WEEK 0 — ARRIVAL

[cartesio]

Week 0: Arrival

When you wake up you immediately feel something’s off. You sit on the bed and find it’s not your bed, and this isn’t your room either. You seem to be in a rather normal-looking motel room. To your side there’s a trunk, if you open it you’ll find a military uniform, the key to your room, a set of rules and a debit card. Don’t lose those items! Or do lose the rules, you'll find a brand new copy the next day under your pillow. There’s also a calendar on the wall, you can see today’s date. The year is unreadable, but the month and day are very clear:

March 28^th
There it says ‘Meet the Sergeant at the Lodge, 9:00 AM’. There’s also a circle around March 31st, with the word ‘END’ scrawled there.

For now leaving your motel room would be a good choice. When you reach the lobby, you see the receptionist’s desk— no one’s manning it. There’s a rack filled with maps, marking several locations in the town.

There are also many strangers here – and you’re one more. For now it may be a good idea to take a map and explore the town.

After all, looks like you’re stuck here in the boonies for a while.

Links

IC Rules
Room Assignments
Locations
Tasks (LOCKED currently)

March 28^th
March 29^th
March 30^th

Comments

[clearities]

[Sakura shakes her head in response.]

Or at least, I wouldn't call myself a witch. [She's so glad Tomoyo isn't here, because then she would be giving Sakura some sort of witch costume.] I don't know if Sergeant-san is, but... maybe the person he's working for might be. I can't use any of my magic without the key or my cards, though.

[alfin]

Key? Cards?

[ Sakura was from the Far East as far as Alfin could figure, which didn't really use orbal technology... Had they developed some sort of alternative? ]

You're saying you think that your magic is different than the Sergeant's?

[ That was what she had to focus on. If Sakura couldn't use magic right now, she doubted she would be able to explain in a way Alfin would understand. ]

[clearities]

Mm.

[She might as well explain since she's not hiding it in the slightest bit.]

I had a key that worked like a staff that could activate the cards... like, for example, the card "Aqua" would let me summon water, or "Flight", which would allow me to fly. Does that make sense?

[Sakura is absolutely no teacher, but she's trying, at least.]

[alfin]

It sounds similar to how my ARCUS works... Essentially, the cards are like quartz that you place inside the key and then using the key you are able to channel the cards' power to summon water or-- Wait, did you say fly?

[ Flying was... a bit beyond the ARCUS' capabilities. It could certainly channel the wind to lift enemies in the air, but that wasn't really an ideal method of flying unless you wanted to get hurt. ]

[clearities]

Yeah.

[Oh, good. She at least understood what she meant.] The Flight card is a cute little bow that attaches itself to my clothes and lets me fly. I also have other cards, too besides those.

[alfin]

[ Alfin stared in shocked silence for a few moments before asking, ]

A bow?

[ This... is nothing like her ARCUS. ]

[clearities]

A really big one! ... oh! Not the one you see in archery. [Just to clarify.] It's the kind that you wear.

[alfin]

[ A bow that let her fly... Alfin can't even imagine it. ]

I didn't realize the Far East had this sort of technology.

[ She was in awe. Perhaps she had lucked out in being born an Erebonian. ]

[clearities]

Mm... it's not technology at all, and only I'm able to use the cards. Or at least, me, and probably some people with really strong magic like mine. Not everyone can use it.

[alfin]

So... You are a witch...? Or something similar to one?

[ Orbal technology is essentially magic anyone can use, after all. So if only people with strong magic can use these cards... Doesn't that make Sakura a witch? She doesn't know a lot about these things... ]

[clearities]

The latter, I'd think... since nobody's ever called me a witch.

[Clamp magic is weird.]

[alfin]

[ Alfin nodded. Okay, she can sort of understand that. ]

But you think the Sergeant, or the person he works for, uses a different kind of magic than your key and cards?

[clearities]

Maybe. [She can't confirm anything.]