[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

[allforshu]

Eheh... I'm from a no name town in Kansai. Kinda funny soundin', ain't it? Oshi-san makes sure it doesn't come out when I'm singin' though, it'd ruin Valkyrie's style if that happened.

[But he's not half as self-conscious about it as he is his eyes and name despite the fact he's pretty much the only idol at school with this thick of a dialect.]

[mesmerevenant]

I suppose that's fair, but I honestly find it fascinating. Though, I'm a linguistics student so it's something I study... you wouldn't happen to know how long your village has been around for, and if it's particularly isolated from main centers?

[allforshu]

[He finds it fascinating?! That. Is the first time someone has called something of his fascinating, this cup is so interesting. Man. Very interesting. Fascinating, even. Absolutely.]

Uh, I dunno how long it's been around for, but it ain't that isolated... Y'can take the bullet train to the nearby cities if y'want. But it's kinda out of the way if I'm puttin' it like that, huh?

[mesmerevenant]

[ Though Jun is good enough not to draw attention to that, he's definitely taking note. Still, he wasn't kidding about his interest in the subject. He's a nerd. ]

Seeing as bullet trains are a relatively recent invention, no doubt about it. Though... doesn't Kansai also have its own dialect? I think. I'm not all too familiar with Japan.

[allforshu]

There's all kinds of little differences in 'em all, yup~. Dependin' on the region yer from, there's things here 'n there that can tell ya a lot about where a person's been livin' at. Bet it all sounds the same to anyone that's outside of Kansai though...

[... like after listening to mika's voice clips i think he's kishuu-ben?? additionally: did you know it's more accurate to translate kansai-ben as new york english over the southern that's so popularized. i didn't. i learn new things every day.]

[mesmerevenant]

[ FASCINATING. ]

True, you have to be used to it to pick up the subtleties of an accent.

[allforshu]

Yeah...

[.......................]

C-Can ya stop lookin' at me like that?

[CAN YOU JUST STOP... LOOKING AT HIM IN GENERAL, ACTUALLY, IT'S STARTING TO EMBARRASS HIM.]

[mesmerevenant]

...? I'm just... looking at you?

[ It's not like he's checking Mika out or anything. ]

[allforshu]

Yeah.

[nnnnnnnnnn]

I'm, uh, I ain't used to bein' looked at for long times unless I'm on stage, an' even then I always get nervous. So it's kinda embarrassin'.

[mesmerevenant]

Why is that?

[ Is Jun prepared to armchair psychologist a complete stranger? Yes. Yes he is. ]

[allforshu]

[Well, god bless you, because he's just the sort of person who answers when asked questions.]

My eyes... I always get a lot of looks because of them. I've had 'em all my life, so growin' up I'd get stared at and picked on 'cause they're weird. It's hard for me to look at people too.

[As Jun's no doubt noticed.]

[mesmerevenant]

I noticed.

[ Yep. Still, Jun can sympathize though he's never had that problem himself - quite the opposite in fact. ] So, why did you become an idol if you can't handle that sort of recognition?

[allforshu]

Because Oshi-san invited me to be.

[Mika rests his cheek in his arms, gaze flicking every now and then to Jun as he talks.]

I was all alone before I met him, ya know? He brought me to Yumenosaki... He called me beautiful and fixed me with care, like I wasn't some dirty, discarded doll. I ain't good enough to be a substitute for the person that left us, someone Oshi-san loved a lot, but I'm essential to Valkyrie all the same. So... even if I ain't good with people lookin' at me, as long as Oshi-san's there I'm okay. I'd do anythin' to make his dreams a reality.

[mesmerevenant]

[ Oooh boy. Oh boy, does Jun recognize that sort of codependency. It's difficult to break out of, and at least it seems that it isn't the worst kind of exploitation - in fact, it reminds him a little bit of his own best friend. Still... it'd be good if Mika did something for himself. ]

What about your own dreams?

[allforshu]

My dreams are the same! I wanna make Valkyrie the top unit again, just like Oshi-san, because it's the best! Everythin' Oshi-san does for Valkyrie is perfect, and I want everyone to remember that again!

[... Part of it is because of that codependency factor, and part of it is because Mika truly believes without a doubt that Valkyrie, even in its current ruinous state, is the strongest, most amazing unit at Yumenosaki Private Academy.]

It's just... takin' some time 'cause Oshi-san ain't that healthy of a person and he's been takin' on all sorts of odd jobs he used to refuse, performin' in lives even in the underground to help with our war funds. But we'll remind everyone just who's the sovereign is again. That's for sure.

[mesmerevenant]

Are you in a competition of some kind?

[ Jun really fails to understand the world of idols ]

[allforshu]

Ya could say that every day's a competition at Yumenosaki... Nnah, that's the school we go to, it's got courses for anyone that wants to go, but there's a side it focuses on more than anythin' else -- idols.

[it's a vocational school for idols. it really is.]

The school council's got rankings for lives and stuff that we can sign up for, and winnin' them means our grades stay good too~. The stuff we perform in the underground don't count though, it's just to make money for the lives on school grounds. It gets pretty expensive dependin' on the sorts of ones you wanna perform in... but it's worth it. Oshi-san's performances are the best~.

[mesmerevenant]

I... think I get it. Does that mean you knew Oshi-san before attending your school?

[ If so, it would really mean Mika is in deep. Not that it isn't already obvious. ]

[allforshu]

Nn, not really... I ran away from home and stayed on my own for a little while, but it wasn't that good of a time... Then Oshi-san found me and brought me into the idol course. There's people that've known him longer, and... to be honest, I'm mad at 'em for not bein' there for him when Valkyrie was worse off, but Oshi-san ain't got a bone in his body for bein' mad at them most of the time.

[So Mika holds all the grudges, even if he's not that good at it for some of them.]

[mesmerevenant]

[ Usually Jun isn't one to talk about himself past the basic facts, but this is hitting a bit too close to home and he's Concerned. ]

... ah, well... I understand where you're coming from. But, speaking from experience, even if it was good of him to take care of you and give you a place to stay... you shouldn't be trying to center your life around him and fight his battles because of that? It'd be better for you both.

[ So in a way, maybe Mika coming here and learning how to cope on his own is a blessing. The same could be said for Jun too, and he's disgruntled with himself as he realizes it. ]

[allforshu]

[... That's actually the sort of thing Shu's concerned about too, regretful and trying to take responsibility for the dependency, but Mika's resistant since he's used to it. He draws lazy circles on the table, mumbling quietly.]

Oshi-san said somethin' similar before... how I don't gotta go so far for him an' stuff... That I could be with another unit and all, there's plenty of use for me elsewhere, but it's that sorta talk that makes me stay. Valkyrie's his vision, so if I left that, then he'd stop doin' anything for it and I know he doesn't really want it to go away. I'm gonna stay with it 'til he graduates.

[mesmerevenant]

[ That's somewhat of a relief to hear, and Jun knows he shouldn't be impatient and expect progress after literally meeting the guy, so he merely sighs a little. ]

I guess that's fair... though, while you're here, you know you'll need to work on stuff on your own?

[allforshu]

Yeah... That's okay, though. I know how to do a lot of stuff since I take care of Oshi-san, and my roommates are... um, they seem nice.

[Roxas is interesting, Kurapika isn't as strict as his looks imply... It'll probably be fine.]

Um... [Mika glances shyly at Jun, then away again.] I can ask ya for help too if I don't get somethin', right? I know we just met today... but I can tell yer a good person.

[mesmerevenant]

[ > Jun
> a good person
> HAHAHAHA

It takes all of Jun's power not to burst put laughing at the absurdity. He tries, sure, but that's because he knows he's not very good at all! ]

Sure. I'd be happy if you did!

[allforshu]

[HE'S A GOOD PERSON TO MIKA... HE'S NEVER BEEN ANYTHING BUT KIND TO MIKA..... SO HE'S GOOD.

Then again, Mika's standard for a good person is. It needs work, let's put it that way. "You were nice to me so now I like you" is the bar in the ground.

But look. He's beaming.]

Then-- um, y'mind tellin' me about magic? It ain't allowed here, they said, but I still don't really get it... and I don't wanna ask the info desks.

[Because. Magic. Magic??? There was... a lot to take in from the person behind the glass but this stuck out to him prominently.]