- « 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

[faithfulflame]

Alright. I'll give them a look. I...don't really like comic books.

[harepiece]

Oh! I see them in stores sometimes, but I haven't had much chance to look at one yet. What do you not like about them?

[faithfulflame]

Mostly? They’re generally just incredibly stupid and full of ridiculous stories. Fanciful things are fine in moderation, but they’re a little bit much at times. [also? All the dumb shoujo romance plots.]

[harepiece]

[Oz is more interested in tales of KNIGHTS doing KNIGHTLY THINGS, so he'd probably understand... But just "fanciful things" has him laughing a little.]

Really? I like those stories. Things like fairy tales - those are my favorite.

[faithfulflame]

Well I like fairy tales a lot...but knights and the like aren't really like fairy tales at home for me...ours have other kinds of people.

[harepiece]

What kinds of fairy tales do you have, then?

[He's a pretty voracious reader when given the free time, so he seems genuinely interested.]

[faithfulflame]

Stories of samurai, and priests, and magistrates. Also of heroic monsters and gods. Lots of those.

[She can and will totally foist volumes of Japanese fairy tales on him.]

[harepiece]

[Exactly what he wants. He shifts a little where he stands, turning to face her more fully in the sign that he's Invested In This Topic.]

Can you tell me your favorite?

[faithfulflame]

[Rei cannot help but laugh, but her expression is genuinely pleased that she's found a relate-able topic with someone here.]

My favorite? Well, I've always been fond of the stories surrounding Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. A magic sword, often called Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

[harepiece]

A magic sword? [Sounds like a story that's right up his alley!] What does it do?

[faithfulflame]

It's basically unbreakable, and it can control the winds. And it's very, very sharp, of course.

[It is a rather fun story...]

[harepiece]

[Looking impressed! It's not super hard to impress Oz, granted, but he likes the sound of this story already.]

Who wielded it?

[faithfulflame]

A prince named Yamato Takeru, a wedding gift from his aunt, who was a priestess to the god of the forge.

[She'll happily recount that story, and answer questions...since she can't really say she feels it's particularly false. Maybe just exaggerated.]

[harepiece]

[He'll happily listen through because dang, that story sounds excellent already. He won't interrupt her storytelling with questions, but when she gets to the end, he does have one that he'd like to hear answered.]

Where did the sword end up, after everything?

[faithfulflame]

Well, that's the thing. Nobody really knows. [A laugh.] Some say that it's housed in the Imperial Shrine, at Ise. But the priests won't let anyone in to see it, so nobody knows for sure.

But there are enough accounts of it existing that I don't think the legend is entirely false, either.

[harepiece]

The best kinds of legends and fairy tales are the ones that have a little truth in them!

[LIKE THIS ONE, which he still seems pretty intrigued by.]

I wonder if there would ever be any chance of them opening that shrine...

[faithfulflame]

Well, I don't know. It's been closed for at least two hundred years to outsiders.

[A laugh. Because...]

And I'm not sure I want to know if it's true or not. It's easier to just imagine that it is there, whether it is or not.]

[harepiece]

To keep the mystery? [A nod of understanding!] That makes sense. ...Are there any stories about the priestess or the god of the forge?

[faithfulflame]

Exactly.

[And a nod.]

Many of the god. But not so of the priestess. I could probably find you a few books, if you want.

[harepiece]

I'd really like that, if it isn't too much trouble! I'm almost out of books to read now, anyway.

[faithfulflame]

Not at all, Oz-kun. I’ve got quite a few books already, I can just lend them to you.

[Starting, more or less, with a big book of fairy tales, like Red Oni and Blue Oni.]

[harepiece]

I'll look forward to it, then! [A bright, beaming smile--

Ah, but the talk of books reminds him.]

Oh— I have to go help the orchestra set up, but is it all right if I get something for you first?

[faithfulflame]

Oh! Yes, that’s quite alright. I can wait…

[What is this, Oz?]

[harepiece]

Okay! Just a second!

[AND AWAAAY to the "backstage" area which isn't very backstage at all, but that's where he's keeping his big santa bag. When he comes back, it's with a little wrapped box.]

Here! Merry Christmas.

[If she chooses to unwrap it on the spot, she'll find a tin of loose leaf tea! It seems to contain two different holiday-related flavors, with a peppermint white tea on one half and a herbal gingerbread on the other.]

[faithfulflame]

[Rei’s eyes light up with delight and she grins, accepting the parcel with a formal bow.]

Thank you, Oz-kun! Whatever it is, I appreciate it.