![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
【MAID WEEK / open mingle】
MAID WEEK
Welcome to Starsand
The city's atmosphere has lightened up since the cherry blossoms were revived. Talk of Fallen Stars being "omens of misfortune" and "out to replace us normal folk," have died down to mere whispers. In their place is louder talk of an event affectionately called "Maid Week," which has captured the attention of gossip and activities alike.
When prompted, cityfolk will explain that the event is actually a citywide cleaning event. Everyone in the city gets together not just to clean the streets, but to repair things and decorate. It's common for walls to be set aside for drawing on with chalk or for entire art projects. People who specialize in repairs or building will loan their skills to the public in order to better the city. Friends often get together to repair and clean each other's homes as well.
These efforts are given mostly for free... "Mostly." You see in Starsand, there is no longer a use for money. Spirits can provide most anything that you need in exchange for prayers, so coin money is becoming irrelevant. But when you work hard and passionately in Starsand, your emotions create something called a "Starling." These magical items look like konpeito and they have the same magical value as an hour of intense prayer. Starlings can be given to spirits for quick miracles, so they've become a sort of "faith currency."
During Maid Week, a lot of Starling is produced. When your character lends their help, they will produce Starling equal to how passionate they were about the task. For example, hating your job will result in one or two tiny Starling pieces per hour. But if you are doing something that you brings you joy, you will create bigger and more pieces. Because of this, people are encouraged to make the act of cleaning and helping as fun as possible. Some turn it into a game or a chance to hang out with friends, while some get playfully competitive.
Oh, but the most important part?
Maid outfits. Normally, the amount of Starling produced when doing household chores is minimal. You get more Starling at licensed places of business, where a special shrine is built to amplify the power. In order to make "Seasonal Cleaning Week" produce more Starling, a special enchantment was made... This enchantment triples the amount of Starling a person produces, which makes Maid Week more profitable (and appealing.) And, you guessed it... The enchantment only works on maid outfits. Wow. Weird.
So grab your maid outfit and earn yourself some magic konpeito! This isn't a fabricated excuse for maids at all!
The enchantment on the maid outfit will not wear off, so long as the owner of the outfit is not changed. (Ex.: Don't trade it or give it away.)
Your character can keep their outfit and continue profiting off household chores, even after the event.
Maid outfits are given out for free at various shops. No one will force your character to wear one, but people will explain why it is beneficial and gently encourage it.
Only spirits get a magic boost from eating Starling. For humans, it will provide a temporary energy boost.
Maid outfits are physical pieces of clothing, but magically altered to fit each client.
Characters can only keep one enchanted maid outfit. The enchantment transfers from outfit to outfit. But they can collect multiple free dresses this week.
The enchantment cannot be transferred to non-maid themed clothing. It can be added to a headdress, sleeve cuffs, or apron if you don't want a whole maid outfit.
Butler-type outfits are included, but everyone still calls them "maid outfits."
Skills should be beginner-level. Characters can return to establishments for part-time jobs to develop new skills further.
Go wild with cleaning/fixing projects!
You can assume that your character earns a sizable amount of Starling. It can be handwaved for buying housing, restaurant meals, nice clothes, and other luxuries.
Starling does not expire, but it does lose its potency within a week of being produced.
You may handwave various types of cafes.
Characters may be able to open their own pop-up cafe if they get support from a local. Locals are very happy to help bring new ideas to the city and will assist in keeping the cafe safe and up to code.
Reblooming picnic baskets can be picked up at cafes.
Reblooming parties produce Starling.
If you want to give sad spirits konpeito, reply to the Sad Spirit top-level for an NPC response.
Spirits are not malicious with their clumsiness.
Clumsiness should not break the city, but it can be very irritating and borderline dangerous.
Stronger spirits will step in to prevent injury, death, and widescale disaster.
! Out of Character Notes
(A) Dressing Up
Starting on Saturday the 7th, most clothing stores and boutiques will open special "Maid Day" sections. Here, customers can pick an enchanted maid costume to wear for the rest of the week. There are numerous styles, which vary depending on the type of store you are visiting. It's also possible to try them on. Everything will be fitted specifically to your character once they pick their outfit as part of the enchanting process.
If you're passionate about fashion, it's also possible to volunteer at these shops for the weekend. Volunteers can help modify details to make the outfit perfectly suited to each customer. They may even learn a thing or two about the enchanting process! And, of course, Starling will be created from their efforts.
! Out of Character Notes
(B) Volunteer Activities
There's a lot that needs doing during Maid Week! The activities will seemingly never end, so characters should have no trouble finding work to do. Streets need sweeping, buildings need repainting, structures need mending, gardens need tending... If your character sees something that needs to be fixed, then they can self-assign themselves the task of doing it. They're also encouraged to help others with tasks in-progress. Strangely, Starling amounts increase when more than one maid works together. So teamwork is literally valuable!
But there's more to Maid Week than cleaning. Shops will not only hire temporary workers, but shop owners are eager to share their craft with newbies. Bakeries are offering baking lessons, for example, or teaching people how to manage a store. Boutiques are teaching fashion and basic sewing, sports teams are teaching their games, clinics offer first aid, etc. Taking time to sit down and learn a skill can also produce konpeito, so why not try something new?
! Out of Character Notes
(C) Maid Cafe Break
Another aspect of Maid Week is pop-up cafes. Buildings are rented for limited run Maid Cafes, with some additional theming. There are animal-themed cafes (cats, owls, foxes, etc.) or design themed (alice in wonderland, gothic, cottagecore, etc.) The point is: There are a lot of them. And they're hiring!
Maid Cafes offer a space for the not-so-cleaning-inclined to make some spare Starling. They earn more Starling if they're having fun, so it's suggested to work somewhere that you'll enjoy. Refreshments are free. After all, hard workers need to refuel and relax between helping the city!
Starling is produced for both the maid and the customer if they have a lively conversation, so be sure to chat up the staff!
! Out of Character Notes
(D) The Reblooming
It's a well known fact that the cherry blossom trees "rebloom" every night at midnight. During this event, the blossoms that had fallen will float backwards and reattach to their respective sakura trees. Then the process of blossoms falling repeat until the next reblooming. During the hour after a rebloom, the petals glow like stars.
During Maid Week, this event receives a lot more attention. Tiny wooden shrines, looking a lot like bird houses, are set at the trunk of every tree in the city. At midnight, people gather to watch the reblooming and to give thanks to the hardworking sakura trees. They leave Starling in the shrines and potted flowers around the base, to "keep the trees company." It's common to throw midnight picnics at the trees, where people laugh and sing. They say that the tree's spirit is an honored guest. It's a joyous event, held under a canopy of glowing cherry blossom petals.
! Out of Character Notes
(E) Maid Day / May 10th
On May 10th, the formula of Maid Day switches up a bit. Rather than the citizens working to repair the town, this is a day when the spirits spoil the maids. Apparently this is why everyone wears maid outfits when doing work: It's so that the spirits can tell who they need to thank.
When characters wake up on May 10th, they'll find their breakfast has been prepared by spirits. If they've been giving a lot of Starling to the nearby shrines, then they will find a fantastic and luxurious meal. If they haven't then, well... the spirits will do their best, but they may not have the power to create something amazing.
This pattern of spirits trying to thank maids will occur all day. Sometimes the result is amazing: Your clothes are laundered and folded, your home is clean, you have great luck with everything that you do... But sometimes, it's not so great. A spirit tried to brush your hair and turned it pink instead. All of your clothes, except your enchanted maid outfit, have been ruined. The food in your fridge all expires at once. The spirits aren't malicious, but the weaker ones have a success rate of 10%. May the spirit gacha be in your favor.
At the end of the day, when all of the damage is done, some of the cleaning efforts are also undone. You may find spirits sulking in dark corners of the city, ashamed of how poorly their efforts went. A sulking spirit does not produce a glow, but creates a speck of darkness. Those with strong empathy can hear them crying wordlessly. You have a lot of Starling from working hard, right? Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to feed these spirits..? Or maybe you hold a grudge over their cluminess. Up to you.
! Out of Character Notes
Extra Notes
Maid Week takes place from May 7th until May 13th. Characters will be able to earn a decent amount of Starling from this event, which can be exchanged for luxury items. You can handwave your character paying for permanent housing, nicer clothes, going out to fancy restaurants, etc. by using their Starling. We don't track exact amounts, so no need to do math to tally up what your character earns.
Feel free to invent extra prompts & be a bit silly with the concept. This event should lean light-hearted.
no subject
[What kind of priest is he? Kevin lets out an easygoing laugh.]
Besides, I'd say that the allure of an experienced older woman has its charms. Plus I'll bet that you've got some itches that need scratchin' after a long time, am I right?
no subject
no subject
But I gotta say... 'Least this is a good way to make people forget about the previous incident involving those marks. Even if it still bothers me, we should probably focus on clean up duty right now.
no subject
Auauauau...
[And there's the awkward noise.]
Y-Yes, it is a relief. At the very least, it means that everyone will be safer.
[Or so she hopes, anyway.]
Have you done this sort of work before, Kevin-san?
no subject
[There's a nostalgic smile on his face as he reflects on this.]
I was raised in a gospel facility. Think of it as a mix between a orphanage and monastery.
no subject
I think I understand.
[Hanyuu answers this rather plainly as she mirrors his smile with one of her own.]
I've never seen a place like that before. Then again... there's a lot I haven't seen before, ahaha.
no subject
[With plenty of dangers to boot. But that's what people like Kevin are for.]
I never had a chance to ask what kind of world you came from. Dunno how we got here, but I do know that some of us ain't locals.
no subject
"Sheltered"... well, I wouldn't say that.
[Not exactly, anyway. But she presses on to elaborate. She doesn't have to hide who she is from Kevin, so she can actually speak about her past. It's been so long since she's even had the chance.]
When I was younger, I used to travel a lot. It was a part of my job, back then.
[She doesn't bring up the fact that she was basically an assassin; someone who had to take out those of her clan that became way too dangerous.]
But you want to know where I came from? Well, it's true that I'm not a local, even if I am a kami. Although I wasn't always one.
[And there are times where she feels like she doesn't deserve the title. That it's just something that was just given to her after the stories about her changed over the years.]
My home is a rather small village; a place where everyone knew each other. Over the years, many things changed. Even though everyone knew each other -- a lot of the people in the village doubted one another, and eventually that led to fear. And that fear eventually led to a lot of pain and suffering for a long time. It's gotten better now, recently, thanks to a few people learning to work together, to trust one another to create their own miracles, but there's still a lot of work to be done.
It's a really gorgeous place, though.
no subject
[As someone who traveled around the country killing heretics and retrieving artifacts for the sake of the church, there wasn't much that Kevin could say either. At least, not right now... It appeared that Hanyuu wasn't a kami who would go out of her way to torment people. This was a huge relief off his shoulders. It'd be a shame to off a cutie like this, he thinks.
Though as a priest, Kevin did take his job seriously whenever he had to and listens out to her story. There were plenty of people and children who had came his way and needed some advice. She was certainly showing her age here... It felt like she was sitting on the sidelines for quite a long time.]
So you used to be human? Humans becoming something supernatural ain't uncommon. Though it says a lot that you're still keepin' your sanity. In some cases, it's the first thing that goes after a transformation.
[He's seen this happen first hand many times... And sadly, he's been on the end where he has to pull the trigger to keep them from hurting others as well. He doesn't push on the 'how' Hanyuu became like this as that would be her story to tell when she's ready.]
Still, I'm glad that your home is on the path to recovery as I've heard some cases where people don't rebound very easily and they're still suffering the after affects even today. A friend of mine had gone through a similar experience like yours, but he was saved thanks to the power of bonds. [A beat.] ... Sounds a bit cheesy, but it's true. Humans have got a power that surpasses even devils.
no subject
...
[Subconsciously, Hanyuu reaches up to the buns that hid her horns when he asks the question of whether she used to be human.
To be honest, she doesn't know how she should answer that. Even before she was a kami, she wasn't exactly born with the same human features like others. She looked human enough... for the most part. But there was just that one thing about her that made people call her something different.]
I wouldn't really call it a transformation, Kevin-san. While it is true that I become something different in the eyes of man, that was simply their perception of who I was.
[And honestly, she's a little surprised herself that she's managed to keep herself in the years. When she's been on the sidelines for many years, unable to talk or interact with anyone until Rika came along.
She laughs a bit at the mention of bonds, but then smiles.]
Mm. You're right, sir. Even if it might sound cheesy -- the power of bonds is quite powerful. I've seen it myself, so I know it all too well.