wilderlands | CROSSROADS ※ 1: DISCUSSION POST [mod event] [video] [open]

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CROSSROADS ※ 1: DISCUSSION POST [mod event] [video] [open]

Okay, so those bird dudes weren't lying about the different paths. I found the crossroads they're talking about.

[Kon really shouldn't be tromping around alone like this so much but he's used to being nigh on invincible. It's going to take a while for him to get used to the idea that he's not.]

[The road was all overgrown but there is a road through the woods - and it leads here, to a place where the line of the forest breaks into wide fields of golden grasses. Kon sets up his mirror to expand to its largest side and leaves it to float. There's a crossroads here with a battered wooden sign. The wood is so faded and weathered that words can no longer be read on it.]

[The path splits off into three paths. Down the left-most path, the unlabeled path leads down a dark and dreary road towards some hills. One hill can be seen all the way in the distance, standing out above the others. Rising a thousand feet above the rest of the land around it, it's covered in battered ruins that offer at least some shelter from the elements and cover from potential enemies.]

[Down the center path, the path clearly leads to a sinister-looking wild forest, a dark and dreary wood that seems filled with endless shadows. The path disappears into the woods and the tangled branches make it impossible to see into the forest's depths, especially at this distance.]

[Down the right-most path, there's candy. No joke. Dirt and normal plants start to give way to cobblestones made of hard candy and sugar-spun delicate trees. Gummdrops line the side of the road. The other two paths are grim, with even the hilly path dim from cloudy skies, but this path seems to have clear skies and constant sun.]

[Kon stands in front of the mirror, so that the paths are behind him.]

So our choices are: the Land of the Hill Trolls, Mirkwood, and Candyland.

[He narrows his eyes.]

I don't trust Candyland. [He gestures vaguely at it.] The other two roads have the good graces to be creepy from the get-go, but that looks deceptively nice. It's trying way too hard to be cheerful and sunshine-ey.

[ooc: See the OOC Post here.]

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Mon, you better not go any further than that.

[Anita does not look all that impressed at the fact that Kon wandered all that way on his lonesome without backup, but she's also carefully whittling a length of wood into a comb with a small knife she found in the temple's kitchens.]

I don't think any of them are going to be good choices, but it still leaves which one is going to be the least worst. [she sets knife and proto-comb down, and rubs the back of her neck.]

I haven't tried it yet, but I could give it a shot asking the loa, or the spirits here, I guess. See if that gets an answer. I might need some help finding a big enough bird, though.

Why would you need a bird?

[ He just blurts it out in genuine surprise, he has no idea how that fits together. ]

[What's the best way to put this?

Actually, no.

There's no point in avoiding it, since it has to come up eventually.]

For an animal sacrifice.

Uhh, so the animal sacrifice part is fine, but minor suggestion: with Superman here and a small person running around [That'd be you, Sothe] I'd maybe pick a relatively secluded place to do that.

Provided you need the same...conditions as before.

[Young Justice Unusual Team Bonding Experience Number 10525, walking outside the HQ to see Anita sacrificing a chicken near the tennis ball court.]

[Skyclad.]

Unless you just want us to play it safe and build you some kind of enclosure. We can do that. ["We" being the team.] I can get Bart on temporarily commandeering blankets.

[Building nudity enclosures for magic use; what are friends for?]

Same conditions, yeah. [Skyclad. Sacrificing a live bird. Some blood.]

I've scouted out some of the area around the temple before this, there's a small clearing not too far out to the east I can use. It's not too far away from the temple for any serious trouble. Rather not do it inside, I don't wanna be disrespectful to whatever gods it might be to. [It isn't her space to do any sacrifices in, after all.]

I don't think we need to steal all the blankets, but having someone on hand in case something does happen would be a good idea.

[These are different spirits, so it makes sense she'd be worried about something happening. What if they're unfriendly and try to do something weird?]

[Kon's already visibly heading back to act as backup when he speaks again. Everyone got a good look at the crossroads, so no need for him to stick around.]

I'm on my way back.

[A pause.]

Wait. There's an easier way to do this.

[Instead of walking back through the woods, he walks further down one of the paths -- towards the candyland road -- and then vorp the teleportation kicks in, and just like that he's back in the temple courtyard.]

Shortcut.

[Anita rolls her eyes a bit, even though she has to admit that was decently clever before she stands up.]

I'll meet you out there in a mo'.

[With that she checks her baton, double checks to make sure the mirror follows, and goes out to the courtyard.]

Clever trick.

Shame we can't rely on it to save our butts.

Any ideas for how to ask this question without leaving it too open ended?

No clue. I still can't wrap my head around all this magic stuff. I guess maybe ask what specific threats are on each path? That's less open to interpretation than asking which one is more dangerous.

[Kon shrugs.]

Whatever you need to do for it, I'm here to help. I'll hang out nearby if you're worried about needing to fight an evil spirit or two. I ain't afraid of no ghosts.

It's as good an idea to ask about as any.

[One unspecified length of time including but not limited to a chase to get a live bird, setting up in aforementioned clearing with bird, wood for a small fire, and then getting undressed...

Anita performs the ritual.

The bird's neck is slit and the body is carefully set into the fire before Anita lowers herself into sitting cross legged in front of the fire, not allowing herself to get distracted by her surroundings or doubt, mirror in one hand, blade in another, before cutting her thumb down the center, letting the blood drip down onto the mirror and into the fire.

Her mind, focus, and magic are all on the question of the threats on each different path ahead of them.]

[Some of the spirits of the green whisper vague warnings to her. They are not capable of of enough sentience on their own to warn her about the trails but a spirit that can answer her questions is coming. This spirit, though, is dangerous. They try their best to relay the danger, whispering to her to not change her expression, to not show a single emotion.]

[The spirit that is coming, that she's invited into the material world can provide her the information, but what he can take is much greater:]

[Her face.]

[Koh the facestealer erupts free of one of the spirit realms underlying the Wilderlands, granted a brief time in the material world by her magical sacrifice. He looks like a giant centipede but at one end is a face that looks like it belong on some kind of Noh mask. The being lunges towards her, stopping just in front of her, clearly hoping to startle her into changing expressions.]

[He speaks to her in a deep and rasping voice, one ringing with menace.]

It's unwise to call on unknown spirits in a unfamiliar world, child.

[Anita has just enough time to call out a warning to Kon:] Don't show any emotion![before steeling herself, reading her own face into a serious one. The mirror is tossed outwards and behind her, spinning until it stabilizes, and grows in size to let others watch, just high enough to not actually catch much of Anita's current lack of clothes.

She stands up, still undressed, not flinching before the masked centipede shaped spirit.]

It is unwise to venture onto unknown paths in an unfamiliar world, facestealer. I paid my respects to who would be willing to answer, with my sacrifice.

[The outside of the dead pheasant among the burning wood is almost fully charred now, and her thumb is still slowly dripping blood. ]

[Kon trusts what she says. Obviously showing emotion here would be Bad, probably for magical reasons, and this ugly mother is clearly not to be trusted.]

[But he knows he absolutely sucks at not being reactive to things. Heart on his sleeve and all. So he just straight up covers his face with both hands.]

[Haha, suck on that, spirit!]

As you know I'm terrible at this kind of thing? Not showing emotion, I mean. So yell if I need to make with the fighting, 'Nita.

[He has to trust her to warn him in time if he or she are about to be attacked - and also to judge the situation and not jump the gun so that he uncovers his face and reacts at the wrong time.]

[The way Koh moves is like liquid. Koh looks lazily at her lack of expression and Kon's covered face.]

Perhaps not as unwise as I thought.

[He winds his way around the little clearing, passing dangerously close to Kon in a way where he looks like he might wrap around him for a second, but he passes on without touching him, like a river around stone.]

You wish to know what threats you'll face on the upcoming paths, yes? One bright, and one dark, and one in misty half-light. Each has its own face, but you know something more lies underneath.

[Koh's face changes to another he's stolen, that of some kind of blue spirit-creature.]

Edited 2018-04-21 06:29 (UTC)

My grandmother trained me in her art, any kind of wisdom I am showing is hers.

[Anita watches Koh carefully as he winds around the small space they're sharing, with only the slightest of movements. She's not used to having this kind of outright face-to-face interaction with spirits- the closest case probably being Greta, if she counted. But there are still rules to follow, even if they obviously have to be modified for here, and ones she's going to obviously have to relearn on her own. Like dealing with foreign spirits like Koh the Facestealer here.]

For me and my fellow companions, I wish to learn what threats are on these paths and what hide beneath the apparent masks.

[She dove into a portal that lead to a passageway for dead souls departing the living world; Anita refuses to be afraid here.]

[The sacrifice is only giving him a small moment in the material world and in taking that moment, he owes her the information. Especially since the price she's paying for it isn't just the life of the dead bird, it's giving him a few minutes to have a chance to steal a new face. That is worth something, even if he walks away with empty-clawed.]

[So he is bound by the constraints of the summoning. He took her up on the deal and he must pay the price.]

[His face changes to that of an angry man.]

The dark wooded path has many threats. Beasts and beings that would do you harm. There is a man among you that spoke of these threats and he spoke true.

But the spiders of these woods now have one they fear more than they themselves are feared and this fact should give you pause. A great and ancient evil has found a home in these woods that did not live there before. That is all I'm bound to say.

[His face shifts to another.]

The hilly path would grant you the cover you know you might need if you must face battle -- and if you take that path you will face it. The hills are watched by the unseen eyes of unliving beings, and they will call upon their masters if you dare try to pass.

These masters have moved beyond the mortal coil and will not suffer those who live. They will try to capture you, take you to their own master, and if you enter his dark embrace you will never again know anything besides suffering. They can only be fought with fire and holy light and memory.

[His face shifts again to that of a beautiful woman.]

The light path, filled with its color and temptation, would be peaceful at times and you would know no hunger but the subjects of that great kingdom will dog your every step. You will be monsters in that land of sun and sweetness.

The king with a sweet smile and heart that does not beat will use the danger around you to try to strike at the heart of you.

[Anita stands tall and attentive, inwardly wary, through each of the changing faces, listening to what each path offers in terms of threats. Finally, once the womanface finishes talking, she speaks again.]

Thank you for this knowledge, spirit. It will come in use for our decision as to what path we should take.

[The spirit suddenly lunges at her, the face of a baboon appearing and screeching at her, trying to get her to look scared or react.]

[The sword at her side rises up in response, the blade's tip pointed at the baboon face.]

First of all, nobody's getting stabbed, because she sacrifices an animal for this, not a person.

Second of all, that's not the part I was thinking about. But never mind that.

Person getting stabbed, animal getting stabbed, either way it's not gonna traumatize me.

Oh.

Gross.

[ Apparently that's all he has to add. ]

Well, you asked.

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Mirror, floating [Let's Try Animal Sacrifice Option]

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--> Action/Mirror

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action CW: animal death, blood

cw: creepy insects

Mirror, wow, we went places with this imagery huh.

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