WEEKS 5 & 6

[linkupmods]

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

Post-Funeral Meeting

[vogelfrei]

[ After this somber (?) little affair, McGillis is going to tell everyone to meet in the dorm common room. He initially contemplated taking a more formal location to make it a proper business-like meeting, but given the general emotional state of the group right now, that might have been too volatile. A more familiar setting might help people calm down a little while discussing. (You’re still gonna have to bring your own food though, he’s not that caring.)

When everyone’s settles in, McGillis stands up and clears his throat. He has a commanding presence, and everyone will momentarily feel like they have suddenly been pulled into an army briefing. ]

I know this is still a vulnerable time and a lot of you would rather mourn in peace, but I don’t think we can delay talking about this.

Including Jordi, we’ve had three people spawn mindscapes based around their personal trauma now. In all of those mindscapes combat was unavoidable – but only in one of them did it end in summoning the so-called God of Conflict, and death.

At this point, we should brace ourselves for encountering more mindscapes as we go. It seems best that we discuss strategies to avoid either being killed by the mindscape owner or killing them in the attempt to break free.

[ ‚McGillis, didn‘t you try shooting Jordi in the head?‘ Well. He won’t bring it up if you won’t. ]

As a side note: the two successful mindscapes apparently ended in a hug each, but whether or not that is mandatory is… debatable, at this point. More important is how we want to approach combat, and especially a situation in which combat is not going to our advantage.

On-Topic Discussion

[vogelfrei]

[emptyself]

I spoke to Tojo and, in her opinion, she felt that fighting was unavoidable. Nonetheless, I still want to try to find an alternative if possible.

[ yes, he was also landing some pretty hard hits. but worry not, soujuurou already blames himself for this more than anyone else could. ]

I'm sure that, for some like Okada, fighting is probably inevitable-- he's an assassin, after all. But Jordi didn't look like a fighter. Maybe we should have just talked to him.

[beathollow]

... With him, we just had to wear him down to a point that he would listen. When we attempted to speak to him before the fight, he wound up lashing out and rendered me unable to speak for a bit.

[privatedomicile]

With Aubrey it was kinda like...down the middle? Mafu talkin' her down the first time didn't work, but after she turned into a giant rabbit, we were able to break her out.

Maybe it's like how stuff turns into crystal when you put it under enough heat.

[finalmix]

[ josh is leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, and his gaze is flickering thoughtfully around the room, although it lingers quite a bit on the people who were in jordi's palace, especially on a couple of combatants. ]

At least now that we know that a lethal blow in the mindscape translates to death outside of it. Die in the game, die in real life, as they say.

[ a pause. dw. he's not naming names. yet. ]

One less proxy on the game board.

[moodwrecker]

...So someone really did die.

[She didn't attend the funeral - she never met Jordi, never showed up to his palace. It didn't feel right to intrude on the mourning of others during the funeral, specifically. Still...

The fact it could have been the result of her palace, too, is not lost on her.]

[imperiosity]

[There's a lot to discuss here, but there's one point that's been bothering him.]

I've been meaning to ask, actually -- did the assassin guy's mindscape take place around the temple too?

[strawsandals]

[ Yoon is here, somewhere in the back with his arms folded across his chest. He looks...weirdly exhausted, perhaps overly so, and his eyes may be a little puffy. Finally, though, he decides to speak up. ]

...Were there any signs that those three would have these mindscapes before they happened? Aubrey was unnecessarily hostile to me when we first met, right before it happened – and she apologized for it after we battled her. Not sure if that's necessarily a hint, though.

[townmusician]

I mean... based on what that guy was saying, it sounds like fighting is just going to help out this God of Conflict. Which, you know, pretty obvious.

[It's not a subtle name, or anything.]

We're supposed to be making connections, but then we just defaulted to fighting which... might be why they were able to just break in like that...? I don't know, and it doesn't change anything, but...

[He feels a little silly saying this, and it's obvious on his face.]

If this keeps happening, then conflict between us should be the last resort. That's not why we're here. Right?

[moonshaded]

You guys shot him in the fucking head and thought he'd be fine?

[Sorry McGillis; somebody else brought it up first.]

[goei]

[Izou is here. He's been laying low this week, but by today he seems... mostly recovered?]

I dunno what exactly happened with that other guy, but I think that Conflict guy had ta be behind these places in the first place. Before mine happened, I was even angrier than usual. And when I was in it, I didn't wanna cooperate. I was stewin' in my worst impulses, sure everyone I ever knew thought th'worst of me. Couldn't accept th'people reachin' out ta me til I was all battered an' weak.

Don't ask me ta make sense of any of it, but... Since it's jus' me and Aubrey still around who were on that side of things... I can at least say what I felt and the rest of you can figure it out.

[He wants to help, and this is the best he feels he can do.]

[gardenful]

I guess the most obvious solution is to just avoid conflict, huh? But that's a lot easier said than done, too...

[ Ahhhh she hates this!! She doesn't want more people to die. ]

This kind of thing really isn't something we can plan for in advance, but you said the others ended in hugs. Maybe using the bonds we've already established with each other could help? I don't know what it's actually like in there to know if that would even work, but...

[ If she can help prevent a death, she's going to do her best. So, she nods with resolve. ]

I'm not gonna let these things slip past me again.

Other

[vogelfrei]

[ This is for people who want to bring up totally different things to the group, start a fight, get charades going, whatever else! ]

Gacha Distribution

[beathollow]

( at some point, since the majority is gathered, mafuyu brings down a box. inside is

- Racing Suit and Helmet - Safety first! Perfect for motorcycle racing.
- Spicebush Fan - A folding fan covered in sprigs of fragrant yellow flowers.
- A Torn, White Shirt - The tattered remains of a torn white shirt, seemingly too large.
- Modified Dog Muzzle - A leather and metal dog muzzle modified to be locked so the wearer can't remove it. It's somewhat on the small side.

... she seems a bit uncomfortable with most of them, actually. )

Dawn's given me these items, and I am certain they belong to others here...

More Gacha Distribution

[vogelfrei]

[ After seeing others do it, McGillis also briefly goes to grab the plethora of random items he has amassed by now. Here's

1. Circlet of Lunar Tears - A lariat of white, lily-like flowers. Someone must be very fond of this specific type of flower to have collected this many.
2 Theatre Costume - An elaborate ensemble worn for Eastern-style sword dancing performances, intended to evoke the image of an elegant female warrior. The number of layers along with the various accessories that come with the outfit definitely make it impractical for everyday wear, but don't let that stop you from trying. Swords not included!!
3. Angel Feather - A pure white feather that seems to glow with a faint light.
4. Orcish Pendant - A crudely carved wooden pendant. When cracked open, a phrase in orcish is embedded inside. ]

These probably belong to some among you, so help yourselves to them.

yard sale...

[imperiosity]

[Oh right, all this random shit that he's been getting. Once people start displaying their wares, Aaron will vanish briefly so he can retrieve his pile of stuff from his room, which he dumps somewhat unceremoniously on the nearest table. The items are:

1. A well-worn journal with numerous spare pages stuffed in. The handwriting changes at points...
2. Makeup Kit - A large, multi-tiered, pink makeup box. It's filled with all things sparkly, cute, and pink.
3. Bandages - Fresh, white bandages. There’s nothing special about them.
4. Book - A thick green tome, with the golden words ‚The Life of Agnika Kaieru‘ on the cover. It’s a long chronicle about the aforementioned hero, who formed an organization called ‚Gjallarhorn‘ to defeat mechanical ‚angels‘ that were threatening to wipe out the human race.
5. Millennium Ring - A gold ring with a single eye in the centre and adorned with spikes. You get the unsettling feeling that you are being watched. If the owner of the ring tries to remove it, it will appear back in their dorm room Mysteriously.
6. Red Leather Jacket - This jacket is made of red leather and has an insignia sewn into the back, something that appears related to the Spades card suit.

...The bandages may look a little shorter than they ought to, but don't worry about it.

There's also a gold medal in the pile, and if anyone feels like putting it on, someone's probably getting punched mid-meeting! Fun!!]

Better nab 'em if they're yours -- 'cause everything else is going to the pawn shop.

come get your stuff

[supherb]

[Since others seem to be putting out their stuff, Arven pulls out his findings from his backpack.

- Pink pinwheel - A simple pink pinwheel.
- A royal ring - A golden ring with a shining green stone set in it.]

Might as well see if anyone recognizes these...

yard sard

[bloodweapon]

[Oh, good idea. Fray's received some items as well and he sees no reason to hold onto them, so he returns shortly with them in tow.

- Sunset Muffler - A stylishly patterned cotton scarf sure to keep you warm. If you wear it over your face at night, nobody will get a good idea of what you look like, right?
- A goldfish bowl - It's empty. Maybe you should buy some goldfish for it?
- Player Pin - A pin with a stylised skull design. Be careful not to lose it.
- Sugao Magazine - A modern, Japanese magazine. This issue is the tenth in a run of idol features, and includes articles on overseas travel and trends.]

Take it if you recognize it.

[Or even if you don't (with player permission), he's not the boss of you.]

sale yard

[gardenful]

[ She might as well put out some of her items too! So, Aertih lays out a small variety of things:

Flower Bottles - Bottles filled with flowers, herbs and scented oils for aromatherapy. They have a tag that says "Happy Birthday, Mafuyu".

Picture Book - A dog-eared picture book in an unknown language. The pictures and text seem to be done by hand rather than printed.

Hot Pot - A hot pot made of stone.

Storybook - A children's book about a black rabbit and a white rabbit. The story depicts them as being friends, with the black rabbit having trouble sleeping and leaving home, only to meet the white rabbit... ]

Anything ring a bell for you?

gacha for one (1) lucky person

[strawsandals]

[ Yoon only has one thing with him, and he's not even sure what this is, so he has no use for it.

- Legendary Headphones - A pair of purple headphones belonging to a faithful partner. The brand name on the side says Jupiter of the Monkey. ]

I don't know what this is, but if it's yours, take it.

Gacha Time

[beautifulknight]

[ Well, Argenti thinks that some of these are not his, so...

1. Sacrifice Card - It's a card with the picture of a human skull on it and the word 'SACRIFICE' written below.

2. Sky Blue Haori - The distinctive jacket of a famous police force. Comfortable and striking! ]

If either of these are yours, please do feel free to take it.

sasa lele

[emptyself]

No one has claimed these yet, so feel free to take them if they're yours.

[ he'll set down a box with the following:

Well-worn Teddy Bear - A stuffed bear that's clearly been through a lot, but you can sense the immense love it shared with its owner.

Portrait of Breogan - A bust sculpture that's too weathered to make out any details about the person depicted. The only indication their identity is the carved name "BREOGAN".

Kitchen Knife - A regular kitchen knife that's been used quite a bit. Still, it's in good condition. ]

gacha for one (1) lucky person

[finalmix]

[ that said, he also has something to contribute to the table, so. er.

scrawny ass teenager dragging around a buster sword from his room over to the meeting room table. any takers??? ]

Not my style in weaponry, but if anyone's interested, feel free to help yourself~

Gacha distribution

[cleansewithfire]

[ Sunrise has taken down (most) of the things she received from Dawn as well:

Nail Polish - A bottle of black nail polish that seems to have gotten frequent use.
Tomestones - Why are there so many of them?? What might have once held all sorts of ancient information is now totally worthless here. You can't even buy outdated gear!
Misaki High School Uniform - The winter school uniform for Misaki High School.
Idol Outfit - A vibrant pink and yellow ruffled dress with accompanying boots, gloves, and hair accessory.

The clothes have all been recently laundered, because Sunrise is like that. ]

...There is also one more thing, but it is rather...unwieldy to bring downstairs.

[ Segway - A lovely coral segway adorned with flowers. It's like walking, but a lot faster! ]