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cetana mods ([personal profile] citta) wrote in [community profile] cetana2019-08-12 05:19 am

AUGUST EVENT PT 2

AUGUST EVENT PT 2

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8/13-8/15 Obon Festival

    Lanterns start to dot the streets, hung by the front door of each house who still have an able body to hang them. From there, the lights spread outward, neighbors visiting neighbors with lanterns in hand and prayers in their hearts that the light will be enough to guide the spirits of their ancestors home, enough to heal their loved ones and bring the health and energy back into town.

    The first day of Obon passes in silence.

    On the second day, the oppressive heat starts to lift, skies clear with a cool breeze that passes through the streets and rocks the lanterns at each door, which opens as people trickle out onto the street. By late afternoon, the entire town is alive with chatter and laughter, the townspeople bustling about to get their late start in setting up the festival stalls and the large stage set on the lakeside in front of the school. Some of the missing have started turning up again, with claims of having recovered from illness or returned from a trip, and more than that, visiting relatives are introduced to one another despite no car or plane ever seen entering or leaving the town. With most businesses closed for the Obon holiday, the second day is spent catching up with one another, making last-minute purchases and renting yukata, and finishing preparations so that both the spirits of their ancestors and those who have become well enough again may celebrate with all in full. By the end of the night, everybody has returned, the town restored.

    Loud drumming can be heard the morning of the third day, taiko drum performances starting early and lasting late into the evening. The steady beat fills the air no matter where in town you are, but standing right in front of the stage, it can be felt in your chest, as if the entire town's hearts beat as one. Though less compared to during the tanabata festival, stalls are set up for Obon and largely consist of games and shops selling toys and trinkets, food stalls focusing on small treats rather than meals. With the taiko performance in the background to keep the rhythm, folk dances are held on the stage and in the parks and are open to anybody, participants being pulled in from the streets to join the circles to dance. Traditional clothing like yukata can be seen worn by almost everybody, from young children to great-grandparents, as they gather around the lake at sundown to say farewell to the spirits. Lanterns are lit and sent off into the lake, where they gather at the center and burn bright until there's nothing left to burn, and the town settles into warm, sleepy darkness.

    When night falls and the townspeople begin to clean up, retrieve the lanterns, and go home, the breeze picks up a little, soft and cool, cutting paths throughout town much like the freezing gusts of winds that first Lockdown night. Rather than to the schoolhouse, however, the wind gently nudges you towards the forest, towards the edge of forest blocked by caution tape to keep people out of scorched earth and blackened trees. Only one lantern is left untouched, hanging on a tree branch just before this forest fire site, fallen trees cleared out to widen the path, that leads into the forest.

    Soon, the full moon hangs high in the sky, shining its light straight down onto the castle ruins below.


8/15 Castle Ruins and the Shrine

    Carried along by the breeze that winds through the streets and blows down this path, finding your way through the forest becomes simple, and soon the trees part to reveal the castle ruins hidden away inside the forest -—at least, what used to be castle ruins. The changes come unexpected and instantly, in a blink of an eye during the day for those who still live in the castle, and a sight to behold for those who haven't returned in a long time until tonight.

    Entering the castle reveals a repaired foundation and pillars which stand whole again, stairs to the second floor still broken but with all the rubble underneath cleared away, the air inside the castle no longer choking with dust. In the main hall, red candlesticks line the perimeter of the room, the glow of fire illuminating the murals that have shown up on previously blank walls, images faintly visible under a layer of yellow mildew. If you carefully scrub them clean, they depict a small village surrounded by farmland, a familiar lake at the center, flocks of crows adorning the skies with one large crow standing on the peak of the mountain overlooking the town.

    At the center of the castle's main hall, a mother bear and two cubs can be seen snoozing in the middle of the room, sleeping next to a meter-by-meter square that has been cut into the stone ground. If you can get the bears to leave or are brave enough to approach without waking them up, you will see that hinges on one edge suggest it to be a door, but there is no handle and no way to lift the panel, nor can the door or the surrounding area be damaged no matter how hard you try. Upon closer inspection, there are four impressions on each corner of the door matching the size and shape of the ofuda received as a reward for defeating the dungeon boss, currently in RO's possession. Placing the ofuda on one of the slots causes the edges of the door to glow bright blue for a second before the light disappears, and the ofuda turns to stone, just like the door and the castle around them. Nothing more seems to happen after, the other three impressions remaining exactly the same.

    All throughout the night, the candles burn along the perimeter of the hall, one hundred in total that cast the room in warm light. Whether you remember the fortune teller's words or are simply chatting with one another and catching up on all that's happened during your time here, each time a story is shared, a light blows out, leaving the castle dimmer and dimmer as the night goes on. The darker it gets, the more restless you begin to feel, Personas becoming more agitated and prone to lash out as the clock ticks closer to midnight. Those who choose to take a walk to the shrine to cool their heads find that the shrine looks different from before too, revealing unbroken steps, a thoroughly swept floor, stone lanterns whole instead of crumbled and broken, and the water basin filled to the brim with clear water that almost seems to sparkle in the moonlight— a far cry from how broken down the abandoned shrine appeared just a month before. There's still work to be done, however: in particular, the sign- restored and painted over in pure white so that it looks almost new- still displays no name. The paint is still a little wet, so perhaps somebody is just waiting for the paint to dry...

    The night seems to drag on, but as long as people keep talking, no matter where they are in the castle or at the shrine, the candle lights continue going out until they count down to zero.


8/15 Welcome to the Velvet Room

    When the last of the candles go out and the castle plunges into complete darkness, a bright blue light begins to shine from beside the throne, taking on the form of a doorway set into the wall. Without fanfare, two figures step out, the taller with silver hair and a kind face, and the other with golden eyes that peek past long bangs to squint at everybody inside the castle. ...The latter immediately turns around back through the doorway to leave his partner to explain things to everybody here, who takes a seat on the throne as if he belongs there all along. If you have questions, come talk to this guy; but otherwise, there's nothing stopping you from going through the doorway to follow after the other one.

    This isn't the only doorway that opens up: blue light shines between the pillars of the torii at the shrine, and similar doorways appear scattered throughout town to replace your bedroom door, the bathroom stall in a store you've run into for an emergency, set into the wall in an alleyway where there was no door before, even at the first floor of the school dungeon if for whatever reason you're there. Regardless of which door you enter, stepping through any doorway brings you into a small room, a bowl of fresh fruit and a bottle of some sort of non-alcoholic mixed drink in a bucket of ice sitting on the table in the middle of the room, two chairs flanking the table and a plush velvet couch against one wall. The ground shakes and rocks as you look around, curtains pulled aside to reveal inky blue darkness, spots of light floating past the windows out in the distance like stars. Each person arrives in their own room, a placard with their name and arcana set on the door labelling it theirs.

    Down the end of the hall, the door opens up into a brightly lit lounge, wide windows set along the walls although the landscape outside remains as dark as ever. The lounge is filled with chairs and couches covered in the same blue velvet as the rooms and music seems to fill your entire being rather than just your ears. Passing through the door at the end of the lounge brings you to the conductor's cab where a young man sits, changed out of his costume into a more formal uniform in dark blues with a train engineer cap pulled low over closed eyes, slouched far back on his seat with his feet up on the control panel. Despite all that, however, the train simply zips along, the rail just barely visible from the front window of the cab. The attendant tilts his head your way, looking rather irritable, silent until you speak first.


MOD NOTES

    ⬥ As a reminder, characters are more likely to lose control of their Personas around the time of the full moon (8/15) but this can also occur at any time, especially with internal conflict and during Lockdown. This is an optional mechanic. Personas will also temporarily disappear once the character enters the Velvet Room.
    ⬥ The two Velvet Room assistants will have their own top-levels below for those who wish to speak with them in this log, and they may be contacted at the NPC contact page at any time as well. The NPC contact page will serve as an "IC inbox" for the characters to freely interact with the attendants to ask questions, receive and fill requests, hang out, etc. Please read this page carefully for more information about accessing the Velvet Room.
    ⬥ While each attendant may have individual requests for those who ask for them, they will also give tasks for the characters as a whole. These general requests will be listed on the NPC contact page at the beginning of each month. Successful completion of a request will earn characters rewards, and there is no time limit for completion.


reveilation: (022)

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Stuff that's more important than stable housing? [ if a tent counts as that ] You really shouldn't be getting used to staying in the hospital, you know...
overstrain: * (pic#13280480)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 05:07 pm (UTC)(link)
I know! I try not to stay in the hospital if I have to.

[ You know about his debt, Kido... ]

But it's something pretty big! So I have a set portion aside for it.

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 05:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She definitely knows about it and that's why... ]

You should be taking care of yourself ahead of anything else. So if you're planning on buying a motorcycle or brand name clothes or something frivolous like that, you're better off prioritizing a home.
overstrain: * (pic#5531552)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ ... ... ... ]

But... I am?

[ The reason why he didn't say anything was because he thought Kido knew. ]

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Kido's still under the impression that Rei's bringing in a stray cat or something RIP ]

You're... what? You'd better not be trying to get a room at the inn.
overstrain: * (pic#13294437)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
No, staying at the inn would be a waste. Besides, I promised you that I wouldn't go there.

[ He kept his promise! Also, instead of continuing to stand like this, Terry will gently pull on Kido's hand so that they can finally resume walking. ]

I'm saving for a house. I thought you knew already though...

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 05:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Kido follows reluctantly, glaring daggers at the side of Terry's head. ]

Why would I know? Unless you talk to me about that stuff, I won't know. And to begin with, that sort of stuff isn't any of my business.
overstrain: * (pic#13366924)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 05:42 pm (UTC)(link)
You say it's not any of your business but you tell me to get a tent anyway...

[ What's the truth here, Kido. ]

I thought Rei would have told you.

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 05:57 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not my businness, but if you're not taking care of yourself, somebody has to.

[ The truth is, she shouldn't have to worry about her friends being possessed by ghosts or being shanked in an alleyway in the middle of night, but she does, because her friends are stupid and worrisome ]

What was Rei supposed to have told me?
overstrain: * (pic#13280484)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 06:00 pm (UTC)(link)
About... moving in? I told her to ask for your permission and she told me that I could after.

[ Do the dots connect now, Kido.

I can't stretch the vague any further than this. LOL
]

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Kido, screaming inside: "moving in where??"

She stops walking again and they're never going to make it to the bench at this rate. ]


T-chan?
overstrain: * (pic#13280483)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Imagining Kido calling Terry that just made me choke on my drink............. Maybe Terry would too, but he isn't drinking anything and just stares back at Kido. ]

Huh? That's what Rei calls me...

[ ... ]

Did you... want to call me that too?

[ HE SOUNDS SUPER HESITANT ABOUT THIS ]

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
NO!!

[ Great! That passed the truth filter! She would probably die before she purposely called him T-chan!! which is great bc that'll be soon ]

Terrence is Terrence and that's fine! It's fine!

[ She will never call him Terry and neither will Minato and I'm doomed to typing out his full name all the time ahhhh ]
overstrain: * (pic#13366917)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[ rip card... at least you have your brackets. you are safe inside them.

The omamori were supposed to have preferred names written on there, so Terry didn't mind being called Terrence at the time of arrival. That's who he was. He didn't think much about it. However, he's been thinking a lot lately and this moment made him think back to when he was affected by the Truth Mechanism. He couldn't say that "Terrence Nowell" was his name. It wasn't his name.

...

He laughs a little like always, but his face shows nothing like the expression that's supposed to accompany it. Not like it matters, since Kido can't see anyway.
]

Yeah, it's fine. I don't mind.

[ His light tone also betrays the face he's making. ]
Edited 2019-08-15 18:35 (UTC)

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ RIP me every time Kido calls him Terrence and I'm just ):

If Kido could see his face, she'd probably be ): too, but she can't, so she lets her expression relax again into something grumpy and somwhat embarrassed by her outburst. ]


Fine, then... Good. Okay.

[ After a pause, she starts walking again, but expects Terry to pick up the slack because only he knows where they're going. ]

I didn't think it was you she was talking about... But is it okay with you, living with us like that?
overstrain: * (pic#13366919)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 06:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ thisisfine.jpg

Terry starts leading the way again and they're finally where the benches are. He guides Kido so that it's easy to sit on the bench and then goes to sit next to her when he's done.
]

I'm okay with it. To be honest though, I thought you would have said no, so that's why I told Rei to ask for your permission first. I wouldn't want to barge in if you didn't want me there.

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 06:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Why wouldn't I want you there?

[ She turns to him when she's seated, leaned forward with her elbows on her legs like she's honestly expecting an answer. What did you do, Terry. Give her a good reason to kick him out before they even get together. She can still go back to Rei and say no. ]
overstrain: * (pic#5531548)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Terry can casually list every single reason why he wouldn't be a good fit for the household, but. That mouth filter of his slaps it into oblivion. ]

Because... I'm stupid? I guess.

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 07:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, you're stupid, but so what?

[ She's lived with dumber guys before. Kano. Actually, if she thinks about it, she's put up with Kano and Seto for all these years, so she shouldn't have any problem dealing with any sort of roommate, no matter how stupid. ]
overstrain: * (pic#13280477)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I dunno! I don't know what you think of me.

[ He knows he has the means to, but he'd rather not......... ]

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 07:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[ "I think you're stupid," but they've been covering that almost every day for the past month, so she lets that drop. ]

Aren't we friends? It's not— [ ... ] If I didn't like you, I wouldn't even bother talking with you and hanging out like this, you know?
overstrain: * (pic#13280445)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ tbh even terry doesn't know where he's going with this ]

Well, yeah--

[ ... ]

What were you going to say before you cut yourself off?
reveilation: (013)

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 07:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[ No! She cut herself off because she didn't want to say!! don't bring that up again. But even if she tries to say something like "never mind, it's not important," or "shut up, it's none of your business," those sorts of words don't come out either. ]

It's... fine. Whatever. Regardless of what I think about you, living together is fine.

[ She has to speak slowly to see what words can get through, but in the end she just shakes her head and decides not to bother trying. ]

Rei will be happy to live with you, anyways. She likes you a lot.
overstrain: * (pic#5531544)

[personal profile] overstrain 2019-08-15 07:29 pm (UTC)(link)
... Yeah. She said it would be like one, big, happy family.

[ Terry eases a little, with a lot of fondness in his voice as he says that. ]

I'm really looking forward to it. I'm sure it'll feel different than living with my friend back home.

[personal profile] reveilation 2019-08-15 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Like family, huh? ...Well, I hope we can be a good one for you.

[ If he's never had one, then basically anything is better than nothing, or something like that ]

If it feels different, it's probably because it's different people. There's all sorts of families, after all, with different sorts of feelings for them.

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