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

[riegan]

Of course, there's no way you could really fit the whole sky in one building. But you're right, it's quite impressive.

(And he turns his attention to Izumo,)

Do you recognize any of them?

(The stars?)

[sacredchants]

Don't be shocked to learn that there are some who try.

[ what would claude do if he learned about astronauts and how there are photos of the night sky that exist? hmmm. either way, she's giving the stars a better look-see. ]

I never paid too much attention to that sort of thing. [ if he's referring to constellations. ] We...kind made up things.

[riegan]

(He would love it!! Imagine, man going to the moon some day!)

Hah! That's fair. Not everyone studies the sky back home. (He raises his hand to point up at a certain cluster of stars, ) Growing up, it was just one of the many things I had to learn.

Actually, it was one of my more interesting lessons.

[sacredchants]

[ let claude von riegan travel to the moon..!! but maybe she'll mention it to him. if it somehow gets there. ]

Does that mean some of these look familiar to you?

[ she says a bit thoughtfully as she takes a step closer to him and tries to see what he's pointing at. honestly, it looks all the same to her so she'll just squint at it all. he might not be looking at her but maybe he can hear how she's frowning as she speaks. ]

Learning the stars wasn't one of the things that were made a priority for me. It's rare that we would need to know how to read them.

[riegan]

(Look at me, bullshitting FE lore anyway Claude will give her a second to follow where he's pointing at and explain,)

Do you see the three bright stars going across? And going through it is a line of stars. (Kind of like a very curvy and abstract cross shape!) It's the wyvern.

You can always find it in the east sky.

[sacredchants]

[ i'm proud of you for doing all that you do. so proud.

but uh. shame that izumo is legit going to be terrible at this. she still sees a cluster of stars?? maybe she sees the line but?? there are so many that could fit the description to her. ]

No. [ she'll take another step closer and lean into his side (thanks weekly effect!), placing a hand on his arm to help guide her eyes when an all too important matter pops into her mind. ] What's a wyvern supposed to look like?

[ that. that would be helpful, probably. ]

Is it like a dragon?

[riegan]

(This is fine. He wouldn't mind even if there wasn't a weekly effect!!)

Hm? You don't know? It's a type of dragon. Look.

(Carefully, he traces the lines in the sky,)

Those are the wings, spread out. And there, (Moving his finger down,) is the body. The head, the torso, and then its tail. It's flying through the sky, leading the warriors home.

[sacredchants]

[ that doesn't help!!! she's too tsundere to do anything like this on her own so i'm taking full advantage of this in the short period of time that i can. which is to say that she'll be completely pressed against his side with her hand on his arm as she watches him trace the lines for her to follow. ]

Well, there are different takes on what wyverns look like—

[ you know, like some with arms and wings, but guess it doesn't matter for this. ]

Oh, I can kind of see it. [ vaguely. she still doesn't quite get what it looks like but the shapes are all there for her. ] But when you say "leading the warriors home", is that in a literal sense or more of a metaphorical. Are there actual wyverns in... [ what was the name of the place he referenced? ] Folden?

[ nailed it izumo. ]

[riegan]

True, there are different breeds but they usually have enough similarities to tell what they are.

(Which makes him think that maybe she-- ah, there it is.)

Fodlan. (A gentle correction,) And not just there, either. Where I'm from, learning to ride one is considered a rite of passage. Our riders are quite renowned.

They say the wyvern in the sky is the old general leading everyone home to safety. It's always in the east so if you follow it, you'll eventually get to where you need to be.

[sacredchants]

Does that mean you can ride one or are you still out here trying win points to exchange?

[ there's a playful quality to her voice. "where i'm from" and fodlan are two different places? okay. she's not gonna comment on it and will enjoy her "polite" jab at him instead. look, she doesn't know his culture! it's an innocent question.

though she'll continue after a beat with something more quieter. ]

...but that sounds nice. I wish I had something like that back home. [ and not to leave the mood settle there (support b when?), she'll turn to look at him with her head tilted to a side. ] Anything else you see up there?

[riegan]

Hah, I guess I've been slacking. (Eighteen years old, a young man, and no wyvern riding experience to speak of.) I should really know by now.

(Is he embarrassed? Just a little.)

You have ghosts and demons but not a single wyvern? (Interesting.) How about a pegasus?

[sacredchants]

[ oh. hmm...there's a part of her that wants to pry but she'll leave it. but, honestly, she feels a little embarrassed at her unknowingly insensitive remark. still— ]

Something get in your way?

[ she's expecting a none answer (rather, him dodging the question entirely) as she moves onto his question, or well, just replies to his general remark. so what if she had demons and ghosts? ]

But, no, stuff in books. [ a slight shake of her head. ] However, it's not like that wouldn't stop a demon from taking a form of either.

[riegan]

I'm a busy person. (It's true!) I suppose I was preoccupied with other things. You know how it is... school, social life, lordly duties...

(Ahem.)

Ah, so you might find them in books. Let me guess... fiction books?

[sacredchants]

Oh yes, I would know all about being a duchess.

[ it's a joke. she has no idea what counts as "lordly duties" but the first two are enough for her. nevertheless, his guess gets a nod from her. ]

Fantasy books if you want to be particular. [ will this be weird to explain? it might be weird to explain. that said she'll have a thoughtful expression for a moment before continuing. ] But—like I said—there are demons that can take on the appearance of things more mythical.

[ like dragons or fairies... ADMITTEDLY they aren't mythical to her but an unknown audience is another matter entirely. ]

[riegan]

It's interesting to think that things that are real and common in my world could be a fantasy in someone else's...

Just goes to show you that it helps to have an open mind about things.

(But you know, while they're here, why don't they have a little fun? He's just going to offer his arm to her to hold onto properly like the gentleman he is!!)

With so many new stars here, you could say we discovered them. Why don't we make some claims?

(Give them names and make up stories!!)

[sacredchants]

[ gentleman...hmm, but once he offers his arm to her, she'll become very aware of how close she had been standing next to him and how she had already hung onto him. though, it's not that it was unpleasant so.

worse yet even is that she was fine with it and...is inclined to keep up with it. so, with some hesitation and a few false starts, she'll grab onto the offered arm (while being eternally glad that the room is dark). no one needs to see whether there's extra color in her face or not. nope. ]

We can. [ she says primly (or attempts to) but not even a full two seconds later she sighs. ] Or, you can. I'm not good with this sort of thing.

[ wasn't that obvious enough from her struggle with the wyvern? ]

[riegan]

(Sometimes you don't need to see to know though... Luckily, Claude won't say anything either!

Her impression is flawless and he gives a small chuckle,)

Hmm... how about... that one. (He points to a bright star on the other side of the room.) We'll call it the archer. That bright point can be the tip of their arrow ready to take aim at... (Moving his finger,) The fearsome Dread Pegasus.

(Just a cluster of stars in a certain direction.)

[sacredchants]

[ small blessings, but she'll follow where he's pointing, finding the bright star easy before losing it completely with the cluster of stars. ]

The fearsome Dread Pegasus...

[ hmm.

she has never thought the idea of a pegasus being anything other than positive but it isn't as though they can't exist. nothing is purely good or bad and all of that. softly, she'll hum to herself before making an attempt to add to the lore. ]

Is it a "Dread" Pegasus because it always brings ruin to its rider?

[riegan]

Oooh, a cursed mount. I like it.

(He can work with that,)

It flies the skies, searching for a rider. Once found, the rider is unable to get off and becomes the Dread Rider of the Skies.

[sacredchants]

[ dread rider of the skies... now that sounds something right of a book and. well. nerdere unlocked? kind of. she'll be a little more animated when chiming in this time. ]

Oh, and as a Dread Rider of the Skies, they are unable to rest either. The only chance of knowing peace is once they're freed by an arrow to the heart.

[ a little cliché but should be fine, right? ]

But that only frees the rider.

[riegan]

By killing them? That's pretty dark.

(IZUMO...)

[sacredchants]

[ SHE'S AN EXORCIST. ]

Is it?

[riegan]

I guess I'm not really a fan of tragedies.

[sacredchants]

[ hm. okay. ]

Isn't it realistic, though?

[ she states plainly because, well, that's just how things are, right? it's not like everyone can be saved. ]

How would you have the story play out?