FEBRUARY EVENT LOG

[kaisoumods]

February Event Log
Dominant Element: Fire
Waning Element: Wind

Full Moon: 23rd - 25th February

※

The Spirit Vein in the sky shifts from blues to hues of red as February begins, indicating an increase of fire element energy. With this fire, comes warmer weather. While we're still in the grips of winter, the days are much warmer than during January. There's many clear and sunny days, providing plenty of chances to play in the snow before it leaves next month.

Let There Be Love

♪- Unchained Melody

It's February, and that can only mean one thing: Valentine's Day! Jewellery stores and florists everywhere start advertising their specials, hyping up the holiday as the best day to get your partner that ring or necklace or these very expensive flowers. Restaurants follow suit, with Trattoria Trussardi and Wanmin in particular going all out. Everywhere you look there's red and pink signs promising deals for couples and a happy love life.

Undertown is getting on it too. There are no love potions, even the sketchiest of black market stalls in Undertown refuse to deal with anything like that. But there are plenty of people offering good luck charms for confessions, some of them even actually work! There will also be some trying to make a quick buck, offering questionable, love advice, and others still who offer tarot, palm or rune readings, offering to show the compatibility of a pairing. Void Denny's offers no specials, there is no romance in Void Denny's.

Of course, the local kitsune troublemakers aren't going to let this holiday (and chance to fleece some fools) pass them by. If you're in Blue Fish Park at all this month, you might be accosted by the kitsune as they try to sell you Totally Legit Love Potions that will work without fail one hundred per cent of the time! They swear! It's totally not just Kool-Aid made with sparkling water and edible glitter. Totally. (And don't worry, there will be so much discount chocolate later in the month.)

Leap Into Action

♪- The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers

As the month progresses, the posters of hearts and flowers will so be replaced by... posters of frogs? Some residents of Kaisou, always looking for a reason to have fun, have decided to get together to arrange a Leap Year Festival to celebrate the special day that only comes once every four years. This is held by the normies, who naturally have no idea that some residents might be a little more... magically or physically inclined towards the celebrations they have in mind. Everything about it seems an earnest way to bring the community together.

Near the end of the month, a festival pops up near Blue Fish Park. A wide range of bounce houses can be found- for all ages. If you're an adult and want to grasp some of your childhood again, you're in for a treat! You can also find pogo-stick competitions, with categories for highest jump, longest sustained jumping period, a pogo-stick race and even a category for pogo-parkour, for the more daring amount you. Finally, you can find some contests for pet frogs- with categories for best jumper, best patterns and loudest croak. Don't worry if you don't have a pet frog; some local herpetologists are willing to loan out some specimens for you to enter instead! Winners of the pogo stick competitions will receive fifty dollars and a shirt that says "The Leap-i-est!" Those who win a frog contest will win a giant plush frog.

Love Potion No.9: Black Order & POKEGO Mission

As has been made pretty clear by the residents of Undertown, actual for real love potions are extremely taboo in paranormal circles- for pretty obvious reasons. No matter how big a taboo is, however, there is always some scumbag who will try and do it anyway, and it's one such scumbag that The Black Order are told to deal with. He has been selling his actual love potion from a stall hidden under the boardwalk at the beach. These potions have caused serious problems with various crimes of passion. Some people have even been killed by jealous lovers and other more sinister results. The vendor in question clearly thinks he's making things better here- double-speaking about how what he's doing is no different to what anyone else is- missing the point completely.

The Black Order has not only the task of tracking down and dealing with the vendor (and they will need to find a permanent solution to this, he makes it clear he will not stop) but also providing an antidote to those affected by the potion already. In this, POKEGO and The Black Order are implored to work together. POKEGO have the scientific know-how to create an antidote and The Black Order have the skills to track down victims and administer it. Together, they should be able to deal with this issue and help those affected by the disaster.

Cupid's Gate

♪- Faithfully

On the night of February 4th, Zodiac will send out another message.

ALERT: SPIRIT REALM GATE DETECTED IN SHOPPING STREET.
Element Classification: Light
Danger Level: Low
Designation: Cupid's Love Factory
Zodiac has detected a Spirit Gate in Shopping Street. Based on our investigations, we believe this realm deals with the manufacture of love arrows. We have been contacted to provide aid with a security breach. Please stop by the Zodiac offices for more information.

The Zodiac offices are decked out for Valentine's Day. Paper heart banners are strewn about the place, and bowls of candy hearts can be found - they taste just as awful as they usually do. The Professor (fuzzy) is there as usual. He's pretty ambivalent about the holiday itself- history will always be his greatest love, after all. Then jelly beans. However, he will spout a lot of facts about Saint Valentine if you give him half the chance.

It's explained to you that the gate opens up into Cupid's realm- specifically the factory where he manufactures his famous love arrows. There have been disgruntled members of Cupid's staff, or CHERUB as they prefer to be called (Cupid's Heart, Emotion, Romance and Unity Bureau), who have escaped into the city armed with the arrows with which Cupid plys his trade and are firing them at people in the city with wild abandon. You will have noticed yourself at this point- there were plenty of people acting irrationally in town, and you, yourself might have been hit by an arrow yourself. If nothing else, you might find the desire to help just to stop you from getting hit by the arrows yourself. Cupid has asked for help to mass-produce the antidote in his factory, administer it and capture the wayward workers before the whole city descends into chaos.

The gate itself can be found on Shopping Street, in a back alley next to a popular restaurant that's always impossible to book a table at due to its popularity with couples on dates. The manager isn't happy about this and is concerned about how it might affect his business- so best get in there and get all of this resolved as soon as possible

The Arrow Factory

♪- Careless Whisper

Upon entering through the gate, you will find an obnoxiously pink factory, spewing out equally obnoxiously pink smoke. The place looks like it fell out of a Barbie playset, honestly. Standing to greet you is Cupid himself. For those under the age of 18, they will see him with a loincloth - but anyone over that age will get to see him in all his... glory. He doesn't seem bothered by it at all. He doesn't even draw attention to it, even if it certainly... draws the eye. He thanks you for coming to help- he'd always assumed his workers were so content and happy here- he never expected any of them to go rogue like this. He clarifies that the arrows themselves don't "make people fall in love" as so many mortals seem to think. Instead, they remove mental barriers stopping people from speaking honestly about their feelings- or acting on them. They encourage emotional honesty. The arrows work for all sort of emotional problems, romantic, platonic or otherwise. It's just they tend to be used more for romance than the others- but Cupid stresses he values all relationships highly and only wishes for open communication for everyone. Unfortunately, with his staff firing those things off willy-nilly, it might cause more emotional conflicts than solve. Not every emotion should be acted on, after all.

Cupid will happily show you around the factory- everything is extremely pink, and the air has a strange, sweet scent to it. Chemicals can be found bubbling away in various vats. Though none of them are something you'd find on earth. Here you will finally come across the C.H.E.R.U.B workers. They are not the winged babies you might expect. Instead, you will come across a wide range of animal mascot characters. They are all very pink, and have a sort of dead-inside gazed look to their expressions. They are all very much alive, though- fully sentient. They keep their heads down as Cupid wanders around them- he explains that the old cherubs weren't really popular anymore, but marketing said that animal mascot characters were very popular these days, so they decided to switch it up! He clearly thinks this is a great idea! He says he will leave you in their capable hands, as he has some meetings to attend- but it'll be fine, they're all swell!

The C.H.E.R.U.B workers aren't super friendly, but they aren't hostile, either. Honestly, the biggest vibe you get out of any of them is that they're overworked and tired. They explain, in hushed voices, that their numbers are much smaller now- while the workload has got larger and larger as Cupid expanded beyond just romantic love. They couldn't keep up with the growth of the realm and the renegades causing trouble are spoken about quietly and with reverence. They are trying to make a difference for the rest of them. The boss is, finally, taking notice. They have no problems with showing you the ropes of the factory. Even outsourced workers are better than none, after all! They'll get to showing how to can help curb the problem- as much as they're proud of the rebels for what they're doing, they do understand it can't continue. You can help with the chemical mixing - making sure the right mix of chemicals are put together to create the antidote- it's largely pressing buttons so the vats release the chemicals within them correctly, but someone has to watch the machines! Or perhaps you'd like to help with arrow manufacture - creating the lightweight, magical arrows designed to release the antidote. Or, if you're more action-orientated, you can get some archery practice in at the archery range outside the factory - they need people willing to shoot the dang things and you guys have opposable thumbs! That's a real game-changer! Either way, there will be plenty of ways to aid the workers at the factory to prepare a counterstrike against the wayward workers.

La Maison De L'amour

♪- How Deep Is Your Love

It's not all work, though! Also within this realm, and a short walk from the factory, you can find a hotel as pink as the factory. The concierge at the front desk (also a marginally disturbing mascot character) explains that this is La Maison De L'amour- it's the top spot for all romantic and platonic getaways! You cannot book a room to yourself- they stress that this is a place to encourage social-emotional health and you need to share a room with someone - or multiple someones, they don't judge! You can choose a romantic or platonic suite, depending on your needs! You also have a choice of one or two beds! They're very accommodating here! All suites have a wide range of themed rooms to suit your mood. Perhaps you want the tudor style suite, or the sandwich suite, or maybe even the swan suite. Whatever you can imagine, they have something here to meet your needs. The romantic suites are very on the nose. They are strewn with rose petals, have heart-shaped beds, ridiculous in-room jacuzzis, mirrors everywhere and an inescapable heart theme. It's very clear what staff expect to happen in these beds.

There's regular room service for all your needs. Maybe you want a meal from the restaurant downstairs, or you want to rent a movie to watch- perhaps you want to play a board game or play video games? The staff are extremely accommodating (perhaps a little TOO accommodating) to your every whim. So long as whatever it is you're doing is being done with someone else, they're happy. For those over the age of 18, you will find extras on the room service menu. Aphrodisiacs are provided in the form of candy hearts (these ones, thankfully, do not taste awful) though purchasing them requires written consent from all parties involved - the staff stress that Cupid is very serious that this is something to be enjoyed consensually. If you're more adventurous, you'll find a selection of sex toys for your perusal. Naturally, the hotel provides all manner of birth control and lubricants too- be safe you guys!!

The hotel provides plenty of activities to partake in outside of your rooms- though much like everything in this hotel, you are not allowed to do anything alone. Perhaps you'd like a group swim in the (naturally) heart-shaped swimming pool. You can go for a couples massage in the spa, or have a meal with someone in the very pink restaurant. There are other activities such as dance classes, a tennis court for doubles, and out back there's a tunnel of love ride. A few of the C.H.E.R.U.B staff even run trust fall exercises and the like. No matter what you choose to do in the hotel, and who you choose to do with it- it's clearly designed to strengthen your bonds with each other.

A Shot Through The Heart

♪- Stupid Cupid

Armed with a quiver full of antidote-laden arrows and a bow, you are ready to fix the mess happening in the city. As Zodiac and Cupid stated, there are plenty of people who are just openly spouting out their feelings to others. While for some this seems to be a relief, it's also causing more than its fair share of heartbreak and arguments. Things kept bottled up for who knows how long have finally been freed, even if it's not the time or place to free them. You might have to calm some folks down after administering the antidote- naturally by shooting them with an arrow. These are magical things, they cause no pain, no blood- and vanish into the ether the second they strike home. They leave those who were affected confused as to what came over them- why did they think that just speaking their feelings out loud like that was a good idea?

You might be unfortunate enough to be struck by one of these arrows yourself. If you are, you will find any mental or emotional barriers lowered when it comes to speaking your emotions to others. Did someone do something to hurt you and you've kept it to yourself? Have you been yearning desperately for someone else, too afraid to tell them? Have you started to think of a casual acquaintance as an actual friend, but avoided saying it out loud because it's scary to open up to people? Been struggling to say those Three Little Words? Whatever the emotional hangup is, it suddenly feels less insurmountable- you suddenly feel you really could open up to them. While you can still fight the arrow's effects - they absolutely do not force you to do anything. It just feels like a... pretty good idea to just be open about things.

Of course, you also need to capture the wayward C.H.E.R.U.B workers- as they have no intentions of stopping their emotionally-wrought rampage. Luckily, they're pretty easy to take down- they're only small after all. They will fire off their arrows at you to defend themselves, though, so be careful lest you get shot with some emotional honesty of your own. Once they are subdued, they will explain that they had to do this- they had to make their boss pay attention that the factory conditions were pushing them too far. Much like the vibe you got from the factory- these guys really are just overworked and not-paid-at-all and hit breaking point. Perhaps you can help them out with that? They will be willing to cease all of these arrow attacks- and all future ones- if you are able to talk to Cupid about giving them better working conditions. Turns out even supernatural beings could really use a worker's union!

Aftermath

With the arrow thieves apprehended, you can return them to their realm. Cupid will, at least, listen to their concerns with you there to help bolster them. He agrees that maybe he has been leaning on them a little too much lately with a changing word. He agrees to start paying them, gives them days off and even says he will consider vacation days! It's a work in progress and the Gods are always fickle, changing beings, but it's a start. You can still enjoy Cupid's domain while the gate remains- perhaps you can try out that nice hotel? The residents of Kaisou itself might have a tougher time of it- after all, you can't unsay things you've spoken into the world. A lot of people might need some serious emotional healing after this.

OOC plotting post can be found here.

Comments

Waver Velvet | fate/ servantswap au

[fionnuisce]

[i; heartbeat, heartbreak]

[Waver returned to work at the Academy unsurprisingly fast, but something seemed a little off when he did. Not only did he start working for hours one would dare consider 'normal', he developed an odd habit; if one saw him around the city, then nine times out of ten he'd be absentmindedly snacking on something. Usually it was something like a granola bar kept in some drawer of his desk, but often it was--inexplicably--almonds.]

[Despite these newfound health-conscious habits, for a while around the early days of the month he looked notably pale and tired; as if he was overworking himself while doing nothing but standing still.]

[...Which probably made him a great target for an arrow from a disgruntled worker, at some point as the days went on. Some emotional honesty would probably build character.]

[ii; the archer class really is full of archers]

[Why did this have to be his job?]

Because you hated Spiritual Evocation, dumbass. [Or so he muttered to himself, while carefully monitoring the factory's chemical measurements with a sharply annoyed frown. If he had to go into a Spirit Vein to fix one more damn holiday he might just snap. And why did that chicken mascot look like he could see straight to Alaya?] 'I'll focus on Mineralogy, I'm Earth affinity, that'll be simple', so said the Association's dumbest genius. Now look where that's got you, making your own blasted antidote so you stop talking to yourself- [Punctuated by a wordlessly annoyed sound and a couple button presses.]

How the hell do i end up in these situations?

[iv; wildcard]

[you know the drill, in and about town and the spirit vein]

II

[drewthetower]

[August either hasn't gotten shot, isn't bothered, or is just pretending to be one of the former. Either way, he's going around trying to help people as best he can despite this being so far out of his wheelhouse it's not even funny.

He glances over at Waver when he catches him rambling.]

You good?

II

[prunedworlds]

Ritsuka, for her part, was hard to tell whether she was affected by an arrow or not. After all, barring a few very specific topics that rarely came up, she tended to be almost a little too open. Which was why her bewilderment at finding Waver ranting to himself definitely showed.

"Umm... Are you okay?"

i...ish

[twofoldfury]

[Since everything really started to settle for Diarmuid... memory wise at least, he too noticed the fact that Waver was returning home at the times most people did within the Academy. No longer the last one to leave.

Of course, Diarmuid had an idea as to why since he's had a similarly insatiable appetite. Honestly he'll take Waver knowing his limits for once but once they both return home Diarmuid will turn straight to finding the both of them something else quick to eat. Team Lancer Saber snack closet has seen much traffic and they're out of almonds AGAIN.]

How are you feeling? You still look pale.

wildcard

[hoshikiri]

[They've gone past the middle of the month. Takame had a few things on his mind, both loosely tied to a certain Faction. But also to the future in general. Perhaps he'd began to lose himself in that more being a seer.

Still, there were some ideas forming in Takame's Blue DPS brain. And out he stood leaning against a spire beside the entrance of the Crystal Tower, having sent Waver a text to meet him here to discuss something while fiddling with a bracelet worn on his right wrist.]

Ritsuka Fujimaru | Fate/Grand Order | open!

[prunedworlds]

[I. Factory Work]

For once, Ritsuka... really didn't especially want to be here. Not that she didn't want to help, that was the reason she was here after all, but because, well. Suffice it to say she had plenty of reason to be wary of anything involving a god of love.

But as she was, indeed, the sort of person who had trouble standing by when others were in need, here she was, doing what she could to help. She could be found doing a bit of everything, really, whatever task needed to be done that was within her ability, whether pushing buttons or assembling arrows. Perhaps even giving the archery bit a try!

Still, regardless of where you happen to find her, she'd be either intently focused on her task, fox tail twitching thoughtfully behind her... Or, perhaps, sighing to herself, something about really hoping she hadn't been right...


[II. Catching Cherubs]

There was also the small manner of tracking down and stopping the rogue workers causing problems throughout the city. This Ritsuka was a fair bit more enthusiastic about, probably thanks to not requiring dealing with that... pink factory. Thing.

Of course, this being Ritsuka, her first recourse was always to try to talk the worker down.

"I'm sure you have your reasons, but this is causing problems for other people... Maybe we can figure something else out instead?"

Help her? Intervene? Sit back and watch as she possibly gets shot at?


[Late January - Closed to Zulius]

Ritsuka had, thankfully, been warned about the Birthday Skeleton, so it hadn't been a total surprise when the entity in question showed up. At least not to her; her dog, on the other hand, had required a fair bit of restraining before she had the chance to actually say anything. But once that was finally done... Well, naturally it wasn't within the skeleton's power to grant what she really wanted, so Ritsuka settled for the closest possible substitute.

Then, after spending a good few hours looking through photos of people she hadn't seen in over half a year now, suddenly realized there was someone else she absolutely had to show some of this to. Like, as soon as possible.

Which is why at the first possible opportunity, she was tracking a certain zebra-taur down with a rather hefty photo album tucked under one arm.

"Hey, Zulius! You've gotta see this!"


[Wildcard]

Have another idea? Feel free to just tag this comment, or hit me up in PM or discord (Altocumulus) to plot!

ii

[jackdawvision]

"Oi, shitbird!"

Unfortunately for Ritsuka, Edward picks that moment to drop in from out of fuckin' nowhere, annoyed as hell. He'd been told not to kill them, so he won't, but he definitely looks like he's in an absolutely terrible mood.

"You've been giving me the runaround," he snaps out at the poor CHERUB worker. "Led me on a merry little chase through half the bloody city. I hope you've had your fun because I am out of patience and—" He cuts himself off, blinks at Ritsuka, and says, "Were you tracking him too?"

II. Catching Cherubs;

[ganymed]

Well, Ganymede isn't exactly the type of person to get willingly involved in these things on his immediate arrival.

After all, this world isn't his problem? Even if it seems that it's existence actually got him free of that ridiculous garden prison. Or maybe this is some kind of incredible hallucination. That is viable as well.

Whatever, he watches Ritsuka try to talk down the worker first, moving off to the side so he's out of sight, while watching to see what happens next. Is he going to get a front row seat to her being shot at? He's not going to immediately step in, until that becomes apparent regardless.

[bebest]

Zulius had been fully prepared for the Birthday Skeleton too- not that he hadn't completely freaked out when the guy showed up in his bedroom. Skeletons are the worst. But hey, he got a NICE gift from the thing, after he stopped screaming- and his friends have had them too. So he supposed this one, singular skeleton isn't that bad.

So when he comes across Ritsuka, he smiles, eyeing the photo album under her arm.

"Hey you! Is that a burn book? It TOTES looks like a burn book- no judgment if it is! We all need one sometimes."

WILDCARD - APPLES APPLES APPLES

[youwouldntdownloada]

It started, with a flyer. The local high school often goes overboard with those, and naturally one ended up finding its way to Yasuho's porch.

From there, it was followed by...well. Valentines. Not literally, but instead a small observation of her relatively good friend's thoughts on the matter. And of course, from there...

Well.

From there, Yasuho is decked out and ready, honestly feeling a little excited. Her phone in hand, she chats while letting Paisley guide her way by visibility rather than sound.

"I should be at the school in about 5 minutes maybe?" she's saying, adjusting the coat currently over her cloak. The horse boots aren't the warmest, but she's at least able to speedwalk a bit easier this way. "You found the place easy enough, right?"

wildcard

[fionnuisce]

"Oh, hey, Fujimaru."

Out and about in the shopping district, Waver raised his hand in a tired greeting; beside him, his wireframe familiar was wrapped around a bag full of fruit, baking ingredients, and a small collection of miscellaneous snacks. Nice way to keep one's hands free.

"Been keeping yourself out of too much trouble?"

Vergil - Devil May Cry

[kowase]

.//i. __ Not That Kind Of Store || - Action, OTA

I am certain you have taken more than one look around and the answer is still no. There are no such trinkets here, and I am not 'hiding one in the back.' Irregardless of how you feel, not all antique shops are treasure troves for you to find a perfect --

[ Whether you be a visitor to the Auguries, or one of its residents--or one of its employees, it's always fun to see Vergil speaking on that antique phone of his to some irate customer.

He pulls no punches, after all. ]

--And yelling at me will not find you what you are looking for, faster. Perhaps visit a 'Charmed' or whatever sort of nonsense name the jewelry stores in this city are called.

[ and with that, he won't only move to hang up the phone, but he's going to pull the cord from the back of it as well. Enough of THAT for the day.

Whether you be one of his employees, a family member, or visitor, you're getting stuck with an exasperated look from the silver-haired antiquarian.

A roll of his eyes, as well. ]

Just because it is an antiques store does not mean it is a place to find 'special treasures' for a loved one. One glance at the shop web page or showfloor would tell a fool that.

Do all fools get this nonsensically mad during this holiday. I've never seen anything like it back in Italy. Certainly it is celebrated, but. ...The amount it seems to be sensationalized is dizzying.

.//ii. __ Double Inconvenience || - Network post, OTA

[ And with how often Vergil goes for quiet walks in the city, both to scope out things like second hand stores, used book shops, and garage sales for hidden treasures he can pick up to add things to his collection--it's only a matter of time before he comes back with only trouble.

It's on a cold day in the first week of February that he's exiting a certain Goodwill store--a couple of new books tucked in under his arm--it's from his blind spot that the shot hits him. He FEELS it hit him, and while he has the constitution of a demon, he reasons that's why he felt no pain. But he certainly sees the fletched end of an arrow in his arm.

But it... dissipates when he reaches to grab it, a flurry of pink sparkles that... confuses him.
He scans the direction the shot came from, seeing only a flitter of wings and something disappearing out of sight. Well.

He planned to ask the Network something anyway. Might as well bird-and-two-stone it. ]

Good evening. Vergil Vittore here. I have a question for the citizens. Or perhaps a warning.

While out shopping today, a creature ....shot me with something.
I cannot tell if it hurt or not, thanks to my regenerative abilities, and the arrow disappeared before I could dislodge it from my body.
Being that I am unfamiliar with magic, ought I seek some sort of aid. Poisons likely do not work on me, as I feel my regeneration would also eat up such a thing.

I do not feel strange, or cursed. But of course, it could be a delayed action...

....
Be careful going out. If it hits someone who is not of Devil Blood, I worry to what might happen.

[ admitting he'd be worried about people is a new one. he presses on, though, seeming not to notice--now hitting the button that filters entries to the network and purposefully blocking a certain Black Order Member from seeing the rest. ]

Now, to a different matter that requires a question.
Can anyone tell me the full name of that Theresa woman who has apparently been sent to plague us recently.
Nero mentioned her becoming a thorn in all of our sides, and I have a curious new book I feel that would be best tested on someone like her.

ii - un: violetsmoke; PRIVATE

[infezione]

[Yeah, seeing a post like this? Fugo feels not a speck of remorse for what he's about to do.

So yes, making sure this is very private before he sends it--mostly for his own sake. He's managed to evade Teresa so far and he'd like to keep it that way.]

Her full name's Teresa Hathorne. What's the book?

i

[jackdawvision]

[Edward, currently weighing an apparently antique-looking dirk in hand, looks up from what he's doing and blinks at the exasperated look. Then he just shrugs his shoulders.]

I'm from 1721, Vergil. I'm even less of an expert than you are. [Looking down at the knife again with a critical eye.] We did celebrate it back in Bristol, but it was more about exchanging letters about our love than anything else. Then when I turned pirate, we were at sea too often to celebrate it.

Also, that lady earlier who wants to sell you this dirk is either lying to you or someone's pulled the wool over her eyes. You see this grip? It's not shaped quite right, not for something that's allegedly from my time. [He does a few fancy knife tricks with it.] Balance isn't right either. It's old, I'll give them that, but it's not so old as she said.

ii

[bebest]

[You know what's NOT a comforting thing to hear while you're checking the network? Just your boyfriend casually mentioned he's been fucking shot. That is, in quite, a very distressing thing to hear!]

What do you mean you got SHOT with something?!! Verg, honey, no? Like regeneration or not, that's still a big deal? Are you super sure you're okay?

[He's distressed! This is DISTRESSING!! He's also made a note that Vergil is willingly voicing his worry about other people on the app- he's kind of hoping this is just Vergil making strides in his social skills. Maybe he finally worked that one out!

The rest is. Hm.]

She REEKS of Primo Bitch. Are you listening to my Crime Books or is this like, another magic book?

ii;

[ganymed]

Devil Blood?

You're a Devil of some kind?

[ Well, he's met stranger. But Ganymede is just going to hone in on that because why not. ]

Not That Kinda Store...

[youwouldntdownloada]

[Boy, that happened. Well.

Perhaps Vergil's seen Yasuho between December and now, perhaps not, but whatever the case, she continues to hope quietly that attention is not drawn to the tiny little antler nubs she's got. ...Well, they're not exactly nubs anymore, but they're still pretty dang small.

Yasuho herself though just blinks from where she was honestly just browsing for interest. Vergil's place is neat okay. It's neat, and who knows maybe one day she'll be able to afford something!

Ahem.] It's a pretty big deal here, yeah.

My cousin said it can actually get worse in Japan...but I have a feeling they wouldn't have the same problem you're having over there either. Everyone's definitions of appropriate valentines gifts is more varied than over there...

[Over at her cousin's side of the world it's just chocolate chocolate chocolate.]

[ganymed]

(action, park, open) i. dancing the night away;

[ Ganymede has just arrived here and already it appears there is some nonsense about being asked to assist with whatever is going on. The blond has no intentions of getting intimately involved with this craziness more than necessary. If anything, he recognizes that he has to get more adequately acquainted with his surroundings, sooner than later, and begin to practice certain movements that have gone to waste.

There is apparently a theatre of some sort, so if he is able to get employment based on one of his very few skills, that could elevate him into a position of earning more money. The park is dark at night, but Ganymede has practice in less friendly places, and the wildlife doesn't scare him.

Though, said one of the wayward workers seems to stumble this way, towards the park. Enough for him to prod: "What do you think you're doing?"

Instead of an answer, he gets nothing but shot at for his trouble, so Ganymede decides to begin to chase him down. Of course in the dark it is a bit difficult to manage... ]

Hey, catch that guy! He just shot at me!

(action, entertainment district, open) ii. wander into dangers unknown;

[ Ganymede is still relatively new to the place, though the fact that Kaisou itself is somewhere where certainty can be non-existent, he doesn't quite seem to be bothered nor scared. No, in fact, he continues his exploration, heading this way or that, up until he finds his way on over to the entertainment district.

The night lights are a curious thing, because back in Troy, they never had anything like this...or that. He finds himself ending inevitably in seedier places than he might be. And with the event happening, this might be a bit dubious for a newcomer. In fact, someone approaches, and boldly tries to entice him to join his gang 'elsewhere'. Surely, there would be more subtle ways to go about this but the honesty affliction disabuses the idea that it'd be better (someone is just setting up Ganymede to be robbed regardless.) ]

...And why would I want to join you?

[ If someone wants to step in or watch, they can. ]

(network, event-related, open) iii. arrow nonsense;

SO how much compensation are we getting for this stupidity again???

(misc., event-related) iv. wildcard;

[ For neither one of the above! If you are interested in playing something with me that doesn't fit the above, please feel free to throw a random scenario.

Or if you want to plot something with me, including a wildcard scenario, hitting me up on my plotting post is fine too. :) ]

II

[whiteshroud]

[Jun had decided to stretch his legs from the ship, wandering the rooftops in his shroud at night, when he comes upon this scene. Ah. Getting approached by shady folks because you're pretty. That certainly brings up some memories.

He'll decide to intervene, jumping down so he lands on the light post above them, standing nimbly on it. When he speaks, it's through a modulated voice.]

I don't think you would.

Ragna the Bloodedge (Ragna Mercurisson) | BlazBlue

[centralfiction]

i. what is emotional honesty

[So, these past few weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster for Ragna. Sometimes a man is made to face the fact that the chance of freedom is single digit but not quite 0%. And that leads him to realizing he’s done nothing the past half decade but lose himself in his quest for revenge so he just doesn’t know what to do.

Sometimes a man is forced to confront, at the risk of making his mental housemate angry, that these weirdo app users are worming their ways deep into his heart and that he is, in fact, one of them.

Sometimes you’re in the park with your brand new anime coat and having a little brood about it.

Then you get fucking shot by something and you’re popping off at the little bastard that did it.]

Hey, what the fuck?! Get over here you little shit, I’ll make you pay for that! [And begins a wild chase through the park that you can either help in or bear witness to as he eventually gives up the ghost when he loses the trail.]

ii. ghostie don’t hurt me (wildcard)

[[ this one’s a cheap one i know but i wanted him involved anyway, ragna will not be going into the spirit realm but he will be elsewhere if you wanna plot or sidequest with him and he may possibly be visiting the jackdaw at some isolated points in the month. If you wanna do something w/ ragna poke his journal or i’m bonpuns on plurk/discord! ]]

i

[bebest]

[Zulius has been keeping FAR THE FUCK away from the creepy little costumed things and their arrows. Zulius might pride himself on being pretty open about a lot of things- but there's some stuff (the depressing, hurting stuff) that he'd rather not talk about, so he's been trying to avoid them.

He does wander over when Ragna loses track of the thing and the danger is gone, though. He might not help with the chase, lest he get shot himself, but he'll be here for the aftermath.]

Ouch. He got you good, Buddy. You good?

Diarmuid ua Duibhne | Fate/ (servantswap AU)

[twofoldfury]

i. class disadvantage (several places)

[After a hardy five whole days being asleep, Diarmuid was much happier to be up and about. His memory had realigned but he also needed to reacquaint himself with the city. Places like Cygnus Academy or the University especially given how often he recalled lending helping hands there at his places of work. Something so quaint sounding to Saber he couldn’t help laughing to himself at times.

Those who have seen him a lot would notice something a bit off towards the start of the month, a subtle sluggishness that disappeared with days passing. What did not was a pretty persistent appetite, either always snacking or finding places to eat such as Wanmin where the only thing that might stop him from ordering the entire place out was courtesy and well finances.

But places that were extravagantly decorated brought a bright smile about, even if there was a tinge of sadness to it at times as though staring down an old friend. … A new enemy. Be it in the parks or on the roofs, on occasion he would look somber. It was well known by now that he and Waver were romantically involved, so what could cause the pain a curious soul may wonder?

Which is to say he’s a very fucking easy target to be shot by one of those bloody cupid arrows, and someone may catch his head swiftly turning in the direction where the shot came from as if sensing something.]

ii. tyrannosaurus hecks (sidequest: closed to edward)

[Some point in the month when his and Waver’s mana equalized, Diarmuid would naturally set into action. Some nefarious people disturbing peace through magical illusion certainly wouldn’t stand.

It was a late hour they began, standing among the rooftops as they do at separate points of the city where the illusions tended to congregate the most. There have been some consistencies Diarmuid noted as to locations, what laid around and the like. It wasn’t residences targeted but commercial areas.

From that scouting, he will make his way to the arranged centerpoint roof to relay what was seen.

Granted, Diarmuid has also taken to Spirit Form to conserve mana so sorry about the jumpscare Edward because he’ll only be hearing his voice for a moment.]

What have you gleaned thus far?

iii. people die when they are subject to second hand embarrassment (wildcard)

[[ if we planned something else or if you thought of something specific just throw it at me! He’ll be lowkey in the spirit realm this month so if you wanna find him there too it’s possible. bonpuns @ plurk/discord toplevels are hard dont look at me ]]

i

[prunedworlds]

While Ritsuka had naturally (eventually) been doing what she could to help with the latest spirit realm gate, in the earlier days of the month she also had a little project of her own to work on. And it's on her way home after a trip to the grocery store, bag full of supplies in hand, that she pauses when she spots a familiar face.

"Diarmuid?"

Persephone | Stray Gods | OTA

[aslowburn]

Cupid's Gate

[Persephone was quite willing to go into this particular gate when they knew what it was about. Not that she has any particular inclining towards romance currently- no, the pain of losing Calliope is still so sharp. She's here because this is Cupid's realm- and while this is clearly not her Eros- he's at least a version of him. Persephone would be loathe to admit it, but she's felt rather adrift away from her family. For centuries all she wanted was to be rid of the lot of them, but now she is... well. It's not as comforting as she thought it would be.

You might come across her talking to her "cousin" - a conversation that soon turns into some smug pointing on her part and quite a bit of huffy annoyance on Cupid's. Eventually, Cupid takes his leave. Persephone notices you and wanders over, clearly pleased with herself.]

I told him he needed to cover up, he's acting like a harlot and his mother would be very disappointed in him.

The Arrow Factory

[Persephone has never really been much of an archer. Give her a solid blade any day- where she can get close enough to see the terror on her enemy's faces as she cuts them down. But she's here to help, and it is for kind-of-sort-of family - so she's at the archery range, because she certainly wasn't of a mind to do anything with the chemicals or building arrows.

Unfortunately, she's not doing so great at the whole...archery thing. SHe's not hitting the target much at all- and she can only hope that Apollo can't see this right now or she'd never hear the end of it. She lets out an annoyed sound as the arrow misses the mark again.]

Damnit, this is ridiculous. I don't see why I can't just coat a blade with this substance and deal with it the proper way.

[Because that kills people, Perse. That kills them dead.]

A Shot Through The Heart

[Eventually, perhaps inevitably, Persephone is struck with an arrow. The fool of a C.H.E.R.U.B that did it only just escaped with its hide, mind, but struck she was. She wanted nothing to do with this emotional openness mess- she built twenty-foot-tall walls around herself because she didn't like people knowing what was in her heart. People weren't entitled to that. She knew only too well that people would use weakness against her. Hades did it all the damn time.

So she's very briskly walking back towards the home she shares with Meredith and Lucy, eyes forward, arms tight at her sides. She may eventually bump into you as she's rather focused on the road ahead of her than anyone who might be coming in from the side, and rounds on you angrily. ]

Step aside.

arrow factory

[lapislazily]

[Zhongli sees a familiar face and steps over from where he'd been inspecting the bows available for perusal. He stands out amidst the pink and loudness, but his calm manner says he's perfectly at home.]

Accuracy begins with your posture. Firmly root yourself upon the earth like a tree, with your feet shoulder width apart. And most importantly, you must remember to breathe.

[His gold eyes twinkle.]

With that in mind, why don't you try again?

Noctis Lucis Caelum | Final Fantasy XV

[illucesco]

i. whoops selkie

[Some days you wake up and you take a bath and suddenly you turn into a seal the second the water hits you and all you can do is just flop out of the bathtub while your Oshawott panics and accept that this is your life now. Anyway.

Noctis isn't going to let a little thing like suddenly becoming a selkie stop him from fishing, of course, not when he's got a weekend of free time coming up, so he sets himself up on the pier and casts a line out into the sea. The first two fish are easy enough to reel in, but the third one's a big one, requiring that Noctis stand up from his chair and put more effort in as he tries to reel the line in against the fish pulling this way and that, before it yanks hard and suddenly Noctis is going over the edge with a surprised cry.

Splash.]

'Oshawott!' [Fluvius's panicked calls probably draw your attention, as this poor little otter creature is now peering over the edge of the pier frantically calling for Noctis.

It doesn't take long for a black-and-white ribbon seal to resurface from the water. Fluvius seems to breathe much easier on sight of him, but now they have another problem that Noctis figures out real fast with a splash of his flippers:] I don't think I can use a ladder like this.

ii. the arrow factory

[Noctis has never fired a bow and arrow in his life. The traditional bow he has trouble with, but when he gets his hands on a crossbow at the archery range, it's as if something clicks into place. He fires the arrows like he's done it before, with a keen eye and a steady aim, until he runs out of arrows and stares down at the crossbow like he's never seen it before in his life.

Then he seems to startle when he realizes there's someone else in the room with him, and covers for the moment of dissociation with a quick joke:]

I guess I'm a natural at this, huh?

iii. let's talk about Feelings

[before being shot: Noctis is a surprisingly good choice for going after the rogue CHERUB workers, once he's been told what's going on here. His warping ability means he can dodge out of the way of arrows and close the distance between himself and his target fast, so for a while it's just smooth sailing for him.

Helps that once they're subdued and not shooting at him or anybody else, he sits down with them and cracks a bottle of healing Coke over them while explaining:] Look, take it from me, starting a union's got a better chance of working than running around shooting random people with magic arrows. At the very least you're not gonna get punched as much.

[after being shot: Then he mistimes a warp, and an arrow hits him in the shoulder. He staggers back in surprise, a hand going reflexively up to his shoulder as if he expects there to be blood streaming from it only to come away dry. He shakes his head and just leans against the wall to steady himself as the rogue CHERUB uses its moment to get the hell away from him, before he straightens back up and calls out:]

Hey, stop! Get back here, I just wanna talk! Look, I get it, okay, slow down—

[He pulls a fishing lure from his jacket (how many lures does this guy even carry on him at any one time) and throws it as hard as he can, but it smacks against a chain-link fence just as the CHERUB vaults over it. Instead of warping through it, Noctis ends up hitting the fence as well at speed, and groans as he staggers back from the collision.]

God, that hurt.

iii after being shot

[centralfiction]

Get back here you little fuck! [And for Ragna who got shot not too long ago himself, he's been on the chase for the same guy. On foot because we can't all have a sick as hell warp, Noctis.

He didn't come into this trying to help Noctis, it just happened by accident. Of course the guy slamming face first into a fence stopped that chase dead in its tracks. Ragna just regarded the guy with annoyance as if he didn't get owned by a flying fairy.]

Yeah, so much for that warping Ars. ["Ars" just came out by habit, he corrected himself on it pretty quick while at least having the decency to help Noctis keep balance.] ... Magic.

Moxxie | Helluva Boss | OTA

[not_a_possum]

[The Arrow Factory]
Moxxie's here, and he hates everything about it. Sure, he's all about cutesy romantic stuff and candy hearts and schmaltzy pink sentimentality. That's not the problem. The problem is the C.H.E.R.U.B. workers. The name itself, even the way it's all capitalized like that, gives Moxxie anger fueled flashbacks of his past life, but at least he can remind himself that these aren't those cherubs, so that really isn't the worst of it. The worst of it is how they look. Mascots have always given Moxxie the creeps, and these 'mascots' seem to have a particularly soulless, unnerving look about them.

Once Cupid is gone, Moxxie whispers to the nearest parson he recognizes from Kaisou. "So...uh...I'm not the only one creeped out by these things, right?"

[Archery Practice]
Of course, when Moxxie finds out that target practice and getting to use his marksmanship is a genuine way to help out, he signs on immediately. Sure, it would be more fun if he could use a gun, but bows are good, too. His aim isn't quite as good as it is with his preferred weapon, but he's still a decent shot. What's more, they were even able to find a smaller bow for him to use, likely because the C.H.E.R.U.Bs aren't very large, themselves.

[A Shot Through the Heart]
And now it's time to administer the antidote...which Moxxie is having a blast doing. He's going around, looking for anyone affected by the 'love arrows', and whenever he spots a target he fires off a shot and moves on to find the next one. He knows he should also be working on finding this rogue C.H.E.R.U.B, but honestly, he's having enough fun doing this.

"This is great! It reminds me so much of the job I had in those flashbacks of mine!"

...except for the fact that he was actually killing people in those flashbacks.

Arrow Factory.... me re-looking at the mascots like `OH. OH GOD-`

[standless]

Thanks to Alfred the Indeedee, Jonathan has the wondrous advantage of..!

Being properly eye/ear level with Moxie, at least as long as he's on the other's head. Wow!

In any case it sure makes this whispering business a lot easier.

"....No, it's rather...disconcerting, I must agree..."

Spooky....

Pannacotta Fugo (Patrizio Fugo) | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

[infezione]

Let There Be Love - Closed to Ash
[It's not actually ON Valentine's Day, but a couple days before, that finds Pat seeking out his boyfriend to lean against him.]

Hey. What if we did dinner at Tonio's tonight instead of on the 14th?

Arrow Factory - Chemical Mixing
[Fugo, for one, is no stranger to magical antidotes. Yes, it's mostly just watching the machines and pressing buttons, but it's a soothing sort of work (at least to him)... and boy has Fugo needed soothing lately. And if he's taking careful note of what's going into the antidote... well, maybe that's understandable, given everything.]

You know-- [It's said to nobody in particular, but he's not exactly keeping his voice down--if the wrong kind of attention here crops up, he's got his identity-obscuring bracelet close at hand and no problem running away.] --this wasn't exactly what I was expecting to be doing with my time this month. [...] Not that I expected Cupid to be working out of a factory, either.

Arrow Factory - Archery Practice
[Of course, he can only stand around and watch the machines for so long. Might as well try his hand at archery, right?

And, well, he's certainly trying. He sighs as yet another arrow goes sailing entirely past the target.]

This is harder than it looks...

Wildcard
[Want to play anything not covered here? Hit me up! Just know that Fugo is trying to keep a low profile this month...]

[switchaxe]

...because you don't like the specials he's running, or because you don't wanna deal with the crowds that are gonna be there?

[He's not protesting, just curious as he drops his head on Pat's.]

Harry Potter (Jamie Carter) | Harry Potter

[phoenixwiz]

Arrow Factory - Chemicals React
Yikes. Didn’t expect to see how rough the conditions in this factory can be.

(Jamie muses on as he enters the factory and witnesses the conditions the factory workers being overworked to the bone following the conclusion of the tour Cupid had given to the Libra users. He has heard of horror stories of workers put in harsh conditions through his schoolwork and he doesn’t know any words to describe them without cringing in fear.

On the other hand, maybe he could help in lifting much of the burden from them as he could by mixing the chemicals. But then chemistry is never his strongest subject so this will inevitably lead to chaos if he gets put in charge with these mixing.)

A Shot Through The Heart
(Just when he thought that it was safe to bring the antidote to fix the madness, the poor guy is then attacked by a wayward arrow hitting him hard. He feels like any emotional barriers he might have had are lowered down and he soon struggles to fight the urge to confess whatever is on his mind and dreads to say a single word onto anyone he runs into while searching for any mischievous C.H.E.R.U.B. workers on the loose.

He may not know it, but there any past memories that are lurking to haunt him and some are about to have a grip over him.)