« 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

iii

[andimfine]

Athena.. [ He offers her an incredulous look because he's really hoping that she's not serious about a dance off, but knowing her and his luck, she definitely means what she says. And, of course, he is going to end up taking part in it one way or another. ]

Before I agree to anything, is this a dance off between everyone in the agency or between a group of strangers..?

[failures]

[With a groan, Larry manages to shove himself off the ground somewhat, at least propping himself up and balancing on his knees. He doesn't even realize he took someone down with him until a voice suddenly starts angrily talking at him.

That voice...]

H-Huh? Who's...?

[Wait, he knows that voice. How could he forget it?

It makes his blood run cold.

His first instinct is to just run- run without saying another word. He doesn't want to accept what he's going to see if he moves his gaze in the direction of the voice. But he looks anyway, maybe just to confirm his worst fears.

They are indeed confirmed.]

You... What're you doing here?

[It's him. It's the guy that nearly got Edgeworth convicted of murder! It hadn't occurred to Larry that time shenanigans could bring people like von Karma back too...and he definitely doesn't want to accept that possibility. He must've had way too much to drink, that has to be it.

Maybe if he closes his eyes and wishes long enough, this horrible person will disappear.]

[madhatted]

[ It truly isn't, since when Oz approaches, Break takes the plate as smoothly as if he could see it. Maybe this is just an elaborate prank...? We'll never know. But he does smile and hum in amusement, so it seems like he's pleased with the selection by smell alone. ]

Well! It smells quite tasty... And pray tell, what selection did you pick for me?

[ Because it's Oz, he feels like at least one of these items is probably a prank to make him miserable... ]

[psycholawgy]

[ Tugging on his coat because she's a tiny thing, then. ]

Then hurry before the next song starts!

[prehensible]

Pachinko? [ clearly the strangest part of that sentence. clearly.

ah, what a nice young man, showing him the right way. it all looks the same to souza right now: weird, bleeding colours and darkness. ]

What a lovely party this has been. Don't you think?

[failures]

[Hinata's tap sends a jolt through Larry's body, evidenced by how he jumps a little bit. There's very much of look of, "oh shit I've been caught" on his face as he turns and sees Hinata there.

Play it cool, Larry. Think of a way out of this totally embarrassing situation.]

Oh, did I accidentally put it back? My bad. I thought I just broke off a piece of that one. Yeah, that's gotta be it.

[The tone of his voice suggests he knew what he was doing all along. Not smooth at all, Larry.]

[swordboning]

[Letting himself be dragged out. Inwardly screaming.]

As long as the next song isn't ridiculous.

[impheired]

Oh.

[He...didn't know hamsters could eat fruits and vegetables. Like it makes sense when Gundam says it but he just never stopped to think about it. He just kind of associated hamsters with seeds and grains.]

Well...I'm ready if you are. That sounds like a good idea to me.

[He hasn't really had too much to eat himself, and you know...food sounds good after an ordeal like attack of the trees. He's kinda hungry.]

[soulist]

[ Ah. Well that makes two of them, which is perfectly okay with Cyrus. He'll cough into his hand, nodding in a similar sentiment. ]

Same here. I never really...had time for it. [ Guess that's what happens when you're too busy saving the universe from ultimate destruction. ] But I guess there's a whole bunch of us who can't...so it's not really a big deal.

[ He shrugs as he leans against the wall, his robotic limbs catching the light from the chandeliers. ] Probably not a good idea to dance with these anyway. [ He motions with his robotic hand to his leg. ]

Pretty sure it'd hurt like hell if I stepped on someone's foot. [ And here he'll cough again. ]

[swordboning]

The outdoors is something of a problem though. If you're headed out there in the future, you should probably take care.

[prehensible]

Oh-- [ well, yes, he supposes it is only natural. and this man is a stranger, so he doesn't already know. ] Well-- [ he urges their hands up slightly so that his sleeve lifts, exposing the handle of the blade at his side. ] --it's more what I still am.

[ it's a beautiful blade, clearly taken care of, clearly old. ]

I'm what some might call a tsukumogami. The spirit of this uchigatana, specifically. [ and then another bright smile. ] My name is Souza.

[swordboning]

I'm having quite a bit of fun.

[No, not really. He's not a fun haver. Ever.]

If you treat her like a child, she's only going to get angry.

[adornmental]

[Why is Souji hellbent on making him want to cry, wow!! At least he doesn't look like it this time: he just seems stunned instead, and gently touches the pin once it's settled and after sheathing his sword again (much to the relief of surrounding ball-goers, probably).]

—It's for me?

[As much as he claims he's looking for people to adorn him and dress him well, it can still sometimes come as a surprise when it actually happens.]

[prehensible]

[ he glances down at kaoru with another bright smile. ] Nagumo-san! Yes, I like the dancing very much.

[ he glances down at the kimono, then back up with a slightly flustered glance. ] Thank you very much. I had so much very good advice from others, but.. to be honest, I thought it safest if I settled on something I'm at least a little familiar with.

[ he takes a moment to take kaoru's attire in, too, expression lighting up. ] You look very lovely, yourself! How have you found it so far? The ball, that is.

[invisibleair]

[ Saber is just happy that Rin is here, that she dressed up, and that she is her fate. So Saber wants things to go smoothly. ]

Would you like a drink, Rin?

[prehensible]

[ he looks startled for perhaps half a moment, but then a bright smile curves onto his mouth. ]

Horikawa-san! [ instead of returning the bow, he leans down for a swift, fond kiss to his temple. ] I'm so glad to see you! I saw that some of you had arrived. And thank you very much. I wanted to be certain I represented Tenka-san and Sousei-san well.. not to mention all of you.

[ a brief pause, then, brows lifting curiously. ] Photographs..? Are you doing that as work here..?

[impheired]

[DON'T ASK HIM, HE DOESN'T WEAR DRESSES. Not that clothing wasn't something of an ordeal for him as well. He had to help Gundam find a suit. And just clean up the mess that is Gundam Tanaka in general. The things we do for friendship.]

I see. Well maybe if we get through this one with no problems, somebody else will throw one. It's kind of nice to have something like this on our own terms instead of CERES's...

[demonicbookworm]

<sub>[Well, Ruca was busy isolating himself from the world first, then saving the world and now... Oh, let's face it. He wouldn't be able to ask anyone to dance with him anyway, so it's not like it all matters that much.

The robotic limbs surprise him and make him frown.]</sub>

...What happened to you? _{[He gives him a very concerned look, but then he realizes that he probably should've asked that kind of question and so he looks away.]} I-I'm sorry. You don't have to answer...

[hamham]

Let us go then!

[Doesn't it? Gundam may have to sneak a few snacks for himself while he's there too...

Standing up from the table, he gives a dramatic turn as he begins to walk. One that surely would leave his coat billowing out behind him if he had been allowed to wear it. It probably just looks silly without it.

But come, Kuzuryuu!! The buffet table awaits! San-D and Jum-P are both ready for and deserving of this feast!]

[invisibleair]

[ She is...pretty inept, but sometimes she can manage to be a little better at it, especially when it comes to following the lines of a conversation that fit well with her views of knightly chivalry. And dancing works well for that. ]

I am...enjoying it as well. [ More so if she could convince Rin to dance, but otherwise, it's not a bad night at all. ] And you look...pretty, Athena.

[prehensible]

[ .. oh no.. how cute. souza actually has to take a moment to compose himself, because this is a little like meeting gokotai and naki all over again.

he offers another smile, bright and warm and interested. ] I can't say I've ever had anything like that. It looks curious. [ maybe he'll have to try it, after all. ] .. I noticed you around this area quite a bit tonight. Did you help prepare things..?

[prehensible]

[ maybe souza is strange for thinking that thatch's swagger is sort of sweet, but.. honestly, overall, the other man is just so nice that he can't help himself.

he smiles, charmed and flattered by the bow, and then offers his hand out to be taken. ]

I'd love to, Thatch-san. Please be patient with me, yes? [ he's new to it! ]

[demonicbookworm]

I see...

_{[Ruca tries to give him a smile that doesn't look all that nervous. A smile that says that he understands Kaneki perfectly. It might not work, but at least he's trying.]}

To be honest... before I came here I was thinking about turning back and just staying home.

phase iv!

[ukakus]

[Honestly, Touka has similar reasons for stepping out into the gardens. While wallflowering was more or less okay and she didn't really mind sticking to the tables for the time being, she really needed a break from all the hubbub—as well as a break from the smell of human flesh. Not even being surrounded by so many disgusting food items was enough to drown that out, unfortunately.

So. Here she is, taking in the scenery and remaining oblivious to the sentient trees. It's only when she hears a familiar voice that she looks up, and—]

... You have to be kidding me. What are you doing?

[She's been here for so long, she isn't even surprised by what she's seeing. More like she's exasperated by the fact her co-worker is trying to politely speak to it. Is it too late to turn around? Probably, considering a tree just to tried to reach for her ankle, before she stomped on it with her heel.

Never mind. This is more stressful than the party.]

[prehensible]

Ah! Vietnam-san! [ he offers a brilliant smile, mismatched eyes sweeping over her own clothing appreciatively. ] What a lovely choice you made, as well. It's very pretty on you. [ she looks slightly uncertain in it, though, so perhaps someone else had helped her choose..?

even so, they'd done a good job, if so. ]