Solar
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Player Character
Posts: 15
Player Name: Trevor Hao
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Solar on Nov 2, 2023 15:30:40 GMT 9
It's just a game.
Solar didn't need Vernon to finish his sentence to know what he was going to say, but for some reason, he stopped himself. Why? Because of Kimchi and Cyndaquil? Did they know that they were in a game? (Man, he kind of wanted to ask more about what Cyndaquil knew, then, but he also held himself back, because somehow he was uncomfortable with making the little guy uncomfortable). In any case, he was more surprised that the rabbit stepped in, sounding very much like a mediator, and once again stunning Solar in how advanced the AI was. If anything, it seemed that...they had an understanding. They were both worried. And if nothing else, at least his friend had what appeared to be a reliable and strong Pokemon at his side.
He couldn't shake off the truth that gameplay wise, he was literally just starting out. No amount of smarts was going to help him win a battle with just one Pokemon. Even the little Cyndaquil on his shoulder wanted to get stronger. He let out a deep sigh. ❝Fine. Don't die, okay? I guess I see how you're so into this. I admit, the idea of getting stronger sounds exciting.❞
❝Pff, you know that what you said is a big red flag for people dying in the next episode, right?❞
Solar scowled, ❝I mean it.❞
❝I know I know. No need to sound so ominous about it. I can at least get you to the first tutorial area before I head off, sound good? How long are you planning on staying here anyway?❞
❝I guess give or take another hour, depending on how long that quest goes. I don't think Manager wants us under for too long.❞
❝Ugh, yeah. Well, let's get moving, then!❞
Solar pursed his lips. So this was how things were going to pan out, huh? Well, he had little game experience and much lesser Pokemon experience, but he could learn. And maybe once he had learned enough, he could convince him to stop playing this dangerous game.
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Solar
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Player Character
Posts: 15
Player Name: Trevor Hao
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Solar on Nov 2, 2023 14:56:07 GMT 9
Putting the whole naming thing aside, Solar swore that Comet's Pokemon was appraising him, and he once again wondered about the extent of the AI and how good it was to create believable personalities. Comet hadn't been playing this game for very long, right? But a part of him felt like this Pokemon was partially the reason why he was so bothered that one evening and the days after. He also vaguely recalled seeing a figure that looked like Kimchi among his belongings, too.
❝So what's the plan? I know I'm getting these notifications about tutorial quests, but what do I do afterward?❞
❝Hmm well, I got a bunch of new Pokemon from all sorts of events, so I'm gonna roll call them, and then we'll head to Ostellia.❞
❝Ostellia? You mean that new place from the update?❞
❝Yeah! It's too high-level for a newbie like you though, so you should stick around in Asper before you head over there.❞
For some reason, the comment made the side of Solar's mouth twitch slightly. He had only been in UNOVR for a short moment, but with how painful his fall was in the lab, a few things became apparent to him: one, things that can hurt will hurt, and two, hurt can also mean death (though, he supposed that they wouldn't allow players to die in real life, otherwise he would've heard of it. That would be some crazy sci-fi shit). Still, if death was perceptible, wasn't that still traumatic? Did Vernon already die in this game? Was that what happened that one time when he was so out of it? What kind of dangerous game was this?!
❝Wait, you're telling me that you're deliberately going to a dangerous area? That's...dangerous!❞
And Comet couldn't help but laugh, ❝Well yeah! But the fate of this world is at stake, and I want to help Zapdos, so I'm going.❞
❝And Zapdos is..?❞ a Pokemon?
❝He was a boss in the last big event, but we got to talk it out and now he's helping us get to Ostellia.❞
❝Uh huh.❞ Solar didn't like this. Not at all, but how was he supposed to stop him? Log out of the game and yank out the device from Vernon's body? What kind of consequences could that entail? Could he even try to convince him otherwise when he knew so little about the game? Maybe the best option was to learn more about what makes UNOVR tick before he try to throw himself in front of him. The AI of the Pokemon was already intriguing as it was. What else was this game hiding? ❝I'll go with you.❞
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Solar
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Player Character
Posts: 15
Player Name: Trevor Hao
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Solar on Nov 2, 2023 11:06:08 GMT 9
Once Solar had finished with the starter lab quest, he immediately noticed a couple of other notifications pop up. The first was the friend request from Comet (which Vernon had already informed him prior that was his username, so that he wouldn't freak out), and a few others were about...tutorial quests. And other open quests. Also, there was something about the newest big update, which opened a new region and some other things. Being completely new to the game, he would very likely have no idea what was that about, and he supposed he could ask Comet about it. Whatever he was able to skim, though, it sounded...dangerous. Like a boss area or something.
But first, the friend request. He accepted it immediately, and along with that, he also saw a message sent earlier while he was still with the Professor.
Let's meet up at the Briarbane Settlement! Look for Bethany's Boudoir on the map! The map seemed straightforward enough, at least, allowing Solar to zoom in using the same finger gestures he would do on his phone and tablet. There was also a fast travel option that he figured out after poking around through the settings, so he had to tell Cyndaquil to hold on tight (should he have returned him to his Pokeball?) before pressing the button. His body then suddenly glowed white before his vision was blinded for a moment, and then when he blinked again he was in a completely different place - one that actually had more life in it. Woah, were those computer programs or other players walking around? He would soon find out that they were the first, since when he saw Comet at a distance, he had a nameplate hovering over him, as well as a tiny icon that seemed to indicate they were friends in the game.
His appearance surprised Solar, mostly because of how different he was - it was a lot more edgy than he anticipated, but also quite cool (especially with those horns jutting out). Height wise, it felt like it was the same as his real self - a bit shorter than where he stood. And when "Comet" started to speak, that really sealed the deal. Solar would know his voice anywhere. Admittedly, his attention on his appearance only lasted a short while, for the large white rabbit that stood a little taller than him stuck out to him more. Was that...his Pokemon? Why was it so big??
He raised his hand up. Comet saw it and immediately ran to him with a big grin. ❝You made it!❞
❝Heh, yeah, I sure did.❞
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Solar
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Player Character
Posts: 15
Player Name: Trevor Hao
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Solar on Nov 2, 2023 9:33:51 GMT 9
Solar had been unceremoniously dropped here by Comet, much like a child in a daycare on the first day. Well, it was his first day in UNOVR, and after a heated argument and a fine, fine, I'll at least try to complete some of the tutorial quests before he tried to risk virtual arm and limb going into the new region, he was here. Standing in front of a half Halloween, half Christmas house, as if it was perpetually stuck halfway on a loading screen. He was confused that he could feel the chill coming from the snow, but he supposed that was expected? Of course temperature should be a requirement in a survival game, so maybe with winter rolling in, he had to bundle up. Anyway, the temperature was pleasant enough now that he could get by with a jacket, and also his brand new Cyndaquil was a good pocket heater.
<Wow, that's one festive house! Can we have a house?>
❝A house to...decorate? Well, I don't know about that since we'll be traveling around, but let's see if that's a thing.❞ Solar quickly learned that the AI in UNOVR was nothing he had ever seen before. He had seen screenshots of people creating chatbots, replying with ease but still making mistakes, but this little guy was responding to external stimuli a hundred percent of the time, and the conversation actually sounded natural, if not a little childish.
It was then he got a notification about a quest. Ah, one of the tutorial ones that Vernon mentioned. He pressed the "Read More" button and skimmed through the text quickly. ❝You can help decorate this house, if you want.❞
<Really? Yay!> and the Cyndaquil hopped off his trainer's shoulder before running towards (NPC) MOM that seemed to have accepted the quest as well. Notably, wherever Cyndaquil steps, the snow glistened, indicating that it was melting from the sudden heat. Solar could already hear (NPC) MOM coo in the background and something about feeding his Pokemon freshly baked cookies. He used the opportunity to approach what looked like another player that accepted the quest. He was already informed by Vernon that they couldn't take the quest together since he already started on it, so he would have to find someone else.
The draconic features were stunning, to say the least. ❝I'll help out as well. You prefer...taking down or decorating?❞ he asked, thinking that it would be best to get this quest done ASAP.
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Solar
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Player Character
Posts: 15
Player Name: Trevor Hao
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Solar on Nov 1, 2023 22:15:24 GMT 9
#s://c~l3n~co/i/BOF7t9~jpeg While Trevor was not one for dressing up, he could at least appreciate the hard work that people put into their own costumes to mimic beloved characters. Some were particularly eye-catching because of how complex they were, with various little parts that move or stick out of the main silhouette. Colors were everywhere, and people were either moving, huddling with friends or in front of tables, or taking pictures. This must be the Artist's Corner that V mentioned, but...he didn't mean to wander in here. He was ashamed to admit that he might've taken a wrong turn somewhere, or if this was the way to the exit, he had no idea how he was going to go through the sea of people.
Grimacing just a little, he wondered if it was not too late to call Vernon for some help, but his pride bit him back, since he already declined the offer earlier. He could try to look for a guard or staff member to give him directions, or...he could ask any one of these fine people, perhaps? Surely there was someone here that was more familiar with the layout; he wasn't sure why he was hesitating. Trevor couldn't stay still in one spot, though - he was in a high density zone that had waves of cosplayers coming in to check on the different merchandise. This newest wave caused him to accidentally bump into someone shorter than him.
❝Oh, sorry--❞ he raised his hands up as a gesture to move away, if he could. Trevor glanced at the person for a moment, ❝Are you cosplaying as someone?❞ shit wait what if they weren't? The question kind of just came out, in the most deadpan tone ever. He hoped they wouldn't take offense.
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Solar
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Player Character
Posts: 15
Player Name: Trevor Hao
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Solar on Oct 31, 2023 23:43:50 GMT 9
Solar stole a glance at the paper, noting that there was a car, as mentioned in the question, and a blur of red that he had difficulty singling out. Were they supposed to be chameleons? Weren't they supposed to be green? (He knew that they could change color, especially if they were stressed out, and they must've been, being stuffed in such a cramped space, but he realized that this was silly and he should stop thinking about it so hard). He watched the Professor, who (now that he got a better look) appeared no older than a child, get something before tossing whatever it was to him. It was a Pokeball, perfectly shaped, and without him meaning to, he had pressed on the button without even checking the name of the Pokemon.
So he was very much surprised when the device clicked open and a blur of white jumped at him, obscuring his vision. ❝What the?! Get it off!❞ he had stumbled back a few steps before tripping over a pile of books that had already fallen over. Solar then fell butt first, using his arms to break the fall so that he wouldn't slam his head on the wooden floor. He cursed and hissed, only dawning on him that when that pain setting said realistic, it really meant realistic. He was sure he was going to feel this in the morning. He was already feeling it now.
Well, he still found it in him to peel off the Pokemon by pulling it from the scruff. Said creature did not offer much resistance, and that was when Solar got to take a better look at what he was dealing with. It was...err...long nosed...what was its name?
<Hello! >
He glanced at the paper on the Pokeball. ❝Sss...Cyn-da-quil.❞ Cinder and...Quill. Okay. ❝Fire Porcupine.❞
The little guy didn't open his eyes, and Solar wasn't sure how it could see. <That's me!>
Surprisingly very natural with its response, the player noted. It was very convincing so far. ❝So...you're my starter? I guess I should show you to my friend. He'll know what to do.❞
<Ohhh, a friend?> and the little thing was waving its tiniest arms around, <I wanna meet 'em! Let's go!>
Solar should stop holding this thing by the scruff, and with that thought gently set it on the ground. Since he was still sitting on the floor, though, that gave the Pokemon a chance to jump on the player's chest before scrambling up to his shoulder. He decided it was not worth the effort to shoo it off, especially since it wasn't too heavy. This was...AI, wasn't it? And perhaps a set personality or something. What starter did Vernon get, and how did they react? He supposed he would have to ask him when he got there.
He pushed himself up onto his feet, already feeling the soreness on his arms and behind. ❝Oh, thanks for the Pokemon. Do you have something else for me to do?❞
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Solar
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Player Character
Posts: 15
Player Name: Trevor Hao
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Solar on Oct 31, 2023 22:31:55 GMT 9
He sat down and was immediately baffled by the questions she gave him. What kind of questions were these? They weren't multiple choice? How were they supposed to determine an optimal Pokemon out of it? Or was it really just random all along? Clearly bothered but still playing along, Solar gave it a good think before answering them like in a quiz show, where the expectation was meant to be snarky and eye-catching to an audience, in this case, an audience of one. That didn't mean that he was going to pretend he knew what she would like from him, though.
❝I'm not bulletproof,
Cereal with cold milk,
Aaand I have no fucking idea. 42?❞ he wondered what kind of reaction he would get out of them, or what Pokemon was going to be tossed onto him. He knew that Vernon was waiting for him though, wherever he was, he could already see the small notification box somewhere on the top right corner of his peripheral vision, but it was grayed out. Maybe it was inaccessible until he finished this.
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Solar
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Player Character
Posts: 15
Player Name: Trevor Hao
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Solar on Oct 30, 2023 17:52:08 GMT 9
❝You'll be fine, Trev! Just have fun in there! I'll see you in-game!❞
V's voice had faded away, replaced with upbeat music and a light stream tunnel that simulated him getting transported to somewhere else. Well, that made sense, he supposed, and it really felt like this body (his new body? Virtual body) was floating. It was an odd feeling, to be sure, and he couldn't help but look at his hands (not quite his, and they also didn't have the same realness as his own hands). Would he have a chance to look at a mirror soon? Well, he wasn't even sure where the game would place him first. Surely some kind of beginner's area. His friend was being intentionally vague about it for some reason.
It didn't take long before he found himself on solid ground, and before his eyes was...a mess. A mad scientist's lab, straight from the movies. Well, it was that and he couldn't help but realize he could smell this place, and it was not pleasant. So this was how far technology could take them, huh?
And then he heard a high-pitched voice. Err, wasn't there something about Pokemon Professors that he might be meeting? Was she one of them? And was she speaking in nya-speak? Trev, despite not being much of a gamer, was chronically online if he wasn't reading paperback books. He mostly spent his time reading still, but it was stuff like...wikia pages. Urban Dictionary, because language was weird and he couldn't keep up with the lingo of his peers nowadays. Nya-speak was...ancient though. Kind of cringy.
Oh, she was speaking to him. Somehow, it was easy to forget that he was in a game with the way she moved and the way the scenery was close to believable.
❝Oh, I'm Tre--Solar. Nice to meet you.❞ stage name, Trevor, stage name. It wouldn't do any good for people to realize who he actually was. He glanced at the numerous Pokeballs (he knew that much) on the display case. Was he going to be getting one of them? And questions? Like a "What kind of person are you?" sort of deal? And she'll just wing it?? He supposed this was all part of the game's programming...
❝Sure. I mean, fire.❞
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Solar
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Player Character
Posts: 15
Player Name: Trevor Hao
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Solar on Oct 27, 2023 23:20:25 GMT 9
PLAYER: Trevor Hao | CHARACTER: Solar | | | PRONOUNS: He/Him AGE: 17 ORIENTATION: "I'll figure it out." LOCATION: LA, California OCCUPATION: Singer/Student | GENDER: <M> AGE: Teen ENABLE PKMN SPEECH? Yes PAIN THRESHOLD: Realistic TRAINER CLASS: Swimmer |
OUT OF THE GAMEThis would be about Starfall. You've heard this all before. Ask Aster. Or Vernon. Maybe not Sterling. Trevor would be as stoic as a rock, but he feared the question of what next. What next? An idol group would be lucky to reach the end of their contract, but by then everyone would've been tired. So tired. Trevor was actually already getting tired, "even if you're only seventeen?! You have so much ahead of you!" One year shy of eighteen, of being legally an adult, officially thrust with the expectations of an adult.
He was tired.
But he dared not let that show (though his fans might've been able to pick it up anyway; God knows he would unwittingly get thrust with messages and posts about it. Those eye bags! Please get some sleep). Sleep couldn't shave off this wall of fatigue, though. The other group members seem to be blissfully unaware, except for Vernon, who was the only one he knew before joining this group. They weren't close originally, though, their families just ran in the same circles, and it also meant that their parents were somewhat similar, unfortunately. They bonded from that, with music, culture, and solidarity from a lack of love, so they had each other's backs for the most part.
Hobbies wise though, he was never actually one for gaming. Vernon didn't bother to talk to him about it either, but he would hear it in the background; names that he didn't bother to memorize. When UNOVR came out (he had to remember the name of this game, it was all they talked about for a while), he was the only one who didn't join in. They did get a unit for him anyway, just in case he wanted to try it out, but he would rather spend his time off screens and on pages. He was still in the middle of a novel then.
The fad seemed to pass quickly, but Vernon was still hooked. He wouldn't tell him about the game ("You wouldn't really get it."), and he kept his interest distant until one day -- his friend seemed a little different. A little distracted. Was he also tired? He ventured to ask. Oh no, something just happened in UNOVR.
And that piqued his interest, because he was also concerned. What happened there that made Vernon more attached than ever? That made him want to keep coming back, talking as if there was someone he had to go back to? (Online friends? He knew that Vernon had some, sure. Maybe they were meeting up often? It somehow seemed like something more). As a result, Trevor decided to look for the unit that was supposed to be his and approached his friend.
"Can you help me get in?" | INSIDE THE GAMESolar followed along with the naming scheme of the rest of Starfall. It was perhaps lucky that one, the game was mainly VR, so basic controls weren't really an issue, and two, he had a friend who was willing to guide him through. Vernon (well, he called himself Comet in the game), looked all too excited to have someone else in real life to talk to. And he actually was happy he could make his friend happy.
He didn't take very long customizing himself - he worked with a preset and just did some adjustments to his liking. Red hair to contrast his dark one, something that made him feel more ready to tackle what could be in store for him. Knowing next to nothing about Pokemon besides Pikachu and perhaps a handful of other popular names, he was really here just to get a feel of the game. Maybe he also welcomed the distraction.
He didn't have any intention to role-play as someone else - his different appearance was more like a different set of clothes. With Pokemon, well, he was going to try to get them know them better. He was not informed that there was a bit of a survival mechanic. He might die. He hoped he wouldn't. (We shall see). | FACE CLAIMS IRL CHARACTER
[u]KIMETSU NO YAIBA[/u] Tomioka Giyu as [a href="https://unovr.boards.net/post/19469/thread"]Trevor Hao[/a] PLAYER CHARACTER
[u]HONKAI STAR RAIL[/u] Luka as @solar
| OOC NAME Peony / lostpeonies on Discord
| STARTER PKMN Do you want to receive your starter in-character at the Starter Lab?
YES, AND RANDOMIZE MY STARTER!
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