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

wake up

[amhran]

...Godwyy-

[ Oh, that is not him. The white hair, pointed ears, and white ruffled shirt fooled her momentarily. Though she recovers, with her cheeks reddening slightly and apologizing profusely. ]

I-I am sorry. I thought you were... Someone else.

[ Caoimhe eases at the offering of flowers, she notices them immediately. Acknowledging their worth, as someone who can easily discern flowers from one another. She was pleased to see the air of honesty shared here, especially from a stranger considering all things that have been happening. Behind her, a goat baa' softly. ]

These are lovely... Dried, we could use them for teas or seasonings, um - I don't remember you being around here the past few weeks. What is your name? Mine is Caoimhe Ailbhe.

[prozaic]

[he's going to graciously ignore that she mistook him for someone else-- he imagines that she's embarrassed enough as it is.

while he wouldn't know what that language is called in her world, shalem knows it as some dialect of victorian, and... well, he's not entirely versed in it. he only knows the main victorian language.]

I'm afraid I haven't any interest turning these into tea, no matter how much I like drinking.

[he brushes a finger over the flowers.]

I dried them myself for a very specific reason.

[amhran]

Oh!

[ Caoimhe looks appalled, not at him. There is this sudden realization, and her head drops down slightly to press against a hand that reached up to it. ]

I didn't mean to assume.. They are yours of course, [ At some point she just assumed they were all just one people. One caravan. One Family. So much like the Tuatha de - though these assumptions were wrong to make. ] w-what do you plan to do with them?

[ The woman draws her hands upon her lap, holding there steadily. ]

Are you perhaps... A druid too or... I... Don't mean to assume again, I am genuinely interested in what it is you want to do with them. Please tell me?

[prozaic]

[shalem is ever-patient, waiting for her to gather herself before he responds.]

Why, I only mean to look at them. Perhaps find a nice vase, or even a pot to pretend they're still living. If all else fails, I can simply hang them from a window, and enjoy how they look every time I look at the sky.

[of course he's getting ahead of himself, because all of this requires him to have shelter.]

[amhran]

[ 'Oh of course', it is times like this. Where one can see the boundaries of modernization, versus that of someone who came from an era where such luxuries weren't even a forethought. ]

This is true... Do you need help hanging them?

[prozaic]

Oh... No, no.

What sort of gentleman would I be if I were to ask a lady to hang something up for me?

[that's not exactly what she said, and he knows it, but shalem still said what he said to gently turn her down. not for any particular reason outside of wanting to be the only one to hold these flowers.]

[amhran]

OH it would be no trouble I assure you, but I wont part you from it. I was just.. Getting ready to attend to a shrine that is here within the inn... Um, you might like what I brought there. There are many pretty things too. [ The goat is still there btw, its just chewing on something in the distance. It wont touch your flowers... I Promise - FOR NOW. JKJK. ] O-Otherwise, I wont keep you if you are going to hang them.

[prozaic]

Finding a place for them to rest requires me to find a place to rest my head, first. [and that's as much as he's going to say about the matter. truth is, he's not so enthused about the thought of anyone else touching the flowers, not with how much they mean to him.]

I believe that will take a while...

[amhran]

Are you not aware of the inn rooms? [ How silly of her! ] Each room here can house each one of us for a while. Though many people want to move out if they can... One of us was able to make a house, it is really lovely. You are welcomed to ask him if you want to live there instead.

[prozaic]

No. [still a firm refusal. not guilty about lying, and even less so about refusing someone else, even if he makes the appropriate gestures-- an apologetic expression, and a shrug.]

Apologies, but I will not want to live so long at the inn that I would be compelled to... decorate it.

[it's still a public space after all, even if it promises a pretty illusion of privacy.]

[amhran]

Oh - I mean... It is just us here... There isn't many... Only about maybe - ten now?

[ Public places..? Spaces?? Caoimhe seems to still not understand the problem with finding a place here within the Grove and making it your home. Maybe - he feels as if he has to do something to earn it? Caoimhe is musing quietly to herself... ]

[prozaic]

[hmm. it seems there's a disconnect here, and shalem is unsure of how to bridge it. she's clearly thinking of something else when he's thinking of one specific thing. not everyone needs to be on the same page all the time, but it feels like there's a bit too big of a gap in topic here.

perhaps he should start by boiling it all down to his basic needs.]

The inn is not a home, and I would prefer a home of my own before I display these anywhere.

[amhran]

I-I see... [ She awkwardly looks away and attempts to figure out how to salvage the conversation but she feels this weight of disparity eating at her feelings. Hallowing them out and filling it with a sense of disappointment. ] I think if... You speak to the shopkeeper, he may be able t.. To h-help you make a home if you want?

[prozaic]

[shalem smiles. poor girl, but... unfortunately, she's saying all of the wrong things. he tried to be kind in order to spare her feelings, but she just kept pushing, and now they're stuck in this mess.

unfortunately, it's difficult to dig oneself out of a conversation that two people had. all he can say is this:]

I appreciate your attempts to help... But I haven't any intentions of requesting for help in my overall living situation.

[amhran]

I-I understand. [ Suddenly a goat nibbles her dress, and it causes her attention to go towards them. ] Ah Cinnamon...? Oh right! Do you at least want anything to eat?

[ Cinnamon kind of reminds her to not bury herself in one direction too much, and even if it is the case. That her feelings dwell, she need but move elsewhere. The winds do not ever stay in one place ever for long. ]

[prozaic]

[shalem is actually unsure if she's speaking to him, or her goat, so he decides to keep quiet and wait patiently rather than respond. it's the goat trying to eat her dress after all-- is that not a sign of hunger?]

nooo i missed this

[amhran]

O-Oh are you not hungry...? Cinnamon seems to be.

[ Caoimhe takes the others silence, for uncertainty. ]

[prozaic]

Oh, no, I am not.

[shalem raises his hands, shrugging a little.] If you want to feed your friend now, please, don't let me keep you.

[amhran]

Okay then... Y-You are welcomed to the Kitchen here, whenever youd like!

[ Caoimhe awkwardly bows and... Skedaddles away rather embarrassed. ]