{ stroke of midnight }

[dreamposts]

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.

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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.

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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!

Comments

[starshower]

[Well, at least it's a better reaction than she expected, but she'd much rather talk about this than everything else behind them... so, she only laughs when he balks at her in disbelief.]

Is that so surprising...?

[She knows that it is, and that even people who had been here for as long as she has wondered if it was a good idea, or probably did, but she never cared. She was happy with her life here, and that was what mattered, and if there was anything that she could say that would prove it, it's that.]

[theheroics]

[ Wait no this conversation was really going his way and then it took a sudden 360 ]

N- no, of course not! That's not what I meant! [ Attempt to regain his composer Zack will wave his hands out in front of him defensively all while shaking his head. ]

I mean, how wouldn't wanna, right!? They sure gotta be one lucky person to rope you in! [ His voice softens a little as he tries to relax, smiling at her. ] Guess that calls for a congratulations.

[starshower]

[His flustered embarrassment sends Tifa's gaze glancing his way with an arched brow, and she stares at him, surprised, for a moment before she huffs with a laugh... and then another.]

It's fine.

[The flustered part, but she will graciously accept his congratulations with a nod.]

Thanks... Happened a few months ago. Too bad you missed it.

[theheroics]

[ He continues to attempt to recover, now pushing himself away from the banister while he paces around in a small circle. At least the laugh helps to know that she wasn't mad, but he's still pretty surprised. ]

Would've liked to have been there! [ Not like he's really ever been to one, so- ] Someone you met here?

[starshower]

[And now for the real kicker—]

In the last world I was in, actually. ... Before this one.

[theheroics]

[ ... ]

... Sorry, I'm not really following. You're saying you were in another world besides this one before? Like, besides ours?

[starshower]

Yep.

[Surprise!!! The look people always give her when they realize that is almost always the same, so she's used to it.]

A place called Avalon. Was there for... seven or eight months before I showed up here. To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm dreaming there or back home anymore... but that was where we met. When I woke up here, I remembered everything.

[theheroics]

Man, you really weren't kidding when you said you've been moving around! Didn't know you became some sort of Time Traveler! [ He laughs, clearly joking, but he's amazed all the same.

Looking back over the balcony Zack slowly begins to absorb his surroundings, and he sighs. ]

That's wild... sound like you've had a good time, though. I wonder if that means I'll be here for that long, too—

[starshower]

[Tifa follows his gaze outward to the gardens below, watching as a couple sneaks away into the bushes and under the trees, and she can't help but laugh at how it reminds her so much of herself when she hears the woman's laughter echo through the skies.]

There's no telling how long anyone's going to stay here.

[There's a bittersweet note to her voice, and her finger fidgets with the ring on her finger.]

That's why Eustace and I are trying to find a way to stay here...

[theheroics]

... Staying? [ Okay, that was a little shocking. Zack turns to her, eyes widening. ]

But... this place isn't real real, is it?

[starshower]

About as real as we are here.

[Dream world or not, Tifa's life here is as real to her as the one she has back home, and it's with that same unsure smile that she looks at Zack with again.]

Fortunately, us being here doesn't affect our other selves back home... so we're told. I'm not aware of all the details, but there could be a way to break the tether. [Her eyes go soft, almost distant.] I've made a life here that I don't want to leave. A lot of people have.

[theheroics]

Man... that's some really heavy stuff. [ He could feel the weight between them, yet through it all there was something telling Zack that she was being as truthful as possible in those words. That her conviction was strong. ]

Well, don't let me stop ya. If you wanna stay here, who am I to tell you no? [ Zack shrugs, shaking his head all the while. ] You found your happiness, and that's great! Dream world or otherwise.

[starshower]

[She huffs with an amused laugh at that.]

Yeah... I guess so.

[It wasn't as if she was searching for anything by telling him that, but his reaction to it is exactly how she expected it might be, and in her peripheral, Tifa can see that her brooch is shimmering with a little bit of extra colour, which means that they've likely fulfilled what they were supposed to.

But before they go back inside—]

Hey, Zack...?

[The mood suddenly shifts again, back to where it had been when they had first removed their masks and realized their identities, and she's fidgeting with hers between her fingers, staring down at it with a nervous energy buzzing about her.]

[theheroics]

[ ... Huh. That was a little bit of a shift from the course that they were on, and it's with that feeling that Zack glances back at her. Curiosity beaming off of him. ]

Hmm? Yeah, what's up?

[starshower]

[She really could have just come out and said it, but she needed a moment to gather her thoughts before she's looking at him again, fixing him with a steady look even with the nervousness that bubbles beneath the surface.]

... I'm sorry.

[Those words come out so quickly that it surprises her, so with a breath, she tries to slow herself down.]

I'm sorry... about everything...

[Does it feel a bit premature? Maybe... but it's been five long years since she shouted those hateful things at him, and Tifa always knew after the fact that she couldn't blame him. That Zack wouldn't have done the things he did. Could he have done more? Maybe, but who is she to say or decide that?

She can't keep holding these ghosts of her past against him...]

[theheroics]

[ ... Oh.

That's not where he thought this conversation was going to go.

Zack blinks for a moment, a little stunned by the comment, and it takes him a moment for fully register the words.

There's a bit of awkwardness in his posture as he pulls away from the balcony and resumes his previous pacing- one hand running through his spiky hair. ]

Oh, c'mon, you have nothing to apologize for! [ He blames himself a lot for the events that occurred. If only he was strong enough to stop it, if only he was at the right place at the right time, if only he could have been there to save them- ]

I know there's not a lot I can do to make up for it, but I'm going to try... [ Especially now that they're both here. He has forever long it takes him to return back to for her to really mean those words. ]

How about this- why don't we head back in and I can get you a drink to start? Maybe finish up that dance?

we can prob wrap this up! 💗

[starshower]

[She has plenty to apologize for, she thinks... though he may not know just how much. It's been five long years of built up resentment that she didn't know what to do with or how to process... and here she had been ready to hold it against him still.

That's what she has to apologize for.

But his proposition has her smiling a little more sincerely again, and she looks past the doors inside.]

Yeah. I wouldn't mind that. Gotta fill up this brooch anyway, yeah?

Sounds good!! 💗

[theheroics]

[ Oh shoot he had nearly gotten about the brooch with all the chaos in between and Zack fumbled to find it when it was mentioned. It was beginning to give off a faint glow... so maybe they were doing something right? ]

Uh huh! Plus I wouldn't mind make that husband of yours a little jealous... [ He laughs, moving past her as he places a gentle hand on her shoulder, giving a small yet reassuring squeeze before moving past towards the doors. ]

Ahaha, just kidding!! [ OR WAS HE-

But he guides Tifa back into the ballroom, pushing forward the best smile he could manage to wash away the feelings that were presented when they were first reunited. He wasn't lying when he told he wanted to make it up to her. It was something they both were struggling with, but maybe with a few steps at a time she could come to hate him a little less.

Well, never know until you try, right?

We would spend the rest of the time together that night trying to make the best he could... and likely making a fool of himself dancing, as well. ]