songerein | { GAME OPENING LOG }

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{ 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

[The brief startle that comes to his face at the flying, flopping fish merely settles into further annoyance after he sees the thing land again.]

I really prefer... to live in a world that makes sense.

[Sometimes the rules change. He's had to accept that. But this is just absurd.]

[If there's anything that Tifa learned from her short trip of world-hopping and now dream-hopping, it's that the only world that makes sense to anyone is their own. No matter how hard she tries to understand the others, it will always sound so much more absurd than a giant conglomerate sucking up and draining the life force from the Planet.

Which is why she can sympathize with Ferran's sentiments, and laughs, although a bit awkwardly, when he voices it.]

I think we can all agree there...

[But ah! The fish...!]

Could you—?

[Tifa motions to his feet where the fish is trying to squirm and leap up under the hem of his pants......]

[Listen, even that would make sense to him! But no, he keeps getting caught up in magical dream worlds where nothing can be explained by logic...

When he feels the slippery creature starting to flop onto his poorly-fitting shoe, though, all of his thoughts are cut off and replaced with revulsion.]

Gwuh—

[Whatever Tifa might have wanted him to do with the fish is entirely out of his mind as he kicks the thing as far away from him as his instinctive reaction allows... back into the ponds if he's lucky, but he rarely is.]

[Sorry, Ferran. Luck isn't on your side today, nor is it on Tifa's... so at least neither of them are alone in this? Hardly a win, but it's better than nothing...

What isn't a win though is that the fish doesn't land in the pool at all, but when he flings his foot and sends the gummy fish flying through the air, it's in the direction of the fondue fountain where there are others playing with chickens, where it makes a sad plop into the cheese.]

No—!

[And now there are people digging into it...

Meanwhile, the small tiger attendant near the pond plods up to the two of them and growls.]

"You are to go fetch the fish and bring it back."

[His eyes follow the fish as it goes, landing in the food. Cheesy gummies... unfortunate. Will it melt in there, he wonders?

He's about to mumble something resembling an apology when the creature attending the attraction approaches, and its demand cuts off that line of thought. Something in Ferran snaps at the prospect of being forced to take part in this mess, and he takes a menacing step forward to loom over the tiger, scowling with his fists clenched. He growls right back:]

Or else what.

[welp.]

[The tiger, while small, is quite quick. So quick that he's just a flash of orange and black when he whizzes in front of Tifa's line of sight. With its teeth and claws bared, it leaps at their heads, its mouth preparing to chomp down on him while its claws are ready to catch onto Tifa's hair. She isn't fast enough to stop it, so it its paw dangles there, tangling and messing up her neat ponytail, while it tries to grapple onto the top of Ferran's head with its mouth.]

Stop it!

[As on edge as he is (and refreshed by the food and a bit of rest), Ferran is at least quick enough to take a step back, away from the tiger's biting mouth. Unfortunately, Tifa was not quite so lucky, a fact which quickly sours him on the creature even further.

If it wasn't latched onto the poor girl's hair and moving erratically, he'd have half a mind to summon his weapon. Instead, he tries to merely grab the creature with his hands. If he can only get a hold of this horrible thing...]

Get off of her!

[The tiger is still trying its best to latch onto Ferran's head somehow, even if he has leapt back, but ends up clambering on Tifa's hair, digging its claws further into her thick, long locks that (thankfully) are enough that the tiger doesn't snag any skin.]

We'll get the fish! So just get off.

[It roars at Ferran when he tries to grab it, and scurries so that it can hide beneath her ponytail instead.]

[Fine, so the direct method won't work, and he's not going to risk Tifa getting in the middle of the quarrel even more than she already is. He'll just have to take another step back again, even if his fists are clenched and he's... pretty clearly not just going to agree to the demand. If the tiger wants to bite him it'll have to come and get him!!]

Attacking someone won't make them just agree to do whatever the hell you want.

[At least it's stopped biting and scratching her as well as attacking Ferran, but its claws digging into her bare shoulders doesn't feel much better. It does hiss back, however, and that's about as far as Tifa's going to let this go.]

Enough! Both of you.

[Never, in a million years, did she think she'd have to break up a boy and a tiger before their disagreement turned into a catfight. Literally.]

I said we would get the fish... [She pauses to look at Ferran pointedly, but with a sheepish "please" in her eyes. Then, to the tiger, she snaps:] So you, get off. There are other people who are waiting in line.

[Ferran remains silent, scowling but not arguing. He's not about to sabotage Tifa's attempts to get the thing off her, but he's not going to outright promise something he has no intentions of doing. He straightens up, fists still at his sides.

Maybe it'll listen to her, if they're lucky, and they'll be left alone.]

You heard her.

[She can hear the small cat growling near her ear, but with one last, silent glare at Ferran, it leaps off, somehow managing not to snag any of her hair on its way down. It probably helps that there are people waiting in line growing impatient about having to wait for this argument to end...

But it doesn't go without one last hiss at them both, its hair standing on end and looking like a kitten trying and failing to look like a ferocious predator.

Tifa lets out a sigh.]

Well, now that that's over...

[A smile punctures her tired expression, sheepish and crooked.]

You really don't need to help me get that fish. It was my fault that it got away in the first place. Thanks... for having my back, though.

[Ferran shakes his head, still shooting the retreating animal a nasty look for a few more moments, even as he replies:]

It's not your fault either.

[How was she supposed to predict how the stupid magical fish was going to move, or that the creature "in charge" was going to be so aggravating about it? Ferran's not accepting any blame for the matter, either, though.]

Someone has to stand up to them... They don't get to boss us around just because they were here first.

Yeah...

[It was a little much, but she's just glad it's over.]

Well, if the fish is so magical, maybe it'll find its way back eventually. Or to the rivers, if it's headed in that direction.

[The image of a fish violently flopping around until it plops into the river is kind of funny...? But she also feels a little bad about leaving it, so... she might go find it on her own later, at least to make sure it made it back into some body of water, whether it's this one or a different one.

How far can a fish hop in half an hour anyway?

She's been lost in thought for a short stretch, and finally snaps out of it.]

A-Anyway, I think I might grab a bite to eat before going to look. How do you feel about some food?

[Ferran hums his agreement, putting his hands on his hips as he turns his attention briefly towards the fondue fountain, where the thing is making a mess.]

I'm sure it can flop in that direction well enough.

[He turns back to her, though, when she changes the subject. Although he's already eaten, he wouldn't mind seconds or dessert after the hell of a day he's had.]

... yeah, I could use a snack, I guess. [And maybe he wants to make sure Tifa doesn't get accosted by that thing again...]

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{ GAME OPENING LOG }

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