redactable | WEEK SEVEN: MINGLE

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mingle

WEEK SEVEN: MINGLE

WEEK SEVEN: MINGLE
(21 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.

As usual, the participants will find that their lodgings have changed, and should anyone check their PHS, Chiron, Ochako, Soo-won, and Dorothy's profiles have been removed. They may also find that they have difficulty recalling complete details of the past weeks.

Furthermore, it looks as though the rules have updated.

Not everything is the same as the previous pattern, though. The barrier to the north is back up, and once more, what lies beyond is an empty field. In contrast, however, participants may notice that they can finally access a place they haven't been able to before...

Additionally, it looks like the Leaders aren't around. No matter where the participants look, they're nowhere to be found. Should anyone try calling for them in the Planetarium, there will be no response—not even a message telling the participant that they're busy.

Finally, everything around the participants begins to... glitch? Buildings may suddenly blink out of existence and then back in, random items like chairs or cups may suddenly distort even while they're being used, and looking at any particular thing for too long may give someone a headache. It's worse than it was that one week, though: participants will find that it's happening to themselves as well. Body parts might suddenly glitch out of existence then back in, and there will be a shot of pain when it occurs. It'll happen randomly, but it also seems to occur more often if they're touching something or another person.

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

[ Clem goes off to try to kick a door open! It does not work. It's a very solid door. It will, in fact, never open. Not that it matters, because Lup shoots him with a shotgun when time glitches out at her, which causes the entire scene to kind of... fracture? Into pieces? Around them? This was a choice the rest of the team has to live with and I'm very happy about, because shooting him is always the right answer no matter what happens.

But the fractured pieces leave nothing but a dark void and an odd, green light around them, slowly encompassing everything. It feels suffocating, and like they're moving in slime, slowed and weighed down both. All sounds and senses are muffled.

There's a light out in the distance in front, but it seems very far away right now. Everything feels far away, to be honest. And yet-- they'll remember, vaguely, one person. One presence, urging them to keep going. It's a familiar one to each of them, even if they can't quite recall their name right away. But it'll come back.

And then they're back outside the gates of the mansion and the entire town is on fire now. People who were definitely not there before are now lying down on the street, stabbed and sliced, bleeding out.

That's neat. ]

[see taako was right shooting him was the correct answer

Anyway, what the absolute hell! Lup may or may not remember him but he's still grabbing her arm when they show up in a town on fire and full of dying people! What!]

What the fuck was that Nick Kid's Choice Awards montage! Um-- Last time this happened to me, we had to run for the well?!

[ lup is not expecting everything to like, shatter - so she shrieks and also grabs onto taako. ]

This - what, this happened to you before? [ ??? ] Oh. Shit, oh, shit, this is...

[ she's... pretty sure wolf told her about this, and she looks real upsetti for a second before starting to shove taako off towards the well.

she misses, though, because her arm glitches out! fun. ]

[he doesn't shriek with the fracturing but he's immediately reacting and grabbing whoever's closest to make sure they all stick together, the weird slime-like encasing slowing all of them down before they're booted outside, right into the fire. also people are dead? people are most definitely dead even if sora's checking to see if any of the stabbed ones can be saved.

he...doesn't say anything, if only because he doesn't talk a lot in times of crisis which means he's immediately bolting for the water tower to see if he can do anything to get more water over the town. farewell! i just realized he's once again running straight through fire i hate this game.]

[ wow it's a good thing clementine doesn't remember ░░░░░░░░░░ because otherwise this would be hitting her right in the trauma!!! lucky.

she trusts sora to take care of himself, so she's sticking with the twins to make sure neither of them fall down a fucking well. ]

We should get out of here.

[ like, towards that big structure in the distance? ]

[ The well is still empty. This was a great choice. It's fine, it's just the buildings that are on fire, there's nothing dangerous about THAT. Maybe the silhouette of Sephiroth that seems to be in every single fire is a problem, but that's a problem for other people. Or them. Depending on how concerned they are by the giant sword and the omnipotence of his creepy presence. It's fine they have a shotgun.

Speaking of other people, Sora runs to the water tower, which means he has to climb quite a ways-- and he might be a little concerned at the young brunette girl simply sitting at the water tower like nothing is wrong? Hm.

Also, bummer, everyone on the streets is super dead. that's fun and cool ]

[this is probably a lot easier if you've ever played a single final fantasy. Thankfully, Taako's forgetful sister doesn't shove him headfirst in the well, so that's going really well I think. As for the fire, that's also probably fine? He has no reason to stick around here. Grabbing Lup's hand and tugging her towards that . . . water tower? That's where Sora went anyway. Clementine can handle herself she's fine she's got a gun and workin' legs.]

Fully agree! Serpentine! Serpentine!

[ we're doing great with the not death thing so far. she just grits her teeth at the ow of losing her hand momentarily. and then lets taako drag her off because i cannot believe sora just went off into the fire by himself?

or like, I can, but. ]

Did we just let Sora go off into the fire on his own?

[ ???

she grabs clementine's hand, though. come along. we're going to the water tower, I guess. ]

Edited 2020-11-18 03:23 (UTC)

[he doesn't mind running because his priority is to put out the fire somehow, see what else is available, and avoid sephiroth as long as possible. this means he's not entirely aware of everyone following him and he's running until he gets to the tower and stops.

is. this brunette familiar? i know the answer's yes but i'm letting you have a dramatic reveal, even if sora's standing at the base of the tower and staring at her.]

Hey! What're you doing here? The whole town's on fire!

[ alright, guess they're giving chase to join him at that water tower. sora has swords, he's probably fine? ]

[ While the ominous silhouette of fire sephiroth seems to follow them around, they still manage to make it to the water tower. Which is fine, because the girl doesn't answer right away. She does look familiar to Sora, but also, he's a dumbass who hasn't recognized other people because they were slightly different, so i'm letting you decide if he recognizes her. :/

Anyway, she conveniently waits until everyone is in earshot despite being very high up the water tower, do not fucking @ me about this. ]

I'm waiting for someone.

[ she seems very calm about this? it's fine. maybe the town being on fire is normal. ]

[This person - total mystery that she is! who could she be - certainly doesn't seem to have a good grasp of fire safety, but she does have a great sense of dramatic timing. Taako immediately respects that.]

Um, well, is this the best place to wait? Think we could move, like. Slightly farther from the fire, but that's just my opinion.

[ lup tries to shoot the silhouette of sephiroth in the flames. why not, right.

she peers up at this girl, and nods, when taako speaks. ]

Bet that someone is not! Up there! You know, where the fire is going.

If he's blonde, cute and dumb he's probably in that big reactor up the way, actually. Seems like that's where the boss fight is gonna be.

[sora's a fucking dumbass, yeah, but tifa's hair is so normal that it'd be really hard for him to mistake her. but he's also not sure if that'd freak her out even more, so he looks at the fire and then back up at her.]

We have to go find Cloud. You can't wait here forever. He could be in trouble, and we have to help him! [how far is the reactor...but he turns to glance at clementine before glancing back up at tifa, though he's speaking to the girl on the ground.] Any ideas?

Edited 2020-11-18 04:37 (UTC)

[ hrm... she just wants to get out of here, with or without this memory apparition. but she learned from her cyoa that there is a 'wrong way' to handle these things, so she will try to be nice. ]

Yeah, it's uh - better to wait away from the fire. Don't think anyone's going to show up in the middle of this war-zone.

We should get further away.

[ the girl kicks her legs a little, very casual. like, she's very cute, but also, this fuckin teen should be concerned about the carnage? ]

He promised me, if I was ever in trouble, or trapped... he'd come save me. [ she looks at the group with a smile ] That's what heroes do. [ thanks for that lesson, child? but she looks up at the sky ]

He'll come for me, so don't worry. But if you want to find him first-- you have to follow that man. Wherever he goes... he follows, somehow. He'll lead you to him.

[ the girl looks at them again, and this time she seems more like a grown woman, all of a sudden, a frown of concern on her face. ]

Be careful, okay? This place is a mess on the best of days.

[ hey. hey. no meta commentary allowed? but whatever, if they want to follow silhouette sephiroth, he is indeed headed for the giant penis building, as alli lovingly dubbed it. he is also unshootable as he walks through the flames, which is just. so fucking rude? so rude. ]

[You confused me because I was like I swear I didn't call it the penis building in this thread can you read my thoughts and it was really terrifying for a second

If someone drags Taako off to follow that man, he'll go, he's not resisting or anything, but--]

I mean, uh, I get that, always love a heroic rescue by someone muscley and dumb, but a little agency isn't a bad thing either! You sure, amigo?

[ she's also a little... reluctant to just leave the girl here. she glances at sora and clementine, trying to judge their moods on this, before: ]

We'll be careful, for sure, for sure, but you really should... get down from there. If he's not here in the next few minutes, try to get out, okay? You don't need some hero to save you, you can save yourself.

[ :T ]

... Come on. [ she says to taako, taking his hand.

also, she can't believe sephiroth is unshootable. game ruined. ]

The darkness...[it's mumbled, and while he's not a huge fan of leaving her alone either, he...well. she reminds him of someone.

"You and Riku never came home, so I came looking for you."

...hm.]

Even heroes need a hero sometimes, you know. We'll be careful, and we'll go after him. [but sephiroth is ahead and heading for the penis building which means they've gotta go. and since lup has taako's hand, sora's taking clementine's despite the fact he doesn't need to. it's partially so they don't get lost, and partially because he wants to.

also hm. bad. guns? sephiroth no shooty? great.] Did...you ever remember how to fight?

[ i don't like reading penis building in sora's metatext. but sure they can hold hands. as is customary in burning villages. ]

... Don't think so.

But it'll be fine? I've still got a gun.

[ she doesn't know that he's unshootable. maybe he'll be shootable later. we just don't know!! ]

[ for some reason, their concern makes a secret smile show up on the woman's face, and she lifts a gloved hand with a wave. if they look back after leaving, she won't be there anymore, so that's... good?

Well, either way, off they go to follow in the fire, which luckily for them has left a cool path up the mountain. They enter the-- it's a reactor, i'm not calling it the penis building anymore, and when they get in...

They're..

in...

A city.

Wait, what?

It's a slummy looking city, mind you, with dirty streets, shitty buildings, shittier lighting and what seems to be something covering up where the sky should be...? But it's a city! There's no sign of the fire, or Sephiroth, or the village. If they turn back, they'll find they seem to have come out of a building, and opening the door behind them there will lead them to a very shitty one room apartment. It's got a very familiar cot, though! Some of you might have seen it in a church. Maybe it's one cot fits all.

There are people all around, looking poor. No, seriously, I'm not making it up, they look poor. They are going about living their daily lives, but... a few of them look distressed, standing in place... and is... is there a ! over some of their heads? Yeah. That. That sure is a green ! over their heads.

I wouldn't have made this joke if the twins weren't there, but now I had to. ]

[stop it's the penis building now and I will never learn otherwise. Taako looks around, judges that nasty boy cot again and then immediately seems more comfortable once he sees some clear quest markers.]

Oh. Now we're really adventuring, huh?

[Just. Going over immediately to one.]

Hail and-- Hail and well-- I forget how this joke goes. I think I'm normally making fun of someone when I say that? Um. Hey. What do you want? Ten bear asses?

[ oh. well, this is better than a burning town and the sad remains of cloud's memories, she supposes. she squints a little out into the city, and then watches - hm, a stranger who looks just like her head off to talk to some NPCs? it's fine.

can't believe we're gonna do a bunch of side quests and then crossdress.

anyway she pulls her hair up into a ponytail and heads over to one of the poor ! people that taako isn't talking to. ]

Hey, hit me with your highlighted text so I can skip through the rest of your dialogue. What's up.

[...well. the worst is how at ease he suddenly feels because his shoulders relax and he sort of lets his hand swing while it's holding clementine's, glancing around the town curiously.]

Guess the gun'll be okay for now. [he takes a look back in the apartment again, but he hums to himself as he glances back to the town itself.] Well! I guess we can help 'em out until we see Sephiroth again. We'll meet back in the center. [he grins, squeezing her hand and nudging clementine off as he immediately bounds over to yet another person with an exclamation point over their head, easily following the lead.]

Hey! Everything okay?

[ clementine just stands there awkwardly for a moment after getting ditched by everyone who understands Quest Markers?

O???Kay???? but sure, she'll also hit up a quest-giver that no one else is talking to yet. ]

Whatcha need?

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