Introduction
"So, you like the Isekai genre?"
Behold! Isekai-ing has now been officially invented.
The Yonder Wonder company is still running some tests and tweaking the bells and whistles. Thatβs where you come in... Oh, wondrous volunteer you.
The Isekai Wonderland Project (IWL) has partnered with the Periwinkle Institute seeking reliable, adventurous, and tight-lipped college students among them.
With generated identities and a customizable A.I that we like to call, βGatekeepersβ, you are tasked to explore alternate universes.
While you're there, if you suspect you have run into another volunteer, remember to double-check before blowing your cover! Code, βIse.β βKai.β Easy enough?
Do be careful with this new tech. Trust your superiors, your colleagues and you'll get out well and coherentβ¦
Play your part,
Abide by the rules,
and Report upon your return.
The Yonder Wonder company is still running some tests and tweaking the bells and whistles. Thatβs where you come in... Oh, wondrous volunteer you.
The Isekai Wonderland Project (IWL) has partnered with the Periwinkle Institute seeking reliable, adventurous, and tight-lipped college students among them.
With generated identities and a customizable A.I that we like to call, βGatekeepersβ, you are tasked to explore alternate universes.
While you're there, if you suspect you have run into another volunteer, remember to double-check before blowing your cover! Code, βIse.β βKai.β Easy enough?
Do be careful with this new tech. Trust your superiors, your colleagues and you'll get out well and coherentβ¦
Play your part,
Abide by the rules,
and Report upon your return.
Don't get lost.
Welcome to IWL! An experiment on the joys of developing a character without being restrained to a world.
Much like a writing prompt, characters could be in the midst of a zombie apocalypse one moment and attending a school of witchcraft and wizardry the next!
They will be given different settings to run through, completing story checkpoints, and at the end of the day, return and go about their daily lives as they please.
This is a roleplay for having fun, collecting more than one face claim (if you wish), and writing different genres.
Happy to have you!
Much like a writing prompt, characters could be in the midst of a zombie apocalypse one moment and attending a school of witchcraft and wizardry the next!
They will be given different settings to run through, completing story checkpoints, and at the end of the day, return and go about their daily lives as they please.
This is a roleplay for having fun, collecting more than one face claim (if you wish), and writing different genres.
Happy to have you!
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[font=Verdana][CENTER][size=130][b]THE IWL APPLICATION FORM[/b][/size][/CENTER][/font]
[left][img]INSERT IMAGE LINK HERE[/img][/left][font=Verdana][size=80][color=#929292][b]FULL NAME:[/b][/color] [u]MARY MARY QUITE CONTRARY[/u]
[color=#929292][b]AGE:[/b][/color] [u].... YEARS OLD[/u]
[color=#929292][b]YEAR/COURSE:[/b][/color] [u]- YEAR / BACHELOR OF -[/u]
[color=#929292][b]PLACE OF BIRTH:[/b][/color] [u]...........[/u]
[color=#929292][b]PREVIOUS JOB EXPERIENCE:[/b][/color] [u].........[/u]
[color=#929292][b]REFERENCES:[/b][/color] (List 2, one must be a superior and the second encouraged to be another character)
[color=transparent]xxxx[/color][u]Lorem Ipsum[/u] - ...............................
[color=transparent]xxxx[/color][u]Ipsum Lorem[/u] - ...............................
[color=#929292][b]ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: (Disabilities? Illnesses? Allergies?)[/b][/color]
[justify][color=transparent]xxxx[/color][u]Nulla tempus id turpis vel ullamcorper. In accumsan suscipit enim eu aliquet. Curabitur id luctus lectus. Vivamus sed mauris gravida mauris porttitor condimentum sed eget arcu. Pellentesque consequat justo mi, at accumsan tellus pretium vitae. Etiam ut lectus at enim dictum gravida. Fusce vel pellentesque lorem, convallis faucibus lorem. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Etiam mi purus, laoreet vitae bibendum accumsan, dapibus ac est. Nullam vehicula aliquam tellus, nec tristique libero molestie a.[/u][/justify]
[color=#929292][b]WHY DO YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE ISEKAI?[/b][/color]
[justify][color=transparent]xxxx[/color][u]Duis non molestie orci. Praesent eleifend viverra rutrum. Nunc sem sapien, commodo et neque sit amet, feugiat vulputate libero. Etiam sagittis rutrum orci sed pulvinar. Nunc libero nunc, interdum at bibendum sed, vehicula in turpis. Vivamus suscipit neque et odio eleifend, at porttitor quam aliquam. Vestibulum vel diam vulputate, fermentum nibh a, scelerisque nisl. Nulla semper tellus eu lacus vulputate tristique.
Suspendisse rutrum euismod feugiat. Suspendisse luctus tortor in odio faucibus pellentesque. Proin quis laoreet risus. Aliquam ornare ut dui at congue. Mauris fringilla viverra nibh, ut gravida dui tincidunt eget. Etiam ullamcorper tellus vel odio eleifend, sit amet dignissim nisi rutrum. Donec dictum interdum orci sed efficitur.[/u][/justify]
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[font=Verdana][CENTER][size=130][b]APPLICANT'S BIOGRAPHY[/b][/size][/CENTER][/font][font=Verdana][CENTER][i]Human Resources Department Use Only (Characterβs background/ appearance/ personality etc.)[/i][/CENTER][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=80][justify][color=transparent]xxxx[/color][u]Duis non molestie orci. Praesent eleifend viverra rutrum. Nunc sem sapien, commodo et neque sit amet, feugiat vulputate libero. Etiam sagittis rutrum orci sed pulvinar. Nunc libero nunc, interdum at bibendum sed, vehicula in turpis. Vivamus suscipit neque et odio eleifend, at porttitor quam aliquam. Vestibulum vel diam vulputate, fermentum nibh a, scelerisque nisl. Nulla semper tellus eu lacus vulputate tristique. Morbi egestas at metus et ornare. Cras varius tempor nisl non fringilla. Integer molestie a justo ac dictum. Maecenas auctor dolor dui, vel vulputate dolor aliquam vel. Integer interdum dolor tristique arcu luctus, vitae rhoncus sem scelerisque. Morbi enim justo, viverra vitae luctus ac, porta eget tellus.
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[right][font=Verdana][size=130][b]Signature here:[/b][/size][/font]
[size=130][font=Segoe Script]Mary Mary Quite Contrary[/font][/size][/right]
- 38 posts here • Page 2 of 2 • 1, 2
The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 11 authors
The sound of cardboard boxes, rustling clothes, and other heavier objects fills the room nearest the stairs of IWL's dormitory, a soft hum of no song in particular, footsteps and clatter.
Moving day had certainly proven busy for Kazuyuki, local insomniac who hadn't slept in several days again, whether that was the nerves of being thrown into a new building with new people, new projects, and new work, or his typical inability to find any sort of rest. Lucky him he supposed, as he set down the pothos in the windowsill, vines trailing comfortably down the wall, looking for more space to invade and spread to. A little extra light and comfort in the unfamiliar room, being filled with all his (or lack thereof) things.
He'd nearly finished at this point, carrying the box that had been filled with three plants to the corner of the room, right by the door with the rest. Easier to take out or put away later so long as he kept things neat, after all. And with only one box left, he'd see about breaking down the empty ones and finding a space for them to sit until he moved again, or throwing out the ones that wouldn't. The last box was the smallest, barely holding anything beyond odds and ends, and truly he could have just shoved these things into his backpack, but that had been full of scrubs for work when his box for clothes had left no room.
"Laptop," tossed almost carelessly onto the freshly made bed and piled blankets resting by the window, "novels," set onto the brand new desk, he'd find a better place later, "coffee mug," the desk as well, "sketchbook," desk, "towelsβ¦" into the bathroom he goes, moving the hand towels to the small hook by the sink, the washcloth tossed to the shelf by the shower, he'd get it properly in place later, "andβ¦meds," a hand takes hold of the three white capped orange bottle to place onto the sink, a small clink of object against porcelain as it settles into place. "Ah, look at that, I finished it all in one go, didn't even have toβ¦push any of it off to tomorrow."
"Very impressive, Mister Yuki. It went a lot better than you'd said you thought it would. Should you celebrate with a nap?"
A small, huffed laugh, "sleep? No, I still have too much to do." Making way for the closet, he pulls off his shirt with ease, letting it fall into the little basket he'd be using for laundry, "need to call Miriam about my work scheduleβ¦finish my bio paperβ¦" A hoodie is chosen out of the hanging tops, nip of cold getting under his skin a little too quickly, wonder if it's possible to turn the heat up in just my room alone? "Water the plants, umβ¦" Memory was evading him; he knew he should've written out a list of things to do before lack of sleep got this far. He always started missing things when it got around to this time.
"Maybe you should eat. I don't think coffee counts as a meal, especially not hours later. You must be starving." Oh, he hadn't really thought of that. It had been awhile, and his stomach was beginning to hurt. "You're probably right, I'll see if I can find anything then, andβ¦if not, I guess I can order take out." Finally slipping on the hoodie, he lets out one final yawn, and hopes he looks presentable enough to the new neighbors he'd be living with for who knows how long. Let's get first impressions over with, I guess.
Bronteβs shoe jammed between the new dormitoryβs creaking door and the door frame as she hauled her luggage behind her. The wheels were rusted, squeaking like nails running down a chalkboard and her face scrunched up at the sound every time.
The door shut behind her, the brunette resting a fist against her lips while she cleared her throat. Brushing back her hair to sway like a shampoo commercial, she took a deep breath. Here, maybe she could start againβ¦
βGood morning!β She greeted the dorm full of strangers. With a practiced smile plastered on and a wave here and there, she prayed theyβd like her. First impressions were irreversible. At least, in her experience they were. It had the potential to make or break the months ahead.
Her brown hair fell back down over her shoulders, hand tightly gripping the luggage handle as it dragged behind her, trudging to the elevator. βHow log do I hab to kep smilinβ fer?β She asked the gatekeeper quietly, her lips fighting to stay in formation even then. βNot a second longer, Bronte. It may come across as creepy.β Her smart smartwatch responded.
Bronteβs face snapped back into shape as she patted the life back into her cheeks with the warmth of her palms. She pressed the up button and stepped in, entwining her fingers behind her and rubbing the front of her rose red high heel shoe on the back of her other legβs calf.
Ding!/ Stepping out, she was greeted by a much longer and emptier hallway. βRight, right?β she turned in that direction, a hand shuffling in her pocket for the IWL pamphlet, pushing a notepad up and out onto the ground. She groaned and miscalculated her step forward, kicking the notepad further away. The color drained from her face as she watched it along with its secret contents slide under a door. She should have typed it up on her phone insteadβ¦
Bronte crept over, carrying her luggage to avoid the giveaway squeaks. Checking there were no witnesses, she set the bag down carefully and attempted to pry the door open. βSuccess~β Unlocked and with an accomplished smile on her face, she let herself in. She bent down, swiping her notepad off the floor and paranoid, she flipped through its pages to check all was in order. Settling on the last page, she went over her first impression foolproof plan once more from the top.
So, maybe food was going to have to wait. He hadn't exactly expected his first step towards the door from his bed to be interrupted by a flying notebook that ricocheted off his foot, nor the handle on the door to twist. Let alone a girl he had never seen before scurrying right in and snagging the lost item off the floor, flipping through it and staring at what she must've written inside. All seemingly without noticing that he was standing just a few paces away from her, that Astrophel, in his albeit small but very physical, tangible form, was peeking out at her from the open bathroom door.
And all he could do until the initial shock had worn off, was stand there and stare.
Did I miss the memo or something? I could've sworn these were private rooms, are they shared? Oh, oh god, what if they were assigned before we got here? Am I in the wrong one?
The bit of shock faded after a few more seconds, Kazuyuki's head tilting slightly while one hand moved back, rubbing awkwardly at his neck, struggling to find words that should be so simple but sat on the tip of his tongue instead.
"Umβ¦" His hand dropped back to his side, cleared his throat a second later as if to try and catch attention, maybe make things a little less awkward, "I think there might've been a mix upβ¦"
A mix up indeed as Bronte looked up from crouching on the floor, notepad still in hand and staring across at the unrecognizable pale haired stranger with eyes of starlight.
This was bad, really, really bad. Bronte was wearing her sisterβs designer hand-me-downs and had followed her checklist to the letter but now she had screwed EVERYTHING up. She began to tremble, biting her bottom lip. Anxieties filled her head until she was shaking fully from head to toe like the temperature had dropped to freezing. She fit the bill for a stalker invading oneβs room to take notes and do βcreeper things.β That was not the first impression she was aiming for!
βIβm s-ssorry, I thought this room was unoccupiedβ¦ I should have knocked.β She stuttered, trying to swallow down the lump forming in her throat. How does one breathe again? She stood up and clutched the notepad close to her chest to hide its next to useless contents and looked down to avoid reading the room ownerβs judgment. Even if she ran off now, he had seen her and could identify her as theyβd be dorm mates from this day forth. What should she do?! What was he going to do?! Perhaps make her life a living hell?
βIβm sorry, this is so, so embarrassing.β She shut her eyes tight and bowed her head several times, words heaved between the intervals that skipped some breaths due to the panic building up. βI didnβt mean it!β βThank God you have clothes on!β βI am sorry for in-int-intruding!β Bronte got tongue-tied sometimes but persisted.
Apology after apology filled the air, an almost heavy rain of nerves and embarrassment seeping into every corner of his bedroomβs atmosphere in waves off the brunette, the girl who he can barely catch a glimpse of between each flustered bow. This was, no doubt, not how sheβd wanted her day to go, he could gather that much from this.
His lips parted several times as an attempt to speak, cut off in a breathβs time as another apology or sentiment floated into the room, so many now that he almost felt guilty for somehow causing her this much panic over a seemingly honest mistake. It wasnβt like the rooms had name tags (or, not yet, he supposed) or a way to show they were already occupied unless you left out boxes or locked the door, so something like this was practically guaranteed to happen, maybe just once. Kazuyuki was glad for her timing anyway; he had just changed, after all, and had a feeling things wouldβve been much more awkward had she come in then. Is it bad of me to feel relieved that I didnβt end up in her position? Maybe, but he wouldnβt dwell on it. He had much more pressing matters at hand, likeβ¦trying to get his new dormmate to take a breath, calm down, and smooth over this odd little predicament.
Between one of her apologies was when he finally managed, a quick, "hey, hey," to at least get her attention. "it's fine, it's fine, I promise. It was an honest mistake." A small, half smile, hopefully it was enough that she knew he wasn't mad over any of this. The last thing he wanted was to doom one of the relationships he'd have here to eternal discomfort and awkwardness, "It's not like you could've known it was taken, there aren't any name tags out, are there?" A small laugh, he shrugged, "guessing first day nerves? You're not alone, I tripped up the stairs on my way here and dumped one of my boxes everywhere," luckily, of course, no one had been around to see, but he supposed he'd ruined that secret embarrassment by confessing to it himself now.
A glance around the room, to where Astrophel lingered by the door and then back to the newly acquainted girl, of which he still didn't have the name of. So out came the small hum, the tilt of his head and debating offering his hand to shake, as if it might be too old of a gesture now, "Guess we can get first meetings out of the way for the both of us here now, right? Check one off the long list I'm sure we both have," a slightly crooked smile, trying his best to lighten the mood and hopefully make the other's day less miserable than it seemed to have started, "soβ¦you can call me Kazuyuki. There a name I can call you?" He glanced to her suitcase a second later, "andβ¦do you need any help getting moved in?β
Bronte finally lifted her head, blinking a few times as she processed Kazuyuki's reaction. It was not anywhere near as bad as she suspected it would be, especially after how disastrous her previous dormβs experience had been. βHaβ¦ha.hA.β She laughed, mimicking him in an attempt to play off the situation too, but her dried up throat of nerves wouldnβt allow her to as it was released in awkward bursts.
She was reluctant to cough up her name for him to remember her by, the weirdo that entered his room on day one no less! Her mouth trembled again but eventually relinquished it. Heβd learn it sooner or later. βBronte.β Her shoulders slumped in defeat but she managed a smile back in return. Kazuyuki seemed understanding enough? Despite her intrusion and inconveniencing him, he offered to not only overlook her fault but help her. βThat would beββ Her head turned naturally to where she had seen Kazuyuki look a few times, at the bathroom door and gradually downward at the small child? βH-hi?β Although, something was off about them that she couldnβt quite put her finger on. Was it their clothes? Their unnaturally soft carved by the godsβ face? She took a step back to retreat in her confusion, forgetting her luggage that was perfectly situated behind her.
He'd only just gotten her name, maybe managed to calm her a bit by the time something - or someone - else has struck her unease once more, though perhaps he should have thought to at least introduce Astrophel too, before he caught her entirely off guard.
Kazuyuki could see the step backwards, hear the light knock of foot against suitcase and the way it wobbled, toppled over itself before she seemed to be following suit, straight back towards the hard floor. No doubt that would leave a bruise, or several, not to mention the embarrassment she already seemed to be dragging herself through.
Before he could think it through, he was jumping forward from his spot a few paces away, wide blue eyes trying to reach for an arm, wrist, hand, something to hopefully stabilize her and keep her from dropping onto the floor. And hold of a wrist he'd gotten, just secure enough that he could've pulled her right back up onto her feet, but unfortunately for him, it seemed he'd overcompensated.
He felt his lost balance too late in an awkward step, in the added weight of Bronte before he can regain his stability, and a helpless, "shit-" is all he managed before the rush of air and flip of his stomach took both of them downward.
βShit!β Bronte said in unison, albeit a little louder as they fell to the floor in a heap. The back of her head had hit the slightly ajar door as it swung open then hit her again like a boomerang. The back of her upper arm had smacked the luggage, the other side of her body unbalanced between it and the floor. She was scared to open her eyes. Hadnβt she embarrassed herself enough for one morning? And she was wearing a skirt that suddenly felt lacking. βPlease tell me nothingβs brokenβ¦ aside from my spirit.β
The fall between them was less than graceful, no doubt. He could hear the sound of Bronte hitting the door, thudding onto the ground and half on the suitcase before he followed suit, the door swinging right for him. It was perfectly timed, the way the door moved towards him, practically colliding right with his face, and instead of being able to catch himself with it, the block of wood slams towards the bedroom wall, leaving him helpless once again.
Twisting midair was simply impossible he found, more so when the panic of a trip made him slow to think, and before he knew it he'd hit the ground with a thud of his own, an awkward heap on the floor with his brand new dorm neighbor. It was painful, he wouldn't lie, but his nose didn't seem to be bleeding and besides maybe a new bruise or two, he'd survive. Attention was more on Bronte anyway by the time her words reached his ears, and as his eyes opened as he pushed himself up off the ground, he could already feel the heat building up in his face.
To anyone who hadn't watched the fall, Kazuyuki's position would look nothing short of indecent, even suggestive, and yes he damn well knew that. Look at him go, trying to save her from further embarrassment and only turning it into full blown humiliation instead.
"God- God Bronte I'm so sorry- shit, let me help you up, are you okay?" A weak, almost exasperated laugh entirely to himself, "I-I totally missed, I messed up, you weren't supposed to end up on the floor, I'm so sorry."
At that moment, Jorji appeared in the doorway. βHey, Tannis and I were thinki-β He said, stopping mid sentence. He hadnβt met these two yet, but it looked like they had more than met each other. A tall, white haired figure was bent over a shorter brunette, whose skirt wasβ¦ βOH MY- I am so sorry, I didnβt mean to interrupt, I just-β He stuttered, looking away and blindly reaching for the doorknob.
An unfamiliar voice was all it took to make Kazuyuki's heart sink. His chest constricted in an instant as his gaze snapped up, blue eyes settling on the black haired male in front of him, longer hair framing green eyes, falling onto some sort of hoodie with an anime graphic resting over the front. Color drained from his face in an instant; sure, he'd been worried about first impressions with everyone, but had he thought it could even possibly go this bad?
"Ah!- No! No, it's not- you're not interrupting anything! This was- this was an accident I swear, we tripped and-" As if anyone would believe a "we tripped" excuse. He wasn't stupid.
Ah, I'm screwed.
Her bad luck had spread out and claimed another victim along with a witness. Bronte sniffled, hiding her face with her hair like closing the curtains of a show. She had worn her classiest clothes only to become a 'class act.' Her first impression plan couldnβt have failed any harder or any quicker. Breathe in, breathe out, and simply, cease existing, she meditated depressingly.
Jorji sighed a breath of relief. He knew that this was college, and people were bound to βhave some funβ, but for a moment he thought these two were getting right to business. βOkay, I thought you two wereβ¦nevermind. Um, anyways, I was going around to everybody and saying that Iβll be hosting a room contest kinda thing, so we can all vote on the best room and get to know each other. Would you two be interested? Sorry, I donβt know your names.β
The truth worked? It actually worked, again? Bronte gritted her teeth as she tried to shift her body, greeted by aching pains trailing her arm and down her tailbone. "I can't, I can't-I can't do this." Bronte muttered under her breath exasperated. She had already introduced herself after wandering into anotherβs room uninvited and she couldn't bring herself to introduce herself again under this worse off set of circumstances. "Can I-I at least introduce myself standing and moreβ¦ p-put together?" She asked, refusing to open her eyes still. Whoever the newcomer was, she didnβt want to be remembered as βthe girl found with a dude on top of her.β No offense to Kazuyuki who was easy on the eyesβ¦ exactly why she wouldnβt dare to open hers now.
He was rather shocked that the newcomer believed his panicked explanation, that was for sure. Anyone else would've taken what they'd seen, stuck with the first impression it gave them, and then run off to tell anyone else they could find about it. Or maybe, that was just what he was used to from his old high school. Still, it's a relief, even ifβ¦ Heβ¦really thought we were getting into it, in a wide open doorway, in the middle of move in day. Kazuyuki was not thatβ¦tacky, sleazy, whatever, though he supposed he might've looked it right then. It's fine, it's fine. Crisisβ¦kind of evaded. Not really, given Bronte was still stuck on the floor underneath him.
Panic and no sleep was certainly making him slow to move and make the important decisions, like helping her get back up and back together, "God, Bronte, I'm sorry, let meβ¦" Moving off of her as quick as he could without making things worse or tumbling off to the side, he's back on his feet just a breath later, ensuring some stability before he offered both hands this time, half-pained half-apologetic smile in place, "let me actually help you up this time."
Bronte stopped shielding her face and her hands slid into his, accepting the offer and rising to her feet. She brushed back her hair with her fingers, brown eyes ping ponging between him and the darker haired dorm mate with green gemstone eyes. Her lips parted silently to form a perfect oval wondering if βmagnetismβ was a prerequisite for joining the IWL project? Was she just an outlier in this experiment? She shook her head, effectively shaking the thoughts away. It would do her no good in the present.
"Thank you, Kazuyuki." She said, her fingers nervously fidgeting together after releasing his hand and its warmth lingered. She found it hard to maintain eye contact with him particularly after that fiasco. Throwing her hands behind her back to make her nerves less obvious, she turned and mustered a toothy grin over at the visitor before sharing her name. "Iβm Bronte, nice to meet youβ¦?β She awaited a name, briefly distracted by her skirtβs unevenness and smoothening it out to normal coverage. Also distracted by the notepad for another second that had escaped her again, quickly pocketing it before it could earn her more embarrassment.
Seeing their embarrassment, he could tell that theyβd prefer he drop the subject. βNice to meet you Kazuyuki and Bronte, Iβm Jorji. So uh, if you guys want to participate in the bedroom contest, then weβll probably do it tonight, so, yeah. Iβll probably make some sort of prize for the best room, so is there anything youβd want to win if either of you won?β
He's finally gotten Jorji's name then, Kazuyuki silently filing it away and promising to not forget it along with all the other's. How many roommates he'd have by the end of the day he wasn't entirely sure of, but he'd still try his best to not have to ask for names a second or third time. "Nice to meet you too, Jorji, umβ¦" Sorry that this is your first impression of me, I guess. He kept to himself. It seemed he'd gotten the message that the topic of the situation was wanting to be dropped, and he'd be happy to leave that moment forgotten into the past.
Bedroom contest? His head tilts slightly at the name, tries to think through what it could be for, probably best decorated he assumed. Not that he had great confidence in his own skill of decorating, but he supposed his room wasn't too bad. Maybe he'd have a chance?
It was the mention of a prize that caught his attention most though, head tilting slightly as if he didn't already know what he'd like, "a prizeβ¦" A glance back to his bed, already with its own collection of blankets, "some sort of blanket would be nice."
"It could be a βmoving inβ hamper?" Bronte murmured quietly, wanting to contribute but not quite sure what her dormies were like much less what they liked. "A blanket could be included." She looked away shyly and fidgeted with the bottom of her blouse, pulling it down to cover her stomach more. "This place seems more empty than I thought itβd be so maybe thereβs stuff we didnβt account for when packing?" She explained, practically tying a knot.
Jorji nodded, taking note of what they wanted. Someone else had mentioned a blanket, he forgot who, so maybe heβd do something that included one of those. βAlright, sounds good. Iβll ask the others and Iβll try to have something everyone will like, thank you two for your input!β He quickly left the room, giving them some privacy to sort outβ¦whatever it was they were doing.
"Donβt mention it?" Bronte said hesitantly as she watched Jorjiβs form disappear around the corner. "Please donβt mention itβ¦" she whispered, slumping her shoulders and thinking back on the embarrassing moment that was rewinding in the back of her mind, especially now left with Kazuyuki, again. She laughed nervously, forcing a smile on her features as she looked up at him. "I suppose I should get started or there will be no room of mine to judge. Hahaβ¦" She restored her luggage to its upright position, the handle snapping off with ease after a bad twist. She shrieked, broken handle in hand and mouth slightly agape at her continuous bad luck.
With Jorji gone, it left the two of them alone again, a slightly uncomfortable air filling the room that he'd rather get rid of before it became a permanent resident in their interactions. Not that he had time to speak before Bronte shrieks, bad luck seeming to have continued its reign of terror. He winced slightly at the sight of the broken suitcase handle, metal bars waiting uselessly in their spot. Was she hexed or something? This amount of bad luck latched to one person was starting to become almost unbelievable.
"Bronte?" He managed a few moments later, brow quirking slightly, an awkward smile following, "if you're alright with me still hanging around for a bit despiteβ¦" Everything, "...that offer to help you get things moved in is still up for taking."
Bronte smiled sheepishly.
Moving day had certainly proven busy for Kazuyuki, local insomniac who hadn't slept in several days again, whether that was the nerves of being thrown into a new building with new people, new projects, and new work, or his typical inability to find any sort of rest. Lucky him he supposed, as he set down the pothos in the windowsill, vines trailing comfortably down the wall, looking for more space to invade and spread to. A little extra light and comfort in the unfamiliar room, being filled with all his (or lack thereof) things.
He'd nearly finished at this point, carrying the box that had been filled with three plants to the corner of the room, right by the door with the rest. Easier to take out or put away later so long as he kept things neat, after all. And with only one box left, he'd see about breaking down the empty ones and finding a space for them to sit until he moved again, or throwing out the ones that wouldn't. The last box was the smallest, barely holding anything beyond odds and ends, and truly he could have just shoved these things into his backpack, but that had been full of scrubs for work when his box for clothes had left no room.
"Laptop," tossed almost carelessly onto the freshly made bed and piled blankets resting by the window, "novels," set onto the brand new desk, he'd find a better place later, "coffee mug," the desk as well, "sketchbook," desk, "towelsβ¦" into the bathroom he goes, moving the hand towels to the small hook by the sink, the washcloth tossed to the shelf by the shower, he'd get it properly in place later, "andβ¦meds," a hand takes hold of the three white capped orange bottle to place onto the sink, a small clink of object against porcelain as it settles into place. "Ah, look at that, I finished it all in one go, didn't even have toβ¦push any of it off to tomorrow."
"Very impressive, Mister Yuki. It went a lot better than you'd said you thought it would. Should you celebrate with a nap?"
A small, huffed laugh, "sleep? No, I still have too much to do." Making way for the closet, he pulls off his shirt with ease, letting it fall into the little basket he'd be using for laundry, "need to call Miriam about my work scheduleβ¦finish my bio paperβ¦" A hoodie is chosen out of the hanging tops, nip of cold getting under his skin a little too quickly, wonder if it's possible to turn the heat up in just my room alone? "Water the plants, umβ¦" Memory was evading him; he knew he should've written out a list of things to do before lack of sleep got this far. He always started missing things when it got around to this time.
"Maybe you should eat. I don't think coffee counts as a meal, especially not hours later. You must be starving." Oh, he hadn't really thought of that. It had been awhile, and his stomach was beginning to hurt. "You're probably right, I'll see if I can find anything then, andβ¦if not, I guess I can order take out." Finally slipping on the hoodie, he lets out one final yawn, and hopes he looks presentable enough to the new neighbors he'd be living with for who knows how long. Let's get first impressions over with, I guess.
Bronteβs shoe jammed between the new dormitoryβs creaking door and the door frame as she hauled her luggage behind her. The wheels were rusted, squeaking like nails running down a chalkboard and her face scrunched up at the sound every time.
The door shut behind her, the brunette resting a fist against her lips while she cleared her throat. Brushing back her hair to sway like a shampoo commercial, she took a deep breath. Here, maybe she could start againβ¦
βGood morning!β She greeted the dorm full of strangers. With a practiced smile plastered on and a wave here and there, she prayed theyβd like her. First impressions were irreversible. At least, in her experience they were. It had the potential to make or break the months ahead.
Her brown hair fell back down over her shoulders, hand tightly gripping the luggage handle as it dragged behind her, trudging to the elevator. βHow log do I hab to kep smilinβ fer?β She asked the gatekeeper quietly, her lips fighting to stay in formation even then. βNot a second longer, Bronte. It may come across as creepy.β Her smart smartwatch responded.
Bronteβs face snapped back into shape as she patted the life back into her cheeks with the warmth of her palms. She pressed the up button and stepped in, entwining her fingers behind her and rubbing the front of her rose red high heel shoe on the back of her other legβs calf.
Ding!/ Stepping out, she was greeted by a much longer and emptier hallway. βRight, right?β she turned in that direction, a hand shuffling in her pocket for the IWL pamphlet, pushing a notepad up and out onto the ground. She groaned and miscalculated her step forward, kicking the notepad further away. The color drained from her face as she watched it along with its secret contents slide under a door. She should have typed it up on her phone insteadβ¦
Bronte crept over, carrying her luggage to avoid the giveaway squeaks. Checking there were no witnesses, she set the bag down carefully and attempted to pry the door open. βSuccess~β Unlocked and with an accomplished smile on her face, she let herself in. She bent down, swiping her notepad off the floor and paranoid, she flipped through its pages to check all was in order. Settling on the last page, she went over her first impression foolproof plan once more from the top.
So, maybe food was going to have to wait. He hadn't exactly expected his first step towards the door from his bed to be interrupted by a flying notebook that ricocheted off his foot, nor the handle on the door to twist. Let alone a girl he had never seen before scurrying right in and snagging the lost item off the floor, flipping through it and staring at what she must've written inside. All seemingly without noticing that he was standing just a few paces away from her, that Astrophel, in his albeit small but very physical, tangible form, was peeking out at her from the open bathroom door.
And all he could do until the initial shock had worn off, was stand there and stare.
Did I miss the memo or something? I could've sworn these were private rooms, are they shared? Oh, oh god, what if they were assigned before we got here? Am I in the wrong one?
The bit of shock faded after a few more seconds, Kazuyuki's head tilting slightly while one hand moved back, rubbing awkwardly at his neck, struggling to find words that should be so simple but sat on the tip of his tongue instead.
"Umβ¦" His hand dropped back to his side, cleared his throat a second later as if to try and catch attention, maybe make things a little less awkward, "I think there might've been a mix upβ¦"
A mix up indeed as Bronte looked up from crouching on the floor, notepad still in hand and staring across at the unrecognizable pale haired stranger with eyes of starlight.
This was bad, really, really bad. Bronte was wearing her sisterβs designer hand-me-downs and had followed her checklist to the letter but now she had screwed EVERYTHING up. She began to tremble, biting her bottom lip. Anxieties filled her head until she was shaking fully from head to toe like the temperature had dropped to freezing. She fit the bill for a stalker invading oneβs room to take notes and do βcreeper things.β That was not the first impression she was aiming for!
βIβm s-ssorry, I thought this room was unoccupiedβ¦ I should have knocked.β She stuttered, trying to swallow down the lump forming in her throat. How does one breathe again? She stood up and clutched the notepad close to her chest to hide its next to useless contents and looked down to avoid reading the room ownerβs judgment. Even if she ran off now, he had seen her and could identify her as theyβd be dorm mates from this day forth. What should she do?! What was he going to do?! Perhaps make her life a living hell?
βIβm sorry, this is so, so embarrassing.β She shut her eyes tight and bowed her head several times, words heaved between the intervals that skipped some breaths due to the panic building up. βI didnβt mean it!β βThank God you have clothes on!β βI am sorry for in-int-intruding!β Bronte got tongue-tied sometimes but persisted.
Apology after apology filled the air, an almost heavy rain of nerves and embarrassment seeping into every corner of his bedroomβs atmosphere in waves off the brunette, the girl who he can barely catch a glimpse of between each flustered bow. This was, no doubt, not how sheβd wanted her day to go, he could gather that much from this.
His lips parted several times as an attempt to speak, cut off in a breathβs time as another apology or sentiment floated into the room, so many now that he almost felt guilty for somehow causing her this much panic over a seemingly honest mistake. It wasnβt like the rooms had name tags (or, not yet, he supposed) or a way to show they were already occupied unless you left out boxes or locked the door, so something like this was practically guaranteed to happen, maybe just once. Kazuyuki was glad for her timing anyway; he had just changed, after all, and had a feeling things wouldβve been much more awkward had she come in then. Is it bad of me to feel relieved that I didnβt end up in her position? Maybe, but he wouldnβt dwell on it. He had much more pressing matters at hand, likeβ¦trying to get his new dormmate to take a breath, calm down, and smooth over this odd little predicament.
Between one of her apologies was when he finally managed, a quick, "hey, hey," to at least get her attention. "it's fine, it's fine, I promise. It was an honest mistake." A small, half smile, hopefully it was enough that she knew he wasn't mad over any of this. The last thing he wanted was to doom one of the relationships he'd have here to eternal discomfort and awkwardness, "It's not like you could've known it was taken, there aren't any name tags out, are there?" A small laugh, he shrugged, "guessing first day nerves? You're not alone, I tripped up the stairs on my way here and dumped one of my boxes everywhere," luckily, of course, no one had been around to see, but he supposed he'd ruined that secret embarrassment by confessing to it himself now.
A glance around the room, to where Astrophel lingered by the door and then back to the newly acquainted girl, of which he still didn't have the name of. So out came the small hum, the tilt of his head and debating offering his hand to shake, as if it might be too old of a gesture now, "Guess we can get first meetings out of the way for the both of us here now, right? Check one off the long list I'm sure we both have," a slightly crooked smile, trying his best to lighten the mood and hopefully make the other's day less miserable than it seemed to have started, "soβ¦you can call me Kazuyuki. There a name I can call you?" He glanced to her suitcase a second later, "andβ¦do you need any help getting moved in?β
Bronte finally lifted her head, blinking a few times as she processed Kazuyuki's reaction. It was not anywhere near as bad as she suspected it would be, especially after how disastrous her previous dormβs experience had been. βHaβ¦ha.hA.β She laughed, mimicking him in an attempt to play off the situation too, but her dried up throat of nerves wouldnβt allow her to as it was released in awkward bursts.
She was reluctant to cough up her name for him to remember her by, the weirdo that entered his room on day one no less! Her mouth trembled again but eventually relinquished it. Heβd learn it sooner or later. βBronte.β Her shoulders slumped in defeat but she managed a smile back in return. Kazuyuki seemed understanding enough? Despite her intrusion and inconveniencing him, he offered to not only overlook her fault but help her. βThat would beββ Her head turned naturally to where she had seen Kazuyuki look a few times, at the bathroom door and gradually downward at the small child? βH-hi?β Although, something was off about them that she couldnβt quite put her finger on. Was it their clothes? Their unnaturally soft carved by the godsβ face? She took a step back to retreat in her confusion, forgetting her luggage that was perfectly situated behind her.
He'd only just gotten her name, maybe managed to calm her a bit by the time something - or someone - else has struck her unease once more, though perhaps he should have thought to at least introduce Astrophel too, before he caught her entirely off guard.
Kazuyuki could see the step backwards, hear the light knock of foot against suitcase and the way it wobbled, toppled over itself before she seemed to be following suit, straight back towards the hard floor. No doubt that would leave a bruise, or several, not to mention the embarrassment she already seemed to be dragging herself through.
Before he could think it through, he was jumping forward from his spot a few paces away, wide blue eyes trying to reach for an arm, wrist, hand, something to hopefully stabilize her and keep her from dropping onto the floor. And hold of a wrist he'd gotten, just secure enough that he could've pulled her right back up onto her feet, but unfortunately for him, it seemed he'd overcompensated.
He felt his lost balance too late in an awkward step, in the added weight of Bronte before he can regain his stability, and a helpless, "shit-" is all he managed before the rush of air and flip of his stomach took both of them downward.
βShit!β Bronte said in unison, albeit a little louder as they fell to the floor in a heap. The back of her head had hit the slightly ajar door as it swung open then hit her again like a boomerang. The back of her upper arm had smacked the luggage, the other side of her body unbalanced between it and the floor. She was scared to open her eyes. Hadnβt she embarrassed herself enough for one morning? And she was wearing a skirt that suddenly felt lacking. βPlease tell me nothingβs brokenβ¦ aside from my spirit.β
The fall between them was less than graceful, no doubt. He could hear the sound of Bronte hitting the door, thudding onto the ground and half on the suitcase before he followed suit, the door swinging right for him. It was perfectly timed, the way the door moved towards him, practically colliding right with his face, and instead of being able to catch himself with it, the block of wood slams towards the bedroom wall, leaving him helpless once again.
Twisting midair was simply impossible he found, more so when the panic of a trip made him slow to think, and before he knew it he'd hit the ground with a thud of his own, an awkward heap on the floor with his brand new dorm neighbor. It was painful, he wouldn't lie, but his nose didn't seem to be bleeding and besides maybe a new bruise or two, he'd survive. Attention was more on Bronte anyway by the time her words reached his ears, and as his eyes opened as he pushed himself up off the ground, he could already feel the heat building up in his face.
To anyone who hadn't watched the fall, Kazuyuki's position would look nothing short of indecent, even suggestive, and yes he damn well knew that. Look at him go, trying to save her from further embarrassment and only turning it into full blown humiliation instead.
"God- God Bronte I'm so sorry- shit, let me help you up, are you okay?" A weak, almost exasperated laugh entirely to himself, "I-I totally missed, I messed up, you weren't supposed to end up on the floor, I'm so sorry."
At that moment, Jorji appeared in the doorway. βHey, Tannis and I were thinki-β He said, stopping mid sentence. He hadnβt met these two yet, but it looked like they had more than met each other. A tall, white haired figure was bent over a shorter brunette, whose skirt wasβ¦ βOH MY- I am so sorry, I didnβt mean to interrupt, I just-β He stuttered, looking away and blindly reaching for the doorknob.
An unfamiliar voice was all it took to make Kazuyuki's heart sink. His chest constricted in an instant as his gaze snapped up, blue eyes settling on the black haired male in front of him, longer hair framing green eyes, falling onto some sort of hoodie with an anime graphic resting over the front. Color drained from his face in an instant; sure, he'd been worried about first impressions with everyone, but had he thought it could even possibly go this bad?
"Ah!- No! No, it's not- you're not interrupting anything! This was- this was an accident I swear, we tripped and-" As if anyone would believe a "we tripped" excuse. He wasn't stupid.
Ah, I'm screwed.
Her bad luck had spread out and claimed another victim along with a witness. Bronte sniffled, hiding her face with her hair like closing the curtains of a show. She had worn her classiest clothes only to become a 'class act.' Her first impression plan couldnβt have failed any harder or any quicker. Breathe in, breathe out, and simply, cease existing, she meditated depressingly.
Jorji sighed a breath of relief. He knew that this was college, and people were bound to βhave some funβ, but for a moment he thought these two were getting right to business. βOkay, I thought you two wereβ¦nevermind. Um, anyways, I was going around to everybody and saying that Iβll be hosting a room contest kinda thing, so we can all vote on the best room and get to know each other. Would you two be interested? Sorry, I donβt know your names.β
The truth worked? It actually worked, again? Bronte gritted her teeth as she tried to shift her body, greeted by aching pains trailing her arm and down her tailbone. "I can't, I can't-I can't do this." Bronte muttered under her breath exasperated. She had already introduced herself after wandering into anotherβs room uninvited and she couldn't bring herself to introduce herself again under this worse off set of circumstances. "Can I-I at least introduce myself standing and moreβ¦ p-put together?" She asked, refusing to open her eyes still. Whoever the newcomer was, she didnβt want to be remembered as βthe girl found with a dude on top of her.β No offense to Kazuyuki who was easy on the eyesβ¦ exactly why she wouldnβt dare to open hers now.
He was rather shocked that the newcomer believed his panicked explanation, that was for sure. Anyone else would've taken what they'd seen, stuck with the first impression it gave them, and then run off to tell anyone else they could find about it. Or maybe, that was just what he was used to from his old high school. Still, it's a relief, even ifβ¦ Heβ¦really thought we were getting into it, in a wide open doorway, in the middle of move in day. Kazuyuki was not thatβ¦tacky, sleazy, whatever, though he supposed he might've looked it right then. It's fine, it's fine. Crisisβ¦kind of evaded. Not really, given Bronte was still stuck on the floor underneath him.
Panic and no sleep was certainly making him slow to move and make the important decisions, like helping her get back up and back together, "God, Bronte, I'm sorry, let meβ¦" Moving off of her as quick as he could without making things worse or tumbling off to the side, he's back on his feet just a breath later, ensuring some stability before he offered both hands this time, half-pained half-apologetic smile in place, "let me actually help you up this time."
Bronte stopped shielding her face and her hands slid into his, accepting the offer and rising to her feet. She brushed back her hair with her fingers, brown eyes ping ponging between him and the darker haired dorm mate with green gemstone eyes. Her lips parted silently to form a perfect oval wondering if βmagnetismβ was a prerequisite for joining the IWL project? Was she just an outlier in this experiment? She shook her head, effectively shaking the thoughts away. It would do her no good in the present.
"Thank you, Kazuyuki." She said, her fingers nervously fidgeting together after releasing his hand and its warmth lingered. She found it hard to maintain eye contact with him particularly after that fiasco. Throwing her hands behind her back to make her nerves less obvious, she turned and mustered a toothy grin over at the visitor before sharing her name. "Iβm Bronte, nice to meet youβ¦?β She awaited a name, briefly distracted by her skirtβs unevenness and smoothening it out to normal coverage. Also distracted by the notepad for another second that had escaped her again, quickly pocketing it before it could earn her more embarrassment.
Seeing their embarrassment, he could tell that theyβd prefer he drop the subject. βNice to meet you Kazuyuki and Bronte, Iβm Jorji. So uh, if you guys want to participate in the bedroom contest, then weβll probably do it tonight, so, yeah. Iβll probably make some sort of prize for the best room, so is there anything youβd want to win if either of you won?β
He's finally gotten Jorji's name then, Kazuyuki silently filing it away and promising to not forget it along with all the other's. How many roommates he'd have by the end of the day he wasn't entirely sure of, but he'd still try his best to not have to ask for names a second or third time. "Nice to meet you too, Jorji, umβ¦" Sorry that this is your first impression of me, I guess. He kept to himself. It seemed he'd gotten the message that the topic of the situation was wanting to be dropped, and he'd be happy to leave that moment forgotten into the past.
Bedroom contest? His head tilts slightly at the name, tries to think through what it could be for, probably best decorated he assumed. Not that he had great confidence in his own skill of decorating, but he supposed his room wasn't too bad. Maybe he'd have a chance?
It was the mention of a prize that caught his attention most though, head tilting slightly as if he didn't already know what he'd like, "a prizeβ¦" A glance back to his bed, already with its own collection of blankets, "some sort of blanket would be nice."
"It could be a βmoving inβ hamper?" Bronte murmured quietly, wanting to contribute but not quite sure what her dormies were like much less what they liked. "A blanket could be included." She looked away shyly and fidgeted with the bottom of her blouse, pulling it down to cover her stomach more. "This place seems more empty than I thought itβd be so maybe thereβs stuff we didnβt account for when packing?" She explained, practically tying a knot.
Jorji nodded, taking note of what they wanted. Someone else had mentioned a blanket, he forgot who, so maybe heβd do something that included one of those. βAlright, sounds good. Iβll ask the others and Iβll try to have something everyone will like, thank you two for your input!β He quickly left the room, giving them some privacy to sort outβ¦whatever it was they were doing.
"Donβt mention it?" Bronte said hesitantly as she watched Jorjiβs form disappear around the corner. "Please donβt mention itβ¦" she whispered, slumping her shoulders and thinking back on the embarrassing moment that was rewinding in the back of her mind, especially now left with Kazuyuki, again. She laughed nervously, forcing a smile on her features as she looked up at him. "I suppose I should get started or there will be no room of mine to judge. Hahaβ¦" She restored her luggage to its upright position, the handle snapping off with ease after a bad twist. She shrieked, broken handle in hand and mouth slightly agape at her continuous bad luck.
With Jorji gone, it left the two of them alone again, a slightly uncomfortable air filling the room that he'd rather get rid of before it became a permanent resident in their interactions. Not that he had time to speak before Bronte shrieks, bad luck seeming to have continued its reign of terror. He winced slightly at the sight of the broken suitcase handle, metal bars waiting uselessly in their spot. Was she hexed or something? This amount of bad luck latched to one person was starting to become almost unbelievable.
"Bronte?" He managed a few moments later, brow quirking slightly, an awkward smile following, "if you're alright with me still hanging around for a bit despiteβ¦" Everything, "...that offer to help you get things moved in is still up for taking."
Bronte smiled sheepishly.
Gabriel relaxedly pocketed his hand after the high-five. "Could be shorter with this project. What do you think?" He asked, scanning his surroundings and from that alone, gaining a good understanding of the project's budget. Larger than the old dorm that's for sure. He wasn't missing it already.
There were a few other dormmates hanging around, Gabriel turning each time he heard footsteps to see who it was, their gatekeepers, and any other details no matter how trivial that would hint what he and his friends had signed up for.
"I presume you are also in the project, then? And that you two are friends?" Overhearing a mention, he turned back to Alice and Leland. Simply put, "Yeah." Gabriel replied monotonously as if he'd been asked this question many times before. When the friendship began? He couldn't really pinpoint but Leland was one of the few people who could sell him the idea of isekai-ing. Had anyone else attempted, he'd have thought it a bad scam. "We lived in the same dorm before this one." He knocked on the wall. "He recommended an upgrade." He half-joked, massaging his neck that had gone stiff.
Reflecting on what he had seen, Leland's AI was a dog, and his AI was in the middle of customizing... "Alice, where's Ram?" He recalled the name she had given them and hoped her device wasn't malfunctioning.
"Tadaaa~!" The gatekeeper twirled, the smoke clearing and revealing a curvaceous young woman with dark hair tied back in tight ponytails, eyes of hypnotic swirls, pointy ears, and cheeks of neon yellow splatter. She licked her lips slowly as if savoring the taste of her grape purple lipstick, resting a hand in the arch of her side. Her dress hugged her body tightly, too tightly that one would wonder if a human could even breathe in it.
Dragonfly wings attached to her back emerged to finish off her look, an identical match to the pin that contained her prior that hummed and flitted to life, bringing her closer to another A.I, the first of several she would meet. She patted the new friend's furry head. "Hello, you!" She giggled, the music fading away. The gray pooch was the cutest with its wet nose, tongue out and tail wagging. "Our owners are friends so I'll definitely be your friend! But wait..." She didn't know the criteria for friendship.
Lexa observed the trio, hovering around them until she settled behind Gabriel. Her fingers crawled along his shoulder waiting for an opportune moment to interrupt the conversation. "What do friends actually do?" she asked him with the curiosity of a child. Gabriel looked over his shoulder, Lexa's eyes widening and refusing to blink. He thought about it but he wasn't sure how to string the words together, put on the spot in front of his own friends. "Google it."
There were a few other dormmates hanging around, Gabriel turning each time he heard footsteps to see who it was, their gatekeepers, and any other details no matter how trivial that would hint what he and his friends had signed up for.
"I presume you are also in the project, then? And that you two are friends?" Overhearing a mention, he turned back to Alice and Leland. Simply put, "Yeah." Gabriel replied monotonously as if he'd been asked this question many times before. When the friendship began? He couldn't really pinpoint but Leland was one of the few people who could sell him the idea of isekai-ing. Had anyone else attempted, he'd have thought it a bad scam. "We lived in the same dorm before this one." He knocked on the wall. "He recommended an upgrade." He half-joked, massaging his neck that had gone stiff.
Reflecting on what he had seen, Leland's AI was a dog, and his AI was in the middle of customizing... "Alice, where's Ram?" He recalled the name she had given them and hoped her device wasn't malfunctioning.
"Tadaaa~!" The gatekeeper twirled, the smoke clearing and revealing a curvaceous young woman with dark hair tied back in tight ponytails, eyes of hypnotic swirls, pointy ears, and cheeks of neon yellow splatter. She licked her lips slowly as if savoring the taste of her grape purple lipstick, resting a hand in the arch of her side. Her dress hugged her body tightly, too tightly that one would wonder if a human could even breathe in it.
Dragonfly wings attached to her back emerged to finish off her look, an identical match to the pin that contained her prior that hummed and flitted to life, bringing her closer to another A.I, the first of several she would meet. She patted the new friend's furry head. "Hello, you!" She giggled, the music fading away. The gray pooch was the cutest with its wet nose, tongue out and tail wagging. "Our owners are friends so I'll definitely be your friend! But wait..." She didn't know the criteria for friendship.
Lexa observed the trio, hovering around them until she settled behind Gabriel. Her fingers crawled along his shoulder waiting for an opportune moment to interrupt the conversation. "What do friends actually do?" she asked him with the curiosity of a child. Gabriel looked over his shoulder, Lexa's eyes widening and refusing to blink. He thought about it but he wasn't sure how to string the words together, put on the spot in front of his own friends. "Google it."
"That must have been nice," she spoke, referencing Gabriel's time together with Leland. Alice's heart beat anxiously in her chest when they began to show off their AI's. A dog and a beautiful fairy-lady. Were they as temperamental as Ram? Alice wondered. "How beautiful," she commented, looking at Gabriel's gatekeeper, who fluttered fantastically while music surrounded them, coming from a loudspeaker somewhere on the building. It was quite the reveal, Alice was almost envious. Why couldn't she have gotten a gatekeeper with such pizazz?
"Oh, Ram? He is um-" she fumbled through her belongings for the screen where Ram would pop up. "He, is here, I tried to wake him up before, but I think the connection must have been lagging for me a bit?" Alice was already spinning excuses, trying to cover for her Gatekeeper that would not cooperate. Alice reached into her box, taking out the device to show them. Just when she believed all hope was lost, the screen flickered on and Ram revealed himself.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Alice smiled, relieved. Perhaps he would play nice? Now that they were in front of the others. Hopefully, he would not do anything to embarrass her like this morning. Alice had her doubts, especially the way he scowled when he saw her, as though he had seen an ant he wished to crush with his boot. Almost immediately, his gaze shifted and became more pleasant upon noticing that they were in the presence of company.
"Oh, I didn't expect us to be meeting others," he spoke cordially, wearing somewhat of a lazy smile. Was it possible for code to be tired? Ram looked as if he hadn't slept in a week.
aka Prince Egon
"Void, prompt me."
"Looks like you got lucky. You're the prince of an ancient kingdom called Ezeba and the pitiful girl at the end of your blade is Gissu, your older sister who Egon, that's you, caught hand feeding the rebels the guard rotation.
"And why would she do that?"
"Beats me. Maybe because Egon's next in line, a conceited prick and executed her rebel lover."
"Got it~ The check point?"
"Kill the girl. Seems like the real Egon has reservations."
The blade felt heavy in Yuusei's grasp, his borrowed fingers curling tighter around the hilt. "I've never held a weapon before. How surreal." He tilted the blade ever so slightly towards himself, the cold steel shifting under Gissu's chin as he glimpsed the prince's reflection spotted with her tears. A young well-kept slender face with a button nose and hauntingly cold bright blue eyes stared back. "Does a kitchen knife count?"
"Brother! Please.. "
Yuusei loosened his grip on the blade so it'd fall a little, a shallow line of red tracing the girl's jawline after. Gissu's eyes swelled with water as her lips trembled. She didn't need to look down, the heated droplets felt on her neck.
"Where are my manners? Letting my mind wander while my dear traitor of a sister is groveling."
"Don't you remember who nursed you back to health? Who stayed by your bedside every day when father couldn't care less? When I snuck medicine for you when you were grounded? Don't you remember anything at all?!? I'm your sister! All my life I dedicated to YOU."
"What da fuq?" Yuusei grimaced, Void's voice in the back of his mind trying to fill him in on the long backstory that he was not aware of but Yuusei didn't need awareness. He'd already made up his mind. He erupted into bone-chilling laughter, his chest heaving as he ran out of air and his lungs pumped with blood. He started to fiddle with the sword, releasing a finger then a few before reaffirming his grip and resolve tighter than before.
"You know, I was beginning to have doubts but if that's the best you have to offer me, an appeal to my conscience, then know this, I owe you nothing and I will regret nothing. Love begets love."
Gissu swallowed the lump in her throat, her brother not forgiving her as he usually did. What was different this time? Why? She stared up at him, seeing her brother but not recognizing the neutrality in his voice. Her eyes filled to the brim, no longer able to hold back. She screamed, the high pitch defeaning as it bounced off the walls and echoed back, she shook around desperately trying to wriggle free or create distance as the sword was raised in the air coming down until-
Yuusei halted, Gissu frozen in place. Her horrified expression slowly faded as she closed her eyes almost at peace of what was to come. Something was off.
"Ise?"
A long exasperated sigh escaped her lips.
"Kai."
Gissu's eyes opened wide, turning left and right then shot up at Yuusei.
"Am I interrupting something?"
aka Prince Egon and Princess Gissu
"Hey, uncuff me so I can give you a major L for acting delivery." The new Gissu taunted before sticking her tongue out in protest. "Ise?""Kai." She had only just gained consciousness entering the new world and already run into another volunteer. The code words bought them some time to get their bearings and possibly hatch a plan to work together to achieve their checkpoints. The real Prince Egon and his sister Princess Gissu, wouldn't recall this conversation conveniently enough so long as they chatted within the designated time limit of 5.08 minutes.
Sniff, sniff. She pointed her nose to the air. "Funky incense, sus swirly symbols, and nobody else around... Am I being sacrificed? It better be to some almighty god 'cause cannibalism is nasty." She voiced, about to reach for her nose in an attempt to filter the smell if she wasn't so restrained.
Yuusei rolled his eyes, stood up, and paced back and forth in front of the throne. The mood was ruined. There was only one volunteer that came to mind who possessed the same 'attitude' no matter the world and its circumstances. Noe. Why did it have to be Noe? He groaned then pointed the sword in her direction. Noe reflexively bent backward as it reached her lips. "Say what you want but she-" Yuusei gestured around her, referring to the true owner of the body she had borrowed. "-believed it."
Noe puffed, "Yeah, no kidding. That sword ain't fake. Now, back off before you poke an eye out. Eye patches are soo not fashionable. Thank you." She whispered the last word, certain she'd have her way.
Noe shook her head as she observed from a distance. Isekaiing is meant to be fun right? The guy needs to learn to live a little."Excuse moi."
"Darling, prompt pretty please." She closed her eyes, focusing solely on the soothing gentle voice of her gatekeeper. Noe made sure to pick the perfect voiceover for her fake lives. A voice she couldn't get sick of. Her otome waifu that is.
"Princess Gissu, older sister of Prince Egon. Prince Egon is next in line to rule over the Ezeba Kingdom. Princess Gissu's lover Adalric was a rebel, killed by Prince Egon after being discovered in her chambers. Princess Gissu was cleared of suspicion, arguably naive and seduced in exchange for information. However, Prince Egon caught her sneaking out and detailing the guard rotation to other members of the rebellion."
Noe tilted her head in thought then licked her lips with a nod of affirmation when she was ready to hear the rest.
"Your checkpoint: Convince Prince Egon not to kill her."
Sniff, sniff. She pointed her nose to the air. "Funky incense, sus swirly symbols, and nobody else around... Am I being sacrificed? It better be to some almighty god 'cause cannibalism is nasty." She voiced, about to reach for her nose in an attempt to filter the smell if she wasn't so restrained.
Yuusei rolled his eyes, stood up, and paced back and forth in front of the throne. The mood was ruined. There was only one volunteer that came to mind who possessed the same 'attitude' no matter the world and its circumstances. Noe. Why did it have to be Noe? He groaned then pointed the sword in her direction. Noe reflexively bent backward as it reached her lips. "Say what you want but she-" Yuusei gestured around her, referring to the true owner of the body she had borrowed. "-believed it."
Noe puffed, "Yeah, no kidding. That sword ain't fake. Now, back off before you poke an eye out. Eye patches are soo not fashionable. Thank you." She whispered the last word, certain she'd have her way.
Noe shook her head as she observed from a distance. Isekaiing is meant to be fun right? The guy needs to learn to live a little."Excuse moi."
"Darling, prompt pretty please." She closed her eyes, focusing solely on the soothing gentle voice of her gatekeeper. Noe made sure to pick the perfect voiceover for her fake lives. A voice she couldn't get sick of. Her otome waifu that is.
"Princess Gissu, older sister of Prince Egon. Prince Egon is next in line to rule over the Ezeba Kingdom. Princess Gissu's lover Adalric was a rebel, killed by Prince Egon after being discovered in her chambers. Princess Gissu was cleared of suspicion, arguably naive and seduced in exchange for information. However, Prince Egon caught her sneaking out and detailing the guard rotation to other members of the rebellion."
Noe tilted her head in thought then licked her lips with a nod of affirmation when she was ready to hear the rest.
"Your checkpoint: Convince Prince Egon not to kill her."
"We're running out of time. What's your prompt?" Yuusei returned to his place on the throne, sword in hand poked into the floor as he counted the seconds with the heel of his shoe. The prince and princess would only recall
what happened prior to the code words so Yuusei prepared himself to continue where they left off. The throne room was empty asides from themselves but now and then he'd hear the pitter patter of servants scurrying to complete their chores and small talk between the guards positioned outside the door. Then it happened, the worst part. The memory influx.
Yuusei choked on air and had an unpleasant itch running down his throat. The onset of borrowed memories had a different effect on everybody and for him, it was the same as getting ill. He coughed, his system shocked with flashes of hot and cold. He smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead over and over, a migraine brewing with veins that threatened to burst.
"Yuusei, you really suck at this man." Void said but his comment passed like the wind, Yuusei's head twisting to where Noe knelt. Compared to him, Noe suffered no effects. Hell, he couldn't even tell whether she'd gotten the princess' memories or not. The observation was the less open-minded one was, the more painful the transition would be. At least, that's what the project lead told him. It didn't change anything. Nothing at all.
"I can't tell you." Noe shrugged her shoulders, incapable of doing much else with her arms bound. Yuusei straightened his back against the throne and began to twirl the sword by the hilt. He waited but Noe said nothing else. If anything, her lips only tightened shut. "We can't work together on this?" The blade stopped spinning as Princess Gissu's reflection showed, Noe's eyes subtly shifting towards it as a reference for the door cracking open behind her. With nothing else to say....
"Ise." "Kai"
The very second the code words ended, Yuusei and Noe got to work. Prince Egon's sword was raised in the air once again and Princess Gissu screamed. She wriggled away like a worm, moving only inches at a time. The Prince rose and followed, hot on her trail with the sword scraping against the floor, flaunting its sharpness and taunting her inevitable demise.
What are you up to, Noe? He laughed trying to get into character but it was hollow. Even trying to crack a smirk was failing as the corner of his mouth kept twitching. Was he really supposed to kill Noe as Gissu? This was a joke, right? A glitch?
Yuusei distracted, Noe managed to reach the double doors and positioned her back against it right at the center. With all the strength left in her legs, she attempted to hoist herself to stand up. "Brother, please, please, please! Egon! Don't, don't-ddon't do this." Prince Egon grabbed her shoulder, steadying her to read the lies in her eyes. As for Yuusei, well, he was searching for a message. "You know I- I love you! I always have." She whispered. With wide, bloodshot eyes, she bowed her head repetitively. "Forgive me, forgive me... forgive...me..."
She was cornered, pleading, and Yuusei's prompt could be fulfilled with a single, steady, and swift swing. He never liked Noe anyway. Always making fun of him, always invading his space, and always...
Prince Egon readied his blade to her throat.
Selfless.
It all happened so fast.
The last sound he heard was Princess Gissu's struggling gasp of air as a sword pierced through her chest from the crack between the doors. Yuusei couldn't hear anything else after, his mind running blank and his body numbing. He stepped back, blood splatter covering his hands and clothes as the doors continued to open, the body kicked aside as a familiar assailant made himself known and ventured further into the room.
"Done diddy done. Checkpoint reached."
He couldn't even hear Void but before he could speak, he was home.
what happened prior to the code words so Yuusei prepared himself to continue where they left off. The throne room was empty asides from themselves but now and then he'd hear the pitter patter of servants scurrying to complete their chores and small talk between the guards positioned outside the door. Then it happened, the worst part. The memory influx.
Yuusei choked on air and had an unpleasant itch running down his throat. The onset of borrowed memories had a different effect on everybody and for him, it was the same as getting ill. He coughed, his system shocked with flashes of hot and cold. He smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead over and over, a migraine brewing with veins that threatened to burst.
"Yuusei, you really suck at this man." Void said but his comment passed like the wind, Yuusei's head twisting to where Noe knelt. Compared to him, Noe suffered no effects. Hell, he couldn't even tell whether she'd gotten the princess' memories or not. The observation was the less open-minded one was, the more painful the transition would be. At least, that's what the project lead told him. It didn't change anything. Nothing at all.
"I can't tell you." Noe shrugged her shoulders, incapable of doing much else with her arms bound. Yuusei straightened his back against the throne and began to twirl the sword by the hilt. He waited but Noe said nothing else. If anything, her lips only tightened shut. "We can't work together on this?" The blade stopped spinning as Princess Gissu's reflection showed, Noe's eyes subtly shifting towards it as a reference for the door cracking open behind her. With nothing else to say....
"Ise." "Kai"
The very second the code words ended, Yuusei and Noe got to work. Prince Egon's sword was raised in the air once again and Princess Gissu screamed. She wriggled away like a worm, moving only inches at a time. The Prince rose and followed, hot on her trail with the sword scraping against the floor, flaunting its sharpness and taunting her inevitable demise.
What are you up to, Noe? He laughed trying to get into character but it was hollow. Even trying to crack a smirk was failing as the corner of his mouth kept twitching. Was he really supposed to kill Noe as Gissu? This was a joke, right? A glitch?
Yuusei distracted, Noe managed to reach the double doors and positioned her back against it right at the center. With all the strength left in her legs, she attempted to hoist herself to stand up. "Brother, please, please, please! Egon! Don't, don't-ddon't do this." Prince Egon grabbed her shoulder, steadying her to read the lies in her eyes. As for Yuusei, well, he was searching for a message. "You know I- I love you! I always have." She whispered. With wide, bloodshot eyes, she bowed her head repetitively. "Forgive me, forgive me... forgive...me..."
She was cornered, pleading, and Yuusei's prompt could be fulfilled with a single, steady, and swift swing. He never liked Noe anyway. Always making fun of him, always invading his space, and always...
Prince Egon readied his blade to her throat.
Selfless.
It all happened so fast.
The last sound he heard was Princess Gissu's struggling gasp of air as a sword pierced through her chest from the crack between the doors. Yuusei couldn't hear anything else after, his mind running blank and his body numbing. He stepped back, blood splatter covering his hands and clothes as the doors continued to open, the body kicked aside as a familiar assailant made himself known and ventured further into the room.
"Done diddy done. Checkpoint reached."
He couldn't even hear Void but before he could speak, he was home.
"You need to get over it." Truer words had never been spoken. At least, not to Yuusei. It irritated him even further that those words came from Noe of all people. He much preferred the nagging of his grandmother because there was only so long she could speak for until her teeth would fall right out. "Bitch talks so much it hurts my ears.." The student cursed in soft whispers as he searched for the dormitory keys in the right pocket of his dark skinny jeans. His ears were plugged, connected to an iPod in his left pocket but the metal music wasn't screaming at him as much and it was considerably less annoying too. Locating the keys, he pried it out and unlocked the door.
But it wasn't as empty as he had left it, the new blood settling in and drowning out the screamo with their excited squawking. He shoved past them, walked through any AIs that got in his way and dodged the small talk up to his room. But his room wasn't as empty as he had left it either. He pushed the door to his room open and set foot inside. The light coming in from the windows shone too brightly, Yuusei scowling but not turning away even as it hit his eyes. There was another matter staring him right in the face that warranted more ire. "What do you two think you're doing in my room?" He removed a single earbud and dropped his bag to the ground with a heavy and careless thump.
"Void." The artificial intelligence gatekeeper named Void by its owner materialized. It had its face hidden under a bone white helmet resembling a bird of prey, arms and legs covered up in white that contrasted a dark robe, wrapped with a cape of coffins held up by chains around the shoulders. Its brightest feature was its shiny golden belt around the waist with a skull and crossbones buckle.
Void let out a low hearty laugh towering behind him. Yuusei sighed and loosened his tie. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He lifted his head, the earphones' cable stretching as he glared daggers at the unwelcomed guests. "Or I'll make you wish you did, new blood."
As Alice complimented his AI, Gabriel cleared his throat. "She's... alright." He responded, avoiding the subject's gaze as she flitted about with childlike delight. Despite the AIs being nothing more than holographic projections, the dormitory suddenly felt smaller. Could he really get used to this? He wasn't so sure. Gabriel sighed, the sigh masked by the creak of the dormitory's doors opening once again as another person came in. The taller male walked with the weight of the world on his shoulders and right through Lexa without a second of hesitation. Gabriel turned around, debating if he should say something but before he could make up his mind, the mysterious stranger had vanished. At least Lexa appeared unbothered, pulling at her cheeks and giggling to herself.
"He, is here, I tried to wake him up before, but I think the connection must have been lagging for me a bit?"
"Lagging?" Gabriel repeated to check he heard correctly, the concern reaching the arch of his brows. "That might be a problem once we're, well, isekai-ing?" Was that the proper term? He rubbed the back of his neck.
Then Alice's phone came to life, a graceful figure with long red hair and dark circles around their eyes. "Oh, I didn't expect us to be meeting others," Gabriel stared at the phone screen, a second of hesitation trying to tell the difference between AI and FaceTime. "You must be Ram?" he smiled, still unsure of himself before looking back at Alice. "You should test it out before the project begins. Think he can show up in the dorm like Lexa and the others?" His concern had not completely passed but he recognized that it was Alice's Gatekeeper to utilize, offering another smile to Ram as he introduced himself. "I'm Gabriel, though not your user, I look forward to working together."
His voice was drowned out not by music this time but by the sound of repetitive beeping from the intercom much like a clock alarm. "Familiarize yourselves, this is the sound of adventure." A womanly voice said, not skipping a single syllable. "We'll be initiating the first phase of our grand project in 5 minutes from now. Please head over to the Level 2 lounge room. See you there." Click! The voice cut off hastily.
Gabriel hadn't even unpacked all his things. He sighed, "Are you ready?"
"He, is here, I tried to wake him up before, but I think the connection must have been lagging for me a bit?"
"Lagging?" Gabriel repeated to check he heard correctly, the concern reaching the arch of his brows. "That might be a problem once we're, well, isekai-ing?" Was that the proper term? He rubbed the back of his neck.
Then Alice's phone came to life, a graceful figure with long red hair and dark circles around their eyes. "Oh, I didn't expect us to be meeting others," Gabriel stared at the phone screen, a second of hesitation trying to tell the difference between AI and FaceTime. "You must be Ram?" he smiled, still unsure of himself before looking back at Alice. "You should test it out before the project begins. Think he can show up in the dorm like Lexa and the others?" His concern had not completely passed but he recognized that it was Alice's Gatekeeper to utilize, offering another smile to Ram as he introduced himself. "I'm Gabriel, though not your user, I look forward to working together."
His voice was drowned out not by music this time but by the sound of repetitive beeping from the intercom much like a clock alarm. "Familiarize yourselves, this is the sound of adventure." A womanly voice said, not skipping a single syllable. "We'll be initiating the first phase of our grand project in 5 minutes from now. Please head over to the Level 2 lounge room. See you there." Click! The voice cut off hastily.
Gabriel hadn't even unpacked all his things. He sighed, "Are you ready?"
Alice breathed a short sigh of relief, Ram had not only shown up, but was acting cordially with Gabriel. "Yes, I'm Ram." He nodded, the screen shaking when Alice moved to put it on her lap. "Ram, would you like to try projecting yourself?" She inquired of the device, feeling a bit silly for talking to a screen. There was a flash of something behind his eyes, something akin to malice when Alice addressed him. Ram sighed heavily and the screen flashed, the AI projecting himself into the room with an nonchalant expression; almost as though the process was effortless. Still, even his projection appeared sleepy.
"It looks like it worked," Alice smiled, relieved. However, there was a slight hint of anxiety behind her expression. "I look forward to working with you, as well. It's our job as AIs to make sure your experience as users, is as interesting as possible." His smile was pleasant enough when he spoke, but his choice of words left alarm bells ringing in Alice's mind. Ram had already made it apparent that he did not like Alice. What would an interesting time entail?
There was no time to think, a voice over the intercom began to announce that they needed to meet in the lounge in five minutes. "As ready as I can be," Alice admitted in reply to Gabriel. Ram returned to his screen, the device clicking off and the AI disappearing from sight. She grabbed her wheels, turning herself to face the door. Alice rolled out, heading to the door labeled the lounge. She was still getting her bearings in her new living space, she could hardly believe that she had been accepted for this project.
There was a tingle in her chest, one of excitement and nervousness. What if she entered the new world and nothing changed? What if she couldn't stand, much less walk?
Meg looked up at the sound of the chime rang through the house, pulling herself out from behind the toilet and sitting back on her haunches. She let out a breath, closing her eyes and letting the project directorβs clipped speech wash over her. Things were getting started sooner than she had anticipated; doubtless Yonder Wonder was eager to get moving, but Meg had assumed they would at least allow a day or two for the participants to acclimate to life under the same roof.
Still, a summons was a summons, so Meg picked herself up off the floor, setting the scrub brush and spray bottle on the bathroom counter before pulling off her latex gloves and apron. The head maid wouldβve scolded her for not putting them away properly, but five minutes was five minutes, so she could always finish up after they finished whatever the project had planned for them today. Orientation, maybe? Coupled with a large stack of release forms and non-disclosure agreements, no doubt. Yes, now that she thought of it, that was likely what they were being called together for.
She checked her appearance in the mirror quickly, straightening her shirt before heading out in the hall, taking her jacket off the doorknob as she passed. The second floor lounge wasnβt far from her room, and Meg already saw a few of the others making their way over. Tattoo boy and the girl in the wheelchair - she hadnβt caught their names yet. Meg wondered idly if theyβd be forced to give formal introductions after they were all gathered, like a bunch of school kids.
Still, a summons was a summons, so Meg picked herself up off the floor, setting the scrub brush and spray bottle on the bathroom counter before pulling off her latex gloves and apron. The head maid wouldβve scolded her for not putting them away properly, but five minutes was five minutes, so she could always finish up after they finished whatever the project had planned for them today. Orientation, maybe? Coupled with a large stack of release forms and non-disclosure agreements, no doubt. Yes, now that she thought of it, that was likely what they were being called together for.
She checked her appearance in the mirror quickly, straightening her shirt before heading out in the hall, taking her jacket off the doorknob as she passed. The second floor lounge wasnβt far from her room, and Meg already saw a few of the others making their way over. Tattoo boy and the girl in the wheelchair - she hadnβt caught their names yet. Meg wondered idly if theyβd be forced to give formal introductions after they were all gathered, like a bunch of school kids.
βRemind me why you have to hide some of your manga again?β Azavon tiredly asked, hanging from a holographic hammock that he apparently was able to conjure up.
βBecause itβs not exactly manga, and thatβs all your nosy ass needs to know about it. Remind me why you have to hang from the roof again?β Jorji quickly put the rest of his βmangaβ away in a hiding spot and turned to face Azavon. The smug blue elf seemed to not have a care in the world, except for annoying him.
βWell, in my research a lot of villains spend much of their time lounging in their domains. Since you named me after such a villain, I figured I might as well get into character.β He dissipated his hammock and floated down to sit on Jorjiβs desk. βBesides, soon youβll all be collected and the project will begin.β
βHow do you-β Azavon held up a finger, cutting him off. The elf looked at his wrist where a watch appeared, paused for a second, and pointed his finger up at the ceiling. Just then, a chime rang out and an announcement was made on the overhead system, telling the students to meet in the lounge for the project. Jorji gave an expectant look at Azavon. βLet me guess, it was in the pamphlet?β
Azavon sprung up and walked towards the door, briefly placing his hand on Jorjiβs shoulder. βYouβre getting smarter! See what a good influence I am? Now hop to it, I canβt very well be late, I have an evil reputation to uphold.β With that smug remark, Azavon walked straight through the closed door and out of sight.
Jorji groaned and grabbed his favorite water bottle, making his own way to the door. βYeah, what a saint.β
βBecause itβs not exactly manga, and thatβs all your nosy ass needs to know about it. Remind me why you have to hang from the roof again?β Jorji quickly put the rest of his βmangaβ away in a hiding spot and turned to face Azavon. The smug blue elf seemed to not have a care in the world, except for annoying him.
βWell, in my research a lot of villains spend much of their time lounging in their domains. Since you named me after such a villain, I figured I might as well get into character.β He dissipated his hammock and floated down to sit on Jorjiβs desk. βBesides, soon youβll all be collected and the project will begin.β
βHow do you-β Azavon held up a finger, cutting him off. The elf looked at his wrist where a watch appeared, paused for a second, and pointed his finger up at the ceiling. Just then, a chime rang out and an announcement was made on the overhead system, telling the students to meet in the lounge for the project. Jorji gave an expectant look at Azavon. βLet me guess, it was in the pamphlet?β
Azavon sprung up and walked towards the door, briefly placing his hand on Jorjiβs shoulder. βYouβre getting smarter! See what a good influence I am? Now hop to it, I canβt very well be late, I have an evil reputation to uphold.β With that smug remark, Azavon walked straight through the closed door and out of sight.
Jorji groaned and grabbed his favorite water bottle, making his own way to the door. βYeah, what a saint.β
Tannis was BOOOOOORED. Hours and hours had slipped by in a fugue state, and the boredom was FINALLY starting to set in.
Or at least, they certainly felt that way. Upon trying to voice their frustrations, Numinar cleared his throat from behind them.
The dragon was sitting in the middle of the room, nearly four times as large as a Maine Coon, and certainly three times as amused in his βchargeβ. βIts been, at most, fifteen minutes since you started working on your most recent coding project.β
And as if that wasnβt embarrassing enough, the PA system crackled to life as Tannis went to take a sip from a forgotten thermos of tea. Definitely just tea. Nothing else but tea in here. Yup.
Certainly no energy drinks that wouldβve slain an elephant like the strike of a cobra! Nope!
They sighed. And listened, before scrambling for their stuff as rapidly as possible. Numinar began cackling as Tannis rushed, shrinking down in size until he could rest on their shoulders. They didnβt even notice, instead swiping up their βgo-bagβ, shoving a tablet inside, and throwing their door open.
Only a full minute spent! A new record!
They didnβt see anyone in the hall with them, so they turned, closed the door, and bolted to their destination. A mad-humanβs cackle leapt from their lips as they went.
βIts go time! Yes! Finally! We can get this show on the road! HAHA!β
They ignored the fact that this would probably NOT be the isekai they wanted⦠But if they could wait this long, a few jumps was nothing before the main course!
Or at least, they certainly felt that way. Upon trying to voice their frustrations, Numinar cleared his throat from behind them.
The dragon was sitting in the middle of the room, nearly four times as large as a Maine Coon, and certainly three times as amused in his βchargeβ. βIts been, at most, fifteen minutes since you started working on your most recent coding project.β
And as if that wasnβt embarrassing enough, the PA system crackled to life as Tannis went to take a sip from a forgotten thermos of tea. Definitely just tea. Nothing else but tea in here. Yup.
Certainly no energy drinks that wouldβve slain an elephant like the strike of a cobra! Nope!
They sighed. And listened, before scrambling for their stuff as rapidly as possible. Numinar began cackling as Tannis rushed, shrinking down in size until he could rest on their shoulders. They didnβt even notice, instead swiping up their βgo-bagβ, shoving a tablet inside, and throwing their door open.
Only a full minute spent! A new record!
They didnβt see anyone in the hall with them, so they turned, closed the door, and bolted to their destination. A mad-humanβs cackle leapt from their lips as they went.
βIts go time! Yes! Finally! We can get this show on the road! HAHA!β
They ignored the fact that this would probably NOT be the isekai they wanted⦠But if they could wait this long, a few jumps was nothing before the main course!
kazuyuki miyato.
dialogue: #a59bbd. thought: #a6b5f0.
Jorji is gone and his offer to Bronte is in the air, but that short moment of what feels like chaos settling is swiftly interrupted by another new face. A new face that, if he can be entirely honest, made Kazuyuki want to quit the project and run. He's clearly angry, and truthfully Kazuyuki doesn't think he has the energy to deal with the attitude he was carrying, not after everything the day had already thrown on him. Or the fact that it felt like not nearly enough of this move-in day was organized to avoid these sort of situations.
So these rooms were preassigned? Or they had roommates? Or someone else had claimed this before him, and he just hadn't noticed? It wasn't like it had been locked, though, and he hadn't noticed many signs of anyone else living here, so how in the world was he supposed to know that it had already been claimed? He wasn't all-knowing, and moving into a new apartment was already overwhelming enough as it was without any real information on how they were supposed to handle or go about it.
New blood? His brows furrow, and he glances to Bronte for a brief moment, tries his best not to overthink things more than he already was. What, are we in the military now? Give me a break.
He's reaching his limit. His nerves are fried from the stress of everything today. He hadn't even eaten yet, he was tired. And he'd just finished unpacking, so repacking didn't feel that appealing right now if he was getting kicked out within a just a few hours of arriving.
"Okay, nice to meet you too, I guess." It comes out a little sharper than he means it to and he bites his tongue, attention moving to Astrophel shortly after. "Were we supposed to be following a chart or assigned rooms or...something like that?"
Blue eyes stare back at Kazuyuki, but the child-like AI is shaking his head, "I wasn't briefed on that, so I'm unaware if that's the case. It seems there has been a few miscommunications."
A slight sigh of relief even though he already knew Astrophel's answer (as if he hadn't asked him several times already; trying to move into somewhere with a full set of new roommates was already anixety inducing enough as it was, he wanted to make sure he knew as much as he could on how to handle it before he was there), his attention turns back to the stranger, or one of his new roommates, and if he can be fully transparent, it's very regrettable that that's the case. He'd hoped that most of those here would be pleasant to be around, but he should've known better with his luck. I guess there always has to be one. "Like Astrophel said, there's been a miscommunication, so why not go and find someone from staff to figure things out? I'm sure this can all be sorted out, and we'll be out of your hair in no time-"
And then, the sound of a bell over the intercom, a short message telling them to gather. Already? This was happening much faster than he was expecting. And perhaps ill timed too, or maybe it was the perfect escape to get out of this situation before it worsened any further?
"Or maybe it'll have to wait, unless we can find someone on staff in the lounge to talk to." A small sigh, he moves to grab his phone off his bed (or so he hoped it was his), Astrophel making his way out from the bathroom door to follow him now. He shifts his focus to Bronte, apologetic smile crossing his expression, "I guess helping you move in will have to wait. Sorry, Bronte."
So these rooms were preassigned? Or they had roommates? Or someone else had claimed this before him, and he just hadn't noticed? It wasn't like it had been locked, though, and he hadn't noticed many signs of anyone else living here, so how in the world was he supposed to know that it had already been claimed? He wasn't all-knowing, and moving into a new apartment was already overwhelming enough as it was without any real information on how they were supposed to handle or go about it.
New blood? His brows furrow, and he glances to Bronte for a brief moment, tries his best not to overthink things more than he already was. What, are we in the military now? Give me a break.
He's reaching his limit. His nerves are fried from the stress of everything today. He hadn't even eaten yet, he was tired. And he'd just finished unpacking, so repacking didn't feel that appealing right now if he was getting kicked out within a just a few hours of arriving.
"Okay, nice to meet you too, I guess." It comes out a little sharper than he means it to and he bites his tongue, attention moving to Astrophel shortly after. "Were we supposed to be following a chart or assigned rooms or...something like that?"
Blue eyes stare back at Kazuyuki, but the child-like AI is shaking his head, "I wasn't briefed on that, so I'm unaware if that's the case. It seems there has been a few miscommunications."
A slight sigh of relief even though he already knew Astrophel's answer (as if he hadn't asked him several times already; trying to move into somewhere with a full set of new roommates was already anixety inducing enough as it was, he wanted to make sure he knew as much as he could on how to handle it before he was there), his attention turns back to the stranger, or one of his new roommates, and if he can be fully transparent, it's very regrettable that that's the case. He'd hoped that most of those here would be pleasant to be around, but he should've known better with his luck. I guess there always has to be one. "Like Astrophel said, there's been a miscommunication, so why not go and find someone from staff to figure things out? I'm sure this can all be sorted out, and we'll be out of your hair in no time-"
And then, the sound of a bell over the intercom, a short message telling them to gather. Already? This was happening much faster than he was expecting. And perhaps ill timed too, or maybe it was the perfect escape to get out of this situation before it worsened any further?
"Or maybe it'll have to wait, unless we can find someone on staff in the lounge to talk to." A small sigh, he moves to grab his phone off his bed (or so he hoped it was his), Astrophel making his way out from the bathroom door to follow him now. He shifts his focus to Bronte, apologetic smile crossing his expression, "I guess helping you move in will have to wait. Sorry, Bronte."
- 38 posts here • Page 2 of 2 • 1, 2
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View All » Add Character » 20 Characters to follow in this universe
Newest
Yuusei Mutou
"I'm your new best friend."
Margaret Cole
Barely squeaking by.
Odilon "Odd" Kelek
A conqueror in the shell of a shepherd boy.
Tannis Donnis
"I am what I am, I am who I am, so who and what are you?"
Mother Nature
"Don't talk to your mother like that."
Jorji M. Alderman
"When the world tries to put your spark out, you must surround yourself with friends who fan your flame."
Mariya Fukuda
"We delight in the flight of the butterfly."
Gabriel Eadsforth
The Campus Barista
Bronte Griffiths
"I'll try being someone else because I'm not sure if I like being me."
Trending
Mother Nature
"Don't talk to your mother like that."
Bronte Griffiths
"I'll try being someone else because I'm not sure if I like being me."
Mariya Fukuda
"We delight in the flight of the butterfly."
Tannis Donnis
"I am what I am, I am who I am, so who and what are you?"
Margaret Cole
Barely squeaking by.
Odilon "Odd" Kelek
A conqueror in the shell of a shepherd boy.
Yuusei Mutou
"I'm your new best friend."
Jorji M. Alderman
"When the world tries to put your spark out, you must surround yourself with friends who fan your flame."
Gabriel Eadsforth
The Campus Barista
Most Followed
Mariya Fukuda
"We delight in the flight of the butterfly."
Jorji M. Alderman
"When the world tries to put your spark out, you must surround yourself with friends who fan your flame."
Margaret Cole
Barely squeaking by.
Mother Nature
"Don't talk to your mother like that."
Gabriel Eadsforth
The Campus Barista
Odilon "Odd" Kelek
A conqueror in the shell of a shepherd boy.
Tannis Donnis
"I am what I am, I am who I am, so who and what are you?"
Yuusei Mutou
"I'm your new best friend."
Bronte Griffiths
"I'll try being someone else because I'm not sure if I like being me."
Fullscreen Chat » Create Topic » The Isekai Wonderland Project: Out of Character
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The Isekai Wonderland Project
by Valkyrieknight on Fri Apr 15, 2022 10:00 am
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on Mon Apr 18, 2022 6:06 pm
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The Isekai Wonderland Project
Most recent OOC posts in The Isekai Wonderland Project
Re: The Isekai Wonderland Project
sunnelore wrote:this looks really interesting from what I can see so far! i'd love to join!
Hi, thank you for your interest. Be happy to have you. I'll PM the discord ^-^
Re: The Isekai Wonderland Project
this looks really interesting from what I can see so far! i'd love to join!
Re: The Isekai Wonderland Project
Danaie wrote:Heyo! I'd love to join. I think this concept is very interesting!
Hello, we'd be happy to have you aboard! I'll send you a PM of our discord server. ^^
Re: The Isekai Wonderland Project
The_Queen wrote:Hello! I'm interested in joining with a female character!
Hi Queen. Happy to have you. ^^
The Isekai Wonderland Project
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "The Isekai Wonderland Project"
You may edit this first post as you see fit.
You may edit this first post as you see fit.