WEEKS 5 & 6

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WEEKS 5 & 6

THE CALM BEFORE...

The city has more or less bounced back after the disastrous Go-Kart race. While there are still some people recovering, no one’s hospitalized and there were thankfully no casualties - although there were more injuries than might have been expected, on accounts of some brawls that broke out among the competitors and the audience.

In spite of that, the Shopping District is feeling distinctly friendlier these days. Shopkeepers will take notice of repeat customers and be openly happy to see the better-behaved ones. They may even cut characters a discount on the sly for their patronship!

Perhaps as a result, the Nekyia Shopping District has become clear of haze much like the Nekyia dormitory started. While Shadows still lurk there, they are much fewer in number. Should characters choose to explore some more, they will find that the haze has become thinner in the Nekyia Entertainment District, allowing them to work on cleaning out the various Shadows that reside in that area.

WHAT THE FLUFF.

Meanwhile, back at the dormitory…

…trouble is amiss, but the fun kind of trouble.

On Sunday, September 1st, it seems like there's an event for pets being hosted at the parks near the dorm! That's fine and dandy, but the trouble comes from owners being careless and letting their animals run loose. That's right, some of them have been given free rein to explore, and a number of them have taken a liking to the dormitory!

You might be able to blame Dawn – that cat from the Nekyia who also appears to give you strange items! – because she's got bowls of cat food around her that she's feasting on. It's attracted some pet cats and strays alike. As for the dogs, well, they like people. Enough said.

Why not treat yourself to some animal therapy while you can? And if not, wrangling any animals that manage to get free works too!

SUMMER DAYS.

As summer break draws to a close, the Arcade is desperate to not only redeem its reputation, but also squeeze the last bit of pocket change out of people while they’re still on vacation. As a result, there is an ongoing discount on point cards allowing people to play competitive arcade games - Classics like Mirmo Kart and Street Slayer, as well as shinier rhythm games like Dancerun Stardom and LaiLai Universe Plus!

Of course, the hope is that characters drawn in by the arcade games will stick around for the other offerings - karaoke, bowling, ufo catchers, and even a bar (for those 21+!) And if none of these attractions are enough to catch a character’s eye, there’s plenty of other activities to be found in Carnation Court. Besides the restaurants and bars, there are many themed pop-up cafés and events, and even a few empty buildings with a very reasonable lease fee, should someone want to run an event of their own...

While the mood isn’t as open and friendly as the shopping district, it’s still worth a visit to relax and unwind a bit, preferably alongside Braphine’s other chosen. After all, there are Shadows looming on the horizon...

MESSAGE FROM YOUR RA!

Huh...? That's weird. It looks like a really big Shadow took up residence in the Nekyia. Hold on, I'll set things up so the app will give you the coordinates! Could you please check it out?

COMMISSIONS

NEKYIA COMMISSIONS

FETCH QUEST

I messed up…Mom's gonna be so mad at me for losing track of her dog at that event…

There's a shadow in the Nekyia that's taken the form of a Level 25 Nue. It seems to be growling in despair, and echoing the thoughts of this commissioner. Apparently this person lost his mother's dog at the event and hasn't made an effort to find it yet. Fight the Nue and try to knock some sense into this guy, either by shaking some sense into him or by defeating him; they've got a dog to find, after all.

YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE TOXIC

Leave, Braphine. Leave this world to the people. We don't need anyone. We've only got ourselves.

Seems like someone who might be involved with the vandalism incident might have a shadow here, too, in the form of a Level 24 Mokoi. She sounds like she's going to do something more extreme to the place if she isn't stopped. However, be careful… characters hit with Dazzler from this particular Shadow cannot be cured with magic, and must instead be healed by another person’s touch. It’s time to get cozy with your companions.

GET HEE OUTTA HERE

A powerful Shadow has appeared in the Nekyia and needs to be eliminated asap! Black Frost is a tenacious (if cute?) little guy, and can only be fought after taking down three Level 28 Jack Frosts beforehand. Make sure you ration out your spiritual energy and healing spells, this little Shadow can pack a real punch, being at Level 30! That said, for those who manage to defeat him, he should drop a mascot trading card. Turn this in to the priest or priestess at the temple to unlock a bonus new skill for your Persona!

(OOC: Please turn in your threads for this commission on the rewards page to unlock the new skill, which is separate from your leveling skillset! You may select one elemental skill for light damage to apply permanently to your character's persona. When turning in the skill will be effective immediately once rewarded.)

REAL WORLD COMMISSIONS

FINE DINING

Various restaurants, from fast food and fast casual grub to the fine dining establishments in Carnation Court are trying to outdo each other in terms of promotion, and as such are on the prowl for any free hands to help entice potential customers with free samples and food challenges galore. Grab a buddy and help hawk some bite-sized treats! Or maybe try to beat the record for the biggest burger ever eaten, if you dare.

ALL HANDS ON STAGE

A number of performers were involved in the Go-Kart incident and have yet to fully recover enough to do their parts for the show! For the next two weeks, the Sunset Grand Theater is looking for understudies for roles, as well as stage hands who are willing to ninja around and maneuver props and sets for the actors. The production is a fanciful tale of starcrossed lovers, evil stepmothers, political feuds, and for some reason, a dragon.

PREPARE THE PETS

The pet store in Vermillion Village is looking for some volunteers to help socialize the pets through playtime, as well as feed some of the more persnickety ones. Those who want to pet some adorable balls of fluff and energy can work with the kittens, puppies, and bunny rabbits, while those who are brave enough can try their hand at feeding the reptiles their meals of live crickets and frozen rats.

OOC

READ ME!!!!

Welcome to your log for Weeks 5 and 6! Feel free to use this log for any developments that happen during the next two weeks. There will be no log next week, but we will still be posting a small mini-event on Saturday.
For plotting, please feel free to head over to this post on the OOC comm to post your plotting top levels.
For Nekyia commissions, you can assume that the Shadows will respawn until they've been beaten enough times to go back to normal.
Palaces start this week! Please refer to the Palace schedule here and sign ups for this week's capped Palace here

ic comm | inboxes | ooc comm | full nav

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Comments

[beautifulknight]

Of course! I am most gladdened to have had something so important to you returned.

[ Though, Argenti figures that maybe running around in an idol outfit will not always be something practical...considering what they will be usually up to at times in this world. So he accepts the answer, naturally, with a nod of his end, and he turns back to gather up the dress into his hands - then, he goes to turn back to face her, even after she has offered him her question.

It's hard to tell but it has surprised him that she offered it towards him in the first place. Though maybe not too difficult, given that he blinks a couple of times, and there is a moment where he silently holds out the clothing to her. ]

...Yes, I believe so.

[ Is he being honest? He doesn't know why he questions his own response after he says it, and it frankly stated, though gentle. All the same, he lets it slip away to focus on Sayaka instead. Whatever's happened, whatever consequences that have transpired...he isn't so interested in focusing on how he feels, not at the moment. He is certain he will be fine, after all. ]

What about yourself? I know that what I said at the time was quite unpleasant. Though I am uncertain if you had known the man, I can only imagine that there were more than a few reasons as to why the reveal would be quite upsetting.

[ Then again, not everyone here has killed another person. But even those that had can have their own worries for why he did what he did. ]

[destage]

[She can decide what she wants to do with this later. If worst comes to worst, she could always give it to Ai; it might fit her, and the outfit is good quality if she still needs something to perform in. Objectively, the idea of putting this on again makes Sayaka unhappy, so maybe she should just discard it, but...

Argenti is still talking, and Sayaka does her best not to look dazed. He's asking after her, and asking about the elephant in the room. That...incident, where he--]

I-I didn't know him. Ushirono-san, I mean.

[She can at least clarify that, first. But that's...Sayaka pauses at it. She can't exactly wriggle her way out of acknowledging this now, but it's...]

...I'm okay. I've been trying to keep myself busy making progress on...helping around town. Mostly just trying to keep myself afloat, you know? Between work and everything else, I've been a little busy.

[Argenti can likely see it, even if he may not know the extent of it. Her work ethic, her private trips to Nekiya on her own, the fact that she can't stop even on the best of days. If he's observant enough, he might even catch her rubbing at her right wrist a bit, massaging into it.

But...]

...I...don't hate you, for what you did, Argenti-san. I. I want to get that out of the way, first.

[beautifulknight]

[ Argenti is very bad at dodging around certain matters for long, for better or worse. Most of the time it'd be blatantly obvious he's considering it; though that might be also be because before he's realizing it, beyond knightly creeds, he's just opening his mouth, and saying what's honestly on his mind right away.

He does listen carefully as she speaks, the clarification, the description of what she's doing. But, yes, he does not doubt them; he has seen evidence of them, after all, and he does catch sight of her movement with her hand. ]

I believe it is reasonable that you would endeavor to keep yourself busy. I hope you have had the opportunity to pace yourself, however.

[ But...he looks surprised, maybe hopeful, before he carefully draws that back. ]

...You do not? [ He closes his mouth and then looks pensive. ] Ah, well, you certainly did say that. Though, if there is anything else you wish to say, I can certainly handle it.

[destage]

[...

Sayaka's just going to attempt to sidestep that bit of concern because she is absolutely not going to worry Argenti by letting him know she's been attempting to fight in Nekiya herself, but--]

...I think what you did was wrong and more than slightly unfair to Ushirono-san.

[It's gentle when she says it, but...]

We shouldn't be taking the lives of our own, here. We were brought here by the Goddess to try and...to try and understand people, right? That means he was, too. Even if things here, they're getting more complicated in ways that weren't brought up to us...

[She thinks back to Hope's Peak. She thinks back to the motive, the one that sent her careening over an edge, and there's a brief moment of if she wonders if she too should've been--]

...There's no telling if he would have done all of that again. I really can't blame you for at least wanting to deal with the situation, considering what you've found. But I've...I've seen something similar, and resorting to violence as the first resort--it's only going to hurt more people in the end. I'm not going to try and tell you not to do that again, because I think something should've been said, but...

[...Sayaka shakes her head. She's going off track.]

I'm...not going to stop talking with you. Is the point I want to make. Or stop considering you a friend--you've been...nothing but kind, even with this considered. I guess, um. I was wondering if that would be okay with you.

[beautifulknight]

I do appreciate you telling me what you have, and I do understand your point of view.

[ Argenti means that, genuinely. Even if someone has had a dissenting opinion, has judged him for it, even if not in an overly harsh way (or even so) ...he has wanted to hear it.

There are reasons for that, of course. Normal ones, but generally, even if he would not have seen himself making a different choice, even now, he'd like to know. ]

That would be fine with me. I am still friends with others who have expressed similar opinions to you or something similar, so naturally I believe that you are no different. In that, of course, I consider you a good friend, as well as someone to continue speaking to.

[ At this, he manages to offer her a little smile. Though it is more apologetic, if anything, even if the fades into a normal, but plain and generally amiable expression. ]

I apologize for having brought it up so suddenly, but...I suppose I just wished to know, is all.

[destage]

[Sayaka listens to Argenti, and something softens in her expression as she does. She sees the small, apologetic shade to his smile, and something in her own expression darts at it.

(You idiot. Don't you realize you're looking at a mirror, of what you've done?)

Sayaka stuffs that intrusive thought down, shaking her head.]

It's okay, Argenti-kun. I don't mind it. You want to know where you stand with people, and considering how that meeting went...I don't blame you for asking.

But I'm not going anywhere. You're still my friend, and you're still one of us, Argenti-kun. Always have been, and always will be. I just...hope that we don't have to resort to something drastic, next time.

[...Still...]

I have to admit, all of this talking has made me a little thirsty. Oh, do you want me to get you something, Argenti-kun? I'd love to talk to you more, but I just got home from work, aha!

[Still, her tone is back to it's normal and back to being bright as ever. As if nothing is wrong.]

[beautifulknight]

[ Argenti is...relieved. He has had no idea what she might have thought of him so the fact that she truly has been at least okay with them being friends is definitely a happy spot in all of this.

He is certain that she may not be used to murder happening before her very eyes for any reason, even if she may be familiar with violence. ]

...I hope the same. Though, I have to say you speaking those words mean quite a lot to me. Thank you.

[ Such that he will respect her seamless transition, knowing that she is doing it for both their sakes, expression warm, and even a bit more happy. Sayaka is truly a kind young lady. ]

I do not wish to trouble you so, as I am not certain what I would have. I also do understand if you feel rather tired from your work day, so feel free to fetch yourself a drink, and we can return to talking afterwards? But if you are not up to it, we can save it for later.

[destage]

Of course. I wouldn't speak them if they weren't true, you know!

[...How odd it is. That those words feel like they have some semblance of truth to them. Argenti might be a murderer, someone who took justice into his own hands to an extent that shouldn't be forgiven, but...

He's still the same, warm knight who made sure she was okay when she first arrived. Who helped her to shoulder the burden of killing nasty creatures, and someone who genuinely has made her want to better herself. To fight alongside him, to...

Maybe even be a friend. It's why Sayaka ends up puffing her cheeks and wagging a finger at Argenti when he says that much.]

Ah-ah. Absolutely not allowed. You deserve something for all of this too, silly. I'd be happy to come back and talk to you, but I wouldn't mind sharing what I was thinking of having to drink with you, if you want? I found some tea when I was shopping around town, though I did grab a little bit of coffee too, if that's more to your liking.

...And a few sort of fruity, fizzy drinks--I don't know if you've heard of soda, but it is something nice as an occasional treat. Would any of those be okay?

[beautifulknight]

[ Argenti takes pause at hearing all of this, but...deserve?

He is, well. He doesn't...it's strange. Argenti is so used to offering his help and a hand towards others; to doing things for other people, he catches himself wondering at the mere thought of others doing the same for him.

She's right, he does deserve at least some thoughtful actions in turn, he thinks. He doesn't question why a part of him lingers on it, instead offering her a smile in turn. ]

...Alright. You have certainly made a good argument. I shall not oppose it.

Such as it is, I do not mind at all. As for soda...I have heard of it, but I do not indulge much in it. I've sampled tea and coffee far more often.

I suppose I shall try out whichever one of those sodas you might think would be the most flavorful?