INTRO LOG - APRIL/MAY 18

[phantasmods]

Eventually, Charm starts herding people towards the parked exploratory drone, a few at a time, mostly people who have finished their noodles or other business. "It's almost nightfall at the Station," he says, "and with this many new arrivals, we're going to have to make multiple trips."

(For those who might ask, he also explains that they've chosen not to stabilize the noodle shop for the time being, as the other androids will almost certainly want to speak to Viella, and have no other way of doing so, due to the fact that they don't dream. Aside from that small region, the Fissure is largely stable.)

It in fact takes four trips total to get everyone to the Station. Those of you who don't fall asleep on the way there - the minute you hit stable reality, the inability to sleep vanishes, and most will be hit with a wave of exhaustion - will find that the Station Annex, a building off to the side of the main station, has been finished, at least outwardly.

By the time the first group arrives, the sun is dipping towards the horizon; by the time the last gets there, it's set, leaving a few pink-tinted clouds in the sky. The drones drop everyone off (and that is everyone, even though of you who have fallen asleep) on the observation deck, where those of you who didn't get your fill of noodles will find several buffet-style tables set up with...

...Pizza? Yeah, pizza, in damn near every variety you can think of, including a few things that only loosely fall under the heading of "pizza." Half a table is full of calzones of various varieties; another significant chunk is things that are just desserts in the general shape of pizza, including a couple of iced cinnamon pastries, a pair of brightly-colored "pizzas" made of canned fruit over cream cheese, and a two-layer cake that's just decorated to look like a pizza, with strawberry jam and round slices of strawberry 'pepperoni' sandwiching yellow icing. Finally, the last third of the third table is just three baskets of breadsticks with varying amounts of cheese and garlic, accompanied by two turrens of dipping sauce (one white, one red) and a tower of little plastic dipping cups.

(Those who opt to head directly to bed will find that the banquet gets packed up and moved back to the kitchens around midnight, though it stays warm under a stasis enchantment for roughly the next day before someone packs the remainder into the fridge.)

In the common room, meanwhile, the usual boxes of clothes and trading post sign are set up. Unclaimed rooms can be claimed by writing your name in on a list set up next to the boxes, on what seems to be a broken music stand with a large ROOMS AVAILABLE sign hanging from it. There is also a rather hastily assembled, hand-poked Braille version of the sheet (with the paper punched through in one or two places).

Those who go looking will find that the androids are somewhat more absent than they usually are after an expedition; save obviously for Charm, and Strange who arrives on the deck as usual not long after, you'll have to go looking. Considering the amount of the station you have available, they could be just about anywhere... But perhaps it'd be worth checking over in that new building...?

[Mod note: Strange is the only NPC with a top-level this round, but others may respond to your top-levels, especially in the Annex areas! Consider it a fun surprise. c:]

Comments

[meowna]

Road Trip!
[The drones, as overcrowded as they are, could use a little lightening of their load. So what better way to pitch in as a new member of the community than by taking some of the burden of transportation upon himself? If you're part of the Persona 5 crew, or one of their friends that they might have decided to drag along, feel free to hop aboard the Monamobile! This catbus is a damn smooth ride, complete with adorable ears and tail, a motor that purrs like a happy cat, and comfortable seats that hold up to seven people--or maybe a few more, if you're willing to get really cozy.

He doesn't mind if you lot fall asleep inside him--but whoever's driving, don't fall asleep behind the wheel!]


Buffet Bash
[He's kind of liking this place's style of providing copious amounts of food at once! An illustrious Phantom Thief like himself deserves to dine plentifully and at his leisure, after all. Early on in the festivities, people may see a small tuxedo cat in a gorgeous collar, mingling with the other members of the group--most of the time, though, he'll be in his bipedal, masked mascot form. After all, it's way easier to grab food when you have something vaguely resembling hands!

.....Honestly, though, it would be even easier to grab food if he was more than like two feet tall. If you don't want him jumping, climbing, or walking on the tables, you may want to help him serve himself. On the plus side, he's not nearly as tired as some of the people returning from the trip, and seems to be in remarkably good spirits? He's awfully social, too--even if you don't approach him, there's a decent chance something may catch his eye and have him interested in chatting with you. What might he notice?]

Buffet

[superstylishsquid]

[Hello kitty, there's a devil walking up to you while you're trying to bounce up to reach the table. He smells like...well, mostly like thunderstorms, though with something underlying that brings to mind predatory creatures.]

Need a lift, little guy?

Re: Buffet

[meowna]

[The smell alone is enough to make his fur prickle a little; it smells like the lingering ozone crackling on the battlefield after Ryuji has struck down Shadows with blasts of lightning, or the crisp smell of a storm as Akira walks home after a study session at the diner. There's a strange sort of undercurrent there, though--not quite Shadow, not quite as specific as the fox Kurama smells so strongly of, but..... if he had to put a claw on it.....

He smells like danger, pure and simple, like the raw, primal fury of the storm. It's an odd thing to try and pin down, when you're mid-jump; he's distracted enough that his paws slip on the smooth surface of the table, and he falls back down with a thump. Ugh, he can't even pretend like nobody saw that.....

Have a little disgruntled noise as he sits up and rubs the base of his tail. Owww.....]

.....Yeah, that'd be nice.

[superstylishsquid]

[Oops. Well, he's used to animals being pretty spooked by him, unless they've been raised around things they'd normally be scared of, so he probably should have expected that. He'll just be bending down to pick up the little cat-creature and lift him up high enough to reach the food, though not without a bit of a chuckle.]

Here you go. Sorry about the surprise.

road trip

[ladytakamaki]

You're the best, Morgana!

[ the catbus is the way to go, and it's comfy in here! ann is definitely not driving, but...dang. she suddenly feels really tired, and starts yawning. ]

Man... Is it just me, or do you suddenly feel-- [ yawn ] really sleepy?

Re: road trip

[meowna]

Why, thank you~ ♥ As long as I'm here, Lady Ann, you'll always have the most stylish ride around!

[He can't physically grin like this, but it's easy enough to hear in his voice. He's definitely tired, too--a cat going days without a single nap is pretty atrocious, after all--, but he's doing his best to play it cool.]

Feel free to sleep if you want, I'll make sure to wake you up when we get there!

[ladytakamaki]

Yeah? Then...don't mind if I do.

[ so we can assume that this is after ann's talk with akechi, so she's not as on-edge about everything. she falls asleep shortly after, dozing off in her seat, and it's not until morgana stops when ann wakes up and rubs her eyes. ]

Man...that was a really good nap...

[ she gets out of the catbus and gives it a little pat. ] How're you feeling, Morgana?

Buffet

[theosophomoric]

[Sonja's used to keeping tabs on any cats in her immediate vicinity - Fallen London's cats represent a spy network that puts the humans' Great Game to shame, one that a canny human can sometimes take advantage of. Or which an incautious human can find will put her in serious political jeopardy. While she's on modestly good terms with the woman that many of them report to, Sonja's not so close a confidante of the Duchess that she's given to assuming the cats aren't going to inform on her.

Even with the knowledge that she's now very far from the Neath, it's still second nature for Sonja to notice the presence of a small feline form who seems to be having some difficulty. It's also second nature for her to do her level best to sneak up behind him while he's distracted by trying to get up to the table, although she at least thinks better of just grabbing him.]

Spot of trouble, puss?

Re: Buffet

[meowna]

[Morgana tries to play it cool. He really does! Still, the skitter of claws against the table as Sonja speaks up behind him in mid-pounce is probably rather telling. He manages to stick the landing regardless, if clearly awkwardly.]

No trouble here!

[theosophomoric]

As you say.

[She's got a hand half-extended to catch him if he overbalanced anyway, but once it's clear he's stable, Sonja turns her attention to the... ok, honestly, the Inconvenient Advocate has never seen pizza before in her briefly-damned life, but "flatbread with cheese and toppings" is a simple enough concept, and it smells delicious.

She reaches for a slice covered in pieces of mushroom; mushrooms she can't completely identify strike her as a safer bet than sausages she can't completely identify, which perhaps says something about her recent accommodations.]

I can carry a plate for you if you're up for trading intelligence.

Road Trip

[foolishjustice]

[Goro is far too mentally exhausted to drive, even before leaving the last bits of the Fissure that aren't fully stabilized yet. Instead, he's sitting in the back of the van like normal, leaning slightly against Kurama.]

I'd almost forgotten how comfortable this car is...thank you for letting me ride with you, Morgana.

[He's smiling, but there's something tight about it...stressed. Not as plastic as his usual expressions, but definitely like he's having trouble relaxing...but really, who can blame him, after everything that happened this week, right?]

[ladytakamaki]

...So...you have a boyfriend. Okay.

[ it sounds like she almost can't believe it--actually she really can't, sorry goro. but...it looks like there's a lot that they need to talk about, though she doesn't know if it's appropriate to bring it up in front of the happy couple. ]

Anything else I should know about you since we last saw you, Akechi?

[foolishjustice]

[Well, she'd better believe it, since he's moving to grab said boyfriend's hand.]

Quite a bit, actually. I've already spoken to Morgana and Futaba-chan, but the first thing is that if the last time you saw me was in Shido's Palace, I'm not the Goro Akechi you're familiar with. I...left my world for a little short of a month around two weeks before we had agreed to send Sae-san's calling card. During that time...

[He glances over at Akira, then very briefly bites his lip.]

I came to an agreement with Ak-Kurusu-kun. When I get home, I'm going to help steal Shido's Treasure. He can confirm that I've already taken steps in that direction.

[byanyother_name]

[It's cute that Goro thinks he gets to 'lean slightly'. He's blatantly exhausted, Kurama is blatantly exhausted, and the redhead remembers all too well Goro's anxieties about the other Phantom Thieves.

So actually his arm is curled firmly around his boyfriend and his head is resting gently against Goro's. He presses a kiss to Goro's temple. He could put up a neon sign and still be more subtle.]

Definitely worlds above the drones.

[He's not above pandering to Morgana's ego, though it's also true.]

[foolishjustice]

Mm.

[Oh, this is comfy. He's just going to lean into that...though he's trying not to fall asleep.]

Much better than walking, as well.

[Never mind that he flew here...]

Mona, please stop trying to sound cool. It's not working.

[meowna]

No problem! My doors are always open, you know?

[A beat of silence, filled only by the rumble of his motor.]

.....Uh, whenever I have doors, that is.

It's okay, Goro finds it endearing.

[foolishjustice]

As long as I keep supplying you with sashimi, I assume?

buffet, MUCH LATER

[founderinglight]

[At least Morgana's motions draw Izunia away from his Choose A Pizza conundrum.

Unfortunately, he's still not firing on all cylinders. His voice is deep and more than a little groggy.]

Need help?

[meowna]

Sure, thanks.

[He doesn't actually need help or anything. But if someone is offering a lift, why not take it? It's easier that way, and less risk of disrupting any of the food already on the table.

.....That is, as long as this guy doesn't just plunk him down smack dab in the middle of a pizza. He sounds..... kind of out of it, to be honest. He supposes that's one of the benefits of this body; he sleeps lightly and wakes up quickly, so grabbing a midnight snack like this really is no problem.]

[founderinglight]

Not at all.

[Don't worry, Morgana, even half asleep his aim is impeccable. Izunia lightly picks Morgana up in a way that suggests he's experienced in the Lifting of Cats, and settles him on a section near the edge that's only populated by one slightly greasy napkin.]

Buffet!

[power_of_dominance]

[Morgana is officially adorable, because he just is and Soma loves cats. So as tired as he is, it's no trouble to offer some help. So have a tall, startlingly pale, white-haired teenager smiling down at you, Morgana.]

Do you want a little of everything? Is there anything you can't eat? You look a little like a cat and I know they're not supposed certain things, but it's obvious you're not really a cat....

[He's rambling a bit because he's kinda overwhelmed by the cute. The purple kittehfly perched on Soma's head stretches, yawns, and mews at Morgana in greeting.]

[meowna]

[Huh? What kind of teenager goes prematurely white at that age? Just how stressed out is he? Maybe he just goes really hard on the bleach..... Or maybe he's Just That Anime. Have you ever considered that?

Even if the look is a little surprising, though, Morgana grins up at Soma. It's nice that some people don't default to thinking he's some kind of cat monster!]

I like the meatier pizzas! But I'm definitely not a cat; I ate a whole onion once and didn't even get sick, so I'm sure this stuff should all be safe for me.

[Cat-lover that Soma is, he probably knows exactly how toxic onions are to them, right? And what an absurdly dangerous stunt eating literally an entire onion all at once to prove the point would be? He lives life on the edge!]

[power_of_dominance]

[Nope, this is all natural whiteness. Well... as natural as it can be when you're an albino sort-of-vampire? He did go through two very stressful events a year apart, but he was born looking like this.]

You're cat-shaped, but I don't know any cats that talk and walk on two legs.

[He'd met his fair share of cat-type demons in both of the castles, but none like this. And yeah, if this little guy ate a whole onion and was fine, then definitely not any kind of cat Soma's ever heard of.]

But definitely a carnivore, so....

[He picks out the meatiest slices he can find and passes the plate carefully to Morgana.]

Got it? Your fingers are really tiny, I don't mind taking the plate somewhere if you need me to.

Buffet

[lepape]

[ One moment Makoto was sitting at his desk in his room, taking notes on the Fissure, the Station, and anything else he thought might come in handy to have as easy reference...and then, like the blink of an eye, he was standing before the doors to the observation deck, unsure how he got there, but noting subtle changes that tell him it's not the same day as last he recalls. Hearing the noise of the new arrivals, he heads out, hoping someone might have an explanation, or even just a clue as to what is going on...

The smell of the pizza(?) gets his attention immediately, noting that he isn't very hungry. In fact, he feels about the same as he last remembers, which is odd, for there are far more people around now. He heads over to the table, hoping he might find answers from a familiar face -- at the very least, finding Akira would be a reassuring sight.

What he doesn't expect is the almost cartoon-like cat walking around on the table. From behind, he recognizes them immediately; after all, how many talking bipedal cats can one expect to meet in one's lifetime? He goes up to them, a smile on his face as he calls out to them. A familiar face is exactly what he needs right now! ]

Morgana? Is it really you?

[meowna]

[Morgana is collecting some pizza when he hears his name; his ears prick up and swivel back immediately in clear recognition. The voice is..... almost familiar, somehow. Is that Makoto?

He turns around to see..... his friend? His nose twitches; even through the chaotic mess of scents that is the pizzas and crowd, something doesn't smell quite right about Makoto, either. The features, though..... there's no mistaking them. Forgive him if his smile is a little confused, Makoto; he has a lot more sensory information to comb through than you do.]

Yeah, it's me! Did you..... get a haircut?