WEEK FIVE: MINGLE

[retellers]

WEEK FIVE: MINGLE (29 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, Alyssa, Hikaru, and Bucky'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. On that note, if your character did not stay, please make sure to check your notifs. Once again, participants may find that they have difficulty recalling complete details of the past weeks. Finally, participants will find that they now have another pet to take care of. Small creatures (based on any animal of player choice, real or mythical) will be following them around all week. However, these creatures are emotionally tied to their participant, so whatever the person they are connected to is feeling, they will outwardly display it. Angry? They will be hostile. Happy? So are they! Even more, they will react to other participants based on how theirs feels about the other. Anyone their participant loves, they will also love. Hope you don't secretly hate anyone, that might be awkward.

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

Comments

[infreefall]

[ this week, ochako will have a red panda trailing along behind her or riding along on her shoulders! ]

i. the obligatory new clothes!! starter.

[ because this girl has way too much fun dressing up... but here, so looks a little overwhelmed as she goes through the racks? the fantasy aesthetic is so much. ]

Some of these are so fancy... I'd feel bad if they got dirty or something. [ hmmmm. she pulls out a dress to frown at it. ] I guess this one might be okay...

ii. training.

[ or maybe you've found ochako out by the woods, wearing a very different outfit as she stretches or, later in the day... shadowboxes? she can't really spar on her own, but now that she's fully recovered, she's desperate to dive back into martial arts practice. she's pretty focused, but when she spots someone approaching... ]

Hey! Wanna spar?

[ please say yes please say yes please say yes ]

iii. hm.

[ in the middle of town, ochako spots chiron, and finds herself heading right up to him with a bright smile. ]

Archer-san! I'm really glad you're here, you know. I'm still not sure what I would have done without you back on our adventure, but besides that... [ she pauses, smile dulling just a bit. ] I forgot my parents last week. I don't remember their faces or voices or anything they've ever said to me, just that they mattered to me a lot. It's all just... gone.

But you're still here, like always, still letting me rely on you. I know we can't stay here forever but just for now, I want us to be together for as long as we can, before we have to go our own ways again. Because, you know, when I try to remember my parents now...

I remember you, instead, like you were my family all along.

[ couldn't she have done this in a pc. ]

wildcard.

[ anything goes! she'll be exploring much of the new area, but you'll see her checking out the woods, castle, or the bakery often! ]

iii

[antaressnipe]

[--


Chiron and the baby deer following after him both turn and listen and even though Chiron's expression remains mostly neutral, the deer is nervously looking between the two of them like a bomb just got set off.]

... Ochako, I am grateful that I have had such a positive effect on your life. [mmm leaning down a little to get a good look at her face. SWEETIE ARE YOU OKAY?]

I will of course remain here with you as long as possible, but I... do not know if replacing me with your family is wise...

[infreefall]

[ like two seconds after this, her entire face lights up red. ]

Ah - that's -

[ what if she just stands here internally screaming for a bit why did she just say that oh my god ]

I'm not...!

[antaressnipe]

[...]

Did someone curse you?

[Chiron: I'm not your dad

Chiron: but I'm about to murder someone like I am]

-- Nevermind it, Ochako. This is perhaps not the best place to discuss this.

[infreefall]

I-I don't know! I don't why I said any of that!

[ aaaaaaaa ]

[antaressnipe]

[asjdlkasdjfla--

R-reaching over and gently tussling her hair in an attempt to calm her down??]

I know it probably does not comfort you, but I am flattered you consider me in such high regard.

[infreefall]

[ her red panda friend is probably fluffed up and pacing in agitation, while ochako covers her face and wishes she could float away. her voice is muffled from behind her hands. ]

I swear I'm not trying to replace them...

i.

[exercisms]

[He's just wearing. . . his school uniform. Boring!! He's got a cute little chinchilla friend, though.]

They don't look that convenient.

[Oh, but.]

. . . That one is nice, though!

[infreefall]

There's just so much fabric to it all!

[ she agrees, they seem very inconvenient! ]

This one looks practical enough, though. Maybe I'll try it.

[exercisms]

You should try.

[He has no idea if it's nice or not, he's just awkwardly trying to be friendly. Anyway. Tugging out some - dumb looking breastplate armor? The kind with muscles on them?

No, Mob.]

[infreefall]

[ . . . ]

I will if you try that on.

[ ochako no ]

[exercisms]

[Ah - Blushing.]

This one probably isn't my size. . .

[infreefall]

Then we just have to find one that is, right? Let's see if they've got one!

ii

[riegan]

(Claude von Riegan, archer by default, does not do close combat usually but he's watching and


considers it for a moment,)

I'm not much of a brawler but sure.

(He'll fight you, Ochako!!!)

[infreefall]

You did say we could train together. You can't back out now.

[ she probably doesn't mean that! anyway, there's a red panda watching from a low tree branch as ochako rolls her shoulders! ]

Ready?

[riegan]

Hah... I did say that, didn't I?

(He'll remove his cloak and any of that extra fussy stuff he's carrying with him (his bow, his arrows... the pterodactyl and wyvern take off into the air to watch from the branches). Really? He only knows the basics, having watched ██████ practice. ... Huh, well, there were other students and plenty of opponents, too.

He's got a ready stance! It isn't quite natural for him but look... he's gonna try.)

Go easy on me, alright?

(Don't.)

[infreefall]

It wouldn't be fun if we were going easy on each other!

[ but she will wait til he's ready and just

launch herself at claude? taking full advantage of her smaller stature, ochako stays low to try to keep him off balance - and will try to kick him in the side! ]

[riegan]

(AAAAH that was faster than he expected and he's trying to jump out of the way and try to take advantage of his own height and reach by trying to get a punch in.

Even if he said to go easy on him, he's going to really try!

... He just really isn't the most skilled brawler. It's definitely going to be more scrappiness than skill on his part.)

[infreefall]

[ she's fast, but her reflexes still need work - so the punch clips her shoulder, throwing her balance a bit. this is nothing compared to explosions, though, so ochako is undeterred! she goes for a feint toward claude's right side, only to twist to try and get around him for a kick at his back. ]

ii

[discernments]

[ Jeanne smiles at Ochako. ]

I don't mind, but if you want me to be any challenge, I'd have to wield my standard. Have you fought against a pole arm before?

[infreefall]

[ her eyes widen in fascination! ]

I haven't! I wouldn't even know how to counter it... But I can try! Hold on, I asked Xie Lian-san yesterday if he'd start teaching me how to use a sword, so I can try that.

[ underneath the branch her red panda lounges on sits a small pile of ochako's things from which she picks up a small, lightweight sword! the shield might have been a better choice for a newbie? oh well, she's already heading back to jeanne. ]

Okay! Let's try it!

[discernments]

[ Jeanne has a sword sheathed at her side, but it's her standard she picks up. A small unicorn seems to be grazing nearby, calm as can be or as calm as Jeanne can be. ]

If you haven't started learning in earnest, I'll go slow to show you some proper movements.

[infreefall]

I'm still learning how to even hold it right, so... that might be good, if you don't mind.

[ she probably holds the sword a little too stiffly? it's fine, she's learning. ]

Whenever you're ready, Ruler-san.

[discernments]

[ There's a moment's pause before she looks more closely at Ochako. Jeanne's expertise isn't swords, but even she can tell. ]

Please relax your grip a little. It won't do if you can't move flexibly.

[ Jeanne plucks off the mini dilophosauras that's been hanging out on her flag and sets it down near the unicorn. Then, she slowly begins spinning her standard, just to see where Ochako focuses on looking. ]

[infreefall]

[ relax her grip... okay. frowning thoughtfully, she loosens her hands on the hilt a little, and swings the sword slowly through the air. it's far from perfect form, but it should do for a beginner.

now, for jeanne... ochako's eyes are drawn first to the standard where she's spinning it, the movement distracting. that's probably deliberate, though, isn't it? so she forces her eyes away, to watch jeanne herself, eyeing her stance for any shift in weight that might give her away. ]