crystal malfunction memevent

[faderifting]

crystals get fucked
(a meme slash tiny game event)

The Inquisition’s sending crystals are typically very reliable and not susceptible to accidental transmissions or misdelivered messages. They’re also fairly limited in function and security.

The latter is something that researchers in Skyhold are working to address, when they have the time. Unfortunately, one of them—maybe a little angry about having to work alone on First Day, maybe day drinking while she does so—has now made some significant errors while meddling with proposed improvements. And from the beginning of the day on Wintermarch 1, the sending crystals will start behaving badly:

Messages might transmit to the wrong person.

Messages might transmit to the right person but also a few additional unintended people.

Messages might transmit to everyone at once.

Pieces of old conversations from any point in the last year or so might leak, either to individuals or to everyone. Delayed messages of that sort will sound distant, like they’re coming from the end of a long tunnel.

Attempts to transition from a public to a private conversation will sometimes fail.

Crystals may start transmitting to people or to everyone at random, without being touched.

All of this could occur at any time—sometimes at the beginning of a conversation, sometimes midway through it, sometimes when someone isn’t using the crystal at all.

The problems will start out sporadic enough to seem insignificant or like probable user errors, but grow increasingly common as the day wears on, until the issue is identified and corrected at Skyhold in the early hours of Wintermarch 2 and the tipsy researcher disciplined accordingly.

This meme/event is game canon. You can decide among yourselves if there’s something you would rather try out for fun with no consequences and/or retcon after the fact, as always, but unless otherwise established by players, this is really happening. Threads done in this post can count toward activity rewards.

Additionally, this specific post is for open top-levels that anyone can tag and threadjack. Think TFLN in style/format, missing pants optional. Don’t post closed or locked conversations here. If you want to do specific misfires with specific people, you can use inboxes. You can also post to the rookery comm if you want to use the event for a more visible gamewide open post.

Comments

[zombra]

[ She should probably feel bad for the guilt trip, but everybody wants to feel appreciated sometimes, right? ]

Well... good. I enjoy yours too.

[ She touches a hand to her head, gently feeling the scab that's been flaking off in pieces. ]

It's healing well. The mages did something to it. I was lucky it didn't go deeper.

[assistente]

Yes. Good.

[And he will just--not examine that sentiment too closely, or think about it really at all, and ignore the way he is clutching at the parchment before him, crumpling its edges.

Wait. No. He can't ignore that. Hastily, compulsively, Salvio starts smoothing its edges out.]

Very good. The, uh. The lack of depth, of the wound, that is. I am very glad to hear that it was not more serious. You-- are still receiving attention for it?

[zombra]

Yeah, I come in for checkups.

[ There's a moment's hesitation before she admits: ]

I was kinda worried at what medical care here would be like. I'm kind of... not into letting doctors look at me.

[ Being basically held captive as a petri dish has soured her on the whole thing. At this point, she prefers magic healing to the surgeons, and she never thought she'd be volunteering to have magic used on her. ]

But they just check that it's not infected and send me on my way. A lot of people had it worse. Like you think an arrow to the head would be the worst, but it's definitely not because I'm still walking and talking and everything.

[ And out there on the battlefield... well plenty weren't walking away from it. ]

It's, like, really really good you were safe here. 'Cause, y'know, it sucked hard.

[assistente]

Oh. Yes. The, uh-- where you came to us from. I would see how that would--

[Affect her, maybe, is what he means. Remind her. Tessa has spoken a little of the state of her world. Salvio can only imagine. There was a plague when he was young, an outbreak that filled the sickbeds. Salvio hates illness; to this day, he hates illness, feels it behind his eyes, and in the back of his throat. How must Tessa feel, by comparison? So much worse.]

An arrow can cause great injury. But there are, you know, much that affects it. The wind, the trajectory--the quality of the arrowhead--the, uh, angle, of the strike-- But in the aftermath, the, uh, of course, the-- catalog of injuries... It is, um. Hardly worth your time, to make comparison. One might forgive your focus. To think of yourself.

And--likewise. I mean, not that, you were here, of course. In Kirkwall. But that-- you were safe. Eventually. Good.

[zombra]

I guess luck was on my side, if luck even exists.

[ Sometimes she thinks it must, in order to explain how she survived back home. Or how her path crossed with Mike and he managed to keep her alive despite her best efforts to be a fumbling fool. ]

Yeah. And now that things are getting back to normal, I'll have to start bringing you lunch again so I can check up on you.

[ And make sure he's not 20 lbs. lighter from skipping meals and burying himself in work. ]

[assistente]

[Any comments toward Salvio's personal belief in luck (strong, he believes strongly in luck) are swallowed up by his--

Well. That is to say, he chokes a little on his own breath.]

Um. That is not-- That is, to say, you, are the one who is. Injured. You certainly do not need to trouble yourself, to-- to check on me.

It should be. Reversed. If anything. Of course.

[zombra]

So I should direct all my food orders to you? Is that what you're saying?

[ She kids, she kids. ]

I'm recovering pretty well, and I'd like it if things could just go back to normal, y'know?

[assistente]

I could... bring food.

[Well. He reassesses.]

If you wish is for normalcy-- It would not be normal if I brought food, I suppose. Erm. But I could. It-- I tend to eat in the, um, either the top of the dining hours or the end. Depending. Not the most reliable schedule.

[zombra]

I could always call beforehand to check.

[ Whether she gets food or he gets foods... somebody's gonna eat. ]

Look, don't stress about it, okay? It's just food, right?