♥ October (Lasohm) Fourth Wall Log

[hugtopiamods]

October (Lasohm) Fourth Wall Log

❥ Speaking of Wall Breaking...

The ghosts in town sure are weird, huh? But they're settling down, as the month draws to a close. They're becoming less anxious and random, their behaviour growing sort of… focused. As time passes some of them begin to develop features. They can interact with the world more consistently. You can… hear their voice.

And then suddenly they are people, real and physical and just as confused to be here as you are. They could be anyone, from your world, someone else's world, a place you've never heard of… some of them could even be you, from a different universe, a different timeline, an unknown reality. What does all this mean?

IT'S FOURTH WALL, Y'ALL. Tell your friends, people interested in apping or just playing around in the setting, anybody! Time to break the wall down and have some fun.

This post serves as a replacement for the usual Test Drive Meme, in order to consolidate the chaos a bit. Though it is being posted now, timeline-wise, this shift will occur ONLY during the weekend prior to applications opening: October 30th to November 2nd, after which point characters will either disappear or become permanent residents via the application process. This also means that the rest of the event effects will have worn off, and characters will be their normal selves through the duration of this prompt.

Some ground rules for the 4th Wall event:

For characters/accounts not in-game:

• a character does not have to meet application qualifications to post to the 4th Wall Event, except in cases where there is an intent to apply when applications open. Duplicates, CRAU, AU, etc. are permitted for the event.
  
• we do ask that crack shenanigans are reasonably limited, game rules are followed, and that the event involve characters only, not players or real people.
  
• anyone can toplevel! It'll be a free for all. Go wild, have fun.
  
• characters will be given a temporary, low-tech communicator for the duration of the event with limited network access, due to limited availability of the real deal.
  
• you will not arrive with any items/companions beyond the clothes that you wear
  
• check out the Setting or FAQ pages for location details! Also, have a look at the October event log, to see what else is going on these days.

For characters/accounts currently in-game:

• players can decide for themselves at the event's conclusion whether or not memories of certain visitors remain, and to what extent; memories could become fuzzy, faces or communication obscured, they could disappear entirely, or they can remain fully intact whether the person apps into the game or not.
  
• network communications with 4th Wall visitors that don't (or can't) app in will be wiped, with the locals citing a data error related to the older communicators being used. Technology can be unpredictable, huh!
  
• any communication exchanges that you WANT to keep can remain with some discretion; for example, if a spouse visits and you happen to take a selfie with them, and they do not (or cannot) app but having that photo of them would give you comfort, feel free to keep it.
  
• Similar to the TDM, 4th wall threads cannot be used for AC or AC Reward purposes unless it is between characters already in-game.
  

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Click the above prompt to expand for details. Timeline-wise, this occurs October 30th to November 2nd. For players currently in-game, if you have any questions, please direct them to the FAQ or to the Mod Question thread on the original plotting post.

On this post, we've created both another Questions Thread and a Toplevel thread (see below) for visiting players, the latter so that anyone can track and see who's posted! When you've made a toplevel, feel free to comment HERE to let everyone know.

Comments

Exploring

[silversoldier]

[ Sephiroth has never been fond of the so-called gods who rule this place and even less so now, if that were possible. He is quietly seething over recent events and this brings him back to, of course, the library. He intends to put more effort into his research. Sephiroth had been focusing on escaping Havenwell and returning to Gaia. Now he realizes he needs to find ways to mitigate the hold these beings have on them all. Perhaps if it were weakened enough then more possibilities might reveal themselves. At the very least, he hopes to prevent a recurrence of recent events.

So it is that Sephiroth roams the stacks in search of relevant volumes. There are a variety of topics he is pursuing as any avenue might prove beneficial in some way. When he wanders into the six-hundreds, he finds someone standing in his way. Most people would do the polite thing and ask the other person to move or maybe wait. Sephiroth reaches right in front of him and takes a volume off the shelf. He cracks it open where he stands to see if this is really something he wants to add to the sizable stack he is already carrying in the crook of one elbow. All this without a word or, really, even a glance. ]

[unnecessaryflourishes]

[For all that Emet-Selch has come to terms with the fact that this is hardly any of the places he would have called home, and thus not anywhere his appearance would raise any eyebrows (save in the places where it already has), there are some things he's grown to expect. One of the side effects of holding the position he'd held during his last foray into mortal affairs for as long as he had.]

If you don't mind.

[The tone of his voice is all haughty indignation, as if Sephiroth has committed a dire act of rudeness, rather than simply reached across his field of vision. The fact that Emet-Selch had not, in fact, actually intended to look at the book in question is quite entirely irrelevant.]

[silversoldier]

And if I do?

[ Sephiroth's gaze slides from the book to the other man. His tone is cool and aloof, as is his body language. His expression betrays nothing. After a moment, Sephiroth decides he does want the book, even if for no other reason than because he is being challenged. He snaps it shut and adds it to the pile. ]

[unnecessaryflourishes]

Then we will have come to an impasse.

[Emet-Selch doesn't reach for the book in question - he's not yet about to compound rudeness with rudeness - but he continues to be thoroughly unimpressed. Especially given just how much of a pile Sephiroth already has.]

[silversoldier]

[ Sephiroth isn't bothered. In fact, he couldn't care less what the other man thinks. This shows in the very casual way he reaches for another book from the same shelf and begins to look through it. Then, as if nothing at all untoward has occurred: ]

I suppose you are also looking for ways to undermine these so-called gods then.

[ Why else would he be here in this obscure section? Sephiroth decides he does not want this book and subsequently holds it out toward the other man. After all, if this is true he won't mind sharing the burden. ]

[unnecessaryflourishes]

Say rather that I would first seek to know of them.

[Not that undermining them isn't on the table - save for one very specific case, he has little interest in the idea of gods - but knowing just what it is he might be going up against is something that he'll always prefer over the alternative.]

[silversoldier]

You will be needing these then.

[ Sephiroth produces seemingly from nowhere a pen and piece of paper. He places this on top of the books and begins to write. Sephiroth makes a concise list of the necessary volumes with call numbers, because of course he has those memorized too. Then he hands it over. ]

[unnecessaryflourishes]

[Emet-Selch doesn't even so much as bat an eye at a pen and piece of paper being produced from nowhere. How many times has the Warrior of Light brought forth something in a similar manner? How many times has he, over the course of his long life?]

I see there is no shortage of research to be done on the topic, then.

[He has time, of course, and doesn't object to the idea. But it's certainly more than he'd expected - and all the more so for the initial tone of the conversation, though he takes the list without a second thought, once it's offered.]

[silversoldier]

Those are the official materials. [ In other words, the information provided by the native population. Unverified as far as Sephiroth is concerned. ] I suggest paying Verstael's Information Center a visit when you have the chance.

[unnecessaryflourishes]

Which will, of course, be subject to the opinions of those who have written them.

[He means it as an agreement, though it might not necessarily sound like one.]

But I shall keep your suggestion in mind.

[silversoldier]

[ Sephiroth recognizes the statement for what it is and inclines his head a fraction. ]

They are inept beings, but they do have some measure of power.

[ Obviously. They are able to kidnap people from different worlds, times, and possibly dimensions. ]

And we are its source.

[unnecessaryflourishes]

Thereby, in theory, a way to wrest control?

[It's not an unreasonably assumption, given the gods he happens to be most familiar with. Whether or not it's possible here, much less whether or not it's advisable, is another question. But the fact that they are the source of said deities' power is nonetheless something that has... promise.]

[silversoldier]

One possibility. However, this would require cooperation on a large scale.

[ Neither Sephiroth's tone nor his expression change but somehow it is obvious what he thinks the likelihood of that happening is. ]

[unnecessaryflourishes]

And a working knowledge of how it might be done.

[Mind, he does know at least one person who might be capable of such a feat. But one person is hardly going to be enough in this case, he suspects.]

[silversoldier]

We have our work cut out for us.

[ In more ways than one. Not only is there a veritable mountain of research to be done but they must also contend both with forces working against them and those unwilling to work in tandem. ]

[unnecessaryflourishes]

Indeed we shall.

[Still, it's something to work towards, and that's never a bad thing, as far as he's concerned.]

[silversoldier]

Sephiroth. [ He says this after a moment's pause where he considers the other man and, yes, deems him worthy of his time. He still isn't used to having to introduce himself in the first place so this and the following comes out somewhat stiffer than usual. ] And you are?

[unnecessaryflourishes]

Emet-Selch.

[There are other names he could offer, or further descriptions of who and what he is. But just at the moment neither of them are particularly relevant, and so he settles for a brief half-bow.]

[silversoldier]

[ Sephiroth inclines his head in acknowledgement. ]

I am sure we will see each other around, then.

[ If this is any indication, it will not be long either. Sephiroth shifts the pile of books further into the crook of his arm and turns to go. With an endeavor like this on his mind there is no further time to waste. Their brief discussion has only reinforced the importance of his work. ]

[unnecessaryflourishes]

No doubt we will.

[Given that it seems like their objectives are aligned. That said, he makes no effort to stop Sephiroth. The conversation has served its purpose and he does have other tomes to search out, now. No sense in not being thorough, after all.]