enchanted forest . mingle

[misconceived]

WHO Forest planet occupants!
BROADCAST N/A
ACTION Enchanted Forest / Spa Time
WHEN Upon reaching the system (Jan. 4) to leaving it (Jan. 31)

[ It's another day, another planet for the Drift Fleet to explore. Whether it be relaxing in the landing field, checking out the spa (and subsequently getting urged to enter the woods), or taking on the Enchanted Forest's game, there's enough to do for stir-crazy Fleet members.

Just remember one thing: make it look good. ]

Comments

[hearsthesea]

[Shirley giggles too - are they all giving each other nicknames now? It sounds like fun, and it reminds her a little of home. Maybe she ought to start thinking of some...but they are here for a reason.]

Of course I will. Is everyone ready?

[misconceived]

[ That is exactly what they're doing. Well. Chris is doing it to Varric, anyway. The nicknamer must also be nicknamed. ]

Yeah. Doc. Problem with it?

[ Yes, he realizes Varric won't get the reference. Probably for the better. Turning to Shirley, he motions for everyone to go ahead. ]

Sure, let's get going. We can walk and talk.

[merchantprince]

Just as long as you remember you're the medic. [He's still rather unsure about this forest business, but he walks forward anyway.

It's really not a bad-looking place.]

This is either a great place for a picnic... or an ambush. I'm not sure which.

[hearsthesea]

[Shirley doesn't say anything to that, but she does clench her stick a little harder as they go.]

Let's be sure to keep track of each other, and stay on the path like the automaton said. We should be much safer that way.

[misconceived]

Medic. Right. One second.

[ He shimmers away, only to return about thirty seconds later with a medkit. He looks a bit smug, since they aren't that unwieldy and he might as well pretend that he likes his assigned job if it sticks it to Varric somehow. ]

Now we're good to go. Safer, but who knows what's in there. I mean, it's the whole planet. Want me to go in the lead?

[ He makes half of a motion toward the entrance, but begins to walk to the front anyway. He's used to going ahead because most of the time he has to force people to follow and acting reckless tends to get the desired result. ]

[merchantprince]

Don't run off for anything. Probably a monster or something in the ditch.

[Varric rolls his eyes a little at Chris.] You can go first, since you can pull weapons out of unsavory places.

I'll cover you. [He nods the rifle a tad.]

[hearsthesea]

Then I'll take the rear.

[She's used to that anyway. Crystal erens don't make great frontline fighters.]

I'll keep a lookout behind us too, just in case.

[misconceived]

[ Chris grins at Varric over his shoulder. ]

If I didn't know any better, I'd say I really was the captain of this motley crew right now.

[ But no, he knows they wouldn't listen to him in a crisis. No one ever does. s-sob ]

[merchantprince]

You say you know better but I'm having serious doubts right now.

[He shuffles after the ship captain.]

Maker's blessed break-wind, this forest is thick.

[hearsthesea]

It seemed like the forest covers most of this planet. Natural or not, it must be very important here.

[Shirley steps over a stray branch on the path, glancing behind them as she does to make sure there aren't any surprises.]

The path ahead is still clear enough to go on, right?

[misconceived]

Which is what I was just about to say. Of course it's going to be thick.

[ Chris turns around, doesn't hesitate but there's a bit of a confused pause. Despite the wild growth of the planetwide forest, the path is perfectly pristine and definitely there. ]

Yeah, uh... plenty of path up here. Looks like we're just going straight for a while.

[merchantprince]

Straight is good. Straight and flat. Best kind of traveling.

[Boring as hell, but Varric really really really hates hiking. And good luck trying to get him to climb over a tree.]

Let me know if you see anything else, Prickly.

[hearsthesea]

That makes it easier to navigate than the last forest I was in.

[And hopefully it turns out better than her visit there too! With that optimistic thought, Shirley looks around as they walk on. It'd be pretty if there weren't (rightfully) so much concern over what might happen here.]

It feels strange here...I wonder what the source of this power is.

[misconceived]

[ What about a root? There's a pretty big one breaking through the path, but Chris just kind of pulls himself over it and turns to see how the others will fare. Seeing as Shirley's commenting on the feel of the magic, he feels pretty safe in continuing that line of conversation. ]

Considering how powerful it is? I'd say... maybe the planet itself, or something pretty big further in. I've never felt anything like this before, though.

[merchantprince]

[Varric rubs at the back of his neck.]

Great. I don't feel a thing. Which means whatever you're sensing is probably going to try to eat me first.

[hearsthesea]

Don't worry, you're in between me and Chris. We can look out for any danger.

[That's probably not going to help him feel any better, but give the girl points for trying.]

[misconceived]

Unless it comes from underground.

[ NOT HELPING, CHRIS. ]

But, no. Trust me, this isn't evil. Whatever it is, it's not that. I mean, it's not good either... but if anything is going to happen, it probably won't be malicious.

[merchantprince]

That's the idea. You spot it, I'll shoot it.

[No it really doesn't make him feel better, but thank you for trying, Shirley.]

Probably, he says.

Let's keep going.

[hearsthesea]

Right.

[And onward it is! As they go Shirley notices something flickering at the edge of her vision and halts again for a second, but there's nothing when she looks.

Maybe she's feeling a little jumpy right now. Back home, in a place like this they would have surely run into monsters by now.]

[misconceived]

[ Chris grins, then begins moving on ahead. Light starts to get dimmer as the leaves above them start blocking out the sun. Chris's tiefling racial trait vision isn't so susceptible to the dark, but he glances back anyway. ]

Is it just me, or is it starting to get creepier?

[merchantprince]

[Varric's definitely clutching his gun.]

No, it's not just you. I don't know if what's out there is alive, though.

[hearsthesea]

Maybe...it's the forest itself, trying to tell us something.

[Says the girl who talks to an ocean. The others might find the idea a little more unsettling than she does.]

[misconceived]

It could have used that sign out there if it wanted to talk to us.

[ Which Chris knows isn't actually true and it isn't far-fetched at all, and the magical life is sometimes just bullshit like that. Walking back doesn't seem to be an option, and Chris has no intention of trying that anyway. ]

I have no idea what it would be trying to say, anyway. What about you, Shirley?

[ He doesn't even bother with asking Varric. The guy's a self-admitted magical doorstop. ]

[merchantprince]

It could've sent us a nice little letter by courier pigeon. 'Dear strange people from outer space, I am hiding something terrible and exciting. Please come to my forest so that I may eat you and feed off your souls for eternity.'

[hearsthesea]

No, it would probably be a warning of some kind. Although whether it's warning us about itself or something that might happen, I don't know.