#neverfall troupe

[dress-up-bestie]

For the ask game: to me you give Sweet, Ninir, Neverfall Troupe 🩷🩷🩷

Ooooh! Thank you 😌

[imaginationproblems]

This game makes me feel so praised for my existence and doings. I love it and hate it at the same time.

Now excuse me I’ll cry, this is officially my comfort game.

[the-hell-event-ate-my-gems]

[some-sn-transcripts]

Qin Yi - Inky Soundwave

Narrated by "REX"

Summary: A gang leader named Raven thinks the Neverfall Troupe is gaining too much power in Azureink. He hires REX to spy on Qin Yi.

Content warnings: gun violence, Qin Yi typical manipulation

Chapter 1 - Dark Street Livehouse

Chapter 2 - Secret Plan in Rainy Night

Chapter 3 - All of a Sudden

Chapter 4 - Curtains Will Rise

Extra

[tsunflowers]

I was mad about yueniang when he was first introduced but I like him now. it helps that he turns out to be a member of the neverfall troupe who are shady but not outright villains

he has a funny dynamic with qin yi as well. he makes for an interesting contrast bc both of them are dan (female role) performers but qin yi is fairly masculine offstage and has legions of fangirls while yueniang is always feminine

I'm still :/ about the way some of the characters reacted to him but when we see his own thoughts on his gender it's not bad. congrats shining nikki you turned this one around

[lavander-aavaros]

Hehe a while ago I theorized that Qin Yi would grow to show Nikki his life, open up like he did to the player. Now, he brings her into Neverfall Troupe’s secret base. We’re getting there <33

If Nikki ends up saving Qin Yi through the power of love and never giving up, I’ll go mad <3 heh.

Not even a “love fixes all” situation, but through the plot and Nikki’s perseverance, through their accidental encounters dictated by plot, as a side result. Nikki’s love for this world and Qin Yi’s life getting tangled with hers, finding himself through her. Heh.

[latimeria-fell-from-heaven]

Wait, let me add for more "disembodied reader just bumped into something or someone"

It will be hilarious if it was one of the characters was someone the player bumped into.

—°u°

hi hi °u°!

ooh, this is actually a pretty good idea, especially if we take any of the characters that reader/player may have either a good or bad relationship with, such as yexiao, loen, zoey, aeon, mercury, qin yi, and lilith.

kinda scenario below!

like with all of these characters, they can finally see the voice that followed nikki and would shit talk them any chance it got, so they're rather excited to finally see you. of course, they have to inconspicuously do so because they don't need you causing a scene out in public, now do they? but you do help them because you're swearing left and right, your voice matching that of the one they've become familiar with, poor nikki and momo are confused because now they can see and touch you, and now this person is a spectator of such an interesting case.

with yexiao, it's canon that she knows of our existence, and even seems excited to actually see us, so now that she can finally talk to us, sit down with us and do everyday things with us like a normal person, it's exciting. i honestly feel that she and us, the player, would be able to retain a positive and interesting relationship with one another and would be able to build a friendship. definitely one of the few good people that reader/player could reach out to and be able to hang out with.

in loen's glittering date ur card, he actually reaches out and talks to us, which definitely took me off guard. he actually invites us out to see miraland alongside him so that we can see the beauty his world has to offer. he legit tells us that he finds us interesting and curious and that he likes our curiosity, and just straight up invites us to dance with him. if anything, loen would be curious, and it'd definitely show now that you have your physical body. i feel like he'd just observe us from afar, monitoring our actions and how we act now that we have a real body. i honestly feel like he'd have a somewhat flirty act towards us, but whether it's romantic or platonic is entirely up to you. so he could be a reliable source of friendship and someone to go to just to rely on and chill with. he owes us a dance dammit.

within the ocean of memories and the ark, lies aeon and all of his curiousness, and he has quite a handful of questions. he's curious, how was your subconscious summoned but not your body, and yet now it's here? are you somehow connected to leonid? what is your true purpose for being brought here alongside nikki? aeon asks them slowly and gently, understanding when you don't even know the answers yourself. he admits that there was always something attached to nikki's side, but he couldn't put his finger on it. he offers to see if he can find your reflection, any memories within the ocean of memories that may belong to you, to see your origins and what your life in the past may have looked like. it's a moment of sweetness in your now life of confusion and chaos.

a helper in the shadows, zoey has quite the keen eye, she says, and she didn't happen to miss the way your voice would whisper from behind nikki, or whispering your thanks just next to her. she's actually rather helpful and welcoming, and even asks what it was like, and exactly you could do while in this ghost-like form. and zoey listens with intent, momo and nikki bantering in the background about barbeque and the like. she'll maturely give you any advice, especially now that you can't go sneaking into the neverfall troupe or into the mercury group's offices. so the least she can do for you is tell you how to make a clean escape, alive at the very least.

ah yes, you, the one who'd escaped her charms and looked at her with pity and disdain. really now, lilith had heard your words, whispering in the wind like the phantoms of the past she abandoned. so when she sees finally sees the person behind the voice, she's intrigued. so you're the one who's been aiding nikki all this time! no wonder said pinkette was able to find her way through miraland and come out of it alive. it's all very intriguing, amusing, and interesting to her, the beloved queen of ninir.

oh, so you're the one who's always been cursing him out and saying all of those death threats. really, to qin yi, those sorts of things aren't new to him in the slightest, but hey, he's got to at least give you some credit, right? after all, you are the very reason that pink-haired friend of yours even made it this far, to begin with, and how she always managed to get away or outsmart him. rather well-played, but qin yi's rather tired of this chasing about. games get too boring when they drag on for too long, wouldn't you agree? and besides, you may have something valuable to you after all.

huh, so now you're the one who's been helping nikki evade him and always aiding her in avoiding his grasp. you really know how to make things difficult for mercury, don't you? thanks to you, his goal has constantly been thwarted and it's always been a pain to deal with that pink-haired girl's troublesome and annoying interventions. but mercury is a patient and cunning man, he knows a good intelligence source when he sees one. he knows you're somehow connected to what he's after, even if you don't know it yourself. besides, nikki won't miss you too much, right?

[dreamsofyexiao]

NIKKI TRYING TO FIND YEXIAO BEFORE SHE EVEN REALIZED IT WAS HER SHE NEEDED NIKKI TRYING TO KNOW ABOUT THE CLOUD HERMIT WHEN SHE ALREADY GOT TO HIM THEN THEN THEN THE NEVERFALL TROUPE INTERFERRING BOTH TIMES STOP IT STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nikki-blogging]

He was introduced in volume 2 chapter 4. He's the neverfall troupes playwright. He's very rude

Man that wears his own design in his reflection: yueniang

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Chapter 2: Working Plan

Narrated by Yueniang.

Narrator: The streets to my workplace seem especially busy today, full of shifty-eyed peddlers and lost tourists who keep retracing their footsteps.

Narrator: How shallow... practically caricatures. I wouldn't want characters like these to appear in my scripts. I call that lazy writing.

Narrator: Ignoring the mundane scene, I stride through the entrance of the building where the Neverfall Troupe does rehearsals.

Narrator: It's lively inside as well. A few young actors are giving their all on the stage, rehearsing for a heart-wrenching love story.

Actor A: Like the rivers flowing to the sea, the migrating geese returning home, the stars accompanying the moon... I will be by your side as time passes...

Yueniang: What kind of script is that? Those lines are so cheesy.

Narrator: I wander over to the stage and start flipping through the script lying there. On the cover is the scriptwriter's name: Yue Zhou.

Yueniang: That guy, huh? So Princess Luanyun's fiancé has come out with a new work.

Narrator: Reading this is a waste of my time. I'm about to put the script down when a voice rudely interrupts my thoughts.

Nine: Didn't you promise to send in a script seven days ago? Look at Yue Zhou. He turned in his work half a month early, so we've already started rehearsals.

Narrator: You're comparing Yue Zhoe to me? How childish. You do realize that I'm the best in Cloud Empire's literary world, right?

Yueniang: He came up with his script really quickly, but it doesn't mean that his work is any good. The best writing he's ever done is Song of the Moon.

Yueniang: And he only managed it through the power of love or something.

Nine: Yue Zhou's other scripts are quite popular with the masses, though. And he's very proactive.

Narrator: I toss the script aside and snort.

Yueniang: It's all overused tropes and clichés. Anyone could write it.

Yueniang: If I scatter some rice over my typewriter and let some chickens walk all over the keys, they'd produce a better work.

Nine: That's an exaggeration. And you're just trying to deflect from the fact that you haven't turned in your work yet!

Yueniang: Oh? Would you even understand what my script meant if I showed it to you now?

Yueniang: If you're so good at this, how about you write the script yourself? I got a pen for you right here!

Narrator: As I squabble with Nine, I hear a soft cough behind me.

Narrator: Qin Yi is standing there, holding a folded fan to his cheek, eyes twinkling in amusement.

Nine: Sir!

Yueniang: Boss, you're here.

Narrator: The actors on the stage stop their rehearsal to greet Qin Yi, who simply waves at them to continue before turning to me.

Narrator: With a nod, I follow him backstage to his personal resting room.

Narrator: Qin Yi sits down in front of a mirror and starts his makeup routine. He moves elegantly, with practiced ease. The casual observer might even find it enjoyable to watch the process up close.

Narrator: However, all I feel is an increasingly heavy pressure on my chest.

You: You're afraid of him?

Narrator: Impossible! No way I'd be afraid of my dear boss!

Narrator: Still, that's what makes him truly intimidating. Those who should be afraid often let their guards down in front of him.

Qin Yi: Have you made the preparations?

Yueniang: Yes, Boss. Everything has been arranged.

Narrator: He remains quiet, as if waiting for me to continue.

Yueniang: One of my men will be waiting near Cloud Capital art Academy. He'll guide the girl to the Ghost Market and give her clues.

Yueniang: Everything will go smoothly once she enters the Ghost Market. It's my territory there. No one will dare take what's mine.

Yueniang: All I have to do then is wait in my Water Moon Study for them to show up.

Narrator: As I make my report, Qin Yi continues filling in his eyebrows. My own makeup feels inadequate now that I'm watching him.

Qin Yi: Don't let your guard down.

Yueniang: Understood, Boss. Come to think of it, I've been noticing an influx of those "people" on the street. We need to be on high alert.

Qin Yi: Yes. It's interesting how they've gotten impatient so quickly. I wonder...

Narrator: His gaze is as placid as water in the mirror.

Qin Yi: Nine will keep an eye on them. Focus on your own job.

Yueniang: Don't worry, Boss. There's no room for improv in my script.

Narrator: After my report, I begin to walk out of the room before turning around, suddenly reminded of something.

Narrator: I can see the confused look on Qin Yi's face from the mirror.

Yueniang: Hey, Boss...

Yueniang: The lighting is much better in this room. Can I touch up my makeup here a bit?

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

[shiningdesignersreflections]

A New Playwright

Yueniang's cover in Orchid Shadows is that he's the main writer for the Neverfall Troupe. But in the Reflection, you see that his competition, within the troupe, is getting fiercer. And he can't even tell others about his secret job. :/

Then, to start off June, we'll visit North Kingdom. They have a gorgeous UR suit with an epic backstory.

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Chapter 4: Honey Scones

Narrated by no one.

~~

Five years later...

~~

Narrator: An auction was held inside a magnificent building in the downtown of the Pigeon capital.

Narrator: Among the items today was a priceless design sketch, allegedly once belonging to a remarkable military family.

Narrator: The elite attended. Both the Mercury Group and Neverfall Troupe sent reps, as well.

Narrator: Even Zoey, leader of the Justiciars, attended in person.

Narrator: On top of the building stood a woman as red as a flame.

Narrator: The redhead stood still, her wine red hair fluttering with her sash in the evening wind.

Narrator: She stood on top of the skyscraper like a burning torch, or perhaps a victory banner.

Narrator: Behind her, the full moon shone in brilliant white.

Narrator: She gazed into the distance, watching the bright, bustling streets as well as the lightless slum.

Narrator: Clang. Clang. Clang...

Narrator: The clock struck nine. The redhead on top of the building smirked.

Sorika: It's time.

Narrator: Back to the auction.

Narrator: In the spotlight, an old design sketch rested in a finely crafted glass case.

Narrator: It captured the attention of nearly all present. No word was spoken in an atmosphere full of desire and greed.

Narrator: The silence was broken by a loud noise, as a giant window pane shattered and glass shards scattered everywhere.

Narrator: One after another, the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling shattered.

Narrator: The usually reserved upper class fought to leave, while dodging the scattering pieces.

Narrator: The lights on the wall cut out and the last chandelier shattered, plunging the venue into utter darkness and chaos.

Narrator: However, somebody kept cool in the chaos.

Zoey: Interesting, a gatecrasher.

Narrator: Finally, the backup generator kicked in, and dim lights re-lit the room.

Narrator: The heavy, sealed glass case on stage seemed untouched, still giving off a cold glow.

Narrator: But the design sketch inside was gone.

Police Captain: Who did this? Who stole the item?

Waiter: It was her! It was her!

Narrator: An attendant near the stage shouted, face pale with fear.

Waiter: It was the Black Queen! I saw her glide in, wearing a red and black dress... It was the Black Queen who took the sketch!

Police Captain: What's this Black Queen nonsense?! All of you, come with me and search the building!

Zoey: Hmph, her again.

Narrator: Zoey got up amid the mess and smirked.

Corleone: Are we leaving?

Zoey: Of course. No chance of catching her now.

Narrator: Zoey took her eyes off a small blade on the wall. She turned around and left without looking back.

Narrator: Several districts away, a tall, slender, expressionless woman walked through the dim cobblestone passage.

Narrator: Her long, wine red hair was tied into a ponytail behind her head.

Narrator: The shops on this street were closed except for the bakery.

Sorika: Any bread left, ma'am?

Lady Shopkeeper: We're out, Miss... But we can still make honey scones.

Sorika: I'll take some, please. They're a gift.

Lady Shopkeeper: Oh, sure. They'll be ready in a minute.

Lady Shopkeeper: Did you hear about the mysterious thief who stole another valuable tonight, Miss?

Sorika: Is that so?

Lady Shopkeeper: I'm sure the thief was sent by the Black Queen to punish the nobles and take their stuff, if you ask me.

Lady Shopkeeper: There were witnesses who saw the Black Queen, even! How frightening!

Sorika: Oh?

Lady Shopkeeper: They even said the thief committed many bad deeds on top of stealing, and is wanted in a lot of places...

Sorika: I see.

Lady Shopkeeper: The scones are ready, Miss. Would you like to try one?

Narrator: The lady of the shop handed over a scone smeared with honey. Sorika took a bite and savored the burst of sweetness.

Narrator: She ate the warm, sweet pastry, while hiding the design sketch that was robbed from her father under a vest.

Narrator: Combined, they let the stoic Sorika relax.

Lady Shopkeeper: Is it good? Are you from here, Miss? How should I address you?

Sorika: My name is Sorika, which means righteousness.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Careful!

Sorika is the Thief Queen for a reason. She's tricked Nikki before to steal precious items from the museum, so why wouldn't she trick someone again in Moonlight Watcher?

Once we're safe, we'll meet up with the playwright of Neverfall Troupe. He's quite talented... but he's got a second job in the Ghost Market. What's he up to?

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Qin Yi: Blissful Cloud

Designer's Reflection: Blissful Cloud

Obtained: welfare

Rarity: SSR

Attribute: Green/Fresh

Awakened Suit: Magnificent Cloud

Story - transcripts from Designer's Reflection

Chapter 1 - New Play Begins

Chapter 2 - Coming On the Stage

Chapter 3 - Unending Excellence

Chapter 4 - Curtains Never Fall

Story - summarized

Qin Yi is a master actor. He can play any role.

One night, he performs for a special guest from Pigeon. So, he chooses to do a play about a young child abandoned by a wealthy family. When the child grows up, they return and kill their family and assume control of all the assets.

After the play, Qin Yi meets with Mercury, the special guest. Mercury knew the play was a loose adaptation of his life, and he's impressed with Qin Yi's extensive network. But he's not ready to make a deal yet.

Qin Yi leaves that night to visit the matriarch of the Qin family. Their meeting is short, but it gives him enough time to hint to his stalkers that he is ready to do anything "for the family."

He's brought to Mercury again, who reveals that he knows Qin Yi tricked his way into the Qin family. He reveals photos of Yi's real mother, and he uses this blackmail to obtain the actor's unwavering loyalty.

But all this was part of Qin Yi's plan. He needed Mercury to feel he controlled Neverfall Troupe, so that he could gain access to the money, resources, and businesses at Mercury's disposal.

Qin Yi is a master actor, constantly taking on new personas from a prideful heir to a humble liar. He will take on any role to gain power.

Connections

-Qin Yi's backstory of tricking his way to becoming the heir of the Qin family is told in Mind Maze Chapter 3. He wanted to get away from his abusive troupe master, so he gave himself the butterfly birthmark and pretended to be the missing son.

-In Flower in the Mirror, Qin Yi has an internal crisis: because he acts so much around others, he isn't sure who he truly is.

-For the prologue of Chapter 3, Qin Yi and Rien Mercury meet up. Yi uses his plays to flatter and win Rien over to his side, just like he did with Mercury, but the youth sees through the charade and says he wants to be straightforward.

-Yi's main strategy for gaining allies is to act submissive to them and pull the strings from behind, but when Zoey visits him in her Reflection for Traveler's Robe, she notices this and tells him to be more upfront with her.

Fun Facts

-For Qin Yi, his whole life is an act. Even when he talks to the narrator in the Reflections, he still treats his memories like another performance. He's always on guard.

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Chapter 1: New Play Begins

Narrated by Qin Yi.

Narrator: The Neverfall Troupe is about to launch a new show. Please join me. You'll be the first one to see it.

Narrator: Don't worry, the play isn't a one-time only event. Please take your time and enjoy it at your leisure.

Narrator: It's my new play. I directed it.

Narrator: A celebrity gala is being held in Cloudcrest.

Narrator: The event has attracted a lot of attention to my theater.

Narrator: And my special guest will be there, too.

Narrator: Peering through a small window backstage, I look out into the audience. It's a packed house. I recognize some famous faces.

Narrator: I look upwards, my eyes scanning the second floor. In the VIP balcony sits a single guest.

Narrator: He wears a formal black tie suit. His hair is silver, and his skin is fair.

Narrator: Sitting in the shadows, he looks out of place within the sumptuous old Cloud Empire theater.

Narrator: It's the opening night, but I don't feel nervous at all.

Narrator: I selected the play myself. I am certain my guest will enjoy it.

Narrator: The auditorium falls silent as the curtain starts to rise. The lights turn on, then grow dim.

Narrator: A spotlight shines onto the stage, and the actor begins her soliloquy.

Narrator: She was the abandoned daughter of a wealthy man, born out of wedlock. None of her family was willing to accept her.

Narrator: Despite her difficult situation, she did not despair. Even as a little child, she was tough and ambitious.

Narrator: It was this spirit that had allowed her to survive the turmoil and upset of her early life.

Narrator: Little by little, she grew up.

Narrator: Now an adult, she returned to the home that had rejected her. She then killed the heirs and seized control of the family business and estate.

Narrator: She sits upright in the center of the stage, clothed in refined silks, a pure white shawl draped elegantly around her shoulders.

Narrator: Her outfit is made from the finest silks, satins, and cottons, tailored to the Cloud Empire style.

Narrator: I included some Pigeon elements, hiding them in the hemline of the design.

Choose "Why?"

You: Why did you include Pigeon elements?

Narrator: Wait. You'll see.

Narrator: She has gone from being an unwanted child to the powerful head of the house, achieving her revenge.

Narrator: It's a modern play, adapted from a traditional Cloud Empire story.

Narrator: From the past to the present, people's stories do not change much.

Narrator: People are most affected by stories in which the characters have a change of fortune.

Narrator: In the end, she sits at the center of the stage, imposing and grand. No one could ever guess her humble beginnings.

Narrator: The twists and turns of the plot draw the audience in.

Narrator: Joys and sorrows, fortune and fate, the turbulent passage of time, all are explored in this tale.

Narrator: The End. The curtain falls.

Narrator: I lead the performers onto the stage for the curtain call. Looking up to the second floor, I see my guest has already left.

Narrator: Life is like a play... but some people lose the rhythm at the beginning and have to muddle along.

Narrator: Others may also lose the rhythm, but forge on regardless.

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Chapter 4: Flower Dance and Wind Songs

Narrated by Qin Yi.

Narrator: It was an overcast and cold afternoon back at the theater. Only a few lamps were burning.

Best Boy: Back so soon, Mr. Qin?

Qin Yi: Hm. I'm here to warm up.

Best Boy: Shall I turn more lights on for you?

Qin Yi: Thank you. Don't bother.

Best Boy: Very well. I won't disturb you.

Narrator: I was left alone in the theater. I got up on stage and looked down at the empty seats.

Narrator: I felt like I was back on the stage of my youth, in the middle of an empty courtyard.

Qin Yi: A fleeting, impossible attachment, a thousand songbirds awaken me from slumber.

Narrator: I closed my eyes, and a thousand flowers bloomed.

Qin Yi: Feelings flow like a river running, a grafted branch in spring is coiling, as I lean upon it while I'm dreaming...

Narrator: In my mind's eyes, no longer the hundreds of adoring faces and pairs of watching eyes.

Narrator: That night I forgot myself; I forgot the dream was just a dream, I was a dreamer, lost inside my dream.

Narrator: Maybe for a moment, I wasn't Qin Yi anymore. I was a child again, standing on that stage, swept away by the drama.

Narrator: That performance was a great success. I received a standing ovation. On the third curtain call, I felt at peace, happy.

Narrator: The tour ended one month later.

Narrator: I received many invitations, offers of collaboration, did a lot of interviews, attended parties, performances...

Choose "About Qi Qiu..."

You: How about Qi Qiu? Did you hear from him again?

Narrator: He already told me what he wanted to say in the play.

Narrator: He came, attended another one of my performances. And I responded in the play.

Choose either "How great it would be to continue like that!" or "Will you be performing that way from now on?"

If "great," ...

You: Keep it up! Performing for the pure joy of it is a lot better!

Narrator: Perhaps...

Narrator: Dreams are not a place you can stay for too long.

If "now on," ...

You: Are you going to keep performing for your own satisfaction?

Narrator: What do you think?

Narrator: There are many roads still left to travel for me and the Neverfall Troupe. I'm not going to change directions now.

--

Narrator: People have to keep going along the road they have chosen.

Narrator: You can look back, but upon waking up, you must continue on your way.

Narrator: Walking in the field of flowers, spring breeze covers me with petals.

Narrator: A new flower blossoms on the branch.

Little Girl: Brother! A flower for you!

Narrator: I look down. A young girl is smiling up at me.

Little Girl: I saw your play. It was great!

Narrator: She runs off before I can say thank you.

Narrator: Opening my hand, I see a delicate violet flower resting there.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3