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

[clearities]

...Really?

[Wait.] You're not making fun of me, are you?

[paciscere]

[ he's serious, but. ]

Don't worry. You've already been kidnapped.

[ there's no need to be scared about a thing that's already happened. ]

[clearities]

Geez!! But what if the person who did it is a monster?!

[paciscere]

Then they're underestimating us by letting us roam free, aren't they? No chains, no ropes, no seals. Ah, well, their mistake.

[clearities]

I guess so... but I feel like there's something off.

[paciscere]

[ ah. he considers her for a moment. ]

What do you mean?

[clearities]

If they let us walk free... there has to be a reason, right?

[paciscere]

[ is that all? how disappointing. ]

I'm sure there is. [ but any sort of freedom is a mistake, an invitation for variables out of their control. ] Well, I shouldn't complain. At the moment, what we need is more information.

[ let's start with her. ]

Little miss, why do you think they chose you? You're a tiny thing.

[clearities]

I'm... [She rests a hand under her chin, deep in thought.] I-I don't know. [That's only half of a lie, one that will most likely be revealed later. Then again, Sakura isn't a good liar and it shows as her emerald green eyes immediately shift away, awkwardly.]

[paciscere]

Don't you? Heh, I'll accept that for now. [ her tells are pretty obvious to someone used to playing with people. but he'd rather not push, just yet. ] But, little miss, we should try to trust each other a bit more, don't you think? After all, we're in the same boat.

[clearities]

Ho~e?

[She seems confused for a moment, but then--]

I-It's not like I don't trust you, it's just...! [...] It's supposed to be a secret.

[paciscere]

Like I said, you may keep that secret to yourself for now. [ may, as though she needs his permission. ] I take it there is something, isn't there? Something they could want from you. I just need you to confirm the possibility so we have a starting point is all.

[clearities]

... [She swallows hard to the point where she's quiet for a good while. But soon enough, she nods.] There is.

[paciscere]

[ he nods. good girl. ]

I'm the heir to a large clan, though there are others who can take my place. [ but none as talented as him. if whoever's in charge is aiming to take the clan over, well - there's a nasty surprise waiting for them. heh. ]

I suppose we're prominent in certain circles, so that may be why I'm here.

[ look at him volunteering so much useless information! ]

[clearities]

[Excuse you, Sakura is always a good girl.]

You're an heir?! That must be really important!

[Sakura herself isn't an heir... unless you counted the 'heir of the Clow Cards' being a thing. But the Clow Cards were no longer a thing anymore. They were Sakura Cards now, and then they became transparent.]

[paciscere]

[ important enough to some, maybe. ]

It's not as impressive as your reason, I'm sure. [ he shrugs it off, not really meaning it. ] If there are others in our position, we should ask them as well.

[clearities]

Ehehe... [She doesn't seem to believe he reason is all that impressive either, but.] We probably should. I've seen a few others already.

[paciscere]

Oya, are you running into everyone you meet, little miss?

[ that's a laugh from him. ]

Have they told you anything interesting? I haven't gotten much yet.

[clearities]

Um... [She doesn't want to say 'yes' but saying otherwise would be lying, so she just decide not to answer, even though that in of itself is one.] They don't know anything about this place, either... the others that I saw.

[paciscere]

Then we can only gather whatever scant information's lying about and wait until the enemy makes their move. I hope it's soon.

[clearities]

Yeah... I hope so, too. For everyone's sake.

omg your tag got lost in my inbox, so sorry!!

[paciscere]

Yes. I'll head off to talk to some of the others. [ but before he leaves - ] I'm Matoba Seiji, by the way.