7rings | WEEK 2 MINGLE

WEEK 2 MINGLE

POPULATION: 32

Good morning, starshines. It is another beautiful day here on the base, and it’s the start of a new week!

Good thing, too. After the deaths of Grell Sutcliff, Kaz Kaan, and HK-47, the tension around the base may be a bit higher than it was before. Should anyone try to contact the deceased or review their profiles, they will find that they have been deleted from everyone's phones.

Then again...last weekend was a bit of a mess, wasn't it? Perhaps you would prefer to leave it all behind you. Lucky for you, the elevator reveals that it may now visit the third floor. It may be worth checking out these new areas, free for exploration. If you're feeling incredibly ambitious, you can also take a more in-depth look.

While you can't contact the deceased, the Avatars are once again available via their eight symbols. Shoot them a message, have a chat with them, and see what you can learn. Perhaps you'll find it easier this week.

On the bright side, all of your skills are in working order once again. Cherish your gifts, little sinners. You would hate to lose them again wouldn't you? But even if you did, you would still have your memories of them. Memories are important, aren't they? Things meant to remind you, and things to motivate you. Your most tragic, painful and even downright embarrassing memories shape who you are as a person, and this week you'll find that others will be witness to these as well. This may occur when you're in close proximity to someone, or it may be when you brush past them. Even the slightest eye contact may set off this sharing of memories, and your deepest secrets will be harder to keep.

Hide all you'd like. You can't outrun your past.

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[ luckily aoi is super obedient to begin with. usually. most of the time. anyway, she retrieves the sack. ]

What's in it?

[ she just immediately offers it out to lenore to find out! ]

[she reaches in and retrieves the scroll!]

“Capture the Cretan Bull.” Quite the Herculean task to give to two small women... [a scoff, as she realizes:] Literally.

Well, I hope they’ve at least provided something to catch it with.

[she could check. the sack’s still being held up, like, right by her face. she doesn’t.]

[ aoi turns the bag upside down and shakes it! hmm seems like there's something in there but she's having trouble shaking it out. it's almost like i don't want to be responsible for deciding what it is on my own? hmmm...!!! who can say. ]

Maybe we can lure it with food!

[hmm!!! how strange!!!]

[the remaining contents turn out to be a branch from a persimmon tree, with three ripe fruit attached.]

I... guess that will have to work. Fortunately, I happen to be good with animals. Now, where—

[with their preparations complete, they will find their surroundings abruptly change to that of a china shop! there is no immediate sign of a bull.]

[ aoi picks up the branch and just. drops the bag. don't need that anymore. ]

Aoi is only good with cats.

But a bull should be easy to spot in a place like this...! That's lucky.

[ is it...? ]

It should, shouldn’t it?

[...]

So... where is it?

[ aoi starts peaking down aisles... ]

Here kitty, kitty...

[ IT'S NOT A CAT ]

I'd help, but...

[she actually doesn't know why she's not helping.]

... I'm sure you'll find it!

Aoi can do it!

[ she can't! but at least she doesn't mind being expected to? ]

[lenore proceeds to do fuck all!]

[...but the lack of effort from both of them turns out to be a good thing, maybe, because the shop is quiet enough for...]

... I think I hear something breathing.

[she points to a display rack filled with rows of elaborately-painted plates!]

It sounds like it's over there. Would you mind checking it out?

Boop boop. Got it!

[ aoi heads in that direction and

knocks over a shelf herself by accidentally bumping into it. wow they don't even need the bull to do it!!

the room is filled with the sound of shattering artifacts. ]

Oh.

[Lenore just watches this happen with a wince.]

[From behind that plate display, there's a distressed grunt as a large white bull rises to its feet, having somehow hidden itself there by crouching low. With an agitated snort, it sprays a burst of slime from its mouth in the direction of the nearest offender... which is Aoi. Then it turns around, knocking over even more artifacts as it flees to go and cower in another corner of the shop.]

[ oh noooo, now aoi is all slimey and her thin white clothes are all wet ;)

aoi crouches down a bit as if she could sneak towards it at this point, which it is definitely too late for.

and she... wiggles the branch at it. like a cat toy. ]

It's okay, don't be scared. Aoi is friendly.

[oh noooo]

[the bull snorts and shifts in its new corner, trying to hide itself again. which is kind of pointless, since lenore and aoi are presumably both capable of object permanence.]

Maybe we should try setting one out nearby, see if he'll come out and take it on his own.

[by 'we' she means 'aoi']

Good idea.

[ aoi removes a fruit from the branch and sets it down, then backs away! but she doesn't make any effort to hide, so it's just her. staring down this bull and willing it to come eat the fruit.

do bulls eat fruit? ]

... Come over here. He'll get scared again if he sees you gawking at him like that.

We might have to wait a little, too. Give him a chance to calm down.

Got it!

[ she obediently comes over to stand by lenore. good thing aoi is patient! ]

... Boop boop... Think anyone will notice the broken stuff?

Good girl. [she pats aoi's head... then remembers aoi just got slimed, and looks around for something to wipe her hand on.]

I wouldn't worry. I'm sure this will all simply vanish once we've completed the trial.

[ aoi contemplates this, watching lenore now instead of the bull. ]

It's not real.

[ was that a question or a statement... ]

That's right.

[the sounds of agitated huffing and snorting grow quieter... and the sound of passive sniffing begins.]

[and soon, the bull starts to poke its snout out of its hiding space, looking around cautiously as it considers the offered fruit.]

It's working. Remember, no staring. He needs to get used to our presence, to understand that he's still safe while we're nearby.

Got it. We need to be fake, too.

[ like their surroundings!

aoi is pretty bad at not looking at it, but she's staying nice and still... ]

What happens when it's used to us? How do we catch it? Does feeding it count as catching it?

That's... a good question.

[the bull has decided that the fruit is worth the risk, and chomps down on it!]

We have nothing to ensnare him with, and there's nothing here that appears to be a clear goal...

Perhaps if we calmly lead him through the shop's exit with us, we'll have succeeded?

Got it...!

[ aoi takes the second fruit and sets it down a ways between the bull and the exit. then the third fruit much closer to the exit. just follow the trail, lil' friend!! ]

Maybe we can get behind him when he eats the last fruit and scare him out the door. Like a stealth mission.

Scare him? Oh no, we won’t do that. Pick up that last one. We’ll lead him out, and he’ll happily follow.

[the bull has now found its way to the second fruit, seemingly less wary this time!]

Boop boop...

[ but it would be funny if he spit slime on people outside the door... well, he's probably part of the simulation so it wouldn't really work anyway. aoi goes back to pick up the last fruit and then stands in front of the doorway holding it out! ]

You're smart.

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sistocracy - 2021-02-26 04:40 (UTC) - Expand

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gamerbrain - 2021-02-26 04:46 (UTC) - Expand

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