week zero: mingle

[cyclists]

Week Zero
32 in Competition

On Monday morning, the sun rises on the sleepy village, and when the first ray of light touches the gates at each corner of the village, the previously tightly sealed doors open.

The barriers around the village fall, and leave it entirely open. Each cardinal direction will have a path exiting the village, taking the curious explorers who follow it on an adventure to new territories to be explored. They’ll find that each location that they arrive in appears to be associated with one of the elements. As the Signs had explained the day before, each of the participants in the game possesses an elemental assignment, whether they are aware of it or not.

When they approach the elemental areas, they’ll find themselves more in tune with their new powerset, as if the location invites them to take them out for a spin. The new areas appear to be perfect for training and learning how to use the new skills, or maybe if you’re curious you can discover which of those listed powers you’ve been granted.

Just try not to hurt yourself while you’re out there.

In addition, it seems now that more pieces of the core are being revealed, the river that runs through the village will begin to be dotted with small lanterns floating on the water. Some of them seem to be holding small notes. Try as you might to grab one, they’ll always just barely float out of reach.

Perhaps try sending one yourself and see what results you might get?

Occasionally in the village, you might hear the sound of drums and flutes - is that festival music? - though no matter how you search, you can’t find the source… yet.



Welcome to your tutorial week mingle log! Please see all the links within the log to check out the new updates. In addition, your status page has been updated. In case you missed it, please report all item theft to this top-level where all comments are screened. Private conversations are also open and should be reported under the Week 0 top-level.

A mini-event will also be posted on Wednesday, June 5th, so please keep an eye out for that!

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Comments

[yokeye]

I don't remember if my school had something like that; it probably did!

[He shrugs. He didn't really... attend very often.]

I do think so~! You're very sweet and positive!

[His smile falters a little when the topic gets back to ghosts.]

Yeah, they're... around. Like once, there was a whole pathway thing full of them, a ghost road! It was creepy!

[daibanana]

[Sorry, buddy, Nana looks both impressed and intrigued by this topic, and turns to him with a twinkle in her eye]

Is that something only you can see? Or can everyone from your town see ghosts?

[yokeye]

Oh, well that's a long story, kind of...

[Which he will tell her.]

Okay! So I failed a history test and I had to do this like make up essay on some virtual reality historical exhibit at the museum or whatever but it like came to life or there was a portal maybe or I don't really know, but suddenly there was a demon and it ripped my eye out, like actually ripped it out and stuff, but when I woke up it was there there; the eye, not the demon, and I couldn't see out of it like normally, but I can see ghosts with it and like some other people can there, but there isn't my home really like it's some other place and that's where the ghosts are, not in the like real world or the world I came from originally! Does that make sense!?

[daibanana]

No, not really.

[SORRY FOR THE HONESTY]

But if you say it happened, then I believe you.

... And no wonder you're so nervous at the thought of ghosts.

[This poor guy got his eye ripped out? Like yikes, that's some hardcore origin story.]

[yokeye]

If there are ghost children, maybe I'll see them coming~!

[So awkward.]

So, tell me more about yourself, Daiba-san~!

[daibanana]

Me?

[Looking. tripped up by the interest. She honestly wasn't expecting this sudden shift in topic]

Well... I'm currently attending Seisho's Music Academy. We study all types of theatre performance and production there.

[yokeye]

Theatre~! That's great, Daiba-san~! I bet you're the star of the show; you have the face for it~!

[daibanana]

[... poking at her cheek a little bit, as if trying to verify the truth of this statement.]

I try my best~ But no, there are many more talented girls than me. I'm more suited to script writing, I think.

[yokeye]

Oh? What was your last play about~!? Romance, tragedy, comedy?

[daibanana]

... A tragedy.

[Voice softening, though it's in fondness]

Have you ever heard of a play called "Starlight?"

[yokeye]

I haven't. Is it really sad?

[He hasn't seen many, or any, plays.]

[daibanana]

Yes, very bittersweet.

It's about two goddesses who are friends, but one loses her memory after an accident. The other goddess, desperate, takes her friend to reach the stars in the sky, said to grant any miracle.

... But it ends in a disaster. The light of the stars are too blinding, and one of the goddesses is struck down, never to see her friend again. The play ends with them separated forever.

[yokeye]

[That hits too close to home for Toki. His friend having forgotten him after a tragic event Toki himself accidentally set in place. Like Nana's play, in the end, because he's here; they're separated forever as well.]

Such a heartbreaking play...

[That's all he gets out before the tears start.]

They tried so hard to remain together despite adversity and it was all for nothing! It's just awful! Those poor goddesses!

[And now he's sobbing.]

[daibanana]

[She can't begin to imagine how much Toki empathizes with the play, and so Nana is just. struck dumb by the sudden onslaught of tears. Oooh dear, this is not what she expected]

Rikugou-san... It's okay. It's a play, after all. Sometimes they don't have happy endings.

[Mmmm mentally fumbling before she finally goes to pat him on the shoulder, an attempt to cheer him up]

[yokeye]

I kn-know, but it's still horrible!

[He's very emotional and distraught; both for his own similar situation, and the play goddesses themselves. Things just... get to him. As Nana approaches, he tries to pull her in for a hug.]

[daibanana]

[WHELP she supposes they're going to hug now.

And though initially startled, she will reach over and pat at his back]

... You know, sometimes if an ending makes me upset, I try to think up a better one for the story.

[yokeye]

M-maybe an ending where the stars were just sparkling and not too bright and they gave the goddess her memory back and they lived happily ever after?

[He sniffles into her banana pigtails.]

[daibanana]

There you go! That's a perfect ending.

[Pat pat pat, this poor kid. To think he teared up because of the ending to a play. No wonder ghosts give him hives]

You should be a script doctor, Rikugou-san~

[yokeye]

[He pulls away from Nana with one last sniffle, and wipes his eyes.]

I'd give every one of them happy endings!

[daibanana]

That's very sweet of you.

[she can relate in her own way.]

... Are you feeling better, now?

[yokeye]

Yes, I'm okay now, Daiba-san!

[Though he won't be asking about any more of her plays. With all the distraction, he's managed to block out the music and it's now background noise.]

What were we going to do; go to the hot springs?

[daibanana]

-- Yep!

[OBVIOUSLY. That was the plan all along.

Trust the banana, she never lies]

You said you'd show me them!

[yokeye]

Okay!

[Direction chosen, hopefully it leads to the hot springs. Amazingly, it does. The path of dirt turning to stone and then the hot springs are visible; steam slowly rising from the surface of the water.]

[daibanana]

Ah... we're here!

[The only other place she hasn't explored while being here, so there is a great deal of intrigue in her eyes when they arrive. She turns to her companion with a smile]

You said you've been here before?

[yokeye]

[He returns her smile and shakes his head.]

No. I was going to because someone said I should take my lizard there since it would be warm and I started to go, but then I got distracted by something, and then well, lost, and then I heard the music and found you, so I never actually got to the hot springs the first time!

[He takes off his shoes and then stands at the edge of the closest pool, dipping one toe in. It's so clear, and he makes little ripples across the water.]