The Parade of Envy - Mission Start

[phantommods]

“This is Candace Sierra with Wolf News. We’re here again with a special feature on Todd Woodrow Jr. His club, Fight for America, is planning a rally for February 28th right here on the UCLA campus. Todd, what can you tell me about this rally?”



“Thanks Candace. Our rally, Fight to be Right, is our answer to the neo-liberal infection that has taken over college campuses across the country. We conservatives have been silenced and denigrated by the liberal elites for far too long, and we’re here to push back against their narrative of erasure and silencing! We’re going to blow the lid off these safe spaces and remind folks what real America looks like!”



“That’s fantastic! Sounds like it will be quite a gathering.”



“Absolutely! Several groups have already pledged to join our cause, including the Citizens for an Armed America, the Freedom Militia, and Bikers for Jesus. We’re going to show this campus that we will not be silenced any longer!”

The interview, a complete fluff piece, continues for some time but what is most striking is the hollow, malicious smile barely concealed by a veneer of false sincerity painted on Todd’s face.

In the metaverse, the Parade Grounds have accelerated to a fever pitch. The tanks swerve and dive around the pathways as the Shadow of Todd extols his “virtues” on the podium with greater fervor.

[We will commence with the action logs for the February Palace event. Due to this post going live later than anticipated, players will have until March 1st at 11:59 PM EST to resolve their threads. All threads below will be marked with the group that has been selected to take part in it, as well as the opening scenario and who is going to be running it (if anybody). On your first tag, please indicate the Persona you are bringing with you if you have any available through Social Links or Player Plots besides your own. For threads run by Moderators, we will be tagging to advance it once every 24 hours and we recommend players running threads do the same.

Due to the amount of sign-ups and the requirements of completion for the current plot, we are not running a Calling Card plot segment this month, the cards will be considered to have already been sent at a timely manner and will be noted in the current events.

The Palace is ICly assumed to take place over the course of a few nights as the Phantom Thieves are able to congregate and assail it, characters are still free to make IC posts or plots not pertaining to the main Palace during this month.]

Comments

Shadow Todd - Yuuri, Misora, Mato, Naomi, and Augustine (Operator)

[phantommods]

Team Alpha’s mission was simple. Lure Todd away from is podium and keep him busy while the other team steals the Treasure from his podium. A bit easier said than done, the team is going to need to get his attention somehow first.

[This log will be run by the Moderator team]

PALACE BGM :

WILLPOWER - SHOJI MEGURO (feat. Mohmega)

[megacurious]

With the plan set in mind, it was time for the main mission itself. Augustine already knew his role, so he has to stay in the backlines and make sure the team has to do their mission without any fail. But with them facing off Todd Woodrow Jr.'s Shadow, they have to be careful.

Already in his Phantom Thief outfit, he stared at the Palace before he switched his focus to Team Alpha.

"Well, looks like we're good to go. Remember, we have to lure Woodrow away so the other team will focus on stealing the treasure from his podium. Everyone ready?"

[lyrids]

Roll stands at the front of the group, adjusting her bright pink gloves. At Lifegiver's query, she closes her eyes momentarily, feeling the by now unmistakable presence of Lyra in the back of her mind. When she reopens them, she bounces on her feet and bares her teeth in what one supposes could be called a smile, except that her eyes betray no real joy or mirth, only resolve.

"Ready to rock!"

[phantommods]

As the team surveys the area, Todd's shadow still stands at the podium, giving a grandiose, unfiltered speech about the greatness of the white race and the failings of all other races. He is flanked by two shadows with the look of WWII German Soldiers, who look very attentive and are scanning the area for threats, although they have not yet spied the team.

[megacurious]

Just the sight of two German Soldier-like Shadows is enough to raise some alarms as he looks at Todd's shadow once more before turning to the others.

"Good. I suggest you better head in first. Remember, I may able to support you with Xerneas's spells, but I can't defend myself. So someone has to defend me in case this encounter will turn for the worst."

If the Infiltrators managed to jump down and get Todd's attention, he joins up with the rest of the team in the backline.

[kotoritori]

Raincrow steps up next to Roll, standing tall and doing her best to convey a feeling of confidence with her posture. She's privately glad her face is hidden, because she's still feeling nervous about using her Persona. It went well enough on their first trip in, but the fear she felt during her awakening is still present in the back of her head.

Though it's hard to see on her face, anyone watching will probably notice her quietly shifting her weight in place as she listens to the speech. As it continues, though, she slowly clenches a fist at her side. If no one does anything about this, her family and friends will be in danger. This is no time to be afraid. Closing her eyes briefly, she draws in a deep breath, nodding to the others.

"...All right. I'm ready."

[phantommods]

As the team gets into position, the soldiers seem to shift and start looking around suspiciously. Some searchlights start panning the area, some dangerously close to the team - if a move is to be made, it must be made now.

[katsufemmefatale]

Yuuri stays slightly behind Raincrow and Roll, ready to pull back if their Operator needs help but also in position to hit hard and fast. Then the searchlights start up and he bites back a curse.

"Raincrow, Roll, can you flank the guards and lure them off to either side, make them think you're trying for a pincer attack? Maybe I can get around behind Todd and jump him from the back."

[lyrids]

Behind the visor of her mask, Roll's eyes narrow as the searchlights blare on. She glances back at the sound of Frost's voice, and nods once he's finished speaking.

"Sounds like a plan!" she declares, balling up her fists, before casting a questioning look in Raincrow's direction.

[kotoritori]

"Now or never, huh..."

Grinning back at Roll, she nods, pumping her fists.

"Okay, let's do it!"

And down she jumps, ready to run. She may not be that confident as a Persona user yet, but she's had plenty of experience running circles around people on the basketball court.

[lyrids]

Roll follows Raincrow's lead and leaps down without delay, her brilliant white scarf trailing (quite dramatically) behind her. As soon as she lands, she yanks on her mask, calling the shimmering form of Lyra into her hands.

She doesn't immediately launch an attack, but is prepared to do so at a moment's notice as she moves to flank the guard to the left.

Steal the Treasure - Locke, Sinbad, Cyan, Celeste

[phantommods]

Team Beta was the secondary force. Coming in after team Alpha pulled Todd away, their job was to take the treasure from the podium, either under the noses of or while blasting through the stationed guards.

[This log will be run by Shini]

PALACE BGM :

LIFE WILL CHANGE - SHOJI MEGURO (feat. Mohmega and Ro Panuganti)

[conquerorofwaves]

Tempest slams his fist into the palm of his hand, looking at the other three through his mask. "Alright, we got two options - doing this quiet-like, or stomping on the faces of every guard on the way in. As cathartic as the latter is, I'd rather do it slow and careful - at first, but be ready to fight if something goes wrong."

[returnher]

"Fine by me. We can always go wild later if things go bad, no point in blowing our cover prematurely."

Hunter creeps forward slowly, watching the guards at the now empty podium.

"Big problem is coast isn't clear, not that I thought it would be even with the boss gone. So the question is what to do about those guys."

I'm just going to add that Engkanto will use Manaul for this log

[cybermaskara]

Engkanto leans on the wall on his back as he takes a small peek at the empty podium while listening to the conversation.

"Well, if we have to deal with Woodrow's cronies if we were caught, then I may try to give them a little bit of Manaul's mind tricks. And by mind tricks, I mean I'll just scare them out of their wits."

In truth, he was actually worried if his Persona's mind spells might work on those types of Shadows.

waltzes in here late with Starbucks

[runicking]

"Let's try to avoid directly engaging them, if possible," Rose adds, looking toward Engkanto with her arms crossed over her chest. The last thing they need is to get swarmed by shadows the moment that they engage, and even if it's a good idea to have a contingency plan, she would rather avoid direct confrontation as long as possible.

"Hunter, where are their potential vantage points? You know this part of campus better than I do, and we need to know where we can move safely. Tempest, Engkanto, do you have any ways to draw them away? Preferably quickly, and in smaller groups."

She has an idea.

[conquerorofwaves]

"Vepar's pretty flashy, and I've been told I can be pretty obnoxious if I want to." He answers. "And guys like that, they seem like the sort that get twitchy if they hear something being yelled in a foreign language." He added almost as an afterthought, going over what possible tools they had on hand.

[cybermaskara]

Engkanto grinned when Rose mentioned him as he removed himself from the wall.

"Other than Manaul's spells, I think I can try to insult them in Tagalog to get those Shadows annoy them out of the podium. Woodrow doesn't like anything that isn't American, right?"

[returnher]

"I think Rose might be on to something," Hunter says, scratching his chin.

"There are several vantages on the building overlooking the podium, if we seek higher ground we might be able to come in from above."

moving on

[conquerorofwaves]

He nods, it seems like a sensible idea to move upwards. "I think three of us should head up to the roof, and the forth to rush them while they're busy defending from above." Then a thought occurred to him.

As they speak, there's a bright flash above them, a strobe light circling, but it didn't illuminate their hiding spot. "Looks like we might have some people to take out from above first..."

Re: moving on

[returnher]

"On it."

Hunter moved quickly and silently, hugging the wall until he can safely jump up onto the platform where the light is shining, leap onto the shadow and tear its mask off.

[runicking]

Rose's head whirls back as she turns toward the spotlight. Of course, this wouldn't be easy would it? Unsheathing the jeweled sword at her side, a trail of frigid light follows her blade before beginning to coalesce into ice shards.

"Shiva!"

She trusts Hunter to get to the shadow in time, and thankfully he doesn't prove her wrong. Launching the spell upward, she aims for the search light, with the intent on shattering it.

Disable Communications - Open Log

[phantommods]

Todd has been broadcasting within the Metaverse from a radio system hooked up across the stately buildings of the college campus. Distorted with banners though they were, they were still guarded and disabling them should be helpful, a duty for the Delta Team. The job was simple, get up on roofs and blow up as many of them as possible.

[This log is open to any players who are interested in taking part and haven’t already signed up for a log. The enemies that will be encountered on this log are: Obariyon, Jack-o-Lantern, Silky, Berith, Pixie, Koropokkuru, Hua Po, and Genbu. Characters may forge a Pact with one of these Persona if desired if they take part in this log. Players are free to play out the log as they wish and narrate themselves, as well as control the enemy shadows as needed]

PALACE BGM :

LAST SURPRISE - SHOJI MEGURO (feat. FamilyJules)

Accomplice Mission - Make Todd Fear

[phantommods]

[As there is currently only one accomplice, this segment will be run as a narrative post with that Accomplice player. Normally, these would have their own log with a number of Accomplices interacting]

[bejustorbedead]

After letting the thieves know, Kyle immediately brought up and solidified a story, simple enough to remember, bland enough for Todd Woodrow Jr to project whatever ideology he has to make it believable. Thankfully, some of the idiots that got themselves arrested in Japantown were dumb enough to carry enough scheduled drugs to require mandatory sentencing. Those drugs are his way to get him spooked, they may be lower-rung punks and not part of Woodrow's inner circle, but same club membership.

He waited until the club dispersed, approaching the target, plain clothes and using all of his will power to keep his disgust in check. A courtesy call of sorts, Kyle said - a warning about while the 1st amendment is clear, drug possession wasn't, and oh sure - he's sure Todd isn't some 'ghetto crackhead', but they got to make sure it's just coincidence, but that means they'll have to search their meeting rooms, maybe his office off-campus, and given how thorough those searches can be, things might just turn up that maybe they'd rather keep private. Things that would look bad if twisted by 'those people', and god knows how many people are chomping at the bit.

A flush of anger, and a scowl flashes - and as BlueRose stated, he'll be on his phone soon for a lawyer, but it's clear the idea of having his possessions searched is not something he even wants to think about. Then he thanked Kyle, for being 'one of the good ones' before hurrying off to another rally.

"I need a shower." Kiske groans to himself after he gets back to his car.