OPENING LOG.

[enjoyers]

Characters: Everyone!
Date: August 11th
Rating/Warnings: Nothing as of yet. Mark anything that qualifies a warning in your subject line!
Summary: Arrivals.
You want happiness. A company called RECOVERjoy has offered it to you, so you've signed up with them. Gaining happiness can't hurt, right?

Suddenly you're in a room, an apartment, with three other beds and unfamiliar faces. This is your assigned room, and it's quite crowded. You don't get much of a chance to think as your phone beeps--it's not your phone, maybe you've never had a phone, but there's one in your hand so you check it. It's a smart phone, nothing special about it, but now you've received a text from RECOVERjoy.

Welcome to Joywick! We're so happy to have you!

You've arrived in your assigned room, we hope you like it! Don't worry, you can move out once you've collected enough joypoints. Speaking of, if you'd like to check your balance, there's a special application that tracks it for you right on your phone! Handy, right?

... Did you check? If you did, you'll notice you have no joypoints. But don't despair! We're giving you a special mission. Make three (3) friends and get 200 joypoints! Gee, that's easy! Of course, we can't put a level on something like friendship, so just get to know people. Don't miss out on these easy points! We'll give you more information about joypoints once you're done.

Wishing you happiness,
RECOVERjoy : )

You're in this for 1 million joypoints, aren't you? Might as well get started.

(AFTER THE MISSION HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED OR ONCE 24 HOURS HAVE PASSED)

You receive another text from RECOVERjoy.

Great job on the mission! Or not so great job for those who didn't do it. : (

Well, you probably want more joypoints either way. Here's how! Look for another person. I bet they look fairly happy, right? Why are they happier than you? Because they've got the joypoints you need! The only way to get those joypoints is to steal theirs. How? Take their happiness away. It's easy! Maybe a rumor here, an injury there... but if you want the big points, be creative!
You want to be happy, don't you?

Wishing you happiness,
RECOVERjoy : )

... Not quite what you expected when you signed up. You can't leave, though, you still owe RECOVERjoy 500 joypoints and, well, you came here for a reason.

Comments

[sockswithsandals]

[A beat, then he cracks one eye open and his too-many-teeth grin peels its way back across his face.]

That was a terrible scream.

1/3

[partnered]

Rrrrgh!

[ OH MY GOD. ]

[partnered]

It probably sounded like a terrible scream because it wasn't a scream!

[partnered]

There's no way a prank as crappy as that one would make me scream.

[sockswithsandals]

[do you have deep rooted scream insecurity issues this is absurd]

Well, it wasn't a prank. You've ruined it, though, so now it's pointless.

[SIGH]

[partnered]

[ screams bullied him as a child :( ]

... ruined what? Don't tell me you really expected this to net you friends.

[sockswithsandals]

[aren't you like twelve]

No--screams! The shrieks are the whole point!

1/2

[partnered]

[ excuse you he is a full grown adult can't you tell ]

. . .

[partnered]

... so you're some kind of weird scream perv. Great.

1/idk several i'm sorry

[sockswithsandals]

[WHY DOES EVERYONE ASSUME....don't even flatter yourself neku]

Oh, for-- no! What kind of weak-minded fool are you? It's all part of the event!

[at which point he stoops down for a second to pick up a fistful of the remains of his late poster and shake them in Neku's direction--] Look at this!

[sockswithsandals]

[taking a step back, gesturing around the room]

The deserted lobby, quiet as the grave! The boy enters- [points! that's u] -wondering why it's so empty. Aren't we supposed to make friends? he thinks. Where is everyone? Wouldn't the lobby be an easy place to gather?

[sockswithsandals]

He sees-- [sidestepping around him to smack his empty hand against the wall] on the wall, the note. Curiosity builds and he approaches, wondering what it could be. When he reaches it he can see, there's something strange about it. Something crazed, maybe something frantic about the way it looks. And what's more! The note addresses its reader, but where did it come from? It lacks a written name. Why is is on the wall with no one to claim it?

[sockswithsandals]

Then! Perfectly timed, just as he reads the only legible line once more, he is made aware of the sudden presence of someone he never even heard approach, in this deserted room, right behind him! The rush of fear culminating in the perfect shriek!

DONE okok

[sockswithsandals]

[FINALLY HE SHUTS UP AND deflates. takes a deep breath.]

It's pointless without the scream. Everything falls apart!

[a beat.]

It's not my best, but.

[just TOSSES HIS HANDFUL OF POSTER SCRAPS at Neku, u jerk] You can't just spoil a man's props.

1/3

[partnered]

[ Just... listening. What the hell is going on here. ]

[partnered]

[ And then BAM! a face full of poster scraps. With a rrrgh!, he's trying to dust them all out of his hair. ]

So, what you're saying is...

[partnered]

... you are some kind of scream-harvesting pervert. Thanks for the clarification.

[sockswithsandals]

[oh my god]

No!

[He is practically tearing his hair out here. Enjoy these ten points, buy some perspective with them.]

The event is-- is- [waving a hand, searching for a good word] -- a performance.

1/2

[partnered]

[ Cue a bit of silence, as if he's reflecting deeply on that. ]

[partnered]

... so you prefer to be called a voyeuristic scream-perv? Whatever.

[sockswithsandals]

There's nothing perverse about screams.

[partnered]

There's nothing perverse about a lot of the weird crap that people get off to. Doesn't stop them.

[sockswithsandals]

No one is getting off. Is this how you feel about everyone's interests?

[making him talk about this with a teenager is creepier than scaring people tbh, way to go]