Link Up! Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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linkingup2024-08-31 08:41 pm
linkupmods) wrote in linkingup2024-08-31 08:41 pm
WEEKS 5 & 6
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
REAL WORLD COMMISSIONS
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
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It would seem today is the latter.
So he goes about his day - works on commissions, interacts with others who seem more themselves, bides his time until the early evening, when the sun is low in the sky and casts a red glow over the world. It's early in the evening, but sure to be just late enough...
And then he checks each of his little roommate's new haunts in turn, until he comes across him in the training grounds. As the night prior, he approaches too-quietly, watches him absolutely pummel a dummy, until there's one large, reckless swing of the rolling pin-
Which he steps around Yoon to catch easily in his hand, holding tight so the tool-turned-weapon can't be jerked away so easily.]
What's wrong?
[Right to the point.]
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it's stopped. He almost stumbles backwards, what with his weight being thrown off. He turns his head. ]
You-
[ Annoying. ]
What do you want, Celeste. I'm busy.
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If - as suspected - he is brewing a palace, and if - as suspected - there was nothing that could be done about it until it manifested and his shadow was defeated, perhaps it would be wiser to let him keep wearing himself into the dirt... An exhausted enemy would go down quicker...
But that line of thought likely only serves the god of conflict. It's planning strategy for a fight, not reaching out with care. So he continues with the latter.]
You're overworking yourself. Come, walk the city with me, if you're restless.
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[ His hands are visibly worn. Shaking. It's true that his shoulder will ache in the morning, but if that didn't stop him yesterday, it certainly won't stop him now. Still, it's clear that he's wearing himself out physically, even if he doesn't seem intent on stopping whatever he's up to anytime soon.
Maybe Celeste can serve both gods, in the end, if that's what this is about. ]
Leave me alone, Celeste.
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And given what they'd found out about this war between the gods, it's concerning. A charitable assumption might be that Yoon is trying to wear himself out for the same reason Celeste had considered letting him - perhaps he feels the change in him, and feels this is the best way he can fight it.
But perhaps he's just young and reckless and trying to get better at fighting as fast as possible.]
No can do.
[He gave him the chance to go with him at least some of the way willingly. Denied, he'll move to scoop Yoon up and toss him rather unceremoniously over his shoulder. It's not at all as gentle as he was when he took him back to the dorms after the fight with Jordi, or when he was asleep, but when needs must...]
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[ Yoon yells loudly when Celeste throws him over his shoulder, hauling him like a potato sack to Goddess knows where. He thrashes around a little, but he is notably trying not to land a hit on Celeste -- not even a light kick. ]
Where are you going?! Let me- let me go!
[ He is very, very unhappy about this and not making a secret of it. ]
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[So the flailing - but not trying to hit him - really only supports the idea that Yoon is truly trying his best to fight the god of conflict. And that only makes this particular decision a much easier one.
And. Well. Goddess knows where, huh?
Goddess is about to find out, because he does haul Yoon all the way to the temple, no matter how much he yells and flails.]
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(Thanks, Celeste.)
Yoon, still hauled over his shoulder, lets out a grumble. ]
You people don't understand what "leave me alone" means, do you?
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He knows, given how Argenti was seemingly vaporized out of existence, that he's probably risking considerable harm to do so, but... he'd also made a promise to Izou that in exchange for not striking him down on the spot that he'd do everything in his power to protect people here.
So he brings Yoon to the temple... without an offering. He knows he needs to get the goddess's attention somehow, with some proof of a bond, and while she'd loved the photographs they'd taken at the Dennihop, he had had no such outing with Yoon, nor had they done anything crafty together or anything of the like... and he wasn't so belligerent that he would shout into the ether until she decided to make her appearance.
But they do have something.
So instead of pictures, or arts and crafts, or "hey, look, we're totally besties~!" being shouted into the air, he casually sits himself down on her golden throne and informs her in no uncertain terms that without their bond, he would have met his final death many times over already.
...Surprisingly, it seems to work.
And the blessing is one of such magnitude (thanks Dani!) that as soon as she flits away again, he does set Yoon back on his feet with an expression of relief.]
We do. I simply elected to ignore it, this time.
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There is, indeed, something within him that is moved by this gesture -- there would be no traces of Yoon left if he wasn't. It's instinctual. It's natural for him to feel confused and touched by Celeste crediting Yoon for saving his life. Yoon a few days ago would've insisted that he was just doing his job (which was, indeed, keeping the team alive save for Jordi, rip) and probably feel sheepish about this. Now, however, how he feels is something that probably can't be discerned by the naked eye.
Yoon's expression is certainly dark, but it's not angry like it was earlier. It's...pensive. Puzzled. And it is very obvious that he's unsettled, but whether that's because of the gesture or his own mind remains unclear.
He's set back onto his feet and his hands ball into fists at his sides. He looks down, away from Celeste. He stays silent. ]
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And so did so many others.
So, yes, he's proof positive that there is a bond between himself and Yoon, and Yoon received the boon to prove it, but he's also proof that the lot of them are capable of working together. Yes, it was a fight. Yes, it ended in tragedy. But... it wouldn't have, had the god of conflict not stepped in.
And that tells him he's nervous.
They're on the right track. And if he needs to drag everyone who begins acting oddly into the temple, kicking and screaming, then so be it.
Yoon falls silent, but he remains present instead of running away, and Celeste bends to look him in the eye, or try to, if only for a moment or two.]
Do you feel a bit more yourself, now, here?
[Maybe he'd begin to feel terrible again, once he steps out the doors. But if he has some peace in the temple...
Well, that's what they were supposed to be for, anyway.]
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[ Yoon cuts himself off abruptly. There is some part of him that would like to reach out, but the part of him that's become a̸̤̝͑n̶̳̅g̷͍̿̐r̸͚̓̋y̶̹͌,̸̨̧͐ ̶̣̠̃v̸͈̐ǐ̴̦͜o̴͇̜͆̀l̶͓̒̽e̶̫̐n̸̟̐̓t̶̘͌̿ ̸͔͓̽̒a̷͇̞̓̀n̶̟͘d̴̟̙͊ ̷͉͕͝h̸̗͔͂a̷͖̾̇t̶̪̏̌e̶̱͆ͅf̶͚̆u̵̘̽ͅl̶̪͔͌̓ would very much like to have a word with Celeste. It's an internal conflict that he's unable to hide, even with everything going on.
His brow furrows and a hand comes up to press against his forehead. His shoulders tremble and he bites down on his lip.
Then, he exhales a deep breath he'd been holding, lowers his arm and straightens himself out. ]
Look...if you don't need anything else, I'm leaving. Don't come looking for me.
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But instead, Yoon - though which part of him it is he can't quite tell, in this moment - centers himself, and intends to leave.]
I won't, if you promise me that you'll sleep in our room from now on. At least until we get through this.
[Because they will get through this.]
If you don't, I'll come looking for you, every night.
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[ And by that, he means that he won't. Sorry, Celeste. This boy is stubborn in his ways. He also doesn't seem to register that there's anything to really get through, but he won't refute what Celeste says, either. He's far too tired for that.
And the prospect of his roommate seeking him out nightly is just as exhausting to think about.
... ]
I'm heading back.
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[Then there will be no promises - but he has still resolved to seek him out nightly if Yoon doesn't give any indication he'll be sleeping somewhere comfortable.
If he's seeking him out and Yoon happens to be asleep on a beanbag or a couch that's fine, of course, but... Outside? On the ground, or a bench? He'll be brought in.
For now, though, the "kidnapping" and the blessing has been a lot, so he does let Yoon go, in that sort of way where there are goodbyes said but you still end up walking in the same direction.]
I will see you later, then.