WEEKEND ZERO: MINGLE PT2

[guestservices]

W̴͍̎E̴̝̊E̸͚͝K̸͕̿ ZERO: MINGLE

(35 ḡ̴̻u̷͌͜ê̴̯s̶̢͑t̵̻͝s̴̡̐ ̴c̴h̴e̶c̴k̷e̶d̸ ̶i̴n̴)

Needless to say, marble isn't exactly the most comfortable surface to sleep on. Do you even remember falling asleep? Maybe not, but the moment your eyes flutter open and the lingering stardust fades, you come into consciousness with the distinct feeling that your dreams were very important.

You vaguely remember a shadowed hand, the pen and the scroll in its grip as the terms and conditions glow softly before you. You can't quite remember the details, the words blurring and fading fasting the longer you try, but you come to a conclusion rather quickly:

-Someone you care about is in trouble and their life is now your responsibility.
-You have signed a contract to provide entertainment to the Host in exchange for their safe return.

Your other memories begin to settle now that you're more awake. You remember that this isn't the first time you've been swept away for a game by someone else's design. You remember what those games entailed, too, but as the pieces click together you get the sense that murdering everyone around you isn't a solution. It won't get your hostage back sooner. It will only end tragically for everyone involved.

So instead, perhaps it's time to take in your surroundings. Where the hell even are you now? The marble floor of the lobby is still cool to the touch, and the front desk is before you with several keys on hooks against the wall. Each of them includes a keychain with two small, clear star-shaped crystals embedded at the bottom. Too bad you can't seem to remove the keys just yet! Guest accommodations aren't quite ready.

Ah, right. About that. You aren't alone! After all, what's the fun in playing a game by yourself? Should one try to actually count the keys hanging on the wall, you'll find there are 35 in total. You can also learn more about them should you look at the leather-bound book bolted to the front desk. Though some of them may look a bit different, seeing how everyone gathered in the lobby is dressed to the nines. What happened to your other clothing? Worry not. You do want to be presentable at the front desk, don't you?

Speaking of the front desk, while you aren't able to retrieve your keys or even leave the ground floor right now, you will find small gift boxes scattered around the desk as a complementary gift for each guest. Inside these boxes, you will find:

-A flask. Those of legal drinking age will find it filled with a sweet wine, and those underage will find juice of some kind.
-A shaving kit
- A single aspirin
-A keychain
-A condolence card
-A sheet of temporary tattoos
-A small bag of jerky
-A compact mirror with a cute pattern on the outer casing

No other items are on your person even if you were holding onto them prior to your arrival. Perhaps the bellhop has already taken your luggage for you?

But despite the front desk hosting a small cluster of bells, ringing them doesn't seem to draw the attention of anyone. The bells cannot be removed from the desk, but the hotel staff appears to be occupied with other tasks.

It looks as though you're on your own for now until maintenance is finished. But it's just like the first time, isn't it? Get to know the other guests, start asking questions, and settle in for your stay.

You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave...

N̸A̵V̴I̶G̶A̶T̴I̴O̸N̷.̷

█ LOCATIONS █ STATUSES █ PROFILES █ AUDIENCES
█ REPORTING █ PRIVATE CONVOS █ MURDER

Comments

[highestheim]

[ yeah it only hit me after i started typing the explanation and i got really upset ]

Please—it's nothing to praise me for. For the most part, I can only theorize. I don't have the ability to fix anything by myself.

[unsaid]

[officially one of my new fav threads]

No...? If I could ask - how does the matter of handling discrepancies in time happen in your realm? What causes these disruptions?

[highestheim]

[ hope is actually really passionate about this subject but i personally hate time travel so pretend this is a more detailed description than the one i'm actually going to give you ]

There are several ways that the timeline can be disrupted. The most common are spontaneous, one-off events that are the result of a butterfly effect-like phenomenon. Those with the ability to travel through time can freely visit these periods by using technology called time gates and fix the anachronism—referred to as a paradox—at the disruption's source.

More recently, however, there have been reports of specific individuals manipulating the timeline to further their own agendas. In order to access these points in history, time travelers must use object known as artefacts as a sort of focus in conjunction with the gates. In order to resolve these paradoxes, the travelers looking to restore the correct history must confront the offenders and face them in battle.

[unsaid]

[this is so funny andie i really wish i could explain how interested mikazuki is in this explanation]

These individual agendas regarding the timeline... could you elaborate more on them? Have you identified their goals?

And these specific individuals - are they other humans? Or are they something else?

[highestheim]

[ i look at jiji. i look away. ]

While I appreciate your interest in my field... those questions are a little hard-hitting, don't you think?

[ like, dude, at least take a guy out for dinner first, ]

[unsaid]

Mm? Are they?

[mikazuki laughs a little bit, amused.]

Ha ha ha. It was not my intention to be forward. I am something of a relic of history myself... so I suppose that I was simply very interested in the concept of changing certain points in time, and what might drive individuals to do so.

I have always thought of the flow of time something like a river... I wonder, could I have been wrong all this time?

[old man your philosophy]