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Link Up! Mods ([personal profile] linkupmods) wrote in [community profile] 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
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
townmusician: (pic#16401050)

[personal profile] townmusician 2024-09-11 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
[To his credit, Haruka doesn't front too much. The dickishness is largely defensive, which... is probably obvious with the way he deflates.]

Sorry.

[He glances back to the room, scratching the back of his neck.]

I wonder how this place got to be such a wreck anyways. I know some theaters aren't as organized as others, but man... this is so much work.
prozaic: (052)

[personal profile] prozaic 2024-09-11 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh, now this, Shalem can answer. Easily.]

Money. It takes money to maintain a building, to buy supplies, props, rehearse, replace the lighting, and especially to pay the actors and staff. If they were renting this place out, that costs much money as well, even if it would be less than actually having it for themselves.

[Then his smile turns a little sad.]

Being in theatre does not make much money. [As he's seen from countless other productions. Should he be glad that the Troupe did not want money for their performances, but something else?]
townmusician: (pic#16471366)

[personal profile] townmusician 2024-09-11 05:52 am (UTC)(link)
All of the apathy and god stuff isn't helping their finances, either, so it seems extra bad.

[If everything going on doesn't take a turn for the better, there's a high likelihood this theater won't be open much longer.

He presses his lips together, shrugging his shoulders.]


It's been a while since I last did a theater performance, so I can't remember too much about what things were like for the theaters I performed in. Of course, when I started out, I couldn't understand a lot of the conversations going on around me, so maybe that's why it felt different.

[His English is good now, but when he first moved to London? Not so much.]

It felt simpler than being an idol, though.
prozaic: (021)

[personal profile] prozaic 2024-09-11 06:19 am (UTC)(link)
... Ah. [An idol. Okay, that makes sense.]

From what I know of idol life, such things are not so simple. [Sora needs bodyguards 24/7 after all...]

A life in entertainment never is, even from my short-lived experience.
townmusician: (pic#16454328)

[personal profile] townmusician 2024-09-11 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[Well, things aren't that bad for Haruka. Mostly.]

...No, it really isn't. But it's the life I have, so I deal with it.

[The life he wanted, though? Who can say!]

I'm sure being an idol is really different between my world and yours, though. I feel like almost everyone here is from a place that's a lot less... boring than mine.

[He almost says normal, before changing speed.]
prozaic: (081)

[personal profile] prozaic 2024-09-11 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Sometimes I escort them, but that's not my primary duty. [Perhaps he's showing a little too much of his job right now... But now he's said that, he will just have to run with it. He can tweak things a little if needed.]

I can only imagine that certain people can get troublesome, though.

["Certain people" being... the fanbase...]
townmusician: (pic#16480855)

[personal profile] townmusician 2024-09-13 09:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, are you a bodyguard?

[Which is a totally harmless profession!! It's definitely not anything more suspicious than that.

Haruka's nose wrinkles for a moment, but he shakes his head.]


...Sometimes? Nothing I can't handle, though. Most people are just talk, anyways.
prozaic: (058)

[personal profile] prozaic 2024-09-14 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
Indeed, a bodyguard. It pays the bills.

[Slowly weaving the new narrative... This is what his life is on this world. A bodyguard and nothing more.]
townmusician: (pic#16480851)

[personal profile] townmusician 2024-09-14 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
[Just a normal, average bodyguard... That's all!! At least Haruka is buying that for now.]

Yeah? Well, compared to theater work I'm sure it pays a lot more...

[The bar is low, et cetera.]
prozaic: (081)

[personal profile] prozaic 2024-09-14 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
It does not, unless you get particularly lucky in who picks you up. [Which is true! ... He just has not experienced it for himself, only heard stories from coworkers.]

But I may have gotten lucky with my lifetime contract.
townmusician: (Default)

[personal profile] townmusician 2024-09-14 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
A lifetime contract...

[Man. That sounds... intense.]

Guess you're working for someone really important, then, to be locked in for life.

[He can't think of anyone who might need an entire lifetime of protection, but. Things are fucking wild out in other worlds, he's figured out.]
prozaic: (082)

[personal profile] prozaic 2024-09-14 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
[It's not like he'll live long, so it really is a "lifetime contract". For himself. So this lie is also a half-truth, and that's a good enough cover for him.]

I would consider them quite important, them and their daughter. [The respect in his tone though? That one is not faked in the slightest.]
townmusician: (pic#16454311)

[personal profile] townmusician 2024-09-14 04:45 am (UTC)(link)
[Sir... Sir!!!

Well, good thing Haruka doesn't know about that. He will continue to assume Shalem is normal, up until he sees him choke out Soujuurou. Then he'll know he's a scaley, therefore incredibly abnormal.]


If you think they're important, that's good enough. Hopefully you won't get stuck away from them for too long... I'm not really sure how long we're supposed to be here, anyways. Or if there even is a timeframe...

[But, to be fair, he didn't ask.]
prozaic: (021)

[personal profile] prozaic 2024-09-14 05:12 am (UTC)(link)
Mm, I don't think I need to worry about that-- that any of us needs to worry about our homes while we're here. [He sets down the box he's holding on top of a bunch of larger ones.]

I did see a post on the network detailing certain things. Apparently, time is stopped at home... but I believe, more exactly, that we will be returned at the exact times we were taken.
townmusician: (pic#16471366)

[personal profile] townmusician 2024-09-15 07:04 am (UTC)(link)
...That doesn't mean things are going to be exactly the same as they were going to be.

[Haruka looks over the boxes, stacking up a few of the smaller, lighter ones.]

Going back to your normal life after experiencing something abnormal means that maybe things won't go the way they should. You'll end up doing things in ways you wouldn't before, yeah?

[...That's awful deep for their first convo, so Haruka just waves it off.]

Though that's not really important.
prozaic: (004)

[personal profile] prozaic 2024-09-15 07:18 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh Haruka. If you only knew... Then again, he shouldn't know. Shalem will never reveal exactly how he lived his life back "home".]

It seems you're worried about how you'd adjust back home.