You are an extremely difficult person to get along with (95%).
Of all my muses, I’m not surprised that Thorn would score the highest. He is the living remnants of a murdered witch after all. He is her anger, her hatred, and her disdain for this cruel and uncaring world. Likewise, Thorn carries on her wishes to see it all be destroyed in the worst way possible. You will find it difficult if not outright impossible to make genuine friends with him.
There’s always Fester if you’re adamant about getting close to him...
𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧❜𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭...but the one thing I would like to do with Thorn is run through a proper ‘relationship’ with him. The hope, the inevitable despair, the way that each time he eats a part of your mind, no matter how much time has passed, one will never quite return to being as they were before. The quiet descent into madness that one doesn’t truly realize until it’s a bit too late. The decision between despair or a sense of power and hope, if just for a moment.
Of course, because it’s such an altering relationship to be in, I don’t expect anyone would willingly offer their muse to it, but it’s something I’d like to write eventually regardless.
𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. ❝ Hmm...Thorn told me to do SOMETHING before he left...and he’s not back yet...so I couldn’t have been out for long, but what was I supposed to do? ❞ he wracked his brain for answers, but couldn’t seem to come to any conclusion. Chores? Errands? Some other task? Impossibly, it had completely slipped his mind, &&. impossibly so, for he knew the consequences of letting Thorn down very well.
❝ Crap, crap...crap crap crap crap crap-! I’m gonna be in trouble at this rate! I know! I’ll run away! No, that won’t work! Where would I even go?? Aaaah... ❞
𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬. A perpetual night, an eternal dark sanctuary with only the phasing moon to tell of the passage of night &&. day in the outside world. It was peaceful, quiet, calm, serene...one could accidentally sleep the rest of eternity away here if they were not careful.
The blankets shifted, tossed away by small paws as a portly figure sat up. He yawned, voice warbling as it bounced betwixt chubby cheeks as he shook his head &&. the drowsiness away. ❝ Oh...god- ❞
❝ What...time is it? What...day is it?? What year is it??? What’s even going on???? ❞
" APRIL TENTH, TWENTY FIFTY-NINE, FOUR-TEN ANTE MERIDIAN. THE DAY YOU COME TO TERMS WITH YOUR FAILURE. "
𝐀 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 &&. 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧. A face was revealed then, not of hours &&. minutes, but of the stars, of the motions of the universe, of the phase of the moon &&. the whims of the cosmos. ❝ ...such as fate has decided...at such a late hour, so then should arrive the final realization upon all else that should precede it. ❞ So spoke he, ever casually to the serpent, gargantuan &&. above time &&. the concept of success &&. failure itself.
❝ Then I shall look forward to the day. It shall be then that the cloth over my eyes would be removed, and I shall begin again. Until then... ❞ ( @primordialfell )
( OOC. ) I will say ( because posts are free &&. easy to make ) if anyone has a desire for their muse to obtain a Branch, I would be happy to set something up.
( OOC. ) I will say ( because posts are free &&. easy to make ) if anyone has a desire for their muse to obtain a Branch, I would be happy to set something up.
𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. Without the readily available sources of food the jungle provided, those at the end of their candles who were much more accustomed to such diets turned to the next closest thing.
Pokemon let out at night to roam were coming home with less &&. less frequency.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 ❝ 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 ❞ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧. The vast majority of all things that could be said to ‘upset’ him can be summed up as simple inconveniences. Late dinner, a lack of food, pain, torture, among other things are temporary, as are their consequences. Being the abandoned familiar of a witch, not even the thought of death ‘frightens’ him, although he does possess the instinct to survive.
There is one thing that will get him to balk. One thing that calls for exceptions, avoidance, &&. invokes a particular kind of disgust &&. abhorrence different than that which he holds towards every faerie &&. every egotistical fighting type out there. That one thing is...
𝐁𝐮𝐠𝐬.
Do not be mistaken. Bugs are killed &&. maimed just like any other creature that would call for such a reaction, just not eaten. Being civil, he does not shriek or react strongly to them, not in the openly contemptuous manner by which he responds to the fae or the psychic inclined, nor does he flail about or flee as those plagued with the common phobia might, but he does react.
A falter in his step, a subtle curl in the fringes of his shadows to avoid touching the hell spawn before he wishes to. He would gladly strike one against the wall with his bare hand if need be but he needs to be in control of their interaction, &&. that interaction is always prey &&. hunter ( with a newspaper, with his cane, tearing them apart by their shadow alone, but always one that ends in their swift death. )
An analysis of his usual diet also reflects this disgust. Shellfish are occasionally present at dinner but he never eats them himself. He is not a picky eater in terms of taste but if something were to have shrimp, for example, even shelled, prepared &&. mutilated away from its usual shape, he will decline. He would much rather eat his own arm ( or so he insists upon when properly lucid &&. not caught in the throes of his own hunger. )
More concerned with appearances, if one were to attempt to taunt him with this, he would go so far as to bite the head clean off of a Heracross if only to rob them of the satisfaction of having any power over him.
〚 Atop one of Hau’oli City’s tallest buildings, two Branches are loitering away from the prying eyes of the world. One of them hops up to the top of the railing intended for beings much larger than itself. Little claws and teeth scrabble for purchase before it finally pulls itself up enough. 〛
❝ The stars were so pretty last night. I hate the city. You can hardly see anything here. ❞
❝ You complain too much, Moss. ❞
❝ And you don’t think enough, Leaf. ❞ Moss shot back, hopping down from the railing. ❝ We spend so much time watching the moon we never look around it. It’s beautiful when you can see everything. I hope this all blows over soon. I don’t want to spend any longer than I have to around all these lights. ❞
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 ❝ 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 ❞ ? ( an informational post )
Short Answer: The Branches are small, shadow like beings averaging around less than one foot to half a foot in height. They are used by and created by Thorn to use as means of surveillance in order to track down individuals whom possess suitable qualities for feeding upon. They are autonomous and can develop individual personalities over time. Thorn cannot obtain information known by the Branches unless they are re-assimilated or he is told said information by one of the Branches.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 ?
Branches are formed out of Thorn’s own matter. Aside from a negligible reduction in overall size, there is no negative side effects to Thorn when creating a new Branch. They can be manifested quickly, and more than one at a time.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 ?
Appearance: Branches appear as silhouettes, although they occupy a three dimensional space when properly manifested. They can also take the form of a flat shadow, taking on vague shapes in this form as they travel, or disguising themselves as the shadows of other objects if not simply hiding within them. They possess the characteristic trio of plumes ( one upon the head, two protruding from the shoulder area ) of a standard Darkrai, but possess a less shapely body, instead appearing as if they were donning cloaks rather than a Darkrai’s dress like appearance. They also possess a single eye, either on the right or left side of their face, and always white in coloration.
Power: Branches are not very durable. Where they lack in defense, they make up for with attack power and speed. Their main tactic is to take out the enemy and overwhelm them before the enemy can strike back. They can unravel themselves and weaponize their bodies, turning into long lashes of thorny vines which they strike enemies with. They also have access to a standard move set.
Temperament: Branches tend to behave similar to Thorn himself, being pieces of his consciousness. When a Branch exists for long enough, it may begin to develop a distinct personality, as well as opinions and objectives that may differ from Thorn’s. They may develop a strong sense of self, and will be distinct from the newer, unawakened, and drone like masses. When they are re-assimilated, any developed personality is lost and will not influence Thorn nor any future Branch. Being pieces of Thorn, each Branch knows this and accepts it by default. They also do not fear death, as they have the mentality that they will survive so long as Thorn himself remains living. They may possess reservations about being destroyed should they know information that may be vital to the collective.
When hungry, they can be violent and animalistic. They will devour just about anything, splitting themselves in twain to reveal a maw of teeth should they encounter something too large to eat naturally, or are feeling particularly ravenous.
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 ?
The Branches exist anywhere Thorn has been, and anywhere minds still dream. They reside in unpopulated areas, hiding in the shadows of the wilderness. They settle in populated areas, sheltering under mailboxes and benches, or roaming with the moving shadows of buildings and street lamps. They hide inside homes, resting beneath desks or under dressers, under beds or within walls. Being primarily observers, they are mostly non-intrusive entities, and may come and go without ever being noticed.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 ?
As of writing this post, there are currently three unique Branches.
- Podus and Vic, belonging to rallytheskulls’ PW
- Rose belonging to intelligentskull’s Cerise
Any sustained interaction with a Branch can ( if so desired ) result in a persistent muse for said Branch.
𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Branches can be trapped much like small Pokemon can, in terms of things like boxes, bags, or pots. So long as they are placed within a sealed and dark area, they cannot escape.
They can be restrained using objects that possess fae influence or powers, and by those with fae influence or powers, otherwise their malleable bodies make it difficult to do so.
Remaining in direct sunlight for too long withers away their form. Remaining in bright artificial light on the other hand simply weakens them.
Branches will shrink overtime until they disappear entirely without a source of food. Conversely, they can regain mass and even grow beyond the average 1ft height with a steady supply of food. Branches near the disappearance point may consume others in a similar state to combine their mass and buy themselves more time should other options not be available ( the resulting Branch will possess the personality of the one who did the ‘eating’ rather than having one that was a mixture of both )
When not attacking, Branches feel like lint. They are also slightly cooler than room temperature, and are not very heavy.
During stressful periods ( such as when the collective is threatened ) Branches will induce nightmares. This can also be done at will at any other time.
Branches can condense their forms to become smaller ( but never larger ) than their natural size. This, along with their ability to turn into flat shadows, means they can hide in small spaces and even be carried discreetly upon one’s person ( ex: Podus hiding in PW’s hat without altering its shape )
lines taken from various characters and events found in punchline’s game , rule of rose ( 2006 ) . feel free to change pronouns ( he , she , they , i , etc ) & tenses as you feel necessary .
“ it wasn’t me , honest ! ”
“ i’ll never let myself be tied up again ”
“ only you greeted me warmly ”
“ i’ll never break a promise again ”
“ what has happened can never be undone ”
“ you don’t deserve to be forgotten ”
“ i never want to lose you again ”
“ you’re filthy ! ”
“ she follows me everywhere ; it’s pathetic ”
“ you deserve to be gobbled up ”
“ get lost before i smack you ”
“ it was your fault that i got into trouble ! ”
“ let’s have a little talk ”
“ i’ll never get along with her ”
“ i know what you’re doing ”
“ she was writing you a love letter ”
“ have you found what you’re looking for ? ”
“ please lead us ”
“ i won’t lose to you ”
“ i didn’t want to do that , i was just so scared ”
“ we’re still friends , aren’t we ? ”
“ we make a great team ”
“ we have to pray from a distance ”
“ you don’t suspect me of stealing it , do you ? ”
“ i’m fine , really ; i’m not upset at all ”
“ it’s too late now ”
“ we need you , we don’t know what to do ! ”
“ oh , why can’t they all just go to hell ? ”
“ you will be duly punished ”
“ how very delightful life is ”
“ i don’t want to touch him ”
“ why does it have to be you ? ”
“ i’ll do anything for you ”
“ let’s run away together ”
“ this is your life , but you’ll play by my rules ”
“ there are really only two kinds of people in the world : those who take orders , and those who give them ”
〚 Against all better judgement, the branches of Melemele Island had begun moving away from their secluded posts all around the island. They began to congregate in more populated areas, such as Hau’oli City and Iki Town, risking greater opportunity of being spotted in favor of maintaining their numbers to be spotted at all. The tactic was simple: stay together and in the event something were to happen, hope one of them makes it out alive with more information as to what or who exactly was hunting them down.
To the unfortunate souls who had their homes occupied by a few of these branches, it would seem as if the residence had been plagued by rattata. Holes and tears made into packages of food, and pantries ransacked. The logical conclusion was an ordinary pest problem, because the occasional nightmare was normal. 〛
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