005 - You Are Invited

[tabularasa_mods]

You Are Invited December Gift Exchange ▲ New Imprints ▼ Comments Invitation
Only some of the people received a personal gift, but another oddity makes an appearance at around the same time. Each and every person in the world will find a plain letter in their vicinity - if they choose to ignore it, it will reappear continuously until they finally peek inside. Within is a simple handwritten message.

You are invited
When: 6 hours
Where: Galleria del Funghi, Messiah
Trains are running
Thank you

Curiously, the handwriting appears to be your own.

As promised, the trains are running smoothly thanks to a distant, rumbling storm. Should you choose to follow the letter's instructions, you're likely to meet someone else along the way.

Celebration
Exactly six hours after the letter's initial appearance, a party materializes in the lobby of the Galleria. A party for what, you might ask? It's not entirely clear. A banner hangs over the entrance that reads “You are invited” in large, fanciful letters, but nothing else indicates what the celebration is for.

The decorations in the lobby match the Galleria's usual flair, featuring brightly colored roses and the odd mushroom tied with a bow. Soft piano music fills the room, imitating songs that people may have heard or played before, though the exact source of it cannot be found. The main floor has been left open for dancing and mingling, and several round tables and chairs have been arranged on one side of the room. The other side is lined with a large buffet table.

The buffet is stocked with a large variety of snacks that vary from fancy high-end dishes to packaged foods you might find in a convenience store, all displayed proudly on tiers of extravagant platters. There are several platters filled with nothing but raw mushrooms, and a few that don't have food on them at all - it seems the world still gets confused sometimes when trying to figure out what is and isn't food. Regardless, it's still safe to sample the platters of rocks, batteries, or the punch bowl filled with lava. Drinks are also available in both shared punch bowls as well as individual cans and bottles, stacked neatly beside the buffet area.

There doesn't seem to be a specific end time for the party, but the music will keep playing and the food will keep mysterious restocking until the last party-goer decides to leave. Afterwards, the entire setup will vanish as quickly as it had appeared, leaving no trace behind but a neatly folded banner on the floor.

Precipitation
While the party is still in full swing, another change has started to happen in the world - snow, a concept that was once isolated to only the high peaks of Mount Silver, has finally realized it can be anywhere. The world may be a touch overeager to prove itself.

What starts as a delicate sprinkle of snowflakes quickly turns into a full-fledged blizzard, leaving every inch of the world coated in a thick blanket of snow and ice. Fortunately for those who attended the party, the roof of Messiah's exterior provides some cover from the elements, though it doesn't take long for the constant trickle of seawater to turn into a layer of ice across the entire city. It at least makes for a fun impromptu skating rink, if you're careful to mind the railings and stairs.

Unfortunately, the ice has also frozen the half-submerged train station into a solid block, so you may have no choice but to wait out the storm. Those who left early or chose to skip the party may also find themselves caught in the frightful weather. Best to bundle up somewhere safe and warm - and bring someone else for company!

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code bases by tricklet

Comments

Add | Elsword | OTA

[psychokinesia]

[A - Train ride]

[Add mostly keeps to himself throughout the ride to Messiah, arms folded and quick to glare at anyone who dares to sit even two seats apart from him. Dynamo is also here, hovering near Add at all times, though the array of six drones will occasionally wander off to investigate anything deemed interesting.

But Add hasn't actually been to Messiah yet, so he doesn't know what to expect when the train pulls into the station and the doors open—to a flood of knee-high water. He jumps to his feet.]

Oh, goddamnit— seriously?! [it's a bit late to try not to get wet, but he's still going to bitch about it]

[B - Eating questionable things for science]

[Surprisingly, the ominous invitation really was just an invitation. After waiting several minutes in tense anticipation, Add eventually comes to the conclusion that whatever force is controlling this world might just be weird and wanted to hold a party for some reason. So, begrudgingly, he is trying to relax a little... but only a little.

He's always hated parties, but at least there's free food. Even if the food is also weird... but it does make him wonder, is all this stuff edible? It's not like anything else about this place made sense.

He's already braved the lava punch bowl (could be sweeter, not nearly as good as Bethma's fire el smoothies), so now he's considering the next weirdest item on the menu: batteries. Literally just batteries. He turns one of them over in his hands, hmmming thoughtfully.]

... if I had something to test the acidity... but if lightning didn't leave a mark on me... [he might be about to lick the battery. you know, for science.]

[C - 2/10 would not party again]

[Add is trying really hard not to socialize, but sometimes you're standing in the corner and someone else decides to stand next to you and it's too awkward to just ignore each other. So, here's his stunning piece of commentary on the current situation.]

This party sucks.

[and then he takes a long sip of his lava punch.]

closed to Arashi

[psychokinesia]

[It's a long train ride to Messiah, so Add passes the time by flipping through his new book—well, someone's book, but no one's claimed it yet, so it's still his for now. Flower meanings aren't something most people would expect from him, but it's a topic he's not completely ignorant on, surprisingly.

He flips through random entries with mild interest for awhile... until a certain flower catches his eye. He jams his finger between the pages, choking back a surprised yelp.

Anemone. Windflowers.

He stares at the picture for a long time, his expression unusually wistful.]

[selfloveable]

( Arashi's jealous of people who have something to occupy themselves with while they're on the train, and there's only so much she can do on her phone - though she has managed to get some absolutely Darling and Perfect selfies...

She's observant though, and Add's moment has her looking up from her phone - her eyes widen at the book before she thinks, no maybe they just have those here...

except she's done a pretty damn good job of looking around the void, given shopping is her hobby, and there's nowhere in the void that sells a book like that. Thinking about it, she'd gotten someone else's belongings earlier, too...

Well, perish the thought. She'll scoot down the seats and peer at the page from a respectful distance away. Anemone... )

It's such a complicated flower, isn't it? "I love you," "unrequited love," "fading hopes"... ( It isn't one she's looked at extensively, but a flower with That many meanings hasn't gone unnoticed. ) I totally prefer white anemones the most, though. They symbolize "devotion".

[psychokinesia]

[He's so absorbed in staring at the picture that Arashi takes him completely by surprise—he jumps in his seat, snapping the book shut on impulse.]

Don't just— how long have you been sitting there?! [why is he even mad?? who knows. how dare you watch him get emotional about flowers on public transport.

A few seconds later his brain catches up, though, and he realizes that she is also familiar with this flower. Which is, at least to him, super weird. He frowns, more puzzled than angry.]

You say that like you've seen one before.

[selfloveable]

I have! I helped Mika-chan out at a flowershop once... I've been thinking of growing some of them too, to be honest.

( Or she WAS....... oh well. )

And sorry for spooking you, sweetheart. I didn't mean to. ( what else would have happened tho. ) Do you like anemones?

b

[kimihiros]

(the one, the only, kimihiro watanuki is about to get yet another bottle of alcohol for himself, right when he catches a glimpse of the scene. isn't this that loud guy who was freaking out over the tsukumogami?

it takes him a second to fully process what the other was doing with his tongue stuck out towards a battery like that... dear lord, how is this man alive? with hands on his hips, much resembling a scolding mom, kimihiro finally makes his presence known.)

What do you think you're doing?

[psychokinesia]

[By the time the question is asked, Add already has a battery halfway in his mouth. He freezes.

... and then slowly removes the battery. for now.]

Testing a theory. What's it to you? [you gonna try to tell him he can't eat a battery??]

[kimihiros]

What theory is it that you feel compelled to eat a battery?

(gods, help him, that's exactly his point!!

kimihiro opens his hands, gesturing for the other to hand it over.)

c

[abeautifulgame]

If it's any consolation, I might be able to make it suck less.

[he's been asking around, you see, and while no one he's talked to has been positive that the little purple-cat-thing he woke up to however long ago was Add's, it's certainly starting to look that way through process of elimination. he's going to look pretty stupid, if it turns out the thing isn't his, but the witty conversation starter is worth the risk]

[psychokinesia]

Yeah, I doubt that.

[Who's this?? Some guy he's seen around before in passing, probably... but he's pretty sure they've never spoken until now, so that's a weird way to start a conversation.]

If I knew this was going to be a dumb party I would've stayed behind and done something more productive. I could be testing electronics right now, or working on a new lightning rod. [a guaranteed thunderstorm and he wasted it going to a dumb party...]

[abeautifulgame]

In that case, I guess I'll just keep this.

[he reaches into his jacket, that said, pulling out Add's present to hold it up. if and when he tries to reach for it, Damien will snatch it back and return it to his coat. does he have your attention now, Add?]

A

[realway]

[ ahsoka too keeps to herself on the ride, noticing add in the same car but letting him be. she's not too sure she even wants to go to this party already, a dim mood hanging over her head. the drones he has hovering around are more attention grabbing, giving them a watchful look as they do the same to her.

messiah is a frequent destination for her meditations and she waits at the doors knowing what will likely come. she lets the water hit her, able to withstand the rush, but turns when she hears add scream. a tiny smirk touches her lips. ]

First time?

[psychokinesia]

Ugh, it's in my shoes— [He's still whining away, ineffectually trying to keep his upper-half dry when water is still splashing all over the damn place. Dynamo is also trying to help, lifting up the ends of his coat by pinching their pointier ends together so the fabric isn't dragging behind... but there's only so much anyone can do about this. He's fucking soaked.

This place sucks and he hates it.

Ahsoka is also here and made the mistake of acknowledging him, so he's just going to direct all of his irritation at her now. He shoots her a glare.]

Why the hell would anyone come here?! Don't fucking tell me this whole place is gonna be underwater— ughh, for fuck's sake, twice was already too many times! [underwater stages are seriously the worst]

[realway]

[ it's a little mean but she smiles at how colorful his language gets over, what, some water? doesn't seem like that big of a deal to her. she can tell he's not really angry at her, having to manage hot tempers before and defuse them. ]

Ok, take it down a notch. You'll get used to it. [ she sets her hands on her hips. ] It isn't underwater, it's just flooded. This city is always raining.

[ from where, she never could reason out. another odd quirk of the void. ]

A!

[rotomphone]

[ Raihan has only been to Messiah once, and this is precisely the reason why - he'd much rather keep his clothes away from the water, thank you very much. it had been inevitable at his last visit, but now he's fortunate enough to have Flygon to both shuttle him from place to place and keep him above ground.

he's just landed when the train pulls in, and Add's disgust is the first thing he sees. he can't help but smirk a bit, even if he sympathizes. ]

Not a fan of water?

[psychokinesia]

[He's trying to wring out the ends of his coat as he ascends the slippery steps... until he realizes it's pouring rain(?) out there, groans loudly, and just gives up. Fuck this entire city.

Dynamo is nestled under the mostly-dry half of his coat, so at least he's warmer. Doesn't help much to stop the downpour, though. He glares at Raihan like a wet cat.]

Would've brought a fucking umbrella if someone told me. Or maybe a wet-suit. [how is it Raihan's fault that no one warned Add this place is wet? ]

[rotomphone]

[ though he'd much rather be in a rainstorm of Goodra's creation, Raihan doesn't seem to be perturbed by the downpour. he does feel for Add and Dynamo, considering that they look so put down about it... he looks at Flygon with a nod before he he hops off the dragon's back. these trousers are going to need a wash after today, but... whatever. ]

Flygon can lend a wing if you guys need the shelter. Won't solve the flooding, but it's something.

[ the creature nods, extending his wings to show that there's more than enough cover to shelter them once they hit the downpour. if Add takes the offer, he'll have to keep up - Raihan is already on the move, and Flygon is following. he's not exactly fond of Add from their past interactions, but maybe this can be something of an olive branch. ]

B

[bluecastleace]

[Hi, uhm.]

Are you really about to do what I think you’re about to do?

[Iwaizumi has not yet himself tested the edibility of the batteries, made clear by the look of concern (and vague irritation) on his face.]

[psychokinesia]

[He's managed to down at least a couple of these by now without dying in horrible agony, so. he's pretty sure this is safe?? But also, batteries taste kind of like shit, so he's still hesitant to keep going.

But then Iwa appears and giving him that look of disapproval, and... no, this is a challenge. Like hell he's gonna back down now.

After a pause, Add grins.] What, you haven't tried them yet? Kukukuku, how short-sighted of you to think you can believe what you see with your eyes in a place like this.

[and then he pops the battery in his mouth, rolling it around a bit. Why yes, he is going to savour this awful flavour for the sole purpose of goading Iwaizumi into eating a gross battery.]

[bluecastleace]

Dude!

[A look of alarm crosses over his face before Add’s words register. What, so he’s saying these are actually edible? Maybe it’s Iwa’s firm sense of denial causing him to continue to discredit that idea.]

Are you about to poison yourself just to piss me off?

[At least his leg looks better?]

C!

[menaretrash]

[ Add might be trying not to socialize, but it's about to get forced upon him whether he likes it or not. It's nothing personally... but Ann had been playing truth or dare not long ago and she was issued a dare. Add is about to become one of three victims of this cold hit and run.

As he takes a sip of his punch, that's when it happens: a snowball, medium in size, is lobbed from seemingly out of no where -- though if he looks hard and squints, he'll see the ends of Ann's pigtails shaking against her shoulders as she giggles from behind that stupid statue of David that's... recently been castrated by Ren during the exact same game of truth or dare. ]

[blue_eyed_obsession]

[To ensure that said dare was carried out- Kaiba had been supervising the proceedings. He makes sure to find a portion of wall to lean on, and he folds his arms like this is the most casual thing in the world. Then Add surprises the brunette by speaking up, he can't fight the mild smirk]

It does.. [And it's about to get worse. For you]

[When the snowball comes whizzing out of no where Kaiba has a front row seat for it.]

b

[obsessiveness]

[ like add, izumi is also a little distrustful about this party invitation. but once it's revealed that it's some gaudy little christmas get-together he was able to let go of his held breath as he tries to enjoy himself for even a little bit. but seriously, how can he fuckin relax if there's literally a punch bowl full of lava just sitting there?

speaking of food, that sure is add mumbling to himself in front of the buffet tables, and normally izumi would tune out the incomprehensible things that he says, but -- ]

You're not seriously considering the batteries, are you? Does it even have a calorie intake?

[ izumi. ]

Re: b

[psychokinesia]

[Add is also holding a cup of lava punch in his other hand, so clearly he is the epitome of good life choices today. He pauses, scowling.]

What kind of idiotic question is that? Of course it has calories.

[thus, a food. that's totally how this works.]

[obsessiveness]

[ he looks at add like ??????? ]

Are you out of your mind? Oh wait, you already have.

[ duh. ]

Surely the other food on here don't taste that bad. Not that I'm eating anyway, but...