buttrinthum | TDM #9

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TDM #9

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 in scrawling, jagged lettering that seems a bit... ominous:

“Welcome to my LABYRINTH where your wish, you wish you wish youwishyouwish– Your CONTRACT is SEALED.”

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?

Liminal Spaces and Worn Out Faces

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.

Up is Down, In is Out

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.

Dream Within a Dream Within a Dream Within a Dream Within

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.

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

I'm not?

[But... The explosion... And now he's here. It makes no sense if it isn't a dream...

He leans back with his hand planted in the grass, blinking heavily still, trying to hold his own head up. Fighting the sleep is so hard, but he wants to talk to this person...

Then he remembers Prim. Prim was in that group of children that got--

That thought wakes him up, a sharp inhale through his nose, a widening of his eyes. More questions run through his mind to ask this man, but he's asking his name.]

I'm Peeta. The last thing I remember was in a place that's nothing like this. How did I get here, if it's not a dream?

[ Ah, there it is.

Maruki winces in sympathy. The shock to the system that arrival in Somnius causes isn't for the faint of heart. He can handle this delicately. ]

You're safe. Let me start there.

[ Not necessarily true in the long term, but for the moment, in this garden, with Maruki – yes, he is safe. ]

Do you remember making a wish before you awoke here?

[Safe? Peeta isn't ever safe, let's start there. Nor are the people around him, anymore.]

Uh... Yeah, kinda. It was pretty vague, though...

[He'd simply wished for Katniss. For her to be here? To love him? For her safety? Her happiness? Her death? The wish was vague because he's not exactly sure what to wish for anymore, with her.]

[ A gentle smile, an even gentler voice. ]

It's okay. You don't have to tell me the wish.

[ Weirdly, that seems to be a tacitly ignored conversation topic in Somnius? At least in his experience so far. It makes sense, though. It's not like he'd tell his to anyone who asked.

The fingers of his left hand drum against one knee as he explains as calmly and rationally as he can. ]

So. You've been brought into a reality that exists between dreams. So while you aren't truly awake, you aren't asleep either. There are many of us here, and we're all in the same situation that you are – a wish made, and a contract signed against our will.

[ The smile falters a bit. ]

It sounds bad.

[ It is bad. Every day he spends waiting to regain the ability to begin peeling back the layers of cognitive manipulation in this place is a day wasted. ]

But I can promise you that this won't last forever. You will return to your reality eventually.

I'm gonna assume the wishes don't come true anyway.

[A younger Peeta would have held hope for such a thing. Not this Peeta.

He listens carefully to the man's explanation, head still foggy with drowsiness. A reality between dreams would be hard to conceptualize even if he weren't so sleepy, though. He has no choice but to blindly accept what the man says.]

Eventually? How long does it take?

[Peeta had assumed this morphling dream would last a few days, maybe a week. But this guy seems to have been here a while, by the way he speaks.]

[ A correct assumption to make, although Xie Lan's experience has thrown everything he thought he was starting to understand about this place into sharp relief. But that's an outlier, and not worth troubling a newbie with.

Maruki can see how groggy he still is and begins rooting through the satchel at his side as he speaks. ]

I've been here for one month, but there are others who have been here much longer. Six months, even a year... Yet others have left again during that time. It's impossible to say what sort of sentence you or I will serve.

[ Ah, there it is. He pulls out a bundled up tea towel, sets it between them and unfolds it to reveal half of a small loaf of lemon cake. ]

Here, please have some. The food might help perk you up.

[A year? That's... He's not sure if that's good or bad, because he's not sure what this place is like, except a nice garden that makes you sleepy.]

What's outside this garden?

[He eyes the loaf, briefly wondering if he should trust it. In the end, his love of baked goods wins out over any suspicion. He picks off a small piece.]

Thanks. What happened to your arm?

[He nods to it.]

[ Maruki breaks off a piece of the loaf as well – should have done that the first time to show it's perfectly safe to eat – and pops it into his mouth while he considers an answer to the latter question. The truth won't do; it's far too much to lay at a newbie's feet, especially one who is going to have to walk through the labyrinth himself soon enough. ]

Ah, it's nothing serious! I'm really accident-prone and fell out of a friend's tree house. It could have been much worse!

[ Honestly, it could happen. Or Maki could throw him out of the goddamn tree house herself.

To his first question, Maruki gives another sympathetic smile. ]

Anyhow, when we leave this garden, we'll need to walk through a short labyrinth – but don't worry, there will be something to guide our way. From there, there's a town with housing districts, businesses… Similar to any rural town, really.

[ No, it's a medieval shithole, but it's fine. ]

Personally, I'm from a huge city, so it was a shock to me at first. What about you?

[ Much worse than breaking his arm? How accident prone can one guy be? Peeta's clumsy with his artificial leg, but can't imagine breaking his own arm.

He shakes his head. ]

I'm from a small and poor district, so the town will probably be similar to mine. Though I spent some time in the big city.

[ Y'know, before-during-after his two deathmatches and also a little vacation there where he got tortured! ]

I liked how many people there were, and the food was really good, but other than that it wasn't for me.

[ Very clumsy. So very, very clumsy. He did a bad job stabbing a kaiju to death and stumbled right into its claws. RIP!! ]

Oh! You'll likely find Somnius pretty comfortable, then. That's lucky. I was a wreck for my first week, before I found someone to take me in.

[ He grins. ]

See? Not all bad, is it? Although, if you're anxious to return to your reality, I understand completely.

[ This guy seems really eager to make everything seem great. It's a little weird. ]

I'm not. I guess I want to know what happened and if everyone is okay, but I don't actually want to be there, and I don't think I'd be doing anyone any good there.

[ He's always just been a burden on them all, anyway. Katniss tried so hard to keep him alive, only for him to try to kill her. ]

[ Oh, well, this is where Xie Lian's weird bullshit comes in handy. ]

Actually... I recently learned that while we're here, no time at all passes back in our realities.

[ Which is both fortunate for personal reasons and unsettling for cognitive psience reasons, but that is neither here nor there. ]

So if you left in the middle of a concerning situation and you're worried about the people you left behind... Nothing will happen to them while you're here.

Oh... Okay.

[Everything here is strange, but he kind of has no choice but to accept it, it seems like. It all still feels like a dream.

He should probably ask more questions, but he's not sure what, really, and this loaf cake is really good, so he just keeps eating it.]

Did you make this?

[ Well! Guess Maruki can't argue with easy acceptance like that. To be fair, it's all very overwhelming. Maybe it'll hit later. He'd be happy to be around for Peeta when it does.

Also? Please. Maruki asks all the questions around here. He's used to people not asking him anything in return! But that is a welcome one. ]

I did! I almost never baked back in my reality, but one of my housemates loves desserts, so I thought I would give it a shot. It's not too sweet, right?

[ The ultimate compliment that can be paid to a dessert, in his opinion. ]

Oh!

[His eyes light up, and he takes the loaf in hand, inspecting it more closely.]

No, not too sweet, the lemon comes through really nicely. It's not under- or overdone either. It's delicious. It would be amazing with candied lemon zest on top. Or poppyseed in the batter.

[Peeta's sheepish tone has become enthusiastic.]

[ !!! ]

Oh! Wow, thank you for saying so, that's really kind of you... I was just messing around to try to make something Vash might like, hah... I'll try that next time.

[ Now Maruki's sheepish too! So much praise!! ]

Are you into baking? You seem really knowledgeable.

Yeah, my family ran a bakery back home, so I've been baking all my life.

[He puts the loaf back down, smiling, though there's a touch of sadness in it.]

My favorite part is icing cakes. Anything where I can be creative.

[ A longing for home, Maruki understands. And a grief for a home that may no longer exist, he's come to learn from the other dreamers he's spoken with. He doesn't press too hard on the sorrow just at the edges of Peeta's expression, focuses on the present instead. ]

That's incredible. What a skill to have! You know, there are a few cafes in town, and one of my friends runs a food delivery business... He might be able to help you get back to baking, if you'd like. It would be a fulfilling way to pass the time, if nothing else.

[His small smile lingers on his face at the praise and the prospect of being able to bake here.]

Really? That would be nice... I don't know if it's a good idea for me to work or not, though... I'll have to see.

[He was hospitalized not too long ago, after all, and only recently started feeling like less of a danger to the people around him. He wouldn't want to freak out in a workplace and hurt someone. That would be a nightmare.]

You don't have to rush into it, of course. But if you find yourself wanting for something to do, I could introduce you to Jean-kun.

[ It occurs to him then that Erwin is the one with the tea house, and Erwin clearly fucking hates him, but whatever. That's why he'll let Jean be the go-between. ]

Well? Shall we navigate our way through the labyrinth so you can see Somnius for yourself? Don't worry, it sounds daunting but it's quite simple.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TDM #9

cw vague ref to child murder

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just 2 sheeps

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