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

Gina does try not to judge by appearance, being a former street kid who experienced some judgement herself. Still, she ends up defaulting to being slow to trust others more often than not, and the creepy surroundings don't help.

She takes some steps towards the nearest door, but with uncertainty. She's not sure what to trust and what's really safe - and what this guy's deal is. If there's danger, he better not be facing it on his own.

"Oh yeah?" Admittedly, Gina does have trouble wrapping her head around complicated subjects, but she doesn't quite like that being assumed of her. "And wot about you, then? Gonna patch up these street's bleedin' all nice and tidy, are ya?"

[OoC: No worries, it's all good!]

It's less a judgement about Gina - and more an analysis of anyone sane. A hidden hour that most people weren't aware of? Monsters that appeared and attacked people, turning them into drooling husks? Summoning your own soul monster thing to fight them? With something that looked like a gun?

Who wouldn't tell him he's crazy, hearing all of that? Even if she wouldn't remember after the Dark Hour was over, or Shinjiro assumed she wouldn't. He returned, not exactly diplomatically, "That aint our problem, we got to worry 'bout keeping you in one piece."

There's movement, though, just out of the corner of his eye. Something dark, oozing, peering out of the darkness. A dark puddle without a true face and hands reaching out from it, one of them holding up a mask. Searching.

"Shit." Shinjiro moved to block Gina from view with his body. "Stay behind me."

Even after having to learn about the world of Songerein and dreamotion, that might be a lot of her to try to understand.

In any case, she does seem affronted by his protectiveness. "I know 'ow to take care of me self-" she starts to protest, but she's cut off as that nightmarish puddle starts to form.

Now Gina might look a little unsure, while sheltered behind this guy's back. "W-wot is that...?" She gasps with a startled whisper.

"It's called a Shadow," Shinjiro told her, his voice tight with worry. He barely glanced over his shoulder at Gina, trying to keep all his focus on the enemy. If anything happened to her - he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for it. "And it's bad news. Don't let it get close."

In his nightmares, of course, there's no reason even a single Shadow would be intimidated by him alone. And they would seek out innocent people, people who Shinjiro would try to protect - and fail. Either because the Shadow got to them, or ...

Castor roared in the back of his mind. The enemy was in front of him. Let him out. Let me out.

Shinjiro felt he had no choice, he pulled the Evoker from his pocket. It looked exactly like a gun, some kind of silver automatic pistol that he gripped in his hand. His face was set with a grimace. "Stand back - back 'gainst the door there. Don't get close t' me."

A Shadow. It does sound like the kind of nightmarish creature that could appear in dreamscapes sometimes. But that didn't make it any less unsettling, as she watched the guy prepare for the battle.

Her eyes did widen as she witnessed him brandish the gun. It looked different than the little smoke gun she had with her. This looked like the real deal - and quite deadly. Was he just going to shoot the monster?! That would be one way to deal with it, she supposes...

In any case, she feels much less hesitation following this order. Gina doesn't want to be near him when he has that thing. "S-sure..." she mutters as she backs up towards the door.

Good, Shinjiro thought. He had a nervous twist in his gut. It hadn't even been a full day since he died and wound up - right back in Iwatodai, as the dream conveniently clipped out the party. He didn't know what was going on. He didn't know how Castor would react to, well, anything. But if he ever hurt someone else again ...

The Shadow began to rush toward them. There's no further time to hesitate. Shinjiro quickly put the Evoker to his head - not giving Gina a chance to stop him - and pulled the trigger. "Persona!"

A massive, skeletal horse ridden by some kind of humanoid figure appeared before them - huge, menacing, eyes glowing. But both heads of rider and 'horse' were looking at the Shadow - it rose up and struck down hard, causing the Shadow to cry out in an awful shriek before dissolving into miasma.

The strange figure in front of Shinjiro disappeared a moment later.

Of course, in that moment when the gun-like object is raised to his head, Gina panics and lets out a startled cry. But instead of a horrific sight, the guy is still perfectly intact... as the horse and its rider appear instead.

Shocked, Gina just stands there as she watches the battle unfold. "W-wot's goin' on?? Did you... make that fellow wiv the 'orse appear?" She is used to guns shooting things other than bullets, so she can understand that much... but the summoning is very new for her.

Shinjiro was still looking around for more Shadows - he didn't think that'd be enough to scare them off. Gina's surprise was pretty expected. Where to begin? He shifted a little as he continued to look down the streets.

They seemed clear for now.

That could change in a moment, so he decided to keep his explanation brief. The girl wasn't likely going to remember this when the Dark Hour ended, he thought. (And if this was the real Dark Hour, instead of the garden taking his memories to create this - that might well be true.) Shinjiro looked at Gina now. "I did. I summoned it using that thing that looks like a gun - it isn't really one, don't worry. I'll give you the long version later - right now, I just want t' keep you alive. Deal?"

Gina steps forward uncertainly. She looks around as well, now apprehensive about the chances of other monsters cropping up. But it seems the coast is clear for now. So she just takes a breath and listens to him.

"I... I get it. I think." At least the basics of what he said. She has no idea what that thing was that he summoned with the gun, but there's no doubting that it saved them. So she offers a simple "Thanks."

“Don’t thank me yet.” Shinjiro wiped his nose on his sleeve and then peered around again. “Thank me once the Dark Hour is over and you’re safe.”

And if she forgot what happened the way most people did? He wouldn’t be offended if she didn’t remember. He didn’t need thanks.

Shinjiro nodded toward the street. “This way. I think I remember a place we can hole up in till this passes.”

"Don't seem like a pleasant 'our, that's for sure." Gina managed to get one dry quip out in response to that phrasing. And she proceeded to nod at his suggestion.

"Alright then. I'll trust yet judgement, since ya seem to 'ave some idea of wot's goin' on." She then thinks to add, "The name's Gina, by the way."

Shinjiro snorted softly - yeah, definitely not a pleasant one. He nodded his head at her introduction - "I'm Shinjiro. You're not from around here."

Understatement, but her clothes were odd, not to mention she looked foreign. Wait, come to think of it, his clothes were odd, too. Why was he in this stupid outfit? There's something very strange going on here. Beyond the fact he remembered dying, before - he wound up here, somehow.

As he walked with her, the streets - they weren't the same as what he knew. Not exactly. They wound and looped together, as if they were a maze. That wasn't right. Shinjiro knew Iwatodai, like the back of his hand. He began to scowl more and more as they walked.

"You're right about that. This sure don't look like London." If anything, this could be some kind of dreamscape. If so, it must be connect to this guy, given that he seems to recognize everything.

As they move along, Gina frowns and starts to feel het patience fading away.

"You sure you know where we're headin'?" Because it's really starting to not look like that's the case.

Shinjiro snorted softly. "Nope. We're in Japan. You speak th' language really well, I've gotta say - it's pretty impressive."

Of course that's what he naturally assumed - why else would he understand her?

He scowled at a street that fed into another one that shouldn't be there. "Guess not. None of this makes sense. It's like this whole place is twisted around like a maze - the Dark Hour doesn't do that. What the hell."

"Wot're ya talkin' about? I ain't never spoken a lick o' that language! You're the one speakin' English..."

But as she thinks about it, the answer's simple. The answer to both questions.

"It's all gotta be 'cause we're still in that dream world. We ain't been takin' anywhere! It's all just like some bad dream. That's why the place ain't the same, an' why we can understand wot we're sayin'. We all sound like the same language to each other so long as we're in that world."

"A dr- what are you talking about?" Shinjiro asked, but ... he's struck by a sudden wave of dizziness.

He remembered being shot. He remembered how much it hurt. He remembered dying. But he didn't remember how he got here. How he got put into this outfit. And the streets wound together and - his thoughts swirled.

Shinjiro remembered a carriage ride and a painful sensation stabbed his chest. Something important happened there, something he couldn't forget. What ...

"I'm dreaming," Shinjiro said, slowly, trying to remember. Distracted, he didn't notice something dark slithering out of an alley behind him.

Oh man. He doesn't know the whole spiel about this world, and Gina doesn't feel qualified to give it. But she'll try.

"Yeah! You're dreamin', but it's also real. Like your dream is takin' ya to another wor- wont's that!"

Gina exclaims as she notices something creeping up on Shinjiro.

This time, when Shinjiro whipped around, he pulled out a giant axe - and took the blow meant for the girl behind him, rocking with it. He staggered, coughed with a hacking rattle of his lungs. That hurt.

But at least it didn't hurt Gina.

"You bastard," Shinjiro told the Shadow - and then swung forward with everything he had, using his weapon. "Beat it!"

It was violently knocked away with the blow, yet it wasn't instantly defeated this time. Weakened but alive, it crawled toward them again.

Everything happens so fast. The guy's been hurt by another monstrous shadow - and now he's attacking it with a bleeding axe!

But this time Gina can't stand back and do nothing. She has to do something to help! Focusing, she pulls out a small steampunk gun she had on her.

"Didn't ya 'ear the guy? 'E said to bugger off already!" Gina shouts as the creature while channeling dreamotion to shoot a net at the shadow! Hopefully that will hold it in place.

In the real world, a human without a Persona couldn’t even hope to hurting a Shadow. But there were a number of differences here - firstly, that none of this was real; and secondly, that Dreamotion was a power to be reckoned with on its own. The Shadow was pinned, squirming and writhing in the magical net.

“Good job,” Shinjiro said, that effectively meant the enemy was down, giving them another chance to hit it before it attacked again. “Stand back now.”

He went forward and clubbed it hard with his axe one last time. Unable to move or escape in Gina’s net - it cried out and then dissolved into darkness. Shinjiro smirked and looked back at Gina. “Thanks for the help.”

Gina feels the rush of excitement as she successfully entangles the creature! And then she follows his instruction, very eager to distance herself from that axe, as she witnesses him finishing off the monster.

"Think nuffin' of it. I'm just glad to get one in on it." She smiles. But she can only smile so much while taking a look at him, seeing if there's any signs of a wound. "You alright? It got one in on you, too."

Shinjiro was hurt, but he's ... used to it. Also, used to trying to hide it, shifting to rest his axe on the shoulder and arm that hadn't gotten hit. "Don't worry 'bout me. You mentioned this is some kinda dream - so anything that happens aint even real, right?"

Unlike his maroon jacket, however, the blue costume more easily showed tears - the blunt force of the strike bruising him beneath would need to be inferred.

"So - how do we get outta this place?" Shinjiro asked her. "It all goes in circles."

"Well, it's complicated. It ain't real but it's still kinda real. You can still... get yerself 'urt, an'... an' worse." She eyes him uneasily, noticing those tears. "I'll worry about ya if I got to, an' you can't stop me, alright?"

Gina sighs slightly as she thinks. "Anyway... You're right. It's all like one big... maze..." she blinks as she thinks back. "Oi, right! We was in a maze before this. So maybe this is all just part of it. We gotta try sometin' else... A different way. Any other path wot can get us through this!"

"Tch." Shinjiro shifted slightly with his axe again. He's supposed to be dead. It's not reassuring to know that this place was real enough, that if Castor went out of control, he'd be putting others in danger. That these Shadows posed a threat to her even if they also weren't real.

He's not going to encourage her instinct to worry, though. "You don't need t' fuss."

"So this is just some kinda illusion over the maze we were in already." Shinjiro blinked slowly, and then looked around. He resisted the urge to curse - he wished he remembered any of this. It's almost tempting not to believe her, except her explanation made more sense than Iwatodai's streets magically changing. "So ... we treat it like any other maze, then?"

(( ooc: sorry for the delay - thank you for your patience with me! ))

[ooc: No worries, it's all good!]

Gina nods along, trying to put her brain to use.

"That sounds like the long an' short of it, alright. We 'ave to think this through logically. An' try any paths that ain't taken yet. That'll be the key for goin' forward an' gettin' through this." She looks towards whatever direction feels the least familiar.

{ stroke of midnight }

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