❪ event ❫ spirited away

[natha]

PRELUDE     I'll get straight to the point, Thesaens. Dranbu is in dire need of assistance. I have received confirmation that the disappearances we were investigating last month have... escalated. Be cautious as you make your way through Josa Forest. Ideally we could go straight through, but it seems the main entrance to Dranbu is overgrown with thorns and vines, and there's a bit of a glitch with the rail system - the train is having trouble recognizing the Dranbu station as a destination. I've uploaded a homing beacon to your devices with this message. Once enough of you have arrived in Dranbu proper, it should communicate with the train and register it as a stop. With any luck, that will make getting back and forth much easier for you all from now on. Best of luck. Entry to the forest is not only overgrown with vegetation, but seems to be growing at an increasingly alarming rate. Any attempts to clear the vines will be met with even larger ones growing in its place, and it only confirms Nurray's findings as true. The only way in is across the sound from Nadril, entering the forest from its snowy back yard. It doesn't stay cold for long; as one ventures further into the forest, the snow will disappear, as though it was completely out of place in the first place. The red sun's warmth will take its place soon after— and before long, you'll feel too warm for the clothes you came with. That's when you know you've entered the heart of Josa Forest. WITHIN THE FOREST     The forest seems to be thick with a profound presence that can’t be ascertained. While venturing through it, one will feel like there are being watched or followed. This feeling will only intensify as metallic-scented drops of rain begin to fall between the clearings in the trees. Unfortunately, what many don’t realize at this point is that this is how the forest itself eats. How it subsists and lives through the minds of those who eventually get lost in it. Wandering this far in is akin to walking into a lion’s jaw, or rather… straight to its stomach. But, the forest has a way of making one stay. While it swallows someone up, it shows them sinfully beautiful and picturesque sights. Even showing them people or things that are familiar to the lost. All of which will urge them to go in deeper and deeper. But, while the forest begins to prey on the mind of their victim— they will suddenly hear an elegant and alluring voice urging them back. This voice promises them comfort and safety. Promises to be kind and open. Promises she has a place for them where they will never feel displaced or unwanted, or lost. Before they can fully accept, they will find that they are whisked away in Barthala’s embrace. Some will be taken, wiped of all their previous memories and inserted new ones. Others will find they have no prior memories at all of themselves, only urged to go on with regular life. What is prevalent is the forest's desire to turn you. Metamorphosis is a phenomenon that occurs only to certain individuals, and there is no rhyme or reason to them. Some adventurers would find themselves changing by the minute, the hour, or the process may even take days and weeks. The forest toys with you, but it only wants to draw you closer to its core — as though there's a story there it wants you to see and understand. Will you go on anyway, knowing the forest has already has its claws on you? I. ALL ROADS LEAD TO — Exploring the forest is not a perilous experience - Barthala's blessing ensures that paths remain clear of any dangerous obstacles, and keeps anyone who enters the woods from losing their way. However, it will not always lead adventurers where they want to go. Stressed? Your path leads to a meadow, grass drifting gently in the breeze. Tired? You'll find your way to a tree with roots perfectly curved for a nap, the shade a peaceful retreat from the sunlight. The hungry will find streams full of fish or bushes laden with berries, and the curious will come upon elder trees, unique and beautiful. Only those who are truly satisfied with their circumstances, with themselves, can forge their own path, and venture to Barthala's Grotto. II. BARTHALA'S GROTTO — The deity's home is host to an abundance of life. Butterflies drift through the air, brilliantly colored and unbothered by any intruders. Foliage blooms in a rainbow of colors, many plants unique to this area alone. With trees arranged to provide a canopy over the path and small clearing, the scene is something out of a fantasy. Any plant life taken from this area will not survive long, though even in its dead, dried state, it retains a curious beauty. Explorers and creatures finding themselves in this area will suddenly find their clothing to be an unnecessary burden - what could be better than feeling the wonders of nature against bare skin? There is nothing unbecoming about such a natural state, any perverse inclinations are an aspect of personal preference. While the presence of Barthala can be felt here - a warm, comfortable sensation emanating from your core - she is nowhere to be found. Only one will have the opportunity to pass under a veil of willow branches and emerge to the cool air of a clear-as-glass spring. Another nearby grotto is home to a plant with intoxicating effects. Just smelling the leaves is enough to entice most animals, and consuming them has effects on both mind and body. More easily amused, with thoughts that weave deep and distant, along with increased sensory perception can bring the user on a pleasant trip lasting up to five hours. III. INFLUENCES — (18+) Every five days, a weed scattered in patches among the forest underbrush blooms. The flowers are small and white, unremarkable except for how clustered they grow. When their petals fall, after only hours of blossoming, pollen drifts through the air. It clings to clothing, to hair, in the throats of the sensitive animals dwelling in the forest. Even those unaltered by Barthala's magic can be affected. The locals of Dranbu claim the pollen enhances fertility, but in practice, it simply serves as a poignant aphrodisiac. Those affected won't differentiate between the warmth of another or their own, a simple need to experience sexual ecstasy overwhelmingly pervaded. The pollen loses its potency after about three hours, leaving behind only a sweet smell. YOUR NEW (NEW) LIFE    Adapting to an entirely new setting isn’t always so simple. People often say that assimilating oneself to the environment happens fluidly, and before you know it, you’re a part of it. In Dranbu, these words hold an uncanny sense of truth. When you awake, your day begins like it always has. Your daily routine meets largely unchanged, except a few tinier details. Perhaps, you’ve realized your true calling is an occupation within the villages itself. Maybe in farming up strange medical herbs, maybe in acting as a witch doctor for the people, or maybe you find yourself drawn to the arts and you really enjoy sculpting fellow villagers in the nude. Once you commit these tasks, you realize, it feels like what you’ve always done. As if it were natural, as if you’ve done them for years, and maybe you have? At least that’s what your gut is telling you, and slowly your memories will too. At the end of the day, when you return home, you realize you’re not alone. You have a partner who shares the same values and whom you love deeply. Or maybe a spouse whom you’re always arguing with. But, even that will feel as commonplace as the rest of your day. All you know is that the day that might have started off not being yours is entirely yours and yours alone. IV. THE HUNT — Those taken by the forest, animal features adorning their bodies, will find that their palates have changed as well. Carnivores crave raw meat, while herbivores don't mind snacking on a patch of grass or pulling leaves from branches. For most, there's no reason to cook a meal; once prey is captured, instinct says dig right in! It can be a gruesome sight, mangled bodies gorged upon leaving bloodstained faces, but it's natural. As is the hunt itself - any size of game can be found in the forest, and no one will go hungry for long. The magic that dwells here ensures a catch even for the clumsiest predator. Just take care not to stalk one of your own. For a hungry predator, there's no difference between a deer and a deer-like human. THE BOUNDARIES BEYOND     For some, placated is synonymous with bored. While there is a sense of wonder in the beauties of nature that adorn the woods, serene forest life isn't for everyone. Those seeking more adventure can explore the challenging slopes of Waco Mountain. Barthala's influence is weaker on those bluffs than in Josa Forest itself, so thrill chasers won't be disappointed. Lose the path, slip on loose rocks, fall into a stream and spend a night wet and cold, there are many perils that come with traveling a mountain-side. Scattered ruins offer some shelter, their walls carved with images resembling Barthala, a dragon, and three other stranger creatures. While the deity's pacification does not flow as deeply through this region, all are still save from mortal wounds, and the veil cast over their memories will not lessen. If you have made it this far, however, there is no reason to try to return to the main city of Dranbu. Accommodations are always available in the neighboring villages: Phares in the north, and Stroln in the south. These villages are in friendly competition with one another, and will tempt travelers with women and men of their kind in order to draw in business to their hotels. FINAL OOC NOTES     No REP is available for this log. REP will now be primarily available through achieving NPC quests, which will be available on the 19th! Please keep an eye out for that! Dranbu is entirely available for exploration! You may find that most of Wyver and Olympia Flora/Fauna may be found in the forest as well. For more information on your characters' (opt-in) Metamorphosis, please refer to the November Outline! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs ● bestiary taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp ● quest bulletin calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

Allura | OTA always!

[quintessent]

I. I guess this is goodbye
[Something was wrong.

Not in the normal way that things were wrong, like being chased by Galra fighters, or stalked by any of El Nysa's many fauna (or flora, really, this place was dangerous). But things in Josa forest were peaceful. Almost suspiciously so. The first time Allura happened upon the perfect sitting spot when she was getting a touch tired, she'd considered it a boon, but before long the coincidences were stacking up to the point that when she found a bushel of delectable looking berries, she walked straight past, regardless of how her stomach growled.

And the forgetfulness. Her memories had been a little weird ever since her first return-trip to stasis, but she felt foggy. One minute she would get it in her head to snap a branch, use it as a marker to make sure she wasn't going in circles, then the next, she was staring at the broken tree, wondering just what had happened to it. It caused a curl of anxiety in her gut, which only gets worse as she turns to a nearby person and genuinely can't remember if they'd been traveling together all of this time, or if they'd just run into each other moments before.]

I think we need to leave.

[Before she forgets why they came in her to begin with.]


II. I know things now
[She was happy.

It's a simple life she leads, tending her father's apothecary. She was still but a fledgling when it came to the trade, but there was always need for someone to watch over the store (for a father that was never around, though Allura's cloudy memories constantly shifted to make up for his absence). Or to go out into the forest for necessary materials, as task she was quite fond of and her trips into the forest would stretch into hours as she constantly was lured deeper within, enticed by a quiet napping spot, or a beautiful grove. It felt like an escape, although when she thought about it too hard, she couldn't put her finger on just what she needed an escape from in the first place.]

a. [It's been several days since her initial disappearance into Dranbu, and if you're one of her friends on the hunt for her, it might equal parts relieving and annoying to just... happen upon her, sitting peacefully in the forest, skirts hiked up to her knees as she dangles her feet in the clear water of one of Josa forest's scattered ponds. For those familiar with her, her posture is entirely relaxed, deeply content, and there's a happy tune that's she's humming as she watches her reflection in the pool.

When she hears a shifting of the brush nearby, the humming stops and she straightens.]

...Is there somebody there?

b. [As much as it tempted her otherwise, she always returned home, to the small shop she recognized as her father's. Plants and tinctures line the shelves, and there's some boxes to be sorted before nightfall. The tinny bell hanging near the door rings as someone enters, and Allura turns,]

Welcome! I'm afraid my father isn't in right now... is there something I can help you with?

III. Wildcard!
[You know how this works! Give me something and I'll roll with it, or send me a message if you want to plan anything!]

(ooc note: I know in plotting I mentioned animal transformations but I decided I wanted to play more with the memory loss/new life stuff instead (someone come tell her all of her family is dead! It will be a good time :| )! I don't think I had anything too specific planned but if you want to hash anything out, drop me a message!)

ii-a!

[summertimeblues]

Allura?

[It's funny business. He hadn't been out looking for her (they live so far apart regardless, and nearly none of their social circles coincide) but the sight of her sitting peaceful unsettles him. He can't put a finger on it.

He steps clear of the underbrush.]

Well shit honey, where's the picnic? Are you out here by yourself?

[quintessent]

[At her name, Allura turns more fully to look at the stranger, knees tucking up next to her demurely.

She's searching his face, expression blank as she tries to pick out where she knows him from. Through the nature of her fathers work, and by just being herself, there weren't many people she wouldn't recognize from town, but here she's drawing a blank. Maybe a visitor? There's been so many recently but ah, he clearly recognizes her. How forgetful, but surely the answer will come to her.

At his question, her brows knit together and she tilts her head, as if he asked something strange.]

Of course. I am capable of going on errands on my own.

[Errands on the other side of the continent from Wyver.]

[summertimeblues]

[She looks up to him with those big goo goo eyes and simply stares. Blank as printer paper nestled fresh in the tray.

Richie falters. A scowl he'd expect, a beleaguered groan, or even a bygones-are-bygones sigh and smile. They haven't met since the tellyphone hullabaloo, surely there'd be more spitfire than this.]

Did I question your weed-picking capabilities? Sorry. Beggin' your pardon, just shocked to find you out in this garden. [He bends at the knees, joining her in a curious crouch and casting a skeptical eye on the water.] Just an awful long trip is all. If you wanted swimming water Flona Cove's a cheaper ticket.

[quintessent]

[She frowns when he bends at the knees beside her, he's looking at the water, but she's scanning his face more earnestly, trying to figure out where she might know him from, why he's speaking with such familiarity to her.]

This is not so far. I could be home in under an hour if I walked quickly.

[An hour. Not a varga or sixty dobashes. How dare this place steal even her weird time-slices She sighs, fingers curling into the hem of her skirt as she turns more fully towards the stranger and let the other shoe drop:

I should apologize. Obviously you know me from somewhere, but I am having trouble putting a name to your face.

[Said as if maybe he was just some long-lost acquaintance she met in the grocery store five years ago.]

[summertimeblues]

Home in an hour?

[The scandal reads on his face clear as the stretch font of a front page headline. Her follow up is only more disturbing. Richie balks, shaking his head and patting his chest.]

Kid, are you shitting me? It's me, Richie. What's gotten into you?

[quintessent]

[His scandal comes off to her as anger, and she tenses her shoulders, hackles raised in kind,]

I am sorry, I cannot help it if I don't remember everyone who has come into my father's shop.

[Because she definitely doesn't remember a Richie from the people she normally speaks to back home. Putting a hand beside she, she begins to push herself back up to her feet.]

Speaking of- I need to return. He's waiting on me to get back to him with these plants.

[Said totally straight-faced. As if she's been doing this every day of her life. As if that her father didn't die ten-thousand years ago and was waiting back home with open arms.]

i

[thedarkbond]

[Ren has mostly been trying to stay out of the forest without company, but with what seems to be going on, he can't completely avoid it either. The best that can be done is seeking someone to travel with when he's already in there on the assumption that whatever force is making people disappear needs some time to work.

It might be entirely wrong, but he's never been the type to leave things be if they have the potential to affect people important to him.

He's about to greet Allura when he sees her, before she turns to him and he sees that something seems a little bit...off, a thought which is only exemplified when she says those words.]

Do we? What's wrong...? [His tone is still light and airy, but there's something marginally more attentive than usual about his manner. He doesn't know Allura all that well yet, but she's been interesting enough until now for him to prematurely file her as a friend, so he'd rather not see her affected by whatever it is that's going on.]

[quintessent]

[Her normally piercing eyes are clouded with uncertainty when she looks at Ren, and she shakes her head, bringing a hand up to press lightly at her temples.]

I'm... not sure. [By all means, the area around them is utterly peaceful, just lush plants and trees that reach up into the skies It makes her anxiety feel without direction and out of place, and for a moment she worries that her concerns are fabricated.]

Does anything seem off to you?

[She hasn't ruled out the possibility that there could be something like the time she and Lance had gotten lost in the forest and fallen under the effect of the pollen of the Celonna flower. Or was that with Keith...?]

[thedarkbond]

[That's definitely a stark change from the previous times he's encountered Allura, but Ren keeps his vague, airy composure for now. Reacting badly is only going to throw her off more, he imagines.

At the same time, it seems like the kind of situation where telling her nothing is wrong is just going to make things worse, so he hums slightly in thought, looking around them.]

I guess it depends on what you mean...? It feels like this place is trying too hard to please us, if that makes sense...

[He'd noticed that luring element to it as soon as he'd entered, but for reasons he's not really willing to share. So for now, he'll angle it that he just noticed.]

Is that different to what you were thinking?

[quintessent]

[That's right, the luring nature of the forest. She'd almost forgotten about the berries she'd come across and the... the...


...Surely there was something that came before, but the specifics are blurry at best, only making the coil of anxiety tighten in her stomach.

All cards on the table-] I'm having trouble keeping my thoughts straight.

[She's chews on her lip, searching for a way to explain it,]

For instance... I cannot seem to remember if we entered the forest together or not. Or how long we've been in here.

[thedarkbond]

[That actually makes his brow furrow slightly with concern. Considering how lighthearted he's generally tried to keep himself around her, it's a bit of an odd look on him.]

Can you tell when your thoughts started to get hazy...? [He doubts it, if she's that disoriented right now, but it's worth asking.] We didn't come in together, I found you just now...so I can't tell you how long you've been in here.

[Nonetheless, he walks a little closer to her, glancing over their area. His sense of direction isn't great, but in this situation, where he knew there was a risk going in, he can do point-to-point.]

I was heading this way, straight through. [Ren points straight in the direction he'd been heading when he encountered her.] Do you want to come with me? It might be safer...

[His tone is still vague and gentle, as if it's not too much of a concern, but it also sounds somewhat more like a strong suggestion than a question.]

[quintessent]

Pinpointing when it started is hard... I remember I found a bushel of berries, but I didn't eat any of them, because I found them suspicious. But surely something must have happened before, to make me question it.

[If she were in a better state of mind, she might think to note the change in Ren's demeanor, but with everything going on, she's just grateful that he seems to be taking her plight seriously. It's a relief, to know that she's not in this on her own, even if there's something weird going on.

And her memory isn't so far gone (yet) that she would forget that Ren considers her a friend and vice versa, so she nods,]

Yes, thank you. [And she truly sounds relieved. But she grabs at the sleeve near his elbow, giving him a serious look,] But the moment you start to feel at all strange, we are turning around and leaving immediately.

[They don't need two people forgetting which way they turned.]

( ii-b )

[unos]

[ The door slams open quite dramatically, and there stands Katsura. And while he's usually quite immaculately kept, today he's a little... well.

Most of all, his hair is a mess. Most of it still hangs down to waist like usual, but the the top most layers have visible snags and snarls, like someone was furiously backcombing his hair. ]

I need shampoo and conditioner.

[ Is he even in the right place? Who cares! Certainly not Katsura. If nothing else, lingering in here for a while should protect his hair from more bats. ]

[quintessent]

[Allura jumps at the sudden and dramatic entry, hands white-knuckling the broom she'd been holding. The rumpled and tangled mess silhouetted in the doorway would be intimidating if it wasn't so... pathetic.

Setting the broom to the side, she comes round the counter to circle closer to the man, eyes round with concern as she leans in closer to get a look at him — to make sure there wasn't any damage beyond the surface level.]

What in the stars happened to you?

[As someone who also has a metric load of immaculately cared for hair, she can sympathize with the stranger's plight.]

[unos]

There was a bat.

[ Katsura doesn't seem to be actually injured (outside of his pride, at least) but he's quick to push the door shut behind him. ]

And after that, there was another bat. And I think I saw a third on the way here.

[ Seems like his hair is some sort of bat magnet. ]

Only the first one talked, but all of them there troublesome.

[quintessent]

A bat. [She repeats, giving him a dubious look,] One that talked?

[Once confirmed that he's physically unharmed, Allura makes her way back near the counter, out of his direct personal space.]

...What did it say to you? And what did you do to get all of them so angry at you?

[Said in a tone that suggests she might not entirely believe his tale, but is humoring him.]

[unos]

She said she was looking for a tree, even though I told her bats only lived in caves.

[ They totally live in trees. Katsura was just wrong. ]

I haven't done anything to upset them. They probably think my hair looks cozy. But the first one was just clumsy.

[quintessent]

I think a bat would know where it lives.

[Why is she even having this ridiculous conversation. Allura shakes her head,]

In any case, we have shampoo and conditioner, but what you need is to brush it out first.

[Says the patron saint of having ridiculous amounts of immaculately kept hair.]

I

[pullsheavendown]

What? Why?

[Roxas hadn't specifically planned to venture into the forest with Allura, but she's a familiar face, a friendly one. He likes her. Might as well team up, right? But he's found himself...distracted as they go, not paying attention to where they're going and then snapping back out of his reverie. But not she's got his full attention again, and he feels alert.]

Is something wrong?

[quintessent]

[She's trying to keep her wits about her, but everything about this forest has been disorienting. One minute she's anxiously fretting over forgetting which path they'd already travelled, the next happily forgetting her anxiety and what caused it in the first place. Worry coming and going like the sun peaking through intermittent clouds.

She wrings her hands together, but finding what she wants to say is difficult and she chews on her lip thoughtfully,]

Doesn't something feel... off to you?

[In an incredibly vague sense. By all means, the forest around them was beautiful and peaceful, and yet...]

[pullsheavendown]

[It's not that he's been relaxed since coming to this part of the world, but just looking at her is making it worse.]

Yeah...a little.

[More than a little, but he's not sure how much is real and how much is paranoia now.]

But I don't see anything dangerous. Look around.

[quintessent]

[He's not wrong. Not only is there nothing dangerous nearby, but the forest looks positively idyllic. Like an illustration from a storybook, with the sunlight filtering delicately through the canopy far overhead. Even their path was relatively clear, with little underbrush to snag or snare them, despite how long it has been since these forests have seen travelers.]

I suppose you're right. [A pause.] And we still need to find out what happened to all of those people.

[For better or worse, they owe it to those who disappeared to stick with this until they find out the truth. Steeling herself,]

We'll be fine. I shouldn't let myself be so easily frightened by a forest.

[pullsheavendown]

Hey, it's okay. Nothing wrong with a little jumpiness.

[He can practically hear other members of the Organization objecting, practically see them rolling their eyes, but that doesn't matter. Not anymore.]

What do you think could have happened to them?

[quintessent]

[While they speak, they come upon a T in the road of sorts, a thick set of trees in front of them that seems to encourage them to head either to the left or the right. Without even stopping to think about it, Allura just turns for the rightmost path, heading into what looks like a deeper part of the forest.

She gives a small laugh,] The last time Lance and I went on a mission, we ended up napping in a field of flowers for hours, thanks to the pollen of one of this planet's flowers. So it could be anything, really.

[Between plants that cause strange illusory effects, or intelligent beasts that saw fit to snare them in some manner of trap. Even if the part of the forest they were in now seemed quiet and peaceful, there's no telling what lies deeper within.]

...Perhaps we will find everyone napping in a clearing somewhere.