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

[tenthstreetbred]

A woman's voice. She doesn't recognize it. Accented. Unusual.

There. On the monitor. Something's wrong.

A brief pause. She shifts. Body, sinews, move. They shouldn't be moving. She's not. She's not actually alive, is she-

A man's voice. She doesn't recognize him either.

She's reacting to outside stimuli. Showing an awareness of her surroundings.

She breathes. Blinks. Turns her head.

Oh my god, Miranda. I think she's waking up.

A white woman with black hair and a bald white man looking down at her. There are machines all around with the sterile white and grey of a hospital room. Shepard struggles weakly where she lies. Her breathing quickens. The woman is saying something, something about how she's not ready yet. She doesn't know what that means. Everything hurts, why does everything hurt? The woman opens her mouth again but the voice that comes out doesn't match to what she heard before. No light and airy accent; it's different. Louder now.

...wakesville, chop chop!

She shifts again. There's no pain now. Just exhaustion, pulling at every point of movement on her body. Where is she?

Come on, chica.

She stirs more, eyes finally opening after what feels like a million years. Her eyes dart around, trying to focus. White. Grey. Tall buildings. Chica.

"...James?" she mutters weakly. He was always the one to call her that, when it wasn't Lola. Her eyes rove again and then settle on ears. Long, pointed ears. She reaches up for a second, arm heavy with the weight of the world, to touch. She manages weak fingertips against a warm cheek and blinks again. No. No this isn't James it's...

"Lup. What're you doing here?"

A breathy murmur but a glad one.

[hellawrath]

It takes like, honestly way too fucking long, but finally Shepard's eyes crack open. She's struggling to focus, murmuring a name from a dream or something, but even that is better than silence, around here. She's getting there, and a relieved smile wipes away the sharp worry and outrage on Lup's face.

The touch is a bit startling, even as vague and heavy as it is and something hitches in her chest, a hand lifting like instinct to meet Shepard's and hold on. Like hell is she gonna let go, now that she's got her. And like, if she wanted to keep her fingertips there, for a moment longer, that would be fine too.

"Saving your ass, duh," she breathes, relief obvious despite the teasing. "You kinda picked a, a real shit place for a nap here, homie. One outta five stars. Let's get you home and put you in like a hammock or something if you're that hard up for sleep, okay?" This choice roasting is only a little ruined by the utter warmth and gladness in Lup's voice. Shepard is the first one she can actually save, is the thing, and it's kinda a huge weight off her heart.

[tenthstreetbred]

Her hand does lie there against Lup's cheek, her palm moving to cup it as Lup grabs onto her. She's warm, warmer than everything else around her. It's nice to have her here. Though where here is begins to flood into her memory quickly. The gentle smile at the sight of the elf quickly hardens into seriousness.

"I basically slept for two years straight. I shouldn't be tired now."

Her hand drops and she sits up, shaking her head.

"The Water. Did you fall in?"

Shepard can already feel the pull of this place on her again but she remains focused on Lup. "Are you ok?"

[hellawrath]

Lup leans into the touch on instinct and it lasts just long enough for her to notice how warm it's making her feel before Shepard gets herself together and sits up. She pulls back to give her space, and her soft smile is replaced by one of her more usual boastful grins.

"I'm fucking great, now that you're done snoozing. Also, I went into the water on my own two feet, actually?" She holds up her hand with the red thread wrapped around it, smug like that explains everything.

"Listen, I know the way back out but once we're off I can't look back at you? Some godly shenanigans, the rabbit explained, whatever. It's gonna be fine cos I know you're not gonna like, run off to do something dumb, right?" She laughs like that's a funny joke, ha ha who would go try to rescue anyone else instead of being rescued herself, fucking ridiculous. But also maybe just say you got it, Shepard, before any further rescue steps are taken here.

[tenthstreetbred]

It's really done a world of good on Shepard to see Lup here. She feels more energetic than before, more vibrant, like she can see more colors. When did everything get so gray?

Regardless, Shepard looks at the red thread with interest.

"I'm guessing that tethers you to the outside, huh?"

She stands up, legs protesting as she does. This world is still so heavy on her bones, but she stands anyway, trying to resist the urge to lie back down again. It's easier with a friend around. It's a good distraction.

"Lup, there are other people here who are trapped. I have to find them."

It's as simple as that. She won't leave if others are still in danger.

"If you know the way out, I can find more people for you and you can get them. I'm fine here."

Are you Shepard? Are you?

[hellawrath]

Standing up's a great start, defs in favor of all that and Lup joins her quickly. Aand just as quickly wraps her fingers around the other woman's wrist, pretty much on reflex? At the words out of her mouth. Not fucking cool, Shepard. Nobody's running off to find anyone, for fuck's sake she only just found you!

Realizing that her reaction may have been just a bit intense, Lup offers a little sympathetic chuckle, and definitely doesn't let go. "Look, I get it? Believe me, I do. But that's not how this is gonna work. I mean, okay, so I don't really know how this like, does work? But if there's a chance you running off to round up more people means you're lost the next time I see you, then-- nah. Ain't gonna happen, babe." Please tell her she's put her foot down enough on this one.

"You can run defense when we get out? There's a hell of a fight happening upstairs that could use some professional ass kicking."

[tenthstreetbred]

The grip on her wrist is a surprise but Shepard tempers down the immediate impulse to yank herself away. This is Lup. It's ok. She's a friend.

"Lup, I hear you, but I can't stand idly by while other people are in danger. It's not what I do. If I can help them, I will."

She shakes her head.

"Running defense is what got me in here in the first place. Might as well do something useful here while trapped, right?"