JAWS • DECEMBER 2025 EVENT/TDM

[uruz]

TDM & EVENT: JAWS

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Show Me Those Pretty White Jaws

The dream has been coming in waves for those new to Sleep's touch, as a shoreline that never stays still. As a sky that never remembers to include its stars. Beneath it all, there is a voice. Her voice: silk-sweet, coaxing from just beyond the approaching wave that towers like a moving mountain. She tells you to come home. She promises it won't hurt, even if she never tells you what waits beneath. You see the shape just before the dream ends: a massive black tidal wave, yawning wide and black until it looks like a pair of jaws breaking upon you. You don't have time to resist.

You and your veteran Vessels will awaken in water.

There is no surface. No bottom. No sky. No sound but your own heartbeat and the echoes of water being slashed though, dull and endless in the still, frigid dark. You are suspended, weightless— Some may have difficulty to breathe without inhaling water the first few times, while those aligned with the waves will feel it come like second nature. Once you acclimate yourself, you'll notice that around you drift glowing filaments; thin, pulsing threads that coil like jellyfish tendrils, softly luminescent. They curl and twist through the water, and when you look closer, you realize: they show you things. Memories, maybe. Dreams, maybe. Each one unique to your gaze: a hand reaching for yours in the dark, a goodbye that never finished, a face you haven't seen in years. They are what you think love looks like. What you once needed it to be. And when you touch them, they wrap around you, gently, warmly . . . Hungrily— and begin to pull you down.

To ascend into the next level, you must let go. But not everything that binds you wants to be released. The filaments drifting through the water show you what you think love looks like— what you've built it into. They are gentle at first, beautiful even, but the longer you cling, the more they pull.

There are ways to escape them: You may bind your filament with another's and together speak aloud a shared truth: what you believe love really is. If your hearts align or at the very least come to an agreement, the threads dissolve into light and lift you upward. If your beliefs clash or contradict, the threads knot tighter, and something . . . May take interest in you.

Beneath you, something moves. Huge, silent and almost regal. It glides through the deep like a phantom, almost too large to be real. You feel its presence before you see its flash of pearl white and glowing red eyes, three on each side of its face: a shark.

The shark is here to choose its next meal. It smells grief, fear and seeks out trauma most of all. It is drawn to the most unspoken parts of you, the very parts you thought were buried, roused from the tightened ropes of what you crave in your heart. And when it chooses you, it does not bite immediately. It invites, with its jaws opening like a sanctuary and slow towards you.

Inside is I, whispers Sleep. Allow Me to have you whole, and you will be at peace. Show Me love.

Fight against her, or even with your current partner about what love is, and Sleep will open her maw, spilling tendrils from her throat and begin to stalk you. Best be prepared to fight the possessed Megalodon— She will laugh, amused as you do, like a great cat playing with its food. And if you were to be caught, well. You'll wake in the dream's next level with an undeniable prey drive, whether Token or Offering.

She will do anything to keep you here.

NOTES:

• There is no surface visible at first. Light only comes from the filaments. As characters resist, act, or ascend, a faint stained-glass shimmer begins to pulse upward, hinting at the dream's next layer.
• Sound is muffled— speech emerges as bubbles, but meaning travels regardless. Words feel heavy here. Some phrases may literally change the water (turn to light, birth dream-objects, or ripple with tension). You will do better using The Murmur as a means of communication. Luckily you have your mask on!
• The Shark always circles once it senses trouble within you. Sometimes close, sometimes far, but always felt. If characters listen closely, they can hear the echo of One's voice coming from inside it: pleading with a haunted, at times screaming melody.

TOKEN EFFECTS

• The dream bends subtly around Tokens, especially at the whims of an Aquamancer. Walls of pressure open before them, and filaments shift course as if expecting them. This can make their path easier, unless they start to doubt their purpose.
• Tokens perceive emotional resonance as currents in the water such as subtle flows of energy. These can guide them (or others) toward escape paths, or signal when the shark is near.
• When a Token speaks or acts with strong intent, the dream sometimes translates it into a symbolic structure: A word might become a floating glyph. A gesture might alter the filament's shape. A moment of clarity might reveal a hidden path. Other characters can interact with these dream-objects, but they're fragile, unstable, and prone to distortion by doubt.
• The deeper Tokens go, the more they feel themselves pulling apart and begin to experience dual awareness: one part dreaming, one part watching— some may even see flashes of within the shark's belly, and One's voice much louder. The deeper they go, the more detached they become, and the more they lack the ability to act at all.

OFFERING EFFECTS

• The shark is more fascinated by Offerings. It circles them often, sensing kinship— or potential. The more monstrous the Offering, the more the shark "pauses' near them, almost curious.
• Offerings feel "the pull" more clearly, particularly Merrows and other aquatic-based Offerings—they can sense where the surface might be, and where the shark intends to strike next. They may even see pulses in the water that others miss, similar to Spider Man's "spidey senses".
• An Offering may experience rapid body changes submerged. Fins may appear, bones may shift, teeth may lengthen without warning and so on. This makes their movement easier or harder, depending on how much of themselves they're holding back or how apt their monstrous forms are at swimming.
• Some Offerings may feel drawn to the shark— not in fear, but in understanding. They may see themselves in it, and vice versa— One's song in particular is hypnotic, and for split moments you may understand his pain through his words. This might make you more prone to being consumed, though, so hopefully your partner can help you out of it—?.

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Watching Me With Eyes Of A Predator

The surface you breach is not water— it's glass.

You strike it with the force of falling sky. It fractures beneath you in a bloom of painted light. For one weightless moment, the dream hesitates, sputters. Then the world shatters, and you fall with the cascade.

Water pours through the crack in the ceiling, carrying you down in ribbons of color and a shattering splash. Stained glass shards drift like petals through the now collapsing roof, and you eventually land not in sand, but upon a cathedral floor, slick with tide. Around you, the water spreads, pooling across the stone and swallowing the walls in a rising hush as it finds escape through the doors.

The cathedral is vast, impossibly so. Its architecture towers, crooked and immaculate, built more from longing than stone. No altar awaits you. No congregation. Only the sensation of having trespassed into something meant to be private. Veteran Vessels may recognize this cathedral as St. Patrick's— before it was drenched in One's blood sacrifice.

High above and surrounding you, the stained-glass mosaics churn with captured light. f you linger beneath one of the window's rays, your appearance may begin to change under the light. You appear as someone else sees you. Be it a hero. A monster. A disappointment. A god. A weakness. A temptation. Even a burden. That version of you clings to your dream-body like a second skin; uncomfortable, intimate, and undeniable. For some, it may be beautiful. For others, unbearable.

If you and another stand beneath the same window, you may each appear as the other secretly imagines. There is no control and no negotiation. Only truth twisted through the lens of want, resentment, fear, or love. And it doesn't go away until you leave the light.

Eventually, the cathedral doors open by dream's will. Beyond them lies a cloister garden: narrow paths, pale trees, and wild flowers that bloom in stillness. At the far end, behind the overgrowth and ruined arches, you see a hollow.

It is a corridor where the dream collapses inward, twisting, warped, half-swallowed in fog and dread. Its stones pulse faintly beneath a shallow film of water. Black tendrils reach from its depths like roots, veins, twitching toward sound, warmth, and movement. You see them dragging matter into the earth, and between them lie bones, contorted and fresh, half-consumed.

And farther still, a body that still breathes. Glimpsed only briefly, A masked man's form is stretched by the hollow's gravity, arms pinned behind the veil. He does not move, or speak. Or perhaps, he cannot. The hollow does not let him go and will not, should you make your attempts. If you step foot in the hollows that have consumed him, you too will be consumed. A three eyed Tod sits at the hollow's edge, a single bushy tail splitting into three, as its body plays with illusion like smoke put to dance over fire. It says, as its head floats up and its maw splits into a grin too cheshire to ignore: Wearing shoes, yet no feet in sight. You'll hear steps pound in the death of night. What is it that you need, to cross this narrow blight?

It disappears and only leaves you the riddle to chew on.

Nothing living can cross the hollow, you'll soon find. Nothing except . . . The Nightmares.

Just outside the garden's boundary, you'll find horses built from wind and shadow, flickering at the edge of your vision. Their bodies are black— not the color, but the absence, swallowing all light. Some of their craniums cound be seen, others have a jutting horn of bone from their foreheads. Where eyes should be, there are six: three stacked on each side of the skull, glowing dimly red like distant embers beneath ice. Their manes flow like torn fabric, like drifting vapor that trails behind them like the smoke from a snuffed candle. Their maws are too damn wide to be herbivorous, yet they seem to enjoy the act of grazing. They wait, unchained and wild in a herd.

This is the only way forward. Only they can pass through the hollow untouched. But how to ride one—? You may chase them. You may plead, command, kneel. You may offer them all your need and all your love, promises that you will provide if they become your steed. But they were not made to answer it. For every Vessel, there is one single Nightmare that will choose them, and thus you will choose each other. They have their own personalities, some more aggressive or shyer than others. The harder you reach, the faster they vanish or harshed they will attack if unready. Try to mount one through force, and you'll regret ever trying. Try to bind one, and it will break you.

But if you are patient, if you figure out its nature and how to please it— your Nightmare may come closer. One may circle you. It may bow its head. Their snort is warm and real against your palm. If successful, it will lower itself to its knees. If you've got the height, they will simply wait, patiently, for you to get on their backs (Or not; there are plenty of sassy mares out there).

If you accept, you might not be taken somewhere safe, but you will be taken somewhere true, away from here. And if you force your want upon them, if you cannot let go— you will be left with something else.

In the distance, across the flooded cathedral floor, you may see One again. Flashes, glimpses. Always chasing a mare he never reaches, or the opposite— the mare chases after him.

NOTES:

• If a character successfully forms a bond with their Nightmare, it will return with them in the form of a waking world steed, officially introduced in the next event. You're free to give it the personality you wish.
• If a character attempts to force a connection with a Nightmare at any point (tries to catch, mount, command, etc.), the mare will bite or kick, which Vessels will suffer as a persistent dream-mark that will carry into the waking world.

TOKEN EFFECTS

• Light clings unnaturally to Tokens in the cathedral, especially near the stained glass. It bends around their bodies like a false halo, casting them in divine or monstrous outlines depending on who watches.
• If a Token casts or channels any magic within the cathedral or near a Nightmare, the spell does not manifest, but instead, a cold mist escapes their mouth, and the Nightmare turns to look. The dream rejects force.
• When a Nightmare looks directly at a Token, their eyes eclipse, pupils vanishing into rings of shadow. In that moment, a fragmented vision floods the Token's mind . . . not from the Nightmare, but from another character nearby. It shows the Token how that character once dreamed of them, what they feared, needed, or hoped they would become.

OFFERING EFFECTS

• The stained glass causes a subtle change in scent and physical appearance turning into a more grotesque version of this— Offerings begin to smell or look like what others most want from them.
• Offerings may always know where the Nightmares are, even when hidden. But the more they try to act on this knowledge, the harder the Nightmares are to reach.
• An Offering's body will react before they realize it, flinching from lies, bristling in moments of emotional pressure, pulling away from contact, and so on. They may startle even at gentle contact, as if something inside them is as reactive as they are.

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Where The Delicate Stops

As your Nightmare takes you through the misty hollow, you may begin to notice the empty city of Manhattan as veterans remember. There is no warning but the eerie silence that surrounds you like impossible weights. The cathedral once behind you folds inward— wrong, deep and full of pressure. It bursts through the hollow's path, through the city's street, and then— The dream ruptures.

Stone peels backward like paper. Glass liquefies mid-air. The sky above the city pulls itself inside out. Time bends sideways. And from the edges of the dream, something, someone, begins to hunt. Sleep's presence moves like the very shark she chose as a vision of her physical manifestation. She does not speak or rage. But you feel Her, rising like fever beneath the skin of Her world as the hairs at the back of your neck do. She does not want you this deep, and neither does One.

Somewhere within the collapse, you may see them— entwined, shifting, trembling. One's face is turned toward you, screaming something that doesn't reach your ears. Sleep's hands are tangled in his body. She pulls him back with a gentleness that breaks the sky, and he screams, reaching for you with his last breath before consumption. The dream convulses.

The Nightmares bolt with you still on them.

The city rises to meet you from the shadows, but it's not the city you know. Skyscrapers twist at unnatural angles. Streets flood, then dry, then flood again. Tendrils burst from subway grates and gutters, slashing upward like tongues. Streetlights spin like compass needles. Cars levitate, crash, freeze midair. You move through it all at breakneck speed, but the exit keeps shifting— a hole in the world that flickers just beyond reach where you see your body, fast asleep.

Somewhere in the chaos, a few Nightmares are caught. Sleep strikes like lightning— she coils like a viper and tightens like a vice. One touch from Her, and your Nightmare collapses mid-gallop, its body unraveling into smoke and light. No sound. No scream. Just absence. And you fall right off it like a ragdoll.

Others fall beneath impact, too— a wrong turn, a shattered wall, a burst of heat from One's grief. A broken leg. A crash. A wound too deep to ride through. If your steed is lost, you fall. And if no one reaches for you, you stay fallen. Others are near, and their Nightmares still run. All of you have a terrible dread in your bones— if you are caught or left behind, the consequences will be dire. You might not even wake up. So, call out. Cling. Climb. Share. Two Vessels on one mount. Anything to survive and flee as the dreamscape tightens its wrathful grip around you.

Sleep calls inside your spine. You can't make out what She says. One answers, the same blur of garbled words in your marrow. And then, just before the dream can take you, just before you reach an exit— you rise.

Your body lifts from the Nightmare as it paddles the air with desperation, it too rising. You're pulled upward, weightless, as if a thread inside your heart has been yanked by a furious god. You float, twist in the air. Your vision glows white.

We've got you.

And then you wake up— mid-air in the waking world.

Your body slams into your bed, floor, street, soil, wherever it was that you had slept. Reality greets you with terrible impact.

NOTES

• If a character does not find a mount in time, they may be caught in the dream collapse. They still wake— but they wake broken. These characters may wake up bruised, disoriented, or emotionally fragmented, and this can be explored in the next waking world event.

TOKEN EFFECTS

• Any Tether they feel becomes unstable—splintered. For brief moments, they feel it breaking and re-forming again and again, with slight differences each time.
• The more emotionally charged they are, the more the dream pulls toward them; tendrils snap faster, debris veers unnaturally close.
• Their body flickers with signs of their own magic—sigils, symbols, runes— burning just beneath the surface of their skin like constellations. These glow brighter as the dream collapses, as if trying to tear free.

OFFERING EFFECTS

• Where Offerings are grazed or injured, they bleed light, not red. It floats up like mist.
• They hear One's heartbeat, not theirs, and it speeds in panic. It affects their own pulse, the mare under them . . .
• The Nightmare no longer follows the Offering's will—it will respond to their fear instead.

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OOC NOTES

➤ Welcome to Somnia's third TDM, which doubles as the month's gamewide event!
➤ This TDM is considered game canon. You are free to have your character remember as many details as possible when they wake up.
➤ Only new characters are free to experiment with the Vessel options, Token or Offering 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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[cantilevers]

"Bodyguard... or liaison," he remarked thoughtfully. He was used to holding a position of power back in his city, though this was all imaginary for them. Though, if they were the only ones in this place, they could give one another whatever titles they wanted for the fun of it. He was not above a little fun to keep the mood light as otherwise, they both might fall into a state of depression.

He wondered how long ago she had been with this guy she spoke of. There was a weight to the words that she spoke about him, layers of emotions that he didn't have knowledge of her situation to make the connection of which emotion went with what aspect of her interaction with that man. "So... it seems we live until that option is taking from us, yes? We live for today, striving for another tomorrow."

He also recognized that they should be productive and explore their surroundings, but the sense of imminent danger was distant right now. Perhaps part of this place was meeting and learning about another person? Maybe all of this worked because they knew each other? His thumb stroked under her eye, thinking some of the black looked like fallen tear streaks. "Maybe you're right. This is a dream and we'll all wake up to fond memories of that dream, yeah?" The images the light presented told him he wasn't alone with the tortured past and all. "I like the sound of that, beautiful. I think with our powers of persuasion, we can make certain both of us are happy and taken care of..."

He trailed off as he felt her hips move against his own, a clear motion that he knew very well. He didn't freeze nor did he buck his hips towards her either; his expression softened in a combination of understanding and amusement. She had been made for a man by a town; was this what the man wanted? His other hand rose from her back to cup her other cheek even as she slid backwards, humming softly at her.

"You don't ever have to apologize to me, Maria," he murmured softly and with understanding. "It's a lonely existence sometimes, isn't it? However, we should wait as we don't know if this place is safe, yeah?" He leaned in, resting his forehead against her own. "Besides, what if there's a strapping handsome man hiding somewhere that sweeps you right off your feet? Let's not narrow your options."

[heavensnight]

It seemed impossible they were the only ones here. Even with James, it had not been only them. And why would it just be her and Vander? Why would it only be them? Depending on how things went, she knew she'd be pondering this. At least until they found other people.

Vander could have humiliated her. Not purposely, she thought. He didn't seem like the type to do so. But the way he does turn her down is so gentle though it helped that she had stopped it as quickly as she had begun. She believes him when he says he doesn't have to apologize to her and she realizes he had spoken about waiting until a better time. Maybe it shouldn't surprise her he wasn't going to be the type to turn down a chance to sleep with a willing person. Or maybe it was simply a new feeling to have this returned.

Whatever the reason, Maria closes her eyes and nods. For a moment, she wants to know what it's like to have this physical contact with someone. Someone that doesn't want to push her away.

"We've been talking a lot about my options and not yours. Feels like that might become a running theme with you but we'll get there when we get there." The last thing Maria wants to do is move away from Vander but she knows they need to actually explore this place so she removes herself from him and gets up, offering him both of her hands to help him up as well.

"This place doesn't seem so dangerous, though."

[cantilevers]

His thumbs stroke her cheeks and his forehead remains against her, aware that rejection regardless of the type was difficult. While they had only just met, it was clear that they had a connection that both of them leaned into. He was keen to explore it, wouldn't even oppose all that much if she insisted on making further bold moves on him. It had been a long time since anyone made him feel desirable after all, and he hoped to commit even a fraction of that feeling for her.

He tipped his chin and kissed her forehead gently before withdrawing his face, though his hands remained on her cheeks affectionately stroking. He smiled at her words, and she wasn't wrong though perhaps not for the reasons that she might assume. "Well, I did say that I would wing-man for you. I want you to find the best match for you," he replied simply.

He helped her to stand and then pushed himself up to his feet with her assistance, staying close as he looked around as if expecting some new danger to pop out of anywhere. It looked like a simple cathedral, just with the stained glass showing odd reflections. A few candles burned and there were the pews and altar. It didn't seem unfriendly, yet light shifted over the top of her head and there were changes there too. What was the cause?

"We should take a look around, but so far, it seems like a place with a trick of the light."

[heavensnight]

Part of her wonders if she hadn't pulled back, if she'd really gone for it, if Vander may have gone with it even if it was a terrible idea. The timing was wrong, the place not right, but the attraction was there. Maria didn't think she was imagining that even if she didn't understand it. Being attracted to someone other than James seemed like it was going against her whole purpose.

And it was because of these thoughts that it was good to not have sex with him...yet.

Maria wants to comment about him not needing to wingman for himself or that it isn't necessary but it seems like another distraction. Usually she would be all for that but she does need to remind herself that now just isn't the time.

When she turned her head to look at him, from the reflection, she could see a monstrous arm of his. One with enough power to rip through something and it didn't frighten her. "Is it much of a trick if it's the truth, you think?"

[cantilevers]

While he was in agreement that they needed to understand their surroundings and the inherent dangers here, he was still not opposed to remaining close to Maria. She felt like a kindred spirit in a way, which was not a impression that he experienced often these days. Vander had enough experience - rusty or otherwise - that he knew what he liked and he liked what he knew.

However, she had pulled away, and he wasn't willing to damage what they had by encouraging. They had to figure out their location. Hopefully they would be able to spend more time together even once they escaped wherever they were.

Yet, he was silent at her comment, noting the way her head turned and wondered what she saw. There were a ripple of unease from him, as if expecting her to turn away despite the fact that she hadn't yet. "Maybe not. We shouldn't linger too long in case we become what we see in each other, right? Might ruin the mood."

[heavensnight]

Maria couldn't boast of the same experience. There were some vague ideas in her mind, like she had experienced things she knew she never did. Like she'd had relationships and known people. Maybe if she'd been a normal woman, she would know how to react to this experience better. Maybe she wouldn't have been so eager to jump his bones.

Not that it mattered much. They had bigger fish to fry and Maria just hoped she'd meet Vander again. That she wouldn't wake up and find he had been a pleasant dream.

But his silence tells her that how she responds next could change them. "You think?" Her voice sounds as teasing and flirtatious as it always has. Like trying to show him she won't be frightened off. Her boots click against the floor of the cathedral and at one point, it sounds more like metal to her ears. "I turn into a monster sometimes. I'm pretty strong; I can crash through metal. Maybe we'd make a good team."

[cantilevers]

This was a pleasant dream if it was one, and he felt himself fortunate to have met her first. He appreciated that she took everything that they had already been through and everything they were currently experiencing with a confident nonchalance as if this was just another day in the life. It kept him calm and grounded, ignoring the lurking implications at the back of his mind.

He followed her as they walked, heading towards the entrance, and he did notice the occasional click of metal on stone. He reached out, setting his hand lightly to the small of her back so that they kept contact with each other. "Crash through metal? Impressive. Is that your party trick or do you save that for special occasions only?"

He turned his head, looking at his right hand as it moved at his side as they walked, swearing for a second he saw thick metal claws and massive forearms. "We already make a good team, so I can't see that changing regardless of what we look like."

[heavensnight]

Maria wondered if they were in a normal situation how they might be interacting right now. When she had come onto him, would he have agreed to taking it easy? Or would they be in an entirely different situation at the moment? It seems ridiculous to think so much about it when this isn't the situation they're in. And it wasn't as if there would be an opportunity if she was going to wake up back in Silent Hill.

But his hand on her felt right. Like she didn't want him to let go and she had to remind herself to keep thinking straight.

"Special occasions." It probably wasn't a good idea to tell him she did it when James usually rejected her. There was more to the story but it wasn't as if this was the time to discuss it.

She gave him a smile. "Then how we look isn't going to change anything, is it?" They wouldn't be so easily frightened off.

[cantilevers]

He wondered why they were here, why he and her in particular had been chosen to meet like this. Was there a rhyme or reason? He wasn't about to look too deeply into it, though he did wonder if this was a ruse to bring his defenses down. This was too welcome, and he would enjoy it for as long as it lasted. What could he say? He liked bold people.

"Sounds like you're the life of the party," he replied, not pressing for what 'special occasions' meant to her. He had a feeling that she would tell him in time. They did seem to be on a speed course of becoming familiar with each other.

As they approached the cathedral door, he stepped lightly ahead of her and reached out to push it open to reveal what was beyond, his other hand still on her back. His lips twitched in return at her smile. "I suppose you're right. Look at you, keeping my feet flat on the floor so easily. That's a special talent."

[heavensnight]

It seemed unlikely that Vander was something she could have created in her mind. The story he had told her was too complex for her to think up, she had thought before. But perhaps this was just another version of Silent Hill for all she knew. If Vander was something she manifested, she didn't think she'd care much. James could reject such things but Maria wouldn't.

"I'm sure you know a thing or two about keeping the life in a party." Or he had. he was personable enough, certainly outgoing. Maria wondered how he might do outside of this strange situation.

He hadn't stopped touching her and that was so new to her. James often didn't seem like he wanted to be near her at all. Sometimes she half expected him to cringe every time her hand had brushed against his. But Vander hadn't stopped touching her and it made Maria happy. "Maybe I just have that effect on you." Her eyes went from him to outside, seeing the cloister garden. It seems peaceful, nice, and Maria is immediately suspicious.

"This is a little too good to be true, don't you think? We go from our shark buddy to this?"

[cantilevers]

"Well, before this place, I did own a bar," he remarked cheekily. "We had some good parties there, though that wasn't the only place I once traversed in my dashing youth." He had been a social party person; he liked being out on the town though the Last Drop required constant attention due to him being one of the only staff members.

"Maybe you and I should party someday, though I apologize for not being as fun as I used to be when I was half this age," he said jovially. These days he was happier with serving drinks, chatting and less about the dancing and grinding and maybe punching a few upstarts.

He chuffed in amusement at her claim, inclining his head towards her even as he peered outside as well. It seemed nice. Too nice. It wasn't the sort of place that he expected to end up given where they had started. "Let's call it your special talent, shall we? You might end up sharing that effect on others that you meet along the way, and I'm sure they'll appreciate it as much as I do."

He stepped out, shouldering the door open further and craning his head on his neck to search for signs of danger. Off in the distance, he saw black shapes that looked to be grazing. Were those horses? Must be, though he couldn't say he had seen one up close before.

"Maybe the cathedral was all about seeing the monsters in each of us and expected that would make us shy away from each other?"

[heavensnight]

"Did you now?" That seemed to fit the bill. She knew ("knew") the people who had owned Heaven's Night, especially the bartenders, had had to be social. You needed to be good with people to make them feel comfortable in your bar. "I'm sure you were a terror. Charming most of the people around." If his effect on her said anything. "If you find a party around here then consider me your plus one. All my partying was always work related. It'd be nice to have fun with no strings attached."

She noticed he kept saying how she might make others feel about her, like she might charm someone else. Maria still wasn't positive she'd be meeting anybody else but she wasn't going to say much. "I bet people will be just as impressed with you, too." She didn't want to come off as desperate. Last thing she needed to do was scare him off.

"The ocean we chatted about what we thought about love, which was really a heavy topic, with our awkward third playing chaperone. Then the cathedral and now this? This feels like speed dating." She looked out and saw the...horses? And squinted her eyes. "Think they're friendlier than the shark?"

[cantilevers]

He laughed lightly because she would not be the first to describe him as such, and he rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "I did my best at that, yeah," he agreed. "I had the advantage of being tall early in life too, so people found that attractive." He looked down at her, smiling charmingly as if it would work on her (as if it already hadn't). "Plus one, huh? Well, when we get out of here and find a party, we'll have a good time with no strings. Fun only."

He was thinking that both himself and Maria would be quick to make friends, which would be good for them. They were social individuals, probably thrived when there was someone to talk to, letting others be drawn into their orbit easily. "Oh well, I do know I make friends and allies fairly easily. You and I have similar habits, so I expect it will be the same for you." And yeah maybe there would be a special someone to offer more. Maybe him. Maybe her. Maybe someone else.

He nodded, still skeptical of this 'outside' business. He was far too used to being underground to want to be under an open sky. "So what love is to us, now what kind of monsters we are... and now beasts of burden? I'm not sure how these are related to what we had before," he said, scratching his head, though at this distance it seemed harmless. "Well, I couldn't say. I've never been around horses before. Have you?"

[heavensnight]

"I'm sure your height wasn't the only thing people found attractive." They had agreed this was not the time or place to proceed with too much more than innocuous flirting but it was easy to flirt with him. He made it simple and she wanted to. Later she might question it and wonder what this said about her but for now, like he said. Just fun. No strings attached.

And she got the idea that if he did meet anybody else it might be a similar story. Maybe for her too. It still made her wonder about herself, her purpose, but she knew she hated to be alone. Perhaps it would be similar for Vander.

"Gotta admit, I'm not winning any awards when it comes to brains so if this is some riddle we need to solve then I'm no help." The strings didn't seem to tie together to her. What link they had to each other but then again, they'd been in an ocean and fell through into a cathedral. Maybe logic wasn't the skill needed here. "Not at all. There was a ranch nearby the town but I'm not much of an outdoorsy girl, you know? Not really dressed for horseriding." She motioned to her dressed.

[cantilevers]

"Maybe the big feet and hands that go with it made people smile," he said airily, though he knew what she meant with her flirting. She would know after being in his lap after all, and he appreciated her compliment. His fingers stroked up her back to settle between her shoulder blades affectionately. "You like my height?" He smirked, letting her know he was purposefully fishing for a compliment.

It was true that he didn't want to be lonely. He knew that being alone meant thinking and there were plenty of subjects he would prefer not to dwell on at this time. So company helped.

"What are you talking about? You and I already solved some riddles, hmm? We got out of that fish tank together. You have as much brains as beauty," he said and meant it. Then he slowly stepped out of the cathedral into the gardens, his hand moving from her back to her elbow as he tried to draw her out with him. "Well, it seems like neither of us are experienced in whatever may come next, but maybe we will just have to walk by them?"

[heavensnight]

"I like your height." It is said with a mirrored smirk, knowing he was trying to get a compliment from her. "And I'm sure there's more I'll like." It's a casual statement that holds promise to it. It felt like they should talk like this would continue. Maria wasn't sure if it would but she was happier acting like they'd keep this up.

There was a roll of her eyes. "Trying to compliment me now, huh?" Even if he did mean it, she just took it as a compliment that was mostly trying to butter her up. To her, it had hardly been that much of a riddle. All they'd done was talk about love and she hadn't even been sure that had been what they were supposed to do. Mostly like they had simply walked into that solution and it had seemed like Vander had eased them into that talk anyway.

But he seemed like a good leader so she went with his idea. "Do horses attack people? I'm asking earnestly. I don't know much about horses."

[cantilevers]

"Let's hope so. I want you to like me," he replied warmly. "Because I like you." There was no point denying that, given their first impressions and how close they had become instantly. It was a rare person that could hit him like a livewire after all, and he appreciated that she seemed to feel the same, if only for flirting purposes. He was happy she indulged him.

"There's no try about it. I'll compliment you until you believe it, beautiful," he said with a hint of actual seriousness to the otherwise light-hearted tone of his voice. He was not the brains of the operation, though he was educated enough and had enough life experience to make it work. There were plenty of people smarter than him, but for him, the importance of teamwork and escaping their confines was most important to him.

He took them from the cathedral into the garden area, stepping into the grass gingerly like he hadn't done it much lately. "Um, yeah I think they can. They can kick, stomp and bite, but I'm not the best reading their body language. So we'll approach slowly, okay?"

[heavensnight]

Even if he had rejected her ("rejected" because she had backed off even before he could tell her no), it didn't seem like things would be cooling off for them. He had told her they should wait and she didn't disagree. Now wouldn't be a good time even if the attraction was there. But she wondered how things might play out in a different situation. Would her heart flutter as much as it already was? "I like you and I have a feeling I'll only like you more." Even if it oddly felt as if it was going against who she was, why she had been born, but she couldn't deny the draw to Vander.

And it wasn't just because he was nice. Or that she could easily believe that he did want to make her feel good. No, Vander just seemed special. "Feels like I could say the same thing for you. Complimenting you until you believe it." It seemed he needed it. Especially if what he said about his death was true. Maria would be glad to make him happy.

She peered uncertainly at the figures in the distance. "I'm kind of used to everything wanting to attack or kill me where I'm from. Think you can fight off a horse?"

[cantilevers]

"First meetings can precipitate good things in our futures," he remarked in agreement. He was reasonable though. He understood that there may be aspects of himself that she would not like in future, and the opposite was true. He still couldn't entirely put himself in the shoes of 'being made by a town for a man' history, but he thought it was cruel to be made for someone else. People should live for their own choices and freedoms.

He shook his head in mock disbelief as he drew them further from the cathedral with each step. "Hey now, I never said I didn't believe all those lovely words you speak about me," he said with amusement. "Though perhaps this is our current lot in life, yeah? Building each other up."

He carefully took them onto the field, actually more apprehensive about the long grass than the horses. The uneven rolling hills he couldn't entirely see off-set his balance now and again, and he suspected he looked strange wandering like he might fall at any moment. "I can fight horses, I promise. I'll keep you safe, okay? But if I tell you to run, I need you to do it without question, alright?"

[heavensnight]

Maria had to keep reminding herself not to be too excited. Her existence had never included another person other than James. Living, anyway. And she'd only ever met Ernest once. But Vander felt like a promise for good things and Maria felt hopeful. She hadn't felt hopeful in a long time and that was frightening. Too many chances for things to go poorly. Her mind was already trying to think of ways to keep Vander with her, ploys to keep him close.

"I'll make you eat your words when you try to get me on a date with someone else, I guess." It's light, teasing. After all, it didn't actually bother her. It was probably Vander's own attempt at playing it safe. And who was going to be thinking of such things right now anyway?

Maria nodded. It probably seemed funny she was worried about horses attacking them but they didn't quite look perfectly like horses either. But Vander seemed to feel apprehensive about the grass and she looked at him. "You got an allergy I should know about? You don't seem to like the grass."

[cantilevers]

Vander chuckled as she teased him. "Well, you keep going as you are, and maybe I won't bother to wingman you too hard in case things turn serious between us. It's all fun and games right now, but imagine a serious conversation between us?" They technically had touched on sensitive and serious topics in their previous conversation. Things he might not have so easily admitted to anyone, yet he had with her.

He was between eyeing the horses that, now coming into closer view, did not entirely seem like any horse he had ever seen. Now, he wasn't all that up to date with horses, but their mouths and eyes seemed off. They didn't seem to exist normally either, so perhaps this was the next beast they needed to come up against after the shark? Was this all about running across internal and external monsters?

He made a noise of consternation at her observation. "No, but... I don't walk on grass much, if at all. I live underground, so it's all rock, steel and glass down there. This is weirdly... spongy." Now there were some places in the mines that were sand, but it was still something he expected. "Maybe you should carry me," he teased.

[heavensnight]

Maria had never even said what she was out loud. The truth was hard. But she had said it to Vander and so easily. It had surprised her and it still did. She didn't know it was possible for things to be so easy with someone. Even if she had been born from James, nothing with him was ever easy. He never really saw her. But Maria knew Vander saw her and it made her feel drawn to him. "Talking about love wasn't a serious conversation? Might be a little intimidated what you consider serious then."

Maria wondered what kind of world he came from if he wasn't used to grass of all things. She took his hand in hers and entwined their fingers. "Unfortunately I skipped arm day so you're out of luck. But I am used to grass so hey, you got an expert." Her eyes went to the horses again and she hummed. "Actually aren't they supposed to eat grass or something? Maybe we can ward them off if we feed them."

[cantilevers]

Vander paused between one step and the next to look down at her at the question, even if it wasn't meant seriously. He suddenly brought their linked hands up so he could rest his cheek against them both, his smile warm and welcoming. "Why should love be all serious? It's supposed to be fun, to highlight your days, lift you up. Everyone should talk about it, even after heartbreak." Now that last part was only a partial truth; he had his own secrets regarding failed love that he likely wasn't willing to open up so easily. "I think the talk about dying was more serious though."

He sighed in feigned disappointment even as he dropped their hands back to their sides so that they could continue walking. It didn't seem like they should be going anywhere else, but he did wonder what was beyond here and where all these adventures were supposed to lead them. "You're my hero today, Maria. How else will I cross this turf without an expert? Do you think there's some nasty creature or bug living in this long grass waiting to spring out at us?" He looked over at the horses that were now collectively watching them. "I guess? Maybe they eat most plants?"

[heavensnight]

"I think that's why it should be serious. It's important because it changes everything, doesn't it? Even if it's just your friend or family. It's everything to some people. Kind of a big deal." It was why she was even here. Perhaps a distorted love but she'd been born from it nonetheless. "Might be biased about the dying thing. I've done it too many times but that's probably a story for another time, yeah?" It was a long one and who wanted to hear about her numerous impalings? Not like it was something Maria wanted to talk about and she assumed Vander didn't want to talk about his death either.

Maybe she was also worried about destroying this moment between them sooner than it had be ended. "Not out of the realm of possibility there is a nasty creature in the grass so I wouldn't be surprised if there is." Knowing her luck anyway. Though part of her wondered if anything would want to be around with those horses here. "Maybe if we're lucky, they eat nasty creatures. Part of me thinks we should probably not move, though. Let them come to us? That's a thing...I think."

[cantilevers]

"Well... I suppose you're right, but love shouldn't be so all consuming that you can't function without the other person, right?" He had loved many people, and he had been heart sick and obsessive in his youth. Those days were behind him, and he liked to think he was a steady and reliable person. It was dealing with losses that affected him greatly, woke that beast up inside of him that was difficult to quell. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen, Maria. Are you immortal in that you die and come back?" Curiosity rose in him, though he was not willing to press and make her uncomfortable.

He glanced at the grass, still walking gingerly but relying on her expertise as well. He squeezed her fingers in his own. "I'll fight snakes and insects too, just so you know." He wasn't above that kind of meal either; who knew when they might eat next after all. "Well, we can probably move a bit closer. Their body language isn't indicating that they are looking to attack us yet. I don't want to sit down until we know they aren't going to act out."