- « 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

[wedlocks]

[She glances at her knife as if being reminded of it. She certainly hadn't expected to use it so soon, but he doesn't have to tell her twice. She'll tuck it away safely in hammerspace.]

Thank you. [Her words actually sound sincere here.] I'll remember that.

[She lives by those words anyway--if only she could have convinced Vincent to do the same.]

[particularity]

[Hinata nods firmly, his expression lightning just a fraction.]

It's probably better to get away from here for now, [he says with a glance to the tree.]

Oh, and if you come across any fountains or ponds... probably better to give those some distance.

[wedlocks]

[That warning is oddly specific, she thinks. Now she's giving him a look that's both curious and demanding.]

Speaking from experience?

[She doesn't want to get wet on top of all this, okay.]

[particularity]

...Yeah. Sort of.

[He's too paranoid to be incautious around those, but:] There're some unfriendly alien things in those.

[They'd probably bite off yo hand. Or face. Whatever's closest.]

[wedlocks]

[She visibly cringes at the thought, though even she isn't entirely sure why she's taking the words of a stranger. He seems trustworthy, though; more mature and serious than most teens she's met.

Plus, it doesn't seem like a far stretch now.]

I'll take your word for it.

[and with that, she does step far, far away from the now-dead tree, closer to him.]

[particularity]

[Hinata nods gladly, relieved, turning as she does step away from that tree.

He'll turn to lead the way back to safer grounds...]

In the ball is safe for tonight. And around the colony, there aren't any things like that, [he says.] I'm Hinata, by the way.

[wedlocks]

[She sneaks one glance behind her out of morbid curiosity as they leave--but that's it. She hardly feels comforted by Hinata's words--or maybe she can't believe him, until she sees the city for herself--but she remains calm and collected nonetheless.

Even her breathing begins to even out.]

Katherine. Nice to meet you.

It sounds like you've been here for a while.

[particularity]

[It's fine if she can't believe him right away-- Hinata's the type who would want to see things with his own eyes anyway and investigate them before putting belief in them.]

Aa, for a few months.

But I spent a year in a place slightly similar to this one before I was taken here.

[wedlocks]

[A few months. Katherine can't even imagine being here for a week... and she hasn't even seen anything. She just wants her life back.

She is curious though, about this other place that Hinata speaks of so calmly.]

"Slightly similar" in what way?

[particularity]

As in... it was another world that would take a bunch of people from different worlds everywhere.

[But, it was worse... however, maybe he won't say all that right away. It doesn't make for an easy topic.]

[wedlocks]

Another world that isn't earth... [She doesn't really pry too much beyond that. She can't say she cares much about this "other" world when she's still trying to wrap her head around this one.] You're serious about this.

[It would be so easy to dismiss him and yet...]

This is like some twisted fairy tale.

[Only with less princesses and knights in shining armor.]

[particularity]

I'm serious.

[Hinata looks a little bit wry.]

I know it all sounds crazy... I could hardly believe a thing when I arrived in that other place, but... It's better to keep an open mind. You're gonna see and hear a lot of crazy things.

[wedlocks]

Mm.

[There's a hum of reluctant agreement. After everything so far, she believes in easily--and she hasn't seen anything yet.]

Are you happy to be here?

[particularity]

[Hinata's steps stop, abrupt, and he looks at her, astonished or shocked--]

I...

[...] There are things here that make me happy, but... where I need to be is somewhere else.

[Even if he's glad for his friends that he's made here, glad to see friends who he doesn't know when he'll ever see again, he needs to get back to the island. To everyone waiting. And before that, to Haven, where he has to help them... He has to, somehow.]

[wedlocks]

[She seems to hit on something significant with that question. His reaction raises a lot of questions, though Katherine has more tact than to ask them all at once. She knows when something isn't her business.

Still, at least she can relate.]

It sounds like we both have things we have to get back to. Our place isn't here.

[...]

I wonder if they see that, or if they're too caught up in being our "heroes."

[particularity]

[It's mostly because he's never even thought about it before, much less had someone ask him that. Not even friends who he'd been with a while.]

If that's even what they are.

[He starts to walk again, mind churning.]

I don't know if they really care that much about us. [Definitely not as individuals, he would say.]

overflow again

[wedlocks]

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