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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Was that voice a MOXXIE he just heard?

Blitz had been enjoying the bath, snacking on foods, hopping from place to place and not staying too terribly long wherever he went. He'd just gotten out of the baths and had a robe on, himself, when he passed the entertainment room. Sure enough, inside was Moxxie, talking off the head of some rando about the billiards table he'd taken over.

None of that mattered, Blitz practically flew across the distance between them, dragging Moxxie into a one-armed hug.]

Moxxie! I heard you saved my Loonie! I could kiss ya!

[And with the sort of high-speed impact typically reserved for a schoolboy being greeted at the front door by a pet tiger, he was yanked out of the restful reverie of applied geometry-- and quite nearly out of his towel in the process-- by the delayed inevitability that was his former boss.

Somehow, he just knew this little 'reunion' was going to happen while he was half-naked.

His reply came rather quietly, with a hint of resignation faintly present beneath the layers of attempted enthusiasm stacked atop it... but then again, that was pretty normal when dealing with his former boss.]

Hello, sir...

[He'd try not to fret the whole 'Loonie' thing too much, either... or mention the fact that she saved him right back, and got off worse for it. He anxiously tightened the towel around his waist.

He'd go straight to pulling off the bandage covering their employment situation.]

...yeah. We've been doing good work together.

Fuck yeah, that's the shit I wanna hear, I'm SO proud of you all!

[Unironically! Blitz was grinning from horn to horn, putting his hands on his hips as he looked at his employee. Yep, Moxxie looked about right, good abs as always.]

I heard you did the whole jingle thing to distract the Radio Demon and it worked! That was like, the exact idea I had when I was getting wind of the guy.

Thank you... sir. It was nice to be able to... try something like that.

[And now he could only ask himself if he could ever have attempted the rest of that plan of his- the singing, the sympathy, the hopes for a non-lethal resolution- back when he was at I.M.P. instead of D.M.C., or if he'd ever have that chance again now that the latter was under new management.

Still, he pushed back a little against the familiar defeated feeling; by all accounts, even the radio demon managed to become a little more... healthy after staying in this place for a while. And maybe that same room to grow would be just what Blitz needed to find himself in a better place, too.

His hands wrung gently against the pool cue.]

...How's Reverein treating you? Are you settling in alright? It's a lot nicer than hell, isn't it?...

Not my scene really, but a vacation never hurt. Gonna be interesting to pick up new biz fighting nightmares instead of killing a bunch of bozos.

[With a big smile and a lazy flop, Blitz dropped into a free chair to kick back and relax.]

Since there's apparently enough people from Hell here we should split time between enjoying the free shit and making sure they remember us when they get back to Hell too. You and Millie enjoying your dreamscape honeymoon?

I must advise you not take it lightly, sir. Nightmares can fight back a lot harder than the humans we're used to dealing with.

[With his appraisal of the situation seemingly settling into a modicum of well-warded optimism, Moxxie's attention drifted back toward the billiard table. He ground the chalk against the tip of his cue stick as he sized things up...

It was a tough shot, but maybe he just needed to apply the right spin. He hiked himself up on one leg, bracing the stick and lining up for a shot. Aim to just barely graze the first ball...]

We've... settled in nicely, sir. Actually, we've enjoyed the peace and quiet.

[...and, properly cushioned, deflect into the other.]

Have you had the chance to speak with Stolas, yet?

I'm, uh, actually meeting up with him here later. For-- well, I dunno. I think food and grub and he'll probably want dick, but besides that, I'm probably gonna... maybe I'll...

[Blitz kept rambling, before clearing his throat and dropping it.]

We hung out with the baby dragons first and that was cool? Anyway, is he being a shitty coworker or is he minding his own business? Not talking down to you or any of that shit?

[A well-placed shot, after all.]

Actually, he's been quite good to us, both as a friend and a client. It might in part be because us denizens of hell feel the need to stick together here, but he's seemed a bit... gentler since he came here, too. Less talon, and more... [uh...] feather.

If I may be so bold as to say it... I think he missed you, sir.

Thaaaat sure is what everyone's saying.

[Did he have any rational reason to worry about that and doubt that? No, of course not. But that didn't dissuade the persistent feelings of worry regardless. This wasn't the first time Moxxie said that Stolas seemed to like him.]

I'm sure he gets bitchy, but as long as he's not treating my family like they're his fucking servants then it's probably fine.

[Blitz's attempt at a verbal deflection was definitely far, far more inelegant than Moxxie's precision.]

[Inelegant or no, Moxxie was perfectly content to leave it at that. He set the cue stick back atop the table.]

Oh, far from it, sir. In fact, if you can believe it, most people I've met here have actually treated me well. ...except the dragons, that one time they mistook me for a leprechaun. But among the dreamers, definitely.

[Still better than being mistaken for a possum, though.]

We've even found someone who was willing to work with us. I hear you two have... er... spoken already.

Dante, right?? Cool guy!

[The enthusiasm definitely didn't match the state of the office.]

We had a little beat-down going on but we got to have a little heart-to-heart. Heard he's been doing great by you too. Actually--

[Blitz hops up from where he was sitting, zipping closer and looping an arm around Moxxie's shoulders to pull him closer. So he could talk all conspiratorial-like.]

You're not getting any like... Striker vibes, right? You had that guy pinned big time for trouble way before it happened, Dante's not the type pulling the same backstabbing shit, right?

[At first, Moxxie was almost taken aback by the acknowledgement of his insight-- but he rewarded Blitz's good faith with his usual acumen, replying with a serious look, a stern nod, and a hushed voice.]

I know it sounds strange, sir, but I think he really is just... doing this for the thrill of it. Even in the most dangerous jobs, he almost seems like a kid in an amusement park.

He's a lot of things, but he's just too earnest to be a schemer.

Okay, good!

[Phew! He was worried he was getting swept up by someone he was too compatible with again. They didn't need another situation where he let someone on board just for them to directly try to ruin his life.]

So! We're not dealing with Sinners around here, we're dealing with crazy nightmare monster shit, so we're gonna be shifting policy around from what we did in Hell to match what works here. I wanna work on getting more recon and scoping out done, I know you love that measure-twice-cut-once shit.

I do appreciate that, sir...

[It wasn't that he was at all displeased to see that Blitz was taking the adjustment this well- or this seriously, for that matter- but just the same...

Moxxie lightly cleared his throat, very pointedly adjusting the towel he was wearing. The towel from the hot springs. The hot springs they were both currently visiting.]

...but maybe we should be using this outing as a break from thinking about work?

What?

[Blitz raised a brow, and put his hands on his hips, looking confused... but the confusion lasted all too briefly before Blitz drew to his own conclusion, giving Moxxie a cheeky grin and giving his freckled cheek a pinch.]

Waaait a minute. Moxx, did you miss me? Inviting me on vacation already? Am I being invited in on the honeymoon?

[That was not even remotely what Moxxie had been hinting at, but that seemed to have flown right over Blitz's head.]

Honey--

[Okay, he was willing to oblige the small talk, the work talk, and even the usual touchy-feely and hands-on intimacy of his boss' conversational style; but if Blitz was going to start bringing up marital comparisons, that was flat-out a sign of trouble.

He pulled his way out of the pinch like a nephew from the grip of an overly-doting aunt. Alright. Time to shut this down with his usual gentle politesse.]

Sir, please...

[...which, in all practicality, really meant his usual unassertiveness. And after his last line he couldn't even say something about keeping things professional.]

...you know this isn't exactly a honeymoon, and even if it was...

Moxxie-woxxie missed me! I knew it!

[Blitz looked WAAAAY too pleased, leaning over at his ever delightful employee.]

I missed ya too, Moxx, even if it wasn't months for me. Don't you worry, I'm not goin' anywhere. We're gonna fuck shit up around here and it'll be awesome.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{ something steamy }

IIE. he was so close to getting to relax

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