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

[robopriest]

[hey so what the heck is happening]

[Hansa just. Looks around at all of this pandemonium before gesturing to the rest.]

Hey! You three! Get closer to me! Strength in numbers! Come on! Let's get out of this mess!

[He has no idea what this nova issues is but if it involves fighting skeletons, he is down for this. Towards the East Swamp they go!]

[chanteuser]

[ what the heck is happening is a really good way of putting it actually. because if this wasn't a sign they can't have nice things in the realm, then what is? ]

[ that being said she's completely ignoring hansa for a moment here, looking around the area as fast as she can and grabbing what looks like a broken, discarded plank of wood off the ground instead.

it's fine. she's not running into a swamp without anything to defend herself. ]

Where did they even come from?? Wasn't there a barrier or something out in the ocean?

[ this is their life now. wow. ]

[soulus]

If it's a nova issue, the barrier would mean nothing to them.

[Rufus is calm as he moves past Alex to join Hansa, watchful of their surroundings on their way to the eastern side of the swamp. At least they're not being run over by fleeing villagers.]

[misstrust]

[ Dorothy honestly looks a little shell shocked, but obediently moves closer to the group and... rolls up her sleeves a bit, it's fine. ]

I suppose we'll get more answers as we proceed?

[ ONWARDS. ]

[retellers]

[ The swamp is wet and gross. At least SOMETHING here isn't on fire. But lo and behold, some skeletons are in here. Two of them in particular seem to be carrying a chest as they head deeper into the swamp. They are cackling loudly and using their swords to carve a path. Following them should be easy!

There's only one little problem in the way. As previously established, this swamp is filled with snakes. Snakes who have been currently disturbed by very rude skeletons who do not care for nature.

Hiss. Hiss. Hissssssss. ]

[robopriest]

..................Oh, come on.

[Says Hansa, flatly looking down at the snakes. He'll look back at the other three.]

Okay, we have snakes. Watch for those. And I guess those skeletons being thieves? Tch. Lets get rid of these things, first.

[Hansa just lets out a very loud sigh, and just strides forward and just...................kicks some of the mass of snakes into the air like they're soccer balls. HE'S A CYBORG HE DON'T CARE ABOUT NO SNAKES IN THIS DAMN SWAMP.]

[chanteuser]

[ 10 points. ]

[ alex just closes her eyes for a brief, brief moment. everyone can probably feel her suffering. ]

Right. Of course there are snakes.

[ it's fine, she has a plank of wood now. she'll just sweep in front of her and push any snakes that slither across her path back in their lane as she goes. ]

[soulus]

[Rufus shares a spark of something mildly like excitement when he spies the chest between the skeletons. (What snakes?) Eagerly—even though he doesn't appear excited at all on the outside—he follows Hansa's path of robotic destruction.]

[misstrust]

Rufus, you could stand to enjoy yourself a bit less...

Ah, but I also suppose, zapping aside, someone could just throw me at the skeletons. Two birds, one stone?

[ She doesn't like the snakes. She's gingerly following, but she doesn't like them. ]

[retellers]

[ The snakes are all attaching themselves to Hansa's clothes, biting. His legs are now covered in snakes. Luckily, he is a robot, so it does not hurt, but it is lightly inconvenient. They will attempt to launch themselves at him from all angles if given the chance, curling up around and biting useless. Their nest!!!!! You bitch!!!!

The snakes don't seem bothered by the sweeping, so the rest of the group is fine though. Deeper in the swamp they go, and deeper truly is the word for it. They swamp water is slowly rising as they go deeper, following the skeletons. The good news is, less snakes! The bad news is, swamp water.

There may be leeches. ]

[robopriest]

[YEAH WOW THIS IS TURNING INTO A GREAT DAY, INDEED]

I like these clothes! Get off!

[He's just tearing them off and throwing them whenever he can far away from the rest of the group. His annoyance is at a peak. But at least he can stride forward into the water, mostly snakeless!]

[Thank the Lord he's waterproof and leech-proof. The Church really has the best technology! Also he's too busy being a bit mad about the snakes to notice the leeches. Sorry, everyone.]

[chanteuser]

[ well some people here have fleshy legs, so while the departure of the snakes is great and wonderful, the arrival of leeches is not-so-much.

alex's boots are high enough that she avoids the leeches for a little longer than anticipated, but she will flinch suddenly and stop. ]

...

There's something on my leg.

[ ................... oh no.


she keeps moving after a moment, but it's notably stiffer and more cautious after that. ]

[soulus]

[Rufus does not delay. He's covered well enough and leeches don't frighten him. Now, hard work for no or little pay—that is truly frightening.]

Pay them no mind. They're just leeches.

[misstrust]

Better to just get through it...

[ Says Dorothy.

Whose legs have nice high boots but dem thighs are still ripe for the leeching and from the way she turns pale and just abruptly-- diligently speeds up her splashing forward past Alex, they sure made a beeline for dem thighs.

But you know what, leeches over snakes any day and skeletons over everything, but at least she's yet to trip over an alligator. ]

[retellers]

[ Leeches aside, this swamp isn't so bad now that the snakes are gone. Well, some are swimming along with you guys, but that's fine. They've stopped trying to attack anyone but Hansa. They are, in fact, following Hansa along, determined to make up for him being invulnerable to leeches.

It is perhaps going too well, because soon they come upon an odd looking piece of drift wood... wait why does the driftwood have eyes???

but at least she's yet to trip over an alligator.

uh ohhhhh. the alligator opens its mouth

GET OUT ME SWAMP it growls in alligator, probably. that or it is just trying to eat them. ]

[robopriest]

[Hansa, annoyance already at his peak (he might be invulnerable to leeches but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the sensors to at least tell they're trying to BITE him), just doesn't even blink his eye at the sight of the crocodile.]

[It's time to make Ty's dream come true. Hansa just turns his head in the direction of it, gritting his teeth.]

Get out of my way.

[And in true Steve Irwin fashion he's just going to move to the side and then tackle it with the full weight of his stupid metal body. Its fine? Though maybe you should help? I mean, you can't let the cyborg have all the fun, can you?]

[chanteuser]

[ there he goes...
knock 'em dead.....................................








i mean. she's not super excited at the idea of trying to intervene anywhere in a fight between a literal alligator and a cyborg? to paraphrase a certain elf... alex's good out here.

but she will use that plank to smack the alligator if it gets too close to her. eat splinters, reptile. ]

[soulus]

[No, he's fine. Alex and Hansa can have all the fun to themselves. Of course, if the alligator gets too close to his path after Alex's wooden retaliation, Rufus will punch it straight in a vulnerable eye before pressing onward.]

[misstrust]

Oh, for the love--!

[ You guys. That poor guy is getting totally overpowered and he needs our help!!

And by "that poor guy", I mean the alligator.

But Dorothy has apparently hit the limit of Regretting Everything and has pushed straight through to Hating Everything That Stands In Her Way of Getting Out, so you know what?

She's sloshing over there, avoiding flailing limbs and drawing one leg up and out of the water and--

Kicking the alligator in the side of the head as hard as she can?

SHE'S GOT YOUR BACK, HANSA. YOU DON'T NEED IT, BUT SHE'S GOT IT. ]

Stop it, already! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, picking on wanderers like us!!

[ Wow, it's like she looks after young girls or something. ]

[retellers]

[ The alligator attempts that cool wrestling alligator move alligators do where they kind of clamp and spin, but hansa is already doing that, so it is beaten to the punch? It bites at the first thing it can, which ends up being Alex's wood plank and so gets a mouthful of wood and splinters for its effort, and then it is kicked in the head.

The alligator is having a TERRIBLE time, this is the WORST PREY, and it is TIRED. It is officially KO'ed.

Anyway Rufus will be the one to see that the skeletons have dragged them all the way to what looks like a... house? Hidden deep in the swamp? The skeletons walk in, still carrying the chest. ]

[robopriest]

Yes!

[This poor crocodile. Hansa stands up, completely soaked from head to toe, hair dripping wet and plastered against his face and just-]

[Pumps his fists in the air, laughing. Alex and Dorothy and maybe even Rufus can feel that he's just.............extremely genuinely happy right now? This totally makes up for the snakes and leeches.]

Haha! Gotcha! [And then he'll raise his hand for high fives from the girls. IS THIS THE TIME, HANSA.] Good job, you two! Let's keep going!

[Sometimes you really are just a jock,]

[chanteuser]

[ ...

i mean she goes to return the high five without thinking —- stops really awkwardly halfway, turns around to free whatever’s left of her trusty wooden plank from the jaws of the alligator—-

and then taps his hand with that.

HANSA your ARMS.



but yes there’s a treasure chest to be chasing. celebrate and walk, mister. ]

[soulus]

[Rufus is still here. He feels Hansa's elation; meanwhile, everyone else can feel his impatience as he watches the skeletons leave. He starts to move, but sharing his emotions means they'll be saddled with them for the next ten seconds.]

Let's not waste time. There's a building up ahead.

[misstrust]

[ Dorothy looks and feels... rather perplexed by the gesture, tilting her head. Huh. Well, maybe it's just some kind of exuberant motion?

She just sort of waves awkwardly in response?? But then she's shaking her head with a grin and splashing in Rufus' direction. ]

Yes, dear. Coming, dear.

[ TO THE... HOUSE. ]

[retellers]

[ Obviously, since this is a swamp, it's a wooden house on stilts. Once they climb the steps to get in, they'll see it is full of odd jars and trinkets, like potion bottles, skulls, odd looking coins, and a stuffed monkey. There's a bathtub with some gumbo in it, for some reason?

The skeletons are nowhere to be found on this level, but there is a second floor. The only thing in their way seems to be this nice bird. Surely this is a completely easy task after defeating an alligator, some snakes and leeches? Which are still on all of you, by the way. You are still covered in leeches.

And, in Hansa's case, snakes. ]