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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 1, 2021 18:15:36 GMT -8
The hobs' general mood appeared to be one of caution. Neither welcoming or hostile as they assessed what was in front of them. The equine hob seemed on the edge of hostile, with the same energy of a moose watching something strange interact with its calf, while the crystalline spiders probed the leather of their boots with twitching legs. The floating hedgehogs appeared to be slowly shedding endless the dandelion fluff that didn't leave them bald themselves, seeds drifting in the air in motes. The bioluminescence pulsing through the bells of the jellyfish had a soothing quality to it, with a distracting pull to one's attention.
As Eis started to speak, Isla waded into the water, hands digging around the mud as she search for something and eventually dipped her whole face under the surface. A hedgehog chuffed in displeasure as it caught in Eis' hair, while one of the ghostly jellies drifted close and extended a hand to her. It didn't move to touch, rather held there in some pantomime of a handshake.
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Post by Wayland on Oct 2, 2021 12:28:50 GMT -8
The Ogre noted the dog as they passed into Isla's trod. An observer? A hunter? She'll keep her eye out for it, in case it decides to follow them in. Or wait for them when they emerge. The child's fairy court it's self is exactly what she'd expect to spring from the imagination of youth. Ripe with adventure, blushed with beauty, a sense that this world is soft enough to catch you if you fall, but sharp enough to sting unless you are quick and clever and true.
If only Faeie could always be this way. That the harm it could do was moderated by it's gentleness. That it held risk only for the sake of adventure and growth and warning. Wayland knows better. She knows that you will find no justice if you peel back Faerie's skin. Arcadia is like the ocean. The birthplace of possibility, but also, always, it's end. Full of ghosts and bones, always hungry for more, and uncaring of who were are or from whence they come.
As she has so far, she keeps these thoughts to herself, does her best to keep her longing and her grief and her fear and her wrath off her face. (No, there are no simple emotions about this for her, no one word that can overwhelm or erase the others. Arcadia lives in complexity, defies definition.) She must be wary here, she is responsible for her companions, for their safety. But she cannot show it. How would a knight act in this realm, if she had stepped into Isla's YA story?
The glowing quadruped catches her eye, it's crown of shining mushrooms and toadstools and it's lordly demeanor reminding her of nobility. If she is a knight to Isla, she ought to show courtly virtue and etiquette. She offers the creature a shallow bow, as if in acknowledgement of it's presence, of this domain.
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Post by Blaze on Oct 4, 2021 11:49:27 GMT -8
Blaze has a rule of never trusting a hobgoblin with the number of friendly guns pointed at it lower than the number of the hob's appendages. There's entirely too few guns and too many legs involved here to remotely trust any of these creatures, but the Elemental knows better than to show it to them. She remains the picture of stoicism throughout the invitation, even mirroring Wayland when she bows to the equine hob that seems to be what passes for a leader or alpha in this pack.
"It is our understanding that he's being searched for."
She has a few tricks she can try if proceedings don't go their way, but lets Eis take the lead for the moment. There's always time for fire and fury later, when she learns how sentient these hobgoblins actually are.
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Eis
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Post by Eis on Oct 10, 2021 7:17:05 GMT -8
Face ever an impassive mask, she only reacts to the floating hedgehog by adjusting her position slightly to let it drift about unhindered. Even her sudden urge to snatch Isla from the water is held in check, as much as Eis' uncertainty would like her to. The jelly is an entirely different matter; remaining calm and stoic won't save her from a nasty sting. If sting, indeed, it would. Or have some other nasty, magical effect... If it seems harmless enough, she'll indulge and give the thing's hand a shake. Otherwise she'll give it a polite half-bow instead.
"And we'd like to know by whom." she says, following Blaze's words. "Forgive us, but we're all strangers here. Save for Isla, of course." She lets the name carry a little more volume in hopes it will snap the girl's attention back to them. Possibly even with whatever it is she's searching for in hand. The whole situation they find themselves in has her on edge. Danger could reveal itself in any form. And it most certainly will, it seems. The three of them aren't here for a tea party. They're here to put a stop to some Keeper-serving hobs and rescue a girl. She takes some small comfort in the Ogre's presence, thinking of what is yet to come.
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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 11, 2021 10:07:34 GMT -8
It wasn't so much as trying to actively manipulate Eis as any mindless animal was dangling a lure and hoping the fish would think it's a worm. A handshake was presented because that was what was expected, and the Autumn knew better than to grasp a jellyfish tentacle. She also expected it wouldn't cause offense if she just ignored it, in which it would just drift to the next source of meat and try its luck. She was also beginning to realize as a bearer of the Arcadian Crown, that wielding the Pipes of the Beastcaller would likely have made this meeting smoother, now that the Hobgoblins didn't seem that interested or maybe not even capable of holding a conversation? At Blaze's question, the hedgehogs snorted quietly and drifted closer—sticking to each other into little clumps as they crowded to listen to the Sprite, like how otters hold hands in a stream. As Eis mused, Isla moaned in annoyance, eyes crystal clear and shining with the surreal effect of appearing more real than the rest of the surroundings—high definition within a blurry photo. Withdrawing from the lake, she asked the hedgehogs where she put it. There was that distinct tone of frustration, where Eis suspected she was budding on a tantrum. The obvious question was to ask what she was trying to find in the lake. "My sword!" she cried, gesturing to the features of the Hedge as the bioluminescence and moonlight ignite to searing levels of iridescence. In the flash, shadows of the thorns coiled and spun, like she was parting water with her will as she tried to illuminate the world and reveal her treasure. The Hobs cried out from the sudden intrusion, scattering to where they were originally nesting, or closing their eyes. As the girl tore through the environment to find her lost protection, a hedgehog drifted and nibbled at her braid, and as she reached back to brush it off, she gasped in excitement to find the little hairpin plunged in the hilt of the woven hair.
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Post by Blaze on Oct 12, 2021 23:58:28 GMT -8
The hobs suddenly became a much less pressing concern when the explosion of light blasted everyone. As far as Blaze could tell through squinting eyes, the barely sentient bundles of nightmares were affected just as much as everyone else. This didn't help her make any sense of the situation, however - an obvious conclusion would be that some form of Token is involved, or maybe they misjudged Isla - maybe she is not a completely innocent victim in all this. Maybe she is one of the Fae-Touched. That'd certainly explain a few things.
Fighting through the searing illumination burning away thoughts and skin, the Sprite activates some magic of her own. The flood of light would be an ideal ambush condition if one happened to be immune to it, and tilt the situation in the attacker's favor, but thankfully Blaze has something to prevent the worst effects. She also focuses on what she can gather about the situation, what elements are at play and how they connect. Knowing is, after all, half the battle.
The surge of elating power, always familiar, took Blaze by surprise as it grew cold through her being. She knew, vaguely, that they had been warned about using magic outside of Vegas' wards, but as far as she knew no one had died. A numb feeling needled through her mien, like poison, only cold until her skin burned from the threading oblivion. Gasping from the sensation, she witnessed dark veins blooming under her flesh, that reacted violently as if she were allergic. Raw and red, some blisters formed to released the black ink that smoked and floated away like a vent of ash seeking relief from the prison of pressure.
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Post by Wayland on Oct 13, 2021 13:43:44 GMT -8
A sword. A sword is what took Ramona to Faerie. She remembers that much. Remembers that hot, close night in the forge. Working harder and better than she ever had in her life. Doing the impossible, to make a beautiful, broken blade whole again. Until, exultant in her triumph, she'd tested that length of razor-sharp not-steel against her anvil and cleaved it in twain.
The metal-on-metal crash that echoes in her heartbeat turns to cacophany as she feels it wrenching in her chest. A sword granted by faerie should not be in the hands of a child. She feels heat in her stomach, in her lungs. But in the same moment she is blinded. "AAAGH!" The Ogre roars, a harsh sound, almost animalistic, as she throws up her arms to shield her eyes. She takes two huge steps forward, placing herself at the forefront of the group, with Blaze and Eis behind her. If something's going to come out of this light, it's going to have to go through her first.
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Post by Eis on Oct 21, 2021 18:20:37 GMT -8
The gasp that escapes her lips can't be helped, and her instincts send a hand up to shield her eyes. It does little, of course. But Eis squints and strains to stay focused on Isla.
She's aware of a figure rushing in front of her, in a protective gesture. The Ogre? A small part of her appreciates the effort. A bigger part makes her dread what may come next. Her mind races, and a chill runs down her spine as she imagines the worst; Isla wielding the weapon against them and forcing the others to act. She hardly knows Wayland... would she spare the girl?
The blinding sword is an issue - one she'd have to correct. She has no idea if it will even work, but her hands quickly mime out the features of a circular clock. She glances towards the glowing sword only as much as needed to vaguely guess its location. The Wyrd would do the rest. Satisfied, and summoning just a bit of Glamour, she 'spins' the hands of the clock forward.
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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 21, 2021 18:40:26 GMT -8
The blinding light was Hedgespinning. The girl could wield glamour to her purpose, or the Hedge had a supreme hold on her emotions as it reacted to her stress.
As the child removes the blade, freeing her hair to bounce around her face, it grows to an unseemly length far too big for one of her stature to properly wield. Rather, she carelessly lets the tip dip to the floor of the Hedge, causing the needles and thorns to snake away from the greying patch of contact. Smiling wide, she jumps—startled as Wayland screams—the light bending and twisting around Blaze's fate in reacting to the magic being threaded into the pattern of the Hedge.
"Oh!"
Her free hand drifted towards the blinded hedgehogs, chuffing and hiding their faces within what was left of their shedding seeds. She doesn't even notice Eis dutifully reaching for her sword like a responsible authority. Blaze's vision snaps to the hissing and notes as glamour and faerie wilt and shrivel at the touch of the instrument, just as the Fairest's flesh peels and bubbles like evaporating paint. Smoke emerges from another source, as the tainted Source of power crackles through her body in a similar manner to Blaze.
Cold iron.
Isla cried out, falling over as she tried to pull the poison away from Eis, shouting for her not to touch it. Blaze's mind raced... if it was cold iron it wasn't a Token. Yet it changed shape and leveraged to the girl's form seamlessly. How could she be touched by Faerie and still wield it? Was she Avowed? Did Avowed change appearance within the Hedge?
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Post by Wayland on Oct 22, 2021 14:08:48 GMT -8
Light this bright should come with sound, shouldn't it? It feels so overwhelming to the senses. There should be a roaring, or a howl of wind. There's not though. Just searing light that hardly cares that she's hiding her eyes behind her forearms. A reminder that shadows aren't the only place something or someone can hide.
Nothing's lunged out of this blinding light to hit them yet. But something is happening. There was a noise from Eis, and then the shriek from the child. This isn't a worst-case scenario, but it's not very good. Wayland's not exactly clear on what's happening, but so far talking has been their best tool for this encounter. So she's finally going to give it a try.
"Isla," she begins, with a calm, firm voice, "This is too bright for us. We can't see." The Ogre lowers her arms slightly, so Isla can see her eyes squinted shut against the blaze. "Could you please dim the light for us? So that no one has any more accidents."
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Post by Blaze on Oct 23, 2021 12:32:49 GMT -8
So, Hedgespinning - thought Blaze through the pain the glow inflicted on her, only compounded by the punishment of using fae magic outside of the Wards' protection. Seemingly, there was little to be done about it - the cold iron sword was a very real barrier between them and Isla, and trying to dim the light out with Hedhespinning was doomed to fail - not with the interference, not on her own.
Let's hope Wayland is persuasive enough to make Isla stop.
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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 23, 2021 13:51:47 GMT -8
Isla's eyes remained clear in the glare, reflecting the illumination back as her attention drifts to the Gate. The Hedge lurches to try and meet the Ogre's request, but the bout of intense focus was gone with her resolved crisis. Instead, rather than waste the effort, a new idea dawns and the crystalline door turns searing white as it catches her light, losing its shape as it grows brighter. The door blooms with new life and function as a massive peony. "Sorry! I needed to find my sword," the child explained, oddly detached from the pain she was causing and placing the hedgehogs one by one in the petals to hide. Like clownfish in an anemone. She sounded sincere in her embarrassment and waved the sword at least twice her size to try and show Eis that it weighed nothing to her. "I can try, really really. But... I need something first," she said, "Close your eyes, it helps."Her attention turns to the snorting, moose-like equine as its flaming mane pops, and starts catching the fluff from the dandelion-hogs. "Oh, please don't," she urges, waving her hands, "She promised to help! She can't help if you burn them all—they're really nice. Oh- you can- tie some of your shirt around your eyes," she suggested, coming back to Wayland's problem with some effort of focus. "They won't hurt you unless you try to leave without permission."
Blink. "What's the unicorn's name?"
Hopeful, prodding.
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Post by Eis on Oct 31, 2021 15:31:27 GMT -8
Eis lets out a short yelp as the consequences of her ignorance unfold. She cradles her hand, staring at the damage and lets out a low groan. What was all this? Who is Isla, really? And why the bloody hell does she have a cold iron sword!?
Still crouching, squinting, and cradling her hand, Eis strains to come up with a suitable answer. Damn her soft heart! She'd felt so sorry for the little girl, and clearly a normal girl she is not. Not only had the Fairest promised herself she'd save Isla - hell, she'd even reassured Leith of the same - but now she'd let herself be bound by her promise. Confident Hah! that everything would work out. For all her preaching of 'healthy' levels of fear, Eis has left herself entirely vulnerable. And now she's endangered Blaze and Wayland in the process...
What the hell had Lucas said about unicorns? Agrippa and Jules Carroll? Better not to lead with more than Isla needs to know.
"We know... several unicorns, Isla. Truly. We can't..." she pauses for a breath, fighting through the pain. "help you unless we know for sure which one you're looking for. But we will help you. I've given my word." And may the others give her forgiveness for getting them into this situation. She wishes, more than anything, that this accursed light wasn't making it so damned hard to exchange a look with her companions. But still, she looks in their directions and tries her best to put on a reassuring face.
At this point, all she can do is buy time and placate Isla. A more solid plan would have to wait. The sting of the realization of Isla's nature is still fresh but she can't live with herself if she doesn't at least try to resolve this with all of their lives intact.
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Post by Blaze on Nov 6, 2021 15:01:30 GMT -8
It looks like Isla is more than Blaze gave her credit for. Way beyond just a Fae-Touched, the little girl looked like one of the Huntsmen. Tactical analysis: if they run, at least one of them will end up dead or captured. If they fight, chances are all of them will end up dead or captured. Thus the only sensible solution is for them to consider themselves captured against their will and seek out an opportunity to escape or strike from within.
The first rule of Winter is to survive. If you don't, your escape and the sacrifices you've made so far are for nothing. And who knows? They play this right, they'll have this Huntsman's heart in their hand before anyone wises up to it, and next thing they know they'll have medals on their chests for extraoridnary service. What the high command doesn't know, can't hurt them. So Blaze says nothing, letting Eis talk - agreeing with the apparent plan to let Isla consider them her allies and let them go for now.
No need for her to speak. After all, they're only in this situation because of the inability to keep one's mouth shut.
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Post by Krakenbox on Nov 6, 2021 15:21:42 GMT -8
"He's got a goatee, and likes to tell stories," Isla pressed. "It's in my letter. Pretty pinks and blues, and soft. He's very, very fast, and liked to stick his nose in things he shouldn't, because he can walk through walls and doors."
In the silhouette of the glaring light, she appeared to be pacing with an agitated tone.
"Do you two know?" It was a direct assertion to Wayland and Blaze as well. "If you help me, I can give you a gift. I can make it so others can't bring you back if you've upset your parents too. He isn't safe out here! If you have more than one, you can bring them one by one and I can tell you, like- like a police station."
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