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

the traveler (lumine) | genshin impact

[unalign]

o1. gardens

[ mistletoes. fun.

it's been a while since she's last seen these plants, practically nonexistent so far in teyvat. but lumine's more than familiar with them. read them, even, in one of the books she's managed to get her hands on prior to leaving with aether. she recalls the tradition quite clearly, which is why she looks like she's playing hopscotch through the garden.

avoiding the mistletoes despite the growing urge to kiss someone—or hold someone's hand.

but it's not long before she accidentally steps under one with another person. is she upset? inwardly, yes. but she offers them a faint, apologetic smile. ]

We don't have to kiss, don't worry. I don't think there are consequences anyway ...

[ though she does want to hold hands with them. she really wants to hold hands with them, at least. ]

o2. labyrinth

[ no, you didn't stumble upon the exit of the labyrinth. in fact, you stumbled into a library.

the walls are full of books, leather-bound and seemingly well-worn as if many hands have held those books before. unfortunately, the contents of the books are not what it seems, so if anyone's looking for information about the labyrinth? its history? maybe the creatures that reside in it? nope, no dice.

instead, it's full of fanfiction. rows and rows and shelves and shelves of fanfiction! from books with a rating of general audience to explicit, you name it, it's there—even the "author chose not to use archive warnings".

not that anyone can actually find the more mature and explicit ones, currently being hoarded by the only other person in the library, hunched over a table covered in books. she looks very much annoyed as she flips through the books quickly before she tosses them at a corner in what seems like a systemized way of organizing them. "organizing" is a very generous word, though; lumine is mostly just trying to get rid of what shouldn't be read. ]

Don't step any closer. Don't read anything, don't touch anything.

[ she has a finger raised in the air, her attention still on the book in front of her. her red face is very telling as she browses through the book before tossing it into another pile. ]

You'll regret it if you do.

[ dramatic much? but if anyone really dares to read one of them, it's fanfiction about a certain blonde traveler ... and the further you read, the racier it gets ... ]

o3. bonfire

[ so it's her turn to tell the story, then. hm.

lumine says nothing for a long moment while everyone looks at her expectantly, taking a sip of the cider someone's managed to place in her hands. it's not her first glass, though, and her pink cheeks are pretty much telling of how much she's drunk so far. still, she's very lucid and very clear-headed, even as she finally starts her story. ]

A long, long, long time ago, there lived a pair of traveling twins who have passed through countless worlds in search of a home ...

o4. wildcard

[ want something specific? hmu and we can hash things out or send me a specific starter. otherwise, lumine's down to clown (kinda) in most of the prompts. ]

02

[violetlies]

[Kokichi's trek into the Labyrinth...ends in him being soaked. He's storming around the Labyrinth with this big, dumb stormcloud following him, when he opens this door and finds....a library. And there's a girl inside - a girl who looks kind of like Kaede, if you squint.

She looks irate. And embarrassed.]

....

Whyyyyyyyyyyyy~?

[He says, stepping inside. The raincloud follows him, still raining water. He opens a book, getting it soggy...and ruining the pages.]

...Well, I can't anyway. Damn.

[unalign]

[ irate and embarrassed is the understatement of the century.

in fact, lumine's head whips towards him when she hears him walking into the library, her expression that of a bit of a panic when he starts looking around. still, he's a blessing in disguise, she decides, especially when a raincloud suddenly creeps in over him and over the books, soaking them until the words are all unintelligible.

great, that's great. ]

Well, it's because it contains knowledge that's not supposed to be seen by most people.

[ is all she'll say about the matter at hand, the smile and delight on her face quite palpable. anyway!! changing the topic right here. ]

Are you okay? That cloud over your head ...

[ please keep raining on the fanfictions surrounding them. ]

[violetlies]

....So something personal to you, right?

[He can decipher that much by her reactions. There'd be no reason to be so transparently emotional otherwise.]

Boooo. Shame I can't read it~ [He drops a soggy book on the floor.]

I'm fine, I'm just...drenched. I want the stupid cloud to go, but it started following me around when I entered this labyrinth...

01;

[mrfuckwit]

<sub>[ Akira had gotten over his initial temper of being brought here and trying to figure out what was going on. The worst part was the fact that he couldn't transform anymore and he's still trying to figure that one out. Still, Akira had that demonic bloodlust and arrogant behavior that his demon host had given him even if his alternate form had been nulled for now. In fact, he had just come from a fight before he so rudely was taken here. The only thing on his person right now was a pair of pants and the essentials that he woke up with. The satchel hangs around his body and he had a vial with blue liquid in it, still reluctant to try it.

He doesn't even notice he's under mistletoe when the girl talks to him. ]</sub>

Huh?

_{[ His eyes go up, then down to her. He feels his lips tweak upward in a sly grin. ]}

Why not?

[unalign]

[ aaa ... that's a bad thing, isn't it?

lumine's eyes follow the direction his gaze flickers to before they return to his face, noting the grin on his expression. in return, she also smiles at him, saccharinely sweet and dripping with the possibility of being punched if his train of thought goes down the train of thought she's anticipating. ]

Because not everyone is fond of the tradition of kissing under a mistletoe.

[ everyone being her in this conversation, yep. ]

And I'm fine with not receiving any marriage proposals in the next year.

[mrfuckwit]

_{[ Despite the way being a half-demon made him increasingly more attracted to literally everyone, there is still the goodness in his human heart that prevents him from being too pushy. Akira settled his hands on his hips and grind even wider. ]}

Alright, suit yourself. Let me know if you change your mind! You’re pretty cute.

_{[ Akira, don’t say things like that when you’ve just met someone. ]}

I guess we have no choice but to figure out what’s going on. Did you also see the owl before you got here?

01.

[reinforcing]

[ it's a peculiar sensation. visiting a world like this one is almost surreal and he nearly forgets what could have constituted as "normal" in the golden age. still, he decides not to lament on it for long. no matter what place they were in— humans were essentially the same. he doesn't doubt even here, it was simply about survival. doing what they had to, and in that way, maybe no place is any different from any other. ... just that there wasn't any virus, maybe.

that said, there are aspects of this world that isn't anything like he's experienced. sensations he's long thought he's thrown away amongst other things. being a construct meant, after all, he wasn't human. that said, he's been feeling things he's never had.

desires he never thought he could really ponder over. it annoys him and it shows in the furrow of his brow, and his expression is no less fierce when the stranger speaks out to him. he stares at her a moment too long before speaking: ] So? Why are you telling me? Hurry and tell me what you really want.

[ there's being suspicious and unfriendly....

and then there's this... ]

this is what she gets for being considerate ...

[unalign]

[ well, lumine can't say she's not used to rude people.

in fact, she's so used to rude people that her only response to her attempt at consideration is a sigh under her breath and a roll of her eyes. she can only suppose that information about the traditions behind a mistletoe isn't widespread; it sure isn't well-known in teyvat. and assuming that they're from different worlds, she can only surmise that mistletoes also don't exist where this guy is from.

but does he really have to be rude about it???

exhaling a deep breath: ] I don't want anything.

[ except to hold his hand, but she's not going to say that out loud. for one thing, it's too embarrassing. for another, he seems rather unpleasant and who wants to kiss unpleasant guys???? ]

I'm just explaining that we don't have to observe the tradition here, that's all.

you love it...

[reinforcing]

[ if he notices the sigh, he doesn't comment on it. if anything, he seems all the more absorbed in his own reaction of seeming like he ate something bitter; his expression nothing less of making it appear like she was somehow inconveniencing him just by speaking to him. but, that said, he also doesn't appear to be just walking away either. which... may actually just be more puzzling considering his reaction, but listen.

at her statement, he only seems to further scrutinize her, as if he were trying to catch her in some sort of lie. but, even with that, he doesn't exactly see it. doesn't sense her trying to weasel something out of him, and he tended to trust his intuition. hence, he lets it go. for now.

at her second statement, however. ] What ridiculous tradition could possibly explain this? [ a sigh, as if to add on to his prior words, and maybe to appear all the more off-putting: ] This is why I hate dealing with people.

2 (hello sele, it's coco!)

[dadsandals]

[ The fanfiction doesn't stop where Lumine is, though, and the works certainly aren't exclusive to Lumine, either. It really feels like the books Yamato's seeing are targeted at him specifically, with how some of the raunchier ones are apparently pairing him with some of his group mates, some more prominent than others. He's also kind of awkwardly stacking them on another row of books to set them aside for later.

He hears someone else who's throwing books off to the side, and the moment he steps in her direction while sifting through his own embarrassing fanfiction is when she addresses him.

Immediately, he replies, apparently unperturbed by her threats: ]

Only if you don't read or touch anything on this side.

[ He's not red either, shut up.... ]

also coco!!!!!

[unalign]

[ her sympathies, man ...

look, she's mostly good at following instructions, but he can't fault her if some of his books find its way over to her direction. or maybe they were kicked to the side, who knows? in any case, lumine picks one up, thinking it's hers, and starts browsing through them.

it's only after a few minutes that she realizes it's not ... hers ... she browses through a few more pages, checking if her name comes up at all. it doesn't.

out loud: ] Who's Yamato?

[ and why is he suddenly the subject of these fanfics? not that she's complaining, of course, but she doesn't remember meeting a guy named yamato. in inazuma, maybe? ]

[dadsandals]

[ He's quickly skimming through more fanfiction of varying genres, and it's only when he hears his name being called when he stops and promptly shuts the book he's reading. Yamato is startled, caught off-guard and frozen in place for a moment. ]

Just some guy, probably.

[ Yup. Nobody important. He'll go ahead and hold out his hand towards her, though. ]

Can I see that?

I have to do 2 it's required

[orobashi]

( The whole reason Kokomi had wanted to enter this place was, of course, to read. So when she approaches the pile of books that she sees Lumine discarding, she's surprised to be told to stop. Are they that bad? All books can be so interesting, though, and so she dares to reach enough that her fingertips brush the front of a cover. )

Mm... Do you really think so?

( Regret? She's doubtful, and that much is clear in her eyes as she defies the Traveler's wishes, picking up the book. At the very least, she doesn't open it yet. )

I've read countless books, and I can't say that I've ever regretted picking one up, even if it may not have been to my taste. If anything, I'm curious to know what someone like you has deemed as uninteresting enough to toss aside.

( Now is when she opens it, turning her back on the Traveler to stick her nose right into it, peering over the words. She has to start at the beginning, of course, even if she wants to skip to the middle... )

[unalign]

[ that is a valid question and those are valid thoughts!

and if it were a normal day, lumine wouldn't turn down a single book offered to her. after all, there's so much to learn from books, so much to read about and know. it's helped her during her travels, providing her with the necessary information she needs to survive. why else would she collect books and writings throughout her journey in teyvat?

but as it stands, it's not a normal day, so much so that she doesn't even realize kokomi picking up one of the books in question. ]

... Well, there are some books that aren't meant for public consumption. These are some of those, I'd say.

[ because how raunchy can this fanfic get??? help ]

[orobashi]

Hmm... Public consumption? What an interesting way to phrase it...

( That's spoken a little quietly, since she's already wrapped up in this fanfic. Immediately, she's drawn in by the main character, but the more that they're described, the more she realizes that this draws strange parallels with Lumine.

No, this is definitely just Lumine, right? Kokomi goes strangely silent as she rapidly reads, drawn into the story even as she finds herself reading the beginning of an incredibly heated scene where Lumine is so desperate to visit some mystery friend of hers and "speak her heart" (with a noted attention to the way her body is reacting to this), she can't stop. Oh...

There's a faint blush at her cheeks now, too. But she's turned away, and maybe Lumine is too distracted with her other books. How long can she read this? Is this really fair? Ohh, but she wants to know who this mystery stranger Lumine is dying to meet up with is... )

1

[mahoraga]

[ It's less of a tradition where Megumi is from, but he's at least aware enough of it to know what she's referencing when she makes that remark. The mistletoe above them is hanging tall and proud. If this happened at someone's house, he would find it an annoying thing to spring on others, but he's not going to disparage a naturally growing plant for existing. Anyway, it isn't like they have to do anything they don't want to do, and he's not the sort easily pressured into things.

Yet, when she mentions the kiss, his mind seems to travel there in a completely uncharacteristic manner. He ponders what that would feel like, even if he's never once cared in his young life. This makes absolutely no sense and it's awkward. ]

I wasn't thinking about that ... [ Oh, the lies. Anyway it's time to suppress everything he is feeling. So, just a Tuesday. ]

That Western tradition just puts people in awkward situations.

[unalign]

[ just a tuesday, yep. ]

Western tradition?

[ oh, he means the kiss? that doesn't make sense to her, mostly because her knowledge of the mistletoe and everything it supposedly stands for stems from a world itself. no east, no west. just ... a world they've managed to land on during one of her travels. ]

Does this mean there's a different practice in the East?

[ given that logic. also, she wants to stick to conversation because it distracts her from the aforementioned tradition. ]

[mahoraga]

[ Conversation is good. Conversation means he doesn't have to entertain any untoward thoughts (Megumi pls kissing is still PG-13 u are fine). ]

Not so much that ... The people in my country don't tend to share kisses so casually. [ As far as he knows. There's probably a wild, wild world that he doesn't know about, because he's a shy nerd who spends most of his free time reading. ]

It's all the same where you come from?

02, please romelle needs to know what fanfiction is

[quizack]

[ romelle hadn't ever seen so many books in one place, and so the library had naturally captivated her. fortunately for lumine, the blond altean hadn't thought to pick any out yet, merely wandering through the stacks and running an almost reverent hand over the spines.

eventually she finds her way to where the traveler has stationed herself, and romelle would have been happy to merely keep to herself and go on her way, but the sharp command causes her to stop. a frown settles over her lips, the contrary part of her nature bristling at being told what to do, but then she remembers she's somewhere foreign, and so perhaps this other woman knows something about this place that she doesn't... maybe she's just being nice, and cautioning her! ]

Why will I regret it?

[unalign]

[ look, lumine feels bad having to warn people; they're books, after all, and books should be shared with everyone as is knowledge. and she'd understand if they protest against it. but it's done out of necessity, not just for her sanity but also for everyone else's. besides, the books are technically hers, aren't they?

she briefly looks up from the book she's preoccupied with, shooting the other blonde an apologetic glance. ]

Because it contains information that shouldn't be seen by other people.

[ namely anyone else but her, because omg, the writers are insane??? ]

[quizack]

Like... forbidden information?

[ oh no, now romelle wants to see them even more. ignore the interested twitch of her ears, lumine, or the way she's taken just a few more steps forward!! ]

3!!!!!!!

[dmg]

[ despite quickly coming to the conclusion that there's nothing to gain from loitering around what appears to be a party, lee ends up wandering around the area listlessly. the bonfire's strange gravitational pull can hardly be faulted, his absolutely abhorrent sense of direction always leading him astray anyway. lumine may or may not notice that the same weirdo has been going around in circles since the first bout of stories started.

at some point, lee had gone from wanting to leave to being stuck in his thoughts, moving without purpose as some kind of pressure builds up in his chest. that is, until, oh boy.

a sibling story. that one gets him to pause in his tracks, and while he doesn't necessarily look at her, it is rather obvious that it's her words that have caused him to. is this… is this a fateful encounter between brocons?? ]

[unalign]

[ brocon brought us together again ...

but if lumine's noticed him loitering around the area, she certainly doesn't say anything. for one thing, this seems like a gathering where everyone who's just woken up is invited; for another, well, she might be wrong, seeing this drink is slowly inebriating her.

anyway! she continues with her story after taking another sip of the cider (or what's being claimed as one). ]

The twins eventually landed on a continent, hoping to enjoy their time there and perhaps finally settle down. But when they awoke, they found that the world was ending, torn asunder by fire and thunder.

[ her expression momentarily turns grim, her gaze lowering to the amber liquid in her glass. ]

They tried to leave but a god stood in their way, barring their exit. The next thing they knew, they were separated, the god taking their older brother away while casting the younger sister to a slumber filled with nightmares for five hundred years ...

[ five hundred years, and counting. lumine pauses, before she smiles brightly at the group, all traces of misery and remorse gone. ]

Unfortunately, that's all I remember for now. And I've yet to read the next book, so.

[dmg]

[ brocon makes the world go round … may we not get cancelled, amen ]

The bond between family can be stronger than any lofty god's whims. If the next book doesn't involve the god getting slain or receiving retribution for their actions, it isn't worth reading.

[ there's something deeply personal and disturbing about how he'd taken her story, turning to face her with steel in his eyes. real he's about to k*** god vibes, except that, too, melts away when he feels inclined to share why. ]

In the story I read, the world told an older brother that his younger brother wasn't meant to live. Through a sequence of events, the older brother eventually manages to give the younger brother a new lease on life. But it's an ongoing series where they learn that that had only been the beginning of their struggles. … Nonetheless, each book ends on a hopeful note. That's how it should be.