sticksandbones | EVENT & TDM 012

EVENT & TDM 012

IT'S GONNA BE MAY

WAKE UP

You open your eyes, and with a jolt, find yourself within the clearing of a miniscule town surrounded by trees and thick, black fog. Despite the ominous backdrop, nature seems to be thriving — it’s a pleasantly chill spring day, as far as anyone can tell, and everything is vibrant and blooming… even some of the animals. At some point, a friendly old dog with red fur approaches, carrying a basket in his jaws. Inside are blackberries and apples other fruits. Did he find this himself? Or did someone give them to him to bring to new arrivals? Regardless, he very clearly hopes that you’ll share.

A giant golden brown turtle sits by a tent, napping in the sunlight. Two statues sit in the courtyard by an old well — a haloed woman marked as the Goddess of the Sun, Beiwe, and a gentle woman looking adoringly at her counterpart, marked as the Goddess of the Moon, Ourania. If you pay your respects, the air feels gentle and warm in the day, and like a fresh cool breeze at night.

As you explore more, perhaps the bloomed animals will approach — a mossy squirrel, or a frog who happens to also be a lilypad. It’s charming, almost. Whimsical and kind.

Shame that the wall of fog looms ever on, watching. Waiting.

SHINING, SHIMMERING, SPLENDID

cw: hallucinations, compulsions, near-death experiences

For a while, spring seems gentle, almost. Peaceful. The previous month may have been full of jokes, but things are actually safe. Of course, that can’t last forever. Every night, a purple, shimmering mist floods the town. It does not breach the doors and windows, even if left open, but looking at it is… enticing.

Should you give in, the mist is cool and gentle, swaying around you like smoke. The longer you stay in, the more your eyes feel blissfully heavy. Soon, you find yourself surrounded by loved ones, in a place that brings you joy — a childhood home, a vacation spot, some place warm and safe and dear to your heart. Everyone is playing and having so much fun. Join them! Join them!

Of course, by the time you do jump into the fun, you’ll find yourself awakened with a start, just about to fall into danger. Perhaps you climbed a tree and were about to leap to the ground from too high up. Or maybe you stuck your head in the river and your lungs were about to empty. Regardless, the happy dream shatters with imminent danger, and perhaps you’d better hope that someone else is nearby to help you. … Especially since with each night you give in, the more enticing the mist is the next night.

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

At some point, the mist is forcibly dissipated and instead the moon shines brightly, almost like a spotlight. Investigation will reveal an absurdly large capybara that seems more like a vehicle than an animal, even with the jasmine flowers hanging off of it, siting down with the ‘door’ accessible to anyone willing to climb in.

“Come with me, and I will bring you to a night of festivities.” is all that it says when asked. And it knows that you will — you’re all curious as kittens, after all. Once the last person takes a fuzzy seat within the capybara, it slowly stands up and begins walking through the woods, and for the first time, everything seems peaceful. Normal, even. Why, there’s not even a monster or misshapen, grabby tree! Just a moonlit forest, and fireflies in the distance.

Eventually it brings you to a small but beautiful cabin, crouching down to let everyone out again. Outside is a layer of marble surrounded by pillars decorated with sheer fabrics and an abundance of lilies and calendula, jasmine and marigolds, hydrangeas and gladiolus. A buffet table has also been spread out, and within the cabin are changing rooms with a multitude of ornate gowns and suits, alongside sitting rooms and other potential necessities — though you get the feeling that you should still be on your best behavior here.

Gentle music plays from an unknown source. The capybara is resting, until it’s time to leave come sunrise. For one night, everything is at peace. You may as well enjoy it, and dance to your heart’s content.

SPARK NOTES

CLICK TO EXPAND!

WAKE UP

Welcome to Aldric's Grove! The fog wall is a little creepy, but worry not: A dog has brought you a snack, and the plant-bearing wildlife are pretty friendly. If you've been here for a while, no worry: You, too, are getting a basket of treats from the dog.

SHINING, SHIMMERING, SPLENDID

A purple mist fills the Grove at night, and stepping into it makes you experience a euphoric dream... shortly before you wake up because you nearly walked into death. Be careful, because the mists are addicting, and you may not have an easy time avoiding their temptation the following nights.

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

For one night, the mists clear up and peace settles over the forest. A giant capybara gleefully takes everyone to the site of a grand dance, where the clothing and food are all free, and the music swells with joy. Dance your hearts out until dawn breaks, and then the capybara will take you back home.

OOC

Happy May! This is a reminder that TDMs are game canon. Enjoy your dreams, enjoy your prom night, enjoy the capybara. OOC Plotting Lives Here if you'd like to plot anything out!

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[ Argh, it makes the man whine a little like he might have if he was still a werewolf, tilting his head back in frustration and blowing some air out. ]

Ye, Pure Vanilla Cookie. Vampire Cookie. You - Sparklin' Cookie -, CeeCee is Clotted Cream Cookie. There was Captain Caviar too. Cheesecake is CHEESECAKE. All the hounds I met are SWEET, yo!

[ He shoves Cheesecake into Sparklings arms, like if holding her might help him remember, the boy looking... seriously depressed, honestly. ]

You told me 'bout Cookie Babies, an' I flipped my shit, 'member? I madechu a lil' version of yer bar an' lil' figures wid all yer friends.

[ But his voice is losing it's power, and finally he crouches down, slinging his arms over his knees in defeat. ]

Man... it's aight. You don' 'member. Josh di'nt 'member. Vanilla didn't 'member. Maybe you all went home 'tween then an' now... dunno why you all stayed ryslig turned tho.

Clotted Cream... [...] Not all of these names ring a bell persay, but they certainly sound familiar.

[How could they not? They are all Cookies, after all.

Just like that, he's been given Cheesecake to hold, and...there's a moment where he almost drops her, because he can't help but be a bit frightened...but then she suddenly leans up and licks his face, yipping happily. It seems to be enough to get him to calm down and sigh, stroking a hand over her icing-covered back.

He never realized just how relieving it would be to have something from home here with him, especially something that apparently knows him.]

I do apologize regardless, Beat. I wish I could remember, but...it seems that I've lost my memory of what I must have experienced before.

[...]

But that doesn't mean we can't still be friends. Right?

[ He sighs a little, rubbing the back of his neck, before blinking and looking up at Sparkling. He offers the Vampire a grin, and stands again. ]

Yeah, nah listen, I may be upset you ain't 'member, but yer always gonna be my friend, yo. An' who knows, you might getchyer memory back at some point. But even if ya don't, I got yer back, man. You ain't gotta worry 'bout that.

[ He taps his chest lightly with his fist, then holds it out to Sparkling. Fist bump him, man. ]

[What optimism...it's appreciated, given how very confused and frankly frightened Sparkling still is. He smiles, even though it doesn't quite reach his eyes, and bumps his fist lightly against the werewolf's.]

I appreciate it...thank you.

[Even if he never remembers, he's going to damn well try to see if there are any bits and pieces he can recall. Already, that lingering sense of familiarity is making him feel like there has to be some validity to Beat's words.]

Ah...is there somewhere around here you have been staying, if I might ask?

[ Beat almost drops his head for a head pat after the fist bump, his head bobs in fact, but he manages to stop himself from going for the full blown please pet my head motion. Might still be human, but the dog brain lingers. ]

Oh, yeah, mosta us stay at the Inn. C'mon, I'll show ya.

[ He'll step around Sparkling, then wait for him to fall in beside him, before leading him in the direction. And point places out as they walk. ]

Store. You can find mosta yer stuff here. Next to it's the bath house, it's ... com-kom-oo-nal so if you ain't okay wid peeps seein' yer bod, you might wanna work on getting yer own bath stuff. Across from the store, wid the blue roof, is the uh "therapy" office but its got a bunch of stuff to use for rec if you need to blow off steam. An' that one!

[ He points to the bigger building across from the well with it's Statues. ]

Is the Inn!

[Sorry Beat he hasn't yet re-learned to speak your language, so the fact the bath house is "communal" goes a bit over his head. He'll get it after he thinks about it for a few seconds more, later. He takes mental notes of everything Beat shows him though as they walk through the Grove, still carrying little Cheesecake in his arms, who seems as happy as a clam to be here.]

Is the Inn where everyone stays? I have to assume...I don't actually see that many residential homes here I'm realizing, save for a few.

Not everyone, yo.

[ He points to a house that - since this is before Elsword's house disappears - stands by the Therapy office. ]

Elsword an' Mizuki live there. Cross the way- [ He points across the grove to the cluster of buildings near the large Tower. ] - you can find Sesa an' the others livin' in the clinic an' stuff. An' uh... yer other fellow Cookies live there, in the house you can kinda see in the trees. PeeV- Uh, Pure Vanilla, yo. Dark Cacao. Clotted Cream. You prolly gonna wanna talk wid them.

[ He scratches the back of his neck. ]

I an' a few others live in the inn cause yea we can get our own houses but, eh. Ya know?

Interesting...this town is quite robust then, despite being located in such a dense forest.

[Well, he's not unused to this. The Kingdom is still in its infancy after all, so he's just going from one work in progress to another.]

I will go introduce myself to the other cookies once I've gotten myself and this little one settled.

[Probably in the Inn? He can't just presume the cookies would want him to stay with them, after all.]

Is there anything else I should know?

Ye! We try! We aint a lot but we all got each others backs an' try our best, ya know?

[ He would be wrong! PV will make him a room, this time. Turn abouts fair play.

Beat sighs to that question super hard, cause, well. ]

So much, yo, but I'm afraid to like... overwhelm you. You already got a new body to deal wid, an' a puppy, an' me screaming why don'chu 'member an' shit. Why don' we getchu a room at the Inn first, 'fore we get into anythin' else?

Haha...alright. That sounds fair enough. I do admit, I am feeling more than a little overwhelmed...basically for the reasons you described.

[Cheesecake barks. Do not be stressed she loves you!!

He'll start to make his way over to the Inn, then, stumbling a little as he goes. Stumbling forward...then into Beat's side.]

Ah- m-my apologies. I'm, ah...still not entirely used to these...feet. Claws...of mine.

Oop.

[ You ever been princess carried, Sparkling? Well, you're going to be, as Beat stops moving long enough to turn and scoop the Vampire off his feet, cradling him in his arms like the big beefcake he is. ]

I gotchya. Heh, wait 'til you figure out you can turn into a bat again. That's gonna be wild. You aight, Cheesecake?

[ He makes sure she's secure in Sparklings arms still, then walks them towards the inn. ]

Oh-!

[And just like that, he's been scooped. Cheesecake barks, settled happily in Sparkling's lap while in Beat's arms, so she's not going anywhere. Sparkling, meanwhile, tries to keep his wings close to his back so he isn't threatening to smack Beat in the face with them now that he's being carried.]

Ah, thank you, Beat...but you really don't have to! I hate to be imposing as much as I am...

[ If he was smacked with wings, well, it wouldn't be the first time, so he doesn't mind at all as he happily walks them up towards the Inn. He beams to the thank you and shakes his head, grinning down at Cheesecake too as she settles.

God, he missed them. At least she remembers him. ]

Nah, you ain't 'posing. Di'nt I jus' say I gotchyer back? Ain't no such thing, aight? I know you don' 'member it, but I do, an' I know it might be odd to hear it said but I love ya, bro. Yer family.

Even if I don't remember it...the sentiment truly means a lot. It helps, knowing I'm not going to be alone here.

[VERY much not alone, if the other Cookies have anything to say about it.]

Though...I can't help but wonder why it is that I don't remember. You would think something like...this wouldn't be so easily forgotten.

I dunno... They all forgot too. It could be the number a' times we all died, but I dunno really, cuz we died a lot. Eh, don' worry 'bout it. If ya 'member, ya 'member!

[ GONNA CARRY SPARKY INTO THE INN AND TO AN EMPTY ROOM, YEAH, CARRYIN' HIS FRIEND, TAIL WAGGING. HE FETCHED HIM. HE FETCHED THE SPARKS.

Gently (gently gently, mindful of both Sparklings wings and Cheesecake) dumps them onto the bed, grinning. ]

Welcome to yer new home for a bit. I dunno if the Inn's pantry got blood but I know Heimr can hook you up wid it when you begin to crave it.

[............you know what he is just not going to think too hard about the fact he's apparently died a lot, um.

Regardless! He lets Beat deposit him on the bed, watching as Cheesecake immediately wiggles out of his arms and starts running across the top of it before she promptly flops over and starts rubbing her face all over the sheets.

Yeah.

Also wait blood-]

Ah. ...blood? What is that, exactly?

[ Cheesecake. Beat watches silently as the cakedog proceeds to make a mess of the sheets. ]

... there's extra sheets in the closets. An' uh... yeaaaah...

[ He scratches the back of his neck a little. ]

Yer a vampire... you eat blood. It's like. Uh. Cookie jam, but fer humans.

[Well!! You know you would have thought that would make sense, since he knows Vampire...but Vampire seems to exist solely on grape juice and not much else, so he can't be blamed for not understanding.]

T...truly? But...would that not require me to...

[You know. Hurt people??]

Oh, not here. Uh............... I........... gotta eat like........... human flesh.

[ If he was in his werewolf form right now his ears would be back and he'd be tucking his tail please don't judge him. ]

But to keep me aight, Heimr takes care of that. I'm sure he'd spot you too fer the blood.

[Listen, no matter his feelings on the matter, Sparkling can't judge. How could he, if he's out here being a bloodsucker??

That and he's barely been human for a couple hours soooo it's fine-]

I see. I'll have to speak to him once I've gotten myself settled. I haven't yet found myself feeling the...urge, so to speak? So I think I have a bit of time.

Yeah, yer only gonna need it ... once a month, maybe? If you ate before coming here, it prolly gonna be fine fer a while. But y'll know when ya need it. It'll feel like yer hungry, but no matter how much you eat, you ain't gettin' full.

[ He sighs and sits himself down on the edge of the bed. ]

I dunno if the hunt instinct came wid you, either, butchu best hope it didn't.

[ It's driving Beat insane. ]

Hm. If it has, it hasn't hit me yet.

[Sparkling readjusts to give Beat room, sitting up just as he sits down. Cheesecake, unsurprisingly, darts over and tries to throw herself into Beat's lap.]

It sounds ghastly. I'm sorry you've been having to deal with that.

[And...he's not looking forward to having to deal with it himself, either. He isn't even going to know how bad it is until it actually happens to him.]

I hope it don't ever.

[ He grins and gladly takes Cheesecake onto his lap, curling his laps so she can curl up there, as he gently pets one ear.

Then shrugs one shoulder, shaking his head. ]

You can... kinda ignore it? S'long as you keep yerself well fed. Like, I used to be able to go once a month widdout needin' human, so long as I could chase someone down with it. But I get handed it like it's jus' a normal meal an' I can't chase, ya know?

[Oh she is soooo happy. She will now become flat in his lap.]

That makes sense. You can't...hunt, as it were.

[And he's really not sure what the solution to that is. He highly doubts anyone is going to want to volunteer to be hunted in that way.]

Have you tried, er...hunting in the forest? Not other humans, but animals?

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EVENT & TDM 012

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