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soddersays2019-07-27 01:49 pm
sodder) wrote in soddersays2019-07-27 01:49 pm
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AUGUST 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME
AUGUST 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME
Welcome to August's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: DYSTOPIAN HORROR.
All Test Drive Memes contain at least one clue to the Deerington's upcoming in-game events for the month! Keep your eyes peeled! But...not literally.
Characters may die during TDMs, but you do not need to count it towards a game-canonical death unless you want to. Consider it a freebie. All TDMs can be considered game canon as TDMs introduce minor aspects about the world of Deerington that can be revisited by characters later on in the game. You may also use TDMs for your application writing sample as well as AC.
CW: Physical violence, monster violence, creepy ogre-like monster in link, being hunted by a monster.
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!
BLOOD IN MY VEINS
With supplies low and food getting even more scarce, things in Deerington, Maine seem to be getting that much more tense. For those who pay attention to the habits of the townspeople, there’s something that might add to that feeling of stress; all of them seem to be involved in some kind of physical training, whether it’s archery, hand-to-hand combat, or fighting with firearms, they all seem like they’re getting ready for something and it definitely feels like it might be something big.But no one wants to train against a townsperson - it’s highly likely they’re not going to fight fair with the way they’re all glaring at the Sleepers, as though they’re to blame for everything that’s been going on. Unless you’re sparring with people in your own backyard though, it seems like there isn’t any space to get your own training in.
The Betties are starting to pop up around town pretty regularly, waiting until they find Sleepers on their own, and quietly waving for them to come closer. “You need to prepare,” they’ll whisper to you in hushed urgency, before grabbing your hand to try and get you to follow them. If you fight, they’ll insist only once more, before leaving you alone. But there’s something inside of you urging you to comply and follow.
They’ll lead you down an alley, pushing aside a large dumpster, and revealing a trap door in the middle of the concrete. You’ve never noticed it before, even if you’ve been down this alley a hundred times. The Betty leading you leans down, pulling it open, and the ladder that goes into the tunnel is long and dimly lit. You could leave now, but the Betty will insist this is for the best.
“Knock twice. No more or less. Show them what you’re made of.”
Once you get to the bottom of the ladder, there’s an equally long hallway that leads towards a closed metal door. You knock twice and the door shakes before sliding open. The light that comes through is almost blinding with how bright it is compared to the dim tunnel, but as your eyes adjust, you can finally step in to a fully stocked training room.
There are instructors in basics for beginners, areas for intermediate, and most abundantly there are one-on-one sparring areas. The moment you come close enough, you’ll be immediately paired with another Sleeper, and the two of you will be locked in the room together to be observed. You could choose to not fight, of course, but you’ll be stuck there for a good long while if you do. It might be best to just get it over and done with.
So feel free to help others who seem to be struggling or show off your strength for everyone to see. It looks like everyone is going to need to be ready for some kind of fight.
I AM THE GREAT UNKNOWN
Maybe you got knocked out during a fight or maybe you fell asleep in your own bed - or maybe you don’t even remember closing your eyes at all, especially if you don’t usually have the ability to go unconscious for one reason or another. No matter the cause, everyone will wake up in the same place, surrounded by tall, thick hedges in the middle of a... maze?It doesn’t take you long to realize you aren’t the only one waking up, too. Someone is next to you and it seems like you’re stuck finding your way out of here together. Literally. On each of your wrists is a metal cuff with a long chain connecting them. It can’t be broken, no matter how strong a person is or how powerful a weapon or spell they try to use against it. You’re in this together whether you want to be or not.
Once you can pick a direction to head in, it seems like this might almost be boring - that is until you start to hear the sounds of rustling leaves and breaking twigs. At first it seems like it might just be a trick to spook you, but the more you ignore it, the louder it gets, until finally you see it, charging down the row at you, scythe raised and ready to strike.
You can try to fight, of course, but it’s hard when you’re chained to one another. Learn to work together quickly and maybe you can make it work. It seems to go down with normal attacks, though it takes a long time to get the creature to fall unless you cut off the head. Ultimately your best interest might be set in running as fast as you can to get away. You can lose it in the maze if you’re quick about it. But then you might also be lost yourself.
If you do manage to lose the monster rather than killing it, stay quiet and you might not attract its attention again. It may take a while to find the end of the maze. The hedges feel like they stretch on forever and the sun is blaring down. You’d think there would be shade with all the height of the bushes, but there’s no relief from the heat. Hopefully you don’t burn easy.
When you get to the end of the maze, the two of you will come up on three doors. One door will lead out of the maze and back into the center of Deerington, cuff free. Another door will lead you right back to the beginning, forcing you to start again. And what’s behind door number three...?
The monster, of course.
Choose wisely.
Character Arrival
You can read how all characters arrive in Deerington here.There is not a collective "all these characters showed up at the exact same moment" occurrence in Deerington. Since characters fall asleep, die, or pass out at various times throughout all their worlds, it wouldn't make too much sense if they arrived in game all at the exact same time. There should be some discrepancy between character arrival, whether by a couple minutes, hours, or even days up to a week.
The players are entirely in control of how/when they want to play their characters arriving in Deerington. For TDMs, you can play it like your character has just arrived and that can be maintained as your game canon, or you can wait until game events for that moment. Or you don't need to acknowledge it at all. The flexibility for character allows a bit more of an organic feel to the character arrival situation, so please play it to whatever feels right for you.
If you are interested in having an "arrival" introduction for one of your TDM prompts, you are more than welcome to explore that option.
merlin | ...merlin (bbc)
[ He is not here to impress anyone with any shows of 'what he's made of', as the woman at the entrance way had encouraged him with. Merlin is, for better or for worse, not too unfamiliar with being tasked strange things by unknown people using cryptic wording; but he's never been directed to a dungeon for...what, training? Fighting to the death? No one was very specific before handing him a wooden training sword and encouraging him into a room.
Merlin's dressed in old-fashioned (to put it mildly) linen and wool, all of it hanging off a gangly young frame. He's holding the sword at his side, his open hand out in front of him as soon as he spots the sparring opponent coming into the room. ]
No, listen, I'm not— really into this stuff. Swords and things. Might want to go find a new partner. [ Merlin is used to fearing for his life, sure, but he's also always had a real ace up his sleeve in the form of his magic. It's just that he'd very, very much like to keep that a secret in this new, foreign world. So while he seems uncomfortable, he doesn't seem terribly scared of whoever's come in to join them: regardless of how big or how armed they are. ]
i am the great unknown.
[ Merlin isn't actually afraid of the labyrinth, either, until he realizes that secretly trying to unlock the manacles when his new partner's back is turned...doesn't work. Whatever did this, it's more powerful than Merlin is - or at least knows about spells he's not familiar with undoing.
That doesn't bode well.
Well, and neither does... ] ...Did you hear that? [ He's only pitching his voice a little quieter to ask it, sorry. But yeah, stranger-whose-name-he-maybe-just-learned, did you hear the ominous sound of branches snapping, back behind you? ]
feel free to PM to plot, or hit me up at
closed for ben dearborn, the unluckiest man in the universe (cw: gore)
If his breaths sound a bit rattled, and if he ends up having to use one hand to smear some wetness off his face once he's done taking a moment, then at least no one's here to see it, right? Since he'd been alone upon exiting the labyrinth?
Except that when Merlin goes to move both hands back down to his sides, he realizes it's not just his left hand that's rattling and chained. No, as he blinks and looks around himself and sees the high hedged walls again, Merlin jerks his hand and accidentally tugs hard on the wrist of the new person he's attached to. ] No, [ he pants. Merlin's had a bad day after a series of very strange, unfortunate ones. There's splattered blood on his face, although not many visible wounds. It looks more like he ran head-first into the shrubbery, rather than got into a fight.
His left arm, however, is coated in blood. And at the end of it, dangling off the handcuff attached to his own wrist, is...another wrist. With a hand and very little arm left attached to it.
Merlin's magic couldn't unlock the manacles, unfortunately, but it hadn't kept him from severing off the part of the dead body he hadn't been able to run while still attached to. ] No no no, not again.
with Merlin as a close runner-up
Ben's only just started. as in, right now, as his arm gets yanked suddenly, jerking him awake, inadvertently hissing when something pulls his arm. he hums lowly, almost a groan, and he turns over on the rough dirt...
dirt?
Ben jolts awake, eyes down at the ground. ground, not the couch he let himself nod off on, and then around to his surroundings. somehow, they're even more foreign to him than the dirt underneath him.
he breathes out sharply, a 'what?' that too-quickly withered before it could make it to his lips, when the voice over his head pulls all of his tumbling focus up to one central point.
he finds blood.
a lot of it. )
Jesus— ( Ben scrambles up to his feet in a dizzying instant, all instinct, no decided direction whether he will stand right here, or if he will run in the opposite direction...
until he sees the manacles connecting them.
the younger man reels with devastation, and Ben stares openly. confused to hell, sure, but his socially-intuitive instincts are well functional, and the other man pins him in place more securely than the shackles chaining them manages. he has questions, don't you worry, but he only struggles with his options shortly before lifting a pair of tentative hands up to him. Ben seems to want to grab the boy by the shoulders, except...that's a lot of blood. )
Hey— you all right? Are you hurt? ( the younger man is absolutely a stranger to Ben as much as this sudden setting change is, and he has to take the moment to settle into is footing. head swimming with the last vestiges of sleep, Ben starts to put logical pieces together. is he back in the Great Sleep, perhaps? does the other know? when he asks, it's with an understandably tentative measure. ) Do you know where we are?
no subject
Deposited back in the maze again, Merlin knows he probably still can't rely on magic to help track the creature in it. And now there's another person attached to him. Another body to collect the attention of the—
Merlin staggers back a step when the stranger lunges for him, but he recognizes intent quick enough, even while he's blinking the last of his frustrated tears off his face. ] Yeah— yeah, I'm fine, it's not— [ Merlin's voice is unsteady at first, but he pauses and swallows and then settles into place a bit more sturdily, visibly bracing himself. The stranger's hands hover over his shoulders and Merlin reads the kindness in that gesture, even if he doesn't want it, can't conceive it, right now. ] It's not...my blood. Most of it, anyway.
[ At the question, Merlin shakes his head, but he's got an answer regardless. ] No, there wasn't anyone who announced this place like the underground— training grounds, I don't even know if this is Deerington still, but there's a— a creature here. It got—
[ And here, Merlin shifts his left hand, looks down at it with discomfort. He doesn't lift it up to show its gruesome trophy off, though. Blood freckles the ground from the wrist's stump anyway. ] It got the man attached to me last time I went through this place.
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you can't call that a terrible joke since Ben hasn't noticed, yet.
he's assured by the knowledge that the boy isn't covered in his own blood, pints of it, really. then, it begs the question — if it's not the other man's blood, then...whose is it?
Ben doesn't understand the bit about the training grounds, but he knows what Deerington is, which is a good sign. maybe? consistency is good, right?
he can't help but groan tiredly. ) Bloody creatures again, I swear I will never yearn to encounter anything as exciting as...
( whatever Ben's thought was supposed to be...it's gone, now. he stops and watches where the other man turns his attention to, down to his free arm where...
where—
there's
another hand.
Ben's mouth gapes open as the other man, fully aware, explains the presence of the very much severed hand and the absolute absence of the rest of the hand's original owner. it's a wonder how Ben's eyes don't roll up into the meat of his brain, as he's struck with an intense, full-body heat. nausea hits him like an iron pipe, sending him to turn away as much as the chain between them will grant him. a hand goes up to cover his mouth, pressing desperately against his lips, urging all of his feelings and stomach contents to stay within his body, )
...I see. ( said tensely through a thick-sounding throat. ) And — what did this...creature...look like? ( so that Ben knows to immediately fly in the opposite direction should they come across it again. )
no subject
Merlin doesn't blame this guy looking like he's about to gag, basically. Merlin's just about there with him. He's wondering if he can't maybe tug the hand free, now that he's gone through a doorway and isn't two feet from becoming a really angry creature's lunch. ] ...Big. And-- troll-y. But not an actual troll, it wasn't big enough for that. [ Spoken like trolls are just something one often sees and can compare other, smaller giant beings to. For all the secrets Merlin's intended to keep, he's got a lot of things to candidly discuss that are going to sound at least as wild as 'hi, hello, I'm a sorcerer'. ]
And it's, uh. [ How to put this delicately... Merlin shifts, uncomfortable and looking away a moment, but he's actually pretty keen on eye contact regardless of the fact that the stranger's turned away from him. ] Hungry.
[ The guy attached to Merlin? Was pretty lucky he died quick. ]
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wonderful.
Ben is just sitting here assuming this semi-troll is to blame for all of that gore, and primarily the severed limb bit. of which he can't make himself look at a second time. he's watched people's skin melt and roil, he's seen unnatural teeth descend through human gums, jaws unhinge, and people bend backward. despite his unsettling, stomach-turning experiences, Ben can really only handle so much at once.
he thinks he's settled his nerves, at least well enough to stand assured that he isn't about to pass out. he sighs, short but grounding. all right...so, what is the game, here? )
It looks like a hedge maze. ( from what little detail Ben has scraped around in a few desperate glances, facing these tall, shrub-like walls, and seeing how the paths bend at rigid, 45-degree turns. ) I presume we're in it's territory. Have I hit a mark? ( said with all of the weary burden of a man who knows how to put context clues together with some measure of accuracy. oh, how hard it is to be right so often in your life. )
How were you able to get away from it, then? ( the boy is here shackled to him, now, and Ben is no maze-troll. where did the damned thing go, then? )
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Merlin would like this puzzle a lot more if he hadn't watched it eat a man a few moments prior, unfortunately. ] Yeah, you're right. Dunno if it made this place or if it's just stuck here too, though.
[ And then the question he should have expected; how'd Merlin get out scot-free if the other guy didn't make it? Merlin's expression shutters in a way that might seem like trauma, but is in fact an old fear come to surface. Selfish and selfless all at once: don't get discovered as a sorcerer, stay alive, stay where you can help Arthur. ] Uh, I just-- [ He looks away, reflexively goes to pick at his sleeve and jingles the hand hanging off his left arm, and stops the movement with a wince. ] Went through a doorway. We'd...we'd made it to the end of the maze when it caught up to us. But I...
I just ended up here again. At the beginning, with a new person. [ Merlin looks back at the other man, as he remembers the important part, the only part with much hope to it. ] But-- but there were three doors. Maybe I picked the wrong one.
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which is apparently...sheer, dumb luck. )
All right. ( dejected but accepting of this bizarre, terrifying predicament. three doors, at the end of the maze, and a monster on the loose. Ben sighs, earnest in his weariness, slipping a hand into his pocket. )
Here. ( a cloth handkerchief is extended out, woefully white. Ben doesn't expect to get it back after this, given how much blood is on this younger man's face. it's fine. Ben doesn't want it back. ) Come to think of it, we could use some of that...blood...on your, to mark our path. We need all the time that we can steal before that thing finds us.
And now is a great time to mention if you happen to be a— er— wizard or someth—
( something shifts against the evergreen walls, branches and needles sighing sharply under a rough contact. it's then that Ben notices the distinct sound of...footfalls, heavy ones, large ones.
and then, a hissing sort of growl.
Ben's face has already shattered back into something startled, uneasy, very unhappy. he looks to the other with a pointed anticipation, because...well. only one of them has done this, before. quietly, but not quietly enough: ) ...Let me guess.
no subject
[ But then Ben suggests blood to mark the trail. It's ingenious, really, and Merlin hadn't thought of it yet, but that doesn't edit out any of the way his nose scrunches with distaste. ] That's— disgusting. [ But he'll do it. If it's rubbing blood on leaves to ensure survival, he'll do it.
All of that goes out the window when this man says wizard. Merlin feels his heart skip a beat, and he involuntarily straightens up and leans away. ] 'Course I'm not a—
[ Which is when both of them get to hear it. Oh, no. Merlin's expression is stricken, and his heart sinks. ] ...No. It's too early. [ Last time, Merlin had been right near the exit with the poor man he'd watched die. He hadn't needed to use magic in front of someone who might live.
Even if this man might not know Arthur or have a way of communicating with him yet, the fear of being discovered is a terrifying one to try to ignore. Merlin acts on instinct, comes closer to Ben while trying to gather their chain in his own hands. It clanks together, but as it's muffled by his hands as he goes, it might become clear why he's doing this. ] Quiet. [ He's whispering now, urgent and not at all afraid of the sudden forced proximity of gathering up all their (loud) chain. ]
We have to move. Now.
blood.
Pfft, do I look like a gladiator to you?
[She seems to find her own comment amusing, and gives a little snort-laugh.]
I just let them drag me in here 'cause it's freaking hot outside.
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...Yeah, I'd been wondering about that. [ The modern wonder that is air conditioning, he means. ] We're not that far underground, but it's...a lot cooler in here.
[ Who knows what marvel could explain that observation! Merlin assumes the answer isn't important, and so he's moving on, putting his wooden training sword back on the rack on the wall. ]
i am the great unknown.
She's said little to him, other than her name and the obvious 'we need to get out of here'. She's too occupied in her thoughts. But Merlin's voice cuts through and she stops, turning to look back.
There's nothing to be seen, though. And in the silence that follows she frowns, shaking her head. ]
Maybe the deer. They wander around sometimes, they watch over us. [ It's possible, but even more so: ] Or maybe someone else is trapped in the maze with us. I've learned lately that we all get thrown in this sort of thing together.
no subject
Merlin's busy staring back over his shoulder, trying his hardest to feel with his magic without actually activating it. The last thing he needs is golden eyes tipping off a new person to something being off about him. It's just that-- his magic feels odd, here. Like the feedback is too loud and too quiet all at once, like Merlin can't actually adjust the dial himself anymore. He certainly can tell they're surrounded by magic, but it feels like a roomful of people all shouting directions at him at once. The only thing he can tell so far is 'loud'. ]
The deer seemed friendly, back in the town. [ He's agreeing, but still on high-alert, watching around them. Until her last suggestion, when he chances looking back at her. He looks just the slightest bit soothed by that idea. ] ...Maybe. Maybe we ought to find them, first. Maybe that's the...trick to the maze. More people. We already started with two.
[ Makes about as much sense as anything else going on, right? ]
no subject
He's... a little strange, she thinks. She hasn't gotten a real feel for him but he seems closed off, despite his friendliness. It might be in part to do with him being so new here - but maybe not. ]
They're really the only thing that's friendly here. [ She's quiet for a moment, considering. ] The townfolk don't seem to like us, especially at the moment with what's going on. The Betties aren't so bad, I suppose. But the deer... they're special. They're not like normal deer.
Okay. [ She nods, looking back at him for a moment, it's a good idea, really. She raises her hand, gently tugging the chain as if to coax him to keep walking. ] We're stronger when there's more. We can keep heading this way, maybe we'll come across them on the way.
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The deer, though. He'd have to agree with the OA. He's even nodding as he continues looking around them, waiting for the sound to repeat itself. ] Wish the deer'd show up here...
[ Maybe they would help. But maybe they can't. If magical creatures like the deer can't come in to assist, that can't be a good sign, can it? Or is this meant as some kind of test? Not for the first time, Merlin wishes he had someone to consult with about what he's meant to do here. What the purpose is. Has he been sidetracked somehow? Or is this supposed to happen?
He's distracted again, worrying at the hem of his free sleeve, when the OA tugs at the chain on his opposite wrist. He jerks in place, surprised but digging his heels in for a reflexive moment, before he sighs and starts moving after her. ] Might work better if we knew where we're even headed. [ Grumbling, even though it's no one's fault. ] Wonder if we could climb the hedges, get a look over them.
[ Which is about the time he-- feels something again. Something magical, unless it's the weird white noise he's been blasted with since arriving. Merlin jerks to look to his right, a movement he'd try to hide since he's walking behind the OA...except that it jangles the chains.
He has to play it off, so he starts with a vague, ] Think I heard-- [ When suddenly, there's the undeniable sound of something growling nearby. ]
no subject
She smiles wanly in agreement. She'd like them to be here too. But they're not and there's nothing they can really do about that part of their situation. Maybe they'll show up in time - she can only hope. But maybe there's places they can't go - like in the Great Sleep. The deer had been watching over them as they all slept, but none had crossed over into the dreaming. ]
Better to keep moving than stand and wait - at least we're doing something that way. [ Grumble all you want, Merlin. She'll pay you no mind. ] That's--
[ She's silenced by the chains jangling, Merlin's voice and the growl coming in quick succession. She stops suddenly, looking back at Merlin, at behind them. Her gaze moves quickly between him and the depths of the maze. Raising her hand to silence him, she quickly closes her eyes. Being blind was powerful, she relied on her other senses more and everything became more intense.
She listens carefully. Something is moving. Something big. Her expression changes, this can't be good. She breathes out her next words, barely above a whisper: ]
We need to go.
no subject
Merlin's about to ask something like 'what's next' or 'please tell me you've been hiding a sword under that weird tunic you're wearing' when the simple, universal hand gesture silences him. He chews on his lip, watching her shut her eyes and focus in a way that slowly pricks his attention. Is she...just listening? Or doing something extra? Surely she wouldn't just use magic in front of him? Except, well...there's probably not anyone else from Camelot here, is there.
The words send his spine stiffening, shoulders hunching down. Merlin shifts to take a step towards her, and the chains - naturally - begin jangling together. His immediate instinct is to grab them and muffle the sound, which of course clanks his manacle against them for a blood-freezing moment before he catches enough of them that they can't move enough to chime together like a bloody alarm bell. ]
Right behind you. [ Except not really, because it's more of beside her, by now, with all his hurry in getting them moving forward. If they're lucky, they can somehow make this the world's quietest race. ]
no subject
Whatever's out here in the maze with them makes a sound of recognition. It knows they're here, somewhere amongst the hedges. OA lets out a tiny breath - not scared but somewhat anxious. She quickly makes a grab for the chain and manacles close to her too, collectively trying to gather it up so it doesn't rattle. OA doesn't know exactly what the creature is but she isn't keen to find out and if playing the game silently is how they'll have to do it then that's how it'll have to be.
At the very least, she knows how to move quietly. Her voice is still hushed as she makes sure the chains in her hands are steady and muffled. ] Hurry, but don't run. Walk as if the ground is ice - like it would shatter beneath you if step too hard.
[ She nods, as if to ask do you understand? before she starts to move, her own footfalls light but quick in pace. She might not know where to go to escape but at the very least they can move far from whatever's here and take a break to try and re-orientate themselves to find an exit. ]
no subject
But the surreal sensation of being the one under watch, the one hoping to be trained...that had been odd. ]
Spend a lot of time sneaking around? [ But Merlin does as he's told - for once in his life. He's careful with his steps, still making considerably more noise than his new partner. He watches her feet, her legs, tries to mimic her with the inexpert attempts of a man who hasn't...done a whole lot of hunting and tracking.
There's the sound of snuffling behind them, like a great big steer shaking its head and snorting. Merlin jostles their shoulders together as they walk, very keen on keeping the loose portion of their chain as short as possible so it can't jangle. ]
no subject
Mm, some sneaking. I guess I've had some extra practice at stumbling around in the dark.[ Being blind could make her clumsy at times, she had to learn how to move her body sometimes. Strange environments often proved difficult to manoeuvre around - but she could eventually master those spaces in time. She's learned to move carefully - and it has helped her with some sneaking, admittedly.
They round a corner, then another, quickly and carefully picking their way around the hedge maze. It's only after several minutes of quietly trying to get far away from the creature does OA stop, tired from being tense and concentrating on her movements.
She gives herself a moment to catch her breathing. She's still quiet when she speaks, not wanting to tempt fate too much: ]
Do you think we lost it?
no subject
But it's helpful, clearly. They turn corner after corner of leafy maze, the sort of thing that'd be charming if it were full of children in autumn and which is just ominous, here and now. Merlin thinks of the last time someone he knew had been lead into a labyrinth... ]
Hope so. [ Spoken without sarcasm, this time. ] Seen it once, that was plenty. And I don't think it's as good at sneaking as you ar—
[ Merlin cuts himself off as there's the distinct sound of sniffing nearby, and then rushing footsteps. Pounding ones, really. Merlin stiffens in place, staring back behind them to where the noise is coming from, up until he swings back to look at The OA. ]
Hide or run? [ They could press up against the wall at the edge of this fork and hope it runs on ahead without glancing to the side, or...they could pick one of the forks to run down, and hope it chooses the other.
Merlin asks like he's expecting input, but he's also clearly edging towards the left hand side, clearly wanting to run. ]
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She keeps low as Merlin reacts, her body tensing as his does - so much she can already feel her muscles starting to act. Her gaze looks back and she can feel sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach. This isn't good. ]
Hide. [ She shakes her head. She can sense Merlin wants to opt for the latter option but she has a feeling running for it is a bad option. And how far could they even run for? What if they run straight into a dead end? The running will be for nothing.
They have to be smarter. Let the monster run blind, not them. Her free hand reaches for Merlin's - she may not like being touched but in this moment, she needs to keep him rooted, stop him from taking flight. She takes his hand and holds it, peering at him intently as she whispers: ] You honestly think you can outrun it if it sees us? Sometimes it's smarter to hide.