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!

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[soulus]

[Rufus joins the girls with questionable taste in men. Ange will eat those words later.]

Shall we get going, then?

[dawnblushed]

Yes, let's do it! It shouldn't be too hard... they had a bunch of shirts in the emporium, before, so maybe we should start there?

[onward!! yona will lead the way.]

[lecarre]

That seems like the logical place to start.

Let's begin!

[She is excited to finally be able to work towards going home tbh.

TO THE EMPORIUM.]

[soulus]

[Loud fanfare music blares as they walk, led by Yona, through the emporium. Once they enter a section with shirts, he starts looking systematically through the piles from his end. No comment on the music.]

[dawnblushed]

[It's so loud... strong dislike. She opens her mouth to complain, but then sees Rufus get right to work without complaining and decides she should buckle down and work too.

Just... digging through the shirts...]

I'm only seeing ones with a castle on them...

[lecarre]

[She jumps the first time it starts, but then she follows, looking around uncertainly.

???]

... Yes, me as well. And animals. [She holds up a cute tiger themed shirt.]

But nothing like what we are supposed to find.

[soulus]

[Similarly, he doesn't see anything that resembles I ❤ NEW YORK as he sifts the folded piles.

Look here—there's a shirt with an animal inside a castle. Very original.]

It may not be in this area.

[The music might be drowning out his voice.]

[dawnblushed]

What was that? I can't hear you.

[whoops.]

[lecarre]

[Ange also cannot hear him.

She is diligently going through the shirts and refolding them neatly when she's done, so this is taking her forever.

Someone do something.]

[soulus]

[He hates repeating himself, so he puts the shirt in his hands back and walks away.

Hilariously, this takes him down the path that leads to the actual t-shirt in question. The girls can find him standing there with the case, which does not look easy to open, in his possession.]

[dawnblushed]

[Yona continues looking through the shirts, but after she's gotten through her piles, she comes to the conclusion that the one they need isn't here. So. Time to follow Rufus's lead and look in other places.

...oh! Looks like he found it. She cups her hands around her mouth to make her (still somewhat scratchy but nowhere near as bad as on the first day) louder and call back to Ange.]

Ange! I think Rufus found the shirt!!

[lecarre]

[...!!

Ange straightens up at Yona's call, tilting her head.]

Oh...!

[She puts the last shirt she was working on back, folded, and hurries to join Yona.]

That was easier than I thought. [She has to lean in close to be heard.

And when they get there:]

Nice job, Mister Rufus!

[soulus]

[She's going to ruin her voice . . .

Rufus is in a decidedly less celebratory mood as he shows the case off. The design is visible, so they don't have to question whether this is the right shirt or not.]

The container won't open.

[dawnblushed]

[immediately:]

Let's smash it.

[lecarre]

[... Yona???]

Miss Yona...? Um--it really won't open no matter what, Mister Rufus? Does it say anything?

[They're gonna have to smash it.]

[soulus]

There's a price tag.

[He indicates said tag. The number is huge.]

It appears we must pay for it first.

[Smash it.]

[dawnblushed]

[She looks at the price tag.]

...we definitely can't afford that. Hold on, I'll go find something.

[Turns on her heel and heads off ... to the penny arcade.]

[lecarre]

[She also looks at the price tag.]

This is--

[Then Yona is leaving.

???]

Miss Yona?

[...]

None of us have any money at all... we haven't bought a single thing from this shop, have we?

[soulus]

[Goodbye, Yona.]

No. Even if we wanted to, there would be nobody to accept the money.

[dawnblushed]

[While they're talking their options over, Yona heads to the Smac-a-Mole game, grabs one of the mallets, and tries to walk off with it.

Of course, it's attached to game, so that doesn't work... neither does yanking on it. Hm. She'll just keep pulling on it for a while, trying to yank it free.]

[lecarre]

[YOU CAN DO IT, YONA.

Ange meanwhile goes to peer at the container.]

... Maybe if we pretend to pay for it...? Though, um, that sounds a little awful...

[soulus]

[He can hear trouble in the distance. He also hears the fanfare music that makes it harder to concentrate than it should be.]

I'm not certain that would work.

[dawnblushed]

[Meanwhile, Yona gives up on yanking it free, and instead kneels down next to where the mallet is connected to the game. She pulls something out of her cloak and ... gets to work trying to disconnect it!

She kind of grunts. It's easier said than done. This could take a while.]

[lecarre]

[Is the music getting louder? It feels like it's getting louder.

Ange winces and raises her voice a bit to be heard.]

We must try something...!

[She tries to pry it open.

This works no better than it did when Rufus tried.]

[soulus]

[This almost feels like a slight against him when she's operating under the assumption that he neither tried nor succeeded for lack of strength. Even he has some measure of pride.

Rufus stands off to the side behind her, inhaling and then exhaling quietly. Where is Yona?]