Field Mission 6: A Day in Thay, Part 1

[balancemod]

oh man best of luck out there dudes NAVIGATION Click here for the RNG thread! Ready or not, rested or not, it's time to get moving, Reclaimers. You've got a very, very long day ahead of you. And another one. And another one. And, you get the joke. Early Friday morning, with the Director there to see them off, the Reclaimers load up into the Bureau's transportation orbs for the sixth time since this whole ordeal began, and make their way to about a mile or two outside of Thay. It's important to try to stick to the story, at least — that you're all visitors from a faraway school, here to spend some time with the students and faculty of Boarbumps. As much as Lucretia would have liked to join you, she can't. None of the other leading members of the Bureau of Balance can. Whoever enters Thay, after all, is entering a bubble, after all. A time trap. Nobody will be able to leave until the Relic, the Lamp of Undoing, is either retrieved or destroyed. Someone needs to be able to continue if you all can't. 1. SEVEN O'CLOCK ALREADY As we noted in the OOC post, prompts on this log will be a quick few sentences of specific things happening during each hour. It's expected that Reclaimers will be seeing all of these events multiple times! So feel free to play with them as you see fit. If you're not sure if something you want to do would warrant a roll, please ask us in the RNG thread. ○ The Reclaimers have arrived in Thay, much to the curiosity of the highly intelligent, occasionally highly ... suspicious ... residents. Nevertheless, they recognize you as visiting, esteemed students, and, though perhaps still suspicious, welcome you into their fold. Also, as a note: Every time the relic is used, time is reset to this moment. ○ Boarbumps Academy for the Magically Inclined opens its doors to the Reclaimers. This is your first opening to explore the school — afternoon classes begin in an hour. ○ Rainer Arunsun, The Regent of Thay and Highest of the Hermetic Order of Red Wizards, can be seen watching the new arrivals by the entrance to the Red Keep. It's difficult to discern any emotion on her face. Shortly before 1 p.m., she retreats back inside. ○ Afternoon classes at Boarbumps begin, starting with a lecture on the magical circuits of the common toad. If you happen to sit in on this one, as a visitor from another school, you may be asked to assist in the dissection. You will be heckled by the rest of the class as deemed fit. ○ Erinne and Adriel can be seen within the hallways of Boarbumps arguing in a very heated manner. Some... less than choice words are exchanged between the two before one, or both of them take their wands out and begin throwing magic missiles at each other. No one knows why the fight starts, but the two have had bad blood before, and this isn't the first quarrel to happen at Boarbumps between them. A staff member arrives on the scene and is accidentally paralyzed by a misfire. ○ The town proper, surrounding the Red Keep, is open for a farmer's market. A bountiful harvest of goods are on display, but in particular, Thay is known for its amazing quality of medicinal herbs and magical reagants, many of which are rare without travel to the area. The merchants typically shoo students off, unless they have a hall pass provided to them by the faculty to retrieve something of import for class. ○ The second afternoon class at Boarbumps begins. Are you three or four time loops in and in desperate need of a nap? This class, The History of Boarbumps, is for you. You will be treated to a long and droning lecture about how the students attending during Boarbumps' very first semester banded together to stop a particularly plucky troll. Which you'd think would be an interesting tale. It is not. ○ Someone's enchanted several books at the library to begin rattling and shaking from the shelves themselves. All over the racks, spines pop out from their homes and fall to the ground, magically lift up and return to some other, non-Dewey decimal approved locale. Other books begin dancing — yes, you've read this correctly — dancing on the tables. Leon would be going into cardiac arrest at the moment, but it looks like someone's playing a prank in here. Again. This librarian looks far less tilted by this. It must be a somewhat normal afternoon for her. ○ Over in the center of town, music, a single violin playing a mournful tune, begins to play. It's unclear where exactly it's coming from. ○ The third and final afternoon class at Boarbumps — Fighting with Fire — begins. The professor, known to be slightly more unorthodox in her teaching methods, will recruit any Reclaimer who happens to be there to defend themselves from the students' incoming fireball spells. The potency of the fireballs themselves range from the tickle of a candle, to that one time you ate a ghost pepper, to one particularly fiery spell that might actually hurt you. ○ There's a scream in the girls' bathroom on the 3rd floor of Boarbumps. Anyone who enters realizes, very quickly, that no one is actually in there. Apparently, this particular lavatory is haunted. ○ Szass Astrosz dips class to go visit the local shrines within the town of Thay. He's been known to skip class before, so his departure from the halls of Boarbumps is rather nondescript. He spends time there praying quietly to his god. ○ There's a slight catastrophe over in the Town Square. That is to say, a giant spider seems to have escaped from Boarbumps and is terrorizing the vendors, to everyone's surprise. Subdue or dispatch it, it's up to you. ○ There's a scheduled council meeting to take place within the Red Keep, a usual weekly affair where Rainer, Casariel, Onerion, Gromph, and the rest meet to discuss matters of the town. Today's is canceled, as Gromph is called out to take care of the arachnid chaos currently convening around the Town Square. ○ Someone places a standing mirror around the corner of Boarbumps. If you happen to stand in front of it, it doesn't show your reflection — rather, it shows the person that you desire most. The mirror is gone by 5 p.m. ○ Cleanup of whatever damage the spider did is underway. In the meantime, the faculty of Boarbumps and the Hermetic Order of Red Wizards invite the Reclaimers to a small dinner in one of the public meeting rooms at the Red Keep. Every member of the Red Wizards are present, aside from Onerion Wyvernspur and Brian Darling. ○ The shops around the town of Thay begin to close for the evening. People are somewhere between annoyed and blase — the spider escaping was new enough, but weird Magic Things are, as you can imagine, pretty commonplace. ○ Over at The Sleepy Willow, cozy, fluffy pillows are arranged on the floor around a large fireplace. The owners will also serve you dinner, if you decide to skip the meal at The Red Keep. This may be one of the only peaceful moments you have to study everything that you've learned thus far. ○ No matter where you are in Thay, you'll feel the ground rumble underneath your feet. The residents largely pass it off as an earthquake, but will note that they have become much more frequent lately. ○ Towards the latter half of the hour, the rumbling within the school grounds causes several of the animal cages used in Onerion's Wondrous Beasts class to come unfastened as they begin to escape. Shortly thereafter, various beasts of all shapes and sizes are set free and begin running for freedom. None of them seem intent on hurting students, but they look to make an exit out of town in the quickest way possible. ○ Droves of the skeletal undead that are used around town seem to freeze in place, no longer retaining their animation. Whatever they're holding currently falls to the floor. Whatever task they're working on comes to a halt. No one understands why that is, but even the best necromancers around town can't seem to wake them back up. ○ With a sudden loud roar, the ground of the town square suddenly begins to split. People, shops, and everything else begin to drop into the chasm, despite the Red Wizards, and everyone else's, attempts to save them. ○ In the last split second you remember, if you happen to look down in the chasm, you'll notice a pair of bright, glowing eyes. Whatever exactly is down there begins to claw its way to the surface. ○ And then, just as suddenly, your vision turns white, and you're briefly overtaken by dizziness. When the haze clears, you are standing at the entrance to Thay. The sun hangs directly overhead in the sky. You have returned to 12 p.m. 2. OOC: A SPECIAL SHOUTOUT You are welcome to keep track of how your character experiences these time loops as much or as little as you're comfortable with — we'll also be tracking what you all are doing! Our Minato player Kel came up with some extremely snazzy coding if you would like to track how each loop plays out for your character more closely. Thank you, Kel! Of course, this is completely optional. Keep up with as much as you'd like, have fun as you see fit, and we hope you enjoy this mission! blurb code by photosynthesis

Comments

RNG

[balancemod]

A few notes to keep in mind!

○ You have a limit of three investigation rolls. Please use them wisely!

○ If you would like to interact with one of the NPCs who do not have a thread below, it counts as an investigation roll. Please keep requests to this thread.

○ DCs on average will be lower than they are in Wonderland — however, death in Thay is highly likely and largely meaningless. You will not incur a death penalty if you die during this mission, unless specifically told so. There's more info on that on the OOC post under time loop mechanics.

[rockymountaindie]

Let's break this baby in with two rolls!

1. Alex is first of all going to try and get some information from the Raven Queen...which he won't be able to do. Whoops. In realizing that, he'll try something new, while at the local shrines. It's time for baby's first prophecy attempt. ICly he's trying to use this to get any kind of connection to the outside world possible, and maybe the shrines will help boost that? Probably not, but you know, he's trying.

2. As mentioned here, Alex is going to try and flex those research muscles, this time hopefully without starting another cult. Please. Dear fucking god, please. Ferran's going to help with his Academic and INT bonus, and Maya's going to help with...her sparkling personality.

Whether he can find something in the library or not, he's going to definitely sit in on that history class at least once, to see if he can glean something. And likely fall asleep, but, ya know.

Also any DC is good I'm sorry for the edits

WHAT RAINER ARUNSUN KNOWS

[balancemod]

Want to interact with Rainer? Leave your plans here.

[ribticklers]

Sans will introduce himself to Rainer as a teacher from the Bureau Academy. In an unprecedented and therefore worthy of note move, Sans is actually wearing an outfit befitting of a technomancer (specifically this super cool hoodie except in cloak form).

Sans is going to start out asking her about the skeletons. You can see why he would have an interest.

(Note for later, since this will eventually be relevant, Sans is recording this conversation on his bracer, which is covered by the sleeves of his cloak.)

WHAT BRIAN DARLING KNOWS

[balancemod]

Want to interact with Brian? Leave your plans here.

[philoxenia]

So, hey Brian, what's shakin'? The town every night at 6pm, am I right?

Assuming she, at some point, sees Brian chatting up some good spider friends, she will be very curious about whether he knows anything about any rampaging spiders, or how he feels about a big spider friend causing problems for the town. (Also, why spiders? Just for curiosity's sake.)

Obviously she's not going to accuse him of anything because that's probably a distinctly bad idea, but she will use Allure to help her collect some sweet information.

WHAT ADRIEL FONTANE KNOWS

[balancemod]

Want to interact with Adriel? Leave your plans here.

[motherfucking_ghost]

After a couple times through the Loop (probably, It's Unclear), Church is going to try and find Adriel and Erinne before their fight turns into...a fight. Yeah, okay, he's gotten the idea that they don't like each other, but he wants to find out what's caused them to draw some gd weapons. Get there early enough to overhear what the actual issue is, intervene before Wizard Duel starts up.

So hi, Adriel, what the fuck? Not exactly the way a 4th year should act.

[oculusriffs]

i. there'll be scary ghost stories

[shortly before everybody boards the glass orbs to begin what Dave will probably describe as "what's left in the toilet after hell had a shit on it," ping! a text to the entire network from un: turntechGodhead.]

[he kind of feels like he has to offer. he likes all these nerds a lot, even if he doesn't always outright say it.]

hey
uh
i dont really feel like gettin into nitty gritty specifics rn
or like
writing up my entire resume
this isnt monsters inc
or monster.com
but i do have an unfortunate amount of experience with this sort of thing
timeline things
if youre having trouble keeping your shit in order i can help

ii. Davebirdsprite

[if you happen to wander by the shrines in the afternoon on the second o third loop, you may find a peculiar looking bird sitting on one of them.]

[i say peculiar because, for all intents and purposes, it's built like a hawk. but there's something about it — maybe it's the feathers? that are kind of screaming ..... crow.]

[or maybe it's the way it flaps its wings and legit just squawks at whoever approaches, like a terrible, awful, shitty little bird. or maybe it's the strange markings around its eyes.]

[they almost look like sunglasses.]

[caw caw motherfucker!!!]

iii. he's quite serious, but this is stupid

[at some other nondescript point, you might find Dave standing next to a tree. fair enough, that's like the least strange thing he's probably done thus far.]

[nah, the strange thing is the pair of knitting needles that are inexplicably jammed in the trunk of the tree. it's unclear how he even managed to pull that off, but if you happen to approach, the first thing to pop out of his mouth is:]

Jesus, don't tell Blake about this.

[.... unless this is actually Blake. if it is, he'll launch into a longwinded spiel about how he totally has an explanation for this.]

[oculusriffs]

[roll-based top levels will go here soon! please don't reply.]

[noblegarnet]

How About Fuck You [Loop 1 only; 3 PM]

[3 PM comes. Ferran, curious enough to go along with the routine, but not cautious enough to look up the curriculum, ends up in the worst class imaginable.

He absolutely refuses to be recruited for this—and instead of being target practice, he can be seen vehemently arguing with the professor, who's physically blocking him from leaving and insisting that he assist with practice with every well-meaning authoritative argument she can muster. Ferran is not having it, his hands in tight fists by his side and a distinct look of panic behind the anger he's brought to the front. Even his familiar, a sharp-eyed bearded vulture, is standing at her full height on his shoulders, feathers fluffed up like she's ready to throw down. It is extremely hard to miss them.

Ferran hasn't raised his voice to a yell as of yet, but he looks like he's about to do something drastic.]

I swear to every god in this universe, if you don't get out of my way, I will make you move.

School Days. [Many loops; various]

A: [The library is always a decent place to start any kind of research, so for many points at many loops, he can be found looking through the books, looking for anything on time magic, transmutation, conjuration, and magical beasts and monsters. Levitate and Mage Hand always come in handy in places like this, and his familiar Agate can be found perched nearby on a table so as to not disturb anyone. Eventually, he'll be found with a handwritten journal as well. At several points, he might also be found simply writing in his own tome, deeply engrossed in the process.

Need any help with research or finding a book, even if it's just for pleasure? He's here to help you out.]

B: [Of course, a knockoff magical school is also going to have some knockoff magical moving hallways and staircases. For Ferran and others with transportation spells of any kind, this isn't a problem. For other Reclaimers who aren't magically inclined or willing to climb all the way around to a different passageway, Ferran can offer a hand. If anyone displays any amount of distress when a stairway flips itself 90 degrees, he might approach with a sympathetic:]

Need a lift?

Nap time. [Loop 3 or so; 12-3 PM | every few loops; various]

A: [Ferran still feels a cold sweat on the back of his neck when time resets. His heart is pounding, and his breaths come in a little quickly as he adjusts to the change in setting. His familiar settles on his shoulders, her feathers fluffed out as she looks about nervously.

Rows of teeth. White fire. Enormous limbs. It's not much, but it's... something.

He'll start thinking about it later—but for now, he needs to collapse in the nearest available bed. Anyone who saw him and Maya voip into the mysterious chasm with a dangerous monster can probably guess that things didn't go so well by the look in his eye and the tension in his posture, and he makes a beeline straight to whoever he needs to ask for a nice dorm room, inviting Maya along.

He'll be found there for a couple of hours in this loop, and for once he won't brush off anyone who might want to contact him or see him. They only have to ask, and they'll get an answer.]

B: [But also, they've all got to get some sleep sometime, and cuddling up in a pile of cushions around a fireplace doesn't exactly sound like a relaxing time to your friendly neighborhood pyrophobic wizard. If anyone wants to join him in the dorms, he'll freely offer to share his space to one or two people at a time, especially if they look worn down or in distress.]

More Prompts!

[noblegarnet]

Not-Erised [Later loops, 4 PM]

[Ferran is working on a theory, currently. They've learned a little more about this mirror, from Ferran's own attempts as well as some other investigative efforts. Something is here. Whether it's something of vital importance, he isn't sure, but until they have the solution, it's worth pursuing.

So he's sitting in front of the mirror in a meditative pose, alternately looking at the artifact and keeping his eyes closed. After a while, though, he might have given up on his initial attempts and be found staring up at the reflection with his chin against his hand, or writing in his tome with a somber look. Try not to trip on him, thank you.]

Testing, testing, 1 2 3... [Several loops; various]

[Speaking of magical items! Ferran doesn't know how useful it might be, but he's got a cape he's been wondering about, and a town full of NPCs to test it on.

At any point in the day, upon Ferran entering a room with the wing-motif mantle on his shoulders, a flock of doves will suddenly fly in from behind him, and a chorus with fanfare will greet his entrance, all proportional to the size of the room. His own reaction will vary between a sheepish "uh, wow," and a more confident look that hopefully commands attention, but either way, he's soon to pull out his tome and start writing a few notes. Staying in a place where everyone keeps forgetting about you sure is helpful for the surprise factor.]

christine | ota, will match brackets or prose

[aceso]

{ 1pm - First loop }

[ Christine heads to the farmer's market to see if she can pick up any gossip. While there, she picks up a couple medicinal herbs. Hopefully she doesn't have need for them, but until she can expand her talents to that of the Chemist, it'll have to do. Plus it works with her cover story of being Balance Academy's school nurse. ]


{ 2pm - First loop }

[ In the library, Christine is surprised to find the librarian doesn't really care about the shenanigans going on. Her organized nature means Christine is dying to reorganize things, but with her luck the books will start dancing again, so she restrains herself. However, she heads over to a Reclaimer to discuss the scene. ]

From the look on the librarian's face, this happens often.


{ 5pm - Any loop }

[ At The Sleepy Willow, Christine picks a spot by the fire and tucks her legs to one side. She stares into the flames until she's joined by someone else, where she looks over and gives them a smile. ]

Any luck?


{ wildcard - Any loop }

[ Have something else in mind? Christine is free all other times except 3pm. Leave a starter or hit me up at fairandbright or on discord at megan#2520 and we can discuss! ]

{ closed to Phoenix }

[aceso]

[ Once they're put back into the proper time stream again, Christine looks to the shrine to see it in its state of disrepair once more. She sets the knitting sample down at the base of the stone before turning to Phoenix. ]

Well, we'd better leave something on the group message about what happened here, and especially how we're looking for two disasters we have to prevent.

Church | ota

[motherfucking_ghost]

1pm
[During loop 4, Church tries to stop the kids from fighting and having a duel in the middle of school. Instead, he gets zapped with a curse and rushed to the infirmary. Through the day, when he's out and about, he seems occasionally queasy. For a robot. And then, hiccuping. And then, suddenly...bubbles erupt from under his helmet. Which is about when he starts to float off the ground. At least until the bubbles around him pop. Then he gets unceremoniously dumped back on the ground. This'll happen...this'll just happen, man, right up until the reset.]

3pm
1: [So Church ends up in a firefight. Quite literally. He's had a bit to get used to having and trying to use magic, for better or worse, so, he's only a little nervous to do an actual...this. Duel? But not really? He's got a couple tricks up his sleeve. The first time through, he's using Misty Step to literally just get out of the way. Way out of the way! It's damn effective, even if maybe it's not in the spirit intended. He's praised for his quick dodging, especially given he stepped to a point just behind the attacker, which would put him in prime retaliation position.]
2. [Second time through, he'll Shape Water, using some water out of someone's convenient goblet (ugh, doesn't this place have water bottles) to splash the fire out. Someone must not be keeping hydrated, because it's a fair bit of water still in there, snuffing out the fireball and sizzling the water into steam. All rendered harmless!]
3. [In another time around, he'll face the fire head-on, holding his Burning Hands out like he's gonna hadouken. Ha! Ha! Fire Cannot Hurt A Dragon, bitch! Except...that it does. His hands might be made for melting, but it doesn't stop the oncoming fire from doing actual harm to him. The worst of it seems to be mitigated, but his hands end up looking singed from the effort, and the edges of his academy sleeves start to go up before he gets splashed by some other student with a full goblet of water. Wonder where that came from, huh. And yes, the robot does still feel pain. Don't mind him dipping his hands in a fountain later. Totally normal stuff here.]

6-7PM
1: [He tries, several times, to con some money out of the proprietor of the Sleepy Willow. From bargaining, to actual cons not terribly well thought through, to actual stealing. There's GOLD here, and he would LIKE some. Is this worth the time and effort? No. No, it is not. But shit's about to go haywire anyway, why not? Please maybe stop him.]
2: [After many loops in, he's probably lost his shit a little bit? Like, Haste-ing a free animal, Thunderclapping for dramatic effect, Earth Tremor-ing along with the quake, Burning Hands-ing some flammable looking stuff around, possibly cackling like a maniac. Maybe uh...y'know, maybe just let him get this out of his system, maybe use the reset to ask him what the hell, or just revel in his manic revelry, I'm not your mom.]

wildcard
[or hit him up for something else some loop else]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[don't comment here in case of Future Hijinks]

Phoenix | ota

[wrightingwrongs]

[i. logic and trick - any time/any place/any loop]

[As soon as they touch down, Phoenix is getting to work. He has a lot of catching up to do with everyone else, after all.

Throughout the days and loops, you can find Phoenix just about anywhere, with a notebook in hand - scrawling down hastily written notes - mostly about the people in town and throughout Boarbumps. There's a mysterious throughout the town, and that much is clear. Which means it's time for Phoenix to do what he does best and investigate.

Alternatively, you may find him having to justify himself in places to either students or teachers of Boarbumps. You may be able to overhear his cover and help him with it - as the Bureau Academy's newest instructor on Logic and Rhetoric. Why, yes, it is a newer position, why do you ask?]

[ii. court begins - 3 PM/any loop]

[However, one place that Phoenix seems to be consistently at - no matter what loop people are on - is the Fighting with Fire class. As an instructor of the visiting academy, he's naturally one of the ones more likely called upon to help the students with their training. What Boarbumps might not realize is that Phoenix himself is training. With every fireball hurled his way, he brings up a steel round shield - in an attempt to either deflect or mitigate the damage in the particularly nastier cases.

His reflexes aren't perfect, and in the first loop he definitely accidentally makes a bit of a spectacle of himself catching some soot-faced explosions that haven't seemed to do much to hurt him, but have definitely made a mess of his wardrobe. By the fourth loop, though?

He's starting to get the hang of it.]

[iii. turnabout sisters - locked to mia and maya - some time after loop 1]

[By this point, it's obvious that things aren't quite what they seem at Boarbumps - and whatever mystery surrounding the relic here goes deeper than anyone might have thought.

And who better to try and unravel the motives and mysteries than the Wright and Co. Law Offices? After all, they need to get on the same page. And then the real investigation can begin.]

[iv. wildcard]

[If none of those others fit your style, make your own!]

[wrightingwrongs]

[For RNG-related threads. Please don't reply to this comment!]

[conciliant]

1:00:00 | f[A]rmer's market – loops 1-4

[Having no interest in attending the classes, as well as being told she'd be more suited for a Bodyguard than a student, 2B takes up the offer to explore the town proper instead. She's already been brushed off by some of the merchants, some thinking she's a student while others are iffy about the black visor over her eyes or the sword on her back, but there are those that give her the time of day, and those are the stalls she spends the most time at.]

I. [Pod 042 hovers behind her, silent, as she browses, and attracts the attention of curious students and merchants alike, but she pays them no mind. Her interest is piqued elsewhere, at a medicinal stall. She remembers the brief run-in she had with the Demon named Michael and how he had been reading books on human medicine, and she peers around the table in search of something.]

I'm looking for a toothbrush.

II. [Her search for a toothbrush didn't lead her astray, although it wasn't in the farmer's market where she found them, but a shop. By the time the second loop comes around, 2B has accumulated a collection of toothbrushes in a wide array of colours. She allows Pod to carry them so that she's able to peruse the markets more freely... until she runs into a fellow Reclaimer.]

Excuse me.

[From Pod's claw-like hands, she plucks a random toothbrush and offers it.]

Take this, to prevent the caves in your teeth.

[She means cavities. 2B is helping... in her own way.]

4:00:00 | that's one [B]igass spider – loop 2

[It's no surprise to find 2B on the frontlines when the spider is loose in the marketplace. At any moment in time, she's on high alert and prepared for battle, but this creature is unlike anything she's ever seen before.

She watches as it crawls onto the roof of a merchant's stall, threatening to crush it under its weight. Some people are screaming and running away while others appear to be unaffected, with some even going in to either shoo it away or hit it. 2B has a different idea and reaches for the sword at her back.]

What is that?

[From behind, Pod's robotic voice answers her question.]

Affirmative. Spiders, or Araneae, are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs and chelicerae with fangs able to inject venom. They were the largest order of arachnids and ranked seventh in total species diversity among all orders of organisms.

Got it.

[Whether someone needs help or would like to assist in dispatching the spider, 2B is on it!]

5:00:00 | getting [C]ozy - various loops

I. (Loops 1-3) [2B has thankfully learned her lesson from the last time she slumped into a bed of fluffy pillows. She's more careful this time, making sure to reorganize them in a way that suits her, where she won't make them pop in an explosion of feathers or sink so far into them that she can't get out. Really, it's just a single pillow for her to sit on... it's nothing special.

Regardless, she takes a seat and turns down any offer for food that the owners of the Sleepy Willow give her. Pod hovers next to her, the little light on its head obnoxiously blinking an orange light every other beat, while she scans the room. Should she recognize anyone, she'll strike up a conversation.]

Have you had any luck finding anything?

II. (Loop 4) [2B doesn't seem as inclined to talk to anyone, and rather than take a seat near the fire, she's found the one furthest away, closing herself off to the rest. During loop 4, she'll have her visor on, but streaks of tears stain her cheeks, even if she does her best to hide them. However, later loops will have her visor removed completely and crumpled up on the floor in front of her, revealing her puffy, reddening eyes. Someone's been crying...

No matter the loop, Pod's suggestion is always the same.]

Proposal: Unit 2B should communicate with fellow Reclaimers and exchange information.

[ ... ]

4:00:00 | mirrors [D]on't lie - loop 4 onward (potential spoilers for nier: automata in these threads)

[Exploring the school has led her to a lot of interesting things, but none as interesting as this. She doesn't recall finding this decorative mirror earlier, but it being in the middle of nowhere special stirs her interest. 2B remains as cautious as ever during her approach, fingers twitching and prepared to seize her sword at a moment's notice, but nothing about it seems out of the ordinary. At first. She observes her own reflection following her motions as she closes the gap, but as she comes into clearer view, the image shifts, rippling into something so familiar that it makes her stomach drop.

On the other side stands another android, his white hair draping over his pale blue eyes that stare right through her, and he's smiling as brightly as she remembers. The same smile he always wore when they met. Again, and again, and again.]

9...S?

[There's no way this is real, and she knows this, but seeing him violently sparks a small ounce of hope that maybe he really is here, and that makes her hand reach out to him. To touch him, even if it's just for a moment. It's dashed just as quickly when her fingers hit the glass, and her thumb draws a line across his cheek. He looks so, so real.

She feels the familiar weight in her chest return. Her forehead presses against the mirror and she half expects her partner to flinch like he might if this were real, but he remains perfectly still.

Emotions are prohibited. Emotions are prohibited. Emotions are prohibited. Emotions are prohibited. Emotions are prohibited. Emotions are—]

Nines.

[Everything comes crashing down on her at once. Whatever 2B was trying to strangle out of herself for so long – since she arrived here – bursts from her in a loud sob. Her legs give out from beneath her and she falls to her knees, her weak body pressing to the glass. Maybe, if she wills it, she'll fall through and to him again.

Until this dreadful cycle ends, she will always be there, in the same position until the mirror disappears or someone else comes by, and even then, she'll have a hard time pulling herself away. Each time the hour begins and comes to a close, 2B only misses him more.

It always ends like this...]

h[E]re's your standard wildcard

[I got a teenie bit carried away with this, but feel free to hit me up with something else! If anyone would like to meet Pod 042, it'll be following her all over the school as she explores, so bumping into her anywhere isn't out of the question. Either slam dunk something here, or if you'd like to plot something out, let me know!]

[wrightingwrongs]

[There's a quiet sigh as someone enters the room, running a hand through his hair - Phoenix is looking a bit more disheveled than usual, today, as he must have been running around continuing to gather information. He feels tired - and there's a possibility he just passes out in the Sleepy Willow's common room until the day resets once again.

Until he sees a semi-familiar face near the edge of the fire.

He moves over there cautiously, unsure if she sees him - but she's distressed and, well, he's certainly more than a little worried. He hears the strange device's commentary as it hovers around her, but his eyes are focused on her as he speaks up.]

...2B? You're crying. [That's not something he's seen before, from her.]

Yuri | closed threads

[quiescis]

[closed thread starters/rng threads with yuri go here! need to plan something with me? i can be found at michrure or by pm too!]

closed to roxas

[quiescis]

2:00pm loop 1

[Of course Yuri finds herself drifting towards the library when she finally finds her footing in the new magical school. She feels a little uneasy about all of this. But finding a relic and exploring a place like this also makes her quite curious as well. The library is busy with students but unlike most libraries, it isn’t as quiet as they should be.

She startles as she hears something clatter from one of the bookcases. Then there’s another clatter. And another! It’s not long before Yuri peeks her head around one shelf to see several books shimmying and wiggling in their places on the shelves like they’re alive.]

Ehhh? Do you see that...?

[seasaltkeys]

[ A - School - early loops; before his breakdown ]

[The most experience that Roxas has with school comes from the Academy on the Moon Base. He's got memories, sure, from Sora and the Digital Twilight town, but his actual academic experience is probably not that robust all things considered. And that's not bringing the magic part into the mix.

Needless to say, as much as Roxas knows that he's supposed to be looking for the relic, he's also kind of been swept up in the excitement of it all.

He's in the middle of the hallway in his uniform looking at a piece of paper and holding some books.]

Uh, sorry, do you know where this classroom is?

[ B - Shrines; After meeting with Onerion ]

[Roxas is staring at one of the altars, unsure if he should touch it to wipe away the dust or not. Gods, admittedly, are a little outside of his usual purview, despite his researching. (And that's been pretty narrow as he tries to understand this whole Paladin thing.)]

Do these symbols mean anything to you? Because I don't have a clue.

[ C - Sleepy Willow; several loops in ]

[Roxas has commandeered a couple of the blankets and pillows and set himself up in a corner of the inn. Hopefully in a place that won't attract unwanted attention and set off another fight.

He knows what's going to happen shortly, so mostly he's just using the time to get his thoughts in order and come up with a plan for the next loop. Trying to deal with the animals doesn't help matters he's learned.

It doesn't make things any more easier though.]

[ D - Wildcard ]

[OoC; Open to any and all shenanigans.]

Additional prompts

[seasaltkeys]

[Post-Dragon Upgrade]

[It's mind-blowing, to say the least.

He'd gone in on a simple suggestion, figuring it could be maybe be helpful but not actually expecting anything. Roxas didn't know anything about gods, beyond that they were mysterious beings in the sky that he didn't have a lot do deal with. He barely understood Hearts.

It was earnestness and a poem and a thumbs up and the next thing he knows he's gone through a literal trial by fire and emerged a Paladin. He keeps going back to the way the Keyblade has changed, a keychain that is once again, entirely unique to him. Never mind the armour or the shield, which are both still registering for him.

He finds himself a quiet spot in the loop after, to think about this, and to practice. He's never fought with armour on, after all. And the shield will be new to, since he mostly dual wields. But if this is the help he's been given, he's going to want to be ready.

But mostly he just ends up lying on the ground looking up at the sky, thinking.]

Am I even doing any of this Paladin stuff right?

Kokichi Oma | OTA, will match styles!

[slieght]

1. Mirror mirror (any loop; possibly multiple loops)

[It had taken Kokichi a little bit to get around to the mirror, but once he had, well...he couldn't help but get pulled in by it. Showing you the person you desire most? It's hard to ignore. But he doesn't just go once and get his fill. Every single loop he may be caught sneaking off to go admire the mirror for a while when he thinks no one is watching and no one is there. He never hangs around too long, preferring to avoid anyone spotting him, but he's always there at one point during the hour. Someone must be super important to him.

If he manages to spot you before you can approach him, he'll give you a teasing grin.]

Oooo, are you here to stare into the eyes of your long lost love? I won't judge you if you wanna mack on the mirror a little, don't worry, just make sure to wipe your spit off it before the next poor sap comes along to do the same!

2. Mirror...mirror? (any loop)

[Maybe you've come to look at the mirror yourself though. Just to investigate it, or just to enjoy the illusion shown to you. Either way, you may get there when Kokichi is. Except...he can't be seen, so you don't know he's there. And if you seem to be admiring the mirror or giving it a particularly scrutinizing look one of three things could happen:

A: Someone taps your shoulder! When you turn around though, weirdly, nobody is there. You turn back to what you were doing and it happens again. If you dare do it a third time? ...you just find your shoulder tapped again. Where is this coming from?? Who's doing it?? Who can say. Maybe if you look around you can find the culprit.

B: As you're watching the mirror a strange, ghostly hand seems to suddenly materialize in front of you! It's reaching towards you slowly as if it's looking to grab you and pull you into the mirror with it, because surely that's where it's from. It sure looks like it had come out of it. If you let it get close enough though, it doesn't grab you. It flicks your nose, moves to grab and pull at your sleeve, and just generally annoy you.

C: While lost in whatever you're doing, you may get the rudest interruption of all. That is, above you, a bucket descends. Where was it? Who knows, but when it's tipped over it dumps some freezing cold water on you. Which sucks, considering how cold it already is in Thay. And then the bucket is unceremoniously (but gently) put over your head.]

3. Class clown (any loop; any class (mainly history))

[Kokichi is...not a very good student. Never has been. And he's even worse at putting up with things that are boring. Which never ends well for anyone around him. If you happen to be a student attending class with him, you'll get a front row seat to all his antics. Spit balls, paper airplanes, passing notes to students he doesn't know when the teacher isn't looking, the works. History is probably hit the worst.

Alternatively, you might catch him later in the day, looking a mixture of annoyed and pleased with himself, obviously happy that classes are finally over. He may vaguely smell like animal. May or may not have just come back from three hours of detention, and this may or may not be the fourth, fifth, sixth, who knows time he's done it. Does he just never learn? No, he's just that much of a trouble maker.

Or maybe you're a fellow trouble maker like him? In which case prepare to get harassed. Nobody is safe.]

4. Chill beats to study and relax to (any loops after the 6th or so time)

[Eventually he stops going to the Red Keep dinner, opting instead to stay at the Sleepy Willow and monopolize that precious bit of down time. He can be found in his own little cozy corner, papers spread out around him and a notebook in hand. The later the loop, the more papers there are, or the further into his notebook he is. Is he...really studying the stuff taught in class? No, upon closer inspection, he's taking detailed notes about the time loops. If you try to approach him, he'll address you before you can sit down or talk to him first, not looking up from what he's doing.]

Isn't the coziness nice? It's almost like we aren't about to fall into the earth and get all mashed up and dead, right?

5. Wildcard

[If nothing here tickles your fancy, hit me with something different! After a while he can be found cutting class completely and wandering around the school/hanging in the library/just generally being a nuisance elsewhere except for during the spider escapades. At which point he's no where to be found. You can also hit me up at knittybitty or kinam#7221 on discord to plot anything specific!]

2B (insert shakespeare reference)

[noblegarnet]

[Ferran has come to the mirror for a specific purpose, as Kokichi may soon find out—almost as soon as he steps up to it, he pulls out a pen and his ornate personal tome, and opens it to a page somewhere in the middle, looking back and forth from the book to the image in the mirror. At first it might look like he's taking notes, viewed from most angles. But if he looks at the page itself, he'll see a decent sketch of three people: A taller dark-haired man with glasses, a stout woman with a smile, and a less-detailed figure between them that's presumably Ferran himself, judging by the hair.

His attention is immediately caught by the appearance of the hand, however, and he carefully shuts the tome before leaning closer. He's been wondering how to pursue his investigations on this thing, is this what he's been looking for?—hey ow.

Ferran pulls back, a hand over his nose.]

Ah. The hell?

Sayori ♥ OTA (unless otherwise specified)

[hxppythxughts]

[This is a catch-all for prompts! I'll be adding new ones below this as the loops progress and more stuff happens. If you'd like to plot something feel free to hit me up on Discord or at ceesawaseesaw!]

bubble drop ♥ closed to Sans, Natsuki, Yuri

[hxppythxughts]

[Monika had filled her in on Natsuki finding out about the Yuri issue not too long before this new assignment. Sayori hasn't said anything to either of them about it, of course, but she's keenly aware of it as she introduces Sans to Yuri and Natsuki so they can all file into the bubble. And though it's taking up a lot of real estate in her mind, she finds some room to hope that Monika found a nice group to bubble down with.

They've got plenty of time to chat, though, so they might as well.]

Monika | Doki Doki Literature Club

[myliteratureclub]

((Top level will go below! Possible mix of open or closed depending on how the loops go! You can contact me at sekoshi if you want a closed prompt!))

Closed to Hayner

[myliteratureclub]

[ A couple of loops going in, Monika's mood is getting worse. She's feeling really stressed from the constant restarting and desperately tries to not let the day be the same every time. The problem is that she's also starting to get exhausted from a lack of rest, and she's starting to reach a point of snapping at people.

At first glance passing by, it might seem like she's taking her frustrations on a certain student. The two are yelling at each other pretty loudly. It's almost embarrassing. ]

You're... you're just like him! Just get out of my way!

[ She shoves him when he gets up in her face, but he doesn't seem to be backing down. ]

[mylawn]

i. town square (first loop)

[The advantage of being too old to be a student means that 76 has plenty of time to explore while others are pretending to be dutiful in class. He figures there’s nothing going on in there that he can’t ask Maya or Roxas about later, so he takes time in the afternoon to more fully explore the town.

76 can be found at the farmer’s market, even if he really doesn’t know what any of this stuff does. Please help him out.

If you’re a student playing hooky, here’s your convenient adult to excuse you from class! Not too shabby.]

ii. mirror mirror (any loop)

[The first day, when he encounters the mirror, he figures out what’s going on fairly quickly. 76 knows he should not spent any time dealing with this thing—nothing good can possibly come from a mirror like this, and for someone so caught up in the past, he knows he’s particularly vulnerable to this kind of illusion.

He considers himself lucky it’s not the relic. Well. He hopes it’s not the relic.

His curiosity tends to get the better of him and he spends a loop or two trying to figure out what it is, and where it came from. Should you happen by when 76 is in front of it, the reflection is that of an older woman, but 76 himself is puzzling over the mirror itself. Maybe if he sticks around he can see who’s putting it out here every day. He imagines it’s not the fellow Reclaimer rounding the corner (thats you!).]

You know anything about this?

iii. sleepy willow (any loop)

[Though he attends the dinner at the Red Keep the first time around, he quickly decides that it isn’t exactly safe to have time loop discussions with fellow Reclaimers while the Red Wizards are around. 76 is much more suited to an inn like this anyway, even if he’s not necessarily a ‘pillows around a fire’ guy.

76 has found a table and chair, where he drinks something most certainly alcoholic while surrounded by copious notes—people, events, locations, sequence, changes he’s managed to make. He’s quick to perk up when another Reclaimer enters the general vicinity. Maybe you also have notes to share. He seems enthused by the prospect.]

So, what’ve you got?

iv. wildcard

[come at me bro. I’ll do whatever you want. Jack is too old to be a student so he’s posing as a truancy officer for the reclaimers which means yOU BETTER GO TO CLASS. Hit me up on plurk at whitticus.]

ii- An earlier loop?

[cuttingremark]

[It's Loki rounding the corner! While he's never spoken to the other Reclaimer personally he has seen him around the moon.

He stands in front of the mirror, his place in the reflection is a rather regal looking woman]

I have encountered it before. It shows a person from your home, I believe. I was hoping to make it down in time to see who placed it here.

Loki

[cuttingremark]

((Loki is here under as a teacher of Runes and Advanced Arcane Theory.))

12:00 First Loop
[The castle is a welcome change of pace from the moon base. At the earlist opportunity Loki breaks away from the main group in order to explore Boarbumps. He comes upon another Reclaimer (you!) in an empty cooridor of the school. Is it during class? Does he know? More importantly does he care?]

I don't suppose you've found what we came here for?


4:00 5th Loop
[Loki is investigating the mirror in town, circling it with a curious gaze. Whenever he stands in front of it a rather regal looking woman stands in his place. No matter how you approch he speaks without looking at you.]


12 pm 9th Loop
[By this point Loki has gotten use to the resetting of the day, but the early reset caught him off guard. He seems a bit off balance, eyes wide as he comes back to himself.]

That wasn't right. What happened?

Wildcard!
Got something else you want to do with him? Hit me up! He can be found pretty much anywhere during the loops.

5th Loop

[coolranchbaby]

Find something fun? [Eleanor pokes her head out from around the back of the mirror, peering at Loki from over the tops of her cateye glasses.]

[napstar]

A. Fighting With Fire
[ Minato's perfectly happy to follow the schedule set out by Boarbumps Academy until Fighting With Fire happens. He's able to dodge most of the spells, but at one crucial moment he trips and FWOOSH. He's up in flames.

After the fire's out he's cartoonishly covered in ash and soot. He's been injured far worse for the Bureau, but he still lays on the field stubbornly refusing to move until he's physically dragged away. Once on the sidelines he's going drink some water and wipe some of the soot off of his face. ]

We have to do this every time?

B. Loop 8 -> 9
[ Minato's at the Sleepy Willow, enjoying the pillow cove by the fireplace and having a late dinner, when suddenly time resets early. He blinks, a bit of bread in his hand being the only food that remains of his meal. This isn't how it's gone all the other times... ]

... It's early.

Wildcard
Minato's spending most of his days following the school schedule, but the more loops go by the more he'll skip class. He's easily dragged into shenanigans if you have an idea you want to tag him with. Want to plan something? Contact me at kelories or at Kelories#6484 on Discord.

Closed to Alex

[napstar]

[ While most of the shrines are well kept, Minato sits in front of one that has been given less than the minimum upkeep. The shrine is little more than a tablet with a bird engraved on it, much like a tombstone, though the engraving is wearing away. From the stains and roots still sticking out of it, plants must have taken it over until it was accidentally rediscovered by someone tending to the shrines.

Minato claps his hands together and bows his head. He doesn't know what gods want to see in this universe, but he figures the traditions from Japan are a good place to start. ]

mccree | ota, will match brackets or prose

[mccreehaw]

{ 2pm - first loop }

[ The violin music fills the square and without being able to see anyone playing it, McCree pulls out his guitar to accompany the mournful tune. It doesn't take long for people to gather around, listening to him strum the strings, ooing and ahhing. When the violin music fades away, he quickly ends his own part and asks the people gathered about it. The only info he gets is that Erinne likes violin music, so he makes a note to talk to her later. When he spots a Reclaimer, he nods to them and tries to escape his new found groupies. ]

{ 5pm - second loop onwards }

[ McCree grabs a table at The Sleepy Willow and slouches in his chair with his hat drawn over his eyes. He's getting tired from all the loops and is trying to catch snatches of sleep where he can. But a couple people laughing loudly stir him and he sits up to order a drink. Seeing a Reclaimer, he flags them down. ]

We sharing what we learned?


[ ooc: McCree's big investigative roll concerns Erinne being related to Irene from Lyrabar and can be found here. He'll share it with anyone at the inn! ]

tbd

[mccreehaw]

[ Leaving this thread to add additional starters. Don't reply to this comment! ]

[feytality]

i. doki doki boarbumps club; (2nd loop, warning for neet and general creepiness);

[ so, maya is engaged in conversation with.... a below average person. you can just tell, from looking at him. it's c. hungryman! it's less 'engaged', though, and more that he seems to be just... like... following her around, and you can tell she's getting increasingly uncomfortable. he's making lots of comments like: ]

[ Wow, it's so creepy when you're not smiling and happy.... and If something's wrong, you should just tell me! You can't hide anything from me, you know! ]

[ which she just kind of laughs off, but nervously!!! finally, he steps up his game by offering chocolates, which does get her to relax a little and it seems like it's not going to be weird.... until there's a bit of chocolate smudge left on her fingers and this guy decides the best way to fix this is to just pop her fingers in his mouth. gross!!! she yelps. ]

[ maya, for her part, has no idea how to deal with this -- she tries to get her hand free, she tells him to stop, but he's grabbed onto her wrist and he's not letting go!!! ]

[ hm. ]

[ now she's looking at you with a helpless and pleading look. please intervene!! please!! ]

ii. mirror of erisnope; (any loop)

[ it's hard to resist seeing someone you love again, isn't it? smiling at you, a painful reminder of what you might have lost... you almost feel like you want to reach into the mirror to be with them. it's hard to pay attention to anything else when your most cherished person is right there... in your reach. ]

[ but someone's taking hold of your arm, getting in your face (as much as she can, she's like five foot nothing) and gently trying to guide you away. ]

Hey, let's check out the shops and food before it gets too late. Come on, there are much better places to hang around!

[ it's pretty obvious what she's doing. ]

iii. obligatory wolf prompt; (any loop after 8)

[ heading into the forest may not be the best idea! but here you are anyway. there are definitely more spiders here than you might have expected. and also, a wolf? yep, that's a black wolf. it's a little runty and scruffy, but it's heading straight for you.... and before you can react, it bunts you in the stomach with its head. it's not really an attack -- it's trying to push you away, and whining at the same time. ]

[ the message her is clear: turn around and go back!!! but you have to wonder why a random wolf is out here trying to teach you this life lesson. unless you're wise to maya's games and know this is her, in which case you have to wonder why she's out here in the first place if she thinks it's so dangerous. ]

iv. inn crimes; (random loops)

[ so, you've shelled out for the sleepy willow, and are comfortably resting on a pillow, maybe catching up on some well-earned sleep in one of the time loops. ]

[ then, all of a sudden, maya appears out of thin air right above you! and crash lands right on top of you. so much for rest or sleep. ]

WAH!

[ instead of getting off, she clings to you. this is very unhelpful. ]

Woah, where am I? Did it work? Did I get eaten again? Noooo, I'm too young to die! Don't eat me, you---

[ then she seems to realize where she is and who you are. ..... and she's still hanging on. ]

Oh, hey, what's up? Did you get dinner yet?

[ why is she this way. ]

wildcard;

[ hit me ]

closed & additional starters

[feytality]

mira | ota | will match prose or brackets

[philoxenia]

1:00 pm: first loop.
[ She'd caught wind of there being a farmer's market here, and... well... she knows she's supposed to be posing as a student, but she really can't resist. It's been so long since she went to one, and in a magical world? How can she say no? Except-- ]

Um, hall pass? I don't-- I think I forgot mine.

[ She's-- she's a terrible liar. And the merchant who's caught her out of class does not look convinced at all. ]

4:00 pm: second loop, and every few loops after.
[ The mirror is... dangerous, she's found. It's not that she wants to get distracted. Really. They have work to do, but the thing is that she can't help herself. It's too enticing, to stand in front of it and see a young man who bears a striking resemblance to herself. She's almost tempted to touch it, but she second-guesses herself and pulls her hand away. But-- ]

I'm really sorry.

[ She has a hard time turning away from it, every time. ]

after 4 pm: fifth loop
[ During the last few hours of this loop, it seems like she's hiding from something or someone. She definitely seems jumpy, and if someone approaches her, she'll jump--or if she's touched, someone might receive a little shock. Whoops. Mira at least looks incredibly apologetic, and she raises her hands in front of her. ]

I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to, it's just...

[ She trails off, too embarrassed to really elaborate. ]

wildcard
[ Give me a starter or hit me up at sweetstacks for something! ]

reserved

[philoxenia]

[ please don't reply! this is for additional prompts. ]

[shootstyles]

i. Liar, Liar @ 12PM

[Izuku is… terrible at lying. Not out of any real moral obligations but simply because he gets so nervous that everyone can tell he’s like that… well, everyone can clearly tell that he’s lying. So trying to keep up with the charade is a little big difficult for him. He’s got everything written down into a notebook about the story of where the Reclaimers came from, as well as information he picks up around the school.

In early loops, some of the students from Boarbumps decide to steal his notebook and tease him saying things like “Come on man! What’s with all the note taking?” and “So did you have a girlfriend back at your school?” because, let’s be honest, he looks like an easy target, especially when he freaks out about them having the notebook and causes a stir by yelling at them to give it back.

Intervene?

Though in later loops, the same scenario will happen and Izuku, looking a little more worn out, will whip around and quickly sweep his leg underneath the bully’s and send him crashing to ground in a painful heap.]

Sorry.

[He sounds less sorry that he usually does.]

ii.Bathroom Ghostbusting, or What You Will @ 3PM

[There’s something going on in one of those girls bathrooms. Every afternoon, Izuku hears a scream. And how can he let someone just scream without checking to be sure they’re okay?

But… he can’t just go into a girl’s bathroom! That would be so inappropriate! Thankfully, he’s got magic and will use it to disguise himself as a female student.

So catch him (appearing as her), sneaking off to explore the girls bathroom instead of going to his next class. If he knows you, his face will turn bright red and he’ll briefly cover his face]

Oh. Um... I can explain! R-really!

iii. The Sleepy Willow @ 5 PM

[During later loops Izuku spends time trying to collect his thoughts and work with other Reclaimers to try and piece together information about the loops. He has multiple notebooks and has put together lists where he tries to capture everything that he’s done in the timelines to get some answers.

Judging by his frazzled appearance, it’s maybe not going well… If you pass by, he reaches out to grab your arm with a slightly manic look on his face.]

Look! Every time I go to the History of Boarbumps class, I sneeze in the middle of the lecture. What does it mean? A sign of something?

iv. Wildcard!

[Feel free to hit me up on plurk mythal or disco for any other prompts!]

closed+additional starters

[shootstyles]

Just in case!

[eudaimonikos]

i. early loop; boarbumps; it's him, he's here

[Michael is still getting used to this place: figuring out what's going on, what events are important to the loop and which are just background events. Right now, he's peeking in on some potions work.

More specifically, he's peeking in on Blaze Dudelioni's potions work. 

This, to any observer, would appear to be wild improvisation on Blaze's part. It doesn't help that Michael is clearly egging him on, from a safe distance.]

Go ahead and try it! I've got your back.

Counts as professor approval to me!

[And he dumps in a bunch of weird glowing mushrooms. Michael grins - yes! He is an authority figure who can approve things! The cauldron starts to bubble violently. Blaze doesn't seem too alarmed; he backs away to keep the overflow from getting on his uniform, but leans over to keep on stirring it anyway.

Then it explodes.

It's not a big explosion, thankfully, and Michael's true to his word. A wall of flickering blue flame blossoms out of nowhere to shield Blaze, and they're both totally fine when the pale green smoke clears.]

Ha! [Michael laughs, looks to Blaze for approval, and finds him equally blase about the whole thing.] Oh, they should get you a lab!

ii. later loops; the inn

[In this loop, Michael has finally been forced to take a break. He usually tries to sleep more when he's out on missions than he prefers to on the moon - even if he thinks he can operate fine on just a few hours of sleep, he knows that it's probably better to be at his best when shit's going down.

The accommodations in the inn aren't quite what he's used to. How do people manage to sleep all out in the open together like this? But he's too exhausted to fuss about it, so he tucks himself up in a corner of the open space, back to the wall, and tries to get a few winks. 

Unfortunately, he's a light sleeper. He's quick to jerk awake when people walk in.]

What?

iii. later loops; the shrines

[This loop finds Michael out at the shrines. More specifically, he's crouching down in front of the little altar to the Raven Queen, peering at it down his nose. This lonely stretch of road on the outskirts of town feels far better than a grand temple, but they're still shrines, aren't they? As if immortals are better, somehow, worthy of adulation from mortals just for what they are. He reaches out to pluck up some of the Raven Queen's offerings, inspecting them.]

If you aren't going to do anything with these, there's no point. The humans should just keep them. 

[Mmm. But that's not what he came here to say.]

Look, I don't know how this whole thing works. I'm not going to pray to you, if that's what you're looking for. But I...appreciate that you've been nicer to Alex lately. He seems to think better of you now.

[For his own part, Michael isn't sure. She was right about Neil being better off dead, sure; that part isn't what bothers him. It's that Alex got his mind hijacked, and he's clearly shaken about that even now. The Raven Queen did not have to do that.

Michael doesn't know her, though. If Alex has forgiven it, it's probably not for him to hold grudges. That's never been a strength of his anyway. He sets the offering back down - even if he disagrees, it wasn't left here for him.]

Be nice to him. He's a good human.

[eudaimonikos]

[ for later prompts! ]

Ogata Hyakunosuke | OTA

[snyaiper]

[2PM Loop 3- Shouldn't you be in class?]
[Now, Ogata isn't a particularly tall or imposing person. Unsettling, sure. Unpleasantly jaded, absolutely. But if you ignore his goatee, he really doesn't look that old. And given that he's wearing the uniform the Bureau has issued, it's really no surprise someone got the wrong impression and is trying to force him to go to class.]

No, I shouldn't be in class, and even if I was, let me tell you I'm not going to that terrible bore of a history class again.

[Yeah, that goes over about as well as you might expect, the teacher looks indignant and about ready to physically drag this cat bastard to the History of Boarbumps. Ogata, meanwhile, only looks like he's going to be digging his heels in further. This can't end well for anyone involved.]

[4PM Loop 9+- Mirror Mirror]
[Ogata would have you think he's not the sentimental sort. That he doesn't care about much anything at all. Which is why it's weird that you might catch him on the later loops, stopping by the mirror when it's there. Not to see who put it there or takes it away. Just to look.

Maybe you even spot him touching it, gently. Tentatively. Even when he doesn't, any time he stops by, as long as he thinks no one else is looking, he stops and watches it for a few minutes. Transfixed.

But the second he realizes someone else is there, he startles, and steps away, out of view of the mirror's reflection. And he turns to whoever interrupted him, looking irritated and sounding overly defensive.]

Do you need something?

[5PM-6PM Any Loop- Y'know Like Nya]
[After the first loop, anyone looking for Ogata at Red Keep during dinner won't find him there. No, Ogata isn't one for parties, even small ones, so he finds his way to The Sleepy Willow, to a very cozy spot by the fire on a slightly bogarted pile of pillows. A soft and warm spot like that, can you really blame him for falling asleep? Anyone familiar with Ogata might be shocked to see him sleeping peacefully, but unsurprised to see him sleeping curled up like a cat, holding onto his rifle even asleep.

He's prime for pranks like this if you're in the mood. Or, if you catch him closer to the bottom of the hour, you'll see him bolt awake, eyes wide and pupils narrow like a cat just as the earthquake hits.]

Almost time to die again, hm?
[He says this with an annoying lack of concern. Like he regards the horror of death as a minor inconvenience. Maybe it's just that he's still half asleep. Who can say, really.]

mirror mirror

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael raises his hands a little in mock surrender.]

Just here to check out that mirror everyone's talking about.

[It isn't difficult to guess what Ogata's upset about. Michael probably would've been the same, if he ran across the mirror by accident and someone caught him. He's never been great with vulnerability. But now, he knows what people have been saying and he has some expectations for what he'll see. It shouldn't be that hard.

The kindest thing, perhaps, is to let that reaction pass.]

Didn't see who set it out, did you?

[unrecovered]

Come on Carolina (earlier loop)

[Almost without fail, there's been something in a mission that blindsides Wash - something that tends to reach into his memories and show him something he doesn't want to see. He'd managed to avoid it in Wonderland, namely because avoiding all of Wonderland itself after its horrific reveal was simple enough. Here, it's a fucking surprise.]

[Here, it's an innocuous mirror placed around a corner. He glances in it and stops short.]

[If you're good at angles, you may be able to lean around Wash and see what he sees: a woman, about his age, with bright red hair pulled into a ponytail and a wry smile. She's wearing armor not unlike what he usually wears, though hers is a seafoam green and her helmet is tucked under her arm. If you'd rather look at Wash instead, he's...staggered. Longing. A little lost. This mirror has gotten under his defenses and completely upended his stability. Please, please get him out of here.]

Because the rules are for breaking (any loop)

[A market's a good place to look for information, and for goods - hell, maybe Wash will find something he needs.]

[It's also a good place to find one of the younger Reclaimers getting heckled for not having a hall pass.]

[Wash heads up to the merchant at a steady pace, pulling a folded piece of paper out of his BIAS and brandishing it.]

I have it right here. Now can you sell my student what they want?

I'm always one card short (any loop)

[Wildcard! Hit me up on kiaxet or on Discord at Kiaxet#7085 if you want to plan!]

[unrecovered]

[Reserved for later prompts, just in case!]