intro log.

[fracturamods]

welcome mingle

( AND SO IT BEGINS. )

There's nothing but the clatter of train tracks, and the odd feeling of almost floating.

When you wake, it's hard to tell exactly what it is that you're missing - only that you are. There are pieces that aren't quite right, even if you're not sure where those pieces would normally be. Pieces of what, exactly....? Well, if you had to put a word to it, it would be - yourself, probably.

The place you've found yourself in is strange, certainly. It's probably worth exploring a bit. Though it just as easily seems that the only form of welcome or explanation that you have, comes from nothing more than a slab of marble.

Well - that, and all the people who seem to have woken up alongside you, lost and also probably Doing Their Best™.

There's no need to fret that much though. It's hard to say exactly where you're going next, even though some places might feel a little bit more like a clue, but what you do know is one unshakeable thing:

There's still much more ahead of you.

Comments

a

[suddenlybees]

[ Oh, heck... Well, okay. Kano takes the ears and places them on his head, a little bounce in his step to make them jingle. This is going to give him a headache within the next five minutes, he can already tell.

That doesn't stop him from grinning and doing the nya pose. ]

Meowy Clawsmas~! Is it that time of year already?

[survivaltricks]

[ALSO BEAUTIFUL. the more people who dress themselves up in these totally non-festive cat ears with bells, the better!!]

Actually, the last time I checked, it was March.

[w. wait]

But you can never start celebrating Christmas too early.

[says capitalism and retail]

[suddenlybees]

And when was the last time you checked?

[ Because it's like, August, not March, at least from Kano's perspective. But he's so done with the summer heat by now anyways, so Christmas coming soon would be a real blessing.

He shifts his weight from one foot to the other so he can constantly and annoyingly jingle his ears. ]

But yeah! You're right! So we gotta celebrate the best part of Christmas too, right?

[ Presents? No. ]

Cake~!!

[survivaltricks]

An hour ago?

[gives his new companion a curious look, but doesn't press that further. it isn't August!! it's March!!]

And you're right. It isn't the holidays without a good slice of Christmas cake.

[he should've grabbed one hundred of those from the bakery section tbh]

[suddenlybees]

[ Kano returns the curious look, but it doesn't matter; March or August, there isn't going to be Christmas cake. ]

No time to lose!! We gotta get that cake~ It's, hm, over by the fish or something?

[ Frozen foods?? idk how Costcos are set up, it feels like it's different every time,even if I'm entering the same store. ]

[survivaltricks]

[but there is Christmas cake NOW. maybe!! does fantasy costco have Christmas cake]

By the fish? Don't be ridiculous.

Cake is obviously in the toiletries section.

[. . . probably they're in the bakery. . . section. . .]

[suddenlybees]

[ Anything can be Christmas cake if they're allowed to decorate it, which I'm going to assume yes, because sometimes they have blank sheet cakes you can custom decorate by ordering ahead. ]

And the toiletries are by...

[ He looks around... ]

I think I saw 'em by the motor oil?

[survivaltricks]

[WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF KANO AND AKIRA DECORATE A BLANK SHEET CAKE BY THEMSELVES. CHAOS??]

-- that was a joke.

[he's going to correct with a huffed noise of amusement]

I think it might be the bakery section, which is by the. . . vegetables? I'm not sure; this place is huge.

[and everything is so random]

[suddenlybees]

[ IT'LL BE MORE ICING THAN CAKE BY THE TIME THEY'RE DONE WITH IT they can make 3-D Christmas trees and everything, it'll be glorious. ]

Hm, well, if we're this lost already, all we gotta do is pick a direction and go for it~ C'mon, let's see how many miles away the nearest wall is.

[ Bakeries need ovens, so unless there's one floating around in the middle of the store, which is unfortunately very possible, he thinks walls is a good bet. ]

[survivaltricks]

[the best part is]

[they'll have one hundred or so cakes to decorate]

I propose a wager.

[oh??]

I bet it'll be at least five.

[FIVE MILE WIDE COSTCO. . .]

[suddenlybees]

[ 100 cakes or they can't take any out............ That's just as well, if they have to trek more than five miles just to get out of the store; they'll need the cake for rations. ]

Eh... Isn't it no fair if you're betting on what's probably it anyways?

[ Definitely at least five. He can't even see the other wall. ]

[survivaltricks]

[they'll need cake so they don't sTARVE TO DEATH]

In wagers like these, someone always bets on what it probably is anyway.

[ADJUSTS HIS GLASSES]

You just have to pick a different number and hope you're more right than I am.

[suddenlybees]

[ Hm, something more right than over five miles... ]

Then, I bet it's over 5.2 miles away~

[ That give Akira a 0.2 mile margin to be more correct in, otherwise Kano's guess is technically closer. What is playing fair? Don't know it. ]

Loser has to carry the cake!

[survivaltricks]

Cakes.

[because there will definitely be multiple cakes. many cakes. too many cakes. too many to eat. they'll all go bad that way??]

Sounds fair. Let's start counting steps.

[suddenlybees]

Cakes, yeah, alright. Let me count! I'll do it~!

[ Akira's taller, so Kano's shorter strides should be able to get a high count, he thinks, and then something something he'll make Akira do the math to convert it into miles. If he loses count after two minutes, he can always make up a number too.

It's a plan. ]

[survivaltricks]

[Kano's plan falls apart at the part where Akira totally makes up the steps-to-miles conversion number]

[SORRY KANO]

I'm Akira, by the way.

[oh yeah they haven't swapped names]

Christmas cake connoisseur.

[suddenlybees]

[ Sadly, Kano would believe him... The moment Akira speaks up again, Kano immediately loses count, so they'll all be made up numbers anyways. ]

Christmas cake connoisseur... That has a nice ring to it~ You can call me Gel-P!

[ He's trying to get this name to catch on, but nobody's buying it. Please don't disappoint him, Akira. ]

[survivaltricks]

[without missing a beat]

It's nice to meet you, Gel-P-san.

[AKIRA THE ONLY ONE WHO ISN'T IMMEDIATELY DISMISSING IT OUT OF HAND]

I like it. It has a nice ring to it.

[does he actually believe this is Kano's name? fuck no]

[suddenlybees]

[ AKIRA IS HIS NEW BEST FRIEND he doesn't need to believe it, he just needs to play along. ]

Nice to meet you~ Isn't it a good name? Very chic ☆

[ He may or may not forget about the name after a night's sleep and never respond to it, but for the time being, it's a great name and he nods approvingly. ]

So what's a Christmas cake connoisseur do? Taste test Christmas cakes? We gotta bring back only the best, so we'll be relying on your expert opinion on every single one!

[survivaltricks]

Very chic. Kind of classy. Extremely hip.

[change ur name every day Kano, make other people keep up with your whims]

Mostly I take hipster pictures of them to post on my Instagram.

[LIKE ALL THE HIPSTER PEOPLE DO]

[suddenlybees]

[ Kind of classy... Thanks, Akira. ]

He~h... How hip! [ He feels like he has no idea what that word actually means, but it's okay, that's fine ]

Do you have pictures on your phone? I want to see~ Lemme see~

[survivaltricks]

[pulls out his phone!! to show Kano. . . pictures of his cat]

[Mona sleeping on his bed. Mona cleaning his face. Mona freaking out as he sees a cucumber]

[this is not food. this is a cat]

[suddenlybees]

[ Holy shit, this is better than food. Akira had better not be eating cats. ]

Aw, cute. You sure are a doting cat dad~

[survivaltricks]

Thanks. My finger slipped and I called these up instead.

[lies he just has no actual pictures of food]

Parenthood is tough, but I manage.

[suddenlybees]

[ The lies are forgiven ]

Sure sounds tough! How's your cat supposed to manage without you, when you're stuck all the way out here? It's heartbreaking!!