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 Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 8:11 pm
After their run-in with the gargoyles, it had seemed prudent to Helene to stick with Aruna at least for a little while longer, in case some other threat came upon her when she had used her magic to help him.
It had been quiet, though, and Helene found he enjoyed Aruna's company, walking the streets and keeping an eye out for Chaos activity. It was, Helene found, pleasant to be out with someone else; better certainly than wandering alone.
Of course, Destiny City could not simply let them alone.
His eyes were drawn to a sparkle on the side of the road, and he turned towards it--and his stomach dropped.
A die. Opalescent and glimmering. And a second, not far from it.
"Aruna. Beware. Those dice are dangerous."
It seemed a ridiculous thing to say, but Helene had already experienced the damned game once. He was not eager to do it again.
(Unfortunately, of course, Destiny City had other plans.)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 9:23 pm
Aruna found herself at ease with Helene, feeling much better with someone with her after the run in with those odd gargoyles. She found the man easy to talk to, and she soon found herself relaxing. Perhaps a bit too much.
By the time Helene spoke a warning, Aruna was already crouching down to examine the shimmering dice. Dangerous? They were just dice, right? Oh.
Aruna gave Helene an awkward, guilty smile as she held the dice. Everything had faded away and they found themselves upon a large game board. "I messed up.... sorry about that."
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Noir Songbird rolled 1 6-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 9:24 pm
Quote: Space 2: Something pale and ghostly slams into your back; you don’t see it, but it feels like it’s trying to push you forward–or to the side, or off the path. Thankfully, the magical glass walls stop you from going too far, but this is jarring–and might hurt.
"Possible that we may have been pulled in simply by being near enough to them. The magic attached to these is powerful and dangerous." He exhaled, unhappily. "Kaifeng and I were trapped in this game last autumn. Neither of us was permanently damaged by anything we encountered. Likely that the same is true this year." He picked up one of the dice, albeit reluctantly, and frowned.
"Simple mechanics. Roll. Move that number of spaces. You will not be permitted to stop along the way, and if you try you will be pushed forward. Be faat, be careful, and know that no matter how frightening it seems, it is only magic, and you will be alright."
Helene was not normally so verbose with people not Kaifeng, but Aruna clearly needed the reassurance.
He rolled his die, sighed at the number, and moved forward the necessary spaces--and was startled when something shoved him forward, making him stumble. He spun to see--
And there was nothing.
Damned gameboard.
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Lena Roze rolled 1 6-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 9:33 pm
Quote: Space 6- You hear a shrill, humming noise; it sounds almost like something is firing past you–and sometimes, you even feel a sharp burst of air, like something has just missed you. Maybe, even, it does get a slice out of you. Sharp, bladelike threads seem to string up around you; you’d best be careful not to get cut on any of them between now and your next dice roll.
"This is a normal thing that happens?"
She let the dice tumble from her hand. Six. She took a shaky step forward and then another, moving six paces ahead.
An unpleasant shrill, humming noise sounded by her ear and she felt a stinging sensation on her cheek, then a bit of warmth as a little bit of blood trickled down her cheek. She looked around carefully, her eyes going wide as she sees threads glinting in the light. She reached out and carefully touched one, feeling the sharpness without putting enough pressure to cut her finger.
"It's thread....what is this?"
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Noir Songbird rolled 1 6-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 9:42 pm
Quote: Space 3: A strange fog rolls in once you land here. You lose sight of nearly everything, including the game board. If you want to roll, you’re going to have to get close to the ground to even see where you’re supposed to go next. Hopefully nothing sneaks up behind you.
Of the worst variety, if you asked Helene.
He narrowed his eyes. Aruna had found razor wire, it seemed--he hoped he was able to avoid that square.
"Move slowly. Be aware. Do not rush." Probably the only timke he would advise that, but better she took care than ended up sliced up.
He rolled his own die and moved forward the proscribe done square, and frowned to find himself immersed in a deep, thick fog. Nothing seemed dangerous, but that didn't mean there wasn't something lurking.
Unpleasant. And it seemed that this time,t he board wished his traversal to be agonizingly slow.
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Lena Roze rolled 1 6-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 9:51 pm
Quote: Space 7: Something is twitching and flapping above you, and while you might be minding your own business, something is a little too invested in what you’re doing. You can’t see them, but you suddenly hear shrill, high pierced noises that are disorienting and confusing. They can bring about dizziness and pain and can cause vertigo if you’re stuck in them for too long.
Aruna carefully ducked and maneuvered her way through the potential hazard, only getting nicked a few times, and with minimal bloodshed. She almost let out a sigh of relief, but quickly thought better of it at the sound of flapping and shrill noises. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she felt nauseous from the anxiety. This was her own personal living hell.
"Please tell me it isn't bats...?" Normally she found bats to be quite cute. From a distance, of course. But right now? That sounded like a nightmare. She couldn't see whatever it was, but she could feel it watching her. "Helene, are you doing alright?" She didnt look back towards him but hoped he heard her. She was too busy watching for whatever might swoop down. Swooping was decidedly bad.
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Noir Songbird rolled 1 6-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 10:02 pm
Quote: Space 5: A dog barks, fierce and frightening. You can hear its growl and the hackles stand up on the back of your neck. You can practically feel spittle on you. It’s close. And it’s big. And it’s angry. If this beastly dog could reach you, no doubt it would try to tear you to shreds.
He rolled his die and moved forward, glad to be out o the blinding, suffocating fog, only to find himself...pursued.
Hunted.
The hot, growling breaths of something massive, canine, and vicious seemed right on his heels.
"Cannot assure you," Helene said, apologetically. "Fine, but...pursued, I suspect. Will be doing my best ot avoid being caught."
He rolled, quickly, and started to move forward, wanting to put distance between himself and whatever was behind him.
"And remember, Aruna: nothing will follow you from one square to the next." Was he reassuring her, or himself? Perhaps both.
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Lena Roze rolled 1 6-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 10:08 pm
Quote: Space 10: A swampy smell fills the air. You take a step, and you seem to sink into it. Mud creeps over your feet, and you sink rapidly. Ankle deep, knee deep. Whether or not you squirm and fight against it, you are sinking. The mud is crushing and painful, and if you sink too deep it steals the breath from your lungs. There’s nothing to grab onto; you have to roll your dice quickly before that too gets sucked into the muddy quicksand.
"Oh. Oh no." Her heart started racing as she tried to get free. This was bad. Very bad. This was every anxiety inducing thing ever. She looked back towards Helene, fear starting to grip her as she struggled to move. This was very bad.
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Noir Songbird rolled 1 6-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 10:24 pm
Quote: Space 11: You hear a frantic flapping above you, but that’s all the warning you get before a hoard of bats descend. They scratch and slap and screech, but you avoid getting bitten. For now. You’ve invaded their space and they seem keen to defend it. You can try to fight them, but the only way to escape them is to roll again.
And even though he knew it wouldn't last, he did pause on her square, grabbing for her arm and hoping that perhaps the momentum that pushed him forward would help some.
Even if he couldn't catch or hold on for long. Even if the game board pushed him tot he next square faster than he could help.
"You will escape," he assured her, as he was pulled away--and as he found himself descended upon by exactly the bats Aruna had feared.
At least they weren't attacking. Yet.
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Lena Roze rolled 1 6-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 10:29 pm
Quote: Space 12: The smell of smoke is in the air. You can’t see what’s burning, but you can hear distant screams, and–carnival music? It feels like people are running past you, and the air fills with panic and alarm–but there’s nowhere for you to go, and the smoke is so thick. You’d better roll quickly so you can get out of here.
While she was worrying about Helene, she failed to notice the smoke at first. By the time it registered in her brain, it felt overwhelming. The smoke made her cough and stung her eyes, and the sound of panic, distant screams, and ungodly carnival music amped her anxiety up into full blown fear. She was never, ever, ever playing with dice ever again.
She carefully lifted part of her collar to try and cover her nose, praying it would help. "Does our magic work against these things?" If she could help keep Helene from being bitten or further wounded, she wanted to try.
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Noir Songbird rolled 1 6-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 10:45 pm
Quote: Space 14: The ground is sticky. You land on this and immediately dip, as though you’ve stepped on a trampoline. Close inspection reveals that you are standing on an intricately woven web–and your shoes are stuck. And something is skittering just on the horizon.
"Haven't tried, but doubt magic will do much. This place seems to operate on its own rules," Helene said. He wasn't eager to test it, either--that seemed a good way to cause strange backlash or something similar.
His next roll carried him just past Aruna again--frustrating, and it felt like progress was agonizingly slow.
And now, the ground below him was...sticky. Webbed.
Helene frowned.
"Spiders," he said, with the displeasure of a man that really, really did not want to be here right now. It wasn't that he was afraid of them, per se--but there were so many varieties, and many were incredibly dangerous. So hew was careful about moving forward, slowly attempting to get through the disgusting web.
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Lena Roze rolled 1 6-sided dice:
5
Total: 5 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 10:51 pm
Quote: Space 17: Something howls in the distance. It’s loud and echoes with such ferocity it seems to shake you. On the other side of you–another howl. Closer. This one is loud enough to hurt your ears. The ground trembles with the force of something charging at you. A growl, a snarl. Yellow eyes staring you down. There’s not just one monster out there–there’s several, and they’re all coming for you
A howl sends a chill down her spine and she looked around, her heart beating far too fast. She turned in a slow circle only to realize with horror that she was surrounded. A tiny, pathetic whimper escaped her and a tear slid down her face. Small things could easily be batted away.... but wolves? She was screwed.
She could hear the blood rushing in her ears and her breathing was fast and uneven. Her body trembled and her jaw quivered as she tried to keep hold of whatever nerve she had left in the face of a panic attack and genuine terror. This was bad.
Her mind was spiraling quickly with everything she had done wrong, or what she could have done better tonight. Panic was gripping her heart like a vice and she hated that she felt so weak. She felt like a failure and was so embarrassed to be falling apart like this in front of Helene.
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Noir Songbird rolled 1 6-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 11:16 pm
Quote: Space 20: The end; once you have arrived here you are free to leave. You will see be basked in the glow of a beautiful, opalescent aura that will take you back home. If you arrived with a guest, you can leave without them or choose to stay until they make it to the end as well. When you arrive back in Destiny City, you may choose to keep the six sided die–if nothing else, it’s pretty! Though, it doesn’t seem to have any magical qualities, that might be for the best.
All the way to the end.
He passed Aruna again, and winced, seeing her so distraught--he reached out, briefly, to squeeze her shoulder for just a moment. A reminder that whatever was int he dark, she was not alone.
The board carried him forward, and he went, but he did not let it take him back. Not when he had a friend who still had not escaped.
"Aruna," he called, keeping his voice calm and reassuring, "you are almost to the end. You can make it. Join me here."
They would get out, together.
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Lena Roze rolled 2 6-sided dice:
1, 3
Total: 4 (2-12)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 11:25 pm
(oops my bad. Invalid roll!)
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Lena Roze rolled 1 6-sided dice:
5
Total: 5 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 11:28 pm
Quote: Space 20: The end; once you have arrived here you are free to leave. You will see be basked in the glow of a beautiful, opalescent aura that will take you back home. If you arrived with a guest, you can leave without them or choose to stay until they make it to the end as well. When you arrive back in Destiny City, you may choose to keep the six sided die–if nothing else, it’s pretty! Though, it doesn’t seem to have any magical qualities, that might be for the best.
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