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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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[ She just casually looks at him, and squeezes his hand playfully. ]
I mean, whatever this forest is - isn't all that special. Once you figure it out though, I think you'll be able to save everyone here. But I would work fast, before it consumes you and the rest of them ~ ✰!!!
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He's just going to ignore that "disgusting monsters" bit. Someone must've done something to make her upset with people. It's not like it's the first time he's heard that. "People suck," seems to be a common conclusion among the other operators back home, too… ]
…Save everyone? No, no, I-… as nice as it would be, I can't. I'm not smart like Mister Gnosis, Miss Felicity, Miss Caoimhe or Mister Elsword. But one of them will definitely figure it out, for sure. They're the heroic, brave types. Me, I'm just a mercenary. There's nothing all that special about me.
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Oh! That's too bad, I think you are pretty smart and special but that's just my opinion. Well anyway, like I appreciate you holding my hand and all but I want to go play with the forest some more - so unless you are like coming?
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I'll follow along with you, though. Please be careful~.
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[ If there are an flowers in their path, Mizuki is ever so quick to guide her into taking a wide strafe around them instead. They're not allowed to eat other people! Mizuki had told them as much... ]
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BUT some people like to friend them. [ She is careful to walk with him, but walk with him they go! ] However every plant knows deep down, one day that human friend will betray them. It is really sad, thats why. Instead, you just assume everyone is an enemy and your expectations will never be broken~☆ﾟ! BB is so smart and educational - this is free threapy!!!
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You must not have a lot of good in your life.
[ He almost didn't realize he had said anything at all, but there was just something bubbling inside. A part of him yelling that this was an insult to all the people who went out of their way to help Mizuki when he had lost everything. There was no reason to care about someone like Mizuki. No reason to help some poor kid with nothing to offer the world. But people DO care. People always helped. People are kind. There's evil in the world, but that doesn't mean everything has to be so full of hate.
Certainly not the Arbor.
He squeezes BB's hand. ] That's okay. I'll help you get a whole bunch of happy memories so you'll forget about those bad ones.
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Oh - - look theres a plant there right now. If you look at it for too long, it'll start making you feel sick. They're kinda annoying, keep asking to be fed and are so demanding. [ So much like a human! ] But I understand how they feel, even BB gets so cranky when shes hungry...
[ Which now that she thinks about it... She has been feel hungry. Weird. ]
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People are a lot like plants. Will they grow into magnificent trees with all of their branches casting their influence over the land, or will the barely turn out of their sapling stage, eaten by some beast? And much like trees, they provide for others for all their needs and work together to make oxygen, shelter, and nutrients for the other creatures living around them. They die, decay, and return their nutrients into the soil for others to use - and the cycle continues.
People are like trees. Trees do not hate people.
[ Mizuki, however, does look at the flowers. It's not like madness is something he's unfamiliar with, especially when this is his doing, anyway. ]
I don't think they're annoying. I think they just don't have a coherency like we do, but... [ He twists his harpoon-brella around to slice through... something that was formerly invisible, but as the sharp tip cuts through it reveals an inky black tendril instead. He throws it to the ground to let some of the flowers fight over it. ] ...I can relate to them a little bit, I think.
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Well look at you. [ She giggles girlishly. As if this was just an every day conversation. ] Youre demanding so much from BB-chan right now!!! [ Her attention, those questions, holding her hand still. She doesn't find it annoying and her voice doesn't sound as if shes angry - she is clearly having fun and enjoying every bit of it. ]
Uwaaa....~?~? What are those? Parts of your body? Are you just feeding yourself to the Flowers? Thats kind of nasty, and weird [ Her voice suddenly sound dark for this moment, and her eyes flash red. But she goes back to sounding trouncey ouncey. ] dont you think?
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For what it's worth, Mizuki is absolutely sure this is an every day conversation. He's the type to sit down and talk about anything mildly psychology or philosophy related for hours, spewing strings of questions relentlessly. But he doesn't press them again. He's not rude, after all! ]
Hm...? Is it? [ If there's a change in her demeanor, Mizuki either ignores it or doesn't notice it. Anyone who knew Mizuki would know it's the latter. ] Were you not saying earlier that you could eat me up? What makes the flowers any different?
They're just my stingers, anyway. I'm a cnidarian, so they grow back, if that's what you're worried about?? [ It isn't, Mizuki, please read the vibes- ]
1/2
.
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Ehhh? You just cut a part of yourself and feed it to them? [ BB pulls her free hand to her mouth, thinking inquisitively as she runs through her large database of info. ] You realize depending on which type of Cnidaria you are, you likely are poisoning them? Most types of Cnidaria is incompatible with organic life forms, you could be effectively feeding them rat poison.
[ With the same free hand that tapped her chin, she holds it out. ]
Give me a piece, I am not eating it. I'm going to run a diagnostics on it, if that's okay with you? [ BB asks, nicely for now though - she is more then willing to take it from him. ]
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[ He's not exactly to go showing his tentacles, but… well, Kal'tsit isn't here, and… if he cuts it off, it's fine… right? Hmm… ]
Alright, but… in case you do eat it, it's better cooked, okay? [ And, once again, Mizuki reaches his harpoon around to carve into another previously camouflaged tentacle. Seeing as, once again, he doesn't wince or anything, implies he probably can't even feel it. Regardless, congrats, BB! You have a gross, mucus-covered, gooey, black tendril dropped into your hand. It is, in fact, relatively harmless while it's severed. ]
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[ Sorry, BB, he's clingy, and also a bit nervous about leaving anyone alone with something potentially dangerous and can be weaponized… ]
.CONSENT-ACQUIRED : EXECUTING:luluhawa.domain
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[ Just like that - in a blink of an eye. No. In such suddenness, as if you had never been in the forest in the first place. Mizuki's eyes will immediately capture the sights of the great wide ocean. Feet sinking into a warm beach. The sound of seagulls floating about in the distance... Is that people? It's people. But they are NPC. Data. They have no substance. They are the only two things here that have any substance.
Tentatively places this here. ]
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2/3
3/3
And then he walks into the water to faceplant into it. ]
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WHAT WILL SHE FIND!??!?! ]
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The tentacle itself is... mostly just what you'd expect when examining a jellyfish tentacle. It's got a slick coat of mucus around it that seems to remain for a while despite being severed. The look of it gives a general sense of unease -- not quite madness, but the sort of tense feeling that one might feel if they believe they're being followed. If BB tries to extract the venom from the stingers, she'll have enough toxin to drive one whole person to absolute madness, though! Huzzah!!!!
The tentacles have regenerative properties, so it'll be easy to infer that he can grow these back fairly fast. She may also be able to infer that there's something about the genetic make-up that seems to be altered, somehow. Things don't quite click into place as seamlessly as they should. Not having any other Aegir to compare it to, unfortunately, means that it's hard to figure out the specifics... ]
PUTS THAT POST IN MY MOUTH FEEDS MY DND BRAIN CELLS
For now - everything is good...
BB will do this for several hours at her science area - before BB goes looking for Mizuki, it will start to get dark. Does he go looking for her or is he lost in the ocean waters? ]
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