buttrinthum | TDM #2

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TDM #2

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, and it simply gives you a welcoming:

“Welcome to my Labyrinth. Per our agreement, you have consented to live your life here for an undetermined amount of time. In exchange, I will grant you the wish that you desire the most.”

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: bluebells and daffodils. When characters wander near the bluebells, they will suddenly feel their body shrinking, becoming small enough to fit into a palm. The daffodils offer less dramatic effects - standing too close to blooming daffodils will encourage a strong desire to be impulsive or try out something they never would have otherwise tried (whether it’s a wild new hobby, or shaving their entire head, or something else). It is said that witnessing a daffodil droop is an omen of death, however. Any dreamer that sees one wilt or droop is slated for death. Whether it’s within the next few days, in a few months, or in a few years - nobody knows when. They will be met with pitiful glances when they finally reach the town and will need to live with the knowledge they are cursed.

It looks like there are plenty of others who are just now waking up from their dream-state as well.. why not go ahead and say hello?

[ The arrival aspect of this prompt is reserved for new characters, but anyone can interact with the garden flowers. The effects will last for a few hours or days. For players that choose for their characters to be cursed to die, there will be many opportunities within the game to traumatize and kill off your character, so feel free to play it out when you want to (or not at all). ]

Clean-up Crew / The Mailmice

Somnius, with its weathered cottages and rustic shops, was never a sight to behold, but the effects of the blood moon has left the humble town worse for wear. Houses and shops have been torn down, locals and dreamers alike have been injured, and the makeshift relief area in the church is packed full with survivors being frantically tended to by the limited amount of healers and medical personnel available, their agonized groaning echoing through the town as they recover from their injuries. Who can blame them? The direwolves were trying to eat them alive. If it’s any consolation, all characters have been cured and returned to their original forms, and all direwolves have been wiped out. The damage is done, but the danger is over (for now).

The calls for help continue. All hands are needed to clean up and rebuild the town, heal the injured, keep an account for all the residents, and bury the locals who have perished. A mass grave and funeral has been organised and anyone may attend. Anyone with the capacity to sing, dance or entertain (bards, essentially) would be especially valued in this time, given the low morale.

Despite the clear chaos in the street, the Overseer Vaeros is nowhere to be found, almost like he has abandoned his people in their time of need. If asked about him, the people stay devoted, believing wholeheartedly that their ruler must have had more important matters to attend to.

As spring approaches, the ice and snow finally starts to melt away, and some creatures begin to emerge out of hibernation. The most notable (and cutest) would be the mailmice, a group of small creatures - led by their leader Sir Matthew Mousefield - who manage the mail delivery in Somnius. How they do it is through using an intricate system of underground burrows, ranging across the city and feeding into some homes (in classic ‘mouse hole’ fashion). How did the townsfolk manage their mail before these mice emerged from hibernation? The answer is not effectively.

There is one problem, however. Climbing out of the earth only to be met with a giant direwolf is definitely a stressful experience. The mailmice have lost a few of the early risers, and they are terrified, choosing to hide from perceived threats within the bulbs of flowers.

As cute as the image is, they need to be coaxed out to get the postal system working again. There are several ways to do this:

✿ Gentle handling, soothing words and face nuzzles.
✿Telling the mice an interesting riddle or calming story. Reading a book to them helps also.
✿Entertaining them with a performance. They enjoy a duet or lovely waltz between two.
✿Enticing them with a shiny object or food. They can be quite specific about what object or food they want, so several attempts will be needed.

Characters who have been shrunken down by the bluebell’s effects will be even more successful at coaxing the mice, as they are less of a perceived threat. While yanking them out of the flowers is possible, they will squeal and bite. Any cat-like being is also likely to be bitten. Mousebites are slightly poisonous and will compel the victim to be subservient and people-pleasing for a few hours to a few days.

Characters may choose to fill in as mailmen if they wish. Sir Matthew Mousefield will reward them with a generous wheel of cheese and the tiniest thank you letter (with a seal!).

Fireys

There’s one group of creatures particularly unbothered by all the mayhem. With the weather warming up, the Fireys have started to party within the forest, their carefree song echoing through the trees. While the gelflings have been devastated by the wolf attacks, the Fireys are completely fine. With their immortal bodies and the awful taste to their flesh, the direwolves took no interest in them, and the ones that did learned quickly that trying to eat a Firey is futile (and more of a funny game to them, than anything). The gelflings are not too fond of those party-loving, untroubled creatures, warning any dreamer to avoid them if possible. They would be right. Anyone who stumbles upon their little party will witness first hand the way they pull out their own eyes and eat them, the way they behead themselves and dismember their limbs and kick those body parts around like playing football. It’s all a game, and no one seems to get hurt, until they decide to force any onlookers to join in.

”Hey, your head don’t come off? What’s with that?!” “I know what we gotta do! Take off that head!”

They will chase any unwilling participants through the forest and try to grab for heads, limbs, noses, eyes and whatever they can get their hands on. The interesting part? When touched by a Firey, body parts do come off, much like dismantling the limbs of a doll. For most people, it’s painless, but for the unlucky few, it’s as excruciating as having it cut off. The Fireys, though? They have no concern for the well-being of others. They will run off with their loot, kicking it around and hiding it, forcing that unlucky soul to go on a morbid scavenger hunt.

It gets to a point the Fireys decide it might be a great idea to spread their idea of fun to the rest of the town (as if Somnius hasn’t been hit with enough already). There is no actual way to kill them, but they can be dismembered and trapped somewhere, and they get bored if their victim evades them for too long.

They will get bored and return to the forest after they’ve had their fill, but not before leaving some chaos in their wake, with this person’s eyes being left on the countertop of that person’s home, or that person’s head being left on the tavern mantle.

OOC

Welcome to the labyrinthum TDM! All events are game canon. New characters (invited or not) and old characters alike are welcome to play in it. Existing characters can start their own logs or network posts for the event if they wish to.

New 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.

You can find more information about the game here. Any questions regarding the TDM can go under the comment below. There is an ATP/EMP here for those interested.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Alice is ridiculously used to having her sized altered, being only a few inches tall is not nearly that shocking. It IS going to make searching for her sister infinitely harder, though.

She is currently sitting atop a mushroom, examining them when she sees... a very pretty woman who had been standing above her now suddenly in front of her.]

Oh, hello. Did you touch the bluebells as well? Had I known that they were the ingredient in the Drink Me that caused the shrinking, I might have avoided them. ["Might have" Alice may still have examined them regardless.] I am trying to figure out what side of the mushroom shall make you grow taller if you would like to just wait a bit, miss.

The....'Drink Me'?

[Elsa isn't quite necessarily sure on what Alice means with that. That the other is clearly more used to this? Or this place? Is something of a relief even if she isn't so sure on getting a little girl involved.]

Wait, the mushrooms? They might fix this? I...I can wait. Of course. But are you alright?

[Look. She is the adult here. For all that she....also....needs some help.]

[With her left arm in a sling, Alice does not look entirely "okay" but she can do nothing about the matter and has to get them both big again. At Elsa's question, she nodded.] The Drink Me is a drink that shrinks you down. It's called that because the only label on it is a tag that says "Drink Me." Don't worry, though, it isn't marked poison so it shan't disagree with you sooner or later.

And the mushrooms could fix it or they could make us smaller. Mr. Caterpillar said one side of the mushroom makes you grow taller and one side makes you grow smaller, but we're already quite small.

Although... that WAS in Wonderland. It may not be the same here. But we've already shrunk and the flowers aren't talking to us to explain.

Wonderland?

[This Wonderland place sounds almost more like a story or a dream perhaps. But she isn't about to argue, to deny that the other little girl seems to have more of an idea of this compared to Elsa herself. For all that she is obviously the older of the two of them. This seems. A little out of her wheel house. Being shrunk so small isn't something she could do anything about with her ice abilities even if she did still have those here.]

The caterpillars and flowers talk in this Wonderland?

[Elsa isn't wrong, they were dreams, but Alice knows that if some place like here can be real, then so must the Looking Glass and Wonderland and what she thought to be a dream... well, perhaps it hadn't been.]

Hm? Oh, ah no, miss. In Wonderland the flowers didn't speak, only the animals did... and playing cards. In the Looking Glass is where all the flowers could speak. Really, flowers can speak anywhere if their flower bed isn't too soft, because then they're fast asleep!

Wonderland is ruled by the Queen and King of Hearts, while the Looking Glass is ruled by the Red King and Queen and the White King and Queen... though certainly more the queens than the kings.

Playing cards could speak? Looking glass, like a mirror you mean?

[Because this sounds like there is a place called Looking Glass? Which. Would certainly be something. It's quite a name for a kingdom, she supposes. The comment about the flowers and the flower bed being soft making them sleepy does have her amused though, and she can't help a little smile at that.]

I can't say the same isn't true for Arendelle. We have no King. Only me as their Queen.

YOU'RE A QUEEN! [Goodness! There was so much royalty here! Alice struggled to get off the top of the mushroom, falling with a soft 'oof' and just sort of a lump on the garden floor before she managed to get up with some effort. She dusted off her skirt and sling, wincing as she pulled her shoulder a bit too far in the process and then offered a deep curtsy to Elsa.]

I do beg your pardon, your majesty. I apologize for not addressing you properly.

It's...It's alright. I mean. This isn't Arendelle. Of course I can't expect everyone here to be aware of who I am.

[So. Elsa isn't that put out or offended at all. She can't figure that everyone here would recognize her. Would know her status as Queen of Arendelle. But the curtsey and how the other rushes to pay such respects does make her smile some even if she waves a hand in reassuring the other girl it was fine.]

Still, I don't wish to be rude. Though you certainly aren't threatening to behead me just for speaking out of turn, and you're much prettier than the Queen of Hearts, I would much rather have visited Arendelle and gotten to meet you than visiting Wonderland and meeting her.

Threatening to behead you?

[Alice what sort of Queens have you been meeting or dreaming about? Of course she wouldn't do anything like that. Especially to a child. Still, she does shift slightly, holding her hands in front of her as she shakes her head slightly.]

Well, certainly not, I wouldn't do anything like that, no. I can't say on if you might be able to visit Arendelle at some point, but for now, is there anyone else from home here with you? Are you alright here?

Yes, the Queen and King of Hearts were very partial to that threat. I had to defend the Knave of Hearts, that is, Jack, because they accused him of stealing the Queen's tarts, but he couldn't have stolen them because they were IN the trial in question! It was a st- [She stopped, stupid wasn't polite to say, let alone in front of a queen.] It was a silly trial.

[At the question about people from home she went quiet and shook her head.]

I... no... I've been coming to the garden to see if anyone from home has come... but no one has. I've never... it's been a whole month and they haven't come.

It does sound like a rather silly trial. But...is there anyone else here then that can make sure you are alright?

[She hopes so. Alice does seem rather young. That she has someone to keep an eye on her is important. For all that she might be capable. Elsa still can't help but to want to be sure she is alright. That she has someone at least.]

Mr. Bakugou will drop off food and come visit me when he's able, but I've been living all alone.

But aside from this Bakugou? You're alone?

[Elsa has just arrived here. She isn't sure she has what she might need in order to look after the girl herself while settling and figuring this all on her end as well. But even so. She wants to check in on the other all the same. To be sure that she is alright here in all of this as well.]

[Alice bit her lip and pulled on her fingers and then nodded.]

I-I am... y-yes. That's why I keep coming to the garden. I'm waiting for my family, I'm sure Lizzie will come first, she's my older sister. She's always the one to find me no matter where I may be hiding.

Well, how about we look together? I'm sure my sister Anna would come after me as well.

[Anna had a habit of following. Even if Elsa didn't want her to come along. So. Well, she wouldn't be surprised to find if Anna was here. Or would show up at some point at least. Still, she does want to try and reassure young Alice. To at least be with her for a bit.]

Do you think we'll find them at this size? [She gestured with her good hand towards their tiny stature.]

I'm sorry you were separated from your sister. What is her grace like? [If Elsa was a queen, then Anna had to be some form of royalty, right?]

I'm not sure. But it is worth a try at least?

[To try and find any familiar faces. Especially if they might be able to help figure what to do in getting Elsa and Alice back to their regular size. Elsa does tilt her head slightly at the question, trying to decide where to begin. Her expression softens as she chuckles at some of the memories with Anna.]

Anna is....well, she is so happy, so much more confident and more trusting than I am. She has a sweet tooth, loves sunflowers. She is a lot more outgoing, a lot more open than I am around others. I'm better than I was, but. I suppose she has always been more of a people person. More social.

That must be very common between younger and older sisters. Lizzie would say I have the bigger sweet tooth and am more outgoing as well. She says that if curiosity was a person, then I would be that person.

But it's perfectly alright if you're not as open, your Majesty. You're a queen, if everyone knew what you were thinking, then imagine how someone trying to trick the crown might know exactly what to say by watching your reaction!

Oh, I definitely have a sweet tooth as well. I used to sneak down with her to the kitchens whenever we smelt chocolate. But -- I suppose it isn't like I have been able to compare too many other sisters to be sure that is so common.

[Still. She can't help smiling a little at Alice saying about her being the personification of curiosity. Anna was much the same, so curious and full of wonder and still so excitable even now as she was an adult.]

I didn't really think of it like that. But I suppose you do make a good point there.

Well, then I'm afraid you're late, your majesty! You just missed the festival that involved endless chocolate here! We even learned to make some! I still have some, if you like?

Oh? You learned to make it? I haven't made it myself, not from scratch, but I do remember sneaking into the kitchen with Anna when we smelled the cooks were making something with chocolate though.

[Elsa chuckles at the memory, wondering as well just what sort of festival that might be. She can't be sure what sort of celebrations and holidays there might be here. Given this isn't Arendelle or anywhere else she had even heard of back home.]

But oh? I'm sure I'll manage to figure some myself. That's alright. That's your chocolate, that you made.

I did I did! And now I can put it into muffins and other treats! So I can make some for you sometime if you want, your majesty!

I don't mind sharing my chocolate! It was made TO be shared.

That sounds like a lovely idea.

Are you sure though? I mean. You made it, the chocolate was supposed to be for -- oh? To be shared?

[Of course she would leave most of it for Alice. The girl had made it after all, and confessed to having a sweet tooth herself. Elsa wouldn't want to be too greedy. When Alice is being so generous in offering her some in the first place.]

Mnn, to be shared with friends and I suppose people you are romantically inclined towards, but I'm not certainly not that. [Alice scrunched up her nose, while she didn't mind it in stories, the idea of fancying someone HERSELF was quite unappealing.]

And well, I would like to be your friend, your majesty, if that's alright with you?

TDM #2

Arrival - Shrunken

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