APRIL 2021 TEST DRIVE MEME

[sodder]

APRIL 2021 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to April's Test Drive Meme!

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: Ghosts, talk of suicide, drowning, violence, zombie-like humans, blood
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

THE LADY IN WHITE

Swamps are hardly pleasant place during the day, but at night, they’re even worse. The creeping fog, the full moon, the overall sense of dread... None of it makes you feel comfy cozy and ready to pitch up a tent for the evening. You want to get out of here quickly, but it’s hard to see too far in front of you and it’s easy to end up straying off the path. As if alligators and poisonous snakes weren’t enough to worry about, there’s a chill in the air that is strange for such a ridiculous hot evening.

I’ve been waiting for you...

The voice seems like it comes from all around you but you can’t see anyone near you. You can keep walking or try and search her out, but no matter which direction you go in, you can still hear her voice like she’s standing right behind you.

I’ve missed you. I loved you... She never loved you...

The voice becomes more distressed and you start to feel more of a pull to find her. As you wander through the fog, she’ll start to talk of a past as though it’s yours; a deep love you shared for one another, a romance that was denounced by her family, but you never failed to come to her. She will talk of how she begged her father to understand and begged him not to hurt you. But all the while, you were straying. Eventually, she found out she was pregnant, she tried to tell you, she wanted you to love her and your new family. She begged her father not to shoot you for what you’d done to her, and in the end? You ran off with the new woman who caught your eye. You left her alone. You left her unwed and an expectant mother. She begs you to do her one last favor, to come and meet her by your tree.

Eventually, in the distance, near a large willow tree, you see the image of a woman, shining brightly in the moonlight, her large, flowing dress as white as her skin. It seems like she’s floating over the ground, before you notice she’s not floating; she’s hanging. Her body swings in the breeze, the rope creaking, and finally an anguished, furious shout rings through the air:

I LOVED YOU!

The woman’s body disappears, but the rope stays behind. It turns out you weren’t the only one to explore this voice, looking for the desperate woman in the trees. Another person stands on the other side of the trunk, another Sleeper, someone you can hopefully team up with in this lost wood. You can discuss the grief stricken past of the woman you just heard or maybe together you can work together to get out of this swamp.

As soon as you leave the shadow of the tree, you’ll hear a woman again. Perhaps the same one? Only instead of words, she sobs incoherently. Maybe it’s someone who’s been hurt. Try to leave or go to explore. Either ultimately takes you to the same place...

A FINE NIGHT FOR IT

The lady in white—though perhaps a different one? How many are in this damn swamp?—is crying by the edge of the water. It’s hard to ignore and as you get closer, the crying grows louder. Maybe one of you gets close enough to reach out and touch her. Or maybe you call out to her when you’re in hearing range. No matter what, she eventually looks up to see you, and her face is covered in blood that runs from her eyes instead of tears. Her skin is sagging and wrinkled, rotted like that of a body that has been left too long in the water after drowning...

She lets out a scream before she rushes at you. Luckily, if you have a weapon, magic, or are particularly fast and strong, you can get the best of her easily. She’ll go down with one shot and her body will seem to disappear into the depths of the swampy water around you. There’s just one problem: she wasn’t alone. Her scream has clearly alerted others.

Strange looking people, their pale faces painted with mud and ground powder, come rushing from out of the trees. Their skin has a quality to it that doesn’t seem right, the same sort of rot that the woman had had, but they are definitely alive. And extremely strong, unlike your most recent foe. They carry all sorts of weapons, but they’re all ones you’d expect from people living in the woods: pitch forks, axes, machetes, hatchets... Anything that could stab you or chop you into pieces. They’re also clearly coming for blood. Some will try to tackle you to the ground and get a rope around your wrists and neck to tie you up into the trees and hang you. The Night Folk who roam these swamps want nothing more than to kill the intruders who have come into their territory.

They won’t speak. They grunt and shout at each other, but never say any actual words. The best way to kill them is to cut off their heads, but they’ll also go down if you beat them badly enough. Make sure to double check that they’re really dead though: it’s not uncommon for one to spring back up the moment your back is turned to try and kill you. Work together and maybe you’ll get out of this attack alive.

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.

Comments

QUESTIONS

[sodder]

[cuddlery]

So where is this swamp located in relation to Deerington?

Bolin | Legend of Korra

[pabugotmoves]

a,

Swamps, Bolin decides, are only creepy if you decide they're creepy. 
Sure, all the darkness and the mist and ghostly pregnant women screaming at you is pretty bad but-

No... no it's just pretty bad, actually. This swamp is definitely creepy. It's creepy as all get out! 

Pabu chitters form his place down the front of Bolin's shirt and he places a hand over the lump as he walks towards the tree. 

"I know buddy, but we'll get out of here soon, you'll see."

This doesn't look like any swamp Bolin's ever been in but hey, it can't be worse than the swamp in the spirit world, right? This is just some extra.. extra super creepy version of that no, no, no he doesn't want to be here. But he sees the woman and bolts towards her even if she's the scariest thing he's seen in a long time. Just as he gets close she screams and disappears and leaves the rope dangling in the nothing. 

For a long beat there's nothing at all, just the echo of the space she used to occupy and the creaking of the branches that used to support her weight. Bolin watches, wide eyed, before rallying his courage and taking a long, slow breath. 

It's only then that he sees the shadow of someone else and braces for a fight, fists curled with the earth under his feet already pulling. 

"Hey- Hey, did you just see that!?" 


b,

Skip the hellos and the other tree and whatever, you're surrounded by angry zombie swamp people! Where's Bolin? No idea, but as you search- because there was definitely a guy here with you a minute ago and you popped that weirdo lady off together- you're distracted by the distressed noises of a red, fluffy ferret about the size of a raccoon that comes bounding up. It climbs your body to your shoulders and begs for help with a series of chittering squeaks. 

You found Pabu! Great! Now help his owner because he's over there on the ground hogtied and surrounded by angry hillbillies. 


c,

Well that was scary!! But today is another day and Bolin has recovered (mostly) and is cautiously exploring the town with Pabu on his shoulders.

He's a friendly lookin guy, broad shouldered and approachable as he strolls with his hands in his pockets. Come find him having a gander at this! beautiful!! town!!! or lurking outside the grocery inspecting the ads in the windows.

You might even see him inside casually slip an apple into his pocket. Hey, he's broke what do you want from him! 


 
d,

Wild card! Come at me bros. 

a

[royalfling]

This is all too familiar. The swamp, the woman blaming Wu for everything that's gone wrong in her life. It's happened before, but at least this time he's pretty sure that it's not actually his fault. He didn't do this. He didn't father a child and leave.

That doesn't make it any less jarring, though, when the rope swings from the tree, and Wu is left, he thinks, alone.

He shouldn't even be outside. He's still sick, but he was chasing Fritter around and feeling a lot better than last week, but here he is in a swamp, with Fritter in his arms, his fever making him feel weak and dizzy, adding to the fear and heartache of this place.

But then he hears a voice, and a sound that's so familiar, the sound of earth being bent. He yelps and Fritter chitters, her hands grabbing on tight to his shirt (he gave up on wearing suits around her after her claws ruined the first one). Taking a few steps back, Wu looks around, trying to find the voice, then:

"Bolin?!"

Rei Kurosawa | Fatal Frame Three |OTA

[shuttersense]

Lady In White

[She had felt the emotion, felt the empathy too sharp and real in her ears. The pleading and the tragic tale of her being an expecting the man's child...and her hanging from a tree...

Rei cried. It wasn't in sobs or anything, but the tears trickled down her cheeks, seeing the corpse hanging there, so lonely, so desperate.

It took her a few moments to realize she wasn't alone, and someone had witnessed her tears. Embarrassed, Rei brought up a knuckle to wipe her eyes clear.]

Something in my eye.

[Which is how her voice was still choked up. It's fine. Absolutely fine.]

A Fine Night

I

Ssssh.

[Rei wasn't someone very powerful. In a lot of ways, Rei was...quite mundane. Unremarkable really. But she had learned a few things in her traumatic time in the Manor of Sleep and...well...here. The memories were blurry and soft around the edges, like remembering a long lost dream.

But that sobbing was clearly a lure now. There was pain, and she wanted to help but...it was too much of a trap.

Which is how she ended up touching someone she just found in this strange swamp lightly on the arm and raising her finger to her lips. After a few moments, she murmured:]

Don't attract her attention.

[It's just a terrible idea.]

II: CW, violence, possible death

No! No!

[It'd been such a small thing. She was so good at running, dodging, and the like- she had some good reason to learn from her previous experiences- but it was a tree root, or a plant, or something less pleasant.

But that's how the Night crew ended up getting on top of her, tying her wrists and dragging her through the mud. She knew what would happen. Rei knew the moment she saw the ropes.

Panic made her normally soft voice crack and raise to a scream.]

There has to be someone out there! Help me! Please! I don't want to die!

[She managed to get another breath, and one of them choked her off, causing her to cough and wheeze. This was just...unpleasant and rude.]

Character (Re) Arrival

[She remembered that dream.

She remembered that sensation.

She had felt it before.

The pain, the tattoo, waking up in a bed...waking up in a dream...she remembered it. It was so vague, soft, and blurring as if her memory couldn't quite catch what had happened.

But there had been the black deer, in the white snow. The horror of October. A statue filled with crows. Dog carriers.

The doghair and the bar.

Rei had cradled her head in her hands for a few long minutes. Some things didn't come easy to her, and some where just out of reach. Some people she remembered, but only faces.

Only faces.

She needed air.

That was how Rei was found: sitting outside, legs curled up and looking through the Dog Keeper notes, a frowning growing as she looked through the files. Gently, her fingers moved over her lap.]

The unmasking...I remember.

[Gently, she touched her cheek, as if the mask was still there. After all of it...where did she go...?

She didn't remember.]

Wildcard

(ooc: feel free to go wild! Rei was here near the start awhile back, but it's all kind of a blur.)

Re Arrival

[onerthes]

...
...
...

Rei?!?

[There was a bit of a shocked tone to the voice of the one who reacted to seeing her curled up like that on the road. It had been, frankly, over a year, close to two years since they had last spoken. So much had happened that she barely remembered, and yet she and Jesse used to reminisce about the girl from time to time.

Seeing her, it sparked a weird hope that others might reappear. And so, one of those faces started to make its way over. How familiar was this one? Who could say, but three eyes was certainly distinctive.]

Is that you, Rei?

Faolan | The Bridei Chronicles | action or prose!

[reticence]

THE LADY IN WHITE
[There is something about this place that has a feel of the uncanny. Faolan is not particularly familiar with the sensation, but he has felt it before. The tickle of magic rising the hairs on the back of his neck, the sensation of eyes on his back and other, more otherworldly feelings he does not have the words to explain.

And then, of course, there is the woman.

He has followed the sound of her voice here to this tree. Haunted by the accusations she had been trying to pin on him and the distress in her tone. A shiver runs down his spine now though, as he watches her apparition disappear before his eyes, leaving behind nothing but the rope swinging from the tree before him. A part of him wonders whether there is a curse on this place, and how much it has already settled on him.

The other, somewhat more self-preservation part of him is noticing the shifting in the shadows on the other side of the tree. He draws the dagger from his belt in the blink of an eye and is two breaths away from letting it loose in that direction when the figure steps forward and he lets out a soft curse.]

By all that is holy --

A FINE NIGHT FOR IT
[He has tracked her down this far, if perhaps against his better judgement. Here to the edge of the water by the swamp. It isn't hard to do, not if you follow the awful sound of the woman -- spirit's? -- weeping. The night seems to swallow everything around them but the sound of it. Frankly, he just wants to make it stop, one way or another.

It seems wrong, perhaps, to draw a knife when approaching a distraught woman. Faolan does it anyway. In retrospect, he will not feel so bad for doing so as, when he tentatively reaches her side, the banshee -- for he cannot think of her as anything other, at this point -- turns to shriek at him.

He gets one solid moment to take in the sight of her -- trails of blood running from her eyes as though they were tears, her skin limp and wrinkled like that of a body left too long in the river, and the noise she makes...

She lunges at him, clawed and bony hands reaching for his throat and Faolan may be a master assassin but he has never seen anything like this before. Caught by surprise, she topples him over into the murky shallows.]

WILDCARD
[is there something else you'd like to play with faolan that isn't written here? let me know/shoot me a pm/throw something at me and let's make it happen! :)]

> THE LADY IN WHITE

[bythelight]

[ Ah.

Anduin lowers shalamayne slowly, a wary frown still pulling at his features. The person he's facing now certainly looks more... solid, less undead, but he isn't taking his hands off his weapon just yet. Not until he's sure. ]

I mean you no harm.

[ That feels like something that needs to be said. After all, the stranger could be just as confused and distressed as he is. Anduin swallows, tries to even out his own breathing and ease the race of his heart. He keeps shivering, still, but that's at least less noticeable from the outside.

Calm. Confident. If he can at least appear that way, then it might reassure this person. ]

Are you hurt?

[ The spirit didn't do him any damage, but that doesn't mean it wasn't capable of it. ]

Anduin Wrynn | Warcraft

[bythelight]

>> THE LADY IN WHITE

This place is strange.

It looks strange, it feels strange, and nothing quite behaves as it should.

Anduin should not be here.

It feels as if it must be a dream, but this is nothing like the dreams he's had before. There's no shadow of N'Zoth here, not exactly, but the whole place still feels wrong -- feels... surreal. He cannot explain it, only nothing works as he feels it should. His presence feels that of an outsider. That would, he supposes, point toward a dream. Being an outsider is something he would dream of.

He doesn't know why he keeps walking as the sun sets, only that he's desperate for something to make sense. The moon rises, the air chills, and as the fog sets in he realises his mistake.

The voice catches him off guard.

He draws shalamayne, wary, and picks his way through the fog. The voice doesn't seem to be getter closer -- it seems quite convinced of his identity, no matter his entreaties. Yet he didn't -- it makes no sense, she must be confused, if only he could --

The fog clears, and Anduin feels his breath catch. A banshee, perhaps? His breath catches as she screams, her voice echoing in his ears, but then she's gone -- leaving him gripping his sword tighter for a moment.

He isn't alone, though.

Anduin takes a few slow, steadying breathes before moving warily around the trunk.

"Hello? Is someone else here?"

His fingers feel stiff, cold -- in fact his whole body still feels wracked by shivers. He swallows again, trying to press confidence into his voice.

"Show yourself."

Better to try a little confidence, just in case there are more angry spirits here.

>> A FINE NIGHT FOR IT

One banshee was enough for the night -- Anduin isn't going to approach another crying woman too quickly after that experience. Yet he cannot stop himself from calling out to her -- what if he were wrong, after all? He's always been told softness was his weakness. He supposes, as she turns toward him, that isn't entirely wrong. She throws herself forward and he blocks her attack with his sword, presses forward until she stumbles. She darts forward again and he swings, sends her flying back and melting into the swamp.

Silence.

Anduin breathes hard, eyes darting around the swamp. Then, slowly, he sees more figures start to materialise from the trees and dart forward. Scourge? They look -- undead, certainly, painted. Not... coherent. He grits his teeth, widens his eyes as he spots someone else nearby. Better not to be alone here, in truth, but he cannot be sure his new companion can fight.

"With me!"

He gestures with one hand, gold light trailing after his fingers, then gasps suddenly as if burnt. Anduin barely has time to process the pain before it's too late -- he adjust his grip on his sword, grinds his teeth together and swings it at the Night Folk.

[ ooc: If you prefer action, I'll match you! If you have another idea, just wildcard me! ]

Lady in White

[shuttersense]

"Peace."

Rei came into the light, what little there was, her hands raised up in the air to show she was unarmed. With her tights and shirt, she couldn't hide any weapons.

Mostly she was wet and shivering from walking through the swampy waters, and her gaze was steady.

"I was lured here just like you. By the woman who was left by her love? If you heard the same as I?"

She hoped he did, or else...that was a bad sign.

[pidge_out]

I.
[First of all: the outdoors in general suck.

Secondly: swamps in particular are the worst kind of outdoors in existence.

Which is exactly why Pidge is not at all happy to find herself in the middle of a swamp in what seems to be the middle of the night all by herself. The only real comfort she has is that she's in full armor, and she can at least keep the face cover down to avoid mosquito bites and leeches and poison ivy and whatever else might be out there trying to kill her via allergic reaction.

Some Guardian of the Forest she is.

And third; Pidge has no real logical explanation for why she seems to be tracking down the source of a mysterious voice. It seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, and she doesn't understand what exactly she's hearing, and with every step forward she takes she has to mentally explain her actions to herself. Convince herself that finding a person out here will ultimately be helpful. A local might know how to get out of the swamp, be able to lead her to civilization, and that's a good thing! Except as soon as Pidge is actually able to get a visual, she's pretty certain that this was a Bad Move after all.

The scream and the sudden disappearance of the woman leaves her momentarily rattled, her hand hovering over where she can pull out her bayard from her suit. Pidge doesn't notice if anybody else is around her, but she has to let out a shaky breath as she mutters to herself warily.]

What the quiznak was that...


II.
[It's times like these that Pidge is grateful to be a Paladin of Voltron. It means she knows how to hold her own in a fight and has the equipment to support exactly that. So running from a mob of angry hillbillies who are all clearly suffering from something weird and potentially magicky isn't the weirdest thing she's ever dealt with. It ranks high on the personal list, but somehow it's not Number One. (What Number One on that list actually is currently evades her mental processes, since she's. A little busy.)

She fights back for long enough to realize that they aren't going down as easily as the freaky Lady in White, and she quickly realizes that she's not strong enough on her own to take them all down. So Pidge takes to running away instead, and with her armor in working condition she's eventually able to use her jetpack to propel herself up into some of the higher trees. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to stop them, not while some of the folks have axes on hand.

And that's how Pidge finds herself trapped, her current tree surrounded, bayard out and crackling with just enough electricity to keep any swinging axes at bay.]

Oh, bump off already!! I'm just trying to get out of your dumb swamp!

[This paladin could definitely use some help.]


III.
[WILD CARD, Y'ALL]

2

[shiro2hero]

[So... funny story. For some reason, this whole swamp situation has been murder on his bike. And the Lion won't leave the house right now - not with how weird everything is getting. Not that he blames it. But - again, with how weird everything is getting, there are still supply runs to make. Caches to stock up on. And one form of transportation open to him.]

[Bob.]

[That's right. Shiro's on horseback. The big animal making good time down the narrow track of dry land. At least until he hears the sound of chopping wood. Crackling electricity. And a familiar voice...]

Pidge!?

[Just like that, the horse whirls, lighter on its feet than a giant war horse should be, and charging off to assist her. Night Folk or no Night Folk.]

CATRA ✲ SHE-RA & THE PRINCESSES OF POWER

[serment]

lady in white ——

( a nightmare.

this a nightmare. it has to be. or was this some kind of messed up fever dream? catra can't really tell what it is, but the deep chill that permeates through her bones is real enough to keep her moving. it feels like there is nothing but more forest ahead of her, which makes her hair stand on edge because it isn't like any forest that she has known before. it's creepy and unsettling, and—

she never loved you. . .

it sounds like it's right behind her, close enough to be whispered in her ear. she shrieks both in fury and surprise, dropping down onto all fours to bolt away from the sound. there's a pull in her chest that encourages her to move closer to it, but she knows better! she knows better than to take a chance trying to fight some ghost—ghosts weren't even real! not that she is going to take any chances testing the validity of it.

yet, she still runs directly into the very thing she had been desperately trying to avoid. she feels her face go cold and she lets out a feral yowl, ears flattening. she skids against the ground and propels herself directly into whoever had the misfortune of being close enough to catch a chestful of cat. )

Get your hands off of me—! Get off, get off!

a fine night for it ——

( there's a rough grunt and a hiss as catra's back slams against the ground with a heavy thunk. the collision kicks up a small cloud of dirt as several hands reach for her thrashing limbs, each one trying and failing to keep a hold of her as she fights against their advance. the spectre from earlier had been torn apart by her claws and her ever increasing rage, banished back to whatever nasty underworld she must have come from, but the locals weren't so easy.

it really did feel like a nightmare.

she had sliced the faces and much of anywhere else she could reach, but it hadn't stopped the advance against her. it hadn't even managed to slow them down. they just continued on as if they felt nothing at all, but catra can't spare the time to be properly horrified by it.

slamming the bottom of her heel against the chin of one of the creepy bastards, she disorientates them well enough to slip out from underneath their filthy hands. then, she vanishes neatly into thin air.

and so do you just as you notice a hand slapping over your mouth. with a quick nod of the head she gestures to the strange cat she's holding onto by the collar with her free hand. it seems a little obvious that the invisibility is dependent on touch. )

Don't say anything. Move, move, move.

wildcard ——

(( prompts don't work for you or have another idea in mind? hit me with a wildcard! ))

A fine night for it

[searingwing]

[His gaze follows her arm to the cat as he moves away from the melee. There is no time and when that skill fizzles out they’ll need his fire.

He reaches back behind him as he should have done while climbing the trees. His black and red claymore leaves its straps with barely a whisper of sound. He carries it one handed as he gestures with his other hand for her to take the left path through the trees.

The noises of pursuit fade a little. Diluc glances behind them. He isn’t surprised to see that the people of the swamp are hunting for them.

They need to give them something else to think about. He taps her hand on his mouth and then points to the trees. He makes the gesture of throwing a rock. Distraction.]

The Third Doctor | Doctor Who

[action_dandy]

Well. He'd certainly had a time for it. One simple little mission, handed down by...well, best not even to speak of it, quite yet. It was one of those things - though everything about the place set his nerves on end. It reminded him of his meeting with Omega, quite frankly, which was never a good comparison to start from.

He walked along a deserted street, having already had several brief adventures just to get this far - this place seemed determined to stop him. Perhaps it was more like Omega's realm than they...he had first thought.

He made a strange sort of vision, a velvet jacket, ruffled shirt beneath - and an opera cape over his shoulders. Some might just see a kindly looking older man. Others might realize there was vastly more to him than that.

The way he showed no fear, no trepidation - that might well be a bit of a clue.

[borntolove]

Cue a lanky and young-looking man, running around in a suit with an open trench-coat. That dramatically flares up behind him. He felt that drop. It was impossible not to. In fact, he took out his yo-yo right away before getting up, when that drop happened.

For right now, he's running about, taking inventory in a sense. Noting what places have been damaged. Pausing for a moment, combing his fingers through his brown hair. He doesn't like this. He's sure that was just the first hiccup.

Someone is so lost inside his own thinking he hasn't yet noticed the familiar face not far away.

Six | Little Nightmares (1&2)

[sixslicker]

Character Arrival

It was a new place.

With any new place came that feeling of bewilderment, of dread, wondering what was about to come down and attack her. She could feel that adrenaline in her bones now, always waiting, ready to be awakened. It was becoming such a common occurrence that a situation where she wasn't fighting for her life was absurd. Things were bigger, they tried to get you or kill you or both. But now? She could fight them back. She could attack if she needed to.

But things felt so different now. It was too strange to understand, too hard to explain. She wanted to hide under a bed, it was so bright. Had she been in the Maw too long? Maybe.

No hunger yet. Good. No need to feed, to hide away in the shadows when it happened.

But she did need help. Problem was, Six was not the talkative type, and certainly not one for asking directions. Anyone seeing her would simply see a bedraggled child with a long slicker, hood pulled up to cover her face, and bare legs, clutching only what appeared to be a flashlight.

A Fine Night For It

She was minding her own business. She didn't LIKE swamp. It was so cloying and slimy and hard to move in. Now comes some lady, and before her companion could ask its blood eyes questions, Six seemed to push her back into the swampy depths without touching her.

Six didn't need more complications. She could barely see, too dark. But now there are cries, and adults came. With weapons. They were all grunts and snarls and brandishing their weapons. Dangerous. They certainly thought they were.

Six would turn to you. Would you like to send them back, or would you run away? Because if you ran, Six would deal with them. She would deal with anyone coming at her with that intent now.

But she didn't necessarily want to. The hunger was gone, and in this new world, that was good. The rules had to be different here. They would mind if she fed.

For now, that mattered.

Character Arrival

[medeiun]

The town is strange, and Maleficent is also very uneasy — though trying to hide her own distress behind a tight-lipped line of her dark red mouth as she moves down the streets. A tall, sweeping figure, she casts a large shadow: a great pair of wings set behind her, and long horns curling upwards, seeming to only add to her presence. This place is.... not like the Moors. Not like the land of the Fair Folk at all. It is more similar to the land of humans, though different in disconcerting ways...... Streets made of a strange substance, people clad in attire the likes of which she has never seen. Everything is unfamiliar to her.

But then there is the creature she spots: small and slight. Like a pixie, though wingless. Perhaps a different sort of fae. Maleficent tilts her head, smelling the air. Her senses are strangely dulled here, but she can still smell that the creature is human. Surprise only slightly flits across her angled features, eyes flashing. Perhaps once, she would have left a human child on its own. Now.....

"Little one," the winged woman calls, still from some distance. Guarded almost, eyes sharp, chin lifted. Her voice is not particularly friendly, a little cold.

"I will not hurt you," she adds after a beat. She knows well that human children would naturally fear something such as her, but she almost seems a bit nervous of the child, herself. Maleficent stays where she is, several feet away.

Garrus Vakarian | Mass Effect | ota

[thearchangel]

(1) LADY IN WHITE
[He has no memory of coming here. No memory of how he walked all the way out into the wilderness. It's a human voice - right? It has to be. But why would he be drawn to a human who wasn't... No. It makes no sense.]

[But he's still walking. Still stumbling forward like something's hacked his armor, moving it without his input on the subject. Forcing him through the swamp after the voice. Toward a tree. He's just glad the helmet still seals. Glad whoever dragged him here let him hold onto his rifle.]

[That's definitely a human, glowing white, under the tree. Is she biotic? How could she glow - ]

[Then she screams.]

[And out of sheer reflex, he pulls the trigger.]

[Let's just hope you weren't in the line of fire.]


(2) A FINE NIGHT
[It's definitely a good thing he kept the rifle. Definitely. These aren't husks. They're human, for sure, but they don't look like any sort of human he's seen before. They're too quiet, for one thing. No shouting about needing reinforcement or "I will destroy you".]

[The downside of this is, a sniper rifle will only fire so many rounds a moment. And it's better for distance combat. So much better. You can't take on multiple close range opponents with it. Unless he turns it into a bludgeon... which is kind of a last resort. Even the end of Archangel had been funneling the enemy through a long bridge. Not fighting a pack of them up close and personal.]

[Here's hoping someone shows up with more close-range weaponry.]


WILDCARD;
[Or hit him up with an arrival prompt if you like! Canonpoint for now is end of ME2.]

1

[facultative]

[There's a hum of a lightsaber as it's drawn to deflect the bullet. Anakin's used to deflecting blaster bolts, not physical projectiles and while the bullet in this case is small enough to melt before it passes through the blade he still yelps in surprise.]

Hey, watch it!

fiddleford mcgucket | gravity falls | voicetesting

[fidds]

arrival. cw: anxiety, panic, discussion of memory loss.

[ Fiddleford McGucket doesn't remember his dreams. He makes sure of that.

When he wakes, he can still feel the pain of being dragged against the ground. He hears the voices, and the hooves, and the cries for help. It's not right. A dream shouldn't be this real. Fiddleford doesn't even register that this isn't his usual bed, or his office, or a fold-out couch in a motel. He's too busy going for the gun in his pocket. There's a flash of blue light, and then --

-- Fiddleford is sitting on a bed. It's not a bed he recognizes. This isn't a room he recognizes. Fiddleford tries to tell himself that this is fine, that this has happened before. He probably has notes, if he remembers where he put them. It's fine. He's fine. He'll just have to re-learn the space.

But when he steps outside, he still doesn't recognize anything. It's like he hasn't been here before. But he can't have wiped a whole town from his mind, right? This must be new. He must have been brought here. Fiddleford can feel his heart start to race as he makes his way through the streets, frantically looking around, desperate for something -- anything -- to jog his memory.

Perhaps you run into him: a disheveled middle-age man wearing dirty, unkempt clothes. He's high-strung and jumpy, and there's a slight hunch to his thin frame that doesn't match his age. He looks, to put it mildly, lost. ]

the lady in white. cw: discussion of memory loss.

[ I loved you!

Fiddleford stands before the rope, eyes wide. He' silent for a long time, clearly doing his best to process what he just saw. But his best, he knows, probably won't be good enough. He'll need to forget this. But he can't yet -- this swamp is difficult to navigate as-is, and he knows if he uses the gun now, he'll never find his way out.

Finally, Fiddleford realizes that there's someone nearby. He calls out, and his voice is halting, tripping on his words every so often. ]

I -- I can help you forget her. But we need to get out of here, quick.

arrival

[ghostharasser]

[It isn't a surprise Fiddleford didn't see Dipper, seeing as the kid's about two-and-a-half feet shorter than he is, and Dipper is about as graceless as they come when it comes to depth perception for a number of reasons. It's enough of a surprise that Dipper loses his balance and hits the ground with a startled squawk.]

Sorry! Sorry! I didn't see you-!

[The words pretty much die in his throat the second he looks up at who he bumped into. He sputters, mouth hanging open while his brain tries to catch up to what he's seeing.]

I- wh- you-!

[He is either losing his absolute goddamn mind, or that is someone he has only seen in thirty-year-old recordings and photographs.]

Zaeed Massani | Mass Effect

[anesthetic_rage]

The Lady in White

God-damned bitch doesn't know when to shut up does she?

[Yeah, that was pretty much about the level of this man's comprehension of the situation when he heard the ghostly figure wailing in the distance. Whether alone or not, he was just muttering under his breath, one hand resting at the Avenger holstered to his back. Where the rest of his weaponry was, he had no clue, but at the end of the day, all he needed was one good gun, and he could handle the rest. And if it came down to it? He had his fists and he'd broken enough Batarian necks in his time to fill a morgue or twelve.

He advanced on the willow, eyes narrowed. The woman's disappearance caused the ugly scar along his lip to pucker and twitch as he glowered.]

You know, when the spooky, unnatural woman disappears, that's usually the time the fucking banshee come rising out of the damned muck tear your bleeding face off.

A Fine Night for a God-damned massacre

[She hadn't even merited a bullet. The butt of his rifle had been enough. But the wail was enough. He say them rising out of the water, stalking closer. They moved like Husks. They acted like husks. Their eyes didn't glow like them, but that was all he needed. Why? Because at the end of the day, they died like husks too.

He flicked a catch on the Avenger as it extended and started to stalk backwards. Snarling over at his companion, he started taking quick burst fire, going for the head as flames raged from the incendiary rounds.]

Like god-damned ducks in a barrel, or Krogans in a pit! Stay out of the line of fire, watch our six. Numbers aren't on our side here, kid. We'll beat a path back to the Evac.

[He was well aware there was no true evac point, but at times keeping to the familiar was a natural state of mind for him.]

You know, it didn't even look that different from when he left (Arrival)
[Zaeed was standing in the streets of Deerington, looking surly and irritated. Admittedly, that meant that it was a day starting with a -Y and he hadn't yet determined who needed to be punched, stabbed or shot until they stopped getting up. The shitty little town in front of him had seen better days, and he'd taken at least one shot at something moving underground. It had gotten away from him, but it made him twitchy in a familiar sort of way. Like when he felt a Thresher Maw coming close.

Presently, he was standing in front of the broken, shattered husk that had been the Police Station, arms folded. He growled and stared at what qualified as the local quantum entanglement communicator and slipped it back on his wrist. Whole lot of wasted air, if you asked him. Growling, he made his way in the direction of Hart Mart, a thunderhead looming as he went to scrounge up something akin to supplies.

the lady in white

[kikochan]

D-don't say that...

[ Zaeed's rough language certainly takes Tsubakiko off-guard, but she can't really blame him for it - not after what she just saw. More importantly, that ghost...

Zaeed looks like he knows how to fight, and Tsubakiko can handle herself too, but fists are useless against an enemy you can't even touch. That's why she's so terrified. ]

What do we do? We should get out of here, right?

Raya | Raya and the Last Dragon

[untrustingheart]

[ooc: As I know the movie is still a fairly recent release, please tell me if you'd like to avoid spoilers and I'll do my best to accommodate!]

[A; Lady in White]

[Swamps were the worst.

Oh, sure, they were useful sometimes. The constant water-logged, soggy ground meant that she was safe from the Druun in swamps. But Druun weren't the only threats out in the ruins of her world, even as the people of Kumandra now worked to restore it; bandits and beasts still roamed out past the borders of the villages, and swamps were awful traps for those sorts of threats. The sucking mud and tangled mess of vegetation made walking silently impossible, and made fighting all the more difficult. So this? This isn't a good time for Raya, trapped alone in a strange world and struggling to figure out what's going on.

The mournful cries of a woman really don't help either. Raya's already on edge enough, so when the cries and screams reach a crescendo as she approaches the willow tree, her father's sword is already drawn and clenched tight in both hands as she prepares to break the blade apart into its whip form. But then the thing disappears, and the only thing left behind is another person.]

What was that? Some kind of Druun?

[It can't be. Druun were never this coherent, nor could they cross the watery bog around them. But that rushing, wailing tone... it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end in much the same way that those terrible nightmare creatures did...]


[B; New Arrivals]

[You know what sticks out like a sore thumb in a town like this? A giant, pillbug-armadillo-type looking creature, just over six feet at the top of its shell, fitted with a well-worn saddle. You know what's even stranger? Seeing a thing like that rooting through the trash cans set out on the curb of one of the residential streets. The trash cans are clearly not the property of this creature's owners, because after only a few moments, a man in a bathrobe and slippers storms out of the nearby house, cursing up a storm and crouching down to pick up a rock, which he lobs straight at the beast.

... Which is probably a mistake, but not because of the beast. The creature lets out a rather pitiful whine as it shuffles back away from the cans, but it's the young woman fast approaching that seems to be the true threat.]

Hey, leave him alone!

[The man huffs, picking up another rock. He doesn't throw it yet, but he doesn't look like he's going to back down.]

Oh, please! If you'd keep that THING locked up like it should be, then I wouldn't have to stop it from menacing my front lawn!

[In a few more quick strides, the young woman puts herself between the beast and the man, arms crossed and a scowl on her face.]

Seriously??? You call that menacing? It's not like he was raiding your kitchen or anything. Give him a break!

[Neither of them look like they're going to budge. Do you, uh... dare to step in???]


C; Wildcard]

[Wanna throw something else at me? Do so here! If you'd like to hash something out first, feel free to hit me up over at OwlKnight!]

lady in white!

[kikochan]

D...Drunn?

[ Tsubakiko's voice quavers as she speaks. It's clear that she doesn't know how to respond to any of this, and the only thing stronger than her fear is her shock. ]

I don't know what that is... but, that was clearly a ghost, wasn't it!?

quentin quire ( marvel )

[mutiemeh]

( lady in white )

[ the person on the other side of the tree, staring narrow-eyed up at the rope, is a small young man floating several inches above the muck of the swamp, dressed in jeans, combat boots, and a pink cardigan, his pink hair slicked back with the humid air and arms crossed. if anyone that knows him saw him right now, they'd say he looks uncharacteristically concerned, and they'd be right. nothing about this place has made any sort of sense thus far, from his first awakening to this. if he was at home, he'd say this is some version of the astral plane-- but his powers aren't working the way they should, and that..

that's terrifying, honestly. of course it is. he's a mutant, his abilities are a part of him the same way his limbs are. more than his limbs, even, and this stupid swamp's already proven to be dangerous.

his glance flicks down when someone rounds the tree, and he frowns, reaching to push his glasses up on top of his head. ] Tell me you've been in this fucking place before.

( network | un: quire )

as psychic constructs go, not bad, i guess, but whoever made it can still go fuck themselves.

any other telepaths here?

Text | UN: Prodigy

[helpdesk_hero]

Well, now our personal hell has gone to literal hell.

Angel | Lady and the Tramp 2

[angelindisguise]

[Arrival]

[The town is unlike the homey, small town that she's normally accustomed to, and because it's a strange, new place, she's extra cautious around anyone she sees. If you see a small, yellow stray dog, she's probably trying to avoid you if you're a human. You might be able to catch her pawing through the trash, looking for scraps to eat.

She hasn't eaten anything in the jar in the house she woke up in. Maybe because she can't open it?]

[A Fine Night For It]

[After getting more used to her surroundings, Angel naturally goes exploring. And after getting lost, finds herself in a swampy area. She hears the woman's voice and starts to growl, feeling something very... unnatural about it.

If she sees you getting closer, she'll start to bark at you to get away.]

Tsubakiko Harumiya | Iwaihime

[kikochan]

[ ooc: hello! just as a head's up, tsubakiko comes from a horror canon that covers a lot of highly triggering content, so i highly recommend checking out her content warnings, where you can opt-out of any particular themes coming up in threads with her. thank you! ]

ARRIVAL

[ Tsubakiko's breaths come in and out quickly, and she clutches at her arms with her hands. Her nails dig into her skin painfully, almost but not quite breaking the skin.

The fear is almost too much to bear, and she's lightheaded and dizzy. Where is she? She's been separated from her friends, from her parents, from Suzumu, and she doesn't know if she'll ever see them again. She doesn't know how to get home. She doesn't know if she'll even survive this place!

The more she thinks about it, the more she panics, and the heavier her breathing becomes. At first, she'd been convinced that this was no more than an elaborate daydream, and things would go back to normal quickly enough... so she waited. But then, the minutes stretched into hours... and hours... and she still wasn't home. The moment she realized that she was alone - that no-one was coming for her - that's when she began to fall apart.

Tsubakiko can feel her eyes growing wet with tears, and she furiously tries to wipe them away with her arm. Underneath all of the panic, she knows that she needs to control her breathing... if she faints, she'll be completely defenseless - and then what might happen to her?

No. She needs to calm down.

Come on, Tsubakiko! You're Tsubakiko Harumiya... first leader of the Bloodstained Angel's attack squad! So calm down! You can do this!! No-one's going to take you down without a fight! ...That's what she tells herself. And for a moment, it seems to work... her breathing slows ever so slightly, and Tsubakiko almost feels a little calmer - until she sees you.

Her breath hitches. A strangled sound comes out from her throat, and she takes a terrified step back. But then, like a switch has been flipped, her expression twists furiously, and she raises her fist, getting ready to attack at the first sign of trouble. ]

W-who are you? Where is this place!? You'd better start explaining, or I'll slaughter ya, ya hear!?

THE LADY IN WHITE

[ Tsubakiko tries to ignore the trembling of her body as she stares at the tree with wide eyes. She doesn't understand what just happened... but she knows it's bad news.

At the same time, though... she can't help but sympathize with that ghostly woman, who cried out in agony. Part of her catches herself wanting to do something - to help, somehow, and ease the woman's pain, but... no. No, she can't. It's too dangerous to get involved, this is something Tsubakiko shouldn't be involved in - and she'll surely be cursed if she stays here any longer. She needs to get out of here, and quickly!

Or so she thinks, but as she sees you standing on the other side of the tree trunk, she freezes. When she speaks, she barely manages to make out the words. ]

W-w-who are you!?

A FINE NIGHT FOR IT

[ Tsubakiko is barely hanging on, and she knows it. She's managed to steal an axe from one of her attackers, through some kind of miracle, but she'd been seriously hurt in the process... the bloody gash on her leg hurts, and leaves behind a trail of blood as she runs unsteadily through the trees, away from them. From her attackers.

She can't take them on alone... She knows that for sure. Tsubakiko has been in enough fights to know when she's met her match, and she's certain that if they catch her even for a moment, she'll die. This is without a doubt, the most dangerous situation she's ever been in in her life... but there's no time to feel afraid! All she can do is run!!

The adrenaline pumping through her body gives her energy, but she can't keep this up forever. What other choice does she have, though?

Just as she's trying to figure out what to do... she trips and falls flat on her face. It's like the whole world freezes in that moment. What is this, some shitty horror movie? What are the chances that she'd fall now, when she needs to keep moving, now more than ever!?

Getting up on her injured leg is more difficult than it looks, and Tsubakiko is struggling to get to her feet. For some reason, Suzumu's face flashes through her mind. His smiling face... why is she thinking about it at a time like this? Is it because she knows that this is the end for her? ]

Suzumu...

WILDCARD

[ Feel free to throw whatever you'd like at Tsubakiko here! I'm available at Rivenix if you'd like to plot, too! ]

the lady in white

[prayed]

[ It was all too real. The pain and regret, the tears and heartache, all the emotions that were slowly encased within the protective shell of bitterness and resentment. Kyoko finds herself reeling from the onslaught of memories and emotions, so far detached from her own and somehow all too close.

If they had stayed together, she certainly wouldn't feel this way, she thinks, unsure of who the words are meant for.

It doesn't even occur to her that another person's there until she hears Tsubakiko and her head snaps to attention. The girl sounds, and for all purposes looks, like a rabbit that just got its tail nipped by a fox. And who wouldn't, if they saw that? Really, in a creepy place like this, who wouldn't even without that?

She shakes her head in an effort to force the ghost from her mind. ]

Just another idiot who decided to go go hiking after dark.

[ She tugs a box of pocky out of her pocket, biting down on a stick. ]

Dunno why the Hell I did that.

[ Actually,she probably didn't, but you know. Details. ]

Jonathan Sims | The Magnus Archives

[the_archivist]

The Lady in White
[It has the feeling of a domain; the fog and the fear, mud beneath his feet and trickling water, enough that he expects to feel a Statement bubbling up inside him to come spilling out of his lips whether he wants it to or not.

But there's nothing there. He can feel the Eye still, but it's distant and... quiet. It's so quiet. His own mind in his skull like he hasn't felt since the apocalypse.

It's terrifying.

And then there's the voice. A woman's voice, all around him. Spiral? Perhaps. It's frustrating not being able to tell immediately where the edges are, where the colours blur into one another.]

Hello?

Who are you?


A Fine Night For It

[It is not so much that it has been a long time since Jonathan Sims felt fear; he feels fear every second of the nebulous eternity that is the world now. It is more that it has been a long time since fear felt like anything except sustenance and twisted pleasure.

But here, facing these not-quite people, he feels that prickle along his neck, the racing of his heart. And he feels afraid.]

You don't want to try that.

the lady in white!!

[poorlydied]

[ Gerry follows the woman's voice because there's something in it he recognizes. A kind of distance. When he finds her before the willow tree, he understands -- she's dead, but still here.

At least she vanishes. He hopes that wherever she's gone, it's somewhere peaceful.

Gerry is about to turn and leave when he hears a familiar, but unexpected voice. He steps back into the clearing, smiling ever so slightly. ]

Aw, c'mon. Are you saying you don't recognize me? It hasn't been that long.

Ventress | Star Wars: The Clone Wars

[nightsider]

THE LADY IN WHITE

It was painfully homey, a small mockery of Dathomir. If this world- universe?- had a true darkside, Ventress would expect it to thrive here here, a companion of the ghosts and pain echoing through the swamp. She trailed her right hand through the mist as she walked, watching it swirl and drift along at her touch, feeling the chill. The voices here were not the comforting whispers of her dead sisters, but those of women betrayed. Still, she opened her senses to the voice, ghosting through the darkness with the silent grace of the snakes and other creatures of night and horror that roamed it with her to find the source.

When she reached the tree, at long last, she reached to cut the noose down with her yellow light saber, ignoring for now the presence of the other wanderer that had likewise heeded the call. Unless she is stopped by word or action, she will slice it down with one deft swing, and only then look up to see who has joined her.

"I'll trust you're not her real target, either."

WILD CARD

Meet Ventress anywhere, in the middle of fighting, sitting on a rock in the swamp, whatever works! Hit me up at thepenguinred if you'd like to talk first!

lady in white

[akanotjewel]

It’s—disturbing, to say the least. Jessica hates being compelled, even moreso when the person doing the compelling is trying to force a story on her that she doesn’t want, that patently doesn’t fit her. She’s spent the whole time arguing with the ghost, trying to make her see the truth: I’m not the one you want, for the love of fucking god, just leave me alone. I don’t even know you. I don’t love you, I don’t give a shit about you.

But the shocked, horrified breath she sucks in when she sees the body hanging from the branches—that’s Jessica giving a shit, as much as she might not want to. The body disappears just as fast, and then a yellow light that Jessica has to cover her eyes from, so adjusted they’ve become to the darkness of the swamp.

She holds her hands up, as if to say she comes in peace. “Obviously not,” she says. “She dragged me here with her sob story. Now I have no goddamn idea where we are.”

Tsume | Wolf's Rain

[clawandscars]

I. The Lady In White

Tsume really isn't expecting to encounter the ghost of a dead woman today. But while the encounter is unwanted, it's not really surprising. He's led the kind of life that has led him to believe ghosts are most assuredly real, especially after the encounter with a creepy owl in a place aptly named 'The Forest of Death.'

That being said, there's still something a bit eerie about the entire situation that sets the ruff of fur on the back of his neck on end. He knows this place is unnatural in more ways than one and so it's going to be keeping him on his toes. When he reaches the tree, he looks up at the swinging rope for a moment before he senses someone else coming close.

His ears twitch for a moment, and by the time the other person comes around the side of the trunk, all they will see is a human teenager of about seventeen years old, dressed rather inappropriately for the setting in head-to-toe leather. He stares at them with golden yellow eyes that no human has ever possessed. "Have you been dealing with this annoyance too?"

II. Arrival

Tsume was sure he'd woken up in stranger places but he really couldn't think any of them right now. Everything here looked very different from the dying world he'd come from, far more alive and vibrant then one polluted through war and destruction to the point that the next Ice Age was starting. Even the smells were more intense than anything else he'd experienced before. On his end, Tsume just looks like any other surly, aloof teen brought into Deerington.

He looks a bit odd wandering around Deerington in an entirely leather outfit that honestly makes him look like he just got off work at a strip club and covered in scars, including the giant X-shaped one that's prominently on his chest. Don't bother pointing any of this out, he's quite aware it's obvious.

If you have a pet or just happen to be around when Tsume is conversing with an animal, you'll be confronted with the sight of the teen seeming to be having a serious and completely rational conversation, even if only one side of it can be heard. "Uh-huh....so that's what's going on....yes, I think I understand...."

III. Network. Accidental Video; un: [username not set]

[The network is treated to the sight of a Fluid that appears to have found its way into the mouth of an animal. Perhaps someone's pet is chewing on it? There's sounds of chewing that seems frantic and desperate like an animal that has its paw caught in a trap. There's a voice of someone who sounds like he is getting very frustrated nearby.]

How do you get this damn thing off?!

[Tsume managed to get the Fluid stuck on his forearm just above one of his paws in the bracelet format and now he can't get it off. Look, the illusion of hands in his human form is just that. He hasn't got any actual digits to manipulate the thing with, only his teeth.]

IV. Wildcard

[Want a custom prompt? Poke me at Light_shade and Lightshade#4738 on Discord! Yes, I put him on the last one, but it was at the tail end, and I do plan to app him so here he is!]

I

[dragonsnerd]

Namaari's instincts kick in and she catches herself reaching around for a weapon. It isn't the stranger's fault; this swamp has her on edge in the worst of ways. Whatever sort of being has lead her to this place doesn't seem to be a Druun, but she doesn't perceive it as less harmless.

Reminding herself that this young man, who appears around her own age, doesn't mean her harm yet, she lets her hand fall back to her side. The rest of her posture remains upright -- there's a tension in her shoulders that hints she's ready for more surprises. It's the form of a proud warrior, and obviously so.

Her other hand rests on the large, black cat that brought her here. Namaari's serlot navigates the swamp quicker on its four legs; the way here could have been much more treacherous, so she leans against the one friend she knows for support.

"I suppose I have," she says, measuring her words carefully. Reminding herself not to distrust others too easily, Namaari wishes she knew what Sisu would do in a situation like this. (If only she had a dragon's wisdom...)

"What do you make of it?"

Cassandra | Tangled: The Series

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[A: The Lady in White]
[There's no easy way to cross through a swamp. Sure, you might think to use a boat, but are you carrying an entire boat on your months-long trek over land? No way that Cassandra would have one horse pull a boat all that way... Then again, she never had a boat to begin with.

And she didn't have her faithful steed, Fidella, either. Or her owl friend.

It was just Cassandra, alone, stumbling through the muck and mire that sucked at her boots. Easing tangled vegetation and scratchy branches out of her way. Trying to find anything resembling a path that could take her out of his nightmare.

...Well, maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought she was.

Sword drawn, she cleaves the thicket apart with a slowly growing haste. Whatever this voice was it was getting more and more insistent about her status as some lost love. Something that Cassandra did not feel like reacquainting herself with... if she ever had before.

The wailing declarations of love wash down her back, chilling her spine. She's pushed forward, sword hand frantic as it slices though brambles. Finally, she pulls herself from the swamp's grasp, and finds herself at the base of a willow tree, grand and haunting, with more than just branches swaying in a breeze. Of course - she'd been drawn here by the furious anguish, crashing down upon her in a crescendo. Cassandra screws her eyelids shut... until she was left in silence. At least, for the moment.

And she wasn't alone, either.]

I swear, if you start screaming too...

[B: A Fine Night for it]
[She hates this swamp. She hates it so, so much.

The woman is quick, but Cassandra's blade hand is quicker; one smack from the flat end of her sword sends the blood-stained beast into the swamp's viscous waters. But it seems the damage has been done either way.

Figures flicker through the trees. Bent like the branches they pushed aside, rushing straight for her - and whoever happens to be with her - with nothing less than murderous intent. They had the weapons and tools necessary to back that up.]

Run!

[A good fight was fair and just, this was too much. Too easy for Cassandra to lose her bearings on the encroaching mob. That makes it easy for her to slip up; a rope lasso flies out, catching her by surprise, and round her neck. It's tugged tight with a choked gasp, and Cassandra's instincts flare to life. One hand gripping the tensed coil, the other swinging frantically over her shoulder, trying to cut the line that's dragging her feet through the sand, back towards that murder-happy mob.]

incoherent screaming - Lady in White

[droptheious]

[Sometimes, Sodder decides she's bored of the 1950s setting and just dumps them in some other much worse scenario and Varian has come to accept this as a Thing That Happens. He doesn't especially like it, but it's just life in Deerington at this point. He wasn't expecting a swamp though. Last he checked, there weren't any swamps in Deerington and now there is. He's never been much of a nature person, and slogging through a swamp listening to a spooky ghost lady yell at him isn't exactly how he wanted to spend his day.

He rests up against a tree, tiling his leg a little to try and get some of the water and swamp gunk out of it. Ugh, it's gonna take forever to clean up all the gears later. He feels the weight of another person, and then hears a voice he very much recognises and did not expect to hear out here. He quickly turns to double-check and yup.]

...Cass?

zeke jaeger | attack on titan (spoilers inbound!)

[ape]

ᴀʟᴏɴɢ sɪᴍɪᴀɴ ʟɪɴᴇs

[ death had always meant freedom for zeke, and just when he’d considered differently, all went black with the drop of his head. his next awakening had not being nothingness or paths (nothingness was what he’d thought he’d see, if it worked out in the end, just an expiration to his existence), and the lack of dimness was beyond confound. the rest of the story that deerington told, “this was a dream”, had done even less to clarify why this was what waited for him beyond life. certainly not heaven, he doesn't belong there. hell, purgatory. maybe hell. well, if he were catholic. or whatever was the catholic equivalent to home. it doesn't matter—

he does, after doing an obscene amount of homework, have a few theories when it came to sodder’s abilities and how he’d been tethered here, all of which needed more thorough mental prodding. this is all a dream is the rule of thumb, but how far does dreaming go? he’s already tested an asset and had been intrigued— his whopping seventeen meters had dropped down to a measly six meters, for one (though he was still kind of big!). starting with the lady in white— what a sad story. it doesn’t startle him, the way she shrieks and jumps before disappearing into the night, mostly because he couldn’t quite adapt to her story of being loved (although he does feel for her, if she were real). ]

Poor thing. 

[ a beastly ape-like figure lowers itself onto a crouch and rests its long furry arms over the bend of its knees by the tree once she’s gone and left behind with another. he stares for quite a while, mostly to watch the lift of your chest, and upon seeing that: ] 

I suppose you’re not a ghost, then. [ the irony to that was hilarious, though. grimly hilarious. his deep voice resounds with a sigh, scratching the fur under his chin. ] Well . . . That might not be an accurate supposition. Spooky, no?

[ what if he’s always wanted to say “spooky”, what then. ]

ɢᴏʀɪʟʟᴀ ᴡᴀʀғᴀʀᴇ

[ the swamp zombies hardly garner a flinch from zeke, and perhaps it’s his sheer size at the moment that helps him stay absolutely calm when one comes garbling for his leg. he watches the scramble whilst feeling his toes sink into soft swampy floors, all until the thing throws itself into an embrace around his leg and chomps down. he has fur there, plenty of it, and as it chews: ]

Ow.

[ placid and even bored, like being pinched by a gerbil over clothes, but there’s something about that that’s . . . unsettling. he’s not supposed to feel pain on an outer scale. swamp folk begin to come in hoards, and zeke feels undeniably hot under his meat suit. something’s not right, and dreamscapes are cruel. ] 

This really is a nightmare. [ and to his companion, as he scoops some gravel from the ground and compacts it in his hands, ] Do you like baseball?

gorilla warfare.

[venatik]

So you took off with the cart titan and ended up here.

( Levi isn't sure who to attack. Who to kill. As his rage bubbles up in his throat, threatening to boil over, he breathes, and it cools. Just a little. )

Is that all you have? Chucking rocks?

( He swipes the head off of one of the strange men effortlessly; it falls, limp. )

Namaari | Raya and the Last Dragon

[dragonsnerd]

[ As with bbgirl Raya further up, this movie is still pretty new so lmk if you want to avoid spoilers, or hmu at widogasted for anything else! ]

01. Lady in White

[ Her home was situated at the mouth of a great, winding river. Fang people knew a thing or two about getting around in wetlands, thankfully, and so she tries to stay confident and not to let any other fears about this place get the better of her. Leaning into her serlot, a large, dark-coated feline that's big enough to serve as her mount, the two tread a careful path forward. Quick and quiet, they move along the trees with a hunter's grace.

She can believe that no dragons have touched upon this eerie place in a very long time. But it isn't a Druun that's leading her around right now, not the voiceless presence that can appear as quickly and as dangerously as this woman does. So who is she? And what does she want with Namaari?

The whispers against the wind, some...sad and fractured tale of lost loves, serves only to annoy and unsettle her.

Approaching the tree and its ominous, dangling rope, she finally lets herself step down to the ground. Looking carefully around for others nearby, and likely expecting some kind of trap, she tenses her shoulders and tries not to expect some kind of ambush. ]

Hello? Is there anyone else out here?

02. Arrival

[ Namaari doesn't adjust to this new predicament very well at first. It's easier to distrust this place and consider every stranger her enemy -- but that's not what the dragons would want, she reminds herself. What would Sisu think?

Even if...even if she's spent so much of her life with the need to distrust others. To see everyone else not from Fang as rivals or enemies. It doesn't help that nothing in this place looks very familiar.

At least she isn't wandering the streets alone. Namaari walks along with her serlot, a large, black feline that's big enough for someone to ride. It pads alongside her obediently, but the flick of its tail and tall, fuzzy ears means it isn't relaxed in this place either.

Bumping into another person on the street, Namaari looks over with a guarded expression. Though her words are polite, it's obvious that she's holding back. ]

I'm sorry, please excuse us.

[ The serlot immediately starts to sniff at the air, as if it's taking stock of the stranger. ]

03. Wilcard

[ Anything else! ]

lady in white

[lighthousekeeping]

Oh—sorry! [Joyce is the least likely person for an ambush, a woman wearing a bright blue uniform and a name tag that reads Hello! My name is Joyce on her shirt. She'd been on her way back home after work when she'd heard a woman's voice, and now she's here—shaken and disturbed, but game to look for a way out. And hey, at least she won't be doing it alone.]

Did you hear her too?

Asriel Dreemurr | Undertale

[saveas]

i. lady in white

[Asriel does not particularly enjoy this swamp. Like, sure, it's on the Surface and he can kinda see some stars past all the clouds, which is neat. But everything down here with him just sucks. If anything, the sound of a sobbing woman is at least a distraction - well, no. That sounds mean, doesn't it? It's someone he could help, and that would be good. He'd like to help someone if he can!

But then there's all that stuff with romance and betrayal, and that's just...does she think that's him? Really? There's like, a billion reasons that makes no sense!
By the time he makes it up to the tree, his path lit with a flickering white flame held between his paws, he's honestly (if secretly) sort of annoyed at himself for having come out here at all. When he sees the body hanging...is that something humans can do? It's not, right?]

Are you - 

[His words cut off with a yelp as he ducks, a futile attempt to avoid the ghost rushing forward. Not that it matters; she just goes right through him, but that's all he does. His bullet flickers out of existence, and it's only after she's gone that he realizes how dumb it was to not just fire it. He snaps:]

What was the point of that? That was just a dumb jumpscare!

[Okay, that was mean. Asriel's a little ashamed; it's himself he's mad at, really. Maybe her a little, too - like, that was weird, right? He's like ten. He shouldn't be, though, so it just makes him feel more sour at himself in the end. The little goat monster scowls and folds his arms in close to himself.]

ii. a fine night for it

[When the first woman attacks, Asriel isn't quite quick enough to do anything other than scrabble out of the way of her charge. When he turns back to face her again, there's white magic sparking around his paws. Though the terror rising in him is familiar, he's not the same little Asriel he was before. Don't kill and don't be killed. She's attacking him, so he can fight back. He should fight back. What that means, exactly, well - he bares his teeth, wishing momentarily for his old scary Flowey face.]

Leave me alone!

[If it were just her, he might've been fine. He doesn't really want to kill anybody even now, but if it came down to it? He can. Whether or not he will...well, before he can think too hard on that, all the other people start emerging to attack.

Asriel goes rigid, his breath stuttering over itself in its haste. It's a lot of humans. A whole horde of them with improvised weapons, whatever might have been close at hand when a monster walked into their village, and he's been here before. In the back of his mind, he can practically hear Chara screaming at him to do something. But once again, he can't.

He's frozen.]

ii

[createdwolf]

[Asriel will feel something tugging at his clothes - a wolf, which probably isn't anymore comforting than the people figures in the distance. At least this wolf seems to be trying to help?]

Come on, run!

Rapunzel | Tangled: The Series

[prodigalhairess]

[A; Lady in White]

[Swamps really aren't as bad as some people think they are! Sure, they're pretty spooky and they can be pretty tough to travel though, but there's so much to see! The plantlife that has a hard time growing anywhere else! The animals that make their home in the damp climates! Swamps are fascinating... but this one is. Uh.

Not... not fascinating. Just. kind of a lot??? Rapunzel has seen ghosts before, but not like this. Ruth wasn't this agonized, nor were the Disciples. This can't be... real, right?]

H-Hey, do you think that was some sort of trick? Just... something weird caused by swamp gas or somthing?


[B; A Night For It]

[Rapunzel is a kind soul. If there's someone, anyone calling out for help, she'll go investigate. It's a strength as much as it is a weakness; she refuses to give up on anyone, but it can also put the too-trusting young woman in some pretty precarious positions if she's not careful.

Unfortunately, this is the latter.

She'd just wanted to help. The crying woman sounded so upset, and in the dark swamp, there's all sorts of dangers that can prey on a terrified woman. So Rapunzel had approached, reaching out... and then everything went upside down. The woman attacks, and there's the frantic rustling of nearby bushes as more people run out, and she's surrounded as she struggles beneath the woman trying so hard to get her hands around the golden-haired princess's throat.]

Wait- I'm sorry- I was only trying to help!!

[She seems to be holding off the once-crying woman well enough, but the others are closing in quickly. If Rapunzel can't get on her feet soon, she's going to be in a pretty rough spot....]


[C; Wildcard]

[Wanna throw something else at me? Do so here! If you'd like to hash something out first, feel free to hit me up over at OwlKnight!]

B

[laminae]

[Fern wouldn't exactly describe himself as a kind person. He tries, sometimes, but he isn't really kind. He isn't really Finn, who is, and getting into the mess of comparing himself to him has never done him any good.

He had mostly been following the ghost out of curiosity rather than a desire to be kind to her. He knows well enough from experience that ghosts in Deerington don't tend to respond to kindness. Chances are she's some evil monster that wants to kill people or something, that's more up the town's alley.

At any rate, he follows her and he isn't overly surprised at everything that follows, though he isn't expecting a whole mob to appear. Nor is he expecting to see some familiar-looking blond hair.

Welp.

A very long, thorny vine is smashing into some of those people, knocking them away from Rapunzel. It pulls back back, reforming into Fern's arm as he forms a grass sword, lunging at the other people in the mob to try and give her a chance to get free.]

cayde-6 || destiny

[exorion]

ARRIVAL (tiny friend ghost edition)

There's a fist-sized polyhedron zipping around. Small, fast, easy to miss honestly. Looking for something-- someone, but she doesn't have all the capabilities she should, so. With her eye it is.

"Hey!" She practically just appears right in your face, an edge of panic to her voice, "I'm looking for someone. Can you help?"

A FINE NIGHT FOR IT

[Maybe you came here together, maybe you're just meeting up now. Navigating the wilderness is almost second nature to Cayde, it won't have been the worst trek it could be.]

[The woman in white goes down fast, quick reflexes and a bullet between the eyes take her out. The Night Folk on the other hand? He might be a fast hand, marksman accurate, but he's still limited to a pistol and so many bullets at once. He could swear he put this guy down, and yet here Cayde is, pushing them back with a kick to the chest and a huff.]

Hey, uh-- [he shoots another, they go down but he's not confident they'll stay that way.] Any suggestions?

WILDCARD

[come at me]

Arrival !!!! Cayde!

[fatedmahou]

[Mirai has seen a lot of things between her own world and Deerington, but nothing quite like this. How long was this sentient being floating there for? She sort of... dazed off for a few minutes, plainly out of it.]

Ah! Oh. Of course. How may I help?