( DANGEROUS DELUGE-ION FOLLOW-UP ) down the dragon hole!

[skittering]

Who: everyone who wants to climb down a hole
What: climb down the hole the dragon came out from! get in trouble! be happy and/or miserable for reasons outside of your control! (see this plotting post for an actual helpful answer)
When: day 15 (june 23rd) through whenever they come back out
Where: a rather sizable hole and the wiggity cave it leads to
Rating: any number of ratings tbh, please warn for troubling content in your subject lines!

❰ this is a catch-all post for all things pertaining to locating the hole, combating the jungle to reach the hole, climbing down the hole, exploring the cave, hallucinating within the cave, rescuing others from the cave, and bringing the gods to the cave, as well as postulating about the hole, considering the hole over tea, or dying on the way to or through the hole and/or cave. ❱

Comments

emil västerström | ssss (tyr)

[enflame]

ONE: ONE IN THE BUSH
( This is a mission. Emil originally didn't want much to do with any of this dragon nonsense -- it had terrified him immensely just the day before, and the fact that it seemed to be over was an immense relief. If he happens upon anyone who brought the beast down, he'll express gratitude.

That's not on his mind currently, though. It's a pity that tracking isn't his forte, because that's basically what he's doing. Unfortunately for him, what -- who he's tracking isn't very good about leaving clues as to where he's going. Too light, too fast, too spry, too conscious.

Because of this, the forest is a problem for Emil. He's not light enough, not fast at all, not used to nimble movement and basically a bull in a tree shop, especially with how dense everything is.

It's not hard at first, but there are some mistakes made as he goes on. Small fires are set, a canteen is poured out to get rid of one of said fires. About halfway through on the first day, he trips over a large root, falls hard on the ground and becomes entangled in a large vine bush.

Which may explain why that large piece of shrubbery is moving, and eventually cursing. )

TWO: SHOTS FIRED
( It took him two whole days to do it, but it happened -- Emil survived the forest from hell. He comes out on the other side with a plant or two tangled into his hair and confused as hell, but that just means he's alive, damn it.

Emil expected the hole to not look so ominous, but that's not even the first thing he notices about the setting. It's not even the still smoldering fauna that's occasionally bursting into flame again. No, it's a note that's etched into the ground with a sharp object, scrawled in a way that is obviously awkward but still legible: )

EMIL DO NOT

( Huh...wonder if there's another Emil wandering around these parts...Right now he's just staring at it, wheels turning in his brain about the fate of the writer. )

THREE: ACQUIRED
( This feeling of emptiness had settled into his chest so deeply that at times it felt like it had always been there. Maybe it was really what had wormed its way into Emil's heart from the moment he set foot here, this existential feeling of sadness and negativity he couldn't put into words if he tried. The more he moved forward into the cave; he'd been there for what seemed like weeks after a while.

After more and more walking, as well as a moment of sleeping, the setting changes little by little. The lights become more and more vibrant, like miniature auroras in the cave. And it's at that time that the lump sitting in his chest starts to bloom, growing lighter and lighter with each step.

Yes...this is the sensation he's been looking for, maybe for much longer than his experience in Yggdrasil, taken to its utmost conclusion. Peace. Comfort. Room to breathe.

Emil could sit here for hours -- honestly, he hadn't even realized he was sitting until he blinks and comes to realize the vision in his eyeline has changed. Oh well, his legs are suddenly so tired. His whole body is tired, but it's all okay. The longer he sits in the ambient light and noise, the more his muscles just melt against the wall of the cave.

After -- actually, it's impossible to gauge the time. But eventually Emil feels a slight tug at his sweater sleeve. There may be other people around, but no one so close to him. When he turns, what's left of that heavy weight is completely gone. He's found who he was looking for, cave or no cave. Lalli is here, unblinking and wordless, but that's about par for Lalli's course anyway.

Certain things phase in and out of Emil's reality, and sometimes their order or actual happenstance elude Emil if he stops to think and focus. Most of what he thinks he's saying to his friend isn't actually coming out of his mouth, but he has a long, one-sided conversation with him about essentially everything in existence. Lalli leans against him in what he hopes is an effort to sleep, for he gets far too little of it. In general, the physically presence of him is just so nice. He's safe, he's not running amok doing who knows what. Lalli gives him a warm hug after he tells him he's excited to find him again.

But in reality, it's all just Emil staring dumbly into the vibrant space, mind so far away. He does eventually say one thing, very cracked from his obvious dehydration: )

Can't we just stay here? Where it's nice? ( And maybe you hear it, even if it's not said to you at all. Even if he doesn't even know you're here. )

three

[channellings]

[whatever the fuck is going on with this cave, it's certainly not normal, has been completely unanticipated, and klaus hasn't even reached his own stage of hallucinations yet. at the moment, he's feeling the whole at peace sensation, yet there's a nagging feeling at the back of his mind telling him it's not right, which isn't hard to ignore? but it's like that fly you get used to and then it buzzes into your ear all of a sudden—

something that has him teetering between relief and an uncomfortableness he's unable to explain, making him all the more curious about what sort of place they've stumbled upon down this crazy alice in wonderland-esque rabbit hole. the former medium's feeling pretty damn intoxicated right now, although there is enough coherency for him to be somewhat aware he's not alone.

his immediate response is too quiet to be heard-- a hardly audible "emil?" then he shuffles closer to the swede, attempts shaking the haze off his brain while he crouches down beside him.] H-Hey, man, you okay? [despite him already knowing the answer.] Maybe we can stay for just a little bit?

Here, [he reaches for the flask at his side, untwists the cap and cautiously brings it toward emil, realization dawning so he adds,] It's just water, I swear. [before the accusations start.]

one.

[confier]

[ since the battle, she has changed her dress into a suit, more akin to what a musketeer would wear, shirt and pants tucked into boots, arm guards bearing the sign of fleur-de-lys strapped tight — most of it was brought to her by the strange rain of items, and it's sure useful now. the hem of a dress would get caught in the bushes, but dressed like this it's easy for her to step over roots and branches, her hair in a braid to avoid it getting tangled.

not everyone takes to the foliage as easily, though, and when she sees a young man stumble and stay to fight what seems to be a losing battle with a shrubbery, she bites down on her instinct to be amused and instead crouches down, saying loudly, ]

Please, calm down. I'll help to free you of it. If you keep moving, you'll make it worse.

Fran Baiseal | OC (Honir)

[hantale]

Intro:
[ As discussed in the plotting thread, Fran is exploring mostly on grounds of intense curiosity. They're not against anyone traveling with them and are more than happy to share the burden if people need a more experienced guide through this wild nature. They'll be leaving shortly after the event ends, after speaking to a few friends and sorting out their supplies.

Travel gear includes 3-4 days worth of nuts and dried fruits, a good helping of water, and some white chalk. As they were helping out with the fight and pulling anyone injured away, they're mostly familiar with where the hole should be. ]

I: Where the roads end.

[ Fran lets out a slow, satisfied breath. There's no clear marker for where the city ends and the jungle of a forest begins, but partway through the tamed trees and lush undergrowth the gradual shift to true, extreme wilderness begins to show. Any semblance of a normal path has faded by now, only the hints of what might be deer trails or seem like they could be.

For a moment, they wriggle their arms, considering the clothes they're wearing with a pause. They've left their footwear behind but kept the clothes given to them on. Being covered in the forest feels so... unusual. Either way, it's time to move forward.

If traveling alone, Fran will be moving somewhat fast, quite accustomed to wandering in terrain where one must be careful and quick to figure out the best way forward, otherwise sticking to their companion's pace. While this nature is almost completely unfamiliar, the often wild exploration isn't. Every few hours, Fran climbs one of the easier looking trees to get a glimpse of the sky, confirming they're on the right path. Anyone traveling with them will hear a voice from above call down before they drop back to the forest floor. ]

Slightly off course! Head in your Front-left!

[Every so often, they pause to collect food from the shifting natural surroundings. In between the evolving growth and burgeoning greenery are somewhat familiar things: berries, edible weeds, root plants, and similar ilk. Anything unfamiliar is judged in the old fashioned way: Smell, prepare, touch, taste, chew, then swallow. The process only takes about 40 minutes all up, and food found can be held onto for the next day after proper testing. It's not super ideal, but if they get desperate.

Of course, if you're with them, they'd be happy to show you what to look for in wild food! ]

II: Be Prepared

[ Lacking a light source, Fran will be waiting until the mid-day sun is almost directly above the hole to start descending to maximize how much light is reaching the lower regions (or going whenever during the day if they're with someone with a light!). Big enough to let that behemoth of a giant out, there should be a large enough window of time to climb through. If you were smart enough to bring a rope, well... Guess what! You're in luck. Climbing and other forms of more extreme travel are one of the few things Fran is familiar with!

Those nearby and unfamiliar might get passing advice from the nymph, pointing out routes that look much safer.

Despite it's intimidating depth and jaggedness, climbing with a rope is... Pretty alright! The peaks and troughs leave plenty of room for handholds, anchor points and resting spots for those with not amazing forearm strength. Climbing by hand is... Trickier, but the handholds and crevices make for an alright descent.

At the top of the hole, Fran's body shudders and shifts, loosening the belt of their pants as they grow almost a foot taller to re-tie it. Their hands and feet both shift, adopting a thick, darker texture as their nails grow out into short, sturdy claws. Either right before they descend or as they're climbing down past you, they give a little smile and nod.

Magic helps, it turns out]

I'll see you at the bottom~

[ Or, if climbing with ropes, they'll happily work with someone to change anchor points and find safe routes down.]

III: A Hole New World

A:
[ Fran's faintly glowing, slitted eyes are almost fully pupils down at the bottom of the cave, looking over the iridescent walls with a mixture of astonishment and curiosity. Even with someone, they don't say anything as they walk over to one cavern wall and tap at its sides, seeing if they can figure out what's causing the glow.

Evidently, no clue.]

Amazing... [ They almost whisper, though it's plenty loud in the quiet of the cave. Turning back to blink at whoever's with them. A few experimental steps reveal the ground reacts like water in a marvelous reflection of their surroundings. ] Have you ever seen anything like this?!

B:
[ Further in, Fran's a lot more withdrawn... Loneliness is... Well, it used to be second nature after several hundred years of living like a wandering hermit. Having spent the last few weeks positively surrounded by company, both good and bad, the strange isolation and creeping paranoia in the cave has come crashing back on them twofold. Almost on instinct, they shiver, one hand reaching out to grab the hand of whoever's with them and giving it a squeeze that's just a bit too firm.

Just something to remind them that there's a friend nearby, more than they've been able to say in some time. They'll be moving on from here fairly quickly, but if the need to sleep arrives, Fran will find a spot near someone else.]

IV: Rainbow Bomb, Oh So Calm

[ The gentle glow of the previous cavern was nothing in comparison to the sight before them. Fran's eyes, wide with disbelief, blinked a few times just to ensure what they were seeing was real. Even then, they weren't entirely sure. It doesn't take long for calmness to wash over them like a warm summer drizzle, washing away any tenseness from the previous cavern's paranoia. Shoulders drop, hands fall loose to their sides, and a calm expression settles over the nymph's face. ]

It's so nice here... I'm glad I made this trip. [ Though it seems more like they're talking to themselves than anyone else. A new voice in the conversation wouldn't be unwelcome. ] Perhaps even... Take a nap.

-Surprisingly tired...

[ Very much true to those words, Fran is going to curl up at some point in the calming cave and drift off into a pleasant sleep. A nap turns into a full-on sleep, newcomers to the cavern might accidentally or almost stumble over the sleeping nymphs figure if they're not careful!

When they wake up, Fran will spend a bit more time admiring the lights and calm sensation before that natural wanderlust in their mind starts ticking away again. Either alone, or dragging someone along with them, they head off deeper. ]

V: What Could Have Been (CW: Violence, Death, and Slavery)

[hantale]

V: What Could Have Been Minor CW: Violence, Death, and Slavery

[ Used to week and month-long travels, Fran feels surprisingly tired, like they've been running for days at a time. Why are they even pushing forward now, after seeing so much and coming so far? Perhaps that's exactly why. Burning curiosity and the desire to see this final leg through, Fran descends into the darkness with slow, careful steps for an eternity.

It's only when time seems to stretch onwards forever that little lights start to appear, like fireflies or faerie lights sparking around them, winking into a field of stars in an underground planetarium so large it's breathtaking.

For a moment, Fran just freezes, astonished as the weight of the travel seems to lessen. Then they continue onwards, alone or with whoever else managed to make it this far. Though, eventually their thoughts of others starts to drift away. As the lights begin to meld into dripping illusions and the darkness shifts to pitch contrast, their head turns to glance to whoever was with them, but instead they see only the dripping starfield around them. Despite that though, they don't feel alone. Something is nearby, something all around them.

The moment that thought clicks, every light descends at once like a wall crushing down over Fran's mind. If the rainbow room was a warm summer drizzle, the lights in this abyss drop like a uniform hailstorm.

With a flash, they're back in their homeworld on a night the nymph prefers not to remember, vivid as ever before. The sound of whistles in the trees and the sharp twang of an arrow being loosed bring their consciousness right back to alert. They remember running, bolting as fast as those short legs can carry them through the far outskirts of a forest near a small farming town. They remember the arrow narrowly missing their leg and humans shouting in the distance.

Magic is thrown in all directions, a large black orb engulfing the nymph without impeding their vision as they run away. The chase is harrowing, twice almost caught by being herded towards traps set up. Their breath is ragged, exhaustion tiring their legs... But they manage to escape, finally able to let out a sigh of relief.

Then another Flash.

Right back where they stood before. The bow twangs. This time they're a bit too slow, or the shooter predicting their movement, and the nymph cries out in pain as the arrow embeds into their thigh, a sound that's repeated by Fran in the cave, having dropped to their knees with hazy eyes as they relive the memory. They can still run, even with the crimson trail of blood flowing down their leg. The chase proceeds as it did before, though when they think they're free, their vision begins to blur, blood loss is starting to kick in...

Flash

The arrow lands true once more, drawing out another cry of pain from the real and remembered nymph, now curled up on the ground and clutching at whatever they're on. This time the arrow is poisoned and, though it bleeds less. As Fran runs once again through the forest they've seen three times over now, their body starts to slow and weaken. The sounds of people closing in on them accompany an encroaching blackness as their vision fades. They wake later in chains, looking at the world through the thick iron bars of a cage made specifically for them. They blink, rubbing at their eyes as realization sets in and tears begin to fall down the real and past nymph's face...

Flash

The arrow was too high, pincushioning the nymphs chest with a meaty thud and a cry that faded quickly into a choked gasp, once again echoed by both Past and Present Fran. They barely make a few feet before stumbling, clutching at the arrow and laying, wide eyed, on the ground. In the distance they can hear someone shouting, likely telling off the shooter for hitting somewhere vital, but it fades away as their heart begins to slow, a coldness creeping over their form until that too fades to slumber. ]

III: A I'm not late at all.

[theprezident]

[ Rhys doesn't meet Fran's gaze, too busy looking around with wide eyes and parted lips, and he turns around a lap (which he's already done a couple of times) before he actually lowers his head. He's absolutely amazed, and there's no mistaking it. ]

No. I didn't know-- I mean, I knew rocks could have colour but this ... It looks more like there's something lighting them up.

Terezi Pyrope | OTA

[mindseer]

(OOC: Terezi won't get past Step 4, so she can be rescued by anyone rather than needing Mimir's assistance.)

The Forest:
Terezi wasn't traveling alone, for no other reason than the fact that wandering around in a forest blindfolded was perhaps the most colossally stupid thing she could imagine doing alone. But she'd heard people were going off to look for that hole, and she happened to be one of those who had fought the big ugly thing, so she wanted to join in.

Trick was that she was being stubborn about the blindfold. So she grunted as she pushed through underbrush, gripping it to keep it from pulling away as she grumbled. "Hey, you could have warned me about the tree branch, ya know!"

If you happened to know she wasn't blind, now would be a really good time to bring it up. If not? Now might have been an even better time to ask why the hell she was here.

Spelunking for the fun of it:
Finally she was through the forest. At some point about half-way through, she'd caved into the obvious reality and put her blindfold away. So she was now standing there, a heavy duty rope and pitons in a satchel over her shoulder as she looked down into that thing. She whistled and jabbed whoever was with her in the ribs.

"Hey, if we through a rock down there, how long before we hear it go clunk ya think? Wanna take bets?" Not that she had anything to bet with.

I was finally happy here: (CW for mild depression)
She was just sitting there quietly, looking at someone seated next to her. Maybe it was visible to others as a hallucination, a trick of the light, maybe she just looked like she had her head down, almost as if she were trying to hug someone's shoulder. It didn't especially matter.

Terezi looked tired, impossibly so. Her arms encircled the person there before her and she was sobbing in a way that sounded half relieved, half just exhausted. "Wh...what took so long, you dumby? There's nothing for us there anymore," she was whispering over and over again. She didn't want to go.

Deep in her mind, part of her knew, knew for a fact that it couldn't be real. That freaking spider bitch would never have been quiet for this long. There were pieces of the whole thing that were off. She didn't care. She just didn't fucking care. She just wanted Vriska to be real, to not be dead in that colossal fuckup of their world, about to stop existing. Honestly, she wanted a lot of them to be there, but she wanted this one to be there so badly that it ached and she didn't care if it was a lie. She didn't want to go right now.

She heard footsteps behind her and her head turned, glancing almost in accusation. Were they seriously going to take her away from here?

Spelunking

[hantale]

Fran's head tiiips over, peering down the hole with a concerned little humm. "I don't even think we'd hear it... It might be lost to the echo." They return.

That's hardly the question on Fran's mind thought, the biggest two so far is: "What are you doing here, Terezi?" Spoken in a bit more concern than is probably necessary.

"And where did your blindfold go?"

[onlyinmemory]

Xion frowned at the hole, worried. She didn't feel the need to explore it herself. There was no real reason to think anything of interest was down there, and there were already some half-dozen people diving in.

"Are you really sure you want to do this? We may not find anything but more rocks."

She isn't the betting type. Luxord was just too enthusiastic about it.

I was finally happy here

[timeriffs]

Dave stops dead in his tracks when Terezi looks at him. Something weird was going on here, and he wasn't quite sure what. Terezi was an odd gal, and prone to pretendy fun times, even at the most serious times she was willing to slip into her attorney persona as quickly as Dave is into his oldest pair of boxers with 3 holes in it.

But he's never seen Terezi rock the romantic (or friendly?) side of roleplay and here she was, hugging nothing.

"S'up," he says slowly. "Didn't know you took up miming. Was that a pre-retcon meteor thing."

Rhys // Borderlands // OTA

[theprezident]

A. Departure, Tyrhaus

[ There is someone scavenging through all cupboards and the fridge in the communal kitchen, with a bag in one hand. If you don't have any business in there and would catch him that way, you might hear him talking to himself as you pass by. ]

That's just the problem when everything's fresh. What if it'll take me days and everything goes bad before I even get there? Wherever there is.

B. Arrival! At the hole

[ He's staring.

There's a lot to stare at, which is precisely why he's staring. Those rocks look really menacing, and that hole looks very terrifying. For several minutes, he just stares at it.

Then, he picks up a smaller rock from the ground, and throws it into the hole. No noise follows it. It may be because it's just really deep, or the rock was just too small and simply doesn't make enough noise. ]

I'm making a big mistake.

[ Said matter-of-fact. It's a big mistake. Yet he doesn't leave. He's still here, and he's stepping even closer to the hole. ]

I'm probably going to die but, you know, it's fine.

[ NERVOUS LAUGHTER let's just. Sit down on the edge. And get a bit dizzy looking down. ]

It's fine.

C. Climbing down

[ So. It's very dark, and not for the first time, he wishes his cybernetics would actually work. And was he smart enough to bring a lighter or anything? No. Didn't think of it.

He's climbing very slowly, because he can't see and he's terrified of losing his grip, but his arms are already getting tired, so that's not ... great. Please give him some light?

Alternatively, someone with the strength to do it, please catch him when he inevitably loses his grip. You'll hear him. He screams very good. ]

D. Rainbooows

[ When the darkness finally gives way to light, relief floods over him. It had been starting to feel like the darkness was seeping into him, into his very bones, and he'd wanted to crawl out of his own skin. This is so much better. Warmer, with the soothing sound of running water, and he has to stop and take a few deep breaths with his head tilted back and his eyes closed.

By now, his non-metal hand, forearms and the cheek and eyebrow of the right side of his face are a bit scratched up, though they're only barely stinging. There is a tear or two in his shirt, and his shoes have seen better days, though they're intact. Skag leather is useful for its sturdiness, if nothing else.

This seems like a good place to rest, and so he takes the bag off his back and settles down to eat something. He hasn't eaten since before he reached the hole, and he's starving. It's a good distraction from thinking about how far he is underground and how he'll get back up, because he will probably need to, but he'll figure it out. He always does.

Well. Almost always.

Anyway. He has food and water. Do you have food and water? No? Tough luck. This is his. (Or, you know, just force him to give you some.) ]

b.

[confier]

You don't have to go down, you know.

[ constance's expression is something between apprehensive and decisive — she's made her choice, a sensible one, after seeing the hole. she knows her skills, and where they lie — climbing down there is not one of them.

which is why there's sympathy in her eyes as she looks at rhys. ]

I'll stay here, make sure those who go down come back. Or if they don't, that there is someone here who knows who is supposed to come back. You could stay, too.

wildcard;

[asgardsguide]

[Amongst the visions, the hallucinations, the madness and the darkness and the colors and the light, there's a fixed point. A stable spirit, a sense of sanity . . .

Poor Rhys. He's had a rough time of it in Asgard, hasn't he? But his god won't abandon him.]

Rhys . . .

[It's soft. Not quite directed at him just yet, but he'll find him sooner or later. He's close by; maybe give him a hand, Rhyses Pieces.]

VISIONS cw: violence, death

[theprezident]

It doesn't look like water. That in itself isn't necessarily too strange, but the fact that there's no echoing sound from the droplets landing on the rocks below - because surely there has to still be rocks below - is what feels truly unnerving. For a moment, he wonders if he's even awake or present anymore. Then he looks up, and one of the droplets is about to fall straight into his eyes before he can actually dodge it--

And suddenly the world is loud. It isn't truly that loud - there's some gunfire - but in comparison to how quiet it was only seconds ago, it startles him. Suddenly he's lying on the floor, and his throat hurts. Not the inside of it, but the outside, because he's been choked. Somehow he knows this, but he's not sure he should know it.

He's vaguely aware of Vasquez yelling something about his face. As in, just those words: MY FACE. It's satisfying. As he pushes himself to sit there's a crunching noise, and Vaughn exclaims:

"Yeah, baby!"

"Thanks," says Loader Bot.

That's right. Vasquez had had a remote. Must have been the crunching. Good. Good riddance.

"Nice," says Fiona.

The danger isn't over yet, though, because there are still robots flying about who believe that their precious Gortys ... ball ... thingie, is under threat. Fiona grabs the ball, and they run for cover behind the giant statue of a naked man holding a planet on his shoulders.

"I don't want to be braggy," says Vaughn, "but I was pretty awesome back-- What the crap?"

A smaller robot suddenly swoops in in front of Fiona and fires a dart. She dodges, and instead the dart flies straight for Vaughn, piercing him in the neck. He makes a sound of pain, and Rhys can see sparks shooting out from him before he collapses.

"Vaughn!" Rhys shouts, and rushes over to kneel beside him. "Come on, buddy, talk to me!"

All he gets in response, however, are unintelligible noises. But at least there are noises.

Then, reality warps. This time, Fiona doesn't dodge in time and the dart strikes her instead. The Gortys ball rolls away from cover to the side of the room, and Rhys dives after it as Sasha runs to Fiona's side.

The next time, it's a different robot that intercepts Fiona and Vaughn, and she instead is struck by bullets that are meant to kill. The shriek of her name from Sasha sends a cold shiver down Rhys's spine, and he didn't think he cared. He really didn't think he cared, but his chest aches.

It shifts again, and there's an unease in his stomach as he gets onto his feet. Fiona's throwing herself at Vasquez's remote on the ground before the asshole can get it back, and Loader Bot punches a flying robot out of the air. Rhys is vaguely aware of Vasquez whining about his face, but all he has to know--

He turns around on the spot, several times, sweeping his gaze around to find familiar faces. It's not until Fiona yells "Sasha" that he finds himself looking down, by the window to the room where they assembled Gortys. At first, it doesn't register. The two bodies lying there don't seem right. The blood seeping through Vaughn's white shirt doesn't seem real.

His knees can't hold him. Rhys collapses, and some far away part of his brain registers the pain as his knees slam into the metal floor, but most of it is overtaken by white noise and one word.

No.

No no no no no.

klaus hargreeves | tua (tyr)

[channellings]

forest;

[getting overwhelmed by the sheer density of all the surrounding foliage seems easy to do. klaus could let that happen, could get overtaken by some vines or tripped up on a bush, but rather than fight with them, he's using them to his advantage. with the knife he picked up during the crazy medieval weapon rain he and lalli had suffered through, he slices through tree-limbs and tears leaves free, scanning them over, attempting to deem what might or might not be safe.

if it seems alright, he tucks it away in the bag at his side, continues plucking away at petals and stems, peeling vines, stripping branches of their bark. should anyone get close enough while he's working, his head might lift with acknowledgment, but he refuses to take his eyes off what he's doing.]

Don't touch anything. I haven't had a chance to check it all yet and some shit might be poisonous.


the hole;

[for a solid fifteen minutes, he's been staring down this hole, striving to figure out a way he can climb without needing to use rope. so far, he's come up pretty empty-handed, aside from winging it and scaling down the ledges in an unsafe manner-- which he could do, even if he's terrified about falling to his untimely death.

while continuing to consider his options, klaus reaches into his pocket, removes the flask he's got tucked away then twists the cap off.] That's... going to be quite the climb, isn't it? [he's not asking anyone in particular, just whoever happens to be within earshot. or maybe he's talking to himself? the way he's pacing back and forth near the edge of the gaping pit shouts nerve-racked, but the mostly incomprehensible babble coming from his mouth sounds more thoughtful than anything.

he's contemplating again, muttering something or other about distances between handholds and where to put his feet before—] Ah, screw it, [comes out then he shuffles closer to the edge, drops down onto his rear and begins shimmying his way down with as much caution as he can.

will you help him out? maybe stop him or perhaps pursue? either way, klaus doesn't hesitate to continue working downward, doing everything in his power to seem collected about this awful idea.]


caves; (part i & ii [cw: for mentions of drugs and some blood in the linked pic])

[glowing caves? yeah, alright, he can handle those, no problem-- and it's a damn good thing he decided to keep his fur-lined coat with him after traversing down the deep dark pit because it's starting to get chilly. the longer he walks, the colder it gets too, so if anyone ever gave him shit about wearing it before, he's going to be laughing in their face right about now.

actually, at the moment, he's been feeling a little abandoned while traipsing through the caverns by himself. the fact he continuously keeps looking over his shoulder because he feels like someone's watching him isn't helpful at all, either. paranoia is one helluva thing, but being a megalomaniac isn't new to him, considering his past drug use. it's the loneliness that bothers him most; the feeling of isolation, the deep-down longing of wanting to have someone beside him as he ventures further into the caves.


---


when the walls become brilliantly rainbow-colored, klaus has to wonder if someone had slipped something into his water flask while he wasn't looking. paranoid feeling abandoned abruptly and all at once, he shuffles closer to some of the rocks, reaching to touch the multicolored stones, breath escaping in a slow, somewhat relieved sounding sigh.

he can't remember the last time he's gotten high enough to feel this way, which makes him consider the nearly empty container at his hip again before he redirects his attention back to the light-show-- then it really starts becoming like an all too familiar acid trip and klaus has to look away.

it's unfortunate he happens to do it though because from the corner of his eye, a familiar person filters into his vision, immediately making his eyes widen an almost inhuman amount when he asks with astonishment,] Dave? [what? no, there's no fucking way dave of all people would be here. except he's not listening to his conscious whatsoever right now, too enraptured by the illusion, lacking enough necessary nourishment that his brain's all too happy to go along with it.]

Wh... what are you doing here? [but 'dave' says nothing. he doesn't respond because he's not there, yet klaus seems unbothered. honestly, it wouldn't be the first time he's spoken to something (or someone) another person couldn't see, so what's different now? aside from how his voice gets thick and his eyes get slightly watery, it seems he's plenty fine talking to thin air anyhow.]

Caves: i

[hantale]

[ Klaus isn't the only one wandering those dark caves. This far in, it's difficult to discern the time of day, or even what day it is for those who have been here a while. The sound of someone shuffling along in the darkness catches their interest, slitted eyes narrowing in none other than Klaus' direction. ]

Hello?

[ A timid voice calls out, perhaps a little too stuck in the same paranoid lonliness that seems to have hit everyone else here. The possibility of some proper company outweighs it being someone they don't know, so Fran steps over, eventually stopping beside the male. Perhaps a bit too close? Between a poor sense of personal space and a need for company, it can't be helped. ]

I didn't think I'd see anyone else down here... Though I'm glad you made it.

Dave Strider / Homestuck / OTA / Skadi

[timeriffs]

one: descend
[Well, if Dave hadn't already regretted his decision to help out with this hole exploration after traveling days in a soggy-assed forest, he was definitely regretting it now as he stood at the edge of the crater. Why did he agree to this. A death wish? Extreme boredom? A weird affinity for craters due to being born to Earth via meteor?

How would Dave fucking know, that requires self-reflection and he doesn't have time for that.

Others were talking about spelunking and ropes and other responsible things, but Dave breaks away from them. He has his own ideas and he doesn't need folks to tell him no, your super cool idea is super cool, and dare we say totally rad, but also dumb.

He hefts his bag of supplies more securely onto his back, tightening the straps so it wouldn't slip off as he did sweet, ninja moves down Yggdrasil's asshole. Sure, it was steep, but there were lots of areas for him to jump to. Narrow or down right pointy areas, but he looks at them without a blink of an eye and he's gone in a flash as he leaps.

He was doing pretty well for awhile, landing on point to ledge to point, kicking off walls, or sliding down them when they weren't too steep, scraping himself up here or there but nothing too major.

Until he finally does misstep, a one-footed jump off a point that was slightly poorly timed, making him not quite reach the right ledge, and he does a pretty spectacular faceplant into one of the more slanted walls. He slides down a couple feet, but doesn't try to halt his descent, as if resigned to this fate, but fortunately friction does the job for him before he slips off the abrupt end to this particular section of stone.

He hears the telltale sounds of someone approaching, whether they were spelunking down like a normal, intelligent human being or otherwise, and he doesn't even bother to lift his head as he says:]

Fuckin' sweet beef I just pulled off, right? Hahaha.

[He doesn't not actually sound all too amused.]



two: beyond
[The caves begin to get more interesting, at least visually. Which was good for his sight, because shit was dark and Dave was still 100% unwilling to remove his shades, and all the increased enchanting glowing of stones made things more visible again. The various colors, like the rainbows seen in oil slicks, pretty but also nauseating, gave him a sense of nostalgia. None of the planets he had been to in SBURB had quite looked like this, maybe Dirk's planet was close, with all its noxious but somehow aesthetic color palette gases, but the cave had a similar atmosphere to them anyway.

He was always glad the game was over, but sometimes he weirdly misses it in some ways.

Along with the nostalgia for places, the deeper they all traveled, the more lonely he felt. It made sense, he figured; thoughts about SBURB ultimately always leads to thinking of his friends, and thinking of Karkat. But as the oil slick of loneliness grew larger and larger in his chest the more irritated he became. He had taken this expedition to do something other than sitting around and thinking about home, thinking about how he could be doing just about anything else with his troll friend and be more fulfilled than anything that's happened so far here, dragon attach included. Even him and Karkat arguing over who was responsible for the toilet bowl stains and fighting over who had to kill them was preferrable.

At some point, he detaches from the group he was walking with. It was easy to do, he had been lagging behind, and everyone else likewise seemed caught up in their own thoughts. He could cover more ground on his own, anyway, maybe discover something important enough that they would be able to leave sooner rather than later. But it only led him deeper into the tunnels, all metaphorical for the feelings in his heart, or something poetic like that.

Perhaps you noticed he left and you gave a shit and tried to find him, or you likewise got splintered from your group and found yourself deeper in the caves, just like Dave. But when you next see him, he is laying on the ground, head pillowed on a rock in a way that had to be the worst fucking pillow in all of space and time, but he looks like it's the most comfortable spot ever.

Even more terrifying is he seems to have an unfamiliar expression on his face. A genuine smile. He's speaking out loud, not unusual for him, but it's not one of his typical soliloquies. He's stopping from time to time, as if listening to a response that isn't being given. At least to your ears.

Fuck, is that actual laughter tumbling out of his mouth? You need to save him from this witchcraft that has ensorcelled him.]


three: wildcard
[Let me know if you want to do anything in particular with him that isn't covered in the two prompts! I can write something up, or feel free to write a prompt and pop it in a comment for me to respond to. HMU on plurk or through PM for plotting!]

1. Rad moves.

[hantale]

[ Sure enough, down that jagged precipice came a person(?) with a rather worried expression, lips drawn thin with concern. Mostly human looking, aside from strange eyes and a pair of horns normally, Fran was, thanks to Honir's magic, climbing along the walls with scaly, clawed hands, using the thick rounded claws to grip onto edges in the rock more easily. ]

Beef? [ They gave him a curious blink, using context to figure out what he was trying to say. It earned a soft laugh at least, even if it was slightly nervous. ] I suppose it was fairly neat... If you do that another 12 times you might even make it to the bottom!

Are you sure you're alright? You're not too far down yet, could climb up and get some ropes.

[ A possible alternative, if he could stomach sucking up his pride, if that's what was driving him. Fran, on the other claw, is slowly making their way further down, stopping off to rest on the slope Dave had slide along.]

lalli hotakainen | catch-all for post-hole threads

[skittering]

❰ i'll just do top-levels under this thing for folks who want to plot stuff with him. ❱

for emil, late the day of the post-hole god rescue.

[skittering]

❰ at this point, lalli just wants to be left alone.

he understands now what happened. understands that what seemed so, so real at the time - not like a memory, like a real experience that he was living right then and there, watching unfold again and again with no way to stop it - was just an echo, slowly transforming into something far beyond itself. the magic here is unlike anything lalli has ever experienced. it blurs the past and the future and dreams and reality, like some lawless untamed force which folds lalli like a tempest does a blade of grass with no recognition that he's even there. that he's trying (and failing) to push back.

it would scare him, if he had any room left in him right now for fear. instead he's filled himself with water, a deep pool with more than enough room to systematically sink each stray thought, pain, fear, dismay, or emotion in general to the bottom, too far down to see it or even recall that it exists. it's all he can do, right now. and here he sits, in the clearing in the biggest cluster of trees honir's domain has to offer, planted at the center of a fairly large rune with small stones at each corner. stones that will (he hopes) keep everyone away. he doesn't know if he has the energy to do it himself. he's barely breathing for fear of disrupting the pool within him and letting those things he's buried return to the surface. lalli can't imagine having to actually try to talk.

he had the presence to leave emil a note so he wouldn't worry. it consists entirely of the word 'alive' in scratchy writing, left on his bed in honir's housing. he would've written more ('don't follow' maybe) but his hand was shaking too much already. that was before he'd come up with the pool, and he needed to run more than he needed to be more informative.

so of course the swede is coming after him. somehow, lalli didn't think he would. if he did, he might have told the rocks not to target emil. ❱

for klaus and lalli, a few days after the god rescue

[enflame]

( Well, this is different.

Maybe it shouldn't be, since this is supposed to be his godhaus, but prior to the past day or so, Emil hadn't spent a day there. At night, he had to be there, but most people were asleep. He'd come to find himself crawling the walls, barely interacting with other haus members, outside of those who would also share his nocturnal schedule from time to time.

Seeing it all in the daylight is very strange. Just reminds him that he doesn't like being here very much.

Emil doesn't want to get too comfortable, which is saying something considering his whole life is basically based on searching for comfort. But this isn't his actual home, and he doesn't want to be there too long. He wants to go back to Honir, but things are incredibly awkward and tense for no reason that he can think of, so he's outcast himself to this hovel -- the godhaus equivalent of being banished to the couch.

Quite literally, at the moment. It's daytime, which is usually when Emil's finding it in him to sleep, but his brain is making it impossible. Every passing day, his frustration grows. He's been laying on one of the mutual living space's couches, an ornamental pillow covering his face, but the illusion of nighttime is one his mind won't succumb to.

He eventually launches it forward, no concern for who it might target. Whatever. The thing is tacky and pressing too hard against his still smarting black eye, anyway. )

Thrawn || Star Wars || Njord (OTA)

[art_of_war]

The Forest

Thrawn had seen forest before. He had even seen overgrown forest and made use of it in his strategy.

This was different.

For one thing, it was very difficult to find a usable way through. The forest itself kept changing. There was no real pattern to the plant life and some even seemed to have changing colors in the leaves themselves. Thrawn's initial idea was to work with the forest rather than against it by largely using the trees to move over more area and navigate by using the position of the sun. He had been able to see the hole that the dragon had come out of in the city and remembered where it was after he looked

But trying to move was very difficult even after he climbed into the trees. Some branches were grown together blocking his path and sometimes it seemed like there were vines waiting to cover his path so he could not backtrack. It was disorienting, to say the least.

Thrawn often did not like working with others but it was clear he would have to in order to find a way through the forest.

To that end, when it got dark he built a small fire but if he was intending to stay alone he would not have. Likewise, he had killed and skinned with a makeshift knife made of a dragon's tooth one of the small rodent creatures to spit across the fire - Thrawn himself had brought his own food.

The Hole

Thrawn had brought climbing equipment specifically for this purpose. The sides of the hole were more treacherous than he expected, so he had to focus on his hand and footholds. Luckily Thrawn did have some climbing experience already but it was a demanding climb still. It was made more treacherous when the light did not reach past a certain point. As difficult as it was made ten times more so when Thrawn compensates for his altered vision - by closing his eyes.

So he is now going that much slower as he has to feel across the rock for a suitable handhold. It is almost eerie how well he is doing at this for all his slowness. If someone else is above him it might be a good idea to say something.

The Tunnel

It is a piece of irony that Thrawn has his eyes closed and so he doesn't see the lights in the cavern. But he does feel the temperature fall and enjoys the unexpected cold. He does wonder at it since a creature plainly of fire wouldn't create this cold?

But the feeling of being more isolated from others was growing stronger the further he walked. Some part of him was aware this feeling was not his own but if was intensifying a thought that very much was; the idea that he really was alone in the galaxy. That it wasn't just the Chiss of the Ascendancy and the humans of the Empire. He truly was alone.

It's difficult to keep moving at this point and there are moments when he just stops. He is aware that the feeling is coming from outside of him but it is hard to keep going in spite of that.

The Glow Cave

Thrawn did find the resolve to continue, though it took him longer than he expected. When it became warmer he took notice but the easing of that fear that was already inside of him was noticed first. He had still not opened his eyes so he hadn't seen the lights, yet. But by the sounds of running water echoing on rock, he could tell he had made his way into a cavern.

Here again, he stops, though for a very different reason. The feeling of isolation had shaken him. And while it was not like Thrawn to accept a sense of comfort, he couldn't help it after that. His facial expression was very tense, though he didn't know it. And all he could do for the moment is hold the straps of his backpack and breathe.

Shouyou Hinata | Haikyuu!!

[hightouch]

III.

[Miraculously, Shouyou's made the difficult climb down into the cave with Finn's help, but it figures that they'd get separated once they're actually inside. Clutching his bag of supplies to him, Shouyou keeps moving on, fear slowly starting to rise the further he walks in without any sign of his new friend.]

Hello...? [He calls out plaintively. There's no immediate answer, and the cave's effects get a firm hold of him. Shouyou slides down to the floor and sits there, shivering, as it really, really hits him that this might've been a bad idea. It's cold, he's alone, and, ugh, he can't help but start to tear up as this all sinks in.]

Closed to Finn

[hightouch]

[The forest is filled with this beautiful, but eerie energy that Shouyou can't help but feel a little awed by as he's passing through it. Somehow, he makes it through, and the sight of the tear in the ground is enough to make him gape. It's intimidating, that's for sure. And did that bush next to him just catch on fire for no reason?

Shouyou jumps back from it, skittish. How is he supposed to get to the actual tear when everything around it can spontaneously burst into flame? Still--there's another problem. Shouyou turns around, frowning at Finn as he plants his hands on his hips. ]

Wh-why are you following me? You wanna fight or something??

[Honestly, there's no chance of him scaring the guy off, when he's both taller and stronger than him, but he figures it was worth a try anyway.]

STARKVENTURES (+1 Unwitting Targaryen) -- closed to Robb, Arya, Jon, but poke if you want in somehow

[northerndragon]

[Super-backdated to late June, early July.]

It's cold here, and lonely -- as lonely as ever the Frostfangs were. And it seems to Jon that people other than Starks would have had trouble getting through the woods, let alone into the hole. Even Sansa might have had trouble with the woods. But he and Robb had hunted as boys, and Arya is Arya, and Jon has had enough experience with the North and the Watch that the woods were no great matter to him.

All of it reminds him of other woods, other climbs, but the dead don't walk here and the walls weren't made of ice. Though they might as well have been, with how cold the antechamber was.

But now that they're going deeper into the cavern, it's warming up, and lights are coming up, too, and he's beginning to wonder what else they'll see.

[OOC: actual specific starters in replies: go nuts, guys, add your own.]

open to either yo

[needsnoheadsman]

The woods aren't the challenging part. Robb is well-versed in hunting, and hunting alongside Jon at that, so besides some close calls, they come out of the woods well enough. Climbing is difficult for Robb, but that's not the challenging part either.

The challenging part is how alone he feels, even accompanied by his family. He can ignore it well enough when they're on the move, when there's other concerns to occupy his mind (like how much food do they have right now, how much water do they have, how much time have they spent down here in the dark, what do they plan to find and possibly bring back and how are they to bring whatever it is back), but when they stop to rest, it comes flooding back.

It's ridiculous. He has Jon and Arya, he isn't as alone as he feels. But Jon and Arya are older now, have grown up in what feels like the blink of an eye, and Robb is frozen in time forever, or at least for as long as he stays in this world. His family as he knew them, his family as he'd tried to save is—gone. His siblings have grown without him, and his father is gone and his mother—

He misses her. He misses her counsel.

When they rest again, tired from the seemingly endless walking, Robb volunteers to take first watch. He slumps against the wall, breathes out slow, and looks up at the ceiling, then blinks at the reflection.

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"