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

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Comments

[jesterlies]

[He ...almost flinches at the touch, worried that he'll lash out again, that he won't contain the hurt. After a moment his hand reaches up to find Vanilla's, it holds it tightly.]

How many times will you make that promise to me, and break it? How many times will I believe you and come flocking back like a moth to a flame?

[Because he knows he will. He knows now that they've been together so intimately. That they've had their souls pressed together so thoroughly, that having him torn away left him cold and wanting, and even now, just having that spark of flame close enough is already melting the ice he felt in his veins.]

[He'll keep making this mistake over and over again until nothing it left, he wagers.]

[ancientlight]

( Fingers intertwine with the other's, squeezing his hand in return, It's unsurprising how right every touch feels, but it's so new all the same. )

While I do not know what lies in wait for the future, while I can remain here with you, I will remain by your side, as long as you will have me.

That... is a promise that I can keep.

( He doesn't want to promise that either of them will remain here. But, if he is to leave, then he doesn't want to leave alone. There are too many here who have gone through too much. )

[jesterlies]

[He closes his eyes for a moment, just kind of basking in that touch. It may not seem like a lot to Pure Vanilla but that he's even holding his hand right now is more than he thought he might have again. He still intended to rip open the Underworld eventually, hoping to fish his soul out of the nether himself, but that was a project that would take a lot of time and planning.]

[That he's back, though missing memories...]

I suppose that is better than languishing alone.

[He takes a deep breath and it will be clear through their faint connection that there's relief there, despite his dismissive words.]

Go sit down, I have a lot to explain. I'm not the only one here, either.

[He'll finish getting out mugs for tea. He does find one of Vanilla's and sets it in front of him. Maybe they will still have some of his favorite tea kicking around. Shadow Milk knows he was too afraid to touch it, in the chance they ran out and it was gone forever.]

[ancientlight]

( Each touch does mean a great deal to him, as it would with anyone important to him, but it's all the more so with Shadow Milk. How could it not? They had a deep bond, one that they'd never find with anyone else. He's certain that if he were in Shadow Milk's position, he'd be left with an empty feeling...

Still, he does as directed, sitting down with a quiet thank you when he sets the mug in front of him. The cakehound seems to have settled down, too. He pats the spot next to him, inviting the pup to join him if he wanted to do so. )

Do you mean Pavlova Cookie? He mentioned both yourself and White Lily Cookie quite often in our conversation.

[jesterlies]

[UPPIES?? Blue Cream all but climbs into Pure Vanilla's lap. Yes, good. As it should be.]

[Shadow Milk sighs a little but ignores this. That Cakehound...]

You've already met Cherub?

[He seems surprised to hear that. He was not in the vicinity when he arrived was he? Or maybe he was. Ah, perhaps that explains a few things, doesn't it. He'll have to talk to him later.]

What did he tell you?

[ancientlight]

( Pure Vanilla gently pets the Blue Cream then, listening carefully to Shadow Milk. Cherub? What an endearing nickname... He can't help but smile. )

He told me that both yourself and White Lily Cookie have been here for a while, and our current situation here.

I was also informed that time flows strangely here. Despite the time that you have spent here, we seem to both come from the same time on Earthbread. Pavlova Cookie helped me a great deal, though... I would like to do what I can to find out more, as well.

[jesterlies]

[Hm, but that Pure Vanilla isn't asking a more obvious question tells him Pavlova left out something rather important. He sets the tea kettle on and comes to sit down across from him. His mug.]

He's right, the time here is very strange. I believe that it was the very end of winter when I got here, the smallest smatterings of spring were beginning to bloom, and now here we are, deep in fall!

[His staff changes shape, becoming small enough that it resembles opera goggles or perhaps a little wand so that he can hold it easier in his hands while they talk and he can still see.]

I'm glad to hear my son was helpful to you when he found you! I'll have to thank him later, hehe.

[ancientlight]

( Pure Vanilla gently blows on his tea, waiting for it to cool down as Shadow Milk speaks. To think that he had been here for so long! He had some idea that he had been here for quite a while, but for nearly a year...?

But then, he says that while Pure Vanilla brings the cup to his lips, nearly choking on his tea. )

Your... son...? F-Forgive me, Pavlova did not mention that the both of you shared such an inseparable bond.

( Maybe... there were things Pure Vanilla really didn't know about his other half just yet?? )

[jesterlies]

[Haha, good. That was a good reaction. How much of a menace can he be...]

Oh? I suppose I can't blame him after all. You and I baked him together, so for you to forget...

[This is so obviously a lie for a ton of reasons, but he wonders if he can pull one over on him while he's already flustered. He sips his tea.]

[ancientlight]

( Oh, dear. It's a good thing that Pure Vanilla can see through those lies. He knows Shadow Milk Cookie very well by now.

And that obvious lie is enough for him to recover from being a bit flustered. )

Is that so? Pavlova and White Lily Cookie did not mention such an important development! Shall I call you dear from now on? We are more involved than I ever imagined, after all.

[jesterlies]

[Oh- he did not sputter or startle! Hm. Is he disappointed? No, no, he thinks maybe this is fine. Vanilla is calling his bluff.]

It's tragic really! You've missed so much that it's broken my pooooor little heart, you know!

[This ...does not ring as a lie, even as he says it in such a playful way.]

"Dear" is a start, but you've got a looooong way to go before you make it up to me, Vanilla Bean.

[ancientlight]

( It doesn't sound like a lie at all. It's why he pauses for a moment, but then he reaches for his hand, placing his on top of the other's. )

I'm here to listen. The least I can do is try to catch up to anything that I have missed.

( Vanilla Bean... It's an endearing nickname. Did they exchange nicknames with one another? )

dsfjsldf i lost this notif my bad

[jesterlies]

[Maybe they did. Shadow Milk sure isn't going to spill that anytime soon though, he'd much rather he find it on his own. Maybe he'll remember?]

[Shadow Milk doesn't pull his hand away this time, though it flinches just a little. Shocked by the touch of someone he has both grieved and yearned for after all this time. He swallows.]

I once drank half a bottle of dish-soap to see if it would make you sick through our merged souls.

it's ok!!

[ancientlight]

( Pure Vanilla pauses at that, but he doesn't seem to pull away. Rather, he flinches lightly at the thought before he smiles a little. )

... I see.

I cannot say that we parted on the best of terms back home. Yet... I cannot imagine that that was a pleasant experience for you, either.

Did you succeed?

( He's curious. How much did their souls affect one another? )

[jesterlies]

Of course I did! You were very cross with me!

[He hums, watching Vanilla's reactions.]

I don't recommend trying it, I was coughing up bubbles for a week! For something to look so tasty it was incredibly foul to actually drink.

[It was blue, you see. He was betrayed.]

Other than that, of course, we had projects we were working on. Experiments. In fact I finished a spell I was working on for you. Would you like to see?

[ancientlight]

( He frowns at that, shaking his head a bit. )

It was a scolding well earned.

( Maybe there were some things he's better off not remembering.

Still, what he says next does have him curious... Catching up and hopefully resuming whatever projects he had either alone or with others is something he'd like to resume. )

I would, but beforehand... what kind of spell are you speaking of?

[jesterlies]

[He grins. Hopeful, expectant. He holds out his hands for Pure Vanilla to take.]

A spell to improve the mood! A picker-upper sort of spell. Not a surprise that a healer such as yourself would be interested in it!

[Take his hands, Vanilla.]

[ancientlight]

( ...? That's... new, but his face lights up regardless. If that's the case, then no wonder he wanted to help Shadow Milk with the spell.

He reaches for the other's hands then. )

That sounds like a wonderful spell! I'm certain that those here will be grateful for all of your efforts.

[jesterlies]

[No lies here, none at all, actually. He takes Vanilla's hands and stands up.]

[He leans over to place a little kiss on his knuckles. A spell does activate, and it does feel like Vanilla gets a soft little boost to his energy, but that seems to be all...?]

[He grins at him as he lets go of his hands.]

Well? What do you think?

[Every step Vanilla takes from here on out will make a clown honk sound.]

[ancientlight]

( He feels the way his cheeks heat up at the kiss, but it's the boost to his energy that has him surprised. But, really...

It may be subtle, but perhaps that energy was... enough? )

I see... A pick-me-up like that is enough to help inspire some happiness.

( It... might be for the best that the both of them are seated right now, and not actually walking around. )

[jesterlies]

I'm glad you approve!

[He's patient, he can wait for the payoff. He sips his tea, pleased, and his eyes say as much over the mug.]

Now, because I know what silly little thoughts are probably swirling around in your head, you will be staying here. I don't care if you think you'd rather not impose or whatever nonsense excuse you want to give me. I'm not letting you out of my sight.

[ancientlight]

( Ah, that has his smile turning to something more sheepish. He's flattered that Shadow Milk wants him here, but... it's tricky. The last thing he wants to do is bring any further harm to White Lily. )

While I do appreciate it, is this not something best discussed with the others who live here?

[jesterlies]

Cherub will adore you, and if you think Lily-belle doesn’t want you around then you’re crazier than I am.

[ He levels an expression at the distance, but the beholder on his staff settles its gaze on him.]

She mourned you just as much as I did, after all.

[ancientlight]

... I am aware that things between us are... complicated at best at this time. The last thing I wish is to cause her any further pain.

( And that thought in itself hurts. It's enough to make his heart sink, and he falls quiet. All he wants is her happiness. )

[jesterlies]

If you avoid her, don't you think that'll make things worse?

[He leans his cheek into the palm of his hand, propping his elbow up on the table. The beholder narrows its eye.]

Vanilly, I'm disappointed. After aaaaall of that pomp and circumstance back at the Spire and you're still running from the harsh Truth.