cuddlecity | EVENT ▸ welcome week

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EVENT ▸ welcome week

EVENT 001: WELCOME WEEK

MOVE-IN DAY

Welcome to Cadelle, cuddlers! The city is — for the most part, at least — very happy with the first wave of volunteers who have chosen to spend time here! To help everyone get settled a little easier, Mayor Drake and her team have put together a series of helpful booths, each staffed by friendly citizen volunteers who are more than ready to answer any questions characters may have.

▸ First things first: visitors will need to visit City Hall to officially enroll as a Cadelle citizen. Once complete, they'll receive their Welcome Packet, which will include all of the most important items for settling in. Characters will find keys to their apartment and associated mail box, their housing assignment, and their pre-activated CuddleCard, ready to go. In addition, the volunteer coordinators have included a newly printed map of the city, as well as contact information for various city-run organizations, just in case!

▸ Due to the influx of energy from all of the new visitors, the city’s computer systems have been experiencing some "minor hiccups". While this is nothing to be concerned about, characters may find themselves mildly inconvenienced — they may have received keys that don’t work in their door, or been issued someone else's room assignment unknowingly!

▸ If they've arrived during regular business hours, characters are, of course, able to visit the maintenance office on the first floor of each building for help switching out their mismatched keys or determining their correct assignment. However, getting settled after hours will require a little extra creative problem solving — like asking a new friend if sharing a bed for the night seems reasonable, sleeping on the couches in the public lounges downstairs, or maybe even roughing it for the night outdoors. (Of course, there's always the frowned-upon methods of breaking and entering... not that you heard it from us!)

▸ As with any move-in day, there’s bound to be lots to see and do. Characters may need help carrying their things, or even just help finding their way around. If they're lucky enough to find their room without problem, they may not be so lucky in their assignment. They may find themselves living underneath someone who's got to be part elephant (who stomps that much at 6 AM?!) or just above someone who insists on burning every batch of popcorn they make! Get out there, meet the neighbors, and see what this city has to offer!

CITY SCAVENGER HUNT

A few days after the big move-in weekend, characters will find an unread message on their CuddlePhone, encouraging them to check out the CuddleTalk network for a very special message from two very special guests. When they do, they’ll find a cute (but admittedly very cheesy) video message from Cadelle’s volunteer coordinators, Flora and Cornelius. The video highlights a few of the most popular destinations in the city — Blaze Pizza, for example, the home of the ninety-second wood-fired pizza, or Dinah’s, where you can enjoy a literal bucket of fries perfect for sharing.

At the end of the video, a link will come up for characters to click if they are so inclined. They’ll be directed to a sign-up page for a city-wide scavenger hunt, with a grand prize promised for the first team to complete the challenge.

Want to participate?

▸ Characters will be able to sign up for the scavenger hunt either on their own or with a friend. (The prizes remain the same regardless of the size of the team, so if your character wants all the money for themselves, they'll either want to race it alone or pick a very generous teammate!)

▸ Among the many delicious dining destinations around Cadelle, characters will discover three venues that the volunteer coordinators have tapped as their current favorites. Somewhere in those three venues, characters will find a beautiful framed photo of Flora and Cornelius.

▸ When characters find the photo, they'll be instructed to take their best selfie, being sure to capture themselves, the framed snapshot, and their teammate (if they chose to bring one along) in the shot.

▸ The first group to send in all three selfies will win the grand prize — one month's stipend worth of extra CuddleBucks! However, all competitors who complete the challenge will be rewarded with a token of appreciation — one week's stipend worth of CuddleBucks, just for playing along!

▸ While characters explore the city, they just might find some "bonus" surprises along the way. Keep your eyes peeled!

Helpful Hint: To find the secret locations (and any hidden bonuses along the way), check out our CITY DIRECTORY for all the amazing destinations your character can explore! Feel free to sort by category on the left, and click your way through your first big adventure in the big city!

Mod Note: For fairness, the "grand prize" winner will be determined by RNG in a drawing on August 4 at 3:00 PM. If your character would like to be eligible to win the grand prize, please be sure to leave us a comment so we can include them in the drawing!

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[perhaps he should've bothered to do a little recon before he'd stepped inside, but robbie's mostly low tech unless necessity dictates otherwise. the important thing to note is that he hadn't looked up Good Vibrations before he'd stepped inside, and that he assumed that the name was a nod to the beach boys. or something.

suffice to say, he's not prepared for brightly colored silicone or the wall of personal lubricants or... well, he's not really ready for any of it.

nor is he ready for the very familiar silouette he spots across the way. the prudent thing would be to walk out, pretend that this chance encounter never happened. but there are just some things that can't be unseen, and the sight of daisy's grin while staring at something obscenely large is — for better or worse —
going to be one of them.

cue uncomfortable shuffling past a row of videos until he's right beside her.]

Of all the gin joints... I wasn't expecting to see... [anyone he knew if he's being perfectly honest] you here.

( The minute she sees him is the minute her smile becomes genuine. She no longer seems like she might incite a sex riot - actually scratch that, she still does, just this time she also looks like Christmas has come early. Daisy rocks back to her feet immediately and throws her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. She can be excused for forgetting they weren't the hugging type, considering she thought she was alone. That and they're not in the middle of some terrible showdown. Maybe she's feeling mellow. )

Robbie!

( The momentum knocks them into the shelf, causes all of the colourful silicone phalluses to start jiggling with the impact. Daisy pulls back, hand on his shoulder and raises a single eyebrow. ) Now I wish it was a gin joint. ( No, she's not embarrassed, not really. ) Jesus, Reyes. What the hell are you doing here?

( Sex shop, intimacy city, whatever. )

[they're not the type of friends who hug, no. but robbie's willing to forego the immediate bristling at being hugged without warning because knowing at least one person here will make the transition easier. as will the part where he's not actually dead.

what's not as easy? falling toward a dildo display, forcing robbie to brace himself with the shelving. or rather with what's on the shelving. hmm. surprisingly realistic feeling. he thinks before pulling his hand back as though it were burned. the smile he offers her says a lot of things, most of which are happiness but there's also that awkward uncomfortable part where he bumped into her in a sex shop. right.] Daisy. [a pause] You know, the whole dying bit is beginning to feel a whole lot like deja vu. Um, I was trying to save everyone from Eli and... I ended up here? You?

( The image of Robbie Reyes gripping a plastic penis will stay with her until she dies. In her darkest moments she will remember this and smile. It's the best day of her life. )

So, I really wish Fitz were here to explain the space-time continuum, because I definitely don't know how. Or at least, mine would be all pop culture references. Surprise! ( She gives him the most cheerful of jazzhands. ) I'm from the future. ( She probably shouldn't tell him, should she? That he comes back? That he survives? She wants to, it's so strong it feels like it could knock her off her feet. She wants to give him hope. But what will she ruin if she does? ) Like, just months though.

( Peering at him. ) Is it just you? I haven't seen anyone else.

[listen. that makes two of them, okay? just don't ever talk about it. he'd like to maybe fall back through that hell mouth again. maybe.]

The future? [it's tempting... to ask if he makes it out alive. the urge to find out itches like freshly healed over wounds, like scar tissue. he pinches the bridge of his nose and barely resists the urge to ask for more detail.] That's straight loco.

[robbie shakes his head at her question. until now, he hadn't seen anyone he'd recognized. not fitz, not simmons, no coulson. no gabe.] Nah. You're the first familiar face I've seen since I got here. Glad it's you. If it'd been May or someone else, I don't think we'd be doing a whole lot of bumping into each other.

( She will bring it up often. Every time they get drunk in fact. Or fight. )

Right? But I guess a place that lives off of being nice and making out doesn't really care about the laws of time. ( She laughs, and it's light and easy, like all the bad shit that has gone down recently hasn't touched her. She's just glad he's here. )

Well, I don't know. Maybe May likes giant green dongs. ( What a terrible human being she is. But, she'll give him an out. ) Name fooled you too, huh?

[there had better be a reward for putting up with her teasing.]

No, I guess not. Gotta keep the lights on somehow. [robbie cracks a smile, face lighting up as he does. it's nice seeing daisy like this, no trace of the goth avril lavigne get up. she looks good almost happy even. he hopes it lasts.]

Somehow I doubt that... [is his sheepish reply. he's not quite brazen enough to actually ask her if she likes them big and green, but he's thinking it, if she manages to see the way his ears subtly redden at the thought.] Yeah. Thought maybe a record store. But it's not all bad.

Find anything you like?

( She's sure she could think of something. Maybe she'll buy you this Hulkbuster dildo. )

I just got pulled in by the name. ( She waggles her fingers with a smirk. ) I'm kind of disappointed I didn't think of that before the whole Quake thing took off. Though then I guess I'd have a theme song too, and that stopped being cool in the forties.

( Her eyebrows lift again, and she hums thoughtfully, turns on her heels. She trails a finger over the length of a shelf. This one holds all kinds of gear and she plucks at the leather of one, pulling the strap-on out to look at it. ) I don't know. Think I could make this work?

[something managable please and thank you.]

Oh yeah, I mean, it fits. [and he chuckles at a joke in his head, something about human-sized vibrators maybe. thank god she can't read minds too.] But personally, I like Daisy. Quake if we're speaking on a strictly professional level.

[it was meant to be idle conversation, not something he'd expected her to answer. and yet there she is, perusing the wares, inspecting for quality or some other measure that he can't quite fathom. she grabs leather basically dangles it in front of them. his eyes widen, his brain sputters. and he can't say anything at first.

friendship doesn't involve mental pictures of your friends wearing nothing but a harness and a smile, reyes. he chides himself and yet somehow the voice sounds an awful lot like hers in his head.

Um. Yeah? [his voice sounds uncomfortably squeaky to his own ears. like he's twelve again or some shit.] Didn't think you were... [and he's not sure how to finish that one. they're not that close, afterall.]

I like Daisy too. ( This time, her smile is a little sweeter. Or as sweet as someone holding a strap-on could look. )

Hm? ( Widening her eyes innocently. ) You didn't think I was what?

( Come on, Reyes. Use your words. )

Uh. [he pretty much walked into this didn't he? having to answer when he's not even sure what he wants to say. not yet.

robbie's never liked being put on the spot. so he swallows, shifts weight from foot to foot. he's killing time, playing a mental game with daisy, who, despite his best efforts to stare her down, isn't backing off. so much for stall tactics.] Into that sort of thing.

I'm into all kinds of things.

( She lets the strap-on drop, moves further down the aisle. Every so often she picks up another object, tassels or tiny pasties, clamps and whips, frilly handcuffs ... )

With all kinds of people.

( #equalopportunities. )

It's just because you've never asked.

[following daisy around the store seems like the prudent thing to do, right? they're having a conversation here.

so what if his face is growing hotter with each item plucked from shelf and peg. by the time she's got the handcuffs between her fingertips, alluding to being equal opportunity, his eyebrows are so high up on his face that it's a miracle his eyes haven't popped out of his skull.]

Not exactly a topic of conversation that comes up when you're trying to stop criminal activity on the regular.

Or are you saying if asked you'd have told me who you work with who you'd like to use those with.

( She glances over at him, terrible smirk still written all over her face. ) You okay there, hot-stuff? You look a little flushed. ( And so it begins. )

You don't think SHIELD has anti-fraternization rules? ( Even if it did, her little team seemed to fly in the face of them anyway. It's not like it matters. ) Most of the team could break out of them, for sure. If I wanted, I'd need something a bit more heavy duty.

( Which isn't an answer, but she's teasing him now. )

Don't tell me you didn't have a crush on someone in the gang. Was it Yo-Yo? Because Mack would have something to say about that, I'm pretty sure.

I'm alright. It's just warm in here. AC's probably on the fritz. [because what's the golden rule in situations like these? deny deny deny. for good measure, he shoots her a look that says 'how're you doing, daisy?']

Pretty sure if they do, Fitz and Simmons a moving violation. Unless you're telling me that they just make moon eyes at each other across the lab and they're nothing going on. [he scoffs at needing something a little more sturdy to keep her restrained. it's true for both of them.] Too bad they're not here, huh? I'm sure they could whip you up something better than anything you'd find in this store.

[it's frustrating, to be sure. to make idle chit chat inside an adult store rather than actually say whatever it is that's being implied by the tour through vibrators and restraints and such. and robbie's certainly not making it any easier with his insistence on being stoic even though he'd really like to just grab her hand, pay for whatever they're planning on purchasing and just get out of here and go somewhere a little less public.

he toys with the option of just telling her that he's thought about her more than once, that if things in the real world weren't so bat shit he might've asked her out for drinks, maybe dinner, possibly more. but robbie figures she probably knows. she's astute like that. he wonders how much of that is SHIELD training and how much of it is just her, wonders if it extends to other areas of her life.]

It's not Yo-Yo. I don't have a death wish.

( She smiles, and it's surprisingly sweet. For a moment it wipes all the teasing and taunting from her face. )

Could you tell Fitz and Simmons to not date? I think I've been shipping them since I met them.

( Daisy puts down whatever she has in her hand, takes a step closer to Robbie, her hands moving to her pockets. ) I can literally make the earth beneath our feet vibrate, you think I need anything in here? ( Idle curiosity, and a need to tease, those were the reasons she'd come in and then stuck around. ) I just wanted to see how much I could push.

( A shrug. )

You want to find someplace we can get a drink?

[he grins in reply, shaking his head at the thought of fitz and simmons not being an item, in the awkward tension that would ensue. he shakes his head emphatically.] No. I'm not that cruel. It'd be like kicking a puppy.

[she sets everything down, moves closer to him and robbie closes his eyes for a moment, focusing solely on her words. he's seen her in action, seen the way the whole world trembles when she makes use of her abilities. the thought of her using her powers in a completely different way, in focusing those talents elsewhere is definitely appealing. if she was aiming to tease, this does a hell of a lot more than anything else she's hinted at thus far.

robbie swallows, his mouth suddenly dry, and finally opens his eyes to look right at her. he nods at the suggestion of a drink.]

If there's something you want, Daisy, just say so.

[he could just be talking about the drink, but he's not. robbie hopes she can pick that up. in the mean time...] A drink sounds good though, but you're buying.

They're kind of in a bad place, right now. ( Because pretending otherwise feels like a ridiculous endeavor. She's not going to lie, space-time continuum aside. ) They'll work it out, though. I mean, it's Fitzsimmons. Of course they will.

( She has to hope. And she also has to do her part while here so she can help them out after.

Daisy smiles at him, easy, the worry in her eyes fading away. ) I want to have a drink with a friend. ( She starts to walk, knowing he'll follow. ) I think there's a bar nearby. At least, it looked like a bar. Who knows with this place, it could be a public library or something.

[she says they're in a bad place and he has to wonder... how long has it actually been since he'd made that wish. because he doesn't remember them as anything other than thick as thieves. can't picture them any other way. curiosity weighs heavy on the tip of his tongue, but he tucks it away to be brought up later.] I hope for their sake they do. Happiness is pretty hard to find.

[he falls into step behind her, following her out of good vibrations. there will be no purchasing of things today, for either of them, it seems. robbie's mildly disappointed, but it's probably for the best given that they're looking to go have a drink.]
I'm down with whatever you want. If it's not a bar, we can just keep going until we find one.

[a companionable silence settles between them as they walk the couple of blocks to the worm hole. robbie tugs the door of the barcade open. it's not really his kind of place, but at least it's not terribly busy at this time of day, so they'll be able to talk.] Go ahead. I'll hop in after you.

( As much as Daisy would like to pretend she's the cool kind of spy, she can't exactly hide the look of unbridled joy on her face when she gets a look at the Wormhole. It's the kind of place she would have loved when she was living out of her van, and definitely one she'll have to come back to later. The shiny lights of the arcade games call to her.

Give her a week, and the top score on each will belong to Quake.

But for now she wants nothing more than a drink and to talk to Robbie, so she pays the cover charge ( and his, before he can get to ) and leads the way to a table where they can both see the exits. ) Man, you are really out of place here. ( Look at him, if she didn't know better she'd assume he'd be the kind of guy who beat up nerds for their lunch money.

Plucking a menu from a stand beside her, Daisy glances over it idly, her foot tapping out a rhythm beneath the table. This is a little strange. Not in a bad way. Just, weird. ) I can't even imagine you playing an Atari and I'm pretty sure that was a staple of life.

[daisy looks a hell of a lot like christmas came early, robbie decides. the whole huge eyes and pep in her step being the glaring signs of a nerd who'd found herself the equivalent of digital heaven. her excitement makes him glad they ended up here and not at say a sports bar.

robbie's reaching for his wallet as they enter but before he even fishes it out, there goes daisy taking care of his fees. guess first round will be on him.

he flags down the bartender once they're finally seated and orders a pale ale from the young man, setting his shiny government-issued cadelle card out for his tab and lets him know that whenever she's ready he's got her covered too.]

You think just because I drive around in a muscle car and I wear a leather jacket that I haven't played any video games before? [a beat] Gabe and I like to play Galaga.

( She orders the same, less interested in the beer than she is the company and the conversation. ) Seriously? ( Daisy's smile keeps getting wider, taking that little piece of information and tucking it away with the rest of her carefully cultivated Facts About Robbie Reyes. )

I wonder if they have that here. I wouldn't mind getting to know your skill set.

( And Daisy loves video games. She just hasn't had much time to play them what with the whole world saving world thing. )

I'm like the Grandmaster of Mario Kart. Men have been known to weep as they eat my dust. I'm ruthless.

[in the corner of his eye robbie can see their bartender set down their drinks, but like daisy, robbie's more interested in present company and getting to know all about her in a way that they haven't been able to with the ever-present danger in their home world.] Yeah.

[he murmurs softly, mouth turning upward in spite of his efforts to remain cool as a cucumber. daisy has that effect on him and it's not the first time he's found himself smiling because of a thing she's said.] I don't mind schooling you on a classic.

[robbie really loves them too, but the responsibilities that come with being the sole caretaker for another person trump being able to blow a roll of quarters on things like pac man or (unsurprisingly) racing games.]

Let me guess. [he purses his lips in thought.] You're a has blue shell and knows how to use it kind of player aren't you?

Pretty cocky there, Reyes.

( "Schooling." She is going to kick your ass. Successfully this time. )

But if it soothes the troubled soul to show off a little, well hey, I can fake it. ( Her grin is wicked, she knows her words are teasing but it means she's comfortable with him now. Besides, why should either of them censor themselves, especially now they've got all this time to get to know each other. )

You got me.

( She picks up her drink, takes a sip. )

We have game nights sometimes, at the Base. But Fitzsimmons are more the scrabble kind. And no matter how often I bring up Dance, Dance, Revolution to May she always shuts me down.

Not cocky if it's true.

[please beat him, daisy. he needs to be knocked down a few pegs.]

No need to fake it on my account. [are they still talking about video games? are they??]

[he listens intently as she talks about the team, about shield, and this little tight-knit group that he's only had the pleasure of interacting with briefly. the fondness in her voice makes him smile though. they sound like family more than just coworkers. and robbie reyes knows a thing or two about familia.]

They definitely seem like the scrabble type. God I bet playing with them is terrible. Do they fight over what's in the official dictionary? And what's May got against DDR?

EVENT ▸ welcome week

b. as i fly face first into this dumpster fire

at least you will have company while it burns!!

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