« 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

[multiglyphs]

[ weiss doesn't respond for a good, long while. not because she doesn't return the sentiment — her mad dash to get to her partner's side is probably indicative enough of that — but simply because she can't really fathom what's going on. ruby had disappeared. for days. one morning, she just wasn't around anymore. with nothing but her bunk bed and people's memories of her left behind.

and now, she's back, just like that...?

what game is ceres trying to play at? ]

...of course I'd be here.

[ when she finally does respond, it's with a quiet murmur, familiarly haughty. ]

Someone's got to make sure you don't get yourself into trouble.

[masakados]

[b/c naoki's bullying it a little bit that's why... shh

Naoki turns his head, looking toward the... man with the rabbit ears. He feels the sense of tension from him and, whoa, it looks like his ears are all stiffened up too. Huh. He pushes another piece of cake Yurlungur's way to keep him suitably distracted.]

Well, something like a friend. [It's difficult to describe what his demons are to him in simple terms. 'Subordinates' wouldn't be wrong, but that'd also open up a whole other topic...] He won't cause any trouble, 'cause I'm here to make sure.

iii

[endworld]

[Yo, Sousei, have one (1) Seren heading over to you with his usual grin (while tugging on his tie, because man, this thing is uncomfortable/probably not even tied right, whoops).]

Hey, Sousei! Not to sound like I'm trying to hit on you, but do you want to dance?

[Spoilers: he doesn't actually know how to dance, he's just offering because Sousei looks like he needs socializing in his life right now...]

[dereban]

You think so?

[ It was definitely not the best way to handle things, truthfully. ] I thought it would be more efficient if I could just duct tape him to shut up, but unfortunately I don't have that sort of thing on hand.

[adornmental]

You wanna go look?

[He definitely should not be doing this because Kashuu is absolutely interested.]

i

[endworld]

[Have some clapping from down below, Kay!!]

Definitely the coolest intro yet!

[newtimes]

Says the guy I just saved.

( "Saved" those branches weren't that dangerous, Mutsu )

[spes_phthisica]

I know.

[Of course he knows. He knows that feeling in his very bones, he wakes up to it, his heart beats it, he breathes it - even when when his breath is choked with blood. In this place, Haru has his family with him and Souji does not, and that is something he can envy him for. The Shinsengumi, his Shinsengumi, the people who are his life and who he wishes more than anything to die for, aren't here. Koundou had promised him he'd always be there, and Hijikata that he'd always be needed, but here he's alone. But that doesn't change that he knows what Haru means.

As for 'master'... Souji has always seen himself as a weapon too, and an embodiment of another's will rather than any agenda of his own. As dark and twisted as it is, Yamanami was right. No matter what he has to do, if it is for Hijikata, he won't hesitate at all. So maybe that makes him Souji's 'master' along with his commander, but does he think for a moment that Hijikata thinks him lesser because of it? Of course not.

He leans back a bit, kicking off his sandals for a moment and crossing his legs at the ankles. Some of the tension runs out of his shoulders as he watches Haru's face, listens as he struggles with what he thinks of as inadequacies.]

No one really knows what they're doing when they're trying to mend others, I think. [He knows he certainly never really did. How much damage could he have done to Tetsu while trying to help him, if the boy hadn't been as strong as he is?] But I hope so. I never thought lesser of him for breaking. In a way, I- I envied that. It's all I've ever wanted, to die in such a way. [He sighs.] Except I suppose he didn't die. I just thought he did. I'm not- I'm not the person he recalls, not exactly, but I'm close enough that I still made the same mistake, and I'm really very sorry about it.

[particularity]

[N-- not really... But, that mental answer aside:]

Are you going to go look...?

ii

[endworld]

[Overhearing that, Seren lets out a good-natured laugh.]

Sounds like you two make great friends!

[niceguypose]

Yes, that's it!

Er... I think! Do you remember anything about being in a place like this before?

[bakudanma]

IT'S NOT ZURA, IT'S KATSURA!
It isn't my fault-- it's all that strawberry milk you drank. That's what it is-- it goes right through you, but the fat goes right to your thighs. Aaah are you looking a little round around the edges, Gintoki? How is that possible?

_{[ drip drip. ]}

Me, I've been dehydrated lately. I drank a lot of water, you know. And ah, this place, maybe it's playing a trick on us.

_{[ drip drip. ]}

Oh, I think I'm actually done here.

ii-b

[endworld]

[Very innocently approaching him—]

Are you okay? You lost?

[multiglyphs]

[ there are so many things going on in that tag that weiss literally cannot respond properly to any of them.

putting aside that this huge robot came out of nowhere (okay, so maybe she hadn't been as vigilant about her surroundings as she should have been), there's a sinking suspicion that he might be somehow acquainted with ceres (given their affinity for robots and the like), and the fact he has the gall to actually scold her about something that is so very clearly not her fault (ish).

oh, and he THREW A FREAKING GROSS TREE VINE AT HER.

how does one even react to all this?

oh, indignantly, of course. ]

Ex — Excuse me? Who are you to— what even are— IS THIS GROSS TREE STAIN ON MY DRESS???!?

[bakudanma]

_{[ It really is him! Katsura's hand actually shifts up to Sakamoto's hair to get a better grip on him-- get a closer look. How rough for a reunion. ]}

Sakamoto-- it's been forever, it seems.

<sub>[ The last he saw you-- we were sneaking in into the Renho base. Just like Gintoki, Katsura wants to pull him into an embrace, thankful to know he is alright. Honestly, he isn't sure what is going on back home. Somebody here gave him positive vibes that everyone is okay, and this is just reassurance.
Unfortunately, Katsura is too reserved, so he releases Sakamoto and folds his arms. He isn't wearing his haori to put his hands in the sleeves.

He stops scolding Sakamoto and actually feels his lips pull into a small smile. ]</sub>

Ah, you reek.
_{[ He says, though his voice is pleasant now.
Sakamoto is okay. This is a relief. You worry him sometimes. ]}

And yes. I had a small cake.
_{[ it was wild. ]}

[oneirism]

[Cereal is like actual cereal where you get a surprise in the box. Even if the surprises aren't always good, such as the tentacle tree outside.

While Kashuu squints at her, Lapis just blinks back, canting her head to the side a little as well. And somewhere from his vantage point above everything going on, the ghost buddy squints at Kashuu.]

... I guess that's why I can sense a few of you guys. [Pause.] Who's Haruji? Are they a Saniwa?

[dereban]

Oh, that's good.

[ She smiles and nods pleasantly; at least she's not too crazy when it comes to being drunk. She's just a little tipsy and way too happy. ]

Well, I've only had one. I don't plan on drinking another, haha... [ THAT'S WHAT THEY ALL SAY ]

phase iv

[scaryintuition]

[Hide leaves him alone for five minutes to go refill their drinks and Kaneki disappears on him. He knows his friend well enough to know that he can only deal with large groups of people for so long before he needs to strike out to the outskirts for some alone time.

And so it's not a surprise to find Kaneki separated from the party. What's surprising is finding him caught in the clutches of a tentacle...thing. Knowing what Kaneki is, he's not too terribly concerned about his safety, which means he can go with his second reaction: laughter.]

Only you...hahaha...can be caught...hehheh...by a tentacle...haha...monster and still be concerned with...hehe...politeness. [Hide is an A+ friend. So supportive.]

[beaconed]

[ w-what. ]

Your friend..... is a ghost? O-Okay, who spiked the punch bowl?

phase i;

[dereban]

Is your name really that difficult to pronounce? [ And here's a female teenage girl who's dressed in a beige suit tilting her head slightly as she watched him. ]

[rebelia]

[This must be the bluntest one of the bunch. IV's a tad taken aback by the sudden query, because "what's wrong?" is not a question he's used to answering. It follows that his immediate reaction would be to give a dismissive wave.]

Nothing. [No, that's a lie. Let's rephrase.] It has nothing to do with you.

[beaconed]

A few hours? Ruby, didn't the others tell you? A lot of us have been here for weeks!

[ ESPECIALLY YOUR SISTER, COME ON. ]

[adornmental]

[Things seem to be going well so far, at least!! Which honestly should have been their first warning, because when does anything ever go smoothly for them...

And then whoops, there goes Hotaru--]

Oh my GOD—?!

[HOTARUMARU NO

HOW BIG ARE THESE FOUNTAINS, EVEN?? He's leaning over the edge right away, ready to dive in if he needs to but hoping he'll only have to reach...]

III

[niceguypose]

[Such a fascinating style! He wonders what dancing sensei she studied under...

He nods energetically at her offer, dressed in his fancy green suit!]

Very well! Let us do this!

[bakudanma]

_{[ Tenka.. so personable. It's embarrassing. Mostly, Zura isn't used to it, but he does offer Tenka a very... very... very small smile before his face reconstructs it's typical intense expression. ]}

Hmph.
Are you here to impress a lady?
_{[ he thinks you look pretty nice. ]}

Good luck with your endeavors, Tenka-kun. Don't make the wrong choice and get a bad end.