estoria | - « INTRO ⇢ WINTERBALL.EXE

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!!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not to worry, Zura!

[There's a glint of determination in his eyes as they narrow.]

I've busted out of a bunch of places! Ah, but I can't do it alone.

[He looks over at the other, smiling hopefully.

It would be wrong to leave this place without the other prisoners. Perhaps that is Sakamoto's plight- He dreams too big. What point is there in leaving if he has to do it on his own? It's his duty to let the other prisoners know, to give them just as good a chance.

His selflessness gets him into trouble, sometimes. It would do him some good to be a little more selfish.]

Just give me some time! I've gotta make a sales pitch to this whole damn place.

I'm gonna be sneaky about it, though! I don't know if they've got ears around.

[He eyes their surroundings. Are there microphones somewhere? Cameras? Whatever.

He's drunk, and they'll forget about him soon enough. Besides- They'd be stupid to think a man like him wasn't trouble anyway. That was probably a part of the reason for bringing him here.]

We have speculated this already. This is why I leave my device at my apartment sometimes. I'm not sure if they can hear us or not. I have met with others in private about this situation and we all want solid answers from the CEO.

_{[ He knows Sakamoto is good at this kind of thing, so he believes him. Being more of a realistic thinker, though, he can't help but think something might go wrong too. ]}

I will back you up with whatever it is you try to accomplish.

Oh, I'm countin' on it!

I'm glad you guys have got my back.

[Look how he's counted the others without their permission. Unfortunately, he's that kind of asshole.]

And as for short stuff, don't worry, don't worry! I'll convince him to get onboard too.

I know, I know! He's unpleasant. Super unpleasant! The wooooorst!

Eh, but sometimes...

[Sakamoto says with the click of a tongue:]

He speaks my language.

[Usually, Sakamoto would find a place by himself, but he too has grown accustomed to being surrounded by others he trusts, people who know him intimately. Zura isn't a member of the Kaientai, and there's nobody who can replace Mutsu or the quiet intimacy they've shared.

But this is something, and Zura doesn't fare well alone. That too, despite Gintoki knowing him for so long... In such a lonely state, it might help to have someone gentler around.]

So! Where's your place? Is it far?

_{[ Katsura bristles up when Sakamoto mentions Takasugi's name. After their first talk, he's really not sure about Shinsuke and him at all in this place.
There' a scoff. ]}
He isn't allowed in the apartment.
_{[ that's all he says. Just thought he'd throw that out there while it's fresh on his mind. ]}

It's where the rest of them are. And no, it isn't too far from here.

Don't worry, don't worry! I wouldn't drag that guy in. He's so, so gloomy! I mean, he'd just walk into a room and all the plants would die...

[How anime.]

Okay then! It's settled! If there's nobody else around, I'll stay with ya for a little while.

[Zura and Sakamoto need people to survive.

To be fair, they had always gotten along reasonably well with each other- Aside from some petty bickering, they were pretty amicable about a great deal of ridiculous things.]

_{[ Better. This sort of eases Katsura's usual intense expression-- only in the slightest. It's true, he's amicable enough with Sakamoto. ]}
It's set, then.
I'll have some paperwork for you to fill out when we get there.

_{[ ??? ]}

Paperwork?

[Oh no.

One of Sakamoto's least favorite things about his job... He continues, very seriously:]

The only kind of paper I handle-

[His glasses are shining in that gross, anime-like way again.]

Is money.

_{[ Katsura blinks a few times. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, but he isn't going to take back his word after he says it. And.. having Sakamoto around, it could be nice. Maybe.

Coming home to somebody else and cooking for them-- cleaning up after them and spending the evening watching television, talking about work, helping the kids with homework.

His views of having a room mate were a little screwy, if you hadn't noticed. Maybe he was just desperate for a domesticated lifestyle since he had been a wanderer on the go for so long. WHO EVEN KNOWS.

Katsura reaches up and grabs his ear again. Tugtug. ]}

It's a responsible step to take! We're in this together, Sakamoto! We can't by-pass the legality of it all.
_{[ what legality this isn't a marriage license. ]}

Zuraaaaaa! C'mon, it'll only be for a few days!

[And ouch??? Oh well, this kind of abuse isn't nearly as bad as the stuff he has to tolerate on a daily basis.]

I'm so tired. Let me rest! How about we sleep on it? Papers and things like that... We can look at them in the morning!

You won't rest. You'll stay awake and keep on losing your clothes until you pass out from drinking.
This is precisely why you need papers to sign.
_{[ He wants to make sure he isn't responsible for any of your actions if they do this. ]}

A solid agreement and promise on paper.
_{[ you should know about this well enough. ]}

Zura, I-

[Sakamoto wants to protest.

Even if it's just an excuse, he really is exhausted.]

Fine, but...

Can we sleep on it? I had way too much.

[Alcohol.

Fighting aliens and such... Hadn't he given up on it a long time ago? To end a creature's life, whether it be extraterrestrial or otherwise, has damaged him in ways that can't be undone. Despite his monstrous strength, Sakamoto has no taste for those kinds of squabbles, and he's spent his whole life running from painful memories he wishes to erase.

Booze soaks them all up, at least, for a little while.]

Very well. You shouldn't make such a life commitment while you're drunk and sick anyway.
_{[ ????
Time for more idle chatter: ]}

..Did you meet anybody here yet? Ah, new people?

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