I love you and that's all I really know

[reddosmod]

FEBRUARY 2022 EVENT

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Bloody fingers hovering over chalice of blood.]
[Image Two: Semi-nude people dancing in circle with joined hands.]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Hauntingly large man coming up behind young girl while other girl screams.]
[Image Two: Old woman walking towards a panicked young woman.]

Prompt Three
[Image One: Obscure, nude bodies twisted together in a circle. Non-graphic.]
[Image Two: Nun holding holy book while red liquid pours from unseen face.]

Prompt Four
[Image One: Chocolates.]
[Image Two: Chocolate.]

[NAVIGATION]

Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3 • Prompt 4 • Plotting • Newsletter

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

BONDING PACTS

WHEN: Anytime
WHERE: Anywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Blood ceremony, bodily ceremony, telepathic/empathetic connections, possible forced/coerced relationships.

---

[From BEGINNERS GUIDE FOR BLOOD PACTS. Found in the Archives:]

"There are a variety of blood pacts one can make, but the most popular are Bonding Pacts. Bonding Pacts should never be made on a whim: they are a serious commitment.

PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
We can thank the Doorway for Bonding Pacts. Everyone knows the story: the Reckoning was made to go fight the impossible battle against blood pollution, corruption, and beasthood. The Doorway vowed to wait for the Reckoning to return and has never moved since. This is ultimately believed to be the first Bonding Pact ever made in Trench and it is considered to have opened up Bonding Pacts as a possibility in general.

The most common misconception about Bonding Pacts is that they must be exclusively for romantic partners. This is not true The majority of Bonding Pacts, as a matter of fact, are actually familial and platonic in nature. Most romantic pairs decide that marriage is a safer option just in case someone gets a case of cold feet. On the other hand, this also means that the Bonding Pact can be the ultimate sign of devotion in a romantic relationship. We aren't interested in telling you what is right for your relationship, but the history is worth considering before taking that step.

So what is a Bonding Pact and how do you do it? Despite being one of the strongest pacts in this world, it is also one of the simplest to perform! Here's what you'll need:

1x Vial of blood per participant wishing to enter the pact
1x Small essence* of each participant
1x Live red rose
2x Live white roses
1x Pouch of ashes
1x Silver cup/container of some sort

*It was once believed that "essence" translated to organ, but we have since learned that this can be a single strand of hair, nail clipping, eyelash, teardrop, spit...You get the gist. It has to be something that came directly from your body that isn't blood.

You need to leave the silver cup out under the moonlight for at least one full night. You must complete this ceremony the evening after and only in the evening. Bonding Pacts cannot be made during the day. When you plan to begin the ceremony, you will need to perform it in a doorway or under any type of arch. This is to allow the Doorway to bless your pact and strengthen it permanently.

You will combine all the ingredients into the cup and thoroughly stir with a fragment of bone/antler. This concoction will thicken into a pastelike consistency and it should be black in color. If it smells like fresh roses, you did it right. If it smells like rancid food, you messed it up and will have to completely redo the ceremony.

Finally, each participant will cover one hand with the paste. To seal the bond, you will need to place your hand upon the one you wish to bond with. Where you place it matters and will determine the nature of your Bonding Pact. Each will have a drastically different consequence/benefit.

ROMANTIC BONDS: Place the hand somewhere on the face. This indicates a public relationship that is to be respected by all involved. This bond will create a telepathic connection between all participants. This telepathy cannot be heard by anyone else nor can it be interfered with from distance or chaos. It is possible to bring your romantic partner back from beasthood through this connection. Extreme cases of this bond have allowed romantic partners to take over one another's minds in severe situations. It can be difficult to shelter your thoughts from your Romantic Bond partner, but it is possible. They will know when you are keeping thoughts from them. Some partners have learned to respect each other's privacy while others have gone insane from the connection.

PLATONIC BONDS: Place the hand somewhere on the chest/shoulder area. This bond will create an This bond will create a physical connection. between all participants. This physical bond will allow participants to pick up on each other's physical pain or pleasure. You will be able to know when your friend is in physical harm. This creates a "phantom pain" of sorts. This can either weaken you substantially or give you an enormous boost during a fight. Best friends have been known to harness this ability well and use each other's pain to literally get stronger during a fight with monsters. On the other hand, a strained relationship can just cause you to feel the same debilitating pain as your friend. This cannot be used to bring someone back from beasthood.

FAMILIAL BONDS: Place the hand somewhere on an appendage whether arm, leg, tail or otherwise. This bond will create an empathetic connection between all participants. This empathetic bond will allow participants to naturally know what the other is feeling and may be able to sway one another's emotions through this connection. Like the romantic bond, it cannot be ruined by distance or chaos and has been used to bring people back from beasthood. Extreme situations have allowed partners to take total emotional control. You will always know when your Familial Bond partner is in emotional distress. You can send your Familial Bond emotional support when you can feel their stress, even at a distance. While this may not always work, many have reported it can greatly alleviate corruption and can even be used to recognize corruption patterns in order to prevent it.

HOSTILE BONDS: Place this bond exclusively on the neck or on anywhere on the back. While it may seem farfetched to make a bond with your enemy, there is some merit to the madness. This will create a unique power connection between all participants. This bond will allow one another to feel the ebb and flow of one another's powers. It is said the most well-forged Hostile Bonds may even allow characters to share abilities between one another. Hostile Bonds are known to drastically increase aggression and competitive behavior between participants. This has caused hostility to stir and may even lead to hatred. However, a successful Hostile Bond that is worked on with steady communication and agreement can be enormously successful and horrifically powerful.

Once you have left your handprint on your partner's skin, the spell will take hold. The handprint will glow and everyone will briefly have a vision of the Doorway standing before them. Don't be alarmed: they are only here to solidify the connection. You will feel great warmth and then the connection will be made. The handprint will stain your skin permanetly so choose wisely. The stain may be extremely light, barely visible. For others, it may be much darker. It is unknown what causes the variation.

This pact can be performed any time of year but is strongest when performed during or near the Egg Moon. While it is not required to have an audience for this ceremony, it is believed that an audience greatly strengthens the bond. It has become customary for people to make vows in combination with the ceremony for an additional layer of power.

As a further point of caution...These bonds can be forced on an individual."

FAQ
1. These bonds cannot be broken except by extreme magical interference such as through some sort of game event, a character being dropped from the game, or something like the Blade of Agency. Death will not disturb the bond.

2. There is no "limit" to the number of participants for the ceremony. Romantic bonds can be made between multiple people. The connection will only exist between those who partook in the ceremony at the same time.

3. People can be added into a Bonding Pact at any time.

4. Gender/species has no impact on the bond.

5. People can create different bonds with the same person.

6. These bonds are open-ended and can be translated to better fit your character.

IMPENDING INTIMACY

WHEN: February
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Intimacy-based monster, intense themes of stalking, jealousy, possession, guilt, shame, physically violent deaths, possible themes of adultery/cheating, some negative ideaology towards promiscuity.

---

[From History of Blood Crazed Zealots: Chapter 15 Caution About Curses found in the Lumenarium:]

"Do not be fooled by this seemingly passive curse. There are few things more potent than a Blood Crazed Zealot's magic, and few emotions are stronger than that of jealousy. The story goes that one Blood Crazed Zealot was in love with another and entered a sacred blood pact to unite their blood and souls. However, the other Blood Crazed Zealot's love was not as pure, and soon they strayed in body and in mind. Of course, no secrets can be kept in a blood pact, and one thing led to the other.

The jealous and betrayed Blood Crazed Zealot created a vicious curse that still plagues the world to this day. We know of no cures, no remedies, no way to beat it. We only know how to keep it at bay. But It is always around, It is always near, and It will always follow. We have not yet determined the exact way It is transmitted from one person to the next, but we believe it has to do with exchanging some form of intimacy. Whether that be with sex, words of love, or even just saying a loved one's name, the curse will follow.

It appears as a person walking directly towards you. At first, you might not even pick it out from the crowd, until it gets closer. Then you see oddities. Water spills from its body, or its arm looks broken, or many walk along completely naked. There is something off about the creature, and worse yet, no one sees It but you and anyone previously cursed by It. It moves slowly, and it would be easy to assume that it can't really hurt you. After all, if you shoot it with a gun or tear it down with powers, it breaks apart as easily as a human body...

But then It gets up. It reforms. It is impossible to kill. It doesn't react to pain. It doesn't react to words. It changes appearances when you lose sight of it, making it almost impossible to keep your guard up against it. The last time you saw it, it might have been a little girl, but now it looks like a six foot tall man. You might buy yourself some time, might be able to distance yourself by taking a swim or a fly...But It will find you. It will always find you. It can break through doors and windows. There are no wards against it.

When it finds you, it will kill you. It matters not what your powers are, what your blood is. This creature existed with the single purpose to destroy and it has perfected the art. Once it has a hold of you, you are powerless. You first lose all abilities, and then rapidly, your life follows in one crushing moment of paralyzing fear and agonizing pain. It throws its victims to the ground and breaks their bodies apart. No one wants to find the bodies of those it has consumed. It takes only seconds to kill you. Don't let it touch you. Don't let it get close enough to touch you. It will win.

When it has finished, it begins to stalk to the person that had passed it off. It's a never-ending cycle. Person A has it then gives it to Person B who gives it to Person C. Person C dies, so it goes back to Person B until person B can find someone new to give it to. Be wary of giving affection this month. You tenderly saying your beloved's name or engaging in sex or flirtation might just pass the curse along."

FAQ
1. The curse is meant to be severely undermined. The creature appears as an ordinary, unsettling-looking person with no obvious abilities. It can kill anyone regardless of their abilities or species.

2. The curse can be passed by saying a loved one's name (platonic/romantic/familial), sex, kissing, loving touches. To break the curse, one can sleep with a Trenchie or say the name of a loved one not present in Trench.

MOTHER'S MERCY

WHEN: The hex only appears during February
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Religious based trauma/forced guilt/shame, extreme themes of self-mutilation and possible sucidial ideations, hexes, altered mental state, forced confessions.

---

[A sermon by Mother Mercy as recorded by an unnamed Disciple, followed by an attached document titled MOTHER'S FORGIVENESS. A misspelling or unusual wording throughout the sermon is intentional. Disciples debate whether the document was intended as support of Mother Mercy's hex or as a way to help people avoid it. The sermon and Mother's Forgiveness are written in different handwriting. The documents can be found at the Pale Sanctuary:]

THE SERMON
"It was in the midst of Febuawry that the Doorway suummoned me for council,
They had fallen in love with the Reckoning and desird to create an eternal bond,
They wanted to have me present at the seremony to [provide] blessings,
Yet it was with regret I [had to] deny them their wish and instead provide cawsion,
But you see, that is the role of a Mother. We tell our spawn what they do not want to hear but muust.
It is a Mother's Mercy to pass on wisdom, to show compassion and care.

I told the Doorway that we live in a cruuel world, a cruuel world that can rawt a gewd heart,
I told the Doorway that it would be kindr to leave bonds uuntethered,
That it would be a kindness to both to let their love lingr and fade,
Than to let it be subjected to the atrocities of this world's bluud lost.
For what is a strongr emotion than jealousy? I ask of you.
What is a strongr emotion than loneliness? I ask of you.
What is a strongr emotion than longing? I ask of you.
What drives people to insanity quickr than being denied their heart's desires?
No, I told them, they should let go, for a Pthumerian owes this world selflessness,
And a Pthumerian's love can permanently stain this world in a way no one else can.
It would be a kindness to all.

But the Doorway did not want to listen. The Doorway defied [my] advice and created bonds,
The Doorway opened an eternal connection to the Reckoning, The Doorway stained this earth with the consequence of love, of relationships.
Do not be fewled by the luuxury of these words.
There is suuch a thing as selfless love, and this was not it, And so the time came for me to regrettably be proven right.

The corruuption of our cruuel world festered as people created bonds,
For the bonds made the agony of loss so much greater.
With the Doorway's curse*1, people who lost their family, their spouses, their friends also lost themselves.
Loss is painful no matter how you enduure, but the Doorway's curse ensuured it would ruun*2 deep into your soul.
It would corrupt. It would ruun*2.
This was not merciful. This was not love.

And so I counseled the Reckoning to go and keep the corruption at bay,
The Reckoning will not return to the Doorway for corruption will never end,
For beasthewd will never end.
The Reckoning keeps her sword high, and the Doorway will wait for eternity for a lover who will never return.
This is a mother's mercy. Perhaps one day, the Doorway will dissolve their curse.

Now let us bow our heads and pray. And remember, my Disciples, abstain from the curse.
Regulate your desires. This is not to cast shame, but to cast cawsion."

*1: The "curse" refers to the Bonding Pacts that are now popular in Trench. There may be some logic to Mother Mercy's rhetoric given the intensity of corruption experienced post-Bonding Pact. However, one could argue there is an equally high chance of counter-corruption due to deepening relationships through blood magic.

*2: It would appear that the word "ruin" and "run" were spelled the same at this time.

[Footnotes are in the Wayward Watcher's handwriting and clearly added at a much later date than the original sermon was recorded due to the darker quality of the ink. The following document "Mother's Forgiveness" is in the Wayward Watcher's handwriting as well.]

MOTHER'S FORGIVENESS
"Thus shortly after the sermon, a hex began to spread throughout Trench. The source of which seemed to be people who were actively resisting personal desire in some shape. People who tried to resist lust or love or other basic desires began to experience convulsions of pain. The internal agony would rapidly escalate the more they resisted "temptation" and eventually, people found one of the only ways to alleviate this pain was to mutilate themselves. A small cut would bring some relief, but the more harm they brought themselves, the more relief they felt.

I have theorized that this may be the first incident of Sleepers transforming themselves into the Blood Crazed Zealots. This was the first time I began to experience Sleepers who had permanently modified their physical bodies in drastic ways. Many would seem content with the modifications but their personalities were distorted by exacerbated corruption. Those who avoided harming themselves would fall into beasthood in alarming numbers. For a while, the only solution the Hunters and I believed in was to mercifully put these creatures out of their misery.

I quickly learned that many people, especially Sleepers, had burrowed down so many desires that it became an outright plague of corruption throughout the city. We needed to do more than just hunting down those who fell to it. The bodies were piling in numbers and the blood pollution was creating more beasts than we were killing. I sought out Mother Mercy and demanded a solution. I reasoned with her that while she may want to avoid the Doorway's blood magic, it was unfair to allow Sleepers to go punished so severely for a Pthumerian's choices.

Eventually, we came to an agreement. She would purify those who came to the Pale Sanctuary and asked for her forgiveness. They must confess their desires to lift the hex. Mother Mercy will, fittingly, take mercy on those who wish to redeem themselves. Be careful of your desires, Sleeper, for if you keep them locked up, they may just be your ruin. Confessions to Mother Mercy should be a last resort. To avoid the hex, consider honesty.

Good Luck,
The Wayward Watcher."

FAQ
1. The "desires" do not need to be romantic or sexual. They can be someone who desires to resolve an issue, someone who wants to have more friends, the desire to be successful/powerful/famous etc. The "desires" should be prominent. Small desires like wanting a donut for breakfast will not cause harm.

2. Crippling feelings of guilt over desire will consume and corrupt. Characters can avoid the hex by admitting their desires to someone. It does not have to be to Mother Mercy.

3. Those who confess to others or Mother Mercy will feel immediate relief of the hex. People can experience the hex multiple times if they go back to hiding their desires.

4. Confessions can be given to anyone. If you're in love with someone, you can just confess it to a friend rather than the person you are in love with. Of course, it's not like Sleepers would know that...It would be easy to think you have to be forced to confess to your loved one.

5. Characters do not need to self-mutilate for this prompt. Many can just go through their usual corruption stages/beasthood that you would have planned for your characters ahead of time. This is intended to be a bit of history for the Blood Crazed Zealots. You can be flexible on how your character goes to extremes to alleviate their pain. This may include substance abuse, irrational behavior, etc.

THE CHOCOLATIER: BONUS PROMPT

WHEN: February (Chocolates can be saved for the future via freezing.) The drive to find the Chocolatier only lasts during February.
WHERE: All throughout Trench and surrounding areas.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Themes of temptation (non-sexual and/or sexual), addiction, blood sacrifice, severely warped personality/reality including temporary amnesia, inability to use body, paranoia, vomiting organs, homicidal feelings, mild body horror.

---

"What is the weight of your pleasure?"

You hear the gravely, sexless voice greet you somewhere in the streets of Trench. You knew the creature had not been there just a minute ago, but now you are no longer alone. A creature roughly the size of an elephant sits beside you, a chalice hovering in the air between its outstretched hands.

The scent of chocolate wafts from the creature. But this isn't just the smell of chocolate. It is the experience of pleasure itself. You can feel the warm melt of chocolate over your tongue, your body wrapped up in inexplicable warmth and silky softness, something whispering across your skin. Your scalp tingles as if someone were playing with your hair or you just heard the best song in your life. It's like sinking into your own bed after getting home from a long trip away.

It's nearly impossible to resist the stupor the creature puts you in. The Chocolatier gazes at you calmly. This is an infamous beast, rare to show its face, but known among locals as one of the most dangerous...For no one can bring themselves to slay it. They dare not even write about it in fear of this creature being capable of taking pleasure away from Trench altogether. Corruption has thoroughly consumed this soul, any sense of self lost, but is this truly the kind of beast that Hunters wish to bring down? It pacifies all those that meet it, even the most violent of souls. The desire to fight, to be hostile will be greatly diminished in its presence. Surely...Surely it cannot be bad.

"I only ask for a token of your blood. For that, I will give everything...Your pleasure, your desire...It is yours. In one single bite...Or perhaps...You may think to give one of my chocolates to someone you admire...For surely...Who could resist such a gift...?" It offers its chalice. "Just a drop will do, my friend..." It seems like such a reasonable request for such a grand gift. Common sense would normally be kicking in right about now, but the Chocolatier drives common sense from the mind and replaces it with sheer want. Someone with mental protection abilities, enchantments or blessed items may be able to resist the temptation and step away. Most people however will likely give over a drop (or more) of blood. The more blood you give, the more chocolates you receive...

And oh! Even if you dislike chocolate or typically can't eat it, you know that you can eat this piece. You know that you will like this chocolate. It's perfect in every way. It was made exactly for you...Or perhaps, even, a special someone in your life. A chocolate for your friend, your lover, your sibling, or...maybe even your enemy. Once you have been given the chocolate, the Chocolatier vanishes. You don't have to eat the chocolate right away, but the longer you resist, the greater the temptation will become. God forbid you lose the chocolate. Some have gone completely insane by the loss. Maybe you should just eat it or get it to your buddy!

There are a wide variety of chocolates you may be blessed with and each one has a different effect. The Chocolatier may seek you out multiple times, but it seems impossible to intentionally summon the Chocolatier.

All effects last a few hours to a few days. Consuming paleblood or darkblood will help alleviate symptoms. All chocolates may lead to corruption and beasthood if they get out of control. Resisting the symptoms worsens effects. While these chocolates are intended to set up new connections, the effects will be doubled if the effect is layering on a pre-existing situation (ie; if you eat a dark chocolate around the person you're sleeping with, you'll find them even more irresistible. If you eat a milk chocolate around your significant other, you'll feel even more in love). You can eat multiple chocolates at once to experience multiple effects at once.

Milk Chocolate: This will inspire extreme romantic attraction to the first person you interact with after eating this chocolate regardless of if you know them. Melted and consumed with other food, it will provide additional feelings of being loved.

Dark Chocolate: This will inspire extreme sexual attraction to the first person you interact with of your preferred gender(s) after consuming. This has been used as a powerful aphrodisiac. Melted and put directly on the skin, it can cause extreme pleasure.

White Chocolate: You desperately want to befriend the first person you interact with after consuming. Melted and consumed with other food, it will provide additional feelings of security in your relationships.

Caramel: You will feel deeply indebted to the first person you interact with after consuming. You will want to do anything they ask, be anything they ask, and follow every order or command they give you.

Almond: You will be extremely compelled to communicate exclusively through song to other people. You will also be compelled to randomly sing your inner monologue and overshare via a spontaneous, musical number.

Raspberry: This will cause you to start vomiting a variety of organs. They aren't your organs. Some of the organs may still be functioning when they come up.

Orange: You will begin to completely confuse people for each other. Their faces and names will swap around in your mind. You might mistake your best friend for your partner. You will have difficulty remembering who is who.

Strawberry: Your emotions will be projected from you without your control through an aura. This aura can provide visual cues (such as a golden light around you when you are happy or a blue when you are sad) as well as smells and possibly even sounds.

Cherry: This will make you extremely flirty and cheerful. You will find it difficult to be in a bad mood and wind up hitting on people regardless of your personal attraction to them.

Coconut: This will cause temporary amnesia either long-term or short-term. Some people may have false memories put in their heads by this chocolate, many of which will be better than the lives they originally lived.

Coffee: This will cause extremely erratic, irrational behavior. You will become reckless and arrogant, making moves in situations you normally never would. It can boast confidence and ego. The crash from this chocolate is terrible and feels worse than a hangover.

Hazelnut: Some physical marker will appear on your body to show that you are romantically and/or sexually compatible with someone. This may be their name appearing on your skin, the first words they ever said to you, or your eye color changing to theirs. This does not force sexual/romantic attraction but rather lets you know who you might make a good match with!

Peanutbutter: You now have animal features of some sort. Dog ears, wings, new eyes. This has been known to provide temporary abilities similar to the animal you have been combined with. Some have even been known to be able to transform completely into the animal at this time!

Peacan: You will drastically lose function over certain body parts. This can cause feelings like your arm is no longer there or under your control. It may cause a complete surrender of your bodily functions in general.

Truffle: You will feel a crushing sense of paranoia that something is controlling you, watching you, and dictating the experiences around you. You will become increasingly suspicious of interactions and start theorizing about little things.

Vanilla: You will become obsessed with specific individuals and begin to actively plot their murder and likely attempt to commit it. This isn't just bloodlust: it's plotting violence. It's about wanting to get away with murder as much as committing murder.

CODING

Comments

lysithea von ordelia / chocolate emblem three chocolates

[notimeforfailure]

[a. chocolatier 1]
Hm...?

[Lysithea can be found somewhat dazed on the streets, eyes blank and staring at nothing in particular. Her hands are cupped around a tiny little heart-shaped box wrapped beautifully with a pink ribbon. As she totters forward along her path, she inevitably bumps into a passer-by on the street (perhaps you) and her little box goes flying.]

Ah -- !

[She lunges for it with uncharacteristic ferocity.]

[b. chocolatier 2]
Good morning.

[Customers to the bakery are greeted with an overly enthusiastic welcome and a smile that is far too cheerful. The Chocolatier has found an unsuspecting accomplice in a girl whose mind is usually too rigidly controlled to be susceptible to mental corruption... but who has one very clear and obvious weakness.]

Will that be all today? And before you go, may I suggest a complimentary chocolate?

[Lysithea holds out a box for her customers to pick.]

((This prompt is for other characters to eat one of the Chocolatier's chocolates, as Lysithea is under its mental sway and believes she ought to pass them out.))

[c. chocolatier 3]
[And of course, the inevitable ending to this saga. Lysithea has consumed the chocolate (or chocolates) meant for her and spends a psychedelic few days in February oscillating from one chocolate effect to another. Her friends, acquaintances, and employees will doubtlessly immediately notice how truly bizarre she's acting...

Unless, of course, they're under the influence, too.]

((Open to white (befriending), caramel (feelings of indebtedness), orange (face confusion), strawberry (emotion aura) with anyone. Open to milk (romantic), cherry (flirtation), hazelnut (demonstration of compatibility) with closer CR. Will not be doing vanilla (murder), dark (sexual), raspberry (organs). Unstated ones are also fine with anyone, just not my first preference though I'm happy to play.))

C- Strawberry (and by the way, Luz turns 16 this month, though she'll be missing her birfhday)

[imaglyphwitch]

[Guess who she's about to run into? It's Luz, who's been finding herself in weird moods, and retreated into chocolate mode, and is right now unaware that its altered her quite a bit. She popped into the bakery, giving her boss a wave, Owlbert circling around his companion].

Lysithea! I feel like it's been too long! How're ya doinggg?

[Luz's face is a bit flushed, but she is beaming, finding that she feels much better than she had only a few hours ago, to be in a place where she felt comfortable].

[notimeforfailure]

Hello, Luz.

[Lysithea is coming down from the high of a chocolate effect that had plagued her for the past day. Largely unconscious of this fact, she gives Luz a cheerful greeting nonetheless as she toys with her chocolate box.]

Yes - it's been a busy month. You've heard about the monster that's supposed to attack at some point?

[And here she goes popping another chocolate into her mouth...]

[imaglyphwitch]

There's...a monster that's coming here?

[Oh, and now the Strawberry candy is starting to show: Luz's aura color shifts to a yellowish light blue, and it's starting to radiate from her body.

Luz cannot see this of course, so she is blissfully ignorant of it].

What kind of monster?

[notimeforfailure]

Something about a leviathan.

[She shakes her head slowly and swallows.]

As a matter of fact, I will need to close the bakery the second half of this month as I agreed to help in the efforts to contain it.

But we have time yet.

[She frowns as a greenish aura emanates from her own body.]

...Luz, is something wrong?

a!

[adelphoi]

[ alisaie just so happens to be on patrol at this very moment, moving through crenshaw's streets with her eyes open for any signs of corruption or beasthood - it is high this month, or so she is told. yet the populace seems comfortable, the streets lively but quiet on the "monster" front, and alisaie has nothing to fight.

it's for the best, of course, and she is just considering wheeling about to perhaps pay a visit to the gate when someone stumbles bodily into her, a box of.. something? - flying high into the air. with sharp reflexes, alisaie is quick to catch it. ]

Oh -

[ she starts, then holds the pretty box forward toward the girl - though she certainly looks a little.. dazed. ]

My apologies - are you quite all right?

[notimeforfailure]

Ah -- yes!

[Lysithea grabs for the box with wild eyes.]

Thank you - that's mine. I'll... have it back now.

[Her words are stilted, unnatural. For a moment, she looks around as if hoping to see something before she clears her throat and draws herself up a bit higher.]

Apologies... for my carelessness.

[adelphoi]

[ my goodness she's feral for that box!! alisaie can understand, she has quite a sweet tooth herself, but she still looks quite surprised when the box is snatched so quickly from her hands.

huh. ]

I.. err, that's quite all right, you've no need to apologize.

[ these things happen all the time. but honestly, alisaie is far more concerned with the girl's behavior. frowning, her brow knits with concern. ]

But are you all right?

[notimeforfailure]

I'm... perfectly fine.

[She still sounds like she's floating among the moons of Saturn. There comes a moment when it seems as if she might abruptly turn away. But then -- ]

Did you...

See someone - something going this way? There was ... something... lovely.

['lovely' is definitely not the right word]

a

[entreats]

[ Lysithea. Girl. What is up.

That seems to be the current facial expression on Ange's face. It's as if the curse that hung over all introvert darkbloods last month has been snapped for all of them - except for Lysithea. Because she sure notices the girl walking along the street in a daze, but Ange also definitely expects the other girl to avoids her.. until she doesn't.

Instead she bumps right into Ange, and then the box goes flying, and before Ange can even attempt to try and catch it, Lysithea herself is already lunging for it.

What a day. ]

Is.. everything okay?

[ There is actually a genuine hint of confusion in Ange's voice, yes. This is weird enough to warrant a little more than just deadpan, apparently. ]

[notimeforfailure]

Ah --

[Lysithea's priority is the box. She... scampers to snatch it off the ground. 'Scampers' is not really a word generally associated with Lysithea.]

Ange.

I'm... fine. I just -- this is very important.

[There is a distant quality to her voice that seems as if she is speaking with her mind entirely elsewhere.]

Sorry. My apologies.

[entreats]

.. it's fine. No need to say sorry.

[ But while Ange is able to say that in something pretty close to her usual tone of voice, there's a bit more to it. Something in the way she pauses before saying it - or perhaps something in the way she looks at the other girl. There's obvious signs of something being off here, though Ange can't tell exactly what.

Does it have something to do with what's in that box?

After thinking about it for a split second, Ange decides that perhaps the best route to go with is just her usual blunt one, so-- ]

What's in that box though that's so important?

[ What's making you act so weird, Lysithea! ]

[notimeforfailure]

T-The box?

[Lysithea holds it instinctively closer to her.]

Why?

You don't want it, do you?

[still super weird!!!!! but as Ange is a good friend of hers, Lysithea's suspicion is milder than it might be otherwise.]

It's a great treasure, you know. Something just for me.

( b, white )

[danserai]

Ah, is this another amazing chocolate you've made?

[ lysithea, so cool!! ahiru beams. ]

I'd love to try it!

[notimeforfailure]

[Lysithea beams.]

As a matter of fact, this was a gift from somebody very talented in the art of chocolate making. I thought I should share it with my customers.

[danserai]

You're so kind! I'm sure your customers would love them.

[notimeforfailure]

Yes, definitely! That's why I knew I needed to help them share. Please, have one.

[She thrusts it closer to Ahiru.]

c - dealer's choice?

[cuddlery]

[Scorpia agreed to come in today and help with stocking some shelves. So she bursts through the door in the middle of the afternoon, full of energy and ready to get to work.]

Scorpia here, reporting for duty! What's up today, Lissie? [She says as she glances around for the bakery's owner!]

sure! how do you feel about cherry or is that too much?

[notimeforfailure]

[Lysithea is just swallowing (yet another) chocolate when Scorpia walks in cheerfully. A nickname that would normally set her on edge arouses, instead, a feeling of... excitement.]

Oh!

Good afternoon, Scorpia. I wasn't expecting you so soon. Are you here... to see me?

I feel good about that!

[cuddlery]

[A little blink at that question.]

Of course I am. Here to see you, help you, hang out with you - the whole nine yards! [She chuckles as she approaches Lystithea and notices the chocolates she has out.] Ooh, chocolates! Are they - they up for sale?

[notimeforfailure]

Oh, no.

[Lysithea shakes her head and sidles up to the box of chocolates on display.]

They're complimentary! I'm giving them out with purchases. But only for my most special customers. There's not enough that I can just hand them out to anyone.

But some people... really deserve it, you know. I think you should have one, Scorpia.

C: Strawberry -- today is not a day when I can write short starters

[payingfordeliverance]

[One Xerxes Break is having a rough month -- blind again for a little while towards the beginning of it, in fact, though he refuses to address the why of it at work -- and to that end he is also on a chocolate bender, though for decidedly less harmless reasons. Multiple times he shows up at work suffering from some sort of chocolate-related incident, such as cute cat ears that swivel about on top of his head or a three day stretch wherein he was obliged to sing everything that came out of his mouth. The jury is out as to whether that particular chocolate's effects actually last that long or if everyone simply hates it so much he keeps singing for the joy of it.

At one point he gets into the caramels and spends the day dutifully following Lysithea around everywhere, obeying her every command. No one actually notices a difference with that one.

But on today's episode of Patisserie Lysitherie, Break has tried the strawberry, and the result is a personal cloud of special effects that betrays him arguably worse than any shenanigan that Trench has thrown at him yet and that includes having been on fire twice already this month. Despite arriving at the bakery in his usual flurry of smiles and flapping and obnoxious greetings, there is a battalion of comically tiny storm clouds following him around, mostly grumbling to themselves but occasionally zapping him outright. Fortunately, there has been a recent discovery that Break is someone who actively enjoys making food that takes lots of time and a great many steps. To that end he winds up stashed in the far corner of the kitchen as usual, tasked with making cute little pies, the red heart aesthetic appropriately geared towards the current atmosphere in town.

A vast mood improvement follows. The little clouds clear up into festive white fluff. Periodically one of them coughs out a burst of bubbles in various colorful shapes, hearts or stars or musical notes. And when Lysithea strays close to check on him, he glances up at her before she even reaches his side.]

Look here, Miss Lysithea. This one is yours.

[He points to the one with the neat and tidy lattice work, with a few flowers perched on top. Truly, it is the most "Lysithea" of the pies. Is he supposed to be making specific treats for his coworkers as opposed to treats they will sell? Not really, no, but let's be realistic about the sort of people who work in this kitchen.]

truly we are in empatheias again

[notimeforfailure]

[Break is not the only one. Lysithea finds herself powerless to consume chocolate after chocolate, and even though she knows there is a correct answer to the Chocolatier's increasingly frequent appearances (NO!!!!) she can't help but think, well... it wasn't really that bad. And they are simply... so divine, so irresistible, such an indulgence and who knows when anything like this will ever be readily available again...

And so through the first few days of this month, she is incredibly attached to her friends to the point of being described as needy, terribly bossy and demanding and entertaining delusions of pastry grandeur, and for one truly alarming hour, she draws pictures of Break in frosting surrounded by hearts and roses while sighing forlornly. (This was immediately destroyed the moment she came back to her senses.)

As of now, however, they seem to have eaten from the same batch. Lysithea takes a glance as she walks by, a sedate blue accompanying her with the faint chirping of songbirds.]

Mine?

[She is momentarily confused.]

Oh -- you made it for me? That's very thoughtful!

...You know, you're really getting good at this.

[The songbirds transition into the sound of clapping hands, which she steadfastly ignores.]

Cake Boss and Obedient Brat Knight 2: Horror Game Boogaloo

[payingfordeliverance]

[No one can fault Lysithea for the focus of her chocolate-addled mind for that hour. After all, Break is a very pretty man whose knightly subservience and occasional aura of loneliness make him an excellent romance novel love interest if you leave out most of the rest of his personality -- and, much more importantly, he has a really great dog.

While Break sparkles so intensely over her approval that some of the sparkles bounce off of nearby shelves, said dog emerges from beneath the table and sidles up to Lysithea for affection, all subtle-like. Break is getting praise while Baltus is not getting lovings? Fie.]

I have been practicing this sort of thing at home. My dumplings have stopped looking like blobs already, too. [No rest for the wicked. Break resumes mucking about with his pie crusts, pinching a few scraps into more flowers.] In the next batch I shall make one with butterflies for Miss Ange. She hasn't had much reason yet to fluster and scold me this past day or three and I simply can't let that go too long.

[notimeforfailure]

[That hour is never to be spoken of again, regardless of whether or not Break ever becomes aware of it. The dog is acceptable, though. The dog will get a cake portrait every day in frosting for as long as the dog shows up to the bakery.

Lysithea slips the smoke dog some chocolate because smoke dogs are not banned from having chocolate.]

Ange?

[She seems faintly surprised, a thought punctuated by a light popping noise - not by the implication that Ange is easily flustered (with which she agrees) but by the realization that her friends in entirely different spheres of her life could also be friends.]

Oh -- she'll love it, I'm sure. I've decided it's hopeless to try to have her do anything in the kitchen, but she comes by for tea in the afternoons if you want to surprise her.

[They had agreed that Ange's job was to look pretty. She was doing it well.]

You know, Xerxes... Soon I won't have anything left to teach you. I hope you've found the tutelage satisfactory? I should say your crimping is more meticulous than mine already.