« intro ⇢ winterball.exe »

[poised]

Who: everyone, literally everyone
When: ooc: 04/25-04/26; ic: 12/26
Where: the Gardens
What: intro log + winter ball!
Rating/Warning: PG-13 | possibly nsfw (please let me know if you need this rating changed, or you are welcome to continue any naughty shenanigans in a private log)

//winterball.EXE Pimp My Party -- Royalty Style A few weeks prior to December 26th, an invitation went out to all whom already reside in Cerealia. In delicate, curling script, it read: You are cordially invited by Natalia L.K. Lanvaldear to a Winter Ball to be held on the Eve of December 26th in the Gardens. Dress in your best attire and enjoy a magical evening of dance and fine cuisine. What do you mean we should fuss about worlds being destroyed? Get into the holiday spirit, you scrooge! And in regards to the new-comers: whether you have been wandering Cerealia over the course of the past few days and managed to receive one of the later waves of invitations or have simply suddenly appeared in the gardens with nothing but the (hopefully…. appropriate….) clothes on your back, welcome. The gardens have been transformed through the work of slave labor condoned by royalty incredibly talented volunteers. A buffet line possibly a mile long, a sprawling dance floor with temporary wood placement to cover the grass, a lovely orchestra with scheduled interruptions of magic shows on the stage, and the entire thing lit gently with lights stretch the span of the main area of the garden. Not too far off, there are ponds and pathways that take you elsewhere into the foliage, but why would you go that way? The party’s right here! "Good evening, everyone!! Whether you are new to Tellus or old, I hope to find you in good spirits. Mind you, I do not intend to ignore the blunders of CERES nor the grave situation that new-comers have found themselves faced with. However I assure you that at this time, surrounded by these people, you are in good company. Please, dine and be merry - I believe some worlds celebrated a holiday yesterday! Get to know one another so we may strengthen our ties and stand firm against whatever this world may throw against us! Also try the salmon, it's absolutely divine. . . . How do I turn this off...? Should I just walk away?"

//SCENARIOS.EXE PHASE I [ xxxx ] Like any respectable ball, your entrance is announced as you walk right into the party! What do you mean you wanted to slip in unnoticed? That simply won’t do. Natalia managed to rope in someone – is that a Tellus native? – to do the honor of acknowledging your character as they make their debut to the ball. This guy is under strict orders to not miss a single soul. If your character doesn’t give him a name and title ahead of time, then he’ll just make something up. Think along the lines of Broseidon McSnootyname, Duke of Erectile Dysfunction-- What do you mean that’s not your name? PHASE II [ xxxx ] Absolutely no expense was spared when it came to making sure that the food here was the best that money could buy (or threats could extort). Guests can select from a menagerie of main dishes from all sorts of cultures, adorable desserts that look like woodland creatures alongside towering cakes, and even those fruity drinks with the little umbrellas on them. Pig out, you animals – but there’s also a wide selection of fine wine if your tastes and curiosities wander off in that direction…. What even is the drinking age in Tellus? Remember, folks, drink (ir)responsibly. PHASE III [ xxxx ] Well, it is a ball. If you’re interested in proper, classical styles of dance, there’s certainly an orchestra that’s dominating most of the night. One of their songs may or may not sound familiar. Spin around in your flurry of skirts and do the fairy tale thing if that’s what you came here for. Romance, or whatever. Waltz your heart out and don’t forget to point your toes! … that said, there’s also a separate sound system not too far, prepared in case the orchestra might want a break. It’s also not being watched too closely. Maybe put on something to liven up the dance floor? Or did someone ruin your fantasy by putting on something unbearably inappropriate? PHASE IV [ xxxx ] The gardens really are beautiful. Spread throughout the area and more toward the outskirts of the party, there are plenty of beautiful fountains with glittering, crystal clear water. In fact, it’s so clear that you can spot the occasional alien life form flitting through it amidst the lily pads and gently sweeping foliage. It’s so graceful, what beauty! Look at how it rises to the water and gently opens its mouth into a yawn and—tries to chomp anything within range right off with razor sharp teeth what the fuck, whatthefuck. It would appear that's not all, though. Whether you're ready to fight the creature or run screaming, you feel something slowly slide and curl around your arm or your ankle. Look on in horror as you turn your head and realize that it seems that the nearby tree has grown rather fond of you very quickly, to the extent that it will reach out and lovingly wrap its hentai tentacles around you.... Brings a whole 'nother meaning to 'tree hugger', doesn't it? BONUS [ whyo'clock ] Are you lost? Did you try to catch your breath away from the party and start to wander off despite all the cautioning not to? Or maybe you were trying to leave and took a wrong turn? Either way, you seem to have only found yourself deeper in the gardens now. Try not to breathe too deeply or… at all. If you can’t manage that though, it appears that you’ve stumbled upon the hallucinogenic plants of the garden. You start to see things that aren’t there – though whether you suddenly find yourself in a den of cougars lions or think that the person standing next to you is the biggest, cuddliest pile of adorable puppies in the world depends on the person. Hope you have a good trip, bruh. [ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with trigger-y or inappropriate material and do let me know (through FAQ comment or PM preferably!) if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so I can lock the log. ]

//RUN.EXE Welcome to CEREALIA's latest intro post! This one is player-run and all the basics have been laid out for you here. Absolutely feel free to come up with your own prompts, I just attempted to set the scenery! For your convenience, I whole-heartedly welcome questions and inquiries being directed to my attention here and I'll answer them to the best of my ability! Have a ball! Enjoy!! OVERFLOW IS HERE Move over at your captcha-free leisure!

Comments

[souredsweet]

I see... Do they have hot drinks for cooler weather as well? All of the cocktails and wines I've seen are served cold.

[What happened to good old cheap hot sake!! Not... that Kaoru drinks that either... or drinks in general, really.]

[hamham]

Oh.

[Well...okay, that makes a little more sense. Kind of. It still kind of sounds like he's treating him like a dog or something by doing that, but...

No, no. Don't think about that. Hinata just told you that's not what he meant, so go ahead and forget that!]

...alright.

[He can try that, sure. And really it's a nice memory, since he was pretty little and the dog was pretty big, so it was ridiculous trying to dance with him. Thinking about this like that, even if Hinata's smaller than him so it's not the same, does make it a tiny bit easier...his movements aren't so stiff...]

[souredsweet]

I'd think so.

[Good work Team Party Hosts, thinking of just about everything!

But the reassurance sure is swift and it seems genuine enough, so Kaoru offers a sheepish smile in return. One hand raises in gentle dismissal.]

Ah, there isn't any need for you to prove it. I'll take you at your word, sir. It seems there's an unusually large number of people here with weapons tonight, either way... [A side-glance out toward the dance floor where like ten thousand sword spirits are roaming free...]

[littlestbaskerville]

[She is waiting for that fox to talk.]

What's your name? I'm Lily!

1/2

[followthenose]

[A live one! Despite everything that's happened, just hearing that question lifts Usopp's spirits.]

Well of course I barely came up to his ankle and he had teeth as long as my forearm and would have eaten me but I knew what to do. I'm an expert sniper, you know. Even then I could hit the eye of a pigeon at forty paces!

[prodigism]

[ A reason not to fight here. Arima had never had a reason not to. But in this place he wasn't sure if it would be necessary now. Attacking Kaneki now might just push him over the edge again and who knows how others he's interacted with would retaliate to Arima's decision. People here were not accustomed to ghouls or their life styles after all. He didn't want anymore trouble than what was already being dealt with. The idea that he...could be normal here wasn't really crossing his mind or registering just yet. He had always known one thing and one thing only. Hunt ghouls and make sure to protect the people in the various wards from them. Kaneki seemed to be in his right mind so there was that, and he didn't outwardly appear to be struggling with that same insanity that even Haise was fighting to control.

Normal. Almost too normal and yet he knew the other could only hold back so much. He was working with Haise so closely and for so long that he knew the signs and symptoms...but he saw none of that here. Still his voice is calm and apathetic as he still stares down the other. Kaneki was definitely a problem that had to be kept in check. ]

It was. [ His eyes briefly tick to the briefcase next to his feet. Untouched and unopened as if he were talking to an actual person and not a half ghoul. So an ultimatum must be reached. Without the eyes of the CCG here there was a a distinct lack of authority that had to be met. But he wouldn't discard the CCGs obvious manners of dealing with ghouls here. This place was made up of people from all different types of planets and walks of life. Surely many of them had power to deal with errant ghouls, should that be the case. He'll open his briefcase then and take out Narukami. A light 'whoosh' passes through the silence as its shifts and forms into the alternate mode that of a blade. He'll let it rest at his side, not making any obvious movements to engage the other. ]

I will let you go. Under the condition that if you deviate from this current course I will be there to stop you again. [ The 'again' was probably enough to enlighten Kaneki as to what happened at the end of that tunnel. His tone is firm leaving no exceptions to be made either. Haise...no Kaneki as well was his responsibility back at home. Here it was no different despite the current conditions of the other. Mental stability was a fickle thing and could change at any moment. Letting him go like this was a stretch, given what he was, but he knew how to deal with things should it get out of hand. This was not the wards and this was not home, the human ghoul war mattered little here in the grand scheme of things. Things here were vastly different and keeping those factors in mind would be wise as well. ]

[souredsweet]

[Half is good enough for him, dangit.]

Thank you very much. [Reaching up to gently touch one of the combs there!] I was fortunate enough to find a boutique that sells ornaments that I'm a little more used to. May I ask where you found yours?

[followthenose]

[but what was he doing. There wasn't time for this. He had to worry more about the others somehow]

Look, uh, you haven't seen any weird people around have you? Loud guy with a straw hat? Green haired swordsman who gets lost a lot and is probably pretty beat up?

[souredsweet]

[So blunt! But easy enough to understand, at least. Setting priorities based on how much others can handle doesn't seem like a poor idea to Kaoru at all...]

It's a good thing for everyone, then, that the only troublemakers who seem to be around are relatively light-hearted.

[Here's to you, mysterious music-changer.]

[impheired]

[Look you were being a dumbass the last time he spoke to you. What else was he supposed to call you? At least he wasn't...really made, per say, so much as just frustrated. Because why are you such a fucking dumbass, Souda.]

[Oh my god though, Souda, what the hell are you wearing. Who let you pick your suit? Really? Neon?? WHY ARE YOU STILL WEARING YOUR BEANIE, WHAT THE FUCK.]

I'm not...crazy about shit like dancing, no, but I knew some people who said they were coming [Mostly Hinata. But also Gundam and Lee and he figured the rest of you losers would probably show up if Hinata was going.] so I figured I should probably come for a little bit, at least.

[Also he's gotten way better about parties, man, come on. Skipping parties is so five chapters ago, he's past that now.]

[Continued here.]

[followthenose]

[it's not that he's prejudiced or anything but the last experience he'd had involving giant Fishmen with very sharp teeth was on just this side of terrifying, so forgive the shiver that runs all the way up from his boots to the ends of his hair.

...

But wait a minute]

Shanks'-- [he turns toward the Fishman] Hey, wait, you know Shanks' crew? You know my dad?

[souredsweet]

[Kaoru's expression shifts a little at that, smile picking up an edge of mild amusement.]

I do? Back home, I did have to attend a number... Though the environment was a little different, the atmosphere was much the same.

[littlestbaskerville]

[Then it's just his night!]

Really? I like them all. Kou gave them to me as a present, they are really pretty, right? He said he's a hair dresser!

[She really likes hanging out with Koujaku.]

[adornmental]

["His side" is the entire circular base of the tree trunk.

Making a little irritated noise of frustration!]

So what are we gonna do, huh? Go find another tree to hack at?

[adornmental]

[How they both die: stupidly, and because of a fish. POETIC.]

Yeah, the fountain by itself is at least a hundred times better. [Making an UGH face and turning away from it. It's a good thing that fish really can't fly...] Wanna go check out the rest of the garden?

[perfectstrike]

[It's just different when it's Kuzuryuu okay. Kuzuryuu doesn't seem to be anywhere nearby Peko though! While he can certainly be found at the ball, neither of the yakuza seem to be overly concerned with the other (at the moment.)]

Wounds...?

[She repeats, with a bit of puzzlement, then oh, her lips part in understanding as she glances down herself.]

Ah... yes. They're scars from-- something that happened before I arrived here, from the island.

[She's learned by now that frankly stating that she was executed is usually frowned upon! Though she does add, a little more quietly,] Does it... bother you?

[Because she wouldn't have asked him to be her date if something like this would bother him; that, or she'd have gone with a different style of dress.]

[psycholawgy]

[ This might be a fancy gathering, and Athena looks much like a princess, too. Her actions are different, though. She sneers like some overly confident maniac.]

Great. That's the way it should be!

[perfectstrike]

[No, Tenka, your tie looks fine... She does still reach up and fiddle with it to make sure it's tied correctly after all that fiddling, though. Maybe if she tells him it's fine, he'll believe her and stop complaining about it. Like a child...]

You should be alright now.

[And she steps back, giving him a bit of an appraising glance.]

Are you here by yourself?

[She'd have thought with Tenka's personality, he'd definitely have brought a date! Or at least Sousei.]

[perfectstrike]

It... matters...

[Strained Peko voice... It just matters, okay??

The ones with the little umbrellas look so cute, though, and surely not everyone has the same kind of tolerance that Kuzuryuu has... it would be fine to just get one to try right?]

Are you having anything?

[newtimes]

I dunno... ( The drinks are free but let him have his fun. ) Sorry, mister.

It looks like ya need a friend with a heart and a wallet.

[adornmental]

[An approving nod from this dang punk.]

Good, good! If you're always around interesting people, you'll never be bored.

[followthenose]

Yeah...well it's all kind of weird, isn't it? I mean...everything...

[he does take him up on his suggestion though, getting what looks like a cup of creamy soup which at least warms his hands. Good to keep the fingers limber.]

What do you mean by 'one of us?'

[and he hoped Marine or any kind of law enforcement didn't fit into the equation or he was in a hell of a lot of trouble]

[perfectstrike]

[This dork is her second-favorite dork, though, so she just huffs a bit of an amused laugh through her nose when he offers his hand. It just seems silly coming from her classmate, after all, instead of from the bunny butler she'd been training with.]

Yes... if you would like.

[And for a moment, she doesn't look incredibly awkward. Go Peko go. It doesn't last, though, because once she takes his hand, it's a reminder that she's very close to someone and is supposed to be paying attention to the person she's with instead of to her surroundings. Hrk. So she stiffens back up again, though she doesn't let go of his hand or try to retreat, at least. Gotta be brave--!]

I did not think you knew how to dance.

[harepiece]

Everyone seems to be finding things that they want to try without trouble so far! [Nodding in agreement! In fact, the only problem he's seen people have is the exact opposite: having too much choice and not enough stomach room.]

Which one sounds best to you?

[harepiece]

I guess you could say I was one of Miss Natalia's... consultants? She asked for input and I helped her get the things she wanted.

[Do you know how hard it is joint party-planning with a princess... It is so hard.....]