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.

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Shit...

[That's so... passionate. How can he-]

Does she know, or are ya feelin' like a damn hotshot 'cause you're here and she's outta earshot?

[He grins over to his new friend.]

Trust me, she knows. I couldn't just dig myself out of a hellhole and not let her know somehow.

[That was a bit to unpack. But the dude sounded confident, without being too cocky about it. Means he wasn't bullshitting, at least.]

...Ya make it sound easy, though... everybody does.

... So, what's holding you back?

[Zidane's back to slightly being in Kanji's personal space.]

...I-I dunno...

[He looked ahead and slouched, completely unaware of the sucker punch. From between the blades of soft grass underfoot, a few violets had slowly begun to sprout and bloom.]

I'm a coward, I guess. Y'know when they say, "The worst thing they can do is say 'no'?" Total bullshit.

Oh believe me, that's not the worst thing. I mean, hearing 'no' is pretty nice; besides, it's the worst to moan and groan over something you haven't done like being honest to them. Also, don't drink while you're moping, it makes it worse.

Also, they could say 'ew!' and 'never in a million years!', or laugh in your face.

[None of which he heard personality, but Cinna's game ain't strong. Worst had to be - bleh - Lowell fangirls.]

That shit! I've had all that said to me before. I mean... I-I don't think she'd say somethin' like that to me, but...

[He ruffled his hair irritably.]

If it fucks up our friendship or makes it awkward somehow...! Sh-she don't NEED to choose me or nothin', but there's a chance I'll make it weird.

Aha! So I was right about the crush!

[Look, they still had to clear that up.]

Hey, you don't really know if it will. If anything does make your friendship weird, it's not saying anything. You're probably acting odd around them right now, and that could confuse them - hell, it might even hurt their feelings since you are different around them only. If you guys are friends, you should be able to be honest with them.

[Zidane got a frown and a growl for that. Look, he got what he wanted, okay? Jeez... but... he was right, though. He had a good point. Naoto asked him all the time why he was being so weird, but thought he was sick or something.

Being honest... wasn't that what they'd been fighting to do that year?]

Y-yeah, I guess... I jus' clam up when it comes down to it, or everybody starts talkin' shit. Like OOOOoooooohhhh, Kanji wanted to study with you, how cUUuuuuUUUuuute...!

[He will never, ever imitate Rise again.]

You should try turning that around. Like 'yeah, I wanna study with them since they're obviously the best'.

[Of course, Zidane's not sure what kind of studying Kanji's referring to; he just knows it's not that. Also, what the hell was that voice?]

Make it a compliment to them and a jab back at the person teasing you.

Huh... s'it that easy, though? I ain't much for snappy replies. I usually just tell 'em to shut the hell up.

[Not quite clever, but it seemed to work. Mostly.]

But I guess I could try. I mean, I'm learnin' a lot during the study sessions... my grades've been goin' up. She really is the best.

It'll take them by surprise then when you have a different comeback.

[They'd then have to think about it and realize what he said.]

See? You'd just be telling an honest, but harsh truth. And hey, learning more must impress her too!

I-it kinda does, actually... she offered to go over stuff with me, too, since we're in the same grade. It was her idea! Without really thinkin' about it, I said yeah.

I think the best way of gettin' back at Rise is havin' my name be way above hers on the score list. She'd shit a brick!

[He grinned, but it was brief, if anything because he was distracted by more violets spilling from his shirt sleeves. He swatted to get them out.]

Ah, jeez- the hell!?

So she offered as a friend, and people teased you over that. Hm... nah, if she asked and isn't the flustered party, there's not room for much teasing.

Haha, oh yeah. Why not try placing a bet on it too?

[Nothing wrong with that. Zidane blinked and looked down at the violets.]

Violets in the sleeves huh? You must like this girl a lot. I don't think you'd just magic up all these flowers otherwise.

[They kept coming, and Kanji continued to swipe his sleeves.]

So, what, the magic shit here's just to make fun of me!? How's that fair? You don't have stuff flyin' outta your clothes!

Me? Well, it helps that I don't have sleeves. [Grin grin, but then he nods.]

I'm pretty good at controlling my emotions. Besides, I was honest with you about how I felt... and this already happened.

[It's like a magic trick where he pulls a flower out of his glove, and that flower is a bright red rose.]

[The frown deepened. With a sigh he let his arms hang, and put his thoughts toward violets being pretty, at least. They had a language, right? Maybe they meant somethin'...

Whatever.]

You make it sound easy. Or maybe it's me comin' from a small town where rumors go nuts and people don't wanna make waves.

B-but whatever! I'm here and nobody else is other than Nanako-chan and her old man, so it ain't like I gotta worry about comin' clean about anything! Besides, I got my own stuff to worry about.

...Like this magic shit, I guess. I couldn't make it happen when I tried, but now it's all over the damn place.

Yeah, that might be it. But, if it helps, I was raised as a performer. Gotta be able to slip in and out of roles.

[So that was undoubtedly an advantage over just... small town life.]

Hrm, when it usually starts happening, how're you feeling?

S'like my heart's racing, poundin' all over the place! My head feels hot, too. Like...

[His eyebrows knit in thought. He was an actor, yeah?]

Like I've been on stage for the first time and I fucked up a line. Everything feels hot and you wanna bail.

[Raising an eyebrow, Zidane's surprised. That sounds like stage fright.]

You're... scared? I mean... I guess it makes sense why you'd lose control in that case.

...Scared...?

[He looked to his own hands, as if he'd grown them for the first time. He said he was a coward, but was fear what might be holding him back?

But then what was he scared of? People? No. Himself? Hell no. He loved himself.]

So, uh... wh-what do I do, then? I mean there's gettin' over it, but I heard stuff like that can be dangerous to this world.

[He nodded because it made the most sense, right?]

[Tilting his head, he soon shook it.]

Magic's always a little scary. You don't have to get over it, but just accept it's part of this world. It'll just depend on how you use it.

There's gotta be more I can do than change cheese flavors! I mean... how cool would it be to just have somethin', like that color of thread that ran out and ya don't wanna go buy more?

...

[He reached into his pocket and retrieved his sewing kit. He popped it open to select a small roll of thread.]

Wait, I'm- I'm calm now. Gimme a color.

See? Now you're getting into it!

[But this was just for a few small things. Later, when it came time to fighting and what others might do with magic... that would be the big part.]

A color? Hm... how about garnet?

Huh? Like the jewel? ...they're kinda... dark red, right?

[He tried pushing uncertainty out of his mind, and took hold of the thread. Garnet. Garnet. A darkish red. He began with the end of the thread and let it unravel by pulling it between closed fingers.

Beneath his shirt, right at his chest, something softly began to gleam. It was hard to tell at first, but soon the breeze caught the loose thread that fell away from his fingers. What slipped between them was a faint pink, but what pulled through was the color of wine, even a faint shimmer- perhaps Kanji thought too hard of gemstones...]

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tantailizing - 2021-09-29 02:07 (UTC) - Expand

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