Mingle Log #1: Landmarks of Xistentia

[spoofer]

Characters: All characters who opt in
Summary: A party to mark the first wave of incoming characters in Xistentia, punctuated with weird physics and an unexpected trip to the heart (or mind) of F.A.T.E.S.
Date(s): Late May 2017
Warnings/Notes: Sexual content and other potentially offensive or triggering material to be noted in headers.

Mix and Mingle

Landmarks of Xistentia

It starts with the daemons, because of course it does. At sunset, they begin to ring and beep and urge you to follow directions through the city. For those with animate daemons, be they animals or people, the programs are even more intrusive. Pushing and pawing and urging you to get up and go. The destination is not far from the first reclaimed parts of the city— a tall tower covered in overgrown moss and trees, located near the beach, the Westernmost edge of the city. Even with the chaos of vegetation growing over it, it's clear that the building is a miracle of technology and style.

"Connection is essential," the daemon tells you. "However, genital contact is not required."

You have reached the Central Citadel, and it's time to party!

EARLY BIRDS

But F.A.T.E.S. is as susceptible to peer pressure and trendy trends as anyone else! Early birds will find that the atrium lounge is a true mess at first. Birds nesting in the ceiling, thorn plants all across the floors, and the bottles and cups at the white bar are empty. As parties go, this sucks. However, within a few minutes of the first arrivals, changes begin to overcome the club area visibly. It is exactly the same as the way the city has begun to accommodate the visitors, but far more accelerated. Soon, the lights begin to power on, filling the room with ambient illumination. Plants recede, but do not disappear entirely. High above, the ceiling suddenly morphs to display the starry night sky. And most importantly of all, there's booze.


With any luck, someone around here knows how to bartend, because F.A.T.E.S sure does not. Various liquors from across the multiverse are available, along with drink umbrellas, speared olives, mixers and wedges of fruit. However, the cocktails that automatically fill the glasses vary in taste from acceptable to horrific. Luckily, the bar does not keep anyone out.

FASHIONABLY LATE

If you're more than thirty minutes late, the kinks have worked themselves out. The party is now in full swing. F.A.T.E.S. has surrendered drink mixing duty to various refugees^[1], resulting in much more palatable alcoholic beverages. Someone even found chicken fingers, which are making the rounds.

However, it appears that the invisible supercomputer is still trying to DJ. Predictably, the music ranges wildly based on the listeners-- one moment, you have 17th century lute music; the next, Trance. Blink 182 may even make a brief auditory appearance. It is not particularly easy to dance to this nightmarishly incoherent soundtrack, but it does provide a cross-section of multiversal experiences, for those of us who care about that kind of thing.

Alternatively, you can explore. The Central Citadel is filled with odd rooms. In the presence of only one or two explorers, the tidying effect doesn't happen nearly as quickly. Characters may find jungle-eaten conference spaces, computer laboratories, or even more sophisticated situation rooms thronged with vines and flowers. Somehow, the screens and monitors seem to work just fine with blossoms poking out of the harddrives. Rooms with beds are available as well, some of them already pre-carpeted with romantic roses. You might also find your way into a gym, where slightly rotted bokken and a dusty boxing ring nonetheless make for an interesting way to meet people who aren't into roses and laptops.

BONUS ADVENTURE: THE TEMPLE

Characters who meet new CR at the Citadel have a special experience. When the two (or more) individuals get to talking, their daemons both abruptly interrupt with a very important, not at all loaded question. "Do you want to see something cool?" If the daemon was too big to come inside, the question is posed via earpiece or whatever other device.

The correct answer is "Yes." And with that, the characters are abruptly transported to The Telexistence Temple, on the Easternmost edge of the city. The sudden quiet seems deafening; the darkness is almost blinding before one's eyes adjust to the lines of light running through the tall stone walls. It is much cooler here than it was at the Central Citadel, but it has its own eerie dignity.


"In the future, this is where you may access information about your worlds. Recovery information, save points, and both passive and active world entry points are located here." A beat. Possibly the daemon is watching you stumble around. "Most of the tools have been disabled in order to prevent damage from inebriated users."

However, two pieces of technology continue to cooperate. First, a huge slab of glossy black stone the height of a desk, emitting holographic Head Up Display upward, the Chronological Cartographer. Your character must touch the device. Immediately then, a bright flowing diagram of data begins to spin through the air, whirling with lines and circles and familiar names. It is a chart of the worlds your characters have lived in before and the people they have met in the past timeline. The splitting point to Xistentia is clearly marked, and your future here is a red line wavering in darkness. Toy with it a little, and you'll even be able to pull up significant dates, friendships, enemies. Moments of transformation. F.A.T.E.S. remembers it all, and it is only a quick teleport from the Citadel. (Fortunately, it is also a quick teleport back.)

Second, there is a monitor with another HUD. It displays a HUD with a single prompt: Amenities needed?^[2]

Starting the next day, the Temple will be accessible to all characters at all hours. Those granted access the night before will be able to find their way back with companions.

Footnotes

1. Some may be NPCs! Please avoid killing or maiming them without mod discussion first.
   
   
2. Go here and fill out the form, reply to that comment, if your character is going to take F.A.TE.S. up on the amenities request.

Comments

[hasitsthorns]

Garbage, [ she practically hisses, perhaps the most venomous tone she's ever taken about anything in a long time. This poor music is a personal affront, alright.

Though at his own smile, her expression softens just a touch. She can't tell if he's bullshitting or not, which. Fibbing a fibber is a pretty impressive feat. ]

... And it's called the 'Murder Squash' song. Really. [ Tone flat as the energy of the dancers out there trying to adjust to the music. ]

[fiachdubh]

Indeed, it is. It's a masterpiece.

[ It's not. It's a terrible song that Ronan keeps singing and playing to drive Gansey crazy, and make Noah laugh. ]

You never know, you might enjoy it.

[hasitsthorns]

[ ... Okay, now she's. Pretty sure he's bullshitting. ]

I might! I guess there would really only be one way to find out and that's to listen to it.

[fiachdubh]

[ He nods, licking his teeth. ]

You found the DJ booth yet?

[hasitsthorns]

Ugh, no. But I will. Just you believe.

I'll give you a shot out when I do, dude. What's your name?

[fiachdubh]

[ Just you believe. Like he's going to do that with a total stranger.

Still, he smile, thin and sharp. ]

Ronan. You?

[hasitsthorns]

[ Nothing Rose can blame him for, really, because she wouldn't either. ]

Rose. DJ Thornz, if I can find the booth though. [ Literally no one calls her that, please don't encourage her. ]

[fiachdubh]

Really, that's your DJ name? [ He has to raise an eyebrow, sarcasm dripping from him. ]

I'd recommend changing it.

[hasitsthorns]

Haters gonna hate, I guess. I think it's a rad DJ name.

[ It's so lame. ]

Unless you think you can come up with a better one.

[fiachdubh]

Always thought thistle was a better word than thorn, but you do you. It's just not very imaginative, that's all. Also the Z thing is so 2005.

[ He knows oh so well he's being an ass. Whatever, it's a terrible name.

[hasitsthorns]

Roses don't have thistles, they have thorns. Haven't you ever listened to Poison?

[ It's okay, she's just being extra because she can. ]

And so what if it is? I happened to like 2005. Great year for music.

[fiachdubh]

Hm, nah, because I'm not a million years old.

[ He's also being extra because he is a little shit. Sorry, Rosie, you deserve better. ]

Was it, really? Like what?

[hasitsthorns]

Rude, [ she says, but doesn't actually seem all that offended. Still. She's only three hundred years old, thank you. ]

That was the year 'Gold Digger' was released by Kanye. [ ... ] Man, I miss old Kanye.

[ Don't get her started on music nostalgia, Ronan, it'll never stop. ]

[fiachdubh]

Jesus Christ.

[ He punctuates the words with a helpless laugh. He'd like to keep a straight face and all, but she is just. Too much. ]

Do you just live in the past, is that your thing?

[ Ronan lived in the shadows of his own past for a long time, before he was able to start looking forward again. He wouldn't begrudge her. ]

[hasitsthorns]

[ To be fair, that's a reaction she enjoys drawing out of people. It makes her feel good to make people laugh after so long of being forced to inflict misery and pain on others. ]

I mean, the 90s and early 2000s were just a great time for music. But, yeah, I gotta' say I'm pretty partial to the late 80s, early 90s. Great times.

[fiachdubh]

So you are, indeed, a million years old?

[hasitsthorns]

I'm, like, three hundred forty! That's still young for my kind, alright!

[ Jeez! ]

[fiachdubh]

[ Ronan's eyes go wide, betraying his actual, genuine surprise. ]

Seriously?

[hasitsthorns]

Seriously, [ she replies. ]

I look human, I know, that's the point. But I'm not. [ Which is something she never thought she'd be comfortable saying. ] My kind live to be, like, a thousand though. And I look good for mid three-hundreds, okay.

[ So there! ]

[fiachdubh]

[ He holds up in hands in surrender, nodding. ]

Hey, no, you sure don't look your age. I would have pegged you to be in your mid-twenties at best.

[ He could probably leave it at that - he knows he doesn't want to be questioned about his age again, but something else catches his attention, though - ]

Your kind? What kind?

[hasitsthorns]

[ By human standards, that's... about right. She ages the equivalent of seven to eight years for every actual hundred or so. Give or take. It's approximate. She's - like she said - been told she looks young for her age. ]

I'm a yokai, [ she supplies. ] I'm, like, a humanoid with an animal soul.

[fiachdubh]

Shit.

[ So... vampires, and now animal people? ]

You mean like a werewolf or something?

[ He might be confused about the terminology... ]

[hasitsthorns]

Kiiiiiiinda like a werewolf. Not quite, but. We're similar enough, I guess.

[ It's probably the easiest comparison to make even if there are distinct differences between her people and weres. ]

[fiachdubh]

This place is insane.

[ Vampires and werewolves (kinda, yeah, okay) and people from the future and people from the past. What the fuck. ]

So... is that a secret, to you?

[hasitsthorns]

It only gets crazier, my friend. Trust me.

[ Once you're aware, crazier and crazier shit just keeps coming out of the woodwork. There are things out there that still surprise Rose herself. ]

What, that I'm not human? It used to be. Not so much anymore, obviously.