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

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?

the challenge bonus~ (◣_◢)

[curriculumachine]

[Pretty. Mike stares at the colourful fish for another moment, and he supposes they are, gliding around through the water while the afternoon sun reflects off their scales when they surface. Maybe that's why he watches them, because they're pretty. He'd never thought about why.]

... Yes.

[There's a glance over at Yuya, but one brief second of eye contact is all that it takes. A compulsive urge to triumph over this kid somehow, to issue a challenge that cannot be lost. And with that urge comes strange feelings, like he's done this before, so many times; he clenches his fist and narrows his eyes.]

Fight me.

[Is he going to beat up a scrawny teenager by the koi pond in front of several witnesses? Maybe.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya stares right on back dumbly.]

... What? [What?]

[curriculumachine]

Fight. Me.

[He might not have been loud enough; and instead of realising how weird this is, he's giving in to his instincts at the moment to put a little distance between himself and Yuya. For roundhouse kicking purposes, which feels somehow more a natural thing to start with than... punching.]

Let's go.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya laughs in disbelief. He waves a hand.] I really don't know how to fight at all! You'd beat me easily.

[curriculumachine]

... Are you afraid?

[He doesn't know why he keeps pushing this, but he's just going to continue to loom over Yuya until he agrees.]

[hippocarnival]

Yeah actually a little bit. [Yuya leans back, not getting up. Maybe if he looks nonthreatening Mike won't beat him up.] You don't want to just... arm wrestle or something?

[Yuya would still lose but at least he wouldn't also lose a tooth.]

[curriculumachine]

[It's illogical that the new suggestion would satisfy him, but it does.]

... Okay... There's a... picnic table.

[Which he jerks his thumb at.]

[hippocarnival]

[You know what, Yuya will take it. He's not sure what Mike wants a fight for, though.]

Okay! [He scrambles to his feet in order to move to the table Mike points out. He plops himself on one of the benches. He waits for Mike to join him before putting his elbow on the table.]

[curriculumachine]

[There's an usual predatory air as Mike sits down; he will crush Yuya, and.. voluntarily touch him, the urge to complete a challenge winning out over internal panic as he positions his arm and takes Yuya's hand. It occurs to him that unlike a general fight, he doesn't know how this works.]

Do we.. count to three?

[What are the rules?]

[hippocarnival]

I'll count to three, and on three we'll try to push the other person's hand to the table.

[His fingers curl around Mike's hand in a firm grip. He knows he'll lose handily but he'll at least try.] On one... two... three!

[curriculumachine]

[He doesn't hold back, and it takes little effort to overpower and slam Yuya's hand to the table. Afterward, there's no celebratory actions or words, just Mike taking his hand back as if it was bitten by something.]

I... Something weird happened.

[If he looks at Yuya, will he just issue a new challenge?]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya does at least try, but he's very easily overpowered and holds hand is almost immediately smacked against the table.]

Ow! [He laughs, shaking his hand as he pulls it back.] Yeah, I'm kind of a weird choice if you want a fight.

[curriculumachine]

[A weird choice, indeed.]

I don't know why I wanted to.

[It's not something he does, starting fights, or challenging people at all.]

[hippocarnival]

[Maybe he just looks that easy to beat up...]

... Maybe you could join a martial arts club?

[Get out that apparently penny up energy with people that are at least a little bit of an even match.]

[curriculumachine]

[There's a moment of consideration on that, though Mike's immediate response to it should have been a scoff or dismissal... Had he been in a martial arts club before? Of course not, but... a fight club of some kind? He just sort of stares off at nothing while thinking, but eventually replies.]

Maybe... Yuya...

[He should just scroll through the message boards to see if anything similar happened...]

Have you... remembered things that you never did?

[That makes no sense, but whatever.]

[hippocarnival]

[Ah, is that what this is?

Yuya rubs the back of his hand absently.] No. But I've heard things like that are happening to other people, ever since that app and people showed up.

[curriculumachine]

Nh...

[At least he's not the only one, but that is little comfort.]

I don't like it.

[hippocarnival]

... Yeah. [Yuya rubs the back of his neck.] But what can we do about it? Whatever is up with this app, it's way more powerful than us.

[curriculumachine]

Throw our phones in the koi pond.

[It may be a serious suggestion, it may not. Nothing in his voice reveals intentions.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya chuckles.] I'd try it, but it feels like we suddenly see our phones on our bed as if it never happened or something creepy like that. I don't think I want to know how far they'll go.