kaisou | February Town Log

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February Town Log

February City Log
Dominant Element: Fire
Waning Element: Wind

Full Moon: February 11th - 13th

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With the arrival of February, the worst of winter is finally past. In the sky, the Spirit Vein will take on the colors of fire, blazing across the sky in hues of red and orange. As such, the temperature will begin to warm to much more bearable weather. While it's still winter, as the month moves on it'll step closer and closer to spring with rising temperature and melting snow. Most of the days are sunny and bright, bringing much needed warmth to the town.

Valentine's Day

The season of love is once again here for Kaisou. Throughout the city, stores and streets are decorated in red and pink hearts along with loads of other romantic themed things. Just about everywhere you turn, there's vendors selling chocolates, flowers, jewelry, as well as mundane items that are trying desperately to be marketed as great Valentine's day gifts. If you're hoping to take your date out to eat for the special holiday, you better make reservations well in advanced- as the nicer restaurants will quickly fill up. But don't worry if you didn't plan ahead, because Papa's Omniria is open with a full Valentine's Day special line up that includes strawberries and pomegranate being added to just about everything - even if it's really questionable if it actually works (strawberry and pomegranate sushi?). Just be careful not to be the first customer of the week, unless you prefer to work through the holiday.

Down in Undertown, the merchants there have also gotten into the holiday spirit. Lots of stores are selling enchanted items used to help keep the spirit of love going: aphrodisiacs, enchanted rose petals, and various potions and enchantments that'll help you in the bedroom. The kitsune have also opened up a shop here, peddling beauty products that they claim will definitely attract a date-- but in reality the only date you'll be making is one to the Urgent Care to clear up a heart-shaped rash, or a date to salon to get the hot-pink dye out of your hair.

Looking for a more romantic getaway? The sparrow clan that live in the El Nido realm can also be found in Undertown, promoting their beach resort. For the small price of delicious birdseed, you'll be welcomed to stay at their beach resort paradise in El Nido. During your stay, you'll be given a 5-star treatment from room service, massages, spas, and a high quality restaurant where you can have a romantic dinner as the sunsets over the ocean. It might be a perfect way to spend a romantic holiday- or simply get away from the winter cold.

As usual, whether you're shopping in Undertown or around the city- you'll find an absence of any kind of true love potions. Those are seen as deeply taboo in paranormal circles. Even than less than moral vendors don't want to risk a visit from the Black Order peddling those.

Black Order Mission: Potion Seller

Speaking of the Black Order, just like every year, there's those people out there who use romantic holiday as an excuse to sell much more dangerous potions. Almost like clockwork, they start to hear reports of some dealing selling "love potions". Sure enough, if you look into it, you find victims who are dealing with the typical array of symptoms: obsessive love, disregards of personal well being, and blind devotion. Though there seems to be something a little bit different from this year's batch, as the victims seem ... more detached from reality than normal. They ramble incoherently more, and any victims that happen to be monsters are acting much more bestial, almost as if they've become feral.

Fortunately, there is an antidote. The Black Order headquarters will send batches of a bitter tasting antidote potion. While normally this clears up symptoms right away, this year? It'll still work, but some of the victims seem to experience symptoms similar to withdrawal over the course of the new few days. Luckily the symptoms will pass within a week, leaving the people back to normal. Still... was someone trying to make these love potions addictive?

Investigations of the source of the love potions will lead to an abandoned warehouse in the Warehouse district. It's a small operation, run by drug pushing thugs that just happen to have some supernatural powers. How they will go about dealing with these guys will be up to the Black Order Guardians. However should they investigate the warehouse, they won't find any sign that the love potion was produced there- it was shipped in from somewhere else.

[OOC: As usual, the results of the Black Order mission will be left up to the Black Order team! Characters not part of the black order can also take part in this plot, though the investigation and the fate of the thugs will be left up to TBO players]

Black Order Mission Results

(As discussed between mods and TBO players)

When the team reaches the warehouse, they are able to apprehend the potion sellers. They will interrogate with legal methods, using a good-cop, bad-cop method. Xie Lian will be a good cop but fail to persuade them. Wriothesley and Ayato will take on the role of bad cop and succeed in scaring the crap out of some of the potion sellers.

From this, they will learn that they heard the potion was devised by a person who goes by the name "H". Unfortunately, they won't get much more information than that, as one of the potion sellers will panic will decide it's better to resist than give up information to the Black Order. He will take a clear potion (the love potions are pink) from his coat pocket and chug it. This causes him to go berserk and fully lose himself to his monster side (which unfortunately, is a flame bear that is now much larger than normal). He will attack the Order, and a few other of the potion sellers will see this chaos as a chance to try to escape -- or to try to fight off the guardians.

When the dust settles, several of the potion sellers are now dead. The rest of them are really freaked out and opt to go quietly into custody. The team will decide to take a few samples of the Love potion to send to the order to analyze, before burning the place down.

Red Strings of Love

At the start of February, those who are connected to the Greek Pantheon (either by being a member or possessed by one), will be treated to a video message from the mysterious number 696-6969. Should you open it, you'll be treated to a full body video of Cupid in all his naked glory. He is completely unfazed by this as he delivers a quick message:

Hey Fam! Heard a bunch of you had moved to Kaisou, so thought I'd say hi. I'd love to drop in and visit for awhile, but as you know I'm totally swamped this time of year. You know, with the whole holiday about me and everything!

So thanks to Aunt Persie and the others in your town, my staff are back to work and more motivated than ever! Thanks so much with that help. Anyway, they wanted to test a new product and felt that Kaisou would be the PERFECT place to do it. So don't be surprised if you see some strings pop up around town- they're totally harmless, swear! You just gotta be emotionally honest if you want them to go away, so if one of you could let people know that if they start panicking- that'd be great.

I gotta run. Happy Valentine's day! Oh, and mom sends her love too- as always, ha. And Uncle D? Love the new arm candy you got, talk about a 10/10, rawr!

Oh oh, and Polly? I heard you sucked at archery again- you're never gonna hit a poor guy in his heel again at this rate. Never knew you had a thing for fishermen though, Uncle Po-Po would be delighted!

Byeeee! Love to you all!

Everyone else in the city will not receive such a message. Which means you have no warning to what's to come... but also you were spared having to stare at Cupid's dick. So, maybe you're the lucky ones after all.

Sure enough, around the city, if you're spending time with someone, you have a chance to have a string appear on your wrists that will tie the two of you together. The color of the string will depend on your relationship with the person: red (romantic), pink (friendship), white (family), orange (rivalry), or candy stripped for the very complicated relationships.

These strings can not be untied or removed by hand. The only way to get rid of them is to be emotionally honest with your feelings towards the other. If both of you manage to vocalize your true feelings for each other, the string will disappear and you'll be free. However if you try to lie or deny? The strings will both tighten and increase - until you two are virtually tied together.

Looks like it's time to open up about your feelings!

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is Fire! Anyone with an affinity to the water 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 Wind 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.

The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. There will be a second log about the spirit realm event and a midmonth Zodiac posted on the 15th.

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[ You fool, in opting to not look at his eyes you've come face to face with his shirtless torso. He gives her a cheerful pat-pat with his hand, hand resting between her ears. ]

But I want to do this. You're very dear to me, Miss Rose. I care deeply about your well-being.

[Veldora’s phone keeps vibrating, and Rose is grateful for the noise. If nothing else, it distracts her from her own beating heart.]

[Does he know what he’s doing? There’s no way he knows what he’s doing.]

Yes, and you are very dear to me, Veldora. But I can handle myself against the cold, at least.

[She pauses, trying to work up the courage:]

Hey, Veldora, I was wondering—-

[And then she comes to her senses and stops herself. No, not for a myriad of reasons. Even if the idea wasn’t preposterous, Rose remembers the trail of bodies left in her wake. The people who were hurt or killed, just because they were close to her.]

No, it’s nothing.

[ oh man, that buzzing little phone is giving Veldora All Kinds of Feelings

people keep saying the weirdest things about... having already presumed that he and Rose were a couple of all things, and Veldora simply can't see it! It just! Doesn't make sense! Surely Rose would've told him by now, or brought it up!! Companionship can be close and comfortable and not everything is like the romance manga!!

And yet Rose is so warm against him as his heart thuds away and his stomach feels funny and he tries to peer down at her in the darkness of his hold. ]

Yes, Lady Rose?

[ ... ha. If only she knew how small-scale her own path of trouble, unwillingly woven, truly was in comparison to what Veldora did because it was all he knew how to do. If she wished to pile up bodies, she'd run out before he finished taking the first column of account. ]

If something's the matter, you can tell me.

[Exactly!!! Not everything is like Manga and Anime, and there’s no reason to believe that anything is different here!]

[Even if she feels really comfortable in Veldora’s embrace like this. Even if it’s the safest she’s ever felt.]

[Her resolve is starting to falter, but it’s fine! It’s just an innocent question.]

Nothing’s the matter, I just—-

[Say it]

Wanted to know what you thought of me.

[ ... but a lot of stuff is like Manga and Anime, like how quiet Rose is against him, and how soft her hair is and the delicate scent of her perfume. He wants to touch her ears. He wants to drop his phone at the tremble in her voice and looks down at her, soft and curious. ]

I think the world of you, Lady Rose. [ He can never be anything but fully honest--not when it matters so much. ] You are... my dearest friend and companion. Every day I spend at your side is a joy.

[ The string remains tight between them. ]

[Dearest friend.]

[If Rose were more emotionally intelligent, she might pick up on the hesitation in Veldora’s voice. But she isn’t, and she doesn’t.]

[She tries to squash those feelings deep down.]

You’re my dearest friend, too. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

[nope not quite enough still getting tighter]

[ if only Rose knew how much lifting that single word was doing. 'Friend' is Atlas holding the sky in this moment, and Veldora flexes his fingers as Rose reciprocates his... friendship.

In most cases, the simple admission of affection, of how integral he is to someone else would be enough to fill Veldora with good cheer and warmth.

So why then is he so disappointed? ]

Edited 2025-02-05 18:47 (UTC)

[ He gives a last glance over his little phone screen, perched so high above Rose's head in his non-dominant hand--everyone's said their piece, and he's realized a touch too late that some pieces of it are more public than others, but... Veldora right now has his own problems, tomorrow Veldora can pick up the rest of them.

He breathes out, slow, giving his phone a little toss and praying that it lands somewhere soft enough to not have it shatter to a thousand pieces (19).

He brings his hand down to rest on Rose's shoulder, shifting his cape so that it's no longer covering her. The worst she can say is no, right? Monsters serve strict hierarchies where Veldora is from--it's better to know where he stands than to spend time agonizing over it and waiting for the magic to run out of patience.

One way or another, something will change, and for all the times Veldora has tried to childishly duck out of consequences, he's always stood firm when it mattered, so.

Time to stand firm. ]

Considering that you are possessed of strength, intelligence, charm, grace, and a tender heart that illuminates everyone you welcome to your arms, I think you would continue onwards with your head held proudly high, even if I were not around. You're better than you give yourself credit for, Lady Rose. You always have been your own worst critic. People think the world of you.

[ He breathes in again, tension settling in his shoulders as he wills his tongue not to fail him now--of all the time he's wasted talking, in this time where he needs words most of all they feel stuck in his throat, cowering behind his teeth in tongue. ]

I think the world of you. I mean that. You are my dearest friend in this world, Lady Rose--and you don't know how deeply the well of my admiration truly runs.

[ The pain in his wrist is starting to smart now, but he's already uncapped this well and he has no choice but to go searching for water in the depths. He steps back as much as the binding between them will allow him so that he can look down to Rose, to try and catch her eye. ]

Lady Rose, there are a great many things I do not understand about... mortal lives. For many years, I lived, died, and was reborn with no sense for anything but my own innate desire for chaos and my... admittedly, self-indulgent ideas of fun. My own family could not figure out how to tame me in any meaningful way, and it took 300 years alone and imprisoned for me to settle enough that a man from this world in the form of a slime in my world could teach me how fascinating and rich the world below me was.

I learned of the Sacred Texts from him. I looked through his memories, lonely but warm. I watched him build friendships and seek to improve the lives of everyone around him until he grew strong enough to release me from my containment.

Even now, I continue to learn amongst our friends--and from you. So forgive me, if I don't... exactly know the words for how I'm feeling, as feelings are so terribly new and wonderful to me.

[ He's on track. He's off track? What track are they racing on right now? He's saying everything and nothing and he doesn't know where his point is but by the Star Dragon it was in there somewhere, so he shakes his head to clear his thoughts as they race even faster than Thought Acceleration could manage.

He tries not to laugh and explode into dust in the same breath, looking down at Rose and realizing that that's no way to say anything--and so he shifts, taking a knee so that their eyes are closer to level, so that he's not looming over her quite as badly. ]

What I'm trying to say, Lady Rose...

You're the Tohru to my Kyo--the Usagi to my Mamoru, the Ichigo to my Orihime, the Winry to my Edward, the Sophie to my Howl, and.

[ He's gonna die. He's gonna wither into a corncob and die but he's going to die saying his piece. ]

And you are my dearest, dearest friend.

I love you.

[When Veldora starts talking, Rose doesn’t think much of it. Veldora has always been one to praise his friends, after all, and she was no exception. He thought the world of her, and she knew it.]

[He thought the world of everyone.]

[And that’s what made him so special to her.]

[It’s hard to say exactly when it started.]

[All Rose knows is that her time in Eorzea—-her time here—-has been fought with grief and death and trauma. That she was someone who was always fighting to stay afloat, lest the sea of reality overwhelm and drown her.]

[And then, at some point, a light poked through the clouds.]

[Suddenly she had a life raft, and she knew she’d be okay. Veldora did nothing if not radiate sunshine, and that’s what made him a calming presence.]

[She doubted she would have made it through her dungeon without him.]

[300 years sounds like such a long time, but in the end, it means nothing at all.]

[She doesn’t care a whit about who he used to be.]

[What matters is who he is now.]

[Someone she looks up to. Someone she relies on. Someone she loves.]

[His words drive home the point just how serious he is, even if others would look past it.]

[But in the end, that’s always been Veldora, hasn’t it?]

[He may act like a goofball, but there’s a sincerity underlying all of it that she admires. He means every word he says.]

[And she means it, too.]

[And she wants to respond in kind.]

[She wants to tell Veldora that he’s the lodestar she looks to in order to guide her home. That he’s her light in the darkness. That he’s a reminder that, no matter how grim things look, not all is lost, because she’ll still have someone on her side when this is all over.]

[But Rose, who always wielded words as a weapon, suddenly finds herself unable to speak.]

[All she can do is look up at Veldora and try to keep her voice steady as she responds.]

I, I love you, too.

I wasn’t—-I didn’t know how to tell you. I was afraid.

[ Oh, it feels like the silence rings on for an eternity. Veldora has had lives that've lasted longer than the quiet--and then everything sharpens back to focus and color when Rose finally speaks and--

And--

There's a wash of relief and peace and happiness and nausea that hits him all at once and he can't help but light up like a beacon--he leaps back from Rose to breathe fire straight towards the ceiling in the midst of his celebratory laughter, arms flexed in a victory pose. The red string's quiet dispersal goes unnoticed. ]

GYAHAHAHA! [ and then he's lunging forward to wrap Rose up in his arms and yanking her off her feet, bonking their foreheads together. ] You?! Afraid?! Rose Qeido, I've watched you leap onto a giant mecha with nothing but your scythe in hand, and you mean to tell me that you're afraid of me?! I scarcely believe it! I will overlook the transgression just this once!!!

[ He's gonna trip over himself and fall at this rate with how he's swinging them around--especially if Rose does anything to offset his balance. ]

[Don’t worry, Rose isn’t going to do anything to offset the balance.]

[In fact, she feels lighter than she ever has. When Veldora picks her up, it feels like she’s floating. Light, airy. She can’t help but smile.]

No, I’m not afraid of you, I'm afraid of being without you.

[And then, when she realizes what it is she just said, she’s going to go an even deeper shade of red and hide herself in his shoulder.]

…Please forget I said that.

[ But what if he nuzzled the side of her face as she flees from him, still grinning like the maniac he is because he is Veldora Tempest, the Storm Dragon, and in this moment he is beyond immortal. ]

I will not. I will carve it into my heart and carry it for a thousand, thousand lifetimes! You really like me!

[ Somewhere, a red string wonders if it clocked out too early-- ]

[Illegal!!!]

[These moves are illegal!!! Her Stormdragon can’t be this cute!!! Where’s a ref when you need one?]

Of course I do, you dork! I said that already.

[Don’t mind her Veldora is very comfortable.]

Edited 2025-02-05 23:59 (UTC)

[ Too bad! Dragon beats rules in this extended version of rock-paper-scissors! ]

Well say it again! I like hearing it!

[ He's going to continue to aggressively rub his face on her face until he trips over his own two feet and sends them sprawling onto the couch. He's got quick reflexes, at least, managing not to catch his phone with his ass and rolling so that he's not squashing her. ]

Fine. I love you! I love you, Veldora Tempest!

[She feels so silly shouting this. Thankfully, it’s their own house, and nobody is going to notice.]

[Once they land on the couch, she cuddles up next to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.]

But don’t expect me to do this every day.

And I love you, Rose Qeido!

[ If he weren't sprawled on a couch with her, he'd be rolling on the floor for the sheer amount of glee he's feeling right now--but instead Veldora will wind his arms around Rose and cuddle her close. ]

Do what everyday? [ He's gonna rest his chin on her head. That's where it goes. ]

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February Town Log

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