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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.
warmth
ungrateful.
squatting down, toji peers at megumi with unimpressed disinterest. why is he stopping, anyway? guess he's got nothing better to do, and the kid's looking pathetic. ]
Got hit, huh? That's kinda embarrassing for you.
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Anyway.
The loss of his cursed technique is annoying enough. The loss of his ability to sense the ones around him? Even more annoying. While his new feline features come with it some heightened physical senses, even cats get startled, especially when they are busy with something else. In this case, he's heavily distracted by the fact that he has a chill running right through his bones.
When he does look up to regard this person, Megmui feels an immediate sense of threat. Why wouldn't he? Toji was this man's name; he remembers Zenin Naobito yelling out in shock. It's only natural to be on edge when the first and last time he ever met this man (to his knowledge), he was singled out and plucked from the fray before he even processed what was happening, and then had to fight tooth and nail just to stay alive. He got stabbed too, so, yeah.
And then this Toji did something that made no sense at all. He ended the fight abruptly with a self-sacrifice. Good for you. What did that even mean? He hasn't actually had much time to sit and process that whole debacle given the cascade of events that happened right after. It's obvious that it was some sort of séance, however. Toji was summoned, so he was dead before even that.
There's little time to work out what any of that means. Immediately, Megumi's on edge, little cat ears flattening as his fur frizzes out. ]
There was more than one. [ Work on your comebacks, Megumi. The expression on his face doesn't change, but his hand is reaching within his shirt for a knife. Just in case. ]
You want something?
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he really made that, huh? weird. ]
How many you up to? [ the question is abrupt and toji doesn't elaborate. shikigami? years? sorcerer grades? he just keeps watching megumi, and smiling, and doing nothing to assisst. ]
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What? [ He has no context to this question! Given what they were talking about, he's going to assume it's about the snow angels. ]
I've ... taken down six? They're easy after you learn their weakness.
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but then, living was like this for him too. toji remembers daring to hope, back then. but then he blinked and she was gone. he blinked and the baby was standing, talking, watching him with those eyes.
megumi has zenin eyes.
toji is never enough in them. never was. never will be.
he wishes megumi had his mother's eyes. ]
And you still got hit. That's what you call easy?
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He really doesn't know how to make of this situation, whether Toji was raving for a fight or he was simply killing time. The more they chat idly, the more it's starting to look like that latter. That doesn't make any sense. He's hardly good company. ]
That was before I found -- [ He stops himself, because why is he explaining himself to this man? ]
Are you just here to evaluate me?
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Are any of us here for anything? I'm just passing through.
[ toji makes no indication he's preparing to take a hint and leave. ]
How old are you, anyway?
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It's the same right now, too, and he knows it. Megumi's powerless and has only a shoddy weapon, and he's battling a gradually worsening chill on top of it all. If Toji's kept even a fraction of the monstrous strength he had before, he could take Megumi down too easily. But it doesn't look like he wants to do that?
Who even knows. He'll just be ready for whatever comes. ]
Then pass through already ... [ Let him suffer alone!! Why the chit-chat!!! ]
I'm turning 16.
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small. barely up to his knee. but big, too. when megumi came home from the hospital, he looked like a damn potato wrapped in a blanket. fit in toji's cupped hands. it's just weird, the way kids grow. ]
You look good. Well, you look like shit. [ toji laughs, gesturing to megumi's huddled, shivering, miserable form. ] But you look good.
[ alive, healthy, not too scarred up. catty, but in a teenage sort of way rather than a wounded, damaged sort of way. ]
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The longer the conversation goes on, the more baffled he is by this man's apparent interest in him. It's starting to feel like he's at a family gathering (not that he knows what those are like) and not talking to someone who has actually stabbed him in the past. This just gets weirder and weirder.
The comment about how he looks -- he doesn't even know how to process this. Is he supposed to say 'thank you'? What does that even mean? Why is this man appraising his looks now? ]
I can't even follow where this conversation is going ... [ Sometimes, it's better to just not understand things. Right now is probably one of those times. ]
Since you're so chatty, answer my question too. Why did you ask for my name before?
[ And stab himself shortly after hearing the answer, is what Megumi is really asking. Why is it good that he is 'Fushiguro'? ]
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cracking a grin, toji shrugs. ]
Because being a Zenin sucks. You got the miserable look of one, but must just be your face. It's good. Take the win.
[ toji plops down from his crouch to sit there with megumi, cross-legged. he's definitely not going anywhere, and megumi will have to get past him to escape. ]
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Megumi has no argument that growing up in the Zenin clan would probably be a childhood of misery, given what Maki and Mai have gone through. While Megumi would be treated better there given that he is a male who has the inherited technique, he knows Tsumiki would have a terrible time. That alone makes him grateful the sale never went through. ]
You're not wrong -- [ And now this effective stranger has decided it would be funny to plop right beside him. Megumi would usually be establishing some distance right away, but he's in an interesting state right now. He's still fighting off the chill, and just the prospect of a warm body near to him makes him crave contact. He keeps resisting, for now ... But the longer he does, the colder he feels, and he needs to hug himself tighter. ]
But you seem to know about me. Why?
[ Figure it out Megumi??? ]
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watching megumi shiver, toji tilts his head and, unbidden, recalls a past he'd like to forget. man, having a kid is such a pain. all his joy and all his pain twisted together in a singular curse he named a blessing.
toji smiles, wearing the expression like a knife to the chest.
megumi was so small, shivering, hot to the touch. toji didn't have anyone to call. who would answer the phone for him? he hadn't been able to work. it was just after— he couldn't remember how long since he'd been outside. it was dark. the power was off. there was no money, nothing but baby formula in the pantry. megumi was so small. megumi was so small.
toji moves, scoops megumi up and settles him, forcibly, right against his side. tucks an arm around him, laughing about it roughly, almost mocking. the laugh is directed at himself, but megumi doesn't need to know that. ]
Lots of people know about you, don't they? [ he dodges the question, shrugging, not looking at megumi now that the boy is pressed against him. good luck escaping these muscles. ]
Ten Shadows user... Who doesn't know about you?
[ the last part is just a guess, but megumi really did win the genetic lottery there. you're welcome, by the way. ]
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What are you doing? [ Hugging him!! Kinda!! Yet, when he ends up nestled against the older man's side, there's this sense of warmth that overcomes him. For some inexplicable reason, he finds it familiar, and not at all unpleasant. In fact, the contact meets a need, keeping away the chill, and his protests gradually lose their energy. There's a tired sigh. ]
I feel like you're hiding something from me. [ No shit??!?!? ] Why are you helping me, anyway?
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was it toji's fault megumi felt like he had to do all the dishes otherwise they wouldn't get done? yeah. did toji physically pin megumi down until boredom and exhaustion dragged the kid to sleep? also yeah. toji can't really explain his actions much, not back then and not now. he's always just done what he's had to, what he's able. every time he looked up there were more dishes. time always went by too slow and too fast.
but this isn't then, and even after megumi settles down he keeps talking, keeps prying, keeps asking questions. toji sighs. ]
Does it matter? You look damn pathetic. You want me to go?
[ toji makes no move to go anywhere. ]