ximilialog | MISSION: THE SUN NEVER SETS ON AMARYLLIS GROVE

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MISSION: THE SUN NEVER SETS ON AMARYLLIS GROVE

● ● ● M I S S I O N 1 7 . 1

UNIT-Y • PLEASANTVILLE • AFTER DARK • FYI

// INTRO. UNIT-Y  

Over the course of the station’s downtime, even the least astute observer will notice the sudden influx of crewmates aboard the station. Before you can further inquire and investigate this anomaly in your usual routine, your earpiece will ping! with the familiar sound of a newly received mission file. Viveca’s voice immediately follows.

// VIVECA

“Hi everyone, you’ll find details for your next mission are ready. This time the orb has been located somewhere in a town called Amaryllis Grove, and based on my research, the best way to start looking for it will involve blending in with the towns-folk who live there. Just like our last mission, those of you who don’t have natural humanoid forms will have Degar’s potion available for you to help with that. See you on the platform tomorrow morning.”

After reviewing your mission file and gathering all of the necessary supplies and clothing options, those who are well prepared might have enough time for a decent night’s sleep. If you aren’t the sort to sleep before a mission, well … carry on.

When morning arrives, you’ll make your way to the teleportation platform to join your fellow crewmates. Viveca and Degar are already standing by, the latter passing around the aforementioned potion to those who will be needing one. Finally, when the entire crew has assembled, Degar starts to speak.

// DEGAR

“You might have noticed by now that there’s a few more of us than usual – there’s a reason for that, and it’s good news! I think. You see, according to our readings of all the orb shards collected so far, we’re actually coming up to the last couple of orbs. That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? For that, we’ve been getting a few more crew members to provide a little more support as we near the finish line. But we can talk more about that after you guys get this orb back here.”

Viveca nods from her place.

// VIVECA

“Good luck, everyone. I know some of you will have questions, and we’ll be here when you get back to try our best to answer them.”

Degar lifts both hands to give them all a cheesy little thumbs up. Without further ado, the hum of the platform, as it begins to power up, grows louder and louder until it’s impossible to hear anything else but the machinery thrumming in your ears. Soon enough, you’ll feel the familiar tug at the pit of your stomach as you’re whisked away from the station and towards your destination. But for a moment that feels both too short and too long, you hear it: whispers, echoes, voices that speak to you in several tenors at once, all of them providing you with a goal in exchange for their help.

Before you have a chance to answer, your surroundings begin to paint a clearer picture. You’ll be found in your usual place of choosing: whether that’s your own household, the park, or one of the several locations in and around town.

Welcome, Orbers, to Amaryllis Grove.

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// PART I.PLEASANTVILLE  

On the day of the Orbers’ arrival, the weather is crisp and sunny, the trees still lush and green with only the barest hints of the leaves beginning to yellow and redden at their tips. As the summer months slowly transition into cooler autumn temperatures, the entire town feels pleasant, even cozy. The clouds in the sky provide gentle overcast conditions and you might think to grab a light coat, or wear a longer sleeve but it is by no means chilly enough to feel anything but pleasant.

Depending on where you decided to arrive, you’ll want to begin your explorations and familiarize yourself with the Grove, which will be your home for the next little while.

1.0 The town of Amaryllis Grove will feel spacious and sprawling while also being cozy and compact. Cleanly paved streets wind in and around residential pockets and cul-de-sacs, threading through the community’s amenities, goods, and service buildings. The community centre, the library, the government offices, and the Mayor’s office can all be found in the main core of the Grove. The police station and television station (playing news and sitcoms in classic black and white) are situated nearby, and are all within walking distance of each other, and the neighbouring retail streets are located just past the block. This includes clothing boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, grocery and general stores (which will sell all manner of hardware, cleaning supplies, and simple, household magical items). Having a vehicle will certainly help to get around town if you’re in a hurry running any errands, but a bicycle works just as well, and the walkability is pleasant for those wanting to take a stroll.

Everyone here is well-dressed in crisply ironed slacks and button-downs in neutrals, or colourful A-line skirts and dresses with delicate detailing for their tops. Children and teenagers are likewise found in school uniform consisting of dark blue pleated skirts or slacks, and white shirts. With the weather beginning to cool, a well structured jacket may also be a part of the ensemble.

2.0 Once you’ve explored some of the town, familiarizing yourself with the backstory and family history you and your fellow crewmates have corroborated together, perhaps you’ll want to explore your house. Lined up in rows of pleasant, homogeneous pitched roof structures, each house in the neighbourhood will come equipped with all of the necessary spaces to live a perfectly suburban life, the most ideal environment to raise a family and grow old amongst generations of familiar faces. Each one-storey house, in either brick or ship-lap siding and in various colours, will have 3-4 bedrooms, an attached garage for the family car, a living room, bathroom, spacious kitchen, and enough yard space to require both a lawn-cutter and a green thumb for the garden. Interiors have already been furnished with all of the up-to-date items for the time, resembling Earth’s 1950s era to an almost eerily accurate degree.

Say hello to your neighbour when they greet you or wish you a pleasant day. Many will look perfectly human, while others may seem more alien with vibrant skin, an extra limb, antennae, gills, and the like. Some also possess magical abilities which is not seen as strange or abnormal here; however, the magic used in Amaryllis Grove consists of simple household magic to aid with cooking, cleaning, and keeping the house perfectly pleasant – otherwise known as ‘petty magic’. Whether you’re used to such sights will likely depend on where you’re originally from, but no matter who lives next to or near you, they seem friendly enough. They may even invite you over for dinner, or inquire when you plan on hosting your next party.

You’ll cook, clean, sleep, and host parties and dinners with your neighbours of Amaryllis Grove within the walls of your quaint abode so it’s best to get to know the space that will undoubtedly become second nature to you.

3.0 While the concept of ‘Halloween’ does not exist in Amaryllis Grove, other such Autumn festivities are highly anticipated, namely the annual gathering of the harvest. It is otherwise colloquially named ‘the Harvest’. It won’t come as news to any of the residents, as the season ends and food is plenty, the Harvest has been a long-standing tradition to celebrate the closeness of the community, and to express one’s gratitude for the people that you surround yourself around.

Your neighbours may inquire whether you’ll be bringing the same mash potatoes as last year, or perhaps the spiced meatballs that the Alkherns simply couldn’t get enough of — they were just so delicious! Either way, you may want to start coming up with a special dish to bring to the community gathering or find someone to snag a recipe from, as it’ll gain you admiration or admonition, depending on the popularity of your offering.

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// PART II.AFTER DARK  

Sunsets are beautiful, picturesque moments that conclude the end of a perfectly spent day, and the sunsets in Amaryllis Grove are certainly no different. As the town winds down and residents return to their homes for the night, you and your fellow Orbers will follow suit – as is the way of things. The nights are a little overcast during this time of the year, with cloud-cover masking out the stars and the glow of the moon. It’s quiet. Only the sounds of night-insects chirping can be heard, and the soft, occasional coo of a bird asleep in its nest.

4.0 Perhaps you’re catching up on some late-night reading, or grabbing a late-night snack or a night-cap. The last of the evening hours are usually spent in the comfort of your own home until a new day begins, although there is a town speakeasy that remains open until late, if you can find it. Once you climb into bed, there really doesn’t seem to be a reason for anything other than a soundless, well-deserved rest.

You’ll be tucked up in your own bed, or perhaps the bed you share with your backstory-spouse, when you hear a shrill scream that wakes you up from your sleep. High on the adrenaline, you may want to don a robe and your slippers and step outside past your front door where you’ll be joined by other neighbours on your street. They exchange glances with each other, and then may meet eyes with you, and they look scared, with their wide eyes and clenched fists, some of the husbands and wives holding each other’s hands for comfort. It isn’t outside of the norm for such a startling cry. The house in question will be fully lit, with Mrs Myrsdin sobbing into her hands, mumbling, ‘I told him not to say anything! I told him to keep quiet! It came for him–’ as the AGPD (Amaryllis Grove Police Department) approach her, one of the officers patting her shoulder in consolation. Another officer moves towards a cluster of concerned neighbours, assuring them that this will be taken care of, and when they spot you, they’ll tell you the same.

It might seem difficult now to head back to sleep, but the crowd disperses and the AGPD lead Mrs Myrsdin back into the house. The lights remain on for another hour, maybe two, and then the entire block quiets again, the AGPD preparing to leave for the station once more. It seems there’s nothing else to do but get as much rest as you can before the morning ... but everything about this doesn’t sit quite right. Maybe you'll linger behind for a moment, see if you can ask a few questions, gather a bit of information, as it seems that after the brief moment of shock none of the residents seem to be particularly surprised by any of this.

5.0 The skies are blue and the sun is bright, and as Amaryllis Grove wakes up to a new day, everything feels as though Mrs Myrsdin never screamed into the night, with no signs of the AGPD having visited, and not a whisper to be said of Mrs Myrsdin's husband disappearing. If you try to investigate what happened at the house last night, Mrs Myrsdin will conveniently be absent, and any neighbours around you may either greet you with the most firm, reassuring smiles, or an outright aloofness to ignore anything you say. They’ll interject by telling you about the Harvest festivities, or make a comment about the weather. Some might sound snappish and dismissive. One thing’s for sure: everything feels tense.

But as the skies gradually shift to an overcast, one of your neighbours may gesture to the sky with another plasticky smile, commenting about the brightness of the sun. ‘It sure is bright today,’ they might say, the comment seemingly so off-handed. It’s casual, polite, and a little strained. ‘It’s got a far reach.’

It’s too bright to stare directly into the sun without damaging your eyes, but as you glance up just past it, you might notice that the sun looks a little … too close. And it doesn’t look a whole lot like a sun either, though it is bright but it looks like a large whitish sphere with a piercing, golden iris and it seems to be watching. This certainly wasn’t in the morning’s weather report.

6.0 As you continue to settle in Amaryllis Grove, you may begin to pick up on other strange things that you hadn’t noticed before – not surprising, considering the whirlwind of events that have taken place in such a short period of time and having to grow accustomed to the daily lives of the residents in Amaryllis Grove.

There are figures that resemble people scattered around town in all shapes, sizes, and races, replicated with excruciating detail, all the way down to their expressions and poses. In their everyday wear, they stoically fill in corners and take up empty spaces, and while it can’t possibly be true, their eyes seem to follow you as you move past them – even with the empty gazes of their glassy eyes. They’re made of metal and clad in something soft and pliable to make up their skin. Once you know what you’re looking for, they almost start to make themselves more visible to you. But if you study them for too long, you may begin to feel a little nauseous and queasy, and temporarily experience vertigo. Or you may start to have feelings of paranoia settle in, making you short-tempered and twitchy.

These figures can be found almost everywhere around the town, but they will mostly be populated in and around the residential blocks, looking as though they’re busily living their lives in passive background poses. They’re easy enough to miss if you aren’t sure what you’re looking for, and they’re so life-like you almost feel rude staring for too long, in case they turn their heads towards you.

And on the next night, you might catch the glimpse of a dark, stationary silhouette of a man in the Myrsdin house just before Mrs Myrsdin draws the curtains closed.

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F Y I

• The events in this log take place during the month of October.

• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them HERE.

• To explore a specific location or speak to any of the NPCs, please submit your search request HERE.

• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[In this corner we have one (1) party host...just kind of hanging out, actually. His thin white dress shirt is partially unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up, not entirely in line with the obnoxiously American conservative aesthetic of this little town, like he's trying to push the envelope in little ways.

If it seems like he's wallflowering at his own dinner party...well...maybe he is, a little bit. At least as long as Arisu lets him get away with it. But he'd call it people watching, okay. There's a purpose to it. Probably.

Anyway, he's quietly sipping a drink and if he happens to catch your eye he'll offer a nod or a wave of greeting.]

( at some point in the night arisu has crossed the threshold from slightly drunk to very drunk, but it's luckily towards the end of the party when most people have already been sent on their merry way, so no one except for chishiya can see him stumbling into this, smiling vaguely at absolutely nothing. in fact — chishiya is his end goal. arisu isn't the type to pull someone into a party when they're not feeling it, so he's left chishiya mostly up to his own devices throughout the night, taken up with a million other responsibilities. now, though? he makes his way to chishiya's guard cat post, languidly sliding his arms around his waist, pushing his alcohol flushed cheek into the curve of his neck. swaying slightly to a record still turning several rooms away. )

Let's go to bed. I'm exhausted.

( this is a ploy. he's mostly trying to avoid doing any cleaning tonight, which he willingly will admit is the absolute worst. but! he can be convincing. see: bending down and scooping chishiya up in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist, carrying him to bed, just like he carried him through the threshold. he thinks it's a pretty good argument. )

[Chishiya has had a little too much to drink himself. Normally he’s better about knowing and accepting his limits, but the longer the party went on the more he needed something to keep him from being a bitch to the guests for fun. Especially after losing at Monopoly. He was pretty salty about that.

So he sipped his little drinks and soon he’d moved past "pleasantly buzzed" and into "more than slightly tipsy, actually."

When Arisu appears and grabs his waist Chishiya hums softly—almost more of a purr, really—and sways with him, just drunk enough to be pleased about the sudden attention.]

Are you…ah.

[Are you okay? he starts to ask, but is startled out of it by Arisu lifting him up to carry him. Again. He’s getting more confident, Chishiya thinks distantly. Or maybe it’s the drink. Hard to say. In any case Chishiya tries to tell himself that he should probably ignore his body’s reaction to it. The sudden skip if his heart beat. The way his breath catches as Arisu carries him toward the bedroom. He knows it’s just for show. Part of their act.

Still, he finds himself playing with the hair at the nape of Arisu’s neck, making absolutely no effort to resist. He turns his head slightly to murmur, amused, against Arisu’s ear.]

Not too exhausted to carry me, though, hm?

You're right. Too tired.

( he gives a dramatic stumble, like he might fall over with chishiya in his arms — of course he doesn't, but he is drunk, so he might've gone a little closer to actually falling than he otherwise would've. no matter. he could put chishiya down and let him walk himself, but why would he? he's easy to carry. small and warm and a little clingy, like a comfortably fitted shirt.

inside their room, arisu drops chishiya on the center of the bed, keeping himself plastered to him cheek pressed against his chest. he does little else but kick his shoes off at the foot of them bed ( americans 😔 wearing shoes indoors ), before fully settling his weight on chishiya, letting loose a sigh. )

You're comfy. ( is what he gives for an explanation, but honestly, he feels too tired to even roll off him — it sounds like a bad idea, besides. the worst. ) Did you have fun?

[He's getting better at trolling, too, apparently, if his little fake stumble is any indication. It makes Chishiya instinctively tighten his arms around Arisu’s shoulders and he gives a lock of Arisu's hair a little yank in reprimand.

He grunts softly as Arisu drops him on the bed and then flops on top of him. He blinks as Arisu’s full weight settles on him and he huffs softly, trying not to think too much about the fact that he likes it.

That is, until he responds to Arisu’s question, dryly amused.]

Not as much fun as I’m having now.

[So much for not thinking about it. Or talking about it. This is why doesn’t let himself get drunk often.]

( letting his eyes flutter shut, arisu lets out a long hum, half in contentment and half in consideration. after a beat, his eyebrows pinch together, one arching as he cracks an eye back open to look at chishiya, with the puppiest version of criticism he can manage. doubt, as sweet as spun sugar. )

What, being a pillow? Yeah, right.

( he rolls off him in the next second, figuring that to be a sarcastic comment. too bad (or, possibly, fortunately) arisu doesn't go far, plastering himself to chishiya's side, arm tucked around his waist. )

I could get used to this. A little.

Having you on top of me.

[The correction is dry, maybe a tad frustrated as Arisu rolls off of him. He’s not sure if he’s being dense because he’s drunk or because he’s just naturally oblivious.

He sighs and pulls at his shirt to untuck it from his pants as Arisu cuddles up next to him. Chishiya turns his face to look at him as he speaks, lifting one eyebrow.]

A little?

( "having you on top of me." what does that mean. arisu feels his face heating up, staunchly pressing it further into chishiya's side, despite that it proves just how much his words effect him. or, maybe it's just the alcohol making his face red.

in any case, with great effort he rolls off the bed, inelegantly pulling his shirt off his head, and his pants down his legs. ordinarily he avoids changing in front of chishiya, but it doesn't seem to bother him today — in just boxers he finds an oversized shirt of his and tosses it at chishiya, before finding one for himself, pulling it on over his head. )

Sure, a little. I'm not asking you to marry me or anything. ( he holds up his ringed wedding finger, as if to say guilty as charged. ) But having someone to cuddle up to is nice. And throwing parties for the neighborhood, I think that's nice, too. You don't agree?

( he's just guessing. )

[Ah, there. That’s a better response. The corners of Chishiya’s mouth curl upward as Arisu presses his face into his side. Maybe not entirely oblivious after all.

Chishiya almost wants to protest as Arisu moves away and stands up, but then he starts undressing so Chishiya decides to keep his mouth shut. He should probably look away, but he doesn’t. His eyes linger far longer than is decent as Arisu removes his shirt, idly unbuttoning his own at the same time.

While still laying there. Like the world’s laziest slut.

And then Arisu’s shirt lands directly on his face, tragically obscuring his view. He huffs but takes the hint. He pulls the shirt off his face as he sits up so he can shrug out of his own dress shirt and toss it aside.]

I already told you I liked it.

[Well, sort of. In the most shamelessly flirtatious way possible. But it was definitely an agreement.

He stands to take off his pants, revealing black boxer briefs underneath, before finally slipping into Arisu’s shirt, which is honestly far too big for him, but actually he finds he likes that far more than the perfectly tailored shirts he has to wear in public on this mission.]

I think you’re better at parties than I am, though.

Edited (Typo) 2023-10-15 02:45 (UTC)

( in a similar fashion, where arisu would usually turn around to give chishiya privacy, he just ... doesn't. he forgets to. or maybe he gets distracted in the middle of it. instead, he stares at the slope of chishiya's back with candid interest, head tilted, watching. weirdly, it almost feels like a shame arisu gave him a shirt at all — a thought he quickly shoos away, on account of it sounding like it came from a caveman instead of a fake husband. anyway, he doesn't notice he's staring until the shirt comes fully on and chishiya turns back to him, but arisu doesn't really fluster in the way that's become expected. he just kind of shrugs, a little shyly. a yeah, if you're going to change in front of me, i'm going to watch type of shrug.

flopped back on bed, arisu very decisively takes a spot in the center of it, just in case he got any smart ideas about not cuddling him further. very rich, when arisu was the one hesitant about sharing a bed to begin with. )

I'm better with small groups. If I didn't have booze I'd be like, staring at a wall somewhere right now. ( in a weird way, that feels like the most honest thing he's ever told chishiya. he rubs a hand on the back of his head. ) But being around people again is really — special. I'm glad I could share it with you.

[When he turns to find Arisu watching him, Chishiya pauses. And blinks once. And then smiles, slow and definitely cat-like, just like Arisu described on their first day in town. Undeniably pleased. Honestly, if he’d known Arisu was watching he might have turned around earlier.

When Arisu flops back in the middle of the bed, Chishiya doesn’t object. He follows, crawling shamelessly up Arisu’s body to join him, the t-shirt Arisu gave him sliding off one shoulder.

But then Arisu is talking. Saying things. Emotionally honest things, which Chishiya has never been much good at, even drunk. I'm glad I could share it with you, he says and he means it and Chishiya can feel the flush creeping up his neck.

He doesn’t know how to respond.

He pauses and his gaze shifts to Arisu’s mouth. The instinct to kiss him is there, but Chishiya realizes he’s not sure if it’s acceptable. He’s not so far gone with drink that he's unaware of the risk that would come with it. A risk of ruining something he doesn’t actually want to ruin.

He sighs and flops down next to Arisu. Still close. Almost partially on top of him, really. The cuddling seems to be acceptable, at least, so he does that. He pushes a lock of Arisu’s hair (messy from running around and entertaining guests all night) out of his eyes.]

You did good.

[When you’re too emotionally stunted to say me too, praise is the next best thing. Right? He’s pretty sure Arisu likes praise.]

● ● ● M I S S I O N 1 7 . 1

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