The Pocket Plane
2–7 Zorromes, 334
Fate
Proposed plan:
- Rest the allocated three/four days.
-Daina and Slavina work with Frankie stuff
-Aaren solo with Nora re: communication.
-Kelly needs a job - Get out and contact Jerri.
-Send Frankie out Hunter's Lodge door. - Free Hometowner refugees and get Hometown as stable as possible in a week or two. (In a way consistant with Jerri's desires.)
- See about getting in contact with Frankie's pack
- Restablish networks and do a week of helping our peeps around the world (inclu Bakersfield, Esta).
- Get the next Tsarbog peice. (Sooner is better, week allocations approx. for fellow gamer's pleasure.)
SO FAR!
1a & b are complete.
Slavina
1 b is Elena's solo?
Fate
No.
That's 1c
Slavina
Oh. I see. Sorry, carry on
Fate
Slavina reported to Daina that Frankie is no longer connected to his pack, nor will he ever be again. He is a rogue agent. It was very sad.
1c is... well... a solo. We can start off there, or we can move on to something that all of you can participate in... which is to say 2a & b.
Alternatively, we can have just a chill RP jamming session which is chill.
Aaren
I'm okay with whatever! :)
Slavina
Same, with I think a moderate preference for chill jamming
Daina
chill jamming?
Aaren
Like, you know, maybe some improv, maybe some folk songs, old stuff everyone knows.
Sorry.
I assume they mean a chill free rp session.
Slavina
Yes, that
Daina
I dunno if any of us can chill though? like our families are in danger?
Fate
I thought it was an appropriate metaphor, given the inclinations of this girl band group.
Aaren
I think the idea is that we are stuck in this bubble for 3-4 days, so like, the characters can't really do anything but be in the bubble.
Did you hve a thing you wanted to do tonight Mel?
Fate
Okay. It'll be chill for us but it doesn't have to be chill for our characters.
Daina
ohhh
kinna wanna learn to make stuff in our bubble
Fate
That's... um... not hard.
XD
Slavina
Mel, I like that idea but it sounds very much not RP-ish. Maybe do that on the side while we're playing, or during the week? We could help you brainstorm a list of what you wanna do :)
Daina
ok
Slavina
Were there any RP-things you wanted to do? Or like..... group activity stuff?
Daina
I wanna ask Frankie about making more frankies but that's not really RP either
I wan tto talk to Nora and Slavina about security for In Beetween palces
I want Daina to be told we can return here eventually because I don't think she'd have figured that ut
Slavina
Ooooh yeah talking to Nora about that is good!
Okay. So sounds like you've got things you want to go over if we were to do a RP session in our little safe-bubble?
Daina
Yeah seems stuff would come up
Slavina
That good by you, Elena? Megan?
Fate
Sure!
Aaren
Sure.
Fate
To be absolutely clear, though... it wouldn't take long at all for the entire party to discover that they can shape this little bubble almost however they like. They cannot conjure living things, but they can conjure objects and create structures. However, the place isn't that big—about a quarter the size of Hometown, back in the pre-pilgrimage days—and nothing you can do can make it bigger. And when you walk past the edges of the territory, you kinda just... loop back around to the other side.
Conjuring/making large objects, like a couch, is a bit of an ordeal.
Slavina
Oh cool, good to know!
Fate
And sometimes things just don't appear.
No matter how much you want them to.
Aaren
Any rules about what kind of things, or should we just sort of go until you say no?
Fate
You should just sort of go until I say no.
Aaren
Okay.
:)
Fate
ULTIMATE POWAH MUAHAHAHAHAHA
Daina
huh ok er who's starting
Slavina
Oh. Uh. I can if no one else wants to, but I assumed it was Megan
Fate
Day... 4?
The communal fire in the "middle" of the space has become the communal oven, big enough to fit Daina. It blazes constantly, casting a circle of dim light and broad heat, and casting dancing shadows which suffuses the ever-changing, ever-unchanging world with movement.
Kelly is off somewhere away from it, alternating between practicing with his spear and hanging from a post similar to the ones which can be found outside the Hunter's Lodge, carrying out all manner of exercises (such as pull-ups, hanging by his legs doing sit-ups, hanging by his arms and doing crunches... the list goes on). This has been his default activity for the past while, carried out in quiet restlessness when any duties given to him or taken on by him (not that there are many to be had in this place) have been completed.
Nora hasn't shown her face around much at all—her hut stands in a far corner of the realm, visible but somehow radiating unapproachability. Still, the care packages left outside her door disappear day by day. Occasional muttering can be heard, should one draw close enough, and even closer still one can make out that she's speaking to Brian. This appears to be her default activity.
Aaren
Aaren is in the God's-Circle. She's been building statues with song and hammer, as if they were hot metal instead of wood. She's just finished The Guest. Now she is singing him a song of thanks, leaving a freshly painted hard boiled egg and the best of their rice-and-fish-casarole in the bowl at his feet.
Slavina
Slavina (having spent the last few days in a consistent fervor) is finally approaching a more subdued state. A round-cheeked face peeks out between strands of glass-and-gem beads, gaunt limbs given the illusion of substance by layers of heavy velvet-silk robes. She sits with half-lidded eyes, ankles crossed and back straight, glittering in the firelight like a jeweled wire sculpture.
In Slavina's hand, a pen. Under her hand, a sheet of paper. A letter to Borya. By her ear (if he is willing, and Daina allows), Frankie, muttering Slavina's own words back to her.
Daina
Daina through some very hard thinking has been working on making her room as much as it was as she can. She'd check in with Frankie to see if he remembers anything about her old room and laments the lack of real plants and no animals. She'd have to experiment to see what she can do about that. She's been spending some time a few steps away from the mechanical lands window and frowning darkly at it. Spending time studying it at first.
Daina would check in with Aaren if she can use the tree people garden as well, once it seems Aaren is done setting up the space. She'd probably use it as she had the one in Hometown, for family god time and talking. no pressure.
Once it's clear they're here for a while and she's got some time she'd start working on tree vine flower walls and windows around her bedroom. Clearly a fairy moved into the neighborhood. She doesn't make them too fancy or strong for the moment. Just there.
One of her goals would be to make attempts to build a ... barrier... maybe a small wall with a door. A big sturdy bar across it that she hopes will help at least some. She wanted this place that was made for them to remain safe. For the first time she's got a pretty goodly bit of fear in her and is very worried about keeping her family safe. She'd have to get to Nora at some point to talk to her about security in such places... Slavina as well of course. Perhaps she can talk to them soon..... though Nora seems not so talky as ... hidey grouchy... maybe Slavina can help to get her into a conversation if not in on the project.
That would all wait till Slavina is less... agitated and has finished her letter at the very least.
So for the moment Daina is examining the fire that isn't quite a fire and calls out through the still mostly empty space. "Slavina... after your letter can we have a talk, I've got an idea but I think I'll need help" she glances over her shoulder to the other woman and gives a little firming of the lips smile as she awaits the response.
Slavina
"Halt." Slavina murmurs for Frankie. She wipes off her pen on a rag and tilts her head just a little to the side to show she's listening. "Yes Daina?"
Fate
The moment Slavina gives her command, Frankie falls silent.
Daina
Daina hums softly and rises. "Oh finish what you're doing first... but I want to talk to you and Nora ... have an idea 'bout some ... like... protection measures for this place... "
Aaren
Aaren takes half of the skittles she has 'found' and places them in the Guest's bowl, comencing on the more 'Bolgyua' version of the song, interwining it with more thanks, this time specifically for saving them and offering them this little protective pocket.
Slavina
"That's alright. I can continue later. Thank you, Frankie," She adds, almost an afterthought but a quite sincere one. She tilts her face up to Daina, making colorful specks of light dance over her cheeks and eyes. "Have you asked Nora about this yet?"
Daina
Daina hears the song and sort of hums it under her breath before she looks to Slavina and smiles a little. "Not yet... figured I'd ask you to set up a parley sort of thing... she doesn't seem too ... enthused about company?" she murmurs.
Slavina
"Parley?" Slavina asks, just a hint of confusion in her tone.
Daina
Daina puffs out her cheeks and then exhales "em... I just mean ... can you help me talk to Nora about the thing so it won't be awkward and fruitless?"
Slavina
"Oh." Of course. She nods. Slavina stands, setting her writing implements on a clean place-mat and gathering folds of robes in one hand. "Yes, I'll ask her if she's willing to talk. Just a moment." She leaves the circle of firelight and makes her way towards Nora's corner.
Daina
Daina smiles her thanks and then turns her voice to help with Aaren's song a little as she waits for the verdict on the talk. She shrugs the coat off her shoulders a little and spreads her arms as she turns in a little spin and sway movement.
Fate
Nora's corner waits, as it ever does. It's mostly silent, for now, but Nora is undoubtedly within.
Meanwhile, Kelly completes a final round of training—for now, anyway—and steps away, wiping the sweat off his forehead and upper lip with a forearm and the back of his hand respectively. Then he stands at the very edge of the godly garden waiting, quietly singing a bridge of the quiet, unintrusive 'may I join you' song, made a little uneven by his lingering panting.
Aaren
Aaren weaves her song around his, inviting him in and giving him a larger place in the song. She incorporates Daina as well, although in a capacity that allows her sister to drop out at a moments notice if she needs to.
In a minute or two, the song wraps up. Aaren sits infront of the statue, back strieght and head tilted back, listening to the silence.
Slavina
"Nora?" Slavina says, only just loud enough she's sure the young woman will hear. "Daina wants you to talk with us about how to keep those creepy-crawlies from creepy-crawling right up our asses again. Will you come talk?"
Fate
For a moment, the silence is more complete.
Then there are footsteps. The door swings open, revealing Nora and a glimpse of the hut. It's filled with all manner of trinkets, non-herbs, and tools scattered everywhere. Apparently Nora has actually kept herself quite busy.
She eyes Slavina, a touch longer than is usually socially comfortable.
'Yeah, alright,' she says. Then she cranes her neck as if to look around Slavina. 'Am I goin' there or is she comin' here?' Then, after a half-breath of a pause, Nora glances over her shoulder, sighs, and steps out, shutting the door behind her, muttering, 'Feckin' overgrown children.' (Apparently she's answered her own question.)
Slavina
"Who, us?" Slavina starts walking back to the fire at whatever pace Nora finds comfortable.
Daina
Daina's ears flick slightly and she frowns some but soon smooths her features and waits for the others to join her. She glances to Kelly and Aaren. "you guys might want to be part of this if ... if it's a thing that we can do... just need ta talk to Slavina and Nora ... I think it might work though"she says with a slightly fretful tone. Worried she is thinking nonsense.
Fate
Kelly moves over to his little shrine with significantly smaller representations of Ken and Ulfynja (taken out of the cart), each bearing a set of uneven beaten bronze bowls. He sets about making his own offerings, quietly singing a separate hymn.
Then, after he finishes a measure, he sings a brief affirmative Daina's way, and continues.
Aaren
"Thank you, Daina." Aaren sings, to a quiet song, after a long moment. "I'll be over in a bit." She's not quite done for the evening, but she doesn't really want to be inturupted when she's singing a statue for Ulfinya, so perhaps its better to wait until Daina doesn't want her anymore.
Daina
Daina gives a bit of a nod and sets her hands on her hips as she shrugs on the big coat fully again and her fingertips rub at the fabric inside the sleeves.
Fate
It's a... false start. After Slavina takes a few steps, Nora remains standing there, hesitant.
Then, rubbing her upper arm, Nora says, at a lower volume, 'I'm sorry. For shouting at you the other day. And... eh... saying some right nasty things.'
Aaren
Aaren waits in silence a little while longer and then joins Daina at the fire. She buises herself by working on her wings—a project that's been on hold for a few weeks.
Slavina
Slavina stops. Turns back to face Nora, gives her a small but warm smile. "Thank you for the apology. I didn't take offense—you have every reason to be upset with me. I'm sorry to have put you in this situation."
Fate
Nora stares at her. For a while.
Then she looks away and lets out a choked laugh.
Then she stops, swallows, and wipes an eye. 'Shit.' She clears her throat. 'Right. Well.' Clears it again. 'Fuck.' Then starts off after her, forging onward with haste.
Slavina
Slavina hurries after her. "Streams and stars," she pants, "How in the world do you go so fucking fast on such stumpy little legs?!"
Fate
'How do you not?' Nora shoots back, wrestling her voice into something a little more normal. 'The turf here is great. Never been on stabler ground!' She takes a moment to lift her skirts and stomp on it, for good measure, before continuing. 'Anyway, my legs aren't stumpy—you lot are all just freakishly tall. 'Cept the wee one over there.' She nods in Daina's direction, not particularly seeming to care if she notices or not.
Daina
Daina smirks a little hearing that and gives a faint nod of greeting. "top o the... *she looks around them... " possibly mornin'" she smiles a bit more and then sighs "so I dunno about you guys but I'm sort of worried about that door to the place that ... " she takes a breath and releases it "that being, took Bogulya. I don't want to close it up cause we might need it but I was having thoughts about ... some sort of barrier maybe? Just to... add some sort of fortification ... " she looks to the others trying to judge their levels of concern about that particular opening.
Aaren
While Aaren does think it might be a concern, she's far more worried about getting out.
She says nothing, listening and smiling while she sings herself shorter to free up body mass for wings.
Slavina
"I save my energy for more important things than running around. Like dancing. Or reaching tall shelves."
Slavina folds herself back into her comfortable warm sitting-spot, on top of the ground mat she'd found under the bed. She (completely by habit) tweaks her skirts into an artful arrangement as she sits, then pats the mat next to her as an invitation to Nora. "Want to sit? It's dry."
She considers Daina's question for a bit, giving Nora the chance to reply first and herself the chance to gather her jumbled thoughts.
Fate
'Fortification against what exactly?' Nora sits in the midst of her response. 'Against that feckin' god that just plucked us up like ripe berries and swallowed us whole?'
'I think we'd be better served coming up with an escape plan instead.'
'And, what, are we planning on staying here a while?'
Slavina
Slavina cuffs her sleeves and reaches for the teapot by the fire. She pours a cup for everyone who doesn't already have something to drink and passes them out. "I agree. The best strategy—perhaps the only strategy—for dealing with this god is to avoid his attention entirely."
Fate
Nora nods, motioning Slavina's way. 'And given how we've been here for days on end and he still hasn't come back for us... well... I think we've succeeded so far.'
Then, absently, Nora touches her head, her torso, and each shoulder. As if warding herself.
Daina
Daina hums softly and though feeling a little frustrated she processes then nods a little "ok ... so... escape plans... then? I feel like... if we've got a safe spot here we should... I dunno try and keep it?" she rubs her arm, and then clutches the cloth of the coat in her hand. "I mean Bogulya did make it so it's probably pretty strong and safe... and he can hide pretty good if our hide and seek games were a hint..." she jokes softly as she looks around them some.
Slavina
Slavina holds out a cup for Nora, and takes a sip of her own. "Doing things—especially doing things in the Land of Dreams—creates..... ripples." It's not the most accurate term, but she doesn't know a translation for wayfinder jargon in Nora's language. "I think our best chance to avoid the Tsar's attention is to make as few ripples as possible. This place," she glances around it, "Is small, where the world is large. If we don't call our audience's attention to Mokosit's little slight of hand, it may well pass unnoticed."
Fate
'Wait, "Mokosits"?' Nora asks. Her eyes flick to each person gathered. 'Same god as "Bogulya"? Who was the cheeky one who stepped in on our behalf?'
Aaren
"Bogulya." Aaren sings, still working on shrinking and making the muscles across her chest larger. "Same as Mokosits, and The Guest."
Slavina
"Daina's father." Slavina adds, for context.
Daina
Daina looks from one to the other and then nods. "He's sort of the best ever" she boasts as she sticks her chest out some.
Fate
Nora looks around again. 'The best what?' She rubs her upper arm, puzzled. 'Is it... important that he's her father?'
Daina
Daina smirks some "The best Bogulya" she shrugs "I love him a whole lot is really all I'm saying I guess." she pauses "er what would make it important to you?" not sure...
Fate
Nora shrugs. 'No idea. That's why I'm asking. Is there something special about his seed or something?'
Slavina
Just checking did Nora take the tea? or did she refuse it?
Fate
Oh, sorry! She took it.
I didn't state that at all, but let's retcon and say she did.
Daina
Daina ponders that and scratches the back of her neck.
Slavina
"Yes." Slavina says, decisive. "Among other things it's important because it makes him part of her birth-family, so he extends her special favor. Like saving her from being consumed by the Tsar."
Daina
Daina gives a little chuckle "yeah that was pretty special" that warm glow of feeling protected warms in her heart again, letting a smile linger on her lips. Her lips shift to a smirk. "Maybe he didn't want to clean up the mess when I clawed out" she jokes and sets her hands on her hips to match her cheeky jest.
Fate
Nora tilts her head, 'So, like a rí... ?' Her brow furrows. 'But you're a girl-child. Why would he care?'
Daina
Daina scoffs. "Because he loves me of course" she shakes her head. "don't the rí love all their children?"
Fate
She snorts. 'No. Just the useful ones.'
'And the occasional useless one, if they're thick.'
Aaren
Aaren politely excuses herself from the conversation to get back to what she was doing, since it's clear she's not really needed right now.
Daina
Daina grimaces softly and her nose even wrinkles. "Oh... huh ... well that's... sad" she mumbles softly.
Slavina
Slavina hum-grunts at Nora's explanation. "In our world, at least in the parts I've travelled to, boy- and girl-children are seen as roughly equal, and most families hope for plenty of each."
"Although my family definitely preferred female children." She adds, as a side note.
Daina
Meg right quick can I have an empathy ping on Frankie [if anything and like just where is he? XD ]
Fate
He's still very much processing, waiting to be given an order, and is under the bed presently.
Nora lets out a grunt of a laugh. 'That's a novelty!'
Aaren
Aaren returns to her garden and begins singing a statue for Ulfinya out of the mist.
First, she sits infront of the spot she has chosen, listening carefully to make sure, again, that it is the right spot. Then she offers a song of thanks, asking for assistance, and burries a skittle in the not-exactly-earth where the statue will go.
The song is one of shadows, cold, sinister ones and warm, protective ones. Shadows that conceal the hunter and shadows that conceal prey. The mist congeals and grows dark, and then solid. In a few long minutes, heavy, black wood has formed, mist condesning on the smooth, intricetly carved surface.
Daina
I just thought of something, can Frankie still join my shadow and stuff?
Fate
Yes!
Nora leans forward a little, then plants a hand on her knee. 'Well. Escape plan. Anyone know where the exits are, then?'
Slavina
Slavina shrugs and sips her tea. Mindful of the ingrained instructions of Aaren and Janin, she gets up to fetch a bowl of corn cakes. She takes one and holds the bowl out for Nora. "I'll have to look again now that I'm..... better."
Daina
Daina considers that and chews her lower lip as she looks around. Ponder ponder... "well ... maybe..." she lifts up the edge of the coat and peers into both pockets.
Aaren
Once the statue is in place, dripping water like damp earth, cut suddenly open on a sheer seam, Aaren bows, and then listens.
After a while, she places two cigarretes into the bowl, and the rest of her skittles. Then she lifts her voice in song, this time asking for a boon.
When she is done, she sits in silence. Listening to echos only she can hear.
I'm gonna take an average of my Prophecy-Singing, wich is 10. So I am at 5/15 now?
Fate
Aye!
Nora takes a corn cake, without thinking about it, then stuffs it into her mouth. As she chews, she furrows her brow in slight surprise, then grabs another.
'You do realize that we can't come up with feasible plans without being informed, right?' she asks, around her mouthful. Then she looks Slavina's way, waving a cake. 'What is this, even?'
Slavina
"Sweet-grain-cake. Daina made them." She blows on hers to cool it down and then takes a little bite out of one corner. "I think there's fruit in it too?"
Daina
Daina sighs a little as she digs into the pockets and flexes her hands some. "Hmm well at least we're talking about it that's a start" she mutters softly.
Slavina
"Do you have a word for the kind of grain that makes fat yellow seeds and grows on tubes shaped like cattails?" She asks Nora.
Fate
'Oh, aye. "Odd".' Nora shakes her head, regarding Daina once more. 'We can talk till we're blue in the face. Won't change a damn thing until we have information.' She holds up the cake. 'This right here, this is fuckin' sorcery. Damn delicious.' She stuffs it in her mouth, and grabs a third. 'Fo, y'nee me f'r anyfin elf, fen?'
Daina
Daina huffs a little "well how do we find the exit then... I mean if that's what we need then let's start looking so we know the things we need" she takes a breath and then hmms as her brow smooths and her cheeks warm with a flush of pride. ""oh... uh I guess not? you could stay and help look if you want..."
Slavina
"No, but I like being in close proximity to you." Slavina nibbles a little more at her corn-cake. She shakes her head a little to flick her scarf out of her face. "I could try a pattern-dance."
Daina
Daina perks up "Oh, can I help?" she questions as she starts to shrug out of the coat.
Aaren
Aaren finishes her listening and lowers her face. Her noises rattle about her as she rises. She waits by Kelly for a few moments, and then heads back to the fire and picks up one of the corn cakes before squatting.
Fate
Nora looks sidelong at Slavina, but says nothing more, instead favoring chewing her food.
Kelly finishes what he's doing and looks up at Aaren as she waits by him, humming an inquisitive note.
Aaren
Aaren hugs her brother, before she goes to sit down.
Fate
He returns her hug, then rises to his feet soon after Aaren sits, moving over to take up some food and watching everyone gathered. 'Is something happening?' he asks.
Slavina
Slavina hesitates, half-eaten corn cake frozen on its way to her mouth.
It's only a heartbeat. Then she glides on as if there were no interruption: "Why don't you do the dance, Danska? I'm tired anyways..... I'll help you interpret the pattern."
Aaren
"Daina is going to look for exits." Aaren sings to Kelly.
Daina
Daina pauses and then smiles a little "Oh ... ok... if you're sure..." she questions as she folds up the coat and passes it to Slavina to hold. Pulling her hair back in a scrap of cloth. "Can I use your gourds or should I make some from here... but... also would they even work" she murmurs with a faint note of curiosity but also annoyance at having to second guess all the things around here.
Slavina
Slavina rests a finger on her lip and draws her eyebrows down, her gaze fixing on a point between herself and the fire.
"Try some embers or charcoal, tied to a string. The falling ash will work for your powder."
Aaren
"Do you want us to sing for you?" Aaren asks
Daina
Daina hmms and then smiles "Ok" she chimes and then sets about doing so, having to go search for a string. She calls over her shoulder "Always" smiling as she digs through her stuff in the cart and grabs her tattered wrap and some string. She returns and reaches in to grab some coal leaching out the warmth before affixing it to the scarf end.
Aaren
Aaren thinks for a minute (singing Frankie's learning song, since that's default right now), and then streightens—she's already been leaning on Kelly.
"Alright." She sings. The song is Daina's WayFinding-Searching song. "Who wants to help?" She asks the group, as her voices settle into the fast, flickering rythum.
Daina
Daina dusts off her hands and sets to carefully tying the length around her middle and stretching a bit.
Fate
Kelly hums an affirmative, indicating himself as a volunteer.
'Shite singer,' Nora says, repeating a fact uttered some days ago.
Aaren
"Nora, that is very useful information," Aaren sings, "But it doesn't answer my question. Would you like to help?"
Slavina
Slavina pulls a small wooden flute out of her pocket (an item she definitely didn't have yesterday).
Fate
Nora shrugs a shoulder. 'Sure.'
Slavina
"Do you like playing instruments better than singing?" Slavina asks her.
Aaren
"Excellent." Aaren sings, because she really likes it when people sing. Then she goes about handing out parts, giving Slavina and Kelly complicated, interesting parts, and telling Nora simplty to follow one of the voices (which she makes distinct so that Nora will be able to pick it out of the harmony).
She breifly considers bringing Frankie in to help, and then decides against it. For now.
Fate
Nora shrugs. 'Only instrument I've played was a blade of grass. Which... is somewhat fun, I suppose.'
But soon she listens intently to Aaren's song and attempts to follow along. (It's rough going for her, because she has little skill in targeting a note properly, much less reaching it.)
Slavina
Slavina joins in with her flute—less work avoiding accidental lyricising that way. She keeps a sharp focus on Daina, watching every piece of the pattern unfold.
Daina
As the music starts in it's fullness Daina smiles a small thanks to her compatriots and lifts the long arms of fabric at her hips. She starts to step in large moves circling round and then moving in tighter till she's spinning in place the fabric standing out perpendicular to her body and suddenly she stops and her arms and legs are outstretched in movements that somehow keep the ends aloft with a light popping motion. She manages to keep them aerial almost the entire time though she doesn't stop it from falling to 'pomp' lightly on the earth when it feels right in the dance. She bends and bows her body in curves and with swooping motions. Her movements almost completely round and circular till the end when she strikes a reaching pose on one foot with arms up and then 'dives' down onto the ground aiming for out of the pattern and holds still. Not sure if she's part of the pattern after all that. Her toes flex as she glances to Slavina for guidance. stunty dance?
Aaren
Are you rolling? If so, we should totes get to buff you. Also, I would give you a stunt.
Slavina
I agree on stunt
Daina
I think so?
Fate
No need to roll—1 success is enough.
Daina
XD ok
Slavina
Dance done—pattern complete—Slavina tucks the flute into her belt at the small of her back and walks a slow, careful circle around the marks. Her eyes stay glued to the flecks of ash and gouges in the earth.
Megan, I don't need to roll for my wayfinding/mystery to interpret door locations from Daina's marks, right?
Fate
Nope!
Slavina
"Each window marks a door. I think we can move through the doors by climbing up the windows."
Aaren
Aaren laughs. "Really?" She sings. She gets up and goes to the window of the Hunter's Lodge. Then she feels around for grips in the wall. She lengthens her fingers, and then climbs.
Daina
Daina smiles some and rolls over onto her back and -beams- at Slavina, radiating a bit of heat from her face just for giggles.
Slavina
"Good job." Slavina says, taking her seat back. She glances at Nora. "Did you never sing growing up?"
Daina
Daina smiles and hops up, dusting herself off and putting the coat back on. "ummn ... Aaren is that... safe?" she looks at her sister with concern.
Slavina
clarification: the good job is to Daina and Nora both
Fate
'Not well,' Nora responds. Her voice is slightly hoarse with the effort. She clears her throat, but it makes a sound that's too dry to indicate any sort of progress. 'Mind if I ask some questions about... this whole process?'
Kelly follows after Aaren, but waits at window, watching as she disappears, and then looking through the porthole for indications of her arrival.
As Aaren climbs, the way darkens.
Soon enough, it opens up, all of the sudden, and Aaren is completely enveloped in the familiar song of the Hunter's Lodge. Behind her is an aspen tree, standing alone amidst pines. (There seems to be nothing special about its song...)
Aaren
"Probably!" Aaren calls back, as she climbs. "I can fall at least three times my average height on to turf this soft without dying."
As soon as she comes out, she goes to the spot she knows Kelly can see, waves, and then walks back to the tree, searching for the way back in.
Slavina
"Ask away." Slavina says, although she does get up to move closer to the door Aaren went through. "I'm pretty sure they work both ways, Daina." She says soothingly.
Aaren
She'll start by climbing the tree.
Daina
Daina frowns a little and looks on worriedly.
Fate
Nora proceeds to ask all manner of questions...
Meanwhile, once he sees it, Kelly reports Aaren's arrival to the others, and describes her actions as best he can given the limited view-space.
Climbing only gets Aaren higher up the tree... however, as she climbs down and gets to the point where she'd set her feet on the ground, she finds herself descending into the darkness once more, towards the soft light of the corridor.
Aaren
Aaren sings loudly, so they can find out if Kelly can hear her at this point. She climbs until she can see again and she can hear that it is safe to drop, and then drops the rest of the way in a fluffing-out of ponchos.
Slavina
Slavina begins answering, but it's slow going since the subject is extremely intricate and Esta was hardly in a position to teach her the proper language for it. She pauses when Aaren returns though. "Hold on, I'll tell you more when she's done talking."
Fate
Kelly reports when he can hear Aaren singing, then steps back out at her approach, giving her space to come through the corridor.
Nora holds, as requested, eyeing the area Kelly just exited.
Daina
Daina meeps and rushes forward to try an' catch Aaren. "Aarennnn you braaaaaaat" attempt to be a big wolf and soft landing spot.
Aaren
Aaren lands, fortunently without landing on Daina. Aaren gives her sister a comforting hug. "Daina," she sings, "While it is not life threatening to fall onto this turf from the hight I climbed to, it is quite dangerious to fall even from the height I dropped at onto someone or something as bumpy as a wolf."
She hugs her sister again, and then turns to the group.
"It goes right outside, like climbing a tree." She briefly describes the experince, and how to get back. Then she asks Daina, "Can we send Frankie through? I'd like to find out more about what's going on now before we show back up. We need to make sure we aren't going to cause more trouble."
Then she turns to Nora. "There is also a window that leads out to the bog where we found you." Aaren points, because she's not sure Nora's seen it.
Daina
Daina grumbles a little but returns the hugs with nudges of her shoulder and then follows to listen to the debriefing.
She pauses and calls out to Frankie. Wolfishly asking if he's up to the trip.
Fate
Nora snorts. 'Aye, that's very useful information.' She huffs a chuckle, with a slight tinge of unease, but says nothing more.
Frankie offers no response, instead sliding into the corridor and quickly disappearing amidst the dark.
Slavina
can I get an insight-ping on Nora?
Fate
Sure!
(To Slavina) She's being irreverent. It's only useful information in that she knows where to avoid, because she has no plans on going back.
Daina
{>> can I look through Frankies eyes etc now?}
Fate
Yes.
Aaren
Coool!
Daina
Suhweet
Fate
Frankie slips from shadow to shadow, seeking out the secret places, the hidden places. He slips between grains of dirt and stretches the whole length of a tree's morning-shadow. His journey first takes him to the Hunters' Lodge, to a person there. He stays unnoticed in that person's shadow for a while, taking in her scent.
There, lingering on her, a thick, woody smell. Small hints of a tart sap. And the faded aroma of a person, listening to the tinkling of leaves in the wind.
And the fragrance of Jerri, small, subtle.
He slides from that shadow into another, and another, following the person's mingled aroma. It's there, drifting on shadowless air, settling in sun-cast darkness.
And then an early summer breeze carries with it a tinkling. He follows it for a while, until vibrations from deep within the earth tremble through him and then he sinks, deep. Enveloped in darkness. Pursuing the sound.
Soon, the way opens up. Light streams into darkness from various sources—from openings to the surface, from lanterns carefully spaced throughout the earth. People move about through these burrows, to and from aboveground. Smells and sounds both are thicker here, denser, carrying to every edge of the cavern network. They are achingly familiar smells and sounds, despite being changed by time and distance, location and food eaten. There are also familiar faces, familiar pieces of furniture, all looking odd in this entirely different environment.
It is, without a doubt, the Hometown refugees. They're living in the rainbow tree grove, below and above. The roots of the rainbow trees frame the dirt, hold it firmly in place.
In his journey through shadows, Frankie slips by Jesse, who is making a valiant effort of trying to teach German Nunez—a little boy from Bakersfield whose parents had sought Aaren to cure his hemophilia—how to lace his shoes.
From deep within, Dragomir's voice can be heard amidst the din...
"Easy. Just a..." It's accented, but it's unmistakably Hometown English—soon followed by the dislocated hip song. His voice is still resonant, but it's pitched at a much gentler volume. "Foster, do you want me to pop it back into place or... ?"
"Um... Jerri, if you don't mind..." The cracking, uneven voice of a youth, strung with pain. Foster Babineux, except older. Apparently there's a lot of time between 14 and 15.
"Sure. I gotcha." There's the sound of things being set down, the shifting of a body. "Miro, you can get the salve."
More sounds of movement follow, and then a whimper of pain. Then she sings the buildup measure, a quick series of notes meant to replace a 'one... two... three...' Foster joins the song, his throat tight, voice growing louder the closer it gets to the end, in anticipation.
And then the heavy, hollow thunk of bone meeting bone, undercutting his groan. Then Jerri finishes the song with a little victory measure.
Frankie eventually slides across a root, which carries him into a cavern filled with shelves and poultices of all sorts. From there he can see.
Foster's face is creased by shadow and hidden by an arm draped over his eyes, his pallor pronounced by the lantern light. He's lying on an examination table, both hands clenched tight. Dragomir is waiting nearby, hunched a little as if to make himself smaller, dipping his fingers into a salve and making his way over to the table. Jerri pulls away from the table, squeezing Foster reassuringly on the shoulder. Perhaps it is the shadows which cling to her that make her seem like she's gone lean in the face and limbs. But it's definitely not a construction of the shadows that she's got an all-too-familiar pronounced curve of the belly.
"You did good!" Jerri's voice is mild, but bright. "But for your sake and ours, please don't do any more stupid fuckery, okay? In fact, while you're resting up, I want you to tell every member of your squad exactly how painful this shit is. And you let them know I won't be so gentle on the next one that comes in after jumping off that waterfall."
Foster sings the assent song, otherwise unmoving and still quite tight.
I will convey updates, Frankie says. And questions.
Everyone in the room starts. Then Dragomir laughs, big and booming, and stifles it with a bashful apology once he realizes he's being too loud in that enclosed space.
Jerri brings a hand up to cover her eyes briefly, and plants the other one on her lower back. "Frankie, did they read Ash's last letter?"
Yes.
A wan, wry smile flickers over Jerri. "That's my girls." Her hand drops and she steps aside to give way to Dragomir, who has returned to his task, applying the salve with practiced care. "Let's start with updates, then."
Here are the answers to the various questions that the co. sent along (most of which would be forwarded to Vanya)...
Re: Visiting
It's totally doable. Since you've got access to the Hunter's Lodge and that's a part of the patrol route anyway, they can just get accommodations squared away for you and have the next patrol pick y'all up and bring you over tomorrow morning. (Alternatively, Frankie may be able to lead you there, if you're chomping at the bit.)
YES PLEASE, is the general response from everyone.
Re: The Situation
They're stable, for now. Since Ash's letter, they managed to find Lesh and Geraldine and their daughters, who had been living safely in Lesh's former home. After the somewhat failed mission six months ago (see below), they packed up and moved from the Hunter's Lodge to the Rainbow Tree Grove, just in case. Lesh created the tunnel system for them.
There are barely 100 refugees. They've been living mostly off of potatoes, beets, cabbage, mushrooms, nuts, berries, roots, and occasional game (very occasional, as the lack of blackberry wolves makes hunting potentially deadly again; they've already lost a few hunters).
Vanya is presently the one In Charge (TM). However, she mostly coordinates everyone—she, with help and suggestions, placed certain people in charge of certain things, and taught them how to delegate. No one's allowed to be in direct charge of more than seven things.
Miscellaneous news, in no particular order:
- Among the babies who now have names, there's Hana (Aya's), Gabrijel (Vanya's), and Lila (Geraldine's).
- Aurika and her brother's wife are here. Her brother stayed behind to act as informant.
- Yes, Jerri is pregnant. She's not the only one either (just one of the farthest along, if not THE farthest along)—the birth control supplies were limited at the Hunter's Lodge, and they had to carefully ration it throughout the winter. Luckily, they managed to grow more as spring came into full swing.
- There's going to be a party on Spring's Eve (which is like, tomorrow)! Obviously they can't really do all the traditional things (no rabbits to search for truffles, no Vir to be the Mother of the Lost, etc.) but there's still going to be a celebration because everyone could use a party about now.
Re: The General Hometown Situation
Based on intel from various informants still in town...
All told, there are roughly 150 original inhabitants still in Hometown, since just over a hundred made it out and the rest were either conscripted or died. Also, just six weeks ago a good twenty-something people died during a mining collapse and more were seriously injured—they'd expanded the mining operations too far too fast. Among the casualties was Gruncle Ed. Quinn's legs were completely crushed but she was rescued. Gramma Lavern is currently helping the Chlovak medic take care of her—but the medic is confident she will not walk again and will live with chronic pain. ("Fucking hack," Jerri spits. And then she half-heartedly rolls that statement back by allowing that this medic is doing what they can with limited knowledge.)
There were other casualties, due to various reasons. Great Gramma Loretta was one of them—in midwinter she caught double pneumonia and never recovered.
Lin is being worked to the bone forging strange parts and so on. And after the snow melted they were shipped parts for some kind of factory. It's almost built—and people will be reassigned to work there once it is. There are also rumors flying around that engineers will be coming to Hometown at some point or other.
Vir has been running interference pretty much non-stop between the Hometowners and the Commanding Officer. A lot of problems and cultural conflicts and stuff have been solved this way, but it's not easy. Vir currently has stress sickness.
Re: The Prisoners
Six months ago what was supposed to be a routine mission of intercepting correspondence to Domochlovek went sour. Long story short, they managed to succeed the mission, but lost half of the squad. Patrik Yukovic was killed, and Ash and Aya were both captured. They've been held in the rabbit hutches for a long time—the CO is waiting on authorization from Domochlovek to ship them over for trial and sentencing. No specific information on the state of the prisoners, other than "alive."
Re: Liberating Hometown and/or Prisoners
There's no question that they want to do this and that your guys's help is strongly desired. There would have to be more planning and more coordination in terms of any actual Hometown campaigns, specifically with Vanya and Dragomir, than can be managed over the Frankie Line. But that coincides with your desire to visit, so...