❪ 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

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Annie Walker | Covert Affairs

[smithsonian]

[WITHIN THE FOREST]

When the pings come, Annie doesn't think twice about answering. A distress call is a distress call, sure, but she's also curious about the place that she's woken up in and she hopes that exploring the various cities or towns or villages will give her a better understanding of what's happened. 'The Storm' doesn't seem like enough.

Making her way through the snow, she --

ALL ROADS LEAD TO

Realizes that this is where she's meant to be. The constant niggling at the back of her brain that reminds her that, despite what she might have told others, this is not home seems to fade with every step she takes. The warmth from the sun reminds her of... well, she supposes it must be that it reminds her of here and the thought makes her smile to herself, glad that she's safe at home. That the goddess continues to keep her and the people she loves safe.

Stepping into a meadow, she finds that it lines a stream and she sits down at the edge, legs stretched out as she tips her head back to breathe the sweet air deeply.

When a shadow crosses her path, she looks up and shades her eyes, smiling when she sees something. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?

INFLUENCES - 25+

As the sun heated her skin as she walked, Annie has shed the layers she'd arrived in until she's wearing nothing more than a tank top and jeans. The rest is stuff in a bag she's slung over her shoulder and, as she comes to a clearing in the woods, she inhales deeply, unaware of the power of the white flowers she's standing in the midst of.

Several steps later, she finds a seat against a tree, spread out against the ground of those same white flowers in the underbrush, feeling warm and sated. It's not until she sees someone walking by that she realizes that it's been a long time since she's gotten laid. Where the thought comes from, she isn't sure, especially since (when she tries to pinpoint the last time, the memories stay out of reach) and she watches that person with keen interest, not bothering to hide it at all.

When they glance her way, she gives a wave.

[YOUR NEW (NEW) LIFE]

Without realizing that she's essentially gone missing from those that know her, Annie's made herself comfortable in Dranbu... more or less. She's still getting used to the job she's seemingly had for years - baking? it doesn't appear to come naturally to her - and though her days are fulfilling, her favorite part is coming home to the person she's (not at all suddenly and for purposes of this new village) decided to spend her life with.

It's all very domestic, what with the total support for her career and the love and tenderness she returns wholeheartedly. This is where she's apparently meant to be, until convinced otherwise.

[ooc: can either be her supportive and loving spouse or someone who convinces her that she's not meant to be here. ps: annie doesn't bake at all, help.]

[WILDCARD]

[If you're looking to do something not here, toss me a starter and I'll roll with it! If you wanna plot something, find me on discord @ spycraft#8441 or PM this journal.]

All roads lead to...

[faceofbeau]

There's something about being planetside, out in the open- in a forest even- that's more refreshing than words can say. Not that Jack's ever been all that much for forests, but there's something to be said for nature, and for mankind's tendency of embracing it. And, after the year he'd had, well. The fresh air is a welcome change. So welcome, in fact, that he finds it almost hard to remember his purpose, why he's out here; there are lives at stake, people have gone missing. They need to be found. Since his continued search of the stasis pods had yielded no results yet, and he still wasn't ready to face Ianto, answering the call to find Dranbu and its missing residents had seemed the perfect chance to get away. Yet, now that he's here...

It should disturb him, probably, how easily his attention slides. How often he finds himself thinking not of the search, not of a mysteriously missing village and its people, but of the forest in which he searches. The air is fresh , cool and soothing; the lush vegetation, so much of it unique and alien, is fascinating, the scents of the flora far more pleasant than the sterile air of the station, or the acrid smoke of the Valiant before that. The wildlife, well. It's stayed out of sight, out of reach, present but elusive, nothing more than shadows through the trees, sounds drifting from far away. It should disturb him, how easy it is to focus on how inviting all of it is, rather than on his search... but it doesn't.

Instead, it's simply.... pleasant. Inviting. Everything about the forest is inviting, welcoming. So when he hears the tinkling sound of water somewhere up ahead of him, he follows the merry sound without a thought for the people he'd come to look for. And when there's a woman sitting at the edge of the water, the small stream that had caught his hear, he doesn't wonder if she's another searcher, or one of those he should be searching for, he only returns warmly,

"It is, isn't it?" He takes a moment, looking around to take in the meadow around her, before nodding to the space beside her and asking, "Mind if I join you?"

[smithsonian]

"Not at all."

Annie lowers her hand to look back over the water for a moment, then closes her eyes and tips her head back toward the sun again. There just doesn't seem to be any kind of threat - which isn't how she operates normally - and she's enjoying the moment far too much. As soon as her new companion is settled, however, she look back over.

"I love sitting by the water. Lowers stress, makes everything better, you know?"

your new new life

[1701]

It's been plenty weird getting to Dranbu - Jim's not sure if it's some latent echo of Ambassador Spock in his head, or just his own natural stubbornness that permitted him to make it here. He's investigating as best he can, chatting up locals. They're sedate and almost dreamy, but some admit there's been oddness afoot. How the natives can be so focused on home and heart but have sent those distress messages is a mystery.

He's in a shop when he sees her, popping in for something to eat since he'd shrugged off all magically appearing offers in the forest.

"Annie? You get press ganged into something?"

[smithsonian]

The sound of the bell alerts her to a new arrival, but it's the sound of her name that causes her to turn with a half-smile on her face. The tone, really, is what causes concern, as if there's something wrong. Is there?

"Jim!" Nothing wrong, just an old... friend? How did she know-- hm. Nevertheless, she invites him closer and shakes her head in confusion at the question. "Press ganged? I've been doing this for years." Which is odd because she feels like she's known the man in front of her for only a couple of months. Strange. "Are you visiting?"

[1701]

Halfway to the bakery counter, Jim stops. Years? He starts moving again, but slower, looking at her and the shop both a bit more closely. Like there'll be answers, instead of just-- what it is. Ordinary, unremarkable, just like everything else in this place where everyone wants to be comfortable and homey.

"I'm not visiting," he tells her. "I'm here because of the mass disappearances. I'm investigating, like you are."

[smithsonian]

"Disappearances?"

It feels like she's suddenly become a parrot and she tilts her head at him to see if maybe he's joking or trying to tease, but his expression is entirely serious. There's a deep niggling in her mind that there's something not right now and whether it's with this man or the situation she's in, she can't tell; worse, she knows she should be able to. How? Again, it's a mystery, but deep down, Annie's aware that her intuition hasn't failed her before.

"Who's disappeared and why were we investigating?"

She sounds more serious, definitely more invested, but also concerned.

[1701]

"People native to this city, and people among our number who came out to help. Our, because you're not from here, Annie."

It's very blunt, all this, but Jim's got to push to see how into the act she is. If she's under cover she should have sent him a courtesy text first or winked dramatically at him when he walked in, or something. No one's ever accused James T Kirk of being subtle.

"You haven't been doing this for years. You haven't even been on this planet for years."

[smithsonian]

It's the second time he's used her name, which means he knows who she is. The fact that he says she's not from there fits right in with that uneasy feeling that she has and she takes a breath, intending to refute what he's saying and then... she doesn't.

About the time it'll become obvious to him that she's not undercover or faking it for the locals, she'll be determining that he's most likely telling the truth. How and why she knows that is the same way she knows she should be able to tell if a situation is right or wrong and this one just became Very Wrong.

One more question, though, before she just gives in.

"If I haven't been on this planet for years, where am I from?"

[1701]

Uh oh.

"Earth?" Slightly squeaky. "Uh - Virginia, maybe?" She's an FBI agent, right, that's where the FBI headquarters was ??? Help.

"Where do you think I'm from?"

Jim can't actually remember if he's told her where he's from or not; if he has, it was in passing. He always says Iowa, no matter what the little social linked thing displays all the time regardless of his fiddling and editing. Will this spell implant a fake story in her head about him, or will she be able to explain why she knows the name of something that's not of this planet, or will she hit a wall?

[smithsonian]

"Everyone is from Earth," she tells him before rolling her eyes and then, wait. "Unless they aren't. You're probably not." He's not, her mind supplies helpfully.

Virginia's not quite right, she knows that. It's familiar to her, but he's guessing. He doesn't know her very well at all. So, since she's still trying to see what he knows and what he's being honest about, she asks, in what is clearly a test to see how he reacts, "Where are you from?"

It's her CIA training. She can tell when people are skirting the truth versus outright lying or not knowing what's true. She suspects he's being as honest as he can, but something still isn't quite right.

[1701]

"We're not on Earth. We're on another planet, one you aren't from."

You know. By the way. End of everything, allegedly. (FBI, CIA, DMV, what's the difference?? Jim should know this, but in a dumb twist, he's actually kind of garbage at United States history; that kind of national identity doesn't exist in his time.)

Jim looks at her. "I grew up in rural Iowa. But I'm not from there. I have weird allergies because I was mostly gestated in space and was born in a shuttle with totally adequate shielding for adult humans, but ultimately a little sketchy for newborns, in an area of space near a notoriously nightmarish prison planet in the Klingon Empire."

Does it sound like he made any of that up off the top of his head?

[smithsonian]

Annie almost rolls her eyes again; yes, he's said that. She's not from here. From Earth.

Then he starts talking and the more he talks, the more things sound familiar - is it his voice, his charming tone, that smile?- and the moment that it clicks, the rest of the things that she should know kind of slide into place. First his history, then hers.

"You work in space." Yup, that's right. "You have a ship." That's right, too. "And I work for the CIA. I'm a spy..." She trails off, "Which is why you thought I might be investi--" And there it is. It's Annie. A frowning Annie.

Looking around the shop she's in, she suddenly feels seriously gross, like something's been living in her head for a long time that didn't belong there. And though she loathes showing weakness, she feels fear that tells her that if she doesn't leave now, she might not ever.

"I don't wanna be here anymore."

[1701]

Jim falls quiet, watching her closely, praying she comes to. C'mon, you can do it, I don't know you that well but I know you enough to know this is bullshit.

And then she clears the hurdle. Thank fuck.

The abrupt revulsion is probably normal. She had her entire self yanked from her, and Jim's got no clue about the circumstances that led up to her being here. So he just walks around to the other side of the counter and offers her his hand, intent on blowing this joint. At the very least, getting the heck out of this shop and to the other side of town, away from the immediate vicinity of where she's been entrenched.

"Let's go," he says quietly.

[smithsonian]

Annie doesn't even answer. She takes his hand firmly, following him through the shop and letting him lead the way out. Once on the street, she feels a sudden pull as if she shouldn't be leaving and though the hesitation is slight, the reaction the rest of her has is almost violent on the inside. This is wrong and now she knows it, which means she also knows she has to leave while she still can.

While it's entirely true she doesn't know him that well, or vice versa, she'll remember that he came. If not for her, then in general, and she just happened to be there. He stayed until she left. It's not until they're down the road and on the way out of town that she feels the pressure lift from her chest.

"I don't even remember showing up here." She doesn't look back and she's afraid to ask how long it's been.

[1701]

Jim's glad he doesn't have to drag her, but the grip he's got on her hand and the pointed way he's walking suggests he'd have been willing to, if at some point she changed her mind. Her reaction as soon as the control - or whatever it was - lifted told him all he needs to know: she wasn't there by choice, and so he wasn't going to leave her, period.

"We were asked to go investigate various local disappearances," Jim says, deciding to go over the known series of events instead of asking what's the last thing you remember?, hoping to let her jog her own memory. "A few people went out, and then those among us started vanishing, too. I've been exploring Josa but it's like an endless maze that keeps trying to bribe me into quitting."

[smithsonian]

"Yeah? Well, I'm really glad you didn't."

Quit, obviously, but the memories aren't coming and it's a little more disturbing than she wants to admit. Hopefully, they'll come in time, but her own personality won't let her wait for that and, after a few moments more, she has to ask.

"How long? I mean, how long has it been since people started disappearing?" Annie's a little afraid he's going to start saying months or even years. The fact that she still doesn't know where she's going means she hasn't let go of his hand, though it's less a conscious thing than a comfort thing. He knows where he's going and she still feels like it's a horrific nightmare.

[1701]

"It started about a month ago," he says. "Were you out when the first call came, or did you go with the second wave?"

Jim, who lives all the way down in Wyver, didn't head up with the first one - too much going on to just drop his work rebuilding and aiding local institutions. He's only one person, etc. But the missing refugees a few weeks later were too significant to ignore, and he felt like he'd be remiss in not going in to take a look. Good thing he did, apparently. He seems to be in a minority not effected by the strange influence.

They're heading to a busier area, a little less sleepy and quaint, a little more diverse, where other refugees and natives from other cities are lodging while investigating or exploring.

[smithsonian]

The question he poses is a good one and it jogs her memory enough that she knows she didn't wait long to go explore the disappearances. She'd had nothing better to do and the thought of people being held against their will or weird things happening had pinged way too hard on her personal radar. For a moment, she looks sheepish.

"I feel like I went right away," she answers, aware that it's more her personality to do so without really knowing why. It's coming back to her the more they're away from that weird little town, but the specifics are eluding her. "Something about the weird things happening. It feels like it's something I would have been first in line to investigate."

Looking around at the place they're approaching, Annie feels concern that there might still be people out there. "How many people went missing?"

[1701]

"I'm not sure." One of the inns is safe, he knows that much from having met up with another refugee, and he shuffles them in to a courtyard so they can sit down and take stock of the situation. It's busy, and some of the locals coming and going seem to be concerned with disappearances as well, which should be at least halfway comforting. "There's not exactly a roster of all of us, and we wouldn't be able to know, when it comes to natives. Enough that the people here reached out for help, though. I think it's more of them than us, unfortunately."

Jim always feels kind of bad when the natives end up in ridiculous messes, since it's often related to the Natha's meddling. (Though spoilers lol it's a native deity's meddling this time!!)

[smithsonian]

Annie's instinct tells her that she needs to be out helping find others that might have gone missing and yet... having just recently been found herself, she's slightly afraid of wandering off and forgetting who she is again. So, the offer hovers there, but doesn't quite get verbalized. Not yet.

"How many people are out searching?" She turns to look at him, obviously concerned. He's doing just fine, apparently, but what about others? "Since the people that went looking for the missing are now missing, too, it could take forever before everyone's found."