WEEKS 11 & 12

[linkupmods]

WEEKS 11 & 12

YOU CAN'T GET OFF THE RIDE...

The dream king has been vanquished, and with it, everyone’s dreams have returned to normal. For those who have had trouble sleeping in the past few weeks, that’s a relief, right?

You know what they say - one step forward, two steps back.

The border between the Nekyia and the real world is thinning - watch your step, Chosen. With your Shadows still haunting you at every opportunity, turn the corner and you may find yourself suddenly in the Nekyia, tendrils of dark fog curling around your feet even though you’ve spent so much effort trying to clear the previous districts of fog and shadows. Blink, and you’ll find yourself back where you were in the real world, with everyone looking at you quizzically because for a moment, you disappeared.

Braphine’s temple is oddly silent. Where there were once priests and priestesses around the courtyards and the main building, now, when you visit, there is nobody around to attend to you. Walking through the halls of the temple now feels fraught with danger, almost - look into a mirror for too long, and your Shadow may end up looking back at you.

Speaking of attendants – maybe you should check in on your local priestess.

Thanks to everyone’s help with the Business District, it is now... actually, it’s more or less the way it always has been. People are still standoffish, and there’s a tension in the air - it feels like just one little spark is all that’s needed to start an argument or a fight.

In fact, it isn’t even only the Business District suffering these effects. Though specific individuals may retain a fondness for characters who helped them, the population overall seems to have regained its old vitriol towards each other. The Chosen saw for themselves the positive impact they were able to have on the City - what in the world could have reversed it all...?

TEMPTATION TOUCHED MY TONGUE...

You blink, and it’s there. Blink again, and it vanishes.

Perhaps your eyes are playing tricks on you, but where there used to be a park just outside the dorms, now lies a large orange grove. It does, however, look a little shadowy around the edges, like it’s not supposed to be there - and the strange thing is that it can only be seen by Braphine’s chosen. Asking any of the passers by will just net you bewildered looks.

Despite the roiling storm and the grey clouds outside, the sky in the orange grove is clear when you enter into it.

You are surrounded by the smell of orange blossoms, and as the scent envelops you, a strange feeling of unsettlement starts to build.

The oranges are in the right season for harvesting, and somehow you get an irresistible urge to pick one and bite into it. But biting into it comes at a price– you start to forget. It could be a memory, a part of you, or worse, one of the bonds you have made here.

The more of the oranges you eat, the deeper you fall into the grove, and perhaps, just perhaps, you might come into contact with a familiar face that gives you a warning before you fall too deep into it. Keep eating and you won't just forget. You’ll start wanting to eat things that aren’t meant to be eaten too.

After meeting with “Schneider”, you realise there’s only one way out of this hazy mess: help others to help yourself. It could be collecting little memories that glitter like “stars” amongst the trees, and walking people back to the scattered fragments of themselves.

Or it could be helping the shadowy farm workers, who look at you with disdain and ask:

“You city folk here to do some real work for once? Hurry up.”

They ask you to do a number of chores: chopping up firewood, cleaning stables, harvesting the oranges (but don’t you dare eat them without permission) and planting new trees. There’s also a church that you could help clean up and donate your funds towards which makes the shadowy figures very happy. Schneider will not be.

Each successful chore completed is another “part” of yourself returned, and the better equipped you are to help the people around you. Better start working.

It’s odd though. When you look outside the orange grove, it’s almost like the raindrops are moving in reverse.

(OOC: Schneider'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! Welcome to your memloss event!)

WEATHER FORECAST

Gloomy. Grey skies about, and the sun seems to have hidden itself away for some reason. When it isn’t raining or storming, there somehow seems to always be the sound of thunder rolling in the distance. Eagle-eyed characters may even notice a metallic glint through the clouds, every now and then...

Characters that venture into the Nekyia during these two weeks will find themselves occasionally being afflicted with Dizzy during combat. Watch your step.

COMMISSIONS

TREASURE THE TEMPLE

Without the Priest or Priestess to care for the temple, it continues to grow dustier and more dismal by the day. Characters who work together to help with upkeep - dusting, sweeping, wiping down surfaces, even airing it out by opening up the windows - will not only receive the regular rewards, but also find themselves imbued with a gentle desire to spend some time taking care of those they care about, too.

MASTERS OF THEIR ELEMENT

There are Level 50 Shadows to be found in the Nekyia, though thankfully they are not on the prowl. One can be found in each cardinal and intercardinal direction: Garuda in the East, Surt in the South, Scathach in the West, and Fafnir to the North, as well as Dionysus in the North East, Michael in the North West, Alitat in the South West, and Belial in the South East. Each of these enemies has punishing attacks, and will need to be taken on by groups of three or more characters. However, upon defeat they will drop a stone that glows with a soft light that corresponds to an element colour (e.g. pink for Psy, red for Fire); offer these to Braphine’s temple to give the goddess strength, and receive a Magatama in that particular element.

(OOC: Please turn in your threads for this commission on the rewards page to receive an Elemental Magatama which deals medium damage to one target in one specific element, and is valid for one time use during any battle. This is only valid for the first turn in of the commission.)

BONDS AND CONNECTIONS

”My connection to Sunset City has been interrupted... I no longer have the strength to support you as I did before. Look out for each other, and keep forging new bonds; they will protect you when I cannot.”

While characters have gained strength from the bonds they’ve forged, there are still those who are freshly arrived with no such defenses; characters who make the effort to establish relationships with faces they have not interacted with much so far will be rewarded. If the character has not been used for a Social Link writeup, they are fair game! Characters may choose what activities they partake in at their own leisure, whether that’s battling alongside one another in the Nekyia or using one of those coupons for a free dinner at a fancy restaurant. They should, however, have a focus on getting to know each other during the activity.

OOC

READ ME!!!!

Welcome to your log for Weeks 11 and 12! Feel free to use this log for any developments that happen during the next two weeks.
Please note that there will be no log next week BUT there will be a network post going up for endgame plot purposes going up once Week 11's palaces are complete!
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 Haruka's palace are underway and will start later today, and our Clover (capped) and Moon (FFA) palaces will be going up later this weekend!
Don't forget to check in with AC to get your endgame unlocks and submit your rewards/Rank 10 social links before 20 October, 11:59PM EST!

ic comm | inboxes | ooc comm | full nav

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Comments

[destage]

A. treasure the temple

[Let it known that Sayaka is willing to be a cleaning fiend when there's nothing better to do. Sayaka seems to be dressed up in some more casual clothing today--still very pink, but it looks like she's elected to go for a nice pink dress along with some legwarmers for the ensemble as she cleans around the temple. You might find her going about her cleaning, singing to herself all the while...

But you also might find her resting, setting out a blanket and taking her lunch in front of the temple. It looks like she's made some takoyaki, and there's plenty of it. In fact, if you happen to be nearby--]

Hey, do you want to take a break with me? I made some lunch, if you want some too!

2. around

[Sayaka's taking a firm rest after the two palaces that she went through, and as much as she's itching to fight some of those stronger shadows that appear, her work comes first.

...Or well, if you happen to be near the middle of town where Cafe au Lait where Sayaka usually works is, you'll be able to find out that it seems to be a former place of work. Sayaka appears to be talking with her boss and a coworker, and while they're both still a little bit of their old, snappish selves, they do seem to send Sayaka on her way with some gentleness. She's already turned in her badge and apron and seems to be talking with them, and while it's a little sad, they do seem to be happy for her. Of course, Sayaka will be a little sad once the talk is finished and she's out of a job, but...it was nice. Strangely nice, to have a schedule for a while.

You might also catch her training; ever since Sunrise's sword has come in, she's taken to it very well and seems to have a rigid schedule with taking it to the training field and practicing. If you happen upon her here, she will gladly look to you with a wave, but if you don't look otherwise tired out--]

Hey! Do you mind if I practice with you for a bit?

[...Seems that girlie wants to spar. Care to take her up on that?]

3. bonds and such

[Takoyaki seems to be one of a few experimental dishes she seems to be trying to make, because when the kitchen is not otherwise occupied, Sayaka seems to be taking quite a bit of time in here to test out some new dishes. There's a fair bit of soup--of which is almost certainly for Mina, the poor thing, but there's other little experimental dishes going on too, though Sayaka's unfortunately trying to read a recipe book on foreign recipes and having a time with it...

But if you're someone she hasn't talked to very much, she'll actually be flagging you down as soon as you step near the kitchen.]

Ah, hey! Did you need something to eat? I've been trying to get a little better at cooking, so I want to try making some new dishes. Is there anything I could try and make for you?

4. wildcard

((ooc: listen. feel free to hit me with stuff, i'm down for cute shit or stupid or whatevs. i'd even be down to do a shadow boss fight though i'd wanna arrange it in advance given that i kind of dropped the ball the first time around, whoops,,,))

Training

[vogelfrei]

[ Sayaka's development has been interesting to watch, even from the sidelines. The girl has embraced everything she seemed to be so unsuited for and thrown herself headfirst into a world of combat. From knife to sword... Thanks to the flee market he also knows she used to be a singer, and this is truly as different as it could get. McGillis finds it delightful to watch her go.

So he's in decent spirits when she calls out to him. ]

I do not mind at all, but we might be a little mismatched...

[ He is... a little taller than her. ]

[destage]

[Ah! Sayaka beams a bit when she sees McGillis; he's always been a reliable presence, and one that Sayaka's more than happy to see even if their social circles run differently a fair amount of the time.]

Oh, that's okay! I'm used to training with Fray, and most of the shadows in Nekyia have been taller than me, too. I'm not too worried about it--if anything, I think it'll be a good experience!

[She's just gotta see if she can find the practice swords, given that she's been getting used to using her real one...]

Are you experienced with swordplay, or should I find another weapon, McGillis-san?