WEEKS 9 & 10

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WEEKS 9 & 10

AS YOUR BONDS DEEPEN...

The charity event and the dreamscapes have come to an end... and the Fashion District seems a little better than it once was. Your efforts are being recognized, acknowledged by the environment and by Braphine herself. There's still work to be done - the thinning fog allows you to venture even further into the Office District, where there are stronger foes lurking around the corner and in dark alleyways.

Speaking of Braphine, she is pleased by your progress as a group thus far, and has given characters a little blessing: If there is something you've always wanted to tell someone – whether it be how you feel about someone else here, someone at home, a secret you've been holding in, or something else entirely – but have lacked the courage to do so, you may find the strength to say it now. While the God of Conflict forced ugly truths out of you, Braphine would like ones that come from a place of willingness without fear. This sensation will last until the end of your stay here.

How nice, isn't it? To feel like you're finally starting to get somewhere with your fellow Chosen.

The God of Conflict, however, thinks otherwise.

A LOOK IN THE MIRROR...

The world around you has seen a few changes. There are the positives, thanks to your efforts in completing commissions and forming connections, both of which aid Braphine.

However…

If you look in any sort of mirror, window, puddle that will give you your reflection, The God of Conflict is there, looking back at you, gazing at you eerily, freezing you and holding you in place.

"Well, well, well. Fancy running into you here, Chosen. Tell me…do you really believe that you're aiding Braphine in her mission? Do you really think any of the bonds that you've made here matter all that much, so much that it'll stop me, in the end? Don't make me laugh. We'll see how much your flimsy little chains hold up in time."

And then, just like that, he's gone…not without another little gift, though. You will be surrounded by 2-3 Nekyia Shadows once he disappears…in the real world. The Shadows, notably, will not attack unless provoked, and the locals will not be able to see them. As always, the only way you can attack them is through using your Personas; as soon as you engage in combat, you will also disappear to the locals like the Shadows.

For those who decide not to fight them, they will simply stare at you as you leave... but they will each briefly flicker into another form: The God of Conflict. But before you can say a word, they’ll disappear.

However, should you choose to engage in battle with them, any harm done to the environment or the locals themselves through the battle will be tangible. If you slam a Jack Frost into a building, it will leave a dent, in other words. The locals will not be able to see the actual fight, but they will notice the weird explosions and damages happening to them and around them. An important thing to note is that, being outside of the Nekyia, you will drain energy faster as you fight them, but you can defeat them with your Personas as usual otherwise.

THE DARKEST BEFORE DAWN.

So, maybe you didn't spawn a Palace, or even create a weird Nekyia environment like Soujuurou and Joshua have. That, however, does not mean you are free of your Shadow selves.

However, you are trapped with them. If you venture into the Nekyia, every so often when you look over your shoulder, they may be there, watching you, taunting you, following you around, even interacting with people (yourself or others) as if they were corporeal-- blink and you may miss them hovering over your shoulder, and turn the corner and you may just see them in the distance.

What follows your Shadow selves even after you return back to the safety of the dorms are the nightmares... which you find yourself having a little more often than normal. If you happen to stumble into a shared dreamscape, it looks... slightly different from when you last saw it. The nightmares always end the same way, though, even if the dreams are different: your Shadow self is staring back at you, haunting you before you wake up.

For anyone who has already confronted their Shadow selves, however, there is a glimmer of hope. In the Shadow's place is the best version of yourself, reminding you that although this is a nightmare, it does not have to continue forever. You have changed thanks to the people around you. Perhaps this is Braphine's reminder to you that she is still here, and despite her quiet, she's still watching.

Speaking of quiet, though…

…Has anyone checked on Mina lately?

And why does a certain brown cat keep on pacing in the dormitory hallways?

( OOC: A few limitations to keep in mind regarding this prompt:
• Shadows can now appear exclusively in nightmares, in the Nekyia, OR BOTH.
• Since the Dream King has not been vanquished yet, those who want to continue the dreamscape prompt as your nightmares are free to do so (this is optional though). Your Shadows are going to be here regardless!
• In this prompt, Shadows are NOT going to possess any characters. They are haunting you in the Nekyia (and may engage with other player characters, should you desire to go that route)!
• On that note, you can let your Shadows manifest however you'd like – they can yap, they can be completely quiet and stand menacingly, they can appear in quick glimpses and jumpscare you or linger for as long as you're in the Nekyia. They can stick to you or talk to others. Either way, everyone will see each other's Shadows.
• At this time, Shadows cannot be defeated outside of Palaces and mod-run mini-events.
• The same limitations apply to those seeing their best selves over their Shadows. )

WEATHER FORECAST

Balmy weather with a light breeze. Weather looks fair and comfortable for the next two weeks but don't forget to wrap up warmly or risk catching a chill! You wouldn't want to fall sick, would you?

Characters who journey into the Nekyia when it is getting chilly may find that Shadows in combat may be randomly afflicted with Freeze during combat.

COMMISSIONS

REAL WORLD COMMISSIONS

NO HORSING AROUND

The zoo is looking for volunteers! They need hands available to feed and clean up after the petting zoo animals in particular. You won’t be dealing with lions on this job, but you will be face to face with goat kids with a penchant for headbutting, so do take care while you work!

ONE FOR THE BOOKS

A new writer is in town to promote their book at the library! The problem is... very few people signed up for the meet and greet. Library workers are looking for volunteers or, really, anyone off the street who can be convinced to at least attend the poor author’s reading and fill out the room a little. Those who do end up attending will be treated to a reading of a high fantasy tale with romance, trysts, and a surprising number of werewolves, but those who manage to stay attentive may just notice a suspicious individual slipping in partway through... A disgruntled netizen has decided to make a mess of the author’s first meet and greet, and will get violent unless someone stops them.

DABBLING IN DELINQUENCY

Some of the students on the island have decided not to return to the classroom after all - instead roaming in packs around the city and causing general mischief. Try to turn them back on the path of decency! Especially when the boldest of them decide you’re a prime pickpocketing target...

NEKYIA COMMISSIONS

FANDOM WARS

“Disgusting... Anyone could pick up that slop and read all kinds of depraved things... People who write that stuff should just die.”

It seems someone got a little too into fights online about books - because their gripes about today’s tales has created a Shadow in the form of level 39 Thoth in the Nekyia. Worse yet, those who are inflicted by Rage by this Shadow cannot be cured with a simple spell - instead, those afflicted will find themselves venting out their frustrations for their battle companion to hear. The effect ends once the battle is completed, or they finish getting everything off their chest, whichever comes first.

KILL THE LIGHTS

“Don’t they see? There’s so much money to be made! If we just expanded our influence...”

A crooked politician trying to drum up support for military activity has generated quite the shadow. A level 40 Eligor can be found deep in the Nekyia’s business district, muttering to himself about all the profits to be had with a little conflict. Needless to say, things will get very, very bad if he goes through with it - take him down before he can start anything!

HORSING AROUND

The Nekyia business district is overrun with Unicorns teaming up with Ganesha to make quite the formidable team of a fierce fighter and a powerful support. That said, those who defeat the pair may just find that their foes have dropped quite a useful healing item...

(OOC: Please turn in your threads for this commission on the rewards page to receive a Bead Chain, which fully restores HP to all allies (maximum 4 including the user) and is valid for one time use during any battle. This is only valid for the first turn in of the commission.)

OOC

READ ME!!!!

Welcome to your log for Weeks 9 and 10! Feel free to use this log for any developments that happen during the next two weeks. There will be no log next week.
We're heading into endgame and AC is due 30 September, Monday, at 2359 EST! The boon for this month's AC has been updated as well - please have a look!
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.
Palaces are still going strong - sign ups for Atem (here) and Kirumi's (here) capped palaces are still open, and sign ups for our FFA palace will be going up later today.

ic comm | inboxes | ooc comm | full nav

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Comments

[unweathered]

4 am bruschetta making

[Where has Schneider been for the last week and a half ? Don't worry about it.

People might be called to the kitchen by the sound of banging pans and the delicious scent of rosemary and olive oil on bread. Schneider is busy cursing under her breath as she pulls out another tray of warm bruschetta]

Fucking city can't even do bread right.

[Hmph. All over the table is bread. Foccacia and bruschetta. Endless trays. Flour is everywhere. Help
]

4 AM Bruchetta because OBVIOUSLY

[metagame]

[Hey, you know who usually gets up before the ass crack of dawn? Atem. Because his body knows the sun. Though now it's October the sun usually rises later than 5 AM... Yet old habits persist.

So, yes, he's awake, and very curious about who's making such a racket so early in the morning.

When he sees its Schneider he isn't surprised. Somehow this seems exactly the kind of thing she would do. She's simply the kind of person who bakes a truly absurd amount of bread at 4 AM.]

I know they say bread is life, but aren't you going a little overboard?

[unweathered]

You think so?

[ Ah. Hm. Surveying the kitchen. There's not much left that's not bread...]

But there's still counter space left.

[metagame]

Who's going to eat it..?

[He asks as if he isn't grabbing a knife to cut a piece of focaccia for himself. Hey, he lived close enough to the Mediterranean to know that anything with rosemary and olive oil is delicious!! And Schneider wouldn't make such an abundance if she was a poor baker.]

[unweathered]

You, clearly. [ And as a little aside]

There are plenty of scabs around to polish this off when you're done.

[ Some of the best loaves are set aside...for who? Who knows. But Atem will be allowed his fill of the best looking ones too. They're all delicious though.]

[metagame]

Come now, Schneider. You may be years and years ahead of me, but you should know we're both connected by the Great Green Sea. If you thought I'd deny myself a chance for fresh bread and oil for breakfast...

[Yum!]

And without grit, too. That's one thing I don't miss about Egypt.

[bloodandstars]

[ Maika doesn't have her wolf senses here? Too bad. Her very human nose is still enough to summon her for that amazing bouquet of scents. She's still visibly huffing the air as she pads quietly into the kitchen. ]

...Are you winning?

[unweathered]

[ Oh. Here comes another stray. Have one of the nicer loaves, Maika]

I always win.

[She does not and they both know it but]

[bloodandstars]

[ This, from her actual stray cat?? Hello??

Of course Maika will accept the loaf, however. She kind of wants to bury her face in it and just bask. ]

Hn. If you're looking to bribe more hired muscle... it's not a bad start.

[unweathered]

You're finally rethinking it? Mm...I would have baked earlier if I had known this was how to win you over more effectively.

[it's a joke...but also, a certain someone still needs to get her a proper pizza oven]

[bloodandstars]

Poets probably had something to say about that, too. An army does march on its stomach.

[ Maika muffles a snort in finally taking a bite out of the bread. She can't even say anything sarcastic when she's eating something this good... what a curse. ]

So what did bring this on?

for kaine, the reasons leading up to the 4am bruschetta making

[unweathered]

[Schneider's space in the shared dreamscape has gotten worse. It had been empty before, nothing more than two doors leading to her past. But now, it's flooding, with the rain pouring in, an endless pitter patter with no end in sight. There's only one door now, leading wide open to a yawning abyss.

And there is a little girl, with a striking resemblance staring back hollowly before she runs off into the dark]

[moonshaded]

[The rain beats down on her as she enters the barren dreamscape. Flinching from the water droplets and half-covering her head with one arm, Kainé almost misses the child waiting for someone to give chase. Familiar and small. She reaches; the rain is probably dangerous; it's too late.]

Hey - ! [The child is already gone, leaving her chasing after nothing. Kainé isn't patient enough for games like these.] Where do you think you're going -?! [Legs splashed by water until they're soaked, Kainé runs to keep up with the child, maybe too recklessly following through the storm and into emptiness.]

[unweathered]

Marian! Marian!

[The little girl continues to run without a second thought, dashing along the dark paths until they slowly become dead woodland. Acres of burnt trees spread out into the distance but the little girl keeps running without a second thought. The rain continues, heavy and the wind picks up, tearing at their clothes, soaking them through. It's cold.

They reach an empty mansion when the little girl finally stops, panting, and looks back]

...did you see her? Marian?

[moonshaded]

[It's grim, the mix of rain and darkness and fire-torn landscape. Kainé stops next to the girl. Even though she doesn't often feel cold, the storm here cuts into her bones.]

I haven't seen her. Is she supposed to be in the house?

[She looks up at the mansion. Looks can be deceiving, but if it's anything like it looks, then they're not going to find anyone here.]

I don't know if we're finding anything here.

[unweathered]

...she was...saved. I got her out of that place and the little potion maker said she helped her.

[ The little girl looks up and reaches up to touch the doorknob. The door swings open to a dark, dank place despite the dull shimmer of gold along the doorknobs, the chandelier.
Money lays scattered across the floor with odd tears in it that looks like teeth ]

So why isn't she here?

[kandata]

[Goodness, what are you doing this early making bruschettas?]

Are you trying to prove a point to them all?

[Is that whats up, Schneider? Going to show them how bread is done right?]

[unweathered]

They all have the tastebuds of dogs. Proving them wrong wouldn't make a difference.

[ her poor homeland cuisine... booo]

But at least I can eat what is good now.

[kandata]

There's something about the satisfaction of proving them wrong, at least.

[Kirumi may be trying to be a different person now, but she hasn't lost the encouraging parts of her personality -- even if it's to encourage feeling satisfaction at others' expense]

[unweathered]

Mmmhmm. It is fun to rub it in the faces of supposed professionals.

[Ah, how funny it would be]

You seem better now.

[kandata]

Hubris always needs to be taken down a peg or two. How confident are you in your baking?

[Will it put these so-called professionals to shame, Schneider?]

I have gotten a lot of help recently. Despite that, I still try to help around if I see a way. Old habits are hard to leave behind.

[Won't be a maid anymore, but it's hard to shake off the helpfulness]

[pointzeropercent]

[He comes looking for the source of the sound, and he can't help but smile when he sees who it is.]

Ah. It looks like you did though.

[unweathered]

[ Hmph. She glances up and pushes over a tray of cool bread. Warm and delicious but not too hot to touch]

Of course. I really can't stand how they keep butchering my homeland's cuisine.

[pointzeropercent]

[He will take some, thanks.]

It's a staple of Japan: every foreign food is messed up in some way. You should see Americans reacting to hamburgers here.

[unweathered]

[Hmmm]

The hamburgers? [Ah] Yes. That slop. I wonder how they can get everything from outside so wrong.