[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

[fastpaced]

[ he accepts the box from her, giving it a once over. True, it seems fine, but... he still seems a little skeptical, if his dubious hum is anything to go by.

Still. He likes to think he has a good sense for people, and she doesn't seem like a bad person...? Maybe he should give her the benefit of the doubt. ]

Yeah, you look kiiinda fishy. And that's coming from me.

[ at least he's self aware. ]

[marakukaja]

[ She can't blame people for being a little suspicious. She's new, after all, and not like the rest of the locals in this place. ]

Is it something with my appearance? Or my behavior?

[ Or all of the above? There's no reason it can't be all of the above. ]

[fastpaced]

I think it's the big coat. Who knows what you could be hiding under there, you know?

[ giving this potential creeper advice on how to be less creepy okay sonic ]

But you seem a little nervous, too. Everything okay?

[marakukaja]

...Ah.

[ The big coat. Unfortunately, shedding that is a no-go. If anything, she thinks it'd make her seem more suspicious, due to what she's hiding under it. Namely, her body. ]

Well, I am a little disoriented. I've only recently arrived, after all.

[ So it's natural that she'd be a little on edge, isn't it? And without her friends around, to boot. Who knows what they're up to without her or Mitsuru's watchful supervision?

When she thinks about Qri's situation, it's not that much different from her main goal anyway. It's just the opposite in terms of what she's actually doing: instead of whittling away a creature so that a seal (a person) will no longer be needed, they're just trying to gather energy to strengthen said person instead. ]

[fastpaced]

[ ah. he nods at that. He's unusually relaxed for the situation - but he's at least aware that it's unusual. For him, getting thrown into another dimension to help some stranger he's never even heard of before is commonplace enough. So he offers her a rueful smile, sympathetic. ]

Yeah, it's kind of a shock. Don't worry, though - it's not so hard to get by here. [ hmm. He's quiet for a second, then seems to decide on something, ears perking up as he looks up at Aigis. ] All right, I changed my mind! I'm gonna help you out.

[marakukaja]

Oh, you will? Thank you very much.

[ What a nice hedgehog. She knew it wasn't a mistake to trust animals. She has too much of a soft spot for them. ]

I'm glad to hear that. I don't think any of my friends are around, so I'm a very lucky person to have your assistance.

[ Big cities tend to, well, blend people together unless they really stand out, and the city life is not always welcoming to newbies. Adaptability is the name of the game. ]

[fastpaced]

You're right about that! I'm the best helper you can find.

[ certainly the most confident one, anyway. ]

Why don't you ditch the cookies and come explore with me? I'll answer any questions you got! Maybe we can find something you can actually eat on the way, too!

[marakukaja]

That sounds like a wonderful idea. ...I can't eat most things, however.

[ She can have popsicles, however. They make for good coolant...not that anyone needs that in this particular climate. She grips her other arm with a hand. ]

Hm...I suppose I should leave a sign or a note with the cookies, though.

[ Wouldn't want anyone to mistake them as empty or intended trash and dump them, even if the chances are slim. ]

[fastpaced]

Uh... Right, good idea. But... you can't? What can you eat?

[ now he's sounding a little concerned. ]

Are you gonna be okay out here?

[marakukaja]

[ She lets out a small laugh, and then digs out a pen and index card from her coat pockets, writing a note that the boxes of cookies are free and untampered with, as she simply bought too much and doesn't know what to do with them, and then signs it off with little flourish, if at all.

Her penmanship is utterly perfect, for the record. Almost like it's printed. ]

I'll be fine.

[ Is it okay to admit this? Well, he's a talking hedgehog. Most humans would probably treat him differently than they would treat humans, too. So maybe he can understand her situation. ]

...I don't need to eat, actually.

[fastpaced]

[ he waits for her patiently, for once in his life - mostly because this can't possibly take more than a minute or two. The handwriting goes unnoticed. Girls sure have neat handwriting, don't they?

Then she goes and says something weird. His ears perk up curiously, and he tilts his head at her. ]

You... don't need to eat? [ a pause. looking at her... ] Are you some kinda spirit, maybe?

[marakukaja]

...No.

[ She shakes her head. Maybe? It's complicated. She tucks the pen in her coat pocket once more. ]

I'm...what others would call a machine. A "mechanical maiden" of sorts.

[ She doesn't seem to mind admitting that too much, at the very least. It's a fact of life, for her. It's only when they start disparaging her or literally dehumanizing her ("fake girl") and reminding her of some very painful things that she minds. Otherwise? She considers herself very fortunate that she's met such understanding people in her life. ]

[fastpaced]

"Mechanical maiden" ...

[ he peers at her for a few seconds - then he just laughs. An amicable one, not a mocking one. ]

So you're a robot? Don't tell me that's what you're hiding! [ if the rest of her body is less humanoid than her face, it would explain the sketchy trenchcoat, too... he feels dumb for being worried about her now, waving a hand. ] I've met loads of robots. As long as you're not a bad guy, I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of.

[marakukaja]

[ She nods, noting how casually he simply laughs at the notion. He's a free-spirited, easygoing hedgehog, it seems. She's almost a little bit jealous at that; for someone as literally rigid and inflexible she can be at times, she isn't quite at the level of liveliness he's at.

It's also curious that he's met other robots before (and they must've left...mostly a good impression on him, if how easily he handles this is any indication), but she'll leave that for a little later. ]

I'm happy you feel that way. It's not a matter of shame so much as...necessity. Most humans I meet cannot know that units like myself and my sister even exist.

[ And for good reason. Government secrets and the like. It'd cause unnecessary panic, conspiracy theories, and the less people who know about top-secret things like Shadows and Personas, the better. ]

[fastpaced]

[ well, frankly, he's probably destroyed 90% of the robots he's encountered... but they weren't actual intelligent beings with feelings. They were just brainless minions created by Dr. Eggman. Aigis is clearly not one of those robots. ]

Good thing I'm not a human, then.

[ a cheeky smile. ]

You don't need to worry about that here. I've already met some other androids like you. You know 'em? Their names are A2 and... 9S, I think.

[marakukaja]

I have encountered A2...and I have heard of 9S, but I have yet to meet him in person.

[ Merely hearsay. Although it comforts her to know that there are also androids here. ]

...Do you know if they also need maintenance performed on them?

[ And if so, she should probably reach out to them for recommendations. Like finding a doctor, except hopefully a doctor who doesn't reprogram her to try to kill her friends this time. ]

[fastpaced]

He's a great guy! You should say hi when you get the chance.

[ sonic's talked to him all of two times, but. he liked him... ]

As for maintenance, I don't really know. That kinda thing doesn't exactly come up in normal conversation. Every machine needs it, though, right?