☆ Sloth and Zeal in the City of Time ☆

[LilChibiusa]

[LilChibiusa]

You ascend the stairs of the mysterious tower, and find a door slightly ajar. You look around the dusty room at stone walls that look like they were constructed centuries ago. After taking a few more steps into the room, you notice that there is only a single piece of furniture in the entire room.... an old grandfather clock. You are not sure why, but the clock calls out to you. As you walk closer, the face starts to glow. Suddenly, a beam of light shines around you, and you are transported into another world.

You emerge in an old, old town that looks like nothing you've ever seen before. This is a busy little town, the hue of smoke hanging over it as it hugs the coast tightly. But this is not smoke of black, but rather smoke of gold. Ideas and possibilities of inventions and discoveries are endless and shining off of the city itself. As the city busies itself, the sound of tiny tinkerings and tickings cheerfully greet all nearby ears. Clocks can be found nearly everywhere; in towers, in homes, in grass and lawn gnomes, on walls and on rockets, even in that young boy's pocket. In fact the city itself is shaped like a giant clock, having twelve mighty towers where each number should be, and an old Victorian mansion towers over the city at its center. And although it looks old, it shines like new, and is covered with windows that makes it almost entirely transparent, revealing a deep blue water below. The water is in a constant whirlpool, but oddly enough it is spinning as steadily as it is calmly, controlled with the precision of threading a needle in a haystack with a flaming thread, and not starting a fire.

This is the city of Time.

And as Time sits in the darkness, the sun rises her head above her sheets to give a cheery morning, and seemingly all at once, the city is shining as its bronze and silver buildings reflect the joy of fire, shining for the whole world to see. This is the city of ideas, of old and new, of everything in the world, and all of the Time to do it.

The mansion, belonging to the immortal mayors of the town, is the busiest part of the town. In preparation of the Great Ball, Sloth and Zeal have decorated the oldish new Victorian home in a fashion that displays the town's best and brightest ideas. Sparkling thingies and whirly doodads are spread smartly here and there, among with many other things I will not bother to describe because, quite frankly, I am incredibly lazy. Which brings me to Sloth, the first owner of the mansion.

Lady Sloth, owns precisely half the house, split down the middle. One could obviously tell at first glance which side belonged to which. The side of Lady Sloth could only be described as old. All the furniture is still covered in sheets that were once white, but now grey due to the dust that thinly covers everything. In fact, it is nearly colorless, as there are plans to paint it that have never been set into motion.

The other side of the house belongs to Sir Zeal. Just as the Lady's side is drab and grey, Sir Zeal's side is opposite in every way. Colors litter the numerous rooms this way and that, clashing in every which way. There is an amazing amount of machinery and other clutter lying around, and although it is in the most disorganized fashion, everything is polished, shining in bronze and silver just as the city does. There is a large laboratory that, being in the middle of the house, half belonged to the Lady, whose side is covered in sheets and grey, and half belonging to the Sir, whose half is covered with clocks and half started or half finished inventions. Directly beneath the laboratory is the pool of constant whirlpool, which can be seen through the glass floor. And it is always spinning, always at the same time, the same color, always the same, the only thing that is the same.

As the days of the ball creep closer and closer, Lady Sloth lies in her room, humming softly to herself day after day, as Sir Zeal runs around shouting about some invention that took up his top priority. So, as usual, it was up to their assistants to help set up for the ball. And when I say help, I mean that they did all of the work. And a fantastic job they have done, as guests begin to show up in awe on the opening day of the ball. The mansion is decorated in large banners with bronze and silver, clocks everywhere, little mechanical birds flutter around, and floating trays serve drinks to order all around. A large red carpet spreads from the entrance, engulfing the nearby staircase leading up to it in a flourish of royal crimson, and embroidered with a golden S and Z, Separated by an hour and minute hand pointing towards the two entrances into the house.

The co-hosts of the ball run or lay around, greeting guests here and there. Lethargy and Apathy meet up with those whom enter the side of Sloth, whilst those who enter the side of Zeal are greeted by Fervor and Diligence. All of the sudden, the bell atop the laboratory rings, and all of the room staff assembles in the front terrace. They all cheer as the co-hosts hold up a large banner, connected in the middle but held up on either side, saying in large, curly letters:

"Welcome to the room of Sloth and Zeal!"

[LilChibiusa]

[LilChibiusa]

- Please follow the ToS.
- Stay on topic. This one if very important. Don't try to change the story into a something else simply because it strikes your fancy. Remember that there are other rooms to visit if you do not like the theme in this particular room.
- Do not godmod. This means that you cannot kill another guest or control another person's character. Remember that you are not all powerful, and that you have to work together with your fellow guests to make the story happen.
- Do not quote any post on the first page of this thread.
- Listen to the staff of this room. If they tell you that something that you are doing is inappropriate, listen to them.
- Do not bump or post only an emoticon. We could rather hear from you.
- No text speak, profanity, cybering, inappropriate language, or spamming.
- DO NOT GIVE OUT YOUR PASSWORD TO ANYONE!!!
- Beware of phishing attempts. This one is very important. If you see any pop-ups asking you to put in your username and password for any reason, DON'T DO IT! We had a problem with people being hacked last year, and we don't want a repeat. Also, no member of the Gaia staff or Annual Ball staff will ask you for your password. Guard it very carefully.
- For any of the contests in this room, do not solicit votes, even if they're from your friends. We want the judging to be based on quality, and not how many people you can convince to vote for you.
- Have fun and be respectful of the other guests!

[LilChibiusa]

Sloth
played by LilChibiusa

The character: Lady Sloth is the lazy mistress of the City of Time. Though she often pawns off work on others, she has a good heart.
The roleplayer: This is my second year working with the Annual Ball, and I am excited to be a host this time. Last year, I played the co-host Ariadne in The Celebration Room. I have been on Gaia for six years, and in that time I have spread myself out, and made many friends because of it. One of my main hangouts is a guild I own for adults called Vetus Gaianus. In real life, I am a recent college grad with a B.A. in English. I love cats, anime, j-drama, classic literature, fantasy movies and books, and knitting. I'm pretty easy to get along with, and I hope we can have great fun together during this ball.

Zeal
played by Cystalloid

The character: Sir Zeal is the energetic master of the City of Time. He is inventive and creative, and often finds himself working on some project or other for Lady Sloth.
The roleplayer:I first attended the 5th Annual Ball, but then I loved it so much that when I attended the 7th one, I just had to get involved. I helped out a bit for the 8th Annual Ball as a co-host for one of the rooms (Zeus!) and now I'm back again for more as a host. I've been on Gaia since 2007, and I love to roleplay, usually only in the Commerce. I love the genre of fantasy and apple pie. XD





Lethargy
played by iNk_mAy

The character: Lethargy is the very tired attendant of Lady Sloth. She is very eager to please people, but she rarely can find the energy to get anything done.
The roleplayer: This is my first time being active in the Annual Ball staff, and it has certainly been enjoyable. I have been on Gaia for almost a total of four years now, and most of my time is spent role-playing. I am a college student in her Sophomore year. I like reading, writing for recreational purposes, drawing, and exploring my surroundings. I enjoy all genres of music (except polka) and wish to learn to play the guitar and become the next star on YouTube. Okay maybe not entirely, but it would be nice to play the guitar.

Apathy
played by Malomy

The character: Apathy is the uncaring attending of Lady Sloth. He has his own agenda, and doesn't ever try to help anyone.
The roleplayer: Last year I played an NPC in the Celebration room. I ended up leaving early, due to a headache. I like to play video games and write stories that I pretend that people like. I've been on Gaia since... 07? I tend to collect pets and sometimes order art, but I've been collecting pets less and less frequently these days... I generally use Gaia to talk to my friends.
Semi-interesting fact: My favorite color is pink, though my room is decidedly un-pink.



Fervor
played by Odd Cinderella

The character: Fervor is the hyper and idealistic assistant of Lord Zeal. She's very enthusiastic, and loves bunnies.
The roleplayer: This will be my first year to be a part of the cast of the Annual Ball. I enjoy tekteks, changing my avatar, creating Original Characters using Gaia Avatars, Avi Art and contests to give out prizes. I enjoy video gaming, being on Gaia, being on Facebook, babysitting, chilling with friends or family, creating Original characters. I am 22 and I still enjoy Gaia Online. I have several accounts throughout Gaia, and I have been a member since 2004 thanks to my sister. I am part of Team Sprocket and I will fight on for R/EIs to continue! We still need them! Even if we have Mogas now...

Diligence
played by Mademoiselle Alvinette

The character: Diligence is the long-suffering, hard working assistant of Lord Zeal. She has great determination, and never gives up when a job needs to be done.
The roleplayer: I've been a member of Gaia since mid-August 2009, so I just missed the 2009 ball by a few weeks. During last year's ball, I mostly hung out in the Celebration Room, and a couple of weeks ago, LilChibiusa asked me to play Diligence in this year's ball. I like RPing, but I haven't done a whole lot of it, so please be patient with me as I make newbie mistakes. I love hanging out in Vetus Gaianus, lurking in the Crafts/Textiles subforum (and occasionally posting there), and playing Jigsaw and Tiles. I'm a 25-year-old graduate student who is PAINFULLY close to having her Master's degree in History (my goal is to graduate in December; I just hope I can get all my work done in time), and who wants to be a librarian. I'm probably the biggest Alvin and the Chipmunks fan you'll ever meet (well, in the 18-and-up crowd, anyway), and I also love NYPD Blue, soap operas, Doctor Who, Star Trek reruns (especially the original series--the cheesier the better!), and Mystery Science Theater 3000. Oh, and I am completely obsessed with KNITTING!!! I love knitting, especially making lace shawls and stuff.

Messenger
played by GalateasFire
The character: Messenger is a wanderer who randomly comes to visit the City of Time. She usually has exciting stories to tell if you are able to catch her while she's around.
The roleplayer: This is my first year roleplaying in an annual ball, but I did contribute art to the ball last year. On Gaia, I like chatting with my friends and running a traditional art shop. In real life, I am happily married and work with environmental services. I am currently having internet issues, but I will do my best to pop in here as much as I can.

Room NPC's
GreenInkling
I first got involved with the 8th Annual Ball after attending the year before. I love that it's been around since Gaia's founding and that it's entirely user-run. The Gaia staff supports it, but it's from the brains of normal users like you and me. It reminds me of why Gaia was founded, to be a role-playing haven. I'm twenty-six (just) and have a four-month old baby boy named Afon and a Welsh husband. I'm Catholic, so ask me if you have any questions; lots of people do. And I've been with Gaia since January 2006. I like to hang out in the GCD, friends chat, Vetus Gaianus, and have recently gotten taken up with Doctor Who.

Tomoru-chan
I'm a valid role-player who loves a good plot, although sometimes I don't have time to post as often as I want. I love spicy food if that helps anything.... my nickname is T-chan or tomo and I love pandas.... I'm asian-american, and as my friend told me, we're the happiest! I draw and sketch, now mostly realistic. I like to cook and take pictures of random items, I have a maplestory, and I like cookies.... And when I'm looking for a picture for an rp, I have to fall in love with it; otherwise, I won't use it or I'll get apathetic. :3 If you have a random question, I'll happily answer.

[LilChibiusa]

Day 1: The guests entered the room and began to mingle. Zeal was working on a machine that would literally do EVERYTHING, but he needed help solving the riddles in the blueprints. While Zeal was hard at work, Sloth sat down on a "chair" that turned out to be a giant robot bent on giving killer back massages on the loose. The guests defeated him using bunnies and the Canadian tax codes. Afterwards, the guests cleaned up the room. Zeal returned from working on the blueprint riddles, and revealed the completed Everything Machine that literally does EVERYTHING. The guests were amazed by it and marveled at its power. By accident, Apathy spills his coffee on the Everything Machine. Certain that no one saw him or could blame him, he walked away and went to bed. What kind of dangers will this action cause?

Day 2:
Lethargy finally arrived in the wee hours of the morning, and then went back to bed before long. Messenger arrived and asked the guests' help with naming her new bunny. In the morning hours, many guest had been noticing time slips. Then, out of nowhere, Wrath arrived in the City of Time! One of Fervor's bunnies jumped into the malfunctioning Everything Machine, and they multiplied. A bunny catching frenzy began as Wrath angrily started killing bunnies. Fervor, affected by Wrath's influence, started threatening Wrath. Meanwhile, Zeal was trying to fix the machine with chaos going on around him. After Wrath exited the room, calm returned to the room, Fervor passed out in tears, and the bunnies were still everywhere. Sloth used her powers of slothfulness to slow down the bunnies, and the guests were able to catch them safely. Lady Sloth had just sat down to rest when Wrath came flying out of a time pocket, and landed on Lady Sloth, transporting both of them to the future where Wrath lived. Lady Sloth realized how much she missed and loved Sir Zeal while she was away. Wrath sent her back home because he didn't like how mushy Sloth was being. Sloth and Zeal professed their love for each other, and a long contest to see who could make Apathy laugh began. The contest finally ended when Apathy was "amused." Fervor finally woke up, completely unaware of what she had missed.

Day 3:
Lethargy chatted with the guests early in the morning while working on a secret project. When Lady Sloth woke up, she couldn't find Sir Zeal. When he finally appeared, Lady Sloth was angry that he was working too much. Sir Zeal said that that Lady Sloth needed to work, and Lady Sloth said Sir Zeal needed to relax and rest. Their argument escalated until an earthquake shook the whole city. Fearing that it might be the last time he would ever get to talk to Lady Sloth, Sir Zeal gave her the project that had made him late, a heart shaped locket necklace. Instantly the earthquake ceased, and calm reigned over the room. Sloth and Zeal both agreed that they needed to change a little bit for each other. After Zeal woke up, everyone started destroying the Everything Together with sledgehammers. The fun was only interrupted by the Closing Ceremonies party in towns. When everyone returned, they re-set all the clocks in the City of Time by have 16 posts at the same minute when only 12 were necessary. Afterwards, music started playing, and everyone paired off and began to dance. Romance bloomed in the room as Sloth and Zeal finally kissed, and Lethargy announced that she was leaving with BenjaminBriggs to explore the universe. All was well in the City of Time that night, and everyone was happy.

Epilogue:
The ball had ended, and only a few guests were left to bid their farewells. Lady Sloth was sad to see all of the guests leave, but she knew it was inevitable. There would be many changes in the City of Time now that she and Zeal were a couple, and now that Lethargy had left the mansion. It was quiet in the mansion, but it was a happy tranquility. She knew that she would see everyone again someday. And, until then, she would happily sip lemonade while snuggling up with her beloved Sir Zeal.

THANKS FOR MAKING THIS THE BEST ROOM EVER!!!

[LilChibiusa]

Zeal's Blueprint Riddles
Zeal needs your help to complete the Everything Machine, but the instruction book is full of riddles! After you solve the first riddle, PM Crystalloid with your answer to get the next riddle. If you are one of the first three winners, you will receive a Lost Chapter! Remember, we want everyone to use their own brains, so don't share your answers with anyone!

Here's the first riddle: People fear me as a harbinger of disease, yet without me, people would encounter many more diseases. I am not a king, but people often refer to themselves as kings when they are around me. What am I? GAME OVER


Bunny Multiplication Frenzy
Adorable fuzzy bunnies have been set lose in the City of Time! Generate numbers 1-10 to help catch them. If you manage to generate the number 1, you are winner, and just saved a bunny! If you do manage to save a bunny, edit your winning post with big red letters indicating that you won. Then, PM me right away and let me know on which page you caught a bunny. We have people keeping count of winning posts, so don't think you can trick us. This goes without saying, but you have to roleplay trying to catch a bunny for each attempt to count. You will receive 50k for each bunny you save, so save as many as you can! You mustn't let anyone hurt the cute little bunnies! GAME OVER



Lethargy's Cleaning Dilemma
Lady Sloth has asked Lethargy to clean the mansion, but poor Lethargy is simply too tired to do it! Join in this fun game to help her, and she will reward you with fabulous prizes!

Apathy's Scheme of Laziness
Apathy never has cared for crossword puzzles, so when the lazy Lady Sloth asked him to complete the puzzle for her, he devised a brilliant plan to ensure that he would not have to do any real work. He's offering bribes to anyone who will offer him assistance.

Art Auction
Do you like art? Do you like graphics? Do you like stories? Do you like supporting the Annual Ball by helping them raise funds? If so, make sure you check out this auction thread! All of the gold raised in this auction will be used to provide prizes in next year's ball!

Punch the Clock
The clocks are malfunctioning in the City of Time, and every hour one of the clocks in the city will start to glow. If you post exactly on the hour, it will shoot out 5k at you. However, the clock will only award gold to the first person to punch it for that particular hour. If you notice that you are the first person to post for any hour, PM me, and I will add your name to the list of winners. You may win as many times as you are able, and all gold will be sent at the end of the ball. For the sake of consistency, all times recorded will be in the central time zone.

Friday
10:00PM - Wyrn
11:00PM - eran no shi

Saturday
2:00AM - xXSoul_Keeper_MistressXx
3:00AM - PinkieKitty
11:00PM - Vellick

Sunday
12:00AM - Vellick
1:00AM - Wyrn

[LilChibiusa]

Welcome to our annual avatar contest! As with each room, there are two parallel contests to determine the King and Queen. This isn't your usual tektek contest. In fact, the only avatars that matter are the ones that you're wearing! If you win from your category and are crowned King or Queen of Sloth, your entry will move on and automatically be entered in the contest to determine the King and Queen of Sin! If you would like to enter, PM me, LilChibiusa, with the subject-line "Avatar Contest." I will save a picture of your avatar, and post in the list of entries. Then, I will PM you back letting you know that you have been entered and may change your avatar if you wish. Alternately, you can send me a screenshot that you have already uploaded to your own photo account, but you have to be wearing that same avatar when you send it to me just to keep things fair. You can go for a steampunk theme, a slothful theme, or anything else you think fits this room. Just be creative!

Rules
- All submissions must be in before 5AM Central/6AM Eastern on Saturday morning. Afterwards, the voting will begin.
- You may only enter the King OR the Queen category, not both.
- You may only enter an avatar contest in one room. If you enter an avatar contest in another room, you may not participate in the one in this room. If you are caught doing this, you will be disqualified.
- Advertising your entry is not allowed. If you are caught begging for votes either via a thread of your making or through PMs, you will be disqualified.

Prizes
100k gold
2 Lost Chapters
Time Piece
avi art done by iNk_mAy

NO MORE ENTRIES!!!
(Voting will begin shortly)

Queen

Prelimary Voting for Queen - Group 1
CLOSED

Preliminary Voting for Queen - Group 2
CLOSED

Voting for the Queen of Sloth

Winners
1st - white and black lilac
2nd - x-suicidal strawberry-x
3rd - Mr Felix Delacroix

King

Voting for the King of Sloth

Winners
1st - Anonypanda
2nd - KageFiendBaka
3rd - Wyrn

Prizes for 2nd and 3rd place will be sent out along with prizes for 1st place. Thank you very much for entering! heart

[LilChibiusa]

Do you like art? So do we! If you would like to draw one or more of our characters, or even our setting in the City of Time itself, we'd love to see it! If your submission is voted to be the best, you'll win 100k and The Watchmaker! PM all entries to LilChibiusa. All entries must be your own work, and you must have your entry submitted by 1:00 PM Central on Sunday to be eligible for prizes. (We like all work, but only one piece may be entered into the contest.)

WINNERS
1st - Mr Felix Delacroix
2nd - Reikage Shinigami
3rd - PinkieKitty
(Everyone is getting prizes, even the ones who didn't rank! Thanks for participating and doing all of this great art! It's been a joy seeing our cast displayed so artistically in this room!))

Voting for Best Art

eran no shi



Reikage Shinigami



x-suicidal strawberry-x



x-suicidal strawberry-x



Mr Felix Delacroix
(click for full size image)



Misty L Lake
(click for full size image)



eran no shi



PinkieKitty



BenjaminBriggs
(gift to Lethargy, not submitted for contest)

[LilChibiusa]

After spending a while with Zeal and the other inventors, I bet you're feeling rather creative! Draw blueprints for a new invention, and you might win some prizes! You don't have to have any artistic skill to enter this contest, and your design doesn't necessarily have to work in real life. If you would rather write about your invention and how it works, that's also fine. Just have fun and be creative! If you win, you'll receive 100k and The Watchmaker! PM all entries to LilChibiusa. All entries must be your own work, and you must have your entry submitted by 11:59 PM Central on Saturday to be eligible for prizes.

WINNERS
1st - zrofyre
2nd - Lewpy Von Cakes
(Both inventors will receive prizes.)

Voting for Best Invention

zrofyre

Hi there! This is Zro, and I'm submitting my invention / idea.

An Umbrella. Yes, I will invent an umbrella, but not just any old umbrella. This is a survivalist's umbrella.

The main purposes of this umbrella are:
- to supply water
- to supply light
- to perform some basic help / distress locator

To supply water : The shaft of the umbrella shall be a hollow, clean cylinder. Utilizing condensating techniques and principals of balanced chemical stasis, the ribs shall hold a protective, waterproof material, that instead of repelling water, will channel it through the ribs to the shaft. The runner of the umbrella shall be a positionally activated filter, to remove particulate from the collected water. The water shall be stored in the shaft / tube and dispensed out through removal of the handle, wherein a small pressable button shall release the contents.

To supply light ( in regards to survivalist situations / leading the way ) : The open cap of umbrella shall act as a light collection, utilizing materials in the building process to maximize light absorbtion. The top notch shall be a secondary storage of light energy, compacting down and compressing the rays for extended use. When twisted, the tip cup shall activate the light, which shall be redirected back out through the ferrule. ( For advanced design, there shall be stages of the tip cup which will activate differing light sources from the umbrella. One from the ferrule, one from the tips of the ribs, and one from stretchers, depending on your need for light, and desired intensity. )

To perform safety / distress locator functions: When held in a human hand ( bare, no gloves ) the crook handle shall feed off the natural magnetic field of the human, conducting some energy away, and magnetizing the signal. The signal shall be activated by depressing a specified sequence on the spring notches within the shaft / tube. The signal will then activate and run ( through magnetic homing signals ) as long as the crook is in contact with bare skin, or until a cease sequence is input.

( for parts clarification )

Lewpy Von Cakes

Hello there, I am Lewpy and I present to you my invention. I have invented a small robotic machine that could locate your missing objects. Have you ever noticed that no machine has been built to solve your day to day problems about those wretched lost items that you can't find then this robot will help you solve them. It is a small sized [about the size of a 5 year old child] robot which would help you find your lost objects by laser and electromagnetic radiations. First, you would feed the exact size or shape of the object you lost on the computer, or show it's picture to the small camera installed on it's face, then you will feed the locations you suspect they may be present in, then viola! the robot will work it's butt off, to try to find your item. It's lasers will help picking up on item's, which it will feed onto it's memory and will compare it with the information or picture you gave. The electromagnetic radiations that it will send will be caught by your satellite remote which will show you it's current finding's and not only that! it will be a small T.V which will show you each and everything it sees from the camera. It's body is flexible, as in, it can transform according to the obstacle it faces, thank's to it's small size and building block like design.

It will be charged by either, the regular electricity or you could also charge by a solar panel built inside it. The solar panel is built inside the body into small blocks and it will unfold once it comes outside, on a touch of a button located on it's back. And then about it's cleaning. It, somewhat, cleans itself with the help of small fans located on it's nook and crannies which will throw out any dust it contain's inside but, be aware that it's outside should be cleaned by you, just dusting or rubbing it would do the trick.

[LilChibiusa]

Crystalloid, iNk_mAy, Odd Cinderella, wolfves tears, Mademoiselle Alvinette, GreenInkling, Malomy, and Tomoru-chan for doing an amazing job staffing this room


l - Minja - l for doing all of the profile art and decorative art



Princess Angelishia for making all of the banners in this room, and for being such a great Main Host in this ball



Mousse Chocolat and Razumi Yazura for donating so much to this ball, and offering so much creative advice



All of the artists who worked so hard in the art fundraisers that we've had



The patrons who bid or bought the art from the art auctions we've had, and who have been so patient with us during the process


The Wrath Room for coordinating such a fun crossover with the Sloth Room



Admiral Lord Cochran for featuring the ball in the Gaia Online Magazine



Ebony the Peacian for advertising the ball in the Newbie Supporting and Training Guild monthly newsletter


iNk_mAy - For doing the art in the game threads



The wonderful people who did our sig art: GalateasFire for Sloth and Diligence, Kashikoi Kusabana for Fervor, iNk_mAy for Lethargy and Apathy, Platinum Royal for Zeal



All of the unsung heroes working behind the scenes, helping and encouraging us to make this ball the bast one yet


Our guests for making this room a thriving metropolis of roleplaying.

[LilChibiusa]

[LilChibiusa]

(link to the 10th Annual Ball Planning Guild for those who want to be part of the staff next year)

[LilChibiusa]

[LilChibiusa]