week one: mingle

[cyclists]

Week One
30 in Competition

As the sun rises on Monday morning, all participants will find themselves awakening with a sense of purpose. Regardless of where they slept the night before, they’ll find themselves compelled to return to the main meeting hall first thing in the morning.

Approaching the hall, however, they will find a large, swirling mass grey in color looming near the sakura tree. This swirl cannot be approached just yet, but seems to be locked and waiting for something more.

As the last member of the village enters the hall, they will find Lune and Sol at the head of the room. Though they’re together, it’s Sol who speaks up first this time.

“Last night, Lune and I were finally able to get some answers. Or, at least, something we can do to help. The core’s still experiencing fluctuations and some instability, but we’ve figured out a place some of it might be coming from.”

They stop, excitedly holding up a scroll.

“This core is connected to several worlds out there. It’s the heart of the universe and everything that happens here can be affected by the outside, and can affect the worlds you come from. We found somewhere that seems to have a source of darkness lurking around…if we find it and clear the corruption, we can help stabilize the core a little more and help protect yourselves while you’re here.”

With that, they seem to lose steam just a little, looking back at Lune for a moment before nodding.

“So, uh…we were able to open a gateway for you to this world. Checking it out might help us pinpoint the source and get this done faster, so…leave whenever you’re ready. There’ll be another gate on the other side to bring you back here.”

That seems to be it, though Sol looks back to Lune again. “Anything else?”

"Look after one another," they repeat again. "And do not believe it is possible to be over-cautious."

The moment participants leave the hall, they will find that the gateway has changed from grey to white, the opening widening enough for multiple people to step through. The Signs will soon take their leave, and all will remain peaceful once more.

In addition, as the week goes on, partners will find that a simple touch (even accidental) may incite the bond between them to grow stronger for a moment. They will experience a swap of memories through their connection, taking a moment to see a piece of their partner's past without any control over what exactly is being shared.



Welcome to your week one mingle! Please note that as of this week, murder proposals are open. CYOA sign-ups are also live, and will close at Tuesday, 8 AM PST. They will be running on Tuesday afternoon and evening, so please be mindful of your own availability!

In addition, ensure that all of your week zero private conversations were reported on the page, and your week one private conversations are reported on that page. If you'll be taking anything from locations, please report that as well.

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Comments

[wildc4rd]

[What a little seed of chaos, truly. He smiles, but doesn't move still, and doesn't chastise for the button pushing.]

Did you have fun this weekend?

[compendiem]

[ He just wants to see what's on every floor, and programming the elevator to automatically give a sneak peak of each is the way to do it, rather than pushing the buttons one by one.

Either way, the destination is the bottom-most floor, with the assumption that the elevator will then stop working and he'll have to either find stairs or attempt to scale the elevator shaft. ]

Hm... The start of it was somewhat fun. The middle, too. Not so much the end, though. Overall... I think it was more confusing, than fun.

[ The gravity of the situation is there, Minato is aware, but with a way to process it, it's just stuck. ]

How was your weekend?

[wildc4rd]

Very interesting.

[The golden eyes watch Minato curiously for the ride, lids halfway closed. The gaze isn’t hungry or appraising, just watchful.] You didn’t care for the wrap-up? My.

Because you had been friends with her? Because she was so young?

[compendiem]

[ Watchful is merciful. Minato stares at his shoes for a moment, considering, and then lifts his head and shakes his head no. ]

I think I'd feel the same if we were enemies, or whatever age she is. Nothing would have changed, whether it were you or her who'd gotten corrupted. I wouldn't like that no matter what.

[wildc4rd]

[Curious. He's quiet for a long moment or two.]

I see. And why is that? To not like the idea of someone corrupted.

[compendiem]

[ Why would anybody like it? Minato shakes his head. ]

Because... if Mary were upset with Tsurumaru, or had a reason to harm him, maybe I could understand it. But I can't understand this at all. When a person's corrupted... it seems like they don't remember it at all, that they have no control. That's what I can't agree with.

[ It's the loss of free will he's against, the fact that this "darkness" seems to be an entity all on its own taking over a host and using them as a puppet. Mary could be an unhinged mass murderer and it wouldn't be as bad as that. ]

[wildc4rd]

[An amused smirk curls his lips.]

You don't like not being in control? [The question seems more rhetorical than asking. The gold eyes haven't left Minato.] You're so young. To most people, it would seem you're not in control of a lot of things.

But that isn't true, is it? You're in control of more than others think.

[compendiem]

[ That's how it is. Fate has screwed him over so many times, he needs to be in control of something, or else it'll feel like he's lost control of everything- and then nothing would matter. ]

Yeah. Any little thing can have large consequences... So it's not just me. At the very least, people should be in control of themselves, I think. When they can't... that's what I don't like.

[wildc4rd]

[Hmm. The heart-shaped earrings jingle when he tilts his head and runs a hand briefly over his chin. When the elevator pings the arrival of the first stop, he motions with the same hand.]

After you, little kitty.

[compendiem]

[ Minato looks over at Hisoka without leaving. ]

Hm? No, I wasn't planning on leaving... Just seeing if there were anybody else on the floors who want to come down with us.

[ Party in the basement... There'd be no point of hitting all the buttons if he weren't going to sit it through to the end, anyways. ]

[wildc4rd]

Hmm. I see.

[The whole of him peels away from the back wall and moves to the door. There, he leans his shoulders and head out to look both ways.

And then he comes back in to Minato.] No one. ♣

[compendiem]

Too bad...

[ Minato looks a little disappointed, but it's likely no surprise everybody's just decided to take the stairs now, seeing either 1) Hisoka, or 2) that the elevator is taking forever to inch down one floor at a time. ]

Have you been down to the very bottom? I'm kinda surprised it's not all flooded, like it was upstairs.

[wildc4rd]

So sad.

[The doors close again, and Hisoka leans instead on the side adjacent, the one not covered by buttons. His arms cross.]

I haven't. It was interesting the upstairs was flooded, wasn't it?

[compendiem]

[ Better luck next time... ]

Yeah, it's gross... The whole place is going to get moldy at this rate, if there's no ventilation.

[ No windows anywhere... It will be a nightmare of a mosquito nest soon. ]

[wildc4rd]

I'm sure mold will be the least of your worries.

[He peers at Minato.]

No one seems to be here. I don't know if it matters.

[compendiem]

[ ... ]

Do you think everybody's died and decomposed?

[ Hisoka is hinting at something but Minato has no idea what. He'll make some blind jabs into the void, or something. ]

Maybe... they were in the water, and we just missed them.

[wildc4rd]

Is that what you think? How exciting. It's too late, I'm afraid. They have been left behind.

[The next floor opens up to them when the elevator pauses. Hisoka watches Minato this time to see if the boy will peek out.]

[compendiem]

The elevators and everything work, so I thought we'd be able to find somebody.

[ He does not peek out the door, but simply looks up and stares out into the hall. There is nobody standing right in front of the elevator, and therefore nobody who wants to get on, and that's all he really cares about. ]

It the electricity bill isn't paid for a month or two, the electricity should be cut. Whatever happened to everybody... it was at least that recent. Right?

[wildc4rd]

Maybe they just don't take care of their house.

[It isn't he seems convinced of this; there's teasing. Like playing devil's advocate.]

If you're really worried, you can get someone attuned to water to move it all for you.

[compendiem]

[ Maybe they should take care of their house!!!! Think of the property value... water damage is hell to fix. ]

Oh... That's a good idea. I was just going to see if I can find a hose and do it myself, but that might be easier. Do you know somebody attuned to water?

[wildc4rd]

I might. [One finger lifts to press over his mouth, though he's smiling around it.] It's a secret.

Don't you know someone attuned to water?

[compendiem]

I know Lili is, but hers is more ice. Freezing the corpses is sorta the opposite of what I want... it'd be tough to chisel them out, after.

[ why is it a secret!!!! help him out ): ]

[wildc4rd]

[The clown loves secrets.]

Ah. She may still be able to help you. If you ask her nicely. Water is water sometimes, even if hers is a little cold.

Be creative. I know you can do it.

[compendiem]

[ Water is water sometimes... He doesn't understand, but this is also normal. ]

Freeze the water, then set it on fire...? [ No, that would just turn it back into water. ]

Maybe I could just set the water on fire as it is... Get it to boiling point for it to evaporate...

[ And burn down the entire building and possible any corpses inside. ]

[wildc4rd]

[The fact Minato is actively trying to find the best way to go about this critical is terribly amusing. Hisoka isn't laughing, but he is smiling.]

Are you really that curious to find out what lies beneath the water? What if you see something else more interesting?