MASKTOURN

On the north side of the Citadel, outside the citadel walls, lies the ruins of some kind of fortress. It’s in a far more advanced state of decay than the interior Citadel- while the Citadel is a calcified husk of a city, all that lies here is one’s skeletonized remains. The fortress which these ruins once were was circular, and comprised of concentric round rooms. All that remains of them is the foundations, floors, and basest remains of brick walls and felled columns. It seems this fortress did not die a natural death: among the debris and ruin in the rooms, remains of life can be found. No bodies remain buried in the sandy earth, but swords, arrows, and other tools of warfare can be found littered about the fortress grounds.

At the very center of the fortress, in the innermost ring, stands the lone statue of a woman. She’s of a short statue and a stocky, warrior’s build; her firm, stone-carved features stern in resolve and determination. Her mono-lidded eyes gaze forward in cool conviction, her mouth formed into a stern scowl. The woman wears a loose tunic, with sleeves that reach her mid-elbows and a finely-detailed collar, and over that, a suit of armor. The material the armor was originally made of is unclear- it could be leather, chainmail, or even plate. The woman’s hair is pulled back and wrapped in a fine, embroidered scarf, the folds and details of which have been lovingly carved by the statue’s creator. In both hands the woman holds a sword, positioned parallel to her body, her hands on the hilt and the tip of the blade pointed towards the ground. Who is this warrior? Was this citadel once hers to defend?

To investigate this statue, roll a divine intuition check and notify me.

Darcy wandered to the ruins after parting with Isi. He... didn't really know what to make of this place, but it seemed interesting enough. He stepped carefully over the ancient weapons scattered across the grounds, and stood at the statue, contemplating it. He couldn't tell who the woman was, though he was sure he'd seen her likeness in a book before. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Roman was also wandering, though currently he was practically glued on to the clay tablet screen. He finally stumbled over some stray debris and looked up, spotting Darcy. "Oh, helloooo!" Roman waved. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Darcy couldn't make out most of Roman's details from a distance, but he didn't recognize the voice. "Hello. Come to explore the ruins, too?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Roman sauntered over to Darcy, not wearing his mask and still wearing that illegal jacket. The eyeball jar was reattached to his belt, also out of dress code, that dangled loosely from his waist. "Explore the ruins? Hm, nah, I think I'd much rather be exploring the people at the ruins.." Roman chuckled. "You an architecture guy or something?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Right. Sure." Darcy grimaced at Roman's first comment. "I'm actually a linguist. I'm just trying to find out more about this place." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Roman tried desperately to try to think of something risqué to say about linguistics..... That was difficult. "So you're like a- no that's gonna be too cringe even for me." Roman mumbled. "Buuuuuut what have you found out so far? Met any hot ladies yet?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Great. Another guy like this. "What? No- I'm gay, anyways." He frowned. "I haven't found much. This place... confounds me." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

This guy was gay?! His radar was way off.. It's easier to do this on clubs and dark street corners.. "No hot ladies? Well, that's a shame for me, but I guess that frees up more of my schedule! I'm sure I could fit you in somewhere..." Roman said. "But what's so confounding? I'm not really participating the same as you guys so I'm not even all that worried about.. The confounding-ness." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Fit me- what?" Darcy shook his head. "I'm not interested. Can't believe you're the second person I've had to say that too." "It's just... strange. The whole event. God knows what the Lifebringer wants from all of this." He glanced towards Roman. "You're not participating? Are you... one of the people that works here?" That seemed even more doubtful. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"The second person! There's another? With everyone saying no every single time, they hardly need one escort, let alone two." Roman huffed. "But yeah, anyway, I've been told that I'm here as an escort or something along those lines.. But I'm not sure what I'm getting out of it, to be honest.. they kinda just kidnapped me after I saw a fire person." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't think Peregrine's and escort, I think he's just horny. And... like that." Darcy mused. "Maybe you should talk to him." "Huh. So you aren't here for the murder tournament?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"With a name like Peregrine, I do think he works the street. I swear I've met guys with names like that before." Roman said. "And a murder tournament? No, I don't think I am.. I've not been told that, at least. I think that'd get in the way of my job if I died." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Good point. It is a very stupid name." Darcy nodded. "Huh. Weird. Well, myself and everyone else I've talked to is here for the murder tournament." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Hm. Weird. I guess I'm like an intern then." Roman said. "Who did you talk to after you were taken here?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I spoke to a woman named Albanes. Said she was the Lifebringer, told me I was gonna die." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. Well! I didn't talk to this 'Albanes', I talked to this guy named Naiyta, all they really said is that I'm here to serve my purpose and 'compete'. I've not heard anything about dying." Roman said. "And I can't really die until I finish Roque's final request- have you heard of her? From the Roqueing Rayes?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Huh. A few people I've met said they also spoke to someone by that name." Darcy commented. "Roque... I think she attended the same tournament I did, but that happened a while ago. I'm not familiar with her... Roqueing Rayes." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Wait! You were in that tournament with Roque? Ryu was there too!" Roman smiled. He reached out and grabbed Darcy's hand, not caring that there was definitely something wrong with it. "Tell me everything you remember about her!" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Wh-" Darcy wrangled his hand out of Roman's grip. "Ryu or Roque? I never met either of them. My impression of Ryu was... extremely neutral, and Roque messed with a few of my friends and got kicked out early, so I can't say I was too fond of her. But again, we never actually met." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

As Darcy pulled his hand away, a thin sheen of silver dust coated Roman's hand. He listened to Darcy as he spoke, but slowly moved his own hands up to his mouth and stuck his tongue out. He was gonna lick the silver 100%. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Darcy's brow furrowed. "What are you doing? Don't do that." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I'm gwonna wick it." Roman said with his tongue mere inches from his fingers. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Stop. Don't." Darcy insisted, looking absolutely repulsed. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Roman licked it. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

The dust tasted like ink. Darcy just... stared at Roman in disgust. "Why. Why did you do that." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Ewwwuughh it's like when I break a pen I'm chewing on." Roman wrinkled his nose and wiped the rest of the residue on his robe. "I did it cuz I was curious! And now I know it's kinda gross." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It was gross before you licked it." Darcy replied. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Well is it more gross after I licked it?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yes? Because you licked it? The act makes it more gross." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Well, what's my current gross-ness status right now at this moment." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't keep track of grossness on a ranked scale." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Well, how gross would it be if you put your fingers in my mouth, hmm??" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Eugh. No." Darcy shook his head, and crossed his arms so Roman couldn't access them as easily. "Also, why would you do that? You already found out what the silver tastes like." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Why would I do that? Well, more disgusting things have been in there before.. And I am a bit curious what's under all that residue as well." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Well, I'm sure you can stand to not have this thing in your mouth." Darcy rolled his eyes. "It's just my hands under there. Normal hands." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. Well is this a fashion statement for you? Some industrial glitter accident..?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"... sure." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. Why don't you wash it off then?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"... what if I don't want to?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. Well why don't you want to? Doesn't it stain everything?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's none of your business." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"..." Roman rocked back and forth on his heels. ".. how do you shower??" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Also none of your business." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I'm just worried about the hygiene of my potential clients is all. If you need, I could give you a nice sponge bath so you don't have to waste that precious glitter!" Roman smiled. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Well, I'm very firmly not a potential client, so you don't need to worry about me." Darcy replied. "It doesn't wash off, anyways." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"It doesn't wash off? Then how do you know your skin is under it?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Because my skin was there before, and I don't see how my skin would've disappeared without my knowing?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I dunno, maybe the industrial glitter accident gave you advanced skin cancer over time and all your skin cells died." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

"..." Darcy glanced down to his hands. "... I'm not sure that's how skin cancer works." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Well I do, I'm a doctor. That's how it works." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You're a doctor." Darcy repeated, disbelieving. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"What about me doesn't scream doctor?" Roman smiled and leaned in closer to Darcy. He took in a biiiiig sniff, and blinked a few times. "Uh. Something is deeply wrong with your blood. That's my professional diagnosis." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Darcy stepped back, but not quickly or far enough to keep Roman from sniffing his blood. "What? Wrong- how? Also, 'blood-wrong' is not a very professional diagnosis." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I don't know how to explain it- and I didn't say 'blood-wrong' I said something was DEEPLY wrong with your blood. Uh. Hemoglobin Malitis." Roman said, losing momentum as he went on with that. He was far too curious about what was wrong with Darcy to try to come up with more lies. "If I could taste it I could get a better idea. I've never encountered something like this, and I've interacted with a LOT of blood." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"That's not a diagnosis, that's just Latin for 'blood bad'. Incorrect Latin, at that." Darcy protested. "No. I'm not letting you taste my blood. That's disgusting." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Hm yeah making up a disease name on the spot to a linguistics guy probably wouldn't work. "Pleeeeeeease! I could tell you what's wrong with youuuuuu!" Roman begged and held his hands together. "For realsies!! I have blood powers!" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"No! Not only is that- incredibly unsanitary, how do I know it would even work? Or- if there aren't any weird side effects?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

He said things after no, which usually meant there was a chance.. If he could play his cards right. "Oh, I can't carry diseases in my body! My cells are so fucked from my powers viruses can't replicate in them, or something like that, Roque explained it once. Nearly all bacteria dies out too, my body is inhospitable of disease! One of the many perks of my powers.. And I would hope theres not really fungus in my mouth, I rinse and brush quite frequently." Roman smiled. "And you wouldn't experience any side effects. It'll be basically painless." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"No. Still no." Darcy insisted. "No one's tasting my blood, if I have anything to say about it." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"What if I pwooooomise to leave you alone forever afterwards?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"That's not worth it." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"You'd rather me bother you until you die here than drink just a liiiiittle of your blood?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You're not any worse than some of the others here, so yes. I'm not letting you, or anyone else, drink my blood. It's gross." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Not even if I offer you something else..?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"What do you even have to offer?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Well, he didn't want sex, or a diagnoses... "Uh.. I have weed! And a change of clothes that aren't from here! And probably some other random stuff too!" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't really smoke, and I sincerely doubt your clothes would fit me." Darcy replied. "So.... still looks like a no." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Well- hmf. Do you want anything of yours back from the hosts? My position might lend me some.. Perks like that. I could ask." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Darcy considered it for a bit. "If you can get my glasses back, and one of my journals, and an inkpen or something else to write with- I'll consider it. But even then, only a bit. You can't... drain me of all my blood vampire-style. And you have to get my stuff first." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Hah! So that's what you want- I can try. Though the main guy here, I think, has been pretty coy.." Roman said, then laughed at Darcy's second comment. "Oh, I couldn't even drain all your blood if I wanted to, uh, I actually never got your name." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yes. I would like to be able to see." Darcy said dryly. "Darcy. Darcy Sterling." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I'm Roman! Roman Ricci." He said, pronouncing it like the lettuce. "Mind if I call ya Darce?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Romaine... like the lettuce?" Darcy repeated. "I'd prefer if you didn't." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Uh.. I prefer to say it's like I'm the main attraction! Ro-main!" Roman countered. "And also you're really boring for someone with glitter hands and cursed blood." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Made me think of the lettuce." Darcy muttered. "Okay? I'm fine with being 'boring', honestly." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I hate lettuce.. Makes me sick." Roman huffed. "Well, if you're alright being boring I guess I can't force you not to be... You do you." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Thank you." Darcy nodded. "To each their own, I suppose." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Didn't mean he didn't think he was lame as hell though!!! Loserrrrrr boy!!!!!!! "Mm. Yeah. Anyway, this Asha girl keeps messaging me and I think I know her. So I should probably get back to looking at that." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh- well, I'll leave you to that." Darcy wasn't about to get involved in that drama. Whatever that drama was. "I'll see you around, I guess. Good luck getting my glasses back." He said, and began to leave the ruins. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Mmmmmkay, byeee! I'll put a message on the chat if I get them or something.." Roman hummed and pulled out the clay tablet. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Mmmmmkay, byeee! I'll put a message on the chat if I get them or something.." Roman hummed and pulled out the clay tablet. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Thanks. Bye." Darcy said dryly, and left.

Aarni might be a bit lost. He had walked deep in thought, but hadn't found the fields with the goats. This place seemed very interesting, though. He watched the circular ruins with curiosity. They brought his mind the one time his class had gone on a trip to the capital to see the Suomenlinna sea fortress. These ruins however, seemed even more ancient, and like they had seen some real battles. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

While Aarni was taking interest in the ancient ruins around them, there was a slight shift to a nearby shadow. It seemed to slightly morph until suddenly, it spit out the mangled body of Invo. The young man strained and cough as he laid on the old broken ground, still reeling from his injuries from Cansu. There were burns from the lightning, but Invo was in a fit of coughs, feeling droplets of water leftover in his lungs. Overall, he was weak and ragged. He had traveled here in hopes of tending to his wounds alone, or at least rest here without wandering eyes, but it seemed like luck was never on Invo's side. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni jumped, eyes wide and a green flame appearing on his left hand for a moment as he stumbled around. "Hyi saatana!" he cursed, startled. Once he realized this guy was more of a wet dog than a threat, he relaxed slightly, and approached. "Shit, are you okay?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo continued to cough until he felt his throat dry. His clothes were soaked to the bone, and his usually curled hair had stuck to the skin on his face. He looked up to Aarni, and even though it was weak, he still managed a small glare. He said nothing and collapsed onto the ground. Invo needed to catch his breath. He didn't even have enough energy to breath, let alone talk. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Shit..." Aarni hummed, and kneeled near Invo. "What happened?" His eyes wandered over the other's injuries, a worried frown on his face. "Can you... can you walk? Or should I bring Albanes to you so she could heal you?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

It was the mention of Albanes that got Invo to talk. He tilted his head towards the blonde stranger and grunted. "N-No.." Invo's voice was hoarse, so whether that was a, 'no I can't walk', or a 'no don't bring Albanes', was up to Aarni's interpretation. He made a motion with one of his hands, but it probably meant nothing to Aarni. "Lightning.. G-God... fight.." Invo managed to say before coughing once more. It still felt like there was water in his throat. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni frowned, trying to decipher what Invo was saying. "You were in a fight, yeah, hm..." those burns seemed like they could've come from lightning. "Can I check?" Aarni asked and shifted closer, extending his arm. Maybe he could do some first aid. "Why are you wet?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo flinched as Aarni reached a hand out, but with his current amount of strength, it wasn't like he was capable of fighting off this stranger even if he wanted to. He tried again with a certain motion, but his hand weakly fell back onto the ground. "Water... H-He used it.." Invo grumbled with a pained frown. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni hummed with a concerned frown. He noticed Invo flinching, and proceeded to move his hand slower to show the other could shift away if he wanted to. "Huh... you sound pretty bad, did you get it in your lungs? Do you think it's still there?" he moved Invo's clothes slightly aside to see the scars better, looking for any bleeding, since he couldn't do much to the burns. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

The scars were burned pretty badly on Invo's skin. If Aarni looked closely, he would be able to see a different layer of scars underneath the freshly made ones too. Thankfully, whatever blood that was there had been burned over, so there wasn't any open wounds. Invo coughed once more, spitting out some droplets of water before trying to clear his throat. "Y-Yes..." He simply answered. "Can't.. I c-can't breathe.." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni figured he couldn't help much with the scars, but he glanced at Invo seriously when he said he couldn't breathe. "Okay. I'm going to press your back, and you're going to cough as hard as you can at the same time, okay?" Aarni instructed, straightened slightly on his knees and put his hands on Invo's upper back, roughly between his shoulder blades, holding his arms straight. "Ready? One, two, three, GO!" Without waiting for the other's further agreement, Aarni pushed down on his back with a strong shove, thrusting his weight on Invo's back with enough force to squeeze his rib cage a bit but hopefully not hard enough to breaking anything. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske (edited)

There wasn't much room for struggle or decline from Invo, so he kinda just. Helplessly laid on the ground as Aarni moved around. He braced himself for whatever motion Aarni was to do, and willed himself not to struggle against his touch. Despite his restlessness and general distrust, he followed Aarni's instructions. Invo had already threw up any solid contents in his stomach earlier, so all that came out his mouth was the last droplets of water he still felt in his chest. He coughed and wheezed, but surprisingly, Invo did feel better. After a small coughing fit, Invo was taking in deep breaths and laying on the ground with a more relaxed stance. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni sat back and relaxed when Invo seemed to calm down. "Better?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo took in another breath before weakly peering up at Aarni. He finally had the time to really see the stranger and he frowned. "..Why did you help me," he simply asked, ignoring Aarni's question. Geez, ever heard of saying 'thank you'? @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni blinked, confused. "Why would I not help you?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Aarni's question back just made Invo frown deeper. He moved one of his hands again before letting out a small sigh. "Do you know sign..?" Another off topic question, sorry Aarni. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Sign... sign language? I know how to sign my name." He replied, and proceeded to sign "my name is A A R N I" in the Finnish sign language. The alphabets are almost the same as in ASL, only the n is a bit different, and the rest is easy to figure out. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske (edited)

Another inferior sign? Invo sighed and laid down defeated on the ground. "..Aarni? That is... a name," Invo commented as he recognized the lettering. "So.. you can't fully communicate with it?" He asked. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni chuckled somewhat dryly, but not because he was insulted, rather just concerned for Invo's wellbeing. "Sure is. Glad I did that right. And no, sorry. That's pretty much all I know", he shrugged. "You... if you need another way for me to communicate, I can think of something.." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo laid there, still and thinking for a few seconds. He didn't really want to talk right now, everything hurt like hell, but Aarni didn't know proper sign. Why did he have to be so difficult for? "No. This will have to do," Invo frowned and managed to shift himself so he was now laying on his back. It was easier to take in air this way. Taking a proper look at Aarni's face, Invo scrunched his brows a bit. "You did not answer my question earlier. You don't have a reason to help me, so why did you?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni nodded, sighing lightly. "Okay." He frowned slightly at the question. "You needed help. I would have been a jerk if I just left you like that." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske (edited)

Invo seemed visibly confused by Aarni's answer and his brows furrowed even more. "A.. jerk?" He repeated that foreign term with a tight lip. "I assume that must mean something negative... Either way, I don't really see why you helped," Invo said as he shook his head. He continued to examine Aarni from below, like he was looking at a foreign object of some kind. In many ways, Aarni was an anomaly to him. "You look guiliable. What if I was just pretending to be weaken so I could attack you?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Yeah. It would be a dick move to not at least check if you were alright. And anyway I would've felt bad if I left you suffer", Aarni replied. He seemed about as confused as Invo. He hummed, a little amused. "Well you would've done pretty convincing job at that. I think we all get our fair share of violence when the fights start, I don't see a point going at it earlier." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Hm. Aarni was a better person than Invo was, that's for sure. He wouldn't have blinked an eye if he saw someone as injured as he was in a place like this. "You are.. strange," Invo simply said as he heard Aarni's response. "But much more.. mundane than some of the other people here." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"I'll take that as a compliment", Aarni let out a dry chuckle. "Things are pretty weird if 'mundane' is strange. Which, I totally agree with. This place makes me feel insane", he shook his head, huffed, and brushedhis hair back. "Hm... You need to get those burns treated. We don't have anything cold nearby, and my powers would probably just make them worse. You need healing." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

"It wasn't a compliment," Invo corrected nonchalantly. "It was just an observation." Not sure if that was any better, but whatever, Invo. He looked down at his newly burned arms and simply shook his head. "It's fine. I've had worse."

4:17 PM

@Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni just shrugged. "Whatever you say.. but it would be wiser to have yhem healed. What's you'r nsme, by the way? @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo traced one of the more painful burns with his finger, wincing quietly before turning his attention back to Aarni. "...Invo. Don't call me anything else," he replied with a small grumble. He didn't need a repeat of Kal. "Besides that wretched Lifebringer, who could possibly heal me?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni cocked an eyebrow at his introduction, but nodded. "Nice to meet you, Invo." He sighed a bit, and looked towards the citadel. "I'm not sure if anyone else has healing powers but those two. Albanes is fine, though. I don't know if you should ask healing from the other one.." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

"I don't like either of those Lifebringers... they're sanctionless gods with wobbly morales at best," Invo huffed. "And that white haired one is a nuisance. I punched it and I'll do it again.. The newest Lifebringer is probably not very different." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni hummed, and was about to reply to defend Albanes, but the last bit Invo said made his eyes widen. "You punched Naiyta?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo seemed to smirk and nodded his head. "I did. And I'll do it again," he repeated. "They deserved it. It's probably the least it deserves, actually. Their power is somehow greatly weakened at the moment, so I took it upon myself to attack it when I had the chance. No God besides the Great Hmarab can use me as a tool." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Really?" Aarni leaned slightly in out of curiosity. "Did it tell you that? That it's weakened?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

When Aarni leaned inward, Invo involuntarily moved away. "Yes. Its power is apparently unstable right now. That's why it called upon us mortals to try and balance it, or something of that matter," Invo huffed with a shake of his head. "I believe being in the realm of the newest Lifebringer has something to do with it... but I'm not sure. The Great Hmarab doesn't like mingling with other Gods, so my prior knowledge is limited." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"That's interesting..." Aarni hummed with a contemplating expression. "Hmm... So your god is called the Great Hmarab?" he asked idly. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo nodded, and his expression seemed to soften just a bit. "Yes. The Great Hmarab is a powerful creation God... But She does not like to interfere with other Gods very much. A sort of.. let be relationship She has with all of them," Invo explained. "I have to get back to Her side. I won't be a weapon or tool for the Lifebringer, a lesser God." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Hm... you don't think she could help us out of here?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske (edited)

Invo made a face at that. "As much I worship the Great Hmarab, all Gods have realms they have complete control over.. This is the Lifebringer's. Perhaps She would come for me.. But I can handle this situation myself. She has better things to do than to try and rescue a tool." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"I see. It was worth a shot", Aarni sighed. He still seemed rather pensive. "Hmm, but if Naiyta is weakened, maybe we can find a way... if we could shift the power balance so that Albanes had more, she could release us. She doesn't want to keep us here, so she would definitely help if we could somehow weaken Naiyta further... there's a risk, though. If we accidentally killed Naiyta, we probably would be erased out of existance. This place can't exist without them, and we'd go down with them... @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo, surprisingly, listened to Aarni without interrupting. Seems like Aarni helping Invo gained him some level of respect... some. "Are you a worshipper of the new Lifebringer?" Invo asked with narrowed eyes. "You speak as if you are close to the newest host." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni let out a chuckle and shook his head. "I don't worship her, that'd feel weird. We are friends. I knew her before she became the Lifebringer. We were in a similar tournament as this before. For me it's been about a year since that one. An event like that made most of us friends, but Albs is one of my closest friends. She also saved my life. So yeah.." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

For some reason, Aarni's answer was even stranger than Invo anticapted. "A.. friend? Of the Lifebringer's?" He repeated, like Aarni had just grown a second head. "What do you mean you two were in a.. similar situation? Is that how she saved you?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni nodded. "Well, I was invited to this uncharted island for a tournament of elements, that was hosted by these three guys whose dead father had cursed them so they would have to find a way to resurrect him. So they went about arranging fights, and secretly took powers from the losers and kept them in cells under the island. A few of us are from that event. Me, Enzo, Kallum, and Kenji, at least. Although, the Kallum who's here, is from a different timeline, so he hasn't been to the island, apparently", Aarni mused, getting sidetracked. "Anyway. She actually saved my life outside of the big showdowns, when I just went and accidentally almost drowned myself.." he chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Again, Invo remained quiet as Aarni spoke. It sounded like a fairy tail, almost like a far off illusion created off of a high of some sort, but Aarni seemed to speak earnestly. None of the other names Aarni gave rang a bell to Invo and he huffed. "Sounds like the Lifebringer has cursed you all then, to have end up here again," he commented. The mention of drowning made a shiver run down Invo's back and he slightly readjusted himself on the ground. "You.. almost drowned.. yourself?" Invo asked. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Yeah, although we are not the only ones who have been to some tournament before, just not ours", Aarni hummed. "Yeeeaahh..." Aarni looked away, brushing his hair back again and slightly blushing. "I wasn't aware that my heart wasn't in a great condition. I went for an angry swim after an argument, and my heart started struggling while I was too far from the shore. This guy Moon who was also there, luckily saw me and managed to fetch me back to the shore, and Albanes healed me while I was already unconscious. They both saved me." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo opened his mouth to comment upon the whole 'other tournaments' topic, but he shut up the moment Aarni said a particular word. His brows furrowed and with comedic speed, he sat upwards and leaned inward towards Aarni. "That man--You said his name was Moon? What did he look like? Did he have powers relating to the sun?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni blinked, and glanced at Invo with a bemused and curious look. It was his turn to lean ever so slightly back. Funnily, his cheeks felt slightly warm. "Uh... Yeah, actually! He had a sundial on his back. I don't remember if I got his last name but... He had blond hair and heterochromia, most of the time, and brown skin. Very... fancy clothes. Revealing. Um. Yeah." He stopped himself from describing Moon in any greater detail. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Sundial. Heterochromia. Brown skin. Revealing clothes. "That bastard!" Invo seethed and he reeled himself back from Aarni. "So that's where he's been! I swear, when I find him again, I'll be giving him hell!" Despite Invo's harsh declarations, there was a noticeable red tint to Invo's cheeks. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni flinched, and blinked a couple of times. "You... know Moon?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo chuckled, an actual laugh and smile forming on his lips. "Do I know him?" He repeated as he ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, I know him. His family was exiled from the Great Hmarab's realm many centuries ago, but the Great Hmarab has always kept tabs on them. I heard he went missing a few months ago... but now I see he must be hiding from something related to that island you were talking about." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Really?! That's crazy, all these coincidences..." Aarni shook his head lightly and shifted to sit in a more comfortable position. "I think he was supposed to kill someone on the island, but that didn't end up happening, so he decided to disappear. I haven't heard about him since", he looked out into the horizon with scrunched brows. He hoped Moon and his sister were alright. "How do you know him, though? Just from rumors, or have you two met?" Aarni asked curiously, looking at Invo again. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

The whole 'supposed to kill someone' made sense to Invo, but it was the latter half that made him raise a brow. "He didn't take out his target..? That is definitely strange," he mumbled. He thought in silence for a little while, before finally replying to Aarni once more. "The Great Hmarab has told me about his family, but I have met him before. It was.. a surveillance mission," Invo's brows furrowed and he shook his head. "That damn bastard caught onto me following him. We had a fight." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Yeah. It got complicated, somehow. I don't know the details", Aarni lied and shrugged. It wasn't his business to tell about Moon's love life. "Ohh, I see. Hm... are you also an assassin?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo thought for a little while longer on the information Aarni gave him. There wasn't any reason why Moon wouldn't follow through with his mission. What could of possibly deterred him? It was Aarni's next question that pulled him from his thoughts again. "And what if I am?" Invo huffed. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Hm..." Aarni just hummed, his expression neutral. He shrugged. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo blinked at Aarni, glaring a bit. "Your reaction is less than anticipated. Has meeting that bastard affected your opinion on literal killers?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni (edited)

"Maybe a little bit. I also just don't want to be rude", Aarni replied. His tone was a little colder than before. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

"Hmph. You are quite the strange one," Invo commented as he stretched his arm a bit. "Most would cower in fear if they saw me, yet you almost seem disinterested." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"We are all in danger here", Aarni hummed. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo stared at Aarni, brows a bit furrowed and he shook his head. "Strange, indeed," he reiterated. Invo then tried to stand back up, but winced and settled right back down. "Damn it.." He grumbled. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni shrugged again, not bothering justifying his reactions or lack thereof any further. He watched Invo struggle to get up, and stood himself. He wordlessly offered his arm for Invo for support. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo had thought Aarni was preparing to leave on his own, so when he suddenly offered his arm to him, Invo raised a brow. "..What are you doing?" He asked with a small, confused frown. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"You were struggling. I thought I'd help. Unless, you'd rather rest a bit more", Aarni replied. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Again, Aarni's willingness to help for seemingly nothing bewildered Invo. Was this a test of some sort? Was Aarni seeing if Invo was weak enough to beg for help? Invo's brows furrowed again as he tried to stand up on his own, but it was too much of a struggle. He grunted in annoyance and in some pain, and slowly, Invo turned to look back up at Aarni. "..You tell no one of this," Invo grumbled as he begrudgingly took Aarni's arm. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

An amused smile tugged slightly the corner of Aarni's mouth. "Sure." He pulled Invo up from the fround, and helped him stand. "Where do you want to go? If you really don't want Albs to heal you, maybe we could see if there's at least a first-aid kit somewhere... though I really think healing would be the best." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

A slight red tint spread on Invo's cheeks as he was helped up. God, this was so embarrassing... and below him. The pain on his body still ached as he was steadied, but he wouldn't let himself be embarrassed even more. "If there's a first aid kit anywhere, I can use it. I refuse to be in the debt of that blasted god." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Alright, if that's what you want, I'll take you back to the citadel. We can ask someone there about the first aid kit", Aarni replied, and carefully started guiding Invo back the way he had come. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Invo grumbled in response and walked the best he could with Aarni, though he had to rest more of his weight against the other young man more than he'd like to admit. "Alright.." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

What was this place? Why was everything this... ruined? If Seki could make a perfect little world for themself, it would not be all ran down and busted. And not only were the buildings here old and weathered, this place looked like it was the forefront of a fortress, that had even suffered an attack. Who could attack this place? Why and how? Seki sighed, and paused near the statue, admiring it. They wished they were more intelligent. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Darcy had come to investigate the statue again. He'd adjusted his robe a bit more so it formed a hood over his head and protected his face from the rain. He looked up as Seki approached. "Oh- hello. I don't think we've met before." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki lifted their ears when they heard a voice. "Hello. Darcy, right? We met back in the observatory", Seki greeted with a tired smile as he walked closer. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh- right! We did." Darcy laughed awkwardly. "I'm sorry- I've had so much on my mind, I completely forgot. It's... Seki, right?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Nah, I get it, don't worry about it", he chuckled. "Yeah, I'm Seki. Hm... I haven't found anything useful so far. Have you?" @

11:44 AM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ahhh, not really." Darcy sighed, and looked back to the statue. "Well, I found this before." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki nodded, humming, and looked at the statue. "Yeah. Cool looking character. I've seen a couple other statues around before. I wonder of theu're anything useful.." They stepped closer to the statue to see if there was any text carved to it. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

There wasn't any text carved around the statue. It was completely freestanding. "I feel live I've seen this person somewhere before, but I can't place where." Darcy frowned. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Really? Weird..." Seki lifted their head and stepped back to look at the statue's face. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

The statue had a stern, focused face... but not an especially distinct one. She looked like she could be just someone you saw on the street. Seki probably wasn't used to looking at the distinctions in human faces, anyways. "It's all weird." Darcy frowned. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Hmmh, it is... can't say I've met humans before this place anyway. You don't think it could be someone here?" Seki tilted their read, shook water out of their ears and rounded the statue a bit to see it from different sides. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't think it's anyone here..." Darcy frowned.... As Seki investigated the statue, they'd begin to hear a voice carried on the wind. It wasn't Darcy- it was a woman's voice, speaking in a language Seki wouldn't understand. Though they wouldn't be able to tell what was being said exactly, it sounded like someone shouting military orders... @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki's ear flicked, and they turned around, looking over the wasteland. "Hm... did you... hear that?" (edited)

1:01 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Darcy's brow furrowed. "Hear what? I can't hear anything." To Seki, the voice continued.... @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki frowned slightly, and lifted their hand to tell Darcy to keep quiet, still looking around. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

The voice continued, and Seki wouldn't be able to understand a word being said. They could hear distinct sounds, but had know knowledge to what they meant. Darcy frowned. He felt left out by whatever ghost was talking to Seki. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"It's like... I'm hearing the battlefield. Or at least, their voice there", Seki pointed at the statue. "Commands, orders, in some language I don't understand." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Darcy frowned. "Oh- oh, wow..... if only I could hear it, I'd be able to translate..." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"I can... try to say what I hear?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ah, that's a good idea." Darcy nodded. '...Tha jentyile avrantse mire, saalden.' The voice was commanding. 'Avras. Myande aev illuse, saalden.' @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki couldn't hear the words perfectly, and their accent combined with just the way they heard the words gave them somehow both Japanese and American twist. Yeeeaaahh pretty hard to understand. Seki was aware their attempt was pretty useless, and their ears lowered, tail whipping in frustration. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"That.... doesn't sound like any language I know. And I know every language." Darcy frowned. "That sounds like nonsense..." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki's ears lowered more and their tail whipped a couple of times so violently it lashed a string of water droplets around. Seki huffed and shook their head, causing more water projectiles. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Darcy frowned, and looked at the statue. As he stared at the woman's face, he began to hear the voice Seki had reported. "Oh! I hear it!" He exclaimed. "That's Laecrish, the old Loucari language! I guess that makes sense..." He listened for the words... @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki perked up, and glanced at Darcy. "You do?! Heck yeah! What does it mean?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

"It's all military orders- cavalry to the west, cut off the supply lines, et cetera." Darcy reported, and kept listening. @Twig | Seki / Aarni (edited)

"Huh... who were they fighting?" Seki mumbled, somewhat rethorically, and looked at the statue with a pondering frown. "Do you think you can ask?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

"I'll try." Darcy said, and asked something in the same language the voice was speaking in. The voice paused for a moment, and in a more echoey tone, said one simple sentence, before going back to normal. "Ah, she said, 'The Corvi insurgencies'." Darcy reported. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Oh? Corvi... I don't know who that would be", Seki mused. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"They're bird people that live in the North Loucari." Darcy explained. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Oh, I see.. But why, and how would they be attacking here?" Seki frowned, and looked around. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't think they are attacking here- I don't know if this voice is coming from any person physically here." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"No, no, I mean... If this person was fighting those Corvi in the past, how did they do that?" Seki gestured to the ruins, and the rusty weapons scattered about. "If this place is the Lifebringer's realm, how did they come here in the first place?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I.... don't know. But this person is speaking Laecrish, and the Lifebringer is from the Loucari... there could be a connection." Darcy hummed. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki nodded, flicked water out of his ear and hummed. "...Could this be Lifebringer's... war general or something?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Potentially. The Lifebringer has held armies in the past." Darcy hummed. "I'll ask." He asked another question in the other language- though there was no pause this time. 'Iydelan Dorosi'. "That's- oh, wow. That's something. Wow." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"What? What??" Seki pestered Darcy. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Iydelan Dorosi was the Lifebringer. I think she was the third incarnation." Darcy explained. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Oh", Seki blinked. "Reincarnation?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Not exactly. From my understanding, the Lifebringer powers are passed from one incarnation to the next, over the generations- but the incarnations always choose their successors while they're still alive and die afterwards." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Ohh... weird... Y'know, I have been wondering why there are two Lifebringers here. I guess there are more of them? Or have been at least", Seki hummed, looked at the statue and tilted their head. "Okay... so this Iydelan Dorosi was the Lifebringer. This being her realm at the time, then, makes sense why she's leading an... army...?" Seki spoke hesitantly. "...Can you ask... how the Corvi got here? Or what she is defending?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"There's been seven total. I was under the impression there were around five, maybe six, but... Albanes said she was the septimal, and that means seventh." "I'll ask." Darcy said, and asked a few more questions. The pause was longer before Iydelan made her echoey reply. "Oh- wow. She said she's invading their lands in the north. Not the other way around." Darcy hummed. "At least she's an honest colonizer... and she said she's defending the Lifebringer Faith, or something like that. The way she phrased it made it hard to translate." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Huh, I see..." Seki looked at Darcy and seemed a bit confused, frowning a bit and flicked his ear, but nodded. Seki's eyebrows lifted at that. "Oh, huh", they turned to look at the statue again, and put his hands on his hips. "...But is this Corvi lands? I thought Lifebringer made this place. And if it did, this statue is just a reminiscing of past events. But then, why all these battle scars in the area?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"This can't be the corvi lands- I don't think this battle happened here." Darcy frowned. "Maybe the battle scars are some sort of.... manifestation of Iydelan's memory, she was a warlord of sorts. Probably a lot of memories of battles." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Hm, that could be", Seki mused, and tilted their head almost a full 90 degrees. "Oh! Can you ask her how can we leave this realm?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Uh- sure, I guess so." Darcy asked that. Iydelan replied a moment later, though her tone was now annoyed. "Ah- she cursed me out, said 'what are you talking about', and suggested I get on a boat, and called me and idiot a few times." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki couldn't help but snort and burst into a laughter. "Well, I guess it was worth a shot! Man, though, I guess she really doesn't know where she is..." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah- well, she did say she's off fighting the Corvi in the North Loucari." Darcy replied. He wasn't laughing like Seki, but there was a light, irreverent tone to his voice. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Then I don't know if she's any help for us. Apart from maybe giving some hints as to how this place forms itself?" Seki crossed their arms and sighed. "Can you think of anything?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm.... I really don't know. I feel like she's so caught up in her memory, she might not be able to tell us much more. If only we were trying to pass a Loucari history test and not escape a death tournament...." he laughed dryly. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki chuckled as well. "Yeah... well, I guess this is worth remembering, just in case", Seki sighed. "Hmmh. This rain is ruining my fur. I might go back inside..." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"That's fair. I think I'm gonna stay out here a bit longer. I need to go find Kal..." Darcy hummed. "Good luck out there, Seki. Stay safe." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Yeah, you too Darcy", Seki nodded, waved, and started svuffling back towards the citadel. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Isi didn't really know if she was exploring, but the ruins did intrigue her. She wandering through them idly and seemed to be a little lost in thought. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Isi could definitely feel a presence. Someone watching. Keen, stalking eyes on her. Something was lurking in here. @sketti | Isi 🦌

that feeling was familiar. Isi turned around, trying to figure out why she felt- something. "Who's there?" She called out. "Raikal? Did you find a way to un-trap yourself?" She sounded confused, but a little hopeful. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

There were more than one pair of eyes, though unseen for now. It was like Isi was surrounded, even though there was no sound that would cause alarm. Yes something must have meen hiding in the shadows. In fact, the shady crooks and corners of these ruins had an eerie, hazy greenish glow to them... @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's fur was standing on end and she was getting the feeling this wasn't Raikal. The greenish glow seemed to unnerve her. "Who's there?" She asked again, with more urgency. She tried to make herself stand taller- really not a difficult feat in all honesty- and look more ready for a fight.

3:05 PM

@Twig | Seki / Aarni

There was no answer. It was perfectly quiet, but the feeling didn't go away. Kettu was now more careful. These mortals could bite back, she had learned. She watched Isi from the cracks and grooves of the ruins, tiny green sparks staring at her, blinking in and out of existence like fireflies. She was curious. She wasn't sure if she'd seen a creature like this before. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi continued to look confused and worried, starting to wonder if this was a creature of some kind. Experimentally, she played a few notes of greeting on her ocarina, though looking at the green sparks she was growing doubtful that she had any clue what was happening. @Twig | Seki / Aarni (sorry!)

(nw!) Immediately as the tunes played in the air, small wispy flames peeked out from the shadows all around the ruins, reaching up like perked-up ears. They shun away again when the sound quieted down. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's brow furrowed a little. The fire put her on edge but it had with Raikal too and she'd come out of that unharmed. She played a few more notes, and if this- fire? had ears to listen, it would successfully convey a who are you? @Twig | Seki / Aarni

The flames peeked out again, dancing a little as the vibrations of the notes hit them. When Isi stopped playing again, they didn't disappear this time. They stayed out in the open, and slowly more of those greenish wisps started snaking out of shady corners and cracks in the stone. Myriard of green sparks stared and blinked at Isi curiously but cautiously. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Hm. This was- kinda like playing for fireflies. If fireflies were weirdly foreboding and trying to creep over to you. Regardless, Isi continued playing- now just carrying out a little tune instead of individual sentiments or notes, just to see how it went. It was a comforting sort of folksong and gave the impression of safety. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Funnily enough, the wisps seemed to enjoy the song. Their movements became less cautious, and more curious and playful. They started swirling slowly and morphing into vague shapes of vulpine heads and tails, mixing and merging together into larger masses of glowing light that slowly spun around Isi, leaving a fair space between her and them, though. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's eyes widened a little bit. This was- gorgeous, and a little terrifying. Whatever this was it either liked music or could understand her or both. Sometimes she would turn around so she could watch the wisps form and spin, trying to follow them.

7:20 AM

@Twig | Seki / Aarni

There was no noise from the wisps, but they reacted to the music in funny ways, sometimes almost flinching a sudden notes, sometimes bopping and sparking. Some wisps dared to reach closer to Isi, their presence radiating cold. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi pulled back from the cold on instinct, music faltering. She didn't know if the wisps would leave if she stopped playing. She tried to play something of a hello? but it came out indistinguishable from the rest of the music and wouldn't have much of an effect. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

The wisps reacted when Isi pulled back. They paused and shook, twirling in place and dove into a faster swirl around the faun. Some of the light crawled against the ground and some of it reached as high as Isi's antlers, like they were inspecting her hooves and other characteristics. There still was no sound, but at least the creature didn't seen hostile just yet. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Experimentally, Isi slowed down the song a little, as if to ask the being to slow down in turn. She decided to be honest in some way, successfully communicating her confusion and questioning nervous energy into the sound She asked again- who are you? @Twig | Seki / Aarni

The light creature seemed to pick up on the tone, and the numberless shining eyes focused on her face again. Some grins seemed to flicker in the flames, but not quite as many as Invo, Kenji, or Ace had seen. The mass of softly glowing light waved in soft rollers, shapes like ears, snouts and tails parting from the main entity every now and then, quickly morphing or disappearing again. It seemed almost like the light being was considering something. Then, it drew its wisps away from isi, and flew in smooth, stream of light a little ways away, and started gathering into a large blob of white-green glow. @sketti | Isi 🦌

The grinning unnerved Isi a little and it showed, but it morphed into wonder as the lights changed to form ears, tails and snouts- and then moreso as the lights began to gather. Isi put he Ocarina down, starting to simply watch with her head slightly tilted. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

The blob started to take shape. There was the idea of a head, body, tails, and... legs? The amount of protrusions seemed to change constantly, like the creature couldn't decide how many limbs were needed. More detail made it a little more recognizable, but it also became clearer that it had too many legs. And tails. And ears. And eyes. So many eyes. Before Isi stood(?) a vaguely fox-like shape with a very stout or fluffy body, constantly flickering and morphing set of limbs, and a sly foxy face with several staring eyes, and more were scattered all over its body, changing their place every time they blinked. The whole creature was pretty trippy to look at: it was like it didn't remember what a fox was supposed to look like, how many bodyparts it was supposed to have and where. Sometimes it had one tail, the next it split into three. The legs were ghostly and shifting, fading and appearing. Sometimes it even seemed like it had a second head or two, but it could have just as well been a trick of the eye. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi couldn't seem to decide which eye to look at- if she even looked at the eyes. Her eyes darted around each and every shifting body part. At least since they were- a fox? something like a fox, she knew how to communicate better with them. She played a few notes that amounted to Hello! Can you understand me? and then, Isi spoke. "Hello- can you understand me?" She seemed to be trying to see which one the being reacted to more, just incase. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

The fox, the size of which was about a Great Dane, tilted its head(s), and smiled. It seemed it could hear Isi, but from its reaction it didn't seem like it fully understood. It bounced a little from side to side in fluid, dream-like motions, and... crackled? A sound similar to radio static rippled out of the creature as a whole. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi had spoken to foxes before, not green spirit foxes but the same 'language' would work, right? She watched it curiously for a moment, then on impulse she took a step closer. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

As Isi stepped closer, the fox opened its mouth(s) wide, let out a sharper burst of crackles, shrunk lower to the ground and spun around, swiftly retreating in a flash of a flaming tail and colors. There was an air of laughter and mischief. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi hopped backwards a little once the fox made its movements, clearly a bit alarmed but not scared. She played a few notes that would communicate an 'I didn't mean to startle you!' if heard. She didn't know what to make of the shift in energy, the way things sounded like laughter. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

A few foxy heads peeked from behind a chunk of rock, and a tail wagged, leaving trails of colorful light behind. It was quiet again, but when the fox came out, it made some more quiet staticy noises, and pranced back and fort in front of Isi. It didn't seem offended. Rather it enjoyed the thrill. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi was gathering that maybe it- could understand her enough but she couldn't understand it in her usual way, just had to rely on how it behaved like anyone else would. Experimentally she held out her hand to it, just to see if it would come any closer. "You're pretty neat, you know that?" she spoke out. "Maybe I'm jinxing it or something but I thought I was in for a scare with you" She smiled as her nerves dissapated a little. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Flickering, the fox looked at the outstretched hand. It lost its shape as it snaked closer, swirling and twisting around Isi's arm, not quite touching her but inspecting her hand and arm curiously. It radiated cold in the warm air. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi did not flinch back this time, simply letting the light-fox-tendril-thing be curious. It wasn't hurting her and she found no reason to pull back, even if it was chilly. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

The light spread out like a veil, spinning around Isi in a calm pace, inspecting them for a while. Then, it teached out a couple of wisps and poked her tail and tugged at her clothes lightly. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi pulled away a little when her tail was touched but didn't seem to have startled too badly. "Hey-" she frowned. "Curious, huh?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

The wisps spun around joyously, a small buzz of static coming out of the light like a giggle. They were moving faster again and looked at her curiously. The creature was clearly wondering just what Isi was. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi tilted their head at the wisps. "Are you a fox? You looked a bit like one-" She asked as she turned around to follow the wisps. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

There was no indication that the creature understood. It just swirled around Isi, inspecting her and reaching a wisp here and there to touch her antlers, hooves, or tug at her clothes. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi frowned a bit, then brought her ocarina back out as the creature didn't seem to understand. She stepped backwards a little bit. With her ocarina, Isi asked again- 'are you a fox?' It seemed like she was trying to say something else, especially coupled with how she stepepd back from the tugging and touching, but it wasn't understandable. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

The wisps seemed to pause and listen to the ocarina. The sparking eyes blinked and the creature flickered and morphed like flames. Then, a grin appeared for a moment, and it gathered its light into one place again, seemingly trying to form a more recognizable shape once more. Soon, it took a similar form of a large fox as before, but now it was skipping and leaping across the air, leaving a long trail of auroras from its tail. It bounced and bounded gracefully, slowly, like it weighed nothing, and with each leap it ascended higher in the air, until the shadow of the ruins didn't reach it anymore and it almost disappeared in the bright rays of sunlight. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi smiled and gave a little laugh as she watched the creature twirl and bounce. It was clear she found it incredibly lovely. She played a few notes with her ocarina that conveyed positivity but besides that didn't seem to hold much meaning. As it began to fade into the sunlight she looked a little concerned and strained to keep them in view. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

The sun ate the fox away, leaving no more than a chilly atmosphere around the ruins. Isi could feel that it was still there, but couldn't tell where against the bright sky. @sketti | Isi 🦌 (sorry for some reason i couldn't see your message before! D: )

Isi frowned a little, and played on her ocarina again, asking the creature to come back. Without the fox it was just cold and Isi was just alone with her thoughts. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Isi could feel the coldness intensify as the fox came closer again and wooshed around her, its glow once again visible in the shade of the ruins. It stared at her with its many, blinking eyes, and seemed curious as though why Isi wanted it to be close. @sketti | Isi 🦌

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