FEBRUARY 2021 EVENT: PART ONE

CHAPTER TWO, PART 1: A LIGHT LUNCH

Good times, great olives, Uliveto's.

INVITES AND INSISTENCES | BISQUE AND BREADSTICKS | FONTINA AND FOCACCIA | MUNDANITY AND MISHAPS

INVITES AND INSISTENCES

After a fairly low-key January, you start hearing the buzz on February 1st: The Happy Homes Association is inviting you to a luncheon on Friday! Stylishly dressed women in coats and hats are inviting everyone they know in the neighborhood, coming up and knocking on your door to invite you personally to come along. “Noon on Friday at Uliveto’s,” one of them tells you with a bright smile. “There’ll be food and drinks, and the whole community can get together and mingle a bit!”

Whether you’re home to answer the door or not, you’ll receive a small card advertising the event — it’s a fundraiser, after all, and they need your help! Pay just $3 and your food and as much as you’d like to drink are covered.

But some of the HHA members are a little more insistent, roving the neighborhood in search of anyone who’s just moved to Santa Rosita in the past few months. Their almost too-wide smiles and slightly-vacant eyes are a dead giveaway that these neighbors aren’t all at home, and they aren’t willing to take anything less than a “Yes” when they ask you if you’re coming. You’ve got to wash your hair? They know a hairdresser over at the salon on Main Street who can fit you in today. Groceries? Why, their daughter can take care of that for you in a jiffy! No excuse will fly with these Robbies; they’ve always got an answer and a way for you to make an appearance.

It won’t end once you’ve agreed, either (even if you just agree to get them off your back!). With the promise of another guest at the luncheon, the Robbies are quick to suggest that you should help them! There are so many people in the town, after all, and with more people volunteering to spread the word, they can make this the most successful fundraiser ever! (Or, well, at least the most successful since last year’s Little League candy sales!) Look, there’s another of your new neighbors over there — why don’t you go and invite them now? Your new friends from the HHA will be right here to support you and help you out!

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BISQUE AND BREADSTICKS

On Friday, February 5th, Uliveto’s is easy to find — just follow the train of cars headed to North Santa Rosita, where the restaurant sits just off of Main Street with a parking lot that’s packed full. Hopefully you’re willing to walk, because it looks like the luncheon is in full swing! But as you get closer, you see that the ladies of the HHA have things down to a science as they welcome neighbors, invite them to join one of the many tables set up in the half of the restaurant they’ve taken over, and integrate newcomers into conversation.

“Oh, hello!” one of the ladies gushes as she spots you. “I’m so glad you could make it! It’s a little cold today, but you should try the tomato bisque — it always warms me right up! Come with me and Betty can get you all set up with your meal voucher; have you ever been to Uliveto’s before? It’s just divine; the salad and breadsticks are all you can eat and the pasta — golly, my mother never even tried to outdo it. We’d just come here instead!”

Before you know it, you’ve paid your entrance and have been shown to one of the large party tables (or maybe they’re multiple tables pushed together? What restaurant normally has tables that seat 20 people?), a waitress offering you the drinks menu and asking if you’d like to start with a glass of (nonalcoholic, of course!) wine. Once she’s gone, you’ll finally get a chance to look around the interior of the restaurant. The walls are a warm yellowed beige, and fluted columns break up the space with clinging ivy and grapes hanging from planters near the top. A mural is painted on the far wall of a terrace looking out over rolling hills and vineyards, and the soft music of an accordion reaches your ears…

“You all right, hon?”

One of the ladies at your table is looking at you expectantly. Don’t forget, you’re here to mingle and socialize! Time to break out that small talk!

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FONTINA AND FOCACCIA

As the luncheon continues, you may be able to notice some of the HHA volunteers scurrying back and forth, taking turns manning the doors and the small table where Betty’s taking donations and issuing meal vouchers. Watch long enough and you’ll be able to see that all of them are ultimately reporting to three ladies who confer at a smaller table set back from all the mingling, talking amongst themselves and from time to time making notes in a small ledger.

At about half past noon, one of the women stands, calling out, “May I have your attention, please?” She has to repeat it a couple times to be heard, but after a minute or two everybody settles down. The woman nods toward all of the guests, then turns back to the table, allowing one of the women to stand and make herself known. Tall, graceful, and neat, she takes a look around the room as she speaks — does her gaze linger a moment on you?

Good afternoon, everyone. For those of you who may not know me yet, my name is Rosemary Craven, and I’m the head of our local Happy Homes Association.

A small wave of applause breaks out from some of the ladies; Rosemary seems to indulge them for just a moment before she lifts a gloved hand to quell it.

Please. I can only manage what I’m given, and the fine women of the association give me plenty to work with. Their efforts to organize this luncheon for all of us today showcase the dedication we should all strive for. Ladies, please stand and be recognized.

Today’s fundraiser is to benefit our town as Founder’s Day approaches in April. We’ve got big plans for the funds we raise — who knows? Perhaps we’ll be able to afford some yummy treats for the children. Who doesn’t love an ice cream cake?

Your generosity today makes all of this possible. You’ll forgive me for not giving you hard numbers, but I’d hate to be so gauche in such a lovely restaurant. Let me assure you, though, that the Happy Homes Association is here to help you in whatever way we can, whether that’s by helping you redecorate your homes, bringing over home-cooked meals, or teaching you some new skills — and speaking of new skills, I’d like to invite all of our new neighbors to talk with me personally if you think you might be interested in helping us out from time to time. Sewing might not be your forte, but everybody’s got something they’re good at, and we can always use the extra hands.

I’ll let you all get back to your meals. If you have any questions for me, please seek me out. I’ll be sitting just over here with Maude.

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MUNDANITY AND MISHAPS

After the luncheon, things in Santa Rosita continue on as normal. The weekend comes and goes, the work week begins, and the cold February wind blows…

But when you wake up on February 10th, some of you are missing.

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OOC INFO

Welcome to the first part of February’s event! You can use this entry to top-level for the event, but feel free to utilize the log and network communities as well. Sign-ups to have your character abducted are located here; please fill out the form provided along with any other pertinent details.

You may play with the townsfolk NPCs as necessary in your threads; non-Robbied neighbors will be cordial and happy to make small talk and will try to maintain the pleasant atmosphere. Robbies will, as always, be mindlessly optimistic and complimentary about everything—you may find that most of the Robbies have congregated at their own table and are bubbling with excitement over just about anything.

There will be a top-level posted for Rosemary below. If you would like to have your character interact with her, comment with your starter there. The mods will respond to tags for Rosemary until February 15th.

Any questions can go in our FAQ thread below. Try to check and see if your question has already been answered on the plotting thread first here.

Remember — part 2 of this event is coming February 15th!

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OOC INFO	premise \| rules \| faq \| taken \| applications \| hiatus/drop/canon updates \| activity check \| reserves \| mod contact
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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Success! While she's happy for him, this being a success is unfortunately a negative for her. They really are like NPCs... Ah, how she'd love to share her worries with him or anyone, but she quite simply couldn't.

"Ahaha, don't worry. I'm used to dealing with people like that."

She then shook her head.

"I'll probably be fine, I already have a few ideas when it comes to outfits." No no, she hadn't put too much thought into it. It's not like she's vain or anything. "I'm Monika. Just Monika. It's a pleasure meeting you, Huisang!"

She looked back. The "robbie" was really gone.

"Does it happen often? Our, er, neighbors stalking us?"

"Oh, almost constantly," Huaisang says, not daring to look back. He's too careful to commit to his role, the necessity of blending in and seeming inoffensive in case any of the locals are watching. But her asking the question about the neighbors stalking them--rather than brushing it off as though it hadn't been odd at all--tells him that she's one of them, a new neighbor rather than a local. "It's the least of the dangers in this place. Playing along is required, and drawing attention is dangerous. Sometimes monsters and creatures stalk the night. Not too long ago there was an epidemic of snowmen, and inside were... people like Ethel. Smiles frozen permanently onto their faces."

His brow furrows with empathy and worry, hating the thought of even the robbies being murdered.

"Monsters...?"

Now she hadn't expected that. That little city and everything in it reeked of psychological horror, not actual physical horror. She froze for a moment, much less comfortable with the thought. That epidemic of snowmen hardly sounded better.

She didn't mind playing along so she would probably be fine... Though her husband really wasn't as enthusiast about playing the part.

"So these people were used as... Ingredients or basis to make the snowmen?"

"Monsters," Huaisang agrees, brow furrowing. "There were undead children and monster reindeer. The monsters ate the real reindeer, and I've heard they've still been sighted in the forest even now." He paused when she did, though he tugged her along soon to get her moving somewhere safer and more private.

"The basis, yes. The snowmen were made around them, and they were the trapped victims. My theory--my terror--is that... sometimes we can become them, the overly smiley ones. There's some kind of spell. I'm afraid they were all some of... us previously, and that they will be our fate."

Avoid the forest, got it. She wasn't really the type to go in there on her lonesome anyway. That all sounded far more worrying than she had expected, but she wasn't going to accept that as a potential ending.

"If that's true then we won't let it be our fate."

She hadn't been granted a second chance at life to become a two-dimensional NPC that'd end up as an undead or a snowman. Of course, her last attempt at defying her fate hadn't gone so well, but even then she had been able to break the rules of her world. Of course that begged the question of what the "spell" was in nature, if it even existed. She placed a hand on his shoulder and tried smiling reassuringly.

Even though she wasn't reassured at all herself, but heh. She's good at pretending.

"If there's a spell, it can be broken. Maybe we can even restore them to their former self."

Reassured by her confidence, Huaisang nods, glad to believe anyone who tells him it'll all be all right. "I hope so. It must be an awful fate to be trapped like that."

Sucking on his lip briefly, Huaisang draws himself up and fluffs his skirt to bolster his own courage. "Shall we go inside? I can tell you more of what I know. I've been here since December, technically, but I have memories of October before that. Whoever runs this place has the ability to alter reality itself, and to manipulate our perception of it."

"Yes, of course!"

Right, with all that she'd forgotten to open the door. She quickly opened it and let him in, safe and away from any potential neighbor.

"They can alter reality...?"

Why did that sound so familiar? Probably because she'd altered the reality of her world and manipulated her friends's senses. Well, perhaps there was no relation. It wasn't a power particularly unique in fiction. Heh, in fiction... Odds of this place being real were getting worse by the second.

"Theoretically, we could have had this conversation a thousand times and never remember it then."

Not that she believed it happened, but that was one of the many possible things if someone did truly possess such powers.

"Someone can," Huaisang agrees, glad to be inside and away from possible listening ears.

Her theory stops him short, blinking a few times as he considers that. Time travel and repeating experiences aren't common tropes in the fiction from his world, so it takes his mind a moment to adjust to that possibility. He shudders once it sinks in. "How terrifying. It's possible, I suppose. So far, it seems that they can't... erase our memories. Or not entirely. Echoes remain. Like my memories of October. They seem like a dream, and no one else can confirm the details of them, only the broad strokes, and yet they remain."

"So, they're not all-powerful..."

Good to know. Again though, it reminded her of what she had herself done back home. Whilst she had technically had the power to do anything, she had been bad at it. It had been a learning process, she had broken things while learning... But eventually she'd gotten better at it. So much better, it was scary. If there was any similarities here...

"Then we're fighting against the clock." Not literally, but... "They may get better at messing with us. If we want to avoid a terrible fate, we need to stop whoever is doing all that quick."

The idiom is lost on him--clocks are a new technology, and he can't understand how fighting them would be useful to their situation--but he agrees with the rest. "I know I'm paranoid, but I agree it's best to assume that they'll only get more powerful and better at what they're inflicting upon us. But I don't yet have any idea how to unravel the puzzle."

Helping himself to a seat, he smooths down his skirt as he thinks. "The locals are very discouraging of any attempt to question the situation or to change it. The forest is filled with deadly monsters, and the road out of town has been blocked off since I've arrived. It's also heavily guarded. I don't know how the town gets food or supplies--there's no trade in or out of town, and no farmlands large enough to feed a town of this size. The whole place is an illusion, a cage, that only conforms to its own rules."

"I think being paranoid is the right course of action in our predicament."

It was better to be safe than sorry. If the paranoia was misplaced, at worse they'd lose some night's sleep. The stakes were too high, there were no such things as being too careful here. She knew that better than anyone.

Still... Even with such risks, Monika did play the part assigned to her as a mother and wife, and was having perhaps too much fun with it. As shown when she brought Huaisang a glass of a non-alcoholized drink along with a slice of cake the moment he had seated himself down. There was probably something to be said about the irony of them worrying about their neighbors while Monika did actually enjoy playing her role.

"An illusion..." Or a program. You could code food directly into it. To her anyway, it was more easily believable than magic. "I talked a bit about it with a friend. I think the best way to start piercing the secrets of our cage would be a poll."

Polls always worked.

"We would all take it then find what we all have in common. I don't believe we're here by coincidence, there's probably a common thread between us all."

"Thank you." Huaisang helps himself to the cake as he eats, never one to turn down pastries. But her suggestion puzzles him, and he furrows his brow with confusion. He's not familiar with the concept of seeking democratic opinions for something in that manner. If you want information, you ask an expert on the subject. The only reason to seek information from a great many people is a census, so that the experts can make the best decisions on behalf of those many people. "A... pole? But what are you going to prod with the pole?"

He shakes his head, bewildered. "If you're looking for commonalities, you should speak with Sterling Archer and Pam Poovey. There are multiple people here from their world. Whatever draws us here draws their group more strongly."

"No, ahaha! Not a pole, but a poll. Kinda like, a survey?"

How should she explains it...? She would remember those names, but...

"Like say, we hand out a document with a hundred questions, each with multiple choice answers. Then when everyone has answered, we get the documents back and examine them for patterns. We come from different countries, eras and even worlds, right? So odds are we should all be answering pretty different stuff."

Well, that made sense to her at least.

"But if there are a few questions where most of us answer the same thing..." Finger snap. "Bingo! We got our common thread."

Huaisang wants to point out that pole are often used in survey-ing fields, but somehow he doesn't think that's what she meant. Blinking in confusion as she goes on, he finally understands what she's describing. "Oh! A census. I think that is very clever, and easy to do. The communications through our wrist watch--only we new neighbors seem to have them, not the locals. You can send out your communications through the magical network and find out what answers you get."

His conversations and observations so far hadn't gotten any leads in any common threads of people arriving here, but he hoped she had better luck with it.

Right, census worked. So long as people just had to check little boxes to reply, it should be simple enough to put in place. She's not so sure about the network being safe, but... He is right, it is their best option.

"Hm-mm! I think I could use your help for this actually!"

Kiara and her would come up with a lot of questions, but often? You could miss out on the real obvious stuff.

"I have some questions in mind already, but I'll probably miss on some stuff..." A pause. "So if you could come up with a list of questions you think are important, that'd be really helpful!"

"Oh, I don't know, I don't know," Huaisang balked, shaking his head and worrying at his lower lip. The way that she enlists his help makes him wary, and suddenly his paranoia has him wondering if she's an agent of this place, trying to use him to get at the others. "I'm really not good at this sort of thing. Do you really need all that many questions? Wouldn't it be better to be trying to learn more about the place rather than the captured victims?"

What a sudden change in behavior. Had she said something out of place...? No, not as far as she could tell. Perhaps he was afraid he wouldn't be able to help correctly?

"Hmm, ahaha..." Nervous laughter. "I guess so?"

Things were going so well! Of course, she had the gift to ruin everything without ever trying. Likely one of these cases.

"I'm sorry if my request for help was too forward. I tend to get a tad too excited sometimes."

"I understand," Huaisang nods earnestly, eyes wide and sincere. "I get excited too, sometimes. This just isn't the sort of thing I'm good at."

Chewing on his lower lip, he fidgeted shyly. "I'll do my best though, okay? I'll try to come up with some good questions for you."

He fully intended to 'forget', just like he'd always 'forgotten' any task he didn't want to do. While he understood the strategy of trying to find commonalities among the new neighbors, he didn't want that information to get back to the powers that be in this place.

He also intended to keep an eye on Monika, to see if she was an agent of Santa Rosita trying to infiltrate them.

She nodded, but... She'd fucked it all up, hadn't she? She could tell, even though he tried to hide it. Ah dammit. Why couldn't she be more like Sayori?

"Well, I, er, am going to go get ready for the event... I'll be seeing you soon!"

And after a goodbye, off to her room Monika is and he's free to leave. Well, hopefully next time they meet won't go so poorly.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

FEBRUARY 2021 EVENT: PART ONE

CHAPTER TWO, PART 1: A LIGHT LUNCH

Good times, great olives, Uliveto's.

INVITES AND INSISTENCES

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BISQUE AND BREADSTICKS

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FONTINA AND FOCACCIA

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MUNDANITY AND MISHAPS

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OOC INFO

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