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

[hippocarnival]

Here. [Yuya stops at a raised water basin with two wooden ladles, in the middle of the area before reaching the honden proper. It's worn, with the wood awning showing signs of rot. The water is covered in algae.]

This is where you'd cleanse before entering the shrine to pray, but there's no priests taking care of it.

[stormsoff]

[ Isaac joins him, frowning down at the water. ]

That definitely fits the description. Gonna be honest with you: pretty sure we need to search this.

[hippocarnival]

Or clean it. [Yuya presses his hands to the rim, not close enough to touch the water, before he grabs one of the ladles to scoop algae away and clear a view of the water.] There was a priest here, but they left suddenly a long time ago. If a spirit still lives here, they must feel really neglected.

[Which... normally would sound weird but well, Jun thinks this is all caused by spirits or spirit energy, so hopefully anyone else involved from other places won't think Yuya talking about ghosts is all that strange.

If they do... it's nothing new.]

[stormsoff]

[ Without comment Isaac grabs the other ladle and also starts to scoop; cleaning or searching, clearing away the algea will help.

But at the comment, he'll shake his head. ]

There's not. I'd see it.

[ ... that was very straightforward. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya looks up, pausing for a moment. When he looks back down to keep clearing the water, there's a sad smile on his face.]

There used to be. [Flickers he'd see (sure he saw) of something unnatural.] But I guess they left if no one was going to maintain their shrine. I wonder who called us out here, then...

[stormsoff]

[ Isaac keeps clearing the water too, peering in. It ... looks empty ... is it really empty? ]

Who knows? Maybe we need to check the whole place, or maybe there's a trick to the riddle, or steps, or something. But there's definitely no spirit or ghost here.

[hippocarnival]

Nothing looks different than it did last time. [Yuya sets the ladle down, determining there's nothing in the water.] It still sounds like it's the shrine.

[Rather than anything in it. Maybe the spirit doesn't live here now but if calling for them to fix their shrine?

Yuya dusts his hands (not against his clothes) and turns towards the honden.] My gradnmother said that these places were like houses for spirits to reside in. If well cared for, then they would accept prayers from people. I can see why they wouldn't stay if not.

[stormsoff]

[ pardon Isaac while he rolls up his sleeve and just

whole ass just dunks his arm in there, fishing around.

nada.

he’ll get to his feet and shake his arm off, using his free hand to spray it with clean water from his palm. He does this all very matter-of-factly, sorry if you hadn’t gotten much exposure to his powers before Yuya. ]

... accept prayers, huh? No spirit I know would do that. I wonder if it’s different in different places, according to culture. ‘s not stuff Mr. Spender would ever tell me.

[ sigh. ] Alright, let’s keep looking. It said something about making a wish, so let’s check there, next.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya's never seen Isaac use his powers before. So he stares.

Then he jumps back to awareness, shaking his head. He turns to the honden, walking towards it, before looking over his shoulder to Isaac.] It depends on the spirit, too. You wouldn't trust all of them, like you wouldn't trust all people.

[But, the shrine proper. There's still offerings at the bottom of the box, covered in dust, and Yuya reaches to pull one out.]

[stormsoff]

[ .... hm. Didn’t freak out over his powers, and said something sensible. Two points to Yuya. Isaac will arch a brow slightly, but eventually nod along. ]

Back home, ghosts are like that. They’re people, after all, they just hung on, for one reason or another. Spirits were never alive, and they think pretty differently from humans.

[ Isaac will glance between Yuya and the offerings, then pick one up himself, blowing dust off it. ]

How do these work, anyway?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya, meanwhile, rubs the dust away with his finger.]

They're just offeri--i--[He sneezes as dust flies around.]--ngs. You leave things like money when you pray to earn the kami's favor. [He sets the offering back in the box.] My grandmother took me here when I was little, like her mom did. We'd pray for good fortune and good health. Like most people do, I guess.

[stormsoff]

Bless you.

[ rather absentmindedly to Yuya’s sneeze. Isaac does not return his offering, as he’s never seen one up close before (ONLY EVER IN HIS ANIMES!!!!!), and he’s curious about it. So he’s just turning it over in his fingers, idly. ]

Like, uh... like this, right?

[ Sticks the offering in his pocket? Why. And then claps his hands together like one does at shrines. HES LITERALLY ONLY SEEN IT IN ANIME HES NOT DOING IT ENTIRELY RIGHT

Also the bush is rustling now... ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya stares. He's not doing it right, but, more importantly than correcting this shrine form:] Uh, you're not supposed to take the offering someone else left...

[Is that like stealing a wish? It's probably a major faux pas but he's never actually had to consider stealing people's offerings.

And then the bush rustles, and Yuya shuts up and leans over to stare at that instead.]

[stormsoff]

I wasn’t gonna take it, I—

[ also shuts up, also leans over to stare





....... leeeeans back to grin an extremely smug grin at Yuya instead?

he isn’t even positive taking the offering triggered the thing, just mostly sure, and is TOTALLY GONNA RUB IT IN, LIKE A MATURE CHILD. I don’t even have an icon for this just here’s his face in the background of these panels that’s his face rn you’re welcome. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Isaac's smug grinning goes completely ignored as Yuya focuses on the bush. It could easily be some wild animal, but at the same time... something hidden in the bushes wouldn't be seen, right? Or someone.]

Hello? [He moves to creep around Isaac, closer to the bush.] Is someone there?