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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Comments

[arcsplainist]

[ thousand yard stare ]

—Why don't we worry about that if it should become an issue.

[ because yuck ]

[sacredchants]

I suppose so.

[ jan said we'll bad end if someone vored the nova so let's not have someone or something vore the nova. anyway!! presenting the broccoli to spare us some of the raccoon and confetti canons for at least one of them??

...unless? ]

Though. [ a beat. ] If we hit someone hard enough, maybe that'd work just as well.

[horologia]

We'll, um, cross that bridge if we come to it.

[ punching someone into throwing up can remain on the table but maybe it shouldn't be the first recourse.

and yes! at least the confetti cannons don't fit indoors. i can avoid being haunted by the ghost of blues' raccoon for at least one part of a mini-event while we're at it. ]

So... do you think this particular piece of broccoli would be in the fridges, or the walk-in freezer?

[arcsplainist]

[ A question Alphinaud does not have the answer to, for reasons he's about to reveal— ]

Is it common to put vegetables in those... fridges? [ That's what she just called it, right. ] I confess I have never seen one ere my own arrival here—though, the kitchen is full of many unfamiliar gadgets.

[sacredchants]

I think I saw a box of them in the walk-in-freezer.

[ BUT FIRST. ]

How have you been eating, Alphinaud?

[ this is a very real question that now she's incredible concerned about. sure there are things you can just snack on but, hello? meals? ]

[horologia]

[ wait no vegetables, since arriving? ]

... Have you just... been looking for things out in the forest? Is there anything out in the forest?

[arcsplainist]

[ oh.. did he say something dumb..... he glances off, sheepishly. ]

—No, no! For one, I am hardly a hunter. [ OBVIOUSLY... ] Nor have I been starving myself! I have found things to eat, and there have been... a few kind souls already in the kitchen when I've arrived.

[ but he doesn't know how to cook, okay. AND HE'S NEVER SEEN A FRIDGE TO PUT VEGGIES IN ]

[sacredchants]

So, you've been mooching off of the people here.

[ which, while of an interest to her, is not currently relevant to what the matter of hand is which is to find their first nova—a broccoli. but why not do a show and tell all the while, huh? ]

That— [ points ] Is a "fridge" or a refrigerator. It's common for people to store perishable goods inside of it.

[ another gesture towards the door she was heading to. ]

This is a walk-in-freezer. It works the same as a fridge but on a bigger scale, and let's hope our broccoli is inside.

[horologia]

Um... expanding a little further, fridges usually have a side where they keep things cold, and a side where they keep things frozen. For longer term storage.

[ she's not going to comment on the mooching thing, because side glances. ]

I suppose we'll be able to find out how close our devices have to be to the condensed nova without too much fuss, this way...

[ please don't make them have to try to suck it out of someone's stomach, thanks. ]

[arcsplainist]

Ahem– [ Because he's happy to move on from the subject of mooching, thank you!! ] –it does seem to be quite a handy appliance. But let us not dwell on... well, my own ignorance for long—the broccoli is of more importance.

[sacredchants]

Right, there's plenty of that later.

[ izumo will call it as she sees it!!!

and i will not because jan said we'll bad end and i want to do it the proper way if we do bad end, so time to get scanning the boxes of broccoli for nova which, thankfully, are in the walk-in-freezer. bless them...

but, uh, welcome to two boxes. large boxes. ]

It's supposed to make a noise or something when it finds it, right?

[ who read all of the instructions? ]

[horologia]

It'd be nice if it could maybe ping, or glow or blink a notification light if we're heading in the right direction...

[ at least let them play hot or cold to find this? ]

Well. We could try to split the workload and open up both?

[ she will try to assist! even if she, for a few reasons, probably Shouldn't. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ He's just. eyeing his own device like he has no idea how to use it (because he doesn't), and then the two boxes. ]

I quite agree that would be an efficient use of our time. Shall we perhaps bring these to a counter?

[ For easier spreading, and also, it's cold in here. ]

[sacredchants]

[ well, if alphi is suggesting that they move the boxes out of the freezer, that's a nice place to start and one that izumo is on. however, she certainly does not have the arm strength to pick up a large box of broccoli so she's on it by pushing one of the boxes towards the exit/entrance. ]

This will take so much time if we have to scan them one by one.

[ grumbling. ]

Isn't there a smarter way to go through the boxes once we get them out?

[horologia]

If we have to scan or touch them... I don't have any ideas. Maybe if we just line them up and run our devices down it really fast...?

[ but that means that they'd have to line them up. time to go through the great broccoli hunt of 2020. if izumo's got one of the boxes, though, she'll start trying to shove the other one out the door too. ]

There might not be a way to avoid it.

[arcsplainist]

Although tedious, with us three I do believe we will manage to find our target quickly, regardless of how we go about it.

[ He just watches them trying to push these boxes for a moment... ]

Erm— Would either of you like any assistance...?

[ Even though Alphinaud is like, smaller than both of them. ]

[sacredchants]

[ why is izumo the tallest and alphi be the shortest while also being the oldest?? ]

When I spoke to my leader, they didn't really give me clear instructions of how it would react, but I guess. [ she'll give one more push and out goes the box from the freezer (just clearing the entrance), where she'll just take a moment to roll her shoulders. ] Three is still more than one.

[ a look at alphi. hmmm.... ]

Want to try to carry it to the counter?

[ pointing towards the counter top a little whiles away. they are not sorting through food on the floor. ]

[horologia]

[ congrats to us, we're doing heavy lifting with two teenage girls and alphinaud. homura's just going to trail behind with her own box- thankfully the threshold isn't one of those annoying raised dividers that's impossible to get anything past, haha!

though. ]

... One of us should probably still check the fridge, too, just in case? Maybe?

[ who knows, maybe someone set some aside for later or something. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ staring... at the heavy box....... and then: ]

—Brilliant thinking! Allow me to search inside the fridge, then.

[ He knows he cannot pick that box up on his own, okay :( ]

[sacredchants]

[ izumo will watch him scamper off and mentally whisper "coward", but it's fair. if he hurt himself that'd be another thing to worry about. ]

Fine. [ back to the pushing. ] I'll take this to the counter.

[ in b4 the broccoli they were looking for was in the fridge all along? ]

[horologia]

[ please, that's the funniest timeline. let izumo and homura do all the work of shoving the boxes here, only for it to be completely unnecessary in the end.

homura just glances at him nyooming off and wonders 'did i just... give him an excuse to run away.' hm. ]

I'll just... go through my set over by the tables.

[ shove, shove. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ She sure did!! So he'll be over here, looking inside... You two have fun with your boxes o' broccoli. ]

[sacredchants]

[ SIGHS.

yeah, tons of fun with the boxes of broccoli that izumo will finally start to sort through once she gets close enough to the counter where she'll put her phs down on the table while grabbing a few heads of the broccoli over device to see if any will trigger.

results? none. ...for her first "layer". ]

[horologia]

[ someone close the door on him and get him stuck in the fridge. they can put a box in front. like pushing a nerd into a locker, but now it's cold.

because yeah, no luck where homura's sat setting aside each piece that she's checked onto the table, one by one. where is the special broccoli? not here so far, is what. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ THE FRIDGES AREN'T WALK IN i think. Anyway after a few minutes Alphinaud returns, holding up two large heads of broccoli, one in each hand. ]

I am returned, but this is all I was able to find. What of you two? Any luck thus far?