buttrinthum | TDM #8

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TDM #8

Arrival / Enchanted Garden

Whether it be sleep or death, you feel your eyes close, and as your body begins to let go, you see a barn owl that is flying through the darkness, soon sweeping you across the clouded sky. You feel yourself mouth the words, “I wish, I wish..” and utter your deepest and darkest desire.

When you regain consciousness, you’ll find you are in an unfamiliar place with no recognition of how you arrived here. You have the clothes on your back, but nothing else. No weapons and if you had a particular superpower, you’ll notice it is missing. All you have is a satchel with a piece of bread, a vial of water, and a potion. The potion could be red, blue or golden. There are no instructions about these potions other than two words: Drink Me.

Will you drink it or not?

There is a parchment, handwritten, and it simply gives you a welcoming:

“Welcome to my Labyrinth. Per our agreement, you have consented to live your life here for an undetermined amount of time. In exchange, I will grant you the wish that you desire the most.”

You’re in a garden, surrounded by flowers and plants– most of which you cannot identify. However, there are a few that you can make out: purple carnations and generous fields of shamrocks. You’ll soon find out that being around the purple carnations can cause someone to act impulsively, following every whim of their heart to the point of almost being erratic. It might almost feel as though they’re having a hard time keeping track of which way is up and which way is down the way their whims change on a dime. This can cause quite a confusing first interaction, but the fields of shamrocks are no less confusing considering laying about in or spending time walking through these fields will cause the dreamer to feel lighter than air. Literally. Be careful! It’s almost like interacting with the world as though you’re lacking gravity. Jumps are higher, staying on the ground seems a little difficult, (but don't worry you won't float away), and generally being easy to push around are all something you should keep an eye on. Luckily, 30 minutes away from the shamrocks will make the effect go away.

Flower Magic and the Plantening

Though it’s not exactly celebrated every year, and sometimes it’s done more subtly depending on the whims of the land, the locals (Gelfling and Goblin alike) always prepare for the spring. This year the locals can pull out all the stops for the changing of the seasons thanks to a genial past few months (give or, uh, take haha) . As the cold weather starts to warm and the snow drifts thaw and melt away, new life is already growing. It’s the signal that the locals need to prepare for the planting season of their gardens and crops as well as prepare for the magical cleansing meant to bring in good luck and positive magical energies.

Planting gardens and planning for vegetables and herbs of all kinds has a special twist to it, or this wouldn’t be Somnius. It’s a group effort, and not a soul will be allowed to skip participation. So long as the grumpiest plant at least one seed, their participation counts. But it all must be done with flower crowns made by locals and dreamers alike. The locals are happy to teach Dreamers how to weave the crowns together and dust in little bits of magic to make them glow pleasantly once perched atop someone’s head.

Just… one little thing? These flower crowns will enhance emotions, or feelings just a little or a lot. It all depends upon the flower the crown is made of.

Flower Choices
Amaryllis: The wearer becomes extremely boastful and confident, even when (or perhaps, especially when) they have nothing to show for it.
Bittersweet: Good luck lying until the crown is removed! The dreamer will feel compelled not only to speak, but to speak only the brutal and honest truth.
Columbine: The world just became 500% funnier. That random Gelfling sneeze? Adorable and hilarious. The way that Goblin’s hair looks? Absolutely hysterical. The dreamer will be unable to stop giggling until the effects wear off.
Fennel: It’s time to show your appreciation for everyone. The dreamer wearing this will feel extremely complimentary, and will not hesitate to tell anybody the things they like about them.
Rose: Love is in the air, but… have you… always felt this way about your friend, or is something strange happening? The dreamer who wears this crown will find themselves absolutely enamored with the next person they meet.
Tansy: Everything just seems to be striking a nerve with you today. The dreamer will find themselves gripped with an intense bout of anger, and they won’t hesitate to show it. Better tell that Gelfling that just bumped into you who you really are.

Only after you have a flower crown can you then participate in the real labor of spring: planting. Hoeing, watering, fertilizing, it’s all hard work but it’ll be worth it by the time everything starts to grow. Food tastes better when you grow it yourself. Try not to play around too much, but a little horsing around never hurt anyone.

Cleansing for a New Year

It’s not only the fields and flower gardens that need tending to with the turn of the seasons, and the locals are making a party of it. The morning hours are reserved for changing out of “seasonal” decorations and other tidying, while the afternoon and evening hours are reserved for celebration and commerce.

Holly and pine wreaths and garlands are taken down, animals are finally let out from their cozy barns to graze on the new shoots of grass peeking from the chilled soil, homes are being aired out and well traveled roads need to be reblessed. Everyone seems to be doing their part in some way, but it’s still a lot of work to be done by the time things are in full swing for spring! Those dreamers who live to clean will really be living this month. Just make sure to sweep OUT the bad energy. Never in.

The locals encourage (and some even insist) that the ones they share space with pick up a broom, shovel or just get their hands dirty and start working. Animals need feeding and tending to and barn hands are in high demand! Whether it be chickens, ducks, cows, or sheep, the animals need their feed and also need their spaces to be cleaned, too. No one said this was glamorous work, but hey! Maybe you’ll manage to come away with some animal products from a particularly grateful farmer.

Salting the roads not only helps keep still receding ice from being as slick but it also brings in good luck and good energies. Be careful to spread the salt given out through the streets, but don’t spill any in the dirt or where things grow. Salted earth or plants will doom Dreamers with bad luck if they make this grave mistake! The effect will last for a week or so, so it’s best avoided.

When the warmest part of the day hits, that’s when the working gloves come off. The centermost part of town has been turned into a festival area complete with a may pole, potluck pot the size of a small boulder the size of a large boulder, tables of roasted food, and a variety of drinks. There are also a few games, including cheese rolling in which dreamers can either roll cheese or be turned into cheese to be rolled (maybe that’s just a joke? Hmm). Lively music played by one of the ~~least terrible~~ most popular goblin bands fills the air.

Contributing to the potluck pot will give participants a little joyful boost, there’s a little more pep in their step, a little less fatigue from working all day, and some may find that their dirtied clothes are woven into clean, springy attire for the celebration that lasts well into the night to wear at the Night Bazaar.

Nightlife Bazaar

cw: spiders

Coming along with the other festivities is a convention of sorts, for all things magical! Witches and all kinds of magical practitioners are here to show off their skills and sell their wares to anyone interested - locals and Dreamers alike. Take a look around, there might be something that catches your eye that a hag or so will be willing to part with…for a decent price.. Be warned though, not every witch and warlock at this bazaar are totally honest. Phonies will try to peddle basic goods and magical objects for far more than they’re worth. Keep your wits about you, Dreamers, otherwise not only will you lose your shards and come away with nothing but junk, but you may find some items that are more trouble than they’re worth.

Just a FEW of the Booths...

Fortune Telling: A hag that is DEFINITELY not three kobolds in a trenchcoat is offering fortune telling services (tarot, palm reading, crystal ball, etc. Go nuts). Dreamers get their fortunes told! Can be about love, luck, other stuff.
Brooms: Want to take a ride on a broomstick? Well, look no further! A dandy young witch is offering (insert pun about brooms/horse here) rides for anyone looking for a fun time soaring through the moonlight! Pay a fee and get a ride for you and maybe another person, if they’re bold enough to hang on tight… The moon is looking lovely tonight, so why not take a spin over the treetops? Just don’t try and go too far - these cleaning utensils are magicked to fly back to their “pens” after a certain amount of time. Also if you crash it, you cash it. So don’t.
Brews and Tonics: That shifty-looking wizard there is offering up “brews” for an outrageous price, so clearly they must be potent, right? He seems very eager for people to try and even offers up a couple of sample sippers. Looking for teeth whitening? He’s got that. A growth potion for you shortstacks? Obviously, it’s right here. Can’t get senpai to notice you? Well, he’s got a brew that’ll make them never take their eyes off you! And with a smile as wide and toothy as his, surely nothing will go wrong, right? [[Note: They will ALL go wrong. How, is up to the player!]]
Familiar Petting Zoo: Careful, some of them do bite, but that’s only the more exotic ones. Black cats of all shapes and sizes, corvids that will tell you to shove it if you ask them about Lenore, and toads that may or may not have hypnotic powers if you stare into their unblinking eyes a little too long - all manner of fun and interesting creatures are here to pet and play with for a small fee. Just do try not to poke and prod at them too much, will you? They only have a meager amount of fortitude and tend to, ahem…combust if under enough pressure. But not into flames! Goodness, what do you take us for?! No, Dreamers will find that once a familiar combusts, their hands and clothes will be stained with a glow-in-the-dark “secretion” that might cause them to sparkle under the moonlight. ....It also attracts spiders. En masse.

OOC

Welcome to the labyrinthum TDM! Characters will arrive depowered and with only their clothing, and will be given a satchel with a crystal pendant, a communication device, some water and bread and a magic potion. If they drink the potion, they will manifest an elemental, healing or animal transformation ability.

With the exception of Castle Vaeros, characters are free to go as they please, so feel free to place them in any of the locations available on the map. Yes, this includes the Labyrinth - though characters will not be able to clear the maze.

You can find more information about the game here. Any questions regarding the TDM can go under the comment below.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Loki is exploring a bit, looking for interesting things. Some might say everything in the Night Bazaar is interesting, and they would not be wrong. But Loki sometimes has a definition of 'interesting' that is all his own.

Like when he spies the other man at the fortune telling booth, and the difficulties he's having. He is close enough to hear the tail end of the comment from Laserhawk, so he steps closer.]

Surely it won't matter which hand he uses, if you can tell his fortune by reading it? I'd be interested in observing too, as it's not often one practices with non-flesh for this skill.

[The fortune teller now transfers that stare to him, and Loki just smiled pleasantly. As if what he'd asked was the most natural thing in the world.]

[OOC: I do have a mild plan if you don't have anything in mind.]

[ dolph eyes loki for a moment before glancing back at the fortune teller. ]

Take it or leave it.

[That stare for the fortune teller narrowed at Loki slightly, before the being took a breath and looked once more at Laserhawk's metal hand. One finger moved to trace some lines, as the other hand held the metal hand steady. The being spoke in a crochety, but steady, voice.]

There are differing schools of thought on the matter, but generally the left hand is regarded as what you're born with, if you're born male. In this case, that does not tell us much unless you were born a machine.

[A brief glance up at the two observing.]

The lines can still tell us much however. It is a good and strong hand, with clean lines meant to fit and work together to give you full motion. Important, even for an artificial hand. This line, usually represents the heart, while these are the head and life lines. They are all joined interestingly here, with the heart spanning your hand as the head and life run down perpendicular to house this circular port--I'm guessing an energy cell. Over here, is the last line we concern ourselves with; that of the fate line, which not everyone has even with their natural hand.

[Loki's smile never faltered, although blue-green eyes did slide to Dolph to see what he was making of it. So far, to the Trickster God, this all seemed to be the fortune teller setting things up and explaining for them. A way to buy themselves time, while also keeping their attention. If this were an actor, they at least were practiced.]

[ an energy cell. dolph twitches slightly. it's not a secret that his arm is a cannon but he's surprised that these fortune tellers can sense it. he exhales softly, letting go of his brief anxiety. he can sense loki nearby and wonders why. ]

Can a hand like this really say anything about me?

Edited 2024-03-05 02:58 (UTC)

It can certainly say you've lead an exciting life, along with the rest of your appearance.

[The fortune teller shot back, with some snark in the tone. Then they were studying the lines, and quiet. Loki moved closer to study what he could too. Not that he knew anything about palm reading. His mother might have, as Frigga knew many things having been a witch and been raised by witches.

After some moments of soft hmms, and tracing the lines individually and together, the fortune teller looked up again while speaking. Crochety, but steady and thoughtful.]

You guard your heart carefully, for all that it appears as a straight line here. You want things involving your heart to be steady and stable--like this line, but that is not how hearts work. Your head line and your life line reveal that you've been on a journey, and the two are similar. Perhaps you are too much in your own head at times, when you should be experiencing life, and vice versa. Both fuel you though in your existence, to give you energy. Your fate line also runs parallel to both, which even if it is a design choice, suggests to me that you think it to be straightforward. You are meant to be one thing, but that is not the case. The mechanics break something that is quite complicated down into easy visuals, but nothing is ever that simple.

[Then the being let Dolph have their hand back, and sat back satisfied. They looked to the two in front of them with an expectant look as if to say 'well?']

[ experiencing life . . .

he's still afraid. he knows he is. he's lived a life of fear and only fear for so long. his experiences are limited, his life was short. finally, dolph slowly takes his hand back, curling it close to his chest. ]

It's . . . good advice. I'll remember it.

[Well, the client was satisfied so the fortune teller turned now to see if the other--who had challenged them--was as well. Even shooting a challenge back.]

Should I read your own as well, since my client is satisfied?

['Did I pass your test' was how Loki interpreted it, and he was not wrong. A soft chuckle from him, and he bowed his head slightly and brought his hands around to applaud the other briefly.]

I think not tonight. I dislike the idea of fate and being 'fated'. More fun to make it all up as I go along, for me. But well shown and played.

Edited 2024-03-05 03:48 (UTC)

[ he frowns for a moment. ]

Then what made you come here?

[ not that dolph disagrees. fate is arbitrary. and certainly not a concept hailed in eden. ]

I was intrigued to see how they'd do with a non-flesh hand. It's rare to see it done.

[Loki meant no offense, and that really was why he stepped over. Perhaps he also wanted to make sure the other did get his shard's worth of a performance as well.]

[ hm. fair enough. ]

So you're familiar with all of this. Is magic a big deal where you're from?

I'm familiar with magic, though it's also not uncommon for magic and science to be one and the same. I'm also not unfamiliar with advanced technology.

[Loki held out an arm and hand in a gesture of 'shall we move'?]

[ dolph gives a light snort, but he does follow loki. ]

So basically you know a little of everything. Seems boring though if you're rarely surprised.

Oh I can still be surprised, and it's a delight when I am. Sometimes I do have to make my own surprises and excitement though.

What drew you to the fortune teller?

[ he shrugs. ]

Guess I was just looking for clarity in my life.

Better than many who go there, expecting to find out their whole life laid out in front of them.

I doubt some lines on a hand can do that.

[ but people get scared. confused. dolph isn't going to knock on them for wanting some answers. ]

Life's short. Never hurts to hear you're on the right track. Or a track.

Hands can tell a lot about people, if you know how to read them. But so can a lot of other things, and it depends on the cues and the person. Reading people can be a skill and also very subtly done depending.

[Loki wasn't necessarily going to 'knock' people for wanting answers. He might just judge how they went about it, or how stupid or smart they were about it.]

I prefer to make my own track, really.

[Blue-green eyes slanted over to the other.]

And do you think you're on the right track, after your reading?

I don't know if there's a right track for someone like me.

But it's enough to know that a life can be had.

Depends on the 'someone like you' really, and how one defines 'right'. A life can be had, and I know for me--I choose how I want to live it as much as possible. For you? Maybe you need to choose how you want to live it.

Someone who's never had a life. I don't care much for the morality of one, so long as it keeps being mine.

[ he already exists on the fringes, being queer and brown. and while that's not an issue here, he's not likely to forget that. all that matters is that dolph holds onto his independent right to live the way he wants to.

it's the wanting that leaves him lost. ]

How is a big question. I don't think it just ends with an answer.

How to live? Some would say you're doing it already. There is no easy answer to that question.

[Loki gave a soft chuckle. Mostly because he was enjoying the philosophical discussion.]

[ he shakes his head. ]

Existing isn't the same as living. There are . . . parts to a life. A fully lived one.

You are quite correct. But I could argue that seeking out new experiences, looking to make your own way? That's living. Not just existing.

[Loki shrugged.]

I suppose the big question is, what do you want to do.

That's not a question I know how to answer.

[ before, it was retiring with alex. living with alex. having alex's warm arms around him. so they could love each other. in peace. in happiness.

all of that shattered when alex betrayed him. now dolph has to work towards a new dream. and he has to do that on his own. it has to be his and not something handed to him. ]

Yet it's a question only you can answer for yourself. Start simple. What else would you like to do at this night bazaar?

Fortune Telling

sure go for it!

Excellent. I have not looked up any spoilers except for good shots of the hand.

go wild! I'm down for anything.

Dangerous thing to say to me ;)

:> I'm a brave soul

Also fun to play with.

<33

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