March Event: De L'autre Côté de L'eau

[lifeaftr_mods]

MARCH EVENT: DE L'AUTRE CÔTÉ DE L'EAU

Who: Everyone condemned to the Water, and those who see fit to rescue them
What: A rescue is implemented!
When:Predominantly on March 19th
Where: Ai'tuoh, and the small islet just off its coast
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Just Sing For Me All Night

It's time for your captured comrades to be recovered, and by none other than your fine selves! While the Storyteller will detail the elements of said rescue below, they very notably don't say anything about how they plan for you make it through Ai'tuoh, and then to the islet off its coast.

You have their tacit blessing to make your way there however you would like. Through stealth, through diplomacy, by salting and burning the earth...whichever you prefer. It is, as it turns out, awfully difficult to discern the innocent from the perpetrators when they all look alike.

Whatever course of action you choose, bear in mind that there will be consequences. The Storyteller will be sealing off Ai'tuoh's mana pool once everyone who has been retrieved has come through, but that doesn't mean that the island will be gone forever.

And If I Shout For You, Never Doubt

While the details of the rescue's mechanics can be found in the Storyteller's explanation below, we ask that, if your character was captured and needs to be rescued, please let us know HERE. This will make it easier for other players to account for who might be their focus, and why!

A few guidelines for each of the groups:

[ ♆ ] Group One will be predominantly busy fending away militia, who you can assume will be pouring forth to protect the Water from these intruders at a fairly concentrated rate. Most of the fighting will likely be grouped around the Water itself, leading to a risk of being forced into the Water or slipping in yourself. The militia largely fight with spears, swords, and shields, but are not above attempting to sedate you if they can get close enough, to make it easier to tip you into the Water.

[ ♆ ] Group Two will be serving as the tether, meaning they will be holding onto the thread the Storyteller has provided. This means physically remaining on our side of the abyss and holding onto the thread very tightly, as well as mentally focusing incredibly hard on the Water itself. When the thread is deposited into the Water, it will open a dark tunnel into the surface itself, leading all the way through to the other side. The Water will not take kindly to this; it will attempt to close, and exert a tremendous mental pressure upon your mind to do so. In order for this portal to remain open, your focus must be wholly devoted to keeping it open. It may feel very much like a mental game of tug-of-war, and you may very well feel a very physical tug on the thread itself as well; you must be actively concentrating on bringing everyone home.

[ ♆ ] Group Three will then have to grab hold of the thread in some way or another and not let go as they're swept into the dimension and through to the other side. As long as they remain in contact with the thread, they will be able to make their way back and be immune to the soporific effects of the strange void, as well as detect the opening the thread makes in the landscape of the netherworld on the other side of the Water. If they let go, they will lose their way and be vulnerable to the somnolent effects, and must be drawn back by someone who is still tethered.

Just remember: once you've found who needs recovering, you cannot, under any circumstances, look back at them while you guide the home.

You simply have to trust that they will follow, and that will be what leads them back to you.

Event Timeline

[ ♆ ] March 19th: Characters are taken to the Standing Water, and the rescue is facilitated
[ ♆ ] March 20th: Monthly Storytelling occurs as usual
[ ♆ ] March 31st: Ai'tuoh disappears, and anyone left on it or in the Water will suffer a death

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( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[buryyourfriends]

A long time ago, long before Seto was born, humans tried something that resulted in their own destruction.

They found a way to communicate without words, with just their thoughts and feelings. Words were apparently unnecessary. Not needed. And humans succeeded in doing this...and then they all fell asleep, never to wake up. So this world and the world that Seto was from, there were very little difference. The only differences is that the bodies have not rotted away.

And this time someone wakes up. This time someone wakes up thanks to the kindness of another that came and saved them. He can't...Seto can recognize Lup's voice but what exactly she's saying is hard to understand through his sleep-addled mind.

"Lup...?"

Is that you, or is he dreaming?

[hellawrath]

He's awfully slow to wake up, like whatever magic of this place is refusing to let him go. Well, fuck that. She takes one of his hands in hers and squeezes, still running her fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, it's Lup. I'm here. I'm gonna take you home, okay? You'll be just fine, sweetie. But you gotta get up. Can you do that?"

[buryyourfriends]

Waking was normally a lot easier for Seto. He's a light sleeper due to the things that could creep up on someone in the night. It was easier when PF and Sai were around but...

Well, even though there were many people around him, old habits remain the same. So it's confusing that it's taking so long to shake this sleep.

But Seto is going to get up because he remembers the last thought going through his head before he fell.

"Ren...Crow...I-I have to..."

It's a struggle, but Seto is going to claw his way back to his feet, however unsteady he may be. "Lup...Ren and C-Crow. I need to find them..."

He has to find them!

[hellawrath]

It's clear which thought is dragging him away from the claws of this unnatural sleep, which bonds, and something twists and sinks in Lup's heart even as she's helping him to his feet. He hasn't seen his friends either. Hasn't seen Ren. Probably lost track of them in the chaos and terror of being ferried here, forced into the water. Not for the first time Lup wishes she'd burned more than those bastards' boats.

But for now, she's got a drowsy worried kid to take care of. Her hands stay on his shoulders, comfortingly, but also ready to keep him from bolting if necessary. One of her hands is wrapped tightly with a red thread trailing off into the distance. That's his connection to the real world now too, she's not losing him here.

"I know, hun. I-I'm still looking for them too. But we're gonna get all you guys home, I promise. Did you see them fall into the water?"

[buryyourfriends]

It's obvious by the way Seto is leaning forward that he wants to bolt. That he would run deeper into this place on the off-chance that Ren and Crow were here and nothing but. But Seto still feels like falling asleep yet was far, far too awake to consider it again. It's awful, like the first few nights after his Grandpa told him why there was no one else left in the world and trying to keep them both awake because Seto was afraid they'd never wake up.

He was half right, in the end.

But Seto knows he's not getting anywhere just trying to run. "We...we ran when that lady fell." He doesn't know if Lup was there to see it or not. Seto's only thought and action was to run with Ren and Crow once the guards moved away from them. "I-I think we nearly got out, but we got separated."

That's the simplest version of things. "I came back...I wanted to make sure nobody took them h-here."

And then he too fell, although Seto can't remember if he tripped or someone pushed him. He doesn't care about himself right now though.

"Lup, we have to find them. Ren was really tired and Crow...I don't think he'd be okay in here."

There's a lot of water and he was made of metal. It wouldn't end well, to say the least.

[hellawrath]

They got separated. They almost got out and he went back into the terrifying fray to look for them. Seto hasn't been around that long, and he's mostly been sticking with Ren, so getting to know him better has been a bit slow going. But in this moment, Lup gets him 100%. The same worry and determination burns in both their hearts.

Which is gonna make this next part suck, a lot, and Lup's ears sink almost apologetically.

"We're gonna get them back. But I can only bring one of you out of the water at a time, it's-- the rabbit called it a ritual, like, rules that we have to follow for it to work. So I'm gonna lead you to the surface, and then I'll turn right back around to find Ren and Crow. And you can keep looking on the outside, make sure they're not stuck in the fighting. Okay?"

She'd really, really love to make sure he goes straight to the boat, just fucking, gets out of here, gets to safety. If he doesn't, he could get hurt, could fall in again. But she already knows it's pointless to hope he would go anywhere but the frontlines while his friends are still missing.

[buryyourfriends]

Again, Lup is right - Seto wouldn't leave the city until he knew that Ren and Crow were also safe. There is no other way to convince him and someone would have to tie him to the mast if they wanted to be sure he left with everyone else with his friends still missing.

And indeed his heart sinks when Lup tells him she can only take people out one at a time. He can't be bitter about it - Lup is in danger too and yet she's here too and the rabbit went through the trouble to apparently find them a way to save everyone that fell in the Water. But---

"Can you look for Ren and Crow first? I'll wait right here. I'm..." He has to ignore his own fears to say this. "I'm okay here. I'll wait right here for you."

It's far, far to loud in this place. Seto is scared of it, he wants out but if it gives Ren and Crow a better chance of getting out first, he'll take it. No matter what.

[hellawrath]

Oh boy. Oh honey. It's obvious how scared he is, rightfully so, how brave he's trying to be in spite of it and-- She'd be proud of him, if everything wasn't so horrible and he didn't deserve to not have to be brave. She wishes she could take his hand and help him look until they can all go back to the surface together, all these kids who've made their homes in her life and in her heart. But there's no place for wishes in this bleak ass nightmare, and all she can do is squeeze his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, pumpkin, but that's not how the ritual works. Once I turn around, if I look back at you, I-- you'd be lost. For real. You've got to follow me right now, okay? I promise I won't lose any time finding Ren and Crow after." She drops one of her hands and holds it out for him to take expectantly. "I'm not gonna let you get lost, so we better get going now. The sooner I get you out, the faster I can go look for the others."

[buryyourfriends]

He can see Lup's point. If Seto is taken out of here then she can go back in and find Ren and Crow. He's just....

If it was a matter between losing his life and the lives of Ren and Crow, Seto would give up his own without a second thought. Even if he knew it would make them both sad, Seto wanted them to live first and foremost.

But he's holding everything up. As scared as Seto was he needed to take a deep breath and get going. His hand is shaking, but he'll take Lup's hand and not let go.

"Okay....okay. They'll be safe and we can go home after. Everyone will be here again."

It may be said to himself more then anything. There's something more then just the potential of Seto's friends dying that's disturbing him, but Seto's not going to dump his fears onto Lup when she's trying so hard.

So it's time to go.