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

[ilfochrome]

[ the blue of khun's stupid bandana right.

ahhh well—he blinks at the marker in his hand and then sighs, accepting his fate. ]

Umm, okay if you really want I can try. [ a moment to scribble and

it's a stick figure cat! barely recognizable as a cat. he laughs sheepishly. ]

See what I mean? I'd like to say it's because I've always preferred scenery and landscapes to people and animals but this is pretty bad even then.

[gardenful]

[ it is now

Yeah, that... can barely be called a cat. ]

I've seen better cats, but you know what?

[ She's not going to outright lie, not when the evidence is right there in front of them both. ]

That doesn't mean this one isn't cute! Look at the way its legs stick out!

[ilfochrome]

Cute, really? [ more surprised sounding than anything else and because he knows this is far from his best work or a work at all, really. he smiles though, easy. ]

I'm sure you can do much better than that. Show me?

[gardenful]

If you insist!

[ She'll get right to it, then, drawing a little cat right next to his stick figure one. It's a fluffy, circular little thing that looks like a middle schooler's doodles, but it isn't too terrible. ]

[ilfochrome]

Now this is cute! [ his smile grows brighter, nearly into a grin soft and warm. ]

It looks fluffy enough that I could pet it and I'm sure it would be soft to the touch too.

[gardenful]

[ She laughs softly, capping the marker. ]

Wow, you're really good at giving compliments. You're making me feel like a real artist!

[ilfochrome]

[ a small shake of his head. ]

I wouldn't say that. But if you wanted to become an artist, I think you could be one. [ a beat, where his expression goes from :) to :O. ]

...wait, I didn't just insult you did I? You're not an artist, right?

[gardenful]

[ She giggles before shaking her head. ]

Nope on both counts! I'm a florist. I guess that's a kind of artist, but just like photography, it has nothing to do with drawing.

[ilfochrome]

[ he audibly breathes out a sigh of relief. ]

Thank goodness. Flowers are some of my favorite things to photograph, actually. Do you have a favorite?

[gardenful]

Yellow lilies. They're kinda special where I'm from. Back home, they grow in a place where there really shouldn't be flowers at all.

[ And that makes them stand out. ]

What about you? If you like photographing them, I bet you've got a favorite!

[ilfochrome]

So they're resilient in the face of hardship...that kind of strength encompasses a special kind of beauty. [ he looks off into the distance, voice dreamy like as he imagines such a scene, a cold mountainous climate, the ash and soot from a recently active volcano—

oops, he totally spaced out there for a second. ]

Oh, uh, my favorite flowers are cherry blossoms. They're more than a bit overdone, especially in Japan, but there's still something special about them even then.

[gardenful]

[ She nods enthusiastically. See, he gets it! That's exactly why she likes them! ]

What makes them so special to you?

[ Even if they are as overdone as he says, she thinks that any special meaning they might have could override that. ]

[ilfochrome]

[ it would be very easy to give her a stock answer, or spin off anything about them like their color or the timing of their bloom. but he chooses to be honest even if it takes him a moment to find the right words, as warm as they are, as heavy as they are. ]

...one day I caught sight of a cherry tree that had just bloomed, right outside the gate of a university. The position of the sun was just right, bright with just the faintest bit of shadow to truly accent the pink and white of the flowers. I raised my camera with the intention to capture just that, but then a girl stepped into the shot and rather than refocus or wait, I took a picture of her too.

It's the most beautiful picture I've ever taken.

[gardenful]

[ That pause tells her a lot—that he's looking for the right words, that he's willing to share something that might be personal. And so, she tries to give his explanation what it deserves, listening carefully. ]

Wow... sounds like a pretty magical moment, something that happens just by chance.

[ A moment that could have been missed, had he raised his camera but one second later. ]

Did you ever talk to that girl?

[ Because, honestly, it sounds like the perfect meet cute to her. ]

[ilfochrome]

Yeah, I felt the same way.

[ though his eyes are green, emerald like the leaves of spring, they're just as bright in this moment as the sun might have been on that fated day. ]

I did. Actually, I asked her out not too long after. The few weeks we were dating were the happiest of my life.

[gardenful]

[ The brightness of his eyes... that says it all, really. He still feels the exact same as he did in that moment, didn't he? ]

So it didn't work out, huh? I'm glad you were happy while it lasted.

[ It's better to know that happiness and lose it than to never feel it at all in her book. ]

/2

[ilfochrome]

[ yeah, he really does. ukyo's one to wear his emotions on his sleeve, and this is one he certainly wouldn't hide even if he could. his eyes are still bright, but his countenance drops to something solemn and heavy. ]

It didn't, but I'm not sure I'd call it that. She passed away from an accident.

[ilfochrome]

[ he blinks, seeming to realize what he just said. ]

Umm, maybe I shouldn't have said that, sorry. We just met and that's probably not a story you want to hear when you first meet someone, right?

[gardenful]

Sometimes things like that just come up, you know? It's not something you've gotta apologize for.

[ It was the natural flow of their conversation, and while her smile is now gone, it didn't jolt her out of the atmosphere of the party. ]

I'm sorry that happened, by the way. Couldn't have been easy.

[ilfochrome]

Thanks. [ genuine, judging by his smile. ]

...maybe you could tell me something about yourself? Not that this is a trade or that it needs to be equal or anything like that, but—

Oh, I don't know your name either: I'm Ukyo.

[gardenful]

Aerith.

[ She smiles, genuine, as she clasps her hands together behind her back. Hmm, what should she divulge? There's a lot that she could, so much so that she isn't sure where to start.

But ah. She knows. ]

You know how I mentioned that where I'm from, flowers don't really grow anywhere? That's because where I grew up is filled with metal. Metal buildings, metal sidewalks... a metal plate for a sky. Not the best place for flowers to grow, but some do anyway.

Maybe you'll think it's weird, but... I kinda like all that metal. You get used to it after so long, you know?

[ilfochrome]

Even the sky? That's... [ sad, or at least it sounds that way to him and it reflects in his tone. ]

I like capturing the skyline of a city as much as mountains and their valleys, but I couldn't imagine a world where only one of them exists. But if it's what you're used to, it does make sense.

You can get used to almost anything.

[gardenful]

You sure can.

[ There's a slight softness to her tone, something somber but not quite. ]

The metal plate is the underside of the city above us. We can kinda see the sun, or see parts of the horizon, but the open sky? It's a lot harder to come by.

I only really saw the sky a few weeks ago.

[ilfochrome]

That must have been exciting, even if it wasn't the full expanse of the sky.

[ he closes his eyes briefly, trying to imagine it, but gives up after a few moments. ]

What do you think of the sky here?

[gardenful]

[ Aerith thinks on it for a few moments. Her first thought? She didn't like it. Not at all.

And here... ]

I don't know. It's kinda weird, looking up and seeing something that's supposed to be familiar, but isn't.