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XOXO ❅ VALENTINE'S EVENT
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.
❅ 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.
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"Nice to meet you, too," Stacia returns, thus completing the greeting ritual. "I haven't dealt with anything like this specifically, but I've had some experience with magic feelings talks." She makes a face. "At least isn't one where your brain-to-mouth filter gets disengaged. Those suck."
She shrugs. "Mine basically said that I need to ask for emotional support, but I'm generally good at that anyway. Heck, Bunny -- the Easter Bunny -- and I have a standing daily-hug agreement for whenever he's not super busy elsewhere."
(Okay, she's bragging, just a little. But the Easter Bunny thinks she's cute and gives her hugs on demand! What's not to brag about there?)
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It's true they had to do the duties of Santa Claus, but they sure didn't see Santa Claus at all that day. Are you telling her the Easter Bunny is present around here? And he gives hugs?
Okay, this world definitely has a lot of whimsy. If Taylor were more willing to leave herself vulnerable, she'd enjoy the thought of meeting the Easter Bunny and ask Stacia to take her to catch a glimpse of him, just out of curiosity, but she tries hard to not let that show.
But the strings are good at getting things out of her: "I kind of want to see him--"
She groans and looks down, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes tiredly.
"I know mine said I need to let my guard down but it's so hard. I just don't want to."
Less so because she distrusts others, but more because she comes from a place where keeping your guard up when not in a place of safety and relative comfort is needed.
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But still: Stacia has finally met someone who understands how cool it is that the Easter Bunny exists. This magic string nonsense is officially worth it.
"I'm not sure if he's still here; he said he was just dropping by between jobs, but I'll definitely come find you next time he comes by," she says. "Also, you might spot him around anyway, he's hard to miss: there aren't a lot of giant gray and white rabbits carrying boomerangs around here. Just call out 'Bunny!' and he'll at least pause and look around." She wrinkles her nose. "Actually, you should call out his name first if you want his attention at all. He's a martial artist and you look younger than me; he'd feel really bad if he reflexively threw you across the room on unexpected contact."
Also, just because he's a big scary Guardian of Childhood now doesn't mean he's not also a prey animal. But she's not going to put it that way to someone she's just met. She snaps her fingers.
"Speaking of -- and I'm not accusing you of anything -- if you have or have acquired animal-based powers, he will probably smell them on you. He'll keep quiet if you want to keep them secret though, you just have to tell him." She winks. "Consider that me laying the groundwork to indicate that I'm a reasonably trustworthy person, even if you're not ready to let your guard down yet." She shrugs. "I'll be honest, the only reason I'm as unguarded as I am right now is that I know that people here have my back."
Also because she can turn into an eight-foot-tall furry death-blender at will. That's reassuring under a lot of circumstances.
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Unbeknown to Taylor, her power has enough oddities to raise an alarm or two. She's not aware Miguel's senses can pick hers up, and vice versa.
"Not sure a trustworthy person calls themselves that, but I guess that'd be harder to hide during this day."
The strings, the arrows, something would reveal it. Still...
"You know what, fine. Let's see if that's enough for the strings. I'll try to let my guard down and believe everything you just said."
Easier said than done, and Taylor does take a deep breath as if to prepare, but it's really, really hard for her. The string around her finger loosens up, not falling down, but hey, it's far better than how it was before. Taylor did try, she just has a tremendously hard time not worrying about things.
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Sometimes you've just got to let people dislike you. Other times, it's worth it to make them like you against their better judgment. She counts Amigo de las Serpientes' good opinion of her among her greatest accomplishments. If she can get him to like her, she can endear herself to anyone in the Nation if she puts her mind to it.
"So yeah, I don't exactly expect you to trust me, sight-unseen," she says. "All the evidence you've got of my good intentions is the word of the Man in the Moon, and what reason do you have to trust him? I'm willing to put in the work to prove it, is all."