[JANUARY 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
IMPORTANT: While some prompts are newbie exclusive, all characters can tag this intro log!

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. You'll also have a letter slipped under your door with some explanation about your whole coven situation, as well as info that explains you have magic now! And yet what kind of magic is conveniently left out. Are you up to speed? Great. Now, here's the question of the hour: what are you going to do about all this? A ▢ If you're the sensible sort and want to explore your new digs before slinking around Shehui, you're in luck! You've got easy access to your apartment, and it's luckily not on lockdown right now. Feel free to check out your room, raid the fridge -- oh, and saying hello to your roommates should also be on your to-do list. B ▢ Let's say that hanging out with these people is a little overwhelming...that's fine! There are plenty of things to do in the apartment building without interacting with roomies! There are vending machines to prop up, a leisure floor that contains a totally vacant air hockey table and a nice garden to relax in. C ▢ But ah, there's also venturing outside! Out front is the job board, which is a nice place to hit up if you're looking to add to your currently fat but depleting credit account. The problem is that the jobs are currently disappearing quickly, and those around you aren't giving you such nice looks. This apartment building is a known problem area at this point, and your signet doesn't do anything to settle their fears.

D ▢ With new year's week coming to an end, the residents of Shehui are feeling more celebratory than somber now. A lot of businesses are closed in order to enjoy themselves and ring in the new year the right way. A lot of restaurants and bars are currently offering specials, from free drinks to cheap food in order to pull in the holiday crowd. If you're looking to meet people and socialize in Shehui, this is the best way to do it. E ▢ Also because it's the post holiday season, stores are trying to push out the rest of their overstock merch. One item of note that's being peddled quite often is a cell phone. From tiny flip phones to the latest Orange product, cellphones are a necessity in this modern society. Get yours right now and begin texting right away! There are a few social apps that are installed, so you might be lucky enough to connect with another coven member! They also have Redmolar capability, which will automatically allow you to text those with phones in the area. Maybe send some mysterious stranger texts? F ▢ While you're hustling around Shehui, you may realize that the telepathic messages get stronger -- perhaps the new coven members are near? In general, you may be subject to telepathic messages about current Shehui goings on, random thoughts or requests to meet up at so-and-so location. A.K.A. let's utilize that telepathy...it may not last forever! G ▢ Because the week of remembrance is still going on, flowers are littering the streets, though most of them are dead. Bunches of flowers are being sold, and flower fortunes are a popular activity during this part of the holiday. There are fortune tellers on the street who will give you your flower of the year, but it's more fun to have them read with one another! There are digital cards that you can buy that will allow you to read fortunes on the go -- simply tap the screen of the card and your flower will be decided. Not happy with your choice? Too bad! It won't randomize to something different, no matter how hard you try. H ▢ While a lot of Shehui citizens are trying to avoid the coven members like the plague, a small alien child isn't so much concerned with who helps her, just as long as someone does. She accidentally left her house's door open and her five new kittens are suddenly missing! Where are they? Who knows! But she'd certainly like some help looking for them. I ▢ As the day winds down, snow falls on Shehui for the last time this season. The government is getting rid of their supplies that create the festive weather. This is old hat for older coven members, but for newbies? You better enjoy the snow while you can. After an hour or so, it piles up enough to truly be utilized for merriment...this also means that it's pretty easy to get snowed in if you happen to be in a building during the snow fall, which also creates some interactive opportunities. J ▢ Wildcard! How will your character interact with this new and unusual world?

Comments

[testified]

[ She follows readily, at an even pace. She even prepares to hand him over the phone, until he asks her about it-- ]

Well, yes. Is there a reason I should not be?

[ She... takes her phone back slowly...... ]

I suppose it does still contain a lot of images of me. Is that alright?

[allbroea]

[ celica, please. his pace slows momentarily while he considers his answer. ]

... Obviously, I'm not interested in looking through your messages or photos. I've seen enough of them to last me a lifetime. [ really. celica is lovely, but he can only handle so many selfies. ] That said, I wouldn't give my phone [ he says phone, but he thinks ARCUS ] to someone I don't trust. It would be easier to explain if I could look at it, but if you'd prefer to hold onto it, it would be rude of me to impose.

[testified]

This phone you speak of, it means nothing to me. I never even knew it existed until today.

[ Now she hands it over properly, this time with no hesitation. ]

This is not a matter of trust for me, even if you have shown me kindness every step of the way. I am simply not afraid of discomfort - or whatever else may result from this action.

[ what totally dramatic way of declaring she trusts him with her phone ]

...
My password is 5555.

[allbroea]

[ where does he start in response to that. "i am simply not afraid of discomfort" ...

okay, okay, he laughs. he takes her phone, but he lets out a short-lived laugh, and then touches the knuckle of his free hand to his mouth as if it'll wipe the smirk off his face. which, it kind of does; he clears his throat after and composes himself. ]

Sorry, I just ... Goddess, I don't know whether to chastise you for being so careless with your belongings or commend you for being so bold. [ this is the third route, where he pokes fun at her grandiose statements. ] You'd think you were walking into Gehenna and not handing over a communications device.

[testified]

[ She does carry a sword, which may seem odd to someone else's definition of a priestess. NO FEAR -- but also low self-worth, oops. She smiles a little when he laughs, but shows restraint otherwise. ]

Leaving something in your care is not the same as carelessness. I trust you will return what belongs to me.

[ Or she can take it back herself. huff huff >:( ]

Ah, I... what's Gehenna, if I may ask?

[allbroea]

[ he takes a seat on the bench and turns his attention to the phone. what a secure password ... ]

Allegedly, the fiery realm demons hail from. [ he is not exactly a diehard practitioner of the faith, but his tone takes a more serious dip. ] It's a land of untold suffering.

[ jusis bought himself a flip phone to save on his already limited credits ... and also partially because the orbal revolution still has a ways to go before modern tech, so the touchscreen is a little overwhelming, even for him. he's pretty quiet while he tries to adjust, but it makes enough sense ... ]

[testified]

A land that harbours demons and suffering? Why would anyone wish to go there...

[ It's a rhetorical question, not one she expects an answer to. Besides, the more he plays with her phone, her focus seems to shift on learning what exactly he's doing (unaware that he is also quickly learning the functions). ]

Mine doesn't look like yours. Is it... broken?

[allbroea]

[ ah—she breaks his focus, but he shouldn't have been ignoring her anyway, so he doesn't mind. ]

Not as far as I can tell. They're different models, but should be functionally the same. [ ... in every way that matters to him. ] I ... think I removed Redmolar as your default sharing option for photos, which should make it harder to accidentally send them. Is there anything else you were having trouble with?

[ he'll get to General Etiquette after he deals with strictly technical problems. ]

[testified]

[ She doesn't really know about the phone's other features to ask about them yet, but Jusis should prepare himself for questions about ringtones and emojis in the near future. ]

By Mila, is there nothing you cannot do? But as long as you solved that problem, I believe everything should be in order.

[ She wants to talk, though, so she won't dismiss him just yet. ]

May I offer you a bubblegum?

[allbroea]

[ if he knew what a ringtone or emoji was, the warning bells would already be ringing ... alas.

in that case, he offers the phone back to her. ]

I don't typically indulge in sweets, but I can make an exception. I will say I hardly deserve such high praise, though. With exposure, I think you'll find most technology marketed to consumers is fairly simple.

[ they don't have rogue iphone autocorrect in erebonia yet. ]

[testified]

Thank you, Jusis, I won't let these lessons go to waste.

[ She waits for him to accept the gum and open it up, and then she says very sternly out of nowhere-- ]

Once again, let me remind you not to swallow it! It may be tempting, but the true enjoyment comes from chewing the sweet candy until you no longer feel the flavour.

[allbroea]

[ he expects something more serious, for some reason. he refrains from laughing, but he does offer her a humored smile. ]

I'll be sure to enjoy it to the fullest. Thank you.

[ this ... is just sugar that you can chew, isn't it. he doesn't know what he expected from something marketed to young children, but he refrains from commenting on it. instead, a more pressing question: ]

You aren't buying everything that's advertised to you, are you?

[testified]

[ ABOUT THAT... ]

No, only rations and supplies. I have no need for anything materialistic.

[ Even the phone is only for practicality, just in case the telepathy service breaks down. Celica has had an odd instinct to prepare, as if it's a vision of things to come... which is exactly what it is, although she doesn't know how to interpret it clearly. She's not even aware of the ability yet. ]

I do have a question, however. ... How do we earn more credits? My funds are depleting at an excessive rate, but surely there's a way to even it out.

[allbroea]

[ it shouldn't surprise him that a priestess would only be into practical shopping, but with celica, he figured it was a 50/50 chance. it does surprise him that she has to ask about credits, even if she lived in a remote priory. he starts from the most reasonable assumption. ]

You didn't see the job board? It was right outside the apartment.

[testified]

[ Jesus Jusis, it's been only a day! ]

You mean our lodgings, yes? I haven't been there yet.

[ It's on the agenda! She just... took on a lot of sidequests for others. ]

Is the accommodation satisfactory?

[ She's asking for him and how he feels about it, she's not all that concerned about how nice it is herself. A roof is a roof, that's all that matters. ]

[allbroea]

[ jusis doesn't do sidequests and was given ample time to inspect his apartment. not that he used it at all.

he's a noble, but he's lived in a worn-down dorm for nearly a year and doesn't care much for being here besides. he's very much in the "a roof's a roof" camp. ]

I suppose. I'm not keen on having roommates, but we have separate rooms, so I can hardly complain. [ it's like a dorm ... but smaller. ]

More to the point, there's a board outside of the building that displays various employment opportunities. [ he only glanced at it, but he wasn't impressed. ] Most of it appears to be menial labor, but beggars can't be choosers.

[testified]

[ There's an amused smile at his response. She's learning that he's a bit of a grump, but the fact that he's here and helping her out only makes her appreciate his efforts more. ]

"Menial labor"? What type of work are you used to, Jusis?

[allbroea]

[ what kind of work is he used to ... he takes a moment of consideration. ]

I'm a student, so any sort of academic work would be suitable. I'm familiar with caring for and raising horses as well, but a city like this likely has show horses at best.

[ nothing wrong with show horses, but they'd already be thoroughly cared for. paperwork is ... strictly applicable, but he doesn't think the city would offer him a bureaucratic position anyway. since he thinks it's similarly irrelevant, he glosses over his pseudo-military experience entirely. not a job he'd take lightly for a government he doesn't know.

—! if celica hasn't been to the apartment yet, maybe she doesn't know ... he looks surprisingly alert for someone listing his work experience. ]

Pardon me for the sudden shift in conversation, but have you seen the posters concerning our signets?

[testified]

The thing on the back of our neck?

[ Celica's hand runs under her hair, lightly feeling the device with her fingers. She doesn't look too thrilled about it yet; she already bears a brand on her hand. ]

It's a form of communication, correct?

[allbroea]

[ he doesn't think anyone would be too thrilled with sudden and unprompted body modifications, but he's somewhat relieved celica hasn't found a way to look on the bright side of this one. ]

Allegedly. [ he's not entirely convinced there isn't something more to it than the telepathy deal, but ... he assumes that's a no on posters. ] It seems like in our current circumstances, you could also consider them a target upon our necks. There are plenty of posters nearer to our lodgings warning the locals not to engage with us with the image of the signet plastered upon them.

[ jusis wears a stuffy cravat himself, so it's well-hidden, but even the atmosphere around the apartment was apprehensive. ]

It may be a late warning, but you should be wary around the area. Even more so if someone asks you about it.

[testified]

But why would they think of us as enemies...?

[ That does sound a little alarming, especially to someone who thinks most conflict is avoidable if everyone was only open to it. ]

... Ah, forgive me, Jusis. I forget that you're new here as much as I am.

[ All of this has to be confusing for him, too, even if he does come across as quite knowledgeable. ]

[allbroea]

[ he's beyond unhappy with the circumstances, but airing his frustrations isn't particularly productive, either. at best, he crosses his arms. it's true he's always somewhat of a grump, but especially now ... ]

Unfortunately, it's a question we'll have to ask others who have been here longer. If I had to guess, someone used their magic carelessly and brought ire upon the coven.