♪ Our house ♪ in middle of this tree ♪ our house

[npcsofmana]

Who: Everyone
What: The first morning of an adventure begins.
Where: Home
When: Day 1
Other: Be courteous and warn for any of the usuals in your thread subject title if it gets to that point.




You wake up to a serene and idyllic morning.

Outside, a pleasant glow from the sun fills the room including the small crannies in which the beds are tucked. All windows have been latched close, but it's easy to see a gentle breeze ruffling the leaves of branches which loom overhead. Faintly, bird song can be heard from outside. In this place, it'd be a simple matter to close your eyes again and drift back to sleep.

There's simply one problem: this is not where you last went to sleep.

Waking up properly will display not only how the picturesque and cozy little room stands out in stark contrast to where you should be, but that you are sharing this space with someone else. Depending on things, they might be very mundane or very... unusual. Either way, they seem just as bewildered as you are. The good news is that at least all the things you immediately had on you at the time are right nearby the foot of your bed along with what seems like a small gift- a small pouch of some sort of coin. (500 Lucre, although that might not be immediately realized anytime soon.)

Exploring the rest of the house shows it to be otherwise quite empty, except for some writing utensils and paper in what appears to be the study along with basic kitchen tools in, well, the kitchen. There's no food, however, and no decoration. Venturing outside onto the grounds reveals an expansive but not particularly well tended estate including another building that is fairly run down. Attempting to venture down the path from the front door out into the world reveals... well. Nothing. It's a fruitless endeavor.

However, not for long.

Hajime Iwaizumi will be the one to find what appear to be a few discarded children's toy blocks. The Colorblocks immediately seem off in some way, strange even as they should seem inconspicuous. Something about them will compel him to pick them up. The nature of this apparent toy will not be obvious until he ventures near the edge of Home himself. A sound, almost like distant bellchimes, will start to emit from the Colorblocks.

When exposed to the air, suddenly they emit a glow and shoot off into the sky with all the brilliance of a falling star. Its trail is both noticeable and easy to follow, curving an arc through the sky until it falls some distance away... and its impact bursts an aurora of colors through the distant and dimmer sky, encircling the site. As the whirlwind of color fades, what appears to be a town can be just made out...

That is the town of Domina.


Some OOC notes:
➸ Prior to the activation of the Colorblocks, the only books which will be filled out in the Study will be "Artifacts" and "Visitors".
➸ After Domina has been unlocked and some characters have explored the town, "People" and "Locations" will be filled out in the Study as well.
➸ To see who your character is initially rooming with, check the Home page. These rooming assignments are not permanent or mandatory by any means, and characters can change them whenever. Officially letting me know will be present and explained in the next mod post coming in a week's time, but for now we can play it relaxed and loose. Just don't burn down the tree in the meantime.

Comments

[itsjustanaccount]

[f u c k]

[If it’s a twitch Kuroo wants, it’s a twitch he gets in the form of a slight jerk in Tsukishima’s shoulders the second he hears that annoying drawl. Commendably, he keeps most of his annoyance off of his face.]

[Bokuto and Kuroo. Next he’s going to be having Hinata yell at him. He can feel it in the pit of his stomach.]

[Despite this, he puts on his best “nice unextraordinary underclassman” voice. It usually keeps most people off his case, and he really wishes it would work on Kuroo better.

Well, everyone was exploring, so it’s not that strange to miss someone, I should think.

[nekohohoho]

[Ah, yes, this is one of the reasons Kuroo likes to aggravate Tsukki. He's seen and overheard Tsukki when he acts more naturally, like when he casually insults his teammates - even if he's mostly seen it from a distance. This blandly friendly act he puts on, in contrast, is so incredibly fake that it borders on repugnant. Kuroo prefers an annoyed and mouthy Tsukki to a phony one.

Kenma and Tsukki aren't the only observant volleyball players around. If Tsukki thinks he's ever going to convince Kuroo with this - or that Kuroo will ever be satisfied enough with it to leave him alone while he's keeping the act up - he's dead wrong.

Besides, Kuroo tends to enjoy casually provoking people. Kuroo is the senpai Tsukki deserves, really.

He leans his weight a bit more heavily on Tsukki, just to see when - or if - he'll start complaining about it.] Does that mean you missed me, Tsukki? [That warm smile with cunning undertones is a warning. There's a blatant trap in that question.]

[itsjustanaccount]

[Tsukishima is pretty sure no one deserves Kuroo, actually, and he feels something almost like pity for the rest of that team of cats that has to deal with him.]

[It's more obvious than anything what Kuroo is trying to do here. In fact, it's blatantly transparent. In a way, however, that just pokes at his natural stubbornness more than anything. Being finally encouraged to put effort into things probably isn't help... And it's worse now that Yamaguchi has yelled some effort into him. He doesn't want to lose to this dumb game that Kuroo is playing.]

[So he's going to keep it up, almost as if out of petty spite. He rolls his shoulders back, trying to nudge Kuroo off of him while hiding the action under a shrug.]

I've been a little too busy to think about you much, actually, Kuroo-senpai.

[Never before has "senpai" sounded like the verbal equivalent of a middle finger despite being said in the same bland tone as usual.]

[nekohohoho]

[Kuroo lets himself be dislodged, but only to do something even more objectionable - he seats himself comfortably at Tsukki's table, arms folded on the surface of it, grinning lazily across at his blocker protégé.]

Busy doing what? Winning games? I heard you did some halfway decent blocking in the Seijoh match.

[itsjustanaccount]

[Highly objectionable, in fact, and combined with the subject he decides to pursue? There's a brief moment where definite suspicion flicks over Tsukishima's face before he decides to focus back on his food.]

....Yamaguchi is the one who did the most that game. And if you have a complaint about my blocking, I can schedule you in to talk about it.

[nekohohoho]

[Kuroo's grin at Tsukki's praise of Yamaguchi is downright offensive, or at least it will no doubt feel that way to Tsukki. It's clear that he knows Tsukki is talking up his best friend, that he finds it cute, and that he knows his finding it cute will play about as well to Tsukki as a sawblade over a violin.

To which he says too damn bad. It's your own fault for being cute, Tsukki.]

Who said I had a complaint about your blocking? I'm pretty sure I phrased that as a compliment.

[itsjustanaccount]

[...Why does he tell you anything, Kuroo. That grin is making him debate what good talking to you could possibly bring him. There's a slight twitch of his eyebrow before he gives up.]

[The usual benign stop-talking-to-me smile is replaced with something that has a little more edge.]

Oh, 'halfway-decent' is how you compliment someone? I'm going to feel bad for your future girlfriend.

[nekohohoho]

[Success. Tsukki is pissed. Kuroo wouldn't be so pleased about that if it wasn't pretty much the only genuine emotion he can get out of him, so that even this feels like a victory.

Kuroo's smirk broadens.]

Well, it's a compliment in that you've never really cared enough to do better than that before...so it's a step up for you. You almost seem like you want to have some effect on the outcome of the game now.

[itsjustanaccount]

[Tch. One of these days he's going to figure out a way to wipe that aggravating smirk off of his face. Unfortunately, Tsukishima has a sneaking suspicion that might involve winning in a volleyball match.]

[He knows too many freaks who are obsessed with this game, honestly.]

Anyone chosen to actually be on the court affects the outcome of the game.

[Yeah he knows that's not the point but shut up.]

[nekohohoho]

Well, your level of ambition seems to have risen beyond wanting to be just an exceptionally mobile fencepost. [Kuroo grins. He's cornering you, Tsukki.] Are you starting to think you might have something to offer a team besides your height?

[itsjustanaccount]

[He really dislikes people like Kuroo.]

[It's a different kind of feeling than his distaste towards, say, Hinata. His teammate is, in every single way imaginable, his exact opposite. It's like exposing a polar bear to the desert. Tsukishima can't feel any way but repulsed when in a situation like that. That's not even talking about the bad taste certain memories still leave on his tongue when he sees all that energy being flung into being better, even considering his own slow attempts to find that kind of passion and expectation again.]

[In contrast, Kuroo isn't like that. Frankly, it's kind of weird imagining the sketchy upperclassman acting with that overdose of energy and ridiculous narrow focus which blots out everything else. Kageyama, Hinata, they're horses with blinders. Kuroo is a cat true to his school's name: sharp eyed, quick, used to getting his way, and always trying to sneak his way into things even if those are other people's feelings or thoughts.]

[As a crow trying to hide a lot of things beneath deep black feathers, it puts Tsukishima on edge. The thing about cats, after all, is that they're not afraid to get up to roofs or tree branches when a crow tries to put distance between them.]

[For a moment, he simply eyes the other teenager as if debating the merits of absconding from the conversation with some simple blunt words and a fast enough pace. After a second, however, his gaze flicks away.]

Are you bothering me this much because your team isn't around for you to focus on instead?

[nekohohoho]

Maybe. [If Kuroo had a cat's tail, it would be lazily swishing back and forth in pleased self-satisfaction.] Or maybe I'm just waiting for you to tell me where and how you got food.

Really, though, it's not like I've never needed an excuse to bother you. I don't think I even need intent.

[itsjustanaccount]

...Have you considered checking the building directly behind me?

[you know. the building whose table he is currently occupying?]

[nekohohoho]

I'm assuming they don't just give it away. I'm also assuming they don't take yen here. Where'd you get the money? [Kuroo cocks an eyebrow.]

[itsjustanaccount]

Don't tell me my [overly] curious senpai didn't investigate his room?

[nekohohoho]

Oh, are you acknowledging me as your senpai now? [Kuroo grins. Is this his natural inclination to annoy, or casual misdirection of the conversation because he either didn't explore or forgot about finding the small sack of what is indeed probably this world's currency? Could be both.] You're gonna make Bokuto cry.

[itsjustanaccount]

I already called you that a moment ago. It's just a fact that you're two years above me.

Don't read into it.

[He starts to pick at his food again.]

[nekohohoho]

You didn't say my senpai. It's different. [Kuroo grins.]

So what do people eat here? [He's looking at Tsukki's food yet.] It doesn't look too weird.

[itsjustanaccount]

You're so annoying... [JUST STRAIGHT OUT WITH IT]

They said it was roasted Needlebeak. [Which sounds like a bird if he's heard one.]

[nekohohoho]

[That earns a cackle from Kuroo. Either he considers that hilarious, a compliment, or both. He doesn't even try to refute it.]

Needlebeak? That sounds like a weird name for a hummingbird. [Kuroo observes Tsukki's plate.] Though it's apparently a lot bigger than a hummingbird.

Still, I guess since you haven't keeled over yet, it's probably not poisonous to humans. [He's already seen some...decidedly non-human things around. He's still kind of...rolling that revelation around in his head.] What's it taste like?

[itsjustanaccount]

[He swears to god, Kuroo... One of these days he's just going to get up and leave. Don't ask why he hasn't done it yet. Tsukishima does his best to ignore him until he asks a sensible question. Or, well, not a weird one.]

It tastes like roast bird. I'm not sure what you expect me to say. What, do you want to try it for yourself?

[nekohohoho]

Are you offering? [Kuroo grins. He definitely is curious, but he thinks it'll be a cold day in hell before Tsukki lets him try some of his food. If only on principle.]

Anyway, Bokuto really would cry if he heard you say that. You know that different birds taste like different things, right? Roast chicken's pretty different from roast duck, to say nothing of white meat and dark meat. Do you have nothing to compare it to, or are you just not expending the effort to give a proper description?

[itsjustanaccount]

One coin for critic’s effort, two coins for sample taste test.

[tsukki you brat]

[nekohohoho]

You're actually charging me? [Kuroo's eyebrows raise.] Pretty stingy, Tsukki.

[itsjustanaccount]

Well, you know what they say about feeding stray cats.