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

[ehero]

gotcha!
meet you in front of the store in ten?

[ even if you multiple their brain cells by a thousand, you'll still get zero ]

[tothemetal]

yeah sure !
see you there dude :)

[but their heart is like, an actual one thousand stat so it'll even out. right????

the good news is that despite his low thought count Styx is actually pretty good with directions and, after having spent the entirety of his time in this new city basically wandering around aimlessly, it's easy for him to actually make it to their destination in the requested ten minutes. he feels pretty good about this.]

[ehero]

[ Judai is........ okay with directions. Even if he's the one who set the meet-up time, he's late by a few minutes. He got lost. ]

Hey! How're you doing?!

[ He throws up a hand in the air as a wave. Of course, he's like 456446 feet away so now he's just yelling ]

[tothemetal]

[it's certainly not a tardiness that Styx notices, nor one that he'd mind if he did; he's so used to people ditching him without a word throughout his entire life that there's still a sort of raw thrill that shoots through him whenever he spots someone approaching as promised.

the good news today is that while he's absolutely joining Judai in shouting at each other again he's already planted himself in front of the card store so there's a finite end to the stupidity. at least this branch of it, anyway.]

Pretty good! 's not too bad getting around here, huh? Got over pretty quick.

[ehero]

[ Judai will keep his hand up as he walks. It's going to take him like three tags to arrive. ]

Yeah? Did you memorize the city yet?

[tothemetal]

[three tags of Styx holding his own arm up like a child who has to use the bathroom in school because he's done waving but Judai hasn't lowered his hand? so he feels like there's something he should still be doing with his own but isn't sure what??? glorious.]

Uhhh, kinda! 'm pretty close anyway, I think. 's a pretty straightforward place once you go around it a few times.

[ehero]

[ this is just a hi-five that will have a very long build-up ]

Huh, really? I keep on getting lost! I had to ask someone twice how to get here!

[ He is notoriously bad at directions. ]

[tothemetal]

Oh, really? You gotta walk pretty far from where you were?

[it's just borderline incomprehensible for Styx to imagine someone else being worse than him at literally anything.]

[ehero]

Nah, I was just a few blocks away.

[ He just sucks. Anyway, he finally arrives so hi-five!! ]

All right, ready?