songerein | { GAME OPENING LOG }

Entry tags:

{ GAME OPENING LOG }

✵ GAME OPENING LOG ✵
Normally our TDMs serve as intro logs, but we have prepared a special character intro log for game opening! It is a massive, chaotic feast that can only be found in a dreamworld like Songerein. You can also use this to continue ongoing TDM threads, especially as it nears captcha. Reminder that any thread from the TDM can be carried over. Players are also welcome to make their own logs for things if they would rather skip this part. Be sure to read the Mod Announcement for other information and you can ask any questions regarding the log here.

I. THE FEAST

As the sleepy looking sun begins to set, the small little tapir fairies will buzz around to find all the new inhabitants and usher them to the plaza. There everyone will find several tables of various lengths, sizes, and shapes. Yes, that is a star shaped table along with a moon one. A special feast has been made just for them to welcome and celebrate their arrival. Some may even recognize decorations: leaves mottled and changing to an assortment of colors, festive streamers, popcorn strings, glittering garlands and bows, string lanterns, and maybe a few small gravestones here and there. Some areas might look a bit brown and withered while some of the trees take on a more cherry blossom look. It's a bit of a strange mashup, and yet the chaos seems to have a sense of harmony as well—especially when considering everything else that the feast has to offer. This is one divine feast that is going to be completely topsy turvy.

A. What's Your Sign? Everyone will find themselves mysteriously "tagged" with a special sticker and will suddenly gain special characteristics based off the animal: ears, tails, behavioral traits. They're mostly mild and to add flavor, but they may also feel different compatibility towards another, such as more attracted or opposed. The sticker will be hard to remove, but it is possible to swap with someone if they want to try a different experience.

B. Special Bowls. There are many tables and anyone can sit wherever they want. Just don't forget to pick up the special dinner bowl already personalized with their name on it. Of course there are some extra paints and decorations that can be added to it if one desires.

C. Wild Food. Every table has the same kind of food, and there is plenty to go around. Of course, that's only if the food can be caught and if one can keep an appetite for some of them. The boar's head is a bit talkative and might settle down if someone stuffs an apple in its mouth or tells it a joke. However, it might just get several laughs by the barrel of monkeys funnel cake nearby, monkey shaped pastries hiding within it to chuck out various candies and fruits. Not even the candy is safe, at least not the stringed ones. Licorice, chocolate coated taffy, and others will start slithering around and even hiss, sometimes wrapping around the arm of those who try to eat them. Playing some music might calm these sweet serpents so they can be eaten properly. How about that special carousel cake stand with the horse cookies prancing about?

D. Spice Up Your Li—Meal. However fear not. There is normal food around so it is possible to have a proper meal. However, some helpful little dragons may fly by to add a few herbs and spices to the dishes. They are quite friendly and will listen to requests, however if one is rude or too demanding, they may just dump a bunch of a hot pepper and other unsavory seasoning instead. Make a good enough impression and they might make house calls, even follow someone home. They live to spice up food, after all.

E. Drink Tea. Although there is an assortment of beverages, the prevalent one will be tea. They are similar to the ones found in the cafe and all will help bring out festive dreams and restful sleep later for everyone. However, someone is clearly making mischief as they have slipped in some rodentia tea. Drinking it will cause the drinker to shrink to the size of a rat. The only way to return to normal is to find the elusive cat cookies, which can be strangely hard to find; they seem to vanish and reappear at random, but only the ones with wide grins and “Eat Me” written on them can be eaten.

II. FUN & GAMES

Perhaps the food isn't up to one's tastes, or they just would rather have some fun. There are a few games around the plaza that everyone is welcome to participate in and they are encouraged to play to their heart's content. Just beware of the geese as they are being a menace not only at the tables but disrupting games as well.

A. Playing Chicken. A simple game, really, one that will test one's creativity and taste buds. There is a goat cheese fondue fountain surrounded with various platters of cooked chicken: grilled, steamed, boiled, baked, fried. This fondue fountain, however, is special. The flavor of the fondue can be altered depending on the kinds of emotions near it. Joy and love make it sugary sweet, anger and jealousy spicy hot, despair and distrust salty sour. And of course everything in-between including a chaotic mix. The challenge is one person will try and alter the flavor of the fondue, lather it on a piece of chicken, and then hand it to their opponent. The chicken must then be consumed. If not, the one who "cooked" it wins. If it is consumed, then the second person can now do the same to the other. This continues until one forfeits. It should be noted that the emotions of the one eating can also affect the fondue. (It is of course possible to take either the fondue or chicken without playing this stomach churning game.)

B. Gravity of Luck. There is a special wheel lottery set on a table decorated with rabbits. In fact there are a lot of rabbits congregating here and would love a few carrots. Anyone is free to spin the wheel one time per round to determine what kind of special "gravity" effect they receive. Each time the wheel is spun, a ball will drop and the color will indicate the type. A gold ball will cause them to lose all sense of gravity, their bodies starting to float away and although they can fly and float around, they'll need help being tethered down. White balls allow them to jump higher, small mushrooms appearing at their feet so others can follow. A black ball will cause them to be stuck in place, even fall flat all the way to the ground and need help standing up. Those imbued with the power of the different balls can help balance each other out until the effect wears off in half an hour.

C. Ox Go-Kart. For those who really want some speed and action, there are ox driven carts stationed by various streets. Two people can partner up with one driving and the other serving to help try to slow the other cart down. In this race, all non-lethal, non-destructive abilities are allowed to try and disrupt the other racer. Perhaps utilizing dreamotion based abilities may fare better. Just beware of other obstacles, especially any random crying dodos that create giant pools of tears as water hazards.

D. Tiger Fishing. There are special colorful ponds filled with sparkly gummy koi fish. At each one there is a little round tiger(?) with a pair of tiger mittens. In the same vein of fish scooping games, players must wear the tiger mittens and catch the gummy fish with them. It won't be easy as the gummy fish are even more slippery than normal. Perhaps some other skills could be used...but the little tiger will be watching and will latch onto anyone's heads who try to cheat. But if caught, they will make for a delectable treat—or interesting pet.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah. I drank a little and suddenly everything became big.

[She hadn't been expecting something like Alice in Wonderland again, or that mesh of Beauty and the Beast and Nutcracker so soon, but maybe she should've? Oh well.]

[She nods her head.]

Yes please. I think I'll be okay after that.

[She has no idea how to fix herself, but she might be able to figure something out. Either way, she didn't want to bother him for too long. So when he offers his saucer, she politely thank him and climb onto it.]

[Alice in Wonderland indeed! For his part, as she climbs onto the saucer, he's gentle enough in bringing her up to the table she shouldn't be that rattled. And as he looks around...]

Say, I remember something. There's a story where something like this happened. A girl named Alice drank a "Drink Me" potion, and became small to get through some door that led to a garden she reeeeeally wanted to get to. Right? But the door was locked anyway. It was only this little glass box that appeared with an "Eat Me" cake that corrected it.

[Well. If you can call growing large enough to get a concussion anything close to a correction. A hand absently finds its way to his hair, twisting ashy strands around his fingers.]

Lewis Carroll, if I remember right. The pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. A controversial figure and certainly not the most unproblematic person to lift a concept from... but I guess it's a start.

[Sorry, Rosalia. He's curious now. You might have wanted to do this solo, but...]

It's not like I've got anything else to do. We're box-hunting!

Oh, you know the story, too!

[The Queen wasn't exactly nice, but overall, it was confusing, but interesting!]

[But the fact he remembers who the author is too, wow! There's been a few retellings at the Index, and she thinks even Alice was there... she never met her personally though. Though, what did he mean by the Lewis Carroll being controversial?]

Is it okay? I wouldn't want to interrupt you if you want to find something else to do.

Of course. It's quite famous, even in Japan.

[A smile follows that. Confusing? Yes. Apparently, the author wrote it while out of his mind on a cocktail of opiates, as was the most fashionable way to create at the time... so that explains that one. But. Honestly, probably for the best she doesn't voice her confusion with regard to Carroll's... more awful interests.

Because he'd sure tell her, and the subject's pretty dark.]

Please. It's hardly me going out of my way if I get something too, right?

That's neat! I never knew that.

[But to be fair, she still doesn't know a lot of stuff about her own world. Never did and probably never will, but that's okay. Awkwardly shuffling on her feet, she nods.]

That's true. Thank you for helping me still then... I'll have to make it up to you later.

Hm. Well, now you do.

[That out of the way, he takes a look around the little area of which they'd all been pulled. There's a lot to process, honestly. Some baguettes are flying around in a jet formation, fish-shaped pastries are flopping around tables, quite literally, like fishes out of water- varying jellies are responding with high-pitched screams whenever anyone even looks like they're going to introduce a spoon to them. All-in-all, it's pretty chaotic. But there appears to be no sign of anything remotely looking like what they're after.]

Hm. If I remember the book correctly, the glass box with the cake inside had a tendency to come and go. So, I guess you're going to have to do some asking around.

[Emphasis on the 'you're'.]

No-one's going to know better than the food, right? So, I want you to work them into ratting the cake out.

Hehe, you'll have to tell me some things you like.

[Staying low on the plate as he looks around, she's trying to look around herself. Unfortunately, even if she's off the ground, the vantage point she still has isn't the best. Looking from the baguettes to the fish-shaped pastries, she tries to spot a box, but there's nothing like that nearby.]

Okay!

[She doesn't mind asking, but she might need help going to ask.]

The boar's head might know. And if they don't, maybe I can still talk to the snakes.

Now that's a question.

[There's a lot of things he likes! None of which more, right now, than being awake. But that's something beyond her. It's beyond anyone he's met here, so for now he's happy to deflect. Besides...]

We'll save all that until we're through this. After all, we don't know if any of this'll work. [He lowers his hand to the table.] So! Get on. We'll see if the pig's a snitch.

[A smile! Should Rosalia do so, she'll find herself carried to where a very cooked, very delicious-smelling pig head is positioned. Unfortunately, someone seems to have found the decapitated swine either offensive or obnoxious, as there's an apple in its mouth. ....Something which is promptly removed.

Instantly, it erupts into a very one-sided conversation.]

Hey, thanks for that, miss! And little miss! Ha, looks like I've really lucked out getting to meet two pretty gals like you! Especially you, little one! Heh, Looks like you had some tea, eh? Well, it's not that bad! Could be worse, you could've lost your head like me! Or have I lost my body? WHO KNOWS??? I'm pretty uh, LIGHTheaded, get it?!

[There's... quite a lot to laugh at there. The joke the pig bestows on them not exactly one of those things. But for the rest of it, a small, quiet, almost delicate laugh leaves Joshua.]

...How charming.

Okay, until later then! [She will keep it in mind. Stepping onto his hand, she holds onto a finger and it's off to the boar's head they go. Though the cooked boar smells great, with his ability to talk, she hadn't been interested in having any. It made her feel bad.]

Hehe, I get it. I don't think the Queen of Hearts is here so I think we're safe. Though, Mr. Boar, have you seen a box of cookies that maybe likes to move around? We're trying to find them.

[Rosalia's having fun, but they do have to figure out if he's seen the cookies.]

[The question seems to perplex the pig, or at least shut it up for a fraction of a second. It snorts, then snuffles, then chews some remnant of apple that must have got stuck in its teeth contemplatively.]

Queen? I don't know what kind of pig you think I am, little miss! I ain't ever met any queens in my time. Nothing wrong with being plain! Let me tell you, plain's good! Salt of the earth, that's me! Though now I guess I'm more...

[Joshua moves his hand to his chin. Honestly, when the thing had started speaking again, he'd moved his focus elsewhere. But, he's noticing a pattern...]

SALTED! Gwahaha, I crack myself up! OR... CRACKLING... MYSELF... UP! BWAHAHAHA! You get it, right?? Crackling?? Like... cooked pigskin?? If I wasn't gonna get eaten tonight, I'd start up a career as a stand-up comedian! Though I guess...

[Time for an interjection.]

I'd advise against it. It's not like you can stand.

[The pig then erupts into loud guffaws and squeaking inhales once more. Finally, a good few minutes later...]

I like you two! Beauty and humour, the two best traits any lady can have! Tonight's my lucky night indeed! Alright, here's the deal. Only cookies I know of are the horsies. Real flighty fellows, those! But maybe. Maybe... I've seen someone that's definately baked to perfection about and around that ain't no horsie. If anything, that's going to help you on your way. I have a condition! You, little miss, have to make me laugh. It's got to be a side-splitter!

[Some of the boar's jokes she likes, but she's also noticing that he's... uhm, making the best of his situation? It's kind of sad, or maybe she didn't have to feel bad for him? She's not entirely sure.]

[But it does sound like might know what they're looking for. She remembers seeing the horse cookies, but what's this about someone else baked to perfection?]

... Huh? You can still split your sides?

[Rosalia might've been thinking about a cookie-shaped person and missed that last part. She caught the 'I' and then 'side-splitter', but what was he requesting? She didn't mean to be rude and now she's a little unsure about asking.]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[Whether or not Rosalia's comment was an accidental or deliberate pun, the pig seems to like it best of all. There's a few actual minutes of loud laughter- loud enough to cause a few other people to look their way, followed by squeaking, frantic inhales- and then more laughter. When the creature's finally calmed down-]

So! Our end of your little bargain complete, we'll take that info now. The other cookie?

[The pig is still chuckling. It's eyes are swimming, with steaming, liquid fat pouring down the sides of its face. Honestly, in Joshua's opinion, none of the puns have been real zingers. But humour's subjective... and maybe the pig had a special weakness to the wide-eyed, innocent way Rosalia had asked a legitimate question.]

All right, all right... Heh... heeee hee... Okay, so every third time... wheeeeeze... the carousel goes around... I see an imposter. At a different position on the carousel every time! Y-you'll know, Haha... it when you see... Uweeheee... it...

....

GAHAHAHAHA! SHE SAID.... SPLIT.... MY.... SIDES!!

AAAAAAHAHAHA!

[Oh, the pig's off again. Joshua can't help but cover his mouth with his hand, his eyes amused as he looks down to Rosalia.]

Sounds like a possibility. Shall we?

[Her eyes widen briefly when the boar bursts out laughing. She... did something right? She guesses? Unless he's laughing at her, but hey, she got him to laugh. Still, she'll shuffles a little closer to the finger she's holding onto, embarrassed.]

[But after spilling greasy tears and cutting off its laughter at Joshua's question, at least he's willing to fulfill his end of the bargain. Every third turn of the carousel, there's an imposter among the horses? That often and no one had noticed? Then again, people weren't really paying much mind to the food after they got their fill.]

[Looking up at Joshua, she gives a determined nod.]

Let's go have a look.

[The carousel cake is not a small cake. It's there with the intention of being able to give a piece to everyone after all. And just as there's plenty of cake, there's plenty of prancing cookie delights going around as the top spins itself. There's no idea to know which turn the carousel was currently on unless they started following one horse. Or maybe no need as one horse springs off.]

"Well howdy folks! Y'all here for small sugar delights, or perhaps yer interestin' in gettin' a slice o' cake?"

You've got it.

[He can believe it. Humans are simple like that, he believes- yet it's more most living things actually. It's an evolutionary plus to save on processing power by focusing on what immediately concerns you and omit everything that doesn't, a little memento from way back when skipping out for lunch had a very real probability someone could become lunch themselves... and now, in the days of the most immediate danger regarding hunting and gathering being forced to pay extortionate prices at coffee shops, that kind of thinking was kind of moot.

...Like appendixes.
But that's hardly the point. As they make their way over, the cake earns a low whistle. ]

Wow. Someone put heart and soul in this one, wouldn't you say?

[His hand unfurls, allowing Rosalia full vision of the garishly coloured mound of rotating sugar before them. And they're greeted! He can't help but note this adorable little horse-shaped cookie seems to be wearing a cowboy hat, a little sheriff star, and oddly, has a little set of icing boots with icing spurs.

He's about to ask. Especially about the spurs- but the horse and his drawl get the advantage of him. Allowing Rosalia access to the table, he withdraws his hands- one moving to the inside of the pocket. The other twists in his hair.]

Pass, thanks. But we heard you're harboring a wanted confection. ....Or that you've been infiltrated. [One of those things, anyway.] Seen anything suspicious recently?

They did. It's really impressive!

[She wouldn't mind learning to make something like this. Just for the sole fact it must be amazing for people to see and they would enjoy both looking at it and then eating it.]

[Stepping down from Joshua's hand, she smiles when the horse talks to them. It's so cute! And all of them have outfits relating to it like some of those old picture books at the orphanage, missing pages aside. The sheriff horse looks pleased as punch to have people by the table; despite Joshua's question making him snort.]

"Ah! Yer talkin' 'bout a right dang ol' varmint of confounding confection there, son. They're s'pose to be hol' up in our cell."

[Pointing a booted hoof back as the carousel comes around mid-saloon complete with bandit horses holding cards and another playing piano by a bar and its bartender, the scene rolls around to what would the jail. Fit into the decorations behind iced jail bars does look like a box they could be looking for, but it's empty.]

"No idea how they'd even escaped. No slices around or above, and I can't check below without leavin' folks unprotected."

Someone let them out on purpose?

[Oh no, that was probably part of the tea prank too.]

[The plot thickens! He can't help but take a small step closer to the table as the scene rolls around (as well as let out a small sound of amusement at the sheriff horse cowboy-walking backward to maintain line of sight with the both of them as he explains.)

To Rosalia:]

You're just sharp as a tack. It's got to be an inside job. Unless... [Well, there was the book's depiction- that the eat me cake happened to just disappear and reappear as it wanted. But perhaps it shouldn't be taken too literally. Because in this case, they're clearly looking for a biscuit.

To the sheriff:]

Can you describe your fugitive? If we're to look for them in your place, we'll need a description.

[Oh gosh, praise. Don't mind her being a little embarrassed it's coming from someone she only met.]

[With his question though, the sheriff raises a boot to his hat and tips it down.]

"Sorry pardners. I'd tell you what they'd done look like, but I was on the other side of this here cake settlin' a cattle dispute. Was my own pardner that informed me once he found the box empty."

Oh... now how will we find them?

"Don't fret now, lil' lady. I might've not seen 'em, but someone on this cake musta. I'd try startin' at either the folks in the saloon or in the store."

[A frown follows that, A cattle dispute? There aren't any cows-

-Wait.
Okay. Some of the horse biscuits have been iced to look like cows. That's... novel. An ugly look- faint annoyance- shows briefly in his eyes, and his fingers tap, idly, against his back pocket. His phone. Hanekoma's camera upgrade. That'd be wonderful in this situation...

But he's already learned it's broken.
Thanks for that, Mr. H.

Another twist, with his other hand, at a curl. And he exhales, releasing it and raising his arms in a shrug.]

Well, looks like we've got our work cut out for us. Let's get to questioning the citizens.

[There cannot be a Western-themed cake without cows apparently, Joshua. Even if they're shaped like horses, don't ask questions.]

Thank you for your help, Sheriff.

[She was able to read the tiny badge at her size.]

"No thanks needed, lil' lady. Sorry I can't do more, but if you two find those crafty cats while lookin' fer yer varmint, I'll see 'em locked up again. Shucks, I reckon yer not the only one lookin' for 'em."

Maybe not. It was the tea...

[And since everyone could have some, they're pretty lucky not everyone drank it. With a nod, the sheriff hops back onto the cake himself for the next go around while Rosalia looked up at Joshua.]

Which citizen do you think we should start on?

[The sheriff did make recommendations, but they didn't have to heed it.]

[Something the sheriff says sticks out to him. The wording... a particular phrase, crafty cats, makes him suddenly thoughtful, marked by a faint wandering of his eyes across the room. Funny. Referring to others as cats is a jazz reference. First observed in 1936... and distinctly non-cowboy.

And he said he couldn't provide a description.

Yet he says nothing. When the sheriff has jumped back on the cake and is cowboy strutting to his little iced jail and Rosalia asks, he finally looks up. He taps, vaguely, on his chin before taking a breath, and...

His countenance changes. Instantly. With a smile:]

I suppose the saloon's probably our best bet. Especially if the folks in there have been drinking a while. Loose lips and all that.

[A pause.]

The only problem is that I'm too big to get in. So, I guess it's on you.

[His hand moves to the table in order to provide transport to the cake. Because honestly, the jump that horse did to it was a lot, and something he doubts she can replicate. Scrambling up the cake instead is going to ruin her clothes.

Should Rosalia accept, she'll find herself lifted up to the tier depicting a series of terraced buildings- the roughsawn wood of which faithfully recreated with chocolate-covered thin sticks of biscuit- and placed on the street. It's a small walk to the saloon in question... and charmingly, every horse citizen making their own rounds greets Rosalia as she goes with tips of their little cowboy hats or curtesies as appropriate.

Before she goes in:]

Take care, now.

Edited 2021-09-11 11:22 (UTC)

'Loose lips'?

[Sorry, Joshua, she doesn't know what that means. Still, she understands what he's asking. She'll go to the saloon because she fits while he... hm? Getting on his hand, she'll accept his help up.]

Maybe you could talk to the horses in the store while I'm talking to everyone in the saloon.

[And spinning around to the other side; they'd at least be getting more information that way, right? Walking onto the cake, she will head in with - well, trying to be confident, but everyone seems friendly. So she'll greet them back.]

I'll do my best!

[She can do this, she can do this...! Everyone's friendly, just think they'll be like or close to the sheriff's temperament. And if not, try talking to the calmer ones.]

[They sink ships, Rosalia. Still. Explaining that particular idiom isn't something he cares to do right now- and he shrugs his shoulders lightly.]

I suppose I could wait outside it and question anyone that comes out.

[Again, he's not exactly small enough to enter directly, so that'll have to do. Before he does, though...]

I'm serious though. Watch yourself- it's not like the Wild West got the name out of nothing. If you get trouble, get out of there.

[And off he goes!

As Rosalia enters the saloon, she should find it... well, not exactly a hive of activity. There's a gnarled, grizzled-looking horse cookie with a curled grey moustache dusting some glasses (miniature marshmallows?) behind a long counter, a floor made filthy with flaked chocolate to resemble dirt, and another older-looking horse cookie tapping out a few pathetic little notes on an aged-looking grand piano.

And of course, in old west tradition, both of their eyes move to her. The barhorse spits into a bucket, and the pianist horse pauses, before tapping a few more notes out.]

[People would've had to talk to her in order for her to learn idioms like that.]

That should work. Try not to scare them.

[Not that she thinks he's scary, but he's the one still at normal size.]

Uh... okay. I'll do my best.

[Maybe the Index has prepared her for this? Maybe not. Either way, she's going in. It seems quiet in here aside from the piano, and she tilts her head at the horse cookie polishing some glasses. Maybe if she offered to help he might tell her something? There are other eyes on her, but she looks over at the piano. Glancing back at the bar, considering the bar patron, she soon drifts over to the piano to watch the horse there play.]

[She wonders what the song is.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{ GAME OPENING LOG }

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject