buttrinthum | March 2025 TDM

Garden of Dreams

Whether it be sleep or death, you feel your eyes close, and as your body begins to let go, you see an inky starry nothingness spread out around you. 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?

Though there is nothing to prove it, you just know you have made a promise, a contract of sorts, with something and someone who remains but a shadow in your memories.

💐 Corpse Flowers are large stinky things, smelling often of rotting meat. There's only a few in the garden, four at most. However, those who manage to get lured in by the stinky smell will find that time spent with this "alluring" scent may find themselves feeling more amorous than normal. Kisses to hands, flirtatious words, and even the occasional wink are all common. Once away from these smelly flowers, the feelings will dissipate, but could last for several hours...

🌸 Gibralter Campions on the other hand, seem to inspire unbridled and intense hatred in those who get too close. It's almost as if the person they're interacting with takes on the appearance of their greatest enemy, their rival, or even someone who has done them great harm. Violence is usually a last resort, but sharp tongues and the silliness to argue are far more common. Convincing those under the spell of these flowers that you aren't who you LOOK like you are might be a little difficult. Hopefully the effects wear off after only ONE good night's sleep.

No matter your adventures in the garden with its many plants, before long you are found and guided by a dragonkin pair through the garden to the town of Sominus. From there you can choose to settle in the town surrounded by crystal or you can choose to cross bridge that leads up high to a portal in the sky, rimmed by glowing starlight and into the lands beyond, Lumindeas and the Crown City of Stellari.

"Please, come with us. Our world is your new home for now."

Something... A little Romantical

Romance may have been on the mind in early February, but the illness that swiftly swept through Visium and Lumindeas put a bit of a damper on things like dates and doting. In an attempt to boost morale, Dolph Laserhawk has decided to host a speed-dating event at his establishment, Club Quartz in Visium.

It doesn't only offer romantic connection, however. Dreamers are encouraged to stop in and participate even if they're only looking for friendship. In fact, curiously enough, most feel compelled to attend, even if it's normally something they wouldn't be interested in. Overwhelmingly, Dreamers begin to crave connection and closeness and flock to the event. Club Quartz is dressed for the occasion, with red tablecloths and white napkins. The music and lighting are both low, soft orange candlelight illuminating whichever Dreamers face each other at their tables.

Everyone is given a placard to fill out - or, perhaps it's, mysteriously, already filled out.

💘 Name:
💘 Age:
💘 Preference: (friends, romance, gender, etc.)
💘 About me:

There is also a useful set of conversation cards on each table for Dreamers to use, suggesting "get to know you"-style questions. Some are typical, and some are...less so.

💘 What do you do for fun?
💘 What do you do when you're miserable?
💘 What wish did you make to get here?
💘 Do you regret the wish you made to get here?
💘 What's your favorite way to unwind?
💘 What's the sexiest position?
💘 Are you crushing on anyone in Visium or Lumindeas?
💘 What three words would you use to describe yourself?
💘 What would your ideal partner/friend be like?
💘 What is your most cherished childhood memory?
💘 What is your worst childhood memory?
💘 Would you be a dictator or a leader?
💘 What is your craziest fantasy?
💘 What potato chip flavor would you be?
💘 What is something you want to change in the world?
💘 Do you believe in science or magic?
💘 What is your idea of purity?
💘 Do you have any phobias?

Pairs who find they've made a connection will be encouraged to leave their tables and participate in one of the many activities which have been arranged to really seal the deal on bonding. Some of the options include:

💘 Spoon Pass: pairs pass an egg back and forth using only spoons held in their mouths
💘 Charades: send your loved one a message using only your body language
💘 Hide & Seek: find somewhere inside or outside to hide, and see how quickly your partner can find you!
💘 Three-legged race: couples are tied together by one leg each and must hobble their way from one end of the bar to the other before time runs out
💘 Jump Rope: the rope should be long enough for you to both jump through at once, but only if you get close - try to jump together without tripping!

The night is long and lively with plenty of drink and conversation to be had. Hopefully everyone has someone to walk away with at the end of the night!

Nicefield's Nest

A strange settlement has appeared at the edge of Stellari, just a little further out into the meadows and hills that serve as a border between the city and the farmlands that support it. The haphazard collection of crystal-and-wood buildings seem to combine the aesthetics of Visium and Lumindeas in a way that completely (and, perhaps, intentionally) fails to get either quite right. This is odd enough, but stranger still are the curious beings that emerge from the buildings. In a land populated by dragonkin, gelflings, and goblins, it may not be all that alarming to notice their rabbit-like ears and fur, but it's still nothing that anyone could have claimed to see in the land before. There's no need to fear, though! The Loporrits are here to help!

And they are very, very insistent on helping. Wished into existence by a soul who had grown tired of the conflict between Dreamers and locals, these friendly hares go out of their way in every direction to flag down Dreamers and ask how they can work together to improve the space they all share. A particularly persistent pair of Loporrits, Pollingway and Surveyingway, confront any Dreamer they can see with alarmingly aggressive cheer, brandishing clipboards, and barking questions as quickly as possible.

“Do you like Stellari? How about Visium? What kind of improvements would you like to see? What are your favorite colors? What do you need most right now? What do you think of spicy food?”

And on...

And on......

There seems to be absolutely no way to halt their questioning - until they mention that they're looking for others to gather such information too. Dreamers are asked to take a clipboard of their own and poll their fellow Dreamers, then report back to Pollingway and Surveyingway. If they agree, the pair will mercifully stop talking and hop away. The list of potential questions is nigh endless, so make sure to ask something that counts.

Not far from the Stellari crystal, several Loporrits hammer away on what appears to be the foundations of a new building. Nearby, a more artistic-minded Loporrits paints a large wooden sign that reads: HELP CENTER. A brown-furred Loporrits named Helpingway explains, again, that the Loporrits want to help! They can't help yet, however - too busy arguing with an increasingly agitated priestess as the royal guard draws near. It seems the established locals are still deciding what to make of the Loporrits. Helpingway asks Dreamers to start helping while they deal with the red tape! They're asked to wander Lumindeas and Visium, completing good deeds for locals and Dreamers alike. The Loporrits aren't so much persuasive as they are persistent, so if you don't want one following you around, it's best to comply.

A few businesses run by the Loporrits have also popped up, including "Feedingway's Soup" which offers exactly one type of soup - creamy roast carrot. It's addictingly good. Meanwhile, Tailoringway offers headbands, sashes, and belts, at the moment, with more variety promised to come soon. The Loporrits are just as persistent about trying their products as they are about lending a hand. You'll help them advertise, won't you? Dreamers are asked to give the Loporrits' businesses a try and report their findings to everyone they meet! Once again, you really want to get these guys off your back...

Cleaning Efforts & Haywire Powers

As though prompted by the discussions Seravo recently had with a few dreamers, there is indeed a revitalization effort taking place on the island of Visium only a few weeks after the audience with the dragon-like ruler.

Groups of Dreamers will work together to either clear away crystal overgrowth in Visium, or visit the area and collect samples to bring back to Seravo. He is requesting all manner of samples, from soil to water to food to pieces of crystal. Those shouldn't be all that difficult to find, considering everyone is going around Visium, smashing all the crystal up. Myrta and the locals provide pickaxes and all the other necessary tools for digging through the crystal, but given its durability, destructive abilities are also encouraged. The locals also seem to be slowly warming back up to the Dreamers in Visium as they watch them reconstruct the destroyed island. They may bring Dreamers water, food, or small trinkets to show their appreciation, and will work alongside them if allowed.

There is another problem, though. A mysterious phenomenon seems to occur only while within Visium - Dreamers' abilities are going haywire. Whether it be a regained ability, or one granted by a potion, ability-users will struggle to control their powers. Abilities may engage at strange times, have exaggerated or diminished effects, or periodically stop working altogether. Those that don't have abilities aren't spared, however. While in Visium, every Dreamer is at risk of experiencing a random potion effect from either the red, gold, or blue potions. Even if the Dreamer has never touched their potion, they may find themselves healing wounds, firing off elemental attacks, or transforming into random animals.

Perhaps the most curious phenomenon is that Dreamers appear to be sharing abilities as well. The effects are greatly diminished, but standing too close to someone who has an ability may cause aspects of that ability to appear in the other person. No one appears to be gaining full use of others' abilities, but it's certainly cause for some questioning...

A Suspicious Message

One day, it doesn't matter what day, a message appears on some dreamers' devices, with no discernable user attached.

If you were to suddenly feel someone's hand in your own, whose hand would it be? But whose hand would you want it to be?

As if by magic, dreamers will feel compelled to answer, but also to answer truthfully. Once answered, there's no way to delete it from their phone or take back where it goes, as it is sent out into the network for all to see and comment on. There's no response from the initial person who asked the question, but perhaps there's a feeling of mischevious delight hanging in the air.

[[If you do not wish to participate in this prompt, simply assume your character did not get this message. All threads are public initially, and can only be privated after the initial answer.Threadjacking is allowed and encouraged so long as it is allowed in individual character permission posts.]]

OOC

Expand to see our Event Summary

Garden of Dreams

dreamers are brought to the enchanted garden
two flowers, Corpse Flowers and Gibralter Campions are causing amorous feelings and intense feelings of hatred.
Outside of the garden, newly arrived Dreamers are guided to the town of Somnius, from there they can choose to settle in the unfriendly hamlet or choose to explore further, beyond the portal and into the land of Lumindeas.

Something... A little Romantical

Dolph Laserhawk is hosting a speed-dating event at Club Quartz
Those seeking romantic OR platonic connection are encouraged to attend
Even those who would not normally be interested feel a magical compulsion to attend & an overwhelming craving for connection with others
Guests may find that their informational placards are already magically filled out for them
There are a list of questions to potentially discuss, some of which were not put there intentionally by Dolph
Those who feel a connection are encouraged to participate in mini-games (spoon passing, hide & seek, charades, jump rope, three-legged race)

Nicefield's Nest

A strange settlement has appeared at the edge of Stellari, with buildings that resemble both those of Lumindeas and Visium
Beings that resemble rabbits, called Loporrits, emerge from the building
They are obsessed with helping and want Dreamers to help each other too
Dreamers are asked to poll fellow Dreamers about their satisfaction surrounding the world and report back to Pollingway and Surveyingway (Loporrit npcs)
The Loporrits are building a help center, but the Lumindeas government is not necessarily reacting well
Dreamers are asked to go complete good deeds for others while the help center is being built
Dreamers are asked to try various Loporrits businesses and help advertise to spread the word
The Loporrits are very persistent and doing as they ask is the only way to get them to leave you alone

Cleaning Efforts & Haywire Powers

A revitalization effort is taking place in Visium
Mytra is providing materials to help smash up the crystal in Visium, and is encouraging the use of destructive power if necessary
Seravo is asking for samples of food, water, soil - anything - from Visium to study the phenomenon occurring there
only while within visium, Dreamers' abilities are going haywire
abilities are behaving strangely - engaging at random times, diminished or increased effects, inability to control, etc.
Dreamers are also experiencing random gold/blue/red potion abilities even if they have never drunk a potion - random bursts of elemental magic, random animal transformation, random healing abilities, etc.
Dreamers are also sharing abilities; standing too close to a Dreamer with an ability will cause the other Dreamer to start displaying aspects of that ability (diminished from their full power) for a short time

Suspicious Message

Some receive a suspicious message on their phone from an unknown user (this is opt-in; if you wish to opt-out, simply assume your character didn't receive the message)
Dreamers feel compelled to respond truthfully to the message, but once they do, the result is publicly posted for others to see/respond to
"If you were to suddenly feel someone's hand in your own, whose hand would it be? But whose hand would you want it to be?"

Welcome to Labyrinthum's March TDM! Two of our prompts are Inspired and Drafted by a couple of our players, Timmy and Dragon. Timmy has organized a more romantic portion of the event based in Dolph's Club over in Somnius. Dragon turned in 1200 shards and was rewarded with an approved setting addition! Creatures from FFXIV, created by Venat herself have arrived in Lumindeas. Dreamers ought to help get them settled in!

As always, please direct your questions to the appropriate header below.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

All the more reason to learn, don't you think?

[ Stupid as fuck and irrational wasn't how he was going to phrase it. Maruki props an elbow up on the table, rests his chin on his palm and drums his fingers against his cheek thoughtfully. ]

It isn't irrational. I understand the logic behind it better than you might think. But you deserve to unwind as much as anyone else does. If I told you that I was always hypervigilant like that, you'd tell me I needed to... ah, the phrase is "chill out," right?

[ he nods. ]

Pretty much.

I also suck at coming up with . . . hobbies and shit to unwind about.

That's what we originally met about, remember? Looks like I've still got some work to do helping you.

[ And while he was Dolph's counselor, he couldn't have offered this, but now– ]

Come over and listen to a record with me sometime. We'll start there.

[ dolph smiles faintly. he's bad at picking up hobbies for himself, but it's easier when he spends time with others.

maybe he'll never truly have hobbies of his own. something that defines him specifically. it's fine. he could live with that. ]

I'd like that.

[ It's settled, then. They'll do that. They'll do more. Maruki will stop at nothing to find what relaxes Dolph.

For now, though, he picks up another card, and– ]

Oh, honestly... Is this one of yours too?

[ He turns it around. What is your craziest fantasy? ]

[ dolph squints at it. ]

Yeah, might be. I wrote a few.

It doesn't need to be sexual. Can just be fantasy, period.

[ Maruki takes a few moments to consider that.

Then, quietly enough for only Dolph to hear, just in case anyone at a nearby table might be listening in: ]

Wanting to rid the world of all pain and suffering was pretty crazy, I suppose.

[ he blinks. huh. ]

That's pretty up there, yeah.

Probably could have accomplished that with dealing weed though.

[ probably would have helped akechi too. probably. ]

The only thing that would accomplish is a harsh prison sentence!

[ It's super illegal, Dolph!! ]

Just saying. It might have worked.

[ that being said, he doesn't want to brush it aside. he just needed to get his bearings. the scope of such goals always seem overwhelming to him. beyond anything he could even consider.

dolph finds himself thinking about holloway. the way he kept the last survivors of the wasteland war in a safe vr world. where everyone was happy. so was dolph. he found no fault there.

he touches the metal on his face absently. in the vr, he didn't have these. to be free of pain and suffering, dolph would have be . . . human. and that is something he can never be.

but.

he takes maruki's hand, resting his own on top of it. ]

I am the way I am so I could meet you. Anything less and I wouldn't be here.

I wouldn't be yours.

[ Maruki meets Dolph's gaze easily, smiles, turns his hand over to hold on tight. ]

I know. I understand that now. I didn't when I first got here, but...

[ A little self-consciousness bleeds into his expression, head ducking down to watch the table instead. ]

It sounds stupid, to need to learn the value of pain at my age, doesn't it?

[ he shakes his head slowly. just because dolph had to learn it early on does not mean it's something he thinks everyone should learn. his lessons were his own. comparing them to others is a waste. ]

Not really.

It took me too long to see the value in living. Who knows how these things work?

[ Maruki nods, eyes still on the table for a long moment before he lifts them. ]

That's true. We all have our own blind spots. I suppose I was lucky to arrive here before mine put me in a bad position.

[ Who knows what's waiting for him back home, though.

He squeezes Dolph's hand, that smile returning. ]

Well? You can't have a crazier fantasy than mine.

Well . . . Getting married was my craziest fantasy.

[ still wild that it might be a thing that. actually happens. ]

[ A little gasp! ]

You scoundrel. Second craziest, then.

[ the problem is, of course, all his craziest fantasies sound practically benign. getting married. having a house. making friends. not having to kill people. wind in his hair. sand between his toes.

hm. maybe he does have something. ]

It'd be cool to be able to swim. Properly.

And maybe . . . make art. Create something.

[ Both are easily attainable, and of course all Maruki wants to do is help. ]

Do you need someone to teach you how to swim? I could certainly try.

It's not so much that as much as — [ dolph raises his arm for show. ] — I'll just sink.

That's why I'm getting a pool I can walk in. Drowning should be less of an issue.

[ Maruki considers that for all of ten seconds. ]

You know... Buoyancy makes people easier to carry in water. I bet I could carry you around!

Sounds like a bet you'll lose very quickly.

What was that? I'm a bit hard of hearing lately. It sounded an awful lot like "yes, Maruki, that sounds fun, carry me around the pool on your back!"

[ dolph shrugs, nonchalant. ]

You have a very weird idea of fun.

But I'm not against it.

Everything I get to do with you is fun, simply because you're the one I'm doing it with.

[ So jot that down. ]

But, good! Excellent! I want to visit as soon as possible.

[ his cheeks darken briefly but he smiles shyly. ]

I hope you'll like it.

March 2025 TDM

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cw: light drug mention

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