Event - Blind Spot

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Blind Spot

➥ The Merry Mare of Wintermas

(cw: stalking, animal skeletons, obsession, supernaturally-induced anxiety)

There is something following you. Whatever the reason, you're out at night, and something lurks, creeping after you whenever you turn your attention away from… that bush? That building? That streetlamp? How can a streetlamp be hiding something? You're sure there's something there, though. It only seems to follow people in groups of two, never individuals or groups with more.

It's as you're passing an alley or a particularly dark patch of shadows, or a large bush, that a voice calls out to you. It's like the creak of a poorly-maintained hinge. "It's time to play a game" the voice says.

Drawing closer or shining a light will reveal a skeletal creature draped in a bloodied, torn white cloth. Its skull is equine in appearance… equine with razor sharp teeth, but the rest of its body seems flexible, the bones shifting position to provide a hand or height, or anything it may need in the moment.

"Two heads. Surely, surely." The creature cocks its skull. "Surely enough." Then it stares down at one of you. "Play." What leaves its mouth next is a riddle. One that neither you, nor your companion has ever heard. One that seems, all at once, impossibly difficult. You've been put on the spot, like being called on in class when you were thoroughly unprepared and expecting someone else to be picked. There may be panic, but try to think. You've been given a riddle, and anything less than the correct response will result in an angry shriek from the Merry Mare of Wintermas and an attack by a creature that has a bone to pick.

Answer right, though, and reap the reward! A bray of laughter and a near trampling as it departs, hunting for the next potential participant in its game. You may be visited by the Merry Mare of Wintermas after that, as well. A hunted feeling pervades your waking hours. It accosts you in alleys and scratches at windows, no matter where you sleep, demanding you play its riddle game. Any failure will result in immediate attack.

➥ Lamp of the Body

(cw: attempted sacrifice, cults, scopophobia, defamation)

After weeks and weeks of observation and infiltration from dedicated individuals, the word is finally sent out: a strike is being planned against the Holy Light Church, Greta Thomas, and Father Mark Sullivan. However, simply attacking an established church in the city is something that takes care and it’s quickly decided this will need to be handled on two fronts.

Those staying back will face the horrors of red tape and social and political reputation as individuals good at digging for information and spinning public relations will be tapped to look into the church’s dealings. Airing their dirty laundry, and generally tearing down their good name in the community is the goal here, but any identifiable members of the congregation that can be intimidated, chased out of town, or generally removed is also encouraged. Something made particularly difficult with all the layers of digital security the church seems to carry.

Those putting boots on the ground are armed and roped into the planning: multiple points of entrance and a perimeter to catch any who try to run. The primary targets are Greta Thomas, Father Sullivan, and the deacons: Erin and Aaron Schüttmann, but there’s plenty of others who are likely to get in the way, and they most certainly do.

The night of the strike, the Church seems unchanged from the outside with its bright, even lighting on the entrances and cameras with their blinking recording lights posing an obstacle to any interested in stealth, but there are ways past those and windows that could fall victim to creativity. Once inside, the chaos starts. Members of The Holy Light’s congregation are present, ready, and armed. Perhaps it wasn’t as much of a surprise as ADI was hoping for, but the plan’s in action now.

Those that get beyond the front line defenders of the congregation might reach the out of bounds area where they will have a basic locked door to deal with first that leads into an office and private room with another door beyond, this one locked with key card access. Finally, past that, is a small series of backrooms where the air is thick with the scent of copper left on your tongue. The source isn’t hard to find, just follow the subtle sound of whirring and clicking and muffled whimpers.

Set in the deepest part of the church is an altar room, the walls and ceiling of which shift and whir with rows and rows of cameras with their little blinking lights of life. There is no angle or corner that can’t be seen by the unblinking lens as they observe the entrances and those few left gathered within. Those in fastest will see Greta Thomas, standing in front of an older man tied to the chair he’s sat in, the back of it angled back and stained an old rusty brown near the head. For just a moment, she has far too many eyes, her face and neck are all wide, staring, eyes aimed at the bound man until, all at once, they snap up to stare at the intruders. A wave of prickling awareness washes over those caught under her stare: she Knows you. Not just who you are and where you’re from, but what you’ve done. Every dirty little secret you’ve kept covered, every little thought you’ve ever had that has only ever been known by you. Until now. Unfortunately for you, she’s not afraid to use it.

➥ He Sees You

(cw: the fear of being watched and unable to hide; creepy dolls; altered mental states)

Following ADI's infiltration of the church, there's still cleanup work to do: the warehouse used as storage and a base of operations for the cult's supernatural terrorism needs to be cleared out lest whatever remains inside harm more innocent people. Based on observation of people coming and going from the warehouse in the last weeks and the successful strike against the cult at the church, the expectation is that the danger this time around will come from whatever cursed items have been stored here.

Step inside and, day or night, and the most immediately obvious thing about this warehouse is the brightness of its lighting. It's not blinding–just the opposite, in fact. The numerous overhead and wall-mounted lights illuminate every inch of the place perfectly, leaving barely so much as a shadow even among the shelves and palettes of boxes. There is no hiding here; sound also travels clearly across the building, allowing anyone inside to pinpoint the location of anyone trying to sneak about. The visibility is too perfect, the light overstimulating, the openness of it all making you feel exposed and your brain itch with the need to take shelter.

The giant elf staring down from the rafters doesn't help, either.

Like its smaller, shelf-dwelling brethren, the ELF has a cloth body in bright Christmas colors and a plastic head with a mischievous, smiling face. Unlike the elves that plagued ADI last Christmas, the ELF has to be at least twelve feet long from head to toes. It lays draped and wedged through the rafters of the warehouse, strings of Christmas lights wrapped around its torso and its ragdoll arms dangling downward. It's motionless, looking for all the world like nothing more than a grotesque art installation, and unlike some elves, it stays put even when you look away. It seems somehow to meet your eyes when you gaze up at it, staring deep into your soul and cataloging all your deepest secrets and darkest shame. It knows everything you wish were yours alone to know, and with that knowledge comes the creeping dread that if you've been so easily found out, others must know as well.

Tearing your eyes away from it leaves the weight of knowing it's still watching. Somehow, too, you always miss the moment when one of the small toy elves drops from the ceiling to land with a hard plastic SLAP on the floor of the warehouse. Did the giant elf drop it? That can't be right. It doesn't happen often or with any predictability, but now and then another little elf drops from the rafters, though you could have sworn there was nothing up there but the light fixtures and that terrible grinning giant. The little elves do relocate if they're not watched, setting up camp on shelves and among boxes to stare at the ADI intruders.

The warehouse has been more than halfway cleared out, but there are still dozens of worn cardboard boxes stacked up for storage. Inside are cans of spray paint, more elves, packages of string lights with the brand name Illumination Rite…and quite the variety of strange and dangerous artifacts.

While ADI's higher-ups would prefer not to solve this problem with arson (there are neighboring warehouses that would undoubtedly go up in flames if this one were set ablaze), all of this Eye stuff has got to go. The most capable field agents will perform an initial sweep to secure the building and identify its contents and likely threats, after which others will be brought in to dismantle and remove anything supernatural. Hazmat gear has been provided, though it may not be effective against all artifacts' effects, and the plan is to load everything up in company vehicles and take it back to headquarters to be studied and then systematically destroyed (though, naturally, onsite destruction of artifacts has been authorized in cases of emergency or inability to transport the items).

And someone needs to get that damned ELF out of the rafters.

➥ Mod Notes

• GENERAL - Players are welcome to play background NPCs for themselves when they are needed in a thread. If you need more information on general behavior for these types of NPCs, please feel free to ask! In general, the information provided in the prompts should be sufficient and ordinary people will act like… ordinary people! Although, the people of Gloucester seem to be becoming more and more aware of supernatural phenomenon and they are frightened by it. You're welcome to make up any details beyond that for your specific scene. Also, please remember that character deaths are permanent and plan accordingly!
  
  
• THE MERRY MARE OF WINTERMAS (20-25 December) - Players are welcome to come up with the Merry Mare's riddles. They should be incredibly challenging-to-impossible to answer. If giving out an impossible riddle, characters may use their wits to come up with a solution that she may accept. Her riddles will grow increasingly even more difficult/impossible as she visits your character. If she attacks, she can be seemingly 'killed' with her bones vanishing upon her 'death.' She will appear the next night to stalk others and drag them into her games, though. She will appear to characters a maximum of 6 times over the course of her reign of terror. If asked about anything other than the riddles she will not answer. If pressed, she will simply attack those who will not play her games. As soon as a riddle is answered, she will vanish into the night, galloping away. In addition to the difficulty of the riddles, one or both characters may experience an inexplicable anxiety centered on being put on the spot.
  
  
• LAMP OF THE BODY (17th December) - Characters can partake in the destruction of the church either behind the scenes or on site at the church itself. Those digging into the church will need to work through various kinds of security, but they will eventually discover some of their dirtier dealings in the forms of money moved, people blackmailed, and others now suspiciously gone missing. If characters are intending to smear the church’s name or simply share the truth, players are encouraged to submit what their characters are saying or how they go about it in the comment below for future news needs; however, you may proceed with your ideas without having them approved by mods! This is just for our edification and incorporation into future things. Those heading into the church proper will be faced with heavy resistance. The congregation is mostly older women and some men, but they’re armed and loyal. All NPC fights and interactions can be player-controlled for threads. Generally, the congregation will fight to seriously wound or kill, but some can simply be subdued without killing. The deacon twins are clever and fast, but they’re not exactly fighters. Still, they’ll get in the way of anyone attempting to stop the sacrifice in the back room. Father Sullivan is a mean and quick shot, but again only human. Greta Thomas, while older and largely uninterested in physical altercation, heals quickly and has the Eye in her corner. She will try to incapacitate people through the fears of their secrets or previous failures and mistakes. Her general tactic is to mentally trip up ADI members so Father Sullivan can dispatch them. All throughout the backrooms, characters will have the heavy sensation of being watched and the quiet judgment of every eye-shaped decoration and carving in the building.
  
  
• HE SEES YOU (19th December) - The toy elves do not appear to actively do anything other than relocate when unobserved, but being watched by them will induce increasing feelings of paranoia. If taken apart, they are nothing but felt, plastic, and stuffing; the feeling of being watched will not abate until their eyes have been completely destroyed. When characters begin rounding up the elves to destroy them or box them up, the elves will attempt to escape the warehouse when they are not being watched. The Illumination Rite lights will have no effect unless plugged in; if they are taken out of their packages and plugged in they may cause characters to blurt out a secret against their will, or may cause characters to feel as though a figure has just appeared behind them and is watching them. All items that appeared in the player plot "The Eyes Have It? Not if we can help it!" function as described in that plot's OOC post.
  
  

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(frozen comment) QUESTIONS

[apocalypsehowmods]

Please respond here with any questions.

Lt. Col. John Sheppard | Stargate: Atlantis | OTA

[ferriswheelsandfootball]

cw for threads: violence, gun violence, injury, knife/claw cutting, PTSD, suicide, suicidal ideation, self-harm, forcing self-harm/suicide, body horror, war, war imagery, war crimes, indirect murder, murder, death, bugs, rapid aging, will warn if anything else comes up
1. The Merry Mare of Wintermas -

So this thing has been haunting him for a couple days. He answered one riddle right and now it's like a bad penny, and won't leave him alone. He's starting to hear it scratching at windows, or hooves clopping around outside his door, and that's just creepy.

Which means he's gonna take matters into his own hands.

He finds the nearest person--you--who doesn't mind a spot of violence, grabbing them and practically hauling them out of ADI and onto the spookiest alley he can find. This isn't even an infestation of his newfound hunting instincts--he's tired, yo.

He checks his P90 and makes sure it's ready.

"Don't worry, it'll show up," he explains to his companion, as if that's in any way comforting.

2. Lamp of the Body -

Oh.

That is far past the number of eyes any one person should be allowed to have.

It's been a difficult fight since he was just resorting to his fists and general disabling moves, and in a pinch, his claws. He could have destroyed a few old people but he wasn't sure how brainwashed they were, plus it just made him feel plain guilty punching grandmas.

Which also meant that yes, he had to go out and scare a couple people to get some fear-juice to activate his new powers but that was starting to be standard before any fight.

It's fine. It's probably fine.

Except now there's what's probably an Eye Avatar staring at him and suddenly there's an awful sensation that rushes over him. She Knows him. Everything he's done, every bit of guilt stored away (and there's a lot). His failures, his mistakes...his regrets.

He sheathes his claws and stuffs his hands in his pockets but she Knows about those too, doesn't she?

...

"Oh, crap."

3. He Sees You

A. Illumination Rite Lights: So John's also an idiot and plugged in a string of lights just to see if they're working. Because surely nothing bad will happen with lights, right? They look like regular old lights and he was just randomly curious (as a cat, probably) so--

The moment he plugs it in, he feels like there's someone behind him, judging, watching--he blurts out--

"I got turned into a bug once."

B. Confession Pen: You'd think he'd learn his lesson and be careful of what he touches. It's just that he saw a pen rolled on the floor and it really looked like a regular old pen, so he picked it up to put it on a shelf when instead, he starts writing on the shelf.

if i didn't touch the crystal heightmeyer would still be alive

sumner was dying i didn't have a choice it was a faster death

did we make the pegasus galaxy a worse place

the one time i listen to orders it killed elizabeth

it's better me than them it's always better me than them

All over the shelf.

he's right this makes me inhuman am i still human

it was supposed to be a rescue i could have saved him it was my fault

he deserved to die and i am not sorry i made him kill himself

i'm the one who's dangerous i'm the one who hurts people

i hurt rodney

On and on and on--until finally--

i love him

--and when he runs out of room, he starts on his arm. And on anyone's arm or face if they so happen to be in the way. There's a strange, drawn (pun intended), frantic look on his face, and he seems quite pale.

Maybe you can try to wrestle it away from him?

C. Kaleidoscope- He really didn't mean to touch this one. But he was grabbing a box and it fell and rolled right into his hand, so...

...he liked kaleidoscopes as a kid. He's pretty sure he can handle whatever this thing can throw at him, besides, what damage can a kaleidoscope possibly do? Show aggressive confetti-shapes?

He takes a look in it and...oh. There's Atlantis, fully-powered and floating on a calm sea. There's him, flying a jumper in the sunniest weather and he just stands there, staring at the thing, turning and turning it as he watches the perfect day go by.

If someone manages to bump into him or even better, take it away from him, the following will happen--

--a Wraith appears quite suddenly behind him.

"Look out!"

4. Wildcard - Anything goes!

[Will match format! Hit me up at indymica if you want to plot something out!

1

[myfavoritemurder]

Has Callisto met this dude even once in her life? No. Is she game to do battle with him against a fearsome creature? Abso-fucking-lutely. The only thing she objects to is the wait.

"It had better," she says, unsheathing her sword and pacing the length of the alley. "You promised me a fight, and I do so hate to be disappointed."

1.

[abrightboy]

"So let me get this straight," Malcolm says, glancing around. "You keep getting attacked by some sort of... phantom horse... and your plan is... to shoot it?"

Confession Pen

[demaelition]

She's had her hands tucked under her arms for the past five minutes as every little thing here sets her fur on end. But this guy is one of her roommates...she's pretty sure. She probably should stop keeping such shitty hours and actually get to know them. Hard to do that if he dies cause he got stepped on by a giant shoe or whatever was in here.

She really only took her eyes off him for a moment, something about some brown bear book that had made her think of Angus. But the furious scribbling and scratching sound draws her attention back down the way to John.

And to his furious writing. That's not...normal.

When he starts in on his own arm, she draws (ha) the line. "Hey, man, stop! You're gonna hurt yourself." Mae reaches out to swat at the back of his hand, though her claws are a little on the sharper side under the illusion of a normal person's hand, so if they catch a bit in his skin....whoops? Maybe it'll help..

3C!

[ruevealing]

It doesn't take very long for Rue to realize that these artifacts aren't simply ancient in nature, but that they are imbued with dark, clearly dangerous magic.

Which is exactly why when they hear the tumbling box that the glamoured owlbear turns to face John just as he holds the kaleidoscope up to his eye. For just one moment, Rue sucks in a sharp breath and holds it, waiting for the drop of whatever awful magic is to come next. And for perhaps the first time in their life, they are quite annoyed to find their assumption correct.

The wraith appears and Rue lets out a frightened cry, immediately backing away.

"I can't fight!"

2

[clavesregni]

When Caitlyn manages to get out of the fight, through an area that people clearly aren't meant to go, she keeps on moving in that direction. Exploring is far more in her comfort zone than an all-out battle. She keeps her rifle up, feeling the prickle on the back of her neck that tells her she's being watched, and moves through a series of doors that somebody else has already been through.

Somebody from ADI, she realizes, as she steps into the room and recognizes the man as someone she entered the Church with. And standing in front of him....

Her gun lowers as she's suddenly and completely overwhelmed by the fear of being looked at, looked through, by this woman. Caitlyn hasn't lived much of a life, not before arriving in Gloucester. Her regrets are few and her failures - with only a couple exceptions - are minor. But that doesn't matter. Because this woman knows. Knows all of it.

Struggling to keep her hands steady, she raises the gun again, aiming it past the man, towards what she can only assume is an Avatar of the Eye.

"Put your hands up." Her voice is hoarse.

Cornelius Hickey | The Terror | ota!

[friendsfordinner]

1. Lamp of the Body
Hickey is in his element here. He fights dirty, weaving between congregation members like a man in a bar fight, elbowing people in the face or kneeing them in the crotch as needed. He's got a knife in his hands: it's a small, sensible little knife, perfect for quickly taking someone out, less good for subduing people. Which is good for Hickey, as 'subduing people' isn't in his vocabulary.

He's killed two congregation members already, stabbing them without hesitation. His face is flicked with blood as he calls out to the group. "Come on! Who's next?"

2A. He Sees You: Elf Murder
There's a giant twelve foot elf thing in the rafters. It's looking at Hickey. It's giving him the creeps. So he's standing on the ground, looking up at the giant elf thing, frown on his face as he mulls over the best way to do an attempted murder. It knows his secrets, it knows who he is, it can see right past his defenses.

So obviously it needs to die. Plus, it's objectively a creepy little fucker. Creepy huge fucker? Whatever

Anybody near Hickey will get roped into elf murder plans as he continues to look up at it. "Obviously getting it down's going to be the hardest part. Too big for a ladder. Maybe one of those...y'know, those things on the end of ropes that you throw? I've seen people use them to climb up glaciers." Grappling hook, buddy.

2B: He Sees You, Confession Pen, cw: reference to cannibalism & animal murder
Honestly, Hickey picked up the pen because occasionally he's got a bad case of sticky fingers. He regrets it the moment he does. He's found himself in a corner of the warehouse where there aren't many people but there are plenty of boxes. He scribbles on the boxes, writing until all of the space is covered in words.

I really thought that the captain had noticed me for who I am.
I killed and ate Billy Gibson.
I don't regret killing and eating Billy Gibson.
I kidnapped a woman.
I'd do whatever the Hunt asked.
I killed and ate the ship's dog.
I might have loved Billy Gibson.
I am not Cornelius Hickey.

2B

[citizendetective]

If Hickey is hoping for someone to come to his rescue... Misty Quigley is, unfortunately, the wrong passer-by to fulfill those dreams. She follows his progress, reading everything he writes, even occasionally prodding his hand out of the way when it blocks her view in reading something he's just written - but she makes no attempt to stop him, or to take the pen from his hands.

And though she lets out the occasionally hmmmm or gasp of surprise, absolutely nothing about her seems angry, scared, or horrified.

"People are going to call some of these contradictory," she says, running a finger over I might have loved Billy Gibson. Good thing she's not people.

2A. He Sees You: Elf Murder

[lavorreable]

Away from ADI, Jester looks as human as anyone else, though her eyes are still purple (obviously contacts) and her hair still blue (dyed, of course). She's dressed in pastel pinks, blues, and yellows, including a unicorn sweater and tutu with printed tights. She walks up beside Cornelius, eyes also trained on the abomination wedged into the rafters.

"You mean like a grappling hook? I have one of those!" She rolls her very pink haversack off of her back and opens the big pocket to root around, although she doesn't look at she does. If he tries to look as she rummages he'll be beset by an immediate and strong feeling of vertigo at the whirling non-Euclidian space within. Clearly, this is why she doesn't look inside it.

A moment later she tugs out a metallic three-pronged hook with a good length of rope attached to it. "Maybe if we throw it really good we can hit one of its eyes so it'll stop looking at everyone."

1

[clavesregni]

Who's next is a congregation member with a knife, coming at Hickey from behind. Caitlyn sees it in time to shoot - but she's not aiming for the congregation member, she's aiming for the knife. Despite, well, everything, she's doing her absolute best to avoid seriously hurting anyone, let alone killing them.

Unfortunately, the congregation member has another knife in his other hand, which Caitlyn hadn't seen, and isn't fast enough to do anything about. He's barely fazed by having one knife shot out of his hand, and lunges towards Hickey with the other.

beau | ota, will match format!

[lesbeau]

i. [merry mare] sometimes I give up the light for the monsters under my bed / and they feast on my thoughts (they're well-fed)

[The thing about Beau is that, despite her best efforts, she just can't give up on a good mystery. Or y'know, puzzle. Riddles seem to count there, and considering she doesn't appreciate getting jumped, she looks seriously at the skeleton horse with one eyebrow raised.]

Are you serious right now? Just-- dude.

[She'll look to you, whoever you are- maybe a fellow ADI worker leaving the building, someone else at Bonnie's on their way out, or someone she actually knows trying to get something done. Regardless, you're here now, and Beau looks a bit perturbed.]

Did you get that, or what?

ii. [lamp of the body] tired of checking myself / you bet i'll be in the ring when you ring the bell

[When it comes to the actual combat, Beau knows this is where she shines, and she's aching to get in there for more reasons than just that. This feels personal, and it's making her antsy not to have any information on these guys and to think they know so much. But fuck it. This is where action comes into play, even though something is urging her to know more before she goes in, but she won’t listen. It’s time for smashing heads and it’s time for smashing heads before anything in her brain says no.

Point being, maybe you’ve been grouped up for a strike team. Maybe you run into her once you’ve entered, trying to get to the furthest chambers. Or maybe you’re about to get assaulted and she’s running in, staff drawn. Either way, she’ll look at you with a bit of a manic gleam in her eye, a little more urgent than she probably should be.]

Hey! You got a plan?

[It certainly doesn’t look like she does!]

iii. [he sees you] but if i let it out / vibrations in the throat can convey more than just sound

[Okay, yes there's a lot to do here. And okay, yes, she'd probably be good investigating those lights more and handling those artifacts and all, but ALSO...

Fuck that elf, way up there. Fuck that massive annoying elf. She was pissed at the smaller ones last Yule and she's double pissed at that guy right now, so this seems like a great way to get her energy out. Beau can be found looking at it, cocking her head, and then running directly at a corner close to one of it's feet. From there, she uses her momentum to get a few steps up, and then leaps off the corner sides, back and forth until she launches herself at it and gives the foot a big whack from her staff. It does move it a bit... but most it makes a big noise as she catches herself, and curses.]

Ugh, what am I gonna have to do, break the building?? There's no damn good points to get to it...

[beau use a fucking ladder, please]

iv. [wildcard] it's the idea that'll cut you up and cut you down

[Want something else with Beau? Hit me up at cancerously, the discord, or via PM and we can work out a prompt!]

ii

[myfavoritemurder]

Attack, and root them out.

[Callisto says, in a tone that indicates that she considers that to be plan enough. She's not a commander of armies here, and there seems to be no attempt being made at group coordination. That's fine. But when she's working alone or in a pair, then she relies on flexibility.

And as far as fighting partners go, Beau and that wild glint in her eye aren't a bad option.]

Are you ready?

[She asks, gaze fixed on the building in front of them as she unsheathes her sword.]

martin blackwood | ota, i'll match your format!

[lowficharm]

i. [merry mare] they tell you not to plan too far / but i'm already miles ahead

[Look, the skeleton horse is objectively not the worst thing that's ever happened to him. Yes, it's a skeleton riddle horse, and yes, it does get angry if you don't answer it's pop quizzes, but out of everything Martin's seen it almost seems harmless. Naturally, this means that he is asked many, many questions, and he is so, so tired.

So at one point he just... says anything, and runs. He thinks hey, perhaps this time it simply won't bother.

He's wrong.

You might find him outside, in the process of running for his life from an angry skeleton horse. You may also find him in the ADI building looking warily outside as if he can make a break for it. All the while, he looks very, very unhappy with this entire ordeal, and if he spots you, he'll give a wave whether he knows you or not.]

Hey, uhm, it-- do you have a moment to, uhm, help me, please??

ii. [lamp of the body] don't know what's got a hold of me / it's greater than gravity

[The last thing Martin really wants to do is go into that church. He's done his time with the eyeball stuff, more than likely anyone here aside from Jon, but it also means he can't just ignore what's going on. It's dangerous- very dangerous- but he also knows exactly what to do, when he needs to.

Interestingly enough though, it's actually a little bit difficult to find him, if you're looking. He can be seen once at a door, and then somehow missing behind it; maybe you see him out of the corner of your eye, and then he's just gone. In fact, the best way to find him is not looking; if you seem lost, hurt, or otherwise turned around, he'll seem to suddenly just Be there with a backpack and a light.]

Hey, are-- are you alright? Don't worry, I'm, I'm with the ADI.

iii. [he sees you] anywhere you're gonna be that's where i wanna be / right now, did i say that out loud

[Oh, great, the lights are back. Joy. He would have been pretty happy never to see these again, but now at least he can deal with them, sort of. He's currently sitting between some boxes, going through them and seeming to count up the boxes of lights, trying to be very careful with their placement as he mumbles to himself.]

Why did it have to be eye stuff with elves... could go the rest of my life without seeing these again...

[He looks like he's got a lot to go through, if you wanted to help. Or, you could plug in a string and see if he knows anything else he might not be keen on telling. Who knows!]

iv. [wildcard] put your hands up in the air / wave 'em like you care and i'll be there

[Want to do something else with Martin? Hit me up at cancerously, via the discord server, or by PM and we can hash something out!]

i.

[setthetone]

Sure.

[Technically, he's clocked out, ready to call it a day and head back to the apartment, but when has that ever stopped him?

When Martin waves at him, Carter doesn't hesitate - helping people is what he does and the guy seems distraught enough to push all of his caregiver buttons.]

What's wrong? Are you hurt?

Rodney McKay | Stargate: Atlantis | ota

[energyfieldgood]

i. the merry mare of wintermas

[Two wolves live inside Rodney McKay. One gets insanely competitive the moment the mare shows up with her riddles. Basks in the triumph when he gets it right. Actively seeks out potential teammates when information starts getting out how the mare only seems to visit pairs.

And one really doesn't want to get mauled by an angry skeleton horse.

They are at odds. It's a struggle.]

So. Mares, huh? With riddles? And too many bones and teeth?

[Hello, how are you, person he may or may not know. Anyone he recognizes from ADI or the network is fair game at this point.]

Have you played?

[Have you won?]


ii. lamp of the body

[Being a nuisance and working on the cameras and the like sounds exactly like his roadhouse. Rodney prefers that by a long shot to storming the place and taking it up with a bunch of insane cultists and their potential monster overlords, really. He'll stay out here with his tech and survive and not get eaten, thank you very much.

... Except there is a part of him that also really wants to go in there.

He's out here with his laptop, getting to work, but he seems distracted, watching the building again and again, his hand opening and closing, a subconscious, nervous gesture.]

They're all right. They can do this. Especially once we take care of the cameras, it's-- should be fine, right? Right.

[He'll just. Keep muttering like that, go back to working on the cameras, getting up, pacing, crossing his arms, scowling.]

Maybe they need backup. Shouldn't... shouldn't anyone be backup?

[Do you want to be backup with him?]


iii. he sees you - black pendant

ooc: "causes hallucinations for the wearer to see images of the worst deeds or memories of whoever they're talking to"; blanket permission to dump anything on him, go wild

[Now here's the thing, he's not being an idiot about it. Really, he has the gloves, the equipment, the common sense not to touch any of this with his bare hands. He's a scientist - it's his job to deal with alien technology, and he knows a thing or two about making sure you don't get affected (except the few times when he did and had his DNA altered or got infected with a nanovirus or put on a personal shield that could have starved him to death but, details).

Bottom line is, he's careful.]

You know, I wonder where all this stuff is coming from.

[He watches the pendant as it slowly spins, dangling from the tongs he used to pick it up with before dropping it into a bag in his hand. Unfortunately, what might stop hazardous material doesn't quite stop magical effects - at least not this time.]

Like, do they have a cursed factory somewhere? And if so, how does that work, do they have a big evil cauldron with cursing coat which everything gets dipped into? Or is there chanting from 8-12 and from 1-5? Do they pay a Christmas bonus? Like, what's the logistics here?


iv. home sweet home (for donnie)

[You know what's really great when you're being haunted by nightmare... mares and horrific visions bestowed upon you courtesy of the Eye?

Leaving all of that behind for the day and having your own apartment all to yourself.

Ever since Eda left (along with the giant birds nest), Rodney has sort of... made himself at home. Spaciously. Selfishly. Ignoring the possibility that people could be assigned to this apartment at any given time. And why pick one room if you can utilize all three of them? Anything he could take up from the labs he did; anything tech-related he could buy in town he did; and the apartment is slowly turning more into a workshop than a living space.

Screens. Cables. Tools. Spare parts strewn around just about everywhere. An impressive collection of used coffee mugs. A corner for soldering and welding. Trays from the mess hall he was too lazy to bring back.

He's engrossed in his work, code running past him as he types away on a keyboard, munching on a sandwich. Nursing some injuries from where the mare got him (which makes him want to try again because it wasn't his fault, okay, it was the riddle's and the answer he gave? totally made more sense than whatever the right answer possibly was. mare is probably cheating.).

It's peaceful for once as he can just sink into the science.

Would be a shame if someone interrupted him.]


v. wildcard

[hit me up! c: or send me a ping at caffettiera]

i.

[abrightboy]

No. I've only seen it once and your friend John was trying to shoot it.

Misty Quigley | Yellowjackets

[citizendetective]

THE MERRY MARE OF WINTERMAS; OTA

God, this is ridiculous. I'm going to be late for work; I don't have time for this verbal Saw trap--

[Misty lets out a huff that's more annoyed than scared or stressed, crossing her arms over her chest as she leans against the alley wall. Honestly, this is the last time she tries to take a shortcut through anywhere dark and dank. Or, better yet, she should have just taken the bus.

Turning to her companion - someone she'd been walking with on the way to ADI headquarters, maybe, or perhaps just someone she'd passed by at the wrong place and the wrong time - she heaves a sigh.]

Any ideas? I've never heard this one before, but we're probably on a time limit.

[OOC: Feel free to choose a riddle with your tag-in if you have one in mind; otherwise, I'll pick different ones for each thread from here!]

[semilethal]

[No lie, Donnie has actually been hunting this Mare thing down. Not to like bring her into ADI or anything, but because riddles. Ways to prove he is smart, or test if he is actually dumb like he's always feared.] Half as many brothers as sisters...

[He is doing much better with the math-related ones, so maybe he's just a genius and anything he can't answer is like, not important or like cheating or trickery. Yeah.] Four girls, three boys. That's the lowest the ratio can go and still fit the criteria.

[And the Mare...shrieks? Oh, with laughter, while clopping away. That's awful.]

George Milton ~Lamp of the Body, closed to Nick Valentine

[bindlestifflost]

((CW: Gun violence, description of torture, major character death (George).))]

It has been nothing but chaos as far as George can tell from the moment they got word the raid was starting. Nick had told him to stick close to him, and he has, armed with a revolver he knows how to use but is hoping isn't needed. They skirt the edges of the powerful avatars. George knows when he's outgunned and outclassed, and killing has never been his focus.

They're sniffing out victims or survivors, going deeper and deeper past the unnerving surveillance until they reach a room that the geography doesn't quite fit with what they saw out in a cramped basement hallway. For the moment, aside from cameras, they're alone, gunfire echoing from above in salvos and sharp bursts, making George wince a little on each one.

"Hey, Nick..." It's quiet, for all the good it will do. No 'Slick.' Not here. Not now. This is deadly serious business. "Somethin' about this room strike you as wrong? I'm thinkin' there oughtta be...more of it. Know what I mean?"

[outofthepast]

Not his first gunfight by a longshot. But Nick prefers to leave the fighting to those more inclined to it. The most important thing to him is rescuing innocents, so he and George were quick to duck into the basement.

He pauses at the question and takes a look around, observing the layout.

"Yeah. It's... too short," he mutters. It's hard to do with the chaos going on upstairs making all his sensors go off, be he tries to focus his motion detector into the room around them.

It's very subtle. Could just be a malfunction or a rat. But the shape...

"Something's moving. Behind the wall, there. It's human-sized."

Donatello (Rise of the TMNT) - Lamp, Elf, Mare

[semilethal]

I LOVE LAMP

[The thing about having perimeter security is that once the perimeter has been breached, the security is worthless. Not the people, but the technology; barbed wire, electrified fences, trip lasers and yes, cameras, are pointless once approached from the other side.

Donatello's limbs have felt confusingly weaker since he got here, but he's more or less acclimated now. He can't just jump right over eight foot walls and fences like he normally could, but he doesn't have to. That's what his bo is for. Once he finds the gap in the CCTV line crossing, Donnie jogs some meters back, runs at the wall with as much speed as possible, then digs the end of his bo into the ground and pole vaults over the top. A wire he'd tied around his wrist to the other end of his staff helps him pull it over with him, grumbling all the way because if he could just use his powers here then he could just dissipate it and make a new bo.

Once over he makes for the nearest camera and immediately starts dismantling it, cutting wires and unscrewing the base to pull the entire case off the wall. Is he supposed to be keeping an eye out for stragglers as perimeter guard? Yeah he's not doing that. Busy.]

ELF'S UP DUDE

[Donnie is not a big fan of creepy setup. He doesn't believe in scary ghost creepy feelings nonsense, not even with ADI insisting and...a lot of circumstantial evidence pointing toward some kind of nasty shenanigans afoot, but those are just that. Shenanigans. Donatello refuses to be intimidated by shenanigans.

So even though the dropping elves make him jump and the sheer lack of shadows sets his teeth on edge and he has to grip his tech bo like a security blanket as he makes his way to the boxes with barely disguised interest. If he spots someone else in obvious turmoil (IE bleeding eyes, uncontrollable sobbing, etc) he'll definitely stop to help, but he's got his own goals here. He might have some dismantled camera components in the storage of his battle shell, but daddy can always use more toys.

Not to mention he wants to see what makes them tick. Mystic powers? Gross. Technology? Useful. To be cannibalized.]

MARE-Y A WORD SAID: feat. Leo, Don, or Both

[Are you in some danger, of an equine-imous nature? Did you refuse to play, or are riddles just not your bag? Don't worry; there are not one, but two mutant ninja turtle teens galivanting about, rescuing poor souls from the Merry Mare herself, in an act of selfless herois-]

Give me anoth- SHUT UP, LEO!

[-oh never mind, they're competing. Well, maybe one or both of these turtle boys might help up anyone fallen or otherwise pay attention to you, though they do seem to be demanding riddles from this bloody bedsheet freak over here, yelling something about a 'tiebreaker' and 'you know I'm better at this than you' and other such brother nonsense.]

you know what I'm here for

[neonleon]

[What's more beautiful than the sound of brothers getting along? Of two twin brothers inseparable and so far from home? Blood brothers who-

Are absolutely ready to throw hands with other in front of this Mare.]

Stick to nerd math! I'm better with word puzzles!

delloso de la rue | dimension 20 | ota

[ruevealing]

i. [The Merry Mare of Wintermas] one step takes me home

"A girl has as many brothers as sisters, but each brother has only half as many brothers as sisters. How many brothers and sisters are there in the family?"

[Rue may consider themself quite clever, but in the face of a bloodied, skeletal horse popping up from a nearby bush to speak to them in riddles, they really lose all ability to think clearly. Even glamoured as they are, they still blink owlishly up at the mare, before turning to shoot a pleading glance at any unfortunate enough to stroll on by.

Help Rue out before the beast attacks and you may end up with a fey favor in your pocket for later.]

ii. [He Sees You] two steps back on my own (antique magnifying glass)

[Volunteering to help out at the warehouse instead of on the frontlines had seemed like the simplest way to keep out of any further danger, but Rue is quickly learning that nothing in this place is ever exactly what it seems. The glamoured owlbear feels absolutely exposed beneath the impossibly bright lights above, the skin beneath their feathers tingling with something Rue can't quite put a name to. They feel on edge and they can't for the life of them understand why. There's just this visceral feeling of fear coiling heavily at the bottom of their belly, like the terrifying anticipation of waiting for a nearby predator to strike.

And Rue is not used to ever feeling like prey.

But with no true, tangible danger in front of them, Rue brushes off the feeling in a shake of unseen feathers, before picking up an antique-looking magnifying glass, their gloved fingers carefully tracing the strange engravings along the handle.]

What do you suppose this does? I must admit I'm suitably intrigued.

[ooc: when looking through it, the magnifying glass "will warp into the face of someone the user cares for, or the user themself. The hallucination will bleed from the eyes. When they put it down, the vision, the user's eyes will leak blood for up to ten minutes." so fun stuff!!!]

iii. [wildcard] three skips to each stone / four steps back and I'm gone

[ooc: don't see a prompt you like? hmu!! meyggy]

i

[energyfieldgood]

Four daughters and three sons.

[Rodney has had less fortunate run-ins with the Mare before, but a riddle like this? It turns into an equation in his head before he actively thinks about it and the answer presents itself before the magic effect of being put on the spot can even reach him.]

Of course you could technically expand that to have the parameters still come true, but it'd be quite the family.

eddie munson | stranger things

[bardsofprey]

merry mare | closed

[Eddie's not happy to be here. He misses Hawkins, as weird as it is to miss a place that hates you. But he misses the good ones- Wayne. The club. His boss at the garage. Dustin, a lot.

He's done his best to make this a temporary home, and his job has helped a lot with that. It's good, mind-occupying work, and he gets to use his hands and listen to music; start to catch up on a huge backlog of metal. Walking home with Steve is good, too. It feels weird to think of something as a silver lining in being dragged into an evil-magic ridden weird ass future world, but like, that what it is! Getting closer with Steve is a silver lining. One he's doing his best not to be weird about. They're like, friends now, and it's cool. Yup.

Eddie is so cool and contained, actually, that he lasts another five seconds before bumping his hip into Steve's side and making a loud 'hrrrrrm' sound.]

We're not just going right home, are we? Work, sleep, work? Completely lame.

he sees you | open

[Eddie's meant to be helping destroy stuff- a job that feels less like a job and more like a form of stress relief- but when he spots the black eye pendant, he can't help but pick it up. The thing looks cool, okay?

He strings it onto one of his chains, where it hangs around his neck biding it's time until he runs into someone else aiding clean up.]

Yo, are we taking this stuff with us after we smash it up, or just leaving it here?

((if you want to plot something out involving your characters worst memories, feel free to hit me up at sekritsauce!))

[haircaring]

[ Eddie: I am cool and contained and not gonna be weird about this everything's fine and normal and cool. I'm not gonna MAKE it weird.

Steve: merely in the weeks-long process of, for once in his life, weighing the "YOLO shoot my shot" versus "but would that actually make things too weird if it turns out this is not a vibe I'm picking up after all, Again" scales.

If they were back home, all things considered, forget about it, if he got to this point might as well go all in.

But they're not in Hawkins. They're the only ones here FROM Hawkins.

This of course will not stop him from trying to flirt in the meantime. ]

You don't take it easy for the holiday season, Munson?

Eda Clawthorne | The Owl House | OTA | will match format

[edalyn]

The Merry Mare of Wintermas

i. First Encounter [12/20 Closed to Raine]

Normally, Eda might be quicker to notice the presence of something lurking in the shadows. Not that things lurking in the shadows were inherently bad, but it wasn’t the worst idea to keep an eye on them.

Either way, though, she’s distracted chatting contentedly with the shorter witch by her side as they make their way down a street in downtown Gloucester. It’s a nice evening, all things considered.

Things are… good. Not perfect, but good. Hunter’s back, things back home aren’t as bad as she thought, and nothing’s even attacked the ADI in a little while. Honestly Eda feels genuinely alright for the first time in months.

She’s taking the opportunity to relax, and to drag Raine along for evening out in a completely platonic context, why would you even ask?

“Yeah, movies aren’t that different in the Human Realm really, you’ll see–”

And then, suddenly, something stirs in the alley the witches are passing and a voice calls out.

”You there,” the voice is strange, and scratchy, and the silhouette that detaches itself from the shadows is clearly inhuman. That by itself might be enough to scare someone… who wasn’t from the Boiling Isles. As it is, Eda’s been in line for groceries behind significantly stranger looking people.

“Yes. You. Both. Two heads. Better than one. Better for thinking. Plenty clever, yes? Plenty for a game. Plenty. I have a game for you.” The mare’s bones click-click-click-creak as it tilts its skull in invitation and Eda hopes this lady doesn’t make her late for her movie.

ii. Oh, you again

It’s another night, and Eda isn’t so distracted as she was before. This time her ears prick up at little sounds, and she finds herself glancing at the shadows that seem just a touch deeper than they should be.

She’s on edge, the feeling of being watched and followed nagging at the back of her mind. Something in the back of her mind paces and growls, deeply uneasy with the feeling of being prey. And then a streetlight glints off a bone-white shape and she relaxes. Mostly.

She does sigh though. “Hey, let’s just, uh… look like we’re busy, okay?” she says to whoever she happens to be walking with, picking up her pace a little.

Her attitude isn’t so much frightened or even intimidated as it is that of someone who’s really hoping their annoying neighbor doesn’t happen to see them. Riddles just aren’t really her thing.

He Sees You

i. Elf rage

Eda decided to sit out the actual strike on the church. She’s had a lot going on, lately. A lot on her mind. And while she’s good in a fight… well, hunting down cultists feels like leaning into something she’s trying her best to avoid lately.

The warehouse, on the other hand, interests her. She’s had a few run ins with the cursed artifacts here, and she wants to figure out more about them. That, and she suspects she can deal with at least some of them better than some people–for example there was a ring that might have been a bad time for anyone who couldn’t just take their hands apart.

Now that she’s here, she’s starting to realise that the Eye ranks pretty high on the list of Entities she’s not fond of. She doesn’t like feeling watched, and she really doesn’t like feeling known. Eda is not an open person by nature–and while she’s trying to work on that, it doesn’t mean she wants everyone knowing her secrets, either. She wants creepy possibly-possessed elf dolls knowing them even less.

All of which to say she finds herself glaring up at the elf in the rafters, (currently disguised) ears flattened back against her head. She’s holding one of the smaller elves, and after examining it a bit has decided that she just feels like making a point: she destroys the plastic head with an audible crunch of her (also currently disguised) sharp teeth. While making direct eye contact with the one in the rafters.

It doesn’t get a reaction, of course, but she supposes she didn’t expect one.

“I could climb up there,” she muses to whoever happens to be nearest. Would anyone have a problem with that? She’s not going to fly. Just take advantage of her height and her claws to get herself into the rafters. It’s probably fine.

ii. At least there are worse secrets

It’s probably a bad idea to plug in the string lights, but Eda’s curious whether there’s anything strange about them all the same. And hey, if it turns out they’re not cursed, then is anyone going to miss some shiny objects? The part of her brain that wants to weave them into her nest says no.

Unfortunately, the moment they flicker on–

“I faked having fire flu on the last night of Rats: the Musical.” What? Where did that come from?

Wildcard

[Throw me a starter, or hit me up! necromancatrix, Ilya#4143]

ii

[myfavoritemurder]

"That won't work," Callisto says, though she sounds unbothered - and she doesn't mind picking up her pace a bit either, matching her stride with Eda's. "What's the matter, you don't like fighting it?"

No mention of the riddles. That's not what Callisto goes in for either, but she does like her confrontations with the mare all the same.

Callisto | Xena: Warrior Princess

[myfavoritemurder]

LAMP OF THE BODY; OTA

[Callisto can, when necessary, do observation and infiltration in small amounts (though luckily for perhaps everyone involved, she hadn't been called in to do it this time). But this bit is where she really shines, blunt instrument that she is, and when the time comes to strike, she's there with bells on. The average age of the congregation doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest, and whenever she sees an ADI ally hesitating to deliver a lethal blow to an old woman, she swoops in, shouting:]

What are you doing? Take her down!

[Other ruthless fighters, on the other hand, will find her an unflinching ally. She'll even willingly work in tandem sometimes, spotting someone who's faring well and calling out to them:]

You take the one on the left! I have the right covered.

steve harrington | stranger things | ota

[haircaring]

a. bro i couldn't even get into technical college

[ Every day of Steve's life is so... yeah sure, this might as well happen. It's incredible. One day you're a high school asshole, the next day you've beheld terrors not meant to be known by man or whatever.

Out here trying to live his life and now girl help we are being harangued by a shifting skeleton thing. Girl help it's giving us a riddle. Steve doesn't even need the supernatural anxiety kick's help (which does not stop it) to fail to absorb it. ]

... god, I feel like I've had nightmares like this. I mean, yeah yeah, big skull, not human, probably gonna kill us, whatever, but this riddle stuff. Jesus. [ "Be smarter or die challenge," nightmare scenario for a guy who is not academically gifted and believes he is simply not smart overall. ] Is. Is there a multiple choice option?


b. core competencies

[ And that's on mission violence, baybee. A family can be Steve Harrington and whatever melee weapon he is currently holding.

And whoever it is that he's just stepped in front of. ]

Get behind me!

[ Hot strats: first in, last out, swing very hard with weapon, unhinged tenacity in the face of getting his ass kicked by a cultist. Which is almost definitely what seems to be going down, because Steve is kind of just A Guy with the superpowers of trying his best and comporting himself well post-concussion.

He said I want to look cool today and god said "lmao". ]


c. pretend this is an elf pun

[ Fully standing here looking up at the ceiling elf monstrosity with his hands on his hips like a middle aged parent planning a kitchen remodel. The most and dare we say only valid approach.

It's definitely seen the shape of his soul. That sucks.

He looks over to the nearest person and gestures vaguely upward. ]

You see this shit? [ mean girl scoff dot wav ] Total fire hazard.

[ Who even needed the "arson not preferred" warning, there's a big fucking toy stuffed into the rafters. Can also be found helping with general artifacts-toting efforts and elf destruction! Probably complaining about these weird little guys moving around and jumpscaring him and stuff, realistically.

(up for basically whatever re: artifact shenanigans, closed prompts, or other wildcard prompts! hmu through PM or at comatoseroses, i'm down.) ]

b

[heyunderoos]

[Having someone step in front of him to protect him feels bizarre in many ways. The weapon the ADI gave him feels bizarre and uncomfortable given the teenager is used to fighting with his fists and agility first and foremost. Now he's just given a stun gun and suited up in what they had for someone his size.

The seventeen year old feels wildly unequipped for all of this even with what he was given. He wanted to help, but apparently, that meant being dropped on the field pretty quick.]

We probably want to get some space here. We're a little too close right now.

Cortana | Halo | OTA (+1 closed prompt for Eda)

[failedpromise]

A)

(Cortana is, for the most part, helping with the non fighting stuff - seeking out info that could be used to harm the church, its members, anyone affiliated with the church and its members... but she's also got this nice new body that is really satisfying to use to beat the shit out of people, so she's showed up to the fight too.

Seeing someone in trouble, she grabs the nearest throwable object she can see and hurls it at the attacker.)

Hey, asshole! Why-

(But instead of turning around or even yelling in pain, the cultist collapses bonelessly a few moments after the object hits them ...right in the back of the head. There might be a bit of blood, even. Cortana might be limited to humanly possible amounts of strength, but the upper end of humanly possible is still really strong and that was a rather heavy thing she threw. She pauses, blinking.

Meanwhile, another cultist is coming up behind her...)

B)

(Warehouse cleanup isn't really the sort of job she's suited for, but still, might as well help out where she can. She'd hope to find something interesting, but honestly, anything potentially interesting she finds here is more likely to curse her than anything else, so maybe it'd be better to hope she ends up terribly bored.

Unfortunately, what actually happens is the worst of all worlds - the giant Elf isn't boring but it's definitely not something she wants to mess with.

She makes a face as she takes a step back.)

Please tell me that's just a really tasteless Christmas decoration.

C) (Closed to Eda)

(As smart as Cortana is, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. So when Cortana sees a pen lying out on the floor, she picks it up without any particular concern - whoever heard of a cursed pen, anyway?

When Eda finds her she'll be tucked away in a corner, shaking and spasming - and also swearing under her breath in frustration - as she tries to write on the side of a box. Her current writing is near completely illegible, but she's been working on this for a while, and that writing contains a lot of ...interesting stuff.

If I'd died when I was supposed to, billions of people would still be here.

His name is John.

I betrayed him.

I want to keep living.

I'm sorry.

I'll never see him again.

I think I might be in love with him.

Well, that's probably more than you ever wanted to know about your - entirely too young to have to deal with such an extensive amount of bullshit - sexy AI friend, but there you go.)

C!

[edalyn]

[Eda isn't really expecting to run into anyone back here, and so if anything when she first catches a little scratching sound, her first thought is the ever-growing collection of elves. She's really not fond of those.

But then one of her ears flicks slightly as she catches some quiet swearing, in what she's pretty sure is a familiar voice. She raises an eyebrow, and heads for the corner it seemed to be coming from.

She sees the box and some of the writing slightly before the woman crouched behind it, but lets out a startled breath as she does. She isn't quite sure what's going on, but it's pretty clear Cortana's not in a good way.]

Blue...?

[She crouches down, to get a better look at Cortana--and also glance over the frantic scribbling, as she tries to take in what's wrong. Only it doesn't take much to make her unsure if she really should be reading it. She focuses on the AI, for the moment.]

What'cha doing there? [Her tone is gentle, if puzzled and concerned. She reaches for Cortana's wrist--notably, not for the pen itself. It's more to be on the safe side than that she's figured anything out, but cursed items aren't all that unusual to her as a possibility.]

[edalyn]

Just meant I could have to carry you.

[And she could point out that the rest could be worse, too.

Multiple people could have read the stuff Cortana wrote, after all. Then again she knows she might mean something else.

She pushes the door open and helps Cortana outside.]

Did you know what you were doing...?