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 that's a lot of rubber snakes. Does somebody think that's funny, because Wolfwood might have if these snakes weren't so incredibly dangerous-

But then there's add, hissing and spitting like a feral cat with a snake gripped in his fist, and Wolfwood just kinda

Raises both of his hands, as well as a brow.]

Uhhhh.

[Haha UHHHH

UMMMMMM

HE RECOGNIZES YOU. YOU'RE NOT THE DOCTOR-

His mind can't help but immediately flash to that memory of Ain's, where he and Add were threatening each other with blackmail. Ohhhhh no. It's you.]

I was gonna ask you the same thing. Calm down.

You think I'm not calm right now?? [please, that poor snake is about to split in two from how hard he's crushing its wee rubber spine]

Some jackass keeps putting traps over these worthless Nasod decoys. I'll "calm down" when I cave their fucking skull in for wasting my time! So? Who fucking put this here?!

[He shoves the offending item in Wolfwood's face, which appears to just be some scrap circuitry haphazardly thrown together. Would Wolfwood know anything about this? Probably not. But Add has decided he does, so, good luck.]

If this is your calm, I don't wanna see how you act when you're freaking the fuck out.

[Wolfwood lifts a hand to try to push Add's away from his face, his lip curling.]

If you ain't talked to him yet, you prolly want to go see Ain. He'd be able to explain it to you better, but, to put it bluntly: you were here, before. But not...you, specifically. A different version of you? I don't fuckin' know.

If it's somethin' you recognize, then I reckon he left those. You'd be kickin' your own ass.

[He can't help but scowl (affectionate) when Ain is brought up. Yes, he's met Ain by this point, don't ask me how this timeline works with the whole snake bite thing]

Yeah? Well I'm the real one. [add no]

Bait like this would only work on someone who knows to look for it, so why the hell would a copy of me put this here if they're not trying to pick a fight? Kukuku... if that's what they want, fine. I'll show them what a real decoy looks like, kekekekeke...!

[Cracking his knuckles and shooting off a few sparks from the now-glowing arm tats as he chuckles like a supervillain... sorry the new Add is kind of cringe. He's just like this. He thinks he looks really cool right now.]

[Oh my god Ain you really are morosexual. Wolfwood is just not going to think too hard about what that says about him.]

The real one, huh. Well if you wanna kick your own ass, you might be waitin' a while.

[Cause as far as he remembers, Add (mad scientist flavor) is still in the Garden. Though, it does make Wolfwood wonder what might happen if two versions of the same person were here at the same time.

Hm.]

How long have you been here?

[Can't be too long, because he's certain as soon as he sees Ain next he's going to be like NIKOLAUS HOLY FUCK]

[He scoffs, putting an end to the maniacal laughter (for now). He can wait to kick his own ass, fine. As for the question...]

A few days. Data collection is one of my specialties, so don't waste my time with trying to teach the basics. I already understand the current situation. [supposedly.

He takes a moment to actually look at Wolfwood, frowning in a vaguely irritable way. He's at least attempted to be useful thus far, so there's no reason to be hostile to the stranger. Still... there's a factor involved that's been grating on his nerves.]

... This is our first meeting, but you already know who I am. I don't like the imbalance, so identify yourself. [??? he doesn't know a more polite way to ask for someone's name]

[...oh my god this guy sounds like such a tool, Wolfwood thought, the pot calling the kettle black-

He shifts from his bad foot to the good one, folding his arms over his chest with his tail curling in a sort of lazy, questioning arc behind him.]

Nicholas D. Wolfwood. I'm a Priest, I run the church in the Grove.

[He could also be like "I'm also an assassin, being a Priest is kindof my side job/front, but just introducing yourself as that is stupid as hell. Also, he has the feeling Add wouldn't take well to that (and never mind the fact Wolfwood doesn't want to get into that at the jump anyway).]

You and Ain...go way back, I understand.

[If Add had a nickel for every fake priest he's met, he'd have two nickels. Anyway,

He bristles at the latest mention of Ain, because of course he does.]

What's it to you?

[Wolfwood raises a brow.]

Uh. Well, he talks about you a fuckin' lot, so...he's been missin' you and the others from Elrios lately.

[He talks about Add. The man in question makes a face halfway between embarrassed and irritated. From Ain? He can't imagine it's anything flattering, or maybe he's just being grouped up with the others... He scoffs, folding his arms in an attempt to look like he doesn't care.]

Secondhand accounts are unreliable, so you can forget everything you heard from that idiot. We're in the same travelling party, but we're not close.

[sure you're not]

[Lol lmao...

Add's choice of words...clearly does not sit well with Wolfwood in that moment, especially knowing implicitly just how important Add is to Ain. That's not his story to tell obviously (he's seen the plushies though, he knows), but that doesn't mean Add's perceived indifference doesn't still piss him off.

So, Wolfwood ends up jabbing a finger at Add's chest, scowling.]

You wanna call my boyfriend an idiot again, punk?

[his WHAT

The jab is barely anything, but on reflex he shoves back—hard, and if there's a static kick to it he sure as fuck isn't going to apologize. The drones behind him crackle fiercely.]

Who the fuck do you think you are, huh, telling me what to do? I'll call him whatever I damn well please! What do you think you're gonna do about it?!

[Normally, Wolfwood would have been able to take a shove like that easily. But Add pushes him hard, hard enough that he's thrown off balance and unable to catch himself thanks to his prosthetic complicating things. He ends up falling flat on his ass because of it, the static running through his chest making him feel briefly like he'd been electrocuted.

He doesn't immediately scramble to his feet, if only because 1) he doesn't trust himself not to fall over again and embarrass himself worse and 2) that Add wouldn't just push him over again. Instead, he beats a fist against the ground once, cursing under his breath.]

Bastard-! You want me to kick your god damn ass??? Cause that's how you get your ASS KICKED!!

Kuku, you think you're going to scare me from down there? Pathetic.

[He steps forward, leaning down like he's going to plant his foot right on Wolfwood... only for a dynamo to zip in at the last moment, hovering just an inch or two above the other man. You know, so he can enjoy the full effect of stepping on someone "beneath" him without having to dirty his shoes. He leans in, sneering.]

I'll call an idiot an idiot, so? Is that the best you can do? Kukukuku... All talk and no bite, I find it hard to believe he'd ever look at someone so useless.

[Wolfwood's eyes glint dangerously as Add promptly acts as if he's going to step on him, instead choosing to hover there via dynamo because ??? Wolfwood doesn't fucking know. He's been...doing better about not letting his temper get a hold of him, but that's backslid some thanks to his spat with Mephisto, among other things going wrong this month.

But Add saying to his face that he can't believe Ain even ever looked at him sets something off, prompting him to shift his torso to one side just enough to reach underneath his blazer.

He pulls out a pistol and aims it at Add's shoulder, the sound of the hammer clicking back heavy between them.]

Back. Off.

[He's not stupid. He can tell when someone is about to pull something on him—Add's electric aura flares when the gun comes out, a flickering shield of energy visible over his arms, white light running down the circuits of his tattoos. It makes both of their hair stick up, just a little.

... but there's no bullet that follows. Not yet. He clicks his tongue.]

Or what? You're going to shoot me?

[He leans closer, eyes glowing dangerously. This is Not the look of someone sane and reasonable.]

Go on, then. Do it. Prove me wrong.

[Fuck you fuck you fuck you f-

Wolfwood feels his trigger finger twitch. It is sooooo itching to move and blast Add halfway across the Grove, but...

He knows Ain would be devastated if he knew. Hell, he figures he might just not want to ever talk to him again if he did something that severe, pushed to the limit or no. And God knows what Add will decide to tell Ain later about this exchange. Wolfwood doesn't trust the guy to not exaggerate what happened.

So no, there is no bullet. But Wolfwood isn't moving, because he knows the threat of the gun is just as good as actually using it.]

...unlike you, I actually care 'bout Ain's feelings. So, no.

[And instead of shooting Add, he's suddenly going to jerk his hand up and attempt to use the butt of the gun to whack Add across the back of the head with it. It's not a hard hit by any means, certainly not enough to actually knock him unconscious, but hopefully if he manages to get it off it'll get him to back away.]

Edited 2025-03-17 23:16 (UTC)

[He sees the anger, the hesitation in Wolfwood's eyes, and concludes to himself that this guy really is all talk. Who's stupid enough to pull a gun when they don't even have the guts to use it? He has half a mind to just grab it out of his hand.

Ain must've been pretty desperate here, if he decided to let someone like this call him... that.

He scoffs, pushing back the bitterness that rises to his throat. Not that that part should matter to him at all, of course not.]

Don't talk like you'd know anything about— [and he's punished for his yapping with a whack to the head, enough to force him back a step and out of Wolfwood's space... but his Armor is still up, so Wolfwood gets a mild zap for his efforts. better get used to it this guy is All About the electrocution.

He grips the side of his head with a hand, back to scowling intensely now that Wolfwood has actually struck back. What the fuck!!!]

You...! [he gets a couple seconds to reposition himself before Add comes in swingin]

[I mean Add do you WANT to get your shoulder blown off??? Because Wolfwood will still do that if you push him far enough. Like, you're lucky he's had therapy because otherwise he would probably not have been this kind-

Nevertheless, it doesn't matter. He caught him off guard which is exactly what he'd wanted anyway, and despite the zap that rushes up the nerves in his arm making him wince, he gets a thrill of satisfaction out of it. Yeah, bitch.

But his momentary victory is short lived, because just as he's planning on getting back to his feet, well...he doesn't have the time to.

Add gets a free hit in. Make it a fun one!]

[Maybe??? He WANTS to get hit??? So he can retaliate and still call himself the bigger person??? And Wolfwood did hit first, technically, so he feels no remorse in striking a man while he's still on the ground.

Anyway, what Wolfwood is probably expecting is for him to get closer again... but no, actually. Add stomps down on seemingly nothing, and—did he enjoy that mild zap a second ago? Because the ground erupts with a blinding flash, geysers of energy bursting forth to cut a trail straight from Add to Wolfwood. It's not enough to do serious damage, but it's absolutely intended to hurt. Eat shit, asshole, get zapped for REAL.]

[Well Wolfwood rolled a 9 so....get zapped eat shit etc

He does not, in fact, get up in time to avoid getting fucking electrocuted, thanks. The light from the energy envelops Wolfwood completely, making it feel like his brain is on fire for a good few seconds. He'd hazard a guess that he's dying actually if it weren't for the fact that his heart hasn't stopped yet (and trust him, he knows what that feels like). Kindof fucking sucks when you're like "I'm sparing you because I know my boyfriend would hate me if I killed you" and then the guy is like bet /kills you instead"

The things he does because he's gone all soft, or whatever.

Anyway, yeah. It hurts, and by the time the attack ends, Wolfwood is hissing on the ground in pain. His hair and clothing both crackle with electricity, sparks jumping off of him in various places, arcing off the metal of his prosthetic and into the ground.

...yet, even after all of that, he'll finally struggle his way to his feet, glaring daggers in Add's direction. He'd never dropped his gun during all of that, somehow, but he isn't pulling it on Add again either.]

H-haah...hah...you done havin' your tantrum?

[Seeing this guy he just met, who is apparently very close to Ain, writhing on the ground in pain after not even getting a chance to defend himself really... makes Add feel a lot better about himself.

He just smirks, hand on his hip while the other shoots off some more sparks. Dynamo is arranged in a tight array behind his shoulders, almost like wings.]

Oh? Do you still have some fight left in you? Maybe you're not completely worthless after all, if you can handle one percent of my power. Kekekekeke...!

[do not doubt his ability to continue making stupid choices]

That is ENOUGH.

( which is their only warning before they both get whacked on the head by... a giant calla lily with a gemstone radiating magic power attached to it?

white lily cookie is mad, y'all. scowling, she takes a step back andsets one hand on her hip while the other still holds the staff. )

Need I remind you you are in a clinic? While we're under attack, no less.

[Oh Add you are SO damn lucky because Wolfwood was about to punch you in the goddamn mouth-

He winces back as Lily whacks him over the head, holding up his forearm to kindof defend himself because he's still electrified over here. Yes, he does still have fight in him as a matter of fact, which is indicated by the way he spits in Add's direction.]

Oh I'll gladly take this outside.

[The bonk knocks his Dynamos out of formation, nooooo his cool and intimidating aura

... but she does have a point, maybe. They should not be doing this in the clinic. But more importantly,]

So you'd rather have a public humiliation? How bold of you, kekek! [knuckle cracks, they are ABSOLUTELY gonna continue this outside if given the chance

Add takes a step to push past them both... and winces hard, hey guess what he forgot he still has an injured leg. Maybe shooting an electric charge through the snake bite was a bad idea, actually.]

EVENT & TDM 022

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