EVENT 018

[sticksandbonesmods]

LIKE BRANCHES ON A TREE

A WINTER WONDERLAND

For a brief time, the world seems brighter; the sun pokes through the clouds more, and the gloomy atmosphere of the constant overcast days lessens ever so slightly. The sky seems bigger, brighter… but, it is the end of autumn as we know it and with the change of leaves comes bitter frost. The change is practically overnight — one morning grants pretty frosted windows and pleasantly crunchy leaves underfoot, and the next the world is being softly blanketed in snow.

Heimr stands at the window of the General Store, and every time he sees someone not dressed for the weather, he immediately calls them in. No one leaves without a proper pair of winter shoes and a coat, and the more you try to decline, the more he adds. Hats. Scarves. Gloves. Snow pants. Just make it easy on the both of you. Although, if you do feel you need that for the weather, he’ll oblige … And at least everything is nice to look at alongside being high quality.

Those with the bone ring may hear childish giggling as they leave, see the flick of a fox tail out of the corner of their eyes — but Plum is content to stay in the shadows still.

Winter frost and the falling snow seem to spread everywhere — Callan’s lake already has ice forming a thin shell on top while Terho’s cabin is blanketed in white. The river water is crisp and clear as ever, but the cold is bone deep and the Guardian tires from it already. Even the beach seems washed over with the cold.

Winter is here, and the cutting chill already tells you one thing: this won’t be an easy one.

WHISPERS IN THE WOODS

As the weather worsens, the forest and fog seem to open in sprawling paths. Some are inviting, a warm feeling in the air and even plant life poking through the snow still, an early spring! Some are alluring, wind beckoning and urging you forward. Come home, it says. Come home.

Even if you know it’s a bad idea, others might not — will you really let Mamika wander into the woods alone? Not that it’s truly her. The forest isn’t above tricks to get what it wants, and will lure you down these paths with illusions and mirages, the sounds of voices you know and love calling for you, for help, for anything and anyone — and maybe that is a trick, but can you really risk it?

Regardless, once you’re on the path, there’s no going back. It leads to a dead end and the fog closes around you. You’re trapped, alone in the woods, and all eyes are on you.

A DIFFERENT “ME”

… But only for a few hours. After that, you’re free to go, unharmed and unscathed. It’s just that… are you really you? Your clothes are different. Your memories too. Maybe now you remember making a different choice at a major crossroad. Maybe you didn’t save them. Maybe you did. Maybe everything went wildly wrong, and maybe it actually went right. But you’re different now, despite remembering your life in the abandoned Grove and all the people here clearly.

As you wander back off the path into town, you know this is right. You’ve been trapped here for however long with the people here, and maybe you no longer love them like this, but you know them, know yourself, and know what’s happened.

You’re just from a different walk of life, now.

SPARK NOTES

CLICK TO EXPAND!

A WINTER WONDERLAND

Winter has come, and during the light snowstorms, Heimr is lovingly forcing everyone into winter clothing. The more you say no, the more clothing you get. Be warm or else!

WHISPERS IN THE WOODS

Mysterious pathways open up in the woods. Should you go into them as they tempt you with murmurs and whispers, you'll be trapped for a few hours by a fog wall you can't pass through.

A DIFFERENT “ME”

But don't worry, you'll come out fine in the end - just with a few memories, or maybe even your physical body, changed entirely. Everyone will still recognize you as "you", and you'll still recognize the others... but maybe you know something has changed. Or maybe you don't.

OOC

Everyone thank Aspen for this month's player plot! Enjoy playing your AUs (or not) and get ready for winter. OOC Plotting Lives Here if you'd like to plot anything out!

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Comments

[sticksandbonesmods]

Mayoi will sneak through the snow and sand, through a converging upon the statue's location. He will soon see that in the distance over the sea, there is... well. It looks like it's a mix of a jellyfish and multiple people merged together. Legs dangle and gnarled, bony hands tug at invisible strings. It is currently too far away to strike. But it is there, focused on the siege...and not little bats too far from the belfry.

Clotted Cream is a bastion of comfort. The eggs remain still, but with each contact with the shells, he sees a flash of animalistic eyes: gold, white, black, yellow, blue, brown and a blue so deep it echoes the depths of the oceans, all young and frightened yet calm, looking to him for guidance. Seven voices echo in his mind all at once.

Help?

A.B.A strikes true, practically blinding one of the eyes of the hammerhead. It reers back, covering the wound and ripping the wood out, rotted blood pouring down the side of it's head. It lets out a gutteral roar and whirls around to smack everyone on the beach with it's long tail, friend and foe alike.

Several abominations use this as a boost to try to get closer to the nest, if they don't collapse under the force and need to recompose themselves. (Literally.)

The basket-stars miscalculated greatly. Between the dragons tearing into them like a buffet and the poison and amnesia, the floor they are dwindling rapidly... so the ones that can function try to reach for Affogato, hoping to ensnare him en masse.

As for Cacao...

Cacao invokes the Goddess's name.





And she answers.

The statue seems to glow, and he sees her standing beside him, not the gentle composed woman he's come to know, but a cold woman overseeing carnage, waiting for the right moment to leap into the fray (the world around her shifts, the sky taking on an orange tone of fire and smoke while soldiers so much smaller than her swarm and clash against the Black Sun's forces-- her brother in law stands across from her and she is still before she leaps, claws out- and then it is the beach once more.)

I give you my blessing as the wild moon, my child. Strike true, and rend these abominations into the nothingness they ARE.

A chain of the phases of the moons glow silver across his blade, and he'll find multiple things happening:

Cacao's strength and speed has increased, as have his reflexes, his eyes take on a silvery hue, and he will find himself feeling more ruthless towards the enemies before him- how dare they approach this home, how dare they come for his children, his friends, his hatchlings. IF THEY DESIRE BLOOD, LET IT BE THEIR OWN: SO SAYS THE WILD MOON.

[winterfrosting]

The power rushes through him, making his blood sing. The added reflexes help him attempt to dodge the swinging tail before leaping on the beast- literally- with his sword slashing wildly. Trying to dig the sword-catcher tines deep into the beast's scales.

"You dare come to this place?! MY PLACE!? Die!"

Yeah, he's going ham. His dragons both looking up in surprise and delight.

"Hahahaha! Crumble, crumble!!"

cw massive injuries including internal and etc. blame zahliya.

[submittome]

If it wasn't for Cacao's bolster, those ensnaring tentacles might have ended the former Cookie like they had hoped. However, he's still not made for direct combat. They ensnare, they squeeze, and they break. Affogato's warning shout - with him at the door of the Shelter it means they are now Too Close - aborts into a silent wheeze as bones snap and air is driven from his lungs.

Something inside squishes, a sensation he can feel, and pain brings him to the brink of passing out. Ah, he doesn't like being a good guy. Being a cowardly villain is much less painful.

Tangled as he is, no air in his lungs and his vision tunneling away, he can't even reach for any of his hex bags. He is out of the fight.

[quirkynote]

UGH!!

There's a lot going on that A.B.A. simply can't stand. A lot of it has to do with the blood being spilled. It's bad enough when blood goes to waste, but it's rotted already. It can't even be collected! To think something so awful can simply exist, it's infuriating.

Even worse, Affogato seems to think he can just tell her what to do. Again. If it didn't look like he wasn't about to get torn apart, she'd run over there and kill him herself.

That, and she might have given her enemy a boost. That only serves to piss her off more. After wasting time and throwing a tantrum as she tends to do, stomping her foot and screaming, it's....fine! It's...okay!! Her original plan was to throw more wood, she's definitely gathered more, but she'd have to sharpen them first. Doesn't look like that'll be happening now, she has a different project in mind. A.B.A. will take another giant piece of lumber, but instead of creating a stake, she picks up and smashes a rock against it, jamming in it at the end. With a nice, clean smash against another rock, she quickly chisels enough off to create one very ugly key. It only needs to hold up for a little bit, just long enough to unlock...

...the symbol that suddenly appears in the ground as she jams it in, twisting it almost a little too hard, splinters go flying. What's important is that it "unlocks" another symbol, one that looks much like a door, and unleashes a spiked leech-like creature. (cw: eyes)

If that monster is gonna fling abominations at her, then she's just gonna fling them back. Those that get too close to the blade-like spikes may find themselves gashed as well as flung. If she had a better key, she might've been able to summon more, but she has to make do with what she can. Either way, the babies now have a goalie.

"EXECUUUUUTIIIOOOON!! FIRST COME, FIRST KILL!!"

[clottedcream]

MEANWHILE, IN THE SHELTER--

The flashes of eyes are surprising, but only the first one truly catches him off guard and causes his hand to pull back an inch. Oh, he can feel their fear, but he can tell they are calm... and looking to him for aid.

He bites his lip thoughtfully. They want him to help, but he isn't sure how. He can't ignore that plea, though, and so he gathers the eggs closer to himself, tipping his head and pressing them all in a semicircle against his forehead and temples. With eyes closed and a deep inhale, he pauses his song long enough to murmur to the dragons within the eggs:

"Brave souls are defending you from whatever approaches, and I will not let anything happen to you should they fall. You will be safe."

[charlastan]

[Stan leans over and looks - he hasn't taken a look at Dipper's journal beyond anything he's actively chosen to show him. After all, it's not like he's needed it to save family stranded in the multiverse. The purpose of it is clear now though, and familiar.]

...Right. So, it'll know the stuff we don't.

[He doesn't say it, but Dipper has enough of the same memories to know - it's basically like Mabel's scrapbook. It's enough to make Stan calm down a little. Whatever's in there will probably be proof. That being said, this Dipper's been carrying it around, so Stan raises an eyebrow at him.]

Did you already look through it?

[ezellotry]

[ Ezell doesn't actually mind being lifted. Usually it's him doing the lifting, but while he's hoisted, he's able to easily pepper kisses over Ain's cheek, so who's the real winner here? He does hesitate, both at the declaration to murder people on Ezell's behalf, and also... the offer.

... ]

Please, you don't need to kill anyone. Just you telling me you still love me is enough. And... [ Beat. ] ...you wouldn't want me to actually go back home with you. Even they'd see me as a bad omen. You'd get frustrated just being around me...

[ghostharasser]

Of course. With how weird everyone's been acting, as soon as I found it I knew it would tell me something. It is missing a lot of context without the first two journals, though.

[He flips it open. He's careful to remove some of the photos jammed in it.]

I've got a few questions to ask you about it, actually, since your memories line up more with whats in here than with what I remember. But first...

[Flip, flip, flip, here we go.]

"September 5th, parenthesis-approximately-parenthesis, Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford seem to be settling in okay here in the Grove. Grunkle Stan's already dine-and-dashed twice from the Cafe, but I expected that, and have just been prepaying his coffee before he gets here. Passenger doesn't seem too fussed about it so it's probably fine. Speaking of which, I got a pretty sweet tip payout tonight, so I'm going to go buy that pots and pan set in Heimr's shop I had my eye on."

[timidheart]

This little bat is quite startled by what he finds, it's true. This ...this is a horrific creature beyond comprehension, something from the deep sea. He'd spoken of cosmic horror with Rinne-san not so long ago, hadn't he...? Ah, he is powerless, though. What can he do?

worthless! weak! you should curl up and die!

Mayoi grits his teeth to banish the thoughts. No, there are little ones at stake, and there are people who are fighting for their lives. He must do something.

That is when he catches the statue, and it's eyes. Something strange rises up in him and in a burst of emotion he is surprised by, he prays. Intent always meant something in the Nest. Perhaps it is the same here. Perhaps if he begs, someone will take pity on him.

"I do not know if you would listen to a miserable cretin like me, but for the sake of the little ones...I-I have no means to protect anything, but please. If there is something I can do...I-I will do it."

[sticksandbonesmods]

Cacao lunges for the sharkman and tears into it like a wildcat with his blade, and it struggles to stand against him despite it being so much taller. As more rotted blood spills from the gash. Scales drop and pry open sickeningly, and the sharkman roars and tries to charge into the cliff with the intent of slamming Cacao into the clifface. Preferably repeatedly!

More sea creatures and amalgamations crawl from the depths- smaller sharks and the corpses of drowned sailors, barracudas and swordfish with tentacles and crab legs that aren't theirs crawling towards the sands, wailing softly for food and warmth that is no longer theirs.

Affogato is at risk of being swarmed completely by the basket-stars as more mouths that shouldn't be there begin to tear at the heavy furs and robes... Or, he was before a gentle silver light veils him, pushing back the mutated starfish. There's the movement of something running through his hair gently, a soft, maternal hum- he is still inured, but Ourania has healed Affogto.

Not yet, child. You are too grand for such a fate.

A.B.A and her leech cut into the swarm, though the sharkman avoids her by virtue of having veered... the other way. She will, however, realize that the jerkier monsters don't stop moving even after being cleaved in twain. A barracuda tries to bite into her calf from behind, while others are beaten and sliced back with her summon.

Clotted Cream feels a warmth, even as a tendril of a basket-star worms it's way in. Something resonates. No... we. We help. We can. Warmth... ... Talking is hard, when you are little and small and scared, and have never spoken.

Mayoi... is alone on the beach. Alone with a prayer. And it is answered. Pale arms wrap around him in a hug, protective and matronly at the same time before the goddess stands tall, gazing out coldly to the monster puppeteer.

I hear you, my child. I am here. ... I can harm it, but I must ask something of you.

Swear fealty to me. Faith and devotion for me and me alone. As much as you can offer in that beautiful, big heart of yours. For what you give is what will become my strength.

[charlastan]

[Right, of course it was going to be like this. Dipper knew exactly what the truth was the whole time, and now he's going to rub Stan's face in it. His cheeks go a pale blue with embarrassment, and he drags his hand down his face.]

Alright, alright. I guess there's one thing different. Sheesh, that's lousy of me though. ...I'd say sorry but, y'know. It didn't happen to you, 'cause I paid!

[That being said, it didn't...trigger anything. It's like the photos in their new home. They're there and he can tell what happened, but nothing snaps into place the way it did with Mabel's scrapbook.]

I don't get it though. I-- [He pauses, then corrects mid-sentence:] --I remember telling you kids money ain't everything. ...There's all sorts of things money's never gonna buy you.

[From someone else, that might sound like a cheesy inspirational quote, but out of Stan's mouth is sounds sad and bitter. He shifts before it can linger too long though.]

Besides, there isn't even a real economy here! What, did I really wanna keep a couple shiny rocks or bones that bad?!

[timidheart]

Oh...he. He did not expect to be answered so directly. It steals the breath from his lungs to be spoken to in such a way. To feel such a presence. It frightens him beyond belief for a moment, before that fear suddenly melts away.

Yes, the moon had always been a beacon for him. The sun was warm and lovely, but too bright and harsh, the moon's light had always been welcoming and soft, and the very first time he ever saw the sky, it was a beautiful night with a shining moon and brilliant stars.

Those dark thoughts of his can't reach him now. He still feels afraid, and dubious of his worth, but those thoughts have always lived along side his drive for something more. For hope. That is why when she asks devotion of him, it is not hard for him to decide. Though his voice is soft, it is steady.

"I am Ayase Mayoi of ALKALOID, and I am a soldier. To protect those I love, I will gladly give you everything I have."

[timidheart]

[Oh. That was a surprising thing to be told just now. He's almost not sure what to make of it.]

[But no...he has learned, hasn't he? That he must strike back to defend himself. That to be helpless means death. He is no warrior, but ...he knows that to die would be to fail everyone who has ever shown him love. He can't abide such a thing.]

[If that means he has to become something he finds hard to recognize later....well.]

...

[This person is very interesting. He does think maybe there is something familiar about him after all.]

To survive, one must wear masks. To do so, even an ugly monster can live happily in a land of fairies, undetected.

[ghostharasser]

[Oh, that. That IS interesting, when Stan flushes blue. He's already gotten the sense that the Dipper who wrote this journal wasn't human, because he talks about it quite a lot in some of these entries. Some of them get into some pretty existential shit that Dipper really isn't sure what to make up, but if this Stan is from the same dimension this Dipper is, then, that makes sense, right? He logs this away.]

Well, I have a theory, because there's definitely more different about me than just memories, right?

[He waves his hand in front of his eye to punctuate that.]

I think it's possible we're all just in the wrong timeline, right now. Like, the Dipper who wrote this book and I are just. Separate iterations. Maybe its the same for you. You're not missing memories so much as you are just a different version that for whatever reason doesn't have the same money motivation the Stan I remember does.

[Of course, Dipper isn't sure what might have changed that, but something clearly went differently in his past. Sadly Stan has always been cagey about stuff like that so he literally has no idea.]

[charlastan]

Well...yeah, I guess.

[At least, about Dipper being more different than just his memories. That should have been obvious from the start, with his mysteriously healed eye. He knew this on some level, but had just really, really wanted himself to be an exception. By the end of Dipper's explanation though, Stan's eyes widen.]

Oh. So I didn't lose anything, I just never had it?

[For some reason, that's a lot easier to deal with than the thought of him missing memories again after working so hard to put his brain back together. He frowns though, after a little more consideration.]

I mean. I dunno, it's not like I was never than kind of person about money. I just...gave on it. Grew out of it, or something.

[What a cagey answer, as expected!]

[ghostharasser]

Basically. You just had different experiences than this other Stan. It's like how I've never been to this "Trench" place. I've literally just been in Piedmont until I woke up in the Grove a few months ago.

[He hums, tapping his fingers on the pages of the journal.]

So, maybe whatever it is that made you give up on it, is something that just didn't happen to the other Grunkle Stan. Do you remember what it was?

[charlastan]

[Stan shrugs, because acting like it's no big deal will keep it from becoming a big deal and then they can just move onto all the things that are different about Dipper instead.]

Sure. I got a lucky break in my twenties, made a million dollars, and learned the hard way that money was never going to be enough for some people.

[ghostharasser]

[Huh!! Dipper feels like he is missing a lot of the picture here but. "For Some People" that does make him wonder. He knows Stan left home after the incident with Ford's project but was there actually more to it than that...?]

So, then. I guess the other Grunkle Stan never got this lucky break.

[timidheart]

M-Me? I... [He points ...in the direction of Heimr's shop.] I-I was going to the store...

[Man literally just wanted to pick up a few groceries, Loop.]

I saw you out in the snow a-and... I worried you might die out here. That's all, I swear!

[clottedcream]

Oh... That warmth... It's not what he would have expected to radiate from eggs on their own. Eggs need external warmth, and as a cold-natured creature, he has none to give. But it's coming within, and the words, however difficult they are to get out--

Clotted Cream lifts his head, just long enough to catch the movement of the basket-star from the corner of his eye. His hackles raise and his fins flare in threat, and he gathers the eggs to himself - no easy task - to back further away from the breaching tendril. What is going on outside? Is everyone alright? If whatever this invading force is has reached the shelter... His heart pounds in his chest, and he feels mildly sick.

But the babies can... help? He sucks in a breath, eyes flicking down to the eggs in his care just for a moment before going back to the tendril. "How can you help? What will you do?"

[charlastan]

Guess not.

[It's a rough subject, so he pivots away from it and turns the conversation back to Dipper.]

So! You had stuff you wanted to ask me about?

[winterfrosting]

Cacao grits his teeth. The battle rage in his demands he keep attacking, even at his own risk. But a bit of wisdom manages to get through the lunacy, and he holds on until the last moment before using that new agility to leap to the side, letting the beast hopefully ram itself in to the cliff. Though not without taking a good chunk of the slam himself- agony races through him, but his war madness barely lets him feel it. For now.

He has to bait it away, he realizes- this close to the cliff could bring debris on the statue and shelter! But also this close... He darts toward the basket stars. And seeing Affogato down, even though covered in light, builds his fury. He dives into the horde with a bellow, taking out as many as he can- though his hope is the giant will follow and trample even more.

"Affogato! Your King has need of you- Get Up!"

[quirkynote]

The barracuda gets stomped by A.B.A.'s big boot, but it's hard to tell if she saw it coming or was just throwing another tantrum again. Things that die should stay DEAD!! ...Sorry anyone who's ever been resurrected.

But she's all out of tricks, and she's not even sure how long her "key" can keep up. Annoying, infuriating!

That statue has been glowing lately... She's....she's pretty sure she recognizes who that is...

"You.... You've given me a key before..."

She still has it, it dangles lovingly on her keyring with all the others. Sadly, as beautiful as it is, she can't really hack and slash with it.

"More. Give me something more!!"

...She...she isn't very good at praying.

[ghostharasser]

[He wants to ask more, but right now he doesn't know where to start. Instead he just...logs this away, too. He will think more about it later. Maybe think back to some of his earlier conversations with Stan over the years and see if he can glean something.]

[But for now, he is generous and lets it drop. He does have questions.]

Right, so ...I've been reading the journal and there's a ton of stuff that's missing context, mostly because this is his Journal 3. What's the deal with Trench? And... [He flips through a few more pages.] "Deerington", I guess? Both of those places come up a few times but I don't recognize them at all.

[submittome]

Oh, light? Is that the fabled other side? No, it's the Goddess. Though he has offered no prayer in his final moment, though he has done more harm than good in this world, she has chosen to reach out and heal him. As tendrils release he inhales sharply, forcing the need to cough down lest it do more damage. Pain lessens, eases, but doesn't part from him completely.

But it's enough.

"Ha... I owe you one."

It's whispered, between him and the Goddess, then Cacao's raging demand reaches him and he straightens himself back out. He's bleeding - bites that reached skin and a trickle from his mouth that he wipes away impatiently - but standing.

"I am yet here, Your Majesty! Stay back!"

He raises his staff high and slams the pointed end into the ground. Accompanying the soft jingle of the metal rings on it is another plume of magically summoned poison. It surrounds him this time, reaching out for the basket stars around him. He can control it enough he can keep it from getting to the shelter but that means any that are still attached are a trouble.