subdivided | week zero: mingle

week zero: mingle

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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Maybe both?

... Can we control both?

[That's a question to definitely ask at a later date. But anyways--]

I don't want to fight anything myself... but if we don't, does that mean we have to stay here longer?

I don't think I've tried controlling more than one. [This flat-out didn't occur to him.] I don't see why we can't try, especially if they're close together.

But I've wondered that, too. We don't know how long we'll be here even if we do fight though.

Mm... that's true.

[She deflates slightly, looking back to the clothes she'd been so eager to wear, and now... this. The idea that she's going to be stuck here isn't exactly the most heartwarming]

I don't even know why the universe chose me. Unless I can sing and dance my way to victory, I don't think I'll be of much help.

[...whoops.]

It could still help. Everyone has a skill that works for a bigger picture. [Or at least that's what he thinks because of how shoujo manga works.] Didn't they give us an amphitheater? Maybe they knew you were coming.

Oh -- they did.

[Honestly good on Kaoru because Nana had completely forgotten about the amphitheater. The idea that it was made for her (or at least, anyone with her skill set) does a lot to take the edge off.

Almost immediately, she perks back up again]

Haha, well. Maybe I can always put on a show for you guys if we're here for a while.

[Kaoru, a boy who knows how to change the subject and keep the peace tbh. He nods along because it makes enough sense.]

I think people would like that. A lot of them probably have never seen a play before or anything. We'll even find you the perfect costume.

Oooh, is Hitachiin-chan good with clothes?

I guess so. [Pretending to be modest doesn't suit him, actually, because he carries on with an air of confidence.] We have a lot of costumes we use for our club, and our mother's the CEO and chief designer of her own line. She's been teaching us for a while.

... Oh my~

[WHAT A FLEX, KAORU]

With all that experience, I'm just imagining everything you could teach our production department.

And what kind of club are you in? Drama?

You think? [No, don't tell him that.] It does sound like an interesting challenge.

[There's a shake of his head.] It's nothing like that. The Host Club has been in operation for a few years, but we're on hiatus right now.

... Host?

[Listen she is as Japanese as he and that's the first time Nana has ever heard of a Host Club]

Yeah. [It could be worse.] After school, we invite girls from our academy to visit with us while we entertain them with events, parties, and tea. There are several types of hosts in the club, so they can request whichever suits their fancy.

[A tap to his chin in thought.] I wonder which type you would pick.

[He's leaving out a lot to his description, but. Starting slow seems ideal.]

I wouldn't pick any type.

[KINDA BLUNT TBH]

Being the host sounds like more fun to me. It's like putting on a performance, no?

I see. [MESSAGE RECEIVED LOUD AND CLEAR, NANA.] It is pretty fun...our president and vice president come up with themes from around the world for us to present to our guests with costumes and customs, so we actually do a lot of research to get the part right beforehand. And in a way, yeah, we act a certain way for our guests because that's what they're expecting.

[Acting for the host club isn't too hard really.] It's been nice to have.

It reminds me of my drama club back in middle school.

[Which might explain the fond expression she wears at Kaoru explains]

And when my class at the academy performed "Starlight"! It took so much work and preparation, but it was worth it for the final product.

A drama club does sound fun...[Musing. He wonders how things would have been if he had ever joined another club, but maybe it's silly to think about. He knows he never would have, just like Hikaru never would have, and it's a miracle they joined the host club at all. Though his curiosity's piqued for a moment.]

Starlight? I don't believe I've heard of that one.

It's a good play, despite being a tragedy.

["Despite", she says, and that probably says plenty for her preferences.]

It's about two goddesses who become friends, but one ends up losing her memory. Desperate to return them, the first goddess takes her friend to the pinnacle of a tower where it's said they can reach the stars, capable of granting wishes.

On the way, they meet other goddesses -- those who had been imprisoned in the tower -- and the two friends are mocked and scorned for their audacity to reach the stars. But they don't listen. Eventually, they climb their way to the very top.

[... Her smile dwindles some]

But it turns out, the other goddesses were right. Wishing on the stars was fruitless. And so, while the second's goddess's memories come back, the first is struck down, blinded by the light, and disappeared. The friends were separated as the stars keep twinkling for eternity.

[Well that went dark. And yet Kaoru's listening and taking that in for the moment.]

You're right, it does sound like a tragedy. [But not necessarily a bad one.] I have to wonder how many of us would be like the two goddesses and who would be like the imprisoned. A story about hope and about hopelessness is a hard thing to balance, but those are also the best ones.

[He doesn't explain why.] And anyway it's about the same level as Shakespeare, so it does sound like it would be fun to perform.

[If Nana has any thoughts about the duality of hope and hopelessness in the story, well. She keeps it to herself for now, just nodding along to Kaoru's musings]

It was! I was the goddess of Despair during our performance.

[Her smile grows fond, soft during her reminiscing]

Performing with my classmates... it was the happiest time of my life.

It's hard to think of you as someone called Despair, you realize. [It'd be like calling Honey-senpai a king of darkness...] They're still your classmates now, aren't they? Have you performed with them since?

Hehe, is that so?

[Looking a mixture of proud and mischievous, god.]

Don't worry, I'm a good actress! I can pull of Despair when the script calls for it.

[And then her... smile flinches ever so slightly.]

... Not yet. We're going to redo the performance of Starlight. Every class will do the same play three times to show their progress and budding talent, so this would be our second time.

I don't doubt that part, at least. [It's still hard to imagine really, but Nana being a good actress also wouldn't shock him. She does attend a specialty school for that sort of thing. It would make sense. But he catches that look and raises an eyebrow just slightly.]

I've never heard of a class that repeats the same performance, but if it's for comparison you kind of have to. So you would be Despair again?

Not necessarily.

We can try out for new parts, so I could very well be one of the leads ... if I auditioned.

[A small shrug. Her eyes turn to the side for a moment]

I wouldn't mind being Despair a second time, though. I guess since I've performed it once already, it sort of feels like my part.

When you say it like that it sounds both admirable and depressing. [Just saying.] But there's something to be said about comfort in a role. How would you improve your performance?

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