balance_logs | Lunar Interlude 3

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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

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[It doesn't surprise him that Sayori feels so out of her depth. What should he do to comfort her, though? While he doesn't want to make her feel too anxious about the upcoming mission, he also needs to make sure she has some semblance of footing before they start it. He can't baby her but he can't push her, either.

Smiling, he offers his hand to her.]

Then stay near me, all right? After all, I am a paladin. It is my duty to protect and assist. I still remember what it was like when I first awoke my powers. I promise I was painfully average before then. And certainly you aren't the only one here who was 'normal' before all of this. You'll figure things out with time.

[Sayori regards his outstretched hand with curiosity. Thoughts flit through her head, poetic thoughts, little airy concepts of this gesture being metaphorical, symbolic. A life ring in a sea of unfamiliarity. A friend. Maybe she'll write about it later.

After a moment, she smiles softly and takes his hand, giving it a squeeze.] Goro... Thanks. I'll try not to get in your way, ahaha.

[Smiling, he nods. Even if it's all he can offer right now, he hopes it helps enough. So far, he doesn't dislike her company, so he doesn't have any problems promising to stay with her, either. He leads her into Fantasy Costco, still holding her hand for now since going in the first time might be overwhelming.]

Now then. Do you want to shield shop first or clothing shop?

[He really was serious about the shield thing.]

[It feels nice to hold someone's hand, probably for no reason related to how isolating and strange arriving here has been!

For a moment, she's captivated by the size of the...warehouse? That is the concept she links most closely with the experience of this place, but wow, it seems big even for that.] Whooooa.

[Wait, he asked her a question.] Um! Maybe clothes first? I know more about clothes than shields!

[Chuckling, he nods.]

All right then, let's see. Clothes... Then shield, and then anything else you like.

[Akechi hums as he leads her past the many aisles and stands of things. He knows how tempting they all are to look through but he does want to make sure she gets set up first. Then they can look around after!

There are many tables and displays of clothes, both normal sorts, light armour and heavy armour.]

I hope you've always wanted to dress like a video game character.

[The brackets laugh.]

[Genre is an important distinction here.

It's true that Sayori is very easily distracted by all the displays, but she makes sure not to drag as Goro leads the way. She can't help but laugh at his comment, bringing the laughter out of the brackets.] A lot of them have really cute clothes! I don't play a lot of games, but one of my friends back home did. [Which is why she bullied him into joining a club so he didn't become a pathetic NEET.

A pause. She looks up at Goro.] Wait, "anything else?" Won't you get bored if we shop for a bunch of stuff?

[He shakes his head, smiling.]

Getting set up is rather important! So I really don't mind helping you with anything.

[Like it has the chance to be boring but it can't be awful is his general thought process.]

You must be pretty patient. [She knows a lot of people would probably find her kind of annoying. Someone so scatterbrained isn't always easy to wrangle.] I promise I won't get too distracted! And if you want to shop while we're here I'll wait for you too!

[She is just assuming that everyone else is as taken in by snappy product displays as she is.]

Ahh, yes, I have to pick up more ammo and rations before the next mission. We can do that at the end, though. [Ah. Right.] Closer to the mission, we'll hear word of anything else we need to buy, too, so make sure you listen to the Director's instructions.

Ooh, okay! [Yes, this makes sense so far.] Wait, if everyone has to buy that stuff, will it go out of stock? Should I try to go shopping early?

[That sounds like a terrible burden but she will do it if she must.]

Ah, no it should be all right! The person who owns Fantasy Costco is... hm, well. [He is thinking about how Akira bought Akechi's clothes for him by selling his own blood.] He's an odd one. I imagine he has more than enough stock to make the money he wants.

[She has no idea what "odd one" means in the wider context of this world that is already pretty odd. She figures that means he must be pretty darn odd.] Wow. He must be a ruthless businessman!

[Her eyes drift over the clothing displays. There's so many kinds!

Abruptly, she has a realisation.] Ah... I don't have pajamas or anything... [She can't sleep in her underwear when she has a roommate either!] How many sets of clothing did you get when you first got here?

Oh! Yes, of course. Don't worry, I'm going to help you buy some essentials. I have quite a lot saved up. But I do recommend at least buying a two outfits, as well as sleepwear and all the, ah, other pieces of clothing you would need as well.

[He can't say 'underwear' but he is hoping she understands.]

[She gives him a long look, trying to decipher what "other pieces of clothing" could possibly mean. Considering she wears a school uniform and probably sleeps in the same shirt for 3 days straight, she can't imagine needing that many clothes.]

...

[Oh!]

More undies! Got it!

[Yes, she understands.]

[SAYORI WHY. He clears his throat with a light laugh.]

Yes! Precisely. So we'll be sure to pick up everything you need clothing-wise. If there is anything else you'd like to pick up, too, you can. Hair accessories, for example.

[The bow is cute and he bought some himself to tie his hair up sometimes.]

[Most people wear underwear at some point, why would it be embarrassing!!!

She reaches up to brush her fingers over her bow and giggles bashfully.] Are you sure? I can just wear this one! I don't want to waste all your money.

[He waves his hand with a smile.]

Yes, I'm certain. I don't spend much money really. Besides, I believe making sure teammates are properly taken care of counts as beneficial to myself in the long run, too.

[He frames it that way to hopefully ease some of her worries.]

Huh! [She never thought about it that way before.] I guess that makes sense! Happier teammates work together better!

[Curiosly, she picks up a rather puffy white shirt off of one of the displays, holding it up to see the poof's full majesty.] Did you have to get used to dressing like this? I mostly wore t-shirts and shorts back home... [When she wasn't wearing her uniform, anyway. It was nice to think about dressing in cute clothes, but she often didn't have the energy for anything more.]

[Yes, his logic paid off! He smiles as he watches her look over the clothing and gives a soft laugh.]

Dressing this way everyday? Yes. But when I awoke my Persona back home, it came with a costume change. Robin Hood's was something along these lines. Rather princely. Loki's was different but still not everyday attire.

[Unless you live a BDSM lifestyle maybe.]

Princely? That's so cute! [That does seem to fit with the general image that Goro has presented so far. Blessedly, she has no suspicions about any BDSM-related inclinations.

She picks up another poofy shirt, this one in pink.] I wish I could have a magical costume change. Then I'd never be late because I couldn't find my skirt!

[Let everyone pray that Sayori never has to see him in that outfit.]

Aha, that would be fun, wouldn't it? Like one of those Magical Girls on TV. That sort of thing would suit you, I think. Though, mine was more of an instant thing, so it wasn't very flashy or cool to see it happen.

[It would certainly be enlightening.

Sayori's eyebrows arch as her arms fall, letting the shirt crumple against the rest of the stack of clothes.] Huh, really? [She has never thought of herself as being someone who could be a Magical Girl, because she's pretty sure magical girls have to be able to get out of bed.

She smiles as she picks up a hat, being advertised with choose your own feather options.] Is it because of my cute bow?

Precisely. It is such a cute accessory. It's not hard to imagine you as a magical girl in secret with something like that. I don't mean that to tease you, though.

[Well. It's a little teasing. But in a friendly, fun way, he thinks.]

Ehehe~ Me and the other girls in the club would be a super cute magical girl squad. [And their only male member would probably appreciate it.

Speaking of the other members, she begins picking accessories for the hat. There's a bow that looks like hers! And then feathers... She plucks out pink, purple, and green feathers from the selection.] There's usually a sharp-dressed boy hero too, right? You're like that! We could have a show!

[Two friends that are not technically anime become an anime.]

[That amuses him and after a moment of debate, he decides to do a cutesy bounce, fingers in a V-shape next to his eyes. He winks before dropping it with a laugh.]

I think that was a popular magical girl pose? I can't recall.

(no subject)

hxppythxughts - 2019-05-03 19:01 (UTC) - Expand

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