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

[riegan]

Do you not recognize anything on the list? (News to him!) The pegasus horseshoes reminded me of home.

Not that I have any particular connection to them, though.

(Anyway through the magic of RP lets get to the river!! And start looking for this happy duck.)

So.... Does anyone know how to tell if a duck is happy or not?

[canned]

Maybe it'd be one that's making happy-sounding quacks? Or maybe one that seems more energetic than the others?

[he puts a hand on his armored chin, considering and scanning for duck happiness]

Well, if it's something we're meant to find, there'd be something to distinguish it, right?

[twitter]

Gatcha! Scavenger hunts aren't supposed to be super hard, so we should be fine.

[ at the river. wow there are many ducks here today conveniently. ]

Are you good at catching animals?

[riegan]

Can't say I've ever really paid attention to a duck quack but there's a first time for everything.

(There are so many ducks! Wow! Claude is actually pretty excited about this but he'll also scan the area for any ducks that seem to scream "happiness.")

Never tried. If it's just a duck, it should be fine though. (Unknown to Claude is that water birds are the meanest birds of all birds or maybe that's just my personal bias. Anyway, just gonna take off his cloak... and his coat and boots because they're going into the water I guess.) D'ya think we'll see any of those mermaids?

(NEARBY, a chorus of ducks quack excitably.)

[canned]

[Alphonse, with some chicken and sheep wrangling knowledge from growing up in a farming town, begins to circle behind the group of ducks Claude is heading for, arms spread low and wide]

Mermaids?? You don't think they were just joking about them?

[He turns to Hajime]

How about you tell me and Claude which duck looks happiest and we can target it?

[twitter]

If there's mermaids, maybe we can ask them to help!

[ the mermaids would not help.

but at the question, hajime tilts her head as she turns her attention back to the ducks. ]

They all seem pretty smiley...

[riegan]

You saw the picture.

(Of course they're real. There's picture evidence.)

I've got an idea. Why don't we quack a few jokes? See which one has the best sense of humor.

(... One duck quacks particularly loudly and all of the others join.)

[canned]

How long have you been thinking about that joke, Claude? [still, he laughs a little as they draw closer to the group on either side

a river rock or something shifts under the water, and Alphonse stumbles, kicking up a splash and causing some of the ducks to scatter and fly away]

Oh, quick, grab one!

[twitter]

Are you okay?

[ claude, it is up to you to give chase now, since hajime's first concern is alphonse before the duck hunt.

but once it's clear he isn't actually hurt, she looks back to where the ducks are scattering. ]

Haha, whoops!

[riegan]

Hey--

(Look, Alphonse is fine. He's going to be fine. He's in a whole suit of armor! Which... actually probably isn't fine when you're in water and cant float? But the water is shallow! He'll be fine!!)

On it!(BUT WHICH ONE UGH, he's just going to go for the one that quacked the loudest earlier. It laughed at his joke maybe? And got all of the others to laugh? He leaps! Trying to toss his cape over it but it gets away, skidding into some reeds,) Get back here!

(This is all a lot and really unfortunate but for a young nobleman who has never had to deal with anything like this before... he's fine. He's having a good time!!)

[canned]

I'm fine, thank you!

[Al's righted himself from the stumble and sees the duck going into the reeds so he again circles around and this time keeps his arms spread out high as Claude tries to flush this duck they've decided to pick on out

He focuses on the obscured (and happy-sounding?) quacks and is ready for when the duck finally flies up and out of the reeds

He is not, however, ready for the wet nobleman who's slipping and sliding through the riverbank right towards him]

[twitter]

[ oh. that is probably going to be a crash.

hajime lets it happen as she runs after the now fleeing duck, making quacking sounds back at it in the hopes that it will be? attracted to the sounds? maybe it will think she is also a fellow duck who had the weirdest puberty of all time. ]

Quack!

[riegan]

(NO he's running right into a wall of armor and all of this is a huge mess. Their only saving grace is that Claude is an archer and the dodgiest of the three lords so he's able to finesse his way around the potential crash.

The ducks take cover in the reeds which means it's probably difficult to see the exact one they want. )

Stay still for a moment. (Just see if any of them answer Hajime??

It's quiet and then

There's some quaughter? Lack? LAUGHING QUACKS from very close to Hajime,) Quick, chase it this way!

(And he'll then try to direct it right at Alphonse.)

[canned]

[retrieving Claude's thrown cape, Alphonse readies himself with it, and in a burst of feathers and flashing steel, manages to wrap up one (1) duck into a cozy burrito

the duck pauses for a moment after capture, then begins to kick its little feets and quack repeatedly]

We did it!

........um, now what? Did the cellphone tell you if it's the correct duck? Is it happy enough?

[he presents the duckrito to Hajime for inspection]

[twitter]

It's--

[ the duck vanishes from alphonse's hands, and haime blinks. she looks around, like maybe the duck teleported somewhere?? maybe?? ]

Hm, I'm going to guess that was the right duck. Okay! Let's try for another one then. Did you see any papyrus?

[riegan]

(what the duck he was going to pluck some of those feathers before giving it up?

It's the right duck... so why does Claude look so disappointed!!!)

Hmm... maybe at the inn? There are a lot of papers and files there already.

(A beat,)

I could use a change of clothes, too.

[canned]

That's a good idea! I think it's the only place I've seen any paper in this town. [he offers Claude a hand in climbing up out of the river and onto dry land]

Maybe the mosquitoes won't bother you as much once you're dry, too. [he indicates the growing swarm of buzzing insects beginning to grow around them]

[twitter]

Must be because of the river.

[ it's not because of the river.

she tries to shoo some away, and will begin the trek over to the inn. ]

If it's at the inn... I wonder where the horseshoes would be?

[riegan]

Maybe if we're lucky, it'll be a paperweight.

(It is probably not. Just going to take his cloak back and give it a good twist. Oh, boy, he's soaked. Swatting at some of the mosquitos. It has to be because they're by a river that they're being bothered!

Anyway, to the inn they go!)

[canned]

Hmm, I haven't seen any stables around here, but...maybe that big general store with all the toys in the window would have riding equipment too? A pegasus horseshoe would just be the same as a normal horseshoe, right...?

We should get everyone cleaned up first, though! It'll probably help with the bug bites. [there are times when the armor has its benefits]

[twitter]

Yeah, all horses should have the same feet.

[ they may need to examine chiron's to double check if this fact is true or not.

but here they are. the... mosquitoes have not let up, apparently, and hajime is just scratching at her itches as they go. ]

Boo... why are they following us...

[riegan]

Pegasi aren't really my area of expertise. They don't usually let men near them.

(Which is very rude? But fine. Ugh, these mosquitos won't leave them alone though!! He feels really bad for Hajime so he's going to hold out his (dry!!) coat to her to wear over herself,)

Here, it should keep some of them from getting through.

(At least, until they get to the inn. HE'LL JUST SUFFER FOR THE PEOPLE, IT'S FINE.

Arriving at the inn, still a dripping mess of river water and mosquito bites now, thanks.)

Let's get changed quickly. (Which is mostly for him and Hajime?) Do you need to dry off too, big guy? You aren't going to rust on us or anything, are you?

[canned]

It's okay, I'll take care of my armor later! [and it won't rust!! it's steel! how rude]

Why don't you both go into that bathroom [he point to the one just off the lobby] to clean off before going upstairs and I can check the papers around here to see if there's anything that looks like papyrus.

...you both know what papyrus is, right?

[twitter]

Gatcha!

[ that's a yes.

but she will start heading for the bathroom, looking over her shoulder as she walks. ]

Call out if you find anything! We'll be with you right away.

[riegan]

(He's just looking out for you, Alphonse!!)

Fancy old paper.

(Is he wrong, though? Going to the bathroom to dry off as much as he can now. He probably wouldn't be so bad if his style wasn't so loose. :( But this is the price you pay for comfort sometimes.

Anyway, going to twist his cape out into the sink now.)