tabularasa_rp | 005 - You Are Invited

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005 - You Are Invited

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

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[ It's been a while since Zhongli and Venti had arrived at the mysterious party. During the span of their traveling, he had somehow started to take on features of his dragon form, most prominently the presence of antler-like horns and a tail tucked under his coat. After Venti learned the concept of Christmas from the other outlanders, he had put a bit of tinsel on Zhongli's horns. He didn't mind too much - that is, until Venti went off somewhere and Zhongli sits down, only to find that some of the hanging decorations have caught on his horns.

Oh dear. He's certainly trying to get up, but being bereft of his Adepti senses has made it a bit hard to untangle whatever is currently lodged in his horns. Maybe he needs a hand? ]

[Tifa thrives in social situations like this. When she'd heard that there was going to be a celebration, she decided she was going before she'd even finished reading the invitation. She's been mixing drinks as well as serving some of the food from Strife's Bites—a welcome change from the convenience store selection, she hopes...

That is, until she spots an unfamiliar man struggling with some of the hanging decorations.

She rushes over, platter in hand, and sets it down on the table.]

You'd think whoever decorated this place would've taken horns into consideration! [A little light teasing to break the ice... but then she sees that the strings of... mushrooms??? is wrapped around the horns so tight that any amount of movement won't break him free.] It's really got you. Hold still a sec, would you?

[ Zhongli is so absorbed in trying to detect what's on his head that he fails to notice Tifa approaching. He's carefully tracing the mushroom garland stuck to his horns, freezing for a moment once Tifa talks to him and catches his attention. He recovers quickly, dropping his arms to sit properly as befit someone trying to have a conversation. ]

Thank you, [ is all he says after a moment, letting Tifa pick at the garland strings. She's already taken the initiative, so there's no need for him to interfere.

Mushrooms are really strange to touch when he doesn't know what they are or how they look like... at least, they don't exude any slime. Now that would have really bothered him. ]

[Tifa pulls, and Zhongli will feel his head being tugged this way and that as she unravels the strings.]

It's... really stuck on here.

[One of the mushrooms falls off and into his lap—this one is covered in glitter that explodes in a cloud when it lands. Another falls, rolls on the floor and starts to grow until it's the size of his foot.]

Alright, hold tight.

[Eventually, Tifa grows so tired of trying to unfurl the mess of string that she simply tears the decoration in half and throws it to the ground.]

Whoever thought this was a good idea's gonna need a good talking to. You good?

[ As Zhongli watches Tifa remove the mushrooms stuck to his horns, he begins to wonder if this kind of strangeness is representative of the state of mind of the world. The glitter is one thing, the explosion is another, and then there's the shape-changing mushrooms... perhaps it wasn't merely coincidence that they had gotten stuck in his horns. Perhaps the world thought his horns were railings that warranted decorations.

Not too pleasant. ]

I am fine. Thank you for your assistance.

[ Despite all of Tifa's tugging, he hasn't moved much. He's very stable, after all. Now, he can get up and talk to her face-to-face instead of sitting like some kind of village elder. ]

Might I know your name?

[Bouncing on the heels of her feet, she gives an energetic pump of her fist.]

Tifa Lockhart, at your service. But you can call me Tifa.

[There's an odd need to reiterate the last part—too many people around here have tried adding honourifics to her name, and while it's cute and customary, it feels a little too impersonal and unnecessary for her. It's said with a glimmer in her eyes, of course.]

You're pretty new around here, aren't you...? [Her voice trails off, awaiting a name in return.]

[ How enthusiastic... Tifa's introduction reminds him once again that there is quite the gulf of energy between him and young people. Never mind that his vessel doesn't look that old.

In an obvious contrast to Tifa's cheer, Zhongli isn't very expressive. Nevertheless, she'll receive a slight smile and a nod from him ]

I am Zhongli. You are correct, I arrived quite recently.

[ The style of Tifa's name would bring to mind the cultures of Fontaine or Mondstat, but it would not fit either nation precisely. It's one more thing that reminds him of the infinite possibilities of other worlds. ]

Figured. I think I'd remember seeing you around.

[And not just because of the obvious. He seems very prim and proper and has a look she'd easily recall. Tifa prides herself on being able to remember names and faces—she's had plenty of practice as a bartender, after all.]

Some welcome party it's thrown for you. Too bad the food could've been better... [The selection of rocks isn't exactly high-end cuisine for a party like this.] If I'd known, I would've offered. Recommend staying away from the batteries.

[ It's probably good that Tifa doesn't know Zhongli is capable of eating rocks. But that's only because he's made of rocks himself... ]

... Batteries?

[ It takes him a moment to remember what those were. Batteries as most people know them aren't commonplace in Teyvat, given that the power to harness Electro instead rested with certain people instead of needing to rely on external devices. ]

You mean to say that the world here manifested batteries as food?

Not just batteries...

[Her initial enthusiasm fades a touch, replaced with a subtle look of disgust.]

Rocks, glass, plastic... anything you can fit in your mouth is edible here. [Which is why all of those things can be found in the wide selection at the buffet. It's as if this world doesn't want them eating anything better than that.] A lot of people didn't have anything else, so when hunger struck, that's all they had.

... It's why I decided to revamp the barbecue stand in the caves. Better than nothing, right?

[ There's another pause as Zhongli processes what Tifa just told him. Anything that you can fit in your mouth is edible in here... which means the toxins and otherwise dangers of such food have been removed while preserving the appearance. If Zhongli was from Earth, he would have thought of the 'it's actually cake' fad. ]

When those objects are consumed, they did not harm the individual? That is quite interesting...

[ zhongli this totally wasn't tifa's point ]

Ah, the barbeque stand? I did wonder where the stores at Wall Market came from.

[NOT THE CAKE FAD...

Harm is too general a term in this situation, she feels. Sure, it doesn't harm them in the sense that it doesn't make them sick or kill them, but... Eating batteries or glass just doesn't sit well with her, nor should it with anyone, and the thought makes her stomach turn again. Slowly but surely, she is losing today's appetite... To no one's fault but her own.

She swallows, pushing past her visible cringe to talk about something more pleasant:]

Straight outta Midgar is where they're from! So you've been down there?

[ Everything here is ~~cake~~ edible. That's how the Void works, right?

Zhongli notices Tifa's discomfort - well, not every human is as open-minded as he is, so he decides to change the subject. The barbeque is definitely more on the typical side of edible fare. ]

I have. It looks well-equipped for its purpose. [ Kind of a weird thing to comment on, but the locations here all appeared partially completed. ] I admit to being curious about the cuisine of your home.

[ A much safer thing to talk about than batteries ]

[Tifa laughs following his first comment. If he isn't fully aware of Wall Market's real purpose, then it's probably best to leave it that way for now. Knowing that it's used as a front for some of the dirtier things that go on in Midgar takes away the magic it has to those ignorant of what it stands for.

It's a hell of a lot quieter and cleaner here than it is in Midgar, that's for sure.]

It isn't much—mostly just meat skewers and sushi, but it makes a world of difference compared to some of the stuff you find up here. Specially when the craving hits. Don't tell me you've never had those before...! You're missing out.

[ Sushi...? That's the traditional cuisine of Inazuma... yet Zhongli has heard such a word from the children who claim to be from Earth as well. While the presence of the food item in different cultural areas could be explained by the intermingling nature of this world, but for it to be present in the original place...? ]

I have heard of sushi. It is a type of food from another nation in my homeland. Yet it is also present in yours?

[ Curiouser and curiouser... ]

Just you wait—there're a lot crazier things that I've learned about around here than the food.

[Like how Gaia and Eos shared the same summon names... that was the strangest one.]

Not sure what kind of chocobos other places have, but the ones I know look nothing like the ones here. [She says, as if he knows what a chocobo is.] But I'd love for you to come visit sometime! It can get pretty lonely down in the caves.

[ Zhongli tries to remember if he's heard the word 'chocobo' anywhere, and draws a blank. It seems he'll learn its name when he sees one. ]

I see... I spend most of my time here wandering. I would be glad to accompany you.

[ It's not like there's anything concrete that he can do to get home. Luckily, his long lifespan has led him to be more patient about things, compared to certain younger people like Kaiba. ]

Make sure you bring an empty stomach with you.

[She's going to make sure he tries every single thing at both the sushi stall and the barbecue stall! Maybe with a few drinks in between.]

Let me know when you're planning on coming by. I'll make sure I've got a little bit of everything. Wouldn't want you to get full before you can try it all.

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005 - You Are Invited

for tifa

thank you for setting this up!!

sorry I'm so slow :'DDD

you're fine! 💖

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wrapping! :)