expiationlogs | Some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun.

Entry tags:

Some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun.

Who: Ethlyn and others
Where: Mostly around Aldrip
What: Open log for August!
Warnings: Probably thinking about her own death in here.

Keeping busy
[She's been feeling unsettled since last month's journey to the desert, so much so that part of her wishes she hadn't gone at all. That's not a very productive or mature feeling, in her opinion. Still it is there, dogging at her heels as she buys vinegar for the clinic, fruit for her kitchen, takes her boots to be mended after their punishment in the hot sands.

She's so focused on getting her tasks done that she's too busy checking her little list to realize she's about to walk right into another person--until it's too late to stop it.]

Oh no--! Sorry!!

More monsters more problems

[Ethlyn's already somewhat used to the wildness of the animals that live around town, but they've still been animals that she recognizes. She can handle precautions against wolves and wildcats and territorial deer.

What she's not expecting to see as she gathers medicinal herbs in the woods is a huge... mossy boulder... with eyes. And arms. And a froglike mouth. And disproportionately tiny little legs.

She's frozen for a moment until it lumbers past the clearing she's in, and then she backs away slowly.]

I have never see that before.

The voices

[Ethlyn is sleeping less than soundly in her room at the boarding house. This time the new arrivals aren't people--they're plants and animals, some benign and some frightening. Between that and other people's disturbing speculation on the plantlike colossus that attacked the town in May, she's been somewhat on edge.

She's sure it's only the remnants of a dream when she hears a familiar voice--but then it comes again as her eyes fully open. She hasn't heard that voice in months. The last time she did...

She's up and out of bed in a moment, pulling on her boots over bare feet, throwing a coat over her nightdress, her sword in one hand and her staff as she pelts downstairs and out the front door. Quan's voice, calling her name away towards the meadows, and she doesn't hesitate to hurry and find it.]

Quan! Where are you!

Wildcard!

[None of these starters suit? Hit me with your own, or hit me up in the discord, via PM, or @

compassinks to plot something out!]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Leanne spends a lot of time in the woods, for obvious reasons. she'd been studying the mossy boulder herself, trying to consider if it might be a friendly or unfriendly sort of monster.

she didn't hear Ethlyn come up though, and she starts a bit before looking over at the other woman.]

I've never seen it either. It doesn't really seem to be harmful... but I haven't messed with it.

[for good reason.]

[ There are nights when Marianne can't sleep well, plagued by her restless thoughts and worries. When she does manage to close her eyes, sometimes she dreams of a monster. Sometimes the monster takes the shape of the collosus that had rampaged the town not so long ago. Sometimes she is the monster itself.

So it's not completely unusual for her to be out in the dead of night, a lantern in one hand and the other clutching her shawl to her as she gets a breath of fresh air and gathers herself. What is unusual is the sound of someone else awake. A voice that she even recognizes, calling out into the darkness. ]

Ethlyn...?

I think that's wise. Every time it opens its mouth, I can't help but be struck by how many teeth it has.

[And try as she might, she can't shake the thought that a person could quite easily fit into that mouth in just a couple of bites.]

At first I was afraid it was like the monster that attacked the town, but it doesn't seem malevolent. Or even, [and she drops her voice in case she's wrong about this one--] all that intelligent.

[Ethlyn is so focused on following her husband's voice that she's taken for a complete start when she hears one belonging to another--even one as gentle as Marianne.]

Ah! [She presses a hand over her heart as it pounds.] Marianne--did you hear him too?

I don't hear anything...

[ Marianne shivers in the dark and not because of the cold. Though all is quiet around her, she doesn't doubt what Ethlyn's heard. There had been a time when Marianne, too, heard voices whispering to her, a terrible call and a prequel to the crisis that then struck Aldrip. She doesn't want to think the same thing is happening to her friend. Cautiously, she ventures a question. ]

What does he sound like?

[she nods a little.]

At least it doesn't seem to be a carnivore... or it doesn't seem to care much for people.

[she looks at it again, as it keeps lumbering away from them. at least given the construction of the monster, she feels like it might be easy to control. if it really was just a ton of rock...]

No, it doesn't, on both accounts. [do they... actually get a break????] I wonder where all of these creatures started coming from...

[ Though getting accustomed to life with one arm in a sling wasn't quite as difficult as Sigma was afraid it would be, he may have still overestimated how much he could carry for this week's groceries. It's not a huge amount or anything, but adjusting so he can look at his own list leaves him open to colliding with other innocent people checking theirs.

Oops. Down goes his bag despite his best attempts to recover. ]

Shit, sorry! Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going...!

[Ethlyn finds herself twining her fingers together. He's gone quiet for now, but the sound of that voice was unmistakable.]

His voice is deep, but not overly so... determined, and forthright. [It isn't a very tangible quality compared to pitch, but Quan has always been decisive--the way he speaks leaves no doubt of his resolution.] You didn't hear him while you were out here?

[If Ethlyn heard him call, surely Marianne must have...]

There have always been dangerous animals beyond the town, but this is the first time I've seen something quite so... fantastical. It seems like they've started to show up after our journey to the desert.

[The gooboue turns, and Ethlyn draws in her breath sharply. She hadn't kept her voice low enough there--and now it's lumbering towards them, although it seems to be in no great hurry.]

...We might get the chance to see if it can answer a question.

Woah—

[Serah's getting her own supplies, juggling some and looking away just for a moment as something shifts uneasily out of the bag, but suddenly there's someone right there—]

Oof...! [When she looks up, she notices...] Ethlyn, are you all right?

[ Determined and forthright. That's quite different from the voice of temptation Marianne had heard, but she doesn't know if she can breathe out a sigh of relief just yet. ]

No, it's been quiet.

[ A pause as she contemplates how to put this. She can't be certain what's happening, but what she knows is that she doesn't want to leave Ethyln alone right now. ]

The last time I heard voices, it was because of the brand. Um, you haven't experienced anything strange lately, have you?

Yes... maybe they triggered something while they were out there?

[when the monster starts towards them, Leanne takes a step out in front of Ethlyn in the case she needed protection from the creature.

she looks over her shoulder to glance at Ethlyn.]

Let me speak to it. Okay?

[Oh nooo! Ethlyn backpedals too late, and all it does is afford her a good view of this poor fellow's groceries crashing to the ground. And that gives her a good view of his injured arm, which makes her feel even worse.

She hastily sets her own bag down and starts to pick up his things.]

No, no, it's my fault! My head was in the clouds--are you all right? I didn't hurt your arm, did I?

[A chill runs through Ethlyn, and it has nothing to do with the night air.

Her first instinct is to say no, of course not, because the idea of going through what Marianne and Noel did is horrifying. But that's not a very responsible way to react. She has to seriously consider the matter, ask herself if there was more to this than the sound of a yearned-for voice.]

No... no, I don't believe so. [she agonizes for a moment. but... marianne knows. marianne knows what happened.] But I haven't... felt exactly right since going to the desert.

Y-yes... [Oh goodness, how mortifying. Ethlyn's face is almost as pink as her hair as she backtracks hurriedly, clutching her to-do list so hard that it's crumpling.] Are you? Did I break anything in your shopping?

[What if she broke something! Oh no, it wasn't eggs was it!]

[Ethlyn's eyebrows lift. She knows that while she and the others were in the desert, the Chosen here noticed strange behavior on the part of the locals. So it's plausible that there were other effects arising at the same time.]

Hm... perhaps while the locals were freezing up, things like this were coming awake.

[She gives another apprehensive look at the walking boulder and then to Leanne. Leanne's spoken of being able to shape the earth with her magic, so Ethlyn nods, and takes a step back.]

All right. If it can talk, I'm sure your powers will help.

[ First instinct is to crouch down so he can help her pick everything up, what with it all being his anyway, but once he's down there he's reminded that the only arm he has to work with is the one that was holding the bag. So now he's just on the ground with her, waving his good hand dismissively. ]

Oh no, not at all! I'm perfectly fine. I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?

[ Let's see, the fruit can handle a little bit of dirt, he didn't pick up eggs this trip--oh. A small jar of honey's made a nice imprint in the loaf of bread. That's. Fine, probably... ]

Maybe...

[she considers it for a moment as it walks up towards her. she raises her hands in a peaceful gesture, taking a deep breath before releasing it again.]

Can you speak?

[she asks the monster, as it stops in front of them. it makes its own... sort of growling noise at her.

it's unsure whether it's threatening her or not.]

[ The desert...that had been where the fairies were taking people. They called it a blighted area. Marianne isn't surprised to hear that Ethyln had jumped to answer the fairies' call. She's always put the well-being of others before her own. It worries her to think that Ethyln in her selflessness may have put herself in danger. Because the curse that inflicted Marianne before, that had also begun with nothing more than an odd "feeling". ]

Did something happen in the desert?

No, no, you're good I think! I thought I could see around everything, but I guess not. Sorry.

[She smiles a little sheepishly as she sets her own things down to help grab anything that Ethlyn may have dropped.]

...are you sure you're okay? You seem... [Hmm. Stressed? Distracted?] Like you have your mind on something else.

[Ethlyn shakes her head, an automatic response. No, nothing... nothing happened. She faced down some specters with William, but his benediction put them to rest before they could do any harm. The rest of the trip had been unsettling, of course--a town abandoned in such an eerie way couldn't be anything else. But it wasn't like a few months ago with the brands and the monster.]

It was mostly just investigating an old town that had been abandoned. There were some 'infected' beings at night--they had brands like the ones from--a few months ago. [Like the one Marianne had suffered, and Ethlyn winces at the inelegant way she says it.] But they didn't touch me.

[She sounds less certain, though. Ethlyn's long since learned that there are many ways that disease can spread, and air is one of those ways. Is it possible that the specters did pass something on, and it's only starting to have an effect now?]

I'm glad you weren't injured.

[ A troubled expression crosses Marianne's face to hear about the existence of other branded, however. It frightens her to think the curse is spreading, affecting other areas and even her friends who had been fine before. She wrests briefly with her pessimistic thoughts, reminding herself not to jump to conclusions. Hadn't she decided to try and look forward for a change? Ethlyn would be alright. She mustn't let her dark thoughts overwhelm her, or she'll be the one unable to sleep at night. ]

I hope it's nothing to do with the brands. Maybe...maybe you're just tired?

Whoa!

[ A problem with carrying a bow and arrows around, as well as various sharp metal things, is that collisions can be a greater problem -- such as in this case, as his buckle bumps up against the jug of vinegar, emptying its contents over Claude's front. Even here, Claude dresses as though he's reluctant to let anyone else know that he does, in fact, possess a body underneath his clothing, which means there's an awful lot of fabric to get soaked. He raises his arms to either side, staring down at the vinegar dripping off his clothing and pooling at his feet. He wrinkles his nose as he sniffs, then glances up at Ethlyn, his brow raised. ]

Ethlyn, I know you'd like to preserve my dashing good looks, but I don't think pickling me is the way to go about it.

[Oh, no. Oh, how mortifying.

For a terrible moment, all Ethlyn can do is stare at how saturated Claude is now. Then she clumsily pulls a roll of paper towels out of her bag and tears a huge wad of sheets off to hand to him.]

I'm so sorry! [water would be embarrassing enough, but she knows that vinegar can really leave a mark if you let it sit.] Come on, we should go rinse it out in the river.

[With the vinegar still dripping out of the bottom of her bag, she takes his arm to lead him towards the river. She's the one who caused this problem, so it's her job to fix it.]

[A couple of things did tumble out of Ethlyn's bag, and she shoots Serah a grateful--and embarrassed--look as she bends down to pick up a handful of pencils and a notebook.]

It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention.

[Her hand goes still when Serah asks if her mind is elsewhere. The word no is ready to fall out of her mouth, but Ethlyn knows that isn't true. There's something, she just isn't sure how to put it into words.]

I guess I'm not feeling my usual self lately. I'm not sure why--I just keep thinking about what we saw in the desert. Were you there?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 3

Some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun.

monsters

voices

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Keeping Busy

no subject

no subject

keeping busy

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

keeping busy!

no subject

no subject