EVENT & TDM 012

[sticksandbonesmods]

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!

UPDATES

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SUBMISSIONS

QUESTIONS
INVESTIGATIONS
TDM NPC CONTACT
PAST-LIFE PLOTTING

(CODE)

Comments

[eidxiety]

[Stands there stanced the fuck up

...

CHASE??? CHASE CAT??? CHASE CAT!!!! bark bark bark bark bark he is Running after her bark bark runrunrunrunrunrunrunrun—]

[diplomaticimmewnity]

[ CHASE CAT!!!!! Unci is running as fast as her comically large feetsies will take her, which is fortunately pretty quick. She makes very long bounds that she uses to her advantage, hoping over parts of the terrain that she would otherwise struggle with. Even across the river using stray stones -- the psuedo bridge to Vash's. Unci isn't aware this is supposed to be a little easy to get across and thinks she's actually very smart and cool for clearing it, so...

She ends up making a lap around the house and finding the front door that way. She scratches at the exterior, as a cat does when it wants inside, but takes it a step further to paw at the handle, which is something she's done far too many times at this point to break into Gnosis' lab to bother him. She knows sort of what she's doing. Just like use paw. Smack shiny handle. Step 3 ?????????? Profit. ]

[eidxiety]

[It's okay because Dachsologie is an idiot, he stops at the river and barks at the water before he Carefully steps on each stone because he does not want to take a bath :( no sir his dad gives him Enough baths >:(

This will give Unci time to smack handle until the door opens, and at that point, Dachie is right behind her BARK BARK BARKing and skittering into the house after her.

This is fine surely no one is home—]

[diplomaticimmewnity]

[ Fantastic! In that case, welcome to the Vash household! Unci will show you the way. Like this couch that she digs her claws into as she jumps up onto it, and this table she darts under and her thick tail takes out on of the legs of, and these shelves with plates on them that don't anymore--

Are they making enough toys between the Destruction and the Barking? Hopefully. ]

[lupusxylem]

[Currently, nobody is home. Livio, Vash, and Wolfwood are all out doing their respective things, which means Angelina is the sole guardian and protector of the house. It's never been broken into...until today.

Genuinely, both Unci and Dachie come crashing inside so fast that she barely has time to start barking herself. She'd already careened from the bedroom, sliding across the floor on her massive paws with enough force to crash into the far wall (she's fine she does this every day). BARK BARK BARK BARK-

Her bark has gotten deeper and louder now that she's getting into her teenage years, her legs gangly and her body weirdly proportioned. Yet, despite the frightening sound of her bark, she is anything but aggressive...at least, towards people and animals who don't deserve it. Case in point:

What the absolute fuck is going on. There's stuff getting knocked over and Unci and Dachie running all over the damb place. She's met Unci before, but Dachie is a creature she's never seen before in her entire life.

...

Angelina promptly hides behind the couch, barking at them both from behind it. BARK BARK BARK AAAA]

[eidxiety]

[BARK BARK BARK BARK sees Angelina, skitters to a stop. Comes over and sniffsniffsniff with his beak.

:O

Gets down real low and wags his ass in the air like play?? Play with Dachie?? What if he rolls over onto his back (his wings might noclip into the ground) look he is soooo nonthreatening right now.]

[diplomaticimmewnity]

[ Fantastic. The Dogs are Interacting. That means Unci has time to be in a High Place. Like on the sink! It can sort of hold her weight. This pole thingy is bending just a little!








Why is water coming out- ]

[lupusxylem]

[That's how sinks work, Unci! Now just don't accidentally plug the drain, otherwise we're going to have a Big Problem.

Angelina, meanwhile, flinches back briefly as Dachie comes to a stop and begins to sniff her, her ears perked and her whole body rigid, unsure whether she should try to flee or stand her ground. She's used to seeing strange creatures from her time here in the Grove, but she's never seen anything like this. Like, what are you? A bird? A dog?? Dogbird??

...oh. Dachie has rolled over onto the floor. He is on his back now, showing his belly...the universal sign of being nonthreatening.

After a brief pause, Angelina abruptly collapses into a play bow, her massive tail a blur. Then, she darts forward and licks the top of Dachie's head, barks, jumps back, then dips back down into a bow again.]

[eidxiety]

[Yessss we are friends!! We are friendsssssss (Dachie's owldog brain thinks in less syllables than this)

He rolls over, gets low, and then yip yip yip licks Angelina's nose

Trundles over to where Unci is on the sink

BARK BARK BARK BARK WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE BARK]

[diplomaticimmewnity]

[ OH SHE'S BEEN SPOTTED. WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S NOT A STEALTH MASTER AAAAAAAAAAAA.

She keeps dipping her big clunky paws into the water, desperately trying to get up on that counter and she is So Wet now, thanks. There's gonna be water pawprints all over the place now. She eventually manages to jump off the counter and scurry off to try and find a new hiding spot.

Like these curtains, surely it's fine if she climbs these- ]

[lupusxylem]

[The moment Dachie stops playing and starts barking at Unci is when Angelina realizes oh shit there's another animal up there.

She, too, will bark at Unci. Bark bark bark!! How did you get up there! You can't be up on the curtains bark bark bark!!!!

The curtains, meanwhile...well, they're holding Unci's weight for now. Whether that will last is anyone's guess, especially not when Angelina is barking at her from below.]

[eidxiety]

[looks at angelina like you seein' this shit (head empty version)

trundles over to the curtains and teaches Angelina a Very Bad Thing aka pulling on them to try to get Unci down—]