« 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]

[ she's mid-count when the vine she'd been staring at so heatedly suddenly snaps in half, and she's left for a few seconds after that just staring dumbly at its severed half on the ground.

the boy that speaks to her just beside it doesn't really get noticed till well after her mind's come to terms with what has just happened... and even then, she isn't entirely sure if she's got it right or not. ]

...what did you just do?

[ questions first, gratitude later. yes good. ]

[niceguypose]

Heh... [He smiles obliviously.] Once can never underestimate the power of a good punch! [Lee raises a fist to demonstrate that.

And then he takes the glass, ready to start downing it.]

[unionjackoff]

[how embarrassing. a proud, great country like him needing to be rescued by his citizen. from a tree. it's like the other night, when Grell found him stupid-drunk. England wonders if it may have been better to let the plant have him.

but he jumps to his feet, grabbing for another tree and snapping off a branch so that he can use it to beat back the vines]

No means no, you git!

[unionjackoff]

[what a stunning dress, and Vietnam looks great in it. England was actually enjoying the ball atmosphere, since everyone was dressed up and acting refined... well. most everyone]

And then there were two. [he mutters gravely as she approaches, but he reaches out for her hand and will grace her knuckles with a kiss if she allows it]

[hoasen]

[And back to waltzing mode! She laughs gently, though shaking her head.]

Perhaps! Once I am used to it yes, I would not want to grow arrogant because of one successful twirl. Thank you for the suggestion.

[shacklebreaker]

A king, fallen to the station of a humble servant... The wheel of fortune is a capricious thing indeed.

[psycholawgy]

[ Probably more impressive considering Kaorums small statute. Hahahaha... ]

Have you eaten dinner yet? I'm not sure what to eat.

[swordboning]

If you ask me, she could use the experience.

[No, totally not bitter in her general direction at all.]

[hoasen]

[And this, Haru, is how you control rowdy swords. Although, it does absolutely nothing to her family. How do you control her family? itsamystery.gif.]

Yes, for festivals, balls like these. [Oh no...the fact he wants more festivals for chocolate fountains is endearing.]

You can, if you like. Think of an important day, like a birthday. The hostess is holding it today because it's her birthday and it coincides with Christmas.

[emotive]

[Oh god. Well, at least she's been training with Archer even though the sword she's been using is different. BUT HEY SAME DIFFERENCE they're both sharp and should get the job done!! (At the cost of her outfit, but a life is at stake here.)

So Ai wastes no time in grabbing the katana and making an attempt to cut him free. It's difficult when her physical strength isn't up to par for a task like this combined with her inexperience with the katana. Still, she's getting some progress done! But just to make sure, she reaches up to slap him (GINGERLY) on the cheek.]

Please wake up! This is no time to pass out!

[In fact, this is a terrible time, this was supposed to be a fun nighttime ball, damn it!]

[shoutai]

[For Takasugi, on the other hand, there was nothing too surprising about running into people like Gintoki or Tatsuma here. If their world was truly gone, then it made sense, though it was only unfortunate that it wasn't anyone that would be more— useful to him. But that was fine. He would still manage, one way or another.

He also finds he doesn't feel quite as annoyed at Gintoki's general existence, not like he usually would. It's almost a foreign feeling, like he can barely remember the days when he'd felt anything but. It's a feeling he almost doesn't know what to do with (and maybe he doesn't—he's felt nothing but pain for so long, especially when he thought of him), but this is a pretty unusual situation, too. Maybe, just maybe, he'll indulge him.

So he makes his way closer, sword in hand and a smile still on his face, careful to take care of any stray tenta— I mean, branches that might try to take advantage of the opportunity.]

You should be more careful. I would hate to make a habit out of doing this.

[pluvial]

[ he doesn't seem put off by it, she was pretty distracted just then, after all. he tilts his head a little, jerking his thumb to the sword on his back. ]

I just cut it off. Your charm got caught on it, right?

[ as opposed to "it took your charm", because yamamoto still doesn't know what to make of hentai trees just yet. ]

da fuq kind of inception-level meta was this tag beej

[multiglyphs]

[ to be fair, weiss didn't notice him till that very moment, either, but once she does, most of her attention has already dropped from tree thief, fallen to wayside just like her charm had.

had this man been here this entire time??? ]

It is, yes.

[ she holds her hand out expectantly.

and wipe that look off your face it's not like you even did anything to get it! ]

[spes_phthisica]

[He listens, tries to understand. But... in a way it doesn't really change anything. Whether or not Kashuu had been alive before Haru called him was made irrelevant the very moment all that memory coalesced into that slight frame and came to life. The potential for all that hurt, that terrible betrayal and loneliness, had always existed, from the very moment Kashuu had been cast aside. Souji's mind doesn't really work in a way which will absolve him just because, at the time it happened, the pain wasn't felt, wasn't yet realized.

He curls his hands in his lap unconsciously. He remembers the katana with the chrysanthemum, the cursed sword that brought death with it. Three years old, he had won it by beating a man senseless, and sometimes he had wondered if it was because the two of them were... alike. Now he wonders if the potential existing in that sword would have created something just like him. Not fully a human, never fully a human, because there are some feelings he doesn't know how to feel. Are all swords like that; like him? It's a terrifying thought, but also one that is full of longing.]

I... think I understand. And for what it's worth, I'm glad that you did. Even if he could never have actually felt all that hurt as a sword... in a way, it still existed. So if this is the only way it can be made better, I'm glad. [A soft laugh leaves his lips, bewildered and fragile like a newly hatched butterfly.] Thank you. It's an honor, to have been able to speak to him. [A small wince.] But I know that I... it made him a bit upset, seeing me, and I think he'll probably need you to speak to him later.

[hoasen]

I am finding it enjoyable, even if there is a lot of people. [She likes parties, but a wallflower is still always a wallflower.] I wasn't planning on dancing, but I have been invited by some confident individuals. Mostly though, I have been talking to others and standing by the food. [MOST IMPORTANT PART.] What of yourself? You look like you'd be a graceful dancer.

[unionjackoff]

[that... that sounded like Jaune because England could never forget that voice. he struggles harder]

Jaune! Stay back! It's dangerous!

[good_ideas]

[.........she doesn't want to make him feel bad about being good at dancing. He needs all the confidence he can get. But she also doesn't want to deal with the possibility of reading him and finding out that he wasn't what he seemed at all.

Or worse yet, finding out that he was as sincere and honest as he seemed.

So she makes absolutely no move to take his hand.]

Not really.

IV

[afterdusk]

[Yona had been exploring the gardens herself; not so much as a break from the activities as much as it was for enjoyment. The location really was perfect; on the outside it looked magical, and had such a lovely atmosphere. But things aren't always as they seem.

Even so, she'd hoped the party would be able to pass without incident. So seeing the tentacles raising a man into the air; she's struck with panic. She has to do something, but she doesn't have her bow or arrows on her.]

H-hang on!

[In the end, she has to settle for the small dagger she'd tucked away just for such emergencies. She slips off her heels so she can run up to the monster and stab the blade into the thicker part of the tentacle. Ideally it would drop him, but... she's never fought anything like it, so she's preparing for the worst.]

[psycholawgy]

[ Sure, Simon. If living like Kings also entails cleaning toilets. ]

I think we just need to add a little more fancy to the agency, and we'll be one of the top lawyer firms in the state...! [ SHE IS DREAMING TOO BIG. ]

I think I might visit Trucy and the others on New Year's Eve. [ And seeing as Aura is here now, Athena's slightly unsure of how to make plans with someone she wants to catch up with. ] Maybe you should come?

[hamham]

[They were glad to help! And yes, they most certainly will, Jum-P promptly curling up for a nap once he's there. San-D though, she looks like she might be expecting more affection.

Gundam sits up once more, placing Kuzuryuu's knife on the table for him before rubbing at his forehead a little.]

Thank you, by the way. If you had not assisted, I fear the worst would have come to pass.

[Speaking of hams looking for attention, it's not too long before Cham-P and Maga-Z poke their heads out. And that just has their hamdad gathering them up and lavishing them with pets and attention. Yes hello his mighty Devas. Thank you too.]

ii ; GREETINGS, MY LOVE

[variform]

[While not extremely the social type, Sai has at least made a small effort to meander around (of course still with food). It was mostly to get some idea of the people here. —Although, also to continue to revel in the fact that this place is glorious compared to Haven.

Unfortunately for this girl, though, he's able to catch what she's doing, and - sharp reflexes also being a handy thing - he pretty much leaps right over that foot of hers.

And yet, either way- ]

Well that's not very nice. I would have had to get back at you if you made a mess of my food!

[However, he's totally up for the entertainment of watching others trip, himself.]

[hoasen]

[Sousei you're so practical. Here she is over thinking the possibility that it would all go to shit should she leave for a few minutes.

But he's super responsible, all should be fine!]

I do...well, it is large, but I have been gifted another which is small enough to conceal. [Unlike him who has his sword by his sword, she needs a place to put it. Probably against her leg.] I could go get it, but would it be okay to leave you alone for a few minutes?

[inb4 Tieria's fire happens while she was gone.]

[punchesyu]

[He laughs, feeling a little dizzy.] That's a good one. I get it.

Is it warm in here or what?

[newtimes]

( JUST HOPS ON OVER, sword not drawn but hand at the ready, )

How about we make it a game? ( Competition, even ) Guy who cuts the least branches has to pour drinks for the winner.

( Drinks are free so they can't really pay I guess. )

[yaayaa]

Ooohhh, those do look good! Nakigitsune should have started his search on that end of the table, it seems.

[Because they've realized they don't have much of a taste for sweets, despite how appealing all of it looks.

Or maybe it's just that they're hungry for proper meals.]

This place is very different from the citadel...not only the food, but everything else as well!