EVENT & TDM 029

[sticksandbonesmods]

WAKE UP

A house springs up in Aldric’s Grove one day. That comes with the usual tidings of autumn — the leaves change colour, the air gets colder, pumpkins and squash start growing out of the sides of buildings and damaging rooftops, and people emerge out of caskets in square graves that have yet to be covered.

…

Yeah, all of that is normal. You may find that people here before you are willing to help pull you out of your grave, if you ask nicely enough. Maybe they’ll even tell you that you aren’t dead! Yet.

But don’t worry about that. Let’s worry about the house, which is inhabited by the dead — specifically a family of skeletons, who wave everyone, new arrival and old citizen, within their walls. A cloth sign hanging on the awning outside reads “BONE-JANGLES HAUZ! COM IN GET FUD”. The Bone-Jangles are a family of eight — Mr. Bone-Jangles himself wearing a sheet ghost costume for Halloween, Ms. Bone-Jangles wearing a pumpkin hat and an apron as she sets food from your homeworld on the table, and their six skeleton children (“children” may be generous, as these are full-sized adult skeletons, but is your baby not your baby no matter how old they may be?) are wearing various animal costumes. Bees, wolves, cats, the sort.

If you just crawled out of a grave, they permit you to use their shower before dinner. The water pressure is a touch too low, and the soap is several hundred years old, but it’ll get the dirt off.

You return to dinner with the skeleton family and several other Grove residents who came for the party, and despite the oddness of the situation, it’s a lovely time. At the end of the night, before everyone plans to head off to Roseroot — a city to the north, just over the mountains, which you are hopefully informed of by your peers before they all ditch you here to go on vacation — Mr. Bone-Jangles hands you a bag of microwave popcorn and an oversized chocolate bar. Trick-or-Treat!

A note attached to the inside of the chocolate bar wrapper reads in Ms. Bone-Jangles’ curly handwriting: “Be cautious on your journey tomorrow morning.”

You go to sleep holding the well-wishes close to your chest.

…WAKE UP?

What do you last remember?

You were somewhere. Not here. Not within this city. Were you at home? With your friends? At the bar, the cafe, one of the churches, the General Store? The Bone-Jangles’ house? …How did you get here?

…that’s right. The truck. A truck had barrelled through the woods a week ago, with two people stumbling out of it and telling you they could get you out of here. The truck was small, though — at most, it could fit six of you, and that was assuming all six of you packed light for the journey. You talked with who you were journeying alongside as you rode in the bed of the truck, while two others in the vehicle proper got to talk to the drivers. The ride had been bumpy, the car travelling at a medium clip through rough terrain. At one point, the car’s driver had shouted that those of you in the back should “hold on tight” and floored it, nearly jiggling someone next to you out of the back seat as you approached the mountains.

You did not remember the mountains being so close to the Grove. Weren’t they much farther away? You remember the—

The…

…

You’re in Roseroot! The truck comes and goes throughout the day, dropping people off before it turns around and heads out again. Some of your peers who were particularly fast or could fly might have opted to simply follow alongside the truck. Maybe if you can find one of them, they can help you bring your stuff further into the city? Where are you going to live from here, speaking of? In a house? A mansion? A hole-in-the-wall restaurant? You feel like you’re missing something as you wander the beautifully-paved streets on foot. You remembered to pack your toothbrush, right? A change of clothes?

The thought of “someone” comes to your mind, but the silhouette is blurry. A person nearby you asks if you remember two gargoyles with purple skin, and a shadowy woman with her turtle, and a kindly shopkeeper with salt-and-pepper hair, that they think they might’ve left behind in the Grove. You shake your head.

You would remember people like that.

THE CITY OF ROSES

Roseroot is a beautiful city, truly. Every building is beautifully designed, roses of all colors and sizes growing from the ground floor to window boxes to special trellises and even on the rooftops. It's almost overwhelming. A river flows through it, framed with stone sidewalks and curved wooden bridges. Warm streetlights line every few yards, illuminating it even in the dark. Museums and theaters can be found all over, and there's even an aquarium! … It's only got water and plants, but it's there. Truly, this is what one might expect from an affluent city dedicated to flowers and scholarly pursuits!

… It's just… empty. Not a single soul aside from the lot of you can be found. Businesses still provide services, but by who, and how? The answer eludes even the most curious of folk. If you choose to steal, dine and dash, break in to something, well. You can, and nothing is going to stop you. But the emptiness of it all is jarring, isn't it?

Of course it's not. This is how it's supposed to be!

As the days pass, however, the beauty begins to fade. Flowers wilt. A strange substance seems to grow out of cracks, creep up windows, grow. The beautiful sky gets darker, cloudier, drearier. A fog creeps in. And when you sleep- and you will sleep- you dream. Maybe it's the sweetest dream of your life, and maybe its a nightmare. Maybe it's something incredibly silly! What a pity that the dream doesn't stay in your head. Or stay as pleasant as your dream might have been.

Soon the fog is so thick, you can barely see the next streetlight. And you are no longer alone. But the trucks are gone, and the city borders seem to have vanished.

A PLACE YOU CANNOT LEAVE

The fog does not fade. But sometimes, you can hear something- just out of sight. The giggles of childish, cruel whispering. The sound of glass breaking, footsteps dragging across the pavement. Twisted beings born of your worst traumas shamble through the fog, lashing out, hunting, seeking, wanting. Every day the remains of Roseroot grow more dilapidated, some buildings even crumbling and collapsing while others cease existing all together. Roads vanish or twist to loop around into giant circles. Safety is growing limited, but how does one escape?

That may be on the forefront of your mind, but it's not something you can focus on- not while you're fighting off these monsters.

How does one get supplies when grocery stores are claimed by sudden bursts of an all-consuming rot? How does one sleep when those monsters could be anywhere, when one has to keep moving?

Fight on. Protect yourself. The way will show itself soon. You just have to outlast your pains made manifest.

MONSTERS ENCOUNTERED

This list will be updated as the event goes on, but feel free to pull from any monsters from our toplevel below as well in case updates are delayed!

An unholy, angel-like being found stationary in a warehouse. The top half of her body hangs down from a portal in the ceiling, and no matter which way you face, she can twist around to track you. Her wails and sobs cause hallucinations, panic attacks, dissociations, and crippling self-doubt; when characters are distracted, she will attempt to sever them with two oversized swords.

A shambling, undead, fully-armoured knight with seven swords stabbed into it, most of which through the back and one of which through the head. Each sword is engraved with words; five of them say “sacrifice”, one says “the one you loved most”, and the last says “hubris”. The knight wanders the city streets and attacks indiscriminately.

Seven assassins wrapped entirely in black robes and bandages to hide their identities. When they are being looked at, they become stationary, therefore they try to spread apart within their pack to keep most of them able to move. They move like glitchy robots with jerking and seizing limbs, yet are fast enough to slit throats in an instant, and largely stick to alleyways and tight corners to get a drop on someone.

A hand-monster called the Docent, who hides in the shadows and exacerbates negative emotions and insecurities. Even if you can't see it yet, if it's nearby, you will feel cold and miserable. Its physical form is made up of hands and if it catches you, it will add yours to the collection.

Mannequin-like people who look similar to Firefly, wearing plug suits and acting as mannequins in storefronts primarily. They will not "activate" until you come close to them, where they will be like dolls that creak and crackle and either start moving or pull themselves up off the ground to slowly chase you. They are dangerous in numbers, not as much as a single unit. They only speak if Firefly is around, saying things like "you let us die", "you didn't protect us", etc. By the end of the time in Roseroot, most will default be splayed on the ground all over looking dead, but they aren't.

The Swarm, a mass horde of diverse insectoid creatures with the sole drive to propagate and spread. They're big, and can hide invisible if they choose. They will start in small numbers, but slowly spread throughout the town during the end of their stay. They will swarm you and attack if they see you.

A young man with cat ears who has been burnt to a crisp and is still smouldering, who will wander the city and attempt to set people on fire.

A pack of small robotic bears with various weapons who run around indiscriminately and try to kill anyone they see. Despite how armed they are, they are easily defeated, but they roam in extremely large packs.

A phantom that specifically stalks Till, covered in blood and with several bullet wounds through various parts of his body. Characters who spend a lot of time around Till may have to watch out…

Shadows shaped like people on the walls, always watching, whispering, giggling, pointing. If one gets too close to them, they can reach out and attack like a particularly brutal child bully might- and like children, they do not know when they are going too far.

Shambling skeletons or rotting bodies dressed in strange village clothes, waiting to drag whoever they seek out into the earth.

An almost giant skeletal bird caught ablaze, trapped humans within its ribcage forming a grotesque heart. It does not fly, and molten poison drips from it.

Young men and women in a black uniform, half-gripping swords. Their footsteps sounds like bottles breaking. Soon enough they are accompanied by their killers as well.

A very tall priest in holy regalia... except his face is a mass of writhing blue tentacles of varying lengths, singing the song of the Seaborn. He shambles like he no longer remembers how legs work, swaying like a drunk almost, always wandering and reaching for his target. He sings a song of an unknown language, haunting and mesmerizing. If somehow you anger him, he will throw rocks at you... and if he gets his hands on you he will absolutely try to eat and/or assimilate you.

A monster that changes shape whenever you blink. It is normally faceless, and usually appears to look like some abomination-adjacent version of people you know.

A monster that wears clothing of a holy priest, with far, far too many arms. It "attacks" by trying to grab onto you and try to hug you almost comfortingly, while two hands strangle with rosary beads.

A creature that takes the form of something in the water- you'll never truly see what it looks like. But if you get too close to the river, something will reach out and try to drag you under.

A headless mannequin dressed in kingly finery, wielding a heavy sword. It wanders in search of one person, but will stop to kill anyone else it finds too.

An Ifrit, bleeding from a wound not unlike the ones Joshua inflicted upon Clive. It's furious. It's terrified. It will see your death done.

Shadows that, while not the most harmful things, will whisper, gossip and grab and pinch and punch and tear! They say things to characters reflecting their deepest insecurities. In short, the shadows are school bullies.

Two figures, a man and a woman, sewn together by the half. They bicker in a ghoulish language at each other, but are largely uncaring of others. When they find Zoey, they all but descend upon her, both wanting her for themselves and uncaring if they pull too hard in one direction or another. Their grip is like iron, and they're capable of tearing others in half.

A man-shaped monster whose head is a black skull. He wears a suit, tie, and gloves, and carries a rotating number of weapons- pliers, knife, scalpel, hacksaw, hammer, anything that might be used for torture, smeared with blood. Sometimes he just has a gun. He moves in an uncanny, inhuman jerk, and prefers his victims trapped and isolated. He will passively darken the area around him, turning working lights dim, and is accompanied by the sound of a power drill and his own creepy laughter.

Something dark, mostly shapeless, but the size of a large man, with bat-shaped spikes coming out of its head. Or maybe they're bat ears? He is able to shoot projectiles with deadly speed, sharp enough to gouge a hole in metal. They disappear like smoke once they've hit their mark. When faced more or less head-on, shoots a grapling hook at its victim with enough force to seriously maim, uses it to pull them close and break their bones. May appear suddenly from behind and break bones before you have a chance to react. He moves sometimes as a literal shadow, but when outside of shadow form, moves with grace and speed. Sometimes his presence is accompanied by flashbangs, smoke, and the sound of radio static or ringing in your ears. Otherwise, it is completely silent and doesn't even breathe.

A monster wearing armour and carrying tomahawk axes, with crablike appendages protruding from her abdomen that have pincer-claws. The semi-congealed gore that drips from them can be sprayed at enemies. As she talks, she claims to know "what you really are" and can absolutely back that claim up.

A brutish monster that is constantly on fire. He moves quickly enough to "blaze past" you, and likely set you on fire by proximity. Otherwise, he boasts impressive and inhuman strength.

A doll with swords through it that leaks toxic ooze as it moves around. Slow and moves around pathetically, looking as if in pain, and moving as if crying. Gives hugs instead of attacking, but the swords through it will hurt you if you let it, and the toxic ooze feels akin to acid.

A shambling amalgam of corpses and heads much akin to the Cramped Casket that pulls itself with its many arms across the ground. It easily spans around 12 feet tall. At the very front of it of it is the upper half of a young boy. It attacks by slamming itself into the ground where you stand, and is otherwise silent... unless you are Elsword, in which case it asks, "why didn't you save me?"

A monster that looks like a pirate that's on fire. Permanently. To most, it only appears to be leaving scorched earth in its wake. To Mizuki, it looks like everything around it is burning. It attacks with a cutlass, and otherwise looks mostly humanoid.

An ambling monstrosity that easily towers any house and building. It moves slowly, and seems as if it's "sliced" down the middle, with two "heads" and a mangled body. One arm carries a harpoon, one arm carries a kitchen cleaver. They mutter conflicting questions that, if you answer, you'll be contradicting the other. "Should we go left?" "Should we go right?" asked simultaneously, so answering "yes" would be answering both. Things like that. To kill it, you have to pick a head to cut off, and if you choose wrong, it instantly grows back and you'll have to try again.

A small, cute puppet with a circle of knifes protruding from its neck. It constantly cries and attacks by trashing around like a child. It doesn't even seem to be aiming for anything specifically, but its thrashing is so wild and erratic the knives in its neck are bound to hit you anyway if you don't put distance between the two of you.

An angel with wings and a halo of light that towers around 10-12 feet tall. It's head is replaced with a bouquet of flowers and it's hands are fused together in a constant prayer.Everywhere it walks, it leaves flowers behind, but they wilt and decay and rot within seconds and stay as a stain upon the land. It attacks by summoning blades of light from the ground under your feet. If you listen closely, you can hear soft singing.

A cloaked being with black crystals growing out of it who floats along the ground. It freezes anything it touches solid in blackened ice, and a trail of said ice follows after it. The air becomes frigid when it is close by.

A loud, ravenous monster that is majority mouth with waaay too many teeth. More dog-like than human shaped. Does not have eyes and thus cannot see, but can hear a pen drop. While it will bite to kill, it plays with its food. Lashes with claws and attempts to do anything it can to hurt you as much as possible before you break.

A mass of black crystals, the shape appears to be in that of Faust. Its arm is replaced with that of a crossbow. Its bolts are enough to shatter concrete. Despite being made of stone, it is very fast.

A monster that takes the shape of prey animals, starting off as smaller ones, then becoming larger ones as it stalks you. It does not necessarily attack, keeping a distance. But the more it watches, the more starved for food you feel. You haven't eaten in a while, have you? Are you hungry? Are you going to die because you can't eat? Aren't you just a waste of space if can't kill something to feed yourself? Killing it won't be easy, as it is fast, but if you do manage to, it will fall to the ground immediately as rotten, disgusting mass of meat that is not safely edible. The monster will spawn in again as it's smaller form all over again if not eaten.

A small army of husk-like creatures. They're just so hungry. Won't you help them? Won't you feed them? They appear like demons, with the stronger ones looking like some of Mystery's old friends...

A large, train-sized worm patterned in purple stripes. They have four eyes above their gator-like mouths which are full of sharp teeth. Their backs are ridged with green shark fins. Sandworms burrow through the ground at alarming speeds and feast on the dead along anything else they can catch. They aren't picky.

Spark Notes

summary

WAKE UP: Good morning! It's autumn! New arrivals are crawling out of graves, Mr. Bone-Jangles has invited everyone to his house, and everyone is having a nice little family Halloween get-together.
…WAKE UP?: Do you remember your old life? The people you left behind? ...of course not! You barely remember the truck ride over here! Welcome to Roseroot! Enjoy your vacation!
THE CITY OF ROSES: Roseroot is a beautiful, empty city. It's clearly a wealthy place, connected with nature, but you lot are the only ones there. ... That's how it's supposed to be, of course. But something forces you into sleep, and when you dream something awakens. ... Now that it's awake, something is making the city rot.
A PLACE YOU CANNOT LEAVE: The city is falling apart, rotting, vanishing and looping into itself and you are not alone. Monsters born from your trauma are out to hunt you down. Thankfully, they can be killed. You just have to keep fighting, even as places of rest and food dwindle rapidly.

out of character

Hello everyone! Welcome to our October TDM. This is a reminder that TDMs are considered game canon. This is our last TDM of 2025! November-December will be check-in AC and we will be back to our regular schedule with a TDM in January 2026. If there are questions, please hit up the toplevels below.

updates

None yet! Important updates about how characters interact with the log and change the course of events will be placed here.

submissions

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

code

Comments

QUESTIONS

[sticksandbonesmods]

Re: QUESTIONS

[mooninthewater]

Hi hi two questions

1. Do we still remember Suri/the goddesses? Since like knowledge and belief is a big thing I can see those parts of our memory not being tampered w but I just wanted to know!

2. In silent hill there’s like. Radios/TVs etc. in places that are “““Safe””” that end up playing distorted memories or things said to the character that hurt them, etc. Do we have any of that here by chance~? (“This isn’t silent hill rubie it’s just based on it” OK BUT HEAR ME OUT-)

INVESTIGATIONS

[sticksandbonesmods]

Please use the following form for investigations:

Character(s):
Location:
Action: What are they looking for? What are they doing?

<b>Character(s):</b> <b>Location:</b> <b>Action:</b>

Re: INVESTIGATIONS

[ezellotry]

Character(s): Ezell
Location: the truck/rosewood when they get there
Action: Can Ezell get a cursory empathy read on the npcs maybe??

MONSTER SUBMISSIONS

[sticksandbonesmods]

For monsters you came up with that you want to share with the group (please base them on your character's traumas!), please give us the following info:
- What they look like
- How they attack
- If they roam, stalk, are stationary, etc
- Any other relevant behaviours

For monsters you need the mods to come up with, please give us:
- Your character's traumas (multiple is fine) but not their fears; there is a (pedantic) difference between "I was starved nearly to death (trauma)" and "I don't want to starve(fear)"
- Appropriate trigger warnings/cws where they apply, please!

Your fear monsters from the last event will not be reappearing in this one!

now that I'm not deathly ill cw: near drowning, parental death, blood, gore,

[kingincognito]

hands you this bird full of traumas

- Almost drowned in the river when he was a kid
- Watched his dad get beheaded right in front of him
- Was attacked and nearly killed by a large furious creature (that he now knows was his brother) and fell into a five year coma as a result

stix traumas:
- Killed his brother while controlled by Suri
- Nearly watched his brother die in front of him due to a petrified airway
- Suri killed his boyfriend :(

Kyojuro Rengoku | Demon Slayer | Current Player

[tempurahair]

i. You're on Fire — Around Roseroot, pre-chaos

[With only a month of experiences to be had in the Grove, Kyojuro Rengoku settles almost too easily into this new town. He finds a simple home to settle into, the door left open for someone he's sure is following behind him.

But when he turns, the man isn't there. Maybe it isn't surprising. The sun had risen shortly after their arrival, and the demon was likely hiding out from it. It wasn't as if they were required to stick together. Nevertheless, Kyojuro makes a note to leave the door unlocked that evening.

Not once does he think to question how dulled his senses seem to feel, like a fog has crept into his very mind. That guiding star in the form of Akaza's demonic presence no longer registers within the back of his mind. As far as he's concerned, it's probably normal. He's simply grown used to it.

Nothing to worry about.

Free to explore, Kyojuro makes his way through the cuisine of the town. You're sure to find him by sound first, an absolute cacophony of "tasty" and "delicious," along with any other joyful exclamation you can imagine.

Don't worry. He'll share!]

ii. The Way You Dance With the Devil Tonight — Around Roseroot, in the fog

[The sound of shattering glass wakes Kyojuro some time later. He's lost track of the days spent within the murk of town. The fog presses in thicker and thicker still, while the buildings seem to rot in within themselves. Familiar faces are no longer commonplace. Isolating as it all is, Kyojuro's first thought might have gone to the use of a blood demon art. But dulled as his senses are, it's hard to make heads or tails of whether or not one is actually present.

He can't even find Akaza through the mess. Perhaps that's why he wakes so quickly, in hopes? that the demon has finally come bursting through a window. Kyojuro might even forgive him for the property damage, relieved as he might be. But there is no sign of the other man, nor a trace of a broken window.

His mind drifts outside, wondering if, perhaps, the source of the noise has come from beyond this home. But when he steps through the door, blade in hand, he sees them.

For the past day, shadows have been dancing at the edge of Kyojuro's vision. Now, they take shape. They wear uniforms similar to Kyojuro's own, but move with uncanny, jerking steps. They don't look to him, don't even utter a single form of address.

But they march. Forward the group goes, until they have assembled before Kyojuro. As the wind blows, he swears he detects the scent of sake, just barely. Their arms, behind their backs at first, drift forward and —

Kyojuro only has seconds to dive to the side as the first launches, javelin-esque hand aimed straight for his solar plexus.]

iii. You've Got That Last Dance Look in Your Eyes — Around Roseroot, in the fog (CW: Alcoholism, Gore, Child Abuse, Emetophobia)

[The days pass in a blur. No matter where Kyojuro goes, they follow. He can hide for a few hours, collect his thoughts and tend to scrapes and bruises, but eventually they find him again. He's avoided any egregious wounds, but the scar on his chest still lingers and aches when he moves too quickly.

But that isn't what he's worried about.

For days he's heard the sound of sobbing. The faint traces of sake he occasionally detected in the air now stain every breath. It makes him want to gag, but he doesn't have time for that. He has to keep moving.

A shout, one he could swear was his name, breaks the silence. He whips around, and finds another collection of slayers. They stand at nine in total. Blood stains their clothing, viscera drips from gaping wounds on their stomachs, their throats, every inch of their bodies.

They stop before him, just as before. Only this time, their attacks do not come without warning. Instead, he hears the shattering of glass, followed by a shout in a voice he could never forget.

"I am the last of the Flame Hashira. You can't take my place."

His hands slam to his ears, just like he remembers needing to do. He isn't sure if it's the impact, the feeling of his balance upending from the attempts to re-rupture his ear drums, is why his mouth swims with bile, or if it's the smell in the air. And he doesn't seem to notice the way the monsters have taken notice and converge upon him.]

iv. Don't Let Your Heart Die — Wildcard

[Do your worst. Just fuck me up.]

ii.

[sparkplugs]

[Cy seems to come out from nowhere, fur on end as she stands between Kyojuro and his attackers. Muted motes of light pour from her eyes, landing on the uniformed figures. The one who'd been about to freezes up, turning jerkily before heading back through the group and away in the direction they came. The movement is strange and unnatural, bumping into the others as it leaves, as though it does not see them.

The same cannot be said for the others. Despite being touched by the motes they don't seem to have been so much as slowed. Cy's eyes are glazed, but she still seems confused as the rest of them continue to advance. She staggers back, spent from exerting her powers.]

Too much. Your turn now.

Min-Gi Park | Infinity Train | Current Player

[outofsynth]

DEAD MAN'S PARTY - Bone-Jangles Hauz

[Between the final night of the circus and Ryan's recent rejection, Min's not exactly in the mood for a party. If he didn't think it would make Ryan worry more for him to skip it, he almost certainly would have stayed home.

As it is, he actually manages to have a pretty nice time. Some of the offerings are things he doesn't recognize, but there are plenty of foods he knows only too well from Earth. The Korean dishes don't quite measure up to his mom's, but they're still a welcome change after going so long without, and after the pineapple debate he's practically obligated to take a few slices of Hawaiian pizza.

He'll gladly offer his recommendations when it comes to the foods he recognizes, or ask questions when it comes to the ones he doesn't.]

SKELETONS - Roseroot, in the fog

[The skeletons that pursue him after the fog falls are nothing like the Bone-Jangles family. These ones seem unlikely to have any treats in store if they catch up to him. While Min-Gi is still so far removed from a fighter, he does at least have some means to protect himself now. He's learned his lesson from the circus, and this time he keeps his mini-synth firmly in hand.

Its scope is limited, however, and intentionally or not it seems a few of the skeletons have banded together. He's not backed into a corner yet, but it feels like they're closing in. He's still trying to save his ammunition for the last minute, so he turns to give a desperate look to the unlucky person who's found themselves in the same predicament.]

Do you think we can make that gap?

[It's fairly wide, but narrow enough it wouldn't be impossible for one of the skeletons to successfully make a grab for one of them.]

MIND THE DOCENT - Roseroot, in the fog

[Even within the shelter of the still mostly intact building he's managed to find it's far too cold. He sits out of the way in a shadowy corner, tugging his jacket tighter around himself in an attempt to keep himself warm.

There's no point going back out there. Everyone's out for themselves anyway. It wouldn't matter if he lucked out and ran into a person instead of a monster. He doubts they'd want to deal with him. His mini-synth sits a few feet away on the ground, discarded carelessly with the stylus still out. He'd had to use up the last of the soundwaves to get himself in here unseen. It'll be as useless as he is for a while yet.

Behind him, the shadows seem to grow darker, something he seems to be completely oblivious to. Actually, he seems pretty oblivious to everything. His knees are pulled up close to his chest, and behind the glare he's giving the ground just beyond his feet his eyes almost seem empty.]

WILDCARD

[Hit me up at thlayli or PM me if you have ideas for anything else!]

dead mans party

[dreamunchained]

Oh! That's an Oak Cake Roll!

[She'll pipe up when he asks a question about a particular cake set on the table, perhaps a little too excited after a month of debacle of her and Thorns trying to recreate it. Look! Look! It's finally here!]

It's kinda an acquired taste, though.

Vildred Dayern | Epic7 | Current Player

[bladeascent]

i. city of roses
a) arrival/splorin

[The proposition to get out of here had been nice, considering everything, but Vildred can't help but feel like this is all some sort of trick. Call it a knight's paranoia. Still, he won't stay behind — he feels like he should go with everyone, escort the truck in case they're attacked or something. He's expecting to be able to make a return trip and just be That Guy who takes up a seat but otherwise helps out.

The drivers do not let him do this. They drop him off, and before he can blink they fucking leave.

Okay. Uh.

He's here now!]

I suppose we check this place out. I'll follow you.

[Did you expect to be alone on your vacation? Yes? Too bad, you have an overprotective Guy here now.]

b) retail therapy

[Okay, so this town is empty. Cool, and not at all an omen, definitely. Still, everything seems to be functioning in some strange way. There's running water, the house he's occupied is normal, there's electricity, there's food... in a way, it feels like he shouldn't be complaining, but he can't shake the feeling that this will all come crashing down. His brain feels a bit like it's full of holes, to be honest. Things are missing. He knows they're missing.

Still, there's nothing productive to be done in festering, so Vildred decides he's going to go do something. This leads him to what appears to be a strip mall, all the lights on and mannequins in the windows showing off outfits — some of those mannequins look, uh, familiar-ish? like a girl he saw back at the Grove he thinks? — but that surely isn't an issue.

He wouldn't call himself fashionable, exactly, but while he's here... he may as well go inside. If you're outside with him, you may just be dragged in, otherwise he'll find you in the store proper.]

Hey. Do you think that jacket would look good on me?

[This man wears Only jackets, please help him get taste.]

ii. wow it's silent hill

[Imagine Vildred's surprise when everything goes to shit! (There's none, no surprise whatsoever, he is in fact extremely prepared for the worst at all moments.)

The most important thing in his mind is helping people get out of the city. If both you and him have to sneak through it, so be it; some of these monsters seem particularly blind or not very smart, and that at least makes the job a little easier. If you can just find an exit...

...which is the problem...

The exits aren't where they were when the town first became inhabited again. The paths he carefully mapped in his head aren't open. The fog is too thick to see through in most cases, and there doesn't seem to be an easy "out". He wonders if it would be safer to hole up indoors, but ideally he'd like to just... leave. Get you out of here and turn around for the others.

It's as he's thinking of that, that he hears a heavy footstep, like that of a fully armoured knight. When he turns to look over his shoulder, said knight is in the distance, stabbed through with seven different blades. Vildred gives it a wide berth, thinking to himself that it's best if something that huge and well-armoured doesn't see the two of you, and then the light glints off of the swords just enough for him to realise they're engraved. From this distance, he can't see them, but...]

Hey. I'm going to go over there and kill that thing.

[BY YOURSELF??? After all this sneaking?]

iii. wildcard

[you know where i live]

iii

[namuthing]

[Genya looks between the man and the hulking knight, then back again. That is entirely too many swords on this creature's person, which doesn't exactly bode well for close combat. Thus, when Vildred, apparent captain of close combat, says he's going in -]

Are you as dumb as you are old? You're going to get your ass killed.

Firefly / Sam | Honkai: Star Rail | current player

[dreamunchained]

Travel;

[You don't get Firefly, for the trek to Roseroot -- you get Sam, flying alongside one of the trucks in a burst of flame. When the truck comes to a stop, he settles down on the ground next to it, his head moving to and fro as he scans the nearby area for any immediate threats.]

Hm.

[Nothing of interest! Which was a bit jarring, actually. Sam had tried to test the limits of how far he could fly pretty early on in his time here, and he'd been as boxed in as everyone else. What was different? What had changed? His train of thought is derailed by people pulling their stuff out of the truck, and he moves over to look at the nearest person with more than they ought to have packed and extends his hand.]

Allow me to carry some of your burden.

[Easier to focus on what he could do than to worry about what he didn't know.]

City;

[Firefly stares into the storefront of a nice looking boutique shop, squinting in puzzlement with her hands on her hips. As soon as someone walks by, she waves them over, gesturing to the mannequins that lined the inside of the glass window.]

Am I going crazy, or do those look like me?

[She's not crazy, unfortunately. It's not 1:1, especially with the different outfits, varying gender, and different haircuts, but it's pretty darn uncanny.]

Iron Cavalry Knights;

[When the town officially shifts, so do the mannequins. Their various previous attire is exchanged for plugsuits, and when you approach, they slowly creak to life, be it from a storefront with a broken front window, inside a building, or off of the very ground itself, as if laying there dead, ambling after you with hands outreached, gurgles sounding from their mouths. Now, even more than ever, their faces look identical to Firefly.

If Firefly sees you trying to hurt one of them, she'll run over, desperation written across her face.]

Wait, wait, they--!

[The gurgling changes. "You let us die...", whisper the mannequins. "You didn't protect us." Firefly winces, turning away from the approaching Knights with regret written across her face. "Your time is almost up, too."

Her eyes snap open wide.]

The Swarm; (cw: bugs)

[Hope you like bugs, because you're being attacked by insectoid creatures! But before you have time to truly react, there's someone else already on the case. Sam slams onto the scene, fire searing as he immolates the few creatures that were flying towards you. The last one alive is still rather small, and he crushes it into ashes in his hand, before letting it scatter to the wind. Turning to you, there's a tilt of his head and an urgency in his voice.]

Have you seen more of these creatures?

Iron Cavalry

[namuthing]

[Genya hasn't shied away from turning his gun on the mannequins. They were already creepy when they were normal and not moving, but now that they're in motion? Hell no. The fact that someone wants to stop him from doing that? Downright unhinged.

But when he turns to snap at Firefly, he recognizes something in her eyes. It wasn't long ago that he, too, had been paralyzed and unable to act. Furious that someone had dared to harm even the facade of his brother.

He gets it. It might not be obvious in his gruff tone (not at all helped by the fact that no, he still cannot look girls in the eyes, thanks), or in the words themselves, but he understands.]

They're going to kill you. Things like this — they're just trying to hurt you. [Still, though he keeps his gun level on the mannequins, he doesn't fire, not yet.] So you better get out of here. Got that?

Aira Shiratori ♡ Ensemble Stars ♡ Current player+muse

[love_swan]

Family Dinner ♡1》Feel free to have your character have pulled the poor terrified thing out of the hole he wakes up
[ Aira's not really sure what to make of this house and family that's just spouted up out of nowhere, and he's not willing to expand on why the mere sight of Bone-Jangles and his family made him white as a sheet and rigid. They weren't as easily hand-waved like the skeleton brothers had been, but it's because of knowing Sans and Papyrus previously that he was able to eventually relax around them at all.

He's still more jumpy than average during that first day, ill at ease for a variety of reasons, but at least not terrified like he had been. By the time he’s been showered off and sat down for dinner, he has some color back to his face and can manage a tense smile at them and the other people that were gathered. He’s been seated next to you at the table, and a big bowl of stew was placed in front of him. Not his favorite by any measure, but it was a comfort food from his world in some places, and a staple of fall. He’s not surprised to see it. He’s more impressed by Mrs.Bone-Jangles’ foresight to force him to eat vegetables. He doesn’t start eating right away though, so you may well notice the boy just picking at the mixture. ]

A Home Away From Home ♡2》
[ He’s scared when he first wakes up unsure of where he is. It takes a moment of fussing before he realizes just where he’s ended up and finds his things. The whole place feels off regardless of how beautiful it is. He’s not really sure why he can’t seem to settle down- their surroundings are beautiful, the buildings are in good shape and while things are dead… that’s not really different than the Grove right? There are things that don’t make sense but… Well, He’s far from someone who could handle that to begin with. He just hopes it’s figured out soon

In the meantime, he’s found a house. Well, house is an understatement actually. It’s closer to a chateau style mansion, with a large courtyard at the edge of town… Normally Aira would never claim something so large and extravagant for himself, but between the fountain out front having a swan as a centerpiece, and the consistent iconography, it felt… too much of a coincidence for him not to stay there. He’s looking around the manicured courtyard when he’s found and he jolts, as though found doing something he shouldn’t. ]

Ah, sorry… I was lost in thought.

Around town ♡3》
[ Finding Aira during the calm before the storm is not difficult. He can easily be found walking the courtyard of the mansion he’s inhabiting, or in town, familiarizing himself with the shops and… getting more and more anxious about the lack of other people there. Aside from the two that brought them there, there aren’t really anyone else. Wasn’t this supposed to be outside the forest’s reach? Where is everyone?

The worried thoughts come and go like waves upon a shore, and that is perhaps the most disconcerting part of it. ]

Oh, hello. It’s nice to see you made it. Do you need help getting settled?

[ Whatever the case, these people are here now, he might as well help get the others comfortable, it’s going to get worse quickly, he fears. ]

Suffocating Fog ♡4》
[ Get worse it certainly does. The fog thickens day by day, the streets fill with monsters until they’ve near on overrun the place, and this home he’d left behind has become a labyrinth of twisting mottled halls and deadly creatures lurking.

He can hear it. He can hear screams in the distance, cries of pain, sounds of fighting- but that’s never been something he’s been able to do much about himself… He can’t help them, he’d only be a hindrance at best. Aira clutches his gem close to his chest, knowing that he is very, very screwed if anything happens to it during this mess.

But if he stays here he’s just as screwed. He can’t hide forever.

Slowly but surely the boy makes his way out of the mansion and onto the streets, attempting to sneak. He’s not exactly well trained so it can’t be helped if someone manages to spot him… ]

Can Anyone Hear? ♡5》
[ It’s inevitable really, that the monsters would find him at some point. As much as he tried, he’s always been one to stand out at the worst of times. The click of bones knocking together is chilling on its own when it’s headed right for you, and its worse when he catches a glimpse of them and notices what’s hanging from them. Pieces of jewelry, strips of clothing. Unremarkable on anything else, but it marks these as people he knew. He can recognise HiMERU’s necklace or one of the friendship bracelets Hiiro had been wearing. He can recognize that damn headband on one of them and it just proves to infuriate him– as if he’s not wearing the real thing on his wrist right now.

It’s not them, It can’t be, and yet the guilt settles into his gut and weighs him down. He’s seen the purple hellhound patrolling the grounds as well. It’s sniffing for him eyes like a cold fire, its howl hauntingly familiar, like the wailing notes of a song.

It’s hunting him. The shades are searching for him. And now they’ve caught him. After all, it’s just him, he could never have outrun them.

The hellhound launches at him when it finds him, jaws latching around his shoulder in a near miss to tear out his throat. The poor boy can’t help the cry of pain that’s ripped from him as he tries to pry it off, pleading softly for ‘Mayoi’ to let go of him. ]

1

[namuthing]

[Genya keeps getting handed plate after plate, no matter how many times he protests. It isn't that he can't eat normal food. He has, and probably could keep doing it. The problem is that he's already had one plate, and despite the skeleton's insistence that he's a growing boy, he doesn't always have the best appetite.

At least as far as human food goes.

Thus when he spots the young blond looking thoroughly out of place and in actual need of a hot meal, Genya quickly shoves his plate toward him.]

Eat it. Consider it a favor, why don't you?

Faust | Arknights | Current Player + muse

[moonwhispers]

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead 1》
[ The feeling of dirt underneath him is far from being new. If anything it was nostalgic in a pointedly unpleasant way that he wasn’t keen on thinking too hard about. The fact it was a hole in the ground, seemingly a grave was disconcerting, but given what would have happened to him in their world it’s also not surprising.

The sound of singing has him scrambling out of the hole quickly, but the bird creature has slunk off to a distance by the time he’s out.

It’s been following him, but it won’t let him near it, and it only ever seems to leave when Eno is there… he’s not even sure if other people can hear it. Regardless, it seems important somehow. He picks up a stray feather, pale, but tapering into a familiar dark shade. Like the feathers themselves were tainted by oripathy. For now he keeps it, but the nagging feeling persists. ]

Mephisto?

[ He must be around here somewhere. ]

Fish Out of Water 2》
[ One way or another he ends up here, whether he’s reassured about the family or was pointed there while looking for something he’s very quickly swept into the hustle and bustle of a household and expected to manage. If it didn’t remind him of those early days at Reunion he may well have frozen when handed a pot and asked to help set the table.

Not freezing doesn’t make him less awkward about it as he settles the pot on a potholder and is guided to a seat before he can slink off. Plopped down between mere strangers, he’s tense. He keeps glancing at the others as though they might attack at any moment. ]

… Is this normal here?

A New Unknown 3》 serves as a starter for any point before the creatures become unmanageable
[ He and Eno eventually decided to leave for Roseroot after some hesitation. He’d still had misgivings, and he’s not sure either of them trusted this situation. But someone Eno liked was going, and if he was going then so was Sasha, that’s just how things go.

That said, the sense of unease only amplified realizing he somehow didn’t remember most of the trip over. Things seemed safe enough for now, but he didn’t trust this. His first order of business was finding shelter for the two of them. It’s a rhythm he’s used to. Taking care of himself and Eno was second nature by now. He even started making note of his supplies so that he could make more arrows and crossbow bolts if he ran out.

Considerations like that led him to the clothing store. Not necessarily for anything nice to wear so much as he wanted to make sure Eno had a coat or something in case of a cold snap. Or perhaps you find him while he’s stocking up on non-perishables. He’s not getting blindsided if he can help it. ]

For Those Left Behind 4》
[ Day by day the fog thickens, settles around the rapidly decaying town like a sickness. At first it reminded him a bit of Crownslayer’s Arts, but her smoke cloud wasn’t quite so oppressive. Going outside at night quickly became a bad idea.

Its like this place was mocking him, really. The first time he saw one- a man with jagged rock-like growths jutting out of his back- he thought he was imagining it, but they only grew more numerous as days went by. They attacked indiscriminately, they had no regard for their safety or the safety of anyone else. He could only call it haunting- he’s sure if he got closer he’d be able to tell who some were meant to be.

Part of him wanted to get upset, the other part knew this was probably a trap. ]

… We need to clear a path out of here or we’re going to be killed.

Wildcard 5》
[ Come at me. ]

2

[astralprojection]

I haven't been here long, personally. But generally, a sense of camaraderie among the people here is pretty common in my experience so far, yes.

[He peers past him for a moment.]

Pass the rolls?

Ain (Bluhen Route) | Elsword | Current Player

[eidxiety]

i. roseroot time

["It's probably a bad idea to go," says one of the many dream-voices in his head, but Ain knows better than to think he won't be alone if he doesn't follow along after the truck. He doesn't deal with solitude well, he knows he doesn't, and so he heads off with the others in hopes that whatever awaits them beyond the Grove is any good. They get to the mountains and (lwaeioafg,fhwlfh, welfjsifo) wow mysteriously they're in Roseroot!

Ain can't pin it, but he feels like his memories have been scrambled. That's not very nice, considering he's supposed to be able to block that shit! What the fuck!

Already off to a bad start, Ain shuffles further into town.

...

He is immediately lost within the spa, again, within a few hours. This one isn't inhabited by Sirens who want to kill him, and he's not a fish this time either! Truly exciting developments.]

Let's go get our nails done~.

[You are coming with him. You do not have a choice.]

ii. self-indulgent ain bullying

[He feels the tug of something pulling at his psyche before he's aware of what it is. It feels familiar, like something calling out to him, and so he braves the fog and flies through the rotting buildings and crumbling archways until he lands in front of a warehouse.

He can hear the way She wails within the stone walls before he even pushes the door open. Logically, like with most things here, Ain knows this isn't real — the comrades at his side, the ones unseen that Zahran left in his head to assuage his aches, aren't real either. They can do nothing against a manifested Goddess hanging from the ceiling, Her long hair dragging through dust and grime as She pivots toward him.

Ishmael had never been kind enough to grace him with Her presence. No matter how much he had begged for it, She had scorned him, She had likened him to something that didn't deserve to be human. She had told him in no uncertain terms to die.

Her speech is garbled and backwards, but Ain knows somewhere in there is his name. Ainchase Ishmael. You do not deserve your name.]

You have to help me, [he whispers to you, unsure if you're a hallucination or real,] I need to put her down.

iii. wildcard

[you know the drill etc]

ii

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood is deeply glad that he's with Ain for this, though he ended up lagging behind a bit when he took off and started flying. He hasn't quite figured that out yet himself, so he ends up having to follow on foot, unable to really run with his leg the way it is. He has to just try to catch up as quickly as he can, hoping it's not going to be too late by the time he gets there.

He's breathing heavily as he makes it to the warehouse and shoulders his way through the half-open door, and the second he lays his eyes on her, he knows who this is. He doesn't have to have seen her before, or ask. He can feel it. From Ain, from just...instinct alone.

Gritting his teeth so hard it makes his jaw ache, Wolfwood finds himself immediately reaching for the gun hidden in his jacket. Bringing the Punisher on that tiny bus wasn't really an option, so.]

...just tell me where to aim.

Luca Aurelius || OC || Current Player

[unheiring]

i. Teeth of God — Roseroot, pre-fog

[It’s an innocuous question, albeit strange. “Do you remember those gargoyles,” someone asks him. The answer spills out of his lips before he really has time to think about it. Of course not. He would remember something as strange as that.

But an awful thorn lodges itself into his chest when he speaks. He can’t place why, and truthfully doesn’t even consider the idea that it might be because of the conversation he’d had. After all, the more time that passes, the more foreboding things become.

Still, when he finds an old speakeasy to settle in, he finds himself sitting at the bar with whoever might be patronizing it. He pours himself a glass of wine and takes a too large sip. Only then does he finally seem to find his words:]

Do you feel like… something might be out of place?

ii. Blood of Man — Roseroot, mid-fog; cw: implied immolation

[Whatever doubts Luca may have, however, are easily forgotten in the face of what comes next. Regular monsters, or at least monsters that he does not know the meaning of, are one thing. Between flame and steel, Luca is able to move through most of them. Sure, some of the black and white bears get a little annoying, but they’re easy enough to dispatch.

But not what he finds nearly a week into his time in Roseroot. He’s searched tirelessly for a way out. Instead, he finds himself face to face with a horrible creature.

He knows the Phoenix’s semblance by heart. Not only did he live with the Beast within his mind for over two decades, but he still can vividly recall the moment when he plunged that watery spear into its heart.

So maybe he shouldn’t be surprised that it made itself a new one. Not just any heart, either. Burned bodies have wrapped around one another. While most of their distinguishing features have been destroyed by a long extinguished flame, enough remain to ensure that Luca knows just who he’s looking at. It’s one made of the tightly wound curls of an exhausted woman, and the inky black locks of a man who looks more like a fish than a human. An older woman with eyes that might have once been kindly stares out at Luca, something close to hate now lingering in her gaze. And at the center of it all, a man with Luca’s own hair lays. His gaze does not see, instead staring blankly ahead.

He does, however, slide one hand through the ribs of the Beast he’s trapped within. He extends it to Luca for one second, then two — index finger pointed outward in a silent accusation — before finally letting it drop.]

Father —

[It’s the only thing he can choke out before the bird screeches its own hate. The noise causes the long blinded Beast to whip to Luca, poison dripping from its maw. The saliva hits the ground with a disturbing sizzle, almost like acid, as it begins to lumber toward Luca.]

iii. I Will Be What I Am — Wildcard

[U know what to do chat.]

i. cw: alcohol

[chickenchoicejudy]

[Today the person in the speakeasy is Ryan. It's a little tough to tell how much he's had before Luca's arrival, since the bar isn't actually being manned by anyone and a few different bottles are out along the counter, but he's more than happy to share and commiserate. It wouldn't be the first time.

Truthfully he's glad for the company, even though he purposefully came here without Min. He hasn't immediately divulged why, but he's glad to listen to Luca first.]

Huh? Something like...what?

[Ryan tilts his head a little, and then takes a sip of his current drink - a rocks glass with rose hip liquor, because naturally he picked one of the more interesting options. Sweet and a little tart.]

It kind of makes sense if things feel weird, right? We've never been here before, so...we're literally as out of place as we could be.

Genya Shinazugawa | Demon Slayer | Current Player, "New" Muse

[namuthing]

i. Your Shadow, it Used to be Near Me — The Grove

[Yeah, so, the grumpy teenager is still here. He’s more or less kept to the inn since the Circus. Things have settled down, but he can’t help but fear the worst. When he closes his eyes, he swears he stills that deadly green blade being swung at him, ready to slay him like the demon he —

Eventually the thoughts get to be too much. On that day, he approaches the statues of Beiwe and Ourania. They seem… pretty damn important, he guesses. But hey, it’s the biggest object he can find, and it’s not like he’s going to get very far.

He half-crouches in front of one of the statues and begins muttering to himself. Anyone who caught his scrawling in the netbooks last month will probably recognize the words of the Nembutsu

He keeps chanting even as he places his palms against the statue and begins to push. And push. And push.

The statue does not budge.]

ii. Say, My Love, I Can Picture You Down Here in a Haze — Roseroot, pre-fog

[Genya doesn’t exactly want to leave the Grove. He’d only just gotten settled in, after all. It seems, however, that he doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter, given the fact that everyone else is leaving. Still wary of running into that monster once more, Genya hops into the back of the truck on one of the last journeys out. He keeps to himself, arms tucked around his knees. Only once does he close his eyes —

And finds himself in the heart of Roseroot. He stumbles in his step, looking back and forth as he tries to figure out just when the landscape changed. He puts a hand out to anyone nearby, glancing this way and that as he tries to make heads or tails of his current situation.]

Wait a second.

[If it were Sanemi here, he would have detected the Blood Demon Art before it went off. Genya, however, can only work backward from what he’s seen.

His gun is swiftly pulled out as he aims it to the left, then the right, then -

The wind blows in just the wrong way and, with a terrible noise, a window is shot clean through. Genya stares upward at the mess he’s just made and… promptly realizes that nothing at all appears to be wrong.]

I, uh - [Abruptly aware of himself, Genya takes a step away from whoever’s deigned to join him. His cheeks flush a bright, vicious red.] Never mind. Sorry. Bye.

[If you want answers, you’re going to have to stop him from running away.]

iii. Talking Out Loud, the Nights Could be Weary — Roseroot, mid-fog

[If you happened to witness Genya’s fear monster last month, then maybe this sight will look the same. A figure with white hair and wild eyes stalks toward him. But where last month it was a grown adult hellbent on killing Genya, this? This is no more than a child. Clutched in his hand is the hair of an older woman, from which a severed head dangles.

He doesn’t attack. He doesn’t do anything save for extending a single finger at Genya. There’s grit in the figure’s voice as he speaks, as if he had cried so many tears that he’d dried himself out.]

You turned your back on me. You betrayed me, little brother.

And then he takes another step forward. Genya, meanwhile, remains frozen in place. He stares at the boy before him, and cannot seem to bring himself to break the spell.]

iv. Oh, But We Were Just Kids — Wildcard


[Bully him, it’s fun.]

iii.

[outofsynth]

[Attacking a child, even one holding something as horrifying as this one, is just not something Min can bring himself to do. He isn't attacking, so maybe he doesn't need to?

That said, the other guy clearly needs something to help break him free of his trance. Min-Gi grabs his arm, pulling it as he tries to encourage him to run with him.]

Come on. We have to get out of here.

[He really hopes he'll run, otherwise his options to help are limited.]

Till | Alien Stage | Current Player

[foreversembrace]

A) Wake Up | OTA

[This is one of those times Till is so thankful he's not a "new guy". He's not sure how he would have felt literally waking up underground, but he guesses that's also probably low on the list of worst things he's endured. Needless to say, he can't be blamed for being super, HIGHLY suspicious about this relatively jovial start to the month...particularly when things have been less-than-that for a while now.

But if there's one thing Till is allured by time and again, it's food. Especially when it's food from all over the known universe. Some he knows thanks to the people here, some he's a bit less familiar with...but he's happy to try each and every one.

He's a little overwhelmed for choice though, as he sits there with his bowl trying to pick what to try first. He'll eventually spot something from your homeworld- whatever is most familiar and comforting to you- and point at it with his fork.]

What's that?

[The look in his eye seems to imply he's going to eat it regardless of what you say it is.]

B) Wake Up? | OTA

[Till has been here long enough to not trust a single god damn person who tells them they can "just leave". Just hit the bricks! As if it's that simple.

Thing is though, the idea of leaving...like LEAVING leaving? Makes Till a little uncomfortable. He hates how volatile the Grove can be, make no mistake, but he hates it less than home. Hates it less than going back to the stage, and almost certainly dying when he has to go up against Luka next.

He's been trying not to think about it during his time here, but it's damn near impossible. Most everyone else is taking the trip out, so...he feels like he has to too, if only to not get left behind. Alone.

With him, Till carries his guitar on his back, a bag at his side, and his little therapy snail Jibang on his shoulder, who he doesn't really like going places without. Roseroot is opulent to a quite overwhelming degree, but there's nothing to do but explore, really. It isn't like Neo Eden, where they just were given a place to stay from the jump. It seems like they're on their own, in that regard.

He huffs, lifting his guitar a little higher as he looks at whoever happens to be walking beside him.]

Do you know how to camp? 'Cause that might be what we end up having to do, here.

[Though, the idea of sleeping in a restaurant doesn't sound too bad.]

C) A Place You Cannot Leave | OTA

[It doesn't take long for the city to start to show its warts. An uncomfortable, distressing realization to have when you know without a doubt that there's nowhere else to go.

For days now, Till has felt the presence of something. Someone. He'd taken to staying in an abandoned restaurant, and through the windows he could swear he'd occasionally feel someone's eyes on him. Every time he'd look, they'd disappear. Maybe it was just all in his head?

Maybe.

But then...he starts seeing things. A figure in the distance, standing perfectly still, just barely concealed behind something. Enough so that he has to squint to figure out what he's looking at, and the moment he gets even a slight visual, it disappears. It's harrowing, because each time Till thinks he's seen it, it's...

Getting closer. Every time, it's closer than it was before...

Dressed in pristine white, with jet black hair and dark, piercing eyes. The one visual that cuts through the perfection is the massive streak of blood trailing from his mouth, cascading down in a deadly splatter across his front. He doesn't have to get much closer for Till to realize who it is, and it's nearly enough to send him into a quiet panic.

The days wear on, and Ivan becomes a constant, ever-pervasive presence just out of the corner of his vision. Till takes to carrying a chunk of splintered wood he found laying somewhere as the city began falling apart, but he really has no idea what- if anything- he'd be able to do with it. He just knows he needs to protect himself, somehow.

Don't sneak up on Till right now, even unintentionally, because the second he hears your approach he'll swing without looking.]

Get the fuck away from me!!

D) CW: Character Death | OTA

[It's too late. By now, Ivan's specter has gotten close enough that Till doesn't even have to turn around to know he's still there, ready and waiting to vanish and reappear somewhere else even closer if he dares to look. It's enough to send someone into a panicked frenzy, unable to exist knowing he's out there.

So eventually, he's had enough.

He puts Jibang in his bag with his head sticking out of the top, placing him down somewhere safe so- if something were to happen- someone would hopefully find and rescue him. Then, Till turns to face Ivan, his hands and arms trembling as he brandishes the makeshift weapon he's been carrying this whole time. He's breathing heavily...sweating.

He's not doing well.]

I ain't doin' this anymore...I can't...if you're gonna do something, fucking DO it!!

[Ivan tilts his head just so, and smiles serenely.

He begins to approach, taking slow, yet wide steps. Wide enough that he'll be on Till fast.]

C. Lovely impression to leave /lh

[moonwhispers]

[ Faust's steps have always been light, his presence difficult to track. The phidian boy blended into the dreary surroundings easily with his near monochromatic colors. The red slitted pupils stuck out though, especially as they narrow at the "weapon" swung at him.

He easily ducks out of the way of the swing, a hand coming up to grab one of his wrists- a little harshly- to prevent a backswing. ]

... Yelling like that would draw predators to you. Not away.

[ There's an annoyed edge to it, though he's not overly angry. He still isn't sure how to feel about Till. He's glad Mephisto has had company through this mess, but he's not really had a good opportunity to really talk with him. Between the circus mess and the problem of everyone leaving, he's mostly been focused on Mephisto and what their plan was.

Till is meant to be an ally of sorts, it seemed. This would just be the growing pains of establishing rapport, he guessed. ]

It's time to eat. Are you coming?

[ Faust had stocked up on food early. Even rationing what they have, they'd be fine for a while. ]

Stephanie Brown | DC Comics

[ichoosefight]

A) Family Dinner?
Steph is enjoying what seems like a really nice family dinner. She thinks. She doesn't really have anything to compare it to, but people seem pretty satisfied. Either way she figures it's good for her. There's a light social pressure to eat more than she would have bothered with otherwise, and after two months of troubled sleep she needs the fuel.

Suddenly she realizes someone is looking in her direction. She smiles brightly, as if this is the most fun she's had in weeks. It kind of is.

B) Safe Spaces
Maybe she saved you from a monster, maybe she found you wandering around looking lost, maybe she caught you licking the inside of a potato chip bag in hopes of finding some food molecules. What's important is that Steph knows where there's a restaurant still... functioning, and she's leading the way. She steers around monsters in groups, but in pairs or a monster by itself she deals with using speed, stealth, and ruthless violence.

She peers carefully around a corner for a few long moments before relaxing and waving her companion on.

"All clear."

Safe Spaces

[outofsynth]

Min-Gi sticks close to Steph, practically glued to her as he follows unless any monsters turn up, at which point he keeps his distance and stands with his mini-synth at the ready. While he technically can attack with it now, his shots are extremely limited, so if at all possible tries to stay out of the way when any monsters show.

He nods as she gives the all clear, following her around the corner.

"Is there far to go?"

Steph doesn't seem to have had any issues with anything they've ran into so far, but the longer they're out here, the more nervous he's become.

chiaki nanami (ai) | dr2 | current player

[digitalgirl]

bone-jangles hauz;

[Uwah! So many delicious offerings! Nanami looks over them with curiosity and excitement, before stopping and slowly tilting her head in confusion as her eyes land on one dish in particular.]

Is that... fruit on a pizza?

[No don't--]

upupupu!;

a:

[Nanami tries to bar herself away when the Nonsense starts, she really does. But unfortunately, the roaming hoard of Monokuma seem to have their own innate sense of where she is, and are quick to gather her up. Hands tied together and mouth taped, they're dragging her along on a rope across the ground, no regard for how banged up she becomes along the way -- they're here to execute her, after all! Some of the Monokuma's are even dancing, if they're not otherwise armed with things like bats, knives, and other handheld weapons.

She does not bother to struggle. There are too many.]

b:

[They've dragged her to a junk yard. Was there a junk yard before everything went to hell? Hard to say. Her mind travels back to the dolls on her bed when she first arrived.

DO YOU THINK IT'LL BE DIFFERENT THIS TIME?

Well, apparently not. Because the Monokuma's have tried their best to create the crudest possible copy of her execution they could manage, so surrounding her are boxes colored over with crayon to make crude approximations of tetris block shapes. She does not struggle. There is no point. Meanwhile, the Monokuma are attempting to start up a piece of Monokuma Brand(tm) heavy machinery, arguing among themselves, a small steel shipping container loaded onto it. If you're lucky, you get there to interfere at this point, when it's slightly less dire.

If not, it's hovering over her head, and her eyes are shut in resignation of the fact she's about to be crushed to death again.]

wildcard;

whatever u want :)

Upupupu (A)

[tempurahair]

[The procession of strange bears (pandas, perhaps?) is enough to gain Kyojuro's attention. He follows them along for only a moment, just long enough to notice the girl being dragged along, and that's enough for him. Even if he's been told repeatedly to rest his wounds, to take things easy, he cannot abide by a anyone being harmed in such a way.

Kyojuro's movements are swift. He breathes into fifth form, sending individual slashes toward some of the bears. Another slash is reserved for the rope itself, ideally to sever the girl from their ties. As the movements of his sword take shape, they give birth to a tiger, massive and flickering with flame. It charges forward, seeking out its targets and providing a distraction as Kyojuro slides into place at Nanami's side.]

Are you hurt? Can you walk?

Neku Sakuraba // TWEWY // Current Player + muse

[wild_style]

Fading lights, I walk alone 1》
[ Even when he was a child, he's never known a busy, warm household like this. He's willing to give people a chance these days and wait for their colors to show through, so he'd gone along with getting pointed to the new house that popped up, and had been. Confused but accepting when he was fussed over by the skeletons that lived there. Surprise dirt nap aside, this wasn't a bad start to the month, but it did feel a bit foreboding overall. He's not even sure how to respond when he's sat at the table and a bowl of ramen is placed in front of him. The question of how they found the ingredients for this or knew his tastes was on his tongue, but he isn't sure they'd respond, quickly moving onto the other people present.

It's loud in here, and he finds his hands reaching for his headphones that are no longer there. It's a habit he never really kicked, though these days it was less to block out the world and more to either muffle sound when it was too much or add some noise to unnatural quiet. He was at a constant battle with the volume of the world around him, it seemed. Either way, he didn't have his headphones so he was left to drop his hand and pick up his chopsticks. ]

Do we just eat or are we waiting for everyone?

No disguise can hide my soul 2》
[ Waking up in Roseroot gives him an uncomfortable amount of deja vu considering the amount of times he's woken up in a random part of the city. He didn't have a whole lot of consistency in his life the past three years, so it doesn't strike him as strange so much as it puts him on edge. Waking up in a new place, not knowing how long you were asleep for is never a good thing in his experience. As such his first order of business is exploring the city and getting an idea of the layout.

It appears the same as any other town, but something is wrong. It feels distinctly like it shouldn't be this way, and on top of that, there was no one here. Even in the shops and such there were only... green masses of fireflies? He's crouched down, hand out to let some of them rest on him. He's trying to get a feel for what exactly they are. They're not ghosts but...

He abruptly realizes there's someone else there mid thought and looks back to address the look he's probably getting. ]

Oh, sorry. Don't mind me.

Fake smiles can't survive tonight 3》
[ The fog thickens, and with it more monsters appear, choking the streets and blocking exits. To be expected, probably, but he can't help but be reminded of his third week of the Game with waves of Reapers and Noise coming out of the woodwork. He'd had Beat to help him then, and he's not sure where Joshua is in this mess. While he's not doubtful of his ability to hold off the monsters on his own, he is still worried about his friends stuck out there alone, Joshua included. He's scanning the surroundings furiously for any indication of them, mental or physical.

He hasn't been left out of the horror show, though. A few of the shapeshifting creatures have been proving themselves a nuisance by morphing into body-horror versions of his friends to attack him. Currently it was some unholy amalgamation of Shiki and a snake. long, serpentine limbs, claws and a vendetta. It speaks with her voice, and gives him chills just to look at.

Why did you leave us, she asks, You could have prevented this, she accuses.

Even knowing it's not her, it hurts. As if he ever asked for any of what happened to him. ]

I'm breaking free into the sky 4》
[ Wildcard! Come at me ]

3

[leggierissimo]

[ Joshua has, largely, been laying low through all of this. His ability to render himself invisible was taken from him all thanks to that mad god out in the forest, but it hasn't stopped him from frequenting the rooftops of the place and observing. The place has felt off from the very start, and not just because it's entirely empty. It's good cause for an investigation.

And wouldn't you know it, his suspicions had been right! With Neku preoccupied as he is by this creature, Joshua is inclined to forgive him if he doesn't notice his presence on a rooftop above him.

Things that dig at weak spots, hm? How tasteless. At least his Game inspires growth through trauma. This is just a cheap imitation with no payout.

He waits, seated on the edge of the rooftop, just until the thing is about to strike. Neku will find that it's claws impact with a shimmering barrier rather than his flesh. ]

You know, you should feel lucky to have a pocket deus ex machina. You're welcome, by the way.

Joshua Rosfield | Final Fantasy XVI | current player/character

[kingincognito]

i. 「... wake up?」
a. - traveling

[ Truck space is limited. Joshua knows this. And, being on the tall side, he doesn't wish to take up space that others could use. He has a gift he can use, and what better reason for doing so?

So, on the truck on the way to Roseroot, you may spot a small, fiery-orange and turquoise phoenix-like bird perched comfortably out of the whipping wind, taking up very little space. Or, you might notice the same bird once you've arrived, flying slow loops overhead a time or two before moving to perch on the back of a bench. Clearly, he belongs here with the group! ]

b. - in Roseroot

[ Once he's gained his bearings, Joshua does what Joshua does best when presented with an entirely brand new setting - investigate. In Roseroot, that means a lot of wandering around, looking for anything and everything that might be of interest. Not that the place isn't interesting in its own right, of course. There is no one here. It looks as if everyone in the city simply got up and left in the middle of their day, and it roots an uncomfortable feeling in his gut. A town doesn't simply become abandoned for no reason.

As he wanders, he maps out the town, keeping careful track of intersections and buildings of note. Someone has to, and it may as well be him.

But as the days go on, as the fog settles in and the roses begin to wither and the town begins to break down as though it's been abandoned not just for days, but years... His feathers ruffle uncomfortably, and he keeps his hand on the hilt of his sword as he travels. The odd noises have him on edge. At least if you come upon him unexpectedly, he's more likely to fluff up like a peacock than he is to attack immediately. ]


ii. 「wildcard」

[ As usual, if there's something else you want to do, use this option! Or feel free to find me on discord to hash out specifics. ]

monster fighting tl

[kingincognito]

[ Please choose the monster of your choice in the header.

A. The River - The first takes the form of something in the water- you'll never truly see what it looks like. But if you get too close to the river, something will reach out and try to drag you under.

B. The King - The second is a headless mannequin dressed in finery, wielding a heavy sword; a betrayed king should get to betray back, right? Never mind that you aren't the right target.

C. The Beast - The third is a beast that looks very much like Ifrit, though much smaller compared to the Primal being we witnessed this winter. A wound not unlike the ones Joshua inflicted upon Clive bleeds, rots, stains. It's furious. It's terrified. It will see your death done. ]

THE GREAT DREAMWALKING TL

[astralprojection]

[Some of us have the ability to traverse dreams. Perhaps you'd like to have your dream invaded this month?

Please tag with your character's dream and perhaps... you will be visited by one of our dreamwalkers. by which I mean of course we will tag you. if its closed to someone specific please note that too 👍]

[tempurahair]

[Kyojuro's dream, itself, is innocuous enough. He is a young boy, sat before a woman of intense red eyes and black hair. She combs through his hair gently, humming to both him and an infant laying beside them. A windchime tinkles every now and again, a pleasant little chirp to accompany the pleasantries.

The problem, however, is the massive ring of fire that seems to surround the dream. Kyojuro himself is unbothered, along with the rest of his family. But the wall still stands, burning bright and standing tall. There are gaps here and there, mind you, spaces for an eager dreamwalker to slip through, but the flames might just follow you, if you're not careful.]

Mizuki | Arknights

[mooninthewater]

I. ᚦᛟᚷᚾ ᛁᚾ ᛞᛃᚢᛈᚨᛊᛏᚨ ᛚᚨᚷᛁ

[ It's hard to explain to someone what it's like to be in a hivemind. You have eyes and ears everywhere. There's a sea of voices in your head all the time. It's a thought and sensation that drives most people to just being swallowed whole by it. Mizuki is not one of these people, but that doesn't mean he's cut off from them. No, the opposite. He embraces We Many just as much as he embraces his own humanity. However, it does mean he also holds the memories they hold, and vice versa.

So, of course, when people he SHOULD remember are brought up, there's those loud sea of voices in his head. You remember ██████. She ████ ███ █ ████ ████ your mother. You remember █████. You remember ███████. You do. Something's wrong. You cannot forgot. We have not forgotten. You █████ █████ ███.

They get louder. Angrier. Frustrated for things Mizuki cannot control. You may notice as his form "glitches", as if someone had kicked an old TV. Static snow and SMPTE color bars and pixelated artifacts... It only lasts half a second, but he does it more than once until... well, until there's a stream of blue blood that drips out of his nose.

Uncomfortably, Mizuki just holds a hand up to his face and attempts to find somewhere that has less people around. ]

II. ᛖᛁᛏ-ᚺᚢᚨᛏ ᛁ ᚢᚨᛏᚾᛁᚾᚢ

[ Monsters are not new. Certainly not ones based on your fears. Traumas probably fall close to that, though Mizuki might just give a very complicated answer about that. Still, he's played psychological horrors before! He loves the genre so much in fact... he seems to be... mildly enjoying himself here? Sure, these creatures try to hurt, but it isn't as though Mizuki's had to get himself out of worse things in the past. He has a notebook and pen with him, and seems to be camouflaged on a roof nearby. So you won't notice him, but he does need to see to write, so the notebook and pen are still visible. He's sketching rough doodles of the monsters here as well as their attributes, with notes along the side that could contribute to whatever symbolism that could be.

He's also writing names of the Grove folk next to each monsters, some with question marks. Is he playing a guessing game to try and figure out which monsters belong to who? Yes. Absolutely. And he's so delighted about this.

Though, he won't ignore anyone who seems to be having trouble with either their own, or another's. Thus, you will be getting yoinked onto the roof with him, and given a little tug as he reveals himself with a little smile and points as if to say "we run now, yes?" ]

III. ᚺᛖᚠᚱ ᚦᚢ ᚷᛖᚱᛏ ᚦᛁᛏ ᚢᚨᛚ (cw: body horror, and excessive gore later-)

[ Inside one of the homes is a home that seems completely rotten out. It's hard to step on the planks without them crumbling beneath you, but if you're able, you can find a decent path to the back, where Mizuki is sitting in front of a pedestal with exactly seven circular holes, and seven statues with circular bases. The statues include: A tree, a mermaid, a mangled corpse caught in a net, a plate with an apple on it, the moon, a campfire, and finally, a broken lighthouse. The lighthouse statue is already securely put into the fifth hole, however! Mizuki seems to have solved that much already.

Under this is a plaque with... words in a language that seems very old. Mizuki has very helpfully already translated it on a piece of paper.

Run, run to the water
There's danger where grass grows
Play, play with its food
A fate that Adam knows
Born in the land of the sinners
They take root to seas instead
Can you row until you bleed
Is the land behind you dead?
Smell, smell the smoke
Can't tell the waters from the gray
Find your only solace
Or the reflection of its rays
Singing songs of hope
While not knowing what to believe
A silence so profound
It takes the whole world to grieve
Run, run to the water
If you can still feel your feet
But the waves are getting worse
This may be your defeat
Twinkle, twinkle little star
You cannot hide what you are
Your sins are no longer inside
And I can see through every lie
Twinkle, twinkle little star
I'll make you break from afar

As you approach, Mizuki does attempt to take the tree to put into the first hole. The puzzle very helpfully lets Mizuki know he is wrong, and sends down a bladed trident where his arm is that he very narrowly manages to yank away in time for it to crush the floorboards below. It stays for a second or two before slowly raising back up, and Mizuki sighs a bit before pondering over the poem again. He doesn't seem to have noticed you yet. ]

IV. Wildcard
Any questions can be directed to my Discord, or through PMs~!

ii

[namuthing]

[Considering the bulk of his master, Genya is... not unused to being scruffed like this. Like, yeah, the creepy blue kid is new, but getting yoinked out of trouble? He really shouldn't be as bothered by it as he is.

Maybe it really is just the weird looking sea guy that's making this uncomfortable.]

Seriously? What's the big idea?! I had that handled!

[He did not. He was running from a bloodied child and about to have a conniption. Really, he needed the help.]

Flamebringer | Arknights | Current Player

[thebladebringstheflame]

i. a normal man takes a normal walk through silent hill and nothing happens at all

[Flamebringer loves this fucking place. While everyone else is having A Time running for the hills and dealing with their trauma-monsters, Flamebringer is thoroughly enjoying all the various things he can fight. From robotic bears to faceless priests to the shadows themselves, the man has gone feral, and he has several trophies to show for it. On his belt hangs several arms, two skulls, an oversized insect, a mannequin leg...

It's easy enough to see Flamebringer in the distance through the fog. The gouts of flame are either him or several other fire-aligned creatures, but he's the one screaming and yelling like a rabid animal.

After his most recent scuffle, he walks out from behind a building, spots you, and waves. He's covered head to toe in soot, oil, and blood. In his right hand is the head of a robotic bear, and his lip is split and bleeding. Other than that, he looks no worse from wear, and both swords hanging on his back are in a similar messy state.]

Hey. [His fingers curl down toward his palm and he frowns, hoists the bear head onto his shoulder, and then one-handed fishes out a cigarette and lights it with a flame at the tip of his finger.] The blood's not mine.

[Damn, Flamebringer, you don't say.]

ii. and then (more) things happen

[There are seven (7) assassins after him. For Flamebringer, this is a normal Tuesday. Annoying, yes, but typical. His issue with assassins is that they stick to the shadows and are too cowardly to face him head-on. Trying to get the drop on someone like Flamebringer won't work as he is now, though — he's far too wired, too excited to let his guard down.

Sometimes he flicks his eyes over to their position to freeze them solid for a second just for fun. Just for the love of the game.

When he sees you, he jogs toward you at the most leisurely pace, despite the seven shuffling in the background behind him.]

You've got something I can kill for you, right? [He opens his mouth to say something else, something undoubtedly fucking insane, when one of the assassins lunges at him and Flamebringer blocks in a split second with the smaller of his two blades.] Thought you could get the drop on me, huh? Try again next time.

[...they have been doing this all day.]

iii. wildcard

[put your normal prompts here bc flamebringer is anything but—]

i

[moonwhispers]

[ He happened to not be invisible at the moment, and he is very quickly wishing he was as Flamebringer approaches like he didn't look like he just carved through an army's worth of creatures. The 'trophies' he's collected turn Faust's stomach, but he's able to school the expression into something more neutral, if a bit disgusted. ]

Did you need something, Flamebringer?

[ He can't imagine him coming over so casually otherwise. ]

Elder Faerie Cookie | Cookie Run: Kingdom | new player/character

[argentry]

1) WAKE UP

[how very fitting that he wake in a coffin. he is dead, after all. still, the waking-up part is strange. he shouldn't be able to do that, right? and why is the top ajar? stiffly, Elder Faerie Cookie begins to sit up, and that is when he notices even more things that are out of the ordinary. his body feels unusual. he shoves aside the top of the coffin and sits up to look at his hands in the light of the moon. fingers. skin. strange muscles moving, and he seems to be able to control them all.

slowly, he looks around, and does not see the Faerie Kingdom. he does not recognize his surroundings, yet, at the same time, it feels familiar to him, like a sense of déjà-vu. odd. it takes him a moment to figure out how to work his legs, but he doesn't want to get out of the coffin yet. he can't be dreaming, as he should be dead. so what on Earthbread is happening?

and why are those human skeletons waving at him?]

2) THE CITY OF ROSES

➥2a) arrival
[riding in the truck is weird, but Elder Faerie has not gotten much time to practice flying with this new body. he sits in the bed of the truck with some other people, quite dignified despite being jostled every which way. he still doesn't know where he is, how he came to be here, but he's making the most out of his new journey. far better to be alive, than dead, after all.

he turns to the being next to him]

So, where did you say you were from, again?

➥2b) exploration
[so far, Elder Faerie likes Roseroot. it is not the same as his Kingdom, but the roses are a small comfort. the only thing missing are the Faeries, of course. but he does take time to explore. he's stopped by the aquarium to... well, there are no fish in here. a pity. he stands in front of a tank, looking at the water and the plants, his hands behind his back]

I wonder what sort of creatures would live in this environment.

3) WILDCARD

[hello, i am new. place other prompts here, or reach out to ogerpon to plot! i can do brackets or prose. for those familiar with the canon, Elder Faerie is fully humanized now, with long elflike ears, and his wings]

2b

[astralprojection]

[Astrid had been wandering through at the same time from the opposite end, and while he was pretty sure it was a rhetorical question Elder Faerie was speaking out loud to himself, he thought he might as well politely answer nonetheless.]

I haven't seen the types of environments these are imitating myself, but I've read about them in books. It's for various types of sea creatures — if you come a little further down, there's a plaque that talks about what would've been in here.

Pure Vanilla Cookie | Cookie Run Kingdom | New Player/Character

[ancientlight]

A. Wake Up

( It's all so surreal to him, as it would be for any member of cookiekind, he's sure. The body he's in is foreign to him, but not entirely unfamiliar. The reflection in the bathroom mirror shows someone who resembles one of the witches in his world, yet it's him. He'd be a fool to not have noticed the differences when he had first woken up.

Had he died? Is that why he had woken up in a coffin? But, he feels very much alive. No, he hadn't felt so alive in so long before he had found himself here.

He thanks the skeletons for their hospitality, despite it all. He's never seen anyone like them before, but there's no need to judge. They've opened up their home, after all. )

Dinner? ( He offers quietly. ) I truly appreciate your generosity, but I am afraid that I must leave.

( He's always been a light eater – but right now, his mind is preoccupied with other things. )

B. The City of Roses

( It's quiet, and if Pure Vanilla didn't take comfort in the amount of plant-life within the city, perhaps he would find it more lonely than it actually was. But, he's not here to simply explore. He's here to find answers. Anything will do, as long as it can give some sort of explanation as to where he is, and if his friends were anywhere to be found. They were together before arriving here.

He's confident that they'll be alright, as long as they'll be together if they are indeed here, but he hopes to find them regardless.

He hears footsteps approaching when he stops walking. He straightens, gripping his staff, but he doesn't seem tense. There's a softness to his tone when he speaks. Finding someone else here feels like a welcome change. )

Is someone there?

( He takes a step forward. )

I admit, I am relieved to find someone else here. ( Two people working together was far better than one, after all. ) Were you exploring, as well?

C. Wildcard

( Feel free to PM me with any other ideas! Or, I can work with whatever prompt anyone wants to throw at me. )

the city of roses

[lilyberation]

( she almost misses him completely- surviving the city has been hard, especially with her new lack of hearing. vernal has been a lifesaver more than once when she's separated from people, as she is right now- the hamster-like creature pauses and bounces very high to catch her attention before running up to pure vanilla cookie and circling him as fast as his stubby little legs can carry him.

which is very fast.

lily follows the trail and freezes, wide eyes already misting. )

... Vanny...?

Andoain Agathangelos | Arknights | TDM (again). blanket spoiler warning.

[untosufferers]

i. exploring roseroot
a) before creatures

[Andoain has always liked flowers.

Though he can't see them anymore, he does have an appreciation for them still — and the overwhelming scent of roses is the first thing that hits him when he finds himself in this city. Without being able to ascertain where they're growing, though — and it's very clear that Andoain cannot see, with how he sometimes sticks his hand out in front of him to ensure he isn't bumping into anything — he can't exactly pick any, now can he?

As he hears you pass by, he tries to tap your shoulder to get your attention. Whether he hits your shoulder or, like, the top of your head or your arm though... well, oops if that's the case!]

Could you tell me where the roses are? I'd like to pick them.

b) during creatures

Shh. This way.

[Andoain can hear both you and the slavering beasts after you, whatever they are. Although he obviously can't tell what it is, how big or how small, he's long learnt to discern the sounds of footsteps of people from that of beasts. They're more even-paced, typically. Less heavy, barring injuries or other circumstances.

Of course, a blind man shouldn't be out here on his own, but he's gotten by well enough. From behind the wall of a half-standing building and in the doorway shine the lights of his wings, not too blinding but certainly visible, and though he can't tell when your eyes meet his, he gets a sense for it.]

There's a place to rest in here. Come quickly — I can hide you.

ii. it's my game and i can tdm after the minievent if i want

[After their trek through the mountains, they make it back to the Grove. Andoain doesn't make himself much of a presence, keeping his head down until they're back.

Ah, this was the place he'd gone to before. The Grove with the two churches, with the Seaborn in the river, but it's much colder than he remembers it being. For a while he wanders, a bit listless, trying to regain his footing. The last time he was here, he had sight, after all.

Assuming his confused wanderings and attempts at mapping the area don't draw him to you first, though, you may find him later in the evening, pressing flowers into a tome.]

iii. wildcard

[hi i won't die this time i swear- feel free to remember Andoain from the last time he was here if you threaded w/ him previously oops
wolfchan etc etc u know the drill]

ii

[lupusxylem]

You're back.

[Comes a voice that Andoain will recognize, not too far away from where he sits pressing flowers. It's the owner of the other church, the more dilapidated one with the pigeons everywhere. Andoain may recall assisting this man in cleaning it, pulling down old vines and trying to spruce it up somewhat. It's still in a bit of a State, but...it always will look that way unless it gets completely renovated, and honestly, Wolfwood is fine with it the way it is. It keeps him busy, if nothing else.

Of course, he wasn't expecting to find A Man in his church, but at least it's someone he recognizes from some time ago.]

Mystery | KPop Demon Hunters | Current

[itisa]

[ I | Travel ]

[This new world, the little Grove, the carnival, the truck heading to this place they call Roseroot... It's odd, how fluid everything is, here. The opposite of what he's used to back... home? Further than that, even, probably. The demon realm is so stagnant, after all.

As you're dropped off, that stagnant feeling settles in, again, as brief memory filters away quickly. What's there to remember about odd someones, when he'd barely met them?

So Mystery can be found... wandering. He's not looking to help or, really, to be helped, but there is an odd way to how he looks at the buildings, like he's wondering if this is where they belong, now? But it's so... pretty. Put-together. Too luxurious, right?

Maybe he just needs distraction. Is that you?]

[ II | The Calm Before- ]

[The emptiness settles into a blanket of what could be called normal. It's certainly normal here, or feels like it is, to the point where the upkeep of the city isn't even questioned. Some sort of magic or illusion, surely, though for what purpose is unclear.

A welcome, apparently, as it takes no time at all for the illusions to fade, replaced with wilting flowers, crumbling archetecture, rot.

Sleep.

It's all too easy to find himself a little corner, make a little makeshift burrow, and rest.

...Is it rest? The dreams are certainly both pleasant and not, and he's often alone, there in the fog. Surely it would be safer together, no?]

[ III | The Storm ]

[Have the illusions gone, or is the pleasant replaced with the unpleasant? Whatever the case, the extended period of rest prior to all the chaos is certainly being put to use, here, with monsters and mazes and decay preventing any sort of real progress.

Mystery himself is in a state - to the point you might mistake him for one of the monsters - he does certainly resemble a few of them that might have been clawing at you, in fact - and should you catch him unawares, you'll be lucky if all he does is growl at you, low and threatening, more animalistic than anything. If unlucky, you might find a clawed hand at your throat, or gripping your arm to wrench away any weapons you might be carrying yourself.

...And that's before any creatures might decide the pair of you make a good target.]

[ooc: His personal horrors are here, but I'm also game to face yours/anyone else's or just scuffle uselessly in the fog. This prompt contains multitudes.]

[ IV | Wildcard ]

[You know the drill! <3]

III - god i'm sorry i yapped so much

[tempurahair]

[Similar but different, that's what this creature is. The traits resemble that of the demons he knows, but he does not assault Kyojuro's senses in the way he expects from home. Worse than that, though, is that he his familiar. The purple hair, at least, had been spotted from time to time back in the Grove, and perhaps even here in Roseroot before everything went to hell.

That person, though, had walked in the sun, of that much Kyojuro was certain. Another point where he pulls away from what should be. It is infuriating, the way this place pulls at Kyojuro's mind, the way it makes him doubt action that used to be so decisive.

He is wasting time, he knows this. Thankfully, the hiss from the beast settles his mind, and he draws his blade. To wait any longer would spell doom — perhaps not just for him, but for any others that may come after him.

Kyojuro strikes, blade angled for the demon's neck, just like he has been taught. Flame licks from the sword as second form manifests. It should, for all intents and purposes, be a simple enough kill.

But Kyojuro, too, has been worn low by this place. His body is already wounded, and now exhausted on top of it all. He could be forgiven, if the demon managed to duck away, or if his blade wavered at the end.]

Stanley Pines | Gravity Falls CRAU | Current Player!

[charlastan]

A. BONE DINNER (Mr. Bone Jangles' Family Dinner, OTA)
[ Stan would never admit it outright, but these types of homey, family dinners are his favorite kind of gatherings. There's something cozy about it, something homey that he spent most of his life craving. The food's pretty good too, and he's finally gotten the Pitt Cola he was yelling so much about in the Dream.

He's easy to find here and there - trading jokes with their hosts, telling outrageous stories to anyone who'll listen. Most importantly though, anyone who hasn't seen him in a bit will see that he's physically recovered from his blood corruption earlier this year - his eyes are no longer that eerie fluorescent blue, and his teeth and skin are both back to normal. The only sign anything was ever wrong is a series of thin scars around his right eye - similar to some that Dipper has.]

B. WHO LET THIS DOG IN HERE (Roseroot, after it's gone to hell, closed to Dipper)

[ So of course, because one nice thing happened, everything else is going to shit. Turns out the town they ran off to is some sort of fake nightmare full of monsters, and not only that but he and Dipper haven't been able to find Ford since before they got there. He's checked their family compass now and then, but in Roseroot it just spins wildly as though it's not sure where they are at all.

Right now they're figuring out their options and just trying to survive until they can get out of dodge. Stan found some garbage bagels somewhere and he cut all the gross parts off, so he's putting himself together a passable sandwich with whatever else wasn't rotten around them.

A couple of rooms away there's a crash (something falling over and breaking - a lamp?) and a low growl that makes Stan perk up and start listening. ]

Dipper? What's goin' on in there?

[What he doesn't know is that in the next room over, there's a giant ashy dog throwing a fit in Dipper's general direction - one with glowing blue eyes, much like the ones Stan had up until recently. But damn it, he's going to find out, so he sneaks over in the general direction of the commotion, mediocre bagel in hand.]

C. Whatever (Wherever, whoever)
[Wildcard prompt! if there's something else you wanna do, let me know!]

WHOS DOG IS THIS

[ghostharasser]

[Yeah, it's almost nostalgic in how like Deerington this place turned into. It's been so long since he's seen an abandoned city full of horrors just ripe for tormenting them. He remembers the mist filled streets of that final May very vividly. He remembers the scent of blood in the air, the dying Wastes.]

[He remembers the first October, too. The howling screams in the air, the blood filling the streets. Amalgamations of corpses and viscera everywhere you looked.]

[Really, this wasn't so bad. Yeah, it was spooky and dangerous, but nothing will ever top That October, or at least, it will never top Dipper's memory of it. They just need to lay low, look for Ford where they can, and maybe not get taken out by monsters. Surviving too, sure, but both Dipper and Stan know how to stretch what they can eat in moments of duress. He trusts Stan to racoon forage.]

[So Dipper is scavenging for other stuff. Batteries, water bottles, tools, radios, anything they could use when-]

Stan!?

[Wait, no, that can't be right. Can it? Shit, he doesn't have time to think about it. Out comes the Azure Pine and what Stan actually walks back into is Dipper holding off the beast with his polearm, jaws snapping and snarling while the pole is pressed against it's maw.]

HUH!? I don't know!! You tell me!!