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sticksandbones2024-01-05 07:59 am
sticksandbonesmods) wrote in sticksandbones2024-01-05 07:59 am
Entry tags:
EVENT & TDM 008
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
no subject
We can roast it over a spit. It's big, so that'll be easier. I kind of wish the kitchen had a coal pit in it.
[Things to upgrade later, perhaps. Elsword doesn't think it's tooooo cold out, though, not for lighting a fire and roasting, so that'll do for now.]
...help me clear an area?
no subject
those feelings rot and festerit fade to nothing than just another point in his life like everything else.But Mizuki reaches out to grab Elsword's arm tightly to stop him from getting up entirely. Normally, this wouldn't be unusual behavior from Mizuki, considering his stingers are so often acting on his clingy nature, keeping people within his grasp regardless, but to actually use his hand is… new. He doesn't even say anything, because he's not sure what there is to say. He's not sure if his thoughts are so much that they're all drowning each other out into white noise, or if there truly just isn't anything, and the sound of the white noise is instead filling the maddening silence. If he had to guess, he'd say the latter.
After a moment, he treats Elsword to the same white noise as his form glitches with various artifacts and static snow blips into existence ever so briefly. It does knock him out of his brief daze, though, letting go of Elsword and giving him a little smile. ]
Sorry. [ "For what?" He doesn't know. ] Yeah, I'll help.
[ Just going to… stand up and start digging out a pit in the snow and find some rocks to put down. Don't worry about it! He's fine!
no subject
It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. We'll do it together, okay?
[He figures that's what this is about. After all, Mizuki literally fucking died... or nearly died, Elsword isn't quite sure which. He was handling the cavalry while Add fixed Mizuki up with his mouth, so...
Anyway, Elsword will find some big sticks fallen on the ground to use for Roasting. This is how they do it when they camp out in fuckall back home.]
no subject
Mizuki could probably be doing all the work. He wants to be useful, realistically. Especially because now he feels like he failed in his usefulness — he’s supposed to be good at dodging things. Supposed to be good at protecting people from the shadows. Everything should’ve gone well, he was supposed to be happy, he was supposed to… Be Useful.
And for a moment he felt that way. And then he didn’t.
He stares in the middle of the pit, wiping away some of the blood from his mouth and brushing it into the snow. ]
…Did you and Add… get out?
no subject
At the comment, Elsword looks sour. Anyone who dies reflects personally on him, he feels, especially someone he loves, especially Mizuki. He should've done better at protecting Mizuki. Why is he so useless? He can't protect Add, he can't protect Mizuki, he can't protect anybody...
He stares down at the flowers growing out of his arm, stalled because Mizuki is here, Mizuki's always here, except for the scant hours of the morning where he wasn't.
Elsword spears the haunch of the deer on a sharp stick with enough force to spray blood over himself.]
Yeah. [He grabs two other sticks to support the limb he just shanked, shoves them into the snow, and then the meat goes over the pit.] ...I wish you did, too.
no subject
Mizuki frowns. He's glad to hear they got out, of course, but he didn't mean to upset Elsword with the reminder. Right, he shouldn't wallow in this self pity. He's still here. They got out. They were okay. He still has plenty of time to be useful. He could help starting the fire, but instead he meets Elsword with another hug instead, gore be damned. It wouldn't be the first time Mizuki was more red than blue. ]
I'm just happy to hear you both did. And I'm still here, right? [ He's upset and shaken and kinda having a meltdown about dying, but he's okay and that's what matters. ] I'll do better next time.
no subject
[Elsword has made it no secret to anybody, especially the forest, that he's gonna kill something. It will not be pretty.]
I'll do better. If the forest ever makes you frown, or cry, or feel self-pity ever again, I'll burn it all to the ground.
no subject
I-I just… I'm supposed to be able to take care of myself better than that. I usually am, it was just… a brief lapse… [ Well, he had his mind other places. Namely with a certain doctor. But, uh, he isn't going to bring that up right now. It's not very good timing. ]
…Don't be upset, Elsword. You're doing plenty for me, especially right now. [ He had to pick between sating his hunger or not being alone, but with Elsword here, now, he didn't have to choose. ] And I'll do anything and everything to ensure it won't take me from you. There's no death or trial or game or distance or world that could do that anymore.
[ A tight squeeze. It's a dangerous thing to say, probably. After all, what is he supposed to do when they find ways home? ]
no subject
They'll figure it out, surely. When the time comes. For now, Elsword isn't thinking of that, instead still holding onto Mizuki, as though if he lets him go, he'll somehow fade away. Elsword wants to keep him safe. Keep him close.
There's one way to do that right now, and that's to unfurl his wings and wrap Mizuki in them. They're not exactly warm, made of raw El and all, but they make a nice cocoon either way.]
I'll protect you, [he vows, bonking their foreheads together,] I swear I will.
no subject
I— Elsword… [ It must be quite the sight from the outside when Mizuki's tentacles also try to coil around Elsword. Light wings that are near perfect in structure shielding Mizuki protectively, while gooey, and near-formless dark tendrils that are almost too dark wrapped around Elsword possessively. Though, right now, Mizuki just looks concerned for Elsword. ] You don't think that was your fault, do you? There was no way you could've known or prepared.
…I suppose I'm a bit of a hypocrite for thinking I could've been prepared, myself. But maybe that's something we need to work on, too?