JUNE EVENT LOG

[kaisoumods]

June Event
Dominant Element: Light
Waning Element: Shadow

Full Moon: June 21st - June 23rd

※
Summer is here! Gone are the dark nights of May, with the daylight hours stretching until pretty late. The weather is hot, but not unbearably so. This is the kind of weather that one would call "idyllic summer". Those who have lived in Kaisou awhile will know June is the summer month with the best weather, so it's best to enjoy it while you can. And if you are out after the sun has finally set, they will get to enjoy the Spirit Vein at it's most dazzling. The dominance of light element causes the vein to glow brilliantly with all sorts of colors on the visible spectrum, making it appear like an ever changing rainbow that lights up the night.

Kaisou Pride

♪- I Wanna Dance With Somebody

As is the case every June, Kaisou goes all out with its Pride celebrations. Almost every street corner flies rainbow flags, with fliers advertising street parties and meetups all month. As always, capitalism can't resist getting its claws into this- stores all over the city offer speciality drinks, apparel or treats, trying to entice people in with how progressive they are. How legitimate these efforts are or not are mixed, but if you ever really wanted to try a rainbow boba, now's your chance!

In the middle of June, Kaisou has a massive pride parade, snaking a vast pathway through various districts in the city. Vendors can be found dotted around the route, selling every kind of pride flag you can imagine, along with noisemakers and bubble wands. Rainbow cupcakes and drinks can also be found to keep you fed and hydrated while you enjoy the parade. You can even take part, if you so wish- sign-ups can be found throughout the start of the month- so if you want to strut your stuff in front of the whole city, you can!

The Kitsune are not about to let what is clearly a great business opportunity pass them by! This month, for the price of a secret, they're offering rainbow candy, promising it will help give some energy for extra partying. What they actually do is encourage you to divulge any secrets you have with little to no prompting. They're trying to get a little extra gossip, the sneaks! You might want to get these off the market before more dangerous tea is spilt than if you think your friend looks fat in hats. Find and destroy the rainbow candy to the best of your ability- and if you find someone afflicted by them, be a good smartian and get them out of sight until the candy wears off in a hour or two.

Fabulous Season

♪- Pride Anthem Dance Mix

Never, ever to be outdone or outshone by the city itself, The Vogue Theatre goes as all out as it possibly can. The place is often bedecked with pride flags, but it has gone into overdrive for June. The bar has had tables shifted to allow for more congregating and dancing, with every evening promising parties with bright lights and every pride song under the rainbow blaring through the speakers. The bar has a new mix of speciality pride-themed cocktails and mocktails- with a note on the bar stating that the total drinks sales for June would be divided among various queer support charities in the city- so you are doing GOOD by having a night out here this month. If you're brave enough, you can also try the Vogue's annual Drink the Progress Flag Challenge- an 11-drink-strong competition, if you win, you get to have your picture put up behind the bar. After what is only called "the Venti incident" by staff, anyone taking part in the competition needs to give an emergency contact number for someone who can drag your drunk ass home.

The theatre itself has exclusively queer-centric performances this month. This year's selection is A Strange Loop, La Cage Aux Folles, and Falsettos. During the day, you can also find classes in designing and sewing fabulous drag outfits- along with makeup tutorials and choreography lessons. Anyone is welcome to take part, either as an instructor or as a student, which will be needed because...

The last weekend of June hosts "Fabulous Season" - a drag competition! Drag queens and kings alike are encouraged to enter, with the promise of a $5,000 prize for winning. The dressing rooms in the theatre are decked out and ready for the contestants to use to prepare. Established drag kings and queens from the city are around to provide support and advice- though they are encouraged to help each other, too. While contestants are welcome to duck out of challenges they don't want to do, they will be awarded "Fabulous Points" for everything they take part in and score highly in. Challenges include such things as a lip-sync battle, best drag competition, snatch game (impersonating a celebrity of their choice) and a choreography battle. The winner of the show is the drag act who has garnered the highest number of Fabulous Points at the end of the competition. After the drag race is over, there will be one last big blow-out party to see Pride Month out. The Vogue will be closed for the first week of July, so the staff take a well-earned break so enjoy yourself while you can!

Pink Goes With Everything!

♪- Barbie Girl

ALERT: SPIRIT REALM ANOMALY DETECTED
Element Classification: Light
Danger Level: Low
Designation: Barbie Land
Zodiac has detected a Spirit Gate at Kaisou Beach. We have been reached out to by a resident of the gate for a request of assistance concerning a complex matter. Please visit the Zodiac offices for more information.

The Zodiac offices are bustling as always - they will not comment on what happened last month, if you ask. It turns out Jarry was honest when he told you all that Zodiac doesn't know what happened. Regardless, they have bigger fish to fry, currently. You'll find The Professor (Fuzzy) is still on sabbatical, so one of the interns has been trying to handle things and they're honestly on edge about it. They explain another envoy has come out of the latest Spirit Gate to enlist the help of the app users of Kaisou. Zodiac employees seem a little perturbed by this one, and when you head off to meet her, you can see why.

Waiting for you is a woman who looks like someone who's been Through It. She introduces herself as Weird Barbie- yes, she insists, exactly like the doll. She explains she comes from Barbie Land- Mattel's biggest secret. Her world is where all the Barbies and Kens live their perfect plastic lives, powered by the imagination of the children who own them. She, herself, was the Barbie of someone who "played too hard" with her- which explains her... everything and probably why she keeps doing the splits everywhere. She tells you that the "membrane" between the Real World and Barbie Land is getting thin again. Last time this happened things got "hinky". The Barbies and Kens affected by this need to be snapped out of their existential crises before it spreads to all of Barbie Land. Again.

Weird Barbie tells you to lessen the damage of "Real World Junk" leaking through, you need to blend into Barbie Land. This means you need to be assigned as either a "Barbie" or a "Ken" and live that role to the best of your abilities as you try and fix the existential dolls dotted around the Land. Weird Barbie will tell you the assignments will be regardless of gender or lack thereof- no one cares. All that matters is if you are a Barbie or a Ken.

Barbies: Are amazing, talented and beautiful. You can be ANYTHING you want to be! Literally any job ever. Astronaut? Doctor? President? The world is your oyster! Everyone LOVES you! You live in a Dreamhouse- which you understand is some kind of mansion. It's like the world revolves around you- because it does. You have a fabulous wardrobe at all times. Your feet are permanently on tip-toes, ready for your glamourous high-heels. Your hair is always perfect.
Kens: Basically exist only to simp for Barbies. You get weird, pointless, nonsensical jobs like "beach" or "sword" or "ice cream". These seem more like hobbies than actual jobs, but everyone in Barbie Land act as if "beach" is a legitimate career choice. People tend to forget about you after you've spoken, and if a Barbie is around? Forget about it. You do not live in a Dreamhouse. You live outside. Like a stray animal. You still have a great wardrobe though.

With your Barbie or Ken assigned role, you must now travel to Barbie Land. Unfortunately, once you step through the gate it is not as simple as just showing up in Barbie Land, oh no. You must traverse the needlessly complicated travel route to get there. First, you need to don your very plastic, very YELLOW rollerblades, then you ride a pink snowmobile, drive in a pink campervan, then ride a pink tandem bike, after than you must ride a pink rocketship, sail in a pink boat and finally drive a pink convertible which will FINALLY bring you to Barbie Land. If you want to go back to Kaisou at any point, you must do the same... just in reverse. Why? They don't know, that's just how it is. Real weapons are not allowed in Barbie Land- so any weapons you might have on you will turn into plastic variants. You will also find your powers no longer working.

Life In Plastic

♪- Pink

When you finally make it to Barbie Land, the first thing you're bound to notice is that everything is plastic. Everything. The second thing you'll notice is how pink everything is. Every shade of pink there is! While other colours certainly exist in Barbie Land, it's hard to deny that pink is the most dominant colour palette. The world is dominated by Barbies and Kens, all living their perfect, happy lives. There are a couple of Skippers- Barbie's tween sister and a few Midges - Barbie's pregnant friend. There is also Allan. There are no multiples of Allan. There is only Allan. If you ask him about it, he explains the other Allans escaped into the Real World to form *NSYNC. He's the only one aside from Weird Barbie who seems to be fully aware of what's actually happening. You will be referred to as either Barbie or Ken no matter how many times you remind the citizens of Barbie Land what your name actually is (often with an obnoxious "Hi Barbie!" or "Hi Ken!!"). Allan will remember your real name. Allan is a bro.

If you are blessed enough to be a Barbie, you will be ushered to your very own Dreamhouse. This is a two-storey home, with everything a Barbie could ever wish for. Like everything else in Barbie Land, the whole home is plastic. The walls are see-through, this is so you can see all the other Barbies in their own Dreamhouses and wave at them. And be waved at. Privacy does not exist in Barbie Land. Barbies own a luxurious bed- with a slide that goes right down from your bedroom to the pool. The pool has no water in it- you can stand on it- it's just a sticker decal. In fact, NO actual water seems to exist in Barbie Land at all. You stand under a waterless shower and while you can feel the perfect-temperature water, no water seems to exist at all. It's weird. Barbies will find a fabulous wardrobe waiting for them. You don't even have to physically get dressed! All you need to do is stand in front of it, give a little twirl, and magically the outfit will be on you! While your powers may be nerfed, both Barbies and Kens will find they can just float around- as if picked up by invisible hands and moved from one place to the next.

Regardless of if you are a Barbie or a Ken, you will still feel like flesh and blood, but you will find you no longer need basic things such as food, water or warmth to survive. Which is probably a good thing because there's none of that. The fridge in the Dreamhouse only has fake plastic food which you can mime eating- you can almost TASTE it like it's real though. You can pour yourself a glass of juice, and while no juice comes out and nothing is there to drink, you can swear you're drinking a fresh glass of OJ. The oven in the Dreamhouse is just a decal sticker- so no cooking of any kind can actually go on. Given there's no fire in Barbie Land, that's probably for the best.

Kens, of course, get none of the "luxury" of the Dreamhouse. Kens seem to congregate on the beach, in packs. They have no dwelling of any kind, they just hang around, waiting for Barbie to start her day and bless them with her presence. You can try and sleep in a Dreamhouse if you find a Barbie willing to put up with it- but the other Barbies in the area will find it really weird- that's not where Kens go!!! Despite this, Kens always have a perfect outfit on, though where the outfits come from is anyone's guess. The Kens sure don't know! They just magically appear on them.

Finally, the beach is the most popular place to be! Like everything else in Barbie Land, it's plastic. The sand is one single plastic sheet with ridges cut into it to mimic sand banks. The ocean, similarly, is one sheet of blue plastic, with the occasional raised faux-wave sitting in the middle. Weirdly, sometimes Mer-Babies and Kens will pop up out of... somewhere in that ocean to wave hi to you. Don't think about it too hard. Barbies and Kens alike spent time lounging on sunbeds or playing exciting games of volleyball. Sometimes, Kens get overexcited and threaten to "beach" each other off. It's not quite clear what that is- no one seems to want to ask.

Life's A Beach

♪- Barbie Dreams

And so you settle into your new Barbie/Ken life. If you're a Barbie, you wake up with your perfect hair, go to your perfect job and then spend time on the beach. Kens are just always on the beach. Waiting for their Barbies. Nights are often filled with Dreamhouse parties, with perfectly choreographed dance numbers. The temperature is always perfect, it never rains. Every day is absolutely perfect- and every single day is exactly the same. Forever. You can start to see where there might be a problem here.

You'll soon come across why you were brought here in the first place. Barbies and Kens have started to feel the influence of the Real World. They have started to feel existential dread, and you can often find them standing or sitting around Barbie Land, looking horrified and quietly asking you if you ever think about death. Barbies start to get flat feet, bad breath and worst of all- cellulite! Kens meanwhile start to get increasingly self-conscious about their dependency on Barbie and feel a need to sing their "favourite song" (Matchbox 20's "Push") while staring intently and uncomfortably at a Barbie. It's all pretty... unnerving. This seems to be a contagious problem- when an infected Ken or Barbie spends too much time with another, talking about how freaked they are by the weight of existence- it can spread to the unwitting companion. This is something you need to fix before every Ken and Barbie in Barbie Land is an anxious, depressed mess- this isn't the Real World, after all!

You head up to Weird Barbie's Dreamhouse atop the highest hill in Barbie Land. She lives there with all the discontinued Barbies and Kens- such as Barbie Video Girl (she has a video in her back, who WANTS that?), Earring Magic Ken (it's magic!) and Growing Up Skipper (don't press her arm!). They explain that the last time the membrane between Barbie Land and the Real World was so thin, the Kens tried to bring The Patrichary into Barbie Land and brainwashed a bunch of Barbies into doing their bidding. It was a miserable time and they don't want to deal with it again. Weird Barbie tells you that you need to help the infected Barbies and Kens work through their feelings. Then, they need to decide if they want to go back to their perfect plastic lives or if they want to keep living it rough as humans in the Real World- which means bringing them back to Kaisou with you. She warns anything you do regardless will have an effect on toys in the Real World, so try not to make too big a mess of things, huh? Kids still need Barbies and Kens to be able to enjoy their imagination without the horrors of existence pressing in on them.

What Was I Made For?

♪- I'm Just Ken

So now you have the tricky tasks of trying to help doll-people who have no real experience with reality learn to understand what it is and how to cope with all the feelings they're being bombarded with. It would be wise to team up with another app user to try and figure this out. There are countless options you can pick to help here- perhaps you will show a Barbie/Ken a movie on your phone, something to move them. Perhaps you'll give them a fun day of distractions from The Terrors. Maybe you can sit and tell them stories of your own life. Maybe one of you will try some armchair therapy. Whatever you feel best, go for it- it probably can't mess them up more than they already are. Probably. Maybe while you're at it, you can suggest better living conditions for the Kens, too! What's to stop them from having their own Dreamhouse? Maybe even... a beach house?!

Weird Barbie's words were true. Whatever you do to the Barbies and Kens does have an effect on the Real World too. Those in Kaisou (or those who go back to visit while the realm is active) will find toys mimicking their work in you stores all over the city. You told a Barbie about the time you went to Atlantis? Submarine Barbies are flying off the shelves! Suddenly, Ken's Beach House can be found on sale despite never having existed before. This means some of your... less pleasant memories and stories can appear too if you shared them with a Barbie or Ken. Who is Demon Fighter Barbie really for? No one knows, but they're on sale now!

It turns out the membrane making Kens and Barbie act more alive also works the other way. You might start to believe you really are Ken or Barbie. That this fake plastic life you have, with your fake plastic job (or non-job) is completely real. You start to forget your real name, your real past, your real life. You start to embrace this wonderful, plastic life where nothing is ever sad or complicated. Unlike the Barbies and Kens who might pick the Real World, you really can't stay behind in Barbie Land. It is up to your friends to reprogram you and remind you of who you really are. Luckily most of the tactics you can use on the Barbies and Kens to calm them down do wonders in bringing an infected app user back to reality.

And so you spend your month trying to fix a pile of various existential crises both from doll people and people-people. Eventually, you are able to get things to a decent equilibrium again. Some of the infected Barbies and Kens do decide that they want to continue existing as real people- even if it can be ugly and painful at times, because it has so much wonder too! Others decide that they'd rather sink back into their plastic wonderful lives and forget all about that Thinking About Death nonsense. Either way, the disaster has been averted and Barbie Land is saved!

Aftermath

With Barbie Land restored to normal you can sit and enjoy the plastic perfection for a little while longer- though do try not to be sucked too deep into the world, lest someone has to snap you out of it. You can also go into Kaisou proper to help the Barbies and Kens who chose humanity over the doll life adjust to their new existence. Like most city dwellers, they have no access to the app, but they do remember those they met in their old world- they still won't use your actual name. One of the Barbies even has multiple qualifications and even a Nobel Prize in physics! She takes on a job in Zodiac- covering The Professor (Fuzzy) while he is still on sabbatical. The Professor (Barbie) will be handling your Zodiac missions for the foreseeable- fun! She lives in the Zodiac building with her best friend, Ken.

OOC plotting post can be found here.

Comments

Edward Kenway | Assassin's Creed

[jackdawvision]

[one: dress up like the disco-dancing jet set | vogue theater]

[Edward, being one of the Vogue staff, is very busy when he's at the theater: as one of the stage hands hanging around backstage, he's moving and rigging equipment before and during the shows, ensuring that anything on stage that moves does it on time and without injuring someone, cleaning up after Bennet when he gets anxious and sheds everywhere, even getting the actors onstage on time. Off-stage, he's ended up appointing himself as the bouncer for the 11-drink challenge, and mostly just ends up hauling a lot of very drunk people into their friends' vehicles.

(He thought there'd be more fighting, really, he's a little disappointed on that count.)

Every so often, though, when he gets a break, he can be found up on the rooftop, as is usual for a rooftop cryptid. What's not usual is what he's taken up there: cans of hairspray, two toilet paper tubes, and a platinum-blonde wig. Come up after him, and he's sitting there in the shade, winding blonde synthetic hair around the tubes. He's doing his best to keep it in place and keep the tube shape in place, but it's not going over too well.]

...two toilet paper tubes, she said. [A frustrated sigh.] That can't be right, there ought to be more to that wig she was wearing than that.

[How's he going to win five thousand dollars if he can't make this damned wig do what he wants it to? Ugh.]

[two: anywhere else i'd be a ten | barbie land]

[As if being called Boat Ken and told to just do boats wasn't enough, Edward is being confronted with something that's very rapidly climbing up the list of things that will probably haunt his nightmares forever: the Barbie Dream Boat. It's a boat, Ken! one of the Barbies had said, and the hell of it was she hadn't even said it snidely—she'd sounded just as enthusiastic as any other plastic doll in Barbie Land. You're Boat Ken, it's great.

Kenway, actually, Edward had corrected for the tenth time today. But that hadn't really sunk in, so now he's been left to stand (stand!) on the plastic water, staring at the nightmare boat in deep dismay.]

...this boat would sink immediately if this were real water. Look at this! [He waves a hand at the back of the boat, which is—oh, boy, okay, there's no rear end to speak of. There is a cool flip-down table and stove, though!] You wouldn't be able to get into this before the water takes it. And it's so bloody crowded, on top of that—how am I supposed to move about in this? And what boat needs a slide?

[He scrubs a palm over his face and lets out a deeply, deeply frustrated sigh.

Somewhere, a Mermaid Barbie pops out from the plastic water, somehow, spots Edward, and waves. Hi Ken!

Edward groans.]

I don't know how there are mermaids here when the water ain't even real. What are we supposed to help these people with? They seem set.

[three: ooh, girl, you okay? | barbie land]

[Do you ever think about death?

Ah, okay, so that's what they're supposed to fix. Edward's the last person who should be giving therapy to dolls who are in the middle of an existential crisis, on account of everything he is and everything he's done, but he's the one this particular Barbie asked. So he's sat them down to tell them a story.

You'll stumble on him and a very attentive Barbie, sitting around a campfire as Edward's in the middle of a story.]

—knew her as James, right? So you can imagine how fucking gobsmacked I was when she let hair down and painted her lips all red, and I thought, oh by Jove, Kidd's a bloody woman, I've known him for years but I've never even noticed. I mean, it didn't stop him, uh, her from cutting a swath through all the guards between us and the mansion we were going to break into—oh!

[He breaks off and waves hello to you, then quickly moves over to make some space on this plastic log he's sitting on. The Barbie he's talking to waves hello as well, then says: what's the point of living, really? Ken says it's making a mark for after you're gone but what if you don't make a mark?]

It's Kenway, lass. [He sounds so exhausted.] I've been telling her a story about my friend Mary, but I think this might need someone else's perspective as well.

Vogue

[bebest]

[The roof happens to be where Zulius hangs his laundry- with one of the doors leading right to his apartment and all. So he's not expecting a roof cryptid when he teleports up there with some laundry to hand on the line- but he sure GETS one. ]

A!! [He drops his laundry, VERY almost pulls out his Soul Device, and then realises... ] Oh, Ed, it's you.

[He trots over to peer at the wig he's working on. ]

Whaaaaaat are you doing?

Existentialism with Barbie

[end_singer]

[Nito hums thoughtfully and occupies the offered space on the plastic log. One might technically describe it as sitting, but one might just as easily describe it as perching. It's a long moment while he sorts his thoughts, trying to figure out a way to explain this to a being that has no true concept of grief and is only just barely starting to grasp impermanence.]

...Making one's mark can be how one decides to make use of their life, but I believe the point is simply to do any of the uncounted things that only the living can, as great as forming a kingdom or as small as feeling a friend's hand in your own.

you are the dancing queen - fabulous season prompts

[jackdawvision]

[one: try and tear me down! | performance]

[Look, let's be real here: there's no way Edward is ever going to be able to nail the celebrity impression challenge. He's been working on his German accent and it still stinks, but he knows one thing he's good at, and that's stunts and performing a show for an audience. This one's just a lot less intimidating than standing in front of absolutely terrified Spanish soldiers forcing them to hand their shit over.

So. Before his performance, he pushes a haystack into place on the stage. Then as the guitars start in on Tear Me Down, the spotlight shines on Edward above the stage, perched on the railing of the scaffolding, dressed in something far more modern than what he usually wears. Are those heels?]

Don't you know me, baby? [That wild look in his eye is familiar, to those who know him. It's the look of a man who's looking at a storm on the horizon and who's thinking about running right into it.] I'm the new Berlin Wall! Try and tear me down!

[And then he jumps.

And lands in the haystack on his back, hopping out immediately to sing the opening lines.

He keeps the energy up from there, running around the stage and clambering up on anything that'd give him some height. It's a little like watching an Energizer bunny onstage, except every so often the bunny turns to look at you and wink flirtatiously, wiggling his ass before he does some wild stunt that ought to, at the very least, sprain an ankle.

He's not a half-bad singer. A bit on the non-professional side, with what training he's had being in the past month from Elliot, but he's good at it and he belts out the final high notes with great enthusiasm. When he's done, he gets up with a laugh, and gives a bow to the audience.]

Thank you, Kaisou! [And he blows a kiss before he runs offstage. As soon as the audience's eyes are off him, he slumps against a wall and lets out a breath.] How'd I do?

[two: shining like the brightest star | off-stage]

[Before and after the performance, Edward's actually doing his job as stagehand behind the scenes, although he swaps Hedwig's golden heels out for his usual boots instead. He can be most often found hauling shit back and forth, checking on various props and mechanisms, and occasionally snacking on some jerky that he will tell you, with a straight face, came from a bear. He might be joking. Might be. Best not to ask.

He's also available for helping out the other contestants: he's shockingly pretty good at applying eyeliner and kohl, and is happy to help repair the occasional tears in costumes here and there. Ask him what he's doing in this competition and he'll laugh and say:] I want those five thousand dollars to buy the Jackdaw some ammunition, what do you think? Hold still, now.

Zulius | Centaurworld | OTA

[bebest]

Fabulous Season

[Naturally, Zulius can be found all around the Vogue this month. It's his territory after all, and he has to make sure everything runs perfectly. Anything less is just not acceptable. He certainly isn't giving himself much time to rest on the busiest month for his business. He can be found trotting around the place- checking on actors backstage before the performances, or schmoosing around the bar. While the party is in full swing, there's a good chance he'll head your way. Most nights he's wearing some variation of a MLM patterned shirt, and more often than not he goes the extra mile to use body paint on his stripes to make them a literal rainbow pattern. His butterfly wings really make everything POP, too. He'll come skipping over to you with a grin.]

Haaaaaaaaaaay Sweetie! You having a good time? Spoilers, the only answer you can give is "yes" and if it's anything else, I'm gonna have to know how to fix that STAT.

[During the drag competition, Zulius doesn't take part - that would RATHER ruin the whole point of the competition if one of the best queens EVER (his opinion) was taking part in it, obvi. But he can be found backstage, helping queens and kings get their wigs, outfits and acts together and generally be a positive force for the entire endeavour. After all, if he's slamming down five thousand buckaroos, he wants this to be a DAMN GOOD show. Most of the time, Zulius will even show up in drag too, to set a good EXAMPLE.]

Okay, Babe, how are you doing? You got the hair to work right now? How about those dance moves? You need to run through anything?

Life's A Beach

[Zulius is incredibly busy with Fabulous Season- but like hell is he going to miss out on a chance to go to BARBIE Land. He had so many Barbies as a kid- he's got to live out his childhood joys here- he didn't have many of them, after all. Naturally, he's a Barbie- what else could he be? He delights in his little Dreamhouse- not even bothered by the lack of walls- it just means more people can see his FABULOUS self. He's also loving all the outfits that come from his magical wardrobe. Sure, walking on the tips of his hooves was tricky, but he learned to WORK it.

Naturally, he's adoring his role as Showgirl Barbie. It's a DREAM come TRUE, honestly- it's been a while since he performed on stage himself and he has a blast every night, shaking his little feathered touchie. He even takes some time to relax on the beach. Regardless of where you fund him during his stay in Barbie Land, he's clearly delighted. ]

Oh my GOOSE, six-year-old me would be so jelly of us right now. This is the best gate we've had for a while. What did you get?

What Was I Made For?

[Oh boy, existential crises were not something Zulius was planning on dealing with on his super fun Barbie adventure. He's pretty tired from all the work at the Vogue and then coming and having fun here, too. But there's a sad little Ken asking for his help and not understanding why he's living in Barbie's shadow and he has been there, so he does what he does best.

He gives a catty-ass pep talk. ]

Okay, so what you NEED to do is grab life with your gorgeous hands and say NO! Say I'M just as important as ANY Barbie! If I wanna wear pretty pink dresses and sashay on a cat walk, I can DO that! I shouldn't let anyone step on my dreams of being my own fabulous self. [He turns to look at you. For backup.] RIGHT?!

Wildcard: Want anything else? Yell at me! Will match style.

what was i made for?

[illucesco]

[Noctis freezes in place, having just come back from dropping a Barbie’s pet cat off at their place. It’s weird—he doesn’t actually feel all that tired, or hungry, except he still would really, really like to simply sleep or fish all day. That would be great.

And now here he is being asked to back someone up on a pep talk. He looks at Ken, then shrugs.]

Yeah. [A pause.] Or, you know. If your dream is just to not support a Barbie all the time, you can just leave and figure the rest out afterward.

[poisontippedcure]

[It turns out, after May, this realm was exactly what Rose needed. Spending all day on air talking about manga and fashion? Check. Style for days? Check.]

[She’s on her way back to Kaisou for the evening when she spots Zulius trying to give a pet talk. Part of her is tempted to just walk by, but after everything Zulius did for her last month? No way.]

He’s exactly right! Listen, other people will always try to give you titles. But they aren’t you.

Your interests? Your life? Those are things you get to decide. You can just be yourself.

vogue

[trailblazingspirit]

[On the advice of Wei Wuxian, March heads for the Vogue once she's moved what few things she has into Caleb's place, poking her head inside and nearly getting brained by some blonde asshole scurrying past her with a box full of props.]

Hey—ugh, that's so rude! [She puts her hands on her hips and glares after him, but the guy's long gone. She sighs, then looks around the place—wow, Mr. Wuxian was not wrong, there are a lot of rainbows decorating the lobby alone. A smile spreads across her face, because this is clearly the best place to be in town. She should thank Mr. Wuxian sometime, he knows his stuff! And then drag Caleb and Dan Heng here too.

She heads to the bar, thinking, hey, maybe they have sodas there. She'd love a soda, especially something that doesn't have the too-cloying sweetness of SoulGlad. It's there that a centaur strolls up to her, and she gives Zulius a bright little smile.]

Yeah, I'm having a good time! This theatre looks so spectacular and full of colors, it's practically a dream come true for me. But I just wanted to know if you guys have soda here?

Life's a Beach!

[standless]

[Jonathan looks quite thrilled as well. He's got stars in his hair. Wow!!!

He's also got...Well he's not sure what this accessory is, but it's something. Maybe a microphone for movies?]

It's so fascinating! And even relaxing I might say, it's a truly wonderful experience- Oh, I was told I am Hollywood Ken, [he hurriedly adds, remembering there was a question in there.

Jojo pauses.]

...Though I must ask, just what is hollywood, I'm not clear on that...

[They picked the right doll type for this man,]

Fabulous

[prunedworlds]

Ritsuka would, without a doubt, get an earful if she tried to do anything considered strenuous this month. From multiple people, even. Even playing at the waterpark had been a bit of a stretch.

But even if she was limited in what she could do, that didn't mean she couldn't still hang around and enjoy the festivities, right? Right.

"Of course!" Somehow, her enthusiasm didn't seem dampened in the least, though. "I can't imagine anyone not having a good time here."

A pity she couldn't help everyone out with things nearly as much as she'd normally like to.

Elliot Craig | Trails of Cold Steel

[fiddlestick]

I. Vogue: The Drill Sargent
[Now that the Dark Hour situation has been resolved, Elliot's thrown himself fully into making preparations for the Vogue's Pride event. It's the biggest time of the year, so Elliot's giving it 150% at all times. Basically throughout the month, he's one of the first in the theater and one of the last one to leave. Where is he getting all his energy? Who knows.

And for any of the poor unfortunate souls who got roped into doing the performances at the Vogue this month.... well, sucks to be you. Because Elliot is not settling for anything less than perfection. It's pretty normal to hear this after a run-through]

Okay, so that was really good! But I have a few notes on where it can be improved, so let's take a five minute break and then we'll do it again!

[Lord. Have Mercy.]

II. Vogue: Downtime
[Fortunately, even the devil needs to rest sometimes. Midway through the month when the performances are already underway and going smoothly, Elliot will actually take a few moments to rest. He can then be found in the sitting area of the bar, nursing a tea as he takes a moment to breath. He's wearing a pretty basic black suit, with a rainbow music tie.

Perhaps this is the time to approach the Drill Sargent.]

III. Wildcard
[Got another prompt? Hit me up! ]

I

[jackdawvision]

[From the back, a very tired groan can be heard.

If he knew this was gonna happen Edward wouldn’t have sung any sea shanties in the Vogue.]

Can’t it be ten minutes? Five’s not enough to eat anything more than a cracker without almost choking on it. [There’s a distinct wheedling tone to his voice. Please Mr. Drill Sergeant Elliot sir he needs a snack.] We’ve been at this for—how long have we been at this, again?

[It feels like it’s been hours.]

i 🎶

[hoshikiri]

[This would have caused some kind of PTSD response for Takame had he not had a genuine interest in performance. But then again, how extremely pliant he was in Drill Sergeant Elliot Craig's hands and to his orders, so to speak, might have been one.

But he just had to do good, okay!!! This is very important!! It's the month of the Gays!! Just no one tell the people Takame teaches that he's adopting a very do as I say not as I do mindset right now. They'll be mad and then make sad faces at him. Then he'll make sad faces. And No One Wants That.

He was very tired, but didn't sound it at all. Or even look it unless you read his limping tail.]

Sensei, will you share what I must improve upon? If you insist on taking five minutes, I would like to utilize that time to reflect on how I may do better.

[Kesi Takame.]

Downtime

[bebest]

[Zulius knows better than to mess with Elliot when he's in full Drill Sargent Mode. Elliot's... little ways has made a huge difference in the general running of the theatre and it'll be sure to make a perfect show. But poking that particular bear is how a person gets their hand bitten off.

So he waits until Elliot is nursing a tea, and seems largely chill. Regardless, he'll sloooooooowly slide a lil' slice of cake his way in slow, careful movements. Like someone trying not to spook a wild and dangerous animal. ]

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey, El. How're you doing? You enjoying a little breather?

Leon S. Kennedy | Resident Evil

[sg09r]

[one: baker’s dozen | barbie land]

[The bakery is very, very plastic. And pink. It’s mostly the plastic that’s getting to Leon, really—there is no reason any of this should be edible, and yet the dolls who keep coming in seem perfectly satisfied with the “bread” that Leon hands out to them. Hell, Leon had tried eating it the way they did (which was just miming the act, really) and he’d felt strangely full.

Isn’t that a trip and a half, he supposes. Once the crowd of Barbies and Kens have thinned out somewhat, he vaults over the counter and takes a seat at one of the tables, lets out a breath.]

Is this a bad time to admit I’m not really much of a baker?

[He can cook! He’s pretty good at it. Baking is a different matter entirely.]

[two: on sale in a store near you! | kaisou]

[He’s not in Barbie Land all the time, because now that the Black Order isn’t paying him or the others, he’s taking on more private eye jobs to keep himself busy and to make up for that lost income stream. He’s taking a break between jobs right now, in fact, to idly peruse the shelves at a big chain store.

Hm, pet food, where’s the pet food in this store—wait, hold on, is that—]

…Zombie Fighter Barbie? [He sounds so confused as he picks up the new doll being sold in stores: a Barbie with a hot pink knife in hand, bandages around her shoulder, and a very determined look in her eye.]

Oh, she was not joking about this affecting the real world.

one

[wiseoldbartender]

[Husk is only here because it's the best way to get money with the Order withholding their paychecks. Even if it means having to deal with Gilgamesh and Venti all fucking day and wearing some stupid fuckin' tights which are not comfortable when you have as much fur as he does.

He was slouched in his chair when Leon vaults over, raising an eyebrow. ]

I mean- it looks like none of these fuckers actually eat, so maybe you can fake it 'til you make it.

Knuckles the Echidna | Sonic the Hedgehog (movie-verse) | Open!

[ampersand_me]

[I. Hard at Training]

Knuckles was not good at getting along with people. This was simple fact. Knuckles also had spent far too much of his short life training, fighting, traveling the galaxy in his hunt for the Master emerald, and generally doing anything but socialize like, you know, a normal person.

Which meant that, having no particular interest in festivals and such events (unless they involved combat) and not the least clue what all the hubbub in the city was about, Knuckles had been busy with his own matters instead. Having already built himself a rather nice, if he says so himself, hut out in the woods of the park, now he had been tackling a rather more ambitious project. One that entailed not merely building with branches and thatch, but entire tree trunks, into a long series and platforms that looked almost like they belonged in Ninja Warrior.

Yeah, Knuckles was building himself an obstacle course, because jogging and punching trees really only got one so far in training, you know?

So if you happened to find yourself out in the woods of the park, you might just spot a certain red echidna hauling an entire tree along to locations undisclosed. Or later in the month, perhaps you'd see him racing along the paths at top speed before turning off into a barely-visible trail into the woods. Or, heck, maybe you just got lucky and stumbled across the overly complicated obstacle course itself! But however you spot him, the question remained: do you question the little red menace? Or even more boldly, try to stop him?


[II. Detective Knuckles]

It was highly debatable whether Knuckles actually knew what the big deal was with the spirit gates that popped up each month, or if he simply went to 'help' because he was under the impression that's how things were done around these parts. Perhaps he was looking for a purpose of his own... Or, perhaps, he was just bored and hoping for a fight.

It was even more debatable whether he had any real clue what the 'detective' side of his assigned (Barbie) role was supposed to be or do, but that sure wasn't stopping him from living it up anyway. Should you stop by his office, you'd find the echidna dressed in a very nice-looking little suit, feet propped up on his (pink) desk as he leaned back in his (pink) chair. For all the world giving off at least the look of the part, even if his understanding beyond that was more than a little dubious.

(A closer inspection would reveal a stack of--yes, pink again--books piled on the chair to allow him to even reach the desk, but nevermind that.)

"So, you have come to seek my aid in solving some manner of problem, is it?"

At least give him points for getting into the role?


[III. Good(?) Advice]

Of course, there was a mission to do here, and Knuckles was going to carry it out! So perhaps you'll spot him talking to a Barbie, or a Ken, but no matter when or where you catch him, he always seemed to be giving the same advice:

"Have you considered taking on a trial by combat? Few things sharpen the sense and clear the mind as putting one's life on the line."

... He was trying his best with what he had, okay.


[IV. All New Limited Edition]

While Knuckles himself had no real interest in toys, or even browsing the stores in general, those others who do might find something interesting on the shelves. A special new "Echidna Warrior" Barbie series, featuring accessories such as a skull-like headdress decorated with feathers, as well as a spear and bow. All in the usual garish colors, naturally, and somehow managing to look far too cutesy than they had any right to.

That said, it was probably painfully obvious to anyone who'd even seen Knuckles about precisely whose fault this particular variant was, so feel free to give him a talking-to next time you see him. Or just bring him one of the dolls and see how he'd react, if that strikes your fancy!


[Wildcard]

None of these work for you? Feel free to throw in something of your own, or hit me up in PM or on Discord (Altocumulus) if you'd like to plot something!

i

[hoshikiri]

[So, Knuckles hasn't really seen Takame in action. And when not practicing for his performance this month he felt himself become restless since classes are not as active for the "Summer Break".

And well. If there's an obstacle course. What's a man to do but take a closer look within it as he's found no sign of the creator as of yet. There are plenty of people with the strength to create such a thing...]

Hmm.

Beredvyn of Nal (Meredith Nelson) | OC | open!

[thewarriorqueen]

[I. Network Text]

Anyone got any advice or suggestions for what to do when someone you know doesn't have or even remember the whole app anymore? Or anything that comes with it.


[II. Mandatory Fashion]

If nothing else, Meredith figured it was probably generally worthwhile to sort out the... whatever it was that came up with the spirit realm each month. You know, fixing whatever problem it was so it wouldn't overrun the city or whatever.

That, and she maybe felt in need of a distraction slash reason to be out of the house for a while. Close enough, right?

Whatever the reason, Meredith was here in... Barbie Land. Which was apparently a real thing. Somehow. And she's found herself wearing the most garishly Hawaiin shirt imaginable. Again, somehow.

"... This place isn't going to let me wear anything else, is it."


[III. Helping Out]

Then there was that actual mission to do. The whole... trying to help living doll(?) people figure out how to deal with feelings thing.

"Look, I don't know what to tell you. You just... gotta vent your feelings instead of keeping it all pent up or something. Go have a good spar, or go wild over a game or something, you know?"

...

"Or, um, maybe read a good book, if that's your thing?"

She was trying.


[Wildcard]

None of these work for you? Feel free to throw in something of your own, or hit me up in PM or on Discord (Altocumulus) if you'd like to plot something!

i; private

[illucesco]

sorta? it’s stuff my therapist tells me about grieving. feels a little heavy for a network conversation, though.

come hang out? i know a ramen place.

Ritsuka Fujimaru | Fate/Grand Order

[prunedworlds]

[Open - Around Town]

After the events of last month, Ritsuka had been rather sternly forbidden from doing anything resembling real exertion, let alone risk, while she was recovering. A mandate backed and enforced by pretty much all of her friends, at that, so there was really no wiggle room to get out of it. Still, bedrest was boring and Ritsuka preferred having company (even moreso than she usually did, had she stopped to think about it) so she was taking any chance she could to be out and about around the city. Running light errands, going to watch the local events, so long as it wasn't strenuous or taking her to a dangerous part of town.

Which was to say, she could be found here and there around Kaisou throughout the month, perhaps taking a stroll in the park, or enjoying a fancy treat, or even just hanging out at the mall like a normal person who wasn't brutally attacked just a few weeks ago. Wherever you find her though, she always was quick to smile at a familiar face.

"Oh, hey there!"


[Closed to Waver and Diarmuid]

As the middle of June approached, Ritsuka had had sufficient time to recover and, more importantly, to start to properly think about things, that it started to raise some questions. Amongst other things. Fortunately for her there were two people in particular she both trusted and who would probably at least understand the issue. Maybe even shed some light on it.

Just as she was trying to decide how best to approach it, however, Waver managed to preempt her with an invitation to come over and have dinner with him and Diarmuid, which as far as Ritsuka was concerned was perfect timing. And not just because Waver's cooking was pretty darn good.

So it was that she found herself there one Sunday evening, finishing off the last of her meal and pondering how best to broach the topic...

"That was all really good."

Well, once she was done enthusiastically complimenting the food, that was.


[Wildcard]

None of these work for you? Feel free to throw in something of your own, or hit me up in PM or on Discord (Altocumulus) if you'd like to plot something!

[fionnuisce]

"Glad you liked it. Somehow a lot of what I make keeps getting duplicated, so I thought you might want some. I'm running out of people to send it to, and even we can't eat all of it."

Not for lack of trying.

Waver Velvet | fate/ servantswap au | ota

[fionnuisce]

[i; around town]

[Having fully recovered from the previous month's risky venture of sorts, Waver could be found back to work at the Academy as well as around the city. He'd been cooking enough that restocking was alarmingly necessary, and the Jirachi floating around him was more than happy to help carry a shopping bag or two.]

[It was around the city itself he encountered a problem; making the terrible mistake to venture a little too close to the park, he was accosted by a particularly exciteable moogle. Whatever they intially spoke about was unclear, but eventually:]

-got poms and ears all over, kupo, and we heard you were planning an engagement without-

Get the hell out of here, already! [Waving his hand like he was trying to swat away a fly, Waver answered in the loudest harsh wisper ever recorded in human history.] Fuck's sake, someone's going to hear you! Go commit tax fraud or something somewhere else!

[Fortunately, the moogle in question quickly admitted defeat(?) before Waver decided to start swinging his cane next, fluttering off with a very indignant 'kupo'.]

[Around Cygnus for a good amount of the month, it was not impossible to spot a suspicious upturned cardboard box, or perhaps a strangely cardboard-and-crayon shrubbery. How odd.]

[ii; vogue theater]

['The things I do for academia', he'd said. Five thousand dollars was nothing to sneeze at for a budget, and helping PICHU would help out Cygnus in turn. So honestly, he would have been disappointed in himself if he didn't do this.]

[...At the same time, it was hard not to feel a little self-conscious despite being sharply attentive in both rehearsal and makeup classes; learning was learning, after all. And it seemed entirely like he was going to take this as seriously and intensely as everything else he percieved as a challenge, so there was that. During downtime, one could catch him going over his notes (yes, that serious) while restlessly humming to himself at times.]

[And on rare occasion, one might almost catch the hint of a pom-pom sneaking past the nearest window.]

[iii; wildcard]

[anything else!]

i

[jackdawvision]

[So Edward’s come ‘round to look for Waver, carrying a box of donuts, and all he sees is—a cardboard box, just sitting there. He tilts his head and stares at it in a very intense manner, before he strides up to it and leans down.]

If you’re trying to hide from someone, it’s better to hide inside a closet instead of a cardboard box. You’d fit better that way.

[Rattling the box in his hands somewhat.]

Do you want a donut, mate?

wei wuxian | mdzs | pokego au

[conseqweinces]

i. not fantastic (around barbie land)

[Let it be said that Wei Wuxian didn’t take his work seriously coming into this big land of plastic to help people with their existential crises. But maybe he shouldn’t given how his advice and humor leans more towards the macabre.

He didn’t really have much on offer being designated “Ken” at entry but if he didn’t have to do much besides say hey he’d be great at a wedding and wear a bunch of strangely perfectly tailored suits, that works for him.

But somehow he can’t help but feel like he dodged the biggest bullet. Dog-ed, if you will.]

You know I can’t remember the last time I got to wear a suit. They aren’t really my thing. I don’t even wear my lab coat that much!

ii. intolerable tolerance (bar, post performance)

[So, you’re at the Vogue. You see one Wei Wuxian at the bar after the performance is done. He’s been there for a bit actually! The drink he has in his hands now is a nice purple color.

He’s attempting the drink the progress flag challenge. And somehow he does not seem to be affected by it, at least not yet. There’s barely a hint of any slurring in his speech and he’s just acting the same as he always has. Which is still annoying but he’s like that without being drunk.]

I’m about halfway done, right? Don’t forget to get my good side in the picture!

[What is his tolerance??? Who knows. Will you ask him?]

iii. why are you like this (wildcard)

[[ wildcard option! I do want to do a specific sidequest with him so if you wanted to hit me up @ bonpuns on plurk/discord for that please lmk but i’m open to w/e for him! ]]

FEATURING POKEGO

[conseqweinces]

iv. in terms of money… we have to Work™ for it (vogue, featuring POKEGO)

[Wei Wuxian will try anything at least once with very few exceptions. Drag is not one of those. He’s done it before for cosplay and con shoots and sometimes it feels nice to wear a dress! It’s like robes but he looks even hotter. Even if he feels a memory at the back of his mind any time he wears three inch heels.

That’s not important anyway. What is important is someone winning this drag competition to help POKEGO out with funding. But also he just wants to win because he wants to win.

He has one very particular aesthetic. Always has. And he is sticking to it like glue in song and style. His hair is half tied this time by the same red ribbon he’s always worn, it went with the outfit so why change it? He’s even got a prop raven sitting on his shoulder to really complete the look.

He’s willing to chat with anyone! But also, GO FORTH BABY QUEENS AND SHOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT.

(if you wanna reply direct to wwx, go ahead and put iv in the subject line!)]

Jonathan Joestar | JJBA/Daybreak CRAU | ~HOLLYWOOD KEN~

[standless]

[LIFE IN PLASTIC!]

[Jonathan arrives just as everyone else does. In a pink convertible, though in his case, someone else is driving. And when he steps out, he finds...]

Goodness...I feel so energized somehow..!

[How odd! But it's fine. He's got his... ...He thinks it's a microphone? It's something to do with Hollywood? But as Jonathan explores the beach, and Barbie's Dreamhouses (when invited of course), and whatever else is here...]

...Oh my goodness.

...I've not had to change back at all!

[To whoever is privvy to this baffling revelation: very sorry if he doesn't know you, but it's just groundbreaking!

And if he does know you, then perhaps you ought have expected this of him.]

[LIFE'S A BEACH]

[Well, with how long the trip to Barbie Land takes both ways, it's perhaps no surprise to see Jonathan sitting with his Indeedee, as the latter puts roller blades on.] Hello! I've decided to save a bit of energy! I'm certain I'll take form properly once I get there after all. Care to take the trip together?

[Well, regardless of if one does, they'll find out precisely what happened with Jonathan's guess about 'taking form properly'.]

Oh....

"You're SOOOO cute Ken! Look at how those stars shine!"

[Jonathan- a small bat, with Alfred simply staring off into the middle distance- currently sits in a Barbie's hands, his face buried in his wings.]

I've made such an error...

"Don't worry Ken! We'll get you back to your Hollywood Self in no time! We just have to find Enchantress Barbie! They'll know what to do!"

[...................There's an Enchantress Barbie????]

[WHAT WAS KEN MADE FOR...]

[This whole existential problem with the Barbies and Kens is perhaps a bit out of his depth. Maybe there was a reason he got assigned that. Maybe it goes both ways. Being honest he feels rather more comfortable with the idea of encouraging others than being the center of attention, which would have been a pretty terrible reality check if he'd in fact kept on living back in 1989.

Still, as a 'fellow Ken' anxiously rambles their way through the trouble of depending on Barbie so much, an idea strikes. Because-]

But sir- Ken, [whoops, can't Sir people here]

Ken! What if in fact, Barbie requires...Ken!

[Ken, of course, is stunned. How can this possibly be??? But Jonathan persists. He's inspired- he's thinking of moments from his own life in fact, where he was working in dire circumstances, and just what was it that got him through? He knows Precisely what got him through, he can use that.] Think- Barbie has much to do. Much to work upon! But no one can do so without the aid of their fellows..! I remember when I-

"Yes???"

[And that's about when Jonathan realizes a fatal error in this tangent he's found. Because he is not a 'Barbie'. He is a Ken. About to talk about being inspired by...another Ken??? That won't do. That won't do at all.

...

He needs to come up with a Barbie.]

I remember when yet another Ken aided Barbie on her sacred mission to defeat evil most foul..! [he stammers, coughing into his hand.] They...That is, erm, Barbie, had...She had...hair of gold, and eyes of ocean blue! And a smile, which charmed all!

[He is going to picture his wife. Very hard.]

She had a heart strong and fair, but her kindness brought her hesitation in her dangerous task! [ ...

And not think about the fact that his wife would probably not have hesitated for an instant.]

And do you know then, who it was who helped her to focus upon her duty?

[In any case, the Ken he's talking to looks upon Jonathan with awe.]

"...KEN..?"

[It's. Working?]

Quite so!!!

[He misses Speedwagon........... ...But also, he's flagging honestly. Someone, help!]

[AFTERMATH - KAISOU]

[Jonathan honestly came here to get pet toys. They keep the kids stuff right beside the pet stuff, as it turns out. Sometimes it's just like that.

It means though, that he sees....an interesting set there. First of all-]

...Razor hat Ken...?

[Whoops, sorry Speedwa-

WAIT BUT BESIDE HIM-]

HAMON GLOW BARBIE!?

[HIS WIFE!?!?!??]

SIDEQUEST - CLOSED TO VIV

[standless]

This is quite the odd 'quest' that he's hit 'accept' for, Jonathan has to say.

He arrives in Undertown at the Fantasy Costco right on time, shifting into his 'human' state in a flash. The mission parameters seem simple enough, of course. Don a costume, a wheel of cheese, hawk the wares. It...It seems easy?

Jonathan can't help but suspect there might be more to that but...whatever.

According to this marvelous app after all, he's not meant to be alone!

"I do hope I can keep shape while wearing this..."

Not so far from him, there's someone...purple?

"Ah- Hello miss? Are you here for the 'rat' quest?"

Dr. Ratio | Honkai: Star Rail

[mediocrites]

[I: Fabulous Season. ish.]

[Ratio is not much of a social events person. He's never really gotten along well with crowds in any sense of the word. But the weather's gotten nice and staying cooped up in his apartment with few stimuli to distract him from the oddity of his appearance changes and the app that he can't delete from his phone is increasingly unappealing.

So here he is sitting in the sun outside of a little café downtown, grading papers. There is a rainbow button neatly pinned to his button-down shirt, from a table at the college that was eagerly handing out a variety of flag colors to any passerby that would accept one. His red marking pen darts in quick, decisive gestures across the lines of an essay.]

Ambiguous phrasing here... tsk, didn't you run this through a spelling check? ...hm, this needed another citation...

[When he's reached the last page, he marks the top with a "73" in a bright red circle...and then reaches for a sheet of stickers and meticulously adds a rainbow flag sticker to a blank space near the top, taking care to align it precisely with the edges of the paper. It is a celebratory month, after all, and morale is important.

He sets the paper aside and reaches for the next. A rainbow boba drink sits neglected on the table, condensation slowly pooling around the bottom of the cup: it doesn't seem to have been to his taste after all.]

[II: Life In Plastic]

[It should be preferable to have been designated a "Ken", really. Ratio isn't fond of attention for its own sake, so being ignored and disregarded is better. Really. He can't explain, exactly, why it's so galling not to be recognized as important. It doesn't matter anyway: he's here for a reason, never mind that the reason and the situation are totally nonsensical. There's no way to get used to things like this except to throw himself into them, right?

Even so, the cowboy outfit is a little much.

Never mind, never mind. He's found one of the Barbies in crisis, and...well, he seems like he's trying to help?]

All things that begin have an end. Great and small, the only certainty is that nothing can be truly eternal.

[Her eyes are beginning to fill with tears. This is clearly not the reassurance she was looking for. "I-I don't want it to end. We've always been happy... I just want to keep being happy..."]

But can there be true joy and satisfaction, in a life devoid of examination or intention? ...There is joy to be had in achievement, but in order to attain it, you must want, and the very essence of wanting is to feel dissatisfaction, a desire to make oneself more complete. Do you understand?

[She shakes her head. He sighs in aggravation.] Let's...begin again.

[III: Wildcard]

[something else? hit me up for it!]

II

[rupturingheaven]

[Bailey feels more than a little ridiculous as... Pop Sensation Barbie or whatever, but that's extremely not the priority here.

Ratio is clearly trying, but... maybe a little help is needed here.]

Pardon my interruption, but... It's not a bad thing, to keep wanting to be happy. That being said... To really appreciate that happiness, you need the times where you aren't. Whether that's from sadness or even frustration and dissatisfaction.

[Bailey hums, thoughtful.]

Just like he said-- [A quick gesture to Ratio, before she turns her attention back to the Barbie.] --All things that begin have an end. The happiness might not last forever, no, but neither will the sadness or dissatisfaction, whether it eases eventually or you take steps to correct it.

takame kesi | ffxiv oc

[hoshikiri]

i. busy bee (vogue gen)

[Considering the festivities at the Vogue, Takame's attention was here most of the month. He was still focused on Cygnus as always but given the Summer months, he's learned that it is far less populated hence the focus shift.

He's also still swatting at moogles that try to ruin Waver's plans in the meanwhile, but that's beside the point unless you wanna catch him doing that as he's out and about otherwise.

Mostly Takame has been back and forth, keeping eyes Rose as well, but also helping where he can with stage set ups and even drag queen outfit grabbing. If you spot him, he'll be helpful as ever even between his own practice.]

Is there aught I may assist you with?

ii. singing bee

[Takame wasn't one to have stage fright. He would succeed at this performance, for to achieve aught less was an unacceptable outcome. He would never be able to face Elliot-sensei again.

He was not in full drag, but he was still well dressed in his very consistent pale blues and blacks. His hair was mostly loose aside from some strands in the back tied with pins and his bangs being pulled away from his face.

Takame never brought up that he was able to sing. Elliot's preparation was grueling but necessary.

And what was more surprising was how he sounded, steady and more emotionally tinged than any of his regular speech given what he sang.

A combination of verses in both Japanese and English, translations for the former on projectors to get the message across and little gestures of the hand reaching towards his audience in certain moments. Deep under the layers of Takame's forced stoicism is a deep and intense passion and never has it come out more than when he sang here.

Regardless, when he finished and returned backstage, he let out a sigh that relieved all of the tension he didn't know he had since agreeing to perform.]

Ah...

iii. ... wasp (wildcard)

[[ uhhhh if u want something else lmk im a bonpuns everywhere. ]]

ii

[stripartist]

[Yusuke has to go on in like, ten minutes, he's mid-transformation into Rei and he does not care. He pulls away from the person helping him get his wig on and stalks over to his boyfriend, pulling him into a kiss without so much as a by-your-leave.]

"Danielle Ford Usher" | The Blackout Club | OTA

[dancedwithplenty]

Vogue It Up

[Look, Danielle is trying to be good. She goes to her work shifts, she gets that dough, she does the adulting. But she cannot resist a party, and by god there are so many this month!!!]

[While not there every night, she's absolutely stopping by the Vogue once a week at least. Most of her time is spent dancing the night away, but she can also be seen at the bar when she's taking a break. Sipping her cocktail and singing if she knows the lyrics. Those who pass by her in party mode might earn a surprise compliment.]

Ohmygod, your makeup is styling! What's your secret?

Come on Barbie, Let's Go Party

[Danielle has been assigned Dance Club Ken for their super secret mission. On one hand, kinda bummed that she's not a Barbie. But with a fabulous outfit and job like 'dance club', that's still a win, right?]

[Like the other Kens, Dani is temporarily living on the plastic beach. Lying on a decal sticker beach towel, she lowers her pink shades to any passerby.]

This ain't so bad, now is it?

Show Me You're Not Afraid

[Ahh, good old existentialism. Dani has dealt with those late night worries before. Sure, she'll try her hand at working the Barbies through it!]

Look, when I'm feeling down and crummy, dancing always helps. You know how to dance, right? I've seen yall got the moves.

[The group of Barbies around her look uncertainly at each other.]

I know it may sound silly, but dancing has been warding off fear since waaay back when.

[Dani falters for a moment, she's said that before but when, but quickly recovers.]

It's self expression! Show me what your feeling inside. Let it loose!

Vogue It Up

[bebest]

[ Zulius can always be found in his territory of the Vogue. He's been sashaying around, making sure everyone's having a great time. He takes his role as the host very seriously, after all- he's got to make sure the Vogue is the place to be all June!

He grins at Dani as he saunters over. ]

This skill just comes naturally to me! I mean, I'm already gorgeous so I'm just accentuating my natural beauty! [He's just gonna order himself a mojito. ] Are you having a good time?

Sampo Koski | Honkai : Star Rail | OTA

[anyprice]

1. __// Over the Rainbow. -- OTA. ||

[ he said he was going to do it, and he's going to do it. does he have some fabulous resistance to alcohol or something? who actually knows, haha. he just sees a challenge and wants to prove he can do it. He's spent many a night drinking and having wild parties in the underworld with some of the oddest, strongest liquors--so he can at least hold his own.

...And then there are the memories of a past time, a past self, where he spent many a day in an odd Tavern, surrounded by laughter and mirth, every single person around him wearing a mask of some sort; barely lifting them to take another shot of oddly swirling liquor...

Sampo lifts a glass of currently vibrant blue liquor, and he grins at those who might be sharing the barside with him. ]

I meaaaaan, it's worth the try, isn't it? Look at me, this is my fifth one, and I'm still perky as the finest pepper in the garden.

[ ...god his grin is infectious or aggravating, whichever feels best in the moment. ]

Don't look at me like that, I got a perfect way to get home. It's easy when some of your best buddies can't even get drunk, you know? ...And kind'a sad.

2. __// Brughel Poisson from the Crystal Daily. -- OTA. ||

a. the show

[ and the second thing he'd promised to do when he'd heard about this 'Vogue' was, of course, participate in the drag show. Not only was drag something that Sampo did on the regular anyway when shapeshifting to avoid the Order--

but it was something he honestly enjoyed doing. Turning on a dime and playing out a role as --a moniker he'd taken on years ago, madame Brughel Poisson--was like turning on a button.

Which is exactly how Sampo finds himself on stage admist many of its Stage Games. Every single one he puts his most into--dressed in his favorite red dress, and deciding to forgo his shapeshifting this time so he could really put his all into the performance.

For the choreography battle, he really puts his all in--the song he chose a lively, bouncy beat that he's spent the better part of a week practicing steps to.
Confident of every step of the heels he's wearing, twisting his hips as he lip-synchs along with the music--using the bright white feather boa he wears along with each step and bounce, even using it to 'catch and pull' his dance partner in during the bouncy and lively steps.

When the lively music stalls out, he'll disappear off stage without a single sound, like he'd melted into the shadows themselves as the lights dim. ]

b. after the show

[ the bright-eyed clown can be found lounging at the bar again after the show, still looking his best and like he'd just put the show of his life on.

Any who might catch his eyes get a toothy grin from the man, and --maybe you didn't recognise the long-haired beauty while he was on stage because he... was using a voice that definitely didn't sound like his own while preforming, but.

Relaxing and languishing after the song and dance was over, surprise. It very much is the backdoor car salesman after all. ]

Did you have fun? Because I sure as hell had fun. That's what this sort of thing is all about, you know?
If you haven't gone up yet, just treat it like a once in a lifetime chance to let loose. You are the show.

To be!

[prunedworlds]

"Oh! No, I'm not performing or anything, actually."

She was just here because a lot of her friends were participating, really.

"And I mean, even if I wanted to I'm pretty sure dancing and singing doesn't count as 'taking it easy' or something..."