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

Natsuno Yuuki | Shiki + Come Sail Away CRAU | TDM

[neverleave]

Wake up
[When you spend a year and a half trapped in a pocket dimension run by a capricious djinn, there's only one thing you can think upon waking up at a creepy new location: Ugh, now what. Is this an unannounced excursion, or did someone break reality again?

Natsuno wastes no time checking his surroundings and soon realizes something is off. The foliage looks real, there's actual fish in the water and he doesn't know anyone here. He spends some time staring at the residents suspiciously before he approaches someone. Natsuno's expression is stoic, his voice calm and businesslike.]

What do you know about this place? Important stuff, short version first.

[Yeah, he doesn't even bother with "hello" or "excuse me."]

Hey
[He figured quickly that he shouldn't get close to the flowers, but couldn't help but look at them. It's been so long since he'd seen living nature and surely there's no harm in looking from a safe distance, right?

The dark tendrils strike without warning. They cover his eyes, snake around his ankles, forcing their way into his mouth and nose and ears, until all that's left is the feeling of a thousand crawling legs and the voice.

Let me consume you.]

Like hell, [He manages, because Natsuno Yuuki will mouth off even when it feels like death is at his feet. He can't break out of it, though, can't even move. He stands there, pulling frantically at invisible tendrils - and completely unaware of the very real vines reaching out from behind him. Vampire blood, must be delicious...]

I'll take care of you
[Natsuno stares at the flames glumly. Another prison, with new horrors and new mysteries to be discovered from scratch. More losses to mourn knowing he'll probably never see them again.

No point in skipping a meal because of bad mood, though. Natsuno waits until others have eaten and grabs what's left once he confirms people don't drop dead or start hallucinating.]

This is how it goes around here? Bad things, then a consolation prize?

I'll take care of you (SHAKES REVI EXCITEDLY—)

[mooninthewater]

[ Much like Natsuno, Mizuki is generally the last to eat, but mostly because he just eats so much so he's usually late to these sorts of gatherings so he can pull a bunch of fish from the river. He hadn't even realized there were more new people here! New faces! Definitely not someone he knows (sorry, Natsuno-).

But it's not like Mizuki is unfriendly. Far from, as he takes a seat next to the new resident and holds out a warm cup of hot chocolate out to him with his usual smile. ]

The bad things come and go as far as I'm aware! This is less of a "consolation prize" and more of just trying to find some normalcy. Miss Trader and Mister Shopkeeper are really nice and they don't like the stuff that happens around here, I think they're just trying to keep up morale…

(IM SHOOK)

[neverleave]

[Those sure are words and some of them are even useful, but Natsuno didn't get any of it. All he can do is stare at the familiar face of a friend who disappeared long ago, and now offers him hot chocolate like it hasn't been a goddamn year.]

Hey - [Look at him, it's Mizuki, smiling and eager as ever.] you've been here?

[All along?]

[mooninthewater]

[ You know, Mizuki expected more questions or perhaps even a decline of the drink as he did a bit more brooding, but… ]

Uh, I mean… I would say I certainly am here now!! [ He gestures around. ] It's been about… mmmmh… a month, I think? Maybe more… I don't know, I'm not too good with time.

[neverleave]

[That's another very Mizuki answer, but... something's off. Natsuno has long learned that the passage of time is less reliable than you'd think, but even if it's only been a month from Mizuki's perspective - shouldn't he be much happier to see Natsuno? The aegir is the kind of person who's hugs you after three days...]

...oh. [Natsuno's eyes flatten.] And before that, you were in your - reality? I heard everyone comes from different places.

[mooninthewater]

"Reality" is kind of a heavy word… I mean, considering… this is also very real. And, umm... ah, there's actually a lot of stuff here I'm not too sure about yet, it doesn't really make sense to me. I'm not all that smart.

[ He pauses, gently teetering the hot chocolate in his hand to offer it out to Natsuno again. ] I'm Mizuki, by the way! It's nice to meet you!

Wake up // tosses another elswordian at u this one's good i promise-

[simplicitas]

[How much Moonrat PTSD does Natsuno have... is the white hair gonna set him off... anyway, Elsword meets Natsuno's gaze with his own, level and completely emotionless as he asks. He doesn't need the "hello", he has Things going on in his brain.]

Okay. Um... this is Aldric's Grove. We're stuck here in a barrier made of fog, because the fog is keeping the bad stuff out and the good stuff in. Most of the time, anyway. Uh... some of the plants are carnivorous, so don't let them bite you. Everyone is from another reality, and we're all here for some reason.

I'm Elsword. I'd appreciate it if you can remember it.

yes good

[neverleave]

[So much Moonrat PTSD you don't even know, he's still glowing uncontrollably when he's upset.]

Elsword. [He nods. That's simple enough.] I'm Yuuki.

[Just two dudes conversing with all the passion of tts apps, nothing to see here.]

What kind of "bad things?"

[simplicitas]

[Natsuno has traces of El Energy on him that Elsword can sense, very faint notes. There's just a little bit of resonating going on from his end.

Huh.

He doesn't ask, not yet. This guy just arrived.]

Yuuki. I'll try to remember it.

When I first arrived, there was a centaur-like monster that tried to play hide-and-seek with everyone, but it wound up badly injuring or outright killing a lot of people. I managed to kill it, but it regenerated... and eventually it went away on its own. Mm... and then a few months ago, werewolves attacked, and I think they came from the fog, too. They were eaten by the carnivorous plants.

[neverleave]

...that's convenient.

[Those fucking plants, man. He hopes what they managed to suck out of him gives them indigestion.]

So the fog has monsters. [Can't assume anything based on two examples, but...] Anyone been here long enough to notice patterns, things people may have left behind?

[simplicitas]

I've been here for... since April. [For since April.] There are a lot of ruins scattered about from before I was here, though. Uh... Oh. There are photos of everyone from when we were little. There's a big group portrait I discovered like that. It's kind of like a class photo...

[He sort of slumps after that, managing to make his usually-emotionless face look guilty.]

Sorry. I have something called the Illuminous Phenomenon, and it causes memory loss, so I can't remember too much.

[hey remember that disease ebalon was obsessed with—]

i'll take care of you

[amethystic]

( felicity is more than happy to just nibble lightly at her food- it's not that she doesn't have an appetite, it's just that she prefers to savor everything slowly. but at the question, she just... shrugs. )

Despite being here for a while now, it's hard to pin down a pattern. During the first game, we won by a landslide but the forest threw a tantrum- like, tried smiting us with lightning, tantrum. Sometimes it's just bad. Like the werewolves. Would love to see some actual good for once.

[neverleave]

[A game and a tantrum, huh? Natsuno has to remind himself not to make assumptions - past experience can easily turn into blinding bias. Yet there's something annoyingly familiar about that.]

The hide-and-seek game? I heard it was a centaur, but you say it was the forest itself?

cw: strangulation mention

[amethystic]

Mmmm... Both. It was both. The centaur was made of metal and wood, and it was like it was being... puppeted from within, like a shitty mascot costume made to kill you actively. If it was it's own creature or the forest just doing it's thing, I'm not sure- I didn't get to examine it closely aside from when it was strangling me? Annnnd it's been more than a few months now.

( felicity shrugs, like they're discussing the weather. )

The forest definitely is an entity of it's own, though. While we're here, if we need anything the Shopkeeper or Trader can't get for us, we have to pay reverence to it for it to let us pass through anywhere. It controls plants, but also the fog, and has manifested as a person-like... thing made of the fog before.

[neverleave]

[Natsuno's face is impassive as he absorbs the information. He notes the girl's blase attitude, but he also knows first hand how constant horrors make one desensitized. She seems level headed enough and he appreciates the intel.]

Pay reverence? [He scowls.] To the entity that traps people to play sadistic games. What kind of "reverence?"

[If it's human sacrifice again HE SWEARS TO GOD -]

[amethystic]

Ask politely and praise it for it's generosity, basically. "Thanks for not murdering me while I get some herbs for my stock~! You're sooo kind."

Bleh.

( felicity is quiet for a moment, before she finally lets any discomfort show on her face. )

It... also can put plant-based parasites into people. There's this kid I've seen around- it's like her arm is a flower-bed. It's- it's pretty fucked. I'm not sure what it's even doing.

Hey (Reviiii!!! <333)

[cleavethetides]

[ Comparing the plants to pests seemed to be an understatement, but it's the best comparison that Irene can draw. She is more than happy to deal with them, if just because they're something she can release her frustrations out on, and the fact they remind her of the Seaborn scum from home.

Helping people who get caught in their hallucinogenic grasp was a priority, though. Hence why she's so quick to act when she finds Natsuno seconds away from a Flora Feast. Maybe he'll notice the pink flickering glow of her lantern brighten, or maybe he'll hear the uprooting of multiple plants around him as she levitates them into the air.

Maybe he'll hear the sound of several fires from her hand cannon as she pierces through them. ]

Miserable creatures. [ She scoffs. ] Hey, you're alright. Do you see the light of my lantern? Come this way.

<3

[neverleave]

[The black tendrils recoil as she pierces through the flower. The sight of the rest of the plants twisting in the air isn't much improvement, though, especially not with residual, hallucigenic distortions tearing at the edges.

Come this way. It can be another trap, but he sure as hell can't keep standing there. He stumbles in the direction of her voice. The cuts on his shins where the vines latched on are already healing.]

I offer another arknights bird..... but this time she's less murder-y

[cleavethetides]

[ There's hesitation when she catches the wounds healing so fast, a few stray, frustrating thoughts swirling around in her head before she brushes them aside quickly. No need to jump to conclusions. She's seen so many weird things here. You're just on edge, Irene.

She gently takes his hand as he approaches after sheathing the hand cannon. ]

I'm here. I'm going to take you back to the inn. Don't let go, I can't promise those parasites won't try to pull on you again.

[ She made sure to sever the stem from their roots with those shots, but there's really no telling what these things are capable of, so... for now, it's safer to get Natsuno out of here. He's being pulled along if he lets her as she holds her lantern out to guide the way back. ]

yes good... murdering natsuno is fine, it's the murdering his friends he takes issue with

[neverleave]

[Yup, nothing suspicious about those rapidly-healing wounds! Please ignore how the blood still staining his leg seems to glow from within.]

Stupid things... what the hell was that? Poison?

[Keep talking, talking is good, a distraction from the nightmarish visions. He holds Irene's hand and lets her lead him. Just for a bit, until he sorts out his mind again...]

[cleavethetides]

From what I've gathered, the plants have a sort of copycat ability to sap the abilities or arts that other people here might have. It's likely one of our fellow residents has some sort of hallucinogenic ability.

[ She wouldn't be surprised to hear it's Mizuki's, of course, but she isn't certain, so she's not going to just throw out accusations. ]

If you're unfortunate to end up out here again, it seems to be vision-induced, so just don't look at them directly.

Wake up

[devilishkouhai]

Oh - you came to the right person to ask. BB is the most helpful after all. [ "Remember: Everything Characters say is made up!" - character.ai" ]

How about you tell me, what it is you DO know? Before BB starts opening her mouth and monologuing your head off.

[neverleave]

[...okay, chances are he'll leave this conversation with a headache, but he needs information. Let's see what's her "most helpful" is worth.]

The fog keeps you from leaving, the plants will eat you if you give them a chance, sometimes monsters come from the fog.

[devilishkouhai]

How smart! BB is impressed. [ Headache inducing trauma immanent in 3... 2... 1... ] You are trapped here unwillingly like every place that hosts a Villian to these games, this place is kinda guady though. If it were me I would have at least added an ominous moon looking over head reminding everyone there is no place to go ~~!! Because THERE ISNT!!! [ She sings and twirls a little bit. ] Enter the fog, and you'll get lost. There is a cool little labyrinth if you are into that, causing you to make sure you speak your hearts content. Unless you like being inside of it - and well... The flowers there are hungry so I would be mindful not to let them munch on you.

[ She taps at her chin thinking. ]

I've only been here about a few days - I'm going to assume that is the case for you too~? It looks like a batch of new faces got dropped off so you aren't alone in that aspect - anyway. MY TURN!!

What kind of world do you come from?

[neverleave]

[His expression flattens as she rambles. He pointedly ignores the theatrics, focusing on the bits of useful information. Most of it lines up with what he already learned.]

Here to play games, huh. [NOT THIS SHIT AGAIN.] I'm from a place called Earth. Monsters, man eating plants and haunted fog are pretty uncommon there.

[Practically non-existing except vampires, honestly, but maybe he just wasn't aware of it.]

But for the last year and a half I was trapped in a pocket dimension run by a djinn who used his prisoner's suffering to fuel his magic.