sticksandbones | EVENT & TDM 036

Entry tags:

!event,
!tdm

EVENT & TDM 036

WAKE UP

Whatever you were doing, something doesn’t add up. For starters, you were most certainly not in this strange little village with a mishmash of cultures and strange animals everywhere. You might have been holding your weapon, yes, but maybe you weren’t- maybe you don’t even have one, and the heavy wooden beam or old pipe in your hands is foreign entirely. But as you stop to think, you also realize you were mid-swing, and someone stands before you; another fresh face being urged by whispers untraceable to fight? Or one of the villagers, alarmed and primed to defend themselves before your time seemed to stop and your mind awoke?

Even stranger, once you get that sorted out, is that the wildlife- all animals mixed with plants- are all nervous at best, actively frightened by something unseen at worst. Squirrels whose tails resemble hyacinths more than fluff and fur run through the trees chittering and shrieking, foxes and dogs with reeds and leaves and petals gently growing from their haunches bolt from place to place, alert and stanced for an attack before running off again. Getting too close to a warren may lead to something biting down on your feet.

Should you journey the distance to the beach- or use the Ark gate generously provided- even the Emerald Sea churns and roars violently, the cliffside whirlpool practically a hurricane beneath the sea. Something is amiss in Aldric’s Grove, and you are only the latest victims.

A LANTERN IN THE HANGING TREE

There’s something that wasn’t there before, one day. A dark, gnarled tree with a gaping hole in it- except the hole is pitch black, and a barrier stops you from entering despite the opening being large enough to walk into. Hanging from the almost-bare boughs are metal lanterns, all of them unable to be lit. As fog rolls in, so too does poor weather. It’s almost always raining, if not outright storming. Sometimes it lets up, but not for long.

The fog brings something else though. Golden lights wait in the fog, and approaching them sounds… incredible, actually? They do not move or give chase, but you may find them unavoidable regardless. Walking into the lights brings you to a memory, a scene from someone’s life… but not your own.

As it finishes, you might be where you’d just been standing, but there’s a slim chance you now stand before the owner of the memory; as if you’d walked there in a daze while lost in thoughts that aren’t your own.

With each light met by a villager, a lantern in the tree lights.

GUIDING BONDS IN THE DARK

It’s dark. It’s painfully dark even though your eyes are wide open. As you fumble around, hands outstretched for anything at all, your fingers catch on a metal curve. Instinctively, you slip it on your wrist- and as your sight returns, emotions that aren’t yours slip into your heart and mind. You aren’t alone, but maybe you will wish you were. A silver chain connects the bracelet on your wrist with your companion’s own before vanishing again, and if you try to put more than six feet of space between each other an invisible tug between you stops you. Removing the bracelet blinds you again, but if given the opportunity, wearing more than one overwhelms your mind to the point that you may as well be wearing none at all. Your powers are null, your weapons are not with you. The two of you are alone.

You find yourselves in a dark cavern of dirt and root. High above, a silvery blue light shines.You can hear rain hitting leaves and bark, water trickling down roots. Should you try to climb up, the roots shake you off themselves. Behind you is a solid wall. Ahead of you is a path to take, twisting and winding with ever shifting false routes and a chill in the air. There’s only one way forward.

As you traverse the labyrinth it will quickly become clear you aren’t alone. Something trudges through the caverns with heavy feet, stalking everyone within. Unlucky travelers will find themselves cornered by a minotaur looming over them, ready to fight and give chase- but it can be distracted by other travelers, or killed… temporarily, and it will come back with a vengeance.

Even outside of the minotaur there are other threats however. As you go from hall to room to hall, familiar scents and sounds creep in, all meant to invoke something you dread. Soon enough those scents and sounds will take shape, hunting you down just as fervently as the bull. Lingering in any space for too long also incites rising temperaments and lower inhibitions that you may struggle to shake off. Why would you? Smacking your partner for being a coward is so much more enticing. … Not just a smack. After all, about half-way through, when monsters born of your memories start to haunt the labyrinth too, you found your weapons, after all.

Your goal is to get to the center of the maze, while the maze wants to crush you with the minotaur, with memories of fear and regret, with its own rush of root and dirt while your emotions feed into each other, crashing against each other’s minds like ocean waves against a cliff. And should it succeed, should air leave your lungs one last time, you will not awaken in the Garden. This is a game, after all. No, as your companions filter into the center two by two, they will find you just barely breathing, strung up from the root, and the roots strung up in you. Plants grow from your flesh and blood, squeeze your lungs and heart. They may fade in a couple days, or you may well be corrupted by the Fallen Sun’s touch. You frame a single opening in the dreariness, but the sound of rain is louder than ever.

Little by little you make your way through, exiting from the gnarled tree strung in lanterns. The bracelets drop from your wrists and crumble to pieces. You’re free.

SOMBER RAINY MORNINGS

It’s been a trying month, and the rain does not stop. The lights do not dim, the lanterns in the tree do not flicker. All you can do is try to cope, in whatever way you can. And when something tugs at your mind again and the scent of dirt floods your nose, something roars in the distance.

The clouds in the sky are cut in half as a serpent made of the cosmos flies above, an iridescent rain falling from its body. Those corrupted in death will find themselves trying to avoid it, for its waters purify the rot in their bodies. Others may simply enjoy the warm beauty as the world seems to settle into a calm. The lantern tree seems to bloom and heal before vanishing into a flurry of petals, leaving only a few broken lanterns behind on the ground. Nene, the girl with flowers growing from her hair picks one up with a far-off gaze before returning to her cottage, leaving the rest behind.

Flowers begin to spring to life, embracing the warmer days of summer in the wake of spring, and gradually the wildlife begins to calm down.

For the first time in weeks, a sunny day awaits and the sky is stained with rainbows.

Spark Notes (Click to Expand)

summary

WAKE UP: New arrivals in Aldric's Grove arrive holding weapons, covered in blood, and most likely pointing them at someone. Surprise! On top of that, all the animals are on edge, and some might attack you if you agitate them or get too close.
A LANTERN IN THE HANGING TREE: A tree appears one day with hanging lanterns. Getting close to a golden light means that memories of others will enter your mind, and with each person who touches a light, a lantern on the tree lights.
GUIDING BONDS IN THE DARK: Within the labyrinth, everyone is connected by a bracelet and are therefore sharing emotions. Getting more than six feet apart will stop you from moving further forward, but without a bracelet, you'll be fully blinded in the maze. Your weapons and magical powers aren't with you, and threats loom around every corner.
SOMBER RAINY MORNINGS: To potentially cure the Corruption that some characters may have endured by dying in the labyrinth, the Cosmic Serpent rises from the sea to spew purifying rains across the Grove. Flowers bloom where the corrupted ground was healed, and you're given a break - for now.

out of character

Happy May! This is a reminder that TDMs are game canon. Current players in the game may redeem TDM AC this month (meaning: if you tag a new player/character and the thread reaches 5 comments from you, your AC is that entire thread for the month if you want). We'll find a better way to clarify this rule in the future and we're sorry for anyone it's confused in the past. Have fun with the event!

updates

Any potential updates, such as characters damaging something important or whatever else, will be put here.

submissions

❖ Questions
❖ May Plotting
❖ Past Life Plotting (Closed to Game Members)
❖ Investigations

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[Mydei raised a brow, watching her closly. He had never shied away from her and had always been vocal in his desire to help her when it came to any physical touch that she craved. She rarely, if ever, took him up on the offer.

So when she reached out towards him, the confusion only lasted a few seconds before he was lowering his arms and reaching out to her as well.

Death was such a fleeting thing; he was fine in gifting her one to give her comfort.]

Is that so?

[He wasn't sure what there was to cherish. Era Nova was just over a cliff, some of their friends were dead, and now they were taken out of the battle and placed... here.]

I will definitely not tell you otherwise, of course. Your smile is enough evidence of that.

[Once, she had been terrified of accepting his offer. Even if there was little that could properly fell Mydei, she had always doubted if she would stand to be an exception. Fighting back from the Sea of Souls was one thing, but doing so when it was her hands that submerged him there? She'd always had her doubts.

And she would never be able to forgive herself if she extinguished one of the few people that made her feel normal.

That worry is gone, now. And while it may not be direct skin to skin contact, the weight of Mydei's touch is all she can think about. She'd held herself away from it so long. The effort was surely worth it for this.]

Do you not feel the same, Lord Mydei? [Gingerly, her fingers curl around the metal covering his fingers. A ginger squeeze is offered, as if she could ever truly do harm to him.] Everything is finally over.

[His mouth opened, ready to respond to her. He had always felt the cold hand of Thanatos when Castorice was near. It was like a creeping reminder of his time in the Sea, as if it were trying to beckon him back into its waters. Even without touching her, just standing next to her was enough for that feeling to surface.

But not now.

Mydei closed his mouth, letting his gaze drop down to their hands. He slowly entwined their fingers until his much larger hand engulfed her own.

Warmth.]

... Castorice.

[He let his gaze linge for a moment longer on their hands before looking at her face.]

Your touch, is it not affected by Death anymore?

[Even in the tiny existence that had been eked out for them, she had not yet had the chance to savor a moment like this. Some part of her marvels over how much larger Mydei's hand is than hers. There are so many sensations she's been unable to experience, and being dwarfed like this is one of them.

Lost as she is within the thought, she almost doesn't process his words. Almost. With them, though, comes a chill that feels almost eerily familiar. It isn't quite like the grip of death that she was familiar with, but it felt nearly as foreboding as it might.]

What do you mean...? [A lot had happened since the fall of Irontomb, but surely this revelation was large enough to have stuck with him. Unless...]

Lord Mydeimos... What is the last thing you remember, before arriving here?

[Mydei frowned, though he did not tear his gaze from her. Nor did he move away. He remained exactly where he was, standing over her with her hand in his. His gauntlets were sharp, so he was careful as he cradled her hands, being so gentle despite how his hands had always been weapons.]

We arrived at Dawn Cloud, the Deliverer and the Trailblazer rushing back to Ohkema to complete the trial for Worldbearing while I stalled Flame Reaver and the Black Tide from following.

[It has always been a curious thing for Castorice, the way a person's touch often failed to align with their demeanor. Aglaea, for all the delicacy of her tailoring, possessed a brutal touch when needed. And now Mydei, despite a life of war made manifest, held her like something fragile.

Her only wish, really, was to be able to savor it all the more. It's a wish that ultimately falls flat, considering the revelation he lays at her feet. Even if she doesn't pull away, a dull chill casts itself over the otherwise warm moment.]

... How strange. [She tries her best to put it lightly. There was so much that Mydei did not know. Millions upon millions of cycles he did not bear the weight of.] That feels like so very long ago for me.

[He didn't need to be some kind of genius to know that something was wrong.

It was written on her face. The way her eyes dropped, unable to meet his own for a moment after he spoke. There was something she knew that he didn't, and her own words only amplified his own confusion.]

... What do you mean?

[A pit begins to form in Castorice's stomach. The fact that he did not know, likely could not begin to fathom the truth, sets uneasily upon her shoulders. Lying to him seemed impossible, but to be honest about what followed after their arrival at Dawn Cloud seemed outright unconscionable.

Fitfully, her fingers began to knit together and pull apart. The longer her silence went on, the worse it would only get. It wasn't as if the right answer would fall upon her lap, either.

In the end, her mind drifts to the children of Okhema. She considers the way news of death and tragedy was delivered to young ears. An ounce of truth, wrapped within a white lie. It was no different than masking the taste of medicine beneath a scoop of sugar.]

I come from tomorrow. [A vague answer, but the right one, considering.] From the end of the west wind, where flowers bloom in spring.

[Castorice, what in the world does this even mean.

He stares at her for some time,Brown dropped down to her hands. You could see the gears turning in his head, with the way his brows furrowed and the deep frown that settled on his features.

He knew that ever since she took on the authority of Death, Castorice was bound to that realm. But... That was obviously not what she was saying.]

Tomorrow... You came from Era Nova? You saw the end to all of this madness?

[Okay, maybe it was a touch too poetic, too over-dramatic for the moment. But put under pressure to find the right answer before causing more concern, what else could she do? Being exasperated over her choice of words was still a better outcome then having to deal with the gravity of what was to come.

At least he would know that at the end of it all, it would have been worth it.]

I did. [Once again, she finds herself hedging, trying to pick the right words as to avoid his suspicion or concern. As she thinks, her hands tighten around his once more.] It... will be a long journey yet, but I can promise you that it will end well.

[... Well enough, at least. They were not without their wounds, nor their losses. But it was still something.]

[He was silent for a while, absorbing what her words.

An end... A real end to everything.

That meant that Phainon had succeed.

That every sacrifice, every death, every horror that they experience was worth it.

That he didn't succumb to the Tide's madness; that he changed the fate of Strife.

That Phainon became the dawn, and they had all managed to finally see a tomorrow.

Without another word, he took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. He lifted her up into the air, holding her against his chest to make sure she wouldn't fall as she spun her around. A large, genuinely happy laugh bubbling out of him.]

[Of all the reactions she might have predicted, this was likely the most unexpected. While Mydei's touch is not unwelcome, and while she knows she will not hurt him in that way ever again, it's still surprising to feel his arms around her. What's more surprising is the way she suddenly becomes weightless, then almost dizzied as he lifts her up.]

L-Lord Mydei -?

[But just as the confusion threatens to disrupt the moment his laughter finally registers within her ears. At first, a tender smile splits her lips — oh, how Mydei deserved to be able to laugh like that — but it's swiftly broken by a delighted laugh of her own. She wraps her arms around his shoulders, sharing in the joy for a few precious moments.

Yes, some part of her did mourn what Mydei would still have to go through. But she could at least cherish this moment for what it was worth, for now.]

... I am so glad to hear your laughter.

[It was a rare sound, certainly.

He was never opposed to expressing himself when needed, but with everything that was going on, laughter was the last thing on his mind.

He stopped spinning Castorice, though he did not lower her, and instead adjusted his grip on her waist to make sure his gauntlets weren't digging into her.

Mydei looked up at her, his smile still lingering on his face despite the laughter now dying down. The joy of the news she had given him would be forever etched into the hard lines of his face.

Yes, he would still have to work towards Era Nova, but now there was a light at the end.]

I hope it will not be as rare anymore.

[This is a sight that few have been able to witness, Castorice realizes. In the back of her mind, she wonders how she might put a pen to the sight, to commit it to the annals of history with a poem.

Like dawn cuts the night, his smile blooms. That might be an adequate start.

Lost in thought and largely unable to help herself, Castorice's hand shifts. She traces the lines that lingered, the space where his smile had once been. It is, perhaps, a bit of an intimate touch, all things considered. But for one so deprived of both touch and joy, she hopes that Mydei will find it in himself to forgive her.

Even if she does look sheepish as she catches herself.]

I... hope so too. You deserve many more smiles, Lord Mydeimos.

[Cute.

It was usually only when Phainon or Krateros that he stilled his tongue long enough to think of a proper response. Castorice had never given him such pause before, and he had to wonder why that was right now.

Perhaps it was because of her words.

What he deserved.

He would not let those thoughts linger. Not now.

Instead, he turns his head to catch her palm with a kiss from his lips as he finally sets her down on her feet.]

And you have no more excuses to not take up my offer for hugs.

[As Mydei tilts his head, as his lips press against her skin, Castorice finds she almost feels dizzy. Her heart beats unevenly with something she has never felt before. Though, when she considers it, perhaps never let herself feel it. Cycle after cycle, recurrence after recurrence, her curse had prevented her from even daring to think about such endeavors. They would only ever end in tragedy, after all.

She hardly realizes how warm her cheeks have become until she is on her feet, and she must take proper stock of her senses. It's a small miracle that she does not stumble straight into Mydei. She might never be able to forgive herself such an intrusion.]

I - [Her voice sounds feeble and stricken. How humiliating. She steels herself all the more.] Suppose I do not.

[Despite not having a curse that made it impossible to touch others, Mydei still kept his distance from people. It was rare that he got close to anyone, especially after the Detachment had arrived in Ohkema.

He had watched his friends die one by one, being unable to protect them.

His purpose was to protect his people, to save them — he failed at that purpose at every turn.

But the Heirs had become precious to him, and despite how he put up those walls, they had all climbed over them to stand by his side, and he wanted to make them proud. Or maybe he just wanted someone, anyone to be proud of him; to know that he could be there for them, to save them and protect them like he was supposed to.

So, a new purpose to add to the myriad of others: ensure that Castorice's smile never falters.]

Good. [He was careful with his gauntlet as he brushed his thumb across her cheek.] I figured you aren't able to give me details, but is this Era Nova of ours... Is it worth it?

[Not entirely dissimilar to a cat, Castorice's head leans into Mydei's touch. As she does, her heart once again flops unsteadily. Despite the fact that Cyrene and the Trailblazer had written away her curse, given their duty, there had been little time for her to truly explore what it meant. What physical interaction she had experienced had been limited to those that she considered family.

Mydei was different. Beloved, but in a different way. And so when his hand, even clad in armor as it is, brushes over her skin, an entirely new sensation erupts from within her heart. Warm, but not unpleasant. It begs her to reciprocate, and so she does, laying her hands against his shoulders and then fanning down over the span of his biceps.

Perhaps.... there were more benefits to being eased of her burden than she might have thought. She keeps that thought held close as her eyes close, thoughtful as she ponders Mydei's question.]

I believe so. [Even knowing all that she did, after having borne 33 million cycles and untold years of suffering, she believed it to be true. And if she knew Mydei as well as she thought, then the fact that Phainon had been freed from that level of suffering would certainly be worth it in his eyes.] In the end, we all found happiness, and hope.

There is not much more that any of us could ask for.

No, I suppose not.

[He couldn't imagine what that even looked like.

After a life so full of nothing but death, Mydei couldn't picture what his life would look like when that would no longer be the case.

It made his chest ache with longing. The promised Era Nova, the dawn that they had all been seeking... it was within reach.]

Does the Deliverer know he succeeded?

[He was also not going to comment on the fact that she just half groped his bicep. Do it again, girl, he's fine with it.]

[Perhaps Mydei will be lucky. Even if Castorice has to change up the language, to muddle some details, she already dreams of writing poems of the life they had begun to lead. Even if she has no idea how to break the truth to them, or if it's even her role to do so, she wants to at least give them hope for the sunrise that would follow that bleak night.

But those are thoughts for later. The question he asks now makes her smile. It is a good thing that she had come across Phainon since then, and even better to know that Mydei, too, knew of his presence. He had been so desperate to find Phainon when they'd first arrived, after all.

But again, she's getting distracted.

She nods, even as her hands continue to wander of their own volition. She'll be embarrassed about it later, when she's alone with her many, many thoughts.]

I admit that the circumstances in which he discovered the truth were... less than ideal. [She has to hope Mydei doesn't ask about that.] But he knows now, yes.

[Don't worry, Cas. You're not the first person to feel him up, and you're definitely not going to be the last.

Mydei hums softly in acknowledgment of her words, though he takes a moment to think.

Phainon, for as long as Mydei had known him, had always put the Flame-Chase and the Heirs above himself. So... perhaps, now with the knowledge of success, he can start living for himself.

At least, while they were here.

And perhaps, once they return and complete Era Nova, he would continue to do so.]

Thank you, Castorice. [He leans forward, pressing another kiss to her forehead.] This is a gift that you have given him. Us.

[Does she get a little dizzy at that tender kiss?

Absolutely she does, who do you think she is? Perhaps for a few seconds, Mydei might even feel it, the way she has to put just a little more pressure on his arms in order to keep her balance.

If not, it might be obvious in the way her face alights.]

I - [What were they saying? Pull yourself together girl.] It is the least I can do. You both fought hard for it. It is only fair that I tell you that your efforts paid off.

[Phainon in particular, for that matter.]

[He does, in fact, notice. He lets his hands move to her waist, sliding along her lower back to keep her from falling over. He won't touch more than that, though. More than that involves consent and a discussion on boundaries.

Which... perhaps he should do anyway.

He sort of just started touching her without her permission.

Mydeimos, were are your manners?]

You fought hard for it, too. We all have.

[She had fought hard for a future like this. But never in her wildest dreams could she imagine the direction it would take. That included the hands of Lord Mydeimos, settled around her waist like some sort of delicate, lovelorn maiden worth clutching close.

That feels like it's come out of one of her own poems. One that was never supposed to involve her.

She swallows.]

You are right, I have. This is a result of all of our efforts. [Well...] Or, back home, was. Here is -

[She winces, the memories from just a few moments prior bubbling up within her mind.]

Here is quite different.

[Mydei doesn't release her. He isn't sure whether he was reading the situation correctly. She seemed like she was swaying on her feet, or perhaps the prolonged physical contact was more than she could stand currently.

It would make sense if that were the case.

Over a thousand years of being unable to touch anyone, or just being close to someone...

It would make sense that it was overwhelming.]

We'll get home again.

[Mydei finally removed his hands from around Castorice and took a step back. Enough to give her some semblece of personal space again.]

We didn't go through all we did not to be able to enjoy Era Nova.

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