March Event Log

[kaisoumods]

March Event
Dominant Element: Wind
Waning Element: Earth

※
It's as they say, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. The early part of March will be blistery and cold, with strong winds and chilly nights. But as the month goes on, the weather will slowly warm and the snow will melt. By the end of the month, it's well into the early spring and the plants already begin to green up once more.

First Signs of Green

With Valentine's over and done with, there's only one thing that everyone's looking forward to, and that's the arrival of spring. Shops in town are stocking themselves up with new outfits for spring and outdoor furniture. The garden shops are stocks with flower seeds and spring vegetables, preparing for the warm weather to finally come rolling in. Many restaurants will be having a special on Bara Brith (malt loaf) and Cawl (lamb stew), in honor of St. David's day earlier in the month as it's trendy this year. On warmer days, people will be finding just about any excuse to be outside and the streets will be busy with people. Enjoy some much needed sunlight everyone!

For adults looking for activities to do, with the upcoming St. Paddy's day, plenty of bars are doing their own promotional celebrations. Most of these are the standard kind of fanfare, where you get a discount if you wear green or there's beer that's been dyed green. Though there's a few quirkier promotions, such as the Deathmatch bar offering free beer for everyone until someone uses the bathroom. Work together to hold the line and your bladders.

Gacha Day

Throughout the month, there's talk in Undertown about being on the lookout for good fortune. On the surface it sounds like the usual fanfare you hear from gossip - someone reblogged a lucky cat photo and came upon some money. Or someone found a four leaf clover and won the grand prize in the raffle. It's easy enough for the more skeptical to dismiss. However for those who are on the look out for lucky signs may find themselves also being blessed by good fortune. A brand new TV will appear in their house, or they'll befriend a new animal friend, or they'll discover they have a new ability. There's no rhyme or reason for what good luck will befall you, but these lucky occurrences seem to have shortly after seeing an omen of good luck. And granted...some of these occurrences might be hard to perceive as lucky. Some may even be downright cursed.

Still! Maybe it's time to keep a closer eye on any patches of clovers you come across, huh?

The Dulahan

The night of March 15th is an usually foggy night. There's an eerie stillness to the world, and the wind that blows with an unnatural chill. Even the normal citizens in town feel a sense of unease, as people rush to get home. As for those more sensitive, you can't help but get a feeling of dread in your stomach. Animals too may seem unsettled, not unlike when they sense an earthquake.

It's late in the night when he shows himself, long after the streets have grown quiet. A horseman riding a horse as black as night, with his own head missing from atop his shoulders. One hand holds onto the reins of his horse, while the other carries the severed head of a woman. He trots through the misty streets of Kaisou, occasionally pausing in front of a place of residences and pointing towards those who dwell inside, before continuing on his way. If you attempt to confront him in the street, he will disappear in a sea of mist and reappear further down the road, focused on his task. Repeated attempts to confront him will eventually enough irritation that he'll pull out a whip made from human spines. Being hit by this whip will render them unconscious until morning.

It's not clear until morning what the Dulahan was after, but when the first rays of morning come through, the horror will sink in. Every person that the Dulahan singled out? Is now missing from the city - whisked away into the Spirit Realm.

New Gate: Tír na nóg

The following morning, March 16th, a new message from Zodiac is sent out

ALERT: SHIFTING GATE IDENTIFIED IN BRICK ALLEY.
Element Classification: Unknown
Danger Level: S
Designation: Tír na nóg
ALERT! A highly dangerous gate has been discovered in Brick Alley. It's already been linked to disappearances across the city. Zodiac is currently investigating but we ask all available people to help investigate and recover the missing people. Please visit the Zodiac office for any supplies. Use caution when engaging with denizens in the realm.

Going to the Zodiac Office, you will find that it's a lot busier than normal. Several Zodiac employees are coming in and out, talking and using tech as they try to sort out the scale of what they're dealing with. Professor Willow is there too, there to help with consultation. According to him, it's a Dulahan that was spotted last night- though his own information is limited to what's known in popular myths. His specialty is more on animals found within the spirit realm, not mythological figures. Notably, it seems he's managed to befriend a Meltan from last month's gate.

Zodiac will supply weapons made from iron, as well as packs of food. If you press them for more information, they will suggest not to give your name or consume any food while within the spirit gate. If you need motivation than saving your friends to help, Zodiac is more than willing to pay you for your services. As for the location of the spirit gate, they will mention that it might be a little hard to spot this time, so keep your eyes peeled!

Hard to spot will turn out to be an apt description. When they arrive in Brick Alley, there's no obvious standing tall gate as there were the previous two months. Instead, they will have to search around until they find a circle of mushrooms that have popped up on a patch of grass. These mushrooms are impervious to harm, and you'll have to stand in the center of them if you want to enter the realm. It'll take a moment or two to activate, leaving you feel a little awkward as normal people pass by and stare at you standing in a circle of mushrooms, but hold fast, because soon you'll find yourself warped into another realm.

The landscape of Tír na nóg is beautiful, looking like it came out of the pages of a fairy tale. Golden sunlight washes over lush meadows and forests ahead of you. Behind you, are tall rocky cliffs that drop down into the raging sea below. In the distance, there is a castle that stands on higher cliffs and looks like the only place of civilization in this realm. If there's any spot where the kidnapped folks are being held, it's there. You must travel through a long winding path through the forest in order to reach it. The forest is full of wildlife that's more like Earth's, but you can't but get that feeling that you're being watched. You better hope that you ate before you left or brought food of your own, because the trek takes long enough that the unprepared may find themselves feeling famished by the time they make it to the castle.

When they reach the castle, they will find the place guarded by several Fae guards along with a couple mythical beasts. They will allow entry, but only if they leave behind any iron they have on their person. If you agree to do so, they will be rather welcoming, offering refreshments for any weary travelers. Curiously, if you inquire about the other people that were brought here, the fae will seem to be of the belief that the people they're talking about have been guests at the castle longer than they've been missing, by several days in fact. What in the world is going on?

As for those who act with more hostility, well: prepare for a fight. The fae would prefer to talk things out, but they aren't afraid throw down arms when faced with violence. What more, they wield much stronger magic than anything the characters currently have. Don't be surprised to see yourself be turned into a small animal for your troubles. Only apologizing to the fae or leaving the spirit realm will reverse the effects.

Waking up at the Castle

Those who were kidnapped by the Dulahan will wake up to find themselves in much nicer accommodations than you'd expect for being kidnapped. You wake up in your own personal guestroom in soft beds. Fae attendants will come in to check on your needs, checking if everything is to your liking while any requests to go home seem to fall on deaf ears. While this place is much more medieval in terms of technology, they seem determined to make your stay as comfortable as possible. You are even allowed to leave your rooms to wander the halls to see others in their guest rooms, though for a least the first morning they block you from leaving the guest wing. It should also be noted that anything made of iron has been removed from your person.

At midday on that first day, the kidnapped characters will be invited down to the main hall of the castle for a grand feast. Any type of food you could possibly desire, as well as foods you've never heard of, are laid across the giant banquet table. The fae are friendly and more than curious to learn about their new "guests", asking personal questions and encouraging them to eat up. The fae themselves come in all shapes and sizes. Some look like classic fairies while others more otherworldly appearance. It's only when they've made sure enough of their new guests have eaten and shared their names do the head of the fae announce their reason for bringing you to their realm: they could sense something special about you, and have decided to have you joined the fae. It's been a long time since they've had anyone bolster their ranks after all.

After this announcement, the fae will allow the guests to travel where they wish. You can explore the realm or spend time with the fae as you like. However if anyone who ate the food or gave their name will find that even if they reach the gate, they won't be able to use it to get back to Kaisou. For now, you're stuck in the spirit realm.

Life among the Fae

One thing will become obvious when the kidnapped meet up with their would-be rescuers: time flows differently in this realm. A single day in Kaisou is several days in Tír na nóg. By the time the would-be rescuers have found the people they were looking for, several days have passed - more than enough time for the kidnapped to explore and experience this realm on their own. The fae themselves aren't too concerned about the new arrivals, and will treat them as guests as well. It's not like they have a way to ESCAPE after all. Though just like those kidnapped- any who share their name or eat the food will also find themselves stuck in the spirit realm. Whoops.

The fae are friendly and playful race. While they rarely give a straight answer, they enjoy playing games and hearing stories about places outside the realm. Some of their games include riddles, fishing, or playing with balls made of sheer gold. However, their good nature will quickly sour if you do anything to cross them. Attempting to cheat, steal, or honestly any perceived slight against them may result in you getting cursed with magic. This magic will either turn you partly or fully into an animal, depending on the severity of their rage. Though at the same time, getting endearing yourself too much to the fae may also end in your body getting changed, with them deciding to "bless you" by granting you fae-like features.

It's not just the fae you need to be wary of. A popular dish among the court is called the "Fish of Knowledge". It's a type of salmon that admittedly tastes extremely good. However anyone who consumes it will find it having an effect on their memories. AU characters may find all their AU memories getting swapped for the memories of their canon counterpart, now even more lost and confused to what's going on here. Otherwise, characters from other worlds (and any AU characters that rather go this route) will find themselves becoming an expert in a random field of study. Never went to medical school? Doesn't matter, you now have a PhD worth of medical knowledge in your head, or any other subject that you feel apt.

The Rescue

As much as the Fae want to keep their new friends, it's not like you guys can actually stay forever. Eventually, they'll be able to strike a deal with the leaders of the Fae. If they can retrieve the head that the Dulahan carries and bring it to Gwenffrwd well atop the mountain (there's murmurings among the court whether it's ACTUALLY a mountain, this seems to be a contentious opinion), everyone will be allowed to leave the realm. They'll even be nice enough to give back your iron weapons for this quest -- once you leave the castle grounds, that is.

Finding the Dulahan will take some work, as he wanders the bogs of Tír na nóg. These bogs are treacherous, where taking the wrong step could lead you to fall under the murky waters. No matter the time of day, it's dark and gloomy in these spots. Will-o'-the-wisps appear as lights floating over the bog, intent on leading people off the path. Undead skeletons are also found in these bogs, and they are more than happy to try to get you to join their undead horde. When you do finally find the Dulahan, you'll have to be careful to make sure he doesn't run off before you can grab that head. Not only that, but his power is stronger now that he's in the Spirit Realm, meaning his attacks might do more than just knock you out for awhile. Teamwork is likely your best option here.

Once you have retrieved the severed head (which is the real severed head of a woman, wonderful), it's time to go up the mountain(?)! Away from the bog, the path up the mountain(?) is winding but straightforward, but it'll turn out about three-fourths up the mountain there is one teensy little detail the fae left out. And that detail being that the path to the well is being guarded by a large, fire breathing, red dragon. It seems some fae have even gathered around to spectate the whole encounter, because who are they to turn down free entertainment?

Good luck guys!

If you manage to find a way past the dragon, then the rest of the trip to the well is pretty straightforward. Drop the head into the waters of the well, and there'll be a glow of magic. All characters, regardless of if they ate the fae food, will be allowed to come and go from this realm as they wish.

Aftermath

While for those trapped in the realm, it'll feel like they were there for a month -- once they return to Kaisou they will find they were only gone for 1 IC week (the 15th to the 22nd). You're welcome to deal with the consequences with work or school that'd happen for being missing for a week, though if you rather not then you'll find that Zodiac stepped in and was able to give believable excuses for your absences. It's uh, a little unnerving how good they are at handling explaining people disappearing, honestly

Any knowledge or memories that your character gained from eating the fish will disappear, becoming fuzzier and fuzzier until it's hard to recall anything they learned. As for any animal/fae features they received from Fae magic, it is optional whether or not they will stick around for any amount of time.

For the rest of the month, characters are allowed to come and go into Tír na nóg as they wish. The fae will be sad that you won't be staying with them forever, but they are still happy for your company. With the crisis averted, Zodiac will once again offer paid incentives to bring back items from the realm. Those gold balls in particular are of interest to them, but don't let the fae catch you thieving. And per usual, there'll be penalties for anyone who doesn't return the items that Zodiac loaned out.

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is wind! Anyone with an affinity to the wind element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for earth will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.

Memories gained by eating the fish will not remain, but characters are welcome to retain any animal features. If they were turned fully into an animal, they'll find they are now able to shift between human and animal form. Nice! (EDIT: Details on the feature have been elaborated on here.)

Any fights or interactions with NPCs will be handled by the players! Feel free to thread out things however you'd like! If you have any questions, please ask them on the plot questions thread below! The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here.

Comments

Questions

[kaisoumods]

Got any questions about the event? Ask them here!

[hootheart]

Since Tiera's "true" name is technically in bird-language, would sharing her "human" name also entrap her, or would it not count?

PERMANENT ANIMAL FEATURES/SHIFTING GUIDELINES

[kaisoumods]

Just posting this here to elaborate on something I should've elaborate on sooner:

If after this plot, if you decide to have your character keep their animal/fae features, they will have the following criteria:

- Shifting: Characters can potentially learn to shift between their original humanoid appearance and their animal/fae features/form. How well they are able to do this depends on the character! Perhaps they're able to do it entirely at will, perhaps strong emotions bring it out involuntarily, or perhaps they will fail to shift to fully human appearance at all. Basically it's up to the player and what they want, but if you need an IC justification you can say it's something about either the strength of the curse or their overall ability to control magic.

- Animal/Fae Mannerisms: Characters may pick up certain mannerisms/behaviors based on their form, if the player wishes! Those with fairy wings may be more prone to holding grudges, while someone with dog features are more easily distracted by squirrels. Players can play with these mannerisms as they wish, but they should not completely override the character's core personality. These are also optional and can be skipped.

- Communication (full animal shift): While a character is fully shifted into an animal, it's up to the player if the character will be able to communicate with other characters normally. Again it falls into the realm of "how well can they control the shift". NPCs will always hear animal sounds, and to communicate with other animals will require the purchase of a regain -- otherwise it will basically be like this.

- Hovering (Fairy Wings/Other Wings): Characters that obtain wings during this event will be able to hover 6 inches off the ground. To learn how to fly properly, they will need to purchase a regain. Those who fully shift into birds and don't have a flight regain will have the same flight power as a bird with clipped wings (basically very short bursts of flight akin to gliding).

- Special Abilities: Besides the animal shifting and the hovering, the characters should gain no special abilities from these permanent changes. The only real exception is they'd be able to do what animals can do -- but only while fully shifted. Fully a cat? Land on your feet. Not fully cat? Land on your ass.

Mirabel Madrigal | Encanto | Open and closed prompts

[nonmagical]

[Waking Up At the Castle - ota]

[Ugh, looks like Bruno's prediction was right. Her memory's a little fuzzy, but she distinctly remembers seeing a headless man carrying a woman's head pointing at her through Casita's window. It kept her up for most of the night, but she must've fell asleep because she's here now...

... Where is here?

She's in a comfortable-looking guestroom, sitting on a soft bed. She's still in her nightgown, and ventures out, stepping out into the castle hallway. She wanders around a bit, looking for anyone familiar - or anything familiar really.]

Um... hello...?

[Life Among the Fae - ota]

[It starts to sink in that Mirabel isn't going home anytime soon. She tries to make herself comfortable - she's dressed in clothes that the fae gave her, instead of her usual nightgown. But she'd really like to go home, and her attempts to go home are blocked each time.

Eventually, she ends up ticking off a fae by arguing with her about going home. While Mirabel loses the argument, she fails to notice as she walks away from the fae guard that she's grown a wolf-like tail.]

Ugh, everyone here is so unreasonable! I just want to go home!

[She storms through the castle, angry and a little afraid that she can't go home. But it gets worse - there's a pair of wolf-like ears in place of her usual ears. There's fur growing around her neck, and she has a small wolf-like nose. She stops, not realizing what has happened to her yet...]

Did it get warmer in here...?

[Rescue - locked to Luisa]

[Mirabel tagged along with the rescue group - even though she can't really do much of anything. By now, she's noticed her wolf-like changes, and while she's deeply unhappy about it, she still wants to help in some way - she needs to get her mom home after all! And herself! She'll do what she can, even if it means trekking through this disgusting... bog.

She ends up not being very much help - everyone in the rescue group is a little more capable of taking on the Dulahan than her, all she can do is hang back and watch. Every once in a while she directed out of the way while others take on the fighting...

Of course she's in the way. She eventually gives up and goes looking for her sister, Luisa, who she spotted with the rest of the group earlier. It's been a while since she's seen her though... she searches for her, getting further and further away from the main rescue group.

Except that up ahead, there's an actual dragon guarding the path ahead. A huge, actually real dragon. Like in the stories.

Before Mirabel can even process this, she notices something else - her sister, alone, fighting off the dragon. Or well, trying to. Mirabel watches in horror as the giant creature advances on her.]

Luisa!

[She starts to run to her.]

[The Aftermath - locked to Casita residents/visitors]

[She's made it home. It was hard to explain the bloody clothes, but eventually Mirabel was allowed to go back to her room.

But Mirabel's been quiet ever since she's gotten home. She doesn't mention why - only keeping to herself. Her wolf changes haven't gone away, if anything it's worse now and she's been trying to avoid most of her family out of fear of what she looks like. But she has even bigger problems than that. Both her and Luisa do - and she's helpless to do anything about it.

It's my fault. It's all my fault.

Her heart tightens in her chest. Everything went wrong, everything...

She can be found in her room, you'd think she'd have a lot to say about her adventure in being kidnapped, but she just... doesn't have that much to say. There is one question that remains in her mind:

Why is she so tired?]

Life among fae

[wilder]

[Zelos had gone to track down the people who were kidnapped, hoping to find the few people he knew among them. He quickly grew to realize it was a lot easier to get around if the fae thought you were one of them, so he's got his wings out. Which ironically, despite how bright they were, it made sure the fae didn't really give him so much of a second glance.

Eventually he spots Mirabel. He never met her in person, but he recognized the photos. So he's fast approaching]

Mirabel-- [And when she's close enough, he also notices how much more furry she looks]

-- Whoa.

Aftermath prequel - to Bruno and Luisa

[nonmagical]

[They made it, yet they didn’t.

The dragon had been too much for them, and in turn, both of them had nearly lost their lives. If it wasn’t for the Spirit Realm intervening, they’d be gone for sure.

But now both of them had a different problem. In order to be saved, they had to take on a spirit into their bodies. And pay a “price”, whatever that meant. But it helped them survive. They recovered from their fatal wounds and escaped the dragon.

Now Luisa was carrying Mirabel through the castle, because Mirabel inexplicably collapsed part of the journey back. Their clothes are bloody, they look awful.

But they’re ready to go home. Mirabel’s a little unsure about going home with her new wolf curse, her body still more wolf than human, but she desperately wants to be home.

It’s probably no surprise that they eventually find Bruno up ahead, looking for the rest of the family. Mirabel surprisingly sees him first, and nudges Luisa.]

Tio Bruno…?

Jun Kohinata | Tokyo Xanadu | OTA

[whiteshroud]

[Catch all for Jun! Prompts will go up as needed!]

Nighttime at the 7-Eleven | OTA

[whiteshroud]

[Going for a late night snack run at the 7-Eleven? While you're out, you might catch the look of something odd on the roof. A white hooded figure, standing on the roof and watching the street below...while drinking a blue iceee.

Just another night at the 7-Eleven it seems.]

Emma Millstein | Trails of Cold Steel | OTA

[hexposition]

I. gacha time [text]
[So, as it turns out, Emma's come into the possession of a couple of items recently. One of them, however, is not so much an item as it is... well.

She is running up against the limits of her understanding, indeed.]

Um, hello there!

I have a bit of an odd question. Does anyone know anything about cat-proof cages for rodents? Or about bathing rodents?

I... appear to have acquired a new little friend. And while he is very sweet and I think he's attempting to be helpful, our house has several cats who all see him as a nice snack. Also, he wants to be helpful specifically in the kitchen, which has me worried about potential food poisoning.

I've only ever grown up with cats, so I guess I really don't know much about the care and feeding of rodents? But I would like to keep both him and I safe and happy.

Any advice would be wonderful and greatly appreciated!

II. kidnapped
[When Emma wakes up, she is immediately stricken by fear, because this is not where she went to sleep.

It's not like it's a bad place or anything— if this were a hotel she'd willingly checked into, she might even feel like she was some kind of fairytale princess. The problem is that it's not a hotel, and she distinctly remembers going to bed with her cat last night!

Phoebe had been on strangely high alert last night... maybe she should have listened.

Nervously, Emma tiptoes out into the hallway. She's thankful that she wears pretty modest nightgowns to bed, otherwise this would be so much more awkward...]

H-hello? Is... is anyone here...?

III. rescue
[By the time anyone makes it in for a rescue attempt, Emma has managed to get in good graces with her captors. This seemed like a good idea at the time, but at the prospect of getting out, she's growing increasingly worried about her chances.

She knows myths about the fae, at least. That you are never to eat their food, for one— but what choice did she have? She had to survive! And when they pressed her about her name, she was so thrown off she didn't even think twice about answering...

So it is that when anyone eventually finds her, she looks a little different than she did when she was plucked out of Kaisou. She's wearing her hair mostly loose, for one, with small braids for decoration here and there and flowers tucked inside them. What she's wearing is out of the ordinary for her, too— something light and flowing and not nearly as much like she robbed her grandma's closet, which is to say she's actually showing a bit of skin for a change.

But the most noticeable change is that she has a pair of wings coming from her shoulder blades; light and lacy like that of a dragonfly and catching the light with a faint purplish sheen.

Upon catching a glimpse of her would-be rescuer, her response is... perhaps not what anyone would expect.]

W-what are you doing here?! You could get yourself hurt if you anger them!

II

[fiddlestick]

[Yeah this is not at all how Elliot expected to wake up this morning! At the same time Emma is coming out into the hallway, so is he. While in class Elliot tries to have a very groomed and professional look, he looks less so here. His hair is down, and he's wearing a violin t-shirt and sweat pants that were clearly meant to be sleepwear.

He also looks pretty stressed out because oh boy oh boy his month hadn't been crazy enough he had to get KIDNAPPED. He only starts short when he notices one of his students in the hallway]

-- Emma?

Hunter | The Owl House | OTA

[cardinalrule]

At the castle

[Arriving in the fae realm had been mind-blowing. Hunter has never willingly walked through a portal, and despite the weird way to travel (standing in a circle of mushrooms while regular passer-bys give him weird looks), it's incredible. One second he's standing in a dingy, wet, snowy Kaisou and the next he's surrounded by trees. Green trees. This has to be what Belos had been talking about, "The trees are green."

He spends several minutes just looking around, before setting out for the castle. As fun as it would be to just explore, he's here for a reason. Zodiac reasons, specifically. They wanted him to collect some things from the castle for research purposes, and apparently the fae aren't particularly thrilled with people stealing their stuff, so he needs to be clandestine about it. He makes his way to the castle, reluctantly gives up his mask, pauldron and pen-sword since they contain iron, and heads inside. The scarred cardinal is with him, perched on his shoulder and looking around curiously.

The two of them can be found throughout the castle, turning down food and drink, examining and exploring the halls. He might have stopped in front of an elaborate tapestry, raising an eyebrow at it. Or surreptitiously pocketing one of those golden balls, in a subtle enough manner that none of the fae are noticing. It's fine, he's fine.]

[nonmagical]

[Mirabel hasn't been... hiding, exactly. But she's been staying at a distance, and she definitely looks different from the last time her and Hunter met. More specifically, she's grown a lot of wolf-like features from pissing off a fae guard. And she hasn't been able to get them reversed, and she doesn't know if she can get them reversed.

She sees Hunter, but she doesn't quite see what he's up to. It's probably safe to approach, right...?]

What are you doing?

Luisa Madrigal | Encanto | OTA

[neverbreaks]

A. Gacha Day(s)

[ Honestly, Luisa hadn't been doing anything in particular. She figures a little luck wouldn't hurt, given everything, but she hadn't been going out of her way to look or do anything specific.

And yet, if people catch her walking along the street, they might notice her suddenly...shoot forward a couple of feet. Did she trip? There didn't seem to be anything to trip on. But as she falls she doesn't...actually hit the ground? In fact, she seems to be hovering a bit over it. ]

...I am getting really tired of this.

[ Apparently, this isn't the first time this has happened. ]

B. Tír na nóg

[ Once she had realized that Mirabel and Julieta were both missing, Luisa headed straight for the Zodiac office to help find them. Once the new gate had opened up, Luisa had gone with the others to investigate and, once they were able to find it, pass through to the other side.

And it's...not at all what she expected. It was actually really pretty. But Luisa tries not to let herself get distracted, as she heads down the path towards the castle.

She has to find her family. ]

C. Life among the Fae

[ Once it's apparent that they're all stuck there for a while, Luisa can't help exploring a little. It really is something like out of a fairy tale - fae, a castle, mythical creatures. She knows they have to be careful, though; from what she can remember, fae can be a bit temperamental, and though they certainly seemed welcoming and friendly, it wouldn't take too much to change their moods.

But...Luisa also can't help maybe enjoying herself, just a little bit. There is a part of her, buried deep down, that had never left behind the worlds of fairy tales. She never really gets to indulge in it, though, because...well, that was never very helpful. She usually had too much to do, and fantasizing about princesses and fairies hadn't made the work go any faster (even if it had made it a little less...boring). But the fae were kind of nice, and they didn't ask her for much.

She knows they have to be careful. And she can't entirely forgive them for kidnapping her mother and sister. But...would it really be bad to indulge just a little bit? ]

D. The Rescue

[ When the fae present them with a way to get free, Luisa joins group that set off to find the Dulahan and retrieve the head (so that's what Bruno's vision was about!). The bog is certainly unpleasant, and the dark makes her uncomfortable.

And though she has the weapons that the Zodiac offices gave her, she's not entirely at ease with them either. She had never really practiced with weapons of any kind, and fighting in general just wasn't her thing. Even with her strength and her maze when she arrived here, she just...didn't like the idea of having to fight.

But she will, if she has to. She just...hope it doesn't come down to that. ]

E. Aftermath (closed to Casita residents and visitors)

[ They were finally home. It felt like that had taken so long, but apparently it had only been a week. Because of course that's how the fae world works.

Luisa was working out in her room, hard at work at one of the weight machines. She knew that her family would probably tell her that she needed to rest, but...she can't.

Not now. Not after...

Her breath hitches, and she shakes her head. She can't rest now. She has to get stronger...be stronger. Be better.

Because she isn't good enough yet. She'd failed...failed to protect her family. And she'd paid the price for it.

But the worst part was that Mirabel had paid for it too. She had failed to protect Mirabel, and now...

Gritting her teeth, she furiously tugs on the weight machine. Never again. She wouldn't fail again.

Even if it's already too late. ]

That sweet aftermath prompt

[nonmagical]

[Mirabel hadn't told any of her family of their near-death experience. Calling it that felt weird... wasn't it? It wasn't near death, they were dying. They would've died, if the Spirit Realm hadn't come to their rescue.

Their experience had been replaying in Mirabel's mind all night. She was exhausted - why she wasn't sure - but she felt a tiredness that ran so deep. It's fine, it would all be fine in the morning.

Except she couldn't sleep. She couldn't rest, even though her body desperately wants to. Luisa in her final moments kept replaying in her mind, and she felt so hideously guilty that she second guesses herself when she heads to Luisa's room.

But she's the only one who understands.

Her doglike features aren't gone - she'd been avoiding most of her family because of it, but she wouldn't avoid Luisa. So with a heavy, weary sigh, she ventures inside looking for her.]

August Villareal | OTA

[drewthetower]

Gacha

[Okay so the less said about the atrocious shoes August found in his room this morning, the better. Fuck that, he is burning them as soon as possible.

The camera is vastly more interesting, though, and he's fiddling with it as he goes with Julian on the bird's daily supervised flying.

Like a walk, but for birds!

He takes a few photos to test it out, honestly impressed with the quality even if he's not sure where it came from. Julian didn't screech at it, so it's probably safe enough.]

Kidnapped | open mostly to the kidnappees

[August, surprisingly, isn't panicked when he wakes up kidnapped. He's incredibly unamused, sure, but if anything he's more worried about Julian not being here with him. Hopefully Jun knows how to handle him, because it's probably Jun the bird will go to when he can't find August.

So once he's established that everything is fine (relatively) and had the fae explain what the fuck is going on, August is just gonna. Wander around, check on the other kidnappees, and ask a few questions of the fae, which kidnappees are welcome to overhear.]

--look, I just want to know if maybe you've heard of a guy named Johann and a woman named Ciela. The woman looks a lot like me but a brunette.

[And when they're rescued? August is actually going to hug the first rescuer he sees. Deal with it.]

Wildcard

[HMU for anything else!!]

kidnapped

[nonmagical]

[Mirabel's only been here for a few hours. She's been exploring it, but she kind of wants to go home... it doesn't seem like that's going to be easy, because most of the fae she's talked to have told her that she's here to stay, basically.

She sees August talking to one of the fae, and she's somewhat glad to recognize someone else here.]

August!

[She runs towards him, interrupting whatever conversation he might be having.]

Elliot Craig | Trails of Cold Steel | OTA

[fiddlestick]

I. Gacha Time
[After spotting some four leaf clovers, Elliot wasn't expecting to come home and find a new armchair and weapons. The sword he quickly decided was not for him and passed it off to Rean. The whip? Well...it wouldn't hurt to give a shot right?

So in a private part of the park, he goes to practice. He's new at this, but he at least watched some videos online about how to use whips (none of them safe for children). So even if he's new, he's slowly getting the hang of it.

But what he wasn't expecting was that when he focused and flicked his whip just so-- that it would turn into fire]

-- W-What?!

[Oh god oh god the whip is on fire and he's in a park WHAT DOES HE DO]

II. Kidnapped! (closed to kidnapees)
[He wakes up in a strange bedroom. Even before he opens his eyes, he knows something is off from the way the mattress feels nicer than his crappy one back in his apartment. Sure enough, he's in another room in a place he's never seen before. Just where...?

Carefully, he steps out of the room and into the hallway. His hair is down and he's wearing a novelty violin t-shirt along with some sweatpants. The stress and anxiety is starting to build as he looks around]

H-Hello? Is anyone here?

III. Life Among the Fae
[Learning of their situation did little to comfort Elliot. Rather, it was straight up demoralizing. He was trapped in the spirit realm with no clear means of escape. He knew full well that he was in over his head with just about everything here. And worse, he didn't have any hopes that someone out there would try to rescue him. Why would they? Other than Rean, who he hadn't spoken to in years, it wasn't like he was close to anyone on Libra. He might actually be stuck here.

And unfortunate for Elliot, the Fae are really intrigued by the idea of having a musician for their court. As such, they keep him close and regularly encourage him to play for them. Whenever he tries to say no, they give him a little curse to remind him of his new place. Some cat ears, a tail - one fae even has the nerve to make him wear a choker with a little silver bell.

When the fae aren't having him play, he can easily be found alone, tuning one of the instruments they gave him. It doesn't matter if he's already tuned this thing to death, it helps with his nerves]

I'm not even sure if it'd better or worse if they turn me into a full cat at this point... [He mutters to himself, unhappily. He feels so helpless. There has to be something he can do, isn't there? At the very least, to get his students out of this mess...]

IV. Wildcard
[Got another prompt for me? Hit me up! Other prompts made be added later. The plan is to eventually make him go full cat, but playing it fast and loose for how that'll go down!]

III

[nonmagical]

[Once Mirabel had started turning into a wolf, she tried to apologize to the fae that turned her into one - only to make it worse. The changes didn't start happening right away, but in a few hours, there's an actual, brown wolf wandering the halls of the castle.

She's still wearing her green glasses. Thankfully, those haven't gone missing or she'd be a blind wolf.

In any case, Elliot is approached by his wolfy student who just stops and watches him for a moment.]

Did you make them mad too?

Tachibana Hinata | OTA

[lovemax]

NOTE: Tachibana now places a small charm effect on people that look at her, giving them a small crush or platonic equivalent. This can either affect your characters or not, just be sure to note it and, if you'd like, hit up her permissions post.

[ Wake Me Up WAKE ME UP INSIDE ]

[ Tachibana isn't quite sure what to make of this. When she first woke up, it took a couple moments to piece together that this wasn't her usual unusual room, but a newer, better room. And from there, well, things began to come together. ]

Ah. There's my second tally mark for kidnapping.

[ She's just. Resigned. At least there isn't any immediate danger? Certainly better than the last couple times she was kidnapped.

Her first priority is gonna be to poke her head around and see who or what are around. So feel free to see Tachibana - dressed in an oversized white T-shirt and shorts - poking her head in and staring. ] Uh, hey.


[ First Day At The Castle ]

[ Some time after waking up, the fae have invited everyone up for lunch?? Tachibana will engage in small talk, do a lot of eating, and generally try and play nice?

At least up through the part where they're told why they're all really there. And then things get weird. Because the bigwig fae talking glides over directly to Tachibana immediately following. "Yes, and you will do nicely as my bride." ]

.................Pardon?

[ But they bow, kiss her hand, and then glide back off. While some other fae are excitedly murmuring.

Tachibana turns to the nearest person. And is it just you, or did Tachibana turn just a little more pretty... with ears a little more pointed...? ]

...What?


[ Fae Life Sitcom ]

[ Tachibana gets very good at avoiding the Fae attendants who come looking for her - to dress her up, pretty her up, make her ears pointier or try and give her wings, whatever it is they want Tachibana is having none of it.

So get used to finding Tachibana in weird places. Under a table. Behind a potted plant. Hidden inside of a closet. Under your bed. The possibilities are endless! ]

Are they gone? [ is what she asks every time another human Kaisou resident finds her. ]


[ WILDCARD ]

[ Tachibana is around. Find her, talk to her! Rope her into your shenanigans! THE POWER IS YOURS ]

FIRST DAY...

[suzume_odori]

[Bad news Tachibana.

Suzume also has the pointy ears. The Fae are LOVING the kiddo.

Also, to add to the bad news, Suzume frankly has no idea what marriage is. Or brides. OR all that. So ultimately, the only answer she's getting is-]

...Umnh...

...I didn't say anything...

[The fae of course are just giggling.]

Spinel | Steven Universe | ota

[bendyandthepinkmachine]

[Gacha Day]

[Spinel's sporting a new fox tail - no she hasn't been to the fae realm yet, but it seems like she's gained a new animal feature anyway. It doesn't seem to bother her much, as she can be seen caught playing with it.

It's all fun and games until she tries out the new card she got, and when she looks at it, she finds herself frozen in place.

Unable to move from that spot.

Panic fills her as she struggles to move and can't.]

He... heh... what's... going on?

[Life Among the Fae]

[Spinel really doesn't have a big interest in saving the kidnapped. But she is curious about the castle. It kind of looks like Homeworld's Palace? She explores for a bit, and then comes across the feast laid out in front of her.

She doesn't need to eat, but she is curious about the food. Stretching out one of her limbs into a spaghetti noodle, she reaches over and pokes one of the cakes. It squishes and she lets out a giggle.]

This stuff is so squishy!

[The Rescue]

[She follows the rescue group curiously, hanging back to check out the bog. If she finds you being attacked by something - perhaps a skeleton, she'll blow up her hand into a giant one and slap the creature away.]

Ha! These guys are nothing!

Roxas | Kingdom Hearts | Closed prompts

[missingache]

[Making prompts as needed. If you want one, hit me up here or chromatus]

Sora - Rescue(?)

[missingache]

[Quite a few people had gone missing, and people had gotten together to save them. Though Roxas was still really unsure about all of this. Zodiac seemed to like throwing them all into strange situations... Apparently the fae court wanted the head of the Dulahan. A creature he only knew about from video games... and as much as he should be helping out, Roxas doesn't know how to use the sword.

Or who he was even trying to fight so hard to save.

As asked, to enter where the fae live, he's more than up for putting the sword aside. But what now? If fae were like in video games, freely exploring this place might be hard.]

Should've stayed at home...

Tabia | OC | Open

[learntoread]

[ Dulahan Night ]

[ The fog on this night seems unnatural. Tabia's dealt with spooky supernatural entities enough times to know that something nasty is afoot.

When she crosses paths with the Dulahan, she doesn't need to know the mythology to recognize an evil spirit when she sees it. She brandishes her amulet and recites a familiar incantation...! ]

Wicked one who comes forth to sew chaos and reap suffering, your harvest shall be denied! Turn back, for I am a maiden great of heka who brings ma'at against you!

[ The words spoken, light shines forth! A stream of magical energy like a raging river spirals around Tabia's body, and she transforms. Her tunic's color changes to yellow, jewelry shines along her arms and neck, and from her shaved head sprouts a full head of long, golden hair.

...It's all over just in time for the Dulahan to disappear back into the mist. Banishing... successful...? ]

That's strange. They usually put up more of a fight than that.


[ Tír Na Nóg ]

[ Tabia fully understands the weight of this mission. Traveling into Duat (or whatever they called it) is a dangerous notion, and what you need to be safe there is information. So, she spent a day or two researching this realm - both in terms of what Zodiac knows, and by looking up Tir Na Nog in the library.

The rules are different than the ones she knows, but seem simple enough. Name: Senbi. If this sends any misfortune his way, then as high priest, he'll know what to do with it. Beyond that, she isn't exactly proficient with many weapons, but takes a short iron rod with her just so that she can strike any demons with it in a pinch.

The realm of Tir Na Nog is... beautiful. Life along the Nile is lush and prosperous, but she's never seen forests like these. There's so much life here, and so much water... this must be the paradise that awaits Americans beyond the veil of death. However, of course, such beauty is no reason to let her guard down. The fae sound like they're quite dangerous spirits.

Thus, we come to 'Senbi', arguing carefully with the fae at the entrance to their castle. ]

I understand that iron is abhorrent to your kind, yes. However, I plead you to consider the demand from my perspective. I have come here in search of people who vanished from their homes, and not knowing their fates, surely I cannot submit my only way of defending myself before I go further. Perhaps a compromise could be arranged? If you can offer me some evidence that my peers have not been harmed, then I will surrender my iron. Is that not reasonable?

[ The guards don't seem to be responsive to Senbi's brand of diplomacy. Help a girl out? ]

Tír Na Nóg

[reallysucks]

[From behind, the voice- down to the curious verbal tic- is plenty familiar.] Don't bother arguing it -ka...In every story I ever read -ka, iron is fatal to this lot. Trying to bring it in would be like asking to bring active poison to a palace...

[For all that Kate is going in blind to all of this, she was at least quick to do some internet diving before draining a coffee and rushing for the gate to chase after a certain fool friend of hers that got kidnapped. The iron thing was...hard to miss, even if she didn't go checking in with Zodiac.

All that aside, Tabia isn't going to see a familiar face once she turns around. Rather than the short, twig of a woman with an almost bird-like face (though after this perhaps the mosquito comparison will be more apt), this is... Well she's a Something, alright.

A something now eyeing what Tabia's got as she taps at her phone.] KA! If I'd known you were coming into this though I'd have lent you a baseball bat- you're not going to get any decent grip on that thing..!

[Still grumbling a bit, she holds her phone out now that she's gotten the window open despite her claws.] Here- this lot might be stubborn -ka, but Suzi has been texting nonstop....idiot girl...

[She has. A lot of feelings about Suzi. Specifically the fact that only Suzi could get kidnapped and treat it like a vacation.]

Xingqiu | Genshin Impact | ota

[feiyun]

[a. first signs of green]

[Xingqiu hasn't lived in Kaisou city for his entire life but he has lived here for a few years now. And he knows that when March hits so does the Spring fever. There are flowers springing up everywhere and there is no stopping how everything turns green.

He's wandering past a local flower shop when he has to stop to take in the sight. The collection of fresh flowers being sold outdoors is a pleasant sight to see. Calms him down and makes his heart feel ... nostalgic?

There is one particular flower that catches Xingqiu's eye. A beautiful blossoming Glaze Lilly sits in a pot ready to be sold...]

How curious... Why does it feel like I've seen a flower like this before?

[He reaches up to tuck a long lock of his black-blue hair behind one ear. It's gotten super long lately and it's starting to hang well past his shoulders... It's all that new shampoo he's been using.]

[b. spirit gate: Tír na nóg]

[Rumour has it that people are going missing and the Zodiac office knows something about it. And a stone sinks into Xingqiu's stomach when he no longer receives texts from the one person that he worries the most about. He tries and tries to call but after effectively deciding that his best friend is missing...

Xingqiu is seeing red. He practically stomps up to the ominous-looking gate and peers up at it with a furious look on his face. He demands that whatever attendant that is here working with the Zodiac office speaks to him. Or anyone else nearby.]

Give me a weapon. I'm going in with or without you.

[Does Xingqiu know how to fight? That is yet to be something to tell but he's not going to stop until he finds his best friend. If he has to isekai and go into this gate and explore some magical spirit realm on the other side and kill some fae along the way? He'll do it. He has to find him.]

[c. wildcard]

[got something else? feel free to toss it down here! or find me at michrure for some plotting!]

B.

[whiteshroud]

[While Jun was determined to go into the gate and save his father and August, he wasn't expecting Xingqiu to show up. Honestly, he's never even seen the guy like this. He usually is so unflappable. Even through the voice modulator, there's no hiding his surprise.]

Xingqiu? What happened?

Rean Schwarzer | Trails of Cold Steel | OTA

[motiv8]

I. unfortunate gacha [video]

[When the feed goes live, Rean is standing in front of his desk at the dorms. There's a TV on the desk now, which is new to Rean, but probably uninteresting to most other people.]

Hey there. So, I've come into the possession of a couple of new things recently... they just showed up here in my dorm. And two of them are pretty nice, honestly, but the third one is... ah. A problem.

[He turns so that what appears to be an organ made out of furbies is visible over his shoulder. As if recognizing that the camera is focused on them, they all snap awake, immediately devolving into a screeching chorus of babbles.]

...Yeah. So. I'm pretty sure this thing is deeply cursed, and it's not like I can light it on fire in the dorms. Anyone know anything about exorcism that might be able to help me out?

I mean, I'm not going to sleep for the next week regardless, but I'd love this thing to not be here as soon as humanly possible.

II. the dulahan

[Rean really shouldn't be out at this hour, but his latest odd job ran late and he had errands that really needed to be run, so despite the feeling of unease coursing through his veins, here he is.

He means to just get home as fast as he can, but then he feels something on the edge of his senses, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up, and he whirls around to see what it is. He doesn't have his sword on him— of course not, he's not looking to get arrested— but if there's somebody hunting him down, he's at least hoping he'll be able to fend off the worst.

There's no way he can be prepared for what he sees, though, and once his gaze fixes on the shadowy figure he stops dead, feeling his heart turn to ice in his chest and drop into his stomach.]

W-what the hell is...

III. like, y'know, nya

[The last time anyone will have seen Rean is the morning of the 16th, which is to say he clearly wasn't kidnapped alongside the others. Still, any attempts to contact him after the gate's opening is announced will go unanswered, without even being marked as read.

Anyone who makes a rescue attempt, however, may well find an interesting little creature prowling around inside the spirit realm: A black cat, with a jagged white splotch across its chest and unusually-colored eyes. A red collar adorns its neck, with a little charm that looks suspiciously like a Japanese sword dangling from the collar.

Upon recognizing an app user, the cat will run over, meowing insistently.]

gacha, video; un: Litania

[chatterboxing]

What. The fu—[WAIT SHIT THERE ARE KIDS ON THE NETWORK QUICK CHANGE COURSE.]—nnnnnnnnnnnope! [Walking away from the phone as she sets it down faceup on her desk; enjoy the view of her ceiling!

She remains loud enough to be heard.] Nope! I did not just see that thing, I don't wanna see that thing oh my god I'm going to have to see the thing when I pick my phone back up!

[There's several seconds of awkward silence before Lita does, in fact, pick the phone back up.]

Sorry 'bout that, it's just. What the heck it's horrifying. Are you sure it needs an exorcism an' not just total obliteration?

Kate (Ka Ninja) | YuGiOh! Zexal | OTA

[reallysucks]

[FIRST SIGNS OF GREEN]

[Despite everything that started the moment March hit and she found a lucky clover- (spoilers, it was not lucky, and until she works up the nerve to contact this 'Blackbird' fellow she's having a heck of a time with her shirts)- there is something to be said about Kaisou's holiday meals. At just about every point of the season, the little local eatery does something in response to the time of year, and apparently this is no different.

She has herself a small coffee, a small plate of malt loaf, and a similarly sized bowl of piping hot lamb stew. Mmmmmmmm...

There is an audible sigh of contentment as she sits with her food.] Now this is more like it -ka...

[She stirs her stew a touch to let it cool some, taking a bite of loaf while checking her phone.]

...now to make sure nothing ridiculous has started up on this 'app'...

[Someone might have heard that. More importantly, someone might catch sight of Libra being opened, while passing her table.

Which notably has a free spot if anyone wants to heckle the mosquito.]


[Tír na nóg]

[Originally Kate was ignoring the message. Trapaising about in the spirit world is the last thing she wants to be doing, ever, and she's sure not been in the mood to do it. For the last number of days she'd been starting to get light-headed, and between the hospital responding to that with a healthy blood transfusion (and bill), and the fact that a recent client came in and walked out with her writing up a blood contract without thought, it's just not her month.

And then Suzi made that damn post and everything went out the window.]

Kkkkkakakakakkakaaaaaaadammit alllllllll....!

[Kate is cursing under her breath for pretty much the entire time it takes to get minimal supplies gathered, get to the mushroom ring, and get into the land of the Fae. While she at least recognizes the strange look she immediately takes on from when she visited the last patch of Spirit world, it still causes her to jump before shaking her head.

Ugh! What a mess.] Ka! What this damn place has to do with this...

[Perhaps others will arrive in time to see the 'mosquito' tromping down the path while actively grumbling and chittering. It's about all she does for the next...while.]

[Life With Fae]

[It is perhaps, inevitable, that Kate has insulted someone. She knows how to stay in her lane most of the time, certainly, but after a certain point she just reaches her limit.

Definitely not related, there's a mosquito hovering around. Bzzzzzzz. How annoying!

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

...

That's a rather large mosquito come to think. Still small sure, but since when were they large enough to see ringed pink eyes?]

[The Rescue

[Eventually, Kate just flies the hell outta there. And comes back. Of course she comes back. Suzi's still in there, not to mention...everyone else that got themselves kidnapped! And eventually, a deal is indeed struck.

...

Which is why she's looking at...whatever the hell their quarry is. Dulahan, Dragon, it really doesn't matter. Her entire attitude surrounding This Bullshit is going to be about the same! Which is-]

Kkkkkkkaaaaaaaa.... [Exhaustion. Absolute exhaustion.] These things are just too damn big if you ask me...

first signs of green

[bolledivita]

[A small eatery where the prices are decent enough that Caesar can... at least get malt loaf and coffee, with the little money he can spare while he's out and about. The malt loaf... it's too small to be particularly satisfying, even as just a snack, but, well. While he has slightly more money to spare than he would've (with many internal thanks to Joseph for footing the bill for those groceries...), it's... better to save as much as he can, just in case. The eatery's still a nice place! Maybe when he and Mercedes are a little more comfortable financially, he can point her in this direction.

Anyway.

... He has to do a double-take when he spots the woman with wings, however, and he... notices her opening up Libra, as he's passing.

He considers things for a moment, before... lightly rapping on the table, to get Kate's attention.]

Excuse me, ma'am. May I join you?

[Well, at least he's being polite about it.]

Suzume Kujo | JJBA AU | OTA

[suzume_odori]

[Waking up at the Castle (Kidnappees)]

[Suzume wakes up in a nice bed, with soft blankets, and the sun streaming in through the window. Some very strange seeming people who make her think a little of Hoshi are quick to come in and ask if she's comfortable- and when she asks about school she's told she doesn't have to worry about a silly thing like that.

Which, being real, is fine by her. School is fun and all but these guys seem pretty cool and she can skip a day. She does ask for breakfast though. Because, well, she woke up. And that means it's breakfast time.

(The Fae are very happy to give her that, and Especially happy when she politely introduces herself. Gosh! What a sweetie!)

Once breakfast is over though, being in her room is just sort of boring. And trying to leave down the one hall is a no-go, apparently, as they very quickly scoop her right up and turn her back around- or even just have her turning around on her own somehow, she can't figure it out and she's pretty sure she heard giggling.

So ultimately there's just one way to go and that's Literally Everyone Else's Room.

So look out people, there's a knock on the door!

...Just a knock. She is polite.]

[Castle Banquet (Kidnappees)]

[It is pretty much all but clear by the time that Suzume is at the table with everyone else, that the laws of dealing with Fae have long been abandoned. If the attendant addressing her by name wasn't already a clue, perhaps the fact that to pretty much...Everyone she meets, she's introducing herself (And Hoshi, who of course no one can see, though the Fae are giving appreciative nods and occasional smiles as befitting their nature) will be enough.

And of course if anyone sitting near her is still holding out, well.]

...do you have a tummy ache...?

[Why aren't you eating the food's great, guys,]

[FAE LIFE (Everyone)]

[It is perhaps not surprising that Suzume has become something of a fan favorite for a lot of these faeries. Between the eager name trading, the fact that she has yet to even Try leaving, and the fact that she's happily playing various games, they're all just having a blast. While far from chatty offline, she's at least talking bit by bit about various things from home to very patient, and eagerly listening fae.

Suffice to say it's not very long before a lot of them are giving little personal touches. It's free baby. It's just absolutely precious! They simply must make their little wind sprite in the making fit in!

At various points in the kidnapped time frame, she's acquiring a various bit of minor additions suffice to say. First there's pointy ears. Then there's little claws. Then there's pointy teeth, sparkles- late in the stretch of things, her hair even starts blowing around more wildly than before!

...And apparently she's really endeared herself to some avian folks, because whoever is passing by at the tail end of things will hear them muttering about how lovely feathers of her own would look. Maybe even wings.

...It might be time to step in with a distraction before this kindergartener becomes an absolute mess of things.]

[AFTERMATH | NETWORK | UN: SUZUME]

Nanny won't stop brushing my hair

:[

She says it's too messy now

Fae Life

[kokaiwanai]

[How about a distraction in the form of a fox bounding right up to her?

It looks absolutely delighted to see her (and, well, Kakyoin is glad to see she's safe, even with those little transformations), but then takes off a bit, pauses, runs back towards her a bit, then runs a bit further.

Perhaps chasing after and playing with a fox is a good way to get Suzume away...

(Or so Kakyoin hopes.)]

Amal Vasiya | OU | OTA!

[thavnairian]

[I. pixie juice]

[Despite being one of the rescue crew, when he arrived, Amal didn't find anyone in dire need of rescuing right then, as the fae have treated their guests relatively well in comparison to... some of the fae he knows. However, despite knowing better, he eventually falls prey to their antics.

It isn't a matter of him and the faeries fighting. Far from it. When he realized he couldn't call his old fairy king friend for help, he had to rely on his own wits. And those wits are... not the best. At heart, Amal has always felt a kinship with the fae, something Feo Ul capitalized on.

Amal quickly becomes a fixture on the grounds of the fairy castle. Not for the first time, he has an audience of fae sprawled around him on various silk pillows. He and his red chocobo have also been besieged by flower crowns in the time they've been here. Also different is the pair of fire-colored butterfly wings on his back.]

And then, the princess leaned in and whispered into the dragon's ear... and the dragon's iridescent scales flushed pink, and he couldn't help but cough a few embers out of embarrassment!

[The pixies giggle and titter. One of them pipes up with a demand of what did she say? and is joined by a few more saying tell us! Amal has already moved on, however, as he notices someone approaching.]

Ah! Watch your step—

[With a precipitating SNAP as the only warning, a bucket of glitter and flowers falls. Those with slow reflexes will now be... glittery. Oh no.]

[II. off with her head!]

[It's been a relatively arduous journey to get up the mountain(?), but mostly because Amal has been bored the whole time. Not having any of his usual fallback abilities means it takes forever to get rid of annoyances like swamp skeletons. But at last he finds the Dulahan and he is not going to let him get away... at least, not without a fight. He sits out of the Dulahan's sight but near the path.

Amal's learned his lesson from before. He won't be taking him on without backup. So he waits for someone else to show up—maybe a few people who also came here to rescue the kidnapped. He has his sword and shield with him and they look sharp, but the rest of him is... still dressed like a dancer. This will be interesting.]

Here's the plan. I'm pretty sure I can grab onto that horse and pull myself up, but I'll need help if I'm going to loosen his grip on that head. If he's being attacked from multiple angles, he won't be able to protect himself and his grip and his horse. When it comes to cheating and magic, misdirection is how you win.

Now remember, we don't have to defeat him! We just have to steal from him and run like hell. Don't do anything that'll get you hurt. That's my job.

Ready?

[III. wildcard]

[Whatever you want, Amal is here to help!]

I

[wilder]

[Zelos had come to find Amal, noticing that he hasn't seen his traveling companion in awhile. He had his wings out, to help blend in with the Fae and keep them from trying anything. So far, it seems to work pretty well.

It's for the best that Zelos recovered his enhanced reflexes, allowing him to narrowly jump out of the way of the glitter bomb. Because if he hadn't? Well, the screams probably would've been on the scale of a banshee. Fortunately, that is not everyone's fate today. ]

Whoa! That was close one!

Ris Bancroft | Original Character | OTA | cw: for parental conflict

[higanbana]

I. "happy" belated

[Spring is starting to work its magic, and while the ground might be more mud than greenery still at least the restaurants are turning everything green for St. Paddy's Day.

So it is that Ris is leaning up against a wall in Brick Alley, holding a half-finished shamrock shake in one hand, gripping the poor plastic cup tightly enough that it looks full and her knuckles are going white. ...So is the cup, for that matter, because it's frosting over. Her other hand is gripping her phone, on which she's... well, "having a conversation" doesn't seem to be quite the right word.

Naturally, only her side of the conversation can really be heard, but it tells enough of a story.

Eventually, Ris is evidently hung up on, and with a furiously offended little noise tears the phone away from her ear. She just stares furiously down at the screen for a moment... what of it she can make out before that, too, frosts over. At this point, her whole arm holding onto her milkshake is covered with a thin layer of frost, and the other arm is very quickly joining in.

Ris is just about shaking, although it's hardly from the cold, when she stuffs her phone in her pocket and snaps her head up at whoever happens to have made the mistake to stop and stare.]

Can I help you?

II. cursed gacha

[It's a wonderful day for a stroll out in Blue Fish Park!

...Well, it was wonderful, anyway, because a window just opened from one of the condos nearby and a Furby has just come sailing out of it, with a mechanical SCREEEEE all the way down.

Are you a bad enough dude to dodge?]

III. zodiac needs to stop giving this girl knives

[Ris wasn't really planning to storm the realm of the fae, because she would very much like to not be cursed forever, but alas, for the fae have decided to be a bunch of dicks and kidnap people and that's no good.

Some of the people they've kidnapped are people who have been nice to her, even, so there's no way she can just sit back and wait around. Not that she thinks she'll be able to do much, but when it's clear Zodiac's not going to do a damn thing to help them...

So, here she is, wandering over to join up with a rescue group, idly playing with the iron knife she's rented out on her way over. Someone with no training should probably not be doing that, but since when has she made good decisions?]

Agent Alice, reporting for duty. Do we have a plan, here?

1

[chatterboxing]

[She hadn't stopped, but Lita was passing by on her way to one of the coffee shops in the area, and she has a pretty bad habit of glancing around from one thing to another as she walks, often paying just enough attention to where she's going that she doesn't walk into something or someone by mistake. It's because of that habit of hers that she's just so happened to, at the wrong moment and also just long enough, make eye contact.

While she was in no way trying to listen, Lita did catch the tail end of the call, and even that small bit really said too much. She has no problem with trying to be a friend to the people around her and even less of a problem with being supportive to those friends, but she's not stupid enough to try to shove her nose where she knows it doesn't belong. So, when Ris's question comes, she pauses only briefly before she responds:]

Sorry, I wasn't tryin' to— Sorry. [Then she averts her gaze and, if she isn't stopped from doing so for some reason, keeps on going toward her destination.

Though the two of them have briefly conversed over the network before, that had been via text, so unless Ris had noticed the video post that Lita made back when the Libra app first appeared to her, neither of them really knows what the other sounds like. It's also not clear if Lita had noticed the frost or not.]

Anastasia Fabre | Original | OTA

[nefilim]

I. Gacha - Video, Un: Rose

[Once the video feed flickers to life it shows... a car. A simple, plain blue car with Ana standing in front of it. And she looks more than a little confused, absently playing with the keys in her free hand.]

So... Does anyone know how to drive? Because now I suddenly have a car and I've only been in one of these like, once. And I'm pretty sure I napped the entire time.

[Also the car might be randomly changing colours as she's speaking. It's fine, It's Fine.]

II. Tír na nóg

[So. Faeries.

Since arriving here, the faeries seemed to have become... interested, in the disgruntled woman. They flit around her, trying to look at her wings and place flowers in her hair, while Ana resists the urge to snap at them. It only gets worse once she's able to get access to the castle, her attempts to explore done while accompanied by a crowd of faeries.]

Will you just - !! [Then she bites her tongue, knowing that she needs to behave so they can save the people still trapped here. So in a rare display of surrender, she throws her hands in the air and flops herself to the ground - her grumbles drowned out by their giggling.]

III. Cat Intensifies

[Except this is Ana, and eventually she throws a fit. And of course the faeries retaliate, upset at their rude and unruly guest.

So now there's a very, very fluffy blonde cat roaming about - with striking red eyes and little black wings on her back. She looks as unimpressed as a cat can be, grudgingly accepting her fate as she refuses to apologize for being an ass.

And when she spots someone else, she sighs - she still has her voice, at least. Which is both fortunate and very unfortunate.]

I don't wanna hear it. I know pissing them off was a bad idea. [But she did it anyway.]

Wildcard

[Feel free to throw anything else at me!]

3

[removal]

[ Phantom had concealed himself while walking through the Spirit Realm - it's quite a handy ability, able to erase his presence to all but the most astute of observers. While hiding, he's walked through the castle looking for any clues.

... except there is a cat. A cat with... wings? And a human voice which had been screaming at some fairies just a few moments ago?

He walks closer (unseen, of course), watching the cat carefully. Could this be horse actually a person? ]

Alberto Scorfano | Pixar's Luca | ota;

[prontissimo]

a. waking up at the castle

[ So Alberto was kidnapped. He's been surprisingly/unsurprisingly standoffish since his arrival here, for the most part, but he lets down almost all those walls once being kidnapped by the Fae... First of all, this is the most comfortable bed he's ever slept in, hands down, y'know, having only ever slept in two beds and a hammock (and maybe a bed of seaweed on a rock as a young child, um?) in his whole life, short as that's been...? With the exception of Massimo, terse and stoic as the fisherman was, insistent too on helping Alberto feel useful by working for him in exchange for care, even if it was mostly a guise to save Alberto's pride, Alberto is entirely surprised to have Fae folk trying to meet his needs and wait on him unconditionally... In fact, it makes him quite uncomfortable at first.

Of course he wanders as far as he's allowed to wander on the first day, keeping entirely to himself while doing so, but once he's invited to a lunchtime feast, all bets are off. The Fae pay attention to him. They want him to talk at length about himself. They ask him questions, and when he answers, they ask him more questions. It's more than anyone's ever done for him — including Massimo, sorry not sorry. And as such, Alberto's entirely an open book. He tells them his name, his age, where he's from, what he does... He tells them he's not human, but a sea person, feeling a sense of camaraderie since they're also clearly not human. He explains what he knows about sea monster culture to them, about making the Change above the surface, tells them the story of running away to the human town with his best friend Luca and winning the Portorosso Cup, about the unanticipated acceptance he felt there despite the town's history of hunting sea monsters... He tells them literally anything they ask of him, short of admitting his father left him alone to fend for himself some years ago; he still has his pride to protect, after all, at the end of the day, and some details just aren't relevant to this cultural exchange... Because for Alberto, that's all this is about. Satiating his curiosity. Maybe your character overhears his candid autobiography at the dinner table, and has questions of their own for him. He'd still answer questions from "fellow" humans, probably.

All he's ever known are humans and sea folk. He had no idea there were any other kinds of people. So for every question the Fae ask him about himself, he has a question about their fairy kind in return, even if he's not given a straight answer back. His mutual interest and innocent respect is noted by the Fae, though, who end up taking quite a liking to this transparent and honest child, appreciating his candor and enthusiasm at everything they've presented him. And for that, he's treated with favor, and avoids being cursed in any way — nor blessed. He just is as he is, and they reward that genuine quality by just... allowing him to be as he is. ]


b. life amongst the fae

[ Most especially, Alberto has eaten absolutely everything put in front of him, with gusto. This does not go unnoticed by the Fae, and after several days of unabashed appetite, he's eventually invited into the kitchens. Mostly because day after day, he continues to volunteer to clean up after every feast they serve their captives. Out of anyone, he seems the least concerned. He has no one precious to him who's been kidnapped; and there's no one precious to him who will come rescue him. Alberto is alone in this world, just as much as he was alone in his own world, about a month ago. So being kidnapped to the fairy realm? It's little more than a fascinating holiday to him, vacationing more than being abducted... And his gratitude and eagerness to help and natural good manners endear him to his captors. They encourage his interest in their food, and even bring him behind the scenes to teach him how to cook some Fae recipes. He, uh, definitely exploded some things at first, but he'll leave Tír na nóg with at least a couple new Fae recipes under his belt. Some other captive victims from Kaisou may be bewildered by finding this seemingly human child serving them food at mealtimes along with the Fae wait staff... I-Isn't he supposed to be a victim, too...? Wh-Why is he working? He's not upset? At all? Not even uneasy? Nope. An excellent helper, really. Even if he also drops a lot of plates and makes many mistakes... By this point, the Fae have taken such a liking to him, it's more funny than anything. Ask him what's his deal, why is he pretending to be a fairy waiter, why isn't he concerned, can he bring them more haggis or bread soup or corned beef, whatever you'd like to ask...? But surely other kidnappees have questions for why this child isn't acting even remotely "kidnapped" from the start.

He's keen to take up invitations on going fishing, too, excelling at capturing the Fish of Knowledge he'll later eat with relish, even if his fishing methods are a little unorthodox, as a sea monster... Just another thing that endears him to the Fae. He figures out many of their riddles, thoroughly relieved that they want to make conversation while fishing, instead of just sitting in silence the way his human boss did back home, and his clever wit brings him more favor. In exchange, over the course of his stay, Alberto's frequently rewarded with lovely flower crowns and corsages, which he wears with pride. The Fae paint his face with golden makeup designs, which thrill him. He even learns how to juggle with their golden balls, a skill he never had before, but now will never forget.

However, he will forget what he learns from eating the Fish of Knowledge. From the Fish of Knowledge, he gains an inexplicable expertise on cinema and pop culture trivia... While it may be specific to his own time period, being from Italy in the 1950s-1960s, it's still far more extensive than it had been back home. He's seen, like, a couple movies at the cinema in Portorosso, with the meager allowance he was paid by poor Massimo for his work at the pescheria, and he heard plenty of Italian pop music on the radio, on the jukebox in cafés in town, and from the vinyl record collection Giulia left behind at her dad's house after returning to her mother's home in Genova, plus of course his extensive exposure to opera music by Massimo's own taste... But all in all, he'd spent about two and a half weeks in Portorosso before finding himself spirited away to Kaisou. Hardly enough time to build the expertise he now has after eating this delicious fish. And, y'know, delicious fish is one thing he has an expertise in, so he'll help himself to seconds and thirds of the Fish of Knowledge. And he'll strike up conversation with anyone who'll listen, as trivia he never knew before floods his mind, elating him, sharing his excitement and new knowledge across the dinner table with anyone who will listen. ]

Y'know, this reminds me of that movie where the princess goes to Roma and runs away to break all the rules and does whatever she wants. You know, that movie with, ehhhh, Audrey Hepburn and, uh, Gregory Peck? And they ride the Vespa. And she hits the guy over the head with the mandolin. You know what I'm talking about? Feels like that here. No rules, just fun, adventure... Like freedom.

[ The fuck is he talking about...? Maybe only he knows. Unless he happens to be talking to someone who's seen the 1953 classic Roman Holiday, of course, which played in the Portorosso cinema during his short stay there. While it resonated then, when he saw it on his meager allowance, it resonates even more now; along with knowledge of many other movies and celebrities he'd previously had no idea about... But now he's seemingly thoroughly up to speed, at least by 1960s pop culture standard. Another new expertise he feels he can claim, at least for the time being. Oof. ]


c. aftermath

[ However, all good things must come to an end... Unlike most of the other kidnappees, Alberto does not really feel he's been "rescued." His time in Tír na nóg has been arguably more rewarding than his time in Kaisou, blurred as the passage of time might have been. He's stunned to find it was only a week he was gone, once all the adventurer-types enable their escape; whether it was a month, a week, or a day, it was a fantastic time for Alberto... who had very little to look forward to otherwise back in the main city, beyond more aimless exploring. But in Kaisou, there was no one asking him endless questions about his life, as if he were the most fascinating person they'd ever met; no one painting his face gold, no one to fish with, no one teaching him to juggle, no one teaching him to cook foods he'd never heard of, no one feeding him... Anything he wanted, he had to get on his own — just like back home, before he met Massimo. So leaving Tír na nóg... it's been a far more bittersweet escape than maybe most have had.

That said: until the gate closes, for the rest of the month, he keeps going back. He had a blast in the Fae realm. He made friends with the wait staff. While their guests have dwindled in number, he still keeps making the trek back to the castle to help them out in the kitchen and dining hall, and the Fae keep providing him luxurious quarters to stay in while he visits. He's buddied up to quite a few fairies, shared inside jokes, exchanged cultural "isms" — he's even got some fairies greeting him with a casual, endeared "Ciao" and "Come va" whenever he shows up, and he knows way more about haggis and bread soup than he'd ever known before... Y'know, considering he didn't know anything about those meals before. It's been a wild experience of cultural exchange for Alberto, and that's all he cares about. So he milks it for all it's worth.

Except for, um, its actual worth. Alberto does not steal a single thing. He'll steal anything and everything from almost any store in Kaisou, giving little stock to the idea of money as a whole, but as far as Zodiac asking for Fae artifacts, paying good money for those golden balls they taught him to juggle with? Forget about it. If Alberto catches anyone trying to steal from the Fae castle, he'll stop them with a stern look, without a word, hoping to simply, silently, instill guilt in the thieves with some very pointed eye contact... Alberto's here for a good time — at whatever price that costs. Friendship, adventure, experience... these have no price. He'd quicker alienate himself from Kaisou than he would from Tír na nóg, at this point. No one in Kaisou has shown him the rapt interest the Fae have. He's gonna be so sad when the gate closes... He'll miss all his new NPC Fae friends on the castle wait staff; rip Patrick, Connor, etc... Ma, è la vida. So it goes. ]

A is for Autobiography,

[suzume_odori]

[As a matter of fact, one of the others kidnapped was none other than that definite young child talking on and on about 'Moon' fish folk and such on the internet. Very young, definitely not even 6 yet, and accompanied by something if the fact that her cup keeps being invisibly put back on balance before it spills over is any sign.

She's listening very intently, see. Staring, too, but mostly listening.

When there's a break in Alberto's words, there is a tiny voice cutting in- quiet, very quiet, very unlike how she was texting.] Ummmm...um...

Did you stay out of water because...it was nicer..?

Adol Christin | Ys series | OTA

[the_redventurer]

I - You can tune a piano, but...

[The month started out normally enough, at least as far as being in an entirely different world can be considered normal. With the change of the seasons and the proper thawing of the local bodies of water, Adol has taken to using his spare time to fish.

...Unfortunately, he has no concept of a fishing license or places he might not be allowed to fish, so someone might want to direct him to a dock designated for this kind of thing before someone from Fish and Wildlife gets on him for fishing in park ponds...]


II - Back in Rooniform

[Just as it was pretty much inevitable that Adol would end up kidnapped by the Fair Folk, so too is no surprise that the situation escalated a bit. But really, how was he supposed to know that chest was off-limits? It was just sitting there at the end of a hallway and he apologized for eating the admittedly delicious contents, so he can't help but feel a little put out about being in a furry situation.

Again.

Oh well. At least his little paws can still hold paper and pen, so his quest to map the whole place can continue, even if vocal communication is, practically speaking, no longer an option. Hence, an odd little red creature of unknown origin can be found perched in various spots, looking at a map and muttering to himself in an unknown language.]

ᚩᚴᚨᚣ, ᛋᚩ ᚹᚻᛁᚳᚻ ᛈᛚᚨᚳᛖᛋ ᚻᚨᚢᛖ ᛁ ᚾᚩᛏ ᚳᚻᛖᚳᚴᛖᛞ ᚣᛖᛏ...?

III - Anything Goes

[Got an idea for something else? Go for it!]