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sticksandbones2024-08-02 09:35 am
sticksandbonesmods) wrote in sticksandbones2024-08-02 09:35 am
EVENT 015
BUY MORE CRYSTALS
COME RAIN OR EVEN MORE RAIN
Today, progress has been made in the Grove. The sun shines brightly on the cleaned-up remains of what used to be the “Burned Town”, now lovingly just called “north” for lack of a better term. At night, a small handful of stars finally shine in skies that have been empty for millennia, and birds sing loudly throughout, overjoyed now that they’ve felt the stirring of the long-dead Sky Guardian. All is peaceful. All is right with the world.
…and then there’s the sound of familiar, watery laughter from the Lake Guardian himself, having returned to the Grove for whatever reason he could possibly have, standing by the well and performing a jaunty dance on his scrawny legs. He spins around the well once, twice… and then the skies darken and the clouds swell, and suddenly it’s raining buckets, soaking you and everyone else to the bone immediately.
“It’s a gift for freeing me!!” Callan shouts joyously, unaware of the fact that gifts are usually nice things and not biblical floods. “Enjoy it!!”
Well, it seems like this will be the rest of your month. The rains don’t abate at all, but they do come with one gift that actually seems worthwhile: Any plant that stays out in the rain for long enough will suddenly spring out of the earth at gargantuan size. Enjoy your giant crops — they’re still edible! — and your flowers the size of pillows, everyone.
…and then there’s the sound of familiar, watery laughter from the Lake Guardian himself, having returned to the Grove for whatever reason he could possibly have, standing by the well and performing a jaunty dance on his scrawny legs. He spins around the well once, twice… and then the skies darken and the clouds swell, and suddenly it’s raining buckets, soaking you and everyone else to the bone immediately.
“It’s a gift for freeing me!!” Callan shouts joyously, unaware of the fact that gifts are usually nice things and not biblical floods. “Enjoy it!!”
Well, it seems like this will be the rest of your month. The rains don’t abate at all, but they do come with one gift that actually seems worthwhile: Any plant that stays out in the rain for long enough will suddenly spring out of the earth at gargantuan size. Enjoy your giant crops — they’re still edible! — and your flowers the size of pillows, everyone.
FURNITURE STRIKES BACK
If staying out in the rain isn’t exactly your thing (who could blame you, really?), you might consider heading back inside and spending some nights in. It’s been a while since everyone had a break without being exposed to water for way too long, and what better way to spend a night than curled up in bed in a nest of blankets?
As you drift off to sleep to the serene sounds of the river flooding, there’s a sudden loud bang, like someone slammed a door. You open your eyes and don’t see a thing… so back to bed you go, only to hear it again. This time, as you lurch out of bed and desperately try to figure out who the hell is slamming doors this late, you’ll see your door opening and slamming itself. Opening again, and slamming. Soon after, the windows follow, and as you rub your eyes, your bed suddenly bucks and throws you to the floor.
Cool. Phenomenal. What just happened?
Perhaps you go to the inn couch to try sleeping there, but alas, the old couch has had enough of you and will summarily flip you back onto the floor, losing its cushions in the process. If you turn your anger toward the furniture, it will — strangely — attack you right back, chasing you down on bizarrely-animated legs that furniture simply should not have. The coffee table might bite, or the cabinets might start flinging cups at you.
If you are patient, however, and if you clean the furniture off — wash the pillows, scrub that mustard stain out of the cushions, sew up a hole your dog chewed into the mattress — it will stop throwing a tantrum. Finally, you can use furniture for its intended purpose.
As you drift off to sleep to the serene sounds of the river flooding, there’s a sudden loud bang, like someone slammed a door. You open your eyes and don’t see a thing… so back to bed you go, only to hear it again. This time, as you lurch out of bed and desperately try to figure out who the hell is slamming doors this late, you’ll see your door opening and slamming itself. Opening again, and slamming. Soon after, the windows follow, and as you rub your eyes, your bed suddenly bucks and throws you to the floor.
Cool. Phenomenal. What just happened?
Perhaps you go to the inn couch to try sleeping there, but alas, the old couch has had enough of you and will summarily flip you back onto the floor, losing its cushions in the process. If you turn your anger toward the furniture, it will — strangely — attack you right back, chasing you down on bizarrely-animated legs that furniture simply should not have. The coffee table might bite, or the cabinets might start flinging cups at you.
If you are patient, however, and if you clean the furniture off — wash the pillows, scrub that mustard stain out of the cushions, sew up a hole your dog chewed into the mattress — it will stop throwing a tantrum. Finally, you can use furniture for its intended purpose.
GET (GEM)STONED
A bit of raw chaos in Aldric’s Grove is not uncommon; perhaps furniture unionizing and non-stop downpours are the least of your concerns in quite some time. After all, you’re not trapped anywhere. You aren’t underwater, you aren’t playing in some twisted life-or-death game, no one is making the passage of time here any worse than usual…
Of course, if chaos is preferable to true horror, you can always have more of it. On your bedside table or under your pillow, you’ll find a drawstring bag containing a small handful of polished gemstones. As you hold them in your palm or between your fingers and inspect them under the light, you’ll feel something within you stirring.
Perhaps you’re holding rose quartz, the gemstone that symbolizes unconditional love, and you suddenly feel empty and loveless. Perhaps it’s amethyst, the gemstone attributed to calm emotions, and yet you’re feeling the most anxious you’ve ever felt in your entire life. Whatever the gem may be, its meaning is now inverted, and you get to suffer the effects of it.
Luckily, this curse — a gift from, who else, the Fallen Sun — can be broken quite easily. Simply clutch the gemstone in your palm and perform an act that embodies its true meaning, and everything will be back to normal. You’ll be holding a mundane rock to do whatever you want with, including throw it into the forest in hopes that it hits the Fallen Sun in his big, stupid head.
Of course, if chaos is preferable to true horror, you can always have more of it. On your bedside table or under your pillow, you’ll find a drawstring bag containing a small handful of polished gemstones. As you hold them in your palm or between your fingers and inspect them under the light, you’ll feel something within you stirring.
Perhaps you’re holding rose quartz, the gemstone that symbolizes unconditional love, and you suddenly feel empty and loveless. Perhaps it’s amethyst, the gemstone attributed to calm emotions, and yet you’re feeling the most anxious you’ve ever felt in your entire life. Whatever the gem may be, its meaning is now inverted, and you get to suffer the effects of it.
Luckily, this curse — a gift from, who else, the Fallen Sun — can be broken quite easily. Simply clutch the gemstone in your palm and perform an act that embodies its true meaning, and everything will be back to normal. You’ll be holding a mundane rock to do whatever you want with, including throw it into the forest in hopes that it hits the Fallen Sun in his big, stupid head.
I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW
When the rains stop at the month’s end, the clear skies yet again show the stars, and it’s a beautiful sight to behold. It’s no galaxy, even with every light in the Grove off so you can see them all — but it’s special nonetheless, especially to those who have been here under an empty sky for so long. The moon itself feels like it casts joy down upon everyone, and a sense of overwhelming peace settles like a blanket over the entire settlement.
Should you visit Ydalir or Heimr at all, they will both encourage you to spend a night camping out, providing you blankets to lie out in the grass with. While it isn’t much, Ydalir has pulled an old telescope from her mirror for those of you who want to nerd out a bit. Snacks, tea, and hot chocolate will be provided to anyone staying out for the night, too. For better or for worse, you’re all here together, so why not bask in a moment of peace?
Should you visit Ydalir or Heimr at all, they will both encourage you to spend a night camping out, providing you blankets to lie out in the grass with. While it isn’t much, Ydalir has pulled an old telescope from her mirror for those of you who want to nerd out a bit. Snacks, tea, and hot chocolate will be provided to anyone staying out for the night, too. For better or for worse, you’re all here together, so why not bask in a moment of peace?
SPARK NOTES
CLICK TO EXPAND!
COME RAIN OR EVEN MORE RAIN
Callan is giving gifts as all Guardians do. His gift... is a whole tempest. Luckily, the plants will get massive from this. Enjoy your giant produce and flowers!
FURNITURE STRIKES BACK
What could go wrong if the furniture went on strike? Surely it won't toss you out of bed or buck you onto the floor or try to bite you. ...oh, well, if that's the case, you might want to give it some TLC so that it stops.
GET (GEM)STONED
The Fallen Sun's "gift" to the residents is a lovingly-customized bag of rocks. Each stone represents some kind of meaning, but that meaning will be inverted and make you feel the opposite effect from it. To break the curse, all you need to do is clutch the gemstone and perform an act that it originally embodies.
I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW
Finally, the rains clear up, and Heimr and Ydalir are encouraging everyone to stare at the night sky. It's beautiful with those few stars in it, isn't it?
OOC
How is it already August?? We don't know either. OOC Plotting Lives Here if you'd like to plot anything out! If you need rocks randomly assigned to you for the gemstone portion, head there and drop us a comment, we will give you rocks.
UPDATES
❖ None yet!
SUBMISSIONS
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Uh-huh. [Said with zero emotion. Just totally flat over here. It's like talking to a less attentive version of Federico.] God, I'm tired.
[Ezell is going to hand this man a towel and the reaction will be an extremely delayed grab, and then he'll sort of just dry his hair off, put it over his head like a hood, and lay down.]
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Hey, come on. I need you... to try, even if it's hard. I get it. I really, really do. But I don't like seeing you like this and I know you must hate feeling like this, right? Like everything is... [ Hopeless. A black void. Like you feel so small and nothing you do matters. Like you're nothing and worthless in the eyes of those around you. A background character at best- ] I know things aren't great, but even if you attempt to do better, then... maybe we can fix this?
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Ugh. Ezell is making that face at him, so he sits up and tries a little harder to manifest the energy to care. At least this means he's actually drying off.]
Yeah. [...and back down he goes!] Don't worry about it. Just a weird day... or week, I guess.
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...I'm worried that if you don't try to fight this now, you'll be stuck like this, Flamebringer.
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I am, [he mutters,] I'm not letting shit get to me. I'm just fucking tired and not feeling anything.
[And that, in and of itself, should be alarming. But Flamebringer is just going through the motions, which means, yeah, he's not actually that pressed about the issue now.]
Emotionally, I mean. Before you worry more.
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I'm also counting on you, Flamebringer. I-... I don't know how to help with this, and I'm scared that this won't be reversable.
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He groans a bit, clearly still willful — a good sign! — but ultimately decides to cave for Ezell's sake.]
Yeah, yeah, stop looking so sad. What did you want me to try? Give me some ideas.
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[ He's going to pull the towel away from him and sit close to him, clearly checking on him physically. How's his stitches? How's he looking? Is there anything Ezell can do to help…? ]
…Talking things over usually helps when I get like this? But… for you… maybe you just need to get it physically out of your system? That seems to be something you work best with, consider… [ The dreams and stuff… y'know- ]
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Otherwise he looks like he's not entirely focused and like he's really trying to, for Ezell's sake. He hates that sad face. Even through all the apathy, he can't stand it.]
Good point. Are you offering a spar, or do I have to find someone else willing? You think that guy with the cross gun is willing?
[WOLFWOOD???]
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[ Because Ezell is pretty good at regulating himself. In the best way an empath can, anyway. Obviously sometimes he gets overly stimulated or completely drained, but... ]
Unless you have another idea, that is, but we can probably use the rec center as a good sparring place. I wouldn't want to mess anything in here up, and I wouldn't want to put you back out in the rain.
I also am worried about someone else hurting you, since you're a little less... attentive.
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I'd feel kind of bad slugging you. [Look, he really does care.] Have you even had a black eye before? You're so...
[Flips his wrist, trying to find words:]
Soft. Squishy.
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[ Also, you know, he does appreciate Flamebringer being so sweet and protective, but... on the other hand, Ezell fears it stems from his unwillingness to do things, rather than because he actually, you know, cares about Ezell. Something they've established before, sure, but Ezell had been chalking it up less as "Ezell matters" and more as "life matters". ]
If you don't want to do that, though... I don't know. I don't know what to do, and... I feel so useless. Everyone is feeling so bad and I don't know how to handle it when it's something like this. [ Spiraling, spiraling... ] I'm not good at this stuff, either. I want to be. I want to be dependable and comforting. I want to be somebody that people can feel like they can come to when they're feeling down. Like I'm someone that can help them with their problems, but I can't. I'm just... some shitty Sankta that doesn't have anything going for him.
But I really want to try with you. You're important to me, and I- I'm sorry. I wish there was something, I wish I could...
[ He's shaking. ]
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God. He wants to feel like how he did when they took that nap together. That was all cute and soft, and he felt a little strange watching Ezell go after that. What was that about? Where is that now?
Right now, he's still struggling to do anything at all. Part of him hates seeing Ezell so upset; it's what sparked that sense of overprotectiveness in the first place. Part of him... that's the apathetic part, the one hit with the curse of those gemstones, and that's the part that's winning even though he's trying so hard to force it back.
Fuck. Fuck!]
Hey, just... deep breaths. Let me get those rocks from my room, and we can figure it out.
And don't... [he is struggling so hard right now.] Don't put yourself down like that. You've got a lot going for you. It's not your fault you don't see it.
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He can't voice any of these concerns because he's too busy shaking. Why does it matter? If Flamebringer is different, shouldn't that be a good thing? Well, no. Of course not. For many reasons. One, he wouldn't wish this sort of depression on anyone. And two... he really likes Flamebringer, actually. He knows it's stupid, but he loves his dumb stubbornness. He loves his compassion, and his denial that he's so affectionate. He loves that he's overprotective and wants to make sure Ezell is safe, regardless of what he has to do for it.
...Does he love Flamebringer? He might, actually, now that he's considered it.
Then... maybe he could try something else. Maybe... maybe maybe maybe it's okay to be brutally honest with Flamebringer for once? He'll pull the Sarkaz just a smidge closer, then before he can change his mind and back out, Ezell presses their lips together for... a somewhat desperate, frantic kiss. ]
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Ordinarly... ordinarily, Flamebringer would be pouncing on Ezell. If this had happened at any other time — after they woke up together, for instance — he would've already pushed him back into the nearest object and gone for tongue, if only because he swears up and down he doesn't do romance. He swears on his own blood that he's always been in this sort of scene for the need to fill the extra spot in his bed and that's it, never anything more than that. And maybe that's true now, because it sure feels like it is, but...
There's just no reaction whatsoever from him, even as he finds that distant part of him begging for there to be something. Just one thing, a reaction, flip him onto the couch or against the wall, react react react. And he knows full well when Ezell pulls away that he's going to be upset. He's going to hit Flamebringer with that sad face and Flamebringer won't know how to fix it, because he never does, especially not now when most of him can't even care about someone he's said he cares about multiple times.
So, fuck, maybe it isn't true that the extra spot in his bed is for a one-night stand and that's it. Maybe it's for Ezell after all, if only his stupid fucking brain would cooperate with him while he tries to search his emotions for a reaction that's more than "cool, thanks". Yet nothing comes, and after a minute, he winds up simply sitting there, looking unfocused and tired.]
...sorry, I... [Excuse, he needs an excuse, but nothing's going to be good enough so he settles on:] My head's too fucked up to make heads or tails of that.
no subject
Sorry.
Ezell's sorry, too. That he can't help. That he kissed him without asking. That he's got these stupid feelings for Flamebringer to begin with, and that it's now tearing him up to see him like this. Ezell's sorry that even know, he seems to just be fucking everything up with Flamebringer. He stares at him for q very quiet moment, contemplating what to say himself.
Eventually, he just kind of... breaks. He doesn't look more sad than usual - mostly just... tired and apathetic himself. But there are tears. There's a lot of tears, and all of them spill from Ezell's eyes near instantly. Flamebringer's gotten so blurry... ]
I... [ Ugh, speaking is hard, too. What the fuck? ] I sh-...should go...
[ And he doesn't wait for a response. He doesn't want to hear one. He just stands and quickly heads for the door. If he's going to sob and bawl, he's going to do it in the rain where people can't hear him. ]
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Ezell—
[He calls after, weakly at that, but Ezell is already gone. Out the doors and into the storm. It leaves Flamebringer to his own devices, to make a choice that he's not sure that he can make. Does he chase after and try to comfort him? Like this, when he can't get it together long enough to even string a sentence together? Or does he sit here and wallow and leave Ezell alone?
Logically the answer might be "let him cool off". Might, because Flamebringer has never abided by the rules of logic even once in his life. Whatever this is, he has got to get rid of it. He has to chase Ezell down and choke out an apology and kick his own ass for making him cry.
He has to.
But he thinks to himself that right now, he almost doesn't feel like it. Thinks that the fact that he doesn't feel like it is bullshit, curses those damn rocks, and hauls his ass off of the couch. First, he has to get rid of the stones. Maybe that's the solution and he'll feel better, and then he can sort out the kiss and be fine after that. Maybe maybe maybe. This and that. He's hauling ass up those stairs, leaving his wet coat and the towel on the couch for now, and running into his room and grabbing the cloth bag they're in.
He's going to chuck these into the woods, he decides, and maybe he'll hit that stupid bastard in the face on the way. Back downstairs he goes, then, feeling his motivation to do this slip by the moment.
But he thinks of Ezell. His sad face, his tears, and he grits his teeth and runs back out into the storm. Just before he gets to the edge of the forest, though, he spots the familiar glow of wings and a halo in the distance, and pivots on his heel to run after him.]
EZELL!
[Flamebringer doesn't know if his voice can be heard over the storm. His brain tells him of course he can't hear you, you idiot, go back inside and go to bed, but he digs his mental heels in. No, no, he's not making Ezell cry any longer. He will kick his own ass if he has to, dammit.
So he charges through the storm after him, stupid fucking rocks be damned, they can stay in his back pocket for right now. And as soon as he reaches the Sankta, he spins him around, plants his hands on Ezell's tear-soaked cheeks, and returns the kiss tenfold.]
no subject
He doesn't hear his name through the storm, though he's also just lost in his own thoughts. How had he fallen for this stupid Sarkaz who's first impression was being threatened by him? How had he gone through such an array of emotions in such a short time? How... is he going to deal with this when they go back home? He wanted Flamebringer to meet Cecelia. He wanted to try and talk to Federico about dropping his charges. He wanted to take more naps with Flamebringer and learn about his garden on the landship. He wanted to make Flamebringer breakfast and make sure he'd been taking his meds...
Fuck. His meds. He'd have to go give them to him here, too? That's-
Before he's able to spiral on that train, he's being spun, blinking haphazardly at Flamebringer and opening his mouth to ask him why he followed or tell him that he really needed to stay inside from the rain or
............
Ezell's pretty sure his tears don't stop, even when his kiss is finally being returned, but he hopes it's hard to tell because of the rain. It's... not the best kiss in the world, considering they are both currently drenched and emotional, but all the same, Ezell visibly relaxes. After a moment, his eyes shut, and he lets all his anxieties and frets melt away into the kiss. ]
no subject
He doesn't do that, though. For all his no-romance bullshit he's been mentally on about for the last ten minutes, he's actually not straight-up suffocating Ezell with his tongue or trying to poke holes in his lips with fangs. There's a layer of sweetness to it. An apology.
And through all of it, the vice grip of apathy and exhaustion is starting to slip away. Maybe he's not totally out of the woods yet, but at least the way that he stopped caring is starting to leave him. He feels somewhat like himself again, no longer bogged down with this need to sleep until the world stops and rot away on the inn sofa. Somehow, the kiss is a fast-acting painkiller.
Flamebringer doesn't question it. He barely remembers to give both of them air in the end. He's only breaking the kiss after his lungs scream for air, holding Ezell's hips so tightly he thinks he might hurt him by accident. The rain falls into his eyes and flattens his bangs right against his face; he can barely see, but that's fine. He doesn't need to see.
He's confident now in his assessment that the empty spot in his bed isn't just for someone meant to be a one-night stand, that's for damn sure.]
no subject
He was so worried. He was so, so worried. He had finally realized what his own feelings here for Flamebringer were, and the thought that maybe he wouldn't get that Flamebringer back ever again...
He's still crying when Flamebringer pulls away, panting and whimpering just a bit because crying is a whole ordeal, man. ]
I-... [ You idiot. He was so worried. Why couldn't you do this before?? ] I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
no subject
Stop. Just stop apologising. [Squishes Ezell's cheeks in his hands.] It's fine, I'm fucking fine. It was those stupid rocks.
[He is going to pick Ezell up like luggage, romantic, and haul him back to the inn because—]
You're going to catch a cold.
[Flamebringer he is a grown-ass man he can handle five minutes in the rain.]
no subject
He doesn't say anything until their indoors, even if Flamebringer insists on hoisting him again. He'll just wait until he can only hear the rain against the roof before he tries to talk again. ]
No, I'm... I'm apologizing because... I shouldn't have done that, it was so stupid.
[ He takes in a deep breath. ]
It scared me to think that you weren't going to... That you were going to be like that for forever? It scared me because... I realized that, the other night, the way you held me... I liked that. I wanted to do that again with you. I want to take you home to meet Cecelia. I want to do... all these stupid little things with you. I didn't realize it until I thought you weren't going to get these feelings back, but...
I think I've fallen for you, Flamebringer.
no subject
Of course, for some reason, Ezell's confession completely blows him out of the water so hard he almost walks into a trash can about it, stumbling briefly and wheeling around like huh.]
I thought I scared the fuck out of you? [Genuine question. Like yeah, he thinks he wants Ezell with him all the time, he's sure there's some sort of heart attack happening when Ezell looks at him, but also? Also.] I'm not saying no. I've never had... anything like that. A relationship. I have one-night stands and dip after. Nothing romantic.
[Feelings are hard. He's visibly struggling with words now, face red and tail lashing, looking off at a nearby wall because he might blow up if he looks at Ezell directly.]
...do you trust me to actually treat you well? Knowing how I am?
no subject
Ezell notices the trash can, at least, so he's real quick to stop Flamebringer and just... hold his hands. ]
I was. And I think... briefly, in the dream we met in, that was reinforced, but... You're a idiot if you think that I haven't noticed how much you care about me? And the way you kissed me just now - of course I trust you to treat me well. If "knowing how you are" is based on everything you've done for me while we're here, then you'll be the best fucking boyfriend?? I've never had someone so concerned about me, or kiss me like if they didn't, I'd be leaving them, or-- or try so hard to make me happy??
You've already been treating me well.
no subject
I mean. [And his face is getting redder by the second, because feelings are hard and words are hard. What is love supposed to be about anyway? Is this it? Is it something else?] I don't... mind.
[Oh buddy you could try a little harder.]
I don't— I'm not a wordsmith, you're cute, let's go dry off.
[Please feel his emotions and feel how flustered he is about you and how much he wants you and let him die in peace.]
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