▶ NETWORK MINGLE #1

[synfluxmods]

▷ NETWORK MINGLE #1

▶ TFLN.

Although ocular & brain implants are the means of communication nowadays, a messenger service still exists in this world. Mostly everyone uses LINE nowadays even if the need for cellular phones is null. Characters may have already recognized the interface to be somewhat familiar with the similar shade of green and same old slogan.

It happens the first time, and several times throughout the week as your character goes about their new routine. The sound of machine-like whirring, deep within their cranium, like a computer that’s in the midst of processing some new information. Then, there’s the familiar ping of a new public message, and whatever you were thinking about at that point of time will be plastered on the network, for all to read and react to. Daydreaming about ponies at work? Having a fun night out at a club? Regretting said night out at the club? Falling into a deep depression about how your life has turned out so far? It doesn’t matter when or where, because the system doesn’t discriminate. You’ll soon find the thoughts you were having during those moments posted on the network and it won’t be possible to delete.

"The system is updating …

...

The system is updating … "

That’s the only explanation SYNTHIA will give when prodded or asked to take down a post. She’s not too helpful at this moment.

"Yeah, sorry. She gets temperamental like that sometimes. I can’t really do anything about your business being out there. But it’s pretty funny, right? Looks like you got hella wrecked last night. Good for you."

Welcome to our first Network Mingle! This is a TFLN-inspired mingle that’s been tweaked to make it completely canon to the game. Due to a glitch in the system, random thoughts that characters might be having throughout the week will be registered as network posts and posted in public for all to see and respond to. This can happen at any time as they wander around the main base or different Neo Tokyo locations!

HOW TO PLAY:
1. Write out prompts (example below) for others to respond to. These can be thoughts they’re having in bed, at work, while intoxicated or what-have-you. You can look up shower thoughts or TFLN as inspiration, but remember that this will be game canon so it has to be written in your character’s voice.
2. Go around and respond to others!
3. ???
4. PROFIT!

Participation in this mingle isn’t obligatory, of course. If you don’t want your character to participate, you can simply assume the glitch did not affect them.

We also have a code below for fun, but please don't feel pressured to use it. As always, a regular text thread works out just fine! Most importantly, have fun!

(Please remember to put warnings for NSFW/triggering content in the subject header.)

<lj-raw><div style="width:60%;display:flex;align-items:flex-end;flex-direction:row-reverse;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;color:#fff;"> <!--YOUR ICON--> <img src="IMG_HERE" style="width:40px;border-radius:100%;"> <!--YOUR MSGS--> <div style="margin:0 10px 0 0;"> <!--MSG - COPY/PASTE AS NEEDED - NOTE: IF YOUR MESSAGE IS LONGER, JUST ADD MORE BR CODE SPACING AT THE END AND IT SHOULD ADJUST - JUST REMEMBER TO PREVIEW --> <div style="background:#90EE90;padding:8px 12px;border-radius:10px;margin:5px 0 0 0;float:right;clear:both;max-width:250px;"> !!TEXT HERE!!! </div><br></br> <!--MSG - COPY/PASTE AS NEEDED--> <div style="background:#90EE90;padding:8px 12px;border-radius:10px;margin:5px 0 0 0;float:right;clear:both;max-width:250px;"> !!TEXT HERE!!! </div><br></br> <!--MSG - COPY/PASTE AS NEEDED--> <div style="background:#90EE90;padding:8px 12px;border-radius:10px;margin:5px 0 0 0;float:right;clear:both;max-width:250px;"> !!TEXT HERE!!! </div><br></br> <!--MSG - COPY/PASTE AS NEEDED--> <div style="background:#90EE90;padding:8px 12px;border-radius:10px;margin:5px 0 0 0;float:right;clear:both;max-width:250px;"> !!TEXT HERE!!! </div><br></br> </div> </div>

code

Comments

[likemybooks]

That sounds a lot like magic in general. We have those that manipulate the elements, heal people, or focus on divination, conjuration, and the like.
But there's different sorts of magic.
Clerics use holy magic, and arcanists (which I am) use arcane magic, and druids have their own nature magic.
Anyone can do it where I'm from.
So I guess every Exandrian is an arcanist, if they care to study it, whether they are human or elf or tiefling.

[agnitio]

HUH
that's wild
to think that there's a world where humans don't exist
i assume you all still fight and try to kill each other for stupid reasons

quick question! they call you an arcanist because you can use arcane magic, and that's it?

[likemybooks]

I'm pretty sure I'm still a human. The ears, the body type, that's all human and nothing else.
Of course, we still have wars, but those include wizards and warlocks and whatnot.

They call us "practitioners of the arcane arts", but it's easier to say exactly how we do that. For example, I'm an artificer, and I combine science with magic.
It's not like I can summon fire out of thin air or manipulate space and time, but I've studied the subject enough.

[agnitio]

i have that too?
but i can also melt into my shadow
can you melt into your shadow???
also my eyes... i can see the moon and hear the call of it better

ew how disgusting
studying
i had to go to school too when i joined the foundation
but you did it for fun???
for arcane abilities?
what reason?
to be cool??

[likemybooks]

No, but that sounds really badass. I need to see that in action sometime.

I studied because it was interesting. And I needed to know how to enchant things if I wanted to build an automaton.
Or robot, as people here call them.
But if I had to look for the root of my interesting, I'd say that my favorite characters in my books used magic, and I wanted to be just like them.
Only I wasn't that great with my physical education classes, so I fell back on building replicas of their equipment.

[agnitio]

[ the net might send over emoji of sparkles 'cause pavia also likes being told he's cool and badass ]

sure, sure!!!
i'll do it for you for free

hmmm
i've heard of robots and automatons
tho they are thought to be science and little magic in them
well
that's a good a reason as any to get into the arcane arts
did you become your favorite character??

[likemybooks]

Not exactly. I can't entirely become someone else.
Even in a roleplay exercise, I'm Taryon Darrington.

But I got to be a hero in my own way, with the help of my friends.
And many expensive tools.
I say I'm a brand new main character of a fine adventure novel.

[agnitio]

i see
i'm pavia

congratulations?
do you like the story, then??

[likemybooks]

Pavia! Good to have a name to...a name.

I think it's been given a satisfying ending while being open to a sequel. It would make for a great book.

[agnitio]

yea

good idea
i like films more than books
but i like films that leave something open
not just for sequels but an ending you can think about

[likemybooks]

I haven't watched many films, so I don't have too much to say on them.
But books work best when their themes come full circle. The ones that leave you lying on the floor and thinking are the best.

[agnitio]

that's about like films
what theme did you decide on for yourself?
is it still circling??

[likemybooks]

I'm thinking:
"How to be a hero."
or
"How friendship changes men for the better."
or
"Being yourself"
or
"Dreams become reality"
"Real life is different from fiction"
"The meaning of bravery"
"Faking it until you're making it"

Which sounds most interesting?

[agnitio]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
"real life is different from fiction"
that sounds like fun

it sounds like it has something there

[likemybooks]

Okay...that will require some reworking of the opening chapters to tie into the ending.

[agnitio]

well
no good film or book or anything is its best version in the first draft
what matters is how the audience sees it
and you want them to see the best, right?

[likemybooks]

Obviously. No one wants to read a story that's frustrating or showcases all of our worst qualities and decisions.

[agnitio]

yeah
welllllllllllllllllllllll
worst qualities and decisions are one thing
frustrating is close to being annoying
i can forgive bad people
i can't forgive annoying people

[likemybooks]

How so?
Like you want to take them to an empty field outside the city and beat them up?

[agnitio]

yea

but even i want to i can't
you can't beat people up unless they try to kill you first
and you can't kill them even if they try to kill you
learning things is terrible

i've taught you something but if you want to forget it - forget it!

[likemybooks]

Um
I'm glad you're learning that.
Terrifying people and possibly traumatizing them when they haven't actually hurt you is a bad idea.
I am speaking from experience, just talk to annoying people.

[agnitio]

well
i had to go to school for it
to teach me to get along with humans
i learned well and graduated

BUT! i worked as a mercenary for a lot of years you see!
what's normal there isn't normal anywhere else
which doesn't seem right when you think about it
i was interacting properly with humans
if someone bugged you enough, you could fill them full of holes
humans did that to each other
but then they say that isn't how to act at all

so had to get a full education again on how to be about humans
and even saying that i was about humans
they say those weren't the right humans
humans are so strange to one another, too

talking to annoying people is irritating!
because they just get more annoying
but they won't be killed so

what was my point???

[likemybooks]

I think your point was that you're used to killing annoying people, but you learned not to even though everyone does it all the time.

But are you saying that it's super common in your world to murder people over nothing? Not that death is rare on Exandria, but that seems like a hellish place to live in.

[agnitio]

right!

humans murder themselves over anything if you ask me
doing the work i did before joining the foundation, it seemed they were just looking for any reason to off one another
and there's a time that humans just wanted to kill arcanists because they were arcanists
i'd say that'd be over nothing

but hey
my bosses liked me enough for my work that i got a tattoo
la cosa nuova
mafia
does your world have a mafia???
organized group for crime and the like, sometimes protection, usually a big family that runs the whole thing that sort of business

[likemybooks]

Uh, yeah??
What place doesn't have criminal organizations?
They're completely different people. They murder and steal like it's nothing.
Nearly made my entire family destitute, but that's more of my father's fault. Since he made way too many deals with them.

But anyway, were you with the mafia? Is that what you were doing before you learned not to kill randos?