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

[suddenlybees]

The worm. Hajime can show you- she does a great worm.

[heartablaze]

...

Oh... Ohhhhhh, do you mean the dance?

I've heard about it a little - boys from America like it, right?

[suddenlybees]

Yeah, yeah, that's the one! So you do know it! Show me a good worm and I'll give you my name!

[heartablaze]

[i now have "the worm dance in 90s japan" in my google search history and i hate you]

...You promise?

[suddenlybees]

[ Hikaru's flags could've saved us but no... ]

Cross my heart and hope to die twice~

[ If his word isn't enough, then, what about a pinky promise? Sacred binding contract. ]

[heartablaze]

[Ah.

There's a fire behind her eyes as he holds up his pinky. She nods firmly before holding out her own and hooking it against his.]

Don't die until I earn your name.

I can't do a good worm - I don't think I know how to do it at all - but I'm gonna learn it. And I'm gonna show you when I do. I'll show you that you can trust me.

Okay?

[suddenlybees]

Haha, you guys are all piling pressure on me not to die, huh?

[ In that case, she should just spare herself the embarrassment and never learn his name. But their fingers are hooked and there's no backing out of it now. ]

But alright, okay. I have high hopes for you, Hikaru~

[heartablaze]

You too.

Until I learn your real name... can I call you Nico-kun?

[Is this the equivalent of calling him smiley boy? Yeah, what of it?]

[suddenlybees]

[ No... he doesn't want another name. He's barely keeping track of his Baron von something alias. ]

What a choice... Sure, whatever, do what you want.

[ Guess he is Nico-kun forever now. ]

[heartablaze]

Well, you smile a lot, you know??? Even if it isn't always a nice smile, I think it's a good nickname. But I'm gonna get your real one someday, so don't worry!

[rip Kano

There's a pause, before she finally gets off of him, dusting her skirt off.]

So, Nico-kun -- do you wanna go take a look at the planetarium with me?

You can say no if you want!

[suddenlybees]

Nope!

[ But he gets up too, patting off the back of his pants and shaking off his hoodie and looking at her expectantly. No he does not want to go to the planetarium but he will go with her. ]

[heartablaze]

[Hikaru, unfortunately, doesn't understand these mixed messages because Kano is a mystery. She accepts the no as a no, a little disappointed but shaking it off rather quickly.]

Okay... That's fine, I can go find somebody else. I'll come find you when I can show you that dance, though, okay?

[anyway is. he still following her. because she is 100% whipping around to go find someone else.......]

[suddenlybees]

Yeah, alright!

[ I mean, yeah. He is still following her. She can go find somebody else and also he can follow her around like a duckling. ]

[heartablaze]

[Congrats, we can do the hand-wavery whatever dance as she finds... throws dart... Sharon and makes their way over to the Planetarium, totally oblivious to the fact that he's trailing behind her like a weirdo. She's completely entranced in the building itself before she event notices that Kano is even there with them.

This is probably how she's gonna die lbr.]

Oh... Nico-kun! [She happily crosses the room over to him.]

Hey, when did you even get here? I thought you said you didn't wanna come to the Planetarium today?

[suddenlybees]

Um, hm. You said "with me"?

[ But he will go by himself... rude. ]

[heartablaze]

[rude]

You just wanted to go by yourself then, huh? That's okay.

Do you want me to leave you alone? Sharon-san is with me, so I can stay with her if I'm bugging you too much!

[suddenlybees]

Um, hm, either way! You two are having a good time together, so I won't ruin that and be in your way~

[ Once he shuts up, he can be almost unnoticeable, reverse countershaded so his black hoodie blends into the darkness of the planetarium and he's left staring up at all the stars.

There is no recognition or actively seeking out any constellations. Stars are just pretty, and there's so many of them. ]

[heartablaze]

[Hm.

A beat, looking at him like she can't figure out whether he's joking or not.]

...I don't think you'd ruin anything, Nico-kun.

[suddenlybees]

[ He is always serious all the time (: ]

Baseless accusation~ Is that just, like, your optimism speaking?

[heartablaze]

[We have established that this is incorrect and I live in fear.]

Is that a bad thing?

I mean, I think your smiles are a little sad sometimes, and you lie, but... if you wanted to be really mean, you could just be mean whenever you wanted, you know?

[suddenlybees]

[ It's the first time anybody's ever called his smile sad, and it slips for a split second- at the thought that he can't fake things as well here as he can back home. ]

Aren't I already, though? Really mean whenever I want~

[ Just ask Izumo... and Al and Fiora and Usagi and Pikachu and Elsa and... ]

[heartablaze]

Sometimes, I guess. You were mean when you lied to me.

[The. Multiple times, really.]

But if I thought that's all you were, then I'd be the mean one, wouldn't I? And I... I wanna think people aren't just mean for no reason. I know better than that now.

I've had to fight people who I thought were just mean or cruel before. But if you talk to them, or talk to people that knew them... sometimes they're only like that because they're trying to defend their friends, or protect somebody they love, or just do what they can to live. That's their choice to do what's important to them.

Doing something mean isn't good, but it doesn't mean the person is bad. That's... what I think, anyway. About you.

[suddenlybees]

[ All Kano can think about is a five-year-old Hikaru fistfighting bullies. You really don't get this sort of insight until you're older; when you're young, you just thinks things are mean and unfair and can't fathom the reasons behind it all.

A part of Kano still believes that. The existence of cruelty just because. ]

Optimistic and foolish... [ he mumbles to himself ] Is it enough thinking there are reasons, or do you gotta drag 'em out of me too?

arrives very late with starbucks to just torture card some more

[heartablaze]

[moving it over here, fam, captcha sucks]