She wants to face it. You want to fight it. But I don't think I want either of those things.

[arrowace]

WHO: Bluebells and assorted interlopers
WHERE: Bluebell barn
WHEN: Day 34 early morning forward

[ Last night, six dweebs left to go find their Dear Deer Husband. The next morning they are coming back: very tired, and little bloody, and MOST OF THEM sprouting tiny green shoots and wildflowers from everywhere on their bodies.

Like you do. ]

Comments

[axingnicely]

[ melody is actually covered in black-red poison blood thanks to mute, but after cleaning up she will just be super fussing over mute and fantasia and otherwise keeping herself very busy in bluebell ]

[ might be also pacing back and forth at times, trying to get her thoughts straight ]

[heavyliesthecrown]

Do you think a hand kiss might help cure the effects currently plaguing you, Miss Mel--

[A pause.]

Melody...oneesan?

[Is...Is this better...]

[featherduster]

[ wheeze ]

We should really get those fancy baths sometime, huhl . . .

[noarchitact]

[ the fretting is mutual. ] Do you want to help me in the kitchen? If you’re feeling up for it, of course.

[chasseurdebeaute]

You look quite preoccupied with your thoughts, Melody-kun. You don't wish to rest?

[arrowace]

[ Mute is Big Sleepy as they are in the mornings in general and after any resurrection specifically.

But they gotta go hand their soggy clothes up to dry before they can heave themselves up into the cat tree to curl up. ]

[chasseurdebeaute]

[Making sure they have a cozy blanket]

[featherduster]

[ WATCHING THEM VERY CLOSELY FOR SIGNS OF DISTRESS AND TRYING TO BE SUBTLE ABOUT IT BUT UTTERLY FUCKING FAILING ]

[axingnicely]

[ bringing them fluffed pillows and extra crunchy snax and towels if they need more drying ]

[noarchitact]

[ cat tree seems like the perfect spot to relax, so Fantasia is there too. ] Do you need anymore blankets, Mute?

[heavyliesthecrown]

[Mute is trying to rest on the cat tree. But someone keeps 'secretly' watching them.

jiiiiiiiiiiii]

[heavyliesthecrown]

[He keeps trying to pull the sprouts but they just keep popping back up.]

It is as though we have become nymphs.

[chasseurdebeaute]

Perhaps it is better for the skin to let those fade on their own...

[noarchitact]

…that might be making it worse.

@ all shepherds

[featherduster]

[ Sometime mid-morning on day 34, every Shepherd gets the following message:

Last night, Bluebell entered the Mist to lend our help to a friend who was in peril. I've included the information we were able to gather below.

It sounds like he won’t be easy to find, but there’s a jeweled, holy deer named Jim, along with his family, somewhere out in the forest. If you get lost in the Mist and need to find your way back to the meadow, call out to them and they’ll guide you back. He’s given his word.

The antlers on the fountain are his doing. The intensity of their glow has something to do with how dangerous the Mist is at any given time.

The Wolf King is after him and his family because he covets their power, but they’re out of danger for now.

We walked several hours into the Mist, which is almost entirely desolate save for a few barely-surviving animals. There’s no living plant life out there, so they have nothing to eat and are being preyed on by the wolf beasts.

Eventually there’s a sharp drop off a cliff, so travel cautiously if you venture that far. Past the cliff is a ruined pasture nearly identical to ours, with ruined barns and shops. The barns all had six bedrooms.

Near the town there were voices coming from the mist, saying things like “I want to go home,” “Please stop,” “It wasn’t always like this”

In the town center we interrupted a sacrifice or harvesting of Jim Deer and family, being carried out by three squirmy humanoid shadow beasts wearing wolf masks. They were easy enough to dispatch with the help of holy light, but something (distressed) in them looked like it was trying to crawl out in the process before they dissipated. Don’t recommend engaging without a holy item on hand.

We witnessed two memories, one belonging to Jim Deer and one belonging to one of the shadow beasts. It’s not certain which is which, but as far as we know, Jim Deer doesn’t have a daughter.

The birth of a daughter. You hold their hand. They cry. You smile. You can feel their warmth. . .

A prince bows. You understand what must be done. This resolve, it brings a tear to your eye. . .

IF YOU TRY TO CALL HIM, NO YOU DON'T (He's not picking up) ]

@ Ananke only

[featherduster]

[ In addition to the above, Ananke receives the following immediately after:

We asked if they knew anything about Charon’s whereabouts. They couldn’t tell us anything, only that Charon is “outside their domain”.

We have the three wolf masks in our possession, as well as the ashen remains of one of the fawns.

Rubato was able to combine one of his spells with a holy item to create a holy light that tore through the shadow beasts.

The shadow beasts had a marking identical to the Weeds’s tattoos on their arms. One of the minions was used(?) to summon a snake/wolf/ram creature that ran a ritual--the matching game with our memories, and where we witnessed one of Jim's and one from the wolf king's party.

I've made a map, lying folded on the kitchen table.

Ok bye ]

Re: @ all shepherds

[secondbornsun]

[ . . .

hey

i definitely got into a fight with one of those deer when we first got here

definitely took a hoof glove too

wonder if that'll have any ramifications ]

[survivaltricks]

[Lupin understands nothing anymore]

[but just so Minuet knows he read this he sends a li'l cube with a thumbs up in response]

Re: @ all shepherds

[eonsadrift]

[





he knew some of this and hearing it all at once is still a lot ]

[survivaltricks]

[ANYWAY. GUESS WHAT. SOMETIME AFTER MINUET'S PHONE CALL. . . there's a Thistle at the door!!]

[axingnicely]

[ hewwo here is melody and she seems to be... sprouting? tiny green sprouts and flowers from her body. dw about it ]

Lupin....

[spinebuddyandme]

[ knocking on the shared kitchen door ]

[noarchitact]

[ opens the door. ] Hello?

[mykidisthebest]

[hi Bluebell is your front door unlocked, if not he's coming in

if it is he'll knock and then pick the lock if no one answers idk what to tell you]

[arrowace]

[ an arrow hits the door frame right next to his head ]

[noarchitact]

[ as soon as shenanigans have happened kaveh goes to his room to thousand yard stare at a wall, because what a day. ]

[featherduster]

[ There is a very tiny knock. Knockknockknock. ]

visitor!!

[terraria]

( well, he was let in illegally but it's fine. don't mind him coming down from minuet's tower there's probably nothing suspicious going on there and he's in his regular blouse-skirt combo.

he will be checking on those in bluebell but he will be knocking softly and cubecalling so anyone disinterested can wave him away!! )

[axingnicely]

[ like minuet she's got sprouts growing all over her skin!! kawaii ]

[ she does a double take when she sees him, but doesn't turn him away. ]

Oh... Perci-san, hello.

AFTER PERCI HAS LEFT but before Minuet comes out of his sulk

[arrowace]

We all . . . heard that, right?

Re: AFTER PERCI HAS LEFT but before Minuet comes out of his sulk

[axingnicely]

..... Yes. [ awkward ]