It’s been a few days in the jungle now and hopefully you haven’t managed to die just yet – after all, the fun’s just begun.
On the seventh day of trekking the wilderness, each character who has Fire in their heart will suddenly find themselves pausing in the middle of the day. Something in their chest feels warm and it’s heating up quickly. It spreads from their chest to their fingertips, down their legs to their toes. There’s a bark of laughter against their ear, but it seems that it’s one that only they can hear.
Then without warning, there is a bright light that encompasses their sight entirely and the ground beneath their feet seems to suddenly open. At least they don’t have time to be scared as they suddenly lose consciousness after falling for a few seconds.
Don’t worry. It’ll get better. When they wake up, they hear the following message – and then they hear it again, and again, and again as it echoes echoes echoes.
 You’re all spirited, aren’t you?! You wouldn’t be one of mine if you weren’t.
So c’mon, look alive, look alive! I’ve got something I want to show you all. Stay close, stay close, I can't wait until you see where you'll be living!
|
PHASE I [ day one ] It’ll admittedly be hard for Ardeo to show you anything though. When you wake up, you see darkness. Blink a couple times and it’s – yeah, it’s still darkness. Oh, that’s not good. But after some mumbling around in the dark, perhaps you’ll find another. Better hold on so that you don’t lose each other as the steps on smoothed rock, the resounding quality of the noise you make, and the faint sounds of dripping make it clear that you’re in some kind of cave. Probably.
All you have to guide you is the occasional glimmer of light as Ardeo flicks his flaming tail and then pads off in one direction.
But try not to run too fast after him since it’s dark and that’s danger--holy shit. Follow Ardeo enough and finally you'll reach the edge of a cliff with no indication of how deep that drop goes. It won't be a fear of tripping in this cave, but rather a fear of running straight off the path Ardeo set you on. Hope you're good at cliff scaling because, good luck. You're now stuck on some very high cliffs, and if you peer over the edge, deep, deep down in the darkness, there's the faint, warm glow of what might be lava. You probably don't want to fall down there.
Of course in response to your yelps of fear, there’s only the same bark of laughter. Damnit, where the hell did that fox go?
PHASE II [ day one ] Who knows how long Ardeo has been playing this crazy game of hide and go seek, but eventually you hear a faint buzzing. It’s fine, probably. No one ever said that you were alone in this cave but it’s better to be dealing with a fly than a bear, right?
So you see a firefly. Or maybe a firefly sees you. That single hope of light and not being doomed to eternal darkness comes over and says hi, floating around you for a moment. It really is quite dazzling, isn't it? Then, apparently deciding that you’re an idiot safe to land on, it settles itself on your clothes and-- ow.
That burns. Maybe you even caught fire a little.
But before you know it, more of them are coming. Little specks of light all ready to land on you and warm you up a little. You must be cold in this cave. Try not to die from their thoughtfulness, because they're really all over the place.
It’s like this happens a lot or something.
PHASE III [ day two ] Maybe you threatened him or maybe you asked nicely, but it seems that Ardeo is willing to take pity on your poor souls. Every few steps, there is now a will-o-wisp conjured to guide you away from the sudden, steep cliffs and keep the insects away.
However you’re deeper in the cave now and it seems to be getting… hotter? You hear the water more and more now. Eventually you reach a flat surface and see an arrangement of craters in the ground. The surface beneath them glows with heat, apparently reaching high enough temperatures to emit a white glow.
The brave may wander close, curious about what lay inside the craters – and they may lose their faces as the water suddenly shoots up without explanation, a geyser erupting suddenly and burning anyone who got stuck in the splash zone.
However, there are signs of people here. Small housing constructions made in tucked away corners, built of stacked rock and supplies clearly from this very spot. However, there's...nobody here to greet you.
In fact, it seems as though a certain event has been reported to them, and so the natives who clearly are still living here won't be making an appearance. You may feel them watching you, and if you poke around in their homes, Ardeo will make a quick appearance to warn you away, but they're far too wary to step out and say hello.
PHASE IV [ day three ] Finally, after however many miles, Ardeo’s done walking. He walks up the steps of a shrine – or the remnants of one. Broken statues of animal-like creatures lay in shatters and he wanders around the area once, circles quietly, and then lays down, curled in on himself. A second later, he disappears in a flash of smoke.
However the will-o-wisps remain as you’re free to explore. You’re now able to see that the walls of the cave are decorated with paintings. However unlike those of Earth, the humanoid-type people in these images all have different modifications on them. Some appear to have fins, others are plant-like themselves, but the most prominent ones all appear to be on fire. It’s kinda creepy, especially since they’re still smiling – and upon further inspection, you’ll find that some of these images aren’t made with paint at all, but rather they’re intricate scorch marks left on the wall. Oh.
However for the children exploring with us today, Ardeo seems to have pilfered some things from the colony that he liked. There’s paint lining the cave walls, as well as the occasional bundle of sparkly puppy stickers.
Seems this is where he lives, and now you can join him here too. It's a great reward! It's really just too bad about the difficulty breathing and the general difficulty finding food in a place like this that won't spit fire back at you.
Welcome to your new home.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
Welcome to Cerealia's October event! Please visit the OOC information here, and should you have any questions, feel free to ask them here! You can also check the FAQ for more general inquiries. This event will last for the month of October, or IC 3/15 to 3/30. This log will last from 10/15 to 10/22 or IC 3/22 to 3/26. Should this event log hit Captcha, there is an all-purpose overflow here.
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no subject
That was the shitty fox? The guy who had us spontaneously going up in flames? That guy? Fuck, and you're here. And I'm here.
[Starting to piece things together maybe. Possibly. ...Sort of.]
You seen Luffy or Usopp?
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Hm. Luffy... [there's a jingle of his earrings in the dark as he swivels his head around, trying to pinpoint stronger pings to his haki. There's three or four he would consider strong enough to maybe be Luffy.]
He might be around here. Dunno if I can tell Usopp from some of the others, though. There's a lot of beasts in here. [he knows Sanji is close enough to touch, so he reaches out and gives him a little shove, aiming for the shoulder and hoping he doesn't miss] You're better with haki than I am, see if you can see anything.
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Zoro's words make him go hot again, though. For a couple reasons -- the first being that Sanji is an idiot. Haki, shit, right. Here he is stumbling around like a directionless marimo dumbass when he's got other resources at his disposal that might help him figure shit out. Jesus, distracted much? Focus, for fuck's sake.
The second reason is less important and not something he should particularly care about, but it's not every day Zoro says Sanji is better than him at something. Just fucking states it like that. Huh. Not that Sanji cares. And anyway, it's the truth, so...not a big deal. Right.
...The third reason sort goes along with the first and it's that, actually, Sanji totally CAN see things because he's got his goddamn lighter on him.
Durp.
So he digs that out, clicking it on and holding it up between them so that he can glower at Zoro.]
Oh, look at that. I can see your dumb face.
[Hmph.
But then he glances around, checking out their surroundings while he reaches out with his haki.]
Mm...yeah, Luffy's probably here. Pretty sure I'm not getting a read on Usopp, though. Shit.
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Don't count him out yet. There's a lot of people in here, I can feel it. He might be around.
[but when he realizes he isn't - and a number of people he knows aren't, either - he'll figure out that the fox brought only a certain segment of the population with him. For now, Zoro sighs and grumps a bit before shrugging it off.]
Well, it ain't the jungle, but I wouldn't call it an improvement. We can't just hang about here in the dark, we gotta find a way out.
no subject
It bothers Sanji that he can't pick Usopp out of the mass of people surrounding them, though. Hopefully Zoro's right and he's around somewhere...]
The jungle had halfway breathable air and running water, at least.
[So no, doesn't seem to be an improvement thus far. SIGH.]
Guess we'd better see what we can find—shit!
[Okay, right, so maybe don't go stepping places in the dark cave without looking where you're going first, as Sanji demonstrates by trying to take a step backwards and nearly falling straight off the edge of what is apparently a cliff.
Awesome.
Granted, he probably could've righted himself and Sky Walked back up before hitting whatever lies at the bottom of that big drop, but that doesn't stop the swooping sensation in his stomach, nor the inelegant pinwheeling flail of his arms as he tries to keep his balance and not topple right off the ledge.]
no subject
I told you not to do anything stupid! Hold still, curly-cook!
no subject
[Zoro's got a fistful of the front of Sanji's shirt, and between that and Sanji doing the whole TRYING TO GET BACK ONTO SOLID GROUND KTHX thing, he gets hauled back up pretty quickly. In fact, it's quick enough that he just smacks right into Zoro's chest all over again, hands scrabbling for something to hold onto wherever they land. Shoulders are safe, right? Where are Zoro's shoulders??
...Also, hey, that whole lighter situation? That's gone. Shitty thing got flung right the fuck out of his hand when he started flailing.
Sanji cranes a look backwards over his own shoulder, hands still grabbing at Zoro. Even though it's dark again, he can make out a really soft, glowing kind of light deep down in the crevice. Yeeeah, falling down there would not have been a good thing...]
So. There's shitty cliffs in here.
no subject
What do.
Zoro sucks in a breath and then grits his teeth, forcing himself not to react. Boy it's a good thing it's dark in here, and why is his neck extra-hot?]
Ngh. Fuck. Now we don't have a light, either.
no subject
[Oops.
Sanji scowls, twisting back around to say...something -- only to abruptly notice how he's got his hands all over Zoro again. Wow, twice in the span of like five fucking minutes? Really? Self, what even.
He also comes to the same rock-and-a-hard-place realization that Zoro did, however, which is the only thing that keeps him from flinging himself away from the other man. But he can let go of him, at least, so he does that, practically holding his breath because he can tell Zoro's face is just right fucking there.]
You, uh...you wanna take a step that way?
[Just...backwards. To the side. Somewhere that isn't an inch in front of Sanji. Anywhere. ...Well, anywhere that isn't off another cliff.]
no subject
Okay, no, Sanji's right, need to get out of this. Zoro is pretty sure there's nothing to one side or the other but a few too many steps back and his back hits a cave wall.]
Ow...dammit. Can't go any farther that way. Left or right?
no subject
It's better than getting all grabby with him, anyway. And Zoro won't be able to tell.
Though all of half a minute later, it doesn't matter too much. Because Zoro's question has Sanji peering uselessly up and down the path before he curses lightly and kicks a foot out.
And hey, look at that. A glowing leg!
...Sanji's really not on his game today, he probably could've done that awhile ago. But he should be able to keep Diable Jambe going for awhile now! Maybe. It feels hotter than usual, even though usually the heat from this move doesn't generally bother him.
Of course it'd be different now. Tch.
But anyway.]
Left.
[Sure. Looks like the path heads that way.]
no subject
All right. Left.
[turns to his left, which is not right]
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Your other left. [...Wait, no.] My left. Sorry.
NEVER. NOT. FUNNY
[following the fire-leg, then. And clamping his mouth shut rather than admit he did that wrong.]
8Db
Good boy.
[...Okay, so maybe he'll be a LITTLE bit of a jerk about it.
Geez, the path isn't very wide, though. That steep drop is barely a foot away and as they amble along, that sort of faint glow down below catches Sanji's attention again.]
This is such bullshit. The hell do you think is down there?
[He has an idea, but it's not a fun one.]
no subject
It sure as hell ain't your lighter.
[no, that would have been a mere teeny tiny star in the darkness if it hadn't already snuffed out. The glow may be faint but it's constant.]
Something's on fire. This deep in a cave, three guesses what it might be.
no subject
I'm gonna kick that shitty fox's ass if I run into him.
[Also, ow. Sanji stumbles just a little on his next step as the red hot burn of his leg throbs sharply all of a sudden. What the fuck? He stubbornly tries to ignore it, though -- the light is too useful to give up.]
no subject
[he knows from talking to Ardeo that the fire-fox likes "fun." In Zoro's book that means this is all an elaborate prank and the little fucker is going to get it.]
Don't fall, dumbass. I ain't fishing you out of that hole.
no subject
[Said with a smallish grin and a sidelong glance, before he hisses again and draws to a stop.]
Shut up, I ain't gonna fall. I just—
[His leg burns again, another sharp, hot pang, and he cuts himself off with a grunt, quickly letting the fire die out. Which means they're abruptly blanketed in darkness again.]
...Nngh. That was weird.
no subject
What's the matter? Your leg?
no subject
[Huffs.]
That shit usually doesn't bother me, but it actually felt like my leg was on fire. Was fuckin' burning.
[He shrugs a little, not that Zoro can see it probably.]
Guess that option's out.
no subject
We don't need to see. Use your instincts and your haki, we'll be fine.
[SO CERTAIN]
no subject
[Growls a little. Don't tell him what to do, marimo, gawd.]
I'm trying to pin Luffy down so we can meet up with him. And Usopp.
[Even though Sanji's growing more certain by the minute that he's not here.
Also, Zoro being on the wall side is totally not fair. Sanji’s have to balance between the swordsman and this CLIFF OF DOOM over here, he wouldn’t mind having something solid to brace his hand against to use as a guide.]
Geez... Is this what it's like to be you?
no subject
The hell do you mean? I'm doing just fine!
[with Illidan and Vegeta somewhere in these caves, sensing Luffy's strength level isn't the easiest piece of cake in the world, but they can narrow it down at least.]
There's a pack of people up ahead, let's at least meet up with them.
no subject
[...There's really no reason to get all bitchy at him, Sanji's just. On edge. He focuses on the mentioned pack of people up ahead, though, and grumbles out something that's probably an agreement.]
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