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

[gardenful]

i. awakening;

[ A goddess needs their help, huh? But what about the places they're all from? What if they're all needed back home more than they're needed here?

She wants to argue, wants to question the young woman who is acting on the behest of this "Braphine", but she knows that won't get her anywhere. Not here, not now. So, even as she decides to make the best of this and steels her resolve to help the people here too, there's a slight downturn to her lips, especially as her gaze drifts up and towards the sky. ]

...

[ She doesn't like the sky here either.

Ah, but no time for moping! That won't do anyone any good, will it? Her expression smooths out, and she glances at the nearest person, especially if she can feel their eyes on her. ]

So... kind of a weird situation we're in, huh?

ii. arts and crafts;
ii-a. nametags
[ A welcome party is indeed welcome for her, as it's a good way to take her mind off of... well, everything. Aerith quickly pools all of her concentration into making a nametag for herself, quick to pick out various and contrasting shades of pink.

But there's something missing, and that's where someone else's opinion can come in clutch. ]

Hey! [ If she has to wave or speak up to get her target's attention, she'll do it! ] What's your favorite flower?

ii-b. leave your mark
[ Not quite done with the arts and crafts, Aerith eventually makes her way over to that large paper canvas on one of the walls, two markers in hand. Why she has two, exactly, becomes clear when she holds one out with a smile. ]

Let's collaborate! I bet the two of us could come up with something good.

iii. top models;

[ Exploring the city nets little job opportunities like this, doesn't it? That's something Aerith learned on her travels, and so she can't help but feel a little rush of comforting familiarity at being approached for modeling summer outfits.

It's why she regards the boutique employee with a little smile. ]

Group photos, huh? Is just two of us enough for a group?

[ The employee nods in affirmation and Aerith's smile turns into a grin that she hopes is convincing as she looks back at whoever was (un)lucky enough to join her for exploring. ]

Say, you up for this? I'm sure it'll be lots of fun.

iv. cleanup;

[ Exploring the city is a little depressing, honestly, so the opportunity to clean it up a little bit is one Aerith is more than happy to take up. It isn't easy work, though, picking up cans that could slice through her gloves and old bottles filled with sugary liquid that's begun to coagulate.

But... she's hopeful that it's work that will be worth it, especially as she watches the citizens drift about their lives unhappily. It's bad vibes all around, really. ]

I've never seen so many people walking around so... unhappy. Kinda creepy.

[ It's an observation that she keeps her tone light for, but the concern in her voice is still evident. ]

v. wildcard;

[ Hit me with whatever you want, especially if it's one of the prompts I didn't put here! ]

leave your mark

[incompletely]

[ Ah? Collaborate? Tenn was expecting to draw by himself, but maybe drawing together could be nice. It takes him a moment, but he reaches out to grab the marker Aerith's handing to him. ]

Thank you. ... Did you have something in mind?

[gardenful]

It's kinda basic, but I was thinking we could draw some flowers... right in that corner.

[ And she'll point to the top left corner of the canvas. ]

Easy to add to, if we think of some other things along the way.

ii-b. leave your mark;

[beautifulknight]

[ Argenti turns his attention immediately on over towards Aerith, smile bright and welcoming in the face of her arts and crafts!! ]

Greetings, my fair lady!

I would certainly love to collaborate with you. Do you have any particular preference to color?

[ There are two markers, but what colors are they?? ]

[gardenful]

[ "Fair lady," huh? Part of her wonders if he's playing the role of some sort of knight... or if he might actually be one. His clothes certainly suggest the latter, at least.

She's got green and pink, and while she would normally take the pink marker... Aerith gives Argenti a little onceover, humming as she does. This is a very important and difficult decision, after all. ]

Here.

[ She'll hold out the pink one instead of the green she was holding out before. ]

I think pink suits you, and I could use some variety.

[ It matches all of his red, after all, and the green is a nice contrast to all of her pink. ]

nametags!! (this one's cute--)

[destage]

[Sayaka turns a bit when called upon--she was distracted trying to find something she likes to make something similar, even if she's a little subdued trying to recover from earlier, but!

The question is an oddly cute one, and it finds Sayaka smiling a bit.]

Oh, um--I'm very fond of forget-me-nots and red spider lilies! [Higanbana, as she'd probably call them.] Are you looking for something to make your nametag prettier, miss?

[gardenful]

I am! I thought about putting my favorite flower, but I think I'd like seeing other people's favorites whenever I look at my nametag instead.

[ After all, they're here to build connections, and what's a better way to do that than finding out little bits and pieces about one another?

She grabs a light blue pencil, working on outlining a little patch of forget-me-nots in the corner. The red spider lilies can come later, as a nice little contrast to the blue. ]

You can call me Aerith, by the way. [ She offers a smile of her own. ] We're all living here, so we don't have to be so formal with each other.

leave your mark

[skypsalms]

[ having already created her own nametag—also decorated with different shades of pink but with accents of music notes and one small bird—kururu will have also been standing in front of the large canvas for a bit.

she'll tilt her head to one side in response to aerith. ]

Something good... [ carefully taking one of the markers from her. ] I've been thinking about what could be good. The only experience I've had with this sort of thing was more intentional in its purpose.

[gardenful]

Oh? And what was it?

[ They could start there, she thinks.

Unless it's something that wouldn't fit well with a canvas in a dormitory like this, but... she'll see when they get there. ]

nametags!!

[beathollow]

( mafuyu blinks not unlike a deer in the headlights before shifting away awkwardly- )

I don't know...

[gardenful]

[ Ah, her eyes widen slightly for just a moment at that awkwardness, but that look of surprise melts into a smile quickly enough. ]

Then give me your favorite color!

II-a nametags

[idealitas]

[ Coming in clutch to help... is this guy??? with a plain undecorated nametag.

But he does in fact have a flower he can name off as one he likes, if anything. ]

...Yellow spicebush, I suppose.

[ The "flower" in question. ]

[gardenful]

[ Her gaze flits to that plain nametag—yeah, that's something she'll have to make him correct later. ]

Yellow spicebush, huh. You have interesting taste.

[ Is that good? Bad? It's hard to say, but her smile says she's definitely teasing. ]

Why is it your favorite?

Cleanup

[kandata]

Indeed. The atmosphere is heavy and everybody's mood is very tense. Cleaning up this city should help but I doubt it will be enough to turn their mood around.

[Not that it's stopping Kirumi from cleaning up. She's doing it rather effectively, armed with a broom. Her movements are sweeping, gathering large amounts of debris and litter in a surprisingly short amount of time. Even though the street is long, at this rhythm she will be done very soon]

[gardenful]

No, I don't think so either.

[ She heaves out a sigh, briefly thinking about what they could possibly do to lift the spirits of the city... guess that's what the goddess is for, isn't it?

But she finds herself distracted soon enough by the sheer efficiency of Kirumi's sweeping. ]

Wow, you're really good at that.

[ She never thought she would compliment someone on their sweeping, but. Here she is. ]

v

[ushirono]

[ Hi, welcome to your room, Aerith. Her roommate isn't particularly fussy about decorations because it seems neutral for the most part. He'd like to keep it that way. Anyway, when she walks in, she'll be able to catch him slide a knife into his raincoat. He's still not wearing a shirt. I hate this man. ]

[gardenful]

[ Oh, that's not concerning at all! She frowns at his lack of a shirt, but really? The knife is more important. ]

Getting ready to defend yourself already, huh?

[ Not a bad thing in and of itself, honestly. ]

leave your mark

[bloodweapon]

[Fray looks at the marker, then back up at Aerith. Though only his eyes are visible beneath his helmet, you can probably guess that he isn't exactly amused by this.]

Do I seem like the artistic sort to you?

[He has his arms folded and is not taking that marker, thank you very much!!!]

[gardenful]

[ She can't help the little smile on her lips as she taps his crossed arms with the marker. ]

Nope! That's why you need my help for this.

leave your mark

[ilfochrome]

[ a party...this tall, long green haired man looks like he'd much rather be absorbed by the wallpaper than be here but that's kind of hard when your looks are rather loud even disregarding the bright jade of his locks. he hasn't noticed that he's standing by one of the canvases either, but that's just how his luck tends to be.

aerith's approach and question gets an apologetic smile. ]

Me? Ahh, I'm a photographer not an artist, I wouldn't be able to draw anything good.

[gardenful]

[ Truly, he was destined to be a target just by means of being a wallflower, but the fact that he stands out on top of that? It guaranteed his spot on her list of people to approach. ]

Aw, come on! Don't put yourself down like that! Photography requires some level of creativity, right? I bet you'll work some real magic with a marker!

top models

[pharology]

As long as it's not solo, it's a group. [He chuckles softly, then flushes because that was a really stupid, inane comment from him. Was it even a joke? He doesn't know. But he's bad, so who even knows.]

In any case, are you set? Do you know what you want to wear?

iii

[bloodandstars]

[ Maika takes in that cheerful grin for a few long, silent moments. She cocks an eyebrow. She glances back over her shoulder as if in search of who else the look could be directed at aside from her. ]

Remind me what else we're getting out of this? Aside from... [ the heavy pause will have to do in lieu of air quotes ] ...fun.

ii

[chimken]

[ Falin immediately blushes a little bit a the sudden question, stammering only slightly as she tried to think of a flower. The ones in her village were always nice... ]

A-A lily, I think! I've never really thought about flowers.

iv

[ushirono]

[ Fuyu is here with a pike-looking tool to help pick up trash along with dragging a trash bag full of... trash. He has a face mask on because some of this stuff is Nasty.

He stabs a soda can and other trash like napkins to create a skewer on the stick. ]

Got nothing to smile about.

[ The residents, but like. Him too. ]