![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sticksandbonesmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
sticksandbones2023-08-04 10:59 am
- !event,
- !tdm,
- arknights: gnosis,
- arknights: mizuki,
- arknights: shalem,
- baldur's gate iii: astarion ancunín,
- elsword: elsword,
- fate: bb,
- handead anthem: gara ukai,
- i'm the grim reaper: brook,
- jujutsu kaisen: toge inumaki,
- original: caoimhe ailbhe,
- original: felicity morais,
- original: rennuid tathviel
Event & TDM 003
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.
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.”
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.
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.
CLICK TO EXPAND!
❖ Several patches of the murderous flowers seem to have been electrocuted, lit on fire or cut.
Ia
[ He gets it. He understands the frustration better than most, he thinks, but he's also very gentle with these sorts of things. The eldritch beings in his brain deserve a chance just as much as the rest of the people here do to Mizuki. He reaches a hand out to take Elsword's in his all the same, though, in hopes that might provide some kind of comfort when he knows things aren't good. ]
Maybe if we get out of this forest together, it won't be so noisy?
no subject
Probably. It keeps cutting me off at every turn.
[Elsword has learnt by now not to cheat at forest games, which is the only reason his sword remains on his back.]
no subject
[ His tentacles are pretty long, after all. He can try to feel around in a couple different directions for somewhere to go? But if they walk that way and end up getting cut off regardless, he's going to feel like he's failed Elsword. Hm... ]
Mmmaybe strike that last one? We should definitely just walk together. I could just chatter about stuff if you need a distraction?
no subject
[He does Not want to talk about the things in his head rn ty,]
no subject
[ Mizuki is also ignoring the things in his head. He seems to be doing better now that he's a little more used to it, at least? ]
no subject
Elsword watches with rapt attention, then gently takes Mizuki's phone... if there's a notepad or other drawing app he can easily access with a few button presses, he'll write his own name on the screen. "엘소드".]
That's mine. [He's gotten a little better at remembering it, too.] Mine doesn't have any specific meaning... I think, anyway.
[Essentially his dad named him God and kind of just left it there, really.]
no subject
Ohh, I don't think I've seen a language like this? I guess that makes sense, all things considered. I guess I had just always assumed that we might've all just been speaking the same language just because... well, we are. Ehehe, this place is weird. [ Understatement of the century, actually! He takes the phone back anyway, humming as he jots down a "エルソード" under Elsword's name. ] I imagine... this might be how someone from Higashi might write your name? It's a little strange. Kinda sounds like someone's mocking Iberian, actually...
[ But with that, he'll shove his phone back in his pocket and just start swinging their arms together. ] Let's see... I suppose... I'm not all that interesting beyond that? I like to cook and I like to play games and I really like to read comics and manga. My life isn't all that exciting, to be honest. But what about you? I'm sure you're plenty exciting!!
no subject
[(It's Korean.)]
I like to think I'm exciting. [Said flatly, with zero emotion, because he normally just does not have any. Have you met Executor bc this man is just like him but with God Illness.] I used to go on adventures with my friends to try to save the world, basically.
[that is the shortest summary he can provide. He also doesn't remember about 78% of the last eighteen years of his life, so.]
I've fought many things, like demons and creatures from the void and even regular people doing bad things. Beyond that...
[Wracking his brain... oh!]
...I think I used to like cartography. I think I still do?
[having no emotions iz hard :(]
no subject
… How does that feel? To hold so many people's lives in your hands? To protect a-and to make decisions that benefit everyone?
no subject
...and then he asks how it feels, and Elsword's eyes sort of glaze over. The God-Illness part of his brain speaks first:]
It feels like I'm following the will of the world.
[And then he seems to come back to reality, though his eyes are still kind of vacant. That might not say too much about him, though.
He breathes deep and momentarily shuts his eyes, opening them again only after he's taken a few steps forward. Have to keep going, after all.]
It feels... [Like he wasn't cut out for the job, because he doesn't know who he is, and he's well aware that he's slowly dying. Great, because it means he can ensure people will be fine. Awful, because there's never a break. Fantastic, since he gets to go on all sorts of adventures and have people sing his praises just for doing the right thing.] ...I don't regret my choices, but it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders.
[Because it literally is.]
It feels like for every life I save, I fail to save two more somewhere, or I leave something else behind that was important to me. It's heavy, because if I fail, everyone else fails. If I'm not a bastion for people to rely on, everyone will crumble.
...but it's good, too. I get to help people, and I get to go see things I never would have seen before, even though I can't remember most of them now. I get to meet new friends at every turn. I wouldn't have met Add if I didn't start adventuring young, heh.
no subject
How heavy that weight must be. Yet, you still make the right decisions all the same?? [ Hhhhh… Can he… touch? Touch. He needs something to hold onto, just for a little while— Mizuki reaches out, fingers curling and pulling Elsword in for a hug. It's not the usual warm and comforting one, though. Not the ones Mizuki is usually known for. It's… tight. Clingy. ]
It's alright. You don't have to feel like that here. I can help out, too. You just have to tell me what to do, okay?
[ The executor to the judge. The tool to the crafter. The thread to the weaver. That's Mizuki's purpose. He knows it. He just had to find someone "good" enough to follow.
Elsword is a hero! He's the one. For sure, he must be. ]
no subject
Elsword takes all of this extremely at face value. Mizuki is hugging him, giving him encouragement, even if the hug is a bit tight... Elsword has no reason to think it's the cause of anything else going on in the Aegir's head. He's getting squished, and so he squishes back, appreciative.]
Thanks. I'm okay at leading, but I normally default it to Add. [On account of... Add really is the tactician of their group, since Elsword has been a little screwed up by God. Oh well.] But I'm sure you can help out, too. I never know if I'm making a right decision, but maybe you'll be able to help me feel confident in it.
[Mizuki seems to know what a good decision is. This cannot possibly backfire.]
no subject
Like the Doctor???] I'll have to see about talking with him more extensively if that's the case~.[ Don't think this means you're being let off the hook, though, Elsword. On the contrary, he seems more invested by his words now than ever. There's such a sweet, gentle smile on Mizuki's face, but for some reason there's something just a little unsettling about it anyway. Maybe it's the way the shadows are twisting and twirling around them in ways that shouldn't be happening right about now? Almost like, hmmm, maybe camouflaged tentacles are excitedly wiggling around— ]
I know you'll make the right choices, Elsword. That's just what heroes do~. And I'll gladly help you.
no subject
...I want to make the right choices. I hope I always do, but I know I don't, sometimes. My older sister used to say that was part of growing up.
no subject
But you are a very good person, Elsword, and I'll make sure that your plan is executed to the best of my ability, okay??