songerein | { flower festival 2022 }

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{ 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

"...Indeed!" She'd heard the owls never took too kindly to an attack, but that was a given for anything, really. But it was when they seemed to begin converging into a much larger specimen that the auri woman thrust down her staff.

"Ferocity answered with ferocity, then. Sorry about this." A gentler touch wasn't on the docket. She'll swap stones, opting for a Warrior job change instead. When she grasped the staff and twirled it, it shifted to her warhammer as the pelts and leather popped to form against her body.

She sucked in a breath and released it low in an inhuman growl.

"If this bird has taken what's mine, the menu is chicken pot pie." A gauntlet clenched, a tomahawk conjured. Hurled at the avian head as she advanced. That got the attention of all sorts of things. Tanks gotta tank.

"Just need to tenderize it first..."

'Taken what's mine'...?

An eyebrow is raised, and the words are certainly noted.

Y'shtola stands at the ready. "If it is on the menu, Then I will ensure you eat heartily tonight." She arches her arm backward and begins conjuring another spell - lightning would do nicely this time.

The owl began to whip up a furious wind, but Madhuri lunged forward with a solid swing of the hammer into the belly, sending the avian reeling. The lightning rained down and spread singed down upon the grass-carpeted base of the tree.

"The fiery one spoke! Surely you're not shy? Who do you have up there?" Another swing, teeth bared. The impact was joined by sheer concussive force.

She turned her head. "The cages react not to physical damage but to magic! Most things here act in kind."

"Then magic it shall be." Something less destructive anyway. There is no telling who inhabits these cages, and she has no intention of causing them harm.

..But perhaps she may have to cause them a little cold.

She arches her staff in the air and with a concentration of aether, a pleat of ice is hurled in the direction of the cages. But would they break?

The cages rattled and shook, but swayed with a newfound mist and a handsome set of icicle adornments. They seemed made of paper, braided pages torn from the books and bearing typewritten text. One or two of the cages seemed to have occupants who were stirring, shouting in surprise. How had the prisoners not noticed what was going on until now...?

The owl answered with a furious shriek and a wave of pure anger, concussive force that shook the branches and began to dry the grass in this newborn blast of heat.

The auri answered by throwing down her hammer and clenching a gauntlet. With her own shriek she threw that punch and connected with the beak. She made a promise, and she intended on keeping it. As she advanced, the footprints she'd left behind sprouted small wildflowers.

Huh... well, son of a bitch. Was the Curious Gorge on to something...? Despite the rage that coursed through her body, the voice in her mind was clear as day, the steely calm in the center of the storm. The inner beast could now pontificate, could it?

With a beat of its wings the owl lifted itself, but massive talons were grasped in both hands in a grapple. As she struggled, she seethed between clenched teeth:

"So much damned anger... it needs to be balanced...!" Perhaps it wasn't wise to fight anger with anger, but a dancer wasn't going to cut it against a furious beast.

She raises her hands to shield herself from the Owl's cry. It's only when she looks up again does she sees her adventurer comrade take to fight at close quarters does she notices the small flowers sprout from the ground. Odd...? But not the time for close observation.

Instead, she trots out of the way of the monster's direct path. "How do you propose we 'balance' its anger?"

"Happiness! Love! It holds power here like nowhere else!" Strange that she would speak of such emotional concepts before she managed to push the thrashing beast back, brandished her hammer again, and let it burn with... something.

When it collided with the bird's belly, one may expect a heat from the resulting blast. When instead it was... warm, like curling up near a roaring fireplace on a quiet, chilly night, this was something else entirely.

"Be that as it may," She shouts from a distance. "You do realize that I can not attack it with happiness nor love." Those aren't in the Black Mage's list of spells.

"And you're certain you can't?" She asked with a loftiness, and held her hammer out to the side.

"Memories of perfecting my first recipe. The joy of seeing someone I love take that first bite and realize they're home. A first kiss. These power me now, turn my warrior's rage into the fire of this woman's passion!" She turned back and the owl opened its wings to make itself look bigger, but seemed not entirely keen on getting closer.

She was lost in a peal of laughter. "Awww... What's wrong? You didn't like my passionate approach?"

Y'shtola raises an eyebrow. Those are memories related to emotions, yes, but weaponizing such things? "One would think she has turned delirious..."

She arches her staff back and concentrates while conjuring her magic. A happy memory. Loving memory. If she can think of one, perhaps that would be enough.

Laced within the fire of a spell, of course.

She lets the fire fly and...hopes. There's not much else to be done.

Deliriousness was a side-effect of berserk, for sure, but Madhuri's mind hasn't felt so clear in so long while job changed...!

The fire spell launched and she hung back. The owl shrieked and backed off, up and away with three hard beats of its wings. It was being shouted at, smacked and now set on fire. Enough was enough.

"That's it! Fabulous!" A cheer, and she shook off her job outfit. A brief slap of her cheeks in both hands, and the auri took a breath.

"That's how dreamotion is done! And that's our edge against the Story Eater, our otherworldly, star-munching foe here." She straightened out her skirts.

"But for the moment the creature isn't here... and, fortunately, Raha may not be here as well. Perhaps he needs a little bell."

"That..." Y'shtola can't help but gawk for a moment out of sheer disbelief. That honestly worked?

She clears her throat and composes herself. "Indeed. If he is not here, then we must search elsewhere. I expect you will be the expert on what location to choose next." That statement is true in more ways than one, she imagines.

...Why would she be the expert on-

She tapped her cheek with a knuckle and peered sidelong in what should be distant and intense thought, but with the red wildflowers sprouting through her hair probably weren't from any true contemplation.

"Well, if not here in this book tree, perhaps the stalls for an easy snack. That's where all of our friends would be, especially after that strange phenomenon from last moon that fostered a lot of cabin fever."

She shrugged. "Small fae creatures called 'leprechauns' were cursing people with bad luck if they didn't wear something green or engage in a prank war. Drove a lot of us to stay in our houses rather than cave to their demands."

She blinks a few times in succession. "This place seems to be a proverbial chasm of oddities..." Interesting oddities though, and that she cannot complain about.

Y'shtola extends a hand. "Very well. Could you lead the way? I am, unfortunately, still unfamiliar with this place."

She quietly laughed. "The most eloquent way of putting it. Better than 'mind circus', which was my best."

The offered hand was acknowledged, but she opted instead to link an arm and lead the charge. Gotta escort a lady, make way!

"But in this chasm of oddities, the fae here grow and blend amazing tea, so it's survivable at least." So far, she hadn't been tricked by any of the tea-blending fae folk, so they had that going for them.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{ flower festival 2022 }

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