Welcome.

[trustfellows]

Rise and shine. There are a few things that matter right now - the fact that you're waking up in an unfamiliar but decently comfortable bed, the fact that you don't recognize the room you're in, the fact that you seem to have some sort of headache... Nothing severe, mind. Just the sort of odd, heavy fuzziness that comes with having slept far too long. You don't really remember where you were immediately before this, not upon waking. Something will come to you eventually if you think long enough, however - a couple of seconds of consideration will bring to mind a place, a memory, a recollection of where you were and what you were doing. It probably wasn't anything that would result in you being here, though. Welcome to Graceside Preparatory Academy. You may want to pick up the key to your room before you leave the room, but don't worry too much - your door won't lock automatically, so you won't be locked out if you've forgotten to pick it up. It seems you're not alone, either; the hallway outside your room is most likely full of other confused people by now, and should you turn around to look at the door of the room you just left, you'll find a nameplate with your name printed on it. There's a single word underneath it with no explanation. This is your title, but don't worry about that right now. Depending on when you left your room there may be a clock chiming in the foyer up ahead. It seems like it's seven, though it's difficult to tell if it's seven in the morning or seven at night. There aren't any windows, after all. Should you venture into the room with the clock, you'll find that the only exit is closed - there's absolutely no way to break down that steel bulkhead. It looks like you're not getting out of here anytime soon. The foyer also holds some very interesting information. There's a bulletin board with thirty-five pictures on it. Beside each picture is some very specific and very familiar information. Feel free to examine it. The bulletin board is large enough for plenty of you to gather around and gawk. Don't try to get at it though, that glass in front of it is very thick. If you try to break it, you'll find out the hard way that it's shatterproof. Sorry about that. Perhaps even more of a concern than the glass is the list beside the profiles. It looks like a set of rules. You might want to examine those, though they're not providing much of an explanation for why you're here or how you got here. So relax and get to know your fellow Participants. You might be stuck here for awhile.

Comments

[spiritform]

Well, I suppose it's true this form is human... however I myself am not.

[There it is.]

[gorira]

And what the heck does that mean? You're some kind of shapeshifter or something?

[ This gets weirder by the second. ]

[spiritform]

I am the Lord of Spirits. So while I do not require a form, I take this one in order to interact with humans. Losing this body would be very inconvenient.

[Waiting like twenty years for another one would be hell.]

[gorira]

Uh...huh.

[ Okay, she'll humor it. Why not. It's not the weirdest thing she's heard in her life. It's not the weirdest thing she's heard today. ]

And just what does the Lord of Spirits do? Other than, like...lord over the spirits.

[spiritform]

I am responsible for guarding not only spirits but humans as well. I have to maintain the balance between them. If there ever comes a time that humans begin harming the spirits, it is my duty to step down and intervene.

[If she's joking, she doesn't look like it. In fact, she recites that all very easily and without hesitation.]

[gorira]

So is that why you're in human form now? People did some shit to tick off the spirits, and you're here to tell them to knock it off?

[ So like some kind of spirit activist...whatever that means. ]

[spiritform]

Not that I am aware of. Before I awoke here, everything seemed to be in order.

[She didn't come here purposefully-- not that she's aware of.]

But if something like this is happening, then my being here is probably for the best.

[Being here, she can't ignore this issue. She needs to do what she can to put a stop to this.]

[gorira]

So as the Lord of Spirits, do you have, like, magic powers that you can use? You can't just go up to that bigass bulkhead and go "open sesame," right?

[spiritform]

I am capable of using spirit artes in most situations. Unfortunately it does not seem like I will be able to do that here.

[But then to be fair, she doesn't sense any other spirits here at all.]

[gorira]

Of course. That'd just make it too damn easy.

[ It says something that she seriously entertained the suggestion. Maybe she's already starting to become desensitized... ]

And it doesn't look like brute strength is gonna get it down, either. I'm strong, but not that strong.