estoria | « intro ⇢ winterball.exe »

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« intro ⇢ winterball.exe »

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!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ai Thao had been spending time in the gardens and was unscathed mostly. Still, it'd probably be a good thing to make sure there weren't any stragglers that were... captured... and... Oh...

The young esper stares back at the wrapped up Katsura. Yes, she remembers him cross dressing from the sleepover. That isn't the issue at hand here though.]

You're... You're not dead right?

[A beat.]

P-Please answer!! U-Um, I'll try to release you, but um, a-a-a-are you alive still!?

[will he ever weasel his way back out. no, he really does need help and perhaps to be told that he shOULD STOP THINKING THAT KAORU IS SUPER CUTE]

You think?

It's... [He rubs the back of his neck thoughtfully.] Normally I only dress like this when I have to go to Kyoto for fancy parties. It's really just not my type of place.

[IT'S TOO LATE FOR HIM.

But Kashuu is still not deterred, even so! Look, he's a determined shit and he's decided that he wants to dance with Sousei, so they're basically going to be trapped in dance limbo until one of them caves. Sousei will go home after the party thinking he escaped only for Kashuu to show up like three weeks later asking for a dance again.]

It's fine, it's fine! I've never had a disappointing partner. The only ones who disappoint are the ones who totally don't even try, yeah?

[Training is training, after all! Even sparring with a bad (or stiff) partner gives you the opportunity to teach and share and get to know someone better. It's the interaction that Kashuu likes best, even though a good workout and the chance to show off is nice, too.]

[Don't turn the party into a fight...

But he pauses in the middle of moving to sheath his sword at that, nose wrinkling daintily.]

It's not like this thing needs two of us.

[HE'S STILL SHIFTING INTO A FIGHTING STANCE.]

[Cereal is just full of surprises, gosh. A spirit medium who isn't a Saniwa...]

Huh! [A little exclamation of surprise. Kashuu sets one hand on his hip, head canting to the side a little and squinting like that will somehow magically enable him to see her spirit mediumness.]

Yeah, there are like, a whole bunch of us running around here now. Maybe they brought us in with Haruji?

[wouldn't surprise tenka if yang knew black magic--

But ah.... now that he's realizing that she's talking about how he's dressed, he just slumps a bit, frowning as he fusses and continues to try to remove his tie. Unbutton some buttons. Get some air.]

Trust me, it wasn't me.

[HE'S STILL ASSBLASTED ABOUT HIS DIRTY SUIT but Horikawa is right in assuming the compliment will help him simmer down... He glances over as they meander out of the death trap and back toward civilization, making a little huffy sound.]

Of course! I made sure to look extra cute tonight and everything. [Puffing up with pride like a shiny Pidgeot! It sure is nice to be able to hear that without bursting into embarrassing tears...!]

...Still rude, though. Like those fish.

[The fish that he and Hotarumaru definitely almost tried to take home...]

[He's seen some dang hobos moseying around this party, so at least she's more presentable than that... A new arrival, he guesses at first, since why wouldn't someone willfully subject themselves to a party??]

That's pretty weird. [Just taking it at face value?!] Is that what all alien fish eat? Still kinda cute, I guess.

[At least Boring Guy (now his official name) is not alone there, since Kashuu has a sword right at his hip... Who let all these people in here with weapons??]

Hm? [A glance back over one shoulder, but the ripple is gone by then, of course. Looking back toward Hinata... what a paranoid dude. ANYWAY, important question here:]

Are they as cute as the little guys here?

[He's definitely right in assuming that. Kashuu is still too wrapped up in the situation to really notice that they've drawn attention, but he'll be grateful for the fact that Souji is getting them out of the limelight, so to say. He glances over toward the benches, raising one hand to wipe at his cheek even though all of the tears have already been dried.]

Okay.

[A somewhat stuffy-sounding mumble, but Kashuu will let himself be led off wherever Souji wants to go. Once they get to the seat, he plops down pretty much immediately and just puts his face into his hands for a few seconds because he really needs to collect himself. This is embarrassing and even if Souji doesn't see the mess, it still makes Kashuu feel self-conscious and less than worthy.

When he does finally pull his hands away, he couldn't say that he feels any better. But there's not much he can do for it - he needs to take some time later, when he's alone, to process everything. For now, it'll just have to be set aside.]

A couple days ago, someone said "be prepared for anything" or something like that. [Another laugh - a little less watery, but no less wry.] I guess I wasn't.

[Kashuu watches him mosey off with some vague interest, keeping an eye on the fountain while he's gone. Gotta make sure the fish is still there...!

When he comes back, after giving the bowl a critical stare:]

—I think so, yeah! [Just how small do they think this alien fish is. And then looking to the bread...] That the bait?

[ haru helps as much as he can, twisting and pulling at the vines as they're slashed at, finally squirming out of their clutches as the stranger tugs him away. what a scary place this is turning out to be! he's glad he didn't have to call for one of his blade-spirits, though-- it's awful enough being protected all the time back at the citadel. he can't stand the thought of having to ask them to do the same thing here. (it's not like it's necessary here, right? at least, it shouldn't be. no one has need of a saniwa sage here.)

he offers a slightly owl-eyed, grateful blink up of pale green eyes, fingers still tight in the older man's sleeve. for a moment or two, he's still stunned silent-- but the laughter and the comment make him shake his head slightly, fingers releasing him as he attempts to recover some manner of composure. ]

Ah.. I think there should really be signs.. How do they expect newcomers to know that the foliage is this scary?

[ he hesitates, then realizes that he's being impolite, dipping immediately into a deep, grateful bow. ]

Thank you so much for the help! I'm very sorry to have troubled you. [ he rises cautiously, then, expressionless face still somehow conveying concern. ] .. Are you okay?

[A CHARMING OUTFIT. All black suits him, good work at giving something of a fuck this time Kazoo.]

I don't understand it much either, but I suppose that's because I've never had the chance to learn.

[A somewhat embarrassed smile! Being from ye olde Japan is a good excuse, but Kaoru probably could have crammed some last minute dance lessons in... That just would take a little more determination than he has.]

[A thoughtful hum, and an eventual nod.]

A very good point. I usually find myself enjoying smaller gatherings more, but this party has been very pleasant so far.

[And then a little "ah" of understanding. So it was just someone being a rudeass...] Well, I suppose a party this large will see its share of people like that.

[Someone here is overly paranoid gosh... gosh......]

Ah? [Looking a little surprised! Kaoru is not actually surprised at all.] I see... For the sake of promoting your future business as well, I presume?

Hm? [NONE, HONESTLY. But that isn't a very polite answer, so:]

Smaller ones, I suppose... Ah, but I've been enjoying this one just as well. It's only taken a little getting used to.

[ ~~lies and slander~~ ]

Oi, it's fine. Alcohol does that to people. You weren't being very rude to begin with.

Something about taking someone out, was it? [He was...half listening, apparently. Or maybe he just has selective hearing for violence, because he certainly doesn't even know what a euphoniumist is. He actually doesn't seem to mind her bitching or the grating tone of her voice, he's just trying to keep an eye out for people he knows. So he's more focused on that, than he is on the girl next to him.]

[Why is this happening. Kaoru doesn't notice just yet, busy looking over the selection of coldass drinks, but it'll happen soon enough...]

For those who dance too much, perhaps? All of that exercise in such warm outfits would surely make at least some people wish that they had something refreshing to drink...

[And then glancing back toward the doors leading to the garden, brow furrowed.]

Though one could simply step outside to remedy that, as well.

[AND BACK TO HORIKAWA, at which point Kaoru's gaze does drop briefly to his belt. It's a little reflexive, since it isn't actually necessary to check who does or doesn't have a weapon here, usually - but this guy does?! And it's a familiar one?? There's a little surprise on Kaoru's face, which he hopes if noticed at all will simply be mistaken for surprise at someone carrying a sword in general.]

Thank you.

[Kaoru's knowledge of dancing really is pretty much zero, so the posture that's taken up is probably a little off... On the other hand, observing dancers for a while means that it's not so far off that Naoki will have to correct anything. It's just stiffness from unfamiliarity, mostly.]

Whenever you're ready, then.

[Sakamoto isn't really in his right mind, but then again, when is he ever?]

You're the one who's looking.

[It's true...

Staring up at the full height of the cake, though! It is impressive.]

I hope that she will, as well. The other treats certainly seem to be popular, at the very least.

Hey! Don't look!

[ THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE SHISHIOU WILL PULL YOU BACK.

yanking him by the collar, it's a good thing he did because the fish is back for more, jumping out again for another bite.

saved your life!!!! what do you mean you're choking? ]

[While she's not really in a bad mood, she isn't in a good mood either. This type of shindig really isn't her thing, so she would really rather idle around and relax as much as she can... Which is kind of impossible with this guy over here.]

Oh. You. [She doesn't even care enough to put any sort of special emphasis on that "you". Just, you know. Totally flat intonation, coupled up with the most deadpan look. She makes it sound like she's talking about the weather or something else completely inconsequential. Obviously, she thinks he's a walking trash can.]

I'm surprised you were let in. Did you sneak past security?

[Implying things.........]

[Kaoru makes a concerted effort to be extra cute okay, no one could blame Tenka for falling into this inescapable trap...

Also, if Tenka has ever given a hair comb or jewelry, Kaoru is totally wearing it.]

Ah. So it's uncomfortable to you? [The smile shifts to something understanding, because Kaoru is definitely in the same boat, at least.] Parties like that can be overwhelming... Or like this, I suppose.

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« intro ⇢ winterball.exe »

iv

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HAHAHA ill be here all week

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phase 3

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she's too pure you're a sinner

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NEVER BE SORRY

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