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

[theboogieman]

[that... gets him to stop, too, because he hasn't heard this sound before. it sounds like a warning bell. he was kind of expecting more Titans, with how things happened before, but this... might be different?]

[aberrant_type]

[Hange strides for the edge of the path, at a clip and certainty that looks like she might go off-trail again.]

[theboogieman]

[whoa whoa WHOA WHAT DID WE JUST TALK ABOUT. or NOT talk about, whatever!

he grabs for the back of her shirt, her coat, her cloak, whatever she's got on--grabs a bunch of it, maybe her collar, and yanks her backwards without hesitating.]

[aberrant_type]

-- Get off of me! [She whacks at him, mostly ineffectually, stumbling backwards with the pull.] I'm not leaving!

[Although she wants to.]

[theboogieman]

[he deliberates, for just a couple of seconds... but he... guesses if she ends up running off, he'll just go on alone? so he... lets go of her.]

[aberrant_type]

[As it happens, she hasn't lost all reason just yet. Instead of going dashing off, she goes straight to the edge of the trail and stays there, looking into the trees. Seeking. If Zhas follows the line of her gaze he'll see what she sees: far-away people spinning through the behemoth forest. There's the occasional flash of silver light on a wire, sometimes a shout, and through the trunks hulking shapes lumber this way and that, snatching at the humans as they dart this way and that like birds. The metal ringing that they heard is the chime of a sword being drawn, or metal wire scrolling against metal.

Hange stands at the edge of the path practically vibrating and then she raises her fingers to her lips and blows out a long, spitty whistle.]

[theboogieman]

[they aren't going to hear her.

...but she waited for him, so he watches flashes of silver in the distance and waits for her in return. both the sight and sound of it make him clench his jaw, unsettled.]

[aberrant_type]

[She tries again, and then again. It has to be fully tested. The whistle would ring through the trees enough to attract attention if everything was going - right. If everything was proper.

She tries again and then drops her hand, staring at the people - her comrades - as they're slowly demolished.]

Scouts' horses are trained to come when they whistle.

[theboogieman]

[...he takes a couple of steps closer to her, but it's not because he thinks she's going to jump off the path again. whatever his reason, though, it's never made clear... since he just stops, a little closer, and that's all.]

[aberrant_type]

[usually, she dies a good job of rerouting this feeling. It wouldn't be easy to guess how anxious she feels about things at home, how very well she knows that this isn't where she should be.

Now, as the scouts are slowly torn to pieces while they watch, it's more obvious.

She tries it again. Third time, last time's the charm as her whistle rings out and - nothing happens but the Titans slouchh away into the trees. She stares after them and after a few moments drops her hands]

[theboogieman]

[it's disheartening, seeing her like that.

he knows they aren't real. she knows they aren't real. but watching your comrades fall in battle... he hasn't experienced it often, but it's never a positive feeling. he can extrapolate.

...his footsteps come closer again, and he carefully puts a hand on her arm.

they should go.]

[aberrant_type]

[she twitches and steps away, out of reflex more than aversion. Then she stops herself. She's seen hundreds of her comrades die over the years. Literally hundreds. But it's never something that fills her with joy, especially since as squad leader, they're her responsibility.

It's nothing but an illusion here though. She has to remind herself of that.

Right.]

Let's go.

[theboogieman]

[he's not surprised. he's ready to start moving again, if only to get that gross feeling out of his bones.

onward? maybe they can even make it to the end this time... ]

[aberrant_type]

[She picks up their pace, at least slightly unconsciously - like they can outrun the onslaught. It'd be a reasonable idea if it wasn't tapping right into their brains, really.

Can they make it? Maybe they can make it.

They're not gonna make it.]