sticksandbones | EVENT & TDM 022

EVENT & TDM 022

WAKE UP

Being out in the woods is, for some people, an ordinary day. You may or may not be one of those people — you almost certainly don’t remember going camping, do you? — and yet you emerge from a tent and think to yourself, hm, that’s quite odd! Where is the nearest civilization anyhow? If you’re brave enough, perhaps you set out to seek it, walking toward where you think you hear noise in the far distance. It sounds a bit like cheering. A party? A bonfire? You can’t be certain, not at first.

As you step onto the worn trail, something nearly clocks you right in the head. A nimble dodge to the left and a quick glance at the ground tells you that it’s some kind of tree branch made of… flesh? It’s certainly flesh-textured, though the colour is a deep blue that glows white. It seems to be rapidly rotting into the ground, and as you look up… a giant, several hundred foot tree of a similar eldritch makeup is falling apart before your eyes. Your walk back to civilization will be full of dodging probably-dead flesh tree bits.

Should you make it in one piece, the source of the noise becomes obvious: the people making up this small town are cheering and yelling about something else of eldritch makeup. It seems that some of the creatures who have lived in this civilization’s river for the last year, the Seaborn, have decided to evolve to be capable of flight. Some residents of this town seem extremely enthusiastic with this. Some are wary. Some simply don’t care.

You? Well, that’s for you to decide.

Welcome to the eldritch horror fae woods, dear friend. Enjoy your stay.

A SNAKE IN THE GRASS

While the black fog returns, some paths are left clear, or at least not as impacted as other areas of the woods. Mist fades in and out, and even if you aren’t one for nature, surely exploration can sing its siren song when the size of the town is too small and all the faces look the same. Paths line themselves with daffodils and chamomile flowers, with arctic poppies and clearings of wildflowers- foxglove and lavender especially prominent. They’re lovely, all of them, and bloom far more rapidly than anything else should be this early into spring, this late into winter, but they do.

But something creeps beneath the flowers, and something large digs through the earth, leaving upturned grooves in the dirt and grass, trails of flattened mud and roots with only bushes of camelia on the outskirts left behind. It’s quiet in the forest, not even birds singing. It makes the hiss of tongues all the more noticeable.

If you’re lucky, you might see a purple and grey stone shift in the distance, gone just as quickly as it was there. If you aren’t, you don’t see its much smaller, flower-patterned counterpart strike from the shadows. Snakes are working their way into the Grove, hiding in bushes and under steps, anywhere they can lurk and strike the unsuspecting, and their bite is venomous.

One bite brings excruciating pain, bone-deep cold, an increased frailty of the body and hallucinations. A second bite brings a deep, nightmare-filled sleep. A third bite brings death. All of them scar with a black sun over the bites, a mark of divine wrath — the Fallen Sun sends his regards, and his hate.

Those who perish to the snake bite will awaken in their bed in a few days, feeling nauseous and weakened, but…

'NEATH SERPENT'S GAZE

… This simply isn’t tenable. Between the paranoia and the snake’s stealth, it’s hard to feel safe outside of your home, and maybe inside, despite the fact that once again your homes offer refuge from the forest’s attacks—they hadn’t once upon a red, hot summer, after all. How did they face this last time? It was a flower, wasn’t it? And the new flowers in the forest seem special, if only because of their strong growth compared to the rest of the forest.

But if you go into the woods, two large stone snakes wait, ready to protect the natural gardens. Breaking them does little but slow them down for a time, and their bite is both larger and their venom stronger—the true version, the one that crippled a household in seconds. The severity of the symptoms are worse, murderously so, but survivable if it’s not the third bite.

They block the way, ambush would-be travelers, coil around the flower patches, and will not be stopped. Does this confirm that the flowers could help? Or are they simply protective of their master’s property? Is it play?

Regardless, they wait and watch.

CITIES & BONES

When all the violence of the month ends, and thank goodness for that, you decide to head to bed. For once, you might sleep well — there are no threats of snakes making you wonder if you or your friends might die tomorrow, and the Grove as a whole feels much safer. It’s as if someone or something is guarding over it — different from the Guardian Deities and the Goddesses as a whole.

For the next several days after the snakes disappear, your dreams are strange, as if you’re receiving a vision from another world. A modern city, so different from Aldric’s Grove that you’re not entirely convinced it lies in this dimension, blinks in neon lights behind your eyelids. Between the cacophonous sounds of motorized vehicles rushing by, the din of people talking in a language you don’t understand, and the distant electrical humming from the street lights, perceptive dreamers might hear something else:

The soft clacking of dry bones.

Spark Notes

summary

Wake up: You were apparently camping. You don't recall this. As you head out toward the sound of civilization, bits of giant blue flesh-tree nearly hit you in the head. You'll have to dodge the remaining flesh tree bits as it crumbles while you walk back to town.

A Snake In The Grass: Flowers spring up far too early in the season, and the fog wall returns. Purple and grey-coloured stone snakes begin to attack from the bushes and flowers where they're hidden. One bite brings cold and frailty, a second bite brings nightmares, and a third bite brings death. All bites scar with a mark of the Black Sun.

'Neath Serpent's Gaze: You've heard of a flower that can cure the poison, but to get there, you have to face two far larger stone snakes who are guarding over nature here. Whether they want to play or simply kill isn't clear. You're in danger of death either way.

Cities & Bones: While you sleep after the snakes disappear, you'll have strange dreams that feel like visions and feel watched by something safe and kindly. While your dreams are absorbed in that of a cityscape that feels almost too real, you can sometimes hear the clattering of bones.

out of character

Welcome to March's TDM and Event! Spring is springing and we've got a lot of really cool events coming up in the next few months. The magic system should debut this month as well, which we're very excited about. It is a slow process but the rewards should be well worth it.

updates

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

submissions

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

code

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh, Alcaid will be happy to take Oscar up on that. They fall back to take a comfortable spot on Oscar’s shoulder. They make a pathetic little noise in response. They shouldn’t be far now.]

[Dipper, meanwhile, sounds like he is getting weaker and only barely clinging to consciousness.]

Oscar- you… have to get Mabel. She has … journal. Remedy- can’t remember the ingredients…

[ Well, no ill-effects from Alcaid landing on him. Oscar will be grateful for that.

Dipper still being conscious is good, but what he's saying is... not very helpful. Oscar slides a gaze towards him as best he can, though he mostly ends up looking at Alcaid. Maybe that's for the best, though. ]

Who's Mabel?

[ They're at the clinic, at least, and with a bit of wiggling Oscar is able to turn the knob enough to kick the front door open. ]

[ Joshua has been in and out of the clinic ever since this started, but today, Dipper and Oscar are catching him while he is there. Which means that, when the door gets kicked open, that's who meets them!

With the feathers on his wings briefly flaring up in surprise, of course, but that quickly dissipates. He's seen his fair share of snake bites this week, but-- ]

By the Founder--

[ Not Dipper. He sucks in a breath, motioning to Oscar and taking as he walks. ]

Follow me. I'll find him a bed. How many times has he been bitten?

[ One? He looks like he may still be conscious. ]

[He is still sort of conscious. He's holding on, even though he feels terrible and doesn't entirely know where he is right now.]

Mabel, you know Mabel. [He tiredly insists.] My sister.

[It should be pretty apparent to Josh at least, that he's hallucinating, since he made it pretty clear in Mizukiquest his sister isn't here, so that's fun.]

[To Josh, who he is a little bit aware of, he tries to shake his head.]

M'Fine, I can walk [He can't.] Grunkle Stan'll ground me for ending up at the clinic again.

[This is probably not true, but Stan IS going to be hella worried probably.]

[ Thank goodness, someone's here. Oscar gives Joshua—some sort of bird Faunus, he supposes—a nod and follows after him without further comment. He does frown at Dipper's insistence that he should know who Mabel is, but right now he's still more concerned than suspicious. This time he gives Josh a little shake of his head, hopefully conveying that he has no idea who Mabel is or where to find her. ]

He was only bitten once that I saw, but the effects were immediate. He said something about 'god venom'.

[ The bite should be easy to identify, at least. The bright orange glove and scrap of bandage around Dipper's leg make for a pathetic but highly visible compress.

Oscar eases Dipper down onto the bed Joshua brings them to. He manages to do it without dropping him or setting him down too heavily, but he immediately sags with relief once the weight is off his shoulders. ]

Wherever Mabel is, she supposedly has a journal with the antivenom recipe. And— [ His tone gets sharper here, disapproving and reproachful. ] —he can't walk, and shouldn't be exerting himself even if he could.

[ Once is preferable. Still not a good thing, but Dipper isn't in a comatose state, or dead. Joshua nods, frowning thoughtfully. ]

From what I've seen, one bite can cause hallucinations and delusion... Mabel isn't here, so it is likely an effect of the venom making him believe that she is.

[ Concerning! Very concerning. His hands move down to the makeshift compress, working to undo it. He needs to see the wound, dress it properly. ]

I'm sure your Grunkle Stan will understand, Dipper, and will be much more appreciative that you aren't dead. [ Bluntly. He turns to Oscar as he works. ] I don't believe we have met - my name is Joshua. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, though I wish it were under more favorable circumstances.

[Dipper groans, partially in pain, but mostly to the idea that he isn't allowed to walk and that Stan finding out is imminent. This is terrible, actually.]

No- she's ...working at the stationary store today. She has the tea recipes.

[So yeah, Dipper is definitely not on the same plane as them right now. But, once they move him, his journal will probably just slide right out of his jacket. It's a thick, worn, leather bound thing with a blue cover and a silver tree emblazoned on the front. "3" is marked in black.]

[He does also still have a fire arm holstered to his belt, so it's probably good to get that off of him, too.]

[ Well, at least Joshua knows Dipper well enough to clear things up. Dipper asking someone to find his sister when she isn't even here is pretty upsetting, but at least now they know. As for Joshua's introduction: ]

Oscar Pine. I only showed up here... [ ... Oh, wow. ] ... Maybe 30 minutes ago? But if there's any way I can help just—

[ Oscar lurches forward, catching the journal before it hits the ground. He blinks, then straightens up. ]

... I think it found the journal he was talking about.

[ He'll let Joshua handle the weapon, though he does hold out a hand to take it once it's out of the way. Oscar will crack open the journal and start looking for this remedy Dipper mentioned. ]

[ Poor Dipper. Joshua pauses in removing the compress, lifting a hand and smoothing the hair back from Dipper's forehead. It's meant to check for any fever, but it does double duty in maybe comforting him, too. ]

We will find her, don't you worry.

[ And back to the compress. As soon as it's removed, he frowns down at it. That black mark... If he could remove it, he would. But the wound is a wound otherwise, and so he moves to gather the supplies for dressing it. Gauze, bandages, salve.

But Oscar's words make him look back. A journal, after all... ]

There may be some truth to his words, if that's the case... I am sorry your arrival is so hectic, Oscar, but I'll leave the searching to you. Let me know if you find anything of importance?

[ Oh. Oh, that sure is a weapon on Dipper's belt. He's never handled a gun before, but he very carefully removes that. Best not to accidentally hurt anyone. ]

[That does seem to settle him down somewhat. The only other thing he manages to say is directed at Oscar. He caught that he had the journal- clearly they found Mabel after all, so-]

June... July? July.

[He's pretty sure the first snake incident was then. God, that was so long ago actually, hng. He was still pretty new to the Grove and had walked in on the chaos of an entire household getting taken down. A household of people that had been very kind to him.]

[Oscar will find the gun to be awfully weighty, but not in an unfamiliar way. Huntsman weapons sure have a lot of inner working parts after all.]

[Anyway, Oscar will find the journal pretty interesting! He's been writing it for some time it seems like, starting with late May. It looks like the actual days of the month are a little ??? approximate, but he explains in an early entry that the nature of the Faewoods make time difficult to track down. How old is he? He isn't totally sure, since it was August last he recalled before waking up here and now its summer again. He'll call himself sixteen at the next birthday and go from there.]

[If Oscar does not skim past the introduction he will be treated to:

Dipper Pines here.

This is volume three of my journals, and once again I've woken up in some weird new dimension. I really hope it doesn't happen again when I inevitably fill this one up. It's starting to feel like some kind of curse. Anyway, let's get the intro out of the way.

My name is Dipper, I know I already said that, but I tried to rewrite this part like three times so I'm keeping it. I'm originally from a place called Earth, California, specifically, but when I turned thirteen I got dragged across the multiverse to a place called Deerington. It was the nightmare of a girl named Sodder, who had CRAZY eldritch reality warping powers. We were trapped there, but she really didn't have any control over it. It's actually pretty sad what happened. Anyway, I was there for a while before the nightmare started to break down and fall apart. We ...being that our existence in this dream was dodgy to start with, weren't really sure what was going to happen to us when this happened. Would we fade away? Die? Would we wake up in bed and not remember anything? It was all a mystery.

Then a door opened, and we knew. We needed to go through. We didn't know what would happen on the other side, but that was the way forward. My family- My two great-uncles and my twin sister- we all went through together. "Where ever you go, we go together". That's a Pines saying.

We woke up in a city called Trench. By wake up I mean we crawled out of the ocean as squids and spend an embarrassing amount of time trying to figure out how limbs worked again. If you want my take? 0/10 would not recommend being that hyperaware of your own bones or lack thereof. But! It looks like going through the door brought us somewhere new! Somewhere we could live in relative (??) peace? Trench was not exactly luxurious and had plenty of problems (like blood pollution. Monsters. An environment so inhospitable that you can't grow COFFEE.) but it was home.

But then we were called back to the ocean and now I'm here. Alone. I hope everyone's doing okay, and we can figure out how to deal with the Forest so I can go back home. I miss my family. I miss my friends? I miss Oscar. My nail polish is starting to chip ...I need to find another shade of orange. I hope Heimr has something.

That's all for now. I'll update once I've had the chance to get a feel for this place. The people here are way interesting.

[It's signed with a pine tree, matching the one on the cover and also the charm hanging off his gun. Flipping to July will show Oscar the incident of a snake infiltrating the house of someone called "Pure Vanilla" and he explains in detail how it attacked a bunch of people in the house. Dipper explains the Forest was purposefully trying to hurt "PV" by hurting his people and so he is going to spend some time at their house helping to take care of them.]

[Lavender tea seems to be the only thing that helps. That and PV put some crushed up powder from a moonstone. Is there a connection with the Moon? That moonstone was specifically from Earthbread so supplies are likely limited... At least the Lavender for sure helped.]

[Well Oscar. Want to keep looking?]

[ Joshua's apology gets an exhausted chuckle from Oscar. ]

Believe it or not, this isn't the most hectic day I've ever had.

[ But with that Oscar focuses on Joshua's request, gaze already turned down to the journal. He's at least familiar enough with Huntsman weapons that he can reach out, take the Azure Pine, and sling the strap over his shoulder without having to look up.

He's only skimming that initial journal entry at first, trying to orient himself. If the information is in July and the journal stars in January, he can probably skip ahead a bit.

His own name catches his attention, of course, but he's ready to dismiss it as a coincidence. But... orange? Orange nail polish? When it's pretty clear Dipper associates himself with blue? Oscar's gaze flicks to his own (vibrant orange) glove. And didn't Dipper seem to think he should know who Mabel is? That's....

Not important. Oscar takes a deep breath and keeps sleeping through the journal, and eventually he's able to give Joshua something useful. ]

Lavender tea. Someone named Pure Vanilla found out that lavender tea can at least help. And something else called moonstone, but it sounds like Dipper thinks that's rare—something that could only come from a place called Earthbread?

[ Wait. The Cookie Dimension? ]

[ While Oscar takes a look through the journal, Joshua begins the task of dressing the bite. He cleans it as gently as he can with a soft, damp cloth, then applies the salve, a pad of gauze, and a firm wrap of the bandage.

And it's just as he's finishing that part that Oscar speaks up. He lifts his head, looking over as though it helps him to listen. ]

Pure Vanilla... Of course.

[ There's a small smile on his lips. Pure Vanilla knows a great many things - this is advice he can trust. ]

I don't know that we will have access to the moonstone, but I can certainly make some lavender tea. The wound should be fine for now. Oscar, do you mind keeping him company while I brew the tea?

[ It might take a moment. He has to find it first, or ask Pure Vanilla about it if he can't. ]

[And leave him here with the half-conscious hallucinating teen whose journal is suddenly very suspicious? Great idea.]

[Dipper is still ...sort of awake.]

Black, please.

[Because Lavender Tea is clearly his coffee right? Right.]

...Told you the Cookie Dimension was real.

[ Sounds like Pure Vanilla, whoever that is, is a known quantity in this place. Oscar has no idea if he's trustworthy—but Joshua is clearly at least competent when it comes to medical care. If Dipper and Joshua both see him as someone worth listening to in an emergency, Oscar won't argue.

Joshua asks Oscar to keep Dipper company, and Oscar nods in response. Truthfully he'd rather it be the other way around. But he doesn't know where to find the tea and it feels rude to blindly rummage around Joshua's place of work, if not his actual home. So he pushes aside his disquiet and smiles. ]

Thank you, Joshua. I'll make sure he stays put.

[ He carefully closes the journal and sets it aside. He's in the process of swinging the Azure Pine off his shoulder to set it aside properly when Dipper speaks again. Oscar lets out another one of those exhausted chuckles. ]

You told me that their names were pretty on the nose, too. I don't think I can argue with either point, now.

[ Pure Vanilla Cookie. What the hell? ]

[Dipper actually manages to laugh at that, groggy as it is. God, he is in a lot of pain, and while the initial sting has died down to a steady throb, it still really sucks. He tries to gesture a little, because he is the kind of guy to talk with his hands, but he gives up on it pretty fast.]

Pure Vanilla Cookie, Dark Cacao Cookie, Affogato Cookie, White Lily Cookie ...don't ask me how a lily is a cookie ingredient. Timekeeper Cookie? Time is also not edible. Probably.

[Oh. Wait he finally seems really intent and he points.]

Shadow Milk Cookie. Stay away from him, he sucks. I haven't hated someone like that since Ozpin-

[...Wait. Oh. Oh fuck he wasn't supposed to-]

[ While Joshua is out, Oscar starts gathering his things back up. He picks up his glove and tucks it into his pocket, then starts to fix the bandages around his throat as best he can. He'll have to ask Joshua where he can find some more. He angles himself slightly away from Dipper as he works, more out of habit than any desire to avoid him.

In the meantime he listens as Dipper babbles, letting the words wash over him and filing the names away for later. Despite being 'on the nose', the names quickly dissolve into being just... really unusual. Shadow Milk is actually almost normal, though still nothing like anything he recognizes.

But then Oscar hears a name he does recognize. Oscar freezes, hands hovering over his bandages. He thinks for a second that he must be hearing things. But then why would Dipper also fall silent?

Oscar turns, eyes wide and shoulders stiff. ]

How do you—?

[ Before Dipper has a chance to field that question, though, Joshua is moving back into the room with a tray containing a cup of steaming liquid, as well as some crackers. You know, just in case. ]

Well, I have excellent news. Someone was already boiling water for tea, so all we need to do is wait--

[ But he interrupts his words as he turns to look up, noting the... odd expression on Oscar's face. He pauses, standing in the entryway, eyebrows lifting. ]

Ah... My apologies. Am I interrupting something?

[Dipper meanwhile looks very deer-in-the-headlights, trying to grapple with his muggy his head feels with the creeping horror he just fucking outted himself as knowing both him and Ozpin.]

[He does not want to deal with this while he's suffering from satan's snakebite holy shit.]

--athan. Ozpinathan, man I hate that guy. Wowwee... I think the room is still spinning, I'm gonna just-

[Dipper rolls over in the bed slightly so he can have a panic attack while facing the wall thanks.]

[ Right now, Oscar's expression is best described as aghast. He's not really here to roast Dipper's ability to lie but... Ozpinathan? It would actually be more believable to insist that he just happens to know another Ozpin. Oscar continues to stare at Dipper as he rolls over and only belatedly manages to swing his gaze around to Joshua. ]

No, sorry, I'm just... still getting used to this place, I think.

[ That's not a very good lie, either, but it'll have to do. Oscar steps back so that Joshua can get to work. But he doesn't think just stepping aside will be enough. He does not want to be in this room right now. But he also doesn't want to just bail when Joshua has been so helpful, so... ]

I think I should probably let him rest, but is there anything I can do to help around the clinic?

[ He tries for a smile and only manages a flicker of one. Despite that, his tone is steady. ]

I get pretty antsy without anything to do.

[ Oh. Interesting. There is... most definitely something going on between the two, but it isn't really his business to pry.]

Well, all right.

[ His business is to treat Dipper, and that is precisely what he'll do. Setting the tray down, he lifts a spoon, gently stirring the steaming cup. The lavender tea sits in a tea ball, steeping away. ]

Dipper, I'm afraid you will need to sit up to drink this. But it should help, if your journal is any indication.

[ And then, he turns to Oscar. Despite his flicker of a smile, Joshua regards him with a warm one in return. ]

Any help is appreciated. If you would like, I'm sure it would be helpful to gather gauze, bandages, and salve. If these snakes are going to continue to be a nuisance, we will need as much as we can.

[He's done it. He's freaked him out and now he's going to leave and probably avoid him for the rest of forever! That's cool! Awesome! He wants to throw up.]

[He tries to make it look like he is particularly out of it until Oscar actually leave the room. Once he does ...he rolls back over and manages to force himself to sit up. He's still ...dreadfully in pain, and it shows in the way he has to suck in a breath to even move, but he's far more lucid than maybe he might have given the impression for before.]

[He also looks like he is on the verge of crying, but please try not to call attention to that.]

Okay. I'm ready.

[ Well, Joshua does notice it, but... Hm. A product of whatever just happened there, or part of the effects of the venom? He doesn't know for sure. Concern flickers on his face for a moment, but he doesn't want to pry.

Instead, he lifts the cup, holding it out to Dipper. ]

Be careful. It's still very hot.

[ But it should help, once he's able to ingest some of it. ]

How are you feeling? You seem a bit more lucid.

[He's a stubborn kid who is gonna at least try to spitefully power through all this. It'll knock him out in a little bit, though.]

[He will carefully take the cup and just focus on that for a minute. Sip it gently and let it take some of the edge off of this pain. Once he's had about a third of it, he'll sigh and offer it back to him.]

[He runs his hands through his hair.]

Better ...the venom from these things really is no joke. I should have been paying better attention.

[But uh. He was definitely distracted.]

Nothing quite sobers you up like outting yourself to your boyfriend who doesn't remember who you are.

[ As Dipper drinks, Joshua stands by - or sits, really, there's a chair right here by the bed after all - and watches for any signs of... well. He's really not sure what to look for, but if there is anything, he will surely see it.

Once Dipper has drank all that he can, he takes the cup back, setting it down on the tray. ]

Do not be so hard on yourself. It can happen to any of us. It happened to a dear friend of mine, in fact. He is an incredibly skilled dragoon, and even he was caught unawares.

[ ... but ah, that single sentence clears up a bevy of questions all at once. Joshua frowns, reaching out to touch the back of Dipper's hand in sympathy. ]

I'm sorry, Dipper... This must be hard for you. If it would help, you are welcome to talk about it? I promise, I will keep it between us.

[He nods, but Dipper is notorious for being way too hard on himself for stuff like this. He definitely still thinks he could have done something differently. Done anything differently to not end up in this situation somehow.]

[One day they'll address that in therapy.]

I don't remember the one from last time looking like a rock. I guess it was months ago, but I kind of hate that the snakes are back.

[But he pauses, lets out a breath when Josh touches his hand and a lot of that steeliness pours out of him.]

...I. It's not the first time this has happened, you know? I've ...I've been to other worlds kind of like this one. So ...there are people here that I used to know from those other places that have no idea who I am. Either they're ...a different version of them, or from a different point in the timeline, there's a thousand explanations for how that could happen. I thought I could handle it- it's just a fact of what it's like to live in the multiverse, but...

[He swallows, trying to hold it together.]

It hurts a whole lot worse when it's someone like that, though. Someone you were that close to. And now I've probably scared him off for good.

EVENT & TDM 022

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