WEEK ONE: MINGLE

[retellers]

WEEK ONE: MINGLE (40 remain) Rise and shine, gremlins. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and it's the start of a new week. To the participants, yesterday's events may seem distant now—albeit not as distant as their life before this. Whether or not they notice, they will have lost a memory upon waking up. The barrier to the north is down, and beyond the bridge lies new areas to explore. Strangely, what was there last week seems to have been replaced overnight. That's not the only thing that's different, either. The participants will find that their lodgings have changed. Finally, should anyone check their PHS, Hajime, Pikachu, and Virid's profiles have been removed. 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. Furthermore, it looks as though the rules have updated. Finally, this week, the participants will find themselves drawn to one person in particular. Whoever that is, they will find themselves compelled to be close to them physically. The longer they attempt to resist this, the more compelled they will be... and the closer they will want to be, to the point that it might be emotionally and physically draining to not be holding hands or hugging them for several hours because you've ignored them too long. That's fun.

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]

[ THERE'S A GAPING VOID AND KANO WOULD BE VERY ALARMED IF SHE DIDN'T NOTICE..........

not that he brings anything up either, just gives the countdown from three to one and waits for Ange to take off first so he can jog along beside her and keep pace. ]

[lecarre]

[AND OFF THEY GO.

Ange is Shocked when she does not hit a barrier or go falling backwards.

So shocked that instead she falls forward.

So she kind of ended up on the ground either way BUT HEY...!! That's fine.]

[suddenlybees]

[ Why did she stop running!! Kano has to double back and crouch in front of her and stare at her instead of helping her up. ]

...I should've taken you to see the bears last week.

[lecarre]

[she stares at him back as he does not help her up, and slowly pushes herself up to her hands and knees.

and all she can seem to think to say is]

... Why are there bears...?

[suddenlybees]

[ Sometimes you got to learn to pick yourself up, it's okay. He knows she's capable. ]

What do you mean why? The forest is the bears' home, isn't it? Have you gone out there much?

[lecarre]

That... I suppose that is true.

[Anyway, she does slowly push herself to her feet, brushing herself off.]

And you know where the bears live...? Did you go seek them out, my lord?

[suddenlybees]

[ Oof, there's that itchy feeling at being called a lord, but Kano just laughs it off, waving his hand and leading Ange across the bridge. No bears today. Maybe later. ]

Sure did! It's sorta like... scouting out our neighbors, right? I'll introduce you guys someday! But maybe we should come with a peace offering when we do.

[lecarre]

[Maybe never, if Ange has her way, but this is fine. Anyway, she dusts herself off and follows him. Into the void...!!]

Er... right... [she Does Not Get It]

Perhaps... meat or something like that? I... truly do not know what bears like, but I would rather not be eaten by one.

[suddenlybees]

Haha, you really want to give our neighborly bears a taste for meat? Alright.

[ He needs to find his third arm, where is it. Either way, they'll find what they need at the space station, which, as they approach, Kano keeps glancing over at Ange to gauge her reaction for anything more than "huh. okay." ]

[lecarre]

[... ?!??!?]

Don't they--

[Eat meat...

That's where she was going with that, but then they're at the space station, and that is miraculous. Ange's eyes light up, and she just trails off to stare at everything with open-mouthed, gaping wonder.]

[suddenlybees]

[ Don't they eat camping trash? Bears are just racoons, but bigger.

No bears in space, though, which is good because Kano wouldn't want to ruin this moment, reaching out to pinch Ange's sleeve so he can pull her along and lead her down the hall while she looks around and stops paying attention to whether or not she's about to run into a wall.

Unless there's another place that really catches her eye, he is leading her to the vr room. ]

[lecarre]

[Nothing will stop him from his destination; Ange follows obediently, trusting him to not tug her into any walls or anything (somehow, even still), with her eyes wide as she looks around, trying to get a glimpse of everything and anything that she can.]

... Amazing... this is all so amazing. Did... did you know this was here...?

[suddenlybees]

Nope! Not at all. Pretty cool, right?

[ He says as he keeps his eyes straight forward, no sense of wonderment or anything about him, as if he's lived here his entire life. The vr room is the first door they come across in the hall, and, being blank white walls and devoid of anything else, is probably rather disappointing.

Kano sidesteps so that instead of leading Ange into the room, he urges her forward from behind. ]

[lecarre]

[He's oddly okay with this, but also, she's getting a little used to Kano just being Like That.

So she's urged into the room and she steps in, looking around with puzzled confusion.]

...?

This is... is there something special about this room, my lord?

[suddenlybees]

Hum. Yes? I think so?

[ Why isn't it lighting up like when he was in here with Alex? He stays at the doorway, leaning in just enough to poke Ange lightly on the back of the head. ]

[lecarre]

[Rude. She steps in a bit more at the poke, and then, finally, Kano gets what he wants.

It's... well.

It's pretty gloomy. Absolutely a city, a ye olde city, but very very gloomy and smoggy and foggy at that.

Ange jumps and squeaks.]

[suddenlybees]

[ Kano jumps too, at the sudden change in scenery. Why is this at the top of Ange's mind to be picked up? At least Alex's was indoors and not so dreary. ]

Eh... hm.

[ After a moment's pause, he steps inside too, and looks around the street. ]

Home sweet home?

[lecarre]

[Ange looks... less than pleased to be here, but she just dips her head, fiddling with the hem of her skirt.]

... I suppose so, yes... This is, um. London. London as I knew it.

[As an orphan on the streets, the usual sob story.]

[suddenlybees]

[ It wasn't the case with the space station, but this place has Kano squinting at the sky and looking about, though he doesn't take a single step from Ange's side. ]

London, huh...

[ Is it always grey like this? Foggy and rainy. He doesn't know London outside of what's shown on the big screens, so this sounds about right. ]

Are you homesick, Ange? To be thinking of a place like this, even now?

[lecarre]

"Homesick"...

[She's quiet for a moment as she looks around, but she finally does start to walk. The VR limitations mean it's only this street, and in all honesty, as she reaches out to touch a streetlamp:]

I am not certain that is the right word. This is one of the nicer neighborhoods in London, did you know, my lord? You are a baron... of course you know.

[...]

I am not homesick just yet, but I suppose I dwell a lot on what is familiar to me, compared to where we are now. Is that strange...?

[suddenlybees]

Nah, that's pretty normal. Familiarity is comfortable, while a place like this...

[ He tilts his head up towards the sky, and at that moment, there's a flash of lightning and the clap of thunder that splits the sky, a slow grin spreading on Kano's face as it begins to pour over miserable London. ]

Is open. And just a little scary~

[lecarre]

[Eeurgh, the rain. She doesn't really flinch though. She seems pretty used to this, even though they are getting virtual reality-drenched.]

I suppose it is a little scary, at times. But even so, it is home. For that reason alone, I suppose it holds meaning to me.

Do you have something like that...?

[suddenlybees]

[ Why does London suck so much that drowning on land is normal ]

A home? 'course I do. With my own bedroom and everything~ Wanna see it?

[ Frogs start to fall from the sky. One plops down on Ange's head. ]

[lecarre]

...?

[She lifts a hand and... pokes at the frog.

?? ??? ????]

... Frog....?

[...]

Um, yes, I-- I would like to... [...] Sorry, are you seeing this as well?

[suddenlybees]

[ The frog ribbits and cozies down on Ange's head. Another plops down onto her shoulder, but slides off and bounces off onto the ground, where it lies there in acceptance of its fate. ]

Yeah. Cute, huh? But maybe you'd like to— oh. There, by your feet.

[ A discarded umbrella, black with white specks, almost like a starry sky. It was definitely not there before. ]