[Despite Rialynn's initial decision to stay firmly on the soil of Fayren, where she didn't have to worry one bit about the insane creations and whirring machines of every other city, her inherent and insatiable curiosity has led her to poke her head out more than once since she first arrived. The music festival had definitely given her incentive enough to explore, and that hadn't been a bad experience at all.]

[So when she eventually comes trotting through the archway, carrying far too many instruments on her back and in her arms, she only gets a TINY bit nervous. No one looks at her twice -- honestly, even with her bright performer's costume with the silk streamers and flared skirts, she's not the weirdest thing to come traipsing down the street. ...Especially after the big ol' brain in a jar zoomed down the avenue.]

[To her dismay, it's raining in Genessia City, and it isn't long before her bandanna tails hang heavy. This won't be good for the instruments, which means she has to keep them wrapped up in the tarp sacks she purchased. It's so strange, to go from sunshine to drizzle with just a few short steps.]

I don't think I'll ever get used to that...

[She sighs and casts her gaze around the plaza. There don't seem to be all that many covered spaces she can use, but people do still walk the streets, some with umbrellas, some without. Well. Maybe being drenched will earn her pity coins? If she's going to buy that horse she so desperately needs, then she just has to square her shoulders and tough it out. A little rain didn't hurt anyone, and if it gets too miserable (or unprofitable), she'll just head back to Fayren and try the inn again.]

[Setting down her bundles, Rialynn straightens and rolls her shoulders, taking a deep breath. She hums a scale to test her throat, clears it, and starts to sing an old sea chanty.]

There were three brothers in merry Stoutland
In merry Stoutland there were three
And they did cast lots which of them should go, should go, should go...
And turn robber out on the salt sea...

The lot it fell first upon Henry Martin
The youngest of all of the three
That he should turn robber out on the salt sea, the salt sea, the salt sea...
For to maintain his two brothers and he...


[Her voice is strong and clear, and she doesn't flinch as the rain collects on her lashes or slides down her cheek. Internally she curses, because this song is much better when she can play the fiddle, but it's acceptable for a solo vocal performance. Besides, a nice gloomy song on a rainy day seems fitting enough.]

[An overturned hat with a drooping wet plume is set out, filled with a few coins that she put there herself in hopes of collecting more. Any who pass by and drop a dime or two receive a sunny smile from the bard and an elegant sweeping bow to show her gratitude, but the song never breaks.]

[It's been hard to address in words the disastrous call that ended up with Azura at his apartment. Uai puts on a show of being calm, collected, and thoughtful, but he is none of these things. Not to the degree he'd like to be, anyway. So after childishly letting the event go unaddressed for weeks, Uai owes it to Azura to say something.

He intended to keep it private. Like a stupid nerd, he's rehearsed his words many times so that he won't mess up. But while his words are finalized, Uai is still a clumsy idiot when it comes to his emotions. Enough so that, in his fluster, he's switched the video from private to public.]

Uh, Azura? Sorry about the other night. I didn't mean for you to be at my place so late, or for things to escalate like that. Could I buy you an  apology... something? Dinner, or a drink...? Do you like accessories? 

[And now, finally realizing that he's made this public... Uai goes silent as it sinks in that he's embarrassed them both. ]

I should have just texted... Anyway! [acting like this was public on purpose:] Sounds like Fayren is a lot of trouble right now. Are magicks that backfire and corrupt people very common? Sounds like more risk than reward.  [hypocrite.]

I wonder what the consensus for dealing with that mage will be? Is it her fault for going crazy, or do we blame the magic?

[action - Fayren]
[After all of that humiliation, Uai can be found wandering around Fayren. He's trying to gather information on that nature mage from the newspaper, particularly about her corruption. He can be found popping in various magic stores and poking around to learn more about the magical artifacts in Fayren. He's also trying to find artifacts for undoing the spell and helping the spellcaster.

If he sees any pendent bearers, he's surprisingly quick to address them. Also, very quick to step out of their way in a paranoid attempt to avoid contact.]

Ah, sorry. I'm in your way. [He'll take a few steps back and hold his hands behind his back.] Are you shopping in Fayren because you're curious, or do you practice this type of magic?

( Captain Hook did nothing wrong )

[Azure admits that waking up from the cocoon was probably one of the hardest things for her to do. In fact she laid in there longer than she would ever admit, recounting what had happened to her before she woke up. None of it was pleasant...In fact, she would have sworn this was a trick. But because all this information and sights were so out there that she seemed satisfied that she was definitely not in her world.

She didn't know how she felt about that in all honesty.

One one hand, it was like chains that had bound her to what she assumed was her destiny were no longer there. On the other hand, what happened to the kingdom she was trying to protect and save?

The swords-woman accounted all of her equipment, noticing her sword was definitely on her as well as other hidden weapons. She stared at the pamphlet, reading it other several times before putting on the necklaces to hide them under her dress collar. Staring at the device that was given to her, she flipped it open to gaze at the screen. While there were instructions, she couldn't help but wonder if there were enemies around and didn't want to unnecessarily alert those of her presence. Azure didn't know what to account for in this world and nothing seemed short of a possibility. So she put the device away and pulled her cloak close and hood over her head before looking around the city. She could only go so far before taking a seat to take in exactly what she was seeing which seemed so foreign to what she was use to. Where were those of supernatural origins? There were so many people and they looked healthy and a lot of them seemed..happy? She was wondering if she should find a quite corner instead to get herself more together.]

[Action - Honnoji Academy Gym, Closed]

( Suit yourself )

[Action - All over, morning, OTA]

[Ted's been feeling funny these past few weeks, like one in the eye of a storm. A presentiment of peril that crept nearer and nearer; a call for action loomed that was both as exciting as it was frightening. It was like death as the Trumps knew it: an end and a beginning. And if it is an end, he had better make the most of whatever time he has left. Perhaps he's just being silly and melodramatic, like usual.

Perhaps not. It's morning, and like most Sunday mornings, it starts with him walking out of church, thinking out loud on what the sermon contained. These and other discursive, verbal meditations overpower his mind and mouth as he airs them into the ether, wandering aimlessly.]

"'Made sin'. Made sin? For all the injunctions to imitation, that one's impossible; none could know such a sensation, if sensory it was. A man can be crucified, killed, hated and torn by men. But made sin--only the perfectly pure can do that. Or...goodness, so much is possible in Genessia. Certainly more than I dreamed. If one could become sin...should they?"

"Aheh, the world plucks so many saviors, no doubt hoping that their heroics might transfer. Well, the world's unsaved still. What's taking them so long, I wonder? Is Genessia very difficult? Has destiny removed her favor, leaving them lost? Or does the world...dampen, somehow. Cast a pall. Lessen? Heroes of myth and legend take nine-to-fives, here. Good for them; no doubt it's saner. Yet for others, men more mundane, it seems to be working the other way. Hah, maybe it wants to give the ordinary the opportunity to be extraordinary? God help them; how are the conventionally sane to handle insane adventure?

"To be loved is good, and feels so. But suppose one were loved by a villain; what then? Treated well themselves and yet knowing the one who treats them so well holds others in unholy contempt. Does not one become complicit in the wickedness directed towards others? An accessory to the crime? How could one stand it? How is it possible to bear a love so unjustly preferential? Does being cared for so well obliterate the utter spite shown towards the stranger? Should woe be warned for the apple of the eye of the evildoer?"

[Ted will never mind being interrupted in these musings; always more fun to talk to others rather than himself. Speaking of others, he has a few to call.]

( Private Audio calls for Koishi, Sync, and Sonico )

[Anon Text]
Where could a nuclear weapon, say for testing purposes, be most safely deployed? And how might the radiation from such an explosion be mitigated, if it came to that?

[Y'know. Hypothetically]

 [Lately, sweet little Shi has not been feeling great. He's been slowing down, struggling to move, and acts like he's running a fever. Though he's figured out what the problem probably is, it isn't something he's eager to solve... as the solution is miserable.

Time to ask for advice!]

[video]

Hi, um... This is hypothetical, okay? But... if you were someone who needed people to... t-to hate you... and blame you for their problems... i-in order to live... Is that something you should do? Even if you know that if people think you're a Curse, it'll turn real and you'll make real curses..? And you'll really hurt people just by living. Or should you... just disappear..?

N-Not that something like that would ever really happen!

[action - Genessia]

[Shi was walking back to work after a lunch break, having just bought himself a warm tea. He's been freezing lately and still looks rather sickly as he walks. Seemingly out of no where, other characters might notice him suddenly drop his drink when his hands stop working. Once or twice, he straight-up collapses in the streets like a corpse. Which he... technically is. With his curse powers fading, he can't move his zombie body as freely.

Whenever he falls or drops things, his reaction is the same: Sitting up quickly and apologizing.]


Sorry... I'm okay! I'll be okay...! [He doesn't look okay. He always looks terrified to realize he's getting weaker.]

[A young lady appears on screen, the background being a pretty bed covered in stuffed animals.

She had a question on her mind, something only curious about and she can't remember if she got an answer to it.]

I've been curious. Would someone be able to use magic normally denied to them if they had some sort of catalyst? Like a relic with a spell written inside?

I want to learn more beneficial schools of magic at my new school, or as extra curricular activities.

[ video ]

[ After the eggs' effect ran out, Sertoria was thankful that she returned to her normal self. However, she considers it to be a humbling experience to be reverted to her human self. It gave her a time to be happier and not so concerned about the way the universe in general was back home. There's a part of her that wishes she could return to that self readily here, but knows that she's better off by being her older self. She has the experience necessary, after all, and the development to deal with whatever may come her way.

Due to being older and therefore, more experienced, her tone isn't as cheerful as it was. There's still warmth in her gaze and a general kindness that she has for everyone here. Her hair's returned to its' blond color and her eyes are their normal blue ones when she addresses the camera. ]

I would like to thank those who offered me assistance when I was younger. It is times like those that make me happy for doing what I do for humanity in general.

[ A pause as she rubs at her chin in thought. ]

Surely there is something I can do for those who aided me...? I will not mind -- it is only right to repay your generosity for helping me.

For those who I did not remember during that time, I would like to apologize. Normally, my memory is not affected in the slightest. [ She remembers everything, after all. ]

I am happy to see that we are all back to normal, though.

( [ video | private to chaos ] )

[ action | around genessia ]

[ After her video post on the network, Sertoria's immediately back to work. She can be found at the hospital doing her daily routine there by helping patients or catching up on neglected paperwork brought on by being reverted to her younger self. Other than that, she can also be found wandering around the city, again in just that tunic and sandals that she's normally found in. ]

wildcard!

[ Don't see something here that works if you want to get some interactions going with Sertoria? Set up something and I'll work with it! ]

[he's standing in the somewhat cluttered now void. Though there's still limiteless black behind him. There is a sword on a stand at his right and he is in front of a panel full of switches and knobs and something that resembles a rusty old spatula mostly because it is a rusty old spatula.

There are also a series of electrodes attached to various places on his head and rigged to the console and also one on the sword.]

Good morning, boys and girls. Happy snow day.

Since it's about time to get things done, I'm conducting an experiment. This sword [he gestures at it] has been possessed by void spirits. I'm going to psychically communicate with them to figure out what exactly they want and perhaps even how to free them or even to free us. They tend to have rather detrimental effects to the psyche -- so I've heard, but not to worry. I've thought of that. [grins and taps one of the electrodes]

Keyed to detect any kind of psychic attack, these will deliver about fifty-thousand volts straight into my brain with enough force to sever the connection. Don't worry about me. I won't die.

[a pause]

But if I do, at least we'll get to see what happens when you die here.

[another pause]

Unless I regenerate in which case... spoilers. Hope I do a better job with the nose this time. Bit weird when it comes down to it.

[he takes a deep breath and lets it out]

Right.

[and he throws the rusty spatula so the machine hums to life and rests his fingertips against the naked blade. At first there is nothing-- though people with keen hearing might detect a high pitched whine that pitches higher and higher and there is the sound of breaking glass.

Then there is a hideous pop and he's thrown backwards out of frame as the console catches on fire, heat rippling through the room and other things boiling to flame too before the communicator falls and all is dark]

[The video is of Arro's desk, with a nice view of the arcade console he had won, now that it's properly installed. Arro comes around with a cup in his hand, setting it upon a coaster on his desk, and shuffling through several post cards in his hand.]

Well dear Genessia, I hope you've enjoyed your holidays~

I also wanted to speak, briefly, about the date auction.

[His expression darkens, but only briefly before his normal smile returns.]

Which is to say it seems to have been a fine success despite misgivings and everyone's poor attitude. Let me also say I've seen some lovebirds as a result of it. I'd say more, but I'd like to not start a spark over Miss Aino's efforts since it was a success. So, congratulations to the new couples.

As for myself; I have five dates as a result of it, if you did not receive a card I'll spoil you on it now.

[He starts thumbing through the cards, clearing his throat as he reads each one.]

Let me see.

...Ah. Miss Aino. I think you can do better, but I'm quite flattered.

Mister Rim, I was quite taken by your card, and your wonderful attitude at the auction.

Miss Valentine, I hope you enjoyed the rest of the Moscato.

Dr. Ziegler, it will be nice to get formally acquainted with a colleague.

Miss Mey-Rin, I did find you rather charming.

And...Ah. I was certain I would win the last too, since so few of you participated in the drawings, but perhaps I can speak with Miss Izayoi about one anyway~

[He pauses to take a sip of his coffee, and hums as he moves off screen, the sounds of objects being moved around apparent.]

Also Ted, thank you my dear friend for the coffee and this.

[He returns with a candy cane as big as he almost and grins as he gives it a small twirl.]

I might have something to make of this you'll find entertaining. I'll contact you when I'm done. Now for the serious business.

[Propping the candy cane on his desk, Arro folds his hands together, looking deathly serious.]

I do dating for fun, I participated in the auction purely for fun. If anyone is worried about anything permanent resulting from it without a choice, please do put that out of your mind. If any of my dates have issue with a date, please say so; we all did this for charity in the end. Otherwise I shall start making plans with each of you after the New Year and in alphabetical order for fairness. That said, Miss Aino please contact me when you have a moment so we can make plans~

Other notes...Hm. Well I have noticed we have quite a few scholars in our midst~ I do enjoy learning but I have noted some of the curriculum might be a bit out of everyone's normal means, I don't mind offering a hand where necessary. Just leave a message here or on my voicemail.

Finally...There's a gentleman here from my world. If he asks for me I do not wish to speak to him, ever. He thinks I am a trouble-maker and would seek to make sure I am following whatever laws we have here. As many of you know, I do; I do not need a handler.

[Isn't that what Ted is for, anyway?]

[People have always been puzzling for Karla. As far as these dating auctions and everything else romance-related are concerned, she has noticed a pattern; that men like to hit on women who keep rejecting them. What is the point? Of course, the only way to understand such matters is to ask the public at large.]

...I've a question for all the men out there. When you flirt with a woman, what are you truly looking for? The pattern I have noticed is that men aren't truly looking for a relationship.

[It also didn't help that she's noticed that men have stopped flirting with her the moment she accepted their advances.]

Do you enjoy being rejected? If so, why? Men are so strange...

...I suppose women can also answer if they understand men better than I do...

WHO: OPEN TO ALL!
WHAT: Holiday party! Date auction! Shenanigans.
WHEN: December 15th, 2017 - Evening
WHERE: Fairy Tale HQ - Fayren
NOTES: The auction and the kissing contest are time sensitive! Bids close and the last kiss will be accepted on Friday, December 22nd, at midnight PST!

Fayren didn't have electricity, but it had something even better.

MAGIC!

There were twinkling colored lights that burned, flickered, and floated in an ethereal way, enchanting the building in a way that fluorescent lights never could. Branches of evergreen were hung here and there to give the air a fresh pine scent. There were also pinecones doused with cinnamon and nutmeg near the doorways.

Except near the kitchens, because the food smells were more than enough to entice the senses. There were mini-sausages swimming in a thick and spicy sauce, sweet and tangy meatballs on toothpicks, vegetables and dip, bite-sized cream puffs, iced sugar cookies, cheese and crackers, mulled cider, and eggnog in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties.

The main room, expansive as it was, had plenty of room for music, dancing, and mingling. There were some tables and several chairs set up, and a small stage where musicians were welcome to perform to their heart's content. To the side was an even smaller stage where a sprig of mistletoe was suspended on a loop of scarlet ribbon, with a sign that reads: "Test Your Passion! Win This Arcade Game!" And next to that was a full-sized arcade game version of Alley Brawlers. Might be worth checking out!

But there were more games than that, and more than a few maps set up on easels of the headquarters and where to go to play certain games. A single lane bowling alley (with manual set-up of the pins), a "fishing" booth where people toss a clothespin on a fishing line over a curtain to have a little prize attached by someone hidden on the other side, a ring toss for cans of soda, a cake walk (with full-sized cakes for the winners and cupcakes for the losers), ornament decorating, pin-the-tail-on-the-unicorn, face painting, a pool of rubber ducks with numbers corresponding to prizes on the bottom, goldfish scooping... Almost anything one would find at a carnival was sure to be found here.

As for the auction? Step right up, right past the gauzy white curtains into a big room lit with twinkling golden lights. Anyone was welcome to come in, but if someone wanted to participate as a bidder, they'd have to make a donation at the door. In return, each donor would receive a packet of 100 red tickets with the same number assigned to the bidder name: one roll of tickets with 101 for the first donor, a roll of tickets with 102 for the second donor, and so on.

Cookies and punch were available in this room, with several tables and chairs set up before a large stage with a microphone. Along the wall was a line of clear plastic boxes, with slots on top, set in front of each auction date's face. A card that indicated the name of each person, their age, and a brief description of what they were all about was pasted onto the front of the boxes. People were welcome to look at the line-up if they wanted, or even use some of their tickets prematurely if they wanted, as they were clearly for a drawing. Until the auction starts, soft piano music plays from a stereo running on batteries.

[This is how Ted spends his evenings in boot camp: farting around on the phone. This time it's seasonal.]

Last year around this yuletide time, many were in the dark as to who Santa Claus, that mysterious, nigh-omnipresent gift giver, really was. Allow me to illuminate.

A little under 1700 years ago, the true faith wasn't as organized as it ought to have been. Emperor Constantine set to fix that, summoning bishops to his First Ecunemical Council to see what was and was not orthodox.

Saint Nicholas, from whom the name "Santa Claus" comes, was one such, having under his belt a variety of saintly good deeds. Raising the dead, baptizing his own jailer, rescuing slaves from captivity, and yes, the anonymous gift-giving he's so well known for. It started out as leaving bits of gold in shoes for unmarried daughters; you needed a good dowry for that in those times.

But back to the council. The primary controversy centered around whether the Son of God was equivalent to God Himself. The answer is "yes", by the way, but they hadn't reached such an accord just then. A fierce debate raged, with St. Nick on the side of the affirmative, while the ones impugning Christ's divinity were headed up by the heresiarch Arius.

Most of us, at one time or another, have had the misfortune of weathering nonsense about a subject we like. Given that the subject was God and that, being a bishop, Saint Nicholas loved Him very much, it grew to be profoundly intolerable.

[There's a dramatic pause as Ted's voice turns to a more excited pitch.]

So he smote that heretic with his fist! Knocked him down flatter than a pine tree, hahaha!

[You can hear the rustling of leaves as Ted sat back down, recovering from his own enthusiasm.]

As you might expect, that's not very seemly behavior for a bishop, so they put him in jail. No jail could hold him for long, of course; Christ himself had a hand in his release. If that's not vindication, I don't know what is. Once the dust settled, the council saw the light and accepted the truth. A happy ending if ever there was one. Unless you're an Arian, of course. You'd better not be!

St. Nicholas, in addition to his holiday rounds, continues to be the patron saint of children and those who brave the dangers of the sea; thank God for him.

So, if you find any heretics who aggressively won't give Christ His due, be sure to "deck their halls". It's what Santa would want.

[Was that the moral of the story, Ted?]

Oh, and uh, be of good cheer, of course. It's very early, but merry Christmas!

[It's extremely late and Arro is up high, like very high, and the wind is whipping all around him. He's probably sitting outside his apartment, and it may be best to not ask details since he lives at Skyloft in Nova City.]

Dear me, what a fruitful discussion, don't you think? Usually when I see anything having to do with Anonymous culture I expect little, but my; we've touched on existentialism, the theories of a soul... and of course~ Topics of a slight more base nature.

I certainly could do with another retouching on humanity, as you might recall my last entry had to do with that. Sadly I was forced into a rather abrupt vacation and by the time I returned; it seemed far too late to touch upon it again. My apologies as I was enjoying some of the feedback.

Now though; in addition to that, I might ask some of the mechanical life here just a simple question. What makes you, personally, feel alive? I did not participate in the rather...energetic discussion on the Anon post, but I am an advocate of mechanical beings having the same vital substance that a mortal does. Perhaps not all, but all of the few I have seen here.

[He attaches a link to his previous post and the anonymous discussion for reference.]

[You'd honestly have thought this guy would have vanished by now.

Apparently not, because here he is, in all his judgey glory, looking just as stupidly well groomed and on point as usual. Which means way too neat for someone with that much fur.

Rather speaks of someone with too much time or maybe a few unmentioned screws loose.]

I see we have newcomers.

I also see that several of you appear to have severe issues with information retention, listening skills and basic navigation.

Also, the correct usage of the invention called 'the phone'. You don't need to yell in it. It doesn't work better when you yell in it.

[Don't mind that little stumble into the realm of Zero Chill.]

Normally, I wouldn't feel it necessary to explain any of this to any of you, after all, the pamphlet stand is right outside the bay cave.

TO YOUR LEFT.

FIVE FEET.

[Chill, Mord.]

But since this appears to be a semi-continuous method of introduction, apparently I'm going to have to make this small informational segment a regular activity.

Because it isn't as if we have a recording telling anyone where to go. That clearly doesn't exist in any form.

[The cat straightens his tie, and sharply adjusts his pince nez.]

As stated, there is a pamphlet stand to your left, outside the cave, five feet, three and three eighths inches away. In those pamphlets you will find the appropriate material for all the questions you could possibly have.

In order of importance, I will clear a few things up for those of you who slept through their basic reading classes:

You have free housing in the commons in Genessia city for a month, and enough red bills to buy food and amenities for that time.

Red bills are our currency. They are paper. Do not eat them, set them on fire, or complain that you like coins or shells or buttons or bottle caps better. I can assure you: No one cares.

Your amulet's color designates the town this... place thinks you'd fit best in. Feel free to ignore it. Don't lose it though, or else you've effectively trapped yourself in whatever city you are in, as the gates between cities will only work if you possess an amulet. I don't care if they look trashy. I don't care if you don't like it. No you cannot trade them in, no you cannot turn it into something else.

Yes you are stuck here. No you can't leave. Yes, you are free to try. It won't work, but you can try. Please refrain from complaining that you can't leave. We all know.

Yes there is crime. Of course there is crime. Yes you can be a police officer. No you cannot run about the cities hither and thither, conducting shenanigans and claiming you're a vigilante super hero. That is illegal and it makes you a criminal, as punching a man in the face for no adequately explained reason other than 'he looked shifty' is also illegal.

In order to get your apparently highly necessary dose of unwarranted, hyper masculine violence in, please consider signing up to be a bounty hunter. It does restrict your caveman-esque need to hit things with your fists and sharp sticks to a list of names in the paper, but I'm sure it will sate you.

Don't ask me to explain anything else. I'm not taking any more questions.

[The video starts up with Arro's view from the Skyline of Nova City, the sun hanging low on the horizon. It's been some time since he's done anything public save for going to and from work and the Library, which is unusual forhim, but as always; he has been deep in thought.]

Dear friends, having just arrived from my work at the Hospital, I had come upon an interesting train of thoughts I might question of those willing to answer--

[He comes into view finally, sipping from a mug and turning his handheld so it can look at his desk and himself as he seats himself and starts writing on his papers.]

What is "humanity"? It sounds like an obvious enough question, but in my heavy observation of everyone here, I find it doubtful I can receive a consistent answer save that it is a defining characteristic that separates most of us from certain and cast-out individuals who unfortunately have to make a living the same as the rest of us.

Previous discussions on this I've had before tended to quickly devolve into a contest on who was more "humane". Yet, quantifying "humanity" is something I've not been able to do to a degree precise enough to record, and that's saying something since I tend to record... everything~

[He takes another sip from his mug and does a few calculations with his fingers before he writes something else. The camera is of course tilted in such a way that it's only clear he's writing due to the pen he's holding, but he has his usual pleased if not somewhat smug expression on.]

So I ask all the denizens here; can you define "humanity" for me?