FEBRUARY EVENT LOG

[kaisoumods]

February Event
Dominant Element: Fire
Waning Element: Wind

※
The coldest part of winter is now over with! While there's still snow on the ground with the occasional snowstorm, the weather has become much milder. So long as you have a decent jacket, it's not unpleasant to be outside. Perhaps on a romantic stroll, considering the time of year.

Love is in the Air

From the beginning of February, stores are fully decked out with red, pink and white decorations for Valentine's Day. Just about every place has some special sale going on for the day, whether it candy shops selling candy hearts or floral shops being filled with roses or roofing companies desparately trying to convince you that new roof tiles are a romantic gift, really! Restaurants are pulling out all stops to get ready for the romantic holiday, with specials and discounts for any romantic couples - or really, any pair of people willing to pretend to be dating for a discount.

On top of the usual Valentine's day faire, a new drink seems to be all the rage! The Cosmos Canyon will be the newest fad drink found in any alcohol serving establishment in the city. Online, there's many tutorials about how to make the drink, as well as non-alcoholic versions for those too young to drink! Besides the new drink, many florists will be selling glaze lilies among their bouquets. They are a popular flower, seen as a nice romantic flower alternative to roses. Strangely enough, the people around the city act like glaze lilies have always been around, but you can't remember seeing these flowers before.

It's not just the normal shops that have gotten into the holiday spirit. In Undertown, several shops and apothecaries are selling magical products of varying effectiveness that are revolved around love. Aphrodisiacs to spice up the bedroom, courage potions to give you that boost to confess your feelings (some of the cheaper ones smell suspiciously of alcohol), crystal ball readings about your romantic prospects - stuff like that. Some of these products are legitimate, but there's many scams so watch out! If you're looking for something like a love potion, you'll be disappointed, as those are generally seen as taboo and the few shady vendors that do sell the potions will be scams.

Cupid's Arrows

Throughout the month, the spirit vein in the sky will occasionally flicker pink before an arrow with a heart tip comes flying out of nowhere. If a person is hit with an arrow, it will dissipate in a glitter of hearts and they will feel a compulsion to be near the first person they see for the next few hours. The feelings they may feel towards their intended target could be insistent curiosity, an intense need for friendship, romantic, or familial - but whatever it'll be, this person is their new obsession until the effects wear off. The strength of the effects will be based on how lonely the person hit is. The more lonely they are in general, the stronger the effects....

On the other hand, if you find an arrow lying on the ground that hasn't hit a target, characters who pick it up and poke other people with it will hear the people's true opinion about them - unfiltered. Each arrow will allow you to poke up to three people before it dissipates into heart glitter.

The Gate: A New Faction Appears!

On February 15th, a new message from Zodiac is sent out.

SHIFTING GATE IDENTIFIED IN BLUE FISH PARK.
Element Classification: Unknown
Danger Level: A, Hostile Creatures
Designation: Kanto
A new shifting gate has been located in Blue Fish Park. Early reports suggest the realm contains a high population of unidentified animals. Many of the animals exhibit special abilities unseen in Earth fauna. Currently no civilians have been harmed, and the area has been blocked from the public for safety. Zodiac has partnered with P.O.K.E.G.O. and will offer rewards for information and gathered materials. Please visit the Zodiac office in Undertown for more information and equipment.

ETA: Beware of the tall grass.

If you head to the Zodiac offices, you will be greeted not only by the Zodiac customer service, but a new face as well! Professor Willow is a researcher from POKEGO, a group that's well known for their devotion to researching the Spirit Realm for knowledge sake. After the reports of the Helheim Gate last month, Professor Willow decided to come to town and research the unusual paranormal activity in the city. A middle aged man, he's friendly and is happy to talk about any creatures that come from the Spirit Realm, as that's his research specialty. As such, he asks anyone interested to please collect data on the creatures in the shifting gate. Photos, drawings, observation notes, samples -- he'll be happy to accept anything that helps further knowledge.

The Zodiac operatives meanwhile, are much more interested in the material goods this realm has to offer. For those who want low risk work, they'll request for batches of berries to be gathered. For those more daring, they'd like a captured specimen to be brought to them. The more interesting the specimen, the higher the payout. The highest payout will go to anyone that manages to bring them a "large rodent that yields electricity" To do this, they will supply some animal tranquilizers and a net made out of the Hel's bramble gathered last month. These nets are stronger than normal rope, and will withstand most normal attacks and weak magic attacks. Weapons are also available, for anyone feeling the need for extra protection. Finally and most curiously, they'll offer mountain bikes for anyone who wants a faster way to get around the realm. How handy?

Once you're all geared up and ready to go, the gate can be found in Blue Fish Park in one of the soccer fields, which has now been closed off to the general public due to a "sinkhole". It's easy enough to slip past the barricades. The gate itself is newer looking than gate last month, almost resembling an archway you'd find in a park. Warm air emanates from it, in sharp contrast to Kaisou's winter weather. Once through, you'll be treated to a vibrant wilderness, covered in tall grass, beautiful flowers and green trees. The weather is closer to early summer than winter, and the sun feels warm against the skin. Compared to Helheim last month, this place is a virtual paradise.

At least, until you run into some of the dangerous wildlife the message warned about. Scattered all over the realm are creatures not seen on Earth. These creatures will range from harmless and friendly to extremely hostile and dangerous. Attempting to capture any with the net may prove difficult, as they will use their special abilities if they feel threatened. Stepping into the wrong cave could get you a whole swarm of Zubats flying at you, and fishing for Magikarp might incite a Gyrados attack. And much like the Zodiac message warned, wandering through any tall grass patches is particularly dangerous as that's where many aggressive creatures lurk.

However, that doesn't mean ALL the creatures are out to kill you. Depending on your actions, you might have a wonderful time playing with Eevees and other cute critters. Many of these creatures don't have any fear of humans, and will approach on their own or be coaxed over easily. Someone with good animal skills might get to live out a disney princess fantasy, so long as they don't accidentally attract any hostile ones. For those who wish to gather berries, there's thickets and trees full of various types. Gather them for Zodiac, or use them to make more animal friends.

The size of the Realm is immense, with the landscape spreading for miles. One could feasibly spend days hiking through the varying biomes. Forests, swamps, rocky hills, sandy beaches, sprawling cave systems - this place has it all. The easiest way to get around is by using a mountain bike on worn down trails, or with a car if you want to figure out how to drive one through the gate. If someone is really devoted to mapping out the realm, they'll find it's a massive island about 30 miles in total diameter, surrounded by a deep blue ocean that goes on until the horizon.

The Town

As one makes their way across the realm, it's clear no humans live in this place. However, there are the occasional sign that people used to be here, long ago. Broken up cement roads, rusted street signs, a bench that's been completely overgrown by plants. If one heads to the center of the island, they'll find the clearest sign yet: the ruins of a town. Whoever once lived here, it's long since abandoned and nature has overtaken the buildings, reducing many of them to rubble and hollowed out shells.

One building still stands intact at the center of the town. It's unclear what it's purpose is, maybe some type of clinic or visitor center. Inside the building, much of it has fallen into disrepair. However there is half-working vending machine that'll dispense a single pokeball for each person. A half-legible pamphlet nearby will explain that these were used to "catch Pokemon", and that the people here used to do that to have them as companions

Sure enough, these pokeballs still work. If you use one on a Pokemon you've befriended or managed to tire out, it'll capture the Pokemon. This Pokemon will now view itself as your companion, and you'll have an animal friend of your own! Just choose wisely, the pokeballs can't be reused and the machine will only dispense one.

Aftermath

If you return to Kaisou with any pokemon, either in the pokeball or in the net, the pokemon will have most of their powers muted. A Pikachu will cause static shocks, but it won't be enough to actually harm anyone. Professor Willow will be thrilled to hear of any discoveries, and Zodiac will be happy to accept any pokemon or berries you brought back for them. They'll be unable to accept any pokemon you caught in the pokeball, as that pokemon is now magically linked to you. As long as you bring back something, Professor Willow and Zodiac will be happy to pay in cash, the amounts depending on what type of stuff you brought back for them. And once again, failing to return any loaned out equipment will result in being sent a bill of $2000 and a mild curse so anyone who uses your name will call you "THIEF" instead. The curse will last until either pay your bill or set up a payment plan with their office. Returning items after this point will get the bill reduced down to $500 (a late fee, they explain).

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is fire! Anyone with an affinity to the fire 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.

Players are allowed to catch one pokemon per character for their character to keep! These pokemon will be mostly depowered unless they are in the Spirit Realm, and then they will go back to full strength. Most pokemon are allowed, except for Legendaries and any pokemon that wouldn't normally be found in the wild (so fossil pokemon or mewtwo). If you want to keep a pokemon, please leave a comment here.

Any fights or interactions with NPCs will be handled by the players! Feel free to thread out things however you'd like! If you have any questions, please ask them on the plot questions thread below!

Comments

[whiteshroud]

[Jun's a little taken aback, having never seen his cousin act in a bubbly and cheerful manner. Always so collected and poised, unflappable. Seeing her like this, it's almost ...was humanizing the right term? Well, close enough]

Oh, yeah! They're cute. [He'll approach, he smiles at the growlithes. They are cute, certainly, though he's not taken to the level she is. Especially after she said something, well, weird. ]

What do you mean by smell?

[overlies]

[ ahem, she fixes her voice! if she talks while she's laughing she'd just be completely incomprehensible! that won't do. she chucks some more berries to the side, and that gives her enough time to recompose as the growlithe fetch their treats. ]

The gate. It smells overwhelming. On top of these, [ she points to her eyes, ] I have quite the nose, now.

[whiteshroud]

[...Yep, still strange to see his cousin cheerful and giggly. It's not a bad strange, he supposes]

You could smell the gate? [Ok, that is new. ] How long have you had this, er, nose?

[overlies]

Hmm, [ she points, right to her nose and taps it, ] since the start of the month. I’ve been testing the waters and was a bit overwhelmed the first few days . . .

[ it’s ironic, but: ]

At least I won’t need the K-9 unit with me on the field. Even you have a smell, cousin.

[whiteshroud]

[A heightened sense of smell...that definitely sounds like a power. In fact, even her eyes seems different now that he's looking at her. It shouldn't be surprising, considering she's on the app, and yet he can't help but feel a bit surprised.

But. Also]

I do? [He's gotta know] Is it a good smell?

[overlies]

Coffee is a delightful smell.

[ having any recently but also: ]

Ink, paints, paper . . . [ sorry, she has to inhale here, with her nose, but at least she won’t go right up to him for a sniff. that’d weird anyone out. ] And something else.

[ color her interested in that “something else”; she’s never had a scent like that one before, and briefly wonders if it’s similar to that young man she stared down at a coffee house.

he too, smelled like something she couldn’t put her memory to, neither could she describe. ]

[whiteshroud]

[He thanks you for being respectful with the weird sniffing. The coffee and art supply stuff sounds normal enough, it's usually what he's surrounded with. But the last bit...]

Something else?

[overlies]

Mm, like . . . [ her eyes rise with thought, and with some of the pups coming over for pets again, she obliges to them. ] A spice of some sort. I've never smelled a thing like it.

[whiteshroud]

A spice?

[Huh. He'll reach out to also oblige the pups in some pets]

Well I do a lot of baking...maybe that's it?

[overlies]

Maybe spice wasn’t the right word. Let me see . . .

[ it’s hard playing sniffing charades, but she bakes with her baby boy, she’s been to the supermarket. she knows the spices she smells, or else she would’ve recognized it from a grocery run, or the kitchen. rubbing at the dog’s ears get it to pant with one of those happy canine grins. she really can’t resist—! ]

—Oh. Incense.

[whiteshroud]

Incense?

[Well, that's weird then! He looks confused]

Huh, that's strange. I don't really use incenses very much. I can't even remember the last time I did...

[overlies]

It's on you like you've just lit one up.

[ factually! ]

Have you noticed something strange about yourself recently?

[whiteshroud]

[Lit one up...yeah that's weird. Huh.]

...You mean besides my hair being green?

[overlies]

Yes, [ but said with a short chuckle; one of the dogs is starting to get excited again, all over her arms. ] your hair doesn't count, pff— Like my eyes.

[ her creepy . . . hypno eyes ]

This may sound stranger, Jun— but if your sensitivity to the supernatural changes, I'd like to smell you again. I've seen a small pattern.

[whiteshroud]

Haha, I thought your eyes seemed different...

[Certainly more striking, that's for sure. And he pauses, hesitating. He's usually prone to not disclose anything about his supernatural side, but...this was his cousin, surely he could trust her. ]

Sure, you can smell me anytime you like. [That sounded weird, but whatever] And...I suppose there is one other change that's happened to me. A mark appeared on my arm last month.

[overlies]

[ —huh. scar brand or tattoo brand, she wondered. ]

Would you feel comfortable if I took a look?

[whiteshroud]

...It's fine. I can show you.

[Slowly, he'll roll up his sleeve. On his upper arm, there's a weird cross mark. It's hard to tell if it's been tattooed or burned in. But even stranger, when he reaches up to touch it, it starts to glow. And when that happens, that strange scent gets just a bit stronger. ]

[overlies]

[ how . . . peculiar. when the entire thing begins to glow, the blast her senses take is one strong enough to cause her to inhale so sharply she erects her back.

what is it—? makima rests her hand just underneath jun’s arm, to hold it up at a comfortable angle without him having to put in the effort. ]

We no longer need to do seconds or thirds, [ she rolls her thumb under the skin beneath it, ] the smell is from here.

[whiteshroud]

[For some reason, Jun can't help but feel like he's on edge as she examines the marking. Like he has to resist the urge to quickly cover it up. Even though she's his cousin and he trusts him, something feels off about showing this thing. He can't really explain it, so he just swallows it back.

Hearing the smell is coming from that...well, it explains some things, but opens a whole new set of new questions]

...I don't know what it is.

[overlies]

[ she's seen enough, at least, and there's some tension there, in his arm. in his eyes. he's uncomfortable, and makima doesn't need to smell it to know— she's an agent. it's her job to be suspicious of nervous people because they're usually hiding something like their weed—

jun doesn't. she promptly, and gently, tugs his sleeve down and covers it for him, the way a caretaker would. ]

We'll find out. [ holding his hand, she makes sure he feels safe, regardless of feeling uncomfortable. ] I'm sure everything we're experiencing is all connected.

[whiteshroud]

[The Nightroads are weird enough without weed lets be real here. As soon as she tugs the sleeve back and the mark is once again covered, the uncomfortable feeling goes away. Some part of him didn't like showing that thing, and he has no idea why.]

Yeah... [He appreciates the hand hold, keeping his hand in Makima's. He bites his lip a little, working out how to word what he wants to say.]

...Do you think it's bad? Your smell? All of this?

[overlies]

[ her opinion on the matter. alright— so without letting go: ]

I didn't like waking up to smelling the neighbors, no. [ she won't say what, but things are implied, ] Or to the dust of fur, dirty diapers and knowing which of my colleagues didn't shower. It was disrupting and— unpleasant. My eyes unsettle me, but give me a strange sense of power at the same time. [ she likes that feeling, but she keeps it to herself. and you think they have, like, a smell! but when it drives into your brain like getting stabbed? oh god— ] It interrupts our routine . . . Naturally, it's not pleasant for anyone, I believe. Something is wrong.

[ makima pauses to purse her lips and gather her words. ]

It feels strangely routine, now. I don't know why— and even now the smell, my eyes, they feel mine— there is something off about that. I'm aware. Are you?

[whiteshroud]

[Jun is quiet as he listens to her describe how the scent it. It does sound like a rather unpleasant power. And overall, even if she's adjusted, it does sound like she views this whole thing mostly on the negative. That it's wrong. Just like his father. ]

I see...

[He bites his lip once more, once again trying to sort out how he feels. How to put it into words. Jun isn't stupid by any means, but he's always struggled some with expressing himself. But...

He couldn't bring himself to hate it. ]

...I...understand the feeling of routine. The hair and mark were a shock at first, but...I don't even think about them much anymore.

[overlies]

Mm. [ she agrees; it’s what makima feels, but at the same time keeps her alert on. that in itself is alarming. ] Are you prepared for more changes?

[ she knows the answer to that, herself— but she wants to know what he thinks. ]

[whiteshroud]

[He hesitates once more]

...I am, but I'm not sure others are. [In the end, that overwhelming curiosity of his tended to win out over. Curiosity of what's to come rather than dread] Dad gets really worried anytime something happens.