sticksandbones | EVENT 018

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EVENT 018

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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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.

Edited 2024-11-21 05:51 (UTC)

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."

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?"

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!"

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.

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.

Clotted Cream will find that whatever the eggs have to say next is interrupted, because one of those cursed, very abnormal basket-stars has gotten its way in and is rapidly pulling itself forward. Give them the eggs. Give them the eggs. It's legs feel like spines and the creature has eyes and teeth it should not have, pitiful wretch, and it's hungry- Will he act? Or will he see what the eggs have in store?

Affogato will feel a gentle headpat as acknowledgement, before the goddess fades back again. The poison is effective, but in his downed state several had gotten past him. Oh no! The ones in his vicinity, at least, perish slowly and painfully, clearing the area some more and giving him a bit more breathing room, ironically.

Breathing room that Cacao will enhance- his ploy works, when the sharkman dizzies itself in the slam against the cliff, and it follows him, throwing the anchor into the fray and sending sand, blood and beasts alike scattering if they don't go flying all together. The sharkman roars again, and when it goes to haul it's anchor up again once it slowly retrieves it, it no longer cares of friend or foe. Everything must DIE. The sharkman swings the anchor like a club, down and down and down again, so those on the beach should be careful.

As for A.B.A, Ourania hears you. She hears you and has plans...

But for now, she stands before Mayoi and for a moment that gentle smile returns.

My Shadowed Moon. I know you are no fighter. But I remember your words, once upon a time. Pray as I act, and know that from hereon out, no matter what form I take, the Moon is yours as you are mine. Now... let me answer one last prayer!

She turns, and holds out a hand as if reaching for the puppetmaster abomination... and then closes her fist.

The sky turns to night, and the moon shines over the sea brilliantly. A single moonbeam pierces from the sky, shooting through the monster and landing at A.B.A'S feet- a large silver key, the sun and moon joined: a symbol of love, for the lonely lover. Her moon, too, may someday join her. Though it looks fragile at a glance, A.B.A can tell that it will endure much.

A thin light-like string connects the key to the abomination above the sea. It cannot flee now.

My Impassioned Sun, use this key well! BRING DOWN THOSE WHO WOULD DO YOUR LOVE HARM, AND UNLOCK PEACE.

So sayeth the Moon, as the night returns to proper morning light.

So much is happening on the edges of Cacao's awareness. Moonlight and keys and swinging anchors. His ploy worked, but it's too chaotic to make a counter attack yet. So he dashes towards the battered Affogato, grabbing him with his free arm and hauling him up against his chest and shoulder before moving further up the beach out of squishing range.

"Dragons of the North and South, return to me and honor your pacts!" The dragons in question look up from where they are still trying to eat sea zombies, grumbling before returning to circle around him, ready for his next attack once he has a chance to do so.

The basket-star has so many tendrils, so many legs. For a moment, Clotted Cream is frozen in fear, fear that he hopes the dragons can't feel. He's never seen anything like this before. It's like a messed up biblically-accurate starfish, though he doesn't have the exact words for it. But it's going for the eggs. He may be in the way, but it's going for the eggs, and he can't let it have them.

He turns, shielding the eggs with his own body. He is not nearly a large enough person to cover all of them, but he tries his best regardless, squeezing his eyes tightly closed. The warmth from those eggs radiates against his torso.

And then a leg wraps around his arm, and nightmarish flashbacks abruptly zap through his mind. Of being alone at the lake, of Callan rising from the depths, grabbing him, tearing his limbs from his body and consuming him, the stifling uncomfortable wet heat of being digested--

Well. The shelter is suddenly no more, because bursting through it is a very large, very frenzied monstrous shrimp-creature. Clotted Cream roars in agonized fury, snapping his giant claws down on the basket-star in an attempt to sever limbs. At the same time, his brain acts on its other impulse - protect the eggs - and a few of his smaller legs gather the eggs up under his tail, like a mother shrimp would carry her own eggs.

If the eggs are going to do anything, they are free to do so!

Edited 2024-11-21 22:21 (UTC)

Dutifully, Mayoi drops to his knees, clasping his hands right at her statue. He prays. He prays harder than he ever has before. As someone who has feared holiness all his life, who has trembled at the thought basking in any kind of pure light, who has spent their life in darkness beneath the ground, he prays not for things like salvation. He prays to the Moon who has always been home. Who has shown him kindness and welcomed him to the surface like a patient mother. Whose light was always gentle and yet still allowed a place for the shadows he felt at home in.

He has always loved the moon, and he has always loved so strongly that it could hurt him. He gives her every ounce of that he can. He prays so that the love he reaches out with might in turn become something to turn the tide of the battle. If this is what he can do, he will gladly give it his all.

As he prays, he will begin to sing. He knows not the words, but the melody comes to him easily. Mayoi never appears to be strong until he is raising his voice, and with it the strength of his resolve.

K-Key.

Big key.

A.B.A. giggles manically, much like a child would if that child was also a mad scientist. It then transforms into weird cackling. Give her a second while she picks it up and strokes it lovingly, even hugs it while she stands it up. This might not be Paracelsus, but it's still a big, beautiful key and it deserves just as much love. Look at that craftsmanship, the fine detail-

Oh right, she needs to keep protecting her babies. She'll be sure to thank Ourania later, but for now she'll start displaying her inhuman strength by smashing the fuck out of sea creatures. A few smashes in, and A.B.A. notices the string connected to the key and decides to follow it. Creatures that get in her way will be sliced and smashed at, but her focus is more on moving, so she leaps around them like a dangerous gazelle, the weight of the key not seeming to bother her for now. She's juiced up on adrenaline, rage, and now the joy of holding a giant key once more. At last, her arm is complete.

Following the string will take her to the edge of the sea, where she'll see the horrific creature in the distance. Whether she realizes this thing is the source of all their problems or not is difficult to say, it's just as likely that she's just PISSED something so hideous is tied to her beautiful, magnificent, perfect, flawless key the way that it is. A.B.A. will shriek and start waving her key around frantically in an attempt to "shake it off," but gets a new idea if/when she notices that there's a pull when she jerks it just right. That crazed look returns to her face as she violently tries to pull it towards her.

There's a sadistic pleasure in watching the basket stars die slowly and painfully, and he huffs a laugh. Good. He will have to let the others get the ones crawling into the shelter, he needs to rest. He's very tired.

And then he's suddenly scooped up like a ragdoll and the motion makes him hiss in pain, injuries grinding on injuries. But it means he can focus on his magic again and not on standing. So he will turn his focus towards A.B.A. and while she's trying to reel in the - the fuck is that - in the ocean, he will concentrate and send a ball of energy towards the mob she had been playing with. Attempting to confuse them, disorient them, make them susceptible to further damage.

As well as keep them away from A.B.A so she can focus on the thing in the water.

Then he does the same for the sharkman, attempting to stun or make the thing forget itself just enough. To make it further vulnerable to his Kings attacks.

Then he puts his head down on Cacao's shoulder like a limp noodle.

Mayoi's song is beautiful, empowering... Ourania imbibes it with her magic, letting it spread and granting all allies a passive heal over time. Because yes, she is the goddess of the moon, the mother of stars, creator of the sea... but she is also the goddess of healing.

The Sharkman continues thrashing the anchor, even as the hut collapses and a shrimp beast emerges. It- has the eggs. So it moves to crush the anchor against Clotted Cream- just in time for Affogato's poison to disorient it. Thank goodness for that!

It hobbles around confused, and the basket stars continue to die or attempt to swarm across the beach for the shrimp, which is probably the biggest hint that he's an ally. ... Well, second biggest. The first is one of the eggs shaking and cracking in his arms. It shakes and shakes and then finally a grey little creature breaks through. It's distinctly shark-like, more like a great white than the hammerhead creature, but still a dragon. And it begins wiggling in Clotted Cream's protection to try and claw at the attackers too. IT'S HELPING. ... SORT OF.

A.B.A brings the abomination closer, and being dragged across the water and sand probably is not helping the gaping wound in its... body from the moonbeam. A third of the attackers drop like the corpses they are. It seems disoriented, as many in it's position would be, and Affogato's poison and magic attack breaking the mob further in it's vicinity isn't helping. It tries to wrap its tendrils around A.B.A and if it succeeds, it will inflict a venomous sting wherever it touches, numbing the flesh.

Edited (CODE GOOF) 2024-11-22 02:05 (UTC)

If not for the more humanoid upper body, Cacao would have instantly assumed the beast bursting through the shelter was another attacker- he certainly LOOKS like one. But not only does the torso look enough like Clotted Cream to recognize, but he also doesn't look rotten like the others.

Seeing the egg hatching spurs his rage back to new heights.

"Hold on tightly, Affogato!" Darkness gathers around him again, the twin dragons reverting to their spiritual forms to empower his next attack. Hopefully Affogato heard him, because he needs his second hand to hold his sword. With a snarl he charges, leaping up to attack the sharkman while it's stunned, bellowing, the dragons surging forward with his swing, throwing just as much sand and stone as the giant did itself with his anchor attacks. Maybe even more. As massive as the attack is, his aim is intentional- focusing on where his sword had torn into the scales already.

Not happening.

Before the tendrils can get her, A.B.A. takes the beautiful crescent-shaped end of her key and slashes the hell out of them. She isn't messing around, she's determined to end this thing. With Ourania's passive heal, it's gonna take a lot more than that to exhaust her.

Just to show how much energy she still has, A.B.A. then leaps at a height most people couldn't even hope to achieve as she jams her key into the flesh of the jellyfish. Using the crescent shape like a sickle, she'll twist it much like a key should in hopes to gather as much flesh as it can before yanking it out again. More, more gaping wounds!

The "rebound" of yanking the key back will, of course, send her backwards, but she seems to expect that. Almost like she's done this before!! She'll land in front of it, hunched over and ready for more, a crazed look in her eyes.

"Disgusting, pitiful creature... You're not even good enough to be ended by something so beautiful!!"

There sure is fighting on the beach near him now and it sure is in close proximity to him and he is very afraid but Mayoi keeps singing, because he is, if nothing else, a stone cold professional. His heart is going to explode once all of this is done, but the empowerment he feels from Ourania is enough to hold him fast while the rest of him threatens apart.

No, he has a job to do, and like with being on stage, once the curtain drops he can wither away, but not a moment before then.

Thankfully the passive healing is doing enough to keep Affogato conscious and slowly beginning to heal the rest of his injuries, otherwise when Cacao charged forward he would have just slipped off like a doll and made a beautiful snow angel. So when his King says hang on, Affogato shifts his staff to wrap both his arms around Cacao's neck, fingers of his free hand digging into clothes to grip tight.

This would be rather romantic if he was in a position to enjoy it.

He will watch Cacao's back in this position, keeping an eye out for anything that may try to attack from behind. Watching for any creatures where his magic may be wearing off of. And he gets to see the baby hatch and while he's delighted, he's also fearful. It should be safe in it's egg. With... uh, he guesses that's the Consul?

"Ovens, what a crumbling mess."

He's feeling better, he's sassing.

It's helping! The baby is helping! Not that Clotted Cream can see that in his fury. All he can tell is that the eggs need to be protected, and the thrashing comes off as unusual, but he isn't opening his arms to risk letting go of even one egg in accident. So, sorry, baby dragon. You're in arm jail for the time being.

He will not look to see what it is, though, because the basket-stars are still swarming toward him. He continues to clip at the basket-stars as he has clearance to safely do so, while remaining with his back near the statue of Ourania.

The dragons strike true and not only do they worsen the wound, they tear right through the Sharkman, felling it and letting it collapse in... uh. Pieces.

A.B.A strikes just as fiercely, practically goring the creature as it shrieks, reverbed and shrill as one might expect. It, too, dies slowly.

The backlash of Cacao's blow also wipes out a mass of the remaining horde, and any stragglers are too wounded to carry on moving, basket-stars included, if they even survived. Cleanup will be easy work...

And the scent of rot and sweet wine vanishes.

It's over.

The little sharkdragon baby in Clotted Cream's arms seems disappointed it did not get to bite anything. It doesn't have teeth yet, but still.

Ourania's pride swells through everyone, and Cacao's blessing fades. She gives one final parting word...

You may wish to call for assistance. Aurora will bring whoever and whatever you ask to you far quicker than the usual travel. You have done well, my darlings... rest will come soon.

Ourania stands proud and stoic as the connection fades, letting her love shine one last time... and once the final blip is gone and the mortals can no longer see, hear or feel her, she drops to the ground, the rift in her chest pulsating with agony as she tries to reach towards the door to their chambers-

"Beiwe... help me-"

...

She will not suffer for long. But between her blessings her manipulation of the skies, among many other things, she has pushed herself far too much in far too little time. She, too, needs her rest.

The fighting ends, everything comes to a stop, he feels the presence of Ourania fade and with it his constitution gives out.

The song ends and Mayoi hits the sand with a thud. He's fine! He's just so overwhelmed he passed out.

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cw: PTSD about dismemberment and being eaten

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[IN THE REALM OF THE GODS]

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REINFORCEMENTS!!!!

[SOMETHING IS HAPPENING!]