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buttrinthum2025-05-01 10:11 am
May 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.
- 💐 Blood Weed is a sharp as razorblades. It grows waist high on a 6'0" tall person in places, but never less than 5" tall overall. Small paths wind through the grass, and those who find themselves waking up near the blood weed will have to carefully navigate through the paths in order to come out without being cut. The cuts themselves are painful, the sensation of pins and needles is accompanied with a burning that reaches deep to the bone. It's not debilitating, not completely, but it will make it harder to escape and more likely a victim will bleed to feed.... the blood weed.
- 🌸 Witch Hair is a strange plant, soft to the touch and with the scent of marshmallows. If eaten plain it can soothe the ache of blood weed cuts temporarily, but it is far more effective as a medicine when brewed into a potion. The strangest thing about Witch hair is that it only grows at the water's edge, and then weaves over the ground through the blood weed. It's almost as if it is encouraging a sacrifice to save someone else. A cut for a cure. The one side effect of eating the weed raw is that it can give those who ingest it a temporary ability to affect the weather in a small radius around them. Perhaps this too, could be a boon? The effect only lasts a few hours, 48 at most. Maybe there's a way to have fun with it in the meantime?
No matter your adventures in the garden with its many plants, before long you are found by a gaggle of inhabitants from both the City of Stellari and Somnius. They seem excited in general, and excited to see whoever it is they stumble upon without pause. They approach with handkerchiefs of varied colors and wave them about as they take new Dreamer's hands.
The chaos from last month has settled, leaving a celebration behind in its wake. Officials from Stellari explain that, every year, the city holds a massive event, meant to honor the spirit of competition. This year, they've decided to include Somnius in the competition as well. The crystal-clearing efforts have been fruitful, and slowly but surely, more of Visium is starting to become accessible.
To that end, Dreamers find both Stellari and Somnius transformed, dressed head-to-toe in festival stalls and decorations of red, blue, green, and yellow. Dreamers themselves are all divided into one of four color teams. They are selected automatically, and by traits inherent to their being.
A handkerchief of their team's color is magically fastened to every participant, and can only be removed when a game necessitates it, such as capture the flag. It's an important way of identifying who is on what team. You'll want to know who your teammates are, because teammates gain special benefits when interacting, such as increased strength and magical ability. As well as that, people can also communicate telepathically with others from their team for the duration of the event.
- Red team candidates are either extremely good, in a moral sense, or extremely bad.
- Blue team candidates are either extremely emotional or show very little emotion whatsoever.
- Yellow team candidates are either extremely powerful or extremely weak.
- Green team candidates are either extremely average or exceptionally special.
By the same token, however, being in close proximity with others who aren't on one's team cause negative effects. Different teams have different effects, depending on their color.
This is all, of course, in the interest of making the competition more interesting. Each team will also have a home base to work from, with team red's being the Amphitheater of the Mind, team blue's being Lake Termina, team yellow's being the (old) Church of the Moon, and team green's being The Stone Dragon.
- Red team members destabilize the emotions of opponents around them.
- Blue team members bring confusion and disorientation to opponents around them.
- Yellow team members destabilize magic/abilities of the opponents around them.
- Green team members bring bad luck to opponents around them.
For the duration of the festival, teams will meet to face off in various games and challenges, all earning points for their color team. The points are displayed on large scoreboards, stationed over the crystals in both Somnius and Stellari. Ribbons, medals, and trophies are offered as rewards during the celebrations and ceremonies that occur every night for the duration of the event. More than anything, though, the spirit of competition drives everyone, compelling them to dive headfirst into the games and give it their absolute best.
Some of the events are as follows, though pretty much any sport you can think of is offered - even ones one may recognize only from their own worlds.- 🤾Dodgeball
- 🚩 Capture the Flag
- 🏃♀️ Relay Races
- 🏊 A Triathlon
- 🙈 Hide & Seek
- 🫱 Tag
- 🪢 Tug-o-war
- 🥇 Obstacle Courses
- 🔴 Kickball
- ❓ Etc.
So, get out there and start battling it out - just not to the death this time!
Perhaps the largest event of all is a scavenger hunt in which the items are other Dreamers. Competitors are given a scroll with a list of descriptions, and are asked to seek out other Dreamers who fit those descriptions, and get a signature from them.
The list is as follows:
- 🔎 1. someone who can fly
- 🔎 2. someone who has never killed anyone
- 🔎 3. someone who has killed more than ten people
- 🔎 4. someone who can turn into something other than an animal
- 🔎 5. someone who betrayed someone they love
- 🔎 6. someone who saved the world
- 🔎 7. someone who wants to leave this place
- 🔎 8. someone who never wants to leave this place
- 🔎 9. someone who sacrificed their powers to Vaeros
- 🔎 10. someone who arrived after Vaeros' death
- 🔎 11. someone older than 30
- 🔎 12. someone younger than 15
- 🔎 13. someone who didn't drink their gold/blue/red potion
- 🔎 14. someone who has drunk more than one gold/blue/red potion
- 🔎 15. someone who has returned to their world, then returned to this place
Dreamers then sign their name next to the descriptor on the competitor's scroll. Magic compels them to be honest when confronted, and to give their signature even if they're unhappy to do so.
There is also a variation of this game, though much smaller in scale. Dreamers draw slips of paper with descriptions written on them, then pass them off to others who match that description. Some of them include:
- 💖 Someone you admire.
- ❌ Someone you hate.
- 😱 Someone you're afraid of.
- 🫂 Someone you trust.
- 😳 Someone you wish to know better.
- 😖 Someone you need to apologize to.
- 😊 Someone you're glad you met here.
- 😡 Someone you're angry at.
- 😨 Someone you're worried about.
- 🤕 Someone who hurt you.
Dreamers feel compelled to respond honestly, and genuinely give their slip of paper to whoever they think of first, even if it's something they wouldn't normally confess.
Both games last the duration of the festival, the Scavenger Hunt promising a massive amount of cords for anyone who can complete the entire list, as well as a medal.
Competitions can't be competitions all the time. Players need rest, the crowds need sustenance. But even though breaks are needed, parties never have to stop. Throughout the month-long Games, there's a Celebration along with it. Both Lumindeas and Stellari as well as Somnius are partaking in the celebration. No matter where dreamers wind up during this celebration, there's not a single location where Natives aren't doing their best to partake in a party that never ends.
The feeling and goodwill that comes with the games and camaraderie is infectious, and even the locals from Somnius are feeling more forgiving of Dreamers than they have in months. They visit Stellari while those who live in Stellari visit Somnius. It's the mingling and shared celebration that simply seems to warm up the town that has so long been alienated by crystal. With the glowing feeling of camaraderie in the air and the collaborative efforts to revive the land of Visium, everywhere seems to be in good spirits.
- 🪩 Dancing and Singing
There's music in the air and lights that shine on dance floors. It's hard to mistake the purpose of these portions of the celebrations, but everything is a game, even between the organized events. Every dance floor is a setup for a partnered dance competition. The genre is different in each location: romantic slow dancing, upbeat country music for line dancing, pop type music that thunders through the air and vibrates through the floor. The possibilities are endless, but the competition is stiff. Locals are paired with other locals, and dreamers with dreamers and everyone gets into the spirit, sweating and swaying to the music.
For more organized events there happens to be a cake walk, where dreamers and locals alike are encouraged to participate and win one of the many fruit flavored cakes. Be careful to not land on the same space as a competitor, or you'll both be eliminated and recieve a pie to the face! Don't worry though, towels and a change of clothes MIGHT be offered as consolation prizes.
For those that don't really feel the dancing beat, there's another way to compete for a little fun. Open mic is provided in some of these dancing locations, with magically powered instruments provided by Seravo himself. A simple request, a song title, and the instruments know the song to be played. Or perhaps in some cases a little poetry might be more someone's speed. In any case, the microphone is ready, the band primed to play.
🍔 Food and Socalizing
It's a bit of a task to get nourishment as well. There are food stalls installed in both cities, though every one comes with a bit of a game or competition in order to get your delicious sustenance. Those who approach the stalls of different kinds of food will be asked to win a compliment war with the guest next to them before their order will be fulfilled. Offer a compliment before the timer is up to win the competition against your chosen competitor. Each round you only get a certain amount of time to think up a compliment, with each round decreasing until no time is left. It might take several rounds before the attendant of the food stall feels inclined to hand over their delicious creations. Of course, once the game is over a plate or drink will be offered. If you want seconds, however, you're going to have to fork over another win.
Other ways of getting your tummies filled include participating in eating contests, several of which are set up throughout various locations. Burger eating, hotdog eating, even ice cream and cake or drinks themselves, the varieties of things offered are endless. Lucky dreamers might even find foods that are unique to where they come from. ...if a bit off. Its hard to make things exactly the same when the ingredients might be scarce.
If you're looking for a spot to relax while eating, there are tables and chairs aplenty. There is one catch, though. In order to sit and eat, one must play. Play what, you ask? Musical chairs. Both Dreamers and locals alike are encouraged to participate in a game of musical chairs with their tablemates, while eating of course. The winner will be given a small ribbon to remember the game by.
Well, perhaps even celebration can all be a competition after all.
Expand to see our Event Summary
Garden of Dreams
The Spirit of Competition
Living Scavenger Hunt
The Gametime Jubilations
A note that teams are ICly selected automatically for characters, but OOCly, we will not be assigning teams. Simply choose whichever team you think suits your character best.
Feel free to ask questions underneath the correct header! We also request of current players that most playing with the event happen on the event post so that those looking to TDM have a chance to play in all of the varied games and competitions we have provided! Overflows will be provided when and if needed.
Li Lianhua | Mysterious Lotus Casebook | current player (green team)
Forget the ordeals of the previous months, the true horror is sharing a house with two overly competitive people who are now all on different teams, mixing about as well as oil and fire. Although the villagers' explanations seem to suggest the effects are meant to be both fairly light-hearted and temporary, Li Lianhua endures the chaos for only a day or two before he's had enough. All that's left of him one morning is a letter on the kitchen table:
Di-mengzhu, Melancholic Gentleman,
regrettably, this house is no longer big enough for all of us. So I'm leaving everything in your somewhat capable hands. Don't forget to keep the garden watered and the kitchen in order. Oh and the chimneys could use a sweeping. If you forget to put away the leftovers again and attract mice, you're on your own, as Huli Jing is joining me.
See you when I see you,
Li Lianhua
However, he doesn't get very far. For the rest of the month, he can be spotted in the neighborhood of Black Cat's house in Somnius, walking his dog or trying to win some snacks from one of the festival stalls. There is no easily identifiable flag anywhere on him, but a small pouch is tied to his waist with a green piece of cloth. If anyone looks like they're trying to approach him with a question, he conveniently manages to overlook them until he's either slipped off into the crowd or has been cornered somewhere.
"Ah, my apologies, but this really isn't a good time. I'm actually already late..."
II: Cake If Your Quick
Li Lianhua has neither the stamina nor the ambition for most of these games. Leave it to those younger and healthier to compete over medals and ribbons, he's just fine as a spectator for the most part. He does, however, really want some fruit cake. He joins a line of people in a cake walk, but somehow misses a musical cue and bumps into the back of the person ahead of him. There's barely enough time for a sheepish smile and an awkward "Sorry, sorry!" before a pie is headed straight for his face-- which Li Lianhua dodges with a startled little yelp and such precision that it can't fail but hit the other person instead. Oops!
It's surely just a coincidence that he's the only one left standing in their spot now.
Ordering off the secret menu
It's just impossible to function like this! She's tired and hungry and... And she needs a break.
Which she isn't going to get at one of these food stalls. She should have brought Isabeau along to game the system, but just being around her seems to be causing the other two misfortune. They need a break as well, and she doesn't want to cause them so many problems... Even if they've already said that they don't mind. She does, and that's enough to send her on a solo quest to get some food.
A man that she doesn't recognize is shuffled up next to her at the stall's makeshift counter. Mirabelle casts a nervous glance over at him. Her team designation is readily displayed, a green strip tied into the
darklesswhite bow that pulls back her hair; but she's not observant enough to notice the scrap of cloth that marks his team, even when she's trying to find it. Should she warn him?... Well, hopefully he doesn't mind if things turn out badly here."H-hello." It feels weird to wish someone luck when her dinner is riding on this, but it also feels too much like being a poor sport if she doesn't. She gives her order to the stall worker and then holds out her hand to her competitor, trying to put a smile and her best foot forward. "I'm Mirabelle. Good luck and, um... May the best complimenter win?"
no subject
At least the compliment game isn't too much of a challenge for Li Lianhua's brilliant tongue. And some of those treats are pretty interesting. He looks over to the young woman next to him at the stall, noting the green mark with some relief. At least exchanging a few words with her won't turn into an entire tribulation. Li Lianhua offers her a smile, kind enough even if he doesn't mean to make friends here, just earn a bite to eat.
She seems awfully timid, but works up the nerve to greet him in spite of herself and his smile warms by a few degrees to see it. He glances down at her hand as if still briefly confused by this odd custom, and then shakes it.
"Ah, the young miss is very kind to say so. I'm called Li Lianhua."
He might as well start small, for her shyness' sake. But he has no intention to forfeit his snacks. This isn't just for him, after all; he needs to make Cat's hospitality worthwhile too.
no subject
"Oh, ah..." Quickly, quickly... "Li Lianhua. Your name is nice to say. I like the sound of it."
It's a Ka Bue name, she thinks? Or something like it, as far as she can tell. She's no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but she genuinely likes the alliteration.
no subject
Both her startled realization and her first move earn a small huff of amusement from Li Lianhua, and he offers a kind of bashful shrug in return. "Ah, it's quite a common name where I'm from, but less so in these parts, I've noticed. I don't expect the young miss to remember it." Not giving her the chance to protest, he's already gesturing up to her hair.
"By the way, that's a charming ornament. Perhaps the young miss could teach me how to tie something like this when she's free some time?" His own accessory, a wooden stick adorned with a few pink stones roughly carved into the shape of cherry blossoms, is slightly more subtle. But who knows, maybe it would suit him.
Quit this
Or to not find her, as the case may be. There's one particular person that she has an eye out for, one head in a sea of dozens. A small slip of paper rolls tightly between her fingers, mashed into this condensed form for nearly half an hour as she waits. On the slip reads, Someone you're afraid of, and the compulsion burns like fire through her blood. She seethes with it, and what she knows it will force her to do despite her every attempt to resist.
The notion is laughable, but in absence of anyone else to fear, it has latched into one loathsome man holding just enough leverage to have a chance at snatching a few worthwhile things from her grasp. People she had not intended to matter, but do.
So she stands, and she waits, and when she sees that familiar cascade of dark hair walking below, she flicks the compressed paper at his head like an arrow.