WEEK ZERO: ARRIVAL

[retellers]

WEEK ZERO: ARRIVAL (43 remain) Whatever each character was doing—chatting with friends, going to bed, saving the world—ceases. In fact, it's likely nothing more than a groggy memory now, as they open their eyes to unfamiliar surroundings. Apparently, they took a nap right in the middle of a small town, plopped outside on the paved road. Ow? Oh, but it looks like they've been given a goodie bag. Everyone likes gifts, right? Inside, it contains: - a single random one of the following headbands and sparklers - packets of tea - one unlabeled pill - a rock that resembles the galaxy - if they're of age, a mini bottle of alcohol; if they're underage, a can of Mountain D*w Baja Blast instead - a singular condom - a single random one of these pillows (how did this fit?) - a handheld device Should they boot up the device, the screen helpfully informs them that it's a Participant Help System (PHS). Not much on it, but it does have a few apps, including a memo one for taking notes. There's also a messaging system, though it's only capable of receiving messages, not sending any. As a matter of fact, there's an alert for a new message already. Maybe it'll explain what's going on. Good evening, everyone. Uh, how are we sure they’re arriving in the evening? Just say “hello”! Or “greetings”! Greetings is fancy, right? Oh that’s true. Greetings, everyone. That’s better? Yes! Except maybe we take out the that’s better part in the final version. Will do! We’re sorry that we’re not here jklk oh no how do i erase what i wrote. Where is the question mark. Help press backspace. What is a backspace it’s written on the keyboard. Do you even know how to read? right now. There are a lot of things happening that’s so vague? Could we maybe TRY to not be ominous, guys??, It’s going to be ominous no matter what we say, so who cares so we need time to best prepare for you all. We will greet you properly soon, so please make yourselves at home! There are a lot of places to explore, and the kitchen has a lot of delicious food. Please don’t be shy, but also, don’t damage anything. It’s a little inconvenient. They’re going to do it just because you sound so fucking whiny. I’m sorry oh this is how you write somewhere else. Please do not fight or do. We don’t control your life choices. No please do not fight how do i make an exclamation mark maybe we should’ve gotten someone else to write the draft of the message? No offense. I’m sorry Sorry stop apologizing. No one else volunteered. Maybe we’ll luck out and none of them know how to read Thank you for your time! We’ll see you soon. Also, we promise you haven’t been kidnapped or anything! Oh dear. I don’t know if this is going to be edited, so if it isn’t, then I do apologize to the participants for our lack of organization. We’re doing our best! Probably. Er, what? Unfortunately, it seems as though that's the only info they're given for now. In the meantime, why not explore the surrounding area? A number of buildings are locked, and the Planetarium appears to be closed, but there's enough to keep the characters occupied for a day or two. They might even want to get to know their fellow "participants" better, while they're at it.

NAVIGATION locations ₓ˚. statuses *+:｡ ic profiles :ₓo ic rules ･ﾟﾟ･｡ audience requests murder proposals ｡✧o private conversations ･ﾟo｡ curfew ･ﾟ✧ memories

Comments

[bisouled]

i. town

[ the town and forest seem familiar enough - not so different from Colony 9. The only difference is that everything's still standing: there are no shifting monsters descending from the sky, no stray Mechon roaming the streets looking for victims, no ominous shadow of the Bionis's arm wielding its blade overhead. Most importantly, there's no one around but her. Shulk and Reyn and her brother and all the rest are nowhere to be found.

Cause for panic? A little. Definitely. But Fiora is nothing if not resilient (she can't say this is the oddest thing that's happened to her), and so, she moves into action as soon as she can. Others will probably hear her shouting before they see her - Shulk! Dunban! Is that you? - but when they do see her, she's hard to miss, and not only because she's waving at them frantically. ]

Oh! Thank the Bionis, I was starting to think I was totally alone out here! Where is this place? What happened to the Telethia?

[ you can answer this, right ]

barrier

[ eventually - presumably after getting something in the way of information and deciding to turn on the suspicious device in that bag - Fiora exits the town once again and heads out. Out, as far as she can go, which means she ends up stuck in the forest eventually. Once again, she's hard to miss, shining white in the darkness of the woods. ]

All right... Here goes nothing. Let's do this!

[ is she talking to herself? it sure looks like it. She takes a few steps back, steels herself, and then runs full tilt, leaping up into the air with her arms crossed over her face as if she's jumping through a window. She does not jump through a window. She slams right into that invisible barrier, and proceeds to get bounced back a considerable distance, letting out a pained yelp before falling to the ground with a heavy-sounding clank. ]

barrier

[lecarre]

[Oh my god.

Ange was just admiring the view, and also trying to find a way out like everyone else, when suddenly there's a woman running into the barrier... and going soaring.

She just stares, following the arc of the parabola for a long moment...and then everything clicks that she definitely just maybe saw someone break some limbs, and she runs.]

Miss? Miss...! Are you all right?

[bisouled]

[ luckily, she is obviously alive, and her limbs must be okay, because she's slowly getting to her feet. ]

Ugh... I'm okay. I think. [ she pulls herself into a sitting position, checking her fingers and arms briefly. ] Sorry to worry you. But there's got to be some way to get through there.

[lecarre]

[Alive and in one piece and Ange looks amazed she's immediately getting back up.]

You... must be incredibly tough, miss.

That was quite the flight you took.

[bisouled]

[ that gets a small wry grin out of her. Being tough is fine - it's one of the few good points of everything that happened to her. ]

Oh, very! But I've fallen way farther than that before. [ a pause. Fiora wrinkles her nose. ] ... Still not very pleasant, though.

[lecarre]

[???]

... You must live a very exciting life.

[She does not understand, but this is fine.]

But even so, I'm relieved you are all right. You need to keep all of your limbs intact to find a way out of here, right?

town

[reconnective]

[unfortunately he is not shulk or dunban but he can't exactly ignore someone flagging him down. so off he goes to see fiora!]

Well...I don't know what the Telethia is, but I don't think it's anywhere close by. This place doesn't look familiar to me either. [very reassuring.] But maybe we can find some answers further in town if we keep looking.

[bisouled]

[ helpful! ish. She's not terribly bothered by his not knowing what Telethia are, because most people hadn't seen them at all until very recently. No reason to assume anything crazy is happening yet! (No, she hasn't read that message on her device.) ]

You mean you just showed up here all of a sudden, too? Something really weird is going on.

[reconnective]

Definitely weird. It was really sudden, but I have a feeling maybe this is where we're supposed to be? I just don't know why yet. Someone left a message for us and everything.

[bisouled]

A message?

[ guess who left her bag on the road after she woke up ]

[reconnective]

Yeah. Here, let me...[he'll definitely touch base on the fact that fiora abandoned all of her stuff, but he's too busy pulling out his phs to clumsily navigate to the message app. once the message is pulled up, he'll hand it to her.] Take a look.

i

[suddenlybees]

[ what is that ]

Gone. Boom! It's really too bad, huh? Tough luck it happened like this!

[bisouled]

Gone?

[ she stares at this guy for a few seconds, looking quizzical... and a little suspicious. ]

Well, I can see they're not here anymore, but... why would that be "too bad?"

[suddenlybees]

Huh? You don't think so? What're your opinions on the Telethia?

[ What is a Telethia ]

[bisouled]

... You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?

[ which she'd be fine with, except that he's acting like he does....... ]

[suddenlybees]

[ He gives this a half second consideration, but seeing as he's being asked directly, ]

Nope! Not at all. What's a Telethia?

barrier

[misstrust]

[ Theeeeeere she goes, flying almost beautifully.

That's not the sound she expects someone crashing to make, but Dorothy makes her way over there, carefully. ]

Still alive?

[bisouled]

Ugh...

[ apparently, yes. After a second, she groans, pulling herself into a sitting position. ]

I'm all right. [ she lifts one of her arms, flexing it experimentally. ] I think.

[misstrust]

You did just go flying, I think it's all right to doubt.

[bisouled]

No, it's okay. All my systems look like they're functioning normally--

[ wait. she gasps, alarmed. ]

Hold on, my radar's not working at all!

[misstrust]

Systems... radar?

[ ????? ]

i

[soulus]

[Sure.]

As you can see, it isn't here.

As for this place, we should be finding out soon.

[bisouled]

There's -- more than just one. Sorry to be the one to tell you.

[ for the record, she sounds genuinely apologetic about this! but it's true that there's not a single Telethia in sight. ]

I don't think we have time to wait.

[soulus]

[She sounds like she actually cares. It's a shame that he can't grasp her urgency for himself.]

The Telethia must be dangerous if you're saying that.

[bisouled]

They are! They've already started destroying cities. That's why we've got to move fast. Where are you from?

[ she's trying to get a handle on this! ]