EVENT & TDM 008

[sticksandbonesmods]

LET IT GO

WAKE UP

It’s strange, how as the dawn of a new day finally arrives, coinciding with the howling winds dying out, classic, adorable snowmen seem to have popped up all over the Grove overnight. The fog wall has yet to surround the barren remains of a town that once was, but it’s visible once more in the great distance.

Not that you can see it immediately. Something covers your eyes, and you can feel something heavy and frigid wrapped all around you. As you struggle more and more, the crunch of snow echoes through your ears as you step free- and when you turn back to examine their prison, you’ll realize one of the snowmen was you.

Meanwhile, old residents will get to deal with more and more people popping out of snowmen like daisies, and must remember that this is just their life now. It’s just another day in Aldric’s Grove.

Though, maybe you ought to help them before frostbite sets in.

MIRROR, MIRROR

The quiet couldn’t last forever. You should have known that something would happen, especially with the fog beginning to make itself known again. And this time, it’s something quiet. As you wake up one morning, there is a mirror on your nightstand — it’s silver and round, able to fit comfortably in your hand and wreathed in crystalline snowflakes.

And as you look into it, your reflection twists into something still undeniably you, but… have you a temper problem? Too many lies? A sadistic sense of humor? All of your worst traits are dragged out and reflected on the mirror, and no matter what, it keeps ending up wherever you are — and whoever else looks into the mirror will see this awful, terrible you, too. All of your worst characteristics, all the things you try to hide, unable to be hidden.

Maybe you keep trying to hide it. Maybe you let it stay wherever it keeps turning up, following you like a particularly terrible walking salesman, or maybe you break it. Regardless, nothing seems to happen… for now.

WITH SHARDS OF ICE

“For now”.

Late into the night, everyone wakes up to a sudden, terrible chill. When you open your eyes, you’ll find that you aren’t in your inn room or home, but instead within a giant castle made of ice. It must be a ballroom of some sort, a grand hall glittering in the moonlight — but looking out the window shows that the world beyond the castle is but a frozen wasteland of more blizzards and nothing else. Though you’ve been granted some of your gear — weapons and some supplies, and coats if you’re lucky — you’ll find that the temperature is dropping steadily, while something approaches…

Peek out the door to the main hall and you’ll see what’s coming so noisily. An army’s worth of hallowed ice knights with all sorts of weapons are marching to the door, intent on slaying the intruders. Should they get close, they’ll attack; should they land the killing blow, you’ll instantly freeze into a solid block and shatter.

And if you broke the mirror that haunted you? On top of all of this, you can feel yourself gradually growing colder, physically and emotionally, and your magic, if you have it, takes on an icy flair that you may find difficult to control. Maybe it's your feet that start to turn to ice first — maybe it's your fingertips. But as the night goes on, you’ll steadily freeze solid, and like any fairy tale, only an act of true love could possibly save you. Good luck figuring out what that actually means. True love’s kiss? A genuine compliment? A hug? What could possibly save you from your fate?

Those of you who survive until morning, who don’t become solid statues of ice or die within the castle’s walls, will be lucky enough to witness the sun coming up through narrow windows the size of your forearm. All around you, the castle starts to melt, dripping freezing water onto your head. For as much as you try to run before you, presumably, drown terribly…

…your eyes will close, and you’ll wake up in your bed, drenched.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE FRESH SNOW

The morning after that dreadful night, things… settle, again. Aldric’s Grove is quiet, and clear sunlight glistens across the snowy plaza and radiates off of frosted trees. Even now, the apple tree and blackberry bushes are unfazed by the cold, though the fruit may taste crisper and chillier than usual. Those that died within the castle return to life, feeling colder than normal for the rest of the day, but there seems to be no lasting damage. And, everyone who participated in the castle “game” receives a mysterious gift: A wooden coin with a sigil on it, resembling a clock with backwards hands behind a shield, attached to frosted pinecones, red berries and sprigs of mistletoe. It feels warm and protective.

You go outside. It’s been some time since anyone’s seen anything from the woods, let alone something that doesn’t want them dead — so imagine one’s surprise when a small family of deer can be seen walking amongst the trees. Birds alight to the branches on rare moments, and it’s surely a sign of something, that life has begun to return to the forest despite the deep snow and deeper chill.

Never mind that one of the deer has an extra set of antlers and another has three eyes. Never mind that the birds sound like people. Never mind that the rabbits have blood on their maws.

It’s just another day in Aldric’s Grove.

SPARK NOTES

CLICK TO EXPAND!

WAKE UP

Good day, new arrivals! You are now a snowman. Hopefully people who have been here a bit longer are willing to give you a blanket or ten.

MIRROR, MIRROR

A mirror appears and starts following you around, reflecting what you think are your worst traits or worst version of yourself is. Other people can look into it and see the awful you, too. You can break it and it'll leave you alone, or you can let it stalk you all month.

WITH SHARDS OF ICE

Welcome to the ice castle! It's cold, but you have your stuff with you, and it's not unlivable. Well, until the frozen army of knights starts marching in with the intent to kill everyone inside, anyway. One lethal hit from them will make you shatter into pieces. For those of you who broke your mirrors, you'll gradually grow colder both physically & emotionally, and eventually start to freeze solid. Don't worry, though, you can be saved through the power of love.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE FRESH SNOW

Dawn rises on the Grove and the dead come back to life. Everyone who participated in the castle game receives a magical charm, though they don't know what it does so far. Animals come back to the Grove as well! ...why do they look like that?

OOC

Happy January! TDMs are game canon as a reminder, and if you'd like to plot with people for this event, head over to OOC plotting. While it is not known to player characters at this time, the charms granted as a reward for the ice castle can undo one future negative effect (i.e. a major death). They are a one-time use item. As for how characters discover this information... idk, we'll see how y'all decide to utilize those. :)

UPDATES

❖ None yet!

SUBMISSIONS

QUESTIONS
INVESTIGATIONS
PAST-LIFE PLOTTING
INTEREST CHECK

(CODE)

Comments

[twisttheknives]

I. I've done nothing wrong, except for all the atrocities

[Nai's "worst self" may as well be defined as "this one right here who's sitting next to you on the inn couch". One would think, therefore, that the mirror he purposely ignored this morning would not matter, because Nai is constantly at his worst and therefore there's nothing to hide or whatever, right?

Incorrect. It's not so much the "something to hide" as it is "the mirror is accusing him of doing Wrong, which is Wholly Untrue because Nai is Always Right". It teleports to the table next to the couch and starts yapping in Nai's voice...

A knife-tentacle emerges from his back and stabs it and the table through, shattering both, before retracting. Nai doesn't even look up from what he's reading as he does this. Fuck you, mirror. And fuck you too, table that held it and is therefore guilty in this circumstance. Eat metal.]

II. besides that, I'm innocent

[Nai is in the therapy office. "Oh, he's getting therapy?" No why the fuck would you ever think that. He is... sitting in the lounge trying Video Games. There's nothing else to do here, after all. No plans to work toward since most people here are robots/elves/birds/a jellyfish?? Shadow people? It's kind of like a vacation but in purgatory. This is fine.

Whenever you come in, he's laying on the couch, upside-down with his legs on the wall, holding one of Mizuki's Switch consoles in front of his face and playing Cult of the Lamb.

...

Listen. He's having hobbies that aren't murder, let him fucking cook.]

III. What do you mean I didn't reach out I literally thought about you (CLOSED to Vash)

[Nai has spent the last, mmm, three hours of his day indiscriminately slaughtering any ice-knights he comes across. They're not actually alive, he's discovered; they're just out to kill everyone they come across. Although his abilities often won't cooperate with him, so far, taking them out hasn't been much of an issue.

Throughout the day, though, he starts to get a lot colder. At first, he blames it on the fact that he's in a literal ice castle and, eventually, the cold was going to set in no matter how thick this coat is. He's not used to the cold, there's a reason for it. It's tolerable. Eventually...

Eventually, Nai just sort of feels tired. Drained in a way he hasn't before, not for a long while anyway; logic points to general fatigue from ability overuse, which makes sense, considering nothing in this place ever wants to work with him and therefore it tracks that his energy would drain faster. Not at full strength, not at full stamina, blah blah blah. But the fatigue... it progresses, even when he isn't in combat. He's sluggish, exhausted, and every step feels heavier than the last. At some point, Nai thinks he stops caring. There's only the need to press forward and find somewhere to sit down. From there, he can regain his strength...

Except, as soon as that thought enters his mind, his right foot freezes to the floor. When he thinks to look down, with the vague threads of consciousness he has left, Nai finds that his hands are in a similar state. Frozen-over and immobile.

When did it get this bad?]

IV. wildcard

[girl help the kniferat has my brain in a chokehold]

iii

[oleaeuropaea]

[Since waking up, Vash has had one reason for moving around, one reason for fighting his way through the knights. He has to find his family, both blood or otherwise. So far, despite the distant gunfire and ice carnage he's come across, neither Nai nor Wolfwood have shown themselves to him.

Until now.

He can feel that there's something off the moment he meets Nai's gaze. There's something quiet and wrong about him. It's not like him to be still, not when he's otherwise vulnerable. Wavering abilities or no, he wouldn't be out in the open like this.]

Nai? [His voice is low, for fear of attracting an audience. He creeps closer, wondering if perhaps this is an illusion. He wouldn't put it past the magics of this place to toy with them further.] That's you, right?

[twisttheknives]

[Ordinarily, Nai does indeed tend to be more animated. He'd at least afford to look more pleased that Vash is alive (lol), say something sarcastic, comment on how Vash isn't here with his pet humans, soemthing like that... but he doesn't. He does none of that, and the look he gives his twin is almost entirely vacant, like he's looking through him rather than at him.]

It's me. [Yes, it's him, and he is... definitely Fine.]

[oleaeuropaea]

[It's Nai's voice, yes, but it lacks any of the emotion Vash had come to expect of it. He doesn't even snap at Vash for being too sentimental, or too soft. Either something is wrong or this isn't his brother. And for right now, Vash is content to believe the former.]

What's going on? [He steps forward, resting one hand against his shoulder. He almost pulls back when he feels how cold the man is, even through fabric.] You're freezing, Nai. Did one of those knights get ahold of you?

[He's already examining his brother with his eyes, searching for a wound or something to indicate this change in demeanor.]

[twisttheknives]

No.

[Just "no". No explanation. No "of course not, I've actually killed a bajillion of them because I'm Very Cool And Unkillable", no bragging or asking Vash the same. Just "no"...

But Vash is looking at him, expecting more, and though Nai feels no need to justify that "no" further, he speaks anyway. Flips the topic, as he tends to do.]

Vash. You should search for an exit.

[Vash will probably notice quickly that Nai can't move one of his legs. It's bent at an awkward angle, a step almost taken that he couldn't complete. Icicles hang from the tips of his hair, and the colour is drained from his face. Not that he really had much to begin with.]

[oleaeuropaea]

[The odd angle of Nai's leg isn't lost on him. Vash's first assumption might have been that he'd injured it. The sight of the frost in his hair, however, is enough to rapidly change his mind. He isn't sure how Nai could have gotten so cold, but it's reached a very dangerous tipping point.

He doesn't think as he shrugs off his jacket. Since Nai isn't moving well, he settles for draping it over his shoulders, then pulling the hood up. When that alone isn't enough. he moves to start rubbing his hands over his twin's shoulders.]

I'm not going anywhere, Nai. Not without you. Not without my brother.

II

[sesa]

[...damn it.

Sesa was hoping that the therapy building would be empty, yet on today of all days...someone else is here. Someone he doesn't know, as a matter of fact. And while normally he would be friendly and inviting, he simply is not in the mood for it. He knows he left his console in here somewhere...

He enters quietly, eyeing Nai from a distance before stepping past the Independent's peripheral. He need only glance up to see the Vouivre make his way by. Don't mind him and his fat tail-]

...Pardon me. I will be out of your way in a moment.

[twisttheknives]

[The therapy building usually is empty because no one here wants therapy. So. Sesa wasn't even that wrong about it?

It's very much Not Difficult to see Sesa. He's tall and has a fat fucking tail. Vash sure was right about there being a lot of nonhumans here. What fucking zoo did he find himself in?

If anything, this is about what Nai prefers. He has to somewhat scoop himself back to a proper Couch-Sitting Position to avoid being smacked by Sesa's tail as he passes.]

Are you searching for something? [no "hi I'm Nai" or "who are you" nope, he sees that searching and pissed-off look on Sesa's face. That's a lot more interesting to him than a name right now.]

[sesa]

[Sesa doesn't miss the resemblance. He may not know Nai yet, but he looks near identical to Vash, right down to the hair. The only thing they don't seem to share is taste in fashion, but that isn't something Sesa can speak to when he still looks like he rolled up from the deserts of Sargon.

He pivots on his heel, trying- and failing- to reign in a frustrated sigh.]

There was something I left here. Or...I'm assuming I left it.

[Because it's not in his pockets, or his room...the only other place he COMES to game is the Therapy Building, unless Mizuki yoinked his console by mistake.]

[twisttheknives]

[If it were up to Nai, he'd be cheeks-out still, but people have been rather insistent that he cover his ass and not wear a knife-snuggie all the time. So. Yeah, different fashion sense entirely. Nai has none.

He pauses the game and raises a brow. The console gets set aside... perhaps Mizuki and Sesa did switch consoles, and the one Nai has been borrowing that he thought was Mizuki's is actually Sesa's?]

Would it be on that table there, [he nods toward where all the games are laid out,] or the room with the junk in it? [Nai that's the rage room]

[sesa]

[Hm...Sesa walks over, his tail lashing behind him as he moves the consoles in question around on the table, searching. This one's a gameboy, that's a DS, no, no...

Ah. His hand lands on a console that looks identical to the one Nai is holding, albeit with different colored controllers attached. Turns out this one is Sesa's, and Nai picked up Mizuki's, fortunately.]

This one here is mine. Thank you.

[...]

I...don't believe I've met you before. My name is Sesa.

I. I've done nothing wrong, except for all the atrocities

[devilishkouhai]

NOOO WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!!! [ She squeaks loudly and obnoxiously as Nai destroys the Mirror, as she is listening to the tea it spewed from behind the couch. She literally pops out of nowhere from behind him, feel free to point your murderous knives at her knife boy. ]

[twisttheknives]

[who the FUCK—

Yeah the knives are POINTED at her hello who are you]

Who are you? [are you LISTENING to his mirror tell him he's WRONG????]

[devilishkouhai]

Wowwww nice knives!!! [ She chirps starting to throw her arms over the couch head, a little away from him. Still a bit uncomfortably close though. ]

BB! Who are you knife boy?

ii because them meeting in the therapy building is the funniest shit imaginable

[livlaughlove]

[it seems livio picked a horrific time to venture in here again. at first the person on the couch just seems... weird, honestly. and he's staring a bit.

as soon as he gets a glimpse of the face shape, the mirrored beauty spot, behind the switch... he stares a lot. like, boring holes into nai's soul a lot.

and then, silently, he widens his stance, and hovers his fingers over his holsters.]

"aww they're getting therapy :)" -the rest of the grove while these two throw rocks at each other

[twisttheknives]

[Meanwhile, Nai is performing ritual sacrifice, per the mandates of this silly little cult game that he has not and will never realise the irony in him playing. Presumably he's been like this for Several Hours, and were Mizuki's specific game consoles not made of Terran Battery Power™ this thing would be dead by now. The regular Switch has a battery life of about 15 minutes on average.

Anyway, it's not that Nai is entirely unaware of someone entering the building, it's that he doesn't exactly put a face to a name immediately. People have been coming and going all day, and Nai has ignored most of them, finding them uninteresting, not worth his time, or a third special category called "stupid humans that my brother said I couldn't do anything about". He's been child-leashed.

Click, click, go the LR buttons, and then Nai realises about ten seconds later that he's being stared at and actually bothers to take a second glance, opening his mouth to say something aaaaaand—

Oh hey it's that... guy? That works for the Eye? That works for him?? Hey, he should name a cultist after you—

Nai begins sitting up, beginning the arduous process of not sitting like a teenager and getting his goddamn boots off the goddamn wall.]

Are you going to open fire on me as well?

[You know, like Wolfwood did?]

[livlaughlove]

[the fact that knives seems relaxed about this actually makes livio more antsy. he may have just been a grunt in the grand scheme of things, but even livio knows knives is the cold, calculating sort. he half expects to be run through before he could even draw his fangs. kind of surprised that he hasn't been already, actually.]

"As well?" [oh. nick. vash. surely they know -- or found out somehow. maybe somehow violently.] What did you do?

[twisttheknives]

[what the fuck you can't just accuse him of causing the problems he did—]

I did nothing.

[Stabbed the wall. Attempted to knife-blast the inn. Knoodled Wolfwood, but to be fair, it was self-defense after he goaded Wolfwood into shooting him.

This is but a small list of crimes, why are you booing him he's right]

The Punisher saw fit to try eliminating me. [which he should have done btw—] I only went into the forest to attempt ridding the forest of the "rose hounds" Vash mentioned.

[And he didn't get to do that because he was SHOT! pls be on his side he has done nothing wrong ever in his life.]

[livlaughlove]

[then it's just like he fears. livio knows he doesn't stand a chance in hell against the millions knives, but if he had somehow gotten the better of both vash and wolfwood... well, there's no point in anything but trying to take him down, is there?

nevermind the fact that knives is still so damn calm and could almost pass for rational even as livio has both fangs drawn and aimed in the blink of an eye.]

Where is he -- where are they?

I.

[mooninthewater]

[ Mizuki doesn't really say anything when he walks in on the scene of Nai's mirror violence. Not immediately, at least. He actually just goes over to the couch and sits next to Mr. Knives, being way too nosy about what he's reading, but mostly just making sure Nai himself is okay. ]

You know, if you'd like, there is a room in the therapy building that's specifically for breaking furniture. It's very cathartic, I think. [ At this point, Mizuki's just a walking advertisement- ] Not to stop you from what you're doing here. I understand the immediate frustration is important to get out as well~!

Ah, unless you're not upset? It's hard to tell. Are you alright?

[twisttheknives]

Hm?

[Oh, hey Mizuki. He's reading those notes you loaned him. You see, he would have done this earlier, but he had to fight with his brother in the snow first.]

The table was merely collateral. [No, you just didn't fucking care.] The mirror was a nuisance, but I'm alright now that it's been silenced.

[mooninthewater]

That's okay. I'm sure we can make a new one. [ Or it regenerates or something- ] You got one, too? I thought maybe it would spare the newer people. Mmh, it doesn't seem like hardly anyone liked their mirrors, though.

I'm still not sure what it's supposed to be showing us, though? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

[twisttheknives]

[It might regenerate. He knifed the inn wall a week or so ago and it just fucking fixed itself. This place fucking sucks btw—]

I haven't observed others'. [Not even Vash's. Not at this point.] I assume everyone has one, and that they act much the same as mine — telling nothing but lies.

[will you fucking get some self-awareness please, a single scrap of it, we're begging]

II.

[mooninthewater]

[ If we wanted him to cook, we would've given him Cooking Mama.

Anyway, Mizuki is absolutely here, because when isn't he at the Therapy Office, and he's also very much in Nai's personal space to watch him play. He doesn't actually say anything for a while, because there's no need to backseat game someone who's just learning how to play! ("But what about saying hi, Mizuki?")

If Nai allows him to sit in silence for a while, though, he will eventually pipe up: ] If you got fishing at the dock for all the fish to give to the fisherman, you'll unlock rare fleece.

[twisttheknives]

[Mizuki should change his title from "therapist" to "rat domesticater".]

Is that so? The tutorial didn't mention that. [Yes, Nai, game developers hide shit so you play the game longer than half an hour—] You must have found out yourself, I take it?