buttrinthum | TDM #1

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TDM #1

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: poinsettias and mistletoe. You’ll soon find out that being around the poinsettias give you an odd sense of joy no matter how confusing the situation may seem and the mistletoe, which is left over from the holiday season, gives you the desire to kiss or hold hands with the nearest person to you. 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?

Somnius / Snow Angels

With the influx of new life, the humble town a barkeep tells you is called Somnius seems to come alive as well, with new faces to join that of the resident fairies, goblins and other townfolk. There’s bustling energy to the land that the townfolk will tell you wasn’t quite there before, and some suspect that the presence of the new arrivals might be powering the world around them in some way - but that’s a question to be answered on another day. The quaint town of Somnius needs a little bit of care, that rustic feel to the mushroom houses, old shops and weathered castles too evident at first glance, but it’s not a bad place to live, as the locals will tell you. It almost seems like everything will be okay…

But of course, things are never so simple.

Whether you have been wandering around to get your bearings, talking to the locals or exploring your new humble (very humble) abode, you can expect to find mysterious ice sculptures - fashioned in the shape of snow angels, with blades in their hands - appearing in random places around the town. There are some that manifest in the middle of the street, some that sit quietly at the edge of an inn, and even some that appear right beside your bed, staring at you as you wake up. It’s unclear how these sculptures even got here, but close proximity to them will conjure up feelings of unrest, like you should not step any closer.

It’s smart to trust your gut in these situations. Step too close to a snow angel and it will come to life, moving with the grace of flowing water. They make a vague request and will spare only those able to heed it.

“Cold … so cold … Even the days of Visium are so cold. Have you any warmth to spare us?”

Some angels will accept an article of clothing as warmth. Others are greedy and keep demanding more, wanting to take everything that you have on your body. Heed their requests and they will spare you. Resist even just a little, and that’s when they draw their swords.

It’s not too easy to defeat an angel with brute force given that they reform themselves immediately. Running away or blasting them with fire could do the trick. Be careful not to get cut by their blades, however…

Characters who get cut by their blades will experience an inconsolable sense of chill and emptiness, right down to their bones. They will find themselves desiring ‘warmth’ from others in different ways - whether through physical contact, or affectionate words and gestures. There might be the few who go feverish in their desire for warmth. For those characters – the open fireplace is looking like a very tantalizing place to sit in right now (Yes, sit in, not by). They might even feel compelled to pull a friend in with them. That can’t be good for anyone…

The effects will only subside if the condition of receiving ‘warmth’ is met. This can be in the literal sense (physical warmth and intimacy) or figurative (feelings of love, acceptance and happiness).

Bonfire

When night falls, the temperatures only drop further, which does no favours for the poor souls who had to give up their clothing. The locals want to welcome the new arrivals and give everyone an opportunity to unwind from a busy and chaotic day of being hunted by snow sculptures. That’s why they’ve set up a gathering in the middle of town square. Food and alcohol is being generously supplied by The Cask & Anvil, and marketplace vendors have set up pop up stands to try and cajole the new arrivals into purchasing some fancy new clothes or a pretty gemstone they claim will ward off danger (claims not verified).

At the center of it all is a large bonfire that’s warming up the square. Everyone is encouraged to warm themselves by it after a long day, eat, and make merry. In fact, there’s a certain sense of enchantment to the crackling fire that seems to draw even the shiest wallflower in, pushing them to sit with others and make conversation. As the night goes on, the newly arrived dreamers will find themselves settling easily into the warm and bustling mood, any stresses and anxieties melting away. With time, they’ll start to find themselves without a filter, more than happy to talk about themselves and the life they had led prior to coming to Visium. In fact, they will feel compelled to share a story from their past - one that might be joyous, comedic, thrilling, or tragic. Whatever sorts of feelings come attached to their story, it will be one of emotional significance.

In the back of their minds, they might get the sense someone else is listening.

OOC

Welcome to the labyrinthum TDM! 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. Yes, this includes the Labyrinth - though characters will not be able to clear the maze. Please comment here to request an outcome for your character's labyrinth exploration and a moderator will get to you shortly. (The longest a character can stay in the Labyrinth is 3 days.)

You can find more information about the game here. Any questions regarding the TDM can go under the comment below.

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She yawned again, apologizing softly as she did. Then she blinked owlishly as she looked up at Katsuki. What terribly spiky hair!

"Did you get struck by lightning?" she asked rather suddenly, tilting her head. "Is that why-" she trailed off and with her hands made spikey motions with her hands above her head to mimic his hair. She shook her head. "In any case, no, I don't know where my indoors should be. I just finished the labyrinth and now I'm not sure where to go next. It's very easy to understand what you're supposed to do in a labyrinth. You either go to a certain spot or you leave. But now... I'm out, and outside of some very rude snow angels, no one has mentioned what is expected."

EX-FUCKING-CUSE???

Katsuki's body tenses and he is suddenly more awake than he has ever been in the last twelve hours. His head turns slowly, ominously, towards the girl, those dim red eyes blazing to life faster and brightest than the glow of the fire...though just as heated. The tiny, delicate part of him that yes, Katsuki does have tries to argue it's a kid. Kids say the first things on their mind, and she practically is half asleep, but the voice of reason is drowned out (as usual) by his growing rage.

"H...Hah?" He is. SHAKING. With the effort not to blow his top. Praise him for it, because this is an actual attempt on his part. Katsuki is trying. He is trying and by god, it's difficult. He can't stand kids like this. "...Did you learn your manners from a pig?"

Alice, when she is not exhausted and cold, is really quite polite and considerate (if very chatty), but she is both of those things at the moment and she still doesn't know where she's living. So, she hasn't properly grasped that her question is rude. And if she had, she would be mortified. But as she hasn't? She doesn't see why the question is rude when the simple answer should be "no" or "yes." Though, she supposes if it's no, she has to wonder if that means he just doesn't know what a comb and brush are. She doesn't read Katsuki's response as anger, which means when he asks his question her response is:

"Oh, most certainly not," she offers with ease. Unfortunately for Katsuki, this is Alice, so her immediate follow up is, "Children who turn into pigs are threatened with beatings and far too much pepper like the Duchess's son. Though, I'm still not sure if he was always a pig, he certainly was an ugly baby, but a very handsome pig!" which was, you know, something. "I've not met anyone raised by pigs, her baby merely turned into one, is all. I don't know what sort of manners pigs have. If I meet one who can speak, I shall ask for you."

In all honesty, that's partially what's saving the kid from being chewed up and spat out right now. Katsuki is not goo with people, and kids are just...smaller people, but even he knows that they think and act differently than someone like himself. Besides, she's clearly tired, and while he's awake mostly because of his adrenaline, the kid doesn't exactly have that going for her. Even so, he is in a heightened state, and it takes a harsh mental slap not to snap like he usually would.

Even he has his limits, and while he's most certainly not the best person out there, Katsuki wouldn't willingly scream at a couple of kids. He's done so once, while on patrol with Jeanist--...god, months ago, and they had burst into tears because he scared them. It was definitely a bit of a shock, and he'd been flustered to silence by it, deeply uncomfortable and put into a situation he had no idea how to handle. Comfort? Not his forte. Definitely not. So Katsuki has painstakingly tried not to raise his voice when around kids...if he could help it. His voice is sometimes just loud on its own.

"The hell?" he grimaces, biting his cheek at the near slip. Is this kid okay? Is she really that tired that she's speaking gibberish? "Are you hearing yourself right now? Are you even awake, pipsqueak? Or did you...you--"

His face falls, and almost instantly the color drains from his cheeks as Katsuki's dart around and see pint glasses of hot, mulled wine...hot toddies, and even a few people just straight up pouring rum into their glasses of eggnog. Sure there's cocoa and hot tea around, and Katsuki had some spiced cider himself, but how can he be sure the kid didn't get into something she shouldn't? They have sticky fingers, and they're overly curious, too... He's also pretty sure, when he was that age, he totally nabbed one of his dad's left bottles of beer to 'try'. It was vile, and he didn't take more than a gulp before spitting it out (all over the floor, no less), but still. The shit being served here is hidden with all sorts of other flavors and spices.

"O-Oi, oi!!" he is now reaching for the kid, plunking her down right in his lap and feeling her forehead, her neck, and maybe tilting her head to see how focused her eyes are. "What was the last thing you drank? Where's your cup, hah? Did it taste sour? Bitter?"

"GOODNESS!" Alice doesn't have time to resist or to even form an argument as she's made quite awake from being lifted from her spot and placed in Katsuki's lap. "I'm terribly sorry!" she suddenly called out, somewhat worried she was about to be struck for her comments and she closes her eyes, bracing herself for being cuffed.

When no such strike comes, she opens one eye, then the other. She blinks as a hand is pressed against her head and then her chin is lifted up. She blushes, deeply because it's all very sudden and all very close with a near complete stranger.

"Wh-What? Bitter? My cup? It's ah- h-hot chocolate, sir! Why would it taste sour or bitter?" now SHE was the one terribly confused but gesturing to her cup. "I drank that," she gestured to her mug, and no, there will be no hidden alcohol within, rather it will be quite sweet and even peppered with some mini-marshmallows that are nearing the end of their melting.

"Ju-just the hot chocolate and the Drink Me, sir!"

That...actually gets Katsuki to pause, freeze actually, with his his hands up and looking a bit like an idiot before he slowly lowers them and leans back to give the kid some space. R-Right...right. He panicked a little, and forgot a fundamental of his goddamn training - handling. Heroes can, and should offer aid to those who are clearly in need of it, but they still have to be cognizant of how they're handling people, especially young children. Some don't like to be touched at all, even by family members, and the whole 'stranger danger' is indeed a thing that should still be taught even primary schools and such. Plus, just...having a kid flinch like he's about to hit them triggers a few memories. Unpleasant ones. Ones Katsuki regrets deeply.

"It's...fine," he grinds out through his teeth, keeping his hands firmly planted by his sides now. Another brief and extremely soft apology is churned out through his teeth, voice a rasp, and Katsuki shakes his head. "Some of the people here are drinking alcohol...drinks for adults only, I hope you know. You were speaking f--...nonsense," my god is it hard not to curse, and his eyebrow even twitches a little with the effort. "Guess you're just tired. S'past both our bed times."

He grunts, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the back of the bench, pouting down his nose at the little girl. This place is really taking kids...little ones. What a mess. Regarding her very, very closely, Katsuki takes a deep breath, then exhales slowly. "...Where are you staying tonight? Your home. Where's your home? I'll escort you there."

He has a sinking suspicion he knows the answer already.

"I didn't know adults could have bed times," she offered with a smile, but clearly glad. She had no idea of his internal dilemma or the force and effort he was going through for her sake. If she did, she might thank him (though in truth, she was more likely to ask why it was difficult for him in the first place. No one was BORN knowing how to curse, after all, not even sailors).

At the question of where her home was, she looked down and pulled at her fingers.

"Oh um..." she pressed her lips together. "I... don't know," she pointed to the bonfire. "That's why I've been staying here, since everyone seems to arrive here, I've been waiting for my parents or sister. They didn't come with me the last two times, but it never got so late before either. Since it was already so different, I've been waiting. You're not supposed to move from a spot if you're lost, and I've already left the gardens."

"Adults need sleep just as much as anyone else does," he mutters, the adrenaline dying down and making way for that previous fatigue. It really is past Katsuki's so-called bed time. He sleeps early, never awake really past nine or so, and rises early as well, so he's feeling sluggish and dulled to a point. Though, again, Katsuki has to force alertness into his body when this little half-pint says what he pretty much expected. He sighs loudly and makes a face.

"Aa, you're a smart kid...but staying put can only get you so far. Without a signal - smoke, a light, crying for help - you'd be waiting for a long time. You were better off finding the town...people here can at least give you a place to stay until you find your family." This is some horseshit, and Katsuki's going to pull out every single one of that shitty dickhead's teeth for taking a literal child away from the family without so much as a word. She's too young to endure this shit...though heaven knows kids do, more often than he'd like to think about, really. Katsuki plops his hand on the top of her head and doesn't so much as ruffle the kid's hair as he does...kind of shake her a little. Listen, he's bad at this.

"There should be space available for a pipsqueak like you. We can ask a real adult, mm? They'll set you up somewhere." Does this world have orphanages? Katsuki has no idea...and he greatly dislikes leaving the kid on her own, but what else can he do? He's not equipped to house and care for her himself. Getting her shelter, and a safe place to sleep, is something. He can even put it on his To-Do-List to make sure she has food, too.

"Well, that's why I came to the bonfire," she gestured to the giant fire keeping the both of them warm. "Everyone seems to visit here, at least once. I thought I should stay here."

She rubs her arms, still cold. She looks up when he rests her hand atop her head.

"I..." she presses her lips together, did that mean she was going to live with a stranger? Or worse, an orphanage? "Am I going to have to go into a workhouse?" She knew orphans as little as three could be forced to work and work 12-hour days shimmying up and down chimneys. Was that going to be her life now?

Is that what being "set up" meant? Would she be working in a fabric factory? Those tended to take girls.

Noticing her still warming her arms, Katsuki shifts and scoots closer to the fire almost instantly. He's more prepared for the cold, having been here long enough to get some other items (mostly hand-me-downs from the healers who would come over weekly to tend his wounds) that what he came with...but the kid was in a dress and loafers meant probably for spring, not winter. He could easily work off the debt just to get her at least a coat and boots...

His thought bubble bursts almost immediately and those deep red eyes stare at Alice in confusion and mild horror when she asks if she has to work. What the fuck. What the literal, actual fuck??

"Haah?! Who the hell would make a kid work?!" Labor laws most definitely exist in his day and age, and he's just clearly not thinking that there's others out there that don't abide by the same. "Tch...'course not. But you still need a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in. There's empty places here, but..." his nose wrinkles as a deep frown settles on his face. "I don't like the idea of a brat being on their own."

Who's going to cook for her? Like hell she's prepared or wise enough to be in a kitchen on her own. Well...no, okay, that's a generalization and assumption - kids are smart and can be taught to cook pretty young, but...he just doesn't see it in this little thing - no offense, Alice.

"I don't want to go to an orphanage, I'm not an orphan!" she insisted, suddenly scared. "I don't want to end up like Oliver!" she insisted, remembering the harrowing tale Oliver Twist went through all throughout London. "There are all sorts of people who... who make children work."

She bit her lip. "Can't I... I will live alone if it means not... not going to an orphanage or... or a work house."

Ugh...Katsuki hates it when kids get upset like this. Not because it's annoying or anything, but because he's so bad at this shit. Being an only child, he never had anyone to really care about growing up or vice versa...and the young man's only recently learned the real value of making tight bonds and real, lasting friendships. But he sees a scared kid in front of him and is taken back in time to when he knew a scared, weepy little nerd who rambled like this a lot.

A long bit of silence passes, with Katsuki just letting her speak and get her words out, before the hard edges of his expression dull considerably and he strokes that big hand down her hair to tuck some of the strands neatly behind her ear.

"Oi, oi, hime..." Katsuki takes a deep breath and sighs. He doesn't like this, but what can he do? "No one's taking you anywhere you don't want to go. There are houses that are empty - you can take one to stay in, no one'll mind." He'll even escort her there himself. Katsuki is doing his civic duty as a Hero, but also the idea of a literal child wandering around in the cold on her own makes his skin itch.

"I'll bring you food."

She pulled out a handkerchief and nodded, wiping away the tears that were threatening to fall. She sniffled and tried to take deep breaths to calm down. How terrible of her to get so upset when he kept saying no one would send her into a workhouse or orphanage.

She let out long breaths but the tears didn't get the message that she should calm down. She bowed her head, letting them drip down her cheeks and onto her hands, clenching the fabric of her pinafore.

"T-Thank you... I'm sorry I'm crying," she whispered. "I don't mean to make such a fuss... but they won't s-stop."

Ugh, he hates it when kids cry. They're messy, snotty, loud, and just...overall unpleasant. Katsuki can't help the grimace that appears on his face, but he just ends up sighing loudly afterwards, letting the little munchkin get it all out. Katsuki may not like it, but it's better for her to just cry now instead of internalizing her fears and emotions for later. That's not healthy, especially for a young thing.

"It's fine," despite his expression, he means it. "It's not good to bottle that crap up, so just cry if you need to. When you're done, we can find a nice place for you to stay in, and I'll keep watch until you fall asleep. That good, you little crybaby?"

He says that, but his tone is lacking a lot of its usual bite. Even he has his limits (sometimes) when it comes to dealing with kids. Especially ones who are noticeably upset.

"Y-Yes, t-that would be alright, t-t-thank you," she stuttered and sobbed. She cried a bit longer, eventually getting the intensity of her sadness and loneliness out, even if the emotions were not gone themselves.

How could they possibly be?

But she wiped her eyes and blew her nose with her handkerchief, her sobs becoming sniffles until they became just the softest of hiccups.

She's settled down, she's exhausted, and she looks up at Katsuki, eyes red and puffy but ready for whatever it is next.

Yeah, he gets it. Katsuki had his own little downward spiral a bit ago himself, and he most certainly cried as well. It was frustrating, and he's still just as lonely and homesick as he was at the start, but he got out some of that pent up emotion at the least. He can't say that it helped, but it at least eased the pressure. It's a fucking start.

He waits, as patiently as Katsuki can, leaning back with his arms crossed and eyes closed to catch a few winks himself. He wasn't kidding when he said it was past his bed time. The young man goes to bed extremely early and wake up extremely early, unlike the majority of his classmates. He'll pass out the moment he gets home, undoubtedly. But at the moment, he's peeking an eye open and rolling his neck with a light little pop, looking down to see if she's ready. Once she is, he stretches his arms above his head and asks quietly, definitely exhausted himself--

"Want me to carry you? Or you wanna walk?"

She nodded and then shook her head.

"I can walk," she offered, trying not to trouble this gentleman any further than she has. "But... could I hold your hand?" she asked meekly. "I..." she bit her lip as she looked out past the bonfire.

She was scared of the dark.

Rubbing his face a little, because of course he got himself stuck babysitting like this, Katsuki sighs deeply and nods his head. He pats down his clothes of any ash or embers that may have fallen from the bonefire, effectively also wiping his hands, and offers one of his large hands to the kid with a forced calm on his face. He's not one for touch, but...this is a special case.

"Fine...but you have to keep up," Katsuki wants to go home, too. He's tired, and thinking too much about leaving a kid on her own sort of bothers him more than he'd care to admit. "C'mon, I know where there's vacant houses small enough to fit a pipsqueak like you."

And off they go.

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TDM #1

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CW: Victorian child labor

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I think we can wrap this here and handwave the rest. :3