June II Event Log

[nashiramods]

Who: Everyone! (That's right, even you)
What: The Nova Knights investigate Nautis's security concerns and Duet 77, but it seems that more than one Harbinger is in play here...
When: June 23 - June 30
Where: Chalra City

Event Results ⭐︎ 🎶 Recommended Listening: Smiling & Singing a Song - Hello, Happy World!〈lyrics〉 ♪
june ii event log
EPISODE 4: Duels in Duet? Unlocking the Secret Stage!
June 23 - June 30
TIMELINE
6/23-6/30 Aquarium Cleanup & Midnight Diner
6/23 Investigate: Shelley Lustre
6/25 Investigate: Track & Trace
6/27 Investigate: Duet 77
6/30 Showdown: Amplitudina

It's another eventful month for the Nova Knights, but at least all eight of them come home at the end of it. The Aquarium is looking a lot better, but there are still some repairs that will need to be made before they can fill it with fish. The Midnight Diner has hosted most of the Nova Knights this week — perhaps some of them will even become regulars. Master's little hole in the wall is never less than anything welcoming.

On the 23rd, Maya and Mutsumi try and fail to learn more about Prince Shellustria's alter ego, while the Harbingers in turn learn more about the Nova Knights' Magic. After Shellustria realizes his identity has been compromised, he becomes a good deal more careful in concealing his movements.

On the 25th, Dirk and Natalia find the solution to Nautis's security concerns at Random Access Lock & Key — the owner, York, is a hacker for hire with an implanted (and highly experimental) AI named Delta. It seems that one of the Harbingers hired her to look into the security around Lucky Stars in the hopes that she might stumble upon the source of the signal that broke into the Abyss. But once the Nova Knights make contact, it seems to tip off the enemy, and they're soon attacked by techno shrimp from the Abyss, who were apparently conjured with Dream domain magic — that is, by someone other than Prince Shellustria.

Having just learned that not only is magic real, there are also magical alien bad guys trying to dominate their planet, York is more than happy to help the Nova Knights defend Earth. What can a hacker-locksmith and her trusty AI do to help them? That remains to be seen, but York is now a friend of the Nova Knights and can be called on whenever the Nova Knights need her help. She doesn't know anyone's secret identities and she's not prying, either — if anything, she seems kind of tickled to now be in the know about the city's (largely) teenage evil-fighting magic superheroes, and she'll keep their secret as long as they keep hers.

Nautis is none too pleased with the discovery even if it does have a relatively happy ending. If anything, the knowledge that she'd been discovered by a perfectly mundane, non-magical human being and Earth-created artificial intelligence, puts her in a spectacularly foul mood for the rest of the week. Delta and Nautis do not seem to get along. What a shocker.

On the 27th, Maya, Mutsumi, and Natalia conduct their investigation at Duet 77...by renting out a room and doing some karaoke together! On top of having a great time, they discover both the energy harvesting plot and the Secret Stage where the Abyssal monster Amplitudina guards the stolen energy. On the 30th, Hope and Dirk venture to Duet 77 to confront her once and for all, and with great success — not only do they win the fight, they manage to avoid any serious harm to themselves or the establishment, and thus another Harbinger plot is foiled!

Comments

INVESTIGATE: SHELLEY LUSTRE

[nashiramods]

Note: This will be a three-way thread with an NPC.

Re: INVESTIGATE: SHELLEY LUSTRE

[avemortis]

Per Nautis's plan, they've met up close to Everwave Academy shortly after the last bell has rung. It's usually safer to go supernova under the cover of night, but they don't actually know where Shelley goes after school, or how he gets there. This is their surest lead for now.

She'd had to rush to find somewhere safe to transform, and the hot summer sun is still beating down on them, but somehow, the only sweat beading on Nova Mortis's face behind the mask is a nervous one, the rest of her feeling oddly cold. They're tailing the person who managed to defeat and capture Glimmer and Pandora. And here Glimmer is, jumping into the hot seat again despite how recently she'd escaped. She's so much braver than Nova Mortis could hope to be. She just hopes she won't hold Glimmer back.

They've found a place outside the school gate to hang back and watch. Before long he'll leave the school grounds, and they'll just have to see where he takes them. She looks sidelong at Glimmer, uncertain as to how much she can really help. She doesn't speak a single word, but she seems to be saying, I'll follow your lead.

And then there he is: the man of the hour, waltzing through the school gate like the world is his dance floor.

[parillegal]

It's what a hero is supposed to do, Maya's reasoned with herself; that's why Glimmer has to do this. The Steel Samurai wouldn't give up under threat of the Evil Magistrate's victory, and neither can Glimmer.

So perhaps Glimmer has simply forgotten to be afraid, forgotten to be cautious.

More than that, she's working with another Nova for this, one who she's reasoned is younger than her. A hero-underclassman who should be protected. Glimmer is practically all the other Novas' big sister.

When Mortis looks to Glimmer for leadership, even if Maya isn't sure she should be, Glimmer silences the doubt. It's a duty, now.

Glimmer gestures with her fingers, counting down from five— letting Shelley get some distance from them without letting him get too far. At the end she gives Mortis a nod;

Time to get going.

[avemortis]

Glimmer's confidence is a huge relief. She really must be strong if she'd survived the Abyss so intact. Mortis doesn't exactly know what they went through in there, but she has the unpleasant sense that it was...difficult. She'll work extra hard to keep up if she has to. She couldn't do anything for Glimmer and Pandora before, but now...

Mortis nods and follows Glimmer's lead, falling into step behind her. It's kind of a conspicuous time of day to be in supernova, but Chalra City is so pop culture-forward and...colorful, so as long as they're not using magic in broad daylight where normal people can see, the average passerby seems to regard them as dedicated cosplayers. That's also a relief, because Shelley seems to be heading for...the shopping district? What exactly does this guy do after school, anyway?

[parillegal]

Glimmer starts to walk ahead of Mortis, but as the two of them get closer to the shopping district, she starts to look around and second guess herself. Slowing her pace to drop back to Mortis's side, she takes hold of Mortis's arm as if they really were just two cosplayers out on a meet.

She looks between Mortis and Shelley every few paces, but starts to put on a casual act, leaning closer to murmur under her breath like they're friends sharing a secret,

"I don't know if we can get any closer, right now."

INVESTIGATE: TRACK & TRACE

[nashiramods]

Note: This will be a three-way thread with an NPC. Please go ahead and start the thread, and the mod will let you know when it's time for the NPC to tag in.

Re: INVESTIGATE: TRACK & TRACE

[theriflespiral]

Nova Neos slowly looked over the logs, dozens of IP addresses and actions. Nautis had already helpfully marked the strays, but she already noticed some odd things.

"Those leading numbers are different. Does that mean the attack came from farther away than our phones usually do?"

Yeah Nova Neos is great at electrical stuff and punch-card programming. Actual internet deep magic gives her hives.

[string_instrument]

Nova Pastos, on the other hand, basically breathes technology. Admittedly, he's less of a programmer in an internet fashion and more of an engineer with an interest in robotics--but then he started hosting sites and recording his work, and he quickly began needing to understand what other people on the internet were doing in relation to that.

And as is so often the case for Dirk Strider, once he started to learn, he swan dived down a rabbit hole and didn't come back until he'd tried the Eat Me cakes and Drink Me potions. Information is the only mind-altering substance Dirk Strider trucks with, but oh how addictive it is to understand.

"It means they're not part of the same network. So, fractionally, yes. How far away is the problem that needs solving."

Well, it's part of the problem, but it's the first step towards an answer. He taps the digits with a calloused finger.

"At a glance, it's definitely still inside the city, but we already knew that."

Nova Pastos won't admit it, but he is curious. If Nautis is even half as sophisticated and advanced as she claims to be--and while he won't admit this either, he believes she is--then getting as far as this in broaching her security means they're looking for something approaching a level of sophistication that Nova Pastos hasn't seen before. That's kind of exciting, if it's true. He wants to see it for himself.

"Not much else for us to do but walk until we find it."

[theriflespiral]

"Eventually it is always to legwork, then..." and it's somewhere decently near Lucky Stars.

Neos summons her dowsing device, and hums in annoyance at the shape it takes-- now less an egg-shaped vibrating doohickey and more a small board, marked with a compass rose surrounding a stylized heart. A brief beam of light emerges from the crest, and Neos folds it closed and takes the direction at a jog.

[string_instrument]

"That's why we're here."

His expression is unreadable despite the dry note to his agreement. Obviously they're here because Nautis couldn't do this herself, and legs are one of those things they have that Nautis doesn't. (Unless one counts Maomao.) But this is true on a much larger scale as well.

He's not actually bitching, though.

To Nova Pastos, this is the interesting stuff, the kind of thing he looks to be involved in--combat is one part of his narrow skillset, and he aims to make good on his past life's wish in that regard. But there's a lot to learn, still. And the more he can learn, the more he can understand, the more he can do. Or make sure others do. Which seems to be part of his job, whether Nautis or the others want to acknowledge it or not.

He has no problem with Neos' work ethic though.

He doesn't even comment on the somewhat corny design of her dowsing device--he breaks into a jog and follows her immediately, years of training making him plenty capable of keeping up with the one knight he'd honestly love to face to combat. Maybe some day.

For now, whatever pace she sets, he'll match.

INVESTIGATE: DUET 77

[nashiramods]

Re: INVESTIGATE: DUET 77

[theriflespiral]

And so, the three of them entered Duet 77! The latest, most powerful karaoke bar.

The sound of stone boots filled the air, punctuated by the occasional scraping of metal on linoleum.

Unfortunately, the counter girl was confronted first with all six feet plus of Nova Neos, imprinted with stone, crowned with a gold tiara, a little awkward with her slightly chunky vambraces, looking down at her, expression blank, and a quiet, but clear tone. "One room for three, please."

WHAT THE HECKY I THOUGHT I TAGGED THIS ALREADY

[avemortis]

The previously very bored-looking employee at the counter glances up from her phone up at Neos and her eyes go wide as she takes in what looks like a very imposing cosplayer and...two other gaudily dressed cosplayers behind her. You see some wild stuff living in Chalra City sometimes, and yet it doesn't always leave you prepared for the next thing.

"Uh...sure," she says, looking past Neos at the other two girls. One of them, clad in black and scarlet and wearing an almost full-face mask, almost looks like she's trying to hide behind the other two. "What name should I put down?"

Re: WHAT THE HECKY I THOUGHT I TAGGED THIS ALREADY

[theriflespiral]

Quick, think fast, think fast, nothing that tells them you're superheroes-- "Baba Yagashenka."

.... that

is the opposite of helpful, natasha

[avemortis]

"Uhhh...right," says the girl at the counter, furrowing her brow as she types in the name. Well, Chalra City has always had its fair share of weirdos. "Room six, down the hall on the left."

Nova Mortis nods at Neos and Glimmer and leads the way, apparently pretty confident in her ability to navigate a place like this even though this particular place is new.

SHOWDOWN: AMPLITUDINA

[nashiramods]

[NPC] Maomao

[wood_sorrel]

in the hideout
Maomao is not happy about having awakened to her special destiny. In fact, she's pretty annoyed about it. She doesn't want anything to do with having to save the world, she just wants to live her life, but apparently that's not an option because that ancient piece of cyberjunk won't let her leave the Nova Knights group chat. At least she doesn't have to do any actual fighting. On the other hand, there is little dignity afforded to her by being the team mascot.

Her tune changed, however, when she first found out about the ancient seed collection. All the magic stuff is a hard pillow to swallow, except apparently when it comes to ancient flora from a dead planet. Now this is the only reason she regularly comes to the hideout: to fuck around with the garden in the Library and grow heretofore unknown plants so she can test them all on herself. You might even hear some unsettling laughter from the Library while she contemplates the possibilities.

Maomao is aware that hanging out in the hideout in human form breaks whatever magic protection they all have on their identities, and she doesn't love it, but it's so much better than the alternative of just being a cat all the time. People keep wanting to pick her up and feed her stuff and you couldn't pay her to voluntarily transform even one more time. And if anyone calls her Niangniang to her face, they'll get only a death glare in return.

elsewhere
Maomao can also be found at Everwave Academy during school hours, the Golden Butterfly and/or Verdigris House most evenings, and her father's pharmacy on some afternoons and weekends.

[NPC] York

[neverknocks]

During most business hours, York can be found at her locksmith shop, Random Access Lock & Key, though sometimes she's out on a house call, which case you can run into her pretty much anywhere in the city. She's been hanging around Lucky Stars Arcade too; apparently she's a real pinball fan.

You can also find her at the Midnight Diner most nights this week at pretty much any time of night/morning, sometimes ordering the tinned sardines, sometimes ordering pizza toast, always ordering a couple of beers.

After the mission on the 25th, York becomes a friend to the Nova Knights and will help them out however she can if they come to her. She's only met Nova Pastos and Nova Neos so far, but she's officially in the know about Chalra City's own magic superheroes, and she'd be tickled to meet more of them.

at the Midnight Diner

[parillegal]

Strangers? Are there really strangers at the Midnight Diner?

Not according to Maya, who, upon seeing a cool-looking woman with the same order nearby, leans over to take a look at what York's doing. Cool-looking women are always Maya's business.

"Oh, hey! You ordered those, too?"

that icon is so cute wtf

[neverknocks]

People only ever start out as strangers in the Midnight Diner. There are some years-long regulars in one corner, and York seems like she's well on her way to becoming one by the comfort with which she's sitting at the countertop. She IS a cool-looking woman, it's true, and likewise, Maya seems like a cool kid. Young adult. Whatever. York likes her energy.

"Yeah, I'm kinda hooked on 'em now." She grins with a half-shrug. "Never had 'em before this week. Never had a bad meal at this place, either."

She's not really from here. Not as "not from here" as, say, Natalia, but not exactly a Chalra City native.

prof layton vs ace attorney has the cutest puzzle art :')

[parillegal]

"Right? They're way better than I thought they'd be. I've only ever had them fried with rice before," Maya admits.

And then, because she knows how silly it sounds to ask, Maya simply leans into the silliness of it all and poses a bit slyly, leaning into her hand and asking,

"Sooo, you come here often?"

[NPC] Shelley Lustre

[nashiranpcs]

Shelley can be found around the Academy in various places during school hours, but especially the art studio and the school gardens, where he's most often seen sitting by the elaborate fountain. He seems to be in an especially foul mood after the 23rd, the usual aloof haughtiness sliding into borderline hostility.

a. it's called ART
You are in Professor Lustre's art class, and it is hell. Everwave Academy has more than its fair share of the aloof elite, but this guy is somehow on another level entirely. Maybe you have a lot of experience with art classes at Everwave, or maybe this is your first time in the studio — either way, this man is coming at you with an energy you have yet to face at this school, and to make matters worse, he has all the aesthetic taste of a tourist shop in a beach town.

But that doesn't make him any less your teacher, and he's stopped by your desk/worktable/easel/whatever to inspect what you're working on. Tapping his closed fan against his palm, his mouth slightly downturned, he looks like he's already primed to be disappointed. He points his fan haughtily at whatever you're working on.

"You. Explain...this to me."

b. wildcard
Feel free to tag in with a starter of your own or hit me (the mod) up for planning!

b

[fibrillate]

It's one of Hope's first days back to the school after spending so much time away on their sudden sabbatical, or whatever story people might have made up to justify their absence, and they have been having a really bad day. It doesn't help that their mood has been utterly awful, but they'd started off the day getting read much more of a riot act than they had expected for being absent for so long, and it would take a while for anyone's mood to bounce back from that.

It also doesn't help that they know that the art teacher is one of their sworn enemies and the person responsible for torturing them in the Abyss. And sure, they don't know what exactly it is they're supposed to feel—should they be scared, pissed, confrontational, what? But then they catch a student walking out of the art studio in tears and their jaw sets. They wait to catch Professor Lustre alone, after all the students have left, and they enter the studio without knocking.

The fire leaves their eyes as soon as they see Shelley, though, and they flash back to having watched him leave the Abyss. That glimpse that couldn't have been intentional. The secret that only two people in this city know. They don't think their own secret is out; if it were, then Shelley would have stopped them by now. Right?

"They're just kids," they say, realizing they'd been staring for a little too long without saying anything. "You don't have to be that cruel to them."

HAHAHA oh boy

[nashiranpcs]

Oh, joy, it's the substitute teacher, looking very dour indeed. Fan open and fluttering, Shelley gives Hope a look that is both condescending and baffled.

"Cruel? I'm merely giving my honest opinion as an artist so they can improve." His lips purse slightly before they're covered by his fan. "If they can't survive my critique, then how will they ever make it in the world as artists?"

The worst part is that he seems to be totally sincere about believing this to be the right approach, and he thinks it's weird that Hope is criticizing his teaching style. They're not even really a teacher. He lets out a little huff. "I suppose you may not understand yourself, not being an artist — but where I come from, this is how all artistic talent is nurtured."

This definitely has nothing to do with any artistic criticism to which he may have been subjected in his youth. And adulthood.

[fibrillate]

Well, Hope might not be an artist, or much of a teacher, but they do know a little bit about being nice to kids. They just wish they could summon up the nerve to be as much of an asshole at Shelley as he deserves right now. He's lucky that he already figured out how to break Hope's spirit, and he probably doesn't even realize it.

"Do you know how little it takes to turn a kid away from something forever?" they ask, definitely speaking from experience of their own. "Aren't you supposed to be helping them learn and grow instead of just trashing them if they can't meet whatever your mystery standards are?" They gesture towards the door. "That last student you met with might never pick up a brush again."