has the moon lost her memory?

[reddosmod]

JUNE 2022 EVENT

BRIEF EVENT INFORMATION IF NECESSARY

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: A person laying asleep in bed with a black cat watching them. ]
[Image Two: Someone sleeping in a bed with a demonic looking figure crouched over them, a long finger with a sharpened nail pointing towards the sleeper. ]

Prompt Two
[Image One: A set of scrolls with gold ink on them bound with a maroon ribbon around the center. ]
[Image Two: A GIF of Rick, Evie, and Jonathan from the movie The Mummy walking into a dark, underground room holding torches to light the way. ]

Prompt Three
[Image One: A black and white photograph of a long stone hallway. A girl with long hair and a white dress is standing in the center of the image. The girl is see-through, implying she is a ghost. ]
[Image Two: A series of traditional Japanese gates in the woods with steps leading up to an unknown location. There are statues between each gate as you head up. Everything is covered in moss and looks abandoned. The sun is shining through the gates. ]

[NAVIGATION]

Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3 • Plotting • Newsletter

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS

WHEN: June
WHERE: Everywhere in Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Living nightmares, violence, possible death

---

In a place like Trench, nightmares are probably par for the course for many. Whether it's things from home or new fears that have been discovered in new worlds, there's plenty of fodder for the mind to create the scariest dreams off of. Waking from them is easy enough though, isn't it? A shake from a friend or a frightening enough moment and the brain jolts awake. Someone who doesn't have to sleep would never have to worry at all.

At least until this month. Throughout June, Sleepers are finding themselves plagued with nightmares; whether it's when they fall asleep, or nightmarish daydreams when they zone out during the day, their worst fears and memories will play in their heads, and no one can wake them or startle them out of it. A person stuck in a nightmare might look like they're in some kind of trance, only waking when they reach a part of their nightmare that becomes too much and their mind finally startles them awake.

Even if a Sleeper was trying to find rest in traditional sleep, they'll awaken more exhausted than they were before. In fact, people plagued by these nightmares almost look like there is something draining their life force from them entirely. They'll start to show typical signs of weakness: ashen skin, circles under the eyes, clumsiness, etc. As the month wears on, the worse it looks. What's even more strange is they may start to show signs of injury they sustained inside the nightmares. Scrapes, bruises, even awful gashes start to manifest. If one isn't careful, the nightmare might literally kill them.

The worse someone looks, the more it starts to become apparent there's something clinging to them. A usually invisible monster latched onto their back. It's humanoid in shape, but it's skin is black and scaley, and it's fingers seem to be extra long, with razor sharp nails at the tips. It's legs are wrapped tightly around the person suffering from the nightmares, a demon taking a nice piggyback ride from it's victims. Anyone can put two and two together that these demons are likely causing the nightmares.

The demons can be defeated one of two ways: 1) Someone who sees it clinging to another person can attempt to fight it for the sufferer. It's the more challenging option in some ways, as it's almost impossible to fight the demon without injuring or killing the person it's attached to. Every blow seems to make the Sleeper being clung to weaker and there's an obvious risk of hitting them with any spells or weapons. If the fighter can get a quick, clean kill, however, then they can save the Sleeper suffering from nightmares before it can drain them of all their life energy.

2) The next option, and arguably less painful, is found in a clip from an old book on dreamscapes, for those who do their research:

...In order to rid yourself of the demon, you'll need a helping hand. The ritual is simple, but takes time, and more importantly, vulnerability.

In a quiet room, hold hands with another person, hopefully someone you trust deeply. If you close your eyes at the same time, you will find yourselves transported into the nightmare realm that has plagued you for who knows how long. Together, you must explore the nightmare, turning over every metaphorical stone until you find the demon hiding in the realm. It may be at the end of the dream/memory you're living through, or it may be hidden in the parts that frighten you most. Regardless, the demon must be faced, calmed, and eventually released.

What it means by "faced, calmed, and eventually released" is, of course, not entirely clear. This is because it may be unique to each individual. Fighting the demon physically won't work here, though. The Sleeper must discuss their memory/nightmare, facing their fear and opening up about the emotions that have created this nightmare world. Is it guilt over the death of another? Uncertainty in one's past actions? A fear of never being enough? No matter the reason, it must be divulged to the person who has accompanied the Sleeper into their nightmare. Once the emotions have been fully divulged, the demon will glow white, before slowly dissolving into glitter and blowing away.

QUICK FACTS: 1. Regular weapons and magic will work against the demon, but will harm the person the demon is attached to at the same time. If the demon is killed too slowly, the Sleeper will die with them.

2. If a demon is attached to a person for too long, it will eventually kill them. This is up to the player, but should take at minimum a week, and at maximum three weeks.

3. All demons will disappear by the end of June, regardless of whether or not they've been defeated.

4. Characters can figure out the ritual/solution to calming the demons without ever finding the book.

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

WHEN: June
WHERE: Various points in the city.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Earthquakes, claustrophobia, insects, body horror, death

---

Early in June, the ground around the city will start to shake. It will be quiet at first, but slowly grow, until there's a feeling of a full-blown earthquake under people's feet. The structures of the city will not be impacted, but people can still be thrown to their feet, and objects can fall from shelves or furniture may tip over.

When all is settled, while the buildings may be in tact, there will be large holes in the streets, and caved in areas in the woods, and ice caverns exposed under the ground of Shiver. These holes will be hard to see down to judge what's inside of them, but not so deep that they can't be easily climbed into without injury. Those who are brave enough to go inside will find that the noises of the city don't reach underground— and neither does the light. Anyone who wants to explore will need torches or lanterns of some sort to be able to light the way.

The holes lead to tunnels that run under the city streets. These tunnels aren't mapped and they twist and turn in ways that don't always make sense. It seems almost like some sort of maze, clearly meant to trick and confuse people who are trying to look inside of them. Sometimes people will simply run into solid walls that block off their path. Others might lead to actual traps. There are rooms that have flesh eating insects crawling on the wall, ready to pounce no whoever comes inside. Other rooms are filled with gases that will eat away at people from the inside, causing them to cough up blood, eventually killing them if they don't get to clean air quickly.

But some rooms will be filled with old treasures. Shelves lined with old books, covered in dust. Scrolls that are stuffed into chests with ancient objects. Most of these books and scrolls have information that is readily available in the archives, but locked chests that have been undisturbed for who knows how long hold information that may have been lost to time.

One room has a small book on Pthumerians as a race. It does not focus on the Patron Pthumerians, but on the general population of them. It discusses the early history of the Pthumerians and their admiration of humanity. It tells the lore of the Sleepers and how Pthumerians populated the world when much of it was destroyed by Sodder's dream world took over. An excerpt can be read here.

Another room holds a scroll that is tightly sealed. It can be opened peacefully with a drop of Vileblood placed directly onto the wax, causing it to melt away quickly. If it is attempted to open in any other manner, the wax will spray acid into the air, harming anyone near by with deep burns. The scroll itself will remain undamaged. Once opened, the scroll is difficult to read. The ink is faded and it's hard to tell if it was even written in any known language. There will be one passage that can be made out, discussing the history of the world while Sodder dreamed. It can be read here.

The last room holds a small, thin book on a brief history of Maine. It's brief, many pages have been ripped or damaged by time, but it's one of the rarest history books in this world. It seems as though it might have been written for tourists once upon a time, but when the book is brought to the Archives, it will be treated as one of the most highly prized treasures that anyone could have found.

All three of these rooms as well as a handful of other chambers that can be found will have useful items inside the chests and laying on shelves as well. There are various shaped bloodstones that can be used to improve the powers of various weapons, as well as blood gem tools that can help people to start to make their own stones from their blood without having to hire a jeweler in town. These stones would be weaker than those that have been made by people with years of experience, but it's a good starting point for those who want to learn the trade. There are also large, round, glowing white orbs that almost look like the moon: these orbs will help to ease the impact of blood pollution with their glow and can be used to help grow crops or ease corruption. The glow from the orb will become dimmer with use and go out entirely after two weeks. It can be recharged by being left outside for a night under the glowingfull moon.

QUICK FACTS: 1. Each character can only have one orb. Trying to take more than one will cause them to shatter.

2. Characters can get multiple tools, but will only be able to use them one at a time, so it's up to them on whether or not it's worth it to carry them. They're pretty heavy.

3. Feel free to have characters find objects from their worlds hidden among the treasures in each of the rooms. These can be rare items from home as well as every day items.

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

THAT'S THE SPIRIT

WHEN: June
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Ghosts/supernatural horror

---

It's not uncommon for people to be haunted by their pasts in Trench. It's something Sleepers have come to warn others about when they first arrived, knowing that this place likes to dig into the memories people least want to explore, and force you to... Well, work on your issues. The nightmares this month have been proof enough of that.

But it's become even more apparent now. At first, Sleeper's might think that they see something out of the corner of their eyes, or they might get the sense of being watched, but when they turn to look, nothing will be there. This feeling becomes more and more persistent, with a certainty that there truly was something there before growing stronger. There will start to be reflections in mirrors and windows that look familiar, but are gone again when someone tries to confirm the reality of the situation.

Then they start to linger. Ghosts from the past. They can't speak, and with some, it's hard to tell if they're really aware they're there at all. Maybe the ghost is going through an old ritual, a daily habit that was performed over and over without end. Or worse, maybe they're reliving their last moments, taking their last breaths, feeling the pain of their death again and again with no way to stop it.

Eventually, these ghosts can start to become aggressive. They'll be more aware of their presence in this world and they won't be happy with it. They'll start to smash objects, tear apart rooms, and even attack the people they're haunting, no matter how much they may have loved them in life. They're trying to free themselves and they've no idea how to go about it. Being trapped has clearly started to drive them insane.

Ghosts can be calmed by hearing stories that they shared with those who are haunted. This won't get rid of them, however, and they will continue to become harder and harder to talk down. Eventually, they have to be sent away. A cleansing blood ritual must be done on the person being haunted: a few drops of their own blood mixed with the blood of another, smeared in a circle on their forehead while in the presence of the ghost that's coming after them. The mixed blood must be of two different types to work (i.e, a Coldblood and a Darkblood would be a successful ritual, but two Coldbloods would not).

The ghosts may fight this ritual while it is happening. They may try to knock the sharp object used to cut the skin out of someone's hands or they might attack the person who is trying to apply the circle. But once the ritual is complete, a sense of peace will overcome the ghost, before they disappear into nothingness.

QUICK FACTS: 1. People who have the ability to see the past when they touch an object, either from canon or from this months blood abilities, will be able to see brief pieces of the past when they try to touch the ghosts.

2. Ghosts do not have to be someone from a characters canon. They can be from another canon so long as permission is given from any CR that may be impacted.

3. Ghosts can kill your character if you want them to, either from a character never undergoing the cleansing ritual and the aggression escalating too severely, or from the ghost trying to stop the ritual itself.

[JUMP TO TOP]

CODING

Comments

[aetherweaver]

I. (cw: body horror, Shadowbringers spoilers)

It's the same nightmare, night after night. Skin cracking, light burssting out from him... he almost always wakes up before he can see what he's turned into, but the times he doesn't... it's horrifying. It's horrifying and it's exhausting, as he wanders around trying to get used to this place. Everything is new and different, and normally he'd be excited about it.

He is, but it'd be better if he could get some damned sleep. His skin is starting to pale and the circles below his eyes start to darken. It might be normal-looking to some people, but for the few times he catches sight of himself in something reflective... he doesn't like it. He tries tea before bed, tries to eat right before bed, tries meditation and calming his mind and reciting bits of textbooks he's read. Nothing seems to help.

So it won't be uncommon to find a man with cat ears and a tail wandering the streets of Trench as he tries to get a sense for the layout and the locations of the lamps. His gait is slow and it's a good thing he has long sleeves on, else his unnaturally cracked skin might start to attract attention.


IIa. (cw: grief, emotional trauma, blood, Heavensward spoilers)

As if the nightmares weren't enough, there's the fact that he keeps feeling like he's being watched. His fur bristles and his tail lashes as the feeling gets more and more intense, the brief glimpses of something in the mirror keep making him whirls around and try to figure out how to even catch what seems to be... nothing. Nothing at all, until there's something - someone.

He spots it first - the edge of a shield, broken. Gradually the ghost starts to resolve into a man - but a man who keeps falling, crashing to the ground near him with a smile on his face. He can see the blood, smell it - it's like he's back there, not quite a green adventurer but still new enough to being the Warrior of Light. He can feel the heat of the bolt on his skin again and again and again, even though he can't see it. The man falls to his feet once more and he can't stop it.

He tries. He tries in the middle of the street, barely missing crashing into people. He tries once in a shop, nearly knocking over the display. He tries at home, hearing the thud of his body in his mind and desperately trying to not scream. It's difficult, because the feelings for the man are... complicated. He swallows his rage and pain and picks himself up, trying to ignore the fact that he can see his friend fall again and again. It's a ghost - he knows this, can see it pass through objects - but the guilt rises in his chest each time.


IIb. (cw: bodily injury, blood, Heavensward spoilers)

It takes some time, but the ghost eventually turns on him. The shocked and pained expression on the man turns first to disapproval, then to anger. Eventually he stands after having fallen, watching Nara'a. The miqo'te... doesn't know how to react, so he tries to ignore the ghost. That man would never have looked at him like this.

But it's clear the ghost won't be ignored, and as he tries to go about his day he finds himself having to dodge out of the way of whatever's being thrown at him. It might be sticks and a rock, or it might be something sharp in a shop that he's browsing. Occasionally he's struck by an object and blood seeps out, freezing before falling into his hand.

This is getting dire, but the distressed noises he's making are clear evidence that he has no idea what to do. Talking to the ghost hadn't worked before and it doesn't seem to be working now. All he can do is dodge and try to ignore the ghost as best he can, working on trying to ensure his own survival.

IIb!

[mehanizovati]

It's in a shop that Viktor hears a crash and decides to investigate.

Most of the shop goers seem to be keeping their heads down, and Viktor's brow raises when he sees a cat eared man being harrassed by- ah, it must be a ghost. They've been a problem for a time now, and Viktor moves over when he thinks he sees blood, ignoring the ghost for now.

"Being haunted, I take it? That seems to be the flavor of the month."

1a

[grandtrashking]

[It's near the boardwalk when he's run into, the... Man? Cat? Person. Yeah, person, crashes into Tooru who at first is about to get snippy and tell him to watch where the hell he's going, but that dies at the tip of his tongue when he sees the state this individual is in.

Perhaps snapping at him as if he were one of Tooru's bitter rivals back home wouldn't be wise. This time, at least.]

You okay? You look like you're seeing ghosts.

anna amarande || nier: automata (crau)

[hauntedsavior]

a. buried alive but we hear the callout [spelunking]

Anna had always told herself that one day, she'd watch the Indiana Jones movies. She hadn't expected her life to turn into one, much less so frequently, but it makes her wonder if she'll ever actually need to watch them when fantasy is less interesting than reality.

Either way, she doesn't look remotely ready for this in her torn jeans and another faded band tee that doesn't glow in the dark despite looking like it totally should. But dressing appropriately for the situation has never been Anna's main priority. Instead, she's here on an adventure, trying to find whatever it is she's looking for, whatever's making her blood sing.

She discovers one book in a chamber, one that seems to be about the history of Pthumerians, and she takes her time reading as much of this one as she can make out. "Hey," she says to the person who's been helping her through the perils it took to get down here. "If I'm reading this right, it looks like this place that we're in right now was... Earth?" Hell of a thing, huh. She could draw some conclusions with that if she wanted to, but she feels like she's trying to tie too many things together into a neat little bow when they don't all fit that way. So she just accepts the much more reasonable explanation: That this has to be some sort of alternate world that maybe at one point resembled Earth very closely, but it isn't hers. "Think we should buy the words of weird books we find in mystery caves, or is this more Moss King bullshit?"

There is, of course, another weird book for her to find within this mystery cave, one titled From the red cliff of the mountain that, as soon as she discovers it, she will refuse to let anyone else see that she has. It calls to her, it sings as her blood does, and she does not want to risk losing it here.

b. losing our minds but that's all we're made of [the lonely]

Anna has spent what feels like days poring over the endless poetry within From the red cliff of the mountain. She's barely left her room, but would anyone really have noticed if she had? It's a slow creep at first, the idea that people aren't paying as much attention to her as they normally do. Which simply makes her feel egotistical to think about—she's just. Not that interesting of a person sometimes, really. Is she? Besides, there's a lot of stuff going on this month.

It's at the bar, after a show with minuscule turnout and nobody even deigning to give her pity applause, that it hits her the hardest. She storms off stage, grabs her bass by the neck, and stomps out. "Out of my way," she mutters as she shoves past anyone who might impede her. It's close to the entryway that she runs into too many people all at once, and with her threshold where it is that could be as many as two people, herself included. "Get the fuck out of my way!" she growls louder, shoving past everyone and forcing herself outside into the warm, miserable night. Her hand is shaking from how hard she's clenching it, but it's fine.

c. i know how this one ends, so start the countdown [the lonely]
   cw: blood, violence, memory erasure

She's been reading too much. She can't stop herself. From every depth of good and ill the mystery that binds her still, from the torrent or the fountain, from the red cliff of the mountain, from the sun that round her rolled in its autumn tint of gold, from the lightning in the sky as it passed her flying by—the words echo in her head. They're all she seems to have left. For all the tough words she'd given about never being afraid, about charging headlong into danger because there was nothing the world could do that she had not already done to herself, she hadn't prepared for a repeat of the worst misery she's ever known.

People are forgetting her. They see her but they don't know her. She insists that she knows them and they've had countless conversations together, but it's no use. Everyone she's loved is living their lives without her, like she's been erased from their memories. And god fucking dammit, she thought she had left this behind. She thought this pain was unique to being one of the final users of Retrospec, one of the last survivors of Recollé. It shouldn't have followed her here.

"Look at me!" she shrieks as her sword plunges down through the skull of a beast on the outskirts of Trench. The blood splatters on her coat, stains her hair red. Her eye feels like it's blazing red, too, electronic components and LEDs that don't exist but should reflecting her anguish, her madness. Her silverblack glass eye, freed from behind her eyepatch, reflects nothing.

"And the cloud that took the form when the rest of Heaven was blue," she mutters to herself as she skulks along, her movements unnatural, her chest heaving, her sword dragging behind her. There's a small pack ahead of her, but if there are any hunters nearby, she can't see them. Or won't. "Of a demon in my view!" She charges forward and starts swinging again. "Do you fucking see me now? Do you know who's fucking killing you?"

d. this standing ovation needs a different kind of applause [wildcard]

((in addition to the plot here, anna is currently being affected by first the minor, then the major effects of the leitner she discovered in the labyrinth. at the minor level (prompt b), loved ones take less notice of her and it's easy to slide off what she's doing. at the major level (prompt c), loved ones do not recognize or remember who she is. if they try, their minds just slide off of her. if you have any questions or want to propose anything else, feel free to hit me up here or at roseward!!))

a

[torpour]

"If this were made by the Moss King, I don't think we would be getting clues at all."

A miracle that Nehan is capable of thought and logic, after back to back adventures. Then again, he reasons, he is tired, but he has been more tired than this, a bone-deep exhaustion that feels more than this. Then he brushes his bangs out of his face, and peeks out of the room he's in.

"And there would be more plants, I believe. Instead..." He holds out a heavy ball-peen hammer that gets heavier and heavier as he holds it. And because it's his left arm? The Erune sags, and eventually sets it down, panting.

"There are more things in this room of the sort."

This is not something the Moss King would allow them to have, he thinks.

b

[entreats]

Things do seem a little.. strange.

Ange did come to the bar to watch someone perform. She's pretty sure of that. And sometimes when she sees Anna stand there on the stage, she does remember exactly where she's here, but then it's like it slides right out of her mind the next moment, like Ange has to constantly keep asking herself why she's even here in the first place. She wonders if it has to do with the fact that she's been sleeping like actual crap for the last while.

Is she really so tired that she keeps forgetting thoughts only moments after they pop up in her head?

It's only when Anna suddenly starts storming off that Ange's mind seems to register her once more, telling her that this is something important. It's enough of a sign coming from her brain that Ange follows the other, also moving outside, until she spots Anna standing there.

"Hey," she starts, speaking up.

She wants to call the other by her name, but somehow it weirdly slips her mind and tongue for a moment, leaving Ange to stare for a moment, before just deciding to continue with: ".. What's wrong?"

With Anna, she means, considering the other seemingly out of nowhere stormed out of the bar. This it not the time to talk about what Ange thinks might be wrong with her brain, even though she has no idea that it's actually being caused by an effect hanging over Anna this entire time.

c.

[dohaeris]

[from the trees, an answering song, in a girl's voice with the uncanny cadence of a bird repeating a snatch of human speech.]

High in the halls of the kings that were gone Jenny would dance with her ghosts--

[and then a little raven with a grey collar of feathers comes swooping down towards the beast, trilling like a broken record.]

never wanted to leave never wanted to leave never wanted to leave

[it swerves away from the beast at the last possible minute, trying to distract its attention away from the hunter(?) and create an opening for a strike.]

c.

[bolstafir]

The beasts in Trench aren't quite like the Grimm; if one does not go looking for trouble, there isn't too much likelihood of having to deal with them, aside from particularly troublesome times. And while there is a sense of relief to that in some ways, for a veteran Huntsman, it's also easy to get bored. Qrow might have no interest in working with the Hunters led by the Wayward Watcher, but he can't really bring himself to embrace retirement, either.

So he often patrols through the outskirts, just in case any unfortunate Sleepers or Trenchies have found themselves in over their heads, and though that's not what he finds today, what he does find is concerning enough for him to pause. Qrow's never gotten too close to Anna, the both of them caught up in their own lives after that one midnight meeting for pizza, but perhaps it's for the better -- the cursed book can only really affect those she cares for, after all.

He touches down at a point a few feet away from her -- not behind, lest she take it as a threat and turn that blade upon him, but a little off to the left, though still within her line of fight.

"....I think it sees, yeah."

He takes a couple steps closer, hands clearly in view, nonthreatening as he can be.

"Figure it'd be stupid to ask if you're okay, but it doesn't look like killing these things is helping as much as you'd like, either."

It's an offer, in its own way. He's never been particularly good at talking about feelings, but it seems wrong to walk away without at least trying to help.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

[foulhussy]

[ Kainé is right by Anna's side as she delves into the ruins, and happens to be dressed even more impractically in a miniskirt and tank top under her coat. She doesn't understand what came over Anna so suddenly, but on the other hand it doesn't seem too out of the ordinary for the woman who literally sails around fighting off pirates. Kainé is pretty excited by the idea too, being a seasoned adventurer herself. It seems more interesting than their usual Beast hunts, and a damn sight better than those catacombs they got sucked into, at any rate.

Kainé doesn't pay as much attention to the history and secrets of Trench as Anna. She's more the type to focus on the here and now, know the practical things she needs to make her way in this blood-drenched world. As it turns out though, those obscure oddities and apocrypha can turn out quite essential to not getting your tits cursed off, so her interest is in more than just the way Anna's eyes light up in excitement when she reads; that's just most of it. God she's so pretty. ]

I dunno. [ Who knows what bullshit the Pthumerians are concocting for fun? But... it doesn't hurt to pay attention. ] Earth... pretty sure that's my world too.

ahiru/duck | princess tutu

[danserai]

( i. that's the spirit — princess tutu & mytho ) cw: minor violence

[ at first, it had been nothing. a flash of dark feathers, the sound of crows cawing. she dismissed her instincts. after all, the great raven wasn't here. mytho wasn't here. it was only when she turned into princess tutu that he appeared.

mytho. the prince she loved. the prince from the story. the prince from her story. except her story has gone off course, hadn't it?

"you're no longer the girl who wished for nothing more than the prince!" drosselmeyer had said to her. accused her.

they dance around each other. his dance is full of anger and pain. hers is full of heartache, until she stops holding out her hand to him. she waits. he shrieks at her silently, swipes at her hard enough to send her careening into the ground hard. her body shakes. her body is bruised.

princess tutu gets up unsteadily. she holds her hand out. she weeps. ]

Please. Please. Let me help you. Let me help.

[ mytho screams, an unholy bird-like sound and rushes to attack her. she stands, waiting. ]

( ii. that's the spirit — ahiru & rue )

[ no one would think ahiru's head was full of ghosts and spirits. she has always seemed happy and carefree. quick with a smile and hug if anyone needed one. but it seems all her guilt-laded fears had come to rest this month. for here was rue. ]

Rue . . .

[ rue shoots ahiru a cold look and ahiru freezes in place, uncertain. for once, ahiru seems at a loss for words, looking down. she didn't want to disappear. she just wanted — she just wanted. her love for rue and her fear holds her in place, uncertain and upset, tears in her eyes. ]

( iii. wildcard )

[ got a different prompt you’d like to do? ping me on timmtams / pm this journal / hit up my plotting comment. ]

i

[cuddlery]

Tutu no!!

[Scorpia cries out as she sees the graceful princess fallen and weeping on the ground.]

You leave her alone!!

[She rushes forward, planting herself between Princess Tutu and the ravenous feathered boy in hopes of intetcepting his attack!]

palamedes sextus | locked tomb

[megatheorem]

tunnels: owo what's this? (exploring)

[Spoilers: it's mapmaking and a flesh-eating insect. Eventually.

Palamedes doesn't appear at a glance to be a person who is suitable for these tunnels, given he is a broomstick masquerading as a grown adult constructed out of pointy bird bones, and honestly, that's probably true. He's physically useless, but if anyone tries to, out of the goodness of their heart (or not) stop him from coming into these tunnels, he will politely inform that he is extremely adept at wandering around in the dark, and someone down here is going to need a good memory for nonsense mazes.

He informs less politely the second time, if anybody insists. Please don't make him call you a walnut, or worse, an undignified shit-for-brains trading good sense for unearned confidence in your own spelunking. Point being, he's not leaving this hole in the ground.

And he is more useful than he appears down here, when it comes to trekking about in unmapped dark, possibly because he is trying by flashlight to draw a map. He's brought the paper and pencils as well as a tape measure, so wandering around any corridors with him might take a while as he stops to measure distances and convert them live onto his drawn map, which he fills in with his notebook held up against the wall and the flashlight in his mouth. It's a whole thing. At one point he whips out a normal sized ruler from like, a pocket, measures a seemingly random stretch of space, swears, and starts erasing some map corner.

At one point he also quite abruptly tosses his companion a piece of chalk, hello, please catch this. And,]

You can borrow that. [thanks] Mark any actual corners we turn, would you? And maybe every fifty paces, if it's a long one. I've made up a key with symbols for dead ends and 'trap rooms'—

[Do you. Do you want to see it. He's looking at you like perhaps he wants you to want to see it.]

OR, DIFFERENTLY:
[A trap room is this prompt. The room itself is deceptively long, almost like it's another stretch of corridor around this corner and not a chamber, so the other end isn't immediately visible in the limited portable light. Palamedes does not march in first, busy marking his map and muttering at his ruler, but soon enough there is the telltale sound of something skittering. He looks up, and—]

Oh, I would duck.

[Mostly for what he does next, pinning his notebook to the wall with his elbow and doing something with his fingers, folding them together in such a way that, without any ceremony or flashiness or fuss, the flesh-eating bug thing the size of a melon crawling down the wall overhead simply explodes. Probably don't want any of that gunk getting on you?

There's more skittering just ahead outside the circle of light, though, and he makes a face like he'd really rather not.]

Are you fight or flight? I can ward us a few moments to run, but anything I put up falls when I'm out of range. [skitter...] Choose now!

tunnels: just a little guy ("treasures")

[It's the sealed scroll that Palamedes wants to get at most insistently, if only because it's the thing that fights back. He's already been startled once by flying acid, from merely attempting to slice the seal with a knife, although he'd managed to dodge it - mostly. Some of his outer cloak does look singed in a very specific eaten-by-acid way...

So he's trying again. Blood is the theme, yes, they're all blood in this place, and so he will attempt the drop of blood method with a pricked fingertip: but he's a darkblood, and so his offered drop spits more acid back at him, this time catching him on the palm and dotted up his exposed forearm. He swears, hastily backing away from the thing and holding his arm against his chest.

With effort that shows clear on his face, the burn on his palm starts to look less horrific. It doesn't entirely heal back to normal, but he pushes enough necromancy into it to make it look a few days old instead of so disgustingly fresh, and that will have to do. He walks right back up to the scroll.]

Take three, hm? [perhaps stop him] Either I'll get it open or I'll become immune to acid, what do you think?

[perhaps maybe stop this]


AGAIN, DIFFERENTLY
[Palamedes has found a treasure from home! Mostly! He can be found either still in the tunnels with his treasure or somehow having coaxed it back aboveground, where he'll be loitering around the sinkholes to sort his notes with...

A funky skeleton friend. It's an animate skeleton, bones all pinned together, that appears to be coated in some kind of gel, although the gel has long since faded from its original bright orange to a duller one, and has rubbed off considerably in places. A few parts of it are smeared with fresher stuff, blood, mostly to make up for any weak pins with darkblood antigravity magic. It also has no hands. It moves, like, it's not sentient but it's programmed to move around independently and so it will move to observe its surroundings, which Palamedes keeps an eye on and occasionally glances up to talk to it, as such:]

What did I say? Come back here. I know you're not holding a mop anytime soon, but this is just rebellious.

wildcard

[hello, let's do whatever! I am open to nightmares and ghosts mixed in with both of these prompts if it please you, or on their own— my plotting comment is here for reference.]

owo what's this?

[aetherweaver]

[The other person with him flicks his tail and grins, feeling the urge to slash through everything building up. He needs to release this tension a little more productively, so it's good that they've found something to satisfy his urge for combat.]

Fight. Definitely fight.

[He pulls the scythe off of his back and readies himself, dashing ahead and spinning his scythe to clear out any enemies. There's a strange energy coming off of it, something dark... maybe it's nothing. But he slices through another skittering thing, catching another that's more beetle-like and flinging it across the hallway.]

This spot's safe.

[He wipes at his brow, trying to ignore the faint lines that have crawled up his neck in the past few days. It's fine, this is fine, nothing is bothering him. He's totally sleeping fine. Nothing to worry about.]

If it gets hairy I can switch to Paladin... I have more survivability like that.

Echo | Pandora Hearts

[individualized]

[ooc: My plotting post is here! I actually still have no plans for getting rid of Noise's ghost, either. So if you're not Coldblood and would like to help with that, let me know! It will probably be difficult, just as a head's up.]

I. that's the spirit: emergence [cw: blood imagery]

[It's June 11th. The date matters because it's Echo's birthday, not that she thinks that matters. Due to some recent incidents and changes in her house, she's also been finding herself going on errands for basic goods more than usual lately if only to help keep certain other people from leaving the premises. She's also been having the eerie feelings of being watched or followed that many people have been plagued with this month, but hasn't been thinking too much of it. Nothing was ever there, so she's begun ignoring it.

Today she's out and about in Trench, but doesn't seem to be aware that she's being followed by another young woman. She looks exactly like Echo. It's uncanny. The only differences are their manner of dress and the looks on their faces. Whereas Echo shows little emotion and has a calm gaze, this girl wears her heart on her sleeves and has wild eyes. The red cloak draped around her shoulders is no worse for wear apart from the fact that it has a bit of blood on it, and from the cold scowl on her face it looks like she's considering whose to add to that stain.

The good news is this apparition doesn't seem to be taking any action in that regard just yet, considering Echo is still entirely oblivious to her presence.]

II. that's the spirit: shattered [cw: physical violence]

[Although it takes a while for most of the ghosts to turn violent, Noise reaches that point in a matter of hours due to the fact that it is her day-to-day behavior. She only knows how to hurt people, and there's a good chance she'll go after you in some form if you're in her crosshairs. As much as Echo wants to keep her from doing any harm, it's hard to stay away from others in this sort of place. She doesn't want to hurt the people in her house, but when outside Noise will make for other people even if Echo would rather avoid them.

A variety of things could happen:
1. Noise could just flat-out attack you. Maybe she found a knife somewhere or maybe she's just using her limbs. She was never quite the battle artist that Echo is, but she can be relentless when she wants to be.
2. You could find her trying to attack an NPC. The lack of a voice has limited her abuse options, so physical attacks are all she really has right now. Noise only knows how to hurt people and is going to take whatever openings she has.
3. She could be breaking something. Maybe she's shoving over a merchant's cart, or maybe she ran up to the table you were having coffee at and threw your cup to the ground. She'll then give the victim a devious grin as if taunting them to do something about it.

Whatever ends up working for you, Echo will be doing her best to reach her "twin" in time.]

Stop it! You know this is not what you want to do!

[Thankfully, this should wrap up in a matter of days, as well. Noise should be calmed by the end of June 14th.]

III. don't give up on your dreams [Closed to Ada; will be cw heavy eventually]

[Echo was slowly recovering from the various types of damage another ordeal had done to her, stuck in her bed with bandaged wounds. As she got past the worst of her initial response though, she suddenly found herself having nightmares any time she fell asleep. It was strange to her. The dreams were just experiences she'd had in her life before; things she hadn't found horrifying while they were happening nor if she remembered them while awake. They certainly weren't good memories; they were very painful in some regards, but never a source of fear. During the dreams, however, the level of terror and distress was overwhelming.

Even though she should be recovering well, the signs of trouble manifest very quickly on Echo due to the state she's in. Not wanting to sleep while you really need rest is pretty counterproductive. Plus, her skin is turning a sickly color and bruises have begun appearing on her body like someone has hit her in spite of the fact that she's been limited to her own room where no one but her housemates could show up. A research-savvy person who may come in to check on her later in the month can probably identify the signs and what needs to be done.]

i

[entreats]

[ Sure, Ange has been going through a lot. But it also seems that the people in the house she's temporarily staying at have suddenly been going through a lot as well, starting with that Alice rampage only last month, before Ange even moved in for the time being.

So.. even though she might not have the most mental bandwidth ever at the moment, she does feel like she ought to at least try to connect to them a little. She has already spoken to most of them a few times, but she's not sure if she'd call herself close to any of them.. and with them being kind enough to go along with Break letting her stay over, she has to pay it back at least a little bit.

Even if it's just by following Echo out when the other leaves to go get some food.

Not.. that.. Ange expected to be followed by someone else as well. At first she thinks it's nothing, maybe just a trick of her mind with how tired she has been lately, but after looking back a few times and definitely seeing a second different Echo does she realise it's not just her. ]

.. um..

[ Usually Ange is blunt, but recent events have left her a little softer and more uncertain, making her first let out that noise before she continues speaking up to the other. ]

Haven't you noticed..?

[ She's actually purposefully not saying what Echo is supposed to have or haven't noticed - like she's trying to see whether the already knows or not just through that by itself. ]

obi-wan kenobi | star wars

[jedies]

( i. don’t give up on your dreams )

[ obi-wan had hoped with more time, the visions would fade. visions, after all, were part and parcel of a jedi’s life. they came, they went. unreliable, mystical products of the force. this time, however, it seemed more like he was being deliberately haunted. every time he closed his eyes, the memories of the past hit him with full force, choking him on ash and brimstone, searing the cold into his bones that when he wakes, he can barely rouse himself, can barely walk.

does he want it to stop? he doesn’t know. in his memories, as terrible as they are, he can see what he had loved so dearly, in crystal clear vision. the laughter mixed with grief, the love scattered in between the horror. he chases after all of it, every night only to come back, sweaty and exhausted.

and exhausted he was. obi-wan felt like a pale shadow of himself as he tries to get back into his normal routines, cloak heavy upon his shoulders. he leans heavily against a lamp post, trying to muster up a wan smile at anyone passing by. ]

Don’t mind me. I just need a minute.

[ his knees give out. ]

Maybe two.

( ii. a. that’s the spirit — cerasi ) cw: grief

[ when yoda went upon his adventure and spoke of the force, the future and voices, obi-wan had dismissed it much like he had dismissed mortis. now, of course, older and wiser, he saw the truth in yoda’s journey and wished he had taken it more to heart then. so when he was confronted with cerasi’s ghost, he didn’t wince or panic. even the old pain seemed to have numbed over.

instead he kneels on the ground, letting this young teen tower over him like she was justice herself and grazes his lips to her palms. palms he had once pressed his own against, so long ago, in the form of a kiss. she lays one hand on his head and he bears that touch in judgment. ]

( ii. b. that’s the spirit — qui-gon ) cw: grief, mentions of genocide

[ his master had left not long ago and obi-wan had done his best not to take it personally. how could he? it would go against everything he was taught, everything he was meant to be. but now, shouldering the weight of a dead culture, a dead people, it was harder to accept that he must let go of it. if he let go, where would it depart to? who would see to it? obi-wan was all that was left of an endangered species. their temples had been burned to the ground, their gardens scorched. their children were cut down.

he needed clarity. he needed guidance. he needed yoda and mace and plo koon and all his fellow council members. but what he truly ached for was qui-gon — even though qui-gon has long past and had no more wisdom to give him. no more help or comfort to pass on. he wanted his master’s hand in his hand, weaving his braid or the steady comfort of his palm on his shoulder. he wanted like a throat parched in the desert, chasing the memory of water.

and yet. seeing his master step out of the shadows, quiet and immutable. a silent figure, draped his customary robes, unable to say a word rouses obi-wan to an unbelievable quick anger and frustration. ]

How dare you — [ his voice breaks, full of tears. ] — How dare you come to me now when I am like this. How dare you.

[ qui-gon says nothing and obi-wan bites back a sob. ]

( ii. c. that’s the spirit — anakin ) cw: violence, grief

[ not again.

obi-wan’s stomach plummeted as anakin stepped out of the shadows. and it was clearly not the anakin who had been living with him all this time in the trenches, but the anakin of his nightmares, the anakin who faced him on mustafar. who was full of living fire and breeding cold. and somehow had procured a red lightsaber. obi-wan swallows tightly. while his skills have not slipped off too badly since mustafar, he knew he was in a weakened state —

no. the real reason is that he couldn’t do it. not again. he couldn’t strike anakin down again. it was meant to be the last time. the last time. how could obi-wan live through this nightmare once more?

unfortunately, he knew he would be in trouble if he did not act because there was anakin skywalker, yellow eyes blazing and preparing to cut obi-wan down instead. his hands shook as he tried to reach for his lightsaber, but he couldn't. he couldn't. ]

( iii. wildcard )

[ got a different prompt you’d like to do? ping me on timmtams / pm this journal / hit me up @ my plotting comments. ]

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Erza has told himself, regularly for the last month, not to fuss over his housemate. He's kept to his own routines of early mornings, meditation, his work out in the community, and meals mostly at home. Ok, so he's moved his lightsaber training to where Obi-wan doesn't have to see it, and been extra vigilant about making sure the house is well stocked so Obi-wan doesn't have to worry about that. But for the most part, he's tried to act normally. To not put pressure to join him in anything, while keeping a predictable rhythm that makes it easy to do so, if one chooses.

(Even though he finds himself more pensive and tired. Even though a fresh cycle of extra vivid nightmares have left him on edge and made it harder to get up for his morning mediations. He must keep that anchor point, to stay on an even keel, he reminds himself.)

He knows better to expect anything like linear and predictable from Obi-wan's energy levels and moods. Still, outright collapse is alarming enough he jolts forward, reaching out a hand.]

Ok. Minute or two, sure. [See, he's calm. He can be...calm.]

Ruby Rose | RWBY

[onekindsoul]

Every Nightmare Just Discloses. CW WARNING: Mentions of eyeloss are going to come up in this prompt.

[Nightmares were something Ruby Rose was accustomed to. They had become less prominent in her time in Deerington and onto Trench but it certainly wasn't because this place wasn't frightening in their own right. It was because she had mostly found a sense of peace that she didn't get in her own world.

But... This nightmare it brought back a familiar pain from both home and the dream that she wished she could just leave behind. Despite her usual energy Ruby just looks worn and tired. There's a faint imprint of chains on her skin at her wrists and about her waist, along with blue blood faintly leaking out from beneath her mechanical eye patch. It seems obvious enough what old wounds the nightmare was digging at, but she had done her best to keep the actual story of that under wraps.

Despite the injuries and the exhaustion Ruby does her best to carry on with her day to life. She can be found around town trying to keep up a cheery smile despite the fact she looks utterly exhausted. She'll raise a hand up to wave to a familiar face only to have her legs wobble beneath her from sudden weakness, which causes her to stumble and collapse to the ground.

Anyone care to give her a hand?]

Patience is a Virtue

[Ruby Rose on a normal day prided herself in her sense of adventure. But this month she was absolutely biting at the bit to get out and about into the thick of things. So when the town literally opens up to reveal hidden caves there isn't a question she's there.

She can be found near one one of the open sinkholes grinning like a fool before she turns to the other person.]

Okay. This looks awesome! Bet I can beat you down there!

[And before the other person can respond she's either leapt into the hole ahead of the person, or has grabbed their hand and pull them down with them.

...Sorry folks!]

Wild Card

[Feel free to choose your own adventure or contact me on plurk at jjabarrett to plot something out.]

nightmare

[entreats]

[ While Ange is dealing with nightmares at the same time, it leaves her pretty exhausted too - especially with everything else that's been happening already on top of it. But on the other hand.. it's not like any exhaustion has ever stopped her from always paying attention to Ruby too, and it's really not difficult to see how much the other girl looks just as exhausted as Ange feels.

.. but there's something beyond that. They might both look exhausted, but she can see a little bit more on Ruby. It's pretty concerning to be cuddling with your girlfriend in bed and then wake up to see weird marks on her wrists.

As the days pass, it seems to only get worse with the blood coming from Ruby's odd eye.

At first there's still the hope that it might just go away again on its own, but then Ruby apparently just straight up collapses out of nowhere. Ange gasps the moment she sees it, already abandoning whatever she was doing to rush over to the other girl's side. Knees landing on the ground to kneel next to her form on the ground, Ange puts a hand on Ruby's cheek just to feel if she's alright. It'd sure be easier if she could check for body warmth first and foremost, but.. well, that's exactly the problem with coldbloods, isn't it. ]

Ruby! Ruby, are you alright?!

Johnny Lawrence | Cobra Kai

[strikefirster]

Patience is a Virtue.

A CW: Mentions of blood, possible broken bones

[Johnny Lawrence wasn't exactly known for his good luck. He was pretty good at bringing it upon himself but this time around he was quite literally walking down the street when the ground suddenly shook and cracked open from underneath him. The sudden pit caught him off guard and he just missed catching hold of the edge before he fell into the darkness beneath him.

The fall isn't enough to kill him but it hurts like hell when he hits the ground. He coughs and hard and catches sight of a bit of red on his palm.]

Shit- Fuck...

[He rolls over and flips off the hole above him.]

Fuck you too, life.

B

[Johnny eventually pulls himself to his feet and starts to look around the tunnels. Then there's the sudden sound of insect chittering, him screaming in frustration and the sounds of something getting smashed against a wall. He's found himself grappling with a beetle the size of a dog.]

Don't you fucking start with me, you six legged son of a bitch!

[He keeps trying to slam it against a wall while it keeps trying to get a better bite at him.

...He could probably use a hand.]

That's the spirit.

[There's a small arena set up in Johnny's dojo and he can be found standing in the middle of it. There are two ghosts at either side of him, one in a black gi, and the other in white. Johnny makes an effort to step toward one and the other suddenly gets aggressive and strikes him from behind. When he turns to face the one that attacked him the process repeats itself with the other one.

He looks frustrated and hurt but all he can really do is keep trying.]

Robby, Miguel- I'm going to help you- Just let me try.

Wildcard

[Feel free to choose your own adventure or contact me at jjabarrett to plot something out.]

That's the Spirit

[justoscar]

[Oscar Pine knew how to be patient.

After the tournament and the shenanigans the happened within, Oscar had waited. He kept watch over the dojo, gathered his supplies, and decided to make his move in the dead of night when people on a normal schedule would be asleep. Armed with only a basket of materials and his wits, he made to break in...

And was somewhat disturbed to find that the door was already open.

With a frown on his face, he ventured forward... And stopped before the scene. After a few minutes of watching-- uncertain, somewhat confused, he spoke up: ]

Guess it's not all roses in Karate Land, huh?

sansa stark (alayne stone) | asoiaf please check character warnings if uncertain

[dohaeris]

[these prompts deal with sansa's history with littlefinger and will touch on many of the character warnings in her app. please go over them if you are at all uncomfortable with canon-typical violence and misogyny. prompt iii. in particular deals with sexual harassment of a minor.]

i. "I did warn you not to trust me." open (early june)

[the first time remina slots a memory into sansa's mind she is finishing up some errands in willful machine. a blank-eyed girl with a bag full of notions might make for an easy mark, except that her companion, who very much resembles a grey wolf in an elaborately embroidered collar, circles her growling.

it's her father's memory of his arrest, and she feels what he feels–the pain in his leg, the shock of robert's death, the relief of seeing his allies on the small council, varys and littlefinger, and the dread as he enters the throne room, where joffrey sits on the iron throne with cersei at his side. she notes wryly that cersei is wearing green, which she would have never done with the tyrells at court. her father gives the letter to ser barristan, which is good–and then cersei tears up it up. of course she does. she feels her father's confusion as the ground falls out from under him–the rules to the game have changed. but he knows the terrain, and he's still hand, and he's still sure of the loyalty of half the men in the room–he counts littlefinger as an ally, still. and then cersei asks him to bend the knee. he still thinks he can save the south, though, from joffrey. sansa finds herself pleading.]

Bend the knee and live, please, go home, the Tyrells will take care of the south–

[but of course he doesn't. he still thinks he can win. cersei and ned rally their men. stupid janos slynt is quick to side with the queen, and the hound doesn't move as quickly as she's sure joffrey would like. sansa feels tomard and varly's deaths like blows. cayn and the hound fight; sansa knows no good can come of it before the hound cuts cayn's hand off and then cuts him open.

but it's littlefinger who holds a dagger to her father's throat. she feels his surprise, but the dread sinks slowly into her belly. she...had expected as much, for a while now.

there are tears streaming down her cheeks as the red keep fades from view. she laughs apologetically...to herself? her father? to remina, or any other pthumerian who might be watching?]

I understand what I have to do.

[she knows she can't let littlefinger live. she doesn't understand why trench keeps throwing it in her face.]

ii. "nothing holds an edge like Valyrian steel." closed to l(azarus) (early june)

[the second time remina gives sansa a memory it's her mother's, and sansa has just finished baking a blackberry tart. her mother is very cross to be summoned, and her hands are bandaged over wounds still healing. varys fusses over them, and inquires after the dagger, sansa realizes this is the heart of the matter. her mother remembers grasping it, caught in a deadly struggle over bran's bed, until his direwolf leapt in and tore the assassin's throat out. littlefinger makes a show of his familiarity with the dagger, and she can feel her mother's impatience. littlefinger draws it out, that he had owned the dagger but he at lost it, in a bet on ser jaime against loras tyrell in joffrey's stupid nameday tournament, to tyrion lannister. it's a lie. sansa drops the blackberry tart, falling to her knees. lady noses at her face.]

Lord Tyrion wouldn't do that, he wouldn't bet against Jaime, he's stupid about his family.

[littlefinger lied to catelyn, who he had always claimed to love. he pit her against the lannisters without cause. he likely arranged to have bran targeted by an assassin in the first place. he risked bran's death. he risked catelyn's. he used catelyn in his games, the one person he always claimed to love, and it got her killed. if he would do that to catelyn, he almost certainly would do it to sansa. he can't keep her safe.]

I can never go home.

iii. "chaos is a ladder." open (late june)

[sansa sees him out of the corner of her eye when she gets out of bed. there are a few things it might be. it isn't until later, when one of her clients asks nervously who 'that man' is and if he could leave the room, please, that she realizes it isn't some kind of paleblood or food-borne curse. she gently offers to reschedule with the poor lady, and spends the rest of the morning moving all of her appointments for the day to another one. then she summons her new hellhound for a walk.]

Vhagar!

[she, vhagar, and lady head for the forgotten shores. a slight but well-dressed man follows them, alternately too close and far away.

sansa finds a spot within eyesight but not earshot of the boardwalk, close enough to send for help but far enough that no one, she thinks, will hear what she has to say. sansa has faced her ghosts before. she turns and faces this man, eyes like ice. she is so tired of thinking about what he wants.]

Good afternoon, Father. What is it that you want me to say? That I'm your daughter? That I love you? That I'll marry everyone in the Seven Kingdoms if it gets you closer to the Iron Throne?

[lady barks. the ghost lunges forward. but though she only ever seems to be meditating at sasuke's ninja school when most other students are around, sansa has managed to pick up a few ninjutsu techniques. she darts away in the blink of an eye. the ghost follows. she can't seem to get a break to warg.]

Vhagar, after him! Winter!

[vhagar the hellhound lunges and manages to bite the ghost's leg, forcing him to slow down as he seems to pull it free. her snow-white raven omen swoops down in front of her.]

Winter, please call–ah!

[the ghost grabs her arm and she wrenches it free, darting away again almost instantaneously.]

I think this is the longest I've ever known you to be quiet.

[the omen disappears and sansa and her ghost continue their bizarre dance across the beach.

established cr feel free to assume winter called you!]

chaos is a ladder and richie should not be in public || tw joking suggestion of incest

[measuringdicks]

[Chaos isn’t a ladder. Chaos is Winter finding somebody else with a known direwolf and bringing him to the party, and that’s how Richie shows up—S’mores at his back, Venkman on his shoulder, a baseball bat in hand, and a lot of hell to pay. He can guess a little at who this ghost chasing after Sansa is, so he calls—]

Lay—I mean, Sansa! What’s the plan?

[S’mores is already moving, ready to play back-up to her fellow direwolf. Richie’s already darting off, circling around and waiting for the opportunity to strike.

And in the meantime:]

This is the guy? He looks like a fuckin’ creep. He looks like he jerks off to Jodie Foster. I bet he secretly wants to fuck his mom.

Darth Imperius | Paleblood | Star Wars The Old Republic

[drawsghosts]

Nightmares
Normally, a Sith can use fear to make themself stronger, because they can use their fear to fuel their connection to the Force and feed their power. But this, this feels different. Talwyn can't use this fear.

He feels sluggish today, his normally vibrant red skin has lost color, his eyes are dull, and he didn't even bother putting his hair in its usual ponytail this morning. Talwyn sits on the pier, looking out at the ocean, picking at his fingernails.

Alternate prompt
Later that evening, should someone wish to help him, Talwyn makes preparations in his living room, intending to use the couch as a makeshift bed tonight.

He turns to the other person and asks, "Are you sure about this? My nightmares are very unpleasant."

Tunnels
Talwyn is nothing if not adventurous, with a love of exploration. He did it all the time back in his home galaxy. He's explored ruins, old military bases, tunnels, and so on. Holding his light up, he makes his way down the tunnel, keeping his senses open for trouble.

Turning to his traveling companion, he asks, "Think there's any monsters down here?"

Ghosts
With his Force ability regarding ghosts, Talwyn sensed them before he saw them. He's just never sensed this many ghosts in one area all at once. It's almost enough to overwhelm him. He has no intention of binding them, having had enough of that since he let the other four go.

Talwyn goes outside and pauses, seeing one of the ghosts. His eyes widen. "Ffon?"

Nightmares

[aetherweaver]

There's someone else with a similar idea, sitting nearby and gazing into the dark abyss. Eventually he looks up at the other man, dark circles under his eyes and shoulders slumped. His bangs are plastered to his face, and his skin... well, it can barely get more pale, but paler it is.

"... Are you okay? You look... rough." He's too tired to even couch it in something more polite - he doesn't know this man, doesn't know what he normally looks like. But he does know what someone sick looks like, at least for the species at home.

Jason Kolchek | House of Ashes

[hearuthinking]

Don't Give Up on Your Dreams
Nightmare 1, Warzone (TW: war, blood, gunfire, death)

Jason is leading his men through the streets of some Iraqi village. Some of them are wearing gas masks and some have their faces uncovered. They rush down one of the streets and right into an ambush.

“Get to cover!” Jason opens fire to buy his squad the time they need to reach safety. But one of them gets caught anyway and goes down. From there it's chaos of bullets as the two sides go back and forth. Every time one of his squad tries to pop out to fire back, they get taken down. Until Jason's the last one standing.

Nightmare 2, Catacombs (TW: monsters, blood, gore, death)

[This nightmare might have a more familiar setting. With the number of times Trench has had tunnels and catacombs, people might think Jason is dreaming about that. But there is an eerie clicking noise off in the distance. Again, might be familiar if anyone caught his broadcast memory a while back.

A vampire comes out and attacks, grabbing Jason and dragging him off. He screams and kicks, fighting for his life]


That's the Spirit (TW: monsters, blood, death)

[Jason has a lot of ghosts in his past. It's no surprise, then, when he starts being haunted by them. There's Nathan Merwin, who appears bloodied but otherwise fine. Joey Gomez is in a lot worse shape: he has horns and fangs and is more aggressive right from the start.

And then there's a woman wearing headphones. She has a bullet-wound in her skull]

Wildcard

[Don't see a prompt that interests you? Hit me up on seraphjewel As always, I will match style!]

nightmare 2!

[mehanizovati]

[there is a brief moment viktor glances around the area and thinks the moss king is up to his old tricks.

this is like paleblood dream wandering that landed him here, but at the moment he wonder if he was teleported again, or hallucinating, or any number of annoying possibilities. the place seems familiar, in a different way, and it isn't until the clicking and more so jason's scream that it comes together in viktor's head. the vampires, the post.]

Jason! [he follows, unsure of what else he can do, what is even happening. a memory? whatever it is he nearly trips getting close enough to try and slam his cane into the thing's eye. maybe even using some of the skills jason's taught him in practice, very much aware if this isn't a memory or hallucination they are royally fucked.]

Glitch | Original

[glitchinthesystem]

The Fall
[ He's never experienced this before. When he's out exploring Trench he never thought this could ever happen.

Glitch hadn't taken much notice of it at first; the ground shaking slowly, it could be anything really, maybe some kind of machinery? But, the longer he's out it gets more intense and then it's hard not to notice everything shaking violently. He lets out a loud gasp trying to get his balance and grab on to something when things that aren't bolted down come crashing down.

His foot slips though as the ground continues to shake and when he expects to hit the ground he's falling much further. It takes only a moment to realize what's going on as he starts yelling;]
HOLY FUCK WHY AM I FALLING DOWN A HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...!!!

[ Are you falling with him? Maybe it's time to share in the moment.

If not, when he finally crashes down to the ground he lets out a loud moan of pain. ]

Yup.

I fucking hate this already. [ Whether someone has landed nearby or not Glitch is slowly pushing himself up off the ground. ]

Where the fuck am I?


The Labyrinth
[ He travels the tunnels, eyes darting about every so often when he hears even the slightest noise. His hand is raised, giving off a blue electrical light from it.
Just his luck to fall down a freaking hole into a maze of potential awfulness.

As he's moving he stops when he see's another light coming round the corner. He drops his before he throws himself up against the wall. Okay, who knows who or what it could be. A monster, another person? Well...only one way to find out. Whatever rounds the next corner and if they haven't seen him...

he literally jumps on their back to try and throw them to the ground.]

Don't move! You try anything and I'll beat the shit out of you!

[ He hopes...unless they just throw him off. ]


Wild card
[ Have something else in mind? Pm me or message me at christhehost ]

Labyrinth

[floatsaway]

[Ochako is also in the tunnels, suited up in her Hero Costume up to the nines - boots, belt, wrist bracers, headpiece...everything. Whereas Glitch fell down here on accident, Ochako floated down with the intended purpose to assist anyone that fell and was injured, and to rescue people lost and in danger...or buried under any rubble. Her quirk is especially useful in this sort of scenario, and as a fledgling Rescue Hero, this isn't something she can ignore.

So, with a lot of supplies in her pack, she trekked forward into the labyrinth, lantern in hand and a piece of colored chalk in the the other, making a marker on the wall before turning--

And getting ambushed. Sadly for Glitch, he went ahead and tried to attack someone trained in multiple forms of martial arts, and who has dealt with aggressors up to twenty times her size, weight, and strength. Getting out of a chokehold like this is easy. All she has to do...is SING. :'Db]

ange ushiromiya | umineko no naku koro ni

[entreats]

(a. hole)

[ It's hard to not notice the newest addition to the town, isn't it. The holes seem to be all over the place, and although Ange isn't too sure whether or not it's a good idea to actually get down in there - she's currently leaning towards the not, thanks! - she can't help but want to figure out what these holes are about either way. After all, staying on top of whatever is going on during any given month feels like just about the only way to get by in this place.

It's why you might come across one of the holes in one of the city streets - with the girl right at the edge of it, squatting down and trying to glance down into it, though it's much too difficult to see anything.

When she looks up, the girl might spot you, looking almost comically calm about this situation as she speaks up with: ]

Do you think someone has been dumb enough to just jump in yet?

[ It's clearly an important question. ]

(b. nightmare)

[ Or maybe you've seen Ange in a different state, later on in the month. She has had enough nightmares during her life that nothing about the amount she's been having this month really sets off any suspicion radars within her. Sure, it leaves her feeling tired, but Ange figures she can manage that.

.. until it gets worse. And worse, and worse. Although there are no signs of physical injury on Ange the way there are on some other people who are suffering from the same thing, the girl is starting to look paler and paler by the day, big dark circles forming underneath her eyes.

At a point it leaves her looking like a zombie. And not just looking like one - but feeling like one as well. Because no matter where you encounter her, whether it's on the streets or somewhere inside, the girl might just straight up walk into you, even if you were fully visible standing there. It's like she isn't even paying attention to where she's going. ]

.. oh. [ Ange slowly says, a moment belated, like she only then realises she bumped into you at all. Every single movement on her part is so weirdly slow. ] Was that.. you?

[ Well, something sure seems off here, doesn't it. ]

Hole

[onekindsoul]

[The Trenchy looks to Ange quizzically as if considering how best to answer that question when a voice suddenly rings out from below in the sinkhole.]

Ange!?

Is that you?

I found this random hole and jumped into it, it was pretty awesome!

[Guess who was dumb enough to jump in the hole.

It's Ruby.]

Kainé | Nier: Replicant 1.22

[foulhussy]

That's the Spirit, Part 1: Grandma

[ Kainé had always been haunted. When she was a child, she had been scorned by those around her, unloved by her parents, for being made wrong. She carried that torment and neglect, her memories of that awful little town, with her ever since. Somebody came along that showed her what love was, raised and nurtured her. But the cruelty of the world broke that woman’s fragile body before her eyes. So her grandma haunts her. Then a monster came and burrowed into her soul, and changed what she was. Even after he was gone, the hole he left in her haunts her too. So many hauntings, that she can never exorcise.

As Kainé walks through the streets, an old woman is with her. She’s bent and gnarled by a hard life, but there’s a strength to her and a fire in her eyes that the years didn’t take away. Sometimes she walks beside Kainé. Sometimes she’s off near her, pantomiming the motions of cooking, or hammering a nail into a nearby building.

And sometimes she charges toward Kainé with a wood-axe, blind fury in her eyes. She avoids the woman easily when she does. For now at least.

Whenever she appears, even when she attacks her, Kainé stops to watch her, murmuring soft words to the apparition. Her eyes are profoundly lonely when she does. She’s missed her for so long. She doesn’t care if it’s not really her. She doesn’t want her to leave ever again. ]

Grandma… Look… I’m all grown up now. Am I still… pretty? Or am I…

That's the Spirit, Part 2: The Man Who Wasn’t There

[ But there is more that haunts Kainé, far more. Sins that stain her soul black. Bitter solitude and isolation. People who finally broke through to her, only to slip through her fingers one by one.

When the old woman isn’t with her, a young man is. He isn’t aggressive. Not yet, anyway, but the massive sword on his back makes it rather difficult to take relief in that fact. He doesn’t seem to notice her at all, in fact. He’s standing by a canal with a fishing rod in his hands, whistling a tune as he waits for a bite that won’t come.

And Kainé? She just stares at him, dazed, her eyes tearing up. Her vision is swimming and her ears are roaring and her head feels like it will split open. ]

It’s you… so that’s what you look like.

1. grandma

[terriblepurpose]

[A maddened figure wielding an axe is a sight that Paul is not accustomed to, but it shocks less than it once might have. Trench is Trench, and Corruption is Corruption. These are the reasons that one maintains vigilance wherever they go, why the windows on the streets with souls behind them shutter at the first intimations of bloodshed. Paul watches them close like eyes and thinks nothing of it.

What's unusual, he thinks, approaching on light and careful feet, dressed in the somber but breathable skin-covering blacks of summer, is how the woman being attacked is behaving.]

Kainé!

[He calls out to her, more attention getting than alarmed. He knows she's a capable fighter (Anna has mentioned it - more than once) and not in need of rescue from an old woman who -

- he's good at understanding people, even when he'd rather not be. Everything about Kainé's words, the angle of her body, the set of her eyes, points in a particular, gut-twisting direction.]

wanda maximoff | mcu | nightmares

[explosion]

1. MY LOVER ISN'T HUMAN | VISION ( TW: MURDER, DESCRIPTIONS OF A MUTILATED BODY )

[ it's always the same nightmare when it comes to vision.

whether she is in the overly bright green lands of wakanda or the nondescript bare home, vision's head is always caved in. no matter how indestructible she tries to make it, it always caves in. it always gives up.

this time, when wanda dreams, vision's pallor is a sickly purple. his eyes are murky and cloudy, and his forehead is caved in. ]

Darling, [ wanda says with a shaky breath. she smiles, but the corners of her lips don't lift high. ] Why don't you come sit down?

[ the couch is plush and brown. it's the only thing in the house that's sharp and in colour. the rest of it is almost sepia toned or black and white. wanda hasn't bothered to try and furnish this home. she's focused, too focused, on the man taking a seat on the couch.

and when wanda sits beside him, crossing a leg beneath her, she holds out her hand and wiggles her fingers where slithers of red whisper against the hole in his head.

each time she tries to rebuild it.

and each time she fails. ]

2. FAMILY IS FOREVER | BILLY + TOMMY ( TW: DARK MAGIC | ALLUDES TO MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS TRAILER )

MOM! MOM!

[ no matter how many times wanda hears their cries, she rushes from where she is—the shopping centre, outside, the other room. she always finds herself at the base of the never-ending staircase and drops to her knees with a loud thud before her boys.

they are here—so close, so tangible. she can feel them. this is the closest they've been to her. this is the closest they will ever stay.

she smiles wetly as the two boys flicker into view. they stand side by side; their shaking is unnoticeable. ]

Please, stay. [ her accent is thick, her tone deep. she reaches for her boys as they stand before her, but as she extends her arms toward them, they seem further away. no one moves. but the distance between them seems to grow bigger and bigger and no matter how wanda reaches out toward them, she can never touch them.

she tries to reach them with magic, but the red tendrils reach out like the coils of whips and never reach their target. the boys begin to break apart like puzzle pieces. ]

Please. [ fat tears slop against her cheeks. the boys' mouths wobble and their eyes fill with tears.

sometimes, wanda will turn to the person in her nightmare, her eyes wet, her cheeks splotchy, and beg them to help her. ]

3. DARK MAGIC | LATER IN THE MONTH

[ despite the number of times someone has helped wanda break out of a nightmare, she always wants to climb back into it.

it's the only time she's been with them—her family. pietro, vision, the boys… she wants them so badly she'll throw herself into the tumultuous ocean of her nightmares to see them. she does her best to swim. she freestyles fiercely in that water and she does her best to hold onto the edges of the lifeboat before vision disappears and the boys flicker out of view.

at any location—in the park, on the boardwalk, even the estate of her own house—wanda will tug back at the nightmares where she feels the trench's magic is strongest. she slips into her scarlet witch costume without any fuss. levitating in the air with her legs crossed and the backs of her wrists resting on her knees, she tries to locate them—vision, pietro, the boys, her childhood home—with the ease with which she's come to swim in her magic.

the aura around her is magnetic and powerful. at times, there will be nothing but deep red emitting from her. wanda remains focused, although she is alert. she doesn't wish for anything to stop her from finding her home. ]

4. WILDCARD

( hit me up at my plotting comment if you want to something more customised. wanda's entire history is up for grabs. )

3

[firstroar]

[there's plenty of strife to go around this month, and to someone like Blue, it's like a haze that lingers over the city every time the sun goes down and people try to fall asleep. the feelings of distress blur together into singular shades flecked by the sparks of individuals who bring their own circumstances to those feelings.

it is rare, in this case, to find such a shade of desire and yearning to be in that pain: it contrasts those trying to flee from the nightmare and the pain it causes.

Blue's mind finds a familiar scent tied to that rare shade, and it drives him to seek it out and find its source.]

Wanda.

[he can see the color of her well before he reaches her, a projection of his mind flying over and drawing near, his own aura colored softly in concern.]

Sersi | MCU

[terraphile]

Nightmares

She doesn’t dream. Not really. It’s never been something Sersi questioned back home, just something she accepted as a trait unique to the Eternals. Once she learned the truth of what they were, that unasked question was quickly answered.

Here, however, it was different.

She didn’t pay it too much attention when it started- her physiology had changed just as everyone else’s had. But did that, in turn, make her more human? She didn’t dream much- but what she had now turned into nightmares. Memories of Ajak’s death and Ikaris’s betrayal haunted her nightly- and when it wasn’t something that had happened, it was instead the possibility that she had doomed the very planet she loved with all her being by killing Tiamut.

The lack of sleep would be apparent on anyone, and Sersi’s learned now that she’s no exception. She’s exhausted all the time, has bags under her eyes, and can often be found at various cafés around the different districts drinking enough tea to keep someone awake for weeks. But instead, she stares off into the distance, tears forming at the corners of her eyes whenever she does pull focus back to reality.

Seasonal Treats - memory share from the tdm

Sersi would usually be more careful about the food she ate- she’s seen the effects it’s had on others in her short time here. (Then again, she wouldn’t usually be sleep-deprived from constant nightmares either.) She’d learned to stay away from the grapes and raspberries- but she hadn’t heard anything about the apples yet… and the scent of apple popovers lingering in the air was enough to keep her from even caring.

She’s eating one and carrying a small box with more on her way home when it happens. A memory, clear as day, is projected in front of her and whoever happened to be nearby.

a. ikaris’s betrayal (cw: talk of murder/death, Eternals Spoilers)

“If Ajak wanted you to take her place, why did she choose me?” Sersi pleaded breathlessly, only to be met with no answer. Ikaris looked away from her and the realization of what he’d done started to creep up. “What have you done?” she asked, quieter now.

“He killed her,” Druig supplied matter-of-factly while everyone in the room glanced from each other back to Ikaris.

“I had to.”

“She loved you.” Sersi could only whisper as the rest of the Eternals fought back their tears and Ikaris questioned her with an impatient ‘did she’. She could only repeat that statement again, tears spilling down her cheeks.

As Sersi in Trench watched on, her own face wet with tears. Ikaris had his reasons, she couldn’t blame him for them… but reliving the trauma of her husband betraying Ajak as he did, and vowing to let the emergence continue despite everyone’s love for Earth, including her own… It was a bit much.

b. dane’s birthday party

The dim light of the packed bar was tinted purple as music played and everyone around them danced and celebrated- including themselves. There was nothing particularly *cool* about the way they were dancing, making ridiculous faces, and laughing as they tried not to spill the beer in their hands…

But they were happy.

Sersi carried a tray with a pyramid of cupcakes on it to Dane as their friends sang happy birthday. He blew out the single candle.

They were happy.

Stealing away from the crowd, alone in the stairwell, Sersi gifted him a ring with his family’s crest on it.

“This must have cost a fortune,” he marveled as he tried it on.

“I’m a good eBay bidder.”

They kissed. She was happy.

Sersi looked away from the memory, blinking her eyes several times as though that would fix what was happening… hoping that would stop the projection from reminding her just how much she missed Dane, despite finding some peace here.


Wilcard

[ Happy to match format if you prefer brackets! Moooooore than happy to deal with face twin shenanigans/acknowledgments for Ikaris or Dane if your character would know their faces from anything else.

If you have another idea, come at me with it or hmu and we can do different prompt for you. Want a different memory? I'm also game for that! TLDR- I’m so easy. Come hug this sad not!robot. ]

Cafe

[cuddlery]

[Scorpia was making a stop at a local cafe for something to drink and something to snack on. She didn't have much on her mind today besides trying to decide between a chocolate chip muffin or a cinnamon roll. That is, until she notices a lady sitting alone at one table along the way. The stranger looks like... well, there's a number of things that look concerning, like how she seems exhausted and on the verge of tears.

She can have a tendency to drop in on other people's business, especially when it seems like something's wrong. So the scorpion woman approaches the woman's table and waves a pincer in front of her.]

Hey, um, are you okay? [She gently asks her.]

D | Vampire Hunter D

[distant_one]

i. patience is a virtue: a dark shadow in the tunnels

[D can navigate perfectly well in the tunnels without light, and his affinity for darkness makes even his almost translucent and pale skin difficult to see until he's very close, even for those carrying a light source.

The fact that he's walking without making a single sound of footsteps or even quiet breathing in the dark doesn't help either. He's not purposely trying to sneak up on people, but there's still a distinct chance it's going to happen.]

ii patience is a virtue: a very strange grave robbing

[D is carrying out a large coffin. Awkwardly due to its size, but with no difficulty despite how heavy it should be. It's an ornately carved and lacquered monstrosity decorated in reds and blacks and inlaid metal.

The coffins used by Vampires in his world can become extremely complicated, particularly once dimensional expansion comes into play. He identified this one for what it was immediately, even if the high tech defenses that would normally guard it had all broken down.

But now he's carrying out what is very unmistakably a very fancy coffin. There's really no way to get around that fact that it looks like he's just robbed a very clean grave or catacomb of a polished and expensive coffin.]

ii

[untiltheend]

[Now, Sebastian has no personal experience with vampires (one assumes) and thus doesn't know to draw any particular conclusions from the look of the coffin... but he does have a certain bias in considering funeral workers worth notice for various reasons. Not to mention macabre things are inherently beautiful, aren't they? So:]

What a beautiful creation, sir. [Really, it's quite lovely. Mortals and their strange need to prettify death...]

anakin solo ★ star wars

[hopesparks]

don't give up on your dreams

[ Anakin is so tired.

He barely sleeps as it is, but the constant nightmares are wearing him thin. He's tried to meditate on it, but nothing is becoming clearer. In fact, he's started to fall into the waking nightmares while meditating.

Eventually, he's gotten particularly pale and the dark circles under his eyes have become pronounced. But he carries on, refusing to let (what he thinks are) a few nightmares stop him from fulfilling his duties to the Trench.

But one day he pushes himself a little too far. He's slowly walking home after a shift at the orphanage when his knees give out and he half-stumbles into a poor bystander. ]

that's the spirit

there is only the force : master ikrit
[ cw: character death. ]

[ It starts with seeing a white tail in the periphery of his vision. At first, he chalks it up to sleeping poorly. But it's not long before the ghost makes itself apparent. A diminutive, floppy-eared creature that looks more like a pet than a Jedi master.

Anakin drops what he's holding with a loud clatter of metal hitting pavement. His eyes well with tears in spite of himself, and his heart is in his throat when he says: ] Master?

what you can't escape : palpatine
[ cw: character death, emotional manipulation, loss of autonomy ]

[ Anakin isn't surprised when another ghost appears (he has many, after all) but this time, it shakes him in a completely different way. Because the man following him has tormented his family for generations. Tormented him in his nightmares.

So Anakin does to him what he does to his nightmares-- he ignores the former Emperor. Unfortunately, that does nothing to deter the haunting. For now, it stares at Anakin with its merciless yellow eyes. But it keeps getting closer and closer, a sneer crossing its face.

It walks closer and closer to the child Palpatine tried to claim so long ago. ]

palps

[facultative]

[Anakin recognises this ghost. He looks sickly and withered and nothing like the kindly old man he remembers, but it's unmistakably him.]

...Is that the Chancellor?

[His feelings on the man are complicated. While his descendents have a more clear cut view on him, Anakin can't just ignore the years he spent trusting this man with his deepest secrets. His motives remained a mystery to Anakin. There was no way he could have known Anakin's potential that early on.

He barely spares a glance at his grandson before he's approaching Palpatine.]

How-- when did you get here?