Event & TDM 003

[sticksandbonesmods]

I AM THE WILD

WAKE UP

You open your eyes.

It feels like you’ve been here before, like you’re finally home. Today, the sun shines brightly, brilliantly, on the open forest clearing making up Aldric’s Grove. Vines wrap around old buildings, overgrowth covers ruins of what once were homes and shops, and weeds poke up through the cracks of foundations. Before you stands an inn, a well, and one hundred beautiful flowers peppered throughout the clearing. Be not fooled by their beauty, wanderer; should you stray too close, the flowers are happy to bite.

Fret not, however; should you seek escape from the carnivorous foliage, the inn is plenty safe from attacks. Perhaps you ought to get acquainted with others like you, lounging in the lobby with nowhere to go. Perhaps you should find yourself a room, a place to stay. After all, room and board is completely free of charge! Should you dig through the bedside table of your new room, you’ll find only one thing within: A Polaroid photograph of yourself from years ago. You were younger, then — or, if age doesn’t define you, you were different. Still, you remember posing for this photograph… don’t you?

If the photo is too much for you, a trip to the river might offer respite. The oppressive fog wrapping around the grove and obscuring much of the distant forest some miles out won’t let you wander too far. Luckily, there’s a stretch of river perfect for a round of fishing, playing in, or simply relaxing by. Mushrooms grow along the banks and on the trees, but remember to say “thank you” to the forest if you take them. You wouldn’t like the consequences otherwise.

HEY

cw: madness, hallucinations

You might have had luck avoiding the gnashing fangs of the flowers thus far, but they begin to get restless and aggressive the longer they go without feeding. They can’t quite uproot themselves and chase you down, but they will stretch their stalks as far as they can, unfurl their petals and try to wrap sharp leaves around your legs and anything else within reach. If you aren’t careful, their fangs will pierce your flesh, and they will drink from you until they drain you dry. Shout for help if they latch on. Surely someone will come to your aid.

…just try not to look at them much. The flowers take passive abilities of anyone they feed from, and that means they possess powers of their own. Stare for a moment too long, and you’ll begin to see your nightmares brought to life, feel a crawling down your back like one million insect feet, a grappling at your ankles as something tries to drag you under the metaphorical tides. Black tendrils sweep over your eyes, they grip the facades of buildings, they tear your friends to shreds and eat them whole. Focus. Focus on that voice telling you to snap out of it, on the people around you waving their hands in front of your eyes. It isn’t real. Blink, shake your head, and clear your thoughts.

Or don’t. “Give in,” a sultry voice murmurs, “Let me consume you.”

IT'S ALRIGHT

cw: auditory hallucinations, animal butchery

From the fenced-off, locked-up manor to the northwest of the Grove, a spill of magic begins to leak out from boarded-up windows. It’s gradual at first before it suddenly bursts, and that’s when everything starts to go haywire. The Manor’s heart aches, friend. Something in that house is oh-so-miserable with no way out… and it intends to make you feel its pain.

Every regret you’ve ever had — every word left unspoken, every lie you’ve told, everything you believe you’ve done wrong — those feelings are brought to the surface and magnified. No matter where you look, what you do, or how much you try to distract yourself, those emotions will always bubble to the surface.

You might think wandering into the forest will help you flee from yourself for a time, but as soon as you cross the threshold, the path back to the clearing closes behind you in a rustle of leaves. The only way out is forward, it seems, but the forest won’t play fair. The path will shift unexpectedly, blocking your route, forcing you to backtrack, but never quite allowing escape. All the while, voices fill your mind, chasing after you no matter where you go. They are the murmurs of those you have wronged, the murmurs of a conscience slighted.

Seeking out a companion in the labyrinth will quell them, for a time. Should your heart weigh too heavy, confessing to your labyrinth-partner what you’re grappling with will absolve you of your guilt and leave you feeling clear-headed enough to escape. At that point, the forest, too, seems content to let you solve the maze without interference.

Should you escape fairly, without harming the labyrinth, you’ll be rewarded: A freshly-hunted game animal from your homeland is dropped at your feet just as you step back into the clearing. Enjoy it, for you will not have the opportunity to get another. The forest only allows one round per person.

I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU

The residents of Aldric’s Grove have had a rough time here, but not everything has to be bad. On the night of the new moon, the Shopkeeper leaves his store for the night, and alongside the Trader — who normally sits outside the inn by her stall and her giant turtle — he constructs a bonfire some distance from the carnivorous plants. Nearby to it are tables with a feast set upon them, free for everyone to enjoy. There’s music playing from… somewhere. Don’t think about it too hard. The wispy, sentient shadows that comprise the Shopkeeper and Trader are happy to dance with you, too, if you ask.

Enjoy your night, friends. You’ve made it to the end of the month, and you deserve a break.

SPARK NOTES

CLICK TO EXPAND!

WAKE UP

Welcome to Aldric's Grove! Watch out for the carnivorous flowers. There's a photograph of you in the inn, by the way. Don't worry about it.

HEY

The carnivorous flowers are now causing visual hallucinations and madness. Try not to look at them too long. Maybe buddy up for the time being, to make sure that the forest's whispering voice doesn't drag you too far down.

IT'S ALRIGHT

A flood of magic hits the Grove. Characters will be subject to reliving and re-experiencing all of their regrets, and should they wander into the forest to escape, they'll be made to play in the forest's maze game. The forest won't play fair, but seems to relent when you confess to a companion what's on your mind. And hey, that makes your heart weigh less heavy, too. At the end of the line, you'll get a reward of fresh meat as long as you didn't try to cheat!

I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU

The Shopkeeper and Trader are throwing a lighthearted bonfire party. Dance the night away and eat your heart out!

OOC

Welcome to the third TDM & Event Log of Sticks and Bones! This log is game canon. The prompts are meant for all players, current and future, so have fun! Our applications operate on a rolling basis, so applications are open with no end date unless we suddenly cap players. If there are any questions, please direct them to the "questions" header below.

UPDATES

❖ For those who enter the inn in the morning, a breakfast spread of scrambled eggs, bacon, smoked fish, roasted tomatoes on the vine and assorted fruits wait for you.
❖ Several patches of the murderous flowers seem to have been electrocuted, lit on fire or cut.

TDM TOPLEVELS!

TDMS

❖ Shalem (Arknights)
❖ Toge Inumaki (Jujutsu Kaisen)
❖ Jade Leech (Twisted Wonderland)
❖ BB (Fate/ Grand Order
❖ Akki (Original)
❖ Nikaidou Eisuke (Tsurune)
❖ Arthur Pendragon (Saber) (Fate/ Grand Order)

(CODE)

Comments

[mooninthewater]

[ A beat. Maybe two. ] A way out?

…

[ Mizuki had maybe just been taking everything in stride up until now. He's never been much of a go-getter, just a go with the flow kind of person. But it made sense to try and get out — it's probably weirder that Mizuki hadn't thought of that. ]

You're so smart. I suppose I should've tried that, too. Maybe I can help you with that, at least? That and… maybe… being alone right now isn't good, maybe.

[prozaic]

[oh mizuki. he didn't even think of that, did he? shalem may have watched him from afar, as is his standard with everyone on rhodes island, but there are still some things he doesn't know-- especially with mizuki, given how the aegir sneaks about.

at least shalem can still see phantom whenever he's cloaked...]

From your words, it seems as if you've been in here for a while. [which is a concern, and shalem rights himself, smoothing out creases in his shirt and tucking his lavenders back into his jacket.] Are you all right?

[mooninthewater]

Umm, a week or so… maybe. I don't know for sure, I haven't really been keeping time all that well. But I'm doing great! I've made a few friends, and I fed some flowers, and I have a nice room — it's not as good as the one in the dorms, but it's still real cozy. I also made food for the people here and they really liked it!!

…

I am, um, a little worried about the Doctor, though. So, the sooner we're out of here, the better, I think…

[prozaic]

I'm sure the Doctor can survive with us a little longer... We are, after all, only two Operators out of a whole ship. [there are far more qualified people around the doctor, after all. shalem himself is expendable-- he has been working hard to style himself that way, even if some people had been looking at him differently since the jaunt in the castle. mizuki however, has a different situation.]

We can take our time, rushing only causes problems.

Though... [he looks about them.] Perhaps if we leave this forest, it would be more beneficial to us. The sooner, the better.

[mooninthewater]

I know they will, but… [ That doesn't mean Mizuki still can't fuss about it. Also, the Doctor was essentially the only person around that Mizuki felt comfortable following orders from. Now that he doesn't have those orders, he's a bit… lost. It's so hard to make decisions on his own. He's not sure how long he'll do in an entirely new space like this… ]

Ah, right. Um… I think the Inn is… this way? Or, maybe… er— I don't think I know which way to go, actually.

[prozaic]

You don't? [now a furrow appears on shalem's brow, even if he controls himself from making it any deeper. he turns behind them, towards the place he thinks he came from. though, with how unfamiliar these woods are, he really can't be sure.

he's not good with the forests, despite having grown up on the road.]

This is a... Ah, well, it's not ideal, is it? Perhaps we should retrace our steps.

[mooninthewater]

Hm, as easy as that sounds in theory, in practice, I don't really recognize which way I came from~? It's likely this place is messing with us, though. I've been told it's liable to do that~.

[ Maybe he could change his tone a little bit from "we're lost! Hurray!" but this just seems to be the Mizuki standard. ]

[prozaic]

[it takes all of shalem's self-control to not start biting the inside of his cheek. a forest that moves around them is a little too much like a few circumstances he remembers being in not too long ago. in fact, he can name one instance that happened very, very recently.

but he has to stay in control. he's a nightmare when he doesn't have it.]

Then I think all we can do is try to follow my footsteps, if I managed to make a dent in the grass and brush while I was running. If there were lights, we could have tried to look for those in the distance...

[mooninthewater]

Sure, sure~! Here, [ Mizuki reaches out to firmly hold onto one of Shalem's hands. Not an unusual thing for Mizuki, considering most know him to be a little clingy sometimes. ] if we stay together we'll definitely find our way back, no problem.

...

If you'd like, I'm pretty good with distractions, too. Would you like me to talk about stuff while we walk? Or I can play some music -- my phone's somewhere in my bag. Even if I don't have service, all my songs are still on there. Oh, I also have my Switch. Uh... oh, maybe that's a little hard to play and walk. Well. I could just guide you while you played if you wanted to!

[prozaic]

[to his credit, shalem does not cringe, pull away, or otherwise react negatively when mizuki grabs his hand. half of it is his acting ability, his strong control over his body to be someone else when he needs to-- the other half being so used to impromptu physical contact, in a world that encouraged intimacy.

though in that world, he would have offered his hand first if the other person was someone he likes.

even if mizuki is technically a coworker, shalem is still unsure of what to think about this young man. at the very least, he doesn't have a bad impression. he'll just let mizuki hang onto him as much as he wants.]

I'll have to turn all of that down, I'm afraid. [shalem offers him a small, apologetic smile.] In such an unfamiliar place, I'll need to pay attention to our surroundings.

[mooninthewater]

If you're sure... the offer still stands in case you change your mind, though! I can keep a good lookout.

[ Even if he has a hard time understanding the ever changing, very alive forest, it doesn't mean he hasn't been watching it. At the very least, he can at least give small tugs on Shalem's hand to guide him away from any pretty flowers that might just want a little more than a nibble out of him. That much has been something even Mizuki has picked up on, after all. ]

Oh, that reminds me! [ Speaking of being eaten- ] If you're hungry, just let me know~! You haven't had any of my food back at Rhodes Island yet, right?? I've been cooking a lot since I got here. People have even said they enjoy it!

[prozaic]

[shalem would rather not, really. if there's only one thing he's picked up from the rumours about mizuki, it's his food and appetite-- there was always some sort of quality to his dishes that made them off-putting, but that mizuki enjoyed with relish... maybe a little too much. of course, he's curious about the rumours because he's not the most delicate of eaters, but if there's some truth to them, and if shalem were to become ill from food that he shouldn't have consumed, a dangerous forest is not the best place to be.]

I'll take you up on that offer once we're out of these woods, all right? [he looks down at mizuki, then gives him a nod.

no matter what people say, shalem is not about to fully discredit someone. especially not someone like mizuki, who is earnest and good-hearted.]

[mooninthewater]

[ At least it's a good answer, especially with the way Mizuki absolutely beams at Shalem. He even swings their hands together happily and everything — the true epitome of enthusiasm. Lost in a dangerous forest who??? ]

Of course, of course! I don't expect you to sit down right now for a picnic or anything. I feel like it wouldn't be very relaxing. Or, really, that you'd even get the chance to eat all that much before something else took it.

Do you have anything that maybe we could leave a trail with? Maybe something like that will at least keep us from getting turned around, maybe... [ Even though he just said the forest likes to play tricks on them, maybe it's worth a shot, at least? ]

[prozaic]

[immediately, shalem thinks of trails of flowers, rose petals on the floor, but the only flowers he has access to that are not attempting to murder him are the lavenders in his jacket, and he refuses to butcher them. he may want to live... but if necessary, he will die to keep them intact.]

Unfortunately... [this time, he's not speaking slowly for the sake of a dramatic pause. he's speaking slowly because he's thinking quickly.] I only have my feet and tail. Perhaps walking so heavily that I leave gouges in the ground were to work...

[or gouges in the trees. but they might not like that.]

[mooninthewater]

[ As Shalem speaks, Mizuki's already digging around in the small bag at his side to see if he just so happens to have anything that might help here. Besides Terra-branded game consoles, because he's also not tearing those apart, thank you. Eventually, he does manage to pull out a very well-worn book. The spine bent so much it's lost all it's color, and the corners of the paperback curled and frayed slightly. Judging by the adorable anime girls on the cover... some manga nonsense he's attached to. ]

I guess... I did need to buy a new one. And it's not like I don't have it memorized... [ Beat. He seems to be genuinely contemplating this before he lets out a little sigh. ] Sorry, Kimiko.

[ Aaaand he starts ripping the cover into colorful pieces to toss behind them. ]

[prozaic]

Operator Mizuki--! [shalem's realizes what he's done with that declaration of his-- in refusing to give something up for their safety, mizuki has done it himself. and not something insignificant either, judging by the worn look of the volume.

now there's just a little bit of guilt, even if he still can't let go of his flowers.

shalem leans over and places his hands on mizuki's shoulders.]

I'll buy you a new one when we return to Rhodes Island. And all the other volumes as well, isn't it a regular serialization?

[not that he knows what exactly it is. he just knows these things from higashi don't just come in singles.]

[mooninthewater]

[ You know, when he had followed Ch'en back to Rhodes Island in hopes to find more good people like her, he wasn't actually expecting it to be, you know, true! He's so nice to worry about something like this. How kind, how kind… ]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm alright! Buying things isn't a problem anymore, and the local comic shops tend to give me discounts, anyway. Besides, I'm sure if we get out of here in one piece ourselves, it's worth at least 100 books in pieces.

…

Not that I have 100 books on me.

[prozaic]

I insist, Operator Mizuki. [and he certainly won't hear another word otherwise, no matter how much mizuki speaks.

the phidia straightens up, sighing softly. at the very least, he has a good deal of savings. he has no idea how much each of these volumes cost, but with his incredibly minimalist lifestyle on rhodes island, of course he's sitting on some money. if only he could tap into it right now.

then again, if they were in rhodes island, they wouldn't be worrying about this in the first place.]

Now... We have to go, so we have a chance of returning to Rhodes Island one day.

[then he tilts his head towards the path before him, silently hoping that it's the right one.]