JERICHO ● SEPTEMBER 2025 EVENT/TDM

[uruz]

TDM & EVENT: JERICHO

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Prologue: New Characters

You've been plagued with a reoccuring dream, as of late. Every time you sleep, the dream returns to you.

It always begins the same way: As a breath held for too long. As a pressure at the base of your spine. A silence that presses against the skin like confession, like prophecy. A ripple moves through your bones. A tide builds and pulls at your feet, familiar by now. You dream of a black, soundless wave, thick like oil and starlight, swelling across the horizon line. You've seen the wave before, countless times, always rising. With every night, it never reaches you. You always seem to wake before it does . . . That is, until tonight.

The wave moves slow, deliberate— like something ancient and alive. And when it finally crashes, there is no harsh impact. Only warmth. Only submersion. Rather than drowning, you are being claimed with saltwater that's sweet with myrrh. The darkness embracing you pulses with desire. Then, a voice envelops you.

"Come home."
It dribbles with honey-like promise, like a truth you've always known, whispered now from within your marrow more like temptation than a request.

"You are mine. You always were."
The voice offers purpose. Worship. Belonging. And when you wake . . . You wake changed, with a mask on your face you did not choose. Elegant. Sacred. Too important to remove. You have been given a gift. A new beginning.

Welcome home, new Vessels.

Watch on YouTube

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Sink Down Like Precious Stones

( content warnings: drowning, body horror )

Vessels awaken within the dreamscape as the black wave recedes from their skin like velvet falling off the bone, their masks in place over their eyes and left afloat in the watery expanse. All around them, the ocean stretches infinite and lightless— so still it mirrors the sky above, indistinguishable from the void. Far in the distance, massive obsidian walls curve inward, enclosing this vast seascape like a forgotten temple basin. And there, at the far horizon, one glow pierces the dark: a low-burning fire flickering within a half-sunken structure of impossible architecture— arched, ribbed, as though built from marble and cathedral glass.

This is a test, and it begins with belief.

Those with unwavering faith— whether in Sleep, another god, or even themselves— will find the surface beneath their feet holds firm. The sea becomes glass, and they may rise, and walk. But those adrift in doubt begin to sink. Precious stone creeps over their skin. Joints stiffen. Flesh cracks. Breath slows. It is not death, but it is close and might as well be hell. Your only salvation lies in your own conviction . . . Or the mercy of another Vessel who happens to walk.

Those who drown will not die. They will loop this moment— sinking, blackness, return, sink again— until belief takes root in some way. Alternatively, they may awaken in a later dreamspace . . . Changed.

NOTES:

• Pale white fish as well as glowing jellyfish may be encounted. The fish stare at vessels as they drown, and jellyfish may leave behind a shock that could temporarily stop the process of crystalization. But only temporarily— and their stings are excrutiating.

TOKEN EFFECTS:

• Magic becomes volatile— spells flicker, overcharge, or fizzle unpredictably when cast on or near the ocean.
• When you cast, your veins glow from beneath the skin, but not with light. It's writhing. Like something trapped under glass.
• When channeling magic, your mouth may fill with brine and blood.

OFFERING EFFECTS:

• The water responds emotionally— thrashing with fury or calming with yearning depending on the Offering's state of mind.
• The sea amplifies desire and instinct, making base emotions harder to suppress— rage, hunger, longing all churn just beneath the surface.
• The black water feels too warm, too alive, clinging to the body like memory; any stillness invites visions of Sleep's embrace, both reverent and consuming.

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You Taste Like New Flesh

( content warnings: body horror, psychological horror, compulsion, unreliable reality )

The ocean path ends at a palace carved of pearl and spun silk, impossibly perched where water meets nothingness. Whether you have traversed the black sea on trembling feet or simply awaken seated at an impossibly long table, it makes no difference. You are here now, and welcomed, suddenly in attire fit for a gala. Around this table sit countless Dream-Vessels, many silent and still, faces unreadable in the flickering candlelight wearing generic, six-eyed masks. The table stretches beyond sight, arching beneath creeping vines that twist like ancient veins overhead, blooming with strange blossoms that beat with energy. Flames dance atop dozens of candles— some burn on brass holders, others hover, like fireflies caught mid-flight, their shadows flickering and shifting with an otherworldly rhythm. Around you, phantasmal forms shimmer on pedestals: Sleep's ancient Guardians are eternalized through memorial, monstrous and magnificent, lost to time yet enshrined in reverence. On the highest pedestal stands a still living One, silent and watching the feast with somber eyes. Sleep's voice whispers in your ear, encouraging a glance to, perhaps, see what you may become.

"Feast, My Dear Vessels. Until you taste like New Flesh."

The foods before you don not come unmeddled with. Each bite pulls memories from your bones to the surface— moments buried or erased, but these are not just yours. The banquet feeds on shared history, stirring secrets tangled between you and the others here. To eat is to open a door: to risk awakening something dormant, to invite others inside your buried truths, to forge bonds or betrayals that can never be unseen.

Eton Mess: Crushed meringue, tangled cream, and berries that bleed like bruises when bitten. Sweetness melts quickly, leaving your tongue cold. As you eat, a memory rises— but you don't experience it alone. The person nearest you sees what you see, hears what you hear, feels what you felt. Together, you can alter one key detail, and that change ripples outward, shifting how you both remember the event.

Deviled Kidneys: Spiced and seared, the metallic richness clings to your mouth, as if tasting old blood. Eating summons the echo of a painful or violent memory, but your partner experiences it with you.

Roasted Lamb in Mint Sauce: The sweetness of the meat is cut by mint sharp enough to sting the throat. Your act of consumption awakens a craving, but not in you— in the Vessel sharing this dish. They feel an inexorable pull toward your memory, even without knowing what they seek. The bond persists until the craving is confronted.

Honey Scouse: A thick, golden stew heavy with warmth, but beneath the sweetness, something cloying curls around the edges. Every shared spoonful spreads a slow, creeping influence between you and your partner: intrusive visions, subtle compulsions, small lapses in agency. Neither of you can tell whose thoughts belong to whom.

Starpit Fruit: Plum-sized and faintly glowing, the juice leaves your fingertips dusted in silver, like handling starlight. When bitten, the fruit releases the memory of a forgotten wish, not to you but to the person beside you. They see it clearly— and know exactly what you once wanted most, even if you had buried it.

Marigold Brandy: A golden spirit served warm, glowing faintly as though sunlight has been trapped inside the glass. When lifted, it releases a soft, floral scent. The first sip draws you and your partner into a shared burst of joy— a memory that makes you swell with happiness. The sensation is so immediate, so electric, that when the memory breaks, your bodies ache to move, to speak, to draw more positivity to light. You may feel an irresistible pull to get up and dance on the wide palace floors, even if no music is playing . . . And if others nearby drink as well, the effect multiplies.

Saints Breath Chalice: A dark, wine-thick cordial served in tarnished silver cups etched with symbols that shift when stared at too long. The liquid smells faintly of frankincense and something sweeter— blood-warm and alive. Drinking it floods you and your partner with the overwhelming sensation of being inside someone else's celebration, a memory that belongs to neither of you: a vast mass of black, with branching antlers and six, glowing red eyes. It reaches to sink its claws into your chest as she sings: One. Beloved. We were meant to be. It is impossible to tell whether you're witnessing joy or manic worship. There is chanting you cannot understand but somehow already know, drums that sync with your heartbeat until you can feel nothing else. Your limbs begin to twitch, then sway, then move without conscious thought, drawn into a dance you do not remember learning. If more than two people drink, your movements synchronize perfectly, your breath matching theirs, until the room seems stop to watch.

The table awaits.

NOTES:

• Feasting becomes addictive. The more a character eats, the harder it is to stop. Gluttony may cause physical consequences: nosebleeds, twitching fingers, warping speech, uncontrollable confessions, or dripping nectar from their mouths.
• Those who refuse to eat at all begin to starve in a dream-sense: they lose color, smell burning, and feel the weight of Sleep's gaze. Her wrath isn't immediate— but it grows the longer you reject the feast. She takes offense.

TOKEN EFFECTS:

• Each spell cast after eating releases parasitic energy— manifesting as flowers, thorns, parasitic insects or rot— either from their own body or from someone they recently touched.
• Casting warps your limbs temporarily: too many joints, fingers curl the wrong way, nerves burn like wires.
• Touching others leaves sigils burned into their skin. These will briefly carry over into the waking world during next month's event. Runecasters will get the innate feeling that this symbol has a meaning summed up as "The Night Does Not Belong To God". How they interpret that is up to them.

OFFERING EFFECTS:

• The act of devouring awakens an overwhelming desire, often physical, but sometimes emotional or spiritual. This desire clings to another Vessel at the table, creating obsessive attachment or aggression.
• The more they eat, the more their monstrous traits subtly emerge.
• Consuming another Vessel's memory (if shared or touched) grants a brief glimpse of their deepest fear or weakness.

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There's Something In The Way You Lay

( content warnings: sexual content, voyeurism, body modification, omegaverse traits, loss of agency )

Beneath its pearlescent halls, beyond the banquet of flickering candles and dream-Vessels who eat in hollow silence, a spiral staircase winds downward. Its steps are damp and velvet-slick. The further you descend, the warmer the air becomes— humid, cloying, thick with the scent of sweat, salt, and incense. The sounds reach you first: Slaps, gasps, the wet chorus of bodies and perverse intimacy. Laughter, muffled sobs, the echo of whispered names long forgotten. At the base lies a corridor of "private" rooms. Their doors swing open with dreamlike invitation. Inside, the scenes unfold: past dream-Vessels lost in tableau— arched backs, bitten lips, mouths open in prayer or obedience. Some are alone, coiled in worship. Others tangle in groups, indistinguishable where one body ends and another begins. Vines bloom across the ceilings, watching. The walls glisten with breath. You see their faces, but you can't quite distinguish what or who they are. You may not remember choosing a role, but the dream has chosen for you. α or Ω— and with the naming, your body changes. There is no shame here, only devotion made manifest. This is how Sleep is worshipped now: through cruelty and surrender, through the giving and the taking of flesh.

NOTES

• Masks may optionally offer a sort of glamour for Vessels who wander into these chambers— they will not be able to recognize each other. How much of that, whether it be appearance, voice, and so on, is up to you.
• Past dream-Vessels perform for no one, eyes vacant, movements perfect, as if only a ghost of a memory. Player characters may interact with them and even partake in intimacy with them, but be warned: they are emotionally absent and may cause symptoms of succumbence that could be remedied with a proper, player-character tether.
• Tools hang on the walls: Rods of all sizes, slick with heat. Collars that hum with low, seductive voltage. Blindfolds that intensify physical contact, There's no need for cuffs or chains when there are vines that seem to respond to the α party's mood— tightening, flowering, or reaching for skin. You are free to come up with your own items.
• α perks:: Instinctive claiming (done through biting, rubbing, branding, etc), an almost predatory focus and obsession for those who interest them, pack gravity (the ability to attract one or more vessels at once), emitting a scent that ignites heat/rut in others, darker urges surge and a commanding voice.
Ω perks: High pain tolerance, instinctive yielding, emotional synchrony with those being watched, self-lubricating, hypersensitive, scent tracking, intense need to please or be filled emotionally, physically, and spiritually. When touched, glowing runes bloom across the skin.

TOKEN EFFECTS

• Spells cast during acts of intimacy may provoke a heightened sensation of euphoria for both caster and whoever is affected by the spell.
• Magic may manifest as misty appendages— extra hands, tongues, eyes, etc.
• Divine energy becomes volatile when passed through the body— ecstasy may border on agony, or vice versa, and Tethering becomes impossibly euphoric.

OFFERING EFFECTS

• Flesh becomes malleable mid-act— bones bending, jaws unhinging, skin blooming open, etc.
• Animalistic traits emerge: tails, claws, growls, tentacles, scent glands— all begging to be used.
• Feeding and Tethering are indistinguishable— hunger becomes worship, and worship becomes need.

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I am not worthy

( content warnings: body horror, violence, gore, parasitic/invasive feeding, death )

Wherever you are, the palace begins to rot. First slowly, then all at once: vines swell with black fluid, splitting at the seams. They burst from beneath marble tiles, coil up pillars, slither across frames and vacant thrones like arteries choking a heart. The candlelight flickers. One by one, the flames throughout the palace float upward . . . And die. No smoke. No warning. Just wet silence. Then the Dream-Vessels begin to fall. They do not scream as they do. They collapse like marionettes, limbs askew. Their flesh splits open along wounds that should not exist— a rip at the neck, teeth marks prying open the ribcage, a bite that swallows half a torso. Bones jut like sculpted ivory. Entrails slither across the floor like garlands. Some burst mid-air, as if the dream demands spectacle. Others fold in on themselves until all that's left of them is a mound of flesh.

"I am not worthy."

One voice. Ten. A thousand—layered, glitching, sweaty. It echoes from the walls, the bodies, the seams in the floor. The corpses twitch in time with the chant, jerking violently. Some snap backwards, eyes wide, jaws unhinged. Others explode— blossoming in gore, raining viscera. From the heaving pile of ruined Dream-Vessels, something forms.

It lurches into being: stitched from tongues, teeth, torsos. Weeping. Wailing. Worshipping. A monstrosity of raw flesh and faith: all failures made meat. Its eyes (are they eyes?) blink out. Arms claw outwards, too many to count. Its scent is of copper, sweat, and sorrow.

When The Abomination chooses to feed, it seeks not flesh, but the softest rot inside you. An appendage uncoils from its writhing mass and unhinged jaw— veined, slick, and trembling like a violated root. It drives itself into your mouth, splitting your lips with obscene tenderness, and sinks deep into your throat, locking you still.

What it draws out is not blood. It siphons your doubts, your fears, your most secret self-hatred. Your inadequacy. Every buried shame. Your hate. Your negativity. Every flinch of unworthiness. Every moment you believed yourself unlovable, unseen, too small. It gorges on what you hide from even yourself, and the more you try to resist, the sweeter your sorrow becomes. The last thing it takes is your life force, and then your viscera, leaving you wilted and shrivled like a hollow log.

This death is violating and feels painfully slow. You're drained raw of your vitality until you're but a brittle husk that breaks to dust in the wind. It seems near impossible to destroy, always reforming into bits and pieces left smudged behind. Perhaps your best bet it to run, or attempt to wake yourself up from this nightmare.

One's voice repeats in choked sobs: I am not worthy.

NOTES:

• Wounds from the beast linger. You may wake bleeding or marked.
• If devoured, characters will awaken the following month extremely fatigued during the first 3-5 days of the month. They may also sporadically rigurgitate black sludge. Characters who die and are already in the game may requesta plot clue, that will be a vision your character will dream of before awakening.

TOKEN EFFECTS

• Magic recoils violently when used on The Abomination, backfiring with psychic screams or ripping into your flesh.
• Your hands glow uncontrollably, burning what you touch— even those you love.
• Magic becomes hungry; it demands pieces of your body to function. A tooth. A nail. A rib (and so on).

OFFERING EFFECTS

• The rage it stirs in you is monstrous. You begin to shift uncontrollably— flesh blooms, bones crack under strain.
• Your body begins moving before you decide to. Twitching toward The Abomination, and toward the scent of despair.
• During the chaos, you may develop a fixation with another Vessel's flaw. You can smell it on them. It entrances you . . . To the point that you may feel the urge to feed them to The Abomination.

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OOC NOTES

➤ Welcome to Somnia's second TDM, which doubles as our third gamewide event!

➤ This TDM is considered game canon. You are free to have your character remember as many details as possible.

➤ Only new characters are free to experiment with the Vessel options to your liking; this is a dreamscape, so multiple/different situations for you to really test which option you like most is possible. Current characters must remain as their chosen Vessel type unless you requested a switch, which can be done on the Taken page.

➤ All TDMs take place within a dreamscape, meaning characters can interact with the setting without needing to apply. Come have fun with us!

➤ Veteran players, I ask to please refrain from making post-event threads for the time being! We have some important information to take into account in next month's event when characters are slated to "wake up". At the very least, please wait for the information to be offered on the next plotting post. Thank you everyone for your patience!

➤ Please comment on the TDM's INVITE TL if you are a new player interested in joining the game, but don't yet have an invite. Current players or the mod may reach out to extend an invite. Once you've got one, please don't forget to comment on the Invite page so you may properly link it in your reserve and app.

➤ Questions? Please direct them to the designated questions comment linked below!

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Caelus | Honkai: Star Rail | New Player

[trashblaze]

1. Sink Down Like Precious Stones
[ Another one of those days, huh? At least, that's what Caelus thought initially. But the longer he walked in this dark space, the more confusion came to him. This isn't Amphoreus anymore, is it? The feeling is too different, too unknown. Also, what is this weird mask? How did he end up here? He never went through any portals. He never used a Space Anchor. He doesn't remember an Aeon's gaze. He stops walking eventually and looks up at the horizon, seeing the only architecture he could spot in this strange place. What the hell is it? He can't really make out the logic of the structure. A temple, maybe? Can he reach it? Is it possible? He tries to yell towards it— ]

Hey!! Hello! Yo! Anyone out there!?

[ No answer? Well, there's nothing else here, so he starts trying to run towards it. It's a start, he figures! He's not sure if his steps are making a difference as the area is too dark to make out just how large the space is, but he'll try, and keep trying. He was never someone who gave up. He'll always keep standing up and walking forward. Doubts? Never had them! He knows what he must do and his resolve will never waver. That's why the seascape hasn't swallowed him. If you're both afloat, run together with him? Though if he spots someone drowning, then he won't hesitate to run to them instead, extending his hands to help without wavering. ]

2. You Taste Like New Flesh
[ Extra suspicious place with extra suspicious enities. Even the food looks super sus. What does Caelus do? Hesitate? Nah, he's eating!!! Maybe it's a bad idea, but his survival instincts are tugging at him, telling him it's a worse idea to not go with the flow. He tells himself this is simply part of the trailblazing experience and takes a bite out of various food, whatever catches his interest. And boy, his interest is always easily caught. He's easily seen moving all over the place, chatting up pretty much anyone. He raises his mask sometimes, but it's to eat better, and he quickly lowers it again due to the unexplained discomfort everyone feels when they don't have it on.

Back to the food. Caelus tries literally everything. Though currently, he's eating a Starpit Fruit as he goes around trying to socialize and scour for both allies and information. He sees you shortly, raising an energetic arm to wave and catch your attention, and quickly runs to your direction. Were you perhaps wallflowering? Well, too bad, now you have noisy company. Feel free to pick the food/effect you prefer: he ate everything but I'll only focus on one effect to avoid overwhelm. ]

3. Wildcard
[ I tried to make the prompts more general, but don't be shy to ask for a custom starter if you prefer something else or have something specific in mind! I'm also open to nsfw tags (OTA 18+). ]

1.

[regulate]

[ Maybe it's his strong desire to regain control of himself and his surroundings that transforms his delicate floating to outright plummeting. All he can register is the sensation of falling...falling...

In Penacony, he could at least masterfully stabilize himself in the Dreamscape, but here, he's more akin to a baby bird on its first flight, learning the hard way how to use his wings. Only his earwings are obviously too small and definitely not going to save him now.

Frustration mounts as he struggles with what should be second nature by now. The Dreamscape had been his home for so many years. He shouldn't be this much of neophyte, and yet– ]

Caelus, look up!

[ It's all he has time to shout. Will he flatten the trailblazer? Be caught in his arms like a lovely princess? Or end up pancaking himself on the ground? ]

[trashblaze]

[ Thankfully!! Caelus has excellent reflexes!! He immediately looks up when told, and reflex kicks in right after seeing Sunday heading down to his direction like a shooting star. A mighty pretty shooting star. He's running to him now. Since the ground beneath isn't sinking him, he's able to maintain himself across the dark waters, thus able to do this—

He gets ready to jump! He angles his feet appropriately, bracing himself, and then leaps without hesitation towards the falling bird. He extends his arms forward, perfectly catching Sunday, and then his feet slam the ground after landing. He gives him a familiar bright smile. ]

Hm, my baseball skills remain top-notch!

[ Like catching the ball right on time. ]

1

[kephale]

[ not his first time waking up feeling like the hand of shadow had warmed over him, but this is something new, at least. kephale is gone, replaced by something else in the distance, drawing him in just the same. the only thing that distracts him is another voice from the opposite ... distance, yelling, asking if there's anyone else out there.

there is. in fact, phainon, in all his white and golden glory, is right there, waving back at the figure seemingly running towards him. until he recognizes who it is, his arm waving furiously back. ]

Friend! Over here!

[ excitable dog finds excitable racoon? ]

[trashblaze]

[ Thank all the Aeons and Titans, there's someone nearby. Someone he trusts well, at that! Caelus recognizes this handsome, resolute voice anytime, anywhere— there's no doubt about it, it's the cutest dog— er, Phainon. Caelus's head turns left and right, trying to ascertain the exact direction of the voice, then he immediately lights up when he sees the familiar silhouette in the distant darkness. ]

Friend!!

[ Then Caelus starts running without hesitation, not slowing down even when he's near Phainon. He leaps off the dark waters, opens his arms widely, and wraps his arms around his dear companion right away after the collision, not intending to let go until he's sure nothing here will suddenly separate them. It's an act of trying to reassure himself that Phainon's really here, as well as letting the other know that he's also here. Once he's certain of both, he slowly lets go and takes a step back. ]

Are you all right? And do you know where we are?

1

[backtostart]

[ Never mind the offered hand—the water is too dark and boundless, attempting to swallow them whole and succeeding. Setsu is usually a strong swimmer, yet here, the crown of their head can barely break the water's surface. Their legs feel stiff and heavy, dragging them down as often as they lift them up, and they can feel something cracking each time they claw their way to the surface.

It feels like they're going to die here—again. The time they had been given, they expected one day it would be reclaimed, but not like this.

They still don't want to die...

From beneath the mirror of the water's surface, they don't even recognize Caelus's form as human. Why would they, when humans can't walk on water and they're drowning beneath it?

Setsu's faith might not be unshakable, but their desire to live is. Their hand lashes out, wrapping around the shadow of his boot where it meets the water. If they could drag him down, they probably would—if only because that seems to be the extent of their ability to grapple him; a few bubbles breach the surface of the water along with their hand, and only that. ]

[trashblaze]

[ Seeing the terrible scene unfold, Caelus stops all thought and focuses on the task at hand. He needs to rescue that person. He can sense the depths of emotion. Questions and anything else can wait. So he does everything he can to save the drowning figure— he keeps reaching out in full determination, he extends his arms as far as he reasonably can, only one thing in mind as he repeats his gestures to finally grasp those hands into his own.

When Caelus secures the person in his strong grip, he does everything he can to pull upward. He tries his best to lock his feet so he can keep pulling. Almost there!! ]

Hold on!

2

[sorte]

[ Aventurine has been standing near one of the tables, with his chalice held up towards the light as if to better see the craftsmanship, as well as the runes that are indeed changing on it. However, what really has his attention is the man up on the highest pedestal that watches over the feast—over them— with such a gaze that feels telling even from the very bottom where Aventurine himself stands. His own eyes drift from the runes on the cup to focus on the figure, occasionally glazing over the others on the lesser pedestals, before returning to the cup or to One. What he's searching for by staring, he doesn't know— but if there's something, he'll know it when he sees it.

And then he catches out of the corner of his eyes someone waving. But what drags him completely away from what he's currently doing is the hair color and the jacket. Lowering his chalice, his eyes narrow unseen behind his eye mask that closely resembles the one he has when using his cornerstone. His smile has been plastered on his face the entire time, unassuming and worn like a daily essential.

Is this some kind of illusion or part of the dream's mindfuckery and scenery or is it really Caelus? ]

Oh, how unexpected. Fancy meeting you here, Mr. Stellaron.

[trashblaze]

[ Aventurine catches Caelus when he's about to bite down on one of the food items. His mouth is already open, his fork in the air, and the food left hanging as he pauses. He blinks once, then twice, then his fingers lose their hold completely. Comically, his fork and the plate drop to the floor without him flinching, and he suddenly doesn't care about the food. There's a person here whom he hasn't seen in so long. He's been worried about this person! He wanted to personally speak with him after their text conversations, especially after all those gifts he received back then. He couldn't help himself now, especially as he didn't expect to see him here at all.

Caelus quickly turns to Aventurine, closing in the remaining distance in mere seconds, and unhesitantly embraces him while a giggle escapes him. He lifts his mask for him so he can show his brightened expression without a wall, those golden eyes shimmering the same as ever. Yes, it's undoubtedly that same Caelus. ]

I can't believe it!!

2

[hanikamu]

Yoink.

[This shameless, handsome guy takes a piece of food from Caelus plate and eats it. Makes a big show of it too. Look at how awful I am type shit. He could have charmed Caelus's pants off for the same effect, but that's not really the goal here.

He grins.]

Hello, hello! You new? So am I! Doncha think that's fate? Since we're fated lovers, [no one said this] you should find it in the infinite goodness of your your heart to lend me some money!

[What's the piece of food he ate from his plate? Please go crazy.]

[trashblaze]

[ Hello, red shameless!! Meet gray shameless!! Considering the number of weirdos that Caelus meets through his journeys, this is just another Tuesday. This positive energy did get him to heartily laugh though, as this is probably the first time since arriving that he's met someone else who seems as radiant as he is in this bleak, dark world. This place needs more cheerful people, man. ]

Brother, I'd love to share, but I don't have a single credit in my broke fudging name. I guess we're hobo lovers now.

[ Pause. Then, a dramatic gasp— ]

Oh, no. Unless you're breaking up with me now that you know I'm out of juice!

[ Crazy!? All right, then, it was a bread soaked with Marigold Brandy because that effect sounds so dumb and perfect. ]

2

[impulsives]

[ Whatever this place is, Shinn thinks, at least there is food for him to gorge in, as similarly to this white haired youth, he is eating; though unlike this white haired youth who is seemingly trying everything, Shinn is just slightly to the side, chewing a Starpit Fruit as he is eyeing the whole place with some kind of suspicion.

To be honest, waking in a strange place; walking for an unknown distance only to be greeted with a banquet leaves something to be desired when it comes to hospitality. He might be an impulsive youth, but even he knows that this is too good to be true; not to mention his leader, Kira is missing, and Lunamaria is nowhere to be found as well. He can only hope that wherever they are they're fine and not wherever he is. Still, Shinn puts the thought aside as he goes back to staring at the spread of food with a skeptical air.

Look, free food is free food, but considering he doesn't even know how he got here, what he's supposed to do here and whatever the host intending to do, he is not going to pig out, not yet at least.

Unfortunately, the white haired youth seemed to notice him staring at the spread, and knowing that there is now an approaching conversation looming, he heaves a small sigh as he turns to look at the youth properly the moment he gets close enough. ]

You need something?

[ The words are slightly barbed, but neutral in tone; he's not exactly friendly to strangers, but he can tolerate them enough at least. ]

[trashblaze]

Yeah!

[ Immediate answer. Caelus also sounds offended! He saw that sigh!! Just kidding, he's actually teasing the guy to lighten him up. He fakes a mad expression, but it's rather obvious that he's attempting to stop his smile. It isn't working. Whatever, he doesn't need it to be. He's going to continue the joke— ]

I need you!

[ n_n ]

2.

[eidxiety]

[Ain was, in fact, wallflowering.

He actually hasn't partaken in the food. Despite the obvious pit of gnawing hunger he feels — foreign and unfamiliar to him, as he normally doesn't have to eat — he still gets the sense he shouldn't eat anything here. He had wanted to, actually, but some people are acting quite strangely, and Ain is currently too anxious to test the waters. He's holding a glass of Marigold Brandy, swirling the contents around and frowning down into the depths like they'll explain anything to him.

Expectedly, the liquor has nothing to say.]

Here, do you want a drink?

[Maybe he can pawn this glass off onto this... excitable guy that just walked up to him. He hasn't taken a sip himself.]

[trashblaze]

Hey, thanks!!

[ Don't mind if he does! Caelus accepts it without hesitation and chugs the whole damn cup. Look at those dumb shounen protagonist manners. Once it's emptied, he sets it aside and then lets out a perfectly boyish smile. This guy really needs to reconsider some things more, but hey, all for the spirit of trailblazing, eh? ]

Whoa, that reminds me of Penacony…

[ The planet of Penacony has a lot of golden-colored drinks, among many others. Caelus already misses Penacony so, so much. But he's been stuck in Amphoreus for a while now. And this new situation he's in… doesn't help either. The natural effect is to feel melancholy after these feelings, but this place is far from natural. Instead, he's oddly feeling… uh, happy. Happier than he usually is. And it's getting worse.

Maybe he's drunk already? If only it were that simple. ]

2

[heavyliesthecrown]

[He had not been wallflowering, exactly. Tsukasa knows what is expected of someone at a fancy gathering like this one. It comes as easily as breathing- raised from infancy to uphold his family's name and intermingle with the elite- to ensure that his family's standing and reputation remain strong and intact as the leader and head of the Suou family.

. . . And while he does still consider this to be a dream, after a while, he feels a little tired, which is strange. Dreams should not cause drowsiness, he doesn't think. Then again, dreams are strange.

Having felt a little adventurous, perhaps even naughty, he's plucked up a glass of Marigold brandy, though he has yet to taste it. Fufu~ this is a dream! He can try a drink if he so desires! He's eighteen now! That is not too far from twenty/

. . . He can! He's just working himself up to it.

Which is why when the unfamiliar face in front of him appears, Tsukasa startles, moves as though to hide the glass behind his back-- realizes that the action is suspicious, and so stops immediately.]

Oh! Hello! I wasn't drinking it, I swear! I was just holding it!

[ . . . Ugh.... Even he knows that sounded stupid.]

[trashblaze]

[ Aw, this kid is adorable. Caelus openly laughs at him. ]

Yeah?

[ Caelus's tone is light, indicating he doesn't believe the younger boy. But looking at that panicked expression, it seems the boy himself is aware that he's bad at hiding things. Caelus decides not to rub it in, but he's not going to allow a minor to drink!! He has a free spirit, but he still has some morals!

Say goodbye to that fancy glass, boy. Caelus snatches it quickly and chugs it down. ]

Thanks for the drink!

2

[jiangjun]

Were you always such a big eater?

[ While Jing Yuan hasn't had the chance to dine with Caelus personally, he's sure that the others on the Luofu must have invited him to have a meal on the ship. But now, the general isn't quite sure if that was enough. Considering how much the Astral Express has helped him and the Luofu, not properly feeding them is simply unacceptable. ]

Should I prepare a banquet for you and the others the next time you stop by?

[Is he being serious or is he just joking? Who knows. ]

[trashblaze]

[ If the other Astral Express crew members were here, they'd immediately answer to prevent the General from troubling himself and his fleet. But they're not here. Instead, we have here a very gluttonous raccoon… Now Caelus's eyes are shining, for several reasons. One, the invitation of more food. Two, it's General Jing Yuan of the Xianzhou Luofu! He hasn't seen him in so long! This weird as hell place they're in aside, he's already seen and dealt with too much shit in Amphoreus that this touches him easily! ]

General!!

[ Tossing aside the plate for now, Caelus is swift on his feet to run up to Jing Yuan's side. There's no one around to stop him right now. Normally, Dan Heng, Welt, or someone similarly levelheaded would nudge Caelus to behave considering Jing Yuan's position, but our local raccoon never cared about that formality stuff. Free to do as he pleases, he reaches forward to leap and embrace the General. Only someone like him would have the audacity. He laughs energetically. ]

I'd like that, General! I miss the Luofu so much, I'm even willing to drink Mung Bean Soda again!

dusts this off, 1!

[tactically]

[Ah. So he isn't alone after all.

Gilgamesh, too, stands on perfectly solid ground. The only way to go is forward, but he stops in his casual(?!) stroll when he hears the boy approaching from a distance.

There's no panic or stress in his expression. ...actually, he just looks kind of annoyed!]

Quiet down. Unless you have something interesting to say, don't waste your breath. I don't want to hear it.

[He doesn't get out much. Like, sure, this place is pretty bleak, but it's rare that he has an excuse(?!?!) to take a break from work.]

[trashblaze]

[ A person!!! Whoa, he's handsome. But he's kinda mean!? Or maybe he's just a tsundere. Yes, this is what Caelus decides now in his head. He's also going to ignore being silenced because he does what he wants. ✨ ]

Hey, mister! Are you a local? I'm lost!

[ Moving closer, too. And closer. And closer. Now they're beside each other! n_n ]

1.

[starofeden]

[There might be a familiar sound in the distance. The tapping of a cane on the floor, on glass, is quite loud. Welt doesn't enjoy the sound, but his resolve is as firm and unwavering as it always was. It had to be, or he wouldn't be a Herrscher or a Nameless. His steps, the tap of his cane, are consistent and firm. He isn't one to run, after all. Not Welt Yang.

Walking until he found a familiar face suited him just fine. And, it wasn't difficult to figure out who the young man in the silly racoon mask was nor would Mr. Yang expect it to be difficult for Caelus to recognize him despite his own silly mask covering nearly the entirety of his head. Who else, after all, had a cane quite like this?]

It appears we have gone off the rails, so to speak. Are you doing alright?

[trashblaze]

[ With all that's happened in Amphoreus, encountering Welt after so long— someone who Caelus deeply trusts, someone who he actually shows his weakness to, someone who understands him with a mere glance without needing to talk about it— it makes him easily emotional. Far too many things happened to him and Dan Heng. Hearing the familiar cane tap across the floor, he hasn't heard that in too long, and he almost tears up but holds it back. Caelus knows he should greet Welt with a smile, so he puts himself together and tries to stop shaking. He turns quickly and runs without pausing. Runs until he reaches him. He couldn't help himself when he finally does; he immediately wraps his arms around his father figure, and he might stay rested there for a little while. ]

I— I am! I'm all right… I'm so relieved, Mr. Yang!

[ His voice might've cracked there, but he means every word. Despite all difficulties back there, he and Dan Heng managed to make it through it all thanks to the wonderful friends they've managed to connect to in Amphoreus. ]

2.

[guidingbookworm]

[The food was indeed suspicious, especially since Sirius had experience from a previous dream with mind altering fruit. Still the teachings from when he was a noble forbade him from insulting their host. Given how powerful Sleep was it was a wise choice and he risked a spoonful of the Honey Scouse.

Sirius hid his quiet nature behind a practiced confidence but someone with a keen eye might notice how he only mingled as much as was expected of him. He was discreetly looking for a quiet corner retreat to for a short break when he caught Caelus's eye. His glowing silver eyes sparked with a hint of his inner panic as he resigned himself to more socializing with a small smile.]

I don't believe we've met? I'm Sirius.

[trashblaze]

[ Haha, wallflower spotted. Time to bother!! Well, this one seems to be less shy than the usual wallflower, but still one despite the attempts to socialize. Watch out, an ✨EXTROVERT✨ is already smiling brightly at him. ]

No, but now we have! Nice to meet you, I'm Caelus, the Galactic Baseballer!

[ You know, Caelus normally would behave more (just a bit) around people he just met, but considering the Honey Scouse— well, his normal is out the window tonight. He slides right next to Sirius, then slaps an arm around his shoulders as if they were good friends. He's still slightly sane, so he's wondering why he had the compulsion to do that, but he doesn't think too deeply either because of the effects kicking in more. ]

So what's up? Are you a local?