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

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.

[ladytakamaki]

...

[ ann doesn't appear to be scrutinizing him too much, but she's clearly not 100% convinced that he's telling the truth. akechi pretended to be on their side, after all, and look how that turned out.

but...if by "leaving the world" means he was dragged here or something? maybe... maybe he really did have time to change. and maybe the boy sitting next to him is one of the people who helped him take those steps. ]

So...does this mean that you and Akira have some kind of peace treaty or something going on?

[ but she remembers what he said about what shido did to him. akechi...he was just a kid who fell victim to a corrupt adult, just like the rest of them had. ]

Well...whatever the reason is, I'm just...I'm glad you're on our side, now.

[foolishjustice]

[Honestly, he doubts she'll believe him at all, without Akira's backup. She has no reason to trust him, no reason to believe he ever cared about any of them at all.]

It's...a little more than a simple peace treaty. That would imply negotiations and conditions...it's more that I found out the truth of what would happen if I kept trying to do what I'd been planning, and decided I wasn't willing to fight Kurusu for a plan that wasn't even likely to work. Helping him just...seemed like the only right answer.

[He breathes a tired sigh, snuggling a bit closer to Kurama.]

And...I hope you really mean that, and aren't just saying it for the sake of keeping a potential enemy under supervision.

[beguiledcard]

Goro... it's fine.

[ Driving was taking most of his focus up until he heard Ann and Goro talking... hence the silence before this particular moment.

If he sounded noticeably bristly for just a moment, the primary reason is exhaustion - not just in the physical sense, of course. They're all tired, and with plenty of reasons to be. In any case, he takes a discreetly deep breath before softening his tone entirely. ]

In other words, Ann, we're dating. [ glancing to the side for just a fraction of a second, and then it's back to looking straight ahead ] It's a long story... we can go into all of that after everyone's had a chance to rest.

bursts in

[ladytakamaki]

[ she's about to say something in response to goro, to reassure him that ann isn't trying to trick him this time, that what she said before he sacrificed himself in shido's palace was true--even if he doesn't remember it--

but akira chimes in. we're dating.

... ]

You...you are?

[ so.

wow.

ann is...ann isn't sure how to react. she's just speechless. ] Yeah, you guys definitely have some explaining to do when we get back!

[foolishjustice]

[The way Goro winces should make it pretty obvious he was trying to hide that. He's so glad right now that he doesn't need to breathe, it makes it easier to hide the moment of panic.]

Please don't be angry at him. I'm...the one who asked him out, and his memories of who I am were suppressed at the time.

[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...]

[notjustahacker]

[ That's about the sound of a 'click' followed by a soft hum, Futaba grinning as she lowered her cellphone. ]

Cute. I didn't realize you actually had a boyfriend, Akechi.

[ Especially since it's Kurama and she's still gotta ask him more questions about how he was able to send away the creepy tree that had been coming after her in the forest. ]

Been together long?

[foolishjustice]

[He glances over at Futaba at the sound of the click, but otherwise doesn't move.]

Mm...about two and a half months, at this point. We met during my first experience with other worlds, so I'm not surprised you didn't realize. I didn't...exactly have much inclination to talk about my personal life in the Fissure.

[byanyother_name]

[Kurama is usually on the other end of the click but this is fine. He can poke her for a copy later.

Right now, he's going to gently run his fingers through Goro's hair.]

I don't think any of us were feeling inclined to that. Even aside from having a job to do, that Fissure set too many personal issues out in the open on its own.

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?

[meowna]

It's not like I run on gasoline! I'm pretty environmentally friendly, don't you think?

[In other words, yes, please keep feeding him. How awful would it be if his engine refused to start because he was too hungry? All cars need fuel!]

[foolishjustice]

It would be a shame to pollute such a clear sky. Just keep in mind that what I shared with you in the forest was from a creature native to a stabilized Fissure, it is in limited supply.

[meowna]

Right? We take care of the worlds we live in!

[Unlike a great many shitty adults they know, as Ryuji would call them. Either way, he sounds a little smug.]

If that's the case, then what do you guys usually eat around here?

[foolishjustice]

Mostly more ordinary fish, eggs, fruits and vegetables, and whatever turns up in the Fissures. There is a chicken coop, but Argentum-san has forbidden everyone from killing them.

[meowna]

I guess if resources are limited around here, that would make sense..... a steady supply of eggs is way more valuable. Who's Argentum?

[At least a cat too bratty to use honorifics is nominally more familiar than people using their given names all over the place?]

[foolishjustice]

Prompto Argentum. And I think it's more an issue of him meeting them as chicks and deciding they're too cute to eat. It certainly is better to wait until the next generation of chicks hatches, though.

[meowna]

Oh, hey! I think I met him in the forest! He did sound like a total bird lover. There was something about his baby hatching in a few days?

[foolishjustice]

That would be his...chocobo, he called it. He found an egg while exploring a month or so ago.

[meowna]

A chocobo? What kind of bird is that?

[foolishjustice]

A large one, that's all I'm certain of. From the size of the egg, they hatch at least as large as a fully grown chicken.