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buttrinthum2023-10-31 08:17 pm
TDM #6
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: holly and bluebells.
Standing too close to the bluebells for too long or smelling them will make a Dreamer unable to refuse requests. This can last for however long a player may wish, whether it be for a few days or just a few minutes. The holly, however, also gives off a strange effect when getting too close to it: Dreamers will feel compelled to be more helpful & outgoing, no matter how gloomy and closed off they are. This effect can also last for a few days or a few minutes-- it is up to the player!
Eventually, Dreamers will find their way out of the Enchanted Garden and into the city of Somnius, whether it be by following the alluring light or on their own.
It’s funny how if you ask for something, sometimes that’s all it takes to have it given to you. Maybe Webby is just that lucky, or Vaeros is feeling just that generous the day it’s requested but for two days and one night only in the beginning of the month of November, a large castle stands where one didn’t before. It’s grand in that it doesn’t need repairs like some of the available housing does, but it’s certainly nothing too awe-inspiring. But, it’s big enough for its purpose—a sleepover party for every inhabitant new or old.
During the night a few days before the party, EVERY person receives a handwritten invitation to this sleepover blowout. It doesn’t matter who, young or old. For those who wake up in Somius after the invitations arrive, they’ll find an invitation just for them in their pocket or satchel, like they were always meant to be invited from the beginning.
Decorations are bright and colorful, spanning the whole rainbow. One giant room full of cots and sleeping bags, blankets and pillows has been made to be the centerpiece of the whole affair. This is where most of the partygoers will mingle and play games, if they’re not too busy with one of the other activities located in one of the other rooms nearby. There’s plenty of room to wander, though any room that has not been decorated and made up for the party is locked down completely with no way in. There are, of course quiet spaces provided for those who need a quick getaway from all the partying. Or maybe going outside for a stroll in the night garden would be calming too?
For those who don’t have anything appropriate to sleep in, pajamas are even provided. But they might be a little silly, since beggars can’t be choosers. Who wants the unicorn fuzzy pajamas?
Games Galore - There’s plenty to play with, at Webby’s insistence (and by insistence we mean she gives you the biggest doe-eyes you’ve ever seen) and she’s more than happy to give you overly-detailed means on how to play the following -
🎉Twister - a huge sheet blotted with colorful spots has been laid on the floor, along with a square with similar colors and a spinny arrow. The rules are simple - one person spins the arrow, and where it lands you put your foot or hand. First to fall loses, so amp up the embarrassment - er, fun as you all get tangled up with each other.Bountiful Buffet - The best way to stay up late is to stuff yourself silly with sugar, which is why the dining room table is loaded with all kinds of desserts. Remy and Aurora have supplied some of their own sugary confections, and you’re more than welcome to have added your own creations to the buffet. Just don’t start any food fights. At least not where Webby can see it!
🎉Truth Or Dare - Two options, one chance for chaos. Surely you’re all going to be mature individuals and not ask mortifying questions or dangerous dares.
🎉Pin The Tail On The Donkey - Yes, Webby’s sole guardian was a woman whose idea of fun was from the 1950s, how did you know? But she’s also put up optional sheets of different animals to stick their tail/bodyparts on while you’re blindfolded, including past threats like zombies and skeksis.
As though the castle (or whoever ACTUALLY owns it) wants to help assist the party atmosphere, those who partake of the food might feel a little more inclined to be friendly and amenable to party activities. You know, just for those gloomy gusses out there. There are no drawbacks to this little bit of fairy dust, just a little bit of social greasing, you know?
Makeover Makeover Makeover - Vil has ever so kindly offered his beauty supplies for those of you who want to experiment with some new looks, and you’re free to have brought your own. Test it out on one another or try it out yourself. Then again, when he’s not looking, what’s to stop you from trying to paint yourself up like a B-movie monster?
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark - Some of you may have had more than enough of your share of frights due to last month’s… fun, but surely you can handle a bit more fright? In a dark room with only one light torch, gather in a circle and share a spooky story from times gone by. Just be prepared for that one person who always sneaks up from behind and goes BOO at the right time. It’s inevitable.
Pillow Fight - Pick a side or be a lone warrior, grab a pillow and show no mercy! The last one standing wins! The only rule is your pillow is your sole weapon! In fact, there seem to be more pillows available than there are people here, so let the feathers fly! If the castle magically produces more, who’s to say? Shrug and keep the battle going!
CW: memory share, character specific trauma
Some may be aware that harvest season is a season of growth and not just in the cultivating sense. Townsfolk take this time to evaluate themselves and really think about things in their lives that have potentially been holding them back from being their strongest and truest selves. With the newly accessible Indigo Beach providing plenty of room for multiple bonfires, Dreamers will see several bonfires stretched across the dark blue sand, logs and rocks assembled around each one, beckoning Dreamers near.
As soon as they step out on the beach’s sands, characters will find a slip of paper on their person (in their pocket, up their sleeve.. any readily accessible portion of their clothing.) On that piece of paper, they will have a personalized phrase catered to them, making them remember a painful memory that has held them back in some way. The phrase can be anything players want it to be as long as it jogs the memory back into the head of their characters. Those with a paper slip will feel compelled to sit around the bonfire and contemplate their memory; they also will feel encouraged to share that memory with anyone who is sitting nearby. If characters choose to throw the paper slip into the fire, those who have heard the story of their grief will have a very vivid visual of the event in their mind’s eye along with feeling the exact pain they went through as well.
Once these memories are shared and characters take a moment to grieve, they will feel significantly better about the past situation that caused them so much pain. This can be temporary or permanent, it’s up to the player.
Although refreshments won’t be provided, Dreamers are encouraged to bring their own. And yes, something adjacent to s’mores can be something characters may bring.
On the morning of the 1st, some dreamers will receive a message from an unknown user.
Who or what from home do you miss the most?
They will feel compelled to respond with a truthful answer, as if their brains had gone into a trance, and before they know it, their response will be there for everyone to see. It cannot be deleted or changed. The user will not respond personally, but you get the sense they are definitely reading.
[ This is an additional network option for characters to interact with. Feel free to add a network prompt into any of your top levels. If you do not want to interact with this prompt, simply assume your character did not get the message. All threads are public unless actively privated by characters. We generally encourage threadjacking and engagement, so feel free to mention if threadjacking is fine with you so that others are aware. Note that the NPC will not be actively responding. ]
Welcome to the labyrinthum TDM! All events are game canon. New characters (invited or not) and old characters alike are welcome to play in it. Existing characters can start their own logs or network posts for the event if they wish to.
New and Old characters are welcome to top level on the TDM. Please state in the header if you are a new or old player! Also, new characters may link their top levels under the new character comment so they are easier to find. Thanks for your cooperation!
New 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.
You can find more information about the game here. Any questions regarding the TDM can go under the comment below. Special thank you to Melissa for the player plot and prompts!
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"Aa, it's me," he grunts, and tosses a pillow at Todoroki mostly to make sure this person is actually there, and to maintain that he is also real to the other boy. God he hates this shit - it's easier when he's on patrol, stumbles across a stranger in the Garden. With people he knows, he has to be careful.
"Mm...so how much do you know about this place then? Need to know what I have to explain and what I can omit. Though..." Katsuki squeezes his eyes shut and grips the arms of the chair, lips curling over his teeth. "I can't fucking hear myself think in this Kiddy Corner."
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The surprise slowly drains out of his face when he's certain that it's Bakugo. Well before the pillow in his face. He catches it without issue and takes the action in stride. Bakugo doesn't just act cruelly without meaning anymore and he knows that well. Plus it's a pillow, let's be real.
"I know that it has a thriving sugar economy." he notes, having been at the buffet and seen what damage that probably is doing to 90% of the teeth around here. "Or maybe is run by dentists who otherwise know that dietary discrepancies like that will allow them to continue their domination."
He thinks a little more, "I know there are people eight feet tall here, and people who are kind. I haven't been here very long." In other words he had listened, not comprehended, drank his potion like a good boy at the label and called it a day. "I know that if you're here that no one has found a way home." Because if anyone, Bakugo could.
1/2
2/2
"Aa, so you know the basics, at least. People are taken to a different world by this piece of shit named Vaeros, under the pretense of granting our deepest wish if we live in this backwater fantasy land. Welcome to Somnius, in the land of Visium. You probably got a goodybag when you showed up, right? Food and water, a gemstone, and a vial of some colored liquid. The rock is like a coin purse, or a debit card, so don't fucking lose it. It stores this world's currency and can be used to buy shit in the town and also to use on the big fuckoff rock in the square to wish for something not of this world.
"...Like your quirk." Bakugou holds out his palm, which glows the familiar red-orange color before sparks dance in his hand, tiny crackles and pops of small explosions. "Potion might help in the meanwhile, and depending on the color you got, you might even have...half of your quirk, maybe. I think red gives some kind of elemental power, so you could have fire or ice if you're luck, but it'd be weak."
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"I noticed my lack of it..." He sighs gently, letting it out in a slow stream of air. "I thought maybe we had been administered suppressants. Is it an antidote? They can't seriously think I'll believe they've been able to deconstruct my DNA at their whim to control my quirk."
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But it's the truth. Leaning back in his seat, Katsuki brings a leg up to his chest and rests his one arm on it, shaking the smoke that lingers between his fingers away. He's lucky to have gotten his quirk back when he did, honestly, it feels like people nowadays have to really save up to get their powers back. Maybe Vaeros is starting to sweat with all these weirdos getting buffed up more quickly than he thought? Whatever it is, Katsuki is already wondering how much he has set aside to perhaps help Todoroki buy back his own quirk. Not like he really needs anything right away, so...better to use his shards to help someone else, right?
"This is a different world entirely, not Earth, and no one here besides us and the people I've talked to even know what a quirk is. But beyond that, I have something to ask, and I want only a yes or no answer, got it? Nothing else, and I fucking mean it." His expression says so pretty starkly, the serious but not biting glare. Katsuki doesn't want to have his future told to him, nor does he want to spoil it for someone else, but he has to know...
"Do you know how I got these?" the blond asks, lifting his shirt to show off the scars on his abdomen and shoulder. "And if yes, has anything happened to you beyond when I got them treated? Yes or no only."
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"No one..." he sighs heavily, he had considered maybe it could have been a quirk itself making them think that, but why would they use that as the background for it? They wouldn't. "
His eyes are down more than on Bakugo at the moment until he asks him and in a sincere way that he knows Bakugo isn't messing around. His eyes tick to the scars, then mismatched back up at crimson. "Yes. I know how you got them, and yes." it's just 'yes', but he feels the clarification is necessary.
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Thank god Todoroki understood the seriousness of his question, before it gives Katsuki some peace of mind right after, though not much. It's good that he knows what the fuck is going on in the world at their point in time, but...he's also probably from beyond where Katsuki recalls. Fantastic. Meaning it's him who's out of the loop. But he'll explain that now.
"Mm, that's all I needed to hear," he grunts, dropping and smoothing out his shirt a little. "Long story short - we're not on Earth anymore, this is a totally different world called Visium and the town is Somnius. Time is fucked up the moment any singular person is brought here by the Overseer, Vaeros, who is the ruling sovereign of this world currently.
"For everyone that comes here, their individual timelines stop back in their world, meaning that you experienced stuff farther ahead in time than I did, considering how you answered my latter question. Frankly, I don't give a shit about what happened, I don't want to know about it secondhand, so don't spill your guts to me. Anyway...we're stuck here until we either find a way out or he get dumped back home on the cockwart's whim. ...I've been here a year already, more or less."
Slight manga spoiler at the end in case anyone's skimming
He says nothing of it, there's no need to, just listens patiently and takes it in. As usual the mask stays firmly on hsi face, giving away nothing of the stress behind it. Aside that Bakugo knows him so well that he... well, does he know? Likely not at that point or when did Bakugo start understanding him so well? It's given him a small crisis over it, yet again behind that mask because if this is the person that's sitting in limbo back home, then who is it? Who is he, even?
"I see, the situation is dire." He drags a breath in and lets it out. "If you've been here that long, there's no way home." At least he saved his brother, he knows he did, he knows he and his family did. They had to have.
"So then... We focus on avenues you haven't been able to explore yet. We can do that together, or re-explore ideas you think could've benefitted from someone from home."
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It's definitely something to be said that they can probably both tell how stressed out each other is - they've all been through hell more times than any of them should. More than any Pro Hero has in their entire careers, probably. With all those emergency situations, they've formed a much deeper connection with one another and can just tell things on body and facial cues, and Katsuki does note that Todoroki's getting into his own head. He nudges him with a foot, because it's probably better for them both that they actually do get out of here. Just to spend some of that restless energy. Katsuki sits up and a nods for Todoroki to follow - talk and walk asshole, he's taking you home.
"Aa, worst of it is we can't even get any information about this place or Vaeros...it doesn't fucking exist in any written record, and all the villagers literally worship the ground that pricks shits on." Katsuki sneers. He's been frustrated by this sheer lack of information for months. Because without knowing something about Vaeros, how can they possibly fight him? He can take away their quirks, pull them in from other dimensions, what else can the guy do? How outclassed are they, really?
"And he doesn't appear publicly. If anyone's even contacted him, it's probably done through that wooden cell phone thing - the Oracle. He stays in his castle that's impossible to even get close to. It's bordered by the Labyrinth, and even flying overhead doesn't work." He hasn't tried that, but Katsuki's not stupid enough to risk getting too close and his quirk not working while in the sky. Yeah, no, he'd rather die in a less clown-like fashion, thanks.
"...Yeah, but don't expect to figure shit out in a timely manner. There's so much more to deal with than just that, too."
Sorry, Roxy I have a cold still.
He shoves some of these fun looking makeup items into the pillow he's got his other item in the case of and follows. Once again listening he considers for a moment what they do have to work with. "Then we draw him out. Everyone has weaknesses." Which isn't so very hero-ish, but this coming from the man who threatened to leave people frozen and told them they won't last long. Did he want to? No, but there are things that need doing.
"I don't need timely fashion, I feel like we just need it at all. So we find and exploit his weaknesses."
AWWW NOOO, PLEASE JUST FEEL BETTER, DUDE, NO WORRIES AT ALL. ♥♥♥
There's a half second though, as they're walking out (Katsuki won't comment on how Todoroki can read what his intentions are without speaking, though he does deeply appreciate it - he missed how his friends can just understand him now - the ones here are getting there, but they don't have the bond he and his classmates do), that the blond looks at the taller boy with a flat expression, as if to ask 'are you serious' when he loads up a pillowcase with make up supplies, but...fuck it, go wild, Todoroki. Grab some facial wipes and razors while you're at it - Katsuki could afford to get a new one to keep his face shaved.
"A good idea, in theory, but I don't think it's plausible..." The doors to the party close behind them and immediately some of that tension in his shoulders is released as the noise disappears. Jesus fuck, that was awful for an introvert like himself. "The thing is, Vaeros doesn't leave his castle for fucking anything, even when the lives of his people are put at risk. Like I said before, that asswipe isn't the only problem we gotta deal with - there's plenty of monsters and other cursed shit that rolls around here. We had zombies, ghost possessions, werewolves, and a number of other shit, too...not once has Vaeros came to the rescue.
"Besides that, we still aren't fully sure he's to blame for the bad shit happening because no one's really caught him in the act, it's all an assumption. I don't trust him, and not many others here do either, but the villagers do - they love him - and even if that's some powerful fucking mind control or whatever, I'd rather not incite a riot. You and I can deal with a couple dozen civvies without lethal force, but others trapped here aren't so fucking nice."
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EijiroKirishima, or Iida... or Ura-- okay so his friends know how to navigate him and this is no exception."Everyone has a weakness." He repeats, and he's sticking to it. If they wait long enough, there'll always be an opening. Maybe that's a little less heroic, but he's not above playing dirty to win as long as he hurts no one in the process. "Monsters?" He asks, rhetorically as Bakugo goes on to tell him which ones. Well. He hates that for them. A lot.
He has a lot to think of and not a lot of brain power to think about it. He may take a page from Midoriya's book, no pun intended, and look into it through a written medium. Something that he can see physically to show Bakugo or anyone else. ...Right now all he wants to do is get settled in. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out and how to use it without hurting anyone else. I have confidence in that."
no subject