sticks and bones. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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sticksandbones2023-10-04 03:16 pm
sticksandbonesmods) wrote in sticksandbones2023-10-04 03:16 pm
Entry tags:
- !event,
- !tdm,
- arknights: gnosis,
- arknights: irene,
- arknights: mizuki,
- baldur's gate iii: astarion ancunín,
- baldur's gate iii: taliira a'daragon,
- digimon survive: haru,
- elsword: add,
- elsword: elsword,
- fate: bb,
- i'm the grim reaper: brook,
- jujutsu kaisen: toge inumaki,
- murder drones: n,
- original: caoimhe ailbhe,
- original: felicity morais,
- original: kiera canorus,
- original: lancelot,
- original: luca aurelius
Event & TDM 005
SPOOKY SCARY SKELETONS
WAKE UP
cw: immolation, sinkholes
When your eyes open, you’re lying in crisp, blackened grass. The sky is dreary, the world around you is still and silent. Were it not for the ash raining from the sky or the acrid tang of burnt flesh, it might almost feel peaceful. Familiar-feeling memories wash over you — a town burning, the cackling of an unknown beast, the shrill screams of friends and loved ones dying a slow, painful death—
Where did that memory even come from? You’d better shake it off and rise to your feet before the ash buries you, too. It isn’t real… right?
The town you’re in is dilapidated and charred. Something snaps under your feet, and when you look down, a bone lies pressed into the earth, perfectly broken into two neat pieces. You press on, toward the destroyed remains of houses — some missing roofs, some collapsed in on themselves, others still weathering the test of time — to where the trees are vibrant and orange, to where the grass has regrown and the buildings stand tall. You press on… and your foot catches in the mud, a hole opening up beneath your feet and dragging you in. If you’re quick enough, you might be able to escape the collapsing earth before it buries you alive in years of muck and decay. If not… perhaps you’ll be lucky, and someone from the nearby settlement will bail you out.
Hopefully you won’t have to wait long.
When your eyes open, you’re lying in crisp, blackened grass. The sky is dreary, the world around you is still and silent. Were it not for the ash raining from the sky or the acrid tang of burnt flesh, it might almost feel peaceful. Familiar-feeling memories wash over you — a town burning, the cackling of an unknown beast, the shrill screams of friends and loved ones dying a slow, painful death—
Where did that memory even come from? You’d better shake it off and rise to your feet before the ash buries you, too. It isn’t real… right?
The town you’re in is dilapidated and charred. Something snaps under your feet, and when you look down, a bone lies pressed into the earth, perfectly broken into two neat pieces. You press on, toward the destroyed remains of houses — some missing roofs, some collapsed in on themselves, others still weathering the test of time — to where the trees are vibrant and orange, to where the grass has regrown and the buildings stand tall. You press on… and your foot catches in the mud, a hole opening up beneath your feet and dragging you in. If you’re quick enough, you might be able to escape the collapsing earth before it buries you alive in years of muck and decay. If not… perhaps you’ll be lucky, and someone from the nearby settlement will bail you out.
Hopefully you won’t have to wait long.
KEEP MY HEAD TOGETHER
Somewhere on your body is an intricate, black mark that doesn’t come off no matter how hard you scrub. Perhaps there are two, or even three, or more. You don’t exactly remember getting these small, medallion-sized tattoos — it’s almost as though you woke up with them. Better make sure no one’s drawing on you in your sleep.
As the day progresses, the effects of these marks become apparent. Suddenly, everything hurts — a dull, throbbing pain as if you’ve been stabbed. Perhaps the pain is quick and sharp, like you stubbed your toe on the inn’s coffee table. Perhaps it slowly burns, like hot coffee accidentally splashed on your lap. No matter what the pain is, you feel it at less of an intensity than you would if you’d actually done these things. Later, you might meet with the person who shares a mark with you, and maybe they’ll tell you — they stubbed their toe, they spilled their coffee, someone randomly stabbed them, how weird is that?
These marks link you and your partner(s) — any pain they feel, you’ll feel, too, albeit at half the intensity they do. If you’re sharing that pain between three people, it’ll be at one third the intensity.
Negative emotions, though? Those, you get at full throttle. If those you share a mark with cry, you’ll cry, too; you feel their rage at being stuck here as though it were your own; you long for home, and you miss a mother that isn’t yours. Fight through your blurring sense of self, friend. Surely you’ll get used to it soon. After all, these will stay on your body for the rest of the month.
As the day progresses, the effects of these marks become apparent. Suddenly, everything hurts — a dull, throbbing pain as if you’ve been stabbed. Perhaps the pain is quick and sharp, like you stubbed your toe on the inn’s coffee table. Perhaps it slowly burns, like hot coffee accidentally splashed on your lap. No matter what the pain is, you feel it at less of an intensity than you would if you’d actually done these things. Later, you might meet with the person who shares a mark with you, and maybe they’ll tell you — they stubbed their toe, they spilled their coffee, someone randomly stabbed them, how weird is that?
These marks link you and your partner(s) — any pain they feel, you’ll feel, too, albeit at half the intensity they do. If you’re sharing that pain between three people, it’ll be at one third the intensity.
Negative emotions, though? Those, you get at full throttle. If those you share a mark with cry, you’ll cry, too; you feel their rage at being stuck here as though it were your own; you long for home, and you miss a mother that isn’t yours. Fight through your blurring sense of self, friend. Surely you’ll get used to it soon. After all, these will stay on your body for the rest of the month.
THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
A week into October, a skeletal visitor comes rattling into the Grove, wearing a top hat on its bare cranium and a name tag on its ribcage: “Mr. Bone-Jangles”. Mr. Bone-Jangles cannot speak, but he’s very excited to take willing people into the burned town and lead them toward the far north of it, where a small army of fellow skeletons have put up a circus tent. Pumpkin-shaped flags decorate the scorched remnants of a street, and mysterious skull-shaped lights float in the air. Mr. Bone-Jangles joyfully motions to the tent, where a banner placed over the tent-flaps reads “MASKERADE”... you assume this is meant to be “masquerade”, but it would be rude to point out the spelling error. Skeletons don’t have brains.
Before you can even enter the tent, Mr. Bone-Jangles’ employees direct you to a smaller tent set up to the side, demanding with clacks of their jaws in morse code that you put on your costume and mask. Costumes are optional; masks are not. Luckily, all of these are free. The costume tent itself is entirely empty save for one giant mirror which, when gazed into, shows you standing in your outfit of choice. Once you exit the tent, you’ll be wearing that outfit, and the skeletons will hand you a wooden mask in any design you feel suits you, matching or not. Where did your old clothing wind up? Great question! They’ll be teleported back to your bed in a wrinkled heap, but you don’t have to worry about that until the party stops. And speaking of that mask… when you put it on between the party start at 10pm and end at 6am, it won’t come off no matter how hard you pull until 6:01am approximately.
The skeletons insist you don’t try to tug your skin off, though, and instead direct you inside the masquerade tent itself. It’s almost akin to being teleported to another dimension — a grand ballroom is decorated with classic Halloween decorations, a buffet of spooky-themed snacks is laid out on the tables, the music is almost too loud, and a lounge is set up off to the side for those who’d like to rest between dances. If you lack a dance partner, worry not — the skeletons are more than happy to waltz with you. And, if you’re of age, they’ll serve you any liquor you’d like.
Stay too late, though, and the skeletons will kick you out. They’re stronger than they look and aren’t afraid to toss you like a wet rag onto the burnt streets. Once the party ends for the night, you won’t be able to get back into the tent no matter how hard you try, so don’t leave anything behind!
Before you can even enter the tent, Mr. Bone-Jangles’ employees direct you to a smaller tent set up to the side, demanding with clacks of their jaws in morse code that you put on your costume and mask. Costumes are optional; masks are not. Luckily, all of these are free. The costume tent itself is entirely empty save for one giant mirror which, when gazed into, shows you standing in your outfit of choice. Once you exit the tent, you’ll be wearing that outfit, and the skeletons will hand you a wooden mask in any design you feel suits you, matching or not. Where did your old clothing wind up? Great question! They’ll be teleported back to your bed in a wrinkled heap, but you don’t have to worry about that until the party stops. And speaking of that mask… when you put it on between the party start at 10pm and end at 6am, it won’t come off no matter how hard you pull until 6:01am approximately.
The skeletons insist you don’t try to tug your skin off, though, and instead direct you inside the masquerade tent itself. It’s almost akin to being teleported to another dimension — a grand ballroom is decorated with classic Halloween decorations, a buffet of spooky-themed snacks is laid out on the tables, the music is almost too loud, and a lounge is set up off to the side for those who’d like to rest between dances. If you lack a dance partner, worry not — the skeletons are more than happy to waltz with you. And, if you’re of age, they’ll serve you any liquor you’d like.
Stay too late, though, and the skeletons will kick you out. They’re stronger than they look and aren’t afraid to toss you like a wet rag onto the burnt streets. Once the party ends for the night, you won’t be able to get back into the tent no matter how hard you try, so don’t leave anything behind!
DON’T CHASE THE DEAD
Turns out, the masquerade isn’t just for one night, but for every night for the rest of the month. On the second night of the masquerade and on from there, ghosts appear in droves, gathering at the party and in the burned town for a night out. No matter how hard you try, you can’t get their attention; they’ll merely pass right through you as if you aren’t there.
Some of the ghosts look eerily familiar to you, like people you knew in the past who aren’t here now. It could be your mother, your brother, a close friend, or maybe your old neighbour or coworker. Each is dressed in masquerade attire, each intends only to party until the sun comes up, and at that point, each ghost fades from the world as if dissolving away into nothingness.
They’ll be back the next night, of course. And the next. And the one after that. Until finally, the last day of the month rolls around, and the ghosts aren’t there. If you come to the burned town at 6am, you’ll be greeted by the sight of the skeletons packing up their tents and decorations. And if you stick around until 7…
Mr. Bone-Jangles takes off his top hat and takes a bow, waves one last goodbye, and then him and his skeleton crew take a dive into the sinkhole that was, somehow, underneath the masquerade tent the whole time.
Some of the ghosts look eerily familiar to you, like people you knew in the past who aren’t here now. It could be your mother, your brother, a close friend, or maybe your old neighbour or coworker. Each is dressed in masquerade attire, each intends only to party until the sun comes up, and at that point, each ghost fades from the world as if dissolving away into nothingness.
They’ll be back the next night, of course. And the next. And the one after that. Until finally, the last day of the month rolls around, and the ghosts aren’t there. If you come to the burned town at 6am, you’ll be greeted by the sight of the skeletons packing up their tents and decorations. And if you stick around until 7…
Mr. Bone-Jangles takes off his top hat and takes a bow, waves one last goodbye, and then him and his skeleton crew take a dive into the sinkhole that was, somehow, underneath the masquerade tent the whole time.
SPARK NOTES
CLICK TO EXPAND!
You find yourself in a burned-down town. As you try to leave, a sinkhole opens beneath your feet and sucks you in. Screaming for help is a viable option.
Everyone is now sharing pain and negative emotions. Please try not to get stabbed so that your partner(s) don't have to also feel stabbed. You can pair up with as few or as many people as you want, as long as you're paired up with minimum one other person.
Welcome to the masquerade! Mr. Bone-Jangles hopes you have a good time. Masks and Halloween costumes are provided free of charge, but be careful, because donning the masks between 10pm and 6am makes them unable to be removed until the party stops at 6. There's tons of food and drink, and liquor for those who are old enough to have it. Just don't stay past the party's end or the skeletons will yeet you out onto the street.
The masquerade goes for the rest of the month, and after day 1, it'll be frequented by ghosts who look like people from your past. They don't seem to notice you and will float through you if you stand in their way. At the end of the month, the skeletons pack up the party, the ghosts disappear, and the skeletons jump into a sinkhole underneath the masquerade tent. Goodbye! Happy Halloween! Mr. Bone-Jangles sends his regards.
Welcome to the fifth TDM & Event Log of Sticks and Bones! This log is game canon. The prompts are meant for all players, current and future, so have fun! Our applications operate on a rolling basis, so applications are open with no end date unless we suddenly cap players. If there are any questions, please direct them to the "questions" header below.
❖ None yet!
TDM TOPLEVELS!
❖ Vash (Trigun Stampede)
❖ N (Murder Drones)
❖ Rin Tohsaka (Fate/Stay Night)
❖ Rui Ninomiya (Gatchaman Crowds)
❖ Ain (Elsword)
❖ Hiyori Iki (Noragami)
❖ Taliira A'Daragon (Tav) (Baldur's Gate III)
❖ Genjiro Chibana (Handead Anthem)
❖ Haru (Digimon Survive)
❖ Samatoki Aohitsugi (Hypnosis Mic)
❖ Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil 4: Remake)
❖ Grusha (Pokemon: Scarlet & Violet)
❖ Woljif Jefto (Pathfinder: WOTR)
❖ N (Murder Drones)
❖ Rin Tohsaka (Fate/Stay Night)
❖ Rui Ninomiya (Gatchaman Crowds)
❖ Ain (Elsword)
❖ Hiyori Iki (Noragami)
❖ Taliira A'Daragon (Tav) (Baldur's Gate III)
❖ Genjiro Chibana (Handead Anthem)
❖ Haru (Digimon Survive)
❖ Samatoki Aohitsugi (Hypnosis Mic)
❖ Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil 4: Remake)
❖ Grusha (Pokemon: Scarlet & Violet)
❖ Woljif Jefto (Pathfinder: WOTR)
no subject
Ezell doesn't want to make assumptions, but it's hard not to, when Ain draws comparisons like this. Even the "stone" that keeps his planet "alive" — maybe they truly are just birds of a feather, just from different universes, rather than worlds. Yet, with those comparisons comes such bitter conclusions. The only fallen Ezell has ever met is Mostima, but he had stories of her. Even spoken with her. There's not a lot she told him, but he knows that what she did was noble. How could the Law see that as a reason to sever her connection? Especially with what sanity she has waning…
And Cecelia, too. Sweet Cecelia, who never had that connection to the Law, despite being "one of them". It's cruel. He doesn't understand why a God couldn't just keep everyone connected. Why is that an issue? Doesn't everyone deserve that chance?
He feels that jealousy, Ain. And he's so, so sorry. He really shouldn't have brought it up. Just saying His name should've been enough. He puts a hand on Ain's side, and twirls around with him, giving his hand a little squeeze. ]
She neglected you… I'm sorry to hear that. Genuinely. [ He should probably change the subject. At least Ain is focused on him now, instead of the skeletons. ] I'm Ezell, by the way. I probably should've introduced myself before offering this dance.
cw ain (yandere bullshit)
Ezell.... kind of reminds him of Elsword. He seems like a gentle person who only means well, sympathetic to even the darkest of souls, a beacon in the night...
He wants. To stab him. He wants to cut him with his tail and watch the blood ooze out, wants to lick it from the wound and memorize the taste, bite him until he cries and then lay against him and never let anyone else have him ever... Sigh. It's such a nice thought. He could kill this man so easily.
Ain flops forward into a hug. Ezell is warm... he smells so pleasant. He really, really has to resist suddenly turning his tail into a shank just to see how his expression looks when he's in pain.]
Ain. [He says, with his voice wavering just a bit,] You seem like... a good person. You're so nice to a stranger you just met. Pretty, pretty...I want to keep you...
[yeah just give him a bit he'll recover. probably.]
no subject
But then it's muddied. Maybe "muddied" is too kind. It's dropped and coated in disgusting black tar. It's kind of an overwhelming sort of feeling that Ezell doesn't know how to handle. He should be worried for himself here, but instead he just finds himself fretting more for Ain's sake. It's not pity, but rather just genuine worry about the sort of path this person is on because of a God that abandoned him. If Ezell was walking on a dangerous path to heresy before, he's running now.
His initial reaction to the hug is to settle his hands on Ain's shoulders, the empathy being just a little too overwhelming and seeming like he's going to push Ain away, but settles after less than a second and gives this very strange man a returned hug. If it's what he needs at the moment, Ezell will provide. He's done more for people he's just met, after all. Usually for children, sure, but someone like this deserves just as much compassion, right? It's only slightly awkward to be standing in the middle of the masquerade hugging, dwbi. ]
I think being nice to people should be the default… Do you not usually run into people like that? [ Fret increasing! ] …Are you alright, Ain? I can take you to go sit down, if that's what you need.
I ROLLED A 1
Sitting down sounds nice. So he nods, and lets go long enough for Ezell to hopefully lead the way over to the lounge area. It doesn't look like many people are here, which is good, because Ain would chase them all away so that Ezell can have the whole couch to himself. Once they're close enough, it's Ain's turn to lead, and he drags Ezell to the couch and makes him sit down on it...
...and then he walks around to the back of it, actually, fuck sitting down, and from there he drapes himself over it and wraps his arms loosely around Ezell's neck. The pointy tip of his tail is very dangerously close to his neck, too, but just ignore that. Ain only stabs without warning sometimes!]
Are you comfortable? Can I make you more comfortable? Do you want me to get you anything?
no subject
His words, though… Ezell isn't sure what his maximum capacity for concern and worry is, but he's surprised he hasn't reached it yet. It's not even worry for himself, but for Ain. And if it's something that's strong enough to be picked up through the pain share, then he'll definitely feel the ache in Ezell's heart from the realization that Ain's been so neglected he feels the need to seek validation from someone he just met?? Or, at least, that's how Ezell is reading into this. How has he been treated if this is how he acts to simple kindness? How long has it been since his God had done anything for him? He simply shifts himself, so that he can turn around on the couch to face Ain in such a way he still stays draped on him, he knees now in the cushion. The tail simply gets pushed aside if it gets in the way of his adjusting.
Then, his arms go under his own, and he carefully picks Ain up to sit next to him instead. "You're allowed to sit with me," he wants to say, but instead just adjusts himself to sit back down. There's no smile anymore, Ezell is just visibly worried. ]
You don't have to do anything for me. You can just relax, okay?
no subject
flops over like a cat into Ezell's lap. He would purr if he could. At least he's placated for the time being? Ain isn't thinking that it might be weird to snuggle into someone you met ten minutes ago. Rather, he feels the Concern and Worry and puts them away. He doesn't know what to do with that. He doesn't care to do anything with it.
He... is content. Relaxing: engaged. Even if it's hard with the mask.]
So kind... but I can do anything you want me to, so don't try to do it yourself. I'll take orders.
[What's the tail doing, you might ask? Oh nothing it's just wagging, except it's sharp and metal so it rattles. Rattle rattle rattle rattle—]
no subject
You don't need to take orders when we're just relaxing. [ He's… a little angry that any God would abandon their angel like this. He hopes Cecelia never feels this lost. But even more than that, he hopes Ain can find peace. All Ezell can offer now is gentle pets against his head. ] Besides, I offered to help you already, didn't I? You shouldn't have to do the same for me.
no subject
You're a good person. It would be easy for someone to take advantage of your kindness. [bro?] Mm... but I like you, so I won't let anybody have you. So you don't have to worry about that.
[Yeah he just straight-up ignored Ezell saying he didn't need help.]
no subject
[ Maybe not, considering Ain doesn't know his job, but even so… ]
I appreciate your concern, though. It's very sweet of you.
cw ??? ain-
He sits up and tilts his mask up a bit — though he can't take it off, it's big enough to necessitate moving it around because the nose on the skull is so damn long. He scoots closer until their legs touch, and wraps his arms around Ezell in a warm hug.
...
And then, seconds later, full-on embeds his fucking teeth into the man's shoulder.]
i dont have a good icon for this ppl need to draw ezell more
I—
[ And then he bites him? What the fuck??? Ezell doesn't immediately process the pain because the shock just hits him like a truck. There's also that fact that this, being physical pain, is now split! Yaaay. Hope you enjoy biting your own damn shoulder, you freak. (He probably will, lbr. All these damn yanderes being excited about being connected and shit even if it's just pain…)
His first thought is to get Ain off by any means necessary. Self-preservation is high with Ezell, and he goes to reach for his shotgun that… isn't there. Right. Because he's at this masquerade. Of course it's not with him. He starts to move his hands so he can try to shove Ain away, but then a second thought: If Ain is fallen… Ezell doesn't actually know entirely how that works. He never really paid all that much attention in History. Sankta stem from ancient Sarkaz subraces, though. And what's more ancient than a vampire? Maybe that's what's… going on here?? It would explain the lack of horns…
Ah.
He shifts his hands anyway to squeeze Ain's shoulder with a frown. ]
Ain. [ Soft and gentle, yet stern, with a sort of warning to it that he won't ask nicely again. ] Let me go.
begging fanartists to appeal to US specifically!!!
...
......
.........
Ain relaxes his jaw and almost apologetically puts his chin on Ezell's shoulder like a dog that's being scolded. If clothes weren't in the way, he'd probably be lapping at the wound, too. He doesn't care for the fact that his own shoulder hurts now... it really is weird, but he's more focused on Ezell.
There's no guilt. There's no sense of being admonished. There's a desperate, awful "want" stirring beneath the surface, though, something feral and needy. Possessive. It's a gross emotion to share with someone, surely.]
no subject
It does sting, though. He hisses a little as pressure is applied. How does he address this? It’s not like he can scold Ain like he’s some kind of dog. But it also came out of nowhere??? Does Ain truly think any of that was okay? He doesn’t understand, for once. ]
I don’t want to leave you here by yourself, but I’m seconds from walking away if you don’t tell me why you did that.