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.
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With all due respect, I— you're very large, and I'm very small, so this doesn't quite feel fine!
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Sniffs sniffs, then huffs in that dog-like way, clearly displeased.]
What are you doing, skittering around trying to steal scraps of food any-
[Straightens instinctively, bumping his head against the top of the chair.]
Ow.
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I'm just - taking a look around, is all! Ahaha!
[ And then a loud, loud sound startles her once more, the impact of his head on the underside of the table also jostling the silverware and such set atop it, but— this is her chance!
She's going to try and dash out from under the table by skittering under him!! ]
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Wait!
[Oh, how frustrating. He has to twist himself at awkward angles to slide back out from beneath the chair, and by that time, she's gotten a good head start.]
I said wait!
[HE'S CHASING AFTER, and though he opens his mouth to say something else, it just comes out as
BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK]
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No, thank you! I, ah, I've got to go!
[ It's wishful thinking, though, because he does extricate himself from the chair situation before long. There aren't too many places to hide, here... If only she could crawl under something else, but even then, he might could swipe at her with those gangly limbs of his!? Maybe up is the way to go... But she can't exactly scale a wall with her bare paws, so instead she finds - oh, look, a conveniently placed broom resting against a table at an angle - something else to get onto! ]
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But he's too big, and the floor is too slick, and he collides straight into the broom in a show that would make any episode of Tom and Jerry proud. The handle tilts over and falls down; it bonks against his skull, and Henry lets out a whine.
It's jolted him to a stop, though.]
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...Wait! After shaking her head as if to regain her bearings, Sumina realizes - she can hide in here! So she goes very, very still and tries to hide beneath all of that soft, airy goodness. Actually, maybe she'll take a little nibble of that baguette while she's under here.
Of course, this is to say nothing of the people seated at that table, who have been trying their best to enjoy their meal in peace while these Tom and Jerry-ass shenanigans unfold. A mouse just crash landed into their bread, so uh, they're definitely going to scream about it. ]
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Meanwhile, Henry straightens, sitting on his haunches and watches this chaos unfold. The knock on the head was enough to drag a little more sense into him, banishing away his dog-like instincts, and he mutters-]
What... are you doing in there?
[AS THOUGH IT'S SUMINA'S FAULT SHE'S IN THE BREADBASKET!!!
He uses his telekinesis to lift her up from the pile of bread, and slowly drift her over, closer. And while this might be worrisome on its own, he doesn't even bother to stand -- it doesn't look like dog!Henry is too keen on chasing or hunting anymore.
The two individuals, now bearing witness to a mouse floating up and out of their meal, give one more harried yell, stepping back in surpirse.]
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Up, up, and even further up still she floats, as if someone's tied a bunch of little balloons around, her only far less cute and gentle. With another little squeak, she clutches desperately onto the breadstick she'd been helping herself to. The dining patrons, meanwhile, have run away. This has been a crazy time to be a guest at this hotel, truly. ]
I was trying to hide from you!
[ but also helping herself to a little snack, ]
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And eating freely, just like before.
[Except he feels less of an offense at that now; less of the drive to rid the hotel of rodents scurrying back and forth and stealing food where they can.
...Eventually, he lowers her to the ground.]
This is ridiculous. I don't know what came over me.
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Ah, she survived so many other mishaps over her decade as an innkeeper. She could have easily caught a stray arrow or spear during a tavern brawl, or myriad other things. But no...
...Well, at least she's got bread. ]
I—
[ Wait. Now he's... Lowering her back to the ground... ]
Oh. [ ??? ] Don't be too hard on yourself, sir! It is fairly ridiculous. Likewise, I— I've never been so rude as to steal food from people, but here I am.
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Once again, this hotel is playing its tricks on us.
[Is it better than the lava? Yes, absolutely. But is it also its own form of humiliating? Absolutely. A thought that flits across his mind as he tamps down the temptation to scratch at his ear with a backfoot.]
...I've changed my mind.
[He chuffs, dog-like, and with his mind, tilts an entire table over. The guests have long departed, but their meals are still warm and fresh, spilling all on the floor. Very mature of Henry!]
Eat all you want.