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【MAY plot arrivals】
May Mingle
Welcome to Starsand
According to the locals, you are not the first stranger from another world to be dragged to this one. This is a world that, up until five years ago, did not know magic. Fantasy did not expand beyond its designated shelves of the library; There were no gods or spirits, only science and reason.
But five years ago, the secret was blown. Magical 'spirits' exist in this world. You may have seen them as flickers of light; Souls without a body. They were once invisible and powerless, existing silently alongside the rest of the living. But with enough faith from the living, spirits can manifest. They can even have the magic powers that others believe them to have.
Nowadays, spirits and magic are impossible to ignore. Magic has transformed the architecture, average people are learning spirit magic, and technology is being upgraded with this new power. Electricity is going out of favor; Spirits now power homes in exchange for shrine offerings and prayers. Though traces of the old era still exist, they are slowly being replaced by magic. Every city is changing at a different pace depending on how the citizens reacted to the news of spirits.
But you're not here for a lore drop, are you? You just got here.
New arrivals have become commonplace in the City of Star Sand. In fact, the city is named for this phenomena; People from other worlds ("stars") appear so frequently that it's like a beach of sand. Even those who normally travel between worlds have found it impossible to leave the pull of the Star Sand once they get here. Some people have even come from other time periods. (the date here is 2025.) No other city is reporting this unique problem for some reason.
Roleplay-wise; This is a semi-private sandbox for a modern-fantasy blended setting. Characters can either be whisked away from their homes or wake up as AUed residents. While there will be a lot of background lore and a mystery to dig your teeth into, it's all optional. First and foremost, the sandbox is meant to be played in. The City of Star Sand is a very flexible place to stretch your imagination. Some parts of the city may just seem like normal Tokyo, while others might feel like a DnD campaign. The world will gradually expand as the sandbox takes off as well, so you'll be able to submit your own cities with unique cultures.
It is possible to handwave arrival and assume your character has been in the setting for months.
Anyone can top-level in a mingle post. You do not need to be playing a new character.
You do not need to feel restricted to the listed prompts.
Player characters may use this prompt to interact with each other.
This prompt will invite an NPC interaction.
Most May arrivals are dropped into Starsand at the same time.
The handprints can be anywhere that a person might feasibly grab your character.
The unfriendliness of the locals should not be malicious.
Kami & Spirits will continue to treat Fallen Stars kindly.
New Arrivals can also investigate the shrine.
The voices characters hear can be from any point in their canon, past or present.
Native characters will not enter the shrine.
The black goo is repelled by Fallen Stars, as if by a magnetic force.
Festival food can come from any culture.
Food is free and leftovers can be taken home in containers.
The cherry blossoms renew at midnight. Petals will fall backwards and back onto the trees.
Blossoms can be viewed on all levels. There are many picnic areas throughout the city.
Missing people can be brought back and disappear again.
Illusions can speak, but they disappear before they can be interacted with.
Goo puddles do not disappear until the missing person is brought back.
The black goo is repelled by Fallen Stars, as if by a magnetic force.
! Out of Character Notes
(A) Arrival: The Firm Grip of Space
Typical arrivals to the City of Starsand have always been peaceful. Remarkably so. Characters would blink their eyes and find themselves transported into this new world without any pain or drama (Well, aside from the drama of being in another world.)
But it’s different this time. Characters blink and leave their old world, yes, but there’s a less peaceful transition this time. They can feel themselves being forcibly pulled. Like someone grabbed their arm and yanked them across an invisible border. They are moved without balance, sometimes even aware of a finger grip-like sensation on their arms or legs.
And they do not arrive in the city. They wake up in a space that is strangely empty. The only light comes from their own bodies and the ripples left with every step. If they look at these ripples, they can see scenes of their lives reflected in the not-quite-water; Choices they’ve made, choices they missed, even events that have yet to happen.
Characters may see others in the distance and be able to reach each other. These meetings will be brief. A humming sound grows louder and the lights coming from their bodies gradually becomes brighter. Eventually, the hum is too loud for them to hear each other and the light is too bright to see passed. They’ll ‘white out’ and awaken in the Starsand City.
! Out of Character Notes
(B) Arrival Part 2
Welcome to the City of Starsand! Which is still blessed by now out-of-season cherry blossoms, filling the city with a sweet scent. Characters may find their eyes and ears aching from the experience of that other space. Some might even forget the experience all together, or find their memory temporarily blurred.
Regardless, they are here now. And they don’t look like the usual arrivals to the Starsand City. Typically, the civilians regard new arrivals politely and act like it’s a normal occurrence. But this time, there is something different. It’s something that the arriving character themselves may also notice: They have red marks on their skin. It’s always an exposed part of their body, like their arm, wrist, an exposed ankle, or even around their necks. Fingermarks, pressed so tightly (and supernaturally) into their skin that they’re visible for hours.
The townspeople are distant this time. It isn’t the usual friendly greeting of past months. They whisper cautiously: Isn’t it strange? Did a Kami do that? Why would a Kami do that?
Fortunately, spirits will flock to the new arrivals this month. Brave and kind civilians will push passed the rumor to offer aid. Free food, housing, clothing, etc. will still be supplied. But it will not be as easy-going and friendly as before. There are also a lot of new arrivals at once, as opposed to a sprinkling at a time.
! Out of Character Notes
(C) Old Arrivals: A Shattered Shrine
At the same time that this month’s new arrivals were dumped enmass, something dramatic happened on the top level. The TimeSpace Shrine, which had locked doors and closed windows, has changed. All of the windows that lined the spiraling staircase have been shattered and have a dark, sparkling liquid leaking from the cracks. The liquid is gathering at the foot of the shrine and everyone seems rightfully afraid of it.
”What is this? Did someone vandalize the shrine?”
”Is the Kami inside there alright?”
”There are so many new Fallen Stars! Are they connected?”
People murmur from a safe distance.
When approaching the shrine, one can hear a strange humming noise. Like static from a radio with a distant melody lost in the noise. As you climb the stairs, the sound gets louder and louder until it’s unbearable. You can hear voices and sounds from the world you once knew, but they’re drowned out by the static.
If you manage to reach the top and touch the door, you may find yourself in the same space as new arrivals. Use this to interact with new arrivals from Prompt A! You can also put !NPC REQUEST in a thread title for an NPC interaction.
! Out of Character Notes
(D) No Plot: Cherry Blossom Viewing
It is a few days after the Shrine of SpaceTime broke. Reception to the new arrivals has grown warmer as the marks on their skin faded away. In order to ease tensions, the Kami of Love has renewed the cherry blossom trees and called for a final good-bye party for the season. Grassy parks are lined with picnic blankets, food vendors are opening all kind of stalls, and cherry blossom themed trinkets are being sold for faith.
It’s an easygoing sort of prompt. Fallen Stars, as out-of-worlders are called, are welcome to join in the festivities. People are encouraged to take a spot on an empty blanket and view the blossoms. The blossoms are renewed with faith every day, so the trees do not go bear for long. But because the blossoms are faith-based magic, they also don’t linger on the ground. Try to take petals home and they’re disappear overnight. Perhaps it’s a small price to pay for reviving the sight over and over again. The blossoms are getting no rest this month.
! Out of Character Notes
(E) Rumor: The Fallen Stars
Unfortunately, despite the Kami and their attempts to maintain peace, Rumors still exist. These stories carry the power of faith, which can turn a lie into truth if spoken enough. They’re unfortunately common in the City of Starsand, though admitting to their power will only make it stronger. Very few average civilians realize that Rumors exist, and those that do know better than to explain this dangerous magic to just anyone.
Since the Shrine of SpaceTime shattered, there has been a common rumor about Fallen Stars. It’s one whispered between the native civilians, which they try not to let Fallen Stars hear:
”Perhaps the reason that they’ve come here is to replace us? So many of the Fallen Stars have magical powers unrelated to spirits and Kami. Are they going to replace us? Is the SpaceTime Kami trying to make a stronger and more magical world?”
This Rumor has an unfortunate power. It is replacing civilians with illusions of Fallen Stars. You may see someone you know suddenly running the general store in the place of the old lady who once gave you free snacks. Once you get closer, both the person you saw and the person who should be there are gone. In the civilian’s place is a pile of the dark, glittery substance that was leaking from the SpaceTime Shrine.
The missing people can be brought back. If Fallen Stars visit the broken shrine, they can pray for the return of missing civilians. Missing civilians are typically the ones who bravely reached out to help at the beginning of the month.
! Out of Character Notes
Notes for May
The arrivals in May are different from normal. Arrival process is expected to return to normal in June!
There will be a second part to the Rumor event later in the month.
There is a possible third event that can be triggered by exploration this month.
The NPC contact is open to anyone who wishes to interrogate/meet a specific NPC.
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[Having decided to revisit the shrine, Chron approaches the door and peeks out. She does briefly debate whether or not to tell her dad, since he does live here... But he's probably got enough on his plate and would just tell her mother.
No, this is something Chron needs to do without them. Because? Pride?]
Let's go. They might try to block that place off soon.
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[As Fauna strolls out, there's a small, impish grin that forms as an idea occurs to her.]
... Race you there.
[AND SHE'S OFF, with incredible speed for her build, jumping and ducking any obstacles in her path... without waiting for Chron to respond.]
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Eh? Wait a- [And Fauna is off. Chron is stunned for a moment, needing a few seconds to make a moral judgment: Is she going to disobey her parents and use her power?
Of course she is.
Chron sprints after Fauna, psychic abilities lending aid to her speed and agility. She can jump further than a girl 'should' and manage to small bouts of teleportation, helping her to make up the gap between them.
When she reaches the shrine, Chron sighs.]
Oof. I haven't done that in forever.
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Maybe you should do it more often. That was fun.
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[Chron reaches into her pocket and fishes out a pocket mirror, using it to inspect her face. Then she sighs. Nothing weird.]
I'm supposed to try to blend in. [She snaps the mirror shut.] Huh. No one is here?
[Shouldn't the shrine be the center of attention right now?]
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... Why?
[The mirror, the inspection... What's with that?
The emptiness is a little weird, too, but she's more concerned with Chron right now.]
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[She brushes off the topic, focusing on the strange shrine and its unnerving black goo. The clearing around the shrine is unusually empty and quiet.]
Maybe the kami told everyone to back off? I know they were all freaking out about this gooey stuff. Hm. [Chron walks closer and crouches down near the expanding puddle.] Creepy.
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What is this crap, anyway?
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... Oh. Weird.
Feels normal? [But Chron pulls back quickly and shakes the goo off of her finger. She's trying not to be alarmed by the fact that she touched it.] I've never seen shit like this.
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[She tries to figure it out, but it's beyond her. She kicks at the goo.]
This just doesn't make any sense.
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[Chron stands up again, watching as the goo dodges Fauna's feet. It almost looks alive.]
Well. Should we keep going?
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[She looks at it, but...]
Yeah. Let's go.
[She turns her back, and holds her arms out behind her, waving Chron over to climb onto her back.]
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I'll tell you what I see and hear, so you too, okay?
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[And with that, Fauna goes to climb up the stairs!]
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[She tightens her grip. Not to imply that she's nervous or anything..! But Chron saw even her mother get rejected by the shrine. How's she supposed to fair any differently?
When she agreed to this, Chron knew it might hurt. The sound alone feels like nails on chalkboard. She grits her teeth and winces, focusing instead on the feelings that might be different.]
Heavy- I feel heavy..! [And indeed, Chron has become significantly heavier to carry. There is a pull on her body and Fauna might feel a force trying to pull Chron down into the Earth.]
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But... Still, there's a difference between stronger than she should be, and strong enough to handle this.
Even so, Fauna continues to, through sheer force of stubbornness, push up. One foot over the other. Keep going. Keep going.]
You're- light as- a feather-
[She continues to struggle, refusing to let this get the better of her, even as her ears lay flat against her head from the noise.]
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[Chron tries to laugh, gritting her teeth and forcing a smile. But it's painful. The sound morphs into a mix of radio static and a passing train. Distantly, as if on a channel just out of the radio's tune, someone is screaming. Chron seems to react to it strongly, going from a tough façade to a frighten yell of her own;]
Stop it! What is going on?!
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And then, rather suddenly, the two of them as gently dragged back out the shrine door. The door, which is normally wide open at all times, closes swiftly. It's made of glass, but when Fauna looks in she will see only herself reflected. The girl on her back and cloaked boy behind them do not appear.
That boy sighs irritably. His violet eyes glow until the door can be heard clicking shut.]
Why am I not surprised..? You'd better have a good explanation for this.
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Fauna, who spends all her time trying to smash open the door to Space-Time, is starting to think maybe she should have gotten to know the city better.]
I could say the same to you. Who the hell are you, and what are you doing?
[Her hands are still supporting Chron. She can't transform without dropping her. Not yet, then. She still takes a wide stance, like she's ready to either bolt or attack at a moment's notice.]
chron haunts this account now
The boy, looking to be within the same age range as Chron, looks the pair up and down.]
Dimitri. And I may have just saved your lives. No one is supposed to be going up there right now; There's no guarantee that you could be rescued. [His gaze focuses on Fauna,] Did you even tell anyone what you were planning?
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You may have saved our lives, or you may have just screwed over everything. Why should I care about 'supposed to'? And I never was counting on anyone else to 'rescue' me anyway.
Why would I tell anyone? Or, in the first place, who would I tell?
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Oneesan should have told her parents. But you knew what they'd say if you did, didn't you?
[Chron gives a small flinch, acknowledging Dimitri's point.
"Why are children like this," thinks another young person.]
In any case... I won't tattle. Provided that I can trust you both not to repeat this reckless excursion.
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But even with her back to Chron, or Chron on her back, she feels that flinch. And she decides she's had enough.]
Sorry, little Dimi, but there's nothing in this world I hate more than brats who can't do anything without asking their oh-so-dear parents first. Chron can make her own decisions.
Tattle away, if it makes you feel like you're doing something. But I'm going to actually get to the bottom of this.
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[Oh wait- That's not the conflict avoidant way to answer, is it? Dimitri clenches his fists, making an attempt to hold his temper in check.]
Really now. You carry her up the stairs, because you both know something is preventing her from climbing them herself. Did you have a plan for what would happen if she got hurt from it? Decisive doesn't mean smart.
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But it's true. She didn't. She didn't have a plan, she just assumed she'd be able to handle it.
Anger builds up inside her.]
And? Do you have any answers, if you're so smart? Or are you the type who can't do anything but look down your nose at others because you're so above it all?
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cw: infertility
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