songerein | { when it snows }

WHEN IT SNOWS

All items on this post will last/be available for the entire month! So timey wimey shenanigans are allowed.

More details on everything can be found here. We will request any thread submissions for certain prompts during A.

I. REVEREIN

II. DREAMS

COMMENTS

I. REVEREIN THAWED

After freeing the Ice Queen from the glass shard from her chest and clearing the dreamscape, the blizzard that affected not only Reverein but the Wildlands and beyond finally dissipates and soon everything returns to…mostly normal.

A. Glitter Snow. While the freezing sleet and ice of the blizzard is no more and a more gentle winter has entered Reverein, the fresh new snow that falls is not one one might want to stick their tongue out to try and catch a snowflake. Unless one likes the taste of glitter.

🎉 Good luck getting it out. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad if the glitter melted like snow, but it does not. It sticks to everything everywhere and while some might like a splash of colors, others may not.
🔮 Dreamglobes. Some fae are passing out empty spherical glasses, suggesting those who are interested to collect some of the glitter snow into them and then set the snowglobe next to their bed before sleeping. Whatever dream they have will be captured into the glass and upon waking will create a physical representation of the dream to create a little special "dreamglobe." Hope it's a good one!
✨ Glitter Collector. There are a number of people and shops that actually want the free glitter and ask for anyone to collect as much as possible. Works well for those trying to clean up and not sure what to do with it. What kind of products will end up coming from them well.

B. Mari Lwyd and Family. Mari Lwyd has finally returned to Reverein, and she's bringing along some family she's found. However, they can be a bit of a handful. Some are friendlier than others while others are going to make full use of this glitter snow with pranks and mischief. But they all just intend to have a good time, something that everyone may be in need of after that blizzard.

💃 Little Pranksters. The young Lwydlings cannot sing or speak, but they love to dance around and make all manner of noise—they also bite if you're being a big fat party pooper in their presence, and are a lot more likely to pull a few harmless pranks than their dear older cousin Mari Lwyd is. Very quick, they have the same vanish-and-leave-you-with-bad-luck if harm is attempted on them. Have a dance off with them, or aid them in pranking those who are being big fat grumps/meanie-butts.
🔥 Bonfire. One of the merry friends looks like a very tall pile of long hair and arms, but with them they seem to be carrying a basket and filling it with sticks and other kindling. This is for giant bonfires! Help gather wood and kindling to make a great bonfire to welcome some warmth in this winter, and aid any lost to not wander in this cold.
🥜 Nurturing Gifts. There appears to be another skull-faced being wandering around with their own 'little one' in tow—and despite the horned and frightening appearance of the larger fur and hyde clad figure there are small gifts to be shared. An act of kindness rewards one with a bundle of magic beans that if nurtured and cared for will bear a great gift come spring. Great.

C. Hot Springs. The dragons are holding an open invitation to anyone who wishes to use their hot springs to warm up after that frigid blizzard. The dragons in particular will be practically living there, so hopefully others can squeeze in a spot. Rooms will be available for anyone who wishes to stay the night, and all amenities will be available: food, recreational games, etc. Just beware of the monkeys that have descended down from the mountain seeking warmth as well. They are prone to stealing things, particularly clothing—and wearing them.

D. Dream Board. This is the perfect time to do many of the Dream Board prompts, and while the full details are on the notes, here is the quick list of what they are:

Dream Board List:

⛄ Snowball Tonics: Transform into massive, different colored snowballs.
🔔 Bell Choir: Grab a bell and play for a concert!
🧣 Never-Ending Scarf: Help untangle the beautifully, extremely long crocheted scarf, dodge cats, and get the whole thing together in one place.
🍻 Keg Brawl: A game where one must carrying a keg of ale from one end of a field of ice to the other while avoiding the other team trying to stop you.
🐶 The Inugami. Help a pair of spirit dogs find each other.
🌠 Falling Stars. Make wishes upon the falling stars before they cause too much damage!

II. SHATTERED DREAMS

Although the Dreamwalkers were successful in removing the strange glass shard in the Ice Queen's chest and ended the nightmare dreamscape that caused the blizzard, the Ice Queen still has yet to awaken. Jack Frost has taken her to Orkili to try and purify her with the pods, yet it only caused an adverse reaction, prompting the Orkilins and Jack Frost to ask for help from the Dreamwalkers once more. Isolated in a separate room where neither dreamotion nor nightmare energy can enter, those who are willing to investigate the Ice Queen's dream will be able to freely dreamwalk, with the warning that she seems sensitive to positive dreamotion so everyone should take caution when using it.

In the meantime, there are some other happenings going around in Orkili, including investigation into some nightmare crystals.

A. Piecing it Together. Those who enter the Ice Queen's dream will find themselves free floating in a dark void with large reflective glass-like shards with blurred, fogged scenes reflecting on their surface. They float aimlessly through the space, and a closer inspection will reveal that these shards can fit together and likely form a larger image. The goal is to now try and put the pieces together, though it's not as easy as it might seem.

🪞 Nightmare manipulation. For whatever reason, those who either have high nightmare resistance or can control nightmare energy will be able to move and be around the shards with very little effect to them.

💥 Too much of a good thing. Because the shards are dark and clearly exude nightmare energy, there will be those who will try to use positive types of dreamotion to purify the shards. Some dreamotion will be safe to use and will help clear up the image on the surface. However, too much focus will have a negative feedback where the dreamers are pushed back with a freezing gale and the shard they are focusing on will crack and break into smaller pieces. Nightmare energy can help mend the cracks, so it's better to try and use both at the same time.

💔 Blurred visions. As the surface of the shards clear up, various scenes of different themes can be seen, both good and bad. Love, heartbreak, hatred, anger, joy, jealousy, loneliness, fulfillment, family, abandonment. Those who experienced the ice mirrors in the previous dreamscape will feel a strong familiarity with these larger shards, except these are clearly towards the Ice Queen herself.

This is where we want players to come up with any scene that the Ice Queen may have experienced that could be reflected on the shard! We'll request submissions and piece together a story based on player input. Don't worry about any contradictions, we'll work it all in one way or another. The only constant is that Jack Frost and the Ice Queen do have a close, romantic relationship, which is why Jack is very worried about her.

B. Unwanted Intruder. While in the dream, a grotesque looking noctaere will appear and try to attack and consume the shards. Should it succeed, the Ice Queen will receive physical damage that everyone will be able to hear and feel inside the dream. The void will contort and turn more like sludge. Attempts to use dreamotion will only worsen it, but those who can control or absorb nightmare energy will take it away from the Ice Queen. How it affects them however, will vary between dizziness to momentary lapse in judgment and may need to leave the dreamscape.

Those monitoring outside the dream will witness the Ice Queen scream and her skin blackening as if charred by fire. Same thing applies here: those who try to use dreamotion to heal her will only worsen it, but those who use nightmare energy to either draw it out into some other container or absorb it themselves will be able to pull it out of the Ice Queen. Those who absorb the nightmare energy will have similar varying effects, from just light dizziness to becoming more irritable and hostile. Attempts to try and directly pull out the nightmare energy otherwise will be unsuccessful—it will only work when the noctaere has consumed a shard and caused the physical side effects.

No one will turn noctaere through this method because not enough nightmare energy will have accumulated.

As for the noctaere, it will sometimes appear outside the dream, and those who encounter it or deliberately try to hunt it down either within or outside the dream will find both dreamotion and nightmare based attacks effective against it. However, it's a very tough and difficult foe, so while it can be damaged, it cannot be defeated at this time. Those who investigated the claw marks from a few months ago will notice it leaves behind the same claw marks. Those who witnessed it will also find it familiar and can safely say it's the same.

I. REVEREIN

II. DREAMS

COMMENTS

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I'm fine," Ienzo said, a mix of confusion and a bit of regret in his tone. "It's harmless, really."

Even if he felt like he was having a mini-heart attack every time they startled him. Ienzo would think his brain would learn eventually and reduce the startle reflex!

Ienzo frowned a little. "Honestly, I think it might be my fault? I'm pretty sure they're harmless unless provoked so ... I just don't know what I did. Or how to make amends."

In spite of his reassurance, some of the worry lingered around Naminé's expression as she considered Ienzo, then the departing creatures.

"Your fault...?" Her tone of voice was somewhere between reluctant and contemplative - though it grew firmer when she decided, "That's strange. They didn't bother me, and I doubt that you did anything unkind." So if they weren't mean and neither was he, then what could have happened?

(In the moment, she wasn't particularly conscious of the fact that her faith in him had shifted over time, and with some encouragement from Demyx; she was more inclined these days to give Ienzo the benefit of the doubt.)

Shaking her head thoughtfully, "How long has this been going on? Maybe if you think back to what you were doing when it started, that'll help shed some light on it."

"It's the only common factor between all of these creatures - myself," Ienzo told her. (After all; Ienzo was much, much more prone to blaming himself. He's had plenty of experience doing so once he'd regained his heart - especially when examining the events that lead him to losing it.)

But, he was heartened by Naminé's faith in him. It was a lot different from her earlier wariness - putting Ienzo in much more hopeful spirits. Perhaps she's right. Perhaps there was some other variable he hadn't considered, that had lead the creatures to ... decide to torment him.

"Since the early morning - when they first noticed me," Ienzo told her. Thoughtfully, he amended; "Or, rather, after I first noticed them. Initially, I was a little preoccupied cataloging the data from the latest phenomena within this dream."

Though Naminé had her doubts about that first part, she held her mouth tightly shut, the furrow in her brow deepening as she gave Ienzo's words due consideration. Her distress on his behalf ticked up for a moment at the last part, though, prompting her to speak again.

"That long...?" So it was an ongoing thing, then. At first, the more she heard about the matter, the less she felt she understood it - until finally a few of the pieces clicked into place. "... Oh. Now that I think about it, they do seem to enjoy attention. Maybe they - didn't like being ignored?"

It seemed the most defined guess she could hazard, given what they had to go on.

"Oh." Ienzo blinked, and then blushed just slightly, looking down for a moment - letting his hair hide his slight embarrassment. "I hadn't exactly meant to ignore them - I didn't realize they were there at all."

He laughed softly, bemused. "Oh, dear. That doesn't sound much better, does it."

Tugging slightly on his sleeves, he wondered, "How do you think I should make it up to them? Perhaps a simple apology might be enough ..."

Even with the barrier of his hair, Naminé had an inkling of Ienzo's feelings on the matter and regarded him sympathetically. Hands folding together, the lass hesitated at his comment, then shook her head with the beginnings of a wry, almost sad smile.

"You couldn't help it," she offered. "Sometimes - things just go unnoticed." Of course, she was all too familiar with the feeling of being overlooked, but-- well, regardless, "That's not an excuse for them to treat you that way, even if it might have hurt their feelings."

Regardless, that left the question of what to do, indeed. Giving a cautious hum, the blonde tried, "Maybe, but it could be hard to talk to them, if they're always sneaking up on you. And..." What was the nice way to say she doubted they'd be quite so reasonable? "Well, they are children, I... think. It might be better to find another way to say you're sorry. Have you learned anything about them, since they've been scaring you...?"

Still. If Ienzo was trying to observe the new dream phenomena that was emerging - ignoring crucial, especially sentient parts of it was a large oversight. It's something he reminded himself to be better aware of going forward. He knew he had an unfortunate tendency to be too absorbed with his work, at times!

"It's been hard - I've tried to ask what was wrong before, and - they didn't seem inclined to talk," Ienzo agreed. Apologies were difficult if lines of communication were closed, indeed. But Naminé brought up a good point.

He hummed thoughtfully. "It's been difficult to learn anything, considering that they don't wish to talk. However - knowing that they're children, and ... that they want attention paid to them ... perhaps it's as simple as, well."

What did children like to do? Normal children, anyway. He tapped the side of his face, feeling awkward. "As offering to play a game with them, perhaps?"

Paying more attention to one's surroundings was probably a good habit to pick up, it was true - Naminé certainly wouldn't object to that notion. (They both might have benefited from it, in truth.)

"Now that I think about it, I don't know if they do talk. I haven't heard any of them speak in words." Looking back on it, Naminé realized belatedly both that fact and that she might have a bit more information of her own to go on. Her idea was still forming as Ienzo continued, and the blonde nodded with a slight emphasis at his conclusion.

"Yes - that might work. They do seem very playful." And mischievous, but that was beside the point. Under typical circumstances, Naminé would probably have felt nearly as out of her depth as Ienzo was when it came to 'normal' childlike behavior, but in this case, her percolating thought was quick to supply an answer, which she provided to him in turn.

"I can't say what else they would enjoy, but I do know they seemed to be having fun when I danced with them earlier. That might be some sort of game to them...!"

{ when it snows }

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