songerein | { stroke of midnight }

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{ stroke of midnight }

STROKE OF MIDNIGHT

Although the Masquerade is being held on the night of the Fourteenth, some new problems arise in the days after. This log is split into two sections, the Masquerade and Around Town. Everyone is free to participate in either or both, whichever catches your interest.

More details on everything can be found here and here. As a reminder, events double as our TDMs and information can be found here with arrival details here. Any outside characters participating in the log are canonly logged as appearing in Songerein in February and will remain in Songerein from the IC date of February 14 through 28. TDM only characters can only thread within this log. Anyone who apps in and is accepted will have their character count February as their first time in the game without any disruption, so all content will carry over. Those who do not apply will disappear which should not seem too unusual, however players in game can choose to retcon and pretend a character was never there to begin with if it would be easier; or even think their presence was just a dream.

IMPORTANT! All outside characters MUST have "TDM" in their subject line, even if you might not app. This will help people differentiate those who are already in the game and those who are not.

TDM threads are required for samples. Refer to the Game Info for general information and feel free to toss any questions here. Reserves will open Wednesday, February 22nd and Applications will open on March 1. Our next cycle after won't be until JULY.

TDM Toplevel Link Directory (click to view, updated 02/22)

Avatar: The Legend of Korra - Korra
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Iroh
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Miriam
Chainsaw Man - Power
Dr. STONE - Dr. Senku Ishigami
Elsworld - Noah Ebalon (Nyx Pieta)
Final Fantasy VII - Cloud Strife
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core - Zack Fair
Final Fantasy XIV - Erichthonios
Final Fantasy XV - Noctis Lucis Caelum
Final Fantasy XV - Prompto Argentum
Genshin Impact - Shikanoin Heizou
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist - Solanaceae
Katekyou Hitman Reborn - Hayato Gokudera
Kingdom Hearts - Ienzo
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Link
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Sheik
Marvel Cinematic Universe - Kate Bishop
NieR: Automata - 9S
Percy Jackson & the Olympians - Jason Grace
Percy Jackson & the Olympians - Nico di Angelo
Persona 3: FES - Shinjiro Aragaki
SinoAlice - Sleeping Beauty
Tales of Arise - Shionne Vymer Imeris Daymore
Tales of Symphonia - Kratos Aurion
Tales of Symphonia - Martel Yggdrasil
Tales of Zestiria - Mikleo
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Sena
Your Wings and Mine - Shealtiel

We will request any thread submissions for certain prompts during AC and TDM threads will count. For more information, refer to the Game Notes.

I. MASQUERADE

It's time for the masquerade and the carriages will start arriving before sunset. Upon arrival, everyone who leaves the carriage (or mercilessly spat out if they try to resist) will be greeted by fairy godmothers with an eye for the most dramatic and extravagant fashion. It's a masquerade, after all! For those who already arrive with their outfits, the fairy godmothers may add a little embellishment here and or just change it completely if they think it could look better. For those who did not, they will create a whole new outfit that would fit the wearer perfectly—with magic of course. They will also create the masks and half of the glass slipper brooch that everyone will wear. The masks are enchanted so that regardless of obvious personality or physical traits, they are somehow unrecognizable at first. While it is possible to figure it out through interaction, or if it's someone they already know well, it's more likely they need to reveal their identity first. These outfits can be kept even after the masquerade is over.

A. Get in the Carriage. As the pegasus drawn carriages begin to arrive to transport those who have decided to attend the masquerade, there is some commotion from others. The pair of coach mice—who are only about four feet tall—can be found smiling and cheerily squeaking about the masquerade as they grab and literally throw protesting individuals into the carriage, whereupon the door will immediately shut behind them. Ho ho ho, it'll be such a grand time! Will anyone try to help the poor soul? Or perhaps help the mice? Maybe you're a struggling victim instead. Should anyone want to try and drive the carriage, they might have a chance…but good luck having the pegasi listen to them. Eventually the carriage will land and take them to the front of the castle where the masquerade is hosted.

B. Half of a Pair. Near the entrance, everyone is encouraged to pull out one or more of the shoe brooches contained in a large bowl. The rules are simple: 1) use the brooch to lead them to the person wearing the other half; 2) spend whatever time or activity with them, be it general socializing, a dance, a walk in the gardens; 3) keep the brooch or return it to a designated "Used" bowl. The brooches will absorb whatever kind of dreamotion energy is formed between the two, and the stronger it is, the brighter (if positive) or darker (if negative) it will glow. The interaction can be romantic, platonic, or hostile. For those who do happen to "click" and wish for some privacy, there are numerous terraces and balconies available. Some are public, but there are quite a few with curtains, so be sure to close them to signal the balcony is occupied!

C. Dancing in the Air. The main draw will be the dance floor, and the ballroom is wide and spacious to accommodate numerous pairs to dance to their hearts' content—the music is played by enchanted instruments so they'll keep going without much of a break! Of course, what makes this dance floor truly special is how it uses dreamotion energy to lift everyone up—literally. Pairs who are having a fun time may find themselves floating up and dancing in the air instead of on the ground. Somehow they can maintain some balance…but it's just as easy to lose it.

D. Royal Banquet. There are numerous tables one can use and be served an assortment of foods. In fact, one could make special requests and somehow the dragons serving will be able to make it, or at least as close as possible. One just has to imprint the idea of the dish onto a special card that the chefs will use to recreate it. There are also two bowls filled with special tear drop chocolates, one with only white, pink, and red, and the other filled with the other colors. The "game" is to randomly choose one from each bowl and share a kiss depending on what is picked.

E. Out in the Gardens. Every castle has extravagant gardens, and this one is no different. Filled with numerous pink, red, and white flowers, the gardens have their typical fare…with not so typical effects.

Extravagant mazes that one could easily get lost in are common, but what's special about these gardens is that the flowers will emit a soft, sweet scent that will feel as if they are walking through a dream. In fact, the section they are going through will begin to change to look like a place from their world and must now find their way out. When this change happens, only those who are in the area will be affected and no one else can enter the area until the main person affected gets out. Those inside can help, and there are no threats—it's all in simple fun…unless the place evokes certain memories and emotions for the person. Might not be as fun for them, then.
A crystal greenhouse where the temperature is perfectly warm (or cold!) and houses various different flowers. Here some may recognize flowers from their world, the scents also creating nostalgia. There are instructions left that indicate anyone can try to help grow the flowers. The key ingredient will be dreamotion energy, and should they succeed in creating a blossom, a small marble containing a symbol of their home. There are also special daisies that can be used to play the "they love me they love me not" game. If the last petal is "they love me," then become extra flirty and clingy. If it's "love me not," they become angry, jealous, and possessive. The effects only last for a short time…unless they keep plucking flowers.
The white fountain in the center of the gardens will have a bit of a musical playful side. It will splash colorful water at any who pass by, chime-like notes playing out as it does. But if one were to drop a flower that has absorbed positive dreamotion into its water, it will calm and let people sit to look and relax. There is also a strange frog wearing a crown that claims to be a prince. For those who believe its words that a kiss will free him from the curse, they will be sorely disappointed as nothing happens and the frog just laughs and hops away.

II. AROUND TOWN

A. Mask Up. Attracted by the masquerade, some enchanted masks have found their way to town and are now finding their way onto people, be it by tricking their victims to be put on or just forcibly latching themselves on. Depending on the type of mask, the wearer will behave based on a festive, dramatic emotion. While wearing the mask, the dreamotion that is projected is stronger. Examples are angry emotions will cause tremors and cracks on the ground, happiness could blind people or will cause confetti to fly everywhere, while sad ones will cause clouds and drizzling rain to appear overhead. The only way to remove it is to somehow make the other person feel the opposite of whatever emotion the mask is using. Once the mask’s emotion is countered and stabilized, it could be removed or even fall off if the countering emotion is strong enough. Masks can also be captured and collected before they attach to someone.

B. Special Messages. Throughout the month, valentine's are being delivered to people all over town. Some are even receiving some from the fae and dragons who live outside… Perhaps some caution should be had from those. Regardless, while the messages are brimming with both platonic and romantic (and questionable) love, the messengers are a bit… Well they need help.

Insightful Mockingbirds. Special mockingbirds are flying around and perch on random shoulders. They have the ability to "read" a person's thoughts and repeat them out loud. Without warning. Hope there aren't any secrets because that bird is going to make it public, especially if it's an observation or thought—good or bad—about another person. Good luck shooing it away, too—it'll stick around for a while because it might enjoy sowing this bit of chaos.
Arrow Delivery. The group from last year have decided to use their prank arrows for good and start a business in delivering special Valentine's messages via arrow. A "shot to the heart" in the less literal sense this time! While some of their archers are skilled, others are…less so. Some are hitting a bit too close to comfort or way off the mark. Some messages are going to the wrong person entirely. Help avoid, retrieve, or even deliver these messages around town.

C. Candy Kisses. A special assortment of flat bottomed, tear shaped chocolates are currently selling like hotcakes and can be found practically everywhere. Their main selling point is they come in different colors and each color has a special effect that will make the eater want to kiss the person near them in a certain way (see chart). Some people are deliberately swapping the wrappers around, so be careful!

D. Bleeding Hearts Return. It's Valentine's, yet Cupid is nowhere to be seen. That is because he's still corrupted from last year and now he's thirsting for love, any love. Using the Bleeding Hearts from last year, Cupid is using them to gather all that jealous, possessive love, but of course that's going to make it worse. We're not tackling Cupid here, but the main goal will be helping those who are afflicted by the Bleeding Hearts and purifying them via dreamotion instead of just destroying them. Purifying the Bleeding Hearts with pure love—romantic, platonic, familial, reminders of how they are loved and cared for by others—will help Cupid. Of course this could backfire and make the person feel worse, so be careful!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What, the togas don't count?

[Nico wasn't a fan of them either, but he wore them during senate meetings just like everyone else.]

I've been to one school dance. It was... it was the night I met Percy, actually.

[It had been a Night.]

So, what's this about a shoe?

If togas counted, maybe they'd have given me a toga instead.

[But this seems like a tactful moment to change subjects, so he jumps on the opportunity and taps the brooch pinned to his lapel.]

Yeah, these things? I think they're supposed to be glass slippers, like Cinderella. At the door they said we're supposed to find the matching one and then...uh, do something.

[So eloquent.]

Well, this place is weird, so who knows?

[Nico appericates the subject change. He's made peace with his feelings for Percy. Meeting other demigods who weren't straight really helped with that.

But still, he doesn't want to revisit his memories of that Night.

He takes a look at the brooch]

Oh, wow, I haven't thought about that story in years. I didn't grab one. I figured if I had to be here, being here was enough, and I'd sneak out as soon as possible.

I guess that means you don't have the other half, then.

[He shrugs. It's not like he's all that invested in this whole game or whatever it is.]

I didn't even think of trying to sneak out, honestly. I guess I don't even know where I'd go. They said it's a dream, but not how to wake up, and some people said they've been here for months...

Nope.

[He'd say sorry if it looked like Jason cared, but since the other boy doesn't...]

... Yeah, that's about as far as I got with my planning. I was mostly just thinking about being away from here.

[His brow furrows behind his mask in thought.]

Sounds like the Hypnos cabin. Morpheus has been known to put people to sleep, but this doesn't feel like a normal dream. Well, normal for us anyway.

Yeah, it doesn't really seem like your kind of scene.

[Not in a judgemental way, of course. Jason gets it. Public gatherings tend to tire him out after a while too. He can't help but feel an expectation to be a certain kind of way, and the pressure of it all gets to be a bit much sometimes.

Anyway. He nods at the the theorizing, frowning slightly.]

That's what I thought at first too, but it's not just demigods here. And not all "normal" people either – there's all kinds of other weirdness. It's hard to believe something this big isn't a god's doing somehow, but it seems kind of...I don't know, beyond their usual scope?

People aren't my scene. But I'm trying to be more social.

[Nico frowned a little, then bit his lip as he considered the possibilities.]

Yeah. If other pantheons are active, they probably keep themselves separate from ours, like ours used to do with the Greek and Roman camps. So if it were Morpheus, he'd keep it to just us.

[He hums softly, rolling back on the balls of his feet.]

Maybe it's just energy. Dream energy out of control or something, and we got caught up in it. I'm just spitballing here.

[Jason smiles softly.]

I'm glad you're trying.

[Sappiness aside. Jason glances to the side as a dancing couple spin a bit close to him along the edge of the dance floor before floating upwards, their laughter drifting behind them. Jason watches them for a moment before looking back to Nico with an awkward smile.]

Do you wanna get out of here? We can try spitballing somewhere less party-focused.

It's mostly the Apollo cabin. They've kind of adopted me after you went to school. And the Ares cabin likes my zombies.

[Look. Will will let him do whatever he wants so long as it's within reason, so it's smart to hang out with the head of the infirmary. Those doctor's notes are handy.]

Yes. Let's raid the snack table first.

[Jason grins.]

Best idea ever.

[He leads the way back over to the banquet tables full of food, weaving between party-goers and occasionally glancing back to make sure he hasn't lost Nico.]

I asked if they could make brownies like the ones from the bakery in New Rome earlier and dude, you have to try one.

[Nico sticks close to Jason; it's easy to let the taller boy weave through the party and just follow in his wake.

Jason's only, like, a year or so older than Nico. How is he half a foot taller? It's not fair.]

Really? Mostly I've just been getting chocolate-covered strawberries all night. And some french fries. They're better than McDonald's.

I wouldn't have pegged you for a chocolate-covered strawberries kinda guy.

[ someday jason will have to admit that he's never eaten mcdonalds before

Reaching the banquet tables, he's jazzed to see there are a few brownies left on the tray. Jason picks one up to pass it to Nico before grabbing a napkin to wrap up the last couple to go.]

Who doesn't like chocolate-covered strawberries? Other than people allergic to one or both. It's not something I'd go out of my way to get, but they're here. Dairy and fruit, right?

I've always had a bit of a sweet tooth. And fruit is sweet.

[He takes the brownie, grabs a napkin of his own, and tucks it away after breaking off a small corner.] We should get some milk to go with these.

[He chooses not to mention how he still thinks of their time on the ship, when Nico was barely eating anything. It seems like it'd be a mood-killer.]

I don't think chocolate counts as "dairy".

[But he will acknowledge the wisdom of actual dairy and brownies. He looks around briefly for milk, but since it's not exactly a standard party beverage, ends up just grabbing one of the cards to write it as a request. The dragon serving food gives him a look, like that isn't a cooked dish fuckass, before pulling out a container of milk and just pouring two glasses.]

[Yeah, that wasn't a good time. The truth is, Nico's always been a picky eater, and the time in the Jar did not help that at all.

He's getting better.]

It is so! It says 'milk chocolate' so it was made with milk!

[He offers a smile to the dragon when it pours them two glasses.] Thank you. [And he takes his glass and turns to Jason.]

Outside?

I think everything else added to it negates the dairy aspect, though. That's like calling a cake dairy.

[But he nods indulgently and grabs his glass. They're gonna be so stealthy, sneaking out of here with bundles of baked goods and full glasses of milk. Also kinda stealing the glasses in the process, but they were kidnapped in the first place so morally it balances out.]

You mean it's not?

[Nico's slowly returning to his true form; brat. And honestly, Jason is one of the reasons he's recovering. Nico's very grateful to have the other boy as a friend.

They will be the most sneaky. Nico's very good at sneaking. But also, it doesn't seem like anyone's actually watching?]

C'mon, I want to check out the gardens.

I really hope you're joking.

[Jason lets Nico take the lead on their totally high-risk stealth mission. Granted, sneaking feels way less cool when you can just stroll out and no one at all cares to stop you. But it's still more fun than the actual high-risk life-or-death shit they deal with regularly.

Outside, the weather is dreamily pleasant. The evening air is cool without being chilly, and for all that it's after dark the giant moon still casts plenty of light on everything.
The gardens are bordered by high stone walls, but a wall isn't much of a security measure against either of them, so they're theoretically home free if they wanted to make a run for it.

Not that there really seems to be any urgency.]

Huh. Pretty.

Why? Is there something about the gardens I don't know about? I wanna see if they're better than Persephone's. Doubtful, but still.

[Once outside Nico feels much better. Away from the people, out in the night.]

It is. Makes me think of the fairy tales mamma used to tell me at bedtime.

[Nico looks around and takes his mask off to rub at his face.]

This would be a nice dream if we weren't stuck here.

I meant about the cake dairy situation.

[Jason chuckles, pulling his mask off as well. He tucks it inside his jacket, wandering aimlessly and examining some flowers.]

Your mom sounds nice.

Oh, that. I was joking about that.

[He grins back.]

What little I remember of her is. It's just glimpses, mostly. Little flashes of memory. Not the whole thing, but just knowing it was something she did for me, you know?

[He follows Jason's example and tucks the mask inside his jacket.]

I can't help but wonder if Lethe doesn't affect mortals as much as it does souls. I shouldn't have any memories of her at all, and I didn't until after we defeated the Titans. Or maybe it's my father letting me remember.

Maybe something helped you remember?

[Just shrugs, glancing back to where Nico was wandering. It seems like a potentially rough subject, and he's trying to walk that line between staying close and giving Nico his space. He tries to keep his tone casual.]

I don't know how similar whatever Juno did to my memories is to the Lethe, but I was able to remember Thalia a little bit after seeing her picture and hearing her name. And I couldn't remember my mom's face at all, but I recognized her ghost in Ithaca.

[Nico shrugs back.]

I don't know. It's frustrating not knowing.

[He kneels down, and touches the petals of a beautiful hyacinth, a flower he's come to apperciate since befriending Will. As it doesn't wilt, it shows that he's doing okay.]

Ghosts are like that. Their presence can pull at memories, depending on the type they are.

[He looks over at Jason.]

Did your memories come fully back? I know Percy's did. Hazel told me he took Gorgan's blood.

[Jason's smile is thin, and he looks elsewhere.]

Not really? Some of it did, at least vaguely. It's kind of a mixed bag. I remember knowing Hazel back in Camp Jupiter, before everything happened, but I don't remember you first bringing her there.

[He shrugs again. It's all he can do, short of hunting down a gorgon himself.]

I'm sorry.

[Nico stands and goes over to Jason, gently bumping shoulders with him.]

I spent a lot of my time before you were taken avoiding you. And Reyna. I was, uh, worried you'd find me out. And other things. You were kinda too perfect for me to really know how to deal with.

I regret that now, as you both became the best friends I could have asked for. We could have friends sooner, if I had been braver.

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