The moment her original group was out of sight, Tabi felt a little pang of guilt at her pettiness. Hopefully the others weren't too worried about her - she hadn't necessarily been angry, just irritated, and storming off might have been a bit extreme. Still, she was seeing a part of the plains she hadn't yet. No clues to be found here, just a beautiful expanse of grass. And the stranger, who rose up from her camouflage in the grass to greet Tabi, waving a bow. Tabi grinned and waved a hand in greeting. A new friendly face was always welcome.
"I branched off from another group," she explained. "We found a few helpful things, though - a note, detailing the possibility of monsters in the grass, a pair of abandoned glasses, and a spearhead." She wound her way closer to the other explorer, so they were within comfortable speaking range, noting the jackalope hanging back. A pet they had brought along? Or a hitchhiker that had been hiding in the grass, like them? "I'm Tabi," she said, extending a hand to shake. "Have you found anything, yet?"
Just as she spoke, another person broke into the small clearing, a Fey who seemed a bit unsure of where she was going, also with a jackalope in tow. The newcomer addressed only the other Nightmare, and Tabi shrunk back a bit. Perhaps her brownish coloration blended into the environment a bit too well. "If by forward you mean north," she said, "I think that was where I wanted to head next, anyway."
--wc: 259
Cerl Temius
Micillia
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 10:17 am
Character:Sherbet Current Square: 16 to 17 Response:
Thirty minutes later found Sherbet reluctantly toting a contented sealpup through the grasslands. Despite his best efforts, he had been unable to leave the familiar behind. “I'm throwing you in the next puddle I find,” he told the pup, arms burning. The pup merely hooted in response.
A flock of circling birds in the distance diverted Sherbet's attention. Alert and once more focused on the task at hand, he adjusted his course. That kind of avian behaviour could only mean one thing: carrion. Sure enough, as he approached the vultures took flight, revealing bloody scraps of meat and bone scattered around the grass.
Sherbet placed the sealpup on the ground. Rifling through his bag, he retrieved a pair of tongs. He stooped down beside the mutilated remains and sifted through them. He stopped when he found a long, thick bone. Though picked apart by the vultures, there was no mistaking its origin. Not many creatures had an opposable thumb at the end of their forearm.
Holding the severed arm in his tongs, Sherbet pondered, feeling equal parts sick and curious. An outcome like this did not seem unlikely, and yet... Well, he was only a university student, and most university students did not get the pleasure of looking at real, dismembered bodies up close. His reaction was only natural.
He had to keep telling himself that as he tried not to gag.
After about a minute, Sherbet made up his mind. He muttered a quick incantation and directed the magic into the limb. It shrank down within the tongs until it was no more than a few inches long. At that point, Sherbet dropped it into an empty vial, closed it with a cork, and slipped the whole thing back into his bag. It felt a little morbid to be carrying around someone's mutilated arm, but there was no telling if anyone would find the rest of them.
Eir nodded along to Jin's words. They had basically stuck to their carriage. Eir had thought about jumping to a different one, but she liked listening to Tabi's stories, so she stayed with the group. When Jin suggested it could be, maybe, Baphomet or Kirin, Eir almost wanted to go back and look at the prints again, but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to tell. She didn't know any kirin, and very few bapho. Though She could compare Jin's hooves to the prints? Well, maybe not. "Did the prints remind you of your own hooves, Jin?" Eir asked over her shoulder as the hybrid climbed up onto a rock to look around.
She turned her head and noticed, up in a tree, that there was an arrow. It was too far up for her to just grab. She could climb up and get it, but that seemed a little awkward too. She wasn't the best at climbing. "There's an arrow up here. I'm not sure that it's important, but it's too high to reach. I could probably lift one of you guys up to grab it, but… I'm not sure it's really anything note worthy?" She really would rather just move onward. She couldn't help but wonder, though, what was being shot at? She stood there for a few minutes longer, just wondering what was being shot at, and who shot the arrow. Was it someone from Dr. Horn's group? Or… something else? She absently started moving forward again.
(wc 251)
Shaddaling
iMoony
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 1:36 pm
Character:Saiph Current Square: 20 to 25 Response: Saiph had tried to keep their eyes trained on the ground even while they ran to the two ahead of them. The hybrid wanted to make sure there was nothing missed. The dirt held nothing new by the time Saiph caught up.
At Eir's mention of not being Grimm or Nixie, Saiph paused again to write such down in their notebook. They included Jin's suggestion too. "I'm not sure Baphomet have hooves like Kirin or horses, but you might be on to something, Jin." Saiph mused on the topic for a second before voicing their thoughts. "Maybe it wasn't animals causing the hoof tracks, but Kirin or some unknown race that has been hiding this whole time like the Grimm." They could have listed other races but now wasn't the time to remind everyone of what they all already knew. "Either way, I'm getting more and more concerned about the safety of not only Dr. Horn's group, but the other parts of our company that are currently exploring the forest..."
Saiph watched Jin climb up on a giant rock that had, for a moment, looked like a person. "See anything?" Looking out Saiph realized that once again Eir was moving ahead. She really had her eyes on the prize, it seemed. Saiph waved Jin down before following Eir toward the forest's edge.
When Eir pointed out the arrow up in the tree, Saiph sighed deeply. "I... I think we might want to be on our guard now." Saiph stared at the tops of the trees, wondering if flare sparks would even be able to reach above should the group currently in there find themselves in trouble. Saiph watched Eir continue on, backing away from the forest, but Saiph decided they wanted their own chance to gaze at the arrow... from far below.
[[ word count: 302]]
Lural
Shaddaling
iMoony
Anxious Cutie-Pie
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Shaddaling
Wrathful Shapeshifter
Offline
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 1:42 pm
Character:Jin Current Square: 20 to 25 Response:"I am not sure.... I'm a hybrid? Not sure how my hooves match up with true full breed baphomet." He did have the split close hoove toes though. He flexed his foot and sighed. "I think Kirin could be closer. Ooh? An arrow? Does it look to be the same craftsman ship as the spear?" He asked, sliding down. "Does it have feathers Eir?"
Trinket claimed!
clues
"Day Nine. There were a few mishaps along the way, but we've finally arrived. The rumours said this area was dark and twisted, filled with monsters and whatnot. Nonsense! This area is nothing but beautiful plains and flowers - I am sure the most sinister thing to happen here is a bee sting. Most of the team and myself will camp here tonight, while Hilda and Nathaniel ensure the neighbouring forest is safe."
You have found a Clue!
You hear a crunch under your foot. Whoops. Upon closer inspection, you can see you have trodden on a pair of reading glasses that now sport a distinct crack across the glass. They are stained with grass - there's no way those stains are fresh.
You have found a Clue!
In the bright sun you see a glint nearby. Lying on the soft grass is a sharp, flat blade attached to a spear that has been snapped in several places. You don't recognise the craftsmanship of the weapon, but there are a few feathers tied to the polearm.
You have found a Clue!
Close to the edge of the forest, the ground has been clearly disturbed. Dirt and grass have been kicked up, but not just in a concentrated area - there is a wide circle that seems to have had hooves running over it. Had the first expedition brought horses?
Lural
iMoony
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 1:49 pm
Character:Guadalupe Current Square: 22 to 23 Response: Maoli's jump made him jump...and almost look at the vomit. As soon as he caught a glimpse of it from the corner of his eye he turned away, swallowing the bile that threatened to come up and overwhelm him. Not today. At least, not right now. "I'm sorry." he muttered without much thought. Sorry for what? The situation, maybe. Guadalupe wasn't sure what he was sorry for. All that he knew was that he was sorry to some degree.
But it was time to move on. Find a different, hopefully better scenario than the last one.
Guadalupe raised a brow at Maoli's insistence of not needing protection. "So you're fine with frogs?" He grinned cheekily. "Guess I'll put one in your bed tonight then!" Or, er, wherever they were sleeping tonight. He hoped they would have a bed to sleep in. They had gone through enough garbage to deserve a good night's rest.
A looming shadow alerted his attention and he paused, looking at it. Was it--no, it couldn't be another nightmare or daydream. They were much too small. But--Oh. A bird? Immediately, his gaze fell upon fiesty. "But what if the birds are hungry?" he asked, nudging the jackalope with his feet towards the creatures. "I got a snack for ya." It was natural. If Fiesty knew what was good for him, he'd run.
But no, the bird that glanced his way instead lifted off the ground...and fell right on his head. "You're heavy---" Guadalupe winced, batting at the large creature. [wc: 254]
Porcelain Pinch Crew
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Nightmare Adira Captain
Tipsy Regular
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Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 2:36 pm
Prompt for Square 17
You find a patch of grass that is slightly softer than the rest. Nice.
Green Minuet
Prompt for Square 18
You come across a small stream, barely more than a trickle. Are there many rivers in the area?
Micillia
You are currently under the word count minimum and may not move again.
smolderingskies
Micillia
Prompt for Square 23
You've wandered towards the forest now, scattered leaves piling near the treeline. Wait, what's that in one of the leaf piles? It's a page from Dr Horn's expedition journal, although there's a deep red splatter making some of the words at the bottom impossible to read.
"Day Fifteen. Thrice damn this place. We thought Alexander's arm was healing but the magic seemed to aggravate the wound - we may have to amputate. With Hilda and Nathaniel missing, Alexander wounded and Frederick panicking, this expedition has already begun to fall apart. Perhaps it is time to return to the carriages. What will my collea-"
You have found a Clue!
- Mynsed -
Prompt for Square 24
The edge of the forest feels so much colder than the rest of the plains. Surely that is just from the tall shadows the pine trees cast. Surely.
Avid_RPer18
Lural
Prompt for Square 25
You approach the outer forest and notice one of the trees on the very edge of the treeline has an arrow stuck firmly in the bark. The arrow is 10 feet up the tree - clearly whoever shot this arrow had missed by a few feet, or perhaps their target was airborne? Two freshlings standing on top of each other? Maybe they just didn't like trees.
You have found a Clue!
Shaddaling
iMoony
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 3:51 pm
Character:Jin Current Square: 25 to 24 Response: That, that certainly was an arrow. Jin tipped his head back, lips pursed taking in how far up it was and how it was... just in the forest. Deep enough he wasn't sure he wanted to go anywhere near it. The forest just felt... off. He ran a hand over his limbs before sighing. "Well, we can't do anything about that." He wasn't going to climb up it.
"So why did you join the expedition, Saiph?" He asked as he slung the messenger bag more securely over his shoulder. He should find the rest of the group out here and see what clues anyone else had found. It just seemed that none of the first expedition was still around. So it was time to meet and pool all the clues they had together to see what was going on.
Trinket claimed!
clues
"Day Nine. There were a few mishaps along the way, but we've finally arrived. The rumours said this area was dark and twisted, filled with monsters and whatnot. Nonsense! This area is nothing but beautiful plains and flowers - I am sure the most sinister thing to happen here is a bee sting. Most of the team and myself will camp here tonight, while Hilda and Nathaniel ensure the neighbouring forest is safe."
You have found a Clue!
You hear a crunch under your foot. Whoops. Upon closer inspection, you can see you have trodden on a pair of reading glasses that now sport a distinct crack across the glass. They are stained with grass - there's no way those stains are fresh.
You have found a Clue!
In the bright sun you see a glint nearby. Lying on the soft grass is a sharp, flat blade attached to a spear that has been snapped in several places. You don't recognise the craftsmanship of the weapon, but there are a few feathers tied to the polearm.
You have found a Clue!
Close to the edge of the forest, the ground has been clearly disturbed. Dirt and grass have been kicked up, but not just in a concentrated area - there is a wide circle that seems to have had hooves running over it. Had the first expedition brought horses?
Lural
iMoony
Shaddaling
Wrathful Shapeshifter
Offline
- Mynsed - Crew
Offline
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 4:37 pm
Character:Maoli Current Square: 23 to 18 Response: Maoli watched the bird hop after him, eyes wary. Was it thinking of eating Spacey? "Well if there are frogs, I'll have you deal with them. But I hardly need protection," he said dryly. The bakeneko felt the bag shift and suddenly, the jackalope was out, wings flapping earnestly as it hovered in the air. All of a sudden, it swooped down, feet thumping at the bird as the bird shrieked and snapped it's beak back.
"H-hey! Stop that!" Maoli shouted, hands reaching in for another cracker. He was really running low on them... he broke it in two and tried to tempt both the beasts with them. "Here now..." both the familiars came forward, the jackalope swooping in faster. Satisfied, he noticed a note on a pile of leaves. Curious, he moved forward, picking it up.
His skin paled at the smattering of red, his ears flattening as he read. "I knew it was an arm!" he hissed, spinning around to confront Guadalupe. His stomach flipped at the memory... but nausea was forgotten with the sight of the bird perched on his companions head.
A sputtered laughter erupted from Mao, even though he tried to keep it in. "Are you a nest now, slug?" he howled, moving more towards where he thought the carriages were. He was too spent to continue on much longer.
Really though, with these familiars now tagging along, Maoli was quick to forget the two reasons for him being on this trip; a professor was missing and he was going to find evidence of alien life forms. Mao did briefly wonder how much more crowded the carriage would be.
[wc: somehow 280 again]
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 5:54 pm
Character:Saiph Current Square: 25 to 24 Response: Saiph reached the edge of the forest and turned their head up to stare at the bottom of the arrow. They glared at it. It was almost offensive how high up it was. "Do you think the arrow was meant for something flying or something tall?" Saiph turned to look at Jin with a wry smile, "Or maybe a really bad shot?"
The small hybrid contemplated asking Jin to give them a lift or, better yet, calling back over Eir to do so. They decided against it as other than possibly having blood on the tip, there was no reason to risk injury just to retrieve something seen plainly from below.
Jin's question seemed kind of off topic, but Saiph supposed there was no harm to getting to know each other. Especially if they ended up needing to band together to do some rescuing as Saiph was quickly beginning to suspect. "I'm currently going through classes to be able to join the police force and when I heard that Professor Honeymint was putting together this search party because none of the authorities would do it, I knew I had to help. I figured I could use the things I've learned so far to help piece together clues and track down Dr. Horn." Saiph let out a short chuckle and nodded in Eir's direction. "Though I suppose a Grimm might be better at tracking than I would be." They shrugged as if to say 'it is what it is'.
Saiph had been feeling a bit useless since talking to Eir and Jin who had found so many clues, while Saiph had not. They should be chucking it all up to "luck" but Saiph couldn't help the nagging feeling that maybe they lacked the skills needed. This expedition was starting to deteriorate their spirit rather than bolster it.
Not wanting to dwell on those dark thoughts, Saiph started back up with following Eir as they returned the question. "What about you, Jin, Eir? Why did you two sign up?"
[[ word count: 337]]
Lural
Shaddaling
iMoony
Anxious Cutie-Pie
Offline
Shaddaling
Wrathful Shapeshifter
Offline
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:11 pm
Character:Jin Current Square: 25 to 24 Response: "Why did you decide on the police force?" Jin had never considered that profession and Saiph seemed a bit of an outlier in the types that were attracted to that line of work. Though what he knew was mostly from shows and heresy.
"I was hoping for more experience. This seemed something to pad my resume with, some more practical experience in the field. " It had been turning into something else. "Though now it seems that it has turned into something a lot more worrying then I thought it would be." Jin sighed, petting his bag and the magical supplies inside of it as if to reassure himself. He was going to need those protection and warding rocks it seemed.
"Hopefully we can meet up with the rest of the group and see if anyone else found them." Maybe the other two groups have had more luck then they did.
Trinket claimed!
clues
"Day Nine. There were a few mishaps along the way, but we've finally arrived. The rumours said this area was dark and twisted, filled with monsters and whatnot. Nonsense! This area is nothing but beautiful plains and flowers - I am sure the most sinister thing to happen here is a bee sting. Most of the team and myself will camp here tonight, while Hilda and Nathaniel ensure the neighbouring forest is safe."
You have found a Clue!
You hear a crunch under your foot. Whoops. Upon closer inspection, you can see you have trodden on a pair of reading glasses that now sport a distinct crack across the glass. They are stained with grass - there's no way those stains are fresh.
You have found a Clue!
In the bright sun you see a glint nearby. Lying on the soft grass is a sharp, flat blade attached to a spear that has been snapped in several places. You don't recognise the craftsmanship of the weapon, but there are a few feathers tied to the polearm.
You have found a Clue!
Close to the edge of the forest, the ground has been clearly disturbed. Dirt and grass have been kicked up, but not just in a concentrated area - there is a wide circle that seems to have had hooves running over it. Had the first expedition brought horses?
Eir was surprised Jin didn't want the arrow, honestly, but also glad. She would have helped him get it but… didn't really want to. She shouldered her pack more securely and walked on, shivering a little as she passed into shadows from the forest. Wow, the shadows sure were cold. "Tall?" Eir thought a moment. "Hm. I'd be more inclined to think it was a warning shot, or maybe hunting? There could be things out here that are a good food source. Not that We've seen any. So many people here have probably sent everything hiding."
She tried to keep her pace slow enough for the fey and kumiho to keep up, and she wanted to hear their conversation, not wanting to seem too disinterested, but also wanting to keep her eyes and ears open. But when Saiph mentioned she might be better at tracking, she let out a bark of laughter. "I'll find the clues, Jin and Tabi can document them, and you figure out what it all means." She flashed a grin to the blue fey.
When Saiph asked why she joined the search party, she sighed. "To get stronger. My superiors at the temple of Enyo tell me I still have a long ways to go…" She knew she was rash and impulsive. She was trying so hard to slow herself down here. Though, her pulling a knife on someone in the carriage wasn't exactly being less rash. "When we heard about the missing professor, it was decided a good task for me to grow. I figured it couldn't hurt, coming here to be sort of a hired guard. From what I understood, the previous expedition had some guards… mercenaries? And I thought I could do better… and make sure we all returned safe." Saying it actually sounded so naïve and stupid now.
(wc 306)
Shaddaling
iMoony
Lural
Shirtless Lunatic
Offline
Porcelain Pinch Crew
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Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:45 pm
Character:Guadalupe Current Square: 23 to 18 Response: Guadalupe rolled his eyes. Right. Mao, needing no protection. He'd believe it as soon as a seal was able to fly. Which they couldn't. Right?! He thought back to his marine biology class.
Nah, they couldn't. It was cool. The saying held true.
"You do need protection from frogs though, before they get their little webbed feetsies on ya." He breezed, finally getting the bird to move off of him. It made a squawking protest as it sat on the ground at his feet before noticing his shoelaces and, slowly but surely, watching him as his beak went after the worm like cloth.
What, did this bird have previous owners? Other nightmare or daydream buddies to pester? How did it know that the world didn't like their shoes messed with.
Well, not like he would care. The shoelaces were easy to put back together with magic. And even then, he had the luxury of velcro. The shoe laces were just cosmetic. The brat could bite and nibble on them all they wanted to.
And turned his eyes to a terrible sight. Mao feeding both familiars?! How typical. "You should just let mother nature do it's job. Let one eat the other." he clucked his tongue, wishing he had saved his gum instead of swallowing it. Man, was there a store somewhere nearby? He needed his addiction stat.
Wait, he knew it was an arm?! His scattered attention reeled back in. "It wasn't an arm, it was a freaking familiar leg!" he balled his fists up but couldn't meet Maoli's eyes. He knew the signs of him lying too well. He had to think of something else. The bird took that time to fly back up on his head. <******** damn it.
"Haha, very funny. Whatever, let's just get out of here." Guadalupe scowled, storming towards where they began. [wc: 308]
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2019 2:56 am
END OF DAY FOUR If you have been quoted the same prompt, it is because you have not moved since the last update! This does not mean you can claim a familiar or trinket a second time.
Prompt for Square 17
You find a patch of grass that is slightly softer than the rest. Nice.
Green Minuet
Prompt for Square 18
You come across a small stream, barely more than a trickle. Are there many rivers in the area?
Porcelain Pinch
- Mynsed -
smolderingskies
Micillia
Prompt for Square 23
This is where someone found a page of Dr Horn’s journal. Better find them if you want to read it!
Lural
Prompt for Square 24
The edge of the forest feels so much colder than the rest of the plains. Surely that is just from the tall shadows the pine trees cast. Surely.
There didn't seem to be anything of any real interest in this area. Eir didn't like being so close to the forest, but there wasn't anything in particular that was telling her things were dangerous right here. She saw that Saiph and Jin were still behind her, and she could see others here and there in the distance of the field, so Eir wondered if it was ok to relax a little. She had felt so on edge this whole time. She took a moment to take a deep breath, trying to let the tension go as she walked forward, looking for anything else of use.
In the back of her mind, Eir wondered if they should all meet up again soon to see what everyone else had found. Eir and Jin had basically stuck to one side of the plains, there could have been so much more scattered about. Maybe even clues to who the spear belonged to, who fired the arrow, and what they were aiming at. While the plains seemed peaceful enough now, when the sun went down, that could be a whole other story. What was out here that could be dangerous? Was there anything really dangerous? Surely there had to be, if one research team had disappeared already. She looked up at the sky before she started walking again. So much for trying to ease the tension. She was just making herself anxious all over again. "I wonder if anyone is good at giving a massage…" She wondered.
