Fantasy Nightingale [closed]

[Yoruko Katsumi]

Grackle paused before answering the question. "Resplendent is... Yes. She's got her wings. She's not a flier though. Not everyone is. And she's... I don't know, but I don't think she's anything like the rest. She looks young, but I've heard she's been here longer than almost anyone. It's a long story, and I don't know all of it, but a long time ago, when the Brood was first coming together, something happened and Resplendent and a few others after her started taking this vow of silence. Flycatcher got sucked into the craze too, but I never got it." Flier? What the hell? Vows of Silence? Jeez there is some shady ass shit going on in here. Kathryn thought and slightly tilted her head in thought.


Grackle shrugs. "Mystics got their own thing going on," she says, gesturing at the tent. "They're in their own world. Resplendent's the best of them, by far." I guess that is why she gives everyone there names. Kathryn concluded from Grackle's words.


Wasting no more time, Grackle headed inside. For a brief instance, the presence of the Brood watching from high hidden places seems to intensify, as if they're just waiting for Kathryn to be caught alone. She didn't want to give them the chance, or satisfaction of anything those creatures might want to do to her. Kathryn's bones shuddered at the thought and hurriedly followed Grackle inside.


The mystics' tent resembles something like an expansive blanket fort. It reminded Kathryn of the forts she used to build with her late Father and Mother long ago. The now faraway sound of the singing voices is muffled by the tent, but the winged girls who reside here hum the tune to themselves as they light their lanterns and promptly snuff them out in some unfathomable rhythmic sequence. The seemingly random act intrigued Kathryn but she didn't know why they were doing it, nor did she want to. There are four of them in all, all different ages and wholly distinct from one another, yet they all mirror the same look as your approach. All but one, who doesn't even bother turning around.


The apparent eldest, a sharp-eyed blonde with a necklace made of clay beads and the bones of a small bird around her neck, smiles up at Grackle."Well look who it is," she says, rolling her beads between her fingers. "Have you come to give grief his due?" The girl scared Kathryn immensely, but she wasn't about to let any of them know that. She forced her face to remain expressionless at the words and motions. However Grackle frowned, confused.


"Ignore her," says another, dark and sprawled out on her front so that her wings are free to move about. "She's been spending all her time telling stories since Resplendent went away from us." Went away. Well, that's one way to put it. Kathryn felt amused slightly by that notion.


The blonde sticks her tongue out at her companion, and then looks at Kathryn . "Aren't you up past you bedtime?" she asks. The innocent question shot terror threw her body. If she gave the wrong answer, it could very well mean her end. Kathryn mustered all the courage she could manage and gave a polite smile before stating. "I suppose I am, but I have been having a hard time sleeping lately." Kathryn took a deep breathe before continuing, hoping not to say anything stupid. "My friend here knows I have a love for the mystic arts and I sorta begged her to introduce me to you, since i can be a bit shy at times. I have always wanted to learn how to use such abilities, if possible." She turned her head to look at Grackle long enough to shoot her a pleading glance, begging for help. Oh Shit. I'm fucked. Her mind began preparing for them to laugh and attack her.

 

[cranboggles]

@WaffleReaper


Conscience and common sense duke it out for a while, but ultimately you decide to go back to the kitchen and see what's become of Goose and the other two winged girls. You enter prepared for to witness a fight or a crime scene, but you find the kitchen surprisingly vacant. There's no sign of any of the girls anywhere, nor is there any sign of a struggle. In fact, the place almost looks better than when you first saw it.


The spilled contents of the fridge and cabinets have been hastily cleaned up, shoved haphazardly back behind closed doors. Goose's blanket is gone, as is the broken lock. The walk-in is shut and the door held in place with a cooler as an improvised roadblock. It's heavy, but with time and effort you manage to move it.


The walk-in too has been vacated, the remnants of Goose's little feeding frenzy appear to have been cleaned up as well. To someone who wasn't looking for it, the evidence would be invisible, but it was still obviously done in a hurry. Goose is nowhere to be found. Wherever she is, if she was mad before she has to be rabid now. And if that's the case, what does that say about the other girls that were able to detain her?


@StoneWolf18


Dhalion comes out of her musing looking almost startled. "Who? Oh, well, it's not important right now." She shrugs her shoulders and her wings bob along with them. "The girls like to gossip, but they know better than to rat each other out, and as far as they're concerned you're one of us. I mean, if I couldn't tell the difference on sight I'm sure they won't either. Newcomers usually move up to the second floor after initiation anyway, whether they have their wings yet or not. As long as news doesn't reach the rafters- the third floor- we should be fine."


"I am- we are," She gestures broadly around her. "Brood. There's no need to make it more complicated than that. There's no... no preset mythology to compare to. We're like a lot of things, but there's no exact..." She fumbles with the words. "The wings don't exactly come with a training manual and a care package. I mean, I've been working on some stuff for a while to help ease fledglings through the transition, but the Brood as a family has only existed for some, oh, sixty years or so. And the way I heard it a lot of that time was spent in the shadows, even more so than it is now. Years of breaking apart and coming back together. I don't really know. I've only been here for maybe..." She counts on her fingers. "Fifteen? Twenty years?"


"I guess that counts as a bonus besides the wings, huh? Brood girls live a lot longer than humans do, in the right conditions. Like, a lot longer. That's why the Nest exists, to keep us together, to give girls a chance who otherwise wouldn't have it. It's a new life, in a very literal sense. It's hard to explain, hard to understand really before it happens to you yourself. It's something balanced on the very edge of natural and magical." She shakes her head. "I'm sorry, I'm no good at this. I haven't held a conversation with a human in years."


At your last question, Dhalion gets up and flips through her files. She pulls out a folder, thicker than yours but not by much. "Goose. Yeah, that was her. Her wings came out fine, no complications despite putting off her date, but she came alone. She was supposed to bring someone with her to help her through the aftermath. I'm the only full-time medic. I can't spend all my time with one- Okay, I guess that's kind of ironic considering what I'm doing now. The point is, it's not my fault. But I doubt that's going to matter to anyone if she hurts herself, or someone else. And I can't even do anything about it because every minute I spend looking for her is a minute I'm not at my post. Someone else could get hurt while I'm gone. Not to mention I can't risk being caught in the shallows downstairs where some fledgling- another fledgling- could see me."


@Yoruko Katsumi


Grackle is impassive, which at least means you didn't say anything to out yourself just yet. The so-called mystics are charmed by your story, more than a few of them regarding you like one might a small animal.


"That's presh," coos the blonde, and despite the undertone of condescension, she seems genuinely touched by the idea. "So sweet of your friend to bring you to us. Alright ladies I'll take it from here."


She makes as if to get up but another mystic grabs her by the hair with an, "Oh no you don't" and sits her back down. This one, curly-haired and dark-winged, focuses on Grackle.


"You came to show us something, yeah? You got up here without wings. You've got our attention."


The blonde smacks her playfully on the leg. "You don't speak for us, Hoyl." She looks at Grackle. "But yeah you've got our attention."


Grackle nudges you. The cards.

 

[Yoruko Katsumi]

Grackle is impassive, which at least means you didn't say anything to out yourself just yet. The so-called mystics are charmed by your story, more than a few of them regarding you like one might a small animal. Oh crap. Now they are even more focused on me. At least I haven't said anything to stupid...Yet. Kathryn thought as she tightened her fists slightly. Trying to think of what to do next that wouldn't get her killed.


"That's presh," coos the blonde girl, and despite the undertone of condescension, she seems genuinely touched by the idea. "So sweet of your friend to bring you to us. Alright ladies I'll take it from here." The girl makes as if to get up but another mystic grabs her by the hair with an, "Oh no you don't" and sits her back down. This one, curly-haired and dark-winged, focuses on Grackle.


"You came to show us something, yeah? You got up here without wings. You've got our attention." The blonde smacks her playfully on the leg. "You don't speak for us, Hoyl." She looks at Grackle. "But yeah you've got our attention."


The guide nudged the increasingly tense Kathryn. The cards. Her body stiffened. She wasn't sure if she should get them out or not. Slowly, her hand twitched and moved on Its own accord. "Um. You see, I got these... Well, cards.. Resplendent gave them to me before she diapered... I'm not sure why either." Kathryn stuttered slightly as she took the cards out of her glove pocket. She picked a card at Random and held it out at arms length to the mystic girls, face up. Kathryn took a deep breath, praying she hasn't and won't fuck this up. "I was kinda hoping you could tell me about them..." She stopped. Not daring to speak another word.

 

[StoneWolf18]

This just made even more questions surface. And the fact that she wasn't human made her a tad uncomfortable, though it wasn't hard to believe. Yet, when she mentioned not being able to leave her post, Dysis replied "Well if you can't leave, how am I suppose to get out of here? It's not like I can waltz out of here without someone recognizing that they don't recognize me."


(I apologize for the short post, in running on less than 4 hours of sleep at the moment.)


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[WaffleReaper]

Amelia sighed as she stared at the roof thinking "Well f*ck. What did Goose bite their necks and they got wings? Then did they just fly away? How did this place get so spotless? Damn, now I have MORE questions. Well I guess the flute actually worked and those two ran away... That means their telling someone about it right now! I've got to get back to bed. Now it's the only thing that will keep me from getting killed. Doesn't help I might not see our little trio of guys again. Seems like I can't keep a friend. Time for bed I guess, then I got to do things on my own." She then walked back to the beds and got back in the same bed again.


She began staring at the roof again thinking about the things that have happened so far. She thought the best way to get answers was to tell a guide. It was a long shot yes, but it was the only thing Amelia could do now. She then closed her eyes and realized how tired she is. She was thinking "Did I get up for NOTHING tonight? Because that's what it looks like. Oh well, I guess there's nothing I can do about this until the morning decides to come. I now know that I wasn't going crazy at all though... With Goose saying "Hey don't do that" and raising them over her ears to combat my flute, they were very real. The only thing that bothers me is that it made cheerful Goose go mad for food and nearly bite my neck off. I should be thanking those kids. To bad they don't know about the wings... It would probably freak them the hell out though. Well so far there's no evidence for me to note and look for an explanation about how a little girl can grow bird WINGS. It's probably some creepy ass shit the brood do. I don't know if I'm getting a choice. In which case I don't know about accepting it."


Amelia decided to continue her quest for answers in the morning. Then she could tell a guide and go with them to find Goose. If they would accept. She began thinking "Oh my gosh! I forgot about the note in all that commotion. Let's read it." She then grabbed the note and read it hoping it would shed some light on where the other two are and how she can get there. In the end, Amelia just got worried about Kestrel from that last line. "If I don't come back... I just hope I come back." This made Amelia think "WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSE TO DO IF YOU DON'T TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE! Dammit. Kestrel, why didn't I tell you about the book or the phone, then you would've trusted me enough to at least notify me before we went to sleep. Damn, I hope she gets back here so we can trade our f*cking secrets. Then I'll tell her everything I found, even the cellphone. Ugh, time to get to sleep." She then finally attempted to sleep.

 

[cranboggles]

@Yoruko Katsumi


The mystics perk up at the mention of the cards. You pick one at random, an eight of diamonds traditional playing card, and though you may have anticipated another jolt of strangeness at the contact, the reaction this time is much more jarring. You're hit with an almost staggering feeling of fear, of gut-wrenching wrongness. The feeling prevails until the ash-winged girl, Hoyl, takes the card into her own hand. However she is unaffected by it. She turns it over and over between her fingers, as if checking a bill for sign of counterfeit.


"It sure looks like hers," she says.


"Give it! Give it!" pleads the other, eagerness in her eyes.


Hoyl ignores her and passes the card on to a girl who has not yet spoken. This one barely glances at the card before turning away with a small but certain nod.


"If Owl says it's legit, it's legit. But what do you expect us to do about it?"


Grackle gapes. "It's her divination deck, isn't it? You can use it to find her, or find the outsider, or... do something to keep this place from falling apart without her!"


"Don't be such a drama queen. The Brood's survived through worse conditions than this for more than half a century. Rez wasn't always around to maintain things, you know. Besides, it's a moot point. No one can figure out her system. Mystics have gone half-crazy trying." You don't miss her glance at the chittering blonde. "It has to be, like, an intuitive thing. She doesn't read the cards she just... feels them." She looks wistful.


Hoyl approaches you. "Thanks for bringing them back anyway though. It's more traditional to wait until you've got your wings to come to us, but if Resplendent was willing to trust you with her cards that's practically a shining recommendation already. We might be willing to make an exception."


@StoneWolf18


"I wouldn't worry much about that," says Dhalion. "People come and go on the regular. New girls get initiated so often these days no one could be expected to know everyone. And some of those who've been here a while sometimes disappear for months at a time. Time's a flash in the pan to those who don't have to worry about getting old, and borders and walls mean nothing to fliers. No, odds are as long as you don't draw attention to yourself you'll be fine. Although..."


She grimaces. "Getting back downstairs, that might be a problem. The Nest is set up to accommodate the winged. If you were blooded you'd be an official member of the Brood family, so you'd be able to get someone to carry you down safely. As it is trying to find an escort would bring up too many questions.


"Well," she looks around, flips through a few papers, and sighs. "I guess I could leave for a few minutes. I'm not a flier. That is, my wings aren't actually strong enough to carry me over more than a short distance. Going up would be a problem, but getting down they should be able to handle."


She offers up a weak smile. A hermit-like healer before anything else, this is clearly outside Dhalion's comfort zone. But it's in her nature to want to help people, so she complies.


@WaffleReaper


It's still that time of the night that's more like early morning when you go back to the bedroom, so sleep isn't a bad idea. With what you've seen tonight, nightmares seem like an inevitability, but while all the surreality is there, the fear is not.


In your dreams, the light is blinding and the sound of voices raised in song is all around you. That too fades in time, giving way to the sound of waves gently lapping on a sandy shore. You find yourselves standing on a boardwalk at the outskirts of the city. The amusement park that once resided around here was shut down for safety violations years ago, but in this false reality you can still hear the twinkling music of the fairgrounds and the grinding of gears as the ferris wheel turns behind you. You're looking out on the ocean, and you have the strangest sensation that you are searching for something on the blue horizon. You wait and watch but nothing comes of it. What are you looking for? And why?


Somewhere along the way your dream becomes more lucid. You know you're dreaming. With this realization, you feel yourself hovering on the edge of waking, but someone's speaking now, just out of your reach. The dream begins to collapse in on itself as it might right before becoming a nightmare, and still, the voice.

 

[StoneWolf18]

Dysis listens, yet she wasn't so sure. The healer seemed willing to help, yet it seems outside her comfort zone. "Dhalion" Dysis replied "I can find some other way down if you're uncomfortable with the task..." Her tone wasn't showing the slight hints of nervousness she felt. If she was to say yes, then Dysis was sure to get caught. But, she gave her a willing smile, hiding her emotions.


Dysis, while waiting for a reply from the healer, had begun to wonder about Kestrel and Chickadee. What were they doing and are they in a situation not unlike her own.


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[Yoruko Katsumi]

The mystics perk up at the mention of the cards.The random card turned out to be an eight of diamonds, traditional playing card. Kathryn anticipated another jolt of strangeness at the contact, however this time it was much more jarring. She was hit in the stomach with an almost staggering feeling of fear, of gut-wrenching wrongness. Kathryn flinched slightly from the overpowering sensation. Fortunately, the mystics didn't seem to notice. The feeling prevails until the ash-winged girl, Hoyl, takes the card into her own hand. However, the girl seems to be unaffected by it. The mystic turns it over and over between her fingers, as if checking a bill for sign of counterfeit. Do they not feel.. Whatever that is? Or do they know how to block it? Kathryn thought to herself


"It sure looks like hers," she says. "Give it! Give it!" pleads another, eagerness in her eyes.


Hoyl ignores her and passes the card on to a girl who has not yet spoken. This one barely glances at the card before turning away with a small but certain nod.


"If Owl says it's legit, it's legit. But what do you expect us to do about it?"


Kathryn stood, dumbfounded. They don't know how to find Resplendent.. Do they? Her heart sank from the words. Grackles voice chimed into the mystic's conversation. "It's her divination deck, isn't it? You can use it to find her, or find the outsider, or... do something to keep this place from falling apart without her!"


"Don't be such a drama queen. The Brood's survived through worse conditions than this for more than half a century. Rez wasn't always around to maintain things, you know. Besides, it's a moot point. No one can figure out her system. Mystics have gone half-crazy trying." Kathryn caught the mystic's glance at the chittering blonde. "It has to be, like, an intuitive thing. She doesn't read the cards she just... feels them." She looks wistful.


Hoyl approached Kathryn gracefully. "Thanks for bringing them back anyway though. It's more traditional to wait until you've got your wings to come to us, but if Resplendent was willing to trust you with her cards that's practically a shining recommendation already. We might be willing to make an exception."


Kathryn smiled, knowing she didn't screw up. Well yet at least. But she was a bit confused. Feel them? Is that why she felt strange when she touched one. But should she tell them that? She decided to go with her gut. However wrong she might be, and tell them the truth. About the strange feelings that is. "You said that Resplendent felt the cards right? Every time I have touched one, i get these strange jolting feelings. Everyone has been different, and I don't really know why either. But... M-maybe I could try to help?" Kathryn pulled another card at random before handing over the rest of the deck to Hoyl. It was a queen of hearts. Kathryn stared at the card intently and held her breathe.

 

[cranboggles]

@StoneWolf18


"N-no I can help!" Dhalion insists. "Look, it's still dark out. Anyone who's not sleeping will probably be out somewhere. Easier to travel by night when you're less likely to be seen, you know. If we move fast..."


She swings open the door with renewed determination, leaving the relative safety of her personal quarters into the larger part of the infirmary, where two Brood stand waiting, a limp, wriggling Goose caught between them. She may have a few... new additions, in the form of a set of sizable wings, and she looks a little more wild, but it's still unmistakably Goose.


"Aaand back inside!" She promptly steps backwards and shuts the door, but of course the girls have already seen her.


There's a knock on the door. "Dhalion?" calls one of them. "We found, uh... This girl was tearing through the food supply like a real feral. Thought we should bring her up."


The other adds, more frankly, "She busted out of here, right? Her wings look real fresh. Do we get a reward for this? We should. She's a biter."


You can hear Goose's muffled grumbling through the door but the fight seems to have gone out of her.


"I'm with a patient," Dhalion stammers. "I'll be out in a minute ."


Somebody kicks the door and makes a weak snarling noise. Probably Goose.


"Might wanna hurry."


Dhalion looks at you, at a loss for what to do. This has put a considerable hitch in the plan, but there's no way she's going to just leave the girl after losing her once already, with some apparently near disastrous consequences. There's nowhere in the room to hide, no other way out.


"Act natural," Dhalion says, hand poised over the doorknob.


@Yoruko Katsumi


All eyes are on you now, including Grackle's. You pick a card at random and find the face of the queen of hearts staring back at you. There's only one name on this one: Swift.


"Hold on," says Grackle. "You can use Resplendent's deck? You're not even-" She bites her tongue. Luckily none of the others appear to pay mind this near slip-up.


"That's..." Hoyl takes the deck from you. She doles out words with a sort of measured composure. "Unprecedented."


The other three mystics seem terribly interested as well, though of them only that one eldest expresses her fascination outright with a wide smile and clasped hands, fingers tightly laced together as if she were trying to physically contain her excitement.


They seem to be waiting for some proof, so once again you place your hands over the name on the card. Maybe it's the more deliberate nature of the action, but this time it comes easier to you, no longer so much a jolt as a slow buzz, a static hum of feeling, like a limb falling asleep. This name is more pleasant under your hand, gentle and inviting as you probe into its aura. You feel as though there is a cool breeze blowing against you, the tart of fresh berries on your tongue, the smell of salty and sea and greenery after a light rain. There is a melancholy to it, a vague loneliness that is not yours.


The others look at you expectantly as you waver in and out of the trance, but how can you explain to them what the card does to you? How can you make them understand when you hardly understand yourself?

 

[WaffleReaper]

Amelia began doing nothing but speculation, even in her dream. She was thinking with her eyes panning in every direction "What? What? WHAT? There are many reasons I could've had that dream... It was so realistic too. Maybe... Just maybe, that wasn't just a nightmare. If I think about it rationally, that spell that caught my eye a while back, speak. Someone could've used that on me... But who? It would be a smart move for a "Help me, I'm at the broken old park." but, I don't know if they brood will just let me say "I'm gonna take a quick breather, maybe stop by at the old abandoned amusement park. See ya around!" and then just leave. Best case... F*ck it. I'm sick of doing that. This place is to crazy for thinking about the best case or the worst case. No, I need to think of the insane case. Then I need to think "Oh no, Goose is sick! She's gonna grow wings now and attempt to break in the fridge at night when she is slightly better. Then I'm gonna have to save my own ass because she is gonna drag me into some crazy shit and not even explain why the fuck she has wings." because that shit is just basic."


She then got back on track with her eyes starring straight in front of her "Who would send me a message? Who? Well, the psychic girl that went missing is a good guess. But she's smart enough to realize I don't have vast connections outside this place. That means no way out for me. Unless I swear myself to secrecy and never come back. I could search though, maybe the phone I found has a number that can tell a guy to get me in and out without being noticed. Perhaps that's what the psychic did. If I can find out how she got out, and where she got out... I could in turn go to this park and talk to her. Wait a minute, if I'm right... That means the psychic is waiting for me."


Amelia came to realize this and began to blow her own mind. She began thinking with a smile convinced she cracked the code "In that case that feeling about waiting is me feeling what she feels. Shes made these small connections but are huge when you crack them. That means she could've put the phone and book where it was, then she could've faked being kidnapped or something. But here's the extra evidence. If I look at this in another way, it doesn't add up. I've never had a dream that blows up in my face after 5 seconds and leaves me to think. I also haven't been to that park much at all. So it doesn't add up as to why I would dream about that place, but when I add it up the way I have, It all makes sense as part of a plan. Number one, plant items somewhere you know the person you want is going to be. Number 2. Find a way out. Number 3. Send a message to said person and have them put two and two together. Number 4. Play the waiting game. So for me that means I need to find an outlet, find a way out, find a way to the park, and find out what the full plan of the psychic is. That's my quest then isn't it. Even though I don't exactly have the greatest means of doing it. I did however find out this message which means this could in fact be a message just for me. I'll wait till morning and find the places I need to be. So In the morning I'm going to have a myself I scavenger hunt.

 

[Yoruko Katsumi]

All eyes shifted to stare at Kathryn, including Grackle's. There's only one name on this one: Swift.


"Hold on," says Grackle. "You can use Resplendent's deck? You're not even-" She bites her tongue. Luckily none of the others appear to pay mind to this near slip-up. Kathryn shot a quick glance at Grackle. Pleading for the guide to believe her, and to not continue with the truth. Kathryn looked back and met the gaze of the mystics once again.


"That's..." Hoyl takes the deck from you. She doles out words with a sort of measured composure. "Unprecedented." The other three mystics seem terribly interested as well, though out of all of them, only that one eldest expresses her fascination outright with a wide smile and clasped hands, fingers tightly laced together as if she were trying to physically contain her excitement.


They seem to be waiting for some proof, so once again, Kathryn braced herself and placed her pointer finger over the name on the card. Maybe it's the more deliberate nature of the action, but this time it comes easier to you, no longer so much a jolt as a slow buzz, a static hum of feeling, like a limb falling asleep. This name is more pleasant under your hand, gentle and inviting as you probe into its aura. Kathryn felt as though there is a cool breeze blowing against you, the tart of fresh berries on your tongue, the smell of salty and sea and greenery after a light rain. There is a melancholy to it, a vague loneliness that is not yours. Kathryn could feel her eyes glaze over. Instinctively she closed them, Trying to get a better picture of what she was feeling. Resplendent? What am I doing? Kathryn's thoughts called out, not really expecting anything more than just her own thoughts.


Kathryn could feel the others expectant looks as she wavered in and out of the trance. She focused on the smell, trying to isolate it. She felt as though she had smelled it before. Kathryn tried to describe what she was feeling the best she could.


"There is a cool breeze. I can smell the sea... I can taste berries... It's lonely... Really lonely." The sensations began to overwhelm Kathryn. She had to remove her finger, but it felt as if it had been glued in place. She gasped, staring at the card. Or, at least in the direction of it...

 

[StoneWolf18]

Dysis sighs knowing that she is determined to help. “Alright…” she replies slowly, preparing to follow the healer at a brisk pace.


Dhalion swings the door open, with a vigorous determination, just about to leave the safety of her personal quarters into the larger section of their makeshift hospital where two Brood were waiting with a limp yet angry Goose. Though a set of wings were attached to her back and an unmistakable look of a crazed animal in her eyes, but still it was her.


“Aaaannnnd back inside.” She promptly shut the door. If it were any other situation, Dysis would have found this quite comical. But Dhalion’s efforts to stay hidden were lost rather quickly due to the girls already noticing her and hopefully not Dysis.


There was a knock soon after, then a voice asked “Dhalion? We found uh... This girl was tearing through the food supply like a real feral. We thought we should bring her up."


The other adds, more frankly, "She busted out of here, right? Her wings look real fresh. Do we get a reward for this? We should. She's a biter."


Dysis catches muffled grumbling, most likely Goose's. It apparent that the fight is out of her.


"I'm with a patient" Dhalion stammers "I'll be be out in one minute"


The door is kicked and some snarling us heard. It's quite clear that Goose isn't happy.


"might wanna hurry" one of the brood urges.


The healer looked to Dysis, a lost look dominating her face. This has put a considerable hitch in the plan, but there's no way she's going to just leave the girl after losing her once already, with some apparently near disastrous consequences. There's nowhere in the room to hide, no other way out.


"Act natural" Dhalion says before going to open the door. A sinking feeling in her stomach as she lays back down. Dysis rolls up her sleeve and puts the stump of her right wrist where it previously lay, it looking as if it needed elevation. Closing her eyes she appeared to be asleep, though she prayed Goose didn't recognize her. As the door swung open, Dysis' heart was pounding hard in her chest, hopping they would leave as fast as they entered.


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[cranboggles]

@Yoruko Katsumi


With your hand glued in place, the visions start to envelop and overwhelm your senses. It speeds forward and then rewinds back again. Sights, sounds, tastes, smells, flowing not towards or away from you but through you, and yet you can't pull away. Something flickers into your mind and sticks there, clings to the edges. It's like a map, a world map, but it keeps changing. You feel a pull to a spot on the mental map. An island. But the second you have it, again it's gone.


A hand curls over yours, gently separating you from the paper. You blink back into reality and find the eldest mystic looking at you, more together now than you'd seen her before. The others look at you with something near reverence, Grackle with something closer to fear, but this one looks at you as if you were an old friend whose face she'd forgotten until just now.


"Hello," she says. "You were out for a while there. Don't want to go in too deep for too long. Trust me."


She eases you down, sits you down beside her and among the others. Grackle stands and shuffles uncertainly. That the mystics have apparently accepted you is no small matter, and the more common Brood is ill at ease about it.


"What's your name?" asks the younger sleek-winged Brood, while the blonde tries to take the card from you. Hoyl bats her hand away and takes it herself. It's probably for the best. The effect seems to get more intense the more you use them.


@StoneWolf18


The door opens.


"No," says Dhalion. "Not in here. Take her out to one of the infirmary beds."


"If you're not gonna lock her up I hope you plan on strapping her down."


"I'm a doctor not a warden! Well, I'm not actually a doctor either." She looks at Goose. "What do you say, Goose? Are you going to stay put this time around or should I ask your friends here to stay to restrain you?"


Goose doesn't look any happier about that idea than the other two girls do. She nods and the second she does (the second they realize they're not getting a reward that's not lollipops or sweetened vitamins) the escorts bolt.


"Butcher," Goose spits as Dhalion examines her wings. She's lying belly down on a cot just outside Dhalion's room, chin rested in her folded arms. She turns her eyes up at you every so often. There's recognition there but if she was going to make something of it she would've done so already. She may be saving the information for a later date.


There are only a few beds, all unoccupied other than this one, and all spaced several feet apart, probably for sanitary reasons. Other than that the room's pretty vacant despite the size.


"I could take care of the pain but you didn't take that so well last time. And you wouldn't be so sore in the first place if you weren't using your wings while they were still so fresh."


"I waited almost a year for these. I'm not waiting anymore."


"You're right, you're not."


Goose blinks. She had expected the medic to put up more of a fight.


"I am going to keep this to myself, and in exchange you're going to take my friend here back down to the shallows and not mention this to anyone."


Goose sits up and looks at you. She sighs. "Why not? I'm not a guide anymore. I'm just- Ugh, I'm so embarrassed. I had to be dragged up here like a little kid! Twice! And I'm pretty sure I scared the crap out of this fledgling kid. It's all kind of fuzzy, but I know I screwed up bad."


Dhalion adds something to Goose's file. "It's not totally uncommon to have a violent reaction to the shift. Your body just went through a massive change. Think puberty but way worse," she adds wryly in your direction. "Anyway, I can't help you with your reputation, but I can cover for you on this. Deal?"


It's as much a question for you as it is for her. Morning is fast approaching and you need to get downstairs before someone wakes up and sees you're missing. You only have so many options, and less the longer you idle.


@WaffleReaper


Morning is slow to come, especially when you're waiting on its arrival. But in time the sun rises outside the window, and some time after that the other fledglings begin to stir awake. They don't have a clue what you've seen, what you know. Kestrel still hasn't returned from her own adventure, and Nightjar remains missing in action. The only people who might possibly understand what you're going to are nowhere to be found. So it goes.


A few early risers crawl from their beds and begin their morning routines. Will any of the others find evidence of last night's incident? Damage control was pretty thorough, but they were working in a hurry. And won't someone notice that the lock is broken?


Without the rest of your merry band of misfits to confide in, you're going to have to either talk to the other newbies around you or do some digging on your own if you want to find out more about what you saw, and about the place you saw in your dream. You recognized the area, if only vaguely, and you know it's by the sea, but not much more than that, and it's all pretty useless if you don't know where you- that is, where the Nest is itself. Most of the other girls here don't know much than you, but some have been here waiting for their initiation at least a few days longer than you. Someone has to have information, or at least know where you can find it.

 

[WaffleReaper]

Amelia found herself with a "bad hair day" as she awoke. She then got up and grabbed a bowl of cereal. She found herself cutting corners for time by not even bothering to look for milk, like this place has any at all. She was thinking as she slowly ate "Damn, I hoped the other two would be back by now, If that was the case I would go on the hunt with much better odds since three heads are better then one. But my scavenger hunt needs to continue. So recap time. 1. find an outlet that may or may not work. 2. find an escape route. 3. Leave at midnight. 4. Find the psychic and get some fucking answers. So that's what I've got to do."


She then began searching for a way out and an outlet as a bonus for the cellphone. As she searched she kept a curious expression on her face to make herself seem as if she was just browsing around the place. As she did this she was thinking "Perhaps when I find the things I need, I can make some friends to help me find a way out of here. Then when I get back I can talk with them and maintain a mutual friendship. Hell, if the other guys don't come back I'll have to make another misfit crew. That probably won't happen though. Hell, those two might just need some fucking help right now is all. In which case while I'm searching I could find a way to get to them. If I do, the crew is getting back together. Perhaps I can sneak around vents for a bit and see what I find. Maybe I'll find the gang, or maybe I'll find a bunch of spies and then get killed on the spot. You know, fun things like that."


Amelia then stumbled upon a vent. That also made two more problems though. Now she has to find a screwdriver and a stool since this thing was higher then Amelia could reach. She added those two things to her mental list and continued searching with her faked curious expression. As she searched she began thinking about what she would ask after finding the psychic. If she found her. Aside from that she kept a low profile as she searched the building for what she needed. She did however realize that she could potentially use her knife as a screw driver. So if she gets lucky she can just grab a ladder or stool. With all this in mind, Amelia relentlessly searched anywhere she could without making herself suspicious.

 

[Yoruko Katsumi]

The visions deepen and start to envelop and overwhelm Kathryn's senses. It speeds forward and then rewinds back again. It was like somebody hitting fast-forward and rewind repeatedly. Sights, sounds, tastes, smells, flowing not towards or away from you but through her, and yet she couldn't pull away. It was like she was living through someone else. Something flickers into Kathryn's mind and sticks there, clings to the edges. It's like a map, a world map, but it keeps changing. She felt like she was looking through a kaleidoscope. She could feel a pull to a spot on the mental map. An island. As soon as it appeared, it vanished.


A hand curls over Kathryn's, gently separating her from the paper. She blinked slowly back into reality, Although she was dazed by what happened. She saw from her fogged vision, the eldest mystic looking at her, more together now than you'd seen her before. The others look at you with something near reverence, Grackle with something closer to fear, but this one looks at you as if you were an old friend whose face she'd forgotten until just now. Kathryn's first thought seeing Grackle's face was that she said something stupid while she was...Predisposed..


"Hello," the elder mystic says. "You were out for a while there. Don't want to go in too deep for too long. Trust me."


She eases you down, sits you down beside her and among the others. Grackle stands and shuffles uncertainly. That the mystics have apparently accepted you is no small matter, and the more common Brood is ill at ease about it.


"What's your name?" asks the younger sleek-winged Brood, while the blonde tries to take the card from the still slightly dazed Kathryn. Hoyl bats the blonde's hand away and takes it herself. It's probably for the best. The effect seems to get more intense the more she used them. "Uh. My name? I-It's Kestrel". Kathryn said slowly trying to regain her senses back. She opened and closed her hands to try to regain some feeling of normalcy. "I saw an island." she said looking into the mystic's eyes. "Why was there an Island?"


Kathryn wanted this to be a dream. Just a bad dream that she could wake up from. But she knew it wasn't. Kathryn wished she could be more naive so that she might enjoy all this hoodoo, voodoo stuff. I hope Nightjar made her way back to Chickadee..I.. hope i can return soon. Kathryn's thoughts wandered to the others. She could feel energy draining from her body. Her body knew it was getting late, or early. The energy the cards took didn't help either.. Kathryn needed to hurry. Her body was getting heavier. She could force herself to stay awake, but didn't know for how long.

 

[StoneWolf18]

The door opens with a soft squeak.


"No" Dhalion says "Not in here. Take her out to one of the infirmary beds."


"If you're not gonna lock her up I hope you plan on strapping her down"


"I'm a doctor not a warden! Well, I'm not actually a doctor either." She looks to Goose "What do you say, Goose? Are you going to stay put this time around or should I ask your friends here to stay and restrain you?" 'Wait, why is she so...violent?' Dysis thinks to herself as she listens to the conversation.


Footsteps fade and Dysis could tell that the escorts had left. But Goose still remained.


"Butcher" Goose spits at Dhalion. One could assume she was lying in a cot outside the door, giving her a perfect view of Dysis. Though her eyes were closed, she could still feel her intense gaze land upon her every so often. Though if she was going to do something, she would have done it already. This make a sinking feeling enter her stomach as Dysis realizes that she might be saving the information for later.


"I could take care of the pain but you didn't take that so well last time. And you wouldn't be so sore in the first place if you weren't using your wings while they were still so fresh"


"I waited almost a year for these. I'm not waiting anymore" 'a year?!?' Dysis thinks 'Damn...'


"You're right, you're not."


There's silence, as if Goose had expected more of a fight from the healer.


"I am going to keep this to myself, and in exchange you're going to take my friend here back down to the shadows and not mention this to anyone."


Something creaked and cloth shifted was heard. Goose had most likely sat up. She sighs then says "Why no? I'm not a guide anymore. I'm just- Ugh, I'm so embarrassed. I had to be dragged up here like a little kid! Twice! And I'm pretty sure I scared the crap out of this fledgling kid. It's all kind of fuzzy, but I know I screwed up bad." 'Hehehhe' Dysis silently chuckles 'looks like someone's PMSing quite hard today...'


Papers shift as she assumes Dhalion adds something to Goose's file. "It's not uncommon to have a violent reaction to the shift. Your body just went through a massive change. Think puberty but way worse." She added wryly in Dysis' direction. "Anyway, I can't help you with your reputation, but I can cover for you on this. Deal?"


The question seemed to suit both her and Goose. Morning had to be upon them and someone was bound to notice her absences. And the more time she took the more those options seemed to fade. 'Come on, say yes!' Dysis silently pleaded. Any longer and she was sure to be discovered.


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[cranboggles]

@WaffleReaper


As you continue your search, you notice a group of girls gathered outside one of the doors in the right hallway. The rubble pile that had blocked this way has been diminished some, the loose board and brick having been scavenged up for some other purpose. The more you look at them, the less like a gathering and more like a mob the girls ahead appear. One of them struggles furiously with the locked door while the others stand in wait.


"Grackle? Are you in there?" She knocks forcefully on the door, but no reply. "You can't just leave us alone. The other guides are still gone. C'mon, we know you're in there."


Still no response. These must be the fledglings Grackle was put in charge of, as Goose was of you and your lot. Neither is anywhere to be found.


"What do we do?" asks one of the younger, more timid girls.


"Maybe we should just go home."


"Like hell I will!"


"This isn't how it's supposed to be. Something's gone wrong."


"I don't want to go back."


The fledglings mutter worriedly among themselves. It's the same story all throughout, or variations thereof: no one wants to stay where more girls are disappearing everyday, but if the other option is going back to whatever drove them here in the first place, that puts them between a rock and a hard place. Their faith in the Brood is steadily fading. Already you've seen some familiar faces gone from the usual spots you'd see them. Odds are, some just had enough and walked out.


The one heading the charge backs down, looking defeated. She turns to walk away.


"Where are you going?" asks one of the little ones.


"Out," she replies curtly, then softer, "I'm not leaving. I just want to get out for a while. Get some air, some sunshine."


She turns and heads for the exit. The others slowly disperse.


@Yoruko Katsumi


As the promise of impending sleep pulls you in, you catch only bits and pieces of the conversation around you.


"Island?"


"Whose card was that?"


"Do any of you know a Swift?"


"Shht!" one hushes. "Let her rest. It's late-"


"Early."


"- and this is a lot to put on someone."


The tent is cozy and warm from being shared by so many bright-burning bodies. You close your eyes and, reassured by this, the girls talk a little more boldly, albeit still in whispers.


"Kestrel, huh. Did Rez see her as a hunter? I don't see it."


"It's too early to tell." A pause. "Grackle, she hasn't been blooded yet, has she?"


"Uh."


"Oh like any of us care about that. You only hate us because you're afraid of us, and you're only afraid of us because you don't know who else to be afraid of, and having a scapegoat is easier than admitting you have more than punishment to worry about."


"If she hasn't been blooded, imagine what she'll be like when she is," says an eager voice, completely ignoring Grackle yet again. "I want to do it."


"That's not up to you."


"She's wasted on those bullies. We should keep her. If not me, then maybe Mother will do it herself."


"That's not up to you either."


A shadow passes over your shut eyes and undoes the last of your grip on wakefulness. You sleep long and deeply, much better in here than you would've in the messy patchwork of beds and bodies downstairs. The island comes back to you in your dreams, but only briefly. A cloud seems to pass over it, over you, from above, blocking out the sun. Then the cloud is a swarm of birds, picking the earth bare, eating everything in sight.


Suddenly you're on a shore, a boardwalk by the beach. You see Chickadee, and Nightjar, and Resplendent, and someone you don't recognize at all. The stranger and Resplendent are talking- well, the stranger is and Resplendent is nodding and pointing occasionally- but you can't hear them. They don't seem to know you or any of the others are here. You hear the beating of many wings, rolling in like thunder, and you know the birds are coming again.


@StoneWolf18


Goose looks warily at you, but at last, "Deal." She gets up and motions for you to follow.


Dhalion looks like she wants to say something to you, a proper goodbye perhaps, but instead she settles for placing a hand on your healed shoulder, a silent gesture of well-wishing.


Goose leads you to the stairwell. There's very little different here from the one on the floor below, except that rather than a single entrance it branches off in four directions, all leading to different parts of the floor. Goose flares her wings out, making a bit of a show of it. They suit her, or rather, they suit her namesake.


"So," she says. "You're handling all this pretty well. All things considered." She sighs. "Man I really didn't do my job, but I guess if things were running on schedule you would've found out around now anyway.


"Anywho, I'm gonna need to hold onto you now. A one floor jump probably wouldn't kill you but Dhalion wouldn't be happy if I sent you right back to her so soon." She walks out to the ledge. "I'd ask you about how all that happened but I'm pretty sure it's at least partly my fault somehow and I'm... tired. I'm tired and I feel like I'll never want to sleep again all at the same time? How weird is that?"


She looks up at nothing in particular. "When you go back, tell them I'm okay, but that they probably won't be seeing me for a while. I want to be gone before sunrise. I know it sounds stupid, but I've been waiting so long and now all I can think of doing is flying as fast and far and high as these things will take me."

 

[WaffleReaper]

Amelia became angry at herself as she saw a fledgeling just leave with no consequences. She began thinking "WHAT THE HELL DO I NEED TO DO THIS SCAVENGER HUNT FOR THEN!? DAMMIT! Well that makes it easier. Damn though. Maybe I'll do the vent thing if Kestrel and Nightjar don't come back by tomorrow. Well I guess I'll just walk on out then right? I guess it's the perfect time for no guides to be here. It seems a lot of this stuff that helps me is coincidental. That doesn't matter though since I can just walk to the old amusement park now. But assuming the insane thing happens, I'll end up turned into an actual bird by the psychic until I prove myself worthy of her time. But that's unlikely."


Amelia quickly calmed and walked out looking for a road leading to the park. She searched and searched until she saw it in the distance. She then began walking down a long side walk to get there. As she did this she was thinking "Damn, this is so far away from me. If the psychic came here on her own, why did she go so far. Damn. None of this makes sense but I'll at least look for her, when I get to her I can ask away, unlike Goose. That psycho nearly got me killed. If that didn't happen she would've nearly got us caught awake at night. F*ck my luck."


She eventually came to the park panting from the long walk. She waited to catch her breath before finding a way in. Then she searched the area for the boardwalk. As she was searching she began to think with fatigue "Why can't this stuff be easy to find? Damn, I really need to find the psychic. Then I can get some tips for the mystic arts. When I get some help and some answers I'll help her get back to the brood. Then maybe something normal will happen." Amelia relentlessly searched for the boardwalk to get to the psychic.

 

[Yoruko Katsumi]

As the promise of impending sleep pulls on Kathryn, she was only able to catch bits and pieces of the conversation around her.


"Island?" One of the mystic's chimed. "Whose card was that?"


"Do any of you know a Swift?"


"Shht!" one hushes. "Let her rest. It's late-"


"Early."


"- and this is a lot to put on someone."


The tent is cozy and warm from being shared by so many bright-burning bodies. Kathryn allowed her body to find rest by laying down and closed her eyes and, reassured by this, the girls talk a little more boldly, albeit still in whispers.


"Kestrel, huh. Did Rez see her as a hunter? I don't see it." Hunter? What? Kathryn's tired mind tried to piece the conversation together, but wasn't having much luck.


"It's too early to tell." A pause. "Grackle, she hasn't been blooded yet, has she?"


"Uh." Kathryn heard Grackle's pause. Shit. They know? Did I saw something while i was.. In that weird state? Kathryn pierced her lips together and squeezed her eyelids tight. Not liking where this was going. Her body tensed where she laid.


"Oh like any of us care about that. You only hate us because you're afraid of us, and you're only afraid of us because you don't know who else to be afraid of, and having a scapegoat is easier than admitting you have more than punishment to worry about." Hearing those words made Kathryn relax again. So maybe tonight won't be my last after all. She relaxed her muscles, but clung to the threads of voices around her. trying to stave off the darkness of sleep.


"If she hasn't been blooded, imagine what she'll be like when she is," says an eager voice, completely ignoring Grackle yet again. "I want to do it."


"That's not up to you."


"She's wasted on those bullies. We should keep her. If not me, then maybe Mother will do it herself." They-They want to keep me like a pet?! I'm being.. wasted? Kathryn's mind drifted in and out of the conversation. "That's not up to you either." Thank god for small favors at least. That was the last she heard of the conversation.


A shadow passed over Kathryn's shut eyes that undoes the last of her grip on wakefulness. She was able to sleep long and deeply, much better in here than she had in the messy patchwork of beds and bodies downstairs. The island comes back to her in pieces of dreams, but only briefly. A cloud seems to pass over it, over her, from above, blocking out the sun. Then the cloud is a swarm of birds, picking the earth bare, eating everything in sight. Kathryn turned looking at all the ravenous birds. Fear shout through her body. What are they eating? The thought shook her. She didn't want to know.


Suddenly, Kathryn was standing on a shore, a boardwalk by the beach. She sees Chickadee, and Nightjar. Seeing the girls were still okay brought some peace to her. But why were they here? Her eyes landed on Resplendent, and someone she don't recognize at all. The stranger and Resplendent are talking- well, the stranger is and Resplendent is nodding and pointing occasionally- but you can't hear them. Kathryn tried calling to the mystic but they don't seem to know Kathryn, or any of the others are here. "Resplendent! Where are we? What's happening to me?!" The sound of many wings beating, rolling in like thunder echo across the water. She knew the birds were coming again. "No.. Why are they coming here? Resplendent, what is happening? Why did you give me those cards? Please answer me!" Kathryn begged the mystic in the distance.

 

[StoneWolf18]

As Goose uttered the word "Deal" Dysis slowly got up and was motioned to to follow.


Dhalion looked as if she wanted a proper goodby possibly, but settled for placing her hand atop her healed shoulder. One would assume it was a silent gesture of well-wishing.


Following Goose, she lead Dysis to the stairwell. There wasn't much difference here from the one on the floor below, expect that rather than a single entrance it branches off in four direction. Possibly leading to different parts of the floor. Dysis rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath "Show off"


"So, you're handling all this pretty well. All things considered. Man I really didn't do my job, but I guess if things were running in schedule you would've found out around now anyway." Dysis replied "Oh well with what'l I've seen now, if a vampire coven knocked on our door or a werewolf pack came running in I wouldn't be surprised at all."


"Anywho, I'm gonna need to hold onto you now. A one floor jump probably wouldn't kill you but Dhalion wouldnt be happy if I sent you right back to her so soon." She walked out to the ledge "I'd ask you about how all the happened but I'm pretty sure it's at least partly my fault somehow as I'm...tired. In tired and I feel like I'll never want to sleep again all at the same time? How weird is that?"


She looked up at nothing in particular. "When you go back, tell them in okay, but that they probably won't be seeing me for a while. I want to be gone before sunrise. I known it sounds stupid, but I've been waiting so long and all I can think of doing is flying as fast and far and high as these things will take me."


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[cranboggles]

@WaffleReaper


In the guides' absence, you're able to leave the Nest without obstacle. In the light of early day wandering the city is an easy enough task, though without any clue as to where the boardwalk from your dream is you're still wandering blind. For now you have the whole day ahead of you, but when night falls things will get a lot more dangerous. You are reminded of something that Goose said, back when she was still a (relatively) trustworthy guide instead of whatever she was last night, whatever she still may be now for all you know.


"Of course, if you do leave, you'll be sworn to total secrecy. The Brood values its privacy. The Brood values trust. And if you violate that trust, we'll have to send the Carrions after you."


You never did find out exactly what the "Carrions" are, but you can take an educated guess that they are nothing good. If they're anything like the kind of creatures you saw however, they can't exactly wander around in broad daylight. That is some reassurance at least.


Logically, the place you dreamed about has to be near the ocean. As you take a detour through the park, you look around for some landmark that might tell you how close or far you are from your destination. You search your memory leading up to the moment you were scouted, so to speak. Do you know this place? For that matter, do you remember the boardwalk from anywhere outside your dreams?


@Yoruko Katsumi


You reach out to Resplendent but she still doesn't see or hear you. It's like you're a ghost. Chickadee and Nightjar however at least seem vaguely aware of you. You see Chickadee startle at your voice but before she can turn around and see you, she vanishes.


You wake with a start. You're still in the tent, alone now but for one of the younger girls, Owl, who is fast asleep across from you, curled in on herself with her head lolled to the side and chest resting against her knees and speckled white wings, downy and soft looking, folded neatly behind her. There's a blanket pulled around you. Someone tucked you in.


Filtered daylight comes through the canvas, lights up what once was dark. It's day now, and the rafters are quiet, the singing ceased.


Outside the tent the world seems different, brighter. And not just in the literal sense. What was once decidedly creepy now has an almost beautiful tint to it. Sunlight pours in through the split open rooftop and all around the shiny green heads of plants like you've never seen poke through the cracks in the wood and concrete, their roots and stems filling in the empty spaces like they aim to reclaim this urban fixture.


There are many more Brood here than there were, or perhaps they're just more out in the open now, all nesting in treetops and strewn hammocks, many still sleeping after a long night of... whatever it is they go out to do all night. Some still are more lively, but none truly so awake as you.


Grackle is nowhere to be found. It's nearing midday so odds are she had to go back and tend to the fledglings, confident, or at least confident enough, thar you would be safe in the care of the mystics. But where are they?


@StoneWolf18


No more words are exchanged. There's a tenseness, like there's more she wants to say but doesn't know how to say it. Underneath wings and old eyes and feral smiles, Goose is still very much a kid. And she will be for a very long time.


You two make a bit of an awkward picture as Goose flies you down from the second floor to the first. She's shorter than you first of all so just getting a good enough grip on you without looking ridiculous is virtually impossible. She's stronger than you might ve thought though, able to support your weight with little trouble despite the difference in size.


You don't rly fly down so much as glide, Goose's wings acting like a sort of parachute to gentle the drop. Practically the moment you touch down she's off again, making good on her claim and leaving for wherever, anywhere.


The sun will be up soon, but for now the floor is quiet and still. Come morning, that will almost undoubtedly change. There ought to be some commotion when the fledglings find out what happens. That is, if you tell them. Goose has at least given you some permission on that, but is it worth the trouble it will stir up? What will you say to them?


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[WaffleReaper]

Amelia searched through the area but had no luck with finding a boardwalk. She decided to look for a lake or a fishing area that would make sense for a boardwalk to be. She began thinking "Well, I tried here, I have to look around other places to find Resplendent. I should've searched for an area with a lake in the first place. That would've made this easier in the first place. Then I could've just skipped coming to this place. I also could've found her faster. Ugh, I'll just go." Amelia left the park and searched the town for this mysterious boardwalk.


(Finally back from camp guys! I'm also ready for rping again so I'm pumped!)

 

[StoneWolf18]

As they were flying- er floating down awkwardly, it finally hit Dysis that under all those feathers, she was still a 12 year old kid. And she would be for quite along time. That thought was somewhat despising in a way, and then Dysis remembered that one day she would be in her place.


As she lands, Dysis had no time to say pretty much anything before she was off again. Giving a sigh, Dysis then turned and quickly made her way back to the bedrooms. It was a miracle no one noticed her. Finding the place where her and the other two had slept, she was disappointed to see none of them there. Nevertheless she was extremely fatigued, Dysis collapsed onto the mattress and wished for sleep to come.


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[Yoruko Katsumi]

Kathryn awoke with a start. She felt sweat on her brow and the hairs on her neck stand on end. Kathryn didn't know where she was at first, but soon realized she was still in the mystic tent. All but one of the mystics remained. Where did they go? Kathryn thought to herself as her eyes adjusted to the morning light. The young mystic, Owl she recalled was the girls name, was sleeping soundly across from her. Kathryn felt a strange weight on her. A blanket. It's been a while since she used one of these. It was soft and warm. She wanted to crawl inside it and try to forget the strange dream she had. It would just be a wast of time though, for the images were seared into her mind.


Kathryn forced herself to peer out from the safety of the tent. Outside the world seems different, brighter. And not just in the literal sense. What was once decidedly creepy now has an almost beautiful tint to it. Sunlight pours in through the split open rooftop and all around the shiny green heads of plants like you've never seen poke through the cracks in the wood and concrete, their roots and stems filling in the empty spaces like they aim to reclaim this urban fixture. How can everything look so different from last night? Kathryn's mind wandered back to the boardwalk and resplendent as she peered around from the mystic tent.


There are many more Brood here than there were, or perhaps they're just more out in the open now, all nesting in treetops and strewn hammocks, many still sleeping after a long night of... whatever it is they go out to do all night. Some still are more lively, but none truly so awake as you. The scene was reminiscent of a fairy tail. The winged girls sleeping soundly in there serene home. They almost looked angelic in a way.


Kathryn tried to find Grackle, but the Guide is nowhere to be found. It's nearing midday so odds are Grackle had to go back and tend to the fledglings, confident, or at least confident enough, that she would be safe in the care of the mystics. But where are they? What are they going to do to me now that I'm alone... What was with that dream? Not to mention last night... Kathryn bit her bottom lip as she recounted the events of last night. She shuddered at the thought. These girls aren't human... If she kept down this path then... She wouldn't be either.


Kathryn sighed and went back inside the tent, feeling a bit hopeless since she was a bit stuck at the moment. She decided to look around a bit to see if she could learn anything else about what is going on until the mystics come back. Maybe if she found paper and a pencil of some kind, she could try to do a rough sketch of the island. Maybe even the spot on the boardwalk... I hope Owl wakes up soon. Maybe she would be able to help me understand what's happening to me. Kathryn thought as she began searching the fort like tent.

 

[cranboggles]

@WaffleReaper


You walk east until you come to the docks at the very edge of the city, where land meets sea. It was bound to happen eventually, but the walk wasn't exactly an easy one. The seaside has always been a more touristy area than most even after the amusement park was condemned. This is where it has to be, the boardwalk. You're far enough from the Nest now that you should be more at ease, but being surrounded by wealthy tourists and vacationers has potential risk for a whole other slew of reasons. You stick out like a sore thumb here, but this is a more familiar thing than wings and dreams and hasty escapes, and it lacks the threat of imminent danger.


You can see a ferry boat coming in to dock across a narrow canal. That must be where the place you saw in your dream is. The drawbridge is raised. Cars on the street honk impatiently as a steady parade of cargo ships pass underneath, ignored by the man in the control booth who appears to be breaking for a late lunch. You might share that impatient sentiment, so close to your destination and yet kept apart by the body of water, but you've also been on your feet all day, operating on little food and sleep. It wouldn't hurt to find a place to rest for a minute while waiting for the bridge.


@StoneWolf18


You collapse into sleep and stay that way for a decent chunk of the morning. Understandable considering all you've been through. And of course with sleep comes dreams. You anticipate this, though perhaps not the content of them.


You dream you are somewhere by the seaside, and you are not alone. The otherwise rather serene picture of high tide lapping up over the sand and against the pillars that support the boardwalk is interrupted by the voices that grow more and more urgent beside you. You see Resplendent, and another Brood you've never seen before. Kestrel is there too, trying to get the attention of the younger girl, though she seems totally oblivious. One by one Chickadee, and then Kestrel too disappear from sight. The mystic and stranger don't even blink.


The sight before you is hazy, but the voices come through somewhat clearer. Resplendent never says a word, but the other speaks as if they're holding a conversation. She points somewhere out on the horizon, where the sun sets red over the water.


"I can see it!" the girl exclaims, and in one swift movement she throws off her shawl revealing dark brown wings extending from her bare back underneath. She looks close to tears but she's smiling. She leans down and kisses Resplendent on the top of the head in an oddly parental gesture. "You know what to do now."


Resplendent frowns in confusion and tries to reach out to her, to hold her back, but she's already taking a running leap off the boardwalk and heading for that spot on the horizon. Resplendent leaves her hand held out, reaching for her long after she's gone. You look to try and see what that girl saw out in the distance, but as far as you can tell there's nothing.


@Yoruko Katsumi


You search the tent and although you don't find a pencil and paper to work with, you do find the deck of cards, boxed and tucked underneath one resting wing of the sleeping girl. Carefully you try to sneak it away without alerting her. A single feather stirs with the slight movement and Owl opens one wide, bleary eye, blinks twice, and then shuts it again and appears to drift back into sleep, allowing you to make off with the deck.


You hear the tent flap open behind you and once again it seems you're caught, but as you turn you find it's the strange blonde girl in beads and bones who approaches. This may be a mixed blessing, for she's a scattered character with little regard for the rules and while she seems fond of you in her own funny way, there's something almost possessive in her attentions. At the very least, she might be able to find you what you're looking for.