MOCK ROUND - WEEK 1

[foundationmods]

All of the guests awoke in their rooms, just like they had before.

Yesterday had been a day of surprises.
First, they'd finally met the person who had brought them here.
Secondly, they'd learned they were going to be playing a false murder mystery for two weeks.
And most important, they learned that wishes could be granted if they won this game.🗈

Still, for now, it seemed like there wasn't much to do. Was the Witch already in talks with the 'Murderer'? Was the 'victim' already decided upon?

There was no way to know until some day later this week, apparently.

Still, it wasn't all bad. The island was beautiful and the climate just perfect for beachgoing, or taking a cosy walk in the garden. There were also board and card games which would be produced upon request, to help ease the boredom of it all.

Though, perhaps the guests would prefer to get to know each other instead? On maybe get into some trouble as they roamed the island.

Yet, with only a fake game in front of them....there's no proper sense of foreboding, is there?

....But maybe all of this...

...Is just the calm before the storm.


MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

Mock Round Calendar

Comments

[dawnwardspiral]

[ Welcome to the world of magic. ]

There must have been a lot of them if you planted as many as you could keep alive.

[ Or at least that's what he assumes—he also assumes they planted regular ones too because that is just the natural state of things. ]

But, ornamental gardens would still be considered a garden at the end of the day. Or so I'd think.

[artificialhighness]

They stretched across the horizon. I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed them.

[There was always something heartening about it.

It’s still very different from what they’re dealing with here. Perhaps not in a bad way. She’s not sure — she’s always been more on the appreciator’s side.]

I suppose it would depend on how you define “garden”, wouldn’t it? A garden is something one owns.

[dawnwardspiral]

Well, there are many people who like gardens.

[ Heartening, eh. ]

I've always thought having a garden would mean someone would need to own it in the first place.

But, personally I didn't spend much time putting one together or taking care of one. I was focused on other things.

[artificialhighness]

It changes with the times. Sometimes the world stops looking at gardens, and then they show that they are there for no one. They will grow regardless.

[Even if it becomes a wild sort of growth, with fewer flowers, with more choking vines and a few more bugs and here, a surprising amount of wildlife. That's the other reason she's taken up residence here. Everywhere, there's a buzz and a song on the air.

Birds. Insects. The noise never ends. She tilts her head at Riku.]

Other things?

[dawnwardspiral]

That's true.

[ Though unintended gardens aren't common on the main islands, elsewhere Riku's sure that's bound to be the case at least a couple of times or so. ]

School, and then travelling with friends. It kind of leaves little time for gardening, if you know what I mean.

[artificialhighness]

That's true -- gardening isn't exactly something you do on the road. The nature of my work requires me to stay in one place for long stretches of time, but I do like hearing the stories of travelers.

[Maybe that is a prompt for a travel tale?? Maybe.]

[dawnwardspiral]

[ A travel tale, huh? ]

...Can't say mine would be too interesting to you. But, I can say that it all started when I decided that one day would be the one I finally left the island. I wasn't the only one who'd managed, since Sora and Kairi had made their way off in their own way, but we didn't really start out travelling together.

[ Let's just skip the part where Riku kind of fucked shit up right away. ]

[artificialhighness]

An island like this one, then.

[Of course, this is a pretty unique island -- but anyone who has grown up along the coastline knows the sound and smell and sights of the ocean, and the way the brine cooks itself into your bones and bolts.

Even this far inland, she breathes it in.]

So you all decided to go traveling on your own, but then met again out in the world?

[It totally sounds way more romantic than it is, huh.]

[dawnwardspiral]

[ He'll give a nod.

Even if this island is different, there are things that're similar to the atmosphere of being on an island and being used to living that that never change. In a way it makes a foreign place like this almost seem homely. ]

That's a good way to put it. [ Except try 'worlds'. ] Things got kind of complicated when we went out, which meant we were separated for awhile. It wasn't easy finding our way back to each other either, but we managed to, even if took longer than it should've.

[artificialhighness]

Children of the sea have a way of finding each other. Perhaps that's what it is.

[It's said rather lightly, because there's no such principle out there -- but it's still not unusual for robots to come to her, in the inland bowl where she works, smelling of brine. It's just overwhelming here.]

But regardless, you were truly lucky to see them again. [a pause, a tilt of the head] Will you be going back to them, once this is over?

[dawnwardspiral]

That's probably it.

[ That is phrased many times more eloquent than Riku can imagine himself doing. ]

...Unless Lambdadelta pulls something, I will. I'd just had the chance to meet up with them again, and unless something happens, I'm not going to want to just go off elsewhere without seeing their faces.

[ Riku is trying to become a better friend. It's been a tough road, but...he's committed to it. ]

[artificialhighness]

[She comes from a philosophical canon of people who really like spouting fancy lines, she can't help it.]

Lambdadelta will probably only "pull something" while we're here. It seems like this place is under her jurisdiction. [but otherwise they're wild and free!] It must be wonderful to travel together.

[And have sights to see! She doesn't quite sound wistful, but it's a quiet sort of appreciation.]