Event Log #005

[caelumstaff]

EVENT LOG number 005 Happy February, folks! The hotel is chugging along as it always does and nothing really seems that out of the ordinary, actually. Mr Bennet is at the front desk as per usual, greeting new guests, checking out old ones, generally being mediocre at his job but there's something a little... off about him this morning. A little more Springtime focused. Is it the suit? No, no, that's the same as it always is. Is it the face? No, Mr Bennet's face is unable to be perceived by eyes as per usual. No, it's the — The bunny ears? HOP TO IT It seems Mr Bennet has developed a pair of bunny ears and a tail overnight, but he's not the only one. Every staff member and guest of the hotel will find that they have grown a pair of animal ears and a matching tail when they wake up that morning. It's nekomimi time, y'all! But not just neko, characters will find themselves with all categories of ears and tails. Cats, dogs, rabbit, deer, fish. Whatever animal best suits the characters are what they'll find themselves sporting. For all intents and purposes, these will be part of your characters bodies and real additional limbs. It will hurt if someone hurts them and they will bleed if someone cuts them. There will be some added bonuses as well as characters will also take on the traits of the animals they become. However players want to interpret this is up to them — it can be light like a cat person just being more aloof or heavy like a spider person having multiple eyes and limbs. Whatever is most fun for the player and most hectic for the character, of course. This effect will last till the end of the month. Of course, an additional note: For characters who already have animal ears and/or tails — they will either keep those ears and tails and develop more traits of that animal. Or they can become something entirely different for the month. Player preference! ANIMAL CRACKERS Mr Bennet has found this to be hysterical though so he has set up a stall in the main lounge that's advertising animal crackers. They're a little less cracker and more cookie though, and larger than the traditional animal cracker. They also come in all shapes and sizes. If you can think of the animal, you can have an animal cracker with it. There is a dog cracker. There is a whale cracker. There is a spider cracker. All kinds of things. Even fictional animals, like gryphons and dragons! The only catch is — once your character eats the cracker they will become that animal entirely. This is probably tipped off by the bunny rabbit hopping around the lounge in a little hotel jacket, huh. Thanks Mr Bennet. The effect of these crackers will last as long as the player prefers and characters are free to eat another cracker and become another animal afterwards. One thing though, as the animal, characters will still be able to speak in animal form. So there's that! The animal crackers will also be available till the end of the month. NAV | PREMISE | RULES | FAQ | TAKEN hotelcaelum | caelumserver | caelumooc

Comments

[eyescar]

( 001 ) arrival

[ The ding announces Yuji's arrival better than anything else does, and for a little while he looks utterly shellshocked, standing in the middle of the lobby as he tries to figure out where he ought to go and what he ought to be doing, with everything a little too explosive in his mind. Wrapping his mind around everything is a difficult task when it still feels as though there's charcoal or the metallic taste of blood on his tongue; he's here for a reason.

He chose to be here. It's better to be here at home, even if the anxiety of leaving everything behind makes him feel as though he might break into pieces right now. He has a room he can go to, and that seems like the best option, considering his instinct is to break down and cry himself into exhaustion for a few hours. Feeling a little bit like he's scraping himself off the floor, he begins to make his way up to the room on his keycard.

Along the way, it would be easy enough to stop him and force him into a conversation - he's not trying to get anywhere fast, not when it looks as if someone has cut the very heart out of him, and he doesn't do much more than nod at anyone he comes across. Clearly, something bad has happened and Yuji is doing his best to compartmentalise it all and make it make sense, even though that is practically impossible. ]

( 002 ) hop to it

[ "Settled in" might not be something that Yuji would claim to have done thus far, but he's feeling a little bit better about the whole situation.

Or he was, before the dog ears appeared on top of his head, a cute pink tail flicking behind him.

Having wandered away from his room, he's ended up hovering in the middle of a random hallway, lifting his hand and tweaking at the ears on top of his head. They twitch, one way then the other, and then flatten to the top of his pink hair as his tail droops. For someone who tries very hard to hide how they're feeling - let's pretend everything is fine and he doesn't feel like crying at all times! - this is a pretty distinct way of showing off the ongoing heartache that he's suffering through.

At one point during his wandering, however, Yuji stops and stands straight, as if someone's shoved a bamboo pole down his shirt. His eyes widen, and his head tilts one way then the other, painfully doglike as he sniffs the air. There's something that's caught his attention, but he's struggling to place what it is - he never scented his mentors as a doglike hybrid before, so he can't quite figure out what is going on other than he wants to find them.

So, throughout the day, you might find what seems like a teenager with the zoomies running around the hotel, trying desperately to find something that he can't place. ]

Excuse me! I need to get by!

( 003 ) animal crackers

[ Yuji has got to stop eating weird things.

He should've known from the ears and then the shape of the crackers, but he was hungry and he grabbed the first one that he could get his hands on, swallowing it down without hesitation. As a consequence - well, there's now a rather bright pink akita inu sitting in the main lounge, eyes comically wise as he looks around the room from the new angle of much, much lower to the ground. ]

Huh?

[ Lifting himself up onto his legs, Yuji turns and twists, as though he's trying to chase his tail, before he drops down to the ground with a low, whine-like groan. ]

I gotta stop eating weird things.

( 004 ) wildcard

( Feel free to do anything and everything else that you want! I am brand new and finding my footing, so do whatever. PM me and we can figure something out if you like! <3 )

[cathasahat]

I see. Is there anywhere you want go now? Back to your room?

2! jjk spoilers very very very imminent

[nonexempt]

[ Yuji isn't the only one who picks up a Specific Scent and has a very hard time placing it. It smells familiar, and a bit like home, and he doesn't know why it's making him a bit sad to smell but it is regardless. The blond wolf ears at the top of his head flatten slightly as he finds himself getting up from his seat in the lounge, where he's been drinking tea and minding his business, and instead takes off in search of the scent.

It requires a bit of ... hunting, for lack of a better word, for him to find the source of the scent. He smells it initially on the first floor but then it takes him up the stairs to another floor... and then back down the stairs to another floor — it's a little confusing but. Nanami isn't deterred though, because all it takes is some slow, steady following of the scent until he finally catches up with it.

And there's Yuji. Nanami is frozen in place for a moment, not having expected to, well, ever see Yuji again. Their last moments replay in his mind and he swallows, feeling very much like turning away for a moment and going back to his room. To hide, really. Like a coward. His tail pins itself to his back, feeling a little too much at once and it's because of his hesitancy that the choice to run or to confront Yuji is taken away from him.

Because Yuji will turn and be able to see Nanami, right there, staring at him. He just looks right back at Yuji when their eyes meet and then, quietly — ]

Itadori.

3!

[boneface]

[ HELLO. There is a very excited golden retriever bounding up to you, Yuji, and sniffing your... butt. Yeah. It's not like he was coming by to do it on purpose!! He was just coming by to say hello because he saw the other boy get changed into a dog and, well, as another boy who ate a cookie and then immediately became a dog, he thought there was some solidarity there.

But then he got there and suddenly his nose was sniffing Yuji's backside, and then his tail before he suddenly sneezes, very dog like, and looks back up at Yuji. ]

Hey! Hi! Sorry, you smell good. It's nice to meet ya!

[ He is VERY EXCITED. And VERY CONFUSED. And mostly just having a dog brained day, really. But his tail is wagging in excitement, so please know he's only here with positive intent. ]

oh so many spoilers so much grief

[eyescar]

[ The smell is so achingly familiar that it makes Yuji want to wrap himself up in it; it makes him feel safe, comforted, somehow, but he can't quite place what it is or why he would ever feel that way. Instead, it makes him feel a rush of energy inside of him, thrumming through him as he runs back and forward to try and figure out where to go and what to do with the sudden rush of panic.

His ears are pricked up, his hands are shaking, and he doesn't know why.

In the middle of a floor, the scent hits him hard, his eyes widening. He tries to skid to a halt, but rather than managing to keep any measure of control over himself, he stumbles forward, losing control of his momentum at such high speeds. It means that instead of crashing into the solid weight of Nanami's body, Yuji crashes straight into the wall face-first. ]

Oww...

[ Peeling himself back, he twists his body, nose a little sore and probably about to bleed, but - right there, in front of him, looking fine is... Nanamin. His Nanamin, and if this is some kind of trick or joke then it's really, really not funny.

He said his name, and Yuji can feel the tears welling up in his eyes, even as his nose throbs. Wobbling, he stumbles forward, breathless. ]

No way... Nanamin, there's... There's no way...

[ He wobbles a little, lifting his hand to cover his mouth to try and choke back the sobs that are already rising up through his throat. It's only been a few weeks since Shibuya and Yuji Itadori has lost so much that he feels as though he's going to throw up the hurt of hoping too hard. ]

[eyescar]

[ Yuji jerks away a little as soon as the other guy gets too close, and there's a low noise that sounds a little bit like a growl before he gets control of himself and settles. Pushing himself up to his legs, head tilting, he watches for a moment; obviously this must be another person that's eaten a cookie, just like him, so it eases some of the confusion, but... His butt? Really?

Slowly, like an old fan that's been kicked to start, Yuji's tail begins to wag and he huffs a soft noise. ]

It's nice to meet you too. You smell... Excited?

[ Can you smell excitement on someone? Apparently so. ]

1/2

[airdnd]

[ u know why?? u mean bc of the accidental ome-- (i am escorted off the premises)

Anywho, Sumina is just minding her business and roaming around in search of a late lunch, and finds herself stopped outside of a restaurant and reading its menu display when she feels... something is off. Her mousey senses are tingling. ]

1

[airdnd]

[ The thing about being the innkeeper for a very quaint, very magical world-crossing ye olde fantasy inn targeted at adventurers is that... she very often does see weary travelers wandering in. Groups exhausted after a full day's travel and random encounters, or intrepid adventurers fresh from a challenging bout of exploration or confrontation with who-knows-what... She's seen a lot.

No, she doesn't work at Hotel Caelum, but she does very often linger around the concierge to converse with staff, and many of the friends she's made here have been ecstatic around their arrival, ready to kick back and relax on their indefinite vacation. But the guest that walks in now, is—

Not. He reminds her more of those downtrodden adventurers from home than anyone else here has. He also... looks familiar, but she can't quite place him. He couldn't have been one of her guests -because she remembers each and every one of them. Wher has she seen this face before...?

She can't help but approach - uh, mouse ears and tail and all - and quietly call out: ]

Excuse me? Young sir?

[nonexempt]

[ He blames himself immediately for the fact that he isn't able to stop Yuji from running face first into the wall. He'd rather him have run into Nanami himself so then he could have caught him. But that's really just a small thing to worry about on the edge of the much bigger worries they have — such as, what is Yuji doing here? What's happened since they last saw each other? And why are the eye scars gone from his face?

But Yuji is wobbling and looks like he's going to burst into tears so Nanami shifts his mind into action rather than inaction. His tail drops down again into a natural position and he takes a few steps forward towards Yuji, his hands reaching out to grab his shoulders and steady him slightly. He doesn't need to fall down on him now. ]

How's your nose? That looked like it hurt.

[ That's... probably not what he expected their first conversation after everything to be but here he is, here they are. ]

[eyescar]

That... That's not important...?

[ As if his nose is the issue right now, when Nanami is in front of him, touching him, real and solid. It doesn't even matter that they both look a little different with their odd new animal parts - none of that matters when he can tilt his head up and stare at him, his breathing coming a little harder. It feels like he's going to have some kind of panic attack, but he doesn't let it get that far, swallowing back the overwhelming rush of emotions.

Nanami is dead. He watched him die at Mahito's hand, watched all of it happen - is this death for him, too? Did Sukuna turn from Gojo-sensei and set his sights on his former vessel, to rip him apart? For all that this hotel claimed to be voluntary, to grant wishes, all the other things Yuji's heard, what if it's just another life after one had been stolen?

Why is he so happy amongst all his grief?

It isn't fair, to have this carrot dangled in front of him, as if Nanami standing in front of him can undo the weeks of horrors and nightmares that he's been living through. It shouldn't be acceptable, but he suffers it all the same, his eyes filling with more and more tears until they're running down his cheeks, Yuji slumping forward to rest his face on Nanami's chest without hesitation. When he lifts his arms it's slow, robotic, as if he's worried the other might just disappear from his grip.

He's crying now, inescapable, sniffling as he tries to muster some kind of self-control - but he can't, the emotions getting the better of him and leaving him to sob, broken against the warmth of someone he had missed like a limb torn from him. ]

Nanamin... How are you... I - I'm sorry, you -

[ It's hard enough to breathe right now, let alone speak. ]

not me forgetting to hit post on the 2/2

[airdnd]

[ But before she can so much as glance over her shoulder, He is there. Looming and wolflike and Right Behind Her. The jjk twt girlies would kill to be in Sumina Heartleaf's shoes right now.

Sumina Heartleaf herself, however, is startled to all hell and immediately tries to hide... behind the sandwich board menu. ]

EEK!

[ A beat. ]

Mi— Mi-Mister Nanami! Ahaha, so it's you. T-To what do I owe the pleasure!

[eyescar]

[ Happiness has been somewhat of a foreign concept for Yuji over the last few weeks, and that has carried over into this realm, even if he'd rather leave it all behind. It's hard to shrug off weeks and weeks of fighting, of putting himself on the line and not seeming to get anything in return, of risking himself and feeling like he's going to fall apart rather than put himself together and be stronger for it.

Knowing he's safe here, knowing that there might be some break from the horrors of it all, doesn't ease any of the tension or burden that hangs on his shoulders, and he can't help the way he jumps when he hears a voice call out for him. Instinct has him twitching to raise his fists, but... He doesn't need to fight here, does he? He doesn't have to risk it.

Maybe. He's not sure yet.

Blinking at the mouse ears, Yuji stares briefly before gathering his manners and stepping forward, giving the stranger an awkward little bow. If he's half-asleep on his feet, he doesn't think he can be blamed. ]

Hey... Yuji Itadori here.

2

[feyfound]

[ Did someone say zoomies!? There's a young lady joining Yuji with rabbit ears and a tail, as well as... a little unicorn horn on her forehead? Strange... But she's enthusiastic, and apparently unafraid of confronting a doglike person, sprinting alongside him rather than, you know, away from him. ]

Hi! Where are we running to!?

[ "We" !? ]

[nonexempt]

[ He, Nanami briefly thinks, is a coward. This isn't something new to him, he thought about it in reference to his running away from being a sorcerer, and in turn his return. There is just something about him that is avoidant by nature and it's something he has to grapple with now as an adult. Though part of him wryly thinks that he doesn't really need to deal with it anymore because he's dead, right? So, what's done is done. Once he leaves this hotel, there is no more growing for him to do and only the afterlife awaits.

But once again, he realizes he's a coward as he sees Yuji's grief overtake him and realizes he did really, truly for a moment, want to run away from this. He didn't want to be the one to deal with these strong emotions, didn't want to have to console or figure out what to say when he'd already made his peace with dying in the moment of his death and moved on. Except did he? Since he still hasn't told Gojo the truth, still hasn't told him that he's dead and things in Shibuya were far worse than he lied about.

Hell, Yuji's reaction is all he needs to know that things aren't going as smoothly as he thought they might.

It's all a lot of thought that he tries to dismiss as Yuji collapses against his chest, sobbing. His hand comes up and curls against the back of his neck, fingers sliding into the hair at his nape as he cradles Yuji's head to his chest. His other arm goes around his shoulder and holds him carefully, broad palm sliding up and down over Yuji's back as he tries to soothe him. He's not the most caretaking individual, in his opinion, but he's not going to leave Yuji out to dry. ]

Don't speak. Just let it out. We can talk after.

[ It's been a few weeks since he arrived at the hotel and he has to admit, he was lulled into a false sense of security. Life as a sorcerer was over, life as Nanami Kento was over. He didn't need to worry about what was going on back home. Now, with Yuji in his arms, hearing him sob his heart out, Nanami knows he was being foolish. Immature. Irresponsible. He should have known better. ]

[eyescar]

[ This is the last thing that Yuji wants.

Not because he doesn't want Nanami to be alive - there is no world where he wouldn't wish for that if wishes could come true, no world where he wouldn't trade his own life for Nanami's in a heartbeat if it was on offer - but because he knows what kind of pain this is going to cause. In Shibuya, he had made a promise, a vow of his own, that he would carry Nanami's share of suffering, carry the weight of his burdens, not let his own grief and hurt make him run away. He was going to refuse to be a coward.

All of that is being undone here, ruined in a moment of childish grief, stripping Yuji of any sensibility or rationality (not that he had a lot of that to spare either way).

The more hiccuping sobs that come out, the worse he feels rather than better. Nanami says let it out but it feels so painfully endless, a well of self-loathing and hurt that is running too deep, enough to rival the ocean itself. It reminds him of how he had fallen to pieces after Kugisaki had been taken from him too, that span of fifteen minutes where Sukuna, Nanami and Nobara had been a three punch hit, robbing him of any strength and leaving him wishing that he was dead.

Those kinds of thoughts don't just disappear; those feelings don't die out. Yuji has learned his place, and happiness didn't fit into that mould.

His hands lift to grip at Nanami's shirt as he cries himself out, to the point of exhaustion, his tail lump behind him and his ears pressed down against his head in misery. He's really not sure how long he stands there crying, but he's rational enough near the end, when his tears become less hiccuping sobs and more shaky, pained breathing, shivers running through him as he tries to find his voice. Even when he speaks, his throat feels sticky, cotton wool trapping his words away.

Yuji can't lift his head to look up, afraid of what he'll see, gripping at Nanami and shaking his head. ]

I'm sorry. It's all my fault, I - I didn't mean for things to be the way they were.

[ He's still crying, but the tears are rolling quietly now rather than sobs, all of his strength sapped from him as he leans into the comforting warmth in front of him instead. ]

[cardsharked]

[Having not met Tingyun before, Odette could be forgiven for thinking those fluffy ears are a new acquisition, just like what everyone else seems to be going through.

The markings are another thing entirely, so they draw more of her interest. Odette is tall and muscular, so while she doesn't force the door to stay ajar, she does lean her weight against the frame, a "suggestion" that it stays open long enough to continue the conversation.]

You've gotta be in shock if you think I look startled. What's up? You cut yourself?

[airdnd]

[ For a fleeting moment, that inkling of recognition starts to take form in her mind, but before she can mistake him for someone else entirely, the young sir blessedly introduces himself.

Yuji Itadori... He doesn't know this woman with pointed half-elf ears and stars in her eyes, but the shift in her features seems to convey, plainly, that she very much recognizes him by name. Blinking in disbelief for a moment, she then tries to offer the same awkward little bow, splaying a hand on her chest as she does so. ]

Ah, I'm Sumina Heartleaf. Welcome, Yuji... I apologize for my reaction just now, I— [ she clears her throat ] I've heard of you from your teacher, Mister Gojo.

[shardshot]

It absolutely is, but given what we know of Mr. Bennet's sense of humor, I can't say I'm entirely surprised.

[ Man's got Problems. Who let him be the one in charge... ]

And yes, only because I...left some unfinished food in there, and need a little snack after all that running.

[ We don't talk about her vegetable stash. ]

[shardshot]

You wish!

[ She says it with as much bravado as she can muster, but Navia is normally the one giving chase, not the other way around. There's something oddly exhilarating about being on the other side of things, almost like it's a challenge she needs to show up for -- and she's hellbent on outsmarting this dog. The fancy dining room has a lot of ways for her to hide from him, after all!

So, she takes a giant plunge forward once they get into the dining room -- the plunge takes her behind a table, which is stationed next to a chair. A hard place for him to get to, perhaps, but it's not entirely inaccessible, either. Her prey instincts are on full alert now, too, so she's not letting her guard down for a second. ]

[unliminal]

Do you like spaghetti, Mina-chan? I could make it for you sometime.

[ It's not very difficult, but he could put a cultural spin on it that she maybe hasn't tried before. It's the least he can do after roping her into floor pasgetti. ]

[shardshot]

[ Oh, she notices that she'd almost made him stumble, and that makes her feel pretty guilty. Navia goes back onto all fours, but she's still looking up at him. Her face isn't as expressive as she'd like it to be, but her voice sounds pretty regretful, regardless. ]

Oh, my apologies, monsieur! I only wanted to have a little fun, but I didn't mean to startle you. I hope you're alright?

[ She's not going to run around anymore, at least. Still, there's something she needs to point out, given the animal crackers in his hand... ]

And be careful with those crackers, okay? I have a feeling that those are what turned me into...this.

[staffcocked]

Dude... I can't imagine livin' without technology! It's as precious as food and water!

[Well, there's plenty of people who can get by just fine. But Yeyasu had such a millennial generation mindset! There were older demons who could barely use technology like the ones from his generation.]

Basically, I'm taking about social media. It's just an easier way to meet and talk with people without interacting in the flesh. You make a username, then create a profile with nice photos of yourself.

[nonexempt]

[ Yuji has been through a lot. That much Nanami can tell even without words having been exchanged just yet. There's something here, something that's telling him that this isn't just his death because it can't be, can it? No, no, he's sure Yuji was impacted by his death but there's no reality where all these tears are for him. So, Nanami holds Yuji tight and continues to comb his fingers gently through Yuji's hair and let him cry. Because he's getting the feeling that whatever has happened back home, Yuji hasn't had a chance yet to process his feelings.

It gives him the time to beat himself up a bit for being so complacent, being so cowardly. He arrived to the hotel and just... let himself be. He was exhausted, sure, and he didn't want to confront reality just yet but he should've pushed more. Should've insisted Gojo return home — told him the truth about what happened to him. He failed Yuji by letting himself get wrapped up in the easy-going nature of the hotel and not being alert. He won't do that again.

When Yuji finally calms down enough to speak, Nanami watches him carefully. He won't look at Nanami, won't lift his head, and Nanami won't force him to but he doesn't pull his hands back. He just keeps holding onto Yuji and providing that safety for him, that comfort. His words are concerning though, the apology that he's giving leaving Nanami confused. How could any of this possibly be his fault? Please, don't tell him Yuji is blaming himself for his death.

Quietly, but firm, he asks that exact question. ]

What are you apologizing for?

[unliminal]

[ He kinda figured, given the circumstances that it took to get her to even confess to him, but still, hearing her admit as much out loud tickles him in such a silly-sweet way. He's still not used to the giddy, boyish feeling that comes with it, that rushes through him like a smattering of butterfly wings, and a laugh escapes him in much the same manner. ]

You're into me, eh, Momo? Maybe hunting you was overkill, heheh...

[ Even if the literal hunting was driven by his newfound feline sensibilities. He might've been confident in her interest in him, but he's still the sort to get jealous easily, and his ego can never have enough padding.

After a moment, he lets go of her wrists, but he doesn't move away, instead bracing his hands on either side of her against the sofa, leveling her with a hooded, cocksure gaze. ]

Let me make it up to you?

[ He has that bright glint in his eyes again, but one that suggests causing her trouble in a much different way than before. Behind him, his tail flicks slowly back and forth again. Does he need to spell it out for her? ]

[curvaceous]

Heh...yeah. I get it. That, or it's just someone's fucked up idea of what relaxation's supposed to be.

[ Vincent is, indeed, rather light, but she feels a slight ruffling of her fur that points to his landing. With that, she starts climbing up the stairs at a relatively quick pace. Unsurprising, given her size and her ability to walk on all fours. ]

It's a lot better than where I'm from, though. That's why I'm still here. Is it the same for you?