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buttrinthum2023-01-01 04:59 pm
TDM #1
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?
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).
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.
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.
no subject
her insistence for him to kill was... nothing short of ridiculous. maybe even insane. it's why, he instantly gets heated, his temper flaring without reservation. ] Are you nuts? What sort of fool would ask to be killed?
Listen here. [ he levels his gaze to her, bending his back slightly if just to make his complaints all the more personal. ] I... [ his voice has been louder than he intends, but he just uses that to punctuate his point.
if he could, he would grab her and lift her straight off the ground, but he doesn't go that far. or rather, it seems to come off differently. frustrated, he simmers down. then more quietly, he continues. ] Haah. [ deep sigh. ] Just what sort of reaction are you wanting from me?
no subject
as surprising as it is, she supposes that it's something very ... hm, refreshing, to say the least. compared to the weird tension growing between them earlier, and one that's been momentarily set aside because of his outburst. ]
A fool who wants to see if you're serious about ki ... [ she draws it out the same way he did earlier, but in her case, it's deliberate. —lling them.
[ her amusement slowly dissipates, though, the smile on her lips fading just a bit. ]
I don't know. [ lumine also takes a deep breath, except she averts her gaze elsewhere. ] I don't want to say it out loud.
no subject
it only seems to diminish slightly when she also basically admits that it isn't just him who is having these conflicting thoughts. hence, he falls silent for a few seconds. ]
Have you never heard of taking responsibility? Since you already opened your mouth, just say it.
[ a pause. ] I hate waiting.
no subject
her laughter only continues when he mentions taking responsibility, finding that that's the most absurd thing to come out of his mouth since they found themselves in this stupid situation. ]
You want me to take responsibility because ... [ uh, what should she take responsibility for, anyway? ] you held my hand?
[ look, he made the move first ok. why is he suddenly pushing this on her? ]
But all right, let me take responsibility. Can I kiss you?
no subject
she seems have recalibrated herself.
he releases something of a sigh of relief, ready for her to finally say what she wants so maybe they can both move past this, but what comes out of her mouth is nothing less than... astounding?? insane?! ] You really aren't in your right mind.
[ but, despite his scalding words and how he seems to be discounting her completely, he still hasn't let go of her hand.
... and he hates to admit it, but the prospect of kissing is more inviting than he wants to believe. he hates how honest he is in moments like these, especially considering how impulsive he could be, and yet. he holds up his free hand. ] Who said I would let you decide on your own.
[ he seems to be proposing they... rock, paper, and scissors to see who gives the kiss, and i am dying. ]
no subject
let loose, give in—what's a kiss or two anyway, right? ]
You aren't exactly in your right mind, either.
[ pot, kettle.
her amusement is replaced by confusion when he suddenly holds up his hand, her brows furrowing. it isn't just the gesture that baffles her, but also his claim. what does that even mean? ]
... Er, what are you ...
no subject
or maybe, there was simply a disconnection between the two of them. either way, when she doesn't comprehend his actions, he almost all but loses it. ] Ughhhh. You really just want to confuse me! [ he isn't sure if he's more fed up with her or himself, but it's here he grips onto the back of her neck and he presses his lips against hers. he half-wonders if this would have ended up with him having grabbed her collar and shaking her were he in his normal senses.
but, he finds he doesn't care, and for the first time, even while they have been holding hands for the past few minutes— he realizes anew that her hands and lips were warm. ]
this tag is 31 tags early ...
lumine blanches at his claim, once more accusing her of something ridiculous. honestly, if there's anyone who doesn't take responsibility here, it's him. and the fact that he's pushing everyone on her is just a testament to his lack of accountability in this scenario. ]
If that had been my intention, I would've—
[ the rest of her words fade into oblivion, swallowed by his lips when he presses them against hers. her eyes widen for a fraction, surprised by his sudden action, before she herself relents and allows whatever divine power to take over her instincts, kissing him back.
when she pulls away a few minutes later, she's once more no longer looking at him, her cheeks positively red. ]
no subject
he almost feels her surprise just due to their proximity. the way her breath is before contact, and then even in the swift aftermath of her returning the gesture. he doesn't know if her doing the same was some misguided act of goodwill or if in that singular moment, their desires simply coincided— likely ushered by whatever power this world (or more accurately, mistletoe) held over them. it's fleeting, however and seems to end in a flash.
before he knows it, she pulls away and ... just her face is enough to swallow him up entirely in what he hopes it regret? but, feels more like something else completely. ] What's with that face? [ aka, stop it!
ugh...
he can't even look at her and so he does the most sensible thing, now that the feeling has dwindled. ... and that is to walk away. ]