songerein | { stroke of midnight }

Entry tags:

{ 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

You wanna take the lead on the first person, then I follow your example?

[Also, he feels he must ask (he’s actively trying to do better when it comes to working with others), even if the answer isn’t what he’s expecting. Gokudera isn’t super great on the whole talking-to-strangers thing. Especially since he’s just going to go around accidentally misidentifying them.]

Or we could split roles and you ask them nicely, and I’ll threaten them if they don’t cooperate?

[That makes Heizou blink owlishly, genuine surprise taking over his expression for a moment. It passes quickly enough though, as he waves a hand to dismiss the idea.]

There's no need to threaten anyone, I think. I can't imagine anyone would have reason to lie to us about something like that, not without being somehow obvious. It wouldn't be easy to fool you, I'm sure.

He’s been kidnapped before. I beat up a lot of yakuza trash before we found him.

[Not like he fought a whole group alone. It was him and some baseball idiot, but he’s not going to clarify that.]

[Heizou hums to himself, giving Gokudera a thoughtful look. It's not that he doesn't think the man is capable of doing something like that. He's just impressed.]

Your boss really does mean a great deal to you, I see. [And is important enough to be worth kidnapping.] He's lucky to have your loyalty!

[Gokudera is not used to anyone having that kind of expression, or directing it at him. He feels challenged by it, even though his new acquaintance is impressed. Why?!

He’s gotten yelled at by his boss about how he should value himself more. Gokudera recklessly throws himself into trouble in an effort to keep it from the Tenth.]

I’ve spent a long time looking for someone I could give my life for… [But before he can do that]

I’m not planning on dying any time soon, so we better get the search started.

[Chuckling softly, Heizou pats Gokudera on the shoulder as he sets off.]

Please try not to sacrifice yourself here, then? I get the sense your boss wouldn't be too happy about that. Just follow my lead~

So hey, at least the search is now getting underway!]

I just said I wasn’t!

[Gokudera replies with a groan, and follows. He’s going to rely on this guy, since the teen isn’t very gregarious or eager to interact.]

I'm simply reiterating it for your benefit~!

[And now Heizou will just be going around and asking people about Tsunayoshi. No big deal, just a little light detective work.]

He’s not here.

[They’ve asked what feels like every person at this party if they’ve seen his boss. Gokudera is discouraged, but it’s unlikely his boss would be here for so long and not have some kind of scene around him.]

Maybe he’s just… having a different dream…

[If this really is a dream-world, it wouldn’t be ridiculous to assume that he’s sharing its with people from other worlds as well, right? It’s a bit much for him to wrap his head around, exhausting to keep up the anxiety that he is somehow failing in his duties as the Tenth Vongola’s right-hand man.]

I’ve demanded enough of your time, Hei. You want to grab a drink or walk around outside for a bit?

[It's hard not to feel a little disheartened by the lack of success. They really have spoken to just about as many people as possible, and so far none of them have lied about their identities or the people they've met at the party. The natural conclusion, then, is that Gokudera's dear boss has not shown up in this new world (yet).

Heizou puts a comforting hand on Gokudera's shoulder, letting out a small sigh as he glances around the crowd one last time.]

It isn't necessarily a bad thing, my friend. There must be about as many dream worlds as there are stars in the sky. I'm sure your boss is just fine.

[He offers him a comforting smile, just before nodding again.] But I wouldn't object to a drink!

[Gokudera is trying to push down that sense of defeat, trying to build himself back up, and it’s going pretty well until Heizou puts a hand on him. He shrugs it off and takes a step or two away. The teen’s not a fan of physical contact, and he’s trying to self-regulate a little more than he’s used to.]

I’m gonna be stuck worrying about him until I wake up…

[What kind of stupid nightmare is this?! He’s upset, and trying to be mature about it, and push it down.]

Yeah. Okay. He’s a strong guy, and he can manage on his own…

[But Gokudera can’t help the need to check in on him the way a parent or literal Guardian might.

A drink would be a nice distraction.]

I think I was drinking before I went to sleep. It was going to be a big day tomorrow… errr… is going to be, when I wake up.

[He's quick to retract his hand when Gokudera withdraws, even giving him an apologetic smile. He'd meant it as a reassuring gesture, but it's become abundantly clear that his new friend isn't one for that kind of physicality. So Heizou simply takes the initiative to head toward where the drinks are being served, happy to lead the way if it helps keep Gokudera distracted.]

Oh? In that case, let's make sure you drink well and rest well tonight! You seem a little young for most alcohol, but what sorts of drinks do you prefer?

[Gokudera’s not upset at Heizou for overstepping a boundary he never set. Hopefully, the body language gets the point across.]

I’ve been smoking cigarettes since I was 14, and the last I remember, I was getting ready for a big fucking battle. There is too much I have gone through to be too young for a drink. I’ll take a beer.

[He’s not feeling very creative with beverage choices, okay?]

[Body language read and message received! It doesn't even bother Heizou in the slightest. It's just something for him to keep in mind.

He chuckles a little, even as he goes ahead and asks one of the servers to bring a beer for Gokudera and something sour for himself.]

I was just making an observation. How old are you, if you don't mind my asking?

I think I’m sixteen. Time-travel makes things difficult. [Did he age at all during his trip ten years into the future? He’s still too young to be drinking or smoking, but he’s also not interested in following any age restrictions.]

[Now there's something you don't hear everyday. Heizou tilts his head, the corner of his mouth lifting into a small, amused smile.]

Is that a common problem for people where you're from?

[He doubts it, but then again one can't really know for sure!]

Not at all.

[Gokudera responds. It’s not like most people would believe him, but this place… it seems like all sorts of strange things have happened to most everyone he’s met. Least strange of all is them coming from different worlds entirely.]

Oh, I see. You and yours must be quite special indeed~

[Again, he isn't judging or anything. Just making observations where they're due. His eyes are practically twinkling, delighted to find that Gokudera comes with so many interesting facets.]

How did you end up traveling through time? Or is that a, shall we say, a "work" secret?

[Gokudera drinks his beer without giving it much consideration. It’s just sipped on idly as if it were any normal drink. He shakes his head gently.]

A bazooka. It swaps whoever it shoots with their self from ten years in the future.

[It’s not some secret. The stupid cow pulls it out and uses it on a near-daily basis.]

[Heizou blinks owlishly over the rim of his own drink as he sips from it. He did expect that part to be a secret of some sort, so the flippant way Gokudera mentions it throws him for a bit of a loop. Though also-]

What's a... "bazooka"?

[He can only assume that it must be some magical futuristic device, what with Gokudera being a time traveler and all.]

… Seriously? A bazooka-

[He mimes holding something over his shoulders, forgetting he has the beer in his hand, and splashes it. He catches on quickly, though.]

-fuck! Ah… [Gokudera takes his fancy jacket off, leaving him in all black and his mask. This poor fancy jacket has taken so many different hits tonight.] Next you’re going to tell me you don’t know what a manatee is, either!

[Sorry Gokudera, Heizou is definitely chuckling a little bit at the beer mishap. At least he also looks a little sympathetic!] Careful there!

[He at least settles quickly enough, pulling out a handkerchief and offering it to the teen. It's not much, but maybe every little bit helps?]

Unfortunately, I'm afraid I don't know what a man-uh-tee is either. They must be quite commonplace contraptions for you to be so surprised!

[He accepts, but for now is just going to leave his jacket over his arm, beer still in hand. Gokudera gives a little groan.]

A bazooka is a weapon, like a rocket launcher. A Manatee is an animal. I met someone else who didn’t know what that is, and either you guys are from the same world, or my world is just very different from yours.

I see. I've never heard of a weapon called a "rocket launcher" either, though.

[So curious! The only context he has for anything "rocket" like is fireworks, and he's pretty sure that's something different.]

You'll have to show me one someday. I can't imagine what it could even look like!

How the fuck would you expect me to do that?!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Feel free to handwave their search if you like, totally up to you! <3

Did you want to timeskip ahead or wrap it up?

I'm down for timeskip if you are! :3

Sure thing, dude!

WOOO

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject