songerein | { flower festival 2022 }

Entry tags:

{ flower festival 2022 }

FLOWER FESTIVAL 2022

The three day Flower Festival has started and the town is covered in blooming flowers, music, smell of good food, and excited atmosphere. Full details on everything can be found here, but an important reminder that this event log doubles as our Test Drive Meme and information can be found in this section.

This means any outside characters participating in the log are canonly logged as appearing in Songerein in April and will remain in Songerein for the rest of the month of April. However, outside characters can only thread within this log, so for those seriously considering the game, you are welcome to use non-festival prompts for your toplevels. Anyone who apps in and is accepted will have their character count April as their first month in the game, so all content will carry over.

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 Sunday, April 24th and Applications will open on May 1st. Our application cycles are bi-monthly so the next cycle after won't be until July.

TDM Toplevel Link Directory (click to view)

Y'shtola (FFXIV)
Kotetsu Kaburagi (Tiger and Bunny)
Aerith Gainsborough (FFVII)
Nene Yashiro (Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun)
Isabela Madrigal (Encanto)
Rinwell (Tales of Arise)
Lumine (Genshin Impact)
Gran (Granblue Fantasy)
Sanji (One Piece)
Meilin "Mei" Lee (Turning Red)
Rob (The Amazing World of Gumball)
Akira Toya (Hikaru no Go)
Zhongli (Genshin Impact)
Yuuki Konno (Sword Art Online)
Kuja (FFIX)
Nice (Hamatora)
Peggy Carter (MCU)
Leo Valdez (Heroes of Olympus)
Snatcher (A Hat in Time)
Roland (Library of Ruina)
Son Gohan (Dragon Ball)
Gracious Skylark (OC)
Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Thancred Waters (FFXIV)
Izaya Orihara (Durarara!!)

I. FLOWER VIEWING

There are gardens and flowers everywhere, but the main central location for the flower viewing is around the eastern side of town between the treehouses and the outside fields. Here there are plenty of both open and shaded spaces anyone can take to sit back, have a picnic, and enjoy the flowers blooming in the trees and along the ground. Food stalls are stationed by the treehouses for anyone who needs a meal and they provide blankets and picnic baskets as well.

A. Flower Crowns. Can't enjoy a flower viewing without flower crowns! There's an abundance of flowers that can just be taken and used to make them, but there are folks who go around and pass some out for those unable to. Or perhaps flower pixies may "bless" people with special flower crowns, tailor made with flowers that match the individual's personality. Once worn, the flowers will reflect the mood of the wear and may even grow depending on how much positive emotion they soak up from the wearer. That crown may become more of a headdress.

B. Flower Serenade. Although it's meant to be a calm, relaxing affair, the flowers are drinking in the festive atmosphere and now have a tendency to sing their joy. They are especially drawn to any couples and will start to serenade them with…an assortment of "romantic" songs. Some may be persuaded via calm emotions to quiet down to a more melodious hum while others may be a little more obnoxious.

C. Flower Maze. In one of the fields, a special flower maze has been erected made of hedges and questionably large flowers, their petals spanning several feet in length. These flowers will move and shift, using their petals to create sudden dead ends and new openings to alter the paths through the maze. No pushing past! The petals will be resistant. If a couple is being particularly flirtatious, they'll curl out and drop down to form a kind of "flower curtain" with their petals surrounding the pair. Whether it's to give the couple privacy or to shield innocent eyes, who's to say. In this scenario the petals can be easily brushed away and the flower will lift up to return to its position.

II. ENTERTAINMENT

All along the market square and the riverbank, stores and booths line the streets to provide goods, food, and entertainment for all festival goers.

A. Music and Dance. In the Central Plaza near the Tree of Memories is a cleared off area with a stage platform set up. Here anyone is welcome to grab an instrument, the microphone, and start singing or playing music to entertain the crowds. The floor is open for anyone to dance along or even show off a special dance performance of their own. Flower petals will join along as well, swirling through the melodious winds and even taking on the shape of some of the music notes.

B. Game booths. Come one, come all! Try out the various carnival games on offer. The game booths can be found lining around the riverbank and while there are many, here are some of the more popular ones:

Pebble Toss. Use dreamotion to change the color of a pebble and toss it into a bucket of water. The bigger the effect on the water, the more points scored. Earn enough points to win a prize!
Goose Rings. Try to toss a ring around the neck of a goose sculpture. Which is, of course, magically enchanted to move around and dodge the rings. Being a goose, the sculpture is a bit of a jerk; it’s attuned to players’ dreamotion energy and will absolutely move around more as they get frustrated, so keeping one’s cool is important.
Bubble Pop! Use dreamotion darts to pop magical bubbles floating across a board. Can be played alone (score points by popping as many of one color as possible) or competitively (whoever pops the most of their color wins).
Flighty Flowers. Create colorful paper flowers and use them to craft a floating lantern. The higher and further the lantern flies, the bigger the prize earned. Or, if one is especially creative or creates especially colorful flowers, they may just win a big prize regardless of how high it flies. Players can keep their lanterns if they wish.
Smash! Toss balls at a series of bottles to try and knock them over. To keep with the theme of the festival, the bottles are tiny terrariums. Thanks to the magic of the festival,, the plants inside the bottles remain undisturbed no matter how many times they’re knocked over.
Swan Boat Races. Find a boating partner and participate in a timed race where you have to navigate through obstacles and try to post the fastest time with fewest penalties. Use dreamotion to get through obstacles like ramps, slow whirlpools that will cause the boat to spin in place, turbulent waters, etc. If not interested in the races, people are welcome to help paint and decorate the swan boats! They have to match the mood of the festival, after all.

III. TREE OF MEMORIES

At the center of town is a giant tree that is as tall as a clock tower and with giant books about as tall as a person hanging off its branches. There are a few attractions set up here and there are also some small owls that fly around and greet anyone who come by. They serve as the "guardians" of the tree, and should anyone try to harm it, they will converge together to form a giant owl to deal with them.

A. Dream Petals. As the Tree's petals fall, anyone who manages to catch one before it hits the ground will find their secret dream reflected on it. It could be something they are longing for or something they wish to keep from anyone. Once the dream's reflection is complete, it will remain on the petal and can be viewed at any time.

B. Dreamscape Rooms. Selected by the owls, a few of the books can be found lying open on the ground. Everything is blank—there are no titles, no words, no pictures. The owl will beckon anyone who wants a "fun adventure" to dreamwalk into the book and have an adventure through its pages. It could be any established fairy tale, folklore, myth, legend or perhaps something random. The "players" will be thrown into random roles for the story and will need to complete at least three objectives (which can be handwaved). There is a one hour time limit so if anyone is unable to get through the story, the owls will yank them (safely) out and the book will remain on the ground for another group to try their luck. If they succeed, the story will magically appear on its pages and the book will hang proudly on the tree's branches.

C. Soaring Butterflies. Ever wanted to just ride on something huge and enjoy the flight? There are giant butterflies that are large and strong enough to carry up to three people on their backs. These butterflies are actually local to Songerein and brought in by a native Fae. Whether that makes them more or less trustworthy is up to the character, but the butterflies are definitely frisky—and fast.

D. Book Cages. Sometimes something a little weird happens around the Tree. Black wispy energy will seep from the hanging books and they will suddenly drop down on unsuspecting visitors, especially anyone who has a lot of love in them. The book will open and the pages will fly out like walls and trap the victim before it transforms into a cage and hurls them back up high into the tree. Although unharmed, the prisoner will start feeling some of their feelings of love being drained away and making them more irritable and hateful towards things. It will be up to someone else to try and get them out. Fortunately it's not too difficult a task—just need to get up that tree somehow and break through the iron-paper bars. Some fire should do the trick. The problem is, it needs to be fire made from dreamotion and focused on some variant of love or loyalty. It doesn't have to be towards the prisoner at least, so anyone should be able to help. However, the tree seems intent in keeping the prisoner, so thorny vines will try and smack anyone away. The owls will also try to assist, but they're kind of small and useless and can't use their ultimate transformation to harm the tree. Maybe the Giant Butterflies might be useful?

IV. FINAL DAY

On the third and final day of the festival, the winners of the Flower King and Queen contest are announced. However, there's a huge surprise as everyone finds themselves in a costume. While all contest participants have their own "Royal Court" theme, everyone else will find themselves suddenly dressed like a flower. There are a lot of variations from elegant to downright silly. Best(?) of all, the costumes will stay on until sundown. While parts may be loosened, altered, and removed for a short period of time, the costume will refuse to be changed out of and any attempts will be futile.

A. Flower Power. While some may feel very…uncomfortable in their new "wardrobe," others are having a blast with the small powers that come with the costume. With just a wave of their hand flowers will appear and bloom, and they will leave a trail of flowers wherever they go. But most importantly, they have glitter pollen which is to help bring about love and joy to all! However, not everyone is enjoying the glitter all over the place and some are growing more irritable and hateful instead, which is twisting their own pollen to spread negative feelings instead. Help soothe the unhappy ones and clean up the mess!

B. Flowerworks. Once sundown hits and everyone is back to their usual attire, a call is made to announce the "Flowerworks" presentation and for all to gather out into the fields. The moment the sun is completely set and the stars appear in the strange, moonless sky, a light will shoot up and burst into a beautiful, flowery display. It's a fireworks show, but instead of using traditional fireworks, glowing flowers are sent up instead, their petals illuminating brightly as they drift harmlessly down to the crowds.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Susato already has a flower crown made of purple irises on her head, so she likely wouldn't have been approached by Futaba. However, Susato does approach her instead, when she notices her sleeping figure atop her picnic blanket. The white roses she can see in her mask kind of blend together, and she squints as she approaches, as if she's not sure if she should bother her.

She leans in to see if she'll react, noting the basket of food she (apparently?) brought with her. ]

H... Hello. Did you mean to fall asleep?

[Futaba's naps are notorious for her passing the hell out and not waking up if she's really exhausted. Luckily for Susato, she isn't that tired... this time.

Hearing someone near her, her eyes open groggily with a 'huh...?' and there's... someone there....?!

?!?!?

She jumps up with a start, and a surprised sound, doing a superhero(?) pose.]

Woah! C-c-careful! I... I'll uh... I-I'll become a Featherman! [Wait, she was just asking... oh. Futaba lowers her arms, and nods.]

Y...yeah... th-the weather was t-too nice.

[ Susato blinks. It takes her a moment to process that word, and what the heck a 'Featherman' might be (way after her time, that), but she does end up with a relieved smile. For someone who had just been sleeping so peacefully, Futaba sure is lively. ]

I, It is quite nice. I'm sorry to disturb you, then... but I hope you are having a good time.

[ SMALL TALK IS GO? Susato isn't even sure if it's okay for her to stay, but she doesn't want to just leave, either. ]

N-no! It's a-all right! I should have g-guessed I might attract s-someone if I fell asleep out here.

[...Futaba is bad with social situations, but—]

O-oh! I have p-plenty of food to sh-share, if you want some! [Food is a good thing to share in social situations, right?!] J-just like during a regular h-hanami, you g-gotta have good food!

[ Futaba's understanding of hanami is likely a little more modern than Susato's but it's a comfort to hear a such a familiar term in light of all of the magic. And it is as they say: some things never change. While she is not eager to force Futaba into a situation where she's not comfortable, rejecting her would probably be worse.

She approaches kind of cautiously, but is clearly interested. ]

That is very true! Actually I, I think I have some cookies left from what I was passing out earlier... that I could offer in return...

[ She doesn't have her large kimono sleeves at the moment but what she does have is hammerspace. Susato trails off slightly, but then manages to pull out a small bag of Sakura cookies, topped with a tag. ]

Y-you're speaking my l-language!

[The hammerspace is impressive though, Futaba's eyes widen at the sight of it and—]

Woah, just like an old video game! [Enough to make her forget her nerves for a moment. She recognizes the tag, too.]

Th-this is Kazuma's restaurant, r-right? D-do you work there?

[ Just like a what?

Before Susato has a chance to ask, though, she is of course distracted by what Futaba says next. Her face brightens as she takes a quiet seat on her blanket. ]

That's right! Y, You've met Kazuma-sama? [ Or maybe she's been there before? She sees so many faces, it wouldn't be out of the question that she wouldn't remember all their customers. ]

Y-yeah! Kazuma's my friend, I-I've known him s-since the Index! He's a g-good person, even if he d-doesn't think he is. I know he is.

[She puffs at that, definitely bragging about how Kazuma is cool and a good person, and he really is!]

A-and if you work there, 76 didn't m-make the curry I had l-last time... was it you?

[ Futaba, do you realize you are shaping up to be her best friend already? ...Do you? She almost has to laugh. It is a relieved sort of chuckle... She wants to believe this means Kazuma was not quite as alone as she was led to believe for all those years.

Though she has no doubt that he still felt it. ]

I know he is, too. Though I, um, I've never heard of the Index.

[ After finally reading a certain book, she's basically made it her personal mission to prove it to him. To earn his happy ending. Though in Susato's mind, it might not be as dramatic as such. She just wants him to be happy. ]

We grew up together. I used to cook for him and my whole family, so when he mentioned that he used to own a restaurant, I thought I could offer to help, if he ever wanted to open another. Mr 76 agreed, too.

We have been exchanging notes and recipes ever since, but... yes. The Japanese curry... that was me.

I-it's where we were before! W-we were infused with s-story characters. Like I w-was Mycroft Holmes, a-and Kazuma... [...well, that's for Kazuma to say, she shouldn't blurt it.] Kazuma w-was kinda scary at first, b-but he was never mean to me!

[Ohhhh... she's known him for a long time then, and— OH, THE CURRY WAS HERS and now Futaba's just grinning from ear to ear.]

I-it was really good! I probably ate m-most of it. Kazuma i-invited me over, a-and that's what we had for lunch! S-so you're his judicial assistant? I guess that makes you The Great Meiji Judicial Assistant since Kazuma i-is The Great Meiji Lawyer.

[ Susato just barely manages to process the name Mycroft SHolmes when she opens her mouth, wanting to interject when it comes to Kazuma. As someone who was never a part of the Index, that information felt earned, even if she had to twist his arm a little bit to get it. She thinks better of it though, closing her mouth soon afterwards to allow Futaba to finish.

They don't have to talk about Hyde right now.

Kinda scary but never mean. She laughs. ]

So you were with him in the Realm of Stories. That sounds like him... I don't know about great, but I am his judicial assistant, Mikotoba Susato, and we did live under Emperor Meiji's reign.

We don't practice much law these days, [ She also may have adopted another Great Meiji Lawyer OOPS IT'S A LONG STORY ] but I am glad you enjoyed the curry. I'm always happy to make more for you, so long as we have the ingredients!

Y-yeah! His place was waaaaay different than Wild Harvest now, b-but he made sure when I was there that n-no one hurt me or anything. 76 was still m-making food there too!

[She waves off the Japanese niceties (she knows, don't worry, but she's anything but typical here) and shakes her head.]

Nope, if h-he's the Great Meiji Lawyer, you'll be th-the Great Meiji Judicial Assistant! N-no getting out of it! [Ah, there was a name, too—] I-I'm Futaba! Sakura Futaba! A-and if you make more curry, t-tell me if you make t-too much, I'll eat it all.

[Not a threat, but a promise. It's just that good.]

I-I'm glad more of Kazuma's friends a-are here... he was pretty... [gonna do her best FROWNY FACE KAZUMA impression here] for a while. I-it's nice to see him happier.

[ You are the best judicial assistant in the world. Kazuma didn't say that, but the words come from someone else she holds just as close, and the reminder is nice, even if Futaba has no reason to believe it.

She laughs at her offer, and her following impression of Kazuma. Nailed it. ]

Well... it is a work in progress, but I would like to believe that he smiles more these days. He is so different from the man I knew, but getting to know him again has been... quite the experience. I am lucky, I think.

Thank you for being his friend, Miss Futaba.

Ah... i-it's nothing. He's s-stuck with me now, whether he likes it o-or not!

[She didn't have any friends before, but now she had... well, quite a lot! Kazuma was probably one of her first friends outside of those at Yongen-jaya, and she treasures that friendship.]

Wh-what was he like before? Do you have any f-funny stories? Wh-where in Japan are you guys from? Me and my friends a-are in Shibuya, in Yongen-jaya, I w-wonder if you were close, even if it w-was a long time before me.

[Just gonna casually bombard Susato with questions because you can't take the inquisitive out of the introvert.]

[ Susato's favorite type of introvert. She pauses, taking in the questions, and maybe she even opens her mouth to answer, but she'll wait until Futaba is finished, chuckling a little at her enthusiasm.

It's fascinating, actually. She knows 76 and Reaper are from their future, but Futaba was actually in their direct area. ]

We are from the capital city, Tokyo. My father was a professor at Yumei University where we were studying... Kazuma-sama, and his best friend, Naruhodo-san as well. He was... Well, he's wonderful.

He worked quite hard back then, studying and training. Since I was to be his assistant, it felt like I had to study twice as hard to keep up with him. I always wanted to be like him, so I copied him a lot. The ways he studied... how he would sit seiza-style whenever he had to read and take notes. All his stances.

...He never did let me properly wield the Karuma, though.

Ohhh, y-you're all from Tokyo... that's n-not far at all! Too bad w-we're all from different times... i-it'd be fun to walk around Shibuya w-with you and Kazuma! Though i-if he likes his peace a-and quiet, it's kinda loud. Maybe Akiba but that's... [Just as loud with maid cafes and stuff.] I-I don't know Naruhodo though, w-was he here?

[That name doesn't sound familiar, but]

Wh-what's the Karuma?

[ She has so many questions. Wasn't Shibuya just a rural village...? Perfect for someone seeking peace and quiet, but Futaba saying it's kind of loud rather implies otherwise. It's not as though London isn't a bustling city, however, and she's spent plenty of time overseas there, so she can easily imagine Kazuma in such and environment.

...It would have been nice. If only their study abroad had turned out as planned.

She shakes her head. ]

He was. For some months. He... I suppose he woke up.

[ She looks sad, but she can only hope that he and the Susato of the real world would soon be well on their way to making Japan a better empire through the judicial system. ]

A, Anyway... the Karuma is his sword. [ She motions roughly to where Kazuma would carry it, acting like she's pulling it out of its hilt. ] Have you ever seen him wield it? It carries the very soul of the Asogi clan, and I dare say that it is the most important thing this world could have given back to him.

Ah... s-sorry, I didn't know. M-maybe next time he goes t-to sleep, y-you'll all be together again!

[Seeing her action and mentioning a sword... she's seen the sword, but has he used it? Futaba thinks for a moment, before shaking her head.]

I've seen the Karuma, but I-I haven't seen the Karuma. I don't think h-he's ever used it before that I saw. It sounds like i-it's important to him. I'm glad he got it back. But h-he even knows how to wield it, l-like a samurai?

[ Susato gives her an enthusiastic nod. Clearly she just enjoys gushing about this nerd for some reason!!! He's the best. ]

Oh, yes, he certainly does. But if you haven't seen him use it, I suppose that's... a good thing.

[ She hesitates slightly. Ever since the whole I have murdered several people bomb dropped, maybe she just assumed that Karuma had to be a part of the picture. If he inherited some of Dr Jekyll's knowledge of medicine, it stood to reason that Hyde also inherited his skill with the sword, did it not?

But she never asked. And at this point, she likely never would. ]

I am glad he got it back, too. I think there is a part of him that feels he does not deserve it, sometimes. [ It's probably the same part that doesn't think he's a good person. ]

W-well we'll just h-have to keep reminding him th-that he does deserve nice things!

[Because truly, he does. Futaba knows he's a good person, and Susato probably does too... they'd just have to gently bully (affectionate) him with nice things together, is all.]

If he h-hears it enough, m-maybe he'll start to believe it.

[Yeah, that's got to be it. If she can believe she's not a bad person, so can Kazuma!!! Futaba nods to herself, as if resolving to definitely (gently) shake him about it if she needs to.

But all this talking and socializing has her hungry and a little tired, so she'll grab some snacks, holding some out to Susato before she digs in herself.]

You wanna s-sit for a while longer and t-talk? I'll probably wanna n-nap in a bit, but y-you're not too bad to talk to!

[ If he hears it enough, maybe he'll start to believe it... There's a thought. Perhaps Susato thought she had been too forceful, or at the very least, too forward about her feelings. Or perhaps she thought her words would lose effect over time, that he would eventually stop listening. What Futaba says seems to invigorate her, like maybe she's doing the right thing after all. Supporting him.

Futaba. And naturally, a little something 76 once told her, about Kazuma needing reminders...

Susato scoots a little closer to her, accepting the snacks happily, like they've known each other for ages. She'll take "not bad to talk to." ]

Of course! I will even watch over you for a while, if you want. [ Make sure she isn't bothered. Susato starts to munch, wondering of Futaba made these snacks herself. She'd planned to ask more about Kazuma, perhaps getting Futaba to tell a story in return; but as little as she knows about their life in the Index, she knows even less about Futaba herself. ] ...So how long have you been away from Japan?

[ Perhaps Susato will find a way to keep her awake yet, with her questions. Either way, it looks like they are both comfortable for the duration. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{ flower festival 2022 }

flower viewing

no subject

no subject

omg my html fail sobs

IT'S OKAY sorry ajkhs i'll let you know if it happens again!

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

no subject

good to wrap up? :D

sure! here's my best attempt at a wrap <3 apologies i am so wordy lmfao