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

[adieuche]

I'm sure there will be, but it will be easier in the long run to get points for ourselves if there are others who have them to take from.

[His gaze flickers down to the knife before it returns to Belphegor's face; he'd really rather not have to deal with getting stabbed every time he wants to do something in his room, though really, he's not sure how much use reason is going to be with someone like this.]

I'm proposing that as we're roommates, it would be convenient to help each other with this first task, and possibly later ones. Are you really going to turn down an essentially free opportunity to gain some points?

[1/2]

[ushishishi]

...

[You actually got him thinking, and one day you'll realize what an accomplishment this is. Taking a hand to his chin and stopping the knife tricks for a second, Bel seems to be in deep thought.]

[True, there were people in his room and competing against him, and as a prince this was something that was Not To Be. Slaughter was the usual solution for this sort of thing. But, at the same time, using people was the best way to get points, it seemed, and to use someone they typically have to be alive.]

[Such hard decisions Bel had to make when first coming here.]

[2/2]

[ushishishi]

[Eventually, he comes to a conclusion, and that insane looking grin is back on his face. However, he doesn't look so ready to use the knife as he did before.]

Alright, then. I'll play along with your game for the time being. But don't think this offers any sort of protection.

[He grips the knife ever so slightly, for emphasis.]

'shishi! Prince Belphegor. And you are?

[adieuche]

[His grin turns sharp as he dips his head in rueful acknowledgement; theirs is a temporary truce at best, but at the least, he can home it will allow him to sleep and actually wake up the next morning. High school has hardly prepared him for dealing with someone who seems so prone to outright murder, but he thinks he can assume most people playing this game can understand alliances of convenience.]

I wouldn't impose, Belphegor-san. We're merely helping each other out. That's one friend for each of us, after all.

[He bows slightly, the barest minimum but still low enough to be polite.]

A pleasure to meet you. I'm Yagyuu Hiroshi of Rikkaidai Fuzoku.

[ushishishi]

[Though his expression didn't change, the small bow and the honorific attached to his name did earn Yagyuu some points in Bel's eyes- respect for his status was something that was severely lacking back home in his opinion.]

[He doesn't bow back, or even acknowledge the introduction. The only indication that their truce was mutually accepted was that Bel slid the knife back into his pocket.]

I suppose it is, Yagyuu Hiroshi. The feeling is mutual.

[Though, in the sort of mocking way he says it, there's no doubt Bel isn't entirely truthful.]

[adieuche]

[The insincerity of Belphegor's tone doesn't escape Yagyuu, but the only indication he gives is a slight tightness around his eyes; the polite curve of his smile doesn't so much as flicker.]

I hope we'll get along reasonably well, then. I don't see why we shouldn't, since we both intend to succeed in this game.

[ushishishi]

[If Bel makes any indication that he notices the slight change in Yagyuu's expression, it's hidden. Instead, he merely grins wider to make up for it.]

'shishi! For the time being. There can only be one winner, you know?

A prince wouldn't take second place so easily.

[adieuche]

[That there can only be one winner is something Yagyuu understands all too well. Of course, he has no intention to allow the winner to be anyone but him at the end, but there's no reason to start putting stress on the already tenuous agreement he has with someone so eager to leave a bloody hole in him.]

I'm sure the best man will win in the end.

[ushishishi]

[To that, Bel's grin changes into a self-satisfied smirk and he places his hands in his pockets, giggling softly.]

It should be obvious, even to you, who will come out on top. I could give you a hint, but games are so much fun, aren't they?

[adieuche]

[Really, Yagyuu doesn't mind a bit of arrogance in his opponents. He's learned that it makes it easier to keep their attention focused exactly where he wants it. If Belphegor wants his ego fed, well, for the moment he sees no reason not to acquiesce.]

I presume you're referring to yourself, Belphegor-san?

[ushishishi]

[This was the right thing to do. The threatening overtones that Bel had with his crouching posture vanish as he leans back a bit, snickering now.]

'shishishi! Bingo~ You're a fast learner. I hope the other thing that lives here learns just as fast.

[Yes Yotsuya is a Thing.]

[adieuche]

[The nicest thing about acting the model student, the good, dutiful son, is that people read exactly what they want to in what he says. He can keep up his polite mask without ever once agreeing to such crass statements.]

I'm sure he will. It'd be unpleasant to have you fighting at all hours.

[ushishishi]

If he stays off of my things, there won't be a problem.

[Though he still keeps the smile up, once again that undertone of a threat lies under his words. Obviously, he applies this to Yagyuu as well.]

[adieuche]

We all have our own beds, do we not? There shouldn't be any reason to be infringing.

[He hopes to hell there won't be any reason. The last thing Yagyuu wants is these charming gentlemen in his own space.]

[ushishishi]

Yoyo doesn't understand the concept of true ownership.

[There's somewhat of a grumble in that. Yes, he's still made about the bed.]

A prince wouldn't mess with trash owned by those lower than him anyway.

[In other words, stay in your designated corner. That he picked out, of course.]

[adieuche]

Yes, well, I'll let you and Yotsuya-san sort out your disagreement yourselves.

[In other words, you couldn't pay him to get in the middle of the knife-wielding psycho and the creepy horror fanatic. Between the two of them, settling in and reinforcing the closet is looking better and better.]

[ushishishi]

Avoiding the crossfire, mm? Ushishishishi!

[At least he doesn't seem to want to drag him into it. Bel was quite sure he could handle this himself.]

[Then again, with this sort of crossfire, perhaps the closet as a backup would be a good idea.]

[adieuche]

That is what I'd prefer, Belphegor-san. I'd like to make my stay here as painless as possible.

[If someone else wants to draw the knife-happy guy's attention and get himself stabbed instead of Yagyuu, he's more than happy to let that go ahead and happen.]

[ushishishi]

This sort of system doesn't allow for that, Yagyuu Hiroshi.

[Getting points in the future, when friends weren't exactly required, would probably involve pain from this one.]

[adieuche]

I suppose I'll have to deal with that when the time comes, then. Until then, there's no reason to be unnecessarily rude.

[Some ways are better to do things than others, after all. Even if you're playing a game, you should always be a class act, for Yagyuu in more than one way.]

[ushishishi]

A prince can act how he wants.

[Turning quite suddenly, he places his hands behind his head and strolls back towards his bed casually, as if he wasn't threatening murder a few minutes ago.]

'Shishi! Be prepared ♪

[adieuche]

Oh? I was under the impression that royalty had rather strict codes of conduct to follow.

[Behind Bel's back, Yagyuu allows a hint of distaste into his expression before it's smoothed away.]

I will definitely remember to be prepared, Belphegor-san.