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

[acerejective]

i. wow the humidity is really bad; (cw: gore, rat death)

[ out of the way!!! akechi is heading for the exit, with what appears to be a rat wrapped up in a dirty towel. even though he's wearing gloves. it's squealing and trying to escape, but he doesn't care. he pushes past you, not even acknowledging you, right to one of the doors --- he opens it just long enough to yeet the toweled rat out into the great unknown, as hard as he can, then slams it shut again. ]

[ through the doors, the progressively more horrible sounds this rat makes are still audible as it gets covered in welts, and the toxic fumes take over. it tries to scurry away but doesn't make it far before it straight up dies. painfully! yikes. akechi just watches this display dispassionately. and then he finally acknowledges your presence, turning to you!! ]

Well, I suppose leaving right now is out of the question.

[ animal testing is so cruel.... ]

ii. i scream for fries scream;

[ honestly? even on the best of days, akechi can't cook. let alone get creative with heating up food. so here he is in the food court, hunched over what appears to be a massive bag of french fries with a plastic fork. he is stabbing them with absolutely more force than necessary to try to break them apart. did he try thawing them? no. he didn't. he's just attacking fries. ]

[ it's a wonder that plastic fork hasn't snapped yet. ]

[ he finally manages to get a small enough chump of fries to fit in his mouth, and chews on them with a disgusted look on his face. no manners!! when he catches someone looking at him -- he looks over sharply -- at you-- whether or you are judging him (and you should be, this looks incredibly stupid) ]

If you've got a better idea, then share it.

[ chews angrily on his frozen block of fries. ]

iii. star woes; (limit one please!)

[ so many belongings everywhere! strewn across the mall haphazardly. one in particular seems like it's from a children's toy store or the kids' section of a department somewhere -- it looks like a toy lightsaber! like, a particularly edgy one, it's red and almost looks like a sword. as you pick it up or examine it closer, however, akechi approacheth and holds his hand out. he seems almost aggressive. ]

I believe that's mine.

[ kylo ren fanboys (???) these days... ]

iv. what's the wifi password;

[ akechi's got several computers open..... and random phones all ransacked from the electronics store, all turned to the mall watch website. he makes a pretty valiant attempt to do literally anything else on them, but that's all that works. hm. ]

I don't suppose you've had any better luck.

[ he hasn't made an account yet. ]

wildcard;

[ want a closed starter or literally anything else? hit me. if anyone wants to find his stupid briefcase with an "a" on it, they are welcome to! ]

i

[globs]

[ and here they thought they were being so sneaky. Cinnabar yelps in surprise when he looks over at them, and they're quick to duck back behind the support pillar they were hiding behind. This strange, cruel animal, calling them out... (They loathe their own weakness, too, in not being brave enough to save the rat from him.) ]

You shouldn't have killed it.

[ ... they're speaking to him still from behind the pillar. they're not even peeking their head around to face him... ]

[acerejective]

[ honestly, cinnabar is a little peculiar looking, enough that akechi wonders about them, but his focus is this rat endeavor. ]

[ when cinnabar scolds them (while hiding behind a pillar, at that), akechi just scoffs. ]

Would you prefer walking out there yourself to test it? Be my guest.

[globs]

... Living things don't come back when they die.

[ after a pause, Cinnabar summons the pluck to... peek one eye out around the corner of the pillar, gaze casting over their gloved fingers gripping the edge of it. ]

You know that. After all, you're "human." [ the vermilion eye narrows slightly. ] S-so... don't take it so lightly.

[acerejective]

[ it's a good thing cinnabar peeks out from behind the pillar, because akechi was prepping to say some pretty nasty things!!! ]

[ as it is, he's still not impressed and fully ready to condescend. 'human', hmm. ]

And you're not?

[ human, or "human". he smiles... but it's not pleasant. ]

Allow me to enlighten you, then. These creatures are commonly known as vermin. Humans dispose of them all the time when there's infestations, as they can pass on diseases and filth -- among other things.

But I suppose, if you're not human, it makes sense why you're more concerned about one rat, over the lives of all the sentient people trapped in here and at risk of dying, ourselves.

i

[scrambledegg]

Huh. Now there's some quick thinking.

[It's the kind of stunt he'd have come up with eventually, but younger minds sharper minds and all that. Eggman strokes his mustache in thought, but nods mostly in agreement.]

Maybe I ought to try inventing a lead parasol.

[Ha ha.

Half serious though.]

[acerejective]

[ wow, a guy who approves and doesn't call akechi out on animal cruelty. he's perfectly fine with this outcome. ]

Lead shielding would be a start, but we'd need something to take care of the air quality. Didn't you see the way it stopped breathing?

[ akechi's taking him semi-seriously. though he's not sure where they'd even find lead in a mall ]

[scrambledegg]

Of course I did. Did you think I was actually considering a lead parasol? There're so many problems with that it wouldn't get off the drawing board.

[He sighs, pressing against the door only once he's sure it won't suddenly open if he leans too hard against it. Mostly, he's just aimlessly scanning the environment out there as if it'll give him any ideas, even if he knows it's pointless.]

If I was going to do something, I'd need more information. I mean, depending on whether all that--[Gesturing at the outside.]--was caused by pollution, radioactivity, climate change...that'd be the whole basis for coming up with a solution.

[acerejective]

Well, you do seem more intelligent than some of the others I've ran into. [ he says, while smiling.... akechi is such a mean girl...... ]

[ akechi is leaning back with his arms crossed, but he's also staring out the windows to see the wasteland.... ]

Information is the one thing we're all lacking in, I agree. But I suppose a good place to start as any would be that liquid on the first floor... if you're a scientist of some sort, I'd suggest further study.

ii

[teaserving]

Yyyyeah, I'd rather not suffer through frozen fries.

[Abbacchio sighs and reaches to tie his hair back as he heads into one of the kitchens.]

Don't suppose you know how to start a fire? We can make something work.

[acerejective]

It's not particularly appetizing, but it's edible.

[ monch cronch on this frozen cube of fries. give him a second ]

I'm sure it's simple enough. [ to start a fire, he means. city boy ain't never done it before but he is apparently confident in his skill to do so ] We'll just need to find a way to contain it so it doesn't burn this mall down, with us in it.

[teaserving]

[fuckin gross man]

"I'm sure it's simple enough." Okay, so that means you've never started one. Great.

Listen, just-- find me a bin. Metal, if you can. There's gotta be one around here. I also need oil and a pan. I'll figure out the rest.

[acerejective]

You seem perfectly capable of fetching those things yourself.

[ like, he'll probably go and all because he doesn't want to eat frozen french fry cubes if he can help it, but there's bound to be oil around here somewhere and akechi is petty ]

JOKER

[acerejective]

[ there's a bag at his feel that's full of cat fur. a particularly familiar and frankly kind of irritating bag! akechi collects it with disdain, but it does help to know that ren's here and he hasn't gotten himself into a new insane and unbelievable situation on his own. ]

[ he spends a good part of the day trying to track down joker -- finally cornering him in the food court area without so much as a 'hi' or 'how are you' or 'glad you didn't get burned by radioactive rays of sun'. brusquely: ]

Joker. It seems we've found ourselves in another p-- what the hell are you holding?

[ give him a second, he's just noticed the life-sized wataru doll. ]

p5r spoilers

[prison]

[ in contrast, ren hasn't received any sign by god or otherwise that akechi may be around- just a lingering sense that he probably is. the only thing he has to go by is this, and it's quite a conjecture, but: ren and akechi were the only two who were 'awake' in the false reality they witnessed. they had both determined that something has gone terribly awry if dead people were walking among them as though misfortune hadn't found them by akechi's pistol in the metaverse long ago already. it's only shortly after that conversation that he found himself nearly drowning in the pit of the mall. since then he's been fished out, found his bearings, and gathered what he can in the short time he's been here.

and in the pit of his stomach, he knows akechi is here, also.

his suspicions are confirmed when he hears the familiar voice calling out his codename. ren stops his steps. in his arm rests a life-sized doll of a man he hasn't met, but he figured he'd find its owner eventually if he keeps on lugging it around the mall in search of his own possessions. plus, he's going to have to set up base somewhere. a scarecrow, even though a handsome scarecrow, if he is allowed one unconventional thought, is something. and something is always better than nothing.

anyway, he cants his head toward akechi. this would be the third time he's waltzed back into his life without much ceremony. ren rolls his shoulder. ] New friend. [ he doesn't know the name. ] Trying to figure out a name. Any ideas?

[ fortunately, ren's aware that akechi wouldn't be so kind to entertain him with bullshit like that., so: ] Looks like a fake reality isn't the only thing we're dealing with. Have you been able to deduct anything since getting here?

p5r spoilers from here on down!!

[acerejective]

[ ren's bastard sense goes off --- it's like third eye, but it only alerts him to hidden bastards, not secrets. ]

[ scrabbling for his life isn't anything new to akechi, so he'd gotten out of the water with relative ease -- and had ample time to clean up, poke around, and track down ren after finding his catbag. ]

[ also, ren is absolutely right that akechi won't entertain any shenanigans whatsoever. in fact, his eyes narrow, and he actually takes a comment to consider throwing ren back into that toxic water. ]

If you have time to waste with jokes, I assume you've found something useful.

[ without any warning and with a little more force than necessarily, akechi throwing the mona bag at him. catch! ]

For one, I wouldn't recommend stepping outside, if you haven't already tried. that is. [ he definitely expects ren to have tried, even if he doesn't seem visibly injured. ] Secondly, based on the nonsense he's spouted about granting happiness and helping us, this doesn't seem to be Maruki's doing.

[ it would directly contradict what he's been doing, after all ]

[prison]

[ the bag in his hand doesn't go unnoticed; ren recognizes it immediately was one of the few he carries around, often with the weight of a full-sized cat within it- thrown at him like this, without any further warning other than the movement of his arm, ren almost drops it it. it's either the doll or the bag, and the doll drops to the floor, further dirtying its already marred appearance.

poor thing. and akechi refuses to help him name it- but if akechi expects him to have found something useful, well, he'll be sorely disappointed in this leader of the phantom thieves. ]

Oh, I tried. [ before picking up the doll, he rolls of the sleeve of his jacket, revealing slightly burnt marks from extending his arm out in direct sunlight. it still stings, but nothing he can't handle. he's endured far worse. he rolls his sleeve back down and leans down to pick up the doll.

the comment about maruki has him blinking, however. it's true that this is the exact opposite of what maruki would have wanted for them. ren taps his chin in consideration. ] We were the only ones who were 'aware,' though. Maybe this is somehow meant to recondition us? Or maybe to remove us from that world to prevent us from messing with it.

[ which still doesn't seem very maruki. he's inclined to believe maruki has nothing to do with this at all. another god, maybe. ]

But you're right, it's probably someone else. The people I met— they don't seem to have been from Tokyo, either.

iii

[regnum]

[ Historia’s holding his not-quite-a-sword high above her head, ready to bring it down in a violent arc when Goro’s arm gets in the way. She has the reflexes to catch herself, thankfully, but still seems a touch sheepish. ]

… It’s not real.

[ Neither are the noises it makes when she swings and swishes it about. To demonstrate, she gives it a little wave. The speakers built into the toy, crackly from poor handling and disuse, give a half-hearted ‘schwang’ in response. There’s no way this guy wants this little baby replica… thing.

Right? ]

You’re probably looking for something else.

[acerejective]

[ getting hit by his own lightsaber is what he'd deserve. ]

[ he still tenses, regardless, both because he was nearly swung at, but also because it doesn't sit well to see historia playing with it. it's his toy, wao!!!! go to apocalysemart and get your own ]

[ no he does really seem concerned over this toy. probably a nerd thing. ]

Be that as it may, it's still mine. And it has sentimental value to me, so I'd appreciate it if you'd give it back.

[ he doesn't sound like he's asking....... someone's overinvested ]

iv

[glorification]

I suppose that depends on your definition of "luck."

[Eichi has his own phone, but it won’t hook up to the network, so he's at a computer currently, tapping curiously at the keyboard. He has finally given in and made an account. "EichiT" from the looks of it, currently. There's hardly more to view from the inside.]

This forum is all there is, though I'm not someone who knows more than the basic uses of a computer. Shall I try to make a post?

[acerejective]

[ akechi's had the same problem with his own phone, so he nods in response. but he is glancing over at what eichi's doing..... hopefully, "eichit" isn't his actual name. that'd be an amateur move. ]

Go ahead. I'm curious to see what happens.

[ he'll come a little closer to take a peek at this hackery. ]

[glorification]

[Is it an amateur move or a power move???? The confidence of straight up using his own name.

He's also a little bit of a fool when it comes to his own safety, though, so that's probably right.]

Fufu... Very well, then. Let's see...

[And so, he types:]

Hello!

[And posts it, just like that. What a boring post... It's just sitting there. Posted.]

BRIEFCASE

[iblistriggered]

[while searching through a shop called... Claire's?? Which seems to be mostly cheap jewelry and accessories, but seemed the most likely place to find a new pair of gloves, Silver finds a briefcase with the avenger's logo on it for some reason. Goro why.

Curiosity killed the hedgehog, and Silver fidgets with it. Is it locked? What could be inside!!]

[acerejective]

[ he's an avengers fan.... no actually, it's even worse, it's "a" for akechi. ]

[ it is locked with a combination... but it sounds like something's inside if he shakes it? ]

[ hmmm. well, there doesn't seem to be anyone nearby just yet, so silver is free to fiddle with it, unharassed, for a few moments longer ]

[iblistriggered]

[wow that's really self centered, akechi.

either way, Silver starts fiddling with the lock, putting his ear down by it to listen for different clicks. He could probably just rip the thing open with his powers but... this is more exciting!]