This thread is for use by our players to organize TPs, or just as a bulletin board to request RP. If you're just looking for RP or a short scene, tell us what kind of scene or interaction you're looking for, and things like when you can be on to play it out.
Keep in mind that large scale TPs should be run past our TP wiz, Evangeline, before going ahead with them, for approval.
Okay, so I'm going to kick this thread off by adding a TP concept that doesn't directly affect the plot of the MUCK. Anyone who would like to can choose either to participate in this TP, or not.
For those of you who are familiar with Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, I've decided to take Rena Ryuuguu as an alt. Of course, that means introducing Hinamizawa Syndrome to the MUCK, as well!!
I've gone into some detail concerning Rena's history between the end of Hirgurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai and the time she came to be on Prodigy, but that's better outlined on the character background thread. The following is how the ongoing TP will work.
If a player chooses, your character can now become infected with Hinamizawa syndrome! Since nobody really knows how it communicates, it's not necessary to outline how you were exposed to it. What's most likely is you somehow picked it up through prolonged contact with another affected person (but for our intent, even casual contact could be enough). If you'd like to participate in this TP, please make a note somewhere in either the short desc or the miscellaneous sections of your finger info, letting the rest of us know you are a carrier. Of course, this is just for the rest of us players to know what's going on--our characters have to find out the hard way! Of course, even if you don't want to actually be infected, there's no reason you can't fake it, ne?
I'm going to go ahead and outline some behavioral guidelines for infected characters. Those of you who are already familiar with Higurashi no Naku Koro ni probably have a good idea how this disease works, but for those that would like to be involved in this TP that aren't familiar, what follows is what will probably happen to your character. Keep in mind that these are just guidelines, not strict rules!
Hinamizawa syndrome is an infestation of microscopic parasites that invade the target's brain and influence their behavior. Simply being infected doesn't mean you'll ever show any symptoms (indeed, you might spend days, months, or possibly years not showing the slightest hint of the disease, depending on how well you can control yourself under pressure). These parasites don't even come up on any known medical scan, so it's very possible that many people (particularly NPC citizens of Disharmonia) might not even believe it exists. Characters, who are infected, therefore, may not even believe this is the case. Those who do believe it, however, are advised to be wary--some people out there might just say you're looking for a scapegoat way to justify your actions, and may react badly to you. After all, Disharmonia still has it's share of people who would jump at the chance to blame acting however cruelly they like on some disease--ne?
INITIAL ONSET
The circumstances around which the symptoms begin vary based on the individual infected, but the catalyst is an instance in which your mind is placed under extreme stress. We're not talking about stubbing your toe or failing an exam, here. We're talking about stubbing your toe because you were wandering around town in a daze, completely terrified at the fact that you're stuck on this island, and you may never see your friends and family again; or failing that crucial, key exam that was finally going to get you the career you wanted, with no opportunity to retake it. Those are just examples--remember, you know your character better than anybody. Perhaps the fact that the girl you're crushing hard on has been out in public kissing another boy? Do you feel as if that b*tch broke your heart? Maybe she's innocent, but you swear that jerk you saw her with is forcing her to act that way? Go with it!
Characters who have begun to develop the symptoms progress generally along these emotional and physical paths. Click the spoiler tags to find out more.
EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS
STAGE ONE: Anyway, after your encounter with your stressful incident, the symptoms begin. The first is a growing sense of paranoia. Your mind begins filling in blanks about the incident you were a part of--it doesn't matter if what you come up with in your head is true or not, but whatever you're starting to think, you're starting to swear that everybody, even your close friends, are out to get you. This probably just starts out as an afterthought. Use your discretion as to how many RP sessions you want it to take, but by the end of two or three at the most, you're pretty much posessed by the crazy story you've come up with in your head.
EXAMPLE: Remember when you were out on that beautiful sailboat the other day at the beach? Remember when you accidentally slipped and fell in the ocean? That was pretty scary, wasn't it, since you can't swim and all. Waaaaiiiit a second....you were on that boat with John, Bill, and Sandy. John knows you can't swim. He's supposed to be your friend, but maybe he pushed you? Maybe he doesn't like how friendly you've gotten with Sandy lately? Your friends all seemed so worried about you. They say Bill jumped in after you and pulled you to safety. Initially, you thanked him, but something doesn't add up. Bill likes Sandy, too...what if the only reason he saved you is because he knows John is secretly angry with you, and Bill wants to keep you alive as a distraction to John, while he swoops in and steals Sandy away. Of course, Bill will probably kill you when he has no more use for you. And Sandy? Why, she's been your friend since you were little kids. She probably feels bad that she's been warming up to John, while ignoring the feelings she simply must know you have for her by now (though you never admitted it to her). If she could get you out of the way, her conscience would be clear to date her boyfriend! GAH!Yeah, all of that was supposed to be hard to follow, heh.
STAGE TWO: By now, other characters who typically interact with you are likely to know something's wrong. You've been acting really distrustful around them. You don't really want to spend time with them much, and whenever they try to ask you what's wrong, you've been short with them, and sometimes you've even yelled at them in anger. The story in your mind is progressing. By now, you've probably involved nearly everybody you know in it. The only reason you would trust anybody at all at this point, is because whatever is going on in your mind, you might be thinking that you're not the only victim. Again, two or three RP sessions tops from stage one should see the onset of stage two, but use your own discretion.
EXAMPLE: John is definately jealous of you. He has to be out to get you, there's no other way around it. Look at that bullshit he keeps feeding you! All that crap about how you've changed, and though he'd like you to talk to him, you're starting to not be much fun to hang out with! Lies! Nothing's changed about you, you've just opened your eyes to the truth! He's the one that's changed--they all have. Who would have thought Bill could be such a schemer? Does he think you're stupid? After the accident on the boat, he came to ask you how you were doing...remember that? Pssh, like he cares! That tone in his voice was sarcasm, it had to be! Sure he wants you to be doing well, so he can kill you later when he has no more use fo you! And Sandy.....poor, innocent Sandy. Why does she have to be involved in all of this? Those jerks are just using her. You can probably trust Sandy, but don't tell her (or anybody else) what you know is really going on here...she might be bugged, or she might repeat what you say to the wrong person. Watch your back, because nobody else is going to...
STAGE THREE: Again, another few sessions have passed, or whatever reasonable timeframe you like (if you don't get to RP very much, it probably hasn't been long that you'll move into this stage). That does it. You're convinced that nearly everybody is part of some elaborate scheme to destroy you. You're convinced you have evidence, even if nobody else believes you. The parasites have begun to do whatever they have to, to maintain control over you. If you need to suddenly see your friends with evil, demonic eyes, then you'll see them like that. If that thing you saw that man on the boardwalk playing with last night wasn't a fishing rod, but a high tech transponder, used to track your movements, then that's what it was. There's only one way out of this--you're going to have to take action. Kill or be killed, that's the only way. By now, you're probably carrying a weapon on you at all times--for security. It might be a baseball bat, or a meatcleaver you stole from the local butcher when he wasn't looking...hell, maybe you were lucky enough to find yourself a pistol somewhere. Whatever, it doesn't matter. By now, the only way anybody is going to be able to convince you that you're sick and need help is if it's either a dear friend, someone you implicitly trust, or perhaps a love interest. Even then, they better be damn careful what words they choose, cause they're playing with a ticking time bomb.
EXAMPLE: It's not just John, Bill, and Sandy--the whole island is in on it! Is that whole story about people being randomly taken by The Mists and deposited in this place just a bunch of crap? They brought you here on purpose! Nobody will miss you at home if they kill you while you're here...there wouldn't be a body, a weapon, a crime scene, or anything else back home. All they have to do is steal the wallet from your corpse, drain your back account back home, and say you took the money and ran away! Like hell they're all "stuck here"! They can all go home whenever they please, but they're deliberately not telling you how! There's only one recourse: You need to show them a lesson, and take as many of them to hell with you as you have to. The good news is, you're pretty clever. It might be a good idea to kill them one at a time. There are lots of crazy contraptions at that old school up on the hill you could use. Lure them somewhere, dispatch them quietly, hide the bodies, and move to the next. Alternatively, you might be able to expose the conspiracy by killing all the ringleaders at the same time. Maybe you should invite John, Bill, and Sandy out to that one restaurant downtown. That'd be a good place to take hostages. The police will have no choice but to review your evidence if you threaten to kill your captives. Then they'll learn the truth, and put a stop to all this! Of course, if they're being corrupted too, and they don't cooperate--there's not much you can do about your fate. They're going to kill you, so you'd better kill them first. You've got nothing left to loose. Hey....isn't that Sandy over there? Why is she coming over here with tears in her eyes? She's swearing you're sick, and you need help? Well, that's not impossible, sure...but she's gonna have to do one hell of a lot better than that if she wants to prove such an unlikely story to you. She might be in on it. If she doesn't have a good story, you're probably going to have to kill her, too. Que sera.
TERMINAL STAGE: If your character reaches this stage without being exposed to the cure, they're done for--their minds are too heavily damaged for the traditional cures to be effective. Either your plan has succeeded, and you're cackling all the way home on top a mound of innocent bodies, or you've failed, in which case, there's no way you're going to let them take you alive--you're better off killing yourself, and unless they restrain you, you probably will. Check the physical symptoms section. You're going to die now, either way, but continue reading that section, as those of us who would like to continue to play our characters after RPing this stage of the disease still do have a way out. Yes, there is still life after death, for those of us who want to play this TP to the hilt, so if you want to take it this far, have fun with the death scene! Also, keep in mind that the example is JUST AN EXAMPLE! Maybe instead of violence, your particular story makes you suicidally depressed. Whatever, ne? This symptom outline is just a guideline to work off of!
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
STAGE ONE: Nothing discernable. It won't be physically obvious to anyone that you're afflicted at this point. Only people who know you really well or who are being really thorough are likely to know anything at all is wrong, and even then, that'll only be due to any behavioral quirks you might display, not physical cues. If you've had an outbreak of symptoms before (and provided you even believe in the disease), you might still be able to talk yourself down at this stage, and seek help.
STAGE TWO: At this point, you're starting to feel unpleasant itching sensations around your throat, and the major arteries of your wrists. It's annoying, and you've been scratching a lot. Physically, you either have deep red marks around these areas, or you've scratched so hard you've broken the skin a bit--you might have fresh scars people may notice, or perhaps you've put some band-aids in place.
STAGE THREE: By now, you've been digging at yourself for some time. You've got very noticable scars around your wrists and throat. You're probably scratching constantly, meaning that you might even be actively bleeding from these areas. The parasites are already messing with your imagination and causing you to see things, so in your mind, something is occuring that's causing you to continue scratching. Maybe you're seeing maggots in your wounds, and you're desperately trying to dig them out of yourself. Maybe you insist that "they" have hidden a transponder under your skin, and you're trying to get it out. Regardless, these physical symptoms are not likely to go unnoticed, even by casual observers.
TERMINAL STAGE: Once you've executed your 'master plan' (whatever that may be, and whatever the outcome), the discomfort moves to the level of beyond belief. Unless you are forcibly restrained, you'll end up tearing your own vital arteries out with your bare hands. Naturally, this results in death. Characters who believe in the disease or have seen it work before might even be aware that they are eventually going to do this to themselves--that makes you all the more dangerous, because you've nothing to loose, and you know all that awaits you is a rather disgusting demise by your own hand. Ewwww.....
TREATMENT
Being 'cured' is different from just being 'treated'. Treatment is effective up until you hit the terminal stage. For the sake of participating in this RP, we'll say that any character other than a character or original taken directly from the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni anime can be completely cured of the disease. The reasoning is that the parasites haven't had enough time to truly embed themselves in your brain to the point that they cannot be destroyed without destroying your mind, as well. Characters based directly on the anime, however, have been afflicted with Hinamizawa Syndrome since birth--they can be treated, but they are beyond a cure. Since we don't currently have a Rika Furude on the MUCK to act as a "queen carrier", we're going to diverge from that concept for now. Characters who are familiar with the show will recall that at the end of Kai, Dr. Irie swore that he'd at least develop a treatment, even if it meant his life. Take a look at Rena's entry in the character backgrounds thread. There now exists an experimental drug that will force the symptoms into remission, assuming that the afflicted is treated in time. For those who are not native to Hinamizawa, this treatment may even cure the victim (that's up to the infected character's player, if they end up cured, or just treated). It's a somewhat unpleasant treatment because those who are not cured by it are basically dependant upon it for the rest of their lives, but I'm going to digress. It's already explained in Rena's background--how to use it and where to get it, and this thread is getting pretty long at this point, heh. Keep in mind that those afflicted to a certain point will probably get all the more suspicious and/or violent, if people start coming after them with syringes!
RESURRECTION
Okay, so the first problem anybody will probably have with this TP is that if you let the disease go too far, well...you die. Well, first off, this is an optional TP. Just because you want to enjoy it, doesn't mean you have to die. If you do want to play it to the bitter end, however, I've concocted a way around the whole, "I can't play my character anymore because he/she is unfortunately dead" problem.
Players familiar with Higurashi no Naku Koro ni will note that Hanyuu, or the Shrine God, typically resurrects members of the cast who have been killed as a result of the disease--either as the afflicted, or as a victim. Well, recall that Disharmonia is essentially alive, and the 'God' of our little island is very interested in observing us all. After all, weren't those collars that the almighty put us through just for that purpose?
If you want your character to die as a result of Hinamizawa Syndrome, and then stay dead, so be it. If you'd like to play it to the hilt but not loose the character, however, let's just say that the God of Disharmonia resurrects you, because you've proved sufficiently amusing. Resurrected characters have their memories wiped from the moment they began to show their symptoms, up until their death. You might still recall some of the things that happened while you were out of your head, but it's all going to seem like a fleeting, hazy dream sequence. Likewise, if you killed some poor NPC with a hatchet, and then you see another hatchet after you've been resurrected, you might suddenly feel upset, for some strange reason. Resurrection can be used on any non-NPC character that was killed as a result of Hinamizawa Syndrome, even if they were only a hapless victim.
Alright folks, there you have it! On a final note, remember that Hinamizawa syndrome is an ongoing, voluntary TP for the MUCK. Certainly, you can get involved without being one of the ones infected if you like--there's a lot of RP this storyline could branch off into, and that's kind of the point, here. It gives us a catalyst to come up with other RP scenes on our own. Everything you just read? All guidelines, not enforced rules. Feel free to use it to come up with some interesting stuff of your own!
Okay, so we have an idea on the table for a new TP for the MUCK. I'm having too many simultaneous conversations via email regarding this, so I thought I'd put the idea down here, and we can discuss it.
The idea has to do with the fact that a lot of us lately are experiencing a bit of burn-out as far as our RP goes. It's not at all that we don't want to play our characters, it's just that long-standing characters who are deeply involved in several plots at once tend to take a lot of effort to manage, and it might be nice to have some "RP-lite" for lack of a better term, to break the monotony.
So here's the proposal on the table. We create a secondary high school on Disharmonia. This school would be added to the town proper, rather than looming over us where Prodigy is. Right off the bat, let me say that this concept is NOT intended to eclipse the current Prodigy storyline--it's a TP, not a re-vamping of the MUCK.
This 'other' school would be much smaller and far less intricate than the mighty academy on the hill. Think about your average college town. Up on the hill, you have the prestigious academy that only the really smart or very rich elite get into. In the town proper, you have the 'city' school--the one for the average joes of the world. That's what this school would be.
This school would be for Disharmonia's native citizens, since nearly all of the Prodigy student body are 'outsiders' (pulled here from the Mists). As a result, since this school has few facilities and a tight budget, they would have a standing rule against allowing outsiders to be students there--in this way, we have an easy excuse as to why none of Prodigy's students have ever thought to try to transfer away from the evil institution, considering that this 'new' school has probably actually been on the island for a long time (it doesn't make sense to say that a high school was just built out of nowhere, so the proposal is to say that this school has actually already been around for many years, possibly decades).
Obviously, this concept caters to original characters, but I believe series charcters would fit in just fine here, if done right (and I intend to play a series character myself, if this idea takes off). In shows like Toradora, Clannad, To Heart, Kanon, Kashimashi, et cetera, the actual identities of the towns the casts live in really have no major bearing on the plot. Remember, series characters being used for this TP concept would also be indigenous residents of Disharmonia, so to them, they're just going to high school like they always have...right there in "generic small town XYZ". It's also reasonable to assume that our students may not have met one another before--some will be in different years, and for those in the same year, well....did you know every single person in your grade of high school personally? I doubt it. RP can begin as this just happening to be the first time certain students have encountered one another.
What it boils down to is this. The characters involved in this TP could certainly still interact with our other Prodigy characters, but they're probably going to have a very different outlook on life. To them, Disharmonia is the only home they've ever known, so they won't be hung up on the constant, "I hate being here against my will, and I want to go home" thing. This TP would be for lighter RP--I'm not saying we won't have any conflict (I certainly hope we do), but I'm saying that the grim specter of The Mists, and that huge, involved plot we keep twisting around them, wouldn't have as much bearing here.
Anyway, I open the floor to questions, suggestions, and thoughts.
