balance mod (
balancemod) wrote in
balance_logs2019-08-01 09:45 am
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
Entry tags:
- ace attorney: maya fey,
- ace attorney: mia fey,
- carmen sandiego: carmen sandiego,
- danganronpa: kaede akamatsu,
- danganronpa: shuichi saihara,
- doki doki literature club: sayori,
- fate: leonardo da vinci,
- homestuck: dave strider,
- jjba: guido mista,
- original: ferran gallagher,
- persona: akira kurusu,
- umineko: willard wright
Lunar Interlude 5
![]()
![]() 1. FROM THERE TO HERE AND THERE IS GONE![]() A. YOUR ARRIVAL For those of you who were just casually (or not so casually) pulled between the universes, depending on how you viewed your home world, your day just got a whole lot worse. You can't really remember what happened, but the grass beneath you is plush and comfortable, and out in the well manicured field of trees you're sitting in are ... well, a fairly sizeable crowd of people. The Director has pulled in new Reclaimers so often by this point that it's become something of an event. And quite frankly, according to the murmurs of other members of the Bureau, she's become pretty adept at picking some real weirdos. The Director, standing before you dressed in regal robes, clears her throat and begins to speak. She doesn't appear to be wearing any mics, but her voice is somehow amplified so that it booms through the Quad, and onto the Bracers of those who aren't in the Quad. When she's done, there's silence. In the distance, trains. No, really, you most definitely heard the sound of a train just now. That's probably normal. In any case, you have a few minutes to gather your bearings before you're taken to your initiation. You can talk with other newbies who are sitting there with you, or if you happen to spot somebody you know among the crowd watching, now's your chance to reunite with them. And maybe one of those people out there will be able to relay a fact to you, even if you can't remember exactly how: Your world, and the people who were there and are not here, are now gone. ![]() Once you have your bearings, you are divided into small groups of three or four 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. Standing by the tank is a bard, who happens to be reciting the lyrics to a song. Considering what he's about to do with the sheets of paper in his hands, the lyrics might be apt enough. When he's finished, he takes the sheets of paper — sheet music — opens a drawer at the bottom of the tank, drops the papers in, and shuts it. And swiftly, you feel as if there's something you can't just shake off about the melody you just heard. 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 sang 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. TEST OF INITIATIONYou are immediately divided into pairs and brought to the Arena, a large building that is capable of running several simulations for combat training, events, or, in this case, your Test of Initiation. When you and your partner walk into the Arena, the simulators switch to Initiation Mode, the scenery shifts, and your test begins. The experience is wildly different for each group — that's because the test will be drawing from both of your experiences back home. Initiation Mode replicates an amalgam of thoughts, metaphors, and ideas between the two people who signed up in order to make an obstacle course suited to appropriately test their ability to stay focused. This is a good opportunity to introduce new CR to some of the thoughts and feelings that your character has going on through their mind, their preferences, or give away a piece of information about themselves that might not be on the surface level. For example, let's say that your character was born on a ship, and spent their entire childhood growing up at sea. Your partner's life involves a lifetime of academic research (setting aside our dearth of smart archetypes for a sec here). An amalgamation suited for the Test of Initiation may involve navigating a ship through choppy seas with flying book monsters that breathe fire. Be as creative as you want! The design is 100% left up to you. All tests will eventually lead toward a room with a relic locked within it. What that looks like is up also up to you! If you need a few ideas, though, it could be: A bright red pair of gloves that can manipulate matter, or a ball of yarn that can roll up pretty much anything. Regardless of what the relic looks like, all you have to do to pass is retrieve the relic without using it. 3. AROUND THE MOON BASEThe Director's sudden absence isn't particularly anything new, given she spent the majority of her time on Lyrabar, leaving the Moon Base to manage itself. It is the first time Lucas has been left entirely in charge of it though. Controlled chaos becomes something of a much less controlled chaos. The sound of trains in the distance, though nobody can seem to pinpoint where they're coming from, isn't helping. Though, that isn't necessarily Lucas' fault It's largely the fault of a technomancer supposedly stuck on a different plane and infecting the Moon Base's tech. She's figured out where the Director went, and she's going to be using the next two weeks to her advantage. It's hard to say what her motives are here. But then, Miss Zarves has always been a little bit inexplicable. ![]() Oh man, Miss Zarves has been wanting to try this thing she wrote for ages, and for a few weeks at least, she's figured out how to override the Director's simulation settings. Did you know the Moon Base has an arcade? You're about to find out if not: If you happen to wander into the Arena, you'll find yourself inexplicably trapped in a simulation based off of an arcade game — and no, you're not going to get out until you win. As a note, you can't die in these simulations, but you can be busted up a bit. You can repeatedly get game overs until you win. You can run with any game on the conveniently copyright infringement free list linked above however you like, but here are a few settings to get you started: ○ Mesozoic Park: The Lost Chult. You and a friend find yourselves in a lush jungle, with no clear path to the escape helicopter. Using your wits and path actions, you are going to need to clear one for yourselves. Again, these are just a few examples! Feel free to use any of the games listed as you see fit. E. THERE'S NO ESCAPE The town, though it might not rely as heavily on Moon Base tech as the rest of the Bureau does, isn't exactly escaping unscathed either. It's more like, Miss Zarves find you Reclaimers a lot more entertaining than a bunch of shopkeepers who have had to put up with a deals warlock's shenanigans long enough that it's hard to surprise them. That said, if shopping or the occasional dining is on your agenda in town, then you'll find that you'll be able to do so largely unhindered. Shopping at Fantasy Costco is normal, too, if Garfield being himself falls under your usual definition of normal. There is one exception, though: It's a small alleyway that leads to the back entrance of Madame Frione's Tea Kettle. Step into it, and weirdly, you'll find that something unseen is blocking your exit. And then, a message appears on your bracer. From: Zarves♥Scarves You won't get a response from Miss Zarves, but you will find that you won't be able to leave until you respond to her text with something. And you'll also find that whatever you answer? It's automatically sent to the entire network. FYI: If you lie in your response, whatever's blocking you in will suddenly give way — you'll be able to move about three feet before there's suddenly another one blocking your escape. Unfortunately, it looks like if you want to escape this, you're going to have to be honest with yourself. And the network, as it were! E. LET'S JUST ESCAPE There is a very easy way to avoid anything a technomancer tries to do to mess with you, of course: Avoid the tech she's using to mess with you. And after the sort of messed up mission that Lyrabar was, and after the sort of screwed up ordeal that is being initiated into the Bureau to begin with, some of you will probably want to just chill out for a bit, too. Here are a few suggestions! ○ Another small art studio with a supply of magic paintbrushes has been set up in the Academy. Previously, the paintbrushes had painted in a color that represented the energy you're giving off. Nowadays, it's a bit more versatile: You can now change the color you're painting with by simply thinking about it. |
d is for dorms!
[He finds the dome with the dorms easily enough and begins making his way up to the third floor, only to come across another familiar face on the way up.]
H-Harukawa-san?!
[Maki will no doubt notice that Shuichi seems to have lost his uniform jacket at some point between the last time she saw him and now. It's a pretty distinct difference, after all.]
no subject
A familiar voice calling out to her at first doesn't register to her as strange, since she's rather used to hearing Shuichi and all, until a half-second later when she remembers just why it's strange. Not surprising, exactly, because if there was anyone she expected to run into here she figured it'd be Shuichi eventually, but...]
Saihara? [Maki stops, both startled and a little relieved to see him as she turns to face him. Whatever she might've followed up with is lost, however, as she's momentarily distracted by seeing him without the jacket. She can't ever really recall a time he'd ever not been put together, except maybe during his depression nap from-- God, had it really only been days ago? It felt like years. Or when he took it off during their training sessions, she supposes. Still, it's odd outside of those contexts.
She shakes her head to clear it.] What happened to your jacket?
wheezes finally i can come back to this thread
[He comes to a stop in front of her, though his smile fades a little as she asks about his jacket. He suddenly looks a little nervous.]
Um... [Well...she's going to find out eventually. There's no way she won't run into Kokichi at some point. And it's probably better for both parties if at least Maki has a head's up.]
[Poor Kokichi may end up suffering a heart attack when he sees her but, let's be real. He deserves it.] I...lent it to Oma-kun. He didn't have his when they brought him here, and we were paired together for our initiation test.
[He's just...going to wait for her reaction before addressing any of the other things he wants to ask her now. Like whether or not she actually attacked him and tried to kill him. And what this "Remnant of Despair" thing is.]
no subject
To-- [Maki goes still, little sparks and explosions of different feelings going off in her chest and her head. What had Shuichi just said?]
...Oma? Saihara, that's-- [Impossible, she's about to say, but Kaede is here too and...Maybe it's not so impossible after all, but to say that Maki isn't sure how to feel about this is an understatement.
Her fingers curl into her palms tightly.] Of all people...
no subject
[There's something disapproving or disappointed in his tone as he says this. It's clearly not meant to be an excuse, but rather an explanation. Because he certainly doesn't approve of Kokichi's plan to end the killing game.]
So don't...go hunting him down or anything like that, okay?
no subject
After a moment she moves forward quickly, placing the back of her palm firmly over Shuichi's forehead (hopefully not just straight up smacking him in the face, but, you know, this is a desperate time she can apologize Later maybe--)]
Do you have a fever? I wasn't planning on-- killing him. [There is, however, nothing mentioned about kicking the snot out of him in the near future. She MAY still do that.]
no subject
Huh? Um...no, I don't. [His brow furrows slightly. It's kind of a weird question. But so is the claim that she didn't plan on killing Kokichi, considering what Kokichi himself had told him just a few hours ago.] But didn't you...
[Son of a bitch, is this another classic "it's a lie!" situation?]
He told me...that you attacked him with a crossbow and tried to kill him. Was he lying then?
obligatory drv3 spoilers abound
[She says it bluntly, without hesitation. It happened. She already owned up to it, so there was no use in hiding it from Shuichi. It's not like she can step back and change that past, and the fact Kokichi
is here at all what the FUCKis already talking about it means there's no point in hiding it either.What's actually concerning her is...] You should know this already, though. How could you forget something like that? [Especially with everything else around that?
She crosses her arms over her chest, biting at her thumbnail in mild distress as she thinks] Amnesia...? DId you hit your head when you came here?
no subject
[Right now though, Shuichi looks utterly perplexed, and a little concerned.]
Um...no, I didn't hit my head. But...why would I know about that? I wasn't in the hangar... I was in my room. I never left my room after we came back from the exit. I had no idea you were planning to break into the hangar.
[He's a little surprised she didn't tell him. But...then again, she had thought he was a coward for giving Kokichi the shutter remote to the hangar. And if she was going with the intent of killing him...she probably didn't want him trying to stop her.]
no subject
Amnesia is nothing new, but boy is it getting old. Maki crosses her arms over her chest and wonders just what to say.]
...What, exactly, is the last thing you remember? Think hard.
no subject
[So...right before you knocked on his door to tell him about the flashback light. Shuichi frowns slightly.]
Is...there something else I should remember?
more super spoilers for V3 ayyy
Now she's kind of regretting that.]
Yes. [She finally says, bringing her thumb up to her mouth to work her teeth against her nail.] A lot happened. Momota-- [No, wait] Kaito-- [She feels her heart suddenly squeeze and her breath catches.
Objectively, Maki knows that it's not surprising that it still gets her. After all, it's been...what, a day? Not even? She's been too busy with all of this--everything to really think about it much but talking with Shuichi like this brings it all crashing back.
Inexplicably tears fill her eyes, which she hastily, angrily blinks away, scowling a little as she looks down at the ground. Her fingers curl into her palms, so tight that she can feel her nails digging in.
She tries to speak and again her breath hitches oddly on a strangled sort of sob, a feeling of mortification winding through her along with the overwhelmingly crushing sadness]
no subject
[But this...this is something completely different.]
H-Harukawa-san?!
[He has...no idea what to do here. Maki is one of his closest friends, but he's only known her for a few days and he's never seen her upset like this before. Somehow hugging her or even putting an arm on her shoulder seems like it wouldn't go over very well.]
I'm s-sorry, I-- Y-you don't have to answer that. [He puts his free hand (he has Yacchi under his other arm which I totally mentioned before now) into his pants pocket to see if he can find a tissue, but of course there's nothing in there.] Uhm...
[He looks anxiously around the hallway. They should probably...go somewhere more private? But it seems weird to just invite himself into a girl's room. His own room is still a few floors away and he doesn't know if it's empty or not...he supposedly has a roommate, after all.]
[What would Kaito do in this situation? Or Kaede?]
.....
[Holding his breath a little, he reaches out and attempts to take one of Maki's hands in his own. If she allows it, she'll find that his hand is warm and though his grip is soft and gentle, it's also firm. He's trying to be a reassuring presence...to be dependable.]
[It's okay, he's here. It's okay if you need to cry about whatever it was that happened that he doesn't remember. Which...he's suddenly very sorry he doesn't. Because then she wouldn't have to suffer this pain alone...]
no subject
It feels stupid to be upset like this, though logically she also knows it's not. It's understandable, she just wishes it wasn't happening to herself right now. That she could carefully pluck every feeling, stuff it into a box, and bury it away.
SHe doesn't pull Shuichi into a hug or anything grandiose like that, she just steps closer so she can press her face to his shoulder, just to hide her face for a minute. Sorry about getting your shoulder all wet, Shuichi.]
I'll... tell you everything. I will. Just not...Not right this second. [She manages to get that out after a few seconds, her grip on his hand possibly becoming a bit painful at this point before she thinks to ease up on it. But she's not going to keep it from him, painful and still raw as it is, she just needs some time first to be able to get it all out.]
no subject
I'll wait until whenever you're ready to tell me. So don't...feel like you need to rush, Harukawa-san.
[He is a very patient boy! And, if what she has to tell him is what he suspects it might be...it's something he wouldn't want to be rushed into talking about either. You take your time, Maki, he's not going anywhere. Which also applies to this crying spell, too, not just talking about the trial he forgot. His shirt will dry, you keep using it as a tissue for as long as you need.]