sticksandbones | EVENT 023

CHAOS IN PARADISE

The more problems get solved, the more others start to pop up. Sure, some heroes saved the children in the manor — who are no longer children — but those siblings are now comatose, and the manor is on permanent lockdown, black briars blocking every possible entrance and Corrupting anyone who tries to get in. Sure, some sneaky hopefuls hid a magic circle to help maintain the fog barrier (and keep the Forest out) in a secret location, but now the magic in the Grove feels off. Your spells come out more powerful as intended while the world is out of balance, and it seems like they will for some time.

Maybe in your haste to fix all the Grove’s issues, you forgot about a certain skeleton spirit who shows up every April in some attempt to help you cheer up. Perhaps you remembered, and were hoping he’d arrive. Either way, Mr. Bone-Jangles clatters into the Grove in broad daylight, waves hello to those of you lingering in the centre of the Grove, and snaps his phalanges.

Immediately, a magenta-coloured, swirling portal opens up underneath your feet, and your friend’s feet, and that friend’s feet, until most of the centre of the Grove is consumed by it. Those of you on the outside, free of the portal’s reach, may witness it: everyone caught in it gets pulled into the rift, Heimr and Ydalir and Mr. Bone-Jangles included. In the next blink, the portal is closed and they’re gone, leaving behind flowers where each of them fell.

For those of you who got caught in the portal, you’ll find yourself at the entrance of a city, where a sign reads: WELCOME TO NEO EDEN.

4 C0LD W3LC0M3

Trying to turn around and walk outside the city causes your nose to crinkle as you slam facefirst into an invisible barrier. You can see other buildings outside this barrier, natural as a landscape could come, and yet you can’t progress. The skies are a somewhat odd purplish-blue, though you can’t tell if that’s because your eyes are straining against the bright neon of the city lights or not. Underneath the arcing city sign, a police car labelled “NEO EDEN P.D.” passes by, the robotic simulacra of human law enforcement inside giving everyone a friendly wave before it keeps driving, seemingly having come from beyond the barrier and thus warping into the space, as far as your eyes can tell anyway.

Mr. Bone-Jangles helpfully guides you further into the city, past the holograms of normal humans in neon-glowing techwear going about their business. They don’t respond to anything you do or say, seemingly on a set path, living their daily lives. The city is packed enough to be claustrophobic, cars and holograms rushing past, a stark change from the small-town vibes of the Grove. Those of you who fish in your pockets as you wander will find that your magic notebooks have been replaced with cellphones, and all prior notebook correspondences are there, as well as any new ones. The cellphone does nothing other than connect to group chat, but this one is clearly cooler — you can send emojis, stickers, and GIFs without drawing them.

…those on the other side, however, are getting each GIF drawn out frame-by-frame in the notebooks. Please don’t spam GIFs at your friends.

Additionally in your pockets is a small plastic card — a debit card, for those of you who are familiar with them — containing 1,000 Credits, the currency here. You didn’t think your shells would be useful, did you? Simply tapping the card at any facility that takes payment will subtract the necessary amount… but 1,000 Credits isn’t much. It’s enough to buy a thousand candy bars, but unless you’re frugal, it won’t last you the month. Luckily, it looks like every store on the nearby shopping strip is hiring! From restaurants to clothing stores, to empty buildings that you can make your own business out of… surely this capitalistic nightmare will be tenable!

The lack of animals is noticeable as you head further into the city, toward what signage says is called “Mania Square”. The birds, instead of being your typical Grove plantanimals, are robotic. There’s a severe lack of any pests despite the garbage in the alleyway dumpsters — no bugs, no rodents, no raccoons. Mania Square itself contains a fountain big enough to swim in, the centre focal point of the public plaza, but Bone-Jangles hooks a sharp left and leads you to the apartments instead. Up three stories are small studio rooms for each of you, your names written on the door placards in your own handwriting, and the insides are customized to your exact preference already. A notice pinned above your kitchenette tells you rent is due by April 30th… you hope you aren’t here for that long.

4R3N’T Y0U H4V1NG FUN?

Despite the standard day and night cycle, some of you may notice this place still doesn’t feel quite right, a bit outside of time. That shouldn’t stop you from having fun! And should you need to go back to the Grove — or if you’re someone looking to get into Neo Eden in the first place — you need only to gaze into a mirror placed in each of your bedrooms or apartments and wish to go home… which may lead you to fall catastrophically through it to the other side. Try not to hit your chin on the ground.

Life goes on regardless. In this city, there’s a lot to do. You could go shopping at the strip mall near Mania Square, where Heimr and Ydalir have set up a temporary shop to continue to provide for everyone’s needs. They’ll still take shells, but there’s nothing much they can do if you run out of Credits — both will gently suggest you find work in Neo Eden. You guys own businesses back at the Grove, it can’t be that bad, can it?

The good news is, Mr. Bone-Jangles and his entourage of skeletons who you swear weren’t originally here 12 hours ago are happy to help you get a job, where the interview process involves simply “showing up and asking your holographic boss if you can be employed”. Starting your own business is more difficult — you’ll need a loan from the bank! — but not impossible. Any hologram humans that come in to buy things will ignore you, get what they want, and leave. The only time you can interact with your fellow neon-coloured humans is when they’re making a purchase, at which point their items will digitize and they’ll leave. All very odd, but at least the customers aren’t rude to you… or your skeletal coworkers who have joined you for back-breaking labour.

After work, perhaps you want to head to the amusement park — Thrill Point is an utterly massive one to the far northeast of the city past the river that cuts through the digital roadways. With drop towers, roller coasters, rides for little babies who hate heights and fun, and tons of food stalls to stop at, you could feasibly spend all night here and almost forget that you have to be at your next shift in the morning! If you seek a different thrill, Arcadia is a nightclub southwest of Mania Square, where the music plays all night, the liquor flows freely, and anyone under 21 who enters gets marked with an X on the back of their hand by a harmless laser beam. Just outside Arcadia is a small photo booth named “The Swap”, and if you enter with a partner, both of you hitting the “TAKE PHOTO” button will bodyswap you for 12 hours. It will also print out a funny photo of you as a keepsake. Enjoy being someone else for a while!

Head to the Rent-a-Ride, where you can rent any vehicle on wheels — electric scooters, cars, motorcycles, hoverbikes — as long as you can pay the expensive fee. Speeding will get you a ticket from your local robopolice; breaking standard civilian laws will get you arrested and thrown into the unmanned city jail. And try not to tailgate or crash your ride — not only will you be on the hook for vehicle damages, but you’ll be shafted with a ludicrous hospital fee. Seriously, people live like this?

But, if a calm walk through nature is more your style, City Park and its digital trees to the north may suit your needs. The fish in the river here can be fished up by hopeful anglers, though all are wiggly, inedible robots. Hm.

WELCOME BACK

By April 30th when your rent is technically due, a text message goes out to everyone’s phones… and consequently the notebooks, too, from two different senders:

REMINDER: YOUR RENT IS DUE TODAY! PLEASE PAY 3,000 CREDITS OR FACE EVICTION.

DONT WORY. I WIL RESKYEW U

The messages from the second sender will get slightly more ominous as the day goes on.

GRAB SUMTHING U WANT 2 TAKE WITH U
I WIL REETORN U HOM

HAS ANY1 SEEN MY WIFE
FOWND MY WIFE :)

R U REDY 2 GO?

By evening, hopefully you’ve grabbed something to take back home — something you can feasibly carry without a struggle — because a portal is yet again opening under your feet. In a split second, you’re back in Aldric’s Grove, holding whatever you came with, your cellphones reverted back to notebooks. Mr. Bone-Jangles is nowhere to be seen, but he reappears a few hours later to hand out personal apology notes to everyone reading: “SORY, TRIYD 2 SAV U :(“ before he and his merry band mope back into the woods. He hopes you had fun while you were away.

Next time anyone heads out into the woods, all seems normal… minus the amount of fungi that have started to sprout in absolute droves across the forest floor, unwilling to be torn up from their roots or killed in a way that matters.

Spark Notes

summary

Chaos in Paradise: Mr. Bone-Jangles is back and here to kidnap you to a new location. This is a cyberpunk-esque city known as Neo Eden. No, he does not ask if he can do this first.
4 C0LD W3LC0M3: Further in Neo Eden are your apartments at Mania Square, where rent is due by the 30th. Your notebooks have been turned into cellphones, and you have a debit card with 1,000 credits on it for your shopping expenses. Seems like you'll be here a while.
4R3N’T Y0U H4V1NG FUN?: If you need to move to and from the Grove, there's a portal accessible in everyone's bedrooms via a mirror. Here, you have the freedom to do whatever you want: Rent a car, ride a roller coaster, get a job, start a business - the city is your oyster!
WELCOME BACK: And then all of a sudden, the neon paradise is ripped away from you as you're transported home. You can take back an item with you to remember your time here, if you want. The forest itself has started to grow mushrooms in droves, ones that can't be pulled up or killed. Hm!

out of character

It's already April! What the heck! We hope everyone enjoys this event; please feel free to make up businesses/buildings/things to do, you aren't constrained to what's been written in the post.

updates

- A small shrine close to the inn has appeared in the Grove. Affogato's spirit is tied there, to a black raven figure carved from smooth stone.
- The spell strengthening the Grove's fog wall is buffed.
- Sinann has been powered up, and therefore can enter its human form and go on land. It will largely still be by the river.
- Suri's creations are now and forever weak to poison.
- Pearl has made a terrible rainstorm back in the Grove.
- In Neo Eden, Add has enhanced the jail and made Jail2, which has far more security measures and functions as an escape room of sorts. Please see Add's toplevel below for further details.
- Jail2 has partly collapsed due to White Lily Cookie.

submissions

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

code

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[A barrel-chested half-naked man drunkenly talking about dragons? Say less.

Ryan is admittedly a little lit himself. He's not too far gone tonight, but he's found a place to sit and is letting the world sway gently with the noises of the city. More importantly though, he's found company in the form of an attractive man who is so into his new tattoo and Ryan's more than happy to oblige his drunk stories for now.]

Dude, it's so cool. I wanna hear all about it. Does it...oh my god. It moves!

[Hm. Is he drunk enough to get an impulsive tattoo? ...Nah, he can still imagine Min-Gi scolding him. Not tonight, then.]

[Normally, Dion is a man of propriety. Even the things he is most excited about are referred to in even tones. The last thing he ever wants is to be out of control after all.

Drunk Dion, however...]

It moves!! [He flexes his chest — enjoy that Ryan — to coax the slash into appearing once more.] Dragons are truly magnificent creatures. We should all be so lucky to be at their call.

[Oh, he enjoys that very much. What a great view he has.]

Mm-hm. I am...soooo lucky right now.

[Because of the dragon, obviously. No other particular reason, what are you talking about?

(A distant part of his tipsy brain misses Kez a little. She would gladly ogle this man with him, openly. But, that's not something he can do anything about so--)]

Are they like...are they real where you're from?

[Then, punctuated with an awed whisper that only the drunk can truly achieve:]

Have you met a dragon?

[Absolutely because of the dragon. Dion knows this. He can tell by the intensity in Ryan's gaze that he is a true appreciator of the beasts.

And technically he's not wrong, either. Because in the next moment, he leans forward and utters the loudest whisper anyone has ever fucking heard.]

I am a dragon. [He grins, knowing that the man will surely be impressed.] So yes, they are quite real.

[Does he cock his head just a little? Is he perhaps soaking up that staring? Maybe. He's a prince, he's used to an adoring public! It's not his fault he's too drunk to be humble right now.]

[The man leans in and Ryan's face goes pink in an instant. Yes, he is indeed a true appreciator of the breasts. ...The beasts. What were they talking about again?

Right. Dragons. Ryan lets out a soft gasp.]

Woah. A dragon...

[Is he a dragon the way Affogato's a snake? Ryan leans an inch or two more than strictly necessary to try and peek. Tail? Tail...?]

Hm...No tail. And you're a really smooth dragon...

[Ryan reaches to just barely touch Dion's arm with the tips of his fingers, confirming no scales! He looks up at Dion playfully then, and questions him in a sing-song tone.]

I duuuunno, man. You seem pretty human to me~

[The longer Ryan inspects him, the more the mirth seems to fade. It isn't long until he's outright scowling. He opens his mouth to complain about this treatment, how dare he not be taken at his word when —

Pretty? Did Ryan call him pretty?]

I am quite pretty, thank you. [He puffs up once again, all grins all over again.] And I shall have you know I can be quite beastly when inspired.

[And what do you know, he is inspired. His own ego lurks beneath the surface, enticing him into taking several steps back. He inhales deeply, searching for the draconic light deep within him. He pulls at it, manipulating the strands so that they surround him.

In his head, he is bathed in resplendent light and begins to prime, becoming the proper form of Bahamut. He spreads his arms out wide, envisioning those wings pumping as he pulls himself into the air. And when opens his eyes...

He is firmly planted upon the ground, flapping his arms about like a fool.]

Ah- hang on. It will be one moment. Any second now.

[When Dion looks up, Ryan's hand is covering his mouth - he's trying so hard not to laugh rudely at this guy, but this is...admittedly very funny. He waves his other hand!]

Y-Yeah, totally! Take your time, man, it's all good. Nooo rush!

[Dion can flap flap flap to his heart's content, and Ryan will just be over here, watching and suppressing his giggles. Sure, he'll totally turn into a dragon at any moment! Ryan definitely for sure believes him. Or maybe it will just get sort of roleplay-y, that might be a fun turn of events...]

[Okay, he can tell when he's being mocked. Dion draws himself up to his whole height with a huff. He's only struggling because of his reduced connection to Bahamut. So long as he focuses a little more and truly pushes himself, it should work. After all, Bahamut had not failed to come to him in his time of need previously.

Which... reminds him, all he'd had to do was leap skyward before! So clearly what he needs to do now is leap upon the edge of the fountain. He lands delicately, balancing on one leg despite his current inebriation.]

Watch closely. You will rue mocking me, my friend.

[And without hesitation he proceeds to swan dive straight into the water. He looks elegant while doing it, sure.

If Ryan tries to laugh, though, he's going to get whipped by Dion's... tail?]

[If it helps at all, Ryan thinks it's all very charming. Nothing's cuter than a guy making a fool of himself trying to impress someone, honestly.]

I'm not mocking you, I sw--!

[But then oops. Dion dives into the fountain. He might look elegant but in the moment Ryan doesn't remember how deep the fountain is, so he startles up to his feet in case this guy just gave himself a concussion.

...only to get smacked in the face with. Something? Something big??? Ow?????

Once Ryan re-adjusts his glasses though, that's all forgotten and he GASPS!]

Tail! Oh my god, you-- tail!

[THAT SURE IS A DRAGON TAIL.]

Mm?

[Dion pushes himself up to his feet, looking backward to see. Oh! There it is. His troubled expression splits wide into an absolutely vibrant grin. He doesn't quite recognize that he's hit Ryan, instead opting to preen his sopping ass self, taking whatever squawking to be a compliment.]

Yes, indeed! A tail of a proper dragon!

[He flexes. The claws of the dragon on his chest rip through fake skin once more.]

[Ryan stares, stunned. He's been smacked in the face, gotten splashed a little and...there is a hot, wet, shirtless, half-dragon man in front of him. It was sobering for a second and then abruptly not sobering at all.]

Woah. Can I...?

[His impulse control is a little muffled at the moment, so instead of finishing the thought, Ryan reaches out and gently puts his hand on the tail. If he's permitted to continue, he will pet with the scales, as if he's just petting a very strange cat.]

[It's... a bit strange, having his tail pet. He's used to people looking at him with such awe and reverence, but if he's honest? It was never far from revulsion and fear, as well. With his ability to wield magic, he was still considered the lowest of the low. He was dangerous back home, capable of leveling cities.

And he had.

The thought threatens to break through the blissful inebriation. He feels his heart seize for a just a moment. But then, those fingers stroke along his tail, and it's so silly and would have been entirely out of place back home that he simply... laughs?

It's a booming, delighted sound, but hopefully that won't discourage Ryan?]

By all means, my friend!

[He looks up when Dion laughs, but once it registers that he isn't making fun of him or anything he happily goes right back to what he was doing.]

Smooth...

[After a moment or so he stops, but not before giving the tail a gentle pat. Good dragon. Nice dragon.]

Your tail's so cool.

EVENT 023

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