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

[compendiem]

[ That's a good question, and one that makes Minato pause. He wants to climb it because it's there? It's a reason, but he doesn't know if it's a good one. ]

...The sunset's really pretty from the peak. If possible, I'd like to see that sight again. Before... you know.

[nonbelligerent]

That's true.

[a beat.]

Do you actually know how to drive, though?

[compendiem]

Yeah. I drove the tractor a while ago, but I dunno if it can make it up a mountain.

[ He'd driven it into the gate. He crashed it into the gate. but the important part is, he'd driven it. ]

[nonbelligerent]

[that sounds concerning but okay.]

Well, jeep or not, if you ever want to climb the mountain again, let me know. I can come with you.

[compendiem]

Really? Can you give piggyback rides?

[ That's the level of help Minato would need, not just a shoulder to lean on and moral support. ]

[nonbelligerent]

I'm not as strong here as I usually am, but probably.

[minato... doesn't look very heavy...]

[compendiem]

[ He isn't very heavy, but he might feel exponentially heavier going up a mountain. ]

I'd appreciate the lift, someday. Are you... Did you used to live in a citadel?

[nonbelligerent]

[he tilts his head in confusion.]

[compendiem]

I'll... take that as a no, then. Thought maybe you lived where Four used to. She said the same thing, about not being as strong here as she usually is.

[nonbelligerent]

I don't think we're from the same world.

But it looks like many of us are in the same boat.

[compendiem]

Yeah, that's how it seems... What was your world like, Shess? What do you miss about it most?

[nonbelligerent]

It's hard to answer that exactly. There are many realms and planets, after all, and I've done a fair bit of traveling.

As for what I miss most...

[he has to think about this for a few moments.]

There was a child I was looking after. I suppose I miss her the most.

[compendiem]

[ Both of those are much different answers than what he was expecting. For Minato, his world has largely shrunk to the size of his bedroom- his bed- and he wouldn't have considered other planets, let alone cities. But more than that, what Shess misses most is a person...

He looks down at his hands, idly tearing the bread apart into smaller chunks. ]

I see... I can't do anything about that, besides try harder to get you all home. Was hoping to hear something that I could help with, to make this place feel more like home, but...

[ Nobody can stand in for another person. ]

[nonbelligerent]

[he doesn't miss certain choices in wording, but he won't bring it up.]

Thank you. That's kind of you.

But I'm used to being away from home, so it doesn't bother me.

[compendiem]

[ Better to not bring it up, than yell at him for it like someone's already done. ]

It might not bother you, but anything to make this place more comfortable isn't bad, right? Miki was telling me, there's a difference between surviving and living... It'd be nice if we could live as happily as we could, here.

[nonbelligerent]

I suppose. Still, like I said, I travel a lot. So, if anything, it's interesting to see new scenery.

Besides, the mountain area is already similar to my home.

[compendiem]

[ He didn't get to see much of the mountain area, just remembers being exhausted and lightheaded and he might have stared directly at the sun for a couple seconds too long. But he remembers a cool breeze, warm colors against a darkening sky, quiet and solitude... ]

...Have you ever experienced anything like this on your travels? Entities like the "darkness"?

[nonbelligerent]

Where I'm from, darkness is just another element.

Though I've dealt with psychological transcendentals that do things similar to what the corruption did to Mary.

[compendiem]

[ Well... darkness is just a name. If there's something similar to it, then that's all that really matters. ]

How do you deal with them? Do you think the same method would work here...?

[nonbelligerent]

One common method is to overcome what it tries to throw at you—your insecurities, trauma, etc. Get hit with them often enough and you'll eventually build up a resistance.

But in the end, transcendentals are merely abilities of other living beings, no matter how powerful. I'd say the corruption here is probably a little different.

[compendiem]

[ Huh... He wouldn't mind being put through the wringer like that, but to ask others to go through the same thing to build up resistance sounds a bit much. He rubs at the back of his neck, thinking... ]

...Have you been able to build up resistance?

[nonbelligerent]

Yes.

Though of course, I wouldn't be surprised if things operate by different rules here.

[so it might not work here ): ]

[compendiem]

[ It makes sense that things would be different, but that's not why he asked. He was just being nosy. ]

So you've had to face that a lot. Insecurities and traumas... Must've been tough.

[ But he came out of it okay. Calm and kind and reassuring. Not like Minato himself, who's only lived 17 short years, and he's so tired. ]

[nonbelligerent]

A lot happens when you've lived for a while. That kind of thing isn't uncommon in my society, anyway.

[compendiem]

[ That's even more concerning..... why is that uncommon, that's terrible ]

How many years have you lived for, Shess?