- « 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]

Aaah that girl is too popular for her own good.

[If only she weren't so friendly!]

She became a Baskerville soon after I died. We met here in this world.

[unionjackoff]

So, she's from your world, but you did not know her then? [that sounds like a huge coincidence, actually]

[provoquer]

I'm not sure of the exact details, but she must have arrived soon after I'd died. My heir had taken over as head of the household by then.

[unionjackoff]

Your heir... [England leans back a bit] Are you some kind of lord?

[provoquer]

I was a duke!

[Can't you tell by the regal way that he--oh wait.]

[unionjackoff]

I see. [Levi is so... un-duke-like. but what sort of person qualifies are a duke, or as a royal, or as a normal person? it doesn't matter. England is slowly trying to piece together more information.

when he adjusts his body, his shoulder brushes up against a nearby flower. he doesn't think anything of it] ...But you asked if I knew any of the other Baskervilles. Why?

[provoquer]

[He shrugs and rolls his shoulders back to loosen them up a bit.]

Only because I'd hate to repeat anything that they may have already told you. Depending on who you ask, our individual accounts of history would differ greatly.

[unionjackoff]

I've only heard the name from Lily, and now you. Lily did not mention any of the history to me. She only told me a little bit about Chains.

[provoquer]

Ah! Then you've probably met Bandersnatch.

[Lily sure does love showing off that Chain of hers.]

[unionjackoff]

[he brightens at the name]

Ah, yes! I certainly did! I liked him very much.

[provoquer]

[He really is glad he's met England. This guy's reactions to pretty much everything are just fantastic.]

When I was head of the Baskerville family, I had five Chains of my own.

[He holds one hand up with his five fingers splayed apart.]

They were the same five passed from predecessor to successor as long as history has been written.

[unionjackoff]

[England enjoys magical things, particularly magical animals or other-worldly beings!]

Chains are like monsters, right? That you fight with? [at least, that was the impression he got when speaking with Lily.

and for some reason, the tree next to them has sprouted purple spots... but when England turns his head to look at it more closely, the purple spots are gone. weird. are his old eyes playing tricks on him?]

[provoquer]

Mm, that's one way to put it.

[It's the way that people who aren't familiar with the way the Abyss works would put it, and to explain it fully would take up the rest of the evening.]

Less a monster and more a companion who lends you their strength. Hahaha, not all of them were so scary looking as Bandersnatch. Though some were wholly terrifying, my Owl was so cute! [He sings the name fondly.] He looked -

[And that's when his own eyes begin to play tricks on him. There at his feet sits the Owl itself, in all it's tiny precious glory. And then, with a blink, it's gone and Levi is left confused.]

Eh-?

[unionjackoff]

[ahhh! companions! that's even cuter-sounding than monsters. England would like to meet Levi's Owl too]

Is everything all right?

[provoquer]

I was sure I saw something just now...

[His words are slurred together, which gives off the impression that he's more drunk than he's letting on, but really it's just from utter confusion. At this point he should understand fully that just because one sees or feels something in this world, it doesn't mean that it's actually happening, but somehow that felt very real.]

[unionjackoff]

[is Levi drunk? should England take him home]

Now that you mention it... I thought I saw something just a few moments ago. [he attempts to stand up but... his legs feel like jello. England doesn't fall, thankfully, but he does sit back down right away] Christ, was there something in the punch? [HE WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED. there were weird things happening tonight, like those guards that made sure people weren't leaving]

[provoquer]

[He watches England struggle and then sit back down, and doesn't make an effort to test his own balance. Something is definitely wrong if they're both feeling odd, and he can't help but laugh as he rubs at his eyes.]

Hahaha! How awful of them to find a way to drug us on this holy holiday.

[He opens his eyes again then, and there before him is Owl, waddling away down the path, clear as day as far as he's concerned. He can't help but laugh again, though rather than the amused sounding chuckling before, he giggles almost fondly and rubs at his forehead.]

Ah, what a pain...

[unionjackoff]

[England is less giggly and more angry at CERES. obviously they had something to do with this!

he grips the edge of his seat and then rubs his eyes with his other hand. they are itchy for some reason. but when he lowers his hand, he sees those spots again, only they are a variety of colors, and on everything. even Levi!]

Bloody hell. [he reaches over to poke one of the spots]

[provoquer]

[Still giggling, Levi turns away from looking at Owl, who is apparently taken up chewing off some leaves on a nearby bush.]

Tell me, what is it that you see?

[unionjackoff]

[this is no laughing matter! England swipes at air, trying to touch the spots. in the back of his mind, he knows better. but his body has decided to react to whatever has its hold on him]

Spots... Many spots, all different colors...

[provoquer]

[Spots? It's not quite as strange as seeing owls, but it's definitely something that only he is seeing. Levi reaches out and swipes his own hand through the air in the same manner as England.]

Hah, did I touch any of them?

[Let's find out how deep this hallucination goes.]

[unionjackoff]

[seeing owls would be less strange! England would think so. his hand closes around a spot, but when he opens his fist, nothing is there]

I don't think we can touch them... [he's debating going inside, where there would be more spots. but also people. England doesn't want to see people when he can barely stand up]

[provoquer]

[More proof that it's a hallucination, which is at least better than the last time the powers that be forced the residents to believe things that weren't real. Levi had nearly lost an eye (again) when that happened. Thank goodness for modern(ish) medicine and a nonchalant attitude towards bodily harm.]

Ah, that's a shame. [Owl has waddled back over to settle down at Levi's feet. He leans over, careful not to throw himself off balance, and scritches the top of its head. He knows his fingers aren't touching anything, but the fact that he can see it as plain as day makes it easy to convince his brain that he's making contact.]

I wonder if it will get worse or wear off if we sit here much longer.

[unionjackoff]

[England still believes that they ingested something. he is about to suggest finding a stomach pump when something occurs to him]

Hey... Why... [a slight wobble as he points towards the ball room] Why are we the only ones affected? [dancing spots now, and a pretend bird perches on his head......]

[provoquer]

[AND THEN WE HANDWAVED THE REST OF THIS ELSEWHERE and they stumbled home and lived miserably ever after.]