XOXO ❅ VALENTINE'S EVENT

[nightmods]

XOXO

One major problem with being the group that's responsible for solving all kinds of problems in the myth world is other myths can kind of be dicks about it. That's why, on Valentine's Day, Cupid shows up, quickly offloads his kid (the toddler Baby Cupid), and runs off to take care of spreading love on his holiday, with barely a how'd you do. He doesn't even say thank you.

To be fair, you can't fault him too much for only trusting the Guardians to babysit his kid in these dangerous and uncertain times, especially when children at risk against the fearlings.

Still, that means there's a giggling toddler, about 2-years-old in appearance, but maybe with the mental age of a 4 or 5 (he is definitely old enough to understand he's being naughty and deserving of a time out) flitting around the Pole causing all kinds of Valentine's related problems. Fortunately, the toddler has learned that he's not quite old enough to know the right times to help people fall in love (Adult Cupid just helps things along when they're already falling, or when they need help falling back in love, of course).

Instead, Baby C is doing what his father taught him to do and causing all kinds of tricks to try to get people to admit feelings that already exist or manufacturing ways for them to become closer to each other.

HONESTY ARROWS ♥ Baby Cupid isn't shooting magic arrows that cause anyone to develop feelings for each other but he sure is trying to make sure people talk about whatever feelings they have. Anyone hit will be compelled to blurt out various truths about themselves, their personal history, and their feelings to whoever is around them and will have difficulty stopping or drawing themselves away. In fact, if someone walks away they'll feel compelled to find someone else to confess to. The effect wears off anywhere between 5 minutes to a half hour.

TATTLETALE ROSES ♥ Vines of roses are now growing all over the Workshop. For those who are in love, they take the form of the face of the person they're in love with. The more they try to hide it or deny it from someone they're talking to, the more of them bloom with the person's face.

THORNY VINES OF CLOSENESS ♥ The rose vines have their own annoying purpose: bonding! For people that clearly need to become friends, fall in love, or fall deeper in love, thorny vines will wrap around both people, forcing them into a little cage together. The thorns fortunately won't poke them - they seem to be maneuvered in a way to just make sure there are no gaps to escape through. The vines are magically reinforced and can't be opened with any physical or magical means. After that, one of two things will happen:

1) A card will fall from the ceiling of the cage saying: Tell each other how you really feel about each other!!! This will happen if the cage thinks they need to affirm the status of their relationship, whether they need to admit they're in love, admit they've been bitten by the friend bug if they're reluctant to, or really need to talk about how much they mean to each other as friends. Only then will they be let out of the feelings shame corner.

2) If the two don't know each other, or both people could afford to get to know each other better multiple cards will drop from the ceiling with icebreaker questions, as if they're a bunch of new hires at an orientation.

How many will they have to answer before they're released? Who knows! But they have to answer them honestly or the cage won't open.

CANDY LONELY HEARTS ♥ People who are on the lonelier side and in need of support might find a candy heart on a random surface. The messages on them are on the platonic side (Like "You rock!" or "Shine on!") They'll feel compelled to eat them (even if they're on the floor). When they do, a glowing red thread will appear and tie itself around their finger. Briefly, in the air, the glowing string will form into letters that tell the person what they need to do to be release, whether it's telling someone they're lonely, asking for some kind of support, or admitting a vulnerability.

Then it'll whip out and grab someone else nearby, wrapping around their finger as well. Sometimes, two people might eat a candy at the same time and each have a string appear and they'll tie in the middle.

The strings are unbreakable, and they won't be set free until whoever ate a candy talks about their loneliness or vulnerable feelings - regardless of whether or not the other person is an eager listener.

OOC DETAILS
❅ Starters: You can make up your own wildcard effects, feel free! If you do, please consider posting it to the Wildcard comment below so others might be able to pick up the same effect as well if they like them.

❅ Multiple effects: Feel free to have characters slammed by as many of Baby C's traps in the same thread as you want. No reason someone can't have the worst luck and trip three Cupid traps at once or several of them in a row.

Comments

Honesty Arrows

[mostdangerousbird]

[ He pushed a yeti out of the way. That’s how this happened.

A streak of hot pink light, a shove, and a burst of something that isn’t pain flooding from where the glowing arrow hit him in the chest, right at his heart.

Tim’s momentarily frozen in primal dread, waiting for a flash of pain. His legs to give out.

Nothing.

He’s… fine? There’s a growing, warm itch that’s feels like cabin fever in physical form. An urge to find someone and burn off an overcharged social battery.

(That can’t be good.)

Tim tries to pull the arrow out, but it turns to rosy mist in his hand. Fantastic, he doesn’t even have proof of what happened after getting shot by a cherub and oh shit he’s so screwed. He sees the little shit flying up in the dome and shouts after it. ]

I didn’t need your help!

[orivodika]

[Boba is about to walk past Tim when Baby Cupid swoops around for a second pass. He feels the impact on his back, but the following pain doesn't come. ]

What the-

[He whips around to see what-- or who-- got him, but Baby Cupid's already flying out reach again. He can't reach the spot where he was hit, but it doesn't feel like there's anything stuck in there, and looking down at his chest it's obvious that nothing passed through his chest.

He looks up and meets Tim's eyes at the same time a terrible itching-feeling starts to build.]

My name isn't Lucky, I've been lying since we got here.

[Why did he say that?

At least the itching isn't as bad now.]

[mostdangerousbird]

Yeah, I know. Lucky was always more likely to be a nickname, unless your parents were into being unique but were also blind to the fact that Lucky's actually a common nickname so how unique is that.

[ Ooookay, the itch in his chest is making him bitchy apparently, and Tim's just insulted the kid's parents about his name, or nickname. Very mature. ]

My friends called me Rob until I was 15 because I couldn't tell them my name.

[ What the - okay, relevant, but where did that come from? Tim doesn't usually put that out into the universe. He rubs his sternum and wonders if old wounds are able to cause phantom pain unprompted years later. ]

[orivodika]

[Boba feels weirdly defensive about the fake name he chose.]

It's not just a nickname, most clone names are short like that. Long ones are safety hazards.

[He did not want to bring up the clones. What is happening?]

Rob... so you're good at stealing? Or did you get mugged?

[Because obviously if you've been given a name it has to be relevant to your skills or a standout event in your life.]

[mostdangerousbird]

Most nicknames are short like that.

[ He keeps the correction gentle, because Tim’s not about to make Lucky feel like he’s wrong or less for being a clone.

(Kon would handle this better, but it’s not on him to be their resident clone expert.)

He’ll come back to why it’s not safe in a moment. ]

No. Well, yes, but it depends on your definition of stealing. They called me Rob because I go by Robin sometimes. Rob sounds like a normal name. Nothing to be suspicious about hanging out with your buddy Rob. Rob’s shorter and easier to shout during an emergency, too, so it’s safer in a fight.

When we’re here at the workshop, you can call me Tim, but if we’re out in the world? Then you can call me Rob.

Re: Honesty Arrows

[lowercase_el]

[Kon would think that can't be good but also it's some little toddler flying around getting up to mischief. Somehow he thinks mischief is about the worst it's going to get. Still, Baby Cupid, an arrow...]

[Kon practically dives in front of Tim's face to try to make sure he's the first thing that he sees, instead of another Guardian or one of the Yetis. It's not even flying, this is just a pure impulse based superspeed dive, like the reverse of someone getting instantly punched out of frame in a movie, that only ends in him flying so he doesn't straight up hit the deck. Basically, he Jazzy Jeffs it but under his own power rather than getting Uncle Phil'd.]

[The point of it is, having dived in his face, arms spread wide, he's taken up Tim's entire frame of vision. So if that arrow is a love at first sight thing, he's hopefully keeping him near the usual love baseline so he doesn't feel awkward about it later.]

Just checking but you're not suddenly in love with one of the Bigfeets, right? 'Cause if I have to wander around the Pole in a gilly suit all the time just for a chance to win you back, that's gonna get old pretty fast.

[mostdangerousbird]

[ That was also what Tim had been worried about. He didn't need Cupid's help because, well, he was already in love. Quite happily, with someone who was smart enough to dive bomb him to make sure the arrow's magic didn't take with anybody else.

(Nothing against the yetis. Mike in Action Figures is great. Tim just prefers partners that are more traditionally humanoid and named Kon.)

Tim gives Kon a warm smile, intending to say Nope, still love you and then make some as yet undefined flirt about Kon in a World War II military uniform. ]

Nope, gonna spend the rest of my life in love with you, even after I find a way to screw it up by trying to convince you to move to Gotham or making you promises you know I can't keep or putting your life above mine because I said I wasn't doing that anymore because I can't stop thinking that way. I've tried and you're going to find out again -

[ The smile's fading into horror, because Tim's opened some sort of floodgate that he can't close. The pressure of the words won't let him stop, and the itch where the arrow struck him is burning. ]

And be upset because I'm in love with you, and I don't know how to get out of that cycle because something always takes you away. Why am I still talking? I think I have PTSD.

[lowercase_el]

...oh that arrow sure did something.

[Some kind of truth serum kinda thing?]

Ooookay, why don't we go somewhere private? Since I know you, and I know if other people overhear you, you're gonna hate it.

[He takes him by the hand, lifting him in the air with his teke.]

And then I'm gonna say some stuff since I'm not going to ignore giant feelings like that, but so you don't spend the one minute it takes to get there twigging out about it possibly being bad, I'll say up front that it's all gonna be good stuff.

[mostdangerousbird]

[ His ears are hot, and the embarrassment of throwing stuff out there completely unprompted like this is a normal conversation to start casually.

In public.

Kon can’t get them somewhere else fast enough for Tim’s liking. ]

Please get me out of here. I’m still twigging because that’s what you’re supposed to say when someone’s in distress.

[ He’s so careful with his words. He didn’t tell Kon his name for well over a year. It’s not easy filtering out every precious personal detail; caution is carved into his very being. It’s like he’s been pantsed in a crowded room. ]

They’re giant feelings.

[ Not. He meant to say they’re not giant feelings, nor are they new, to try to make this more his choice and spin. ]

I mean they’re giant feelings!!

[ He has no control over his tongue at all. This is possibly the worst nonviolent thing that’s happened to him. Ever. ]

Can we focus on how I’m planning on middle age now? That came out right. We can talk about that.

[dontleavehome]

I'm pretty sure that baby cupid's no mindreader.

[Ami has been following the little kid for a while now, observing the mayhem it causes and staying well out of reach. It hasn't always worked, but so far it hasn't taken a shot at her - she HOPES that's not because of her age, because she'd be insulted if that is the case, also on behalf of everyone else her age - but she's not too worried about it, having seen people's reactions. Not that she's going to say that.]

So he's not no way of knowing that you need no help. [Said in a tone that implies that she's not so sure of that.]

[mostdangerousbird]

[ Tim keeps his eyes closed to avoid looking at anyone until he has this figured out. He waves a hand blindly upwards. ]

No, he's a menace. And maybe yes. He's Cupid, isn't he? Not the greek god, but the modern greeting card myth, flying around shooting people with non-fatal arrows tipped with hearts that cause people to fall in love at first sight?

[ He is definitely not feeling the holiday spirit, despite wearing a red sweater. ]

I've already got someone out of my league, so I don't need his help overwriting that. I'm sure you're great. That probably means you're a bad idea because my track record is yikes.

[dontleavehome]

[She has to laugh. And then raises a hand, counting on her fingers:]

Let's see. Old enough to be your mother. Very much taken already. I'm sure I can think of more - [like being the wrong species, but that's not something she can say out loud.] - You know what, don't sweat about it. [She pats his arm.] I'm not offended. Go drink something cold. You'll be just fine.

That someone out of your league here?

[mostdangerousbird]

I've dated people who were a thousand and five. It's not like it sounds - gods and clones were involved. Why am I still talking?! Everyone involved was mentally, biologically and legally an adult!

[ Despite the growing frustration, he is still very much not looking at her. Neither of them sound interested, and the simplest explanation is really to be avoided, but there is clearly something else going on i. ]

Who invited the myth about non-consensual romance? I'm going to have a talk with Jack.

[arthropoda]

It's not poisoned, is it?

[This is the first time Taylor sees the little cherub shooting someone, and right away, her thought was that it might be laced with something to weaken you. She doesn't suspect a thing about the real effect of the arrow.]

[mostdangerousbird]

[ He stops his examination of his shirt (no hole, not even a pulled thread) and shoots Taylor a concerned look. ]

I'm not sure, and that bothers me more than the itch.

[ His hand stretches the neck of his shirt so it can slip inside and check the tingling skin. No, there's nothing wrong. He doesn't even have a scratch. ]

Why is it itching?

[arthropoda]

[Itching...oh yes, that's not a good sign. Taylor's knowledge of bugs and what they can do for self-defense sure has given her knowledge of a few toxins and the such -- although it's all pretty esoteric and unlikely to be used by anyone who, well, isn't her. She gives Tim a light push.]

Come on, you should go back to the dorms. I'll stay around until we're sure you're fine.

[And she should tell someone with the capacity of tending to a sick person, probably. There must be someone. A yeti? Probably not an elf. No, one of the humans in the group will be best, but who? She doesn't know everyone's skills well enough to be sure who would be right for this.

Needless to say, although she's alert and a few stray bugs are flittering around in the workshop, on the lookout for anything that's off or that could be harmful, a magical Cupid toddler flying around is not something she'll catch on in time. She's vulnerable to such things, as she'll be finding out soon. Tim won't be the only one with a need to reveal things soon]

Re: Honesty Arrows

[50millions1pint]

[Jake was just walking around looking for something to do when sees Tim all agitated. Laying his back against the wall, he crosses his arms.]

Hey Pomander kid, do you know where they keep the guns? We can shoot those little shits.

[mostdangerousbird]

[ Why is the first thought of so many people where's the guns? This isn't a gun situation. You can't fight magic with guns. ]

It's Tim. Yes, I know where there are some guns in this building. I'm not telling you because they belong to other individuals because this is Santa's workshop and it makes me deeply uncomfortable that you want to shoot toddlers. Even myth toddlers. It's a kid.

[50millions1pint]

[Jake completely ignores Tim's complaint.]

Santa with guns would be pretty badass. We can ask him, if he's done enslaving elves and shit.

Re: Honesty Arrows

[wisdomreceiver]

Oh, hey.

[Henry sounds flat but not out of boredom or being dismissive, it's just how he is.]

Are you okay?

[mostdangerousbird]

[ Ordinarily, Tim is actually tolerant of most questions, and he's not intolerant of this one, but the honesty effect means that Henry is getting more of a response than he might have wanted. ]

I just got hit with a magic arrow, so no, I'm probably not okay. It's an improvement over the other 4 times I've been shot with actual arrows, and I'll take it over being shot or stabbed any day, but no, not okay. Thanks for asking, and unless you're a wizard, you can't help.

[wisdomreceiver]

[A moment of silence follows. Henry blinks slowly, displaying confusion.]

Does it hurt?

[Why else would he be upset?]

[bestbrotherever]

[Loki was close enough to see Tim get shot, but not close enough to do anything about it. He still rushes over quickly, hands glowing with magic, ready for field first aid.]

Wait- [And by the time he gets there, Tim's already pulled the arrow out, leaving no trace of it or any wound.] Ah... magic. Likely seasonal.

It seems you are not wounded, but also likely not untouched. Do you know what it has done, and whether the culprit should be stopped from causing further trouble?

[He scans the dome as he talks, looking for the winged baby, but it seems to be gone. Or maybe it's being stealthy...]

[mostdangerousbird]

[ No matter who saw him get shot, it was never not going to be weird. But Loki?

Trebly weird. Tim keeps his eyes shut and shakes his head. ]

No, and yes. Cupid's arrows are either tipped with gold or lead. Golden arrows induce desire, lead trigger a flight response. No offense meant, but I do not want to deal with a 50/50 chance to play Apollo to my ex's alt's Daphne.

[bestbrotherever]

[Loki pauses, working that out, then smiles slyly. Not that Tim can see it.]

Ex, hm? I hope there are no hard feelings.

So, the effect triggers on the first person you see? Then perhaps I can dispell it before you open your eyes. If I may?

[Like he's going to wait for permission to at least study whatever magic's hanging around Tim.]