August 2021 - Stuck in the Nets

[staymods]

Stuck in the Nets

The strange whispers at night have persisted throughout the month of August, only growing stronger with time. Whatever is out there, it's searching for something. Or perhaps someone?

But that is a secondary worry today. The biggest problem on hand is that something large appears to have gotten caught in one of the sea nets. It's hard to tell what it is at a distance, but it's trashing about and getting tangled up in the lines. Something needs to be done about this before the creature destroys too much of the netting.

But also, Otherworlders should move cautiously. As they go to investigate, they'll find that the air is still and lacks the ambient sounds usually found in nature. There are no bird calls, no buzzing insects, nothing. Just the sounds of splashing.

Comments

BIG OLD GROUP THREAD EVERYONE'S INVITED pre-This. Faust next, then no order

[ghoulserrand]

[Once Faust gets the word from Mauri and then passes the word to him, the only thing to do is to gather everyone else. No sense in wasting time. The voice that sounds in the evenings isn't going to be waiting to speak, after all.

He seeks everyone he can, everyone who's not from this world that he can tell. Please meet... in the town hall, He rasps. There's something... important... everyone needs to know. One person, then another, until he's fairly sure he's found everyone.

He moves to stand before the group, trying to steady himself for so much attention. But, with Faust at his side, it is divided between the both of them.]

Sorry to... take you all... from your work. But Faust and I... have something to... tell you all... We know what... the voice is... and... there's a reason... we've all been hearing it.

[relictus]

[Faust isn't thrilled to be addressing a group of people himself, but it could be worse. He can just pretend he's giving a training lecture. As it is, he sighs, and goes on to explain.]

To start with, what we've been hearing is a troll. Apparently the mages of this country are able to hear the whispers of trolls, which is dangerous as trolls can use their own magic abilities to manipulate mages. I would advise against answering it.

As for why we can hear it, it appears likely our souls were affected when we came to this world. It seems Finnish people have three souls, including the Luonto, which is an animal-shaped soul and how mages make use of magic. For humans- ...non-mages, it protects them from hearing the whispers of trolls.

That we now have this Luonto seems the most likely explanation for being able to hear trolls.

[...And that's it, or at least the important bits. But he and Teo are here to attempt to answer any questions.]

[maidofmistakes]

[Supergirl cringes and scuffs her foot on the ground.]

Thanks. I felt really bad for not checking it out, but I kind of got lectured a bunch already... I did try to figure some things out, though. Everything on that island over there goes quiet when the troll is calling out. Like they're trying not to be found. I know that's not really helpful. Sorry.

[maidofmistakes]

[Net trouble, huh? She's your girl. Well, maybe she just feels bad about not being able to investigate the troll earlier this month too much. Regardless, Supergirl knows that if she flies, it'll catch the attention of everyone on and off the island... but that's not the only way she can get around.

So she takes a deep breath and drops under the water, swimming in hopes to get a look at the mystery thing from underneath. Not having to come up for air will help... though with the nerf she's taken, who knows how long that'll last.

Or, if you want to hit Supergirl up before then, she'll be on the farm like usual, pulling up ripe vegetables, and she'll wave at you.]

Can you believe it's harvest already? I hope we managed to make enough to last.

[ghoulserrand]

[There's a moment where it seems like Faust is going to get into his human-wizard divide, earning a look (that's hidden anyway), but Faust corrects himself and carries on.

His tone is sympathetic when speaking to Supergirl. He shakes his head.]

I wouldn't... say that. It tells us... a lot. The trolls hunt... all prey. Equally dangerous... likely to infect... It will be good... in the future... if some trolls don't... call out to us first.

[If they're all conscious enough to plead, some are bound to be conscious enough to choose sneakier methods.]

[aono]

I guess that's why they're so serious about keeping 'em away from the island. Imagine if the voice was even closer.

[Rin counts himself as lucky that he has experience with not listening to whispers like that. Thanks, demons of his world.]

But if we're all immune then infection's not a risk, right? We just have to go out there and stamp 'em out.

[maidofmistakes]

Um... some of us aren't, though. [She sheepishly raises a hand.] At least, they said I wasn't when they put us all through tests. I guess it's not a normal virus, since I'm not supposed to be able to catch Earth diseases.

[ghoulserrand]

I don't know...that I'm immune either.

[It doesn't really matter if he is, but still. He's not angry, but he is frowning.]

Even for... the immune... infection is... always a risk... Even if you... don't turn... you can get sick... in other ways... or simply... be killed. Being eaten is... still a bad way to go.

[He'll leave the stamping out thing alone. It's not his place to argue that. Just pointing out the risk.]

[ghoulserrand]

[Hunting hasn't gone well today. Nothing is out of hiding, predator or prey. It's silent in a way even his world wasn't, and he already found that uncomfortable.

Trying his hand at fishing was the next best thing, but his hopes still aren't high. There's something out there, thrashing, and whatever it is it's scaring everything off.

Everything, except the girl who jumps on in. He stiffens and waits. She... doesn't come up for air.]

Supergirl...? Supergirl...!

[With a surge of panic and lack of thought, he throws off the leather jacket (containing his letter) and his goggles, and he jumps in.]

[maidofmistakes]

?

[Supergirl turns around in the water, sinking to the rocks below. She blinks and... awkwardly waves, starting to swim to the top and looking very much like she just got caught sneaking out after curfew.]

[ghoulserrand]

[Beneath the surface, his eyes slowly focus on her. With half his face still covered, he looks at her beneath the water with an expression that says what are you doing? She starts to swim up and he waits until she surfaces before joining her too.

He doesn't gasp for breath but he does wince at the light. Hopefully, she's not paying him too much mind.]

[aono]

[Oh. Welp.]

But if it's just one thing even I could go over quickly and take care of it, maybe? I fight demons all the time back home, this should be easy.

['Should be'. But he doesn't know that for certain.]

[ghoulserrand]

No.

[That time, his voice comes out so firm he actually has to cough after. Give him a minute.]

I... don't know what... demons are like... but you don't... understand the dead. These dead. It takes... one mistake... Never assume... It'll be easy... And especially... don't go alone.

[maidofmistakes]

[Supergirl gets to the top and treads water with a nervous laugh.]

Sorry... I didn't want to fly over to see, since it'd be too obvious. I want to get a look at what's stuck in the net.

[maidofmistakes]

I really hate to say it, but he might be right. I should be a lot more powerful, but any time I try to use my powers here, it only lasts a little while before I get worn out. Back home, I could lift a plane and fly it halfway around the world in a few hours. Now I pick up a couple of trees and take them to town, and I'm wiped. The same might've happened to you.

[aono]

Yeah, but...

[He makes an annoyed noise.]

We can't just leave it out there, right? It's just gonna keep trying to talk to us.

[ghoulserrand]

[Maybe he should have kept his goggles on. His eyes are aching right now, too much to do more than squint. He treads as well but he can't laugh with her.]

You know that... this is... riskier... for you... right?

[Flying over, she might be caught by someone on the island, sure. Swimming? She could be caught be something worse.]

You went out... alone... What if you were... killed? Better in trouble... than dead...

[maidofmistakes]

This is supposed to be fine! I... [sigh] Sorry. I figured trolls couldn't swim, or they'd have done it already. And if there's a monster or something, I could outswim it or fight it if I had to.

[ghoulserrand]

[He shakes his head. He points out to the nets.]

These aren't... for fish...or even... keeping us in. What they can't do... is fly.

[The thing that she can do.]

You're very strong... Supergirl... but... this won't help you... with them. They're infectious... You need... a weapon. Something with distance... Will you... come back to shore with me...?

[ghoulserrand]

[He glances over at Faust, then sighs uneasily.]

That's... true... the dead don't... tire the same... if there's other food... they might leave... but there's a lot here.

[And boy he hopes he doesn't sound hungry when he says that. He definitely sounds tired.]

Still... that doesn't mean... charging to meet it...

[maidofmistakes]

[She sighs and starts to swim back.] Okay. Sorry. I thought since that troll that keeps calling us is trying to get us over there, it couldn't come here.

[maidofmistakes]

But then what else do we do?

[ghoulserrand]

We don't know... for sure... [He'll admit that.] Could be... a different one... could be... some other thing... But it... might have just... not wanted to swim... and wanted to try to lure... before trying... I'd- [Do the same thing. Yeah, not saying that.] I don't swim much... myself...

[He follows after her. He's going to be soaked through now. But, it's better than letting her get hurt.

The moment he reaches shore he's going to slip his welding goggles back on.]

[maidofmistakes]

I guess. [She climbs onto the shore and starts wringing out her cape.] It feels useless not to be able to do anything, but I don't want to put any of you in danger. I have to protect you all.

[ghoulserrand]

[He lets out a raspy laugh, almost silent.]

You don't... need to do that...

[Definitely not for him. He doesn't bother trying to wring himself out. He'd have to take things off and that's not happening. Instead, he reaches for the bow and arrow he set down earlier when he went to fish.]

We don't have to... do nothing... we just need to... think things over more... See these...? These are something... that could help... guns... slingshots... spears... you want the distance... and you want... a group... people to... spot for you...