EVENT 021

[sticksandbonesmods]

Feeding from the Ocean

Solitary Voyage

The first light of dawn does not come this morning. The moonlight outside continues to cast its muted glow over the Grove, still high in the sky. No matter how long you wait, no matter how many minutes or hours slip by, the darkness remains, and the silvery sentinel refuses to yield to the sun. It also appears bigger than usual, its surface etched with shadows that seem to pulse with a life of their own, and you swear there weren't this many stars peppering the night sky last night.

Despite the oppressive night that looms above, there’s an odd sense of calm. No werewolves prowl the streets, no ominous howls echo through the trees, or other dangers that usually seem to threaten the Grove. In fact, it's not making it more cold than usual, either. The ice on the river, once a solid barrier, begins to chip away, revealing glimmers of water beneath, giving new life to the creatures that call it home. A handful of the baby Seaborn even flop out of the water to explore the world, as if it's entirely new to them and hasn't only been a month since they've been unable to be on solid ground.

The only thing that the perpetual night seems to be affecting is the local wildlife. Disoriented and confused, they flit about in a daze, their natural rhythms thrown into chaos. The diurnal creatures now wander aimlessly with their instincts dulled. Someone should probably feed these poor critters before they forget how to forage for themselves.

The Grove also seems to be sans one sea jelly. Hope no one booked their therapy appointment this month.

The Reef is Immortal

It was the loud creaking that caught your attention first, a sound that reverberated through the ground like the groan of a ship caught in a storm. There's a... tree? Or, wait, no. That can't be right. It's colossal, easily taller than the supposed "limit" of the sky barrier, but it's also... blue? There's a smattering of bioluminescent patches that give a white glow, especially under the pale moonlight. The "branches" swayed unnaturally, each one moving independently, like a thousand skeletal fingers reaching for the heavens.

With the coming of this "tree" also comes something some of you may be familiar with - the Nethersea Brand. It's a blue, web-like membrane that more resembles flesh than what anyone would like to admit. Contact with the membrane is not recommended as it invokes a creeping dread that gnaws at the edges of your mind and locks your muscles and bones. It wears off... eventually, but if you don't get out of it in time it'll continue to chew at your nervous system.

It is not localized like it was last time, either. It spreads and expands to cover all of the Grove more and more with each moment, every hour swallowing more and more land, with just a few exceptions. One, the Inn's lobby, which is protected by the Inquistion's Fireplace inside. And two... surprisingly, the River and its banks, where the Guardians (and the Behemoth) seem to be taking solace from the threat.

The baby Seaborn are not aware of many things, but they are at least cognizant that some of you don't seem to do well in the Brand, with some control over what it covers. If you're by the river, they seem to be able to control the brand just enough to free you, chirping in an innocent manner. You do not know what they are saying, but you can imagine it's something along the lines of "Hi! What doing!" There's less of them in the river currently, but the few that are around are nesting on Moder or following Sinann around. They do not sense the distress. They are just babies.

The Mass of Sorrow

The sensation of being trapped in the web-like brand is suffocating, a foreign sensation of the boundaries that have been blurred between your identity and the collective consciousness of others. Each time you succumb to the nervous impairment, it feels like you’re slipping through a veil, where the lines between your thoughts and those of others dissolve into a swirling mass of emotions and memories.

You can’t shake the feeling of grief that lingers in your chest, a weight that seems to grow heavier with each passing moment. It’s as if you’re mourning something you can’t quite grasp—perhaps the remnants of your own past, or the fragments of lives that are not your own. When you finally come to again, rising up from the brand to attempt to move again, you'll notice you have tear stains against your face you don't remember crying.

It's not easy to escape the brand, either. Between the rough terrain flesh-y webs make and the way it slowly neutralizes your nerves, it's a wonder you can keep moving at all. But more than that, there's this... voice...

"Embrace... Our Warmth..."

In short moments of clarity, you remember... dreaming? Remembering? Commiserating...? Something. Whatever the case, you were in someone's mind. Maybe your own. Maybe someone else's. Maybe even something from the forest - the brand is taking all prisoner, after all.

Best hope We Many doesn't share anything you don't want anyone to see, because it doesn't seem like you get much of a choice.

Elegy of the Outliers

Those holed up inside are not entirely forgotten. While the warmth of the fireplace and the kin of the river may keep the brand at bay, the persistent weight of grief and sadness still reaches those within. It is the curse of an ancient being long gone, a sorrow that lingers like a scar. Yet, this sorrow can be softened by the company of those around you. Distractions, warmth, and togetherness serve as reminders that collaboration is, as always, the answer.

Gazing out at the brand, one will notice shadows moving along the fleshy web—shadows that seem hauntingly familiar. Loved ones move through the Grove as if it has come alive again, as if the threat of an obsessed, fallen deity has vanished, and things have reached some form of normalcy once again.

Upon closer inspection, the observant may discern that these are not true apparitions, but rather the brand's way of storing memories within We Many's consciousness. It is a surreal experience, reliving moments through the Seaborn that drift freely about. This phenomenon is both unsettling and captivating—perhaps it could even make for compelling television while you remain trapped inside. Yet, the sight of a loved one, even as a mere shadow, may also be overwhelming, pulling you away from your current sanctuary.

Be careful out there.

Spark Notes

summary

Solitary Voyage is this moon's journey. The expected dawn fails to arrive, leaving the Grove shrouded in an unusual, persistent moonlight. While the darkness disrupts the local wildlife, causing confusion and disorientation, it also brings life to the river as baby Seaborn venture out.

The Reef is Immortal, bringing forth a colossal, bioluminescent "tree" in the Grove, accompanied by the spreading menace of the Nethersea Brand, a blue, web-like membrane that induces paralysis upon contact. While the Brand expands across the land, the Inn's lobby remains safe, and the baby Seaborn near the river seem to possess a surprising ability to help free those ensnared by the Brand, blissfully unaware of the surrounding danger.

The Mass of Sorrow is the experience of being ensnared in the Nethersea Brand. Personal identity blurs with the collective consciousness, leading to overwhelming grief and confusion as emotions and memories intertwine.

Elegy of the Outliers, or those sheltered from the Nethersea Brand, still feel the Arbor's weight of grief and sadness, a lingering curse that can be eased by the warmth and companionship of others. As shadows resembling loved ones move through the brand, it becomes clear that these are not true apparitions but memories stored within We Many's consciousness.

out of character

This month's event has been written entirely by Rubie! Please be nice and say thank you Rubie! Enjoy your memory shares and your eldritch horrors, and remember that questions asked should be asked in public channels and not DMs if they're related to this month's event. Have fun!

updates

Any potential updates, such as characters damaging something important or whatever else, will be put here.

submissions

❖ Questions
❖ February Plotting
❖ Past Life Plotting (Closed to Game Members)
❖ Investigations

code

Comments

QUESTIONS

[sticksandbonesmods]

If the question pertains to the event at all, Rubie will be answering it. Other questions will be answered by the mods as usual.

[goldenambition]

So I assume probably 'no' but does the inn fireplace's flame maintain it's protective aura when spread, say to a torch or lanturn?

[lupusxylem]

How crossable is the river, right now? I just realized while typing my toplevel that the triguns might be stuck on the other side if there's no way past the Brand oops

[thebladebringstheflame]

hii rubie hiiii

do the brand memories/apparitions react to the player characters at all? slash would they "react" in a way that the memories they've stored would "react" but it's not a real reaction? does that make sense

[poaceae]

This might be an Investigation, but what happens if you poke and/or whack the apparitions with a sword?

[goldenambition]

Quick question about the memories: is the person the memories are coming from see them too, or just the 'guest' getting to peek on them through the brand?

[ghostharasser]

Given the nature of Dipper's powers, how nerfed is he when it comes to being able to affect memories and stuff? Would he have some power over manipulating the space in here or is the nature of what's causing all of this make it so he can't actually do anything.

INVESTIGATIONS

[sticksandbonesmods]

This month only, if your investigation relates to the subject matter of the event, Rubie will answer them. Since Rubie is running another questline on the side also related to the event, please be patient and keep your investigations short & to the point.

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>

NON-EVENT INVESTIGATION

[jesterlies]

Character(s): Shadow Milk Cookie and Pure Vanilla Cookie
Location: Around the Grove
Action: SM got a fun little hint about his past life from Heimr and is going to look into it. He's dragging PV with him because he has separation anxiety-

No, between the two of them, they will be able to discern lots of info, including hidden shit, and he is hoping that if this is truly a previous him, he will be able to pick up a familiar sense of either magic or otherwise to lead him to what he's looking for.

Sesa | Arknights

[sesa]

A) Solitary Voyage | Therapy Building | Open

[Though the oddity of the sun not yet having risen is not lost on Sesa, he's clocking it up to "time is weird and I just probably woke up early on accident, it's fine", mainly because he doesn't want any weird happenings to interrupt his plans for today. He's heading off to the Therapy Building to hang out and play games with Mizuki, as he tends to do some mornings. He would have spent the night in lieu of a sleepover, but the failed attack on Suri has left him feeling a bit on edge. Too on edge to leave Elliot for that long, so he's making up for it with this.

He walks inside and heads for the main room where the games and TV are all set up, his tail curling in happy arcs behind him as he calls out, his voice echoing a bit.]

Mizuki, my friend! Come out if you aren't busy, I thought we could do some more work on our Minecraft server today!

[He sets an armful of Things on his kotatsu which he dragged in while it was still super cold out, which appear to be snacks that he pilfered from the Inn. Snacks, drinks...

Sesa blinks and stands back upright with his hands on his hips.]

Mizuki?

[He's...pretty sure Mizuki would be here, especially with Elsword's recent return. Especially if it's still early in the morning like Sesa is guessing, there's nowhere else Mizuki could be, and that...

...

He turns, looking back at a still-empty room, suddenly no longer smiling.]

......Mizuki?

B) The Reef is Immortal | The Grove | Open

[When Sesa sees the Brand, he knows something's gone wrong. He doesn't know what exactly or how, just that this isn't the way things should be, and Mizuki's disappearance is only making it all feel worse. Never mind the way his own Seaborn was acting just shortly before this...it makes a lot of sense now why he wasn't letting him sleep. And now, as Sesa carefully picks his way through walkable patches of ground, the Seaborn dog hops ahead of him with tail wagging, even though the atmosphere of the outdoors is anything but pleasant despite the eerie calm.

The plan is to look for Mizuki, but it's pretty immediate that it gets derailed when he sees others wandering out from their homes, others who definitely don't know what Nethersea Brand is or what it does. So, if he sees you getting near it- or even already with your hand on it- he'll suddenly lurch towards you and try to pull you back.]

Stop, don't let it touch you!

[But at some point, Sesa can't avoid the Brand even as much as he tries to. And just like everyone else touched by it, his memories will be laid bear for all who might witness them.

His canon memories include witnessing the arson that took his brother's life, or memories of his life in Sargon.

His past-life memories include growing up in the Grove as a child, or being tasked to assist in the construction of the Grove's various buildings.

(Anything planned can be a "wildcard" so just let me know if you wanna do something specific!)]

C) Elegy of the Outliers | The Inn | Open

[When his search for Mizuki doesn't bear fruit, Sesa finds himself left to wonder what he can even do. Trying to venture deeper into the Brand without a plan would be suicide, and he knows that. He thinks, maybe, a meeting with the other Terrans would be a good call to order, but...

He frets. He sits in a chair by one of the Inn windows, his tail lashing and his claws pulling at the armrest as he stares outside at the Brand reaching across every surface, and Seaborn basically almost everywhere...

If you're in the Inn with Sesa, you might notice that he sits here, staring out there, for a very long time. Like he's transfixed by something.

Like he's seen something.

[OOC: Plotting post here!]

in their past lives they were in love and stupid

[forwander]

[Sometimes some kid throws paper planes at your window and that becomes the rest of your life, at least until you hit your 20s and you're like "I should actually talk to him" and completely fail every time at doing that.

Elliot is very awkward. Elliot did not grow up around other kids — Old Isin was kind of, erm, a crackhead, put nicely, and none of the other kids really wanted to come over or hang out with him because his guardian was a nutjob. It's not like it's ever bothered him, and Elliot has largely been focused on his studies anyway, but still.

Today! He's going to go outside and tell the cute redhead boy hi. :)

...

Unfortunately when he tries to walk into the blacksmith's shop to say hi (outside of a letter this time), he walks right into the doorframe first, so it's going well.]

Nicholas D. Wolfwood | Trigun Stampede

[lupusxylem]

A) Solitary Voyage | Vash's Cabin (the porch) | Open

[It's the calm before the storm feeling that's made it difficult for Wolfwood to sleep, tonight. He doesn't even really know what time it is, so when he steps out onto the porch for a smoke, he thinks nothing of the fact that it's still dark and the moon is...moon. It's very much a moon tonight. Was it that big the night before? God, he doesn't know.

So he'll smoke for a while, watching the twisting tendrils of smoke waft up into the sky. Maybe he'll just stay up at this point and watch the sunrise, he thinks as he leans forward against the railing.

...but he stands there for what must be an hour. Then another. And nothing. Which...isn't typically in itself too much cause for alarm when time is so fucked here, but Wolfwood is perceptive enough to catch on to the signs that it's worse than the calm makes it out to be. He definitely stands there long enough to watch an owl, bleary with exhaustion because it should be tucking in to sleep in a tree by now, crashes clumsily through low hanging branches in an attempt to land. He also sees what he thinks is a fox pacing the perimeter of the outer edges of the Grove anxiously, as if it doesn't know where to go.

He exhales another long breath, smoke coming with it, and mutters to himself:]

Here we go again.

B) The Reef is Immortal | The Grove | Open

[Wolfwood's knowledge of things from Terra is not enough that he understands yet the gravity of what's going on right now, just that it's definitely something that's been cooked up to make them suffer uniquely, he reckons. He has noticed Mizuki's absence, which is more than a little bit concerning, so he's keeping his eyes peeled for the little guy as he tries to investigate what's going on now that he's determined it's probably day-ish by now.

And, well. There's fucking shit everywhere? About the only place it hasn't completely covered is the river, which is a good thing because it means Wolfwood can actually get across the damn thing. Of course, getting across without getting soaked and then freezing is the main issue...but he can thank Moder for scooping him and gently depositing him on the other side to make sure that doesn't happen. Thank you Moder you're a real one.

Of course though, that won't be enough to save him from the Brand itself beyond the river, and it turns out his prosthetic loves getting tangled up in it even when he's trying to not step on it. He doesn't even know it's bad, but given that it looks all...weird and fleshy? Yeah he's been around the block enough times to know he doesn't want to get near that.

So, when he gets stuck, he'll thoughtlessly reach down to try to rip himself free, first pulling with his hand braced against the good part of his thigh, and when that doesn't work he'll relent and touch the stuff directly-]

Sh-i-it-!!

[And near immediately, he feels his muscles convulse beyond his control, because it feels like he's literally just been electrocuted. And the harder he tries to pull free, the more it seems he gets stuck in the stuff.

Anyone nearby will see Wolfwood trying to grab for his dagger from his inner pocket, but as the effects of the Brand take over, he fumbles and drops it among the fleshy masses, out of reach and otherwise useless.]

C) The Mass of Sorrow | This is the Memshare Prompt | Open

[While Wolfwood is able to escape the Brand's clutches a few times, he isn't going to always be so lucky. It's difficult to avoid given where it's spread, and typically by the time it's latched on firm to his prosthetic he can't tell he's been got until it's too late. The nervous impairment takes great delight in wrapping thin fingers through his ribs and making it feel like he's going to fall apart from the inside out, and the grief. It's unlike anything he's ever experienced, bar none. A feat, when he's mourned more times now than he can count, this feeling of ceaseless loss and hopelessness...

And his memories are no longer his to hide, kept tight to his chest.

Wolfwood has the following memories that can be experienced from his canon life, from his childhood, being captured by the Eye, killing a giant worm, and stopping an out of control Sand Steamer from destroying an orphanage.

From his past-life, his time in the Grove after leaving Haven is all fair game, and will largely be him as an adult experiencing his daily life.

(If we've discussed something specific, just mention it's a wildcard and we'll go from there!)]

[OOC: Plotting post here!]

hi you'll never guess why i'm here

[thebladebringstheflame]

[Nebulously in the past... these two idiots were married. Flamebringer was not "Flamebringer", he was not bringing flames, he was actually gardening and raising like, five children. Five children, who he's raised mostly by himself, until he met one (1) Nicholas and they butt heads enough times to...

Checks notes. Get married about it. Be deeply in love. Disgusting.

When Nick wakes up, the spot where Asher normally sleeps is empty, though the warm spot left behind says he only just got up a few minutes earlier. He's out on the balcony connected to their bedroom smoking a cigarette and looking out over their garden below, shirtless, tats out for god and everyone. Whether or not he's also covered in bitemarks I'll leave up to you Chi—

Anyway, he has no idea he accidentally woke his husband up so good going idiot.]

mind the cws please-

[eidxiety]

i. insert the 300th "thnks fr th mmrs" joke here
a) The past - Open
cws: religious homophobia, evangelical bullshit mentions, abusive family

[At some point early in the Grove's existence, a new boy moves in. He's bitchy, and bratty, and seems to think you're lesser than him. Not religious? Lesser than him, and also going to Hell. And he'll tell you that! He'll let you know that you're going to Hell in any way he possibly can. The fact is, Ain... is mean. He's nasty. He's unlikeable, just like his mother and elder brothers, who are trying to start a ~new~ church out of their house. Maybe you bite and go to one of their services, maybe you don't. It's all very culty either way.

It takes until Ain is nearing 18 for him to mellow out. At a certain point, everyone made him realise his behaviour is wrong. Thus you get apologies, and a sort of awkward "I'm sorry, I'm trying", and Ain genuinely trying to get away from his mother... which unfortunately means he might knock on your door one night to couch-surf, explaining that he's figured some things out about himself and that he thinks he needs to be away from home before she kicks his ass for it. It's raining out, and he looks like a drowned rat. Please let him in.]

b) The past - Closed to Livio

[During one such couch-surfing phase, and after getting over the whole "it's okay to be gay" thing... Ain comes over to Miss Melanie's with an acoustic guitar, because the little nerd boy has taken solace in music recently. And he'd really, really like to serenade Livio, y'know, if he's home, and if he's not home it's fine he'll go elsewhere he's sorry, and—

Ain gets let in and sits down on the couch with his head in his hands. Oh God, what is he doing.]

c) The past - Closed to Affo
cws: well we're sacrificing him so, also abusive parenting

[When everything goes to shit, the first person Ain turns to for help is Alexi, his dear friend. Everyone is in a panic, and Ain's mother is insistent that she sacrifice him to "appease" the gods, because clearly him being who he is is the issue here, or something. Maybe she just needs a convenient excuse to get rid of her wayward son?

So, when Ain finds Alexi, he grabs his wrist in a panic and frantically points toward the direction of the coast.]

My mom's trying to murder me, and we've gotta get out of here before we get killed!

d) The present - Open
cw: elsword lore

[If it isn't past-life memories you get, you might get Ain's present-life, in which case: Good fucking luck because there's a lot stored in his head. Suri may have wiggled his brain around a bit, but that doesn't stop the conflicting memories from existing, nor being confusing.

You might be (un)lucky enough to see (and probably participate in): the time Ain said "yes I can drive that airship" and crashed it, a life-or-death battle against a crazed half-demon in his group's attempts to rescue him, an amusement park full of demons and many games to play, or an arena fight gone sour.]

ii. elegy time

[In the inn, Ain remains hunkered down, purposely avoiding looking out the window until you or someone else calls attention to the "things outside", at which point he gets up and his heart drops into his stomach.

It's not shocking that Ain misses his friends — it's gotten worse over the last few months, culminating into him filling the loneliness with cringe-ass plushies of them he stores in his room. The man's mental health is in shambles, and seeing even mere apparitions of them is enough to send him into a frenzy. One second, he's at the window with everyone else.

The next, he's running outside and possibly back into the brand again to try to reach people he thinks are real.

Stopping him might be a good idea.]

D | I'm gonna multitag but this one first

[lupusxylem]

[So Wolfwood is...experiencing. He is Experiencing a memory of Ain's that is really fucking stressful, and that is:

Well. The aftermath of it is happening as we speak, because Ain just crashed the airship that he and the rest of the El Search Party was on. It's why Wolfwood has both of his hands grabbing the front of Ain's clothes, shaking him a little as he demands to know:]

Why did you fuckin' say you could drive the airship when you can't drive the airship!?!

[If Ain wanted another Add in his memories, here you go.]

Whippoorwill | OC

[goldenambition]

Solitary Voyage

[So 'unending night', while less overtly dangerous then the bitter deep Winter, is way way weirder, isn't it? Now that the cold is less oppressive Will spends more and more time outside compared to hiding out in the Inn, his new cloak around him. In the low light the magic cloak makes him both invisible and silent, so when he pulls the hood down to talk to someone- exposing his glimmering cat eyes- well... he probably scares more then one person]

Hey can yo- oops, sorry!

[Yeah he's laughing. Not really sorry]

The Reef is Immortal (cw: attempted but failed self mutilation)

[Okay yeah, sure, things are getting EVEN WEIRDER somehow. The awful creaking sound is horrifically loud to his sensitive hearing, so he goes out to investigate right away. The 'tree' makes every hair on his body stand up, making his tail extra fluffy. That's enough to make him go back to hiding out in the Inn for a few more days, occasionally peering out the windows at the thing]

Winter's frosty tits I hate lookin' at that thing-

[Eventually though the spread is enough even Will's natural skittishness is overcome by needing to Figure It Out. The beastkin heads out to take a closer look, poking the fleshy mass with one of his long daggers, bringing out some of the 'eternal' flames from the Inn to it to try and burn it, casting magic at it- so focused that he doesn't notice his long tail brushing over it.

Oh. Fuck. He's stuck. Will grabs the base of his tail and tugs. Tugs. Starts tugging harder. The aching static numbness travels up his tail and panic starts to set in, Will trashing and spinning like a wolf in a trap to try and get free. Soon a foot gets caught in his flailing, and he hits the ground.

He manages to get off one mournful beastual howl before it's cut off by the numbness.

Anyone that finds him will come on the sad sight of the beatkin's body as tangled in the membrane as a child with gum in their hair, even his jaw tangled in it- it'd be funny if not for the implied fact that he must have tried to bite one of his body parts free- thankfully stopped by the alien flesh before he could actually cause real damage]

The Mass of Sorrow (cw: child abandonment/endangerment in the 1st memory and murder/dismemberment in the last)

[Tangled deep, memories flutter and flit through and out of him. Those also trapped might get glances of his very young child hood and near death, his loving life with Jay, or his various adventures over the Wall.

And even deeper there is someone who is not Will, but also is Will- who does not meet with a happy end. ]

(ooc: Feel free to ping me for any prompts not on here!)

the reef

[purevanillacookie]

[ Truthless is making quite a habit out of freeing people from the brand. Though Will is so hopelessly entangled that for a moment he merely stands near and stares, his staff planted in the snow beside him. Debates whether it will be worth using the energy to untangle the other.

Then sighs softly.

The shadow his staff casts grows longer and from it creeps the shapes of creatures houndlike. Eyes open and blink on their black whispy bodies and they giggle to themselves as they crawl over the brand. Truthless can feel the numbing, vaguely, like something tickling at the edge of his senses. The hound creatures get to where Will is and begin to chew, dig with their paws, and pull at the brand to slowly begin to free the other.

One cackles directly into Will's face as it does, the eyes on it "grinning". ]

Can you hear me?

[succiduous]

i. past life

[The Edelweisses have always been historians. Their youngest son is trying to take up the mantle, and a good place to learn is obviously in a new settlement. Obviously.

He's been doing this for a few years now, but his parents have pressed the importance of talking to others to take down their viewpoints to him. It's one thing to write a book on history; it's another thing entirely to get the accounts of the people who lived there, making sure to account for all biases, that sort of thing.

So, you may spot Gnosis either lurking nearby to write down what you're doing — important or unimportant, doesn't matter to him, but he's cataloguing your way of life — or alternatively, flagging you down with his journal in hand to ask you if you wouldn't mind sitting down for an interview.]

ii. past life...2! closed to enciodes

[Gnosis is an embarrassing twenty-something with a big ol' crush on one (1) Enciodes Silverash, and he's being real stupid about it. He's about seven love notes into this week alone, most of them scrapped and tossed off to the side because they're simply not good enough. There's one in his hands today, folded up in a letter with a wax seal, and avoidant as Gnosis is... he was simply going to drop it off at Enciodes' house and bail.

Well! That will not happen because as soon as he's like, halfway down the road... he sees Enciodes and freezes dead, sweating, and then... very coolly... ducks behind a tree.

Maybe Enciodes won't see him—?]

iii. wildcard

[if anyone wants present life memories this is the place to do it! your options are: watch him get kicked out of kjerag at age 10 for a murder he didn't do (bc he was 10), or watch him concoct a political coup, or you can attend a fancy party and set someone on fire with him :) anything else just prod me!]

i. hi

[cryopathy]

[gnosis flags down an older teen making their way home from the shop with a paper bag and a shit-eating grin. upon being gestured to, though, they stiffen and drop the smirk, as a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar might. they try to dodge, nonconfrontational about it, but when he actually speaks to them...

well, sheepish as they are, their dad did raise them to have... some manners. at least as long as gnosis isn't being rude. then they have permission to tell him to fuck off. threat.]

Um -- what about?

white lily cookie ⚜️ cookie run kingdom

[lilyberation]

MEMENTO MORI: THE NIGHT OF WITCHES

[lilyberation]

( it's dark, at first. a sweet smell wafts through the air, alongside a more... rancid scent, like brewery gone wrong. or right, depending on the potions you make.

white lily cookie, small and doughy as she should be, walks through the darkness, talking to herself... )

The banquet is starting... The Night of the Witches, held once in a thousand years... This is my only chance! I shall meet the creators, the Witches! ( is she reassuring herself? or just providing exposition- ) I must ask the question. I will ask them why... Why they created the Cookies... and myself. I must learn the truth!

( she slips into a room, and a purple light shines- but its still dark. shadowy figures thousands of times bigger than any cookie ever should or could be- black pearl not counting, she can do what she wants- sit at a grand table.

...

it smells so sweet. )

Ezell Pastore

[ezellotry]

I. There's a fork in the road in front of me (Open, pre-brand)

[ As with anyone, Ezell is alarmed to see the moon still out, but... he doesn't immediately think of the negative consequences of this, or what it might mean, or start doom spiraling about what horrors await them this month. Instead, you'll find him outside, using the well as a bench to look skyward, eyes very carefully scanning the sky.

If you approach him, he doesn't look at you, but he does acknowledge your presence by speaking. ]

There's so many stars right now. I started to forget... how pretty they are, like this.

II. At the crossroads of identity (Open, the Inn)

[ While the Inn is safe from the brand, Ezell is taking the time to take a lantern of the fireplace's flame to grab blankets and pillows from upstairs. Though the fire doesn't last long outside of the fireplace, he's only up for a minute or so to bring everything down, so it works out.

He makes makeshift beds around the lobby of the inn, and uses the check-in counter to put what foods he could get his hands on there. It's mostly just... breads and fruits. Sorry, he's doing his best. ]

Is this enough blankets? I can see about getting more if you're still cold.

III. The devil is standing to the left (Open, memshare)

[ The Sankta knows not to go out into the brand. He knows what it does. He knows the damage it causes. Yet, all the same, there's a shadow that looks familiar outside. A little girl with long hair, and nervous hands set into a prayer. It's not possible to catch Ezell before he's bolting out the Inn's door because it happens a little too fast. ] Cecelia-!!!

[ And into the brand he goes!

If you decided to go after him or are just stuck in yourself, the memories you'll share with Ezell will be any of the following (click the titles): ]

Ezell meeting Flamebringer

[ Ezell is very kind-looking person normally, but he was especially so back home, where he didn't have the constantly looming threat of Suri and the other bullshit the Grove threw at him. There's quite a few people he seems to be approaching and speaking with, all sporting sharp, pointy horns of some variety. Not too unlike Flamebringer's. They all seem a bit surprised to see Ezell so casually talking with them, occasionally glancing away as if this is supposed to be some sort of trap or something similar. But he just talks with them. He smiles and shakes their hand whenever he finishes, seemingly unphased by their reactions.

And as he's jotting notes down, you'll notice a familiar Sarkaz walking by him. Mister Flamebringer himself! ]

Coming through.

Oh, certainly! Sorry.

...Wait. Excuse me. You're the Sarkaz blademaster, Flamebringer. I've seen your face on a wanted poster at Notarial Hall...

Ezell as a Child(tm) receives his patron firearm which is as insane as it sounds

[ You will get a memory of a young Ezell, roughly around 11, dressed in very nice clothes completely with a tie. They're extremely wealthy looking. He seems to be in a church, with his parents standing on both sides of him and a priest reading out scriptures to him before presenting little Ezell with... a familiar shotgun???? It's, like, as big as he is??????

Why does he seem so happy to receive it???? ]

Past memory: Devout clergyman and his daughter show up

[ It's raining on the day that Ezell shows up at the Grove. His white robes are not pristine or perfect, but that's only because he's opted to make sure, instead, that the young girl in his arms stays dry and safe. She's currently sleeping, as the two of them seemed to have been walking for a time.

But now that they've spoken with Aldric and are starting to explore the town, the girl, Cecelia, is running about the Grove as if minutes ago she wasn't totally zonked, and after a while she finds you! She's bringing you a very pretty looking leaf with veins of red, surrounded by patches of yellow and golds and auburn. ]

Past memory: Why is that cleric picking up caterpillars in your yard???

[ No, really, why is Ezell, the religious, kind priest, picking up caterpillars from your yard/garden??? Furthermore, why is he putting them all in a little container afterwards, too??? Does he... intend to keep them? ]

IV. He says "either way, they both lead to death" (Wildcard)

HMU @ Discord if u wanna talk plot!!!

you know i want him to pick up caterpillars in my yard

[thebladebringstheflame]

[It's not a secret that Asher has a bigass garden. It's also not a secret that Asher is like... Super making eyes at the local priest. Hi, is this a sin? He doesn't care he's got a tat of the devil on his arm and yesterday he punched a guard in the face. When it comes to being a good influence, he's not!

Anyway, hi, hot priest in his yard. Asher is Looking. Time to go for the rizz (he's collecting caterpillars dude he doesn't want you). Time to say something cool and suave from the porch. Something super romantic. Something like—]

Heyyyy.

[Fuck.]

Fern Mertens | Adventure Time

[poaceae]

A) Into the fray

[ Fern doesn't really know what to do with himself anymore most days, but an evil wall of fleshy web? That's as obvious a task as a dungeon with a sign out front reading "beware". He goes to hack at it with his sword, as cautious as any adventurer on a quest. If he were in Ooo it would probably be fine!

He is not in Ooo. He is not fine. And as he struggles to escape the warm, and sleep, and despair, he finds his will weakening along with his body. What's the point, really? Maybe he should stay here, where the lines between Himself and Not Himself are blurred, until he becomes someone else. ]

B) Into the Vault
Inside the brand, he remembers...

(1) He remembers becoming a sword.

[ Prismo greets the human boy with a smile as he approaches Jake the dog's sleeping form. ]

Woah, Finn! Hey! Are you gonna wake up Jake?

[ Another Prismo just led him here. All of this is super weird, but he's sure the Wish Master knows what he's doing... probably. ]

Yeah, is that gonna kill you again, though?

[ Prismo only exists while his host is asleep. He knows, because he was there when Prismo died in the first place. Right now it looks like Jake is his host. ]

My past self is doing Plan B, right?

Plan B!

[ An unexpected hand lands on his shoulder. He turns and gapes at... himself. ]

What the!?

[ Then... something happens.

Continue watching? ]

(2) He remembers a curse.

[ Finn watches eagerly through the large glass window as his other self faces off against the bandit who stole him. She's been using the sword to rob and hurt people, and he's been forced to sit here and watch. Now she'll finally get what's coming to her, and he'll be back in the hero biz. He knows Other Finn will save him. ]

You gonna get it now, dude! That's the Grass Sword!

[ The sword in Other Finn's hand doesn't always cooperate with him, but when it does it's truly a force to be reckoned with. There's no way they can lose!

He watches Other Finn lunge, sword pointed straight-

It pierces the window, knocking him over, shattering his world, and leaving him in darkness. ]

What the hay?

[ He looks up at the blade of grass stretching between the two windows... windows which are now opaque. The blade breaks apart into small fibers that litter the floor. ]

Oh no... No no no...

[ He rolls over and sits up, pulling a bit of grass off his face. ]

Hnn... I hate this. I liked it before...

[ At least before he felt like he was part of the adventure. What is he supposed to do now?

He hears someone hum. Looking at the window in front of him, he sees a strange spider-like creature climb the rim and start covering it with web.

Continue watching? ]

(3) He remembers realizing he's something else now.

[ Fern frowns at the grass sword in his hand. Now that he's face to face with Grass Wizard, he remembers the sword's creation. It happened to him. It is him, as much as Finn is him. ]

He... made me.

I did? I did! The uh, the, the uh, the, the, the Grass Sword! Gee, my memory is bad.

[ Fern marches forward, ready to interrogate the wizard. He's felt wrong ever since he escaped the sword and got a body of his own. It's not just that he's made of grass now. Something is different. Something is wrong with him. ]

Okay guy, I've got a lot of big questions for you. Why did you make me? Am I bad? Am I part of a conspiracy hatched by Finn's enemies? Or am I an eternal curse sent by the globs?

[ With each question he takes another step forward, until he can grab the wizard by his massive beard. The man stares at him for a second, then laughs. ]

Ha ha, no, nothing like that. I just thought it would be cool. "Grass Blade"! It's a sort of pun.

[ Fern feels... empty.

Continue watching? ]

(4) He remembers blood like strawberry-vanilla jam on his hands.

[ The little black and white dragons that were chasing Fern are no longer a problem now as Suri reaches his giant hand down to meet him. His excitement is almost overwhelming. He's finally won! He's finally succeeded at something! He's finally going to be human again. ]

The heart, boy. Give it to me and you will be free. But you will be you. Not who you think you should be.

I got it, I got it!

[ So what if he isn't going to be Finn? He doesn't want to be Finn. He wants to be himself. He scrambles up onto the massive hand, blind to the chaos around them. The heart is in his backpack, but apparently that's enough. Suri cups him in both hands, and he feels himself change, just like he felt it when he first became a sword. Then it's over, and Suri sets him down on the ground. ]

Good boy. Now, escape while you can. They will not forgive.

[ Fern reels for a moment while Suri distracts the dragons that were lingering nearby. He did it. He did it! He- What- What did he do? There's still so much adrenaline pumping through him (real now, not a magical fascimile) that he can't quite parse his new feelings, but something is terribly wrong. But Suri is right, there's no time. He has to run. He nods up at the giant glob, his expression no longer manic. ]

Thank you.

[ He turns and runs. Something massive and terrible is waiting just at the edge of his mind. It will catch up with him soon.

Continue watching? ]

C) Into the world
[ This is a wildcard! Come at me! I dare you! ]

a

[purevanillacookie]

[ Fern is the only one Truthless ponders leaving. He's not forgiven the other for what he did to him. It was him that started this, his actions that began the downward spiral. So he watches as Fern drifts into the sea of flesh and webbing, and considers turning away.

But that would be a waste of the heart Fern stole.

He lifts his staff and jams it into the brand. It gets stuck immediately and Truthless summons the same hands he's used before. They creep through the brand and wrap around Fern, flattening and sneaking between him and the brand to try and add a layer.

The shadows blink at him. Glare. They seem to hiss violently, whisper something at the edge of his hearing. The hands don't seem to want to wrap around him, grudgingly doing so. ]

Wake up. Fight. I told you not to waste it.

Dipper Pines | Gravity Falls (CRAU)

[ghostharasser]

The Reef is Immortal

[Dipper has been pacing along the outline of this particular stretch of Brand for a few minutes now. Every now and then, he stops, seems to have an ...angry conversation with himself? And then goes back to pacing.]

[One might think he's gone off the deep end but, like, it's Dipper so it's hard to say.]

[After a certain point he stops, takes a deep breath, smacks his cheeks a little, and proclaims.]

Okay! Here goes literally nothing!

[And walks straight into the brand.]


The Mass of Sorrow: Part A

[As you come to, it becomes apparent that you are ...moving. On a bus, apparently, as it hits a particularly deep pothole and you feel it through your entire skeleton. You're sitting in the very back, and the soft warm tones of dusk as setting in.]

[Sitting next to you is a boy, maybe eleven or twelve. He's curled up and looking out the window. You get the feeling you were having some kind of conversation a moment ago, to which he responds in a sullen tone.]

...I'm not in the mood.

[Very distantly, you feel the ground shake. Weird. Maybe it was another pothole?]


The Mass of Sorrow: Part B

[Mason Pines has been awfully ...busy of late, it seems. He normally had a tendency to keep to himself, often letting his twin sister be the social butterfly unless something had caught his interest. He was from that house out in the woods that had been here before the arrival of the Grove proper, so the Pines were neighbors, but Mason never acted particularly like he was a member of the town.

Until now, suddenly, he seems to have an interest in the history of the surrounding area. He's asking to talk to people around town, he's asking strange questions, and he's spending a lot of time in the library, looking through old, old books around the forest and its history.

Sometimes he spends hours in there, pouring over old, archaic texts, writing indecipherable text in a journal that does not look like a language anyone can understand.

All the while, it feels as though there is something hounding him. A devil at his heels. There is urgency in his every action and a tinge of mania. Something has him on edge and he's being awfully cagey about it.]

sorrow A

[theuniverseleads]

[Well! This sure is a non-sequitur! They have no idea what is happening on several different levels, but the overwhelming onslaught of visions and emotions has calmed down for the moment. So, this is fine. And they even found a friendly face!

They prop an elbow on the back of the seat, beaming their best Mabel impression.]

And what are you in the mood for? Not trapping people in a nightmare dimension, I hope.

kiera canorus / oc

[cryopathy]

i. memshare. open.
[bigass cw: child death, child abuse, victim blaming.]
[once the nethersea brand takes hold, you find yourself in a royal court that would not be out of place in tales of the fae. trees hundreds of feet tall form a canopy over the open-air gallery, their thousands of buds and attached lichens and fungi providing bioluminescent lighting to complement that of the full moon visible in the skylights between branches.

a majority of those in attendance possess the same exact golden eyes, with reflective pupils ever so slitted in the dim light.

on a raised throne of blood red mahogany, the only seat in the room, sits a woman who would look kiera's equal were it not for her sky blue hair and the golden eyes. the healthy fullness of her face and body would make present day kiera appear gaunt, even verging on sickly. atop her head rests a crown of delicately woven greenwood, half a dozen butterflies resting and occasionally flicking their wings on their perch of its fresh blossoms. a royal gown flows down and around her in curtains of sheer, iridescent layered fabric like the million microscopic scales of a butterfly's wing. her pointed ears, neck and arms are decorated with rose gold jewelry inlaid with glimmering blue opals. if ever there was an avatar of beauty and splendor on earth, it would be her.

like a handful of the beasts she embodies, however, the awe-inspiring allure belies poison within.

dozens of sets of those sharp eyes burn holes into a pink-haired child, no older than six, at the center of the room. an armored guard holding a crimson-stained knife stands above them and the lifeless, blood-let corpse of another one so small.]

I said, drink. [the empress' voice drips honey and venom in equal parts. at her word, the guard takes not-yet-kiera by the collar and shoves them to the ground, their face into the puddle of blood like one might a dog into its own urine.

all present watch them lick the still-steaming liquid directly off of the stone floor. their face burns in humiliation, but they refuse to cry, and they dare not defy the empress a second time.

witnessing this atrocity, and surrounded by fanatics who think it just, do you?]

ii. wildcard.
[reach out in discord to plot plz, your boy only had brainpower for one prompt 😭]

[unheiring]

[Luca could never forget that small child. He remembers them, clear as day, as they were trembling in the snow. And yet even if he didn't recognize them, he would still push through the crowd in a righteous fury. He's unarmed, but he doesn't need to be. He summons flame to his hand, holding it at bay to the crowd he knows fears it.]

Leave them alone. Stay back!

[He turns to the queen in the crowd next, allowing the flame to take the form of a blade instead.]

You will let them go. Now.

Stanley Pines | Gravity Falls CRAU

[charlastan]

+ GETTING CAUGHT (The set-up)

[Stan didn't exactly go looking for trouble here. You tell him something's dangerous and he (usually) listens and stays the hell away from it! Sure there's exceptions here and there, but he's usually pretty firmly on the side of "don't go messing around with weird magical things."

It's pretty hard to avoid when it's literally everywhere though. He's on his way back from getting firewood from wood that isn't actually cursed when it happens. When he recounts it later he won't be sure if he stepped on something or brushed too close to one of them membranes, but the moment he's caught he drops the firewood and yells as the brand spreads through his body, under his skin and along every nerve. His whole body shakes with the effort to free himself but something is holding him back, pulling him under. He'd rip it out by hand if he could, but it's harder and harder to stay present. There are voices, but they're hard to hear with the sound of flickering flames in his ears. And he's...sad? No, heavy. Heavy, like an anchor, pulling him down into something he doesn't want to be a part of.

Inevitably though, he sinks.]

A. A SMALL SPACE (Memory 1 CW: WILL HAVE TEETH STUFF EVENTUALLY)

[It's dark. At first it's just dark, but more details creep in, slowly.

The space is small. The ground rumbles in almost a rhythm, but occasionally there's a thump as Stan (a younger one, in his l͖̙̮̗ͣ̇̿ͧ́̀a̡͚ͬ̏͐͠t̶̥͈̰̠͉̺̞̦̾ͮ̀ͤ̽ͦ͆̌̆̕͞ĕ͖̲̼͕̬̲͐̓ͮ̉͐͆̋ ̤͈̼ͪ͒̔ͬ͝ț̯͚̭̜͔͖̻̄ͭ̂͆͆̒͡w̿ͣ͏̗͇̜͙͍̟͡ḙ̴͙̩̱̱ͫͥ̂͆̓͐ͅn̵̠̗̹͚͓͚͊͂͌ͯt̴͇̰̭̘̣ͮ̑͌͠i̴̺̦̙̱̠̅͂̐͛ͦ̿ͯ̽͝e̢͓͈̼͉̦̳̗̤̙ͩ́͟s̝͖̑͒̔̀̚ or so) hits his head on the...roof? It's hard to tell. As soon as it happens though, there's banging from somewhere, and a loud angry voice that can't be made out. Somewhere, there's a crackling of fire.]

¡̢̛͉̮͇̹̟̠̅̃ͣ̌C̳͉͚̹̘̻̐ͥ̃̓á̛͙̩ͮͨ̑͆́ͤ̔̀ḻ͈̲̯̻̭͓͇̔ͪ̀̕l̴̵̹ͥ͛̅̐͒̎͑ę̼̠͓̱͍͇̗̑̀͢s͉̹͔̻̣̳̘̘̒̌̓̎ͯe̷̫̮͚͉̪̰͔̹ͭͣͦ̀ͤ̽͊ ̳̪͈̦͇ͮ̿ͧ́͡l͕͚͓̪̖̾̃̎ͬ̍̂̂͒͘͟a̴̰̅͛͘ͅ ̡̎̒̚҉͉̳͠h͖̗̲̫̤̅̄͋̽̇̍ͤͣ̾ͅi̶̸̪̦̙͔̐ͬ́͡j̴̯͈̗̘̻̝̖̟͖̋͊ͥ̎u̮̬͉͍̟̗̘͙̽̈́̓̿̿ͦ̔ͭ́͘p̨͙ͭͬų̗͙̲͉͔̓̄ͩ̔̃ͬ̄̈́̕͞e͔̬̥͚ͯ̀̂ͣ͒͐ͩ̓t̷̺͊͘å̹̭̊̒̿̚ ̡̣̤̭̭ͭͫ̄̅͆j͖̙̥̻̭͔̺̋͊ͫ͆̄̉ͧͬ́ē̥̖̫͓̩̤̬͎͇͛͂ͧ͗̽̽͊̾͜t̟̻̼͖̤̗͎ͧ͆̽͂ͮ̇̀a̡͉̠̣͗̂͌̌̉̂͘!̴̙̲͈ͬ͌̎͡ ͒̔̇̾̐̂̍̐҉͇̱̣̝̣̩̮̞̟¡̠̫̠̹̰̖̥͔̏̆ͦ̑ͥ̽͟͜T̩̰ͦ̓͌̓̈́͟u̬̲͍̮̭̣̓͐͠ͅs̩̜̗̹̦̺̦͋͌̉̇̈́͒͝ͅͅ ̪͉̈ͥ̊ó̘̤͓̦͙̋ͮ̏͒͂̕͘r̼̺̩̻̓ͭͪ͐ͦ̊g̙̼̟̦̣̰̭̳͑ͬ͠a͚ͥ͋n̷̗͇̼̯͖̯̮̳͂͆̒͡ͅǫ̗͍͉̮ͫͫ̓͌̄̏́ͭs̷̲̏̈́͢ ͇̬ͩͩ̐͐̿ͯv̳̈̉͌̋̂́ă̶͖͔̞̺̭l̨̛̗̥̙͙̳̰̂ͬ̓̑ͅe̯̘̜̭̮͐̇ͭͯ́͝n̴̳̩̰̲̓̋́ ̹͓͚͓͙̯̩͖ͧ͂͞ͅm̞̟͖̳̼͇̮ͭ̿ͦ̇͂͢͠á̈́͊ͩ͂͟͏̣̮̜̙̬̩͈͈̳s̵̡̛̞͈̮͚͉͙̳̼͔̅͋ͭ̈́̈́͌ ̴͚̺̦̼̿ͬ̏̌͐q̶͚̖̫͙̓̾͋ư̂̊̂͗̌̓̍͏͍̲͖ē̆̀ͨͦ̋͗͏͕͕̝ ͈̮͈̳ͭ̾̓͆́ͫͦt̃̌͒̈͒̋̒͜͜͏̫̹̘̥͕͍̦̮̼ứ̱͖̙̬̞͍̹̜̄͌̏́!ͧ̉͋͛͌̿̐̉ͪ̀҉̖̫̳͓̤͈̹̀

Stan tries desperately to move, to ignore the pounding in his head and the wound in his side, but his ankles and wrists are bound and there's no room to try and get out of his restraints. The darkness curls around him deep in his lungs and it curls around any witnesses to this moment as well. There's only so much air in this trunk and he's going to die, he's gonna die, ḟ̞̺̝̻̲̤̘͊̈́̑ͨ̉ͪͅǘ̷͙͊̆̐ͬͩ̋̿̈͝c̛͈̮͍̊ͥ̆̕k̓҉̬̗̪͕̣̦͉̪͠ ͖͔͐̋̓̂̌ͅh̢͈̞̪͖̘͈̻̿ͯ̊̈͑̆͆e̛̞̓̾̑ͩ̐͗'̓̐̽ͧ͂͡͏̪s̮̪̯͐͘͢͡ ͓̤̻͚̮̲̖ͦͣ̎̀͗̂͢g̃̋̏ͮͮ҉̬̹ͅơ̢̱̯ͫ͋̃̉ͩ̉̈n̢͇̺̍̀ͮ̊n̷̝͉̱̓̽͗̒̀̕͜a̶͔̜̹ͨ̍̀̄̍͆͢ ̧̯͉̱̭ͬ͆̏̎͘D̳͈͙̝̰͙̗̠̅͂̅ͣ̉́̊̓͟͠I̮̞̟̱̹̓͆͌͛̂̋̀̑ͅE̷̹̹͖̤ͣ̓ͩ ̬̙̤͇ͥͪ̓̇̾̏̄ͯ̚I̹̬̠͚ͭN̢͉͈͍͇̫̣͍̤̫͋͆͌̑̔͆͝ ̳̤̩̼̩̻̎͋̚Ḩ̲͖̭͔̈̓̌́͜E̛͈̺̗̯̦͓̬̅̓ͅͅṘ̡̡͔̗̟̬̳̰̦ͧE̳̟̯̜̯̜ͪ͌̽ͩ̃ͤ͑ͫͥ h̶̯̯̱̖͛̿ͧͨͧ͒ͬę̥̖̑̽̆ͦ͌̉͟ ̺̜̜̥̟̎ͥC̝̥̰̬̻̗̄͛͢͝Ä͎͇̞̣̰́̕N̡̜͆ͬ͋͢'̳̩̟͉͉̹̌͐͒ͫ̊ͨͩ͒͘͡T̓̄͜͏̠̘̥̬̼̘͈ ͭ͑̎̒̂҉̟̙͙̳̺͉B̶ͩͮ̽̄̌̂҉͕͚Ŗ̸̥͇̥̻͉̦̿ͥ̆̽E̶̫̤̼ͫ͗ͫ̄ͫ̀͡͡A̧̨͔̟̻̻̮̥͉ͧͮͤ̂ͥ̎ͨT̓ͨͫ͌̄ͮ̚͡҉͇̮̬̥Ĥ̢̳ͨ̌̆̀ͅÉ̴̴͉͙̘͎̠̪̭̂͑̐ͬͦ

It isn't clear exactly how onlookers are able to see through the trunk and observe a moment of terror taking place presumably in motion, especially as the world around them is j̷̡͖̇͗̅ͦ̔͂̈́̿ͥu̮̹͕̙͊̌̒ͬ́͋͠͝ͅs͚̼̜͓̭̱̈ͧ̇ͫͮ͆̇͂͞͞ͅt̬͉̼̫͙͍͖͙̒ͣ́̓̍́ͅ ̤͔͍̭̓ͥ̇ͩ̂ͮ̚a͛̅̾҉̱̘̼̥͈̺̳ ̺̜̬̥̟ͭ̔̎ͩ͆͢d͙̘̬̟̘͉ͣͮͩ̆͡å̖̤̌̎͛͌͜r̴̳͇̬͉͙̝̱͉ͫ̂̈́͐͗ͯ͂ͨk̨̞̺͈͖̫̄̑ͯͦ͋̕ͅ ̴̛̜͖̼̞̝̉̎ͦͩ̓ͯ͂̕v̵̹̟̤͍̮͊̌o̫̥̳̘̻̊ͬ̿̇̆͋̚i̶̮̱̹̩̪̬̊̅͒̏ͅḑ͈̔́. But they will see the moment the panic in Stan's eyes becomes an animalistic desperation.

He has to get the fuck out of this trunk.]

B. ROCK BOTTOM (Memory 2)
[It's a motel room, presumably. Stan, now in his ê̴͖̒̎ͯͯ̏ͪḁ̠͇̠͉͖̳̊̿̋͒̒̀ͅr͇͍͇͉͉̩͕͇ͩ̏ͤ͟͜ͅl̲̱͙ͯͭ͋́ÿ̠̼̲̟̣̱̗̪̄̓̽̏́͝ ͪ̿͌ͩ̏ͮͤ҉͍̙̯̩̺̮̗͚͞͝tͭ̎̂͂ͭ͒҉̣̯͚͕̞͙̭̳̰h̨̯͓̽͐́ͧ͟i̥̺̓̍͑ͭ̃̐̐͠r̫̬͔̾ͪ͢ͅt̵̠̓̇̄̍i͐͐̋̊͒ͮ͂͠҉͖͜e̳̙͖̜̝͕ͭ̏͜sͧ͛̽ͮ̾҉̨̱͉̺͔̜̮̘, doesn't seem to notice that a large portion of the room is quite literally on fire, blue flames lapping at the edges. All of his worldly possessions are crammed into the small space, like c̵̨̣̤̍ͯ̎͆̉ͥh̸̰̞̝̦̪͇̘̘̍̎͋̊̈́e̮̬̘̪̹̯͇̪̝̓̀͒̈ͯ͋̊ͩ͘͡a̜̪͖̻̗̰̗̼ͨͫ̄ͧ̄͆ͮp̧̼̗̗̗̻̫͒̿̾̔ ̧̣̹̌ͮͩͪͬ̂̓͜͢ͅo̡̲ͤ͂́̄͛͝ľ̶̴͕̣̠̩̖̲̤̽̌̍d̗͙̣̪̰̪̗̾́ ̝̗̦̬̥̈́͊̇ͤ̍ͩ͞͞p̷̵̱͔̳̤͕͕͎ͤͩ͂͐ͅr̢̩͐̋ͅọ̩̳͍͙̹̤̜ͤͩ̈́̀ͥ͞d̤̠͕͎͈̥̿̉ͯ̔̐ͨͣ̃ȕ̸̠̤̗̩͈ͦ͑̈͝c̀̈́͛̈͆͏̱͎̠̞̮̼͕t̹̤̬̱̑s̴̛̻̜͍̟̭̙̩ͤ͛̔́̉̄̓̚̕ ̡͎͔̥͓̪̺̈͐ͪͪ̑́ͫ̒̀w̨̛̮̱̻̤͈͆͒ͩ̌͒̾͆̍̃͝ͅi̛̤̫̣̓̐̒̚t̲̼͉̙̟̑ͪ́h̤̹̓ͦ̋́ͥ̂ ̵͍̹̤̦͈̞̣̙ͦ͂̈̆h̴̼͚̩̭̠͔͚̳̖̍ͦi̅̅҉͓s̩͉̻̘̍͗ ̵͇͕̲̯̠̤̱̫̅̊s̴̥̲̥͕̺͕͎̽̕͡m̬ͬ͌ͩ̉ͣ͒̅͢i͇̠͕̐̋ͦͥ̃ͣͥͩ͠l̓̿ͭ҉̺͔̪͎͙̹̲́i̶͔̙̩̪͖̭ͤͮ̐̋ͨ̌ͣ͑ṋ͙͊ͩͫ͑̌͞͝ḡ͓̜̲̽̈͆͠͠ ̨̠̩̖̬̤̬̗̟̽́̃͝fͬ̄ͫ͆̄̋͛̈͏̦̬̘̜͇͎̗å̧̮̰̬͌ͥ͑̃̋̊c̝̊̿ͬͣ͂͂͞ë̬̥̜̪́̀ͯ̅̂͒͛ͩͫ̕͟ ̴͕̺̻͌̈́͗ͣͮ̌͜ö̶̥̥͉́̎̓͝n̴͓͖̯̻͔̫͋͋ͣ͂ͫ͌̌̓͟͝ͅ ̬̼̇͊ẗ͓̙́͘h̩̖͕̝̓͒̄̉̆ͬ́̀̚͜ͅė̻̪ͧ͢m̤̻̟̖̲͈̉͌͆̿̾͡.

He isn't smiling anymore though. T͚̣͇̣ͨͪͩ͟͡ͅḩ̰̥ͥ̄̓e̴̶̫̯ͥ͊̉̽͐ͧ͞ ̴̀̓̈ͩͣ̓̀̌͏̤̟͔ͅw̡̜͍͍̹ͣͧ̌͡a͎̭̰̗̲̙̼͍ͦͪ̏̂̈͑̓ͅl̹̄̎̆ͤ̚ͅͅl̮̮̝͂̾̒̿̌ͮͩ̏̕ͅp̀̈́̍ͧͪͧ͘͏̗̠̲̘̯a̴̡̡̞͔̝̫̤̻̰ͧͧͪp̹̼̱̬ͪ̍͂͢e̷̖͚̥͓̼͔̼͙̩͌ͮͣ̇̈́ͣ̅̃r̲͇̜̼͓͇ͬ͋ͨ͘͝͞'̷̲͇̜̍̌̄ͬ̅͗͝s̮̜͕͚̮̬̏̌ͥ͒ͪ͝ ̨̢͕͎̜͔̰̖̣̒̇̍̓̍p̷̫̮͕̥̤̪ͬ̓̌ͪ͢e͚̖͎̞̻̭̽̽͆̒̽ͭ́͟e̸̠̜̾͛̚͡͞l͓̲̣͗̕i̴̹͖̹͋̏̒̈͋n̹̳̼͔̲̰͆͋͛̓̚g̴͈̲̞̀͆͆ͧ̑͞,͖̪̗͈̤̪̼͔̈́̓͒̄̒ͩ͒͢ ̢̬̱͕͉̓ͧ̈́͆̅͝a̗̮̒͠͝ȓ͖͙̒̐̒̎t̸̶̜͔̯̥̖͙ͣ͋ͦ͑ ̽̅̾ͮ͗ͯ̑ͨ̑͏͚͔̠̗̜̖oͥ̈ͯ͗͏͍̲̼̟̪n̵̵̬̲̄̔̑͒ͭ͛ͥ̚ ̷͔̮ͫͯ̋ͪ͂̈́̚͟t̤̘̟͉͋̅̐͋̂͋́h̯̼ͧ̋͊̏̍̐ͣ̀̚͞e̿̆̐҉̹̰ ̶̻̙̩̼̤ͥ͗̑̔͢͝w̛̰̩̠̆͗ͯͦ̎ä͎͎̱́̃̿͗̆ͭ͢ļ̜̗̩̳̰̺͕̃́̂͗l̨̗̥̜͕̪͓̰̟ͣ̔͗̍̎̃͢͢ ̵͙̅̆ͨȉ̱̯̊͞ͅṣ̛͇̫̤̹͚̻̜͑̌̆ ̥̘͕̜̺͛͊̋̉̌̋͒̀b̃̌ͤ̾҉̝͉͈̲̥r̵̴͇̰͋̈̅͌ͫ̅ö̘̬̙͔͔́̿ͥ͑̕͞͠ͅk̯̭͕̖͉̍̃̆͊̄̅͘̕ḙ̢̦̻͋̉̍̀ͬ̋̾̕n̶̥̜͇͚͖ͮ͆ͣ̏͞͠,̧ͦ̽͛͐͏̭̺͖̰̭̖̙̰͢ ̷͍̬͕̥̣̘̰̰̳̾̋́ḁ̪̓ͯ͐͗͊n̨͎̺̠̬̳̟̠̩̽̾̓̓̉̆d̔͑҉̴̨̲̲͈̺ ̡͓̺̫͉̮̼̐͌̇̂̉̌͛e̛͇͈̪̘͙͍͍̱̓̏̔ͅv̨̳̲̪͖̼̦̯̓̊͢e̡̱͕̗ͭ̿ͅn̄̍ͤ̉ͬͮ͏̻̹̦͈̘̪̮͕ͅ ̼͙̯̤̠͆̈̽ͦ̇̉ͯt͓̗̺̘̯̘̙͑ͧ͟h̠̰̼̩͇̻̾̂̇ͧͪ̓̌́ͅe̲̼̦̫̝̝̳͊̏̓ͦ́̈ ͙̲͍̗̱ͫ̑ͬ̕c̸̢͉̪̉͗͒͗e̾͛ͨ̎͌͏̫̩̲͝ï̂ͭ̔̚͏̷͕̞̭̣͕̙ḽ̺͙̇̈̎͂ͬ͌i͖͔̪͊̿n͍͇͍͇̿̊̓͐̒͡ḡ̲̹̭͚̲͕̻̬͔ͫ̐̆̈ͮ̏ ̻͕̱̰̻͓̦͋̅̈̿̓̽̌́͠fͥ̇̎̊ͪ͒̀ͪ͜͏͉͈̺͔̹̝̲̣̫͞ą̫̯̳̼̳͚̪̳̓͋̒̇͡n̷̷̗͍͕͔͂ͩ̽̂̿͌́̚ ̷̨͈͙͖̳̘̬̘̐̓ͤ̿̋ͦ͒ͤ͘h͐͏̠̣̫̦̲̣̫á̷̖̻̒͐͡ņ̗͈͕͖̞͇̳͔͆́͐̈ͯ̈́̍͆g̱̜̹͓̟̜̙̩͆́̀ͬͫ͜s̨̙̝̼͇̬̫ͥ͊͋̆ͤ̈̚̚ ̶̢͕̫̲͓̳̙͓̙͑ͤͪ̔̓̿͡ą̵̴͍̭̌̊̾ͫt̢͈̱̥̦̪͎ͨͧͭ̓͞͡ͅ ̷̡̛̟̝͎̝͖͚̖ͭ̍̌ͯ͋̈́͗a̴̢͙̝͈ͭ̔ͪn̖̺͓̞̘̖͉̰͑ͦ̅̐͊ͨ̈́̍ ̪̼͔͎ͫͦ̈̃o̥̦̟ͤ̌ͨͮ͂̚d̺̰͓̥̖̩̩̠͌͋̐͋̇͑ͫ̕͘͠d̆̅̓͊͏̩̰ ̩̱̺͉͉ͩ̇̉̃̄̋ͨa̵̱̯̫̗̤͒ͤ̅̋͋nͦ̇̔ͪ͌̃̓͐̌͘҉̱͖̮̮͉̳͘g̼̘͕͈̘ͪ͋̆̏̉̔̔͢ḷ͔ͫ͆̾͜͟e̛͔̠̦̝ͨ̃ͯ̏ͣ̎ͦͭ́͞.̸͕́͠ As the fire burns all around him, Stan looks terrified. He's sitting on the bed in his underwear, and one might think he's staring into space, but he's just still. Listening for something, as his world burns around him.

And as soon as he hears it - and only he hears it - he whips out a baseball bat he s̙̬̙̖̪̯ͦ͛̍͒̔̀t̵̥̹̭̰̣̣͌̐̾̌ͦ͟ą̬̣̼̖̦͈͉̖͆̒s̵̸̙͇͎̹̫̠͇̻̃̂ͥ͆͒̒͢ȟ̲͕̮͉̫͔̈́̓͌̏̊̀̀͢͢e͓̜͖̻͍̳̱ͪ̇ͧͥ͢d̅ͤ͆̿̆ͩ̄͏̺ ̄̓̐ͯ̓ͯͭ̆҉̺̣̘̹̼̮̳̫b͖̬̭̾̍̽͒̐͢͟ͅę̶̧̤͎̖̏ͣͦ̚t͐ͪ̈̓̑͂҉̬̥w̯͈̞̳̘̾ͪͩͩͬě̱̦ͩ̎͌́̕͢ȩ̬͕̠̖ͫ͊͂̚n̗̥̩̏͛͐̅͛ͤ̇ ̨̥̩̺̺̪̟͂̿͘t̨̟̠̱ͧ̄̒̋h̢̳̆̆͐ͬ͊ͯ̕ë̹̬͙͖̖́̍ͨ̏̃͗ͧ̍͟ ̷̅̈̑͋̽̒͏̠͍b͎̳̘͐e̟̫ͮ͐̿ͫͥ͜͡d̷͇̘̩̖̤̫̘̲ͬ̋͌̓ͯ́̈̐ ̛̝̻̒̌͆̑͂̔̂͞aͮͯ̌ͮ͛̓̒͘҉͓͙n̶̝͉̦͒̆̒̏̿̈ͯͣd͉̫̲̞͓̈́͜ ̥̺͙̖̼̮̝̍̐̇ͧ̕t͗̃ͦ́͏̦̱̲̪͕̲̬h̃ͦͥͧ̚҉͔͎͖̥͎e̷̮͚͚̦̞͚̤̦ͭ̓ ̜̹̳͇͇̝̟̇ͫ̑̐ͮ͜ņ̯͈̜̗͚̹̥̤̿̒͋ͧ́̌i̡̙̦̙̪̺̭͓̪͈ͬ̿ͭ͟g̎̒̊́̾̽͛̀͏̻̩̫̗͚͎̺͍̺͠ḩ̠̮̪̭̜̥̜̻̎́̍̇̈ͭ̀͜ͅt̤̱ͩ͆ͮ̒̑̚͜s̡͚̣͋̇͢t̖̹͆͛̑͗͜͝a̟͗͗̿̈̓̆̾n̵̗͉̘̗̺̮͔̝͑̅̕dͫ̽̒͗ͫ̔ͪ̈̊͏҉̲̥ and brandishes it.]

C. BY THE SEA (Memory 3 - Past Life)
[In a very different setting, all is a lot calmer. No electric blue flames lap at the edges of this moment. The air's salty, and Stan's very young - couldn't be much older than Dipper currently is. He's dressed in a red striped shirt and heavy coveralls, and he's holding three nails in his teeth while nailing a fourth one to hold a new shelf in place inside the family store. The place is full of all sorts of old knickknacks from far off lands, or at least ones that his old man tells people are from far off lands. Some of them are even things Stan cobbled together himself! Weird little creature carvings being passed off as real artifacts from ancient times.

From the next room over, a stern voice calls out to him - one that's not easily impressed.]

You almost done in there? I've got stock to stock and you're taking almost as long as your good for nothing brother would've!

[Stan finishes the nail he's hammering, and then spits out the other three nails into his palm.]

Quit talking about Ford like that! And I'm almost done, unless you wanna do it yourself!

[There's some grumbling that turns into yelling, but Stan isn't really listening to his father anymore. He tunes him out entirely, moving the other end of the shelf up and down and eyeballing it until it's as level as it's going to get.]

D. WILDCARD (Whatever, Whenever!)
[Got something else in mind? Let me know!]

b to start

[ghostharasser]

[He leaped into the damn brand because he was so sure it had grabbed Stan. Through the horror that was whatever the fuck it did to their bodies, he grimly forces his way through. No stupid sentient hiveminded flesh wall is going to take away one of his uncles, goddammit.]

[Almost like his will did something to help him along, he ends up in ...a burning room. Blue flames set his nerves on edge, but they settle down once he recognizes the person in the room. He's seen this version of Stan before, and he lived briefly in their house in Trench.]

[But because of that, he knows this is a Stan years apart from the one he knows. He does not approach immediately, not until he knows what's on the other side of that door.]

Pure Vanilla Cookie | CookieRun: Kingdom

[purevanillacookie]

(( ooc: nesting options and open to wildcards! dm me and lets hash something out! ))

The Mass of Sorrow (memshare)

[purevanillacookie]

[ Truthless has managed, so far, to avoid the brand. He's even rescued quite a few people out of it. But with every inch it creeps closer, avenues of travel close off, and though he is currently roomed in the Inn, even he must leave it from time to time. Especially when he makes a round to check to see whose stumbled into it this time.

Which is how he ends up ensnared himself, with only a vague feeling of annoyance as the paralysis crawls over his body and pulls him into the webbing.

He should have just left them and stayed inside. ]

A Little Lamb
[ The field one might find themselves in stretches on forever, lush long grass waving in the warm breeze, while the sun shines down bright and cheerful from above. Cream sheep move around you, chewing contently on the grass, while a few lambs prance about in defiance of staying close with the herd. It carries with it an overwhelming feeling of peace. You could simply lay down in the grass and rest a while. Whether you be Cookie or something else, the sweet wind and sweeter scents are comforting and relaxing.

Well, it's relaxing until a young shepherd surprises you with a "Hello!". The Cookie is small and beaming upwards at you cheerfully. There is a baby lamb by his side, which he's holding on to so it doesn't run off again. ]

Hello! Are you lost? I don't remember seeing you before! That's okay, my lambs get lost sometimes too! What's your name? I'm Pure Vanilla Cookie! It's nice to meet you! Do you need help finding your way back? I can show you the way back to the village! Or were you going somewhere else? There's not much out here just lots of grass! And you can't eat it, it's not very tasty! I know, I've tried it!

[ BREATHE, LAD, BREATHE. ]

A Card Game (past life, semi-closed to Stan and any other old geezer I guess)
[ ... Hm. Percival is pretty sure Stan is cheating. No, he knows Stan is cheating. The other man crinkles every time he moves, how can he not be? But Percival isn't sure if he's cheating in this particular moment. He reaches up to take his glasses off and fold them before sticking them into his breast pocket, his lips pushing into a frown as he studies the cards in his hand. If he takes much longer, he knows the other is going to start teasing him. Finally he reaches out to pick some chips up off his side and lays them in the growing pot in the middle. ]

Call.

[ He's not going to raise again, he's already down enough to owe the man several rounds. ]

Let's see your hand. [ Cheater. ]

Zonari, by request

[corrupter]

[Local Gargoyle (evil version) leaves the Grove, waits a bit, and then goes "I wonder what my weird little pets are up to :)" and tries to come back, only to get her hooves stuck in the Brand and fall over, more at 10.

Before she pries herself out, and despite memories being one of her domains, you might get a glimpse into her head (at the cost that she'll get one into yours, whoops).

Your choices are: Insight into her experiments in the world of memory, a look into her domestic life before meeting y'all, or a look into that after meeting y'all. Anything else just drop me a request okthx.]

honestly. dealer's choice on zonari's memory :3c

[cryopathy]

[a dhampir and a gargoyle walk into a brand --

what a coincidence! one of her weird little pets definitely gets snagged on their way to the tavern. intent to drink because they miss their weird little pet garg. they just maybe don't expect to run into her in a completely different time and place? ugh. the grove is so goddamn weird.]

Mamika | Re:Creators

[magicalsplashflare]

I. Happy birthday! (Inn, Open)

[ While the lobby of the Inn itself is safe from the Brand, the kitchen just off of it is... not. Not entirely. So Mamika can be found outside, flying over the brand so she can go to the river and bring back one of the Seaborn babies, setting it inside of the kitchen and just sort of... staring at it. She gestures to the brand and makes "poof" sounds at the baby, who doesn't understand, because it is a baby.

...

After some time, she finally convinces it to push the brand back so the kitchen is accessible, and she gives a relieved little sigh and pats the Seaborn, putting it on the table to hang out with her as she... well, apparently, bakes? She turns on the oven and starts pulling out stuff to make a cake.

Along the counters, she props up some books from her bag. She's featured on the covers, but there's also two other girls along with her. The books are still wrapped in plastic, implying Mamika has never opened them. If you enter, she waves you down. ]

Do you know how to make icing?? [ There's so much flour on her hands. ] I can't remember off the top of my head...

II. Stuck (Outside, Open)

[ If you are out in the brand and starting to lose your consciousness to it, Mamika will gladly float above to take your arm in some attempt to hoist you. Unfortunately, she's not all that strong, so it is a little bit of a struggle. ] Hey...! Hold on, I-I got you! Let's get you- hhn- out of here!!!

III. Memories (Outside, Open)

[ If you're seeing her memories, there's one prevalent one that comes to mind. You will see Mamika, flying through the air as she normally does. It's night, and she seems to be going to an abandoned warehouse far outside the city. She seems... determined, but worried. There's a matureness to her that one wouldn't expect from a pink sixteen-year-old.

There's another woman inside. She's sitting on a throne made of rubble, looking at nothing in particular. You know. Standard anime villain stuff- ]

I've been thinking about it for a long time: Are you lying to me? Or are those other guys the ones lying? Is it true that gods are in this world? It might be true that gods can change our worlds... but there's something important you've been hiding from me. We can't increase the strength of creation by disturbing the yoke of the world. Disturbing this world only increases the distortion in the worlds that collided. Right?

...Altair.

You finally learned that name.

They told me. One of the people you call "the enemy". That's why I came here. If you're trying to destroy this world, then I must stop you. Because I am Magical Slayer Mamika. I'm the main character of the story I love.

Why didn't you keep quiet about joining their side?

That would be dishonoring my friends. Altair, you're my dear friend, too. [ The white-haired woman finally stands to turn and look at Mamika here. ] That's why I want to save you. What you're doing is revenge... right? A promise with the god you loved. The god who loves you. But the revenge you're planning is so sad! This world connected you with your god! Trying to end it out of revenge... An ending like that... is so sad.

I hate all of you. I hate your stories. I feel sick when I think of the abhorrent gods that created you. Spitting out stupid stories... everything in this world is vile. This world rejected my ally. All she wanted was a place to belong. Only a tiny, humble wish. But the world humiliated her and ignored her existence. They spat on her and laughed. They treated her like she didn't exist. Just like it was easy for them, doing this is easy for me, too. I will destroy everything - including you. Destroy and destroy and destroy more, until everything in this world disappears. That's the reason I'm standing here today.

Isn't that just a story she gave you!? It's not to constrain you!!!

Now that you've been released from the yoke of your story, why do you wear the mask of a hypocrite?

That's not it. I used to be a character who was designed that way. But after coming to this world, I changed. I chose this life. I saw a lot of things in this world. I met Alice and you. I decided to become Magical Slayer Mamika again!

I am the same. She was abandoned by this world. I will never forgive the merciless story that gave her a role like that. I am not merely following a plot outline written by someone. This is something I decided myself.

I heard what happened to your friend. But I'll show that I can accept your sadness. We all carried pain and sadness with us in our old worlds. I'm sure I can accept your sadness too. I want to save your soul. And also...

Setsuna's soul.

[ ...And then not even a second goes by as a blade stabs through her chest. ]

IV. Wildcard
HMU if u wanna do something else~!

I

[ghostharasser]

[Dipper is a busy body so he is everywhere all the time. When Mamika calls out to him he stops what he’s doing to see what she’s up to.]

Icing? Yeah, I know a few recipes. What’cha making?

Loop | In Stars And Time

[theuniverseleads]

((hi hello i exist, pls be gentle with me i'm probably gonna be slow... all of these are memshare prompts, u do not come to me to have a good time these are Bad Times Only. also this is ur obligatory big ISAT spoilers warning u should be aware of this by now i play Spoilers The Character. if you're tagging Spoilers The Character and don't want spoilers the only safe prompt is A, yw

also uhhhhh cw: suicide it will come up this is Loop unfortunately it's not an avoidable topic, but at least we stay silly))

[A - How can I help you, stardust?]

[Colour drains away as everything melts into a big hivemind soup. As the world settles back into solid shapes, you find yourself sitting on the roots of an enormous tree framed by a curtain of heavy branches. The leaves are thick enough that it would be dark under here, if not for the star-headed person sitting across from you.

Loop beams cheerfully, hands laid neatly in their lap.]

Heya, stardust! How can I help you on this wonderful new loop?

[B - Back to the stage]

[You're in some sort of gloomy castle, windowless rooms and narrow hallways built from black stone. Pale wisps of light float in the air above your head, aided by the time-frozen torchlight that hangs along the walls. It's cold, and the air feels heavy, stagnant, like this place has been sealed away for far too long.

You're among a small group of people—though, regardless of whether you recognize them or not, all but one of their names escape you. Leading the party is Siffrin, followed by a Fighter, a Housemaiden a Researcher and a Kid... and now one extra person? Or maybe you're taking over the role of another? You know all your lines, right?

Whatever the case may be, Siffrin seems like he knows where he's going. He keeps a brisk and steady pace, passing doors and floating globs of water without a glance. Everything seems to be going fine here... but there's a thick tension in the air, like a spring wound far too tightly. Best tread carefully, visitor.]

[C - A very special kind of giving up]

[You're... somewhere.

The world is a lightless void, stretching on and on in every direction. It would be completely empty... if not for the cloaked figure crumpled on the floor, arms wrapped tightly around themselves, hat discarded, their body wracked with sobs. Siffrin wails into the silence, something desperate and dangerous laced in their cries.]

I just want it to be over! Someone, anyone...!!

[... the air tastes sickly sweet. Above, a faint sprinkle of lights begin to shine into the darkness.]

[D - ??????]

((pick the mystery prompt and i will think of something insane just for you))

C!

[alphacraft]

[ It's been long enough that Odile doesn't recognize the smell immediately. And the voice... She's never heard anyone sound so desperate and broken, except maybe-

Well, she certainly recognizes the hat left discarded on the ground. ]

Siffrin...?

[ The knowledge that this isn't exactly present reality is irrelevant to her right now. She reaches out to them instinctively, but she's not sure what she should be doing. Would a hug be appropriate? Would touch make things worse? Should she ask them what's wrong? Should she tell them everything will be alright? Why can't she ever have the answers at times like this? ]

Luca Aurelius | OC

[unheiring]

i. I Thought I Left the Pain Behind Me — Memshare: cw: poisoning, parental death.

[One minute, it’s the web. In the next, the world shifts, and a dark alleyway seems to manifest in the space. Only the moon and a few distant lamps on either side of the alleyway seem to provide any kind of light. Yet it’s enough to see the scene before you..


On the ground lays a man with wine-colored hair. Blood pools around him slowly, coming from a wound on his side. It isn’t particularly deep, yet nevertheless he seems agonized. It quickly becomes clear why. The veins within the man’s throat and face have turned black, and strain hard against the skin. Each breath the man takes is agonized. Every time his mouth opens, every attempt made to speak, only ends in a gurgle of blood and toxins.

Above him, Luca Aurelius holds a knife. He’s far younger than the man most people of the grove know. His hair, piled high atop his head, is loose in its tie, while his eyes — adorned with golden makeup — are wide and terrified.The tunic he wears, once a bright, pristine white, is now stained a permanent maroon with the blood that’s been spilled.

And yet it’s not nearly enough blood for the man to bleed out peacefully. There is still plenty of life left within him, which means many minutes left yet to suffer. It’s hard to say whether the boy above him seems to realize it. He seems far more preoccupied with extending a bloody hand. From it, a flame extends.]

Please, [The boy’s whisper is small, haunted even.] Save him. He’s of your brood. Surely you can spare the power to heal him.

[The flame flickers for a moment, and Luca’s eyes flicker with hope. Just as quickly, the flame goes out, leaving with only the light of the moon once more.]

Please!

[Whatever Luca seems to be calling for does not seem to answer. And so he looks to the blade in his hand, and then the man below.]

Father… I -

[The man’s hand lifts. It curls around the hand clutching so tight at the blade, loose though his grip is. He cannot seem to say anything, but the meaning is clear.]

I’m sorry…

[A ripple seems to move through the memory after that. Instead of the boy that had just sat before the corpse, the more familiar iteration of Luca now kneels in the blood. He passes the knife back and forth between his hands, careless of the mess it leaves. He doesn’t look up, but it’s clear from his words that he is aware he is not alone.]

If you intend to pass judgement upon me, save it.


ii. You Pulled me Back into the Darkness — Memshare

[Or perhaps it is an entirely different place that manifests around you. Instead of an alley, a cavern of rough hewn rock takes shape. The stone forms a bridge, moving toward a central area almost shaped like a nest. The space is lit from below, a pool of magma bubbling idly some several tens of feet downward. Despite the distance, the heat that radiates from it is nearly overwhelming.

From within the nest, a massive, bird-like creature seems to rest. Its head lifts, craning down at a figure standing before it. This figure is a woman, one with deep red hair not dissimilar to Luca’s. Within her hands is clutched a spear, one with a head made of pure crystal. She brandishes at the bird as it observes her.]

I will ask only once more. [The woman’s voice is anguished.] Save him. He’s of your brood, just as I am. Take from me if you must, but save him!

[The creature’s head shirks back. Were it possible, it might look as if the creature was disgusted. At once, a booming voice fills the air, though the stone seems not to feel the force of it. No, whatever speaks, it does so within the mind only.]

Insolent girl. You will make no demands of me. You were Blessed for the same reason he was not. I require only strength. A sickly boy who cannot lift a blade has no place within my flock.

[The woman’s eyes close.]

Then you leave me no choice.

[Her arm pulls back, in the same space as the creature’s wings spread out wide. Flame begins to manifest around its body, drawing first toward its chest, then toward its throat. Neither creature seems keen to relent.

And so the question becomes… what will you do?]

iii. You Didn't See for What it Was

[Wildcard. Ask me for a different type of memory, or just hit me with something you come up with.]

ii

[kingincognito]

[ Joshua did not intend to stumble into anyone's memories like this. He has tried so, so hard not to intrude, not after the first time that gave him... such odd insights into his own supposed past here. That it could be anyone, without consent, has made him do his best.

But even the best of intentions can fail. And here he is, facing a familiar voice. He knows this one well. From when he'd attempted to speak to Luca's Phoenix.

A sickly boy who cannot lift a blade has no place within my flock. But his own Phoenix had awoken in him as a babe in the cradle, despite his frail body. It had put so much strain on his small shoulders, but he persevered nonetheless. Whoever this Phoenix is talking about, it is a discredit to the strength that lies within that frailty.

Joshua feels his blood boil. But he does nothing, not yet. This is a memory, this is not his to intrude upon.

Not until it seems there is no other choice but for the two of them to face off. His hands clench into fists, and he steps forward. An Eikon - no, a Beast, with what he assumes is a similar power - against a human is a death sentence. ]

Leave her alone.

[ His voice vibrates with the double-vocals of a semi-primed state, feathers spreading from his back as flame licks at his skin and his hair, eyes glowing bright blue. ]

Timekeeper Cookie | Cookie Run

[ephemeralflow]

I. Sometimes the past echoes in the future

[Timekeeper notices that something is wrong with the night well before it's been long enough for most others to realize that dawn isn't coming when it should. Of course something goes extra wrong with time the moment she's started feeling herself again after Winter's sickness. Why wouldn't it?

It does, at least, appear to be a quiet, calm sort of wrong. A boring one, in other words. It may be possible to catch her hovering a few feet off the ground by her tower, staring up at the oversized moon with a mildly annoyed smile.]

A hundred million reasons for the night to keep itself, and to think I cannot tell which it is. At the very least, I know you are no enemy of this world's Sun.

[No she's not worried about Beiwe, shut up. That's not her style. It's not like she thought the sun goddess was cool or anything.]

The question is whether you steal the sky of your own volition or not, I suppose. Something stranger yet will rear its head soon, I imagine. And to think I have to wait for it!

[Waiting is boring, so if you do not encounter her here, you may run into her around the Grove early in the... not-day? She's visiting just about everywhere, briefly checking in. To anyone who knows her well enough, that's a little alarming, actually!

And, if she notices you, she might stop you for a moment.]

You've not seen anything else odd happening yet, have you?

[It's asked not with worry, but with impatience.]


II. Starting long before we were born

[Of course, when the "tree" rises into the sky and the Nethersea Brand starts winding voraciously through town, it's Timekeeper's curiosity that does her in. There it is, there's the weird thing happening, finally she can not be bored!!! Obviously she has to go see what it is, and while she's smart enough not to try touching it directly, not even she has eyes in the back of her head. And the moment a small piece catches her wrist from behind, it's the sudden weight of that intense grief that brings her crashing to the ground, unable to even try to move out of it as the webbing crawls over her.

Memories from Timekeeper's current life that can be experienced include watching from the time rifts as the future of another timeline spirals out of control and its version of her falls into despair, her trolling the shit out of her organization's janitor, and her back when she was still Croissant, hanging out with her friends shortly after being offered a position at the TBD.

Memories from her past life may include various theatre gang encounters, or any time she helped someone repair or build something.

Wild card prompts for memories are welcome as well!]

II past life shenanigans

[theuniverseleads]

[Does Cassie have a workshop? doesn't matter, surprise bitch someone is kicking open the door]

Cassie!! Disaster has struck! A blood-soaked tragedy has befallen this accursed town, and now we've nothing left but to accept our miserable fates...!

[They collapse dramatically onto the nearest chair, hand splayed out across their face. Their expression: devastated. This is serious fucking business. The tragedy to end all tragedies. The worst possible thing in the world.]

Our lead... has suffered an accident.

But more importantly—the trap door is broken. Big hole in the middle, not opening correctly.

However will we find a way to repair it before tomorrow night?? We cannot have the dramatic descent into hell without a hell in which our protagonist can descend!!

[They don't actually give a fuck about Mayoi, that man is replaceable (by them) but if the show gets cancelled then how are they supposed to take over as understudy???]