[WORLD TWO | FEBRUARY INTRO LOG]

[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 226
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 ▢ One of the places you may arrive in Shehui is your apartment -- and if you're not a newbie, then that may be where you're hanging out anyway. There's likely going to be at least one other person in there with you. Are you going to say hello? Are you on good terms with your roommates? Do you even know who they are? Discuss. B ▢ If you want to go out and do something else, that's also acceptable. Because no access card is needed to enter the recreation floor, which contains the game room, garden and more, it's likely a lot of coven members are hanging out there instead of waiting around for roommates to let them into their rooms. If you want to blow off steam, the game room now also features a karaoke machine and photo booth. C ▢ Word of the recent jailbreak -- which you'll likely need to be caught up to speed on, if you're new -- has made it out into the greater part of Shehui. The job board in front of the apartment is somewhat depleted now that a number of coven members have been "black carded," and thus have no need for credits. This doesn't mean jobs aren't available, though! The newest jobs are going to be related to the upcoming festival, which includes card delivery, chocolate carriers and water holders. These will be explained in a bit -- but there are a lot of other jobs you can utilize to make money. What interesting position will you find on the job board to try out?

Those coming into Shehui today are in luck -- today is Neyi, which translates to "the day of darkness." Today you'll see a lot of old furniture on the sides of the road, people drinking depressedly in bars and a general melancholy aura in the air. The point of Neyi is to get rid of the pain, heartbreak and toxicity you've been carrying around in your relationships. D ▢ Chocolate carriers are walking around the busy streets of Shehui with boxes that are held with straps that go around their necks. Some of these boxes contain four pieces of chocolate, containing a very strong liquor. It doesn't take much for these to get you drunk. Other boxes circulate as the night goes on, other boxes circulate that are a lot more gentle and amorous. These chocolates contain a caramel that has a slight aphrodisiac -- not enough to turn someone into some raging horndog, but they are inclined to make someone a little more cuddly than usual...although, it's worth noting that the more you eat, the less true the previous statement becomes. E ▢ A lot of Shehui residents who aren't into the somber feeling of Neyi have begun to get their true Yuenai party on. One of the most traditional charms of Yuenai is giving out cards with well-wishes, romantic sentiments and other positive emotions. Those who want to send cards can choose from two options: personal, or competition. Personal cards are a lot bigger and more ornate depending on the credits used to purchase the card. Competition cards are part of a little game played on Yuenai that focuses on who can get the most well-wishes. These cards will contain one sentence and then the name of whoever sent the card, and are meant to be a small symbol of appreciation. These can be received all day on Neyi or Yuenai. F ▢ One of the biggest rituals of the day is the ceremonial bonfire that's held in the middle of Shehui. Participants are welcome to bring photos or mementoes of those they hate or ache for, then throw them into the fire. Usually, there's a special powder that's inserted into the fire in order for it to change colours once objects come into contact with it -- it helps with the symbolism, you know? Instead, because of a lot of confusion and ruckus within the contraband rooms, the powder has been mingled with something a little more magical. Now when these items ignite with the fire, a representation of that person springs to life within the flame. They aren't a true physical person, but instead an eerily accurate visage. While they can't possibly be that person, they do speak tormenting or heinous things to those who dare to throw in an object. Bear in mind, this can be performed with something even as simple as writing their name on a piece of paper. G ▢ If you want a less drama-filled evening, then you may want to skip out on the big bonfire and instead head out to one of the smaller parks. There are more personal canister fires scattered throughout each park, and water carriers are asked to patrol in case fires get out of hand. These smaller burns don't contain the same contaminated powder and instead will ignite into a fierce array of colours if anything is burned in them. Others who don't have the same relationship needs as the sad sacks on Neyi have actually begun to use these fires for marshmallow roasting, scary stories, or just outright warmth. It is a little chilly out. H ▢ The discovered magic has, of course, put the residents of Shehui in a tizzy, even if most of them think that this is just an amplified version of what happens on Neyi anyway. Despite this internal reassurance, that doesn't stop most Shehui residents from being very on edge. Fights are becoming commonplace in the street, and the added liquor candies and open bars aren't helping this out, either. What kind of person are you? The kind who has been devastated by Neyi yourself, or the kind to break up those who are causing a scene? There are also an assortment of sad drunks on the street who may need some cheering up. I ▢ Unlike the Valentine's Day that many worlds celebrate, Shehui's Yuenai is open to more than just romantic love. There are also tiny kiosks that are giving away personalized pins that state the holder's name. They can receive up to five of these for free and are asked to give them to those that they consider family. The pins are in the shape of a bouquet of lilies, with the ribbon connecting them the location of the engraved name. The person who requests these will have their name on the pin, and those who receive it are to wear it proudly, showcasing who cares for them. J ▢ Those who are completely new to Shehui may feel a little left out if they don't quite have any close relationships already present in this world. Citizens of Shehui will be given a gift basket by the monitors that contains the names of several already established members of the community -- this is an exercise in relationship building. They're to give the people on this list part of their gift basket, including a competition card and a box of chocolate -- you can pick which kind! Have fun hunting down the people on your own list. [OOC: You have the choice of either selecting your own names or picking people at random based on the taken list. You can also keep this open-ended -- hey, can I ask you to help me find this person? Oh that's you? What a coincidence! etc. Also, this is open to everyone -- not just newbies!] K ▢ Finally, the fact that the Shehui government has been put through the wringer lately is evident by the rain that begins to fall ahead of schedule, around 10 PM instead of at midnight. The major bonfire is a little too powerful to be taken out quickly, but the smaller park fires will be put out eventually. This rain is also a surprise to a lot of residents, and taking cover is a slow process with so many people out and about. L ▢ Wildcard! How will your character interact with this new and unusual world?

Comments

[heartholder]

[ chika's smile is positively radiant, shining with happiness and gratitude and affection and everything in between. ]

Of course! I didn't know you had a gift for me... Ahh, I didn't get you anything! I'm so sorry!

[ she groans and rubs at the back of her neck. she should have been more thoughtful... ]

[oceanaria]

[ It might seem weird, but that only makes Riko's smile grow wider. ]

It's okay, don't be sorry. [ Riko puts her hand in her pocket and a little while later makes a confused expression. ] Ah. I think I left it in my room.

[ Actually...it's in the pocket and she's a liar. ]

Maybe we could do a gift exchange?

[heartholder]

Do you want to go get it? We'll go together!

[ she thinks she might have had enough festivities— and chocolate— after all. some more time spent with riko sounds nice, though. ]

[oceanaria]

Sure.

[ Lying to Chika doesn't feel right at all, but she simply didn't want her friend to feel bad about not getting a gift. ]

I should've probably told you sooner that I'm going to buy you something...

[ Smiling sheepishly, Riko looks away. Chocolates or no chocolates, this is a bit embarrassing. ]

[heartholder]

Don't worry about it! Ehehe, it's my bad for being so thoughtless... I'm sorry.

[ she looks sheepish. ]

But I'm really excited! So let's go, let's go!

[ and then she's tugging riko in the direction of the apartment building, leaving the festival behind. ]

[oceanaria]

No, no, don't be. It's alright.

[ Riko waves her hand up and down a few times, it's really no big deal. At the same time, she follows Chika and makes sure to keep up with her. ]

It's nothing special, really! Just a small gift.

[ There's no way Riko's telling her that the moment she saw it, she thought of her. ]

[heartholder]

Don't put yourself down! Anything is special when it comes from you.

[ it's just a simple fact to her. ]

Which floor is your room on?

[oceanaria]

[ Ah, she's doing that again. ]

It's on the fourth floor.

[ Which makes he realize that they haven't really been to each other's rooms for some reason. ]

Maybe we could eat something together?

[ Just a little while after saying that, it hits Riko that they've had a bunch of chocolates. She only wants to spend some more time together with Chika, even if a dinner together is a really poor excuse. ]

[heartholder]

A-Actually...

[ chika only now realizes that she's feeling a little strange, now that they're alone. that she wants to be with riko, and riko only; that she doesn't want to be stuck in a crowd anymore, even a small one at a cute little cafe. on a more ordinary day, she'd jump at the chance, but... ]

Could we head back after all? Maybe we can watch a movie, o-or— something! Yeah. Something.

[ chika is just as desperate to spend more time with her, too. her nerves are on alert and she doesn't know why. ]

[oceanaria]

[ Riko didn't even notice that Chika's actually made her hold her breath for a few seconds. What if she has something else to do and can't spend the whole evening with her? That's absolutely understandable, but thanks to Yuenai chocolates, the thought is more than enough to tear her heart apart. ]

Oh? [ Riko's pout becomes a soft smile right away when it becomes clear that Chika wants to do something together. ] A movie sounds good. S-Something sounds good, too.

[ When it sinks in that they're going to be most likely completely alone, Riko's cheeks become bright red. ]

For a moment it felt just like we were back home.

[ Watching movies together...it's a pretty normal thing to do, after all. And Riko truly misses normal things. ]

[heartholder]

... It did, didn't it? Remember how we'd sneak out our windows and keep each other company in the middle of the night? Or when we'd sneak off to the beach to go practice together?

[ a light laugh. the pleasant memory eases her nerves. ]

Sooo, my room or yours?

[oceanaria]

Of course I do. I miss it...a lot.

[ It's a miracle that their parents didn't find out what they had been doing. ]

Ah. [ The question shouldn't surprise her, yet she's still caught off guard. It doesn't even matter all that much, but it takes Riko a little while to answer nonetheless. ] Y-Yours maybe?

[ They're already pretty close to the apartment building so she made her decision just in time. ]

I wonder when we'll be back to our huts on the island.

[heartholder]

[ they take the elevator up to floor five, chika rocking back and forth on the balls of her heels while she waits for the elevator to ascend. ]

Who knows? At this rate, I think I'd rather be there than here...

[oceanaria]

I think so too.

[ Shehui seemed really nice at a first glance but it has shown its true colors already. Being able to live in a city rather than a plain hut definitely isn't worth it.

When she remembered about the island, there was another thought that followed immediately—how nice would it be to share a hut with Chika, namely. It's more than enough to make her blush again. ]

It's funny...I kind off miss it. The island.

[heartholder]

I think I do, too.

[ she wasn't there for very long, but it wasn't bad. and there was the sea. any place chika can gaze out at the water can't be too bad. ]

... We're here!

[ a cheerful smile. chika has no trouble getting into her room. ]

[oceanaria]

[ Riko follows her, feeling her heart beat faster. It's silly, it's just the apartment in which Chika lives in. She's been to her family's ryokan so many times, but this does feel kind of different. Could it be because of the chocolates? Maybe. ]

I never really watched TV here...

[ It might seem a little weird, but it's true. ]

I'm fine with watching whatever you like, Chika-chan.

[ As long as she'll get to stay by her side, it doesn't really matter what they're going to watch. ]