[this space reserved]

[dramatispersonae]

Characters: [by reservation]
Location: by the mushroom forest
Time: Day 177, just before the start of 11sies (forward-dated)
Description:

[There was a voice coming from here... it sounded familiar, somehow.]

Comments

[mingle]

[dramatispersonae]

Re: [mingle]

[gravitysrainbow]

[SOMEONE has been out wandering for... more than a day! By now he is looking pretty desperate— and following strange voices at the slightest hint of familiarity]

—Um- is that -- Frost? River? That's one of you guys, right--?

Re: [mingle]

[dramatispersonae]

[It seems to have been coming from... this direction...]

Re: [mingle]

[gravitysrainbow]

Guys—

[heading towards those voices without hesitating!]

Re: [mingle]

[fishpanties]

[A RIVAL APPEARS-!]

Hazel!

Re: [mingle]

[toolate]

[-!]

--Tch! Found you...!

Re: [mingle]

[gravitysrainbow]

[—looks up, and back, a bit startled]

—Berry —Drift?

Re: [mingle]

[fishpanties]

We've been looking all over for you!

[dramatispersonae]

Hello?

[Everyone can hear the voice... it definitely seems familiar. It sounds a little like it's calling for you.]

Hello?

[gravitysrainbow]

[—I KNEW IT]

—See? You hear that, right?

[toolate]

[--]

But that knight said . . .

[fishpanties]

Should we-?

[ALREADY STEPPIN' THAT WAY]

[gravitysrainbow]

Maybe the knight was wrong— they're definitely here, right? You heard it too.

[HEADIN' THAT WAY TOO]

[dramatispersonae]

[The voice drifts off, as if moving away, towards the treeline of the Mushroom Forest.]

[The words are hard to hear. But it might be asking for help . . .]

[toolate]

[........ well it's not like i don't normally listen to voices that may or may not exist or anything

yes we are following this thing, pricking up his ears]

--Can you hear from where--?

[fishpanties]

[Tilts her head.]

Ah. . . the forest?

[dramatispersonae]

[Then... from somewhere in Wonderland, a clock chimes.

It's elevenses.]

[gravitysrainbow]

[—oh I know that clock - rising from where he'd crouched down to touch the ink]

-- No way, not now--

[fishpanties]

[tightens her grip on her staff]

But—if they're really out here, we can't just leave them. . .!

[toolate]

--Both of you get moving! We can find them and go! Easy!

[dramatispersonae]

[And something seems to... shift.

Before you can move off, Enma finds his feet have become stuck in place in a blotch of darkness under him. Inky strands lift from the blotch and cling to his ankles.

They feel cold.]

[gravitysrainbow]

[wh-- T...TRYING TO PULL AWAY FROM THAT i have been here long enough to know that this is not good]

—You guys, um—

[fishpanties]

[Yeah. That. Uh. THAT AIN'T LOOKIN' SO HOT.]

Hazel—

[Makes a grab for one of his hands, and tries to tug him away]

[toolate]

[--scree no HELPING??]

[dramatispersonae]

[It howls.]

[It howls.]

[It fades...]