Pomp and Circumstance

[Ungatt Trunn]

Sorry for the double post, but we should probably get this RP moving. So, any more ideas?

[Norham Waterpaw]

Also, is it too late for me to join?

[Ungatt Trunn]

Your fine, Norham. We haven't even got a specific story going yet.

[Osu]

Yeah, moving the RP along sounds like a good idea to me. ^^;

Norham -- nope, it's not too late! Go ahead and post a profile~

#vermin -- for the sake of pointless humor, I think we can just gloss over the, uh... expected response to a vermin invasion. And if they're just kids, the Patrol would probably let 'em go anyway, right? ....maybe? *casually sweeps certain canon facts under the rug*

Alrighty, so the way I've got it, we're starting with the opening of the ball (I think our esteemed badger ruler should say a few words before the festivities begin officially, as well as the senior officers, maybe?), hares proceed to dance, gossip, scoff, flirt, do other assorted ball-ish things, and then. THEN. THE FUN BEGINS.

Yes?

[Ungatt Trunn]

Wait, so were still using the vermin idea?

[Osu]

I suppose so, unless there are any strenuous objections. The vermin idea isn't necessary to have a fabulous RP anyway, so it doesn't matter in the end.

[Ungatt Trunn]

I still think that we shoould get a little more detail on how the "great chaos" will start. And we still need to cement what the chaos is going to be.

[Tiria Wildlough]

The chaos could start with the domino thing, and then someone blames someone else, and then a food fight starts. In a lull in the fight, the vermin come in.
But we still need more stuff. Any ideas?

[Ungatt Trunn]

Come on, guys, we really need to get some ideas so we can start the RP!

[Osu]

Alrighty, here's a tentative plan -- you guys make changes and corrections as y'like! It's just to give us something to start with, so we have a vague idea to bounce off of.

Opening of the Ball
Osu: lay down the setting/timeframe/etc.
Miss: badgerlord opens the ball officially
AND/OR
Ungatt: ranking officer opens the ball officially
Everybody: excluding the colonel and/or badgerlord if Ungatt/Miss posted already, we each make an introductory post for our characters.

Following this should be (at least) two more posts from each of us doing ball-ish things, heedless of the pandemonium to come.

If we're going to do some kind of presentation or play or something, this would be about the time when we start that up.

The Ball Goes Downhill
Rain: something happening between Clara and a suitor starts to rapidly go downhill/foreshadow some upcoming disaster with the orchestra/somebody stumbles into or gets pushed into the orchestra.

If Rain goes in with the orchestra immediately, we all follow with posts describing the domino!orchestra and immediate after effects. If Rain splits it into two posts, at least two of us should pop in with something about the orchestra or Clara, getting involved minimally one way or another.

If we're doing the play/presentation/something, that should grind to a halt OR the presenters ignore the orchestra and gamely try to keep on going.

Rain: since Clara is directly involved in the dominoing of the orchestra, Rain should follow up with at least one more post.

The Ball Couldn't Get Any Worse
We either take a break from playing our main characters, or we write in random NPC's as we see fit: a small group of teenagers, soldiers that weren't allowed into the ball for whatever reason, etc., corral a group of babies into going with them to prank the adults.

We can play them right up until they jump the ball, or we can switch back to our main characters and have the leverets surprise them. Whatever the leverets are intending to do, upon finding the state the ball is in, one or two of 'em decide to start chucking food. If they do it in such a way that nobeast knows it's them off the bat, everybody else can then turn and start a food fight of epic proportions.

The Ball Gets Worse
If we're going with the vermin idea, they can come in here.

If we're doing the presentation idea, they give up presenting and jump into the fray here. I figure they're probably pretty angry that they're being ignored and all that, or something -- anyway, they're wackjobs at this point and help ensure pandemonium for all.

And at this point, insanity ensues from everybody! As many posts as it takes to get the fun in. Parents trying to catch their kids if they see 'em, hares trying to catch varmints if they're there, kids taking over out of nowhere, angry presenters yelling war cries and swinging megaphones around and such, the orchestra uses their instruments as weapons/shields, food flying everywhere, vermin running around panicked, a group of hares that have no idea what's going on, etc.

The Survivors
The Ball is brought to a close. It can be called off by Ungatt and/or Miss, or we can play right through into the wee hours of the morning to when the ball would have ended anyway. If we're doing the prize-at-the-end-of-the-night thing, those can be awarded here, possibly including something like "here's a medal for bravely attacking that stoat with your gong, even though you missed and knocked out the badgerlord!" or, yanno, that sort of thing.

The food fight comes to an end one way or another, we run out of food to throw, we're all too tired to keep going, some semblance of sanity has returned to the hares en mass, whatever.

If we're going with the leverets, they are sent to bed (and possibly punished at this point, however we want to play it.)

If we're going with the vermin idea, they get kicked out of the mountain at this time.

Some words should be shed for or by the orchestra, possibly.

If we're going with the presentation idea, some words should be shed for or by those directly involved with that.

We end the ball by either cleaning it up, or just going to bed with plans to clean up later in the day, or whatever you guys want to do.

Loose Ends
Epilogue posts! At least one post from each of us during life after that disastrous ball.

If we're doing the leverets idea, their punishment and so on can be described here, if it hasn't been already.

If we're doing the vermin idea, at least one post on what they're doing now, well away from the mountain probably.

When it's all said and done, I think Rain (Clara) should end the RP -- as in, the last post all in all -- seeing as Clara basically starts the whole thing for whatever reason.



So that's what I've got! Ideas?

[Rainshadow]

  Maybe Clara should be the one in charge of cleaning up, since she's the one who started it in the first place?  Ungatt/Miss could scold her and the leverets, and then the group kinda ends it with being on all fours, scrubbing the floor or something?  (Bleh, probably not the best idea, but that's all I've got at the moment.)

  By the way, I think the current layout is pretty darn good.  I laughed at the "Seeing as Clara basically starts the whole thing." 

[Osu]

Hehe. I like the thought of a bunch of hares all dolled up but now covered in food (and probably a few bruises) scrubbing the place up on their knees. XD

[Ungatt Trunn]

I'll open the ball if you want me to, Osu. But what exactly do I say to start it up?

[Osu]

Ehm, I'm not entirely sure on that point. I just figure such an auspicious occasion demands an officious official to kick it off. Probably a short speech of some kind. I'll look up info on opening speeches and such especially regarding military balls, if I find anything that might be useful I'll share it here. Otherwise, anything vaguely Salamandastron-ish would do...

I'll keep thinking. ^^;



EDIT AGAIN: Okay, I've found some more stuff for regimental balls regarding etiquette and what goes on and whatnot. This is all modern stuff.

The night kicks off around 5 or 6 with a cocktail hour where service members and guests can mingle. There may also be a photographer for formal pictures. Just be sure to pace any drinking you may do, because when the cocktail hour ends it's typically time for the receiving line.

If we ignore the receiving line bit, the ball could open with everybody arriving and helping themselves to drinks, and once everybody's there, the opening announcement is made. It could be like a short speech/toast praising everybeast for their hard work as perilous long patrollers, and before we begin the festivities let's drink to lost comrades. *everybody drinks* ...blah blah blah, let the revelry begin!

Regarding the receiving line, it fits with the fanciness but I'm not sure how we'd work something like that in if we wanted to do it. However, having somebeast announce the guests as they arrive would add to the formality and such, and the ball could be opened from there with a short speech/toast once everybody has been announced.

And apparently the table places are assigned, which opens up the possibility of requiring invitations to join the ball and thereby creating a group of young hares that didn't get invited... also, there are a bajillion different spoons and forks and guests have to know all of that type etiquette. Food can be served before or after the dancing, but it doesn't happen at the same time; what does happen at the same time is dancing and a bar, so bringing in a bunch of drinks and a few tipsy hares wouldn't be a stretch. And the meal is like a mega fancy six course dinner. I was picturing a fancy buffet, so this is news to me. XD

Also, there are a lot of formal military-ish events that occur during dinner, or between the food and dancing, however that's organized. One of which is getting to have a conversation with a decorated general, so Ungatt, chatting up the population is viable if you ever run out of ideas for any reason. 

As for the events -- I'll just call them presentations -- these are just a bunch of speeches, I guess. Not sure what they'd be about.

[Tiria Wildlough]

Haha, sounds good. How about a snark fight between Ayla and Clara and maybe some others?