july event.

[falsitates]

JULY 4 ~ 15, 2021

July starts off busy.

With Independence Day approaching, city residents have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming Sunday celebrations. Vitae has always been enthusiastic about the Fourth of July and has made it a city-wide celebration every year. Although it's warned that another heatwave will sweep through the city for the first two weeks of July, everyone still works hard to ensure that they have another memorial holiday.

It's time to unwind.

  MISSION BOARD

Bzzz. Bzzz.

It's your phone. It feels like a brick of ice when you pick it up, providing welcome relief from the heat. It shuts down completely, as usual, until new white words on a black background appear.

NEW MISSIONS HAVE BEEN ADDED.
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY.
SOLAMEN MISERIS SOCIOS HABUISSE DOLORIS

True to its message, three new tasks appear under the missions module.

  FOURTH OF JULY

Despite the oppressive heat, it almost seems like everyone has gone out for the day. Many people hold barbeques or picnics in their backyards or parks, while others bars and restaurants offer day-long specials, such as free drinks or sides with meals. For those without cash or a barbeque of their own, the church provides free burgers and hotdogs to anyone who stops by their parking lot. Juice and pop are given as drinks, but occasionally, when no one is looking, the volunteer pulls out a bottle of beer from the very bottom of the ice-filled cooler. She gives a wink and puts her finger to her lips. Shhhh.


The beach also has its own free barbeque, though there is no hidden surprise of alcohol to be found. Only food and-- wait, a beach?

It first appeared in the early hours of the morning. A section of the forest has vanished at the city's very edge on the south side. In its place. a large beach is found. Although the waters stretch out as far as the eye can see, Vitae has always been a landlocked city. Where did it come from? Residents claim it's always been there, that the city built an urban beach years ago, before quickly changing the subject. It's Independence Day, man! What does it matter? Let's just have a good time!

Although packed, the beach provides enough room for everyone to find a spot and relax. The water is nice and cool and flocked with screaming kids as they splash each other. Apart from the beach's incredibly strange appearance and the concerning questions it raises, everything appears to be at peace.

Later that night, elaborate fireworks are launched in front of the city hall. Many people also light their own and with a fireworks vendor at every corner, there appears to be no end in sight. The sounds of explosions reverberate throughout the entire night and many people stay up to continue partying, celebrating as if this is the city's final Fourth of July.

  DECISION TIME

The following two weeks are quiet, everyone using up all of their energy for the Fourth of July. The city returns to normal and users of the app are left in peace.

Until the 15th.

YOU HAVE SELECTED [ALLY/BETRAY].
CHOOSE A USER.

A list appear below the message. It contains the names and photos of every person on the app. Until you select one, your phone will be unusable.

Towards the end of the day, if you still have not chosen, it stays stuck to your hand and begins to slowly overheat with an ominous timer counting down from ten minutes. It will not be able to be removed, no matter how much force you use. It will only finally let go after you have chosen a name. A new message will appear after you've made your choice.

YOU HAVE SELECTED [NAME].
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER.
PLEASE WAIT PATIENTLY UNTIL THE NEXT UPDATE.

Comments

[whiteshroud]

Thanks, I might take you up on that.

[Just watch, this is going to become a cycle of Judai giving Jun his paycheck only for Jun to turn around and use that money to fill Judai's gas tank.]

Haha, this is my first time at a beach, actually.

[ehero]

[ man, jun is living it up. getting cash (minus judai's gas tank and other necessities) + free rides all the time. jealous tbh ]

What? Seriously?

[ gasp. i headcanon that judai grew up near the waters because..... boat + lots of other water activities that he likes ]

Then you gotta swim around! There's no place better than a beach to swim at!

[whiteshroud]

[Jun nods]

Mm. I never had the opportunity before.

[Morimiya is a landlocked city and where he was before that BOY. WE DON'T NEED TO GET INTO THAT]

Haha, okay! So should we head straight for the water then? I do know how to swim!

[ehero]

Yeah!

[ Judai was about to just race over and take off his shirt since he's just wearing shorts, but he stops after half a step. ]

Wait, we should find you a swimsuit.

[ It'll be scandalous for a girl to just run in with her bra and panties. Hmm, he looks around. There's normally a pavilion around. ]

[whiteshroud]

[????]

Huh? Why can't I just go in my shorts?

[ehero]

Then what are you going to do for, uh, your... top?

[ what word does he even use here ]

[whiteshroud]

[Oh....oh.

Yeah, he can see what he's getting at. Not this shit again. He sighs]

Judai, I'm a boy.

1/3

[ehero]

[ehero]

[ehero]

[ ding ]

--what?!

[whiteshroud]

[this happens to him so often he can't even be shook by it anymore. Just another day in his life]

I'm male.

[ehero]

Since when?!

[ ... he's still in shock so ]

[whiteshroud]

[ 💧 ... ]

Well, I was assigned it at birth because I have parts traditionally associated with males, and I've been too busy with other things to thoroughly assess if it's the correct gender for me.

[Because sure he's definitely wondered about that, but he's been a little preoccupied with things like gaining a personality and a sense of individuality! Gender can come later!]

So, for now, I'm male.

1/2

[ehero]

[ehero]

[ GOD Judai is still processing the whole thing. His brain is overworking itself at 5mph. He's honestly at a loss for words. He brings a hand to his face then starts to ruffle his own hair, yelling (but not too loudly). ]

Aaahhhhhhhhh, I totally thought you were a girl! And that's why you asked about that date!

[ He had another case of mistaken gender and that case turned into the girl-who-disguised-as-a-boy growing a crush on him that he completely did not want. ]

[whiteshroud]

Haha...

[Poor poor stupid Judai. Jun feels slightly bad, but not really.]

Something like that. You're not the first guy to ask me out while thinking I'm a girl.

Don't worry, you're off the hook.

[ehero]

[ Judai is still confused and his brain is a mess so he can't process anything right now. ]

Off the hook for what?

[whiteshroud]

For any dates, of course.

[Not that Jun had intended to carry through with it even BEFORE this gender confusion reveal]

[ehero]

Huh? No, I don't mean like that, like--

[ God, he's going to drown if he goes swimming right now. He is so flabbergasted. ]

I don't care if you're a boy and wanted a date. I just thought that girls are really into that kind of stuff and usually bring it up...

[ Guys have actually asked Judai out before, but he was too dense to properly understand. He only understood Rei's because she had absolutely no shame. ]

A girl I knew kept asking about me about it even though I wasn't interested...

[whiteshroud]

Hahah...

Judai, I hate to tell you, but I brought it up because half of the things you say sound flirty.

That might be why.

[ehero]

What? No, they don't.

[ ????????????? ]

[whiteshroud]

You wanted me to go with you to Venice, the city of love...

[ehero]

The city of what?!

[ Jun needs to lower his current thoughts on Judai's intelligence by like....... ten times. ]

I was just there because of Duel Monsters!

[whiteshroud]

[He laughs a little]

Sure, but it's considered one of the most romantic cities in the world! Loves from all over travel there!

[ehero]

Aw, man. How am I supposed to know that?

[ He didn't even know about Latin so... ]

I meant, like, that's where I was last at and since you know Latin, I thought you could show me around.