EVENT & TDM 016

[sticksandbonesmods]

A CREEPING FURY SETTING IN

WAKE UP

You don’t recall how you got here. Hell, you’re barely sure “why” you’re here in the first place. But the fact is, by the time you come to your senses, you’re already standing in line out in front of a tent with a big sign on it: FREE STUFF! FIRST COME FIRST SERVE!

Others who have been here longer are aware of you, of course. They watched you ambling around on autopilot for two hours before the sign went up, and then you suddenly hopped into the queue (and maybe even cut in line! the horror!) before the brain fog cleared. Where are you? Why are you in line? Do you even want free stuff? All of these questions can only be answered when you see what the free stuff is.

…it’s random junk. Random magical junk, mind, but when a woman made of solid shadows hands you a wand that apparently summons a small amount of pigeons “per day, until it breaks”, you take it. Or, perhaps, the item was a crystal ball that only shows you made-up scenes from a book. Or it’s a hand-fan that blows only warm air, or a pen that writes all of your letters backwards despite the fact you yourself aren’t doing that… anything quirky and stupid is within the realm of possibility, and Ydalir is trying so hard to get rid of her failed magical experiments. Please. Please take these. Her tent is overstocked and she needs to start anew.

And to those of you who are new here, she’ll offer a friendly greeting and wave, and ask you how your head is feeling after that strange wandering session earlier. Don’t feel pressured to answer; the line needs to keep moving, after all.

HOUNDS ON YOUR HEELS

At some point as the summer fades into autumn, something in the air changes. The surrounding woods and its foggy walls have felt tenser than usual, like something is waiting for you to slip and fall into jaws just waiting to snap shut around your flesh — but nothing happens. Not initially, at least. But keen eyes will soon see a plethora of fairies, long sleeves dangling over razor-sharp claws like a praying mantis’s arms, hair tied back in loose buns, all wearing masks with a single watchful eye painted upon them. As your gazes meet, they giggle and disperse.

And then there are more. And as more gather, watching the paths you take, the houses and buildings erected, the way you move through the gardens, they begin to screech like cicadas. Like alarms.

It could be the lumbering, moss-covered frog that leaps towards you from the lake, large enough to match a car. It could be the wood and stone-crusted bear, spears and arrows collected in its haunches like decoration and not the injuries they clearly are, standing taller than anything you’ve ever seen. It could be the long, winding dragon with lichen dripping off of it, coiling through the trees. Regardless, the fairies are calling to your location and one of them is going to answer.

They chase with an almost single-minded perseverance, with claws and sticky tongues and fangs — stealth is the key, so long as the fairies don’t rat you out again. Though they can be fought, they cannot die in a way that matters — just as easily as flesh tears, it will stitch itself back together and hold a grudge.

Every broken twig is a signal to your location. Every brush of wind in the trees and the grass could be the monsters stalking after you.

It’s time to play: Hide and Seek.

‘TIL THERE’S NOTHING LEFT

cw: supernatural parasitism & energy/life-force draining
… And where do those captured go, when all is said and done? None of the Seekers actually kill them after all — they may carry their unfortunate victims within their mouths if they are large enough to do so, but as soon as one is captured, they leave.

Though it’s risky to try and track them through the woods, those who try or stay awake during their capture will find themselves taken down a winding path in the fog. One can also bribe a fairy or two to help — or at least not rat you out. A shiny object or food — berries, honey, the fresh-killed heart of that songbird on the branch, all work fine to win its favor for a time. Eventually, they’ll find themselves up a path to a gargantuan tree covered in glowing boils — it’s something that manages to dwarf even the whale-sized moose that may wander by wordlessly, impassive to your plights as moose are wont to do.

Sickly motes of light waft through the air and gently-glowing flowers bloom all around the land, moss glistens against the bark and dirt and perhaps if this place was not so warped by evil, it could have been beautiful once. Coiled around the tree is a vine where the captured are tied to, and they will feel…

Tired. Compliant. Don’t you wish to sleep? The tree needs you. Don’t struggle. Don’t resist. Sleep, and dream no more…

Keen eyes will see the skeletons of former victims further up the vines. As the tree feeds on its captives’ life force, fairies and the Seekers stand guard, only going out to fetch more victims. Do you make the attempt? Or will you come back with reinforcements?

DON’T LOOK BACK

… But regardless of the hostility from the forest, the game must come to an end eventually. And in return for surviving, upon whatever throne he sits upon, the Black Sun offers the world a bit of power as the victims recover — those who perish to the monsters will awaken within their beds, unable to remember anything for a total 24 hours and with floral growths blooming around their scars — but after the initial panic, those who can will confirm that there is no Corruption in these wounds. They may fade, or they may not. Those who survive the month will only carry whatever injuries and weariness they gained over time.

Come morning light, the area of the river will give off a bright glow. Investigation will yield a lot of pain in the eyes, like looking directly at the sun, but eventually it dies down and residents of the Grove can properly have a look at the river again. Those that do may find themselves pleasantly surprised. While clouds shield the skies most of the time, over the river there is a gentle, warm sunlight and blue skies. The abundance of riverside foliage has grown, with new species available for those who can recognize such things — and the water, crisp and clearer than ever, holds more types of fish and amphibians as well. Besides the apple tree — Sinann’s gift for freedom long ago, and Moder’s blackberry bush — new is fruit available. The apple tree is flanked by a peach tree and an orange tree, while the other side of the riverbank houses… …A durian tree.

Some Guardians are grateful. Callan is Callan.

Perhaps best of all though is that Sinann itself has grown in size and in power: in fact, as you approach, it floats above the water to give a greeting.

“Thank you once more for your help.”

SPARK NOTES

CLICK TO EXPAND!

WAKE UP

Welcome to Aldric's Grove! New and old residents alike are being gifted free, joke magic items from Ydalir's tent while she does her autumn cleaning. Please take these, she's desperate.

HOUNDS ON YOUR HEELS

Little insect-faeries watch your every move. Suddenly, from the barrier, you're being attacked by various monsters trying to capture you and drag you off. Better run. Better hide.

‘TIL THERE’S NOTHING LEFT

If you're caught, you'll be dragged to become food for a large tree that drains your life force directly. If you aren't rescued in time, you'll die slowly and peacefully.

DON’T LOOK BACK

Those of you who die will come back the next day with temporary amnesia lasting 24 hours. It'll clear up after, and all of your memories will come back as if with magic. But, in the end, you've won the game, and that means ample rewards: More fruit trees, and the River Guardian growing more powerful after all this time.

OOC

Welcome to September's TDM! Reminder that all TDMs are game canon. OOC Plotting Lives Here if you'd like to plot anything out! We have several toplevel comments below for randomizing any result you want this month, including the magic items from Ydalir if you're having a hard time making something up.

UPDATES

❖ None yet!

SUBMISSIONS

QUESTIONS
INVESTIGATIONS
PAST-LIFE PLOTTING

(CODE)

Comments

QUESTIONS

[sticksandbonesmods]

[quirkynote]

Let's say I have an idea of what item I want to give my character key, but I don't know what silly magic ability to give it. Can I gacha for just that, or does it have to be the whole deal?

INVESTIGATIONS

[sticksandbonesmods]

Please use the following form for investigations:

Character(s):
Location:
Action: What are they looking for? What are they doing?

<b>Character(s):</b> <b>Location:</b> <b>Action:</b>

[mooninthewater]

Character(s): Mizuki
Location: on top of the barn (speaking with Zonari)
Action: He has questions for her, but he's going to lead the conversation by grabbing a nearby fairy out of the air and using his phone to text-to-speech "Are you going to eat this?" to her first-

MAGIC ITEM GACHA

[sticksandbonesmods]

In case you can't come up with something on your own, or wish to see what We The Mods have in store for you, put down a comment and we will make up a silly thing for you to play with!

[charlastan]

Did someone say free junk? 👀

(I'll be test driving and would absolutely love a mod-assigned item, thank you!)

ROLLS FOR HIDE AND SEEK

[sticksandbonesmods]

If you prefer a random outcome, put a comment down and we will roll a dice for you.

To successfully hide from each monster, the following must be met at minimum:
- A very large lichen-covered dragon with many, many legs. (14 or higher)
- A rock-like bear. (12 or higher)
- A giant, mossy frog. (10 or higher)

There is no hiding from the fae; they know your location always.

If you prefer a random outcome for rescuing somebody, please specify in your comment who you want to rescue, and we will roll for you. We will treat it like tabletop D&D rules, meaning higher rolls will have a better outcome, and lower rolls will have an unsuccessful outcome.

[lilyberation]

Wolfie what does Lily get menaced by first, let's find out (EITHER WAY SHE'S FUCKING GONE IT WAS A 2)

Pure Vanilla Cookie | Cookie Run: Kingdom

[purevanillacookie]

1. Rinse

[ It's been a helluva month for the ex-Cookie, who finally tumbles out of the forests edge around the first of the month. His wool is overgrown, as if it's been longer than a month, and his Staff looks like it's seen some shit. Despite his own expression behind hidden by the wool growing up from around his neck and into his face (dotted with bright yellow daffodils that grow in a daisy chain through it), you can be sure it's probably just as haggard as the staff.

His companion, just as tattered and dirty as himself, screeches "WITCHES, finally! Get AWAY from me!" and pushes past the wooly mammoth to stagger off into another direction, leaving Pure Vanilla to clutch his staff and stand on trembling legs by himself.

After a moment of simply standing there he begins to wobble in the direction of home. ]

2. Rest

[ Once he's been sheared, bathed, and rested, he's going to do ... mostly nothing. He's going to relax in his garden (and - at least for the first bit - have his Staff planted firmly in the direction of the forest in obvious paranoia), catch up on a months worth of crotcheting, and stress bake like he's been personally offended by his own fruits and vegetables.

As well as check in on the Clinic and Greenhouse, once he's feeling less like he needs to bolt at every little sound, where you can find him if he's not sitting in his garden. ]

3. Repeat

[ Unhappy his paranoia was proven right, Pure Vanilla is nonetheless armed this time. He's quick to - once he spots the faeries beginning to emerge - tie offerings here or there. If asked he will explain in great detail what he's doing, trying his best to distract the See-ers from calling the Seekers, to give the Grove time to catch on. To hide. He will explain what he knows - what he's learned fleeing almost the entirety of last month - about this strange Hide and Seek.

He doesn't know what lays at the end, should you be caught. His companion and himself, stumbling through the forest as they were, weren't meant to be caught after all. Just used as training.

Then that might be the last you see of him, as he ducks into hiding himself. Or maybe you come across him sneaking furtively around and he'll shush you and invite you into hiding. Be small. Be quiet. ]

Wildcard.
[ Something not catching your eye? Wildcard me! ]

rinse

[lilyberation]

PURE VANILLA COOKIE!

( which is to say, the poor bedraggled sheep is going to get straight up tackled. oh, the wool must be so heavy- oh, he looks so tired- blinking away tears, white lily cookie pushes some of the hair out of his face to check.

...

she'll note the daffodils later. or at least, fully acknowledge them. )

Oh, Vanny... let's get you home...

Affogato Cookie | Cookie Run: Kingdom

[submittome]

1.

[ The oh-so dulcet shriek of "WITCHES! Finally!" is a sure sign Affogato has returned to the grove. He's clutching a heart shaped bottle with something black and wiggly in it, as he stalks - with the energy of a cat whose pride has been wounded - towards the bath house. He will not stop to say hello or return any greetings, unless you're Mizuki. He will only become chatty once he has sank into a bath and cleaned himself free of twigs, leaves, dirt, muck, and other things.

You can win his attention with food... or offering to help him fix his hair which has grown a little wild in his time in the forest. He may also be jumpy and hissy like a cat. Really just. Approach with caution or food. ]

2.

[ Or wait a week and he will be better-ish. He will no longer be holing himself up in his room above the Therapy building, but he won't be going far from it (due to the protection is offers). You can catch him either binding bundles of things together into the shape of poppets and then stabbing them repeatedly, or stretched out in the last rays of warmth and sun from Summer, smoking idyllically from his pipe.

This time he might even hail you as you pass by, with a lazy friendly hello~ and a very indecent offer of a smoke by gesturing with his pipe and a elegantly arched eyebrow. God knows what's in it, please don't. Or do, and roll to see how much you get Fucked Up. ]

3.

[ When Suri's Shits make a reappearance, Affogato becomes scarce. He's gotten good at this, you see. Hiding from the little eye faeries. He knows from experience trying to beat them with his staff doesn't do anything, nor does attempting to poison them. He will appease them sometimes by hanging things from branches, but mostly he hides and avoids them entirely. And while he doesn't seem keen on interfering if someone else is spotted, if you bring the rabble too close to where he's taking a rest, he will pull you roughly into hiding with a whispered hiss. ]

Stop being stupid and stay down. Unless you desire to be found, then by all means keep attracting the floating fucks attention, but do it somewhere else!

1 + 2

[winterfrosting]

[ so cacao very clearly heard that shriek. But getting his poor Vanilla clean and tended and comfortable was priority.

Plus he has learned a tiny bit of tact- he doesn't think Affogato would want to see him at such a weak point. He would be apt just be yelled at through the window. But he DOES within those first few hours send along a letter, either with one of his visitors or Mizuki.

For all Cacao is rather tacturn in person his writing is always long and flowery. There's a lot of the classic talking of weather and the like that is just par for the course for any correspondence from him. But it is on the paper and with the ink that was part of the set Affogato gave him. Smelling of warm chocolate and offering his concern and offering any aid needed while making sure to not imply that Mizuki is incapable to tending to his former advisor just fine.

It's days later, when Affogato is smoking, that he makes his way around]

You seem quite comfortable.

mafuyu asahina | project sekai | oldbie/new character

[beathollow]

❄️ Wake Up

( at some point you might see a girl in a grey school uniform and a black cardigan, soaked from... something? it hasn't rained and she doesn't seem to be coming from the river. perhaps more concerning is the fact that she doesn't even have her shoes. mostly she looks... stunned, on the verge of tears, and generally just not doing great. as one does.

instead of joining the crowd for a magical item, mafuyu just... looks around. she was in the city, how did this... where is she?

her chest hurts a lot, and her first instinct is to pull away from the group. but- where does she go? which is how you may find this soaking wet kitten of a girl just dissociating in the middle of town. )

❄️ run, rabbit, run

( mafuyu is an athletic, talented girl. but she's still just a child, and one who's lived in the city all her life. she didn't mean to be out too long- just a trip to the clinic to investigate. but now she's ducking under the broad swing of gnarled claws and dodging around trees.

fairies giggle overhead and eventually she manages to slide into a hole beneath a tree, just barely visible under the roots. the bear sniffs the air for a moment, and then a giant paw tries to reach through the roots.

which is how you may find yourself watching a bear trying to claw its way through the growth, all while mafuyu can only try and hide deeper in the cavern. what will you do? )

❄️ somewhere quiet, somewhere safe

( at some point in the night, mafuyu closes the curtains of the inn's sitting room. the monsters don't try to come inside, but she doesn't like the idea of them just... watching. her hand, arm and back are all bandaged, scrapes treated with care, but shes so tired. exhaustion drops off of her like rain water.

it's quiet inside, and quieter outside. eventually she steps away from the window, sitting down with a cup of tea (it might as well just be hot water). )

... Is... this place always like this...?

❄️ wildcard

( fingerguns! i'm not yet sure if she'll truly survive the month so we'll find out eventually! otherwise hit me up! )

wake up

[timidheart]

[Ah, he has started to come out a little more lately, with the rain gone. He was going about his business when he caught sight of the girl.]

[Oh, she looks...]

[That will not do. He silently approaches, quietly taking her by an elbow to try and get her attention. Her state reminds him a lot of how people would find themselves at the Nest.]

...H-hello. Pardon my abruptness, but ...are you present? Can you hear my voice...?

Gnosis | Arknights | Current Player

[succiduous]

I. waiting for the final days
beginning of hide and seek

[Gnosis figures out swiftly enough that the mantis-faeries can be bribed, but only because he's sitting in his lab when one flits through his window and gets distracted by a bottle of iodine. "That's not food," he tells it patiently, offering some of the lunch he's barely touched instead and going back to working, in his lane and unbothered because what's that frog gonna do? Sticky-tongue him through his own window which he's now shutting and locking? Suuure.

...

Anyway, this is how Gnosis ends up with five of these things, clinging to his shoulders and holding random objects as he strolls from the lab into the inn, only because the lab ran out of tea and he has to raid the kitchen. And considering the circumstances, he probably shouldn't go outside for a while, so he thinks he'll hole up here unless he hears someone shouting for help.

He makes direct eye contact with you as you pass him by.]

If you're wondering about them, they're friendly so long as they're fed and given things to play with. Would you like some tea?

[The faeries all chitter excitedly, even though he's not asking them. They, too, would like tea.]

II. can you please save me from the end?
after Enciodes dies; cw: alcoholism

[Logically, Gnosis knows that most people who die here come back. He's been here for over a year now. But he also knows, deep down, there's a chance that Enciodes won't; that he's dead and gone forever, never coming back, like what Gnosis fears every damn time the man heads off alone. On Terra, when he'd go on missions alone. In Kjerag, where it was likely that the multiple assassination attempts would have one successful outcome. Despite his stoic facade, it's the one thing he fears most, and now that fear has been brought to life.

Normally, he'd hole himself up in the lab like usual. He rarely leaves it, after all. And this time, whether he acknowledges it or not, he needs to see another living person to feel sane, like everything isn't lost and he isn't alone in the world. So, lying across the inn couch with one foot up on the back of it and the other on the ground, surrounded by empty bottles of hard liquor, is one very drunk scientist.

One might even think they see him crying, but Gnosis will assure you anyway that he does not cry. That the tears in the corners of his eyes are just because he's been staring up at the ceiling lights and his eyes are watering.]

No, I don't wanna talk about it, [he'll slur as you pass, and the question is: Did you even say anything to him at all before he opened his mouth to snap at you?]

III. fire raging deep within
also after enciodes dies, but with violence this time

[Twelve hours after Enciodes dies, Gnosis decides he's had enough being drunk (he's still a little tiny bit drunk) and is instead going right with the violence tactics. He still has plenty of liquor left even after Heimr cut off his purchasing, and he knows a thing or two about using alcohol to make homemade bombs. He has, in fact, done it before, ten or so years ago in Kjerag.

It's nighttime, and that means he can disappear into the background using his Cloak of the Night he got ages ago, hung up for almost a year now because he simply had no need to skulk in the shadows. After a few hours spent in the lab, Gnosis dons the cloak and heads out. Anyone watching might see his footsteps in the grass, or the lab door opening and closing, but nothing else. Not for a while, anyway.

...

And then, deep in the woods, a string of massive explosions sounds off, fire lighting up the skies.

If you don't immediately check the source of the crime (and why would you? It's purposely been set in the most dark, harrowing parts of the woods), you might find Gnosis in the inn yet again, twirling a handmade remote control and looking quite satisfied with himself as he, what else, starts making more of them. To help or not to help, that is the question.]

Closed to Enciodes - IV. take my heart and save me from the end

[...and then, would you look at that, Enciodes comes back from the dead the day after everything ends, and Gnosis is both beside himself with grief and about to go blow more things to smithereens. A normal reaction, definitely.

The first thing he does is cling, of course, wrapping his arms around Enciodes the moment he catches sight of him wandering the Grove.]

Don't you ever do that to me again.

V. wildcard

[hit me with anything! wolfchan if you wanna plot smth out!]

iii

[submittome]

[ Oh, he's not usually one for fire and flame. Too flashy. Too showy. But there is something nice about watching the glow as it spreads throughout Suri's bedamned forest. It's so warm, so nice, and Affogato hopes Suri burns within in. That his stupid faeries, his stupid toad and bear and idiot dragon twist and turn and writhe inside of it.

So when he finds the culprit? Of course he's going to help. Sit himself right on down and offer his hands. Molotov's are not his usual fare of weaponry, but how much different is it than brewing up an alchemical poison? ]

I am a quick study.

Ain | Elsword | Current Player

[eidxiety]

I. my lucky break

[Ydalir hands Ain a wand that produces colour-changing glitter. This is a horrible thing to hand a man like him, who will immediately use it for crimes. The glitter is infinite, she says (oh no), and it changes colours like one of those fancy-ass RGB keyboards, fluctuating between all colours of the rainbow in a smooth transition. "It should come off after being washed," he's told, even though everyone in the universe knows glitter does not come off after one wash.

...

Ain stares at this thing for a long time, grins, and then runs off to go put glitter across the Grove. Your coat? Sparkly now. Were you painting your nails? Now they're shiny. The furniture in the inn? Fucking shimmering. The court jester behaviour is only beginning when Ain runs up to you, taps the top of your head with the glitter wand, and books it in the opposite direction.

Catch him, please. Take that from him, he's only going to get worse—]

II. seems stuck in day dreams

[In the end, it winds up being almost too easy to catch Ain, tired as he is from hours and hours of keeping people safe. Healing, fighting, defending, healing again... even as an angel, it's not like he's immune to fatigue, though his stamina lasts well into the night even as everyone else has already hidden or tried to run away. A dragon snags him and glues him to that tree while he's still putting up a fight. And death comes so, so easily to a creature whose composition is already fragile; Ain is made of nothing but raw magic filtered into a human disguise, after all, and the tree is swift to drain him.

...

The morning after everything ends, a tiny, seafoam green ball of light no bigger than a firefly flits through the Grove. He does not remember who he is, or where he is, or what he is; instinct merely suggests to him to find someone, anyone, and use their magic to passively restore his form. You might not even have magic, but the ball of light will flit over to you regardless, bonking into your cheek and forehead and hair.

It looks for something. Will you follow it? Catch it? Or do you recognize who this ball of light is?]

III. and I feel burnt out tryin' to work out what it all means

[The day after Ain restores his human form and regains his memories, he completely shuts down. The tailor shop doesn't even have a closed sign pulled over it; Ain simply isn't there, and the door is left unlocked. Three people he cares about are completely missing, and Ydalir has Angelina and Wolfwood's Dachie, which bodes extremely poorly, and she won't even tell him what happened. And if he's honest, dying is the scariest thing to him; back home, dying meant that people would forget him, since his existence is somewhat paradoxical and he was never meant to be a person like he always wanted. It's his greatest fear, to die and be forgotten about, but worse is the fact that he died and forgot, too.

His head feels fuzzy. There's nothing Ain would rather do right now than go back to Elrios and try to pretend he's fine and nothing happened, but if he couldn't mount a defense on his own to protect people here, what good will he be there?

These sorts of depressive thoughts consume Ain, who lies curled up in bed with the covers up to his neck and his head underneath a pillow. He remains like this for days, if people let him, effectively going "missing" himself. He isn't aware that the Game even ended; he's sure if he goes outside he'll simply die again, and maybe he really won't come back this time. So the tailor shop remains closed (but with the door unlocked), and his flowers both in his room and outdoors remain unwatered, and any notebook queries remain unanswered.

If no one comes to visit (why would you? his inn door is shut, and he hasn't given any indication that he still lives), Dachsologie will take matters into his own hands. The owldog teleports past the door, bounds down the hallway, and goes outside to find the first person that Ain knows and likes. Suddenly, there's a beak on your pantleg as he tries to pull you toward Ain's room.

...he is not a very strong owldog, so if you don't want to visit, just shake him off. He'll run to go bother someone else.]

IV. wildcard

[you know i'm good for whatever]

iii

[ezellotry]

[ Poor Dachie is doing his best, and Ezell isn't going to tell him that he's already on the way over to Ain's room because that would be mean to the boy who is just doing his best! He is a good boy. He is getting pats from Ezell when he's outside the door. Thank you for leading him here, he definitely wasn't going here to start with!!! Good Dachie!!!

Ezell pushes past the door and... though he wants to pull Ain into his arms and ask if he's alright and push aside the pillow to pepper his face with kisses, he doesn't want to overwhelm the poor guy. So he just calmly takes a seat close to Ain and grabs his hand to squeeze it comfortingly. Just letting him know that he's here so he can gauge what he needs right now. His empathy is... whoof. It's fine. He can... ease some of this pain, hopefully. ]

...Ain?

Stanley Pines | Gravity Falls | New player! Fresh meat!

[charlastan]

A. FREE STUFF

[It's unfortunately not the first time Stan's woken up confused in the woods.

He lays there for a moment, processing everything a beat too slowly. Grass under his hands - and he has hands again, he didn't get dropped in the middle of the forest as a squid, even though he'd been drifting in the ocean. He'd been called back, and...something called him here. Right?

That thought slips through his fingers though, replaced by an intrusive memory of the last time he was hanging out in a patch of grass by himself. A stranger was hugging him close in a sunny grove, sobbing over him, and it makes him up with a start.

He's Stanley Pines. That was his brother, Stanford. They were in Trench with the kids - with Dipper and Mabel - and before that Deerington and before that Earth, and he rattles through these truths in his head methodically so his heart stops beating so goddamn fast.

That being said, everything gets kind of blurry again from there and by the time squid brain truly fades, he's...in a line? For "free stuff"?

...Yeah, that sounds about right.]

B. TEATIME

[The "Free Stuff" he got was the girliest teapot he's ever seen, and he's been forced into some pretty girly tea parties by his great niece. Speaking of Mabel though, he can't help but notice some...similarities. The thing looks just like that one sweater of hers and it pours glitter and little plastic dinosaurs into every drink? That's too much to be a coincidence, so he can't make himself ditch it somewhere.

Plus it makes free drinks that are "clean", if you expand the definition of clean to include glitter and plastic. That alone makes it worth it.

Which is why you might come across a piratey-looking old man with a hot pink teapot cradled in the palms of his hands. What's really weird though is that he hasn't tried to make a fire or find a kitchen. Instead, his hands light up with blue flames until the teapot sings. The flames extinguish after that, and since he can't feel burning anymore after living in Trench, he takes a swig right out of the pot!

...And immediately chokes on it and spits it in the grass! And then yells at anyone in earshot]

Ugh! That wasn't even a drink! Who the hell would fill a kettle with strawberry syrup and literally nothing else?!

[He shudders but then, after a moment of consideration...he goes back in for a smaller sip, now that he knows what to expect. Fuck it, he has a sweet tooth anyway.]

C. WILDCARD
[For the Pines family!]

[ooc: Stan art by Jami! :)]

c

[ghostharasser]

[It's been kind of a weird day, what with the return of some of their missing people, the ...fairies buzzing around kind of watching them creepily, and also this feeling in the air something was about to happen, he decided that maybe he'd go out to The House and make sure nothing's happened to it.]

[He just needs to swing by work first and-]



[He forgets basically everything the moment he spots him.]

...Grunkle Stan?

[And that's the only warning Stan gets before he is tackled to the ground by the full force of his five-foot-two nephew.]

Danny Fenton | Danny Phantom | Current player, new character!

[the_halfa_it]

1. Wake up

[Danny autopilots through his day a lot more than he really should, but that's what happens when you're a teenager whose sleep opportunities are getting eaten up by ghost fights at stupid hours. It isn't until he's actually at the front of the line that he snaps out of it, giving a "Huh? Wha?" as he suddenly realizes that he doesn't recognize his surroundings at all - but by that point the... shadow?? Ghost?? Woman?? Is she a ghost his ghost sense isn't going off... anyway, she pushes something into his hands and asks if he's feeling all right. He manages an "I think so...?" despite not actually having any idea if this is all right, and then he's being wished a good day and ushered along so the next person can come up.

So now Danny is standing in the middle of a weird town he isn't familiar with, holding an object in his hands that he hasn't quite mentally registered yet, and looking very, very, confused.]

Where IS this?

[He squints into the sky. It doesn't look like the Ghost Zone.]

Sam? Tuck? You guys here?

[Yeah, no luck. So, failing that, this very average looking scrawny teenage boy who absolutely pings as sort of maybe dead-ish to certain supernatural senses instead opts to go up to the nearest random person.]

Hey, uh, can you tell me what the heck is going on? Where am I?


2. Gone Ghost

[Danny's been reeling from this whole thing, that's for sure. On one hand, the people here seem pretty nice, and pretty weird. Weird enough that he doesn't really stand out, even. On the other, apparently half of them can tell at a glance that he's either not quite human or not quite all the way alive, so any chance at secrecy had quickly gone out the window. He's still not sure how to feel about that.

When a bunch of monsters start hunting everyone, it's almost a relief. THIS he knows how to deal with, he thinks.

He could very easily just hide. Go invisible, phase into a rock, effectively ghost the whole town and save his own skin - but if the thought of doing so ever crossed his mind, he'd quickly stamped it out. So, obviously, he's out here trying to help everyone instead. That's what he does as Phantom, despite what some people back home might think.

If you're currently trying to outrun one of the beasts, the chase is suddenly interrupted by a flying kid in a black and white hazmat suit coming out of nowhere and blasting it with green lasers from his hands. Or maybe he landed in front of you and threw up some kind of glowing green energy shield, momentarily halting an attack. Either way, it's clearly not going to stop the monster for long, and he turns to shout back at you.]

Hurry and get out of here! I'll stall it!

3. Wildcard

[Anything else your heart desires!]

wake up

[ghostharasser]

[Dipper is. a scrawny sixteen year old who is probably a few inches shorter than Danny, who was definitely not doing some kind of bizarre witchcraft with his ever burning candle and the magic circle he made out of rocks that it's sitting in the center of.]

Huh?

[Whoa, is that a kid his age?? Dipper will stand up, tucking his journal back into his coat. Actually hold on.]


[Is this guy a ghost? Because Dipper can see those better than most on account of his blood, and something weird is like. wafting off this kid. Oh wait he's staring.]

--Sorry. Oh man, did you just wake up here?

Hawks | My Hero Academia | TDM

[velocityraptor]

I. Wake Up

Coming to his senses while standing in a line is surreal for a lot of reasons. What happened? Did he doze off?

Hawks blinks a few times confused, and his feet are planted on the ground, although his massive red wings are tucked neatly behind him. It keeps the person behind him at least a wing’s length away.

“Uh...what?”

Some item is pushed towards him and he’s welcomed and shooed out of the line which makes Hawks step aside at least, looking around wildly confused through his goggles. It’s difficult to see his eyes from the other side of them, but that’s by design.

“What’s happening?”

II. Hounds On Your Heels

While he’s not breaking any twigs because he’s hovering above the ground, but he’s definitely brushing leaves against his wings. There’s nothing he can do about that, but as the fairies come at him with their claws and teeth, he’s quick to retreat, zipping backwards with his wings curled around him.

“Hey! I’m not food!”

Hawks decides to try reason. He’s not prey, he’s the predator here.

III. ‘Til There’s Nothing Left

If there’s nothing else, he’s quick. He’s always been quick so zipping around the forest and dodging branches and creatures in the air in his stead.

Hawks dives down when he reaches tree, looking for anyone who happens to be trapped there and he can’t help it, one of his primary feathers ends up in his hand and he does his best to try and cut them loose.

“Hang in there! Don’t fall asleep!”

IV. Wildcard

[ Feel free to hit him up with anything you like! ]

i. wake up

[lilyberation]

"Oh goodness. You must be new... There's a few things happening, actually. Where would you like me to begin?"

The source of the voice is a frail-looking young woman in a green dress, a giant lily staff in one hand and a little green rabbit that looks like it's made out of a dollop of cream in the other. She offers a reassuring smile, but- well, it's hard to be reassured in a place like this, isn't it?

"We can also move to the inn or to Passenger's cafe if you'd like to sit for a spell."

Loop | In Stars And Time

[theuniverseleads]

[A - Fowl Play]

[Loop isn't under their tree for once. It's actually kind of a huge mess, if anyone goes to check—lots of pigeons! Lots of the consequences of having pigeons. They don't want to sit under several dozen birds all day, thanks. The Universe leads, and if that means they can't even keep the nice sitting spot they've been enjoying thus far? So be it.

Instead, they've found a new perch up on the roof of the inn... surrounded by more pigeons. This is fine, apparently. More exposed, but a better view of the stars, and they're on equal footing with the birds. A fair trade-off.

But the question remains... why so many pigeons?

Alas, if you are here, you've either stared at Loop for too long, tried to talk to them, or simply chose to walk outside at a bad time... because it's time to roll for pigeons, babyyyy they are flying straight for YOU]

[B - In The Limelight]

[One wouldn't expect someone with a big glowing star for a head to be good at hiding. Loop is, surprisingly, not the worst at this? They know how to position themselves just right in the underbrush, to make sure the light isn't too obvious... but that's hiding in one spot, without anyone aggressively hunting them down. Hiding from a pack of beasts and fae is different from hiding at the base of the Favor Tree, where they only ever have to worry about one guy.

But anyway, it's fine. They'll run if they feel like it and fight when they don't and stop when that gets too tiring. If they get caught, that's just the Universe's will. It's easy to fall back into old habits, pushing their body until it simply stops. It hasn't, yet, so it's fine. They're fine.

They've stopped to rest for a moment, though, and... they regret it, seeing someone else hiding here. They try not to let the guilt show, a cheery mask plastered on their glowing face.]

Aww, tired already? You should keep moving! Wouldn't want to get caught under a searchlight~

[C - Wildcard]

((obligatory wildcard option/hit me up somewhere if u have an idea! feel free to also visit their rooftop camp without getting pigeons shot at u if you want, they'll be less chaotic at night while the stars are out☆))

pibgeons :)

[eidxiety]

[Ain has a church plant-pigeon that he stole months ago. Her name is Zinnia. And Zinnia is all too happy to join in on the mayhem of ATTACK with the flock that comes after him. He yelps like a startled dog and rushes inside the inn, gets followed, rushes back out... remembers that he has magic at the last second (how, how did you do this) and throws up a shield to stop most of the attack. The pigeons that got bubbled with him, he's trying to grab with his hands and toss outside of it.

Yoink!

He will glare up at Loop as this is happening. Why are you like this? What divine God gave you this power? It could not possibly be me, the person who invented this fucking thing, I would never do this.]

red ϟ pokemon sun/moon (game verse) ϟ new player

[thunderbolting]

001. WAKE UP (SLAP)...

<sub>[ Immediately upon regaining his senses, Red is giving himself and his whole body a pat-down, making sure everything that he had was still on his person. He's not always been the great at dealing with a large queue of people up until getting a full time position at the Battle Tree and he just had to learn how to deal with.. people. It wasn't that he disliked them, he just had a hard time keeping friends with the flighty and closed off personality he was given. His hands shift to the Pokeballs that are still on his belt, but he doesn't have the common sense to check and see if the Pokemon were in there (because.. why wouldn't they be?) Besides...

Well. He must look rather silly, turning a complete circle and looking around as if he was urgently missing something.. because he was! Red takes in a sharp inhale, as if he was going to call out to someone, only for him to heave out in an exhale as he is pushed by someone in queue (it could be you!) to get a move on to.. free things? Free? Really? Oh, he's next in line, he should definitely ask some questions, specifically if someone has seen a little electric mouse around here. He thinks about how to describe it, or any of the bazillion questions that have flooded his head, but instead, he is handed a junk item and then ushered aside before a word can escape his mouth.

As Red stands aside, he simply holds whatever junk item he has and pushes his free hand under his hat to kind of scratch at it. He should talk to someone here, or do something instead of looking like a complete loss cause here.

On one hand, he's been aching for a new adventure, so he's not too bothered by he, himself, being here... where ever here was. He was getting so tired of being employed!! What would his Mom think? It doesn't matter, he hasn't returned her phone calls in over a decade! ]</sub>

002. HOUND(DOOM)S ON YOUR HEELS ...

<sub>[ As it turns out, Red has discovered by now that, yes, all of his Pokemon are missing from their Pokeballs and the feisty little Pikachu that follows him around is also not to be found. Needless to say, Red is pissed, and the silent treatment he is giving everyone would be an ever telling sign that he is angry.. if it weren't for the fact he gives everyone the silent treatment all of the time. Nevertheless, he's been on this seemingly endless quest of filling up his precious Pokedex for some time now. He has confidence in himself he will figure this out and obtain his Pokemon! But for now...

He can sense the way the first seems to be bearing into his soul, as if it has eyes, and it isn't far from here he feels the running of feet, as if someone else was running from something else! Sure enough, the presence of another person emerges in the distance, being pursued by something. Red does what every seasoned trainer does when coming across something that he doesn't recognize...

He pulls out his Pokedex to try and get a reading on it once the person running from it is close enough. Naturally. And naturally, he doesn't get a reading at all. (??????) RED, MAYBE YOU SHOULD RUN AWAY?? ]</sub>

003. WILDCARD...

_{[ feel free to give me anything else if neither of these fit! or reach out to me on plurk justaways ]}

wake up (grab a brush and put a little makeup)

[purevanillacookie]

[ The bemused under-hat-head-scratch gets a chuckle from a man standing next to him. Ah, well, "man". That certainly does look like someone combined a wooloo with a human, with distinct waffle patterning on the hooves and horns.

He's holding a bowl in one hand hand that also has a little 'wooloo' pattern on it, and in the other a staff done up like an orchid. With an ... uh... eye on it. That sure is looking right at you, Red. That's not weird at all. Surely.

At least the mans expression is kindly enough. ]

Are you all right? It can be quite confusing to first stumble into the Grove, especially when our dear friend Ydalir [ A soft, affectionate glance towards the shadow-lady gleefully handing out items ] has an idea in her head. I can assure you, however, you are quite safe.

Odile | In Stars and Time | New Player!

[alphacraft]

1. WAKE UP

The moment Odile realizes she's in a line she stops dead in her tracks. She doesn't remember how she got here, and that is not acceptable. She stares pensively at the person in front of her, at the tent, at the person behind who nudges her in an attempt to move the line along, and most of all at the strange shadow entity that pushes a fan into her hand and shifts to the left when she refuses to leave.

She's missing something. A lot of somethings, honestly, but it's clear that Ydalir isn't going to take the time to explain anything, and the others in line look about as lost as she feels.

She inspects the fan for a moment, opens it, waves a gust of warm air into the space in front of her, and concludes that it's a harmless mystery for a later time. Then she looks around for someone that doesn't look lost.

"You," she declares when their eyes meet, unaware that she looks and sounds like an angry teacher.

"I have some questions for you."

2. HOUNDS ON YOUR HEELS

She hates this. A massive, fungus-covered snake-thing is after her, and rather than stand her ground and fight she has to run. She is not a fast runner. She's not having much luck finding a place to hide, either, because it's difficult to think clearly when one is utterly exhausted and struggling just to breathe.

"Gems, I'm getting too old for this," she mutters to herself as she's forced to stop and catch her breath. She can hear the dragon moving through the woods behind her, but if she tries to sprint another yard she's certain to collapse. If it's going to catch her either way, she'd just as soon die without feeling like her lungs are on fire.

3. ‘TIL THERE’S NOTHING LEFT

It's fascinating, really. Here she is, imprisoned by bizarre creatures, facing her almost certain death, and all she can think about is the young ones she's leaving behind. She worried about them, even now. Worried that they'll run into trouble without her and not be able to get out of it. How in the world did she manage to get so attached to their motley little group? She came to Vaugarde to learn more about her existing family and ended up with a new one along the way.

She tries to focus on the glowing plants, the strange creatures called 'fairies', even the sensation of having her life sucked away. She fails. She's so tired. Hasn't she earned a bit of rest? She's not exactly young anymore. Maybe this is for the best. Maybe she should just sleep.

Did Siffrin ever feel this way when they died, in Dormont's House? She wonders if she should ask, if she ever gets the chance.

1! (I haven't even played ISAT yet but YEEEEAAAHHH ODILE!!!!)

[ephemeralflow]

"My my. You do, do you?" Timekeeper responds evenly, her single golden eye meeting Odile's glare without flinching. She's seated outside at the cafe, enjoying some tea and watching people pass by - though it has not escaped her that there seem to be many new faces today. Another of those times, is it?

How funny that the one who comes up to her is yet another person in monochrome, with a now-familiar, somewhat tangled thread of time still lingering about them.

Her small smile widens slightly, and she gestures to the seat across from her, nodding. (Ah, her head still feels strangely light, with her hair cut much shorter - she's not quite used to it yet.)

"That is natural - you only just arrived, I suppose. You are welcome to sit and ask what you will, though I can't say how I might answer. Everything becomes boring when you have no more questions, after all."

Timekeeper Cookie | Cookie Run | Current Player

[ephemeralflow]

I. Wake up

[Free odd magical items? Timekeeper is more than happy to accept one, and even further amused to receive yet another object vaguely reminiscent of a treasure from her world. She sets about to testing the small compass immediately, letting it lead her about town - perhaps straight into you, if you are currently in possession of or in the process of baking fresh bread, that is.]

Three times should be a pattern - tell me, what have you got there?


II. Hounds on your heels

[Everyone is being chased, and Timekeeper is unbothered. To be fair, she's been no slouch at evading capture - she's easily evaded some of the fairies by freezing time and taking those few minutes to escape, and bribed others with handfuls of the softly glowing Pure Light Gummies that Continuum Cog produces. Neither, however, is she fighting back or helping others.

She is simply watching, usually from the air, floating on her remaining half of her scissors. This is an amusing contest, after all!

...and perhaps there's still a part of her whispering that it might not matter anyway.

She's not even trying to hide from the eyes of other people, however. It might be tempting to call to her for help when you notice her - and maybe she will, if she deems it worth the trouble.

Or maybe you're trying to warn her about the Seeker approaching her from behind that she hasn't noticed yet.]


III. Til there's nothing left

[In the course of avoiding the attempts of the fairies to sound the alarm on her, Timekeeper has noticed some of the ones she's bribed gesturing to her, trying to lead her down a forest path that she's not certain was even visible previously. Hmmm. It could very well be a trap. Not investigating, however, is out of the question once her interest is piqued, and so investigate she does.

When she comes to the tree... well, that answers a lot of questions, doesn't it? Luckily, Timekeeper is not terribly fond of trees. (That is to say, she is not terribly fond of one tree in particular. Of course, he is not here, but regardless.) Perhaps just this one time she will help, to spite the big magic tree if nothing else.

Even if any of the Seekers are currently guarding the tree, Timekeeper only needs the few minutes she can seize for herself. Time creaks shakily to a momentary stop, and then a golden blade slices through the vine, causing you to fall limply forward. Timekeeper catches you in her other arm, her smile unreadable as always.]

Well now. Can you stand?


IV. Wildcard

[Anything else goes here!]

I!

[eidxiety]

[Funnily enough, Ain is actually surrounded by bread because he stopped by the cafe and basically bought half of what was in the case. He loves human food, it's good! Aaaand he stops mid-bite as Timekeeper approaches and asks him what he has.]

Oh, uh — it's called babka. Did you want some? [What does she mean, patterns...]

A.B.A. | Guilty Gear | Current Player

[quirkynote]

A. I'm Wide Awake, it's Morning

[A.B.A.'s opinions on Ydalir are...varied. That is, if you consider "AAAAHHHHHH" and "I'll kill you" to be varied. But it's easy to win the homunculus over when handed a beautiful key, even if you are a horrible, fiendish shadow person. Well played, Ydalir. You have won her favor.

And despite what others might think, A.B.A. is no idiot. She can conclude right away that the gorgeous illusionary effect that follows her around is due to the new key. Of course she holds it as much as she can, letting butterflies and flower petals dance around her, bringing a sense of beauty to her otherwise dirty and bloodstained appearance.

She can be found zenning out to everything under a tree nearby, taking a break from her otherwise feral, cryptid nature. Honestly, this is probably the most approachable she's been since arriving here. Keys truly are magical.]

Crisp air... Serene beauty... I could drift off forever if I could...

[It's difficult to tell if she's talking to you or herself. Sometimes a girl just has to muse out loud.]

B. Hounds on your Heels

[Are you perhaps in the middle of running for your life? It just so happens that A.B.A. is quite good at running when things get scary, and she'd argue this is pretty damn scary. Especially when she still doesn't have a husband weapon to defend herself with.

So hiding it is. Without any warning, you may find yourself pulled by a surprisingly tight grip, yanked behind a rather large tree. Or perhaps a conveniently placed boulder. Maybe down in a hardly visible ditch. Either way, you'll be shushed immediately.]

If you value your life, you'll stay silent.

C. Wildcard

[lol idk]

a, of course these two need to meet

[submittome]

[ What goes well with beautiful - if illusionary - scenery? Mood music. Affogato is pleased with the fan so far because it's given him this type of music. So far. And he stops to admire the butterflies and the flower petals, because they go perfectly with the music. He flutters the fan a little, using it to hide his smile behind, the music going a little ! metal gear solid alert noise when the woman talks. Oh he thought she was asleep.

Eventually it soothes back down to it's pleasant background music of picked strings and bamboo flutes. Hm. He doesn't like that. ]

I would beware allowing yourself to relax too completely. You never know what may lurk in the shadows.

[ Despite his attempt to be himself, the music is still peaceful and calm, showing he's relaxed. ]

Jade Leech | Disney Twisted-Wonderland

[myceelium]

i. hounds on your heels.

[ A hand suddenly covers your mouth from behind. He doesn't mean to slink up so sneakily and frighten anyone, but if it potentially prevents both of your locations from being given away, it's fine. It's almost a tad unnerving how silently he managed to appear, though...

Jade softly whispers when he's sure no little surprise yelps are going to alert nearby. ]

My apologies for the suddenness, but it's best if we move from this spot. It's a little too out in the open for my liking.

[ His hand moves away, smiling and nodding his head over to a more covered area. The inn - sanctuary - is in the distance, but there's a towering bear golem nearby, scoping out the place and blocking the path to safety. Its back is turned for now, but just how long will it go unawares? ]

ii. what's cookin'?

[ Thanks to Ydalir, Jade has a new delightful frying pan! As such, the moray decided to try it out. With a fresh batch of pancake batter, Jade set to work, and is quite amused by the results.

There are so many pancakes, in various shapes. Hearts, stars, smiley faces, and even little paw prints! He smiles at whoever comes into the inn's kitchen. ]

Greetings. Care for a few pancakes?

iv. wildcard.

[ Go crazy aaaaaa go stupid aaaaaaaa- ]

II.

[mooninthewater]

[ Mizuki is patting the counter so excitedly when offered pancakes, giving a nod. He'd been drawn by just the smell of food, and of course he's going to stay. He pulls his phone out to speak with Jade while he cooks, putting text-to-speech on so he doesn't have to look over. ]

« You didn't tell me you could cook! »

berserker (cú chulainn alter) | fate/grand order | new player

[bersercu]

in a line

[ he can't remember how he got here or why he's here, but there he is--- standing with his exposed arms folded across his broad chest, lips naturally drooping into a scowl. he's not quite at the front of the line, but there are certainly people behind him. or at least, that's what he thinks? none of them have touched his tail at the very least, which is normally upright and ready to lash out with dangerous spikes lining it.

anyway. berserker grumbles, lets out one heaving sigh, and unconsciously takes a step forward to get himself one person closer to the tent's opening. if he's confused by this entire ordeal, he doesn't let it show--- it's mostly indifference that keeps his features frozen. or maybe it's the giant red cursed spear that he carries around that can speak for him, if needed. ]

with a book

[ after receiving his free item, berserker wanders off to an empty spot by the well where he can immediately plop down and check it out. sitting with his knees bowed outward and his tail reflexively curling around him, he's not really sure what the usefulness of a book will be when he's got his weapon by his side at all times.

he opens it, the pages mostly indecipherable. he squints...

... and then a strange little plant-cat with bow tie made of what seems to be flowers comes out of nowhere to sit right where the man is trying to read.

he is currently at an impasse. ]

huh???

[ amazing.

as he stands in the rec center, berserker's mouth is open in surprise. how could a huge pool fit inside the building in the first place? either one is deceptively smaller or the other is deceptively larger. he's not sure what to think, especially given all the slides. they don't look like they'd be big enough for him to fit.

but. he is positive he could get in the water. though as it stands, he's not really dressed for it. instead? he places his weapon down beside him as he kneels down and reaches into the water.

no, he's not going to drink it. he's just. touching. his tail sweeps along the floor behind him. one might say by how it moves that he's... in a good mood??? ]

hello i'm here to HUH??? WHUH???

[eidxiety]

[Equally not dressed for swimming, Ain simply pokes his head into the rec center to see what's going on. He debates swimming, of course, he has a bag with swimwear in it... and he expects to be alone, which is why it's shocking to see someone else in here. Damn, no one comes in here. Somehow it's the most relaxing place in this entire Grove.

...

The man in here looks baffled by the concept of water. Hm.]

Haha, Mister... are you familiar with water?

Enciodes Silverash | Arknights | Current Player

[diplomaticimmewnity]

I. Free stuff+

[ Honestly, the fact that Ydalir isn't capitalizing on her magic baubles is hurtful! Ydalir, please, you're a Trader. What are you trading here! So, of course, for some healthy competition and maybe a little coercion for Ydalir to contribute to the economy, (Literally there's only the Grove's residence here, Enciodes, what the fuck-) he is going to hold a gacha mystery box of his own. It's a raffle of sorts.

"Mystery Box: Tamed Creatures!" the sign reads. Do you approach the cat boy standing by, idly reading one of the many nearby books? ]

II. Catnapped (Closed to Gnosis)

[ This blasted bear has been such an issue for Enciodes during his trips to the archive. It seems to be coming back more fortified than the last time it's been dispatched. It'd been almost comically easy at first. Between Gnosis being able to freeze and Enciodes able to slash through the stone like it was nothing, they made a fantastic team against the beast.

Now, though... it's angrier and sturdier, and it's starting to become a problem.

Enciodes has to retreat Tenzin before the big sharp stones of the bears claws get to him, muttering a curse under his breath. ]

You'd think after some time these things would give up- [ He raises his sword to fling the brilliant silvery light towards the monster, only chipping some of the twigs off. Even with Gnosis' frost, it wasn't cracking as easily as before. ] Are you alright, Gnosis? Don't push yourself!

III. Wildcard
If you want something with him - post death or during hide and seek or whatever!- lmk! He's going to be very tired and lethargic after dying, though, so he's not going to be out much :(

yeah it would be nice if he was just taking a nap wouldn't it-

[succiduous]

[Gnosis knows it certainly isn't his little fae friends that have attracted this thing. They've actually been helpful at helping the duo avoid the rest of this game so they can go about their business; but the bear saw them without the fae helping, and the bear is pissed and onto them, and Gnosis is simply tired. On more than one occasion now, he's whipped out the ice sword, and you know he's no longer fucking around when he whips out the ice sword.]

It takes more than this to tire me out.

[Continuing to freeze it solid is arduous, and he needs time to recharge between blasts; and while he's not much of a physical fighter, Gnosis does indeed confidently venture close enough to jab at it with said ice blade, delivering several quick slashes and another round of freezing it solid.]

These things aren't killable, which is wholly unsurprising— [the bear falls between their combined assault, but it won't be long until it gets back up again,] —considering the state of everything here. We should run while we have the chance. I'd hate to have one of the Guardians rescue us from something so arduous.

[Moder is out there killing and maiming, Zahliya is killing and maiming, Callan is... in the lake, Sinann is a fish. So, y'know, it's not great for them.]

Flamebringer | Arknights | Current Player

[thebladebringstheflame]

I. magic junk & teacup hippos

[Flamebringer really does not want random magic junk offloaded to him by some old lady, but like... listen, on the off-chance a kid from Rhodes shows up, he needs something fun to give them, okay. He's doing it for the children. Doing it for the children aaaand not listening to Ydalir when she tells him what he has: "a wand that summons a permanently-baby hippo! like a teacup pig but not at all like this." He just sort of yeah yeah sounds great byes at her, leaves, and goes about his business.

...

A few hours later, he walks up to you with a teacup-pig sized hippo baby in his arms, clearly baffled because what the fuck do you mean this wand summons HIPPOS—]

Uh.

[Please take this creature from him he's holding it out to you, please he's not ready for raising a hippopotamus.]

II. closed to Pure Vanilla

[Last month, Flamebringer collected giant herbs in the magical rain for usage later. Obviously they didn't stay giant, they shrunk back down to normal again, but he collected them periodically throughout the month and properly dried/stored them in the clinic in various jars and bags, depending on what plant it was and all.

Anyway, he's flagging Pure Vanilla down once he's officially back and has slept and all, taking him back into the clinic to dig around on the shelves and show him everything. There are... a lot of dried herbs. So fucking many.]

After the rain, the plants are on a much more fine-tuned watering schedule. I wrote it down in a book sitting by the greenhouse door. This is all the stuff I saved, and I replanted some clippings of that fruity little twink's aloe vera into pots in here so you'd have some for sunburns. [You know. Ain.] People keep saying you cookies don't actually know what to do with human skin, and you can still get sunburns during winter if you're stupid about it. And welcome back, by the way.

III. fight! fight! fight!

[The last few months he's been here, things have been peaceful enough. Like yeah, he fought a giant anglerfish two months ago, but that was more of a self-contained thing and he didn't go outside again thanks to his injuries. There wasn't much of a point, anyway; everyone mostly stayed safe, and Flamebringer really doesn't care to fight underwater.

Now, the fight has been brought directly to him, and if he's honest with himself, he would prefer if people don't die unnecessarily. Therefore, he's outside in the middle of the chaos, either pulling the monsters off of you by being Too Loud and Too Flashy to ignore, stealth-killing them while using you as bait as you run off, or simply charging at the nearest thing and giving it several strong slashes with a flaming sword.

The things don't stay dead, of course, and eventually they'll get up one by one and start chasing after Flamebringer. Just as he intended, too, wreathed in literal fire as he is.

Hey, it keeps the heat off of everyone else, and it gives him a damn good workout. Fucking finally, something exciting happens.]

IV. wildcard

[you know the drill]

III

[magicalsplashflare]

[ Mamika, meanwhile, has also been outside for the most part. She hasn't been joining in any fighting, necessarily. Not when she doesn't have to, anyway. It's mostly been her trying to lift people out of being caught out, flying around to get people to safe passage. Since she could fly, she didn't really get much trouble. The toad didn't really do anything about her, and Mamika swears it never even looked up, and the bear would occasionally throw a boulder, but it was easily dispatched until it got bored.

The dragon was a problem, though.

She could usually outfly it, but even then if she ever made a wrong turn or hit the invisible ceiling or just plain got tired, it would catch up. She didn't want to destroy it if she didn't have to, but boy this thing was relentless… Getting swiped from the air, she shoots to the ground like someone had dropped a bowling ball sputtering a cough as she did, but before the dragon could come nab her away, there's Flamebringer.

…

There's fighting happening, probably, but Mamika is frozen. Not because she's that hurt - she's mostly fine, really - but because there's that very specific sound. That sound of sharp metal being pulled from its sheath. That sound of the same sharp metal being thrust into organic matter. The sound of a sword. Mamika doesn't move from the ground. She thinks she may have forgotten how. ]

Jiaoqiu | Honkai: Star Rail | TDM character, current player!

[healinghotpot]

i. 「(system of a down voice) WAKE UP」

[ With a soft, sharp inhale of breath, Jiaoqiu's eyes snap open.

The last place that Jiaoqiu remembers being was in the Shackling Prison, aboard the Xianzhou Luofu. This? This is most certainly not the Shackling Prison. In fact, he isn't even sure it's the Luofu. There's greenery aboard the Luofu, but not quite to the extent of… this. It's everywhere he can see, like he's standing on the surface of a forested world.

But he feels far too calm for this to be any sort of hallucination caused by Lupitoxin. His pill shouldn't have worn off this quickly anyway, and Hoolay and his minions seem to be nowhere to be found. Was he taken off of the Luofu entirely? But if that was the case, there would be Borisin around, either in disguise or not. Nothing about this is familiar at all, not even the people around him.

Well. The queue is familiar. Seems like everywhere has queues. But why is he standing in one?

Humming thoughtfully to himself - partially out of genuine thought, partially to dismiss the lingering unease at the situation - he brings a hand to his chin, golden eyes skimming the surroundings. It at least seems to be a… pleasant? place to be, on the surface. While being dragged right out of a hostage situation into what could pass for the line at a faire vendor is incredibly jarring and his adrenaline is still very much present, there is no cause to panic. Everything seems to be fine, for now. He just needs to assess the situation.

So, he'll turn to someone else in the queue, or someone nearby if he can catch their attention. ]

Hello, pardon me. Could you tell me what this line is for?


ii. 「grab a brush and put a little MAKEUP」

[ Something has been pressed into his hands by a very jovial and - he's sure - well-meaning woman. Now, Jiaoqiu may not be a makeup aficionado, but he can recognize a compact when he sees one. It's palm-sized, round, and flat, slightly curved on both the top and the bottom with gently beveled edges. Opening it reveals a small disk of pressed powder, and his nose confirms what his eyes can already see.

Nothing he has any use for, of course! So, as soon as he catches someone passing by, he smiles and clears his throat. ]

Excuse me. I was given this, but I really have no use for it. Might you want it, or know someone that does?


iii. 「wildcard」

[ if you want to do anything different, hit me up, you know the drill! ]

II

[timidheart]

Eep!

[He was addressed so suddenly, Mayoi can't help but startle. He will look down at the item and looks back up at the fellow who has approached him.]

I-I couldn't. Ah, it looks quite lovely. Are you certain you don't want it...?

Isabeau | In Stars and Time | New Player

[jouvente]

WAKE UP. | 01

[ There's a notably tall buff guy just standing in line, arms crossed with face pinched with eyes closed and making fishy lips. Like so. For the most part, he seems kinda still in the limbo between awake and dazing off? Until he's in the middle of quiet conversation with Ydalir and giving her a sheepish smile. ]

Oh!! I don't really need anything, I just wanted to ask-- [ as an item gets placed in his big hands, getting patted with a cheery friendliness that just makes him hunch a little over as if to make himself appear smaller. It's a pretty funny sight. ] My head's fine!! I'm okay! I'm tougher than I look! Though I look pretty tough right?? Ha hahaa... s-so! As I was saying--

[ Nope, line has to move and he's just being shooed off as he stands here with item in hand and looking lost. Well... that went nowhere!!!! ]

HOUNDS ON YOUR HEELS. | 02

[ Oh stealth is SUPER not where he excels in at ALL. Have you seen the guy??? Isabeau may try and move around quietly to avoid getting spotted but if he finds anyone out here alone, and especially facing off with something that looks remotely dangerous - he's their man!

Like in this case, already having encountered the wood and stone-crusted bear that looms menacingly before them. But Isabeau doesn't really glance to his company's way, already standing defense between the bear and other person. He's a bit scrapped up already, but he looks ready to fight and stand defense. ]

Don't worry, I've got your back!! Just run the second an opportunity comes up, alright?

[ Or maybe you can stumble upon him at some point trying to hide behind a tree, holding up a finger in a hushing motion and gesturing to hide with him. Better than being spotted again. ]

WILDCARD. | 03

[ feel free to throw any other prompt or something else my way! i'll flex!!! /thumbs up ]

1

[ghostharasser]

Don't take it too personal. She's a busy lady.

[Here is a smol guy standing at your elbow probably.]

What'd you get?

Daine Sarrasri | Tortallverse | TDM character

[wildmage]

Wildcard.

[Well, there sure are a lot of animals around here, huh? Has your character ever wondered what their animal's thinking? In general, or of them? They're about to find out, because Daine is going to be up in everyone's business (or more specifically, in the places of business these animals happen to be kept) to talk to them all and make sure they're being properly taken care of, and were happy and healthy. Priority stop is of course the barn, but if you happen to be wandering about, you may find your animal beelining towards her out of nowhere, even if they tend to be rather ornery; animals recognize her as a fellow animal, especially alike to themselves, and will greet her as such. She just so happens to also be able to talk to animals, sooooo--]

Oh! H'lo there.

[That's to the animal first and foremost, by the by. She has her priorities in order.

Now's your chance, RP as your nonverbal animal friends too, don't let your dreams be dreams. Out and about, in the barn, wherever, just let me know. She can also talk to them from afar and reach out to them from afar, should you wish. Just assume she called out a general rather loud "HEWWO???" to them in their minds.]

:3c

[eidxiety]

[There is an owldog staring at her. Big, empty eyes. Not a braincell in sight. He's standing at the entrance to the barn with something shiny in his beak which he blehs out onto the ground when spoken to.

He assumes the wide stance.]

<< HI HELLO YES >>

[Anyone else will hear: bark bark. bark bark bark. bark. Except it sounds like barn owl shrieking.

Lovely.]

Dog Interlude for silly time | Beat | TDM only

[soundsurfing]

[ A Dog has come out of the Woods to join the Grove for a visit. For those that recognize the breed, it's a larger than average Akita Inu with a red collar around his neck with a skull shaped tag that reads BEAT on the other side. His fur is blonder than average too, if slightly streaked with green from rolling in grass and stuff. His curled tailed wags happily the moment he spots someone, face scrunching up into a smile and his ears going back. If you recognize him and call him, he will snap his head around so fast and do a play bow catapulted into a spring at you.

You may find him just trotting along the Grove with a fairy dangling in his mouth if it's past that time. It's not dead, far from it. It's cursing and kicking it's little feet and legs, and beating the dog at the lips and nose to let it go. Sometimes it just lays there, tired, covered in drool and annoyed.

Sometimes you may find him carrying a stick! If he spots you? He will drop the stick at your feet and tap dance backwards, tail wagging wildly, ears up. Paws going stompy. T-throw it? Throw it?!

If he recognizes you, however, before you recognize him? You will be knocked off your legs by a blonde streak as the dog kneecaps you with the force of a speeding sandbag shot from a cannon, that has no built in knowledge of "stop". ]

DOG

[quirkynote]

[Dog?

Stick?

Well, it isn't an unwelcomed encounter, even if it's a little surprising. At the very least, she's pretty sure she can kill a dog if he decides to turn on her. But all the pets in the Grove have been so nice so far... This seems so.....very normal.]

Are you certain...? My throw is quite powerful.