WEEKS 7 & 8

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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!

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Comments

[gardenful]

[ She pushes and pushes and pushes, determined to find out who this door belongs to. There's a reason for the shift and change in the name, that's for certain, and Aerith is determined enough to find out just what that might be.

Hopefully it's not another palace.

Although, is finding herself in the middle of a battle in the ocean of all things much better? Only time will tell, but at least she can breathe just fine down here. She watches the events unfold in front of her, the way blood spills and gets taken away by the current in little rivulets, a frown on her lips.

Until someone directs a question at her, and her gaze immediately finds the owner of that voice. He's hanging back, probably hesitant to fight. At least, that's her best guess. ]

I could ask you the same thing.

[ Who indeed. ]

[speedingticket]

[ One of the six attacks, another joins him to attack in concert—one of those not dressed in blue, the whole person, long white hair swaying with the currents, takes it face on. More blood seeps into the sea.

The blonde puts a hand to his mouth in horror. His attention seems to be torn between the fight and the stranger, but ultimately, the stranger wins out. ]

We can exchange names later. But for now—please, find safety. Go back to the shore.

[gardenful]

[ She watches as even more blood filters into the water, her mouth set in a firm line. It's clear that Aerith is thinking about something, and she even nods to herself when her decision is made.

With resolve, she regards Rutile again. ]

Nope, too late. Tell me what's going on and I'll help you.

more mhyk anni4 spoilers

[speedingticket]

[ Rutile studies Aerith's face and he's...confused. Something's off. A normal human shouldn't be able to breathe under the water like this, not without their help. How is she talking to him?

But he shoves that thought aside for the moment. He bites his lip, stares hard at her, and then finally makes up his mind— ]

He's going to sink the island. [ His voice is quiet, as though trying to keep the others from hearing him. ] We need—if you can help evacuate people on shore, then...

[ The sea is vast. Very vast, though. Rutile's gaze darts to where, ostensibly, "shore" is, but what stretches beyond is a vast, inky darkness. The moonlight above is distant. They really are at the bottom... ]

[gardenful]

[ She lowers her voice too, doing her best to match his volume. ]

Got it.

[ As she looks up at the vastness of the sea above them, the difficulty of the task is apparent. While she would like to go off without further instruction, something this important can't afford to be messed up. ]

So I just swim back up there and move people off the island? [ Hopefully there are boats, but she'll find that out when she gets there. ] Are you coming along?

[speedingticket]

[ Rutile opens his mouth, closes it, then looks back to the group. As much as he worries for everyone present, especially the one not dressed the same as the rest of them, he isn't sure what else he can do, especially if his words aren't getting through to him...

There comes another blast of magic, but the wave of it rushes past them.

He looks to Aerith, eyes burning with resolve. ]

I'll go with you.

[ Without waiting for her response, he grabs her arm and shoots straight upward through the water with superhuman speed. ]

[gardenful]

[ Oh!! Shooting straight through the water like that is a surprise, but she manages to go with it well enough—at least past her initial gasp at their sudden speed. She grabs onto his arm too, just so she has something to hold onto. ]

Wow, I'm impressed.

[ Very impressed, actually. ]

Do you have a plan, or are we gonna wing it?

[ She's used to winging it, so if he hasn't given evacuation much thought beyond actually getting to the surface, Aerith isn't really worried about it. ]

[speedingticket]

[ As they break the surface of the water, Rutile just shoots a tiny smile back towards Aerith. He can go fast! It's his literal specialty!

The water droplets glitter around them in the moonlight, and in that moment of weightlessness, where they meet the air for the first time, they're like Lisa Frank dolphins.

It doesn't last for very long, though. Rutile thrusts a hand up and in it manifests a broom; he clings to the handle and hoists both of them up onto it. They're going to ride this thing? Yes. Like witches. ]

I do have a plan. [ The twinkling lights of the island are like tiny, warm earth-bound stars in the distance. Rutile looks at their destination, then back to Aerith. ] Some of the others should still be back at the castle, helping out already. Once we tell them what's going on, we'll have a better idea of what to do.

[ He looks forward again, and lowers himself. ]

Hang on tight!

[gardenful]

[ A broom, huh? If she didn't ride birds like they were horses, she would be a little bit skeptical of this actually working, but... it's not like she has any real time to doubt much of anything right now anyway.

So, she quickly sits sideways on the broom (she has to mind her skirt, after all) and wraps her arms around Rutile's torso for support. ]

Don't need to tell me twice!

[ After all, Aerith has a feeling that speed from before is going to make a reappearance in just a second.

Which is why she tightens her arms around him, bracing for it, and honestly? Kind of looking forward to it too. ]

[speedingticket]

[ Aerith is right! Just like she thinks, Rutile shoots off at top speed! She's holding on just as tight as she needs to be.

The wind whips past them, loud in their ears, but Rutile doesn't seem to mind. When he talks, his words naturally drift into Aerith's ears, but they're going fast enough that there's no guarantee he'll be able to hear her. ]

We could get back faster with Oz or Mithra, but Oz is with the sage and Mithra is... [ ... ] So I'll just go as fast as I can!

[ Glances back to say, ] You're a wizard, right?!

[gardenful]

[ Oh, they sure are going fast! It takes her aback, at least right at first, but she adjusts quickly enough by holding onto him even tighter. Hopefully she doesn't break her new twinky friend.

He's saying a bunch of names she doesn't know, but she figures that par for the course in a mysterious place like this, so she simply replies with: ]

I'm a Cetra!

[ It's probably hard to hear her, so it's a good thing she yells it, right? ]

[speedingticket]

[ It is hard to hear! But Rutile thinks he hears her right— ]

Central?!

[gardenful]

[ when i saw 500 edits in my inbox i cracked up ]

Cetra!

[ It's pretty pointless to try and correct him, but she's doing it anyway!!

But she'll probably do it again the moment they land. How far away are they anyway? She tries to peek over his shoulder just to see. ]

[speedingticket]

[ They're still pretty far out. One would think, with how fast they're going, the island in the distance would have gotten closer, but...

That doesn't seem to be happening. ]

What?!

[ If she didn't just confirm that she was a Central witch, then what is she talking about?

Rutile takes his eyes off the road (?) and looks back at Aerith in earnest, this time really listening. ]

[gardenful]

[ Wow, it's weird how they're just not getting any closer to the island... what's up with that? Eh, whatever. She's not going to fret over it just yet. ]

Cetra.

[ She smiles a little bit, now that she's got a feeling he'll actually get it this time. ]

Probably something you've never heard of.

[speedingticket]

[ It certainly feels like they're still moving, but the wind and the waves slowly fade from their ears, and Rutile can hear Aerith clearly.

...Huh. ]

Cetra?

[ He repeats, the word foreign to him. He clearly looks confused. ]

You're...not human?

[gardenful]

Nooot exactly.

[ Close enough to one but far enough away that it's caused problems, is what her tone seems to suggest. ]

Not a wizard either, but I've got a feeling you are?

[ Y'know. Since he asked. And they're on a broom. ]

[speedingticket]

I am.

[ For a moment, he just studies Aerith. In his mind, there are two options: human or wizard. So what if someone claims to be neither? ]

...Then how did you get here?

[ Wait, what are they even doing, anyway? ]

[gardenful]

I walked through a door, so this is probably some kinda dream.

[ Is it bad protocol to disrupt a dream like this? Maybe, maybe not. It’s possible wizards are like her—at least in the sense that dreams to have a sort of quality to them that can be easily disrupted by someone more in tune with the world around them.

Or something like that. Dreams can be weird, and it’s not like they have their powers anyway. ]

[speedingticket]

[ A door piques his interest. Rutile's eyes widen slightly, and he can feel his heart beating hard in his chest. There's a bright crimson glimmer of hope in his mind's eye and he reaches for it, desperately. ]

A door— Whose door? Was there anyone else around the door?

[ He doesn't realize they're basically suspended, unmoving, in space at this point. ]

Tall, red hair?

[gardenful]

[ And she can feel his heart start to hammer in his chest as she clings onto him still. It causes her to feel a small, yet sharp, pang of guilt. ]

Nope... I think it was your door, actually.

[ Her lips pull into a frown, ready for the disappointment she has a feeling is coming. ]

Is there someone you're looking for?

[speedingticket]

[ His door?

The odd things begin to add up—the strange intruder, "Cetra," the door... And now, his strangely fuzzy memory. Who was back on land? Who has been helping with the evacuation?

Rutile looks into the distance, but Borda Island is gone. Around them, now, is a vast expanse of space, and they still sit on his broom. ]

...Oh, no, I just thought... [ That he was coming back.

He looks back to Aerith, confusion clearly written all over his face. ]

What's going on?

[gardenful]

[ No longer afraid of falling, Aerith pulls back a bit so that there's some space between them. It has nothing to do with wanting her own personal space, no. She wants to put a comforting hand on Rutile's shoulder, and it's hard to do that when she's holding onto him for safety.

Her head tilts slightly as she wonders what Rutile initially thought, but prodding him for answers will have to wait for another time. ]

My guess is that you've gotten dragged into this mess with the rest of us. Maybe you're not really "here" yet, but you will be soon enough.

[speedingticket]

[ So something is off...

The way she speaks is ominous, to Rutile's ears. He doesn't like the way here hangs in the air like that, so after a brief pause, where he rearranges the things he knows and the inconsistencies in his consciousness, he asks quietly— ]

Where is "here?"

[gardenful]

A different world, if you can believe it.

[ And she thinks that maybe he can, that all of the magic she saw earlier might make this a little bit more believable. ]

We’ve been asked to help save a city against a god of conflict. And the fact that your door showed up with everyone else’s tells me that you just might be here with us too. Call it a hunch.

[ She smiles in a gentle sort of way, the kind that says she picked up on the quietness of his tone. ]