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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.
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( the forest whispers in her ear, pull back, come home, this boy can't help you and she tilts her head slightly to listen, eyes cast to the ground. )
You're Mizuki, right? ... You should be really careful, this place isn't the most friendly sometimes.
( ... girl don't just say people's names like that )
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[ There's almost something... maybe a little... what's the word? Vacant? It's a familiar look, actually. Other children of the Church had that same look about them, too, when they were under Cicero's care. ]
Mmhm! I can't say that I know your name, though. It's still nice to meet you. [ He dips his head forward in a half-hearted bow. ] I think... maybe everyone has times when they're not most friendly. It's something I've been told to expect... But that doesn't mean that exempts me from trying to help, right?
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( she listens, still- to him, or to the woods? and is quiet for a moment. )
It's kind of you to try. I hope it doesn't eat you in turn.
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Miss Nene, you seem tired for right now, though. If you'd like, I can get you somewhere a little more comfy to sleep, then maybe we can have that conversation about helping out after??
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SIR THAT IS SO CONCERNING? nene blinks, clearly taken aback before she leans in a little- )
Are you okay? That sounds really unpleasant-
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It’s really not so bad. At the end of the day, trees die and rot away to share their stored nutrients with their fellows and saplings, right? People are no different. I’m fine with sharing that if it means others can have that bit of hope for growth, too.
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( nene falters, looking away uneasily. given that flowers and vines are literally blooming on her skin or growing out of her, it... may not be hard to see why. )
That doesn't mean it's... something you have to enjoy...
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...? Does it sound like I'm enjoying it? [ Yes? Hello?? Mizuki??? Why are you like this... ] I just think it's kinda pointless to bemoan things. If someone isn't optimistic about stuff, that brings morale down, right? So, I think I'd rather look at the bright side.
Besides, it makes me happy to be able to be useful to someone...
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( but guilt settles in on some level- they aren't the same, not at all, but it's just one more reminder that she should be handling her imprisonment better, or at least try to.
the forest is in her head again. whispering. why waste time with these people? they don't need you... )
... I guess.
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( and rather than indignant or upset as she should sound, she's... apologetic. )
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cw: implied strangulation
( she answers, but she cranes her neck a little to show the thin, rope-like bruises wrapped around it. no, she wouldn't dream of it.
she still does so anyway. )
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[ Says the yandere-- but, no, really. Cicero had told him that the Arbor believed acceptance and love of all things, not just Seaborn. That sacrifices that are made must be given willingly, not taken by force. That is love, as far as Mizuki is concerned. ]
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cw: abuse
( there's a lot of bruises all over. )
cw: cannibalism implied
[ He's hungry, anyway— ]
THESE FUCKING TWO,
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1/2
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