EVENT & TDM 024

[sticksandbonesmods]

MONSTER MASH

WAKE UP

Where were you last? Do you remember falling asleep, thinking you’d wake up in your own home, your own bed?

When you open your eyes, the room you’re in doesn’t feel like your own. In fact, you’re almost certain you didn’t fall asleep here. You’re given only a short few moments to get your bearings before the door to that room opens, the doorknob jiggling as whoever is on the other side is unlocking it. Is it a library study room you’ve found yourself in, or an inn room that doesn’t belong to you? A home that isn’t yours? A business after-hours?

An unfortunate few of you may find yourself face-to-face with the real owners of these rooms, homes, and businesses — and surely they’re just as confused as you are. The lucky ones might instead find themselves being “rescued” from their sleeping states by a heavily scarred man with dreadlocks and an impossibly sunny demeanour.

“Mornin’, sunshine! Up and at ‘em!” he’ll say, hands on his hips and the door held open in a way that says he expects you to simply come follow him, whoever he is. “You ain’t where you’re supposed to be, but I’ll bail you out before the person who owns this place knocks your teeth out for trespassin’. It’ll be our little secret, ‘kay?”

TRANSPOREMATION

cw: body horror, monster transformations, fungal parasitism

As usual, Aldric’s Grove is something of a hot mess, and that’s especially true lately. Aside from random people popping into existence in various buildings, there’s a bit of a fungus problem lately. A wee little problem with cute little mushrooms. …a major, unignorable, horrendous problem with some very large, purplish-coloured mushrooms, fruiting on still-living trees and the forest floor. They look quite similar to meadow mushrooms, but far, far less harmless. While eating one won’t poison anybody too badly — aside from an episode of horrible stomach pain — stepping on them or touching them at all will cause them to shower you in a spray of spores, all of which suddenly curve around and cling onto you as if they have a mind of their own. Any attempt to remove them, to wash them off, to brush them away from your skin and clothes, only makes the spores cling more stubbornly. Soon, they’ve started to root under your skin, unable to be pulled out.

The resulting transformation is, for what little it’s worth, extremely swift. Perhaps you feel it, perhaps you don’t, but the spores leave you fundamentally changed no matter what.

Your bones lengthen and rearrange, grinding together underneath your muscle tissue. Snapping, creaking, where new joints form over the breaks. Wings rip through your back in a spray of blood and torn flesh, the wounds healing themselves over a short second later. You drop to the ground as your back legs become something foreign and new, toes bursting free of your shoes, claws digging into the soil as you writhe on the ground. Your spine elongates, the muscles in your neck tense and relax as it gets too long. The spores are deciding what to do with you, it seems, as extra eyes rapidly appear and disappear over your body alongside feathers and scales. Within the span of sixty seconds, it seems the mushrooms have come to a decision on what you should be, and the transformations it inflicts on you rapidfire begin evening out.

Whether that leaves you something wolflike, catlike, ghostly, chimeric, or otherwise… that seems to be up to the spores. Regardless, you’re no longer in your own skin. At least you’re still “you”, and at least you haven’t lost much more than your old form… right?

…

Well, not to worry. Try your luck stepping on the mushrooms again! This time, they might be kind enough to revert you back to normal… assuming they don’t turn you into a different type of creature instead.

TIME TREKS ON

For the foreseeable future, many people are “stuck” outside their normal bodies. It doesn’t mean that life in the Grove stops, however, as people flit from building to building — assuming their monster forms didn’t bar them off from entering most of them anyhow — and their daily routines continue. From the Church of the Golden Sun in the north of Aldric’s Grove emanates a lovely, warm light, inviting all who are loyal to the Goddesses within its halls and barring the Corrupted or those loyal to the Fallen Sun from entry. Describing it as a “church” may not entirely be accurate; instead of an altar, there sits a throne that automatically prevents anyone who isn’t the Goddess of the Sun from sitting on it (despite the fact she isn’t currently there). Instead of pews, the first room is a large combat arena, golden weapons hung up on the walls that are free to use if you need to spar. Thankfully, the doors are large enough to accommodate most monsters, though the halls in the back may not be sizeable enough for anyone over eight feet tall.

Within that church, the kilns in the back are fired up, pottery baking while animal spirits resembling lions and dogs mix paint with their paws. It’s difficult, being a little guy — help a critter out? You can paint a selection of finished pottery when you’re done, which they’d tell you if they could speak to you. If they bring you a flower-shaped plate or a vase in the shape of a tulip and a paintbrush, will you figure out what they mean? If you don’t, that’s not a problem, as they’ll nudge you toward the pottery wheels and get you clay to work with. When you make your own thing, they think you’ll be more willing to paint with them. Hope you brought your art hands, assuming you have any at all after those mushrooms got you.

In the opposite wing from the pottery room, the kitchen is going strong, the smells of freshly baked bread wafting down the hall. Here is where Ydalir is, the shadowy woman wearing silks who normally casts magic and sells items, who turns to you and extends a flour-covered palm. Come here! Let’s bake something together — it’s the least she feels she can do, since she can’t exactly eliminate the fungus problem. There’s a host of food sitting in the dining room nearby already, with Heimr and Renard setting the table, Heimr nitpicking the setup while Renard focuses too hard on decorating with garlands and candelabras.

If you can’t fit into the dining room for any reason, one of the three will bring you food. They’d hate to see you go hungry, after all.

IT NEVER ENDS

While the Guardians themselves are immune to the transformations — Moder is, in fact, eating the mushrooms when no one is nearby to get spore’d — it doesn’t mean they’re not enjoying the fact that some of you can now spend more time with them in ways you couldn’t before.

Those of you with wings or flight abilities are invited by Aurora and the newly-resurrected bone dragon Sehul to come flying. Though Sehul won’t land in the Grove (too many buildings too close together for a hundred-foot dragon to feel comfortable, you see), they’ll land on the seaside, and even invite you to race them there. They do have something of a body mass advantage, but when they eventually win, they’ll fairly concede that it doesn’t really count. Aurora, meanwhile, wants desperately to teach you to do a midair flip.

Those of you who find yourselves suddenly aquatic will be literally accosted by Callan, who swims up into the river for once only to wrap his tentacles around you and drag you off toward the lake with a watery laugh. He expects you to do the same to him in return, but the Guardian’s extreme strength might make it difficult. Worry not, because if no one comes to your rescue, Sinann will chide him until he lets go, and show you the nest the baby Seaborn have built at the deepest point in the river. You’re welcome to live with them for a while, if you want. Their pastime is singing, and they’d love to sing with you.

And to the folks with a sudden craving for plants, Moder will gladly show you where the best snacks are — her favourite trees to reach into, the best flowers to eat, a fragrant patch of wild herbs. She’s happy to stroll through the forest with you, calmer than her peers are. If you need a ride on her mossy back, she’ll accommodate, so long as you don’t mind her telling old tales of a world long gone.

The final Guardian, Zahliya, doesn’t seem too keen on playtime, and will simply perch in various locations throughout the Grove to keep watch, as he normally does. Gifts of food given his way are rejected for the time being. He has a job to do; why don’t you go play with everyone?

It’s a beautiful, sunny day. This world isn’t often peaceful and playful. You should take advantage of it before something horrible happens… you and everyone else here know the good mood can’t last too long.

Spark Notes

summary

WAKE UP: Welcome to the Grove! You've found yourself in someone else's home/business/room it seems. Good luck explaining this one, but maybe Renard will be in time to bail you out?
TRANSPOREMATION: The mushrooms in the woods will spray you with spore clouds if you're not careful, and then transform you into something else. After a potentially-painful transformation, you'll find yourself in a new, more monsterlike body for a while.
TIME TREKS ON: Despite the monster mash, Beiwe's church is going strong, providing an opportunity to get creative or cook some dinner. Ydalir, Heimr, and Renard are all happy to see you and invite you to a home-cooked meal. They'd probably appreciate help with the dining room decor, too.
IT NEVER ENDS: Despite the transformations, it seems like the Guardians are all super pumped to spend time with you guys in their own domains. Many of them will invite you and your friends to hang out, some more politely than others. It's peaceful for once, so why not take them up on that?

out of character

Happy May! Here is your usual reminder that TDM threads are game canon. Per our plotting post (linked below) please keep in mind our rules for the monster transformations, and have fun!

updates

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

submissions

❖ NPCs List
❖ Questions
❖ May Plotting
❖ Past Life Plotting (Closed to Game Members)
❖ Investigations
❖ TDM NPC Contact

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Comments

[outofsynth]

He looks surprised by the question. Maybe he wouldn't have been when he first transformed, but living like this has come more naturally than Min had ever expected.

"Of course." She had frightened him, sure, but most of the time he's been doing okay. "Sinann's helped keep away Callan, but otherwise the river feels pretty safe."

Or at least it has to him. He looks at her carefully, trying unsuccessfully to read her inhuman features.

"I can help you. If you've been finding it tough out here," he ventures, uncertain if the offer will be welcome or not. "I'm Min-Gi."

[sailingfor]

Ah, I like fucking with people, but not over matters of the heart.

[Sorry that this shirtless plant-man is doing this to you, Sidney. At least he knows when to stop being silly and actually communicate (for once)!]

How about this: I'll buy you dinner some time. At the bar, or the cafe. I'd say I could make you something, but I wouldn't trust me in the kitchen — nor should you. Not that I think I'd burn it down, but I'm not the greatest cook out there.

[You'll eat charcoal and you'll like it.

Hey, funny enough we have Night Vale coming up, maybe they can go to the diner—]

We can get to know each other a little better that way, I think. How about it?

YOU'RE GOOD

[outofsynth]

[At first Min-Gi is oblivious to his audience. The Seaborn are the first to notice him, some clamouring for the new arrival to join them. They're eager for more companions to sing with them and most seem to think that's why he's here. Some even seem disappointed when he doesn't so much as acknowledge their invitation.

It's the excitement from the Seaborn that pulls Min from his song. He stops abruptly, taking a moment to recognize him with his new appearance. His expression turns frosty even before Bakugo can speak. He's grateful to him for saving his life, but he hasn't forgotten the way he spoke to Ryan.

His request only earns him a derisive snort and an eye roll, his tail flicking with irritation. It's close enough to the surface to cause a light ripple behind him.]

Why would I fight you?

[The Seaborn are uneasy now, a few darting closer to Min as though they can shield him. Others flit away a short distance, not wanting to get caught up in their dispute.

On the plus side, he has stopped singing.]

[nitrotempered]

Mm, [ Grouchy, listens to what he says and can understand it. Katsuki eyes the water as it gets poured into his glass, only taking it in his hand when he stops pouring it. ] depends. Not like I need a maid to grab me anything, go get your food and eat up too before I eat it all. 'Cause for some damn reason, I can scarf down all of this honestly.

[ghostharasser]

[No, no, he was expecting a fucking mess in here. It's a lot of blue fire, but if Stan somehow hit Beasthood, then he isn't really that surprised that anything involving Stan as a person is fucked beyond recognition.]

[Dipper has falling into this himself, after all. He remembers, or rather, doesn't remember, what it was like. He's only heard second hand from Mabel the behaviors of that monster. How it was him but not. How it pulled on the parts of himself it needed but otherwise twisted himself into something bloodthirsty and violent.]

[This is clearly something very different, at least it seems that way to Dipper. This beast isn't reacting violently, it's acting defensively which strikes him as very unusual. He may not be all gone, there may be something Dipper can pull back out again. He just has to weather a literal fucking inferno.]

[Oh, it's a terrible day to be an empath. It hits him so fucking hard, how much the amplified stress and fear is. He can feel his own corruption starting to fray just being here. He doesn't have a lot of time to do something.]

GRUNKLE STAN!

[But he has to. He has to try. Dipper reaches deep within himself to tap into his powers in a way he hates doing. He knows how to alter mindscapes, he knows how to affect the mental world around him. He doesn't have to change anything drastic, he just needs to put these flames out.]

[So that's what he tries to do.]

[nitrotempered]

Because - - - [ The singing stops, and he's snapped out of his momentary trance. It feels like a wash of feelings pours out from him, and immediately, he gets disgusted and annoyed. Looking over at Min-Gi with an equally disgruntled look, one that he has though for completely other reasons. ]

The fuck were you doing to me?

[ Defensive, he looks at the seaborn corraling themselves around Min-Gi, carrying little for what they are or what they seem to want to do. He just - finds himself defensive and overwhelmed by the fact that he was forced to feel something that wasn't his - is his? Didn't want to feel. ] Is that your quirk or something? Dip shit, don't sing anymore if thats what you're doing. Don't get any funny ideas or anything -

[charlastan]

[It seems like a simple enough solution, doesn't it? You see a fire, you put it out. If everything around you is a mess, you start with the mess at your feet. Slowly, the fire begins to recede away from him in circle. One foot...then two...enough to reveal burnt grass under his feet....

But the progress doesn't last. Stan, or something that used to be him, HOWLS in pain - a very human scream layered over with a pitch only an animal could possibly hit. He screams as if the lack of pain hurts even more somehow - as if all of this burning is the only thing left of what was Stanley Pines.

In desperation, the rest of the fire lurches and moves, trying to regain the ground it lost at any cost. It pays little attention to Dipper himself, though some of his clothes may start to catch if he isn't careful. The flames move awkwardly at first, but then they weave together into a shape that's almost...a hand? No. A paw.

It slams down into the circle Dipper's made and pulls back with such force it makes the ground start to spark. It leaves behind a deep gash.

But more important, it doesn't show any sign of stopping. It's going to scratch and scratch and scratch until it hurts the way it's supposed to, the way it understands that it should hurt.]

[menophesto]

[ Perhaps Mephisto has gone soft himself. Hadn't he recently gotten onto Flamebringer about this very thing? Still, it is different. Mephisto never had to get anyone to like him, he didn't need to be kind, he didn't need to be likeable, and it was all because he only ever needed Sasha. Now, though, he has nothing. Just pain and regret and a constant grief that makes him feel so, so hopeless.

So he gets it. Really, truly, he does. ]

That would help, but isn't as if I'm not used to it. I'm fine to give company, too, though I can't assure I'll be good with it. I'm not a very fun conversationalist if my past critics are anything to go by.

[ghostharasser]

[OH. Oh, okay, that was NOT a good thing to do.]

[Luckily, or maybe unluckily? Between that retaliation, the surge of concentrated emotions of pain and anguish hitting him like an actual truck, and the heat of the fire coming back towards him, Dipper absolutely can't maintain his place here in his mind.]

[It's been a while since he's been totally kicked out like that. Met his match on his preferred terrain.]

[With a shout, Dipper forces an exit for himself before he, too, succumbs to his own corruption, feeling the way those emotions pull at him, unraveling him from the inside out.]

[He hits the ground with a thud, and though he's disoriented and bleeding from the now two or three eyes on the right side of his face, he forces himself back onto his feet in a hurry.]

[sticksandbonesmods]

[Moder doesn't exactly like fire, but it seems that she dodges more out of obligation than any innate hatred or fear of it. She doesn't seem exhausted, but she is a heavy, slow mover — as a giant moose-monster she can run pretty fucking fast, but she cannot outspeed the likes of much bigger creatures, or anything that runs faster than an oversized moose can, and her preferred combat style is to Stand There And Swing Trees and Stomp To Make Earthquake and Walk Ominously Forward. It seems she's not the "run around to fight" type of deity. Of course, there's minimal reason for her to move around that much when she's as hulking as she is. Her entire defense seems to be using herself and her powers of conjuration as a shield.

Of course she doesn't mean to bean Bakugo that hard, and after he climbs out of the tree-pile, Moder slowly ambles over to him and reaches down to pat his head with her handibles.]

There there, Child of Man. Let us rest for now.

[charlastan]

[This is all a little too complex for a giant beast to wrap his dog brain around. He was in the grove, and then they were GONE, and now he's back again, startled by the sudden change in location. What the FUCK was all of THAT?! He whips his head around, looking for something - anything that might have become a threat in the last two minutes. He even gets up and makes a couple of circles, in case there's something he's missing in a blind spot.

Eventually, all of his eyes land on Dipper, who is scurrying up to his feet. Stan growls low with his teeth bared and shifts as though he might lunge directly at him. It doesn't matter what happened because he can be bigger, louder, scarier!

He takes a few aggressive steps forward and then, when he's sure this guy isn't going to try and come at him again--

--he bolts! He turns tail and sprints off so fast that patches of grass burn up just from the friction. He makes a tight corner around the inn, to try and get out of sight as quickly as possible.]

[eidxiety]

[Yeah, Ain feels the bones in his skull rattle. Thanks—]

I'm pretty sure they're mosses. Or hanging lichens? Haha, they were soft and chewy...

[Yeah, Ain as a weird little deer can eat those. Ain as a person will find these disgusting and wonder what the hell is wrong with him.]

[nitrotempered]

[ Katsuki makes a grumpy face, and looks up to hear the sounds of - a voice? Talking to him. He still is in the tree pile, giving it a moment to let his back crack a few notches into place. He starts to clamour out of it, with his wings flapping off any debris that clung to it. ]

Not to be that person, but why the hell do you look like that? [ A moose monster, and he means well by it... But, he still says it rather brutishly. ]

[outofsynth]

[There's a flicker of confusion, but mostly? He's still annoyed. Min-Gi's clueless, and the Seaborn seem to be too. He shakes his head, offended and unsure exactly what he's being accused of.]

What ideas? I wasn't doing anything to you. No one's forcing you to be here if you really hate my singing that much.

[He assumes this is some weird continuation of the weeb dispute, but he doesn't understand it anymore now than he did then. It does piss him off that Bakugo's going to these lengths to continue to bully them though.]

[sesa]

[It's fine he's just borrowing him-]

Ooh...I see. No, I don't mind. Please, take your time.

[He'll take a careful step back as he says that. He'd rather not get homfed if he can help it.]

I can carry you, if you need?

[foreversembrace]

[No Val is VERY correct, Till is dramatic 99% of the time so.]

Tch...a couple weeks? A month? I dunno. That's what they say, anyway. Even just a day like this is too fucking long.

[foreversembrace]

Mmh...

[Okay yeah, he's heard of Shadow Milk, but they haven't spoken. So he's like. Just going to believe this to be true because why wouldn't he, that'd be a weird thing for this kid to lie about.]

Right. So...why are you all the way out here, then? Didn't they tell you it's dangerous?

[Pot meet kettle]

[rabbithearted]

[the cat man tilts his head back and forth a couple times, as if weighing the concept. what he settles on is... it sure is.]

You could be a little grateful. At least you've got three more limbs than some of us! [jazz hands! er... hand.]

[foreversembrace]

[Yep, he notices alright. But given that he's only sketching and doesn't have any proper tools for coloring, he'll just have to make the shading he does do the heavy lifting. Not an unfamiliar task, since the Aliens weren't really generous enough to give him crayons as a child.]

Yeah, just like that. Just sit there...you don't have to be a statue, but just don't like get up and leave.

[He says all of this while drawing by the way, the sound of his pencil's tip audible as it scratches the page.]

[lovelyredthread]

[ Dangerous. The mention of danger almost makes him laugh, but he humors the concern. If it's concern. He's not sure if he can tell or not. ]

I was a protector of the Garden of Delights. Beast-Yeast is filled with monsters and things already so I'm alright. I have my bow with me.

[ And if he came home with a hair out of place he's pretty sure his father would actually kill someone. Completely normal as far as his parents go. ]

I got bored in town and wanted to look around the forest. It feels a little like the area around the Garden so I like it out here.

[lupusxylem]

[...Ain, oh my god. Wolfwood loves your stupid ass so much.

Wolfwood heaves a sigh now that Ain has finally caught on that he's NOT being eaten and killed dead, prompting him to flop across Ain's backside like x___x

His heart is still racing from that romp through the woods, but good god.]

Hey. Feel better now...?

[lupusxylem]

[Just as Ain says that, Wolfwood opens the closet door to the tune of both Dachsologies on the floor all tangled up in Ain's bolts of spare fabric, turning their heads up at him to look with their orbs like O^O

Do not worry he is not disturbing your crimes, he just wants the broom-]

Eh, s'fine. Wouldn't be the first time I've gotten needle stabbed.

[YEAH BUT YOU STILL DON'T WANT THAT-!!]

[lupusxylem]

Shit, what!?

[Wolfwood jumps nearly a mile, and that's really all it takes for him to lose his balance. He slips and falls backwards straight into the water, though thankfully he ends up falling between the stepping stones and doesn't bash his head on one of them or anything.

Angelina thinks this is her signal to play and crashes into the river after him, barking her head off.]

[notsonewbie]

[And true to form, Meryl grabs several pictures along the way. Once the barking dies down, Wolfwood will absolutely hear her click, click, clicking away. She doesn't even try to look ashamed if he happens to look at her. A toothy grin spreads across her lips as she gives her camera a wiggle.]

You know, something tells me that Firebringering guy might like these.

[unheiring]

Ah, and whatever will I do about the stove I left on?

[It's a joke, deadpan as it comes out. But since Till has given him permission to move, he'll at least angle himself enough to focus on some art of his own. He reaches for some clay and picks at it, attempting to fashion it into something. Hard to say what it is, but at least it keeps his mind occupied, and the both of them safe from any stray sparks.]