PAPER RITUAL - END

[wooliefrand]

[Bodies litter the pasture now, as the demons cackle through the air.

The blood that flowed from everyone converges on the paper flower, turning it a bright, disgusting red.

And then--something bursts from it. Another shadowy demonic beast, emerging with unfurled black wings. For those still alive, it looks something like a crow.

Black feathers scatter all over the pasture, and the voices of the demons are overjoyed. "She's returned! She's truly returned! Oh glorious day, our time has come--!"

The beast flies into the sky, easily bypassing the pasture's barrier, and simply....disappears. And with it, the oddities of the ritual.

All the remaining paper withers. and those living can hear a faint voice.

Well done, mortals. Finally you show your worth.

For the most ruthless, Rose, Daffodil, Weeds, Lily, Peony, you have our thanks.

The rest of you. . .what pleasant sacrifices you all made, hahahaHAHAHA!

And it is gone.


[OOC:
WINNERS get revived painlessly, and any special effects incurred are instantly poof, gone! BONUSES WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER/IN THE MORNING BUT YOU'LL GET SHIT FOR OUR SACRIFICES.

HOWEVER no limbs regrow if you're missing them. You gotta fix that shit yourself.

ETA WINNER BOONS
Each winning team gets the standard memory coins, along with their trees taking on the following changes/sprouting fruit:
Daffodil - Buddha's Hand.
Lily - Cherries
Rose - Pineapple (yes i know shh). But most curiously, their tree blooms into a giant rose. Not a tree with roses, a giant rose flower. It's stem is large enough to be climbed like a tree trunk, and its thorns act as branches. The fruit hands from stray leaves/petals.
Peony - Dragonfruit

WEEDS curiously, will have a strange plant growing on the grounds near their clubhouse. Uh oh are those Avocados?? Sure are.

MINI BONUSES
MOST READY KILL - Daffodil - They receive 50lbs of meat of whatever they desire. This can be a creature from home or just like. a lot of steaks. They will also find that for the next 3 ic days, they will auto-heal from any sort of injury whether they use their powers or not.

MOST 'can you lighten up a bit' - Weeds/Rose. They receive two sets of clothing; one any design in their standard fashion (ripped/suits), but the other can be in ANY STYLE so long as there is a flower of some sort incorporated into it somewhere, no matter how small.

MOST 'aren't you tired of being nice' - Peony - they'll find their Horse ability extended by 24 hours for the next 3 ic days. (tho it does not have to last that long)

MOST Survivor's Guilt - Lily - Ananke gets a knife made of pure silver, but it can be molded into any other kind of weapon.

DAFFODIL, ROSE, AND PEONY also instinctively know they can request a barn upgrade OR a community upgrade (one or the other, and it can't be something that's a deal in progress). Let Ash know what you want by Wednesday so I can incorporate in the next mingle!


Losers - Bluebell, Clover, Thistle. Oh buddies. Any dead MUST be manually put together/fixed by others, and also will incur a Paper Curse. This can either be:
-True words will appear on their body like ink/tattoos at inconvenient times
-They will become Light as Paper for two IC days and thus easily blown away/knocked down
-or have their soul trapped in an origami paper animal and just be that for a day.
SINCE THIS GAME WENT BUCK WILD this will only effect those present.]

Comments

[endsjustified]

…

The punishments Lily faced in the second round were both fatal. I’m guessing it was not so for Bluebell.

[featherduster]

[ AGHAST ]

No. "Both"?

[endsjustified]

[a tiny shrug; he’s still operating in that very low-inflection mode, voice soft and low and almost toneless]

I’m sure our linked groups had their reasons for playing as they did. I find it…very hard to care about the intricacies right now. Possibly ever.

[featherduster]

Who was it?

[endsjustified]

…

[man he doesn’t have to even put a single feather out to practically HEAR Charon thinking ‘I don’t want to tell him’]

[featherduster]

[ ...

He only sighs ]

Something tells me it's not about wanting to protect them.

[endsjustified]

…it’s not.

[slowly, like he’s trying to clarify it to himself]

You don’t like to tell me about things that bit you deeply, either. Sometimes you will, but you’d rather avoid it.

[featherduster]

[ God. What the fuck did they even DO?

He doesn't say anything, but his hold on Charon takes on an edge. Possessive or protective, perhaps. ]

[endsjustified]

[oh Minuet.

reaches up and touches his cheek, very light, finally finding the conversational angle he needs]

How much do you know about Rose’s powers?

[featherduster]

[ Frowns, thinking about it ]

... Almost nothing. Shadow Fiend hedged the one time I asked.

[endsjustified]

Mm, well.

Rose vines with thorns, the easy visible one. Healing with blood.

And the third one — outside of whatever stars they might have earned — is now confirmed to be emotional inducement and escalation. Perhaps deescalation as well, but maybe that aspect belongs to Bluebell and their Charm alone.

[featherduster]

[


WAIT LIKE THREE THINGS CLICK INTO PLACE ALL AT ONCE. ALARMING! ]

Oh.

[endsjustified]

Yes.

[his tone has simply gone full dead now]

[featherduster]

[ His grip on Charon would probably be painful if he weren't Awakened. Actually it might be anyway.

His jaw tightens harshly and he says nothing. ]

[endsjustified]

[he doesn’t say anything about the pain. it’s kind of a good pain right now, honestly. grounding]

…

I have always prided myself on the ability to overcome obstacles rather than admitting defeat.

My mind devouring itself on this matter is perhaps one of the most unpleasant things I have ever experienced.

[featherduster]

[ Yes. He remembers that feeling.

That Charon knows it due to a demon ritual makes him want to tear the walls of this place wide open. ]

Has it subsided now?

[endsjustified]

The effect stopped when I died.

[featherduster]

[ He relaxes, just a bit, but his hold on Charon doesn't. ]

... Can I stay tonight?

[ He wasn't going to ask, before.

But that was before. ]

[endsjustified]

[oh

looks up at his face to see his expression before answering]

[featherduster]

[ It is ENTREATING ]

[endsjustified]

[oh

traces the curve of his brow with his fingers]

Please.

[is it becoming a personal ritual of its own, learning to ask Minuet for his time? maybe.]

[featherduster]

[ THANK GOD

Doesn't say it out loud, but it's clear on his face as he relaxes against him ]

[endsjustified]

[slides his hand over the back of Minuet’s neck. Minuet also died today]

Thank you.

[featherduster]

[ Harrumphs a little ]

Stupid. There's nothing to thank me for. It's selfish as much as anything.

[endsjustified]

It’s…

[what is it. he could probably pinpoint that at a time he’s less scrambled than he is now

settles for the old refrain:]

Be selfish more.