TDM #1

[labyrinmods]

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.

Comments

Basil | OMORI

[polarvoid]

[OOC: Basil's canon dabbles in some heavy themes, so make sure to have a look at his Permissions/Opt Out if there are things you'd prefer to avoid! These topics will be avoided entirely for this TDM however, but details may come up in meta text depending.]

1) Arrival | CW: Drowning Mention

[It feels like a dream. Or, perhaps, one's life flashing before their eyes. The last throes of his subconscious as he struggles to get back to the water's surface, trying to make things a bit less painful as he succumbs. Whatever the case, when Basil wakes, he feels...deeply unsettled. Lost, scared. Too much to even bother looking into the satchel he's now carrying, at least at first.

But what is he to do but start to move?

The garden he's found himself in, if nothing else, inspires a feeling of calm in him unlike anything else possibly could. It doesn't matter that there are plants here even he doesn't recognize, at least there are some that he can. Mistletoe could be growing anywhere- it's a parasitic plant after all, so no way someone planted it on purpose- Poinsettias, however, are different. Unfortunately for Basil though, the existence of the Mistletoe grabs his attention more than the other, which is how he's ended up near it now.

...near you, reaching for your hand without thinking twice. The moment his fingertips brush with a stranger's, however, Basil seems to snap back to reality just long enough to jerk away like he'd been burnt, looking as confused and mortified as the person next to him probably feels.

Why did he just...?]

I- I'm sorry-!

2) Somnius

[Having a house fashioned in the shape of a mushroom to live in is what convinces Basil that he is, in fact, probably still dreaming all of this. It's a convincing one, that's for sure, and bizarre because he hasn't had dreams this...whimsical in years. He'll take this over the usual fare, at least, but that doesn't seem to stop his brain from coming up with all sorts of unique terrors to torture him with.

Such as it is with the angel sculpture that has just appeared in front of his home, literally blocking the door as he tries to leave. It's asking for warmth, which isn't something Basil can easily provide, and the very moment he tries to question it...]

Ah-!

[He jumps back, falling hard onto his rear as the angel draws its icy blade, attempting to plunge it in through the small door. Basil is damn lucky that it is as narrow as it is, because the blade gets stuck in the doorway, buried deep in one side of the frame.]

Wait-! S-stop, please!

3) Wildcard

[Feel free to PM for plotting or other prompts!]

1)

[potentiae]

[ The girl whose hand Basil has reached for looks from behind like she might be young. She is less than four and a half feet tall, after all. But when she turns her head, it becomes clear she's not a child, just a very small teen. ]

No, it's— [ It feels silly, to want to hold someone's hand as much as Poppy does right now, but... Maybe indulging in a little silliness is fine, every now and then. ] It's alright. I don't mind.

[polarvoid]

[The awful thing about it is that Basil...still wants to hold her hand too, and he doesn't know why. It's true that he's the type to hold hands with his close friends- or, he used to anyway- but he doesn't know her. The fact that she says she doesn't mind is a little surprising, too...

Yet, as much as Basil still wants to, he forces himself to keep his hands to himself for the time being, instead reaching back to worry the bottom edge of his vest with his fingers to keep them busy.]

I....I don't know what came over me.

[potentiae]

[ Poppy brings her hands together, gripping her small satchel tight between them. ]

We're probably under some kind of spell or magical effect. Most likely the doing of whoever wrote that cryptic note.

[ Who is presumably also the person who has brought them all here. Poppy doesn't like this feeling, of being without her magic, and feeling compelled to be so close to someone she's only just met. And yet, she can't stop herself from glancing down at his hands, wondering how they would feel in hers. ]

[polarvoid]

Magic...?

[Yeah, no, dreaming. Absolutely he's dreaming. Why would someone be talking so casually about something like magic otherwise?

...oh. She mentions a note, and Basil realizes he has no idea what she's talking about in that regard either. He may have been better off focusing on what he arrived with than the flowers, but...the flowers are familiar and easy, everything else isn't.]

I never...I didn't see a note. What did it say?

arrival

[egosurfing]

( this isn't the sekai. it isn't home, either- and there's no way in hell she'd sleep through someone carrying her to the car- she's not a little girl anymore, after all. and then there's all these other people... ena can't help the sinking pit in her gut, the cold feeling of this isn't right creeping up her spine, even as she looks around.

except as she gets closer to the flowers in the garden. which is also a little weird? none of this is okay. and that's not even getting started on the bag-

but before she can investigate it, someone reaches for her and then flinches away, making ena jump- )

Wha- huh?! ... Jeeze, you scared me! Don't do that!

[polarvoid]

I'm sorry!!

[Aaaa

Basil shakes his head a little, taking a small step back to give her a bit of space.]

I didn't mean to...ah...

[God, WHY did he do that? It's bad enough that he's in an unfamiliar place with a bunch of people he doesn't know, he doesn't need to be making the absolute worst impressions with everyone right off the bat.]

[egosurfing]

( oh- oh no. he's so... okay, he looks the same age as her but? that response? he's baby. automatically, basil gets slotted into "must protect", not unlike kanade would.

...

she's still irritated, but maybe he thought she was someone else? or maybe it was this place. the poinsettias made her happy, after all...

shaking her head, ena sighs. )

It's... fine. I guess. It's this place, isn't it? It's weird.

( even if it wasn't, she'll give him the free excuse. )

[polarvoid]

[It's funny. Somehow, Basil manages to toe a fine line between being a teenager, yet having massive baby energy all at the same time. It's not intentional, it's just sort of...how he is. It's probably why he's always been a prime target for bullying, a fact that's only worsened as he's gotten older.

He of course can't tell her that...he very much still wants to hold her hand. But there's no way he'll do such a thing now, especially not when he knows, logically, he shouldn't. It's just not yet occurred to him that it's this place that's causing it. Not, at least, until she says that.]

Y...yeah.

[Basil pauses, looking back over at the Mistletoe growing nearby.]

I just...I thought it was strange someone had mistletoe growing here. It's parasitic...

2.

[xploud]

[Oh, here he go... Katsuki had his own run-in with these assholes, and they're still out and about it seems. He was making a round about the area, to both patrol and get a feel for the land's layout, and came upon the scene playing out. Cursing under his breath, because this would be so easy if he had his quirk right now - ice doesn't typically withstand an explosion, after all - he goes on the offense despite that...though his injuries do make his movements rather stiff. It's fine though, he's no damn quitter because of a little ouchie.

First thing's first. Disarm this piece of shit. The sword is what's really dangerous, not the sculpture itself. If he can get that blade away from it, or better yet...use it against the fucker, it'd probably turn the tides easy. And with it so distracted trying to wrench free said weapon from the door...it probably doesn't see Katsuki picking up a snowed over plant pot as he dashes forward and smashes it over the angel's head. He hears and sees the crack in the ice, but it's not damage enough. It's a distraction, though, at least.]

ON YOUR FEET, ASSHOLE, YOU HAVE A FUCKING DEATHWISH?!

[That is said to Basil, red eyes snapping to him before they're back on his quarry. That should be enough to get this dummy up and, hopefully...away from this. Katsuki needs space to fight, especially while he's quirkless.]

[polarvoid]

[If anybody could make an explosive entrance, it would be Katsuki. Needless to say, Basil is...not even remotely prepared for just how violent and aggressive it is, too shocked to even scream as he scrambles back further into the house to both avoid the sculpture as well as the broken shards from the pot that come cascading down its face onto the floor inside.

Granted, he will not be finding space to fight inside a mushroom house. It's fucking tiny, man.

That said, Basil is in no position to complain about it or argue. Frantic, and unable to think of anything else to do, Basil forces himself to crawl the rest of the way out of the house, too stunned to stand while also giving himself a chance to get under the creature's icy weapon and out into the open.]

[xploud]

[With or without his quirk, he is always going to be an explosive person. And...yeah, no, there's not nearly enough space in there for any kind of brawl, and Katsuki is well aware of that. He's putting himself at a pretty big risk, feeling his muscles burn from the exertion, but it's fine. This is nothing compared to what he's been through time and time again. Being clocked in the gut by All Might that once time was worse. It's fine.

Now that Basil's at least cleared the area, enough to not be a detriment to both of them, Katsuki can work a little bit better. That damn angel managed to free its blade, but in so doing, and staggering from the surprise attack to face him, it left itself wide open. He takes a deep breath, grinding his teeth from the agonizing clench of his gut, and what he feels is muscle and newly sewed skin tearing once again, and squares up to deliver a kick to the angel's mid-section, making them stumble back inside the mushroom hut and to the floor, probably knocking a few things over. S-Sorry about that, kiddo...]

Fuck...!

[Katsuki winces, spitting out a red-tinted mess off to the side. Welp, definitely toe his stitches, probably. Hopefully the blood that he can feel pooling under his bandages doesn't soak through his uniform, it's the only article of clothing he's got for the time being.]

Oi, you. Go call for help if you can't fight. [A very, very quick glance to where Basil is, Katsuki hisses and grips his stomach.] Or stay out of the way, got it?

[polarvoid]

[Honestly, Basil would prefer the interior of the house be damaged than himself. It's not like he's super attached to it or anything, having only been here a short while. So the house can suffer a bit of damage, that's fine.

What Basil isn't expecting? Is Katsuki just...spitting up blood over here, despite not having taken a single hit from this angel yet. He opens his mouth to say something, but gets cut off when Katsuki barks in his direction, causing him to startle a little.]

O...okay, but...are you okay?? You're hurt...

2

[empression]

[ Oh.

That's a problem. From what she can tell, admittedly, which isn't much. She sees a snow angel with its blade stuck in a doorway and just past it, someone's... leg? Had they fallen over?

Well, it looks like an assault and she can't just stand there, now can she? So Haru takes a deep breath, pulls her sweater over her head...

And just kind of lobs it at the back of the angel's head. To appease it for warmth? To distract it? It's a sweater, so weaponizing it was never an option. As she does, she calls out-- ]

Can you run past it??

[polarvoid]

[If this thing harassed him enough, Basil would likely have gone to any lengths to get it to go away. The only issue is that he barely is dressed for the cold as is, in shorts and short-sleeves, so it's either die by ice sword or die from hypothermia, neither of which seem like pleasant options.

Fortunately for Basil, that sweater does the trick. Whether or not it appeases the angel is still up in the air, but it can't quite get to Basil all wrapped up like it is, still struggling as it is to get the sword free from the door.

He doesn't even pause to think. He shudders, scrambling on uneven footing to his feet before rushing past underneath the sword and out onto the little path leading up to the house, running a good few feet beyond the threshold before chancing a look back.]

W-what is it?!

[empression]

[ Haru's automatically stepped in front of him with one arm protectively extended, for all that she doesn't look like she can accomplish much in a pink dress and now sweater-less. Still! She's trying! ]

I can't really say... it looks to be some kind of reanimated ice sculpture of sorts; an aggressive one, at that. I think we should probably run for it, if you're willing?

1

[violetlies]

[Whoa, okay. So this guy just reached for his hand without even thinking of it, and Kokichi arches a brow, swerving around to see him. Jeez. What a ball of anxiety, right?]

...Hey, hey. Buddy! It's okay! These are weird times.

Would holding hands with someone make you feel better~?

[Okay, he's teasing a little as he raises his hand and wiggles his fingers.]

I'll! Help~!!!

[polarvoid]

Uh-!

[Yes, his brain screams, but the Social Anxiety is shrieking the exact opposite. Why did he have to cause himself problems like this, why is this happening.

Basil shakes his head quickly, pulling his arms close to himself as if that will fix things, or make him less noticable, or something.]

N-no, it...it's okay, really!

[violetlies]

Aw, c'mon! We can hold hands. I don't mind~

[And just like that, Kokichi snatches one of Basil's hands back. He beams.]

I'm Kokichi Oma~! Nice to meet you. We're gonna be friends, I just decided~

[boy oh boy he knows that social anxiety well. it's not quite shuichi brand, but...it's close.]

handshake emoji over being blonde flower themed kids from fucked up canons

[youthfulwhatever]

[ They're two for two on not quite being sure how much of all this is a dream – Rika remembers being in her bed before she turned up here and ending up in the middle of a weird garden in her dreams is kind of just her regular weekday evening now. But there's people here she doesn't recognize – worse still, there's a bunch of weird adults (somehow weirder than either of the Accas, which is impressive) and not a single one of her girls that she's seen.

There's no Haters, which is good. But there's no Mannen which is significantly more bad. She's in the middle of wracking her brains and trying to work out exactly how to handle all this when she feels Basil's hand bump against hers and reacts similarly strongly – whipping back like she's just felt the sting of a static shock.

Despite her reaction, though, Rika just... grins, in a slightly disarming way and jams her hands into her pockets, safely out of reach. ]

Sorry to say, but I usually charge for handshakes. And since I'm not technically in the business anymore, I actually charge double.

[ See? Is joke. Nothing to worry about here. ]

HANDSHAKE EMOJI

[polarvoid]

[Embarrassed doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of how Basil feels after that, and because of it he too is keeping his hands firmly to himself in the form of gripping the bottom edge of his sweater, as if that will be enough to keep the impulse from making him do something he doesn't really mean again. What that impulse even means is a mystery to him, but it isn't like he's got it in him to ponder it too deeply right now.

Basil...laughs nervously, weakly, but it's more of an automatic response than him finding actual humor in the situation. It sounds like something Kel would say, but while he's good natured and takes everything in stride, Basil is anxiety riddled on a good day, SO...]

A-ahah...yeah, I. I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else.

[He blatantly lies, but it's easier than telling the truth here.]

[youthfulwhatever]

[ Oh, this kid (he's older than you, Rika) is even worse than Ai. At least she has a little bit of fight to her, though - this guy's serving pure nervous chihuahua energy. She's torn between wanting to give him a break and wanting to give him a wedgie like some kind of grade school bully. ]

For someone else? What, like your girlfriend? [ the only reason to ever hold hands with someone, obviously. her grin turns considerably more cheeky. ] Better be more careful in future. Nothing ticks off a girl faster than seeing her guy pawing at some side chick.

[ not that Basil is REMOTELY her type but she has just enough restraint to not say that right to his face. Well, not yet, anyway. ]

2

[metalcrusher]

YOO-HOO! OVER HERE, BEAUTIFUL!

[That's... what Basil gets to hear from beyond his modest quarters, spoken in a booming, almost synthetic voice, deep and loud. The snow angel doesn't seem to care for Mettaton's invitation for now, not yet, and focuses instead on the way which its blade is lodged between splintered wood.]

LOOKING FOR WARMTH, ARE YOU? AND YOU IGNORE MOI, THE HOTTEST CELEBRITY IN TOWN?? [He makes a come-hither gesture with his curled finger, and the angel... actually glances over its shoulder, at least to source the ruckus that is Mettaton.] YES, DARLING! I MAY BE WITHOUT A PALTRY BLANKET TO SPARE...

[And to the angel, as part of his Distraction Tactic, Mettaton smooths his hands over his every angle Seductively(TM).]

...BUT YOU CAN'T GET HOTTER THAN A ROBOT, BUILT TO STOKE THE FIRE IN HEARTS EVERYWHERE! GUARANTEED TO RAISE YOUR BODY TEMPERATURE BY APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-TWO DEGREES, SOME MIGHT EVEN SAY I'M TOO HOT TO HANDLE! OHHHH YES! THAT'S METTATON!!

[If not for the absurd content, Mettaton's voice itself is enough that the angel finally stalls, at least momentarily distracted from its attack on Basil. That five-by-four display of MTT's forms its pixels into a red heart. ...It blanks out, when he adds for good measure:] ALSO. I WAS BUILT WITH AN ON-BOARD HEATER. YOU KNOW. FOR USE WITH A KOTATSU.

This is the best thing that's ever happened to me

[polarvoid]

[What

IS happening

As if Basil wasn't disoriented enough by the sudden appearance of this apparently out-for-his-blood-specifically snow angel, the sound of Mettaton's voice coming to him so loud he may as well be shouting right into a megaphone is enough to leave Basil rooted to the spot. Nevertheless, his confusion means nothing when it seems to have been enough to catch the creature's attention, and you know what?

Basil is absolutely not going to waste his chance.

He nearly falls over in his haste to move, running in a panicked scramble to squeeze past the gap between the angel and the sword still stuck in the door, able to duck down just low enough to get past (it's so good in this instance to be short). And fortunately for him...Mettaton's distraction seems to still be working, because the angel isn't making to pursue Basil, at least not yet.

Of course, it may...just turn to attacking both of them, depending on how this exchange between it and Mettaton goes. Will it accept the warmth of a robotic shell in exchange for something like what Basil was wearing? Who can say! Not Basil, that's for sure.

Basil, who...incidentally may or may not have ended up hiding somewhere behind where Mettaton ended up. He's not too close- he's a bit too scared for that- but...he's also letting his savior stand between him and the angel, that's for sure.]

robot blessings abound

[metalcrusher]

[Yes! Basil takes the opportunity, and inwardly, Mettaton cheers him on. But he keeps up the act, feeling up his boxy body to enhance the invitation toward the snow angel, like touching himself would somehow communicate the Soft, Welcoming Warmth of Mettaton (all rights reserved). Expectant, he stands (wheels? it's one singular wheel he balances upon, a gentle rocking to maintain his uprightness) his ground.]

YES! KEEP YOUR EYES ON ME NOW, GORGEOUS! [He claps his hands. The angel is drawn to Mettaton's exuberance, which is... some kind of warmth? (Though there aren't any clothes on him??) And it doesn't seem upset to be missing out on Basil's quick scurry to safety, taking a gradual, fluid approach to Mettaton, if with a steady, slow stride.] THERE IS DEFINITELY NOTHING HAPPENING THAT YOU NEED TO BOTHER YOURSELF WITH... OTHER THAN ME. ESPECIALLY NOT BEHIND YOU.

[That's probably true. Sure. The snow angel buys it, as Mettaton somehow charms it into proper approach, deluded into seeking warmth from a metal box. Mettaton lifts both of his hands, hailing the apparition(?) closer like a plane marshaller on tarmac.] YES, DARLING... YES!! CLOSER, CLOSER...!

[And as Mettaton's caught where Basil's headed off to, he tries to back up somewhat, to lead it away... Even though he confesses, in a voice slightly quieter,] (I HAVEN'T THOUGHT THIS FAR AHEAD. I CAN'T GUARANTEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT, DARLING... BUT BE READY FOR ANYTHING!)

[And where Mettaton attempts to lure the snow angel away by backing up... it draws its sword again. It's hard to tell if it's honing in on Basil or Mettaton- and the glint of metal has Mettaton's screen awash with glowing crimson. His voice is still steady and playful, though.]

NOW, NOW. IS THE BLADE REALLY NECESSARY? I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW, THAT I'M NOT MUCH FOR VIOLENCE OFF-CAMERA. CONTRARY TO UNPOPULAR BELIEF.