[DECEMBER INTRO LOG | WORLD TWO]

[spellbindmods]

Who: All coven members, especially new folk!
Where: In and around the new world’s apartment building where the coven is staying, as well as the rest of Shehui
When: Day 160
Open/Closed: Open to All

How did you get into this building? This apartment room? What the fuck is going on? Let's refer back to this page for a semi in-depth, wow so detailed, explanation of your current situation. Are you up to speed? Great. Now, here's the question of the hour: what are you going to do about it? A ▢ Unlike the other coven members, the newbies are coming into the apartment building with non-empty apartment rooms. Depending on how polite or cautious you are, your first instinct may be to find your apartment and knock on the door. But it is your apartment now, too, and you do have an ID card that'll get you in. What horrible calamity will you walk in on? What eccentric roommates will you happen upon? The wacky situational comedy scenarios are ENDLESS. B ▢ One of the jobs on the job board this week is fundraising -- neat, right? Before you even make it up to your apartment, you may be accosted by an excited citizen -- coven member or no -- that is trying to push something onto your character. Chocolate bars? Cheese logs? Cookie dough? Some other luxury item or overpriced snack food? Because this fundraising task is based on commission, the citizen in question may be a bit pushy...or you may be inclined to buy ridiculous amounts of goods and not know what to do with yourself.

New coven members showing up today are in luck. This week, Shehui is celebrating a Keep the Community Clean event. It's rare that they force jobs on people, but there has been an influx of new citizens and the population growth is leading to more trash. Fulfill your assignment and you'll be rewarded 1,000 credits. Don't? Be fined 500. Everyone has been sent a job to their ID, be it collecting trash, cleaning their apartment building or holding up signs/handing out literature about recycling. Sweeping, bagging...it's dirty work, but someone has to do it. C ▢ Cleaning up trash on the street might be hard, but it's fulfilling! Okay, that's a lie. It's demeaning and a lot of citizens don't really care about the minimal littering credit deduction as they toss trash from their cars or miss throwing it into bins. Volunteers are outfitted with gloves, vests and a roll of trash bags, but it doesn't prevent them from being rudely splashed with snow or having to pick up nasty things. Have fun! D ▢ For those who decided to pass out literature, you did pick the better job! It's a lot easier to avoid getting nasty, but it's also awkward...having to hand out fliers, be cheerful, regurgitate boring facts about recycling. Please sir, stop and listen to this exciting speech about why should put your cans in the red bins, not the blue ones! E ▢ There is a bright side to these jobs: local businesses are getting in on the outpouring of people out and about to try and get them into seats and buying things. Free samples are abound! There's a local coffee shop, Mooncents, that is handing out free small drinks to anyone who is actually working today. Come inside, regardless if you "volunteer" or not. It's warm inside with all that snow out there...

Speaking of snow! Most businesses and buildings in Shehui have paid to have snow falling every other hour, which coats the city areas in a fine, powdery dust of snowflakes. You may be familiar with snow, or maybe you've never seen it in your entire life! It's unavoidable either way, so you're going to have to deal with it. F ▢ Children in Shehui are usually in a school building somewhere, but snow days call for some leniency. School is pretty come-and-go anyway, so don't be surprised that there are quite a few kidlets out and about on the streets. They're also fully into the spirit of snow, throwing snowballs at unsuspecting strangers. Will you get in on the action, or will you plan the murder of innocent children today? G ▢ While it's unadvised to just go lay out in the street and make snow angels, there are plenty of parks in which to examine or play in the snow. You won't be the only one acting like a fool -- it's Shehui. You're allowed to live a little! H ▢ Finally, Coins! has bought the most snow as a means for their seasonal activity -- snow paintball. If you're looking to have a good time and enjoy Shehui for what it is, you'd best be inclined to sign up. A massive field with snowbanks and excellent areas for hiding, snowball paintballs that hurt twice as much as usual. What more could you ask for? I ▢ Wildcard! How will your character interact with this new and unusual world?

Comments

[mesmerevenant]

[ Shit is relatable. Jun grins back, and isn't even forcing himself to play along with that dark humor. ]

At least you'll be warm and dry then, right?

[keeptrucking]

Oh, for real. Buuut then I probably have to remember which bin the rest of my dignity goes into, so.

[Shrug!! Maybe he'll not do that thing. Bursting into flame.]

[mesmerevenant]

What, so it's not included as flammable garbage?

[ Because making that distinction is totally helping Daichi do his job. Absolutely. Not a joke at all. ]

[keeptrucking]

[Ah, well, his dignity sure is open season for complete strangers still. That's good to know.]

It's not supposed to be... Do you want a flier or not?

[mesmerevenant]

Sure, I'll take a flier... by the way, you're also one of the coven members, right?

[ Since all the new people basically got herded at the same time, Jun is sure he's seen Daichi at a distance. Maybe. His vision's a little blurry without his glasses, but there's no mistaking that bright yellow scarf. ]

[keeptrucking]

If that's what it takes to keep the apartment, then yeah, totally. Love being in a cult. —Coven.

[He's taking it as well as he can, but yeah, he's definitely the same guy going around in winter accessories before they even got to this snowy city.

He holds a flier out, belatedly. Enjoy.]

[mesmerevenant]

[ Jun can't quite keep from freezing up at Daichi's reference to the coven being a cult. It's not entirely inaccurate either, from his experience. It keeps him from taking the flier immediately. ]

Ah...haha, it... is pretty cult-esque, isn't it?

[keeptrucking]

I mean, they're pretty much the same thing, right?

[He's not kidding; they might as well be the same word, as far as he's concerned. They're both spooky, so he has no time for nuance.]

I didn't sign up for this, anyway...

[mesmerevenant]

[ Meanwhile, Jun is trying to avoid having a small panic attack at all the implications that has. There's no way he's been pulled back into a cult again, right? Despite the kidnapping, so far it seems fairly benign...!

It's a good thing Jun's on a low frequency world right now or else he might inadvertently lash out with the magic he's used to. As it is though, most of his impulsive and intrusive thoughts have been relatively quiet which is helping him keep things fairly contained.

Though he's having trouble keeping up a smile. But he can get away with that, right? ]

Y...yeah. You and me both. Anyway. Since we're both stuck right now... what's your name?

[keeptrucking]

[He can get away with it for sure, as Daichi's faux cheer is dissolving more rapidly the longer this conversation goes on. It's a relief to not have to pretend he's completely fine and enjoying passing out fliers in some world that's not his own - he's had enough of bouncing around through words! Why is it happening again?!

So while misery again consumes him, he'll just assume this other guy is feeling the exact same thing... That works. But he's looking a little strained, huh.]

Uh, I'm Daichi. [...] Sorry, I sort of got away from reality there for a second. We're all stuck here now... [Was his whining too selfish?? He didn't mean it.]

[mesmerevenant]

[ Focus, Jun. Focus. This is not the time to fall apart. Don't be pathetic. Especially if this does turn out to be another cult situation - and if that's the case, it looks like he's already found an ally. Something which is certainly reassuring.

In response to Daichi's own vulnerability, Jun eases up on forcing the smile since it'll probably just worry Daichi further and put him off at this point. ]

I'd say it is our reality, so no need to apologize. I'm Jun-Seo - I go by Jun, though.

[keeptrucking]

W-well, I guess so. I just forget that I'm not the only one with a problem sometimes, y'know? Haha... heh.

[Ha... awkward. He shuffles the fliers in his hands meaninglessly, just for something to do besides announcing all of his personality quirks to strangers.]

Sooo, you want one of these?

[mesmerevenant]

Oh - right.

[ EMBARRASSING... He'll take the flier now, before deflecting the topic back to Daichi. If only to reassure him, though Jun can't deny he's also interested in getting to know the guy better. ]

Still, there's nothing wrong with needing to vent. Especially when you're stuck out here in the cold to pass out fliers to strangers.

[keeptrucking]

[Deflecting back to Daichi... he's going to crawl in a hole and bury himself now.....]

Y-yeah, thanks! Great! I'm toootally fine now, don't worry about me. Just having a great time in some weird city without any of my friends here, that's me.

[oh no, it's getting Worse]

[mesmerevenant]

[ SO. GODDAMN. RELATABLE. It's like looking at himself in a mirror, with all his weaknesses on display. In a way, it makes this interaction incredibly cathartic to have.
So much so that it's enough to embolden Jun to actually suggest something that's a fairly big deal, for him. ]

Well... we could be friends, if that'll help?

[keeptrucking]

[That's some next-level stuff, right there. Daichi blinks at him, considering—]

Sure, if you want? [Is it that easy... Yeah, honestly, he just hasn't made any friends he didn't have to save from certain death first in a while.] Friends don't let friends do boring flier jobs, right?

[Riiight? Take him away from here so he's not technically a quitter.]

[mesmerevenant]

[ MAYBE, IT CAN BE THAT EASY!! Jun laughs genuinely from relief, and at the heavy hint Daichi's giving him. ]

Sure, I'd say you've done enough. Let's go to a cafe?

[keeptrucking]

[Yes, thank god. Daichi looks down at his fliers, then looks at the recycling bin... but he's too much of a goody-goody to actually toss them all out just because he got snow-splashed, so ugh, he tucks them under his arm instead.]

Yeah, let's get out of here. Lead the way.

[mesmerevenant]

I think I saw a Mooncents around the corner... for another world, this place isn't all that different from what I'm used to.

[ He's assuming it's the same for Daichi, considering how he's dressed up fairly normal and didn't list the total strangeness of this place as something to worry about ]

[keeptrucking]

That's true... I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know? Like when do the aliens come out and attack?

[This is. Not a joke, when are the aliens coming to put an end to mankind? Either way, time to hit this Mooncents...]

[mesmerevenant]

Technically we're the aliens.

[ MOONCENTS. WHERE THERE IS FREE COFFEE! FOR YOU! ]

[keeptrucking]

Hey. Hey. Don't start with that stuff on the first day.

[He'll lose it... give him free coffee posthaste.]

[mesmerevenant]

Okay, okay, I'll lay off. There's no rush.

[ But, because he can't quite help himself, ] For now!

[keeptrucking]

[No, don't... He actually makes a sad little whining noise, like he can't handle the thought. Because he can't.]

Man, come on...! I'm going to get ulcers from this.

[mesmerevenant]

[ O...oh no... ]

Sorry, sorry. We can stick to small talk... how old are you? I'm nineteen.