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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

I assumed if anyone here was going to be familiar with that idea, it would be you.

[He's military, or at least something very close to it. Enough that he understands her habits and how she tries to hide most of herself under her work and the like things occupying her. Fidgeting with her hands and coming to realise that she has no idea how to cope with simply sitting and talking without distraction, Beatrix takes the time to investigate the sauna from where she's placed herself.]

Oh. So this right now is more familiar to you, then. Perhaps that is why you were intrigued by it. Most of us long for the familiar in one way or another, whether we choose to admit to it or not.

"You're all at peace with one another, but intentionally have this great big battle, for no other reason than to actually fight each other."

If he was getting all of that appropriately because that was how it sounded to him. It was a hard thing to swallow if that was true. Nier was good at fighting, but it didn't mean he enjoyed it and if he'd been able to get the verses to save Yonah without fighting, he would have done that. He fought only out of necessity.

But then, that was probably why he wasn't one of her people. Or something akin to.

Aaaah... I see. That's a shame.

[Clearly looks a bit disappointed...but he'll ruminate over what he just learned.]

But an uchigatana... Don't think I've ever seen one. What does it look like? And what's the Shinsengumi?

[Given the words, it sounds like they may also be from similar cultures. Well, ancestral for him.]

Madhuri nodded. "That's the long and the short of it. It's tradition and a way to kick off the new year. I've only attended one or two Naadams in my life. I got my fill."

She began to fix herself a new bowl.

"...Food was amazing, though. But it always is."

Really? Nothing at all?

[Bennett sits up straight in the water now, removing himself from the slumped and relaxed position he'd taken in the water.]

It tastes really spicy to me... My throat feels like it's on fire...

[Literally on fire, as he starts coughing from the heat and that is sure fire he is coughing up.]

Y-yeah... [Bennett's moving just as quickly, his hands working fast to pry off the vines that have ensnared themselves quite steadfastly around his ankle. At the same time, he is kicking his leg trying to shake it off. ...These two actions combined are probably hindering Link's own efforts to help more than they're helping, but he's trying here, okay.

But by their efforts combined, Bennett is eventually freed. And none too soon, at that! Though they're pretty far away thanks to Link's dreamotion, a red, fiery cloud is looming on the horizon, approaching closer with each passing second.]

I'm fine, just my rotten luck striking again, that's all. Let's go before we're chicken feed!

[Would the roosters eat them? Bennett didn't know and Bennett didn't care to find because these clearly were not ordinary chickens. At least not ones he was used to.]

[Tartaglia only laughs again, it feels as if it were a very rare thing to hear him speak that way about anyone. He won't comment more on the nature of this world and how it can affect them, but he will grin at the former archon. He's curious...]

Oh? Sounds to me like the two of you get along quite well, then.

[He's gotta know more about this relationship between the two archons. It honestly sounds hilarious, especially if Zhongli is going to backhand compliment the guy and then act mildly irritated by getting saved by him.]

It must be nice to have an old friend around while we reside here.

[He baked these cookies with Naminé! He wanted to eat them today! Not give them to some monkey doing some monkey business!! But it if helps Sora will try to suck it up and give them up for the greater good.]

Alright! Be right back! Don't move a muscle!

[And Sora turns and sprints back to the other room. Taking as little time as he can to dig through his bag and grab the container of baked cookies before sprinting back.]

Okay! Got them, let's hope he likes ginger snaps!

[Sora opens the container and picks one out to wave it around. This monkey better get down from there and follow them out!]

Hey! Buddy! Want a snack?!

Guh...

[His naming sense, brutally insulted...]

Uhh... Yeah, I know where to get you the sweetest corn around! So, please help us?

[It's corn that he was saving to dip in chocolate...]

[ What a strange thought. The invitation, spoken of her own free will, tugs at her heart. A year ago, she might have fussed over maiden's secrets. She certainly would have never dreamed that a man and a woman could share such an activity, and yet... here she is, removing her kimono to reveal the swimwear provided to anyone who needed it for the occasion.

'Brilliant'... Maybe one day she'll feel like she's earned that compliment. Still, there's a shy smile from her as she remembers his words. The best judicial assistant in the world.

As they enter the water, Susato is already fussing over Ryunosuke's hair, ruffling it unapologetically in an earnest a tempt to remove the magical dye. They will eventually find that it fades away on its own; but in the meantime, Susato's heart aches with nostalgia. ]

Mr Sholmes might have accused you of borrowing his hair colour tonic.

Edited 2022-12-07 03:52 (UTC)

[Ira nods, understanding.]

I think that's an understandable feeling to have. Even if you weren't the one to cause it, the plate still fell despite your efforts. Anyone might feel some responsibility for that.

[He speaks without judgement, knowing all too well about responsibility.]

But I think that is a feeling that can be turned into motivation. And I think that that is okay.

[HMmMmMmMMMmMMM..... The little pig pauses a little and glances back with a dubious gaze...]

Can add in some carrots and whatever else you like. I'll even cu—cook it up for you for a fine meal.

[HE SAVED HIMSELF. Because clearly all words relating to "cut" are banned as well as pork foods.]

[Any shades of red in his face are blamed solely on the water. He doesn't embarrass easily. Not at all.

But there's a bit of an embarrassed laugh.]

I suppose it is a bit of a holdover from my home world. I've just grown used to wearing it.

It was, I suppose, a mark of status. Marking me as a leader of a Union.

[tl;dr #aesthetics]

Oh I have my sword here I could show— Oh but it's not on me. It's back in my tree home. But I could show you my sword later! It's about 80ish cm long and incredibly sharp and was made at a certain way that makes it really difficult for most to wield because the blade isn't like normal swords. As for the shinsengumi, I could talk to you for hours about them!

[ Buuut he probably didn't want to hear him essentially fanboying over his old master so— ]

They were a police force in japan, to help keep things from turning to chaos with wars that were breaking out from differing feelings. People weren't really pleased with the way things were westernizing...

[Well, his ability to focus and shape the flames as he creates them is impressive- she's known her share of practiced firebenders who couldn't do work that precise.]

Hm. Can you control it once you've created it?

[...okay, just because it's impressive doesn't mean she's going to actually sound remotely impressed.]

[Tapirs. She remembers hearing that word, but that wasn't an animal she was even half familiar with. Honestly, from what she'd read about them, she hadn't expected them to be animals at all.]

You said they were 'onto something,' these tapirs. What did they say?

Pauline. Nice to meet you.

[She smiles broadly. She's been working hard to get used to this world and hasn't made much headway in meeting people until now.]

It's a shame this soup turned out the way it did, though. I was having such a nice time eating with so many people...

[ DUST TO DUST, MY FRIEND!! these are the spoils of being an apex predator.

"Well, in that case, I'm happy to take it off of your hands. You're out of your mind, bread is delicious."

in fact, he rips off a hunk and dips it into his broth, before taking a nice bite. ]

.. mm?

[ worry over nothing?

now, that feels like something kaeya would say when he's trying to deflect, when he's trying to turn the conversation elsewhere. whatever difficulties aether had, kaeya suspects he's making light of them for the sake of others - kind of him, as ever. that, or he simply doesn't wish to talk about whatever it was that was perceived, something kaeya has plenty of experience with.

it's so tempting to needle, to peel away at the layers of this onion, but kaeya has more respect for aether than he has for most others, so he lets the matter drop. ]

If you say so. Just try to remember what I said, won't you?

[ if he needs anything at all, ever, kaeya is here. ]

[ WOAH, FRIEND...

kaeya starts, jerking upright, his eye snapping wide. it's just dragonfruit, bennett?? he glances back to the plate, briefly, before looking toward bennett again. with a snap of his fingers, kaeya summons a thick snowflake made of ice into his palm. ]

Ah, here, try putting this on your tongue..

[ cryo vs pyro!! ]

Yeah, I'm still wonderin' what all that was 'bout. Fact that all three a' them tasted the same is hella wack.

[He tilts his head away from the gathering and towards another part of the village. There still some way to turn this around.]

I'm thinkin' I might jus' get some curry noodles to wash off the taste a' this outta my mouth. Know a good place back by the markets. Wanna tag along?

[Oh hell yeah, he'll tangle up in that kiss. Way way easier to be horny than to be accountable, he already apologized, he deserved a break! After a few moments of heated contact and smooching, Blitz broke off only to grab at one of the snack boxes, seeking out the spicy pepper.]

You lil' lovable freak, let's get your skin extra flush in every way, yeah?

[He'll gnosh on that thing before eagerly pulling Stolas into the kiss, adding an extra meaning to a "heated kiss" as he rolled the deliciously fruity but painfully spicy pepper between their mouths.]

It was good to see Akechi's play starting to take form, at least. Moxxie nodded approvingly, dragging himself to the side of the table where his cue ball had since been sent.

"What gave it away, the 'snakelike' or the 'weaselly'? It was a thin veneer of congeniality around the core of a murderous psychopath. ...And that's coming from someone who literally kills for a living.

But, y'know. I'm a professional, not a psychopath."

TAK

A rather unceremonious, unsatisfying textbook shot that hit three walls and struck both balls in succession. He took the second shot almost on instinct--

TAK

But was well off the mark even on the first shot, and the ball went soaring and ricocheting across the table without striking either of the object balls. Moxxie rested a hand on his forehead, working to gather himself.

"At least it sounds like yours wasn't doing all of this just to get under your skin and make you look bad in front of your wife and boss."

[ Even before the military, Trahearne was an incurable workaholic... Though that likely had much to do with the Wyld Hunt bouncing around in his head, demanding he be working towards its completion at literally every waking moment. Hard to relax with what felt like a constant alarm going off in his mind.

He hums in agreement as Beatrix speaks. ]

I think that's what makes Reverein so unique. [ He peeks open an eye at her before closing it again. ] People from across realms bring the comforts of home, and it ultimately creates something new. It's fascinating.

[ But yes. He likes the humidity. ]

Edited (icon) 2022-12-07 15:51 (UTC)

Akechi frowned. "A thin veneer of congeniality over a murderous psychopath. Yes, I'm familiar with the type. Though in my defense-"

TAK

Bounce-bounce-carom and hit. "I no longer give enough of a shit to pretend to be nice to people I can't stand, and I'm... working, on the second bit. But no, he was doing it all for the sake of taking back from a society that's corrupt from top to bottom. Very-"

TAK-bounce-carom-bounce and... miss. "Robin Hood." That was dangerously close to a joke. "He did, however, very much drive me up a fucking wall and make me look like a complete idiot in front of my employer at the time, so I certainly empathize."

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{ something steamy }

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definite spice warning 🔥🔥🔥 esp bc blitz is an absolute weirdo

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