Welcome Participartypants

[balancemod]

Who: All y'all nerds
Where: The Arena
When: The night of the 15th
What: A small gathering to both welcome new members to the Bureau, and to congratulate veteran Reclaimers on their successful magic mitten procurement. Dress is as fancy or as not fancy as you want it. Manners, to the degree of which you are capable, are mandatory.
Content Warning: General content warning for the Reclaimers. Also general content warning for Miss Zarves

Formal, informal, never mind the dress code. NAVIGATION It's been two weeks since the Reclaimers returned, and since the newest Reclaimers arrived. Some of you have adapted better than the Director could have hoped, and some of you have made your best efforts to find a new sense of normalcy — testing Bender the food robot to his limits, forming book clubs, training together, musing over what sort of fashions one even wears to a party. Some of you, perhaps, have spent a little bit too much time in the simulation at the Dojo. It's understandable. Adjusting to the idea that your entire universe has been destroyed takes time, and sometimes, escapes are necessary. And tonight, she's hoping to provide you with a temporary escape with this party. 1. ONCE UPON A TWO WEEKS' WEARY A. TO WASH AWAY THE ACHING BLEARY The Director, using the Moon Base's simulation technology, has turned the Arena into a ballroom to behold. The sprawling hall is decorated in ornate wooden carvings, and a large maple floor meant for dancing is encircled by tables and a large banquet table. In the corner, on a raised platform, stands a baby grand piano, freshly tuned and polished. Anyone is free to have a spin on it, if the mood strikes. At some point during the evening, Johann the Bard, violin in hand, will stand on the platform and provide a performance that could only ever be heard on the Moon Base, among members of the Bureau of Balance — because he did, after all, give this particular song to the Voidfish. If you would like something with a heavier beat, there's a tablet on the wall next to the platform, where you can make music requests of your own, from the Artificer's collection of songs from across the universe. The collection may not be all that extensive, but The Cupid Shuffle is probably in there. Get down and boogie, is what we're saying. B. THEY WERE THROWN A BANQUET CHEERY And what's on the banquet table? Snacks provided by Bender, of course — which means they could have any manner of magical effects. Here are some of the snacks available, including one that the Director was lucky enough to roll for herself. Cupcakes of every flavor imaginable, utterly delicious — so delicious, in fact, that whoever eats one will have flowers grow in their footsteps for the next two hours. The flowers are magic and disappear on their own, so go turn the dance floor into a garden (Courtesy of Lion). Mead that puts you in such a good mood, you'll be unable to resist the urge to sing in whatever measure of talent you have (Courtesy of Lancelot). An energy drink that will literally give you wings for two hours. Enjoy looking absolutely angelic for your friends (Courtesy of Akechi). Nachos that have a curiously JPG quality to them, but no other magical effects (Courtesy of Terezi). The most delicious cheeseburgers you ever did taste (Courtesy of Maya). Finger sandwiches that, when eaten, light up your entire body in an assortment of different colors — the light trails behind your movements, like the way lights look on a low shutter speed. Enjoy the raving (courtesy of The Director). 2. BUT THEN, SHE ROSE FROM THE ICHOR Some of you may have heard a thing or two about Miss Zarves — perhaps the rumors circulating around town, or the strange connection to Garfield and the Bracer Chasers some of you may have bought to decorate your Bracers. Maybe words like "catalyst" and "Ouija Board" have come up once or twice. Because there is a being trapped in a plane of existence right next to yours, largely forgotten, as if she had somehow been reverse Voidfish'd. Forgotten, that is, until the Bracer Chasers — curiously laced with high amounts of aluminadium, a word that might sound familiar to McCree and Faolan. For two years, she's waited, and watched, wanting a chance to be seen again, to speak with the Bureau herself once again, cursed with a maddening loneliness. And the second one of those cute decorations was pressed against a Bracer, Miss Zarves had it — her catalyst. She would know, after all: She was once a leading researcher on using catalysts to travel through dimensions, after all — and the Bracer Chasers were one of her original designs. At the very end of the party, perhaps one or two piano songs away from shutdown, the simulation suddenly shuts down. The lights blink off with a systemwide shudder. After five seconds, the lights flare back to life, and the entire Arena is its default white blank slate. And a message, from username @Zarves❤Scarves, slowly blinks across the screen. Hello. I would like to play a game. And then the Arena goes dark. A. HACKER VOICE: I'M IN That little stunt isn't the only one Miss Zarves, who now has a connection to the dimension you're residing in and some of the Bureau tech, is going to pull. For the rest of your stay at the Moon Base, until you're whisked away to the next mission (Or unless you figure out a way to stop her), you may experience some of the following: Wonky simulations: You may have been traveling to the Dojo to recall a certain piece of your home world. And maybe one day, while you're minding your own business, that same simulation may suddenly appear outside the Dojo. Or perhaps you're wandering down a hallway, and you come across a mishmash of other people's simulations, torn apart and stitched back together haphazardly. Bender: As if this guy weren't a big enough mess already. If you happen to ask Bender for one of the items that were available at the party, you may instead be given food that has the opposite effect. Think cupcakes that leave behind wilted plants, mead that makes you cry uncontrollably, or energy drinks that not only do not give you literal wings, but put you straight to sleep. If you happen to have a subscription to Webflix, regardless of what movie you pick to watch, it'll pick a specific movie instead: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Also, you won't be able to turn it off. 3. AND THEN THINGS JUST KEEP GETTING WORSE The arena's simulation has decided to take a sabbatical, a spectral being from another plane of existence has invaded the Moon Base, and Madame Director is doing her best to keep the room calm and collected. First, the darkness needs to be handled with properly, so with a stomp of her elegant white oak staff down on the floor, a sound echoes above and beyond any panicked shouts, and soon the room is filled with dancing lights that emanate from the four cardinal directions of the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen! Excuse me. Thank you everyone for coming to this enchanted evening here with your fellow Reclaimers, but without proper lighting- Johann, Johann, please, I don't need signature music right now, this isn't a wrestling match for crying out- thank you, Johann. As I was saying- unfortunately, this evening's events will have to be---" Almost right on cue, as if there wasn't a possibly worse time in the world for this to happen, the doors of the arena bust open. Into the room swarms a dragonborn, looking rather beat up and worse for wear. It's impossible to tell if Dragonborn can cry the way humans can cry, but her amphibian-like eyes shine oddly in the colors of the magical lights surrounding the room. The Director's eyes go wide for a moment, this was rather- no, extremely, unsuspected. The Regulator approaches the Director. "We found him! Lucretia, we found him! And h-he. That son of a bitch has Killian!" And lacking in the proper finesse that's demanded of her as a leader, she rubs her forehead. "Carey, come with me to my office and we'll sort this out." She looks around the room, her Reclaimers all gathered and standing, watching this interaction take place. "Please, everyone, return to your apartments for the evening." A. TWO WEEKS UNTIL ROLLOUT The Director hasn't slept a wink throughout the night, dealing with a host of problems facing the Bureau at the moment. She consults with the clerics on how to get rid of this ridiculous joke-entity that Garfield has proliferated long enough. She speaks with Carey about all the details she can offer, attempting to calm her down, despite her unraveled state. Killian means the world to Carey, after all, and the Director, no- Lucretia, was waiting for the wedding invitation for far too long. Sometime around mid-day, the Reclaimers will receive a message on their bracer from her. Reclaimers, we will deploying in approximately two weeks. We've discovered the location of a relic that we haven't heard about in quite some time now. A full briefing will be provided at a later date, but please prepare accordingly. The area you all will be assigned to is known as the Netheril, a vast desert that splits the continent in half between the western and eastern fronts. We've instructed the tailors to offer special clothing designs that are particularly good for protection against sand and heat — at a heavily discounted price. Ensure that you have a weapon, as there's no telling what sort of beasts you can encounter out in such a wasteland. Train intensively over the next few days. We anticipate that it will be quite some time before you are able to return to Base, so please ensure that your BIAS is restocked and ready to go. Two weeks. blurb code by photosynthesis

Comments

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow frowns. Shinji should have been, from what has been explained to him of Japan.]

Is that how you ended up wearing hobo chic?

[The accident, a drop out. What about family? Did they abandon him, or did he just have none? Akechi has not given Qrow a pretty picture of child services in their Japan.]

[petsthedog]

...Yeah.

[From what he can tell about Qrow, he probably has a thing about kids. Maybe has (had) his own? So Shinjiro doesn't really want to tell him that he left because he'd planned to die. But he also doesn't want Qrow to think he was kicked out or something, because he wasn't. He'd never faced any consequences that weren't self-imposed.]

It's not like you're thinking, probably. I didn't get in trouble for it. The Dark Hour doesn't exist, far as most people know. So when someone dies during it, it gets covered up.

[Morbidly, he wonders what the cover story for his death was. Apparently, Arisato lived several months past it.]

[blodsvorr]

[Meaning the death that Shinjiro caused was never let out, not for real. But the personality change that happens from something like that? That, Qrow can imagine being a problem for a lot of people.]

So you left?

[petsthedog]

Mm. Didn't seem worth sticking around, when I could hurt someone again.

[And that was something he was determined to prevent--by any means necessary.]

Gave up my Evoker and was never going to look back.

[But -- ah, well. Things change.]

[blodsvorr]

You've got it now.

[That and the past tense indicate that Shinji changed his mind.]

[petsthedog]

[He sighs. He's gone this far already, might as well keep going.]

Her kid joined SEES. [.....] He's eleven.

[blodsvorr]

You wanted to look out for him.

[Qrow would have done the same. He closes his eyes for a moment, and he breathes, and he apologizes to Summer that he could not protect her daughter, either. Then he opens his eyes again.]

Makes sense.

[petsthedog]

He was there because of me. It was the least I owed him.

[He would've been willing to give much more, had circumstances aligned that way. And now he's dead, and his mother's killer is alive. He feels sick when he thinks about it. But there's no need to get into that now, and they can't sit on the ground in this terrible simulation forever. Finally, Shinjiro gets to his feet.]

...Let's get this over with.

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow pushes to his feet. He's still frowning, but this time, he doesn't draw Harbinger. He can't meet Shinjiro's eyes.]

Look. You probably don't want advice from some old guy you barely know, but... You're carrying this with you forever, and nothing will fix it. I'm not going to lie about that. But now you know you can't die, either. So if you want to try to help people with the life you're stuck with, well. I'm willing to help you do that. Alright?

[It is, Qrow has realized over the years, all you can do. There is no getting over it. There is no atonement, no absolution. But at least there's that. If Shinji wants it. It's the step he began with that kid, after all.]

[petsthedog]

[Shinjiro doesn't get this guy, why he cares so much about Shinjiro salvaging some portion of his trainwreck of a life. Why he's trying so hard to reach someone who, as he said, he barely even knows.

The only person who's ever cared that much was Aki, and they've known each other since they were toddlers. Even when he'd come back to SEES, they'd let him keep his distance, but here Qrow was. Trying to help. He doesn't know what to say, really.]

You'd be wasting your time, I think. I ain't that kind of person anymore.

[He was, once. Once upon a time, he stood at Aki's side after a fire that stole his best friend's sister away and promised together that they'd become strong enough to do what they believed was right.

Then Castor crushed a house and a woman and his spirit right alongside it.]

...But I gotta fix my world. And I have a feeling you wanna try, anyway. Even if I say no. That about right?

[blodsvorr]

Hey, I'm not that pushy.

[He can be that pushy. But after a moment, he glances over Shinji's way. His voice is quieter.]

Think of it as... passing on a favour someone once did me. Alright? You've gotta make the choice. But I'll have your back if you do.

[petsthedog]

I don't deserve it.

[If he's sure of nothing else, it's that. He doesn't deserve any of this compassion or sympathy or attempts to help him do something that's worth justifying his continued breathing.]

...But I'll show you my Persona. [Not here, though. Not unless they run into a Shadow.]

If the other Persona users don't mind being with you, at least.

[He could ask Arisato himself, perhaps, but he doesn't feel entirely comfortable putting that entire burden on him. And while he doesn't know the others well enough to trust them, Qrow probably does. And that's good enough.]

[blodsvorr]

[His eyes widen in surprise, but he won't pass it up. If your Persona is an expression of your soul, then Shinji needs to find a way to work with his. Auras have taught Qrow as much as that.]

Yeah, sure. I'm pretty sure the kids from Goro's world would be up for it. I'll, uh, have to ask Minato.

[Ryuji, Akira, and Akechi all trust and like Qrow and would do him the favour. Minato.... Well, Qrow has no idea on that one.]

[petsthedog]

[He doesn't intend to work with it. He hasn't changed his mind on that much, or his plans on what to do when they're out on the field. Even if they can't die, he's sure other people still can.

But maybe it'd put Qrow's mind at ease, and if there's other Persona-users there to stop him, it should be okay.]

I can ask Arisato, if you want. He's our group's leader.

[There's a pause -- and Qrow won't like what he says next, but it's absolutely a condition to proceed at all. If Qrow balks, he doesn't have a problem retracting this offer.]

But if it goes wrong, don't hold back on me.

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow doesn't balk. He rolls his eyes.]

Yeah, yeah, I'll concuss you or whatever. Relax, kid. I've been training kids to unlock their powers from their souls since before we met. You think I don't know how to handle it when one of them gets out of control? And our Semblances aren't as consistent as your Personas. You can't tell if the kid you're helping is going to pop out with super speed or the ability to hit you with lightning. I can stop you if something goes wrong with your Persona.

[petsthedog]

[He didn't, in fact, think that. In his world, people with the Potential are rare, and the ones that can't control their Personas have to manage them with drugs so they aren't killed by their own power--which, ironically, will end up eventually killing them anyway.

Shinji's different from Strega, in that his Persona awakened naturally, rather than as a result of experimentation--or at least, that's how the rumors go about them. But his is still unstable, for some reason, and there's been nobody to help him figure that out. It's a trial by fire for all of them, really--it just so happened that he drew the short straw with his.]

Semblances, huh. [Qrow had mentioned an Aura before, but not Semblances. That's interesting.]

What's yours?

[It's a fair question, he thinks. Unwillingly or not, he's torn open a lot of himself today, and Qrow's asking him to take it on faith that he can handle a Persona like his, one that's specialized for destructive power and nothing more. He wants something to base that faith on.]

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow hears that huh and he anticipates the question that comes next. Even knowing it's coming, he looks away.]

Don't worry about it. All you need to know is I've handled a wide variety of them in my time. Hell, the Schnee summons aren't that disimilar to those Personas you've got. Anyone on Remnant would assume a Semblance is what you're working with.

[He shouldn't dodge it. He should tell Shinji the truth. But Qrow did not share this with the nieces he loved more than anything, not until it was dragged out of him. He has spent so long hiding it that he can't stand letting it out.]

[petsthedog]

You don't like yours.

[It's obvious, immediately. And where Shinji refused to show him, Qrow won't even tell him. Which means he probably didn't tell these kids he trained, either.]

I ain't gonna pry about it. [Just so that's, you know, on the table.] But I gotta ask, why's it so important I show you Castor, then?

[Are you, perhaps, someone who struggles with taking their own advice, because #relatable, honestly.]

[blodsvorr]

[He won't deny it. Instead, he just shoves his hands in his pockets. His posture is strikingly similar to Shinji's when he's like this.]

I told you, it wasn't the summoning itself that I was pushing you on. You freaked out back there. The situation set you off, and the way you were acting would be a major problem on a real battlefield. I figured that proving I could handle Castor would help you snap out of it and maybe do you some favours for the next time.

[It's CBT with Uncle Qrow, your local depressed alcoholic!]

[petsthedog]

[Shinjiro hadn't had a chance to argue about it before, when he'd been distracted by the bomb that'd been dropped about death around here. But he's calm, now. He can explain himself better.]

There won't be Shadows out there. Without the Dark Hour, I don't need Castor. He might as well just be a giant battering ram. And it's the same for you, right? If you don't even want to talk about it, I'll bet you've found plenty of excuses never to have to use it.

[blodsvorr]

That's not a choice I have available.

[He won't say what it is, but he will admit that: Qrow cannot stop it. It is always there, whether he likes it or not. That isn't what matters.]

So you don't think there's any other situation where you'll tell an ally to stand back when that makes no sense?

[petsthedog]

[He can't stop it, then. Shinji's trying to piece this puzzle together, to understand where the man's coming from, but the picture he gets is confusing. He can't stop it, and yet he won't talk about it. The only way that makes sense is if it's something that isn't obvious, something he thinks he can hide. He wonders what it is, of course--but he said he wouldn't ask. And he won't.]

I'd been doing alright since coming back to SEES.

[Until, of course, he ditched that last mission in October to meet Amada in this place they're standing right now. He's just glad the simulation hasn't seen fit to make him walk through his own damn blood.

...He sighs. Qrow has no reason to believe him, does he? Shinjiro doesn't want to talk about it any more than he already has, but it's true that he did have a protracted meltdown in front of him. It's embarrassing, but he supposes he does owe Qrow one last explanation.

Reluctantly, half through his teeth:]

I--freaked out because...this is the place where I killed her.

[blodsvorr]

[Of course. It all makes sense. Qrow looks up to the sky, trying to find a place where the green will end.]

Tell me about SEES, kid.

[He won't make him say anything else about what happened that night.]

[petsthedog]

[What to say about SEES, really--he was one of the first members, but also in it for the shortest amount of time, comparatively.]

It's officially a school club, but that's just an excuse for us to all live in the same dorm together. Since the Dark Hour starts at midnight, it's safer for us to be close together, see.

[He shrugs]

This company called the Kirijou Group set it up. They do research on Shadows, and there was some kinda accident ten years ago that created the Dark Hour, and this uh...Shadow nest called Tartarus.

[Which emerges at the site of their high school during the Dark Hour, ahaha ha haaa.]

The president's got a kid, Mitsuru, who's got the Potential. She found the rest of us.

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow immediately presses X to distrust!!]

Yeah? And what's that company get out of it?

[As distrustful as Qrow is by nature, it's only out of experience. There are very few organizations whose intentions can be trusted; even then, Qrow can only put faith in something once he knows the motives of the leader. He follows Ozpin's cause because he believes in Ozpin himself. But for all that Ozpin trained the next generation that would fight in his war, he never willingly sent a child to fight. Not when he could help it.]