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]

Are you familiar with the "Fisher King"? In the original story, it is a king who becomes wounded and demoralized with himself, so he neglects his kingdom to fish... and his kingdom devolves to reflect this state of mind. Only upon being healed or avenged does he and his kingdom return to glory. In media however, it's taken to become literal in an almost... magical sense.

Those in good health and a good heart make the world around them beautiful. Those in poor health and mind, or with no morals, make it a wasteland. And in some stories, this in turn effects the people within. It's a cycle of the world and it's people impacting each other, with the fisher king at the core of it all...

( granted, she's much more familiar with the sekai reflecting her, but like. she is not about to tell someone she literally just met about the sekai. but she is empty, so the sekai is empty... and as those around her add to her, it too gains changes. there's a doll there now. Mizuki brings in a table and snacks. kanade and ena leave behind items. the virtual singers exist. )

[proposed]

As I recall, the most common version shows the Fisher King to be one who waits for a chosen hero to mend the wound. He was in need of a noble knight who could offer to him salve and solace. That luxury should never be afforded to a leader.

[ He risks veering away from the original point with that, but it only serves to further her point. Inertia and sorrow both are a poison that can only be cured by resolve and activity .

He closes the cigarette carton and tosses it into the plastic bag that he brought with him. It's strikes him as a bit humorous for a mafia leader to be performing these mundane tasks, but he finds the potential to find a stray electrical wire or a quarreling couple that needs to be mediated or any other number of oddities to be of more interest than anything in his daily routine. ]

Who would you say the Fisher King is here?

[beathollow]

Mm. If someone has that sort of sway on the land around them, they need to do their best for it.

( ... is she doing the best for her sekai? though- shes not sure what it needs. miku and the others are encouraging... but maybe kaito is right in that she's going too slow. )

I'm not sure. The gods... the people... I don't think we have enough information either way. But it could be something to keep in mind...?

[proposed]

We should keep it in mind,

[ He agrees, though that brings with it another question: ]

Do you see yourself as being able to heal the earth and the citizens that dwell upon it?

[ His wording is perhaps a bit grave, but it's not meant to be a serious question in the least. Nothing more than idle curiosity. ]

[beathollow]

Its not something I have a choice in. If I am to find myself, I must heal.

( and to heal, means to change. the sekai. the world. not unlike the fisher king, she waits for salvation in the music she and the others make- but unlike him, she is working together with her knights. )

To heal is to change the world around you. Even if it's only in small ways.

[proposed]

[ If that's the criteria, then Dazai is complete. He righted all wrongs in the world. He healed the earth and placed layers of protection over it, such that it would continue to spin long after he was gone. He did everything right.

He's satisfied with that, yet he's not; there's still some indiscernible something that's missing, like a single piece that's been removed from the puzzle. It claws at the back of his mind, and at times like this he can almost feel it tearing into his psyche. It's not that he's still alive, though that has proven to be an inconvenience, it's something else. Something deeper, something stronger, something uglier. It's—

The slight, almost imperceptible smile that he offers doesn't reach his eyes. ]

The more that you do, the closer you come to your ideal, and the less there is to regret... There was an officer who said something along those lines. His message to his soldiers was, "Try and leave this world a little better than you found it, and when your turn comes to die you can die happy in feeling that you have not wasted your time but have done your best."

What does your ideal world look like? Have you decided?

[beathollow]

( logically, its solid, sound words to live by. but with how much she's trying to just stay afloat, even that little bit sounds daunting right now. mafuyu thinks, averting the man's gaze.

an ideal world...

can you have an ideal world without an ideal self? without a sense of self at all? regardless, the world will keep spinning, the clocks will keep ticking, and life will move on regardless of her identity, of her health, of her presence. would it even matter, an ideal world? )

... I don't know. But... I think I would like for it to be warm.

( warm like a blanket. like a cup of tea, or a blanket. warm like love. )

[proposed]

... That's enough.

[ He pauses, considering for a moment before adding, ]

It doesn't need to be anything that grand... I don't care about world peace. I don't want a long life either. I would rather die right here and now! I want to commit apple suicide...

[ He's already dead. Dazai thought of himself as going home, finally awakening from a long dream... Nothing as unpleasant as coming here.

Nothing as unpleasant as this lingering sensation for something... Something so vile, a poison in his heart. If only, if only, if he could die right now, end this nightmare.

But if not that...

...

...

His wish has already been granted. He's satisfied, which is why despite the seemingly complicated expression, that slight and almost indispensable smile holds just a touch of melancholy to it - his lips curved in the stilted smile of someone who used to hum a tune, yet can no longer remember the melody that they loved so well. ]

A warm and kind world... One where you can meet someone that you could offer a heartfelt farewell to... I think that warm and kind world would be enough for me.

[beathollow]

( something resonates in her mind and mafuyu looks at dazai, doe-eyed and eerily still for a moment. it's as if everything around them doesn't matter anymore, and she lets the bag in her hands hang limply.

a heartfelt farewell... )

... Do you want to disappear, sir?

( "disappear". it's not something she'd normally ask. but- something about his posture, his tone, his bringing it up at all makes her have to. )

[proposed]

[ Does he want to disappear... It's a complicated question. He wanted to. He wants to. He doesn't want to. That's why Dazai ended things quickly, given himself no choice, while he could still feign happiness. If he hadn't then it would just be harder; he'd start wanting to say "hello again." He'd get hurt over and over. ]

Maybe.

[ He considers the question for a moment more. What he wants... ]

I do... I'd like to disappear from the world. If I can't do that, I'd like to find a place where nothing hurts.

[ It's a rare flicker of honesty, for he has no reason to lie when he's always been so direct. ]


Either one is fine, as long as it's not "here."

[ Not this place specifically, but that undefined place they call "reality." If he can't find happiness... He finds that escaping pain would be enough. ]