint coating her face just as she held herself on place, shooking her head in complete denial. A few seconds of space between them would help her pick up the pace on the ladder, not knowing exactly how far up they were in the first place, and not wishing to after accussing this delinquent for her crimes.

Pervert pervert pervert! I'll tell Wendy after this!

Rolls

Roll Result
1d100 (50) = 50

x-plorer | Erika

Tarkya · May 6, 2023

Nanami's laughter is what causes the classroom's atmosphere to finally shift.

For a moment, all eyes are on her. Teacher and students turn to face her, expressions blank rather than confused. A strained silence fills the room.

And then there's a sudden pok! and a subtle spike of pain as something strikes Nanami's head. Ms. Pöltl's piece of chalk explodes into a puff of powder as it hits the ground.

"Nanami, Maria, Petra! Please, sit down!"

The silence breaks as if it were never there. Students giggle around them - Mei retreats even further into herself, looking like she's regretting her choices. The teacher looks upset as she adjusts her glasses. They shine in the fading sunlight streaming through the windows.

"I expected better of you... you'll all be staying after class so we can speak."

A few students jeer in the classic way of kids relishing in the suffering of others, but the sound is cut off by Pöltl's sharp clap. "Now everyone, it's time to finish our day..."

...was it that time already? Time sure seems to be flying lately. As the final rituals are completed, the teacher watches her three targets, ensuring they don't try to sneak out of the class. It's only once it's empty that she closes the door and lets out a sigh.

"...I know things are rough, but it's no reason to act out. I-if things are difficult, you can talk to me, you know?"

"After all, we're here to help. If there's anything I can do to make things easier, do let us know."

Nanami, Maria, and Petra are getting a Talking To. If they Explore, they will gain Awareness equal to the amount they roll.

Fire flashes within the Nurse's Office, filling the air with a searing floral smell. Fire crawls across her, spreading far too fast, more like watching paper catch than a person getting burned-

And for a moment, reality flickers for everyone present. Not even Wendi can ignore the flower-faced nurse, the strangely armored Sean, someone unfamiliar blocking the door.

-but it's only an instant. A hallucination. There is no fire under Wendi's hands. No burns marr the nurse's skin. The warmth of the light shimmering around her hands feels like nothing more than a memory. As if none of it had happened. The nurse tuts, pulling the thermometer away.

"O-o-oh dear... you seem to be quite feverish, Sean-kun. You should lie down..."

But the nurse doesn't get any closer to Sean, her expression hidden behind her face mask. But Raijin... Raijin marches towards him, and then yanks Sean's head towards him by the ear. His hand feels deathly cold.

"If you're smart, you won't do that again. Don't ruin this, cub."

There's something malevolent in his hiss, kept quiet enough that Wendi would need to strain to hear it. For a moment, there's something almost mechanical to it. But by the time he pulls away, his trademark smile is back on his face. He approaches Wendi and rests his hand on hers with a smile. For a moment, there's a whisper at the back her mind, telling her that nothing happened, no fire, no healing, just a normal nurse's office visit...

...but just as quickly, it fades, lost in the greater confusion brewing in Wendi's mind.

"...you should be careful, Wendi. Sean does his best, but I wouldnt want him to be a bad influence on you.

Ms. █████, Wendi and I should be getting back to class. Sean, I hope you feel better soon."

He gently tugs her towards the door, ready to lead her back to class. But... isn't he being a little rough...?

Sean's Pyromancy reduces the effect of Norm█pa██y. Sean rolls 3d2 twice, then subtracts the lower value from the higher value.

Wendi heals the nurse, gaining the M██rni██ █lo██'s favor. The next time she Plays Along, she reduces Awareness by 2d20.

Raijin used Alter... but failed.

The janitor stops pawing at his outfit once Raina announces the 'borrowing' of his keys. The stare he gives the two is tired enough that he doesnt' complain.

"Y-yes, of course. Before you go-"

He walks over to the cabinet, takes a breath, and opens it up. What once was empty now holds a mop caddy, complete with a mop.

"This will ensure the hall monitors know what you're doing. Stay safe."

Whatever shenanigans Erika and Reina get involved in once they leave the office don't seem to draw any attention. The "hall montiors" that approach merely glance at the mop caddy and continue walking. It's strange, though, how unmemorable they are...

The ladder seems to go on forever. Or maybe it goes by too quickly. The door at the top is closed by a simple latch, easy enough to push open. It looks like drywall, but it feels like wood, and as the two step out onto the roof. There's no railings up here, just the rough black tar beneath their feet.

Beneath the light of a setting sun, the suburbs seem to stretch on forever-

Beneath the light of a waxing moon, the ruins writhe..

It's home. The only home you've known, where you and your friends and your family live. It's a pleasant place. A safe place, apart from the pain of the world beyond.

Yellowed tendrils crawl across the wasteland and make silhouettes of smothered buildings. Clusters of flower lift their heads towards the heavens.

It strikes you suddenly, that this is all silly. You're all chasing a conspiracy where there is none, looking for darkness when there's none here to be found.

The air is filled with a soft popping, like the sound of popcorn, as pollen bursts from opening buds. Even up here, you can smell it. Its thin, but its dizzying odor still makes the world waver before your eyes.

The wind blows, clearing the air, and in that moment reality asserts itself. The reality that was once a game, but is now the only one you know. Tendrils creep and crawl across your skin, digging deeper, as if trying to pull you away, back into the dreamy confines below the rotting tiles you stand on.

BGM

Ｗｈａｔ　ａｒｅ　ｙｏｕ　ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ｆｏｒ？

Ａｒｅ　ｙｏｕ　ｎｏｔ　ｈａｐｐｙ？　Ａｒｅ　ｙｏｕ　ｎｏｔ　ｓａｆｅ？

Ｄｏ　ｙｏｕ　ｎｏｔ　ｍｏｕｒｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｙｏｕ　ｔｈａｔ　ｏｎｃｅ　ｗａｓ？

Ｉｓ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｎｏｔ　ｅｎｏｕｇｈ？Ｗｅ　ｃａｎ　ｃｈａｎｇｅ　ｉｔ.

Ｓｈａｒｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｕｓ　ｙｏｕｒ　ｄｒｅａｍｓ．　Ｈｅｌｐ　ｕｓ　ｈｅｌｐ　ｙｏｕ．

Ｗｅ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｗａｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｈａｐｐｙ．

Ｗｅ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｗａｎｔ　ｙｏｕ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｈａｐｐｙ．

Ｗｅ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｆｉｎｄ　ｈａｐｐｉｎｅｓｓ　ｔｏｇｅｔｈｅｒ．

Two worlds

struggle for dominance.

The sunset is beautiful.

On top of their standard action, Seigi and Tick may choose to hold their ground. If they choose this option, they each gain 1d4 lucidity, but gain ten times that amount of Awareness. This cannot be nullified by Guts and Effort.

End of School

Lucidity is a measure of your grasp on reality and the ability to exert your will on. As you gain Lucidity, you become better able to perceive abnormalities and remember the truth. Losing Lucidity causes you to sink deeper into your false memories.

You gain a point of Lucidity if you roll 85 or better on any dice roll. You may spend a point of Lucidity to change a 1d100 roll into a Mastery or Expertise roll.

If you drop to 0 Lucidity, your character is considered disabled and you will be unable to take any actions in the next cycle. Afterwards, your lucidity is set to 1.

The measure of the world's hostility towards you. Questioning the world and taking actions that break the plausibility of the scenario increase Awareness, which will make things more dangerous.

If you fail a check with a flat roll or succeed with a Mastery/Expertise check, the difference between your roll and the DC is added to Awareness. A Critical Success negates this gain.

If the Awareness meter reaches its maximum, you are found.

Interrogate

Some of these students seem more important than the rest. They might have some of the answers you seek.

Choose a named NPC and roll a 1d100. Each NPC has two DCs: one to get basic information, and one to get more in-depth answers. State which DC you're aiming for and what kind of information you're trying to get.

If you fail by more than 25, you unnerve your target and must roll future interactions with the character with Disadvantage. This can be negated by spending Lucidity or using the Alter action to make a Moderate change.

Mrs. Pöltl: DC 25/75
Raijin: DC 25/100
Mei: DC 25/100 (1 failure)

Explore

There are opportunities to slip out of class between breaks. Maybe you can find something interesting if you poke around.

Roll a 1d100. For each multiple of 25 you roll, you find higher

If you roll below 25, you get caught and must roll future attempts at exploration with Disadvantage. This can be removed by spending Lucidity or using the Alter action to make a Moderate change.

7 successes

Alter

When has being passive accomplished anything? You have the power to bend the world to your whim - why not give it a try?

Declare if you are making a Minor, Moderate, or Major change, and describe what you're trying to do as a Narrative Action. Player characters and certain NPCs will be unaffected by these changes, and may be aware that something has changed depending on what you change.

Minor: (DC 25) Make a minor or immediate change, such as altering your appearance or the name people call you.
Moderate: (DC 50) Make a moderate or retroactive change, like altering your reputation or making people forget something you've done.
Major: (DC 75) Make a highly disruptive change that alters the environment, or show off your full might without regard for how people might react.

A successful change will create new opportunities you can exploit in future cycles. Any Awareness gained by using this option is doubled.

Play Along

There's no reason to draw attention, or you just don't think anything is wrong. Sometimes it's better to just go with the flow.

Roll 1d20. You reduce Awareness by that amount, and gain a point of Lucidity.

You can activate traits after rolling.

Jin - Investigation Mode

You still have access to your UI, limited as it is. You can gather additional information and avoid trouble in the process.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You gain advantage on Exploration actions.

Tick Tock - Twice

You are two. You can work together or split your efforts to great effect.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You can take two actions this turn, except for Play Along.

Magnolia - Painbearing

You can feel the pain lurking under the surface of others and ease it. And there's a lot of pain here.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You gain advantage on Interrogate actions.

Seigi - Guts and Effort

For better or worse, you've got a reputation in class. You can take advantage of that.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You negate any Awareness gained from your roll.

Sean - Reach for the Stars

You've seen beyond the curtain. You can act recklessly when the circumstances call for it.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You roll a 2d100, gaining Awareness equal to the difference between your DC and final roll.

Magi - ???

Reach 5 Lucidity to unlock this trait...

OOC

@Sean Poteitoku @Magnolia @Magi Heart @Seigi Ling Ling @Tick Tock @Jin
Comms thread
There is no word limit. List events of importance as a Narrative Action.
I will track Awareness, so don't worry about calculating that.
All players are seen as their RL FC unless they use the Alter action to change that.
No set cycle time, but I'll check in with anyone who hasn't posted around the 3 day mark.
You may format headers and text as you wish, but please make sure your Action section can be read easily.
Sheets do not need to be finalized unless combat occurs. You cannot use passives that alter Saves or Checks unless you finalize your sheet.

Lucidity: <current value>

Rolls

Action Taken: <the action you're taking, and the DC you are targeting if relevant.>
Narrative Highlight: <any actions of particular note>

Awareness:

Magi Heart · May 8, 2023

"Stay away, you... plant... thing."

"O-o-oh dear... you seem to be quite feverish, Sean-kun. You should lie down..."

"...yeeeeAAAHH!!!!!!"

A thrill scream came from Wendi's mouth as the world itself seemed to change for a moment... a flower where a face should be... Sean was dressed like a hero from...who...

Wendel. I think I'm beginning to understand what you're doing. Why my... why you are the... Is it... what...

"... I don't hear anything. I refuse... stop taking it away... stop taking it away....'

Wendi suddenly felt a hand on her arm pulling her towards the door. She sighed with relief... it was all just... a hallucination. Yes... it was.

"...you should be careful, Wendi. Sean does his best, but I wouldnt want him to be a bad influence on you.

Ms. ---- Wendi and I should be getting back to class. Sean, I hope you feel better soon."

Once again a myriad of oddities poured upon Wendi. ...once again it was as if multiple sources were sweeping all of it under a very heavy rug. It had reached the point where Wendi had begun hallucinating that she used actual magic! While that would be cool beans and all, it wasn't very realistic was it?

If only...
If only it wasn't so unrealistic.
Why did she feel scared now?
That's what life is about then... fear... right...

"..the fire.... ummm. ehhhhhhh.....nevermind. Raijin-kun thank you for getting me out of there. I ..."

He was a little rough.

Sometimes you have to do what's best for others though right? Forcing is fine if it's the only way. Wendi herself had to give certain troublemakers a good talking to so they would stop suffering! Sometimes people don't know they want help and cry alone until you...

Strange.
He was.... somewhat different than she remembered now... hmm...
Or maybe not so strange after all. It was her job to care for everyone so she would.

This is nothing but we both know it's wrong. I... do miss it... but I don't think it's...
It's peaceful but is it? Isn't this just...

It doesn't matter.
T̵͇̈́h̴̹̓i̶̛̠s̶̢̈́ ̴̺̃i̶͕̍s̷̤̾ ̶̈͜ë̸̹́ň̷̢ô̸͕u̶̯̔g̶͈̅ẖ̸͝.̴̘̄
For now.

Allowing herself to be dragged along with Raijin again into the hall. She would continue toward class without any need for him to lead. She was the C.O.O.L. hall monitor it was her job to keep things normal. What if... normal isn't good? How does she enforce it then? She felt maybe there was a way to will things to be better. Wendi didn't want to though. She wanted to know what he thought. Without trying to bend anything. Once things lost structure... she wouldn't be C.O.O.L anymore. Nothing he's done to this point has stopped the decay of all of it so... she would ask.

"Raijin-kun... am I doing... a good job? I want everyone to be happy and I want a happy end to the school day. I love the effort everyone is doing to keep that going. Heh...Wehihihi ♥"

She turned back to look back at him. Her expression was off compared to normal. In the halls, everything was wrong... so it was all normal to her. More normal than before even. Thorns and flowers and the like. Her mother loved them too. So much she gave her one as a baby... it wilted though. No flower lasts forever.

"I know there aren't many like me. I just want everyone not to suffer. No matter what. What about you? Why do you try so hard?"

Where was Reina... Raina... Reina...
Maria had called her Wendy... still wrong. Everyone in the classroom.
Were they happy? Is life happy if it's like this? Life is strange.
Dark thoughts for such an aspiring girl. Better to just play along and see what else comes of it. Maybe there was a way to get something truly good out of this for once.

Caring!
Organized!
Overwhelming!!!
Love!!!!!

Rolls

Roll Result
2d20 (20 + 14) = 34
Play Along | Kuin Wendi | Using MG Buff
Narrative Highlight: ~~Wendel~~ Wendi has begun to understand that this is not only abnormal but so is she. Nothing is normal but if it shows her what happiness is it's worth preserving... for now. She decides to ask one of the few people she associates with as an ally and asks what he thinks of her dedication to her school role.

Awareness: [ 0/200 ]
@Tarkya

Seigi Ling Ling · May 11, 2023

Lucidity: 2+4-2=4

"YOU'RE WEARING A SKIRT, TOO!" Raina countered @Tick Tock callout with the power of sense-making. A very powerful weapon in the blonde's arsenal that she only deployed sparsely. After all, with great power came great responsibility. "Get logicd. Or are YOU implying you'd wanna switch roles, HMMM??!!! Besides, I got nothing to hide!" With that, the topic was done.

Good thing Erika couldn't see Raina's red-as-a-tomato face. She simply, truly, hadn't thought about it! And who could blame her?! They were on a great adventure as JANITORS-IN-TRAINING!, they essentially had been granted the power of fledgling Gods...

...

Raina wasn't too sure what she was expecting once outside. Something along the lines of a Shattered Horizon, an endless ruinous landscape, an alien mothership, or the realization their school was riding on a gigantic whale through space-time were all par of the course, of course! Thus, a small sigh and drop of her shoulders followed upon seeing just what every normal sane person would expect: The friendly neighborhood of █████.

Nay...

For a moment, the girl blinked. Was that...? For a second, the girl rubbed her eyes. But...! For an instant, she perceived the truth. The mundane janitor-in-training remembered everything.... Well, sorta maybe. Enough that, once the veil had been lifted, she couldn't unsee. She wouldn't undo.

Nay...

Deep within, she had already been aware. An ugly hunch. An ignorant wish. A hopeful desire. Please let this place be real! Please make this reality come to fruition! "I..." A weak whisper, in contrast to Raina's willful gaze, her face turned towards Erika. Her partner-in-crime, too, was willing.

"It's just like playing at high ping in video games, then playing at a low ping, you just can't go back!" Thus, Raina's declaration started. Tearing away from the roots clawing at her so desperate to keep up the charade. Her face towards the sky, one foot set onto a roof bench, she pointed at somewhere ahead, assuming the voice coming from there.

"NAY! I REFUSE. Mayhaps, I'd be happy. Perhaps, I'd be safe. And neither is there a single day where I don't think about the Raina that once had been. But even so..." Raina started to sparkle some, as a strange aura of her own began to surround the heroine. "...but even so, the happy ending YOU offer is not the one I am looking for. The happiness you could provide, empty and hollow. Change and adapt as much as you desire, try me to your heart's content as much as you wish. The result will ALWAYS be the same. For as long as my heart continues beating, I will continue walking FORWARD. Even as the sun stops rising, my determination will never waver. Even when the stars dim in the sky, I will NEVER lose sight."

Raina's aura grew stronger, even burning whatever roots tried to take hold of her. A twisting light in its very own right, as her eyes blazed fiercer than ever.

"I will not accept a reality created by ghosts of the past. Neither am I a puppet to be manipulated or played for your own selfish desires! I am Raina Raythean, I am Seigi Ling Ling, a heroine in my very own sense, with my very own hopes and dreams, pains and joy, and MY OWN story to write. For OUR happy ending lies in the FUTURE!"

She let off a big sigh. Gosh. That. Was. So... COOL! And Erika was here, too! Ehehe... she went a bit selfish talking so much about herself, eh? Putting one arm around her janitor-in-crime that... that she knew...? SHE KNEW! From where? Raina pulled Erika closer. "And we'll write this journey together!" The blonde's voice was silent enough for only Erika's to hear. Yet, she was also wondering about Magi. Longing for Wendy... She should be here... here by her side! So why she wasn't...? She...

Her attention snapped back to the opposing force, wherever that may be. Ahem. "So, let the veil of your fabrication be torn asunder. Let the chains of fate shatter! This world, bound by your illusions, I banish! Thus: I REFUSE!"

"Instead, I offer you a new path, a brighter one: the journey FORWARD. The future, the happiness, you so desire. Not as an enemy, but as an ally. For my love is boundless."

"Yes, Ms. Pöltl." Nanami rolled her eyes in reply after her initial coughing fit from the sudden chalk cloud. "I will sit, and wait, and enjoy the company of my NEW friends." The same smile, her eyes now stared with murderous intent for a split second. "You should count yourself lucky that I am a mere observer, fledgling." Before adding more with cheerfulness. "Alrighty, my newest bestest friends!" Nanami didn't seem alright anymore. "How about we spend some time with truth or dare?" That's what the kids nowadays wanted to play, right?... right?

Rolls

Raina rolled a 4 on a 1d4 for 4 lucidity.
She used Guts and Effort and Alter with Corruption for a total result of 59 to declare war against the plant(?) monster in a long winding speech, maybe shattering reality and... also offering to recruit/friendship it at the end since it's so obsessed with the past!

Magnolia · May 12, 2023

Lucidity [ 3/5 ]

"I am not okay." She admitted with an erratic breath, glancing at Maria, and then turning startled at Nanami sudden appearance and question. Her face never changed, but her body language made it clear, fear was crawling through her skin and heart.

"... What I plan to... I-" Petra muttered, but soon the Teacher appeared.

Things went on quickly, that disruptive time dragging them all the way to the end of the class, forcing a wince as she opened her eyes and looked at the two girls once again, with Nanami already making sure to introduce a game, along with a self-declaration of friendship that followed the 'talking to' they were receiving from the Teacher.

Remaining passive wouldn't help, and Petra knew from the sight Maria had bestowed them, that she would be lucky if that weird ass place wasn't the afterlife already, with her body being somewhere else devoured or strangled to death by deadly vines.

Taking a note, she followed Raina's fashion from before, quickly writing- 'Mei wanted me to go alone to the Occult Club at night. She said something of 'safe'. But she is a flower too. And the last thing I want right now is to be alone'.

While she wrote and pushed the note to the duo, she nodded briefly, using the topic as distraction and hook- "I would find a truth or dare... Rather interesting right now, Nanami." Her gaze then shifted to Mrs. Pöltl.

"... As for helping us... I'm a bit at loss, Mrs. Pöltl, what would you help us with? ... How do you intend to help us..?" She asked, wondering before gesturing.

"Maybe you can tell us a bit more, while you play a game of Truth or Dare with us."

Rolls

Spent 1 Lucidity

Expertise Check
2d100 (Advantage) (83, 97) + 0 = 97
Interrogate - 75 DC | Mrs. Pöltl | Magnolia | Painbearing

Acquire 1 Lucidity

Narrative Highlight: She gives a note for Maria and Nanami, telling about Mei's invitation. Then, she proceeds to invite Mrs. Pöltl for their Truth or Dare game, also inquiring about what she wants to help them with, and how she intend to help.

Build Sheet

Tick Tock · May 12, 2023

Lucidity: 4
-1 From Twice
-1 From spending it on a check

Oh? Is that so?

Her cool demeanour almost broke in that second. Caught by surprise like this, no doubt she couldn't stop her face from turning red. A miscalculation from her side costed the entire conversation, if only because she doubted Raina's braincells could be activated in a desperate time like this one. The aftershock from such act and the counter alone left her thinking for only a fraction of a second as Raina made two steps forth and one back.

Just because you got nothing to hide doesn't mean you should be showing such things to everyone. Willingly admitting to be a pervert? My, how disgraceful, Raina. You should be ashamed, just breaking this perfect image I had of you in my mind...

She retaliated with a lion's ferocity, making sure not only her companion got Fact Checked, but also to make certain consequences would befall on her given the harshness on her tone, softened once Erika felt the need to give as much as she took:

Lucky for you Ms Devil, I'll keep the secret at the mere price of buying me lunch tomorrow.

Fortunately or unfortunately, they were bestowed with a familiar sight once they finally finished their bickering and reached the rooftop. The sight of mundanity at it's finest. Nothing but a blue sky and- And flowers. And tendrils that spread all over the horizon, the same that coiled upon her numb limbs devoid of bone or flesh, only for that switch to be pushed back on the second it flipped down and coming with the burning pain of these roots.Tock blinked and they were gone. Tock blinked and they were back.

But everything pieced itself together once the world spoke and she lost her identity. Blank gaps on her memory begun to fill themselves on their own as her brain tried to make sense of both realities. It wasn't that it felt awfully wrong to be stuck in such a happy place, or that she didn't wish to let go of it, but that her heart didn't have a beating.

And that neither reality could exist without the other, and acknowledging both only meant none could work, not with this illusion that this dream held for them.

Her chest heaved and her lips trembled, a pleading look over to her friend carried uncertainty she hadn't shown until now as the memories overwhelmed her and the loose ends kept tugging away at her sanity in search of the truth.

Ra-Raina I'm... I'm-

Her babbling and mumbling quieted down once the hero decided to confuse Erika's sorrow with a comparison that made absolutely no sense, tears rolling down her cheeks once she blinked as a reaction to this. High ping... Pong? She never got to play videogames before, so ping pong it had to be?

Nay, as Raina shouted to the skies and revealed a warm, soothing name she could swear to be familiar with, this delinquent pulled her by the shoulder in a display of pure camaraderie.

"And we'll write this journey together!"

Together..?

She finally reacted, wrapping an arm around... Seigi? To reciprocate the feeling, yes, but why? She could feel these tears wash away thanks to that energy pouring out of Raina, almost drying her face in the process. Her friend demanded whatever gods were in these flowery skies. And they shall respond, if the tears she shredded had a say in this.

Erika tucked a few hairs behind her ear, shooking off her head and smiling in pure amusement, rising a hand to flick Raina right on her nose!

How selfish of you to tear the world all by yourself. That's no fun. We'll do it together, idiot.

The teacher had finally intervened just at the worst of times once Petra admitted what Maria feared would be the case, and whatever comfort she could give the silver girl was shut down as they were reprimended by Mrs. Pöltl.

Maria nodded, rubbing her hand over her back before stepping back once Nanami decided to interrupt them both, and with nothing but a few words proving she is not a plant, if not just an annoying person, but a person nonetheless.

It was by then that on her hands were pushed a message, including that of Raina's strange sister, to get a look at, Maria's face turning into a frown for a moment before the must hollow of smiles tugged at her lips once Petra's plan clicked in her head right away.

Truth or Dare... Sounds fine by me, Nami..

She curbed the ball right back at her, blinking once Petra's second play came in the shape of asking the most unconventional of targets to join their game. Just staring at their teacher made her head hurt, but... Perhaps that was the right thing to do.

Maybe these plants's awareness would shatter with this game, but it left to question if this was the right decision if that were to happen.

Regardless, she set herself down on a chair next to Petra, if only to reassure her with presence alone. They would certainly need to be calm if they wanted to not raise any suspicions now that they were aware there's a problem in the first place.

If teach wants to play with us, that would be great. Want to make the first question, Petra, or should Nanami and I go ahead and ask? Since Ms. Pot is the last to join, we should ask her first.

Rolls

Summary: Erika saw and learned things she shouldn't and had a mental breakdown, which Raina successfully confused her out of it with her heroic speech. Erika's Alter Roll is meant to help Raina's in this cycle. Maria, on the other hand, comforted Petra and agreed with Nanami's game, sitting next to Petra and arranging the chairs for them to be all around one desk, with her taking Petra's side.

Roll Result
1d100 (61) + 25 = 86

alter 75 | Erika

Roll Result
1d4 (4) = 4

Erika likes flowers (Lucid roll)

Roll Result
1d100 (11) = 11

Alter 75 | Maria

Tarkya · May 18, 2023

"For OUR happy ending lies in the FUTURE!"

Tendrils curl away from Raina's aura. The air is filled with a scent like burning incense. Not even the illusion hides the red marks and bleeding pinpricks dotting her skin, tracks left by the withdrawing tendrils.

The building shakes, and on the horizon flowers begin to wilt. Tendrils withdraw, creeping across the earth before vanishing into the building beneath them. The nearest flowers continue to chatter in distorted voices.

Some of them sound familiar.

The voices grow quiet as each floral mouth closes and withers. Soon, there is only silence... a silence interrupted by footsteps.

Dream with us.

The girl's body is thin and pale. Her flowers are in full bloom.

Or dream for us.

The boy's glazed eye stares from beneath budding vines. The light grows dimmer with every second.

An ultimatum is declared.

Make your choice.

Raijin's hands are cold and hard. For a moment, Wendi can almost glimpse the scratched chrome and vine-choked polymer beneath Raijin's increasingly harried expression. A flicker in reality, and the spaces of "normality" between glimpses of ruin seem to grow shorter every moment.

"Wendi, you... You're doing great. Far better than everyone else.

You get it, right? Everything we want is here-"

And then Sean's hand clamps around Raijin's free wrist. He turns as Sean starts to babble, begging for a sign that he isn't alone. Something whirrs behind the facade, and electricity sparks-

"Don't touch me."

It's a bit like being hit by a taser - strong enough to cut through Sean's thoughts and shake his hand loose, but not strong enough to cause harm. Even Wendi catches an echo of the electricity pulsing through Raijin's ~~carapace~~skin like static electricity. The kind mien of an easygoing student clashes with the sharp lines of a mechanical being...

"Why are you like this, Sean? Is it really any better out there, or is this just how Lions are? Haven't you people ruined enough?"

Vines rustle. Flowers bloom. The smell of ash still drowns out the sweetness of pollen. Around Raijin's leg, vines shift and tug. For a moment he looks down, panicking as his hand squeezes Wendi's arm like a vice. They creep upwards, brushing Wendi's hand...

...and withdraw, recoiling as if they'd been burned. Even Raijin seems startled, but it's quickly replaced by relief...

Sean used Interrogate! Raijin's mood shifts for the worse.

Wendi Played Along! Her vibes save Raijin from an unpleasant fate...?

"T-truth... or dare..."

There's still something awkward about the teacher, but it's different from before. What could once been interpreted as the nervous nature of a young teacher now seems more like something playing a part.

"Thhhhis is n-not the time for games, but if that is what will make you hhh-happy."

The teacher does not move, however, simply tilting her head as she waits. Dust drifts, glinting in the light of the sun

pollen settles as flowers wilt around them and vines begin to shift

"What would you help us with? ... How do you intend to help us..?

"By giving you what you've lost. We cannot go home, but we can recreate it together."

Mourning. Longing. The more you listen, the more you realize: this pain does not belong to one person. How many sorrows have come together here?

"And at what cost?"

"We only need you to dream with us."

"Magnolia. Truth.

What will you do when he grows tired of you?"

outside the broken walls, a familiar voice shouts defiance, only for the sound to be swallowed by chattering voices

"What if I don't want to dream?"

"If you will not dream with us, you will dream for us."

"Tick. Truth.

What will you do when you lose her again?"

figures shift in the doorway. this room is not truly empty.

"How about you show me something of value, some more entertainment, while I'm still patiently waiting?"

For a moment, the Teacher stares at Nanami. There is no emotion that can be seen in either world, but... there's something like fear.

Like knows like.

"Very well. You shall see what we see, and hear what we hear."

She raises a hand, and in response vines begin to coil around Nanami's desk. They weave together, until they form what looks like an old computer monitor, complete with the keyboard and mouse needed to interact with it. Moments later the "screen" flickers to life, displaying images of various events around the school.

In a hallway Sean, Wendi, and Raijin are caught up in a conversation... or perhaps an argument.

In an empty office, a purple-haired man nervously shifts empty cups around his desk.

On a rooftop, Raina and Tick shout defiance into the heavens.

"...Nanami. Dare.

Do not interfere. They shall decide their own fate."

Truths have been told. Dares have been made.

Petra and Erika may choose to refuse to respond. If they do, they lost 1 Lucidity and gain 1d4x10 Awareness.

Nanami gains the ability to Observe. She is able to see and hear all events occurring in the thread. However, she cannot participate in a future event...

Now.

Lucidity is a measure of your grasp on reality and the ability to exert your will on. As you gain Lucidity, you become better able to perceive abnormalities and remember the truth. Losing Lucidity causes you to sink deeper into your false memories.

You gain a point of Lucidity if you roll 85 or better on any dice roll. You may spend a point of Lucidity to change a 1d100 roll into a Mastery or Expertise roll.

If you drop to 0 Lucidity, your character is considered disabled and you will be unable to take any actions in the next cycle. Afterwards, your lucidity is set to 1.

The measure of the world's hostility towards you. Questioning the world and taking actions that break the plausibility of the scenario increase Awareness, which will make things more dangerous.

If you fail a check with a flat roll or succeed with a Mastery/Expertise check, the difference between your roll and the DC is added to Awareness. A Critical Success negates this gain.

If the Awareness meter reaches its maximum, you are found.

Interrogate

Some of these students seem more important than the rest. They might have some of the answers you seek.

Choose a named NPC and roll a 1d100. Each NPC has two DCs: one to get basic information, and one to get more in-depth answers. State which DC you're aiming for and what kind of information you're trying to get.

If you fail by more than 25, you unnerve your target and must roll future interactions with the character with Disadvantage. This can be negated by spending Lucidity or using the Alter action to make a Moderate change.

Mrs. Pöltl: DC 25/75
Raijin: DC 25/100

Explore

There are opportunities to slip out of class between breaks. Maybe you can find something interesting if you poke around.

Roll a 1d100. For each multiple of 25 you roll, you find higher

If you roll below 25, you get caught and must roll future attempts at exploration with Disadvantage. This can be removed by spending Lucidity or using the Alter action to make a Moderate change.

7 successes

Alter

When has being passive accomplished anything? You have the power to bend the world to your whim - why not give it a try?

Declare if you are making a Minor, Moderate, or Major change, and describe what you're trying to do as a Narrative Action. Player characters and certain NPCs will be unaffected by these changes, and may be aware that something has changed depending on what you change.

Minor: (DC 25) Make a minor or immediate change, such as altering your appearance or the name people call you.
Moderate: (DC 50) Make a moderate or retroactive change, like altering your reputation or making people forget something you've done.
Major: (DC 75) Make a highly disruptive change that alters the environment, or show off your full might without regard for how people might react.

A successful change will create new opportunities you can exploit in future cycles. Any Awareness gained by using this option is doubled.

Play Along

There's no reason to draw attention, or you just don't think anything is wrong. Sometimes it's better to just go with the flow.

Roll 1d20. You reduce Awareness by that amount, and gain a point of Lucidity.

You can activate traits after rolling.

Jin - Investigation Mode

You still have access to your UI, limited as it is. You can gather additional information and avoid trouble in the process.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You gain advantage on Exploration actions.

Tick Tock - Twice

You are two. You can work together or split your efforts to great effect.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You can take two actions this turn, except for Play Along.

Magnolia - Painbearing

You can feel the pain lurking under the surface of others and ease it. And there's a lot of pain here.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You gain advantage on Interrogate actions.

Seigi - Guts and Effort

For better or worse, you've got a reputation in class. You can take advantage of that.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You negate any Awareness gained from your roll.

Sean - Reach for the Stars

You've seen beyond the curtain. You can act recklessly when the circumstances call for it.

Spend 1 Lucidity. You roll a 2d100, gaining Awareness equal to the difference between your DC and final roll.

Magi - ???

Reach 5 Lucidity to unlock this trait...

OOC

@Sean Poteitoku @Magnolia @Magi Heart @Seigi Ling Ling @Tick Tock @Jin
Comms thread
There is no word limit. List events of importance as a Narrative Action.
I will track Awareness, so don't worry about calculating that.
All players are seen as their RL FC unless they use the Alter action to change that.
No set cycle time, but I'll check in with anyone who hasn't posted around the 3 day mark.
You may format headers and text as you wish, but please make sure your Action section can be read easily.
Sheets do not need to be finalized unless combat occurs. You cannot use passives that alter Saves or Checks unless you finalize your sheet.

Lucidity: <current value>

Rolls

Action Taken: <the action you're taking, and the DC you are targeting if relevant.>
Narrative Highlight: <any actions of particular note>

Awareness:

Magnolia · May 20, 2023

Lucidity [ 2/5 ]

Recreating home?

Her lips parted partially, half-opening and mustering a request for elaboration, one that was responded with the offer of a dream, and a heart-piercing question that made the girl clutch her chest. If he grew tired of her? That wouldn't be possible, right? He was the one that reached for her, he was the one that extended his hand to her, he wouldn't... He couldn't... If he were to get rid of her, she...

"I..." Her breathing became erratic, swalloing as she thought of his words, his face, and all the comfort he had given to her.

"... If he got tired of me... I..." Petra briefly glanced at Maria and Nanami, uncertain of revealing such a thing for them as well. "... Then I would get tired of being the illusion I am..."

Her throat closed, and her empty eyes shimmered with faint tears.

"I would just..."

End it.

Now that she had stopped to think about, she had really grew attached to all that illusion. Perhaps all of her lies only lasted in the surface, because deep down, the love she had nurtured for it felt as truthful as the real life she had abandoned.

The darkness that had first engulfed her. The unreachable hand that forbid her from saving and to be saved. The Landers that had left that abomination without looking back, while her, in the illusion of immortality, thought it was the right thing to do.

None of them had looked back at her, now that she was as worthless as a couple megabytes in a data center.

But he did.

"I already have my farce, one that cares for me. I don't need you and your nightmare of things that had never loved me."

Her voice tingled with anger and sorrow, dead eyes set on the general direction of the teacher, but never truly on her, unfocused... And in the flurry of emotional uncertainty the woman had tried to push her to, Magnolia resorted to the one thing any cornered animal do-

"Be gone."

Resort to violence.

It was like Mrs. Pöltl had called her, Magnolia, a reminder of her farce- And that farce always had tricks under her sleeves, or dress, reaching into them and ferociously thrusting an alchemical that one would always carry when trespassing Eastern Brisshal, a stink and devouring herbicide that mixed with flying tears, that clashed with the smell of pollens and all the bittersweetness it had to offer.

Rolls

Spent 1 Lucidity

Mastery Check
1d100 (36) + 10 = 46
Alchemy | Major Alter | Magnolia | 1832C5

Narrative Highlight: She gives Mrs. Pöltl the truth, but also rejects the idea of the question, throwing herbicide at the surroundings.

Build Sheet

Magi Heart · May 20, 2023

"Wendi, you... You're doing great. Far better than everyone else.

You get it, right? Everything we want is here-"

"Oh.... okay. Cool beans."

Kuin Wendi.
Super C.O.O.L Hall Monitor and the hero of Fake School USAPAN.
It was fun... no not fun.
Fun for Wendy's nostalgia.
It was an experience for Wendel.

The soft pain in her hand was artificial like everything else. If anything, it was just a sign of what was true and what was false.

Truth: Happiness itself is a lie because suffering is to live.
False: That one can create a veil to hide ones suffering.

Eventually, joy comes to an end.
Dream all you want.
Wendi-Wendy-Wendel-Magi played in a dream-like game.
No more playing make-believe.

The world of happy school days was deteriorating all around them. Surely it wasn't just due to Wendi herself. Nope, she knew that Raina was at it again. What they wanted, was that very specific happy ending. Then, she would do her part here but first.

The pinkette clung to Raijin. Wrapping her arms around the larger thing. The plants didn't matter. Vines were not something the pinkette had never seen before and her heart was already blackened enough. She would help him, and everyone else. She just needed to...

"Raijin... I can't love you like you might want. Neither of us are real this way. I... care for you though. I care a whole lot! Something about you feels like I should hate you but I don't. Raina, Maria, Petra, Sean, Theo, all of them will take this away.... from you and from me..."

Wendy appreciated this. This chance to see it all again even if it was wrong. It wasn't the life she had but for now. She would just enjoy a little more of it with him. Funny even if they were different races, different species perhaps... In this one place, the world saw her not as a child. She got to experience high school, which the real, living nightmare had taken from her. A world where she didn't care so much about being a magical girl that she'd get herself killed in a videogame to have it. Even the demon within performed to that idealistic fantasy.

Perhaps that was the nightmare she woke from this morning.

T̸̢̨̢̡̰̯̱͓͙̩̝̝̤̩͎͔̗̫̼̩̅̄ͅͅẸ̴̺̯̊̂̅̇̈́̒̉̄͗́̿͗̂͆̈́͒́̈́̾̍͐͌́̋̔̀̚̕͘̚̚͝͝R̵̡̛͔͈̗͉͉͔̳͓͎͇͋̆̿̈̈̈́̎͛͆̀́̒̽̓̍͋̈̾͝͝͝͝Ŗ̷̨̡̡̧̻̥̱͚̤̰̖̱̮͈̥̝̗̗͉̱͚̤̬͖̲̫̹͕̘̣̦̟̥̯̤̹̥̲͓͇̘̟̤̩͂̒̈̄̂͂͐̾̍̃̀͊̃̚͜͝͝͠͠ͅͅA̷̤͙͎̦̙̫̪͖̬̥̹̺̜̞͈̣͇̝̱̯̥̪͊̿̾̍͛̄̑͒͑͂͂̽͜S̴̢̢̛̳͖̫̳̭͕̹̫̖̪̝͑̌̇̎̇̾̾͂͗́͊̈̏͊͗͐̄̇̑̍͒̓̈́̉̑͂̐̄̒̌̑̃͒̑́͘͘͘͜͠͝͝͠͝͝ͅP̵̧̧̛̽̌̂͒̌̃̃͆̈͗͂͌̄̒͂́͗͗̋̔̄̅͑̈́̚̚̕͘͝͝H̵̡̨̡̧̛̛͉̘̹̼̜̟͙̻̹͚̳͓̯̘͕̺̼̞̭͓͓͇͈̖̘̭̻̭̝̗̜͕̱̮͑́̅͌̉̂̽́̏̌̇̀̈́̍̈́̎́̀̈̐͜͠͠͝ͅͅE̵̟͈̼̰̩͉͓͚̥͓̺̥̾͊̈͐̑̀̔̊͒̆̽̋̽̉̿̿̀̒̿̈́̀̎̽̒́͑̀̋͛̋̌̉̓̕͜͝͝͝R̸̤̣̐̋̌̄͐̂̐̄̆̓̽͋̾̀̀̾͌͛̑̍͌̈͑̽̔̋̏̏̓͒̚͝E̷̛̛̜̗̙͍̮̦̪͉͓͖̮͓̪̿͑̀̾͆̉͒̾̓̏͑́̄̌̎̇̄͂̎͗̈̒̎̀̾͗̆̂́͗̑̏̀̍͋͘͘͘̚͝͝͝
̵̢̨̧̡̛͙̘̤̺̤͎̘͉̣̼͙͖͉̟͔͕͖̖̻̣̠̪̮͇̜̭̙̥̮̯̩͎̞̯̣͔͙̙̊͒̿͛͋̑̽̏̈͗͛̏̀̀̉̑̓̈́̀̀̅͐̆̀̋͗̎̓̅̋́͐̕͝ͅͅ

"...but it's okay. Whatever I am about to do. I really thought this was cool beans. What you need is hope. Hope hasn't gotten me very far I know but, I'm going to keep hoping so you should too. No matter what you look like... or I look like..."

Wendy said what she had to say. Wendel sharing many of those sentiments if for different reasons.

Now... let all of it shatter. Let the suffering be fully seen, felt and brought to nothing. Wendel wanted to get to work and save everyone here already. Salvation should never be kept waiting!

"Raijin-kun. We are going to wake up and then I will help you sleep deeper than this ever could. That's a magical girl's promise.♥"

Now Raina... let's fix this and wake up.
Now Raina-chan... back to our true end.

Rolls

Roll Result
1d20 (20) = 20
P̷̼̓l̶̻͗á̷͇y̵̟̒ ̶̛͙A̴̗̍l̶͔͐o̸̱̅ṋ̵̾g | Wendi
Narrative Highlight: The dreaming pinkette gives a fellow dreamer one last hug before...

@Tarkya

Seigi Ling Ling · May 24, 2023

Lucidity: 4-1 = 3

Making the Flower Monster angry may not have been the smartest choice, but it certainly was Seigi's choice. And Seigi's choice should always be the right choice. At least in theory. She could also feel how something seemed to be wrong with Erika(@Tick Tock), very sad in one moment and then fine in the next! Whatever her reasons were, it made Raina happy that she managed to cheer the girl up, albeit more so by accident.

Strengthening her grip on the girl, as if afraid to lose her the moment she'd let go, Seigi gave Erika a confident nod. "Yeah! We'll be double the trouble-... That's the bad guys thing isn't it."

Whatever shenanigans they could have gotten up to, however, was cut short by the reply of The World. @Tarkya was in utter chaos. Yup, they clearly made the flower monster angry. For a moment she considered just how much of an illusion was this. If it was just like in her manga and anime, and she and everybody else was completely trapped in some sort of vine-cocoon. The marks on her body certainly seemed to suggest that.

Yet, it wouldn't stop her.

Instead, Seigi stared unamused as the being denied her entire raison d'etre. "The Future isn't fixed. It's a wonderful experience of the UNKNOWN. If you give up on your hopes and dreams because things get tough, you'll end up living in the past." The sudden silence appeared like the calm before the storm. She sighed as she turned around to face the two flower-zombies.

"Whether you like it or not, you're already part of my story now. A Story that is about the future, not hiding from it. Your dream's just an easy way out! For those too scared to face reality. And... that's actually okay, but not like this." As she spoke, Seigi began moving towards them, dragging Erika along. "I'm here to protect those who can't make their own way to such a future. So they may safely walk the path I tear open. Your you're doing, it's WRONG! I've given you a choice, but if you're blind to it, I'll make it for you."

With these words, Seigi hastened her step. If they were trapped in some weird illusion space then there was no reason Seigi couldn't counter-illusion it! Shape it to HER will. Sure, she might not have any illusion magic, but she had something much stronger — Heart! A power that could rewrite a fake reality such as this, at least in most fictions she had read.

As Seigi approached the two figures, close enough to reach out, she was now determined to pull them into her own Domain. With a swift motion of her hand, she grasped at the entwining flowers and roots, seeking to wrench them free. These two weren't like the others. They had faces, identities, and a reason to be. "Don't give up! Fight it! The very fact you're talking to us shows that you're still alive! Believe in me who believes in you!" Though she was honestly fed up with this 'I'm UI-Locked so obviously I am dead' mentality.

Those were words she had to make Wendel believe, too.

"It's Nanami." She corrected Maria (@Tick Tock), curiously eyeing the computer she had been given. She.... remembered those devices. Carefully switching through the channels as she could see. The rooftop-clinginess of the accursed Hero that had slain her, together with the Ghost. Wendi, how she finally snapped like Nanami was always expecting her to. Sean, the supreme arsonist...

All this juicy drama in exchange for a word she could break on a whim. Though the blonde had never intended to be anything more than a spectator. "Say... can you see that too? Our sisters are getting along quite well, hmm?" Though clearly, she couldn't. Nanami continued to look for other interesting happenings... yet, luckily for her, some of those didn't even need a magical personal computer.

Or so she would have liked to think, if not for the fact that @Magnolia flailed something disgusting around herself at everybody. "Cough cough cough... how dare you! If you can not handle the truth, don't seek it." Not that she knew any details whatsoever, nor did she care too much. Or... did she? No, only if Seigi was around, she would have cared. Given her some words of encouragement. But this wasn't her Agenda. Although... the girl did seem to be a child, which meant... No. She had already taken the role, she would play the part.

Rolls

Seigi rolled a 5 on 1d100 for Alter... rip. She is trying to take control of this "space" from the evil plant monster by doing more heroic cringe speech. Hoping to get the two plant zombies to their side!

Nanami is just being annoying.

Sean Poteitoku · May 25, 2023

Lucidity: 2 -> 1

Sean just wanted someone to trust...

Someone he could work with...

...and instead, he gets verbally berated by the one person he thinks he can trust. Sean closes his eyes, letting the words sink in. Is it truly better outside of whatever this is? Of course not. Why would it be? He's fought for his life for multiple years, just to get what could comfortably be considered relative safety.

But it isn't what he's been fighting for. His parents, they're not real here. This is all just a fabrication. It sickens him.

...Fine.

I'll do it myself.

Sean looks Raijin directly in the eyes, his expression unwavering. He knows exactly what to say.

"No, it's not better out there. That's exactly why I have to return. There are countless people there that need help. Who else is going to stand up for them? I can't let anybody else share the same fate as me. Hiding in a dream will solve nothing. I fight for reality. If you don't feel the same way, don't get in my way."

And with that... he turns and begins walking away. He's going to find the mastermind himself, whether Raijin wants him to or not.

...He was so focused on Raijin the entire time that he failed to notice whatever it was that was going on with Magi.

Rolls
Roll Result
1d100 (19) = 19
exploor
Roll Result
1d100 (94) = 94
FOR THE STARS

Action Taken: Exploring. Sean will find the mastermind, whether Raijin wants him to or not.
Narrative Highlight: Telling off Raijin and being blind.

Awareness: ???

Tick Tock · May 25, 2023

Lucidity: 2
-1 from mastery bonus
-1 from Twice

Double the trouble FOR the bad guys.

Erika corrected her, if only to be given yet another interruption. Or rather, this third party's answer, as the voice decided it had enough of their games. Of the future- It's denial should have made her feel any sort of pity, were it not for the arrogance it presented itself with, but that mattered little in the face of the heroine who had more than one speech under her sleeve to strike the plants with.

She kept quiet, lacking any sort of resistance once Raina pulled her along towards the duo. Like a puppet watching over an audience, until that silence was inevitably broken the second Raina tried her hardest to snap out this being from it's own directives.

Some people do not wish to be helped, Raina. And that's fine. It's what makes freedom so amazing: That we have the choice to do what we want, not what others want.

Her hands rested over Seigi's shoulders, a gentle squeeze urged for the heroine to let go of these 'zombies', her features twisting into a frown as the serenity in her tone turned into severity.

Stealing ours, however, is unacceptable. Our freedom is being contested. And theirs. Let's find the 'root' of the problem, and dispose of it. Maybe then we can save others and wake up.

They didn't have many options left here in the rooftop, other than wasting time talking to the deaf...

Nami fits you better.

Yet she didn't let her words linger for long, if anything, to distract herself for a second from what was about to happen. They were entering the eye of the storm, and she knew it the second their 'teacher' decided to join in. Not only that, but to strike true in their hearts, with @Magnolia being the first to suffer.

It wasn't part of the game to intervene, she couldn't simply tell her to keep quiet. Who knows what punishment would drop over her head? Yet the wish to intervene was there: preserving the sanity of the few who are left in one piece. If there was any sanity left to be saved, that is.

Blue eyes ended upon Nanami, the fact she could somehow see what was happening elsewhere was suspicious enough, yet it could be just a trick, something noteworthy if not impossible to confirm. Everything would make sense once Erika was with her.

Erika... Gone?

"If I lost her again-" Her own answer had to wait as Maria stood up the second something shattered right infront of the trio, an angered Magnolia finally switching fear for anger in a turn of events that ended up with herbicide splashed everywhere, her nose tingling against the smell and forcing her to shelter her face with one hand and cough.

The questions struck a nerve on both, all but Nanami who got not a question but a dare-

Skin dropped from her arm and the sound of pottery being shattered followed up the moment it touched the ground.

I'll bring her back. Again, and again, and again. One day we'll be together, and nothing will set us apart.

The wood on the table begun to crack and fall apart on it's own accord, the metal upon the chairs to weaken, rust and shatter...

But that day isn't today.

Purple colours swayed around Maria. Energy that didn't belong to this school, but did belong to this world, in one roundabout way or another. It spread quietly, creeping like a snake after prey, and the more it touched, the more it consumed and rotted away- The vines and roots that held her body decided to wither away. The greens turning to charred blacks. The essence of these plants taken, much like it tried to do with them, only instead of dreaming with it, she put them to sleep permanently in the pitch black abyss of an afterlife, if flowers could even gain one.

Pale hands reached over for the Pöltl's 'shoulders', porcelain squeezing into the flower... Woman.... Whatever this thing is. It was inconsequential, compared to the way her hands practically oozed magic and begun to eat away at Pöltl, one inch at a time.

Dare - Wake up from your dreams, silly goose.

Rolls

Summary: While Erika tries to reason with Seigi now, Maria is using dark magic and (primarily) Animancy to melt away and drain the existence out of these plants, specifically Miss Teacher, with a little extra dare.

Roll Result
1d100 (34) = 34

Erika Alter 75

Roll Result
1d100 (83) 25 = 108

Alter 75 | Maria

Tarkya · May 29, 2023

"The very fact you're talking to us shows that you're still alive!"

"It's what makes freedom so amazing: That we have the choice to do what we want, not what others want."

Vines snap and writhe as Seigi attempts to tear them free. One trembling eye meets hers, followed by a shaking hand reaching for the flowers threatening to grow into it.

And then they freezes, and there's a strangled scream before the entangled humans are dragged from the roof and into the courtyard below.

ｓｈｕｔ　ｕｐ

I'm going to keep hoping so you should too.

Hiding in a dream will solve nothing.

Raijin freezes as he's wrapped in a hug he can barely feel anymore.. He starts to shake, eyes whirring as they dark back and forth. This close, she can hear him babbling, words tumbling over each other as a long rejected reality begins to reassert itself.

He can no longer run away, and he hates it.

ｓｈｕｔ　ｕｐ

I already have my farce, one that cares for me.

Dare - Wake up from your dreams, silly goose.

The teacher's skin blackens and burns at her touch. The illusion melts away, trading rotting flesh for withering vines. No human lies within the tangle. Flowers twist and screech as the effigy crumbles into dust.

ＳＨＵＴ　ＵＰ

This dream will be ending soon. Nanami's brief moment within the world will end with it.

But a dare is a dare. As the stage collapses, she remains. Her time will end, but not before she can witness the final act.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Two stand amidst vibrant green, looking out into the darkness of Nayru cavern. It is easy to forget the wasteland that surrounds them.

"It feels dangerous."
"Of course it is. Everything here is dangerous."

Laughter. One person reaches up and plucks a fruit from a low hanging branch. They take a bite, letting the juice flow freely.

"But we have to enjoy what we can, now."

They depart with the setting sun, bags filled to bursting with their spoils.

Two stand within the void, surrounded by the fallen.

"We never should have come here!"
"There's no going back."

The red queen rises above with a look of disgust.

"Together, we can win."

She descends and stains the darkness.

One limps into a village. The inhabitants that have not yet fled sneer and shout.

"I didn't want this."

The town hall is abandoned. They take refuge in the dark, shaking and weeping.

"I want to go home."

They cannot go home. The door was closed long ago.

"I want to go home."

They cannot go home. Its remains are buried beneath a steel cairn.

"I want to go home."

They cannot go home. It was trampled beneath the boots of those that chose the path of thorns.

They pull a fruit from their pocket, still as ripe and juicy as the day it was plucked. It may as well be ash in their mouth. They spit the seeds onto the earth and fall into a restless slumber.

watered by tears

fed with longing

they begin to sprout.

Cycle 6 - "See, when you realize, a patchwork eden."

BGM - End-World Normopathy (Instrumental)

An unearthly wail rips through the air, and the world tears apart.

Fragments of the dream drift and flicker like fireflies. Brief moments of uncomplicated happiness and childhood promises dance like dust in the moonlight before they fade away.

The skeleton of the town hall is alive with vines, twisting and writhing like worms as they retract into the trembling earth. Vines, flowers, and people tear away from the building's husk

In the pollen-choked courtyard, the earth shivers and cracks. Vines emerge and snake from the earth, sending up fresh sprays of flowers. Vines twine around each other, weaving a sagging cage. Within that cage lie the sleepers - tangled and pale, pockmarked by the fangs of the flower, faces twisted with the pain of a nightmare. Familiar faces rise and step forward like sleepwalkers.

And then the cage closes, sealing the heart away.

❰ 2000 / 2000 ❱

LETHAL (0/1000)

Normopathy. Passive. The Mourning Glory imposes Disadvantage on all Attack rolls unless the player spends 1 Lucidity or chooses to Aim for the Heart.
Immobile. Passive. This enemy cannot move.
Vulnerable. Passive. Attacks using Pyromancy, Animancy, and Astramancy deal 2x damage. This damage is Lethal unless you spend 1 point of Lucidity.

Ingrain. Control. The Mourning Glory places 1d4 Entangled zones, either adjacent to itself or another Entangled zone.

Haustoria. AoE. The Mourning Glory strikes all targets on or adjacent to Entangled zones. Targets hit take 2d20 damage. The Mourning Glory regains HP equal to half the damage dealt.
Pollen Burst. AoE. The Mourning Glory damages all targets within a range of 1. Struck targets take 4d8 damage and lose 1d3 Lucidity.

Vine Lash. Taunt buster. The Mourning Glory targets the player with the highest Lucidity OR a taunting player, dealing 5d20 damage and forcing a DC 50 Will save. On a failure, they lose 1d4 Lucidity and become Rooted until the end of their next turn.

Aim for the Heart. Player Option. Target the people that serve as the energy source of Mourning Glory. You do not roll at Disadvantage, but your damage is recorded as Lethal. If the amount of Lethal damage ever exceeds 75% of max HP, the Mourning Glory will consume its Fruiting Bodies and become Enraged.

Action Order: Movement > Ingrain > Haustoria > Pollen Burst > Vine Lash.

Tethered. Passive. Fruiting Bodies share the Mourning Glory's health pool, and can be used to make attacks.
Tropism. Passive. Fruiting Bodies gain 1 movement upon entering or starting their turn in Entangled zones. If they start in or leave a neutral zone, it becomes Entangled.

Battle Map

You may start anywhere in the red square. A zone is large enough for one person.

Entangled: Lose 1 movement upon entering your starting your turn here.

Rooted. Condition. You are unable to move.
Dreambound. Condition If you are reduced to 0 Lucidity, you will move and act as a Fruiting Body during the next Damage Cycle.
Unconscious: Condition. If you are reduced to 0 HP, you gain the Dreambound condition until you are Revived.

EX-Options

General - Reality Check

Take a deep breath.

Passive. You gain 1d4 Lucidity at the start of your turn.

Tick Tock - Tag Team

You are two.

Passive. You have two tokens on the map and can choose to take actions from either location. HP and Movement is shared.

Magnolia - Painbearer

Their pain is your pain.

Free Action. You may neutralize the Lethal aspect of damage dealt by any number of party members each cycle, preventing the meter from rising. You take 1/2th of the neutralized damage as Retal.

Sean - Firestarter

It's a pleasure to burn.

Passive. You are unaffected by Entangled zones and destroy any Entangled zones you enter.

Seigi - Visionary

The future is calling, and you won't go alone.

Passive. On your turn, you may make a DC 100 Expertise(Presence) check. If successful, Fruiting Bodies will not move, attack, or create Entangled Terrain next cycle.

Magi - Savior

You bring salvation, no matter the cost.

Passive. If you Aim for the Heart, you may roll your attack at Advantage.

OOC

Roll Code: 1832C1
@Sean Poteitoku @Magnolia @Magi Heart @Seigi Ling Ling @Tick Tock
Comms thread
There is no word limit. List events of importance as a Narrative Action.
No set cycle time, but I'll check in with anyone who hasn't posted around the 3 day mark.
You may format headers and text as you wish, but please make sure your Action section displays all dice rolls and math clearly.

Lucidity: <current value>

Rolls

Narrative Highlight: <any actions of particular note>

Sean Poteitoku · May 29, 2023

190 / 190

Lucidity: 1 -> 4 -> 2
Location: D3 -> D8 (Attack) -> C9
When everything sprouted into plant life, Sean realized the true nature of the dream.

A nightmare, disguised as the dreams of those trapped in Terrasphere. The ability to return to the mundane life they once lived, free from the burdens of danger and choice....

...but there are holes.

It's not really the life they once knew. It was but a cruel imitation, designed to keep them complacent.

I refuse to let it continue.

Sean grabbed his guitar, it shifting into a blade purely on instinct.

"This is it. I'll burn the nightmares away!"

...Plants hate fire. I'll burn it down, for the sake of those it has hurt.

...I told Raijin. I need to save others. It's something that falls upon me.

He rushed towards the core of the plant, his blade igniting. He left a trail of fire as he moved, burning away any vines scattered throughout his path. Once in range, he made a large, sweeping horizontal slash, sending a wave of fire into the core as he jumped back.

...He's actively avoiding getting those already connected to the core caught in the blast of his attacks, but in doing so his attention is split enough for him to be a bit sloppy with his movement. He's wide open.

Rolls

(F) Reality Check
1d4 (3) = 3
lucid

1 Lucidity spent, Disadvantage removed from attack

(F) Momentum
(6 * 5) = 30 bonus momentum damage
Dynamism | Sean Poteitoku

(BA) Rover
You may move → act → move this cycle.
Sean Poteitoku

Reckless Attack
4d100 (59 + 42 + 29 + 32) + 20 + 15 + 30 = 227
227 x 2 = 454 damage
You are Vulnerable.
Pyromancy | Sean Poteitoku | 1832C1

1 Lucidity spent to remove Lethal from damage.

Lethal: 0/1000
The Boi

Complete Challenge High March Morning Glory

❮ Queen Slayer ❯

❮ II. Dungeon Knave ❯

OOC

❮ Blade of Hope ❯

Magi Heart

Guest

❮ Dissonant Exterminator ❯

❮ Queen Slayer ❯

❮ II. Dungeon Knave ❯

OOC

Magi Heart

Guest

❮ Dissonant Exterminator ❯

❮ Queen Slayer ❯

❮ II. Dungeon Knave ❯

OOC

Magi Heart

Guest

❮ Dissonant Exterminator ❯

❮ Blade of Hope ❯

❮ Queen Slayer ❯

❮ II. Dungeon Knave ❯

Battle Map

EX-Options

OOC

❮ Blade of Hope ❯