WEEK TWO: MINGLE

[retellers]

WEEK TWO: MINGLE (37 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, and new buildings within the town have been unlocked. Finally, should anyone check their PHS, Cater, Sharon, and Kano'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. If you break the current ninth rule, participants will get shocked. It will be a mild shock at first, but the longer they touch each other, the stronger it will get. On that note, if your character did not share a memory last week, please make sure to check your notifs! Participants may also find that their memories of the past few weeks are getting fuzzier... as though they can't recall some of the details without focusing. Finally, this week, every time a participant gets within one foot of someone, they will experience the emotions the other person is currently feeling and vice-versa. This will last for ten seconds even after they've stepped out of their personal bubble, after which the sharing itself might share, but the knowledge will not. Have 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

[lionson]

True enough! I count myself lucky, the last few years have been pretty easy on the 'just live' side of things. Before all of this, at least.

[Let's not talk about how Shiro is ready to literally die for some of the people here.]

Have your days been better too? Before coming here.

[chanteuser]

[ she takes another sip of wine. ]

And worse. They were... better in the months before I came here, but things in general were dicey.

[lionson]

Hmmm? Anything you wanna talk through? Or nah?

[chanteuser]

It's... a lot. The good part was leaving my old job, but there's a lot happening in the city in general and things are uneasy.

[lionson]

The kind of upset that doesn't just affect you, yeah? Well, here's hoping it all goes well.

[Another toast!]

[chanteuser]

Yes. That's one way of putting it.

[ another! toast! ]

We'll see. Just got to make it through all of this first. [ ... ] But, you mentioned something people you're fond of back home? The "good ones"?

[lionson]

Yeah, there's a few. Seishiro, Naoya, Tadashi, they're good people. Of course, they'd have to be for me to put up with them, they live at my church.

Shura's another good one. She's a bit of a spitfire, but she has a good heart. There's my sons Rin and Yukio, of course, but I'd call them good no mater what. Then there's Kuro too. Aaah, so many! I don't think I could name them all.

[chanteuser]

[ let's focus on the main thing here.]

-- You're a dad?

[lionson]

Yep! I've got two sons. Actually-

[He pulls out this doll he got at some point. It's of two boys stuck together in a get-along shirt. It's one doll tho, with the horrors of fused bodies hidden under the large shirt covering most of the doll.]

I never actually did something like this when they were fighting, but it's not a bad idea.

[chanteuser]

[ she leans over to get a better look. even if they’re just dolls, she can see the similarities between the two boys even in fabric alone. ]

They’re twins?

—- I’m not sure that fabric would actually be enough to contain two teenagers in the middle of a fight, honestly.

[lionson]

Yep. And you're not wrong. They're 15 now, any fight they have would destroy a shirt like this. Aaaah, but when they were little, it might've worked.

[Alex will feel joy and love and fatherly pride practically radiating off of Shiro. He loves his kids.]

The one with the glasses, he's Yukio. He's always so serious all the time, but it's just because he tries to be responsible. The other one is Rin, and he has a hell of a temper. But he's also got a good heart too. They both do, actually.

[chanteuser]

Missed opportunity, I guess.

[ oh. that's cute... a Dad! ]

So, alike in looks but not in personality then? Does that make it easier or trickier?

[lionson]

Eeeh, it depends. If they were identical in every way it'd be super-creepy. Yukio has birthmarks on his face, so I could tell him apart from day 1 anyway. But since they're so different in personality, each kid has their own struggles. Yukio was such a crybaby as a little kid, and Rin got into fights all the time.

But I guess that means they compliment each other, yeah? Even when I'm good and gone, they'll still be able to count on each other.

[There's a rather abrupt feeling of abject sadness right there as he says that, but it doesn't last long. Shiro is quick to cover up his feelings, even in his own heart. His face doesn't falter at all though, and if not for emotion-sharing his sad thoughts there would have been undetectable.]

[chanteuser]

[ ... :( ]

That's what siblings are supposed to do, isn't it? Look out for each other. It's a nice thought, that there's someone there for them when you've gone.

[lionson]

Yeah. Hopefully I'm raising them to be good people who look after each other.

[A pause.]

Aaah, but I still have time! I'm only in my fifties, I'm not that old yet.

[chanteuser]

[ shiro, the opposite of raven. ]

That’s the right attitude.

Getting to see children grow up’s half the joy of raising them. [ there’s definitely some wistfulness there. ]

[lionson]

It sure is~ I can't wait until they're 20, and we can all go out drinking together.

[chanteuser]

[ ... ]

Aha, I see you have your priorities already.

[lionson]

Hey now, someone's first drink is important!

[chanteuser]

And getting to share it with them, hm?

[lionson]

Exactly. Yukio's gonna be a doctor someday, and Rin is probably going to be a chef. They're both going to be so busy when they grow up. I want to enjoy the time I have with them before they start their own lives and make their own families.

[That sadness is ebbing in again.]

[chanteuser]

As long as you keep in touch with them, that’s the main thing. Even if they end up living elsewhere, you can still write to them and see how they’re doing. Priorities just shift... that’s all.

[ haha. weird. she feels kinda sad too. and also guilty? wow. ]

[lionson]

Mmm, true. I think I wouldn't travel too far from the church I've been raising them in anyway. If nothing else, they'll always be able to find me.

[They'll always be able to find his GRAVE]

[chanteuser]

[ DON'T i read like one volume of AnE and was sad anyway?? ]

If they know where to find you, that's half the problem sorted.

[lionson]

Exactly. Which is why I won't be dying here: they can't visit me if they don't know where my grave is.