How Do You Feel About Important Exposition?_Simulation Apocalypse

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Sync-in Complete

...innate magic does sound—

Sync-in Complete? Huh? Wasn’t that the first notification I saw? No…I think the first one was maybe a little different. At this point, I’m sure it doesn’t matter.

Wonder if Jake saw it too.

I should go ask him. Shit, stood up too fast, swiftly stumbling to ask, and…stop, is this really fucking important right now?

Maybe.

Probably not though.

Stupid brain; focus.

Get your profile done. This is life or death shit, damnit!

I sit back down.

Focusing, focusing, focusing, and…

Nothing.

Fuck. Me. That goddamn notification must have kicked me out of flow.

I wonder how much time I lost, and check my watch. Only fourteen minutes. Bittersweet. Losing time tends to happen to me when I hit that blissful flow state. Feels like my self shifts into some sorta superfast neurocycle, and I’m zipping through a retrowave tunnel with only my cycle’s underlights and the ceiling’s stream-bulbs to light the way; everything outside that tunnel ceasing to exist and my production is just speeding at breakneck speeds…but now I’ve come out the other side of that flow-tunnel and can already feel the post-flow state crash. The dull thrum and mental fatigue are rapidly settling in.

I try to exit out of the Character Profile so I can go make a drink.

A prompt interjects.

Character Profile

Tasks Completed: 6/8

Your Profile is incomplete.

Would you like us to save the progress you have made so far, so you can pick up where you left off?

I select Yes, and get off my back. Stretching and yawning as I go to grab some water. Probably an energy drink too.

The time is 12:22; angel numbers again?

I’m so close to being finished with the Profile. I think I can do it all in the next seventeen minutes. Just gotta get my head back in the zone.

In the kitchen, we got candles all over and shadows dance pirouettes across the walls and fixtures. The contrast between the light and dark is blurred though; I can’t help but stop and marvel at the reason behind the difference: a Feature, which I got courtesy of my Leo Rising, called Darkside, makes it so I can see in darkness like it’s dim light, giving everything a sort of early dawn look to it, all dim, and saturated; somewhat sepia maybe, I think sepia’s the right word there—damn; wish my dictionary app still worked. Whatever (Darksight is dope).

I open the door to the fridge, reach into grab an energy drink as cold air drifts across my hand. Popping the tab on yet another 200mg of caffeine, I sip and smile. The beverage is perfectly chilled.

Maybe my Doomsday Chef Quirk isn’t so bad after all.

Back in my office, hopefully for the last fucking time, I take a seat in my emerald green chair.

Still feeling pretty grateful that the system allowed me to save a draft of my Profile before any of the changes are permanent, I decide to go over my Character Profile once more.

Leaning forward in the chair so I don’t drift to sleep, I start strobe-light style blinking my eyes to try opening my Character Profile, because I still can’t figure out what Jake meant when he explained it to me, and I probably look like a fucking maniac.

Then it works. The first thing I notice on the Character Profile’s proverbial homepage is that the System kept their promise. All my work is saved, and all the changes I’ve made are still visible across the page, denoted by parentheticals and italicized typography.

Logan: 01

♋: Leonite

♈♉🛈: Barbarian Fighter

♎🛈: Fate Mage

Health: 121/121

Stamina: 92/92

ABILITY SCORES

Your Base Stats are based on the numerical value of what our Algorithm would give you up until this point in your existence. Starting at level one, you are granted Augmentation Points (AP) equal to the score you received on your report card.

Overall Score: 7.4/10

AP Earned: 07

Stats

Stat Score

Test Results

Augments Made

Strength

9/10

-1, +4

Dexterity

6/10

Intelligence

8/10

Wisdom

7/10

Resiliency

10/10

-1, +9

Constitution

4/10

-1, +3

Charisma

8/10

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Ascendance & Race

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Your Ascendant sign is that which you show the world. It is not necessarily the true you, but has several defining traits, as well as how you interact and appear. In the development of your Simulation, it was decided by the Ancient Programmers that many physical features would be based on where the stars were located during the hour of a Simmie’s birth. With the world ending, we decided to grant you, dear inferior life form, the opportunity to unlock the empowered Ascendance Attributes inherent to your Rising Sign’s Race.

At specific levels during your progression, you will get the ability to inherit new features and gain modification points which you can use to further augment your aesthetic attributes. You are Level One! As a Level One, you gain the introductory racial features and have 3MP available for augmentation purchase.

Ascendant Sign: Leo

Associated Race: Leonite

Those with a Leo Ascendant are often seen as regal, self-centered but warm-hearted, as well as (when hungry) insatiable; whether or not any of that is true is really up to you. A mane or lean muscle definition is objectively true, though. As is the state of garnering attention and feeling cripplingly hopeless when its bad attention; or you’re projecting…

The Leonites inherently bear within their souls the light of the (simulated) heavens-because… Asland. Leonites are loyal but having descended from the great race of ancestral feline royalty, they might have a slightly skewed perspective on what’s fair…call it privilege.

There was some level of hesitancy when this one came up, because I had once sworn I was a Cancer rising. But then again, I had also sworn at one point I was a Gemini rising. Then I remembered I didn’t have my birth certificate when I’d guessed Cancer and Gemini…the timing, as it would turn out, was way off.

No big deal. Could be worse. I could have gone by my entire life, or worse, an entire first draft, building a character arc around a fucking ascendent sign, only to realize that sign was wrong; leading to a complete rewrite, at which point psychological hangups about self-worth and belief would come in, convincing me to write a[nother] shitty bit of social commentary all to cover up shortcomings as a storyteller, and if lucky, mask my general apathy toward life (let alone re-researching). All of it channeled through a Leo rising protagonist projecting his own severe inadequacies in a semi-comical way…that would definitely be worse, if it had happened, which it didn’t, obviously.

Features worked out all right though.

Modifications (three changes made)

Features

Bright Eyes: You got spark, kid!

* +1 Charisma

* +1 Dexterity

(purchase pending)

Darksight: Enhanced vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within fifty feet of you as if it were regular light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. When in darkness, colors are saturated into near-shades of gray.

Thick Luscious Hair: What a majestic mane!

* +2 Charisma

(purchase pending)

Daunting Roar: Unleash that primal sound rising within your regal soul; This frighten effect can slow any opponent’s speed by an undetermined percentage, when in general range.

Lion Strength: Courtesy of convenient benevolence, Leonites are blessed with greater muscle tone, greater muscle density due to increased fibers, including more fast twitch muscle fibers for power and more slow twitch muscle fibers for greater endurance. Plus, it looks good.

* +2 Constitution

* +3 Strength

* +2 Dexterity

* +1 Charisma

(purchase pending)

Predatory Sense: When in danger, gain an automatic +11% increase to Dexterity

Duration: five minutes

Cooldown: N/A

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Sun & Self

Regarded as your driving force, your Sun Sign dictates what you want out of life (purpose). Additionally, your sun sign determines the specific set of qualities and traits that you will inherit to achieve your goal.

Sun Sign: Aries

Associated Class: Barbarian

The Aries Sun’s direct, fiery nature is both their gift and their curse. Because of their ability to act first and think later, Aries are natural leaders. Alternatively, they are people with commonly unfulfilled potential. Self-sabotaging themselves by pushing too hard and consequently burning out. After all, a flame that burns brighter also burns faster.

Barbarians are those blessed by Aries, god of war. Thanks to his bestowal of power, they can do what they do best. Rage.

Skills

Features

Cleave:

Creates a cone before you that extends one foot outward from your blade, dealing 130% Weapon Damage to whoever thought it was a good idea not to dodge.

Note: Anytime you kill a foe using cleave, stamina is replenished. Anytime cleave doesn’t kill, stamina is depleted.

Unarmored Defense

In battle, you fight with primal ferocity. When you are not wearing any armor or wielding a shield, you gain +10 to Resiliency.

Block:

Raise your weapon(s), absorbing damage from the front of you. Damage taken while blocking depletes stamina.

Fury Gauge:

As a Barbarian, you are imbued with a Fury Gauge. When your Fury Gauge reaches 30%, you may enter Berserk Mode. While in Berserk Mode, you no longer draw on Stamina. If not wearing heavy armor, you gain the following benefits:

* +2 Dexterity

* +5 Strength

* +10% Attack Speed

* When making a melee attack, you gain a 5% bonus to Critical hit chance.

* Increased resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Fighting Style: Starting at level 1, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty.

Dual Wielder: Typically, when wielding two weapons, your second-hand attack’s damage deals half damage of the first blow. Selecting Dual Wielder makes you adept, though. You now do damage equal to your Strength modifier with both weapons.

(Task complete)

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Moon & Innate Manifestation

Your Moon determines your subconscious (or simulated spirit). It is considered your innate class, and plays into how you combat the world spiritually. For some, the powers of the Moon Class may manifest as melee enhancements. But for most, the Moon awakens deep magic, allowing champions to cast epic and mythical spells.

Moon Sign: Libra

Associated Class: N/A

Symbolized by the scales, those with their Moon in Libra are often representations of balance, harmony and union.

N/A

Skills🛈

Spells🛈

Features🛈

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Elemental Augmentation (Requisites not met: Information not available)

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Inventory

(task complete)

Weapons

Armor

Consumables

Key Items

* Big Sword

* Monster Dex

* Pet-Dimension

Mobile Inventory Storage (conversion complete)

You are given the ability to convert any item into a pocket dimension. This dimension is commonly referred to as Inventory. The item containing your Inventory will weigh 10lbs, and can hold up to 500lbs safely. No items within shall spill or be broken, and all items will be organized automatically. Assign a common item of storage to serve as your mobile inventory.

Item: (teal backpack with pink straps, commonly referred to as Adventure Space-Time Pack)

A pocket dimension sounds lovely. Can it hold my existential dread? Is existential dread considered an Item since its likely been created by consumerism? Am I full of shit?

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Quirk🛈: Doomsday Chef🛈

You can cook tasty food, because…

…it’s more convenient for your plot (without actually affecting any real tangible component within the story’s arc, because even the Ancient Programmers get sad sometimes and forget their initial reasoning behind the mathematical sets of Sourcecode-e.g. Hornets, wasps, mosquitos, narcissists and the American Dream)

I’m starting to wonder if the Simulacrum’s builders didn’t take my fate very seriously…

Wait, did God have crippling depression too?!

If that’s the case, then…

…

well, fuck.

How Do You Feel About Important Exposition?

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