WEEK ZERO: INTRO MINGLE

[probe]

POPULATION: 37

There's the soft, chiming ding of an elevator as you slowly grow conscious. You remember the sound of a voice whispering in your ear, and then a very gentle, easy darkness as you fell asleep.

Then the elevator jolts, and you promptly ram into some of the thirty or so other people also waking up from their nap. Time to trample people on your way out! Be careful not to rip your flattering outfit with light up furry ears of an animal of your choice. On this elevator there are a total of 10 buttons and they're all lit up! But they don't work. A shame. The elevator doesn't go anywhere else.

In any case, once you exit the elevator, you'll find that you have a decently wide area to explore. There doesn't seem to be any sort of exit to the outside world, but that's okay. You didn't want to leave without what you came for, right? Besides, it's wonderful here: the temperature is perfect, every surface is as soft as clouds, and the atmosphere is so, so inviting. The base itself is low-lit in fluorescent neon colors which shift and pulse over time, and there's a soft, reassuring humming sound under your feet. It would be comforting if you didn't feel like you were being watched every time you walk along the hallways.

But hey, don't worry about that! Maybe you should be more concerned with the phone in your pocket! The phones have a few functions, as well as a low pixel camera. Pictures are in black and white, so no brightly colored selfies for you. Oh, and while you're taking those selfies, you might notice the symbol of your Avatar tattooed and glowing faintly on the back of your hand. Hope you're fine with impromptu body mods.

Eventually during your wandering, you'll find your room with roommates included! On the floor of your room, there is a big gift box with your name on it. Upon opening it, you will be absolutely obliterated with glittery confetti. But once you manage to get past that, the gift box contains the following:

✦ your item from home
✦ a pair of boxer-briefs labeled "ball hammock"
✦ a stress ball that looks suspiciously like a boob
✦ a rainbow bath bomb
✦ a Polaroid camera with 10 instant film
✦ a frozen steak in a vacuum-sealed pouch
✦ a blue and pink dual flashlight; one end has a normal white bulb, and one end has a blacklight bulb
✦ a tiny crown

Welcome to your new home. Take some time to look around, talk to your fellow indulgers. All of you can see each other's symbols on the back of your hands - maybe it'll strike up a conversation. After all, there's no better way to get to know each other than talking about your sins on the first date!

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Comments

[aubins]

[ well, yuri has a glass now so he'll raise it and tippy tap it against gu yun's. he takes a sip of his drink, and his mouth twists thoughtfully at the taste of it.

interesting. ]

...

That's my name. [ hold on he's gonna... fumble with this device a bit himself, until he finds profiles. what is all this tech. ] And you would be... Gu Yun. [ "giving and receiving daddy issues", sir? ]

[liuli]

Here - if that's not to your taste, try this. [ gu yun now properly offers his drink forward, the wine in the glass a dark, bright red. he's a bit curious as to whatever's in yuri's glass, but also, he's a nice guy. (?) ] It's a little dry, but it's good.

[as gu yun has only bullshitted his excellent knowledge of this little device, he's not flipping through his any more than necessary. he watches yuri though, and then tilts his head. ] That's correct, yes.

[ gu yun, or gu zixi, but, gu yun's much preferred, so! thanks for that, profile overlords. if he's ashamed of anything on his profile, he doesn't show it, just keeping that little smile on his face and raising his eyebrows. he can tell, you've got questions. ]

[aubins]

[ sometimes the biggest questions in life are the ones best left unanswered. so, he goes for the lesser of the many evils here: ]

I've seen some interesting improvised weaponry in my time, but a flute's a new one even for me.

[ smile. ]

[ he will try the wine though. it still gets a thoughful look. ]

There's certainly more variety here than I'm used to.

[liuli]

[ that gets gu yun to make a little face, almost a pout. he does still in fact have a flute right in front of him, and he looks down at it. ]

I think that was written to be an insult. [ rude. he could play the flute if he wanted to perfectly!!! because of course he can, he's gu yun!! 8( ] I've never used one as a weapon.

[ HUFF. he takes his glass back once he's finished. ] It's the same for me - and that goes for far more than just the bar cart.

[aubins]

[ ... well that pulls a laugh right out of him. ]

So are you going to hit us over the head with it figuratively or literally? Anything's a weapon if you believe hard enough.

[ he'll set the glass down and looks at it thoughtfully. ]

It's mostly ale where I'm from. Anything that'll keep long enough to be handed out to troops for morale.

[liuli]

[ ha! he's equally amused, grinning down at the instrument. horrible. ]

Well, I can play you a tune, if you'd like, or it can be shoved somewhere where the sun doesn't shine. One may be more effective than the other.

[ this is already stupid. the comment about troops gets his attention as he's snickering about terrible flute injuries, though, and gu yun waves his hand. ] There's not much else to raise morale, is there? Good liquor's hard to come by on the battle front.

[aubins]

[ hm. ]

Someone's probably into that. You might make some interesting friends if you go around offering that as a getting to know you activity. [ do not do that, please and thank you gu yun. ] Advice or a warning, that can be taken as either.

[ it's fine i just made it worse. ]

Depending on the kindness of strangers and villages you pass through you might pick up something nicer from time to time but... rations weren't made for luxury, or they'd be called something else entirely.

[liuli]

[ he immediately shoots back, with a waggle of his eyebrows - ] Are you that type of friend?

[ with the kind of shitty teasing you have probably come to expect, in this five minute long conversation. ]

Seems you've got experience. [ with the rations and the military, anyway. he takes a drink, glancing over yuri has he does. ]

[aubins]

That's for me to know and you to wonder. [ incredible, they're both terrible.

he's digging out a different bottle and pouring some of it into a glass -- it's darker than the other drinks, but does he know what it is? nope. but it's here and so are they so. down the hatch it goes. ]

You've seen my profile. [ siiiiiip. ] If you've been doing your groundwork, then there's no point in playing coy about it.

[liuli]

Aren't you playing coy?

[ just saying! but, those peach blossom eyes of his are twinkling, clearly amused by his new companion. gu yun downs his drink, finishing off the glass and offering the empty one out for the new bottle. hit him, please. ]

That makes two of us, besides. What sort of person would I be were I not to do my groundwork? [ you'd be white,

no kidding ] What're you fighting for, then? Unless you're coy about that, instead.

[aubins]

Not about what's on my profile.

[ he pours roughly the same amount of the dark drink into gu yun's glass. spoiler alert, it's whiskey. ]

Here? Or there? Although I guess they aren't too far removed depending on how you look at it. Either way, that's a fairly personal discussion for a first conversation.

[liuli]

What can I say? I'm a personable guy. Very in touch with my feelings.

[ yuri will get the immediate sense that that is complete and utter bullshit and that he's just messing. ]

[aubins]

Right, right. An open book, huh?

[ two bullshitters walk into a bar and don't talk about themselves or their feelings. ]

[liuli]

Easy to read, from cover to cover.

[ he lifts his drink in a mock toast, smirking like he's told a private joke (that like has clearly recognized like, really) and downs the whiskey! it's. strong, but it is good. smacking his lips, thoughtfully. ] Now that could raise morale.

[aubins]

Does it depend on the language it's written in? [ can't read a book if it's written in someone else's code. ]

[ he lifts up the bottle he poured the drink from and looks at the information on the sides. hm. ] Given how you apparently age for around a decade, I'd sure hope it would.

[liuli]

And how good you are at translating it. [ hmm hmm

anyway. gu yun leans over the bar to examine the bottle, too. ] What is it they say, it ages like a fine wine? Or I suppose like a fine [ ... ] whiskey. Must be a Western thing.

[aubins]

Or how quick you are to learn. So many steps. [ he should know his own life story is behind like seven locks. it's fine. ]

Western? Maybe. Certainly tastes like it worth a lot of gold, at the very least.

[liuli]

Some are more methodical about those steps than others. [ and some are quick and clever with a lockpick! actually, he's just vibin with yuri at this point - his own backstory is also under lock and key.

gu yun lifts his glass, giving the remaining liquid a swirl. ] I'm a fan, I think. Imports - talk about an indulgence.

[aubins]

[ haha and then they told each other nothing, ever. ] Annoying, really.

[ yuri takes another sip of his drink, a little slower, to savour it. ]

So, aside from claiming to grant hopes and dreams, they can afford to get fancy with their alcohol purchases too. Good to note.