deercountry | Winter Catch-All

[He was on his way to the Archives when he caught sight of the creature out of the corner of his eye, just a flash of movement that draws his attention, and it's gone as soon as he turns towards it. There's still a lingering feeling of something not quite right in the air. The feeling of being watched isn't exactly unusual in Gaze, but this feels particularly pointed, and particularly malevolent.

Martin wrinkles his nose at the faint smell of sulfur in the air as he hastens his pace, shifting direction each time he gets a glimpse of the creature that seems to be stalking him.

He's out in the woods when he gets a proper look at it for the first time before it vanishes again, and he startles when he gets a quick look at the mouth and eyes that are slanted entirely sideways.]

Shit!

[As quickly as it appears, it's gone again, and the lingering smell in the air is strong enough that Martin hikes his scarf up over his mouth and nose to try to block it out as he looks around. He's not entirely sure where he is in the snowy forest, or how he got out here. He was on his way...

Where was he going again? More importantly, which way is out of here?]

[ Ange knows that she's technically not supposed to go out into the woods. She knows it's dangerous, but-- it's exactly why she's here. She needs some of that danger, because she can only practice her magic so many times without any adequate targets before it feels like she isn't progressing at all anymore.

It's why she went out into the woods, at least adequately dressed up to make sure she stays warm even in this season. But while she expected to run into danger, she didn't quite expect to run into a person.

It would explain why her hands are raised and glowing with golden magic when Martin suddenly appears out of the thick brush, though thankfully her reflexes are good enough that Ange stops herself before she accidentally fires off a blast of magic right at him. ]

Martin!

[ She sounds startled all the same though as she realises who she just ran into. There's actual surprise on her face, usual pokerface gone, and then it shifts into a concerned frown. ]

What are you doing here?

[ You know, as if Ange isn't out here in the wilderness as well.. Or as if it's totally normal for her, but clearly not for him. ]

[The woods can't go on forever, Martin decides. They have to come out somewhere, probably at a road or something he can use to find his way back to town. Besides, if the other option is just to stay put in the woods and wait for that... thing to come back, he'd rather take his chances.

He startles initially when he comes across Ange out in the woods, her hands aglow with magic as he stumbles out from the thick brush. It's quickly replaced by relief, though. Partially because it comes as a welcome not to be out here by himself, and partially because he suspects that must mean he can't be too far out from town.]

Ange! I... I guess I got a little lost?

[The truth is, he's still not sure how he got out here, but the what he's doing is at least a fairly easy answer, and Ange should be warned, anyway. He gestures at the woods behind him as he explains.]

There was a - some kind of a monster. Weird, sideways mouth and eyes. It smells pretty bad too. Like rotten eggs. We - we should head back to town. It's not safe out here.

.. well, yeah, there's always monsters out here.

[ Ange says it kind of matter-of-factly, but then her eyes narrow as she squints at Martin, like she's trying to determine something here. How does one simply get lost in the woods? Sure, it's easy to get lost when you go in, but why would Martin go in there in the first place? And all by himself? Is something going on again that's randomly dumping people in the middle of the woods?

At least she doesn't seem to doubt his assessment, since she steps closer to him, keeping the glow on her hands in case the creature he's talking about does suddenly appear. ]

What, do you think there's something special about that one?

[ It sounds like she's ready to take him seriously.

Or - at the very least - to hear him out. ]

Well, this one was in town at first. Which, okay, yeah, sometimes that happens too.

[Martin's not exactly sure how to say he doesn't really know how he found his way out here without sounding completely helpless. Who gets distracted in the city, and finds themselves out in the woods with no explanation?]

It's weird looking - doesn't attack, though. Just kind of... follows you, I guess? Its mouth and eyes are, uh, sideways. Looks pretty human, otherwise, and the smell. It smells like sulfur.

[ Ange frowns. Apparently the girl hasn't heard about that one before, nor seen it, because she looks like she really has to think about this one for a moment. Sure, it does seem safer to head back to town. If it was just her, it'd be one thing to try and tackle that being, but it's not like she wants to put Martin into trouble.

.. though she still cna't quite resist asking: ]

Did you try to attack it?

[ Maybe that's her wife rubbing off on her, huh. ]

Or did it try to attack you?

Ah. No. I didn't attack it - it, uh, didn't seem like a good idea without knowing what it was. Strengths, weaknesses, that kind of thing.

[He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. He doesn't want to look completely incompetent by admitting he somehow got turned around on his way to the Archives to see what he could find out about the creature.]

I, uh. It's probably better to try to find out what it is exactly before messing with it too much. You haven't seen anything out here at all?

.. nothing like your description.

[ Which feels like what matters right now - like what Martin truly is asking her here. Ange glances around them quickly, like she may catch a glimpse of it somehow, but then looks back at Martin instead. ]

I was just asking to make sure. You know, in case it pops up again. [ Which Ange assumes it will. Partially because she's naturally cynical, but also because.. well, if it's been chasing Martin around all this time, why would it stop now? ] I guess it won't be trouble as long as it doesn't attack, but I don't trust anything in this place to be that docile.

Huh. It's probably safe to say it's still out here somewhere.

[He looks around the clearing, watching for any sign that the creature might re-emerge. Maybe that's its method of attack - try to take its victims off guard once it lures or drives them out into the woods.]

I don't trust anything around here to be that docile either - too many threats, you know? We should both go back to town. It certainly didn't give the impression it's safe to be around. It's probably not a good idea for any of us to be out here by ourselves right about now.

[ Ange seems like she's about to protest for a moment. After all, she was quite busy out here practicing, but..

.. on the other hand, she feels like Martin won't go back to town unless she goes back too, and if there's something dangerous out here that almost sounds like it's hunting him, even if it hasn't attacked him so far, then she can't risk him getting hurt.

So she ends up nodding. ]

Alright. The town should be in this direction.

[ Thankfully Ange did pay attention to the way she walked into these woods.. so she starts heading in that direction once she's sure Martin is coming along with her. ]

Just tell me if you happen to spot that thing while we make our way back. Or anything else. It's easier to attack them while they're still further away. [ Because Ange sure isn't made for melee combat, that's for sure. It's going to be a whole lot harder once something gets close. ]

[It's a relief when Ange agrees to head back to town with him, both because he is not confident in the direction they should be going in and because he certainly wouldn't leave her out here by herself to face whatever ominous creature is lurking around. He's not sure he could forgive himself if one of his friends got hurt because he left them to fend for themselves, knowing there was danger about.]

Yeah, that makes sense - with the magic and all. Plus I kind of get the feeling that - whatever that thing is - we don't want an up close and personal confrontation with it.

[As they walk back towards the town, he gets another faint whiff of the same rotten egg smell he had noticed before, and takes a look around.]

Do you smell that?

Huh? Smell wha--

[ It's like it hits her the moment she's halfway through that sentence. Opening her mouth, breathing in, and that intense smell suddenly entering her airways. It's absolutely putrid, and Ange sure has smelled some gross things over the past few years.

It makes the girl frown, turning her head to look at Martin. ]

.. is it that thing?

[ Unless Martin just let out a truly, truly gross fart. ]

[Martin pauses to adjust his scarf around his mouth and nose to help try to block out the foul smell.]

Ugh! Yeah, that's it, all right. Smells like something died or something.

[He looks around, trying to spot the creature, and points when he thinks he catches a glimpse of movement.]

There!

[ Ange turns her head to follow Martin's gaze and pointing, and it's then that she spots the creature too. 'Creature' being a good word to describe it, because-- what even is that thing? Ange couldn't think of a good word for it even if she tried.

And with the rest of Martin's description from before, she doesn't want to risk the man falling into this thing's hands. It'd be one thing if it was just her, but she's not letting this monster touch him.

So without saying anything first, Ange grabs a hold of Martin's hand, and then starts running in the opposite direction of the being - tugging him right along.

It's only then that she speaks up. ]

Let's just get away from it then!

[It's human, but not, and it's hard not to be horrified by its twisted features, the malevolent presence, and worst of all - the smell that is so strong, it makes it hard to focus on anything else.

Martin's cold fingers curl around Ange's hand, and he breaks into a run as she leads him off in the opposite direction. Running. Yeah. Running is probably a good idea at this point. He's not entirely sure they're going in the right direction, but anywhere away from that thing seems likely to be their best bet.]

[ Ange feels like they're going in the right direction. She's so sure that this is where she came from. She wandered here in a very direct line from town, after all. She's always so careful to not do something that would get her lost in the middle of the woods.

.. except it's not the right way.

Because Ange keeps running and running, dragging Martin right along, until she realises she's been running for too long.

It's that realisation that gets her to stop, breathing a little harder from running so much, and glancing around them with a frown. ]

This is-- Something isn't right.

[ Why didn't they arrive back in town? Why are they still in the woods, and even in a part Ange doesn't directly recognize from her way in here? ]

[It doesn't take much for Martin to start to lose his breath. He's never been much good at running, but he manages to keep pace with Ange as she pulls him along by the hand through the woods.

Funny, he didn't think they were so deep in, and the path they're on doesn't feel even a little familiar. He thought by now he would have spotted some kind of landmark that even felt like they were on the right path.

As Ange stops, he tries to catch his breath and he takes a look around the unfamiliar surroundings.]

I thought - I thought we'd be back by now. Or... close. Or something.

[She's not wrong. Something doesn't feel at all right about any of this.]

Where are we?

[ The girl exhales a short hurried breath, along with a curse that's half-hidden underneath said breath. She frowns as she looks around once more, but there's truly nothing she recognizes. ]

We're lost.

[ With the tone she uses for those few words, it almost sounds like they're another curse in and of itself. Ange clearly isn't pleased by this idea. Not just because it's a bad idea to be lost out here in the woods in the first place, but it's worsened by the creature that was chasing them earlier still being around here somewhere, and her being worried about Martin's safety on top of it all. ]

I ran back to the city, but instead it just took us further in. [ Ugh, this annoying place, always making every single thing way harder than it should have to be-- ] I don't know if it's the forest or that being doing it.

[Great. Great. Not only are they lost in the woods where there is definitely at least a monster that is probably now going to come after both of them, but if anything happens to Ange, it is most definitely Martin's fault.

He heaves a sigh and looks around, when it hits him this is the same thing that happened to him earlier - he was trying to go to the Archives, and ended up in the woods.]

I think it's that thing. I bet it's that thing messing with us somehow.

[He glances down the path behind them.]

We could just... try to go back the way we came?

Back to that creature?

[ .. if it's still there. It's entirely possible that it went after them, but it sure isn't visible anywhere on the path that leads back that Martin is currently pointing out..

Ange frowns. It's always so annoying to deal with these things when you don't know how they work. At least most beasts and monsters out here are standard fare - but this one definitely seems to have a twist. ]

Maybe the only way to stop getting lost is by getting rid of it, if it's causing all of this in the first place.

[Martin's working under the assumption the creature is on the move too, and it may not be following them on an exact path if it's looking to drive them in a particular direction, but he still can't deny Ange has a point, that they may end up in a direction confrontation with it.

He's still not so sure that's a great idea, not knowing what kind of abilities it might possess beyond smelling terrible.]

Maybe... I mean, maybe that's what it does. Makes you get lost out here, where something else could get you - it hasn't attacked us or anything yet. Okay, not like we've stuck around to see if it actually will or not, but still.

[ With very little hesitation, Ange can't help but ask Martin: ]

Do you want to risk it? [ There's no real accusation in the tone, at least, but something about Ange does seem to be a little bit more on edge. Not in a way that makes her look angry as much as it makes her seem kind of worried-- if not outright scared.

It's mostly visible in her eyes as she looks at Martin. ]

I can't let that thing hurt you.

[Martin scrubs his hand over his face. He sees two options - either they keep going and risk getting more and more lost, and what? Dying of exposure? Or become dinner for some monster? Or that thing that is hunting probably both of them now, he wants to assume. Or they can follow the path exactly the way they came from and risk running straight into the creature. Maybe it's still following them directly, or maybe not. He's not sure.

Neither option is great, but it feels like the only ones they have.

He does have one possible defense against the creature, but the question is, could he hide them both in the Lonely for a time, as Peter had done in the tunnels under the Institute? He's hidden himself before, but never a second person.

He bites his lip thoughtfully, considering whether or not it's worth the risk before deciding to let Ange weigh in.]

I might be able to keep us out of sight, if we do run into it on the way back. I don't know if it'll work or not, though.

[ Honestly, Ange is a whole lot less concerned about her own safety here. Not that she wants to die out here in the forest, but-- it's like as the months progress, it's becoming harder and harder to not think about the wellbeing of the people she's fond of, the thoughts taking precedence over everything else.

It's why she looks a little conflicted, even in the face of what Martin says. He can't assure her that it'll work.

.. but what else do they have? ]

Let's try that then.

[ She doesn't sound entirely sure, but at least Ange does sound like she's decided on that. ]

If it doesn't work, I'll try to deal with it somehow. [ It's always a gamble, trying to see how any particular monster in this place stacks up against her powers, but it's not like she wouldn't defend Martin tooth and claw if his own solution to the problem ends up not working. ]

[It comes as almost a relief when Ange agrees to his plan, because really, he had no other ideas to get them back.]

Okay... Okay. Good.

[Martin takes a deep breath, before turning to head back down the path the way they came from.]

We'll, uh, have to keep a close eye out for it. Let's not let it... I dunno, get us lost again, I guess? Or lost more?

Well, the answer to that lies in finding out how it's getting us lost in the first place..

[ Ange frowns a little as they walk, seeming to think about those words even as she's speaking them. She's seen a lot of different creatures in this place, but - this one is new. She doesn't even think it was around last year, so it can't be one of those annually repeating things either.

Which means they truly have nothing to go off. Nothing but logic, anyway. ]

It seems capable of using that power even when it isn't close to us, for one. [ After all, they kept getting lost, even after escaping the creature. Like it's some long range thing, maybe?

Ange truly isn't sure, but it's not like they have anything else to do but keep an eye out for the creature itself in the first place as they walk. ]

[Martin tracks their progress carefully, keeping a close eye to make sure they don't find themselves wandering off the path.]

Yeah. Well, to be fair... we're not sure what would happen if we didn't run from it, right? I mean, every time I saw it, I just tried to stay away from it. Just like what we just did. Maybe it's better to stand our ground?

[ Well, it is worth a try if Martin really can hide them. Ange is a little too paranoid to go near it without some backup plan, but she trusts Martin enough to rely on his power. ]

Do you think it might stop affecting us if it just passes by us or something? I-- [ .. she pauses, and then suddenly makes a gagging noise, though it's more dramatically play-acted than very genuine. ] Hold on, there that thing is again.

[ She can't see it yet, sure. But that smell gives its presence away before it's even in visible range, that's for sure. ]

I don't -

[He cuts off suddenly as the smell hits him and he fumbles in his pocket for a small pocket knife. At home, he would need a copy of A Disappearance to hide them both, but here in Trench, a bit of blood should do the trick. He flicks the blade open and draws it across the tips of two of his fingers. Once the knife is tucked safely away again, he puts his arm around Ange's shoulders to draw her in close.]

Stay quiet, okay?

[The blood from his fingers drips to the ground and, seen only to the two of them, mist rises up from where it lands, swirling around them both. He can feel the comfort in the distance it puts between them and the rest of the world, even as the strange creature steps onto the path, and looks around as though searching for them.

He maintains the illusion a few moments longer than is strictly necessary as it moves off through the woods, and Martin draws a relieved breath as the fog dissipates.]

Right. All right. I think we're good again. For now, at least.

[ At least Ange is good at listening to instructions during times where it matters - or when she just trust the person giving them in the first place.

It means that she truly doesn't make a sound, even though she's a little surprised. (Thankfully Ange is used to shoving all emotional reactions right underneath the carpet, burying it all behind her pokerface.) It's not even him cutting himself for the blood that surprises her, considering how common it is here in Trench - it's definitely Martin suddenly pulling her close like that, especially when Ange is only used to physical contact like this coming from a very select group of people.

But she does surpress all surprise, and then just makes sure to stay very still and quiet. It's a task that's helped by the fact that she isn't scared by the monster getting closer to them at all. The girl manages to stay relatively calm, just slowly breathing as she keeps her gaze on the creature as it passes by them.

And it's only when Martin says that he thinks they're good that she finally does move away from his grip. Her gaze lingers for a moment on where the creature disappeared into the brush before looking back at Martin himself. ]

So.. do you think we can just head to town now?

[ Without getting all turned around, she means. Did they maybe just have to throw that thing off their trail to break this.. curse, or whatever it is? ]

[The creature is gone, and Martin lets his arm drop as Ange moves away. Like hers, his gaze is fixed momentarily on where the creature disappeared into the woods, just in case it decides to turn around.

Whether or not that's enough to break whatever hold it had over them, he's not sure.]

I - I don't know. I don't really know enough about that thing to be sure. Let's hope that does it, though. I mean... I don't feel all that confused about where we ought to be going. Do you?

Winter Catch-All

The Misdirected

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