[open] Crackplot post!

[wordoftheroses]

Once upon a time there was a sentient building that was very fond of snatching up people from whatever they were doing and forcing them to interact.

This was fun for the building for a while but it soon grew bored of just watching people and decided that it would have a little fun.

So now, along with snatching people up from their respective lives, it's decided to run a little experiment.

Hence the nice little spread you'll walk in on in the main room. One table laden with food, the other with drinks, but any option you stumble into will give you more than you bargained for.

There's a prettily laid out platter of fruit, for instance, but if you find yourself munching for it, odd things might start happening. Hearing things people didn't actually say, feeling things for no apparent reason. And if that's a regular occurrence? You just might find it happening a little more frequently, a little more constantly. Or maybe, you'll find other people looking at you as if they can hear what you were just thinking.

There's another platter with a nice little spread of cookies. Some are gigantic, more like a mini-cake than a cookie, and some are normal cookie size. If you much on the normal cookies, you might find yourself feeling odd. Not quite yourself. In fact, very not yourself. And if you go for a big one, you'll find the urge to share it even if you're not the type of person who generally does that. And that person you share it with? You may just find that you feel more like them than you do like you.

There's a bowl of nuts set out that look perfectly innocent, but those who steal a handful will find a few moments later something unfamiliar is happening to their body. An unexpected change in a couple of rather private areas.

Those who go for cake will also find themselves changing physically. Maybe the young are suddenly finding themselves a little more grown-up. Or maybe the grown-up suddenly rediscover their childhood. Or maybe you're somewhere in between, and then, well, who knows where you'll go?

And the last food choice of the day is an offering of pretzels. Those that go for the pretzels will find that, a few moments after taking a bite, something starts fading away. Maybe you can't taste the salt anymore, maybe you can't quite understand what people are saying. Things go dark. You can't speak. Something goes away.

The drinks table holds its own danger in a multitude of enticing liquids. You might be safer sticking with the water. Or, well, maybe not. Because after taking a sip, you'll find that things you don't mean to say just... slip out. That your reactions are a little more intense. Things that should be vaguely amusing you can't stop laughing at and things that are mildly irritating send you into a rage.

There's always tea, but sipping on that might just loosen your tongue even farther. In fact, you may find there's nothing you can think that you don't say.

The coffee is no safer. Sure, at first it seems a little less problematic, but then somebody might ask you a question. And whatever that question is, if you go to lie, you'll find it comes out as the truth anyway. And if you try to lie without being asked a question, it just won't come out the way you expect it to.

There's an array of different flavored juices sitting there to sample as well. But take a sip and you won't get the chance to finish it. Whatever the flavor, you'll find you're something you weren't before. If you're lucky, it's still humanoid. Not everyone will be lucky.

And as a final option, there's three delicious-looking flavors of milkshake set out. Those that go for strawberry might find themselves with butterflies in their stomach at the next person who talks to them. The chocolate fans will find their reaction something a little bit deeper, even if the next person they see is a stranger. And those who go for vanilla might find the exact reverse; the next person that looks at them just won't leave them alone.

Anyone looking for food besides this layout will find their search and/or request comes up with nothing. If you don't touch the offerings, you'll be fine. If you do? Well, good luck....


[OOC: ...Ahem. GIANT CRACKPLOT POST OF DOOM. A quick rundown in case anything's not clear: fruit=psychic abilities (either reading or projecting, and those with abilities are heightened); cookies=personality switch (giant ones are with the person they share with, small ones are just switch an aspect/entire personality as you wish); nuts=genderswap; cake=age (up or down is up to the mun, doesn't matter what age they are); pretzels=sensory loss (or muteness, that counts); water=heightens emotions and/or removes inhibitions; tea=speaks thoughts aloud; coffee=can only tell the truth; juice=species shift; milkshakes=fall in love/crush with the next person you see (strawberry is crush, chocolate is love, vanilla is the next person you see falls for you to a degree up to the muns). Go nuts. Post the same person doing several different cracks. Do several at once to someone. Multiple verses. Whatever. If you want to tag someone specific put their LJ name in the subject of your comment. Otherwise, go nuts

Note: it should be noted that this post was copied from a private musebox that allaroughdraft and I were in. I's copied practically verbatim, so all the credit for the crack goes to her, I just thought it would be fun to open it to mass response.)

Comments

[consultmybooks]

[It's a very sad whine. And Giles likes dogs very much. But, on the other hand, strange dog on top of strange everything else. Even he's suspicious. He watches as "Hermes" starts to drink up more of the juice, and makes a face.]

That can't be good for you.

[sophicsulphur.livejournal.com]

He's not really sure why it wouldn't be good for him. After all, it's food-tasting liquid. What's not to like about food-tasting liquid? It's like liquid and food, all in one.

He cocks his head at the man's expression, then continues to lap until the juice is all gone. He's actually kind of hungry, too, now that he thinks about it. Maybe if he whines some more, he'll get food.

He puts his paws up on one of the tables, and snuffles in the direction of the cake. Cake, he attempts to convey with his whine. Can I have some cake? He can't quiiiite reach it, not without jumping onto the table proper. And that makes him very sad.

[consultmybooks]

...cake is very bad for dogs.

Everything here is probably bad for dogs. Everything here is bad for people, too, come to think of it. But Giles has yet to find a way out of here. Who knows how long they'll be stuck?

Even so...

"Fruit, um, might be better, actually." He knows what the dog wants, but cake is bad for dogs.

[sophicsulphur.livejournal.com]

Hermes offers a sad little pout. Or at least a dejected expression, which is the closest a dog gets to pouting. He really liked the look of that cake.

But really, he supposes he can't complain. Fruit is good too. Any food is good. He barks once, then hangs his mouth slightly open and paws the air. Feed me?

[consultmybooks]

Giles actually smile slightly - he likes dogs. He tries not to be a sucker for them, but sometimes he is.

No pretzels. Just...no pretzels. But...well, fruit, maybe some nuts, and a couple of the less obviously confectionery cookies. He puts them on a plate and sets them down before Hermes. Take your pick, boy.

[sophicsulphur.livejournal.com]

He noses at the plate experimentally. Maybe a cookie. Or no, an apple. There are so many choices. Why make a dog's life so hard, Giles?

Still, this should tide him over for a while. He nudges a plum with his muzzle, then takes a large bite out of it, chomping it down stone and all.

Good food, he thinks, and then whimpers slightly in confusion. There's a funny feeling in my head suddenly. Being a dog, he can't pin it down to anything, but it feels vaguely invasive, like someone is watching him. He spins in circles a couple of times, then lays his head between his paws. He's not sure he likes this at all.

[consultmybooks]

Giles winces in sympathy. He was hoping that wouldn't happen. He was also expecting it, but he was hoping that it wouldn't. He ate some of the fruit, too, so he sympathizes, reaching out to scratch Hermes carefully behind the ears.

[sophicsulphur.livejournal.com]

Scratches feel good, he emotes without knowing it, distracted for the moment. It still feels funny when he thinks, though. It's like there's something crawling inside his head.

He pushes the plate away with his nose and makes a mournful sound. Bad food. As if Giles didn't already know that. But this dog's not the brightest spanner in the bag, and he wants to be doubly sure. After all, the man gave him food when he asked for it, even if it turned out to be bad, so they must be friends. Friends? He holds up a paw to shake, like he thinks he remembers seeing people train dogs to do.

[consultmybooks]

Well, well - he's a trained dog, it seems. Giles carefully shakes the paw, like he used to do back when he actually had the time and chance to own dogs. He looks very sympathetic to Hermes' current plight, and not at all happy with life and general. But he does keep scratching scratching the dog behind the ears.

[sophicsulphur.livejournal.com]

Yes, this man is definitely a nice man. Maybe he could be his owner. Hermes doesn't have an owner, not as far as he knows. He pushes the plate a little more to the side, then curls up at Giles' feet.

Keep me? he projects, gazing up at him with a look that he hopes says the same thing. He's still not quite aware that others can hear his thoughts.

[consultmybooks]

Giles, however, is perfectly aware that he's reading the mind of everyone in the room, to some degree or another. Hermes, at least, isn't quite so noisy in his thoughts.

"For now."

He rubs irritably at his eyes before patting Hermes affectionately on the head.

[sophicsulphur.livejournal.com]

Hermes lets out a cheerful bark. That one doesn't need the thought translation. This man will be a good owner. He'll feed him, and give him lots of headrubs. There really isn't that much more that he wants out of life.

The headrubs are very pleasing indeed. Very soothing... very comforting... very strange. Why is there someone rubbing her on the head? And why is she so cold? Iris leaps to her feet all at once, wrapping her naked form up tightly in her wings.

"A-ah, don't look!" she cries from inside the wing cocoon. Hopefully, he didn't even get the chance to see her turn back. Maybe he just thinks she's a bundle of wings. Yes, that would be preferable to the alternative.

[consultmybooks]

First and foremost - not a problem. Giles' sight has deteriorated so badly that it's easier to make out silouhettes than proper details. In addition, it's been years since he's had to deal with Oz and his transformations, but it was a notable enough part in his life that he only panics very briefly when the dog turns into a girl before quickly shutting his eyes.

"S-Sorry, I just...I thought..." He rubs at his eyes again. "W-What on Earth?"

[sophicsulphur.livejournal.com]

She's projecting raw fear through the psychic link, along with a side helping of bewilderment. "What's going on?" she yelps, still wrapped inside her bristling feathers.

Technically, he did ask first, and if she were thinking a little more rationally, she'd realise that he too must have all the legitimate questions. But right now, all she can think is There was a man petting me on the head, and I'm naked. Anything more subtle than that is going to take a while to get through.

[consultmybooks]

Giles quickly picks up on that fear, and that bewilderment, and on top of his own confusion and unease it's hard to string a coherent sentence together. He has to remind himself that he's not the one who's terrified, this girl is, and she actually has good reason to be. They all do, but...

Still keeping his eyes closed, almost shrinking back against the wall in an effort to get away fro their strange psychic connection, Giles manages to stammer out, "Y-You were a d-dog. Um, I take it that isn't normal f-for you?"

[sophicsulphur.livejournal.com]

"A... a dog?" That's such a strange statement that it takes her a minute just to process it. As she does so, the fear begins to bleed away, replaced with more confusion and a sense of scrambled thoughts. She's still not back to full capacity on that front yet, having spent the past half hour or so as an altogether less thoughtful creature. Actually putting together what he's saying seems like it takes forever, and even then it doesn't make any sense. Why would she be a dog?

Still, she supposes that explains the petting. That's what you do with dogs. Oh, and the naked. She should really do something about that.

A hand reaches out from between the wings. "Um, I don't suppose you could... hand me my clothes?" she says, a little sheepishly. "If you've seen them." She racks her brains, trying to think of something else to fill the silence. Then she remembers he had a question. "Oh, u-uh... no. I'm not usually... ever. A dog. I mean. That's really...." She doesn't even know how to finish that sentence.

[consultmybooks]

"...unfortunately, s-seeing much of anything is a little problematic, right now." Giles folds his arms tightly across his chest, hoping that he can help bleed off the confusion in her mind and his with calm. Giles is good at being calm. And talking. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, honestly - something strange is happening here. Happening to us. At least you're back to your proper shape, yes?"

[sophicsulphur.livejournal.com]

"Y-yeah, this is my shape...." she says, even though it's not much of a shape she's presenting at the moment. It's more like an ovoid of feathers with a hand sticking out of it. She supposes it's probably kind of rude to talk to him from behind her wings, even if he is having trouble seeing. So, cautiously, so as not to expose the rest of her, she angles her wings downwards so her face can be seen. "Did whatever you ate hurt your eyes? I'm really sorry-- ah! There!"

She's spotted her clothes, in a crumpled heap not far from where she's standing. Putting those back on is going to be difficult now, she thinks. But at least she's calming down. She can feel reassurance wrap around her mind, much like when she's with Mio, and-- something else. A strange scrabbling sensation, inside her brain. She puts a hand to her head.

"What's that?" she says. "That strange feeling in my mind... like there's something inside there." She glances back at his face. "Do you know what that is?"

[consultmybooks]

"Yes. I'm afraid that it's, um, something you ate." Something Giles...gave to her. Well, dammit. Now he really has to find a way out of here, if only to make it up to this poor girl. "Something we all ate."

Even with his eyes closed, it's actually easy enough to "look" at Iris. He's been zeroed in on her thoughts to some degree or another for almost half an hour now, even when those thoughts were canine instead of human. So he finds himself unconsciously focusing in on her mind again - at least it's mildly familiar.

"Everything seems to be affecting us, in some way. I haven't experimented very much, you understand, but I think the pretzels are what is affecting my eyesight. We both ate some of the fruit, and from the sounds of it we're both experiencing similar effects on our minds. It's definitely magical or poisoned, but it doesn't seem to be fatally so."