WEEK 3

[akudamods]

On Saturday, it is relentlessly sunny. Sunday too. Monday will be the same but with a lot of wind. For now, you get a new area: Old Shinsekai, the den of depravity surrounding the police station. Will you venture into the unknown and seedy? Or retreat into the familiar pods, keep bothering your overseers?

Maybe you plan something else altogether.

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MONDAY

[akudamods]

INCIDENT

[akudamods]

Hey, has anyone seen Shooter lately?

Because if you spend a lot of time online, you’ll notice that alias trending on Cardinal. Apparently some video of him has been uploaded on Uto-Uto.

His bike has fallen over in the background, out of focus - there’s a demonic grin on his face. The camera operator is muttering “holy shit, holy shit!” The lighting is bright and irregular, as they would become from fire. That device he had on his wrist is activated and a blaze rises from - hey, what happened to the rest of his sleeves? Is his own clothing already burnt? There’s broken glass on the ground, and - another one is thrown down, muffled shattering, that’s definitely a bottle with a rag inside. The several people around him (surrounding him?) are shouting about sins and heartlessness. The camera is knocked to the ground and cuts out.

By the time you get there, to the cursed corner right by the Shinkansen and Hyper Zone, a long line has formed of police cars processing the rioters, and holographic security tape surrounds the singed remains of Naoya Homura.

MINI-INVEST

[your_best_friend]

[* ...]

[* Okay then. Can Flowey overhear anything from the police officers?]

[akudamods]

Don't know why they don't just stay away at this point... Better to evacuate these probation areas...
What, like an annihilation bomb?
I'm not talking about that much. Listen, kids. You can't just react to everything like this. Do you want the Executioners on your back?

[That renders the area stiff and silent.]

[your_best_friend]

[* Annihil-

* ...

* That's... actually worrying. Flowey doesn't want to die. He got all that he could. He silently burrows into the ground.]

Investigation?

[voidseeing]

[Gai has apparently never heard of the concept of 'minding his own business,' so as soon as he sees that video, he's heading on over to get some photos and video for himself.

What would he notice about the scene, if anything?

[akudamods]

[The rags and glass and scent from it all are instantly familiar to a terrorist like Gai. Goes without even saying.

Despite the video focusing on the blaze from a device all the way up on his wrist, even Naoya's shoes are thoroughly disfigured. So there was a density of fire down there for some reason.]

[voidseeing]

[... so a Molotov cocktail thrown at his feet, most likely, which would make him NOT the instigator given that his clothing seemed to already be burnt in the video. One before the video began, and one during...

Gonna make sure to take a few close-ups of that, or at least as much as he can from this distance. He'll also sniff the air just to make sure these were plain old Molotov cocktails rather than ones spiced with anything else.

Can he see the device on Naoya's wrist at all?]

[fixingtodie]

[...........another day, another mess. Jeez.]

Cardinal

[akudamods]

[A little PSA from Populist: "I'm just saying this now - it was heroic for those citizens to protect themselves from a danger like Shooter. If the cops don't release them, I'LL be paying their bail."

What a tool!!]

[thefifthchild]

[Every. Damn. Time.

At this point, the only conclusion that Damian can make is that he himself is a curse and that anyone affiliating themselves with him will only end one way.

He's going to try to investigate to find who did this so he can go and bash their fucking teeth in for sport.]

npc conversation

[thefifthchild]

[Damian is more withdrawn after the trial, tending to disappear during the day and only show himself after he knows most people are asleep. With the new area, it's not long until Damian decides to go exploring.

Firstly, he'll visit the Karaoke Bar where he can be spotted trying to drag one of the smashed up robots out the door. If he spots anyone else, he'll just give them a tense look and go right back to dragging. Looks like he could use some help.

After recruiting Goliath with transporting them to the new Chop Shop, he'll have the big furry creature dump a load of around five seperate robots right in front of the mechanic.]

Can you fix these? And if so, can you repurpose them?

[From there, he'll head down to the World Peace Alley where he'll have a bowling in his hand. If he's bothered by any of the inhabitants, he'll shut them up by knocking them out. Currently though, he's just staring down at this large ball in his hands, like he wants to play but alas he has no friends.

He'll look at whoever else is here, and spot a familiar face, to which he'll just grimace, balancing the wall with one hand and looking at the abandoned pins.]

This is a fucking miserable heap of a city.

[And a few hours after that, he's standing atop the Karaoke Bar, a scowl perpetually in place on his face. He turns to the one speaking to him, that only he can hear, and glares.]

You're extra talkative today, aren't you? I thought we'd been over this, old man, a few times. It's not your place, or father's, or grandfather's, or mother's or even Grayson or Starfire... none of you get to decide who I am.

Least of all a corpse. I'm not my father, I won't waste my breath on appeasing the dead. [He's monologuing again it seems...]

KARAOKE BAR MONOLOGUING

[your_best_friend]

[* ...?]

[* Flowey seems to have chosen the wrong time to pop up. He doesn't see anyone else besides Damian there. Unless...]

Wait, there's someone invisible here?

[thefifthchild]

[Hearing Flowey pop up, he immediately throws a batarang that clips the flower's petals, entirely by instinct.

Then he sees it's the flower and the look of paranoia is replaced with a scowl of distaste.]

What do you want, weed?

[your_best_friend]

Woah there, buddy. Watch where you're throwing your little toys.

[* It seems that Flowey barely reacted to that aside from flinching a little.]

Golly, you're likely to kill someone if you're not careful! ...And at least it wouldn't be on a Friday!

Anyways, I just wanted to observe you a little. You know, see what you do. Always good to watch each other's backs, right? Especially in a place where so many hate us~.

Karaoke Bar;

[inspiritus]

[ Oh, Damian. He has been kind of hoping to catch him somewhere following the trial, though it wasn't so urgent that he was going to seek him out immediately...but it was due to what a certain someone said to him during it. He doesn't quite find himself interested in bringing up that point exactly, but, eh.

The kid seems to be chatting to himself atop the Karaoke Bar. Always a good sign to hear. He's probably lept atop it, silent like a wind that doesn't dare carry the sound of a single breeze or any loud movement. ]

Those are quite a few names there, ones of course I do not recognize.

[ ...More importantly, though... ]

Which old man is it that is supposedly speaking to you?

[thefifthchild]

[He bristles, drawing his sword in an instant. When he sees it's Sephiroth, he lowers the sword somewhat but his demeanor seems no less hostile.]

It's no business of yours.

What do you want?

[inspiritus]

[ He's not even perturbed by the surprise in the slightest. His steps had been relatively quiet, and so it's easy for him to expect this kind of reaction. ]

I'm certain that there are sayings cautioning against talking to the voices in your head.

[ The irony of his own words is something no one here will understand or get, which is exactly why he says it. ]

However, to properly answer your question, perhaps some curiosity. You've been making yourself relatively scarce, haven't you? Ever since that foolish man's trial came to an end. I assume the proceedings bothered you enough to be reason for the change, or will you deny it?

Karaoke Bar, robot edition

[intimations]

[Considering their... acquisition of the Karaoke Bar a week ago, it's been something of a safe haven for them relative to the rest of the city, so Belial's found himself frequenting it semi-often. Also, there was alcohol.

As such, it's pretty hard to miss the sight of Damian trying to drag one of those robots out especially when you're standing by the entrance. Belial raises an eyebrow at the whole thing, faint amusement all over his features as he watches for a bit. Finally, he'll take a couple steps forward and speak up.]

Looks like you're having a little trouble there. Need a hand?

[thefifthchild]

[He looks at Belial with a grimace, before going back to dragging the robot. It's not that he can't lift them or can't move them, it's just that it's objectively not very efficient to do this himself.]

I'm fine.

[intimations]

Now, now, don't be like that. After all, we're comrades, right?

[And without missing a beat, he'll reach over with his right arm to grab another one of the robot's limbs so he can drag it along while he strolls side by side with Damian, his other hand still hooked along one of the decorative belts at his hip.]

Where are you trying to lug this thing to anyway?

Re: npc conversation

[akudamods]

Repurpose...?

[The mechanic tilts his head, uncomfortable.]

Are you talking like—[he makes The Robot dance motions] or like [miming laser guns] pew pew pew pew pew?

[thefifthchild]

Does it matter to you? You'd be getting paid anyway, and I wouldn't be breaking fingers until you comply.

[That little nugget of intimidation dropped, he'll cross his arms.] I'm interested in using them to make solving the murders easier, and to help in monitoring certain locations when I'm not around to keep watch. I can do the programming a lot better than you can, all I need is for them to be fixed.

world peace alley

[pr159]

[ Rideaux has just wandered in here out of curiosity while looking through the newly accessible area. From the condition of the place, it's hard to tell from the outside if anything on the inside is still in working order.

He glances over when Damian addresses him, tearing his disdainful gaze away from the collection of ratty shoes behind the desk. ]

I doubt you'll get much disagreement... though it could be worse.

...That said, this particular facility would qualify as a shithole even by Duval standards.

[thefifthchild]

Trust me, I know about shithole cities. I live – lived in Gotham. Famously known as the "worst city in the world." Still, at least it has a few trees there.

[He looks at the bowling ball and then down the lane. He wonders if there's any secrets to be found here... given that it's clearly not the kind of place that the local government or police force spends a lot of time and attention on.]

The lights seem like they're still functioning, and so do a lot of the other mechanisms. They just need power.