{ GAME OPENING LOG }

[dreamposts]

✵ 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.

Comments

[twilightskey]

[The little display makes Roxas chuckle, nodding.]

Yeah. They're not too bad when they're not trying to attack us.

[He hums at her question, thinking it over.]

I don't know... maybe? I mean, there are ruins of a town, so...

[It's possible, for sure.]

Maybe it's a combination of whatever happened before we got here, and the pain from all this rot?

[starshower]

Well, I hope we can make it right.

[It's directed at both Roxas and the tree. And with that, Tifa gets back to work at peeling off the rest of the rotting wood that she left behind. It's really stuck on there, but... she'll get it come hell or high water! This poor tree shouldn't suffer any more than it already has.]

Whoever was here before left it in a mess, and I don't think we should do the same thing. If they stopped dreaming, then... huh... [She sighs, but when she laughs it off, there's a new, added weight to it.] I guess we'll just have to see, won't we? Wanna help me with this piece?

[twilightskey]

Yeah... something really bad must have happened to leave the world in such a state.

[Either people stopped dreaming, or... something even worse happened. But it was up to them to put things back in order.]

[Roxas nods, moving to kneel down beside her.]

Yeah, sure thing. Let me know what to do to help.

[starshower]

Hmm.

[Their hands aren't enough, unfortunately, so she's peering around for something—anything—that could help. Just a bunch of wood and sticks and rocks...]

Hey... [She addresses the tree.] Think you can lend us a few of your best, strongest branches?

[Surely it will be willing if it means getting this stinking wood off it, right? Tifa passes a smile to Roxas while she waits, and then... from its thick canopy, it lowers two of its thickest branches, one for her and one for Roxas to take.]

We might be able to use these as anchors if it's willing to let us. Stick them into the wood and pull like a lever...?

[twilightskey]

Woah...

[Roxas stares in surprise when the tree lowers two very thick, sturdy branches down for them. He blinks in surprise, before nodding, taking one of them for himself.]

I think you're right. This should work, with the two of us working together.

[He takes the stick in hand and wedges it in between some of the rotting wood.]

On three?

[starshower]

[She uses her foot to jam the plank into the wood, and when the tree shakes, she feels the need to apologize. It was a little rough.]

... On three!

[And hopefully, Roxas is better at doing something on the count of three than Cloud and Barret are... Not that it really matters here too much—these aren't Shinra security system levers they're pulling on—but she's going to pray anyway!

She can hear Barret in her head now: "Five... four... THREETWOONEGO!" and she laughs under her breath before refocusing herself.]

Alright. Three, two, one... pull!

[The wood cracks under the pressure on her own end, and as soon as they both pull, the wood starts to peel! It isn't easy, and the tree is still shaking, and she does pause to place a hand on its trunk.]

It's okay. We're getting there.

[twilightskey]

[Roxas, fortunately, is a little better at preparing for countdowns than Cloud or Barret at the very least. He nods to her, and waits for her signal before he pulls hard, grunting with the effort. Urgh, this is a sturdy piece... And when he sees the tree shake, he looks up at it.]

Yeah, it's okay. It might hurt, but it'll feel better once it's gone. Just trust us, okay?

[He then turns to Tifa.]

I think we can do it. Just one more good pull...

[starshower]

[Tifa nods, stretching and flexing her fingers a few times before wrapping them around the thick branch again. Roxas' words of reassurance seem to have calmed the tree down, but Tifa waits for it to stop shaking before beginning their countdown again.]

One more. Three, two one...!

[She pulls and pulls and she finally hears a crack from underneath when the rotten wood dislodges itself from the trunk and peels away along with the sticks.]

Just a little further... [Then, to the tree:] You're doing great!

[Aaaand CRACK!]

[twilightskey]

Hup!!

[Roxas tugs hard on that count, flexing his muscles as hard as he could as he pulled. It was stubborn, but that crack is encouraging. He pulls with her, feeling it give...]

[And then CRACK!! The wood breaks off, and Roxas lets out a little "woah!!" as he falls backwards on his rear. But he's got a big piece of rotting wood in his hand, and when he looks up he can see a fresh bit of bark underneath where the rotten wood once was.]

We did it!

[starshower]

[Tifa immediately lets go of everything when the wood breaks off and Roxas falls back, to reach a hand out to him to help him up.

Even the air around them smells a little fresher now that the rotten wood is gone, and with her other hand, she gives the tree a rap with her knuckles as it bristles against a new chill that seems to hit it. It's almost like it's naked in that particular spot.]

We did! Hopefully the bark will grow back thicker and stronger this time. No more rotting wood while we're around, you hear?

[twilightskey]

[Roxas nods his thanks to her and accepts her hand, standing back up and looking at the tree. That part of the tree does look a little naked, but at least it looks healthy. And that's the important part.]

Yeah... As long as we're around, we'll make sure that the rotting doesn't get this bad again.

[The tree seems to sway happily at that.]

[starshower]

I'd call this a job well done.

[They'll definitely make sure to take good care of them in the near and distant (if it came to that) future.]

Well, onto the next one, I guess. [Roxas is free to join her if he wishes, but Tifa pauses, a small gasp escaping her when the realization dawns on her, and she turns to both him and the tree and gives them a small wave.] I'm Tifa, by the way.

[In between all of the tree healing, she had almost forgotten!]

[twilightskey]

Yeah, I'd say so too.

[It's definitely a job well done in his mind! Roxas is willing to join Tifa to help with the rest of the trees, and he waves to the tree they were at as well. He turns to her, smiling.]

I'm Roxas. Nice to meet you.

wrapping!! 🎀

[starshower]

And you too.

[The tree waves back to the pair of them, and it's almost as if its branches are dancing as they walk away, poking at the one next to it to wake up!, because this one's gonna be another doozy. It's a good thing that they have all the time in the world!]