March Event Log

[kaisoumods]

March Event Log
Dominant Element: Wind
Waning Element: Earth

Full Moon: March 24th - March 26th

※

Spring is once again arriving in Kaisou. The temperatures warm and the snow begins to melt away in the early part of the month, with it being completely gone within the first couple weeks. Slowly the plants awaken from their slumber and the landscape becomes green once more. In the sky at night, the Spirit Vein is covered in bright hues of greens and emeralds. Thanks to the dominant wind element, it'll be a rather windy month as well. Strong gusts of wind are a daily occurrence, so you better make sure things are well secured if you're going outside. Wind aside though, the weather is a breath of fresh air compared to those cold winter months.

Seasons Turn

As usual, Kaisou is ready to celebrate any sort of holiday and March has two great ones! On the 1st March, you will find celebrations for St. David's Day around the city. Daffodils can be found in plant pots all over, and some over-enthusiastic celtophiles might even try to pin a leek to your shirt. A lot of the trendy restaurants in Brick Alley will be trying their usual trick of selling culturally significant foods to match the energy of the Fae. This time, bara birth, cawl and laverbread are on offer. On the 17th March, celebrations turn to St. Patrick's Day. Where St David's Day was largely about the food, this one is about the drinks. Bars across the city provide special, green beers, cocktails and everything in between. These can come in alcoholic or non-alcoholic fares. For youngsters, they will be encouraged to "follow the rainbow" - where adorable rainbow stickers have been put around the city- all leading to various "pots of gold"- or rather very enthusiastic volunteers with pots of chocolate coins to hand out for a reward. Adults can play too, but they will be judged.

March 19th sees the spring equinox come to the city. Everyone is delighted to see the end of winter and the beginning of spring and all the new life and new hope that comes with it. You can find groups of excited townspeople with stands offering flower pots and seeds to plant- ready for the coming spring. Some stalls in Undertown offer bundles of sage and other various plant life, stating to burn it in your house to cleanse it. The night offers you the chance to go to Kami State Park to stay up until sunlight, to greet the new season. There's dancing (some of it naked), there's drinking, and there are altars- luckily with no sacrifices, though some merrymakers do encourage leaving offerings there for the various deities who are heralds of the new season. Either way, it's a grand celebration to see in the Spring.

The Egg Hunt

Towards the end of the month, you will find flyers put up all around the city, advertising Elisa's Exciting Egg Expedition. It encourages city residents to come on by to Blue Fish park for a very exciting egg hunt- all ages welcome! Going to the park on the specified day will lead you to an excited young witch sitting at a table with sign-up sheets, wicker baskets and paper numbers to pin to your shirt. She explains she really wants to boost some community spirit and thought an egg hunt would really help with that! She is very insistent you join in- the person with the most eggs at the end of the day will get an exciting trophy! The trophy in question is next to her. You're not sure why anyone would want that but she seems so earnest about it! She explains she made the competition as exciting as she could, though does admit she might have gone a little overboard with it all.

You soon learn she wasn't kidding. The eggs you have to hunt a small, brightly colored things- what you would expect in an egg hunt really. Where things get weird is that these eggs have legs. They actively scurry away from you, trying to find new hiding places around the park. Even if you should capture one, there's a chance it will heave itself out of your basket and go running gleefully to a new hiding spot. If you want half a chance of getting that (amazing???) trophy, you will need to find a way to keep them inside your basket as well as capturing new ones. The eggs remain within the confines of the park, at least- but that doesn't mean they can't get into plenty of mischief, disrupting people's picnics, trying to take flight on children's kites, getting into almost impossible-to-reach places and dancing to taunt you. Some are foolish enough to get near the Terrible Geese, who decide to put them into their nests to sit on. Perhaps those ones aren't worth trying to get? Pick your battles and all that. Regardless, they will give you an absolute runaround, but at least they provide plenty of exercises and it is a little fun.

Disappearances and Replacements

In the early days of March, people begin to go missing from the Paranormal community. People stop showing up to work, friends don't respond to texts, and no one seems to be home when you check on them. It's not the first time people have been whisked away, so alarm bells to something afoot should immediately begin ringing for a lot of people. Just where are people being taken this time?

Well, the behaviors of others some folks might give you an idea. While there are some people who are straight up missing, it seems that others are acting very odd. They look like themselves, but their behavior feels more like a mediocre actor playing the most extreme versions of the person. They'll mistake names and not know the answers to really personal questions. If you have any magical sensing or you throw a bit of iron at them- the imposter will reveal themselves to be a changeling Fae. Turns out, they were asked to pose as a person while the Fae courts borrowed people for awhile.

Seems the Fae are at it yet again.

The Fae are at it Again

On March 5th, Zodiac will send out an alert.

ALERT: SPIRIT REALM ANAMOLY DETECTED IN BLUE FISH LAKE PARK.
Element Classification: Wind
Danger Level: High
Designation: Tír na nóg
The realm of the Fae has reappeared in Kaisou. We have reason to believe that like with previous times, the Fae are behind the recent disappearances. We request assistance in retrieving the kidnapped victims. Please show caution with the Fae, as they are prone to curse anyone they dislike or like too much.

Should you visit the Zodiac office, you'll find the staff to be rather agitated. Three years now, they've had the Fae come to visit the city, and three years now they've made a real mess of things. Even worse, they've been experiencing their own bits of trouble lately, though inquiring about those will get the staff to be evasive and say it's not really their place to disclose it right now. It's fine, probably.

Regardless of their agitation, they'll explain the situation. The Fae courts had returned to Kaisou once again, and once again the Seelie and Unseelie were feuding once more. However this time instead of all-out war, the Fae had reached out to Zodiac about helping them with an "Olympics competition" that would help them determine who should lead the realm. Zodiac had declined to help due to the numerous problems the Fae had caused in the past, which resulted in the Fae deciding to go with Plan B: kidnapping a bunch of people to make them compete on their behalf and stack the odds in their favor.

Around this time, you might notice that there's somewhere missing in the office. Rather, the Professor (fuzzy) is nowhere to be found, with his little chair sitting empty. When you bring attention to this, the Zodiac staff member will sigh and say "Yeah. They kidnapped him too."

If nothing else, it seems you'll have to go save the Professor if you ever want to hear borderline-useless history facts again.

Once you've finished talking to Zodiac, it's time to head to the gate. Zodiac will inform you that the gate is located over in Blue Fish Lake park. Once you're are the park, your destination is into the forest grove that the Fae took over last year. Before you reach the forest, however, those kitsune that made themselves at home in the park will intercept you. They've caught wind about what's going on, and they've decided they want to help. After all, this city only has room for one loveable group of magical tricksters (their words). So they will offer up some medallions, claiming that they will "protect" you from Fae magic. Maybe. The medallions look like something cheap you'd find at a party store. They will dismiss any attempts to point that out, and also tell you they got some other kitsune agents inside- so keep an eye out for them! And with that, they skitter away.

That interruption out of the way, it's time to head into the forest. The magic there is still quite active, with the trees and flora having grown much larger than normal, and the whole place looking closer to a fairy tale forest than anything you'd normally see in a city park. There's giant mushrooms, glowing flowers, and woodland critters everywhere. Deep into the forest you'll find the gate: a large circle of mushrooms on the ground. One will only need to step into it to be teleported away.

The Kidnapped

What about those who have been snatched and replaced? Some may recall an altercation with a Fae before they were subdued, while others will simply remember getting extremely sleepy as a sleeping spell got cast on them. No matter what they recall, they will find themselves waking up in a rather posh bedchamber. Fae attendants will come in to check on your needs, checking if everything is to your liking, though any requests to go home will fall on deaf ears. Even though this place is much more medieval in terms of technology, they seem determined to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Anything for their "honored competitors", they claim. They'll even allow you to wander the hall of the wing to visit others who have also been kidnapped, among them including a certain fuzzy professor whose clearly stressed out being here. It's clear you're not allowed to leave. There's magic preventing any teleportation spells, and any people considered to be "dangerous" will have a wood and silver cuff on their wrist that'll limit using their powers entirely.

Around midday, they'll bring the now hungry competitors down to the main hall of the castle for an elaborate meal. 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 attendants will highly encourage you to eat, piling food on your plate and insisting you try various things. Among the Fae, the court seems to be a mix of Seelie and Unseelie Fae... in other words, a mix of goth and prep Fae, if you may. The relations between these two Fae types is rather tense, with the two groups sitting in different areas of the dining hall and interacting as little as possible. But considering last year they were actively killing each other -- you have to admit this is a big improvement for them.

Finally, they've made sure everyone has eaten, the leaders of the Fae court will make an announcement. Since the slaying of the Unseelie King last year, the two courts have reached the conclusion that their society can't afford the losses caused by these regular conflicts. Ergo, they've decided to find more a less lethal method to carry out their disputes. After studying modern human culture for ideas, they learned of the Olympic games and were struck by an idea. To settle their disputes, they would be holding a "sports" tournament. And to ensure no precious fae lives were lost in these games (what), they decided to bring in outsiders to compete in the games for them. Since the app users have more than proven their value, they seemed like the perfect candidates for this... high... honor.

As objections get raised, the Fae will attempt to placate them. They'll insist that anyone who willingly competes in the games will be returned home at the conclusion of the game. They'll even throw in some prizes for any of those who do well, whether that be in the form of a new power, to be rid of a pesky curse, or just a cash prize. But that's about where the placation ends. They'll let everyone know that now that they've consumed food of this realm, they'll be unable to leave until the Fae of this realm lets them leave. And for those who plan to refuse to help or do anything to sabotage the games... they will curse them to become fully a monster- which means erasing their memories and sapient mind forever.

Tír na nóg

As for the would-be rescuers? They'll arrive at the gate of the 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.

Unfortunately before you can begin the long trek towards the castle, you'll find that the Fae were ready for you this time. A whole squad of Fae soldiers surround you. Anyone who tries to fight against them will find themselves either being hit with a sleep spell, or on the nasty end of a curse. Once the Fae are sure they have apprehended you, you'll be lead to the castle to join the others that have been kidnapped, being filled in on the situation along the way. The march takes so long that you're practically starving by the time they reach the castle, so convincing one to eat won't be difficult. Seems this isn't going to be your finest hours as a rescuer.

However, the rescue attempt is not all for naught. Remember those cheap medallions the kitsune had given the rescuers? About half of them are actually enchanted with a special spell that'll negate the effects of the Fae-realm food if you're wearing it. This means that at least some of those trapped in the realm will be able to escape. It's up to you to choose to save yourself, or give the medallion over to another person so they can be spared the fate of whatever these Olympics will entail.

As for the other half of the medallions? Well. Yeah. They're completely worthless. Thanks Kitsune for half-assing that job.

Training Montage

Now that all the "honored competitors" have arrived, the Fae decide it's time for everyone to begin training. First, everyone is assigned to the faction they're meant to represent. Fire, Earth, and Light characters will be assigned to Team Seelie; while Water, Wind and Shadow characters are assigned to Team Unseelie. Those who haven't found their elemental calling will be decided by a flip of a coin. Each of them are given garments that are meant to represent their associated teams. Team Seelie's garments will be light in color, with a natural cottage core look. Meanwhile Team Unseelie... well "goth witches" is probably the best way to describe your look.

Time moves quicker in the Fae Realm compared to Earth, with several days passing in the Fae Realm while only one day passes on Earth. So for the next several days, the Fae will give various training exercises to help everyone prepare for the games. There's only one training ground, so Team Seelie trains during the day, while Team Unseelie trains at night. At the training grounds outside the castle, there's an obstacle course that looks like it's more out of American Ninja Warrior: Medieval Edition than any normal obstacle course. There's also a combat ring, where you can spar against dummies that are enchanted to move or other Libra App users (the Fae will decline on fighting). Finally, there is space for the most difficult challenge of all: the ribbon dance. For this, the Fae will hand you ribbons and expect you to have a full dance routine prepared for the games. They do not elaborate further to what's going to be expected. It seems they expect each competitor to compete in at least one of the events, but they also will encourage them to compete in all of them.

Of course, while the Fae are famous for being creatures of their words, they are also known for being tricksters and cheaters. So as they observe your training, they may try to "assist" by means of giving curses they think will be beneficial and give you an edge. Or by contract, Fae from the rival court may try to curse you in ways that will hinder your efforts. No matter the case, the Fae as unapologetic as ever.

If there's one mercy, it's that the Fae quickly realize that the Fuzzy Professor really isn't cut out for athletics due to his tiny puppet legs. Therefore, in a rare act of compassion, they allow the Professor to serve as a commentator and expert on the Olympics. If you want a moral boost to hear the insanity that happened during the 1904 Olympics between your grueling training sessions? He's your puppet.

On the final evening before the games, some kitsune will approach any characters they happen across alone. These sure enough are the same kitsune from the park. They'll tell you they want to help you in the games. So they will offer you a golden drought to help improve your odds, before disappearing into the night. If you take it, you have a 50% chance of having your overall ability approve for one of the events. On the other hand... it has a 50% chance of backfiring and making you faint, causing you to fail the event all together. Thanks Kitsune, really.

First Event: Dance-Off

After days of practice, the first day of the Olympics finally arrives. The court area of the castle has been decorated for the first event, with a large stage set up in front of the thrones of the Court. Here, the honored competitors are expected to perform the dance routine they've prepared in front of the Seelie and Unseelie courts. There's a group of Fae musicians, ready to play any medieval version of songs you have requested. Costumes have also been prepared to match the mood of your dance, just to add to the aesthetic.

Just go on stage and danced what you practiced! Should be easy enough, right? Well. Maybe not. While the Fae are paying attention to the normal things dancers are graded on, there's always a chance they might decide to spice things up with a little spell here or there. Footwork is too slow? Well some fireballs being thrown at your feet your way might take care of that. Or the stage might become slippery, just to try to trip you up.

But a true dancer won't let that get in their way! So dance your heart out and try to impress the crowd. At the end, they will give score cards on how you think they did, though it's really hard to figure out what metric they're scaling this on.

Second Event: The Marathon

On the morning of the second day of the games, it's announced you will be taking part of a marathon. You've always heard marathons are grueling, nightmarish things. They require a lot of stamina and strength of body and mind. Naturally, the Fae's version of this is considerably worse, because, of course, it is. If you were expecting a regular grueling cross-country run with perhaps a little swimming and climbing you will find that's exactly what you're in for. Well. That and the head.

The Fae delightfully hands you a decapitated head- it's resting in a pouch with a chain so you can attach it to your belt. The head, they say, is an important part of the process. You must take this head through the marathon course to the end- the head cannot be left behind nor damaged, it's super important it gets to the end unscathed. The head, it turns out, is enchanted and will provide a running commentary on everything you're doing- it might provide some encouragement through your ordeal, but it's just as likely to give you some unhelpful tips or tell you how badly you're doing. Maybe keeping the head unscathed will be harder than you think when you want to punt the thing into the nearest lake.

The marathon sees you racing others across a long, difficult terrain. It starts through verdant forests, with roots and rocks to trip you up, and not much space to maneuver between the massive tree trucks that surround you. It then leads into a bog, where you'll need to navigate through the muck and grime. No matter the time of day, it's dark and gloomy here. These bogs are extra treacherous than normal, as taking the wrong step could lead you to fall under the deep murky waters. Will-o'-the-wisps appear as lights floating over the bog, intent on leading people off the path, and into the waters below. If you're truly unlucky, you might even come across some undead skeletons that want you to join them, or a herd of Kelpies who are keen on drowning you. And if all that doesn't get you - the leeches might.

Finally, you come to a mountain, which you are expected to climb up to the top. Unfortunately, the Fae forgot to mention the fun addition to this climb- a massive red dragon, that is easily a hundred feet in length. The dragon attacks anyone trying to climb past its cave- it breathes fire and will absolutely eat anyone it catches. You will either have to battle it or try and find a way around it through stealth. Make it to the top and place the still obnoxiously chattering head on the plinth and victory is yours!

Final Event: The Duel

The final event, on the third day, is a duel between yourself and another app user. You are first led to a room with racks upon racks of various weaponry. There's everything from swords to hammers, to maces and guns and so on- just about any sort of weapon you can imagine is here to use so long as it's not made of iron. You are told you may pick any weapon you'd like- but they will not tell you what weapon your opponent chose. If you are wish access to your own weapons, they will allow it, summoning it here for you. You're allowed as many weapons into the ring that you can carry on your person, so choose wisely.

You climb a ladder up to a huge raised circular platform, below you is a large body of water, ready to catch anyone who falls. It's high enough the drop won't kill you, but it'll sure hurt all the same if you belly-flop onto the water's surface. Once both you and your opponent are in position, you are told the battle will continue until someone yields - or dies. They don't mind either way, it's entertainment for them however this ends. Other than that, there are no rules - all powers are allowed, as are any monstrous changes you have at your disposal. With that out of the way, a gong sounds and the battle commences. Crowds of Fae and spectators, who are guarded by a magic barrier, will cheer and boo every move- some may have very clear favorites. However the battle goes, it will not end until one of you yields.

Or, again, dies. If you're both too damn stubborn to stop. Once the battle ends, you will be brought back down the ladder and allowed to collect your things- either hailed as a winner or mocked as a loser. If you require healing, you can either seek out a Fae healer or one of the healers from the Libra app who are less likely to curse you. Though some of you don't get to rest just yet, as some may be asked to fight once again should the Fae be rather taken with them.

If you're not currently fighting, you are even welcome to spectate yourself! There is a section of the bleachers set up for the app users to sit and safely watch the fights. And don't worry about not understanding what's going on, as the Professor (Fuzzy) is acting as a commentator on the match, along with the.... severed head from the last event. Oh great, it seems they've bonded. Wonderful.

Though if any parties try to be too cheeky and attempt to yield "too early" to get out of a fight? They'll find themselves in for a nasty surprise, as the Fae will boo before summoning three fire breathing chimeras of varying animal combinations into the ring. These Chimeras will attack the fighters on sight with intent to kill, and your only hope is to defeat them before you wind up as dinner.

Aftermath

After the final event comes to a close, the Fae will announce the end of the Olympics. Between the questionable scoring system and the different Fae throwing around accusations of cheating (you ALL cheated), it's really not clear who is the victorious side. It seems like it's going to be something the Seelie and the Unseelie will be debating for a long while.

But, that's not your problem. You completed the Olympics, and so the Fae are bound to their word to let you go. Those who participated in the battle tournament and gave a good show will be given a boon from the Fae, granting them an ability different from their own element.

[OOC note: please redeem this boon on the regain page. Ability can be from ANY element and worth up to 3 points in value. You must link a thread from your battle, with a minimum of three comments from each participating character. Characters are free to duel as many people as they like, but they are only eligible for ONE boon.]

After the boons are given out, it's time to return home. Either travel back to the gate, or teleport home. Kaisou is waiting for you, and not much time has past since your departure. The Spirit Realm will be available through the end of the month, in case you decide for some reason you WANT to spend to spend more time with the Fae.

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.

During the month of March, players can obtain up to 3 free monster regains! Please redeem these regains in the Regain page

The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. Another Zodiac Post will be going up March 15th to serve as an intro post for new characters and allow characters to react to developments over the network.

Comments

Yasuho Hirose | JoJolion | OTA

[youwouldntdownloada]

PRE-GAMES

[youwouldntdownloada]

{SEASONS TURN}

[The start of Yasuho's month goes about the way she starts most months; visiting the various little cafes and eateries with her laptop ready for work, studies, and everything in-between. There was a brief break of cycle in February for....Reasons, but she's back!

...Even if it's for people to watch her grumbling around as she tries to get comfortable on a chair. With a tail like that, it's no surprise why- though at least she got her clothes tailored by the end of February.]

Ugh- How do people even work with these things...

[This goshdarn thick tail-]

{THE FAE ARE AT IT AGAIN}

[Among the many who have been kidnapped, is at least one of Yasuho's friends. And as much as she grimaces at the thought, she's actually gotten to the point where, well. Maybe she CAN make a difference! She has a sword, she has a shield even, she's got....magical clothes that somehow adjusted for her tail, which she's not going to think about...It's perfect!

...

There's a fox in her way.] I'm telling you-kon, THESE medallions- these ones right here-kon, you NEED one of these.

.....

[Yasuho bites.]

...Why do I need one of them.

I'm glad you asked-kon! These little things will PROTECT you...from THEM. Let you leave their flowery buffet AFTER you eat-kon!

[The kitsune in front of her gestures dramatically behind them to the gate. Yasuho follows the look, and then looks back at the medallion.]

Why does it say 'I love USA'?

Well don't we ALL?!

[She's going to suffer for this bargain isn't she.]

{TÍR NA NÓG}

[OKAY, well one medallion later and here she is. Marched right up to the castle after taking the Long Nap. This wasn't her best showing, she'll acknowledge this.

But she has hope. The medallion sits under her shirt, and she quietly enjoys a bit of soup. Night falls, and it's time for her to head off to get back home. Should be easy right?

Right? ..........Right?

Well if anyone runs into her the next morning they'll find her stomping real good on the now crushed medallion!] Stupid..! Piece of plastic..!!! I should have known it was a scam..!!

[It's fine she's probably fine.]

{TRAINING MONTAGE}

[One would expect a training montage to involve a lot of training, but Yasuho isn't really a noteworthy sight in the fields. She tries (and fails) in the obstacle course, tries (and flounders) on the dance floor, and tries (and screams) on the sparring arena.

She's doing. Fantastic.

But she could be doing better, or at least. That's what this fox she's glaring daggers at on the last night seems to be saying.]

It's just a little bottle, what's the worst that can happen-kon!

[Yasuho drops the broken medallion in front of the fox. They seem to consider this, before looking up to say-]

Well you see the problem here-kon, is this one is broken-

It wasn't working before it was broken..!

Ohhhhhh...well, that's not my problem-kon...

[If it were possible, Yasuho's glare intensifies. The kitsune just shakes the bottle again. C'monnnnnnn...It'll totally wooooooork..~]

Mmmmnnnnhnhnnhnnhnnnhngnngngn....

Seasons Turn

[phoenixwiz]

(Besides from the mishap he had over at Cupid’s factory, the beginning of the year had much a slower start for Jamie. And honestly he didn’t want to get dragged into more chaos as the months passed and he still has to put together the pieces about his previous life. He does have some things from that life, saw some memories, met his past life parents and knew a bit more about his previous world but not much else.

As he goes to find somewhere to sit, he notices that Yasuho is struggling with something pretty big at the moment. Strange, he hasn’t seen a tail like that on a person before and he was too busy with his life that he didn’t knew that Yasuho might be slowly turning into something else like he is with his selkie curse as well so he tries to see if she needs help.)

Hey Yasuho. I don’t think that I have seen you with that, um, tail before. Did the app caused you to get one suddenly?

[youwouldntdownloada]

[The chair screeches.

Many Yasuho knows have had the sense to not. Address the new monster parts when they see them, but Jamie has been her friend for a good while after all, which means why Wouldn't he?

Friends point things out to friends. And ask questions. And-]

...Apparently... [She does not sound happy about this.]

[phoenixwiz]

Oh dear. And I thought me spending a good three days per month stuck as a harbor seal that can fly was bad enough.

(As someone who is struggling to deal with being a selkie while trying to survive two more years in college and hoping to find a good internship, Jamie can’t help but to feel sorry for her. It is not fun having weird things thrown at you by Fae curse or Libra intervention.)

I’m starting to realize that this whole monster curse thing is getting to be more out of hand than any of us can imagine. And I don’t want to imagine turning into a seal with water contact to be the next thing happening to me.

[youwouldntdownloada]

[It occurs to her now that she's never actually asked Jamie why he never goes out on full moons. Partly because she's just, felt incredibly inclined to staying inside on full moons, but.]

....At least that means stairs won't be an issue..?

[It was, somehow, the first thing on her mind. Also-] ...You don't think that would happen right..? You just. Turn into something when you take a shower....

[phoenixwiz]

Probably. Trying to flop on the stairs in my stomach would certainly be a, um, fascinating experience. Still trying to fight the urge to sneak out and try to swim in the ocean in the nude in the worst timing imaginable.

(Jamie couldn’t help trying to shrug off the idea of instantly turning into a seal in the shower. Imagine that: a harbor seal trying to shower up in a bathroom. That would be the most embarrassing thing he would ever lived through and he hopes that it would never happen to him any time soon.)

I do hope that I don’t get that quirk anytime soon. How on Earth would anyone try to explain why there is a seal in the showers trying to get a bath?

[youwouldntdownloada]

[Yasuho does her best to imagine that. It doesn't help that she's not actually sure how large, precisely, a harbor seal actually is. They're big right?

...Uh-] ...I'm glad you resisted the midnight swims at least...

[Oh boy.]

I don't think anyone would actually see a seal though...I don't even think anyone sees this tail- they'd probably see a dog or a cat instead of a seal...

[Most likely a large dog though. Seals are...big right? Yeah.]

[phoenixwiz]

It certainly is a miracle that I’m able to avoid going on midnight swims as much as I can. Seal instincts can be a pain to deal with.

Well probably. Considering how most normal people would react to this sort of stuff outside of one to two months a year, I wouldn’t be surprised if people try to mistake my seal form for a big chunky dog. I almost got into big trouble when I ended up turning into a harbor seal for the first time last September.

I had to drag myself by the belly just to try to avoid unwanted attention and get back to the dorms safely. It was the most terrifying experience so far.

[youwouldntdownloada]

Maybe we should look into somewhere you can stay other than the dorms...

[Yasuho's un-investigated teapot shakes in anticipation................anyway.]

You know...I'm starting to think this tail isn't as bad as it could be. Turning into a seal every month sounds...

[Comically terrible.........................wereseal??? W..Wereseal??]

[phoenixwiz]

Good idea. I have almost given up trying to find a good hiding place that doesn’t involve my room or the dorms.

(Oh dear, why this feeling of being turned into a seal almost remind him of something from the past? Except that it happened to someone else instead of him.)

A nightmare pain in the neck? Oh gee, Yasuho. I wish I could find the right words to put it in lighter terms. This whole turning seal thing every month has been an emotional rollercoaster. Not sure if it is as bad as being a werewolf in fiction or being cursed as one but it could be close.

THE GAMES AND BEYOND

[youwouldntdownloada]

{FIRST EVENT: DANCE-OFF}

[And what do you know.

The potion. Worked.

The morning of the dance-off arrives, and Yasuho's internal luck seems to be soaring at last. With a deep breath, she summons her Idol Costume for the games and finds herself feeling more confident than ever. Maybe it's the green? She looks good in green, she's finding. It's a good edge to have on top of the potion though, even if she could have stood to use it on something she's actually bad at...but.

Well, stage fright, nerves, she chugged it and got on stage, and now here they are!

Dancing. Singing. Thriving. It's almost going too well, and the unseelie know it, which is why there's a blink and miss it moment where a bolt of lightning seems to shock across the stage and-]

yEEK-!

[No! False alarm, she's still at it! And she's even thrown in some tap danc-

...ah.

Yasuho can be seen after her act, glaring at her feet.

They seem a mite different. Oof.]

{SECOND EVENT: THE MARATHON}

[Tying on her horse-hoof boots is harder than ever with her Actual hooves, but by the combined powers of being stubborn and wearing a magical kitty cloak, she seems to be managing some balance. With a head strapped to her waist now, she's thus taking off into the marathon, her Stand keeping an eye out for what's around them as they go. If it was quiet, this would even be a little nice perhaps, all danger aside.]

Well, I can't say I'm complaining about THIS view, lass!

[Almost.] View!? I tied you to my hip, there's no view- Ugh!

Ahhh it's all in the jostle, [The head simply continues, failing to clarify what they can even see from his position.] And by the way, you might want to avoid that particular direction...well, unless you're fond of horses I wager, but you seem to be more of a cat person from the looks of things..!!

[She's seriously considering just throwing the head. But she mustn't. But she wants to. But she mustn't.]

{FINAL EVENT: THE DUEL}

[It's the final event.

Yasuho's not really sure she wants to be here. But then again she didn't want to be here for all of this, and yet, there she was. So that thought goes right in the trash basket.

The point is, Yasuho is here. She has her magical girl outfit on. She has her sword, at the ready. She has her shield, at the arm. She's got her ARCUS strapped firmly at her side, and is taking deep, deep breaths as she climbs the ladder and stands up on the arena floor. This is it. Sword drawn. Position ready.

Who's climbing to fight from the other end though?]

{AFTERMATH}

[The final event came to a close and the olympics ended, and no one can decide who won. It's not really their problem in the end, except for the part where they've made it everyone's problem, and suffice to say Yasuho returns to her life, studies, and work, with a bit of a sour mood. She has hooves. Her feet are hooves. She can't even get any comfort from this cute little charm necklace she made while fiddling with grass outside the dragon's lair on the obstacle course, she's got HOOVES!!!

And all she got for those efforts was a cash prize!

....Well, nothing for it, she just has to distract herself. And with an unexpected bunch of money, a good distraction seems to be Shopping.

She will be ignoring everything that isn't green, thank you, it's March, March for green things-]

How does this one look you think..?

[RIP if you got roped into shopping with her, but a gal needs a fresh pair of eyes on her spring-wear, chop chop.]

Dance-Off

[senorita_perfecta]

(Well Isabela is not having a great week right now mainly due to her Earth element being weaker than normal and having a not so secret rage towards the Fae big time. This does explain why she is having a hard time trying to dance during her practice before she gets to perform like she would normally do: the usual grace and elegance she often showcase now disappear from existence and she is trying not to trip on her feet.

The Seelie don’t seem to pay attention to Isa’s struggles and they keep on nagging on her to dance more and try to push through. Excuse her, Seelie Court, Isa didn’t ask to be pushed around like that. She just wants to move on and survive this nonsense in one piece.

As she does her best to keep up with her now sluggish moves before her turn comes up, she too sees a flash of lightning hitting the ground much to her surprise and, after some time has passed, turns to find another young lady looking at hooves in place of feet. She decides to walk to her and see if she is alright.)

Oh hi there. You seem to do really well over there. Are you going to be alright after that?

[youwouldntdownloada]

Mnnhhh...

[Truthfully, Yasuho is trying desperately not to think too hard about what all just happened.

It's not going well though, and she just keeps staring at her hooves.]

I'm. Not going to be able to wear shoes anymore, am I?

[Maybe if she focuses on trivial things, she will be ok.]

[senorita_perfecta]

Unfortunately it might be the case here. But I do hope that there will be a possibility for someone to come in and craft shoes for people with hooves someday.

(Isa wishes that she could try to consider shoemaking to make shoes to accommodate people who are losing human feet for hooves, paws, and talons. But she isn’t a shoe designer so she can only hope that someone else can come up with something good for people going through the same problems as Yasuho.)

I have seen dog owners putting booties and snow boots on their dogs from time to time especially during the winter time for the latter case. If dogs can wear shoes, why not apply that logic to anyone with hooves? Perhaps a shoemaker at the Undertown district could help you in getting shoes for hooves.

[youwouldntdownloada]

If they're even necessary [she can't help but bitterly mutter, scowling at them.]

I've never heard of anyone doing that for animals like horses is the thing...the hooves never seem to need it right?

[senorita_perfecta]

I was also thinking the same thing as well. Horses don’t seem to be in a big need to get shoes to wear all the time like people do. And that’s not even counting the horse shoes since they’re not technically shoes by the very definition of the word.

[youwouldntdownloada]

I just got some really cute ones too...

[This isn't fair!! She finally has the funds for cute outfits and matching shoes, and now, NO SHOES??]

[senorita_perfecta]

Oh dear. I’m really sorry that you have to deal with these hooves preventing you from wearing shoes for who knows how long. I don’t really know how I would have reacted if I did got stuck with hooves or claws or growing fur or bark.

Weird changes are such pains in the neck.

[youwouldntdownloada]

Mmmmmmhhhhhh...

[How does she deal with this...]

I take it you haven't gotten anything like this then...

[senorita_perfecta]

Yeah. I’m very surprised that I haven’t gotten any of the monster changes at all. Not sure why it wants to pass on me of all people.

Apparently this world thinks that I’m not THAT special enough to be target for these changes. I’m quite shocked that I haven’t gotten any of them happening to me for over a year in Kaisou now.

aftermath

[honestyandpluck]

[Listen, Lucy likes shopping. It's really no bother at all for her to get roped into this shopping spree because she's also getting a few new outfits herself, and to get to help someone out? Why would she pass this opportunity up? This is great.]

I think it looks well enough on you, but I like the stripes better. They're so much more flattering.

[youwouldntdownloada]

[Lucyyyyyy! At least she knows the other thanks to that incident with the pomegrantes. It means that instead of jumping and apologizing for talking aloud, she can just hum and look back at the striped top she put down.]

Hmmm...it does seem better for the weather...it's been really cold lately hasn't it?

[honestyandpluck]

For now, yes, and it really is quite flattering on you.

[She means that, stepping closer to squint at Yasuho's other choice, careful not to accidentally hit her with one of the many shopping bags dangling from her arms.]

But with spring coming fast and summer on its heels, this other top would be more appropriate.

[youwouldntdownloada]

Definitely getting this one then...

[Somehow, impossibly, Yasuho is doing qell to avoid being hit by bags.] I hope this one fits, it seemed a little big...but I didn't see any other sizes for it.

[It's got some rather neat embroidered flowers- much as they're machine embroidered- so it was high on her favorites list.

That aside she purses her lips.]

I just wish getting bottoms and dresses was this easy...

[Alas, thanks to this accursed tail, all of those would have to be tailored the minute they were purchased; and she can't really tell if they fit until after that fact as it is.]