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buttrinthum2025-02-28 08:56 pm
March 2025 TDM
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.
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.
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.
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.
- 💘 Name:
- 💘 Age:
- 💘 Preference: (friends, romance, gender, etc.)
- 💘 About me:
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:
- 💘 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?
- 💘 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!
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...
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...
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.]]
Expand to see our Event Summary
Garden of Dreams
Something... A little Romantical
Nicefield's Nest
Cleaning Efforts & Haywire Powers
Suspicious Message
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.
no subject
[Natsume toyed with his own glass, an apple-honey something or other with no alcohol.]
I think I've seen it in others, but they were always.. painful, or sad. Where at least one of them knows they're going to outlive the other by a really long time. Sometimes it feels painful when I look at him and imagine if he were to disappear and not come back. Is that what love is supposed to feel like?
no subject
[ But Maruki hates to answer a question with another question, so– ]
I think that's a good indicator that you care deeply for someone, but it doesn't necessarily mean you're in love with them. How long have you been with... any of these people?
no subject
[It had hurt the week Basil had been gone. When he'd come back Natsume hadn't wanted to let him go for a long time. He knew it would ache if Reiner disappeared, would probably feel as if he'd been snatched away before they could even really get going.
With Cater though... Natsume didn't even want to think about it. They'd gotten so close, so intimate in the time since the party, that Natsume couldn't imagine what it would be like if he were no longer there.]
More or less since the winter party everyone was invited to, so... three, three and a half months or so?
no subject
[ People coming and going, secrets being revealed during that illness– it could be anything, really. ]
no subject
I guess it made me feel... closer? But if it is love then I can't tell him. Not until he's ready to say it first. Otherwise I think he might push me away.
[It's Complicated.]
no subject
[ There are some questions that wouldn't be productive to ask, points he feels he should make. Perhaps in the future, if Natsume brings more of these sorts of issues to him and a pattern starts to emerge. For now, though– ]
Let me ask you this. Do you think of being in love with someone as an endpoint? A goal to reach, so to speak.
no subject
Being here... it feels like I might finally have the chance to find out. I'm not the fr- uh, the weird one that scares everyone here. No one cares that I can see youkai, because here it seems like everyone can for some reason. But... I also don't know how long I'll be here.. or how long they'll be here.
I don't want love to be the end of it either.
no subject
Love isn't the end of it. It never is. It's one of the things that persists beyond death, beyond time and reality itself. ]
If I could give you any piece of advice, Natsume-kun... I would tell you to let yourself enjoy the journey.
It's difficult, especially when it's a journey you haven't been on before. It's natural to be anxious to figure out what comes next, and to not be blindsided by anything, in case it might hurt.
But that's the beauty of it, isn't it? You'll become closer in ways you could never begin to imagine. You'll share experiences no one else could ever hope to replicate. You'll hurt together, and heal one another, and only grow stronger over time.
[ Falling in love with Rumi was so foundational to his life, it's colored everything since, for better and for worse. This is one of the kinder ways her love lives on in him. ]
You're both young, and as you said, this chance is a unique one. The best thing you can do for yourselves and each other is allow your feelings to unfold however they do. Don't rush trying to define them. Love is what happens in between point A and point B. It's not the end.
no subject
He's been hurt so many times in his life, and he knows there must have been something in Cater's past for him to act the way he did sometimes. They'd already hurt enough over the flower disease, in his opinion. He knew they still had some bumps to get through...
Everything Maruki said struck a chord in Natsume.
Finally, there's only one thing Natsume can manage in response.]
They really weren't paying you enough when you were a counselor, Maruki-san.
no subject
It's not a profession one goes into because they enjoy making money. If any of that helped, that's payment enough.
no subject
[He takes a sip of his drink, eyeing the stack of cards.]
.. I think it's your turn, Maruki-san.
no subject
[ It takes Maruki a second to remember the whole questions on cards bit. He blinks down at them, then gives a short laugh – what got them on that topic, anyway? He's so used to people talking about their issues with him, he forgot it ever had any other precedent...
Crushes. Right.
He chooses another card. ]
Do you regret the wish you made that brought you here?
no subject
At first I did. All I could think about was how I'd left so suddenly and was powerless, and how the.. thing, had been left behind for anyone with the right knowledge to take advantage of. How my foster parents might be targeted to get to it, by greedy youkai or dangerous exorcists. My anxiety was so bad that I spent most of my time as a dragon, just letting instinct take over so I wouldn't have to think. My friend had to put sleeping drugs in my tea just so I could get through the night without nightmares.
Then I regained my power... and soon after the thing itself. I finally felt like I could breathe again. After that I realized... my wish may have been granted already just by being brought here.
no subject
[ Which is a whole can of worms in and of itself, but that's neither here nor there. ]
In general, though, I'd say it's best to live without regrets as much as you can. A wish only has as much power over you as you allow it. It's better to work to change what your heart wishes for than to live with regret.
no subject
Do you regret your wish?
no subject
[ He's talked about changing his wish since late last summer, up on that cliffside with Akechi, lanterns floating high into the sky above their heads. In the end, though, he never has. He's only ever wanted to do one thing with his life; in its absence, what is his purpose? ]
Let's do one last question. You do the honors.
no subject
[He's pulling the card at the very bottom of the deck. Flips it over and.. starts turning pink.]
I think someone might have been messing with the cards... It asks um, what's your favorite, ah, position...
no subject
When I was in high school, I played on the defense of our soccer team, but I wasn't very good at it. I suppose you could call that my preferred position, though.
[ Welp! Slaps thighs and stands up! Best get on outta here now! ]
Thank you for the chat, Natsume-kun. Best of luck with the other speed daters.
🎀 smooth one
Thank you too, Maruki-san. I think I'm going to steal that answer if it comes up again!