Lunar Interlude 5

[balancemod]

looks like i'm in charge now NAVIGATION Click here for the RNG thread! 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. B. THE VOIDFISH 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 INITIATION You 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 BASE The 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. C. WHAT A CRUMMY WEEKEND THIS HAS BEEN 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. And thanks to not wanting to be sued by Michael Crichton's estate, the T-Rex that's chasing you down in this game is actually in the correct era. Once both you and your friend are safely strapped into the helicopter, the simulation will end. (As a side note, Lucretia would actually approve of this one — there are many very powerful monsters out there in Faerun, and learning to outrun/outwit/defeat them is a vital ability.) ○ Immortal Wombat: Actually becoming a wombat is optional. You and a friend will be situated in the middle of the arena, with a very loud and very rowdy simulated crowd surrounding you. As the name of the game implies, this simulation will not end until one of you is KO'd. 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 hello!!!! since madam in charge is off tryin to fix something i thought id help out a bit you know like a team building exercise so you can do the bureau thing better sounds fun right??? anyway what would u say is your least favorite thing about yourself go on dont be shy 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. ○ Speaking of the Academy, there are a few new classes available: "Logic and Puzzles for the Easily Puzzled," led by a rather intelligent chemist who tends to speak in riddles herself; "Charmed, I'm Sure," led by a warlock who seems to have an uncanny sort of charisma, and knitting. What? You guys don't want to knit? Additionally, if you are interested in reading up on some of the advanced paths unlocked so far, the materials unlocked have been made available in the Artificer's Office. If there's an advanced path your character wants to reach someday, now's a good time as any for them to start studying it. ○ Before leaving, the Director set up a comfortable pile of large pillows and blankets out by the Whomping Willow in the Quad. Feel free to have as many sleepovers as you want. The Whomping Willow will also offer advice if you ask it, though it's particularly good at dispensing love advice. ○ WILDCARD: This is, of course, your time to rest as you see fit. Please feel free to use the setting however you wish!

Comments

[diffidentive]

A miniature alligator, but...yes. I did. That was the first case I ever took, actually.

[Which is why it was first in the drawer, obviously.]

And what about them...?

[slieght]

That's so cute! Imagining an even nerdier Saihara-chan wrestling with a mini alligator! And hunting down all of those other pets and stuff? I just had to confirm it. Did they pay you, or did you do it out of the goodness of your heart?

[Some gentle teasing doesn't hurt before he drops the heavy case on him, right?]

[diffidentive]

Well...the girl who owned the alligator gave me some chocolate on Valentine's day-- just as friends, but other than that, no I didn't ask them to pay me.

[He hesitates, seemingly weighing his options about something for a moment. The truth is that he was happy with just their thanks and the knowledge that he'd helped someone but...he's pretty sure Kokichi will just laugh at him if he shares that.]

[No, scratch that. He's definitely sure Kokichi will laugh at him if he shares that. So he doesn't.]

They weren't...really official cases, you know? And I'm not a professional detective, [This would have been before he was the SHSL Detective, even.] so it didn't feel right to ask for payment.

[slieght]

Valentine's chocolates? I'm so jealous! Well, not really. After all, I received thousands of those every year from my organization.

[Of course.]

That's fair! It makes total sense that you'd be soft like that. I'm sure you were just happy being useful to someone, huh? Nishishi! I have another case I'm curious about.

[diffidentive]

......

[No comment on the happy to be useful thing. None at all.]

Ah... [He has a feeling he knows which one it is...] Is it the murder case?

[No need to specify further...there was only one murder case in there, after all...]

[slieght]

[He pulls the folder out, waving it around a little in the air.]

Yeah. Sounds like it was a pretty tough case, but a high school apprentice managed to solve it when the police couldn't? How does that happen?

[Well he knows how it happens. Shuichi's the SHSL Detective, so...no surprise there really. But he wants to know the details.]

[diffidentive]

......

[Shuichi closes his eyes for a moment and lets a slow breath out through his nose. Even now, he really hates talking about this case. And the way Kokichi words his request for information isn't helping. Why do you have to pretend like you're completely oblivious, Kokichi? You read the file! You should know exactly what happened!]

It happens when a high school apprentice just...happens to notice something the police overlooked. That's how.

1/2

[slieght]

[He's quiet for a few moments, then sets the file back down in his lap.]

Ohh Saihara-chan doesn't really like talking about it, huh? But shouldn't you be used to talking about murder after all of the class trials? Especially since they were-

[slieght]

[He stops and pauses, seemingly thinking over what he was about to say.]

Then again, it's pretty hard to get used to something like that. Ah, but is it the murder that makes it hard to talk about? Was it really bad or something?

[diffidentive]

No it's...not the murder. You saw the crime scene photos in the file, didn't you? Not that it was good or pleasant, but it wasn't...particularly gruesome. We've seen worse in the killing game.

[Though, at the time, that murder WAS the worst thing he'd ever seen. It was his first, after all. But now, compared to how their friends were executed...]

The reason I don't like talking about that case because of the outcome.

[slieght]

The outcome? [Yeah, the guy was only murdering someone to get revenge, but...]

Why does that bother you?

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi goes silent and closes his eyes again he's not sure if he wants to have this conversation with Kokichi. Because he's still not entirely sure how to FEEL about Kokichi. He'd come to consider him a friend (or as close to a friend as one can be with someone like Kokichi) over the course of those hours they spent together at the academy, but then...]

[Well, he's still not sure how much of what Kokichi has done and said is a lie and how much is true. He's not the mastermind, but...it's so hard to forget that malice he'd sensed from him after Gonta's execution. How much he'd seemed to enjoy both the game and watching them all suffer. What if his claim that he hated the game the whole time is a lie? What if his true nature is that twisted creature of malice he'd sensed those few days ago?]

[If he confides in Kokichi now, he'll just be handing him a weapon...something he can use to make him suffer later on.]

...this was the case that earned me my Super High School Level title. But I didn't really deserve it, you know? Like I said, I really just...happened to solve it. It was a little thing they overlooked and probably would have noticed eventually.

[In the end, he settles on a partial truth. This IS part of why it bothers him, but it's not the whole story. When he can trust Kokichi again...when he's a little more sure of his true nature...perhaps they can visit this topic again and Shuichi can tell him the other half.]

[slieght]

[And now it's Kokichi's turn to fall silent again, clearly giving that answer a lot of contemplation. He stares thoughtfully at Shuichi, like maybe he wants to push the subject, but...then he stands up, smile back in place.]

Ah, Saihara-chan, you can just say you don't want to tell me something next time. While that's perfectly believable coming from you, I doubt that that's enough to make you seem almost pained when asked about the subject. Buuut not wanting to tell someone like me something is pretty normal I think, so it's probably my bad for asking. Sorry.

[And he is apparently just letting it drop at that, moving to leave the office.]

I'm gonna go put these back while you grab the letter and the locations list! I feel super rested now, so I'm ready to take on anything! Let's go find this super lame secret base!

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi seems slightly caught off-guard by that. He was half expecting Kokichi to continue pushing him. In fact, he's so wrong-footed that he just stares blankly at Kokichi as the leader moves towards the door. Is he even listening to a word the shorter boy is saying? Hard to tell.]

[In any event, Kokichi will be out in the main office before Shuichi realizes that he needs to move.]

A-ah...right...

[Hold on, let him just gather up everything they need. He takes the last case file as well about the missing RELIC (not Artifact, Katar is a dumb with terms), sticking the letter and the list of suspected hideouts inside it. He has a feeling that could be useful to them at some point. Once that's all assembled, he leaves the office as well to meet Kokichi in the main room.]

[slieght]

[He doesn't comment on how it takes him a minute to do as told, just putting them away like he said he would. And then he moves to the middle of the room, giving the detective a grin.]

Okay, so...we know this is a maze. How do we wanna tackle trying to find these places?

[diffidentive]

Mmm...that's a good question.

[He frowns slightly as he brings his free hand up to his chin in thought.]

The file gives addresses for all these locations, but that doesn't help very much without a map. They're essentially just names on paper in a maze. For now, I think we're just going to have to go through the maze and try to match the photos to buildings. At least until we find some more clues to go off of.

[Surely there will be more of those...]

[slieght]

Alright, sounds like a plan.

[Well really it's the best they can do, but there's no use complaining about that. If this is all they're given to work with, they'll just have to crush it! Besides, they have a hidden ace up their sleeve anyway, considering he knows exactly which building it is. He just...will have to play it carefully when steering Shuichi away from incorrect ones or leading him to their hideout.]

Do we have anything around here we can mark our paths with? It'd probably be better if we have something more reliable than stuff that's already there.

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi glances around the office.]

Not really, no...unless we wanted to tear pages out of books and use those. But on top of potentially being blown away, I'm not sure we should leave something that obvious markers. Those...people [The blackened.] might be able to follow us that way.

[He frowns with concentration, falling silent again as he wracks his brain for a solution.]

Oh! [Idea!] We should check some of the stores for spray paint. With as much graffiti as there is around here, there's bound to be some somewhere. And it wouldn't look out of place at all.

[slieght]

Oooo I like that idea. It's been forever since I've tagged anything, that'll be fun and functional.

[Good thing he's done this before, huh? Weird that a supreme leader of evil would participate in graffiti though...]

That's what we'll do when we hit the street then. Is there anything else we need or are we good to go?

[diffidentive]

[Yeah, definitely weird. Just like it's weird that he knows how to lock pick. And another tidbit that Shuichi is filing away for later.]

No...I think that's everything. You didn't find anything else out here that seemed related to the test, right?

[Surely you snooped around the entire office and not just his desk, right Kokichi?]

[slieght]

Nope! There wasn't anything else out here of interest except your desk. Unless it's locked away, since I didn't pick any locks. Thoouuugh I do have my needles, if you think we should try that just in case?

[Just going to pull those out and hold them up. He's ready to pick whatever you suggest!]

[diffidentive]

Hmm...it might be worth trying? Just in case...

[There is nothing in the filing cabinets. Literally nothing. So at least they won't have to waste time flicking through files or anything...it's just a bunch of empty drawers once Kokichi picks them open.]

[It was worth trying though! So, off they go then?]

[slieght]

[Aww...all empty. Boring! There's definitely a little pouting over that outcome as they head out. It's always so disappointing when he picks a lock only to find nothing... But he at least has fun raiding some of the stores for spray paint, though mainly for the fun of teaching Shuichi how to be lookout and distraction while he does the stealing. He's tainted you now, good detective boy. Welcome to the world of crimes!!!

So two cans of spray paint later, they're well on their way to the hideout location. Hopefully. Kokichi marks each path they take carefully, rotating between dicks, simple clown faces and just "SS" or "OK", to keep from leaving super obvious trails, especially where they have to mark a path more than once.

As they're traveling down one back road, Kokichi comes to a dead stop ahead of Shuichi, staring down an alley. He seems rooted in place, though not out of fear. Actually, there's a genuinely lost and confused look on his face...]

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi hardly thinks standing watch while you steal spray paint, of all things, makes him a criminal but. Okay, Kokichi. Whatever you say.]

[As they walk, Shuichi holds the file open in front of him with the photos of the suspected hideout locations spread out as best as he can. While Kokichi handles spray paint and lookout duty, he's going to play a matching game. Not just of the buildings, but also of street names. Twice, they come across streets that one of the locations SHOULD be on, only to find that a dead end in one instance and a four way intersection that puts an abrupt end to the street they were traveling along. All four roads just...converge on that one point and end, as opposed to two streets overlapping and continuing on horizontally and vertically. How annoying!]

[As for Kokichi's tagging system...Shuichi mostly has no comment, though his cheeks do turn pink the first time the leader draws a penis and he walks by with averted eyes and refuses to say anything in response to any teasing comments Kokichi might have to make. And the first time he draws an "SS", Shuichi naturally has to question what that stands for.]

[But other than all that, and the occasional running from a blackened, it's a pretty uneventful and unsuccessful investigation. And Shuichi can't help but wonder if maybe he'd misunderstood their objective...]

[His thoughts come to an abrupt stop as he actually runs into Kokichi from behind. He hadn't realized the other boy had stopped walking. Luckily, he wasn't moving very fast so there's not nearly enough force to send either of them to the ground. But still, give a little warning next time!!!]

O-Oma-kun?

[He peeks around the leader, trying to see what he's staring at. Is it another particularly grisly murder? Because he's not sure he wants to look at that, if that's the case.]

[slieght]

[It stands for Saihara Shuichi of course.

Kokichi doesn't answer, he barely even seems to register being run into. Shuichi, though, will find that it's not a grisly murder. Actually it's a short girl with long brown hair, wearing an outfit very similar to the leader's - right down to the checkered scarf - with a clown mask hiding her face. She's beckoning for them to follow it seems...

And after a moment Kokichi glances in the direction they were going and then gestures for Shuichi to move, starting quickly down the alley towards the mystery girl.]