EVENT LOG: (UN)SAFETY MEASURES

[asgardmods]

Who: ANYONE leaving Asgard to build an outpost
What: the (Un)Safety Measures event
When: January 14 - 22
Where: three days north of Asgard's kingdom
Warnings: claustrophobia

❧ january 14-16: departure.

On January 14, the gods summon everyone to the castle ground to announce that Asgard is moving out to face the newest threat on the horizon. what seems like the whole of Asgard prepares and departs the kingdom. From the youngest to the oldest of the able and willing, all hands are needed as this mission serves two highly critical purposes: to defeat the current threat and to build outposts that can be used as midway safe houses on missions like these.

Similar to the last time Asgard embarked on such a journey, a long train of wagons guided by the eight-legged horses and several of the gods passes through the thicc barrier of the forest into what appears to be a blinding light for any that remain in the city. As the caravan breaks through the treeline, that brightness barely fades as a blistering sun gleams off of what appears to be a solid landscape of pure ice. An odd chill travels from the top of your head to your toes as Honir calls out "Hold onto your limbs!" in a strangely cheerful warning to match the unusual warmth that envelops you afterwards.

Over the course of the next three days, the caravan travels northward through the strange landscape of Yggdrasil in winter. It seems like ice and snow rise and fall at whim, clear skies turning into a swarming blizzard from one stretch of land to another. It's like it can't quite decide what type of winter it would like to be, and the caravan is left to navigate and make camp through this fitful weather. On January 16, the caravan halts as the gods declare this to be the safest point between the kingdom and where the Qliphoth is growing. Construction of the outpost will begin here in the morning, as those moving on to destroy the wretched tree prepare to confront the demons of another world.

❧ january 17-18: setting up camp.

On the morning of January 17, everyone sets upon their separate tasks as those prepared for combat continue onward to travel. All of the wagons and most of the horses are left behind at the budding settlement - the terrain ahead is far too treacherous to risk losing them along the way. But all thoughts of demons and infernal trees seem distant compared to the pressing immediacy of the task at hand.



The gods weren’t wrong: This is likely the safest point between Asgard and whatever mayhem is occurring farther north. Tucked safely out of the elements in shallow valley between two small mountains, the outpost benefits strongly from the sun peeking out over the ridge as it balms the chilly sting of the wind with a diffuse sort of warmth. It’s a warmth that Wanderers will need as they set to work constructing a fallback point for the unimaginable things that those who continued might endure. There’s a job for everyone, big or small, from building temporary housing to assembling defenses to taking stock of all the medical supplies they’ve brought along for the trip.

Honir, meanwhile, has chosen to stay and protect the outpost. Though he doesn’t seem to actively dwell on it, those who knew him before the Battle of Wights can likely tell that he was humbled considerably by his experience. It more than suits the needs of the moment, as he and any willing volunteers scout the immediate area outside of the mountainous inlet to make sure that the outpost is safe.

Alas, even Honir doesn’t think to account for threats from below.

❧ january 19: hidden intentions.

( ! ) content warnings: claustrophobia

On the morning of January 18, your characters will wake up to discover that some of you are missing. Surely they were there when you went to sleep, but an odd number of Wanderers and native Asgardians alike seem to have vanished in the night. Searching the encampment and the surrounding area turns up nothing of use, awkwardly delaying construction between the need to finish this project within a few days and the absence of those that came to build it. A scant few more disappear suddenly throughout the day without anyone seeing or hearing anything more than a vague crunching sound and then silence.

As it turns out, answers come with the still of the night: Those who find themselves awake near the edges of camp hear a faint but unmistakable shouting, coming from beneath their very feet. Characters that have disappeared up to this point are buried underground beneath a thick layer of solid earth and stone. More people begin disappearing, this time in plain sight as stone shifts and pulls them into the dirt. Screams fill the campground as people try to save their friends or find the source of the chaos… Not to mention the shouts of alarm as those who try to dig too violently find the ground itself throwing things back at them, betraying this as the work of some sort of subterraneal creature.

But even as that chaos erupts around them, most of the Wanderers seem to vie for a peaceful resolution (based on the comments on January’s event post), and in fact, some go so far as to attempt to calm those reacting violently.

At first, it doesn’t seem to matter.

But then, the earth starts to shift. Those who have yet to be unearthed seem to be spat back out onto the surface, gently and with what could almost be considered deference. And then comes a gnomelike figure, about the size of a football with stone-brown skin and hair down to his feet, crawling up from a hole that didn’t seem to exist before he had need of it.

“I believe an apology is in order,” he says, twisting at a corner of his beard. “It has been quite an age since the Steinnbregðr have seen humans in these parts, and with such magics.”

“We just wanted to take a look atcha,” comes a younger voice not far behind him. It’s now that you see a number of other figures peering up out a dozen more inexplicable holes in the earth, though these new arrivals keep themselves hidden from the nose up. The girl who spoke had popped up a bit in her excitement, but she too ducks back into her hole under scrutiny, tacking on a - “Gorbit says you brought gods.”

The others all murmur with quiet agreement, some nodding, others looking nervous. They, too, just wanted to look at these humans. To learn.

“We made you fear for your lives and your kin, yet none of you harmed us,” the first gnome continues as if he hadn’t been interrupted. He looks from Wanderer to Wanderer, from face to face, and even in his generous age his eyes glow with an almost childlike intrigue. “Do you think it possible that we might... try again? From the start, with quite a bit less borrowing of your people.”

The Steinnbregðr people have extended an olive branch. If rejected, they’ll disappear back into their holes, nary to be seen again. If accepted, they’ll answer Wanderers’ questions, share their knowledge of local resources, and assist in assembling the outpost to the best of their ability… All the while taking every opportunity to observe the Wanderers with wide inquisitive eyes, or even tug at clothing to ask a burning question about the Wanderers, the gods, Asgard, or humans as a general concept.

(Though we won’t be outright NPCing the Steinnbregðr, there will be a top-level in which we’ll gladly summarize or handwave interactions with your characters, answering questions and perhaps even forming a budding CR.)

❧ january 20-22: return.

With the Qliphoth destroyed and the outpost established as best it can be, the caravan makes its way back to Asgard on January 20. While the load is a bit lighter for the supplies it took to build and battle their way back home, some carry new burdens and memories of the strange happenings that took place here. The magic the gods warned of has shown its powerful capacity to overwrite the landscape of Yggdrasil, and new creatures in the world are becoming increasingly aware of the Wanderers' presence.

All along the three day journey back to the kingdom, the gods and the natives can't help but discuss and speculate what this means for the future. A nervous energy travels back to the city with them in spite of their victories, the vast and mercurial landscape of Yggdrasil providing a frigid reminder of their isolation at the heart of it. Asgard may come to contend with the fact that they are safer within their kingdom and the veil of obscurity - and the fact that the veil has been lifted, leaving an open window for them to see out into the dangers of the world, and for the world to look back at them.

[ OOC NOTES: This is the event log for the (Un)Safety Measures event! Your characters are in the process of building an outpost to serve as safe housing for ventures beyond the kingdom when a clan of rock gnomes begins "stealing" characters underground for observation. Because the majority of you elected to proceed with caution instead of aggression, you were able to entreat with the gnomes to understand their presence and motivations, and enough of you actively sought to make peace with them that they have become tentative allies to Asgard for the time being. If you want to discuss interactions or ask questions about the gnomes, you can do so in this thread below. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to hit us up on the mod contact page! Enjoy! ]

Comments

INTERACTIONS WITH THE STEINNBREGÐR

[asgardmods]

You can respond here if you'd like your characters to interact with the Steinnbregðr in any capacity. We'll get back to you with some things you can handwave!

[mindseer]

[OOC: Since we're largely handwaving the interactions with the gnomes - Terezi is going to be a little suspicious to start, but opting for the 'don't murder strangers like Eridan would' route since nobody buried is actually hurt and it was just freaky.

She will be smelling for lies during this conversation, but angling to get a trio of questions answered:
1) If humans with magic existed before Asgard, how long has this world existed before the city and what was it like the last time they were here?
2) How are these gnomes at building, because if they want to help make it up, helping build structures might be a good idea?
3) What do they know of the Aesir/Vanir?

In return, once things are settled, she'll answer any questions they have about trolls in appropriately blunt and weird fashion. Probably with impossible to comprehend TMI. And copious amounts of bullshit.]

[hikikomori_king]

Turgon panics when watching people pulled under (coughhiswifediesthiswayontheicecough) and will be *ripping* the ground up in panic, he is likely to see the gnomes I guess?

[momsboy]

Peter is no stranger to unusual and alien creatures and is pretty easy going with all of them so he will be happily settle things peacefully once the truth is revealed. He will answer all the questions the Steinnbregðr might have about humans,the technology they're using and their powers, just shy away form more personal matters.

He has some questions back, though, such as how far the Steinnbregðr territories go (to avoid accidentally messing up with their lands against in the future), if they have their own rulers of are also under Queen's Laufey's command, and if they wouldn't mind helping the Wanderers with construction.

Sora l Kingdom Hearts

[keybearing]

Departure:

[Sora isn't a stranger to traveling. He'd traveled with the people and gods here before even, in helping fight before. He figures this time though that it might be best to stay back and see how else he might help this time around. So he goes with the others to help set up an outpost. He's not the best with building, but he could still offer to help somehow, he figures.

He blinks at all the ice, remembering Arendelle's winter rather vividly and the blizzard here. He decidedly doesn't do the best with cold, so of course it makes him instinctively curl up and hug himself. Being more used to warmer weather given he was from the Islands and all back home originally.

He tries to keep himself awake, partly worrying about nightmares, remembering the last time they had separated and some went off to fight. Remembering the Wights. Of course him trying to fight off sleep doesn't go that great and his concentration isn't the best as a result when people try get his attention or talk to him. Sora's eyes get dark bags underneath and the blue of them can sometimes barely be seen as he stubbornly tries to keep himself awake. He's fidgety, moreso than his usual restlessness and energy.]

Setting up Camp:

[Sora's happy enough to be kept busy. Helping with whatever needs to be done. Whatever he can help with. It distracts him some at least from worrying about the others that went on ahead. Distracts him from how much more vulnerable and helpless he is and feels at times like this here, without his usual abilities and support. He might be pushing himself a bit too hard though. Especially given he's running on little to no sleep at this point especially once they get there.]

Hidden Intentions:

[He's all but instantly noting the missing. Especially when it concerns his friends. So naturally Sora is worrying and wondering what had happened to them. He abandons all pretense of working on the outpost to try find those missing. Maybe they changed their mind and went back to the city? Or went on to meet those dealing with the tree and all?

Once Riku, once Namine are targets and are missing too, Sora's all but frantic, desperate as he would even resort to digging at the ground on his hands and knees. He digs with his gloved hands, fingers and nails digging at any and all graves in search of his friends.]

No, no, no....!

[Sora breaking like this was rare. But in the moment, his friends missing, maybe even witnessing one or both of them he knows from home disappearing like that, he's freaking out. Panicked, screaming their names as he frantically digs.

Later, once those missing were back, Sora isn't quite immediately sure what to make of these Steinnbregðr, but after a bit he might start to warm to them, forgiving and optimistic as ever in his desire to want to believe in the good in anyone. He'll crouch down if they tug at his clothes, answering their questions and asking his own about this place, their people.]

departure

[tealeafs]

[ Although it's been a while since Chizuru last saw Sora, she does distinctively remember him not exactly doing too well that time.

And despite it having been quite some time since then, Sora doesn't really look great right now either. Those dark bags are very, very telling. Chizuru has seen them often enough on the men who overworked themselves back home. So while they're on their way, she can't help but approach the other. ]

.. hey..

[ For a moment she's not too sure how to approach this. Last time it seemed like she was worrying over nothing since he didn't think there was anything wrong with him despite it totally seeming so, so this time it's a little more awkward. ]

You look tired.

Hidden Intentions

[mindseer]

Where the globbing hell is she? Namine?!?

[He wasn't the only one shouting around and trying to dig, only to get a fist full of rock and clods flung right into her face and sending her reeling back. Oh man was that enough to piss her off. She was trying to remain calm, if only because someone had been found a little bit ago, and they were fine, but she wasn't going to be fine until her moirail was found.

She looked over at Sora frantically, her bandana down and white eyes very obviously visible. She wasn't farting around with her usual games.]

Have you seen her, Sora? Damnit, we were supposed to be safer here!

Setting Up Camp

[hikikomori_king]

Sora, you need to rest.

[ Says the hypocrite ]

chizuru | hakuouki (ota!)

[tealeafs]

(a. setting up camp)

[ Chizuru knew she'd definitely be no help on a mission that would require any kind of fighting. But going on this one feels a lot better - it feels as if she might actually be able to make some sort of difference here, even if it's a small one.

She may be relatively small, and not super strong, but considering her strong desire to help out Chizuru has chosen to do something that requires quite some physical effort regardless. She's helping carry building materials back and forth, handing them off to people who need them. Except it seems she's bitten off a little more than she can chew after a while, since the load she's holding is just heavy enough that she can't quite control where she's going..

.. and so she bumps straight into you, sending the both of you into a pile of people and building materials on the ground. Whoops. ]

A.. Ah! [ She's already untangling herself quickly, instead kneeling on the ground and bowing. ] I'm so sorry, this is my fault!

(b. hidden intentions - disappearances)

[ This situation can't be fun for anyone. Chizuru is so worried about the people who seem to have disappeared out of nowhere, and she can't imagine anyone else is feeling particularly at ease at the thought that they could be the next ones to disappear.

If someone is sitting around by themselves, Chizuru will quickly approach them out of worry. She tries to smile despite the situation, but the fussing is easily visible in her eyes. ]

How are you doing..?

(c. hidden intentions - rescue attempt)

[ And then eventually the disappeared people turn up. Or well, more like the place they were dragged off to is revealed. Fear immediately takes a hold of Chizuru when she realises the people have to be under the sand, judging by where the sound is coming from.

In a panic she completely forgets her manners, instead grabbing the hand of whoever is standing the closest to her and starting to tug on them a little. ]

Please..! We have to go help dig them out, right now..!

c

[hikikomori_king]

I know.

[ Turgon has been pushing himself to his limits, and he doesn't actually know how much power he has left, but... once more, at least. He can move this, just once more ]

I just... need a moment...

[ One moment. Just one. There are people under there. He needs to get them out.

The ground shivers as he reaches for it ]

Chizuru... I ... can't hold it... for long...

[mindseer]

[Fidget, Fidget, fidget... Terezi looked fit to explode right about now. People were disappearing, which meant that Namine might disappear, and she'd agreed to stay back because this was supposed to be safer, supposed to have the people she cared about most well away from danger, to have herself away from it for once. Asterios and the big guns could handle the fighting. She was doing the support thing, but this was...

This sucked! A hit to the back rank was making her very worried because most of the folks who stayed behind? They were some of her best friends here, including her moirail, so she was obviously not doing well.]

...oh, just quacky. Absolutely quack beasty... how about you?

[Fidget fidget.]

A

[momsboy]

[ Any other time, someone colliding into him wouldn't have taken Peter down but, much like Chizuru, he was in a rush and not looking where he was going. The wood planks he had been carrying end all over the ground too and he lets out an 'ouch' when one of them hits his right foot.

Behind them, Peter's elemental Danny stares at the humans. He is the shape of a Giant octopus made of sand and rocks, most of his tentacles holding onto different construction materials and tools. ]

It's all right, I was distracted. Ey, hello Chizuru. [ Peter says casually, as if there isn't a huge mollusc behind him. ]

a

[winscenario]

[ Jim has no interest in getting involved in a mission that involves fighting either, considering what happened to him on the last one. This seems like a safer bet. He can still help out and not feel entirely useless, while not messing with things he doesn't know and end up hurting others yet again.

He spots Chizuru carrying the materials back and forth, and after a while he decides that, since he's not currently busy, he may as well help her out with that. Unfortunately, he doesn't even get the chance to call out her name before she's bumping right into him, and they're both landing on the floor, half the supplies on top of him. ]

Ow, sh-- [ He cuts himself short, hissing at the pain instead. When she rushes to apologize, he just smiles and shakes his head at her, moving to help her gather all the supplies again. ] Chizuru. It's fine, I'll live. But how about I give you a hand before there are any more accidents?

Turgon | The Silmarillion | OTA

[hikikomori_king]

Departure

The cold causes Turgon to withdraw into himself, face set and grim, mood equally so. He talks little, and has to be recalled to himself often. He left both kitten and dog behind, so his nights by the fire are lonely. He will speak if spoken to, but no more than that.

Setting Up Camp

This is why he came - he's the only architect they have, so far as he knows. In Asgard the construction really doesn't need him for most things, any longer. He's taught the natives well, and really, all it needs is time and willing hands. Out here though... He's built these sort of emergency outposts before, and he came prepared with basic plans that he modifies now to suit the environment.

"Here." He shows the plans to those who are helping him build. "The medical building will go here, and then stores here, you see? The well here, and... "

For this, he can put aside his dislike of the cold, and what little sun they have is welcome. He is first to the building site every morning, and last to leave at night.

In fairness to Honir, he doesn't think to defend from below, either.

Hidden Intentions

He's worked himself to exhaustion, but he hasn't really used the magic they have. Not until the ground starts swallowing folk. The first few missing gain absent concern, but then he spots the ground taking someone in front of him.

"No!" He reacts swiftly, reaching to grab and Shift the soil, exposing the captured. Once he realises what's going on, he starts hunting for those who might be buried, and also... for whatever (whoever) is draggnig them under.

He will go until he exhausts himself, if not stopped.

Setting Up

[mindseer]

They'd done this before, hadn't they? This time, she'd taken her blindfold off at least for the work period. Hitting nails on the head sort of demanded not being blinded to do it, so she had that around her neck as a bandana and was wearing a pair of red shades while she looked over the directions and then back up at him.

"We're building some sort of wall, right? Too many towns getting munched. Need them protected, I'd think."

hidden intentions

[yiling_laozu]

"Here," calls Wei Wuxian, gray faced but standing on his own two feet. The healers have seen to him, but being impaled on a giant thorned vine is something even he can't swiftly bounce back from. Even so, his fellow Wanderers are in danger, and Wei Wuxian wants to help.

He points at a patch of soil at his left with Suibian. "I hear someone."

Terezi Plotting - Homestuck - OTA

[mindseer]

1) Building Hives
Terezi had agreed to this in part to appease her friends here, but also because any one of them who had mentioned it really had a point. 'Hell' was above her paygrade. That was for people like Asterios to do, not for people like her. As powerful as she might have gradually become, the reality was that she wasn't built to handle protracted combat and her support abilities were better in tracking than they were frontal assaults like they were doing this time. So... she'd reluctantly agreed. Being able to hang back and protect her moirail just in case was an added bonus.

So, here she was, blindfold off and red shades on so she could see the nails, busily pounding away. She glanced over her shoulder at whoever was nearest, beckoning them over. "Hey, ya got the next one? Gotta get this hive constructed good and quick, right?"

2) Dig Dug!
Terezi... was not ok. This was supposed to be the safe assignment. That was why she'd agreed to this. They weren't supposed to get into fights, and now she was on the ground, clawing muck and mud that had just been flung in her face by the ground before shouting at the top of her lungs. "HEY! Stop that, ya stupid ground and give 'em back!" She was on her feet, fighting the urge to scream and attack. It would have been the natural reaction, but she needed to be sure where her friends were first before she could consider anything else.

And she really, REALLY needed to be sure where Namine was before she got into any serious scraps, and that she was ok. She could contain her temper until then, even if she looked... less than thrilled right now.

Dig Dug

[hikikomori_king]

"Terezi?" He comes over, already looking tired.

"Let me..." He reaches out to the ground and then slumps. "I... I think I'm tapped out for today. How soon was it? Can we dig them out?"

Crowley | Good Omens

[sparkofgoodness]

January 14-16: departure (OTA)

There is no way in heaven or or hell that Crowley is heading out with a bunch of self-styled demon hunters to fight demons and an evil magic tree. No single part of that sounds like it either matches his skill set or is remotely safe for him. Recent events, namely Crowley nearly erasing himself form the timeline, really do just point toward him avoiding anything that might be a little bit dangerous for the time being.

Especially because Aziraphale wouldn't let him, even if he wanted to.

So, with that in mind (and considering nobody appears to be staying put, which he'd have much preferred) the only option left appears to be... this. Heading out in... wagons.

Over ice.

Through a blizzard.

Not even warming magic can make this comfortable for Crowley, who hates even a normal amount of cold. He's wrapped in an obscene amount of blankets, sat on the back of one of the wagons during one of their stops and internally longing for the stupid tiny room they half-shared in Odinhaus. Even that is better than this.

"Why snow again," he moans. "Why did it have to be snow? Why not, I dunno, a tropical storm? One where everything is hot?"


January 17-18: setting up camp (OTA)

Building is not, exactly, a strong point of Crowley's. In fact he can safely say that he doesn't really have a skill set suited at all to building some sort of encampment. He's cold, he's unhappy, he's a little bit nervous still even though the demon hunters have separated off and he'd much rather being wrapped up having a nice sleep.

Instead, then, Crowley is curled up (still under an obscene number of blankets) in the starts of their medical centre of sorts. Aziraphale is the one with the actual healing magic, but Crowley is helping check through lists of medicines and trying to unpack them into some modicum of order.

He's doing this very slowly, while clutching a cup of tea.

"Mandrake root? Really? Who packed that?"

Crowley scrunches up his nose, ticking it off the list and pushing the small box aside before glancing up at the person watching him.

"Don't touch that," he warns, "nasty stuff."


January 19: hidden intentions (CLOSED)

Crowley wakes up alone.

That, in and of itself, isn't terribly surprising. Crowley is better at the whole sleep business than Aziraphale is. Had more practice, and generally enjoyed it more. Aziraphale likes to make use of his time, to get up early and get himself going.

Lingering in the warmth Crowley rolls over and tries to guess how long ago he moved. Tries to put off getting up, going out into the cold. Sometimes, if he persists long enough, Aziraphale will come find him -- bully him firmly into actually getting up. If he's lucky, offer him a cup of tea.

Nobody comes.

Eventually, reluctantly, he gets up. Gets clean and dressed, combs his hair now that it's starting to grow into flicks. He bundles himself up and heads out into the camp site, eyes on the look out for white hair. There's... nothing, no sound of Aziraphale's voice. Nobody at the medical tent they set up, nobody near where they're cooking food.

Crowley feels the prickle of something wash over him. Something that tells him this is... bad. This is bad. Aziraphale wouldn't leave without telling him. He wouldn't. Not after Crowley already gave them both a shock like that.

Maybe he did, though? Maybe he did. Maybe Crowley should... wait. What else can he do?

Crowley is bad at waiting.

He gets distracted from counting supplies, prowls the camp asking people if they've seen Aziraphale. Nobody can remember -- nobody is sure when they last saw him. Sometime that morning, maybe. He prowls the edges of the camp, looking out. He checks, distractedly, every place he might be several times over. Other people, apparently, are missing.

Crowley does not find that comforting. Maybe they went somewhere together, or maybe something happened. The thing is --

The thing is it doesn't... make sense. Aziraphale wouldn't stay away from him this long. He wouldn't. He wouldn't. He --

The sun is down. It isn't that late, but the days are still short at this time of year. Crowley is pacing anxiously when he hears the scream, and he feels all the hairs on the back of his neck lift.

"Aziraphale?" he calls, nervously, then runs toward the sound. There's a growing sense of chaos at the edge of the camp, and it takes Crowley a few moments of watching and listening to make sense of it.

People -- people have been buried somehow. Under the ground.

His stomach clenches hard, and Crowley feels himself begin to panic. Begins to rush up and down where people are trying to listen out for Aziraphale's voice, for something -- some clue to tell him if he's there. If he's under the ground and if so, where. He doesn't really give a flying fuck who has done this or what harmless reasons they might have, he is going to undo it.


[ ooc; if you wanna do something else swing me a PM or message me on Discord! ]

hidden intentions;

[iustise]

It isn't that John had traveled north with the intention of assisting on building this outpost. It was just that with one thing and another, he hadn't exactly prepared to fight those demons they had gone up against. Or perhaps one might say that he had been careless in doing so. Either way, he had managed to find himself on the wrong end of a demonic scythe blade, and though he had killed the thing in the end, come out worse the wear for it, though at least he does still have his arm.

Rather than face an entire horde of demonic foe and a gods-damned demonic tree (he's still trying to wrap his mind around exactly why that makes sense), he decides that he had better limp back to the outpost and lick his wounds in peace, where at least he might be able to make use of himself.

By this time he's had himself tended to, and even had a decent few hours of sleep. So of course that is when the screaming begins.

Lord John is up and out of his tent before he's fully awake or fully dressed for that matter, throwing on his coat and stumbling into his boots as he runs toward the commotion. Which seems to be -- all around him.

Catching sight of one familiar face in amongst the chaos, Lord John grabs the man's shoulder and pulls him up short.

"Mr Crowley," he says, shortly. "What is it -- what has happened?"

Mary Crawley | Downton Abbey | OTA

[thequitecontrary]

1. Setting Up Camp
God help Mary, but she's kind of useless when it comes to many things. Building things is something that she's most definitely useless at. While she could probably manage to hammer in a few nails on her own, Mary isn't fond of the idea of climbing up on top of the unstable structure. Instead, she has a better idea that involves her staying on the ground.

After starting a fire, she makes a spit and gets a large cauldron, hanging it on the spit before filling it with some of the water brought along from the city. After letting the water boil and throwing in half a dozen tea bags, she has a pretty decent improvised tea kettle going. With a ladle, she spoons the liquid into cups for the workers as they take breaks.

Even though the sun is out, it's still freezing cold. Mary wraps her woolen shawl around herself as she grips a cup with her fingerless gloves.

"Hopefully this will at least take the edge off," she tells the person she hands the cup to.


2. Hidden Intentions
It's been a trying morning. After realizing that people were being buried, Mary has been helping with the efforts to dig them out, all while hoping neither she nor Jim would get pulled under themselves and avoiding rogue rocks and the occasional twig thrown at her. She's exhausted and cold and her hair is stringy. Basically, not her idea of a good time.

After the buried Wanderers return to the surface, Mary tries to brush the dirt off of her clothes and hands, with mild effectiveness. She wishes she could have a hot bath. "Bloody gnomes," she says after looking around her to make sure that none of the Steinnbregðr are within earshot. She doesn't want to make this situation worse. "If they wanted to see what humans looked like, they could have just come up and looked at us, couldn't they?" Then nobody would have had to have gotten buried alive and she wouldn't have had to spend half her day digging them out.

Setting Up Camp

[hikikomori_king]

Turgon looks up and smiles in thanks, accepting the cup.

"Thank you, milady. Have we enough supplies?"

Rhys // Borderlands // OTA

[theprezident]

A. Departure

[ Through the whole journey, Rhys is rather miserable. He hasn't really had an issue with the cold in Asgard, so long as he had warm clothes, but he also had the option of getting out of that cold. He doesn't now. And as absolutely weird and beautiful as the weather is, it's hard to fully appreciate it when the cold is seeping into his very bones at this point.

He's wearing a very thick coat, and he's got it wrapped tight around himself, curled up in one of the wagons as he stares blankly into space.

It's fine. It's fine. Everything is fine. ]

B. Setting up

[ It's a great relief to finally make it to their destination. Sitting for so long has been frankly miserable, and he's happy to actually get to do something. Which arguably isn't much, because he's not much of a handyman and he's not very strong, but he helps take stock of their supplies, and walks around to check how everyone else is doing. ]

Need any help?

C. Hidden intentions

[ While everyone else is making nice with the things that were apparently responsible for burying people alive, Rhys is hiding out in the background, sending them angry looks while he keeps finding earth in his pockets and his shoes. It's not that he doesn't understand the concept of not making enemies but, as far as he's concerned, these assholes started it and he wants no part of this bullshit.

Still, he does mutter to himself. ]

Couldn't think to just talk to us from the start, could they? Think they can just come up here and play nice now. Pricks.

[ He's trying not to think about it. How long he just spent in the dark, feeling like the space that was already very small was closing in on him with every passing second, worried that he'd run out of air. But he's still shaking with it, arms wrapped around himself and trying to make it stop. ]

D. Return - closed to Nero

[ As they start packing everything up to head back to Asgard, Rhys starts looking for one of the people whose home all of this obviously came from. Because, see, while wandering around the outpost and helping out with all that, he found a phone booth. And, of course, he worked out that it's a phone. It said as much. He knows now what old phones look like, thanks to the ones he found during his first month in Asgard.

But he's still confused.

He spots Nero first, which is lucky enough because he's talked to the guy some - at least as far as he can remember - and the guy isn't too intimidating. ]

Hey, Nero, buddy. I need you to explain something to me.

E. Wildcard

[ You know the drill. ]

[sassery]

[There's been a commotion here, too- only hearing about people being buried long after his return back to the outpost, looking beaten to all hell, but a wide smile on his face. God, he's missed fighting like that. It was a staunch reminder of the damage left behind in Redgrave when they had gone and seen the Qliphoth raised again in a new place, this time.

Still, he's tired as anything, but he won't turn down a familiar face. So when Rhys approaches him with a friendly question in tow, he can't help but raise a brow.]

Rhys? Hey, pal. What's up?

Riku | Kingdom Hearts

[miragesplitkey]

a. hidden intentions. { Darkness }

( Riku can’t understand where he is, or why he is there. The last thing he remembers is staying awake longer than normal, occasionally looking at his two friends to make sure they were fine before crashing. But now- Now...

One of his hands tries to reach as further as possible, hitting what seems like a wall. He palpates above his head while moving his feet, taking him just seconds to realize that he is trapped and all he can see is darkness. Riku tries his best to keep himself calm. If he got in there, there must be a way to get away. Right? But what if he got back to their home and pulled back, somehow, to the darkness? What if his friends have been pulled too? Those questions resonate in his head more and more strongly till the teen shakes in despair.

His lips parts in a heartbreaking scream as he tries to dig with his hands, nailing on any surface that is possible, just trying to dig on a different spot when his nails hurt from hitting rocks or whatever that hard surface is. It doesn't help his sanity being one of the first people to be buried; since he didn't see people being swallowed by the ground nor can remember how he ended down there, the worst ideas takes over his mind despite how much he tells himself to stay calm.

Above all the layers of soil and rocks, a colorful bat flaps its wings desperately, flying in circles over the last place it saw its owner. )

b. hidden intentions. { Freedom }

( For how long has he been buried? Hours? Days? For him it has certainly felt like an eternity. From the moment he has been released his lips have remained sealed and his eyes closed. Not even a thank you nor a glimpse to whoever rescued him. Of course he is grateful, but his neck is sore from all the screaming, he is thirsty and hungry. His eyes had become accustomed to darkness so any light bothers him and even hurts.

But, ironically, he is scared to see what have been of him. His clothes, besides being dirty just like the rest of him, are torn from all his moving while trying to get out by himself. The komory bat, clueless but glad to see its owner back, just lands on Riku's lap and curls ready to rest. The teen quickly embraces the creature against himself, buring his face on it. He may be free from the hole, but that experience made his fears and worse nightmares to come back. )

c. wildcard.

b

[keybearing]

[Sora's been frantic ever since Riku and Namine went missing. He was panicked, all but breaking at having no idea what had happened to them, reduced to trying to dig with his bare hands at first in his haste and initial freak out in trying to find them. He was pretty exhausted himself, but of course he had tried to stay at it and keep digging. They had to be somewhere under there, after all. Especially when he finds Komory bat to give him a clue as to the area. He blinks, blue eyes wide as he sees Riku be released from the earth, all but immediately throwing himself at the older teen and probably getting his shirt wet with tears as he clings to him.]

Riku....! I was so worried! You're okay....!

[Meow Wow also joins in but at least just seems to bounce over onto Sora's back. Not joining the pile actually on Riku.]

Finn | Star Wars

[captainmaterial]

[ hidden intentions : digging in the dirt ]

[Sure, the ride here was mildly uneventful. And the building process went rather smoothly. Perhaps it all went too well for being such an excursion. Once the exploration party went off things started to go wrong. Finn notices along with others that people have disappeared who shouldn't have. He stares at the ground in the pre-dawn light trying to narrow down where this one native is buried.

He rubs at his face.] I really wish Jörgen was here... I hate having to ask him to yell again.

[His hands, face, and clothes are covered in dirt and he moves towards a new area just a few steps away.] What do you think? Here?

[He stopped being in a rush a few hours ago. They're still yelling so they're getting air somehow. And he's a little exhausted but refusing to let it stop him.]

Do you know if anyone's successfully gotten anyone out yet? [Getting on his knees and starting to dig again.]

[ hidden intentions : DOWN WE GO ]

[Later in the day, after taking a break, Finn is walking towards the area of screaming again to start digging again when his ankle sinks into the dirt, yanking him to a stop.]

What the—[Even as Finn looks down at his foot he's further yanked down and the rest of his sentence turns into a yell. The metal bowl he'd been using to dig with clatters to the ground solidly, the only sign that someone had been there.]

[ hidden intentions : b̶̧̞̩̟̤̰̌ư̴̪̟̗̝̭̓̈̄́̀͠͝͝r̵̨̗̜̮̈́͐̌i̶̲͈̲̜͖͎̺̼̪̟̇́͒͠ę̵̮͔͕̳̰̌̓̌ḋ̸̢͚͎̏̈́͐̾͐̌̆͝ ]

[The space Finn finds himself in moments later is barely large enough for him to wiggle in. He finds this out the hard way as he jerks with the last bit of his yell and his head hits the dirt above him. Instinctively his hand tries to come up to comfort the sudden ache but he finds he can't move them much.]

No!

[Finn twists in his small space, his shoulder and arm striking one part, the opposite leg and knee hitting the other.]

Come on! Not like this!

[He starts breathing rather panicky, the confines of his armor never really bothered him but this... This was different.]

Hey! Let me out of here!

[Just the resounding silence answers him, at least what there is along with his shuffling and breath. Hours pass between him yelling and trying to shift so that there's more room. More pass while he tries to figure out what to do before finally remembering his shield. The question is...will it work?

Finn pushes his arm up against the rock above him and summons the power given to him by Frigg. The familiar weight that comes along with it comes with a slight breeze this time, summoned as close as it is. With a grunt of exertion he pushes at the dirt above him—the shield expanded as far as he can—Finn struggles to make more room. He gets a couple of inches, enough so that Finn is able to shift on his side before his shield times out.

However...the ground above him now is raised like a freshly buried grave.]

[ hidden intentions : abstaining ]

[Between one blink and the next, he finds himself squinting in the sunlight. Slowly he gets himself to his feet, freshly covered in dirt and just a little bit of his own blood, making his way over to the grouping of natives/Wanderers and the strange folk. Finn rubs at his chest as he listens in to the conversation, it seems like they want a "redo".]

You don't mind if I abstain from any sort of voting considering I don't really have good feelings at the moment.

[He's just going to make his way into one of the structures they've made since arriving here. Just to get away from the whole situation. In normal situations he'd be a little more accepting of the idea of starting over. But as of yet... Yeah, give him a bit.]

[ W I L D C A R D ]

[Hit me up through Finn's journal or on plurk/discord if you wanna plan anything. Or just throw stuff at me!]

Setting up camp

[brother_cadfael]

[For all Cadfael was in shape for his age, it had been over a decade since he'd been in active combat. A knife or sword in self-defense was one thing, but outright war-he would leave that to those with younger or more experienced blood.

He was at the moment assisting with rope and rigging for the building, when he spotted Finn.] Are you doing alright, lad?

Héctor | Coco

[vagabone]

Departure

[He's bundled up and quieter than normal throughout the three day journey, feeling the chill in his bones once they reach the winter land, and every bump the wagons hit. Not fun, to feel old and be traveling. In a strange land. Towards what will certainly not be a good time. They're in deep, deep trouble, he thinks. It's hard to be optimistic after nearly a century of bad luck.

Gotta give him credit for trying, though! He's casual about everything on the outside, if not his usual grinning self. Decades of practice, of swallowing his feelings most of the time. It's the only way he can keep going at all.]

setting up

[There's so little he can do, and that's frustrating. Always has been. Can't try to lift anything heavy, especially with his bones unable to separate, he knows from experience that's a good way to end up with cracks. And then everyone would fuss. He's useless dead weight, and not skilled at building anyway. But he can cook! And this many people will certainly need to be fed!

Like it or not, a skeleton has wormed his way into makeshift kitchen duty, merrily ignoring all protests (if there were any). It's fine! He washed his hands first! He's not a bad chef, weirdly enough. At least he's enjoying himself?]

hidden intentions

[It's Héctor. Héctor, who apparently has never had a day of good luck in his entire afterlife. And perhaps the little gnomes are curious about one of the stranger looking people on this trip. Yes indeedy, he's one of those sucked into the earth around nightfall, in front of witnesses and everything, with barely even time to shout before he's gone.

He'll be returned unharmed, of course. Wide-eyed and twitchy, blinking upon seeing light again. There's some nightmare fuel for him. Buried alive, more or less, clawing at the earth until his fingers ache, screaming his nonexistent lungs out, minutes feeling like hours...

Poor fellow could definitely use a hug.]

wildcard

[Anything else goes here! He did come along to offer healing services. If anyone comes back from the battle near death (or thought to be), he's around to help! Just let me know.]

setting up

[brother_cadfael]

Cadfael for once, wasn't with those in charge of making the make-shift hospital, but rather helping with the actual shelters. Rest and recuperation were just as important to health as medicine, after all.

Passing by the kitchen shelter was only incidental when he saw Hector, and was grateful he'd encountered the skeleton earlier. There was enough to be done without him gawking.] And what is it you're making?

Naminé | Kingdom Hearts

[lethechained]

Setting Up Camp |

A. [ To say that Naminé is not accustomed to manual labor would be something of an understatement. Though she has shaped places and things easily enough in the past with memories, it's entirely another matter to actually go about building a real structure out of solid materials. Still, the poor girl's doing her level best, even though the hammer in her hands looks woefully out of place there. She's tremendously careful in that way a cautious person new to something is, but it can't be claimed that she lacks precision, at least. The nails are all where they ought to be... eventually. Strength isn't one of her strong suits either, and frankly it's probably physically painful to watch this tiny creature using the hammer with a delicacy that suggests she's afraid she'll give the nails a headache if she hits them too hard. ]

B. [ But fortunately, Naminé has other talents. Later on, once she's found an opportunity to assist in... better-suited ways, she'll be quick to appear at the side of anyone else working on construction with a basket tucked into the crook of her arm. She's such a quiet girl that it might be a bit startling, but it seems at least she knows what she's doing there, showing up like that. She's got water, a few fruits - and she's perfectly happy to hold out either, depending on how parched or famished her intended recipient of assistance seems to be. ]

Here. You look like you need this.

C. [ Or, perhaps more abruptly, those around her might find that she's spotted them experiencing any one of the small injuries that can occur during construction work. Smashed their thumb with a hammer? Dropped a board on their foot? Well, there Naminé suddenly is, heading over with an abrupt but profound concern. ]

May I see--?


Hidden Intentions |

D. [ Perhaps there's a certain irony in how little she actually thinks about the possibility of being snatched away herself after so many people start going missing. It's the worry that does it - it always has been concern for other people that makes her bold, that drives her to act. She's out there searching with everyone else as long as she can be, though she's not one to sugarcoat anything even in her own mind; as it presently becomes obvious that their friends have quite thoroughly disappeared without any trace left behind by which to follow them, she becomes increasingly silent, features set into a grim, contemplative line. ]

… It doesn't make sense.

[ That's the remark she comes up with at last, offered to the nearest person also participating in the search. She's frowning at the ground, as though staring at it very hard might convince it to give up its secrets. ]

If they went somewhere, or if someone came and took them, shouldn't there be more footprints leading away?

E. [ For once, more caution would have served her well.

Because she isn't expecting it at all when the ground shifts beneath her. Her cry is involuntary as she's yanked down under the earth, a quick blur of silvery blonde and light clothing before she's out of sight.

The first few instants of struggle are equally unplanned, the basic reaction of a living creature as she tries to process what's happened to her - but almost as quickly she stops, eyes wide in the dark and chest rising and falling quickly as she breathes her way through the cold rush of adrenaline. On the outside, above ground, it must be eerily quiet in the wake of her disappearance; it doesn't even occur to her to scream, at first. ]

F. [ But eventually, one way or another, their collective freedom lands her curled up in the back of one of the wagons. It isn't hard to guess what's happened to her, considering the dirt that still clings to her face and tangles in her pale hair. Her clothes must be similarly afflicted, but it's hard to tell due to the blanket she's wrapped in. She's close enough to the edge of the platform on which she's sitting to let her legs dangle over, but she doesn't; she's turned sideways, knees drawn in. It's likely she feels safer there than on the ground itself.

After all, she's still shaking like a leaf. ]


G. [ Wildcard! ]

E

[mindseer]

[It is not immediate. Terezi's been going into kind of an 'in the zone' sort of mood ever since this insanity's begun. She was trying to keep too many people in her sights, but when she heard that involuntary cry, she knew something was up just as soon as she recognized the voice. It sent a chill down her spine and she was frantically running through the unpaved walkways of the newly formed camp to find any sign of Naminé's disappearance.

More than one had been shouted at already, and she'd probably shaken some poor, unaware, helpless person. This was supposed to be the safe assignment, and she couldn't even... no, she needed to keep her head on straight. She'd figure out the rest as soon as she knew that Naminé was safe. She was in the general vicinity, however, eventually. Someone had to have seen a vague direction, and she was taking that for what it was worth. Shouting at the top of her lungs, she hoped she could be heard just beneath the ground.]

Naminé! Can you hear me?!? Where are you?