⇨ DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone out in the library.
When: Day 59
Where: The Athenaeum
What: Towards the end of the visit, we are visited by a series of worrisome NPCs, who may or may not be illusions. There will be at least 5 NPC toplevels posted overall, all happening in a similar time period ICly (in rough chronological order), so not everyone needs to be in every thread.
Warnings: Possibility of very real danger to anyone who participates. Remember that Sans has told everyone to travel in groups, so if you aren't, you'll probably get a scolding later.

TURNING THE PAGE↴ As the carnival continues to explore the Athenaeum in the pursuit of more information about the legendary Miracles, the tension is thick with the knowledge that the Summer Court could be in pursuit any day now. On Day 59, a series of threatening encounters will begin manifesting - but are they real, or an illusion?

Comments

[scientificist]

Despite having a sword now, Herbert is honestly really hesitant to just. Cut up the water and jump in after a drowning water spirit who Lapis might already be fighting with water right now. Would cutting the water disrupt the fight? Maybe! He has no clue how that works. At this moment, Lambert's idea sounds a lot more feasible.

So he actually does advance somewhat on the pond, sword in both hands, not right up to the edge but close enough to search, and try to find the specific object that stands out that Lambert mentioned.

[npcarnival]

All Herbert will see is the rapid descent into water, and the way it is blocked by the lily pads. There are no magical object, no hidden dead bodies of killers. Just water.

That's all there is for Lapis, too. Yet, somehow she manages to get her hands around the woman's throat, viciously squeezing, furious and desperate to win. Yet, the woman barely moves. She keeps staring back at Lapis. a few tiny bubbles rising from her lips.

"Do you want to breathe?" she will ask again. By now, Lapis will begin to feel her senses dull, as the lack of oxygen ostensibly and inexorably slows and shuts down her systems. For a gem unaccustomed to it, this is what dying feels like.

[scientificist]

This is very aggravating. Herbert hates being forced to handle things like this, but he supposes there is no other choice.

He is going to have to Cut The Water.

Reira told him to announce his intent but Herbert thinks the attack should be enough to do that. Bracing himself and leaning down, sword clenched in both hands, he slices down with intent. This is a magical sword. He...crafted it himself with magic and the intent to...end the scourge! Of the Rusalka! It will work, and he sees no reason it should not.

[mirrortide]

While herbert Cuts The Water, Lapis is experiencing a bunch of unique sensations. She can't quite get her grip to work right after only a few seconds. She feels like she's holding tight, but, everything's getting hazy.

She's not winning.

She shouldn't have tried.

What use is a Lapis Lazuli that can't command water to even save herself?

Slowly, she lets go, lets her arms drop, ferocity drained from her body. And she nods, slow. She wants to breathe.

[npcarnival]

The sword slices through the water, and causes a wall of it to rise away from Herbert like a wave. The wall of water left by the move allows him to almost see the shapes of the two women underwater, as if through a glass panel, but it isn't enough to intervene.

Instead, the woman is happy to see Lapis finally submit. It took a surprisingly long time, for someone experiencing drowning for the first time. She's seen mightier foes bend much more quickly to the agony than this.

Meanwhile, a party of three crows land on a bookshelf nearby, watching curiously and from a distance.

Finally given permission, the woman slips an arm around Lapis's neck and waist, pulling her in close... then, they lock lips. A torrent of air bubbles flows from the woman's mouth into Lapis's, and it feels like breathing - finally, some of the pressure begins to ease away. Yet, this relief isn't given freely. Something slips from her mind just as easily - memories. The woman is somehow in her mind.

As the water swirls around them, the pale woman holding Lapis close, something will be just barely visible to Lapis's eyes. A pointed ear, beneath the crown of seaweed hair.

Only then will Lapis's physical form finally give way. Instead of death, it feels like release.

[scientificist]

Herbert sighs, and is ready to walk forward into the water when....Lapis fully just disappears. Only the shape of the water creature remains. He's apparently too late, in some way that honestly makes zero sense to him but he's done. It's very clear to him that he's not the person who should be handling this. He's a doctor and a scientist and there is no corpse left to reanimate and the people on the radio were wrong.

His best move now is to back away from the pond and out of the scenario, his sword dissolving as he does so. If he finds someone already searching he can guide them back, and they can do something.

[npcarnival]

She stares at the floating gem in fascination long enough that by the time she clasps it in her hand and looks out of the water, Herbert is already gone. Still, she smiles.

With such an interesting new toy, she can't bring herself to care.

[stompadour]

It takes Jasper a bit to find Herbert, because she hasn't spent much time looking through the library herself, never having been much of a fan of reading. When she does find him she isn't out of breath, exactly, for reasons that have been covered extensively so far, but her eyes are wild and angry and desperate. Less than a second passes between her spotting Herbert and her grabbing him by the front of the shirt so that his feet leave the ground.

"Where is she."

[scientificist]

For a moment, Herbert foolishly feels relieved when he sees Jasper headed for him. And then she hoists him off the ground for possibly the third time.

"Will you just--!" he begins tensely, hands grabbing at her hand. "I can hardly lead you there like this!"

[stompadour]

"Ugh," says Jasper, and practically tosses him to the ground in impatient irritation. "Where is she??"