week five: mingle

[cyclists]

Week Five
22 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 Lune who speaks up first this time.

"Good morning, good morning. You've done well to purge the corruption in the previous gateway - allow us to assist with the finishing touches. For the time being, it would appear as though we've been able to locate another. I would not grow complacent, but I also wonder if you all might enjoy the surprise."

When Lune finishes, Sol chimes in from their place at Lune's side.

"Maybe we can have another week like the last. It'd be nice, wouldn't it? Good luck out there."

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 begin to see odd mirages and hear voices calling for them. Even though they might not realize it, these phantoms that will be haunting them will be their partner's most important person, calling for them to come home. Partners will only be able to see each other's illusions if they make physical contact.



Welcome to your week five mingle! As a reminder, murder proposals are open. We will also be having another CYOA this week! Sign ups are here and will close on Tuesday at 8 AM PST.

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

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Comments

[globs]

[ they sort of hesitate there. Should they follow him? Maybe it would be weird if they followed him. It might be creepy. They don't want him to think they're creepy and weird, even if they know it's probably true - someone has a nice opinion of them, for once, and they don't want to ruin it. ]

Just think a little bit before you do things. I know you're young, but you're an adult human, so you should know better.

[ sort of awkwardly continuing conversation as he turns to go. ]

[compendiem]

[ —that makes him laugh in surprise, stopping and turning where he stands. ]

I'm not an adult human. Not yet.

[ HE'S A DUMBASS CHILD. HE'S FIVE. ]

[globs]

... You aren't?

[ they're sure the book they were reading said humans reached maturity in their late teens!! ]

[compendiem]

[ Cinnabar, stop reading books in this game, books in this game are cursed. ]

Well... it depends on what you mean by "adult," I guess. It's usually just an arbitrary number of years everybody agrees on. But whether you're older or younger than that number, people aren't that different. So I guess it's sort of pointless.

[ Humans make everything needlessly complicated, news at 11. ]

[globs]

Then you are.

[ MINATO is making everything complicated!! Hesitantly, they take a few steps after him. Maybe they'll follow?!? ]

Stop getting yourself hurt, then.

[compendiem]

[ He's what, an adult, or pointless, or both (he's both)

But he looks happy for the company anyways, slowing just a bit for Cinnabar to catch up before resuming his walk back to his house. ]

I can't promise that I won't, but I can promise that I'm trying... Maybe I just have bad luck.

[globs]

Maybe. You keep doing dangerous things, too, though. Like with my leg, before. I bet all your other injuries came from things like that, too.

[compendiem]

[ Well... sort of. He tries to think of all the other times he's gotten injured, and how many times it was for the sake of somebody else, how many times it was just him being stupid and people have been right, he really just doesn't care whether he lives or dies. ]

...If I can help out in any way, I wouldn't mind getting injured all the time. If I can do something for the sake of others, then it's worth it. That's what I think.

[globs]

[ Ugh. It reminds them of themself, except with one critical difference: ]

It's not like you have to get hurt to help the others. You're probably being more of a burden by getting all beaten up like that. Making us worry about you.

[compendiem]

I hear that a lot... I guess I don't think about it, 'cause I usually just stay on my own, after. If nobody sees me, they won't worry.

[globs]

They'll still worry when they see you. They're probably worrying even more when they can't, with your track record.

[ Cinnabar certainly assumes he's getting into trouble if he's mysteriously absent. ]

[compendiem]

[ Yeah... Tuesday was a thing, but nobody has to know about the CYOA. ]

I guess. But in a place like this, there's so much other stuff to worry about. More important stuff. So I don't want that time and energy wasted, worrying about me.

:gun:

[globs]

You're...

[ a pause; then, they shake their head, flushing slightly. ]

Nevermind. You can think whatever you want - I don't care. Just try a little harder. I don't know how to fix you if you get broken.

[compendiem]

[ Nobody has to know about Friday either............... ]

...Human bodies, when they break, generally heal with time. You can help by making sure everything is in place, and by covering anything that's bleeding. Eating well, resting well, those sort of things are how you fix somebody.

[ Not that he follows any of those suggestions. Not that it'll help him be put back together again. ]

[globs]

In other words, it's entirely in your hands.

[ an exasperated sigh. ]

You're a troublesome one...

[compendiem]

At least, here, it is.

[ Back home... as much as he can call it 'home,' anyways, he could do so much more than what he can do here and now. He could do a lot more terrible things, too, be more reckless, because he could always heal himself or rely on somebody else to do so for him. ]

It's okay to fall break and fall apart, for me, in my case. Since I'm not going to be running around climbing stairs anymore. So long as I can breathe and think and communicate, it's enough for me.

[globs]

Don't be stupid. Someone would have to carry you around everywhere. Just because it's enough for you doesn't mean it's fine, you know.

[ a beat. ]

Why don't you care more? Doesn't it hurt?

[compendiem]

[ Oh. Like Shirasu, huh. Apparently it was too much of a trouble to wheel him around everywhere, that people just left him in his house ): Minato will go take him out for some fresh air sometime. ]

Less than others, probably. And... well. This is going to sound stupid. But pain is sort of like proof that I'm alive, or something.

[ When you're emotionally and physically numb, you try to hang onto those sorts of things. He knows it's not right. ]

[globs]

[ hmm. where have they heard this before. ]

I don't feel pain, you know. [ just SAYING. but also: ] Did you hear that from the one with the painted face? He said the same thing to try and get a rise out of me.

[ they mean hisoka ]

[compendiem]

Hm? No, it's just something I always thought. But pain isn't just physical pain. There's emotional pain too. Being sad at things, being angry, frustration, betrayal, that's all part of being alive.

[ All those things, Minato can't feel very much either. But if pain is a basis for living, Hisoka neglected a huge half of it. ]

[globs]

... That's fairly philosophical for someone who says he's not even fully mature yet.

[ maybe minato, too, is a master of overthinking... ]

[compendiem]

...You think so?

[ There's a small smile on his face, amused, because— like he always claims— he just says whatever comes to mind. People either stare at him weirdly for saying weird stuff like this, or they stare at him weirdly for saying weird things... ]

I guess it's something I've had to think about for a long time. I've had a long time to put the thought into words. Get them to sound right.

[globs]

[ The longest amount of time he could be talking about is 17 years, which doesn't sound long at all to them... but for a human, they suppose it's longer. They sigh silently through their nose, averse, as ever, to giving a straight compliment. ]

Don't get a big head over it or anything.

[compendiem]

[ He laughs, a breath out through his nose as he glances off to the side. ]

It's the opposite, isn't it? Having to spend so long trying to find the right words...

[ When others are capable of holding a conversation so easily. It's not like back home where he could just stay silent... People get pissed at him if he doesn't talk; he's got a week of that sort of experience. ]

[globs]

No. People who chatter aimlessly don't usually have anything good to say.

[ they prefer quieter people - unsurprisingly. Trying to make conversation is very stressful for them. ]