COUNTDOWN : MORTALITY

[cordibus]

The peaceful life of the city has been shattered once more.

Many had thought it over, but a few days ago it happened again. Bodies slashed and mutilated beyond recognition so that that only dental records could be used to ID the victims. Pieces of bodies strung along power lines and roofs.. The same horrifying events as nearly a year ago...

Back then, the response from the Eddan city council and its police force, however draconian it seemed at the time, was necessary. As death after death of normal citizens began to pile up and a pattern emerged, a lockdown was ordered after sunset. Companies shifted their hours around and before long, the city had adjusted to a daytime only work and school schedule. Many businesses opened dormitories to house those employees stuck working late. Only police, hospital and firemen units operated at night for emergencies.

The city seemed to return to normal. Horrific deaths were few, and blame was usually placed on the victims having for breaking curfew. Despite extensive research and cameras stationed around the city, no culprit for the murders was found. The murder(or murderers) simply were nicknamed Shadow(s) by the media.

Before this new string of murders, many had pondered if the curfew could be lifted soon, that the culprit was a serial killer from another country that left the city after the police came too close to narrowing them down. But now the murders are starting again.

And that's about when you come in.

You could all say it started with a strange icon that popped up on your phone that day. May 13th, 2017.


Did you press it right away out of curiosity? Did you press it accidentally trying to dismiss it? Or did you wait long enough for it to cover your entire screen, forcing you to interact with it? Either way, congratulations! You've got...a Terms of Service popping up in front of you?

Terms and Conditions ("Terms")
Last updated: May 13th, 2017

Please read these Terms and Conditions ("Terms", "Terms and Conditions") carefully before using the http:/www.applenet.net website (the "Service") operated by AppleNET ("us", "we", "our", "horse", "goat", "etc.").

Your access to and use of the Service is predicated on your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms.

By accessing or using the Service you agree to be bound by these Terms and agree to be part of The Team. If you disagree with any part of the terms then that's too bad. You already agreed to them by reading this far.

AppleNET has no control over and assumes no responsibility for content posted or user privacy. You further acknowledge and agree that AppleNET and its affiliates shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods, death, night shifts, or services available on or through any such web sites or services.

Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed and construed in accordance the laws, by which we mean with little regard to its conflict of law provisions. Are you still even reading this?

Changes
We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material we will try to provide at least 0 days notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion.

By continuing to access or use our Service after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. You don't have much choice.

Contact Us
If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us.

You quickly notice there is no contact number or address. Uhh---

DO YOU AGREE TO THESE TERMS?
Yes | Hell Yes
It really seems like you don't have much choice. After pressing one of the two buttons, a new screen greets you.

21 DAYS REMAIN BEFORE AWAKENING

Welcome, stray lambs! We'll be your friends for a tiny bit. I'm sure the others are looking forward to meeting you in the future, but for now, we are asking you to answer these questions as truthfully as you can. Don't worry if the answer sounds 'bad'. After all, you're already hired!

Are they... acting like they’ve just hired you for a new job?

The first (and only) question for today is:

You find yourself in a neighboring city where the police have captured an individual who has stolen bread from a grocery store to stay alive. For the sake of this morality lesson, let us say that the penalty in this city is death, and a very painful one. This individual is a childhood friend. Knowing all of this, what do you do? Please pick one of the following:

1) I stand up for them and propose to be their lawyer so that they get a fair trial.

2) I stand up for them and propose to be their lawyer so that they get a fair trial. I have no idea what being a lawyer could even be, but that way I can figure out a way to save them and give myself more time.

3) I stand up for them and propose to hire a lawyer so that they get a fair trial.

4) I let the city decide, as the law rules above everything else.

5) They shouldn't have let themselves be caught. It's their own fault and I just let it happen.

6) They bullied you as a kid despite being a friend and you're just happen to see them getting their just desserts. It's pretty great actually.

7) Society is unfair. I'm are already preparing to bust my friend out of the jail so they can escape.

8) I visit jail that night and give them items so that they can escape but no one can pin it on me. The rest is up to them.

9) I show up that night in jail to kill them to save them from the future suffering from the death penalty.

10) I use my vast amounts of fortune / skills to put the blame on an innocent so that they can get out. Hey that other guy is a stranger, so it’s not my problem!

11) What do you mean I showed up in that city? I can barely find my way around this one.

12) I propose to exchange my life for theirs, then I try to bust myself out. Take that, corrupted justice system!

13) I go back home and watch the trial on the local network with a fresh bowl of popcorn. This shit's gonna be good.

As you go to pick out an option...or try to exit out of it, you witness an all-too brief memory of a life you think isn't yours. A flash that makes you think you were hallucinating. Your head hurts, your heartbeat increases dramatically, and you can barely see anything ahead of you...

Wait, did you already pick something? You don't remember touching the screen, but something's already been highlighted and pressed for you. Staring at the 'saving' prompt, you would later find out it was a deeper memory from your heart. It might terrify you, what you've picked.

After that, the program displays nothing else for a few seconds before a chatroom (appleNET chat v.301.01) boots up, with a username already attached to your account and a little icon, either a sword or a ship steering wheel, next to it. More worryingly, your answer is the first thing posted from your name. Not even a hi or hello.

Well good thing no one has any idea who you are....right?

[OOC: The memory should only last for a few seconds, but it would be something significant that would surprise them. It could even related to this question!

All mentions of their own name, profession or other clues that might reveal who they are would be changed to [INFORMATION LOCKED]. The only name they can refer to themselves by is their username, which is the name of the demon you chose for their Persona. 'Family members might be able to find each other via their writing habits, but for now that's the limit.

Welcome to the game, and have fun!]

Comments

⚔ Barbatos

[foolsvessel]

[ This is certainly interesting. It isn't as if she has anything better to do right now as she wants to take a break from studying. She deserves it seeing Minako has been at it the past couple of hours. ]

7) Society is unfair. I'm are already preparing to bust my friend out of the jail so they can escape.

[ She ended up picking the answer herself because that is what she would try to do. ]

⚔ Barbatos: This sure is an interesting app.
⚔ Barbatos: But did anyone else feel a little... strange when they picked their answer?
⚔ Barbatos: I could just be getting hungry though.

☸ Vassago

[torching]

[ what's up exchange sis

he doesn't know it's her. when he finds out, he's going to freak. ]

i don't even think i picked my answer myself, actually.
i got a headache and everything was kind of blurry, and before i knew it, the app sort of picked my answer for me.

[foolsvessel]

[ Watch as she gets them to bond over the app because she'll totally do that. ]

⚔ Barbatos: You didn't?
⚔ Barbatos: I felt like that as well though! But I can't figure out why.
⚔ Barbatos: It's a little spooky to think about.

[torching]

[ they definitely will lbr ]

☸ Vassago: yeah i definitely didn't.
☸ Vassago: as soon as the headache was over and i looked down at the app, the answer was already sent.
☸ Vassago: not like it's incorrect or anything, but that's what happened.

[foolsvessel]

⚔ Barbatos: That's so interesting. I wonder what caused that.
⚔ Barbatos: But more importantly! What was your answer?
⚔ Barbatos: No need to hold back because you know what mine is.

☸ Ronove

[seasonsofdeath]

I got a headache. Does that count?

[foolsvessel]

⚔ Barbatos: Yeah! Headaches count.
⚔ Barbatos: I mean I only got a slight one at first, but it's gone now.

[seasonsofdeath]

Mine too.

My parents said you could get headaches from looking at screens too much though. Is that why?

[foolsvessel]

⚔ Barbatos: I'm not sure. They could be right if you have been staring at yours for a long time.
⚔ Barbatos: I've only recently looked at mine so it doesn't make much sense for me to get them.

☸ Eligor

[kouteipenguin]

That you ask that is really unsettling. Yeah, I got this huge headache.... before I knew it, I had an answer selected.

[foolsvessel]

⚔ Barbatos: Huh. So some people selected an answer while others didn't. That's interesting.
⚔ Barbatos: I'm going to note this all down in my book.

[kouteipenguin]

☸ Eligor: Oh! If you're noting down other things, I have some other observations.

☸ Eligor: What you select from the ToS doesn't affect what symbol you got. Whatever answer you picked also doesn't seem to affect your name. I can't tell why I'm different than most people at all. Or if there's a reason for that in the first place.

[foolsvessel]

⚔ Barbatos: This is great! I'll be sure to write all of them down. I didn't even notice the symbols, but now that you've pointed them our, you're right.
⚔ Barbatos: I wonder what the meaning of it is. It's just been the two, right? No others?

⚔ Leraje

[seigikan]

I thought about punching [INFORMATION LOCKED]! It was terrible! No wonder I felt awful afterwards!

[foolsvessel]

⚔ Barbatos: Punching who?
⚔ Barbatos: That's unsettling though.

[seigikan]

It keeps blocking it whenever I try to say it!

A guy that I know. I guy that [INFORMATION BLOCKED]

I guess we're not supposed to say anything about ourselves? But who could figure out who we are from stuff like that?

⚔ Eligor

[sociallyarcward]

Yeah, now that you mention it. Most people are talking about the question and the weird Terms of Service. What happened when you picked the answer?

[foolsvessel]

⚔ Barbatos: My head started to hurt and I felt a little fuzzy. I had some weird visions as well, but I can't really remember them.
⚔ Barbatos: It does feel as if it's connected to this app.

⚔ Eligor

[sociallyarcward]

I remember seeing a girl...

How can an app do that though? Maybe some kind of subliminal message thingy?

[forsteri]

⚔ Dantalion: Strange is a good way to put it.

[foolsvessel]

⚔ Barbatos: I can't think of any other way to describe it. What happened didn't feel great nor bad, although my head is hurting a little.
⚔ Barbatos: I'm glad you agree with that though.

[forsteri]

⚔ Dantalion: I mean... that's it, really. Mine is, too, though.

⚔ Naberius

[1in_perfection]

Yes, but I'm willing to write it off as stress. Or hunger.

[...Dieu, but some chocolate cake sounds divine right about now.]

Or some combination of the above, along with it being late. And past the hour any bakeries would be open to combat said hunger.

[foolsvessel]

⚔ Barbatos: It could be that. I mean, it would explain it for a lot of people because most people don't pay attention to their stress or hunger levels.
⚔ Barbatos: That's a bummer. I should have snacks for myself because I do take them to school from time to time.

[1in_perfection]

With the end of the school year coming up, I've been focusing more on my studies. Perhaps more than I should, if I want to be honest. It might be a good idea to change my study routines, with either fresh air or better food options. That should cut down on any headaches or strange sensations; I hope as much, at least.

If you don't mind me asking... what types of snacks? If I'm going to be running errands tomorrow, I should consider picking more up.