there's a monster in my closet

[reddosmod]

MAY 2022 EVENT

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Half man, half goat gazing through the sky in front of mountain.]
[Image Two: Deer-like skeletal creature talking in a forest.]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Bees crawling out of and over a calm man's cheek.]
[Image Two: Humanoid figure with honeycomb skin.]

Prompt Three
[Image One: Skull beside dried flowers.]
[Image Two: Red wilting flowers. ]

[NAVIGATION]

Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3 • Plotting • Newsletter

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

SELF EVALUATION

WHEN: May
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Body horror, heavy themes of dysphoria and body dysmorphia, acceptance of self, forced physical transformations.

---

An excerpt from Book of Bausphomette:

"They say you should walk a mile in someone's shoes before casting judgment. The true rhetoric can be applied to Bausphomette's version of 'self-evaluation.' It shouldn't come as a surprise that a Pthumerian would have a very different idea of self-evaluation than the typical person, but here we are and I'm going to give you a heads up: don't freak out about the fur.

Or scales. Really, it could be anything, but when your body starts to change into something you can't recognize, you're not going crazy and you're not turning into a Beast. Or okay, you're turning into a beast but not a Beast with a capital B. You will be yourself, have your normal personality, your normal thoughts, your normal habits...You just...Won't exactly look like yourself. People have been known to turn into minotaurs or sprout ten wings or become half-goat on top and all fish on the bottom. Either way, you're not going to be physically recognizable.

But you will be yourself. You will just have new vocal cords or have to learn a new means of communication. Telling your loved ones about your sudden transformation might be a bit alarming, but I think that's kind of the point. Bausphomette seems to believe the monstrous transformation will allow people to consider different parts of themselves that are usually hindered by social judgments. Are you really happy with yourself enough to not mind being a beast? How does this impact your relationship with your body? Does your body matter to you as much as you believed? Can you adapt to this new body and come to love it?

Granted, not everyone has hated this process. It has made some parts of life especially exciting...If you know what I mean. Thankfully the process doesn't last! The general idea is that once you have accepted something about yourself you will begin to turn back to your usual body! Of course, for more stubborn folks, this has been known to take a few months...Try not to be too stubborn or resistant to the new change! ...It will only make it worse."

QUICK FACTS 1. Your character can have various monstery attributes during May. They should be monsterous - not cute little ears or a non-distracting tail.

2. The lesson the characters learn can vary greatly and depend on what players choose to explore.

3. Feel free to go as heavy-handed with the body horror. Your character can magically just wake up with the body or go through some painful transformation.

4. Characters should NOT have mental alteration during this period. The point is that they are still themselves regardless of their new appearance.

5. Have the size of the beast be appropriate to the setting's size.

6. Temporary powers can be gained through the beast's body for the month. Do not break the setting.

HUMMING IN THE SKIN

WHEN: May
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Increased bouts of mindless violence, optional insect-based horror, insects in skin, honeycomb in skin, bodies as hives for insects, extreme body horror.

---

An old article clipping was gathered from a newspaper that used to run in Trench. It seems like the rest of the article is missing except for the end:

"And, he said, "They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What's blood for, if not for shedding?"

We do not know what this Sleeper's intent was, but we do know the impact lasted. Reports of symptoms include feeling as though your skin is humming, that there's itchiness you can't quite get rid of like something is always crawling over your skin and around inside of you. Some people claim that this remains a mental only terror that keeps them up at night. Some have been known to scratch open holes in their skin and pull themselves apart just to make sure they aren't filled with bugs. We wish we could say that it was only a paranoid curse, but it seems there is some foundation to the concern.

Some who have gotten cuts or other injuries at this time will discover various insects, but especially bees crawling out from exposed wounds. Once you have gotten an injury, the humming seems to get worse. A descent to madness happens swiftly, but all at once, you become calm and content with the situation. Your skin slowly becomes honeycombed, bees moving in and out of you freely. You become a walking, talking hive.

But of course, that's just the worst-case scenario. For the most part, people who are itching mindlessly seem to be driven to bouts of violence, wanting to get rid of the feeling by randomly attacking those nearby. Strangely enough, the bloodshed during these attacks does not seem to contribute to blood pollution.

Instead, blood shed during this time of month seems to be instantaneously soaked up by your immediate surroundings. The bees from these people have been seen flying everywhere, and instead of collecting pollen, they seem to be collecting blood magic. Either to bring it back to their walking hives or using it for other deeds..."

IMPOSTERS

WHEN: May-June
WHERE: Outside where flowers can be found
CONTENT WARNINGS: Demonic, violent, blood thirsty flowers?? Parasite style monsters.

---

From Plantlife and You: Trench Edition:

"This is a tricky subject as it does not technically have to do with actual plantlife but rather the nefarious imitation of plantlife.

As spring begins be cautious of the plants around you. It might be lovely to see tulips popping open and other spring delights coming to light. We all like to see the splashes of color pop up around Trench, especially after such cold, long months...But be wary.

Among these flowers are insidious imposters. Telling them apart from the original flowers is almost impossible. You can only do your best to be careful around any plantlife you interact with. They look like flowers, but these creatures are demonic beasts who have perfectly cultivated a flawless mimic. Instead of sunlight and water, they soak in the blood of Trench up through their roots. If you pick the wrong flower, blood will squirt out from the roots and vines.

The bees from Sleeper bodies seem intent on pollinating these exact flowers with blood, leaving little bloody streaks in their wake, but the bees jump between normal flowers and the imposters, making it difficult to properly figure out which is which.

I know what you're thinking: okay, so what? They eat blood, big deal, they are just flowers...

Ha! Did you really think it would be that simple? No, no, these imposters will invade your gardens and your homes. Their little vines will wrap around your foot when you're in the garden or taking a walk. It's not evident at first, but it doesn't take much for a flower to grow on your body. Harmless, painless, but they will suck your blood dry. They have been known as silent killers, parasitic, draining you of life and energy and magic slowly but surely.

And the catch is once you have one flower growing on you, more will come, and it can distort your personality and make you feel or act as though you are drunk. Things won't make sense and you won't exactly know how to ask for help. Your only luck is that someone else will notice. Taking the flowers off requires an icy bath or shower and some serious salt scrub. To prevent this in general, you will want to keep your skin covered thoroughly and not allow pollen to brush against you since that's all it takes. Good luck!"

CODING

Comments

Megumi Fushiguro | Jujutsu Kaisen | Cold Blood

[stoicsilhouette]

[Two tired itchy eyes intently focus on a single white lily. The delicate tufts of pure ivory gently sway in the wind. He is brought to a place of comfort as he is reminded of someone from the past. It isn't long before an acute rush of nostalgia settles in. Taking in the moment, he decides this flower deserves a spot in his notes.

Now, these lilies usually bloom in the summer, however this one seems to have blossomed early. It's a little unusual, but if the environment is suitable for the species it's not totally unheard of.

As he crouches down his ears are met by the quiet hum of bees nearby. The tranquil lull is soothing. Before beginning to sketch, he does a quick survey of his surroundings. Too many times, his instincts and keen sense of danger have accurately detected unseen predators waiting for him to drop his guard and take the opportunity to attack. – Keep trying because today is not the day! hopefully

Kage, sensing a shift in priorities, leaps out of his shadow and keeps an intent eye out for additional threats.

Feeling satisfied he is safe, he takes out his journal dedicated to plants and vegetation. Turning to the floral section, he begins to sketch out what he perceives to be one of nature's rare gifts. It's not long before...]

Achoo!
Tsk.

[The charcoal skids across the paper marking one of the pristine petals with a black streak. Annoying. His eyebrows furrow out of irritation before continuing to sketch.

Making your way through the fresh dewy spring-touched forest you come across a slender young man. You may or may not recognize him, but you notice a strange formation of flowers along his wrist and a bud on the tip of his nose. But what exactly is he doing??

A. Resting against the back of an old large tree, his head is slouched forward with eyes closed. His journal is still open and his palm is face up with a piece of charcoal. An observant character may notice two large golden eyes peering from behind the tree.

B. Someone's belongings are scattered about. There is a backpack propped up against a massive tree. Looking up you are met by his backside with one leg straddling a branch (its sturdiness questionable,) and the other, in a suspended state, dangling about two meters off the ground. A large black wolf circles the tree, nervously pacing with ears drawn back.

C. A small mourning sound echoes through the serine spring landscape. Huddled in a ball with knees to his chest and face buried in his arms, a teenager appears to be sobbing. His hands are covered in black soot. All of his belongings seem to be neatly organized, and to the right of him a loyal canine companion sits at his side giving him a small comforting lick to the side of his head. ]

OOC: Here is a link to my plotting post!!

Makoto Kino | CW for Prompt 1 & 3 | OTA

[thunderingcourage]

01: Prompt one: Growing Pains | Early Morning May 9: Cellar Door Various Locations
Those who knew Makoto, who knew her on a personal level, they were able to easily tell that she had always been a little uncomfortable with her body. She was self-conscious about her height and size, her weight, and not being feminine. She'd been running a little late so she'd gotten dressed in a hurry, which was a little difficult since it seemed like her clothes shrunk or something in the washer, her shirt leaving her entire mid-drift exposed, and hugging her chest a little too tight, while her dress only reached the middle of her calf. For a minute she wondered if maybe she'd grabbed Usagi's clothes by mistake, but they were definitely hers.

Walking towards the bakery, they became a bit more uncomfortable, and she had to pull the shoes off completely. But it was when she noticed the coloration of her skin changing that she realized that the issue hadn't been the clothes. She was getting larger still, horns began to protrude from her skull as she grasped at her head. Eventually, the stitching of her uniform tore, and a panicked mix of a grunt and roar escaped. It was still early in the morning so most of Trench wasn't up, but the sound of a ten-foot green giant might have served for a good wake up call to those in the Cellar Door. She had to find somewhere to go, to hide.

02: Prompt three: Weeding the garden | Early may evening: Cellar Door Pink Monstrocity

Makoto had a garden near the shop, but since it was in the middle of Cellar Door there wasn't too much space. So the main garden where she grew most of the flowers and plants that she kept in Flour and Bloom were grown at home, at the pink monstrosity where she lived with Usagi and Atsushi. The tulips were coming nice, as were the day Lilly, peony, there was even a bit of lavender and the month's special Black Knight. It was in the garden that she'd spotted the first of the imposters the previous day, having guaranteed it after it had drained the vitality out of all the others in the area. Something was oddly familiar about it.

She hadn't noticed the pollen that was released though, or the few buds that were starting to bloom right along her hairline, easily enough mistaken for the floral accessories she loved to wear.

03: Prompt three: Sleeping Beauty | Midmay: Cellar Door Flour & Bloom Bakery
Makoto had had a few headaches and found herself dozing off occasionally between batches of baked goods while she was on the clock. But she refused to miss any more time after what had happened earlier in the month when she'd been a monster. And so she was still there, a bit pale but acting as rosy as ever, with tulips in her hair.

Only when she turned around did the room keep spinning and the lights went out. There was a clatter of a metal tray hitting the ground as fresh cinnamon rolls scattered across the floor. In the middle of it, Makoto just lying there unresponsive as several vines began to work their way down her neck.

Wildcard: Plotting thread in case there's anything else you'd like to play out. Want to be attacked by a random angry Makoto/Sailor Jupiter let me know.

3. Sleeping Beauty meet Snow White

[onebadapple]

Snow White was humming softly and was nibbling on anything that couldn't be sold for the day. She couldn't help it! She was just pulling out some of the more burnt brownies only to stop when she heard a clatter of metal.

She ran over to the sound and her eyes widened.

"Makoto!" she crouched down beside her, gently shaking her. "Makoto! Makoto!" her hands pulled away as she saw vines begin to crawl down Makoto's neck. Should she pull the vines? She hurried to the back entrance, having promised to keep her animals outside of the kitchen.

Snow White pleaded with them to help her and her friend, the cleanliness could be dealt with later, Makoto was in danger!

Several animals came inside, looking around and chittering or squeaking as one of bluebirds said that it was a mimic flower, the one the bees were bringing things to.

"So what do I do!"

There were several more chirps and gestures to the giant refrigerator and something about an ice bath. Snow White grabbed Makoto by the hands while her animals did their best to help Snow White lift Makoto. The raccoons managed to get the fridge door open and with several heaves and hos, Snow White dragged Makoto into the freezer.

"Oh please let this be enough!" she panted, puffs of air coming out of her mouth. "Oh! Get me the salt containers! Maybe we need to do both!"

1

[tealeafs]

Chizuru likes to think that it was a blessing that she got up bright and early to already get some chores done today.

.. but maybe it's not that much of a blessing after all, considering it's exactly the fact that she's up early and out in town to begin with that suddenly makes her hear that roar. It sounds terrifying, but she's just curious enough to make sure there's nothing bad going on where someone is being hurt that Chizuru can't help but let her feet carry her in the direction of the sound.

But when she spots the huge, huge creature that let out that sound, Chizuru instinctively shrieks before she can even think about trying to keep quiet.

Which means that Makoto might realise she's already been found out, since Chizuru is standing there in the middle of the road, staring right at Makoto's tall form with wide eyes, clearly startled.

[strikefirster]

Johnny may have enjoyed a lot of late nights at the bars throughout Trench, but it somehow didn't stop him from being up bright and early in the morning. It was the best time to get some training in without having to deal with people. He could handle his students no problem but even he was aware of how easily he grinded against other people.

He rounds the corner on his morning run when he hears the roar and his pace picks up quickly. Of course there'd be something he'd have to kick the shit out of this morning (or probably die to, let's be real.), except when he finally comes face to face with Makoto he vaguely recognizes her. But more than that he recognizes the dismay on her face.

"Holy shit, girl. You got fucking tall. Nice."

01

[undermoonlight]

Makoto-chan?!

[It might be early, and he may have only been at their house a few minutes, but Atsushi is at the bakery in a flash. Literally. He's transformed his legs and sped over as an unnatural flash of blue light. All it took was feeling her emotions through their bond for Atsushi to drop everything and rush over.

He still doesn't know what has happened, but excuse him for assuming the worse. After the past few months, there's little to no trust left in this tiger. He won't be of the right mind to change his body back until he's found her either. His movements are blue blurs as he searches for her, concern rising with each second.]

Makoto-chan, where are you? It's Atsushi! What's wrong?

Wei Wuxian | The Untamed | OTA

[chenqing_player]

Transformations
He woke up and thought things were normal until his feet hit the floor beside his bed. He stared down at the now much larger and hairy feet that resembled paws. He starts to feel the panic in his body rise as he slowly looks down at himself. He doesn't understand how this happened. He stands up and goes to a mirror and fear grips his heart. He quickly backs away from the image. The face that stares back at him is quite canine in nature. Which is terrible because he is afraid of dogs.

He lets out a slow breath and walks up to the mirror again. It's terrifying but he needs to know exactly what he looks like. He reaches to touch his face, feeling over the fur that now covers it and the face that is completely unrecognizable. His hands are at least still a bit more human so he can function but the rest of him is going to be very hard to deal with...

Working the Shop
He has no choice but to keep working. Being this creature that he has become is unavoidable and he has to figure out how to make it go away. So to do that he has decided that while he is manning the shop and selling teas and incense to customers to help them with their transformations, he will work on fixing his own. Most of his remedies so far are only alleving discomforts caused by the change but he is determined.

He looks up when he hears someone enter and offers as much of a smile as he can with that canine face. "Welcome! What can I help you with?"

Helping Others
He has been trying to help people whenever he notices the flowers that are feeding from them. Still stuck in his more canine body he tries his best not to startle people when he hurries up to them. But he knows how intimidating he appears. So as he sees someone dealing with one of those flowers growing from them he hurries up but also makes sure to warn them that he comes in peace.

"Don't be afraid! I'm not going to hurt you. I have a way to help you with getting rid of that flower but you have to trust me."

Wildcard
[Your own starter!]

shop!

[mehanizovati]

[cw for body horror and plant body horror, if you'd like i can keep it vague! also terminal illness also mentioned]

One thing Viktor can't really avoid is going out to restock on incense, not with his lungs the way they are. Coughing blood is already a problem but more so when it attracts beasts, so he needs to keep a steady supply for his lab, just on his person. Annoying but manageable. Usually it isn't even a problem.

Now though the Trench has its new trick of transformation, and for Viktor that means plants. Most of the change he can still hide under the poncho he stole from Pal, leaves and stems occasionally peaking out between the buttons in the front, spilling out from his hood and drooping over half his face in an annoying way.

Still, he can hide it enough, he supposes, which is more than most could say. Such as the man in this new shop he's trying for incense, who gets a sympathetic look when Viktor sees him. Trench bullshit, right?

"I'm looking for incense," he informs, leaning on his crutch and glancing around the shop and the selections. Even a couple of months here and he's still finding new places. "Though if you have any tea or the like that could help with headaches I would also be interested."

Shouta Aizawa | My Hero Academia | Darkblood

[erasureye]

Self evaluation. [ cw: minor body horror / eye horror ]

[ To Shouta, physical appearance has never held that much importance. So when the transformation happens – and luckily for him, there’s no pain or turmoil involved – at first, he doesn’t think much of it.

Though he's not a fan of it, either. In place of his eyes are two hollowed-out eye sockets, and looking at himself in the mirror is like looking into two black voids that threaten to consume him – it’s unsettling, and he honestly doesn’t know how he can see at all. His skin is pale and sickly white, and his movements are stiff and rigid, making him look like a cross between a ghost and a walking corpse – or at least, that’s what comes to mind when he sees himself.

But it’s not the end of the world. People are used to horrible things in Trench, so it’s not even like he draws all that much attention – yet at the same time… he notices over the course of a few days that he’s getting more looks than he’s used to whenever he goes out. It’s unpleasant and irritating, and that feeling builds up little by little - so when he notices someone staring at him on his way to gather food, maybe it’s no surprise that he turns to them with an irritated expression and stares at them head on. ]

What? Do you need something from me?

HUMMING IN THE SKIN [cw: insects, violence, blood/stabbings, compromised mental states. ]

[ There’s a humming under Shouta’s skin.

It’s like… an incessant buzzing. It started that way, at least – just a humming in his ears that wouldn’t go away, an itch that he couldn’t quite seem to scratch, and it was irritating, sure, but he didn’t think much of it. But soon, the feeling grew stronger, and stronger, and it’s with sudden horror that he’d realized all at once - there was something crawling underneath his skin. When he’d realized that, it had filled him with so much disgust and revulsion that he thought he was going to be sick, and it took him all his willpower not to vomit until his stomach was empty.

By some miracle, for a few days, he’d managed to resist the urge to hurt himself. But as the days have passed, he’s now grown desperate. What the hell is this? How does he make it go away?

Now, he wants to tear himself apart. He wants to cut open his skin and reach inside; to crush the bugs until nothing remains, until he can’t feel them anymore – writhing and squirming and violating him in every way and it's just

too

much.

And one day, out on the streets of Trench, it all boils over.

Before he even knows what he’s doing, Shouta takes the knife that he always carries with him and running towards a stranger, he stabs - the knife sliding cleanly into uncut flesh. The blood squelches out and runs down their skin, but it’s not enough, and soon, he’s kicking his victim aside and smashing them into the floor with his foot. ]

It won’t stop…!!

[ He growls, sounding like a man possessed. It’s not enough! The humming won’t go away, why won’t it go away!! With that thought repeating in his head, he whirls around with knife in hand, ready to attack someone else again.

Will you stop him? Or will you just watch and enjoy the show? ]

IMPOSTERS. [ cw: compromised mental states. Takes place before the above prompt. ]

[ Most people would probably just assume he’s drunk.

As Shouta stumbles forwards, his movements uncoordinated and haphazard, that’s certainly all it looks like. It’s difficult to say if people are avoiding him because they don’t want to deal with him, or if it’s the way that his eyes are still hollowed-out sockets and his skin is pale as a sheet. It’s not a pretty sight, and if he were in a more coherent state of mind, he couldn’t exactly blame them for it…

But there are flowers hidden under the sleeves of his shirt, along his arms and his lower legs. He came outside to get help, but it didn’t take long for him to forget what he was here for and what he was doing at all, so now he’s just aimlessly wondering around outside, waiting for someone to notice him. Something’s wrong – he knows that much, but he can’t vocalize why or what it is. Something is… he needs… needs…

As he trips up and falls right onto you, he looks up. When he speaks, his voice is slurred, and whether you’re someone he knows or not, friend or foe alike, he says the same thing. ]

W… who….?

WILDCARD.

[ Feel free to throw anything at Shouta here! If you want to plot, I'm available at Rivenix, or you can PM this journal.

Imposters

[slightlytaller]

[Waver Velvet was having a host of his own problems with his own transformation-- for the powers that be had seen fit to make him a centaur, complete with the long hair, floppy ears, and changes to even his eyes to make him seem more horse-like. He hadn't entirely been paying attention to others around him due to his own stumbling around on four hooves instead of two feet, and nearly lost his footing when the disheveled man bumped into him.

His initial instinct was to shrink back away from the touch, but it was obvious that this man seemed more than just out of sorts. Waver reached out to the man's shoulders to steady him, muttering calming nonsense just to break the tension. It was only with the question that Waver finally got himself settled enough to think, noting multiple pieces of information all at once:

1) This was the man he had assisted on the boardwalk a short time ago.

2) There was at least one variable in play here, if there weren't more.

His face settled into a frown when he especially noted Aizawa's eyes-- or, lack thereof. Gaping holes of darkness were unsettling, and yet it was still nothing so intolerable for Waver to deal with.

As a mage, he had seen worse.]

I'm a friend,

[He said simply, gripping the man's shoulder's firmly while he elaborated.]

Mackenzie.

Let's get you off the street.

[Looking around, he could see this was going to be a unique challenge in multiple ways. Waver knew he needed a safe space, but there were few that he trusted outside of his own apartment in Cellar Door. A glance at Aizawa suggested that the trek to the other side of the neighborhood might not be simple.]

...Can you walk?

gideon nav | the locked tomb

[lipochrome]

self-evaluation.

[ Gideon wakes up one morning looking like ass.

Her normally short red hair has grown disgustingly long, hanging off her head in lanky waves, somewhere between greasy and damp. Her whole body is that weird, slick, clammy dampness, and Gideon would need to take about fifty showers if she wasn't so damn cold. Goosebumps dot her moist flesh, which has taken on an unhealthy, almost rot-like pallor.

All that can probably be explained away by poor hyegenine, maybe. But there are some things that can't. Her eyes, for one, glow an unnaturally bright gold. The worst part is the rusted chains that shackle her wrist, neck, and ankles. They clink when she walks, and it makes swordplay a pain, and overall they are not a good look.

Gideon needs to do something about this. Which is why if she happens upon a person who looks even remotely strong or smart, she'll hold up her wrists to them, a gesture that would be pleading if Gideon didn't look super annoyed. ]

Hey. Can you help me get these off?

humming. cw: insects under skin, self-harm

[ Gideon itches.

She probably nicked herself during training yesterday, an occurrence common enough that Gideon doesn't really register it anymore. Early in the month, the itchiness is pretty controllable, and Gideon tries not to think much of it. She's a little itchy, so she scratches the parts of her skin that bother her, and if she's scratching over scabs over and over and over and over and over -

- well. She's had worse. If she doen't sleep at night, well, that's nothing new. And if someone gets in her way... ]

The fuck's your problem?

[ ...well, maybe you shouldn't have done that. ]

all known laws of aviation. cw: insects under and emerging from skin

[ Later, Gideon doesn't itch anymore. Itching requires skin and, well, she doesn't have much of that.

Her scabs have turned to honeycombs, a fractal-like, hexagonal pattern running from her forehead down to her heels. Occasionally, her dead cells flake off, revealing tiny, pitted holes in the pattern. When she moves, the hive under her skin follows her, with bees crawling out of those holes and buzzing around her in a noisy, golden cloud. From a distance, it might even look like a halo.

Gideon is no longer uncomfortable. She's no longer agitated. She's part of something bigger, and they listen to her, and they understand, and when she smiles, it's with the syrupy sweetness of honey. ]

all known laws of aviation

[noniad]

[Ortus has observed Gideon's alterations with no small apprehension. Irritability was one thing, and well-merited, but the shift towards syrupy placidity has been as disturbing as the seething of her flesh.

He can bear the grotesque. What he has found himself unable to leave in peace, an itch much more illusive than the one that has consumed the young cavalier, has been the sense that someone ought to do something - and with it, the newly found and nurtured understanding that he is someone, and that doing something falls within in his power.

But what is there to do? He has lain awake in contemplation of his options, and finally settled on asking himself, instead, what Magnus Quinn would do.

This is how Ortus comes to find himself in an empty, overgrown courtyard, a covered basket set on a low bench he neglects in favor of measured pacing, worrying at a strand of beads in his pocket. He is not sure his promise of 'interesting swords' will prove sufficient enticement, and he is beginning to contemplate a further message announcing the arrival of scantily clad combat instructors.]

Jason Kolchek | House of Ashes | Paleblood

[hearuthinking]

Self Evaluation

When the change begins, Jason is naturally freaked out. He's a Hunter, he knows what it means for a person to be warped this far. But he hasn't experienced that many symptoms of corruption. He's always been able to find something or someone to keep him from going that far. Was this just the thing of the month? Like those butterflies from last month?

It starts with the hair first. It grows on his face and neck, covering his features. Then come the horns: little nubs at first that eventually become larger and curl. Just when his head can't handle the weight, that shifts too. Until he becomes a thing with a ram's head.

But he's still himself in his mind. So how the hell does he fix this?


Impostor

[Jason did not trust the flowers: anything that fed on blood was not to be, especially in a place like Trench. But just because he knew not to trust it and knew to stay away didn't mean he was going to be safe. Somehow one gets to him and grows, and then more]

Ugh, fuckin'... Need some weed-killer or some shit.


Boardwalk (TDM prompt)

Jason had decided to take a break from his patrol to check out the festival. Things did seem relatively pleasant for a change, but he didn't want to fully let his guard down. Just enough to buy some of the floral spring rolls and eat them.

The chlorophyll went unnoticed. It was when little needles started sprouting from his skin that Jason realized what was happening to him.

“What the fuck?” The needles were all over: his hands, under his clothes, his face. “Can't even enjoy a fuckin' snack around here.”


Wildcard

[If you'd like to run into Jason in a non-event way, he is likely to be on patrol somewhere in Trench. He hangs out in the stables sometimes, and teaches self-defense at the Gate. He also helps guard the Sanctuary and sometimes drops by do help however he can with their beast research. Hit me up on seraphjewel if you wanna do a specific thing. As always I will match style]

self evalution! also body horror/plant body horror warning

[mehanizovati]

[depending on what time of the month it is viktor has a bit of a transformation as well, though assuming it's more mid month it's easier to hide. either way around the time jason goes full ram head viktor sends him a message.]

How have you been holding up, Jason? I'm afraid I haven't been able to make our typical practices.

[because Plants. and he's concerned jason may be going through something similar, as many are.]

Kyle Broflovski | South Park (CRAU) | OTA

[kyley_b]

Self Evaluation
[cw: body horror]

April had been a month of recovery for Kyle; he had spent March in the throes of Corruption, his body gradually deteriorating and morphing into something skeletal and alien. The mental exhaustion following his return to normalcy had been terrible, but by the middle of April he had felt more or less himself again.

When he wakes up to an itchy back he doesn't really think much of it. The itch persists, and also moves to his head, right behind his ears. Still, he isn't concerned - just annoyed. He also seems to be getting pimples again - under his eyes, and one smack dab in the center of his forehead. Of fucking course.

He's brushing his teeth one night when he catches sight of the red feathers poking out of his head. He panics and pulls them out, making a promise to himself that he'll go straight to the Archive in the morning and research what might be happening.

Unfortunately for Kyle, the full transformation takes place that night. He wakes up screaming because it hurts - he feels like his entire body is burning. The pain is sharper when wings bust out from beneath his skin in six different places: two sets from his back, then one wing each where his ears should be.

When he stops screaming, Kyle realises he can see more. It's incredibly disorienting. He rushes to a mirror and finds five pairs of eyes looking back from his face, and more at the joints of his new wings.

He also discovers that he's inhumanly beautiful.

It's possible to spot the scarlet seraphim flying around Trench, or (more prosaically) waiting in line at the market stalls, out picking mushrooms, or grumbling into books in the Archive.


Imposters

Kyle is trying to keep a garden in his little back yard - it's really just a few boxes of soil that he's put vegetables in, but flowers also grow in the sparse grass around them. Preoccupied with the whole body changes thing, he doesn't think to read up on whether or not the blooms might be unusual.

No, Kyle just sees bright tulips and pansies and daffodils and feels happy about it. Spring is really here, and it lifts his spirits.

So of course he's not careful, and of course he winds up with flowers sprouting all over his forearms and shoulders. Kyle stumbles around in a daze, looking nothing like himself, growing weaker by the minute.

He could really use some help.

Imposters

[obeir]

Between regular homemade dinners with Dirk, and K's recent volunteering at the Sanctuary, his cooking and baking skills have both seen some improvement. Which has led to him feeling confident enough to attempt hamantaschen with Kyle in mind. Several batches of the fruit-filled cookies produce enough presentable results that he plates about a dozen and securely covers them before setting off for Kyle's place.

To say he's surprised by the sight that greets him is a vast understatement.

There's a scarlet seraphim with flowers sprouting along his arms and shoulders, stumbling around Kyle's garden like a disoriented drunk. Having yet to experience a full body transformation himself, K isn't entirely sure what to make of the situation, and approaches cautiously.

"Kyle—?" All right, the fact the angel is conspicuously ginger does kind of give it away and has K hurrying closer. But this seems odd even for corruption, if that's what this is. "What happened?" he asks as he reaches for Kyle with the intent to help steady him.

Lucille Sharpe | Crimson Peak | OTA

[blackmothwings]

Self Evaluation
[CW: Body Horror, loss of motor skills]

[Mercifully, the changes are painless, and they occur late at night while she lays asleep in her bed, leaving her blissfully unaware of anything happening at all. Feathers sprout from her skin, wings grow from between her shoulder blades, and she is none the wiser.

The following morning, Lucille opens her eyes and is startled to see soft, glossy, black feathers covering every inch of her pale skin. Her arms, legs, chest, and torso are covered, and for a moment, she can't stop looking at her hands -- her nails replaced by small, curved talons. She is, for a moment, shocked and horrified by the sheer amount of feathers protruding from her flesh, and she sits up to look at herself in the mirror only to notice...

Wings. Gigantic wings -- much like a bird's -- with feathers as dark and glossy as the ones that cover her body. When she moves them, they feel strange to her. Wrong.

The wings aren't even the strangest part, however. Once she kicks off the covers, she notices how her legs have twisted into digitigrade bird legs, with bird-like feet. Moreover, each toe is tipped with a thick, menacing talon.

Lucille doesn't shriek or scream upon seeing these changes to her body. Of course, they startle and shock her, but she reigns all of those emotions in because this feels like a test to her. Or a curse, perhaps. She's seen this kind of thing before, and there's always a reason.]

1. Growing Pains
[CW: Loss of motor skills]

[Lucille needs to learn how to walk again. Bird legs are very different from human legs, and therefore keeping her balance as she walks is proving to be quite a challenge. Talons click against cobblestone as she walks down one of Trench's many streets, and she keeps stumbling, her wings beating wildly as she tries to keep her balance. She's very aware that she looks graceless and foolish, like a drunkard, which wounds her pride. She's always prided herself on being a creature of elegance and grace, and this clumsiness is very unlike her.

Tragically, she's had to trim and alter one of her beautiful skirts to reach mid-calf, all because her talons keep catching on the velvet, making her life significantly more challenging than it already has become. And then there are the wings, for which she's had to accommodate by altering her clothes even further. It's been... inconvenient.

An onlooker might see the crow harpy stumble forward, grabbing a lamppost for dear life. They might hear the quick, heavy beating of feathery wings or Lucille's exasperated sigh as she clings to the lamppost, legs trembling like they're about to give out.]

Oh, for heaven's sake!

[The outburst spills out of her without her thinking, and she closes her eyes while hoping that no one heard her. However, considering there are people out and about, she's likely drawn attention to herself.]

2. Learning to Fly
[CW: mention of murder and violence]

[Of course, Lucille knows that she needs to get accustomed to her new form. It could be dangerous for her if she doesn't learn how to use these peculiar changes to her advantage.

So after a few days, she gets better at walking and balancing, which pleases her immensely. But she wants to learn how to fly. A bird catches prey by swooping down and snatching it up with its talons, and Lucille wants to be able to do the same thing.

But only if she must.

So she can be found near the boardwalk, as she wants a quieter, open space to practice flying. Someone might spot the harpy flapping her wings -- sometimes slowly, and other times rapidly -- in an attempt to lift herself off of the ground. Sometimes she manages to lift herself by a couple of inches, but that's all she can handle before she falls, her feet hitting the ground hard.

Later on, you'll see her at the boardwalk, sitting down with tea and two biscuits on a plate.

Friends will be invited to join her, and she'll act like she doesn't have feathers. Strangers and acquaintances will be regarded with a stern look, and she will remind them that it is rude to stare.]

3. Talons and Claws
[CW: 'attempted murder', violence]

[Someone passing by might notice the humanoid shape that stands by a tangle of trees in a clearing. This shape -- which could easily be mistaken for a short adult -- stands perfectly still, and they appear to be minding their own business when a giant bird-lady swoops down and almost grabs them between her talons. The harpy circles around and flies higher, apparently getting herself ready to try again.

The human does nothing. Someone might assume that magic has enchanted this human, leaving them open to attack by this vicious, murderous harpy.

Or maybe the human isn't human at all because it's actually a life-sized doll that Lucille just happens to be practicing her swooping on. The doll is dressed in Hunter's garb, and even it's face is covered, making it hard for people to see that it is a doll. Why is she practicing murder on a life-sized doll? It's a mystery!

It's recommended not to try and save the doll, but someone might panic and try anyway. Lucille will only judge you a little bit. Maybe.]

4. Momma Bird

[And on one particular morning, Lucille visits the orphanage to tell stories to the children. They seem a little frightened by her appearance at first, but two of the braver children still approach with many different questions, most of which Lucille cannot answer.

Soon, she's sitting outside with a book in her clawed hands. It's an old copy of Peter Rabbit, once given to her by a cherished friend who has long since left this place. Her wings are unfolded, wrapped around the shoulders of those two brave, boisterous children from before, who lean on her and listen with rapt attention. A handful of other children sit in front of her, also listening to her.

It's a surprisingly heartwarming scene. She likes giving these children the warmth that she was deprived of when she was their age. She hears footsteps approach and looks up. She nods but doesn't stop reading. Instead, she balances the book in one hand and gestures for the newcomer to sit down. It's storytime. You can't interrupt, but you can listen. She only has a few pages left, however, so she won't be long.]

5. Wildcard!
[Want to do something else with Lucille? Feel free to write something or hmu via PM for plotting.]

4

[sparkknight]

[Klee somehow managed to use the excuse of her new teeth to not talk about her current monstrous features. Her sharp, pointed teeth did make speaking a bit more difficult, but it made Klee self-conscious. Hiding her clawed hands was easy enough with her gloves, but the sharp nails threatened to break the tips. There wasn't anything she could do to hide the bright red finlike protrusions and scales on her neck.

When she came upon the scene, it reminded of the story time back home. While it was a rare occurrence, Klee always loved to listen to sit with the other kids and listen. The dragonlike lady was a little scary, but she was reading a book. With some trepidation, she sits down to listen, far away from the other kids, to listen to the story. She's never heard of the story.]

Sato | Ajin | Darkblood

[madgamerhat]

Bee-Ware
CW: Insect Horror and Possible Trypophobia

[An old man wanders through town. He brings his hand towards towards face to shield himself from the sun. While glancing to the sky above he smiles. ]

What a lovely day, no?

[ He asks you as you walk by. He seems content at the moment.  Yet, you start to hear a buzzing sound. The old man sneezes. Lo and behold a small bee shoots out from his nose! Although he is confused, the old man remains calm. Yet, can you stay still while bees dig out from beneath his neck? ]

L Lawliet (Lazarus Sauveterre) | Death Note | Paleblood | OTA

[hearthebell]

1. Self-Evaluation, The Archives

[The events of April left L reevaluating not only what he was doing with his time here in Trench, but why he was doing it, and what he should do to change his approach moving forward. Bringing down God got a whole lot more complicated now that L owes him a hand and a life. Things with Paul are still Bonded, but stranger and more difficult. It's not all tough to stomach, though; Lycka has returned to his side, seeming to have gotten over her anger at him. Iskierka's sleeper has returned, and things with Shoyo have taken an exciting enough turn that L can justify the terrible selfishness of indulging their progression.

With so much rapid change, and so much sight lost of what he really knows about himself, it's comforting to bury himself in books and study and rote memorization. Sometimes, reducing identity to function is the best possible way to reconcile its more upsetting elements. He is a brain; he is long white fingers turning pages, he is nothing but eyes scanning across a page and devouring endlessly, stockpiling until he can take something known and apply it to the needful and unknown.

He's just seated himself with a glass of clear cold water, which is uncharacteristic for him. Typically he'd be on his third cup of oversweetened coffee by this point, but he might be overdoing things, coming down with a fever. Maybe stress has broken down his immune system and he's managed to catch a bug in spite of his status as a sleeper. He slips out of his jacket, tossing it on the chair next to him, and returns to his page.

Grey smudges the parchment when he reaches out to turn the page. Is it falling from his hair? It's too dark to be dandruff, too pale to be dirt; the texture is soot-like, and now it smudges his fingertips.

He closes the book, concerned about this new turn of events, but the old dry volume bursts into flames at his touch.

Not great, in the Archives, where so much paper and wood exists together. Lend a hand, since his just set a book on fire?]

2. Humming in the Skin (Anywhere in Trench) (cw: body horror, bugs)

[By mid-May, L has gotten grimly used to another inevitable, runaway series of events that practically scream that his body is no longer his own. His wits have stayed with him, but the fiery and demonic changes have still disquieted him. It's not possible, he thinks, not really, but is turning into some sort of devil who burns or sullies what he touches without the greatest level of intense concentration further payment for being heretical against one who would call himself God?

He's in fine company. It's not as if he's the only one rendered nigh unrecognizable by ragged claws instead of fingernails and twisted horns, but he also has dusty cracked skin he must stitch together where it splits and large messy wings made of scorched feathers that slough off more smoke and soot than all the rest of him combined. He still has a face, or a strange corpselike mockery of one, with pit-like eyes and a patchwork pallor that makes every gash or pit of a feature look sharper and starker. He's returned to wearing his arrival robes, because at least they won't burn away from him, but today, that would not be the greatest of his concerns even if he was clothed in oil-soaked wicker.

While he's grown resignedly accustomed to the discomfort of his skin cracking in a harlequin, patchwork pattern, and holding it together with makeshift and macabre efforts, it doesn't itch like this, it doesn't crawl or boil. This is entirely new, and worse at his temple than anywhere else. He tries to be gentle with the curved, black claws his nails have fallen out to make way for, but eventually the soft, sooty skin tears away like paper. Underneath, the texture is hard and irregular, and he thinks that volcanic rock would be appropriate, if that's the next stage of all this.

Volcanic rock vibrates and erupts differently, though, and there is movement below his fingers, jostling and slightly fuzzy bodies.]

You...? Hey, you!

[He's a little too stricken to attempt politeness, always kind of a long shot even on a good day for him. So this is how he addresses you, whether you still look relatively like a person or, like him, more monstrous by this point.]

I don't suppose you have a pocket mirror, or something similar? If it's not plastic, that would be best.

[Plastic is nasty business melting.]

Otherwise... I suppose you could just describe what's happening to my head.

3. Imposters (Anywhere in Trench)

[L's world was always one of cold tile, glowing screens, and synthetic plants. Nature has never called to him; the point of flowers is understood, but not sought after for his own frivolous pleasure, and there's a sort of poetic injustice in killing something just to bring it near your face and enjoy it, or add it to many other decapitated victims to present as tribute to one you'd like to impress.

Would Shōyō like something like that? It's so strange to think about giving him many little slowly-wilting heads, fragrant before they start to rot.

That's why he's not picking flowers today, but just maybe he's low-key judging you for it. Especially when the flower you just picked starts to squirt you with blood, or maybe something is growing on you that shouldn't be.

The smoking, soot-covered thing that approaches you looks like an overused feather-duster at a middle-distance, but the devil is in the aura and the details. Up close he's chilling, bone-deep.]

Do you think it'll burn? Out of curiosity.

[Sometimes, after all, taking life absolutely has a point. Self-defense ranks high on that list.]

IV. Wildcard

[For picky people and established CR that wants to play out something more tailored to story and character beats! Hit me up on plurk (LexiL) or discord (ladylazarus#2235) if you're interested in this, or just test my improv skills by throwing something my way. I'm easy.]

2. o god not the bees

[kyley_b]

[He's sure he knows that voice, so he turns. But L is completely unrecognizable. Which makes them a pair, really - Kyle has become a scarlet seraphim, complete with three pairs of wings and multiple eyes. All the ones on his face blink in surprise.

Kyle edges closer, wings all drawing up and away.]

Uh. Dude? I don't want to alarm you? But I think you have a fucking beehive in your face.

[Apparently transformation has done nothing for either of their manners.]

Stanford Pines | Gravity Falls | Open

[cryptograms]

( a. it's time to make folk history )
[ It's a typical, pleasant afternoon in Trench when it happens: there's a rush of wind, a heavy thump, and (for those whose hearing is keen enough) the rustling of feathers from up on some unsespecting Sleeper's rooftop. It could be almost anything in Trench, but regardless it's probably not safe to ignore it for too long.

When the Sleeper in question steps outside they'll discover that there, in fact, a monster on the roof, some sort of mix between owl and moth. He's hunched over now, but even folded up and sitting back on his haunches like this he's easily six feet tall. His silhouette is a bit difficult to distinguish due to the shaggy, ink-black feathers that cover him from head to toe, with only his wings, tail, and a pair of ear-like tufts on the top of his head standing out from the mass. A hind of gold iridescence can be spotted here and there as he moves his wings, but for the most part the only visible colors are his eyes: bright, red, round, and glowing.

It's surely an alarming sight - which might make it a little confusing when the creature in question lifts his arm-slash-wing and waves. ]

Hello there!

[ His voice is appropriately deep given his size, but his tone is quite cheerful. Those who already know Ford will be able to recognize him easily. ]

Don't mind me - just figuring out how to fly!

[ He fans out the primary feathers on his wing by way of example. See? ]

( b. wildcard )
[ Tag me with your own starter! You can also hit up my plotting post to request your own! ]

A

[payingfordeliverance]

[One Xerxes Break, incidentally, is not inside his house when Ford happens to crashland onto it. He is outside having a duel with the landscape. His efforts to turn the polluted grounds around the house into a workable garden are getting absolutely nowhere, and with nothing better to do at the moment, he's decided he may as well darkblood some rosebushes into the yard in an attempt to assert dominance. He has just put the finishing touches on a shrub of the appropriate colors when the thud sounds, and it's only a few moments before Break and his omen come scurrying around to the front of the house. Break already has his canesword out. They do get beasts out here, after all.

Beasts don't usually greet them cheerfully and with coherent words, however, so after exchanging a long glance with his omen, Break sheathes his sword and calls back.]

Well met, I suppose. I hope my roof is to your liking?

Dito | Drakengard 3 | Vileblood

[syncopathic]

Verse I - Self-Evaluation

[Dito had awakened from troubling dreams of being wracked with intense, all-consuming pain to realize that some changes had happened to him during the night. As a Hunter he was well aware of the fact that the beasts he regularly hunted and culled had once been people, people so overcome with blood corruption that their bodies twisted into horrid, monstrous forms. He’d even seen some of these transformations in action, and marveled at the horrific, beautiful suffering of it all.

But he’d never expected that he would eventually be subjected to it.

The strangest thing is that it doesn’t feel like all the horror stories had told him it would. The beasts he killed were all completely out of their mind, howling, slavering abominations that would just as easily harm themselves as they would others. But as he examines himself in the window of a storefront (he has no mirrors in his house– he hates the look of his own face even without beastly attributes) it becomes immediately clear that he is still in possession of his own mind.

Dito takes a moment to take everything in– the small horns that poke out from the thick expanse of his hair, the sharp black claws that have replaced his fingers; the way the gold of his irises stands out even more sharply against his blackened sclera. The most extreme change is his lower torso– not only covered in luxurious brown fur but looking more like the bottom half of some strange bipedal goat, even down to the cloven hooves. A long tail lashes from side to side in agitation.

Bakari, his hyena Omen, sniffs her pointed nose and lets out a soft hoot of amusement.]

I told you you weren’t looking quite yourself today, whelp. You’d better lay low for a while, or you’re liable to be killed by an overeager Hunter looking to prove himself.

[Dito rolls his eyes and turns away from the window.]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I’m pretty sure I can handle any idiot that–

[A sudden noise from behind him causes him to spin around, his clawed hands raised up in alarm as someone approaches.]

Whoa whoa whoa! Let’s not be hasty or anything, okay? I’m still me under all this, honest!

[Bakari lets out a snort of derision.]

Ah, yes. Clearly you have this situation well in hand. My mistake.


Verse III - Imposters

[It's not uncommon to hear shuffling footfalls echo through the streets of the city at night. Aside from the various festivals, the hot springs, and the pleasure houses, bars and pubs are frequent hangouts for those who want to forget about the harshness of their lives; to numb themselves for a few hours before stumbling, zombie-like, back to their homes or an empty courtyard or alleyway to lose themselves in blissfully dreamless sleep.

The silhouette that can be seen clumsily plodding its way home, however, is by no means one of the intoxicated.

Dito’s feet drag as he makes his way down the street, one of his hands pressed against Bakari’s back for support. The Omen is unusually quiet, bereft of her usual acidic banter– perhaps she thinks it unfair to take potshots at someone who is not in the right mind to be affected by them. Dito’s eyes are unfocused, his breathing shallow. Every so often he stops, looking around as if unfamiliar with his surroundings or searching for something he’s lost. And all the while, he mutters continuously and inaudibly under his breath.

Care to help the drunk-looking goat man before he wanders into trouble?]

Imposters

[floatsaway]

[Ochako usually doesn't stay out this late. She knows it's not safe to wander around when beasts lurk at night, and especially now, when she looks very much like a beast herself. The change into whatever creature this is was sudden and painless, occurring overnight it seems. Ochako woke up this way, gave herself a hell of a start, and broke several items in the process. She's uh...she's quite larger than she normally is in this form, after all. Not at all the petite, young teen she normally is, but a heft, muscular, and very powerful owlbear.

It's partially why she's out right now - Ochako can't cook when her hands are feathery, clawed appendages. She can hold things, clumsily, but fine motor skills are hard. So it's takeout time, a plastic bag held in her jaws as she lumbers through the gloom, trying to stay mostly out of direct foot traffic, and sight as well. She'd really not want to get mistaken for an actual Beast and attacked... Though, coming across someone who looks almost injured in a way sparks her need to help. That heroic side of her that will never not rise to the surface.]

Oh...um, e-excuse me? [Yes, that is an mishmash of an owl and a bear waving cautiously as it stands up on its back legs, keeping a fair distances away but still approaching slowly.] Are you, um...are you okay? You don't look very well at all... I know it's a little weird, but i can escort you back to where you're staying. If you want, that is!

Fiddleford McGucket | Gravity Falls | OTA

[terribibble]

[cw: purposeful memory erasure, body dysmorphia, body horror and eye horror in the linked reference sheet]

A. do they know where do unicorns go

There's a lot of weird things in Viktor's lab. It's just that most of them are inanimate objects at various stages of being taken apart or put back together, so the newest one sticks out like a sore thumb. It's a real fucked-up looking horse. It sits huddled in a corner trying to look smaller than it is, occasionally crackling with nervous static electricity.

Fiddleford doesn't remember how this happened. He knows it's recent, but he doesn't recall how he got from point A to point B and he has a sneaking suspicion he doesn't want to recall it. It can't have been pleasant. This doesn't feel like how Luna described Beasthood: he's still very much himself, isn't he? He just looks horrifying. He's caught sight of himself in some reflective surfaces and spotted the glowing bulbous eyes and the gnarled horn and the elongated limbs and that was enough. He didn't look closer. At least he still has the use of his hands, even if one has twisted into a sort of half-hand-half-hoof, so he's just been scrambling and re-solving his Cubic's Cube to try and distract himself. It is only sort of working.

For quite a while after he changes he will just completely refuse to leave the lab on the (very reasonable) assumption that he's risking getting shot if he does. He can be found there at all hours of the day, but it doesn't matter when someone approaches: the response will always be a startled noise that's sort of like a cross between a donkey braying and the last dying gasps of a broken washing machine. The lights in his eyes and mouth flare and sputter and he squishes himself a little more firmly into a corner. Thank goodness his pants and arrival cloak still fit, at least, so he's decent even if he's an affront to God.

"Careful! Don't get close, I don't wanna zap ya."

His voice is... it sure is. It's scratchy and distorted and, for anyone that's talked to him before now, it's markedly more Tennnessee than usual. He's not doing so hot. At least he can still be understood even if it's not pleasant to listen to.

B. where winged horses fly

Eventually he simply cannot stay still any longer. He's got too much energy (ha ha) for it and anyway at present he only has one pair of pants and, abomination or no, there's only so long he's comfortable going without doing laundry. He's already staying in Willfull Machine so all it takes is scrambling his way out the door. In his left hand, the elongated but still mercifully humanoid one, he holds a large jar of confectioner's sugar. It accumulated as a byproduct from Ford's awful magical coffee but the silver lining is that he figures he should be able to buy at least one pair of pants with it. In his right hand and wrapped around his right arm is his long tail, because he's already found he's not great at controlling it and he doesn't need anybody stepping on it while he's out and about.

Okay. Now he just has to get to the pants and back without incident. Static electricity is still rolling off him in waves, which makes navigating the crowded market areas difficult without accidentally giving people little zaps or making their hair stand on end.

"Sorry... sorry... I'm not doin' it on purpose, honest..."

One could never mistake his big glowing eyes for cute but they do at least make him look appropriately pathetic. Nobody could possibly mistake this for a bloodthirsty beast, which is a small blessing.

C. narwhales lost at sea and never seen again
[Wildcard! Hit me up at mister_inkwell or on my plotting post comment or just toss something my way. I'll match format if you prefer brackets.]

B

[shiro2hero]

"Ah-!"

A static shock while picking up new gloves wasn't exactly high on the list of things Shiro expected today. To be honest, though, what doesn't he expect at this point? If there were a weird, long horse walking down the road, it'd probably just be Another Tuesday In Trench.

Still, when something zaps him, and someone apologizes, Shiro turns, as one does when such a thing happens. He's about to hold his hand up, wave it off - no, it's fine, it's not a problem.

And...

Okay. It must be Another Tuesday In Trench, because that is a weird, elongated horse, staring pathetically.

"Uh. It's - you're fine."

Goro Akechi | Persona 5 | Open

[fabrications]

( a. some would sing )
[ There are certainly some odd sights to see in Trench, and in all honestly a merperson probably doesn't stand out that much compared to certain other creatures. Still, it's not every day you see one just chilling out in Willful Machine, seated on one of the docks lining the canal and minding his own business.

To those who already know him Akechi is still recognizable, owing to the fact that his haircut and overall facial structure are unchanged. The rest of him, however, is quite different. In classic mermaid fashion, he's all fish from the waist down. His scales cover his tail, of course, as well as his back, sides, shoulders, hands, and forearms, and small patches are scattered across his face in distinct, symmetrical patterns. He has spines and frills like a lionfish at his hips and running down his spine, and all over the dark blue of his scales is interrupted by diagonal stripes of a dark purplish gray.

Akechi doesn't necessarily mind being stared at - but anyone caught staring too long will earn themselves a faint but pleasant smile. The pleasantness is a little forced, but Akechi does a decent job of concealing that. ]

Something I can help you with?

( b. and some would scream )
[ Akechi doesn't spend the whole month as a merperson, of course. Some of it he just spends feeling really, really irritated. He feels outright itchy with the sensation, frustrated and desperate with the urge to somehow blow off steam. Unfortunately, it doesn't take him long to land on what he considers an acceptable solution. Akechi has a concerning amount of experience tracking down and following people, and his time in Trench has only sharpened that skill.

He goes hunting - not for Beasts, but for Sleepers. He waits until the sun is setting and the narrow backstreets of Cellar Door have been cast into deep shadow. The crowds mean it's probably not the best place to try to go unnoticed, but the crowds also mean it's a target-rich environment. Bees buzz lazily about him as he hunts, but he doesn't seem to notice.

It doesn't take long for him to find an acceptable target, a single person alone on a narrow side street. It's not the most isolated place to try to start a fight, but he doesn't care. He draws his weapon and breaks into a sprint, tearing down the street without a trace of hesitation or subtlety. He's at least hard to miss like this, so whoever he's dashing towards will have a chance to react. ]

( c. closed to housemates )
[ The townhouse shared by Akechi, Akira, and Sumire doesn't see many antics beyond what you might expect from a house full of teenagers. Akechi prefers to keep a quiet home free of as many of Trench's whims as possible.

Not today, unfortunately. The source of the antics may not be immediately apparent, however. From the second floor, behind Akechi's closed bedroom door there's a loud thump, a series of frustrated curses, and the sound of something being dragged across the room. A few minutes later Maurice emerges from his bedroom, trotting through the halls with his fluffy tail held high. Whether he finds Akira or Sumire, his actions are the same: he twines around their legs, purring for all his worth, then trots away a few steps before he pointedly glances over his shoulder. Care to follow him? ]

( b. wildcard )
[ Tag me with your own starter! You can also hit up my plotting post to request your own! ]

[virtuosital]

[All things considered Sumire liked their “”quiet”” household pretty well. Quiet wasn’t always the first word she’d use to describe it, but many of the sounds enclosed within were at least familiar, so it didn’t feel loud, either. Certainly not negatively.]

[Thumping followed by Maurice looking proud about something as he tried to lead her to Akechi’s room was…, not entirely new, but always a concern anyway. She sunk into a squat and ran her fingers along the cat’s spine as he purred, bidding him good morning and watching him lead her toward Goro’s space. A sigh, and she stood to follow.] Maurice, do I need to get a first aid kit before I follow you?

Melius Senyan {The Dragonborn} | Skyrim | OTA

[fusrodaaaah]

1) THE POTION HUT | Willful Machine
[Just as before, even in the midst of monstrous transformations... the Potion Hut stays open. The lights stay on all night. The doors stay open all day. Rain or shine. Given the month, you'd probably be forgiven for thinking the proprietor is afflicted with the changes like a great number of Trench. But no, he's always been a man-sized lizard.]

[What he hasn't been is... well, anything that isn't alchemy. After a couple of network announcements earlier in the month, Melius has all but shut himself down. He's on a potion-brewing spree, making far more than he could ever realistically sell. After all... people leave. People disappear. But he hasn't lost his alchemy table.]

[Customers may not get a response out of the Argonian, but, never fear. His omen, the dragon the size of a housecat sits on the countertop, trilling out a raspy greeting in dragonspeech.]

[If you need something, you can try and get Melius' attention. Or you can ask the Cashier Omen for assistance.]


2) THE... LITERAL DRAGON BORN | the beach
[There is a dragon on the beach. A big, green, reptile, half sprawled in the surf. It looks like someone just bopped it over the head with a brick. The stunned, bewildered expression not normally found on anything with a scaled face.]

[It sort of sadly flops around in the water. Honestly, it looks more like a flailing bat than a mythological beast. It's acting as if these wings are brand new. As if it doesn't know how to control them at all. It kicks up huge waves of seawater, flopping onto the sand.]

[... and then promptly lands on its own face.]

[The dragon just. Stays there. Facedown in the sand. You know what? This is fine. It'll just. Keep still and hope this passes.]

[Very sorry if you're trying to do anything on the shoreline. Just let it have a moment here.]

3) wildcard;
(anything else? feel free to PM or plurk message @ redfirelight if you want custom starters!)

2

[tealeafs]

[ At first the sight of the creature on the beach is nothing but terrifying.

Sure, Chizuru has seen strange things in this place. Monsters, people who look out of the ordinary, various things. But this is the first time she's seeing an actual dragon. A dragon-sized dragon. Her instinct tells her to run, to quickly continue her walk anywhere but here on the beach.

But before she can get her feet to move, still frozen in shock at the sheer sight of all of this, Chizuru realises that this dragon.. well, it doesn't actually look so scary, if you look past its initial appearance. It's flopping so sadly. So helplessly.

Even if 'helpless' is an odd way to describe such a large and scary-looking dragon.

So after watching the dragon flop for a few moments, Chizuru gathers her courage. The steps she's taking in the direction of the creature are slow, but still steady, all the way until she's close enough to it to try and speak up. ]

Um..

[ .. can dragons understand humans?

This is something she's only bothered to wonder right in this moment, oops. But it's too late to go back. ]

Are you.. okay...?

[ N-Nervously sweating on the inside!!! B-But she's trying! Look at her being brave, not realising this dragon is actually someone she knows..! ]

Dee Reynolds | IASIP | OTA

[agiantbird]

Self Evaluation
CW: All prompts deal with body horror & loss of motor function

[Dee is asleep when it happens. She's sprawled out on her couch with a beer bottle held loosely in one hand, unaware of the changes happening to her body. Thankfully, the transformation is painless for her. It's a small mercy and perhaps the only one she will get this month.

She accidentally rolls off the couch and falls to the floor when she awakens. And when her eyes snap open, she immediately notices the yellow feathers scattered around her and assumes that her shitty Omen is to blame somehow. Horrified, she tries to pick herself up only to notice that she can't use her legs properly. After a struggle, she rolls over to see that her legs have fused together and become a long tail -- resembling a fishtail. The scales are a vibrant, glistening gold, and the delicate fins are paler alabaster. Her lower torso is covered in those same scales, but her upper torso is covered in yellow feathers. Large, bright yellow wings have sprouted from her back, and her arms are covered in feathers too. Horrified, she looks at her hands and notes the pale webbing between her fingers. Each finger is tipped with a sharp, curved claw.]

Oh no, no, no, no! God damn it!

[She yells, staring at the long, slender mermaid's tail as it sways from side to side. She appears to be some kind of siren, now, and there's nothing she can do about it. This is quickly becoming one of the worst days of her life, and she's only been awake for a few minutes.]

1. Siren Problems
[With great difficulty, Dee manages to leave her house with the intention of finding someone or something that might be able to help her deal with whatever this is. Unfortunately for Dee, this means belly-crawling along the pavement, dragging her heavy, scaled tail behind her. She is livid, scowling, and ready to punch someone if they so much as look at her the wrong way. She does well in the beginning, but soon her arms begin to tire, and she flops to the ground.]

Oh, god damn it!

[She screeches, her enraged howl piercing the air. It would not be surprising if all of Trench heard her yelling at the top of her lungs. Her hands ball into tight fists, strands of blonde hair sticking up and obscuring her face.

And at this very moment, a horse-drawn carriage speeds past her. The horses run through a large puddle of water on the road, splashing it onto Dee. She recoils back in shock, gasping and trying to shield herself, but it's too late for her. The carriage's wheels hit the puddle seconds after the horses do, splashing her with more water.]

Seriously?! [She gasps, her voice rising and trembling, and her hands still held in front of her face, just in case another asshole comes speeding past.]

Ohhhh, you did that on purpose, you son of a bitch! I'm gonna find you and slam my fist through your goddamn face, idiot!!

2. A Moment's Rest
[Later, when Dee is too tired to continue moving, she rests on the ground, her head supported by her folded arms. The muscles in her arms are burning, and she is sore and very ready to spend the rest of the day (and the evening) outside. She is also starving and parched, but she can't bring herself to move another inch. So she lays down instead, in a nice little clearing close to Willful Machine. Someone might notice the long, golden mermaid tail rising and falling casually, scales and fins glistening.

If they don't notice? Well... Dee certainly sees them, and she makes a 'pssst' noise, waving them other with one of her weird, webbed hands.]

Hey! You! Over here!

3. Sweet Dee Ruins Everything
[Days pass, and she's still not great at moving herself around, but it seems to be getting easier. She's at Willful Machine, trying to navigate the crowds while crawling around -- and that is not an easy task. Her wings are folded uselessly on her back. She can't figure out how to fly. Every time she tries, she flails and flops like a fish out of water, and it's embarrassing as hell.

Dee is very aware of how she looks. She wishes she could hide the tail and the wings, but they both stand out like sore thumbs, and she feels like they make her look uglier than she already is.]

Am I a bird or a goddamn fish? Pick one, assholes!

[She snarls, moving slowly. Unfortunately for her, a hoard of teenagers come running past her, forcing her to roll onto her side to avoid being trampled. Forgetting how long her tail actually is, she flicks it back without thinking. It moves almost like a whip, connecting with two nearby stalls and knocking them over. She hears a heavy crash, shocked gasps, and angry shrieks, and she twists herself around to see what just happened. People are glaring at her and gesturing, and Dee stares, eyes wide.]

Ohh. Oh, oops. I... I did that. Yeah. That was me.

[She says quietly, wearing an awkward, uncomfortable smile as she evaluates the destruction she's caused. She can feel people staring at her with cold, judgemental eyes, and she does not love that. She doesn't love it at all. She doesn't want to be seen as the dumb, uncoordinated, clumsy thing she's so often told she is, yet she feels like she's just proven herself to be that thing right in front of a ton of people. A ton of strangers. She screws up a lot, but she doesn't like it when people see her fuck up in real-time.

She wishes she could turn the clock back on this one!]

4. Dee Learns To Fly
[Dee decides it's time to learn how to use her stupid wings. She's retreated to the beach because she's sick of crawling around Trench, getting stepped on, and walked over by stupid people. That, and her tail keeps drying out, which makes life very uncomfortable for her very quickly. Naturally, movement is easier in water, and the ocean and the beach are the best places for her until this is all over. But she doesn't want to be confined to the beach or the ocean so she decides to give flight a try, desperately flapping those massive, vibrant wings of hers. She would have preferred to ignore the wings altogether, but eventually, she realizes that she'll get around easier by using them.

After multiple attempts, Dee finally manages to lift her entire body from the ground. And she even lowers herself back down without too much trouble, her stupidly long tail touching the ground gently.]

Did you see that?! [She says, looking at anyone watching her with an expression of cautious hope. She wants validation. She wants to be told she did well.]

That was good, right?

3

[cuddlery]

[There's one person nearby who isn't a stranger - although she doesn't realize it at the moment, as she sees the unfamiliar creature trying to apologize to a group of upset locals. Unlike other monsters she's met in this world, Scorpia sees nothing malevolent about this creature.

She doesn't deserve this treatment she's getting! So the scorpion woman moves away from the wares that she was browsing and steps forward towards the large creature while making placating gestures with her pincers.]

Now now, let's all calm down here. I think this was just a simple misunderstanding! Just, just a little mistake. No one meant any harm here. Right?

sansa stark (alayne stone) | asoiaf

[dohaeris]

i. lady stoneheart (closed to close cr) (cw involuntary paralysis)

[at first sansa thinks she has only been turned to stone. it's not pleasant, but it's manageable, as far as curses go. she can't speak and her fingers are clumsy, but she can move, and she's sure she'll be able to find help in gaze or at the lumenarium. her omen will be only too glad to speak for her. she hopes he doesn't let anything important slip.

but then she goes outside, with lady. it's still morning, but there are people in the streets headed for the coffee shops and teahouses, and locals headed to work in some of the more early-rising districts.

she seizes up. her hands come to cover her face of their own accord. she cannot see or move. lady whines, and a dim grey picture of the street ahead of her, lower down than sansa is used to, forms in her mind's eye. the air flutters around her as her white raven omen comes to rest on her stone shoulder.

"Another lesson, Alayne Stone," says winter, not as smugly as he might have. "It's time to stop hiding. Have you figured out the rules yet? You've always been good at that."

"Who here has seen your true face?" he asks her. "Don't worry, I'll mind the hound."

he flutters off and she stands there, stuck, as the street moves with people around her. eventually she is able to gather her chakra, though she cannot breathe to do it, and send it up into a raven above her.

getting the raven to speak the common tongue is an entirely different process, but eventually she is able to call out "help" and "stone" and "rookery" in something like her own voice as she wheels above the city, looking for her friends.

sansa's statue form wears a symbolic cloak obscuring her other features. lady will remain in a one block vicinity, looking for people sansa knows.]

ii. queen of love and beauty (open) (cw teen intoxication)

[even in the warmer weather, it's sansa's habit to remain covered from the neck down. so the pollen settles on her head, growing her a crown of winter roses. sansa catches the scent of roses and slowly forgets where she's going, turning to admire herself in a store window.]

Oh! They're lovely.

[she turns to the person nearest her with a rather knowing smile.]

My father would hate to see them on me.

[and then she laughs, loudly, because this is true of both ned stark and petyr baelish for different reasons.]

ii

[fogsong]

[ Sharon has covered up head to toe herself, more to protect herself from the pollen and flowers than out of habit, and her clothes are all a shade of black save for the white leather vest she's layered on top. The vest itself has seen better days, covered in tiny knicks and tears, but the damage it's endured doesn't seem to bother Sharon much, not when she always wears it on top as if it's the focus of every outfit.

When she hears the other girl's comment and bright laugh, she turns to get a look. The crown of roses upon the girl's head was a truly beautiful sight. ]

Wow. [ She lets out a tiny gasp. ] I've never seen a rose that color before. Why would you dad hate to see them? They suit you.

[ They bring out the blue in her eyes and make them pop in a way Sharon rarely notices. ]

Kazuma Asogi | Great Ace Attorney Chronicles | Will match Style :)

[truerevival]

Self-Evaluation

^{General CW: Body Horror, potential for violence, venom/poison, snakes, potential mentions of murder and assassination (attempted/planned)}

I. I don't know where I'm going | Transformation, Crenshaw | Closed to Close CR/Roommates

The changes come in the early hours, that hazy time between twilight and dawn. Kazuma has been up for a while now, pacing the halls between his room and the kitchen. It's warm--or at least it feels that way. And maybe that's why he's awake. The heat starts to become stifling, and his pacing moves from the halls to the door and finally to the outside. He's hoping the fresh air might do him some good.

He's not far from his dwellings when it starts in earnest--a searing pain that starts in his ribs and spreads to his legs. Kazuma topples with a sharp cry. At first, he worries he did something to worsen the damage his ribs had suffered in the past month. But this is something more--and he's almost writhing with the pain now. He can't call out, breaths heaving, choking as he tries to work through it to figure out what is wrong.

It feels as if his bones are breaking, shattering, and reforming in a repetitive cycle. Anyone who chances upon him will see the changes as they come--like his legs are knitting themselves together, the skin rippling as it turns reptilian--iridescent scales mimicking the pearl of the sword he is so often seen with. His mouth, open with his voiceless screams, has fangs now and they seem to drip with something--best not to test it.

When it's over, Kazuma lays there, his snake-like tail curled almost protectively around him as he tries desperately to breathe. When he finally gets his wits again, his gaze is purely reptilian--slit pupils set inside a cold, golden glow.

"What....what is this?" He would very much appreciate it if everyone would ignore the hissing sound that follows his words.

II. But I sure know where I've been | Around Trench | Open

The only comfort to be found in this mess is that Kazuma still feels very much himself. Emotionally, and mentally. Even if he is currently left slithering everywhere. He's certain it's some cosmic joke, a play upon his family's crest to have such things come in threes--his Patron, his Omen, and now his very appearance is that of the snake. Someone had a very specific sense of humor.

He keeps to himself, or tries to at least, at the start of this all. The last thing he needs is for anyone to think he's gone off and become a Beast. Beastly he may be, but he hasn't lost himself to the Blood. At least, not yet. Still, it's hard for anyone to ignore the paths he cuts as he tries to keep off the roads--to keep from his home and those that would only try to help him puzzle this out. He...wants to be far from the attention. Attention is what landed him in so many messes in his life, he doubts it will help him out of one.

III. Hanging on the promises...of Yesterday | Archives | Open

Hardly being open to advice or help from others, in this case, Kazuma has resorted to seeking solace in the one place that has always afforded him peace here. The archives. But the answers aren't coming so easily, and as he tosses aside another book after rifling through its pages, Kazuma's annoyance and frustration are palpable.

Another book, one that has him hissing as it too fails to give answers. Pity that it exposes his fangs and the venom that drips from them. The poor pages don't stand a chance, the pages now dotted with holes.

"Damn."

Maybe he did need some help after all.

IV. WILDCARD

Want to deal with snakey Kazuma in other ways? Feel free to drop your own thing below, or we can plot something out if you hit me up at likeredgold or clickreload#9217 on Discord.

iii

[entreats]

The downside of the archives is that it's also so much harder to be entirely alone, isn't it. Sure, it's a place that's big enough to not be in a crowd, but it's far easier to stay out of other people's ways entirely by just staying off the beaten path outside than it is in an enclosed space like this.

.. especially when Kazuma speaks up like that. It makes Ange get up from where she was sitting and reading, glancing around the corner of a bookshelf to spot the other standing there, looking.. well, decidedly off in a way that doesn't really take Ange longer than a few moments to realise.

For a moment she wonders if he's transformed due to corruption, but.. well, he can still talk, since that's what made her find him here in the first place. That's at least a good sign.

"Is.. something going on here?"

It's probably the most underwhelming way to ask that question, given what is going on here, but maybe Ange is trying to downplay it to keep either of them from freaking out on the spot here.

Klee | Genshin Impact | Open

[sparkknight]

1 - Self Evaluation
(CW. Mild body horror and mild blood)

A) [Klee was having a bit of a toothache and her neck felt itchy all day. Still, she went out to have some fun to keep her mind off the pain. She figured that she was getting another big kid tooth. As she walked down the path, she tripped and let out a tiny eep. Siting up, she went to clutched her aching knee and let out a yelp of pain. Her hands were no longer human, but reptilian claws. The sharp clawed nails tore open the tip of her gloves. Her new claws left thin scratches on her knees and legs and small dots of blood. She's count help let out a little sniff because while the scratches aren't deep, they hurt. Reaching up to ward away tears, Klee feels something protruding from her neck and something wet. Panicking, she tries to pluck it off, only to yelp because it hurts when she pulled them. Once again, she stands up only to trip once more, but catches herself on the tree. But when she caught herself on said tree, her claws sunken deep into the bark.

After a minute or so of struggling, she can't seem to pull her new claws out of the tree. The newly sprouted fins on her neck, still tinged red with blood, fluttered in panic. Hearing footsteps, she turns around somewhat teary-eyed to the person]


Help? Klee's s-stuck.

B) Self Evaluations and truths

[At first, Klee hadn't been too bothered by her new appearance at first. The claws were clumsy to use and tore clothing as well as other objects. The things on her neck were annoying, but otherwise like her claws took some time to get used to.

Yet, her claws didn't go away. It made getting dressed really heard. So far, she accidentally blew up a tree because she couldn't hold her bombs right. Klee got scared because she thought she'd end up grounded, but luckily nothing happened. But yesterday her teeth really hurt, and she couldn't even eat her favorite fish dish.

Only a few minutes ago, her teeth grew sharp and hurt so much that it made her cry. Klee had gripped her backpack tightly when her teeth hurt. When it was over, the Dodoco her mom gave her was hurt and the clover charm bent out of shape. Sniffling, she couldn't help but sit down and stare at both sadly. Normally, she could go to Jean, but she wasn't here. Clutching her torn up Dodoco doll and a clover charm, Klee sniffles as tears start streaming down her cheeks.]

2. Imposters

[Klee is napping peacefully against a tree. For a moment, she wakes up to give a little, almost drunken, wave before she falls asleep once more. But her legs are covered in what looks like cute colorful flower print tight. Though, if one were to take a closer look, the flowers are in fact very real and attached to her legs.]

3. Wildcard

[Have a different idea? Go ahead, I'll follow the format. If you want a closed prompt, either PM me or leave a comment on my plotting post. We can hash something out. Otherwise, thrown your idea at me.

Re:1

[searingwing]

[The man kneeling down before her is covered looks like a dragon made into a humanoid shape. Brass, silver, and copper scales gleam on his neck and face. But the clothes should be quite familiar, Diluc always dresses in a distinctive way. Even if the coat now serves as a cloak for his shoulders.] Breathe in and slowly relax.

[And his voice is the same as ever despite the barrel chest and horns to go with his new body. He lifts his hand and relaxes it, the claws glinting in the light.] I'll count to four. Let it out when I reach four and repeat with each count.

[Dellinr appears next to Diluc, moving forward with a soft little croon in the back of his throat.] We're here. You're not alone. 1...2...

Ryan Akagi | Infinity Train | Paleblood

[chickenchoicejudy]

((Blanket CW: Ryan is a siren for this event, as a way to work out how he feels about his paleblood powers and how they have the power and potential to really mess with people. He will have the ability to make people hallucinate, influence them to do things for him, and charm people into liking him - these abilities are more powerful through song, but while he's a siren his voice will have a more melodic quality even when he's just talking normally.

However, the degree to which this affects people is something I will be leaving up to the other players! It could be not at all, or a little bit of a draw to him, or maybe they're suddenly obsessed. It also does not need to be romantic - he is taken and won't be returning romantic affection, but unrequited is okay and so is platonic affection. If you have questions/wanna chat/etc you can find me at goodhotcocoa or PM me! :) ))

A. TAKING FLIGHT (All over the place)
[Honestly, at first Ryan is kind of into it.

Okay, sprouting wings sucked when it first happened and it was exceedingly painful and shockingly bloody, but now? He's taken to it like a fish to water. Like a bird to air.

Some people who have grown wings have had some trouble figuring out the whole flying thing, but Ryan just spent an hour or so jumping around like a sparrow, and running at top speed to try and catch air before he finally got the hang of lifting himself in the air.

And now? Flying is awesome. He's spent so much time in the air, and it's been absolutely incredible to feel the wind through the feathers. Why would anyone ever want to walk if they could fly?

Still, not all of it is great. With great wings have come absolutely terrible bird legs. He feels like an ostrich and he hates it. They bend funny and he can't wear shoes anymore and all of his pants look stupid so he's been in skirts ever since this happened. Sure he had to cut wide holes in his tops for the wings and give up anything too tight, but it's still better than having bird legs - which he can only assume have all the sex appeal of Big Bird.

It doesn't stop him from going out and about though. Maybe he's sitting perched on top of a building yelling encouragement to someone else trying to fly ("Don't try so hard! You're literally built for this now!") or maybe he's fluttered down because he saw a familiar face and wanted to yell a hello and maybe show off a little.

If someone is not affected by his siren abilities, they will only see his long and monstrous bird legs poking out under his skirt. If they are though, they will see a pair of barefoot human legs instead, and he may or may not have an alluring ethereal quality to him]

B. THE BIG SHOW (The Raccoon Room - Saturdays)
[It isn't until Chicken Choice Judy's first show of the month that it becomes apparent to Ryan exactly what's going on here.

There were a couple weird months with shows either canceled or suddenly made solo, but they've finally gotten back into a good rhythm, pun intended. They're regularly performing again, and Ryan was a little nervous about his first performance as a bird person.

They get out on stage and the crowd mostly hushes to a silent awe as Ryan takes the mic. He makes a quip about how he decided to dress the part, sticking out a leg to try and get a laugh and break the ice, and it doesn't land...but somehow, he still has most people's undivided attention.

It's an unusually good show. Not that their shows are bad, but the applause, particularly from the Trenchies in the crowd, is wild. There's actual screaming, people yelling that they love him. For a hot second he feels like a superstar. Like Bowie, like every rock star he's ever aspired to be growing up.

But the shows quickly start getting out of hand. Someone has to be pulled away from the stage. A fight breaks out in the crowd about who is going to bond with him, as if he isn't openly dating his bandmate. And the strangest part is that all of the attention is always on him - to the point where it's a little uncomfortable. Min-Gi is ridiculously handsome and deserves his own screaming fanbase, but it just keeps being spun back to him. And Min hasn't seemed to mind, for some reason?

After the shows, he can be easily found around the Raccoon Room. Sometimes he's at the bar, chatting with the barkeep but otherwise trying to be as inconspicuous as someone with giant brown bird wings can be, but some shows are so rowdy that he just...has to step out for air afterwards.

Normally he would love the attention, and maybe part of him still does secretly, but he can't help noticing that once he's away from the crowd's eyesight for a moment or so the room quiets down again to more normal levels.]

C. BROODING (Mouse House, on the roof, later in the month)
[Alright, so he told Shiro he was joking about moving up on the roof. And he meant it at the time, he isn't actually nesting up there. But...it's away from other people, where he can't control them, so it's good enough.

A siren. He should have fucking guessed, huh. He's a musician, a singer, so of course he couldn't just be a normal bird person (whatever that's supposed to be). Did anyone even really like their shows? Did they actually like him or was he making them?

Even Min, who he loves dearly, has been under his spell. It's an absolutely miserable thought, especially when his brain keeps trying to point out how he could already do minor musical hallucinations before all this.

Is this just because he turned into a magic hypnosis bird, or...?

He doesn't want to think about it. He just wants to be miserable on the roof, alone.

...Buuut he's also horribly nosy and bad at being alone actually, so he can't help peeking over the edge of the roof at anyone who might be dropping by Mouse House. Be prepared to have a bird-person staring down at you if you come to visit.]

D. WHATEVER (Wherever)
[Got something else in mind? Hit me up!]

C.

[spiritwalks]

[Vyng — sporting a green suede bag and a simple grey dress and boots — pauses along the walkway, looks up at the bird-spy...and gives a jaunty wave.]

Heyo, neighbor. What's up? [A beat.] Besides you, of course. Hahahah!