WEEK 3 - NIGHTSHADE

[foundationmods]

Finally, the whole truth of this affair had come out.

The Witch they had known as Yuuko was actually Nirrti, the Witch of Misfortune.
And Watanuki was actually the real Witch of Dimensions, as the two of them fought over the power that title brought, as well as the name and identity of a long dead woman...🗈

Though things had finally changed, perhaps it wouldn't be for the better. Nirrti herself seemed much different than how she was before, and Watanuki was the one who had brought all of them here...with that in mind, it was hard to tell how their future would shake out...

However, it wasn't all bad. A few more places were open to them, the second floor becoming a much more inviting place to be, and there was still everything they had gotten used to before. And now, they all knew that Nirrti's promises were nothing but empty air...

...or, perhaps, now they would merely change.

MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

CALENDAR | LOCATIONS | PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS | NIRRTI PC POST | WATANUKI PC POST

Comments

[anonnomnomnom]

We weren't in Japan during the height of summer, but I've heard it's hotter than hell! I don't think I've tried kakigouri, myself.

[He absolutely says the first bit in a droll way because come on, hell may be something people use to scare their kids but technically it's just. Where he lives. Thanks.

There's a small cheer when Mama goes full FLAMES ON THE SIDE OF HER FACE or whatever because why not.]

Hahaha, you woke up the demon with too much salt.

[sotoshini]

[ That gets an amused huff because he was focusing on the game until Mama just actually goes up in flames. There's also a mumbling that his favorite flavor was melon, but that's forgotten now given his current failure. ]

That's supposed to exorcise them not wake them up! [ And he knows firsthand because of another obaasan from Sotoba. Augh just, ok next step. Butter on a pan he can do this.

...now he's aggravated so he misses a few spots but it's enough to pass in any case. At least Mama's no longer on fire, just passive aggressively disappointed? ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[I'm making it thread meta canon, we're stating it for the record, Melon Is The Best Flavor. Maybe one day Anon will know the joys of kakigouri or melon in the midst of a sticky Japanese heat wave, but for now he's basking in the comfortable weather here and the heat inflicted by Mama's disapproval.]

Exorcise them, huh... I don't think I'd want to be that kind of demon if I can't even have salt in my food. Can you imagine?

[It sounds like a whole Shakespearean tragedy, y'all??]

There sure are a lot of steps to mess up on.

[sotoshini]

[ One day after causing chaos as a byproduct of them being themselves, they'll get to enjoy a nice melon kakigouri and maybe melon pan. Moving onto the next stage (cooking the steak), his replies come in bursts as he concentrates. ]

I think they can eat salt. But you're supposed to throw it at them or something? I don't know no one's ever tried that on me.

[ The pressing of the steak went ok, but constantly having to play with the heat was annoying. Yeah that's a bronze. Not quite flame level failure but close enough. ]

Hn, I cooked the steak isn't that good enough? [ Offering the controller here if Anon wants it because how many more steps are there to cook a steak ffs. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

Oh, do they try to exorcise you guys like demons or something? I've heard there's all kinds of crazy and interesting rituals that you get to see!

[Anon, this isn't demon tourism. But okay, he's laughing because now both the steak and Mama are on fire?? There's so much fire in this hell's kitchen.]

I'm starting to feel like this might be a ritual on its own, actually. It seems easier than actually cooking it, buuut... [he's going to accept the controller because wow this is taking forever, and then it takes twice forever to do this sauce and jeez] I don't remember any sauce ever taking this long!

[That's probably because most sauce ever is store bought or something?? He does pretty well for a majority of it but he totally starts messing around in the last half because wow.]

[sotoshini]

Some of the obaasans tried. Crosses and ofuda and things like that work, but they're more deterrents than harmful. They're just really uncomfortable and hard to be around.

[ So are bells which might be why he avoided Wheatley for a bit after that library excursion. Back to the game though, he just sighs at the ridiculousness of it all. ]

Maybe if she catches on fire enough she'll turn into a demon at the end. Whenever the end is.

[anonnomnomnom]

Oh, so it's more like bug spray and stuff like that?

[Don't compare vampires to mosquitoes?? Even though they both suck blood. It's fine.

He's been yawning his way through the sauce, but once the radish grating starts? He actually jumps to his feet and goes all out because there's so much motion there that the perpetual motion machine can get a work out. Go go go go go-- Wait.]

Wait, so we have to let her really catch on fire? So...

[Man, he wanted to finish up that radish. But he lets that one go, and then the next thing, well. He wouldn't know how to garnish a steak to save his life so he just literally throws everything on top. Open sandwich steak season it is.

Now Mama's just kind of on fire and sounding a little like a robot cheering them on...]

[sotoshini]

Hn, I guess. I haven't bothered with the chapel for that reason.

[ Whether he could go inside or not, it would probably be really uncomfortable so pass. Watching the game with anticipation, he probably glances Anon's way at the garnishing. That's a lot of things on top, he can barely see the steak! ]

...did we do something wrong that she turned into a busted robot instead?

[anonnomnomnom]

Right! I think that was only here so a bunch of us could set it on fire, anyway.

[Anon doesn't have especially strong feelings on churches one way or the other, except maybe as yet another vehicle of humans being terrible. His impression of humans sure is a thing at this point.

He just beams back at Natsuno when he glances over, though. There's no sense in leaving out food, even if it's technically virtual food. Speaking of which, though...]

Hahahaha, I think she gave up on us! Maybe we need to fail a whole bunch of things before she really gets to her final form? [he at least mildly knows video game terminology by now] Though, that steak took so long that I'm actually hungry now just from staring at it for so long.

[And indeed his stomach is grumbling quite handily. Snack break?]

[sotoshini]

Too bad it came back. Maybe that means we should just burn it again. [ #mood and their cr in a nutshell. ]

Mmm, that makes sense. That must be why there's so many save slots. [ Tohru was the gamer, he just watched so rip their cooking mama playthrough. ]

You wanna get food?

[anonnomnomnom]

Mm, if the buildings here just come back all the time, I wonder why Nirrti kept saying not to break things. Maybe the goats are just lazy?

[They should totally definitely set the chapel on fire again, though. At some point!!

He bounces up to his feet, though, and stretches happily. His stomach is still grumbling but he seems satisfied with just the prospect of food at the moment.]

Since there's enough save slots, we can worry about her later. I'm totally up for eating something!

[sotoshini]

[ Nodding to the goats laziness. It's either that or something similarly dumb, Natsuno is sure. He stands smoothing out the wrinkles in his pants. ]

We can pick something easier than a steak next time, like a sandwich or something. [ That can't be too hard, right? ]

Hmn, I can try and eat something too. [ He's not really hungry and he usually only eats the bare minimum he has to, but this is being social or something? Yeah? Yeah. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

A sandwich is just bread with something in between, right? I bet you could fit a whole steak and all the toppings in a sandwich.

[See, he learned something from Cooking Mama(?!?), and he knows the correct definition of a sandwich because probably even the Underworld has its own version of that. Well, and it's definitely also his stomach talking...

He's going to make a beeline for the kitchen because food is food to him, whether it's social or not, though he glances back and occasionally walks backwards to semi-wait for Natsuno if he's being a slowpoke.]

What do you think? What kind of real food?

[He really isn't a picky eater.]

[sotoshini]

Yeah, and if you added cheese it's called something else I think. Steakcheese? Cheesesteak? [ He's following but a bit meandering in his steps, half lost in thought. Food is not something he's really paid much attention to in a while (beyond Cooking Mama), so he has to really consider the question. ]

Mmn...not something soft. No seafood either. Probably something we could play in Cooking Mama too, and has toppings because you were good with that. [ Thinking intensifies. ]

Pizza?

[anonnomnomnom]

Mmhmm, and if you add a vampire does the vampire get cheesestaked?

[He was already prone to making dumbass jokes but all you people and your various puns are just making it worse. Never mind timelines, this is still the right week to be blaming literary edge club for the general punny atmosphere -- Anon is relatively patient with Natsuno's lollygagging, humming as also considers the question and also Natsuno's other confusing stipulations. They have had a lot of seafood lately...]

Soft and seafood, huh...

[He takes a little while to think through his limited knowledge of human food too, maybe?? That could have potentially led to further disaster, but then Natsuno brings up pizza and it's all for naught! (probably a good thing, for now)]

... Pizza?

[Natsuno is getting a frankly curious look, like he's said something maybe vaguely familiar but still largely foreign. Hm.]

[sotoshini]

[ Okay that terrible pun makes him stop and laugh for a second. Wow. Of course there's only one thing to do in this situation: ]

The cheesesteak would have to be hard and pointy enough. Nothing says we can't try it, though. [ Are they seriously adding trying to stake a vampire with a cheesesteak to their ridiculous list of things to do? To be fair, it's as zany as making a geriatric vampire drink out of a straw. Clearly this is just two birds (bats) with one stone or straw or cheesesteak. ]

Yeah, pizza. You know the round pie with cheese and tomatoes? But you can add anything else as a topping, I think.

[anonnomnomnom]

[Anon just gives a shit-eating sort of grin and a little twirl of victory where he's blocking the hallway while he's waiting; they're getting somewhere, they'll get to the kitchen eventually, but in the meantime their menu selection is sure to get at least a little wilder.]

That would be some real old bread and cheese. They could totally level up with time, just like vampires.

[Yeah, that poor geriatric vampire has a lot coming to them, other than breaking the space-time continuum but that's par for the meta around here.

Anon doesn't seem to see any problem with any of this, though?? Natsuno is the vampire expert here, so ostensibly if he's down with it then it's totally acceptable. This is yet another case of unnecessary and excessive mutual enabling but if it's just between them and Mama then nobody else can call them out on it. There's a moment or two more of thought before the lightbulb goes on.]

Ah, it's flat and has meat on it too sometimes, and I always thought I could eat one whole one in one bite! Even if there were as many toppings as the steak.

[He's probably not serious about this, even if the image is hilarious; he's usually at least minimally decorous while he's eating. Table! Manners!! Somehow.]

[sotoshini]

I think cheese does get better the older it is...so we have to try it. [ Nodding here convincingly, while also being impressed at Anon's food knowledge. This makes no sense that it's looped around to making all the sense. ]

A personal pizza, definitely. A regular sized... [ Looking at Anon and that grin of his. Voring people, celestial beasts and possibly idol oscars seems so far away on the space time continuum. So does the kitchen, but Natsuno doesn't mind. This is how habits are formed, and he's already feeling comfortable in what feels like their own personal bubble of teen spirit, mutual enabling, and ridiculousness. ]

I think betting against you is a bad idea in anything. [ If he realized how soft and earnestly he just spoke he'd be embarrassed, but for now the doki is unnoticed on Natsuno's end. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

Mmhm, better and... sharper? Bread definitely turns into a weapon if it's more than 100!

[There was definitely an even worse joke in there somewhere involving lethal pointy objects, but look, he's on a (not literal bread) roll here, and Natsuno's just making it worse all the time. The space time continuum of escalating vore can only get better from here; but for the time being, Anon's grin just gains in brightness and a true mischievous edge as he soaks in Natsuno's apparent faith in his ability to destroy pizzas.

In response, he reaches up and pokes at his cheeks with both index fingers in a gesture that is way too whimsical for someone like him. Or maybe it's just right. ☆]

You've got it, though! I don't back down, even if I've never really met a pizza before! Besides, this part stretches.

[Poke. Poke. Yeah.]

[sotoshini]

Mhmm and France is famous for their bread, so if we use that and exotic cheese from Italy I think it'll work. Their cheese is supposed to be real sharp, or that's what I've heard the obaasan say. [ He doesn't normally trust them, but maybe they're useful on occasion. Nevermind that it's the wrong kind of sharp. ]

You should try that in a puri puri booth, I'm sure it'd be a hit. [ To Natsuno it seems just right, even if there's a passing impulse to see just how far he could stretch Anon's cheeks. But he shakes his head and moves on, because it's not like he's a little kid or anything. He's sixteen, psh. ]

We'll change that today, then. It can't be too hard to make a simple pizza.

[anonnomnomnom]

France and Italy are pretty far away from Japan... I think? I don't even know where else you'd find vampires, but I'm pretty good at moving people around.

[Just. Saying?! Whatever is going on here, it definitely involves way too much faith in batshit ideas, sharp veteran cheeses, Anon's bizarre abilities (he always has faith in his abilities, though) and also geriatric gourmets. Nothing ventured, nothing gained or lost, though -- the notion of exploring is enough to drum up his enthusiasm.

Speaking of which, the kitchen is probably within sight by now, and although Anon definitely picks up his pace a little Natsuno's doing a good job of distracting him from peckishness.]

I don't think I've seen anyone here make a pizza, not even a goat. [so maybe it'll be a DIY, and maybe they're just going to make a total mess, but it'll be something new either way!] ... What's a puri puri booth? Does it have something to do with pizzas?

[sotoshini]

Yeah they're in Europe and there are definitely vampires there. [ They'll figure it out, he's sure. Just the few weeks of knowing Anon has given him this burgeoning confidence apparently. ]

So we'll just show everyone how to make pizza and make them jealous then. [ Fake it until you make it. And boy will they be faking it, because Natsuno blinks a few times for good measure once they step into a kitchen. Man this seems big? There's so many more things to look at when you're not just grabbing the first edible thing you see and strolling out. ]

Not at all. It's a booth where you take pictures make stupid faces and then get stickers of it. I've never bothered to do it before, but the girls at school would always talk about it. Actually it might have been purikura but whatever.

[anonnomnomnom]

Wow, there really are vampires all over the place, huh? I didn't expect that!

[Probably because all of the lore and the Shiki lore he's run into makes them seem like a terribly inconvenient bunch with dubious ability to stay in one piece or at least free of new orifices, apart from the immortality and the jinrou bits and the such. But as established he's perfectly willing to defer to Natsuno on the subject of vampirology here.

Speaking of confidence, Anon is a little better-acquainted with the kitchen himself, perhaps -- he also drops by here regularly for snacks and to see what people are making, even if he usually doesn't recognize most of the food still and even if he's still prone to making a mess more often than not.]

Maybe we'll be the first people here to have a pizza! Pizza, pizza...

[That's an extremely unlikely statement, but Anon is entertaining himself in a little sing-song as he makes a beeline for the fridge, which seems like the best place to look first of all. Of course, then he just stands there with the door open because there isn't anything actually pizza-shaped in evidence.

Natsuno gets a glance over his shoulder once he's figured that part out.]

Purikura just sounds like a fancier version of selfies. We should definitely do something like that once the pizza is ready.

[He probably still doesn't know what Instagram is but it's the principle of the thing, okay.]

[sotoshini]

Except Antartica, I think. It would be hard to eat up there even for a jinrou.

[ Momentarily he gets distracted in the frozen treats for vampire imagination space before he redirects to the fridge. Ah, hmm. ]

We need to make a dough first. So flour, eggs, and...? [ Do you use anything else here, he has no idea. ] And for the sauce we need tomatoes, spices, and whatever we're putting as toppings.

[ He may sound like he has some idea what he's doing, but he's really just winging this all based on assumptions. Case in point, he claps one hand against the other suddenly. ] And cheese, we can't forget that.

[ Grabbing the tomatoes and pulling out a giant spice rack as he tries to exude confidence. ] Selfie...? That's self potrait, hmn? Yeah that sounds right. Pizza is better than any stupid stickers.

[ That was an easy sell, but that's because as far as he's concerned this is just a picture of Anon and pizza. He doesn't need to be included here. Also he's from the 90's, so what is proper selfie culture. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

Ah, that's true, unless they could find some kind of frozen ancient human or a penguin!

[That's apparently where his imagination is going to go too -- since there probably are less dragons in this scenario given the continued inconvenience of the space-time continuum, we're going straight down to frozen treats and frozen fowl play of some kind--

Anon starts rummaging around the fridge for the ingredients Natsuno's naming as he's talking, muttering with some diligence to himself as he at least manages to find eggs... apples... sausages? A whole chicken, some potatoes, and sure, let's top it off with daikon because clearly that's the way to go here after the steak and everything.]

This fridge is actually way more well-stocked than I thought. I've never made a dough, but I'm pretty sure you need fire, too!

[Fire isn't an ingredient but whatever. He does a clap of his own and dives back in to try and find cheese. They get a giant wedge of cheddar, seriously, it's almost as big as Anon's head. This is going well.]

And yeah, I'm pretty sure a selfie is just a picture of yourself, or like a picture of yourself and pizza to show that you've got a real pizza. That'd be pretty hard to fit on a sticker.

[He's still not sure how purikura works but Natsuno is absolutely getting dragged into selfie culture no matter what. Be Prepared.]