[closed] meanwhile, at telophoroi tower...

[trollophoroi]

WHO >> The Telophoroi guild and their +1s.
WHAT >> A dinner party that will surely be calm and enjoyable for all involved.
WHEN >> 9/15, evening.
WHERE >> Telophoroi @ home.
Content Warnings >> May make you hungry, more added if needed.

ARRIVAL

[ Welcome! Welcome to the Telophoroi Tower, as the guild leader likes to call it, even though only the interior itself will give that impression. It is, after all, instanced like every other guild @ home. The interior is... curious... at best. It's ominous, not even a little bit friendly-looking, all sharp corners and metal floors and walls. Metallic alien-like tubes curl around the walls and the pillars, crisscrossing the high ceilings, and creeping along the edges of walls; it could easily be a dungeon interior, provided it had actual monsters inside.

Greeting the guild members and guests alike is the Guild Grunty with a bowlcut and, just for tonight, a purple butler's outfit instead of its usual cultist robes. It still wiggles its hooves at people as they enter, though, as proclaims, ]

OoOoOo! Welcome... to your doom! [ Wait, that isn't right. It visibly sweats for a second during a pause, then remembers to add, ] And your dinner! Yes, and your dinner, hehehe~

[ It will also offer to take coats if needed, then lead them to the meeting room (now masquerading as a dining room); it's only slightly less intimidating than the rest of the tower and that's only because the lighting is nice, candles have been added, there's some very low classical music playing somewhere in the background, but it is still definitely part of the tower with the table being wicked metal with thinner imprints of those alien-like pipes running wild in the design, and the chairs are massive metal thrones, difficult to move, although green and purple cushions have been added to offer some comfort.

They will also find that there are, in fact, assigned seats.



There are some little Coronation Chicken Pies and Blue Cheese and Pear Appetizers for snacking while they wait as well as Cultist Grunty offering to pour them either champagne or, if they aren't interested in alcohol, some sparkling lemonade.

If asked about where the guild's leader, Fandaniel, is, Cultist Grunty will assure them that he's only putting the finishing touches on tonight's meal and will be with them shortly. ]

IT'S TIME TO EAT

[ And after about a half hour of arrival, the lights of the room... flicker, flicker, and then shut off, plunging the party into pitch darkness. Even the candles go out, though only long enough for people to exclaim or react.

When they come back on, Fandaniel, dressed up in his own butler skin (although it doubles quite well as merely looking fancily dressed), has made his appearance at the head of the table, where his seat had been left empty right up until now. He's standing, arms spread out wide, a grin on his face, and the starter course set out on little plates before them. ]

Hello! Hello, my dear friends. I am so glad that you could all join me for our little dinner party. I do hope you have been enjoying yourselves thus far. Now! [ And lowers his arms so that he can clap them together upon saying that word. ] Let me introduce you to our meal for the evening.

[ And he'll go over what they'll be having tonight! The menu is as follows:

Starter Course: Hot Tofu, a simple dish of tofu and dashi kombu with a little bowl of sauce to pour over it.

1st Course: Chawanmushi with Matsutake Mushroom, a savory egg custard flavored with dashi stock, soy sauce, and mirin, steamed in a cup.

2nd Course: Unadon, grilled eel brushed with sweet and savory unagi sauce and served atop a bed of rice.

3rd Course: Shoyu Ramen, made with a flavorful pork-bone broth with wavy noodles and topped with bamboo shoots, meltingly tender pork belly, and thin-sliced green onion.

4th Course: Tempura Vegetables, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, Kabocha squash, lotus roots, and eggplant deep-fried in a crispy, crunchy tempura batter served alongside a dipping sauce.

And every time a course is finished, the lights will, once again, go off and, when they come back on, the course will be swapped out. It's quite a bit of showmanship, but only possible thanks to Cultist Grunty changing up the room's configuration on the fly as well as the timing it had worked out with Fandaniel. Still! It offers a very mysterious bit of ambiance to the meal. ]

Bit of a Beastly Dessert, Isn't It?

[ Then comes the last course, the dessert course. Once again, the lights go off, they come back on, all the dishes are cleared and new plates and utensils sit before them all. There's more on the platters set across the table but each dish has a serving of sweet potato pie, done in the Japanese style, which is a far cry from what more Western types may expect from a pie like that. It's a flaky pastry, nice and sweet, but not overly so.

Cultist Grunty goes about a glass of a dark dessert wine for all. This time, there is no alternative, but seeing as dessert wines are meant to be savored in a small amount, those who want less will certainly get less. The reason why they're insisting everyone has wine will be apparent soon enough when Fandaniel raises his glass to offer a toast to them. ]

And this is where we end the night, I fear! Our last course, our dessert. Fai was kind enough to lend a hand in the kitchen with it. I would also like to thank him and Hien both for making the little treats we had before the dinner began. They were quite good, were they not? Ah, and, of course! [ He'll nod towards Cultist Grunty in his cute little tuxedo. ] Our dear Cultist Grunty has been an infinite source of aid during the past two days in getting this all set up. He handled all those little light tricks and all the dish swaps.

[ And then to the rest of the party. ]

And to the rest of you, for better or worse... [ At this point, probably worse, let's be real here. ] We've been having an interesting time in this game but I am glad you all took the time to humor me and my desire to hold a little dinner party like this. So, to all of you!

[ And that's the cue to drink and... now for the real reason he wanted everyone to drink the wine. See, Fandaniel has laced it with one of the game's potions, only! Only, well, originally the Potion of Fang and Claw, which should have given them nothing more than some cute animal ears and tails, ends up doing something wildly different.

Everyone who drinks the wine will find themselves turned completely into an animal.

Glasses will tumble to the floor, breaking and spilling wine everywhere. Armor and clothing will pop off as items, unequipped, as they no longer fit their bodies. Surprise! Enjoy spending the next 24 hours as a talking animal! ]

Comments

[tylorific]

Okay! I like your cute, tiny legs.

[ Tylor points out as he follows Fandaniel along the table, though his paws remain on the ground. For now.

But now he looks like he's considering jumping up on the table too. He starts with his front paws on the edge, and it becomes even clearer just how big he is when he's drawn up to that height. ]

[trollophoroi]

[ Huff, puff, puff, no really, he puffs up his feathers in offense. Being turned into a little bird has thrown him into a weird space and he doesn't have the patience to put up with Tylor like this. ]

What did I say about calling me cute?

[tylorific]

Aw, this counts too? But you're not you right now, you're a little bird.

[ His ears go back, head ducking to rest on the table in front of the bird. Like a giant dog that's been scolded. ]

[trollophoroi]

What nonsense is that? I'm still me even as a little bird.

[ He clacks his beak and turns about to hop-step his way over to where Tylor's plunked his big ol' wolf head down on the table. He hops up, alighting on the wolf's nose and turning his head to eyeball him. ]

Do it again and I'll peck your eyes out.

[tylorific]

You don't look as cu--[ The only way to stop him from telling the truth is drown it, cut it, out in growls--but it still sounds more like a happy wolf sound than an angry one. If Fandaniel can even tell the difference. ]

Right, got it. But what kind of bird are you, anyway?

[trollophoroi]

[ Fandaniel remains perched on Tylor's nose, staring him down, and then... a blink. He straightens up as much as he's able to as a bird and holds out a wing, inspecting himself. ]

Hmm, actually, I haven't the faintest idea. I don't think it's Japanese, at least.

[tylorific]

[ And Tylor's head remains on the table, a surprisingly stable perch. ]

Oh, well I don't think so either. Can you make any funny noises?

[trollophoroi]

Funny noises?

[ Let him think. Processing, processing, thinking kookaburry thoughts. Why, yes, he feels he can. Why or how is a mystery. Perhaps it's all instinct. Still, he realizes the best sound in the world can be made by this bird and he fills his breast with air and throws his head back to let out a total cacophony of bird-like laughter.

It's very loud and very startling, echoing wildly through the towering ceilings of Telophoroi's @ home. ]

[tylorific]

[ It's loud enough that Tylor's ears pin back and the wag of tail slows. It doesn't stop either, though. Tylor laughs and is still honesty plagued. ]

Wow, that's so cool. But also so loud it hurt a little!

[ He can't help it, the way he catches smaller animals in motion with his yellow eyes. A bird of prey, a lion, and then his gaze falls back on little Featherdaniel. ]

Sure you don't want a ride?

[trollophoroi]

[ The wild cackle trails off, although Fandaniel finds himself still making a few more chuckle-like noises since it actually amused him more than it should have. Goodness, no wonder he ended up as... whatever this is! ]

Hmm, hmm, hmm, well.

[ The little bird breaths out a sigh and eyes the wolf up close, nearly eye to eye with how he's perched on his nose, and then? Then?! He hops up Tylor's snout and up onto his head, plopping down between his ears. ]

Fine. Onward, my most obnoxious steed.

[tylorific]

[ There's a Tylor laugh as Featherdaniel settles between his ears. They've perked up straight on either side of him, swiveling for any slight noise around them.

Tylor's wolf head rises from the table as he takes a step back. His tail is wagging, his tongue lolling out, and it's not hard to imagine the way his eyes almost cross trying to see the top of his head. At least, until he moves onward as commanded.

This is a fun game. ]

Where to, my most raucous Excellency?

[trollophoroi]

Around the table! I wish to cackle at everyone.

[ And he motions onward with a wing, sweeping it out ahead of himself. It is time to Disturb The Peace, Tylor. ]

[tylorific]

As you wish!

[ Tylor agrees with all (un)due deference, playing along happily. He even lifts his head, and therefore his Excellency, as high as he can when he begins the procession around the table with a little trot. ]

[trollophoroi]

[ Welp, guess it's a weirdo parade now, with Tylor trotting around as a wolf and Fandaniel laughing kookaburraly at everyone they pass to get starts and jumps of surprise from them at the abrupt noise.

Fandaniel can do this aaaall night, folks. Rest in pieces. ]