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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

« If you count this as a door, then sure. I’m here.

Did you eat the food that was left last time? Did you like it? I could give you more if you wanted. I was hoping I could ask you a couple more things while I was here. »

"I eat anything that ends up in this lake. You offer to feed me more? I thought your kind didn't like me?"

Or his corruption, for that matter.

« "Your kind"...? Ah, you mean, the people at the Grove? I can't speak for any of them, unfortunately. No one's really brought you up before.

On the other hand, I don't harbor ill feelings towards you. You're satiating hunger and protecting the things you care about. In that regards, We can understand. »

"Do you understand? Or do you lie to my face through the fog wall?"

« I'm not a real good liar, Mister Callan. You'd know if I were. But more than that, We want no qualms with you. Lying would achieve the opposite of that.

Here. Have this. » [ And Mizuki uses the harpoon-pointed tip of his umbrella to cut off one of his longer, roughly 10 foot tendril, and chucks it though the wall towards the lake. ] « We have our own insatiable hunger. Never ending, and vast as the ocean is - yet We manage.

And I'm sure there's no one here that wouldn't agree they'd do anything to protect those they'd care about. »

There goes Callan doing backflips into the lake to figure out what was just tossed in. There's a splashing sound, and then the sound of teeth ripping messily through flesh. It'll be a minute or two before he responds...

He is very hungry. His last good meal was that shrimplike man.

"Then answer me this, child of man: What is it you think I care about?"

« If I’m being honest, I don’t know, Mister Callan. I often have to ask people what makes them happy to figure that out. If you’re anything like Us, survival. Satiating hunger. Becoming whole with others.

But what is it that makes you happy, Mister Callan? »

Callan doesn't respond for a minute. There's idle swimming noises, like someone doing laps in a pool but not really committing to it. It's absent-minded, almost, except Callan is thinking.

He thinks of the Fallen Sun. He thinks of the offer made to him before he was "Corrupted", if that's the word the mortals are choosing to use. He thinks of Terho, the nearby cabin Callan can't physically reach, and their time together. He thinks of Terho's death, how humans took Terho from him in his last moments and how it was Sinann that swam upriver to tell him the news.

The splashing noises grow more frustrated. More antsy.

"What makes me happy is long dead."

Mizuki sits on the ground, digging around in his bag for a few things while Callan thinks. He ends up pulling out a small pot, a lighter, and a couple of cooking ingredients that he sets off to the side. Because of course he came here with the intent to really feed Callan this time. All from behind the fog wall, of course. But Mizuki gently starts making a little firepit with nearby rocks like Elsword had helped him made.

Small inhale. « I'd heard. Only a brief explanation, though. So, if you want to talk more about it, I'm here to listen. I can get you started with a couple questions, too, that I... » 'have been asked.' « ...think might help you talk about it.

Did you find yourself needing a lot of reassurance from him?
Did you experience anxiety and emptiness when taking time to spend on your own?
When under stress, did you try to sort your emotional state out yourself, or did you rely on him first?
Did you find yourself having outbursts when under a lot of stress?
Did you have any bad habits?
Did you ever have difficulty trusting in their feelings for you?

Do you love yourself? »

Edited 2024-05-31 05:27 (UTC)

Callan splashing around in the water like this is a lot of questions. Mizuki is entertaining enough to him right now to answer — he seems a lot more muted and demure, suddenly, a stark contrast from how he was doing his usual backflips and screaming earlier.

The fact that people know about Terho doesn't seem to bother him as much as it would. The other Guardians have the tendency to gossip, as far as Callan is concerned. They spent a month yelling at him and telling him to come to God or whatever last time they were here.

He answers in order. The water idly sloshes under his form.

"I don't need reassurance.

I don't know what 'anxiety' is, but I didn't like when he was gone. Humans took him from me each and every time.

'Sorting' your emotions sounds like a fool's endeavour. They're emotions, you experience them, and what comes of that is what comes of that.

Humans would consider my actions "outbursts". I prefer to think of it as living.

Define "bad habits". Humans didn't like that I ate them, but I hardly consider that a bad habit. Your morality and mine are different.

I have no difficulty trusting anybody.

Sure, I love me. I think I'm a catch."

Really out here wishing he had his clipboard right about now. For the most part, Mizuki just nods along.

« Oh, "bad habits" would be things that are considered detrimental to one's health. For example, staying in your room all day and forgetting to eat, or spending all your money on gacha games. » Mizuki- « Or like, a ton of other examples, really. Not eating people, though. Lotta people get mad at me for that, too, so I think it's just normal.

But most of that sounds good! You're getting a lot of points in emotional independency, then. » Therapy: The Video Game. « But, um, if I may ask then... do you think maybe your corruption may have exacerbated the grief you're feeling? The forest plays games with us like making us feel each other's pain and stuff, maybe it's doing something like that to you? 'Cause, y'know, time's supposed to ease a broken heart, but it might be making you feel it fresh for a while. »

He puts a couple things in the pot, along with one of his tentacles, giving it a little stir as it bubbles to make sure it doesn't bubble over. « And, also, may I ask why you keep saying we're so different? Do you often use such isolating phrases when you talk to people? »

Some humans say not to eat other humans, some humans (human-adjacents) say to eat them, WHAT is the answer. If only Callan knew the things you freaks got up to in the Grove he might just uncorrupt himself solely so he can go hang out with the cannibals and the predator-players because like, yeah his people— anyway he's just gonna think about how Mizuki told him it's fine to snack on people forever now.

Callan is extremely close to the fog wall now. Glowing eyes and bioluminescent stripes and dots can be seen through it, as can about eight sets of hands all pressing against it like he's trying to get out. He is Thinking very hard about the first question Mizuki posits.

"Am I supposed to have moved on from him? The only person I cared about!? The Forest reminds me every day that he's gone!"

Huffs...

"We are different. I'm better than all of you, therefore we're different."

Mizuki looks up at Callan as he looms overhead, casting a shadow that causes him to glow a soft blue in response. He simply watches for a moment, doing his best to read expression of some kind, even if Mizuki knows it’s fairly useless.

But then he just turns back to the stew, giving it a stir. Despite it looking horrible, if the smell can transcend the wall, Callan will note that it smells delightful.

« I didn’t say that. It would be highly hypocritical of me to do so. I think grief from loss never truly goes away, but with the right support, it can at least be manageable. Which is sort of the opposite of what the Forest is doing to you, isn’t it? Reminding you about his loss is like reopening a wound over and over. It’s not healthy. I’m worried about you, Mister Callan.

I suppose that’s a fair point. If you don’t want my help, I understand. I’m really not anything special, and when I try to be useful, I tend to just mess things up… But, if you don’t mind, that cabin back there… it was his, wasn’t it? I know you don’t want me to go inside, and I won’t, but it must hurt to see it there and not be able to get close to it, right? If you don’t want help with your corruption and get there, would you like me to take something of yours and put it on the porch or something? That might bring you some comfort. »

Edited 2024-06-04 16:33 (UTC)

There's quite the long bout of silence. Callan smells the food, though it's hard to see through the fog wall. Mizuki might, if he's paying attention, see his head swivel around to the cabin.

The little guy really has him figured out.

"There's nothing of mine there," he begins, after a moment of hesitation, much quieter than the rest of his comments have been. "He had a necklace I crafted out of shells and stones from the lakebed that's still in there. Bring me that."

Last Callan knew, anyway, that was in there. Terho wasn't buried with it, after all.

Oh! How exciting, Mizuki had expected Callan to say something along the lines of "Why should I trust you?" and Mizuki would just have to shrug like "You shouldn't." and that would've been a weird conversation to have. He gives it a moment, stirring the stew, then putting a lid over it to let it cook properly while he left.

« Shell and stone necklace. Got it. I'll be right back, then. »

And he turns to head for the cabin. He doesn't feel like he needs to camouflage for it, either.

Mizuki is a respectful boy and won't explore things he doesn't have to. Is the necklace relatively easy to find? Should I roll? What does he see when he's inside?

The cabin is dark, dusty and full of cobwebs. There's a chair by a long-since-decayed fireplace, plenty of books, and two separate desks. One is full of herbs and medicines long since rotted, and the other gems, stones, and metal bits. Up the stairs is a loft where a bed once was, and the railings are covered in claw marks. A back room leads to a kitchen, and that, too, is long abandoned and rotten.

The shell and stone necklace isn't hard to find at all, though. It seems to be floating in a pale light. And as Mizuki comes in, there's a startled voice-

Who are you? What are you doing here?

Wow this place is Very Old, huh? Haha. He's not here to snoop, though, so he's just gonna beeline for the necklace.

"Oh! Hi! Sorry, I didn't realize I was intruding. I'm Mizuki! Mister Callan asked that I bring him this necklace. Is that okay?"

The light seems to take shape into that of a young man who recoils, clutching the necklace tighter-

No! You can't! You're lying, I've seen the monster that the forest made of him!

“I’ve no reason to lie. Mister Callan didn’t want me to come in here at all, initially, but he really wanted something of his dead lover’s. Are you him? What should I tell Mister Callan if you don’t want me to bring it back?”

I...

The man seems to solidify the more Mizuki engages him. But he also seems terribly unsure. His gaze shifts, but he's no less clingy to the necklace.

... I am. My name is Terho. I... remember that I died. But a fragment of myself was sealed here. Callan would never let anyone into the cabin... but he also cannot enter it himself.

He's been my jailer and he doesn't even realize it.

“Oh, well, that wasn’t intentionally, Mister Terho. I can tell he deeply cares for you. I’m sure he just didn’t want anyone messing anything up that was once yours. He doesn’t like a lot of the people who come here. I don’t think he even really likes me.”

He doesn't. Don't take it personally.

... Terho is that helping?

I don't.... want to give this gift up. ... If. If I wrote something, could you deliver that to him instead?

"I don't. It's reasonable to lash out when you've been alone for so long.

And you don't want him to have it...? Why not? Isn't that more important than holding onto it?"

Because I think it's one of the few things keeping me tethered- that is, myself.

“…How do I know you’re not some illusion from the forest, keeping me from bringing something Mister Callan just confessed would make him happy to him? That sounds exactly like something it would do.”

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