linkingup | WEEKS 7 & 8

WEEKS 7 & 8

THE SEASONS TURN...

Shopping District

Entertainment District

Nekyia Fashion District

DO YOUR PART FOR CHARITY!

Saturday

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!

Charity Event

Flea Market!

ball

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.

hallway full of dressing rooms.

door that has your name on it.

journey there and find out what awaits?

here.

two weeks

OOC: Sayaka's top level is NOT time sensitive, nor is it a mod-run 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!!!!

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September 28

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[The more he watches, the more sick to his stomach he feels. It's so much worse than his time with Kujou, but he's reminded of it nonetheless, especially when watching the faceless children who aren't doing as well as the little snake and the kitten. (Can you call a person with cat ears a kitten...? He's not really sure.) The failures make him worry, a feeling of dread coming with the thought of what might happen next.

The seemingly endless cycle of training reminds him of when he was young and stupid, fooled by false promises and trying so hard to do everything that was asked of him. The intensity makes him angrier, too, as he watches the children get pushed to their limits. It's not how real training should be—they should be allowed the time to recover to prevent injury, but...

There's a sense that nobody cares about that. His hands have balled up, nails biting into his palms, but for now he manages to convince himself to keep from reacting no matter how much he wants to punch that butler. There's going to be some payoff for all their training, isn't there? There has to be a performance coming up... eventually.

He's not looking forward to seeing what it is, honestly.]

[Day in and day out, this is how the children train... until, one day, it isn't. The adults change it up.

The dancers in crimson are nowhere to be found near the makeshift stage. Instead, people in dark cloaks are, their features indistinct with their clothing. What's more, they all have daggers in their hands. So do the children, for that matter. They come to the lesson with all sorts of daggers in their hands, the little snake carrying a stiletto in his hands, his grip showing that he's comfortable with it.

Those are their drills for the day-- for the week. Sparring against their seniors with weapons, using whatever they can do to get the upper hand... And failing, of course. They're still young, understudies, even. What hope do they have to properly winning? Their seniors are not kind either, they push their juniors around, throw them down, and even swipe with their own weapons. They're not afraid of injuring anyone, a callous disregard of the lives of those younger than them. Even the little snake and the little cat are having trouble.

Whenever a child stumbles or falls over, the adults standing at the fringes whisper among themselves-- their words are indistinct, but their disappointment is palpable.

The next day is the same. And the next. And the next.]

[Well.

This escalated, which shouldn't come as a surprise, and in a way it isn't, not after the things he saw from Soujuurou and Jordi's... whatever they were. There are all sorts of insane things he's seen even in just these few short weeks, so this might as well be happening.

That doesn't mean that Haruka is just going to stand idly by, even though he doesn't know what he can do about anything happening. This might not change anything at all, but seeing the kids get pushed around and injured... He's moving before he can really think about how he's absolutely outmatched, stepping in between the adult and the little snake, trying to block their next attack and grab their arm (7). What he's going to do afterwards... He'll figure it out. Or die trying.]

[The person he's just touched whips their head around to look at him-- their head may be covered, but they are certainly looking at him now. Every single one of them. The yard has gone silent, all their focus on Haruka. The one who's just been grabbed then grabs Haruka in turn, tossing him down onto the ground, and then--

He's saved from being killed (3) by a new arrival. A sudden presence that causes a ripple through the crowd and the children, an indistinct figure towering above everyone else, difficult to look at but impossible to ignore-- it's the same presence that was taking up the little kitten's attention. Everyone bows to them.

Even the children, tired and clumsy as they are. Even the little snake, who spares Haruka only a glance.

The newcomer's voice is deep, booming, and sinks into one's very bones. Raises a hand and beckons to the kitten. That is all for the day. Solitaire, come.

With that, everyone returns to normal, the students disperse, and the little snake starts to leave, head hanging so no one else gets to look at his face as he walks away in shame.

Haruka is free and safe. He's lucky, even if he's not lucky enough to escape the judgement of the adults, commenting about his form, the force he exerted, even how he fell. How did he even get to that age with that sort of pathetic technique? Surely, his teacher would have dealt with him a long time ago.]

[Well, his teacher threw him aside like trash, if that's what counts for dealing with him. Haruka bristles, but he's too stubborn to let things lie even if everything is telling him that it would be better to let this go. It would be safer, but, well.

Haruka isn't concerned about his safety.]

Fuck off. If you have anything to say, say it to my face instead of gossiping with each other.

[if he dies in this dream... rip,]

But I guess you like it when people are just obedient, don't you?!

[He asked for it. The teacher must have failed in their duties and been dealt with, but they must have missed one of their students. So this must be rectified.

They take Haruka in hand, grips on his limbs firm as they take him away, their hands so strong that escape is almost impossible (17). This encampment is in a forest, and they take him deep, deep into it, until the tents and the music disappear, until the sounds of fighting, training, are all gone. Just him and the cloaked figures now.

And a little snake, creeping through the brush, doing his best to remain stealthy as he follows them, as if the adults do not already know he's there.

They do know he's there, they just don't care. They simply throw Haruka to the ground, and take their daggers out. And slit his throat.]

[But it's not actually Haruka's throat. He'll find that he's untouched, safe-- like he's a ghost in memories once more.

There is, however, a real body where they had thrown him-- the body of the child who'd been having the most difficulty with the recent training sessions. One of those shadowy, unnamed children lingering in the background and lacking in detail.

There's an almost violent rustle of leaves and bushes, and the little snake shoots out of them to run all the way back to the encampment, as the adults begin the process of burying the corpse in the dead of night.]

[It would be better if it had been Haruka bleeding out, and not some kid who didn't deserve it. (Does Haruka deserve to die in his place...? Wouldn't that be the easy way out?)

Haruka watches them bury the child the moment, not sure what to do, but... He takes a deep breath, turning and heading back to the encampment. He wants to see if he can find that snake with lavender hair... or that kitten. They seem to be the best of the kids, and that just makes him the most worried for them.]

[The encampment is quiet now, save for some music, the plinking of piano keys, almost tapping out a lullaby. The childrens' tent is right there, utterly silent, but the tent entrance hasn't been touched. If he looks in it, he won't find either of the children he's looking for.

Instead, the snake is at the fringes of camp, hiding in between rocks and trees, under a bush with his tail wrapped around his leg. He's not crying, but he looks shell-shocked. Enough that he doesn't notice Haruka? Or... perhaps he can't perceive Haruka at all.

This is not a memory anymore. This has become a nightmare. A long dream.]

[Unfortunately for the both of us, Haruka continues to be stubborn and stick through this hellscape instead of, like, trying to find a way out.

He doesn't stop searching until he finds the snake, pausing for a moment before he sits down next to him. There's a long, long silence, before...]

...Shalem?

[The boy doesn't respond-- it's clear he can't perceive Haruka. Instead, he takes out the dagger he'd used earlier, staring at it with intent... And the intent is not what might be implied if someone takes out a dagger. Instead, the little snake stands, shaking leaves out of his hair that's on its way to becoming long and unruly enough to curtain his face.

He takes a few swings with the dagger, a few stabs in the air, the way his teachers had been showing him earlier. He has a terrified look on his face, like he's only doing this kind of training so he doesn't die, the way his peer did. To become competent enough that they wouldn't take him aside for being weak and useless.

Haruka may feel hands on his shoulders, a tight grip, but there's no one there but himself, and a very, very young Shalem.]

[It's truly been a while since he's felt so useless, but all Haruka can do is watch him train. He pulls his knees to his chest, hugging them loosely, and watches.

He tenses slightly at the feeling of someone unseen gripping his shoulders, but not for long, the tension loosening. He doesn't look back, not caring if whoever (whatever?) it is means to hurt him or not. (Or if it's just a figment of his imagination.)]

Well? Are you going to do anything?

[It's directed at whatever may (or may not) be there with him and the young Shalem, because he knows very well that someone in Shalem's position can't choose what to do himself.]

[Perhaps Haruka didn't need to ask.

The boy's swings become more frantic, less practiced. Desperate, afraid. And yet he still doesn't stop, sparring with an enemy only he can see. His teachers? The little kitty? His peers? That giant figure that took Solitaire away?

He manages a wide, strong swing that leaves a gash in a nearby tree, shredding through bark and causing the sap within the tree to begin to well up.

The "boy of the abyss" smiles widely, wildly, his growing fangs on display, just for a moment before his expresion sharply drops and he drops the dagger. He puts his face in his hands and shakes. The sound of the first sob that escapes him is remarkably lower than the voice of a boy who hasn't even hit puberty yet-- more like the voice of an older man.

The grip on Haruka's shoulders grow stronger, and he may just feel a yank, until the scene he's looking at disappears and all that in front of him is an adult snake, almost a decade older than that boy in the forest. Shalem's eyes are wide.]

Haruka. [Shalem's voice is soft, almost hoarse.]

[Watching the boy just brings back that sense of unease from when he first wandered into this dream, and when the grip becomes a pull, he gasps in surprise.

He looks up at Shalem, scrambling up to his feet. There's a brief—very brief—where it looks like Haruka is going to say something, but then he's stepping forward. There's no hostility to his actions, which isn't to say Shalem will pick up on it, or that he'll be prepared for Haruka burying his face in his chest, clinging onto Shalem in a hug. (i'm using the 15 for this u can't stop me)]

I'm sorry.

[For what happened...? Or for the fact that he saw something that must be so painful to remember? It's not his place to pry into these things, and he doubts it's the sort of thing anyone would want someone to see, much less someone like Haruka.]

[Oh his fucking god, why.

Shalem is not expecting the hug, nor is he expecting the apology, and he freezes, unsure of what to do. What is happening right now?]

Sorry... for what? What happened?

[Sorry, Shalem!!]

I don't think I was supposed to see what I did.

[He at least has the decency to step back after he says that, collecting himself. He hugs his arms close to him, looking down at a spot on the floor.]

Maybe it wasn't really, but... You know. Strange things have been happening, lately.

I don't understand. [Which is... a rarity in his life. He tends to understand quickly because of the amount of watching he does, before he just does anything. But he feels like he's asking one thing, and Haruka is telling him about something else entirely.]

What are you talking about? I don't know what you saw.

[He looks back up at Shalem, chewing on his bottom lip.]

I...

[Right. Starting over, from the beginning.]

I walked into this lounge, with all these paintings, and I walked up to one that looked like someone looking around some curtains... then I found myself in some camp, where there were all these kids being... trained... to dance and fight...

[He trails off, glancing back down.]

One of the kids looked kind of like you. Same hair color, a little tail... And there was another kid, with these big fluffy ears, while everyone else was kind of fuzzy? Or covered up in robes.

[Except for that butler, but. Fuck that guy, honestly. Haruka thinks he's the worst.]

[Ah. Now it all makes sense.

Haruka saw his childhood-- not the entire thing, but a significant snippet of it. Solely because every moment he spent in that Troupe was an opportunity for the claws they had in him to dig just a little bit deeper.]

A day in the life. [A soft murmur in response to Haruka.] That was what my life had been like until I became an adult.

[So yes, he'd been in theatre at some point or another. But he didn't drop out to become a bodyguard. Haruka just assumed, and Shalem filled in some details.]

Edited 2024-09-25 17:56 (UTC)

[Well, he knows now that his assumptions were entirely off-base and there's a tragedy hanging around Shalem's neck, which...

Hm. He wonders.]

...Is this why you didn't come to spend time with us?

[He straightens back up, arms dropping to his sides.]

When we went out for hot pot, I mean. After Yoon... y'know.

[Had a palace and all of that nonsense.]

You'd missed me that badly? [All right, that might be too light for the current circumstances...]

I shan't deny it was one of the reasons-- it's best not to go into a celebration like that after a battle.

[Well, it's also far more nuanced than that, but it's not as if Haruka should know everything, even if he has seen quite a lot. Shalem really just doesn't want to be a part of a social gathering, for this reason and that.]

But also... It is a celebration for friends, among friends, and I am not among those counted as friends.

Edited 2024-09-25 21:34 (UTC)

[He does Not pout at the teasing, absolutely not. This is serious!! (Sort of?)

Considering the look on the young Shalem's face when he cut the wood, and the way it quickly crumpled... He doesn't have all the pieces, and he might be entirely off base!, but he thinks he has an idea of why post-battle parties might be off the table.

That's not the important part. Or, well. It's important, but it's not something Haruka can speak on.]

...Why do you think nobody would see you as a friend? You would be as welcomed as anyone else.

[He huffs.]

And running away just makes sure you don't get friends. It's a self-fulfilling thing! Next time... take a break for yourself, then come stop by. I'll make sure things go long enough for that.

[He raises a hand.]

I think you misunderstand. I leave because no one is my friend, no matter what they would say about our relationship, and I am content with that lifestyle. [Rather, he made himself content with that lifestyle.] Hence, there's no need to force a gathering to stretch for long enough to accommodate someone who will never come.

[He stares at Shalem, quiet, trying to make sense of just—all of this.]

Wow. You're an idiot.

[sorry, buddy]

WEEKS 7 & 8

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2/2 cw: child death

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