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!

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Comments

[eidxiety]

[Ain is put on the couch and he just sits there politely with his hands in his lap. He will inevitably drape himself across this couch, but for now, he's sitting up like a person.]

Why did you eat demons? Don't they taste bad?

[mooninthewater]

Mmh, they’re not my favorite thing, that’s true, but I prefer my meat with a bit of seasoning. I technically only ate the one anyway, and it was quite an ordeal.

And I ate it ‘cause it’s evil, silly. What do you usually do with evil things??

[eidxiety]

...kill them?

[mooninthewater]

And just leave their evil there to fester???

[eidxiety]

Nnnoooo, because they're dead and the evil goes with them...?

[mooninthewater]

When you kill something evil, if you don't get rid of the evil in it, then other creatures will eat it and absorb that. Then, others will eat that creature, and so on, until the evilness is spread further than just through the original thing you killed. But so long as you know how to rid the evil from yourself, then it's fine if you eat it.

That's what I do.

[eidxiety]

Huh...

[Ain is thinking about this.]

...I dunno if that's how it works on Elrios, Mr. Jellyfish.

[mooninthewater]

Are you positive? I mean, you and the others still fight evil, don't you?

[eidxiety]

We do, but I don't think the evil really transfers. And Elsword hasn't exactly eaten any of our enemies. Even Ms. Demon hasn't, which I'd expect from demons, honestly.

[Ain: Ciel and Lu are my friends :)
Also Ain: the most racist shit you've ever heard]

There are lots of people we've defeated in a fight that haven't died and decided to be on our side, too. Like Mr. Dog.

[mooninthewater]

Well, people can expel evil from themselves, so it's alright if you don't. But when they're there, it festers and has the chance to spread to other people, you know?

I guess maybe... that was something not taught in other worlds? That's alright, things will still get better where you're from, no problem.

[eidxiety]

They've been getting better gradually. I'm pretty confident that Elsword and everyone can do it. There are a lot of issues we've solved.

[They're gonna have to be fine without him. Ain wonders if they miss him, or if they've forgotten about him again.]

Nevermind. We were supposed to be asking questions. You put me on your fancy couch and everything.

[mooninthewater]

Right, right, sorry. I'm so easily distracted~.

You brought up "the Demon Realm". But that's not where you're from, right? Are you from where Elsword is from? He didn't tell me a whole lot about his home. I assume it was because he couldn't remember...

[eidxiety]

I'm from Elrios, yes.

[It's sad that he couldn't remember. If anyone was extremely likely to talk about every aspect of home, it would've been him. Ain's sure no one loves the world as much as Elsword does.]

The Demon Realm is where I was before arriving here. If "your" Elsword is from the same point in time as "my" Elsword is, then we were just dealing with the Torta Clan, and headed toward Ms. Demon's territory from when she lived there, before the coup d'état dethroned her. We got sidelined along the way by someone from Henir's Order who was messing with Mr. Ancient, but he won't tell us what's going on as usual. He was really upset, last I recall.

[mooninthewater]

...Does Doctor Add do that often back home, too, then? [ Maybe he shouldn't be all that upset about it, then. But... on the same hand... wasn't Mizuki special? Right? He's important, isn't he??

He's not about to dump all that on Ain, though. He's fine. It's fine. ] What was your home life like, then, if you don't mind me asking?

[eidxiety]

Mine isn't a doctor, he's just a nerd. [oh my god] But yes, haha, he keeps his secrets. We know a lot about each other... maybe too much sometimes, and yet not enough.

[Him and Ain are really the only secret-keepers. Everyone else is pretty open.]

I guess it depends. For the last five... almost six years, we've all been journeying together. Granted, some people joined up with us later, but I've been with Elsword and Ms. Magician and Ms. Elf since the beginning. Everyone stops on the road a lot, and we didn't really have a place to settle down ever until Elrianode. Even then... we were pretty much always moving and having somewhere to be. But it was fun. Maybe not when it was all high-stakes and we were getting our asses handed to us, but it was fun. There's a lot of beautiful things in the world to see.

I dunno. Do you have anything specific you want to know about? It's been a long journey.

[mooninthewater]

[ Mizuki listens, and he seems to be less stuck on his explanation of their journey, and more how he talks about it. Specifically, the names. He's a little uncertain how to feel about it, but it's so glaring right now when he talks about everyone like this. Thus, he can't help but blurt out: ] Do you not like Elsword...?

[ It's a silly thought, but he has such cute nicknames for everyone, so why doesn't Elsword get one? ]

[eidxiety]

Huh? No, no... I love him a lot.

[Like uhhh. Love-love. Like deeply. Like obsessively deeply.]

Haha, sorry... this is really the first time I've come clean with it. I'm a little embarrassed.

[mooninthewater]

[ ...Yeah, that tracks. Hey, hold on, why is Mizuki not surprised to hear this? ...Elsword?????

There's a brief moment where Mizuki falls quiet. Like, maybe two seconds tops, but in those two seconds, he's having a whole conversation in his head. About Ain, about Elsword, about that sudden electrifying feeling of jealousy that rattles through him. It's not even his Elsword? It's fine. It's fine, it's fine, it's fine. Who's got Elsword's skull in his office and uses it to cuddle with at night? Not Ain, that's who.

... Sigh. He's really gotta work on this. There's no need to be so possessive like this anymore. He and Ain are friends. Why would he want to do something that might accidentally ruin that? ]

...You don't have to be embarrassed. It's very sweet, Mister Ain. It sounds like you all had quite wonderful memories together. Is... is it okay if I ask for some of your favorite moments? Your favorite memories, I mean? I think Elsword might like to hear about them.

[eidxiety]

[Listen, Genesis!Elsword is from the same world as Opferung!Ain of course he's not shocked by this. Opferung is a freak. This Ain is also a freak but he's also trying his best okay?

Anyway, Ain doesn't pick up on Mizuki being possessive. He literally hasn't been told anything, he probably wouldn't have opened his mouth if he knew about their relationship, but all he really got from that netbook post was "Seaborn become one with someone :)" and "he was suffering so I helped him". I am an idiot he did know however he momentarily forgot about it because he has the blinders on, let him cook.]

Haha... sure, I don't mind. Um...

[...hm...]

I'll start with how we met.

[And then he launches into that exact story. It's not... much, really. It's just happenstance, where he happened upon Elsword and Aisha and Rena and joined up with them, but still. Meeting someone for the first time is a good memory.]

[mooninthewater]

[ Mizuki shuts his eyes as he listens. Elsword isn't... well, truly part of him like the hivemind is. He can't "speak" to Elsword like he can We Many, but he can still attempt to convey what emotions he believes Elsword is feeling. It's a bit like his relationship to the Arbor, honestly. Something dead and gone, but there's still just that... feeling.

Eventually, he puts his head against Ain's side. ]

I'm glad you were able to find such good friends, Mister Ain. And the way you talk about it... really makes it sound like you all became a family.