Game Update: July I 2377

[nashiramods]

Weather & Recap ⭐︎ By Daylight ⭐︎ By Starlight
🎶 Recommended Listening: Sleep on the Beach - Sub-Radio ♪
july i 2377
EPISODE 5: Makeover or Make Up? The Rumor Riptide Never Ceases!
July 1 - July 8

Star Suite: No new unlocks! The next unlockable room is the Lab, which will grant everyone another recovered memory, as well as add a neat new upgrade to their dowsing machines.
Constellations: The Nova Knights are in possession of one of seven Constellations (the Dancer).
Weather: Summer is in full swing in Chalra City! July is just as humid as June, but even hotter, and the breeze blowing in from the sea is more beckoning than refreshing. A handful of summer thunderstorms sweep through the city, but most days are hot, hot, hot and sunny. Street vendors selling shaved ice and handmade wind chimes are on every corner, and gleeful water gun fights are a common scene in the city's parks. The highs for the month average around 93°F/34°C, with lows around 75°F/24°C.

Recap: Last month, the Nova Knights foiled yet another energy harvesting ploy in the form of a boppin' new karaoke sound system, which means Duet 77 is now free of Abyssal influence! You can now enjoy your fancy-yet-affordable karaoke worry-free. They also tracked down who was responsible for prying into Nautis's security: a local locksmith with a checkered past named York. It seems she was hired by one of the Harbingers without knowing what it was she was really investigating, and now that she has the full picture, she's decided to lend a hand to the Nova Knights where she can. Every group of magical warriors needs a civilian pal who helps them out of a jam every once in a while!

BY DAYLIGHT
⭐︎ It's beach season, baby, and there's no better way to beat the heat than getting in the water! Chalra City runs a shuttle bus to the beach every other hour, making day trips to the beach an absolute breeze. But if you want to cool off in the water without leaving the city, there's always the pool! Everwave Academy does, of course, have its own very swanky private pool available to students and staff only, but you'll have to compete for space with the swim dance team currently practicing for regionals, and boy, are they passionate. If you're not a student or you just don't want to deal with other Everwave students, there are public pools around the city as well, the largest and most popular of which is located on the edge of the shopping district.

⭐︎ The beauty salon and spa at the train station has recently been renovated! Sea & Spray is more than just a place for haircuts and makeup: they offer a suite of personal grooming and massage services, including manicures and pedicures, hot stone massages, and a brand-new steam room. Whether you're here for a makeover or just need to take a load off and relax, Sea & Spray has something for almost everyone!

The salon has been a mainstay in the Chalra City train station for decades, and its age was certainly starting to show in the choice of upholstery and tile colors...but now it's looking delightfully modern! The massage chairs for the foot baths are top of the line, every fixture has that brand-new shine, and the old dated color palette has been replaced with light, airy blues and greens. There have already been a couple of reported celebrity sightings, and the rumor mill is a-turnin'. If you want to know the latest city gossip, much of the clientele here is ready to dish on a moment's notice.

⭐︎ Speaking of gossip, wild rumors are at an all-time high in Chalra City, and they're not limited to celebrities. Maybe it's the heat, but all over the city, minor disagreements are escalating into shouting matches, benign misunderstandings are leading to hostilities and the silent treatment, and people seem to be talking about their friends behind their backs an awful lot all of a sudden.

It's happening all over the city, but if you're in the right circles you might hear about the blowup at Verdigris House, despite its otherwise professional and harmonious reputation. It seems that Pairin, one of the Three Princesses and top courtesans of Verdigris House, got into a public dispute with the madam over her contract that quickly became a hostile argument. All kinds of gossip is circulating through the pleasure district and beyond, with open speculation as to whether or not Pairin might cut ties with pleasure house that helped her ascend to her courtesan stardom.

Note: Nova Knights are not immune to the above strange happenings in the city. It is entirely opt-in, but if this would be a fun catalyst for CR/development, you can let this Something Strange overtake your character to make a Problem.

BY STARLIGHT
⭐︎ Hope's Prophecy: Thanks to their past as a diviner for the Oracle, Hope may occasionally receive prophetic dreams that give the Knights a hint about what's to come. Hope did not have a prophetic dream this time around but there's always next time!

⭐︎ Hideout Status: The Aquarium is still in need of repairs before they can start filling those tanks! A replacement for the damaged massive pane of glass seems like it'd be impossible to get into the base, but you never know what Nautis will come up with next.

Maomao has been working on growing ancient Hassalean plants in the hydroponic garden, and to her delirious delight, it's been a success so far! But after a certain point, the sprouts just kind of...stop growing. It seems that when it comes to Hassalean gardening, something is missing...

⭐︎ Nautis Updates: While Nautis isn't thrilled to learn that the Harbingers are hiring human agents, at least they've taken care of the problem for now. It's likely that the Harbingers won't give up, though.

> It's not at all surprising that the mystery hacker turned out to be sent by the Harbingers. I knew no mundane human hacker could find me!
> Even a human implanted with a frighteningly primitive AI. Honestly, they probably only tripped over my security protocols by accident.
> And the Harbingers were the ones who directed them to the arcade! They basically didn't do any real work at all.
> Which means they're totally harmless when it comes to civilians knowing that the Nova Knights exist! ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-
> Harmless dead weight, that is.
> So I totally won't judge if you still want to hang out with them ^_^
> I'm sure that making a new friend must be very exciting for some of you!
> I would never take that away from you.
> I do wonder who exactly was behind this... It's not exactly Prince Shellustria's style :/
> It sure is troubling that they got so close, though! (•᷄- •᷅ ;)
> It just goes to show how little we really know about our enemy. Spooky!

⭐︎ Intel: The Nova Knights learned some pretty important information last time! The fact that York and Delta were hired by one of the Harbingers, and furthermore, that this may have been the work of someone other than Shellustria, since the monsters sent to clean up York were summoned by Dream domain magic. This Harbinger is clearly trying to trace back the signal Nautis sent into the Abyss, and with York's help, they actually came pretty close.

Comments

QUESTIONS

[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. If anyone calls her Niangniang to her face, they'll get only a death glare in return.

The main draw of the hideout is the garden in the Library where she's been attempting to grow ancient Hassalean plants, and she's actually succeeded — kind of! A few of them have sprouted, but they don't seem to be progressing any further, much to Maomao's frustration. Still, there's plenty of maniacal laughter coming from the Library every so often when she contemplates the possibilities.

elsewhere
Maomao can also be found at Everwave Academy during school hours, and Verdigris House most evenings, and her father's pharmacy on some afternoons and weekends. Occasionally, you might find her at the Golden Butterfly Bathhouse or the Midnight Diner on the weekend enjoying a late night snack.

Re: [NPC] Maomao

[theriflespiral]

Well, at least casual interactions between her and Maomao continued at the Verdigris house on a regular basis.

That said, Maomao didn't exactly purchase time for her, so most of her conversations have had to be kept brief, and it wasn't exactly work that was hurting her.

Somehow, despite everything, she was getting mildly popular; her entire shift was booked for the next few visits.

Which is why she was now sitting next to Maomao, politely avoiding a groan as she leaned back in her chair in the green room and stared at the ceiling.

Re: [NPC] Maomao

[wood_sorrel]

These days, Maomao's visits to Verdigris House are usually business (or at least errand) related, but since she and her father live only mere blocks away, it's still as good as a second home to her, and the long-time courtesans all treat her as such, especially the Three Princesses. She's restocking a bit of homemade makeup, a few things she'd whipped up for some of the courtesans who complained that commercial products were too harsh on their sensitive skin. Compared to making medicine, makeup is pretty trivial, so Maomao doesn't really mind.

"Must be tough being so popular," she comments drily, though not totally unsympathetically. She has to hand it to the madam — she sure has an eye for quality merchandise, and she knows how to make an investment.

[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. You might find her around Lucky Stars Arcade playing pinball — it turns out she actually is a big pinball fan.

You can also find her at the Midnight Diner once or twice a week week ordering a late dinner and a couple of beers.

Re: [NPC] York

[theriflespiral]

Natalia entered Random Access Lock & Key, sparing a look for the broken window and general disarray (mostly cleaned up). Of course, she knew what had happened, and even felt a little guilty about it, but now was not the time for such things.

Now?

Now was the time for being very concerned. "York! I had heard something terrible had happened, but it seems I was more worried than I needed to be."

A good idea to keep visiting her regardless...

[neverknocks]

The last thing York was expecting was to see the Commissariat girl pop up again. In all honesty, she'd totally forgotten about the kid in the wake of all the, uh. Everything lately. York, in the middle of fixing some issue with the cash register, looks up.

"Uh, you did?"

Well, shit. York had been trying to keep a low profile, all things considered. Maybe she ought to have left Chalra City after all, found somewhere else to start over, but man, she hates running, and that fascinatingly rude magic computer of theirs helped Delta beef up their digital security to guard against these Harbinger guys. She'd managed to smooth things over with the barber on one side of the locksmith shop, and she'd bribed the owner of the pool supply store on the other, but rumors always seem to find a way around in this city.

She shrugs. "No need to worry on my account, kiddo. I've been around the block a few times. You lookin' for more practice locks?"

[NPC] Shelley Lustre/Shellustria

[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 since last month, the usual aloof haughtiness at times sliding into borderline hostility, though it seems to come from a place of anxiety rather than actual vitriol.

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: a matter of a packet

[theriflespiral]

"Ah. Professor." Natalia had happened on Shelley Lustre while taking care of Maomao's poor, neglected Earthling garden.

"A strange happenstance, to see you here." At the fountain, where you always are. But, come to think...

Natalia patted her blazer pocket. Yes, the packet from the baths was there.

[nashiranpcs]

Ugh, why is she here. Shelley is not often in the mood to entertain one of his least favorite students at Everwave, and he certainly is not now. He is just out here trying to enjoy a quiet contemplative time at the fountain and now he's being pestered. He gives her an agitated look.

"Can I help you with something, Miss Koutolika?" he says with all the anticipation of being tasked with some unpleasant chore.

a

[istandwithmycancelledwife]

After two weeks out of town on his dad's business, Kalim is struggling a bit to get his head back in the game (the game is school). But art class is always fun, so he's relieved to have that on his first day back!

Except, uh, wait. He remembers, the moment Professor Lustre walks into the room and not a second sooner, that when he got caught up with Nautis she told him that Shelly Lustre is none other than the human disguise of the evil Prince Shellustria. Which seems like it should have been obvious in retrospect...

Kalim has no idea how he's supposed to act about this!! He knows he can't give himself away, but... this all seems kind of high stakes, for art class!

Okay. It's okay this is no problem. He can act normal no PROBLEM. He's going to get on with art like NOTHING HAPPENED and hope that the prof doesn't ,,,,

oh no,

"Oh, I, uhhhh...!" Kalim looks at his easel and then back at Professor Lustre. And then back at his easel. And then back at Shelley. "I... wanted to paint some leopards?" There IS some glitter on them. He's learned from his mistakes. Just because the guy who told him to use more glitter turned out to be secretly evil doesn't mean glitter is a bad idea.

Re: a

[nashiranpcs]

Shelley actually likes Kalim, insofar as he likes any of his students. Perhaps it would be better to say that he just has less contempt for Kalim. But Shelley is in a superbly foul mood, and that's not enough to save Kalim from his wrath. He seizes on Kalim's uncertainty like a steel trap.

"Did you want to paint leopards? Art requires conviction, Mister Al-Asim."

Natalia Koutolika | Nova Neos

[theriflespiral]

I: A Home For The Dancer
Natalia doesn't have the Star Map. But she's seen it. And so--

With some minor woodworking and some small wooden objects--

Neos is constructing, in the only open space, a small shrine for the Dancer. Admittedly, this is in the Aquarium, so...

The sound of hammer gently tapping in wood fills the air.

II: Wildcard
Natalia can be found on the train, in school talking with... who is that person????, or working amongst the other hostesses in the Verdigris House, though she's assiduously attempting to avoid the local drama.

Mutsumi | Nova Mortis

[avemortis]

Mutsumi hasn't really been the same since last week. After the horror of the fight they lost against Shelley — after she'd failed to protect Nova Glimmer — after Nova Glimmer had seen her de-transform...

A feeling has been bearing down on her with increasing weight since this all started, since Nova Zenith was captured, since Pandora and Glimmer were captured, a feeling that she's not cut out for this, that the pressure is too much. She's already frozen up once at the critical moment — what if it happens again, and it costs a friend their life?

daylight
Mutsumi is still going to class, but she's even quieter than usual — maybe not much of a difference unless you know Mutsumi really well, but if you get up close, it's clear she's underslept and overextended. Despite being an all-around good student, there are days when she seems like she might fall asleep in class, and she's stopped going to the school garden most days after school. The cucumbers she spent all spring diligently tending to are starting to shrivel and wither on the vine.

starlight
It's not as easy to tell how tired Nova Mortis is behind the mask, but she's sluggish, even more subdued than usual, sometimes just straight up spacing out while she's doing something or someone's talking to her. She barely sleeps at home anymore — she barely sleeps at all, and she's started spending most nights in the hideout, holding her guitar on the sofa in some restless half-doze. It isn't that she's afraid to sleep, exactly, but...she is consumed with dread nonetheless.

[ feel free to hit me up at runawayballista for plotting or a closed starter! ]

starlight

[fibrillate]

It had been another late night at the Midnight Diner for Hope, and with a full stomach and the satisfaction of having navigated a normal conversation with normal people, they've found themself feeling up to something they'd been meaning to do for a little bit now anyway. They walk into the back alley behind the arcade and mumble their way through their transformation phrase, then enter the hideout as Nova Pandora.

Their plan had been to head down to the aquarium and try to clean it up a little bit after how badly they'd screwed it up earlier. Their plan had been that, of course, because nobody is usually around the hideout at night and they still didn't feel like running into any other Nova Knights right now. But once again, someone up there thinks they're real funny. They catch a glimpse of Nova Mortis on the couch, sitting there dazed like she was in the Abyss, and their blood instantly runs cold.

"You're here," they say, terror clutching their words much more tightly than they expected. "Mortis." Please say something this time. Please respond. Don't just repeat the things that they're saying in a softer, scarier voice. Or, like, maybe just curse them out. Maybe it would be okay, they think, if Mortis got up and punched them in the face. Anything to prove that she's not just some puppet.

Daylight Wildcard: CONTINUE?

[theriflespiral]

Since the events of All Outta Minutes, Natalia has been hoping to meet that fair-haired girl again.

She seemed so distraught once they were entering their initials into the high score rankings. Had she missed some important cue?

... No. No, she definitely had. She'd been so wrapped up in the elation that she hadn't noticed whatever cues of fear or distress had been with that girl that day.

She'd been trying to find her, ever since; and while she didn't know it, she'd taken to tending for at least a subset of the cucumbers while taking care of the garden, since she'd been worried about Maomao's poisons and herbs.

So. When she happened upon Mutsumi on the road from school, she paused, hummed.

She knew what she had to do. She approached, cautiously. There were just too many variables and 'that girl', as she's become known to Natalia, would likely want to avoid her.

Starlight

[string_instrument]

Nova Pastos has been spending most nights in the hideout--he moved in early with the intention of being on call and in place instead of a hundred storeys up one of the tallest high rise complexes in Chalra City.

Recently, however, there's been an increasingly restless--even relentless--energy to his comings and goings. He's moved more complex projects in, then out, then in again, until he'd effectively taken over a sizeable corner of it in the pursuit of... whatever it is he does with his robots, which mostly appears to be increasingly granular and multilayered points of control. The more pieces of face or limb can separate and move, the closer it seems to get to his goal.

And it's clear that the aim is emphatically not about making them humanlike, or 'lifelike' in any organic way. Rather, it seems to be the machine complexity itself that appeals to him, which is resulting in some truly bizarre facial apparatus and (at present) an inability to decide how precisely eye movements should correlate with a living person's, and whether it should include motion tracking or remain purely manual.

This is what he's experimenting with tonight, as Nova Mortis once again wanders in, seemingly dazed and drained, and Nova Pastos himself is elbow deep inside the head of his current humanoid model, agitated about the poor response time of some internal servos. He lifts a brow.

"Again?" Maybe not the most sensitive greeting, but seriously.

"Not that it's any of my business, but is there a reason you're always coming in here? 'cause I'm assuming it's not me."

Nova Mortis and Nova Pastos originally operated on a relatively strict 'no conversation after the greeting' principle since that first time, although that lapsed a bit after their capture mission. Now some nights pass in silence, but other nights find Nova Pastos holding forth on topics by himself, and seemingly to himself--a behaviour that Nautis, at least, will have the data to confirm only happens when he's not alone. The topics tend towards the philosophical or commentative, rapidly become tangential, and are probably not the most digestible, but this one-sided monologuing is about as close to 'friendly' behaviour as he's capable of without straining something.

And yet he doesn't assume he and Nova Mortis are friends.

This could be analysed to death, probably, but who cares about that. The real question is, what the fuck are you doing, Nova Mortis?

daylight

[istandwithmycancelledwife]

Kalim is a little distracted since he came back from his birthday trip, too, but not nearly as badly as Mutsumi. Still, it means he doesn't notice anything is up with her until he sees her on the way out of school at the end of the day.

"Oh, hey, Mutsumi!" he says cheerfully, waving. But as he gets a little closer, he frowns slightly. "Hey, are you okay...? D'you wanna come over for dinner? Jamil is at lacrosse practice but I bet he wouldn't mind making something when he gets home!"

Hideout, any time before They Fuck Up

[string_instrument]

Nova Pastos' ongoing occupation of the hideout isn't restricted to nights. His presence comes and goes and comes and goes, at any and all hours.

At this point he's actually amassed a pretty solid "workshop" in the corner near the sofa, although he has helpfully made sure none of his flammable work tools (or tools that very specifically spew fire, like the soldering iron) are actually near the furniture. This doesn't mean that there aren't too-wide staring eyes peering back at people from the inside the machinery pile, or that disconnected hands and mouths with specifically moulded individual teeth can't be found once in a while, but he takes things home for the big welding jobs, at least.

And he does actually chill, once in a while. He reads books. He sits with Cal on his lap, facing him, and gets engrossed in.... whatever silent communication occcurs between him and his lifelong partner. Moving the puppet's soft mittenlike hands or angling his bald be-capped head for this or that effect.

As usual, Nova Pastos might be an effective combatant and extremely productive craftsman, but he has absolutely no social life.

This makes bothering him fair game, right? Right.

[istandwithmycancelledwife]

Nova Sunbeam has been spending a lot more time at the hideout since he came back from his trip. He feels a bit bad -- hopefully Jamil isn't too lonely without him! -- but it's way easier to take his mind off the stuff his dad talked to him about when he's being Nova Sunbeam instead of Kalim Al-Asim. Sure, Nova Knight business has its own difficult, complicated, scary stuff to contend with, but none of it is just his responsibility, and it always feels way more straightforward. They have to save the world! That's so simple.

So far, though, he hasn't crossed paths with Nova Pastos since his return. He has noticed his little... area... but this is the first time he's come in here and there's been someone manning the station.

"Whoah!" he says, leaning over Nova Pastos' shoulder with great interest and no respect for his personal space. "Is this all your stuff?"

Texting with Glimmer—

[parillegal]

Hey hey wait there's so many new novas since we took our road trip!!

[yes, the great road trip is what Glimmer has been referring to hers and Pandora's time in the abyss. she can't just go being a downer, right?]

so hi! I'm Nova Glimmer!! let me know if you need any help ; ) or have any fun jokes

or ig if you have questions about what happened we can chat too

Re: Texting with Glimmer—

[theriflespiral]

so man walks by the newspaper stands every morning, but never paying for his paper.

Eventually, newspaper seller gets annoyed. "What is this? You come by every day, don't buy newspapers."

"Ah, friend, I am looking for an obituary."

"Those are INSIDE the paper."

"not the one I am looking for."

i will admit this joke is an acquired taste

No Actually How Is It Possible That This Message Feels Like Finger Guns

[harlsequinn]

hang on wait justa minute here

ya took the road trip without me????? Tell me how ya really feel amirite fellas

we have fellas rite

hmhmhmmmm jokes jokes jokes

aha! whaddya call a cyber buddy that hasta eat programming languages to stay alive?

Re: Texting with Glimmer—

[thepigtailedpunisher]

omg hi glimmer (can i call you that??), i don't think we've met yet! i'm nova valorous!!! SO excited to team up and obliterate the forces of evil together :D

btw do you have any training tips?? i'm kiiiinda not the best at controlling my magic yet, i just get too excited when i'm flying lol >o<

Re: Texting with Glimmer—

[harlsequinn]

ok wait its embarrassin' but I got a question

maybe a couple

but yeah uh so we're like a team, right? doin' good n savin the day n all that

so uh

d'we really gotta be all gussied up all the time at the base? cuz lemme be real witcha, the place I'm livin' sure ain't the Ritz and a gal's gotta kick up her gams every now and then, ya know? don't get me wrong, the armor is real nice, but it cramps my lil piggies :(