INTRO LOG #1

[collectedmods]

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

Comments

[takeroot]

A. the only serious prompt

[Well, it's wet. It's wet and cold and smells dreadful, and let's not linger on how disastrous Constantin's swim out of the rancid water is, because he's fully covered in layer upon layer of heavy fabric and leather boots with gloves to match— if you happen to spot the skinny guy hauling himself lamely out of the water only to sit miserable on the ground for a good, say, ten to twenty minutes after that, don't say anything. He's fine.

He is fine, still, some time later, after finally picking his way up the escalator if only to not be the last one down here by the water. He's still cold and kind of... damp, ew, but don't mind him plodding sullenly after whoever looks like they're moving with a purpose. Any kind of purpose- food, clothes, clean water, he is not picky, if someone looks competent then he is lingering behind. At a distance at first, and then hastening to catch up as he regains some of his pluck:]

You there! Hello! Would you mind if I tagged along? [he has Been Here, but at least he's communicating now?] Now that we have escaped the clutches of the briney deep, our next move should be to stick together, yes?

[please god he will die if left alone]

B. department store folly

[Constantin has never had to, how does one say, take care of himself like an adult. Not really— there's always been a cook and a gaggle of security and servants and several pushy advisors to handle most things, and so here in the department store, he doesn't know what he should be picking up. He goes around grabbing anything that looks interesting or useful, more or less, and more the former than anything— and soon enough he's standing over a faded fleece blanket he's laid out on the ground, upon which he has placed:

1. Most of a silverware set,
2. Plastic fruit shaped ice cubes,
3. A pillow,
4. Like 3 bottles of shampoo because they still smell good, and-
5. A single cooking pot (with lid).

He is surveying his scavenged kingdom critically, like, this is all kind of a lot to drag back all on his own (it isn't)... Eventually, he glances up.]

Ah, hello there! Pillaging, are we? [And then, because we are all pillaging,] What an adventurous day it's been.

C. just, like, shouting

[Why would you wander all by your lonesome down this particularly desolate hallway of the mall? Chances are it was for a better reason than Constantin, whose plan of action in all things is simply "I wonder where this goes" and walking off in any direction. His jaunt through the department store has armed him with an umbrella, one of the oversized kind, that he is keeping closed and using to poke at things at a distance to see what happens. It's a valid defense.

It would be, anyway, if he were at all considering that being the only thing making noise in this otherwise desolate hallway isn't, perhaps, the best idea. The distant sound of something metal tap-tap-tapping against the floor, or along the railing that overlooks the floors below— it's just Constantin, but with no Constantin in sight, it's anyone's real guess. Every now and then he stumbles and sends something clattering, or sighs in desperation loud enough to carry down the hall...

Truly, this hallway is haunted. By a sickly spectre of a man and his umbrella. Maybe you run across him as he's sticking the end of his umbrella into a precarious stack of dusty old items or something else he shouldn't be doing, or, should you turn a corner and take him by surprise, there's a sputter—]

To arms, foul creature!! [—and there's an ovesized umbrella opening in your face, quite abruptly, before Constantin's head appears over the top.] Oh!

I thought you were a ghastly beast, here to collect your terrible debts! [haha] Sorry about that.

[He doesn't know how to close the umbrella.]

D. wildcard

[henlo..... jojoveller 4 your discussion needs, or go wild!! this is also where item prompts can go]

for flex

[takeroot]

[Down in this particular corner of this particular department store, there is... a big mess. It's debris, it's dust and dirt and some salvageable items, to be fair, but mostly: it's a mess. At the top of said pile of mess there is what looks like a hole in the wall feasibly small enough to crawl through to, uh... who knows what on the other side. There could be nothing back there! There could be roaches! Or riches!

Either way: Constantin is trying his best to get up there, but here's the problem: the debris is only so climbable. Even when he's up against the wall itself, looking up at the hole, he is just too low to grab on and haul himself up and into it.

But he does have this big, ugly shield he found while exploring. It is a shield, perhaps yes, but that doesn't mean he can't prop it against the wall and try his very best to use it as a ramp to get a little more altitude! Except that it scrapes angrily against the wall and floor as it clatters down under his weight every single time he tries, which should deter him, but it does not. He's almost got his fingers up on the edge this time—

And then, no: it is another wipeout. He's on the ground, shield digging into his back, head bouncing off a plastic tupperware set. Life is pain... His eyes are shut, but at the sound of footsteps he speaks:]

If you are coming to mock my efforts, you needn't bother! My spine has bent all the way around, and that is mockery enough.

i am here at last, let's fuckin party

[brothered]

[Scavenging in the wild is one thing? Felix is good at hunting, at finding useful items in, like, the middle of a frozen forest in the dead of winter—but scavenging in this so-called "department store" is, mmm, something else entirely. Even if Felix knew what he was looking at half the time, the fact remains that most things he finds are broken, or covered in a thick layer of grime, or both. Wonderful.

But here he is, anyway! Dutifully kicking through pile after pile of strange shit, because it isn't as though there's much else to do in this place—and because he's missing a few very, very important items, and while he supposes they might not all be here, finding (and recovering) one sword leads him to suspect there's a very good chance they are. Good, really. He certainly needs tow swords, for Reasons, and if the Aegis Shield is here...

...Well. He's looking for it, thanks. Keeping an eye out for that unique-looking heirloom for various reasons, but when he hears a crash much louder than the other crashes he's heard over the past, oh, five or so minutes—hey! Of course he has to go investigate. Maybe it's a rodent of unusual size.

Or maybe it's, you know. A frail-looking man sprawled atop a mound of junk. Huh. Felix remains at the end of this aisle for a moment, brow furrowing as he attempts to work this whole thing out, but he's not, like, needlessly cruel; he recognizes when someone needs a helping hand, and so, despite his quiet huff, he strides toward the stranger.]

I doubt it, [is his dry response as he comes to a stop before Connie dearest, and whether that has to do with his spine or the "sufficient" mockery, no one will ever know. Just let him shake his head before he crouches down the slightest bit, holding out a gloved hand in the hopes this fool will open his eyes.] Landing on your back like this... just what were you—

[—thinking, he obviously means to say, but oho? Oho. Felix's eyes snag on something very familiar, indeed, and thus his tone turns brisk as he commands:]

Get up.

world's worst meet cute

[takeroot]

[Constantin would actually like a moment to lie here until his spine stops tingling, and he's willing to do just that until this not-so-kind stranger's tone abruptly shifts. That's curious enough to warrant opening an eye- just one, earn his full gaze- with a raised eyebrow. Hello? Good sir?

Well, before he does anything else and definitely loses this generous offer of help, he reaches up to grasp Felix's hand and gingerly peel himself upright, slowly. He is only slightly wobbly. Fortunately he weighs like 20 pounds, so the shield sitting on the floor where he just was collapsed appears to be perfectly fine!

Lucky!!]

I was attempting to get up there, [he says, because Felix asked, and gestures up at the opening in the wall above. This gesture, hmm, hurts? Give him a moment to frown and rub at his shoulder.]

As you can see, it didn't go as planned! Despite all of this rubble, these walls are deceptively smooth.

for the old man

[takeroot]

[There is no real reason to go back down to the water. Absolutely none at all, in fact, and yet Constantin finds himself sitting on the escalator just looking down at it after enough hours have passed. It's been long enough since anyone rose from the depths that the surface of the water is completely still, like black glass, and from this high up the escalator's steps the smell is distant enough to be ignored.

He is clearly watching it, and it's not a bad guess to say that he's waiting for something else to happen. Surely that can't be all? These two dozen-odd people he's seen milling around can't be everyone, can they? Can he truly be here in this decrepit old building where nothing makes sense, all alone?

So he sits there and he waits, and the water is still and silent and doesn't so much as ripple no matter how many times he sighs. The adrenaline and the adventure of merely showing up in a place like this have long passed, and he could easily stave off the melancholy by going back to the other people and... planning, or something, whatever the various groups want to do, but instead: he is here, sulking at the water.

When he takes the bottle of moonshine out of the satchel hung over his shoulder and opens it, it isn't to take a drink. Well, it is, but first he just looks at it, like perhaps if he starts throwing things in the water, something will happen... He won't do it, but he sure looks like he might.]

fucking rude

[oraculi]

Hey!

[It's less a word and more of an angry, wordless shout, yelled from the second floor railing. Do not! Throw that!]

The hell you think you're doing?

[He sounds more than a little frantic, but on the other hand, he hasn't found any other alcohol yet, so yes, he's a bit on edge. He's coming down the escalator, and he will snatch that out of Constantin's hand given half a chance. He's pretty quick, too, more than you'd expect from someone like him.]

brazen!

[takeroot]

[Shouting while he's clearly distracted is such a risk, to wit: he fumbles the alcohol, and while he doesn't drop it, he does wind up sloshing a sip's worth or two onto his leg. Cool, love that!

Less risky is taking it from him, as he's just managed to twist around to look at where the angry voice is coming from when Haymitch just snatches the whole thing away from him. What? Huh?]

Hello? For what could I have possibly earned being robbed on the very first evening?

[Like, take it, sure! But sir.]

for future sunglass hut ceo

[takeroot]

[There are enough stores around that when Constantin finds a second bag! to go with his own, he thinks nothing of it. Well, no: he thinks it's his bag at first, and then it's obviously not- it's bigger and it has stuff in it and his own bag he finds not ten feet away, actually- but he does keep it anyway.

Like, it has stuff in it. That's the true miracle of this place: that something he found has other things in it, things that look like food that isn't canned or frozen. Not particularly delicious, but all things considered: he is keeping the Rations Bag. Keeping it and finding an almost comfortable dusty sofa to sit on in what once was a public lounge area at the end of this hall, to sit and go through it. Rations... some jerky he decides is gross after one single sniff...

Well, it was more exciting when he picked it up, but it's a bag! Catch him sitting there trying to determine if his own bag will fit inside it, because why not. Let's maximize efficiency. In his fussing he drops a ration and it skids some couple feet away, woops—]

Ah— look out?

[Stranger, do not trip on that ration that totally belongs to nobody.]

IM HERE.... im here.

[acquaint]

[ all things considered, losing his pack is the least of sylvain's worries? like, there's A Lot of other things going on, for example—where the fuck is his lance, for one thing, and for two, where the fuck is he? because as big as this place might be, it's definitely not enbarr and honestly, sylvain would just like a day to rest.

alas.

anyway, he's just here not really minding his own business and trying to find the stupid lance of ruin and wandering this empty hall leading to this would-be empty lounge area, until he nearly steps on something that skids right up against his boot. it's like the one thing he's recognized so far since getting here, and as he leans down to pick it up, he knows without a doubt that it's his. he knows that gautier cheesecloth anywhere. but more importantly— ]

So that's where it went. [ he pulls up a charming smile, easy as anything, while he takes in this guy in front of him. that's definitely the rest of his pack; there's no lance of ruin here, but he'll take what he can get. ] Guess I missed it earlier when I was looking for it. If you don't mind, I'll take it off your hands.

hands u some sunglasses

[takeroot]

What? Oh— [He glances down at the bag with his bag sticking halfway out of it, realization sinking in. So he's just been doing this ridiculous thing to someone else's belongings, huh...

Well, that would be more embarrassing if he hadn't been nearly drowned in fetid water this morning, so he frowns down at it instead. This guy gets his bag with all the stuff in it still, and Constantin's was empty - very unfair.]

Have you any proof? Some papers, perhaps, naming you the rightful owner of this... lovely pack?

[He's half serious, because anyone could walk up and declare the bag with food in it is theirs, but the other half of him is in it for the gag. Show him the deed. The pink slips. Cough 'em up, buddy.]

shouting?? shouting.

[fireglowup]

[There is a lot to process in the event of someone yelling and trying to spear you with a large, brightly-colored umbrella. What Zuko registers first is thing coming toward face and before he can stop to think about it his body is already moving to block, disarm, and retaliate.

So. There goes the umbrella, probably. It's only the memory of what happened last time Zuko was innocently surprised that keeps him from following up with a fireball. Instead his fist stops right in front of Constantin's face.

Then Zuko's brain catches up. He freezes, looking the guy up and down--whoever he is is definitely not a threat--and his expression quickly goes from fierce to sheepish.]

Um.

[He snaps back to attention so fast he almost goes dizzy. His shoulders are about up around his ears.]

S-Sorry.

zukes....

[takeroot]

[The umbrella is the first casualty, and Constantin watches it flip over itself a few times as it clumsily sails out of his hands with an expression of mild surprise. It's more earnest shock when he realizes the young man attacking his umbrella is still moving, and he leans back sharply when a fist comes straight for his face.

What is this. Who is this lost child... Constantin frowns at him for a long moment, then moves to step around him and go pick him his umbrella, eyeing Zuko over his shoulder skeptically as he does.

Then he comes back, so like, that's... a plus? The umbrella is still open; he shuffles back to where he was originally standing and holds it up again, nodding.]

How did you do that?

[He's never seen martial arts before, until now! Show him this fun trick.]

you don't know his LIFE connie

[fireglowup]

[Zuko stares at him, still not relaxing an inch. Then his eyes dart like he's trying to find any clue that could help him answer this question. Or, rather, figure out what he's even asking. Alas, he does not seem to find any.]

How did I... hit your umbrella?

[Imagine not knowing martial arts lmao..................]

c!

[lifespanned]

Waaah!!!!

[ Misa nearly jumps out of her own skin when his umbrella suddenly opens in her face as she turns a corner, losing her balance and recoiling in an almost comically dramatic way. It takes her a second to even understand what just happened, staring up at him as he peers from behind the umbrella and offers his apologies... which fall on deaf ears. ]

What the hell is your problem?! You scared me... [ she is NOT laughing ] You're gonna hurt someone, acting like that!

[takeroot]

[Young lady, he is trying to apologize!! He looks between her and the umbrella, just now realizing he doesn't know how to close it back up again- pressing a button to open it was very simple by comparison!!- and ah, she is... accusing him of violence...

Well, to be fair--]

I did say that I mistook you for something that wanted to hurt me. I heard footsteps and I thought, oh, this is it! Now is the time I will either be rescued or terribly killed— and I could hardly take my chances on my own! You understand.

[Does she. Does anyone.]

That said, I am... quite sorry to startle you. I must have let the overbearing atmosphere get the better of me.

[lifespanned]

[ Wow, this guy is totally talking like he's in a weird European period drama... what's his deal. A method actor?! Her imagination runs wild for a few moments. She frowns, but the tension in her shoulders bleeds out as he goes on, eventually deciding that he probably didn't really mean it - it's as he says, he's probably just scared the same way everyone else is. ]

It's fine... just be glad you didn't actually hit me! Or I'd really have gotten mad.

[ It's said with a pout, because she's just trying to make light of the situation so things can be not tense - she's got enough stress on her plate right now. Only now does she realize that he's glancing between her and the umbrella, which makes her eyebrows tilt up even more. ]

...But, anyways, aren't you going to close that? It's bad luck to open those indoors.

a is for amazing

[arnaults]

[ this is what she gets, she supposes, for spending a minute longer in one of her costumes than necessary. she's soaked to the bone in nasty, dirty water, and with her long dress and hair, she's leaving a trail of dripping behind her like a slug.

how charming.

she's breathing heavily from the exertion of hauling herself out of the muck in all her finery, and her heart is pounding in her ears, which is why she doesn't hear the other man straight away. but when he runs up beside her to get her attention, she slows, turning towards him with a heavy sigh. ]

I'm looking for some water to clean myself off. If that's of interest to you, you're welcome to tag along. [ she tries for her most charming smile, but she's exhausted - and really, what's the use? the entire effect is already rather spoiled. ]

[takeroot]

[He notices, of course, that she is dripping wet like the rest of them, himself included— but mercifully he is far too concerned with his plan to Stick Together to make any untoward comments about how gross they both are, at the moment. It's there. They're gross. They're in this grossness together, and no one need acknowledge it.

Except, of course, for the very concept of a bath, he could sink into some hot water and stay there for eternity—]

Water— [hm!!] I will, yes. Though rest assured I have no intentions of disturbing your privacy, madam!

[Indeed he must dramatically declare that, no, he is not a weirdo who follows pretty girls around to be even weirder, he is merely a twig who does not want to be left alone. And despite not cutting much of an imposing figure, he adds:]

Consider me your guard in this strange new world! My name is Constantin.

[arnaults]

[ it's the first thing that makes her smile in this odd new place they've found themselves in. she grins, then laughs, shaking her head. ] Thank you, Constantin. I'm Dorothea. It's nice to meet you.

Well... [ maybe they're not the ideal circumstances. she revises: ] I'm glad to meet someone so friendly in a situation like this. Is any of this familiar to you?

d... got ur lamp

[globs]

[ true to form, Cinnabar's out there in the mall at night - the lights of the place are still on (where they actually work), but it's still a little darker, and, most importantly, they've noticed that most of the other creatures in the mall sleep at night, just like gems. (By creatures, they mean "humans," mostly.) By the time the sun's set, Cinnabar has finally managed to work up enough courage to actually look around. There might be answers, or there might not be; either way, they feel like they need to do something. One can only sit and drown in their own misery for so long before they get tired. They should know.

So far, they haven't found any clues to... well, anything. They don't know what most of the stuff around here is, and there are absolutely no signs of gems - or of a way back. What they did find, however, is something pretty miraculous: a portable light source! Cinnabar doesn't know how the fire in this weird glass ball keeps burning, but it's too useful to leave behind. It's perfect for exploring the rooms that don't have light in them.

All this to say that Constantin may see a ghostly (but familiar??) orb of light disappearing into a corner jewelry store at night... along with a lot of loud crunching noises. ]

[takeroot]

[It is the middle of the night, but when you're a confused ye olde who does not know how to make peace with living in a shopping mall, sleeping through the night on random furniture is difficult. Or, more simply: sometimes a guy just needs to find one of those drinking fountains in the dark, and so here he is, wandering down the semi-dim corridor in search of a fountain.

Talking to people in the middle of the night is not necessarily his priority, but there's something familiar about the little globe of light that catches his eye, bobbing in the distance. He follows after it, not thinking it to be necessarily his exact lantern, but perhaps someone he knows did show up later than the others, and so—

Well, he has to know!! But the crunching is... off-putting...]

Hello? [....] Good evening? Where did you go, my firefly friend?

[Come crunch back here, bud!!]

[globs]

[ crunch buddy gives a muffled gasp when they hear someone calling for them (presumably), and a few more rapid crunch-crunch-crunches follow them rushing around behind the counter of spooky abandoned J*red's and crouching, holding the lamp to their chest defensively. (The crunching is glass breaking underfoot, because someone's smashed almost all the display cases in here.) ]

Go back to sleep!

[ they thought all the humans would be sleeping by now!! there can be no rest for Cinnabar, truly. ]

c

[oomfies]

[ Foul.. Foul creature? Okay, so Lottie looks like she's definitely been going through it - but that's why she's wearing this tacky ass cowboy hat! To hide her ugly until she can find a shower or something! That being said, having the offensive end of an umbrella shoved in her face gets both her jimmies rustled and temper flaring - ]

You could've killed me or something!

[ But.. Really, though?? No!! Lottie will not elaborate on what about an umbrella can count as a murder weapon, instead flicking her hat up to get a better look at this guy. ]

..Also, congrats. You just got seven years bad luck.

[takeroot]

[Sorry, he's distracted by that hat, unlike any Big Hat he has seen before... Impressive. After he gives it a very obvious Look, he blinks at her, coming back to this cool scolding he's getting.]

Oh, have I? Does it compound the existing bad luck of being kidnapped into this bizarre ruin?

[Seriously, is this divine punishment? Was being in a coma not enough. He spins the umbrella idly, considering it.]

I am sorry about accosting you so suddenly. Truly!

[oomfies]

[ This.. Guy is using some extremely fancy words. Is he smart? Or rich? Both?? She can't explicitly tell, because she thinks someone smart wouldn't be using an umbrella as a weapon. Or mistaking someone with green hair as a foul beast (although, he isn't wrong on that one!).

So she pauses, stands a little straighter while she gets a good look at him. ]

..It's cool.

[ He does sound sorry, and that much prompts Lottie to cool her jets and be a little less snappy. ]

Also, depends. Did you come with the umbrella like that?