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

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[wildc4rd]

Here, kitty, kitty. ♠

[The most horrifying thing is Hisoka's reflection appearing just off to the side in the pitcher. Hello.

run_meme.mp4]

[compendiem]

[ Sighs into the sky, because Minato smiles when he sees Hisoka's reflection, turns with one hand raised by his face, and goes ]

Nya.

[ Just like how Akane taught him. ]

[wildc4rd]

[...........oh. He pauses,

and then he actually chuckles.]

The look isn't complete unless you paint your face like one.

[compendiem]

Hmm... That'd be a pain to wash off. Maybe just the whiskers?

[ He hands Hisoka his life the brush. ]

Could you?

[wildc4rd]

[In one hand, he takes the brush. In the other, he takes Minato's jaws and chin, curling his nails. It'd be easy to break, but he doesn't.

He gives Minato some whiskers, the dotted pores for them, and a little nose, taking his time.]

Done. ♦

[compendiem]

[ He tries hard not to wrinkle his nose while Hisoka paints his face; it's colder than he'd thought, somewhat ticklish and uncomfortable, and he squeezes his eyes shut so he isn't tempted to move.

Which is a bad idea because he struggles to open them again. Being a cat just makes him feel sleepy, which isn't anything too different from the norm, but man does he just want to find a sunspot and sleep. ]

[wildc4rd]

[Oh ho, a sleepy cat. What a shame. He has not let go of Minato's face just yet, instead opting to watch. That won't do.

He lets go, but drags the nails under Minato's chin once or twice before pulling away.]

Wake up.

[compendiem]

[ He opens his eyes, and lets his nose scrunch up now, because that tickles. Stifling a yawn, he turns and stares at his reflection again, trying to make out the face paint on the curved surface. ]

Too bad it doesn't come with a tail... Guess I'll be a bobcat for the night.

[wildc4rd]

[He watches Minato look over the reflection.]

I’m afraid I can’t paint one of those. Maybe you can ask Lune or Sol.

[compendiem]

[ He wonders if they can, if there's nothing to draw on. Except maybe his backside. And maybe he doesn't want to talk about this anymore. ]

Does yours come off?

[ He touches his cheek, where Hisoka's tear drop and star is. Is that face paint or are they permanently tattooed there, he needs to know. ]

[wildc4rd]

[Minato is very much in luck. The star and the teardrop are, indeed, missing. Also, his hair is down. Uwah! A totally different person.

He puts two fingers to his cheeks with both hands, mimicking Minato, and then he smiles knowingly.]

Now you see them. Now you don't.

[compendiem]

[ Hisoka had the option of not having those things on his face, but instead he's like this. ]

Oh... I sorta miss them. They make you distinctively you.

[ aka how am I supposed to know who my clown senpai is if you don't have facepaint on? what if axel decides to wear his hair down too?? ]

[wildc4rd]

[He is just like this, yes. All the time.]

Don't worry. They'll be back. I'm fond of them. [He's also Extra and showy garbage.] They remind me of being in the circus.

[compendiem]

Were you in the circus before? As a juggler? ...Did you get to pet the lions?

[ Minato's never seen a circus before and doesn't know much about them, but he knows one thing and that's that every good circus has a lion. He might be a little jealous right now, in anticipation. ]

[wildc4rd]

When I was a child.

[He pretends to reminisce briefly.] I learned juggling. It wasn't too hard. I became the lead juggler. [After, like, fucking with the other one and making him mess up in front of a crowd so he'd leave forever. It's fine.] Ah.

Yes, there were lions.

[compendiem]

[ What a memory... Minato will imagine something much more innocent, involving lots of practice and hard work and a well earned achievement. ]

I think I'd like taking care of the lions. In the circus... you get to make people laugh and smile. That sort of skill is amazing.

[wildc4rd]

[Oh, it was well earned? Promise. He watched an elaborate, very fast juggling act, like, once and memorized it. And then he ruined someone's day because they were rude to him.]

Why take care of lions when you can tame the audience looking like a kitten? [He hums.] Laughing and smiling... Hm.

Nothing is better than their surprise.

[compendiem]

[ ...Honestly that is a lot more impressive than what Minato was imagining. ]

Is that why you juggle with knives instead of bowling pins?

[wildc4rd]

Something like that. [For a moment, he looks thoughtful, and then he gives a wistful sigh.] The look on their faces... The shock and the fear... They want the worst because it can't be real. They're so determined to see it all go bad.

It really gets me excited... when they're looking at you that way.

And then you prove them wrong, and they're amazed. But I haven't been in the circus for a long time.

[compendiem]

[ Minato gives him somewhat of a blank look, because while he can very clearly imagine the astonishment and tension of an audience holding their breath, it's a bit harder to imagine feeling those same feelings.

What does shock feel like? What does fear feel like. Excitement.

Like putting that gun to his head and pulling the trigger, he imagines. ]

It's thrilling, isn't it... staring death in the face, having people react to that. Why did you leave?

[wildc4rd]

Yes.

[Eyes alight, he peers at Minato over the grin on his lips. Someone gets him? Amazing.] People’s fear is something I can almost taste. [What an interesting boy!]

I learned what I needed. I was getting bored.

[compendiem]

[ He wants to ask what fear tastes like, curious and somewhat disappointed in that he suspects it isn't literal. ]

I kinda get that. The feeling that there's nothing more for you, in a place. Here, though... Have you learned anything new here? Are you bored here?

[wildc4rd]

The people are interesting... for now. I suppose I can wait to see what happens. It’s a game, after all. We’re learning how it works.

[He’s still amused and smiling.]

I was growing a bit bored until today. Were you?

[compendiem]

[ Is it a game... Well, life is a game; it's best to think of it that way, to not get caught up with the end but to enjoy the process.

Minato shakes his head. ]

I've been keeping busy. Meeting people, learning new things. Suffocating on a mountainside. I did get to practice more with the knives, though.

[wildc4rd]

[One very arched eyebrow rises at "suffocating on a mountainside" because???]

Ah, what a good kitten. I like your spirit. [Delectable.] Air is thinner the higher you go. Is that how you got in trouble...?