Sverse

Theodora looks unsure, but probes around the laptop for a slot, and, finding one, takes the top disc from the small stack and places it in the slot, recoiling in surprise when the laptop accepts it automatically. "So... what now? Do I just leave it and let it work?"

“Not a promise, not an oath, or a malediction or a curse. Inevitable." - Taylor Hebert

"Alright," they say as Ingru inserts the server disk, then opens up the chat client and begins adding all the members, as well as letting their fellows know they'd be losing contact soon.

i think i mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apart

---

However, not long after green says this, a server player is found: Thalla Andavia The window then prompts Gol to press enter when she is ready.

The server window links up to Rifa Hysmin and also prompts an enter. ^note  hitting enter won't start both at the same time, just whichever one you're on

---

The server disk installs on the brown box and finds a client pretty quickly: Gol Finsceal Rei. All that waits now is a confirmation by the enter button.

---

After Theodora inserts the disk, the laptop turns on automatically in response to the disk. A black box on top of a colorful background can be seen on the screen. White text crawls across the box. After waiting less than a minute, the program connects to a server: Alex Garcia Ingru 869. The screen then says to hit enter when ready, whatever that means.

"Seeing as how you're running the client, you don't need to do more than hit enter and work a simple instant messenger program, but when you install the server, you might need a mouse...! Oh, looks like I forgot to put one in there for you. Wait here a second."

Veto seems to dissappear for a second, before reappearing with an electronic mouse in hand.

"Here, just plug it into the side there, and move it around on the table."

---

After a bit of hesitation, the server they recently installed connects to a client: Theodora Chysaphes. The screen asks a confirmation to go through with the program.

---

After some hesitation and computer noise, the client goes through and connects immediately to Gol Finsceal Rei, and prompts a player confirmation.

edited 8th Oct '15 3:02:07 AM by StarBee

Gol watched as the twin programs moved along. So they had a server and a client, and were a server and a client. Presumably it would meet up in a chain eventually, or they were divided into groups.

"Maybe I shouldn't multi-task this..."

Gol could have tried both at once but decided that might not have been the best idea, so they'd have to alternate. That was probably part of the challenge after all. So, on a whim, they decided to be a client first and selected that window, confirming when the other player was ready.

Waving to the disc floating behind, Gol accessed a messenger and tried to start a conversation with this Thalla person. They weren't sure what kind of device the other person would have, so didn't know if it would be speech or text, but waited for a response.

Finally the installation seemed to have finished. The data on the disks appeared to be - a game? Was this a joke?
Once again checking whether his suit's virus protection was activated, Aradin tried to launch it.

"Alright, let's do this," they say, pressing enter.

Hmmmmm. Think we can multitask?

<Isn't that what we do?>

Smiling, they take out the server disk and insert the client one. They then find Theodora on their chat client and shoot her a message.

i think i mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apart

Rifa presses Enter and awaits the computer's response... FOR HIS FIRST OPPONENT HAS BEEN DISCOVERED.

Possibly. Obviously not, but he doesn't need to know that.

🏳️‍⚧️she/her | Vio Rhyse Alberia

Due to launching it soon after starting, Aradin didn't seem to notice he would be the server for a client by the name of Thalla Andavia. The client window still seems to be waiting on a server of its own.

---

A small box pops up on the screen, notifying Theodora that she has received a message from Alex.

---

The server window soon links up to a client which the program calls Alex Garcia Ingru 869. The client window still seems to be waiting for this Gol person.

---

Soon after you install the client, it links up to a server hosted by Rifa Hysmin.

edited 8th Oct '15 12:48:10 PM by StarBee

Theodora hunts around the side of the laptop, trying the various holes until she finds one that the mouse fits into. She nudges the mouse a few times, then thinks to look at the screen as she does. Once she figures out how to move the mouse, she clicks on the message notification from... Who was that? And what the hell kind of alphabet was that? There were a few recognizable Greek letters, but the rest were either corrupted versions of other Greek letters or completely different. Nonetheless, she decides to type a quick "Χαίρετε" (after working out the keyboard), on the off-chance the stranger knew how to read Greek.

“Not a promise, not an oath, or a malediction or a curse. Inevitable." - Taylor Hebert

Thalla sees the prompt come up "Client and server huh..." She didn't play much of the electronic games the technicians often tinkered with, but she did play some board games on her travel, though most didn't sound as straightforwardly cooperative like this. She smiled to herself, yes, this might be a good experience. Before she pressed enter her messenger buzzed and she brought it onto her lap and looked at the oncoming messages, to find there wasn't one yet it was her client, Gol Finsceal Rei, opening a chat. She thought it odd that she might have three names. "Salutations Miss Rei, this is your server player, Thalla Andavia, I wish goodwill between us as we play together" she sent, thinking Rei must be a honorific of sorts.

edited 8th Oct '15 11:11:19 PM by Sanojutsu

The graceless warrior, wielder of the edgeless blade, prophet of the old religions, writer of fluent nonsense, saviour of soul and song.

As the message arrived a droning robotic voice read it out as the words rolled across the screen. It was fractured and put too big a gap between each syllable but worked even with unclear pronunciations. Gol spoke to respond, the machine picking it up and typing the message automatically. This was a very rare piece of speech-recognition software in that it could actually tell what the user was saying accurately. They noticed that Thalla addressed them as Miss Rei which was fairly inaccurate but Gol only really cared about the later part. 'Rei' was used for the more distant royal relatives, indicative of aristocracy, although it didn't carry any land or authority.

"Finsceal is the name to use there actually, although you can call me Gol. Rei is a title which, I assure you, is only still there because I have no choice. Goodwill to you too then. Want to get started now?"

Alex/Ingru frown as they receive the message.

You wouldn't happen to know Greek, would you?

<I haven't had a Greek host in my entire time on earth.>

This might complicate things.

uh, do you speak english? they type. cause i cant really understand what youre saying

Seeing that they've been connected to their server player as well, they also shoot Rifa a simple greeting.

i think i mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apart

Rifa responds to the greeting accordingly.

GREETINGS, #869. Thank you for the greeting, too. I like it when foes like you show sportsmanship, it's an honor not seen often these days.

edited 9th Oct '15 6:54:38 PM by NesClassic

🏳️‍⚧️she/her | Vio Rhyse Alberia

Thalla frowned, their first interaction and she had already stumbled. Well at least it was an honest mistake and was treated as such, still, Gol... that meant something akin to a vulture. "Ah, apologies Miss Gol, I will take it in mind from this point on. Yes, let the game commence!" She'd sent, she only used the perceived honorific as not to be taken as too forward, but her client deserved to be called as she desired to be called.

The graceless warrior, wielder of the edgeless blade, prophet of the old religions, writer of fluent nonsense, saviour of soul and song.

Theodora grimaced. Figured that they don't speak Greek. She looked around for the cloaked being, and if they were still around, she would say "Whoever this is I'm talking to doesn't speak or read Greek, and I can't read their language. Any way to help us get around this?"

“Not a promise, not an oath, or a malediction or a curse. Inevitable." - Taylor Hebert

<Oh good,> Ingru thinks as they receive Rifa's message. <This one speaks normally.>

Speaking in a different language doesn't make someone abnormal.....

well im glad i could pleasantly surprise you then
i look forward to competing with you too. may the best man win!
so uh, any idea what were supposed to do now?

i think i mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apart

Soon after both players confirm the prompt, a loading screen pops up loading the game. On Thalla's screen, the game screen loads up with a view of presumably Miss Gol, as well as a few menu options, three of which look like different cursors. Gol's screen doesn't lead to such a screen, and after loading the window just says "Welcome to Sverse" and seems to close on its own. The camera crew notices this immediately and gets ready to start filming

---

"Hm. I thought I had a translator installed into the instant messenger... Oh! Right! Try going into settings, then look for "Translate Text".

---

Meanwhile, Veto sends a program to Alex and/or Ingru that will help with translating Theodora's text.

---

Soon after both players are ready, a loading screen pops up on both Rifa's and Alex/Ingru's computers. After Rifa's finishes installing, a game window opens up showing Alex and some sort of menu at the top. All that happens on Alex's screen is a message saying "Welcome to Sverse" and then the window closes. It almost makes you feel... eerie...

"Oh cool, you guys are already in the game!" says the orange one, as the others finish getting ready to film.

edited 10th Oct '15 2:24:52 PM by StarBee

Gol observed as the window changed and then just closed itself. Thalla, through the server screen, would see Gol's penthouse apartment. The place was pretty lavishly decorated and the various rooms were filled with luxury furnishings and expensive technology. The room Gol was currently in seemed to be some kind of study, with a large table in the center covered in paper and overflowing filing cabinets and bookshelves lining the edge of the room. The apartment had roof access, which might prove useful if extra space was required.

"Well... OK then. We rolling?"

Gol turned back to their floating disc. If the two of them were client and server, perhaps the link was asymmetrical.

"I've got nothing on this end. You have any options to start off with?"

Not really.

Wait. It's finished installing on my end.

THE GAME LOOKS SO GOOD HOLY FUCK IT'S LIKE A HYPER-REALISTIC WINDOW OR SOMETHING

Rifa obsesses over his monitor's newfound high-quality display of Alex/Ingru's current location for a few seconds (blows the old Atari-style graphics out of the water, really.) This is followed by his first attempt at getting used to the interface: clicking on Alex and attempting to drag her around.

edited 10th Oct '15 2:04:10 PM by NesClassic

🏳️‍⚧️she/her | Vio Rhyse Alberia

The game doesn't seem to let you move Alex around, but they can still sense you trying to click on them.

uh, ok? thats weird, nothings happening on my end.....

The attempt to move Alex would yield minimal results, though they certainly feel some odd poking sensation because of it. They shift uncomfortably in their seat.

what exactly do you see there?

For reference, he would see Alex sitting at her desk in his bedroom, which is at the opposite corner from her bed. There's a bookshelf in the adjacent corner filled with various books and video games, and a shelf across from the bed with a TV and game console set up on top. Clothes, books, and other miscellaneous items are strewn across the floor.

At that point, Alex/Ingru receive the file from Veto. They click it and start to download/install the program. Once that's over, they send a quick thanks to Veto before looking back to see what Theodora had said earlier.

edited 10th Oct '15 2:30:19 PM by Brahian1

i think i mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apart

Theodora navigated around the chat menu (she was getting good at this) until she found a "translate text" option. She clicked on the small box next to it, and when the box became filled by a small marking, she figured it was enabled. She tried typing "Χαίρετε?" again. It should read as "Hello?" on Alex/Ingru's end.

Does anyone know how to type in a certain color?

“Not a promise, not an oath, or a malediction or a curse. Inevitable." - Taylor Hebert

use the [[color:text]] markup. we have red, cinnamon, gold, green, forestgreen, teal, blue, purple, pink, gray, white, and evil

Oh yay, it works! Alex thinks as they receive Theodora's message.

hey there! sorry for the confusion earlier
so, you about ready to start?

edited 10th Oct '15 3:33:43 PM by Brahian1

i think i mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apart

Thanks.

I believe so.
I'm not entirely sure what to do, but I can always ask the odd masked man in my doorway if I need help.

“Not a promise, not an oath, or a malediction or a curse. Inevitable." - Taylor Hebert

" I see you'll be starting soon, miss Theodora?" says Veto, now standing over Theodora's shoulder. "You won't mind if these little guys help with recording, right? This is a reality show after all."

There seems to be four more cloth figures, of fuschia, purple, teal, and one which reminds you of the stars in the night sky, all behind Veto. The game proceeds to load on the screen.