Who: adaine + CR, old and new What: september catchall When: throughout the month of september, possibly beyond Where: alternate trench, gaze, the school of mutter, the isekai books, all over trench basically
(cw for manipulation, attempted sorocide, underaged drug use and drinking, kidnapping, mean girls esque bullying but lethal, very creepy magic, uncanny valley monsters)
[It is nearing close to midnight, and the girl stands at the front doors of a house party with a feeling of rage in her heart and her crystal clutched hard in the grip of her hand.
Inside, her sister lounges back against a couch with a cackle, her body language confident to match with her unusually revealing and unusually trashy clothes. Aelwyn Abernant never wore something that wasn't the most expensive of imported silks from Fallinel, she was never caught dead at a party where there was the slightest risk of getting in trouble. Why would she risk being pulled from her throne as the reigning golden child?
And that's when the story ends, and the memory begins.
You are sat not far from her on the same couch, you might be a little drunk, you might be a little nervous. The blonde elf next to you - Aelwyn Abernant, she's going to show you something. It's part of her charm that she doesn't ask, she tells, and that's why she's dragged you to this party.
To make it the biggest night of your life. After a round of knifey fingers with the pirate boy, Fabian Seacaster - who seems to have been temporarily distracted by the little goblin boy he came in with - The Ball, the dream supplies, she turns to look at you.]
Penny for your thoughts, darling? [Her lips quirk into a smirk, and she bumps your shoulder with hers, affectionate and casual in a way that she normally wouldn't be. There's no danger here, is there? Only a house party with a lot of cheerleaders in full uniform with the word 'Aguefort' splashed across their chest, and a whole lot of sketchy looking boys no older than Aelwyn or the pirate boy she was flirting with.]
[A party. She's at a party and doesn't really remember ever coming here, drinking, or literally any of the people around. Their looks and features don't bother Ochako much at all - she's seen all sorts of differing body types back home in Musutafu with everyone's quirks - but the fact she knows not a single soul is...troubling. Most of all, it seems the people here know her, and Ochako is feeling more and more uncomfortable by the second. She doesn't touch a drop more of the alcohol in her hands (pinkies raised to not activate her quirk on the glass), and has half a mind to simply excuse herself and try to find out what's going on.
Of course, before she can do any of that, she's addressed by the person beside her, an unfamiliar face treating her like an old friend. It's bizarre, and Ochako tries to force on a smile, but it's weak and not seated right.]
Eh? Oh, um...just thinking I might have had too much of, um...this. [She looks down at the mixture in the glass with a wrinkle of her nose. Ochako drank once before, accidentally, at her own party. It didn't end well for Bakugou's pants and she really shouldn't be drinking at all, anyway!! She's waaayyy too young, even by Japan's standards to be ingesting booze like these kids are doing. In fact--] ...Should we even all really be drinking so much? It's dangerous.
[Alcohol poisoning is very much a thing, after all.]
hope ochako is ready to be peer pressured by a mean girl
[Aelwyn's eyebrows raise in amusement, and her lips quirk into a smirk.]
...Really? Is that seriously your line right now? [She lets out a laugh, cruel and petty. A friend... is she a friend? Was she a friend to the person she's speaking to? It's hard to tell, but there's something... off, about her.] You make me laugh, kitten. You're the one who paid me for all this.
Or did you forget this was all your idea?
[Her smile is warm, as mean as it is, and very familiar, but her eyes are... wild, like a cornered animal. Not quite cold, but still empty in their own way. She places a hand on the girl's shoulder.]
Still, if you'd prefer to get some peace and quiet, we can go upstairs. This is all for you after-all.
[The words come out sharp, like the hard look on the young teen's face. She doesn't know this girl, or any of the people here. She doesn't know where she even is, honestly, but that's not going to keep her from allowing someone to very clearly take cheap shots at her. There's obviously a case of mistaken identity here, that much Ochako knows without a shadow of a doubt, but she's not about to pretend and just be a doormat. Oh no...if she can stand up to villains ten times her size and not flinch, as well as the scariest guy in her class...this lady's nothing to bend over for.
The hand on her shoulder doesn't get a reaction other than a flick of her eyes downward then back, and her expression doesn't change. Ochako has a funny feeling that whoever she's being mistaken for...might need a little bit of help in terms of self-confidence in the face of a rather uppity bully. Good thing Ochako's seen that time and time again the first few weeks of her school year. Maybe she can give a leg up on putting this one in their place.]
[Contrary to what Ochako might have been expecting, the girl only smiles, a nastier but at once more focused and interested edge to her eyes. The boys - all sketchy to say the least, puffed up on unearned pride in their surnames and little else - look at her with a noticeable glint of fear, and at Ochako with something more akin to bafflement or irritation at this utter lunatic come to interrupt the party, and they all hold their breath as if waiting for the house to explode. The girls however, do nothing except stare at the boys and giggle.
Aelwyn's hand squeezes Ochako's shoulder, and the worst (most lonely and desperate) part is that the affection this time is closer to real, like the brief flicker of venom from the other girl was the sweetest gift anyone has ever given to her. Certainly more real than anyone else at this party. And she stands up and prompts Ochako to do the same.]
Come on then. Let's find somewhere quieter. I'm getting a headache anyway just from the smell alone. [The boys laugh as they're insulted, and their attention returns to the girls, who laugh too as they're expected.
Aelwyn walks up the stares and prompts Ochako to follow with a nod.]
[Ochako is...tired. She's had a difficult few months, and while she's been making her attempts at resolving the absolute disaster that was July, her patience with Trench and it's...in lamen's terms, horseshit is getting terribly small. And for one with the patience of a saint like herself, that's saying something. So the nasty little smile makes her shoulders tense, but the affection has her confused, shown by how her tension melts away, and her face seems to visibly show it. Whoever she's being mistaken for is certainly someone this person cares about to some capacity, so...Ochako has to at least go into whatever the hell this is with a bit of grace.
Getting to her feet, and dusting herself off - this place is filthy and she's questioning how in the world it's all going to be cleaned up later, ugh - she nods her head. It's true, the smell is...vile. Alcohol, smoke, probably vomit, too...from the aforementioned alcohol. Thankfully, something Ochako's used to, so her gag reflex doesn't kick in at all (it wouldn't anyway, she's all but mastered keeping down her lunch while putting her quirk through its limits). Waving a hand, she motions for Aelwyn to lead the way. God knows Ochako isn't familiar with the floor plan of this dorm in the slightest.]
(cw for unreality, themes of depression, abuse and neglect, patricide, manipulation, gaslighting, kalina)
[This one is more abrupt. It tells an abstract story as you open it, one describing the emotions of a being made from pure creation, mystery and concepts. She was abandoned, a long, long, time ago, by the very people her entire existence was devoted to serving. Or was it the other way round?
The book is impossible to put down, almost like there's something holding your spine. If you screamed, nobody would hear you, least of all the book.
The Oracle sees, and approaches, in time for both of you to be pulled in.
The story makes it's shape known eventually, and the goddess goes from the pitiful remains of faith to the hateful representative of fear. The goddess with no name becomes the Nightmare King, and the cat spreads it's power.
And now, you're in his forest, with no friends in sight and the cat is in front of you, sitting on a log, it's tail swishing back and forth, like cats do.
She smiles, sharp predatory teeth on full display.]
[and she sees the oracle - but she is, at present, unable to speak. and when she finally does it is with a tremble in her voice she doesn't hear often. she doesn't recognize it at first, but when she does ...that's even more unsettling.]
Why do you care?
[talk big, feel ...better? maybe. possibly. those teeth. are very unsettling for reasons that crawl into her spine and up the back of her neck.]
[The cat blinks, almost cartoonishly. The trees surrounding the two of them are gnarled, and at points feel like they're even moving, chittering away. So many eyes are watching them.]
Why do I... care? [She hums, considering. Her body language is so intensely casual and yet there's something so deadly in the minute details of her movement.] Well, I guess I care because you just appeared in our neck of the woods somehow.
[She smiles, and despite her tone there is a cruel tilt to it, and in the way the slits in her eyes narrow.]
You wanna know how many people have managed that and made it out alive?
[And as if the forest is alive (it is and it isn't all at once), the roots wrap themselves around Vi's ankles and feet, tugging her into the dirt and keeping her in place.]
[it reminds her of gaze - only the eyes are mostly unseen - still felt, and as they whisper and watch she wonders if they are impartial or controlled by this creature. are they really moving or is she imagining it? she looks over at adaine, unsure of what to say - is this another situation where she should show deference? kneel? she considers it a moment as the roots twine round her feet, but now it no longer seems a consideration, more like a strong suggestion.]
I'm gonna say none? Or maybe we're real lucky and the answer today is two.
[it's probably not. that's too easy. none of these have been easy and this one seems to require ...talking. vi is not very confident in giving correct or wanted answers, but she is going to try to pull her feet out of their restraints.]
[Her smile widens and her eyes crinkle in genuine amusement at Vi's... well, she doesn't much care if it was a joke, because the Shadowcat takes it as one anyway and laughs.]
Cute. Not entirely wrong actually, it's about nine. They came in and got out, perfectly safe. But well... [And her smile turns the slightest bit more dangerous again as she walks forward, toward Vi. Vi will feel her ability to move any of her muscles stiffen and freeze, leaving her completely paralyzed from the head down.] ...Can't really say the same for their minds, though, can we?
But I digress... The point is, you blindly and stupidly landed somewhere you're not meant to be. Which means, of course, that I have basically all the power here in this confrontation. [As she reaches Vi, she gives her a consoling pat on the arm, full of faux sympathy. There's something almost... disturbingly maternal in the gesture, and in her tone. Only faintly, this is a stranger after-all. But a stranger] Tough luck for you, huh?
Well... Maybe we can help each-other out? [And again, her smile borders between genuine mirth and sinister.] I mean, not like you've got much choice, but...
[it's possible adaine can't hear her - that's just ...doing that thing where she watches? shit. the laugh is ...something she'd rather not hear again - it claws its way through buried memory and reignites another laugh - just as dark, just as playful - maybe a touch more sad, bitter - but it's a laugh vi is not keen on hearing just now.]
Yeah, that's me, blindly, stupidly landing in places I'm not wanted. Me and my thick skull and my fat hands.
[why does it feel like she's frozen all of a sudden? it's like luz's glyph, but without the literal chill ...the metaphorical chill, though? it's a cold, poised blade of poison laced speech - a smile that's there but doesn't ring true. she's reminded (falsely) of her own mother - as the paw touches her arm she thinks of her sister - decides 'what the hell' she'll take a page out of jinx's book if she can't talk her way out of this. what does she have to lose that she hasn't lost before. she tries to imagine what jinx might say.]
Yeah, tough luck for me, I guess, blah blah blah. Maybe it's tough luck for you. Why would I wanna help you with aaaaaanything? And why would you help me, either? If you have all the power why would you need any help at all? ♪
[she cannot sound as unhinged as jinx, but she's going to lean into it.]
[It's the way that Vi utters Adaine's name that immediately gets Kalina's attention, her eyes narrowing into tiny slits like she's just gotten everything that she wanted.]
...You wanna know where Adaine is? She's still alive. Won't be for long, at this rate. Think her parents had some plan revolving reprograming her or something. [She's casual but very professional in offering that information, like this is a business deal between equals, like she's trying to negotiate.
And she is. The fact that there's a metaphorical knife placed against Vi's spine is irrelevant.]
The thing is, kiddo, I might have all the power here but here's just a very limited space right now. It's called negotiating from a position of strength. [Especially right now, in the empty confines of this world formed solely from the memory. Kalina is a nightmare brought to life in a memory brought to life in a forest where dreams and nightmares are all real. Her level of awareness is... dangerous.] So how about this. You drink something I made for you, and I tell you where your little friend is, and then we can both go on our way.
You can try to break out all on your own, but, uh. Well, the clock's ticking, for you and for her.
[vi ...does not like that look. it does not make her feel hopeful in any way. but hearing that she hasn't somehow inadvertently gotten adaine killed - even though the she is ...also here but (?)not(?) - it seems like only vi can see the oracle. won't be for long she likes even less.
reprogramming? from what? to what? why??
and kiddo ...stings. when she speaks again it's ...rushed.]
Why did you make it if you didn't know I was coming? And how do I know you aren't lying? What's to stop you from poisoning me and letting her die? Who do you think I ...am?
[she looks down at herself - checking for any tells that she's not in her own body - but she's not saying no. she can't really afford to decline at this point, and the clock is ticking - there's danger she can feel even if she doesn't know the scope of it. it's enough that she's scared - she doesn't frighten easily.]
[Kalina raises her eyebrows, displays the palms of her hands like she's an open book.]
If I wanted to kill you that way, I'd have just done that. Besides... I like Adaine. She's a good kid. If I wanted her to - well, not quite die, closer to a lobotomy - I wouldn't be offering anything to you, now would I?
[She steps closer, inches away from Vi at this point, her tail curled in interest and curiosity.]
...I've got no idea who you are. Funny thing, huh? I know who you're supposed to be, but - well. You're not quite furry enough, sorry.
I'm happy to keep answering your questions, kiddo, but really I should warn you... You've got about... oh, two minutes? Until Mr Abernant starts casting that spell on your little friend? Without my help it'll be about two hours walking. So. Might wanna consider what's more important.
[A pot, like something found out of a bar, containing a bright red liquid appears before Vi as Kalina steps out of the way. Whatever power Kalina had on her spine seems to have evaporated. And now, she's got a choice, in the same way that Kalina ever lets people have a choice.]
[two minutes. fine, fuck it. what's the worst that---
---nope, don't think about that either. just grab the pot and drink because two hours is not workable, and she is not going to fail adaine. well, maybe she will. but she's going to try not to. if that means trusting this ...creature. it says it likes adaine? what a way to show that like - and she's reminded of jinx here, too.]
Sorry not sorry about the lack of fur. Nice not knowing you, and here goes.
[The cat laughs as Vi drinks. Playful and the slightest bit affectionate, her tail twirls in circles.
The liquid enters Vi's system and...
Nothing happens. Nothing at all. It tastes... metallic slightly, but even that's covered by an overwhelming sweetness, like honey.]
Expecting something different? You're all so jumpy, y'know it really hurts my feelings. [The way her carnivorous teeth glint in the faint light peeking through the leaves and branches that stretch overhead.] Still. A deal's a deal.
[She snaps a finger, and the trees themselves part, opening the way to a pathway. The sounds of seagulls, the open air, and the light brightening up leads one to believe that it leads toward the shore.]
Well then. That concludes our business, doesn't it? See you around, kiddo. Just follow the path and you'll find your damsel. Oh, and... sincerely, good luck. [And with barely a whisper, Kalina disappears into thin air, like a dream or a figment of imagination. It leads one to question what they're seeing. Was she ever real? And the answer is, of course, no. There's nothing real about a bad dream.
The sound of a scream on the other end of the path leaves no room for doubt.]
it's not even bad. she doesn't feel altered - well, not beyond ...this. being here. and yeah, she's jumpy - can you blame her, catlike presence of dread? well, going by that tone the answer's slightly yes, and vi almost feels guilty.
until the trees part, and there's that kiddo again - but she's left with a sincere wish of luck that ...might have been sincere, even if it still felt like a threat? and now feels like she's---
--had she? imagined the whole thing? wasted time standing here thinking she'd been caught in snaking vines that no longer held her - oh, no. was she too late?
she runs toward that scream as fast as her legs will carry her. this is a dream, she is and isn't herself - so maybe she can move even faster than expected.]
[The scene that greets Vi as she sprints through the clearing, ignoring the nightmares to her sides in favor of the nightmare in front of her. The path fades, and she finds herself atop a cliffside, a woman next to her as they watch the scene together.
Adaine Abernant - not the Oracle, the Oracle is a capable wizard, powerful and untouchable, this is just a scared little girl clawing at the edges of a bubble like it's a hamster ball, and if she claws at it enough maybe someone will look at her and see something worth loving. She wasn't the one who screamed.
A girl only a few months younger than Vi herself stands in front of the bubble, she's worn down but she is used to power and protection, and she wears a sharp smile like she's still sat atop her throne despite the frayed edges that reveal the crumbling dust of her citadel. Talking, desperately, the smile nasty and cruel and so deeply afraid. She wasn't the one who screamed.
And there's a man, cloaked, Adaine's sword at his hip, the one that the sister is begging to. The father and patriarch, who rules this scene with an iron fist. He wasn't the one who screamed.
Next to Vi, the woman - DON'T LOOK HER IN THE EYE - begins to speak.]
I've seen so many things in my long life, you know. Ages end, civilizations rise and fall. I've had so many wonderful friends that made my life complete. There's questions I've answered that nobody has even thought to broach. I've done amazing things. And yet...
[The sister begins to plead, and her form of currency is cruelty, as it always has been.]
Why don't we just leave her in the orb? That's what she's most scared of, you know, why even waste the spell slot -
[The father cuts her off.]
Aelwyn. You've been given an order.
[The sister shrivels as if she's been struck, or shot, or watched her family go up in flames all because of a well intentioned child's destructive support. And in an instant, she's not a sister, she's a scared child again. And she looks back at Adaine, and at her father, and she pleads.]
Father... Adaine's just... she's just a baby.
[And the woman turns to Vi, the faintest glimpse of blue caught underneath the hood. The voice is familiar.]
...One question I've never been able to answer. One thing I've never known, one thing that's haunted me for my entire life. What made me so easy to leave behind?
[The woman isn't waiting for an answer. She stares ahead at Adaine, and at the sister's pitiful attempts at protecting her. And she smiles a ghost of a smile, waiting to see what Vi does.]
[adaine! she thinks - takes in the scene - sees the oracle for a girl, the sharper sister for a girl, too. the father's a fist but the woman in the cloak is ...something else. vi's gaze drops and falters - and she's loathe to interrupt the scene because what if she makes it worse? what if she's just supposed to watch? no, i can't just stand here. watching aelwyn try to deflect, to convince her father that it's just too much to bother with. a wasted effort. she's half a mind to add her own voice to this, but the woman speaks again.
just a flash of blue but the voice. the voice.
what vi does is freeze in place. the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end - and what breath she's trying to catch from all the running has caught itself in a new way, a hitch and a hush as she blinks - tries to reconcile this with what came before it. she blinks the threat of wet heat from her eyes, swallows hard. she's distracted by this and the words tumble out:]
(cw for intense parental neglect, severe psychological torture and extreme sleep deprivation, arthur aguefort ripping the sun out of the sky somehow)
[This one starts out a lot more like a fairy tale. A powerful sorceress, trapped in a tower, punished forever by the stars for her hubris. And another, one promised to serve the stars humbly and honorably, bowing her head to their traditions and rules and taking her place amongst them... refused the call.
And paid for it. The story starts with the second girl being dragged off by the serving soldiers of the elven council, in the middle of a fight she was forced to choose her friends or her freedom and she made the choice she would every single time, her friends. And as a result, she was forced into one of their bubbles.
A rescue is staged by her friends, and you're one of them, at least for now. A girl with the gnarled horns of a devil, skin red and warm to the touch, and a girl with ginger hair that seems to almost glow in the sunlight. She was a saint, once upon a time.
It's unclear in this case, when it stops being a story and when it starts being a memory, but the moment that you are able to conceptualize yourself, you are climbing to the top of a tall set of stairs, and the tower is in shambles. The girl with the horns of a devil might glance over at you at this point, if you seem confused by what's going on.]
What are you doing? She's this way! C'mon! We're gonna go save Adaine! [And at that moment, she summons up a full bass guitar. This will help somehow.]
[sansa stumbles forward and catches herself on the stone wall of the tower. she looks around, listening keenly for the sound of guards or perhaps an army.]
How are we going to save Adaine?
[if she sounds skeptical...she is. at least she's not suggesting a tactical retreat just yet. this girl seems to have magic more powerful than anything in the seven kingdoms, to summon a guitar like that.]
[The girl with bright orange hair looks at Sansa like she's grown a second head. She's about to say something when their conversation is in fact interrupted by the sound of the tower shaking as if it's being shot by a cannon the size of a bus.]
Well, that, for starters. [Kristen says, and she points out the window at the source. And out there, a voice can be heard booming impossibly loud ("PEOPLE OF FALLINEL! TODAY, YOUR NATION FALLS!"), belonging to the man that is at least a kilometre tall. Somehow. The book, the memory and the person it belongs to, it feels a powerful enough emotion at the sight to identify it, even if the feelings are foreign to Sansa.
Father. It isn't sentimental in nature, it's a contemptuous knot of bitter feelings that such a brief glance can't even begin to untangle. The horned girl speaks up - Fig, her name is Fig, and shoots Kristen an annoyed look, and Sansa a sympathetic grimace.]
Her sister will know where she's being held, was the plan. And we know where she is. Your, um, dad, pretty much provided the best distraction we're gonna get.
[Though, as she says that, about three people in gilded armor begin to clamber out of nothing but a plume of smoke, their swords drawing. Fig rounds on them and bares her teeth in a feral grin.] Bring it, bitches!
[And she very swiftly and very skillfully plays a sick bass guitar solo that swells into a hypnotic rhythm and causes the furthest to immediately wildly attack his friend. Kristen tugs at Sansa's arm, to signal that it's time to start running and following Fig - who appears to now be using her guitar as an axe to bludgeon one of them as she sprints past him toward Aelwyn's holding cell.]
[sansa runs obligingly, glancing at the fighting guards, out at the giant man, back at the girl with the guitar. she considers what she knows of adaine's friends, and her world.]
Of course I will do what I can. [a very brief pause.] Would you believe me if I told you I was a friend of Adaine, a...sort of druid, trying to help her from a great distance away, and I became stuck in this body through a magic accident?
[Kristen looks at Sansa like she's just walked up to her, spat in her face and shot her dog.]
Are... are you fucking kidding me?! Oh my god. Every time. Just... we'll deal with that later, I guess.
[She slaps a hand against her forehead, and Fig... didn't appear to hear this entire exchange. Instead, she's sprinting ahead, red with rage and determination.]
Adaine! We're here to save you!
[And in the window of time as she turns to enter Aelwyn's cellroom, a voice calls out, Adaine's.]
We're in here! She needs help.
[And that gets Kristen's attention immediately. So with one unsure glance toward Sansayda, she sprints off in that direction to help.]
[sansa is used to nasty looks. she doesn't bother deferring blame to never mind or asking if this has happened to them before (every time?), but hurries along as she's bid.]
Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it. I have all her memories.
[somewhere......ordinarily she's only ever a passenger to an unfamiliar body, knowing instinctively what they already know. this is different. she wracks her(?) brain for spells and how to do them.]
I just have to sort through them. I can do whatever she does.
Right. Just don't mention it right now, we'll talk afterwards. [Things really are desperate if Kristen is the one being placed in this role. At least that's what Adaine would think. She's about two minutes from doing one of the stupidest things Adaine ever saw in her life.
The knowledge of the spells eludes Sansa. Her access to Ayda's memories are filtered through being in a brain she does not understand, a library, ordered and systematic and structured. The brain she's in doesn't understand either, and it has created an entire life built around that fact, around finding understanding anywhere.
But the motions are there. The muscle memory. The spellbook. She could try to use it, in a pinch. Sansa already knows some of the spells from Adaine's own lessons.
But what comes out of Adaine's cellroom isn't a threat. It's Adaine, holding a girl that looks remarkably similar to her. She's taller, and she used to be heavier. Adaine could never lift her. Now, it's as if a rake has become a girl, or rather a girl has become a rake with a mop of unkempt hair.]
Can someone help? She's... passed out. They've been keeping her awake this entire time.
[Meet Aelwyn Abernant, the eldest and most beloved child of the Abernant family, and the girl that Adaine has hated deeply for her entire life.]
[aelwyn. the one they pit against her sister––the one they used up and threw out. sansa notes distantly that she's taller than adaine; she can practically hear her omen hissing that this is what littlefinger would have done with you.
she forgets the unfamiliar, overwhelming memories like a library without a maester for guidance (she resolves to brave the archives if never mind ever lets her out of here). she is reminded of marillion's eerie cries from the sky cells. the expression on her face is entirely sansa stark, and so is the contempt in her voice.]
Of course they have.
[sansa turns back towards the faintly glowing girl kristen––the glow seems healer-y, at least.]
We have to heal her. She will help us. If Adaine can't get them out of there––well, perhaps they weren't expecting any trouble from the other side of the door.
[she reaches for her own spellbook, looking for anything to do with healing first, breaking magical barriers second, breaking anything else third.]
[Fig looks at Sansa, the steel in her gaze softening slightly, maybe just at the sight of her, but also with confusion.]
...I mean, I know she's hot and all but... she did kind of try to kill us all...?
[Kristen shakes her head at Fig, some kind of signal. Usually, it's anyone giving this signal to Kristen. Or Gorgug. Times are desperate, however. And Kristen is going through her own spells.
It's hard for everyone present to believe that this was the girl they fought on the rooftops, that this was the girl who nearly killed all of them. But Adaine speaks.]
I - She tried to help me. There's no physical damage, none that sleep and food won't fix, the orb was keeping her alive and intact but... [Adaine's eyes harden with rage so potent she herself might pluck the sun from the sky.] She can't... form longterm memories anymore. It's a brain problem, I think. It probably won't have an immediate cure but - [A loud thud as another group of elementals explode above them.] Not here.
[Fig nods, sharing Adaine's resolve with a look of genuine sadness, and patting her arm softly.] We have a camp, we just need to get out of here. The others are on their way with the van.
[Kristen looks at Sansa - and at Adaine, and says.] I'll do what I can. Uh, not a lot of spellslots left, though. Let me see if I prepared Greater Restoration...
[sansa sort of expected that aelwyn would have fought them before. she nods, her steely gaze unrelenting. the promise of a vanguard is some relief––she's sure this is not the sort of stealth operation the faceless men would run, but at least they aren't completely mad.]
They've been poisoning her mind for a long time. With care, and our help, she'll do better.
[the mechanics of battle here are beyond anything in the seven kingdoms, or even what they manage in trench. sansa doesn't know all the pieces, how many of their own people are in the castle, what exactly is happening overhead, but since they're here there must be something they can do to weaken the enemy stronghold from within...]
It would be well if we could leave something behind us when we go. Not anything that would hurt any of our people, but perhaps a kind of trap...
(cw for everything in the backrooms prompt on the august tdm, possible anxiety attacks)
[When Adaine appears in yet another world suddenly and completely against her will, all she can do is let out a deep fucking sigh. Of course this would happen. It's only the third time.
She looks around for a few minutes, trailing between the hallways that seem to go on forever. She doesn't want to get lost in this fucking place!
...Still, she takes a deep breath, remembers her breathing exercise... and then promptly lets out a yelp of shock when she realizes there's someone here.]
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deercountry2022-09-09 02:37 pm
TDM Prompts
A Night To Remember | Memshare
[It is nearing close to midnight, and the girl stands at the front doors of a house party with a feeling of rage in her heart and her crystal clutched hard in the grip of her hand.
Inside, her sister lounges back against a couch with a cackle, her body language confident to match with her unusually revealing and unusually trashy clothes. Aelwyn Abernant never wore something that wasn't the most expensive of imported silks from Fallinel, she was never caught dead at a party where there was the slightest risk of getting in trouble. Why would she risk being pulled from her throne as the reigning golden child?
And that's when the story ends, and the memory begins.
You are sat not far from her on the same couch, you might be a little drunk, you might be a little nervous. The blonde elf next to you - Aelwyn Abernant, she's going to show you something. It's part of her charm that she doesn't ask, she tells, and that's why she's dragged you to this party.
To make it the biggest night of your life. After a round of knifey fingers with the pirate boy, Fabian Seacaster - who seems to have been temporarily distracted by the little goblin boy he came in with - The Ball, the dream supplies, she turns to look at you.]
Penny for your thoughts, darling? [Her lips quirk into a smirk, and she bumps your shoulder with hers, affectionate and casual in a way that she normally wouldn't be. There's no danger here, is there? Only a house party with a lot of cheerleaders in full uniform with the word 'Aguefort' splashed across their chest, and a whole lot of sketchy looking boys no older than Aelwyn or the pirate boy she was flirting with.]
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Of course, before she can do any of that, she's addressed by the person beside her, an unfamiliar face treating her like an old friend. It's bizarre, and Ochako tries to force on a smile, but it's weak and not seated right.]
Eh? Oh, um...just thinking I might have had too much of, um...this. [She looks down at the mixture in the glass with a wrinkle of her nose. Ochako drank once before, accidentally, at her own party. It didn't end well
for Bakugou's pantsand she really shouldn't be drinking at all, anyway!! She's waaayyy too young, even by Japan's standards to be ingesting booze like these kids are doing. In fact--] ...Should we even all really be drinking so much? It's dangerous.[Alcohol poisoning is very much a thing, after all.]
hope ochako is ready to be peer pressured by a mean girl
...Really? Is that seriously your line right now? [She lets out a laugh, cruel and petty. A friend... is she a friend? Was she a friend to the person she's speaking to? It's hard to tell, but there's something... off, about her.] You make me laugh, kitten. You're the one who paid me for all this.
Or did you forget this was all your idea?
[Her smile is warm, as mean as it is, and very familiar, but her eyes are... wild, like a cornered animal. Not quite cold, but still empty in their own way. She places a hand on the girl's shoulder.]
Still, if you'd prefer to get some peace and quiet, we can go upstairs. This is all for you after-all.
oh, she's ready, lol.
[The words come out sharp, like the hard look on the young teen's face. She doesn't know this girl, or any of the people here. She doesn't know where she even is, honestly, but that's not going to keep her from allowing someone to very clearly take cheap shots at her. There's obviously a case of mistaken identity here, that much Ochako knows without a shadow of a doubt, but she's not about to pretend and just be a doormat. Oh no...if she can stand up to villains ten times her size and not flinch, as well as the scariest guy in her class...this lady's nothing to bend over for.
The hand on her shoulder doesn't get a reaction other than a flick of her eyes downward then back, and her expression doesn't change. Ochako has a funny feeling that whoever she's being mistaken for...might need a little bit of help in terms of self-confidence in the face of a rather uppity bully. Good thing Ochako's seen that time and time again the first few weeks of her school year. Maybe she can give a leg up on putting this one in their place.]
I appreciate it.
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Aelwyn's hand squeezes Ochako's shoulder, and the worst (most lonely and desperate) part is that the affection this time is closer to real, like the brief flicker of venom from the other girl was the sweetest gift anyone has ever given to her. Certainly more real than anyone else at this party. And she stands up and prompts Ochako to do the same.]
Come on then. Let's find somewhere quieter. I'm getting a headache anyway just from the smell alone. [The boys laugh as they're insulted, and their attention returns to the girls, who laugh too as they're expected.
Aelwyn walks up the stares and prompts Ochako to follow with a nod.]
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Getting to her feet, and dusting herself off - this place is filthy and she's questioning how in the world it's all going to be cleaned up later, ugh - she nods her head. It's true, the smell is...vile. Alcohol, smoke, probably vomit, too...from the aforementioned alcohol. Thankfully, something Ochako's used to, so her gag reflex doesn't kick in at all (it wouldn't anyway, she's all but mastered keeping down her lunch while putting her quirk through its limits). Waving a hand, she motions for Aelwyn to lead the way. God knows Ochako isn't familiar with the floor plan of this dorm in the slightest.]
Mm, lead the way.
The Goddess With No Name | Memshare
[This one is more abrupt. It tells an abstract story as you open it, one describing the emotions of a being made from pure creation, mystery and concepts. She was abandoned, a long, long, time ago, by the very people her entire existence was devoted to serving. Or was it the other way round?
The book is impossible to put down, almost like there's something holding your spine. If you screamed, nobody would hear you, least of all the book.
The Oracle sees, and approaches, in time for both of you to be pulled in.
The story makes it's shape known eventually, and the goddess goes from the pitiful remains of faith to the hateful representative of fear. The goddess with no name becomes the Nightmare King, and the cat spreads it's power.
And now, you're in his forest, with no friends in sight and the cat is in front of you, sitting on a log, it's tail swishing back and forth, like cats do.
She smiles, sharp predatory teeth on full display.]
You're a long way from home, aren't you?
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Why do you care?
[talk big, feel ...better? maybe. possibly. those teeth. are very unsettling for reasons that crawl into her spine and up the back of her neck.]
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Why do I... care? [She hums, considering. Her body language is so intensely casual and yet there's something so deadly in the minute details of her movement.] Well, I guess I care because you just appeared in our neck of the woods somehow.
[She smiles, and despite her tone there is a cruel tilt to it, and in the way the slits in her eyes narrow.]
You wanna know how many people have managed that and made it out alive?
[And as if the forest is alive (it is and it isn't all at once), the roots wrap themselves around Vi's ankles and feet, tugging her into the dirt and keeping her in place.]
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[it reminds her of gaze - only the eyes are mostly unseen - still felt, and as they whisper and watch she wonders if they are impartial or controlled by this creature. are they really moving or is she imagining it? she looks over at adaine, unsure of what to say - is this another situation where she should show deference? kneel? she considers it a moment as the roots twine round her feet, but now it no longer seems a consideration, more like a strong suggestion.]
I'm gonna say none? Or maybe we're real lucky and the answer today is two.
[it's probably not. that's too easy. none of these have been easy and this one seems to require ...talking. vi is not very confident in giving correct or wanted answers, but she is going to try to pull her feet out of their restraints.]
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Cute. Not entirely wrong actually, it's about nine. They came in and got out, perfectly safe. But well... [And her smile turns the slightest bit more dangerous again as she walks forward, toward Vi. Vi will feel her ability to move any of her muscles stiffen and freeze, leaving her completely paralyzed from the head down.] ...Can't really say the same for their minds, though, can we?
But I digress... The point is, you blindly and stupidly landed somewhere you're not meant to be. Which means, of course, that I have basically all the power here in this confrontation. [As she reaches Vi, she gives her a consoling pat on the arm, full of faux sympathy. There's something almost... disturbingly maternal in the gesture, and in her tone. Only faintly, this is a stranger after-all. But a stranger] Tough luck for you, huh?
Well... Maybe we can help each-other out? [And again, her smile borders between genuine mirth and sinister.] I mean, not like you've got much choice, but...
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[it's possible adaine can't hear her - that's just ...doing that thing where she watches? shit. the laugh is ...something she'd rather not hear again - it claws its way through buried memory and reignites another laugh - just as dark, just as playful - maybe a touch more sad, bitter - but it's a laugh vi is not keen on hearing just now.]
Yeah, that's me, blindly, stupidly landing in places I'm not wanted. Me and my thick skull and my fat hands.
[why does it feel like she's frozen all of a sudden? it's like luz's glyph, but without the literal chill ...the metaphorical chill, though? it's a cold, poised blade of poison laced speech - a smile that's there but doesn't ring true. she's reminded (falsely) of her own mother - as the paw touches her arm she thinks of her sister - decides 'what the hell' she'll take a page out of jinx's book if she can't talk her way out of this. what does she have to lose that she hasn't lost before. she tries to imagine what jinx might say.]
Yeah, tough luck for me, I guess, blah blah blah. Maybe it's tough luck for you. Why would I wanna help you with aaaaaanything? And why would you help me, either? If you have all the power why would you need any help at all? ♪
[she cannot sound as unhinged as jinx, but she's going to lean into it.]
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...You wanna know where Adaine is? She's still alive. Won't be for long, at this rate. Think her parents had some plan revolving reprograming her or something. [She's casual but very professional in offering that information, like this is a business deal between equals, like she's trying to negotiate.
And she is. The fact that there's a metaphorical knife placed against Vi's spine is irrelevant.]
The thing is, kiddo, I might have all the power here but here's just a very limited space right now. It's called negotiating from a position of strength. [Especially right now, in the empty confines of this world formed solely from the memory. Kalina is a nightmare brought to life in a memory brought to life in a forest where dreams and nightmares are all real. Her level of awareness is... dangerous.] So how about this. You drink something I made for you, and I tell you where your little friend is, and then we can both go on our way.
You can try to break out all on your own, but, uh. Well, the clock's ticking, for you and for her.
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reprogramming? from what? to what? why??
and kiddo ...stings. when she speaks again it's ...rushed.]
Why did you make it if you didn't know I was coming? And how do I know you aren't lying? What's to stop you from poisoning me and letting her die? Who do you think I ...am?
[she looks down at herself - checking for any tells that she's not in her own body - but she's not saying no. she can't really afford to decline at this point, and the clock is ticking - there's danger she can feel even if she doesn't know the scope of it. it's enough that she's scared - she doesn't frighten easily.]
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If I wanted to kill you that way, I'd have just done that. Besides... I like Adaine. She's a good kid. If I wanted her to - well, not quite die, closer to a lobotomy - I wouldn't be offering anything to you, now would I?
[She steps closer, inches away from Vi at this point, her tail curled in interest and curiosity.]
...I've got no idea who you are. Funny thing, huh? I know who you're supposed to be, but - well. You're not quite furry enough, sorry.
I'm happy to keep answering your questions, kiddo, but really I should warn you... You've got about... oh, two minutes? Until Mr Abernant starts casting that spell on your little friend? Without my help it'll be about two hours walking. So. Might wanna consider what's more important.
[A pot, like something found out of a bar, containing a bright red liquid appears before Vi as Kalina steps out of the way. Whatever power Kalina had on her spine seems to have evaporated. And now, she's got a choice, in the same way that Kalina ever lets people have a choice.]
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---nope, don't think about that either. just grab the pot and drink because two hours is not workable, and she is not going to fail adaine. well, maybe she will. but she's going to try not to. if that means trusting this ...creature. it says it likes adaine? what a way to show that like - and she's reminded of jinx here, too.]
Sorry not sorry about the lack of fur. Nice not knowing you, and here goes.
[down the hatch with it and hoping for the best.]
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The liquid enters Vi's system and...
Nothing happens. Nothing at all. It tastes... metallic slightly, but even that's covered by an overwhelming sweetness, like honey.]
Expecting something different? You're all so jumpy, y'know it really hurts my feelings. [The way her carnivorous teeth glint in the faint light peeking through the leaves and branches that stretch overhead.] Still. A deal's a deal.
[She snaps a finger, and the trees themselves part, opening the way to a pathway. The sounds of seagulls, the open air, and the light brightening up leads one to believe that it leads toward the shore.]
Well then. That concludes our business, doesn't it? See you around, kiddo. Just follow the path and you'll find your damsel. Oh, and... sincerely, good luck. [And with barely a whisper, Kalina disappears into thin air, like a dream or a figment of imagination. It leads one to question what they're seeing. Was she ever real? And the answer is, of course, no. There's nothing real about a bad dream.
The sound of a scream on the other end of the path leaves no room for doubt.]
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it's not even bad. she doesn't feel altered - well, not beyond ...this. being here. and yeah, she's jumpy - can you blame her, catlike presence of dread? well, going by that tone the answer's slightly yes, and vi almost feels guilty.
until the trees part, and there's that kiddo again - but she's left with a sincere wish of luck that ...might have been sincere, even if it still felt like a threat? and now feels like she's---
--had she? imagined the whole thing? wasted time standing here thinking she'd been caught in snaking vines that no longer held her - oh, no. was she too late?
she runs toward that scream as fast as her legs will carry her. this is a dream, she is and isn't herself - so maybe she can move even faster than expected.]
Adaine?!!
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Adaine Abernant - not the Oracle, the Oracle is a capable wizard, powerful and untouchable, this is just a scared little girl clawing at the edges of a bubble like it's a hamster ball, and if she claws at it enough maybe someone will look at her and see something worth loving. She wasn't the one who screamed.
A girl only a few months younger than Vi herself stands in front of the bubble, she's worn down but she is used to power and protection, and she wears a sharp smile like she's still sat atop her throne despite the frayed edges that reveal the crumbling dust of her citadel. Talking, desperately, the smile nasty and cruel and so deeply afraid. She wasn't the one who screamed.
And there's a man, cloaked, Adaine's sword at his hip, the one that the sister is begging to. The father and patriarch, who rules this scene with an iron fist. He wasn't the one who screamed.
Next to Vi, the woman - DON'T LOOK HER IN THE EYE - begins to speak.]
I've seen so many things in my long life, you know. Ages end, civilizations rise and fall. I've had so many wonderful friends that made my life complete. There's questions I've answered that nobody has even thought to broach. I've done amazing things. And yet...
[The sister begins to plead, and her form of currency is cruelty, as it always has been.]
Why don't we just leave her in the orb? That's what she's most scared of, you know, why even waste the spell slot -
[The father cuts her off.]
Aelwyn. You've been given an order.
[The sister shrivels as if she's been struck, or shot, or watched her family go up in flames all because of a well intentioned child's destructive support. And in an instant, she's not a sister, she's a scared child again. And she looks back at Adaine, and at her father, and she pleads.]
Father... Adaine's just... she's just a baby.
[And the woman turns to Vi, the faintest glimpse of blue caught underneath the hood. The voice is familiar.]
...One question I've never been able to answer. One thing I've never known, one thing that's haunted me for my entire life. What made me so easy to leave behind?
[The woman isn't waiting for an answer. She stares ahead at Adaine, and at the sister's pitiful attempts at protecting her. And she smiles a ghost of a smile, waiting to see what Vi does.]
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just a flash of blue but the voice. the voice.
what vi does is freeze in place. the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end - and what breath she's trying to catch from all the running has caught itself in a new way, a hitch and a hush as she blinks - tries to reconcile this with what came before it. she blinks the threat of wet heat from her eyes, swallows hard. she's distracted by this and the words tumble out:]
I didn't---you weren't---
---I never left you! Not like you think.
A Girl In A Bubble | Memshare
[This one starts out a lot more like a fairy tale. A powerful sorceress, trapped in a tower, punished forever by the stars for her hubris. And another, one promised to serve the stars humbly and honorably, bowing her head to their traditions and rules and taking her place amongst them... refused the call.
And paid for it. The story starts with the second girl being dragged off by the serving soldiers of the elven council, in the middle of a fight she was forced to choose her friends or her freedom and she made the choice she would every single time, her friends. And as a result, she was forced into one of their bubbles.
A rescue is staged by her friends, and you're one of them, at least for now. A girl with the gnarled horns of a devil, skin red and warm to the touch, and a girl with ginger hair that seems to almost glow in the sunlight. She was a saint, once upon a time.
It's unclear in this case, when it stops being a story and when it starts being a memory, but the moment that you are able to conceptualize yourself, you are climbing to the top of a tall set of stairs, and the tower is in shambles. The girl with the horns of a devil might glance over at you at this point, if you seem confused by what's going on.]
What are you doing? She's this way! C'mon! We're gonna go save Adaine! [And at that moment, she summons up a full bass guitar. This will help somehow.]
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How are we going to save Adaine?
[if she sounds skeptical...she is. at least she's not suggesting a tactical retreat just yet. this girl seems to have magic more powerful than anything in the seven kingdoms, to summon a guitar like that.]
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Well, that, for starters. [Kristen says, and she points out the window at the source. And out there, a voice can be heard booming impossibly loud ("PEOPLE OF FALLINEL! TODAY, YOUR NATION FALLS!"), belonging to the man that is at least a kilometre tall. Somehow. The book, the memory and the person it belongs to, it feels a powerful enough emotion at the sight to identify it, even if the feelings are foreign to Sansa.
Father. It isn't sentimental in nature, it's a contemptuous knot of bitter feelings that such a brief glance can't even begin to untangle. The horned girl speaks up - Fig, her name is Fig, and shoots Kristen an annoyed look, and Sansa a sympathetic grimace.]
Her sister will know where she's being held, was the plan. And we know where she is. Your, um, dad, pretty much provided the best distraction we're gonna get.
[Though, as she says that, about three people in gilded armor begin to clamber out of nothing but a plume of smoke, their swords drawing. Fig rounds on them and bares her teeth in a feral grin.] Bring it, bitches!
[And she very swiftly and very skillfully plays a sick bass guitar solo that swells into a hypnotic rhythm and causes the furthest to immediately wildly attack his friend. Kristen tugs at Sansa's arm, to signal that it's time to start running and following Fig - who appears to now be using her guitar as an axe to bludgeon one of them as she sprints past him toward Aelwyn's holding cell.]
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Of course I will do what I can. [a very brief pause.] Would you believe me if I told you I was a friend of Adaine, a...sort of druid, trying to help her from a great distance away, and I became stuck in this body through a magic accident?
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Are... are you fucking kidding me?! Oh my god. Every time. Just... we'll deal with that later, I guess.
[She slaps a hand against her forehead, and Fig... didn't appear to hear this entire exchange. Instead, she's sprinting ahead, red with rage and determination.]
Adaine! We're here to save you!
[And in the window of time as she turns to enter Aelwyn's cellroom, a voice calls out, Adaine's.]
We're in here! She needs help.
[And that gets Kristen's attention immediately. So with one unsure glance toward Sansayda, she sprints off in that direction to help.]
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Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it. I have all her memories.
[somewhere......ordinarily she's only ever a passenger to an unfamiliar body, knowing instinctively what they already know. this is different. she wracks her(?) brain for spells and how to do them.]
I just have to sort through them. I can do whatever she does.
[in theory. she sprints after adaine's voice.]
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Right. Just don't mention it right now, we'll talk afterwards. [Things really are desperate if Kristen is the one being placed in this role. At least that's what Adaine would think. She's about two minutes from doing one of the stupidest things Adaine ever saw in her life.
The knowledge of the spells eludes Sansa. Her access to Ayda's memories are filtered through being in a brain she does not understand, a library, ordered and systematic and structured. The brain she's in doesn't understand either, and it has created an entire life built around that fact, around finding understanding anywhere.
But the motions are there. The muscle memory. The spellbook. She could try to use it, in a pinch. Sansa already knows some of the spells from Adaine's own lessons.
But what comes out of Adaine's cellroom isn't a threat. It's Adaine, holding a girl that looks remarkably similar to her. She's taller, and she used to be heavier. Adaine could never lift her. Now, it's as if a rake has become a girl, or rather a girl has become a rake with a mop of unkempt hair.]
Can someone help? She's... passed out. They've been keeping her awake this entire time.
[Meet Aelwyn Abernant, the eldest and most beloved child of the Abernant family, and the girl that Adaine has hated deeply for her entire life.]
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she forgets the unfamiliar, overwhelming memories like a library without a maester for guidance (she resolves to brave the archives if never mind ever lets her out of here). she is reminded of marillion's eerie cries from the sky cells. the expression on her face is entirely sansa stark, and so is the contempt in her voice.]
Of course they have.
[sansa turns back towards the faintly glowing girl kristen––the glow seems healer-y, at least.]
We have to heal her. She will help us. If Adaine can't get them out of there––well, perhaps they weren't expecting any trouble from the other side of the door.
[she reaches for her own spellbook, looking for anything to do with healing first, breaking magical barriers second, breaking anything else third.]
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...I mean, I know she's hot and all but... she did kind of try to kill us all...?
[Kristen shakes her head at Fig, some kind of signal. Usually, it's anyone giving this signal to Kristen. Or Gorgug. Times are desperate, however. And Kristen is going through her own spells.
It's hard for everyone present to believe that this was the girl they fought on the rooftops, that this was the girl who nearly killed all of them. But Adaine speaks.]
I - She tried to help me. There's no physical damage, none that sleep and food won't fix, the orb was keeping her alive and intact but... [Adaine's eyes harden with rage so potent she herself might pluck the sun from the sky.] She can't... form longterm memories anymore. It's a brain problem, I think. It probably won't have an immediate cure but - [A loud thud as another group of elementals explode above them.] Not here.
[Fig nods, sharing Adaine's resolve with a look of genuine sadness, and patting her arm softly.] We have a camp, we just need to get out of here. The others are on their way with the van.
[Kristen looks at Sansa - and at Adaine, and says.] I'll do what I can. Uh, not a lot of spellslots left, though. Let me see if I prepared Greater Restoration...
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They've been poisoning her mind for a long time. With care, and our help, she'll do better.
[the mechanics of battle here are beyond anything in the seven kingdoms, or even what they manage in trench. sansa doesn't know all the pieces, how many of their own people are in the castle, what exactly is happening overhead, but since they're here there must be something they can do to weaken the enemy stronghold from within...]
It would be well if we could leave something behind us when we go. Not anything that would hurt any of our people, but perhaps a kind of trap...
[she flips through her spellbook again.]
Did I Get Lost Along The Way? | The Backrooms
[When Adaine appears in yet another world suddenly and completely against her will, all she can do is let out a deep fucking sigh. Of course this would happen. It's only the third time.
She looks around for a few minutes, trailing between the hallways that seem to go on forever. She doesn't want to get lost in this fucking place!
...Still, she takes a deep breath, remembers her breathing exercise... and then promptly lets out a yelp of shock when she realizes there's someone here.]
Oh god. Sorry. You, um, scared me.
[This is rough.]