♥ August Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

August Event Log
The first month of the offworlders being in Havenwell has passed, the welcome party over, and the native residents are starting to get back to their usual routines while the new arrivals are perhaps starting to find theirs. The month of Achtom has started and with it, a crisp summery heat. The skies are gorgeously blue and dotted with high fluffy clouds that never seem to threaten rain - so long as the weather stays controlled. Businesses are picking back up, the natives starting to cater once again to flesh-bodied people with varied amounts of success. The VR cafes are featuring more helmets so even more people can play along with the ever expanding selection of games. Overall, it seems like Havenwell is quite the peaceful city.

And then...

---

❥ PROMPT I: Where's the Pied Piper?

It starts small at first as most things do. Astute observers might notice that the statue of Ainea in the town square and in her temple is brighter than the other gods' statues. Her colors are a little more vibrant, like they've been given a fresh coat of paint. Then, little things in characters' houses seemingly start moving of their own volition to other parts of the house and go temporarily missing. Search as you may, you just can't find them - until they suddenly they show up again where you least expect with tiny little teeth marks in them. The corners of books and furniture get chewed on. The pillowcases and bed frames get nibbled. The edges and hems of clothing get a little frayed without you noticing when it happened.

Then, the squeaking starts up at night. It's innocuous at first, one or two here or there in the house, just barely noticeable by most. Over time, it gets more insistent, longer, louder, until, by the end of the month, it's difficult to sleep at night for all the noise of chattering and squeaking throughout the long night hours. Trying to find the source is a surefire way to drive yourself mad, but it seems that sleeping in the same bed with another person makes it a little easier to bear, especially if you hold hands throughout the night.

And finally, mice start showing up - pink and purple and of various sizes from panda mouse tiny to chihuahua-sized rats. They pop up in kitchens, in bedrooms, in the temples that don't belong to them, at businesses, in the labs, along the streets and in the city squares. They're in your new favorite chair, popping out from cabinets and drawers, and scurrying from under sofas and beds. It seems the only place they aren't is where they're supposed to be - Ainea's temple - and that's a big problem. Her temple priests are out in the city, begging residents both robotic and flesh to peacefully and carefully capture the creatures and return them home to the temple. They pass out soft woven reed baskets to any who agree and thank all participants heartily for their help.

---

❥ PROMPT II: We Didn't Start This Fire

Throughout the month, pockets of the city experience magnificent dry lightning storms. Before each onset of the storm, an immense clap of thunder booms across the entire city like a siren and the natives hold their figurative breaths until the first strike rains down. A peal of lightning, searing hot, strikes the ground or hits the spires of nearby buildings, cracking stone and leaving nasty burn marks behind. Each storm is only 4 to 5 minutes in length before they suddenly disappear again, but in those few minutes chaos reigns. For anyone unlucky enough to get caught amid one of these storms, take cover! Residents throw open doors and push people inside, even shielding the offworlders with their own bodies if necessary to keep them from getting harmed.

When the lightning and its sonorous booms pass, residents scurry out to repair the damage. They'll be asking nearby offworlders to help as well with patching the stonework or removing broken debris. Most importantly, they put out a call for help in putting out fires that spring up after each storm. Their metal bodies can't withstand the heat for long without melting and the water is dangerous to their circuitry. After the fires are put out and the damage repaired, on occasion, residents will ask for the somber help of pulling a native robot unlucky enough to take a direct hit from the lightning to a local repair shop. Strangely, the natives don't seem sad when their friends and family can't be repaired, and instead start gathering up objects from home to take with them to the temples along with the bodies. When asked, they say it's to pray for a rebirth and go on their way.

---

❥ PROMPT III: Let's Play the Friend Connection

With all the craziness going on, some people might just want a distraction. A lot of Havenwell's natives certainly seem to think so. Despite everything, the Entertainment District is as bustling as ever and this month the offering is to participate with a friend or group of friends to play a game called: Friend Connection. Rather than the usual plug in and sit configuration, this time the VR cafes have been reorganized into 3 meter by 3 meter square pads with no chairs or furniture available. Players plug in or put their helmets on and they're instantly transported to a garish neon-lighted stage with multicolored spotlights that show a floating, legless robot with a rainbow bowtie and a magnificent mustache. The robot's LED face lights up into the approximation of the :D emote and then a disembodied voice comes from speakers overhead:

"Hail, well met, and welcome to the hottest game show around: Friend Connection! As the studio audience already knows, this game is simple! You and your new friends compete to complete more challenges than the other hidden team. The more fabulously you and your team completes each task, the more points you'll be awarded. At the end of the game, the team with the most tasks cleared and the highest point value will be declared the winners and take home some fabulous prizes. On today's team is..."

And the robotic host waves an arm to a scoreboard behind it, showing your names. The heading "Other Team" has ???? underneath it and a list of challenges is revealed along with a burst of applause. The list reads:

1. Play Twister until someone falls! The longer you go, the more points you win!
   
2. Help each other do a handstand! The Wheelbarrow is acceptable too.
   
3. Recreate your favorite scene from a romantic movie. Take, for example, That Scene from the hit movie, Skytanic! Or hum along to this song as you and your friend make some pottery together.
   
4. Create a complicated Best Friend Handshake consisting of more than 5 moves and do it together 3 times without messing up!
   
5. Answer trivia questions about each other and your worlds while holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. The more questions you can answer, the higher your points!
   
6. Do a trust fall into your friend's arms. The higher or further you fall, the more points you'll earn.
   
7. Play two truths and a lie with your friend. If you can guess correctly, you'll earn points for your team!

Are you ready, contestants? You have 20 minutes. Good luck!

At the end of the game, the characters are declared the winners by a slim and, naturally, exciting margin of just one point! And their fabulous prize......? The friendship they earned along the way! Congratulations, players! And don't worry, when the game ends, you'll be in the exact weird position you were last in as the helmets turn off. Hopefully you aren't still in those weird Twister positions because everyone can and has been able to see you. Yup, the entire time.

---

❥ PROMPT IV: Comic Logic

As Lasdia comes to a close and Achtom begins, characters will start noticing something odd happening. Throughout their day as they go about their daily routines, helping people out or trying to find their missing items, the natives stop looking at them and start looking above their heads. In fact, as characters meet one another, their attention may also be drawn vertically above their companion because floating above every offworlder's head is a faint white cloud. Whenever they move, the cloud moves too. Attempts to dispel it by magic or physical means does nothing and it seems like you can't touch it at all.

It's annoying isn't it? Or maybe you're feeling quite curious about this phenomenon? Or maybe it scares you? Whatever you're feeling or thinking, it shows up in that cloud clear as day. It's not every thought or feeling that shows, but it's enough to be disconcerting, and any attempts to control what appears will fail. Like it or not, you're now broadcasting your innermost self to the world.

...For a time, at least. Over a period of time, smart characters might notice that after prolonged physical contact with another person, the cloud fades away and stays away for an undetermined amount of time. Sometimes it's an hour, sometimes it's a day, sometimes it's only 5 minutes, and then it begins to reform again. Whatever it is, it's here to stay, so good luck keeping your secret inner workings, well, secret.

---

This event will run from August 9th to the end of the September application period, September 9th. If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to the FAQ or to the Mod Question thread below.

Comments

Questions

[hugtopiamods]

[wannabethehero]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but as a clarification; what's the overlap on these events? I assume there's some, but am I reading correctly that the thought bubbles are occurring later in the year, so I could, for example, get caught in a thunderstorm without one?

[shroudedsecrets]

Oof. So how much warning would they receive in terms of "please do not hurt these mice" once they start actually appearing? Particularly if there is a well behaved cat around but one that might nonetheless pounce upon these mice if they don't have the good sense to avoid a home with a cat in it who would be on high alert with all of the squeaking and trying to track them down... so injury might be likely at the very least.

Will | Pokémon

[twistedempathy]

Pied Piper
[A pest infestation would be one thing, but this? This is a swarm of holy Rattata running rampant. Doing anything to actually hurt them, or even drive them off..... the very thought is awful. They just need a little gentle coaxing, that's all!

You may find Will literally anywhere around the city--in the middle of the street, peeking around the shelves in a shop, with his ass and legs hanging out from under a bush in the botanical gardens, right beside your own house's porch..... Anywhere one of the mice may be hiding, he's right down there on the ground with them, cooing sweetly and holding out his hand to try and encourage them to approach his basket.]

It's okay, cutie, I know you're a little lost..... Why don't we go for a little ride, okay? You'll be back home before you know it. Promise.

[For any particularly stubborn or fearful mice, characters who venture close enough to him might feel strangely calm, almost as if he's actually radiating reassurance and safety.]


Thunder has a way lower accuracy rate than Thunderbolt, right?
[Will has no inherent fear of thunderstorms, mercifully, or even fires--but as a traveling trainer who spent several years camping in the wilderness, he's developed a healthy respect for storms and the destruction they can cause. He's quick to rush off for cover--but anyone who seems frozen in fear or fascination, or overwhelmed by a panic attack or the like, he's reaching for them to help herd (or drag, if they're too locked up to move) them to safety.]

Come on! We have to go, now!


Friend Connection
[Did Will somehow persuade you to do this? Or were you a poor curious soul who decided to try the VR cafes out, and got paired up with another, random patron? Either way, Will's excited; previous month's glitches aside, this game show seems harmless enough, and fun to boot! Not a bad way to get to know each other, if he does say so himself.]

If we only have 20 minutes, we'd better get started! What first?


Comic Logic: ???
[Anyone nearby when the clouds first show up may see Will's promptly fill up with a big, bold question mark. He peers up at it in confusion, reaching up to poke at the thing--and then, when that fails, waves his hand through it. What is this thing, some kind of hologram?]


Comic Logic: ♥~
[Will probably grasps the idea a fair bit quicker than most--after all, to a psychic like him? This really isn't that much different from his daily life, except that this time everyone can see visual representations of each other's thoughts and feelings, rather than only him being able to pick up on these things.

Honestly? It's pretty refreshing! For once in his life, he doesn't feel..... different. Scary. Invasive. He doesn't feel like he has to fight so hard to cut off a part of who he is, to shut down an entire sense just to pretend to be normal. He's relaxed his mental guards for once, willing to accept whatever thoughts and feelings come his way.

Anyone who's around him may notice how sunny and relaxed he seems, in spite of it all--his thought bubble cloud might default to colorful sparkles or flowers, a la anime depictions of good cheer. Or it might be wandering all over the map as his thoughts roam, showing things like food, books, Pokémon, or scenes from a movie he's watched or book he's been reading.

Either way, if Will sees anything unusual (or just plain interesting?) in your cloud, or sees you looking awkward or unhappy about it, he might just cruise over to put a friendly hand on your shoulder whether he knows you or not.]

How're you holding up?


Wildcard
[You know the drill! Hit me with anything you want to do, or plot with me at Infychu or Infychu#4061 on Discord. Also be sure to check out Will's opt in/out post for psychic bullshit, considering the thought bubble prompts and whatnot. He would be more than happy to help search for missing objects, sleep with people at night to help with the squeaking, or cuddle/hold hands/etc. if they're getting upset over the thought bubbles.]

Mice Buddies (Pied Piper)

[learnmorewords]

[Ib had really been paying only the slightest bit of attention to the man that seemed to be one of the few really trying to help the mice out. So she doesn't really notice at first that she doesn't feel as afraid or tired as she had before he had gotten close. Instead, she silently watches him talk to the mice in curiosity. One such tiny mouse cradled gently in her cupped hands like she's afraid to hurt it if she's not extremely careful.

She's fine sitting on the low wall out reach of most people, and partially hidden by a building's awning. While still being able to watch the street below her.

The squeak from her friend gives her away though and Will is likely to see very tired red eyes in a pale face and a rose behind one ear that looks like it's drooping just as much as the little girl it's currently attached to.]

Friend Connection

[original_is_best]

[Verstael was not someone who oft stopped to play games, but seeing as the ribbon game had helped earned a bit of cash before he could spare a little time. Why did they always have to make these so awkward with hand-holding, though?]

...I think selection #5 would seem the obvious choice.

[After all, he had specialized in learning about other's worlds thus far. Sure, there would be millions of things he'd yet to learn about each one, but he felt quite confident in that choice.

How much Will knew about his, though, was another matter.]

[arraignments]

Pay the Fucking Piper

[ Akechi can't say he's a fan of rodents, in general... Sure, some are cute? Some are neat, even - in cages.

He does his best to build traps and he does his best to make his own makeshift earplugs - by the end, none of it works. So he's getting grumpier and grumpier, and his responses are turning a bit... bristly towards his closest CR.

For the other CR? He's sickeningly polite, but the cracks in his smiles are showing. Enjoy.

In any case, he readily agrees to help round those things up, the second the baskets are held out. Dare to team up with Crankechi him, folks? ]

Lightning Spites
note: lightening-related injury happening here

[ When you have a luck stat like Goro Akechi's, you definitely don't want to be out in a lightning storm. But, then, bad luck also means that there's a chance that wants and desires don't fucking matter. So, guess who's out in the lightning storm with shitty luck?

And, it's around the time he's sprinting for an open door, one bolt strikes juuuuust close enough to him that he's getting hit by juuuuuuust enough of it.

Just enough that his entire right arm is definitely feeling it - it's outright burned, even, and it's just a good thing he's wielding that damn pain tolerance of his. He quickly ignores the pain and his hair, continuing for the door. Once he's inside, there are two options for first focus:

His hair and his arm! Take your pick. ]

Friend Disconnection

[ He doesn't want to do this, but... oh well. He's somehow here, and he's staring at the list. ]

Well, I've... never played Twister before. [ since lol Twister in Japan ] What about... you?

Cloudy With a Chance of "Fuck You"

[ Behold! The thing that has Akechi ready to scream. Perhaps you're catching him just after he's learned his thoughts are being broadcasted:

Fuck this goddamn place!
Or maybe you're encountering him when he's glancing in Akira's direction, and he's forgetting about the broadcasted thought thing, just for a moment:

Huh... Strange. Those glasses look kind of cute on him, today.
Feel free to remind him of the broadcasted thoughts. ]

Lightning!

[velvetinmate]

Holy shit--

[Well, good thing that open door was the house? Akira's shutting the door behind Akechi before going over to examine the injury.]

Oh, jeez-- This is--this is... Damn it...

[... What a time to not have any healing that's actually worth a damn...]

Lup | OTA

[necromanswers]

( I: predator on the prowl! )

[Not long into the infestation, there's a woven basket with a lid covering the top just sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, seemingly abandoned. Anyone who looks inside will find already-captured mice within it, chittering and squirming together as they search for a way out with no luck. Do you take the basket? Or leave it where it sits?

Either way, before too long, a little striped cat will come scampering over to it with a new mouse caught between her teeth. Are you carrying it? She'll circle around you, pawing at your legs to try and get her basket back. If it's still on the ground, she will nudge the top open with her nose and deposit the mouse inside.

Once her delivery is done, she trills expectantly in the direction of the visitor. Aren't you proud of her? She's doing god's work. Or something...]


( II: better at starting them than stopping them )

[Oh no! There's a fire on a nearby building! It looks bad, too. The residents around are frantically working to salvage what's inside (property and people), calling for aid as they struggle with it. Please, won't you help them?

Except that before they can get too worked up, Lup casually saunters over, spits into one hand, claps both together with a loud crack much like the lightning that came before, and makes a gesture as if throwing a baseball pitch. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge wall of water streaks across the ground and rises upwards, completely engulfing the fire like a minature tsunami and putting it out. It's not great for the robots nearby, probably, but it sure took care of the problem.

And Lup is pleased as pink, tossing both fists into the air.]

Hell yeah! That's a new record. [She peers into one of the building windows.] Anybody still in there?


( IV: what's an honest liar to do )

[So... by now she's figured out that not only are the gods looking for people to get their good good cuddles in, but the possible rewards rolling in make it very worth her while, at least for the moment. The downside is, she's not especially or openly touchy... though she has admittedly been feeling less fussy about that since the whole sensory-deprivation-for-a-decade thing. Tends to shift one's perspective. Still, you can't just wander up to people and ask them to hug you. That might work on the little kids, but she'd feel as awkward about it as the one she's asking, if not moreso.

So, at random, Lup can be found seated on a bench at one of the local parks, tossing bits of purple bread at some birds (ravens? are those ravens?) that have gathered in the area, looking listless and a bit sad. One might think she's pining, or dwelling in her misery, or struggling to cope with this very strange situation...

...weirdly, though, the cloud above her head is mostly full of little $$ signs in various currencies.]


( wildcard~ )

[HMI with a prompt! I'm open. find me @ fontech.]

1

[twistedempathy]

[Will has been carrying around his own basket lately, always ready to retrieve more of Ainea's precious mice and take them home before someone can hurt them. Seeing a twitching, squeaking basket sitting out on the sidewalk and seemingly abandoned, though--well..... that's enough to pique his curiosity. Why would someone just leave them there?

He's reaching for the basket to make another delivery when the Meowth--no, the cat appears, with another mouse to add to the crowd. How neatly done! It hadn't even seemed hurt--just rattled and distressed.

Naturally, a good job deserves praise! Will crouches down immediately, offering Lup a hand to sniff--and once he's been properly inspected, all the petting and scritches and doting her heart desires.]

Awwww, you're such a good girl..... Just look at how well you're hunting! I bet everyone's really proud of you. I know I am.

Verstael Besithia | Final Fantasy XV

[original_is_best]

Pied Piper
Verstael was not interested in gently collecting mice. Rather, as his paperwork came up frayed, he was more intent to keep them out of his business. One did not just nibble on the original copy of a work.

That's why he could be found looking for supplies to secure his place. It was apparently compromised, and he intended to fix that. Tape, caulking and whatever else he could find. He could readily be found carrying a bundle of materials.

Comic Logic
As the clouds began appearing Verstael stayed back to observe them, attempting to parse the purpose of them. When it became clear what they were he made it a point to quietly observe. His bubble didn't say too much that wasn't apparent by looking at him - he didn't attempt to draw any attention to himself, but he didn't hide either, making himself like a fly on the wall and seeing what tidbits of information he might pick up on.

His goal? Information, plain and simple.

Pied Piper

[morality_pet]

"Lord Verstael? Can Rin help?"

Kiwi | Wandersong

[wannabethehero]

1: Rats, Rats, Rats, They Built Their Nests In Our Sunday Hats

[Kiwi is always glad to lend a helping hand. The fact that it would also get the noisy pests out of their home so they can sleep doesn't even factor into it, even as they are starting to look very tired. And they couldn't just go get a cup of coffee to perk themselves up.

So how did they plan to catch these mice without hurting them? By singing, of course! That was how they solved all their troubles, and animals always enjoyed their singing.

Would it work this time? Well, since they're currently sitting outside their house singing barely audibly trying to coax out the mice in their gutters, it doesn't seem to be working yet. They're so tired their voice is strained, and the heavy bags under their eyes tell the whole story. They probably could really use a nap before they try this.]

2: Thunderbolt and Lightning, Very Very Frightening

[Kiwi didn't have much of an opinion either way about thunderstorms. Rain, they enjoyed, for splashing in puddles and the smell and the way flowers perked up again when the sun came back out, refreshed from their drink. Thunderstorms, they could give or take.

Until now. Now, their shoulders tightened at the first clap of thunder. They froze, not helped by the tension radiating from the natives. Then, the strike. The blinding flash. The smell of ozone. The crash that shook the ground. Suddenly all thought drained from their head, and color drained from their face. Nothing left behind but panic. Their side burned, the branching scars there searing like hot iron on their skin. Whether that pain is real or an apparition from their own memory, they neither knew nor cared. All they could think about was that pain, the memory of the hero's attack scorching through their body. Another flash, and now all they could see was Miriam, gritting her teeth in pain as the lightning struck her in the back, her body scorched and sparking as she fell from her broom.

Kiwi didn't know how or when they managed to scoot back until their back hit a wall, sheltered under a building's overhanging second story. But that's where they now were, curled into a ball, hands clamped tight over their ears, eyes shut tight and slowly filling with tears, shaking and hyperventilating.]

3: Play With Me

[Between the violent storms and the lack of sleep from the sounds in their walls, Kiwi's nerves were a lot more frayed than they ever wanted to let on. But they hoped some time in the Entertainment District would be a fun distraction. They were curious about what people already in the game were doing, highly amused by the various strange activities they did. Now they wanted to play, too! So they make eye contact with other onlookers and smile.]

Hi! Wanna play with me?

4: What a Tale My Thoughts Would Tell

[Kiwi made themselves pretty well known around town as the one who was always happy, spreading sunshine and music wherever they went. One might even come to think there wasn't a negative bone in their body, or maybe even that they were so simple that sadness wouldn't even touch them. But now, as they attempted to continue their cheerful rounds, that image might be challenge to maintain throughout the month as those pesky thought-projecting clouds loomed.

Sometimes, it appeared to be happy memories, even nostalgic. An unfamiliar little village surrounded by green trees. A crowd of people in a dark room cheering at a performance. A ship on the high seas, with a jaunty crew singing as they navigated. The world as seen from high in the sky as they rode a broom (...?) over the landscape, driven by a girl with blue hair. The same blue-haired girl dancing in a crowded club. Whoever this blue-haired girl is, she seems to appear in a lot of these thoughts and memories. She must be someone very important to Kiwi.

Sometimes, the memories depicted are much sadder. A cold, industrial city covered in snow and smog, people shuffling sadly though their work. A barren field, the site of some great cataclysm. A gathering of people around a campfire, tired and anxious, one man with a banjo trying to keep their spirits up with music. Strange, ghost-like monsters swirling up from the ground in a cyclone of darkness. The blue-haired girl watching sadly as they fly away in the other direction, parting ways.

I miss her...

Sometimes it wasn't pictures, but words. While the words were never spoken aloud, somehow the implication of others saying them rang true.
"Destiny has no expectations of you whatsoever."
"The Earthsong isn't gonna work."
"You are a nobody."
"You don't belong in this story."
"You really thought you could sing some song and solve everything? How about you leave it to the real heroes!"

And then, Kiwi's own words:

I'm not the hero.

One thing is for certain; they are deeper and more troubled than they ever let on. And Kiwi looks increasingly uncomfortable the sadder the thoughts are.]

Wildcard

[Hit me up at sagesaria on plurk or Saria-Chan#1999 on Discord to throw ideas at me!]

They're just a poor bard, from a poor family~

[twistedempathy]

[The panic hits him like a punch to the gut, a dull roar rising up in his mind and threatening to overwhelm his thoughts. Will's not sure where it comes from, at first--he's afraid, yes, but the sort of rational, understandable fear that comes of seeing a blue-white streak of lightning smashing a scorched-black hole into the side of a building less than a block away. He's sprinting for the first open door he can see, a local leaning out and waving frantically to him.

It's pure luck that he spots Kiwi huddled against the wall, wildly looking around for the source of the foreign emotions as he runs; Will nearly falls head over heels as he skids to a stop, holding up a hand towards the robot calling for him.]

Just a second!

[He rushes to Kiwi's side instead, reaching for the bard's arm to try and pull them to their feet.]

Kiwi, it's not safe out here. Come on!

reyson | fire emblem

[heron]

( i. pied piper )

[ unlike many of the other people who would feel uncomfortable for mice to be running all over the place, infesting the pantries and generally making themselves a nuisance, reyson is rather enjoying this sudden onslaught of animals. they crowd around him, but reyson merely gives a whistle and the mice's ears all perk up, forming a single line. ]

Right. Time to go back where you belong.

[ and thus, you'll see the sight of a large duck mother heron, leading a line of mice to the temple. ]

( ii. we didn't start the fire )

[ fire. reyson got up with a start, the singe of it filling his nostrils. blindly panicking, he leaves his room, immediately heading for any open area before settling down, his large wings folding around him like a barrier. even as the rain pours down, soaking him to the bone, he does not move, does not speak. he merely shivers, watching the flames with horror. ]

No. Not again.

( iii. wildcard )

[ got a different prompt you’d like to do? ping me on captainkink / pm this journal ]

pied piper

[thekingsshield]

[Goofy was going to come over and say hello, but wow, look at that line!]

Gwarsh, Reyson, you got your own little parade!

Goofy | Kingdom Hearts

[thekingsshield]

Pied Piper

[Given who the King is, is it any surprise Goofy doesn't mind the rodents? But if the priests need help, of course he's gunna help. He's gathered the mice up in the basket, and is heading for the temple as cheerfully as ever, singing his usual song.]

Oh, the world owes me a livin'...

[There's a problem, though. It appears the mice have chewed through the basket and are leaving on by one... and he has no idea.]

Deedle dardle doodle deedle dum... Oh the world owes me a livin'....

Fire - I

HOT SOUP COMIN' THROUGH!

[That's Goofy's call to warn people he's barreling through, trying to find some shelter before he gets zapped! He doesn't want to be too rude and barge down people's doors, but at this rate, he might not have much choice. He's using his shield over his head, trying to find a place to temporarily take cover.]

Fire - II

[So if a robot can't be fixed, it's no longer 'alive'? That's a pretty sad thought for Goofy. He somberly carries one of the robot bodies to the temple, and after setting it down, pauses for thought.]

Hmmm...

[He then makes a decision, and digs into his pocket to pull out a small satchel. He then pulls out a small orb that's half yellow, half blue - munny! - and puts it near the body. Seemed only fair, since the robots were bringing stuff along.]

Here you go, pal. Hope the next time around is a lot easier on you.

Friend Connection

[All of those options - sans the romance one, which is just plain old confusing for him - sound like a lot of fun! He's so excited he actually begins clapping a bit, eagerly turning to his partner.]

Which one do you wanna do? How about the trust fall, I'm real trustworthy! Aw, but handstands and handshakes are fun too! Makin' a choice is gunna be real hard!

Comic Logic

[What deep, dark thoughts are hidden in the furthest reaches of Goofy's mind?

As you go about your day, you'll spot the bubble before him - and the bubble merely says ZZZZZZZ.

That's because Goofy's taking a nap. Be it on the hard ground, a bench, a rare patch of grass, etc, he's using his shield as a pillow, arms behind his head, snoozing the day away.

No drama to be found here, folks. Though he won't be mad if you wake him up.]

Wildcard

[Make your own prompt! Feel free to 4th wall/know he's a disney character! If you'd like to plot something specific, feel free to hit me up on plurk at melcat33!]

Friend Connection!

[velvetinmate]

[This guy looks an awful lot like a Destinyland mascot... But, well, that's not the priority here as there's a good time to be had! And this game's lit a bit of a competitive fire in Akira, even if it hasn't really started yet.]

No kidding... The handshakes one sounds like it could be fun, though.

[promittere]

pied piper
[You know what's difficult? Hunting down mice. You know what's extra difficult? Hunting down mice while blind. Ignis has had no luck banishing the mice from his home, and it's...

Draining on him. He's, quite frankly, completely exhausted. He hasn't had a decent night's sleep since this all started, and every night it's just getting worse. A very, very small part of him just wants to scream, but that would achieve nothing, so he pushes those thoughts to the side. He does, however, get more irritable and snappy as sleep deprivation starts to rear its head. You can only go so long without restful sleep before it starts to impact you, and impact him it has. His movements aren't as elegant as they usually are, and there's a near permanent grimace on his face. He's exhausted, and annoyed, and he just wants the blasted noise to stop.]

They surely can't expect us to fix every problem, can they?

[Eventually, it's all going to come to a head.]

comic logic;
[On the upside, being blind means he's not privy to anyone else's thoughts and feelings. You can be assured that privacy is still privacy when Ignis is around.

On the downside, he hasn't quite pieced together that there are thought bubbles floating around people's heads, divulging all their secrets. He's completely ignorant.

It's a good thing he doesn't have much to hide.

Ignis' thoughts aren't exactly simple, but they are predictable. A half-formed recipe here, old battle strategies there, all wrapped around trying to figure out how to navigate the world. Your senses compensate when you're down one, after all, so he spends more time than most dwelling on the sensory input he does receive. Occasionally, there will be a thought that seems to be concerned for someone - or something - named Noctis, though those thoughts, frequent as they may be, don't seem to stick around very long.]

wildcard;
[Want anything else? Feel free to throw something at me, or hit me up at daintily for plotting!>

pied piper

[velvetinmate]

It certainly sounds like they're counting on it.

[If Akira sounds annoyed, that's because he is. He's gentle in handling the mice he's caught, as much as he'd like to not be. Damned rodents...]

Part of me can't help but wonder if we're going to see this with the creatures from the other temples.

[Akira's just picturing swooping ravens or cats constantly underfoot and he scowls, annoyed.]

Honerva | ota

[shroudedsecrets]

[ I. piped out ]

[ (a) There seems to be a very diligent mouse hunter in the neighborhood. Perhaps even your neighborhood, as a dark cat has gotten preoccupied with the infestation and seems eager to chase down these scurrying little creatures for exercise.

Kova can't help but be rough with some of his pounces, given that's in his nature. But he will trot toward the nearest person holding a basket, proudly looking up at them with his offering of his captured, squirming prey. He's learned the game, now he's helping.

He has an owner somewhere around here, right-? ]


[ (b) His owner, on the other hand, isn't certain how far off this cat has wandered in his pursuits, and... well, given the weather conditions, she'd rather he be somewhere at least closer to their house so she could be certain of his safety. There are times when Honerva has taken to calling for him, or if she sees someone standing close enough in the area, decides... to approach. ]

... Have you seen a cat in this area recently?

[ Of course, there's a very different striped cat running about as well, if someone had seen her instead of the cat being asked about... ]


[ II. poor weather ]

[ Having some reasons to go about the city means having to deal with some navigating around the spotty storms that turn up. That's fine, Honerva doesn't care so much as long as she can teleport to safety. The problem is if there's someone around in the same area who can't actually do that for themselves. Especially one she's talked to before, though even if not, she'll act anyway... ]

Look out-

[ Well, whether or not you hear her warning, a white haired woman in a blue cloak will be appearing in front of you, conjuring up a glowing magical force-field like shield to absorb the incoming energy from above. Congratulations, you survived the lightning.

Hopefully there's not any other debris from above coming down--but who knows? ]


[ IV / wildcard ]

[ Aside from this, she might be encountered while involved either in some sort of research, or searching for other things, the few times she is away from the house. There's a chance for thought bubbles to be involved...

Have a question or want to work something else out? Feel free to ask @ shadedwhite !]

II

[this_loser]

H-holy crap!

[He heard the thunder. He didn't think the lightning would strike so close. The flash leave bright spots dancing in his eyes, but he can see well enough to know who jumped in and saved him from becoming a crispy critter.]

Holy crap! That was awesome!

[velvetinmate]

Pied Piper (OTA)
[Frankly, Akira's had quite enough of these mice, thank you very much. He's gentle handling the ones he manages to capture, putting them into the basket he's got with him, but he sure as hell doesn't look happy about it.]

Is that all of them in here...?

[He's really hoping it is.]

Head in the Clouds (Closed to Akechi)
[Tired as Akira is, he barely notices the cloud hanging above his head. He's grumbling as he works on breakfast, entirely oblivious to the fact that his every thought is being broadcast via that cloud. Grumbling about the mice, commentary on each step as he cooks, and, just as Akechi's coming in...

That noise--Akechi must be up, I should start getting his coffee ready...]

Comic Logic (OTA)
[Honestly, compared to everything else this month, the thought bubbles are the least concerning thing. So, he'll just be going about his business, with or without a cloud over his head, depending on how long it's been since being around Akechi. More often than not, it's internal commentary on whatever he might be doing at the moment, grumbling about the mice or the lightning storms or his lack of sleep, but sometimes his mind will be elsewhere.
I wonder how the others are doing back home...
What's going on in Tokyo right now...?
It's been a month and it's still strange going around without Morgana. Is he wondering where I am?

... Or, if the cloud's only just forming, he'll glance up at it with an irritated noise.
Again? I swear, it feels like I JUST got rid of that thing...]

slams in

[arraignments]

[ ... Oh.

When he sees that, he just stop. And stares. Akira has plenty of time to sees what's in his cloud, and it's just a simple:

What the fuck...? ]

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Mouse House
At first, he doesn't find it too terribly odd. Things occasionally disappearing, then turning up in unusual places, Shinji's first thoughts were that general stress and a lack of proper sleep were starting to catch up with him. That's not such a weird assumption to come to, he figures. But then it just keeps happening, even when he figures out he needs to be a little more cautious about these things, and things are starting to turn up a little worse for the wear... this is definitely Weird.

Finally catching sight of a critter or two scurrying away out of the corner of his eye, coupled with the announcement of the mice needing to be returned to Ainea's temple, and that explains that. Ah. Well. At least he isn't slowly losing his mind, which is a huge relief. But, you know, he probably will if he doesn't help out with sending these squeaking stowaways back to their proper home.

Rounding up mice in his house is only going to get him so many at a time though - it seems like every time he manages to shuffle one into one of the baskets, he catches sight of a few more slipping away into the shadows. It's frustrating, but as long as he's having trouble trying to clean up the mouse population in his house, he might have a decent enough time hunting down some of the rodents to and from the drop-off point at the temple. For the most part, he's going later in the evening and at night, when the noise of the mousy intruders is at its worst indoors. Out for a late night stroll? There's a pretty good chance you'll find one (1) kid out chasing down mice.

"Ah - careful!" You? The mouse? Well, it is pretty dark out, you wouldn't want to be trampling on any of these divine rodents, would you?


Fire Fright
In the rare instances he finds himself in the vicinity of one of the storms, he, like many of the other offworlders, is pulled in to help mitigate the chaos. It isn't necessarily the thunder or the fire that's rattling him, but the general helplessness of being caught up in such a hectic, uncontrollable situation, and he can't bring himself to do much else besides... let himself get roped into something that's clearly way over his head.

Put out fires? Patch up stonework? Haul? Bodies?? "I - I don't really..." He is so lost, where does he even start? Help? Someone?? "I've never... been on this side of things before..."


Here's a Thought...
How often do you check the air above you, anyway? Shinji doesn't notice the new addition until it's pointed out to him by one of the native residents. How... curious? Hang on. It's doing what exactly?

???

Nope! This feature is Bad! Even outside of his weird schedule and usual attempts to keep a low profile, this sure is another reason to avoid staying out long enough to run into anyone!!

In his desperate attempts to keep his mind off of pretty much anything while he isn't simply shutting himself up in the privacy of his room, his cloud tends to reflect whatever it is he's directly up to (mouse herding, rubble clearing, etc), or a simple, hazy static. With how little effort he's taken into getting any proper rest, however, some clearer thoughts are bound to break through. Idle moments may bring forth some more... abstract thoughts, fleeting words and images, shifting from one thing to another without much rhyme or reason.

He's trying his best not to let anything suspicious or too weird slip into his thoughts, but, really, with how he's running himself dry, it'll likely only take the right kind of prompting from someone else to open up something truly bizarre.


Wildcard
[Got somethin' else to throw my way? Hit me with whatever your heart desires, or plot with me over at sandshrew! Will match format (pose/brackets/etc) as well! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]

( mouse house )

[heron]

[ the mouse ducks behind reyson chattering. reyson unfolds his wings, spreading them slightly. ]

Careful?

[this_loser]

[ Pied Piper ]

[Waking up to find little bite marks on the furniture gave him the heebie jeebies. Especially the larger marks. Learning it was the mice didn't help much. At least, until he realized how cute they could be.

So maybe it takes him longer to gather up the little buggers because he's also trying to herd them into aesthetically pleasing piles for a photo.]

[ Friend Connection ]

[He doesn't know what to expect here, but he does love games. It's too bad Noct isn't here. They'd knock that BFF handshake out of the water.

Oh well. He turns to his partner.]

How are you at handstands?

[ Comic Logic ]

[The cloud over his head is annoying. And concerning. The last thing he wants is for people to see what he's thinking. Thankfully, he doesn't dwell on any one thing for too long. More often than not, there will be a camera hovering over him. Though at other times there might be a happy little heart, flashes of a barcode, space ships, guns, or a giant yellow bird.]

comic logic

[axi]

Prompto, come on.

[Kaname pokes her head around the corner of the street he's stopped on, fully expecting to see him crouched somewhere with his camera out and pointed at something else brand new.

Of course, the thought bubble over his head catches her attention right away.]

Erm...

Tsukishima Kei, the Volleyboy

[stingyshima]

Pied Peeper
[Kei notices the squeaking nearly right away. Though he's wound down a bit and become more relaxed at the house, he still remains alert and observant, just in case.

Upon seeing one of his housemates, he asks:]

Have you heard the squeaking?

[And then as the days progress, Kei can be found around the house, fruitlessly searching for the culprits. He's definitely getting much crankier... and, being the way he is about touch? Well, needless to say he hasn't figured out the trick.

The fatigue and irritation show clearly on his face no matter where he is. Don't be too offended if you try to catch his attention and his kneejerk reaction is a glare.]

Thunder, Feel the Thunder
[This spontaneous weather is really grating on Kei's nerves. This one in particular.

Any time there's a loud clap of thunder nearby, Kei is flinching hard, cowering away with his hands clamped over his ears. He'll be trying to avoid open areas and stay away from the taller structures and objects, and of course, dashing inside when he can.

Of course, if there happens to be someone with him? Well.. they might find themselves getting shoved towards cover.]

Move!

Comic Illogic (Closed to Will, Akira, Akechi)
[Well, frankly: fuck this.

Kei isn't necessarily a secretive person; he's more quiet than he is cagey. That doesn't mean he appreciates his personal thoughts and feelings being put on display... at all???

So, he is not leaving the house for the duration of this time.

Early on, he'll also suggest that they have a mutual agreement between them to do their best not to pay any attention to the clouds over their heads.

Despite that, he doesn't actually try to avoid them all that much. As for what he's feeling, perhaps it's no surprise to any of them that he seems constantly apathetic... only broken up now and then by fleeting feelings of irritation or anxiety.]

Internal Hellscape (Closed to Akechi)
[There's a book on the floor.

Irregardless of how it got there, when Kei turns the corner and locks eyes on it, he suddenly freezes. His eyes widen, his face pales— but what's most notable is what he isn't doing. At least, what his body isn't doing.

The cloud above his head is displaying the events in detail. The inside of a mansion; the tiny voices. The stress, the strain, the uncertainty of ending up somewhere new again; the building dread of terrible things to come. A briefcase. A little girl with horns. The inside of what seems to be a luxurious plane... filled with snakes?

There's a lot that flashes by in the couple of seconds before he finally gives a grunt and puts a hand to his face, sweat beading on his forehead as he just kind of... leans against the wall heavily for a moment, trying to steady his breathing.]

Wildcard
(@ gradient or Ruide#4474 on Disco)

comic illogic

[velvetinmate]

["Not necessarily secretive, but also fuck this" is a big mood, Kei. Akira readily agreed to do his best to not pay attention to the clouds.

... Of course, it doesn't take Akira very long to figure out how to make the damn things go away, hence why he's coming in without the annoying cloud hovering over his head. Even so, though, this has been a very annoying day of having to chase mice around and Akira is fucking tired, all things considered.

So, uh, hi, Kei, that sure is Akira laying face down on the couch if you're just now entering the room.]

If I ever see another rodent outside of Ainea's temple ever again, it's going to be way too soon.

[And just like that, the cloud over his head starts to reform, although the only thing in it at the moment is a constantly shifting black scribble.]

Taako | The Adventure Zone (Ohma) OTA!

[abracafcku]

❥ I. I'm Not a Piper
[The rat plague - because that's what it is to Taako, a nasty little rat plague full of tiny and not-so-tiny cute and not-so-cute mice - is testing his patience. Not only does he have trouble sleeping at night, but now these squeaky little jerks are everywhere. They burrowed into the walls, into the garden, into everything and just when he'd been about to blast the little buggers into another plane of non-existence, the announcement had gone out. Now he was tasked with using these dumb baskets to catch some mice and bring them to the temple. Which should have been easy, right?

Except.

He figured getting a large one would mean he could just do one and be done. So he'd found the biggest one he could and tossed the basket at it. The mouse/rat/thing had apparently taken offense to that because as soon as Taako had it trapped, it began fighting and screaming bloody murder. So now Taako, whose highest stat is definitely not Strength or Constitution, is wrestling with a basket he has overturned on the ground, trying to trap the oversized mouse inside as it tries to bite and scratch its way free. The basket is jerking this way and that and Taako is barely holding on when he sees someone walking on the same street as this whole debacle is taking place.]

Hey! You! Help me get this little Mickey Freak under control before it eats my beautiful face!


❥ II. Friend(?)ly Connections
[While Taako's not exactly huge on video games (he's not a nerd, no matter what Lup says), he needs a distraction after the mice debacle and the hours spent without any good real sleep. So here is he, plugging in for the first time, and selecting teammates at random. The game show lights come up and Taako preens under them, glad to see that even in this virtual environment he's still just as stunning as in the real world. He turns to whomever has been chosen as his team for this dumb game and smirks.]

Alright, kemosabe, which one do you wanna hit? I'm a freaking flip wizard and flexible as hell so all these challenges are gonna be a piece of cake. You ready?


❥ III. A Comic Business
[It'd only taken a little while for Taako to realize what the stupid clouds did, but also to realize that a lot of people? Not so pleased with the development. He's got his own reasons for not wanting his thoughts broadcast to the whole wide world, but that doesn't mean this isn't a great business opportunity. Maybe it isn't expanding the Taako™ Brand in the same way, but it'll certainly (hopefully) get him some cash.

Taako's painted up a little wooden sign and plopped himself down all around town in the most obvious places, making sure everyone can see him as they go about their business. The sign reads:
Hug it Out! w/ Taako
Free yourself from the Cloud's tyranny!
Throw off the bonds of honesty!
Need a hand? Give some Dora and find out how.

Whenever someone walks by with a cloud over their head, Taako whistles and gives them a wink.]

Hey there, bubelah. You need some time away from your little rain cloud? I got a proposition for you.


❥ IV. Shopping Spree
[In between all the insanity of the month, Taako has a mission. He and Lup both lost all of their spell components when they were brought here and that leaves them vulnerable. He can only do so much with the limited supplies he can scrounge up from the replicators. He can dry carrots, powder corn, get beans or mushrooms easily enough, but the list of things he needs is vast and that means? He's on a shopping trip.

Taako has a bag slung over one shoulder with one hand, a written list held in the other as he peruses the city's shopping districts. There aren't a lot of shops yet, but the natives are trying. It's just not quite enough for him. With a loud sigh, Taako snaps his fingers at the closest person to pass by him to grab their attention.]

Yo, you know where a guy can get some bats or find some catepillars?


❥ V. Wildcard
[If there's something else you want to try, hit me up with a wildcard prompt of your own, check out Taako's thread on his house mingle log, or message me at wagashi. ]

III

[velvetinmate]

[Akira's been going about his business with... some degree of frustration today. He's sort of used to the cloud popping in and out of existence over his head, but that doesn't mean he has to like that it's been going on.

(He's not necessarily secretive, but good grief, he resents that he gets no say in what thoughts and feelings get shared.)

Taako's words intrigue him, at the very least, and it's got him sticking around.]

A proposition, huh? I'm listening.

Taranza | Kirby

[darkweb]

II.

[Taranza is realizing, through these lightning storms, that perhaps his years of service to a queen that zaps people with lightning magic at her whim has made him overattentive to the sight of it. Since he can't help his nerves being on alert, he figures he may as well help with the cleanup and work out that energy.

Besides, he's from a Kirby game. Whom amongst us has not been injured by lightning or fire or falling rocks before, and been mostly all right afterwards? On the other hand these robots don't seem to be very durable, for robots. Taranza starts feeling more protective of them the more they're acting protective of him and others.]

You're the ones who can't handle all the elements out here! You should really leave all this to people who are less fragile. I'm not going to die just from being struck by lightning once or twice!

[He will keep accepting custody of water buckets from them. He has six hands, and even if he is upending the buckets with two hands, that's still four hands to hold the next buckets in line!]

III.

[Taranza doesn't really see the appeal of VR, but he's curious about the heavy advertisement going on. So for now, he's just one of those people witnessing others playing it and seeing all the... confusing positions they're ending up in, and the seemingly non sequitur things they're saying to each other.]

I don't understand what kind of game this is at all...

[But he'd probably be pretty good at playing a lot of it. It won't be too hard to convince him to be a partner.]

IV.

[Whether it's combined with either of the above two prompts, or whether it's any other time of day, Taranza's thought cloud has a definite theme. There are sometimes other thoughts there: worrying about the lightning, confusion about the mice, appreciation of the botanical gardens, wondering about what to eat or what to do. Normal thoughts. But there's always someone just plastered over the other thoughts like a watermark. And sometimes, as Taranza is sitting around staring out into space, there are no other thoughts to be seen in his cloud at all. If you keep watching then maybe he'll even start obsessively replaying memories.

But it doesn't seem like most of the thoughts are going anywhere cheerful, and, he probably needs a distraction. Please someone save him from himself.]

IV

[begguiling]

[This is getting pathetic. And that's saying a lot when it comes to "pitiful" Taranza here. Magolor, as his roommate and sometimes companion—he's at least helped out with the lightning strike issue for sure, having the same good ol' Kirby Durability and high hopes for a Dora reward—has by now been privy to maaaany of these Wasp Thoughts. It's really getting weird! She's just always there! Deep down, he can almost relate; Taranza has probably caught Magolor doing his share of dwelling on his own girlfriend home life in his off moments. But it's nothing like this, he swears . . .

Upon coming home one evening to Taranza staring into space thinking about that damn bee again, Magolor's (previously apple-and-Lor-wing-filled) thought bubble takes on a new form. He has got to intervene here, one way or another.

Time to just go gather Taranza up for a hug! This is, notably, the first time he's been quite this forward, having stuck to handholding type contact until now. But he does this now without (visible) shame or (any) warning.]

Welcome hoooooome, me! What are you sitting around thinking about? Just kidding. I can already tell!

Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII | FFXV (Open)

[kingkingcxiii]

PROMPT II: We Didn't Start This Fire -

A: During the Storm

[Much to the dismay of any nearby robot, there is one human who very adamantly refuses to be pushed into shelter when the storms kick up. In fact, should he be inside, he will usually head out instead, looking for those who have been caught in the storm. Robots attempting to shield him with their bodies will get a grateful, but resigned look right before a crystalline blue shield pops into being covering them both.]

Please.

[Regis will ask, trying not to sound exasperated.]

Go back inside. I will be fine and am better equipped to search for others than you are.

[The shield will protect him quite well against any strike, and well, he's not a robot. Lucis as a country may not use magitek, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know just how badly lightning can mess with anything electronic or mechanical.]

B: After the Storm Clean Up

[Once the storms clear, Regis doesn't head back indoors. Instead, he finds out from those nearby where damage has been done and heads in that direction. The frost magic that has been granted to his bloodline is the type of magic he uses the least. Nonetheless, that branch of magic gets quite the workout whenever he runs into a fire. The ice will eventually melt, but it does keep the wetness to a minimum for a short time. That is a plus for anyone who is trapped inside, especially if they are one of the robotic natives. In more extreme situations, he seems to ignore danger to himself while throwing shields around those who are too close to the fire or water for their own good.

For anyone who might be watching, it's going to be obvious that he's going from storm location to storm location with little time for rest even though the magic he's throwing around is feeding off his own life force. Regis told Cor this is the very kind of thing they needed to be prepared for, or more actually, he needed to be prepared for. Potions made and as many as possible shoved into the Armiger. Resting when he can so he can be ready to go out and help.

If he can't protect his people back home, the least he can do is protect the people here.

Of course, the big problem is that Regis has never been very good at stopping once he's gotten started. Unless collapsing in a corner for a quick cat nap counts. It does still count at a cat nap when you pass out from exhaustion, right?]

PROMPT IV: Comic Logic -

[It's no surprise with how hard he's working himself that Regis' thoughts are not as guarded as maybe they should be. A great deal of the time, there's nothing really that important filtering through his mind as he works--bad jokes, lists of things that need doing, wishes for a nice warm bed and the like. It's when the exhaustion really starts setting in that other, more interesting things, appear. Those who have met Cor may be startled to catch a glimpse of him as a much younger man. There are also occasional flashes of a grand Citadel and a glowing Crystal.

And, for those who are really lucky, they might just so happen to catch a glimpse of a lovely, dark-haired woman who is obviously greatly loved and just as greatly missed.]

IV

[necromanswers]

[Lup's been trying to avoid calling attention to the little thought clouds, mostly because she wants less attention on her own. She's an outgoing person, but that doesn't mean she wants her private thoughts broadcast for all the world to see. It's easy enough to assume other people are the same way.

She manages to hold her tongue as Regis passes by with Cor in his thoughts, though she's immediately intrigued by his appearance; for him to be younger, this must be someone from his world, right? But that's kind of weird to just holler out in the middle of the street. And then she sees the woman, too, and- okay, okay. Hang on.

Unable to help herself, she whistles, loud enough for the man to hear her.]

You've got some good looking people on the brain, my dude!

Kaito | Ajin | Rawna! (ota)

[whenyouneedme]

I. Sleepy Pipers
Well. How about that. Kai didn’t really mind the mice— they were kinda cute, and there had to be some sort of reason why they had all flooded the city. Was... something wrong at their temple? Probably not anything too serious if people were being asked to herd them all back.

So he’d wander around with his silken basket, crouching down to offer little snacks and small words to cracks and shadows. During the day, in the waning afternoon, late after the sun had already gone down. There was all the time in the world when you weren’t getting any sleep!

Which wasn’t entirely true. Kai couldn’t say he wasn’t used to a weird sleeping schedule— if he couldn’t sleep at home, he’d sleep anywhere else. It wasn’t unusual to find him curled against one of the columns of Rawna’s temple. He didn’t belong at Ainea’s temple, but sometimes plopping down for a sit after delivering some mice resulted in a bit more of a nap than he intended.

It was easier to talk to him while he was picking up mice, but maybe you’d want to kick him awake for something anyway!


IV. The Comic Place
Barring a few choice secrets that weren’t even his, Kai really wasn’t a secretive kind of person. He usually made it a point to be honest, it was just that no one ever asked him anything.

Not that the thoughts that would float into his thought bubble were all that deep. A lot of times they were just hazy colors. There were oranges sometimes, images of dappled sunlight through tree branches when it was particularly warm outside, slow swirls of smoke whenever his hands danced antsily at his sides. Here and there were images of a bright red flower, a glimpse of wings, nervous hands with a small bag, some weird blue ball.

It was only when he was catching some scraps of sleep that the colors grew more erratic. There were blood red eyes, hastily scrawled notes, flashes of highway, a simple barred window. Red, red, red.

Neat!

V. WiLdCard.
Fancy him being a reckless dingus in a lightning storm? Perhaps you’re hiding in his closet? Maybe there’s something completely unrelated you wanted him for! Follow your dreams.

[Wanna action bracket? We can action bracket!]

I + IV = V

[begguiling]

Magolor may not be the charity type, and he hasn't exactly been filling his days with chasing down mice to safely relocate them—but neither has he been refusing to do it at all. There are still mice in his home, too, and he has no desire to do anything any more cruel to them. And his roommate is extra good at catching them without issue! So this afternoon he's making a trip to Ainea's temple himself with a basket full of mice to drop off. It's on the way out that he spies a familiar sleeping face . . .

Dreaming, perhaps, about some blood red eyes. That's the implication of the bubble over Kai's head, anyway. Hmmm. Magolor considers for a long moment, eerily expressionless for once, before he drifts over to put a hand on Kai's shoulder.

"Gooooood morniiiing~."

In this initial contact, his tone is a bit flatter than usual, only rising at the very end.

Lance | Voltron: Legendary Defender

[the_tailor]

[I - Pied Piper]

[This is hardly Lance's first experience with mice wrangling. Colorful mice wrangling, even. Right now, however, he can't go beg Allura to please get her little friends under control, so it's up to him and the rest of the semi-recent arrivals to do the town another solid. Maybe getting them out of the house will make it easier to sleep. If they don't just come back. God, he wants a good night's sleep again.

He can be seen throughout town collecting mice in a basket, looking a little worse for the wear, dark circles starting to appear under his eyes.]

Alright, you little rascals... Back to where you're supposed to be instead of terrorizing us.



[III - Friend Connection]

[Speaking of things not being his first experience, this isn't Lance's first time on a game show, either. But he's definitely praying that this one goes better than the last. The previous one had...well, being dunked in a vat of acid aside, really hadn't done any wonders for his already fragile mental state. It still bothered him even now. But, he'd been doing his best to just shove it all down and ignore it.

Maybe this one will be better. Lance turns to his in-game partner, grinning.]

Right, which one do you want to do first?



[IV - Comic Logic]

[Despite more recent efforts to try otherwise, Lance has always been the type of guy to wear his heart on his sleeve. Now, it's hanging over his head. His thoughts tend to flicker often, barely staying on one thing for very long at all. Two of the things most often scene are two particular groups of people, his team and his family. Sometimes it'll be of a beach. Sometimes it'll be of a large spaceship, or a red robotic lion.

He thinks a lot of home.

There'll be colors swirling around sometimes. Black, green, yellow, pink... Red and blue feature the strongest. But sometimes, blue starts fading into grey, especially when he's looking a little less than happy.

There might be words, too, but they flicker fast. Some dealing with home ("Is everyone okay?" "I hope Earth is safe."), some dealing with this new world ("Stupid mice." "Mullet..." "What am I doing?"), some...thoughts he tries to push away ("Not enough, never enough".)]



[V - Locked to Keith]

[Sleeping has sucked lately. Or more specifically, the lack of it. Squeaking and scratching have been keeping him up at later and later hours and stirring him from any sort of slumber he's managed to catch. So, yeah. Lance is definitely a little grumpy, and the circles under his eyes have been getting ever darker, which just annoys his vain self even more.

Will's post on the network offers a potential solution, but of course, he knows better than to bother asking Keith. Some more suffering, and he actually does end up telling him he's just gonna go over the trainer's house for a sleepover. The theory is confirmed when Lance actually finally manages to get a good night's sleep. But he doesn't want to bother Will again, especially since Lance definitely isn't the only one over there, so he goes back to suffering back at his house.

It's the middle of the night, and Lance is sitting at the kitchen table, staring blankly into a cup of juice as if it has the answers to all his problems.]



[VI - Wildcard]

[Hit me up with anything! Or poke me at relika to plot something!]

IV

[thekingsshield]

Not enough what?

[How does someone this tall manage to sneak up behind anybody? Just good luck, maybe. Anyway, he'd taken an accidental glance at the word bubble, but being the sort of guy he is...]

Oh, did you not get enough breakfast? We gotta fix that, it's the most important meal of the day!

Natasha Romanoff |OTA

[morethanthis]

Pied Piper

[Natasha wasn't afraid of anything, at least not anything that she would readily admit to anyone that she would happen to allow to keep breathing. Natasha noticed the mice but she didn't pay too much mind to them. There were no shrieks heard coming from her room or mad dashes naked through the living room, no, when the mice got to be too much, she simply led them out the door. ]

There you go. That's it, scurry along now.

III. Friend connection

Natasha wasn't sure about about the games that they were being asked to play, she rolled her eyes playfully at the pottery wheel and the ship, but both were excellent movies. She slid into a seat gracefully.

"What's your poison?"

Cosmic Logic

Natasha isn't really a big sharer or a woman that is big on reliving her past but apparently, this place has other ideas. The first image is benign enough to anyone but Natasha, showing her in a room doing ballet. The image was calm enough but soon melted into an image of her tied to a chair, learning that her best friend was taken and with a hostile influence. The final image had Natasha saying "It's okay, let me go..." as she falls to her death.

Natasha suddenly sat, drawing her knees to her chest, not being able to deal with any of it any more.

III.

[aries_saint]

It was completely randomized, so the player sitting next to her is a man (or seemingly a man) with long elegant lilac hair tied back and wearing the attire of a monk and a red sash for a scarf.

When asked the question. "Come again...?" But then when he realized what she's asking him. "Do you mean to ask what's my favorite movie...?"

Mu | Saint Seiya | Ainea | OTA

[aries_saint]

I. Where's the Pied Piper?
[At Ainea's temple, Mu has taken care of Ainea's sacred animals with reverence and even form a close bond with them as pets, but he has noticed they gotten restless as of late. They usually never bite, but whenever he finds them to give them care, the mice and rats bitten him out of anxiety and then ran out to scatter across the city.

During the day, they disappeared only to return back to the temple. At night, they don't rest. Mu doesn't mind them chewing on whatever few belongings he has. If they chewed his books, he hides them in the floorboards where they can't find it. If they chewed on his robe, his pillows and blankets, he calmly sews it back. Mu really practicing playing his flute and learns a way to puts in his chi, his spirit energy into the music to calm their minds.

So, for the goddess, with his flute, he searches the city as to where Ainea's sacred animals go, playing his flute to corral them back to the temple to keep them safe. He thinks putting them in the basket is rather crude, and it's hard since they will jump out and make their escape anyway, so he uses his psychic powers to keep their mind calm.]

II. We Didn't Start This Fire
[The weather becomes erratic again, and Mu keeps track of the weather in his journal, observing the cycle, especially when he's in the city to corral Ainea's animals back to the temple.

This month, the lightening storms. The robots are helpful in giving him the advice to find shelter when the event occurs. When the storm is over, Mu helps out whenever he could repairing the damage or escort a robot to the repair shop.]

III. Let's Play the Friend Connection
[In his free time, he headed over to the Entertainment District and discovered Friend Connection. Being social isn't Mu's strong point, but he didn't see the harm in that, so he joins to see who else is interested in playing the game with him.

In one of the VR cafes, he puts on the VR helmet and when the game starts, his name shows up. However, his name shows up as the character"穆" so he has to ask the system to translate as "Mu" in English, which is his courtesy and birth name.

Whatever game the other player on his team or the other, he's up for it. Be it recreating the scene from a romantic movie (Mu doesn't see much Western movies where he's from, so he knows a few), playing a song, trivia quiz, and etc.

Making a suggestion:]

"How about trust fall? If you close your eyes, then I'll stand behind you and catch you."

IV. Comic Logic
[Mu begin to notice the faint white cloud above his head when one of the natives pointed it out to him. The floating cloud travels with him wherever he goes. He's more curious about this phenomenon and even uses his psychic powers to shoo it away, but the cloud simply stays, following with him. Eventually, he merely observes what it could do.

He discovered what cloud does...well, hiding his secret thoughts and innermost self is something he's actually good at as Mu made attempts to hide his thoughts and feelings from others as a habit, being an introvert. Any attempts to read his thoughts, they will see his past life on Earth and people will see a child that he used to take care of and train as an apprentice back home, the temples of Greece where he was trained, or him meditating out in the wilderness in his homeland during his younger days.

"I wonder how Kiki is doing without me..."
"I would like to go home..."
"So lonely in this world..."]

V. Wildcard
[Anything else not related to the scenes above? Feel free to make your own starter.]

Breaking hatius for this. Also so many choices, just gonna do the non-date option

[song_princess]

Leanne wasn't too sure on what to think of VR. She couldn't smell anything nor sense any life. It wierded her out but she tried it because not only Reyson tried it but also Mu.

One moment, she was exploring it the next, M was behind her, asking her to fall towards him. She blinks and tilts her head.

"Why would I need to fall in order to trust you? I can always use my wings to prevent it."