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

1/3

[emptyself]

[ sorry jesse, but soujuurou is practically catatonic right now. thanks to shalem's very keen observations, however, he can tell that the boy is not only breathing, but he's breathing raggedly. and why wouldn't he? have you seen how much you've forced him to run away from you guys?!. there's a plain and simple reason as to why soujuurou stopped moving, though.

there's simply no other place to go. this flower field is the end of the road, which means that you have essentially cornered him.

and then, comes izou. suddenly, soujuurou springs into action with that same agility as before, twisting his body to the side to dodge (16) with a silent gasp.

he wastes no time to retaliate, however, as he twists back to bring his leg down onto izou's back with an incredible amount of force. (16+5=21). coupled with his bloodied knuckles, it's obvious who was out here killing the demons in the nekyia. ]

2/3. TW FOR GORE

[emptyself]

[ but before anything else can happen, well. we had to wrap this little memshare session with a parting one. ]

“I’m glad that went well.”

The words of your roommate, Soujuurou Shizuki, snap your dazed self back into attention. Seeing him up close, after the incredible feat of defeating a creature from the Age of Gods, well… it was too much to wrap around your head. And though his body was broken, so painfully broken, he remained standing. His gaze was not on you, however, but on your other fallen roommate, Alice.

His gaze was distant. Lonely, even.

And yet, that matters not in your irritation. “‘That went well?’” you bite back weakly, your body still stitching itself back together with your magecraft. “Don't you dare say you're happy we're alive or I'll be so pissed.”

He does not say it. No, he says he was never worried about your safety in the first place. Considering that he had gotten a taste of yours and Alice’s capabilities in the house of mirrors, then it shouldn’t be surprising. Yet… you feel like everything about this young man is off. His gentle personality coupled with the eyes and stature of a hunter— none of it matched one bit. No matter how much he tried to suppress it, you can now clearly see the primal rage that is behind that kind gaze.

But suppressing your own surprise, you dare him to give his reason. What’s he so glad about?

"Because I was finally able to keep my promise. You held up your end of the deal, but I hadn't delivered yet. That always bothered me. I'm so glad I got the chance to set things straight."

Unbelievable. He was still trying to pay you back for your efforts in trying to save him in the amusement park?! From the look on his face, a smile that is both genuine and unmatching his cold gaze, that genuinely seemed to be the case. Even though he had already saved your life once there… he says he’s relieved and it shows in his face, despite everything going on. And all you can do is lay there in silence, listening to the boy like he’s a sinner at a confessional, his injuries as proof of his repentance.

He reaches out for you, mumbling some dumb comment about how your leg looks much better now— and even though his arm is broken from the elbow down, you reach out to him, because you know that it’s sturdy enough to hold you up.

“You really are hopeless,” you say with a wry laugh, ready to take his hand—

—but you never make it.

As a mage, you should have known better than to drop your guard. The beast was felled, but in your sentimentality, you forgot that you had yet another enemy who was just as dangerous. You hear the ring of a bell, and a quick surge of magical energy is the only warning you have before the body of the boy who you tried so hard to kill at one point— who you tried to protect— is torn in half right in front of you, coating the pure snow in bright red when it collapses.

3/3

[emptyself]

[ when you all come back to, you realize that even soujuurou has been affected by the memories. his eyes are screwed shut, his breathing heavy...

and then it suddenly settles. one deep inhale. one exhale.

he picks himself up, his expression cold and imposing as he glares at the rest of the group. as eli mentioned, cornered animals are the most dangerous. it's a moment where even the hunted, can become the hunter.

with a spring of his feet, he leaps up to attack shalem with a jab from the elbow to his side (5+5=10), and quickly moves onto yoon to try and slam the side of his fist into his back (9+5), and then finally, poor jesse will get a roundhouse kick to the side (18+5=23).

you want a hunt? he'll give you one. ]

[strawsandals]

[ The vision is enough to stun Yoon into silence, to say nothing of how that powerful punch gets him to fall forward and land face first into the ground. That was an incredibly hard hit, one that's probably more powerful than -

...it doesn't matter. Soujuurou must be saved. Yoon doesn't heal himself but he will attempt to get back on his feet. ]

[prozaic]

[Not in the ribs :crymeow:

Shalem has to move back and away, rubbing his ribs, but he doesn't think anything is broken or bruised. Just a little sore. Yet, still, he doesn't take his staff from his tail. Though he thinks he might have to, just to have another limb to try and restrain the boy with. The strongest limb to restrain him with, in fact.]

[privatedomicile]

[Oh god. He just saw Soujuurou die. What the hell was that? And if that's Soujuurou, then who the hell is this? Jesse is barely able to comprehend anything going on before he gets kicked to the side and ends up lying on the ground.

It stings, and takes a moment for Jesse to get up and recover.]

Hey. C-come on...

[ledbythewind]

[Fortunately, Richard is here to cast a Diarama on Jesse, because as long as he's doing that, he can focus on something - anything - other than that memory and the memories of Richard's own that it's dredging up.

We're all having a great day here!]

[silentfury]

[Was that a memory of Soujuurou... dying? Being forced to relive that and ending up in this state is entirely understandable. Still, when the boy starts handing out punches and kicks like they're candy, Yuri can't let that stand.]

[townmusician]

[Ah.

Haruka is glad he's not getting hit, sorry white boy, but a fight is—kind of the last thing he wanted to happen? He's already bracing for the God of Conflict's messenger to be lurking, waiting to watch and see how they handle this, but... Damn. This sucks.

So he casts Tarunda on Soujuurou, to at least lower his attack a bit. If... it works...]

[gardenful]

[ Was that—

Was that his death? There are too many emotions and thoughts swirling in her head and in her chest, but she knows one thing for certain: ]

Please. We don't want to fight you...

[goei]

[OUGH.

He knew Soujuurou was strong from the memories they all saw, but actually experiencing it is another thing. The reflexive pained yelp the kick pulls out of Izou is bad.

The damage the force of the impact does to his insides has him coughing up blood, but he doesn't stay down long, though with how shakily he gets to his feet, maybe he should.]

Don't-
[Is all he can get out as he's still trying to catch his breath.]

[bloodweapon]

[Okay, Izou looks like he's the most injured here, so Fray reflexively casts Diarama. He's being a good Utility instead of attacking!!!]

It looks as though we may have to fight him to get him to stand down.

[goei]

[The Diarama will make his organs better. His blood is no longer trying to escape.]

... Yeah. Gonna have ta try to rely on ranged attacks cause he hits like a goddamn truck.

[fullmoonmutt]

Izou!

[ Why'd he rush in like that?! As if Eli hadn't also been considering it... fuck, fuuuck... He's on his way towards Izou to steady him, casting a Media once he's there... And it heals the other two. HE GUESSES.

It's an itty bitty heal, though, please help. ]

[goei]

[Luckily everyone is busting their heals out so he's no longer at risk of dying, but he still looks terrible because of all the blood. And appreciates the physical support anyway.]

'M fine, He just caught me off guard is all.
[Sure Jan.]

[cirquedesang]

[Izou...

With the amount of people here, he's trusting that others will have the healing handled (and, you know, he only has light healing anyway), but he does cast a Rakukaja on him for good measure.]

[pointzeropercent]

Wait-

[Gonna cast media to help heal Izou, Shalem, and Jesse.]

[supherb]

[Arven is trying really, really hard not to have a meltdown over seeing Soujuurou die horrifically right in front of him. Memory or not, it felt so real and he has absolutely no idea what it means.

There's no time to think about it, though. All hell has broken loose.

It's time to do his job as a healer.]

H-Hestia!! Help them!

[A round of Media is bestowed upon Izou, Shalem, and Jesse by the figure of a woman wrapped in flames.]

[beautifulknight]

[ God before he rushes in he probably has some sense of mind to cast Media on Yoon, Izou, and Jesse. ]

[imperiosity]

[Yeah, there was just no way it was going to go that smoothly, huh? He knows people might be reluctant to fight after what happened with Jordi, so he'll just draw his swords for now but pause until it's a little clearer what's going on with Soujuurou.]

BATTLE MECHANICS! (DO NOT REPLY TO THIS POST)

[emptyself]

[ Welcome to my twisted mind! Shadow Soujuurou's boss fight!

Shadow Soujuurou will have the following mechanics:

• high strength


• high endurance


• high agility


• middle luck


• low magic

His element is ELECTRIC and his weakness is WIND.

I will roll in the 1st round with +5 strength advantage for all his physical attacks.

I will roll in the 2nd round with +3 strength advantage for all his physical attacks.

Crits (20) will have to do an additional heads/tails (1d2) roll. If tails (2), it will miss.

Heals take no action. Debuffs take 1 action, and Shadow Soujuurou CANNOT be paralyzed or afflicted with Dizzy, Sleep, or Despair.

In each round, he will focus on FOUR random participants and attack.

Shadow Soujuurou has one major weakness. Find it and roll a 17 or more to stop the battle! ]

ROUND 1

[emptyself]

[ indeed, there's nothing much that soujuurou can do other than fight. the protests of others fall on deaf ears, as vacant eyes stare ahead and plan what to do. the flutter of heals are like a foreign language to him, an animal that's been raised to live in the mountains and nothing else.

it's time for the hunt, which means that the hunter must select its prey.

like an animal that focuses on the prey which is weaker, soujuurou goes for what's easiest for him: jesse, will receive another kick in the stomach (17+5=22), before twisting his body almost unnaturally and jumping to attack izou once more with an open palmed fist to the back (9+5=13). and, because he's close, fray also gets added into the fray as soujuurou lifts a leg to kick him away (17+5=22).

but last and very much not least, is our little healer sou, who he jumps at a frightening speed with a throat chop. (16+5=21) ]

[beautifulknight]

[ ......

Argenti's expression turns to outright displeasure. Soujuurou sure keeps on picking his targets in a certain way, huh.

He runs in immediately and tries for a swing (10) to either give an attempt towards tripping him up or otherwise landing a general hit on him. ]

[privatedomicile]

[He doesn't even get to thank Richard before he's hit with yet another kick to the stomach.]

Oof--hey, come on, snap out of it, man!

[Jesse hesitates to actually shoot at Soujuurou despite himself, so...instead, he casts Tarunda so that those martial arts will hit less.]

Is this how you used to fight bears?!

[goei]

[HIS KIDNEYS!!!

Getting fucking bodied twice in a row honestly should make Izou want to lie down and take a nap but instead it just makes him angry enough to forget what he himself observed and he goes in to just hit Soujuurou with his sword like he's trying to kill him.

Luckily(???) he did a fucking bad job (5)]

Fuck off already!!