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

i. get in the carriage

OPTION A.
( Shealtiel does not want to cooperate. As a new arrival, he's far too overwhelmed to get behind the idea of some kind of party, let alone while he has so much going on at home— and when these four foot mice lift him up over their heads, he's quick to kick and flail and shout about it. )

PUT ME DOWN!! What's so important about this masquerade, anyway?! I told you, I'm not—!

( Slam. Into the carriage he's thrown, and the door shuts right behind him! The carriage hasn't left, and the coach mice are still gathering guests, so maybe whoever witnessed this event is next! )

OPTION B.
( In the end, Shealtiel arrives at the masquerade, just as everyone else does. One magic fairy transformation later and he's dressed in something a vampire would likely wear, with a mask similar to one he owns, but adorned with gold decor along the bottom edges of the eye-holes that his fingers keep running over. After his mumbling about them adding unnecessary things, he finally tries to fit in, moving over to the bowl where the shoe brooches are being passed out.

Confused, he looks to the person beside him. )

What are these for, exactly?

( Of course, in the time it takes to answer that, it's very possible they were both encouraged to pick up one (or more) and go on their way to the masquerade itself. Or maybe he'll find his pair inside... )

ii. Royal Banquet
( any type of kiss ok! or tell me to RNG. )

( In an attempt to avoid dancing for as long as possible and address his hunger at the same time, Shealtiel has made his home in the banquet tables. Unfortunately, his caution is gone after the first few wonderful dishes, and so he reaches into the first chocolate bowl he comes up to, pulling one out. He shifts slightly as someone new approaches the table, or at least he thinks they do from how close they are, and he meets eyes with the stranger as he pops the chocolate into his mouth.

Someone's going to be getting a kiss as a first introduction.

ooc: Just want to note that I'm not interested in Super forcing a kiss on anyone from Shealtiel, but if your character needs some urging and you won't exaggerate it too much, I'm okay with him pushing for it! Just ask if you're worried. )

iii. Out in the Gardens
( starting at white fountain, but can switch! )

( Who would even fall for the old "frog turns into a Prince" trick anyway?

This guy, it turns out. He's not some pure-hearted Princess, and he doesn't exactly have the most good will in the world, but somehow, he buys into the convincing. And one small peck later, when the moment is met with stillness and silence, the frog hops away laughing and Shealtiel launches after him, furious in his own embarrassment.

The blonde reaches for whatever he can to throw after the frog, shouting as he does. )

What kind of perverted frog makes up lies like that?! Where'd you even get that crown, huh?! Did you steal it, you lying, perverted thief?!

( And other such silly, childlike insults. Eventually, he gives up, hunching over himself to catch his breath, one of his shoes dropped a few feet ahead of him on the floor of the garden from where he'd thrown it at the now-vanished frog. )

iv. wildcard

( ooc. I think I'm finally ready to try apping for real this time, so here I am! please feel free to PM if you want to work anything out or have questions/etc. ♥ or I'm always open to any kind of wildcard. Shealtiel is a CRAU from Jigokucho, as a side note! )

[ Well that...sure is a person kissing, the staring, then yelling at a frog. And chasing...it...??

What is going on.

The big thing missing from all of this for Unnamed of course is the audible context. He's deaf and hears none of that exchange, none of the false promises or the trick that's been played. From his point of view this guy approached a frog, almost maybe ate it but also didn't, got mad at its flavour...? Something it said? And started yelling at it until the frog escaped.

Context. Missing.

He does see a bunch of objects and rocks go flying, so he decides to wait until Shealtiel finishes with all that before he approaches slowly, decked out like most but not wearing a mask; he doesn't like the way they make him unable to recognize anyone, and thus Shealtiel will be able to see that he's perhaps a bit paler than normal, lips tinged a bit on the blue and purple side. ]

Ouh....

[ Also he may not exactly be able to use. Words. Spoken words! But he does make a sound of concern to try and get Shealtiel's attention, thoroughly confused as to what he's just witnessed. ]

( The noise certainly catches Shealtiel's attention. He's missing his own context, not realizing that the stranger who's just made a noise at him is deaf and not just clearing his throat awkwardly or something. He jolts a little, standing upright and lifting both of his hands like he's been caught red-handed. )

Y-you didn't see that, did you? I swear, I'm not some kind of freak! That frog tricked me! I mean, he talked and—

( Oh god, he can't explain his way out of this. A rush of rambling later, he shifts over to grab his thrown shoe from the few feet away, slipping it back onto his own foot before sighing. His palm scrubs over his face for a moment before dropping once more.

More defeated, he faces the stranger. )

Okay, I kissed the frog, but let's focus instead on how he's a devious liar and going to trick more people out of kisses if we don't stop him.

( If he'd just stop trying to explain himself for a minute... )

Auh...

[ I mean. Unnamed does try to interject; he lifts a hand, but Shealtiel's putting his shoe back on and he can see that the other guy is still talking and it feels like he just sort of misses his chance. So he waits, watching, but Shealtiel just keeps going and looks so frazzled and, and-- ]

Buh!

[ That. He's just going to hold up both hands with that little burst of sound and shake his head, hasty to Sign: "I am deaf, I can't hear you!"

By now he's met enough people to realize that the majority aren't fluent in Sign Language, so he amends it by pointing at one ear and shaking his head apologetically. ]

You...

( Shealtiel is finally cut off by that "buh!" and so he watches the signing cluelessly before finally understanding the gestures. )

...can't hear me.

( There's a brief pause, and then Shealtiel sighs in heavy relief, lifting his masquerade mask (a feathered one that, even decorated with the extra gold accents, he finds too itchy to keep on for long) and letting it rest on the top of his head, instead. He has no reason to worry about staying anonymous when he's safe from frog kissing crimes!

There are a number of thoughts that flood through his mind about how relieved he is, but then comes the slowing stop and the realization that... He doesn't know how to speak to someone like this? What is sign language. Umm...

So he just kind of waves shyly, head tilting slightly to one side with a clueless, questioning sort of look. Does this help? )

[ Don't you worry Shealtiel. Unnamed is prepared. He wasn't when he first arrived nearly a year ago now with no Sign Language and no ideas that talking was even a Thing People Could Do, but he's been working on it ever since. Being able to communicate with people is something he'd always yearned for back in his world, so when the opportunity presented itself here? He threw himself into it with gusto.

He can see Shealtiel fumbling a little on how to proceed next, which is a familiar sight to him. Unnamed holds up a finger for just a moment to retrieve his journal from inside his coat and hastily flip to some empty pages. Rather than try and write in it with a pen though (the undead don't have the finest of motor skills, after all), he concentrates on the page until words simply appear on it, and turns the book around to show Shealtiel:

"You eat frogs?"

that's it. that's what he's got to ask first. ]

No!!! Absolutely not!

( The shock causes him to shout it, both hands gripping onto the edges of the book like he's half tempted to throw it across the garden.

Thankfully, he holds back, but his fingers do grip for a moment before dropping in defeat. )

( Right. He can't hear.

Shealtiel frowns slightly, but it helps to calm him. He raises his right hand after a moment (it's the one not covered in scars along the back) and mocks writing in the air. How is he supposed to respond?? How did he even make words appear like that?

Is that that dreamotion stuff? )

1/2 weh ty!!

zomboii - 2023-02-16 01:03 (UTC) - Expand

2/2

zomboii - 2023-02-16 01:06 (UTC) - Expand

shealtiel ໒꒱ your wings and mine (crau) ໒꒱ TDM

9u9 hello fellow Azula CR pls app to our game

hello!! ;u; I am going to try my best to...!

omg I love him already

he's a friendless weirdo but I'm glad you appreciate this

he seems absolutely precious tbh

so does your boy!!! also 1/2 I'm sorry

2/2

III

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III. OUT IN THE GARDENS

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iii

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