june event.

[falsitates]

JUNE 15, 2021

The heatwave has passed and the weather has never been better. The city is full of life once again, and the streets are busy as people return outdoors to enjoy what summer has to offer. Everything appears to have returned back to normal.

For everyone, but you.

The newcomers are given an envelope that is either addressed to their current residence or placed in their belongings. There is no return address, and inside is a New York state government-issued ID. It appears to be authentic. The residents, on the other hand, receive a similar envelope, but with a SIM card. There are no other notes.

Are these your rewards?

  MISSION BOARD

Your phone vibrates.

It doesn't stop until you pick it up and when you do, it's cold. The buttons do nothing as it shuts down, unresponsive to whatever actions that you take. Then, much like last time, white lettering on a black backdrop appears.

WELCOME TO WEEK THREE.
A NEW MODULE HAS BEEN UNLOCKED.
YOU MAY CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT.
OR YOU MAY CHOOSE TO USE IT.
AUDENTES FORTUNA IUVAT

A new section has been added to the app. It reads as 'missions'. There are currently three tasks available right now.

  BEGINNINGS OF A FOREST

The barrier continues to grow in size. Vitae's outskirts are gradually, but surely, expanding, and in its new area is a sea of trees. There has never been a forest surrounding the city, yet one is unmistakably forming. It's small, extending outside for less than a quarter-mile, and asides from its sudden appearance, there's nothing unusual about it. Only trees, the barrier, and the nagging feeling that someone is watching you.

Nobody in the city seems to notice. When questioned, they claim that the forest has always been there. In fact, the city was created in the heart of a forest, and it has remained that way since its inception. None of them are aware of the fact that these trees were never there until now.

It's as though the forest has always been there.

  DECISION TIME

By the end of the day, your phone vibrates again. A new message appears.

ALLY?
BETRAY?

One of the two choices must be selected. Otherwise, you won't be able to use your phone.

Make your choice.

Comments

[curriculumachine]

i. a normal summer

[With the passing of the heatwave, Mike's finally been able to get some sleep, and has enough energy to emerge from his hole of an apartment should the need or desire arise. Certainly not early for most people, but mid afternoon into the evening. He can be found in one of three places on these rare daylight excursions:

(1) the convenience store, stocking up on cigarettes and daring to purchase something from the ever-present rotating hot dog selection

(2) in the park by the koi pond, just... sitting there on the grass for reasons unknown

(3) at the bank right before closing, looking very uncomfortable with all the tellers' eyes on him


ii. toly
(closed to one person or group thread)

[He leans against the side of his van, waiting, looking up at the roof of one of the residential attached houses. It's run-down and on the end, next to the alley that leads in behind to a gravel parking area. Mike doesn't seem particularly interested in this adventure when he speaks, slow and monotone.]

Someone saw him over here a couple hours ago.


iii. forest

[One night, when he doesn't have to work, Mike heads into the 'new' forest with a small duffel bag. What is he doing? It is a mystery.]


iv. wildcard
anything goes;

iii

[ehero]

[ Think Mike can get away with calling the cops on Judai and not face the man himself? Well, that's not happening because Judai is also going to investigate the forest and he spots someone very familiar. ]

Hey!

[ Does Mike stop? ]

[curriculumachine]

[He does stop, instantly, frozen at the sound of that voice. Is the creature with him? Mike says nothing, gripping the handle of the duffel bag tighter.]

[ehero]

[ This gives Judai the chance to run up and come by Mike's side. He slowly moves to step in front of him, half-afraid that the man is just going to bolt. ]

Hey, are you all right? Winged Kuriboh didn't get you too badly, did he?

[ He knows about that whole debacle... he tries to check out Mike's face, eyeing it and standing on his toes to get a better look. ]

[curriculumachine]

[There's a noise of discontent at the scrutiny, but he doesn't move. Judai will find a few scratches and claw marks, but nothing serious.]

Is it... here?

[ehero]

Winged Kuriboh? Yeah, but I won't be summoning him.

[ He only did it last time because he didn't know that the little fuzzball would go out to attack Mike. That's his bad for not asking properly, so he feels bad about this whole thing. ]

Did you treat your face? You should probably put something on those scratches.

ii;

[chemex]

[Akira follows his line of sight, then gives Mike a brief once-over.]

Ever played cops and robbers?

[curriculumachine]

[There's a tiny irritated noise.]

... No.

[Why is this a question? Any implications of some sort of plan formation from those... code words... doesn't come through.]

I haven't got all day. Are we doing this or not?

[chemex]

[He shrugs gently, pocketing his phone. His loss,]

Sure. Have a plan of action?

[curriculumachine]

[It's a moment before he answers, meandering to the back of the van and opening the door. Inside, among assorted cleaning equipment and a possible bed/nest pile of blankets in the corner is... a cage. An angry blond raccoon gnaws at the wire and reaches her little hand out through one of the larger slots.]

Hannah.

[chemex]

[He stays where he's left until he hears the distinct sounds of a caged animal, at which point he moves slowly to peer around the corner. He looks the raccoon over, then looks at Mike, back to the raccoon. Hannah.]

...good name. [Is he meaning the raccoon is going to be their partner in crime, because that would be one of the coolest things he's ever heard, actually.]

I-2

[hippocarnival]

[Maybe the reason is just it's a nice pond... Yuya thinks so anyway.

Don't mind the shadow of someone standing over as they approach, Mike. Yuya smiles down at him.] Have you ever tried feeding them?

[curriculumachine]

[Mike doesn't look up, and there's a slight tensing posture; Yuya's been witness to his lower moments as of late.]

No...

[His words are quiet and distant, thoughts that slip out as statements he never intended to make, but push their way through while the koi fish distract him.]

If you feed them, they'll start to expect it, depend on it, and forget how to find food themselves.

[hippocarnival]

... They live in the park pond? There's no food for them to find. [Yuya crouches down beside him.

He sticks his fingers close to the edge of the water, so koi fish swim close to investigate.] The gardeners probably feed them otherwise.

[curriculumachine]

[This is why he keeps his thoughts to himself most of the time.]

... Right.

[It's a little strangled, an embarrassed admission of his misdirected philosophical theories. The koi are already domesticated; there's no hope for them.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yeah that's pretty much it.

Yuya didn't actually bring food, so he continues to taunt them by holding his fingers over the water. Occasionally a fish pushes high enough to bop against them.

Yuya tilts his head, to try and look Mike in the face.] They're really pretty, right?

Koi pond

[tsunotarou]

[Malleus likes to take walks on the park sometimes, specially when there's no school, or violin lessons, or anything else really. He has some fish food he wants to feed to the koi, so he walks with a destination in mind.

When he reaches the pond, he opens the bag of food and crouches next to the pond.]

I've brought your dinner, fishies.

[He spreads some of the food and watches as the fish get closer to eat.

Malleus is content feeding the fish, but something catches his attention. He raises an eyebrow, and stands up straight, walking over to the other side of the pond. Yup, there's someone there.]

Hi... Would you like to feed the fish?

[curriculumachine]

[There's a tiny distressed noised when Malleus speaks; Mike had been completely zoning out looking at the fish, and never saw him coming.]

I...

[If he says yes, is he agreeing to just feeding the fish, or to a conversation...]

... Okay.

[It's said rather cautiously, and regretted instantly. He won't return to the park for another two months.]

[tsunotarou]

[He hands the guy some of the fish feed and then just sits next to him. He doesn't know if the guy knows how to feed fish, so he demonstrates by sprinkling a little on the water and waiting for the fish to come get it.

He smiles at the little ones trying to swim faster, but the big ones get there first. He puts a bit of food on the path of the small fish and waits.

Malleus doesn't really want to talk, so he will quietly sit there for a while.]

[curriculumachine]

[Mike just stares at the fish food in his hand for a moment, completely ignoring Malleus's unnecessary demonstration. There doesn't seem to be anything else forthcoming, which he appreciates, despite this strange meeting. Eventually, he realises he should do something with the fish food he's been holding awkwardly for who knows how many minutes. It just gets tossed into the pond with no flair or finesse, half of it landing in the grass. Whatever.]

[tsunotarou]

[What a weird guy.

Malleus is glad the fish are eating but this guy....

He sighs, and shakes his head, but doesn't say anything, finishing up the food in his hands before leaning back on the grass.]

convenience store

[morient]

[ Noah certainly doesn't act like a rich scion - he dresses like a normal kid, goes to normal places, without much of the spoiled pomp that might come from someone accustomed to having anything at their beck and call. He's at the store for a very mundane reason - looking for new flavours of ice cream, preferring cold food over warm food. His white hair makes him stand out amongst the others; he hovers in front of the floor-to-ceiling freezer, wondering if he'll be able to get some pink cactus ice cream from the topmost shelf.

He's wearing a light coat, though the absence of gloves makes the patches of blue crystal on his hands visible. ]

[curriculumachine]

[Mike spares only a tiny glance at Noah, eyes lingering for a split-second on those weird patches of crystal, but ultimately dismissing them as more weird shit. He's not here for ice cream, but beer in the next cooler over, which he opens without a word, looking for the cheapest selection today. There's a little known discount available if he finds something expired.]

[morient]

[ It seems like he won't be able to reach that box without asking for help. Mike is kind of tall, but also a little intimidating... Noah fiddles with his sleeve for a few more moments. ]

Um... can you help me get the pink ice cream?

[curriculumachine]

[By the time Noah asks his question, Mike's gotten two expired six-packs of beer set on the floor, digging for a third. He makes an irritated noise, and looks behind him in case there's someone else standing there, but no. Noah's talking to him. He almost makes a bitchy comment in the vein of "I don't work here", but stops himself after taking in the white hair and noting the crystals on his hands again. Does he have any sort of strange powers to inflict if Mike says no? He'd been attacked by Judai's Winged Kuriboh and who knows what else people are capable of, whether they originated in Vitae or not.]

... Okay.

[Closing the cooler, he doesn't step over to Noah's section. Instead, heading into the back beside the coolers where the bathrooms are, and emerging with a plastic milk crate. He sets it down, overturned, on the floor in front of Noah and uses it to retrieve the elusive too-high ice cream box because he's shorter than noah and i'm laughing]

Here.

[It gets kind of shoved at Noah's chest, and Mike doesn't make eye contact.]