FINAL WEEK

[akudamods]

Starting Saturday, the layer of clouds in the sky is more solid than ever. Overcast, reflecting the neon light of the city. By Sunday, you'll see more colors than ever, as several new areas are added to the span of your probation. And some areas aren't, but might see an approach anyway. Do the pods containing six weeks of treatment daunt you in the slightest now that judgment awaits at the end of the fourth week? Though faithful treatment participants only experience flashes on the upper third of their bodies now, their counterparts will experience occasional waves of isolating existential coldness. Does your physically present overseer have anything to say for herself? Just remember one thing: Kanto is watching and waiting.

INTERNET | SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY


((Internet investigations of any kind go here, and for all IRL areas, please use "investigate" in the subject line of your top-level comment, or link the thread to a moderator!))

Comments

INTERNET

[akudamods]

internet investigation

[pr159]

[ Also, okay, Rideaux is absolutely looking to see what people are saying about him on Cardinal and 10chan this week, let's not pretend otherwise. Did he get that hashtag trending again? Does everyone think he sucks for stepping on a kid or did some of them think he looked kind of hot doing it?

...Please tell him there's no serious shipping speculation about him and Julius, though. ]

Uto-Uto post

[voidseeing]

[Just like last week, the video is a simple one, lyrics over a black screen.

But a hell of a lot has happened in the past week, and unlike before, there's a message accompanying this video. It's brief and to the point, but there's absolutely no question as to what it means:]

The world offers up a choice to its inhabitants. Either you stand up and fight, or you sit quietly by and get selected out.

Which will you choose? Will you fight, or will you be selected out?

surfin da web

[superstructure]

[ At some point probably before the meeting, Julius decides to filter through Cardinal and 10chan about six-ish months ago, mainly looking for anything regarding the night without stars that the holo-art in the museum and Lucilius had referred to. Any liveblogging, video footage, anything weird that went on around the same time, y'know. That kind of thing. ]

Uto-Uto posting + hotel review...?

[intimations]

[Sometime later on Wednesday, there's a nice video of the Geisha de Maiko building collapse that has apparently been spliced together with different shots of the building falling set to a recording of a cheerful pop song by one of the popular performers at the concert dome. There's even a couple of shots that seem to be from inside the building, giving an intimate look at how it looked as the electricity cut out and ceiling caved in (praise be to the cloud?!). Either way, the shots generally just document the explosions and not so much the person causing it, so it shouldn't be immediately obvious who was responsible from this video alone, but hey. People can probably take a guess considering Belial made no efforts to hide from bystanders' cameras here.

There's also a comment to go along with the video!]

hope you all enjoyed the show. definitely a far more explosive finish than watching a man getting impaled by an old woman, no? anyway, look forward to the next performance; I hear there'll be fireworks on Friday. ❤

[Also if there's like, a Kansai-equivalent of Yelp (Help^TM??) or something, there will also be a review for the hotel left by "Servant" because what is being subtle now.]

5/5 stars. Exceptional room, exceptional service and exceptional facilities. Well worth the price if you ask me. I completely recommend staying here if you've got the means to do so. I'd recommend beefing up the security more next time though--it's no fun watching the whole thing start sinking just because it's been breached a little.

SUNDAY

[akudamods]

Daily Life + INVESTIGATION

[your_best_friend]

Warehouses (INVESTIGATION)

[* Of COURSE Flowey is going to poke around. He's too curious not to. He'll choose to start in the lower right warehouse, popping in and taking a quick look-around to see if anyone's there before moving on to looking closer at the boxes.]

Police Station Ruins

[* Flowey is just... idly staring at the rubble that used to comprise the police station. Occasionally, he shifts to another position only to continue staring at the rubble.]

Karaoke Bar

[* It's been a while since the X-Classes made this their sort-of-home-base. But Flowey still goes to it and you may catch him singing a song or two, He doesn't really care if no one's there or not, he's just... singing. If you want to, you can talk to him on between songs.]

INVESTIGATION

[conways_retribution]

Pizza Pie Station (INVESTIGATION)
_{[After spending last week doing two things at most, it's about time he got out and did more. And what better things to do than get some of that food that made him feel right at home. He's looking back and forth from the menu to the salad bar. Are there any vegetable toppings on the menu or are the veggies exclusively for the salad bar? He wants to get a feel for how bad the produce situation in this world was exactly.]}

World Peace Alleys
_{[Whether or not he actually gets any pizza after investigating, he drives all the way back to World Peace Alleys. This has become his default hangout in place of the Executioners HQ. Letting there be light through the place, he waits for all the pins to be placed and the bowling balls to roll on out.]}

investigation

[pr159]

P&P

[ Finally, some good fucking clothes. Rideaux is absolutely heading into this shop as soon as he finds it, and while he'll pause briefly in the medical department to grab a lab coat just in case he needs one in the future, it's over to the business attire section from there, where he'll be trying on a selection of slim-fit suits in different colors and patterns and seeing how the robot attendants respond to some highly specific tailoring requests. He might also see how some of those suits look with a brass pocketwatch — different from his usual platinum one, and he might be smirking a bit when he looks at it.

Then, time for the shoe section, because his usual shoes got wrecked by all that soot and standing water on Friday. He has several different options set out that he's trying on one at a time. Feedback may or may not be welcomed. ]


city hall - investigation!

[ Now, this is interesting. He's going to take a look at whatever schedule is available first, to see if there are any upcoming meetings he might be able to listen in on if he comes back during the week.

And then he'll look around at what's here already — who all has been given the honor of having their portrait hung up in City Hall? Do the portraits here correspond to the officials with offices in this building, or do these tend to be more along the lines of memorial portraits for past public figures? ]


joycat night club

[ Stupid name, but a decent bar, so this is predictably where Rideaux ends up tonight. While he's never in a good mood, his mood here is at least less aggressively bad than what everyone had to deal with during the last trial, and if you're someone he doesn't especially hate, he might smile if you join him at the bar. ]

MONDAY

[akudamods]

PODS?

[akudamods]

investigation

[thefifthchild]

I. Executioners Meeting (Threadjacking allowed!)

[This isn't an exclusive club by any means, but it largely effects those who were part of the intial attack. Damian's been hard at work trying to circumvent the bracelets and he called everyone with one over here early in the morning to get theirs removed. Anyone who wants to come watch is perfectly able to do so.

He's tapping some stuff on a tablet, frowning. Eventually, he'll relax and sit back, lazily drawing a Batarang from his belt and measuring it against the bracelet.]

Done. They're deactivated. You can essentially just destroy them now.

[Congrats.]

II. Warehouse (Investigation!)

[Damian finds this area particularly fascinating, and arrives in haste. He's sneaking through, listening to conversations. The supplies of the regular Warehouses are interesting but he also knows some of the best info he can get can simply be gained through fear and intimidation.

So when he snatches up one of the workers with the same line he used to string up the Commissioner, grabs him by the scruff of his shirt and pushes him against the railing of the warehouse rooftop far enough that he will absolutely fall off and die if Damian lets go.] Scream or call for help and I'll fucking kill you. Understand?

What's in the Black Warehouse?

TUESDAY

[akudamods]

ASSASSINATION (in second prompt)

[inspiritus]

Karaoke Bar

[ At some point during the day, the Ex-SOLDIER can be found atop the Karaoke bar roof, and for some reason he seems to be looking at the sky, considering...something. Surely that is a sign of nothing strange, is it? After all, the clouds are just clouds.

Approach...? ]

Umeda Sky Building, approx. around Meeting Time, (Closed Prompt to Rideaux & Sephiroth)

[ Sephiroth has no interest in talking with the populace. They're essentially beneath them, but regardless time is ticking, and there's something that has more or less attracted his attention.

The Loyalist has made no secret of his disdain towards them, and the way that he looked at them like ants when he saw him at the Umeda Sky Building before...well, Sephiroth considered him a primary target to start with. Also? Sephiroth has had the band removed by now.

So, due to some reconnaissance and knowing when Meeting is occurring, that should make moving in to strike down the Loyalist plausible.

The two gathered here are essentially powerful enough that slipping into the building is easy. Teleportation for the win. ]

The sooner we get this over with, the better.

[ Now where will they be able to find the Loyalist? Sephiroth having previously spotted him before should make it simple or easier. ]

COUNCIL MEETING

[akudamods]

[So, there was a city council meeting going on, where Loyalist was talking about the imprudence of attracting X-Classes' attention, how few of them were taking action against Kansai so far. And then, after crying out "Medic too? And Gene—" the meeting was interrupted. A few minutes later, there's a broadcast on the same platforms that were used for the debate back in week 1. Populist "stands" in front of several other council members, though they're evidently overlapping holograms, a well-edited Zoom call.]

The very recently late Loyalist had a proposal. That the X-Class individuals be sent on the Shinkansen to Kanto for their judgment. Serve out their original sentences in the sturdier facilities, perhaps. Make their cases for a pardon or community service. If eight of the remaining fourteen X-Class Akudama become Zendama, I believe his goals are reasonable. On the other hand, if we can identify the majority of the remaining X-Class Akudama as credible threats, the citizens may treat them as they see fit.

Now that we've also managed to to repeal the Swords and Firearms Law. Any citizen will gain the right and means to defend themselves.

[If you're watching this in a crowd, you'll hear a lot of citizens cheer, though a few instead huddle scared.]

There was one more condition I wanted to include. If the Loyalist, myself, and the Governor are all killed, and there were reason to believe the X-Class Akudama are responsible, then we should again consider them a threat as a group. Loyalist was killed before he could object. Preventing that outcome should be a great opportunity for any X-Class Zendama to prove themselves, no?

[Digitally, it cuts out.]

Shortly after the Council Meeting

[your_best_friend]

[* You start to get many text messages on your phone. All of them just say the word "stop".]

Post-meeting investigation

[voidseeing]

Torture/Execution Tourist Trap

[Gai isn't exactly here to enjoy the sights; it's rather that he thinks he might be able to learn something from them, so he can be found studying the exhibits intently, trying to see what sort of information he can tease out of them, sensationalistic and over-the-top though they are.

... the look on his face probably gives his opinion on all of this away, though.]

Tezukayama Private Elementary School (INVESTIGATION)

[So, his intel has revealed to him that Populist frequently gives lectures here, and not only that, but also that she'd raised a full scholarship so that a girl whose parents were killed in a massacre of the innocent could attend the school.

He's got a distinct interest in both things, but for now, he's dressed as 'Mason' once more, accompanied by a small robotic friend who, as it had claimed, could fit into very small spaces. It's easy enough to spin up a story about being someone's second cousin, and please can he come attend the lecture, it would just mean so much to him to be able to witness one for himself--

... and they're in. Slipping off into a secluded alcove, he starts looking around for a vent as he sets both the small drone and Funell down from beneath his coat and addresses the drone:]

Do you think you can make your way through the ducts here? If you can interface with Funell, he should be able to transmit the location of the lecture room to you.

WEDNESDAY

[akudamods]

INCIDENT

[akudamods]

[The concert dome in Chiyozaki is not getting a lot of foot traffic from the X-Class Akudama. So it's probably on the internet that you'll hear and see what happened Wednesday night. Love Journalist's big holoconcert. They were preparing for the last encore when the lead vocalist took the mic, tassels on his long trenchcoat sparkling.]

We know that times have been really tough lately. Even though we couldn't take the Shinkansen to get here just yet, we're really grateful that Kansai and Kanto are still getting along. And... please tune in at 11:30 tonight to watch Usasuke and Samemaru if you're still up!

[He lifts his guitar back up.]

For now, please listen to—

[But the strings don't strum. His fingertips have begun a pixellated process of fading away.]

Senpai? [asks the bassist] What's going on?

I don't know, they're trying to tell me [through an earpiece, which requires concentration to parse] it's all because the offerings on the Shinkansen's last trip were never—

Who? Look. Is there a problem with our connection to Chiyozaki Computer Complex?

No. It's... [The vocalist forces a smile.] It's deep inside our souls.

[He takes a deep breath.]

ONE TWO THREE FOUR!

[They manage to get through the introduction of the last song, about thirty seconds, before they have completely faded away. The audience murmurs in shock. Someone shouts "EGOIST next!", with a few joining in before they are all booed.]

an eventful morning??

[intimations]

Center Ward, morning

[All things considered, it was a pretty good hotel. The decorations were a bit gaudy and the holographic aquarium didn't quite match up to the charm of the real thing, but the bed was comfortable and the drinks were a lot better compared to whatever they had left in the karaoke bar. If only the circumstances were better, but it is what it is.

So, early in the morning at around 5 AM, when the city is still waking up amidst the haze and smog, the two of them exit the building. In the dim twilight, there's few out and about on the streets besides the early risers and insomniacs. Nevertheless, despite how empty the area is compared to the busier parts of the city, the brilliant lights and vibrant holographic projections give it a false sense of liveliness and normalcy. Like a well-maintained garden,the sight is one of a manufactured beauty.

And at 5:23 AM, it all comes crashing down--literally.

It all starts with a blast. Well, several, actually. From one solitary point in the sky comes a veritable barrage of energy that rains down upon the building's foundation like a host of shooting stars lighting up the night, creating a cacophony of sound even for those living outside the district. Shattered glass and chunks of concrete spray out alongside a cloud of dust and other shrapnel as the attack hits home, triggering a secondary explosion within as the shockwaves and heat reach the gas lines. Steel shrieks as the building roars--they're nothing but death throes at this point, really, because there's nothing left to support everything resting above the foundation. And so, the rest of the building implodes in on itself in second as floors collapse, taking with it whatever property and lives that were nested within it.

(The band, sitting kilometers and kilometers away on top of Lucilius' bed alongside his 1160+ phones, activates and releases the incapacitating agent onto bloodied sheets.)

As a thick cloud of smoke still billows forth from whatever remains of the flames that engulfed a portion of the building, a man alights back on the ground right next to his companion, wings still conspicuously visible to any and all onlookers who may have witnessed the destruction. Shamelessly, he'll flash them with a smile before moving to pick up Lucilius and kicking off the ground to take flight.]

Hospital Rooftop

[A man flying around on six giant bat-like wings is pretty conspicuous, especially when he's coming from the direction of the Center Ward where there's a billowing pillar of smoke wafting up to add to the existing smog and haze. Eventually though, he lands on the hospital rooftop as his wings retract and vanish, gently unloading his 'cargo' (it's Lucilius, of course). Even though it's still pretty early in the morning at around 6 AM, maybe you're up and about anyways; feel free to catch them on the roof or in the hospital after this incident.]

ICHIZA INVESTIGATION...?

[inspiritus]

Ichiza "investigation"

[ Today's been apparently relatively wild as it is, thanks to Belial and Luci's own actions. But he's the last person to deride or admonish them for that. Not to mention, he's going to do his best to ensure a certain other matter is taken care of. Or rather, person.

So at some point on Wednesday, Sephiroth is going to be slipping by Ichiza for his own reasons. He already knows this is where the Governor comes by on a daily basis, after all.

But he's not going to just blow up the place or anything until he catches sight of the Governor. So, about what time does he end up coming along...? ]

Wildcard

[ As always, Sephiroth can be found at the Karaoke Bar, or perhaps somewhere else, but hey! He's probably not around much due to shenanigans. ]

investigation!

[superstructure]

rose garden

[ It's pretty impressive how much in here is actually real and not artifical flowers or turf – given how little vegetation there is elsewhere, the green here is almost a nice change of pace, even for someone who's not a stranger to not seeing a whole lot of plants for the better part of their life.

Julius is sort of loitering around and looking at the flowers, occasionally looking around to make sure no one's getting a bright idea with that weapons ban being repealed. ]

They certainly didn't cheap out on this. It must've been pretty expensive to import this in.

[ Someone who is also enjoying the vegetation is a fairly rotund cat, who has taken a liking to laying in the grass and watching people as they pass by. There may be several points where Julius is actually just using the garden as a backdrop to take pictures of Rollo. It's hard not to, with a cat that cute. ]

chuo tower (investigation)

[ Though eventually some work has to be done, and Julius makes the decision to scope out the tower with the codes that he had been given by Damian at some point. Given what he'd seen online, there was probably something going on, but... based on the videos, it was hard to tell what, exactly.

Once they're at the tower, he'll look down at his partner. ]

Well, are you ready?

[ He's definitely talking to Rollo, sorry. He probably tried to get him to stay in his room, but the cat just did not want to stay put whatsoever. ]

??? Repair Shop INVESTIGATION

[your_best_friend]

[* Flowey definitely noticed it... the strange fixing and repairing building that no one ever seems to go inside. And, of course, a curious flower has to be curious and the building is just a big magnet for people like him. So what does he do? He pops up inside the building. The first thing he sees is the button, which he, of course, presses it.

* Once that proves to be fruitless, he heads to the door behind the receptopn desk and summons a vine to knock on it.]

Howdy?

THURSDAY

[akudamods]

partrocity

[pr159]

[ As much as Rideaux wouldn't normally give a shit what anyone else wants, that announcement from the council meeting (you know, after it was rudely interrupted by murder) did make it sound like they should probably at least try to know what page everyone is on. Anyway, it's a been a while since they've pooled any useful information, so they're probably due for a meeting.

But they're also due for a little fun, and he just got this set of familiar liquors off the black market, and who knows what the fuck is going to happen in the coming days. So, might as well combine this meeting with a party, right? The "business meetings" at bars were always his favorites.

So, he'll send out some Cardinal DMs for "a meeting followed by some drinks and fun" at the karaoke bar tonight, hopefully once the majority are done with their investigations (though we can backtag this meeting part through tomorrow if needed!).

The bottles are set out along with some drinking glasses (not Loyalist's glasses) on the bar: Ex Machina whiskey, Noir Rare brandy, Casual tequila, and Moonlight bourbon. The last one's from Rieze Maxia, so, eh, but he's into the design of the label, and it's pretty good.

He'll translate the labels if needed, since only he and Julius can read this shit. ]

FRIDAY

[akudamods]

SHINKANSEN RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY

[akudamods]

[A blimp holographically advertises "SHINKANSEN REOPENING TODAY" flying past Kansai Station's white tower. Yet compared to the days before Demon's death, there is a surprisingly small crowd gathered today, holding their offerings in tight hands and giving nervous glances. Populist leads the city council cronies, carrying an ornate ceremonial energy sword, approaching a holographic ribbon over the tracks.]

Though it is tragic that this duty has fallen to me... and we know not whether the wretched X-Class Akudama will take this path out of our city... I am honored to welcome back the spirit of the sacred train.

[She raises the sword.]