Onward: Orange

[voidtreckermods]

On the second night those still on the train may be woken by rough seas, the train lurching and rolling in the waves.

If they manage to sleep through the choppy waters they might instead be woken by the voice over the ICPs. "Orange team to doors. Orange team to doors."

Those that head the instruction and exit out of the luggage carriage or dressing room doors will be met with a strange sight.

The sea is glowing. Or at least part of the sea. Underneath them, from where Bui lies there is a light that shines upwards through the dark water, rippling over the water, breaking into specks of light in the waves.

It seems it is time for another investigation.

Night Dive

The water is even colder at night, the water eerie as they make the dive down to the city. The whole city is lit up, light reflecting off shells and coral.

The light seems to be coming from the far palace. Outside the palace there is a sigil, in the shape of a shell, glowing brightly. It had not been there before, nothing to suggest there had been anything special about that patch of ground. Yet it glows now.

Crabs

The city of Bui, until now, has been peaceful, eerily empty even. But as they investigate they will find a different problem. Some of the giant crabs have found their way to the city. Not overwhelming numbers, but enough to be a problem, especially as their aim seems to be attacking the sleeping citizens.

On the Train

For those who remain on the train dawn brings it's own problems. Dawn breaks into darkness, the sun barely penetrating. Shadows are deep and the temperature cooler. It is not too dark to see, more like an endless twilight.

The seas remain rough and choppy, like a storm is brewing.

Comments

Night Dive/ Crabs

[najaran]

In as bad shape as she was, as tired as she was, Najaran could no sleep through that alert and the lurching of the train dropping her to the floor. She had been in the water, then in medical, then in the water, then in medical... she didn't remember much else....

This time she secured all of her cards under the main part of her suit. She couldn't summon them under water. They wouldn't be able to breathe. She had one of those helmets and she could barely breathe. Didn't matter, those people down there needed help.

As she closed up her suit she thought again and stopped. She fished out one card and looked at it. She was under strict orders never to use the card. But... it might be needed. She slipped that one card up her sleeve and finished dressing again. She was not looking forward to going back dow there, but if there was any chance at all she could help... she was going to try.

The dive was worse than it had been either of the previous days. She still was not wearing her train issued recall device, so still lacked its protections. But once she settled to the depths she had at least adapted... some.... from the last two days of exposure. She was in bad shape, but not immediately looking for a nap. Since everyone seemed to think hauling her back to the train was the answer, she was going to try and haul one of the locals closer to the surface, to see if it was maybe an area spell keeping them all asleep and making her so drained and tired.

But before she could find someone, she found a crab. Angry at her lack of weapons... she dove at it and tried an old standard. Her face hit the inside of her helmet and her helmet then hit the crab, knocking it out. Well... that wasn't what she had intended, but she'd take it. Better that than she admit that she forgot the helmet was there and tried to....

"Crab stew could be yummy....." She grabbed the grab she had knocked out and started heading for the surface....

Re: Night Dive/ Crabs

[unfavorableinstigation]

If she had been asked, Nita would have said trying to recover the locals outright was at least worth trying.

Granted, she'd also have said Najaran had come to that conclusion for the wrong reasons, and that if she'd really wanted to test it she'd have brought her SCA to put on one of the locals... but no matter.

Najaran would find a whale swiftly descending upon herself and the crab.

/... If I agree to carry this up to the train for you, mind explaining what your plan was?/

Re: Night Dive/ Crabs

[najaran]

A yawn. "First I was gonna see if we can bring one of the people to the train an see if they wake up, but then I thought maybe not being in the water might kill them, then I saw the crabs an thought... dinner," she admitted, letting herself float a bit, not sure who was talking to her.

Re: Night Dive/ Crabs

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita stopped moving for a second, thinking.

/That's... not a bad plan, actually. Maybe if we put one of the SCAs on them and bring them up, they'll be safe? They help moderate the effects of the environment,/ she added.

/It's why the combined cold water and depths have such an effect on you, right now./

She was in Najaran's range of vision, though perhaps seeing a whale wouldn't make the teen think she was awake.

/Lemme help you get this crab to the surface for now, though, okay? Then we'll decide./

Because there were a lot of other crabs down here tonight, and not nearly enough time.

Re: Night Dive/ Crabs

[najaran]

"Not worth it if it means they're going to pull em out while people still need help," she said, stubbornly. "And fine. But... where are you? Under the huge behemoth?"

Re: Night Dive/ Crabs

[unfavorableinstigation]

/Strictly speaking, I am the 'huge behemoth' right now, so watch what you say,/ Nita snarked, the whalesong echoing strangely on her own skin.

/That, and speaking as someone who's literally tried to give up her own power to save someone, on the Lone Power's own terms, sometimes trying to be the hero really is being stupid. I hated the evac as much as anyone else! But sometimes putting yourself at risk helps no one, not even yourself./

With that, she moved to maneuver the crab up, swimming to the surface to deposit the corpse on the flotation platform.

Re: Night Dive/ Crabs

[najaran]

"There're whales on the train?" she mumbled. But the whale took the crab, so she went down to try and get another one. Or ten.

Is Naja's SCA somewhere findable? If so, may I say Nita's grabbed it?

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita really wished she could shake people while in whale form, sometimes.

But there wasn't time for that now.

It would be twenty minutes before Nita returned, knowing she was buying time on a max-ed out credit card by using whaleshape again, but it was easier to move the heavy crabs that way than as a human.

/Najaran? You still around here?/

She'd go looking, if she wasn't immediately answered.

It was in her bag on her bunk with her clothes. And sure.

[najaran]

Najaran had managed to take out two more crabs, mostly by being too out if it to have the sense not to take on two at once and winding up smashing them into each other. She was clinging to both, sprawled out in the water, thinking that she'd feel better after a slight nap....

o7 Thanks. We can say the door was open or something...

[unfavorableinstigation]

That SCA - along with changes of clothes for the two of them - had been placed in one of the provided backpacks and left strategically back in the Luggage car.

There were still crabs to move, unfortunately, or else Nita would have shifted human and brought the equipment down with her.

/O-kay, no sleeping now. Mind helping me lift these?/ she asked hopefully.

Working together might help Najaran stay focused, even a little.

Do we know how long it'll take her to feel better once she's wearing it?

[najaran]

Naja shook herself awake. Ish. and nodded, starting to push the crabs onto the whale's back. "Hold on, I'll see of I can' get ush more." Crab stew. Even in as bad a shape as she was in the thought spurred her on and she was getting hungry.

Have to ask, I think. It's not quite healing magic.

[unfavorableinstigation]

/I'll handle that, this time,/ Nita assured, voice as hushed as a whale's could get in this storm and still be heard.

/You've had your turn, but you can get the round after mine, alright?/

Re: Have to ask, I think. It's not quite healing magic.

[najaran]

"But if you're getting more, who's gonna carry 'um?"

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin was nearby and saw Nita headbutt the crab. For a moment he was busy wrestling a crab of his own, stabbing it with the goblin sword he had acquired in his first mission.

He answered with a laugh, as she was starting for surface, "You might be right. Some of our better cooks might be interested in crab recipes. Should I bring this one along, too?"

*Najaran? LOL

[najaran]

"Sure," she said with a tired but happy smile.

Oops, sorry. Let's just retcon it to say "Najaran."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin grinned and started towing the crab he had just killed.

"Careful with that head-bumping move," he said, still with a grin. "You don't want to give yourself brain-damage while giving the crab brain-damage."

ROFL. Okay. :D

[najaran]

"I was tryin to bite it and forgot about the helmet," she mumbled.

[so_dark_a_road]

"Really? You were going to bite it?? Dunno as these things would taste good raw." He chuckled.

[najaran]

"Hey, it helped with that Yak..." she mumbled, somewhat out of it. "LEt's get s'more."

[so_dark_a_road]

"What Yak?" he asked in puzzlement.

"Yes! Let's get some more crabs. The more the better. Glorfindel will be happy to make us some crab cakes. He's an excellent cook."

He swiveled around in the water, searching the sandy bottom for other large crustaceans. "There's one! Let's get it!" He swam rapidly and waved his arms to distract the crab so it wouldn't notice Najaran sneaking up on it.

[najaran]

"A'er Bisteam," she explained. Which explained nothing at all. But her head popped up. Even in as bad a shape as she is, he had her full attention as she licked her lips. "Crab cakes?" That sounded yummy.

Adrenaline, and her obsession with food, lent her strength to go after the crab he pointed out. Of course the only Card in easy reach was one she didn't quite dare use. But she was inventive. She found a bit of furniture belonging to the underwater people. Hopefully they wouldn't mind her borrowing it. She slammed it down across the crab's back. Which, you know, might have been more effective... if they weren't underwater...

[so_dark_a_road]

"What's A'er Bisteam?" he asked. But then he noticed that she was enthused by the idea of crab cakes. "Yes, all Glorfindel would need to make them is crab, some flour, and maybe some onions and spices. It shouldn't be hard to do, and these crabs are so enormous that it won't take many to feed the whole train! So, you like seafood?"

He grinned when she slammed the crab with that piece of furniture. "Furniture as weapon! A new martial art. You can teach it at Fight Club."

He swam closer to see if the crab was really knocked unconscious or dead. Mistake. The crab reached out with its pincers and grabbed him by the helmet. "Help!"

[najaran]

All the things she'd been trying to formulate how to reply to were lost when he cried for help. No time to get around behind the thing. No time to find another improvised weapon. But...

Thunderbeak would fry everyone down here, not just the crab, none of the others were good for underwater. She had no underwater cards with her. But she did have a trick up her sleeve.

No time to think, even if she could. No time to remember just how many people have told her she isn't allowed to use spell cards anymore... this is what she had them for.

She ripped off her glove and grabbed the card she had against her wrist out. She lung it towards them. "Come to me my spell card, WIND CUTTER!"

There was a reason Najaran was forbidden spell cards. Someone as strong as her requires tight control. She... lacks that control. The waves of force of air blasted through the water, hitting the crab with devastating power. They also hit the underwater buildings around them. And the edge... would catch Curufin....

The card reappeared in her hand and her eyes went a bit wide.

"Whoops...."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufn was smacked by the wave of force as the wind tore through the water. Luckily it swept the crab away, its pincers and legs flailing with frustration as it went. The wind bashed Curufin against a wall, which luckily was reinforced sand and not stone.

He was stunned all the same, and he slid down to the wall's foot and stared upwards into the deep blue above him. For a moment, he dreamed, drifting back into the distant past. Where am I? he wondered. Oh no! Is this the Helcaraxë? Am I at the bottom of a frozen sea? Did our stolen ships sink in a storm?

[najaran]

She tucked the card back away and rushed to him. "Are you okay?" she asked, panicked. Please don't let him be dead!