oh dear

[oneandmikleonly]

Who: Sorey and Mikleo
Where: IT'S COMPLICATED (above Aimintas)
When: Day 21 (7/29; day after the Palai Festival)
Open/Closed: Open to all!


i. gadgets and gizmos aplenty
What was that thing, anyway? Ugh, that stung--

[the afternoon after the Palai festival, an open telepathic broadcast flickers across your awareness from Sorey and Mikleo, the two of them speaking in low, rather cautious tones]

Hey, everyone. We've made it up to the island that's above the city, and it's...strange, to say the least. There's a lot of items here on the shore...it's a bit like the market? Lots of them are broken, though. There's no one else up here, at least in the bit we can see.

We think there's jungle on the rest of the island, but it's hard to tell. There's some kind of barrier up here that lures you closer and then shocks you if you touch it; it's making it hard to get a better idea of what's inland. Has anyone dealt with one of these before?

ii. they're beauty they're grace
[and, later, even if you ignored that, it's maybe harder to ignore when the sky ocean just straight-up spits out a small dragon with a human rider. the dragon's claws are fastened in something almost as large as it is and it's clear the moment it hits the open air that trying to carry that thing down was the worst idea.

even from that distance you might be able to make out the thin thread of panicked screeching as they gracefully descend (READ: DO A HORRIBLY DANGEROUS CONTROLLED DROP THROUGH THE SKY) towards the city. they do manage to aim for the open farmland instead of the more populated area within the city walls.

...if you head over there to check it out you'll find both dragon and rider prostrate with exhaustion in the middle of a group of curious Palai. there is still a small shark with its teeth firmly embedded in the dragon's tail; it looks like they had a rough ride through the ocean. the thing they were trying to bring down? it's gotten a bit smashed up from the fall, but it's still recognizable as a small wooden rowboat. the oars are still intact, at least.]

Comments

i, voice

[rebells]

You made it to the island?

[A pause.]

I've seen similar barriers before, but--I don't suppose you saw any kind of mechanism that might have been maintaining it?

[imsorey]

We made it, but we can't explore too much with the barrier up.

[there's silence as he checks around for a mechanism]

If there is a mechanism for it, it isn't one that we can see without getting drawn in by the barrier. Any chance you know how to turn one of these off without getting zapped?

[rebells]

[There's a sigh.]

No, we got around the ones we encountered by switching them off. Does it seem either magical or technological to you?

[imsorey]

Magical. I can't say that with complete certainty, but it doesn't seem like any of the technology I've encountered so far.

[humming as he mulls over]

I was hoping we could get around the barrier with just the two of us. Maybe that's over-ambitious...do you know if overcharging a barrier like this one might make it shut off?

[rebells]

I don't, sorry. The barriers I'm thinking of were definitely technological. I suppose you could try attacking it . . . or maybe another barrier would neutralize it?

[imsorey]

We'll just get zapped if we attack it. Still, it's worth a try if we don't have any other options. I can't think of any way to put up another barrier around it, and it wouldn't get rid of the problem of us not being able to check the place out.

[rebells]

Even using ranged attacks? Or can you not even get that close?

[oneandmikleonly]

Somehow or another. I don't recommend coming up here alone.

And...So far, no. I suppose it could be buried in the items here somewhere, but...we'll keep looking.

[rebells]

I'm not sure my swimming abilities are up to par, anyway.

Hmm . . . in that case, I don't know. What I'm thinking of may not be all that similar.

[oneandmikleonly]

Can you at least tell us what the triggers for the barriers you encountered looked like? It'll give us some kind of possible reference point, at least. There's too many different kinds of items here . . .

[rebells]

They were consoles covered in a strange language . . . technological. Controls for something. Manipulating them in a specific fashion released the barrier.

[oneandmikleonly]

[there's a thoughtful silence, as he looks upon the pile of junk on the island shoreline

a lot of it has buttons and rudimentary joysticks and similar]

...This is going to take a while. I suppose if we can't find a way in I could try to take you up here later, though, if you wanted.

[rebells]

I'm not sure how much help I'd be, but I'd like to see it for myself, if you're willing.

ii

[splinten]

[Dirk just fucking watches this happen, and then flies over. And looks down on this.

Wow.]

Nice job, guys.

[oneandmikleonly]

[the dragon growls in his direction, in a feeble not-really-threatening way. it's like. splat.]

This is so embarrassing.

[splinten]

[There's a pause.]

You should maybe work on your growl.

[It just makes things MORE embarrassing.]

[oneandmikleonly]

Why is that what you're getting out of this?!

[feebly exasperated]

[splinten]

I'm a stickler for details.

[He walks over and. Gently?? Pats the dragon head??? look he doesn't know]

You okay, bro?

[oneandmikleonly]

[lets out a mild chuff of surprise, but allows it, a translucent inner lid closing over his visible eye for a moment]

I'm not sure? I ache all over, but I think nothing's broken and I took most of the fall. What a trip. If we go up there again you and your sylladex had better come along, it's bringing things back that turned out to be the problem.

[the shark is also still attached to his butt by its teeth, but he doesn't seem to have noticed yet]

[splinten]

[Oh hey that's cool. Nice eyelid.]

The shark likely isn't helping.

[You know. Being there. Biting his butt.]

[imsorey]

[Sorey makes some kind of attempt to get up and then decides that the ground is his friend and just keeps laying there. Dirk gets a smile though.]

I thought we did pretty good, all things considered.

[splinten]

That depends on what things I'm supposed to be considering here.

[Sorey... he walks over to him to help him up? If he wants?

He can't do that for Meebo the Friendly Dragon.]

[imsorey]

Getting up to the island and back down from the island in one piece?

[it takes him a good few seconds before he musters up enough energy to grab Dirk's hand, and Dirk's got to put some muscle into it to actually. help him up. his legs are too wobbly to be much use.]

[splinten]

[This is what all his swordtraining added up to: helping this nerd to his feet. He will even brace him when he gets up.]

"Once piece" has yet to be confirmed.

[imsorey]

[he tests his sturdiness on his feet before taking a step back to inspect himself and make sure that everything is, in fact, in one piece]

I'd say it's accurate enough. It would hurt a little bit more of we were missing pieces.