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 Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 10:42 pm
Whispers, encroaching darkness, a nervous gaggle of kids, yeah, whatever.
Petri was still ignoring it all and when they stopped at the fork in the road, he barreled forward. "Hey! What does the map say?" He demanded, peering over shoulders until he got a glimpse of the circle and the triangle.
"This," he said loudly enough for everyone to hear, "is the stupidest map I have ever seen." Then, he jutted out his chin and took the upwards path.
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 8:06 am
Lila had to agree with the loud boy. The map was pretty stupid. But as the others trucked up the path, she felt an inexplicable pull towards the downward path.
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:25 am
Melody grew a bit more nervous as the group began to divide, the map had to mean something but she had no idea what. She followed the group that went down the upward path. The whole time she was nervously playing with a piece of her hair that hung down the side of her face.
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:36 am
Rae fortunately had gotten back with Liz and saw some familiar faces, the young girl was pleased.
And with the decision once again she -- wasn't really sure this time, touching her little chin in thought. Rae did agree with the 'stupid' claim to the map. What kind of map was this anyway. In any case she decided she'd go take the upward path this time.
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:54 am
*** at work but I don't wanna miss the deadline eep ***
Sugarplum frowned at the insults to the map, clutching it tightly to herself. "It's not stupid," she muttered bitterly, nevertheless choosing to follow them towards the upward path.
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 12:00 pm
DOWNWARDS
There was a circle at this path, and it makes sense that the farmer circled it as a destination. Down you go - a path that winds around until even the boughs of the trees are hard to see. When the path levels out, there's only one route to go, sheer rock rising around the 'path' so no other option is available. So you walk.
And walk.
And walk.
And it's not until you pass the same gnarled root hanging out from one of the walls that you realize what the circle really meant: the path here, this gully, it goes in a circle. It's a dead end.
(( Thank you for playing! ))
UPWARDS
You know that birds fly - and to fly is to go up. You and your friends climb the increasingly steep path, the ascent certainly helping to warm you up but not doing so much for each gasp of air drawing in that sharp coldness. Finally, you come to a peak - some sort of lofted hill that isn't as high as it feels, but once glance over the opposite side of where you came shows why the map was marked with a triangle - if you weren't mindful when coming off the path, you'd fall right down on the other side!
The path evens out and widens, and it's only as you're catching your breath that you realize how noisy it is up here: there's a breeze that sounds like moaning creaks through the snow-laden branches, the sound of birds is undeniable and each drop of snow from a tree sounds like a wet sack hitting the ground - not to mention the whispers, which now can be heard in snippets of lilted speech.
We must find it, one voice says.
It's not for you to find, another says.
It's still getting darker, but with your new height, the sun is filtering through the dead trees ominously. Everything is painted in a gold light, which is only making the flickering showers more obvious and less deniable. You're not seeing things. The cardinal? a passing whisper asks. You can't tell if it's talking to you or if you're just catching phantom conversations now.
One thing is certain: there are cardinals up here...somewhere. You have a dangerous task at hand: do you stay and answer the phantom whisper, or do you try to find the chirping and hope the injured cardinal returned home?
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 12:02 pm
(( So I don't requote everyone -- you have until 12pm PST/3pm EST tomorrow to respond! ))
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 3:27 pm
Gulping down the lump that had seemingly appeared in his throat, Waffle stared reproachfully at the shadows that seemed to be just out of eyesight. Why do they have to be so...sneaky like? He had to know what they were saying before continuing in their search. What if they did find the poor thing that was injured earlier and these things just came and took it from them? Better to just ask now and not have to worry about the what-ifs later....
"U..uh, he-...hello..? We're looking for an in-injured cardinal. Do you know where it went? We just want to help!"
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 4:36 pm
Call it willful ignorance or just being pigheaded, but Petri was not going to let himself get spooked. He even had his hands over his ears as he walked, staring forward, breath coming up in short puffs as he made his way uphill and pretending not to hear a damn thing.
As one of their number stopped, he kept walking, only to pause and drop his hands, looking back to see what everyone else was doing.
Talking to trees and the wind was not on his to-do list today, so he swallowed the rising bubble of fear that he'd been fighting against and scurried towards the only thing that made sense, chirping birds.
Come on cardinal, I just wanna help you. I'll be your best friend, I promise.
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:34 am
Sugarplum huddled close to Waffle as she chose to stay and answer the whispers. After all, maybe they had advice? Maybe they knew the cardinal? Maybe they.. just wanted to help?
Still clutching the map tightly, she spoke out with a hesitant stutter, shuffling from foot to foot nervously.
"Y-yeah, we just want to help the cardinal, and, and, and... maybe some candy...?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 10:25 am
Gail's eyes narrowed as the breeze melted in and out of whispers, pushing herself to keep from jumping at the unexpected violence of snow smacking unpleasantly against the ground. It was the wind, she told herself, unknotting the rope and wrapping it, again and again, around the little thin part of her wrist before the bone.
She turned her flashlight off as the sun began to emerge - why waste the light? Then she turned to head for the chirping. As much as she'd like to hang back and gather information, the voices seemed to cause only confusion. And besides, they seemed to be seeking it, too. Gail wouldn't let them be first, or let them scare her off. "It is for me," she affirmed quietly, to herself. That bird had looked her in the eye.
"Bye, Sugarplum," she added, because she'd certainly miss that map. She was quick, but not too quick - she didn't want it to look like she was scared, or that she needed company, or something silly like that!
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 10:33 am
Rae wasn't really one to answer whispers that she couldn't identify -- especially creepy ones. But this one seemed like it just wouldn't stop. So she answered. "Now listen here--! " she said, certainly spooked out but trying not to show it to --whatever was out there. "We just want to find the cardinal too." She huffed, moving beside Waffle but also trying to make more way to where they thought the bird had gone. "So stop spooking us, please!"
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 12:11 pm
TO THE CHIRPS
What can a bunch of whispers tell you that you don't already know, anyway? You walk with your stalwart companion towards the high reach aspen trees, looking up -- and in each tree, starting at about fifteen feet up, are nests. So many nests! You can see full grown cardinals swooping in and out of the nests - which is odd, given that their season is past due for babies. When you're near the trees, you realize...strangely, it seems...warmer? In fact, the chill seems to have come right out of the air, and even the snow seems to not stick in this area.
You're not far from your friends, who seem to be chatting to the air. You're not entirely sure this could get any stranger...but you're pretty sure it will. You can move forward into the copse of trees and lose sight of your friends, or you can keep looking but keep your friends in sight.
(( Roll a 1d20 with your answer. ))
ANSWER
And for the first time since you've started to hear the whispers...they stop. The silence is eerie and almost unnatural, even the chirp of the birds seeming swallowed into nothingness in your immediate vicinity.
They can hear us, a voice marveled.
That is not a good sign, another reminded the first.
For a moment longer, silence continues to stretch, and just when your patience is at its end, the whispers return, soft, but almost next to your ear. It is near, the first voice answers, and you almost have a sense of it being female. But you cannot help him. There's an almost thoughtful pause before the whisper adds, We cannot help you with...candy.
The second voice raises, but the whisper is inaudible; it's clear the other is not happy. A few more whispers join it, and then seem to disperse. Whatever the whispers belong to, they're looking for the cardinal too - and maybe, they're not sure where it is just yet! That means you have a chance! Do you join your friends by the trees or do you follow the whispers and try to pick up more information?
(( Roll a 1d20 with your answer. Both teams have until 12pm PST/3pm EST tomorrow to respond! ))
(( Sorry, but due to missing the deadline, you are out! Thank you for playing! ))
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OrionDeltaOmega rolled 1 20-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-20)
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 6:36 pm
Feeling more confident with the two girls at his back, Waffle took a step forward as he followed the whispers as they retreated into the trees, unsure if the girls would follow him.
"Wait! Where are you going? What do you mean we can't help it! It's just a tiny little bird, you wouldn't hurt it would you?"
As he made after the sounds, a part of him really questioned why he would run after the noises that he couldn't really even see.
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Ruriska rolled 1 20-sided dice:
9
Total: 9 (1-20)
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 10:05 pm
Only one girl had followed him when he looked back but the others were still in view, having a one sided conversation it seemed. He ignored them all and instead focused on the wonder of the nests.
Petri grinned and lifted his head to watch them swoop and fly between the branches. It was strange and a bit crazy but he didn't even think twice as he moved forward into the trees.
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