MATTERS OF THE HEART

[sticksandbonesmods]

Who: Livio, Wolfwood, Elsword, Mizuki, Add, Heimr
What: heimrquest
When: several days after the bar is built, late in the evening
Where: ???????
Warnings: mentioned child death, mentions of plague, paranoia, supernatural-driven insanity, survivor's guilt, death, possession, impersonation, body horror. more will be added as needed.

The General Store isn't always the most bustling place, least of all in a small make-shift town of only a handful of people, each one more troubled than the last. But at some point, each and every one of you has needed something from Heimr today. Maybe it was just a bag of candy. Maybe it was something more pressing, or some groceries. Regardless, one by one he's tended to your needs, and you leave the store with little fanfare save for the fact that it's unusually foggy out this evening- not enough that you can't see other buildings...

Until you can't.

All around you is a heavy mist, and the scent of a wood fire and warm spices floats through the air. There's no turning back, so all you can do is move forward.

On an OOC note, the Choose Your Own Adventure threads will eventually merge into one group thread. Once this occurs, mod tags will occur after each involved character has tagged, or after 24 hours have passed. That said, if it looks like good banter or development is happening, the Mod will hold off a bit or until dramatic irony strikes.

LIVIO | WOLFWOOD | ELSWORD | MIZUKI | ADD
LAYER ONE
LAYER TWO
LAYER THREE
LAYER FOUR
LAYER FIVE

FIN?

Comments

LIVIO

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Livio will wake up feeling smaller than he's been in a long time. A passing reflection off a window as his feet carry him to the edge of the woods reveals that he is indeed himself- just... younger. He must be about fifteen right now. Waiting for him is a tall man with red hair, dark green eyes and a weary but kind smile. He's holding two hunting rifles, though the make is certainly older than anything Livio's familiar with.

Behind him, the town is big. Lively. There's houses and buildings and a large clearing, letting life thrive. The sun in the sky is warm and gentle, and there's not a cloud in sight. It's nothing like the bones left behind that he's used to.

"There you are. Are you ready for your lessons, Liv?"

... there's a familiar voice. He sounds just like the Shopkeeper- the only difference is that the man before him sounds full of life and joy, unlike the tired wisp the Grove's come to know.

What will he do?

[livlaughlove]

it feels like he's been finding himself in unfamiliar places and dreamlike states far more often since coming to the grove. so... he doesn't question the scene so much at first, or even really pay too much attention to it. as far as livio knows, he's made this whole thing up in his mind, and you can't really fight the course of a dream, can you?

once the strange man speaks and livio sees the guns, however, he's thrown off. his feet come to an abrupt halt and he just stares silently, brows pulling down in confusion then up in worry. the voice, familiar but not, makes his heart ache, but the implication of shooting lessons from someone he feels like he should love is... terrifying, especially in the body he's in right now.

he shakes his head, and his voice, not yet deep at all, cracks when he answers.

"N-no. Please don't make me shoot anything."

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The man- Aldric, Livio will remember- pauses, clearly having not expected that answer, and sets the rifles down against a nearby tree to approach.

"Did something happen, Livio? If I misunderstood... I'm sorry, son."

Whatever lessons were planned, they're certainly on pause now- he only seems to be focused on making sure Livio is alright. No injuries? No fever? Pointedly, he always is sure to stand where Livio can't see the guns at all.

"I'd thought you wanted to learn to hunt. Must'a misheard. We don't have to do anything."

It always goes like this- the moment someone says no, he'll step up as a shield, ready to comfort and defend. Even if it's against himself.

[livlaughlove]

livio likely appears normal, if shakier than usual. he isn't flushed or favoring any particular body part, just exceptionally anxious. with the firearms out of sight, and the man actively putting himself between them and livio, though, he calms just a little bit. he isn't going to force him. the opposite, in fact.

the fact that the man says "son" in that tone confirms his initial suspicions, though he isn't sure why he'd dream of heimr like this. but again, dreams don't make sense sometimes.

... maybe he should just go with it, after all.

"To hunt...?" here, that would imply animals, wouldn't it? heimr would never ask him to shoot another resident.

WOLFWOOD

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Wolfwood keeps walking, until the mist fades and he finds himself in a town he's never seen before. The distant sound of waves is gentle and likely entirely foreign to him. Folks of all sorts pass by him without a notice, though if he dawdles too long there is noticeable attempts to avoid walking into him. Something about this town feels familiar. In his arms, rather than anything else he may be familiar with, is a crate.

After a moment, he hears someone calling-

"Over here! We're loading up over here."

There's multiple wagons, and a tall man with red hair and a very familiar voice is waving to him- the key difference is that this man before him doesn't seem to be carrying that same exhaustion and weariness. No, this is a man who still holds on to hope with both hands.

"Thanks again for your help- up in this one, towards the front of the wagon, please."

What will he do?

[lupusxylem]

Wolfwood had arrived at the shop to purchase- what else- more cigarettes. No doubt to the disappointment of the proprietor of the store, but at least his nasty little habit keeps business going. He should have known that a normal trip to go get something was going to turn weird eventually. As it does, here.

He's immediately wary and on edge as he steps forward through the mist, initially unsure if he should given what he knows about the Fog. But this, at the very least, seems to be different. He swears to god if he's stuck in another heartspace, he didn't even TOUCH anything this time-

But then he stops dead upon entering the unfamiliar little town, namely when he hears the lap of waves. The ocean. Something Wolfwood, as a natural born citizen of No Man's Land, has never seen before in his life. He would have been struck silent, too stunned by it to move, if it weren't for someone calling him over distracting him from being able to actually go get a proper look.

He comes over against his better judgement, and for a moment he's ready to say "hey you maybe have the wrong guy", until it's a voice he recognizes. No fucking way.

Okay...maybe he is stuck in another memory.

"Right...remind me again what it is we're doing? Ain't had my coffee yet," Wolfwood asks slowly, knowing it's probably going to make him sound like he hit his head to whatever apparition he's talking to, but it's the only way he can think of to gather information.

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Aldric (it's Aldric, the very same of the Grove, the knowledge blooms into Wolfwood's mind-) laughs and shakes his head a little before offering an easy smile. It feels like the first time he's smiled since the plague- this too, pushes itself gently into his thoughts.

"We're loading up the first caravan for the expedition, lad. The goal is to make a path through the woods to ease trade to Roseroot and other towns on that side of the peninsula. Should bring in more goods... and medicine. Going around takes too long, but there's no steady path for carriages and wagons. If we're successful? Nothing like the Red Plague should ever happen again."

There's a stoniness at the mention of the plague, grief and anger- but it fades just as quickly to hope.

ELSWORD

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Elsword regains himself in the forest, by a lake he's never seen before. Distantly he can see two lights in the water close together, watching- but perhaps more jarring is his own reflection. His hair is a vibrant red, and any of the corruption's blossoms are gone. Touching his face will reveal the same. Even both eyes are intact.

He'll quickly be interrupted by footsteps. A tall man with red hair pauses in his walk, idly surprised. When he speaks, his voice is familiar, but exhaustion drips off of him and keen eyes will see that it looks like he's holding something that isn't there like one might a child.

"Elsword...? What are you doing out here?"

What will he do?

[simplicitas]

[Elsword, looking at his own face in the water: Who is this man Teegan

He does not recognize himself. Knight Emperor!Elboy eat your heart out.

What will he do indeed? He frowns, looking confused, and then says with a quiet sense of urgency,]

Looking at myself in the water. Do I really look like that?

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That seems to amuse Aldric, who can't help but chuckle.

"A'course you do. What else would you look like, son?"

MIZUKI

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Mizuki will find himself entering a familiar room- it's the room just before the inn's kitchen, but with proper furniture. There's a few familiar faces seated, quietly mingling amongst each other with what should be a pleasant atmosphere- Gnosis and Silverash lack their feathers and fur, but it's unmistakably them by the fire, and a man who looks eerily like Felicity but with dark hair and gold eyes waves with a fond smile as he passes by to leave.

But despite friendliness and fondness amongst the patrons, at a table in the back a tall man with red hair is quietly discussing something with a small band of men. They all seem to be tense, though the red haired man's eyes catch Mizuki's for a moment. The group reek of money and greed, and the red haired man seems frustrated.

What will he do?

[mooninthewater]

[ There's a moment where Mizuki thinks maybe he's getting weird visions again through the moon shard, but upon looking around, he can somewhat put pieces together. This is the "past", and he's probably ended up in a memory like he'd done with others for this month. But… that usually only happened when he grabbed someone, right? He was so sure he'd been careful when he figured that out, but…

…

Wait, this is a little different. It's not like he's just watching something, like a movie, people seem to be responding to him? Uh- hm.

He makes his way through the inn, then, looking for a way to get over to Heimr— "Aldric". Rather, to the people that Aldric is speaking with, and immediately he puts his little hand against the arm of whoever of them happens to be closest. He can see Aldric is frustrated. Why? What's happening here? He thinks he has an idea, but… ah. He should ask, right? There's no harm in that, surely. ]

'Scuse me. Do you consider yourself 'good guys'? [ Nailed it. ]

[sticksandbonesmods]

Everyone startles, and Aldric stares with his eyes wide for a moment before he gently tugs Mizuki to his side-

"Evan, what are you doing here? I thought you were studying," he says softly, any frustration gone.

... Up until one of his conversation partners opens his mouth again.

"What's the problem? I thought yer eldest liked ruins an' the like-"

"And just how did you know that."

"We know there's all sort's of untapped history in the forest. And with your town here, we can finally set up a central hub! We're just trying to bring some light back to the long-forgotten. He asked if we're good guys, and we are!"

The man gestures broadly, and some expensive, terrible cologne wafts through the air.

"If you expect me to believe you aren't just looking to grave rob..."

... It's not a good time. But maybe with "Evan" around, things will stay civil?

ADD

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Add steps out of the mist to the scent of blood and smoke. In the distance he can hear sobbing (soft, young, feminine) before it suddenly vanishes, something cackling in the air. All around him is ruined trees and burnt buildings, and the dirt is stained red. Only the manor remains untouched, an eerie red light burning through the attic window. Above, the moon shines brighter than he's ever seen it, and a more poetic soul may say that it looked to be in agony. A portal seems to be spread before it, but it looks more like something's been forcibly pried open, held still with hooks as the last of numerous lights filter through it.

Something screeches in a distance, and the portal snaps shut, the moon stained red.

In the clearing by the well, a familiar shadow sits, eye-lights a mix of a sickly green, a deep blue and a melty black, as if the shadow is crying too. He doesn't seem to notice Add at all.

What will he do?

[harmacy]

Blood and fire. How many times, now, has he witnessed a scene like this? He thinks he should used to it by now. He's stronger than he was back then—smarter, more prepared, more experienced... so it shouldn't bother him, right? It shouldn't make him hesitate. It shouldn't make him gag, falter, dwell on unsettling memories. Frozen in place, waiting to hear the shouts and the gunshots. Waiting for hands to pin him down rough enough to bruise.

(even if he went back, isn't it too late to save anything? useless)

Add hisses out a sigh. No, he... needs to focus. What was he doing? He was outside the shop, and now it's gone. He can see the remains of a few familiar buildings... it's the Grove, but it looks slightly off. There are more buildings than there should be. He still can't pinpoint Mizuki's location, and now it's far too quiet, too empty.

... it's a little too real to call a dream, but the "heartscape" thing has been happening for awhile now, so maybe... this is related?

It's a better conclusion than "a huge disaster just wiped out the entire Grove in an instant," so. For now, he decides to look around. At least he doesn't have to look for long.

"Heimr?" There's an embarrassing amount of concern in his voice, but he makes a beeline for the shadow—only to realize once he's at his side that... he's not sure how he'd check for injuries? Can Heimr's shadow-body even be injured? He stands there looking anxious and feeling stupid.

"Are you... alright?"

[sticksandbonesmods]

The shadow-man jolts and the green overtakes his eyes as he looks up- fear fear fear fear-

"Another hallucination? S'possed to be immune..."

... Wait. No. Green turns to white marred with black trails still, the closest a shadow can get to tears, as he sits up slowly. Blood stains the jacket hiding the rest of his body, but only the shadow and smoke of his body can be seen in the tears- it isn't his wounds that caused this.

"... Add...? You look... Older. ... Everything's gone, Add. I couldn't... I couldn't do a damn thing. The beasts came out the woods like a flood. Everyone's gone..."

His voice is soft and everything seems to flicker, like he could extinguish into nothing at any given moment.

REUNION: THE FIRST LAYER

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As the dreamlike memory comes to a close and Aldric offers his hand, you accept. A light shines from him, and you're back in the dark fog and the scent of warm spice embraces you once more- the difference is that you're no longer alone. One by one the five of you appear in a circle, as you know each other today- unchanged, unwavering, and with the feeling of a hand in yours that's no longer there.

[livlaughlove]

[one minute, he's got heimr's hand in his grasp, and the next, he's alone once more. only... it seemed like they were about to go somewhere together...

livio wipes the back of his hand against the corners of his eyes, just in case, before he calls out into the fog.]

Heimr -- Aldric? I'm here.

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( there's no response, but as a note: when referring to Heimr as "Aldric", the name will come out a garbled mess- "Aldric" isn't allowed to be "Aldric" any more, on almost any level. )

LAYER TWO

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Memories and settings fade, and the five of you are reunited once again in dark smoke and cinnamon.

[livlaughlove]

[livio still has something of a haunted look in his face when he finds himself back in the origin smoke. unless he senses the presence of the others first, he'll call out quietly after a while.]

Is anyone else here?

[lupusxylem]

...yeah. I'm here.

[It's Wolfwood's voice, of course. He never sounded enthused about being here to begin with, but now it's like...MUCH worse.

But. At least Livio is here. That's something.]

LAYER THREE: WHEN STARS FALL

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It's a quiet festival, not the way that others you've seen in the Grove have been, but a night meant to admire the stars. By the way, there are stars! Wild, right? Despite being so far away, you can clearly see that every star is a different color. Faint pinks, blues, yellows and greens twinkle against the black sky, and it is radiant without light pollution. Relatedly, the silver moon shines brightly, and you can see a crater that looks like a heart- something most other moons have lacked in your history here.

The entire town is settled peacefully in an open clearing away from the village, dim lanterns wait at trees and mark the path back home. This night is about stargazing, and all is tranquil.

Aldric sits with his children, his sister and Renard, whom his hand is intertwined with. The air is chilly, but not unnaturally so. ... Not until something seems to shake the forest for a moment, and then it's so much colder.

The moon's shine seems to vanish. And then it bursts out brightly, reaching across the sky in slim moonbeams, and every star reaches back...

The night sky seems to become a meteor shower. Streaks of light and shooting stars play out, fascinating the children... and worrying the adults. Still, no one can look away. Not until the first crystal hits the ground. Despite the force they fall with, they seem to land gently, scattered across the clearing and further into the woods.

It's beautiful. And deeply, deeply concerning at best.

Aldric moves, pulling Audrey a bit closer as the kids huddle around, watching- but then something catches his eye.

Along the treeline is a little boy who looks just like Audrey- maybe a little younger. He's so pale and dressed in white, it practically glows in the night.

"... Elijah...?"

LAYER FOUR: TO LEAD WITH INTEGRITY

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They're inside a town hall. Aldric sits in a small lounge, watching the snow fall. His hair has grayed considerably and he has dark circles around his eyes. There's yelling on the other side of the door. A man who sounds like what you will come to know as Dark Cacao Cookie is speaking. If you enter the room, phasing through walls unnoticed like a ghost, you'll see the man speaking to the other adults- some are familiar, parents or friends. Elijah and Rillian are there- they seem older, too.

“Friends. I have spoken to Aldric… and it pains me to say, he is no longer in a trustworthy state. We have all seen his seemingly irrational actions, and what they imply.” He sighs, then squares his shoulders.

“And so, until a solution can be found to his addled state, he will be kept contained and I will be taking on his duties.” His tone offers no debate, no hesitation. Eyes narrowed and falling on each of them in turn, as if daring anyone to question it. “He has been informed already… and hopefully this will be a short-lived shift in routine. But until he can be sure of his safety and the safety of the Grove it is imperative the chain of command be passed smoothly and without any dissent.” This voice is even… but there is a vague underlying threat there regardless. As if arguing with him could be a danger to the entire Grove outright.

Aldric remains in the sitting room, head pressed against the cool glass. He's so tired.

There's a murmer of voices, but... no one speaks against this decision.

"Is it true, Domanic? That he nearly broke a Star spirit's neck?"

"I see him talking to himself constantly, or holding something that isn't there."

"Will he get better?"

More and more questions blend together, and Aldric sighs, face in hands as he tries to breathe. He's so tired.

LAYER FIVE: WHAT'S IN A NAME? (cw: teen/child death, hallucinations)

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Aldric sprints through the woods. The fog has not obscured everything yet, but the branches overhead and the lack of wind feels sinister. Someone is calling for help. But who? His eyes are wide, but the familiar black branching around them is just as telling as his terror.

By the time he finds what he's looking for, it's too late- Audrey is in a crumpled heap, holding her stomach as best she can and blood is everywhere. He's just barely missed something stalking off into the bushes.

"AUDREY-"

He crouches beside her, trying to put more pressure on the wound but- she's so pale. There's so much. And as he glances around as if someone to help will just be there, he sees it: Evan slumped against a tree, gored and lifeless, and Rillian- ... Just barely recognizable.

"No- no..."

"Daddy...? I... w-we messed up... It hurts-"

Tears well up in his eyes.

"I- I know, I know. Just- stay with me, Audrey, okay? You can do it. We'll get help-"

He tries to scoop her up but it just makes her cry out in pain, and it's easy to see that she's only getting worse- even more so if he tries to move her. How could things have gone so wrong? His shoulders begin to shake as he holds her close, and soon he's crying out uselessly for help.

No one comes.

... Save for a dark-skinned man in white and gold, a black rayed halo encircling his head. He looks emaciated. He looks tired. He looks cruel.

He smiles gently.

Do you wish to save them?

Aldric freezes. The man circles around him.

"What.... who are you-"

Time is of the essence, Aldric. Do. You wish. To save them?

"... More than anything."

I can help you. All it will cost is your name.

"What?"

Give me your name, and your children will be safe at home once more. Of course... it is an arduous process. But if you can stand a little pain...

Aldric stares, deadeyed at his children. And then he looks up at the man, who smiles again and extends a hand that looks more like talons than fingers.

"How do I do it?"

Renounce your identity, and take my hand.

He inhales. And then he lets the man claw his bloodied hand.

"I renounce my identity as Aldric of Haven, son of Laurence."







The man's grin sharpens as darkness surrounds the being formerly known as Aldric, and the illusions of the slaughtered children disappear. The man chokes, and it feels as if he's being burnt alive, flayed and clawed and pierced throughout this entire body and soul. But his eyes are clear.

Oh, "Father"- you truly are a fool. But I'll use you well, don't wo-

"BASTARD. YOU THINK I'LL DIE THAT EASILY?"

Where flesh and bone should have died, leaving only a soul to claim and devour, shadow dissipates to nothing, and then reforms to a familiar shape. Heimr. His eyes burn a golden red as he stands and its easy to see he's double the size you're used to. He reaches for the man in white robes- and the man vanishes, eyes wide with hate and shock.

Shadow meets empty air.

He is alone.