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

[unheiring]

I understand.

[Luca knows what it's like to watch someone die. Hell, he even knows what it's like to have a hand in their death. This place has reminded him of that much, forcing him to taste the feeling of failure on his tongue time and time again, each time he confronts his father. He can only imagine what Astrid sees in this moment.

And knowing that, he knows better than to ever force Astrid to watch someone else kill his sibling.

Instead, he reaches for his rapier and pulls it free, only to set it aside. The pack on his shoulders is slid off as well, and kicked off. He has a stupid idea churning in his mind, but it worked for him once before, so... hell, why not?]

Stay here. [He pauses.] I am not going to hurt him, I promise.

[Luca stares at the burning boy now, hands lifting to tie his own hair back and out of the way. It's the only damn thing he cares about not getting burnt as he approaches the flames.]

[astralprojection]

Be careful.

[Astrid does trust Luca's word, so he stays where he is as he's bid, albeit quite anxiously. He doesn't want Luca getting hurt either, he'd grown to be quite fond of him and to consider him a friend, but it seems like he not only had an idea of what to do, but a control over fire himself -- perhaps that would be the key?

Meanwhile, the flames around Arden are growing worse, still clutching his head with his mouth agape with silent screams devolved into nothing more than pathetic gurgling. When Luca approaches closer, his head snaps up, eyes that aren't there staring at him with an intensity that's palpable; the flames roar higher.]

[unheiring]

[It's only a working theory at best, a vestige of Luca's once idealistic and optimistic self. Once, over a year ago, he had joined hands with Zahliya in an attempt to restore his flame. Now, Luca intends to do the same in reverse. As he reaches Arden's burning form, he reaches out his hands. The heat makes Luca flinch, but only for a split second. Instead, he tries to wrap his fingers around the hands of the trembling boy.]

It must be frightening. [He keeps his voice soft, non-threatening.] When I first gained control over my own abilities, I struggled too.

[And that had only been a handful of months ago. The Phoenix had always been around to keep Luca from burning out. It was, perhaps, one of the few things the Beast had ever done right for him.]

You can try to give it to me, if you wish. I do not know, for certain, if it will work. But I can try to help, as long as you let me.

[astralprojection]

[It's such a sweet sentiment, that it tugs at Astrid's heart strings. It even seems like for a moment, as Arden stops trembling so much to stare at Luca a little less harshly, it might work.

And then the flames roar even higher, as he grips Luca's hands tight in his own in return. Did you think you were gonna go somewhere? :)]

Luca--!

[unheiring]

[For one kind, blissful moment, it almost seems like it might work. Luca allows himself to hope, just as he did in the moment when Zahliya's flame overtook his and burned away the last of their struggles.

But then those fingers tighten around Luca's own, and he knows he's in deep. The flames might not burn him, but the heat still hurts — to say nothing of the acrid smoke pooling from his clothes.

He'd promised not to hurt Arden. But if it was life or death —

Luca feels his fingers shift even as the thought occurs to him. Where once his digits ended in blunted nails, they begin to sharpen into molten talons. He digs them in, first only deep enough to cause a mild twinge of pain and, ideally, shock Arden into releasing him. Failing that, though, Luca will attempt to fully submerge those claws straight into skin.]

[astralprojection]

[It's tempting to want to try to go help Luca, but even from here just the smoke and the incredibly acrid smell of burning flesh is a Lot to deal with in its own right, to not even speak of the flames. But luckily, he doesn't have to worry too hard, because the talons are in fact enough to cause Arden to stumble backwards and release his hold on Luca. Now rather than just his head, he has his arms wrapped around his body as if withdrawing in on himself, flames building around him once more in a manic spiral. Unfortunately, Arden had been relatively young when he died -- not even fully a teenager. His pain tolerance is low, and from the way he thrashes about, it almost feels like he's trying to wail in pain and despair.

Astrid's heart feels broken in half.]

Luca.

[There's deep pain in his voice, hands trembling as tears flow from his eyes from smoke and emotion in tandem. If Luca looks around, the flames are starting to catch the surrounding area on fire. It could very well mean the imminent danger of them and the others staying here.]

I don't know... if we have a choice.

[Which is perhaps the hardest thing he has ever had to say in his life, ever.]

[unheiring]

[The situation is indeed going south very fast. Luca might be able to tolerate the flame, but Astrid certainly can't. And that's to say nothing about anyone else in this village, or the enemies the conflagration will surely attract. The last thing they need is Luca's own hellbird stalking about and causing issues.

But that doesn't mean he's particularly eager to do that. Still, one look at Astrid makes him wonder if his companion can even manage as much. He'll do it, if he must. This wouldn't be the first time he ended someones suffering, after all. At least this time he had the mercy of being relatively detached but...]

Tell me what to do.

[Astrid will have to make the call. Luca might have his talons prepped and at the ready, already mapping out the quickest way to strike, but he won't make the move until he has express permission.]

[astralprojection]

[That's a lot to ask of Luca. Astrid isn't sure he's willing or wanting to put that amount of pressure on him, even if he isn't sure he's capable of doing it himself — well, he's more than just "isn't sure", at the present moment. The voices of his parents whispering in his ear over and over when he'd arrived to this horrible place echo again in his mind:

You got him killed. You weren't strong enough to save him. You'll only fail the next person you meet, and the next, and the one after that...

Maybe he truly was as weak and useless as he was made out to be. He failed his brother, and here he was about to fail him again, and Luca on top of that, by forcing him to do something he shouldn't have to do, to carry a burden he shouldn't have to carry.

You were a bad child, weren't you?

He was.

Where will you go from here? Where do you think you *can* go?

He didn't know.]

Help me, please.

[He finally musters, ashamed and resigned.]

I can't, the flames... they're too much for me. I need your help to end his suffering, and prevent everyone else's.

[unheiring]

I understand.

[More than anyone, perhaps. The way Astrid asks certainly sends an icy thorn straight into Luca's chest. For a split second, he isn't in this ruined town, but an alley that he'd traversed a thousand times over. It isn't his rapier in hand, but a blooded dagger. Before him isn't a boy, but a weakened man desperate and choking on both blood and poison.

The back of his mouth tickles, but he swallows the feeling down and shoves the memories away. He approaches the boy once more, left hand extending as flame curls around the tips of his fingers. He shoots one short blast over Arden's shoulder, then a second over his head.

Only once the boy is fully distracted does Luca speed up. He plunges the rapier clean through Arden's chest, where he's at least mostly certain the heart should be. The rest of his body is quick to follow, crowding in close in an attempt to catch the burned young child before he collapses.]

May your ashes find new life.

[Arden isn't from Renova. Neither is Astrid for that matter. So perhaps the sentiment behind Luca's words does not help either of them. Still, Luca offers the customary farewell of his people to the boy all the same, in the hopes that maybe it might just help.]

[astralprojection]

[It wasn't very hard to distract him with his flames, nor was it very hard to strike Arden deep through the heart. After all, the memory Astrid has of him that created this shadow of his traumatic past wasn't of someone capable and battle savvy — it was of a scared young boy who couldn't control his own abilities when it mattered most. He falls limp into Luca's waiting grasp, shuddering slightly before a final sigh escapes his body, and it was obvious that whatever semblance of life this creature had was now gone.

Astrid hadn't known he'd been holding his breath the entire process, up until he realized his lungs were screaming for air. But he finally sucks in a breath as Luca speaks, and part of his culture or not, the sentiment speaks to him deeply. Perhaps it was something about Luca's words, but perhaps not given how well that had gone over earlier, but after a moment, the body just.... dissolves into ash, slipping through Luca's arms and scattering to the wind as Astrid presses his hand against his heart in silent prayer. It wasn't truly his brother, yet still... he couldn't not.]

...

[There would be no need to bury a body today. That was better for everyone, perhaps.]

Thank you, Luca.

[Astrid rubs his eyes with the back of his hand and scrubs his face, quickly trying to compose himself as if he wasn't an absolute wreck of a being right now in this moment; all he succeeds in is rubbing ash across his skin. He approaches the other man, boot coming down to stomp out a lingering flame against the brittle dry remnants of grass near him, before his eyes worriedly look him over for any sign of injury from all the fire that had been flung about.]

You're alright...?

[Admittedly, a small part of him is also checking his face for any signs of resentment for Astrid having made him doing this, as well.]

[unheiring]

[Distant as Luca begins to feel from his own body, it's almost surprising the way his hand suddenly clasps around a pile of ash. He has to, before the wind blows it away. He knows that he and Astrid don't share a culture, but given the send off Luca has already offered, this still feels right. He keeps it clutched within his hand as he turns to Astrid and... blinks at those words.

How can Astrid thank him in a time like this, he can't help but wonder. He nearly opens his mouth to say as much but... ultimately settles for simply shaking his head.]

Do not thank me. Not for this. [And before his words can be construed as anger toward his companion — ] I am sorry. For what you had to see.

[He doesn't exactly ignore Astrid's question. He just doesn't know how to respond just yet. His skin aches from where the heat blasted over it, and the ends of his hair are likely singed, but beyond that, he's alive. That's all that matters.

That, and Astrid's own comfort.]

Where I am from... we retain the ashes of our loved ones and mold them into something new. My sibling carries a broach made from our Father's ashes. [He holds out his hand, parting his fingers just enough to reveal the lingering ash.] I - do not know if it means anything to you, or if it is a morbid gesture in your eyes. But I could not -

[His voice catches, an old wound in his chest coming undone.]

After my father's passing, I did not claim my piece of him. I did not carry him with me when I needed him. I would not.... I could not let you face the same grief, if it might lighten your load.

[astralprojection]

I could have never handled this alone. You stepped up where I could not.

[To explain his thank you, and respond to his condolences both. If he'd had to find a way to take down Arden by himself... well, if he'd even managed to get through all the flames without dying himself in the process, he would've been significantly more fucked up having taken his brother's life with his own hands. Not only that, but having Luca here in general... eased things, just a little. That was worth thanks in his eyes, but maybe it had been a little too soon to say. He was kind of just on auto pilot right now, admittedly.

When Luca speaks onward, he listens — his heart aches, hearing Luca's clear pain speaking of his father and the regrets he'd left behind with his passing. And beyond that, he can't help but feel honored, in some way, that Luca would make efforts to make sure that he would not find the same pain he had, in this moment of strife he was facing.]

When Arden died, we weren't able to retrieve his body.

[His voice catches in his throat for a moment before he continues. There was a lot to unpack with that whole situation, honestly, and they didn't have time, nor was this the place.]

It's not morbid. Not to me. It's beautiful.

[They didn't do exactly the same in the ARCs, but they cremated bodies where he was from, they didn't bury. They didn't make the ashes into something new, but they scattered them someplace of importance, or kept them in a container to remember them by. This gesture... he liked it.]

His death haunts me. I feel like I failed him. It... it would be nice. To have something. Here, I — hold on.

[He takes his backpack off his back and quickly roots through it, clearly looking for something specific. He pulls out a small container, emptying the contents of it back into his bag, before holding it out towards Luca.]

You can put them in here, until I can do something proper with them.

[unheiring]

I know — [Luca speaks almost too quickly, so much so that he doesn't catch the strangeness of his own words until a few moments too late. He shakes his head slightly, staring blankly at Astrid as he shuffles around for something.] How it feels, I mean. The failure -

[He exhales faintly as the container is offered, upturning his hand almost stiffly. He watches as the ash floods into it, careful to avoid kicking up too much dust. As much as can be kept, that's what's important here.]

I am sorry that I could not do more. Could not... wake him properly.

[He dusts off his palms over the container as gingerly as he can, before pulling back to wring them together against his chest.]

We need to find shelter. Whatever is happening here, it is not limited to just you. Something else will find us before long. [Maybe then, the ice will have receded and he can talk more. One thing is for certain.] I am with you. I... would rather you not be alone right now.

[Never mind the fact that Luca is terrified of the same.]

[astralprojection]

You tried. That's what matters to me the most.

[It matters so much, in fact. He really can't imagine having been in this scenario with anyone else he's met so far here, wouldn't have wanted to. He felt like he could trust and rely on Luca, though the nagging voices in his head still ever so helpfully reminded him that he'd only end up failing him when it mattered most, too. It sure would be nice to silence the cacophony in his brain every once and a while...

When he's done depositing the ashes, he carefully closes the box and puts it back into his bag, careful not to jostle it around too much. The last thing he'd need was for it to somehow fall open inside his backpack...]

You're right. And... I would rather not be alone, either.

[He readily admits, looking downwards for a moment before returning his gaze to Luca.]

A lot of the buildings seem to be falling apart, but I think we should be able to find someplace to go.

[unheiring]

[Luca can only swallow at those words. He wished that trying had ever meant a damn thing. Certainly, Astrid insists that it does, but he can't suffocate his own nagging thoughts forever. Nor does he think his own shambling beast will leave him alone forever.

But that only makes it more important to get moving.]

There are a few buildings in decent enough repair to spend the night. [He casts a wary glance around, before nodding down the path he'd come from.] I do not think the flames will have reached that far.

Will you watch my back?

[Even if Luca hasn't properly conveyed it, the trust in Luca's heart is still alive and well.]

[astralprojection]

I will.

[He's glad that Luca had enough faith in him to ask as much, but he just hoped that faith won't potentially be misplaced. Astrid may not be the best fighter, but he had a sword and a few tricks up his sleeve to compensate, and that would have to be enough.]

Let's go, before anything else gets any bright ideas.

[As if on cue, a fount of flame shoots up from far, far in the distance, along with feral screaming — hopefully that was just the sound of Flamebringer being unhinged again.]

[unheiring]

[In a place like this, anything would help. More than that, Luca would take a shoddy sword swing and a person he felt he could fully trust over a practiced blade swung from a hand he didn't know. Whether they liked the circumstance or not, Astrid and Luca were now bound by this experience.

Ultimately, though, Luca hoped it wouldn't come to Astrid having to raise his blade in a moment like this. He needed rest, a chance to process everything that had befallen them. And as that horrid keening began in the distance, Luca found himself speeding forward all the faster in hopes of securing just that.]

Beasts only know my own shadows are lurking around here. [Which is the last thing he wants to run into, especially now.] Stick close, please. I imagine this place wants nothing more than to separate us yet again.

[astralprojection]

I'm right behind you.

[Astrid assures him, pep in his own step and tail puffed up a bit at all the sounds ringing in the distance. Truly, the last thing they needed right now was to fight something else, let alone something just as traumatic as what Astrid had just endured but for Luca this time.]

Watch your left — there's some of those weird mannequins on the ground behind the rubble, but if you don't get too close, they shouldn't activate.

[unheiring]

[Well that's... unpleasant. Luca skirts to the side, crowding close to Astrid along the way. He keeps a wary eye on the mannequin, expecting movement. His hand lays on the blade of his rapier, while a few sparks dance along his fingers. The only time he glances up is to search warily for his own monster, surely lingering somewhere.

It reminds him that Astrid deserves a warning. Hell, maybe a chance to get the hell out of dodge.]

You were not the only one being pursued by something. There is a creature about, not unlike a flightless bird. Where it goes, it drips poison.

If we come across it, run. And do not heed its words.

[astralprojection]

Only if you run, too.

[Which is to say: he's not going to leave you behind to handle things alone. Luca has earned himself one loyal cat, now.]

But I promise to be mindful. All the more reason to find a place to hide as soon as possible, though.

[unheiring]

[Luca cracks a bitter sort of smile.]

What. No being self-sacrificing today? What a shame, I'm so very good at it, you know.

[astralprojection]

While I'd hate to keep you from your calling, I rather like your company.

[No >:(]

Ah— look at that building, it's still pretty held together, I think.

[unheiring]

I suppose my hands are tied then.

[Luca follows Astrid's gaze and... nods. It's as safe of a place as they are going to get out here, he thinks. Summoning a trickle of flame to his palm, he forges the way ahead. He doesn't trust that there isn't something lurking within just yet.]

Stay behind me.

[astralprojection]

[Putting a hand on the hilt of his blade, Astrid nods.]

I'll be right here.

[It's funny, how flames feel somehow just a little bit easier when he knows it's Luca that's wielding them. But maybe it's all the trauma today coalescing into one large inability to care as much until all the adrenaline wears off...]

[unheiring]

[Astrid is lucky that he wasn't here a handful of months ago. He had far less control back after he had absorbed the rest of the Phoenix's power. These days, though he may shower a few sparks here and there, it's not nearly to the degree as it was before.

With his free hand, he pushes the door open, then allows it to fall to the blade at his side. He takes one step in, then another. The flame casts long shadows in the dim of the building, but beyond that nothing immediately jumps out as a threat.]