Trash Squad Day 1 - GAME START

[chinhotta]

[ Maybe you were going about your business and blacked out, maybe you were dead. Either way, when you come to, you are in what looks like the entrance hall to a school, except for the very well secured front door. Before you can really get your bearings, a voice rings out on an the intercom. ]

Welcome, kiddos! —How does that sound? 'Kiddos'? Too daddy kink? Eh, let's go with it for now. Anyway, welcome to a once-in-a-lifetime chance at romance and passion, with fabulous prizes! Find love beyond the boundaries of time and space! Original concept, do not steal.

Pick up your tablets and get settled in! A little later today, we'll have our first heart-pounding get-to-know-you event!

—Oh, also, no violence allowed! I know some of you kids are into the murder thing, but that's not the kind of game we're running here.

[ In fact, there are several boxes of electronic tablets around the room. When you pick one up, it displays the gameplay and rules.]

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Game navigation

Comments

[truthstranger]

T-Thank you. Ah, but, there's more—

[ he hesitates ]

I actually... got out several months ago, from my perspective. I've been... in another world.

[liftoft]

Another world?

[ . . .

. . .

. . . ]

You went to space?!

[truthstranger]

[ Kaito please ]

Ah... n-no. It was more like... an alternate universe? But... more alternate than it is between you and me. A completely different Earth.

[liftoft]

Well... if the universe you came from had a killing game, then I don't blame you for wanting out of it.

[truthstranger]

Mm, but it wasn't just that.

...If... you all got out, then... did you see what the world was like?

[liftoft]

What it was like?

[truthstranger]

Was it like you remembered?

[liftoft]

...You're saying something happened to outside, too, in your crappy universe?

[truthstranger]

...No, I'm saying something happened to our memories.

[liftoft]

...Every time you say somethin' I get more and more glad that you're outta there...

[truthstranger]

So it wasn't like that for you...?

[liftoft]

I don't remember anything happening to my memories...

[ somehow, he doesn't catch that as it comes out of his mouth ]

All that happened was... we showed up in the gym, and then some weirdass bear came out and told us he'd decided we were all gonna play a dating game where we had to fall in love in order to 'graduate'.

[truthstranger]

Ah... if your memories were manipulated, it would have been before then. That is, more happened to us later on, but... it was a problem from the start.

[liftoft]

[ Alright, this conversation is serious and he doesn't want to downplay that here, but... ]

The only thing that happened to us later on is that we went on some dates, and in the end everyone got to graduate. I told you you saved everybody, right?

[truthstranger]

[ He had actually forgotten about that part, and the implications there thoroughly distract him from any existential crises for the moment. ]

...Um. Everyone...?

[liftoft]

Haha--everyone! I dunno how you pulled it off, actually, but yeah! They sent us all home since everyone, uh, "won".

[truthstranger]

Y-You can't really be serious...

[liftoft]

Hehe... turns out everybody thinks you're as cool as I do...

[truthstranger]

...As... you...

[ 'Everyone.' Everyone includes Kaito. He saved everyone by having them all win the game. To win the game you had to fall in love.

This is really very simple logic. There's not a lot of way to mistake what he's saying. But it's still hard to believe that Kaito's really standing here in front of him, alive, and saying it.

Shuichi wobbles on his feet a little. ]

A...Ah...

[liftoft]

--Ah, sorry! Is that weird to hear? I guess it technically wasn't you-you, huh...

[ he doesn't act like it's not this-Shuichi, voice and expression and body language warm and welcoming; he guesses maybe it's weird to show up somewhere and be told you were in love with 15 people. Maybe this Shuichi and the other him - weird as that is to think about - didn't have that kinda relationship at all? ]

[truthstranger]

I-It's a little weird, yeah.

[ 'a little' ]

N-Not that I'm upset! But, you—um, I haven't seen you for months, from my perspective, and...

[liftoft]

Right, I get it. Anyway--so that's how it is!

[truthstranger]

[ There are at least two other things he wants to tell Kaito, but he's ended the subject with enough finality that Shuichi feels awkward bringing up either 'you're dead' or 'I have a boyfriend'. ]

Well... I'm not sure I'll be able to save everyone this time...

[liftoft]

Haha! Yeah, there's a lot more people this time... but that makes it easier to other people to handle themselves, y'know? More chances to find somebody you'd wanna be with, the more people there are.

[truthstranger]

Y-Yeah... I suppose that's true.