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buttrinthum2024-07-20 09:30 am
TDM #10 OVERFLOW
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: Sunflowers and Hibiscus. You’ll soon find out that being around the Sunflower makes it difficult to pass through the already disorienting garden, even with the light guiding you. Where patches of them grow, even if only waist-high, you cannot pass through them, over them, or even destroy them to get them out of your way. In each grouping that blocks your path, there is one that has a key-shaped opening in the middle of the flower. Maybe the key is nearby? (Spoiler: it's probably under a rock nearby that you forgot to check!) The hibiscus offers an entirely different effect - inhaling the pollen grants you the temporary ability to shoot fireballs out of your hands. But be careful, those fireballs are difficult to control and seem to bounce in random directions no matter how hard you try to aim (cannot be used to destroy the sunflowers). The effect ends once you step out of the garden.
Somnius is once again recovering from a devastating blow. Buildings need to be restored to their former glory and the emotional turmoil of the previous weeks surely needs to be alleviated. What better way to lighten the mood than a little fun for the whole family? A new arcade has appeared in town, beckoning residents with its stone doors set wide open.
With multiple levels, a variety of games and even a snackbar, Appl3 Pi Arcade is sure to be a hit!
Of course, as with everything that ever happens in Somnius, the arcades appearance is not without some complications. For one, playing the games inside might see characters teleported into the machine itself, perfectly pixelated to fit the game they're in. Hope you weren't about to fight the final boss, because now you might be fighting for your life! The good news is, if you die in the game... you don't die in real life and are just popped back out into the arcade again.
Strange things happen outside the arcade too. Walking down the road you might suddenly see a healthbar pop up above someone's head. Are you supposed to fight them? Are they going to fight you? Best to be cautious and reach for any trusty weapons you have just in case. Weapons that have become pixelated and can be pulled seemingly out of nowhere like some kind of hammerspace. They are also prone to breaking and shattering into glimmering pixel pieces (your normal weapons are still intact, don't worry).
Boxes and pots around Somnius are somehow more breakable than usual, smashed open with a single swing of those pixel weapons and producing gold coins! What a shame gold coins aren't the currency here. But if you don't want to destroy more things around Somnius, why not try fishing instead? That seems safe - if not suddenly more difficult with the fishing minigame that popped up in front of you. Quick! Keep the fish icon in the green bar or you'll lose it!
All things considered? It's all relatively harmless fun up until-
Vaeros wakes up. For those new to town, this means nothing. For those that were here for the castle raid? They can rest assured that they're in for a surprise. The Overlord of Visium has finally awoken from his Hyalily induced coma and he is furious. A shout echoes from the castle:
A wave of magical energy sweeps through the town, shaking it to the very core. Miraculously, the destroyed buildings and any remnants of the forest onslaught are gone and returned to their usual state. Perhaps Vaeros shouting was just another tantrum, an empty threat?
Not quite.
The town has been restored, but the locals? They are nowhere to be seen - cowering in their homes and fleeing to the sanctity of the Church of the Moon in hopes of staying out of sight of Vaeros and Dreamers both. The once tame video game effects are now far more intense - monsters from within those games are now rampaging through the town. They seem to shift through buildings, but if they run face first into a Dreamer, they will find them very corporeal and very deadly.
Not only that, but the lines are starting to blur between reality and fiction again, the healthbar above your head flickering in and out, the monsters turning from pixel beasts to real, live animals that roam Somnius - both feral and not. One second you are walking through town, and the next you are stepping onto a platform that starts to break under your weight, demanding you jump to the next platform before you plummet into an odd, multicolored abyss.
And strangest of all is that music coming from the labyrinth, growing louder when you approach and fading out when you move away.
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
[ An easy aside, an explanation he's used to giving. More importantly, though– ]
But yes, there are others that I've met or seen around... Hythlodaeus and Lahabrea, as well as Finnick and two men called Harry and Jeritza who I haven't seen outside of the network yet. Quite a few of you! Whatever the connection is, it's surely a strong one.
[ And a SUSPICIOUS ONE. Maruki's about to say more, but they finally hit a roadblock in the form of an impenetrable wall of sunflowers. He sighs, crouches down and begins overturning stones to find the key to fit the keyhole in the center of the largest sunflower. Just Little Somnius Things. ]
no subject
[Why overcomplicate things. It's not like ranks matter anything in these strange worlds, right?
Sebastian's head almost immediately snaps around, eyes wide.]
You said Finnick? Finnick is here? [The other names don't exactly ring a bell, though Harry does sound familiar. The others .. no, he hasn't met them yet. But Finnick .. oh, if he were here, then at least it wouldn't be all that awful!]
And you're sure it's Finnick who was also in the City of 7?
[he watches the other man picking up stones and looking under them, and after a moment of frowning, Sebastian connects that there must be a key somewhere around, to fit in the lock of that big sunflower. Because why make things make sense, right?
So he starts overturning stones on his own, looking for something that might fit into that hole.]
Is it this one?
[He asks eventually, holding up a small, silver key.]
no subject
[ Maruki takes the key, slots it in, demonstrates the way the flowers simply part to let them through. It's odd, but relatively harmless as far as manipulations here go, so he simply smiles at Sebastian and continues leading him through the maze, explaining as he goes. ]
But to answer your question... Yes, I'm certain of it. He was the first person that I met who came from that reality, so he told me quite a bit about it.
[ A brief hesitation, then, before he tacks on: ]
As strange as it sounds, there was apparently a version of me there as well. Clearly you never met him, but... Well, I've heard enough from those who have to believe it.
[ And then a fleeting, nervous smile, brows knit together as if to say I know, this is all so fucking weird, right? despite the fact that reality-warping like this is a day ending in y for Maruki. ]
I take it you and he are friends, then?
no subject
[Sebastian just sounds exasperated. Why does everything have to be crazy in these other worlds? Can't he just land in a normal one for once?
Or just .. return home.
But at least the prospect of Finnick being here is encouraging. And maybe .. maybe someone else might be here as well. But he shouldn't get his hopes up just yet.]
Yeah. We got to know wach other in .. in that pervious world of ours. So I am glad to hear that he is okay, and is also here.
Did you by any chance meet any other people from Seven yet? Like, someone with long, silver hair?
[Sebastian just shrugs, the whole idea so insane to him. He is sure, William would come up with some insane mathematical reason why all of this is possible, but that's something that goes even over Moran's well educated head.]
No, can't say I have met you there. But you're saying it was you, but not you in there?
no subject
[ It is at least a small relief to learn that Sebastian didn't know the other version of him. What used to be a curiosity about what a potential future held is now more akin to dread, so the less he knows, the better.
He looks back over his shoulder as they push their way through the sunflower maze with a sympathetic frown. ]
But no, unfortunately I haven't seen anyone like that. Was that someone important to you...?
no subject
[so far, no one he met seemed to know why exactly they ended up here, or in Seven for that matter. But maybe one day, someone will be able to tell him.]
Ah .. well. Worth a try.
[So Yazoo isn't here. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe he returned to his world. But it causes something in Sebastian's chest to twist in a very unpleasant way as he does think about the possibility of never seen him again.]
... Yeah. Something like that. We met in Seven and .. I guess it's complicated.
[And Sebastian hates complicated. He never did complicated. So all this now? Not a situation he would recommend to anyone.
He follows Maruki through the maze, and slowly he gets tired of seeing nothing but sunflowers.]
Please tell me the world here isn't just this maze, and that there is something else beyond this.
no subject
There's definitely more to it than mazes, although there is a gigantic labyrinth, so... It's sort of a theme. We should be out of here soon enough, though.
[ Trust Maruki, he's tired of it too. But he's in and out of this Garden all the time, so he's gotten pretty deft at quickly locating keys and finding the right paths. As they make their way toward the exit of the Garden, where they can spill out into the town, he gives a bit more explanation: ]
It's possible that your... friend is here, and I just haven't met him yet. The population of dreamers isn't too large, so you're likely to run into him sooner rather than later if he is here. [ Rock, key, flowers, keep walking. ] I'm not sure what type of place you come from, but I'm from a city of 13 million people, so you can imagine how well I've adjusted to life in a small rural village like this! [ Not well at all! ] Depending on the level of technology you're used to, you might find life here kind of... lacking...
[ To say the least. God, he misses Tokyo every day.
The exit is in sight. Maruki turns over his shoulder to smile widely at Sebastian. ]
What was your original reality like, Moran-san?
no subject
[Sebastian rolls his eyes, already not looking forward to this at all. On the contrary. At least Seven had proper, straight ways to get around.
He raises an eyebrow as Maruki explains, noticing that the other immediately jumped to the conclusion that whoever Sebastian was talking about must have been a man. Interesting indeed.]
Well. Then I hope I'll run into my friend. [If he's here as well, that is.]
13 Million? [Moran looks at Maruki for a moment as if he were crazy. He can't quite believe that any city could be this large or contain this many people?!] And here I thought London was big, with roughly 5 million people. [Having no idea that the number would increase over the next 150 years to almost 9 ..] So yeah, I am used to bigger cities, but I've also been alone in the wilderness, so I don't mind either.
The world I was in before had a lot of what you call technology. Where I'm from, we just about install electric lights in some of the more noble homes. So again, I guess i am fine with either.
[He turns the question over in his head, and wonders what exactly he is supposed to tell Maruki.]
Ah. It could've been so much more than it was. I'm not sure if London says anything to you, depending on what kind of world you are from.
Big city, a quite capable queen, even after the death of her husband. But things aren't quite as they should be, if you ask me. Of course, the nobility enjoys their wealth, while large parts of the country suffer from hunger, and under those in power.
... But I am sure that's not what you wanted to hear, am I right?
no subject
[ And it sounds like a rather old fashioned version of London... That brings to mind Akechi's detective novels. Charming, almost. ]
On the contrary, I want to hear anything about it that was important to you. I'm a counselor here, so I talk to people all day about the places they came from, and I never stop finding it fascinating. And I'm certainly no stranger to societal injustices like that... They do seem constant across all realities.
[ SUCCESS. Go to hell, sunflower maze, they are FREE. Maruki spreads his arms wide to encompass the sight of the rural village before them – little hobbit hole homes tucked into hillsides, cottages, a small business district in the distance. ]
Certainly not London, but hopefully it isn't too off-putting, right?
[ It was for him! It still is. He hates this shit so much, but he is a good tour guide. ]
no subject
[Well, he is not telling the man anything too personal or sensitive. After all, he only just met the guy, and he could basically be anyone, maybe even some bad guy in this place. Though there is something about him that feels familiar. As if he might maybe even understand what the reason behind their actions were, and that sometimes change for the better does require some unorthodox methods.
But he keeps it to himself for now.]
I hate that it seems to be a constant, no matter where we come from. Those in power should take care of those in need, not push them even further down.
[the words of his own father come to mind, and Sebastian pushes them aside. No, he is not wasting any thought on that many ever again.]
Well, my friends were important to me. Having a good drink and good company for the evening or even the night, [he shrugs with a grin], playing cards, hunting big game, that's what I did most of the time.
[And killed shady nobles to revolutionise England. But who is counting, right?
As he steps out of the maze, finally finally, he stops. And raises an eyebrow.
Right. It's definitely not London, and it isn't the City of Seven either. It looks rather small, even.
A few shops, all kinds of weird housing, and overall it seems a bit more like .. some fairy tale place than anything else.]
Well. That's ... cosy.
no subject
[ A beat. ]
Ah, to be honest with you, Moran-san, it's pretty backwards in a lot of ways. And the locals can be... [ He's still not even sure they're, like, fully sentient. ] Well, odd. You'll see. But dreamers do tend to look out for one another. If you'd like, I can show you where my office is in the business district, that way you can find me any time you need assistance. How does that sound?
[ This is the worst part, really: Kicking someone out of the nest so they can fly on their own. It's necessary, though. It happened to Maruki; it happens to everyone. They all figure out how to stand on their own in this reality one way or another. But if he can provide Eyn Sof as the epicenter of support for those who need it, he will. ]
It isn't a long walk, and I'd love to hear more about what you were doing in London while we make the trek, if you don't mind entertaining me!
no subject
Now, that's going to be a very interesting change, especially after Seven.]
The locals in Seven were also pretty strange and dull, so nothing that shocks me at this point.
But you mention dreamers? Is that what you call the people here?
[he follows Maruki wherever he leads him, since what other choice does he have in a city - or rather village - that he doesn't even know just yet?]
What kind of office do you have?
no subject
Ah, yes, the general populace here are called dreamers. I didn't come up with it, I can assure you of that!
[ There's a Dreamers' Council and everything... supposedly. Maruki's not about to bring up what he doesn't respect, though.
They make their way down the winding path that separates the cottages and treehouses as Maruki explains. ]
I'm a counselor. Given the time period it sounds like you're from, I'm not sure you would have had an equivalent profession back in your reality...? But essentially, I provide an impartial listening ear and support to those who need someone to talk to. At this point, as many people come by my office just to chat casually as they do to be formally counseled, so in the future please know that you're welcome in any time at all.
[ A bright, earnest grin. ]
I promise I won't analyze you! Unless you want me to, of course.
no subject
[that's all he says about it, his eyes taking in the surrounding and weird houses that they walk past. Yes, this place does look like it's right out of a dream, or some fairy tale folklore, but not something set in reality.
How much of this is truly a dream though, or if it might turn into a nightmare, that's still for him to find out.]
A counselor, huh?
[Yes, that's truly not something that exists in his time, and he can't really see the point of it for now. But who knows, Maruki seems nice enough to spend some time with, even though Sebastian would very much prefer it to be with a drink in their hands.]
Analyse me? What exactly would that mean?
no subject
Hm? Ah... That was a poor joke, sorry. Counselors and therapists and the like have a tendency to analyze the words and behavior of the people around them. It's a force of habit!
[ Very quickly tacked on: ]
But one that I try to avoid when I'm just talking to people casually, like we are! Hah...
[ Oh, he's nailing this. Get it together, Takuto.
He shakes his head quickly, holds both hands up in front of him as if to say I mean no harm, and steers them down the left fork in the road to head toward the business district. ]
My point is, unless you sign up for counseling, I won't actually counsel you! But you're welcome to come by my office even if you don't.
no subject
Analysing him, hmm? Well, it would be interesting to know what Maruki sees in him, but Sebastian doubts that the man would come anywhere close to the abilities that William shows, when meeting someone new and seeing right through them.
Also he can't deny that he is kind of curious to know how Maruki would react to what kind of a man Sebastian is.]
Well. Maybe one day. For now, I think we better keep it at a casual level.
I'm not exactly someone who comes by to anyone for deep talks, but maybe if we run into each other at a bar or something, I wouldn't be opposed to another round of talking.
..
Please tell me that there are still bars and whiskey in this world??
no subject
There definitely are both bars and whiskey! There's one tavern that's... ah, decent, I suppose.
[ The way he wrinkles his nose might betray that statement. ]
But a friend of mine also runs his own club with an extensive bar. It's called Quartz, and it's quite popular here. If I run into you there, I'd be happy to buy you a whiskey.
[ Not too far off: The weathered green door of Eyn Sof, Maruki's counseling practice. He beams brightly at Sebastian as they approach it. ]
It's my drink of choice, too. What were the odds?
no subject
[he stops himself. A while ago he would've said a pretty face in his arms, or hell, one in each arm even.
But now? The only one that comes to mind is a very specific one.
Shit, how did this happen?]
Quartz, hm? I'll keep that in mind. And what are the odds indeed, a man of taste.
[there's some sarcasm in his voice, after all, where he is from, there's mostly either beers or whiskeys, so the chances of either being the drinks of choice for the common folks is quite high. There's of course also wine, but that's mostly for the nobles, of course.]
Wonder what else we got in common.
hehe we can wrap on yr reply !! DRINKS FOR THEM POST-EVENT FOR SURE
I'm looking forward to finding out, Moran-san.
[ He gestures to the building before them, pride evident in every word. ]
This is my office. Like I said, you're welcome to come in any time just to chat. Or if you need help with anything this place throws at you, you can almost always find me here.
[ And then, a hand outstretched to shake. ]
Please don't be a stranger.
okay, sure!
[Sebastian looks at the clinic, not quite knowing what to make of it yet. But at least he now knows where to go, in case he got any further questions.]
Won't be. Even though for now, I think I'll take a look around the place to see where exactly I am now. And find a place to stay.
But see you around, doctor,
[He nods the other man goodbye and turns around, wondering what kind of place he's ended up this time.
And what kind of person this Maruki truly seems to be.]
[End]