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]

[He points to a doodle of a silly cat and then to one of a clown face.]

Everything with eyes is looking to the right.

[Which is true. Whatever other silly little doodles there may be of things with eyes, all are looking to the left. A very subtle clue, but a clue nonetheless. Or at least Shuichi thinks it is. It can't be a coincidence, right?]

Is...Doll, you called her? Is she one of the ones in contact with D.I.C.E.? Does she know where their hideout is? In reality, I mean.

[slieght]

[He's...mildly impressed. He hadn't paid that close of attention, he thought the graffiti itself was just to guide them over here...]

Yeah...she is, yes. She's head of the group that deals with communication with any smaller groups that aren't part of our organization but merely works with us.

[diffidentive]

[And that's why he's the Super High School Level Detective and you aren't. No matter what he may say to the contrary, Shuichi IS a good detective, especially when it comes to noticing little things like this.]

[Which isn't to say Kokichi was wrong. This was a clue within a clue...something that they only could have solved together. Because Shuichi never would have known that this graffiti was significant at all, had Kokichi not said so.]

So...probably safe to say she knows where we need to go? Maybe we should keep an eye out for more of your group's graffiti. Or Doll herself.

[slieght]

Well...technically anyone in the comms group knows, depending on what hideout we're talking about. So if it's not Doll, then we'll certainly run into other members that work underneath her.

[Wow this is a story he's making. Doll? Leading her own group?

...okay she probably could. But still, it's funny.]

[diffidentive]

Ah. Well then... You'll just have to tell me if we see anyone else in your uniform whether they're a part of the comms group or not.

[Because that is...obviously not something he would know.]

In any event, I get the feeling this won't be the last of the clues we receive from your organization. So let's keep an eye out as we continue on.

[That said, he starts walking down the right path. Keep on moving, Kokichi! staying still for too long is dangerous, remember?]

[slieght]

I will, and that's no lie! I wanna pass this test and get out of this crappy city, after all.

[He starts following along after him, keeping his eyes out for both clues and people now. And it's not too much longer before they come upon a building that stands out. It's not like the other buildings in the area, sort of looking as if it had been picked up out of a cleaner, nicer city and placed smack dab in the middle of this one. Shuichi will notice that it's on the locations list, but Kokichi also stops to examine it.]

Is this one? Even if not, we should check it out. It looks waaaaay too out of place to be something we need to ignore.

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi glances down at the folder then back up at the building.]

Yeah, this is one. Apparently it's been searched twice without result though...so I'm not sure it's a likely candidate for their hideout. But...

[The fact that it looks so out of place bothers him. He can't decide if that makes it more or less likely to be the right place. On the one hand, that suggests it's something pulled from Kokichi's memories. Because it's certainly nowhere Shuichi has ever been. But on the other...it could just be the simulator fucking with him, trying to MAKE him think that when really it's as made up as any other building in the maze.]

Do you recognize this building? Just in general, I mean...ignore the fact that it's a suspected hideout location. Have you ever seen it before?

[slieght]

[He's quiet for a few moments, glancing up at the building and then around at the city itself. Though he doesn't really seem to be actually examining any of it. It's more like he's just looking around while thinking about something else.]

...hey Saihara-chan, any and all info is important to helping a detective solve a case, right? Would that apply to this situation right now?

[diffidentive]

Um...yes? Why wouldn't it?

[This IS an investigation, after all...]

[slieght]

[There are another few moments of silence before he elaborates.]

I've seen this building before, yeah. And it might be that I've seen any of the others too. That police report? It's based in the city where I grew up. I don't know if that can help any, but there you go.

[It was bothering him, to be honest...]

[diffidentive]

[He gives a stern nod. He knew it.]

I had a feeling that might be the case...well, not that the report is based on your hometown, but the way this building stands out... [His eyes wander up the building in question.] It's like my uncle's office all over again. This simulator seems to be tailoring this test to us by amalgamating our memories and experiences. And I've never seen this building in my life, so that meant it was either pulled from you or it was meant to be a red herring.

[slieght]

That's what I was thinking too, yeah. Just way too coincidental that things we know or recognize keep popping up...

[He looks up towards the building again, a hand rubbing at the back of his neck.]

Meaning you gotta swear you're not going to spread whatever you learn here around. I...don't mind you knowing some of this stuff. At least you won't backstab me with it.

[Probably.]

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi raises a brow. Bold of you to be asking him a favor like this, Kokichi. After everything you did during the killing game.]

[But, luckily for you, Shuichi isn't a spiteful person. So he doesn't even voice this fact. Instead, he nods.]

Okay.

[He wasn't really planning on doing so anyway...]

1/2

[slieght]

[He's quiet for a few moments, but nods.]

Thanks.

[It's not one of his overly cheery thanks where he's clearly happy he got his way. It's something quiet and honest. He really, seriously appreciates it.]

I know you're well within your right to say whatever you want to whoever about all of this but I really appreciate it, Saihara-chan.

[slieght]

[Once that's out, he brightens again.]

In return, I'll be as honest as I can about most information! As long as you aren't asking about what my organization does, anyway. You have to join to learn that much.

[diffidentive]

[It's weird...seeing him like this. Like he's almost vulnerable. Because that's one thing Kokichi Oma never seemed to be. But perhaps...that was a lie too. Just an illusion. Perhaps Kokichi Oma was one of the most vulnerable of all of them and maybe that's what all the lies were meant to hide.]

[Or maybe not. As always, Kokichi Oma is beyond Shuichi's understanding. So beyond it that he's not sure he'll ever be able to comprehend him, no matter how much thought he gives him.]

Alright... [Shuichi is absolutely expecting him to lie about everything anyway.] So...does that mean this is your hometown? I mean...obviously it wasn't a maze, but the city that makes it up...

[slieght]

Mmmm...yes and no? It definitely wasn't the best town in the world, and I lived in the really crummy area but...

[Looking around at the surrounding buildings, he frowns some.]

I don't recognize the buildings at all, and the simulator is definitely exaggerating how bad it was a little. Like, there were definitely alleys where people got stabbed, but it wasn't...this.

[diffidentive]

Mmm. [He looks around.] I wonder if...the killing game is amplifying that particular aspect. Turning it from occasional stabbings to constant murders...

[The End Wall is there, so...clearly, it's influencing the simulation to some degree. And the constant street murders definitely mirror that feeling of ever-looming threat of death that saturated the killing game. It's a very unpleasant amalgam. And Shuichi can only imagine that it's worse for Kokichi since his childhood is being dragged into it.]

In any event...I supposed we should search this place as long as we're here. If it's been investigated twice without result, I kind of doubt it's the one we're looking for, but...

[Better safe than sorry?]

[slieght]

I bet it is. I'm surprised Monokuma hasn't shown up yet.

[That damn bear is surely going to haunt both of them for a long time, so...it'd make sense if it showed up here. But he's not complaining that it hasn't either.

And it's not the right building, but...he'd rather lead Shuichi on a bit of a goose chase than make it obvious that D.I.C.E. is his group by pointing that out.]

Alright, let's check it out then.

[diffidentive]

Don't say that...

[Shuichi also does not want Monokuma to show up. Don't jinx them by mentioning him! But alright...time to search the building! Shuichi makes sure not just to look at everything the police checked, but also to look for signs that Kokichi's group may have left. There's a chance they left some graffiti for them as a hint, after all.]

[Unsurprisingly, he finds nothing. Because this is not the right spot. And after about fifteen minutes, he seems satisfied that this is the case.]

Did you find anything?

[as much as he'd like to search more thoroughly...he also doesn't think they should stick around here too long. There's no way to lock out any unwanted, murderous visitors that might show up. It's not safe the way the office was...]

[slieght]

[Kokichi did his best to look as though he was investigating properly, including touching or tugging on random objects as if searching for trap doors. But, of course, he finds nothing. And when Shuichi asks about it, he shakes his head.]

Not a thing...well. At least nothing that could be the hideout anyway. Follow me, I think I found a clue.

[diffidentive]

[Raising a brow, Shuichi follows after him. He can only assume he found a sign from his organization. Something Shuichi wouldn't be able to pick up on because he doesn't know Kokichi's underlings.]

[What is it? What did you find?]

[slieght]

[Kokichi leads him up a floor and moves to a window that's facing the street behind the building - on the opposite side from where they entered. There's no back exit however, only one door in and out of the building.

But he points down towards the street once they're at the window, and Shuichi should be able to see easily what he's trying to show him.

On the street itself is another piece of graffiti, featuring a clown. What is with his organization and clowns?]

I'm thinking we need to try and figure out how to get to this street, but also wanted to see what you thought of it. Any clues you can glean from it this time?

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi stares silently at the clown for a minute or so. Is there anything else he can glean from it? Not really...]

Um...that at least one person in your organization might have a slight obsession with clowns?

[That's all he's got. Seriously. Why all the clowns?]

[slieght]

Huh?

[He tilts his head.]

It's our organization's theme. You hadn't figured that out yet?