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

[ Wolf and Clem can hold hands over remembered fire trauma. Anyway.

The thing would technically fit in the belt! All orbs would. Taako can put whatever orb combo he wants in there. But up they go in the carriage, and off they go! Cat, rats, birds, elves and children alike. They seem to blink and get there, almost like chocobos are some kind of fast travel option? Either way, all of a sudden, they're at an abandoned church! One that looks very familiar inside.

Tending to the flowers in the middle of a sunny patch is the girl with the braid, who stands up when she hears them come in. ]

Oh, you made it! [ she peers at all four of them ] Did you bring it with you?

[ bring what. ]

No. They're my orbs! They're my orbs now, I got the belt.

[I don't think she's asking about the orbs.]

[ she just ignores sora's question because honestly like when is she not bleeding

but the girl gets a squint. she's familiar. not just because of what they've seen so far, but.

... she likes being in this church, weirdly enough. she moves right up to the flowers, like she wants to make sure they're okay? also: ]

Shush, bro. Bring what?

[...fair. but anyway they get to this church and you know what, sora's just going to openly stare at her for a moment.

also he has nothing but swords orbs and money. maybe someone else has something useful this lady would want?]

Um....

Uh...

[ she's also clueless here, but clementine holds up the flower. does she want this flower? she already has flowers here that she's apparently tending to but this is the only thing clem has to offer. ]

They're materia.

[ she's very helpful? She doesn't seem to mind Lup coming over to check on the flowers, walking casually over to Clem to grab the ones she's handing over and inspecting it before turning back to Sora? ]

Hello! We meet again. Well, not really, but you know me, don't you? [ she grins at the rest of them ] I'm Aerith.

[ there's a flash, of her standing on a hill on a starry night, flowers around her--

"Everyone dies eventually. So we need to make the most of the time we have--to live our lives the way we want to live."

She tucks the flower in a basket when they get back, headache free for once. ]

I can lead you to Cloud, but it'll be dangerous. Still want to go?

[Seems like some sorta word for Magic Items. Well, he takes care of his items, so. That's fine. Waving back at her.]

Always a competent woman behind every dumbshit adventurer, right?

[That's how these things always go.]

Uh-- Don't think there's much of a choice on that one. Headfirst it is.

[ snortlaugh. ]

Yeah, Wolf definitely needs one. Or two. Or three. [ lup, be nice. ] That's what I came in here to do, so - yeah. Still want to go.

Mind if I take a flower? [ she's got gil, they can trade. ]

[since he's the only one with manners:]

It's nice to meet you, Aerith. I'm Sora. This is Taako, Ruby and Clementine. If you could take us to Cloud...we're willing to take the risk. But how do we use the materia, exactly?

[sora is getting the impression wolf has seen a lot of death.] I don't think any of us are afraid of a little danger at this point.

[ you people and your fantasy items. whatever. ]

We came this far. Not like we'd turn around now.

Hmmm... What if I want to be the dumbshit adventurer? [ she says it breezily, but there's a grin on her face before she hands Lup a new flower. ] He forgot to tell you! It's said these are a symbol of lovers reuniting.

[ she wiggles her eyebrows and starts walking out of the church ]

It's magic, so if you concentrate on casting the spell, it'll happen. You'll probably need them where we're going. But don't look back, okay? You're almost there. You've lost a lot, but you're gaining something, too. You'll be alright.

[ she could stand to be less mysterious, but when they walk out she's suddenly balancing on a beam high up. Near them, there's the sight of the area they were in before-- where the sky should have been, the ceiling is collapsing on top of it. They can't quite hear the destruction from this high up, but it's... happening. ]

Be careful where you step! And don't touch them.

[ since one wrong move and they will also go splat. and just to be helpful, there are cloaked figures floating alongside the beam they're walking on? they look like very shitty ghosts. this is terrible. ]

Wow, gross.

[at the flower facts. he doesn’t know why the concept of flowers and lovers being connected is gross, just something deep inside of him knows that it is.]

Are those guys here as punishment for shooting that dude in the mansion unprompted? Maybe you guys should just shoot them too.

[unprompted.]

[ aerith said shit! lup loves her. and also, she takes that flower, and then - the tips of her ears go pink? wow.

anyway, she just... tucks the flower behind her ear, and follows after. delicately. watch one of us glitch out and fall to our deaths. ]

I am definitely not shooting anything while I'm standing on this beam that I will fall off of. [ she huffs. ] Is there a fire magic orb? Can I please have a fire orb.

[he follows, though there's something oddly familiar about the flower facts? hm. wonder what that's all about...he doesn't quite remember everything, but it feels...right, somehow.

nevertheless he's up on the beams and he's keeping his balance as they walk.]

We have a bunch of different colors, right? Clementine and I have three of them I think. [which he is actually going back to pull them out of his pockets to check the colors. sora's potion quest orb was not specified, clementine's filter orb is green, hound quest was a purple orb, taako has a blue one from cat quest and rat quest was another purple orb. yes i went back to look to help us and also our mod.]

...what are they anyway? [the ghosts, he means.]

[ she's just following along. lovers reuniting, huh... cute...

but hard to linger on much when they are once again surrounded by destruction. wow, seems like wolf's life sucks. ]

If they are a punishment for shooting, shouldn't we not shoot them...?

[ not that she is opposed to shooting them ]

They're not here because of that. Well, they're not here for anything, really, since they're not real, but then again, neither am I! [ she says this. so casually? aerith, no. ] Normally, they exist to enforce the course of destiny, so I'm not sure what'll happen if you guys touch them.

[ the good news is the beam isn't that long, so even if she's being ominous in her exposition, they do make it across. there are ... stairs, now, leading up above the ceiling plate. Hm. Potion quest is red because that's the one color I didn't use, and one of the purples is turning magically into yellow because I mixed it up. there's five colors now do not @ me ]

Let's see... That green is fire, so you've lucked out! Blue can be used to ward against poison and things like that, purple will auto-heal you if you've been badly injured, yellow will let you use an enemy's skill against them, and red will summon some help when you need it. [ AGAIN said very casually as she starts leading them up some crumbling stairs. ] You should pick the one you want the most. The others you'll need for that cool belt he's wearing.

[ gestures at taako? the ghost things are coming closer now that they're on the ground but not touching them just yet ]

Still don’t know how the cool belt works exactly, but I assume it’s plot important. Um, should we just book it? The ghost things are getting what I’d call close for comfort on this one.

[Guess just. Going up the stairs!]

[ aerith, you're so casual about this... this group just really doesn't care about the fourth wall in general huh

also, she immediately grabs for whoever has the green orb. give. ]

I want the fire one the most! I gave my spell slot to my brother, let me have the cool magic this time? [ huff. also, fuck off, ghosts. she shifts her shotgun to aim at them as she follows taako up the stairs. ]

We should... probably move though, yeah.

[clementine has the green orb which is in sora's hand and suddenly it is not because lup has it.]

Okay, yeah, fine, but wouldn't a summon be more useful? [he's not going to really argue because he is objectively the best fighter of the four of them, but he's heading up the stairs, too.]

But that's always what it is, isn't it? The course of destiny. [just. thinking about what fake-xehanort said a while ago. no big deal. he's keeping his pace slow enough that clementine can follow though since she's last.] Watch your step.

[but, to aerith:] Do all of the others have to go into the belt? That means only Taako could use it, right? [he's just trying to think strategically here. it's hard for someone who usually just leaps into battle.]

Fire seems good to me.

[ because it's the most clear-cut of them all.

she is just following and being uninteresting because i am half asleep still okay. also she never understands any of the bullshit you people are talking about. ]

If it's destiny, why would it need enforcing?

[ They're going to be going up some stairs for a little bit. There's a lot of stairs. Like sixty floors worth of stairs. This isn't a reference or anything, maybe. ]

Mmm... Well, materia is made from the Planet's memories, sort of. Since we're not actually on the Planet, these are Cloud's! Sort of. So whichever ones you put in the belt will open the path for you, so you won't be able to use them. [ she turns a bit from where she's jogging up, now, because well the ghosts are chasing them up the stairs. the ghosts sure are terrible. ] It's very metaphorical. As for destiny...

[ she seems pleased with Clem's question? ]

Maybe destiny isn't what it's cracked up to be. To go in a path that's unknown and completely free... it's scary. But it's the choice we made. Maybe it's the wrong choice. Maybe things will be even worse, from now on. Or maybe... we won't be able to change anything at all.

[ they're about halfway through, and some dark feathers start to fall from up above? she hums as she looks at them. ]

The price of freedom is steep. [ there's something off in her tone and she shakes it off ] Okay! You guys should run. I won't be able to bring you any higher than this.

Yeah, don’t think I’m really using them as much as carrying them like a packmule to their intended plot-assigned destination, while also looking incredibly fly. So, uh, I’m mad cool with giving Ruby the fire one. Unless we have to pick the one that didn’t give us a memory? I don’t know how that works.

[But, there we go. End of the line. Stopping for a second, brushing some feathers off of his hat. He thinks he’s kind of heard a destiny speech like that before, but can’t quite remember where.

Hm.]

Well, uh, I dunno. Rather make my own choices and fuck up than be predestined to fuck up, you know?

[ not the STAIRS. ]

Destiny can only do so much. [ lup says, holding the green orb to her chest. she actually doesn't mind if they pick a different one, she just, y'know. is attached to fire. she ignores the feathers and the ghosts for a minute. ]

I've been saying it from the start. There's always a third option. I refuse to think that destiny is the boss of me. [ ... ] We decide how things go. So let's - go.

Don't let the ghosts keep you down. [ she says to aerith. and then she'll start making her way up the stairs. as fast as she can - she's still at a firm like, ten hit points after everything that's happened in the realm. ]

[...well. he doesn't quite say anything about it because to him, destiny and fate have always had some kind of hand in his life and the lives of others. how they got there was up to them, along with the choices they made. but destiny is still its own concept and to try and control it...it can be bad.

on the other hand, nothing says they can't decide how to get to the final destination.

he just won't say anything about it, but instead he notices the feathers and frowns deeply. hm. the ghosts are chasing, aerith has to leave, and everything kind of sucks. but they have a clear goal.]

Then we'll take the fire and we'll go from there. [which is to say he's nodding and immediately bolting up the stairs.] Be careful!

[this is to all of them, really.]

... Huh.

[ is all she has to say about everyone's destiny related thoughts. some things are an eventual inevitability, but she doesn't really think of that as destiny.

clementine puts out a hand to try and catch one of these feathers as they head onward. are they physical, even. ]

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