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]

A. common room

[ i don't really know what to tell you, this place has a bar and that's enough of a draw to beging with when you wake up dressed like yuri did. notably, he hasn't changed. he's workin' it.

what he does seem to be drawn to is the tv screen, but not because he's interested in watching it. in fact, he looks like he has absolutely no idea what he's looking at. something that is make more apparently when he tilts his head almost a solid 90 degrees to the side to look at the screen from another angle. ]

...

Is it supposed to do something, or is it always this riveting?

B. kitchen

[ what happens when you put a ye olde in front of a hi-tech vending machine?




he pushes the little pictures and words that look familiar. over and over. which might be why there's like five dishes of onion gratin slowly winding their way down that conveyor belt. broken up by the occasional fish sandwich (McRonnies brand, naturally).

he glances over when he's interrupted, just as the first dish arrives at the end of the conveyor belt with a little "clink". and then a louder "clink" as the next dish rolls into it not long after. ]

Can I help you?

C. rec room

[ he's got one of the table tennis balls in his hands and is just staring at the whole set up like he doesn't know what to do with it.

there's a pause, and then he bounces the ball on the table, like he's testing it to see how it reacts to being dropped against something. he catches it neatly, and then does it again. and again. and again, with a little more force -- is this how you play the game?

obviously not, because a moment later the ball gets thrown at just the right angle to ricochet off the table, and bounce off... pretty much every available surface it can. yuri ducks under the table with a look somewhere between bewilderment and genuine delight on his face. ]

Well, then.

[ ... guess he lives here until that ball stops ricocheting. or bumps off something. or someone. ]

but nonetheless, he does not move. ]

wildcard

[ dm me on discord for any other ideas, thoughts, or even to start some... PCSSSSSSS!!!! it's that time again folks. ]

a

[gamerbrain]

There might be more channels.

[ she says, but does not explain what that means or how to access them, so. she's just staring at the screen with him now, i guess. ]

[aubins]

[ amazing. i hope they're both tilting their heads. ]

...

Channels?

[gamerbrain]

[ she is absolutely mirroring him and tilting her head. hm. uncomfy. ]

Yep.

[aubins]

[ they're having a grand time. ]

...

And those are...?

A

[notaccurate]

[Victorian era man who knows nothing about tvs is about to problem-solve this shit.]

The size and shape make me think it should be a painting of some sort, but what kind of painting is just black like that?

[aubins]

[ the two most qualified people. ]

Eh. Rich people'll pay for anything, if they think it's fancy enough. This seems just like one of those things someone might make to take advantage of it.

[notaccurate]

Indeed. This seems to speak to "art that only the refined can understand" but it isn't actually art at all, it's just nonsense.

Though I do see buttons on it. I wonder what they are for.

[aubins]

[ did you mean "bullshit", luca? you can say bullshit. or the victorian equivalent of. ]

...

Never seen artwork with buttons on them before.

b

[alteracion]

[ she is just watching the food pile up, tbh ]

Do you... really like onions?

[aubins]

It's something I recognise, so it seems like a safe bet to start with, don't you think?

[ want some onion gratin, stranger? ]

[alteracion]

To start and finish, it looks like. [ but like, she's taking one just to taste? ] You've got enough here to feed an army.

[aubins]

[ he's not going to fight her when he has apparently infinite onion gratin on tap, so... go forth and eat, grace. ]

There are a lot of us here. But hey, at least we know there's plenty of food here to balance it out.

c

[callmemeg]

[ ducks! there it goes. ]

Is this your idea of a good time?

[aubins]

[ there it goes ]

Not usually, no.

[callmemeg]

[ still keeping an eye on it, just in case, but she straightens. ]

So what makes today so special? No, don't tell me - is it your first time seeing an aporrhaxis?

c

[fisherwoman]

[She catches the ball when it's about an inch from her face solely because she thinks it will make her look cool. As she glances at it:]

That wasn't on purpose, right?

[aubins]

[ very cool, well done. and to be fair, yuri looks... a little sheepish? or at least mildly apologetic. ]

No.

I assume there's a reason they're that bouncy?

[fisherwoman]

Well, I wouldn't know.

[She tosses it back his way.]

You're lucky it didn't hit my beautiful face.

b

[nodo]

[ is law any better with the technology? oh hell no, but he has half enough of a brain to vaguely get an idea of what the pictures mean and what pushing them might do. thanks for being the experimental piggie for him, though, yuri. he proved his guess right.

though....about the food. ]

Did you mean to order that many?

[aubins]

I pressed the button enough times for it. You're not curious how long it can keep this up for?

[ he pushes the button again. wow. how does he get one of these at home? free food on tap. ]

[nodo]

[ hmm... ]

No. [ why must he be like this. ] It's a waste of food if you're not going to eat it all.

b

[messybench]

[ eleanor is watching this unfold... where's the shrimp. ]

Are you actually going to eat any of that, or are you just screwing around?

[aubins]

[ there's probably a lil' shrimp gratin if that's what she's into? ]

I won't waste it. But I am curious how much there actually is.

[messybench]

[ yeah she's just taking it. hers now. ]

Yeah, bud, I've been in situations like this before and the answer is: neverending. But I'll take some of that.