November Intense Event 2024 [4th Wall Event]

[labyrinevents]

Visitors Arrive

It's not clear when it starts. It's subtle, with one new face appearing in one of the alleyways in Somnius, a gold cuff bracelet unremovable from their left wrist. Another appears a little while later, on the outskirts of the woods. Several more appear, as the hours go on, scattered throughout the neighborhoods of Somnius. It continues like this, a sprinkle of new faces with questions on their lips that becomes a steady stream. The natives do their best to accommodate these new Visitors, but it becomes clear quickly that they are different from the Dreamers, arriving all throughout Visium, rather than in the Enchanted Garden. Rumor travels throughout the city that these Visitors with the golden cuff bracelets must not have contracts, and may still have their native powers. They're treated just the same, encouraged to make themselves at home until Vaeros decides what to do about their lack of contract.

Vaeros remains suspiciously quiet, even from his castle beyond the labyrinth. There's something electric in the air, the atmosphere crackling in anticipation. What's on the horizon?

• 🏘️ Making House
  There's no end to the mushroom houses or hill houses available, and though there are fewer in existence, it seems as though the desire for a cottage means there will be one available. Visitors are encouraged to make one of these places their home, but some need a bit of TLC to be homeworthy. Roll up your sleeves to make these houses your home! Sweep out those cobwebs and find that the mushroom houses stand straighter and feel healthier the more their insides are cleaned. Other homes feel lighter, and the land around them feels more fertile the more tender care is put into maintaining them. Though many come without electricity and water, it may be found that, for Visitors only, these dwellings will self-connect if enough work is put in. Be careful not to get sprayed in the face by that hose or faucet you're currently polishing!

• 🌇 Exploring Town
  There's a myriad of places to discover in Somnius. Not only are there native run places like the Stone Dragon Café (which will, unfortunately, almost always misinterpret your order in some fantastical way - they just don't have the best grasp on Dreamer foods), and other businesses run by Dreamers themselves. There's Club Quartz - which is often open late, and always welcoming to those who want to visit - Bloom Boutique, the Dreamer run flower shop, Kuchel's Tea Shop, a long running standard run by a different Dreamer, and of course, south of the cottages, a few miles off the main road, there's a pretty white farm house with a swath of field behind it. There's also the Church of the Moon, ran by locals who fervently believe in the moon and her power to keep the world in balance.

• 🚸 Unruly Kidlings
  Like any city with people dwelling in it, there's bound to be children. This particular week, the kidlings, both gelfling and goblin alike, seem to be extra naughty. They'll take slingshots to shoot dreamers and visitors with sticky gum, and they're putting soap in drinks that cause those who drink the syrupy concoction to hiccup soap bubbles out of their mouths. Nothing they're up to is particularly dangerous, but it sure is mischievous. It might even be fun to join in when groups of these children take to the streets to race on self-made rollerskates, skidding and rumbling down the cobblestone.
  
  Dreamers and Visitors might find themselves as makeshift parents, having to guide these unruly children back to their actual parents. Those who take up this task will be given small tokens in thanks - simple items like pearl beads or glass baubles that, if are floated in glass jars with water and several others, will show pleasant memories from the person who last touched them.

• 🪩 The Labyrinth
  The Labyrinth, freshly reestablished has been quiet. Dreamers will find initially that they cannot enter, but that the labyrinth looks completely different to Visitors. Welcoming and warm, it comes across as inviting and somewhere Visitors seem drawn to. It will be up to Dreamers to stop them before they enter, or take advantage of temporary openings that WILL allow them to enter that only appear when a Visitor goes in, in order to chase after them.
  
  Dreamers and Visitors alike will experience moving walls and shifting pathways, and find themselves drawn to one place in particular: a tall clear crystal statue that seems to hum. Time spent around this statue compels anyone around it to tell the truth, but when night falls it compels confessions of desire or even love.

Control Slips

cw: natural disasters, potential dismemberment

There's peace for a while, even with the mysterious appearance of these Visitors. However, as time goes on, things start to feel a little off kilter. The ever present barrier around the whole of Visium shimmers ominously, cracks and sparks appearing along the sky, almost as if a bubble is trying to burst. Swirls of color splotch through the sky, only becoming more and more evident. The weather begins to turn cold, then colder still, but then turns warm again. Rain falls heavy and fat, only to disappear the moment day turns to night - which seems to be happening rapidly and without much warning, the day shifting several hours in only a few minutes. These erratic shifts between day and night only seem to further fuel the storms and dramatic weather patterns that dance over the island. Some parts of the island will experience dramatic environmental changes from other parts. While the city could be covered in snow, the forest could be experiencing a heat waves. Concequences from these weather patterns are possible, including forest fires, flooding, freezing of crops, and the dramatic rise of tides on the beach.

What's worse—the very ground beneath everyone's feet begins to rumble occasionally. It, too, starts off subtly, but as the days progress these rumblings cause small cracks, then fissures, and finally, craters that seem to radiate heat as though they reach deep into the earth, beyond the ocean and land. Echoes of cackling and ominous whispers filter up from these fissures, and those who stand too close might find themselves possessed with violent desire or the wish to sap the energy from others in any way possible. Time away from these fissures will make this behavior wane, but be careful!

All of this activity seems to be waking up adversaries and creatures old and familiar within Visium, so be prepared to handle them!

• 👾 The Fireys
  It's no surprise that, even with the wild weather, the Fireys are making a reappearance outside of the deep recesses of the woods they call home. They're wandering into Somnius, large gaggles of them looking for something FUN to do to match the wild atmosphere and crackling magic all around them. They will party in their usual way, their strange bodies able to detach wherever they want. They have no care that not everyone's body works this way, and will relentlessly pursue anyone they think is playing too hard at being a wallflower.
  
  When touched by a Firey, body parts do come off, much like dismantling the limbs of a doll. For most people, it’s painless, but for the unlucky few, it’s as excruciating as having it cut off. The Fireys, though? They have no concern for the well-being of others. They will run off with their loot, kicking it around and hiding it, forcing that unlucky soul to go on a morbid scavenger hunt.

• 🌑 Shadow Wolves
  Those shadow-like wolves have made a reappearance, traveling easily through the slithers of darkness as the moon and sun erratically change positions in the sky. The crackling energy rebounding through the atmosphere fuels them much as the blood moon once did, once again giving them solid form...
  
  What once was a shadow becomes a ferocious direwolf as large as a tiger, blacker than the night itself, and with razor sharp claws and teeth. These wolves target the natives, who are the most defenseless in this chaotic situation. Adults and children alike are snatched and carried off with the intention of making a meal out of them. These wolves cannot be reasoned with and do not speak. They will attack indiscriminately if they are separated from their intended prey. Once again it is up to Dreamers to protect the native population and usher as many as they can to the new Healer's Conclave, a medical and healing safe haven for those less inclined towards combat.

• 🦇 Visium's IRS
  No one likes it when government agents go rogue. But in the chaos of rebounding magic and crackling barriers, the Skeksis seem to be operating on their own. Instead of targeting the locals, as many expect once they first show up, the Skeksis target the Dreamers' belongings. They're vicious and will attack in groups when they happen upon a dreamer with items that they have regained. Your gun? Clothes? Any myriad of items you could be carrying on your person from home or gained by Vaeros' magic? They consider that theirs now. They have little regard for how they leave dreamers in the wake of their grabbing and snatching. Visitors will also be targeted for their golden cuffs, but the situation is dire for them; if their cuff is removed by the Skeksis' magical means, the visitor will begin to wither like a plant stricken with no water and a disease. The only way to stop this is to get the cuff back and place it around the visitor's arm again.
  
  They won't stop at simple possessions either. Those who have wished for homes, castles, and home improvements will also find their homes targeted. Normally places of safe haven, there is no such unspoken rule this time around. Skeksis will wield wands made of purple crystal that seem fused to their hands to rip home additions from their foundations, to crumble standing buildings and pull out plumbing. They can be ganged up on should they get singled out, and should dreamers break their wands their homes will return to the way they were before the Skeksis began their nasty work.

Returning Magic

At one point, the sun sets from its point at high noon, the day rapidly descending into night and giving way to the moon. Shimmering along with the stars, something else appears in the sky. A magical shimmer ricochets through the sky before the image of a large white barn owl flies through the night sky. A screech echoes through the air, cutting through the crisp, stunned silence coming from the natives and the land itself.

"If you do not wish to see the complete unraveling of this place, then I suggest you give back what you have been given. If I am not given this power back, the island WILL sink, it is no longer my choice. Pray at the crystal and return my power to me."

An ominous rumble of thunder echoes through the sky as soon as the image of the perched owl—Vaeros— disappears from the sky in a shattered shimmer. The natives look towards Dreamers especially - expectantly - as they clamor for the help that only they can give. Vaeros is doing his part! You must do yours! Help us all before we no longer have anywhere to live! Give back to the crystal! GIVE BACK TO VAEROS! Ultimately the decision to give back to Vaeros is up to the dreamers themselves, but the consequences seem to be quite dire to the gelflings and goblins that make this place their home.

• ✅ Returning Magic
  Those generous enough to be willing to sacrifice their regained powers will need to get to the Crystal to do so. When there, they will need to join hands in prayer with other dreamers willing to sacrifice, as well as locals who are there to bolster the wish. This action won't take long, but it does take significant concentration.
  
  Interruptions or wavering resolve might result in electric shocks that sap energy. Those who do make it through the prayer and give up their power will feel significantly lighter, and a little weaker but they will find a deluxe potion in their pocket when they stand. These potions will replace the returned powers for now, and at full strength. Those who already have red or yellow potions can obtain a second to gain a second elemental power or a second transformation.

• ⛔ Refusal
  Wait a minute. They want us to return our what?
  
  So, Vaeros is urging Dreamers to relinquish their regained abilities back to the crystal in order to stabilize the crumbling world. Those who do sacrifice their abilities will notice that anomalies nearby begin to calm - some, however, are surely opposed to this idea.
  
  What's the right call? Perhaps your character wants to advocate for sacrificing abilities as requested, or, perhaps your character is dead set on doing the opposite. Dreamers who disagree with Vaeros' requst might attempt to reason with others, speak out to the population at large, or even go so far as to interfere with others praying at the crystal to return their abilities. Locals will try to deter these dreamers from interfering, but the natives are generally much weaker than the contracted Dreamers.

• 🔮 The Crystal
  Those who visit the crystal at this point in time may find that it feels like a safe haven. Besides the Healer's Conclave the effects during this time seem minimal the weather stays steady though the time of day still reflects the same fractures as everywhere else. Huts and tents are set up for those injured by the fireys or shadow wolves, and despite these creatures wandering around everywhere, they can't seem to get into this area. It's a welcome safe haven in all the chaos, and it allows those who wish to pray and donate their regains to do so in...relative peace.

Working Together

With their world and status quo once again thrown into chaos, the natives are growing restless with frustration. Those who are not cooperative with Vaeros are shunned from businesses that are native-run. They might even have a hard time seeking help at the local Healer's Conclave, a new establishment meant to replace a previous Dreamer establishment. Dreamers and Visitors alike may find themselves ushered unceremoniously out of buildings or even public spaces in the town if it's clear they've refused to help the situation. Those who do seem open to helping are greeted warmly and actively sought after with gifts and healing balms. A large contingent of locals have also hastily erected a large board near the Crystal, decorated with gems and carved creatures in its poles. This newly erected Quest Board is how they've chosen to organize their new desire to facilitate tasks that the dreamers and visitors can do to supplement the magics at work to save the island.

Quests appear on the board which insist that connection is vital to repairing the deteriorating world. The locals plea with Dreamers and Visitors alike to seek each other out, and find what connects them.

😱 Shared Scares
Dreamers and Visitors, you must find what bonds you! Sometimes weakness is louder than strength. Seek someone out who shares your greatest fear, and share it with them fully. Honesty is essential. The world will not repair unless you expose your most vulnerable anxieties.

🎇 Drive & Desire
Dreamers and Visitors, strength lies within you still! What is it that you want? Seek someone who shares your greatest desire, and share it with them fully. Honesty is essential. The world will not repair unless you reveal the heart of what drives you.

The magic in Somnius is currently unstable. With Dreamers sacrificing their regained abilities to the crystal in the interest of stabilization, many are left with only the power granted to them by potions. Even if one does still have their regained abilities, locals implore Dreamers to use their potion-granted powers to complete certain cleansing rituals.

🐺 Wolves at the Windmill
The White Windmill has been overtaken by a pack of shadow wolves, prowling inside and out. The magic surrounding the Windmill has become extremely unstable, but nothing can be done to cleanse the space until the wolves are done away with. Locals warn that only using animal transformation magic, granted by the gold potion, will successfully run off the wolves and regulate the area.

🌊 Lake Oh-no-men
Erratic weather near Lake Omen is causing massive waterspouts to form. The area has become extremely dangerous, but locals warn that only using elemental or healing powers granted by the red and blue potions will calm the phenomenon. Dreamers must work together and lend their magic in order to regulate the area once again.

OOC

Expand to see our Event Summary

Visitors Arrive

• Mysterious Visitors appear all over the city of Somnius identified by a gold cuff bracelet around their left wrist that cannot be removed by any means
• Other than the mysterious arrival of these Visitors nothing really seems awry. Visitors do not remember a contract with Vaeros or a wish being made.
• Visitors are given the chance to clean a home to make it their own.
• The town is active and open, with all of it's usual shops and locations open for exploration.
• Somnius' kids are out in full mischievous force, causing all sorts of havoc and participating in rollerskate races
• The labyrinth is acting a little funny, those drawn into it might find a statue that will either make them tell the truth or confess romantic feelings

Control Slips

• Over time, the setting starts to break and things stop working as they normally have
• Strange weather effects occur all over and at the same time. Blizzards, heavy rains, heatwaves.
• Night and Day begin to swap over and over again.
• Cracks in the island form all over, spreading and causing ravines that sometimes seem to drop clear to inferna.
• The shadow wolves have returned, violently targeting locals
• The fireys have appeared, once again looking to have fun in their own distressing way
• The IRS reappears but targets dreamers and their regains.

  OOC Note: Linked TDM plotting posts are for reference of these mentioned creatures only.

Returning Magic

• Vaeros appears as an owl in the sky,. He demands repayment if Dreamers do not wish the island to be destroyed. He can no longer hold together the fabric of Visium.
• Dreamers can offer their power regains to help Vaeros maintain the integrity of the island.
• Dreamers that sacrifice these regain will temporarily be granted an extra potion power of their choice to use during the rest of the event.
• Dreamers and visitors can doubt what Vaeros says and try to convince others of their way of thinking.
• The crystal area has become a safe haven from the chaos of the island.

  OOC note: The rewards that can be sacrificed can ONLY be powers or high-stakes items that facilitate character abilities. Regains to housing, mundane items and similar are not valid. Anything that is voluntarily sacrificed during this event will be returned at a later time via another event and cannot be regained with shards in the meantime.

Working Together

• Locals have little desire to work with or tolerate Dreamers who won't help.
• Natives have set up a quest board to facilitate working together in order to bolster Vaeros' magic to sew his magic back together.
• By the time enough magic is returned to Vaeros to control his land, visitors begin to flicker and disappear. They leave behind their gold bracelets.

Welcome to our November 4th Wall Event! Please keep all event activity to this post and subsequent overflows. We have provided a couple of headers for both Visitors and Dreamers to post their top-level links should they want to! We are also including a third header where we will have a form to fill out regarding donated regains. Please see our plotting post for any event related questions.

An important note about Visitors! All Visitors still have their canon powers. But they can not donate them to Vaeros. Have fun with that!

The Healer's Conclave is our new "clinic" location! Located in roughly the same place the clinic once was, it is a building molded from the trunks of ancient local trees and old pieces of labyrinth wall for protection. Inside, it is much the same as the clinic with a magical healing wing and a traditional medicine wing. This is a well staffed and NPC run "business", though Dreamers can work here. A location entry will be added for the Conclave no later than January 1st.

A State of the World post will be put up on December 10th, based on activity within this event, so look forward to it! Have fun Dreamers AND Visitors! A special welcome to our Visitors coming to us from outside the game!

Comments

Takuto Maruki | Persona 5 Royal

[placation]

i. the crystal – counseling (for visitors only!)

[ Maruki hasn't counseled in months. A chapter closed, not without some amount of heartache, but ultimately for the better.

But then the sky cracks, the ground ruptures, the unfamiliar faces begin to appear in droves. Old habits die hard, and opportunity is not a lengthy visitor – it ought to be grasped by the horns when it appears.

Any visitors seeking out a safe haven at the crystal will find one of the tents not occupied by gelflings or goblins looking to patch up the wounded and beg dreamers for sacrifices, but by one of the dreamers themselves. A sign outside advertises:

Ayin-Yesh
Counseling services provided by Dr. Takuto Maruki, PsiD

Rest, chat, seek healing, or ask any questions you have about this reality

Inside, there are a few mismatched chairs and a small, rickety table piled with snacks one might find at a modern conbini, as out of place as that may seem in a medieval village. Maruki sits in one of the chairs, radiating nothing but steady, calm warmth during such a turbulent time. He smiles gently at the visitor poking their head in and gestures for them to join him. ]

Hey there, come in. You're welcome to stay for as long as you'd like.

ii. the crystal – sacrifice (for dreamers only!)

[ Being posted up near the crystal does also mean Maruki has a front row seat to the locals trying to convince dreamers to give up power that is inherently their own.

All told, not many in Somnius know the extent of Maruki's disdain for Vaeros. While he's never pretended to be a fan of their captor, he also hasn't gone out of his way to make his true sentiments known – that is, by and large, reserved for those who he already knows share the same opinion.

This false reality falling to ruin might not be such a bad thing. A crumbling Palace does eventually eject all those within it, after all.

In a moment of respite between talks with visitors, he can be found standing just outside his little counseling pop-up tent, arms folded comfortably over his chest, watching the gelflings and goblins pray. His eyes lift, a mild and curious smile quirking his lips. ]

Ah, have you come to consider a sacrifice?

iii. forest – blizzard (closed to eren)

to know how it ends

[ It's only a ten minute walk from the farm to the machiya. By all rights, they should be safe.

By all rights, they should know better than to expect safety.

It's a whiteout, almost instantly – the crisp autumn afternoon swiftly overtaken by a snowstorm so intense it's nearly blinding. There's no shelter to be found in the middle of the woods, not really, and within minutes the small cliffside overhang they'd sequestered themselves beneath is entirely snowed in while the blizzard still rages on.

Maruki has his jacket from home, as ever, but it's hardly built for this sort of weather. He wraps both arms around himself, looks over at Eren helplessly. ]

It's snowing faster than you could melt it, so I think we're stuck here for a bit...

iv. beach – (eventual) heavy rain (closed to akechi)

and still begin to sing it again

[ They haven't been avoiding one another. Partially because it's impossible to do so, partially because they're both too proud, and partially because– well, their lives are inextricably tangled up together, aren't they? Maruki has spent nearly every day of the past six months in Akechi's presence, and happily at that. He doesn't want to avoid him.

But they've certainly avoided the topic.

Until now, with a request to meet at that secluded outcropping of the beach that Akechi found months ago. One place guaranteed to be completely and utterly private, if not safe – and Maruki knows they can easily dispatch any threat that finds them there. He almost wishes one would.

Late autumn dipping into winter is a poor time to be seaside. There's no lounging on the sand for them this time. Maruki sits on one of the rocks, elbows propped up on his knees and hands folded beneath his chin, forehead dropped down to rest on them, until Akechi arrives.

He picks his head up, doesn't smile. ]

We're talking about it. If you try to walk away, I'll keep you here by force.

[ Tentacle prison. ♥ ]

v. horizons – (eventual) shadow wolves (closed to adachi)

as if it might turn out this time

[ A few miles off the main road through town is a farm frequented by only a small portion of Somnius' population– until now.

Visitors wander all over Somnius. They appear from nowhere in places that they shouldn't, and it occurs to Maruki very early on that Horizons is as likely a place as any for them to find themselves. It's a bit like being back in their war-torn future, which does appeal to him – the possibility for those in need of help to find themselves at the farm's proverbial door, and the possibility for threats to do the same.

He's making his way there from his own home when day shifts abruptly into night. Maruki swears quietly to himself under his breath, fishes his phone out of his pocket to use as a flashlight. Even with that, it's still difficult at best to see what's ahead – it's only by virtue of the fact that this path is so well-known to him that he can navigate it in the dark.

At the edge of the woods, with the fence that surrounds the perimeter of the farm not far off and lights from the house in the distance, he pockets it again–

And finds himself stumbling smack into another person also trying to pick their way through the darkness. ]

Sorry–!!

[ Maruki catches himself against them quickly, and he knows the residents and frequent guests of the farm well enough to immediately know it's not any of their shapes. A bit shorter than him, lanky in a way few here are. Not a wayward gelfling or goblin, certainly a human, just not any that he knows.

He draws his hands back, squints, drops his voice to something less startled. ]

Are you lost? Can I help you?

vi. machiya – skeksis (closed to akira)

i learned that from a friend of mine

[ It doesn't take long for the Skeksis to find the machiya.

Maruki killed enough of them during war. He knows how they operate, how to take them out with brutal efficiency. What he wasn't aware of, though, is their preoccupation with dreamers' homes. That's new behavior from what he experienced before, and it's–

Infuriating in a way that little else here has been, down to the bedrock of his soul. In a dangerous false reality, he has managed to carve out a sliver of safety and comfort, shared it with the people most important to him. He won't let harm come to it.

Or to those inside of it.

His first thought is to get out and fight. His second thought, as ever, is a simple one, like a clear note struck from a bell in an empty room:

Kurusu.

They've barely finished breakfast as the Skeksis are spotted outside the window, as the walls of the machiya begin to crumble. It's only Akira's presence that puts a quick stopper on his hair trigger response to summon Azathoth, and Maruki whips around to look at him with wild eyes. ]

You can't fight, can you?

[ A genuine question. He knows Akira won't have any abilities, but he doesn't know if his erstwhile friend is concerningly good with a sword or a gun like Akechi is. ]

vii. wildcard

i'm open to anything else! you can see my plotting comment with some other ideas here. my only request is that before you wildcard me, please hit me up either on my plotting comment (for visitors) or at mackleberry (for dreamers) to discuss the idea first, just so i can be sure i have bandwidth for it (counseling does tend to pop off lmao) :3c

cw: gun violence, gore; wildcard - PAN FIRST

[savetheweak]

[This world has become dangerous. Oda made a vow a long time ago to never take another human life, but a rabid dog is a rabid dog; these wolves are unlike any animal he's ever seen.

[He can't think too hard. Somnius, thus far, has not been a place where he's had to worry too much about life and death, but with danger present, he jumps into action, second nature. It's a damn good thing he got those pistols as soon as he arrived, or he'd be in deep shit; of course, he wouldn't have done anything else.

[Oda knows his way around a gun - this is an understatement. For as long as he can remember, they've only been extensions of his own two hands. He can hit any target from any angle - running, jumping, midair, flat on his back.

[With Flawless on his side, too, he has no reason to worry.

[He seeks out the wolves himself. He'll save those that can't fight for themselves before they ever have to.

[The pack descends from all sides. Oda takes one out to the right with a shot through the skull, then fires to the left -

he's taken by the ankle from behind, sharp pain giving pause - a wolf to the left latches onto his neck--

[No good - the wolf to the right is taken out through the skull, he sends himself backward through the air and takes out the wolf behind, shot between the eyes--

success.

[Next, a wolf on either side of him. He aims and fires, arms spread out--

wrong angle - a wolf takes either arm--

[No good. He aims and fires, crossing his arms, firing a shot into each wolf's heart--

got it.

[Four out of six. One lunges at him from the front - he kicks it in the chest--

no.

[Shoots it through the chest--

teeth wedged in flesh - wrong.

[Bashes its head with his pistol--

deterred - a shot fired - dead on the ground.

[One more. It begins bounding away in a new direction. Oda aims his gun - fires as the wolf leaps--

it dodges away to the left - a bullet pierces Takuto Maruki's forehead, splattering his brains throughout the trees.

[Oda sucks in his breath, shakes his head - watches. The wolf dodges, rears, leaps at Maruki, just as Oda saw; he fires two shots into its legs, sending it to the ground, writhing, crawling.

[Calmly, he approaches it and fires two clean shots through its head.]

Sorry about that...

[What's he apologizing for?]

wildcard - PAN SECOND TOO

[abandonhumanity]

[They've been spending more time at the White Windmill lately. Ever since the night Akira first arrived, they've found it to be a safe haven, far enough away from both the machiya and the farm to feel some small semblance of peace. Eren still has fondness for the place left over from when he and Aubrey first filled it with comforts for themselves, long before he returned to his world and lived the rest of his life.

[When he sees that the windmill is in peril, he contacts Maruki immediately.

[The quest warns of those beastly wolves they've come to know prowling about, the magical anomalies erratic. As they approach, sunshine turns to storm, the blades of the windmill spinning so fast that the building shakes.

[Eren pauses their approach a few yards from the entrance, eyes narrow, scanning for the creatures, though there appear to be none outside.]

The listing said to use gold potion transformation magic. [He looks to his friend.]

I'm not sure how my regeneration works in my wolf form. You'll have my back. [No question.]

ii

[a_cute_batata]

"Maruki."

Luz is here, looking tired and small but at least a little happier seeing that her friend is here. She missed him.

"I'm considering it. This is pretty bad. Last thing I want is this place falling into Inferna, you know."

i. counseling

[requiemofanightmare]

[Hisoka can't say he's much for counseling (though he could certainly benefit from having it). But, reading this sign, what sticks out to him is ask any questions you have about this reality. And so, Hisoka finds himself inside, ready to ask questions. He finds a seat when welcomed in, deciding on his first question.]

What can you tell me about this place?

[He figures it's better to start more general, and then fine-tune his questions as he goes]

lmao lol

[enteloki]

[Akechi knows why they're meeting on some desolate, secluded beachside long before Maruki's words reach him.

He knew when the text came. Knew when he typed out an acknowledgment and confirmation of the time to meet. Knew when he passed by Akira's room and saw life in an empty space that lacked it only a week ago that this is what they were going to talk about.

They need to confirm information, relay details and be on the same page with this new resource. A familiar person who feels like a stranger and friend at the same time. He's sure Maruki feels same. It's a case, like any other. Missing memories or not, an Akira from another reality is still Joker.

And Joker is someone he hates more than anyone else in this goddamn world and-

Joker is stronger than anyone he's ever met - even Maruki pales in comparison, though he's yet to realize that.]

How stupid do you think I am? I knew what you wanted to discuss. I wouldn't have come here if I didn't agree with you - in fact, let me turn that threat back around. If you try to leave before I'm through, you'll pay for it.

[A few meters away from Maruki, arms crossed over his newly acquired winter coat - it's not cold enough for it yet, but the brisk air feels ice when the ocean breeze picks up.]

So let's begin - first, we'll both confirm what we've found out about his reality. It's not ours, but it may be one we're familiar with due to this world's previous distortions. I've written down what I recall about a few of them - however I'll admit the details are fuzzy. Some more than others.

[He can feel those fucking marks on his eye - metaphorically speaking. The sensation blinked away with an uptick of the wind.]

Second, we'll narrow down his timeline and other facts he's relayed or we've gleaned. Third-

We'll decide if he's real or not, and deal with it appropriately.

[If it's this world fucking with them-

Well, Akechi will handle it today.]

So start - relay all you know.

i (Dawntrail spoilers)

[guncat]

[Counseling? He could use some counsel right now - for all of his knowledge as the Vow of Reason he is somewhat clueless. He can't do much for the wounded other than basic medical care, but the idea that someone else would have a better idea than him as to what is going on here is a relieving one.]

[he catlike man doesn't recognize the name of the place nor the bit after the older man's name, but he enters anyway. The snacks get a bit of a strange look - what is that packaging? - but he nods and sits.]

Thank you. I am Koana. I... could list my title, but I get the feeling you would not know it. I am a bit lost, I... admit. This is a very new and strange place for me and I do not quite even know where to begin.

... Do you know how we arrived here, for a start?

Counselling

[sparedparts]

[Ciel had been casting an incredulous gaze towards those performing the ritual in between bouts of aimless wandering, but mostly keeping to himself. This area seemed to be the safest that he'd come across, but he was painfully aware he was small, physically weak, and completely alone. Even with his pistol, he was an easy target. So he moved with a wariness...

Right up until he noticed a pile of snacks on a table, as any teenage boy would.

So he peered in, only to nearly jump out of his skin as someone spoke. Really, he should have known. With a hesitant step back, he looked towards the source of the voice, needing to buy himself a moment to do a proper risk assessment of the situation.]

My apologies for intruding but... what sort of establishment is this?

ii.

[capillatus]

Maruki. It's good to see you.

[Kurogiri bows his head respectfully. This setting seems oddly formal, somehow... Yet in spite of the formality, he smiles softly.]

No. There's no need to consider. I've only come to sacrifice.

[He says this simply, but he's come to the conclusion that it's the best course of action. The fact that he has absolutely no reservations when it comes to acts of sacrifice may have made the decision easier...

He glances at Maruki's tent.]

I see you're here to help people, as usual.

[At this, his smile warms with fondness.]

i. the crystal – counseling (for visitors only!)

[boundarykey]

[ Abigail is dressed neatly, considering it was the fall season when she left Chaldea in search of BB, Asterios, and Tamamo. The Fox Demon God, who had apparently left in a much messier way than the other two - but they still remained there within Chaldea all the same.

It was as if Time was stopped. Yet, time kept going? Yet, time was gone?

It was strange, and Abigail thought it even weird that Dantes hadn't said a thing to her either. So, she needed to understand what was going on. A part of her wondered - was everyone having fun without her again?

It's how she winds up here, in Somnius... As for how she winds up in this tent, well, that is because of two cats. ]

Nosh! Luthar! Please stop running away from me like that, especially in a place like this; if we don't stay close together, I might just lose you here!!!

[ Two cats reveal themselves to Maruki, stumbling inside and with Abby unable to see them at this moment. Begin batting at each other, starting a quick fight that immediately stops the moment Abigail walks into the tent after them. With immediate swiftness, the two cats move further within. They come up to Maruki, Nosh, the black one. Jumps up and sets themself on a table, licking along its paw, waiting for Abigail to come closer. The other, Luthar, is grey in color and has a black mark on its face. He begins to rub himself along Maruki's legs. Both also have a blue bubble that floats on their forehead, as if it were a spirit or ghost lingering there undetetered. ]

Oh.

[ A quick look, her eyes fall onto Maruki's immediately, and it takes her a moment to gather herself together. Understand what she is seeing.

She is an entity that can see between realities, specifically, what dreams are and what is unseen. She is an entity that was created to connect and unlock the gates into what is unseen. Abigail is Yog-Sothoth, and she both the Gate and Key. What she at least sees, is someone interconnected with realities - ]

Oh! Oh. Hello! [ Abigail smiles gently; her demeanor at this moment is someone who is very calm and collected. However, the light glimmering in her eyes tells another story, as they seem to blaze with life. ] I knew it... There is someone like Abby out there in the world... There is someone just like me... I knew it! May I please know your name Mister! Please tell me! Mine is Abigail Williams, Mister -

[ A dreamer, like her, an actual one, and although her existence was created by a demon pillar God. In hopes of connecting to a Universe, a false reality based on dreams and what humans create or conceive. Abigail was certain, outside of herself and Carter, or Oei. That there was no one else out there like her. It made her delighted, and Abigail is but an excited child, clapping her hands together. ]

but please call me Abby!!

you know (˵•̀ᴗ - ˵ )

[gotbrains]

--Gueh!?

[ Whoever this stranger is, they seem to be more startled by Maruki than he is of them, reeling back almost comically into a pratfall before managing to catch and steady themselves. Just. Just a second, though, they need a second for mental steadying along with the physical. ]

For cryin' out loud, can't go five minutes here without some... [ He mutters in exhasperation, more upset with the situation itself than someone else having trouble navigating pitch blackness.

He shakes his head as if to knock out any remaining disorientation, and looks forward to see--well. Almost nothing. Not one of those freaky little whatsits, too tall for that, and honestly if whoever this is is another human being that puts Adachi at a little more ease. Maybe, just maybe, this can be an interaction that makes some amount of sense. ]

That depends, you know the place well enough to get around like this?

[ He gestures at...everything, whether it's seen or not. Can't keep his hands still. ]

'Cause I'll be honest, it's a 50/50 whether I can even get around my own apartment when the power's out. There's always something you forget you left out until you're stumbling around and--

...Yeah. Yeah, I'm kinda lost, here.

sacrifice

[miseriainfernum]

A sacrifice...

[Harry frowns in thought.]

All I have is the magic that potion gave me.

[It's clear the magic isn't more than a novelty for him, though.]

If I have to give that up to save this place, I will.

counseling

[9redsquares]

[The man who shows up looks... well, "out of it" is putting it politely. He looks like a complete and utter mess. There's enough stubble on his face to make it clear he hasn't shaved in a while, there are prominent dark circles under his eyes, and his nails are dirty.]

Hi, uh— sorry.

The sign out from said something about answering questions about this place?

blizzard boys

[abandonhumanity]

[Eren's natural body heat does well enough to keep him warm day-to-day, but, even for him, this is a little extreme. He only wore his coat today because it was recently gifted to him by Hythlodaeus, and he's feeling rather attached to the thing (aside from that, Hythlodaeus keeps stealing the old one). All that is to say, the weather came as a surprise to both of them. Eren should have known better than Maruki - this happened laster year, too, but with much more warning (Eren adventured into that blizzard intentionally...)

[He scoots closer to Maruki, sitting with his knees up, legs parted. He pulls the man into that space, slipping his arms out of the sleeves of his coat and nudging him to take the sides so he can wrap it around both of them.

[After that, he raises his hand and smoothly slices his skin open with a canine tooth. He doesn't transform, but deep red grooves do splinter out from beneath his eyes, running down his cheeks, all the way back to his ears. Energy crackles around them, steam rising in thicky columns out of Eren's body.

[Neat trick, huh?]

wildcard - lake oh-no-men

[sadpoem]

[Sunny found himself in a predicament. Lately, he's been fixated on this idea that he can be brave, but clearly that isn't the case. Granted, Omori has taken a rather hands-off approach the past couple of months when it comes to his cowardly charge; some fears are more difficult to overcome.

[Lake Omen rages, massive waves breaching the shoreline, towering waterspouts threatening to pull unwitting passerby into their dizzying gales.

[If Sunny got swept into the waters, there would be no Hero to save him this time.

[So, he "ran"; this leaves Omori, small, facing the storm, formidable, all on his own.

[But he spots a familiar face.

[In a bid for Maruki's attention, he flings his knife in the man's direction. Thank god for Omori's aim, because it lands, blade sticking sharply in the ground, right in front of the man's feet.

[Omori makes eye contact, holding out his hand; the knife dislodges itself from the ground and flings itself back into his grip.]

vii. wildcard

[devilishkouhai]

[ It seems that when she was busy taking care of unraveling her own coding and fixing it. That this place went to absolute shit - she thought her wish was enough for Vaeros to get his shit together. However, it would seem the dumbass can barely function with a suitable gift given to him. This place was in disarray, and she can tell that reality was unfolding by the seams. An owl flies right by them, flashing a message to them all detailing how Vaeros is desperate for their powers and desperate to make this place remade again.

BB could feel herself getting angrier and angrier, grumbling under her breath; the ire in her eyes could be found in how they flashed red and stayed in their crimson colors. She steps with a sense of defiance, refusing to give her powers for now making him suffer for it.... For putting her in this position.

Where she gives him a mile, and he only takes an, inch only to ruin it.

The Fireys that seem to try to get her attention get dissembled by the sudden thud of tentacles that lay heavily against the earth after forming from shadows. Ripping apart their body and throwing the pieces all around, caring little for where they landed or went. Shadow wolves would come at her, and she would, boredly, toss them aside as well finding that they never truly crossed her path as she walked.

Looking for no one in particular but marching along, trying to figure out how to satisfy this situation. BB ends up meeting face to face at this moment, with a Shadow Wolf who managed to pass by her tentacles. She reaches for this one immediately. Shoving her hands into their mouth, and tearing its jaw apart from its cranium. Hearing the gurgling sounds of it choking and whatever made up the noises that caused its bones to crack against the strength she put into ripping it apart.

BB kills it, and stares into the distance. ]

Oh.

[ Seeing a familiar face. ]

Ohaiyo ~ ☆, what are you doing here?

i. counseling (bothers you more)

[inabasfinest]

Counseling, huh?

[Dojima eyes the tent. There's a furrow between his brows—well, there usually is, but it deepens further, and he doesn't hide his incredulity. One thing he hadn't expected to encounter here was a counselor offering services—not that he'd expected anything about this place. Getting dragged into other worlds isn't his thing at all. He prefers to keep his feet on the ground, his own ground.

He can't say he's not suspicious of this stranger offering to listen to people's personal problems in this bizarre place, but he's never been one to trust easily. Or been one for counseling in general. His current situation isn't improving his mood. He's ill at ease, and a headache is throbbing behind his left temple.]

You do that back home or take it up here?

[He knows he has a tendency to interrogate, but he can ask a couple of friendly questions. A healthy dose of suspicion's a good thing, after all.]

i. counseling

[crownless]

[Honestly? Travis just showed up for the free food without paying the "counseling" part too much mind. Eventually, a dark-haired American man wanders in and spends a few moments browsing the selection before helping himself to a fruit sandwich; as he unwraps the plastic, he deposits himself unceremoniously into the chair opposite Maruki.]

Thanks. Travis Touchdown. [He nods gratefully at Maruki.] Nice place you got here, Doc.

[Travis is around Maruki's age, but lax where the doctor is steady-- his shoulders slouch, there's holes in his jeans, he's manspreading rudely in this chair. But there's an attentive light in his bright blue eyes and a long, now-faded scar over his left eye.]

So, you're a counselor, huh? [Travis glances down at his sandwich, picking a strawberry out of it and popping the fruit into his mouth.] Are you just doing this out of the goodness of your heart, or has this helped drum up business for you at all?

( i )

[undateables]

Actually, I was just leaving.

[ nothing against therapy. it's useful. he is kind of a therapist. just take his word for it. ]

And judging. Just a bit.

II. Sacrifice (Let’s go XD)

[magusrobin]

[Chise shouldn’t have been surprised that Maruki set up a mini counseling tent. Really, all she could do was smile as the sign came into view. But… she wasn’t here for counseling. She simply wanted to check in on him, in the midst of all… this.

And yet his question gave her pause.]

I… don’t really know. [It was her honest truth.] I’d like to think that the efforts we are taking are helping but… is it enough? I know… I could help without anyone else hopefully having to sacrifice but…

[She trails off, shaking her head. Simply because of what Chise was, simply by existing, she might be able to solve this. Yet… she didn’t know what the right answer was.]

I assume… you have some thoughts on this?

:tposecorgi:

[arsenist]

[He's washing the dishes when the walls start coming apart.

Akira's face is halfway to a frown, turning to look at Maruki for an explanation - and then he sees the expression on his face, the sound of his voice.

He can't afford to tell him, but if he's already confessed about the battle on Christmas Eve, then...

He makes up his mind with barely any time spent on it at all. Even if he doesn't say everything, he needs to be honest. Whatever this is, it's something bad.]

No. The power that I had as a Phantom Thief... I can't use it here. [It's a point against this being a cognitive world, perhaps, but he thinks Maruki still makes a reasonable argument for it.] I have a dagger, though. I got it from Akechi a few days ago.

[He doesn't even know if weapons would work on whatever he can see moving around outside the window, but... It's something, at least.]

ii

[meliorated]

( She doesn't want to sacrifice anything.

It's selfish, it makes her a terrible person. She knows this. But, anything she sacrifices is going to hinder her in the grand scheme of things. She promised she'd help, and it's her duty to return home. Her magic was supposed to help her not only do that, but protect those so precious to her.

But,

She knows that if she doesn't, this world could fall apart. Others would have to sacrifice something precious to them. )

This world has become a home to so many. If a sacrifice can heal it, then I'll do it.

ii

[xerosbeat]

[Demi-Fiend just gives him a very long, long look. Can you imagine him doing something so selfless? To give away his hardearned powers (he did nothing he just shitposted until he had enough shards for it)????]

I can here to laugh at people.

[Those losers who did heroically decide to give up their powers... yes, he came to laugh.]

Why? You giving up your Cthulhu-sona?

ii

[el5n]

[Elan's here! Maruki may or may not have caught him giving the pop-up clinic something of a suspicious look at one point, but it was brief, and he ain't about to start shit over it this time... For a multitude of reasons: 1) he knows Maruki a little better now, 2) he doesn't have the veil of online anonymity to hide behind, and 3) ...He's a lot more settled in and a lot less feeling like a cornered animal needing to lash out these days.

It's enough that Maruki's question gets one of Elan's patented, "way too calculated looking to be real" Pleasant Smiles (tm) in reply.]

Sadly, no. I really haven't got anything to give up!

[The closest thing to "powers" that he's ever had would be his implants, which... He doesn't even know for sure if he still has them here or not?? The only way to tell would be to hook himself up to a Gundam, and. LOL. Wow. The idea of spending his hard earned shards to regain access to the same cursed machine he was fighting tooth and nail to get away from in the first place? Beyond laughable.

He looks back at the crowd, humming pleasantly.]

No, I'm just here for the people watching, I'm afraid.

ii

[howveryglib]

[Gaius is also, admittedly, pretty uncomfortable with this whole thing, though perhaps for different reasons...]

I did not ask for anything I could be sacrificing at this moment.

[...]

I find myself somewhat reticent to bargain with the being keeping us here, and seeing this does not instill me with the desire to do so in the future.