WEEK 0 — ARRIVAL

[cartesio]

Week 0: Arrival

When you wake up you immediately feel something’s off. You sit on the bed and find it’s not your bed, and this isn’t your room either. You seem to be in a rather normal-looking motel room. To your side there’s a trunk, if you open it you’ll find a military uniform, the key to your room, a set of rules and a debit card. Don’t lose those items! Or do lose the rules, you'll find a brand new copy the next day under your pillow. There’s also a calendar on the wall, you can see today’s date. The year is unreadable, but the month and day are very clear:

March 28^th
There it says ‘Meet the Sergeant at the Lodge, 9:00 AM’. There’s also a circle around March 31st, with the word ‘END’ scrawled there.

For now leaving your motel room would be a good choice. When you reach the lobby, you see the receptionist’s desk— no one’s manning it. There’s a rack filled with maps, marking several locations in the town.

There are also many strangers here – and you’re one more. For now it may be a good idea to take a map and explore the town.

After all, looks like you’re stuck here in the boonies for a while.

Links

IC Rules
Room Assignments
Locations
Tasks (LOCKED currently)

March 28^th
March 29^th
March 30^th

Comments

[agoreable]

[ A strong headshake sends Lovepon's ponytail flying. ]

I'm not a criminal! Whatever kind of event this is, I don't want any part in it!

If anyone here is actually thinking of killing, we need to identify them right away for everyone's safety.

[paciscere]

[ weeeeeell, he didn't ask if she was a criminal, but ok, if she thinks they're the same thing. ]

To be sure. [ handwaves, yes, protecting people is important. ] We don't seem to have a lot of time to figure that out, however. A little less than four days or so - until whatever the "END" means.

[ he'd prefer not to stay here that long, but will he have a choice? hm. ]

[agoreable]

Just four days... And what are we supposed to do after that? They brought me a whole continent away from where I was.

Not that I really need to go back to Japan, but it's strange.

[ Standing without anything or anyone in the middle of a country which's language you don't even speak properly sounds... unfortunate. ]

[paciscere]

[ are they only a continent away? he just finds it strange that so many people he's approached can speak fluent japanese in a town that is clearly not. the people manning the counters and registers seem to understand him perfectly, too. ]

I can tell you they won't let us go so easily after that. It won't be a matter of simply going home - not without a price. Our memories, perhaps. Or something worse?

[agoreable]

[ ... ?! ]

How would they take our memories?

[paciscere]

[ he catches the look on her face and smirks. ]

It would be easy if they weren't human, wouldn't it?

[agoreable]

Hm.

[ She considers this earnestly for a moment. ]

I've never been sure non-humans like that exist, but if so, it would make sense, yes.

[paciscere]

Does that mean you've met other non-humans that aren't like that?

[agoreable]

Animals.

But no, no supernatural people. It would be interesting if that was real though. Maybe you could actually curse people...

[ Priorities?? ]

[paciscere]

It really isn't that hard to curse someone. I've studied a couple of techniques to do so in my spare time. You don't really need spiritual power to do them either, just intent. [ he leans in a little closer, tilting his head. ] Shall I teach you one?

[agoreable]

[ Lovepon knows more buddhist prayers than she knows what to do with, but none of them have ever be of use to her... Curses however.... Her face lights up.]

If you would.. Please do!

[paciscere]

Though I do hope you aren't planning to curse any humans. [ except he doesn't really sound like he means it. ] That said, the easiest curse you can do is with a paper doll.

[agoreable]

That man doesn't count as human anymore. He's just a piece of shit.

[ ... hopefully that is reassuring?? Maybe?? Lovepon offers no elaboration on the matter and instead inquires on: ]

How do you charge the doll with curses?

[paciscere]

Ha, that's a lot of negative feelings for him.

[ good to see! ]

In that case, I think this will work out in your favor. What you'll be looking to use is a katashiro, a paper doll in which will work as your canvas. You write down his true name, his birthdate, and any other personal information you know. His blood type, for example. Then you're done! Simple, isn't it? Whatever you do to the doll will happen to him.

So say you rip off an arm... well, he still has one left! No problems there.

[ wait wait ]

[agoreable]

That's just perfect. He'll regret all those times he's imposed himself on us, making himself the center of our lives... It all works against him now. And there won't be a need to do it all at once, it could be a slow execution... Make him suffer for every single day he came to us...

[ Lovepon is not exaggerating in the slightest and the tremor in her voice betrays that she's completely serious about this plan. She's not so naive as to think this would work without fail, of course. She's failed too many times before. But the fantasy is pleasant and the attempt will be worth it.

For a moment, Lovepon seems lost in imagination, but then she snaps back to reality and gives a smile to Matoba that looks... genuinely sane and friendly? ]

Thank you so much. I'll make sure to never misuse this knowledge.

[paciscere]

[ he's not worried about her abusing this knowledge because the curse only works with the most obsessive brand of hatred. how many people can one person hate like that? ]

You're welcome. Sounds like he's quite the troublesome individual. And you can't really use people like that.

[ also, it's not his problem if she doesn't. he deals in vengeful youkai, not people. ]

Ah - one more thing. What's your name? I'm Matoba Seiji.

[agoreable]

Call me.. Lovepon.

[ For a moment she considers giving her real name, because stating a chat handle when given a legal name seems... odd. But her real name is one she's left behind. In her new life, she'll be Lovepon forever. ]

Matoba-san, it's very nice to meet you.

[paciscere]

Ahaha, that's not a phrase I ever expected to say seriously, but very well, Lovepon-san. Let's make sure we leave this place, so you can try out that curse.