imeeji_frontstage | ✨🏮🐅🏮✨

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. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Man, that does sound like fun compared to these days.

It was kinda nice.

The costumes were all over the place. Cobalt was this real goofy crab.

...Why a crab?

Cause it was funny, probly?

Here, c'mere, I still got the pics.

[Digging his phone out to show them off]

[And he finds them, after scrolling back a ways: about seven snapshots of Cobalt in his costume, standing outside in the dark, holding a candle]

[Taking a look - and snickering.]

Pffft, that's what you guys got? What was your outfit?

HSS was all cheerleaders.

[He pages back a little more, and his smile goes soft and more than a little sad, as he hands over the phone. There's a picture of Mori, Hiryuu, Hurricane, Prim, and King in cheerleader outfits, doing some dumb cheer]

...next one over's the video, if you wanna make fun of me forever.

Edited 2022-01-22 07:01 (UTC)

[Catching that - but taking the phone to page to the next entry because of course he does.]

Oh? You know I can't resist that.

[Here it is, in all its glory]

[Hurricane leans in to watch over Izanagi's shoulder, uncharacteristically quiet]

[The whole rest of his team is gone; not a single one of the people in this cheer are still in the city]