« 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

[flaredo]

[ ... So he can still sneak in some cute. As expected of her boyfriend, and Yang's eyes lighten as her fingers twitch. ]

It'll at least keep me going until I can catch up with you again. Don't fall for too many pretty girls tonight, okay?

phase iii

[fingersnaps]

( The smile that Manfred gives in return is similarly strained; he doesn't do 'complimentary', even when he's trying to play nice. ) I've seen better. But for this place? It's not so bad. ( Someone hasn't quite adjusted to his time in Tellus. )

( He gestures to the glass the young man is holding. )

An excellent choice, by the way.

[awaken]

I was expecting something more... [ What's a good way to describe it... ] child-friendly? It's the day after Christmas, after all.

[ From the corner of her eye, she sneaks a look at Yurlungur looping behind the kid. It's almost... weird? odd? to see him out in the open with someone else, and knowing how it felt like when he was in her head, especially with Bebe.

She feels Thanatos shift from the back of her head. ]

I'm Minako Arisato, by the way! Newcomer and all that. Are balls the norm around here?

[shacklebreaker]

[He takes her hand and leads her onto the dancefloor, trying not to let his apprehensiveness show. Dancing, like many things, is something he hasn't done for a long time, and the last thing he wants to do is make a fool of himself.

At least the music is a classical piece, which is decidedly better than... some of the things that have been playing. Once they're on the dancefloor amongst the other dancers, he turns to her.]

Did you attend many balls while you were studying in Europe?

i/iii

[teradyne]

[Music isn't something Argilla is all too familiar with -- so hearing the live band here, she's enjoying the sounds and the harmonies. It's really peaceful just to listen, to be idle, to enjoy standing around and doing nothing while her life isn't in danger for once or having to fight. To the point she doesn't even notice the other girl talking to her until she's reprimanded.]

That guy can't play? I couldn't tell at all.

[immobileyes]

Oh-- yes! This one-- [ And she's indicating a little bluebird cupcake ] is really good! I think you'd like it, Oz.

[ So she did sample a fair bit... ]

iv b

[masakados]

[He didn't expect to come along someone shooting with a rifle when he was just trying to get some air, away from the press of human emotions--

Much less someone like Argilla. Naoki stops some distance away (a safe distance), and he's all dressed up, but his expression's gone blank. Yellow eyes are suddenly, unnervingly focused, because she definitely doesn't feel human, a demon?

He waits for a moment in-between her shots to say:]

I think you've already got it.

ii

[sjokolade]

[...And behold, just as Flynn was about to go to the table, there happened to be a young princess in the way! Of course, she was never one to pay attention and didn't even realize there was someone rushing to the table! Which was why when she moved somewhere else, she quickly turned around and...!]

W-Whoa! [She shouted before trying to make way for Flynn. Of course, that didn't stop her from stumbling on her feet! Quick, do something!]

ii

[awaken]

[ Glowing? Minako takes one look at his drink, then the bowl where it came from and tries to put it together.

... She's pretty sure it looks like every alchoholic drink and then some. But, she can't be sure as she's... y'know, underaged. ]

Er, I'm not quite sure. Maybe alcohol?

[immobileyes]

I-it's okay... I think he's still really busy.

[ There's her voice. And she definitely doesn't want to bother Zara. ]

[immobileyes]

Everything's trying to kill me, Sousei-san...

[ DOES THAT SEEM OKAY TO YOU, SHE'S ACTUALLY PRETTY TRAUMATIZED. ]

Phase 3

[buildyourworld]

[ Tieria is actually on the way away from the dance floor because the last thing he wants is to be drag onto it. He's only enduring this ball for Rock Lee's sake and once the surprise is over, he's getting out of here. Never mind that he'll be wasting the nice suit he's wearing and Yoon's awesome styling. ]

...it's nice. [ Pausing in his steps because his guy doesn't look okay. ] Are you alright?

bonus

[fingersnaps]

( Manfred had wandered into the hallucinogenic gardens in search of some fresh air, but the figments of his imagination were not allowing him to catch his breath. Plants cast flickering shadows, making it difficult to determine silhouettes from reality. Half-blind, Manfred reaches out at this latest intrusion, to see if his hand will go right through again.

However, this is no imagined corpse but a very real girl - Manfred's hand clips her shoulder just as Nonon raises her arms to hug him. The contact cuts through his haze momentarily and he tightens his fingers slightly to push her away. )

What in the world are you doing?

[immobileyes]

That's... my roommate was going, so I thought it'd be better than staying by myself.

[ And Natalia had been nice to her. And balls sounded like a princess thing. ]

[beaconed]

[ That was a long, long stop in time before the sound of her laughter lifted a heavy burden off his heart. He's relieved, and yet so confused, but mainly relieved. After all, she has every right to be angry at him, to be embarrassed by him, but she never is. Not Pyrrha.

Pyrrha... why is that? And seriously, what is it with these songs?! ]

[hagureoni]

What kind of celebrations do you prefer?

[Senkimaru's actual interest in that was small, but it was a start to see what kind of people ave been assembled here.]

ii

[awaken]

[ Minako's taken to wandering around, just watching people, as she takes quick bites from the finger food she's put on her plate (and there's... probably a lot). It's when she notices a guy just sitting on the table all by himself that he approaches, but not quite sitting across him on that chair. (What if he has company and they just left for the bathroom?) ]

You're not gonna eat?

[yooknowit]

Hey.

[ Sitting across Hak's table, here's Yoon... Who is expected to be dressed really well. He glances right away at Hak's plate, wanting to note if the Thunder Beast is eating well. He better be eating a balanced meal, despite being at an event like this!

He doesn't want Hak to suffer either an indigestion from the food or a hangover from the alcoholics. ]

How's your evening so far?

intro

[fingersnaps]

( The name rings a bell for Manfred, and he cranes his neck for a better view to confirm his suspicions. Once he spots Gilgamesh, he cannot resist making his way over to the self-styled king and making a not-so-well-intentioned jab. )

You've managed to find some clothes, I see.

phase ii;

[immobileyes]

[ Mary isn't one to approach strangers, but she's feeling slightly braver this time. Maybe because anyone who's staring at food that longingly might not be a threat, and if he is, he'll probably prioritize the food first.

So she quietly speaks up from behind him: ]

You should get some. It's good.

[beaconed]

W-Well, how often is "often", really?

[ Every week? Day? Hour? ]

[teradyne]

[It's automatic to keep attacking, her anger taking her over as she finds it difficult to calm herself. Though when she hears a voice, it snaps her back to reality, her Atma mark turning back to it's black color on her chest. However, seeing the boy(?) there doesn't really help at all (and somewhere in DDS land he's an optional boss that we'll pretend she never encountered because only masochists go out and try to find that battle and I'm not a masochist...). He doesn't appear human despite having a human shape.

So while she's not shooting, her rifle is certainly pointed at him.]

What are you?

[Not who but what? If this is another program, then this is just one giant fucking joke... Karma Society or whoever can shove it up their a--]

ii

[yooknowit]

[ The princess will feel a familiar, warm hand to settle on her hair. Don't mind him, Yoon's just doing the usual grooming. He just wanted to straighten her hair accessory. Speaking of... look at who is fully dressed. ]

Whether or not they are, you should eat something already. The night is still young.

[masakados]

[Naoki laughs-- but he's watching her, noting her reactions to Yurlungur. Notably, the lack of a "what is that giant rainbow snake" or "why is it floating" or anything of the kind. Also her glances.

But the name he recognises... from Fuuka mentioning.

Ah, well, in that case, perhaps...]

Naoki Kashima. And nope, as far as I know, this is our first one... Natalia's done a great job, besides the not-so-child-friendly trees or the fish things in the fountains. Though I'll chalk those up to not her...

( phase iv. ) ver. notome.

[grovel]

[ there's something about the phrase, living garden and all its suggestive fantasy that strikes a familiar chord within his pixels. except, not necessarily, as he doesn't actually find the term applicable until those fines snake around his feet. he barely evades it, despite his level 99 status and increased speed, and so he finds himself groggy as an after-effect to the concept of some plant trying to best him. he in all his inflated ego obviously couldn't stand for that. he's already debating what spells would be ideal for the scenario.

there was stunning it to be immobility (hopefully in a pain-inducing manner)... silencing it with magic... except, it wasn't actually making a lot of sound, nor did it look capable of return spells. but, it's precisely in this consideration, that he finds... a charm has been chucked at his head. ] —!? [ was that its attack? he's caught it by instinct, but should he even be holding it? should he check the status window?

he's pretty sure did a single digit in terms of damage, if even that, but all the same. he holds it in his hand, before, he ends up turning to the source of all the previous shouting. which he just barely came in to miss. ] ... [ .... ah. ]

This is yours. [ somehow, he might look a little pleased about that. ] Am I right?