Character Castle 2.5
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@this-is-not-an-alien, @kimlikesart, @ragnarok, @sarafini
BURN
I twist my wrist free from Oscar. “Don’t touch me!”
Calm down. You’re overreacting. Just … breath.
Oscar very carefully puts his arms on my shoulders like I didn’t just tell him not to touch me. “It’s okay. You’re safe here.”
Grimme looks at my arm with brisk efficiency. I can feel her grow stiff. “Oscar, this looks just like…”
“I’m well aware.” He cuts through. Anyone who didn’t know them would think they were about to fight. But I’ve been around long enough to know that unique tone means they are actually about to get along.
Orb help whoever angered them!
SEARCH
Soooo. Grimme isn’t snapping back at Oscar. Instead they are doing that weird telepathic married-couple thing.
I wonder what it’s like. To know someone that deeply. That years later, when you – apparently – hate each other, you still know exactly what is on the other’s mind. Will I ever know someone that well?
Aaaaanyway. This isn’t getting me further away from the impending doom. Time to make sure everyone I remember is here. And see who else might have dropped in.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Search, can I speak with you for a moment?”
Mrs? “Yes?”
Alessio has already butted in, going to a poor little girl with a half-mask on. “Hi?” he whispers so gently.
Grimme? Are you sure this is what Burn used to be like?
“…may I hug you?”
Uh. Don’t. You’re on fire. You need to control your talent.
The girl just .. nods. She doesn’t return the hug, but lets it happen.
“And who might you be?”
Ah. The irritating man. At least he is away from Burn. I’m not sure anyone is ready to deal with that.
“Are you a non-human? Like my family?” Um. The boy with the reptile hand.
Wait. Wait. Hold up. What do you mean non-human? You are obviously human…
I grind my teeth. Kid was raised around a bunch of purists wasn’t he?
“Look. If you are able to make decisions – exercise free will – you are human. And any … jerk” Don’t teach him new words. “who tells you otherwise is wrong. Okay? Introduce them to me and Burn. We’ll take care of that.”
I turn to … the one who looks vaguely reminiscent of Hades. “Um. Yes. What do you want to tell me?” Ugh this is awkward. “Look. Half the … unfortunates we were with turned to kids. You are Hades? Right?”
When life knocks you down, wait 'til it passes over you and then attack it from behind.
“Well, Alessio, that’s your name right? It means you can move away, get a job, and live somewhere without your parents but you can’t make those choices yourself without someone signing off for you. If that makes sense.” ‘Alixer’ was saying.
He got the wrong name. Nathair watched scrunched in his corner in the room for lack of anything else to do. Then again, maybe the stranger just figured talking to the boy would be safer than talking to the grownu-adult, Nithel. He looked really disoriented and nervous so it could be either. But Alessio had just darted off before Alixer could reply.
“We are considered adults at 17 and we’re giving complete independence from everything at 18. I’m pretty close. Sorry, this is super awkward.” He was. (Me: sorry about my rude very character, Alixer is adorable!) “I’m introverted but I can’t get my mouth to stop moving in new situations. A lot of people think I’m odd the 1st time they meet me. Which, I am but it still feels awkward when people tell me I am.”
He talked a lot. Nathair didn’t exactly mind it but he wasn’t sure what to do so he just watched, gritting his teeth and trying to look normal and not attack anybody.
The girl – Crorie, nodded mutely but Alessio wasn’t sure if that was a yes or if she was just too scared to say no. He just knew he responded well to touch and Leana had and most people seemed too as long as they weren’t startled…For several second, he just stood there awkwardly not sure what to do.
“You can say no? If you want?” The boy attempted softly. And she shrugged so he had even less of idea whether or not he should. In the end, he held her gently, very gently so she could push free with barely an effort. But he didn’t let go, he wanted her to be warm and safe, the way he’d felt when Nithel held him the first time.
“We’ll be friends? And stick together and protect each other?” Alessio could’ve said he’d protect her but that would be just another controlling force in her life for her, somebody who could promise something and take it at back any moment.
“Don’t touch me!” Burn yelled cause Alessio to jump and grasp his sword, his arm still wrapped tightly around Crorie as if to shield her. Mr. Woodwall still held Burn’s shoulders and was talking to him soothingly.
“He asked you not to touch him!” Alessio growled, or well, he meant to sound intimidating but he just sounded several pitches higher than usual. He didn’t like Woodwall he didn’t trust Woodwall, it made his skin crawl how much he reminded him of…
And everyone continued to just talk over him, he was beginning to remember how much he hated being a little kid…(Where was Nithel he wanted to stay right beside Nithel really really close so if/when they get teleported again he won’t lose him)
Arsene wandered over a little anxiously like he was looking around for the spider. He was still a grownup no fair!! The colorful thief glanced at them and then at Big So-John (lol nobody’s told him Hades’ real name yet)
“And who might you be?” Arsene asked. With his most impish smile, Alessio pointed at his annoyingly-still-older-and-much-taller-than-him friend.
“Look it’s an idiot!” He quipped.
Nathair had almost successfully spaced out but this kid inched toward him. And leapt back with a noise between a growl and a yelp when he got too close to touching his hair. Yasha was dead he was dead he couldn’t hurt him he was dead.
“Are you a non-human? Like my family?” He wanted to make ‘friends’-
“NO!? Just shut up get away from me!!” Nathair yelled clamping his hands over his ears like that would shut Yasha out-it wasn’t Yasha! Whoever it was, he’d still see him as a monster and hurt him.
Alessio froze, finally noticing Nathair after his outburst. He…oh he was a child…still a child. Was he even in control of…it, yet? How could he even look at Nathair, but he was just a child, it would’ve been…It would’ve been right before Nathair snapped.
“Look. If you are able to make decisions – exercise free will – you are human.” Had he ever heard anyone tell him that? Nathair assumed they were all lying, the boy could see it. “And any…jerk who tells you otherwise is wrong.”
With his widely expansive vocabulary around nobility and soldiers and sailors, child-Alessio could supply a huge number of words in several different languages that Search might’ve been thinking.
“Okay? Introduce them to me and Burn. We’ll take care of that.” So he wasn’t safe in this world either, he was just lucky…
“Um. Yes. What do you want to tell me?” She was stumbling on before he could ask any questions. “Look. Half the…unfortunates we were with turned to kids. You are Hades? Right?”
Still holding Crorie’s hand, Alessio carefully crept to Nathair, ready to bolt at any second. Nathair stared at him like a cornered animal, panicked, recognition flickering in his gaze. That might be a good thing or that might be a horrible thing, and Nathair watched him irresolutely.
We both know how this ended last time…
Nathair flinched as Alessio reached out, and put a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s ok,” he said, and smiled at Nathair with all the confidence and comfort he didn’t feel at all. And they both knew he wasn’t talking about anything that was happening now. Or anything that’s happened yet.
Will this change anything?
“Trust me.”
@sarafini @ragnarok @kimlikesart @hannahrennerTo be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
“…why aren’t you with your dad?” Nathair asked, sounding too whiney even for him to stand. “He seems nicer…” He squeezed his eyes shut and tightened his jaw.
Leana glanced toward him, cocking her head, before glancing at her father, who sat on the floor, looking at a young man. “I think… you need me more, right now.” She whispered, almost to herself, still cradling her hand.
–
Nithel was listening to Alixer, one brow up, one brow down, as the youth continued.
“Sorry, this is super awkward. I’m introverted but I can’t get my mouth to stop moving in new situations. A lot of people think I’m odd the 1st time they meet me. Which, I am but it still feels awkward when people tell me I am.” Alixer shifted uncomfortably under their gaze.
Nithel smiled, softly. “Everyone’s ‘awkward’ in their own way.” Another word, he almost didn’t know. Nithel glanced over his shoulder, as Alessio headed over to a little girl. Nithel’s heart tensed, at how… broken she looked. And somehow tensed further, when he saw the young Ohel glaring at him. Nithel sighed, and looked back at Alixer, “Have you left your family, then?”
Ohel continued to glower at Nithel’s back. The urge to cry assailed him, and he fought it. Don’t. You. Dare. Ohel looked at the big lady, who welcome them to their home. Then he looked down at himself. You’re… a child again… Ohel’s eyes narrowed, but a moment, before he sprung to his feet, and walked over to Grimme, shyly. He tugged on her sleeve gently, his dark puppy-dog eyes looking up at her. “Where can I… use the restroom?” His cheeks turned rosy.
—
Leana’s eyes narrowed on the boy approaching. Nathair leapt back with a noise between a growl and a yelp when he got too close to touching his hair.
“Are you a non-human? Like my family?” He wanted to make ‘friends’-
Leana’s jaw dropped, and she scooted a bit between them. Non-human? But the boy’s eyes were so innocent? He didn’t mean anything by it.
“NO!? Just shut up get away from me!!” Nathair yelled clamping his hands over his ears, face tightening, as if in pain.
Leana stared up at him, her blue eyes wide, and starting to pool again. *considering risking hugging him again* But then Alessio was there. Leana scooted to the side, looking at the girl Alessio pulled along with sadness but curiosity. But, realization dawned and her eyes widened. Crorie!?
Nathair flinched as Alessio reached out, and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s ok,” he murmured. “Trust me.”
———————
@this-is-not-an-alien @hannahrenner @ragnarok @sarafiniJominkreesa
'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'
‘It’s ok’? That’s what he said, but he meant ‘I forgive you.’
If this was to give him another chance at living…Nathair didn’t know. They had so much more than their differences and Alessio would never be reconciled to who he was after all. So why was it so intoxicatingly safe to hear him?
You’re scared of me.
Why didn’t he kill Nathair now that he was weak? At the very least why didn’t he desert him?
There was no such thing as ‘friends’; there were only pawns, used as a means to an end and dolls used for one’s own personal amusement. Friends didn’t exist in his world, he’d never had a friend and he never befriended a soul.
Except.
Maybe.
That was a lie.
“Let’s just get out of here fast!”
“Shut up! I’m not done!”
Another sickening thud followed by a strangled, stifled groan.
Nathair just stared, riveted. He didn’t do a thing he was too scared. Even if he’d killed before, Yasha was the most ruthless, he was always pushing it a step further.
“I don’t have time for you losers.” Youngest of the trio- maybe fifteen or sixteen, Con was some just pennyworth tramp Yasha brought along for her so-called ‘potential’. Even as she slouched casually against the wall smoking her pipe with whatever the herbs she found around the dump, her black eyes still gave a micro-wince each time Yasha kicked the limp form.
Her impatience made a nice bravado.
Yasha ignored them both, his eyes fixed on their target, a weapon from last century who made his escape but didn’t cover his tracks too well. All they were supposed to do was end him but Con found a store of pocket-money they could raid just from the building and now Yasha wasn’t satisfied.
“He doesn’t have any more…” Nathair said, eyes darting from man to Yasha and back again. “Come on, we’ve searched the whole place let’s just get out before we’re caug-”
“Shut up!” Yasha snapped, never even looking back, oh so focused on his handiwork now. “Now you hear that, my pals are getting restless, so why don’t you tell us where the rest of it is, old man?”
The dark-haired boy crouched over the man, rolling a die across his knuckles with an affected look of boredom. By then Nathair was sick, and he was all but ready to make a run for it, stayed only by the knowledge that, well, he was seeing first-hand what happened to deserters.
So he didn’t do anything, he shuffled his feet and stared into space as some inarticulate, mumbled words came from the floor.
“Pft,” Yasha stood, aiming for another kick.
“Look,” Nathair said a little desperately, hovering a step closer. “we’ve got enough to carry us over-“
He knew before he finished he’d gone too far but he didn’t expect a blow across his face that sent him sprawling on the floor, ears ringing.
“You stupid baby!” Yasha snarled, “It’s not enough, you idiots! You give a notch and slum like this take it all, I’m just doing what you don’t have the guts to do.”
Alessio tensed, nearly jerking his hand back as the boy’s memories played through his mind. Nathair watched him fixedly, cornered. Had he projected that consciously or not? Right now, Nathair looked dazed and feral enough it could’ve been either.
Maybe there’s a chance now? Before he’s so far gone…
‘It’s in the way! Why would I need to settle?!’ Yasha’s voice still rang in his ears, Alessio stared at Nathair, trying to sort everything out of his head. ‘If you found a chest of gold you wouldn’t just grab a handful and say ‘it’s enough’. You take everything or you leave all the scraps for your enemies!’
Alessio closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath to calm down. When he opened his eyes Nathair was still staring at him like the slightest move was a life-or-death thing. He’d…he’s almost forgotten that feeling almost blocked it out of his mind staying by Nithel. But then…he was terrified of losing sight of Nithel too. He darted a glance at the kind man reflexively for a second and looked back at Nathair.
“We’ll be friends now?” Alessio said, and Nathair’s crystal blue eyes skated across the room suspiciously. “They’re nice people, they won’t hurt you.”
Nathair’s eyes narrowed at him dully, his face turning…unnatural like plaster, stretching tight.
‘Monster-child’
“I…I know,” Alessio gently tugged him upright. “Come on…”
Nathair tensely rose a little, and glanced at Leana warily, but a little less warily, still very sulkily and anxiously.
@ragnarok @kimlikesart @hannahrenner @sarafiniTo be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
“We’ll be friends now?” Alessio said, and Nathair’s crystal blue eyes skated across the room suspiciously. “They’re nice people, they won’t hurt you.”
Nathair’s eyes narrowed at him dully, his face turning…unnatural like plaster, stretching tight.
“I…I know,” Alessio gently tugged him upright. “Come on…”
Nathair tensely rose a little, and glanced at Leana warily, but a little less warily, still very sulkily and anxiously.
Sage suddenly realized his error. Perhaps asked if he was a non-human wasn’t such a good idea. Mother often said that humans sometimes struggled to get along with non-humans and sometimes hurt them. Could he have been hurt.
Saga suddenly became rather anxious, fidgeting with his hands. “Uhhmmm… Sorry about that. I didn’t know…”
Oh, what should he do? How was he supposed to say sorry? “Uhhh… Do you like butterflies?”
Using aether, Sage formed orange butterflies, letting them fly around the room. Surely, he liked butterflies.
“What about flowers? Mother liked flowers.” Sage asked, formed white flowers made of aether.
“THE SPIDER’S FREE!!!” Saga shrieked like his life was in danger.
Sage didn’t know why Saga did that. It was just a spi….der. It was bigger now. Like, a lot bigger. Like, about as big as a lampshade.
Possibly attracted to his loud shouting, the spider followed after Saga.
“No… No! Stop!” Saga screamed desperately.
“Saga, you should probably stop shouting. I think the spider is following you because of the noise you’re making…”
HE JUMPED OUT THE WINDOW!!!
Sage rushed to the window, looking outside. He… landed safely. Oh, right. Dragon scales. Yes, that comes in handy.
You can only come to the morning through shadows: Tolkien
@this-is-not-an-alien, @kimlikesart, @ragnarok, @sarafini
GRIMME
She looks down to see a child.
“Where can I use the restroom?” He is still tugging on her sleeve, eyes big, cheeks rosy.
She rubs the back of her neck. The kinky-coily hair rubs roughly against her hand.
This is … too many children. One, sure, she knew what to do. Three, pushed her limits. Um. How many where here? She’s afraid to count at this point because more might turn up.
“Down the hall. First door to the right.” She jerks her thumb behind her.
“Thank-you.” The small child says. Then runs off.
Grimme considers a long moment.
Eh.
Why not?
How bad could they really mess up?
Oscar glares at her. The “We are absolutely not and never again adopting a child” glare.
It didn’t work the first time. It didn’t work the twentieth time. Or the fiftieth. It wouldn’t work now: Burn was child 194.
[@kimlikesart] [Does Ohel peek into the bedrooms? Or explore Oscar’s office? Since we all know this isn’t going to be just a pitstop.]
SEARCH
Hades is slow to answer.
Which is why I realize that Alessio has wondered off. He’s with another couple children. Okay. He’s given himself something to do. Good.
Little Lizard is fidgeting with this hands and stammering. Did I come off too strong? Oh no. I have upset a small child! What am I supposed to do?!
“Uhhmmm… Sorry about that. I didn’t know…” Little Lizard is still playing with his hands. “Uhhh… Do you like butterflies?”
Then Little Lizard opens his hands, little orange flutteriest flying from his hands.
“Oh! Those are beautiful!” I try to catch one and it slips away. I need to get one for Burn. What are they and how do I get one. So pretty…
“What about flowers? Mother liked flowers.” Now there are white flowers in his hands.
“What an impressive talent!” I clap.
“THE SPIDER’S FREE!!!”
“SPIDER?!?!?!”
Crap. Burn.
Burn is rigid up against Oscar and then jumps on the couch. “Where?! Where is the spider?!” He is patting his non-existent pockets for weapons.
Um.
Help?
“GRIMME!”
She whips out her battle ax and nearly slices the spider in half. Nearly, but at least three legs are no longer attached.
Which doesn’t matter. Because the annoying man is still screaming – rivaling Burn’s panic and Grimme’s war cries.
“No… No! Stop!” Little Lizard screams. Because more notice is the solution. “Saga, you should probably stop shouting.”
The man is still running.
“I think the spider is following you because of the noise you’re making…”
He.
Jumped.
Out the window!!!!
I swear – as fluently as Burn and Steelfoot – and run to the window.
He’s … safe. And also has lizard scales. Cool.
Okay. Spider.
“Don’t!” yells Little Lizard.
But Grimme has already sliced the spider in half.
When life knocks you down, wait 'til it passes over you and then attack it from behind.
“Uhhmmm…Sorry about that.” The boy who tried to touch his hair was stammering. “I didn’t know…”
Didn’t…didn’t know?! Nathair tensed more, glancing from him to Alessio as if the boy with the mismatched eyes had telepathy or something. But he was just assuming, wasn’t he? Why should he even care if the weird boy knew anything about him? He didn’t care!!
“Uhhh…Do you like butterflies?” Crazy Inquisitive Boy swapped topics with all the randomness that…Nathair looked back at Alessio. Why should you care!?! He glared viciously at the Inquisitive One. He wanted to bite and claw at everyone in his way and just make his escape. But he jumped when a winged creature flittered around him.
Then he stared at it blankly as the small thing glided about. He flinched when one landed on his nose and bit the urge to back into his corner.
Alessio had never actually seen Nathair scared. Or he hadn’t…he’d never seen him so clearly scared, Nathair was so good at hiding his emotions…
But now he was…just a scared child, like Alessio…
“What about flowers?” Sage persisted morphing shimmery white flowers by Nathair. “Mother liked flowers.”
Whoa…those looked cool…
Alessio glanced back at Crorie (whose hand he was still holding) to see if she liked them. Maybe, he could do that with his fire? Quickly he looked around for Nithel, just because he wanted the reassurance of knowing he was still there. He wanted to touch a ‘butterfly’, and the only one that had landed anywhere was the one on Nathair’s nose!
Yeah. Alessio wasn’t that desperate to get gutted.
“What an impressive talent!” Search was clapping for Sage, which made Alessio feel…inexplicably warm. He’d just never met anyone who simply liked someone’s powers. It wasn’t a trick, to get them to trust her!?
Crack!
“THE SPIDER’S FREE!!!” Arsene shrieks with terror, like it was some ginorma…oh.
“That one could bite a leg off…” Alessio whispered.
“SPIDER?!?!?!” Burn squeaked, and in a tense voice. “Where?! Where is the spider?!”
“GRIMME!”
“Do…most spiders grow that bi-Wait don’t!!” Alessio gasped too late as “Grimme” sliced the spider apart.
“No…No! Stop!” Sage is screaming
“It grows bigger when it’s hurt…” Alessio pointed out belatedly, instinctively shielding Crorie with his arm, his gaze riveted on the spider.
“Saga, you should probably stop shouting.”
Arsene didn’t stop shouting.
“I think the spider is following you because of the noise you’re making…” Sage continues.
“Uhhhhh, Arsen-?” Jumps out a window, why is Alessio not surprised?
“Heyyy!!!! Get back here!!” Alessio yells at the window about to chase after him but Nathair tugs him back by his sleeve. “Huh?”
For a flash Alessio saw Nathair’s eyes glint with…rage? It disappeared in a second as he clung to Alessio’s sleeve jutting his chin stubbornly. His crystal blue eyes were now a lot wider and…Alessio shivered involuntarily. He could’ve…just imagined that look before, it was too much like the Nathair he remembered. It hadn’t happened yet, and he hadn’t experienced that betrayal yet, but that didn’t change the fact that he remembered, and it was hard to look at the man who hurt him so badly then and see the scared child he was now…
“I’ve got to get Arsene back,” Alessio protested to Nathair, and added more gently. “You see Leana, and Nithel? You can trust them, ok?”
Nathair didn’t answer but he didn’t look at all happy.
“I’ll be right back!” Alessio said before he yeeted himself out the window after Arsene. Followed with a muffled. “Come back hereeeeee!!!”
@ragnarok, @kimlikesart, @hannahrenner @sarafiniTo be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
BURN
“Heyyy!!!! Get back here!!” The voice yells near the window. It stops a moment, has a conversation I can’t hear over my own stupid stupid stupid heartbeat.
Then I hear, “I’ll be right back!” A suspicious sound, like someone’s gone out the window? Twice in as many minutes? “Come back hereeeeee!!!”
That.
Is.
It.
I push Oscar away and shove my hand between the couch cushions. There.
I hide fire opals in any place I frequent.
“BURN!”
Don’t kill me Oscar.
I rip off the packaging, hit the smoking opal against the hard edge of the table beside the couch as hard as i can, and toss it into the air.
“BURN!”
He’s going to kill me.
As smoke floods the room, I grab it – feel it, the myriad of particles in the air.
And I pull.
“BURN! STOP THIS INSTANT!”
SEARCH
Well crap.
I watch as Burn pulls the smoke – Can’t help but watch because the room went from clear as a glass to thick, thick air.
“Burn we can’t see anything!” I cough. And then roll my eyes. “Nevermind.”
The room thins out a little…
…
“Not the fell wolf Burn!” I hack around the smoke. “Can we not go with the fell wolf?”
The shaggy-smoke animal stands on the couch, Burn commanding from his perilous perch on the couch back, hands outstretched, fingers splayed. It’s horns get thicker and the fire opal burns an eerie red in it’s mouth.
Objectively amazing, right?
Except for all the terrified kids. And the growing spider. And the defenestration. And …
We really don’t need more chaos.
“Burn!” Oscar roars, going to pull him off the couch. Why he though that was a good idea I will never know.
But, predictably, Oscar is the one landing on his butt while Burn with feline grace leaps and rolls onto the ground, fingers still splayed.
The fell-wolf appears to growl, mouth open so that the seething red, eyes equally bright red. It whips to face Oscar, who gives the most Tired Father groan I’ve ever heard.
“Burn the spider’s gone.”
Fell-wolf construct continues to roam, Burn continues to perch in improbable places.
BURN
I shake my head and ignore whatever Oscar’s saying. The faint glowing magic is tracing threads through out the room.
Out the window.
Ugh.
This isn’t going to be conspicuous at all.
I really, really, really, really, don’t want to chase the spider.
SEARCH
“BURN SO HELP ME IF YOU GO OUT THAT WINDOW!”
Aaaaaaand he’s already jumped out.
Because if the thing Burn is scared of runs…
I look down at myself.
I do not look suspicious at all. Ho no. Hospital shirts and squishy moving and shorty-shorts are the height of fashion in the Hives these days. Oh yes.
I really don’t wanna do this!
But we’re doing this.
Because if Burn can chase the thing that scares him out of his wits, I can chase Burn.
And shake him silly for being an idiot.
“Sonja! Don’t you dare follow him!”
I roll my eyes. “Oscar. Watch the kids. Someone’s gotta keep up with Burn. And you can’t.”
I jump.
When life knocks you down, wait 'til it passes over you and then attack it from behind.
Ohel has proceeded to open door after door, only stopping when he comes to a room which reminds him of his father’s forbidden one.
Ohel approached the desk, but stares at the books (if there are any) with stunned fascination, curiosity, and longing. He’ll touch them tenderly, hesitantly, like a mist that will vanish.
———
Nithel is terrified as the spider grows double the size of a ‘lampshade’. And, as Alessio pointed out, yes, this one indeed could eat a man.
Then… When the blind man turns into a s.oking, horned, red glowing monster..? Heh. Sheer terror courses through him. I have no idea how his heart didn’t stop permanently. If his older self, it probably would have.
Instead he makes a strangled sound in the foggy screaming chaos.
Leana. He coughed, smoke filling his lungs, and slipped beneath the table. Alessio. *has no idea what to do* *wants to go home* *remembers home isn’t there* *wants to cry*
——-
@this-is-not-an-alien @hannahrenner @ragnarokJominkreesa
'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'
Nathair stared out the window after Alessio. Assumably he could stand safely, he always did.
As the spider grew, Nathair side-eyed the creature, seemingly immortal. It probably had a weakness of some sort, but the boy had already decided he was doomed to get killed again. So he just watched what everyone else was doing.
Panicking. They were panicking…wow that’s helpful…
“BURN!” Mr. Woodwall? Woodsomething was screaming as Burn snatched free some strange object-
“BURN!” Smoke hissed through the air enough to blind everyone though…Nathair could still see a small red glow from each person’s chest. That was always uncanny and it came with an even more intense drive to hunt.
“BURN! STOP THIS INSTANT!”
“Not the fell wolf Burn! Can we not go with the fell wolf?”
Everything was grey and distorted even after everyone else was moving on. Presumably, he didn’t know. He…couldn’t remember what was going on. Everything got hazy before it happened. They were going to attack he had to kill them it was that or he was going t- It was black and garbled, their laughter, spots of blood. He didn’t really know what had happened now he used that memory and now it’s just a shadow in his brain, a gut reaction and a remanent of the different details he hadn’t expended.
For several seconds everything was blurry and Nathair nearly screamed in pain.
Then it cleared and the room was…strange, but he recognized it.
Burn jumped out the window.
People started yelling and Search leapt out the window after Burn…
Was…he supposed to fight the spider while everyone else ran…?? It didn’t really occur to Nathair to run or…do anything that wasn’t directly ordered… So he just stared at the spider and tried not to think about anything.
Until it too sprang out the window after its victims…
Nathair peered over at the window for several seconds as the cacophony continued all around him…
“…Are you going to jump out the window too…?” Nathair asked Leana, completely sincere. He was trying to figure out if this was what they were doing now…
@kimlikesart @hannahrenner @sarafini (?) @ragnarokTo be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
Sage watched in confusion as Saga jumped out the window. The spider, naturally, was much bigger now. Almost as big as the couch. It was a little… intimidating. Wait, not out the window!
It… jumped… after the others… Sage decided to look down. Nathair looked down too.
“…Are you going to jump out the window too…?” Nathair asked Leana, completely sincere.
“Please don’t.” Sage mutters in a small voice, “There’s always stairs.” He decided to add. “Right there.” He points.
Arsene landed safely, shifting the dull the damage. Sighing, Arsene believed everything would be calm for now. Until, Alessio landed on top of him.
“OWWW!! HOW ARE YOU THIS HEAVY!?!?” Arsene shouted in pain.
Just as Alessio was getting up, Arsene saw a large black… dot? OHSHOOTIT’STHESPIDERRUNFORYOURLIVES!!!!!
Not wasting a second, Arsene shifted his arms and legs, before grabbing Alessio by his shirt. “Time to go!” Bolting away, Arsene took Alessio with him, practically dragging the boy into the air like a kite.
@kimlikesart @hannahrenner @sarafini (?) @ragnarokYou can only come to the morning through shadows: Tolkien
“Please don’t.” Crazy Inquisitive Boy piped. “There’s always stairs. Right there.”
Nathair stared at him blankly. Without Yasha telling him what to do, he was pretty slow reading people and figuring out what people wanted from him. This wasn’t at all helped by the fact that he was sure to be hit whether or not he complied, it was just a matter of how badly would he get it this time.
What was it the boy wanted him to do!? Was he supposed to chase after them or something else? If he just stood there stupidly he’d get in trouble, but he didn’t have any clear direct order and everyone was playing by rules he never understood.
So Nathair just crossed his arms and squared his shoulders defiantly, determined to at least disobey on purpose if he couldn’t figure out the current thing to do.
As Alessio plunged through the air at an unholy speed with no thought-out landing strategy, it suddenly occurred to him that Nithel might not have approved of this very irrational course of action…
Wow.
This was a long drop.
Like
Much
Longer
Fall
Than
From
The
Palace
Windows…
In fact he was falling so fast he didn’t have the ability to swear loudly like his dad. But he figured if he grabbed or kicked off something while he fell…wow this place was really different from his world and uhhhh…
Better just roll when he hit the ground that would soften the impact.
With that Alessio thwanked into someone-
“OWWW!! HOW ARE YOU THIS HEAVY!?!?” Arsene cried underneath him.
“Oww, sorry!” Alesso flopped onto his stomach dramatically, before bobbing up and then toppling over dazed. “I think I should’ve thought tha-“
“Time to go!” Arsene yelled.
Suddenly Alessio was whizzing through the air propelled by his shirt collar!
“Whoaa!” The boy flailed “Do we have a plan!?”
The dark world whizzed by him splashed with lights and colors and a giant spider launching forward to devour them.
“Are we in the middle of a noble sacrifice to lure the spider to the farthest corners of the world so it can’t kill any other humans and they’ll sing ballads about us when we die and get eaten by the spider!?
“Maybe we should have a better plan like trapping it or something!?! I don’t want to die ye-Ahh!” He gave a puppy shriek as the spider snapped at his toes dangling off the ground like tantalizing spider-appetizers. “What if we get it stuck cos we climb through a small area and stab it until it’s too big to get out!?!”
@ragnarok @kimlikesart @hannahrennerTo be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
@kimlikesart [Ohel approaches the desk. Bookshelves line three off the walls and starting with the one to his right and stopping on the fourth wall only because there is a door. The rest of the fourth wall holds pictures, a nick-nack shelf, and one tall plant – a small tree – illuminated by a glowing mushroom-lamp.
The knick-knack shelf holds various items clearly made by a child – a wide variety. An ash-tray, a bead necklace, a bracelet… simple, clumsy items.
Ohel touches the books – one title catches his eye.
The Song of the Fell Wolf and the Canary
[Do you open it?] {yes} {no}
“…Are you going to jump out the window too…?”
Grimme turns to the … creepy, magic child who is entirely serious as he talks to the girl.
She tilts her head, closing her eyes.
Nathair.
Leana.
Interesting names.
First: What did he do to earn the name Snake?
Second: To twine around what? What did she twine around? Of course, it also means Sunray. Which is pretty.
Grimme shakes her head. Ignore the distractions.
“Please don’t.” Sage mutters in a small voice, “There’s always stairs.” He decided to add. “Right there.” He points.
Wise one. Prophet. Also an herb but unless Sage is a big deal in his culture, that was probably not why he earned that name.
[@kimlikesart, @this-is-not-an-alien, @ragnarok, @sarafini] [Do you take the stairs with Grimme?] {yes} + {no}
[If you take the stairs do you separate from Grimme and explore the Consul’s mansions?] {yes} + {no}
SEARCH
“OWWW!! HOW ARE YOU THIS HEAVY
“OHSHOOTIT’STHESPIDERRUNFORYOURLIVES!!!!!”
I shake my head, vaulting of another window-railing with the lightness of a pigmy tiger.
Though I’m probably nowhere near as fierce, murderous, or stubborn as one.
Burn though?
“I smell you!” Burn mutters. “I know you’re here. I smell you. I feel you. I will bite you.”
Yep. Burn is an oversized pigmy tiger.
Or a fell wolf.
The smoke-construct lands beside him on the pavement.
The handful of smoking politicians quietly disperse away from him. With some truly nasty statements of about his sanity.
“Hey you ableist …” I won’t bore you with what I actually called them while hurling dirt from a planter at them. But Mom was likely to find out and have some very nice things to say to me.
Then the SPIDER whirls to face the poor men and one woman.
“You wanna get involved?” I ask with the sweet voice Mom taught me: the one where I’m supposed to sit pretty and only speak when spoken too.
“Time to go!” Crazy man runs off with Smol Child Alessio.
“Whoaa!” The boy flails. “Do we have a plan!?” He keeps babbling as the man runs fast as a murderous fell wolf after a pack of Colds.
BURN
Uuuuuuuuuuuh. Is that Alessio? And the playful conman?
Um.
sPiDeR wHeRe?
I sniff. I can still smell it – evil, putrid, not good, very bad, evil, poison
Focus. Find it.
I came down before me? Right?
RIGHT?
Stop.
Panicking.
I take a deep breath and release.
Okay. Think.
There’s the spider.
That’s … uh. That’s big. That’s really big.
I bare my teeth and have to remind myself that I am not thirteen and crazy and alone. I can hear Search here. Grimme is … somewhere.
Good.
Mission – if you choose to take it – lead spider to narrow trails seldom walked.
Uhg. It’s gonna take a while to lead it here. Is there a cage near here? Or something narrow that can trap it for, like, forever? Or until a solution can be found…
…
It might be a few months early.
Because apparently tumbling into realms is time-travel
But … I know where the opening to the Maze of Neophytes is. Well. Where one will be.
And hey, since the guy isn’t murdered, I might be able to lead him there! Without getting like arrested or accused or even really in trouble!
“Search! I have a plan!” I holler. “Get to Goldbeard’s apartments!”
“WHAT?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!”
“Nope!”
Okay. That’s step, like, four.
Step one is corralling the spider there.
Ugh. That’s gonna be fun.
“Hey you two! Wanna help corral a monstrous spider?”
[@this-is-not-an-alien, @ragnarok] [Do you help Burn and Search corral the creepy spider into Consul Goldbeard’s chambers, hoping that Burn is right about the opening to the Maze of Neophytes and that the spider is still small enough to fit inside?] {yes} + {no}
{yes – Bravely face the spider and lead it back into the Consul’s mansion.}
{no – Run. Run fast. And look for a cage big enough to fit the spider. REMEMBER: You will have to divert Burn and Search into helping you with your alternative plan.}
When life knocks you down, wait 'til it passes over you and then attack it from behind.
Nathair wasn’t one for taking charge of a situation there, it had been drilled into him to just mindlessly follow orders. Everything played by rules he couldn’t understand anyway and he couldn’t read anyone.
The scary lady who basically owned the place seemed ready to take the stairs, but then, if he followed and wasn’t supposed to she could kill him. So Nathair looked around to see what everyone else was doing.
Alessio liked them more, Nathair was always second best. He wouldn’t have jumped out the window for him, would he?! Well…he probably would have, but that was beside the point! Nathair didn’t know what to do without getting orders from someone and he didn’t want to take orders from anyone here.
Leana was still there…she…might be nice…
Alessio said she was nice…
Nithel was hiding under a table last he checked. Because he was a mean little child, Nathair had the irresistible urge to quietly sneak up and loudly knock on the table just to see Nithel’s reaction.
But that would probably also get him killed, so he didn’t do that…
He had no idea what to do now, but he’d probably go along with whatever everyone else was doing…
Was that Search and Burn falling out the window behind them?
Alessio wasn’t sure he was busy soaring through the air like a kite as Arsene held onto his collar and ran.
That was a definite “are you crazy” Search was shouting.
“Do we have a plan!?!?” Alessio reiterated at Arsene, dexterously climbing the robber’s flamboyant jacket to perch on top of his shoulders. “I don’t know how long you can run and mathematically speaking every time the spider gets bigger it’ll be able to run faster so it’ll be able to outrun you if it gets stabbed a couple more times!!!”
“Hey you two! Wanna help corral a monstrous spider?”
“Do you have a plan!?!?!” Alessio shouted with a crooked little grin, “What can I do!?!”
@ragnarok @kimlikesart @hannahrennerTo be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
Ok I was gonna try and do a real update but…
The place shifts somewhat lead Arsene, Alessio, Search and Burn to a maze opening just big enough to accommodate the spider at its current size.
[Enter or continue running?]
And, uhhh, Nithel and everyone in that group is teleported to the entrance of the maze too…
XD
@hannahrenner @kimlikesart @ragnarok @anyone?To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
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