[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

[deusex]

[ oh, definitely more than three, for sure.

and just because he doesn't act like a responsible adult doesn't mean he's someone who needs looking after, nor a baby. Why was he so obsessed with asking him all these, anyway? Mikazuki will just give the other a slow, careful look back, probably just as quietly judge-y as the look that noctis is giving him. ]

I've never had this before. It's good.

[ Siblings. It seems so long ago now that kudelia had said something similar to him about Orga, that the two of them seemed like brothers. But it's something much more than that. Orga is more than a brother. He's the one to whom Mika technically owes his life to, or that's how he feels about it, at least. ]

No.

[ it occurs to Mika that perhaps this guy might have an entirely wrong assumption about him... People tended to do that, strangers, but it's been a long time since he's had to directly deal with it. It's been a while since he wasn't recognised by the monicker and the familiar presence of Barbatos, the insignia of Tekkadan on his person. ]

How old do you think I am?

[armigers]

[ Uh-oh. Something tells him there's no right answer to this question, and Noctis awkwardly draws his free hand through the back of his hair while he buys a little time by slowly sipping at his hot chocolate. It's not like the guy's age was immediately decipherable between those sullen eyes that look like they've seen plenty (too much even) and the kid's small frame.

Just when he's 'sipped' about most of the cup down, he finally answers- ]

Uhh...fifteen?

[ Because the kid does look about Iris' age, maybe give or take a year. She'd also be really excited about hot chocolate and snacks. ]

There's no way you're older than I am.

[ Which makes him feel somewhat responsible for the kid, at least until he can find someone to look after him full-time, though it's not like he hadn't lived on his own at fifteen -albeit still under regular supervision and someone constantly nagging at him to clean up after himself. ]

[deusex]

[ Oh.... Noctis, don't go around feeling Responsible for any younger kids...

Mikazuki waits patiently for the other to answer, polishing off another two cups of the frothy sweet drink while doing so. Somebody stop this child before he eats this cafe out of business, please. When the answer (guess) finally comes, he breathes out a short huff of laughter, a quiet sound that barely meets the mark of one. That was pretty close. ]

How old are you, then?

[ He makes a show of skimming his gaze over the other again, popping another handful of marshmallows into his mouth. ]

You don't need to worry about me, you know. I can take care of myself.

[armigers]

[ It's difficult not to get a little defensive about that as Noctis likes to think he looks his age. His shoulders straighten almost immediately, trying to make himself appear just a bit taller, more mature. ]

Twenty. How old did you think I look?

[ Only one of them here is pigging out on marshmallows, and it ain't him. Noctis has at least enough class to do that in the privacy of his bedroom. Though he can't help but feel a little envious at the kid -maybe not so much at the stomach ache he's probably going to have later, which prompts Noctis to move the tray away. ]

I think you're one more cup away from bursting open. Take it easy, kid.

[deusex]

[ mikazuki has never tried to make himself appear more than he was; it's not in his nature to do so, to be deceptive (in a way) or to impress others (selectively, if at all). they were always so surprised, then, to find that this child was known as the devil of Tekkadan, the one who tore through others like nothing — but then, he had a goal, a promise to keep.

He gives Noctis another scrutinising look, and reaches out to grab for the other's wrist when he moves to put the tray out of his reach; hand too big for such a small frame, and even though he doesn't grip hard, there's noticeable strength in it. ]

You aren't much older than Orga.

[ he continues calmly like nothing out of the ordinary is happened, like he isn't holding onto the other's wrist. ]

I'm seventeen. You don't need to treat me like a child.

[armigers]

[ Noctis can feel the grip acutely enough, his eyes darting between his own wrist and the kid's eyes, noticing that look again -the one that indicates he's seen far more than anyone his age probably has. Those are still the eyes of someone harrowed and tired, who's had to slog to the end of the world and back.

It's incongruent to his childish petulance which reminds Noctis so much of himself -words he'd have uttered to his own friends not too long ago, but the difference is that he doesn't feel as though he's seen everything there is to see yet. He knows he's still naive in a lot of ways, still raw and inexperienced.

It's what ultimately makes Noctis crack a small, amused smile as he shakes his own wrist loose and leaves the tray. ]

Got it, got it. You can watch over yourself. Still swiping a second one for myself, though.

[ And with that, he snatches the cup, showing the kid's not the only one with lightning fast reflexes here. ]

Got a name, seventeen year old?

[deusex]

[ Harrowed and tired, but not giving up just yet. Seen too much, but not yet. They still haven't found the place where they belonged. No magic words to stop him in his tracks. There is a little bit of the petulance, still, a flash of annoyance, but they are all momentary things. Even with one eye blinded, sightless though it would be hard to tell, the clear blue of his gaze more than makes up for it.

The corner of his mouth twitches slightly, a maybe-smile, and Mikazuki lets the other snatch a second cup, saying no protest. He isn't that greedy to deny some sharing. ]

Mikazuki Augus.

[armigers]

[ The cup is risen in a mock-toasting gesture before Noctis takes a sip. He waits to swallow before returning with- ]

Noctis.

[ He'll give him that much, though he's sure the rest of his name is floating around since the witches have decided nothing is meant to be concealed. How long before everyone finds out the rest? Does it even matter here? He's wrestled with the thought so many times, knowing his title, his name, his bloodline, it might not matter anymore -but that scares him more than he'd like to admit.

Maybe because it offers an escape, the way out he's been dreaming of for years, but he doesn't want to take it if it means more people will die.

Bleak thoughts left for another time, another day. A feigned expression replaces his bemused one. ]

You're not so bad after all.

[ Maybe because they have something shared, some unspoken understanding between them. Maybe because Noctis just has a soft spot around kids. ]

If you ever get tired of drinking this place out of hot chocolate, there's an arcade a few blocks away.

[deusex]

You're not so bad either.

[ things like titles have never really meant anything to mikazuki. They are just that, titles and monikers; things given by others either willingly or otherwise, meaningless unless you want them to.

The devil of Tekkadan — is it meant to be an insult or a praise? it doesn't mean anything to him, but it keeps them from snapping at their heels too much, letting the lesser bold ones scatter in front of them. It makes things easier, and that's as far as mikazuki thinks of it. ]

What's an arcade?

[armigers]

[ ...right. He forgets there are people who apparently inhabit all sorts of backwards dimensions without cell phones or video games apparently. Still, he can't help but feel his eyes nearly bulge out of the rest of his face, wondering if this kid is being serious right now. ]

You don't know what an arcade is?

[ He can't keep the incredulity out of his voice because this kid doesn't know what he's missing out on at all. How has he lived for seventeen years like this? Noctis needs to fix this.

He deserves at least some minuscule amount of joy in his life. ]

Tell me I didn't just hear that. It's a place with lots of game machines, pinball machines, air hockey, first-person shooters, fighting games, flight simulators.

[deusex]

You did just hear that.

[ is he being serious right now, or just pulling Noctis' leg a little bit? It would be hard to tell with the impassive expression on Mikazuki's face, barely blinking an eye at the show of incredulous surprise on part of the other - someone teach him poker, he'd wipe the floor with his skills.

he continues to sip at his drink passively, listening to Noctis list out the Joys of Arcades. Things like simulators, he's familiar with -- but not in a context of it being some kind of a game. It's always been training for them, a part of their daily life at CGS in the earlier days, then same still in Tekkadan, used more for the purpose of education and necessary survival rather than for any kind of entertainment.

What a curious place, this is. ]

If you're done, we can go.

[armigers]

[ Hell yeah, they're going. This kid doesn't know what he's missing, and Noctis is here to Enlighten him. Or at least kill the next couple of hours trying to get the top score on the latest fighting game release. This kid also needs to learn the joy of avoiding responsibilities.

He quickly downs the rest of the hot chocolate then tosses his paper cup into the trash before beckoning the kid to follow. ]

You're going to thank me after this. They got food there, too. Might as well get something else to live off that isn't hot chocolate.

[ While he shouldn't feel responsible for him after being told off, he still is just a teensy bit worried what several cups of hot chocolate is going to do to his stomach. ]

I'll show you my favorite bass fishing game too. You'll get hooked.

[ Cheesy grin, of course, because that was a damn good pun. ]

[deusex]

[ He wants to eat more??? Wow, what a guy... Not that Mikazuki can say anything, since his stomach is apparently composed of a black hole instead of normal human organ. He could probably eat anything that Noctis could throw at him and be fine. ]

Alright.

[ Mikazuki stops long enough to finally relinquish the free drinks platter (which is then immediately whisked away by the shop attendant, who was hovering around in the vicinity), and gets to his feet. If he thought that Mikazuki was young, it would be even worse to find that he comes to barely over five feet tall standing up in boots. It's not an uncommon mistake to make...

The fishing pun, unfortunately, doesn't get Noctis any visible reactions apart from slow, careful blinking by Mikazuki, as he waits for the other to direct them to this 'arcade'. ]

we can FTB here. he'll teach Mikazuki how to have fun and play videogames

[armigers]

[ Noctis still has his doubts about whether or not the kid was lying about his age especially when he stands up and barely comes up to his own chin, but you're never too young or old to enjoy the arcade. Might as well enlighten him on the finer points of living while he's here, especially when the next world could be a total dump by comparison.

He motions to Mikazuki to keep following, leading him down the street with the edge of someone who clearly knows what he's talking about for once. Mikazuki better thank him for this later -or at least look less grouchy, though he can sympathize, having been pretty surly himself at that age. Occasionally, he still is sometimes, mostly when anyone tries to wake him up before noon.

Maybe he might spill about whatever his deal is -maybe not. Noctis won't force it out of him, but whatever happened to him, he looks like he could use an escape. ]