Hijinks Mingle

[potentite]

Who: Everyone!
Where: Anywhere around the hub!
When: Days 103-105
Open/Closed: Open mingle!
Notes: See this post for details on the moon prompt and this one for the telepathy/dream/spirit prompts!



[A | Flower Gleam and Glow]
[The nearby moon is still passing close to the hub island, meaning the effects are still in play. Perhaps now is the time to stop and smell the large lit up sparkling moonflowers that have bloomed? Or be annoyed by the mosquito-like insects that came with them.

Alternatively, the deer seem to draw some sort of energy from the moon's light. Given their size, at least their sudden aggression and proximity to the base camp isn't the worst thing in the world but a kick would still break a rib or other bone so be careful! Possibly help each other deal with these cute but troublesome fauna.]



[B | Eavesdropping]
[For some reason, the telepathy will suddenly get rather wonky. Characters won't know why it's happening, though of course no doubt there will be ponderings, but it means characters won't be in control of their ability to broadcast — or more specifically, not broadcast — their thoughts. Time to find out secrets of an embarrassing nature. Or maybe something sadder is going on in your character's head.

If this wasn't bad enough, the area around the signet might experience burning or tingling. Just try to keep a lid on your brain for the day and distract yourself from any annoying pain.]



[C | Talking In Your Sleep]
[Or maybe your character just doesn't have the most interesting thoughts. Maybe they're busy thinking about pie instead of their upsetting childhood. That's fair. Pie is great.

But surely sometimes it haunts their dreams. With the telepathy running amuck, it's no wonder dreams and nightmares are leaking through, too. Of course, it doesn't have to be an accident. Feel free to grab a friend and share a fanciful dreamscape together on purpose! But for those nuts that are tougher to crack, accidents can and will happen.]



[D | Who You Gonna Call]
[Last but not least, as Friday rolls around, there seems to be something odd going on with the island. If your character is inclined towards the spiritual or supernatural, they'll no doubt notice the strange heavy thickness hanging around. There are whispers in the air and all of new energy just feels solemn. Might be good to give people a heads up and keep an eye on it.]

Comments

[imsorey]

[he was, in fact, standing in the open hole-in-the-wall doorway and gets a not so gentle shove out; Geir's speed was unexpected and he goes tumbling as the room crashes into a burning heap behind them. the library looks much as it was before, except the fire has grown in here and has a higher chance of spreading thanks to the fire seeping out from behind them.

after a pause and some groaning, shadowy Sorey rolls to his feet and tries to dust his clothes off]

Sorry it took so long. It's a big library.

[rootandbranch]

It's fine! No luck?

[he shifts to let Sorey up and lifts his head attentively to see if he can still hear that roaring.]

[imsorey]

[the roaring is still going strong! it's harder to hear over the crackle of the fire, but it's there.

Sorey shakes his head and looks a little more solid despite the forlorn look on his face]

It's not in here. I'll have to do some more looking outside after all.

[rootandbranch]

You'll find it! At least, there's a chance you will, now.

[Geir's words are encouraging. at least you're not stuck now, you weird roof-raiser! he lifts his head and sniffs the air; can he smell anything besides smoke, or hear where the roaring is coming from?]

What's that sound? There's someone else here...

[someone else, he says; well. Geir's a monster too, after all.]

[imsorey]

[in general, the building smells a lot like a burning building--the scent of wood and paper is the main thing.

the sound is coming from the northwest side of the building; that section also has the added bonus of smelling like it's full of something rotting. from this far away, the only thing that can really be made out is the roaring and not much else.

Sorey turns towards the northwest side but doesn't move, like he's rooted to the spot.]

Yeah, there's someone else here. That's not my part of the library though...

[rootandbranch]

Come on, help me! I helped you out, didn't I?!

[that's ignoring the part where Geir threatened to bite him in order to startle and/or threaten him into accepting the help, but DETAILS. he's going to try his best to tug Sorey northwest, though, if that's possible.]

[imsorey]

O-okay, okay, let me--

[it takes a SIGNIFICANT BIT OF NUDGING; his feet seem to protest moving into that portion of the library, but after an awkward moment he grabs onto Geir's leg and lifts his feet OFF of the floor and giving Geir all of his weight. this seems to do the trick. he doesn't feel like much more than smoke, though--he's completely see-through if they move over to that section, and his voice his faint.]

This works, right?

[rootandbranch]

Yeah... um. You're all smokey now? This is really weird.

[if Sorey seems okay with that, he's willing to go with it, though. he lifts his head and looks and listens for any further clues about what to do next.]

Have you been here before? Where are they...?

[imsorey]

I'm not sure. I don't usually...I've never seen this area before.

[he's distracted and agitated by things being a mess in this half of the library, smokey distress radiating off of him in little waves as they reach the northwest. This part of the library is ROTTED and waterlogged, soggy pages still swimming across the floor, the ground treacherously slick underfoot, almost spongy. somehow the silver fire isn't affected, because it's blazing here as bright as anywhere else. the roaring seems a little clearer in this area, a little closer by, accompanied by heavy thumps, like a large animal thrashing.

while Sorey isn't much help, Geir can trace the noise most clearly to a particular section of wall here; there's the faintest inset of lines denoting a concealed panel about the size of one of his claws.]

[rootandbranch]

Cheer up! There's a way out of here, you know. I almost flew out of it earlier, but... at least, we can get away if we really have to.

[Geir eyes the panel, but he remembers how the strange bookcase worked when he went to see the shadow-Sorey, and he tries pressing it.]

[oneandmikleonly]

[the panel slides out of the way to reveal a small inset alcove. there's a glyph there, blue lines outlining a glowing, staring eye]

[rootandbranch]

[...he glances at his companion...]

What in the world is this supposed to be?

[it's creeping him out a little bit.]

[oneandmikleonly]

[shadow sorey appears to have MOSTLY LOST HIS VOICE, but he points at his own eye, then points at the glyph]

...puzzle...

[rootandbranch]

Why is there a puzzle here...?

[with no background of RPG dungeons or burial mounds needing puzzle skills to enter, Geir is extremely baffled about why anyone would put a puzzle in a library, or how indeed a puzzle is supposed to be solved here. he leans up to the eye glyph, staring it down. IS THAT WHAT SOREY MEANS...?]

A puzzle of what?

[oneandmikleonly]

[the glyph seems to blink, before Sorey can muster up the strength to answer; the 'eye' symbol goes out, and a network of blue lines light up instead, delineating a large square section of the wall.

it slides aside, revealing a dark, damp tunnel (somehow, Geir can fit.) you can hear the bellowing much more clearly, and a thin, reedy noise in the pauses between, something that may bring back memories of Geir's little sister. crying...?]

[rootandbranch]

[...Geir glances back at the shadow Sorey, making sure he can keep up. if he can't, Geir can always carry him.]

C'mon, let's go see...

[he can't help but be somewhat intrigued by the crying, and ducking his head carefully, he progresses into the tunnel.]

[oneandmikleonly]

[you may actually need to carry him; the air here is laced with something dark and unpleasant that saps your energy as well as his. malevolence...

the silver fire doesn't reach back here.]

[rootandbranch]

[Geir supposes that might be good? at least everything doesn't seem to be burning down around him... he's perfectly willing to carry Sorey. the fact that the darkness feels so offputting in here (why?) is strange, but not enough to deter him from heading down the tunnel at a brisk clip.]

[oneandmikleonly]

(you're behind the walls and it's crushing you, darkness like a weight)

the sounds grow louder. you see something white, glowing, in the distance. you start having to pull yourself through the tunnel; it's not narrowing enough to get completely stuck in, but close.]

[rootandbranch]

[Geir was fine with the tunnel and the feeling of being underground up till now, but he doesn't like it that the tunnel is narrow enough to restrict his wings. he growls and shoves forward, clawing at the sides a bit to see if that makes it wider -- there's no way he's going to try to back up in this horrible space.]

[oneandmikleonly]

[he can claw a little of the tunnel wall out; under the thin surface layer of rock is hard ice.]

[rootandbranch]

[...????

well, he's committed to this now: does his best to press on through the rest of the tunnel by brute strength. he'll chip at the ice a little if it's possible, but he's more invested in getting through at this point.]

[oneandmikleonly]

[the ice is more resistant than the rock is. weird.

he wriggles through into a broader cavern, eventually.

there is another dragon here. you've seen Mikleo in the small dragon form Qri granted him, and you can see echoes of it in the dragon's blue-and-white coloration, the shape of its head and horns, the conformation of its body. but this one's Geir's size or larger, much more heavily armored, and it paints the landscape around it with a dark, visible aura of malice and malevolence, a physical thing, nauseating even to look at. there is no intelligence in its eyes.

it fills the space in front of you, hemmed in on all sides. there's a clink of chains at it shifts to regard you, a glint of some sort of restraints on its neck and forelegs, binding its wings. it snarls.

the wailing is coming from somewhere behind it.]

[rootandbranch]

[...Geir pokes his shadowy friend with his nose, half-protecting him behind his own wing...]

So what's going on with that guy?

[imsorey]

[despite Geir's attempts to shield him, Sorey tries to push out past the protection of his wing towards the dragon. wispy and weak as he is, though, his attempts are completely ineffective; keeping a form and a voice are taking up all of his energy. rather than use any more of his energy on a futile gesture, he stops and just looks utterly distraught.]

...malevolence.

[that's all he manages to offer as an explanation.]