[OPEN] A window opens up and someone calls your name

[tenthstreetbred]

Who: Commander Shepard and YOU!
What: Shepard has just returned from the land of Hiatus and is trying to settle back in!
When: Today, the 15th
Where: A lot of places honestly, but mostly Enso and the Islets
Warnings: PG-13 I'd say! If anything more crops up, I'll edit this to reflect it.



A. The Islets

[It hasn't been too long since she woke up inside her special little home, the crumbling structure that she's claimed as her own. She has no idea that time has passed, and yet... things feel a little different to her than they did before. Perhaps it's because the plants around her home seem just a tad larger than before, maybe the wood creaks louder... It's only a gut feeling however, nothing more, and therefore she gets up and begins her day like nothing has happened at all.

But something did happen, and the dream she had during the night sticks with her as she begins to build her dwelling into something more livable than it is now. Later she'll travel through the islets, quietly checking up on everyone and getting ready to travel back to Enso to retrieve more supplies and see what is happening there.]

B. The Mana Pool

But first, before she makes the trip over, she decides to take a bit of a break by the mana pool on her islet of choice. She's sitting by it casually, wearing her clean and repaired under armor and tries to not think too hard on why she must return to pools like this one rather frequently to stave off the feeling of her very bones creaking and cracking as she moves. Hell, she's barely in her 30s and yet she's already falling apart.

If she happens to see anyone she knows nearby she'll give them a friendly hello as she spends this quiet moment recharging. She wouldn't be against company in general however, acquaintance or no.

C. ENSŌ

[Here is where she gets back to work, making her way over the island to collect whatever she can to be used in building materials and food to add to stocks both personal and designed to be left in caches on the island for anyone who may need them. Places of note she can be found are The Beach where she can be seen trying to clean it up a bit so it's less dangerous to be there and collecting driftwood and pulling it aside to dry. The Ruins are also another place for her to be found as she checks in makes sure everything is still together. She also hits up the Coconut Trees specifically for more of that sweet sweet fruit. Overall however if it has already been explored you can potentially find her there.]

((ooc: I switched between brackets and prose with these prompts but I don't care all that much so feel free to tag with whatever makes you the most comfortable for anything here!))

Comments

[tenthstreetbred]

[Shepard's face looks as grim as Muffet's as she relays the information.]

Unfortunately no, I have no idea. And you're right, if I had been sleeping that long I'd be emaciated and probably dead.

[She thinks for a moment.]

There wasn't much detail to it. I was... in the mind of something. There was a lot of drumming. I was traveling with my people and we were running away. There was something to fear and so we ran. Then I woke up.

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet listens intently, not looking any happier about the situation than Shepard does.]

Well, that's... ominous. When you say 'your people', do you remember who those people were? Ones you knew from home, or the rest of us, or just ones who felt like your people in the dream?

[tenthstreetbred]

The dream didn't show who "we" were. But they weren't anyone I knew, from home or here. I just remember heat, drums, and fear.

[She shakes her head.]

This will come back and bite us in the ass. I know it.

[This dream was more comprehensible than the last time she received a vision but it still filled her with a grim determination. Whatever it is, it will come to pass.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

Unquestionably, yes.

[Muffet sighs in resignation.]

At this point, I'm just hoping we can keep it to a bite, instead of getting swallowed up- as it were.

[The memory of some of the things they've found on the island so far lends the metaphor an uncomfortably visceral reality.]

[tenthstreetbred]

It sounds like you speak from experience. Did something happen?

[Does she need to kick someone's ass, Muffet?]

I'm glad she cares but also SHEPARD DO NOT FIGHT THE FUSTERCLUCK

[prettypurpleparlor]

Ah, that's right, you wouldn't have heard about that... creature yet.

[She winces in memory.]

A few days ago we organized a group to explore some of the areas we hadn't investigated yet. We encountered something that... well, it appeared to be some sort of large gelatinous ball with various other creatures absorbed into it. I suspect they were being digested, it seemed to just consume whatever it rolled over.

And it was also rather aggressively carnivorous. Because of course we couldn't possibly discover a giant devouring ball creature without being chased by it at top speed. Luckily, we managed to outrun it, and it doesn't appear inclined to venture outside of the general area we encountered it in. Hopefully it stays in there, and we can all stay out.

[She doesn't think they'll be that lucky, honestly, but it would be nice. Her tone is dry, that of someone who understands the humor in the sheer absurdity of their situation, but still isn't terribly thrilled about it.]

OK BUT CONSIDER.... COMMANDER SHEPARD FIGHTING THE FUSTERCLUCK

[tenthstreetbred]

[Shepard's eyes narrow as Muffet speaks. This thing is an island-wide accident waiting to happen.]

So this thing is just here, on this island? How do we get rid of it?

D O N O T

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet grimaces, and shakes her head.]

Would that I knew. We're lucky, in that it doesn't seem inclined to leave one particular, avoidable area... but I don't like the idea of having to just hope that luck holds out.

From deeply frustrating experience, I can at least tell you that many things do not seem particularly effective against it. Including, but sadly probably not limited to, fire, sharp objects, blunt objects, and strangulation.

DO!!!!!!!!!!!

[tenthstreetbred]

[Shepard's eyes widen as Muffet lists its lack of weaknesses.]

That's utterly ridiculous. I believe you, but that's utterly ridiculous.

NO.

[prettypurpleparlor]

'Utterly ridiculous' does about cover it, yes.

[Muffet adds, in the tones of one who is aware the fact they're about to mention isn't as much comfort as they'd like, but feels it still needs to be said:]

Possibly the only good news that I can offer on that front is that, judging by the various types of appendages sticking out of the semi-absorbed mishmash, it hasn't eaten anyone we know yet. Every body part I could see was at least vaguely recognizable as belonging to different example of the local wildlife.

:^)

[tenthstreetbred]

That’s better, I guess.

[Not good, but better.]

We’re gonna have to get rid of that thing eventually. If more people come to the island there’s going to be a greater chance of that thing killing and eating someone if it’s allowed to continue as it is.

[prettypurpleparlor]

Compared to the alternative, certainly. And yes, I suspect it would be quite unwise to leave it be indefinitely. I had considered asking the Storyteller about it, but I confess that I wasn't sure how to broach the topic.

[She figures it's not a great idea to just walk up to their temple and go 'hey what the fuck'.]

[tenthstreetbred]

[That gets a gruff laugh out of the soldier.]

I tend to find "a giant beast with murderous intent is out there and is going to get us" usually gets one person's attention.

[The Storyteller seems... a bit more attentive than her Alliance heads back home, though they haven't proven themselves much yet.]

If they can't tell us anything though, I'll investigate it myself. See if I can find a weakness somewhere.

[She's killed a Reaper on foot before, she can handle this!]

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet laughs softly along with Shepard, before becoming abruptly serious at her next sentence, turning to give her an impressively stern look.]

Not by yourself, you won't. If you wish to investigate it in person, then that's all to the good- if you're familiar with that sort of thing, your experience may well prove invaluable to dealing with it.

But no matter how skilled you are, going in alone would just be foolish. Find at least another person or two you know can handle themselves and bring them along, if you're going to do that.

[Guess who just volunteered. Aggressively.]

[Because the one thing that Muffet likes even less than the idea of dealing with the Fustercluck again right now is the idea of somebody else having to deal with the Fustercluck and getting themselves hurt or worse.]

[tenthstreetbred]

[For a moment Shepard feels... oddly caught out. It's not a good or bad feeling, at least nothing she can suss out in this moment, but it does remind her of her squad mates back home. She tries not to think about that association too hard.]

Then I'll be sure to hit you up when that time comes.

[If Muffet is willing to risk hide and limb over this, who is Shepard to potentially push her away?]

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet relaxes again, smiling wryly. She knows she's being a bit forward about it, but there's no sense letting someone put themselves in danger by being shy.]

Any time, dearie.