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[idolpro]

Who: Idols and idol accessories
Where: Tokyo-F
When: Day 437

[ Idols will start their day today to find red envelopes, each with their idol names, presented to them on a table at their dorm's landing. Each envelope is supernaturally sealed, incapable of being opened except by their designated recipient. Inside each envelope is a gold zan-style hairpin with stripes of silver carved into its stem, and the tip is heavy with a weighty decoration—be it a dragon, phoenix, tiger, butterfly, flower(s), or anything else, they are all inlaid with bright, glowing tiger's eye gemstones.

As ornate as they look, these hairpins aren't just for decoration: upon the recipient touching the accessory, they'll find their clothes magically changing into fanciful Chinese or fantasy Chinese clothing—perhaps vibrant red, regardless of unit, or woven patterns and colors that reflect the idol's position. At the same time, the hairpin knits itself into the idol's hair (if capable, else it pins itself as a brooch) which has also magically been done up fancifully.

Down at the lobby there are more hints toward the holiday, if the red envelope didn't already make it obvious: red streamers and paper lanterns decorate the hotel, along with tiger decorations which vary from elegant wall scrolls to cute tiger plush pillows on the lobby seats. And, if it still isn't clear enough—perchance for those who aren't familiar with the culture at all—a red and gold banners hang from the wall, reading "HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY" and "LUNAR NEW YEAR" and "YEAR OF THE TIGER".

Near the kitchen, there are tables with spreads of Chinese foods from various regions, all available in an all-you-can-eat styled buffet. And, what's more—the food seems to be completely safe! They don't contain even a little bit of status effects. For once, here's a party with safe food.

There are additionally tables with gift bags, once again labeled with each idol's name. These are not supernaturally sealed, and in each bag are . . . well. . . tiger things, along with a note that reads,

300 points per item worn for the day! Max 1,200 points (head/hands/tail/feet

Oh, right, this is an idol show. And oh, surprise, the tiger appendages (optionally) have some sort of status effect thing going on:

• Feel more cuddly/desire cuddles
  
• Feel more mercurial/contrarian
  
• Feel more possessive/territorial
  
• Feel more hungry, both for food and for immaterial things (especially attention)
  
• Feel more brave
  
• Feel more light-hearted/more easily amused

At least they're all fairly mild in effect.

Last but not least, decoration wise, there's also an ominous poster near the elevators. . . Well, who's afraid of a sign, right? . . . Nevermind that if someone were to break a taboo, they'll find themself just slightly unluckier today, on the level of breaking their shoe/sandal laces and receiving the wrong order at the café.

Outside, though the weather is cold, the sun is auspiciously bright today, warmth radiating out the city to soften the chill. Moreover, there's an infectious energy on the streets, one that would surely make a person forget the temperature—long paper puppets, taking the form of dragons and lions and tigers, parade down the street, powered by ghostly dancers and backed up by the orchestra of a marching band and fan dancers. Floating lanterns guide them throughout the city, where they'll circle around the streets ceaselessly until evening.

At the stroke of midnight, idols will find their old clothes back in their closet and their hairpins no longer glowing, but they'll also find they're able to keep the clothing they received from the hairpins. They can also keep the tiger paraphernalia, which have lost their effects. ]

Comments

[sangreine]

Don't worry, I'm not so fragile. The grip didn't even bother me. [ She squeezes his hand back, not quite as tightly, because he's not used to that. ] Hold as tight as you like.

[ About that "prank" though ] That's -- awful. I'm sorry you had to go through that. [ Nuzzling against his shoulder again, because truly words do no justice to how much she wants to comfort him after hearing that. ]

[586]

[ grits his teeth. ] I'm still really upset about it all this time later, and there's nothing I can do or I'll be painted as the bad guy yet again. It's alright. I just try not to... think about it all that often, which is kind of hard when this form was 'born' because of it. [ a bitter laugh. ]

[sangreine]

[ -- oh, that makes her really furious. ] You should be upset about that, it's cruel and unfair. Anyone who wants to paint you like that will have to paint me the same way, and they sure won't like me when I'm angry. [ She may be a slight slip of a thing, but she can rip most people in half with her bare hands. ]

[ Just -- loosely putting her arms around him, trying to be soothing and hating that she can't really actually help. ] It's not all right. I wish -- [ that she'd been there at the time, that she could do something now to make it better. ] What can I do?

[586]

[ pentium balls the fist that's not holding her hand. ] I know what I am. I know why I was made. I can't erase that part of me and sometimes I can't even control it. I can do nothing bu apologize and *try* to be better, but I'm not perfect. I-

[ but she does help. when she puts his arms around him he just stops, giving a sigh and setting his head on her shoulder. ] ...you're here, you're helping. [ clings. ]

[sangreine]

[ break her heart why don't you? For a long moment she just holds him, then turns her head to kiss his head. It's not okay, but she'll do her best to get closer to it. ] I know. I wish people were... kinder. [ For both their sakes, but right now she's thinking only of his. ]

I can't fix what needs fixing inside humans, but I promise I'll be here. No matter what you do. [ She of all people understands losing control because of what you are, and how it feels to realize what you've done in the harsh light of day, wondering whether people will decide you're not worth the trouble or shouldn't exist at all. ] You don't have anything to prove to me, and you don't have to change for me to want you close.

[586]

I... had a few conversations recently and I realized I had never been happy before coming here. Maybe a few blips here and there, but overall... I like this place for the freedom it granted me. It's terrible from time to time, but... I get a chance to know people like you... and Tea, and Serenity, and Nocturne. I don't belong back home, and I don't want to go back, ... [ because they're not going to be kind to him there either. ]

[ pentium shuts his eyes and just leans into her. ] ...that's all I want. [ grabs at her front, taking fist fulls of the fabric of her outfit. ] I want to be happy. I want to be liked, loved... [ and then his tone takes on a sharp edge and he's growling. ] and I want to kill anybody that threatens that or hurts the people that mean everything to me.

[sangreine]

[ Aliza shuts her stinging eyes and squeezes him close, no longer bothering to care where the line is between empathy and everything that's been roiling around in her head since she woke here. All she wants is to hold Pentium until he finds some balance, and perhaps to find whoever was so cold to him about his nature and knock some sense into them. As many times as it takes. ]

Then I hope you can have that. [ Being here, being happy, protecting the ones he cares for. ] But as far as being liked and loved... you are.

[586]

[ his own hands come up around her, nails digging into her back, like if she lets go he might just spiral into some pissed off frenzy. he does finally start to growl, tone taking on a deep and distorted edge, ] I'll make sure that I do. I'm not going to die alone.

[sangreine]

[ Some might be alarmed or frightened by the sudden aggression, but Aliza is not. She's felt that way too often herself, and she knows, deep down in a way she knows very few things, that he won't hurt her on purpose. ]

You're not alone. [ Much as she wants to put more emphasis on the words, she instead uses a calm, soothing tone -- taking some advantage of her singing range to speak in quiet, low tones. She strokes his hair, not knowing if it'll help but knowing that it would help her if she were the one about to lose it. ] You hear me, right? You're not alone.

[ Not even touching that dying thing, that'll make her start growling which seems unproductive. ]

[586]

[ pentium continues pressing closer and closer, going as far as to start walking her backward with the force he's applying. but he really just wants to bury himself against her, hide away, so he can let out his frustrations ( and sadness ) in peace and quiet. doing so in the middle of this stupid festival where other people might see is not ideal... especially because he's human and especially because humans can cry. ]

I... I want to go somewhere else. Anywhere else. [ he appreciates her reiterating that he's not alone, because sometimes it's hard not feel like he is. but that's why he wants to go somewhere else and he wants her to come with her. he's not alone. he doesn't have to be alone... at least not anymore. ]

[sangreine]

[ She steps backwards as he presses against her, less because she couldn't stand in place than because she doesn't want to seem like she's pushing, in any way. Likewise, she won't say a thing to object to his request to be elsewhere, and she won't make him do the work of deciding where that might be. He can fit in the Rainy Day Room this time so maybe that! ]

Okay. [ She tries to shift them around, gently prying his arms from her if she must, but keeping hers around him, keeping him protectively close. She doesn't want to be anywhere he might have to deal with people, so her dorm it is. ] Don't worry, I won't leave you.

[ Off to the elevator then, and if anyone tries to come too close she gives them enough of a scowl to send them running. Not the moment. ]

[586]

[ pentium doesn't protest as she steps backwards. he's knows he's smothering her, but hiding against her is the closest thing to disappearing he can manage right now. he's also doing his best to keep his anger from boiling over, with moderate success. he's still so pissed off, but he appreciates her helping him leave the crowded room... since that's definitely not going to ease the stress he's feeling. ]

...

Thank you.

[ lets himself be lead. ]

[sangreine]

[ It would take a lot more than this to smother her, trust. She isn't even slightly bothered (if anything, she wonders if maybe she's taking advantage somehow, so she can spend time with him? He asked, but...). In any case, she just gives him a little squeeze in reply and leads him up to her dorm, and into her bedroom (she considered the rainy day room but she heard about how his usual for got stuck in the hatch, and didn't want to bring up any bad associations) -- her room is fairly plain aside from some plushies she charmed a few others into gifting her and a picture frame turned on its face so you can't see the photo. ]

[ She tries to settle him down to sit on the bed, never once letting go of him. And then she waits, rubbing his back lightly, to see what he needs, if he wants to speak or just rest a while. ]

[586]

[ he follows in silence and lets himself be lead through zrael's dorm to her room. he appreciates he considering his getting stuck in the hatch the last time, though his human shape ought to fit through. best not to change him returning to normal on the other side though, since that would certainly make matters worse. ]

[ he climbs onto her bed and just faceplants one of the pillows, giving a sigh as he turns onto his side to look at her. ]

Sometimes I wonder why I bother trying to control all of these urges, ...they make me me and yet... I'm sick and tired of being hated...

[sangreine]

[ Very well, stretching out beside him it is. She scoops up the overly round wolf and frog plushies that were occupying the bed and puts them on the floor with more care than stuffed creatures strictly need. ]

And then if they do like you, it feels like they're always just waiting for you to slip up. [ Yeah, she gets it. ]

[ She reaches out to take his hand, if he'll let her. ] I know what you mean.
Sometimes I wonder if it would be less painful to just be myself and not care what people thought, but I never do it. I'm too afraid of being alone. [ And -- part of her doesn't want to hurt people, even if part of her definitely does. ]

[586]

I am thankful there are a couple of people here that don't care. I am especially blessed to be on BARiTONES, since I know they're not going to outright condemn me.

[ he lets her take his claw. ] I have been alone long enough and I'm not especially keen on doing so for another handful of years. Though, I guess that's a lie. I had my creator for some of it, but it's not the same... I'm just glad, lucky even, to have been able to make so many friends here.

[sangreine]

((OOC: I thought he was still in human form, but let me know if he reverted! I know with so many threads it's hard to keep track <3 ))

[ She doesn't really love the way he's talking, like it's fine for everyone to do the bare minimum to accept him, like he doesn't deserve more than that. But she also knows how it feels to have someone argue with you about How Things Are like they know your life better than you do. ]

It's not lucky. You've made friends because others like you. There's no reason they shouldn't, and if they think there's a reason, they're wrong. [ Anyone who tries to judge him for his appearance, or his nature, they're the ones who are lucky he puts up with them. ]

But if you want to get used to being in this form to show them that they can't mess with you again, then you should. Maybe it's just a matter of making some good memories so the bad ones aren't so loud, same as it is with anything new.

[586]

( ooc; totes my bad. i'm having a problem keeping track with all our threads, but you're right! )

... [ he smushes his face into one of her pillows, so she can't see his face. ] Have I ever told you I'm really glad that we're friends? [ he gives the pillow a squeeze. ] And I absolutely want to get used to it, so it can't be used against me. I don't really think I have to worry about anybody on Wild City turning me without my consent, thankfully, but... nobody can really control game effects.

[ sits up, face just a little bit red. ] I have thankfully already started making a few good memories.

[sangreine]

[ His hiding in the pillow is frankly adorable, and she can't help a little, fond smile as she reclines on the bed beside him, propped on an elbow. She has a bit of a thing for blushing. ]

I'm glad, too. [ She reaches up to stroke his hair, because it's what would calm and comfort her if she were in his position. ] And I'll help you make all the good memories you want, whatever body you're in. Just tell me what I can do.

[586]

...thanks. [ he lets her stroke his hair for a few minutes and then he's rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling. ] We still need to do that food tour of the city. And maybe while we're at it we can stop at some of the other community upgrades the city's got. I think my favorite thing to do is just... experience new things...

[sangreine]

I'm up for it anytime. If there's anything else you want to try out, just say the word. There's very little I won't do at least once. [ They're stuck here, after all, they might as well have some fun with it. ]

[ She tosses a wink his way, because the mood has been entirely too heavy. ]

[586]

I appreciate that. I experienced little back home, so this place has a lot of firsts for me. [ smiles at the wink, sitting up. ] Does zrael have any interesting rooms besides that awful hatch room? [ that he didn't get to enjoy because he got stuck. ]

[sangreine]

[ Covering her mouth with one hand so she doesn't giggle at his description ] That's my favorite room, but I understand why it isn't yours. All I can suggest is a greenhouse filled with toxic plants or the balcony.

Or... if you don't mind using one of your unit abilities, I have an idea you might like. If you still want to see my other form, that is. [ Maybe this might level the playing field, so to speak. ]

[586]

...is there a reason it's filled with toxic plants? [ ... ] I'd like to see the greenhouse, if that's alright, since it may remind me of home.

Oh? Which ability were you thinking?

[sangreine]

Because it's Zrael. [ Where everything can and will destroy you given a reason, or a chance. ]

Your dream ability. I can't change forms here, but inside a dream I could. Maybe some part of me remembers what my other form looks like, or something close enough. If you're still interested, that is.