redactable | WEEK ZERO: ARRIVAL

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

a rock that resembles the galaxy

a single random one of these pillows

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think you have to keep exploring the map. [he leans in from the other side to try and see how this is going.] Try going up to the corner and see if it's there?

[waka waka waka

she follows sora's directions, and gets

stuck on another wall.]

Hold on—it... isn't very responsive, is it? [not like he can tell, he's not playing—and she just sucks.

and here comes the ghosts........]

--the ghosts are catching up! [noooo the ghosts. also he's not much better since he's a.) not helping and b.) bad with directions here.] Can you go sideways and then down? You can throw them off that way. And there's a cherry down there.

Oh! Where did that...?

[she's squinting at the screen, trying to manoeuvre downwards. this is level one? so she has a little time, but the ghosts are making a steady headway. the cherry! they need! the cherry!!

but before that, she manages a power pellet? and all the ghosts are blue, now??]

Did you see that?!

[see he honestly thought the fruit would help them defeat the ghosts so now he's trying to figure out what the heck he's looking at.]

They're different now...go after them! Maybe you can get rid of them while they're a different color.

[and so she's reversing after them, and... more or less having the same issue as she had going towards the cherry. which is now. gone from the screen again? it's fine.

she does manage to catch one ghost, rendering it down to its eyes, before they turn back to their normal colors.]

I don't know what caused that... where did that cherry go?

[why is this game so rude? he watches the shaky eyes of the ghost disappear and zip across the screen before the ghosts flicker back to their original colors.]

I have no idea. It's just gone. [pac-man is very confusing.] But check it out, your score's getting higher every time you eat the little dots. I think you need to collect all of them and run away from the ghosts.

[SAY NO MORE FAM

elsa isn't getting, like, good? but she's getting into it, which means that more dots are getting eaten, and more ghosts are going blue. she's doing it! kinda!! the joystick isn't the best really!!!

the cherry is back, and she beelines for it—this is it!—

and EATS IT!!]

There!

[she takes her hands off the controls, foolishly assuming that. that is that?]

[pacman is a terrible game! the dots are eaten and the cherry's also eaten which clearly means they win!]

That's it! [except. it's not. one of the ghosts immediately turns around and sneaks up behind pacman, eating him and ending the game.] Huh? Wait! I thought it was over?

...Well, it's certainly over, now. [she chuckles, an exasperated sound, and shrugs.] Oh, well.

Your turn.

You sure? [but he's already stepping up to the game cabinet to look at the screen and the joystick.] We could try something else if you want. [he doesn't want her to be bored just watching....]

I'm happy to watch. I'm got a lot of watching experience, you could say.

[hahahaha.]

[elsa???? no don't tell him that!!!]

Well...it's nice to be free to do whatever you want now, isn't it? [with that said he does start the game and pacman immediately runs into a wall. at least elsa doesn't suck, the game's just faulty! (they are both bad at this.)]

[he's just gonna. keep dropping facts like he saw her entire life stream by in ahtohallan or something huh. real terrible. but she's practically used to it now, and determined to maintain the ruse to not break his heart, so. sure. this might as well be happening.]

...It is.

[it's somehow satisfying to know that the machine is broken for both of them (it is definitely the machine, they are videogame whizzes, did you not see their mole scores??)

she points at the screen.]

Cherry.

[he will never know. ever. but that's okay because the focus here is that this game is busted and he's doing his best to try and get pacman out of a corner.]

I'm on it. [he's turning around and nabbing the cherry, but he also overshoots and ends up eating a power pellet on accident. the ghosts turn blue and the screen flickers.] There it is again! [this game is more confusing than their moles, noooo. but time to nom some ghosts and try not to die.] Am I the only one confused here?

No, no. I can honestly say I have no idea what's going on.

Is this when we eat the ghosts?

I think so? [give him a second to turn around and chomp on a ghost, sending it back to its grave.] But what're we even eating the ghosts for?

I don't know. [COMPLETELY HONEST!!!]

To stop them while you... eat more fruit?

I guess? [what a weird game. he turns around to eat another ghost, but two more begin to corner him and he's busy trying to get pacman to turn around.] You'd think the fruit would be more helpful then.

[she makes a very noncommittal, confused shrug. you know what, this whole day has been completely nonsensical, so it honestly makes sense that this game is the exact same.]

Maybe that's our sign to move on.

What was that you said about ice hockey, earlier...?

You're probably right. [but there's a nod and he points across the arcade.] That way. Let's go check it out.

[and off they go!! they play a few more games, have a nice time, and elsa probably never tells sora anything at all to indicate this is not the elsa he knows. you're doing great everyone.]

WEEK ZERO: ARRIVAL

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we can probably wrap on your next tag if u wanna ftb (IMPLYING THEY PLAY MORE GAMES ONLY!!!)

ya!!