Week 1

[linkupmods]

WEEK 1

AWAKENING.

You were taken. That much is obvious when you come to your senses and see the world around you. You feel a little groggy – just how long were you asleep for? – but you should otherwise be alert, enough to realize that the surrounding area is unfamiliar to you. You are in front of what appears to be a modern dormitory (or, well, just a large building, for anyone who's never quite seen anything like it before). The area is decorated with balloons, streamers and other miscellaneous decorations with a giant "WELCOME" banner spanning across the front entrance.

You have a moment to look at the people around you. Strangers. No one here looks familiar to you whatsoever. Furthermore, it feels like there is something stirring in your heart, waiting to be brought to light, waiting to speak your truth...

You might need more time to let that sink in, but that time is interrupted by a voice.

"Oh wow it actually worked- Um, I mean! Hello!"

The speaker is a short, plain-looking young woman with dark hair in a bob cut, her hand raised to catch everyone’s attention.


"Welcome to Sunset City! The goddess Braphine needs your help, so she’s called all of you here to fix this place. Fortunately, it should only take about three months of cooperation, I think? Probably. So...

Welcome to your new home away from home!"

The young woman - Mina - goes on to explain the current situation: everyone here has been summoned by the goddess of community and connection, Braphine, in order to rebuild the connections of the people of Sunset City. Lately, the people have become more and more isolated from each other, getting into fights and arguments over the pettiest of details.

While Mina doesn’t know the details, exactly, what she does know is that the goddess instructed her to prepare these dorms for residents ("that’s you!") and to more or less act as her representative. Mina will also note that everyone’s dorm rooms have already been labeled with their names, and that the goddess has deigned to gift some in particular with the means to defend themselves - which is to say, when characters do eventually make it to their dorm rooms, those who did not arrive with one will find their gifted weapon waiting for them with their name handwritten on a tag attached to the item.

For now, people can use their phones to access an app that will allow them to see any currently open commissions - complete the commissions, and they will not only help the community, but also earn money and rewards! And if your character doesn’t know how to operate a phone, well... Mina will patiently guide them through the process, don’t you worry.

If your character has any other questions, they may talk to her at the party, or otherwise contact her via phone!

WELCOME PARTY.

After speaking with Mina, you may have an idea of what you're supposed to be doing here. Things don't have to be all work, though, because despite the state of the city, you are allowed to have fun and get to know one another.

Mina has graciously set up a welcome party for everyone, which will have refreshments inside and outside the dorm, and games available for people to partake in throughout the day at their own leisure! Indoors, there are a variety of board games for you to mess around with. Outside, there's a pool, basketball and tennis court set up with appropriate equipment. Of course, you aren't limited to just those, as there's a small open field at the dormitory where you can play ball in other ways, too. Interestingly enough, there are also some training dummies available for you to use...maybe to put your weapons to use?

Don't forget about the arts and crafts section inside, either, where nametags are laid out for you to create your own (or others')! You can also use this section to create decorations for the dormitory, your room, or even something to give to a fellow dorm mate.

EXPLORE.

You're free to explore the town, too, at your own leisure, to get used to your new home. The city is bustling with people, but for some reason, many of the residents don't have good vibes. They seem unsettled, unhappy for whatever reason. It's not pleasant, but nobody will go out of their way to bother you, unless you trip into them or initiate pvp yourself.…The random trash scattered around various parts of town might make it hard to avoid the former, though. Be careful not to trip on a banana peel, a stray canister, or even something as large as a throwaway tire on the side of the street. The residents will not react positively if you try to interact with them in any capacity.

That being said, for all that the city seems gloomy at a first glance, there is surprisingly an advertisement for a go-kart racing contest coming up in three weeks, and the go-karts are two seaters! The flyers posted around town read that this is a competition for pairs; the driver's seat (left) has a gas pedal, and the passenger's seat (right) has the brake. Looks like the events are being hosted by one of the popular arcades in town, too. Even so, there are prizes for first, second, and third place; the grand prize consists of a good amount of cash, a trophy, and one (1) free night at one of the hotels in Carnation Court for both people. Why not team up with someone and enter the competition, or just find some people to practice with?

(OOC: Please see our OOC section for sign up details.)

NETWORK.

So, about those phones...there's a non-zero chance that you may post your live thoughts onto the network without meaning to. Likewise, you may also unwillingly comment on someone's post with your thoughts while reading it. Yes, this phone grabs from your psyche, for better or worse! Well, mostly worse, but oh well. There isn't a fix for this "bug" just yet, but you can still use the network intentionally! Just don't be surprised if you get a bunch of notifications for a post you didn't even know you made.

COMMISSIONS

TOP MODELS

A local boutique is looking for people to model their clothing, but they plan on taking group photos instead of single shots. This will be a summer-themed photoshoot with summer outfits (not necessarily swimsuits!), and the photographer (who is cranky, sorry) plans on encouraging all kinds of interactions between their subjects for some unique photos. Participants will be able to keep the outfits they wore for the photoshoot! How nice.

CLEANUP

You've seen the questionable state of the city streets. Should you feel like doing your part by cleaning up some of the trash, you may find something valuable hidden in all the rubble. And who knows? Maybe some of the residents might actually respond kindly to your efforts... (Cleaning up can unearth things like jewelry; collector's items; small, old electronics -- just to give you an idea! Go wild.)

PVP ENABLED

Basketball, volleyball, soccer match anyone? Monopoly? Uno? Or, better yet, a sparring match with your fellow dorm mates…? Whatever you feel up for, Mina would like residents to get some friendly ("friendly") competition going in the spirit of getting to know one another.

LEAVE YOUR MARK

The arts and crafts area has a large paper canvas taped to one of the walls with a "DRAW ON ME!" post-it stuck to it. There's a lot of room to be creative with this, and yes, you will get paid for just decorating the dorms a little bit through this commission!

OOC

READ ME!!!!

• Welcome to your event log! Currently, Personas and Elements are NOT in play but you have your weapons with you regardless. These things will be unlocked when we introduce the Nekyia in Week 2.
  
• Please use the OOC PLOTTING POST for all plotting purposes. Please do not plot in Discord.
  
• If you would like to sign up for the Go-Kart Contest, please fill out the form and submit it here! There will be a follow up to this in a Week 4 mini event. :)
  
• Furthermore, we have a very big series of events we are planning to do in later weeks. We will OOCly give details and open signups early in Week 2, with the introduction of the Nekyia. Keep an eye out for that as well!
  

ic comm | inboxes | ooc comm | full nav

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Comments

[beathollow]

closed to celeste
cw panic attacks, references to emotional abuse, the bun is NOT okay

( it was raining. and suddenly, it's not. her clothes are still soaked though, and the lack of rain means she no longer has the sky shielding her from the fact that she's been crying since she ran out the door. she doesn't know these people. she doesn't- they must think she's so strange like this. mafuyu glances around. there's some her age, some not. most aren't looking at her. so why does it feel like a thousand eyes are on her?

--ah. she- she forgot to get her shoes back on. how embarrassing. she's standing here rain-soaked and crying and without her shoes, and everyone can see it- whatever mina is saying is a dull static as mafuyu just tries to hide her face in her hands and shrink down on herself. )

leave your mark!

( at some point she has gotten at least dried off, but she is still shoeless so she's rather reluctant to go out just yet. so at the dorm she stays! the welcome party is... mafuyu doesn't know. she's not prepared for this and she just wants her friends. eventually she gets shuffled along to the arts and crafts area and thinks of ena, which only helps a little.

she picks up a black crayon and sits down. by the time you find her, there's a black tree- or maybe it's a silhouette?- with full branches and everything. she's adding a single red heart-shaped apple to one of the branches. after a moment though, mafuyu offers you the box of crayons.

not really a chatty one, this one. )

clean up!

( eventually. EVENTUALLY mafuyu is in a state to go outside properly. and wow this place sucks. damn you people live like this? which is to say, mafuyu has put on a mask and gloves and is currently dragging out the next trash bag to the dumpster. )

... Please watch your step.

wildcard!

( for anything else. )

leave your mark

[emptyself]

Thanks.

[ with a small smile, soujuurou takes the box of crayons. he takes a look at how she drew the apple, and tries to emulate it as well, as he tries to draw a red apple on another branch.

though in his case, it looks more like a deformed square. ]

You're really good at drawing. Do you do it often?

[beathollow]

... Sometimes. My friends and I make music videos, but Ena is our artist. When I did solo-work I did my own illustrations, though.

( separate from the tree, she starts to draw a little brown hedgehog. )

Leave Your Mark

[kandata]

[Kirumi has been watching Mafuyu draw the tree. When she's offered the crayons, she smiles politely, taking them]

What would you like me to draw?

[...apparently Kirumi took this as a tacit request for assistance in this art endeavor]

[beathollow]

Ah...

( mafuyu looks at the apple, and then back to kirumi. she was not expecting this... )

Maybe... a fruit or flower you like? Something that represents 'you'...

[cirquedesang]

[It was night, and suddenly, it's not. Certainly, that's what allows him to notice the general state of everyone around - it's hard to pay attention to an orientation when you're worried about bursting into a pillar of flame at any moment, after all.

But he doesn't. And the young lady up front continues to drone on in what sounds like a carbon-copy of almost every orientation spiel he's heard before, and the people around him continue to be more interesting. There will be time enough to figure out what's going on in the days to come - there's only one chance to observe the state everyone has arrived in.

Unexpectedly, there's one that tugs at his heartstrings, one that has him moving through the assembled crowd and digging through his bag while he does, to pull out a heavy cape, which he drapes over the young lady's shoulders as soon as he reaches her, casually adjusting it so the hood is up over her head and she merely looks as though she's hiding in it to be warm, rather than shrinking in on herself.]

May I carry you? No need to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders alone, and you look like you're about to collapse.

[No comment on her tears, her sopping wet state, her lack of shoes. Just a question in a quiet, even tone, intended to not draw further attention to them, and an excuse offered. She could simply be exhausted, you see. No need to overthink her state.]

[beathollow]

( mafuyu jolts, head jerking up to look at the man for a moment, eyes wide like a pray animal that's been caught. its only when she blinks that his own actions catch up with her. a blanket? no, a cloak. it's soft. will the water seeping from her ruin it...?

she quietly grips the edge of the cloak and stares, unsure of what to do or say to recover from all of this- but she can't, can she? she's a mess and it's obvious.

mafuyu nods, but says nothing at the moment. )

Leave your mark

[moodwrecker]

[...

She takes a pink crayon and settles down to begin drawing.

Good talk, you two.]

[beathollow]

( pink... pink is good. its mizuki and ena colored.

mafuyu nods and adds a bit more detail to the silhouette of the tree. she doesn't add any more fruit to it, though. )

clean up

[proposed]

[ It's like walking through the slums, but the buildings are too pristine and the people too well dressed for that. Irritability isn't typically enough for one to want to live in squalor.

Dressed in the finest clothes, bandages over his face, an intimidating demeanor and a gaze that sees nothing... But he seems fine enough with kicking a wad of aluminum in someone's general direction. Fortunately for everyone it doesn't hit.

The tip of his foot hits a cigarette carton next, which he picks up and flips up before catching it... ]

Have you found any treasure yet?

[ ... And flicks the top open to reveal that it's still half full. ]

They're even throwing away their valuables.

[beathollow]

( compared to him, she must look a bit shabby; a disheveled school uniform and beat up shoes- she hasn't had the opportunity to try modeling yet, not that she's aware of the option- and a bone-deep exhaustion despite her grace.

it's enough that she almost flinches when he shows the cigarettes before she recollects herself. )

... That's... unusual. I haven't found anything of the sort yet- just litter...

( hm. this might be something to think about. )

I wonder...

clean up

[idealies]

[ Mafuyu's a smart girl. Ai probably should have brought a mask and gloves, but she didn't think ahead. She doesn't seem to mind picking up trash with her bare hands, letting out the occasional ooh and ahh of disgust. Mafuyu's warning is heard, but it's too late, Ai has stepped right into a puddle of someone's spilled drink. Her white sneakers are now brown with the stuff. ]

Ehehe. Oops.

Re: clean up

[beathollow]

We can clean it up later, I think... do you want some spare gloves? ... I might be able to find another mask for you, too.

( it's all VERY unpleasant. please love yourself, ai. )

cleanup

[idealitas]

...Were I to have heard, or heeded such advice earlier... It is appreciated though.

[ The dirt and scuffs he hasn't yet cleaned off his dark clothes would hint that he may have taken a fall earlier. It's fine, he might as well do something to prevent any future incidents like that.

Mafuyu is pretty strong, isn't she? Yi Sang isn't struggling with this either, but it's rather taxing once the bags are filled to drag them back and be properly disposed of. ]

Have you been able to find anything of value in the refuse? I've been looking for electronics, even if they're nonfunctional.

[ It's a weird way to start a conversation, admittedly. But she's been diligent at this, he might as well ask. ]

Re: cleanup

[beathollow]

I've found a book that was relatively salvageable- it just needs disinfecting, I think.

( and she's relatively sure if she can't do it, kirumi might be able to... would that be okay to ask her? she's not sure. but kirumi seem to want tasks to do...

otherwise, she's been rather unlucky with the 'treasure hunting'. but maybe that's for the best...? )

What about you...?

leave your mark

[elfemeral]

[ frieren — who's been sat down herself for quite a while with nothing so elaborate as a tree full of branches to show for it (there's nothing, actually) — glances over towards the box of crayons outstretched towards her by mafuyu. the lack of words accompanying that gesture don't really bother her, honestly, given she's not exactly a jubilant, talkative one herself.

she's silent herself, slow in the moment, until she pulls out the blue crayon in the box. ]

Thank you. Should I add to yours?

[ they did want them to connect, right? though that may be taking the task too literally... ]

Re: leave your mark

[beathollow]

If you'd like. ... It doesn't... have to be an apple. It can be what you want.

( mafuyu's voice is soft, almost a whisper. she's tired, and will probably retreat soon. but...

maybe it'd be nice to see what others add to the tree. )

wildcard

[goei]

[Not being much for parties with a bunch of far too happy go lucky strangers when there's not even any booze, Izou was quick to retreat to the dorms. He sits up from where he's sprawled on one of the beds when he hears someone else come in, seemingly on the defensive like he's ready to fend off an attack, but then he seems thrown off when he sees Mafuyu is the person in question.]

Hey, hey, you gotta be kidding me! They ain't gone and put men and women together in shared rooms, did they!?
[SURELY NOT.]

Re: wildcard

[beathollow]

-Um.

( originally she'd wanted to take a nap, given that she's had a real DILLY of a day, but. uh.

this is a grown man. this is a grown man that isn't celeste checking on her in what she's determined to be her room.

forgive her if she blanks for a moment. ... her parents would be furious oh god. )

I- I think they are...

leave your mark

[umurice]

[Aira has told him off about minding his own business before. Most times, Hiiro does try to keep that in mind, since the last thing he wants to do is to make others feel bad. He didn't even pester this quiet girl, even if he wanted to, because he could tell that she was concentrating greatly on her drawing that has him watching curiously the whole time.

So when she offers the crayons, he beams brightly, taking that as a sign that he can finally talk to her.]

Ah, thank you! Your art is really interesting. Are those the kind of trees you see back home?

Re: leave your mark

[beathollow]

Not necessarily. It's just a silhouette...

( he's so... bright. wild. could NOT be her. but it's nice in a way. so many people are reasonably concerned or stressed- she thinks she saw blood earlier in the crowd, but can't remember it too clearly, especially after celeste took her away. those who can still smile so sincerely are probably going to be necessary.

like when you give a cheetah a golden retriever emotional support dog. )

Leave your mark

[cleansewithfire]

[ Sunrise looks at the box of crayons, then looks to the drawing of the black tree for a long moment, like she's trying to discern what it could mean, before looking back to the box of crayons. ]

Do you want me to draw?

[ Is that what Mafuyu means by holding out the box of crayons, ]

Re: Leave your mark

[beathollow]

If you'd like.

( she thought that the other girl wanted to, so she'd offered. had she misread...? )

leave your mark!

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis has left the party early on to go do the modeling task and get some clean clothes, and he only returns later on. This at least means that Mafuyu doesn't have to deal with the stench of blood he'd been carrying this far. As he looks now, McGillis is a very respectable gentleman who just happens to be wearing a rather striking Hawaiian shirt.

He's staring Mafuyu's drawing when he's offered the crayons. ]

Ah, thank you. I was so taken in by your piece so I completely forgot I could draw something myself.

[ It's politeness and flattery but there is a true core to it - he does like the drawing a lot. It speaks to him on a level so personal that he would not fully admit it to anybody. ]

Re: leave your mark!

[beathollow]

You were...?

( she's had a few people comment now, and it's strange to her- though to her it feels like a self-portrait, mafuyu would never expect a bunch of strangers to understand that. and yet, it feels as if somehow they do. and even if they don't... it still impacts them.

ena would like these people. but then, she'd also have claimed half the canvas by now.

she can't help but look away bashfully again, before smiling a bit. )

Somehow, that feels nice.