TDM #7 - April Showers (and Other Weather Conditions)

[perchancetodreammods]

April Showers (and Other Weather Conditions)

New Arrivals

You wake from what should have been a normal night of sleep bolting upright from what is very clearly the bed you went to sleep in that night, but in a strange place. A tower, high in the air, with huge open windows that clouds could lazily float through. Before you is a massive oaken double door, emblazoned with a carving of an eye, and a note on black lies atop your bedsheets. The note instructs you to go through the door and come to a place called the Torn Oak for more answers, and is signed by someone called "the Outsider." You climb out of bed, pull on the door handle, and step out into an ethereal, mysterious, ever-shifting world of dreams.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Welcome to the Dreamscape. A beautiful, endless dream where you and a bunch of other unique and interesting minds from across the multiverse have been gathered to connect, commiserate, and make the impossible... possible! There are many fantastical locales to explore and even more to come, and you are given your very own Nimbus Cloud to serve as your home. This puffy pink cloud will host a pocket dimension just for you where the only limit to what you can create is your own imagination. Missing personal items or locations from the waking world? No problem--- the only thing you have to do in order to earn feathers, the local currency, is make meaningful connections with others. In fact, making these meaningful connections seems to be the only task assigned to you by your mysterious host, the Outsider.

In order to make your way in this weird and whimsical world, you'll need to form lasting bonds with your fellow dreamers, learn more about the Outsider and their intentions, and stay on your toes. There is something very strange happening here, and despite their jolly demeanor, they are clearly struggling to maintain control of their own domain--- something that could land all of you in danger.

DATE

4/5/2023

THEME

Weather-themed music and springtime!

QUICK NAV

Locations

Feather Info

The Outsider

Constellations

When you join the Dreamscape, you will receive a magical Constellation pendant, allowing you to connect to the DreamNet! The star-shaped pendant, which varies depending on your personal style, lights up and projects a hologram screen that will allow you to send messages, videos, and voice calls. A handy way to stay connected with fellow dreamers on the go that is intuitive enough for anyone to understand, whether you come from a world where email has been invented or not!

Mr. Blue Sky

{Electric Light Orchestra} ♫♪♩♬

Do you have a television in your Nimbus Cloud? Or perhaps you just have the screen of light that can be displayed from your Constellation charm. Whatever the case may be, it flicks on, and the Outsider is in a suit. No, not their usual ornate body suit, but a poorly-tailored black and white business suit, completed with a cloud-print tie. They are standing in front of a map of the Dreamscape, holding a pointing stick. They look ridiculous, even a bit disheveled. As they begin to speak, both their tone and their smile appear to be more forced than usual.

“Good afternoon, Dreamscape residents! It’s spring time here, which means we are officially clear of snowstorm territory and on to warm breezes, lovely flowers, and fresh leaves on all the trees. And of course it wouldn’t be spring without a little unpredictable weather!”

Cloud formations ranging from green to yellow to red began forming on their map, moving slowly across it from left to right.

“As you can see, we have some rather unique weather conditions rolling in! They’ll be rotating through all the locations in the Dreamscape, and changing every few hours, so I recommend that all of you stay up to date. I’ve provided resources on your Constellations and on any electronic devices in the Dreamscape to help you get the latest information on what weather will be impacting you, and what impact it will have on your location! Good luck out there, and whatever the weather, it’s better together!”

The Outsider’s rather cheesy presentation of the newest Dreamscape event, while amusing, seems out of character with their normally heartfelt or enthusiastic monologues. But before you have time to really dwell on that, the sky above you begins to shift and change. The spring time weather conditions are quickly arriving, affecting every location in the Dreamscape, and each type of weather has a magical effect of some kind that is influenced by the location itself and the people in it. You can choose whether to look up these effects and stay prepared or fly blind and hope for the best, but these weather conditions will be affecting every location except inside Nimbus Clouds!

Here Comes the Sun

{The Beatles} ♫♪♩♬

Everyone loves a sunny day, especially during a rainy season like early spring! If you’re in a place with sunshine, you’re in luck.

Clouds part above you, warmth filling the air as the sun’s golden rays envelop you and the landscape around you in a honey glow. As sunlight touches the ground, flowers begin to bloom in droves on any surface it might be reasonable to find them, and fresh green leaves sprout from the branches of every tree present. The sweet scent of nectar and florals fills the air everywhere that this light graces the ground, but the effects are particularly potent in the botanical gardens. The warm and almost heavenly glow from the celestial body above seems to soften the whole world, as if everything is faded slightly like an old photograph.

Breathe in. Take that sweetness into your lungs. Feel the warmth on your skin. You can feel a strange, calm euphoria rise up from your core so strongly that you feel compelled to exhale it out. With the dreamy light of the sun, you are instilled with a nearly overpowering joy. What will you do with this unexpected moment of bliss? Who will you spend it with? Will you reminisce about your favorite times, discover who you are without your burdens, or just allow yourself to float through the merry fields of flowers and forget? And of course, all this begs another important question--- how will you cope when it ends?

Northern Downpour

{Panic! at the Disco} ♫♪♩♬

One of the milder ones on the roster, light rains are the most common weather conditions you will encounter. Ranging from fading drizzles with a bit of sun to gloomy but calm showers, these peaceful storms have a large spread, change intensity often, and last longer than the other weather conditions. Occasionally, these storms can impact a single location for days at a time rather than just a few hours. If waiting out the rain doesn’t suit your schedule, there’s a shop in the Twisted City having a half off sale on umbrellas (making them only one feather, instead of two), but finding the shop is another matter. As with most shops in the Twisted City, it has a habit of disappearing, and reappearing elsewhere… But it’ll turn up eventually. (Probably.)

Whether you’re out in the rain or sheltered inside, the effect of the light rain is the same. As the persistent, musical sound of water droplets striking every surface fills the air and thrums in your ears, you begin to feel profoundly nostalgic, and feelings that you’ve been hiding or ignoring bubble to the surface. While it is up to you if this is enough to compel you to speak on these feelings, you will find that they nag at you, affecting your mood and plaguing your idle thoughts. Perhaps this is the time to have a conversation you’ve been avoiding?

Thunderclouds

{LSD} ♫♪♩♬

Another particularly common weather event that you’ll come across is heavy thunderstorms scattered in amongst the light rain. Much like the former, less intense version, these storms can linger, though not as long, and feature darker skies, heavier showers reaching up to the point of torrential downpours and even flooding, and the distant rumbling of thunder and flashes of lightning. The electricity is usually far enough in the distance that the rain is safe to walk in if you have an umbrella or don’t mind getting wet. Maybe you’re even the sort who likes to play in the rain--- in which case you’re in luck, these puddles are HUGE. However, this is also a great opportunity to huddle up and stay inside where it’s cozy.

Unlike the light rain, however, the heavy thunderstorms don’t influence your emotions. Instead, they are influenced by yours. Those in calm, playful, or romantic moods might see the storms grow a little lighter, the skies a brighter shade of gray, while Dreamers dealing with sadness might find the rain around them to be colder and heavier, or perhaps the clouds above you are darker and crackling with more lightning if you’re angry or scared. If you’re looking to change the vibe, start by changing the mood. Whether the severity of the storm is affected by you or the person next to you, a conversation could be enough to change the weather, and the state of the skies could be an indicator that someone around you could use a friend.

Jump Into the Fog

{The Wombats} ♫♪♩♬

More common at night or early in the morning, there is a slightly rarer chance that you’ll run into a patch of thick fog as you wander the Dreamscape. Dense, soupy, and gray, this fog is so intense it makes it hard to see more than a few feet in front of you, and will chill you down to your bones. Where fog is present, the sounds of the world will be duller, and everything will be eerily still.

This fog is not as innocent as the rain, however, and this is a very severe weather condition. As the cold sets in, sinking through your skin and making you shiver, so does a pervasive sense of anxiety, and a fear of the unknown. Listen closely and you’ll hear strange, unsettling sounds or barely-audible murmurs in the distance. What’s out there? It sounds so close, and yet you can’t see it.

What lurks in the fog is drawn from your own fears, and if you stray too far into the dense clouds, you’ll be met with a source of deep fear or stress from your own mind. Whether that’s monsters, people, places---you’ll find yourself among things that distress you. However, if you find another Dreamer to walk with, you may be able to escape the clutches of the fog. All you have to do is maintain physical contact with your companion. Hold hands, link arms, stand shoulder to shoulder or back to back, whatever works best for you, and as you proceed you’ll find that the fog is confused by the pairing, resulting in a fusion of your fears with those of your companion. Perhaps they conflict with one another, form something altogether new, or even result in something comical. Either way, this will allow you to share your burden with a friend, creating a situation that is easier to handle for both of you. Face your fears together, and the fog will lift, revealing the way forward. Or, if confrontation isn’t in the cards, you can always find somewhere indoors to hunker down and comfort each other until the danger passes instead.

Eye of the Storm

{MARINA} ♫♪♩♬

There is one more weather condition that it’s possible to run into, though this one is far less common and far more severe than any of the others. You almost won’t notice it at first as clouds loom overhead, threatening you with rain but never committing to it, and a brisk breeze blows through. However, the once-gentle gusts will escalate quickly, evolving into high winds with nearly enough force to bowl someone over.

As your hair and clothes whip in the wind, debris from the area begins to swirl around near the ground, and a piece of paper, fluttering in the breeze, flies up and slaps you, sticking to your body with the force of the gales. You peel it away from you and can barely make out the words printed on its surface before the rough winds rip it out of your hands and send it tumbling off into the distance.

Catch me if you can.

The page disappears from view, and there is a moment of complete, terrifying stillness as the tempest gales that seemed fit to carry you off just moments ago just drop off into nothing.

The paper, you realize, is cursed, having chosen you as its target, and from your mind a crisis of some kind is selected from your fears or memories and inflicted upon the surrounding area. This can be a natural disaster, an attacking army or monster, a chaotic mishap, or any other manner of catastrophe big enough to afflict the area you’re in, and it can range from comical to terrifying, all while massive gusts of wind bluster through the area. There are only two ways to end the disastrous effects of the high winds--- either resolve the crisis by overcoming the problem itself, or find that piece of paper and destroy it while the effects of the crisis attempt to keep you away from it, and the winds will persist until one of these things happens. Good luck out there! Maybe if you have an Emergency Wish, that could help you out?

Rain on Me

{Lady Gaga} ♫♪♩♬

As rotating weather effects impact the Dreamscape, this may be a good time to explore previous locations and see how they’ve changed with the weather and seasons. Investigate original locations like the Glass Lake and Twisted City, take the ferry over to Marrow Isle and see how Pumpkin Hollow looks in the spring, or visit your friends’ additions from last month’s wishing contest. Peruse the Locations page if you need ideas on where to go!

With all this rain, we’re sure to see some build-up over the course of this month, which will undoubtedly influence what’s to come, so stay tuned!

Additional Info!

-The Feather Info pages have yet to be updated with this information, but going forward we will be adding a new feather gain category: Shared Joy! You can earn this feather by meaningfully deepening your bond with another person over a shared wonderful moment of bliss. This is a fairly flexible category, but carries some weight. The rule of thumb is that it will count for any joyful interaction that brings characters significantly closer. Cannot be applied retroactively.

- Don't forget that we have a birthday chart for both players and characters!

-Reminder that activity check for March going into April has been waived. Existing players did not need to do AC this past week. Barring incident, it should resume as normal next month.

-NEW PLAYERS! Feel free to request a Discord link!

And last but not least, we have the winners of the wishing contest from last month's members-only event. Votes for first place were given 3 points, second place for 2, and third place for 1, ensuring that each vote was weighted according to priority.

In Third Place was Little Inkopolis & the ColisSeaum. Pearl Houzuki is awarded a free jumbo umbrella big enough for two people to stand under!

In Second Place was Blood Moon Library. Lioriley and Astarion are awarded a pair of stylish raincoats and a two-person umbrella of their own, to share.

In First Place is Rainbow Road. Princess Peach Toadstool and Lucas Kovach are awarded their own bespoke raincoats and colorful umbrellas respectively, as well as a letter informing that they will have the privilege of assisting in the planning of next month's Steamboat Gala. Details on that to be announced at the end of April!

An honorable mention to CB Ranch and Ambrosia Lounge, which tied for fourth place and were not far behind! A huge huge HUGE thank you to everyone who participated in making last month's event fun and filled with player participation!

Comments

Northern Downpour

[pinandcove]

Milo was similarly drenched--- he's used to it, often walking in the rain to do his homesteading. Lake fishing's better in the rain anyway. He stopped nearby work boots, cargo shorts, and a plain, old t-shirt that was beginning to stick to his skin, tucking his hands into his oversized pockets.

"Hey man," he said casually. "Yeah! I love rain. It gets my shit all wet if I'm not careful but damn, it's beautiful."

He was also dealing with similar thoughts to Lucas. Since Valentine's day, and their island vacation, Milo had felt closer to Lucas than ever, having revealed some of both his darkest secrets and his deepest feelings in a short time. He had assumed Lucas was off the market, with not one, but two partners, both of which he loved dearly. But the more he thought about it, if Lucas was polyamorous... maybe there was room for one more? But that was dumb, his other partners weren't even here to confirm or deny, Lucas didn't appear to be looking for anything, and asking would just ruin things with his friend. But something about this rain... the desire for closure buzzed around in his skull with each beat of the storm's song.

He'd consider it.

[woocas]

Lucas's whole face lights up when he realizes it's Milo standing there, barely able to hear the man over the fluttering in his chest. The same feeling as before when they commiserate over drinks at Valentines. Only this time that giddy feeling is left to it's own devices instead of squashed down and buried.

Extending a hand, Lucas offers Milo a gentle, lopsided smile. "Wanna join me?"

Please say yes, the question begs. Whatever this sudden shift in thinking is, a quiet nudge of courage, he won't let it go so easily this time.

[pinandcove]

An extended hand. God, for a moment, he can barely breathe. He feels like a kid in school. He's always liked Lucas, right from the jump, but now that Milo had committed to at least trying to tell Lucas how he feels, everything feels so heightened... Maybe it's this weather.

He took the hand that was offered me. "Yeah, of course."

[woocas]

With a pounding heart Lucas wraps his hand around Milo's, appreciating every callous and how their fingers fit together. It's funny how you miss little gestures like this, not realizing it until the moment sneaks up on you again.

"You know any dance moves? I was thinking about busting out Dancin' in the Rain myself," He trails off with a laugh, squeezing Milo's hand. He briefly considers grasping the other, but decides not to cram his entire foot in his mouth right away. Saying what's on his mind is going to be tricky enough without being awkward.

"I was just thinking about you, you know? Funny how this place works like that."

[pinandcove]

"Little old me? What'd I do to deserve that?" Milo teased. His playful tone hides a flicker of hope.

[woocas]

"Well, besides being an awesome friend and someone I've grown close to over the last few months?" Lucas glances up quickly and back down just as fast, feeling heat rise in his cheeks. Silently he curses at himself. It's been awhile since he's bothered flirting without anyone outside of Lioriley and Astarion here, but is it really just rust?

"I was just...uh. Thinking." Yeap, this is going smoothly. Lucas huffs. "Jesus, if I beat around the bush anymore it might catch fire and start talking...anyways." His free hand starts waving around, "Thinking that we could. Um. You know...uh, we could be closer. And I'd like that."

He hazards another glance up, "A lot."

[pinandcove]

Oh holy shit.

"Y'know, it's funny," Milo said, marginally more suave despite feeling like he was about to explode. "I was just thinkin' about that. You've been awesome to me, man, I have so much fun with you, and you're cuter than hell--- I just, uh. Didn't know if you were maxed out on partners. Much less if the sentiment was reciprocated."

[woocas]

Nervous laughter twitters out of the Medium like popping a champagne cork. He gives Milo's hand a squeeze, face scrunching up to keep from grinning too much. It only helps a little. "You're not bad looking yourself, you know."

Weight feels lifted from him and he could dance on air right now, with a backdrop of magical rain music to accompany the whole show.

"I just thought that maybe you wanted time...like I didn't want to say anything at Valentines and I knew you were still trying to figure yourself out." Figures they both kept their mouths shut for different reasons. "Thing is, about my partners. They'd be giving me hell right now for moping around so long and staying by myself. I know it's a weird situation, though, so..."

He trails off, giddy, happy, and a teeny bit scared all at the same time.

[pinandcove]

"Not at all, I totally get it!" Milo assured him. "As long as they'd be cool with it, I'm cool too."

He paused a beat, looking down at him, wearing a tentative, hopeful smile. "So... now that the air's clear and all, could I... maybe interest you in a date? Rain walks are pretty romantic, if you do 'em right."

[woocas]

"They would be," Lucas says, confident with every fiber of his being. "If they ever wake up here I know they'd like you, too."

If...if. That's a thought for later, because it's a question he's asked himself time and time again since October. Nothing for it but to enjoy the present.

"A date, huh?" Coy, but very obviously interested, Lucas briefly bites his own lip to not immediately say yes. "I think I can handle that, but now I'm curious how you could fuck up a walk in the rain," He adds with a snicker of laughter.

[pinandcove]

"You would be surprised," Milo joked, feigning ominous intent. "But I won't commit any crimes today. The Glass Lake's finally thawed out all the way!"

[woocas]

"Oh shit, really? I guess spring really is on now!"

His grin curls to one side. "Who said we can't commit any crimes in the lake? Don't tell me you haven't gone skinny-dippin'."

[pinandcove]

"Dude, I'm a farmer from Ohio, of course I've been skinny dipping. What do you take me for?" He nudged Lucas. "You just are lookin' for an excuse to see my butt."

[woocas]

"Ohio, huh? Not too far away from the good ol' Appalachians, all things considered."

Lucas starts forward in the direction of the lake, tugging on Milo's hand, "I mean, do I really need an excuse~?"

[pinandcove]

"Nah, couple hours," he agreed, following along. "Damn, though, I guess I can't argue with that!"

He was a little surprised by how forward Lucas was now that everything was out in the open--- pleasantly so, but still! Then again, though, it did make sense. He did have two other partners. That doesn't happen by accident.

Once they reached the lake, Milo tossed his shirt off, dropping it at the base of the willow tree. "Y'know, normally you can walk on the surface of this thing. I dunno if I've ever tried swimming in it."

[woocas]

When the powers that be in Faerie commanded everyone to get down and funky with each other Lucas took that very seriously, but being that forward and open definitely helped. Communication is key, after all!

He resists the urge to skip alongside Milo, relieved to give these feelings a chance. He wastes no time in peeling his wet shirt off either, dog tags clinking against his ring and pendant. They come to rest at a scar that runs just left of the center of his chest.

"Yo, for real? I guess I should have checked sooner. I figured it was just because of winter." Casually he hooks his thumbs into the top band of his jeans, scooting them down just a touch, fingers wiggling at Milo. Testing the waters before taking a dip...so to speak. "You, uh...want any help with those pants?"

[pinandcove]

Oh-ho, he wants to play, does he?

"Only if you'll let me return the favor," Milo teased, turning to face him squarely. He'd never done this with a man before--- the bisexuality was a relatively new discovery, one he hadn't had the chance to fully explore yet, especially in physical matters. But never let it be said that Milo Fields was anything but eager to learn.

cw: NSFW from here on out!

[woocas]

Oh Milo, you are in so much trouble. Lucas knows exactly what he's doing, not only thanks to Max and Rowan but his one-night stands back home, too. Let him teach you the ways~

"Of course I will," Lucas drawls, dropping his tone down a few notches as he saunters over a few steps. With the distance between them all but closed Lucas traces a light line down Milo's chest with a fingertip. He peeks up at the man with an eager, plotting kind of grin. "Provided you can still think when I'm done with you."

For a moment that smile vanishes, his tone serious. "Anytime anything is too much or you need to slow down you let me know. I'll check in with you, too."

Since Milo's just dipping his toe into the wonderful land of bisexuality, Lucas is going to do his best to be on good behavior. With that in mind he slowly sinks down on his knees, catching the top hem of the other's pants and whatever underwear he happens to have one. His grin return in full force, peering up at Milo, tongue swiping out to wet his lips. "Ready~?"

[pinandcove]

He's good at playing it cool on the outside, but internally, Milo will admit to... a little bit of nerves. He's never handled any dicks other than his own and didn't want to fuck it up, and though he was quite progressively-minded, there was still a little part of his brain trying to convince him that this was weird. But Lucas was irresistibly cute, and him going down on his knees was exciting enough to push his worries aside. Now that's familiar territory.

He sighed softly, running his calloused fingers through Lucas' wet blonde hair as the other man's fingers slipped under the thick waistband of his gray boxer briefs, which where gradually becoming more restrictive as this went on. He grinned back, Lucas' smile always so contagious to him. "All yours, baby."

[woocas]

Ah yes, there we go. The tented reaction that Lucas is hoping for. This close to Milo's little head and he can't miss that in the slightest. Hopefully it helps with the nerves, too, but Lucas finds he's giddy to show Milo the ropes. No wonder why Max enjoyed doing this to him back in Fairie!

"Christmas came early~" Lucas practically sings as he gives a good yank, freeing Milo in one swift motion. He takes a moment to openly admire the goods, gently running his fingers along the shaft. "Oh yeah, I've been a very good boy. Thanks Santa!"

With a laugh he wastes no time at all planting a kiss to the tip, gently swallowing the whole head a moment later. he's hold Milo there, licking and stroking the man with his hand to see what kind of reactions he gets~

[pinandcove]

At the singing, Milo barks a laugh. It is, undoubtedly, the corniest and goofiest dirty talk he has ever heard, but that doesn't slow Milo's roll at all. It just reminds him what he found so charming about Lucas in the first place. That, and he's pretty good with his hands, even just teasing. "You're definitely earning your place on my nice list, that's for sure," he attempted. Smooth.

With a sigh, Milo relaxed as Lucas got to work on him. His eyes fell nearly closed, both from looking down at Lucas and from the sort of warm and languid lust that came from a slow, easy build-up. Milo wasn't enormous down there, but he wasn't small either, and the attention from Lucas' hand along side his mouth made a big difference. It was remarkably easy, to the point that it'd surprise him later, how easy it was for his nerves and misgivings about sex with another man to melt away and be replaced by thoughts of fucking the beautiful man before him on every surface in his camper.

Milo let out a heated breath, continuing to stroke Lucas' hair, resisting the urge to buck his hips in favor of letting Lucas work his magic unimpeded for now. He wasn't terribly vocal, but the precum on Lucas' tongue should make his appreciation perfectly clear.

[woocas]

That's the spirit, Milo! Being able to laugh and crack dumb jokes in the middle of sex is something that Lucas truly appreciates now. Amazing what having a stable relationship does for one's tastes. That and Milo's size is perfect for getting a full mouthful of him. Lucas pulls back just enough to press his lips together, swallowing in preparation and enjoying the gentle touch of Milo's hands on him. The man is the very picture of bliss right now.

Etching that into his memory banks, Lucas takes hold of Milo's hips with both hands, his lips slip back over the man's erection and down. All the way down until he's swallowed Milo down to his hilt.

It's been a hot minute since he's last given a blow job so there Lucas pauses, his throat pulsing around Milo to adjust. He pulls back slightly and settles into a gentle bobbing motion, fingertips pressing greedily into Milo's skin and waiting eagerly for the man's reaction~