OPEN CATCH-ALL for the rest of March (totally not late)

[tempredmental]

Who: Keith, OPEN
What: Catch-all for March... includes event prompts, siren mini-plot, TDM prompts
When: Mostly the second half of March, but also open to early early March, like the first few days
Where: Around Trench, Jumanji jungle, Catacombs, Moss King's Summer House

Content Warnings: Will note in tags

• Siren's Call
• Last Chance for the Carnival
• Jumanji
• Catacombs
• Moss King's Summer Home

Feel free to make your own top level for a wild card. Hit me up on Plurk at sailorgundam06 or on Discord at SailorGundam06#2608 if you want to chat. I also have a plotting comment here or you can PM this journal!

Comments

Quicksand

[onerthes]

[She'd heard the sound of shifting sand and had come into the clearing, stopping at a skid just barely near the edge, before taking a step back. Looking out at him, she called out.]

I'll cut a vine! Hold on!

[Going to the tree next to her, she pulled a knife out and started hacking at one of the vines. Of course, the fleshy things weren't exactly easy to cut through. He could wait a minute, right?]

[tempredmental]

[Hold on... right... He'd offer his own knife at this point, but it was already under the surface of the sand. But there was the other issue, too.]

The game!

[Normally, on solid footing, he could throw really darn well. But this was quicksand, and he was sinking fast. He wasn't sure if he could get enough strength into his throw in order to make it to the edge. The board wasn't exactly lightweight, either. But, if he could get it close enough to the edge for her to reach...

He held it up.]

[onerthes]

[It was here that both of them probably should be grateful that the vines were themselves very strong. When it was cut, she whipped one length around her arm and leaned forward, over the edge of the quicksand. The whole action was precarious to say the least. Her fingers flickered, almost missing the board, and then just barely snagging it as she hung precariously over the soft ground. With a whip, she tossed it back, letting it land unceremoniously beside the tree, safe for the moment.

She was honestly much less concerned with the board than him. She pulled back only to grab a long stick and lean forward, her arms screaming as she reached out with the stick, pushing it up to him.]

Grab it, Keith. We need to get you out of there before we roll!

[tempredmental]

[He was up to his shoulders at this point, but Keith managed to snag the stick in his grip strongly enough that he managed to pull himself closer and turn so he could then get both hands on it.]

I got it!

[It was tough to tell his body to relax and not try to kick his legs or something in a facsimile of swimming to help her pull him out, but he knew that would just make him sink further and make it harder to get out. But, with him holding on to the stick, he could still pull...

Hopefully, the stick would hold as well as the vine...]

[onerthes]

Alright. Now, I just need you to hold on...

[At this point she was focused on the task. She couldn't afford to talk much. Slowly, she was starting to pull him out but the whole process was painstaking and slow. It was a step at a time, tugging and drawing as steadily as possible because of the possibility of the chords and vine not holding. It wasn't fraying, but she kept hearing creaking sounds behind her.

After a few steps, she got down to the ground and began to draw and pull on it, despite the ache in her arms. Now that she wasn't hanging over the quicksand, she could start to work with less risk and fear. Just had to keep it up.]

[tempredmental]

[Slow for sure, and Keith wasn't usually the patient type, either. But, he was managing to keep his panic at bay for now. He didn't need to pull Vira-Lorr in, after all. That wouldn't do any good at all. Every time something creaked, Keith looked up towards the noise, making sure nothing looked ready to snap and ruin the whole moment.

But, at least he wasn't sinking anymore. In fact, he could feel that it was working, even if it was slow.]

[onerthes]

[Vira-Lorr steadied herself and the vine held. It was close, but now she could gradually pull, one hand over another. A slow, steady pace had her arms aching, but in time, she could see his limbs coming over the edges of the quicksand. She grunted down at him and grinned.]

I imagine someone would love a shower right now...

[tempredmental]

[Keith gave a weak chuckle and shook his head as they worked through this.]

I've got sand in places I didn't know sand could go. It's... kind of uncomfortable.

[He scrunched his nose as she got him closer to the edge of the pit... pond... pool... what ever an area of quicksand was called. Once close enough, he reached out to grab her hand instead of the stick.]

[onerthes]

[As soon as she felt his hand, she reached out with the other to grip onto his arm tightly and started to pull. The quicksand fought, but it was too late now. They were at the point that it would have to magically yank him back out into the depths. Hauling was agonizing work, but they were making progress.

Eventually, she flopped backwards, panting, only after he was more than halfway out, in a position to finish pulling himself out of the ground, laughing softly.]

I haaaate the Moss King so much, do you know that?

[tempredmental]

I'm beginning to feel the same...

[He was exhausted, honestly, but finally able to pull himself the rest of the way from the sand, flopping next to her on his back and staring up at the leaves above them as he worked on catching his breath.]

I really don't like quicksand, either. [He winced a bit, trying to shift gingerly to alleviate the itchy gritty sensation from the sand without gouging it into his skin. Yeah... he wanted that to go away.]

[onerthes]

I don't doubt. Why don't we give you some time to catch your breath. Gotta be hard to breathe in that place.

[She closed her eyes and sighed, groaning some while her head was leaned back and she just tried to relax. Mind you, it always came with the realization they'd be rolling again soon, but she was going to push that aside.]

At least you're safe for now. It could always be worse.

[Stop saying that.]

[tempredmental]

It definitely could be...

[Honestly, he always thought it was the "can't be worse" phrase one had to avoid...]

Probably shouldn't stay like this for too long, though.

[He grunted, and then groaned a little as he forced himself to get moving. He was tired, and sore, and filled with sand in all sorts of awkward places, but laying here on the ground wasn't going to finish the stupid game and get them out of here. And, if anything, it was only going to make them sitting ducks for any large predators.]

[onerthes]

[Getting up slowly, she nodded and motioned around the quicksand. There were thick trees they could use for unstable but safe footing. As they started to walk, she held the game in one hand and glanced over at him.]

We can get out of this stuff, to a safe spot, and make another roll, if you want. We're not far, I don't think, from the end of the board.

(OOC: We can do another event or let them wrap with the next roll. Your call. I'll be doing new stuff later this week.)

[tempredmental]

I don't think we're far, either, if I remember it right. [He moved along the edge with her, glad to get away from the... pond? swamp? pit? whatever one called that.] I think, if we're lucky, we could finish it in the next roll.

{OOC: Finishing it up sounds good. I can tag into the newer stuff. :)}

[onerthes]

It's worth a shot at the very least.

[She sat down once there was a good sized stump that they could use, opening the board and rolling the dice. His roll had brought the quicksand, so it was her turn, after all. Her piece moved across the remaining spaces, coming to the end as the sounds of a helicopter could just barely be heard. They were almost at the finale of this, and the relief showed in her face.]

I think that's the escape route. Let's get out of here before the game thinks twice!

[tempredmental]

[Keith certainly wasn't going to argue, so he nodded quickly.] Good idea!

[He followed her, keeping an eye out for anything that looked like it might dash their hopes for getting out of there as he ran along, but the helicopter came into view first.]

Let's go! [He moved quickly, giving her a hand to get in if she needed it.]

[onerthes]

[She took the hand, and as soon as it lifted off of the ground, she half collapsed against Keith, breathing tiredly and smiling. It didn't matter if all of this was going to end with them waking up back in Trench.]

Ngh... it's finally over. We're free of this idiotic game. At least for now.

(OOC: This seems like a good wrap up point if you like. Good scene. I'm sure we'll have plenty of chances in May or June, wherever you like.)

[tempredmental]

For now.

[Keith sighed in relief. He leaned back against the wall of the chopper, not caring if Vira-Lorr leaned on him in turn. It was nice just to know that they were done and on their way out...]

{OOC: Sounds good to me! :D}