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!

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Comments

[townmusician]

[He's in the ball, suffering as he has to deal with his roomie. He's too distracted to know he should be skedaddling...]

[fullmoonmutt]

Got ya.

[ Hi, Haruka. Say hello to Eli, who grabs a shoulder and spins him around to face the inevitable punch to the face (17 with advantage since Haruka ain't paying attention LIKE HE SHOULD BEEEE). ]

[townmusician]

[Sorry he has to explain HOMOSEXUALITY to some MOUNTAIN BUMPKIN, gosh!!!

Anyways, punch to the face successfully delivered, startling Haruka enough he drops his phone. He puts a hand to his nose, hissing. Is his nose bleeding?]

Fuck, what the hell?

[But he's not going to throw punch back because SOME PEOPLE have IMPULSE CONTROL.]

[fullmoonmutt]

What the ever-loving fuck is your goddamn problem, man?

[ For real, Eli would like to know. ]

[townmusician]

Well, right now my problem is that my nose is bleeding, so you're going to have to be more specific if you want a different answer.

[He doesn't think it's broken, unless Eli decides to throw another punch.

He also doesn't think Eli actually cares about any explanation, so forgive him for being cagey. Or don't, I'm not the boss of you.]

[fullmoonmutt]

You, sticking your bloody ass nose into other people's business! That!

[ Jealous his ass! Haruka doesn't even know what's going on with that mess! ]

[townmusician]

Why do you care so much about what someone who doesn't know anything says?

[If you're not jealous why are you so mad!!]

[fullmoonmutt]

I care so much because you don't know, but you run your mouth anyway!

[ ...or runs his evil little texting fingers, anyway. Whatever. ]

I ain't jealous. I just know what'll happen if they read all that shitty gossip.

[townmusician]

That's shitty gossip to you? It's not like anyone was making up shit that wasn't true to try to hurt them. Soujuurou's just an idiot who didn't know gay people existed because of all that mountain cult stuff.

[He's not trying to antagonize Eli, not intentionally, but everything about that seemed so... mild. At least to him, because it's not like anything was entirely fabricated or incorrect.

They were kissing after an attempted murder, so of course people would talk about it, but none of what was said seemed that bad to Haruka.]

It's not like it's going to ruin their reputations. I don't think anyone here is going to look at them any differently no matter what they think about it, so why should anyone care?

[It just seems silly to get so up in arms over something that, ultimately, doesn't matter all that much. Whatever people are going to say about them... Could they really be so thin-skinned as to be bothered by it?]

[fullmoonmutt]

[ Eli is unaware of the real hell that social media is. Sometimes there are perks to an apocalypse, but then you get stuff like this, so. ]

Nah, I'm not worried about any of that. They're just both big babies who would end up sulking about it forever. I mean, I'm glad people told Soujuurou what was up, but that was still a huge mess waiting to happen.

[townmusician]

[Big babies...]

At least it'd just be sulking. You should see when gossip really gets nasty.

[He touches his nose again, grimacing. Ow... How long is this going to be tender...]

[fullmoonmutt]

[ Ughhh, he's getting annoyed at how he pokes at his poor, abused nose, even though he's the one who punched him. He pauses to dig around a pocket and produces a handkerchief. Yes, it's clean and not full of snot, I know you were thinking it!

He offers it to Haruka. Look, it came with the suit, okay? He isn't normally this equipped to be gentlemanly. ]

Yeah? Like how?

[townmusician]

[He was not thinking it was full of snot?! But he will take the handkerchief anyways, holding it to his nose. At least his clothes are black so they're not getting stained...]

Well, I've seen people get their careers and reputations get entirely destroyed because of the gossip going around about them. Seeing everyone turn against them on rumors that were entirely fabricated...

[He shrugs one shoulder.]

So, they get released from their contract. Their entire livelihood down the drain because people fabricated a lie about a relationship that didn't exist.

[fullmoonmutt]

[ Whaaat the fuuuuck? ]

The hell kind of contract do they got that they get killed because of gossip?

[ Eli, that isn't what livelihood means. ]

Is this cult shit we're talking about?

[townmusician]

[..........

Eli...

It's so stupid it startles Haruka, and he huffs with a roll of his eyes.]

Livelihood like their career, not their literal lives.

[fullmoonmutt]

[ ...oh. Eli grimaces for a second and then, ]

Yeah? I knew that! I was just... joking. Around. [ No one would believe that, but okay. ] Well, what about the contracts? Like the kind with demons?

[townmusician]

...We come from very different worlds, huh.

[Well. You could probably call a lot of the execs demons and it wouldn't be entirely inaccurate...]

No, with the production company they worked for. Legal contracts.

[fullmoonmutt]

...with people. Right.

[ Normal shit. Wow. That's so weird. ]

Yeah, I'd say. Wherever you're from still sounds pretty fucking vicious if people are losing their careers over gossip, though.

[townmusician]

That's just how it is, when you have to cater to public opinion. If you're in a career where you have fans you should already know how fickle things will be.

[it's not weird!!! it's normal!!!!]

That's just how people are.

[fullmoonmutt]

Sounds like a pain. Why would anyone even bother with a job like that? If I found out people were gossiping about me, I'd track 'em down and beat 'em up.

[ good thing eli will never be an idol wow ]

[townmusician]

So... what you did tonight?

[Haruka gives him a pointed look, which is probably hampered by the blood smeared under his nose.]

But why people have jobs like that... It depends, obviously, but most jobs in entertainment are based around getting people to like you if you want to stay relevant, and a world without entertainment would be pretty boring.

[looks at the demon apocalypse...]

[fullmoonmutt]

Huh. Boring is good where I'm from.

[ For many, many reasons. ]

Unless you hate boredom, then you have to look into signing up for the military or joining a scavenger crew. The most entertainment we get is if someone knows how to play a guitar and has one tuned properly, or if we have enough electricity to run some old movie on a projector sometimes, so there isn't much to do with staying relevant there.

[ looks at demon apocalypse indeed..... ]

[townmusician]

[Well. That's a lot.]

Sounds pretty miserable.

[That's not a life Haruka could ever adapt to, he's pretty sure.]

No wonder you're so touchy.

[fullmoonmutt]

[ No wonder he's so...? Eli blinks, considering that. Huh. He scratches his head idly as he thinks about that with ponderous Eli-style brain power. ]

You think that's it? I mean, I figure a lot of it is the lycanthropy, you know?

[ DOES HE? Actually, no, maybe not. ]

But there's a lot going on there to be miserable about, I guess.

[townmusician]

Lycanthropy...? What, are you a werewolf or something?

[He can't doubt that werewolves could very well exist for real, but it's still like. Weird to think that this guy is a werewolf? From some weird fucked up apocalypse???]

...I mean. It's probably both.