![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
labyrinmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
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!
sleepover;
Hah— Try some of those. They're great, heh~
no subject
[ Delighted, Aziraphale places a couple of the largest, ripest-looking strawberries on his plate, alongside a slice of tort. He wiggles his shoulders a bit in his pleasure. He's the picture of - well, of a man-shaped being who really loves food. ]
Gosh, where are my manners? It's nice to meet you! My name is Aziraphale.
[ He offers a bright smile to the boy, and even offers a hand to shake. ]
no subject
He's charmed by the excited little wiggle, equally enthusiastic about most food himself, but the spontaneous introduction catches him off guard, having just plucked a marshmallow peep from the table; he's left staring at the man's open hand with the peep held mid-air between his own fingertips. He'd like to be polite back, at least, but— he glances from Aziraphale's hand, to the peep, to his own plate, back to Aziraphale's face, the gears visibly turning upstairs. The kid's so expressive in just a few seconds... But Alberto decides to do the polite thing. So he shoves the whole peep in his mouth, replies with his mouth full, and takes Aziraphale's outstretched hand in his, fingertips still covered in sticky, sugary peep dust. Sorry, Aziraphale... ]
Alberto Scorfano. Piacere.
[ He says thickly, one cheek stuffed with marshmallow, but it's clear enough to catch his name, at least. What's more, if this handshake weren't already odd enough, after they're done actually shaking, Alberto suddenly twists Aziraphale's hand in his, this way and that, before enthusiastically jerking his arm back and forth. You know, a totally normal human handshake. Once he swallows his peep, he flashes a bright, friendly grin back. Like none of this was odd at all. ]
no subject
It's awkward, and he lets out a nervous sort of titter. ]
Yes, indeed. Ah, hm.
[ Is that - a candy-coated marshmallow he just popped into his mouth? All right. ]
What else would you recommend on this spread, if I may ask?
[ That's the ticket - ask a non-prying question, keep things light and polite. ]
no subject
[ Just by his tone, it's clear Alberto's tickled to have someone ask his opinion on something — the tone of someone who likes giving it... ]
If you want something that's not so sweet, that stuff's good, too. Popcorns.
[ He points to a full bowl of popcorn at the end of the table, fresh and fairly warm still. The way he assumes Aziraphale doesn't know what it is, yet seems so eager to teach him something new — i-is it insulting or endearing...? Tit for tat, at least, in Alberto's mind; they've traded new words now, there we go! Either way, still a bit strange. Mostly because he's also getting the name sort of wrong, if Aziraphale does know what it is... because he's probably lived in, y'know, society, unlike someone here. ]
no subject
[ That last bit is said almost to himself. He isn't really a moviegoer, but he's seen a few. With Crowley. ]
no subject
Ooh! I've seen a film! In the cinema back home! It was great. There was this princess, but she didn't like being a princess, so she ran away, then she met these newspaper guys in Roma, and they explored the whole city together — they took photos, she drove a Vespa, she cut all her hair off, and later she hit some guy over the head with a guitar, aha! Basically she had the best day of her life, heh. Aaand then she went back to being a princess again, but, y'know, she was a little happier. She'd had an adventure. It was beautiful~
[ First of all, this kid's now clearly showing symptoms of just how much sugar he's had so far tonight. More than he's ever had in his life. But really, he's just genuinely excited to tell someone about the only movie he's ever seen. Maybe Aziraphale wasn't expecting a plot breakdown, but Alberto can't resist the tangent. One of the handful of movies shown in the Portorosso theatre, Alberto'd seen this movie just the once, using some spending money from the humble allowance Massimo gave him. He may have only seen it because there was a Vespa on the movie poster in the piazza, sure, but the movie resonated — as anyone's very first movie might, but thematically, the plot struck a personal chord in Alberto, a tender note. That's clear in wistfulness that comes over him as he sums up this seemingly chaotic synopsis with the word "beautiful," not cool or fun or awesome or something offhand like that. No, beautiful. ...Even if someone got hit over the head with a guitar. ]
no subject
That does sound like a beautiful film.
[ It doesn't ring any bells for the angel, but it's possible he's seen something like it - or, more likely, read a book that was reminiscent. ]
I must admit, I tend to prefer books.
no subject
My best friend loves books! Have you met a kid named Luca?
[ So hopeful he has, clearly... No comment on whether Alberto likes books or not, himself. Which is an implied... No... Seems to classify all books as a lump sum. But the fond redirection is sweet? ]
no subject
[ Aziraphale beams at the child. It's an almost-radiant look. ]
I'm glad to hear you have friends here with you.
no subject
[ He beams back at that expression, charmed like it's something clever and cheeky Aziraphale must have come up with all by himself right there on the spot — a real knee-slapper... but seemingly like whatever pun is at play got lost in translation somehow. Odd kid. But he's even more eager to indulge the man in mentioning his friends, face still alight. ]
Yeah, I'm here with my best friends, Luca and Giulia. We're all from the same place — well, more or less. I hadn't seen them for a little while back home, actually. But now we live together! In a tree! Hah!
[ A treehouse... Not just a tree... But it's so exciting to him still, the sheer concept of their humble treehouse, it thrills him every day. ]
no subject
[ Aziraphale absolutely would never want to live in a treehouse. ]
The housing here does seem very whimsical. I'm currently residing in a castle, but it's much more like a storybook castle than anything that actually exists.
no subject
[ He gazes exaggeratedly at the space around them, looking and sounding a little awestruck. ]
no subject
no subject
[ Alberto, there are castles where you're from, too, but— Nevermind, nevermind... ]
no subject
[ Aziraphale considers for a moment. ]
There are several palaces and castles around London, actually. The oldest is probably the Tower of London, though that was a prison for most of its existence.
no subject
Really? Who lives there now? Did you live in a castle in London, too?
[ Some emphasis on the name of the city, exotic and unfamiliar to him. Exciting, though. ]
no subject
[ He chuckles faintly. ]
And I live in a flat above my bookshop. I'd have no use for a castle at all.
no subject
[ ...A what now? He's clearly equal parts surprised and impressed, like this is a novel idea to him. It's, uh, easy to assume he's never been to a bookshop, though. Or met a so-called, um, "bookerman..." Ahem. ]
no subject
no subject
Oh. Well, what about not-humans?
no subject
no subject
[ He says that like it's just a normal fact to be taken at face value, gazing drifting aside vaguely. But he looks back up with his next question, asked just as matter-of-factly. ]
What about sea monsters?
no subject
[ Aziraphale answers this with the utmost seriousness and consideration. ]
Presumably, they all live in the sea - which isn't a great place for books. Salt water tends to destroy them.
no subject
[ He says this vaguely, coming up short for a good response that sounds, y'know, normal. It's still ingrained in him to try to keep his fishy business to himself... Maybe London just doesn't have any sea monsters, he figures; it sounds pretty likely! But he'll let the subject rest, dropping it just as randomly as he brought it up, it seems. He lets his gaze drift away awkwardly again, placing both hands on his hips in a light stretch, meaning to seem very casual, yeah? ]
So, is everyone who lives in London human, then? Er— Except you?
[ He meets the man's eye questioningly, acknowledging his not-human-ness in what Alberto feels is a polite and subtle way. Which are not Alberto's specialties, generally speaking. With grown-ups, he tries, though, man... ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)