If it were the real me and you | OPEN

[lupusxylem]

Who: Wolfwood and YOU!
What: Wolfwood schedules a cult book burning and invites everyone
When: March 10th
Where: The Church
Warnings: Relevant info for this event can be found here, general warnings for: monster attack which could lead to blood/gore/etc in threads, please tag accordingly! Will update as needed



Netbook | Morning

Hey everyone, it's me Wolfwood. Nicholas D. Wolfwood if you're new.

So, here's the deal. The church I bought has a problem. It came with a bunch of religious texts inside of it, and while that's...you know. What you'd expect in a church, these ones are like

super fuckin culty.

Not exactly what I asked for. Not that I asked for them at all. I keep trying to get rid of them but they keep showing up again later so

Basically Im gonna be burning them again this evening if anybody wants to come to the bonfire, or help me in getting rid of them cause theres a shit ton. Bring marshmallows or whatever, I dont care.

and before someone comes preaching to me about burning books, again: its cult propaganda bullshit. read it for yourself if you dont believe me
just make sure you chuck it in the fire afterwards or ill do it myself.

Church | Evening

[Should you choose to come to the Church later that evening for whatever reason, you'll find the Priest himself already hard at work setting up a pyre in the yard just outside of it. (Just look for the massive bound cross propped up nearby, you can't miss it.) With the way he loads up the firepit he's created with kindling, it's clear he's already had to do this once before. It's a bit tricky to find anything dry given that the snow is still on the ground in a lot of places, but he's making do with what he's got. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Beyond getting the fire going, there's a matter of getting the aforementioned books out of the church. It's just as Wolfwood described, should you grow curious and crack one open. They're very religious, but strangely...plant focused. Like it's a religion that revolves around the Forest itself, almost. Definitely nothing orthodox about this, that's for sure. There are quite a number of them to take care of as they've all refilled the church pews since the last time he did this.

Or, perhaps you're just here because you think bonfires are cool and want to simply enjoy yourself for a change. The Forest seems to have had its fun with the animal race given that everyone's back to normal at this point, so really, why not kick back and enjoy the warmth of the flames while it isn't sub-zero temperatures outside anymore?

Feel free to mingle...or don't. Perhaps the distant unease in the atmosphere is enough to stop you.]

Comments

[lupusxylem]

Netbook | Morning

[If you want to respond to Wolfwood's netbook post, here is the prompt for that!]

Lord I don't ask for salvation | Morning

[If you do happen to stop by the church earlier when Wolfwood's message first appears on the netbook, he won't be hard to find. He'll be just getting started good with getting things together out here, because while you wouldn't think it would take all that long to build a bonfire, it's a little hard to gather enough wood for it when 1) everything is mostly still kindof cold and wet and 2) the forest is the forest. But he's managing slowly, whether he has help or not.

And if he sees you approach (or just kindof standing there watching, whichever), he'll stop by the small kindling pile to toss a bundle of sticks onto it, regarding you with a raised brow past his shades.]

Yeah?

Just grant us hope for tomorrow | Evening

[Eventually, with help from others in the Grove or not, Wolfwood gets the stack built and the fire lit. It's going to be a pretty large fire too given the amount of material he has to burn, so it'll be visible as a spot of light in the Grove from most places, be it standing outside or watching from an inn room window.

Despite the reason for it, things are calm. There's nothing weird going on for once because this month's weird thing is done. The fire crackles softly and warmly, inviting people to come sit beside it. Maybe roast a marshmallow or hot dog, like Wolfwood sarcastically suggested. Enjoy the somewhat decent weather for a change. Wolfwood will still be hard at work with a cigarette clutched between his teeth, lugging material from the church to bring over to the fire to toss in, scattering embers up into the sky with each new book he adds.]

Morning

[oleaeuropaea]

[Vash makes approximately three circuits of the church before working up the courage to speak with Wolfwood. More or less. Technically, it's more of a cautious, fearful approach, looking Nick up and down before finally settling down beside him. He grabs a branch to drag over, but it doesn't quite get tossed in the fire.

Instead, Vash turns it over in his hands a few times, chewing on his lip the entire time. Eventually, he seems to find his nerve.]

This isn't a good idea.

Evening

[simplicitas]

Hi, Wolfwood-hyung.

[Elsword hates the forest just as much as you, possibly more, and so he is here to burn things too. He has brought food for the whole occasion, directly from his smokehouse, and Wolfwood gets some, too, while they toss things into the fire. It's brisket. :)]

Take a break and eat something?

Lord I don't ask for salvation

[reaperbunny]

[ Wolfwood will be greeted to a cell phone just in Brook’s hand, and there’s the sound of a click. ]

Cool. Thanks. I’m making a portfolio of all the idiots who are most likely to have something horrible happen to them due to stupid and preventable actions in town. You’re “Wolfwood” right? Oh, I should take a picture of the books, too, hold on…

vague time motions?? whenever you want tbh

[livlaughlove]

[livio absolutely showed up maybe an hour or two after the message went up to help wolfwood build this giant pyre, so jot that down. he just figured he would help out here rather than work on the school today.

notably, he doesn't cause a fuss about how this could be dangerous. he and nick have done this before, to no consequence. maybe not this dramatically, but still. he has his fangs holstered at his sides as always, but that might speak more to his own preparedness than paranoia about this display. he also brought a few flasks of water, and some -- yes, fresh baked, it's good but nothing amazing -- bread and jerky to keep them going throughout the day.

he's never strayed too far from nick since he arrived, so maybe he is feeling some apprehension, even if he hides it well. in fact, as he brings another load of logs up to the pyre, he asks quite conversationally,] Reckon this is a decent amount for now?

netbook

[soundsurfing]

dont exactly sound like a good idea to me yo yer jus gonna piss off the god that keeps putting them there if they keep respawning then yer gonna start shit

[Beats been burned so many times, if he gets attacked cause of Wolfwood he's going to attack Wolfwood in return...]

netbook

[harmacy]

[he really, really hates to suggest that anything religious could hold any value, but]

Is there an actual point to burning them?

"Cult propaganda bullshit" doesn't say much about the contents, either. What kind of propaganda? Is it related to the Forest, the Guardians, something else? There could be valuable information hidden in those texts, destroying it for no reason would be foolish.

evening

[purevanillacookie]

[Pure Vanilla is there to observe, keep an eye out, and fret. He's not sure how he feels about this, watching the fire crackle with quite a level of unease. On one hand, he understands Wolfwood's desires, but on the other hand...

Turning his attention to said man of the hour, he watches as the priest throws another bundle of books to the fire, keeping the wince off his face, before approaching quietly.]

My friend, how are you faring?

Netbook

[leggierissimo]

Well, that surely won't end badly. Burning a bunch of books that come back on their own sounds like a foolproof idea.

Lord I don't ask for salvation

[bloodyopus]

[ Phantom has read the netbook post earlier while he was having breakfast in the inn, which was his daily routine ever since he'd settled down there and more or less accepted his lot that he was currently stuck here in this Aldric's Grove.

He didn't offer a response. For the past few days (although it's getting harder and harder to tell how much time has actually passed), he's been quiet. Despite his...perhaps unusual chattiness on the netbook, for the past couple of days or so, he was actually every bit as quiet as he was off the network.

...Yet, he couldn't deny that he was curious, in light of the things that the man who claims to be their priest has written on the network.

Unlike the others, perhaps even the more recent arrivals, the Feline operator hasn't been to the church. Not that he was particularly avoiding the place or somesuch; he was aware, of course, that it wasn't a Lateran church, but it wasn't as if he could claim that he was baptised as one, despite the fact that it was the common religion across Terra and, indeed, the faith of most Victorians. Truthfully, he was raised with only art as his religion, more or less, and thus, matters of faith are beyond his usual concerns.

Simply put: he didn't see the need of visiting the church. Not until today, at least.

Which is how Wolfwood, the priest, likely would spot the...suspicious shadow flitting in the corner of his eye and then loitering around when he was throwing a few sticks to his small kindling pile. As with his first meeting with Pure Vanilla in person, Phantom was unsure as to how to approach this man.

Those shades of his made it hard to tell if he could see him or not, too, even if he wasn't currently using his Arts. (He couldn't, since his shadows had somehow dispersed when the priest came into view.) ]

...You can see me? [ He finally ventured to respond, after a moment of long silence. Hopefully it wasn't too...awkward. ]

[oleaeuropaea]

i. Howl, Seven Days to the Wolves — Around the Grove

[Vash wakes up in the morning with a sickening feeling in his gut. It's a sensation that's hung over him over the last few weeks, only it seems thousands of times worse when he opens his notebook and sees what's scrawled inside. He wants to protest. He wants to scream in his face that this is a terrible idea.

But he doesn't. This is Wolfwood's call, and it's not like Vash is the biggest fan of what's written in the books. They're close enough to home for him to feel distinctly uneasy, so maybe he should just relax.

... Naturally, he proceeds to not do that. He's on his feet almost instantly, and dressed just as quick. The only thing that stops him from rushing out is Angelina, who he turns to with a nervous smile.]

It'll all be okay! Don't worry baby girl.

[Not that that keeps him from taking her out once more. Maybe you'll find him along the shore of the river, playing with her until she's worn out and panting. He'll put on his best smile if he's spotted, but there's something shadowed behind his eyes.

(If you happen to peek through the window and see him putting a little extra food out, don't judge. Don't judge the extra bowl of water, either. He'd rather be wrong and have a spoiled dog, than something else.

Eventually, he takes up his now deeply familiar, if slightly modified, patrol around the perimeter of the grove. The circuit is a bit smaller, and centered around the church today.

Funny how his hand doesn't go far from his gun, either.]

ii. Where Will We Be When They Come? — At the Church/Bonfire

[Vash... doesn't exactly want to be here. He's taken a cautionary stance on the the Forest and its needs, preferring not to anger it out of fear of what it might do in kind. Never mind the fact that he desperately wants to hope that there's something that might be done to redeem it.

But his earlier fear has grown, just as the the flames of the bonfire do. He lingers at the edge of the festivities, hand on his hip with his fingers just barely brushing the gun. He tries to offer a reassuring smile to anyone that passes, but it fades just as quickly.

He just wants tonight to be over.]

around the grove

[purevanillacookie]

[Vash isn't the only one out and about. With Wolfwood's message to everyone, Pure Vanilla has felt on edge. He has been told not to anger the forest and the things within it, and he can't help but feel this might do exactly that. So like Vash, Pure Vanilla is wandering to keep an eye out, gently using the end of his staff to etch symbols into the ground here or there. Just alert systems. In case.

He's taking a break and simply walking when he catches sight of Vash on patrol. For a moment he simply watches the other, keeping a respectful distance, until he notices how on edge the other seems. His hand hovering near his weapon, the tight way he moves. He waits until they spots each other, raising his hand in greeting before walking over, so as to not startle the other.]

Is everything well, my friend?

ii. at the church/around the bonfire

[bloodyopus]

[ Phantom doesn't exactly want to be here, either. After he'd satisfied his curiosity by looking at some of the aforementioned texts earlier (before they were later burned this evening, of course), and after he had greeted the priest...he returned to the church later that evening for two things.

One, to spectate and observe. Not merely the burning of the texts, but also the others; those poor, unfortunate souls who was in the same boat as he. Some of them are already quite familiar to him, while the rest...not so much.

Two, it was to his chagrin that his little friend, the grey catlike being with a white flower sprouting from his left ear (that the Feline had taken to call Raoul) and a couple other...plantlike characteristics, had gone missing. He had searched for him in the inn and around the Grove's perimeters (keeping a fair distance from the fog wall, of course), but he couldn't find him.

In the end, he found himself here — lingering on the edge of this odd 'festival', one that belongs to Wolfwood and the other residents.

Not alone, apparently. He would have tried using his shadow Arts to conceal himself, but by now, he was aware that it's futile. For some unknown reason, it won't work when he was around others in the Grove.

...Perhaps he should have worn his cloak of the night instead. Or at least his own black cloak, which he left in his room at inn. He frankly felt rather naked without it.

Instead, he glanced at the blond, noticing the forced smiles, but especially the fact that he kept his hand on his hip, fingers just barely brushing his holstered gun. ]

...You seem to be on your guard. [ He offered, quietly, from Vash's side. Perhaps he wasn't there a moment ago. No matter. Phantom is here now. ] That is good. It's much better if we keep our wits about us.

[ Vash wasn't the only one who didn't part with his weapon. The dark-haired man hardly ever part with his knives, too — they sat inside their respective sheaths, strapped to the side of his thigh. His own fingers unconsciously brush the handle of the nearest one as he spoke. ]

We never know where the night might take us, after all, and the shadows of the trees...looks heavier than it was before. Can you see them?

^ people with real tls above me and here's my silly little paragraph

[forwander]

[Passenger loves burning things! Guess who's showing up here to burn things. He did read those cult texts when he and Wolfwood first met, and he's... maybe not eager to help entirely, but into the whole scene. He shows up in a simple white kaftan and flats, dressed down for a change. He hasn't brought anything other than the small, hovering drone-like device he calls Thorne with him, effectively half of his usual Arts Unit setup, solely so that he can contribute to the fires.

It's evening, about to be nighttime, and his aforementioned contribution? Sending a bolt of lightning down into the pyre. It makes the flame bigger, almost letting it escape bonfire containment for a moment there.

Why. Why is he like this.]

[sesa]

[Sesa is also here! Less because he has any particular interest in book burning, but because a lot of the others seem to have congregated here, and...well, it's something to do, you know? He had a bit of a stressful time as a raptor, and honestly it will be nice to just kick back and enjoy a nice bonfire. Not something you often do in a desert, and given how nightmarishly cold it's been as of late, he can only imagine himself enjoying this.

...oh, and it helps that Elliot is here too. They came out together, actually, which means Sesa is close enough to be startled by the sudden bolt of lightning Elliot calls down to coax the flames into burning brighter, harder.

And, god damn it, he hates that the first thing he can think about is how pretty the Liberi looks in the dancing firelight. Help.]

I trust that you will be, but...please do be careful.

[bloodyopus]

[ This entire 'burning religious texts' thing actually filled Phantom with unease. It wasn't as if he was particularly religious, as this event reminded him of a couple of instances where the Troupe would burn Lateran bibles and other similarly religious texts 'for the sake of art' (which was actually their manner of saying that they did it for shits and giggles), and in which he and his peers were pretty much encouraged to do the same thing.

...But if the Forest itself already felt like a bad omen since the beginning, when he first arrived here in the Grove, then this was surely tantamount to invoking that omen to show itself — to cast its shadow even clearer, or perhaps worse: to show itself to them.

It made his skin crawl and itch with an unspeakable fear. In his mind, the VOICE is laughing while the fire burns; louder still when a bolt of lightning struck the pyre, making it bigger. ]

...The phantoms danced in the light that the pyre casts. Some of them are screaming, some writhing in pain, but they are all dancing, nonetheless. [ His quiet yet commanding voice rings out in the silence of the lightning's aftermath, and the apparition in the shadows makes himself known, as he steps out from them. ] You seem to enjoy this particular occasion, operator Passenger.

(frozen comment) SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED!

[sticksandbonesmods]

The distant feeling of unease in the air comes to a head when, late into the evening as most of the texts have been burnt, there's a sudden burst of magic that sounds like glass shattering from near the bonfire, and a cacophony of stomping hooves and beating wings and roars from the fog wall. The fog wall, which is entirely failing to do its job of keeping monsters out.

All at once, the peaceful bonfire erupts into absolute chaos. An otherwise normal-looking deer stands up on its hind legs and splits down the middle, revealing long rows of razor-sharp teeth and oozing black flesh. A four-winged bird the size of a tree with a mouth in its stomach swoops down at the nearest person and attempts to devour them whole. What looks to be several humans emerge from the forest, sporting whiplike snakes in lieu of heads. From far off in the distance, Moder's hooves shake the earth as she rushes at a corrupted creature almost equal to her size, ramming it through with her hand-antlers, but three more creatures attack her in that moment. She's occupied, unable to help you as something else tries to gnaw at your ankles.

Zahliya is nowhere to be found.

The bonfire burns a vivid orange, shadowed by six pairs of angellic wings. With a single swipe of his arm, vines shoot from the earth and ensnare anyone who would try to interrupt his battle. A voice rings clearly around the Grove with no origin point: "THIS IS MY TERRITORY, AND I AM BEHOLDEN TO NO GODS, NOR TO THE MEN WHO WOULD DESECRATE MY DOMAIN."

The Creature, piloting the body of its most beloathed, takes a swing.

((ooc: if you haven't yet topleveled and are going "oh dang I was slow" this is factually untrue, as now you get to include MANY things in your tl. if you have already topleveled you can give us another one with the monster fightin'. thanks for entertaining the mod's weird need to organize stuff that makes no sense i appreciate you))

Semi-Closed to Wolfwood || cw: possession, locked-in syndrome type shenans, general violence

[simplicitas]

[The Creature wishes its toy brought his sword with him to this. It's a good thing that, after some careful poking around in The Puppet's head, it finds out The Puppet can make his own swords! What is the purpose of carrying around such a big one, it wonders? And what is this chip in The Puppet's head? A connection to two other toys?

The Creature turns that connection to Mizuki and Add off. It doesn't want to play with those two. For them, it'll feel distinctly like Elsword suddenly went offline. Maybe even dropped dead. Who knows! The Creature doesn't care.

The Creature wants Wolfwood dead. The Puppet is so mobile since he can fly, and it isn't difficult to maneuver at all. After all, the Creature has been in The Puppet's head for so long, of course it knows how to control its toys. The Puppet rises into the air on those six wings, beating back the flames of the bonfire with his wingbeats. With his sword in both hands, The Puppet raises his arms over his head and slams the magic blade down in a swift attempt to sever Wolfwood in half.]

1/2

[lupusxylem]

[Elsword's last real moment of clarity is what saves Wolfwood from being cleaved in two. For if he hadn't had the space, or the moment to calculate what was about to happen, he wouldn't have had time to do anything.

But this? This is a chance. It's a chance, and it's one he isn't going to squander.

It's actually shocking, how far Elsword is capable of throwing Wolfwood away from the flames, knocking the wind briefly from him as he lands hard on his shoulders. He feels his brain rattle painfully in his skull, until he realizes it isn't just the impact that caused that, but the sound. The sound of guttural roaring as beasts from all around begin to flood the forest from the Grove. It's utter madness, all in an instant, as Wolfwood stares up at the golden blade.

He just barely manages to roll to the side before it can split him in half, digging his heels into the ashen dirt as he kicks off towards the Punisher, which Elsword just so happened to throw him near. He goes for the belts, snapping them off with the practiced ease of a single motion, ignoring the lance of pain that slowly catches up with him from where the blade hadn't entirely missed. A glancing blow, one that ripped through the side of his blazer on the left, leaving it gashed. Leaving him bleeding.

It's surface. He's fine. Plenty fine enough to prop the cross up on his shoulder, leveling it at Elsword.]

[lupusxylem]

[But as the crosshairs settle over Elsword's head, an effortless shot he's pulled off hundreds of times, he hesitates.

There's an opening, just one breath where Wolfwood's aim won't remain true.]

i am too tired to make a full top-level so have a closed reaction

[oleaeuropaea]

[Vash hears the noise and turns. In many ways, it's a noise he's been waiting for. All night, it's felt like the shoe was about to drop. When all hell breaks loose, it's almost relieving in a way. At least now he has something actionable.

And the first thing he does is shove himself into the foray. He isn't quite sure what's going on with Wolfwood and Elsword — he's been far enough away that he can't see the heart of the fracas. And right now, there are far worse things to deal with.

He's just - going to not aim at the human shaped things. That's probably for the best.]

ota // cw: uhhh violence, body horror. u know.

[livlaughlove]

[as has been the case pretty much all day, livio hasn't strayed too far from wolfwood. it figures that when he's out of reach is the moment his instinct prickles with danger.

before even his body can react fast enough, the wall breaks, something next to the bonfire explodes, and every single one of them is under attack. but still, his first concern -- ]

Nicholas!

[at full volume, his voice rivals the roar of a monster's, even as it cracks with horror. both fangs shoot at the form of elsword without hesitation -- he's sorry, namdongsaeng, he's so sorry, but it's nico -- but the vines block every bullet and then immediately crack at him. livio barely has time to cover his face with an arm that gets lashed painfully in its stead.

in the time it takes for this to happen, one of the monsters broken in from the fog wall reaches him. an antler tears across his other shoulderblade as he whirls, just dodging being gored head-on.

facing at least this creature down, it seems he isn't breaking through to wolfwood any time soon.]

here to help until the fuckening (belated)

[forwander]

[There's another beast running for Livio as he swivels around, one which almost reaches him, were it not for the storm of lightning that strikes true and leaves the thing a smouldering husk.]

Now begone with no trace.

[That's the only thing Passenger has to say, clearly not directed at Livio.

The moment their eyes lock, he motions to the corrupted monster with the antlers, in an unhelpful gesture that says well? You can take care of that one, right? It's not as passive-aggressive as it seems moments later, when a twin-headed bird swoops down on top of them and steals Passenger's attention away.

Try to stay out of the friendly fire!]

hello here is ur mobile clinic

[harmacy]

[Once the situation with Elsword is dealt with, Add holds his position outside the church to start dealing with the rest of this bullshit. He can fight if he has to, but healing and support is his specialty—so, if a flying needle comes zooming past to douse you in mystery drugs, don't worry about it. He's helping!

Mizuki is likely close by to deal with the monsters, but additional help is always appreciated. Please stop the enraged beasts from tearing apart the medic, he needs all his limbs to do surgery with.

That said, are you injured? Do you want a surprise healing injection? Some quick stitches? Something to get rid of a weird Forest poison? Add is Out Here.]

[purevanillacookie]

[ Pure Vanilla reporting for duty. He will join Adds side in healing, as well as focusing on preparing things Add might find useful, so he can do things quickly. Minus any sort of drugs/etc Add might use himself, listen, PV can make poultices and etc not. Chemicals.

He'll also sort of... watch in disbelief as he just flings needles at people. That's.... hm.

It's like watching Sparkling Cookie throw bottles of wine at people to heal them i mean who said that what.]

my back won't allow me to make a proper toplevel

[bloodyopus]

[ But since there is already a mobile clinic and people fighting, here is...a panic button an extra manpower (two in one because he has a shadow clone)? He could help out from the shadows, help YOU escape a dodgy, potentially fatal situation with the monsters, cart you to the medic, stall and distract a monster or two, deliver a killing blow, clean up any remaining monsters, crowd control, and so on.

Just don't ask him to fight as part of the front line, especially in a protracted battle. Also not very good as literal emotional support, but that option is also available if anyone needs/wants that.

Either way, Phantom is nebulously here during the fight, after the Forest uses Elsword as its puppet and released the monsters. ]