intro ♚ october

[boardmaster]

WELCOME TO CAPABLANCA

We’ve all had those dreams: you wake up on a table, to blurry, ominous images and the certainty that you are absolutely buck-naked in a room full of strangers. This is not quite it.

Instead, you come awake to the sun on your face. The soft burble of water nearby. The hustle and bustle of a busy street and the faint, fortifying smell of bread. You open your eyes and there’s no one there at your bedside, but there is what appears to be the end of the world happening just beyond your window.

There’s a crack in the world across the sky, the “sun” is the totally unnatural light spilling from that crack straight into your eyes, and someone’s left a neatly pressed and folded uniform at the foot of the bed that isn’t yours. Somewhere in the room, there’s a strange clatter like beads, the click of claws on the floor.

Something’s in here with you.

Also, you are naked.

ONE ♟ Déjà Vu Up in this Clue

Did you enjoy your time in the Kingdom of Gammon, Heroes? Blanc knows that you've been working hard on the international front, and they've never been prouder, but it's time to come home! Your work in Blanc is far from over, after all. Blanc wishes they could offer you a better welcome, for those returning from Gammon and those who just woke up in the Hall of Glory naked in their beds, as Heroes only have bad news to come home to. This time, it’s the coastal town of Capablanca that needs your help.

Some may recall the mysterious disappearances that happened not too long ago, and by the looks of it, the kidnappings apparently haven’t stopped. Although the number of disappearances isn't nearly as drastic as it was before, the townspeople are especially alarmed by the disappearance of Eric Caruana, the mayor's beloved son. After his disappearance, others began going missing as well, and Blanc needs the Heroes on this case before things that any worse! Upon arrival in Capablanca, the Heroes are met by Mayor Pierre Caruana, who looks like he's seen better days, and his butler, Charles.

Pierre Caruana My son has always been reckless, but never had he been away from home for so long. Not without saying a word. His wedding has been postponed because of this… but that isn’t important right now. Charles, please entertain our guests while I get them some refreshments. And… tell them what they need to know. [ dramatically sweeps across the room and retires to the back of the mansion ]

Charles Oh, but I can— do it… [ SIGHS ] I’m sorry about the master. After his wife died ten years ago, his son is all he has left. We can only imagine how distraught he is. He’s probably at the bar, drinking his sorrows away… That’s why we were hoping you would help us in our search. The young master is the adventurous sort, but he’s also not the type to worry his father. It's a miracle the D'Amore family hasn't called the wedding off. No one in Capablanca has seen him since Delphine… I just pray he comes home safely. [ tugs on the moon pendant he wears around his neck ] Don’t be a fool, Eric... —Ah! Um, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Investigating around the city with the help of the reticent Detective Bleu, you'll be able to observe ONE of the following clues, which may prove to be helpful to help solve the case. Work together with other Heroes to obtain information on-site, and share clues whenever possible!

Dreading the thought of walking around all of Capablanca alone, colleless and mountless? Not to worry: the mayor has arranged for group caravans to accompany Heroes as they travel and conduct their investigations. If Heroes prefer to investigate in smaller groups (or alone, you lone wolf, you), they may also borrow a mount of their choice from the city's stables. This mount will have to be returned after the day is over, so don't get too attached! Lastly, veteran Heroes with mounts of their own are welcome and encouraged to offer newbies rides. You were once in their position! Give them a hand, would you?

TWO ♟ Sharing over Herring

After a long week of investigating and gathering as much information as you can, Heroes will be asked to report to mayor Pierre Caruana's villa by dusk with their findings. When you arrive, you'll also be greeted by a familiar sight, waving cheerily at the Heroes from the mayor's side.

	Thierry Toussaint Heeeey, over here! [ gives each Hero a conchiglia la la ] Today must have been busy for everyone. Thank you for your hard work! Oh? That look in your eyes... I feel like you’ve found something that can help us.
	Pierre Caruana I am eager to listen to anything you may have found. But first, please, follow me, Heroes.

The mayor will lead you towards the shore, and eventually, to cross the Bridge of Perenne and reach Graupera. The great hall of the House of Solare has been set up for the Heroes. There are many luxurious couches and hammocks to rest your tired body on, and soft acoustic music fills the air. There is also a large table at the middle of the room with various dishes unique to Capablanca. Heroes may dine on dishes such as grilled lobster and tuna, ravioli with tomato sauce, crab gnocchi with white wine cream sauce, warm goat cheese salad, and various high-end wines.

During dinner, both Teddy and mayor Pierre Caruana will be making the rounds, listening to any information the Heroes are willing to share. If you haven't already, now is also a great time to discuss your clues with other Heroes and try to put together a bigger picture. Before the rest of the staff come in with desserts, the mayor asks everyone for their attention.

	Pierre Caruana There appears to be... substantial evidence that Merilorn Forest is connected to the recent disappearances, including my son. I don’t believe he’s lost. I… think that he might be hiding from us. As we all know, entering the forest won’t be without difficulty, so I don’t believe he wandered that far, but…
	Thierry Toussaint Our people looking into the matter. [ gives the Heroes a reassuring smile ] We’ll take it from here. If there are any updates on the case, we’ll be sure to notify you.

THREE ♟ Leaf it to the Pros

While the disappearance of the Capablancan citizens is definitely a tragedy that needs to be solved, life continues to go on for the town. It's Calendi, and that means taking advantage of the changing seasons to earn a few extra colle. Or perhaps you just feel like doing something else in between investigations. Either way, stop killing time and start killing game! Chefs in Capablanca will pay top dollar for wild game, including elusive and vicious magical animals.

To make your job harder, the animals are capable of basic elemental magic, and will use it to defend themselves. Ducks are able to attack using water magic, foxes make use of wind, and rodents (such as rabbits and squirrels) use earth magic. It's actually quite difficult to discern what animal is in season right now, as a clever rabbit and a persistent duck seem to be fond of tearing down “rabbit season” and “duck season” posters around town and replacing them with the other.

If hunting wild game isn't your style, the chefs are also interested in acquiring fresh autumnal fruits and vegetables such as apples, pumpkins, squash, and sweet potato. You may either gather these in the wild, or harvest them from a farmer's field for a small cut of the commission.

Lastly, Bel Petto Beach happens to be Capablanca's pride and joy, and citizens would be very angry to see their shores littered with fallen leaves! Help sweep leaves off the sand and away from the ocean, where they tend to blow whenever there is a strong wind.

INFO ♟ Welcome!

Welcome to Crosscheck's October intro log! Please remember to read the Arrival Info! For any further questions, please see the FAQ or reach us at the Contact Us page. Have fun!

Don't forget to vote for a Ranked Uniform Design, your character will be wearing one of these in the future! Voting will close on 10th October.

Comments

CARRIER COLLECTION

[boardmaster]

[yancat]

[ Jumin is not the most religious of people, but today he can't help but ask why. Why has God forsaken him? The black pug in his hands is cute, cuddly and certainly compact, but she isn't his style, and certainly not his cat. Not the Elizabeth Rika gave him. And now a world that can't offer him the same love he learned from her dares mock him? Well!

Now, Jumin believes that every living thing is God's creation and it's everyone's job to take care of them. But he also believes in Darwinism, and frankly, the pug's aesthetic power simply isn't strong enough for it to survive Jumin's selection process. Maybe if he just. Leaves the dog there. Someone else will find her! She'll get the hint.

But after five minutes of tiny paws and yips following him around, she doesn't. So here's a tall man crouching and staring at a puppy with brows furrowed in confused frustration. ]

Your eyes. They bore into me, as if searching for an answer that I can't deign to provide. But the more I look into them, the more they pull me toward you. It's driving me crazy...

You look like you want something. What is it?

[ he's talking to a dog ]

[troyhard]

[ Having watched the scene unfold from the corner, Slaine wasn't sure who he felt more worried for; the carrier that Jumin attempted to abandon... or Jumin, himself. It's not that uncommon for people to interact with their pets. Slaine talks to his fat bat and pet fish almost all of the time. (Holy shit, he sounds like a terribly lonely person.)

It doesn't seem like Jumin is going to find the answer on his own. Slaine felt compelled to intervene. ]

I think your carrier has already become attached to you.

[yancat]

[ That makes two terribly lonely people. But loneliness doesn't exist if you don't acknowledge it, okay. Jumin has been perfectly fine on his own with his cat until now.

Anyway.

He doesn't look up at Slaine, instead choosing to close his eyes and attempt to resign himself to the fact. Yes... He's stuck with this dog. ]

I see. [ beat ] I don't understand. How could it be attached when I haven't done anything?

[ he's just in denial, nbd ]

[troyhard]

[ Loneliness doesn't exist when your rich and handsome. Not everyone gets to live such a privileged life. ]

Maybe she... imprinted on you? Some animals become attached to the first thing that they see. [ That happens with baby chicks, Slaine. ] Dogs are known to be very loyal, too, so this behavior isn't very surprising.

[ In other words, you're stuck with the pug, Jumin. Love her back. ]

[yancat]

[ And betray Elizabeth the 3rd? NEVER. ]

Imprinting... I see. She must have been lonely in the menagerie.

[ After seeing the number of creatures Blanc kept in there, he can imagine how a small puppy like her would be neglected. ]

Ah, but I am not a dog person.

[troyhard]

[ IT'S OKAY TO LOVE MORE THAN ONE JUMIN. The pug can be your side bitch. What happens in Blanc stays in Blanc. Elizabeth the 3rd will never know. ]

Oh...

[ His sympathies...



... for the pug. ]

But it would be pitiful to send her back now. [ Slaine figures they probably won't allow it anyway. ] Why don't you try giving her a chance?

[ And if this man wouldn't accept the carrier as she is, he quickly adds: ]

Besides, you'll end up needing her anyway if you want a convenient form of instant communication.

[careosene]

[ As troubling as it is to witness to the pug’s continued attempts at bonding, Jumin’s part in the exchange is totally baffling. Could the man perhaps come from a world without dogs? Maybe he’s been disoriented by the arrival process and hasn't had the opportunity to pull himself together.

Whatever the case, Katniss feels obliged to step in since helping out newbies forms half of her excuse for being here. ] You know, I’m not an expert but maybe you ought to pick him up? Introduce yourself? [ yes, encourage more talking to the dog ] He seems pretty fond of you.

[yancat]

[ Don't think about it too hard, Katniss. Jumin is just weird. ]

I can tell. However, I do not like dogs. [ A beat. ] Ah, no. That is incorrect. I am not as fond of dogs as I am cats.

[ But the lady's advice is as good as any, so he picks the dog up in his hands. ]

... It's a she. Good morning, dog. I am Jumin. [ The pug yips. ] She seems very happy.

[ The opposite can be said of her owner. ]

[careosene]

You can already tell its sex? [ Not the type to fawn over animals, Katniss is nevertheless impressed by how stoic he is in the face of something so undeniably charming. Coming closer, she can't resist a small smile. ] Guess you just have a way with them whether you like them or not. If it helps, I think I'd have a cat too if I could pick. Unfortunately I don't know of anyone swapping Carriers once they're assigned.

[ As if to prove the point, Katniss's foxbird chooses that moment to pop free of its typical place in her breast pocket and zooms towards Jumin's head like the brat it is. ]

Watch out!

[yancat]

[ Katniss has good taste. Only cats can melt his icy exterior, it seems. He misses his own cat dearly, and he doesn't think he can get over the loss anytime soon, even if he does know she's alive back home. Not even swapping Carriers can soothe him at this rate...

At the sound of the bird's wings, Jumin is quick to lean back, but that unfortunately means he also unceremoniously falls down on his behind. Not his shining moment. ]

... I've never seen a bird like that before.

[ At least he's distracted? ]

[exp]

[ this scene… it’s a bit…

uncomfortable to watch.

maybe he should do something? though what exactly he isn’t sure. he feels bad for jumin, maybe the man can’t feel affection for anything else other than elizabeth? is that possible?

it occurs to him that he doesn’t understand jumin. jumin who is crouching in front of the poor pug and staring at it like it must hold all the answers in the universe in it’s tiny paws.

. . .

he really can’t understand jumin. ]

Do you have to stare at it so intensely?

[yancat]

[ A familiar voice snaps him out of it. If he can't have Elizabeth, at least a member of the RFA is here to keep his environment familiar. Otherwise he might go insane. Or start dog businesses too, probably.

But as if their meeting isn't a huge deal at all (and why would it be when he had just been chatting with him hours ago?) Jumin stands up immediately and adjusts his cuffs. ]

She won't give me answers. I only wanted to know why she keeps following me, but I suppose that animals can't talk, after all. I should contact R&D on their progress with our animal translation project...

[exp]

[ an animal translation project… really he should stop being surprised at the nature of jumin’s projects at this point—some of them really are on the stranger side, especially the ones that happen to be cat related. though, he supposes he can’t judge jumin too harshly on his business decisions. after all, his company seems to be doing well!

he wonders what’s going to happen now, to the rfa and jumin’s company both. poor jaehee, the work will probably start piling up on her desk. maybe it already has? the fate of an elite career woman is a cruel one indeed.

though… to be honest. he felt kind of special when he had thought he was the only member of the rfa here. that out of all of them, he was chosen for something greater.

maybe he shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up.

besides… it’s good to have someone familiar around. and this situation at least, being informed about jumin’s projects is one that’s familiar. comfortable even, in it’s familiarity. ] I don’t think you need an animal translator to find out what she wants.

Isn’t she following you around because she likes you?

[ this pug… it must have strange taste. ]

Maybe you should try holding her, like you would Elizabeth?

[ that might get dog fur on jumin’s uniform though… ]

[yancat]

[ For some reason, Jumin is not particularly bothered by his disappearance. In fact, it's as if all his worries were quelled in the dream he had the night before, as if he had a conversation with someone about this very day before it had even begun. Was it a vision of his own? Ah, he's turning into Zen. He hates this.

He's worried that Yoosung didn't receive the same dream, though. He might be happy to see him now, but he thinks it's something the boy needs to know.

After this. ]

I am not a dog person.

[ So he says, but he lifts the puppy with his hands anyway. She pants happily and wags her tail as she looks up at Jumin with her big, round eyes. It's as if she can read his mind... and he can read hers. ]

She is insufferable.

[assent]

[ This was a terrible idea.

An hour later, the people in charge in handling out the carriers can't seem to get rid of Sonia as she spends way too much time with carriers signed up for other people. She's petted rabbits, played with cats, been curious about a snake that had slithered away after she peeked at it for too long...

Frankly, they probably need help.

The bright side is that she already has her head -- a small grey hamster. It's tucked itself into her hair, but keeps sniffing the air anytime she goes to a new animal until finally she leans forward and it almost goes flying off her head. Thankfully her hand reaches out to steady it, but that's when it realises... she's sharing its sunflower seeds with another hamster?!

Sonia yelps as teeth bite down on the side of her hand, the bag scattering across the floor. ]

Wha-- [ The other hamster makes a run for it, while her carrier... just runs around scooping up the seeds into its pouches. ]

Truly... you do not need all of those! [ It probably looks weird to onlookers in that she's scolding a hamster but whatever. ]

[wishingalone]

[Mami, when she arrived to get her Carrier, was quick about it. Oh, she thought all of the animals were very adorable, of course! But, after the initial shock faded, her usual sense of drive set in. Mami decided that she needed to go collect her Carrier right away. It's easier to distract herself from certain thoughts by...

Well, by focusing on the mission. For all that things change, some things stay the same.

Which is why, when she walks up, she has a slightly plump cat not in her arms, but draped around her shoulder. His tail is curled around her back, as she walks, and she hesitates as she hears Sonia yelp, and then looks down at her hampster. She lifts a hand to her mouth, before she looks at Sonia with a smile.

It's really funny, but she's polite enough to only giggle a couple of times.] It looks like he might be a handful.

[assent]

[ Well, if she thinks it over, it probably does look ridiculous. She isn't exactly equipped with the knowledge of how to train animals outside of what she's seen Gundham do back home -- and really that's impossible to actually try and aim for.

With a sigh, she picks up the bag of seeds and clips it up. ]

I have only just collected him but... [ She frowns as the hamster finally stops and turns to look at her, cheeks stuffed to the brim with seeds. ] ...I believe he might love these seeds too much.

[ What is he gets too fat?! ]

[wishingalone]

Hmm. It seems like it could be a problem, but... [Mami kneels down and reaches out, petting the hamster gently on the head. When she does, her shoulder cat adjusts to keep from falling off.

Mami stands up, then, and smiles at Sonia.] You see, you now have a treat to give him as a reward! That's an important part of owning a pet.

[Even if Mami hasn't owned a pet in years.]

[assent]

No, I-- [ She stares down at the hamster then, pressing her hand to the floor so it can run onto it. Even if its cheeks are full of seeds and it doesn't seem to want to let go. It's her turn now to give it a gentle pet. If Mami is looking, she'll notice her expression saddens slightly before she fixes it into a smile. ]

I chose this animal because it is not the first time I have taken care of one, but... this little one is rather obsessive, I believe.

[dislocked]

[ So, a cat.

Bucky is relatively fond of animals, generally -- it's difficult not to be when your best friend is a bleeding heart for any and all sorts of strays, giving up some of his food (which is already scarce) to make sure that their little bellies were fed, much to Bucky's chagrin. It isn't like Steve Rogers has got any meat left to lose on those bones, you know?

But he digresses. The cat in his arms is elegantly docile, like Bucky's made to be her furniture. She lounges, looking over at him with the bluest eyes; knowing and tranquil, and he doesn't quite know how to react.

Only feeling slightly stupid, he asks: ]

Do you have a name?

[ Really? ]

[slotted]

[ bucky might be busy chatting his cat up when a rather thin brown dog arrives at the scene and starts sniffing him. not long after, leo comes in and tries to get his carrier back. ]

Hey— hey, don't— [ how do you pets... he looks at bucky and scratches his head, looking a bit frustrated. ] Sorry about that. He's. . . curious.

[dislocked]

No, it's all right.

[ Bucky instinctively reaches down to the dog and holds out his hand for the carrier to sniff. He loves dogs, and it's obvious in the way he treats the carrier, friendly but not overwhelming, and he's smiling when he greets the person who's obviously his owner. ]

He's a pretty good dog. You just got him, huh?

[slotted]

Wouldn't say that.

[ his carrier continues to wag its tail and make nice with bucky, while leo struggles with trying to get the dog's attention. he'll have to come up with a name for his dog eventually, but for now-- ]

Here, boy. Here boy— [ and it doesn't work, so he looks back at bucky as he adds: ] More like he started following me, and now we're stuck together.

It's trouble, if you asked me.

[dislocked]

[ Bucky smiles at that, scratching behind his ears before he gently nudges the dog back towards his owner with quiet sounds. He moves a little closer, keeping the carrier between them both as he nods. ]

Ah, he's not so bad. I'm thinking he'll need some getting used to. You don't have pets? [ Meanwhile, Princess decides that she's more interested in Leo, and starts slinking around his ankles, demanding attention. ]