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sticksandbones2023-12-01 09:16 am
sticksandbonesmods) wrote in sticksandbones2023-12-01 09:16 am
EVENT 007
EBB AND FLOE
A WINTERFUL LIFE
cw: food scarcity
The December snows roll in heavy, and with it, the fear-monsters and little pranksters that harassed you all month disperse into black mist. Whether they were about to kill you, stalking you, or pulling your hair, as soon as the moon hits its zenith, the beasts are gone. The mists float harmlessly into the air, hopefully to never be seen again. Hopefully.
For now, you’re free. The Forest and the Creature within slumber, as the cold seeps into every corner of the confined space you reside in and beyond. No longer will the entities within the woods try to kill you just for putting a toe past the fog wall. No longer does anybody sense a lingering danger. Finally, the Grove is peaceful. You can only hope it’ll last.
Unfortunately, while no mysterious monsters are working to murder you in cold blood, nothing can be done about the river freezing over, cutting off access to fish, and nothing can be done about the General Store running out of meat. The river’s ice cannot be broken nor melted. The grasses and flowers have shrivelled under the extreme cold; the trees are twiggy and leafless. Mysteriously untouched are the gifts from the Guardians — the blackberry bush on the opposite side of the river and the apple tree on the bank near the school continue to fruit throughout the month. Remember to say “thank you” before you feast from what remains.
At the very least, the General Store has plenty of trail mix, vegetables, and crackers. It’ll be a difficult month — but so far, you’ve endured much worse. Surely a little hunger can’t kill you now?
The December snows roll in heavy, and with it, the fear-monsters and little pranksters that harassed you all month disperse into black mist. Whether they were about to kill you, stalking you, or pulling your hair, as soon as the moon hits its zenith, the beasts are gone. The mists float harmlessly into the air, hopefully to never be seen again. Hopefully.
For now, you’re free. The Forest and the Creature within slumber, as the cold seeps into every corner of the confined space you reside in and beyond. No longer will the entities within the woods try to kill you just for putting a toe past the fog wall. No longer does anybody sense a lingering danger. Finally, the Grove is peaceful. You can only hope it’ll last.
Unfortunately, while no mysterious monsters are working to murder you in cold blood, nothing can be done about the river freezing over, cutting off access to fish, and nothing can be done about the General Store running out of meat. The river’s ice cannot be broken nor melted. The grasses and flowers have shrivelled under the extreme cold; the trees are twiggy and leafless. Mysteriously untouched are the gifts from the Guardians — the blackberry bush on the opposite side of the river and the apple tree on the bank near the school continue to fruit throughout the month. Remember to say “thank you” before you feast from what remains.
At the very least, the General Store has plenty of trail mix, vegetables, and crackers. It’ll be a difficult month — but so far, you’ve endured much worse. Surely a little hunger can’t kill you now?
FREEZE THE DAY
During the day, the cold isn’t that bad. Sure, there’s a foot of snow on the ground and more keeps falling, and sure, snowball fights aren’t exactly fun anymore because your fingers get way too chilly way too quickly — but the sun still shines, and sometimes you can stand out in a sunny spot and feel a whole five degrees warmer than you were a moment ago. It’s tolerable. During the night, however, the temperatures dip well below freezing, and the air is so frigid that it dries your skin out on contact. Frostbite threatens to set in within minutes if you aren’t properly dressed.
Fires are harder to light, too, even if they’re indoors. You’ll find that, should you get one lit, it’ll go out within half an hour. None of the buildings stay warm for very long past night, and though they aren’t completely frozen-over, it’s the least bit uncomfortable for those who aren’t cold-faring to cope with. What is there to do, other than grab as many blankets as possible and make a nest or a fort, or maybe even grab a friend and leech their body heat? They don’t need that, right?
While you’re bothered by the weather, the Shopkeeper, Trader, and the two Guardians present within the Grove are entirely unaffected. Rusty, however, is merely a dog. He’ll help himself to cuddling against you whenever he can, including letting himself into your room at night and getting under the covers while you sleep. He will thank you in the mornings by leaving you a simple gift at your feet: A bone he found outside, because he loves you.
…one has to wonder how he broke in in the first place, though.
Fires are harder to light, too, even if they’re indoors. You’ll find that, should you get one lit, it’ll go out within half an hour. None of the buildings stay warm for very long past night, and though they aren’t completely frozen-over, it’s the least bit uncomfortable for those who aren’t cold-faring to cope with. What is there to do, other than grab as many blankets as possible and make a nest or a fort, or maybe even grab a friend and leech their body heat? They don’t need that, right?
While you’re bothered by the weather, the Shopkeeper, Trader, and the two Guardians present within the Grove are entirely unaffected. Rusty, however, is merely a dog. He’ll help himself to cuddling against you whenever he can, including letting himself into your room at night and getting under the covers while you sleep. He will thank you in the mornings by leaving you a simple gift at your feet: A bone he found outside, because he loves you.
…one has to wonder how he broke in in the first place, though.
PARTING IS SUCH SLEET SORROW
Midway through the month, the snowfall begins to pick up. While the Grove hasn’t quite hit blizzard territory yet, the snow is consistent and unending, especially late at night. On occasion, mixed in with the delicate snowflakes, are tiny golden lights. Should they go untouched and unobstructed, they’ll simply fade away when they flutter to the ground. But should you, say, catch one on your tongue with the other flakes, or have one brush your hand, or purposely try to grab one?
It will float through you, into you, and your mind will be transported elsewhere. To the past, as you were when you were here originally. It is a vision of your past life, of memories long lost, of a “you” that isn’t “you” as you are now. Whether the golden light has you spectating as if you’re seeing yourself on a television screen, or acting the part of the old “you”, that matters little to the vision the golden light wanted to show you. It will end when it wants to end, you see. You could get an hour of a memory, or a single minute, or three whole days. It might have even dragged in another with you, someone nearby who was hit with a ball of light themselves or happened to pass by.
For those of you who have avoided this fate, you get to bear witness to those that are affected — they’re standing stone-still wherever they last touched the golden lights, eyes closed, as if asleep while standing up. You can try to rouse them, but they won’t wake until they’ve fully experienced the memory being shown to them. The best thing to do might be to drag them inside so they aren’t icicles when they come back to reality.
It will float through you, into you, and your mind will be transported elsewhere. To the past, as you were when you were here originally. It is a vision of your past life, of memories long lost, of a “you” that isn’t “you” as you are now. Whether the golden light has you spectating as if you’re seeing yourself on a television screen, or acting the part of the old “you”, that matters little to the vision the golden light wanted to show you. It will end when it wants to end, you see. You could get an hour of a memory, or a single minute, or three whole days. It might have even dragged in another with you, someone nearby who was hit with a ball of light themselves or happened to pass by.
For those of you who have avoided this fate, you get to bear witness to those that are affected — they’re standing stone-still wherever they last touched the golden lights, eyes closed, as if asleep while standing up. You can try to rouse them, but they won’t wake until they’ve fully experienced the memory being shown to them. The best thing to do might be to drag them inside so they aren’t icicles when they come back to reality.
SPARK NOTES
CLICK TO EXPAND!
A WINTERFUL LIFE
The Forest has gone to sleep for the month. Unfortunately, the river is frozen, and it's hard to come across much food, save for what grows upon the Guardians' gift plants by the river. Luckily, the General Store seems to have some sparser amounts of food throughout the month.
FREEZE THE DAY
It's cold outside! Below freezing, actually! And for some reason, heat indoors just doesn't stick. Luckily you can cuddle with friends, in your own nest of blankets, or with Rusty, who is somehow breaking into everybody's bedrooms even if you've locked all your doors and windows. Hello, hi, he loves you and he is cold.
PARTING IS SUCH SLEET SORROW
Golden lights fall amidst the snowflakes. If you come into contact with one, you'll close your eyes and dream of your past life within the Grove. You might even unwillingly pull someone else in with you.
OOC
Y'all how is it already December. If you'd like to plot with people for this event, head over to OOC plotting. Reminder that AC for the month of December is check-in only, which means that if you're not feelin' it you can simply put in a "hi I still go here" comment and exit for the rest of the month. It's the holiday season, after all, so we don't expect you to give up family time for our silly little game. Regular AC will resume in January, and that will also be when our next TDM occurs. Happy holidays!
UPDATES
❖ None yet!
no subject
[There's a difference here, and he knows which one Vash is leaning on.
...he is right though. Stupid is usually what Vash does, and one who knows Wolfwood might look at him heading into the unknown and consider it to be out of character. After all, Wolfwood knows when to quit. When it's time to hit the bricks.
But this is different. He does not like the way this place feels, and he simply does not want to be here. Sometimes it's as simple as that.]
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[His expression sobers, just a little. He looks from Wolfwood out into the expanse of woods. He can't say he doesn't know how the other man is feeling. Maybe it's the greenery and cold, but being here feels wrong. But also...]
If you go runnin' off without me, I'll have no one to talk to about home. No one's gonna get my funny little stories about No Man's Land. And besides, if you're not here, who's gonna stop me from causing trouble!
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[Can't you say that about anything? About home? There's not a single stretch of that deserted wasteland that could be considered safe, so that hasn't really stopped him before. Either of them, for that matter. Yet, Vash is acting...exactly as Wolfwood expects.
He pulls his cig from his mouth, ashing it onto the snow.]
And you just believe what these people are telling you? Are you planning on just staying here?
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This is new. This is unknowable, given everything. And so Vash feels a deep level of trepidation at the mere idea of going into the woods they've been warned about.]
Maybe not those native to this place. But we're not the only transplants.
[He squints, then takes off his glasses. He scrubs the surface on a sleeve, wiping away some of the droplets of water.]
They don't have a reason to lie to us, Wolfwood.
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He puts the cig back into his mouth, smoke trailing up into the canopy of trees just ahead of them.]
The only reason I'm still here is because of your dumb ass. Like you said, you'd probably have already gotten yourself killed by now otherwise.
[His words trail off with a grunt, as he pivots and jams the Punisher into the snow. It stands rigid, given how deep the ice has become.
Only then does he finally look at Vash directly, gaze narrowed.]
But you have to feel it too. Something's up with this place.
[He's still thinking about it. The tapestry in his room. The body by the window. It all felt deliberate, and it makes him want to split before it gets worse than it already is.]
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[He tries to keep things light. He fails, miserably, of course. How can he not, when that foreboding air lingers over them. He knows exactly what Wolfwood is talking about. He’s felt it since he arrived in this world, just as Wolfwood says he has. But when has he ever let a sobering thought linger? He knows the undertaker has been turning the thought over and over in his head, just like Vash has.
Right now, they both need a little laugh.]
You mean aside from the snow and cold? Have you noticed that you can see your breath when you talk? Watch this!
[He breathes out, making a big show of it. He tries to shake his head and flail like a dragon might. It’s ridiculous, but hopefully it’ll keep them both from dwelling on this path. There’s only so much they can do right now, especially if what’s been said about the woods is to be believed.
He gets cold quick enough, though, and quickly shoves his bare hand back into his pocket. His expression does sober, just a little. Joking, and his desire to keep things light aside, he also doesn’t want Wolfwood to feel isolated, either.
Ever the balancing act.]
But no. I know how you feel… When I woke up here I saw… [He shakes his head.] Nothing. It’s all just been weird.
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Wolfwood just sort of watches Vash's display, resisting the urge to light up a second cigarette already because he knows that his supply of them is limited. Vash has been like this from the second they met, and sometimes he genuinely wonders why Nai ever felt the need to lure Vash into a trap in the first place. It seems to him like it would be just as easy to ask Vash to come and he would do so willingly, but...he knows that's simply not how Millions Knives works.]
I've noticed.
[He rumbles afterward, lifting up a hand to cup it around the end of his cig when the wind suddenly picks up to keep the smoldering tip from going out.
Even with his shades obscuring his eyes, his brows still lift knowingly when Vash says he "saw" something, but then cuts himself off. Yeah, no, bullshit you didn't see anything...which he almost calls him out on, but decides to simply file that away for later, for now. It might come up at some point, but right now? Vash isn't going to be tricked into spilling his guts, just as much as Wolfwood doesn't want to think about what he saw.]
More than weird, blondie. I just feel like maybe we should do something that isn't sitting on our asses waiting for shit to go bad.
[Not that...going into the spooky woods is probably the answer, buuut.]
no subject
He knows how Wolfwood feels. Sitting idle is a bad idea, especially when Vash the Stampede has just rolled into town. If the town wasn't already dangerous, it would surely be in danger now that he was here. The best thing he could do, for anyone, would be to leave.
Which is why he fully sobers himself up. The mirthful light in his eyes stops dancing, and his lifted brows lower. His head remains tilted almost playfully, but it's more to point the way than anything.]
Then let's go. You and me. [What's another leap into the unknown with Nicholas D. Wolfwood. At least this time Vash could almost be certain that Wolfwood wasn't trying to drag him into a trap. He's long since seen through that ruse, and he's pretty sure he can manage it again.]
no subject
So now he looks at Vash warily, like he's wondering if he actually means they're going to leave, or if he's just calling his bluff.]
...really?
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Vash glances toward the heart of the town. His eyes close for just a moment, long enough to see the faintest flash of Jeneora Rock behind them. He knows what happens if he stays too long. And if the town was filled with well-meaning people, they deserved then whatever curveball fate would throw their way.]
Yeah. Folks like me shouldn't linger anyway. So let's go.
[Vash doesn't wait for a response. He takes the first step into the woods.]
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But he also knows Vash doesn't care about those things. It's the chance that he could help someone that he's banking on. Everything else takes a backseat.
So, Wolfwood sighs. Okay, looks like they are doing this then, and since he has absolutely zero attachments to this town or its people (especially since he's likely had mostly negative interactions by this point rip), he tosses his cig onto the snow and crushes it underfoot.
He decides to keep quiet and simply follows in Vash's footsteps.]
no subject
The trees are twisted things, more like coiled up beasts trying to hide from the cold than the proud beings of nature that they should be. Bare branches look more like bones and claws than anything, and there is a distinct feeling that they are not alone, it's just that whatever is there is simply... sleeping.
Best stay quiet, don't you think?
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Immediately, he reaches for the holster at his thigh. He doesn't pull the gun out, but he keeps his hand close. His body instinctively shies closer to Wolfwood as well. He's seen the Punisher in action, but that doesn't mean he's going to his companion to deal with whatever on his own.
If given the choice, Vash will throw himself in front of any danger. The decision to delve forward had been his own, in the end. He'll be the one to take point, stepping further between the trees. Each crunch of his boot within the snow makes him uneasy, but forward he goes.
Eventually he works up the nerve to stretch a hand outward. His fingers trace over the bark of a tree. They feel malevolent in the pressing darkness. If he can prove to what he's sure is his racing mind that it's all in his head, he'll feel better, right?]
no subject
That said, that doesn’t mean Wolfwood’s grip isn’t right on one of the belts he uses to hold up his cross, currently still bound as it is when he travels. He’s mastered the art of freeing it from its bonds within seconds, assuming that unseen threat ever comes.
He watches as Vash touches one of the trees, a pit forming in his stomach. Again, when you’ve never seen trees before, especially not an entire forest…it’s more than a little foreboding.
His grip tightens, the leather strap groaning in his fist, yet Wolfwood stays his hand and his tongue as they press forward. For now.]
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So much for staying quiet.]
Shit - Shit. [His head whips around to Wolfwood. He holds out a hand in an attempt to ward him off, even as he tries to catch his breath. The ice in the air burns at his lungs.] Don't - touch the trees, yeah?
[He tries to smile. It fails miserably.]
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He doesn't have to ask. When Vash croaks "don't touch the trees", he can only assume this place made him see something. That seems to be a theme with it so far, showing you visions of awful things. It's his favorite.]
Tch.
[He click his tongue harshly, turning to look behind them. They've barely gone that far in, yet...he can't see the town anymore. How did they get away from it that quickly?]
Right. Let's just keep moving.
[Wolfwood, in contrast, is not going to touch the trees like Vash. He IS keeping his eyes peeled though, trying to survey every inch of their surroundings as they make their way.
One of his least favorite things is feeling like he's being watched. Kindof gets that way when you've lived like that your entire life.]
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Yeah. Keep movin' forward. Got it.
[He moves forward once more, much more wary of the branches and brambles that seem to reach out for them now. His movements are much slower, leaving Wolfwood ample opportunity to take point now, if he so wishes.]
no subject
Note to self: do not touch the fucking trees.
Since Vash is lagging a bit, Wolfwood will take the opportunity to push forward ahead of him. He doesn't go far, but right now he's actively searching for oddities in the forest. Any breaks into clearings, that "fog wall" they were warned about, something that may indicate they're making actual progress and not just walking in circles. Every so often he'll scuff his shoe across the snow, kicking it away from the ground to see if there's anything hidden that might clue him in to exactly what these woods are about, but honestly he's just expecting undergrowth and nothing more.]
no subject
But it's well enough aways that you won't have to worry about it just yet. Perhaps more pressingly, is the smell of copper.
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The smell isn't lost on him, though. And as soon as he's confident that nothing is presently following him, he turns forward once more. This is, unfortunately, where his need to care for others gets the better of him. He starts to press on a bit more urgently, goading Wolfwood even as he does.]
We need to hurry. Someone's hurt out here.
[Already, he's checking around trees as they pass them, as if he might find an injured person slumped against the nightmare boughs.]
no subject
Oi, needle-noggin-!!
[Bro if you get separated from him he will feel no remorse in leaving your ass to die (this is a lie he feels so much all the time). He kicks up a little snow in his haste to follow now, readjusting his grip on the cross to keep it from dropping too low and getting stuck in a snowbank as he passes. He can smell it too, the telltale coppery tang of blood, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything, he thinks. It could be a dead animal, or even something else rotting in the woods.
But then again, wouldn't the snow mask something like that? Maybe he's not familiar enough with natural snow and ice to know, but it seems like the sub-zero temperatures would do well to preserve a body out here.
Which means, while Vash is busy looking at the trees, Wolfwood is- what else- still scuffing at the snow every so often while he jogs to keep up with Vash. Not that he expects they'll find anything, but there's no turning this guy around once he gets started.]
cw: dead teen, plant based body horror
It's just that the largest one of all seem's to be growing out of someone's chest as they lay on the ground. The girl can't be any older than sixteen, dull blue eyes wide as she stares at the sky above- she had been shocked, before the agony set in and what tears she could cry in her final breaths stain the sides of her face. She's long since gone cold, and only something in the air keeps her as well-preserved yet untouched by the frost as she is now. And now that you're a little closer, it's easy to see... the roses from the bush this girl holds are supposed to be white.
Several smaller bushes are present in a circle around her.
cw: dead teen, plant based body horror
As it stands, his hands remain hovering in the air. He looks down at the horror beneath him and feels heat prickle behind his eyes. He had no idea who she is, but he doesn't need to. Whoever she was, she didn't deserve something like this.
All he can do right now is reach out. The tips of his fingers touch her cheek at first, then shift upward to at least close her eyes.]
Wolfwood - [What does he want to say. What can he say?] We need to go back. We should - they... [He grits his teeth. He can't lose it now. He doesn't deserve to cry.]
Someone might know her. We should bring her back to town.
blanket cw for dead teen, plant based body horror for the rest of this thread probs
ww; 1. v; 3
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cw: breaking bones, drug use??
Re: cw: breaking bones, drug use??
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