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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.
no subject
[But it makes sense, doesn't it? Eren is a monster. He never lied to Subaru about that. Subaru wanted to believe it wasn't true; maybe he sees it now.
[Eren lowers his blade, but he can't keep the glare from his face.]
You knew what I meant by it before it was four letters. [Come on. How doesn't he get it? Why does Eren keep having to explain this?
[All at once, he looks tired.]
It's just what I've always meant. That I won't leave you alone, that I won't let you get hurt. Goddammit, Subaru.
[It really is a terrible thing to be loved by Eren.]
I warned you, didn't I?
You hate what you see?
no subject
When did I ever say that?!
[He’s standing now, looking down at Eren on his knees.]
Stop putting words in my mouth! You have no idea how I feel!
[His chest heaves with heavy breaths.]
If you really loved me, then—-
[He looks pained, like he might crumple.]
You’d say it…with a smile…
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[It doesn't last. He jumps up to face Subaru.]
Do you have any idea what love is at all?!
Like I haven't smiled with you. Do you know how-- [His voice breaks. He chokes on it. It makes him step back, falter, and God, is that ever rare for Eren.] I...can barely smile...at all anymore. [And sure, that's his fault, but it's not like he's doing it on purpose - it's not like he doesn't want to be happy.]
Love...is exactly what did this to me!
But, I still...[Fuck, but it's pain. He's sinking away like a coward. He grinds one of his fists into his temple, teeth gritting.] I still smiled with you. When I couldn't with anyone else...
F-fuck...it's like you've completely forgotten me!
cw: self injury jic
You think…I don’t know what love is…?
[On the defensive, this is what he latches onto. His voice is quiet with anger.]
After everything I’ve been through for love…after all I’ve seen Rem go through for me…you think…you really think I don’t know what that is…?
no subject
Love means always wearing a smile on your face? Either you don't know what the Hell love means, or you do know that it's pain, and you just don't want it when it's coming from me.
I've tried. I thought-- I thought we were doing fine. I felt alright with you.
But now I don't know what the Hell you want from me!
I'll only ever be Eren. [Not Rem, not Emilia.] Is that really not enough for you?
[Even if Subaru says that it is, Eren will never believe it now.]
no subject
[His anger burns out. Now, he’s just desperate, defeated and pathetic.]
You ask me that like you’ve already made up your mind, like you already think you know…
[His voice comes close to cracking.]
Why else…do you think I want to save you…?
no subject
Subaru...
[Eren gives a loud sniff, wiping at his eyes. He's so damn frustrated, but the fight he just left him.]
If you want me to stop putting words in your mouth...then you really need to just tell me yourself.
[He's been asking, hasn't he? He's clawing for an answer that Subaru just won't give. It doesn't need to be spelled out in three words. Eren just wants to feel that Subaru, despite all of this - despite Eren himself - feels the same way Eren has been feeling for months now...]
no subject
You’re someone I’m closer to than anyone else. What we have - it’s nothing like anything I’ve ever had before. I seriously can’t stop thinking about you. Sometimes it makes me feel like I’m going crazy. When we’re apart, it feels like something’s missing. You say you hate yourself, but even then, I can’t see it…
[He clenches the fabric of his shirt, just over his rapid-beating heart.]
More than that, though…I absolutely…can’t stand to see you cry!
no subject
[All aggression has leeched out of Eren's expression, he...looks...
[Confused? Overwhelmed; uncertain, unmoored, he--
[Stares; doesn't realize his own hand has come to curl over his heart.]
Subaru...
[God, they're...they're both so...]
Everything you just said...I feel exactly the same way, the...same words, even...
[...fucking stupid!]
Then, what...[He's completely disarmed, voice stunned stupid.]...what the Hell have we spent all this time arguing about?
no subject
No, he doesn’t get that at all.
They’re both there, shocked and dazed at what just came out of the other’s mouth.
Eren asks his question and Subaru could easily snap an answer back, but right now, he can’t help it…
He just smiles. He just smiles and laughs.]
no subject
[Eren stumbles through the sand, throwing his arms around Subaru and holding on tight - tight; a silent pleading: 'Please don't go...']
no subject
SOMEHOW THEY DID IT
[But Eren doesn't awaken peacefully. He comes to to the feeling of his heart pounding against his ribcage, breaths quick.
[He watched Subaru die; felt that awful, clawing presence. He took him to safety. He explained his emptiness, his hatred. Subaru didn't run until the word "love" came out of Eren's mouth, and then...then...
[It's a blur, but it's a terrible one. He paws for Subaru in the dark, warm palms desperate to cup his stupid, bone-head face-- God. He almost lost him. He feels relief the same way he's done when watching people barely escape the jaws of death.
[Call that crazy, maybe.]
Subaru...[His voice, so genuine, so alive, but so terrified too.] Fuck...
[crowd cheering]
He really almost lost it all.]
Hey - [He takes his hands, reassuring. Wraps his fingers around them. They’re soft, if scratched up a little.] I’m here. Don’t worry.
no subject
[Something in Eren still hurts - will for a while, maybe - but he doesn't care about that right now. The anticipation of grief still seizes his chest, and he brings Subaru's knuckles to his lips, kissing, kissing, kissing. He knows no other hands like he knows these.
[He dare not say, "I love you." That's alright. He doesn't have to. If Subaru doesn't want to hear it, then...he won't. It's not like he loves saying those words, regardless...
[But, oh, do they ever burn on his tongue now.
[He presses Subaru's knuckles to his forehead, then lowers their hands, takes Subaru's face, and kisses him. He'll say it all without words.]
no subject
Still, selfishly, he wants it all the same. Selfish is all he’s been, thinking he can take Eren and Rem’s love whilst chasing Emilia’s.
His heart is so, so greedy.
Resting his hands over Eren’s, lightly gripping his fingers with his own, he kisses him back.]