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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[The practiced touch really does go a long way. With Pure Vanilla's silent corrections, Vash does manage to find a rhythm in their motions. And the longer they talk, the less likely it seems to be that Vash will get too far into his head and start stumbling about once more.]

It helps that I have a good teacher.

[Does Vash say that with an abundance of fondness? Maybe so. His heart feels soft when he's around Pure Vanilla. Certainly, he's grown more comfortable around him.]

Guess something that big loses the intimacy. And when you have so many people to look after, it's harder to spend time with your friends.

Hm! You may thank the most terrifying Cookie in existence for that. Calliope Cookie was the teacher of the Kings, and she was not afraid to whack your legs with her cane if you disappointed her.

[ His smile is wide and sweet to the memory, and he aims it at Vash in return to the fondness in the others voice. He folds his fingers in with the others more intimately, squeezing his hand lightly as they move.

And sighs gently, his smile softening again. ]

It's true. Bigger affairs mean your citizens are there, neighboring Kingdoms, tribes, villages. As much as you would like to escape and simply spend time with those dearest to your heart, you must remain.... aloof. Ready to act as your duty dictates. It becomes lonely.

[ Which is why he's adoring this. Small one on one moments with the people he loves. And his expression shows it, the look he gives Vash speaking volumes. ]

[Vash's eyes go wide with horror. Predictably, he stumbles in his movements, and just barely catches himself. Unfortunately, that means that, in his panic to make sure that Pure Vanilla likewise doesn't stumbel his arms wrap snuggly around his waist to keep him secure.]

Sorry, sorry. Just - [He shakes his head and... quickly steps back. He only just seems to realize how close they'd been, and still might be processing the feeling of PV being flush against him. Wow.] That sounds pretty scary!

[Thankfully, he doesn't stray from his partner for long. He comes back, settling back into position with little more than a throat clear.]

I know it's probably cold comfort, bein' so far from home but... at least you can open up a little again here, right?

[ The stumble takes Pure Vanilla by surprise, and as Vash wraps his arms around him to keep him secure, he shifts his own arm to do the same. Holding the other tightly against him to keep him supported, his eyebrows up and his expression concerned.

Until- oh. He laughs a little and lets Vash pull back, his tail wiggling gently and his face crinkling in amusement. ]

Oh, I do not mean- ah well, perhaps I do. She was a dance Tyrant. But do not worry, she loved in her own way. Even if your legs ached.

[ Feeling more than hearing Vash step back in, he raises his hands again to take hold of Vash once more. And his smile sweetens, turns fond.

A slight touch of adoration. ]

I can. And it helps being with people I'm so very fond of.

[ A small gently squeeze against Vash's hand. ]

[The headrush Vash is dealing with doesn't improve as Pure Vanilla shows his strength. He might have underestimated the man, what with his lithe little build. BUt here he is, holding up Vash's weight without too much of an issue.

He could faint, honestly.]

Mm, well. As long as you weren't too scared, I guess!

[He stares at that smile, feeling his heart thump unevenly as he does. Pure Vanilla has always been, objectively speaking, handsome. Face to face like this, though, makes it far more difficult to deny a budding attraction. Thankfully, the mood of the night is light enough that he doesn't struggle with the weight of guilt that will surely come later.]

Fond, huh? Reckon that makes both of us.

She haunts my nightmares, but less in the "something in the dark" manner and more in the "Pure Vanilla Cookie what do you mean you forgot how to heel turn in the foxtrot!"

[ His voice is teasing, full of laughter. Please don't make him foxtrot. He actually has forgotten how to heel turn. And oh, Vash, this man can do much more than hold your weight steady. He can hold you in one hand over his head. That may come in relevant later on the beach, who knows.

Instead his smile widens, looks more pleased, and his tail wiggles as Vash agrees. And unlike the other, since Pure Vanilla is used to a concept of finding romance, or love, in a variety of Cookies, the idea of guilt doesn't even enter his mind.

His ear twists a little and he huffs a laugh, gently tugging Vash around the floor. This is one of those moments he wishes his eyes worked again, that he hadn't traded them to burning Light for Truth. He'd like to see what Vash's face looks up close. What little unique creases or freckles might dot his skin. Hm, actually. ]

I'm glad... though I do have a question that may turn this a little awkward? [ His smile is a little shameful. ] I would really like to see what you look like better, but even with my staff, there is a certain... lack of it's ability for details. May I touch your face?

Well, good news. I don't know anything about trotting foxes, so you could have fooled me!

[Which is to say, he will never bring up heel turning or the foxtrot. Great news for everyone involved.

~~Please though, hold him in your hand PV. Please show off your strength.~~

As always, Vash finds himself drawn to the, quite frankly, adorable little waggles. Maybe he's a little relieved that Pure Vanilla can't exactly make out the fond smile he wears. Or at least, is relieved up until he hears the request being asked of them. Only then does panic grip him.

(Does the smile fade? Absolutely not.]

Ah - I mean. If you think it would help! I'm really not much to look at though. You're not missing out on anything without it -

[Yes, he is starting to nervously ramble, what of it? His cheeks are obviously flushed, even the barest of brushes over them would tip Pure Vanilla off. But he can't just deny the man either.

Here he is. About to die.]

[ Oh, it's most certainly not for help, if Pure Vanilla's little blush says anything about it. It won't show him things like freckles but, well. So they're not being idiots on the dance floor, Pure Vanilla moves them off to the edge, then takes his hands back to raise them gently to Vash's face.

The brush of his fingers is gentle, maybe almost ticklish, as he uses just the pads. He slowly traces Vash's face, following the curve of his cheekbones with his thumbs, allowing his other fingers to slide along his jaw. The heat on Vash's cheeks makes him smile softly, and he mumbles a gentle apology, thinking he's just making the other shy over this.

Little wrinkles and creases are noted with a pleased look, dips and dots touched with a little bit of reverence. Details are filling in. Vash is so very pretty.

Forgive the soft brush of a thumb over his mouth. ]

[He tenses up, not because he's afraid of the touch, but because he's not sure how his body will react. He knows, albeit somewhat unconsciously, that he's one touchstarved idiot. Thus, the second he's given that gentle attention, he'll be hopeless beneath it.

And yes, he's absolutely right about that. A sigh leaves him almost immediately, head canting into the touch. Pure Vanilla's fingers feel just as nice as they had before, when they'd painstaking inspected his hands.]

Don't apologize. Please. [It's a murmur, near breathless. He even pouts at the apology, though that also might just be him trying to chase the touch against his lip, too.]

So, uh... Like what you see?

[ And he understands the way Vash's head moves into the touches. Knows what it's like to be so desperate for touch. So he doesn't shy away from giving it, as Vash begs him to not apologize. Chases the sensation. The question makes him hum, and he rests the palms of his hands against Vash's cheeks, his fingers stroking back towards his ears.

A light touch to them, tracing the curves, before pausing to simply cradle the other mans face. ]

You are lovely.

[ He truthfully is. Despite the hardships Vash has faced, there's still a softness to him that comes through. Pure Vanilla's look is soft, as he smiles up at him. ]

[As PV traces the curve of Vash's ears, he'll probably pick up on the faint point to them. It almost makes Vash shy away. Even if Pure Vanilla could pick up on the more sinister elements of his corruption, he can at least lie and pretend he doesn't see what a monster Vash has become.

He'll also probably barely graze over the base of his antennae, too, which doesn't help matters. But even as Vash doubts himself and his appearance, Pure Vanilla lingers. This much, at least, is comforting.]

I could say the same about you, you know. And gentle. And kind and... [He tapers off into a laugh.] And all of that stuff.

[ To even think of calling Vash a Monster would never cross the others mind. He has seen himself. Sure, he might have features that many would call cute but, they're still changes that run deep.

He didn't even get a chance to be human.

The antennae make him want to investigate further but he knows better, in some faint way, that they might be too sensitive. And he doesn't want to be rude and touch someplace Vash doesn't want him to.

The return compliments make his tail wiggle and his cheeks redden again. Are his hands lingering too long? He doesn't know, but he doesn't feel like dropping them. His fingers still softly moving back and forth. ]

And all of that stuff can be said in return to you. When I needed someone to help alleviate my mind off my problems, you were there with your hands open without a second thought. Words cannot express how much I appreciate you.

[Perhaps the good news is that Vash has never know then meaning of being human. He might have tried for years to be as much, but he simply isn't human, and never will be. That much is especially true now that something much more monstrous has taken root within him. It hasn't done much for his self-image issues, let's be real.

The antenna do wiggle when brushed, and Vash draws in a breath as a faint rush of sensation courses through him. Not unpleasant, but certainly new. Exhilarating, in a way he can't quite vocalize. And maybe? Just a little embarrassing.

The words, likewise, take him by surprise. Yes, he has done all of these things, but he hardly sees them as going out of the way. He'd be there for anyone in the grove like this, right? But even as he thinks as much, he can't help but doubt. There's something much warmer that brews inside him when he comes across Pure Vanilla.

Nevertheless, he still tries to deny, deny, deny.]

That's just normal, right? Anyone would want to be there for a friend, especially when they were struggling! I'm just trying to be a... good guy, I guess! Nothin' to thank me for!

[ The inhale lets him know to avoid those antenna for now, and he will make sure to note where they are and keep himself from touching them. And Vash's rush of defensive words - in a very cute way - make him laugh and squish the others cheeks. ]

Nevertheless! I appreciate it. I appreciate you, Vash. You remind me what it feels like to be young again, and not so bogged down in my mind, and my worries.

[ He loves Cacao but, like him, Cacao is old and traumatized and though they can support each other with understanding and love, they both feel their age around the other.

With Vash, it's lighter. The other is older, has seen his fair share of issues, but reminds Vanilla of what it was like before. So he appreciates him, so much. And if he gets warm and fuzzy inside whenever Vash smiles that's... that's just the appreciation. ]

[There go his cheeks, being mushed together in the cutest of ways. His heart flips, and there's a flutter of sensation that surges through his abdomen. It only grows as Pure Vanilla speaks to him, a growing warmth that could only be described as his boyish crush rearing its head.]

I'm... glad for that then. And I guess the feeling's mutual, too. I definitely don't feel like an old man around you.

[He doesn't add that he's never felt like an old man. Pure Vanilla can probably put that much together. He's pretty sure the thought still counts though.]

And it's not like I'm going anywhere, right? I'm always gonna be right here to put a smile on your face!

[ That does get a laugh out of him because somehow he has a feeling those words are mostly just for his benefit. Vash has definitely seen some years, but he has seen the way the other moves. Talks. Enjoys the world, despite the way he sometimes sinks into grief.

There is not an old bone in his body. ~~Unless he wants there to be one.~~

And he smiles and lifts himself up on his hooves to move his hand and plant a light kiss against Vash's cheek. Just a soft, gentle touch. ]

Thank you. I cannot say it enough. I will never be able to fully explain what that means to me. And I hope I am able to provide you the same sense of joy and comfort, as you give me.

[One day, Pure Vanilla will see Vash at his worst. He got close, when they'd shared a moment cleaning up blood and nails. But in those rare moments where Vash lets down his guard is where his age — or rather his weariness — really seems to show. If Vash had it his way, no one would ever pay witness to that. Unfortunately, he's never had much of a choice.

A nervous titter of a laugh leaves Vash as Pure Vanilla plants one on him. PV isn't exactly planting the soft allegations, just as Vash isn't beating the one about his crushes. And with that adrenaline pounding through him, Vash finds himself opening his mouth and saying the first, most emotionally charged thing he can.]

You already do. More than I can explain. [And maybe, just for a second, his grip tightens on Pure Vanilla. Defensive, more than anything.] Just... be careful, okay? Don't let anything happen to you.

[ Those words makes Pure Vanilla wonder if Vash feels the same. The light giddy touch of a crush. His expression is soft and admiring, even as the grip on him tightens. And he nods. He could easily deny that anything will happen but... ]

I promise, I will be careful. But please. Take into consideration yourself, as well?

[ And yet somewhere inside he knows. That both of them have the same sort of need to protect the others. To put themselves in the way of pain and harm, to make sure no one else gets hit by it.

He knows it as well as he knows that in another life, in another world, they've had a moment like this before. Music playing, them dancing, and a kiss shared. Though so far, the kiss has only been Pure Vanilla giving a platonic cheek one. ]

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EVENT & TDM 012

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