balance_logs | Lunar Interlude 3

Entry tags:

Lunar Interlude 3

	What a mess.
	NAVIGATION

1. NEW RECLAIMERS

A. 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

The 14 of you are quickly divided into three groups, and brought to the easternmost geodesic dome, to an elevator in a well maintained, but sparsely landscaped field. There's nothing particularly ominous feeling about the space — in fact, the two guards who greet you at the elevator entrance seem pleased with your arrival. You are, after all, one of the few chosen by the Director, the few who will reclaim what the Hunger has destroyed.

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
○ A popular Faerun children's toy: "It's Elementary, My Dear Brewer: Chemist Set for the Discerning Beginner." It's essentially a simple chemistry set.
○ An inflatable hammer that plays one progressive note of a jingle a lot of you probably hate by now with every hit.
○ A wooden toy sword.
○ A plate of spaghetti — hear us out, though. Thanks to a Reclaimer who came before you, and thanks to the robot that's making your food, it's the kind of spaghetti that grants you extra strength for an hour after eating.
○ A crowbar, with a note attached to it: "DO NOT USE CROWBAR."

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 MOONBASE

A. 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!

Curiously, the simulators for this class seem to be working just fine. Neither the Director nor the instructor are going to question it. The monster of the month you'll be facing is the Tarrasque (scaled down to size, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying) — are you cunning enough to escape the simulation? Or are you going to go against the point of the class and try to fight it?

○ Winding down room: A small room filled with the kotatsus brought back from Vista Virs, board games, books, and other quiet activities for one of the days where you're feeling a little more restful. At the front of the room, a keyboard and other instruments are waiting — unnamed Bureau members will offer a few quiet, soothing performances throughout the day, but you're welcome to play as well.

○ Visiting New New Aspen: You may have noticed that there's an enormous tree (You say Christmas, we say Candlenights) jutting out past the atmosphere, nearly touching the Moon Base itself. This was the site of the first field mission, and the tree stands as a monument to the Reclaimers first success in recapturing a Grand Relic. At the bottom of the tree, a peaceful town that cherishes the ornaments it makes sits. The mayor of New New Aspen, Matthew, will greet you warmly, and invite you to any number of ornament carving classes, or to dinner with his Aunt Laurel (She's a giant spider, by the way), or to even just spend some time with the giant cats that protect the town.

Perhaps worringly, though, the cat captain of the guard, Bread, is missing.

○ Visiting Vista Virs: A town in the middle of an unforgiving desert that was left completely destroyed. If you choose to return, expect to be put to work — you'll be gathering supplies, helping rebuild homes, or just comforting the Needlers, a race of catcus people who inhabited the town, who have lost everything.

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He chuckles. That isn't a bad way to feel, though. Frankly any performance is going to be tiring, as he well knows, but he wonders if being separated from her friends in such a brutal way might be impacting that thought]

Ah! Well, none of us actually beat a sandworm, either. The sandworm ventures went rather poorly. [She doesn't need to know that death was involved, so he smooths over it.] But everyone is safe now, so don't worry. That shouldn't come up in the future. I admit I'm more curious about what sort of performances you've done.

[Oh, she never actually said that, did she? Momentarily distracted from the issue of the sandworms, Sayori beams proudly.] I write poetry! My literature club was going to perform at the school festival before, um... [Before... She can't remember. Before something terrible happened. She presses on despite the static in her memories, still smiling.] Before I came here.

The pamphlet said I'm a bard now, so I think I'll be performing a lot!

[Akechi's eyes light up. Not only is he interested in it but it might be the best topic for her.]

Ah! A bard, how wonderful. Two of my friends here are bards. I'll be looking forward to seeing your talents play into it. [He smiles.] I must admit, the fact that you write poetry is really impressive to me.

Ahaha, really? [Praise? Time to laugh that off, we can't have that!] I'm not that good at it. I think being a detective is way cooler! You even have a cape!

[It is a cloak, and those two things are in no way related. But she is flustered and being charmingly goofy is her main asset besides poetry.]

[Interesting. She doesn't seem to want to stay on topics about herself? He's curious about that. But he smiles and grabs the hem of his cloak, sweeping it around himself in a dramatic motion.]

Do you like it? It is fun and stylish, I won't deny that. I bought it here, actually, to go along with my paladin class. I suggest you buy clothes for yourself, too. I would be happy to accompany you if you don't know what to look for.

[She laughs and clasps her hands together in amusement as he shows off his cloak.] I love it!

[Wait for it.]

...

Wait, I could get one too?

[There we are. In quick stages, she is excited about the prospect, and then a little sheepish, because she realizes that all she has is her school uniform. She looks down at it and tugs a little at the hem of her skirt, which sports a small stain from...probably food.] I guess these aren't the best clothes for an adventure. Um-- it would be fun to go shopping with a friend! But I can go by myself if you have to do important paladin stuff. [She wouldn't want to inconvenience him.]

[At least she seems excited about it, so he laughs.]

The only thing I really do is train, so I'm more than happy to take some time to visit my friends. [Even if having friends and talking with them is frankly still a wild concept.] Why don't we go now? We can pick out some extra clothes, too.

[He has enough to cover a newbie's weapon purchase, too, if she runs low, but he doesn't think bringing that up at the moment is a good idea. Better to sandwich it between activities she likes? Maybe?]

Let's see, Fantasy Costco is only a few minutes walk from here.

Yay! Yeah, let's go now! [Also he agreed that they're friends now so today is a good day.

That said, she begins to walk. Whether she is walking in the right direction towards Fantasy Costco is another matter.

(She's not.)]

Ah, um—

[Wait, does he just call her 'Sayori'? She didn't give a family name. Maybe she's like Ryuji and Akira? That would make it easier. The last time he had this quandary, it was Minato, and waiting for Minato to address him so that he could take a cue from it nearly killed him, so.

All right, just going to go for it and if she rebukes him or acts odd about it, he'll deal with that.]

S-Sayori, it's this way, actually.

[She stops and spins on her heel when he addresses her with some obvious confusion. But it seems to be only about the location of Fantasy Costco and not how he used her name, because after a moment, another airy chuckle escapes her in response.] Oops. I don't know my way around very well, huh?

[She returns to his side momentarily.] Okay, this way! [And now, in the right direction!]

[That is a relief, at least. So she is just a casual sort of person.]

Don't worry. You'll get to know this place well enough. Oh! Right, I wanted to ask... what skills did it start you with for bard?

[Just wait until she deems it acceptable to dispense hugs.

Judging by the way her eyes flick upwards as if accessing her brain, she has to think about the answer to that question.] Umm, I think it was... [She ticks them off on her fingers.] Bardic Inspiration, Healing Word, and Sleep!

I haven't tried any of them yet, though. [Which has nothing to do with her mental block pertaining to her own usefulness, I'm sure.]

[He likes hugs even if he still feels unsure when they're acceptable. But he listens and smiles.]

Don't worry. You'll learn to use them. And you have people like us to keep you safe as you learn. In fact, one among us is an excellent teacher. My roommate, Qrow. [He's pretty sure Qrow would be fine with helping Sayori practice, so he goes ahead and namedrops him.] Ah, but, those make for a good set starting off!

[She turns her face away under the guise of airily admiring some buildings nearby to hide the sadness that creeps into her smile.] You're helping me a lot, huh? You're pretty nice.

[Everyone here has been pretty nice so far--even her roommate, who seemed grumpy on the outside but nonetheless gave her the bedroom. She doesn't deserve all this kindness.

She turns back to Akechi, the brightness returning to her smile.] It seems like bards are supposed to be helpers, so I hope I can get really good at it and help you too sometime! And Qrow, and everyone else!

[His own smile softens. 'Nice' isn't at all the word for it but he doesn't correct her. It would probably just make her insist harder and there isn't a reason to weigh her down with that when she clearly has her own worries.]

I'm sure you will. Don't worry, it's taken some getting used to for me with this paladin business. I think everyone has their own feelings on the class given to them. For some, it was fitting. But take Qrow for example. I had to remind him that he is a chemist on our last mission.

[The one way to cheer up everyone: laughing at Qrow.]

[It's true that it does elicit a giggle from Sayori and help distract her from the little looming rainclouds.] You made it sound like he was so smart!

But I think I might forget too if I was something besides a bard. [Bards, arts, poetry, it all connects.] Being a chemist sounds pretty hard!

[At least it worked! He laughs a bit, too.]

I admit I would have to study if I had gotten that one. But I already knew how to use a sword, so I lucked out on mine for the most part.

[She gasps, amazed.] You were a superhero!!

[We all saw this coming.]

N-No, nothing like that, really! Well... [No. Hiding it is actually rather stupid and pointless in the long run when they're going to be teammates.] I do have the ability to summon something called a Persona but it isn't a unique ability.

[Much to his past disappointment. It really isn't as brag-worthy now when Persona users keep popping up.]

Persona? [Hm, yes, this is in her vocabulary, but she is uncertain of the context.] Like when you're a really good student at school but then you come home and maybe don't do your chores? [You act more responsible for your school persona! Yeah!

But there is obviously something she's missing if this is a special ability.]

It is something like that, yes. [Even if the example is a little silly, it isn't exactly wrong, either.] Everyone has a side of themselves they don't show to other people, for various reasons of course. And some people are able to... summon that side of themselves to protect them and fight for them.

Wow! [That sounds like Sayori's worst nightmare! This thought is not clear by the tone of her interjection, though.] H-how does that work? What does it look like?

[She is really trying to imagine exactly what "intense self-loathing" would look like. Yuri would probably have an image for it.]

[There is absolutely a reason he hopes people like Loki and that is the exact reason.]

It looks different for everyone. Usually it manifests as something from a legend or a myth or something like that. A friend of mine here, his manifests as that monkey from Journey to the West.

[Sayori takes a contemplative pause, which is apparently something that she's capable of.]

That would be harder to show your friends, huh? A stranger probably wouldn't know what it means at all if they don't know anything else about you.

[With this perspective, his opinion on sharing poetry makes sense.]

[It really is something similar to what she thinks. With strangers, he's used to performing and not being understood. If he showed someone Loki, they might be able to tell there is something off or a little freaky about him but as long as Akechi continued to act with a smile, they would probably brush it off. Unfortunately, he knows people closer to him can see everything reflected in Loki.]

That's correct. Well, depending on how it looks, maybe strangers could make guesses but in the grand scheme, they wouldn't know compared to someone who knows you. Even if you act differently in front of them, no one has a perfect act. It's a powerful asset but also one that requires... certain strengths, I suppose.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject