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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And rubbing it is making it worse. We need some water or something to clear out your eyes.

[Any normal person, sure. Abbacchio is pretty aware he's a far cry from normal. Nobody calls it Jojo's Average Adventure, after all.]

You can sit here for a minute while I look for some water, or I can take you upstairs. Which is it gonna be?

I'll— I'll go with you... I don't wanna be by myself.

[ Getting left alone after she suddenly woke up in disgusting water in a mall she doesn't recognize? No thanks. It crosses her mind that this person could be a suspect too, but with her eyes in this condition, she's not getting a great look at him. ]

I'm gonna keep my eyes closed, so don't run me into anything, okay?

Fair enough.

[He keeps his grip on her wrist loose, less demanding than it had been before. Bruno would probably be gentler about this. Ugh.]

Yeah, yeah. I'll make sure you're okay. Let's go up and see if we can find the ladies' room for you.

Watch your step.

[Abbacchio slowly starts to lead her up the escalator.]

What's your name?

[ She wants more than anything than to rub at her face with her sleeve, because she's 100% sure she looks a mess right now, but she refrains, merely sniffling again in response. ]

I'm Misa-Misa. Just Misa is okay... [ For once, she's hoping her ~fame and reach~ has not reached this man who is seeing her at her absolute worst. Her steps fall in line with his as they ascend. ] What's yours?

Leone Abbacchio.

Almost done, Misa.

[As they get to the top, Abbacchio glances around. They're in luck, a bathroom just being across the hallway from them.]

All right. I want you to sit down. I'm gonna check to see if the sinks still work in the restroom. If they do, I'll bring some water back. Deal?

[ She nods, squeezing her eyes shut again as another wave of stinging from the toxins, and little to her knowledge, the forced healing, runs through her. ]

Okay— I'll just... I'll stay right here. [ She has to blink pretty frequently to look around, but there's a little bench not too far from the top of the escalator that she wobbles over to, her wet shoes squeaking against the dirty tiles. ] Thank you...

[Fortunately, Abbacchio isn't gone for long. He tests out the sink and is pleasantly surprised to find that the plumbing actually works. Bringing some of the water to his lips, he finds that it's clean too. After rinsing out his mouth and having a bit of water himself, he snags a plastic cup that'd been left. He gives it a few rinses before he's bringing the water over to Misa.]

All right. I'm back. Tip up your chin and try to open your eyes. I'm gonna try to rinse them out with water. It'll suck, but it'll be better soon.

[ Misa does as she's told, closing her eyes and tilting her chin up, having not moved an inch since he left. ]

It's normal water right? Please don't do anything funny, mister..

[ She says, meekly, not exactly accusing him - she just doesn't think she could take more humiliation at the present moment. Nonetheless, she squeezes her own hands in her lap to brace for the rinsing. ]

[It doesn't hit like an accusation. More like the poor girl's vulnerable and he can't really blame her despite his gruff approach.]

I won't. I'm just gonna make sure your eyes are all clear, Misa. Just tell me if you need me to stop.

[Slowly, he starts to drip the clean water into her eyes. It tasted fine when he tried it so this should hopefully help.]

[ Her face tenses up and she makes a whiny sound - but, she manages to stay still throughout the process, the stains from her mascara and the water washing off easily under the steady stream. ]

I think that's better...! [ Misa says this as soon as her eyes stop stinging, turning her face to the side just slightly. ] I'll be fine now. Probably...

[ It's half out of politeness and half out of awkwardness - she feels embarrassed to be in such a state in front of anyone, and thus wants to hurry the process along as much as possible. That seems to be her priority rather than ensuring that her eyes are completely okay. One of her eyes peeks open to look at the man, and they do look considerably less red, if still not a little irritated. ]

See?

[Satisfied, he nods and stands upright. He kind of gets it, he himself probably looks like a fucking mess too, so he certainly doesn't point it out at her expense.]

Looks better.

You gonna be okay on your own? [He's hoping she'll say yes; he's not in the mood to babysit.]

INTRO LOG #1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject