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]

[ Minato casts his eyes down for a moment, because he already said he didn't get to see it. But he knows what it would have been like, having had a taste of it all throughout the year, people becoming the Lost and losing all sense of self and will to live. ]

...Zombie apocalypse.

[ It's not wrong. Everybody becomes mindless zombies. It's to be that sort of death. ]

[specialdog]

That sounds scary.

[ Granted, she's thinking of your typical hollywood zombie apocalypse, but... Still. ]

I'm glad you came here, instead. It's better to run away, sometimes.

[ Not that he had any say in it? ]

[compendiem]

[ He's silent for a moment, arms relaxing around her hoodie. Is it better to run away? It feels a little bit like it, giving in at the very end, after spending all month to decide it was the best decision for everybody involved. ]

I guess I'm still not sure I made the right decision.

[ He shrugs helplessly, and hands back her jacket. ]

But what's done is done, so I'll only look forward.

[specialdog]

You're here, aren't you? You're alive. So that means it was right.

Why would you stay in a world like that? This one isn't great either, but it makes sense to leave one that isn't worth it.

[ She takes her jacket back and just. Holds it instead of putting it back on. ]

[compendiem]

[ ...Yeah. He had a team back there, classmates, a dog... but it wasn't as if they were very close friends. He'd only known most of them for a couple months, fought with them more than he hung out with them, and that world was... exhausting. ]

At least I'm alive, huh...?

[ He sighs, and looks up at her. ]

Do you think it's stupid if I just went to go live in the mountains?

[ He wouldn't bother anybody, nobody would bother him, that mountain is so difficult to climb that nobody in their right mind would trek up or down it for the sake of murder, so it's safe?? ]

[specialdog]

Mm-hmm. [ She nods. ] You're alive.

[ Akane looks like she's genuinely thinking it over. What's wrong with running away from society? It sucks. But also, she's mildly concerned that he means now, and not, like, a hypothetical. ]

What, and be a hermit? You can be a hermit from in your own home, you don't need to go up into dangerous mountains for it.

[compendiem]

[ He means right now, for real, yeah. ]

...I guess that's true. You can be surrounded by people, and still feel alone. But I think Kazuaki would be worried, 'cause there was a time where he used to live like that.

[specialdog]

[ Yeah, she thought as much.

Akane's eyes dart away. Haha... Living like a hermit... (It's fine, she still goes to school. It's fine. It's fine.) ]

Mm, we had to practice introductions. [ her and Kazuaki, she means. But, more importantly: ]

... I think all of us want to kind of keep an eye on each other, you know? How are you supposed to look after me if you run off like that? I told you needed you, didn't I?

[ Why would you betray me like that? Wow. ]

[compendiem]

We could elope together.

[ A bad joke. He shakes his head and sets his shoulders back a little. ]

You're right, though. I promised to look after you, and I will. Besides, it's... hard living without people, even if people themselves are difficult sometimes. I think I'll manage.

[specialdog]

[ Hm.

Akane nods. ]

It's hard to be alone. It's hard to be around people, too. But it's harder to be alone, so all we can do is try to be careful about who we spend our time with.

[compendiem]

Yeah. That's what I've been finding out too.

[ Except his strategy is sort of more... spray and pray. Spread himself thin to as many people as possible, see who doesn't hate him, and then stick with them. The closest thing to friends he had back home were an elderly couple who occasionally forget his name. ]

I like spending time with you, though. So I'm glad I'm not alone here.

[specialdog]

I like spending time with you, too. I'm glad that you're here.

[ She... Offers her hand out? They still need to explore or get out of this place, maybe they can... Hold hands while they do? uwu ]

We don't have to be alone.

[compendiem]

[ owo;;;;; fear

Minato smiles and takes her hand; it's definitely warmer than her jacket, though his remains cold even after being out of the freezer for so long already. ]

Thanks, Akane.