estoria | //CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT?

Entry tags:

//CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT?

Who: Everyone! ... who glitches into this wonderful night, anyway.
When: OOC: 1/4 ; IC: 5/2
Where: Just your ordinary, adventurous ViViD level. Right? Of course.
What: You saw a flyer go out, a nice little promotion declaring that anyone who signed into ViViD today at a specific time would be awarded 500 credits. You thought that sounded nice, so you decided to log in for a quick game, thinking it would be no big deal. You absolutely did not get what you bargained for.
Rating/Warning: Let’s say PG for now. If this changes, please say so in the header of your thread and let Pip or Xan know so we can change the rating!

//CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT?

You've seen the flyer. Or maybe you haven't. Whatever your reasons may be, you've decided to log onto ViViD today at around 6 PM. At first, all seems normal as the game loads, and you prepare to start on what should be an average adventure. Maybe you'll do a little fighting, or some exploring, or even a little platforming. Either way, there shouldn't be anything unusual about this.

Right?

You couldn't have been more wrong. The moment you log in, something goes strange. The game glitches around you, whatever world that started to load seizing up and freezing with static, warping with strange colors. And then a different setting loads smoothly like nothing ever happened. The first thing you notice is that it's sprawling and beautiful, if not a little ostentatious. Should your curiosity draw you from the courtyard you've arrived in through the great double doors, you'll arrive in...

... a ballroom. Welcome to prom.

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I

[ 600 ] There are tables scattered around the periphery of the room, and a DJ, somewhat out of place in this beautiful setting, is stationed at the back, spinning out tunes to help you get settled into the start of the night. On the scattered tables are... punch bowls? They look tantalizing, and they come in quite a rainbow of colors. Should you be brave enough to take a sip, you'll find interesting things will happen. Drink the red punch, and you'll end up in rococo fashion. Drink the pale champagne-colored punch, and you'll find yourself sporting elegant regency attire. How about that cool blue punch? You'll step right into the roaring 20's. What about that dayglo orange punch over there? How about some far out 80's, man? That futuristic purple punch will suit you up in Tron style. And then there's one last punch bowl on a lonely table in the corner. No one can quite identify that color. Is that ... brown? Brave this punch bowl and you'll be, uh ... richly rewarded with modern-day fashions. Will you step up and test these refreshments, for science? Or will you be the first onto the dance floor, or to make an insane request of the DJ?

Last but not least, certain Cerealians who glitch into the level may find they have a specific corsage attached that they cannot remove! If they stick around long enough, they'll find one other lucky soul with a matching corsage. This is your ViViD assigned date! No one is going to force you two to dance... but you might find that the longer you put off dancing, the tighter that corsage gets around your wrist, or the more it begins to prick your chest, depending on its location. Might want to rethink your position...

Dates:
Shijima Kurookano & Himeko Inaba
Trucy Wright & Enomoto "Ene" Takane
Adelina & Rock Lee
Byakuya Togami & Lailah
Archer & Touka Kirishima
Sakuya Le Bel Shirogane & Maya Fey
Leon Kuwata & Alisha Diphda

PHASE II

[ 730 ] So you're here. Whether out of curiosity or you've resigned yourself to the strange festivities, you're in. Maybe you've been wallflowering it up for a while, even with the cool kickin music playing. Whatever the case may be, the DJ announces themselves (DJ Slim Shaydee, not to be confused with that knock off from Earth). You're welcomed in an enthusiastic manner. Also hey, if you're near a table, see those cute placards? Yeah the ones in the center pieces mixed in with the bowl of candy and flowers. You'll notice they have a neatly typed out list— DJ Slim Shaydee says whoever fulfills the criteria on the list will be crowned Prom Royalty. Who doesn't want that???

Successfully complete a slow dance
Do the cha cha slide OR do the electric slide without messing up the turn
Make out in the rose garden out back
Have a dramatic fight with a close friend and storm out (you may come back after)
Comfort a crying friend in the bathroom
If you're a minor, accidentally get drunk
Successfully spike every punch bowl within a 20 minute time limit
Confess romantic feelings to the object of your affections

To truly kick it off or maybe give those ambitious types a head start, DJ Slim is gonna play you (yes all of you) a group dance! Hope you know the moves to the Cha Cha Slide. If not, don't worry, the song will tell you every step.

Oh and one more thing — anyone who fulfills an item on the list will get a confetti surprise. What does this mean? It means a golden, multi-faceted little ball will spontaneously appear over your head out of nowhere soon after you fulfill a condition, hovering for a moment before it explodes into a shower of confetti. Enjoy!

PHASE III

[ 900 ] Whew. All these fast paced songs sure have you tired out, right? Maybe take a sip from the many punch bowls around the room if you haven't tested them out yet. Or try your hand at fulfilling another portion of that list from earlier—by spiking the punch. Better work fast though, the bowls themselves refresh fairly quickly once they sense contamination. See how many you can get in one go! Or if you're not a dirty prankster, see how many people you can catch spiking those dang bowls.

While you're doing that, the DJ seems to want to wind down the energy in the room. That means, you guessed it: time for that coveted slow dance. As the first chords of the song play, the doors to the garden veranda and hedge maze open. How romantic.

PHASE IV

[ 1000 ] It's the end of the night, and maybe you've been trying your best to satisfy all those win conditions. Or maybe you haven't! Either way, it's clear from the mood in the air that the time is drawing near for the announcement of the Prom Royalty. The DJ brings the lights low, and spotlights hit his stand. He brings a mic to his mouth, and announces grimly that there will be no Prom Royalty. Apparently, no one satisfied enough of the win conditions! How can that be? Surely someone tried! Well, whatever happened, the DJ isn't happy, and the lights in the room will come back up. The DJ will mess with some of the equipment at his station, and all across the room, small panels will open up near the ceiling. Pouring out will come ... balloons? And not just any balloons - they're water balloons, and not only are they somehow floating, they're coming straight for you. How are they flying? We just don't know. If they come in contact with you, they'll frizz your perfect prom hair. Worse, if you apply even the mildest force to them, they'll immediately pop and drench you in freezing cold water, leaving you drenched.

The ballroom quickly fills with these angry little balloons, threatening to flood the room completely if too many of them pop. Will you flee and save yourself? Try to save your friends? Try to reason with the DJ and stop the balloon menace? No matter what you do, you'd better work fast. The floor is already getting dangerously wet...

BONUS

[ hour ??? ] Remember that garden maze? From a certain point of the evening on, prom guests have been free to wander through as they please. They're beautiful, a rose maze by day that looks even more breathtaking at night with fairy lights glittering and winking in between all the flowers and leaves. Maybe you wandered out there to get away from the craziness in the party. Perhaps you want to be a true wallflower. But should you explore this maze with another at your side, you'll find it a pleasant enough trip, and if you manage to make it all the way to the center of the maze, you'll discover a secluded little gazebo that seems like it was placed there just for you.

Go in alone, though, and the maze seems like a completely different place. The fairy lights will be dimmer, less pleasant. You'll hear a rustling too loud to just be the wind. What was that sound? Turn around, and nothing is there. Too late you'll realize that the maze itself is alive, and has been watching you this entire time. It doesn't like lone wanderers. Better run fast or find a way to get out of the plant's clutches before you really become veggie.

However, if you get caught, you'll be trapped by the sentient vines that shoot out from the walls and bound to the side of the maze until another lone explorer finds you. At this point the vines will reach out and snap up that unlucky soul, too, wrapping you both up in a not-so-tender embrace. You'll both be stuck there until you can do whatever it is the maze wants that will convince it to set you free. What is that? Well, it does seem to be fond of lovers... and public displays of affection.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Like the incident from before? That's hard to say, but I doubt we're at risk from anything except for the music. [Sakuya has a point- while it's closer to the kind he listens to, that doesn't mean Minato's particularly appreciative of tunes that worm its way into his head and refuse to leave afterwards.]

What kind of music do you like?

[At this subject, Sakuya perks up; his tone goes lighter and warmer than usual, despite the circumstances. The circumstances which involve the music he doesn't like still blaring as a backdrop to the conversation . . . but at least it's back down to a normal volume.]

Of course I am loyal to the true masters of the craft. Beethoven, Bach, Debussy, Grieg, Stravinsky, all true geniuses of harmony!

The classics then- I'm impressed. [Minato's only listened to a few off-hand and he's not too familiar with them, but he does know another fan of music when he sees one.]

This music must not suit you in that case... [A glance is thrown in the direction of the DJ, who's quite content to play anything other than the classics, it seems.] Do you think he'll play some if you ask nicely?

Why should I have to capitulate to this auditory terrorism, I ask you?

[ASK NICELY? Ask nicely! Don't forget who you're talking to, Minato. Sakuya looks affronted at the very idea, casting another glare at the DJ . . . but more quietly this time, at least. Thank Heaven for small favors.]

I wouldn't expect such a creature as that man to appreciate what he was playing one iota.

If he doesn't care about what he's playing he might change the music to whatever you want, Shirogane-san. [But Minato gets the point, and he shrugs lightly before ambling over to the DJ.]

Excuse me. Could you change the music to something classical? It's for a friend of mine. [HE TRIED.]

Ah . . .

[That's . . . either kind of sweet or exceedingly practical, both things that leave Sakuya briefly speechless in different ways. He lifts his head higher and watches, not even attempting to hide the fact that he is the "friend" in question, whoops. (Friend?!)

Well, it's appreciated, either way, and he doesn't have a snarky retort for it or anything. What a good Minato. Sakuya just waits to see if he's successful, though in a way, that's less important than this having happened at all.]

[Sadly it's a long-time running joke that Minato's requests tend to go unheard due to how soft spoken he is, and nothing happens. It's either that or the DJ's completely ignoring him on purpose and all Minato can do is to glance back at Sakuya.]

Looks like it didn't work...it was worth a try. [The glance itself is pretty unassuming, as if he wouldn't mind doing this for anyone else.]

Hmph. As I thought.

[Of course! He was right once again, as always! But there, they've gone and tried it the bullheaded way and the polite way and neither worked, so Sakuya can be satisfied this is a lost cause. He only huffs and begins to move away from the din, pausing to look back, expecting Minato to follow him.]

Let us not waste our time further with this idiot!

[And Minato's following alright, being far too close to the music for his ears.]

I agree. Let's go, Shirogane-san.

[He shuffles over to a free table that's nowhere near the DJ; it's not like the music's not still regrettably audible, but at least Sakuya doesn't have to look at his smug, tasteless face from over here. Hmph.

Not that he knows what else to do at this party. That's where Minato comes in again, once he makes his way over within earshot.]

And now what? What a miserable excuse for a party.

There's always the food. [Sadly Minato's a little too practical to be of help here and perhaps a little oblivious as to the lack of avian-friendly food for his feathered friend, though Sakuya might have noticed him taking a close look at what was being served before walking over.]

Parties aren't very fun unless you have someone to do something with...what else do you enjoy doing?

[He may, or may not, be surprised at what pigeons of Sakuya's type are willing and able to eat. Or rather, in Sakuya's world. Pigeons of Sakuya's type are terribly prissy and elitist about everything they put in their mouths, and he regards the table very dubiously himself.]

I have not even gone to look. Peasant food, surely, on caliber with their drink selection. Ha! And I ordinarily enjoy music, when it is not outright offensive to anybirdie with taste.

[To be fair Minato doesn't know much more about pigeons than the average person save that they didn't in fact explode if fed with rice, but he does acknowledge Sakuya's remark with a noncommittal nod.]

I'm not sure if this music is ordinary in the city, but it's pretty common in my time. Does everyone- er, everybirdie listen to classical music in your world, Sakuya-san?

[HE ACTUALLY SAID EVERYBIRDIE. The correction surprises Sakuya for a moment (not least of all because "everyone" is a word birds still use, making it an unnecessary amendment), and he tilts his head, but chooses not to comment on it, mostly because he isn't certain what to say. Thank . . . you? Is that appropriate here? Or maybe he's being mocked? But Arisato doesn't seem like that type . . . ]

Of course not. Only those with taste. Our music does not differ so terribly from yours, so far as I know; after all, we are still Earth.

[And birds had inherited much of human culture, even when it didn't make much sense.]

And in your world, does everyone summon great beasts out of thin air with a pistol? Ha!

[For all of his sarcasm, he's also genuinely curious about how the whole Persona thing works.]

[The truth is simply that Minato doesn't know that birds in Sakuya's world still use 'everyone' in daily conversation, and that he has a tendency to pick up the habits of his friends.

Oh well. He blinks when Sakuya asks about his Persona again but is otherwise unfazed, as it's not an unusual question in this sort of place.]

So it's just that birds have taken over and learned from watching humans...Only some people are capable of doing this in my world, and I can't say whether that's a good thing. [Not all Persona users were good after all, and in a sense one sacrificed themselves for such power.]

I see. And how is it determined that you have this ability? Surely it isn't genetic?

[He can't imagine something so blatantly magical having a basis that scientific.

After a beat, he hops down to head over to the food after all, curious. If nothing else, perhaps he can have interesting conversation and tolerable food out of all of this mess.]

It's not. [Minato's quick to join him walking at a brisk pace, but he's more focused in talking to Sakuya for the moment.]

A Persona is like your other self, so you have to accept yourself first...It's not that easy. [And is he ever understating it, considering that explaining how it really works is too much effort and the basic explanation is more than enough.]

Accept yourself . . . what do you mean by that? That hardly makes any sense. One's self is one's self. What is there not to accept?

[He is either extremely confident or extremely naive.

(Okay, it's both.)

Sakuya shoots Minato a glance as he hops up into a chair near the spread to get a better look at it, though he really isn't expecting much of anything this party would offer.]

[The food there looks posh enough for a prom, but whether it lives up to its looks is a completely different matter. Minato glances back without saying anything at first, taking in the spread before them before answering.]

Are there not parts of yourself that you keep hidden from others, Shirogane-san? The negative emotions you feel, what you desire, and your own mortality...accepting all of that is part of what gives someone the ability to be a Persona-user. [Pause.] The food looks great, by the way.

[It's a crying shame that Sakuya isn't the type of person to appreciate the comedic timing of that moment, nor is Minato necessarily the type of person who meant for it to be comedic.

But with things as they are, Sakuya only makes a noncommittal noise as he looks over the spread. Maybe these little crostini, and these cheeses if they're half decent, which he doubts, but he is hungry . . .

As he gathers up a plate, exceedingly picky about it, he spares Minato another quick glance. It isn't as though he hadn't heard the rest. Food is just a bit easier to address.]

. . . Hiding things from others is not the same thing as hiding them from oneself.

[But it's not very convincing on his lips. Beak.]

It is only neglecting to spread your personal business around where it is not needed.

[Food's definitely better than talking, and Sakuya unfortunately catches Minato in the act of absently munching on a piece of cheese. His own plate is heaped with all kinds of food, not being particularly picky so long as it was guaranteed to be non-lethal.]

You think so? Personal business... [He at least had the courtesy to finish his cheese first before speaking again, not being particular fond of it.] I suppose that's true, sometimes. [Minato agrees anyway that there's things that are simply not anyone's- er, anybirdie's business.]

Sometimes? Of course it is.

[He's picking a fight, a little bit, because he knows he's a little bit wrong here. Sigh. But he also drops it for the same reason, turning from the table with his plate in his wings. How does that even work? It just does.]

. . . Then you are implying you have accepted every aspect of your own psychology, and in doing so, been granted magical abilities?

[Chief among the knowledge the Universe Arcana hasn't granted him is the answer to how birds can carry a plate with their wings, and Minato's eyes are fixated on Sakuya's wings as a result. He's being pretty obvious with it too, only making eye contact with Sakuya again once he's satisfied that...

It's just a thing that happens. Yeah.]

You don't have to accept all of it. That's only the first step, but only people with strong willpower can use a Persona...You can't do that without accepting yourself first.

Edited 2016-02-09 08:35 (UTC)

[Wait until he sees him play the piano.

Sakuya doesn't point out the obvious staring; he's pretty used to it by now, even if it's still a little disconcerting. And there's just something about being stared at by a guy who can put a gun to his head and summon a demon bird, but . . . Sakuya just shoots him a look and leaves it there.]

Nnnn . . . I cannot argue with that. Not regarding the Persona nonsense, which I would not know about, but the rest sounds logical enough. Inasmuch as anything about your particular universe ever does.

Guess we're even then. [Minato heaps some more food onto his plate within reason before turning around to look for a place to sit.]

See you later if you're still around, Shirogane-san...I'm going to look for somewhere to sit.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

//CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT?

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