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

I'll be the judge of that, thank you very much.

[ He has to lift a hand to wipes his eyes, much as he hates the gesture, as if shedding tears even over spicy food is a sign of weakness. It only renews his need for revenge on the dragons. ]

Fine. If you won't help me, I'll keep the pleasure of taking care of them all to myself.

[ He rises from his seat, intent on doing just that. Maybe being dunked in a glass of ice water will give those menaces a taste of their own medicine. ]

[He hasn't seen the dragons physically torch someone with their fire or anything like that, so it's at least somewhat likely that he won't get in the crossfire just by sitting here, right? They are rather tiny for dragons, so that's a good sign, but also, they are in a dream world where anything could happen.

He did get caught in a crossfire with a tapir when he first arrived, so.]

What are you planning on telling them? It seems like a poor idea angering dragons, even if they are rather small.

[He'll just look up at Akechi with large, concerned eyes.]

[ He seems rather worried, doesn't he? Then again, anyone with a sense of self-preservation would be, when dragons are involved. Akechi has that sense of self-preservation, too, but he's also confident in his own ability to protect himself should things go...south.

Maybe this fellow doesn't have that luxury, but that isn't his problem. ]

Oh, I don't know that a lot of talking will be involved, but I have other ways of making my point.

[ That's...not vague and threatening at all. ]

[Hans ponders the value of arguing with this guy or just letting him do what he wants. There's pros and cons to both, maybe it would be interesting to see what these little dragons are capable of if they are threatened by someone. Good information to know for later, possibly. Better be this guy than him.

But also, who knows what sort of chaos might happen from a dragon feeling threatened. Hans actually wants to enjoy this party.]

I feel that instigating a fight with a dragon, especially in a crowded banquet hall, would not be safe for anyone.

Do I seem concerned with what would be safe for everyone?

[ Because in case he hasn't made it clear enough, he's really only worried about himself here. Still, he's not really in the habit of causing a scene unnecessarily. He wants revenge, but it needn't been some spectacle

He takes yet another sip of milk. ]

But if you insist. I'll just wait for one to come nearby than the other way around. Surely that wouldn't be too much?

...

[That's some brutal honesty. Hans is almost impressed; it's been a while since he's spoken with someone that has such little regard for others. Usually, people wait a little longer to say something like that, but nope. He lets his few seconds of silence fade slowly into a practiced frown, like he's trying to overcome the shock of hearing someone say something so blunt.]

That sounds to be a fair compromise. Thank you for listening, so the least I can do is stay by your side now until your grievance with the dragons is finished.

[Guess he'll risk his hide again after all.]

[ Well, if he's going to insist, Akechi won't stop him, especially when he's made it clear he understands there could be risks involved. He isn't too concerned that the dragons will actually be able to cause them any real harm, but still.

So without another word, he simply waits, taking a few more sips of his milk until one of the dragons dares to fly near. It must be a different one than seasoned his food last time, because it doesn't seem wary at all when it approaches - and therefore is off its guard when Akechi snaps out a hand to catch it by the tail. ]

There. Now, what would be the best way to proceed? Dumping some salt down its throat to return the favor, perhaps?

[ That would sure be satisfying! ]

[Sure, why not, just grab the dragon's tail and threaten to dump salt into its mouth. Hans is somewhat surprised that it hasn't already attacked, but maybe that's a good sign. He still briefly wonders if he would able to construct a shield or something if the dragon decides to change its mind, but as promised, he continues to sit next to Akechi.]

If you're trying to harm a dragon, I doubt salt would do much to harm it. Maybe share your glass of milk with it. Or water.

[If he's going to be caught up in this, he might as well give his actual thoughts on how to harm this creature. And hey, maybe blunt asshole here would be an interesting person to form an alliance here, he's more interesting than the dragon for sure.]

[ Well, now, that's not a bad suggestion, though it's one that gives Akechi pause, given his initial impression of the other man. The salt would have offered some cruel irony, but dousing a fire-breathing creature with water or milk would absolutely be more cruel. Either he's all in on his attempts to be helpful, misguided or not, or there's more here than meets the eye.

Either way, he's interested as well.

The dragon still squirms, and while he doesn't breathe any fire yet, he does attempt to scrabble at Akechi's knuckles with his claws, causing Akechi to hold it far away from himself. ]

A remarkable idea. I've grown tired of the milk myself, but there's still plenty here for our little dragon friend...

[ He fills the glass full again, the expression he wears making it difficult to tell if he is bluffing or not. ]

Well, what do you think? Should I go ahead return on him what he did to me, or should I let him go, out of the goodness of my heart?

[His eyes move from the squirming dragon to the glass that Akechi is refilling, fully expecting for the young man to immediately dump the milk into the dragon's mouth. After all, during this entire time, he's been itchy for a little personal vengeance.

As such, he's a little surprised when Akechi prolongs his revenge, instead asking him a question that seems almost pointless to him at a time like this. Hm. Well then.]

...Are you truly asking me? Or just wanting to see how I react? [Maybe he's already letting some of his true colors show too soon, but Hans figures it's not too big of a deal right now. Besides, a little cruelty goes a long way. The prince tilts his head, a small smile crossing his face as he watches him.]

I just don't believe anything should be done in half-measures.

[ A good question, and a good answer. Spoken like someone who knows their way around the truth with a few choice words, though perhaps it's too soon to assume as much about the other man. Wouldn't that make things far more interesting, though? He can't help but hope that is the case. This world already has enough big damn heroes. ]

I quite agree.

[ So with that, he dunks the little dragon right into the glass of milk, before closing his hands over it, preventing its escape. It thrashes and claws against the glass, but Akechi pays it no mind, instead smiling warmly at his companion. ]

There, that ought to do the trick. I wonder how long dragons can swim for...

[ Well. Only one way to find out. ]

[Incredibly cruel. One could describe what he's doing as torture and yet, he's sitting next to him with a friendly smile, as if they were discussing something simple. The lack of care of how others perceive him must be nice, but Hans isn't fully willing to join that just yet.

Although, he doesn't do much to stop him, only sporting a look that's slightly disapproving.]

One might describe your actions as overdoing it. Potential drowning in exchange for overly spiced food? That's truly harsh.

On the contrary, I find it a necessary warning to send a message to the Fae of this world that I am not someone to be trifled with.

[ That said, he doesn't intend to actually drown the thing...just make it suffer a bit, so after a moment more, Akechi removes his hand. The dragon, sputtering in the milk, flaps away at the first moment it can, little droplets shaking out from its wings and it makes its escape.

They won't be back, he's sure of that. ]

Mark my words. There must be someone pulling the strings here, and I do not intend to comply quietly with their whims. Could you say the same for yourself?

[He watches as the dragon flies away and maybe if he was a better person, he'd feel bad for it. Luckily, he's not, only watching the creature a few seconds longer to make sure it's not coming back to exact its revenge. The dragon simply flying away is probably the best outcome he could've hoped for. Once feeling assured, Hans returns his attention to the violent fellow next to him, listening to his reasoning behind this.

He closes his eyes for a moment, as if truly considering his words.]

I believe there to be a difference between simply complying with them and provoking their creatures here. It's far harder to build your foundation when you're actively painting a mark on it.

[ An interesting perspective, and one he might have agreed with, once upon a time. But Akechi has long since learned that playing the long game doesn't always ensure success, and that rather than waiting for the pieces to fall into place, he preferred to take matters into his own hands fully. ]

And lull them into a false sense of security, perhaps? Convince them you'll be cooperative and compliant?

[ Like he'd been with Shido, but it was him who was played the fool in the end. No, he won't make that mistake again. ]

Or would you be giving them ample time to understand how best to disarm you? No, I'd rather paint the targets, then allow them to paint one on me.

[He's right on the nose there. Hans doesn't affirm or deny his comments, but judging by the pleasant smile on him, it's probably easy to tell. He knows that his reactions have been partially inconsistent, but he wants to see how much he can push without either boring him or going too overboard.

It's a mixture of his admittedly terrible personality and the façade he keeps up for most people he speaks with.]

If you're always lying to them, you won't give them a chance to understand you. [Or pretend that you aren't bothered by something when you really are. He thinks he's been good about hiding any family issues he has from others.]

[ That's a strategy he knows only too well, and it still holds a certain appeal. It would have been only too easy to slip behind that guise again, and show others only what he wanted them to see, but to act like that again...

The thought sickens him. ]

Or so you'd like to believe, until you learn that they've understood your motives from the very beginning.

[ That's spoken a bit quieter, expression darkening, before his laces his fingers together in front of him. ]

I don't find that particular risk worth it, but I do understand where you're coming from.

[There's hardly a point to pretend that he's fully innocent now, especially when he just basically admitted that he lies to people all the time. Maybe not outright lies, but behavioral lies nonetheless. Besides, he's curious, because it really seems like he's been in a similar situation as him before-- at least, where he pretended to be something else, but everything backfired on him in the end.]

...

So, you've been found out before? And then what happened, everyone turned on you?

[ He's sharp, Akechi will give him that, even if he is likewise not keeping any secrets about the kind of person he is, past or present. Still, that doesn't mean he necessarily wants to get into personal details. He still has his pride. ]

They had turned on me before it even began.

[ Shido would have used him and thrown him away regardless of whether or not Akechi had been sincerely supporting him. That was the worst part about it. His plan, as he had conceived it, never really had a chance of succeeding, because it hung on one very important but false assumption: that Shido would always need him. ]

So you can see why I might be reluctant to follow your advice, reasonable though it may be.

[ If you're a sociopath, anyway. ]

[To what little credit Hans has, he doesn't dig for more information. The specifics aren't too important, just that the outcome was unfavorable for him in the end. He's already mentioned that he was figured out by others before he could do the betraying, so it's just a reminder that he always needs to keep his charade going until the bitter end... and pick easy people to fool.]

There's something to be said about someone that never hides themselves. Perhaps you would ever consider it freeing. Or the behavior of someone that doesn't have much to lose.

Maybe it's both.

[ It certainly is for him. Though he still remains shackled by his past, the reality that he no longer hides his bitterness is refreshing. It might be a little sad, but it's who he is, and what anyone else makes of that doesn't matter to him. ]

I think it's fair to say this was an enlightening discussion, wouldn't you? Goro Akechi, by the way.

[ He offers a bow of his head in introduction. May as well let this man know his name after everything else he's already learned about him. ]

I would heartedly agree with that, Akechi. I would even go far and say this conversation has been more engaging than most I've had.

[Look it's not very often where he meets someone that is either as bad as him or worse. He can appreciate it. As such, even though Hans is still seated, the prince places a gloved fist against his chest, and gives a small bow of his head in return.]

I'm Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. But I find such titles unimportant here, so call me Hans.

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