sticksandbones | EVENT & TDM 020

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EVENT & TDM 020

WAKES AND AWAKENINGS

Are you one to find yourself plagued with nightmares? Do you dream at all? Well, worry not, because tonight you find yourself in a somewhat alarming peace. You’re asleep. You’re aware of this. Yet, you feel incredibly lucid, all the same.

You hear the sound of water, like you’re under the ocean waves. You don’t see anything, but it’s almost as if you can feel others around you, despite not touching anything at all. They’re your… family? No. Friends? No. You don’t seem to be able to find a word to describe them. They’re important to you! …You think. Who are they, again?

You think they’re trying to speak to you, but all you can hear is the sound of gentle currents and air bubbles. Or maybe this is what they’re saying to you? You don’t know. Dreams are weird, aren’t they? But then they sing. It’s the prettiest sound you’ve heard. It’s the most haunting sound you’ve heard. It encourages you to move, at last. You didn’t realize you could. There’s a light that filters through the surface of the water…

…and you wake up. You feel strangely refreshed, like that’s the best sleep you’ve gotten in ages! You also feel… distantly sad, like you’ve just remembered something horrible that happened a long time ago.

It’s probably nothing.

For the rest of the month, you find sleep comes easy, and dreams are soothing. How uncharacteristically nice! Maybe don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

A BITTER ARRIVAL

You wake up to bitter cold. It's dark, the winds howling and whipping through the air, snow battering anything not sturdy enough to stand tall against it... and even the trees seem like one more push could knock them over. This isn't a forest you know, yet it seems like home. If you're not prepared for the cold, the warm lights of a small town will guide you, call to you, and your heart yearns for warmth. As you stumble through the heavy snow and harsh winds, something heavy hangs from your neck and the winds begin to form words with your own voice- SACRIFICE... END THIS WINTER WITH SACRIFICE.

As more voices join the wretched wails, your eyes feel heavier. You're almost to the town, though. Is it one of the houses that you wind up knocking on? Or do you manage to get to the inn, big and tall and radiating more warmth than anything you've ever felt? Regardless, you are no longer alone, but the cold still aches and clings, and something with your voice still calls it's omens outside. Only when you melt the heavy snowflake-shaped amulet hanging around your neck in the fires does the cold abate and the foreign copy of your voice fall silent.

A COLD RECEPTION

In the forest of the lost, the worst winter you've ever seen has finally set in full. The lake and river are both frozen over completely, and even the most hardy of beasts have hidden away from the cruel blizzard. The sky is dark, the winds are sharp and the freezing temperatures permeate most buildings, creeping in like a thief ready to steal the breath from your lungs if you aren't careful. Even fires seem to bend to this cold, save for the ever-burning, ever-blinding light of the fireplace in the inn- though she's long since gone, it seems one woman's faith still protects those in the Grove. Shadows haunt the clearing and amongst the winds and even the deafest ears can hear the voices howling alongside the storm, always demanding the same thing: a sacrifice.

When shadows flicker across the window, that is when you know you aren't alone. Ghastly wraiths of frost and ragged sleet fly through the air, and it's hard to tell if they are commanding the winter winds or if they are working in tandem. Regardless, the cold seems to be enhanced by their presence and if they catch you alone outside, they curse you with a frost so deep it pierces the heart and spreads. To some, it may be familiar, like turning to ice from within. To others it may be entirely new. But it spreads slowly and with agony while the wraiths make their demand once more and then vanish. Thankfully, a bit of kindness can melt the ice, but the winter wraiths are always willing to inflict the curse again...

... But you are not powerless. So long as you don't go alone, so long as you have a weapon, you can fend these things off, for a time. But they will be back.

They must have their sacrifice, after all.

BEACONS

Not everyone can fight though. Not everyone should. The only peace that can be found is in the sleep that follows that odd dream... but eventually the large shadow woman known as the Trader, Ydalir, makes her way through the snow to find you. With a warm furry blanket and a cup of tea, she gives you a small kit.

"Build these lanterns and hang them in the window. Be a light in the dark, loves." Is what she says.

The lanterns consist of wood, paper and a little cup for a candle. They can be in any shape and color, and when you hang them in the window the candle sparks into light. As frost clings on the other side of the window and the snow shrouds the outside world and veils what lies beyond, you can see other lights. Other lanterns, shining brightly. It may not be much, but it is still a sign. A reminder. You are not alone in this blizzard.

Spark Notes

summary

wakes and awakenings will bring you into a strange dream of being with many being, important ones, and a haunting song. Despite the melancholy feeling, it also brings a month of restful sleep no matter what.

a bitter arrival is how our new arrivals find themselves: lost in the woods in the middle of a terrible blizzard with only the faint lights of the Grove to guide you to safety. While you wear the snowflake amulet, the winter wraiths can use a mimicry of your voice to make their demands and curse you with a lingering freeze- only melting the amulets in a fire will set you free and silence the copy of your voice in the cacophony.

a cold reception shows just how bad the winter's gotten, with impenetrable ice freezing both the lake and the river solid. the wraiths curse whoever they see with turning to ice from within, but a genuine act of kindness or love will save their victims. the wraiths can be fought, but only with a companion or two, and definitely not with your bare hands. ... they will return though, again and again.

beacons grants perhaps a bit of hope in this dark winter- ydalir brings people supplies as best she can since the cold doesn't affect her shadowy body and there is nothing for the wraith to freeze, and she also brings a gift- a lantern to craft and hang in the window to show the others in town that you're all still here, cutting through the darkness.

out of character

Welcome to the first TDM of 2025! Regular AC resumes this month and as you can see, we're changing things up a little. TDMers are welcome and encouraged to reach out on our plotting post linked below. We're so excited to start the new year with everyone, and may the horrors stay in writing... because they are resuming now.

updates

❖ AFFOGATO COOKIE has used a magical artifact as a sacrifice. This has resulted in the blizzard lessening but still being present and the wraiths being banished from the grove, but still haunting the forest. There are further effects but they will come in to play during a player plot. ... Get your sacrifices in still though.
❖ MAYOI'S prayer to Ourania the day of the fight with Suri invoked a blessing: an aurora shines through the sky, and anyone in it's lights will be gradually healed and soothed.

submissions

❖ Questions
❖ January Plotting (Open to TDMers)
❖ Sacrifices (Plot relevant, open to all)
❖ Past Life Plotting (Closed to Game Members)
❖ Investigations

code

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Elysium huffs, his cheeks puffing out a little as he rests his chin in one hand. His other is very much still occupied, thrown around Thorns as it is.]

No, I believe you, I'm just saying! You never know...

[No he knows. He SAW it. Elysium did not.]

I'm really sorry I left you alone for so long. I would have come to you right away if I knew you were here! I hope they weren't too grouchy at you.

[He wasn't there :( to mediate :((( his one purpose]

[Girl he knows! You're so stubborn!

Anyway, as responsive as ever, Thorns just goes on.]

Gnosis and SilverAsh looked to be scheming as usual. I passed by Sesa and said hello. Enforcer and Mizuki are here as well. [Frowning, he spears another forkful of baklava... and doesn't immediately eat it.] Actually, no one was openly hostile, even Flamebringer. What I have noticed is that many of the people here, including those from Rhodes Island, have been transformed in some way.

[Without looking over his shoulder, he inclines his head back toward where Passenger is. The man has fucking horns, which Thorns is about 99% sure he didn't have when they were on the landship. He's walked into Engineering plenty of times, after all. Sesa looked like Sesa, Mizuki and Enforcer and SilverAsh looked like themselves... yet Gnosis had a long tail, and Flamebringer had a secondary set of horns and wings.

It's very strange.

The baklava finally goes into his mouth.]

It doesn't look like Seaborn corruption — and trust me, those are in the river. I hear them calling. [you might wanna get that looked at babe]

[...you know you'd think Elysium would have picked up on that as well but guess who has been completely one-track-minded and kindof just being like "oh yeah there they are" and not fully processing the fact that Passenger has horns when he's not supposed to?

Yeah.

He frowns though, watching Thorns as he eats. He'd opened his mouth to say something about his suggestion that it wasn't Seaborn corruption, but hold that thought for a sec-]

Seaborn? Here? And you can...

[He sits up a little more.]

Surely you're mistaken. We're not on Terra anymore...at least, that's what everyone keeps telling me.

Sesa has one running around with him. Oh, and despite that, there's Inquisition fire in the inn.

[Which is especially odd, considering the amount of Seaborn here. Thorns isn't exactly open about the fact that he hears the Call, that's knowledge for him and him alone... usually, anyway. Elysium gets to know about it, and watch his typically stoic expression shift very briefly to concern before flattening again.

He's really not all that expressive.]

I've ascertained we're not on Terra, and our phones don't work. I believe the only thing that would work is the communicator you modified for me. [Thorns let's focus on the Seaborn bits— you're going too down the observations rabbithole here.] But if we're here, and half of the engineering department is here, it stands to reason that Seaborn could also be here, despite this not being Terra.

[Thorns mentions the Inquisition fire, and Elysium can't help but wince. Yes, that was another thing...]

I'm sorry. If I knew you were here, I would have been able to give you prior warning...but I've been told that it's there to stay. Unsurprisingly.

[He sighs. Maybe he should order some more food for both of them, since they're going to be here a while catching up if he has anything to say about it.]

But I suppose you're right. I just thought...

[Well. He's not sure WHAT he thought. Maybe, if they're brought here by an outside force, why would that force also bring Seaborn? What's the purpose, other than to make things more complicated than they already are?]

Well. More importantly...are you alright, Thorns? You never told me about...that.

[They should probably order more food. And get another fork. Like dear god y'all.

By now the baklava is finished, so the Single Fork they have between them is set down. Thorns leans back just slightly, but then quickly sits forward after a second. The right arm fidgets while he tests the movement... glad it isn't completely frozen over anymore, but his fingers still feel the least bit numb.]

Do you remember years ago when I went to Bolivar? You called me to nag [lmao] about getting a signed poster from your favourite band. [And then Thorns said "no" and did it anyway, and came back with this poster and handed it over like here loser.] I'm sure you know already that all of them are Aegir. The lead singer approached me back then to deliver a warning that if I wasn't already hearing the Call, I would soon enough.

[There's a nervous energy to him about that. Thorns is not outwardly emotional, never will be, and if anyone who didn't know him were to look into his eyes, they'd think he was extremely calm about this. Like getting a diagnosis and having already accepted you were going to get it before you even came in. Elysium, though, will probably notice the way his gaze wavers, darting from crumb to crumb over the plate like he's searching for answers atop the porcelain.]

My mentor as a child was from the Church of the Deep. I don't believe I need to say more — nor do I believe I was given Seaborn cells like Skadi and her crew were. Even so... I hear them Calling nonetheless. It makes me wonder.

[Well, it's not like he's ever looked to see if he's been tampered with like that, but the signs would be obvious, wouldn't they be? He'd have white hair like the other Abyssal Hunters, and his eyes would've turned red. Otherwise, there'd be clear signs of a transformation — blue-black patches of scales, tentacles, the works — and he lacks any of that.

He'd love to get to the bottom of it, but he's pretty sure he'd run Aulus through first and ask questions later.]

Oh, estimado...

[Elysium sees it. He sees the way Thorns' expression shifts, no matter how subtle. He sees it because he knows him well. It makes his chest hurt, seeing it, and without a second thought he'll reach out to put a hand on Thorns' flesh-and-blood arm.]

I can't imagine what you must be feeling, right now.

[It makes me wonder, he says. Meanwhile, Elysium is pretty sure he'd be in a panic over the thought that he might be succumbing and not even realize it. He hears them Calling, but he hasn't experienced any sort of physical changes. What on earth does that mean?

He doesn't like it. Not one bit.

After a moment, his hand shifts down his arm, to rest atop his hand instead.]

But I'm here with you. No matter what, ¿bueno?

[The real answer is "Aulus was definitely feeding him Seaborn bits as a kid" and Thorns does not have enough information to actually realise that Only A Little Bit of Seaborn will start to cause even the most minor of changes. That information wasn't given to him, and he'd fled long before it was a consideration. And, truthfully, it's not as though he can approach anyone and ask; if Gladiia heard that he was hearing the Call, she'd probably spear him before he became a problem.

Truthfully, he's not really willing to deal with it. For a lot of his life, it's been easier to ignore the obvious problems. Confronting at least half of them aboard the ship before he became its captain was a whole battle. A whole lot of internalized things... not a good sign.

Elysium's hand is warm, and it snaps him out of his thoughts long enough for him to shove them back in the cobweb-filled closet of the past. Not thinking about it. Nope.]

Sí. I should stay away from the river for now. [Should... and would like to. Just until his brain chills out. So, changing the subject—] Were you aware we have free room and board here?

[Don't worry, it's going to get warmer. Elysium is going to reach out and hold Thorns' hand proper, his expression softening.]

That's probably a good idea. Fortunately, there's not much incentive for us to go there right now anyway. It's completely frozen over! Too cold to be out there anyway when we could stay in here, being warm and drinking hot chocolate all day.

[Elysium YOU want to do that.

When Thorns brings up the subject of free room and board, his brows raise.]

That's funny...the young worker who was serving me earlier told me I'd have to wash the dishes if I couldn't pay for my food.

[Elysium... you can't live here in the cafe.]

I meant at the inn. There's a bar here, but everything there has a cost.

[...more importantly:]

When does your shift doing dishes start?

[Haha..........oh yeah. That would make more sense, wouldn't it?]

A-actually, I'm pretty sure he was just kidding! How can I be expected to wash the dishes when I arrived with no money?

[Well that's called "don't order a bunch of food you can't pay for", Elysium.]

Really?

[His tone says "did you ask tho".]

Typically, when you arrive somewhere and have no money and proceed to receive a good or service, you have to pay in some way... after all, what settlement accepts freeloaders so readily?

[Good news, he's not vaguely depressed anymore! Bad news: teasing Elysium is back to being his full-time job.]

[No...no he did not ask, as a matter of fact.]

I- I am not a freeloader!

[He hisses, while freeloading.]

Look, I didn't know...I was cold, and hungry, and they didn't stop me!

[YES BECAUSE YOU'RE A CUSTOMER-]

If I absolutely have to I'll repay my dues, of course...but you'd think an exception would be made, given the circumstances.

But did you ask?

[Thorns turns to look back at the counter. Sure enough, there's a young man... a teenager, by the looks of it, but there's fucking Passenger, and he's sure Passenger doesn't care but he's also sure he heard things about that man having a reputation.]

Which one do you think would be more troublesome if you were to piss them off?

[Urk...Elysium shrinks just a little bit, reaching up to rub at the side of his face with the heel of his hand.]

...right, right. I get it.

[He is not so stupid as to want to be willingly zapped by Passenger. Like, abilities on the fritz or no, he has no doubt in his mind that man could snap his fingers and leave him a smoking crater, if desired.]

I'll ask about it before I leave. ...but if I'm already doing menial labor to make up for a tab, you should order something more to eat, too.

Planning to work off my debts, too?

[There he goes, he's standing up... Might as well eat something since he's been here for multiple days and just. Not eating anything at all. Good job genius.

Anyway, while he doesn't say so, he'll also help Elysium out in the kitchen doing dishes. The question is whether his partner knows that or not...

He sits back down some minutes later with curry. In tow is Oolong, who is all too happy to fill a cup of tea for him and sploot on their table.]

We should do some investigating after your dues are paid.

Hmm, well. Only for you.

[Nobody else is getting free labor out of Elysium >8///

He will wait patiently for Thorns to return, his eyes brightening at the sight of Oolong. What a baby...he's just going to reach out and give the teapot's head a little rub.]

I agree. There's a lot to be discovered, assuming we can stand the cold long enough...I'm going to need another jacket.

[Eating his curry... good fucking god this is spicy. Not like Thorns doesn't eat whatever is put in front of him when he's hungry but wow!

Unaffected, he continues to eat.]

I saw a tailor shop on the way here. We'll need to figure out the local currency first. [Or sweetly ask someone for a loan.] At the very least, we can investigate the indoor areas and gather information from anyone inside. A brief trip through the frost won't kill you.

[You guys are going to get accosted by wraiths long before you make it near the inn where people are congregating.]

[In that case maybe shoo Elysium away from stealing a bite, because he's grabbing his spoon as we speak, unless you don't mind listening to him whine about his mouth burning for the next ten minutes.]

Hmm hmm...despite the cold, this village seems to be thriving well enough. It makes me wonder if they operate through some sort of trade and bartering system.

[He muses, accidentally guessing the right answer for once.]

I was briefly guided to the Inn by a Vouivre-Sankta who calls himself Ain, and it did seem like a lot of people were taking up residence there. I think that would be as good of a place to start as any.

[Unless they want to risk getting kicked out by Gnosis, again.]

[Why would he ever do that? Enjoy your curry idiot— (enjoy sharing mouthgerms with Thorns again because he used that utensil earlier to eat your baklava with).]

I thought Sankta and non-Sankta children could only ever be the non-Sankta race? [Well you see. He's not Terran.] Interesting... it makes me wonder if he was also afflicted by...

[Looks back at Passenger. Looks back to the curry. Watches Elysium kill himself on it probably.]

...whatever mutations have affected the people here.

[Sorry Ain, Elysium is still convinced you're a Vouivre-Sankta, somehow. He knows you said you weren't Terran, but like. What ELSE is he supposed to think?

Elysium is fine...........for but a moment. The INSTANT that curry kicks in he is floundering to grab his drink, which unfortunately is warm cider so it's not like, super helpful in lessening the spice. Aaaaaaa]

I-it's so hot!! Why is it so hot-!?

[He's opening his mouth and fanning his tongue now, as if that's going to help. He is Hispanic yet somehow STILL too white for this.]

A-also I don't know! Th-there...a lot of people are affected like that, I've not-ah-ced-

[He thunks his torso onto the table and waves weakly at Oolong.]

C-can I get an Ayran, please...

It's Sargonian.

[Thanks, Thorns. Thanks so much for that explanation. Anyway, Oolong is going to go get Elysium some Ayran. It will be back shortly.]

Haven't you travelled the world? Shouldn't you be used to this?

[You're also SPANISH... here comes Oolong, though.]

[Bless you Oolong...as soon as he has his Ayran, Elysium grabs his spoon back and starts eating. It's very nice and cool on his tongue, which he very much appreciates.]

Sure sure...but that doesn't mean I do well with spicy things! At least, not this spicy...

[He will offer Thorns some of the yogurt treat if he'd like to try it, though.]

We can head out once we finish eating. Then we'll gather info, like you said!

[...yes he is trying that thank you.]

Right. And you'll be back first thing tomorrow morning for your shift cleaning dishes.

[Smiles like :) ]

...I'll be there, too, to help you out. No need to go it alone. [SAID LOCAL MAN WHO LITERALLY WENT TO IBERIA ALONE AND BECAME A PIRATE. ALONE.]

[Yeah what about THAT. You LEFT him :(

Takes another bite. He's gotten over the curry spice by now (mostly).]

Really? That's sweet of you...now I don't feel as bad about covering your tab too, haha~

[He's joking, he'd literally give the shirt off his back for you-]

It's so strange that this is how fate has decided that we'd reunite, isn't it? Not that I'm complaining...I just thought I wouldn't see you for much longer.

[Nom...leans against Thorns' shoulder.]

It's bc they're on the gay wavelength obvs

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