collectedlogs | INTRO LOG #1

INTRO LOG #1

Welcome to Collected’s first Intro Log! The information we’ve provided about the setting is not exhaustive - feel free to interact with the setting as you see fit. Rather than have specific prompts, our event posts throughout the game will generally have information listed out like this and players may come up with their own prompts.

If you have questions about the setting or the intro log, please ask them HERE in the comment thread! And most of all, have fun, shoppers.

PROMPTS

The first thing anyone does is gasp for air.

It’ll feel like the first breath you’ve taken in years. That’s right; before you can even become aware of your surroundings, the most immediate thing they’ll process is that you’re in water. Foul smelling water - like rotten eggs and decay. It’s pitch black, and you’re swimming in it with only your head above the surface. If the smell doesn’t deter you, the longer you stay in will; the water stings to have on your skin, chemical in nature.

So - you need to get out. This water can’t be okay to stay in. Once you’ve gathered enough about your surroundings, you’ll see that you’re inside a mall, of sorts. There’s a large (non-functioning) escalator in front of you that will lead you to the semi-safe havens of the second floor - but be careful, because everyone’s going to be gunning for that only exit.

» Once on the second floor, exploring will lead you to a few notes of interest: Long windows and tall glass doors show the conditions outside. The sky is a burnt orange, and there is a thick sort of fog on the horizon. Nothing for miles in every direction - just an empty parking lot, completely devoid of life or any sign that anyone has come across this place in many years. Even so, you’ll find the windows and doors unlocked, so getting outside is easy… the problem is what’s out there.

A trip outside will make it instantly clear why you see no life outside the mall’s walls: exposure to the radioactive sun outside causes your skin to bubble with welts, and the thick, toxic air of the outside is impossible to inhale without keeling over. It’s blistering hot, too. Even non-organic creatures would melt or be eroded by the sun’s radioactive qualities. One thing is abundantly obvious: you cannot survive outside. Not now, at least. Those who receive a burn or other damage from the conditions outside will discover that strangely enough, upon returning inside the mall, the wound begins to heal up on its own. Slowly, and extremely painfully, but it’s healing. That’s strange…

» Another thing of note is that there’s a food court on the second floor. There, you’ll find a variety of abandoned restaurants that have varying amounts of non-perishables inside - canned vegetables and preserved meats, as well as dusty old jars of sauces and the like. There are a few walk-in freezers with hefty locks on them, but if the locks are broken or picked, there’s actually some frozen rations, as well! Many of them are not labelled, so the dining experience will be pretty hit or miss. None of the stoves or cooking appliances in the food court work anymore, either, so you’ll have to get creative when it comes to cooking up these ingredients. (Or just, you know, eat them cold.)

» Throughout the mall’s bathrooms, water fountains, and gym showers, you’ll find that all the water in the mall is suspiciously clean. Like, way too clean to be normal in a place as run-down and clearly abandoned as this. You’ll find that toilets flush completely fine, and shower water heats up (eventually). Should you be grateful, or concerned?

» There’s an electronics store on the second floor, as well, along with a internet cafe. Should you try to turn on the computers in the internet cafe, you’ll find that it only opens to the same forum page: a site called Mall Watch. It’ll prompt you to make an account and password if you try posting to it. In the electronics store, you’ll also find that any phone you forage for and try to boot up will also only open up to this forum page. Weird!

» If you’re looking for a place to sleep, the department stores of the mall still have a variety of furniture sets collecting a lot of dust. Then again, no one’s around to tell you where to sleep - and maybe you don’t trust all these new faces you arrived with. If you’re okay sleeping on the floor of a random store, more power to you.

» You’ll probably want to do something about your clothes that were stained by the black water on the first floor.. try foraging for some clothes! Looking around, you’ll find that some clothes stores have some stock left over, though everything’s generally a mess in clothing stores - it’ll take you some time to find anything that’ll fit you. Looking around enough on this second floor, you might end up stumbling across some of your own belongings or clothing, or those of your peers.

More than anything, the longer you explore and scavenge the mall, you’ll recognize how eerily silent it is. If not for you and your peers here, this place would be totally desolate. Clearly, there’s no one around for miles, and as far as you can tell, you’ll only be able to survive here for as long as the supplies here last. No one’s coming to save you - no one even knows you’re here. In every sense of the word, you are alone.

For now.

NAVIGATION

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[ Is there a word for both scared and annoyed? That's how they're feeling, listening to this thing talk. At least it's respecting their space; that offers them the bare minimum of comfort. Their arms stay raised protectively, but they're looking over at him, now, too. ]

Watarun...? [ is that what he is? They've never heard of it. Though their voice quivers, they try to press on. ] What are you...? W-Where is this?

[ where are the others? It hasn't been very long, but they've already grown too used to being around their fellow gems; the thought of being alone again is shamefully frightening. ]

[ This is probably not the first time he's been questioned on what he is, to be honest. ]

I am an idol and a magician~ stirring up the hearts of others with love and happiness is my raison d'etre... ☆ [ At this, his hands come up in an excited little wave. ] But also I'm quite human, even if it seems otherwise... so answering the second question is something I cannot do, just yet.

But fear not! As much as I love being surprised... it has become quite troublesome here. So I'd like to find out the secrets behind this mysterious shopping mall as well.

[ He's found Eichi, but where did the others go.......... he's missing his murder machine and his princess... ]

[ this may be the worst person to try and get initial answers from, rip cinnabar. Luckily, he says the important word -- "human." Their eyes widen considerably, and they lower their arms - although only slightly. Maybe they know what humans are, theoretically, but they don't know anything about them. ]

Human...? You're a human?

[ that's what they're focusing on, because it's something they can actually understand. What is an idol, or a magician, or a "shopping mall," or a "raisin detre?" They have no idea. Clinging to the one familiar concept that's been presented to them here is all they can do. ]

But... that's not possible.

Oh? Is it my hair? Fufu, I have always had this colour, I didn't go prematurely grey or anything!

[ He's lifting part of his hair up, then dropping it like a curtain. It's probably not the hair, even he's aware of this, but in times like this... clowns make jokes. ]

But I am quite human, even if I don't seem to act or look like one. My body is sturdy, but it bleeds just as much as any other.

[ cinnabar is not laughing at your joke, clown boy. in fact, they don't even seem to understand. Unsurprisingly, his hair color is not even slightly questionable to someone who appears to have hair made out of red crystal. And also, everything else made out of red crystal. ]

But... [ their brow furrows. ] The meteors... How did you survive?

[ that was so long ago, too - from what they've gleaned, there's no way an organic creature could have survived that long. Does that mean there's a colony of humans surviving somewhere...? ]

[ The... meteors. Hmmm.

For awhile now, he's been vaguely wondering about their appearance—it is, at least a little bit, why he's followed them relentlessly across the mall like a lunatic. Well, he's also just weird. Cosplay? He thought it might be cosplay at first, but that quickly became apparent... that it was wrong.

But calming them down came first, and he's still in the midst of... his attempt at it. ]

Mmm... forgive me, but I'm not very good with my words when it comes to things like this. [ Ask the guy to talk about Shakespeare or love or ask him for advice; anything else gets a weirdly nebulous answer, if it gets one at all. ] Just earlier today, I was happily spending time with my family, only to wake up here much like you did. If there was a meteor, I must have tragically missed it.

[ An attempt... was made. ]

[ there's so much to process at once that all they can do is focus on this one part of the story - this one encounter, right now. Where are they? Why are they here? What is this place? How did they get here? It doesn't sound like the Lunarians took this one - it doesn't look like this place has anything to do with the Lunarians, frankly, but Cinnabar can only work with what they know, and their world has always been so small. They listen to him intently, despite the fear and confusion so apparent on their features, the whites of their eyes stark against the vivid red of the rest of them at this moment. ]

... That's not it. [ they start, trying to piece together what's happening here. Spending time with his family... In other words, other humans. ] It was thousands and thousands of years ago. And... it made humans extinct. You shouldn't be here.

[ or is Cinnabar the one who shouldn't be here? ]

This shouldn't be possible.

[ Hmmm... he's not doing very well at this, is he? Okay. he can put a little more seriousness into it. ]

Honestly speaking, I'm no good with serious explanations such as the one you deserve. [ He's just a clown who loves love... ☆ ] We have many stories of humanity becoming extinct, but they are just that: stories. Earlier today, I saw hundreds of humans with my own eyes. I laughed with them, admired them, and had prepared to sing and dance with them.

However, there's a few things strange about what I have to say. [ Understatement. ] This building we're in, it is human in design—and yet, it's scarred and broken, like what you would find if humanity really did leave this world behind.

[ ...should he ask? He feels like he knows the answer, and... despite not feeling like a human himself for most of his life, he at least is fully aware that he actually is one. Still, it feels weird to ask. ]

...I've been wondering for awhile, but you certainly are not human, correct?

[ no, it still doesn't make sense. How could he have seen them? After animals die, they disappear forever; there are no humans anywhere anymore. They can't be reconstructed or revived. It sounds like a dream. Yet here Cinnabar is, talking to one. And this can't be the remains of humanity, either, because all of those were washed away so long ago by the tides.

Cinnabar is clever - they're a creature of logic and patient observation - but their knowledge only extends as far as the tiny island they've lived on for a thousand years. The concepts of alternate dimensions or time travel aren't even specks on the horizon of their mind. The question he asks, at least, is easier to answer. They're still scared and confused, but "Watarun" the human doesn't seem like he poses an immediate threat, and with everything around them being much more frightening, their anxiety about conversation takes a back seat. They lower their arms, resting their hands nervously on the floor. ]

... No. I'm a gem. [ something that feels like it shouldn't need explanation, but here they are. ] Cinnabar.

A gem...

[ Cinnabar. It's the name of a mineral, isn't it? He's a creative genius, he never paid attention in school about stuff like this. His homework was never finished and all of his work just had the word AMAZING scribbled on anything that required deep thought about something he wasn't interested in. It's a miracle he managed to graduate. ]

Cinnabar is the beautiful, but poisonous one, correct? Fufu, that's one of my favourite combination of words, so it's all I ever cared to remember... ♪

[ BEAUTY AND DANGER!! EVERYTHING HE LIKES IN SOMETHING!! ]

[ if they didn't have a thousand other things on their mind at the moment, that comment would fluster them a lot more - but as things stand, it just sends a chill down their spine, somewhere between shock and dismay. They have no idea how to respond to this appraisal, which is probably obvious in the way their eyes widen. With a scowl, they look away, managing to look annoyed even while their fingers are still trembling. ]

It's not a joke. If you know that much already, then keep your distance.

[ it makes their life a little easier, at least, not having to explain what's wrong with them in detail. ]

[ He's humming. It's mostly just a noise, but there's a bit of a melody at the end of it. ]

Unfortunately, the unknown calls to me. I'm that type of person, after all—the kind that tries even harder to befriend someone, even if they seem to hate me.

[ There's a smile and he's adjusting his seated position, but not getting any closer. Is he afraid of being poisoned? Absolutely not. But it wouldn't do anyone any good if he were, at least not at this time, so he will at least continue to behave in that way. ]

I'm starting to form a theory on what has happened. Would you like to hear it?

[ once again, they're saved from an extra dose of uncertainty by simply being too preoccupied with the situation to stress about his assertion. Friendship has always been a lofty ideal that they gave up on a long time ago; they'd scoff at his claim if they weren't on the verge of fracturing just being here talking to him. His calmness is a direct contrast to them. Is this some kind of weird dream? It's not impossible. ]

... What is it?

[ they'll take any information - they certainly don't have any theories. ]

[ He's nodding, holding up a finger to accompany his hypothesis. ]

There are many stories in the world. The flourishing minds of humanity have been working the gears of imagination for thousands of years; something similar to this has been made into many stories. A protagonist, stepping through a wrinkle in time, an antagonist who may wish to recreate their ruined world by bringing in others—however, none of it is real, and science cannot be bent in the ways needed for such a thing.

However... you are here, with a reality that does not fit my reality, no? My existence is already surprising you in a way that I wished it wouldn't. Surprising people when I don't mean to... it's something I dislike.

[ A second finger, now. ]

Not only that, but to me, this is already "improbable". Just before waking up in that water, I was certainly nowhere near here. I also do not think it possible for me to have fallen asleep and been transported here, based on what I remember last.

[ He was preparing for a live. The four of them, fine, were just about to finish one last rehearsal before performing The Tempest Night; even though they couldn't see each other, Wataru knew the audience was also just behind the curtain, waiting for them. ]

So... I am beginning to wonder if we have made our way to a world, or time, beyond either of ours. Something out of the stories. Don't you think so? Already, what we have experienced should be "impossible" in every way.

[ If he wasn't worried about Touri and Yuzuru (and Eichi, even though he's here, which may be more worrying at times and comforting at others) and his parents... he would honestly be thrilled about all of it. As it is, he's selectively enthralled.

By this lovely red person, for one. ]

Edited 2020-07-16 05:39 (UTC)

[ He talks a lot. That much comes through clearly, despite all the other worries fogging their mind. He really talks a lot. It's been a long, long time since Cinnabar's had to have a conversation with anyone that liked to talk this much. In some ways, it's a relief; not having to try and carry a conversation in this state, for one. In other ways... well, the first bit doesn't make much sense, and Cinnabar's almost ready to stop listening there, but thankfully, he moves onto more concrete ideas soon after.

Relatively concrete. ]

I... [ they hesitate, not knowing what to say. They're a logical person; the idea of somehow tripping into an entire second world just doesn't click. ] ... It's not possible for me, either. It's definitely not.

[ unless they're on the moon - but how would they have been captured without noticing? And where are the Lunarians? Cinnabar knows so little about them that it's not impossible - but they have to believe that if humans still existed, the moon people wouldn't focus half as much on the gems. ]

But even if it's not possible... it still happened. Your "theory" doesn't explain anything.

No, of course not. I'm an idol, not a physicist, and my grades were terrible. I cannot give you a proper answer no matter how badly I would like to.

[ Creative geniuses are the worst. Anyway, that's about as serious as he can get. ]

But... it's quite clear to me that something out of a fantasy has come true, here.

... I can't accept a weak answer like that...

[ it's a rejection, but a weak one, quiet and a little sad. He's right. As much as they hate it, and can't accept it, something truly ridiculous has happened - something fantastic that they could never have even dreamed of on their tiny little island. Now they're in an ancient human building, talking to an ancient human boy, and any further explanation does not seem to be forthcoming. Not without further investigation.

Cinnabar looks up at him, white eyes stark against the vermilion of their unpowdered face. ]

... You need facts. And more time. [ a beat. ] ... Are you the only one here?

[ That's fair enough, at least he can think that. ]

No, not at all. While I've yet to see how many of us there may be, I was followed quite quickly by someone I'm close to.

[ The little shit was drowning. ]

On the other hand, I've also already met someone new aside from you, but they were quite human in appearance as well—and there are quite a large amount of humans where I come from! So, who knows if we are from the same place? I didn't think to ask, at the time.

Edited 2020-07-21 22:27 (UTC)

[ Ah. They see. In that case, there's no need for Cinnabar to trouble him with their presence. There are much more appropriate partners for him to work with here. It's a bit of a relief, honestly. Yes - it's easier alone.

Their gaze drops away, and they shift slightly, like they're going to get to their feet. ]

I see... Good. You have someone you can look with.

[ they still have to decide what they're going to do... but for now, they know they have to find a place away from the humans apparently roaming around before they hurt someone. ]

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INTRO LOG #1

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