sticksandbones | EVENT & TDM 017

Entry tags:

!event,
!tdm

EVENT & TDM 017

WHO ARE THEY?

WAKE UP

Grey, overcast skies. A touch of autumn rain. The smell of crisp apples and fallen leaves, and the crunch of grass underfoot. Pumpkins growing along the path and out of the walls of the buildings and on the rooves and wait what—

You’re not sure how you got here, but does it really matter? There’s something more urgent happening. As you stare at the pumpkin growing out of the wall by your head, something small and coin-shaped bonks you right on the noggin. As you look up, you’ll realise that the rain is gradually becoming less and less wet, and more and more… candy.

It’s raining candy. Wrapped candy, mind — the sky doesn’t want any food safety issues! No razor blades in the chocolate this year! — but candy nonetheless. Chocolate coins, taffy, sour candies, you name it, all coming down gradually before an absolute deluge of goodies pour down upon Aldric’s Grove. Some of them include wrapped bags of microwave popcorn and, yes, the occasional toothbrush. If you’re lucky, you might get clocked in the head with a mini pumpkin!

…don’t be lucky. Maybe get inside and wait for the trick-or-treat storm to pass, and make some friends while you’re at it. Surely the people who’ve been here for a bit can explain this one? Surely…?

A BONE TO PICK

At midnight the day after the candy storm ends, a distant rattlin’ sound can be heard. From the forest surrounding the Grove comes the clickety-clack of dry bones as what appears to be a small army of skeletons assembles. At the head of the phalanx is none other than everyone’s favourite friendly skeletal spirit, Mr. Bone-Jangles. If anyone happens to be up at this late hour, he’ll wave hello and greet you… by plucking one of those pumpkins off the wall or out of the ground, breaking it open by ramming his skull into it, and handing you one half.

It’s full of candy, just like the skies were. Has anyone cleaned up the candy sitting on the ground from last night’s storm…? This is too much! Just as someone tries to tell him that there’s too much sugar here, he breaks open a second pumpkin, which contains fully-baked pumpkin pie that uses the shell of the pumpkin as the crust. Sigh.

This will be your entire month. Mr. Bone-Jangles will hand you sugar-filled pumpkins if he thinks you’re getting too sad or uncomfortable at any point, and his skeletal entourage follow behind him, loudly playing off-key music like the worst marching band you’ve ever heard. You’re not entirely sure how skeletons can play the trumpet — they don’t have lungs! — but it doesn’t really matter. It’s happening. You must deal with it. He’s not taking “no” for an answer.

Cheer up! Stop being depressed! Try Not Thinking About It™!

IT’S YOU, IT’S ME

Not everything can go smoothly, though. Not that one would call Mr. Bone-Jangles and his marching band of goobers smooth, but at least they aren’t an active threat to you. The same night he appears, so do others. Your “Other” — a doppelganger who looks just like you, thinks like you, acts like you, has powers like you do (or don’t). They know you. They want to be you.

The Others don’t make their appearance too obvious. They hide in the shadows, waiting for the opportune time to strike. Some might even wait until you’re talking to someone else to appear and cry out that’s not me! I’m right here! in an attempt to frame you. In almost every way, they’re the perfect “you” — especially should they get the drop on you and slash your throat, or gut you like a cod, or push you into the well where you’ll fall for an eternity before drowning all alone. Your Other will replace you seamlessly and, perhaps, they might turn their attention to your friends and loved ones next.

Yet, there’s always something “off” about them, no matter how perfect a replica. Perhaps your Other is more temperamental. Perhaps they don’t speak as well, or they speak far more intelligently than you ever did, or they’ve forgotten basic facts about their life. Perhaps your Other forgot that their dear friend’s birthday is coming up here soon. Or perhaps…

…the knife they brandish in broad daylight is a dead giveaway?

…IT’S US

If you don’t kill your Other first, they will certainly kill you. The Others aren’t too concerned about any corpses hanging out in broad daylight, easily discovered by the masses where they can try to investigate if it’s “you” or “them”. Their job is to kill you; the method and clean-up really don’t matter, and since they’re the only ones left, they can claim easily that you were the doppelganger all along.

Where does your spirit go when you die to an Other? Deep within the forest lies a mansion made of creaky old wood and worn-down stone, one which no one outside can currently get into. The spirits of those who died are trapped here, left to haunt these halls. It is, ostensibly, a normal-if-decrepit home inside. There are living rooms, there’s a foyer, there are plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms, there’s a humungous kitchen — and as you float through the home, sometimes, a sense of mischief overtakes you. You really want to throw that table at someone. You really want to jump out at someone and frighten the daylights out of them. It’s dark in here, and there are plenty of places to hide.

Sadly for your prankster’s heart, the living — no matter how hard they try, and you sure can hear them trying — have been unable to break in, and they won’t be able to. Yet, standing just outside the iron-wrought fence, a stalwart figure of chaos and bad ideas, holding a greatsword with both skeletal hands… stands Mr. Bone-Jangles.

It seems like a way inside might unveil itself after all.

SPARK NOTES

CLICK TO EXPAND!

WAKE UP

Welcome to Aldric's Grove, newbies! It's raining candy and the pumpkins are growing out of everything they can, no matter how nonsense it is. The people who've been here for a while probably know how to explain this one. Definitely.

A BONE TO PICK

An army of skeletons with instruments are here to cheer you up. Whenever you're Too Sad or Too Uncomfortable or Too Negative Emotion Here, they will chase you down and play music, and their leader will hand you a broken pumpkin full of sweets. Yaaay!

IT’S YOU, IT’S ME

The peace doesn't last long. Doppelgangers appear, seemingly from nowhere, with the intent to kill and replace you. They're almost-perfect copies, but there's always something off about them. They're perfectly killable, if you're smart about it.

…IT’S US

Those of you who die to your doppelgangers will leave a pretty corpse behind, and your spirits will be trapped in a (currently inaccessible) mansion in the forest until further notice. Your spirits will be quite tempted into mischievious ghost activities while you await your rescue.

OOC

Welcome to October's TDM! Reminder that all TDMs are game canon. This is the LAST TDM of the year; November & December won't have any due to the holiday season. We'll see you guys in January with a fresh new TDM, but feel free to continue playing on this one until then. OOC Plotting Lives Here if you'd like to plot anything out!

Living characters cannot currently get into the mansion to stage a rescue, but we encourage anyone who's "gone ghost" to float about in there. The rescue will be a mid-month event for our current playerbase at time of writing.

UPDATES

❖ None yet!

SUBMISSIONS

QUESTIONS
INVESTIGATIONS
PAST-LIFE PLOTTING

(CODE)

Threaded | Flat

Please use the following form for investigations:

Character(s):
Location:
Action: What are they looking for? What are they doing?

Edited 2024-10-03 18:24 (UTC)

As with last Halloween, our friendly local skeleton is here to chat with you. You can also handwave interactions with him in your threads; this is simply a for-fun thing.

Current players in-game can use these threads for Bonus AC.

By signing this form (aka putting a comment down) you allow anyone, current player or TDMer, to doppelganger-stab you in the back. If you wanna die that's also cool.

If you'd rather, you can also put in the OOC section of your toplevels that you are or aren't okay with a little violence this season. 🎃💀

[A - Gourd vibes]

[Surprising to absolutely no one, Loop is being followed by skeletons. Which was! Kind of alarming, at first!! But they've had some time to figure out Mr. Bone-Jangles deal by now, so. It's fine. They're cool with the skeleton entourage.

They have altogether way too many treats, though. There are currently five half-pumpkins of varying contents stacked in their arms, wobbling dangerously. None of which they can eat! And they have tried to explain this, they appreciate the thought, really, but they cannot do anything with this many pumpkins! Or any amount of pumpkins! Mr. Bone-Jangles please they do not have a mouth!

It's getting to the point where they're tempted to just dump everything on the ground, thoughtful gift or not, but—an out! They spot someone who is not carrying any pumpkins (yet).

Beaming, Loop tilts their head around the stack in their arms.]

Here, it's for you~ [please just blinding take one their arms are so sore, if they think they can get away with it they'll offload the entire stack at once. your problem now!!]

[B - Don't bark up the wrong tree]

[After the disaster that was last month, any sane person would probably stop sleeping outside where something could murder then in their sleep... Anyway, Loop has made a new camp for themselves! They've taken up a spot next to Pure Vanilla's house, at least, so they're not far from a roof if it rains. The tree they're parked under isn't as nice as their old one, but it's a bit easier to climb so maybe that's a fair trade-off. It's a nice spot! Could be worse! Probably has a heap of pillows under it already, maybe a blanket PV brought out for them. It's getting colder out, after all.

Loop can be found sitting on the roots on most days, fiddling with their knife and sometimes a rock. They startle easily, so maybe don't sneak up on them if you don't want to get stabbed.]

[C - all of this is wolfie's fault tbh]

[At some point in the month, they decide to follow up on a whim. A challenge, perhaps. An important gift.

Loop is standing in the river like a freak, admiring themselves in this glittering monstrosity. They were 100% only doing this for the bit, but. It's actually kind of comfortable? The fringe swishes in a fun way. Suddenly reminded that wearing clothes is nice, actually. Huh.

Huh!

Anyway, they are going to wear this for the rest of the day. Is this better or worse than walking around the Grove completely naked?? That's for everyone else to decide, they're still having fun with it.]

[Wildcard]

((hit me up on discord/BlueFlewFedUQueen/plotting for something else! a surprise!! :) also, you may attack/attempt to kill Loop, but they will fight back if u wanna kill u gotta earn it ok. go nuts have fun etc i believe in u all))

[A - It is always an appropriate time to make a bomb]

[A certain scientist has found his way into the lab, because of course that's where he'd go first. He's looking a little... different from how most might remember him, though. His hair is a tangled mess, clothes dark as night and accented with bright pinks and purples. Glowing dust seems to trail in his wake, and there are patches on his arms and foot that glow white hot with strange energy, and his array of drones look like strange diamond slabs instead of complicated needles...

But it's most obvious from the front. His eyes are flooded black, glowing strangely, and look upon all with an air of suspicion. Who the fuck are you people.

Anyway, he is currently entertaining himself with... a bomb! An unfinished bomb that Gnosis left unsupervised* (he may have broken into a drawer but like that's obviously a security flaw do better Gnosis). Not gonna be unfinished for long! He is not wearing ANY lab safety equipment for this.]

[B - Please be patient this is only my second rodeo]

[Later, Add is different again?? Somehow? Are there perhaps three Adds in the Grove now?? Don't worry about it. He's significantly shorter, looking more like a young teen than an adult now, short hair to match, and a cat-eared hood pulled up over his head. He's looking a little less glow-y and fragmented, at least, and only one eye is black instead of both... this is good, maybe, probably.

He's sitting on the edge of the well in the town centre, swinging his legs, calmly eating candy out of a pumpkin shell. He pauses when someone comes close by, though, putting the pumpkin aside to call out to them.]

Hey, you. How long have you been here? A few months, a year? Give me a rough estimate.

[Wildcard]

((hit me up on discord/BlueFlewFedUQueen/plotting for something else! probably not gonna app Add fr but like... it's a maybe....... anyway you can also attack him if u want but he won't stay dead that's his specialty, he's only here on vacation rn anyway. i am here for the chaos))

Wake Up

Junco didn't say Halloween was anything like this,

[Lola muttered, peering up through the branches of a tree she had taken to hiding in. Halloween was a festival of ghosts, of changes, and of celebration-- where children wandered the streets in costume begging for alms like they were themselves wandering ghosts. She sucked on a caramel hard candy while she contemplated the sweets that fell from the sky, her hat holding the extra morsels that she couldn't fit into her pockets.

... They were both sweet and shiny. Lola couldn't help herself.

On spotting someone else nearby, Lola called out to them:]

Hey, do you know where a microwave is? I can't eat this popcorn without one!

A Bone To Pick

[She stared at the skeleton in befuddlement as the skeleton helpfully gave her a... Pumpkin Pie. Lola, worried about the people who remained in that small, mountain town, heaved a tired sigh.]

Thanks again, I guess... But this doesn't actually answer my questions?

[Another pumpkin, this time filled with M&M's, was handed to her.]

How's the rainbow chocolates supposed to tell me how my Uncle is doing?

Wildcard

[I'm a new player here but down for whatever. Feel free to surprise me here, or hmu at

woodrift for plotting and chatter!]

Edited 2024-10-04 20:42 (UTC)

A) I've become the criminal | Grove's Edge, OPEN

[Sesa, unfortunately, isn't particularly fit at present to be deriving as much joy as he would have out of the Witches Feast festivities that Mr. Bonejangles is spreading throughout the Grove, for he is miserable. Just...it's just the worst he's felt since Mizuki died, because this is that, but an even more gut-wrenching feeling given that he was actually there, able to action some kind of pushback, yet he still could do nothing. He doesn't really seem to want to talk about it at all, and if he's keeping his arms more tightly bound than usual, don't ask questions.

It's fine. He's fine.

Or, at least. It was fine, until he returns from an extended walk alone to his workshop already occupied by himself.

Maybe Sesa gets to contend with this alone. Or, perhaps you're just now walking up too to check on him, and you realize...oh. That's...

There's two. Two of him. One looks fit to murder, and the other looks more alarmed than anything. And which one is which may not be the one you think.]

[PROMPT A NOTE: I would like to thread out Sesa fighting his doppelganger here, so please let me know in your header if you'd like to partake! No limit to how many people do this, rp time isn't real so I do not care about contradictions. Otherwise you'll get a lighter thread with your character getting to stand there and try to suss out who is real and who isn't.]

B) Fleeing from the scene | Anywhere, OPEN

[However it happens- with someone attempting to help, or with Sesa struggling alone until the very last- his double manages to swiftly overpower and dispatch the Vouivre, seamlessly taking his place. It would have been more fun, had he put up more of a fight, but alas...trauma is a tricky thing, that. Between the loss of his beloved, and the even older loss of a dear brother, was he ever in league to survive at all?

One cannot say. It's not like it matters now, when his corpse has been left somewhere to either be found, or left until it disappears of its own accord. The one who took his place doesn't particularly care one way or another.

It's very much...Sesa. It's like the real Sesa never left, truly. He's back to business as usual, and some might say sequestering himself in his workshop to work on things is just...normal, expected behavior. But if you happen to cross paths with him in the Grove, he's...

Fine. He's fucking fine in a way that someone who just lost their fiancé very much should not be. Like, his behavior is one-to-one with the Sesa everyone remembers, but that's just it.

Does anyone remember Sesa being his normal self...at all, this month?]

[OOC plotting lives here!]

Edited 2024-10-05 19:58 (UTC)

01 | BONE TO PICK

[ The skeleton band crew is going around playing this but oh Change, it's so incredibly off-key it's almost painful. Does that stop them? Apparently not, since they keep going, they're just Going At It while Isabeau stands here like the polite man that he is and just. Sorta looks over with a small laugh and half a pumpkin in one of his hands, thanks Mr. Bone-Jangles. ]

Do you think their band name is "The Family Tombstone"?

[ The best way to cope is clearly with jokes! Don't worry, he has more puns available to him than that. ]

02 | TREATS GALORE

[ Well, there is at least one person trying to tidy things up around! Cleaning up the leftover candy from a night's shower. Except even with a couple of bags, there's still so many??? He's holding up two bags right now, and yes there may be a few chocolate coins scattered on his person. One atop his head, tucked into his sash at his torso, along with a toothbrush...?? Must've been out here a bit earlier while it was still raining candy. ]

There's still a lot to go through - I feel kinda bad thinking about throwing it all out though, you think these are edible?

[ Surely it's safe if they're in wrappers, right? ...Right?? Contemplating this dilemma right now. ]

WILDCARD

[ ooc; if we share the discord server, feel free to dm me! otherwise you can hit me up at

burners or even at the ooc plotting here for any planning! as a note while i'll be avoiding death (at this time), you're free to attack and injure him with the doppleshenanigans! injuries are A-OK! 👍 throw anything my way! ]

A) Wake Up | The Church, OPEN

[Were you aware that Wolfwood, resident Priest and Undertaker, is in, a mood? No? Well congratulations, you now know. For his efforts to burn away his restless energy the last few days have only worked for so long, and even the fading bruises on his face from his fight with Flamebringer aren't enough to keep him from feeling pissy. He's awake again, sure, but still contending with the entire month of time he lost out on. Even though it wasn't his fault, that doesn't mean it feels good. It's all around bad vibes, man.

He's trying his best to not think about it. Maybe if he can find ways to preoccupy himself...such as tending to the Church, which is a thing he's pretty much always doing anyway. There's a lot of cleaning up to do right now given that there's just candy fucking everywhere (none of it will go to waste, as he's gathering it up in containers for another prompt), despite knowing it'll probably replenish itself faster than he can grab it. Thank you, Mr. Bonejangles.

And you know what else makes that difficult? It's not just the pigeons that roost in the Church anymore. Oh no.

There is a pigeon the size of a minivan sitting atop the spire now, folded up like a massive feathery loaf, blinking his eyes out of sync with one another as he stares down at Wolfwood standing in front of the doors with a container of candy under each arm.]

...you ain't budgin', are you?

[The Pigeonking answers.

COO.]

B) A Bone To Pick | Anywhere, OPEN SPECIFICALLY TO: the kids/teens of the Grove, you also apply if Wolfwood thinks you're younger than you are apply yourself here accordingly (Mizuki, A.B.A., etc)

[After he's dealt with the Pigeons, Wolfwood decides to spend his time doing something more productive with the candy he's collected. Namely: placing it in individual candy buckets provided by Mr. Bonejangles upon request and sneaking it to the doors of those he believes would appreciate them the most. His partners are not children, but they are the sole exceptions here who also receive a bucket too.

Though, let's be honest: does anyone need MORE candy. You can just walk outside and grab it. But this is keeping him from going insane, let him live. He's easy to catch doing this if you want, because he has his Dachie with him- who he's finally named Bartholomew, or "Mewmew" for short as Ain's been calling him- who has been DESPERATELY trying to climb into the candy buckets to steal some sweets. So, you know, that's gonna cost him some time.

If you're wondering what that shuffling is behind your door...yeah. Candy crimes are afoot.]

C) It's You, It's Us | Grove Outskirts | OPEN, CW: Blood, Gore, there's a dead body here, you know the drill

[You're too late.

There's an eerie calm over this side of the Grove, the suggestion that something chaotic just took place and now the world is taking a breath in the wake of it. The sound of someone's heavy breathing is all that permeates the air through the forest's edge.

Standing just on the cusp of the treeline is Wolfwood, holding his Punisher with a grip so tight his knuckles are white with the strain. He has it propped up against his shoulder, the long side thrust into the dead grass. It's smoking, humming with recently expended energy. From behind, it's hard to tell what's really...going on with him, until you get closer and begin to catch the acrid smell of blood and flesh burning.

Just a few feet away lays a crumpled form. A human body, very much no longer alive, with the chest cavity caved outward in a way that suggests something blasted clean through. The flesh all along the opening is burnt, the blood vessels cauterized instantly on impact. It's actually a small miracle the body wasn't vaporized outright.

It's recognizable to anyone who knows him as being Wolfwood himself laying there, blasted apart by his own cross.

And...Wolfwood, too, turns to look at you over his shoulder, blood splattered all across the left side of his face and clothing.]

...

[OOC: OOC Plotting lives here!]

Edited 2024-10-05 20:19 (UTC)

[[ooc: i am down for any doppelgangers wanting to try to murder him, just no actual murder. stabbing is okay and encouraged—]]

I. Costumes Galore

[The tailor shop is bustling today. Ain has the doors propped open just after the candy rain (oblivious to the fact that he's undoubtedly being stalked by an Other who's just waiting for him to drop his guard and actually Be Alone, which he hasn't been all day) and is sitting outside on a chair, fabric draped over his lap and several little pins clenched between his lips as he stitches... something. Nearby are his various animals; Dachsologie is chewing on the candy on the ground wrappers and all, Zinnia is simply sitting there cooing with her legs tucked under her on the awning, and Ginger is very much wrapped around the chair legs and clucking at anyone who comes by.

He looks happier! And definitely totally over that "I died" thing from last month, haha... ha. Ahem. Ain will wave to flag you down, and if you do give into the impulse to approach, there's a brief—]

Mmn!! Mmm! [and then he has to put the pins in the pincushion, whoops he forgot about those.] Haha, hi! Did you want to dress up for Halloween? I can make you something!

II. Doppelgainger

[When the doppelganger finally catches Ain alone one night, his entire demeanor changes. It's just one thing after another with this place, isn't it? He showed up in summer when things were largely mostly fine barring a few major issues, and now look at this place! What's wrong with it?! Ugh!!

Late at night, if you look outside your window, you might see bursts of magic from either Ain — in yellows and reds and blues — colliding together in a display of bright fireworks. They will flash through your bedroom window in the most obnoxious display possible. There's a rave going on outside and the Ains are in the centre of it. One of them has a glasslike sword and is wailing on the other one, who conjures a shield to defend himself.

Like this, it's impossible to tell which one is the real one. But should you come outside to try to deal with it, the one with the sword looks at you frantically, shouting:]

Will you stop staring and help me out?!

III. Wildcard

[i'm good for anything! if these don't work just give me whatever idc]

[[ooc note: hi passenger died earlier outside of the event and hasn't respawned yet, so this TL is entirely his doppelganger! real passe will be back in??? anyway have fun with this guy.]]

I. Missing Pigeon

[So, somehow, Passenger's doppelganger missed the memo that his target had already died several days earlier. Thus does he sneak into the Grove at night and find... literally no real Passenger. What the fuck, where did he go? Huh??? How. Bitch how are you avoiding him this well.

This is going to be annoying. He's gotta kill this guy, but every place he goes into (the inn, the cafe, the workshop when Sesa's not there) is completely bereft of his target. Empty. Where the FUCK—

He can't just ask for directions. That would be weird. But how is he meant to find the original Passenger? Uh?

...

He waves, too friendly for the real Passenger's usual demeanor, as he passes by you. Hi how are you! This guy was super nice and not at all an aloof cryptid, right?]

II. The Cafe is now a Starbucks

[Among the things Passenger did when he was alive, making American-style food at the cafe was not one of those. Doppel-Passenger does not know how to make Arabic dishes at fucking all and he's not even trying.

When you enter the Magic Lamp that day for whatever snacks and spiced coffees and teas you normally come for, "Passenger" is making... cinnamon rolls and lattes. Oh this guy is not very smart, is he?]

III. Electrical Failure
cw: doppelganger violence and murder, feel free to murder this guy if you pick this prompt

[At some point, "Passenger" will get into a fight. Maybe it's when he's trying to kill you, or maybe you walk in on him trying to kill someone else. If nothing else that's happened this month with him has been a dead giveaway, this definitely is — "Passenger" is not only swinging his fists in the most pathetic punches known to mankind (it doesn't hurt, this man is not built) but he's also conjuring blue lightning to zap you.

Anyone who's seen the real him fight in the past knows his lightning is distinctly golden. Man this guy is bad at his job. Way to get outed, idiot.

Despite the obvious failure at being Passenger himself, this doppelganger is, in fact, going in for the kill. Lightning is still dangerous even when wielded by an idiot who can't aim it properly, after all. A bolt may just skim right by your head, and then there's an audible—]

Dammit, hold still!

[Were you even moving?]

IV. Wildcard

[come at me!!]

I. A bone to pick

[With so much candy around, it almost feels like home! ...Well, Timekeeper doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, for a cookie. She's still graciously accepted a few pumpkinfuls of candy and pie, and... handed most of it to Continuum Cog. Who is MORE than happy to suck it all up, and occasionally shift into its white form to spit out glowing gummies. It's just turning candy into weirder candy, at this point. So, once Timekeeper has finished convincing the skeleton band to play even more obnoxiously cacophonous songs, she can be found sitting in the inn's lobby, sorting through a pile of candy while eating some of the pie. Continuum Cog is floating nearby, and Timekeeper has found a basket that she's filled with its softly glowing Pure Light Gummies.

There's also a very spooky dog curled up next to her chair. Don't worry about it!

She looks up when you approach, an amused smile on her face, and gestures to the candy pile on the left and the basket of glowing gummies.]

Well, would you like some? It's the spirit of the season, I suppose.

II. Time and time again

[With last month's dangers apparently gone (and this month's not yet obvious), Timekeeper has been retracing some of her steps towards the woods, apparently searching for something.

And, well, she's enlisted help. Namely, the help of the ghostly black dog she received from Enciodes - the fact that it has some exposed bone parts and a single centered eye and an eerie blue glow is inconsequential, dogs are good at finding things! It does seem to be dutifully sniffing about, following a scent for a bit, then seeming to lose it again. Eventually, however, it follows something straight up to you, sniffs at you curiously a few times, then reacts somehow.

Maybe it growls at you. Maybe it simply tilts its head questioningly. Maybe it turns back towards Timekeeper and gives a couple of sharp barks that sound like grinding stone. Whichever it is, Timekeeper walks up to you with an intrigued smile.]

Oh? You haven't happened to find half a pair of large golden scissors, have you?

[It's possible you have, actually. The most recently lost half had been buried somewhere by the local woods-dwelling werewolf, albeit poorly - something sharp and gold and shining sticking up from recently disturbed dirt would not have been difficult to notice. Especially since by "large" Timekeeper means "easily as tall as a person."]

III. Wildcard

[Go for anything else you wanna do! You have full permission to attack/injure/kill her so go crazy. Hit me up on the discord or at

ioniconeirologist for plotting!]

[[ooc note: feel free to try to kill him, just no actual murder!]]

I. Skeleton Music
cw: references to alcoholism

[Gnosis is in a situation. The skeletons have caught onto his usual misery, which part of him thinks is made worse by the way he had to quit drinking recently before he killed himself doing it. The other part knows that he's better for it, but he's been in a bad mood as the withdrawal symptoms hit, not that he isn't in a bad mood normally these days.

His husband died last month, okay, and just because he's back from the dead now does not mean Gnosis is going to default to suddenly being in a great mood. He has tried to explain this to the skeletal entourage following him around to no avail. Mr. Bone-Jangles continues to hand him candy and pumpkin pie, and Gnosis is largely ignoring it now.]

Please, sweets and music aren't going to cheer me up. You're wasting your time.

[This momentarily gives Mr. Bone-Jangles pause... and then he hands Gnosis a toothbrush. Surely THIS will help!

Gnosis is looking at you from across the way with desperation in his eyes. Please save him from the skeletons. He's begging.]

II. Debates

[So, since Gnosis has been deemed "too depressed" by a bunch of skeletons and they won't let up on this, he's taken to proving he's not depressed by socializing. Could a depressed person do this?

Of course, when Gnosis walks up to you, it's not for friendly banter. It's a pretty firm "I need to think about something other than my life" type of request, which is:]

Ask me a question about something scientific.

[He's, uh... searching for lost passions, you see, and he figures if he can't infodump or babble for fifteen minutes uninterrupted, he's probably never coming back from this.]

III. Closed to Enciodes - Hi it's Doppelganger Time

[Completely unaware that there's a goddamn fake in their living room at the kitchenette right now, Gnosis slides up to Enciodes (who he thinks is Enciodes) and bumps their hips together. It's the most energetic he's felt in some time. Finally, there's a bit of life returning to his eyes. Somewhere, his own doppelganger is with the real Enciodes, but that's for Gnosis to find out about way later.

His arm wraps around Enciodes waist, head on his shoulder. They're both fucked up and sad right now, this place has a way of wearing on them — but at least they have small moments like this.

Right?]

IV. Wildcarde

[come at me with whatever!]

I. A Pie Problem
[ Fern has picked a large rock to sit on and on which to glare at the pumpkin pie in his hands as if it has personally offended his honor. After a few moments of staring he begins angrily to eat it, gourd and all.

This seems to go well for him, generally speaking. After two bites chewed up bits start to fall out of his mouth every time he opens it. It doesn't slow him down. The pie slowly transforms from its original half-pumpkin shape into a pile of mush on the ground. ]

II. Hello Stranger
[ A 16 or 17 year old boy walks up, waving to get your attention, a friendly enough look on his face. He's wearing a hat with bear ears that covers his entire head, and has a backpack on. All of him, skin, hat, backpack and all, are green, and look somewhat... fuzzy. ]

Hey, hi there! Could you tell me which way to the Candy Kingdom? I think I got turned around.

III. Hey, you look like me!
[ There are two boys made of grass in the middle of town, each wielding a sword also made of grass. They're very clearly trying to kill each other.

How did they reach this point? As soon as they saw each other they started arguing over which was the copy-cat. It became a fight to the death after three sentences.

This might normally be a time to let them sort things out between themselves, but neither seems to have any care for their surroundings. One slams the other into a wall so hard that it leaves a dent, the other catches a bush with their sword and cuts it clean in half. The town itself is in peril now, as are any people who get too close. ]

[ooc | If one of you doesn't kill him, he's going to do it himself. ;D ]

Edited 2024-10-06 22:40 (UTC)

A) A Bone To Pick | Grove, OPEN

[Even being a Vampire, Sparkling has yet to lose his fondness for sweets.

You see, being that he's both bloodsucking and a fruit loving kind of bat, his tastes tend to skew in both directions. And how is he supposed to pass up all of these fruit flavored sweet and sour candies included in the candy rain that's been pelting the Grove for the last while? It's delightful in light of recent events, so you might find him outside carrying a parasol as candy bounces off the top of it, occasionally reaching out to snag a piece before it falls to the ground.

He'll unwrap it and pop it into his mouth, hum thoughtfully, and then turn to you with an identical piece in his other hand to offer over.]

Mmm...tell me, does this taste like what you would imagine "blue" to taste like?

B) It's You, It's Me | Watchtower Bar, OPEN

[When Sparkling's double enters the bar, it's not with any attempt to conceal themselves, really. You see, their plan had been to simply walk straight in and overpower him through sheer strength alone- he's a monster, it's just that simple- but the thing that they don't realize is that...well.

Sparkling, being a Vampire, has never seen what he himself looks like. He can't see himself in the mirror, which means he can only infer that there's something off about the person who has entered the bar today, looking familiar in a way he can't totally put his claw on.

Now, he isn't stupid. He knows what his own arms, wings, and hands look like. But he's also been subject to many strange conjurations of the forest thus far, so that part isn't anything new. There's only one way, then, to combat this thing when he knows he isn't a skilled enough fighter to do so.

Simply be smarter.]

Good afternoon! Please take a seat anywhere you'd like.

[Sparkling greets "himself", which prompts the Doppelganger to look completely baffled, but not wanting to seem strange, will step forward and slide into an empty barstool as instructed, receiving a glass of water from Sparkling as he moves from place to place taking care of his usual tasks.

If you happen to walk in at any time, it's just a comedy of fucking errors. The doppelganger- the one outside of the bar- might reach forward while Sparkling's back is turned to try to slip a knife between his ribs, only for Sparkling's ears to twitch as he hears the sound of the thing's accelerated heartbeat a little too close and simply ducks forward 90 degrees to avoid the strike, causing them to whiff and have to quickly sit back again as Sparkling places down another drink to avoid being "caught".

This cat and mouse game will continue for a while.]

[OOC: OOC Plotting lives here!]

[[ooc: violence against flamebringer is always encouraged and allowed. no murder at this time i got plans for his ass.]]

I. Bunnies & Art

[Flamebringer is trying desperately to avoid the fucking skeletons. He has resting bitch face, so of course they think he's distressed when he's really Just Like This. That's how he'd argue it, anyway. Emotionally, he's fine! Please leave him the fuck alone.

He's holed up in the bakery with the bunnies today, a sketchbook up on the table and a small brown rabbit in his lap. The bunny is helpfully (not helpfully at all) trying to reach her little neck up and nibble on the pages, and Flamebringer patiently stops her with one hand and pushes her back every time.]

No. [Nudge nudge. Two minutes later, he tries again. Hope you're enjoying your food over there.] No, you can't eat that. [Nudge. Sniff. ...hmm, but what if this time she just takes a little nibble and—] No.

[He scoops her up in one hand and turns her to face him, holding her up to his face.]

Not for rabbits. [And then, to you, hi there,] You want a bunny? She's apparently starving.

[She's a little pudgy. She is not starving at all. There are at least ten other bunnies grouped up around him anyway, this is the lagomorph equivalent of a cat cafe, so trading off one bunny probably won't work in his favour anyway.]

II. Doppelganger Murder

[Flamebringer has spent his entire life looking for a worthwhile battle. There have been lots in his life so far — generals and princes and kings that made for great opponents, but were quickly slain by his hand. Memorable, but not quite enough. Last month was fine, too; the monsters the Forest threw at them were unkillable machines, but too easy to stop. That, to him, was nothing more than a stamina competition, and Flamebringer always outlasts his competitors.

Seeing "himself" in the distance fills him with momentary confusion, before it melts away into sheer excitement. If anyone can fight him, it's himself — and the worse version is the one that dies first. It's a simple game in his mind.

It's not that simple for anyone else who happens to walk outside and see this. Both of them will tell any interlopers to go away, apparently of the same mind here. Both of them smile the same insane, manic grin, fangs bared and snarling. It's impossible to tell who's who between the clashing of dual blades and bursts of fire. The roar of battle is the same on either side. The only difference between them can be seen hours later as the sun comes up and the doppelganger falls dead; unlike every other victim of Oripathy, this one doesn't crumble into dust. He falls backwards with a wet splat, and that's that.

The real Flamebringer has been shredded, torn up, injured beyond belief — and he somehow still stands triumphant over "his" corpse, leaning heavily on the hilt of his sword. Like this, he can barely keep himself standing, but...

The fire hasn't left his eyes. He's fucking wired; that was the single-most invigorating fight of his entire life and he wishes, oh how he wishes, he could rewind time to feel the clashing of blades sending shockwaves through their collective wrists, the feeling of fire licking skin and metal carving into flesh.

If you approach at all while he's still basking in his victory and also bleeding out, he'll manage enough strength to raise his blade at you. A warning to stay back.]

You'd better be the real one. I've still got enough fight in me to kill you if not.

III. Wildcard

[i'm good for anything, hit me up!]

cw: child death

[ So things are going well! At least, Mamika thinks so! Or, "Mamika", as one might say. She thinks she's managed to fit in with the crowd well enough, and no one's tried to call her out for acting strange, which must mean she's got this whole thing down! It's hard not to, though, right? She's just sparkles and rainbows and whatever else one might expect from a teen who loves pink.

Clearly, this means she's the superior Other. What do you mean the other Others are failing? They should do better, then. Dummies.

...

Except, for as well as "Mamika" might be doing, she didn't really try to hide the real Mamika's body. She just sort of stuffed it into a tree and went "good enough!" But it wasn't going to stay up there long. So, sorry to anyone who happens to be walking by only to get a pink teen corpse falling out of the tree. There's a gross, bloody indent in her head for where a heart-shaped wand had been bashed into it.

...

So things are going well. ]

Trick or Treat

[Okay, so Halloween is definitely Mayoi's favorite holiday, and the moment October struck and the weather was finally cooler, and it started raining candy, he could not help but be in the spirit.]

[He is dancing in the candy rain and trying to gather up as much of it as he can. He is also playing with the skeleton band, even though they're so off key. No he will dance with them, too. Mayoi is down right joyous, isn't that crazy? If he's stopped, and asked, he will simply reply with a wide sharp grin-]

Fufufu, isn't this the best time of year? Ooooh, I hope everyone dresses up, I would love to see everyone in costuuuuume~

It's you, it's me

[Clearly Mayoi's fun had to come to an end at the realization that doubles were afoot. Horrifying. He has felt hunted for some time. Like someone has been creeping along, stalking him, watching and waiting for their moment to strike. He knows because he recognizes this as his own methods. He feels that dreadful presence because he knows its not unlike his own.]

[His double makes himself known, but its not the silent ambush he expects it to be. The double comes out in broad daylight, laughs and dances around him, walking and speaking with a confidence he has never known, so he thinks.]

[In his hand is a knife, a shuriken. It's a cheap replica of the one in his own pocket, he also thinks.]

You and I both know it's best for you to diiiiie, don't you think Mayo-chaaaaaan? If I were to take your place, wouldn't you feel relief? Are you not exhausted by all thiiiiis? I know that you are, fufufu~

[A delicate spin, fingers softly, intimately, gliding across his face. The dopplganger smiles sharp, loving almost, but in a twisted way. It's like looking at every one of his dark and ugly thoughts come to life. It's a mirror he wishes to shatter, and finally his hand snatches his double, quick like the strike of a snake. He grips the double's arm tightly.]

Yet even so, I will continue to defy you.

[The double's eyes turn hateful in that moment and with his free arm, strikes with the shuriken. Mayoi only has a moment to react, dodging but not before the blade catches him across the face. It stings and he feels the blood, hot, run down his face. In that moment, something snaps, and Mayoi lunges forward with a sound that barely sounds human.]

[Help him...? Break them up...? Watch with popcorn? the choice is yours.]

wildcard!!

[Hit me with something else.]

i. it's us

[ Kneeling on the grass outside of the inn is a fox man, and he... does not look well. Like, at all. Currently, he's hunched over himself, holding his stomach and breathing hard, a sheen of sweat coating his brow. Clumps of fur are shedding from his tail, and the only sound he can make is an agonized groan.

Behind him, on the front porch of the inn, stands the same fox man in considerably less gastrointestinal distress. He holds a red feathered fan in front of his mouth and nose, but his golden eyes are cracked open halfway. ]

Ah... I should have warned you not to eat those dumplings. So sorry about that. I'd say I would warn you next time, but I don't think there will be one.

ii. wildcard

[ Got anything else? You know what to do. ]

I. the feast

Ugh, seriously?? Who's going to end up cleaning all that up?

[ Warfarin has huddled inside the Inn, but she's standing by the window to watch the rain and frowning deeply when a pumpkin slams into the ground. She taps her staff (with a... bloodbag at the end of it??) against the window for a moment. ]

This isn't even how you're supposed to celebrate Witch's Feast, anyway. And you- [ You're getting the bloodbag pointed at you now! Congrats! ] Don't touch those pumpkins until we've examined them. The rapid growth could be due to something harmful. You haven't already touched it, have you? Here, sit on the couch, I have to run some tests.

II. Instability (cw: mild gore)

[ If you so happen to get into a scuff with your Other and are injured or otherwise bleeding, Warfarin will quickly be at your side. The pointed ears, the blood bag, the sharp fangs... it's obvious she's a vampire, and she thinks she's bound to get a sneer or two in her direction, but her want to help overtakes whatever pettiness lives in her heart. ]

Hold still, this might sting a bit. Keep your eyes on me. Talk to me, too. Tell me your name. Hobbies. Something to keep awake. It's important you do.

[ Despite being a medic, and a damn good one at that, she knows her healing methods aren't gentle. The blood around the wounds will coagulate and form patches of red that keep the wounds from bleeding more... but it feels akin to having someone scrape the flesh off your bones. Where's the anesthetics when you need them??? ]

I. Bunny Bakery (The Bunnkery)

[ Ezell is more than happy to introduce a cute little bakery to the town. He doesn't want to steal too many of Passenger's patrons or anything like that, but he's also pretty sure there's nothing better than eating a slice of pie while petting an adorable little bunny.

And yet, when Ezell gets into the bakery to explore it, though seemingly happy overall, when he gets upstairs...

...

If you're here to also explore the bakery, you may hear the sound of sniffing from the stairwell, as if someone had just been crying. ]

II. More Expresso Less Depresso

[ Ezell is usually seen most morning with a cup of coffee he's either made at the inn (delighted that there's Terran brands there!) or something from Passenger's cafe, but he's basically always seen out and about relatively early. Uuuuuntil the skeletons show up, then, uh, he's not... not anymore.

When he eventually leaves his room, he does so looking around, over his shoulder, and moves very quickly to get back indoors. Should someone be doing something about that? Probably not! Let the weird angel be weird- ]

III. Cop Sirens

[ The bad news for the Others is that, being an empath, Ezell can pinpoint that desire for murder pretty easily. Which means that he's easily trusting of the real folk despite the reveal of these things, and quickly on guard when he's discovered an Other. And will promptly have a shotgun in your face! ]

Don't even think about it. What's your purpose? What do you want?

A. Hunting Games
(cw: will probably contain gore and incorrect hunting methods)

[It's getting colder. Normally this wouldn't be anything A.B.A. would care about too much, she's handled harsher conditions, but she made a deal. In exchange for what she does need to survive, Heimr tasked her with hunting wild game in the clearer parts of the forest. Again, absolutely no problem! She can kill things for days!

But no, that awful old man had to ask her to go with someone else, to make sure she wouldn't be alone. Had to give her the sad puppy eyes and everything. Just terrible, unbelievable even. Isn't he aware she's the Grove's weird loner creature?? She has...zero idea how to ask for help without that person already being tied to her, so she just...stands at the edge of the forest.

And standing there.

And just...standing there.

Until finally, A.B.A. just starts shouting.]

I will be going into the woods and I require... [grumble grumble] ...SUPERVISION!!

[Yeah, that will surely get someone to help her. Damn. How the hell does she seal the deal...?? Hm...]

You will comply, or come winter, you will all DIE!!

[Yes, perfect. People hate dying! No one tell her she isn't a master negotiator.]

B. It's You, It's Me
(cw: definitely gore and dismemberment, being weird about blood, just...I'm so sorry she's like this)

[The moment A.B.A. crosses paths with her Other, it's a problem. She doesn't need the doppelganger to attack first to make her hostile towards them, one look and she wants them gone. Obviously the feeling is mutual, so the fighting is instantaneous. The end of the fight, however? Not so much.

A.B.A. is...ridiculously hard to kill. She knows this, she's proud of this. As long as she still has blood, she can survive. Her Other appears no different, so the squabble goes on all day...throughout the night... You may even hear their screeches, like horrible, murderous yowling cats fighting over territory...

Come morning, though, something must've happened because she...they...are suspiciously quiet.

Once again in a clearer part of the forest, A.B.A. the real A.B.A. with any luck, sits on the forest floor next to some awfully bloody...chunks. Meat. Corpse, it's a corpse, it's HER corpse- or well, her double's corpse but still. Not at all a comforting sight, but to the homunculus, it's necessary. In order to defeat...erm, herself, she needs to be immobilized, she needs to be drained of all blood. It's easier if she's in pieces, and as A.B.A. watched the blood spill, she couldn't help but feel like it was........wasted.

So she's currently holding one of those severed arms and dripping it into an empty bottle. Despite the grotesqueness of her situation, she can't help but almost look...fascinated. She's never had her own blood in excess before!! Does...does it still count if she drinks it? Normally her body just converts the normal blood she intakes, but what happens when converting isn't necessary?! It'll be just like a science project, and she's the subject again-!]

"Worthless woman... Drowning in dependence..."

[The weakened voice comes from behind her and A.B.A. glares at the dismembered head of herself that lies behind her. The poor thing still has enough blood to be conscious, much to A.B.A.'s dismay.]

Cease your wretched prattle already!! You lost!

[As difficult as she is to kill, A.B.A. bites her lip a little when she thinks about her own wounds. Normally, they'd heal instantly, but she's been noticing her healing hasn't been as...speedy as it normally is. Something's...wrong. Something...tells her she may have been a lot luckier than she realizes...

Oh well, she's got blood bottles to fill!

If she hears anyone coming, she won't stop her horrible juice operation, but she will address them.]

Be careful where you touch... My blood is toxic.

[She's probably referring to the blood soaked leaves and puddles coming from the parts she hasn't been able to...gather from yet, but it's probably a good idea not to touch her, either. Despite winning, she's still a little on edge.]

Threaded | Flat

QUESTIONS

INVESTIGATIONS

TALK TO MR. BONE-JANGLES

OPT-IN TO BE (ATTEMPTED OR ACTUALLY) MURDERED!

Loop | In Stars And Time | current player!

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