unknownseas | but even if the stars and moon collide [afterparty]

[Well, that sucked!

After about an hour, invitations written in colorful ink appear under everyone's doors.]

Understandable if you're not up to it, but we're having a memorial and "don't wanna be alone" hang-out in the restaurant again.

[The restaurant has very much been decorated with the most rainbow fabric she could find in the department store. Jonathan got roped in, mainly so she could make sure he was doing okay, but also because she assumed that he knew how to put a tablecloth on a table. He seemed like the type, anyway.

After consulting with Undertaker, most of the food that's been set out is more traditional Chinese funeral food than Victorian—you can get a whole roast duck in the restaurant—but she tried for a mix of things. There is fruit, the aforementioned roast duck, and several vegetarian dishes along with potatoes for some reason and... cookies? Okay then.

Joy's trying, because that was way less terrible for her than it was for basically anyone else.

Happy ~~Pride~~ Wrath, New Rapture!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Seo Dawon is a frequent late night wanderer, walking over with a wave of his own once he's spotted Hagakure. ]

Sleep is only useful when it's restful, isn't it? [ It's then that his eyes catch on the crystal ball. ] I didn't know take you as the fortune telling type.

S'on my profile, y'know.

[But he doesn't review the profiles that often, so he can't talk.]

But yeah, it's what I do for a livin'. At Hope's Peak, I was the Ultimate Clairvoyant on account of my skills.

It's another thing actually seeing you with a crystal ball, though. [ He takes the profiles for as much as he can and with a healthy dose of skepticism because his own makes him salty. ]

Can you actually see into the future?

[With an aura of confidence:]

Yup! I wouldn't have gotten into Hope's Peak if my powers weren't legit. That place has like, hella high standards.

In that case, would you be willing to read my future? The last fortune teller who did had a terrible omen for me, so I doubt you could do much worse.

[To spin this around back on Seo Dawon...]

You didn't strike me as the kinda guy who would put stock in fortunes.

I wouldn't really call it that, more like a curiosity? I am a mage, you know.

[ You can believe some wild things when the world turns into am MMO. ]

[It took three weeks for this to click, but:]

...wait, so is that why you've been talkin' like we're in a game?

[ . . . ]

You're just realizing this now?

[Defensive shrug!!!]

I thought you were just way, way too deep in the gaming sauce. I was like, "Wow, even I'm not that bad."

[ Huff. ]

No, it's how my world is. Comparing it to a game isn't wrong because the terms are the same, but it's real not virtual. Dying means actual death, not just "game over".

Seriously?

[He gawks, now that it has been plainly stated for him. Connecting the dots is hard okay.]

Was that always a thing? 'cause it sure isn't in my version of Earth.

Relatively recent, the Gate just appeared one day without warning. As you can imagine, the sudden ability to be able to pick a class, use magic and skills and construct a building in five seconds flat changed a lot of things in the order of the world.

[ Hagakure is valid. ]

[YEAH, HE CAN IMAGINE.]

...okay that sounds sick as hell, but how did it even happen?

Honestly, no one's really sure? There are some scientists studying it, but it's not really a high priority compared to researching new spells or monsters. The gate is self contained, but there's always the possibility a boss monster like a dragon or lich could run rampant into non-user towns. Or a rogue user, really. Nothing is theoretically stopping us from using our skills besides hefty fines and a mountain of paperwork?

[ If this sounds like a problem waiting to happen, you're right. ]

Ah, users are people like me who are able to utilize all the resources of the Hub. Not everyone is actually capable of becoming one, it requires an aptitude test and base proficiency. Non-users are very much stuck in a third-rate world comparatively.

Yeah, that's a good point... Sounds like you had too much to deal with once it let all that stuff in.

[And now it sounds like it's just...part of Seo Dawon's world now. That's kind of insane and really cool? Those caveats, though...]

Wait, they seriously up and regulated that shit? Man! That's nowhere near as fun as a real MMO world, then! Like, I get that not everyone's gonna have the chops but regular-ass NPCs exist in those worlds too!

Do you really think the government would let go of a chance to tax whatever they can?

[ He smiles, speaking as some kind of hybrid new era businessman. ]

I think they pretty much had to, given what we're capable of. Even a novice assassin has skills that conceal their presence perfectly to non-users, priests can heal minor wounds in the blink of an eye, and mages like me could summon an electrical storm that would disable most systems. Without guard rails, it would be pretty easy to take over the world. [ ...things he probably should speak less casually about, but we're here now. ]

but even if the stars and moon collide [afterparty]

wandering

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