🏝️ dulces sueños group excursion! 🏝️

[hearthwarming]

🏝️ who: intrepid adventurers (vacationers?) and more!
🏝️ what: ori organized (origanized?) a group trip to the resort! mass memshare ensues.
🏝️ when: fall 9-10
🏝️ where: dulces sueños resort
🏝️ warnings: threads will be marked as needed for memshares.

[ Hopefully everyone had fun on the Arco Lunar! The morning after the boat departs from the docks, a letter arrives to your mailbox: ]

Hello, intrepid adventurer!

I am excited to have you along for a group excursion to the mysterious new island! In two days' time, let us gather in the town square and set off from there! Please be prepared to stay the night. It will be so fulfilling and memorable for everyone to spend a night on an adventure together!

If you have any questions or concerns, please come find me at my flower shop in town or at the forest farm where I live!

Sincerely,
Oriphi

[ If she accidentally delivered it to a few wrong mailboxes, then... Oops!

On the promised day, once everyone (and likely a few surprise tag-alongs) has gathered or been gathered, Ori distributes little paper bags of snacks to everyone. Inside are cookies, oat snacks, and a freshly-picked apple from her and M-21's orchard. Do with them as you please... Just don't let her catch you throwing it into the sea or something. 🥺 ]

Alright. I think we should head out, then! Thanks for coming along, everyone! I hope it'll be a great time. Oh, and please don't forget to drink plenty of water and use this incredible ointment I discovered on this island! It's called "sunscreen!" Tieflings don't really get sunburnt, but you should use it!

[ And with that our intrepid adventurers set off to the mysterious, dangerous, unknowable... resort island! ]

( This is the ill-fated mass extinction memshare event. Please refer to the event for details on the resort and the plotting post for any specific details for characters' memshares! There are toplevels for each area of the resort (and for the memshare). Enjoy! )

Comments

[hearthwarming]

( ii, third person, cyoa! )

cw heavy violence

[framestory]

[ Ori, unfortunately, lands in the smack dab middle of a university campus in the center of a wide grass field that is surrounded by buildings. Everything is on fire. Seriously. It smells like blood and smoke everywhere, buildings are burning, some nutcases are chasing each other down to presumably murder and whatnot. It's a very hectic time. Despite that, Ori won't hear anything. No crackling of the fire, no screams, nothing. Instead, there seems to be speech bubble next to everyone that she can read instead. In the midst of all this is Ellis, but will be called Fifty here. He's on the ground, staked there by something that looks like blackened tree roots that sprout from the ground. The other, is a 6' tall man with short, wavy blond hair, blue left eye, red right eye and he's wearing something like modern clothes. He's currently stepping on Fifty's ankle and it's already bent in an awkward position.

The pressure the blond man exudes throughout the entire campus is suffocating.

What do you do? ]

[hearthwarming]

[ For better or for worse... The destruction that surrounds her isn't an entirely unfamiliar sight. Though the utter silence is unnerving, and it's not as though she enjoys the sight of what she imagines might have been a beautiful place being razed to the ground, she doesn't allow herself to sit in that feeling as soon as she spots Ellis— no, Fifty? Fifty, who's surrounded by blighted tree roots and who's being pinned down by a man.

Ori doesn't know what's going on, or if her powers work here; she knows the feeling of walking in dreams enough to know she's not quite rooted in reality. But she can still try to do something.

She runs at the blond man and tries to tackle him. ]

cw heavy violence

[framestory]

[ Ori gets a gold star for an attempt, but there will be a wall of gross sludge shooting up above the ground between them, of what was once a lush lawn on campus.

"Oh? An intruder? In my story? Did you call for backup, Fifty? To think you had connections when you hate people so much."

Again, there's no sound--just a speech bubble visible to Ori. This man is the world's creator, this story's author, a god that's merely taking out the trash that is a failed tool that was specifically made against him. The tool is still staked to the ground. Pitiful. Worthless. The blond man, Renatus, laughs even though nothing is heard.

Of course, from Fifty's perspective, there will be no sound. He doesn't know what sounds are supposed to be like. It's why he screams with abandon when the blackened roots start twisting into his chest cavity. His throat is hoarse. No sound ever comes out. Nothing.

"Did you want to pry this worthless plot device from my hands?"

A speech bubble is directed towards Ori when the sludge wall recedes. ]

[hearthwarming]

[ No, not a wall of gross sludge... Ori stops short of it, but in those moments where she cannot see him, she fears for Ellis' life. There may be no sound, but she doesn't need to hear anything to know that he must be in a great, great deal of pain.

A fear that only solidifies when the wall recedes and she sees that silent scream.

She tries to say, perhaps in her own little speech bubble: ]

Stop talking about my friend like he's just some kind of device.

[framestory]

[ When Ori speaks, a speech bubble is automatically is formed. It sounds like Renatus can hear her loud and clear though.

"Your friend? Like he's just some kind of device?"

He laughs as if he's heard of the funniest joke in the universe.

"I don't know who you are, and why you've been allowed into this story, but that thing? It doesn't know how to have real friends. It can't connect to people in a meaningful way from his end. Everything is one-sided. Don't tell me that perhaps you've been tricked? Since it's a good liar. It was made that way."

He sneers. Absolutely horrible. It seems he's having fun.

"Just like how it was made to be a plot device, whose only purpose is to try and ruin me. But now it can't. It never could. What a worthless piece of junk." ]

[hearthwarming]

[ Gods, she so does hate when a villain starts talking... and keeps talking. At least she can glean, from what he says, that he thinks he has some kind of claim, control, ownership over Ellis (or Fifty, whatever). That they're in some kind of story. Ellis is a... character? A "plot device." To this man, maybe. But not to her. Not to the people on the island. Least of all, not to Gaku.

...But it really does take all of her strength not to just roll her eyes at him. ]

Oh, gods. Shut up...

[ We've activated Bitch Mode. Anyway, can she try to make it to where Fifty is!? ]

[framestory]

[ She sure can! In fact, Renatus just watches with an amused look.

Ori's full powers (regains be damned) are going to work here, so she's free to use anything at her disposal! Though the blackened roots won't move and the same filthy sludge that was used to form a wall earlier is starting to make a hole next to Fifty and it gradually grows bigger at a slow rate. If Fifty isn't moved from his spot, he'll definitely fall into the void. It's too bad the same roots seem to be holding him there.

But Fifty looks up at Ori with confusion when she arrives. Who is she? Why does she care? He's nothing to get involved with a god for. ]

[hearthwarming]

[ Regains be damned...!? As much as she would love to just turn into a proper dinosaur right now, it's not going to help with the 'Ellis is about to fall into a void' situation. She reaches out and tries to cast an acid spell onto the roots, in hopes that they'll dissolve so she can move Ellis.

When she sees that confused look on his face, she simply nods and offers a reassuring little smile, saying into her little speech bubble: ]

I'm here to help you... Fifty. Don't worry too much about where I came from or why I'm helping. We just... We've got to get you out of here.

[framestory]

[ The roots do dissolve... partially. In places of where it has dissolved, more roots sprout out from the damaged parts, binding Fifty even tighter to the ground. Fifty can't find it himself to speak or even convey any message properly. His eyes seem to either be resigned or not wanting to die. It seems to flicker between those two feelings.

"Girl, are you done?"

Renatus is just watching. ]

[hearthwarming]

Shit.

[ she says into a nice, big speech bubble.

Ori is not going to give up on Fifty, even if he seems resigned to his fate, and she's not going to answer Renatus. Instead, she'll attempt to cast Wither and Bloom in hopes of infusing the roots (and maybe even Renatus if he's close enough) with a sickly, withering energy that she can also use to heal Fifty. ]

[framestory]

[ The roots wither at first, but Ori may feel the strength of the spell continuously halving with every passing second until it becomes absolutely miniscule. It happens the same for Renatus, since he's within vicinity. He walks to take a closer look at what Ori is doing, not alarmed in any way. He's very casual about it with no sense of urgency.

The roots hit something like a growth spurt, worsening Fifty's injuries. Another grows out of the withered spot and starts digging into the soles of his feet.

The healing works though. It's just somehow made worse when the roots keep making more fresh wounds in the process. Fifty feels like he wants to pass out for good. Everything hurts. ]

[hearthwarming]

No... Ellis!

[ In a fit of desperation, she casts another spell, this time on herself. Her tiefling fangs grow even more prominent, and patches of fur appear on her skin as her nails grow into claws... At which point she begins to just try her hardest to claw at the roots, trying to get to Fifty.

It always hurts, when she knows that she's been given this incredible gift of being able to use magic, and yet time and time again she is faced with the reality that she cannot save everyone. It hurts. ]

I'm not going to give up on you, so please... Don't give up on yourself, either...

[framestory]

[ The claws seem to be working to an extent--the roots are being absolutely trashed, but more just keep growing in its place. Now they just don't stop growing. If Ori tries to slash them out with her claws, it'll be at an equilibrium.

Until the hole of the gaping void grows wider and wider and there's a big chunk of roots connected to Fifty's feet, dangling like an anchor. Never mind the pain that brings his other ankle even more.

But with Ori's suggestion, he tries not to give up either and his gaze turns a little sharp, trying to struggle against the roots. He also tries to stabilize their growth speed so that Ori can finally win her battle against the ever growing blackened roots.

The chunk of roots slips into the hole, and Fifty feels a strong tug at his foot.

Renatus, of course, just watches within distance, amused. ]

[hearthwarming]

[ Gods, she feels so useless, everything she's tried seems like it's only making things worse.

And then she sees that sharpness in his gaze, sparking the faintest bit of hope yet in her. As soon as she feels the root growth slowing, she doubles down on her efforts to hack away at them with her claws. ]

Come on, friend. It's working. Stay with me... Let's work together and get out of here so you can... You can come back. Let's walk on the beach together, and get tea, and whatever else you'd like to do. You, and me, and Gaku, and— And M, too.

[framestory]

[ Fifty has no idea what Ori is talking about, but she's here to help him. He was never offered genuine kindness in his life, so Ori's actions and words, despite how he doesn't understand, makes him want to try harder. Ori eventually sets Fifty free and he yanks the coiled roots that dug themselves into his chest. It's fine. He'd rather bleed out than continue to have them there. Fuck that. Even the roots connecting Ellis to the anchor-like chunk has been severed, sending it down into the void.

Renatus claps slowly.

"Bravo. Why don't you run along now? It'll be a happy ending if you do, won't it?" ]

[hearthwarming]

[ She watches as Fifty at last breaks free of his restraints, and relief floods her heart. Thank goodness. Thank goodness. Already she's reaching over to try and heal him again, even as the sound of Renatus clapping draws her gaze away from the injuries.

Oooh, he makes her so angry. She wants nothing more than to turn into a dire wolf and tear him apart, honestly. But she realizes now that it's not her place here. This is not her story. Much less his.

It is Fifty's. It is Ellis' story.

She's always been at her best when playing a support role, anyway. So instead of responding to Renatus, she looks back at Ellis, as if to ask him what he'd like to do. Whatever it may be, she is here to support him. ]

What would you like to do? Whatever it is, I'll follow you and help you.

[framestory]

[ Fifty manages to stand, thanks to Ori's healing. He tugs on her hand to lead the way out of there. Renatus doesn't do anything and simply watches them leave.

But Ori might get a bad feeling... ]

[hearthwarming]

[ She really hates bad feelings. Can look back over her shoulder and flip Renatus off? She's going to. No more Miss Nice Tiefling!

Her speech bubble rises. ]

Ellis? I'm getting a bad feeling... How do we get out of here?

[framestory]

[ Ellis starts signing, but the speech bubbles interpret it very well. ]

"Out? Of this st▓▓▓▓▓"

[ Ori will find herself looking over the same field, but from a bird's eye view. Maybe she's floating? Flying? Either way, she'll see Renatus holding Ellis by the collar, dangling him above the void pit that has grown so large that half of the grass field looks like it's been painted pitch black.

"There is no good ending, as the author has written. The story will end all as the same."

Renatus throws Ellis into the pit and down he goes, into the abyss. Renatus turns to look at Ori directly in the distance.

"And there's nothing you can do about that."

Time for Ori to wake up!! The vision is over. ]