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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garden

[compendiem]

[ Early Monday before Minato permanently lives inside the casino, he wanders by the koi pond and slows to a stop as he sees Kaoru there with the fish. He looks deep in thought for a moment, and then bridges the rest of the way until he's at the edge of the pond, lowering himself into a crouch so he can stare into the water. ]

...You're right... [ he mumbles, mostly to himself, but with his chin turned slightly Kaoru's direction. ]

It'll be much easier to fatten these up, instead of fishing in the ocean.

[twinsightful]

[MINATO?????? Kaoru has his hand in the water and he's feeding the fish which means when he looks up he looks mildly scandalized by this idea.]

You are not allowed to eat the koi. I'm pretty sure that's bad luck anyway.

[compendiem]

[ This is about the reaction he expected, so he nods solemnly in promise not to eat the koi. A pity. They're nice and plump already. ]

Is it bad luck to eat a koi? I never knew that.

[ They're sacred animals but... A fish is a fish. Nobody needs to know. ]

[twinsightful]

You know koi are representative of luck in the first place, don't you? If you eat one you'll be cursed for four years. [That is 100% bullshit but his face gives zero tells.]

[compendiem]

[ Minato is being bullied on all sides today, that tracks. ]

...but are the koi delicious enough to be worth four years of being cursed?

[ He's pretty sure he's going to die within the next two weeks, so it really wouldn't matter either way to him. ]

[twinsightful]

I don't know. I've never eaten a koi because I didn't want to be cursed.

[Can someone save Minato maybe.]

[compendiem]

[ It's impossible; Minato cannot be saved ]

How come you don't want to be cursed? [ ...that's a stupid question. he moves on. ] I guess I just never really believed in that stuff. Bad things happening just because... Isn't it more likely that bad things happen directly because of something I did?

[twinsightful]

Wouldn't eating the koi still be something you directly did...? [Just pointing that out.] Why would anyone want to be cursed anyway?

[compendiem]

Yes, but not four years worth of bad luck. As for being cursed... It's an experience.

[ And that's what Minato lives for: new experiences. ]

[twinsightful]

[No??]

Have you been cursed before?

[compendiem]

Yes.

[ He looks pleased about it. ]

I think ever since I was little. A lifelong curse.

[ Which explains why he's the way he is, maybe. Or maybe he just makes bad decisions every day of his life and this is the natural result of that. ]

[twinsightful]

[...Minato??]

What did you do to become cursed? Why haven't you tried to reverse it?

[compendiem]

I've been trying. Every new year.

[ He is talking about omikuji ]

[twinsightful]

You're not trying enough if you're still cursed...[Just saying. Although...] Are you cursed because of your soul monsters, you think?

[compendiem]

[ He's only allowed to try once a year!!! ]

Hm... Hard to tell. If it's a matter of what came first, the soul monsters are probably a consequence. But I don't think of them as a curse.

[twinsightful]

[Let Minato be uncursed!!]

Maybe it really isn't so much of a curse then as it is opening yourself up to dark magic...that's what it sounds like, anyway. But I still wouldn't risk aggravating it further.

[compendiem]

[ He's playing this game; he's cursed forever.

Anyways, Minato knows the dark magic was forcibly shoved into his soul when he was a traumatized six year old, so thanks for insinuating that he's evil. ]

You don't think it'd be a good idea? If I could summon Satan here, things would go a lot easier, I think.

[ He's kind of evil. ]

[twinsightful]

It's the devil you know and all of that, isn't it? [Also ITS NOT LIKE HE KNOWS? GOSH.] I think things would go a lot easier if you could summon anybody, actually.

[...] Are you really serious when you say stuff like this? Or do you say what comes to mind for a reaction?

[compendiem]

[ Minato huffs a laugh, because yeah it's the devil but also his friend. It really would be helpful to summon here, though. He wouldn't have to climb the mountain if he could have a Persona fly him, and he could would have no problems with fire or ice or electricity or any of that either. He could pet Inugami and be assured that things will be fine. ]

I'm always serious all the time.

[ But he also says whatever just comes into mind. Maybe he's looking for a reaction. To him, it doesn't have to be one or the other. ]

[twinsightful]

You'll have to forgive me for not taking everything at face value then. [There's a light sparkle in his eye.] I'm not exactly great with everyone who's serious all the time. Wouldn't that be boring?

[And this is perhaps why he humors Minato. It's both interesting and for his own entertainment. Minato himself also isn't annoying so that helps.]