The Wolf and the Wail. (Lyrik, Anju, Kayadin, Adair) [Interstice]

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Anju


It fades almost instantly. Oh Gods, that hurt...and yet...it didn't. But you feel like you would immediately after a cold or severe headache (when you could still get such things), like you wouldn't even recall what normal felt like. Sort of like now. You'll see Jonas rubbing his jaw, deer on the ground, his back covered in blood, looking all the worse in this new light.


"Did...did you hear someone?" He asks, looking around the clearing you're in. Trees are all around, but the shadows are not deep at all. Luna is bright and the light reveals much. Which is nothing. Save the odd snapping of a twig or the noises a wood usually makes. The soft chirp of a bird. Nothing.


But you do recall someone murmuring in your ear...


"Anju, sweetie, it's time to come home."

 

[Foxtailed_Teki]

Anju





It was comforting that Jonas was hearing things too, even if he was worn from the experience. When nightmares came, these things happened, but she was always asleep. Here she could smell the crushed grass, the metallic tang of blood and hear it as it dropped from their kills to the ground, muted. The birds chirped, the light illuminated a perfect scene of a normal wooded grove. She was awake.


“You too?†Anju hesitated, “I’m glad, it felt like a dream came to take me while I was awake.â€


If both of them heard the voice, than it couldn’t be her visions creeping into her waking hours.


“It was like a call…home.†There were a few people who could legitimately do that. Her mother, Jonas, Saeka and certain bold and privileged members of the Assembly. The voice didn’t match any of them. “I don’t have a home near here, only te caravan.â€

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Anju


"Nor I. My home is in the North. I do not feel a walk of several thousand miles to be in order right now..." He gathers up the deer, wrenching it from its bonds and tossing the stick away, flinging it over his shoulder like nothing. "Let us get back, and soon. Talk to Saeka and the like. Go, dearie, I'll take up rearguard." He's unsettled. His eyes scanning the trees all around, the few branches reaching out overhead. "Go, Anju."

 

[Foxtailed_Teki]

Anju


Anju clung to her brace of rabbits as she started moving. They were going to look horrible when they got back; covered in blood and their jaws set at a worried angle. She hoped at least someone had felt the call back at camp. It couldn’t make the mystery any larger, and would be validating. As she faithfully trail blazed the way back, Anju wished she at least had her ocelot ears.

 

[Vanman]

Lyrik Evensong


Lyrik continues playing, but it takes all of his effort. Concentration is hard with his teeth aching and that....crawling sensation, under his skin, behind his eyes. The music now is performed more by rote than anything else. His eyes search the others in camp, the sky, the woods surrounding them, for the source of this...strangeness.....


Results for 2 dice: 0 successes [ 4 4 ] (TN: 7)

 

[Yu Jie]

Kaya


Leaning in closer to Adair, Kaya remarked about the entertainment, gesturing with a tilt of her head at a few of the dancing couples. "Now, that almost reminds me of home, whenever there was a celebration. Dancing and singing like this, men would gather around, smoking and talking. The women would be on the other side of the fire, waiting to be asked to dance." She was about to say something else when she felt that slight little buzz in her head, like an itchiness she couldn't get at. The feeling grew and grew until she had to grasp her lower jaw, wincing, pinching hard at it to contain the pain she felt within.


Essence Roll: Results for 3 dice: 3 successes [ 3 7 0 ] (TN: 7)

 

[Negative Thac0]

Adair


Having spent much of the evening being quiet, Adair looked up at Kaya with a smirk. "Waiting to be asked to dance, eh? Well, come to think of it, would-"


His offer was waylaid at her sudden reaction to...something. Adair placed his hand on her shoulder, looking worried. "Hey, everything alright? What's..."


Adair trailed off as he spoke as a similar sensation overcame him.


Results for 3 dice: 2 successes [ 7 1 8 ] (TN: 7)

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Lyrik


Perception + Awareness

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Adair and Kaya


It passes, in mere moments it seems. Flowing away out of your minds like mercury. A cool feeling where the itch once was. Your mouths feel fine. The world is nothing but music, laughter and birdsong. Everyone seems to have no noticed at all, though Lyrik seems to notice something amiss...


He's looking around, playing on, but looking very troubled--much like you two--at the moment. Though one thing lingers in both your minds, something soft and small, like a whisper, to each.


To Kaya


"Don't you want to come home? Why are you so cruel?"


To Adair


"I think we have much to apologize for, son."

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Anju


You and Jonas shall quietly come into camp, after a short trek across the grassland after leaving the woods. The moon is higher in its climb, but it is not so late yet. The camp seems merry for the most part.

 

[Yu Jie]

Kaya


The pain finally subsiding, Kaya wiped the back of her hand roughly across her mouth. She noticed that Adair and Lyrik seemed disconcerted as well. Disturbed, she turned towards Adair, looking solemn. "You felt that too." She shook her head slightly, a small, sharp movement, as though to clear her head of that tiny little whisper in her head.

 

[Vanman]

Lyrik Evensong


Smiling at his fellow musicians, Lyrik stands, carrying his sanxian with him. Carrying the tune with his voice and his fingers, he circles around, his eyes sharp, keeping watch for any...oddities that may explain the sensations he's been feeling.


Perception (2) + Awareness (2) = Results for 4 dice: 3 successes [ 3 8 7 9 ] (TN: 7)

 

[Foxtailed_Teki]

Anju


Was it a good thing or a bad thing that everyone hadn’t felt whatever-it-was? Anju glanced at Jonas. Saeka would want to know about it, and the voices, right? They also just got back from the hunt, so she’d want to know that...


Maybe Saeka would have an idea about what happened, maybe even had the same feeling? Maybe it was Exalt based? If that was the case…


Anju glanced around the camp for the Solars.


(Perception + Awareness) Results for 5 dice: 3 successes [ 0 5 5 9 6 ] (TN: 7)

 

[Negative Thac0]

Adair


"I felt it, and I heard something..." He nursed his temples as if he was trying to shake something loose. "...A whisper, I think, but I could be going crazy."


Adair looked up at Kaya, and forced a grin. Credit where credit is due, The Eclipse was not one to fret or panic. "Well, I'm sure we'll find out what it is sooner or later, right? The world is filled with magic, it could be any number of things."

 

[Yu Jie]

Kaya


"I thought I heard something too." Kaya's eyes narrowed for a brief moment. She felt a burden of guilt.


Her eyebrow rose as Adair fussed with his temples. She pasted a crooked smile on her lips. "I know I did not hit you there for certain, Adair." The whisper bothered Kaya deeply, but she wasn't about to show it, opting to tease Adair instead to lighten the moment.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Anju


You'll catch a glimpse of the distinctive dark green hair of the elder Lunar coming out of her wagon and moving through the crowd. Her face appears through the dancers, searching as well. Her scarred face looks this way and that, much like lion does on the prowl. But her brown eyes will find yours and for a moment, she smiles.

 

[Negative Thac0]

Adair


"Of course you didn't hit me here." He quipped back. "You obviously have too much respect for my good looks."


With the strange feeling passed, Adair wasted no time in recovery. Stretching a bit with a yawn, he let his hand strain a little closer to Kaya's. "You know, there may still be time to dance. I'm not so banged up I can't do that." He winked to the girl, hoping spontaneity and boyish charm would win her over.

 

[Foxtailed_Teki]

Anju


A smile! That was good, right? It had to be. With a sudden bright smile of her own, Anju made a bee-line towards the other Lunar.


“We brought back rabbits!†Anju held up the brace and quickly looked towards Jonas, “And a deer-doe, a doe.â€

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Lyrik


You'll peer out beyond the pale light of the green paper lanterns, out into the clearing beyond, you'll see a figure walking away from the camp in the moonlight. A flowing wave of blonde locks falling down her back, looking back with that same smile and a small wave. Mother? You'll blink again and hear her whisper cut across the field, through the people's merry singing and the music and ring in your ear like a mourning bell.


"We had such plans for you. Come home." She turns around and begins walking off toward the thicket of trees in the distance


You blink a few times, and on the last, she's gone.

 

[Yu Jie]

Kaya


"What I respect, Falcon, is a man who can wield his weapon as though it were a part of him." Kaya nods firmly, looking right into Adair's eyes.


Listening to his next words, she seemed taken aback at his offer. "Dancing? I...I have never danced. It is not my way." Her jaw clamped tightly. Bending her head, her hands pulled at a few stands of grass on the ground, twisting them in her fingers.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Anju


Old Saeka will kneel down, looking at your catch. "A bit dirty, but they'll do just fine." She'll pat your cheek. "Do you feel well? Did you feel..." She shakes her head, looking past you at Jonas as he throws down the dear onto the back of the nearest wagon, calling for someone to fetch a knife.


"You felt it as well, Saeka?" Jonas' voice is even and soft, as it always is when he's agitated.


"I did. Thoughts? Either of you?"


"No clue. Anju? Bring the rabbits over here." Jonas will tap the space beside the doe's body as he begins to quickly dress the kill.

 

[Negative Thac0]

Adair


"Never danced...?" He blinked for a moment, and then chuckled. Leaning close, he whispered. "Well, I'm not much good at it either, really. But how hard can it be? Its not all that different from a fight, right?"


"Come...you'll never know if you don't try it. We can learn this together." His hand remained offered. "Whats the worst that could happen?"

 

[Yu Jie]

Kaya


She shook her head hard, still looking at the ground between her knees as she sat. "I do not dance, Adair. It would be unseemly if I started doing so." The strands of grass wrapped in her hands started breaking as she spread her fingers. Her tone was dull.


Kaya looked up at the dancers once more. All smiles and whirling happily - they all were. There was a strange longing within her, to be carefree. I am Dereth, she repeated to herself.

 

[Foxtailed_Teki]

Anju


Anju was quick to comply, and then turned about slowly after the rabbits set down. She stared at the ground pensively as she reviewed the memory. Tonal patterns, and a bit more of the words were clear when she concentrated, but it came with invasive shifting in her mind and pain in her teeth. Anju shivered to dispel the memory and the associated pain.


Gently rubbing her jaw, Anju’s mouth drooped, “The rest of the Assembly seems fine, just us. I wonder if Kaya, Adair and Lyrik felt it too.â€


Anju gave a large, miserable shrug. She knew what she felt, but had no ideas about what caused it. The fact that her mentor, and Saeka also didn’t know wasn’t giving her any warm fuzzies either.

 

[Negative Thac0]

Adair


The Eclipse was about to push the subject, but looking Kaya over caused him to reconsider. "She is who she is." he thought to himself. Adair shrugged and took a seat nearby, placing his hands behind his head and laying back on the soft ground.


"Alright Kaya, I understand. Its not in my nature to nag you..." He stretched his legs, getting comfortable. "...But my offer still stands, if you ever change your mind."


"Me? I don't worry too much about being unseemly. I don't think I'd do anything if that was a concern of mine." He grinned.