Complete NPC Side Story Turn of the New Day

[Raid Boss]

Spoiler: Mood

Sweltering heat. Sweat dripped. Sandy feet.

Accelerator trudged ahead, dragging behind him three coffins, leaving three trails behind.

Sweltering heat. Sweat dripped. Alarm rang.

Accelerator snapped awake, sat up, and had to catch his breath. His hands were still clutching the invisible coffin straps.

Alarm off. Bed made. Slippers on.

Accelerator checked on the crib where the baby slept soundly, cherubic cheeks nuzzled against her fuzzy blankie.

Door opened. Empty hallway. Empty bathroom.

Accelerator brushed his teeth, inspecting the bags beneath his eyes in the mirror, where he spotted the sleepy Clarissa with an awful morning crow’s nest entering the bathroom. Without minding the fact that she was in her bedwear, which consisted of shorts and a tank top, she brushed her teeth beside him with her eyes closed, trusting her personal instinct to hit every single tooth with the minty salve. At some point, the fixer dozed off and began brushing her cheek, smearing the paste all over her face, snapping herself awake. When she turned toward Accelerator, he was already on the floor laughing uncontrollably.

Clarissa turned her embarrassment into anger, kicking at the hysterical magia rolling on the floor.

Accelerator didn’t have an off-button for his laughter and laughed until he vomited into the toilet bowl while Clarissa rubbed his back with one hand while covering her face with the other.

Baby picked-up. Meal set. Silent breakfast.

Accelerator and Clarissa ate silently at the dining table while he stared off into the distance as the baby bounced on Clarissa’s lap, cooing and swiping at a lettuce leaf on her plate. Clarissa’s cheeks were puffed. She worked as a maid before she became a fixer, her food couldn’t have been that bad.

Dishes cleaned. Baby asleep. Check-up time.

Accelerator sat on a chair with his side turned toward Clarissa inside Ordnung’s room. Under the wheezing, grunting, and gesturing directions from the headmaster, she inspected the mechanical arm that had replaced Accelerator’s original, more-human arm. Try as they might, they couldn’t reattach the previous arm, something about incompatibility. The only alternative was a mechanical arm without any of the sensors that allowed Accelerator to perceive any sensation or fine motor control without a lot of manual practice.

Good-byes said. Shoes donned. Door closed.

Accelerator went for a jog per Ordnung’s insistence since they came to Clarissa’s village to recuperate. His limbs felt sluggish, as if the body was rejecting his commands. After only about 15 minutes of jogging around the quaint little village, he was gasping for air and ended up having to walk the rest of the way. Accelerator felt like an imposter inside his own skin.

Sweltering heat. Sweat dripped. Straps in hands.

Accelerator saw them again, those straps only he could see attached to the three coffins behind him. His heart pounded so heavily it was thumping against his ribcage until he could feel cracks beginning to form. Magia have neither heart nor a rib cage.

Door opened. Empty hallway. Bed unmade.

Accelerator lay on the bed, clutching his chest as he laughed, and laughed, and laughed, into the void where laughter and pain go to die. Humans are such fragile creatures. Even with a near-immortal body, they still feel pain, still miss, still crushed by regrets. When he wished his new self would carry those previously unknown feelings into the future, he did not consider how little control he has over them and over himself.

Laughter subsided. Pain dulled. Limbs heavy.

Accelerator sank into the primordial sea of emotions, drowning himself asleep, inside that dark room.

---

Spoiler: Mood

Clarissa cradled the baby as she watched the repeating Accelerator’s loop that he has been stuck in for more than a week since they departed the collapsed MITHRA. Just as she was about to take the baby away from his room, the baby began crying, refusing to be taken away. Knowing that she wouldn’t stop unless she was near her blue-haired father (???), Clarissa took the baby to Accelerator and sat at the edge of the bed while the baby crawled onto his chest and stayed there while his eyes squinted painfully as he slept.

Later that day, Clarissa checked in on Ordnung, who was reading a book while propped up against his pillows. Since he was UI-locked, his body wasn’t as receptive to healings as before. Though damages do heal, the pain and recovery take a lot longer than before. This was well-documented among the UI-locks and something he considered expanding research into, if only the Starcalled could find peace for an extended period of time. When he spotted Clarissa, he noticed concerns and annoyance stressing her normally peppy expressions.

Ordnung took out his journal and began writing in the language she spoke: The core splicing was a complete failure. There is no discernable border between the two halves. At this point, he’s more human than machine and has to wrestle with human emotions. That is a man steeped in depression, the primordial soup that gave birth to some of the greatest works of arts man has ever lay eyes upon and also the force that drive some to jump off of tall buildings.

Clarissa thought about it before a light bulb lit up inside her head. If Accelerator is going through a depressive episode and may be confused about his identity, then they just need to give him a new identity and force a metamorphosis to bring out his new self and teach him how to regulate emotions that humans often take for granted. A smile docked on Clarissa’s lips as she nodded to her incredible idea while her hand cupped her chin.

Ordnung gestured that it was an experiment worth trying. First, a makeover. He made a haircutting gesture. Second, a new fit that’s not his old clothes. He gestured attire. Third, a new name. He put his hand flat on his chest.

Clarissa nodded intensely, buying into this idea. They need to help the robotman make friends and give him a complete makeover so he can weather the storm that had taken over his human heart.

Such a clever girl, that Clarissa. She was so smug and over the moon!

And so, she immediately got to work, reaching out to her contacts to see if they can pull a mundane miracle...

Cycle 1

Rules

• Max 1 reply per character per cycle.
• Max word count is 700 words excluding BBcodes.
• Communication thread.
• Although this is a megathread, it requires a specific setup to join. See the LFG thread for more information.
• Cycle 1 Posting Guidance: The arrival and maybe summary of what happened to your character since Alarm. Most of the interactions afterward will happen in the comms thread.

What the flip is this?

• This is an experimental type of threads under a new tag called [NPC].
• In these types of threads, the focus is on a single NPC where you can get to know them more personally, interact with them, and/or help them advance their personal storyline.
• This thread will explore the aftermath of Alarm from the MIT NPCs' perspective. While it focuses on Accelerator's afterstory, it will also resolve a number of questions and plot threads around the MIT since you are able to interact with both Ordnung and Clarissa.

 

[Luthien]

She’d been surprised when the message of an unknown sender had popped into view, though her suspicions had been alleviated once they’d mentioned being part of the Hermes Post guild. A quick back and forth had revealed the matter at hand and, after some careful deliberations, it’d been decided that she would help with the design and creation of an outfit for a particular someone.

"Let’s see, who’s on today…" A finger slowly swiped through the air as Lúthien looked through the names, before landing on a particular one that gave her pause. Yeah, this might actually work~

With her decision made she’d shot off a message towards Vargold, asking the caenis to meet her at the entrance of Madam Myriil’s Silver Threads. To her surprise he’d actually complied and, after a quick hello, the pair had stepped inside the establishment to look over the available options.

It didn’t take long for him to notice that Lúthien was not in search of something for herself this time around, the elf occasionally picking various male items and asking Ash for his input before nodding and continuing along. He’d eventually asked if she was looking for something to gift Yugam, a well educated guess given what he knew of the blonde, causing her to finally remember she hadn’t quite told Vargold what this was all about.

"Oh no, not this time at least. Seems Clarissa’s in a bit of a pickle, and she needs help getting Accelerator some new clothes." She’d make some for the baby too of course, even if they weren’t necessary. "You two have similar builds, aaand you also have good fashion sense, so figured you wouldn’t mind helping out a friend~?"

With copious amounts of golden coins figuratively burning a hole in her pockets Lúthien had spared no expense when it came to the cost of garments and materials, ensuring that they would have everything needed and then some more. Being a regular patron in the Yladian owned establishment had its perks as well, and she took advantage of those as an order for a new custom bow was placed and paid in full—while the regular longbow she bought for the interim disappeared into the seemingly unlimited space of the UI storage system.

A final quick detour was made as they stopped by Dough Re Mi, it was rude to show up at someone's home empty-handed after all, before the duo headed off for their final location.

​

"Mmm... oh, I think I see it!" A finger pointed towards a cozy little place by a hill, picturesque against the landscape and the clear blue skies above. "That should be the place they’re staying out."

An excited grin shone on her face as the elf walked up the cobbled path towards the main door, giving it three quick and raspy knocks as she called out to those inside. "We’re heeere~"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Chako]

Chako was honestly unsure if she was fitting for the job of a maid, but... Well, Bluebird was kind enough to recommend her, so she was going to go all out! She even borrowed some money from her best friend to be able to get some clothes that wouldn't get in the way while she worked!

Spoiler: Outfit

Finding her way to the home in question wasn't too hard overall... The hard part was actually getting to Astorea, like... Goodness, traveling just took so long in Arcia! Chako really wished she could have hitched a ride in the Ruby express to get here, but she couldn't bother Ruby all the time, so she went there on her own instead.

After arriving... She was quickly given a bunch of work to do. Floors to clean. Clothes to wash. Diapers to change... It was certainly a new experience she was wholly unprepared for, but Chako was giving it her all anyways!

She kinda wished the house's couple wouldn't be so gloomy though. Like... Hello? You have a child here! Smile for her! Play some silly games or something! Sing a lullaby at least!

Chako felt like the mood was too stifling to mention that though, so she was just working while thinking that this was a really terrible idea and she wasn't suited to working near that super gloomy blue-haired father and that she really needed some people to talk with... And then her prayers were answered! The door was knocked on!

Must be the tailor that I was told about! Chako thought and quickly skipped towards the door, "Coming!"

Except... The smell that came from the other side of the door sent shivers down her spine. She could already feel the fur on her tail getting up, and her hair was probably not much better.

Calm down... It must be just a wolf caenis... Nothing to worry about... Chako tried taking deep breaths as she fiddled with the keys to open the door... Until she finally managed to open it and-

"Nya!? W-w-w-w-why are you here!? I-I already told you I couldn't be your daughter! Are you stalking me!?" Chako jumped in place, then hid behind the nearest thing she could find as she saw the giant green-haired wolfman appear... What was his name again? it doesn't really matter, does it? I don't need to know the name of a stalker!

Until a second or two passed and she realized what she was hiding behind... Or rather, who, "A-ah, Luthien!? F-fancy meeting you here! D-do you know him?" And after another second, she realized why Luthien was probably here, "D-didn't know you knew how to tailor! U-uhn... C-come on in! Miss Clarissa and her husband are waiting inside!"

And while Chako said that, she made sure to keep Luthien between her and the giant wolfman... Seriously, why is he here!?

@Ash Vargold @Luthien

 

[Ash Vargold]

A shopping trip wasn't was Ash expected to end up when he logged in, but it was almost certainly better than the alternative options Terrasphere had to offer. Especially after hearing Lúthien's story about MITHRA, which was a mess he'd been ruminating on ever since.

It was probably for the best he'd missed it. While he had plenty of questions regarding the egg and the magia and a million other things, he doubted he would have gotten the answers he wanted.

Unfortunately, it seemed like Lúthien's shopping trip was leading directly into the aftermath of said mess. By the time he'd realized, it was already too late to back out.

---

"I'm still not sure what problem you're hoping to solve with clothes," Ash muttered, letting Lúthien lead the way through the cozy village. "Especially for that Accelerator guy. I know you said it was complicated, but it doesn't make me trust him any more."

He stood back as Lúthien knocked, mostly interested in staying as unobtrusive as a six foot wolfman could hope to be-

"Are you stalking me!?"

-and apparently failed instantly.

"Um... I'm sorry, have we met?" He boggled at the young felis maid, trying to figure out if he'd seen her before, and especially why those were the first words that had come out of her mouth. "I'm just here to give Lúthien a hand."

His puzzled smile was strained as he ducked into the house after the others, all too aware of how the young girl seemed ready to bolt at a moment's notice. I'm not that intimidating, am I...?

...

...wait, husband???

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Kyanna slipped into the place right behind @Ash Vargold and @Luthien as she got to the place. The request for her to do some hairdressing job was surprising, but not as surprising as the people who had requested such a service. But well, a job was a job, and since she knew that everyone had gone through some extremely insane situation very recently, a makeover felt like a great way to distract everyone from... everything..?

Regardless, Kyanna rushed in, tugging @MAI by a hand while she raised and waved the other one in a greeting gesture.

"Hello! Who's ready for some fancy haircut?" Kyanna winked with a grin, with the raised arm having a basket hanging on it, nearly overflowing with multicoloured potions, mushrooms, herbs, and hairdressing wares.

She stepped further, approaching @Chako while offering the basket for the maid (or at least she hoped she was the maid, not the mascot) to hold, along with her long and exagerated witch hat. "Husband? That's surprising, I didn't know they were that close." Not that she knew them a lot anyway.

 

[MAI]

‎

Ever since the whole incident in the bowels of MITHRA, MAI made sure to occasionally drop by and check on those who were left somewhat stranded in the aftermath. Her traveling prospects have crashed since Falderen's decision to frown upon the Starcalled and Magia especially, so at least this had given her something to do here in Astorea.

Today she didn't arrive alone, however. Almost dragged behind Kyanna, the mechanical girl reinforced her tight hold on a brown paper bag in her other hand, eyes darting across all the people who arrived shortly before them.

"Greetings - We are here..."

It was maybe a bit awkward, MAI rarely did well in crowds. But at least not everyone here was a stranger. But at least @Kyanna Wynne was here, even if she was about to get busy with her own task. So in the meantime, the magia presented the bag she was holding onto, directing it at @Chako as well, seeing how the witch's basket was given to the maid as well.

"Explanation - This unit has brought pastries. Sweets have a proven effect of improving one's mood."

 

[Plutopia]

People continued to arrive and she was no different. She arrived. Opening the bedroom window where Ordnung lay, she entered through it as if that was the most natural thing to do in the world. And, lightly dusting herself off, she spoke:

"I'd come to see you about a recovery operation, you know. And yet, here everyone is already moving on with their lives... honestly, I can't but help feel a little unnecessary.”

Her vaguely dispassionate voice carried out over a long sigh as she fiddled with one of her loosely hanging sidelocks to adjust it. Outside, an MIT Bicycle sat against a bush where the bike lock that was attached to it glimmered in the sun. Shutting the window in silence she paced around the room as she continued to look around. Grabbing knickknacks. Putting them back. Adjusting something or another. Finally, she settled on a book that she began leafing through without even bothering to look at the page.

It'd been a long journey.

Glancing over at Ordnung, she broke her own silence, eventually.

"I'm glad... hm... no. That's not right. I hope. Yes. I hope you are as well as you can be. And, that your recuperation has been a pleasant one. Continues to be..."

Her eyes wandered from Ordnung through the bedroom's open door where she could have sworn she saw a number of maids. She made a somewhat complicated expression.

"...or maybe you've been enjoying yourself a little too much."

Glancing back at Ordnung she pointed with her thumb out the door.

"But seriously, what's with all the maids?"

Placing the book back where she found it, she made her way to the room's window sill and leaned against it. In that time she seemed to come to an epiphany.

"Ah, is the king here?"

Then confusion.

"But I thought he was..."

Crossing her arms she tapped her right index finger against her left cheek as she seemingly gazed at the wallpaper for answers.

"...Well, somewhere else. I've missed a lot apparently. Yeah."

And, leaving it at that she simply stopped talking and stared at Ordnung.

It was a look that said, "Well? What now?"

It also said, "I would like some tea."

@Raid Boss

 

[Raid Boss]

Spoiler: Mood

Just as Clarissa was fooled into prepping for the food for the party, she suddenly remembered that she was the brain of the party and that there was a reason why she was gathering people there on Ordnung's behalf.

"Come on, you," she muttered, half-dragging him to his feet. "It's the turn of a new day and a new you. Come on, you have a few people making their visits, let's go say hi."

Accelerator mumbled incoherently, his eyes unfocused and hair sticking up at odd angles as Clarissa guided him into the naturally lit hallway, the bane of all vampires, while ignoring his weak protests.

Pulling the blue-haired youth toward the kitchen, the fixer set the baby down on the counter and called out to her fellow maid, Chako. "Hey Chako, can you stay with the baby for a bit and keep her busy while I deal with Accelerator?"

In the kitchen, she carefully placed the baby on the large counter that had a good amount of surface space and seemed more like a table than a counter. She checked on the child, making sure she was secure. The infant gurgled happily, tiny hands reaching for a wooden spoon nearby.

"There you go, little one," Clarissa said softly. "You can help me keep an eye on our guests while I sort out your papa."

With her hands on her hips and a smile of content, Clarissa felt a surge of nostalgia erupting from her core as she looked around at the busy domestic scene. Although she loved working for the MIT, a part of her missed the frantic yet cozy job of a house-carer, which she had spent most of her teens doing on a large farmstead.

Turning back to Accelerator, who had his back pressed up against the wall, slowly shrinking away from the place where people had gathered, Clarissa smiled as she reached up and grabbed him by the shoulder, "Now, let's get you ready for your makeover. Trust me, you'll feel better once we're done."

The blue recluse shook his head in defiance as Clarissa pushed him into the living room, which had had furniture moved out of the way and instead replaced with a chair that she sat him down on.

"Look! You've got all sorts of acquaintances who have stopped by to check up on you!" Clarissa elbowed the magia, "Pshhh... say something…"

"Hey… long time no see… Haha… Hope you guys have been doing well..." Accelerator dryly greeted the people he saw.

· · ·​

Amidst the chatter and movement, the baby sat on the kitchen counter, her eyes wide with wonder. Each new face that entered the room was a source of fascination for the infant who had successfully grabbed the elongated wooden spoon.

Ash's towering form and furry ears and tail had her reaching out, trying to grab at the poofy texture. Chako's frantic and audible energy seemed to amuse the child. She giggled at the maid's antics.

When Kyanna swept in with her colorful basket of hairdressing supplies, the baby's eyes sparkled with excitement. The multi-hued potions and shimmering tools were like a box of treasure to the infant's curiosity and imagination.

MAI's mechanical form caught the baby's attention next. The infant tilted her head, clearly intrigued by the magia's unique appearance. When MAI presented the bag of pastries, the baby began drooling.

· · ·​

In Ordnung's bedroom, the atmosphere was markedly different from the lively gathering in the main part of the house. There was a calm tension between the three people inside the room and anyone who walked in on that awkward exchange.

· · ·​

As if Clarissa's humble abode wasn't lively enough, a boisterous knock echoed through the house.

When those knocks went unanswered for a minute too long, the door swung open to introduce two figures: a tall, broad-shouldered man with slicked-back silver hair, an eyepatch, and a mischievous glint in his amber eye. Beside him was an equally strapping companion in a blue-greenish ponytail and also an eyepatch. The thing that set the two apart was the fact that the blue-greenish haired lad had a lute slung over his shoulder.

"Yo-yo, hope we're not too late for the party! Heard we got a boy to cheer up??" Ivan bellowed, his voice filling the room, his arms laden with bottles of various shapes and sizes, adult liquor sloshing inside each time he moved.

The bard accompanying him looked around the quaint room.

Ivan's eyes scanned the room, lighting up when they landed on Clarissa. A faint blush crossed his cheeks, which he quickly masked with a broad grin. "Hey Clarissa! Ya doing alright? How's the headmaster? Oh yeah, I brought a bunch of fun things, where should I sit these babies down?"

Clarissa, who was caught off-guard by Ivan's boisterous entrance, looked up from the sitting Accelerator in a fluster as she panic-gestured towards the kitchen. "Oh, um, over there is fine. Thanks, Ivan."

As Ivan made his way to the kitchen, he paused by Accelerator, clapping him on the shoulder. "Hey buddy, heard you were depressed? Nothing a lil sparkling spirit and a skilled bard can't fix, eh?" Ivan winked down at the deflated blue crow's nest.

Accelerator forced a dry smile, the first hint of emotion he'd shown all day.

Ivan's companion meanwhile introduced himself to the people in the living room. In particular, he approached Clarissa and took her hand and laid a peck there. "Hello, hello. My name is Francisco, a bard who frequents this region. Nice to meet you. A little birdy told me someone needed cheering up, so I brought my finest lute today. Good music and a good drink can cure anyone's sadness."

Ivan's voice could be heard from the kitchen, "Oy, hands off the lady, playboy." Before he could march back out to the living room, he found one of his fingers being grappled by the baby, rooting him in place while he was trying to talk to Clarissa from the kitchen. "W-wha, Clarissa, who is this baby. AAH, d-don't tell me this is the overnight baby I heard about, w-who's the father?! Don't tell me you called me over to cheer up your baby daddy, because I ain't cool with that!"

Clarissa was as red as beets when she yelled across the house, "NO! That's the keychild, don't say stuff that can be misunderstood like that, stupid Ivan!!!"

"Oh phew, don't baby-scare me like that…" Ivan took a deep breath and wiped his brows as he leaned down on the counter to look at the baby. "So you're the keybaby, huh?"

"Ugaah!" the baby cooed affirmatively.

"Wait, does that make me your uncle or something?" Ivan thought aloud.

"Ugaah?" the baby cooed questioningly.

In the living room, Francisco smiled empathetically before he eyed down Ash. With a hand cupping his chin, he inspected the Caenis. "So, this is what an ill-rumored starcalled looks like in person, hmm? You folks are always such a font of inspiration for my songs."

Cycle 2

Rules

• Max 1 reply per character per cycle.
• Max word count is 700 words excluding BBcodes.
• Communication thread.
• Although this is a megathread, it requires a specific setup to join. See the LFG thread for more information.
• Check the thread companion post if you need help or context around some of these characters.

Meta

• Cycle 2 is still very much an introduction and socializing cycle, feel free to hop in whenever and wherever it's convenient for your character(s).
• Use this cycle to get to know these NPCs and interact with one another. Questions them about things you're curious about or enjoy some chill socialization.
• To keep things a bit more manageable, we're going to divide this thread into different scenes in Cycle 3, where there may be some dice rolling!

Spoiler: What the flip is this?

• This is an experimental type of threads under a new tag called [NPC].
• In these types of threads, the focus is on a single NPC where you can get to know them more personally, interact with them, and/or help them advance their personal storyline.
• This thread will explore the aftermath of Alarm from the MIT NPCs' perspective. While it focuses on Accelerator's afterstory, it will also resolve a number of questions and plot threads around the MIT since you are able to interact with both Ordnung and Clarissa.

 

[Chako]

Chako suddenly got very confused with Luthien's words. Enough that she barely noticed the cold bottle touching her... Wait, the baby came from an egg? So... Miss Clarissa is a bird beastfolk? She doesn't look like one, but I guess...?

And while Chako was thinking that... Suddenly, Luthien wasn't here anymore, "W-wait, where did she-!?" Her eyes met with Ash's.

She saw herself back in that forest again... The fur in her tails went up. Calm down. She took a step back. He is not a threat. Her pupils dilated. Don't worry- Run. Her whole body started trembling. There's nothing to worry- Run. Chako tried taking a deep breath. Run!

"Chako"

She heard nothing else. Chako just latched onto her name like a saving grace, she was running towards miss Clarissa without even thinking twice about it, "C-coming!"

Chako ran blindly to the kitchen, and as soon as she arrived there, she laid her back against the wall. Panting heavily. Trying to recover some semblance of control over herself...

It was scary. It was scary! Why did Luthien leave her alone like that!?

The smell was still here... She knew she was still here... It's okay... It's okay... He's not a threat. He's not a threat... The distance helped. Chako could think a bit more clearly now.

She tried taking deep breaths. She tried calming herself down... And only now, she could try grasping the situation around her.

... Who is this person that's holding miss Clarissa's daughter's finger?

Then came the shout... It stung. Chako's ears were now ringing... She could hardly understand what was shouted due to the pain in her ears... Keychild? What did that even mean?

... Wait, hold on... What is the baby doing in a counter!? "N-nyaaaa!?"

She couldn't understand what was being said anymore, but Chako didn't care, she just rushed towards the baby and cradled her in her arms. I'm glad I learned how to hold my little cousin before, back when he was born...

Chako was a bit worried that the baby was holding a wooden spoon, as it would be better if the baby had something soft to hold instead, but... This was probably fine.

And on the other hand... Oh. There was a finger there.

Chako looked up while still cradling the baby in her arms. She saw a scary guy with an eyepatch... Well, not as scary as Ash was for her, but he would probably be scarier for a baby... Yet the baby didn't seem to mind, so that was fine.

... What was the baby's name again? I think I never asked.

"Uhn... Hi, I'm Chako." She told the man... Honestly, she still could hardly hear her own words... Why did miss Clarissa have to shout so loudly...?

 

[Harper]

Okay Harper... You got this. You got this. Just turn the doorknob and go...



--

Harper was good at many things. Fighting, Studying, Cooking. Heck, she had heard from some friends that she a very good singing voice(Though she wasn't sure this transfered from real life. Need to ask Vina later.)

But when it came to dealing with babies... As a single child, it was definitely uncharted territory.

But in no world she would deny Clarissa's invitation to check up on Emmie. Not only did she want to know how the person she had known since Calculator was faring, she had invested a lot of body mileage in ensuring they had acquired Emmie from the Aristocrata. In fact, she was still covered in bandages all over, from her limbs to her torso to even her neck. So she owned to her own current pains to go and check-up on the magia infant.

Though... Her real-life experience with "baby parties" had teached her that she should probably bring a gift. And when it came to something fit for a baby... Only a doll came to mind. And Harper knew where she could get one.

--

"Here dearie, wove this one just the other day~"

Handed over to Harper was a dainty crochet doll. She inspected it up and down, before smiling back at the old lady and putting the doll into her player inventory after giving the weaver the necessary payment.

The beastkin had gotten acquainted with the old lady after recovering some materials she had ordered which were intercepted by bandits, and since then she and the old lady had small chats whenever she visited Honeyhome.

Just as the tigress prepared to turn away and leave, the old lady raised her voice in corner.

"Pardon me if I come off as rude, dearie Harper... But are you going there just like that?"

Harper stopped for a moment, a bit puzzled at what she meant, before rationalizing it and letting out a awkward chuckle.

"Ahahah... I guess I do look like a half-chewed piece of dry beef right now, huh... Afraid I don't got much else better to wear, however."

"Oh no no, this is a special occasion, you can't give the baby the wrong impression about you dearie! And I still owe you a favor from back then."The old lady smiled, puffing her chest."I'll let you know, this old lady here was one of the most sought after damsels back in her good days, so just let me take care of it! I should still have my favorite outfit stuffed somewhere... Here~"

Whatever complaints Harper had would be quickly smushed once her eyes saw the outfit picked for her. She couldn't deny its value and craftsmanship, but... It was definitely very, VERY far off from her usual pick of attire.

Still, she couldn't bring herself to shut down the weaver's enthusiasm, so with a nod of acceptance she took the garments. Well, as long as she doesn't stumble upon anyone she knows, it should be fine...?

---

Eventually, she arrived at the destination. Knocking a few times on the door to announce her presence before slowly opening it, those inside would be presented with a beastkin in a rather fancy outfit.

Her hopes of not letting anyone see her in the dress were quickly dashed as she immediately spotted @Ash Vargold , @Luthien and @MAI , the tigress freezing for a moment before just shaking her head softly and giving all of them a shy wave of welcome. Looking around, she eventually spotted Emmie in the hands of @Chako , and walked towards the both of them as she scratched her head nervously.

"H-Hey there! I was also... You know, invited by Clarissa and all... Ah, I brought something for Emmie!" She opened her inventory, materializing the doll back into reality from it."Children like dolls, right? So I went and bought one... H-Hope she likes it."

She brought the doll a bit closer to the baby's face, before softly waving it from side to side, hoping to everything that's sacred that she made the right choice. She already had one possible embarassment to her name today already.

 

[MAI]

‎

An awful lot of people were starting to crowd the place. And while MAI did glance toward the room with MIT's leader, she figured it would be best to keep him to his company. She had never really met him in person, after all. Surely he had plenty on his plate than to meet another new face, especially one as... mechanical as the source of many of his past troubles.

Nay, she instead locked onto the keychild. Barely paying any attention to the two strangers who suddenly arrived, she bumped into Ivan's side with hopefully enough force (perks of mechanical frame aided by gravity magic) to send him flying across the room, taking his place in front of Chako who was now holding the baby. Her synthetic eyes locked onto Emmie for a while.

"Query - Are you Emmie's nanny? Has she been eating well? Has a full physical evaluation been performed yet? Given the Keychild's nature, it would be wise to pay special attention to the state of her body - is she fully organic or does she contain magia components?"

The sudden barrage of questions directed at the feline beastfolk probably did not help her much, given how she looked like already. So MAI slowed down a tad, her expression growing softer...

"...has... she been happy, even without her mother..?"

But as soon as Harper stepped in, the magia moved herself to the side to make way for the tigress and the doll she was holding. A much better distraction for the baby than the visage of a frantic magia who knew not how to act around children, surely.

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash raised his hands as @Chako went on the attack, ears flattened. He still had no idea what her deal was, but it was obviously something deeper than a pronoun. "Look, I'm not trying to start a fight. I'm just here to help Lúthien out."

Lúthien, who... had wandered off with the drinks. Ash frowned as he turned his attention away from the furious felis and towards the growing crowd filling up the house. This was starting to seem less like an intervention and more like a party. Speaking of which, there was another familiar face joining the group.

"Oh, hi Harper. The new outfit looks nice."

Ash lowered his hands with a sigh as the frantic felis moved on to join the baby crowd. Now he could turn his attention to the growing crowd in the room, including the blue-haired star of the show himself, who seemed to be desperately trying to clip through the furniture.

This seems like a disaster in the making... Accelerator was weird, and Lúthien didn't have a clear answer as to what exactly he was. Lander? UI-lock? Some secret third thing? Nothing he really needed to get involved in, but...

...well, if the man had a breakdown in the middle of a party, it was going to get pretty awkward.

But before he could make up his mind on whether it was worth intervening, he found himself being examined by the self-proclaimed "bard". It made him a little uncomfortable, for some reason. "One of them, at least," he said, expression carefully neutral as he glanced towards Accelerator. "And one that's a bit too busy for stories right now. Hey, you!

He gestured towards Accelerator (or whatever his name actually was), then tilted his head in the direction of the other rooms. "Lúthien will need your measurements for the clothing. Did you want to do that now or later?"

@Raid Boss @Luthien

 

[Luthien]

"Yeah... I suppose it is." She picked vanilla solely because it had seemed the safest option between the three, unwilling to make a choice that might make the woman or Ordnung uncomfortable, and yet Lúthien couldn't help but smile slightly as her words.

It might've not been the exact day when Emmy was born... but that didn't mean the couldn't celebrate her today, right?

"Oooh, you certainly know your teas well Sophi~"

It made sense considering the existence of the tea set in Ordnung's room, though it wasn't often she came across others that enjoyed them—most seemed to gravitate for the coffee alternative instead. Rooibos... It wasn't one she had particularly tasted, though she knew of the herbal brew—a perfect substitute to black or green tea for those that couldn't handle caffeine well.

​

Things were certainly getting livelier in a different part of the house, the murmur of new voices easy to catch due to the open door in the headmaster’s room. Here silence reigned for the most part, though the occasional scratches of pens on papers signaled the two lovebirds—she had to stifle a laugh at the thought—were carrying on their conversation while she brewed the tea.

A good thing really, otherwise the tea set might’ve suffered an accident at the mention of children.

　

Ash Vargold

sending the victim your way​

"Oh, that’s right." The message that popped into view reminded the ranger of the reason she’d been asked to come today, her fingers quickly fluttering through the air as she sent a response. "Almost forgot."

　

Lúthien Ash Vargold

I’m in Ordnung’s room making some tea for his ex… I’ll fill you in on all that later~​

She’d finished brewing just as the caenis and the star of today’s plans finally arrived, the warm cup offered to Sophi before her attention turned to the two figures by the door. "Glad to see you up and about, Accelerator." With the tea properly handed over she turned to the blue-haired magia, a couple of clicks into the air soon causing the final beverage she’d stored away to appear.

"Wasn’t sure what you’d prefer, so I got you a mocha from the bakery~"

@Accelerator | @Ash Vargold | @Ordnung | @Sophi

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

"Oh, hello! It seems like my dear customer is finally awake. Let me know when you are ready for our little session!" Kyanna winked while mimicking scissors cuts with her left hand, soon refocusing in her basket of beauty products while more insane misunderstandings and assumptions were brought by the newcomers that only made the place even more crowded.

Thankfully Kyanna managed to keep an eye and focus tight into her goods, enough to notice the cute baby showing interest in her fun selection of potions, herbs and shroomies. A bubbly grin crossed her lips whenever the baby was close enough. "Oh cutie, you like these?" She giggled, tapping the basket while the mushroom inside of a flask pressed its face against the glass surface, trying to take a closer look at the baby.

GuUuh... OoOooorph...

Kyanna flicked the flask, catching the attention of the mushroom as she shook her head. "Nope, you can't leave." She responded.

Her gaze then quickly shifted to @MAI, noticing her question that felt grim to the witch, that nudged her softly. "Is this really the kind of thing you want to ask near the baby?" She asked quietly, leaning in with a pout. "I know she doesn't understand us yet, but still!"

 

[Pandora*]

Nin
Mathematician

"Pesky explorer. Adding so much to my travel time As if I cannot calculate my own medical requirements."

The grumbling of the bespectacled green hair was more than a little audible as she approached the residence. Her dress was more casual today as it was her time off. Her ears as always, were neatly blended into her hair and topped with a hat.

Between having to manage the aftermath of the Szofrit incident at MITHRA and her own health after her greatly regretted trip to the Godshroom. Nin had returned to her reclusive lab work and hoped to spend more time with her pet goose.

Alas it was not to be a long respite.

Knocking on the door, Nin discovered it was open and just walked into the kitchen.

"Common sense has dropped by 75%. Isn't there a child here? It's not safe to just allow anyone into your home."

Nin would have to check on the Headmaster's sanity.

Her eyes from behind thick rimmed glasses gave a swift glance at everyone present, and finally the baby. After a awkward silence. A sigh and sweat upon her brow was all that was needed to show her general mood. Especially as her gaze fell onto a certain orange furred beastfolk and the frown only deepened. Just because that "whatever her name was" was here didn't mean mushrooms.

A horde of killer magia?
A acceptable value.
A swarm of demonic insects?
A valid additive.
Fungi?
Null.

Without further ado, Nin pulled out her folder for Ordnung. Work always comes before fun.

If there was anything fun here to begin with.
Not a goose to be seen.

"Excelsior."

With that greeting perhaps all she needed to add to the problem here. She would make her way through the house to the Headmaster. Hopefully without added time.

Nin

Nin has joined the thread!

(However she is focused on her job and won't initiate any interactions of her own.)
@Raid Boss

 

[Raid Boss]

Spoiler: Mood

Just as Clarissa was fooled into prepping for the food for the party, she suddenly remembered that she was the brain of the party and that there was a reason why she was gathering people there on Ordnung's behalf.

"Waaait a minute, now is not the time for me to get bogged down by kitchen work!" Clarissa dropped what she was doing and straightened up. "Keep those drinks coming."

"Aye ma'am!" Ivan shouted without thinking while measuring the ratio of his mix with his single good eye.

While she worked to loosen up her apron, she whipped her head back to Ivan a second one, "Wait, Ivan, is the perimeter secure?"

Without answering her, Ivan immediately raised his hand up to his ear and fondled his lobe. A tiny sound could be heard playing in his ear before he formed a thumbs up with the same hand.

"OKAY! Let's get this party started!" Clarissa chimed as she rushed out of the kitchen.

· · ·​

The first place she headed to was the headmaster's room, which door she slammed inside, nearly giving the older man a heart attack as he conversed with Sophi through his notebook.

"I know you're hurting, headmaster, but it's time for you to leave this gloomy room and join us downstairs," Clarissa smiled as she marched over to Ordnung's bedside and pulled him out of his tangled nest. "Come on Miss Sophistria, help me get the headmaster downstairs. I even fixed my great grampa's rocking chair for him. It's a real honor for an elder to take that seat, you know?" Clarissa exclaimed.

Ordnung had a look about him that wanted to correct his peppy fixer about how old he was, but he decided it wasn't a worth pursuing. He let out a voiceless groan as he got out of bed and reached for his walking cane.

· · ·​

Next, Clarissa stormed into Accelerator's room to find that he had just finished getting help with clothes fitting with the elf and the caenis. With gusto, she headed toward the blue-haired magia and wrapped herself around his arm like a python and pulled him out to the living room where a spinning stool and some hairstyling equipment had already been set up for him.

"It's time for your makeover, Accelerator!" the fixer chimed loudly, sitting the surprised youth down on the stool.

"Wha-" Accelerator could barely get a word in before he was completely caught up in the hurricane that was Clarissa.

In his seat, he saw that Ordnung was on the other side of the spacious living room seated in the Clarissa's treasured grampa chair.

Upon seeing the headmaster rocking back and forth, the keybaby wiggled her little arms in front on her in his direction urging the adults to take her over there.

"Agaah!" the baby whined.

"With all the identity crises playing out in your head, the headmaster and I thought it was best to give you a makeover, which is kind of like a new identity. That might help you compartmentalize your emotions and may help differentiate merged memories as well." Clarissa explained while looking at Ordnung.

Ordnung scribbled writing on his notepad before raising it up for the blue-haired magia and everyone else within vicinity to read, "I am not one for such sloppy work, but the situation was beyond urgent. The body you currently inhabit and the memories associated with it belonged to a Starcalled named Accelerator was brought in the same day with a severely broken core, those with Starcalled sight informed me that he had already passed, but we were unable to revive him. When Team Ego brought your core back, merging both of your core was the only way we had to save both of you. I'm sorry."

Accelerator shook his head, "No, I am grateful that you and some of the others here had saved me. Though I am wrought by complicated thoughts about the matter, I'm glad I will be able to carry the good memory of her forward at the very least." He paused and looked at the baby before continuing, "Plus, I have a new purpose now."

"Can you still not access the memory of the data stored inside the Dragonship?" Clarissa asked.

"Every time I tried to access it, it crowds my mind with credential error. I'm sorry I'm not able to help with that." he apologized with a lowered head.

Ordnung replied in writing, "That's quite alright. Just focus on getting used to your new life. I'm sure we will find the answers we're looking for when the condition is right." The headmaster reassured him.

"Anyways! It's time for you to think of a new name for yourself! It feels wrong to call you Accelerator or Ahylios when you're neither of these people. If you can't think of a good name, I'm sure France over there can think of something fitting for you. Bards are master wordsmiths, are they not?"

"Well now, being good at words is very different than naming someone, Miss Clarissa," France chimed as he peaked his head out of the kitchen, an apron wrapped around his lithe body and a chef knife in hand. "But if you were to ask for my professional opinion, how about a combination of the former names? Acelios? You could even do Lios for short."

The blue-haired magia muttered to himself as though he was in deep thoughts, "Acelios... Lios... Acelios..."

CLAP!!!

Clarissa suddenly made a loud clap as she wrapped a thin sheet around the pondering Accelerator's neck before spinning him around in his stool, "OKAY! Kitchen team, assemble food and drinks for the party! Babysitting team, make sure Emmie is watched! My team, we're going to give this magia a complete renovation! Let's do this!!!" the fixer chimed as she pumped her fist in the air, her free hand snapping the glimmering scissors with glee as she approached the nervous Accelerator with sparks in her eyes.

"Ugaah!" the baby cooed excitedly in response to Clarissa's explosive energy.

Cycle 3

Rules

• Max 1 reply per character per cycle.
• Max word count is 700 words excluding BBcodes.
• Communication thread.
• Although this is a megathread, it requires a specific setup to join. See the LFG thread for more information.
• Check the thread companion post if you need help or context around some of these characters.

Meta

• Cycle 3 is divided into 3 scenes/objectives.
• Each scene is close enough that conversation can be heard, however, individual actions are contained in the specific scene you're joining.
• NPCs will help out with the rolling last in case there aren't enough people for rolling.
• Use the last available expertise list for the rolls below. You can pick what your expertise level is at for these scenes. Use the new progression scaling 10 (D) 15 (C) 25 (B) 30 (A) 40 (S).
• Any expertise may be used as long as they make sense!
• Please make it clear which scene you're in in your post!

Scenes

• Food Prep: Whip up a nice meal for the party. This is a coordinated expertise challenge, each person may make an expertise check of DC 50+ to add to contribute to the group challenge: [4 successes] is required before reaching 2 failures (something funny, albeit unfortunate happens). Culinary gets an extra +10.
  
  
• Accelerator's Makeover: Give Accelerator new clothes and hairstyle. This is a coordinated expertise challenge, each person may make an expertise check of DC 50+ to add to contribute to the group challenge: [4 successes] is required before reaching 2 failures (something funny, albeit unfortunate happens). Esthetics and Tailoring get an extra +10.
  
  
• Babysitting Emmie: This is the social scene, interact or talk with Ordnung or the baby.

Spoiler: What the flip is this?

• This is an experimental type of threads under a new tag called [NPC].
• In these types of threads, the focus is on a single NPC where you can get to know them more personally, interact with them, and/or help them advance their personal storyline.
• This thread will explore the aftermath of Alarm from the MIT NPCs' perspective. While it focuses on Accelerator's afterstory, it will also resolve a number of questions and plot threads around the MIT since you are able to interact with both Ordnung and Clarissa.

 

[Chako]

Chako flinched again as miss Clarissa kept on shouting... It really hurt her ears a lot... Did she never interact with a beastfolk in her life or something!?

Either way, Chako kept on holding and playing with Emmie as... Well, a lot of noise went on.

And then Chako started hearing people get dragged around and... "Oh, what's this, Emmie? Do you like the rocking chair?" Chako smiled and poked Emmie's cheeks before moving towards the living room and approaching the old man on the rocking chair.

Although... She stopped short of giving him Emmie, as she was getting more and more worried about this baby's well-being the more she stayed here, "Do you know how to hold a baby properly, grandpa?" Chako asked him... Emmie seemed to be very interested in going there though, so Chako was probably going to need to give her to him either way... Better be safe than sorry though!

... When did this grandpa even get here anyways though?

And while Chako thought that, she heard a bunch of very confusing things... Name change? Different identities? Dragonship? Chako was seriously confused... Was miss Clarissa's husband involved in the crimes of Emmie's birth parents or something, so he needs a name change to be hidden from the Lions? So we're actually housing a criminal here? This... Looks like a mess.

And then Chako flinched once more and her tears flew freely from her eyes as miss Clarissa shouted... Again! Like... Come on! It really hurts, you know!?

"You better grow up to be a nice lady that doesn't shout near people with good ears, Emmie..." Chako muttered... She was already struggling to hear her own voice due to the ringing in her ears though.

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash frowned as the conversation happened. Well, at least they weren't being secretive about it. It meant he didn't have to go snooping through Ordnung's trash for discarded papers. So he is different. Knew it.

Tail wagging, he went to the work of laying out and sorting the various outfits he and Lúthien had picked out. It was a odd mix, showcasing everything from practical daily wear to the edge of modern Starcalled fashion.

Ash glanced towards Lúthien, only to see her approaching Ordnung and... luring him to the kitchen? Damn it, Lúthien, I was supposed to be the one helping you

"Right... so we got a few different styles here. Don't just worry about how it looks - pay attention to which materials you like or dislike. If you hate something, speak up."

He pulled out a sewing kit (newly restocked, thanks to @Luthien), and started matching thread colors to fabric. "Most of this stuff is going to be large - easier to take clothes in than let them out. So don't worry if it doesn't fit."

...but well, if "Accelerator's" babysitters were occupied, then maybe some small talk was in order...
@Raid Boss @Luthien

Rolls

1d100 (64) 35 = 99 (Success)
Accelerator's Makeover | B: Tailoring | Ash Vargold | C3

Accelerator's Makeover: 1/4 successes

 

[Pandora*]

Nin

Mathematician

Seeing that Ordnung and the baby had been brought together. Nin would end up besides the Headmaster. With this many people, being too open about the specifics of the humanoid and MIT matters was unwise. So the green haired, animal eared scientist remained silent.

Not interacting with anyone as long as she was able. The talks went on and the entertaining of the child was underway. Finally Nin reached out a hand to the taller woman, Clarissa and with a unamused expression spoke.

"If you would? Once I complete her examination I can head home."

Receiving Emmie, Nin held her as if she was holding a explosive.

"Children are a mathematical miracle, however I lack the talents of a mother. I will keep this quick and return her to you."

Sitting down and taking out a tool similar in design to those she used during the creation of the Serenity Mist during the Red Fever plague. Nin ran it over Emmie's body from above. It shined a light down on her. Turning her over awkwardly Nin did the same from her back. All the while using her fingers to perform a simple physical.

Nin began to write a couple of notes. Some were in common but others were in some form of code. One of which was a note on the increased percentage of flesh to the metallic compounds that magia are known for. As well as the growth rate being higher than a human.

Then she removed the baby's diaper with such a face that did not match the revulsion of shrooms.

Thus: Baby Poop > Fungus was now a Nin fact.

Placing the waste into a container and then into a bag at her waist. Nin pressed a button and the bag condensed tightly around the container and her hip. Thankfully this also restricted any odors from following the Mathematician around.

"I will leave the replacement for someone with a higher child care value to do."

Nin lifted the baby up one last time and her look of distaste changed to a thoughtful expression.

"You gave us a lot of complex problems. Such a great division for one considered to have life. You will outlast us won't you? Perhaps you will do better than us. I hope you are raised with a much higher value than me."

She felt her glasses falling so she quickly handed Emmie back to whoever wanted her for fun baby time or whatnot. Adjusting them as she nodded to the Headmaster and prepared to make her leave for her version of fun: Privacy and Geese.

"Have a positive day. I will subtract myself now."

Nin would now exit the household.

Nin

Nin is exiting. This is her last cycle.

@Raid Boss

 

[Raid Boss]

Ordnung nodded at Nin when she made her exit before he turned his attention back to @Luthien.

Although Luthien failed to adequately convince the scientist to pick up his mixological craft, her silent insistence and particularly helpful contribution to the MIT since they took the golden egg in has chained the stiff man with social obligation. Although he didn't want to, Ordnung stood up from his rocking chair and headed into the kitchen with the assistance of his cane. When Ivan saw the serious look on the headmaster's face, he instinctively made room as the man took a center stage presence behind the island wooden counter where everyone present was able to see him.

The kitchen's soft amber lights caught the edge of Ordnung's sleeve as he adjusted his cuffs with characteristic precision. After he released the button immediate below his Adam's apple, he reached for a crystal mixing glass with the same deliberate grace he brought to wielding his pen.

Like a conductor guiding his orchestra toward harmony, Ordnung's movements were mathematical in their accuracy. The man extended his hand toward Ivan without looking up, forcing the silver-haired eyepatch into becoming his assistant like an imposing surgeon.

Ordnung spun the bottle in his palm after Ivan passed it to him, catching the container with the mouth down. 45ml of the base measured to the droplet, 22.5ml of the flavored catalyst in a perfect arc, two precise dashes of bitters. Each ingredient, carefully calculated in ratio. The ice cubes clinked against the glass as he stirred, counting each rotation with the same focus he brought to his technique at work.

It was exactly 45 seconds later when he lifted the stirring spoon, not a moment more or less. The pour into the chilled coupe glass was smooth and controlled, the liquid catching the light like silk. A single expressed orange peel, and the drink was complete, perfectly balanced as all things should be.

The blonde spend some time producing a few more drinks, the headmaster's specials, so pristine they draw all eyes interested in a good drink to its glistening radiance.

[ 2 Successes Added to Food Prep ]​