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buttrinthum2024-04-30 10:34 pm
TDM #9
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 in scrawling, jagged lettering that seems a bit... ominous:
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: Larkspur and Anemone You’ll soon find out that being around the Larkspur makes you almost overwhelmingly tired, to the point you might even feel sluggish and in desperate need of a comfy place to rest. Why not lie down right in the garden? Or better yet, find someone to snuggle up with and sleep your worries away. The only truly strange part? You don’t seem to dream. At all. Straying too close to the Anemones, meanwhile, grants an entirely different effect. One second you’ll be walking through the garden and then suddenly you’re twenty feet away and facing the wrong direction. Even worse, whatever those flowers have done to you will sometimes make it so you “glitch” through solid objects – your leg might suddenly be lodged in the ground despite it being perfectly solid a moment before, or your arm could be shoved halfway into a wall that… actually, was that wall even there before? Nevermind that. The effects only last for a few minutes at worst, so at least you’re not stuck there forever, right?
Thanks to the combined efforts of dreamers and dragons, Vaeros is asleep. No one knows for how long. The locals aren’t particularly pleased with this turn of events and the village is a mess, but at least the moon is high in the sky again and everything is back to normal… relatively speaking. Things start to change... morph into something more dreamy, more surreal. It's subtle at first but after a few days…
The aftermath of the overgrowth, animal attacks, and the overall chaos of Vaeros' tantrum has left the village a little worse for wear. While most of the damages are cosmetic and could be fixed by the local's efforts alone, maybe a little help would be appreciated? If nothing else, it might help alleviate a little bit of the tension still lingering in the air after the events at the castle.
That, and the locals seem to be acting kind of strange. Leaving them to their own devices might not be the best idea. The Gelfling you are aiding in repairing a half-broken wall has been hammering for what seems like hours and when you look to see what they're doing, they haven't actually made any progress - they're just hitting the same spot over and over again, potentially making the hole even bigger. Did the goblin you just passed have a completely blank face for a moment? Others might walk into things, off of things (Starlight Cliff might be a hazard zone), or suddenly and inexplicably become aggressive toward dreamers, grabbing anything they can get their hands on (kitchenware, vegetables, a goose??) to use as a weapon. It's a very bizarre scene and the villagers don't seem to notice there is anything wrong with the people around them.
It’s not just the locals either. The animals have been acting equally strange. There's a wolf inside the clothing shop trying on suits, a goat standing (or trying to stand) on its hind legs, bleating out random words like a town crier while jingling a bell around its neck to get everyone's attention. Where you should find the local baker, suddenly they're replaced with a deer holding a paddle in its mouth to stir up a batch of brownies.
To top it all off, there's an eerie sense of deja vu no matter where you go or what you do. Didn't you just help that goblin with the wheelbarrow an hour ago? So why is it halfway across town again? You could have sworn you had to go and grab groceries, but your pantry is full like someone already had.
Days pass and the oddities continue to make themselves more and more apparent. The sidewalks seem uneven and wobbly at times, threatening to toss people walking across them to the ground or even fling them into the air with a sudden violent ripple. Walking through the forest sees the leaves of the trees melting into green goo that sticks to your clothes, your hair, and your skin - potentially staining them green and leaving you in dire need of a bath. You can always wash off in the lake, of course, but even that is not free of the strangeness occurring in Visium. The water of Lake Omen has turned to lava, at least in color; although there is no heat radiating from it when one approaches. That, and the locals are still fishing in it without issue, save the fact that they keep pulling up fish with tophats on.
Speaking of fish - they're raining from the sky now (tophats or not) in all sorts of different colors, shapes, and sizes. Good news! They're still edible. Bad news, they're probably trying to sell you something.
If you do decide to try the fish or any other meal in town, especially those served by the locals, you'll find that it doesn't taste like much of anything and most certainly doesn't fill you up, at least not at first. Everything is bland and unappealing until left in the presence of dreamers - and the more you share the meal with, the faster the taste returns.
Even with Vaeros asleep, only a small portion of the labyrinth is still accessible. Those that attempt to explore will find sections made up of pillows and cushions, and no matter what time of day it is elsewhere, this portion of the labyrinth seems to be stuck in perpetual twilight. Explorers will also immediately feel drowsy, then lulled to sleep by the quiet singing whispered through the air like a lullaby. Anyone brave enough to try and rescue those poor souls from their impromptu naps would be wise to plug their noses and cover their ears with earmuffs to block out the sound.
At night, dreamers dream. They will be visited by the same melody heard in the labyrinth, though it is distant. They will also hear a woman telling them to spend more time together, to bond and create things together in order to soothe the effects of Vaeros' magic growing wild in his dreams. Dreamers will also have the ability to visit other's dreams, meeting in a dreamy light liminal space that will not feel so real when they awaken.
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.
absolutely! :)
Chise?
[His hesitant voice was raw from crying. Normally he would panic at anyone seeing him like this and quickly try to hide it but right now he didn't care. He was always alone in his nightmares and he desperately reached for her.]
How?
[The rest of his words caught in his throat. What if asking that made her disappear? The sharp flickering in his glowing eyes reflected his fear.]
((Oh no my heart T.T))
[The fear reflected in his eyes felt too... real. Especially if this was a dream. She sat down near him, reaching out a hand with a melancholy smile.]
"I'm here." [She let that echo in the air around them, repeating it softer the second time.] "I'm here."
[As for his inquiry on how... that was harder to answer.] "I'm... not entirely sure. I've looked into memories or dreams before, though it's normally on accident." [And not to mention she would have to be making some form of physical contact with the person beforehand, which was entirely impossible when she and Arrakis were in separate dwellings.] "I did hear a voice before falling asleep. Like a lullaby. Do you remember hearing it too?"
[Though, some part of her wondered, if maybe she had somehow felt his hurting... and that part of her had come to answer it.]
He's very good at breaking hearts T.T
"I'm glad you're here."
[The darkness around him didn't feel quite as oppressive with her by his side. In the lonely darkness her voice sounded like the most beautiful song in the world and he started to relax a little as he listened.] "Hmm, that's an interesting ability." [A potentially dangerous one but he felt like he could trust Chise and he didn't want to shatter this dream with his fears so he ignored it for now.]
[Her question reminded him of the quiet singing he fought in the labyrinth and he chuckled nervously.] "I don't know. All I remember is an awful headache."
[Arrakis had always longed to be able to talk to someone like this. It scared him too so he normally chose to hide his pain but this was a dream. Just this once, it was ok, right?]
I have an idea on how to end this, but let's give him some catharsis first <3
[She couldn't imagine what he had gone through - to feel such pain even in the grasp of slumber. She couldn't bring herself to ask. The darkness around them was as much his as it was hers, a familiar chasm. She thought she had left it behind, moved on, but some of it still lingered, she supposed.]
[Humming thoughtfully at his comment.] "Some might call it interesting. I'd use a different word." [She didn't elaborate though. How could she explain that, even if it allowed her to share the sadness of others, it was something that she still had to come to terms with? Experiencing their regrets and pain firsthand... she didn't ever want to intrude that way, if she could help it.]
"A headache? You mean the lullaby caused that?" [A slight frown as she thought over his words.] "Or... have you drank enough water recently? I know the food's tasted off, but it's important to eat enough too. Or... is the poison entirely healed?" [Concern lanced through her. If only she could have done more... healed him properly... had her magic or something.]
I'm intrigued!
The way she didn't elaborate on her ability reminded Arrakis of Altair, who had always refused to talk about what it was like to see the memories of the dead. He decided not to pry. After all, Chise hadn't asked about the oppressive darkness around them.
He couldn't help but chuckle a little at Chise's sweet concern.] "Don't worry the poison's gone, I promise." [Come to think of it, when was the last time he ate? As a mage he didn't have to worry about eating and drinking as much.] "The headache is my fault. I tried to stop the lullaby with my magic, but it didn't work."
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"Ah." [She nodded, though it was mostly felt as she leaned against him.] "Whatever put us to sleep must be pretty strong magic. I've accidentally put others to sleep with lullabies - I've been told that might be my specialty - and normally a potion could lift the effects, but if everyone is asleep, then..." [She tried not to think about it - that they might be equally as trapped within their dreams as they were upon waking in Somnius.]
[Though this place... Her words came out soft and gentle, not wanting to pry but giving him to the chance to answer too.] "...I assume this isn't a dream. When mine look like this, they normally aren't. But... it's better than the nightmares."
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Arrakis agreed with a small hum. Neither his wind magic or his healing song had any affect on the strange lullaby. Although that opened the door to all sorts of questions, the most important being who cast such a powerful spell? He didn't want to think about being trapped in his dreams either so he focused on Chise's comforting presence instead. He relaxed with a fragile smile.] "I wouldn't be surprised. It suits you."
[His eyes narrowed with a sharp flicker and he was quiet for a long time but Chise's gentle tone chipped away at his walls until he hesitantly spoke.] "I don't know. It's different with you here, but most of my dreams are like this...some nightmares are worse." [Afraid his thoughts might affect the dream around him he quickly closed his eyes and tried to banish that thought from his mind.] "Please don't tell anyone."
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[She hummed at his admission. Understanding his fear. Her gaze softened as she gave him a gentle smile.] "I won't tell. I promise. I know words might not mean much but... they can be binding, especially with mages." [A small reassurance, in case there was any doubt. She could see the wariness warring in his eyes. She understood it well.] "It's a secret between us - those who share this sort of space and know it well... for better or worse."
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[His voice became quieter as he squeezed her hand.] I wish I could help you too.
[He wished Chise didn't share this lonely darkness but at the same time he was glad he wasn't alone.]
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It might be difficult to believe... but you do help me. You were one of the first to offer me guidance when I arrived here. And... the darkness that I face? It's going to take a while yet to deal with it...
[She fell silent for a few moments, before leaning her back against his.] But... even if it takes a long time, that's when you rely on those around you. Those that care for you, and offer their help. They become your light, in a way.
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You're right, but it's difficult for me to rely on others.
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You know… it took me a long time to be able to think I can rely on those around me. Not because I didn’t trust them but… I tend to be impulsive. ‘Reckless’… so I act before I think, and that gets me into trouble.
I still don’t understand it entirely. But someone told me once that refuting your own worth is like saying that the people who have helped you performed meaningless acts. I think,, in this case, it’s allowing that help. Little by little, even just one step. No matter how scary it might be.
So… let me help you, at least this once. Even if it’s for my own selfishness.
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[Well played Chise and there was a hint of playfulness in his tone.]
I'll selfishly let you be selfish then, just this once.
Included a link to the clip, if you want to hear what her singing sounds like :)
I know. I said something similar… But it is true, in a way, even if it can be harsh.
[She smiled at his playfulness, eyes softening.]
Thank you. …I’m not sure if this will work but… just try to relax.
[That was the only warning she gave as she shifted, making sure he could comfortably lean against her shoulder. She wasn’t sure how her magic would work here - after all, in the waking world, it was gone. But here… here was a dream, so maybe the rules didn’t apply the same?]
[Taking one steadying breath - though she didn’t have to get rid of any embarrassment she might have felt, for there was none, she was simply helping a friend - before she began to hum. Softly, gently, a children’s lullaby she remembered being sung to her when she was young. Something to hopefully help Arrakis relax and have peaceful dreams…]
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He wasn't sure why his magic still worked in a dream but it let him give Chise something as well. He wrapped his quiet voice inside his wind as he sleepily hummed along, creating a magically soothing wind that carried the promise of better days. His magic didn't work on him, but hopefully it would give Chise pleasant dreams as well. Whether from Chise's magic, for just her calming presence, Arrakis found it harder to keep humming and his voice trailed off as he drifted off to sleep.]
(Oh no so sweet <3 Wrap here or your next comment?)
Have a good sleep.
[And, it was then, that she felt his magic - a calming hum echoing her own. She smiled, making sure Arrakis was truly settled and resting, before she gave in to the drowsiness that claimed her.]
[A dream within a nightmare. The echo of a song. And while the darkness remained, it was soft, blanketed in warmth, and would remain that way for quite some time.]
I'm glad you liked it! I think this is a good ending, thanks! This thread was so sweet!