songerein | { something steamy }

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{ something steamy }

SOMETHING STEAMY

This log is open to everyone and doubles as a "Character Intro" for new characters who were just accepted this round. As a reminder, new characters are welcome to carry over their TDM threads backdated to the last week of October (25-31) so that they're not really "new" if players wish to do so! Starting fresh is also acceptable.

I. REVEREIN HOTPOT

With the temperatures cooling down, some locals have decided to throw a huge hotpot party along the riverbank for no real reason other than to try and cook up some good food and meet new faces. While participating restaurants and farmers are happy to provide some surplus ingredients, others are welcome to bring their own. There are plenty of grills and pots to go around, but with so many people and…unique ingredients coming in, there's bound to be a little chaos. (Thanks to Mich for the idea!)

A. Hunt for the "Legendary" Ingredient. To spice things up, a challenge has been posted before the day of the party for those who want to add some unique flavor to the meal.

Golden Truffles. There are special truffles found deep in the swamps hidden within the Wildlands that are said to taste so divine that just a small bite would make one feel as if they are floating to heaven. No it's not poisonous!! While not exactly rare in number, they are notoriously hard to find and require special pigs to sniff and dig them out. Some truffle hunters have agreed to let anyone daring to look for the truffles to borrow said pigs for the hunt. However, they can be ornery and will only cooperate if you sing a happy song to them. The swamps themselves can be filled with some mild dangers, but the pigs should guide you. Probably.
Mandragora Leaves. There is a marked field where the mandragora have taken residence. They will give up their leaves if asked nicely, but if too rough or without showing respect, they will scream and attack instead. Even then you have to take care in clipping the leaves.
Rainbow Speckled Eggs. Some wild hens that live out in the Wildlands lay rainbow speckled eggs at this time of year and they are huge! Can't miss them. They are duds and won't hatch, so they are perfect for eating. The hens themselves won't mind them taken, but the roosters that guard them are a different story. Get past them and collect the egg!

B. Food Thieves. Attracted by the delicious smell and it being time to start gathering for the winter, a few critters and even some small fae try to sneak in and snatch a few pieces for themselves. Squirrels and chipmunks in particular like to swipe any chestnuts some people are trying to roast, and the birds are diving in for any free morsel. There are a few ways to handle this, from chasing them off to trying to create a designated "food try" for the animals to take to avoid them bothering everyone else.

C. Communal Pot Surprise. While there are smaller, individual pots available for more private use, there is a larger pot that suspiciously looks like a cauldron set near the center where anyone can dump in whatever ingredient they desire—even inedible items—and produce questionable yet somehow edible results. Here are some various effects that occur:

Anything green: Chances of turning into a frog—25%. The remaining chance is just having one's hair turn green.
Sour fruit: Everything will taste like lemons for ten minutes. No amount of sugar will help until it wears off.
Candy: Everything will taste super sweet for ten minutes and 50% chance of getting a sugar rush.
Alcohol: TIME TO SING A RAUNCHY SONG WITH GREAT FERVOR but think of the children or don't.
Inedible Objects: Why would anyone throw a shoe or sock in there—the soup will turn black and empty itself so now everyone has to start over.

This is not an exhaustive list or this prompt would go on forever—so feel free to come up with other effects with whatever item your character tosses in!

D. General Mingling. There are plenty of tables and places to sit, so grab some ingredients, find a spot, and start cooking! Just remember to share and greet everyone around! Be mindful of the pots and grills as well as they can be sensitive to emotions. Get too animated and the water or fire might shoot up in temperature. But dreamotion could also help enrich flavors, so everyone is encouraged to play around. There will also be a few spicy and garnish noodle dragons flying around to help season things. Just make sure they don't get too overzealous.

II. DRAGON ISLAND

The Hot Air Balloon Station set just outside some open fields beyond town are bustling with activity as the Dragon Island (name pending) has finally opened its borders and allow outside visitors to come in and visit the island. Its main attraction of course is the hot springs resort, "Draken Springs," where everyone has received a one time free voucher to test its amenities. There are other places guests can visit near the hot springs, and by helping the nearby towns and villages, favorability will increase as well as earn extra vouchers for the hot springs. For more details on the island in general, refer to the Mod Notes.

A. Dragon Riders. There's already a task written up on the Dream Board from farmers requesting help for harvest, but there is another request to help deal with some aggressive animals that have scared off some livestock and then corral the ones that have gotten loose. The beasts are a tough, armored, armadillo-like bear whose hide is resistant to dragon flame and can be tough to fight. Dreamotion works better to strengthen physical and magical attacks. The young adolescents are giving non-dragons the privilege of riding on their backs to fly around to help first find and deal with the bears, and then herd the livestock back to their respective farms and ranches.

B. Dragon Nursery. One of the neighboring villages is taking care of many of the new hatchlings that were recovered from the previous "raid" on Reverein. Despite a month passing, some dragons are still trying to figure out who the parents are, and there is a strong suspicion that some of the eggs were never originally from the island at all, leaving many orphaned. The dragons have a very strong communal instinct when it comes to raising their young, so some have been adopted but others are still waiting to be taken as arrangements are still being made. Thus in the meantime, help is requested to do one simple task: play and help feed the young hatchlings. They are basically toddlers so it might be quite the challenge for those unprepared, especially as their own magic is still wild and out of control. Calm dreamotion will help as well as using opposing elements to help balance the magic.

C. Hot Springs: Testing the Waters. Everyone has a chance to grab a towel and test both the indoor and outdoor public springs. For more private rooms, they will need to pay up as the voucher only covers the public springs. But they will still be provided with complimentary drinks, snacks, towels, and use of the showers to clean up before and after using the springs. As for whether it's mixed, separated, covered, or bare it all…well hopefully visitors are able to decipher the signs. There are also the saunas, just be mindful of how hot it can get.

D. Hot Springs: Special Snacks. There are some unique foods that the town and resort offers for anyone to try that can be only found on the island.

Dragon's breath peppers are hot, but these won't kill anyone (the dragons are too considerate for that). This particular species is safe to consume but as the name implies, will give one fiery breath for a while. Anyone who had the kebabs from the festival might recall a similar effect.
A spiked fruit that suspiciously looks like durian has a notable stench that will carry for quite a ways, but anyone daring enough to get past it will find the fruit sweet and seeds edible once boiled and the skin peeled away. It even has a bit of a rejuvenating effect.
Dragon fruits are a nice palette cleanser especially with yogurt or ice cream. Anyone who eats it will be able to relax more easily.

E. Hot Springs: Recreation Room. There is a sizeable recreational room where any guest is free to relax and lounge in. They offer a small snack bar, some board and card games, yoga mats, billiards table, and a ping pong table. The ping pong table in particular is set a little ways from the rest as the competition can get a little heated—literally. They even had to erect magical barriers to prevent wildly charged balls from hitting others outside of the containment area.

F. Hot Springs: Peeping Toms. Even the hot springs on Dragon Island are vulnerable to unsavory characters. Although rare, there are some unwelcome guests who try to peep into the springs, and while there are security personnel and magic devices that try to catch them, some still manage to sneak in. Especially the monkeys. Descending from the higher peaks, most wild monkeys use the other pools outside of the resort for their own use, but some are attracted to the food and other amenities and make their way into the resort pools instead. Some of them are respectful and can make for great bathing company. But others are clearly not and need to be kicked out without remorse. So whether it's an uninvited or unruly guest, or a wild monkey, if caught in the act either report or feel free to handle it. Remember, even if thrown off the mountain, they will not fall to their doom, and in this case will be caught by the magic security devices.

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"Then we'll be a pair of cremini," she affirmed, and was steady once more.

"Besides, I wouldn't mind an extra pair of eyes out here. What better guide than the neighborhood deer?"

She may have a couple of stories she wished to get into script form now that he mentioned it, but she could agree that engaging in a bit of business while dressed in the nameday suit wasn't productive.

"Mm. Later. But after wrangling infant dragons in defiance of the phrase 'it takes a village', I would have been shocked to see these springs bereft of sore muscles in need of easing."

She took her drink, casual. Curious. With a shooing flick of her tail, the mist seemed to clear only a little. Let her get a look at the label.

"Lovely vintage. A favorite of yours, or his?"

[ Nothing unnatural can exist, for everything is a product of nature...

Those words give Albedo quite a bit to chew on, and a moment passes in reflective thought before he realizes Kaeya has said something else. ]

Hm? Oh, my apologies. You came here to relax, and yet here I am, encouraging philosophical debate. Perhaps not the most restful of discussions.

[ Maybe he got a little carried away, and yet, it seems a shame to let the subject change when they've hit on something so close to home. Still, he isn't going to nudge things back on topic. That would be selfish, and Kaeya came here to relax, not entertain Albedo. ]

On second thought, perhaps I'll try a glass of wine now.

[ That will help even him relax, and maybe for once he can accept letting himself do so, provided he focuses up again tomorrow. ]

[Was it fair anymore? Definitely not. But what kind of friend would he be to deny his bestie, the one who wanted to check out the communal hotpot in the first place? So he observes, trying not to make a face as he remembers what has gone into said hotpot already.]

...Well? [Ryunosuke is still standing before him. Hasn't spit out the mystery broth. Concern mixes into his curiosity, hoping he's all right.]

[Uuughh... Just a slight roll of his eyes and a sigh before he goes with it.]

But no more shenanigans.

[Mrrmrmrmrm... Blue really wanted to see the hot springs!! But... Maybe... A souvenir...like a snack...

The two dragons glance at each other and nod before chirping in agreement. They then trot forward, as if eager to head back to the nursery.]

Oh no, I'm not complaining.

[ he chuckles, soft and easy, his expression lending credence to his words. he doesn't mind expounding on this topic, it certainly isn't affecting his mood, he just finds it.. funny, that's all. not the sort of thing you'd expect to be talking about at a time like this. ]

By all means, philosophize away.

[ he waves one hand dismissively before, with that same hand, he produces a lovely, delicate glass made of ice, into which he pours a generous amount of wine. he passes it to albedo. ]

Trying to work on the art of relaxation?

[Despite his strained expression...]

...It... Actually wasn't half bad? I mean, considering what went into it...

[Yeah, he's genuinely surprised by these results? He blinks his eyes open now, his mouth relaxing into a softer, more thoughtful frown as he tries to think of how to explain it.]

Sort of... Savory-sweet, overall? I suppose anything I didn't like about it, I feel fairly comfortable laying at the feet of the--

[*hic*. blink blink.]

...The feet of the Onio--

[*HIC!*

Ryunosuke's brow furrows. He keeps his breath held a moment, waiting to see if a third one is coming.

...And then all of a sudden, the defense attorney seems to blip out of existence. Bursting into a cloud of pale green smoke.

From Ryunosuke's perspective: The terrifying sensation of falling a long distance, smacking into the ground, and then... Darkness engulfs him.

From a hypothetical onlooker's perspective: Ryunosuke has just freaking imploded out of existence. All that's left is the bowl he was just holding a moment ago, which thumps down face down atop the grass where he was just standing.]

[Well, the challenge doesn't seem to have riled him up, but he shared an answer nonetheless.

An interesting answer. Careless words were dangerous when anybody spoke them, of course, but she'd never seen quite such a literal interpretation of the concept. And yet, it was far from the strangest ability she'd heard of.]

Does it have to be words, or should I be taking cover when you sneeze, too?

Isabela’s eyes widen in gleeful joy like an eager child as she watches Madhuri adding other ingredients into the broth. This is starting to look more appetizing than what it looked when it was just her doing the cooking.

Taking her serving of the hotpot broth and using her spoon to scoop up some of it, she consumes it and, to her amazement, it tastes better than she was expecting. A hotpot miracle it is!

“Oh wow, this tastes a lot better than before! Very delicious indeed,” she happily praises the hotpot’s more tasty form, she is very impressed by her new hotpot cooking partner.

[Rob doesn't look at her while responding. Mostly because he's trying to not get pummeled.]

I have no idea! I just said I'd like a leaf, but the more I asked, the madder they got until this happened!

[He gestures his free arm toward them, just in time for one of those leaves to smack it downward and nearly topple him over in the process.]

[ Cryo sure comes in handy when it comes to beverages, isn't it? No wonder Kaeya enjoys drinking so much... :)

Albedo takes the glass as Kaeya passes it to him, the cold of the stem biting somewhat as his warm skin, but it passes quickly enough, and he lifts the glass to take a reserved sip. ]

Hmm...yes, I suppose so. I'm not one to often drink, but you've managed to talk me into twice now.

[ Though "talk him into it" might be a bit generous. Really, it's strangely difficult to say no to Kaeya. Perhaps even someone like Albedo isn't immune to his natural charisma, and his company gives him someone to study unlike many he has kept as company before.

Which is a rather short list, but that's beside the point. ]

So, if nothing is unnatural, what of manmade constructs? Let's say...ruin guards, and the like.

[ That seems like nice neutral territory to approach rather than using...himself as an example. ]

Yeah, I can see that.

[Rob is already very not impressed at this girl, and his flat tone probably shows that.]

So why are you up there? I'm not seeing a frisbee or anything.

[ She motions to the nests full of eggs behind the crowd of bothersome roosters down below, still looking quite serious as she pats the chicken that she passed to him on its head. ]

How is your stealth level? If you hold onto that chicken and jump down down from this ledge, you should be able to glide down to the eggs and collect them without the roosters noticing.

[ ...Yep. This is her plan. ]

They say that? Who's "they"?

[ She isn't being cheeky, she's genuinely curious, but also is swiftly moving on, setting up game pieces and shuffling cards to be sorted into several decks. It almost looks like there are several games combined into one with how much is going on in this table. ]

By the way, I'm Chiaki Nanami, and I'll be your guide through today's session of "Settlers of Songerein".

[ Yeah, it's one of those kinds of games. ]

[ Say goodbye to the hot springs, only board games now!!! ]

Yep...I think. There's a lot of instructions, but I think it'll be easiest if we just learn as we go rather than trying to figure it all out beforehand.

[ Even if she has figured it all out beforehand, but she is just This Way.

Chiaki motions to some game pieces on the table between them. They're tapirs of various colors! With various hats. ]

First, and most important, you must choose your character.

[Alright, this wouldn't be too hard. Right? Ralsei had handled animals before, multiple dragons, even raised baby dragons for months. It wasn't going to be that hard to wrangle some ch-- Ow. Ow. Ow. Those roosters wanted blood! He danced from foot to foot, glad he at least wore his robes over -- they blunt the worst of the injuries, but still. Look on the bright side, Ralsei, at least this time the worst of the consequences will be a bit of injury, and that's something he's well equipped to take care of. And then he's handed a chicken.]

Tha-aaanks? What's this for? ...Wait...

[Ralsei realizes what he thinks is her intention -- whether it is or isn't -- and starts using the hen like a rosary, to ward off the ill-tempered roosters. Surprisingly, it works! It takes a lot of motion to sweep the hen around sufficiently widely to keep the roosters at bay from his sides and behind him, but he's able to keep them both defended by the power of hens.]

You're a genius!

[This, too, is entirely sincere.]

Hmmmm… You tried to ask them for leaves but somehow asking for them often did turned them off? Okay, let’s see what we can do to get the leaves without angering them further.

(Isabela is trying to put two and two together as she listens to Rob’s explanation of how he got in trouble with the mandragora. She soon looks at the incoming wave of them running towards his direction and that got her pretty concerned to say the least.

She was about to tell him to ask them for the leaves more nicely but she doesn’t know if he will take her advice very seriously.)

Maybe we could try to calm them down or do something to appease them. Do you have any other suggestions?

Games where you can pretend to be someone else! It makes you feel like you're in another world and you can do a lot of fun things too! Especially when those games allow other people to join in.

[For a moment, Ken momentarily paused before glancing down at the ground.]

...Or that's what I think.

Yeah, that's what I'm sayin', yo! But whoever put that had one helluva good laugh 'fore someone chased them off.

[That same person Beat mentions continues to stir the pot, adding new ingredients. Anyone who hadn't seen what happened would be none the wiser.]

If there's some kinda joke there, I don't get it. [Then to Kor:] C'mon, le's check it out.

[Oh. Oh, that one is good.]

Yo, you really upping the stakes. Better pucker up 'cause you gonna be makin' out with a monkey when we're done here.

[He holds the paddle in one hand and serves the ball, bouncing it on the table far harder than it probably should've, causing it to bounce high towards Percy.]

[Even if the thought of what's in there seemed disgusting, his curiosity seems to win out.]

How's about I go try it an' tell ya how it is?

[And then, not waiting for an answer, he rushes off to the pot, getting in line to be served. He comes back a moment later, his nose wrinkling in disgust as he puts the bowl back down between them.]

It don't smell nasty but I ain't ever had green soup that tasted aight.

I ain't hearin' nothing wrong, yo! Tha's what you said!

[That certainly was not what she said, but his mind is made up and it doesn't seem like he's going to be changing it very easily.]

Maybe I shoulda just smacked ya with the meat on purpose.

[Not sure what good that might do but, he's sticking with it.]

[ The same way she is able to conjure literal flames at her fingertips, Mr Naruhodo, which may eventually add a whole new layer to her Susato take downs, but that is perhaps a discussion for another day. The answer to this question actually seems to soften her entire demeanor, and her grip on him loosens. ]

……There was a 3-day flower festival held last spring, and… nominations for who should be Flower Queen and King.

Father put forth my name, and votes were counted, but I lost to a friend of mine, Ms Ori. So…I was not crowned Queen, but Princess. I had a long, extravagant blue dress that I couldn’t change out of, and a head full of thick, pink curls… [ She’d cut to the chase and say he probably doesn’t believe her, and she probably sounds crazy, but he’s literally a frog right now. She has to shake her head when she feels herself trailing off. Memory lane later. Froggy cure now. ]

A, Anyway… maybe if I could just recapture some of the magic from that day I, I could change you back. If you’d let me.

[Tifa exhales with relief when they decide that, yes, that is a good enough compromise. Good enough that they lead their way back to the nursery. Fortunately, it isn't a terribly long walk—not by her standards, at least—and she has a cup of warm tea to enjoy on the way. Bratty toddlers as they seem to be, watching them waddle along with each other, chirping and screeching, she can't help but be a little endeared.]

... What do you think they're talking about?

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{ something steamy }

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A: A Bar Joke

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1/2

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oh this is so good

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