applenet | COUNTDOWN: PUTTING THE M IN MORALITY 3.0

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COUNTDOWN: PUTTING THE M IN MORALITY 3.0

Did someone contact you during your dreams? Perhaps you were lucky and a few images of your past lives were revealed to you. Then maybe when your phone begins to act strange, you aren't as surprised. Maybe there's a feeling that you've seen this before... could it be a case of deja-vu?

You could all say it started with a strange icon that popped up on your phone that day. September 9th, 2017, a mysterious icon begins your decent into a different world.

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: September 9th, 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", "sheep", "apple", "shapple" "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. Don't worry, you're not alone in this! In fact, you've probably had a little bit of a warning, right? Your friends warned you in dreams? Hopefully they did cause otherwise, SURPRISE!

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 with any laws. Are you still even reading this? I bet no one really reads this. PS for all apple pie needs, please contact Luci at Luci@applenet.com

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 solely determined at our 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 cause it's time to start fighting back! You can do it! Or at least it will be interesting to see...

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 | Man I Can'T Wait to See What this is About! | APPLES!
It really seems like you don't have much choice. After pressing one of the four buttons (one of them trailing off to the side of the screen), a new screen greets you.

21 DAYS REMAIN BEFORE FULLY AWAKENING

Hey! Welcome to your new half life. Something like that. I'm Luci! You don't know who I am, but I know who you are. Freaky huh? But that's okay, cause you got a few of your friends coming in too. Anyway, answer these questions, we're gonna have a fun time talking about them, I'm not being all fancy this time, got it? Don't worry if the answer sounds 'bad'. After all, you're gonna be working with the rest of us! What's the worst that could happen?

I mean, bad things could happen. But that's why there's other people to help you! CHECK IT OUT GUYS I DID A FRIENDSHIP THING. PS - If you see something from a guy called "Guts", he can be really mean sometimes, so be careful!!!

Are they... acting like they’ve just hired you for a new job? (And really being impolite too. Who is this Guts guy?)

The first (and only) question for today is:

Would you kill a man/woman?

1) Yes! That sounds fun.

2) Yes, but only because they killed someone I loved.

3) Yes, but only out of self-defence.

4) This question is confusing me because I am unable to reach a proper conclusion.

5) No! That's so wrong!

6) No, but mostly because no one should know about my dark secrets.

7) No, I'm too pure.

8) No, but I'd pay someone else to do it. Guilt free, AND smart!

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... or maybe something you've seen before in your mind. 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 will 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.301.02) 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?

But don't worry... this time you're not quite alone.

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

All mentions of their profession or other clues that might reveal who they are will be changed to [INFORMATION LOCKED]. However, due to the dream memories, their usernames will be a combination of the demon you chose for their Persona and their REAL name (not their AU one).

FOR PLAYERS ALREADY IN THE GAME: Your character now has their REAL name and their demon name. Additionally, NOTHING GETS CENSORED WHEN YOUR CHARACTER SPEAKS.

For the new players, have fun!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't know what you're talking about.

[Kit wasn't the only one who was still suffering from the aftermath of their cataclysmic battle, although his former opponent seemed to be treating his injuries with much less care. the finger-shaped bruises encircling his neck sat openly for all to see, like some sort of hideous necklace. it wouldn't have been pleasant to lash out now, but he'd been prepared for the consequences had he gone through with it.

even so, he's still managed to find some way to be difficult. just because Vincent had been forced into submitting to the other boy's superior knowledge didn't mean he had to continue that pattern for the rest of their conversation. given the two options, he'd rather simply pretend that 'Kurama' didn't exist even in his visions.]

[Had Vincent's body language not already exposed the truth, and had he forgotten all about the headaches and visions they'd both shared, the night at the Leviathan Habitat spent discussing demons and talismans, Kit might have believed he had the wrong person.

But he knew better. All signs pointed to the boy before him being the same one he'd been speaking with on that app, the same one 'Kurama' seemed willing to fight alongside and for.]

I would appreciate it if you would refrain from lying to me about this at least.

[Just this.

Vincent could keep his secrets, all Kit wanted in return was a modicum of respect regarding this matter. He'd come too far, and they'd been through too much to simply snub the existence of Eddan's curse.

Withdrawing gloved hands from his pockets, he carefully undid the top buttons of his jacket and pulled out from an inside poket a familiar notebook. Opening to the back page where Vincent's drawing of the Ouroboros around the three teardrop symbol still remained, he turned it around so the other boy could see. His temples protested the gesture, but Kit ignored the incessant throb.]

You were right about this symbol.

Tch.

[he spits the sound out sourly, turning his head away to watch the nonexistent morning traffic on the street before them. it wasn't the strange magic a large portion of the city seemed to have fallen under that he wanted to dismiss - just Kit and his apparently unbreakable connection to the person invading his thoughts.

but that just didn't seem to be in the cards, no matter how hard he strove for it. his curiosity pulls him back in almost immediately when his companion pulls out a notebook that he knows fairly well at this point. there's no question as to what he must want to show him, but his eyebrows still raise slightly as he leans in to look at his own handiwork again.

eternity. rebirth. the end of all things when left unchecked.]

Of course I was. I don't go around spouting bullshit.

[as if he could possibly have truly known the connection it would prove to be. but this is as much as he's willing to give Kit right now, so the other boy might as well just make do.]

[It wasn't the notebook that Kit studied after he'd held it out, but Vincent. The other boy's response was telling and further proof that he was whom Kit thought: not just any partner, but his. He could sense through Kurama's memories how much they had endured together and how incensed he'd been at the other boy's soul being held hostage. He could sense it even now, between Vincent and himself, in the way they were continuously drawn to one another and how, no matter the amount of blood shed or barbs delivered, they seemed to thrive in each other's presence.

That was how they'd put together that symbol, after all.

After a moment more, Kit closed the book and tucked it away again. Then, he positioned himself next to Vincent against the wall of the club, his gaze trained upon the mostly vacant street before them. Foot traffic would pick up soon, as well as other varieties. Businesses would be opening, even if the real activity wouldn't start in the district until much later after the sun had gone down.

It was quiet for now, almost nice. Like the eye of a storm. He wouldn't be a bit surprised if that was how Kurama always felt around Hiei...]

Did you have a dream, too?

[to be perfectly honest, Vincent couldn't imagine being so closely entwined with the person at his side as he was now. while he might not admit it, Hiei's esteem for his partner was palpable even through the scant number of visions he'd been forced to experience; it wouldn't surprise him if there was nothing the 'other' self wouldn't have trusted to Kurama.

surely someone like that wouldn't be nearly as insufferable as Kit. how could he be? it wasn't as if they made much of a team now, or seemed to draw a strange air of tranquility down upon themselves whenever they were in each other's presence.

...no, he just couldn't accept it.

but they'd made impressive progress every time they'd put their heads together to untangle these conundrums - both in managing to meet here and at the aquarium - and Vincent's curiosity was piqued enough that he was willing to put his stubborn uneasiness to the side for the moment and be slightly more cooperative. the sooner they got this over with the sooner Kit would leave, after all.]

...Keiko.

[he knows, in the strange way he always seemed able to grasp Kit's thoughts, that the other teen must be referring to the vision they'd suffered upon accessing the app for the first time. it's the reason for his reticent response, rather than usual peevishness - he wants to see if the name will trigger anything in his companion, the way it had for him.]

[The frustration Kit felt at being unable to recall anything about that name was clear in the way he frowned and shook his head. Whatever memories he'd had, they hadn't centered around anyone named Keiko, though there was certainly a strange familiarity to the name, as if he was meant to know it, and perhaps even would with time, but for now that particular bit of information remained sealed away from him.

He wondered why. If Vincent and he knew each other in another life and were as close as his memories would have had him believe, why was it the things they recalled did not seem to align?]

No, I'm afraid not.

[But that didn't mean he couldn't recall any names at all.]

Yusuke.

[Someone else Kurama had been close to. Someone who had been willing to sacrifice part of his own life to see that Kurama's mother didn't lose her son.]

[it was doubly strange to Vincent, who had been able to stitch together his memory with the one that had flashed through his addled brain towards the end of their fight - one that had most certainly contained Kurama. what had happened between those two moments to render the hostage's name meaningless to him now?

he's about to voice his thoughts aloud when Kit speaks again. it's a single word, short and quick, but the weight of its impact may as well have rendered it a wrecking ball. his body slides but does not fall down the building they're leaning against, catching itself in time as his skull rings with memory.

that boy. that boy. that smug-faced delinquent human who'd pushed him to the brink of desperation at a time he should have held the upper hand. Urameshi.]

...that idiot.

[the words are hissed out between gritted teeth, almost unconsciously. the venom in them, however, is completely unmistakable.]

Edited 2017-09-14 04:14 (UTC)

[Kit hesitated a moment before he joined his companion in sitting, not sliding down the wall but arranging himself neatly on the cement, legs outstretched before him and ankles crossed.

His memories were scattered. Connecting the dots was a lot like putting together a puzzle in the dark. He was feeling his way blindly along, not sure what pieces fit where or what might lie in between, only that the picture that awaited unveiling was vast beyond imagining. He had a beginning. Perhaps not the beginning, but one of many considering the course his life had taken.

He'd seen his rebirth into a human body, had recalled his mother's miracle, Kurama and Hiei's partnership with Yusuke and another boy, events at a tournament, and a game with rules Hiei had broken. It felt like he'd only just begun to scrape the surface of all that truly lied buried beneath, and the harder he tried to force it, the more it simply would not come.]

He is, isn't he. A true fool...

[And a true friend.

Unlike Vincent, Kit's voice was soft and almost fond. How could he speak venomously of someone who had trusted a thief like him and risked so much?]

It won't be your stomach next time, I can promise that.

[is it really such a surprise that someone as belligerent and unconcerned with authority could have come into conflict with even a teen kindhearted enough to give his life for a stranger? it shouldn't be, nor should the words Vincent mutters darkly as he slowly comes back from the reminiscence.

they aren't his feelings, but he's always been so attuned to irritation that he finds himself absorbing them without even the thought of a fight. if such a boy existed here in Eddan, he doesn't doubt that he'd snap his neck on sight. meddling fool.

Vincent takes a deep drought of his coffee to settle himself back down once more; it manages to take the edge off everything but his scowl, a compromise he's willing to accept.]

[His stomach?

At first, Kit thought Vincent had meant the way he'd struck him a few days ago at the park, but given the current topic of conversation, he highly doubted that. Then...something else had happened between them that he hadn't yet recalled. That was the only other explanation.

That knowledge was grating to say the least...in particular because of the scar he had on his stomach. In the dream where he'd met Reimi he had noticed that the explosions he'd suffered at the hands of Karasu all aligned with various scars he had gained throughout this life. Did that mean that the one on his abdomen was somehow from Hiei, too? Even despite how he remembered having actually received it?

His hands folded over his midriff, green eyes solemn.]

I wonder if I will leave you with a choice.

[he exhales deeply, the sound as irate as it is fond.]

I doubt it.

[Vincent didn't need to embrace his past identity to be certain of that. the other boy had already proved himself to be outrageously hard-headed to the point of distraction, and there was no reasons to suspect that this theoretical scenario would be any different.]

But that's no reason to give up.

[maybe this time he'd simply slice clean through him in order to reach the real target. both Kit and Kurama like had proven themselves to be suspiciously durable when it came to physical harm.]

[Kit's frown softened, transforming slowly into a smile that mirrored the fondness Vincent's voice only hinted at.]

I would invite you to try, but I must return to Green Valley soon. Some of us have places to be where bleeding out would be a terrible inconvenience.

[He shouldn't have to nod at his own uniform to provide a clue as to the meaning of his words, Vincent was sharp enough to connect the dots on his own. And while he did so, Kit was free to continue contemplating their strange relationship. How could two people who seemed so close also be so volatile?

The answer, he supposed, was much simpler than the question might have implied. Kurama was a demon. Hiei was a demon, too. Their entire existence was turbulent in nature, wrought with savagery and bloodshed. It would be much more surprising if they'd ever managed to form any lasting bonds without conflict to pave the way.

If nothing else, it explained the reason for his and Vincent's ability to completely and repeatedly devastate one another and still enjoy moments like this, of seeming peace and pleasantness. Perhaps it was even because of that brutality that these glimpses of calm in between were so satisfyingly ripe.]

You'll forgive me if I postpone our fight for another day, I hope?

[he makes a noise in the back of his throat, not quite amused but close. even in this life he isn't used to the sort of camaraderie he's feeling from merely sitting side by side, watching the district slowly wake up; there isn't a part of him that understands how to acknowledge it without appearing weak, so he simply doesn't.

at least he can excuse the entertainment with the fact that school genuinely sounded like the best possible place to be slowly bleeding out from his perspective.]

As if I'd let you anyway. You're barely a threat in that condition.

[as if he were any better himself, but that went without saying. this meeting had been wholly unexpected, but despite his irritation at 'Kurama's' identity he was more than happy to leave it as it was intended - a way to discover more about themselves and the mystery surrounding them.]

[Certain things didn't need acknowledging. Kit was content to enjoy their brief truce for however long it lasted, and he was content to enjoy it in perfect or near perfect silence. It was unnecessary to point out the obvious: that they could get along.

If they wanted to.

But, as he leaned over to abruptly pluck Vincent's coffee out of his hand and take a sip, Kit wasn't really sure how much he did want to get along with the other boy. Especially if his competence was going to be called into question.

It was true, his hands were in piss poor condition, but he would never let that stop him from doing anything, least of all the things he was best at.]

...needs a hint of sugar.

[Said the thief as he stole yet another sip of coffee that didn't belong to him.]

[and, in an instant, Vincent's elbow is driving sharply into his former companion's side.

he doesn't even care if the attack causes Kit to spill the coffee all over himself; it would serve him right to be scalded so thoroughly for taking what didn't belong to him. and, if he was being honest, would serve himself right as well for relaxing to the point where the other boy could just nab the cup out of his hands.

stupid. and then he had the gall to criticize the way he took his coffee! it's enough to make him want to keep hitting him until a lung popped, as evinced by the way he hisses between tightly clenched teeth.]

Bastard.

[Kit grunted with some discomfort as the elbow struck his ribs, but the laugh that followed indicated he thought the other boy's reaction had been worth any pain. He was still tender from their previous clash and, probably, he would be sore all over for a few more days to come. But not an ounce of him seemed apologetic, either.

In fact, Vincent's response (and subsequent retaliation) only seemed to arouse a warmer disposition, although he did surrender the cup thereafter. And without stealing a third sip, too!]

Relax. It's just coffee. I can always buy you another one.

[the fond way with which Kit returns his beverage is met with an icy stare as it's snatched back into rightful hands. he doesn't return any more fire, but it's only for the time being; he's already determined that he's going to spit the last mouthful of burning hot coffee in his face once he drinks that much.

in the meantime he can only hope that his glare will cause some part of the other boy to seize up and fall off from extended frostbite. preferably his entire smug face.]

The way you did last time? Pass.

[Vincent's glare was as effective as trying to drown a fish.]

I seem to recall you offering me the drink.

[For argument's sake, Kit didn't need to take that soda, but then if he hadn't, he was certain Vincent would have taken offense instead. He'd been presented with a situation in which there was no real way to win. So he'd taken the road with the fewest hurdles.

Or at least, he thought he had at the time.]

In any case, there's a number of shops and sellers on the way to the train station and I'm headed that way. I'd be happy to buy you a fresh coffee if you want to walk with me.

[was that some subtle way of conveying that Kit had a contagious disease that could be spread through saliva?

either way, the child in him wants to flatly deny the offer. he doesn't need another drink, having retrieved his original. and besides, look what had happened the last time he'd allowed the other teen to buy him anything. not only had he wound up nursing a headache for several hours, it had shoved him into an apparently inescapable (and highly annoying) relationship. the smart move would be a hard pass on a second round of that.

all of that was perfectly logical, and none of it made its way into Vincent's response. because, after all -]

You might as well be. You owe it to me either way.

[it was about keeping things even. or so he told himself as he leveled another baleful glare at the his companion over the rim of the coffee cup.

the truth was that if Kit was going to start walking soon, he'd need an excuse to remain in his company. this one seemed as good as any, even if he suspected with more than a hint of disgust that it had been crafted exactly for such a purpose. asshole.]

Then allow me to repay my debt.

[Just as Kit hadn't been required to take the soda that had been offered back to him that night at the Leviathan Habitat, Vincent was not required to accompany him to the subway station. Nevertheless, he was right to assume that the reason the offer had been extended was because Kit hadn't yet had his fill of the other boy's company.

Pushing himself up off the ground and dusting himself off, Kit extended his hand for Vincent to take. He expected the gesture would be refused, but he was curious to see if his prediction would prove accurate or not. How well had he already come to understand his volatile companion?]

Judging by your attire, I take it that you're either playing truant or must not go to school.

[Which was it, he wondered? And why...?]

[Kit's partially correct in his assumption - his offer of help is summarily ignored, although the extended hand itself isn't. instead of using it as leverage he simply deposits his coffee cup into it before rising easily from their sitting position. it wasn't enough to simply refuse him, it seemed; Vincent also had to make sure he was insulted by treating the other boy as a coat rack.

there's no attempt on his part to remove any of the debris a sidewalk might deposit on one's clothing, only a swift retrieval of his beverage. he gives his companion a sidelong look at his comment, already beginning to wander in the direction of the station.]

I've got better things to do.

[another answer without an answer. just when Kit may have finally thought he'd forced his way past such irritating evasion.]

[The only truly irritating thing was when Vincent snatched back his coffee before Kit could steal yet another a sip from it, but even that irritation was replaced soon by humor. It seemed his antics were becoming predictable to his companion and while, for some, that might have been a source of frustration, and it even exasperated Kit a little bit, it also meant that they were slowly coming to better understand one another.

As they turned onto the street and headed together in the direction of the station, Kit wondered if that was normal. Strangers became friends all the time, but did they progress as quickly as Vincent and he had?

...not that they were friends or anything. They weren't.

Were they?

He glanced sidelong at his companion and frowned. Perhaps there really was no denying it, not now. They'd confirmed already that they knew one another in a different life, that they were even partners of a sort. Perhaps history was determined to repeat and nothing they did or said could steer it off that familiar course.

It wasn't a bad fate, not really. But it was more than a little vexing to think he might not have control.]

Hanging around Hagu all day doesn't constitute as better. We must be about the same age...why don't you come to class with me?

[his companion might have finally begun to accept that they were closer than they'd care to be, but Vincent refused to give in so easily. they were reluctant acquaintances in his mind, nothing more.]

You of all people should know better than to try and pull that sort of bullshit on someone.

[Hagu was a pit, but it had its uses. there was more than enough to keep a person occupied their entire life, whatever sort of goals they may harbor for themselves.]

There's nothing a school could teach me that I don't already know.

[Kit was genuinely perplexed by that retort. What sort of 'bullshit' was Vincent referring to?

He may have conned people in the past into digesting educational literature, but that didn't mean he thought of the written word or even what school had to offer as a punishment. On the contrary, he rather enjoyed the environment and, on occasion, even the company of his peers. He didn't keep many friends, and none of them were close, but the setting felt the most 'right' in a way that he couldn't explain. Probably, it had something to do with memories he hadn't yet unlocked.]

You're being stubborn for the sake of being stubborn.

[Kit shook his head. It was one of his companion's more endearing traits but, at the moment, it was a little sad. He couldn't imagine going through life not absorbing every piece of information that he could, particularly when it was free.

He'd lived that way for a time, but at the detention center he'd learned not to take some things for granted.]

You should always have a contingency plan. In the unfortunate event you cannot rely on your band, a proper education could help provide a secure future. More importantly...

[He smiled a little, the sort of smug and knowing smile that Vincent had probably come to loathe by now.]

I have a music class this morning.

[that was the bullshit he was referring to. that right there.

libraries existed for a reason. he would rather chew off his own arm before telling anyone, but nearly all of Vincent's free time was spent lost somewhere in the shelves of a public library. there was more freedom in those pages than any school could ever offer; he was the one dictating what would be useful to learn about, not some teacher who couldn't even pronounce his real name. it was a better education than even Green Valley could offer.]

I know what my options are.

[he was young and strong and his roommates dealt drugs. if the band really did take a turn for the worse at any point (a possibility he was constantly aware of) then he could simply double down on the odd jobs he already did on occasion and pick up a secondary line of 'employment'.

the money was less about being able to live and more about being able to finance his music. Vincent was determined to make his band succeed, no matter what it took. he refused any other fate.]

And I doubt it's any sort of music class that wouldn't make my blood boil.

[he sees what you're trying to do, Kit, and he hates it. he really hates it, right down to the return of the most punchable smile he's ever seen grace a person's mouth.]

you're literally made of them

Ahem. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

it's not as satisfying now, is it

No... (；⌣̀_⌣́)

there there. maybe you'll win out next time.

(งಠ_ಠ)ง

FIGHT HARD JOEY

FIGHTS THE WORLD

GO GET 'EM

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