- « 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

[provoquer]

It's true, it's true! There are some obnoxious holidays of our own back home.

[He turns to look at his companion out of the corner of his eye. Something about that statement is curiously worded.]

Which ones do you prefer celebrating?

[unionjackoff]

[too late England realizes that he said the word humans. though it appears that Levi did not catch exactly what he meant, thank goodness]

Me? Ah... There are a few, Christmas being one of them. Also Bonfire Night, and St. George's Day. I suppose those are my favorites.

[provoquer]

What occurs on St. George's Day?

[It's a name that sounds the closest to any of his own holidays, and as they'd figured out before, there are a few odd similarities between their worlds already.]

[unionjackoff]

It was originally celebrated as a religious holiday as the feast day for St. George. But nowadays, people from my country like to use it as an excuse to celebrate English culture. [and England himself, which is partly why England likes it so much]

[provoquer]

Would that be the same religion that Christmas was based around as well?

[Just so he can keep these religions straight.]

[unionjackoff]

[a nod] Yes, Christianity. My country used to be a lot more religious. So did the world, as a whole. But times change, and so do people. [a light shrug] Some holidays stick around, anyway, regardless of the changes.

[provoquer]

[The times certainly do change; Levi has watched a good deal of it through other peoples' eyes.]

We have a holiday back home called St. Bridget's Day. The story goes that Bridget was an angel who fell in love with a human on earth. In order to conceal their love from the rest of the world, humans on earth would wear blue feathers on their clothes to allow her to blend in with them, and so forth. These days people still adorn their clothing with blue feathers and celebrate with an outdoor festival, during which they give a gift of a blue feather to the person whom they hold dearest.

[unionjackoff]

[th-this holiday... England's cheeks burn at the idea of an angel falling in love with a human. THAT WAS TOO ROMANTIC. he quickly looks down into his lap, mostly because he's embarrassed by his own reaction. but, really. wow. cute]

That sounds... like an interesting holiday. [HE WISHES HE COULD SEE IT, romantic that he is] Th-There's a St. Brigit's Day in my own world, but it's nothing like that.

[provoquer]

[He might not be able to see his expression clearly, but he can guess it pretty well.]

Hahaha! Can it be that you enjoy romance stories as much as you enjoy horror?

[unionjackoff]

[geh! Levi hit it right on the nose]

S-sometimes, I guess! But that's beside the point! We were talking about Christmas!

[provoquer]

There's no shame in it! The greatest stories ever told usually involve some sort of romance, don't they?

[Plus what is shame can I eat it.]

[unionjackoff]

Y-yes, that's true. Quite a few of the most famous love stories come from my land.

[provoquer]

Which would you say is the most famous of those stories?

[He settles back into his seat, folds his arms over his chest, casually.]

[unionjackoff]

[HOW TO EVEN CHOOSE. England also leans back, hooking his linked fingers around one knee]

Probably... Romeo and Juliet. [his eyes fall on Levi, to see if the title sparks any sort of recognition]

[provoquer]

[Nope, no recognition at all.]

Romeo? What an odd name.

[unionjackoff]

[damn! Levi knew about Alice and Wonderland, but not Romeo and Juliet? that is a shame. England's disappointment shows on his face]

Back when it was written, I don't think it was so odd. Actually, the name is still prevalent in certain countries today.

[provoquer]

[He smirks a little wider at that.]

And just how old is this story?

[unionjackoff]

[he smirks also, because wow he has to do a little math. he's so old]

Let's see... It was written back in the late 1500s... So, a little over 400 years old? At least from my time.

[provoquer]

Ah, a story that survives the test of time! How wonderful. Now you'll really have to tell me how it goes.

[unionjackoff]

I could do that, but it might be better if you can read it for yourself. I wonder if the library here would have it... [CERES could extract it from his code, or something stupid like that]

[provoquer]

Aah, you're no fun.

[But he doesn't seem too terribly disappointed. He likes reading, after all. And still needs to properly sit down with Alice in Wonderland, as it turns out it does exist here.]

But tell me, before I read it...what makes it so universally enjoyed in your world?

[unionjackoff]

[hummmmms in thoughts]

Well, aside from it being written by a famous author, it has that forbidden romance appeal. Two kids fall in love, but they're not allowed to date, so they fight against every obstacle in their path just so they can date. [maybe England sparkled a little bit there, at that last bit. ah, romance! he truly loves it!]

[provoquer]

["Not allowed". Probably a family conflict, then. Levi has seen plenty, being from a noble household, but they were always seen from afar, like players on a stage. The Baskervilles were mercifully exempt from such things.]

Stories like that usually tend to end badly.

[unionjackoff]

[not wanting to give anything away, England makes sure to steel his expression]

I suppose you will just have to find out for yourself. Unless you cannot find the book. I promise to tell you the whole story in that case.

[provoquer]

I look forward to it.

[He sits forward then, crossing his legs so he can set his elbow on his knee and prop up his chin in one hand.]

I haven't forgotten the question you asked earlier; about when I died. The easy answer is "a long time ago". The longer answer...well. There are far more differences between our worlds than the stories we tell or the holidays we celebrate. I'm afraid I would only confuse you further if I were to try and explain it.