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abraxaslogs2021-06-12 12:13 pm
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxaslogs2021-06-12 12:13 pm
Entry tags:
- !event,
- !intro log,
- !npc,
- !player event,
- abby littman; the lovers,
- abigail hobbs; the hanged man,
- achilles; the hierophant,
- adora; strength,
- adrienne peters; the empress,
- aerith gainsborough; the sun,
- alan wake; the magician,
- alhaitham; the hermit,
- alice elliot; the empress,
- alicent hightower; the tower,
- alina starkov; the hanged man,
- aloy; the hermit,
- altaïr ibn-la'ahad; the magician,
- alucard; the hierophant,
- amos burton; the lovers,
- anakin skywalker; judgement,
- anthony lockwood; the devil,
- apollo; the star,
- arthur hastings; the hanged man,
- astarion ancunín; the wheel of fortune,
- bartimaeus of uruk; the wheel of fortune,
- bay kennish; the star,
- belle; strength,
- benedikta harman; the devil,
- billy kaplan; the hanged man,
- boothill; the hierophant,
- brad bakshi; the wheel of fortune,
- brother cadfael; justice,
- bucky barnes; the hanged man,
- byleth eisner; the devil,
- caitlyn kiramman; strength,
- cal kestis; the hanged man,
- captain jack harkness; the hanged man,
- carl grimes; the empress,
- carmy berzatto; the magician,
- cassandra de rolo; strength,
- cassian andor; the tower,
- castiel; the hanged man,
- catra; the tower,
- cersei lannister; the devil,
- ches fields; the lovers,
- chris halliwell; the tower,
- cidolfus telamon; the hanged man,
- cirilla of cintra; the devil,
- claire fraser; the empress,
- claire novak; the hanged man,
- clarisse la rue; the chariot,
- clarke griffin; strength,
- claude von riegan; the wheel of fortune,
- clive rosfield; the tower,
- cloud strife; the hanged man,
- cole cassidy; the hanged man,
- commander shepard; judgement,
- coraline finch; the tower,
- courtier 6; death,
- daemon targaryen; the tower,
- daenerys targaryen; judgement,
- daisy johnson; strength,
- dan heng; the high priestess,
- dante; the devil,
- dean winchester; the lovers,
- diana prince; the empress,
- dion lesage; the emperor,
- dustin henderson; the sun,
- eddie dean; the sun,
- eddie kaspbrak; the lovers,
- eddie munson; the devil,
- edelgard von hresvelg; the emperor,
- edward teach; the devil,
- eli clark; the empress,
- elias bouchard; the wheel of fortune,
- elidibus; the high priestess,
- eliot waugh; the star,
- elrond; temperance,
- emet-selch; the emperor,
- eponine thenardier; the hanged man,
- erik lehnsherr; the hermit,
- esme frost; the hanged man,
- estinien wyrmblood; the hermit,
- ezra bridger; strength,
- fandaniel; the hanged man,
- father maxwell; the wheel of fortune,
- felix fraldarius; the magician,
- finn; strength,
- frank castle; the hermit,
- g'raha tia; the lovers,
- gabriel; the wheel of fortune,
- galadriel; the hierophant,
- gale dekarios; the lovers,
- garrus vakarian; justice,
- geralt of rivia; the hanged man,
- gideon nav; strength,
- goro; the chariot,
- haelva lueltar; the magician,
- harley quinn; the wheel of fortune,
- harrowhark nonagesimus; the magician,
- heather montgomery; the magician,
- hector; the magician,
- hendrik; death,
- henry creel; the hierophant,
- hilda goneril; the lovers,
- himeka sui; the fool,
- homelander; judgement,
- hornet; strength,
- hythlodaeus; the empress,
- inara serra; temperance,
- inej ghafa; the hierophant,
- iris black; the hanged man,
- istredd; the high priestess,
- jack frost; the fool,
- jack kline; the sun,
- jack skellington; the fool,
- jack townsend; the moon,
- jacob frye; the sun,
- jaime lannister; judgement,
- james sunderland; the hermit,
- james t. kirk; the tower,
- jaskier; the sun,
- jasper; judgement,
- jayce talis; the magician,
- jerry pascal; the sun,
- jesper fahey; the wheel of fortune,
- jessica jones; strength,
- jill warrick; death,
- jinora; the world,
- jo harvelle; strength,
- john blake; the tower,
- jolie ann harmony; justice,
- jon sims; the high priestess,
- jon snow; the emperor,
- jonathan crane; the magician,
- jonathan emmet reid; the empress,
- jordan hennessy; the moon,
- joseph kavinsky; the devil,
- joshua rosfield; death,
- julia wicker; the tower,
- julie lawry; the wheel of fortune,
- jyn erso; the tower,
- kai parker; the fool,
- kaveh; the star,
- kay faraday; the fool,
- kaz brekker; the chariot,
- kell maresh; the magician,
- kelson haldane; the tower,
- kenzo tenma; the empress,
- kiryu kazuma; the tower,
- klaus hargreeves; the fool,
- koby; death,
- kol mikaelson; the hanged man,
- kyle; the hanged man,
- kylo ren; the tower,
- lan wangji; the hierophant,
- laura hawley; death,
- lenore; the lovers,
- leon belmont; the wheel of fortune,
- leonard mccoy; the lovers,
- lestat de lioncourt; judgement,
- lila bard; the fool,
- linhardt von hevring; the high priestess,
- link; strength,
- lloyd henreid; the lovers,
- loki; the devil,
- lord john grey; justice,
- louis de pointe du lac; the lovers,
- louis; death,
- lucifer; the devil,
- lucy maclean; the hierophant,
- majima goro; the hanged man,
- malyen oretsev; strength,
- marc spector; the tower,
- marianne von edmund; the hanged man,
- martin blackwood; the empress,
- marty mcfly; the hanged man,
- mat cauthon; the wheel of fortune,
- matt murdock; the tower,
- matthias helvar; the lovers,
- max mayfield; the hermit,
- merrin; strength,
- michael ralston; death,
- michael; the emperor,
- misty day; the lovers,
- morgana pendragon; the tower,
- nadine cross; the world,
- nanaue; the fool,
- natasha romanoff; the lovers,
- nathan drake; the fool,
- nebula; death,
- nero (dmc); the chariot,
- nero (drakengard); the devil,
- nicholas d. wolfwood; the lovers,
- nico di angelo; death,
- nikolai lantsov; the fool,
- norman jayden; the hermit,
- oberon; the hanged man,
- obi-wan kenobi; death,
- percy jackson; the lovers,
- peter maximoff; the devil,
- peter parker (comics); strength,
- peter parker (mcu); strength,
- petra macneary; strength,
- phoenix wright; the lovers,
- prince wilhelm; the tower,
- princess zelda; the high priestess,
- queen maeve; the hanged man,
- quentin coldwater; death,
- randall flagg; the tower,
- relena peacecraft; death,
- reno; the chariot,
- rey; the star,
- rhaenyra targaryen; the emperor,
- rhy maresh; the lovers,
- richie tozier; the hanged man,
- rinwell; the magician,
- rita farr; the star,
- river tam; the fool,
- robin buckley; the hanged man,
- rocket; the chariot,
- roland deschain; death,
- ronan lynch; the moon,
- rowena macleod; the high priestess,
- ruaidrigh mac raith; the hanged man,
- sabine; the empress,
- sam wilson; justice,
- sam winchester; the hierophant,
- samus aran; strength,
- sandor clegane; strength,
- sansa stark; the high priestess,
- sasarai; judgement,
- satoru gojo; the devil,
- sebille kaleran; the hanged man,
- sephiroth; the tower,
- shione daymore; the hermit,
- shuten-douji; the devil,
- some ovmennet; the empress,
- sophia of yaldabaoth; the world,
- stephen strange; death,
- steve harrington; the lovers,
- steve rogers; the hierophant,
- suguru geto; the hanged man,
- susan delgado; the lovers,
- sylvain gautier; the sun,
- sypha belnades; the tower,
- taylor hebert; death,
- teddy roberts; death,
- thancred waters; strength,
- thane krios; death,
- the commander (syrlya); strength,
- the darkling; death,
- the doctor; the fool,
- the medicine seller; the hierophant,
- theodore blackwell; temperance,
- thor odinson; the fool,
- tifa lockhart; the empress,
- tony stark; the magician,
- travis guidry; the chariot,
- triss merigold; the empress,
- urianger augurelt; death,
- vash the stampede; death,
- vi; the lovers,
- viktor; death,
- wanda maximoff; the hanged man,
- wei wuxian; the tower,
- wen kexing; the tower,
- will solace; the empress,
- wrench; the hanged man,
- wylan van eck; the magician,
- y'shtola rhul; the high priestess,
- yennefer of vengerberg; the chariot,
- yuffie kisaragi; the tower,
- yuri lowell; the tower,
- zagreus; the chariot,
- zelda schiff; the magician,
- zhou zishu; strength,
- zoya nazyalensky; strength
EVENT #1
EVENT #1
Welcome to our very first event! This event will be divided into two parts: one for honored guests, and one for prisoners. There are some opportunities for characters to go to the opposite group's event, so read on below and make sure to check out the accompanying OOC plotting post for extra details!
This event takes place ICly from June 14th to June 19th.
It's June, and that means the annual Summer Festival in Castle Thorne. The newcomers are causing quite a buzz and, for the first time in ten years, a representative from the increasingly independent city of Nott has agreed to attend. The representative, Lyle Vela, has a lot of political sway in Nott and the impression he takes back with him will affect whether Nott begins to repair relations with the rest of Thorne or moves even further towards independence.
But that's not all there is to do here! The residents of the city surrounding Castle Thorne are intensely curious about the newcomers and several of the events at the Summer Festival have been designed by the mages to show them off. At some point you may begin to feel more like a prized pony than an honored guest, but there are rewards and gifts and good food to be had for all, so what's the harm in showing off a little?
The festival runs all week (June 14th-19th) and the list of events are as follows:
If your character has been imprisoned but you want them to attend the Festival, an honored guest may lobby for them to stay behind and help set up. It'll be work, but they can sneak off to have a bit of fun and it won't be as difficult as what's in store for the rest of them. If you wish to have your character stay behind, please post to the OOC plotting post. Because we know that claustrophobic tunnel horror isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, there is no limit to the amount of prisoners who can stay behind.
Good news, prisoners! You get some time away from your cells in the beautiful snow-covered mountains of northern Thorne. A volunteer work opportunity has arisen, and you are all volunteers. If you do well enough at your assigned task, perhaps your prisoner status will be re-evaluated. Or perhaps your supervisor will take all the credit for themselves and throw you right back where you came from. Life's unfair sometimes! You'll at least be given a nice set of boots and heavier clothes to keep you warm.
Your task: to harvest as much crystal as you can from the burrow of a Giant Frostwurm. From June to September, the Frostwurm hibernates and is generally non-aggressive. Huge and territorial, Giant Frostwurms are only rarely encountered and are considered endangered by Thornean biologists. All known Frostwurm habitats are marked and harvested once every few years as the crystals that grow on its body are highly valuable for use in medicine and, erm, recreation although the latter is frowned upon by Thornean authorities. Don't worry, you don't have to touch the Frostwurm itself, it sheds every now and then and leaves a healthy supply of crystals in the tunnels of it burrow.
That's not to say it will be an easy task. There's a reason they're using "volunteer" prison labor, after all. The tunnels are deep and labyrinthine, and it's easy enough to get lost down there and wander in circles until you die of thirst or starvation. The crystals themselves also have a certain disorienting effect that turns hallucinogenic after prolonged exposure and, because of the Frostwurm's unique psychic properties, hallucinations can be shared between individuals. Like a contagion, spending time around someone who is hallucinating can cause it to 'catch'. These hallucinations may be pleasant or frightening, but the only cure is to get out of the tunnels and away from the crystals for a while.
Tunnel cave-ins are also a possibility, in which case you best start digging and hope you choose up. Getting too lost can result in an encounter with the Frostwurm, and while it needs to conserve energy and won't give chase, it'll bite or whip at you with its tail if you get too close. Both prisoners and supervisors are instructed not to kill the Frostwurm under any circumstances, even if it means sacrificing someone in their party. They're endangered, after all!
If your character has been welcomed to Thorne but you still wish to go on the Frostwurm excursion, they can volunteer to be a supervisor. There are currently 24 prisoners and they will be divided into groups of 3, so we will accept a maximum of 8 supervisors (potentially less depending on how many prisoners stay behind to help with the festival). Be aware that supervisors will be in danger as well, and they will be punished if they try to help the prisoners escape, but unlike the prisoners they will be paid for their efforts and seen as having initiative by the Thornean authorities. If you wish to be a supervisor, volunteer on our OOC plotting post.
The timeline for this part of the event is as follows:
Questions
Will there be any mod NPCing during this event?
The three visits with Lyle will be NPCed but other than that, no. Feel free to play random townies, guards, or black market sellers on your own!
Can I try to free the prisoners/can my imprisoned character break out?
Ambrose will be willing to hear cases for prisoner freedom after the event has concluded. You can try to smuggle the prisoners out of town during the festival or escape from the mountain, and prisoners can try to escape, but they will be caught and punished at this stage. Please post to the appropriate header below if you wish to have your character try!
Are the prisoners still powerless?
Yep! Don't worry, inmates, there'll be opportunities to be released for good behavior OR do a prison break soon. More details about the status of the prisoners will be released after this event.
Can my prisoner or supervisor character break away from their assigned group?
Yes, the tunnels are disorienting so individuals may wander off, especially if they are hallucinating. Feel free to interact with anyone and everyone.
What can the hallucinations entail?
Anything! They can think they're being chased, imagine a portal to a green oasis or even scenery from their own homeworld, and anything else you can come up with. They won't be real or tangible so nothing will remain of them once the affected characters are recovered (unless a special mod consequence is given...) but as stated above they can be shared between characters so everyone can see the same thing.
Can my character attend both the Summer Festival and the mission in the tunnels?
Alas, no. Both events will take the whole week, so it's one or the other!
This event takes place ICly from June 14th to June 19th.
The Summer Festival (Honored Guests)
It's June, and that means the annual Summer Festival in Castle Thorne. The newcomers are causing quite a buzz and, for the first time in ten years, a representative from the increasingly independent city of Nott has agreed to attend. The representative, Lyle Vela, has a lot of political sway in Nott and the impression he takes back with him will affect whether Nott begins to repair relations with the rest of Thorne or moves even further towards independence.
But that's not all there is to do here! The residents of the city surrounding Castle Thorne are intensely curious about the newcomers and several of the events at the Summer Festival have been designed by the mages to show them off. At some point you may begin to feel more like a prized pony than an honored guest, but there are rewards and gifts and good food to be had for all, so what's the harm in showing off a little?
The festival runs all week (June 14th-19th) and the list of events are as follows:
Sparring Contest: Honored guests will be asked to spar in front of an audience. Depending on the time of the week the fight takes place in, some guests may have some or most of their powers back, but the audience is here to see a show and just trampling your opponent in seconds won't do much for them. Try to add some spice to it: a good narrative and a close fight are much more enthralling. You may decide the winner of the fight between yourselves or ask the mods to roll for an outcome below. Prisoners who stay behind can sneak into this event but will not have their powers.At the end of the festival on June 19th, there will be a huge feast available with all manner of fancy food and some alcohol if you wish to get a little drunk. Beware, Thornean alcohol is strong! Prisoners who stayed behind to help out with the festival can easily slip in and take some food and drink for themselves.
Magic Demonstration: Show everyone what you can do and demonstrate a Thornean magic spell in front of an audience. This should be a simple beginner spell such as a smaller elemental magic spell, some minor healing, a small illusion, and so on. Feel free to decide what spell you'd like your character to perform and post to the header below so the mods can roll for your character's success when performing it in front of the audience! Regardless of success, your character can learn the chosen spell by the end of the event. Unfortunately, prisoners cannot access this event.
The Black Market: Castle Thorne is much less secure during open festivals than it is during the rest of the year, so it's no surprise that some shady characters have managed to sneak in. They're trading potions and magical items, and luckily enough for the penniless newcomers, they're interested in things other than money. They may ask for some blood, saliva, or the chance to perform a spell on the hapless newcomer. Prisoners are welcome in the black market. Please post to the header below to see what item your character gets from the event (and what spell they'll be subjected to if you choose that option).
Visit with the Representative: Near the end of the Festival, three honored guests will be chosen to have one-on-one audiences with Lyle Vela in the hopes of impressing him. Ambrose hasn't had the time to get to know each guest individually yet, so he's asked that they choose the three candidates among themselves. If you wish you have your character volunteer for this position, please make a case for their suitability under the header below! If your character is not running for this position, have them vote for another character. Prisoners who stay behind may vote as well.
If your character has been imprisoned but you want them to attend the Festival, an honored guest may lobby for them to stay behind and help set up. It'll be work, but they can sneak off to have a bit of fun and it won't be as difficult as what's in store for the rest of them. If you wish to have your character stay behind, please post to the OOC plotting post. Because we know that claustrophobic tunnel horror isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, there is no limit to the amount of prisoners who can stay behind.
In the Tunnels (Prisoners)
Good news, prisoners! You get some time away from your cells in the beautiful snow-covered mountains of northern Thorne. A volunteer work opportunity has arisen, and you are all volunteers. If you do well enough at your assigned task, perhaps your prisoner status will be re-evaluated. Or perhaps your supervisor will take all the credit for themselves and throw you right back where you came from. Life's unfair sometimes! You'll at least be given a nice set of boots and heavier clothes to keep you warm.
Your task: to harvest as much crystal as you can from the burrow of a Giant Frostwurm. From June to September, the Frostwurm hibernates and is generally non-aggressive. Huge and territorial, Giant Frostwurms are only rarely encountered and are considered endangered by Thornean biologists. All known Frostwurm habitats are marked and harvested once every few years as the crystals that grow on its body are highly valuable for use in medicine and, erm, recreation although the latter is frowned upon by Thornean authorities. Don't worry, you don't have to touch the Frostwurm itself, it sheds every now and then and leaves a healthy supply of crystals in the tunnels of it burrow.
That's not to say it will be an easy task. There's a reason they're using "volunteer" prison labor, after all. The tunnels are deep and labyrinthine, and it's easy enough to get lost down there and wander in circles until you die of thirst or starvation. The crystals themselves also have a certain disorienting effect that turns hallucinogenic after prolonged exposure and, because of the Frostwurm's unique psychic properties, hallucinations can be shared between individuals. Like a contagion, spending time around someone who is hallucinating can cause it to 'catch'. These hallucinations may be pleasant or frightening, but the only cure is to get out of the tunnels and away from the crystals for a while.
Tunnel cave-ins are also a possibility, in which case you best start digging and hope you choose up. Getting too lost can result in an encounter with the Frostwurm, and while it needs to conserve energy and won't give chase, it'll bite or whip at you with its tail if you get too close. Both prisoners and supervisors are instructed not to kill the Frostwurm under any circumstances, even if it means sacrificing someone in their party. They're endangered, after all!
If your character has been welcomed to Thorne but you still wish to go on the Frostwurm excursion, they can volunteer to be a supervisor. There are currently 24 prisoners and they will be divided into groups of 3, so we will accept a maximum of 8 supervisors (potentially less depending on how many prisoners stay behind to help with the festival). Be aware that supervisors will be in danger as well, and they will be punished if they try to help the prisoners escape, but unlike the prisoners they will be paid for their efforts and seen as having initiative by the Thornean authorities. If you wish to be a supervisor, volunteer on our OOC plotting post.
The timeline for this part of the event is as follows:
June 14th: Prisoners will be led from their cells in chains to a Thornean fast-travel portal (a glowing circle of neon light) that will take them about a mile away from the Frostwurm's burrow. It's cold and the air is thin, so they'll be given the rest of the day to rest and acclimate before being sent inside.Please visit the accompanying OOC plotting post to choose your team of three, and a supervisor if your group has one (groups without PC supervisors will be sent off on their own with no NPC supervisor). This event is designed to have some element of risk to it (but no one will die, don't worry!) so while you can plan what happens to your characters out with your group if you like, we also encourage you to post an action or two to our IC Consequences header below and leave it up to chance. Who knows, something awesome might happen.
June 15th-18th: Down in the tunnels with you! Characters are sent into the tunnels and can experience any of the effects listed above. If your party makes it out after sunset they'll be permitted to sleep in a tent, if they're lost then they will sleep in the tunnels. On the 18th, anyone who comes out alive will not have to go back in and the supply of crystals will be counted.
June 19th: Today would be the day of the Summer Festival, if they were back at Castle Thorne, but their captors aren't completely merciless. The prisoners and supervisors will be marched back to the fast-travel portal, where a small feast has been set up for them. It isn't as glamorous as what's back in Thorne, but it's the best meal the prisoners have been served since they arrived. And, as a bonus, the guards might slip you some alcohol if you did a good job in collecting the crystals.
Will there be any mod NPCing during this event?
The three visits with Lyle will be NPCed but other than that, no. Feel free to play random townies, guards, or black market sellers on your own!
Can I try to free the prisoners/can my imprisoned character break out?
Ambrose will be willing to hear cases for prisoner freedom after the event has concluded. You can try to smuggle the prisoners out of town during the festival or escape from the mountain, and prisoners can try to escape, but they will be caught and punished at this stage. Please post to the appropriate header below if you wish to have your character try!
Are the prisoners still powerless?
Yep! Don't worry, inmates, there'll be opportunities to be released for good behavior OR do a prison break soon. More details about the status of the prisoners will be released after this event.
Can my prisoner or supervisor character break away from their assigned group?
Yes, the tunnels are disorienting so individuals may wander off, especially if they are hallucinating. Feel free to interact with anyone and everyone.
What can the hallucinations entail?
Anything! They can think they're being chased, imagine a portal to a green oasis or even scenery from their own homeworld, and anything else you can come up with. They won't be real or tangible so nothing will remain of them once the affected characters are recovered (unless a special mod consequence is given...) but as stated above they can be shared between characters so everyone can see the same thing.
Can my character attend both the Summer Festival and the mission in the tunnels?
Alas, no. Both events will take the whole week, so it's one or the other!
go to the OOC plotting post
eddie dean — the dark tower — oh wurm? (closed starters in replies.)
[ Eddie is having a Bad Time.
If it wasn't bad enough being locked up for the nonspecific crime of not being good enough, he's about to be forced into manual labour in some sort of horrible worm-infested cave. It's enough to make a guy lose his marbles – and thanks to a lethal combination of heroin addiction followed in short order by a miserable trek across a fantasy land which put him in the path of enormous robot bears and evil talking trains, Eddie's supply of marbles is already woefully low.
He's also trapped here, without any of his ka-tet and in alarmingly close proximity to a man who is supposedly their greatest enemy, and Eddie's sick to the back teeth of it.
Between casting rueful glances at the guards, Eddie spends his time at the camp making his way slowly around it, talking to as many people as possible in a hushed tone. He has two conversation subjects, both of which are of enormous importance as far as he's concerned: ]
A) [ Eddie sidles up close. He glances left and right to make sure nobody's looking, and then looks back with his eyebrows carefully raised. Softly, so his voice doesn't carry, although his thick New York accent is still audible: ] Pretty long leash they've got us on here. Maybe there's something we can do with that.
B) [ Eddie sidles up even closer. He glances left and right to make sure Randall fucking Flagg isn't looking, and then bends right by your ear to whisper: ] You see that motherfucker over there with the stupid pompadour? Looks like Nordic Elvis? Yeah. He's one evil piece of shit. Do not fuckin' trust him.
TWO — LOST
[ Alright, so, this was going to go better in his head.
At some point, thank Christ for small mercies, he'd lost Jaime and Cersei – they went one way and he went another, and he can't really remember when it happened but he has a feeling that there might have been some part of him that separated them on purpose. But if every cloud has a silver lining, then every silver lining also has another, smaller cloud. He thought it'd be a simple matter of retracing his steps, emerging from the cave and making one hell of a run for it with or without fellow escapees, but he's been wandering aimlessly for a while now and he's seen nothing familiar.
Or rather, everything is familiar. Every twisting, turning branch of this cave looks exactly the same, which means that nothing is identifiable, which means that he's lost, and every step he takes just makes him even more lost, and his arms hurt from mining and his legs hurt from walking, and eventually, with an exhausted sigh, Eddie decides – temporarily, of course – to give up.
He flops down on the floor, back up against the crystallised wall, legs pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped tight around them, looking for all the world like he's waiting to keel over. Roland would have chastised him for it, but Eddie can't bring himself to care.
The sound of footsteps sends a hopeful twinge running through him. Between being lost in here forever and getting thrown back in his miserable cell in Thorne, it's a real toss-up as to which one he'd prefer, but there's one thing he knows and it's that he doesn't want to die any time soon, and certainly not alone. ]
Hey. [ He cranes his neck, trying to squint down the corridor to see who's coming his way. ] Hey, do you have any goddamn idea how to get out of here? I'm sick of this fuckin' jive.
[ ...Alternately, if the footsteps belong to one Stephen Strange, the second Eddie sees him he scrambles up to stand with a hasty, ] Ah, shit. [ He backs up a few steps, wielding his requested shovel like he's about to start swinging with it. ] What the fuck are you doing down here, J Edgar Hoover?
closed for jaime and cersei —
It could be worse, he tells himself. He could be trapped in a dangerous cave with Roland's worst enemy and also a big worm of some sort. Instead he's just stuck with two of his three cellmates, definitely the worst of them.
Susan would have been fine. Eddie would've liked to go mining with Susan.
They've been wandering around in the low light for a while, and Eddie's the only one bothering to make conversation for the whole group. He's made a few absolutely choice Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs references that neither of them seem to find particularly funny, but this time as Eddie's leaning on his shovel for a breather he clears his throat and tries a different line of conversation. ]
So are we gonna make a break for it or what?
no subject
Their sweet, if labour and imprisonment-tainted privacy is steadily disrupted by Eddie, whom she has by now declared halfway-mad with the tunnelling. Not much of what he says strikes her as sensible, or, indeed, anywhere in the same realm as sense, though the mention of dwarfs seems to have struck a particular nerve with her. What would this fool know of the other brother, the one who is a curse rather than a blessing? Her remarks on the matter were thinly-veiled, but cruel – it seems that, according to her, drunkard dwarfs at least belong in mines.
She raises her golden – well, less golden now that she is coated in a fair layer of tunnel dust – head, and offers him another royal sneer for his efforts. ⟫
What did the guard offer for you to make that proposition? ⟪ Sure, it is but the three of them now, without the guards that brought them here or their supervisor to cut in as needed. But for how long? ⟫
no subject
Who is this irrelevant maiden Snow White, and why is she attended by seven dwarfs? His brother might enjoy such a farce, and there is a bout of laughter for the image that conjures if not for the joke itself.
Their hapless roommate does, however, eventually come to a useful point, and Jaime is inspecting the appealing curve of his pickaxe when they come to a stop, a disagreement already brewing. His sister can be counted upon, of course, to already be inventorying reasons why an escape would be ill-advised. He hopes to intervene before she can sound convincing to anyone other than herself. ]
No man with half a sack would need to be offered anything to try and get past those halfwits, my radiant sister. [ How hard could it be? They have been armed, finally, even if only with impromptu blades, and his prowess alone should deliver swift ends to most of the guards. And then, because he's still puzzled by those bizarre references to laboring dwarfs, he must ask - ]
Are the dwarfs habitually shoved into wurm-infested tunnels where you're from, or does one need to have exhibited some sort of spectacular dwarfish merit to achieve that?
no subject
It's a movie. [ He absolutely does not have time to explain what that is, so he just sighs and waves a preemptive hand. ] Doesn't matter. It's just a story. I think it has something to do with dwarfs liking gold and diamonds or whatever. And as for your question, [ he says, turning his attention on Cersei, ] nobody's paying me anything. Why, are you enjoying yourself that much down here?
closed for geralt —
Not that he could really have defended himself at all, when it came down to it; before he could even so much as think, the Frostwurm had drawn its tail back and whipped him halfway back down the tunnel with it and knocked his head quite robustly against the crystal-embedded wall, knocking him out stone cold.
He wakes up groaning, mouth dry, head throbbing. He'd landed awkwardly, left ankle twisted at a funny angle that he really doesn't want to look at too closely; as he stands up, he gingerly attempts to lean some weight on it, and the subsequent grunt of pain echoes all the way down the tunnel. But he can't stay down here forever, he needs to get moving if he's hoping to see the light of day ever again.
Grimly, leaning against the wall of the tunnel for support, Eddie starts to limp forward. Doesn't matter where he's going, as long as it isn't back towards that fucking wurm. ]
no subject
Fuck.
He crouches down by the shovel. There's no blood on or around it. There are footprints: faint, but visible in the dust if he squints in the light. Down this far, there aren't as many tracks layered as there is in the upper tunnels. Doesn't take much to realize it goes south, further in.
It's a bad idea. He knows that. He goes, anyway, picking up the shovel and moving through the winding tunnels. He'll give it an hour. Two. Then he's out of here before the crystals can fill his head again. He peers into narrow passages, where he thinks someone might be trapped—until a groan echoes from the shadows.
He pauses. He's imagined things before. But this is...real (probably), and he squints down the tunnels. His natural vision is sorely missed. Can't see shit in the dark with the eyes he's got now. ]
Someone there?
no subject
Yeah. Me. I'm here.
[ Helpful? No. But Eddie's head's killing him, and so is his ankle, and sue him, but he's not in the right mind to be particularly helpful. ]
That fuckin' worm wasn't looking to make friends.
no subject
In the dim light, he can make out a figure struggling along. Friends. Guess someone finally met the elusive creature. ]
Worms are difficult to woo. [ He reaches out to catch the man in case he takes another stumble. ] It's not chasing you, is it?
2
[But before she can get past the first half-word, he speaks, and she draws up short, blinking rapidly in the dim and (pink) flickering light.]
[Not Cuthbert. No-one so welcome. Still, she's here now, and she drops to one knee beside him, pulling her blanket-sarape tighter around her shoulders.]
You ain't too far off, I don't think. We've been makin' marks.
no subject
Either way, Eddie's pleased to see Susan. Part of it has to be that she's simply the most pleasant person in the cell they share together, which isn't really saying much considering the tongue-lashing she gave him the first time they ever exchanged words, but there's another part of him that just likes her. It's hard not to like people who seem like they know what they're doing.
That being said, he's not sure he believes her. Not for lack of faith in her specifically, it just feels like this place was made to get lost in. Eddie is frankly surprised he hasn't stumbled on an old skeleton or something, wearing a pair of ancient, half-dissolved mining overalls, blank caverns for eye sockets and a grinning maw for a mouth, holding a creaking oil lamp and a pick gone rusty with age.
He shudders. ]
Really? You sure you aren't just as lost as I am?
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[But that's not what he means, and she sure as hell isn't about to tell him anything as self-indulgent as that. She shakes her head.]
No. But we shouldn't be that lost. Like I say, we've been makin' marks. We just gotta find them. [There's a very teenaged stubbornness in her voice, as if she's trying to face her own self down.] Where's the rest of your group, anyroad?
no subject
[ She won't get the reference, but the tone of his voice combined with the dark look he throws her should be enough to indicate exactly who he's talking about. Well, whatever, they're not here now, no need to gripe about what's long gone. ]
Where's yours?
no subject
[She bites her lip, looking back over her shoulder.]
'Round that corner. I think. [I hope.] I didn't go far, just I thought I saw...
Never mind. I wasn't walking but a minute or two, anyroad.
camp (b)
No idea who that is - [ Nordic Elvis, he means ] - but I'll take your word for it.
[ Mal has enough common sense to only glance at Flagg before looking elsewhere. If he's as evil as this guy claims to be, he doesn't want to give Wannabe Nordic Elvis a reason to make his life hell. He has enough on his plate as it is. ]
What did he do to you?
no subject
He doesn't want to get into the details – frankly, he wouldn't even know where to begin – so he just affects an expression of great importance and seriousness and pauses, for gravitas. Or something. ]
It's not what he's done. It's what he might do if he gets the chance.
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Since Eddie is being too vague for his liking, Mal presses him for more details. ]
So he's powerful? [ He doesn't necessarily mean in terms of abilities, since there are obviously different kinds of power a person can possess. ]
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[ Eddie sighs, and shuffles a little closer, dipping his head in and lowering his voice. He does want to let people know about this – it's pretty much his life's mission right now – but the problem is that he's not sure how much of this is going to make him sound batshit fucking crazy to any nearby listeners. He'd rather control the flow of information his own self. ]
So, back where I come from, I'm travelling with a group of people, and my dinh, that's kinda like the guy in charge, he has some history with that guy. I've never actually met him, but Roland wouldn't bullshit us about this. Flagg is trouble. He's some kinda sorcerer or some shit. I know nobody in the cells has their powers, but I bet that's the only goddamn reason we're safe from him right now.
no subject
Maybe a lot of people would call Eddie crazy after hearing his summary, but not Mal, not when this sounds so very familiar. He lets out a sigh like he wishes he never asked, but he's also grateful for the warning, mostly so he can make sure Flagg doesn't go anywhere near Alina. She's already had one man take advantage of her power. He won't allow a repeat performance. ]
Okay. [ He nods, kicking into military mode, already trying to formulate a plan because it sounds like whenever Flagg has the ability to be a sorcerer again, they're all screwed. ] I believe you... So we do whatever we can to keep this guy in prison. Set him up if we do. As long as he's in prison, he's powerless, right?
two, j. edgar edition
Stephen comes to a stop a safe distance down the tunnel. Close enough that they can see one another's faces (here's hoping the unimpressed downward tug to his expression translates) but far enough away as to avoid any immediate shovel impacts. There's an overreaction and then there's this... ]
Supervising. Do you want to put that thing down?
no subject
[ Eddie holds onto the shovel tighter in blatant defiance, practically strangling it with his grip. He's not actually going to swing, but there's no harm leaving the threat halfway tangible in the air. ]
Listen, man, this whole thing is so fuckin' busted. I'm not going back to that cell, I'm gonna crack like a goddamn egg if I have to spend another minute in there, and they can't just make us do manual labour, this isn't fuckin'... [ He flounders for a moment. ] The fuckin' USSR! They gave my leash some slack down here so I'm gonna find my way out and make a run for it. And you can supervise my goddamn ass.
no subject
Great. I will. [ That came out blunt, a little harsh given the context of Eddie's desire to run. Letting out a huff on the tail end of a breath, he tries again. ] Do you think they're going to treat you any better when they catch you? Which they will. Unless you get injured and die of exposure in the mountains first.
I hear what you're saying, but this isn't the time.
so, so lost
He was just consoling himself with the fact that at least the cold meant he'd leave a fine corpse behind when he hears the voice- not only a voice, but a vaguely familiar one at that. His face lights up in joy, even as he delivers his unhelpful reply.]
Lost as a fish in a hen house.
no subject
[ It wasn't much of a consolation, but it was something, at least. Better to be lost together than lost alone. Eddie managed a grin despite the circumstances, and pushed himself up to stand. ]
I don't even remember which way I came down this fuckin' tunnel.
[ Turning a little, Eddie squinted in the direction Jesper had come from, his brow scrunched down in the middle. ]
Not that it makes any difference. I might as well have been walking in circles for hours.