[DECEMBER INTRO LOG | WORLD TWO]

[spellbindmods]

Who: All coven members, especially new folk!
Where: In and around the new world’s apartment building where the coven is staying, as well as the rest of Shehui
When: Day 160
Open/Closed: Open to All

How did you get into this building? This apartment room? What the fuck is going on? Let's refer back to this page for a semi in-depth, wow so detailed, explanation of your current situation. Are you up to speed? Great. Now, here's the question of the hour: what are you going to do about it? A ▢ Unlike the other coven members, the newbies are coming into the apartment building with non-empty apartment rooms. Depending on how polite or cautious you are, your first instinct may be to find your apartment and knock on the door. But it is your apartment now, too, and you do have an ID card that'll get you in. What horrible calamity will you walk in on? What eccentric roommates will you happen upon? The wacky situational comedy scenarios are ENDLESS. B ▢ One of the jobs on the job board this week is fundraising -- neat, right? Before you even make it up to your apartment, you may be accosted by an excited citizen -- coven member or no -- that is trying to push something onto your character. Chocolate bars? Cheese logs? Cookie dough? Some other luxury item or overpriced snack food? Because this fundraising task is based on commission, the citizen in question may be a bit pushy...or you may be inclined to buy ridiculous amounts of goods and not know what to do with yourself.

New coven members showing up today are in luck. This week, Shehui is celebrating a Keep the Community Clean event. It's rare that they force jobs on people, but there has been an influx of new citizens and the population growth is leading to more trash. Fulfill your assignment and you'll be rewarded 1,000 credits. Don't? Be fined 500. Everyone has been sent a job to their ID, be it collecting trash, cleaning their apartment building or holding up signs/handing out literature about recycling. Sweeping, bagging...it's dirty work, but someone has to do it. C ▢ Cleaning up trash on the street might be hard, but it's fulfilling! Okay, that's a lie. It's demeaning and a lot of citizens don't really care about the minimal littering credit deduction as they toss trash from their cars or miss throwing it into bins. Volunteers are outfitted with gloves, vests and a roll of trash bags, but it doesn't prevent them from being rudely splashed with snow or having to pick up nasty things. Have fun! D ▢ For those who decided to pass out literature, you did pick the better job! It's a lot easier to avoid getting nasty, but it's also awkward...having to hand out fliers, be cheerful, regurgitate boring facts about recycling. Please sir, stop and listen to this exciting speech about why should put your cans in the red bins, not the blue ones! E ▢ There is a bright side to these jobs: local businesses are getting in on the outpouring of people out and about to try and get them into seats and buying things. Free samples are abound! There's a local coffee shop, Mooncents, that is handing out free small drinks to anyone who is actually working today. Come inside, regardless if you "volunteer" or not. It's warm inside with all that snow out there...

Speaking of snow! Most businesses and buildings in Shehui have paid to have snow falling every other hour, which coats the city areas in a fine, powdery dust of snowflakes. You may be familiar with snow, or maybe you've never seen it in your entire life! It's unavoidable either way, so you're going to have to deal with it. F ▢ Children in Shehui are usually in a school building somewhere, but snow days call for some leniency. School is pretty come-and-go anyway, so don't be surprised that there are quite a few kidlets out and about on the streets. They're also fully into the spirit of snow, throwing snowballs at unsuspecting strangers. Will you get in on the action, or will you plan the murder of innocent children today? G ▢ While it's unadvised to just go lay out in the street and make snow angels, there are plenty of parks in which to examine or play in the snow. You won't be the only one acting like a fool -- it's Shehui. You're allowed to live a little! H ▢ Finally, Coins! has bought the most snow as a means for their seasonal activity -- snow paintball. If you're looking to have a good time and enjoy Shehui for what it is, you'd best be inclined to sign up. A massive field with snowbanks and excellent areas for hiding, snowball paintballs that hurt twice as much as usual. What more could you ask for? I ▢ Wildcard! How will your character interact with this new and unusual world?

Comments

[mesmerevenant]

[ Not expecting anyone to pay attention to him, Jun startles a bit! Though at least he saw Kurapika inside arguing with the employee, so he can more or less guess that he must be having the same problem as him: Too new to have any decent amount of money. ]

Ah... yeah. You too, huh?

[dialtones]

Unfortunately.

[First, they say they don't carry black contacts during "this time of year," and now he can't even get gray ones without a hassle? Annoying.]

I'll have to look into the most efficient way to make money here. From what I can understand, as long as we're willing to work, the people here take no issue to letting us get involved. It shouldn't be too difficult.

[mesmerevenant]

That's not a bad plan... You're adjusting well.

[ At least, he appears to be. Maybe he's covering up just as much as Jun is. Certainly, Kurapika was obviously frustrated at the store clerk. ]

[dialtones]

I have business to attend to back home, so the quicker I can figure things out here, the quicker I can return to that.

[He's adjusting well in some ways, and then in need of help as ever in others. He wanted to keep his eyes hidden, but now they're out in the open. Right now, they're brown, but he doesn't trust his emotions to be able to hold back if something comes up.]

Did I interrupt your shopping? I'll try to avoid that in the future. I'm Kurapika.

[mesmerevenant]

It's fine, not like I can afford new glasses or anything myself. I'm Jun.

[ Have to get the pleasantries out of the way! Kurapika said something that caught his attention though. ]

Do you think that getting home will really be as easy as resolving whatever problem Qri has?

[dialtones]

I doubt that it will be anything easy, but if it was possible for us to get here, then it's possible for us to return. That's the mentality I have to have if I want to escape from here.

[So, he'll make it possible!! Or something shonen like that.]

[mesmerevenant]

[ It's an admirable perspective, and Jun is somewhat jealous of the fact that it seems to come to Kurapika effortlessly. ]

I see. It's probably worth asking someone who's been with the coven a while about how things have progressed, in that case?

[dialtones]

It's possible, but if they're still stuck here, it's unlikely that they've made any progress. I'll see if I can find any information, but chances are I'll have to do most of it on my own.

[YOU REALLY DON'T THO... Ah, but he seems very stuck on this, bringing a hand to his chin as he thinks.]

Do you happen to know if there's a list of open jobs somewhere, or at least the types that are available and most useful to this place?

[mesmerevenant]

[ You do you, Kurapika. You clearly have everything sorted out!! Which... is the type Jun is weakest to, how do you behave around clearly capable people? Can't relate. It makes him feel somewhat useless, though it helps that Kurapika is clearly asking his opinion? As if he has a clue? ]

Ah... well, the usual places? There's probably a newspaper with some jobs listed, and some kind of internet you could check for job sites.

[dialtones]

So there is internet here.

[He's silent for a moment as he thinks about his lost Hunter License, how he can't access any secret cool websites, but that he doubts they have them here, anyway. It should be a reliable source.]

Then I'll need to find a computer. Jun, was it? Thank you. There was... one more thing I was curious about, if you don't mind.

[mesmerevenant]

Don't you have a smartphone?

[ jun your first-world privilege is showing ]

Sure, shoot.

[dialtones]

[Well... He can both ask his question and answer that one at the same time, so he does. This time, he doesn't open his mouth, but speaks through his mind.]

My phone isn't working. It's on, and I can access what I have, but I can't make any calls out or do anything else with it. What I wanted to know was how familiar you are with this method of speaking, by now.

[mesmerevenant]

[ There's a stutter in the telepathic communication for a moment, like Jun is trying to IMMEDIATELY HANG UP, NO THANK YOU. Even Jun's body language goes tense!

When that fails, if only because Jun is completely used to the telepathy yet, he forces himself to relax and respond. ]

... more familiar than I like.

[ So he's being more or less honest, if only because he knows that failing to be truthful in his own head is liable to end badly. ]

[dialtones]

[At the very least, even if Kurapika doesn't apologize, he does stop speaking with his mind. It's not a comfortable thing for him, either, but that seemed a different kind of reaction.]

Are you used to it beyond this place?

[mesmerevenant]

Not outright telepathy like this, no.

[ Unable to hide how unsettled he is after that little jaunt, Jun is more open than he might otherwise be, clearly not denying being accustomed to some sort of voice in his head. Even if they're quiet right now, thanks to being on a low frequency world. It's the one thing Jun's been thankful for, only to immediately be cancelled out by telepathy with other people instead. ]

[dialtones]

Could it be that you had an ability that allowed voices in your mind?

[He's intelligent enough to pick up on details, and curious enough that he's not stopping this. The more Jun is willing to share, the better.]

[mesmerevenant]

It's not really an ability so much as a... curse?

[ That's the best way to describe it that doesn't give too many details. ]

It's not something I enjoy talking about, sorry.

[dialtones]

I see. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'll refrain from asking any more questions.

[For now, at least... He really wants to know. But he doesn't want to upset people all over, and there's no reason to be mean.]

I appreciate you answering what you did. From now on, if I need to contact you, I'll be sure not to rely on telepathy.

[mesmerevenant]

Mm, well, if there's no other way then I don't mind. I can deal with it.

[ It's practically his second motto. ]

[dialtones]

I won't cause you discomfort for nothing.

[So don't worry, he means, although he does appreciate that offer. He's not sure why he'd ever need to contact him anyway, but you know... Just in case.]

Ah, since neither of us have the funds, we should probably leave this store.

[mesmerevenant]

[ Jun gives the glasses one last wistful look, before sighing and nodding. ]

We might get charged for loiterting otherwise.

[dialtones]

Right... Let's go.

[He says that, but after they step outside, he's staring at the ground, and then pulling out his useless phone and staring at that before he frowns off in some direction. He has so much he wants to get done, but no idea of where to start. This is like starting over from scratch. And of course, he's thinking he's all alone.]

Thank you for your time. I should let you be on your way, but let me know if I can answer anything for you later.

[mesmerevenant]

... you know, we could walk around together if you're trying to figure things out? Since we're in the same boat.

[ DON'T BE A LONER KURAPIKA. Jun feels troubled just leaving him alone, even if Kurapika seems like the type who can handle himself. ]

[dialtones]

[That makes him pause and consider it. It reminds him of Gon and the others. It's on a much smaller scale, but... That could change at any time.

For now, though... Maybe it was fine.]

If you don't mind, then that's fine. We can find out where things are.

[mesmerevenant]

Sounds like a plan. At the very least we should identify the main landmarks.

[ Spoken like a guy who has traveled a lot. ]