sticksandbones | EVENT 021

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EVENT 021

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

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[Accidentally, as if Nick wouldn't notice the space next to him conspicuously absent pretty much immediately.

He peels his eyes open blearily, staring up at the ceiling with a low sound like a beached whale, flopping one arm over and expecting it to fall across Asher's shoulders as usual...but it does not. It falls onto the empty bed, which prompts him to crack one eye open even further as he spreads his palm out flat against the rumpled sheets. It's easy to tell he's not been gone long, so he'll drag his ass up and yawn loud enough to wake the neighbors, then pat the bed blindly...then the floor until he finds his boxers so he can put them on.

Anyway yeah if you were wondering Asher IS covered in bitemarks congratulations on having a healthy marriage-

He'll be joined by his partner soon as Nick pads out onto the balcony, settling easily into place beside him with their shoulders touching.]

Can I borrow a smoke? Think you owe me one for wakin' me this damn early.

["Borrow" says man who shares everything with Asher... he's going to do all the work, though, taking the cigarette from the box and pressing it to Nick's lips for him, before he leans in and lights the end with his own.

Hmm, this totally wouldn't happen in the non-past-life haha—]

My bad. Figured I fucked your back up bad enough that you'd wanna laze about for a bit.

[As he says that, he places his hand on the small of Nick's back, rubbing circles into it and purposely avoiding the scratches... 'cause boy! Boy, y'all's healthy marriage has resulted in Injuries.]

I don't think I could've slept in longer anyway. I'm having fucking stress dreams about the tomatoes. Think I've lost it.

[Off the balcony, he gestures with his other hand to where the tomato plants are growing below. He swears to God if he goes down this morning and there are more hornworms on his plants he's Gonna explode.]

[ Jokes on you these are Ezell's hornworms now. He's running away with a jar of them now, byeeeeeee- ]

Well sure, normally. But as soon as you leave the bed, s'like the fuckin' Arctic north enters the bedroom. Nobody's sleepin' through that.

[He's also just being dramatic. He likes sleeping close to warm husband, sue him.

Nick swings his head around to look out towards the garden, and sure enough, he can see Asher's rows of tomatoes all looking healthy and happy, at least from Nick's perspective.

He snorts, bumping him lightly with his shoulder.]

The hornworms? Again?

[Too bad Nick didn't eat bugs in his past life-]

You ever thought'a gettin' bugs to combat those? Like, uh...don't they say ladybugs are good for plants or somethin' like that?

[Shoulder bump.]

They're good for aphids and mites, not so much big caterpillars like that. If we had an aphid problem, I'd already have ladybugs out there. Could introduce braconid wasps, but I don't think the kids would like that.

[Podenco and Popukar would lose their MINDS.]

I'm debating on if I try to avoid them entirely by planting nasturtiums in with the tomatoes, since the scent is a deterrent. Otherwise, I think we're building a chicken coop.

Oh shit, chickens? You mean that?

[It is...hard to tell if he's joking or not, but by the way he's grinning he may not be.]

I've always wanted to keep chickens.

[Nick smirks from ear to ear, resting his head against Asher's shoulder.]

You're too kind, babe.

Seriously? You didn't tell me. I could've gotten you chickens last year for Christmas instead of that necklace.

[He points, right between Wolfwood's titties, to where the necklace in question would hang and/or Is hanging if he wore it to bed.]

Guess we're grabbing wood to make a coop today. Hope you didn't want to enjoy your weekend, babe.

Hey now, I ain't gonna complain about the necklace.

[Which he IS wearing, by the way. It's shining proudly, right there between his titties.]

The chickens can be this year's Christmas present. Maybe an early one. Present for both of us, anyway.

[He shakes his head, bringing his cigarette between his lips again.]

Ain't like I really had anythin' planned. And I'd rather be buildin' a chicken coop than washin' windows at the schoolhouse, believe you me.

Six months early, yeah. Look, let the other teachers handle the windows, yeah?

[Asher smokes down the rest of the cigarette and tosses the butt into the ashtray they keep up here, stretches his arms high over his head and pulls on either elbow to stretch his shoulders out, then takes a half-step backwards to begin retreating back into the house.

Before he fully turns around though, he makes sure to slap Nick right on the ass.]

C'mon, let's get ready. I don't want to be out there hammering wood when the weather gets too hot.

Oi-!

[Nick jolts when his ass gets slapped, pivoting too late to reach out and grab at Asher as he passes. He will follow him back inside after that, making sure to catch up to him and lean over from behind, kissing- and then biting- the side of his neck.]

Better watch those hands. I ain't afraid to drag you back to bed. I'll show you hammering wood.

[Oh, biting him... gayass. Asher leans back after said bite to nip Nick on his earlobe for his crimes.

What is Up with you two and Biting, honestly.]

Trying to add extra hickies so Aldric gives me a look when we head over, huh? [He bumps his hips into Nick's, hey hi, and then separates from him before walking over to the dresser. The shirt he pulls on is, in fact, one of Nick's button-downs.] Maybe once we nail a bunch of wood together to form a coop, I'll let you nail me. Sound good?

[Can't wait for you idiots to wake up from this and gag a little bit at yourselves honestly.]

[Wolfwood is going to wake up from this and fucking explode. He will be oscillating so violently between absolute disbelief, the desire to Gag, and wanting to lock himself in the bathroom to cry. You know, all normal things.

Nick, on the other hand, is having a wonderful morning thank you for asking. He's grinning as he follows Asher in and goes for the dresser too to grab something to put on, and while the undershirt he puts on is his own, the blazer he tosses on over that? Asher's.]

Ooh-ho, you'd better believe I'm holdin' you to that.

[He tugs on the lapels of his blazer to adjust it across his shoulders, then starts for the stairs with a nod of his head down them.]

But let's make sure the kids ain't eatin' the walls first cause we were too late on breakfast.

[Yeah they're definitely gonna kill each other when they wake up. RIP. Maybe if they're both lucky they won't have to see their past-life explicit memories—

Meanwhile, Asher thinks to himself: God damn I'm lucky, and leans back to give Nick a kiss on the jaw before they head downstairs.]

They'll be fine.

[They are not eating the walls, they are sitting at the dining room table being served food as they walk down. See, y'all ain't late! If only because Lena is more responsible than both of you, but to be fair that means it's going to be Asher's turn on dinner tonight. The trade-off.

She gets a hug for her effort, and then Asher sits down at the table after quite literally stealing a pancake off the top of the stack she's carrying.]

Asher.

Morning, Len. We're gonna head out early and grab some wood to work on a project.

[HA...HAHA...at least they're safe, for now.

Nick is still smirking like a Cheshire cat as they go downstairs to join the rest of the family, with Nick thumping down behind Asher as he makes a bee-line for the kitchen table. Thank God for Lena, honestly.]

Morning. Yeah, sorry Len, can't stay long.

[It's Nick's turn to give her a one-armed hug before grabbing his own pancake to go, walking around the table to take his seat by Asher (but not before giving each of the kids a kiss as he passes them).]

Hope you guys like fresh eggs, cause we're 'boutta have a ton of 'em.

[The kids are various mixes of surprised and confused. Podenco, as one of the older ones, is pretty smart and sort of Onto Them, but doesn't say anything. Asher can tell by the look in her eyes that she's got them figured out. Lena, too, has them clocked as the ~~only~~ fellow responsible adult here.

Lisa and Popukar, though, very much voice that they think the boys are going to the market to not only get wood, but also to get food. Which makes sense, because right now they ate all the eggs in the fridge, so like... yeah, dad and papa are going out to get eggs. But why a ton of them...

While the girls spectate on how many eggs is "a ton" (Lisa suggests "at least a hundred"), Asher Very Maturely steals a sausage link off of Nick's plate that Lena had so nicely set up for him. Rude-ass.]

[Listen maybe their chickens WILL lay at least a hundred eggs, you don't know.

Nick, meanwhile, makes a mockingly affronted sound when Asher steals one of his sausages, prompting him to pull his plate closer to himself.]

Oi. I'm the one who needs more meat on his bones, not you.

[He'll be nice and swap it for a piece of bacon while the kids giggle.]

You're gonna have to get better at stealing, papa-bear. [Gross.] I'll throw you a bone this time.

[You're DISGUSTING you two are NASTY ICKY. Shamare is ROLLING HER EYES.]

[One of Nick's favorite past-times is being gross enough to make the kids be all EW COOTIES about it. It's hilarious.

Which is why Nick will lean across the corner of the table and kiss the bridge of Asher's nose as a thank you before biting that piece of bacon in half.]

Oooh papa-bear, I like that one. Use that one more.

[I'm so sorry they will be leaving soon-]

[And so the boys flirt over breakfast, because they're disgusting... everyone eats their fill, though (Asher winds up finishing some of Lisa's food when she gets full a bit earlier), and then it's off to the markets with them.

For normal men who are not Jacked like these two, moving a shitton of lumber would be an impossible task without a wagon or something. For Asher, it's just a matter of lumping all of it on his shoulders and holding it all precariously stacked high overhead, the Herculean task of actually moving this much wood from place to place hardly daunting to him.

They'll make it back to their yard eventually, and then Asher will toe the gate aside and trek his way to the back, where there's an empty-enough patch they can set stuff down.]

Alright. ...we probably should've drawn out blueprints or something first, but I think I have an idea of how this should look.

[He's wandering off to the shed to go get tools now.]

Fuck it, we don't need blueprints. We've winged shit before and it was fine.

[You should NOT be winging building a literal structure but okay whatever you do you-

Nick will help heft the lumber over to where Asher indicates though, huffing and wiping sweat off his brow while Asher disappears into the shed to grab their tools.]

We just need to figure out where the coop'll sit, and then mark out where we want the fenced-in part from there. There's plenty'a room back here in the yard for it.

[Well he didn't marry Nick for his planning skills, that's for sure.

Asher emerges from the shed with two hammers, a drill, and a hand saw. He'll put them down, then disappear back inside to drag out the stand they'll be cutting the wood down to size on. Only then does he finally respond to Nick, patting his back pockets as he does when he realises he didn't grab any pencils or tape measures. Sigh.]

We could use that patch of dirt along the east side of our fenceline where I couldn't get shit to grow last summer. I think that soil is cursed.

[Realistically it's just low-quality and Asher didn't have the patience last summer to deal with it. Probably for the best, because now it can be a building for chickens.

He's gonna go back into the shed to grab the pencils and tape measure now.]

You watch, the second we put chickens on that dirt it's gonna start growin' flowers n'shit.

[Well, most likely not with chickens stomping all over it, but you never know! Asher is the plant doctor, not him.

By the time he returns with the pencils and tape measure, Nick is hefting one of the hammers in his hand because of course he is, like you don't even need that yet.]

We got any idea how many chickens we want this coop to hold?

Fuck, we're gonna be eating eggs for the rest of our lives daily if we get too many. One rooster, four hens? If we need more, we can get more. [But he doubts they're gonna need more.] We've gotta have laying areas for the hens, and the rooster's gonna need space...

[Math is mathing right now, he's marking out an area as they speak.]

C'mooon. You say that like it's a bad thing. I could eat eggs for the rest of my life daily. Don't be a coward.

[He flips the hammer once, then decides to not do it again in the event he accidentally drops the damn thing on his foot and ruins their whole day.]

But sure, I'm fine with that. We'll have enough eggs for us and to hand 'em out around town.

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EVENT 021

me wiggling excitedly

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