WEEK 4

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WEEK 4

READY, STEADY, GO-KARTS!

After a harrowing week of forced honesty and a surprise attack from the God of Conflict, it seems the Goddess’ “gift” has finally faded - and just in time! Today marks the date of the highly anticipated Go-Kart Race, featuring a whopping twelve teams from the Goddess’ picks and a number of teams comprised of locals. Fortunately the weather is holding up well for the event, with clear skies and a radiant sun beating down on all contestants as they wait to begin, the heat reflecting off the asphalt. Hopefully everyone thought to use sunscreen!

The local arcade has decked out the go-kart track in flags representing the different teams, and some local businesses have set up both a spectator stand area near the finish line, as well as kiosks selling snacks and drinks for the spectators and anyone who happens to wander by! There are also some midway fair game booths and portable game machines if you're not really here for the go-karts and just here for a fun afternoon out. The best part is that everyone who enters the event zone gets three free tokens courtesy of the arcade, so you've got nothing to lose~ Unless you do happen to lose, which means that you'll probably have to purchase more tokens from the distracted teenagers volunteering manning the admin booth.

ALL'S WELL THAT-- HUH?

Eventually, all the preamble is completed, and it’s time for the race! A light counts down from red to yellow to green, and the racers are off!

While the start of the race is a jumble, a few in particular begin to pull ahead of the pack: Spade of the Sea and Kururu and Schneider in particular! Tragically, Team Bloody Angels just can’t seem to get the speed they want and seem to get stalled by various traps, falling further and further behind…

In the middle of the bunch, Atem and Sunrise manage to maintain their speed, while THE CUTIE PATOOTIES, Fire’n Ice, and Aaron and Morgan all struggle to surpass each other - leaving Beautiful, Bright Knights of Lovely Radiance, and Exquisite Midnight Shimmering unfortunately trapped behind the three and unable to pass at all. Towards the back of the group, Badass Ladies compete directly with TEAM ROADKILL for their place, while Frieren and Arven have a leisurely drive by comparison.

The first and second laps go without incident. But on the third…

Something about the local teams changes. Instead of the regular frustration of losing, some of them seem to fall into, well, road rage.

Schneider and Kururu, nearly caught up to Hiiro and Jordi, find their hopes dashed as a woman in a blue bandana bumps them from behind - the impact enough to cut their engine for a moment too long, allowing Hiiro and Jordi to pass the finish line in first place without any trouble.

The middle of the pack gets the worst of it. Jesse and Mafuyu find themselves hounded by a woman in aviators who manages to ram into their Go-Kart hard enough to dent the guard, putting pressure on the wheel - while they cross at the same time as others, they are unable to steer the Go-Kart due to the damages, and find themselves ramming into guardrail. While Mafuyu is miraculously without injury, Jesse takes the brunt of the force and will be feeling that whiplash the next day.

Aaron and Morgan get a brick - a literal brick - chucked at them, and while they manage to avoid getting hit themselves, they have to do a violent swerve to do so. That’ll also be a bit of whiplash for them, too. Badass Ladies get sideswiped by one of the locals and their kart ends up grinding against one of the guardrails. Eek.

The real destruction, however, hits the back end of the group - a man in yellow sneakers manages to bash hard into Eli and Kirumi, pushing them off course. The impact causes them to bump into Aerith and Maika along the way, who lose control of the steering wheel and knock Fray and Argenti into the wall. Fray sustains injuries as he’s dragged against the wall for a moment until Argenti is able to right their path again, pulling them back into the middle of the course. Eli and Kirumi don’t get off so easily, either - the bump against Aerith and Maika isn’t enough to stop their momentum, and Eli cracks his right shoulder against a barrier as Kirumi hits the brakes to prevent further injury. Fray, Argenti, Eli, and Kirumi will be feeling whiplash the next day.

Braphine’s chosen aren’t the only victims, either - a woman with red combat boots and a man in a green jacket each crash into local competitors, and the result is a six-kart pileup.

Frieren and Arven and Team Bloody Angels witness all of this from the back of the race, though neither team can do much except to continue on to the finish line.

What should have been a celebration at the end instead turns into panic as medics are called onto the scene and emergency personnel are summoned to the track. While many of the people in the stands seem roiling with discontent and beginning to argue and fight over the cause of all these injuries, a few of the locals hurry down to the course to help. Schneider, Aaron, Argenti, Aerith, Eli, and Kirumi will find themselves aided by familiar faces - the boutique staff recognized them and are here to lend them and their partners a hand in getting treated for their injuries.

As the racetrack descends into chaos, it soon becomes difficult to keep track of everyone. However, Hiiro, Schneider, Sally, Morgan, Argenti, Aerith, Frieren, and Celeste all notice a figure in a strangely ancient hood standing among the stands, a fierce grin on their face - before the figure turns and disappears into the crowd.

Mina - having come to spectate and cheer on everyone from the stands - gets a rather panicked look on her face as she watches it all unfold. She quickly takes out her phone and begins typing frantically at it, before hitting “send.”

All at once, all of Braphine’s chosen will hear their phones begin to beep.

CALL FOR HELP.

I've added emergency commissions to the app - please take them on if you are able to/need to!

We can get through this if we all work together. So, please... look out for each other out there, okay?

COMMISSIONS

HELPING HAND

Please help the injured! Even if it's as small as first-aid or comforting a scared child who's gotten lost in the aftermath of the go-kart crash, any little bit of help would be appreciated by the overwhelmed medical staff at the scene! Unless you’re already injured, in which case, please allow yourself to be tended to!

(OOC note: For clarity, this commission reward applies both to characters who are helping the injured and those who are injured in the thread!)

HOLY HEALING

The hospital is going to need more supplies. For those who are strong enough, please seek out Archangel Shadows in the Nekyia. They should drop blessed feathers - these feathers then can be taken to Braphine’s Temple, and the priest or priestess there should be able to turn them into medicine for the injured.

RACETRACK REPAIRS

In the aftermath of the go-kart pileup and everything associated with it, it's time for people who are good with their hands to roll up their sleeves and help the locals with repairs - clear the debris off the track and make sure the way is clear for the emergency vehicles and construction crews who need to access the site!

OOC

READ ME!!!!

• Welcome to your Week 4 event log! While this log covers the go-kart race and its immediate aftermath, please feel free to use this log to thread out anything else happening during the week after and we will see you next week for the Week 5 event!
  
• Note to all go-kart participants that there has been some shuffling in the team compositions due to player drops as well as Everything That Happened on Friday. Regardless, you can claim event participation gacha rewards if you signed up and have one thread of at least 10 comments with a go-kart related prompt on this post.
  
• Archangel stats and information have been added to the bestiary!
  
• AC is due end of the month! Make sure you get that in~
  

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Comments

[imperiosity]

[This is a lot more than he was expecting to hear during this meeting, but it certainly gives a lot more context to her feelings on the matter. Really, the word ‘ambivalence’ feels like an understatement here.]

You just said what you thought you needed to.

[Even if it did seem like she was holding something back at the end there, but that’s her call too.]

[gardenful]

Only to end up saying that I don't now how to feel in the end.

[ But picking through and identifying all of the little different things she feels right now is an insurmountable task, and definitely not one she can do in the middle of a meeting. Maybe later, in her now empty room.

She pauses, clasping her hands together in front of her. ]

You know what's funny? I still feel like I have more I could say too... but I'm not gonna put anyone here through all of that.

[imperiosity]

Things aren't usually that simple when it hits close to home.

[That, and Aerith seems to be willing to give Fuyu the benefit of the doubt in a way that many others haven't, himself included. Whether that's a testament to her compassion, a sign of a decent relationship between the two, or some combination of the two is hard to judge in his position, but regardless, it would certainly be easier if there were fewer things in the mix.

As for that admission--]

Dunno, might be refreshing to hear about these things without all that enforced honesty crap. [okay, but jokes aside.] Besides, it seems like there's at least a few people who'd listen if there's something you wanted to get off your chest.

[Maybe not now in the middle of a meeting, but at some point.]

[gardenful]

[ Her lips quirk up at the corners. Maybe a real, honest moment amongst all of them would be nice, especially if it was completely voluntary. Food for thought, that's for sure. ]

A few people, huh.

[ She's hesitant to put her feelings on other people, but if they volunteer, then it can't be that bad, right? ]

Are you one of those people too?

[imperiosity]

[A normal person would probably just say yes or something, but because he's him:]

Well, if you need someone to hear you out, I'm not gonna leave you high and dry. Wouldn't be the first time I've heard about some heavy stuff.

[Honestly, he is curious about what she has to say, but when it comes to sensitive stuff like this, even he knows not to push it.]

[gardenful]

So what you mean is “yes, Aerith, please open up to me”?

[ That’s how she’s going to interpret that! ]

Wanna go sit outside somewhere? I feel like that’s a lot better than being in here.

[imperiosity]

[In contrast with his usual cocky demeanor, he looks a touch awkward when she calls him out, but the moment passes quickly enough at the suggestion.]

Yeah, no point sticking around here anyway. Lead the way.

[With everyone preoccupied with the murder confession, he doubts they'll be missing much of anything even if they leave.]

[gardenful]

[ Wow, that’s so similar to Cloud’s awkward expressions that it takes her aback for just a moment, and she pauses before putting a hand on his shoulder and all but pushing him towards the exit. It’s an expression she really didn’t expect to see on Aaron, but it feels sincere. Real.

Once they step outside, she lets go and stretches out her arms, looking up at the sky, now a mix of oranges and pinks as the sun begins to set. ]

You know… I’ve never liked the sky. Not back home and not here either. Maybe it’s because I’m used to the metal plate that covered it up back in the slums… or maybe it’s something else.

[ It’s a little bit of both, really. ]

[imperiosity]

[He's not typically the kind of person who lets himself be herded places, so he automatically gives her a bit of a flat look in response, but he doesn't give any pushback beyond that.

And while the vibrant colors of the sunset catch his eye for a brief moment after they exit the building, Aaron's attention quickly shifts back to Aerith as she muses on the sky. The mention of the metal plate... probably warrants a few questions, but he keeps that to himself for now.]

...It remind you of something?

[It's a shot in the dark as much as anything else, but it's not uncommon for people to dislike something they have unpleasant associations with, he thinks.]

[gardenful]

Yup. It sure does.

[ She turns to give him a little smile, though right now it's just one corner of her lips quirking up for a quick moment. ]

Back home, when people die, they return to the planet and their spirits become part of the lifestream that keeps the planet alive. So... it's like they're going back into the sky, if you think about it.

[ The sky and the earth and everything inbetween come together to make up the world as they know it, after all. ]

When I look up, that's all I can think about. Kinda sad, huh?

[imperiosity]

Sure is. But I know folks who get the same way about other stuff.

[Old man Ouran back in his hometown comes to mind almost immediately, with his constant melancholy whenever he looked over at the abandoned mining settlement in the distance.]

And normally I'd tell 'em to put it out of their minds and just enjoy the finer things in life, but I get it's not that simple.

[He puts a hand on his hip.]

...You wondering if it works like that here?

[gardenful]

It sure isn't.

[ She flashes Aaron a rueful smile. ]

But yeah, I am.

[ There's a short, contemplative pause. ]

I knew it for sure back home. I would learn about these things from the lifestream itself. Not always in words or phrases, but more like... a feeling. I would know if someone close to me had a loved one die, or something like that. [ She glances over at Aaron. ] It sounds weird, but I swear it's true.

[ And with that, Aaron can probably put two and two together here—that power was probably why she was subject to the whims of researchers. ]

It's strange, though, not being able to do that here. I've lost the comfort that comes from knowing that souls continue on.

[imperiosity]

[Maybe it does sound weird, but he's heard of and experienced plenty of phenomena that would fall under that umbrella too. So while the surprise shows from the way his eyes widen at her explanation, it quickly levels out to something more pensive as he considers the implications.]

Damn... But doesn't it get pretty exhausting tuning into that? It's not like there's any shortage of people who die any given day. And even if you know they're not completely gone, it's not like they're the same as before.

[Maybe it's different for her since she's long become accustomed to it, but it's not an ability he'd care to have.]

[gardenful]

It makes me sad sometimes, honestly.

[ Though she's hesitant to explain why that is, but Aaron can probably make a close enough guess anyway. ]

But it can be comforting in a way, to know that our souls are part of the planet again, that we've returned back to the lifestream we came from. That's why death here is... so empty. Is there anywhere that anyone we'll lose here will return to?

[ She isn't expecting any sort of answer to that, but it's a question she can't help but speak aloud nevertheless. ]

[imperiosity]

...

[It's true that he doesn't have an answer for her, especially when it concerns how things operate in this world. That's why the most he can really do is relate it to what he's heard back home, where the fate of a departed soul is just as unknown as it is here.]

Back home, we have a goddess too. Depending on where you go, she's got a few different names -- but on our half of the continent, most call her Aidios, Goddess of the Sky. When people die, they say it's like returning to the goddess' side.

Dunno if that's how it works here, but we already know of at least two gods in this world. Bet you there's some others out there too.

[gardenful]

There's probably way more, huh? There were a lot of gods back in my world, at least years and years ago.

[ But no one really worships them anymore. Not when there's the Shinra Electric Power Company to worship instead.

That's neither here nor there, however. Musing on the state of religion back home isn't going to do anything, and it's not like she'd follow one anyway. So, she turns to what she's more interested in instead. ]

What do you think happens, Aaron? Back home, I mean.

[imperiosity]

[This time, Aaron's the one turning his gaze to the sky, watching as the vivid hues reflect off the clouds in the distance. It's not the sort of question that he's typically asked, but there isn't any particular hesitation in how he answers either.]

Same as everyone else, I guess. If you live a halfway decent life, you ascend to the sky and get to live it up with the Goddess. But if you're so scummy that even the Goddess doesn't have any forgiveness for you, then it's a one-way trip straight to Gehenna.

[gardenful]

Kinda scary to think about, if you ask me. But I guess it motivates people to live well, doesn't it?

[ She glances at Aaron, brows pinched together even as she smiles. ]

Well, in theory, I guess.

[imperiosity]

'In theory' is right. If it were that easy to get people to behave, the cops and the guild would've went outta business ages ago.

[He places a hand on his hip.]

Besides, it's not like everyone goes around thinking about what happens when they die. People should just live the way they want and let the Goddess worry about that shit.

[gardenful]

Dumping all of that onto the Goddess... kinda unfair, if you ask me.

[ But she glances back towards him again and smiles, this time a little brighter. ]

I've probably thought about it a lot more than most people, now that I think of it. It's kinda hard not to, I guess, when you've got the planet telling you these things sometimes.

[ Maybe it's a little morbid, too, but that's fine. She doesn't mind being a bit morbid, in that case. ]

It doesn't stop me from doing what I want, though. So I guess I do what you say people should do anyway. Live how I want, and let the planet figure it out later.

[imperiosity]

...Heh. Sounds like it.

[They all only have one life to live, so there's no point letting yourself get chained down by what comes after. At least, that's how he thinks, and he doubts he would change his mind on that any time soon.

He turns back to Aerith, matching her smile with a grin of his own.]

Besides, the planet oughta cut you some slack. If it's already talking your ear off as is, what more does it want?

[gardenful]

Wanna listen to it in my stead, then?

[ There's a bit of a tease in her voice, because she just can't help it. The mood has been somber for long enough, after all? ]

It's kind of comforting once you get used to it.

[imperiosity]

Eh, maybe I'd give it a whirl if it had any interesting stories to tell. Bet there's all kinds of juicy deets you could get from listening to a whole-ass planet.

[It's comfortable, going back to the banter and joking around, because for all he is serious about lending an ear when needed, this is where he thrives, with all his frivolity on full display. He'll also take it as a sign that Aerith is feeling a little more settled about the matter, even if she might still have some things to work out.]

[gardenful]

So you're looking for gossip, huh?

[ She grins, mood already brighter at the thought of Aaron gossiping with the planet. ]

It's not exactly like that, but you never know. Maybe you'd pick out the interesting parts. If anyone could, I have a feeling it'd be you.

[imperiosity]

Heh, appreciate the faith. Though, I've already heard plenty of crazy-ass stories back home, so if it could beat those out, I'd be impressed.

[Okay, realistically speaking, if it's an entire planet's worth of stories then it almost definitely would have something ridiculous enough to go toe-to-toe with the stuff he's heard, but still.]