WEEKS 9 & 10

[linkupmods]

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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YOUR RA...

[linkmakers]

[...Is asleep at her desk again. But this time, her brows are knitted even as she sleeps - it does not seem to be particularly comfortable, or even restful.

How odd!]

DAWN

[linkmakers]

[ Dawn can be found around the dorms as well today! She's pacing up and down the halls, restless. ]

[finalmix]

[







... pokes her awake.

he's setting an energy drink in front of her btw. ]

[linkmakers]

[Waking up blearily.]

Whuh...?

[finalmix]

Sleeping on the job, my dear?

[ somehow he manages to sound both amused and sympathetic at the same time ]

[linkmakers]

-Huh?!

[That gets her to snap to attention.]

Oh no- I fell asleep?!

[finalmix]

For a while~ I've been standing here for oh. A good thirty minutes or so?

[ he's lying he's only been here for like three minutes. ]

[linkmakers]

[Just staring at him with a look of horror oh no!!]

Ohhhh my gosh, I can't believe I- I mean, I'm supposed to be helping, and-

[Oh no oh no oh no oh no!!]

[needsteaplz]

[Saori returns from a small grocery run when she sees Dawn pacing. Thankfully she doesn't have anything frozen to take care of right away. Surely, some kitty therapy should ease the jumble of emotions she's feeling since arriving here. She carefully crouches down and extends her hand out for the cat to examine.]

Hello there. You seem very deep in thought.

[prozaic]

Hmm... [Shalem wanders off to get a light blanket, then comes back and puts it on her shoulders.]

[linkmakers]

[ She'd be in a better mood to greet the newcomer (probably???), but to Saori's surprise, this one talks.

Dawn sniffs Saori's hand, as a cat would, before she says: ]

Ehhh, you're one of the new people, huh? I'm Dawn, Braphine's little assistant or whatever. She's the Goddess.

[ She says it really hurriedly, though, like she's in a panic - ]

Sorry, now's -- now's a bad time to answer questions.

[vogelfrei]

[ This week, a man who didn't know he still had relaxation left loses a last additional bit of relaxation he didn't even know he had.....

McGillis already sleeps very little. Now he's... mostly just not sleeping. There are only so many traumatic childhood memories he can handle being replayed at him every night, and he'd been dangerously close to reaching that limit last week already.

He looks visibly exhausted every time you come across him, though he's doing his best to totally play it off. But sometimes you may even find him in the kitchen in the middle of the night, making coffee and plopping several sugar cubes in it...

During the day, McGillis keeps up with his usual routines though. You can often find him in the Nekiya, clearing out monsters. Only, this time he's being watched by an angry child. McGillis is trying to not pay it any mind, even though he knows he's being watched. The child is glaring. At McGillis, at the world, at everything. There is always some kind of weapon in his hand, whether improvised or real. A knife, a chair, a club, a rock...

McGillis himself is also armed, but he's shooting with this left hand now. It's... not nearly as steady as you might be used to seeing from him in the early weeks.

But not all is doom and gloom. You might be noticing the new Sunset Theater posters around town, especially since they feature a familiar face. Smiling down at you from various bus stations and storefronts is McGillis Fareed, in costume as some kind of knight or prince! Looks like somebody found permanent employment!

You can catch him at the theater before or after practice, or come to his changing room after a show...? ]

[prozaic]

as your bonds deepen (before Atem's palace)
(cw: lots of horror, possible childhood trauma, possible mentions of terminal illness, possible violence and graphic descriptions of death, macabre bullshit, theater kid drama, lots of murder cult things. literally none of Shalem's secrets are pleasant.)

Hmm... [Despite looking tired, Shalem is... oddly in high spirits! He is never in such a mood, because he's been more gloomy lately. But at least he's picked up a bit, relaxed in some manner. A rarity, and one that perhaps should be taken advantage of because this place has become more harrowing. More difficult as the weeks go by.

He looks at his companion and indulges them with a smile. A genuine one.]

It's an interesting day, isn't it? I dislike speaking too much, but perhaps there's something I can find that will not be too... terrible, hm? Would you like to have some conversation? [He looks like he's thinking of having more than just a simple conversation-- and given how he's always so quiet, why not indulge him?]

[ dying to ask him a question? roll a d6! ]

nekyia commissions (any time during the week, shadow may cameo)

We should-- we should not be here for too long. [What's this? A stutter out of the normally well-spoken snake? Actually, yes. He looks worse than usual, like he hasn't been able to sleep lately. But with what's been going on, can you really blame him? But of course, that doesn't explain why he's so nervous to be here.

And nervous he is, not cold. He has a thick jacket on, to be comfortable in the chilly Nekyia air despite his handicap.]

Let's just finish the mission, and then leave, hm?

[He looks around as if he's looking for something... But not like one would if they're attempting to spot their quarry. Rather, he looks like he's looking out for stalkers. As if they, themselves, are the prey.]

one for the books (any time during the week)

[After the initial scramble to fill seats, there's... very little to do, really. Shalem is about to nod off in a corner in the room where the promotion is being held, but then he hears the door open, and he opens his eyes. And frowns. That's not one of the people he pulled in, he's fairly sure. So he points that person out discreetly to his partner for this little commission.]

Did you invite them in earlier? [Because they look suspicious. There's something off with that expression.]

[needsteaplz]

[Saori raises her eyebrows in surprise and lets out an amused chuckle.]

You know I should've expected talking cats in this world too given what I've been told. So you're like a familiar to her then.

[She pulls her hand away and smiles.]

Oh no, I totally understand. I don't suppose this is something a newbie can assist with?

[destage]

as your bonds deepen

[Between work and keeping things in tip top shape around the Dorm in Kirumi's stead, Sayaka's been a pretty busy gal; the strange dreams have definitely been plaguing her still, but she feels...stronger, somehow. Resolved in a way she can't quite remember; dreams aren't something she's good at remembering most of the time, but they've seemed more vivid as of late.

It's what sees Sayaka out early in the morning near the dorms, wielding what looks to be a practice sword and seeming to try and imitate some of the things she's seen. Though one can see a practice shield on her other arm as well. She'll probably bug some of the others for training later, but she's focusing hard on what she's doing.]

Maybe--hm. A sword probably can't be hidden as easily as Izou-san said the knife could be, but I could try to keep it low like he said...maybe I could try to attack gracefully like Argenti, or with ferocity like Fray...

Okay, come on Sayaka--keep your focus!

[She'll absolutely be going to town on that dummy, then, mimicking what she's seen and trying out some new things for herself. She's admittedly doing this one handed and having a hard time focusing, trying to be mindful of the shield, but it's...well, it's going! (6) One will definitely find Sayaka on the struggle bus a bit, at least...

...And then later on Sunday afternoon, a message will go out:]

Where is the best place to obtain a sword? I've got some money set aside and I'd like to try one out.

Thanks for your time!

the darkest before the dawn

[Ah shit. Here we go again. At the very least, when Sayaka ends up in a dreamscape of Hope's Peak, she's initially quite on edge--it seems like she's at least been doing her best try not to be caught unaware, though she's definitely having a harder time with it than she'd like to admit. Still, she ends up down here and if you do as well, can bear witness to a small conversation...]

no cws, just two idiots chatting

Oh, hey! Wasn't expecting to see you again, girlie!

[Sayaka startles when she sees a certain yellow eyed reflection of herself grinning at her--she remembers how the dream usually starts, waking up and finding a so called defective beside her, but she seems...different, this time around.

She's decked out in an armor somewhat reminiscent of Fray's, though it's very clearly different; it seems to have chosen a shade of purple for a color of choice, with some cute gemstones that glimmer slightly in safe area's faint light.]

...Do I call you by my name, or is that just going to be confusing? [Sayaka herself manages a gentle chuckle, though she looks over her shadow self with a smile.] Wow...you look amazing! You got quite the glow up, didn't you?

Ha! You like it? ["Sayaka" grins brightly, practically flexing in it.] It's such a good look! Honestly, I couldn't be happier in it. It's something you could rock too in time, you know.

I think I wouldn't mind it--giving it a try, I mean. [Sayaka finds herself grinning, giddily at the thought--it seems she's very happy with this, though she hears something over toward the Gymnasium. Sayaka and "Sayaka" both perk, and both have weapons at the ready.] Looks like we've got company. Are you ready?

You bet I am! ["Sayaka" herself is off like a shot, with her other self following--but Sayaka's eyes widen as soon as her other self starts to speak in earnest, horrified--] GOOD MORNING MOTHERFUCKERS, WHO WANTS SOME--

--H-Hey, watch your language when you're using my mouth!!

[...Slightly later, you can probably find the two near what's labeled as Naegi's room, "Sayaka" with a bar of soap in her mouth and Sayaka looking disapproving at her. They're chilling for now, though Sayaka appears to be healing her Shadow's injuries.]

dabbling in deliquency

[Let it be known that Sayaka looks like a pickpocketing target's dream. In all honesty, she was fully intent on finding the kids who've been causing problems and trying to get them to see sense, dispersing some minor forms of mischief--mostly keeping them away from Cafe au Lait, but it's when she's going weapon shopping that one of the kids decides to get bold.

A teenager decides to try and steal the very cute pink purse that Sayaka keeps her money in (3), but she's quicker on the draw (11) and manages to grab the kid's hand, her smile pleasant and doesn't betray an inch of who she is.]

What's this? You seem to be a little mistaken on who's bag this is, aren't you?

[The teenage boy, a good several inches taller than her, grimaces at her tight grip but doesn't let her purse go for even a second, glaring at her.] Shut up and hand over the purse.

Awful demanding, aren't you? [Sayaka's smile goes razor sharp, and her voice goes a little lower, seeming to put on some intimidation (15).] I'm only going to warn you once; drop the purse and leave while you have the chance. I'd hate to have to make a problem out of this, especially since you seem to be skipping class right now. Right? You should probably get back to the class you're missing.

Grr... [The boy's rightly intimidated; initially, it seems like he's going to let her go, and she walks away primly and with a smile...

But it's not long after that the teen rushes back to her and cocks his fist back, ready to punch her from behind (4).

Thankfully, he misses--though it doesn't look like he's going to give up.]

wildcard

((got something else you wanna do??? feel free to lemme know~))

@stillsunrise

[cleansewithfire]

Depending on what you are looking for, I could make a sword for you.

@shslidol

[destage]

Really?!（⊙ｏ⊙）I didn't know that was even possible here...!

That'd be great, Sunrise-san! I'm definitely looking for something light and made for a beginner--do you have any suggestions for that?

[emptyself]

the darkest before dawn

[ in all reality, it’s likely that you won’t see soujuurou and his shadow together in the same place. you may not even find him at all, as the dreamscape seems to spread into a wide field of beautiful white flowers under a night sky that looks so close and vibrant that you feel you can almost touch it.

and in the middle of the field, a young man is standing, dressed in a pure white shirt and pants. he’s looking up at the sky. ]

dabbling in delinquency

[ these teenage delinquents sure know how to pick a target! or not. because the moment soujuurou feels someone reaching for his wallet, he practically jumps out of his skin and away from the group of teens. ]

Hey, wait. What were you going to do with my wallet?

[ with his 18, he seems to have stunned the kids into listening to him. maybe jump in to help? ]

[linkmakers]

[She





continues to sleep, frowning with worry even while unconscious.]

[cleansewithfire]

I have set up a forge in the backyard. It will be difficult to make an especially large blade, but otherwise, it is doable.

Do you know what sort of style you wish to do? Single-handed, two-handed?

[destage]

I think single-handed would be good. I'm trying to learn how to fight with a shield in one hand and a sword in the other, and I have to admit, I'm only really able to go off of what I've seen from others. And I'm not the strongest in the world yet, so maybe that'll be a good light start, too?

Please feel free to do what's easiest for you--I'm rather inexperienced, so whatever you can think of will be good for me otherwise!

[vogelfrei]

[ Hi Mina... McGillis is here looking equally sleep deprived, but absolutely refusing to do anything about that. He clears his throat, loudly. ]

[linkmakers]

Somethin' like that...Shadow turned familiar, yeah...

[ She slumps over. ]

I dunno. My connection with Braphine is unstable. I can feel it.

[beathollow]

... Mina?

kitchen

[speedingticket]

[ McGillis isn't the only one suffering nightmares!

Rutile's been optimistic that he'll get a full night's sleep every night, but it never seems to come to him. Still, all his fears and anxieties seem to bubble to the surface, regardless of how mild he is in general, and he's just chalking it up to the change in scenery...

So there's an unfamiliar face in the kitchen tonight. Rutile pads in sleepily not long after McGillis starts making his coffee. He doesn't seem to notice he has company at first, sleepily putting the kettle on for his own tea. ]

Hm?

[ The smell catches his attention first, and it's only then that he notices the other man. ]

Coffee, this late at night?