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

code

Comments

[bloodandstars]

[ That's what I'm here for, she thinks and doesn't say. To think she went all the way to Aurum for this — crossed the Shield Wall, fought the Cumaea — and if she wanted to remember what it was like to dance...

Well, all she had to do was come to another world. Maika's eyes crinkle slightly in amusement but she obediently settles her hands where Aerith says. And then, ignoring the fact that it's not in the instructions, uses her hand at Aerith's waist to tug her a little closer. ]

This feels stiff. Are you sure it's right?

[gardenful]

[ Oh!! She wasn't expecting that, and it's evident in the way her eyes widen ever so slightly... but she quickly smiles, clearly having no qualms about being tugged closer. ]

Feels right to me.

[ She'll move to the beat of the song, in a slow step so Maika can get used to it. ]

Maybe you're just nervous.

[bloodandstars]

Nervous? Over a dance?

[ Or at all? Who would ever credit that? Maika snorts softly, but she follows Aerith's movements, using their closeness to anticipate each step as she shifts.

It's helpful. It's also very distracting. ]

That doesn't sound like me.

[gardenful]

[ And if she presses a little bit closer, well... hopefully Maika won't blame her for that. ]

No? Then what does sound like you?

[bloodandstars]

[ Well... not blame, that's for sure. But it might be the case that Maika Halfwolf, trained assassin since she could walk, probably with a base dex score of 18...

does, in fact, stumble a little bit in her distraction. ]

...Maybe that I'm being sabotaged?

[gardenful]

Sabotaged, huh?

[ Maybe that's true... Aerith did press closer to see how Maika would react, after all, and she got the little stumble she was hoping for. ]

Well, you're not totally wrong. Maybe I shouldn't, but I like this.

[ The music is loud enough that she doesn't have to worry about keeping her voice low. Just like at hot pot, it isn't private, but it certainly feels more like it is. ]

It means I have your full attention.

[ Because just like that, she's picking up that unfinished conversation. ]

[bloodandstars]

Huh. Maybe I can teach you to be mean, if I try hard enough.

[ Maika lifts her brows a tiny bit in silent recognition of the unmistakable thread of the conversation they'd started before. She isn't going to stumble again — probably — but only because she's alert now, her eyes even more intent on Aerith's face. ]

...Yeah. You still do. Thinking of keeping that promise?

[gardenful]

I am.

[ She just... needs a moment. Or two. It's hard to think when they're so close like this, close enough that even the music filling the room seems almost dim and far away.

But this is a feeling she knows, a feeling she knows well and has sat with for weeks now.

Still, her eyes leave Maika's face and flick around the room. Looking directly at Maika feels like looking at the sun right in this moment, so she can't bring herself to. ]

The thing is, Maika, I really like you. [ Her heart pounds in her chest, fingers squeezing Maika's shoulder. ] But then... "like" can mean a lot of different things, can't it? There's liking and then there's liking...

[ She's rambling now, isn't she? It's hard not to, not when it feels like she's tripping over every word that leaves her mouth. ]

What I'm trying to say is that... what I feel right now is like.

[ There's a certain emphasis on that word, an added weight to it. There isn't anything platonic about it, she knows that for certain.

And yet, taking this little plunge is terrifying enough that she still can't look Maika in the eye. If she does, she'll start to feel fear grip her heart and guilt settle in her stomach. ]

[bloodandstars]

[ It's not like this is a first for her. Not her first dance, not her first time with these emotions seething in her chest. But had she ever actually let Tuya try to say anything like this?

Maika swallows the tightness in her throat, her feet rooted to the ground for a moment because she knows if she takes a step it'll be too obvious that the thoughts whirling in her head have stolen her balance. It would be easy to be flippant — a few months ago, she knows she would have been. Or she would have given the easy deflection about what a bad idea liking her is.

Which... it is. But Aerith knows all that. And yet, for whatever illogical reason, the hesitation in the way Aerith looks aside doesn't seem to be from that. ]

...You probably already know that I didn't agree to go with you all those times because I just love shopping so much.

[ Part of her, most of her, wants to stop there. But she wonders how different things could have been if she'd talked properly before. If she'd ever let both of them air all of the fears in their heart without running away from looking her own fear in the eyes. ]

I'm not... cut out for saying things like this. I don't have the words for it. And it's not something you can get around by just "speaking from the heart." [ With a heavy note of irony there, like she's contradicting someone who's not even there to give their opinion. ] ...But I "like" you too.

[ Is that a good thing? She can't help but watch Aerith's expression with tense anticipation, uncertain if that will really dispel the worry she reads there. ]

[gardenful]

[ A lot of that uncertainty eases, but what remains can be attributed to what Maika already knows about Aerith—it's difficult for her to be emotionally vulnerable, and she has a tendency to run away from it. That she's putting her heart out there now is a step she isn't used to taking.

Some of the tension in her shoulders dissipates and she almost sighs in relief. ]

...I think you're pretty good at saying what you need to.

[ Maika cut right to the chase, which is what Aerith needed. ]

I feel kinda relieved. Like, I knew how you felt, or I had a feeling that you felt the same way, but... hearing it makes a difference, y'know?

[ She's rambling again, so she'll cut herself up and stop their little dance, stepping forward to wrap her arms around Maika's middle and rest her face in the crook of her neck. Sure, she could go for a kiss (and she will, don't worry about that), but right now? What she wants is this, to bask in this moment. ]

[bloodandstars]

[ Maika's certainly never been accused of being good at expressing her emotions, aside from anger. She makes a little sound of refutation, but doesn't protest further.

Has she gotten better at it? Or is Aerith just good at reading the weight in her words? Either way, it eases some of the tension from her shoulders. ]

...I know. There are lots of things that need to be said, even if we know them. And plenty of times where bravado is just a different form of cowardice.

[ Aerith is brave for saying it first, is what she's saying. She lets out a quiet huff of surprise and nuzzles her face slightly against Aerith's hair, breathing in the familiar scent again. It reminds her of the time before, and her thoughts flash briefly to Argenti's palace. ]

Lillies. I thought it was white flowers.

[gardenful]

My favorite flower.

[ Which is probably not a surprise, given Argenti's palace. ]

There's a place back home where they grow. They have no reason to grow there, surrounded by bad soil and a bunch of metal buildings, but they're there anyway.

You kinda remind me of them. Something beautiful that came from a rough place.

[ Maybe Maika doesn't think she fits that vision, but Aerith sees plenty of beauty in her words and actions. There's a kindness to her rough edges that hasn't had a chance to manifest, but Aerith knows it can bloom with time and care.

Her arms squeeze just a little tighter around Maika, a silent assertion that she fully believes what she says. ]

[bloodandstars]

I've got thorns.

[ The disagreement is reflexive, too deeply ingrained for her to catch. But her lips quirk wryly — it's not like she thinks Aerith had somehow failed to notice that, by now. Her thoughts are still lingering on Aerith's words, picturing the flowers growing stubbornly despite the metal cage around them. ]

...It's funny. That reminds me of you. Pushing through the dirt and the ugliness and everything that says the world can't be better than it is... and turning your face towards the sun anyway. Making something beautiful of a place that doesn't deserve it.

[ The world, the people. Maybe even something like Maika. ]

[gardenful]

Then maybe we're both flowers?

[ A little compromise. One she'll lean back to propose, a smile on her lips that hovers just shy of mischievous. ]

Maybe you're one with thorns and I'm one with lots of petals. [ Makes sense, right? ] Thorns aren't a bad thing anyway. Just a little bit extra to protect yourself.

...Oh, and to protect me, too.

[bloodandstars]

[ Hmm. Maika is usually an all-or-nothing kind of girl, take no prisoners. But it's not a bad compromise at all. ]

...Sounds about right. Maybe you're one of those climbing plants that doesn't have to bother about thorns.

[ Protective cover for Aerith, huh? She can't fight a smile in response, warmth in her amusement as she leans in again to rest her forehead against Aerith's. ]

Yeah. Even if you do act like you don't need it.

[gardenful]

[ Her eyes slip closed almost automatically, the warm press of Maika's forehead against hers comforting like a blanket draped over her shoulders. ]

Well... I could act like I do every once in a while. Just for you.

[ Like shouting for help or something. She wouldn't mind doing that if Maika really wanted her to. ]

[bloodandstars]

[ Maika's shoulders shake with a chuckle; Aerith is almost certainly close enough to feel the laughter more than hear it, even before Maika squeezes her a tiny bit closer in complaint. ]

Now, that's just patronizing.

[ But it would definitely make her come running. And probably laugh. ]

[gardenful]

I don't know. I think you wouldn't mind it. Maybe you'd like it.

[ Like a silly joke between them, something that gets brought up once in a blue moon that they can smile with each other over.

She shifts, moving so that her arms encircle Maika's neck. This is a lot more comfortable, she thinks, and it has her thinking back to that very first time she spent the night in Maika's room—like this is a culmination of that little spark they felt then, now nurtured into the warm flame that flickers between them.

It has her thinking only one thing: ]

So... are you gonna kiss me, or do I have to make the first move?

[bloodandstars]

[ Another quiet chuckle escapes her, helpless — it's too easy to picture it, Aerith's mischievous expression just to see if she'd come running...

...She would. There's a terrifying magnetism to that. The tug of being wanted, of being trusted. Of being someone warm and soft enough to have private little jokes with and not something treated gingerly, an incendiary device about to go off. Aerith touches her so casually, like that worry has never once crossed her mind. And maybe it doesn't matter whether it's ignorance, or stubbornness, or some impossible kind of faith, or all of those things. Maika opens her eyes just long enough to smile down at her when she asks. ]

Like you just did?

[ Not that she minds at all. Maika's let pride trick her into missing out on a lot of things. But not this time. She tilts her head as she leans down to press her lips to Aerith's, the smile still lingering. ]

[gardenful]

[ It's easy to admire Maika in this moment, despite the crowd and the loud music. It feels like they're in their own world, even moreso when Maika closes her eyes, a soft gesture that reveals a lot more than she probably thinks it does. Is she thinking about a nebulous future where Aerith does make Maika give chase? Or is she thinking about this moment right here?

It's hard to say, but Aerith would like whatever it was. ]

Maybe.

[ That's all Aerith can manage before Maika's lips are pressed to her own, her eyes fluttering closed. Like a warm fire, the kiss blooms hot and burning in her chest and her heart squeezes and stutters. There have never been fireworks, not for Aerith, and she never felt them with Zack.

But this? This warm, smoldering burn? She felt that with him, and she feels it now. That she would actually get to feel this sensation again feels like a miracle, and she kisses back with a small bit of intensity, her arms wrapping more securely around Maika's neck. She won't let it go any further than just this soft press of lips together, but she wants Maika to at least know how she feels. ]