balance mod (
balancemod) wrote in
balance_logs2019-03-17 11:42 am
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Entry tags:
- blazblue: hibiki kohaku,
- danganronpa: gundam tanaka,
- danganronpa: komaeda nagito,
- doki doki literature club: sayori,
- kingdom hearts: roxas,
- legend of zelda: zelda,
- original: ferran gallagher,
- overwatch: jesse mccree,
- persona: goro akechi,
- persona: minato arisato,
- red vs blue: agent washington,
- rwby: blake belladonna,
- rwby: qrow branwen,
- undertale: sans
Lunar Interlude 3
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![]() ![]() 1. NEW RECLAIMERSA. WELCOME WAGON For the 14 of you who will be arriving today, the story is the same: though you may not remember it, there was a moment where you were living out your life, at home or wherever you were ... and then there was the moment the Hunger came. And amid the television static that is your memory of that moment, a hand reached out to you, beckoning your escape as the tendrils of darkness destroyed everything that ever existed about your world. "Would you hurry this up, please? Your world no longer stands a chance. Come with me, we are the last bastions of hope for all universes everywhere. And we're going to need you." And then, unceremoniously, you are dragged through the universal wringer and plopped down on the soft, though not quite cushioned, grass of the Moon Base Quad. You're not alone, either. Along with the newest members of the Bureau, in a fashion probably not unlike this, there are people waiting here for you. People who wanted to see the heroes the Director has managed to bring in this time. People who are excited to see what you're capable of. You have a few minutes to talk with each other — or maybe lob a few questions at the impromptu welcoming committee, or any of the older Reclaimers who may happen to be nearby. But before long, you're whisked away to a different area of the Moon Base. B. THE VOIDFISH ![]() And in a few moments, you're about to find that out for yourself. After a tightly packed elevator ride, your group is ushered out to a rather grand looking hall, banners of the Bureau of Balance adorn both sides of smooth metal walls. And inside the Voidfish's chamber stands a tank — impossibly tall, and soaked in a black ink that obscures whatever the tank may be holding. You may notice a melody, someone playing the violin. It's a bard, on his third round of introducing Reclaimers to the Voidfish. When he's finished, he pulls out a few pieces of paper — sheet music — opens a drawer at the bottom of the tank, drops the papers in, and shuts it. And suddenly, it seems you've forgotten everything that may have been ironic about that melody. If you seem alarmed, the bard takes notice of it. "Yeah, man, like... don't think too hard about it, it's like that every time. I'm guessing you're here to be inoculated? Just a heads up, you might want to, like, seriously, hold your nose while you drink it down. It tastes wicked gross, man." You sort of get the sense that he's said this speech once or twice in the past. It's well rehearsed, much like the stories you'd expect a bard to be able to recite. "Anyway, I'm supposed to tell you that you have a choice. If you drink the black stuff, you'll be able to hear through the, uh... Huh, how do I describe it? Through the [TSHCSCHTSHCHSC] sound. You guys like, hear that? Anyway, it's all about knowledge or something. I don't know, I'm just here to, like, feed the thing. We call it the [TSCHHSCHSCH], by the way. So, like. You get a choice. You can drink it and understand stuff, or not drink it and then hear that crackling noise all day every day. If I were you, I'd drink it. But, hey man, I'm not like, your dad or anything." The bard takes five cups and draws liquid from a spigot connected directly to the basin of the large tank. Stormy, muddy looking ichor is drawn into them, one by one. He offers each of you a sip. Drink it (he wasn't kidding about what it tasted like), and you're inoculated to the wisdom of the Voidfish. You try to remember the song this bard played a few moments ago and the melody, the meter, every octave, all come back to you. And if you think back to your arrival, some of the things you may have heard other people in the Quad say, that simply sounded like static, are suddenly clear. Bureau of Balance. Grand Relic. Reclaimers. Yet you still can't remember the Hunger or what it had done to your world. And as you look back to the tank in front of you, the water has become clear. There's a jellyfish, as tall as a building, floating within. You look into the body of the creature and you can almost make out a beautiful, tiny universe floating within it. 2. THE TEST OF INITIATION![]() With your new knowledge on the Bureau of Balance and your purpose here in tow, you are led without hesitation to the Arena, where the final phase of your initiation into the Bureau will be held. You are partnered up, whether it is with someone you drank the ichor of the Voidfish with, or perhaps even a veteran Reclaimer, who either stopped by to help, or simply out of curiosity. After the proctor confiscates your weapons for the test, the room you are placed in is stark white — it sort of gives off the vibe that it was supposed to do something other than look so sterile once upon a time, but for whatever reason, that function is lost. With a sound similar to an airlock, the door is shut behind you, and the outline disappears, the lines of the door frame magically filled in with the rest of the wall. Your task here is to escape. You are provided with the following tools: ○ A small flatware set from the café. Two forks, two spoons, two butter knives Seriously, don't use the crowbar — the purpose of this test is to assess your ability to find a solution outside of the most obvious one. The purpose of this test is to determine if you are capable of resisting the call of a Grand Relic. Use your wits. Use the path actions granted to you when you arrived. Use any ideas your partner has. But do not use the crowbar. 3. NEWBIES AND VETERANS, AROUND THE MOONBASEA. I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN The Reclaimers were already sort of elevated to a certain level in the Bureau, as The Director's chosen few, the ones who were ultimately tasked with saving everyone, and the ones the rest of the Moon base is charged with assisting. And now that the Reclaimers have successfully brought home two Grand Relics, they're ... starting to become something of household names. Moon Base names? The next time you wander into town — an old Reclaimer veteran or a brand new face — you may very well be accosted by a well-meaning, if curious admirer. And they have questions: Did you get to hold the Grand Relic? Is it true that you took out a sandworm by tricking it into tying itself in a knot? Can they see your weapon? Would you spar with them sometime? Maybe they're not quite this annoying. But still annoying. You may need the assistance of another Reclaimer to escape from this wholesome new Adoring Fan of yours. B. MALFUNCTION Resting on the Moon Base is your time to catch up. Maybe there's someone you didn't spend a lot of time with in the Netheril. Maybe you're new, and you're still working on meeting as many of your fellow Reclaimers as possible. Which is fair. These are the people you will have to cooperate with for the foreseeable future, so it's best that you get to know them as well as possible, right? And then, one day, your Bracer buzzes with a message: Hello! Not all that curiously, the message appears to come from a username that you recognize. Whoever it is, it's another Reclaimer — one that you know well. Much more curiously, the message is followed by an odd beeping, and a perhaps familiar two-toned sound of something shutting down. And when you try to message your friend back, you may find that: For the next 24 hours, your bracer's translator feature is broken. You will not be able to understand Common — and when you speak, you won't be translated into Common. Have fun with that! And yeah, that probably wasn't actually your friend messaging you. Add another mystery to your list of weird phenomena that needs addressing. C. POWERING DOWN This is meant to be a few weeks of rest while the rest of the Bureau prepares for your next mission. The Director, however, believes that this free time should be used to better oneself however they might see fit, and she certainly won't stop anybody who'd like to spend time in the areas they've visited previously — and any new Reclaimers who would like to learn a little more about Faerun. Grab a pal and try these options, both on the Moon Base and beyond, on for size: ![]() ○ Stop Dying 101: Also known as Fatalistic Fauna, and Danger Sense to channel your inner barbarian. This is a class that was introduced after the first field mission that offers instruction on basic survival strategies when up against the more inhospitable areas of Faerun. The class is open to everyone, but if you have died at least once during the course of Balance, attendance is mandatory (Unless you're an old bird who was talked into teaching a class instead). Yes, that means you, Komaeda! D. THE MOON IS YOUR SPACE OYSTER (WILDCARD) There are plenty of other locations around the Moon Base that you can explore at your own discretion. Feel free to refer to the Settings page for more ideas on what shenanigans you can get into. Additionally, we'll be fielding Bender rolls again this month! If a food item was destroyed in a failed roll previously, you may roll to try to fix it. Bear in mind, of course, that you may make it worse. Successful food rolls will stay in place at this time, and can be utilized how you like. Keep in mind that only one magical effect can be in place at a time. blurb code by photosynthesis |
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[so, what do you do when you're a kid who has a both taste bud-inspired and kind of sentimental attachment to apple juice ... what do you do when you're a kid who hasn't really had the real, actual stuff, aside from a serendipitous birthday gift, in four years, and suddenly, the really idiotic Moon Base foodbot is churning out serving-sized bottles of the stuff?]
[you fall back on old habits. you know, the one where you collect apple juice and squirrel it away in your closet.]
[to that end, if you happen to live in one of those rooms that begin with four, or if you're just passing by, you might find an absolutely obscene amount of apple juice in the hallway. like, we're talking enough apple juice to drown planet fucking Jupiter, bottled and ready to go, just sitting there in the hallway. it's not exactly clear how whoever's been carrying them all over here for who knows how long at this point plans to get them all into his room (god I'm sorry, Roxas).]
[and there he is, carving out a path among the AJ with his foot as he carries back another small armful.]
Hey. Relax, I'll stop littering in a sec. [are you really, Dave.]
ii. reconnaissance
[that's not to say that Dave isn't bothered by having seen Vista Virs destroyed, or that he isn't upset by the fact that so many people died, or even that he doesn't empathize with Lucas so goddamn much. they probably all can, in a way, having been dragged away from their universes before the Hunter destroyed everything, and everyone.]
[and aside from that, somewhere down in those awful afterlife kinda caves in the middle of the desert, Dave caught wind of a time loop he really doesn't like. Dave caught wind of a time loop he really doesn't like, and with the time god powers he usually complains about nerfed, he can't think of a goddamn thing to do about it.]
[which brings him to the Artificer's office, a particular kind of pastry in hand, sounding congested, on the cusp of a bad cold. he's not the type to write, or hell, even read, a world's GameFAQ if it gets too longwinded and flowery, but if it's for someone he loves? yeah, he'll do it. he'll figure out if the laws here operate in the same ways that are so familiar to him, and he'll goddamn fix this.]
[either that, or he'll turn the next bookcase he touches hot pink. you might want to stop him.]
iii. wildcard grab bag
[yeah, he is most definitely sick. caught a hell of a common cold somewhere back in Vista Virs. if you don't mind with putting up with a kind of gross teenager, gross in face and also in language, you can also find Dave:
- hiding in his room, with his half papered in bottles of apple juice. (sorry again, Roxas)
- in the winding down room, keeping warm under a kotatsu
- stuck in Stop Dying 101, because unlike SOME OTHER CORVID CHARCTERS IN THE BUREAU, he could not cheese his way out of going
- sneaking out of Stop Dying 101 and catching an orb down to New New Aspen — mostly to bring back some peppermint, giant fruit and a random tidbit about a certain giant cat that's gone missing.]
iv. wildcard again
[anything else you want to do, i'm game! let's do it.]
i - apple juice apple juice
...I'm guessing you found an even bigger apple this time?
[Dave you have a problem]
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[Dave, despite his otherwise neutral expression, seems pretty goddamn pleased with himself.]
Yeah, dude, had its own orbit and everything. [it did not.]
Better than the last time I tried to get an AJ fix here, though.
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at the Hunger]Goodness. That would make it planet sized. No wonder you had to juice it all immediately, it would spoil otherwise.
[He's very sure Dave is joking, because there are no planet-sized apples. That's just a bit too absurd. But he can go along with a joke.]
Did the contraption mess it up the first time?
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[even though he has been very blessed by the whimsies of Bender's robotic chef hands, he still looks a little irritated remembering ... what happened last time.]
If by "mess it up" you mean, "tried to kill me with molten apples" then yeah. Robot completely fucked it up. Can't believe that's how the thing's supposed to be working.
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[That's potentially deadly in its own way, but not as immediate as molten apples.]
Do you need some help moving all of this?
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i
[...okay then.]
I take it you like apple juice.
[Dry as the desert they've just left.]
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[don't pour out an apple juice though!! those are his.]
You could say that, yeah. Like, I had a sip on accident once and thought it was pretty all right.
[Dave's tone is just about as dry as Wash's.]
These come with the bonus of bein' magic.
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[Because hoarding is a perfectly measured reaction.]
Magic how?
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You like protein shakes?
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i
Oh. He wasn't aware there was some kind of apple juice convention happening in the hallway. ]
... It's all yours?
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[in any case, yes! welcome to Apple Con. admission is free, assuming you can get through the crowds, though that may only be because the organizer over here kind of got caught up in the logistics of ... well, everything.]
Yeah — assuming I can get the full party inside my room. [oh god. it's ... entirely too much AJ. one of the allegedly rare instances where Dave did not think his plan here through.]
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Well it's not like Minato was doing anything with his day. He might as well clear the hallway. ]
Would you like help?
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[Dave shrugs though, leaning backward slightly to smack his bracer against the nearest door. it slides open to an apartment that's on the brink of becoming a lot more ... AJ-ified.]
Sure, dude, if you want. I think I've got enough to tide me over for the weekend.
[that was probably a joke. it might be hard to tell, he's neutral in the face and deadpan in the voice.]
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Minato picks up his own armful of bottles and carefully maneuvers around the con crowd to the main event room. ]
Where are the guests going?
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i obviously
[. . . Well, no, that's not true. It would be ridiculous to claim that he avoids the fourth floor because there are so many serving-sized cardboard containers of apple juice strewn around. That's literally never been the case before. But this is just the kind of thing that would happen on the fourth floor. Of all the floors this could happen on, it'd be this one.]
[Fours are the worst. And Mista has just stepped on a box of apple juice, which has exploded all over his very ugly favorite shoes.]
Dude. [He looks . . . pained . . . why are you Doing This To Him.]
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[so.........]
[yeah. Mista has a point.]
Dude, what the hell, that was my dinner.
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[There's a slow blink, which says more than anything Mista's ever said with his out loud words.] Your dinner?
[He looks down at his shoes and the faintly pee-colored liquid all over them.]
That's a fucking liquid. Liquid isn't food. [That's science.]
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[Mista is talking science, but that is not a word Bender understands. and Dave never graduated junior high.]
[he looks down at the dead apple juice on the floor.]
Normally I'd agree with you, but the AJ you just brutally murdered is magic.
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[And it might be pee — but okay, he's looking down at his shoe now. Worried. Concerned. Terrified even. This is a Bender creation?]
What the fuck's wrong with this juice? Is my foot gonna turn into a steak? You can't eat me, dude, that's not cool. I'm not even German.
[This is a historically anachronistic reference by a year and a bit, but you have to deal with it.]
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iii
Vista Virs was a total crapshoot, and she feels partially responsible. Not hugely, because the airship 1) crashed 2) under the sands for 3) who knows how many sweeps, leading to who knows what kind of complications. Honestly, she's lucky they got the thing in the air! But it's hard to shake the feeling that there was something else she could have done to save the town.
Terezi flops on to the floor next to Dave and just sort of... wiggleworms under the blanket. This is far comfier than it has any right being.]
Suuuuuuup.
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Hey. Doing all right?
[he could probably empathize, if Terezi feels like talking about it. that is one of the, uh. unique experiences of being witness to a pre-retJohn timeline imploding on itself.]
[also, Dave sort of sounds like a lumberjack trying to saw his way out of that giant Candlenights tree.]
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She makes a small yuck face at the sound of Dave’s voice. He does not sound good.]
I could ask the same of you! Please don’t tell me you’ve caught some horribly contagious desert disease.
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[yeah, no, he knows he sounds like shit. death metal growlers would be all sorts of jealous.]
Nah. Just the regular kinda horribly contagious disease.
[it's hard to say whether he's joking or not. though, he is making a point of not quite looking in her direction.]
I finally got the goddamn AJ working correctly though, so net gain in my favor.
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