[MINGLE, ESPECIALLY TO NEWCOMERS] ROOFTOP FESTIVITIES!!!

[icanfixer]

WHO: All!
WHAT: Rooftop festivities!
WHERE: On a rooftop of an office building in the second open district!
WHEN: 8/14, evening!
WARNINGS: alcohol, tba as it goes


Banner displayed inside the train station, outside city hall, and on the most used residence buildings.

Follow the arrows.
So you're unaware. Maybe new. Or maybe you just didn't care the first time you saw it. That's fine. Between the banners hanging around key areas, and the flyers quickly drawn up in a similar fashion scattered across the city, it's hard not to know something is going on -- and there's helpful arrows, chalked on building walls and the streets the day of the party, to let people know where to go.

The Rooftop

A splendid scene awaits those who travel heavensward. Fairy lights connect the corners of the roof access building to metal poles at the corners of the building itself, lifted by cylindrical supports where needed, each one held straight by pots filled with well-packed dirty and stone. There's multicolored stars hanging from some of the lights, while various painted flowers hang on others, and what greets the ears first is some royalty free party music played from a CD player off the the side.

There's a long folded out table in the center for those who'd like to share cuisine, just set and serve yourself! Nearby is a space for Daan to do some bartending as well, a man who can make a multitude of cocktails and mocktails for those who want something less alcoholic. Also, pints of various ice cream flavors in a cooler!

Don't worry -- they won't have any odd effects on them, Don verified the lack of them herself. Not all of them are normal. Think loaded baked potato weird.

For those who'd like a quieter space, there's beanbags and a swirly, fuzzy carpet to sit on more away from the center of the party area. This'll be a great time to play some games, such as truth or dare, spin the bottle, and... whatever else you play at parties. Get to know your fellow man and such. Play the violin.

Naturally, no party... hosted... by Don Quixote would be without a space to fight, if one wishes to show off a little! It's also taking place on a swirly fuzzy carpet, just so no one smashes their head in, and there's a neat little banner hanging down from a string of lights that says thus:

WIN THREE MATCHES AND A PRIZE AWAITS THEE!!!!!!!
- NO KILLING
- HANDS ONLY

What the prize is, no one knows. But come find Don Quixote with your battle scars and she'll grant it -- and stick around a while, 'cause this party's gonna end with a bang... that is, with homemade fireworks donated by "a friend" through Junpei.

Anyway, have fun!!! Share words about your worlds!!! The society your characters are from, the cuisine they've brought, how they're working out in the city -- help the new kids along, too. There's more vets here now than there were a few months ago, after all.

Navi: Truth or Dare - Two Truths and a Lie - Hydra Storytelling w/Junpei - Drink Up With Daan - Qixi Festivites

Comments

[wordchain]

[ Indirectly, it's thanks to Roland that Yesod is here to touch grass, at least by approaching people with the aim of learning about their worlds. That may be more along the lines of research than engaging with the party spirit, and he isn't playing games or drinking, but there are things to appreciate.

The offered eggplant, for instance, although it's become strange to eat food that wasn't reconstructed. Accepting the piece of vegetable, Yesod opts to grill it, which he proceeds to do carefully. ]

You appear to be in your element, Roland.

[ Not unlike Chesed and his interest in coffee, he supposes. ]

[gradenine]

Hehe, you think so? [ he grins. ] Nah, I'm just here for the food. Whoever brought us here had also organized a little welcome party for us a while back, and lemme tell ya - it's extremely boring. Even you'd die of boredom, Yesod.

[ considering how yesod can be a little stick-in-the-mud... but nah, the guy's fine in roland's book. usually, at least. ]

You could also thank Don for setting this one up - but I gotta admit that it's odd that her of all people even thought of doing this. She's a Fixer like me, too.

[wordchain]

[ He pauses to shoot Roland a sharper look for his boredom remark (even if that goes unnoticed), but it's familiar enough by now, and he leaves it be in favor of the rest while he transfers his grilled eggplant to a plate. It can stay there until it cools slightly. ]

We briefly conversed as she made her rounds earlier. When you mentioned others from our City, you and Gebura were referring to Don Quixote and her associates, then.

[ She seems to be aware of their occupation, but to what extent... ]

That boring welcome party was the only communication aside from the orientation survey thus far?

[gradenine]

Yep. There used to be one more from their group, but he just vanished. He isn't the only one who just went up and disappeared, though.

[ don't... ask him about the details about that, 'cause he doesn't even know. no one here does. but people disappear from their city all the time, only to be found as chunks of flesh on the streets, so... ]

If you could call that communication, yeah. There are also the kiosks, which are completely useless unless you somehow ask the right questions. There's also the fact that sections of this City open up little by little every month. Maybe that's their way of communicating to us, but they could've used better ways to get the words across, y'know?

[wordchain]

Yes... She told me that as well. Since it isn't an isolated case, it sounds similar to the disappearance of the people who were here previously.

[ For now, it's enough to make note of it. Having learned that there are meetings held to collect and discuss information, he imagines that documenting the details of all disappearances is included. The same is likely to apply to areas that gradually become accessible. ]

With regard to the kiosks, I heard that someone by the name of Kromer obtained one piece of related information from that source. However, it's clear that all so-called communication has been insufficient.

[ Another pause follows here, though he's wondering why the boredom-inducing welcome party was apparently a one-off event. Bringing his piece of eggplant to his mouth, he's silently occupied with chewing that for some moments, and then with using a napkin. ]

[gradenine]

[ yesod sure eats like a nestdweller... it's kind of wild to watch even though most of the sephirah came from nests, so roland shouldn't even be surprised in the first place. maybe it's the fact that librarians now have a need to eat and sleep now.

at the mention of kromer's name, roland wrinkles his nose. ugh, her... ]

Yeah, she said that this isn't the first time this entire thing happened. She hasn't slacked off one bit...

[ sighs. ]

Oh, right. I may as well warn you about her. She's not part of Don's group -- she's from a Wing, particularly from N Corp. She heads some group over there that doesn't take too kindly to people with prosthesis.

[ basically anything that's not originally part of the human body, like mechanical limbs and stuff like that. ]

[wordchain]

[ Existing as though they are indistinguishable from the humans they once were is odd. It means needing to address physically experiencing hunger or thirst or fatigue again, which has the potential to become mildly inconvenient at times, but it isn't necessarily unpleasant. Netzach certainly seems to be enjoying sampling different things here, much like Angela and her taste-testing experiments, if for other reasons.

Folding the napkin into a square once he's done, Yesod smooths it flat between his fingers. He lifts his gaze to regard Roland, resuming the one-sided eye contact. ]

Then I'll keep your warning in mind.

[ But that information is also interesting to note. ]

Outside of those of us taken from the Library, that brings the list of other people from the City currently here to the following: Don Quixote, Emil Sinclair, the Red Gaze, and Kromer. Is this correct?

[gradenine]

[ why is yesod sideeyeing him like that... he hasn't done anything wrong (he has done so many things wrong since coming here) ]

Yep, you got 'em all. Although, there was this other guy -- Gregor. Smoke War veteran. He was here for a couple of months but one day he just... vanished.

[ he tries to do the angela snap and fails ]

But you know how people in our City just disappear out of the blue, right? So that's nothing out of the ordinary. [ is it, now. ]

[wordchain]

[ Yesod may not suspect anything wrong to that degree, but he has to side-eye Roland's persisting failure to make focused eye contact, at least until Roland's dismissive remark earns him a frown. Setting the items in his hands down, Yesod crosses his arms. ]

And so you find it pointless to question why such disappearances occur, in all instances?

[ This Gregor — so he was the other member of the "Limbus Company"... Isn't it strange that memories of him and others who vanish are left behind, evidently intact, while nothing else remains of their presence? ]

[gradenine]

It's less about that and more like... it ain't really my business? If you wanna know more 'bout that, just ask Don. They work in the same Company.

But... yeah. We can only speculate for so long, and he wasn't the only one who went poof for the past couple of months since coming here. The information we get is severely limited, you realize.

[ so it's not like roland just stood there and did nothing. but at the same time, roland's just... tired of dwelling on the matter. ]

[wordchain]

Yes, I've noticed.

[ The words come out clipped, but Yesod's irritation is less for Roland than it is for this frustrating reality, the uncomfortably familiar powerlessness of accepting something troubling because they have no other choice. ]

These repeated occurrences are precisely why—...

[ He cuts himself off with a shake of his head. This is neither the time nor the place, and he saw Don Quixote's expression when she mentioned her missing comrade. Improvements to be made now include his own behavior. ]

It is within our power to maintain an awareness of one another's whereabouts, at least.

[ Where do you live, Roland. ]

[gradenine]

[ oh! well, that makes sense. roland gulps whatever he's chewing. ]

Well, I live nearby. Here--

[ just going to scoot closer to yesod with his phone out, showing him the map. it's a few blocks away, on an attic floor. ]

You got a roommate yet? Unless you're one of those guys who don't need one. I understand.

[wordchain]

[ Thank you for not talking with your mouth full, Roland. Studying the map on Roland's phone, Yesod commits the location indicated to memory. ]

I do not.

[ To confirm that he doesn't have a roommate, and that it isn't necessary in his case. ]

That said, in light of our discussion, it would be beneficial to stay in the same area. If you and Netzach will share one space, while Gebura and Angela share another, these are logical arrangements.

[ He raises one hand, pointing at the map. ]

I intend to find an unoccupied apartment located an equal distance from yours and Gebura's.

[gradenine]

[ okay, that's a very fair arrangement. nothing too different from how they're all positioned in the library either.

except - ]

...You sure you don't want a roommate? I think three's already a crowd in my place, but someone would be interested if you put yourself out there some more.

[wordchain]

[ First Angela, now Roland? Whether he wants a roommate isn't a thought that he has contemplated, but he examines it now. No, it doesn't change anything already established, and inviting a stranger to share a living space with him, simply as a precaution, would create unnecessarily complicated situations, he thinks. Including people most likely coming to the conclusion that there is something that makes him an undesirable roommate, which might indeed be the case according to some. ]

Even if you had the space for another person, I would not expect you or Netzach to give up your freedom for my sake. I suppose, if more of our number arrive, it would be a topic to revisit then.