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

Ouh...

[ A bad frog... Good to know. He will be sure not to listen to bad frogs! ~~Not that he...can, but if it ever writes him a message or signs to him, he knows to Be Aware~~.

He adds frogs to his mental list of things to ask more about in the future. ]

I am in adventure! Find treasure.

[ ......He and Azula were ~~exploring~~walking around the castle earlier, and when she got bored of that he wasn't quite done yet and wanted to keep going. So. ]

( Huh. Shealtiel hasn't even realized how long he's been having an extended conversation with a human (as far as he knows), since now that he can recall the place he was stuck before this, it... feels more "normal" again. Not "normal," but less like he wants to be sick and run away at the slightest thing?

Hopefully things are fine here, too.

Treasure? What treasure. I haven't heard anything about a treasure. Just food. )

[ It's harder to tell these days that Unnamed isn't exactly 'alive', to be fair. He's cleaned up a lot since arriving, has decent clothes--really, the only clues are his pale skin and the slightly off tinge of his lips. He looks perfectly normal despite that. Unless Shealtiel touches him and feels how cold he is, it's easy to miss.

Especially when he brightens at the question, expression so very much alive it's hard to think of him as anything but. ]

Adventure treasure! Find gold. Dungeon! Gobblers. I don't eat the food here.

( As someone averse to touching, for the most part, that probably won't happen anytime soon! Instead, he's busy trying to decipher what is happening in these short little sentences.

Why would there be gold? What's a Gobbler? And why not eat the food? I thought humans needed food to survive. Is it different when you're a dream person?

He's staring so intensely waiting for these answers. Serious, focused... )

[ Listen and be in awe, Shealtiel, for you will now behold: zomboi logic. ]

In adventure always gold! Sometimes dragons. I told gobblers too. I am looking at them and see if I can find. Castle is from dragons! Treasure too yes?

[ Like, if the dragons are the ones who invited them to the castle...then there's got to be at least some treasure. ]

What is survive?

( Shealtiel sighs, bringing his free hand to scrub at his face before he answers. It sounds to him like this kid is a gullible idiot. But. He'll be nice. )

Survive means continue to exist? Not dying? Still being here?

( He scratches at the side of his face in a pause, then adds more. )

I'm kind of surprised you don't know that one.

I know alive and dead. Survive is new word! I will remember.

[ ...Although the concept of alive versus dead is something he only recently became aware of as well; before it was just 'moving' and 'not moving'. Undead would move and move and move until they couldn't anymore, and that was...well, that.

He's got a better frame of reference for it now though. ]

Exist and survive have same meaning?

Not exactly. "Survive" has more of a meaning that you use in the context of something trying to stop you from being alive. Like... You "survive" a crash. But you just are "alive" every day even if nothing happens. So... eating helps you "survive" as a human because otherwise you're constantly on the path to starvation.

You probably don't know that word either. Ugh.

( It's been a while since he's spoken aloud in front of this kid now, but he can't help it here. This is difficult! )

Not eating = death for human
Eating = human survive
Make sense?

[ That

That's a lot of words, new words, and a very long sentence and for a second Unnamed just stares at Shealtiel with a mild sense of mortification why is this suddenly hardmode?? ]

A, auh...

[ Thank god Shealtiel amends it to something smaller and easier to understand at the last minute. The only drawback is ti makes it look like 'survive' and 'alive' are still the same thing, even though he's positive Shealtiel just told him they weren't. ]

I still am learning to read. Sorry. Please use small sentences and easy words!
Survive is do things for healthy?

I'm trying. It's not easy for me, either. Alive is doing things to stay healthy. Survive is staying alive despite something.

Do you know "despite?" If someone is alive after catching fire, they survived.

If someone is alive after sleeping, that's not surviving, that's normal.

( He is trying so hard to educate here, and as he passes the book over again, he has to wonder what he's doing. There's things he should be doing, people he's left behind, and now he's gone and gotten stuck somewhere again??? )

[ HE JUST HAD TO USE A FIRE EXAMPLE... One of the very few things he has a fear of is fire. There are no natural predators or enemies to the undead, he can't feel pain, didn't have a social environment to glean phobias of fears from through association or observation--but he knows fire. Has seen it swallow entire ruined cities, and watched it spread to and eat away at his fellow Infected until they were nothing but charred husks.

So yeah.

Fire bad. ]

Don't like fire! Fire is scary! Don't touch. Bad!

[ He looks unnerved as the words appear on the page faster than before; they words don't look so uniform and print-like either, and just to be sure--he sniffs the air, giving his surroundings a quick peek.

There's nothing. ]

( That's... depressing. Shealtiel looks surprised, but it's muted compared to previous reactions. When he takes the book again, he writes carefully. )

There's no fire.

It's okay. I'm an angel, so you don't have to worry about me. I don't hurt humans.

( His chest stings at writing something like that for a multitude of reasons, but somewhere deeper, he hopes it's a comfort. Surely even someone like this knows what an angel is, right...? When he lived with humans, they made it seem so important. )

[ There's no fire. Shealtiel confirms it, and when he gives himself a moment to think it over, it's obvious there isn't. He feels sheepish for getting worked up, like it was foolish--but he's not sure he could've reacted any other way to it. When he thinks about it being anywhere--especially on a person--it's like his whole body goes cold. It doesn't want to work, and his limbs lock up and all he wants to do is hide until it goes away.

All he can do is offer Shealtiel a slow nod and print out another short apology. ]

Is angel a job? You go to work?

( It's partially a relief that he doesn't really know anything about angels.

But it's also a little disappointing to not have that immediate admiration. Stupid. It's stupid. None of that mattered anyway. )

Yeah, it is. My Manager is the one who took me in. Took care of me. Like the people you thought of when I said "parents".

[ Oh Shealtiel...

Unnamed looks happy to have made a conclusion that isn't way off at least, and his expression only grows warmer when he reads about "Manager." They sound like a nice person--especially if they're anything like the guardians he has here in Reverein. ]

Manager is a good person. Happy you have Manager for you.

( He smiles weakly. )

Me too. But Manager is in trouble. I need to get back home.

( Somehow... he doubts there's some easy solution. He doesn't want to accept he's some "dream" copy. He doesn't want to accept that he's stuck here while who knows what happens at home. Even if there was a solution, he doubts Nanashi would know it. But he has to ask. )

Can you help me?

Of course! I can help!

[ He thinks Shealtiel is asking if he can help him in the general sense--he doesn't have any sort of specialized knowledge that could actually send him home. But there's no way he could've said no to what sounds like a request for aid; that's just the kind of person he is. He wants to help people. ]

What you need to do? I can use magic and make anything when I see one time!

I meant more that I need to go home... to Paradiso. That's where angels live.

( He was so hopeful at first, but the second lines from Nanashi make it clear that he's just. A little clueless. So he's back to cautious about any hope. )

[ He's sorry ;w; he just wanted to help.. Maybe he could get Shealtiel a map? Someone might have one that could tell them where Paradiso is... ]

Paradiso is on map?

It's not on any map. Normally only angels can go there.

( Shealtiel is looking noticeably depressed now. )

Don't worry. It's my own problem. I'll find a way myself. Later.

Ouh....

[ Oh no, he doesn't want to see Shealtiel looking like that. He wanted to help, but instead it looks like he's only made the other man unhappy.

Concern flashes across his face and he quickly takes his book, printed another reply into it. ]

People can help! I am still learning. Lots I don't know don't understand still. You ask them they can help? Maybe more angel in Reverein?

Yeah, maybe.

( It's true, at least, that there could be more, he guesses. But he never ran into any in the last place. Reverein... He still has to get used to that. )

Thanks, Nanashi. I'm fine, so don't worry. I can handle things myself like always, and I'll ask others.

[ Handle things himself means...to do it alone? Why? Isn't it better to do things with others...? For as long as he can remember, Unnamed has always wanted to be able to do something--anything--with other people. He followed other Infected around and made noises to catch their fleeting attention, stood next to them to gain their company. Held their hands and followed them so he'd be less alone.

None of it changed anything. It wasn't until he arrived here, met people who reacted to him, noticed him and tried to understand him--that he finally felt what it was like to really be with someone. The choice between doing something alone and being able to do it with others isn't even a decision for him. ]

But why do alone? More people can help.
Do alone is lonely.

I'm used to it.

( He seems firm on that, and the sadness that had been across his face when writing about his Manager is completely gone now. Of course he gets lonely. Of course he hates being alone. But he doesn't like to admit that, he doesn't want to admit that or appear weak, and he definitely doesn't want to make it someone else's problem. )

Besides, focusing on your treasure is easier.

[ Focusing on his treasure...? Does that mean-- ]

You come to find treasure too? Together?

[ Say yes say yes say yes say yes-- ]

{ stroke of midnight }

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