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

a

[dawnblushed]

...which one was what?

[They meet again at the keychain rack! Hmm. What's up, ?????]

[frostythehitman]

Mine! My name! I know I saw a keychain with my name on it here a few days ago!

[dawnblushed]

[She thinks back to their conversation that first day.]

You mean "Bucky"?

[frostythehitman]

[ He looks up and blinks in confusion. ]

What's a Bucky?

[dawnblushed]

I thought it was your name, but maybe I misunderstood what you were talking about?

[frostythehitman]

I don't know when I would've talked about that, but you must've. What the hell kind of a name is Bucky?

[dawnblushed]

...

[hold on, she's just going to check the phs!! and once she finds his profile, she holds it out to him to look at.]

I'm pretty sure it's yours.

[frostythehitman]

[ He looks at the screen and squints. Those sure are pictures of him. Those sure are descriptions of him--he remembers getting mad about that "self-sabotage" note.

But the name looks like gibberish. The curves of each letter look familiar, and if he focuses, he thinks he might see an English letter here or there. But it's just...illegible. ]

Is that supposed to say something?

[dawnblushed]

[Uh-oh.]

It's... supposed to say your name.

[She scrolls to the profile just above his, then taps on (checks the profile page) Xie Lian's name.]

Can you read this?

[frostythehitman]

Yeah, it says Xie Lian.

[ He blinks and then realizes what's wrong. ]

Wait, what's wrong with my name on there, then?

[dawnblushed]

That's the thing. It doesn't look like there's anything wrong to me.

[...which, uh. Bad.]

...which I guess is something to worry about on its own.

[frostythehitman]

Great. So what the hell am I supposed to call myself now?

[dawnblushed]

I guess... any name you want? You can pick a name you like, and as long as people call you by it and you respond to it, it's yours, isn't it?

[frostythehitman]

[ He sighs, suddenly sounding exhausted. There's something cruel in having spent about 60 years stripped of your name and identity and getting it back, only to have it stripped from you again by complete happenstance.

He could go by another name, but he doesn't want to. He has a name, goddammit, he wants to use it!!!

He growls in frustration. All that's coming to mind right now is 'Winter Soldier,' and that's fine as an alias, but he refuses to let that be his primary name. ]

This is bullshit. I worked too damn hard for my name for them to just take it.

[dawnblushed]

It doesn't seem like that's something they should be able to take from you...

[how do they just... take a name, anyway? it doesn't make sense. but this doesn't seem like something he'd be lying about, either; if he can't remember it, he can't remember it, and if he can't read his own name on the phs, that's...

well, it's disturbing.]

...I'm sorry that this is happening. It isn't fair.

[frostythehitman]

Yeah, well. Here we are. I never have had the best luck, so go figure this would happen.

[ alright, that's enough wallowing. He squares his shoulders. ]

Guess I better get to work on figuring out a new name, then.

[dawnblushed]

[Okay but what if every week he forgot whatever he decided his new name was so you have to make a new name for him every Monday.]

Let me know what you decide. I'll help make sure the others know it, too.

[frostythehitman]

[ oh my god amazing. maybe if ppl just dunk on his name enough each week he'll change it on his own ]

Pfft. Yeah, alright. I might just make a nametag for myself and wear it around as long as we're here.

[dawnblushed]

That's a good idea! Then everyone would know as soon as they saw you.

[Yona sounds impressed! ????? has good ideas!]