WEEK ZERO: MINGLE

[retellers]

WEEK ZERO: MINGLE (43 remain) Rise and shine, gremlins. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and it's the start of a new week. Speaking of new, if participants turn on their PHS, they'll notice another section available. There's also an alert for a new message, titled TEAM ASSIGNMENT. Opening it will reveal which Leader they have been assigned to. Furthermore, at the corner of the PHS screen is an icon of an animal, depending on who their Leader is. It is visible only to them and no one else. That's not the only change, though. Participants may not notice at first—or perhaps they will?—but sooner or later, they may realize that they're... missing something? Strange. Three Leaders can be found around the area, open (?) to approach. If participants want to speak to them more privately, or to an absent Leader, it looks like they'll have to go through another channel. Which is to say, the Planetarium is now open! Finally, for the rest of the week, the participants will inexplicably have the urge to be physically affectionate. That person you just met days ago? Time to cuddle! This complete stranger you ran into? It sure is tempting to hold their hand. This urge can range anywhere from minor to impossible to ignore, depending on the situation. Enjoy your bonding!

NAVIGATION locations ₓ˚. statuses *+:｡ ic profiles :ₓo ic rules ･ﾟﾟ･｡ audience requests murder proposals ｡✧o private conversations ･ﾟo｡ curfew ･ﾟ✧ memories

Comments

b

[reconnective]

[?! WELL. sora was just entering the inn and he doesn't get too far before this man's here brandishing a giant shield. huh. actually, that's a cool shield...but that's not the point! sora holds both of his hands up as if to say he means no harm, but he doesn't take a step back or anything.]

Uh...okay? Are you...? [have you lost your mind?]

[frostythehitman]

[ From behind the shield, hiding half of his face: ]

Have you hugged anyone today?

[reconnective]

[????]

Am I supposed to? [he won't say no to hugs, but now he has to wonder. is there something wrong with hugs?]

[frostythehitman]

What about handholding? Shoulder pats? Face smudging?

[ And then, with a note of dread and disgust: ]

Cuddling?

[reconnective]

Maybe? [he sounds mildly alarmed but--] If you don't like cuddling, that's fine, but is the shield really necessary?

[frostythehitman]

Yes. I've had enough of this touchy-feely nonsense for a lifetime, I'm not letting anyone else get in close enough for more.

[reconnective]

If I promise not to do anything, will you put it down? [that is still very drastic but at the same time he's looking over the shield. it's pretty impressive.]

[frostythehitman]

...Fine.

[ He lowers it slowly. ]

But the second I think you're gonna try hugging me or whatever, it's going right back up.

[reconnective]

[and he immediately runs to hug him.


except no just kidding he's good on his word and even shoves his hands into his pockets. no touchy. it's tempting just to do it anyway, but no touchy.]

Is it really so bad? How often has that happened to you this morning? [someone please explain to him that this possibly is not actually normal.]

[frostythehitman]

[ He grunts and looks away. ]

I'm not a huge fan of hugging people I don't know. Any amount of it is unwelcome.

[ Which is to say, he started out touching a horse tail without even realizing it and is so mortified at the idea he might do something like that again he doesn't even want to allow for the possibility. ]

[reconnective]

[fair enough. not everybody's a hugger.]

Maybe you should put a sign on your shield, too. Just in case. [speaking of.] It's a cool shield by itself though.

[frostythehitman]

...A sign's not a half-bad idea. If this goes on for more than a day, I'll think about it.

[ At the compliment, he pats the shield a few times with a small smirk. ]

I don't usually use it for fending off hugs.

[reconnective]

[he'll nod because that seems fair, but yeah, shield. he's definitely changing his focus now.]

What're you usually fending off? Is it your main weapon?

[frostythehitman]

Not really. It's technically not even mine--it just. Came with the job description. And I don't have that job anymore.

I used it for everything. Protection from gunshots, hits, blasts...it's also a weapon. If you get the angles just right, you can knock several people out in one go with it.

[reconnective]

[he wants to get closer to see but he's genuinely concerned he will get knocked in the face with it, so while it looks like he's going to take a step closer in the end he stays rooted in place.]

That's how Goofy uses his, too. A lot of the time he charges at our enemies but it can do all kinds of stuff to help us in a fight. Even if you don't have that job anymore, isn't it still yours if you have it?

[frostythehitman]

[ who the fuck is goofy

also: this kid fights? he does not look like he fights. he looks like he's a kid model for LL Bean trying to be what ????? thinks the youths call "scene." ]

I'm not supposed to still have it. Hell, I was never even supposed to have the job in the first place--it was only made for one man anyway, I was just a temporary stand-in.

[reconnective]

["You were just the delivery boy."

hm. familiar. and also bad! but it's easy enough to shrug instead.]

Yeah? So what happened to the other guy that you had to be a stand-in anyway?

[frostythehitman]

He died.

[ shrugs. ]

...He's fine now.

[reconnective]

You mean like he came back from the dead? Or he never died at all? [this really probably isn't an appropriate thing to ask a near-stranger but here he is. asking anyway.]

[frostythehitman]

[ It's fiiiiine, this was like 15 years ago now! Both ????? and Steve have died like another 5 times since then. ]

Came back from the dead. I think. It was pretty confusing and I wasn't really there to see it myself.

[reconnective]

That would be pretty confusing. But some dead guy can't just come back without warning and tell you to give his stuff back. [please be nice to steve.] I dunno. It just doesn't sound very fair.

[frostythehitman]

[ Hey! HEY!!! He will not tolerate any shittalking of Steve Rogers!!! ]

He didn't. He actually insisted I keep the job. He only took it back when I couldn't do it anymore myself.

[reconnective]

[well that's a little different.]

So what now? If you're not doing that job anymore, what comes next?

[frostythehitman]

[ He shrugs. ]

Went back to my other job. It's basically the same thing anyway, just with less bright colors and costumes.

[ and, y'know, a little more morally dubious. ]

[reconnective]

And a different shield? [he's trying to puzzle out what this guy's job might be without outright asking.]