buttrinthum | TDM #4

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TDM #4

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: honeysuckles & day lilies Time spent too close to the day lily invokes a state of forgetfulnesss. The longer characters stay in the garden, especially if they are close to the day lilies, they will begin to forget important things about themselves. What they forget is up to the player, but longer time spent in the garden can reduce them to a completely amnesic state. Better hurry out and try to find the way out while you can! Honeysuckles will have no effect on characters unless they decide to drink the sap from them. The honeysuckle nectar will give characters a temporary power boost. This applies to characters who have drank their potion or have regained their powers. This might be useful to salvage for later, especially considering the chaos that goes on in Somnius!

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. ]

It's Getting Hot in Here

Speaking of chaos, the current state of Somnius is.. not great. It's not by any other means than a natural disaster that is completely a coincidence and not because Dreamers rebelled against the Skeksis and didn't heed to townsfolk warnings, right? Right.

As the weather gets hotter and hotter, the obvious side effects become clear - most notably, the townspeople are closing up shop until the weather settles down. The usual markets don’t open in the wee hours of the morning and even the blacksmith has laid down his hammer during the midpoint of the days, trying to avoid the peak of the warm rush. Anyone trying to speak to the townsfolk about the sudden change in weather will find them oddly standoffish and almost rude - it’s obvious who they’re blaming for their predicament.

Another clearly dissatisfied group of society are the mermaids of Lake Omen, who may be spotted more regularly than usual across the span of the boiling hot heat. While still a rare sight, the warmth of the water encouraged a few more angry and bitter of their kind to poke their heads out and try and find the source of their woes - hand in hand with their usual siren call. It may be possible to have them leave you be if you offer them something a little on the cooler side, but with the weather as it is… It might end up being more of a challenge than anticipated.

The days go by and it doesn’t seem as though the heat is ebbing in the least, the sun blazing in the sky and the shops still kept under tight lock and key. Even some of the town staples - the bakery and the inn - have their doors close to strangers, trying to find some means of keeping cool. As the days go by, characters that have affinity to fire (or any kind of fire power!) may find that their powers are a little… Out of control.

With the sun high in the sky and blazing hot, some fire seems to be going a little haywire across Visium and not acting as it should. Be it burning a little hotter than intended, blazing out of control or simply refusing to work whatsoever, fire powers are acting with a mind of their own. Characters who have fire-related powers, be it their own or through potions, may experience the same hazards, on a scale of disobedience to refusal to work.

Finally, the heat does seem to die down and the townsfolk release themselves from their self-inflicted isolation, but they’re still not completely at ease with the strangers and keep them at an arms length: some things are not easily forgotten, and the damage seems to have been done when it comes to the skeksis. They may speak to characters once the heatwave is over, but will consistently refuse to talk about the Skeksis, the attack or anything to do with the taxes. You had your chance, you blew it.

So Take Off All Your Clothes

Somnius has, from everyone's knowledge, always been nestled around a giant labyrinth built by The Almighty Lord Vaeros, as some townsfolk say. What's so good about a lord who seems to leave a town in shambles and doesn't seem to help? He's sus. Everything about this is sus.

However, one morning during the heatwave, both townsfolk and Dreamers alike will hear a crumble and a crash.. almost as if a wall is broken. The labyrinth has always been indestructible, but as Dreamers investigate, they will find a hole broken through the labyrinth, opening up to a new era. Should you go through the hole, Dreamers will see an area they haven't ever seen before...

Welcome to the New Location: Indigo Sand Grove. As the name implies, the sand here isn't white or.. well.. sandy colored, but instead a beautiful dark blue with the occasional glitter grains. It almost appears black if the scorching sun isn't hitting it just right. Any other foliage or trees seen here will be typical of Earthly tropical beaches with the occasional unidentifiable vegetation. All in all, Indigo Sand Grove and its beaches seem welcoming and not harmful at all. In fact, there are bamboo garden chairs sitting out, enticing people to have a beach party and sun bathe! As soon as characters touch their feet into the indigo sands, their clothing will change into a swimsuit from their home. The swimsuit is for keeps! Enjoy!

The sea is safe to swim in, filled with typical fish that would come from Earth and crystal clear waters. Characters will feel a sense of joy on the beach. It's not a forceful kind of magic, but something about this place really wants you to have a good time, so why not take advantage of that?

I am Gettin So Hot, I Wanna... Hunt Beetles!

CW: bugs, beetle imagery

Along with a swimsuit, characters will find a bamboo net, designed for hunting beetles. You may see that there is a bamboo forest neighboring the sandy beach where characters will find insects to capture with their net. If capturing beetles isn't your forte, maybe just go up to the person you have a close bond with and hit them over the head with your net. The choice is yours.

Among the typical insects, there are three types of horned beetles. Anyone familiar with beetle fighting may see this as an opportunity to find their new pet, but those with money on the mind may find out that the townsfolk will purchase beetles for bonus shards. Here are the types of beetles and their values:

CLICK FOR BEETLES!

Horned Dynastid (Red): 5 bonus shards.

Horned Atlas (Black): 10 bonus shards.

Horned Hercules (Gold): 15 bonus shards.

There will be a ruined down, old sign on the main path in the bamboo forest that lists these types of beetles and their price. Team up together and enter the forest to find a fortune!

Suspicious Message #2

On the morning of the 1st, some dreamers will receive a message from an unknown user.

Who or what has broken your heart before?

They will feel compelled to respond with a truthful answer, as if their brains had gone into a trance, and before they know it, their response will be there for everyone to see. It cannot be deleted or changed. The user will not respond personally, but you get the sense they are definitely reading. Characters who are disinterested in romance can also mention familial or platonic heartbreak. It can also be a devastating event or anything else.

[ This is an additional network option for characters to interact with. Feel free to add a network prompt into any of your top levels. If you do not want to interact with this prompt, simply assume your character did not get the message. All threads are public unless actively privated by characters. We generally encourage threadjacking and engagement, so feel free to mention if threadjacking is fine with you so that others are aware. Note that the NPC will not be actively responding. ]

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 and Old characters are welcome to top level on the TDM. Please state in the header if you are a new or old player! Also, new characters may link their top levels under the new character comment so they are easier to find. Thanks for your cooperation!

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.

Unique to this TDM, we have a beetle hunting event. Be sure to comment under the RNG Beetle Hunt to see which beetle your character finds in order to exchange later for bonus shards! One RNG per character, please.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Nothing has prepared Klaus for children. Well, the teenagers on the boat have prepared them for teenagers. And they were mostly all little bullies. So when they see a child holding a paper and screaming at the sky, they stand back a bit.

The addition of the torn in half paper and the stomping is kind of cute, though. In a kid way.]

Heeeeyyyy, buddy. You o- Well, no. I guess not. Dumb question. Uhhh...do you need some...help?

[Ah. Just her luck, that when she chooses to indulge in her frustration, there's somebody there. Well, if the letter is to be believed and considering the... energy that this person projects, she's probably not going to be judged for her outburst. Hell, she's probably being judged for the uniform, which is pretty obviously military.

She snaps herself out of her musings, and nods.]

Yes, actually. I'm... not exactly sure where I am right now. The last thing I remember is... [Gunfire. The whipping of wind. Prayer dulling her mind. A grimace pulls at her face upon the recollection.] Well, let's just say that I didn't expect to wake up in a flower garden. The letter wasn't helpful, either.

[The military uniform hurts Klaus in ways that they aren't going to allow themself to look at too closely. Vietnam was a bad time in their life, honestly. But they won't judge her for that. Just her home world. Child soldiers is a sore spot for them.]

We're in the gardens in Somnius. [There's a little frown at the way she trails off.] Yeah. I was on a boat before this and now I'm here. It's a bit unusual, but...hey. [A shrug.] It's not the most helpful letter.

[They hesitate for a moment before holding out a hand...for a handshake obviously.] I'm Klaus.

[A frown? Tanya stifles a flinch. They must dislike the military even more than she thought, if their disdain extends even to a child soldier who could not reasonably be held responsible. This mistaken assumption taken immediately as fact, she takes the next conclusion that it's ultimately quite admirable that they are able to put their disdain aside and help her out anyways. She'll need to make new connections anyways, and it's not everyday you meet someone able to set aside their own (entirely imagined by her) biases like this.

She reaches for the hand proffered to her. Her own is rough, callused. The hand of a frontliner.]

Tanya. I wish we met under better circumstances, rather than in the middle of some... interdimensional kidnapping. [If she had a nickel for every time that happened to her...]

Edited (HIT POST EARLY PAIN AGONY PAIN PAIN) 2023-07-02 03:38 (UTC)

[They notice the flinch and the frown deepens a little. They know looks like that as well and it's just...as painful as the rest of it. His gaze drops for a moment before they force themself to look back up.]

Well, I wish so, too. This is only my second kidnapping. But it nice to meet you, Tanya. [They offer up a smile before letting her hand go.] If you need anything, you can ask. Are you hungry? [There's a beat.] Actually, you might want someone else to make the food, but I can probably ask the Doctor or someone else. And things are a bit weird in town right now.

[Could this be the changing of her fortunes? A free ride to security and safety?

She hums, considering it, eyes squinting lightly in consideration.

No, she won't trust in it that easily. Anybody who has led Tanya's life would know to submit any gift horse a very thorough dental examination. But she also can't really afford to decline this stranger's aid in this kind of situation.

Ah, what fun. Gamble on this seemingly-altruistic stranger, or gamble on the rest of the world?

Well, she can continue this line of inquiry for a bit longer. If it seems like a bust, she'll have gotten information out of them. If it's not, she lands on this new world on her feet. She wins either way.]

Before food, I should figure out where I'm staying, right? Shelter is the most basic human need, after all, especially if things are weird as you say...

[He nods at the suggestion.] Yeah. All depends on your preference. My husband and I live in this little mushroom house and there's cabins, the treehouses, the little hill homes, and I think castles?

[They pause, looking at her for a moment.] How old are you? Do you like...need a guardian or something? [Maybe they can talk to the Doctor about that. They're not really sure who else to ask. This is all because Klaus has not once trusted themself with a child. Not even a little bit. Still. This one needs help and they can survive that for a bit and not ruin her life, hopefully.]

[Throw your worthless pride to the dogs, Tanya! Even if living independently is so agonizingly close, do you really want to live by yourself in some kind of strange magical world? No, that's asking to die alone in the woods!]

Eleven, sir.

[Though, she's one of those people with the mixed blessing of a youthful appearance. Spending multiple years in active combat hasn't done her growth any favors either, so combined with the earlier fact she generously looks about nine or ten, and otherwise a bit like a cute toy doll. In another way of counting, she's a fair bit older than either the number she gave or the number she looks, but she's not likely to be believed, so she won't bring it up.]

And I've never actually lived by myself. First it was the orphanage, then training, and then the frontlines... [She shrugs.] I can't say I'd know what to do if you put me in a house by myself. Burn it down by accident, probably.

[Klaus understands the 'sir' because they are male facing. But she's so young.]

I remember being that old. That was like...eighteen years ago. Huh. Weird. Mentally it's more like...twenty-five, but that's not important.

[There's a slight frown at that and the urge to text Nobunaga to ask if he thinks they can fit another human in their living space continues to increase. Even if that's the dumbest idea they've ever had. No one should trust them with like anything, honestly. Also they don't even have space in there. This is complicated.]

I get that. I grew up with seven siblings in a seven person foster home. Except we were all adopted. But whatever. I know some people that could probably take you in. Our mushroom house is a little small, but eh. You can still come to ours until I figure out both food and housing stuff.

[Yes, this is a much better offer. See what you can get by just sticking to your guns? Truly, diplomacy is the path of the civilized, rational human.]

Really? You'd do that? [She cannot suppress the smile forming on her face, as if this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her. Which, honestly, it's up there as far as she's concerned. Temporary aid and a good word to other people? Score!] I'd really appreciate it. Of course, I have no intention of being a freeloader, so if there's any way I can be of help...!

[Her fists are clenched in front of her, something a bit like this.]

Edited 2023-07-02 08:06 (UTC)

[Wow. Why are kids adorable? He doesn't really remember Claire that much, but he's always wanted to meet her all the same. Again. If the universe allowed, but the universe has been a bit much these days. And then he'd been on the ship.]

Yeah. For sure. [They blink at the mention of being a freeloader.] I'm sure chores will be helpful when I find you a place? Dad never really made us do chores, but all the popular TV shows and stuff had the kids doing chores and stuff.

[An inscrutable kind of nostalgia passes over her face, for a brief moment, but it passes, and she nods, hands going back to her sides.]

It's important that people know I'm capable of being helpful despite my age. I wouldn't want anyone to assume that I can't earn my keep. [Which is... such a normal thing for an eleven year old to express.]

[They frown a bit again, looking down. That just reminds him of himself as a kid in some way. More in the fact that they felt the need to be useful until they stopped caring.]

I'm sure it's okay, kiddo. You're like...fine, you know? [They motion towards the way out of the garden.] Come on. We can at least get out of here.

[Kiddo???? Kiddo???? Her lips purse, further at the attempts at assuaging her, but she doesn't comment. At their suggestion, Tanya's hand twitches from where she stops an instinctive salute, and instead nods jerkily.]

Right, after you.

[Klaus leads the way out of the garden.]

I'm gonna take you to our mushroom house and see if we have any food. Then we'll figure it out from there.

[The outside of the garden is just as strange to her. Frankly, this whole situation is baffling to extremes. The only real difference the environment change makes is that the sun makes its baleful presence better known out from the cover of trees. But all that's really on Tanya's mind is...]

You say mushroom house, but it's not really a mushroom, right?

[She sounds very dubious about the idea of it, looking up at Klaus with an expression of such perfect doubt. It just doesn't seem like a building made out of a giant fungus would measure up to regulatory standards, you know?]

Edited 2023-07-03 04:05 (UTC)

[Yeeeeaaaah. It's hot. It is taking most of Klaus' energy not to just take their shirt off or unbutton it just cause of the heat. Anyway. They glance over at her and laugh a little.]

Nah. I thought that too. It's just a house that's made to look like a mushroom. It's pretty cool, though. Like really nice! It's like if Mario was real life. And I've always assumed I'd be like mushroom royalty one day, right?

[They shrug.] What sort of place do you live? You're...military of some sort, I assume. So do you guys get houses or just live in the barracks? [There's a beat.] It's been a while since I was in war and I don't know how it is in other worlds and...well, my friend Tayrey is in the space military basically, so she lives on a spaceship.

It depends on the posting, but since I'm usually on the frontlines, it's tents and trenches for me. The last time I got to stay in a proper room was... well, a good while ago.

[She glances upwards, balefully staring back at the sun for a moment, and then directs a half-hearted smile at Klaus. It makes sense that they served in the military, Tanya thinks. Nothing can breed contempt quite like familiarity.

Still, she doesn't feel like she can risk not signaling being the perfect little soldier. Maybe later, when she's sure that nobody she knows or can affect her career will be turning up.]

But what soldier doesn't dream of frontline duty? It's all for the good of the nation and its people, in the end.

Edited 2023-07-03 05:29 (UTC)

[Klaus remembers that. Remembers the stink of dead bodies and the smell of gunpowder and sweat. It's not a good memory for him and he stares at the ground for a moment as he walks. They frown once again.

There's a haunted expression as she mentions dreaming of being on the frontline.]

You shouldn't know about that. [His voice is soft, barely above a whisper.] I wish I didn't. [They blink a few times, forcing themself to look less haunted.] Anyway. Right. My house...is not too much further from here.

[Shit. A part of her wants to grab Klaus by the collar and yell you started this subject, dammit! but that is a small, irrational, and easily ignored part of her. The vast majority of her can recognize that reaction for what it is. In any case, they're the one doing her a favor, so the onus of apology falls to her.]

I guess it's not for everyone. [She mumbles awkwardly to the side, shuffling alongside Klaus quietly.] Sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up.

[Her posture corrects itself when Klaus mentions the house is close. Surely, a mushroom house is fairly distinct.]

Ah, it's a nice neighborhood? [Does this even count as a neighborhood? The small talk just kind of slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it.]

[It is true. They did bring that up, but they probably should have expected more of a Tayrey response given how much she reminds him of Tayrey right now. But they're going to force themself not to focus on that.]

I...yeah. No. [This is not working. They're supposed to be the adult here! It's fine. They'll get a little hug from Nobunaga once they show up. In fact, they're gonna send him a quick text as a warning.]

I haven't had any problems so far. I mean, the townspeople are mad that we didn't let people take their hard-earned money and the dragons people had as like...family? [Klaus doesn't know if that's like kids or like pets or what. So they just don't know how to refer to them.]

But one of my friends lives in a hill house and another one lives in a tree house. And the one I'm gonna talk to lives in a castle. But if ou- [Stop trying to offer something you can't promise and also you're not meant to be a PARENT KLAUS HARGREEVES. They clear their throat.] If our house wasn't so small, you know...I can only house so many people in it.

[It sounds to her like the townsfolk need to grow some spine. But, more than that, she's pretty sure she can conclude Klaus as the owner of one terminal case of altruism.

Ah, altruism. How baffling, yet quite admirable. Tanya shakes her head, ponytail swaying as she does so, and smiles up at Klaus.]

You're already going above and beyond the call of duty to help me. And it's not as if we'll never speak again even if I end up staying somewhere else, right?

[It would be pretty stupid of her to cut off contact with someone so willing to help her, in a situation quite as dire as this one. Hell, it'd be dumb even if the situation wasn't dire. This has been going great for her, against all odds, and against her expectations. Suck it, Being X!]

[That makes them smile a little. A kid wants to hang out with them? Wow. That probably means something? It means this kid is probably in the same boat and has questionable taste in humans, but that's...actually...pretty par for the course, actually.]

Yeah. We'll definitely keep in touch no matter where you live.

[It takes everything in their power not to reach out and ruffle Tanya's hair. As they go through the treehouses to get to the mushrooms, they point out Tayrey's house.] My husband is convinced I am in danger of falling out of trees, so he doesn't like those that much for living. [Even if he did say he liked those houses, but evidently the mushroom house was the choice. Maybe it was Klaus' getting excited about Mario.

They pause outside their house and look at the little mushroom home.] This is it. It's kinda cute, right?

[Who wouldn't get excited about Mario? The man is an icon. A brand that successful deserves respect.

Anyways, she's not quite gaping at the surroundings, but definitely looking at them with wide, disbelieving eyes. Hearing about treehouses and mushroom houses being the norm is one thing, but seeing all this fairytale bullshit with her own eyes is something else.]

I think I have to side with your husband. Those things are a definite safety hazard. Has anybody broken anything falling off one, yet?

[And then her attention is directed to the mushroom house, and the corners of her lips pull up into a bit of a smirk. It's better than a tent, that's for sure.]

Kind of. It's quite charming.

[Is Klaus proud of themself? Yes. Suddenly much more proud than they've been. Even if it was technically Nobunaga making the choice in the end.]

I don't know. But it's always possible. But hopefully not.

[There's a smile at her reaction to the mushroom house.] We'll eventually make it look even more cute and like our own home. Hopefully get running water at least. Come on. Let's go inside. Then you can bother Nobunaga if he's around and I'll get to talk to the guy with the castle.

arrival

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