Having been through the fire more than once by this point, Misha had not hesitated in the slighest when it came to stride on through the flickering magic. Once she was out the other side, though, she regretted her cocky swagger. The humidity settled over her like a particularly unpleasant second skin and the faint noises surrounding the abandoned site raised the hairs on the back of her neck.
Misha took a few quick steps so she was further out of the path of the Hearth. Setting down her buckler, she braced it between her calves and peeled off the light v-necked sweater that had been so cute until the sudden descent into bowels of sticky hell. Thank God for the thin camisole she had underneath. Her grey eyes scanned the mess they found confronting them as she tied the sweater around her waist, fidgeting it until it was under the wee backpack-purse she had filled with some protein bars and a water bottle. The desolation was all the more terrifying because it was not the sort of mess left in the wake of tragedy. It all seemed so nearly normal. As if the previous Chosen had been called away in the middle of their whatevers and would come back any moment now.
She lifted her chin and looked around but there was no hope in the gesture. The others were gone. Evaporated. Disappeared. As surely as if this were the Bermuda Triangle.
Grimacing, Misha bent to retrieve her buckler again. She sniffed the air and resisted the urge to gag. It smelled like the fridge after her mother had been visiting family in Lebanon for a month and her father had been left to his own devices. Mold and muck and spoiling things. She could only pray that the smell didn't include anything too serious.
If it held any kind of death, she prayed, please let it be the sort of lizard-y things you found in a swamp.
She lifted her free hand to push a piece of hair from her forehead and then paused to swipe at her skin in an attempt to shift some of the sweat as well. It was almost better to focus on the physical discomfort than what was in front of them. Still she knew there were three choices and she had to pick one.
Olivia had recruited her, true, but Misha felt no loyalty to the cool, controlled Hitchcock blonde. In fact, when the woman stated her intent to go into the surrounding wilderness, the feeling of owed camraderie faded even faster into nothingness. Misha knew she was a city girl; she would be no use out there... Even if she had wanted to be. Which she most definitely did not.
Brynn offered the temptation of civilization but it was another unknown and she felt a little annoyed and put-out by the rapid succession of unknowns. Was it too much to ask to be able to recover fully from the Great Bird s**t-storm before going out to face the bad guys again?
When she spotted Brian and Beth and Rose edging towards Griffin, though, that settled it. Misha gave a little nod to herself, resettled the buckler on her arm, and grinned brightly as she moved to join them. They were at the camp site already. Might as well start there and, besides, she could keep an eye on some of her favorite Chosen at the same time. Worked for her!
WC: 559
Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2016 8:28 am
Louisiana. He'd never been—he hadn't been most places, to be fair—but he imagined it was hot. Sticky. Steamy. Hurricane and porno prone. Much as he had before their trip to the Alps, Zan slipped away from the group of gathered Chosen following their summons and hurried back to his room to change. It had been necessary then, considering he'd been in swim trunks when they'd been called, but this time he wanted to make sure he was wearing clothes he wouldn't miss. He'd had to burn what he'd been wearing on their first mission, and he'd lost one of his favorite shirts.
He hopped through the Hearth a short time later in a pair of checkered blue pants, a t-shirt bearing the Chicago Cubs logo, even though he'd never voluntarily watched a sport of any kind, and his oldest sneakers. His dagger was in a sheath at his hip, and he'd tied his hair back like he meant it this time. He was learning.
They'd been briefed about their missing superiors, but it was still weird to see their camp so empty as he materialized in the middle of it. He was pretty sure that no matter how many members of his own group had been out killing things and rescuing survivors, they had never left the lodge looking this abandoned.
He gave the trio of recruiters on hand his mostly undivided attention as they discussed how best to split up and prematurely end all of their lives. Zan was already fairly certain he'd be following Olivia no matter where she chose to go, and his trust in her didn't go misplaced. She decided to investigate the tracks, which in his opinion sounded like the most fun. He'd done surprisingly well in the woods for someone who hadn't spent much time in them, and though he might have stayed cleaner and more presentable in the city, he'd worn these clothes for a reason.
Watching people he'd met shuffle off with Brynn and Griffin gave him pause, but he soon went with his first choice. His loyalties were still ill formed and really only in favor of his roommate and his recruiter, though if he'd seen Ernst around he might have followed just to have something to look at. With one last glance at the abandoned packs and supplies scattered around the camp, Zan crept after Olivia, one hand on his knife.
Character Name:Zan Gethin Brief description of character: Friendly, perceptive, phony. Zan has wholeheartedly embraced the more mundane aspects of his new life at the Prytaneum—such as regular meals, his stipend, and the gym—but his inability to stick with any one thing for long has left him struggling to pin down how he might best serve his god long term.
Deity: Hermes Weapon: Dagger HP: 50 Minicert:
Smerdle
Scamp
Offline
Seiana_ZI
Codebreaking Conversationalist
Offline
Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2016 11:52 am
Louisiana was much further up Zebulon's alley than the cold, bitter, angry metal vulture filled Swiss Alps ever were.
As a child growing up in Texas, Louisiana was a rather commonly visited place for vacations. New Orleans was probably one of his most loved cities in the States, and that included where he lived now, outside of Baltimore. It didn't sound like they were going to New Orleans necessarily, as fun as that would be, but even a visit to the bayou sounded welcomed, and Zebulon couldn't help shooting a grin over at Diryas that still remained on his face after he stepped through the fire.
The sweltering humidity certainly hit Zebulon, but he wasn't necessarily as bothered by it as most of Chosen seemed to be. He wasn't exactly inexperienced with the sweltering heat associated with a swamp summer, and though he was probably a couple years removed from his last visit to Louisiana, he didn't exactly live in a place that wasn't humid now. The bugs didn't particularly seem to bother him either, though the only things he had left uncovered were his lower arms, hands, and his head and neck.
He had even swapped out his contacts for his glasses to keep the bugs away from his eyes.
The campground they arrived at was obviously abandoned, the more experienced Chosen here missing as expected. They might be able to pick up some clues to where they vanished to from what they had left behind. Perhaps they had left some notes, or maybe one of them left a cell phone behind. Griffin seemed to have the same general idea, with plenty of people agreeing to stay where they were and going through their belongings.
Olivia, on the other hand, decided she actually wanted to head into the wilderness. Zebulon left doing that behind when he stopped being a boy scout. No thanks.
The signs of civilization that Brynn saw were the most promising to Zebulon. It got them out of the woods--literally--which was honestly something Zebulon would prefer considering he knew Diryas was still a little stiff and achy. The town sounded like the option involving the least danger and the least effort outside of making their way there. It decided where he was going to go easily, and he turned his attention to Diryas the moment he saw him and said, "We're going to the town," not really letting the other argue with his decision even if he wanted to.
Not that Zebulon thought he was going to disagree with it.
(426 words)
Character Name:Zebulon Castaneda Brief description of character: Zebulon accompanies his even temper and clear mind with an oft-frustrating tendency to be snarky even in the most serious moments, needling people far past the point he should. Tagging along is a need for control, tempered by the fact that he does usually know what he's talking about. His normal ease seems lessened at current, though his control over himself is back now that he's removed enough from the conflict with the metal vulture.
Deity: Athena Weapon: Shield HP: 56 Minicert: n/a
Amasis
Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2016 12:47 pm
Rob didn't know what he was expecting to see when he emerged from Hestia's flames into Louisiana, but it wasn't this. Maybe he was expecting something more like New Orleans or some place like that, something less... swamplike. Not that he had ever been to New Orleans -- he'd only seen pictures, but he figured it would be like any other city of size, with buildings and streets and people. He definitely wasn't prepared for the heat and mugginess, or the fetid stench of the swamp, or the bugs. Or the emptiness, or the sense of something not being quite right.
Pulling a sour face, he peeled off his jacket, transferring his Dionysus pin onto his t-shirt -- the bayou was no place for a leather biker jacket, but he would rather be eaten alive by mosquitos and chiggers than broil to death in his own clothing. At least he'd had the foresight to pack a small bug-out bag with a couple of t-shirts and a pair of jeans and some spare socks, plus a few other essentials to make things more civilized on these field excursions. He remembered how tattered and filthy he had gotten in the Alps, and that was even before the giant monster bird had shat all over them with its toxic dung. He didn't want to be without at least a change of clothes this time. And given how much he was sweating already, he was going to need it.
He picked his way through the eerily deserted camp, following the others as they explored the site. Everywhere lay the detritus of the Chosen who had come here to investigate… something. A power surge? He had no clue. And now they were here to investigate the disappearance of the previous group. The sounds of the swamp echoed in the woods around them, adding to the creepy atmosphere; it might have been better, actually, if there had been nothing but silence here. Despite the heat, Rob felt a small shiver shudder through his body. He didn't like this scenario at all.
Eventually he made his way to where Brynn, Griffin and Olivia were discussing their options. Those options weren't sounding too appealing. Griffin wanted to stay and examine the camp, and that sounded about as exciting as watching paint dry. Olivia, on the other hand, wanted to explore the woods surrounding the abandoned camp for clues; he was no nature boy and didn't relish the idea of tramping through the swamp, so that was right out. Brynn, though, wanted to go into town. That sounded good to him -- a little bit of civilization in this place.
He was just about to vote for that option when the decision was made to split up into three groups, each led by one of the senior Chosen. Rob knew where he was going. Without hesitation he stepped over to stand next to Brynn, a grin on his face. Maybe they could find a bar in town.
(wc: 501)
Character Name:Robin Attewood Brief description of character: Rob is a dreadlocked punk who's secretly a Boy Scout, a grump with a heart of gold. Pugnacious, fiercely independent and "on" all the time, he loves wine, women and song and is the biggest beer snob on the planet.
For once, Songtao actually felt like a proper wildness tour guide, as opposed to walking along wooden paths in heels and a pencil skirt, waving a brightly colored flag and explaining everything in her clearest Mandarin. The humid swamp surrounding them bore little resemblance to the subalpine forests of the Rocky Mountains, but she would take it.
She bent down and tucked her pants into the rubber hunting boots she had borrowed (multiple pairs of socks ensuring they stayed on her feet). She had asked some of the park rangers she had gotten to know over the summer about hiking in Louisiana, and they had been super helpful. Her (less than fashionable but eminently practical) hat had a deployable mosquito net; instead of an awkward large, cylindrical water bottle, she had a soft-sided pouch. At least she could supply her own sunscreen and bug repellant. She was kind of getting into the cargo pants. She hadn't been keen on carrying a backpack, seemed like an easy thing for enemies to grab. The final touch was her new weapon; they called it a buckler. A small shield that suited her small frame. She fiddled with the fastening belts, trying to find the perfect tightness over her thin, long-sleeved shirt. After pulling and tugging at it a few times, she finally felt satisfied.
Pulling out her cellphone, Songtao checked for cell signal. It wasn't surprising they were in a dead zone, but she would have liked to use an app that helped identify plants in both English and Mandarin. At least she could take pictures for later and her dictionary app worked regardless of signal. A quick look around to see who was watching before Songtao took the quickest of selfies against the most scenic piece of swamp. Not really "heroic" behavior, but she wanted to document the occasion of her first outing as a Chosen of Demeter.
She wasn't familiar with most of the Prytaneum... employees? She wasn't she what they qualified as, yet. Songtao had never been to Louisiana before, and kind of wanted to see what the town was like, but definitely on a more relaxed basis. See sights, go shopping, eat food, etc. Not look for supernatural beasties. She was more inclined to stay and investigate the camp, which presented mysteries in an open and easier to defend area. But really, she already knew who she was following. Songtao had no illusions; she was going to hang out with the lady with the guns.
(Olivia, 418 words)
Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2016 2:25 pm
Answering the call was something on the side of odd and fantastic. It involved walking through fire and the bubbling fantastic glee of fire travel wasn’t completely smothered away at the gut clenching sight of the ruin camp. Leading to a spurt of nervous frantic running energy surging under his skin and some reassuring petting of the brass knuckles he had chosen.
And a slight wish that he was decent with anything that required aim. Louisiana was southern enough that he did not want to go anywhere near those woods thank you very much. Wild boar, crocodiles, possibly of puma and poisonous critters. There was a reason he was very much a northern individual and because most the of the critters up there were not trying to kill him.
With an exception of Michigan deer population. Those suckers had a death wish involving cars and roads.
It was also mind numbingly hot, and not a dry heat but a sticky humid wet one. Lex raked a hand through his curls, before doing his best to contain them away from his face with the nearly sheer blue scarf shoved in his jeans. At least he was sort of dressed for the weather. Jeans and a t-shirt and tennis shoes. Not really, because unless someone had sunscreen he was going to crisp. And he could use some tape to tape down his dermal if things went south.
Actually…taking out his earrings and pocking them were probably a good idea. He removed them carefully, and as an afterthought, took out his belly piercing and tucked them in his jean pockets. Couldn’t do much about the dermal.
This place was sort of a mess…. Lex hummed slightly, taking in the possession and wrinkled his nose slightly. Well, he was ruling out people doing this as a whole because there just wasn’t enough mess to warrant a few things. Robbery for one. Unless the robbers tucked everyone’s stuff back. Officially weird.
Ooh, wait. Pay attention to the people. Olivia… nope. No and more no. He wasn’t going anywhere near those woods. Nor was he going to stay and straighten the camp because that sounded absolutely boring. Okay, so completely and utterly going to town with Brynn. It would be fun! And absolutely not end up with him killed by being mauled or doing what seemed to be chores.
And besides, the town should have sunscreen and civilization and bug spray. Lex slapped at a mosquito making a nuisance of itself by his neck. And less bugs. And certainly smell better.
He joined Brynn group, moving it way towards town.
(434 WC)
Character Name:Lex/Sasha Tavei Brief description of character: Impulsive to the bone and flamboyant, Lex is a ball of energy, making rash decisions and depending on his/their luck to carry him/they out of trouble.
Sylvia was a little surprised, really, to be ‘in the field’ again. She hadn’t expected such a quick turnaround, though that might be silly given how quickly they were thrown out before. No precedent had been set for any real ‘down time’. Still, this was what she had signed up for, wasn’t it? She may not have known it at the time, but she had promised that she would help her goddess, and she wasn’t going to turn away just because the schedule was busy. She always imagined that ‘saving the world’ would be an exhausting full-time job.
The journey through the Hearth was still a bit strange, and she narrowly avoided bumping into the pot still hanging in the fireplace as she walked through to the other side. Blue-green eyes scanned the remnants of camp, slim eyebrows furrowing as the corners of Sylvia’s mouth turned down ever-so-slightly. It was an interesting scene, to be sure, but she wasn’t sure what would leave the camp in such a state. Nothing seemed in great disarray, to her eye – things seemed, frankly, rather in order. The wildlife and elements had done their work in the camp, but she saw no sign that there was much panic or scrambling before the camp was abandoned, which seemed rather strange to her.
After wandering the general area once, she returned to where most were gathered near the fireplace. She was comfortable merely watching while the more experienced Chosen examined the area first. She hadn’t yet noticed the smoke in the distance, but it did seem like a promising lead when Brynn pointed it out. Perhaps those who were here before had seen the same thing and headed out to find civilization? Though, why would they have left their belongings behind, if that were the case? She wasn’t sure. But if anyone had known of the Chosen’s presence, word surely would have gotten back to the nearest town – there may still be things to learn there. She frankly wasn’t as interested in the tracks as others might be, though she trusted that they were peculiar and worth investigating. She just wasn’t sure that she was someone who would be helpful in investigating them. Her earlier surveillance of camp had shown that it was a mess, of course, and she agreed with Griffin. Though the camp seemed a bit more in order than she would have expected, there could certainly be plenty left behind that might give some clue as to what happened or where anyone went. Perhaps someone had kept a diary? Or left a note, in case of just this situation?
When it came down to it, though, Sylvia was much more curious about the town and what people there might have seen, or heard. Even if they hadn’t come across the Chosen, they might have more information about what was going on here in the first place, which might then tell them where to continue looking in case the campers had heard something as well. She decided, then, to shift through the group and join Brynn in the adventure to the nearest town.
[ 519 words ]
Character Name:Sylvia Owens Brief description of character: Sweet, optimistic, always trying to be helpful – even if it means bluntly telling you how stupid you’re being. Remains tentative about her new life as a Chosen, having never been a fighter…
It seemed like it was time for another big mission. It was about time, too. He was ready to prove himself after the disaster that had gone down previously with the birds. He had been injured when in the Swiss Alps and since then has mostly kept to himself in a bit of shame. More than anything, his ego had been wounded – he could take a bullet but not a bird? What kind of man was he? A familiar sense of self-doubt and unworthiness marinated underneath his rocky exterior and was looking for a way to crack out. Suppressing his feelings and manifesting to a quiet brooding frustration, the angsty soldier followed the group through the Hearth – this time on what appeared to be a rescue mission.
Thank god – Or thank Ares? He wasn’t sure how this was supposed to work - that they didn’t get ambushed by a flock of birds again the second they stepped out. No, instead, they were sent to some kind of shithole. Not that he was complaining. He had spent months in worse conditions when living in Kabul, so an abandoned inn was just quaint. The recently used leftover camp, however, was ominous. It looked as though the area had been ravaged or abandoned or both. Where were these people exactly?
In his experience, rescue missions only had a positive outcome roughly half the time. They too often ended up with a dead body or a hostage situation, but he supposed some swamp in Louisiana might be a little different than Afghanistan. Then again, he expected a visit in the Swiss Alps to be a relaxing snowy affair.
Olivia, Griffin, and Brynn were already investigating and making the calls. Olivia was organizing a small group to head out into the woods, Brynn was going to go into town, and Griffin was going to investigate at the campgrounds. As far as Caleb was concerned, the choice he had to make was an easy one: get lost in the woods, get lost in a strange hick town, or kick it and take a smoke break at the camp. Besides, they were more likely to find clues in the smaller surface area of the camp than the wider surface area of the woods or finding information around the town.
He joined up with Griffin’s group without another moment of hesitation, pulling on a cigarette and starting a smoke as he waited for the others to leave.
WC: 409
Character Name:Caleb McCloud Brief description of character: Caleb is a strong and silent type, but when he does speak, he's probably being an a*****e. But he's got a hell of a jawline, so he's got that going for him at least.
Diryas had no intention to argue Zebulon's decision; he also didn't have any desire to go hiking through the woods, and what Brynn was doing seemed to be of the most interest to him. Like Zebulon, the humidity bothered him a little less than some of the others--Diryas had lived in South Carolina for most of his life--but that didn't mean it was pleasant. He wasn't terribly eager to spend any more time in it than he absolutely had to. Between the heat and the no-see-ums, Diryas was still processing the rest of it. Of course, the lingering effects of his injuries were a little bit of a distraction, what with the soreness and all. It made him a bit less incline to go gallivanting around the woods if he could avoid it.
The fact that no one was looking too hard for any notes or scraps of paper left around--that Diryas could tell, anyway--told him they probably weren't worth the trouble of investigating. It would be a waste of time to end up reading field notes on some exciting species of flower. That time would be better served actually looking for those missing. They were already splitting up into groups, after all. So Diryas stuck close to Zebulon as he looked around and tried to glean as much information from the people and movement around him as he could. He was itching to try to find some sort of information to puzzle over pertaining to the missing Chosen. He supposed there could be some information in the woods--especially if the missing had walked or been taken that direction--but he was of the opinion that the buildings themselves would probably hold more clues.
After all, they were where the people had living daily, or nearly, presumably, so if there had been any change in habit preceding the disappearance, it might tell them what had caused them all to vanish. But, again, it wasn't like they were the first responders and Diryas wasn't hearing anything of that nature in the murmuring around them. So they were probably going to have to do a large amount of their research from scratch for this. He supposed it could be worse, but it could certainly be better--having some actual firm leads, for instance, would have been absolutely fantastic for their purposes.
So off to the town they were to go, he figured. It was as good a place to start as any. Maybe someone there had seen or heard something.
417words
Character Name:Diryas al-Baksh Brief description of character: seemingly the dictionary definition of "quiet loner type" who doesn't tend to speak much unless spoken to, unless it's about chemistry (having a phD in it requires passion, after all); petit in build and not the most athletic but willing to work around it.
If she had to choose between the Alps and the Bayou, Mercy would've weighed her options before eventually going with the Bayou. Sure, there were a lot of bugs and it was humid as hell, but she would rather be hot and muggy over freezing any day. The summers were starting to get unusually hotter in Washington [nothing like the eastern part of the state], and while she should hate it, Mercy found herself loving it. Perhaps she wouldn't have to move to L.A after all? She tapped her chin thoughtfully...
It was tempting, but the chance to live in California was even more tempting. So to L.A it was! After she gets used to this hero stuff, and maybe gain some more skill as well? Maybe she could aspire to be like some of the chosen that are leading them? Granted, Mercy didn't so much think that she would be a s**t leader so much as she would be the wrong kind of leader, which means she didn't need to be a leader at all. Either way, she hoped they would run into birds that shat on them like they did the last time....
Ugh, she still feels gross just from the thought of it.
As she looked around the abandoned camp, a tingle went up her spine. What if this was going to be something like The Walking Dead? Were they even prepared for zombie chosen? For zombies at all? Technically they're not supposed to even be biologically possible...Well, traditional flesh-eating zombies anyway. BUT, maybe Hades could make something like that a possibility? If so, then he would be one helluva god in her opinion. BUT, she really doubted anything like that would be happening right now, and so her thoughts of a zombie apocalypse would have to wait.
Once Bryn mentioned heading out into the city, Mercy thought that could be the right way to go, but while looking for answers was fun and dandy, it just didn't sit right with her. What if there was more to this than what they're seeing? Plus there was no doubt that they could miss out on answers elsewhere, like those strange tracks leading into the forest for example. Following that trail seemed more beneficial, buuuuuuut...That meant running into an unknown creature that she probably wasn't ready for. She was still reeling from the Alps...
What if it was another bird? That shat fire this time instead of poison?
Mercy's eyes widened when she looked down at the mysterious tracks, shaking her head while the words nope nope nope nope nope just played through her head. She was a hero, but she was NOT going to go through that s**t again! Not so soon anyway, so that left only one option: She casually made her way towards Griffin, feeling safer searching and cleaning up the camp rather than traveling to the city OR searching the forest. If one group found themselves in danger then she was sure they would be able to reach them in time right?
Someone had come prepared this time. Ernst had actually followed the plan that some Chosen had come up with to pack and bring along an emergency supplies backpack that covered his basic needs, and while he hadn't done anything like, you know, actually train so that he was really prepared for this, he'd take the opportunity to get home with relish. Then he'd come back after some extensive Googling. Shelf-stable, locally (well, locally relative to Los Angeles, where he currently lived) produced food that wasn't ******** SPAM? Yes, pleased. He'd also brought some amenities along, and a light change of clothing - nothing made of silk. And there was a flashlight, another first aid kit - and, yeah, the tower shield.
That thing was heavy, but it had ended up coming in handy last time around.
Still, it kind of sucked that they were being called in again so soon. Was this really enough time? Well, it looked like they'd be working with the more experienced Chosen more closely, this time around. And it looked like there'd be someone to just run back toward if something went wrong. Ernst wasn't really a swamps kind of guy, but he'd signed up for this. Kiind of.
Okay, yes, the break had been a good reminder. He'd had time to work, to d**k around in their studios and refine his old films. He'd been improving. There was a reason he was here. And there was a reason he was willing to step through this ******** fire again, this time to a place that was decidedly not his home.
It sure stank more, for one. And this place was both hot and wet. At least...Ernst turned his head. Someone nearby was cooking, he guessed? Ah, they weren't too far from civilization, apparently. Well - that was good. He liked the idea of going to town. Talking to people? That was something that Ernst was wonderful at. He was already headed after Brynn when he reconsidered. Sure, he did very much like talking to people. But he was probably deceiving himself if he thought just going in and asking for information was going to be very productive. He stood out - he was a tall, pink-haired black guy with a ******** medieval tower shield slung on his back. While it was possible to shed some of these trappings, it'd be nicest to stay behind so he could keep the device that he was beginning to think of as his only real line of defense.
He'd join Olivia's group, in the woods, he decided. She looked like a reasonable sort of Chosen, and the Chosen they'd sent certainly weren't here: there'd have to be a search eventually.
Huh. Had he just signed himself up for the job with the most physical labor? Well, there was no changing his mind now - he'd spent a long while thinking, and now he had to jog to keep up, because they were already leaving him in the dust. Er - in the mud.
Character Name:Ernst Nzikobankunda Brief description of character: A very tall, friendly but airheaded man with a tendency to ramble. To those who know him, he's dressed surprisingly practically for this journey.
NOTE: At this point, the three GMed threads are finished. However, you're still welcome to reply to this prompt, choosing where your character went, for XP -- and once you do so, your character knows everything that was posted in that particular thread, as they were there. The story continues in this thread!
Once again they were heading into the unknown without too much preparation what to expect on the other side and once again Jan went along with it. The only thing he could hope was that wherever they were going was anything other than cold. Cold slithered into his bones and took hold of him in a way that made him ache, slowing and tripping his thoughts as he could think of nothing but his impending death. The humidity when they arrived dispelled those fears and answered his prayers. It even reminded Jan of what had come to be thought of as home for the longest time since arriving in the US. It was a relief. The whole swamp thing was perhaps a little more rural and rustic than he’d been hoping but at least it was warm and as such at least it was tolerable. As they went along he was reminded the major downside to swamps was certainly the insects and he felt like almost all of them had decided to take a bite out of him, draining his goodwill for the trip quicker than they could drain his blood.
The camp was a little dismal, its abandoned appearance immediately giving the impression that whoever had been there was – if you were of a morbid bent – probably dead. He’d started to think the worst after the hotel and fully expected things to only get worse as they went on more of these trips. He didn’t want to end up being yet another reason for a hopeless rescue mission the way he’d immediately assumed these campers were.
The inn was a bit of a relief, a sign of life out here and a bit of a reassurance that they wouldn’t have to rough it, on the mountain they’d had a hotel, here they’d be able to hang around the inn. Still, on reasoning, whatever had done the damage might come back to this place, so he decided to head out into the woods for the time being, following Olivia and her tracks. If they followed some fox tracks off into nowhere it would be uneventful and safe, better than lingering around in the open or wandering off in the direction of an unseen city. It only helped matters that Olivia looked like she might happily defend them from anything they might find, rather than leave them to their bloody fate. Safety was important to him in all things and especially on crazy missions into the unknown.
Olivia made the most sense to him, and so it was after her that he went, keeping as quiet as he could manage.
wc 439
Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 4:18 pm
Sidney honestly didn’t know why she was doing this. She didn’t want to go flitting off to some other strange, uncomfortable, dangerous location to battle who knows what and possibly die for a bunch of people she didn’t know, because a couple of people she barely knew said it was her duty to do so.
The last few weeks had been good. She’d healed, slowly, and when they let her out of the make-shift hospital, Rob had taken her to his home in San Francisco. Meeting his parents again after some seven years had been a trip. She had worried, at first, that they would see through her glittery exterior to the trash she had become, and be disappointed comparing it to the sweet, innocent girl they had known in London. Rob she hadn’t worried nearly so much about, but his parents… they had known hers so well, and must have had this little picture in their heads of what she should have grown up into… but if they had, it hadn’t been apparent. They welcomed her as though no time had passed, and it was like stepping back into her childhood as Rob’s mom had wrapped her in a lavender-scented embrace. She was embarrassed to admit she’d cried. She hadn’t cried over any of that in so long… but the’d dredged it all back up again.
Luckily, with Rob having his own place, painful memories were kept to a minimum. The rest of the time had been filled with settling into the new place, making up her room how she wanted it, and beating the streets to find gigs to play at. Rob had spent most of it deep in a bottle, but it wasn’t really like she could say anything about vices. She’d almost managed to forget about all of this, until the summons came and she found herself stepping through the fireplace in the living room with Rob to find herself at the compound again. It was strange, feeling everything that had she’d started to convince herself wasn’t real come crashing down around her again.
Louisiana? It was a strange place for this stuff to show up, but then, no stranger than the Alps, really. If anything, a creepy bayou swamp was probably a better setting than a ski lodge for supernatural happenings.
The bow felt familiar and comfortable in her hand as she hooked her quiver onto her belt. The green fire beckoned, and then they were somewhere else. Somewhere warm… and humid… with a buzz of insect and animal life. It was a sharp contrast to last time and Sidney stared around in wary interest. The camp was a curious thing, for looking so recent, and yet so abandoned. It gave her the willies. When there was talk of splitting up into teams, Sid hunched down and drifted to the back of the group, watching as the other made their decisions. Rob chose to go into town, but she really wasn’t feeling like meeting up with some banjo strumming locals… nor was she interested in treking through green water filled with things with teeth and venom. When a group decided to stay behind, Sid sidled over to that group, happy to get a safe home base set up before harrying off to find danger. Word Count: 554
From this point on, please make sure to proceed immediately from this thread to this post and roll to see if your character is turned into an animal. Once you have rolled and posted your response in that thread, you are free to participate in other threads in this forum!
Reply
