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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
i hope they were good to you, haku says kindly, and who can say? the years are what they are, and kakashi's only regret is that he couldn't experience more of it with the eye that obito had given him; that he couldn't live more, much more of it for the sake of his friend, who had died too soon all those years ago. he can't help a bittersweet clench in his chest, but ah, regrets and wounds are what shinobi carry with them every day, right to their deaths.
so maybe this isn't so bad, whatever this place may be.
he comes up beside him and wonders, his gaze lingering briefly on haku -- and he wonders if rin will say the same thing, wherever she is. he looks over at the garden, then; taking it in. ]
Not quite. A lot of these plants here aren't native to our world.
[ ...well, you know, there are two types of people. ]
no subject
I've never seen a garden like this, but those are poisonous. Not enough to be particularly useful, but if you need to induce vomiting or mild sickness it can come through in a pinch.
[ they are, at the end of the day, both products of their world. ]
I feel so light here, though. Almost... too light? Unburdened. Like how they tell you death is, I suppose.
[ but it's to a degree that's almost artificial, haku feeling less than in perfect control of himself which is more unsettling than standing here after death, with someone he once fought against, also dead. ]
Do you think there's a threat? [ some sort of jutsu, some sort of trap. what is their purpose here? why promise people like haku, people like kakashi anything at all? they are ultimately little more than instruments of war. is that the point?
he wonders if kakashi is thinking the same, and without realizing it, haku curls his hand around the corner of kakashi's sleeve as he might on a normal day with zabuza, absently worried the man might wander off in the market square without him. ]
no subject
haku's question, however, cuts through, and he makes a quiet noise of assent. this entire thing has been bothering him at a lower level, like a subtle little buzzing in the background that he can't quite put his finger on.
an environment like this loosens tongues, invites people to say things they otherwise wouldn't, and he has sensed the layers of emotion thrumming in him, the effects of this place weaving with his own natural emotions; a little more at odds than usual with his own ingrained objectivity and discipline.
he's about to make a noncommittal remark (it won't do to acknowledge it in the open) when he senses the boy reaching for his sleeve and holding on to it. it's clearly instinct, perhaps from his years with zabuza, but kakashi doesn't comment on it. instead, he leads him towards the other plants. ]
Are there more that you recognise?
no subject
[ when they draw nearer to the mistletoe, haku pulls out a handkerchief to gingerly pluck part of the plant to hold it up for study. ]
There's a few different varieties of this one, some more toxic than others... This seems to be the milder variant, [ he explains, then blinks as he starts to feel a little flushed and dizzy. He's not handling it improperly, he's sure of it. he even checks his hand for sap, even though brief contact like that shouldn't have an effect at all. is he mistaken about the subspecies...? ] ...or perhaps a variant I'm simply unfamiliar with.
[ he drops the plant, handkerchief and all, and slouches the slightest bit against kakashi's frame. ]
Excuse me, Kakashi-san— [ he murmurs, raising a hand to his own flushed face. ] It may have been careless of me to touch it.
no subject
[ kakashi is immediately concerned, catching the handkerchief before it hits the ground, letting the plant tumble off. he wraps an arm around his slender shoulders to keep him braced and steady, guiding him toward one of the benches as he frowns, trying to assess the damage. ]
Come, take a seat.
[ he takes note of the plant, but at the moment is more concerned about haku's immediate well-being than anything else. ]
How are you feeling?
no subject
no. haku doesn't see so. he can feel the edges of what is artificial, of what isn't quite him. the way he gives no thought to where kakashi might lead him comes from somewhere deeper. ]
Warm, [ he manages to articulate, voice breathy. he shuts his eyes, trying to assess his own body. he sees kakashi's face even with his eyes closed, sees it perhaps even more clearly than before. longing tugs at his heartstrings. a want to lower the mask, to look at him, to trace over the man's lips.
these are not foreign thoughts for haku. he's had his share of similar before. they are, however, wholly inappropriate in this moment and haku would normally have far more control over moving on from them. ah. it appears he will have to confess to this or choose to start this renewed acquaintance with a lie. ]
I'm afraid my thoughts keep wandering in a single direction. They are normally easier to re-direct.