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

[drawnorigin]

welcome;
[There's not much reaction from the man with the eyepatch through all of the welcoming spiel, a muted expression on his face and a rotund, white bird perched on his shoulder. The bird coos every so often, but the man remains silent.

Up until the welcoming party, where he finds himself drawn towards the arts and crafts tables and the large canvas on the wall. His muted expression shifts to something far more gloomy as he makes a little palette for himself with the paints available.]

They must not have much of a budget for all of this... But I guess we're not supposed to make something nice, either.

[The pigeon is working on its own little masterpiece of a name tag as Jeno considers the paper taped to the wall, hopping around the table and leaving a trail of paint in its wake.]

exploration;
[The city is even worse than Umbraton, which doesn't quite come as a surprise, but it is kind of impressive. For all the crime in Umbraton, at least there were people in the city who knew how to smile.

Not that Jeno minds grouchiness, but it does make it a bit difficult to make a dime. He still tries, because what else does he have to do with his time?, and it's easy to find him on the streets, doing sleight-of-hand magic tricks. He's quite the showman, even if he's not... acknowledging the passerbys...

He's written off the city's population, so it's just to make sure he keeps up his skills. Imagine having to do an actual performance and then fumbling his cards all over the stage? He might as well quit magic entirely. If anyone from the dorm stops he'll acknowledge them, but for the most part he's just vibing.

Though while he's wandering around, he'll also do his part with cleaning up the city.]

Why was this thrown away...? Hm.

[The necklace he found looks pretty expensive... Just how jaded are the citizens here, anyways?]

If they didn't want it, this probably would have sold for a decent price.

[It's so impractical???]

pvp enabled;
[He's not a gung-ho fighter, and without his Luminatics or the Origin his ability to fight is greatly diminished, so he's doing his best to avoid sparring.

Other competitions, though, are more his speed. He's found a deck of cards so he can keep the (useless) Origin Deck tucked away, and while the symbols are different it seems similar enough to decks he's seen before.

So, all he needs is a challenger. How convenient there are so many people around who might be inspired to take up Mina's request.]

Would you fancy a game?

[Dear stranger, whoever you might be. He shuffles the deck with the kind of flair you'd expect from a casino dealer desperate for a tip, but his face remains neutral. He's not a very emotive sort.]

wildcard;
[Other commissions, other places, whatever your heart desires.]

exploration- magic tricks

[goei]

[Izou for his part, while he finds the people of the town being unilaterally vaguely hostile slightly odd, it's not THAT different from how he felt being in Kyoto, reality or not. What strikes him as far odder, though, is a guy doing some sort of street entertainment for no one.]

I don't think any of these people're gonna throw you any coins, magic man.

[drawnorigin]

I know.

[He spares Izou half a glance.]

I'm not performing for them. Though since you've stopped to watch, perhaps you could spare a few coins?

[even tho he looks like he hasn't seen any coins in the past five years...]

[goei]

[Wow are you saying Izou looks poor? Because you're right.]

Hell no. Even if I had money ta spare I wouldn't waste it on street performers.

[drawnorigin]

So you don't respect the people entertaining you?

[he looks poor and like someone who doesn't respect the arts!]

pvp me

[amortristis]

[ Jeno's in luck, because Morgan's not any more emotive than he is. She gives the deck a long look as he shuffles it, before finally replying. ]

Did you have something in mind?

[ It's not a yes, but it's not a no, either. ]

[drawnorigin]

There's quite a few games that can be played with just two players.

[He sets the cards down in front of himself, looking up at Morgan.]

Cribbage, gin rummy, or Illumina whist to name a few.

[A pause.]

Or, if you'd prefer something simple, Go Fish.

welcome

[unweathered]

[Whatever Schneider was going to say is completely overlooked by the fact that her favourite type of bird is here]

Does it have a name?

[drawnorigin]

[bird bird bird]

Ah... no. I didn't see a point in giving my birds names when it might not be something they like being called.

[He's very considerate like that!]

[unweathered]

[Ah. She likes that]

A bird does deserve a name of its own choosing rather than imposed upon it.

[Bird! She'll pick up a stray loose feather. Time to add to her collection]

[drawnorigin]

[Enjoy your feather, Schneider!!]

Yes, exactly. All members of my circus are treated the same, down to choosing what they're called by.

[Then, sounding a bit more disappointed:]

It's a shame I can't understand them to ask, though...

cleaning up!

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis is cleaning up in the vicinity, stone-faced and effective. The exclamation catches his attention. ]

I'm wondering the same.

[ This clean-up effort takes him back to his childhood of scavenging for scraps of anything valuable or edible - if the city he'd grown up in had been anything like this one he'd have had a much easier time. ]

Either the populace of this place is rich without any exception or there is something strange going on. Treasure like this doesn't get left in the streets otherwise.

[drawnorigin]

I'm inclined to say it's something strange.

[He pockets the necklace, though he has no intention of returning it to its owner. Even if it were possible to track them down, with the state the citizens are in its not like it would be appreciated. Better to take it and sell it.]

Even the haughtiest noble would balk at the idea of throwing away a necklace that's not even broken. The more they have, the more they can flaunt their wealth.

[...But then he remembers a particular Lumopolis judge, and there's the faintest downward twitch to his mouth.]

Unless they threw it out because of something some "commoner" did.

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis barks out a short humorless laugh. Yes, that thoughts about right. Even living among high society for so much of his life, he never fully got used to the petty wastefulness of it. ]

Throw it out on the street where one such commoner could find it and derive value from it? That would be almost magnanimous.

[ Obvious sarcasm. ]

For that reason, I don't believe there are is no great class divide here - or it is very intentionally being kept off the streets entirely.

exploration - c-c-c-c-combo

[cirquedesang]

[It's really a marvel how little care the locals have for their city... almost as if all the cheerfulness and positivity had been concentrated in Mina to put on a good face for them, leaving nothing else for the rest of them.

It's even to the point where not only do they not pay any mind to the person taking the time out of his own day - and out of his own 'doing commissions time' - to perform for them, they even have the gall to drop more trash in the vicinity he's set up to do said performance.

Rude.]

If they're going to throw trash at your feet, the least they could do is drop more odd valuables.

[drawnorigin]

[Oh, he has an actual audience now! And more trash to deal with. It's a good think they're getting paid to do with, though he does nudge the recently dropped trash a bit further from him with his foot.]

Someone did lose their ring while tossing out trash earlier.

[It's said mildly, as if commenting on the weather.]

Still, this isn't the worst audience I've had.

[The bar might be... incredibly low.]

[cirquedesang]

[Jeno nudges, Celeste pulls a trash bag and a glove from his pocket to make it a proper "trash collection effort". Wild that it's a habit he's already gotten into when exploring the city, but hey, a job's a job.]

Ring's a better tip than an ah- [Glance at the trash-] -go kart flyer.

[But, wow, what kind of shitty audiences has this guy had if this isn't the worst? We're not at a high enough social link for that story to be mutual but--]

What would be worse than this?

pvp

[ilfochrome]

[ fighting...ukyo would much rather pass, perhaps for reasons the meme channel has made obvious. cards though, are very different from other pvp activities. ]

If you don't mind it not being much of a challenge, sure. I'm not very good and my luck's pretty bad too.

[ despite all this, he speaks with a smile. ]

[drawnorigin]

[hey why is ukyo so pretty]

Luck isn't as important to card games as you think it might be. It plays a factor, certainly, but wit and the ability to read your opponent is far more important.

[And when in doubt, cheat!]

Are there any games you're already familiar with?

[ilfochrome]

[ he has to have at least one thing going for him. ]

Mmn, we'll see, but don't say I didn't warn you.

As for games I know... poker, tarbish, crazy eights, uta-karuta, rummy, blackjack... I'm probably forgetting some. Oh, and go fish.

pvp enabled

[metagame]

[Atem whistles at showmanship... but...]

Careful! A shotgun shuffle like that could damage the cards.

[He grins despite himself.]

But you've got my attention. What kind of game are thinking?

[drawnorigin]

[He tilts his head.]

Well, there are limited options unless we can get a larger group together. Not all games are suitable with just two players.

[Though it sounds like he at least knows about card games, which is more than he can say for some other people...]

I have no strong preferences of my own, unless you drop a game I've never heard of on me.

exploration

[umurice]

[Magic tricks? He is definitely attracting a rogue young teen with that, who might end up just magically appearing in his vicinity to watch closely.]

Ah! Your hand movements are really fast. I can't even follow.

[He looks really happy to see that.]

[drawnorigin]

[He doesn't preen, because he's practiced damn hard to be good at this.]

Well, that's how the magic works.

[He'll indulge that much, at least.]

Have you never seen a magician perform before?

[umurice]

Not this kind of magic. I have seen one with doves and flowers and falling from the sky, but not one with cards.

[Sorry Wataru is just like that.]

So is this a different style of magic?