- « 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

[manolia]

Or to appreciate. [Chibi gestures above himself with a finger.] To celebrate what was, and what that person's essence will become. At least, so my people say.

--Ah, but a Dofus [pronounced 'doh-foos', surprisingly not 'doofus']? It's a dragon egg, but some of them have Eliatropes, like myself, inside of them as well. [Wait, wait, he'll explain this one. Really.] My brother - well, my dragon brother - and I both return to it upon death, and are eventually reborn from it. At least, so history and experience say.

[sometimes i cringe at how stupid this lore is tbh]

[sewayaku]

[ that's quite the uplifting sentiment amongst Chibi's people. Zara can't imagine anyone appreciating death in his world - not when it was so rampant. Even the nobility constantly had death nipping at their heels.

He listens to this explanation while taking another sip of his drink. Unfortunately, it's not really enough to make it sensible. Not that Zara doesn't believe him - he just can't believe how strange it is. ]

... Your people and dragons are both born from the same eggs? [ he came out of an egg?? ] There's nothing like any of this in my world at all.

[manolia]

[Thanks, Zara, for hearing this Incestuous Egg Baby out.]

[He pauses, for a second, to refill his cup with Magnificent Ooze. No comment on the death thing, and that's expected - he knows he's more uncaring about death than some - but he's always happy to explain the mechanics of Dragon Magic to someone!]

Some of us are! The rest of us are born through more, er, traditional mammalian means. [Even drunk, Chibi doesn't care to go into detail about the birthing process.] It has to do with how we, as a People, were conceived - by the union of a great dragon and the goddess Eliatrope.

[sewayaku]

[ once again, Zara can't tell how much of this is honest-to-goodness biology in his world and how much is mythology. It sounds like the latter, but (perhaps unfortunately) he no longer has the capacity to doubt that it's the former. Stranger things have happened.

Considering Zara's world is full of transforming animal people that interbreed freely with humans and with each other, the idea of a dragon and a woman having children isn't actually that strange to him. The egg thing and rebirth thing are another matter entirely. ]

Ah... I see. Then because you have the blood of both dragons and... "eliatropes," was it? Because of that, your offspring can be either?

[manolia]

Yes, Eliatropes - my People. [Those words practically sing with pride. Chibi really does have faith in his people, and their ability to survive the impending apocalypse. Anything, really, can be overcome with ingenuity and an intimate tie to the wakfu.]

[BUT THE LORE IS UNCLEAR HERE SO DISCO IS GOING TO CONJECTURE; we'll go to Retcon Town as needed.]

Hmm... Well, most Eliatropes give rise to Eliatropes, and most dragons give rise to dragons. As for those who have the blood of both... [That's a sore spot. He couldn't have children, himself - none of the Council could, really. Biological considerations aside, it would be too complicated if their descendants mated with their descendants, and it'd be too hard to watch their children die over and over while they lived on as near-immortals.]

[Sometimes he wonders what it'd be like, if he and Mina could have had a child - something precious, of their own blood. He knows, logically, that they couldn't have even if they had the ability; nobody takes well to a prophet-king openly making his high priestess and his fUCKING SISTER his lover.]

Generally, we didn't reproduce. [Not a lie, just a half-truth. Time to change the topic!!] And your people; are the wabbit ears just a characteristic you all share, or is it something unique to you?

[sewayaku]

[ ah....... well, you're in luck, Chibi, because Zara's best friend is also in love with his sister. Does he just attract these people?? We may never know.

The information is curious, to say the least - but it's a bit of an odd thing to discuss with a stranger upon first meeting, so he lets it drop with a nod, though he is curious about how all of that works. Fortunately, it seems Chibi was thinking the same. ]

... Wabbit? [ did he hear that right?! Anyway. ] Er... Yes, we all have them, and the tail, too. We Rabitz can shift between this form and our animal form at will, but we can't become completely human.

[manolia]

[Yes, wabbits. They eat cawwots. I am dead and soulless inside.]

[Chibi is, nevertheless, excited by the new information. He takes a swig of his drink and rests his hand on the table, leaning back onto it.]

And the tail, too! [If he were way drunker, he'd ask to see it! It's almost tempting to do so now, but he doesn't.] So you are like dragons in that you have the ability to shapeshift, but it's limited. A wabbit... I suppose that would be useful for... [He scratches at his chin and thinks for a second.] Getting into small places.

[sewayaku]

[ that's... tewwific

As Chibi tries to explain uses for his rabbit form, Zara can't help but chuckle a little bit. ]

Honestly, it's not useful for very much at all. There's a reason I stay in this form most of the time. [ he doesn't particularly enjoy being small and vulnerable. The thought of what the two twelve-year-old puppy brothers he takes care of might try to play with him while he's like that is a little alarming. ]

The lions and wolves have a bit more reason to take their animal shape, but in society, it's generally frowned upon to do so.

[manolia]

[i will end you.]

[Chibi can only laugh. So it's just as useless as he thought! But what catches his interest more is...]

Ah, frowned upon? [Speaking of 'frowned upon,' he tugs at the horn of his hat, wondering if it's something like why taking off the Giant Hat is frowned upon in Eliatrope society.] For practical reasons relating to having wolves roaming around, or is there a cultural context--

[And, all of a sudden, he remembers his manners. Here he goes, chattering again... After a short pause, he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.] Sorry, sorry - I just get so curious, about other worlds.

[sewayaku]

[ with a sympathetic smile, he waves his hand dismissively. Rather than bad manners, Zara was interpreting his questions as friendly interest. ]

There's no need to apologize. If you're curious, I'm happy to share details about where I'm from, though I must tell you I've only lived in a small part of it. [ he's never been outside the country - at least not that he remembers. He was separated from his nomadic parents at a young age. ]

It's part of our culture. To us, it seems... uncouth, perhaps, is the word. Children often run around in animal form, but as we grow older, we transform less often.

[manolia]

That's quite a shame, honestly. [No traveling? Chibi can't imagine.] Life is for living experiences, and the breadth of experience you get as you travel is... Wonderful, honestly. We never had a terribly big planet, but my duties took me to its every corner.

[He's even explored space, in a past life that he doesn't remember!! But that's all the fault of those damned Mechasms, and of whatever asshole instigated that war...]

Uncouth, though... That's fair. So something like taking our hats off, to an Eliatrope.

[sewayaku]

[ it's not that he doesn't want to travel - but when you're the butler-slash-doctor for a very weak, sickly girl, you can't exactly move around much. He's confined to that tower almost as much as she is. Or was, he supposes.

Zara nods in response to his comparison. ]

Something like that, yes. I've heard there are similar cultures at home that live across the southern seas - who cover themslves, that is. Are your ears there?