- « INTRO ⇢ WINTERBALL.EXE » OVERFLOW

[poised]

Who: everyone, literally everyone
When: ooc: 04/25-04/26; ic: 12/26
Where: the Gardens
What: overflow of 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 overflow! It's a bit early but just to make sure the transition for everyone over here was captcha-free. 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 and post new intros! 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!!

Comments

[rebelia]

[If IV has been slouching this whole time (next to the likes of prim Rio, anyway), he goes still when she stumbles through her request. He twists on the bench to turn toward her, giving her a wide-eyed stare, flabbergasted. Before long, his eyes narrow with the knitting of his brows. He has to take a moment to think about it, to ponder whether he's interpreting this correctly.

He thinks for a long time. Or maybe he's not and he's just stuck, frozen in place, because this is such an unnatural progression from how things had gone with Ryouga. The silence that reigns between then and now is deafening.

The scar on his face tingles, but he won't let himself scratch away the itch. His voice is barely above a whisper and thick, like there's a sudden lump lodged in his throat. He could well be choking on himself. Perhaps, under ordinary circumstance, he would have laughed off something so absurd. But this is Rio, and he can't bring himself to even joke.]

Are you serious? After what I did . . .

[How can she put that in the past so easily? Even now, he can't get over it, and he wasn't the one in the hospital for so long.]

[icefallen]

--To Ryouga, I hope you mean, and yes, I have considered that.

[There's that regal tone she uses when she's trying to conceal something. Even if she'd been comatose for years, it would've paled to what happened to Ryouga, something that's going to stick with him for the rest of his (current) life. Physical scars stay with you, but they don't hurt the way emotional ones do. Even the Numeron Code couldn't correct that.]

But when I look at him now, I don't see the conflict I heard in his voice when he would speak to me. I think he's realized, too, that the score is rather more even now than it was before, don't you think?

[They were only loosely related circumstances, but they've exchanged their share of hurting one another, at any rate. Perhaps now that the need for so much pain is over, they can set that aside and focus on recovery. Rio turns her head to look him up and down.]

I am not capable of pouring so much energy into holding a grudge even if I wanted to, and besides, trying to make up for your mistakes is only as good as the one on the other end receiving your efforts. So... I think it would do us both good.

[rebelia]

[It's amazing how Rio maintains her composure after all that. IV finds himself faltering to do the same. It's ridiculous, he thinks, that he can apologize to Ryouga for what happened to Rio, yet he can't apologize to her face. This is the perfect opportunity. She's already proposed a – truce? No, it's more forgiving. That's why he can't.]

I . . .

[He looks away, shaking his head. With a quiet sigh, IV leans forward and just about jumps onto his feet, suddenly eager as he is to abandon the bench. Sitting through this might have been a poor call on his part. Now he's restless. And this way, he doesn't have to look Rio in the eye while his voice takes on an airier quality.]

It's not a bad idea.

[icefallen]

[Suddenly, she can't read his body language anymore. Is he nervous, or simply pretending to play nice with her now that she's stated her real intentions? Unable to stay sitting either, Rio stands up from the bench, watching his back as he paces.]

I wouldn't call that an affirmation...

[It's a hesitant venture. Does she dare push it if he doesn't want to? Her stomach dips; what if that's really it? What if he's so preoccupied with Ryouga now that she's become an afterthought? Her fingers itch with the desire to reach out somehow. Instead, she tries to prompt more out of him.]

It's not a bad idea, but...?

[rebelia]

[Arching a brow, IV throws a scowl over his shoulder. It fades into a neutral expression when his gaze drifts to take in their halcyon surroundings, which contrast harshly with the air around them.]

"But"? I didn't say that. Ah, but . . .

[It's a better idea than he deserves. IV snorts, more to himself than any other, before he circles around to face Rio. If he ignores the hesitant part of him, then it's easy enough to assume his trademark smirk. It isn't a bad idea at all.]

You should know what you're getting yourself into. Is this really what you want?

[icefallen]

[...Ah. Rio sees what's going on here now. The royal tone returns for a moment.]

I know perfectly well, but the concern is appreciated.

[She's already painted a picture of him in her mind from what Ryouga has told her, of course. It may still not be entirely accurate, but a few things have been more or less reinforced by this conversation alone. She tilts her head a little and approaches him from behind, looking ever confident in her decision. It's a complete turnaround from before, when she was genuinely unsure of her own capacity to make decisions anymore -- which means it's probably an act to some extent.]

I can assure you, however, that I've already made up my mind on this, and I'm not going back on it even if you were to tell me it was a horrible, awful idea.

[That part, however, isn't a lie. If he'd said no, she supposes she would've just pressed him for his justification until he caved is all. It's surprising even to her how much she wants to give it a shot, out of curiosity or something far less innocent (like jealousy of what her brother has and she doesn't). Either way, though, she puts a hand on his shoulder. It's the first time she's risked initiating contact this entire time.]

Besides, we're both in too deep now to just brush it all aside and walk away. Right?

[rebelia]

[Under Rio's touch and the layers of tattered clothing, IV is taut. Although he wasn't expecting to engage in physical contact, he doesn't recoil now that it happens. He just doesn't move. Her hand grounds him and threatens to wipe the smirk off his face. In the end, he sticks to his choice – and his smirk widens widens.]

Even if I tried to walk away, you'd just end up following me.

[Or so she claims in that regal tone of hers. He should be grateful to her for it despite his arrogant posture, how tall he stands.]

. . . It's settled, then.

[icefallen]

I'm glad.

[She wonders, for a moment, if she should take her hand away. The body language is one Ryouga can read effortlessly, and moreover welcomes from her... but then again, this isn't Ryouga she's touching, and furthermore, it's someone whom she has no idea whether he has something against it or not. Her hand twitches with the indecision, but then she gently starts to turn him, trying to get a glance at his face. Tentatively for the moment, she's smiling, trying to seem positive now that the precarious thing she wanted has basically been affirmed -- at least to start with. What more can she ask of him right now, anyway?]

Aren't you cold? Do you want to go back?

[rebelia]

[When she begins to turn him, he lets her and moves his feet to accommodate. By the time he's in front of her, his bravado has peeled away, leaving behind a neutral expression while he deliberates over what they just decided together. There's intense relief now that it's over. Once she poses the question of going back, he blinks and his eyes focus.]

Not while I look like this.

[Besides, he can't stay there all night. He'd be better off finding a place to crash for as long as he's in Tellus. IV lifts his chin, watching Rio.]

Are you? Cold, that is.

[icefallen]

[Perhaps he's hardly suited for a formal ball right now, yes. But... then what? Admittedly, she is a little cold, but it's really not so bad when she's not actively thinking about it.]

I'm fine. Do you want to...

[Rio hesitates, then reconsiders. No, that sounds a bit too friendly like that.]

Well, regardless, we should find somewhere indoors to go.

[rebelia]

[Want to what? IV doesn't pursue it, nodding instead.]

Sounds like a plan. [Even if they've gotten accustomed to the cold, the thought of being indoors where it's warmer is undeniably cozy.] Do you know a place?

[icefallen]

Um...

[Her expression shifts minutely. Obviously not.]

Well, people must have somewhere to stay here. Surely we can find something.

[It seems like a lonely proposition all of a sudden, finding a place to stay without Ryouga in it. Maybe for tonight, at least, she could use the company, although she's hardly about to tell him that. It's a convenient reason to stick together for the time being, though. Without considering the implication, she offers a hand to IV.]

Shall we go take a look? I believe I'm done here.

[rebelia]

[IV blinks and looks down at the proffered hand, unsure as to what he should do. She can't mean for him to hold it. But a handshake is inappropriate at this timing. A thought occurs to him and he snaps his head up by a few margins, the hand all but forgotten.

While he can't be too sure of exactly where people from other worlds have been staying, he recalls Yuya's directions.]

He mentioned apartment complexes in this area.

[icefallen]

[Rio stiffens when he just looks at her hand like an idiot, then she drops it with a tinge of disappointment when IV makes no move to do anything about it. She was just trying to be friendly, but perhaps that's just her trying to do things too soon. Ryouga always did say she was too touchy-feely for her own good.

Still, the mention sounds... passable. As long as they're not trashy or something, she can probably live with that.]

Surely that won't be too difficult to find. But maybe...?

[Remembering something, she pulls out the card key that she was given earlier. It would make sense for the people supposedly being pulled out of data to be given some kind of accommodations, wouldn't it? This just might be the way to find them.]

Were you given one of these, too? Could it be what we're supposed to use as a key?

[rebelia]

[He'd almost forgotten (and by now, he already has for the hand). Nodding, IV pulls out his own card he'd been issued upon arrival. Part of the "welcome package," so to speak, and he notices from a second glance what he hadn't earlier.]

There's an address, too.

[Somewhere in the residential district, where they're in right now. That's a given.]

[icefallen]

Then it shouldn't be too difficult to locate. Come on, let's get out of the cold.

[Ever persistent, she tries again at offering him her hand, this time giving him a verbal hint.]

Are you going to just stare at it, or are we not leaving?

[rebelia]

[He tenses at the verbal push, his attention drifting down to the hand that's there again. His shoulders slump as he sighs with more flair than is necessary, then reaches down to take the hand in his – hesitating for just a fraction of a second when the tips of his fingers touch hers before he simply goes for it.

Shaking his head, IV starts to walk first.]

Let's go.