WEEKS 7 & 8

[linkupmods]

WEEKS 7 & 8

THE SEASONS TURN...

Time really passes, doesn't it? Before you know it, you're halfway through the time that the goddess Braphine has promised that you'll be here, your home away from home. You are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, maybe, even through all the challenges and eventful (!) twist and turns that have followed you through your stay here. Surely there can't be anything else lurking in the wings, right?

Through the efforts of all of Braphine's chosen, the city definitely is starting to feel a little bit cheerier, in contrast to the temperatures that are starting to cool as the seasons in Sunset City turn and the leaves change their colour. The Shopping District and the Entertainment District look and feel decidedly more warm, and a quick trip into the Nekyia also show that the haze has cleared from both districts, with the Shadows lurking much fewer in number.

Further exploration will find that the haze has thinned to explorable levels in the Nekyia Fashion District - there are Shadows to be cleared, after all. Maybe if you are lucky, they might drop you a little something in reward for your efforts.

DO YOUR PART FOR CHARITY!

On Saturday, there's a notice pinned in the lobby of the dormitory:

CHARITY EVENT FOR THE TEMPLE OF BRAPHINE
9/21
FLEA MARKET AM
FORMAL MASQUERADE BALL PM
Come and support the temple when we need it most!



Yes, you read that right: There will be a Charity Event for the Temple of Braphine, hosted by no one other than her devoted followers. They sent this over to the dorms to request the Chosens' assistance, it seems, and as the flyer says, this is an all-day event to take place on September 21st.

In the morning, there will be a Flea Market! There's a note from the hosts that they'd like the Chosens to either find a vendor to assist, provide entertainment, or participate as vendors in the Flea Market. At night, a ball will be held with live music, dinner, refreshments, and an open dance floor for all. They are not asking for your assistance with the ball, however; rather, you are automatically invited as esteemed guests and are encouraged to dress your finest for the occasion!

Given that this isn't for another week, however, it is highly encouraged that you shop around to find an outfit you'll look snazzy in for the ball. You can also start preparing merchandise to sell; or maybe, perhaps, you'd like to save that street performance for the Flea Market? Either way, you've got a long week ahead of you…

…but it won't be all rainbows and sunshine.

KEEP DREAMING.

Late into the night on Saturday, you will dream. What that dream consists of varies with each individual, but you will have one, even if you've never dreamed before. This dream could be a core memory, or perhaps about something you've always wanted, your worst fear...the list goes on.

The next day, anyone who enters the Nekyia will find that, aside from the strange "Palaces" that have popped up, things aren't right yet again…but for an entirely different reason. No matter where you are, you enter the Nekyia to a hallway full of dressing rooms. It's a fairly long hallway, because venturing down it will eventually lead you to a door that has your name on it.

Why don't you journey there and find out what awaits?

–

After seeing "Sayaka" and finding your door, you'll find something even more strange.

That dream you had last night? Well, it's here. Your dream may manifest as a small, contained landscape from your dream; a creature that you may have dreamt of might be scurrying around; another version of you, different from a Shadow; or you could be unlucky and have one of your memories on full display for everyone to see.

This phenomenon will last for the next two weeks, and dreamscapes will shift with the different dreams characters have. It won't be a one and done ordeal, unfortunately…but there is, perhaps, a way you can stop it.

(OOC: Sayaka's top level is NOT time sensitive, nor is it a mod-run event. This can be treated like a regular top level to be tagged at your own pace!

Please see the "A Dream Unraveled" commission for some details on what's causing the dreamscapes to appear! Welcome to your dreamwalking/memory share event!)

WEATHER FORECAST

Temperature: hot and humid, but gradually getting cooler! Surprise showers may occur during these two weeks when you least expect it, so stay sharp and don't get drenched!

Characters who journery into the Nekyia when it is raining may find HP-restoring items dropped during combat with Shadows.

COMMISSIONS

REAL WORLD COMMISSIONS

BATTLE OF THE BRANDS

Two boutiques on Amaranth Avenue have been at war with each other - figuratively, at least. The sweet lolita brand Cookies for Mice and the punk brand Panthera Punks started out merely vying for advertising space, but have now been taking rather pointed pot shots at each other in their marketing. As the shops are across from each other, it’s plain to see the owners are taking it personally as they can’t seem to stop glaring at each other from across the road. Won’t somebody help mediate before it escalates any further…?

AN ALTERNATIVE CANVAS

Up-and-coming makeup artists are looking to land a job with a new makeup brand in the area, and their final test: finding a model (or two) to model their work and prove their skill. Characters will find that these artists are on the prowl for willing (or not so willing) faces - but at least you’ll be compensated for your patience as they endeavor to make you look your best?

FISHY FUN FASHION

Saffron Street has been chosen to host a highly regarded fashion show! The theme: aquatic life. They need models of all sexes and sizes to walk the runway in ethereal clothing that brings to mind deep sea creatures like bioluminescent jellyfish, or even angler fish! For those who are not brave enough to walk the walk, volunteers are needed to help maintain the large, specially made tanks the city’s aquarium has generously lent out for the occasion. The tanks are full of friendly fish and plant life to create the perfect backdrop for the show! …You know how to use diving gear, don’t you?

NEKYIA COMMISSIONS

THE LION AND THE MOUSE

She thinks she’s so great… I’ll show her! We don’t need her prissy, holier-than-thou attitude around here! We’ll see how she behaves when her shop’s reduced to shreds…

It seems the owner of Panthera Punks having beef with the owner of Cookies for Mice isn’t just a real world problem - she has her very own Shadow in the form of a level 30 Narcissus. Take him on in battle and help to loosen its grip on her in reality before things get much, much worse.

HER HEART WON'T GO ON

How could he… After all I’ve done, after all the money I’ve spent… He leaves me behind for her?! I’ll make him pay… I’ll make them both pay!!

It seems one of the local models has had a rather nasty breakup, and the ex and other woman may end up suffering a rather harrowing fate if all these feelings of anger are left to fester… Characters who follow these angry rants will find themselves face to face with a Level 32 Leanan Sidhe, a jealous lover all too willing to enact a very real harm on those who wronged her. Fight back against the Shadow and teach her the value in moving on from a lover who was never worth her time to begin with.

A DREAM UNRAVELLED

Deep in the Nekyia, whispers and wails can be heard; a fashion designer bemoans their dearth of ideas, and hotly defends their choice to steal their designs instead. After all, this was their dream, and they can’t give it up now - no matter the cost.

Characters may find the Unfaithful Dream-King in a nest of collected dreams of the populace - including some of Braphine’s own chosen. He will be a powerful opponent for sure, but it seems solving this particular Shadow problem is the only way to ensure everyone can have a good night’s rest once more.

Once he is defeated, he will drop a rare item. Who knows, maybe this will help you in your journey ahead.

(OOC: Please turn in your threads for this commission on the rewards page to receive a stat boost item, valid for one time use during any battle.)

OOC

READ ME!!!!

Welcome to your log for Weeks 7 and 8! Feel free to use this log for any developments that happen during the next two weeks. There will be no log posted next week, but a top-level for the charity event will be posted instead on next 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.
Don't forget that the deadline for applications and character swaps is on September 28!

ic comm | inboxes | ooc comm | full nav

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Comments

[pointzeropercent]

Dreaming

[Sou's door is slightly ajar, letting anyone who is curious come right on in.

Stepping in will reveal a set of podiums, of which there are twelve. Eleven are currently full, with just one left for you to take.

Also of note, Sou is among the eleven at the podiums already, standing between two guys. Also, while Sou's collar is hidden by his scarf typically, everyone else has very visible collars around their necks.

Everyone looks your way as you enter. Looks like you're fashionably late.]



Dream...2!

[This time Sou's door opens up into a hospital room. It seems to be a shared room, with only one bed occupied by someone hiding under the covers. Hmm, interesting. Want to go check on it?]



Note in the dorms

[Someone has found the note and is standing there reading it. Don't mind him, he just looks a little tired right now.]

A masquerade, huh? I guess we're supposed to dress up?

[Now he'll have to spend his hard-earned money on new clothes. Or go earn more because he's perpetually broke just like back home.]


Wildcard

[Come at me with other prompts yo.]

Dream 2

[unweathered]

[ Schneider blinks. The feel of the hospital room is unfamiliar, so she gets up and goes to approach the person hiding under the covers]

Hey.

[pointzeropercent]

[Suddenly the blankets fold back and a mess of green hair becomes visible as the person there sits up.]

Surprise!

[This is unmistakably Sou, but just younger. Maybe 13 or 14 or thereabouts. Despite wearing a hospital shirt and pants, he seems cheerful.]

[unweathered]

[Oh. Schneider doesn't startle back but she lifts her eyebrow]

What are you doing, hiding in here?

[pointzeropercent]

Well I can't leave yet, the doctors said I won't get discharged until tomorrow. And I already read through all of my books, so I didn't have anything else to do.

[Indeed, there is a stack of five books on the table next to his bed. He must have been reading for a while.]

[unweathered]

How come? You look fine to me.

[ She sits on the edge of the bed, looking at the books. Huh...]

...do you want more books?

[ She's a little embarassed to admit she's not very good at reading these thick books but]

[pointzeropercent]

I get sick a lot, and I spend a lot of time here in the hospital. I guess they want to make sure I'm healthy before letting me go home.

[He perks up a bit when he hears the promise of more books.]

Yeah? Do you have some?

[unweathered]

Mm...I used to get sick a lot too. [ Schneider nods ]

I can get you some from the lobby. They normally have a lot there.

[pointzeropercent]

Oh? How about we sneak down there then so I can see what's there?

[He is most definitely supposed to be in his room and will get in trouble if he gets caught while out of bed.]

[unweathered]

[Schneider, who is very used to sneaking around a lot...]

Sure. Shall I still a wheelchair?

[pointzeropercent]

[Oh no, he's excited now that he can escape the confines of the hospital room. He scoots right on over to the edge of the bed, ready to go.]

I can walk, but a wheelchair would help make it look like I'm supposed to be there, wouldn't it?

[unweathered]

[*steal thanks autocorrect. But she grins and ducks out. She's a little too familiar with this]

Mmhm. No one looks twice at someone rolling someone else along in a wheelchair.

[pointzeropercent]

Exactly! Nobody'll question a thing.

[He will wait patiently for her to get a wheelchair. Luckily one is nearby and easy to get.]

dream 1

[emptyself]

[ soujuurou doesn't like to have so many eyes on him. the moment that everyone turns towards him he freezes, assessing all the unfamiliar faces.

gulping, he raises a hand. ]

Um... hey.

[pointzeropercent]

[Sou smiles at Soujuurou, but everyone else seems kind of tense. And before too long a woman walks in, standing near the podiums but not at any specific one.]

"Goooooood morning everyone! I hope everyone remembered to bring their role cards with them!"

[Suddenly Soujuurou will feel the weight of a card in his pocket. If he pulls it out and looks at it, it will say "COMMONER" and have the picture of a rake on it.]

"Remember the rule: you can claim anything you wish but you cannot show anyone your card."

[She smiles a wide smile before continuing on with the explanation.]

"Now then! The main game is split into two parts. The first part lasts 70 minutes, and at the end of it you must vote for someone you wish to see voted out. Only the five people with the most votes will be eligible for votes in the second part. In the second part you will have twenty minutes to deliberate, and at the end you must vote for one of the five eligible targets. Whoever you vote out will die!"

"And don't forget: if you vote for the Keymaster, then everyone dies! And if you vote for the sacrifice, everyone except the sacrifice and one other person of their choosing dies! But if the sacrifice isn't chosen, then they will be killed alongside whoever isn't voted out. So choose wisely~"

[Her laughter rings out throughout the room.]

"Are there any questions before we begin?"

[emptyself]

[ oh.

oh gods.

he just got roped into something ridiculous and deadly again, didn't he? ahh, and this time it's... it's to kill someone? no. he has to be hearing things wrong. except the more he mentally rewinds, the more times he hears the same thing in his head. whoever you vote out will die. whoever you vote out will die. whoever you vote out will--

this is where sou came from!?

soujuurou grits his teeth, his gaze on sou. he wants to say something, he really does and, he can't catch himself before blurting out something that could easily be considered stupid. ]

Apologies. But in what way is this a game? This is murder!

[pointzeropercent]

"The game is in making sure you're not the one voted out. After all, this is a game of survival. Only two participants maximum can win this game, and everyone else must die to get there."

[The Laughing Doll suddenly looks a lot more ominous for a moment, only to smile pleasantly again.]

"But that's for later. For now, you only have to focus on voting out someone else while not getting voted yourself. Simple enough, right?"

[emptyself]

[ there's something about that person that deeply unsettles soujuurou. unaware of the fact that she is, in fact, not a human, to him it seems nothing more than a human forcing others to commit horrible acts for the sake of "survival".

this is simply just another incomprehensible fact of city life, it seems. but even while accepting that fact, it's not something that makes him feel any better.

he grips the sides of the podium, looking down at the surface as if it were going to disappear from under his hands if he loosened his grip. he says nothing else, his only thoughts being of deep concern for sou. ]

[pointzeropercent]

"No more? Good then, let's begin the deliberation!"

[A giant clock appears on the wall, displaying 70:00. Then it starts ticking down the seconds, eroding away at what little time they have to make a decision. The main game has begun.

A college-aged woman is the first to speak up, sounding terrified:]

"How...How can we decide this? How can we pick someone to die?!"

[An elementary-aged boy is the one to speak next:]

"This is no fair, woof! I'm not going to vote, meow!"

[The large redhead next to Sou speaks after the boy:]

"Gin's right! We shouldn't even be entertaining this idea!"

[Finally, Sou is the one to speak:]

But we all saw what happened to Mishima-san...with these collars on, what choice do we have?

[Who does Soujuurou want to speak to first? The college-aged woman, the kid, the big guy, or Sou?]

[emptyself]

[ clearly upset by the distress of everyone around him, soujuurou can't will himself to talk to someone he's never met before. which means that he'll obviously make a beeline for sou, as he's a familiar face at the very least. ]

Sou. You're genuinely thinking of voting for someone?

[ he doesn't even bother to ask what the punishment is if they don't vote. if what they're doing is asking someone to die, then he's certain that the punishment for not voting must be similar.

nonetheless, he can't accept it. ]

This isn't right.

[pointzeropercent]

[Sou looks to Soujuurou, and then he glances away. He is thinking about potential punishments for not voting.]

I...I don't know. I don't know what to do here, this is all so messed up! But I...I don't want to die...

[The college-aged woman speaks up here, sounding a bit frantic:]

"I-I don't want to die either! None of us do!"

[emptyself]

[ soujuurou glances at the woman, and then at sou. there’s a sense of fear and resignation growing in his chest, but he doesn’t let it show in his face.

… ]

I also don’t want to die, but is there really no other way out? Sou, you’re smart. There has to be something you have in mind.

[pointzeropercent]

[It's true, Sou is normally the ideas guy, but this time he has nothing.]

All we can do is survive, and hope that we don't get voted out.

[The dream will abruptly jump ahead, and Soujuurou is presented with twelve names to choose from:

Sara Chidouin
Joe Tazuna
Keiji Shinogi
Kanna Kizuchi
Q-taro Burgerberg
Sou Hiyori
Reko Yabusame
Alice Yabusame
Nao Egokoro
Kai Satou
Gin Ibushi
Shizuki Soujuurou

Make your choice, Soujuurou.]

[emptyself]

...

[ soujuurou looks at the list, his heart sinking as he realizes what's happening. even if it's just a dream, it doesn't take away from the fact that it feels awfully real. ]

What if I give you more time, Sou. [ he looks up at him, straight at him, as if trying to determine the young man's intentions. ] Can you think of a plan by then?

[pointzeropercent]

What do you mean? There's a timer counting down, that's all the time we get.