The rain falls heavier and heavier, the outside storm spending all its fury. Inside a little cafe in progress there are tears wiped away with paper napkins and kept away with veggie omelettes that are way better than they have any right to be. And inside a little ramen house there is warmth and laughter and a sunny girl with oh so sticky hands as another takes copious notes on what is obviously a research study that no sane person could [i]possibly[/i] mistake for a date.

[Note as the week transitions, double check the OOC post before you post here, as there's a big end of week update with Issues coming]
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The rain sets the tone for the next few days, but then something quite unusual happens. Well, maybe it's not really that unusual, but it is different. You see, Shokyou, bless her heart, got so excited about her singing and meetings with her friends that she went and found Jasper and asked her to stay over with her. Then, when it came time to go down to her private little space and breath a wish to her magical wish-granting engine (which, I hasten to add, is far inferior to Dulcinea's nightmare science engine, so much so that the fact that I am even comparing there here is probably some kind of grave insult), she just couldn't help herself and wished to participate in a singing contest! 

Now, obviously, a teen girl's wish-granting engine wasn't just going to say how do you do and conjure up a little dinky country show. No, no no, that would not do at all! If Shokyou wanted a singing contest, then she was going to get lights, costumes and, yes it's true, even backup dancers! Think of this as a sort of overlay over the rest of Fortitude. There's a big stage right near the water with huge stands for everyone to sit and watch. It's got lights and curtains and all sorts of options for smoke and mirrors and whatever other effects you might want. There are hangers-on offering freelance services. The entire Fortitude tai chi club has turned out to offer their time as backup dancers (they're all geriatric, but very enthusiastic as is Fortitude's way). The stores around the area are selling (and renting!) all sorts of outfits as the heart may desire, with sparkles and sequins being the expected order of the day. 

You all somehow know that Shokyou has already been working on an act, some kind of Alice in Wonderland thing where she's the normal girl darting about from unusual magical performer to unusual magical performer as she sings out her emotions, and she is a natural at it. There's nothing Shokyou is better at than seeming totally normal in any context! She's not out there yet though, the day is still young and she's not exactly an early riser. 

Speaking of normal, you can hardly have a singing contest without entrants and all of you feel that you absolutely must enter and create an act for the show! (Unless you want to suffer some wounds to avoid the wish, which I do not know why you'd want such a thing but it's an option I guess). You'll need to start the day by making plans, then getting dresses, props, and setting elements, not to mention some rehearsing before the big number.

So EVERYONE!
What's your act going to be? What kind of costume do you plan to wear and what sort of music are you performing? Tell us all about it.

Rinley, Sessily would love to be in your show because you are good friends, are you okay with that? She's a little clumsy, mind you. 

Mila, Seizhi is torn with conflict over being in your show or Shokyou's show. She is Shokyou's best friend, but also fully in the role of your cook right now and might be running about frantically trying to be in both. 

Jasper, you're staying over with Shokyou. She was shockingly convincing in her dorky way, walking up to you after you and Dulcinea had parted ways for the afternoon, blushing a little with her ponytail bobbing and asking without looking you in the eye if you wouldn't mind staying over with her while you practiced your singing. She maybe sort of thinks you're an angel, but she clearly couldn't help wanting to hang out with you. She sleeps in, so you're probably a little behind starting the day compared to some of the other acts that may have been rehearsing since dawn. Breakfast is sweet, sugary cereal in rainbow colors: it's not at all like the ramen you had with Dulcinea, but it's probably pleasant unless you hate sweet things and Shokyou obviously enjoys it. How is it going staying in someone's house for the first time? What did you say to Shokyou when she first brought you inside? Tell us how you greet her this morning.

Dulcinea, tell us how you cut loose and, if you want, a theory about what all this could mean. But you might be too caught up in it all despite yourself to be theorizing right now, so feel free to go all out!