HE IS HERE

[peckishmods]

the vines have run wild

it's over

Everything is in shambles. Walls and floors torn and broken from roots and branches sprouting through. They block doors and crowd passages and pulse with sick life. The Thing sits in the center of it all, angry and starving, its trunk both still and moving in ways you catch only when it is in the corner of your vision. Branches that look less like bark and more like skin stretch in every direction, lush with shadowy leaves and dotted with bits of glowing blue. The ruined floor is littered with those little twinkling dots. Seeds. Everywhere, seeds. They hang on boughs, and rest on banisters in the upper levels. The one thing in this nightmare that doesn't radiate that awful, pervasive hunger.

The roof is gone, replaced with a writhing canopy of shadow and muck. Some parts of it are complex spiderwebs of tendrilly shapes, others solid formless movement. The only consistent thing about it is that it is terrible to behold, faintly nauseating to look at for too long. Ash rains down between gaps in its branches, and what glimpses of sky are visible are nothing but swirling gray clouds. What stars still shine are magic, man-made, floated between balconies by prom committee before the dance.

Those remaining begin to stir. Each one of you has heard Pocket's words, "Find the roots." And if you want to save your friends, your family, the holler — hell, maybe even the world — that's exactly what you're going to do.

You climb from protective cocoons of dying moss, push your way past walls of solid ice, emerging into utter destruction. Things move and make noise at the edge of your vision, but for now, at least, all is calm. What to do? Where to start?

it's ruined

Among the twinkling maple seeds are the dropped possessions of students and staff, lost when they were pulled away. A compact mirror, a cell phone, a pair of glasses, cups of punch spilling across the floor. A single red heel sits at the edge of the jagged pit that peers down into the Sorting Path. The air here is hot. Too hot. If you jump, you'll surely be boiled alive.

Though locked when everyone tried to flee, vines and roots have torn the doors to the auditorium off their hinges. The splintered remains of heavy oak doors litter the entrance halls and stairwell alcoves, leaving an open path outside. Not that you'd want to flee, by the looks of it.

A cool night breeze is the only relief from the growing heat of the auditorium, yes, but even that is tainted by the heavy scent of flowers. Outside, vines and purple flowers have exploded over every surface. They climb up lamp posts, engulf buildings whole, hang from trees. It would be beautiful if it weren't horrifying. Campus is unrecognizable.

there is no hope

Roots and vines clog the way to the Sorting Path, and most stairwells are completely obstructed by the growths of that horrible tree. Up above, something buzzes and wails, a mockery of a cicada's cry, and beyond that the twittering of birds nesting in the tree's highest branches.

Pouch coalesces in the middle of it all, a one-winged magimagicicada, weak and weary but undaunted. Resolute, if not reinvigorated. He bends down to touch a seed, and the moment his obsidian fingers light on it, a blue-white portal to somewhere else rips right through reality. A memory begins to play. Somehow, the bug seems to know what he's seeing.

She gave us what we need, the one who ran says to the gathered students, his voice in their heads as much as the air. Let's all not let her down, huh?

Find your friends. Find my siblings. It's time to fight.

but you'll keep going, won't you?

TO ELSEWHERE
| TO OUTSIDE | TO THE UPPER LEVELS | TO THE SORTING PATH |

IN THIS HUB
| ARE YOU THERE? |
| AT THE BASE OF THE TREE | A POCKET OF SAFETY |
| BACKSTAGE | THE DANCE STUDIO |

OOC POSTS
| OOC ACTION HUB | OOC CHATTER - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS |

Comments

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[peckishmods]

[?MAYBE MODERATED? - we may slip into this memory]
[CRITERIA: must be able to swim, minimum group size 3, minimum replies 10]

The thrum of music blaring from Bluetooth speakers sound distorted underwater, but it's better than hearing it above the water. Poking the top of their head out of the warm waters of the Greentooth, the river monster cringes at the sound of this so-called "music". But they remain, keeping a close eye on the magical teenagers on the shore.

A bonfire crackles on the pebble beach and large, color-changing orbs floating lazily over the partygoers' heads. Teenagers trip along through an area cordoned off with old rope fishing nets (how thematic), scooping drinks from wheelbarrows and dropping onto logs, or chatting with some unfamiliar bartender.

Nearby, an inflatable pink coffin floats past the river monster and it's with a sense of resignation that they swing their arm to push it back toward the shore. This is not a favor, but a job, which means they don't have to do this happily. They cross their arms under the water, keeping sentry as another boat readies to launch in hunt of those little glowing floats. These ones they need to watch, and—

There’s a sound. On the other shore, in the bushes, a sound that doesn’t fit with what should be here. All other noises drop out, one by one, as the river monster focuses in on the source of that rustling. There’s too many limbs, it moves too quickly. And it’s breathing—it sounds like a thunderstorm from under the water.

"—rollerskates!" Some kid on a boat is shouting and the monster whips around. Everything freezes in that moment, the river monster watching in annoyance as two irresponsible boaters stand on a vessel mere milliseconds from capsizing. The golden float they're supposed to be retrieving lies just a few feet beyond their boat, but apparently they'll be needing a ride back to the shore tonight.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[dareyouto]

Maisy has the unpleasant experience of being dumped into this memory directly into the water, but this is followed up by the slightly pleasant realization that her gigantic prom dress seems to be neutrally buoyant. After getting her bearings about her, she catches the tail end of the memory before it freezes. Beyond her initial yelp of surprise at hitting the water, she doesn't even scream. She thinks she's growing as a person.

"There BETTER not be any vines in this water," she announces loudly as she flops around, trying to find one of her companions. There's no nearby wood to knock on, though, so she smacks herself in the head instead. Don't bring it up!

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[andpoke]

All Audrey really hears is ROLLERSKATES, which brings on the distinct thought that she should've perhaps bought rollerblades from Pouch just now. Or like, a wand. Or something useful. Instead, the brick that she'd chosen to purchase makes her sink like a stone, half a foot down before she can even do anything about it.

Fortunately, Audrey can swim, and it is in fact, only one brick.

She paddles her way to the surface and emerges gasping. She should be concerned about the vines, too, but, "Oh no...my sage." Is the first thing she can think to say. When she fully registers what exactly is going on, she looks around a little more critically.
"There...might be vines." is the second conclusion she can make. She starts treading water a little more gently, so as to make as small an impression as possible.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[bratsquatch]

Let's get one thing out of the way: Felicity Deverill had a little to drink earlier tonight. And she vaped inside of her teacher's memory. And while the events of the night have done much to sober her up, being dropped into the water does the final trick. She pops her head up over the surface, spits out a fountain of water, and looks around with a clear head.

Man, Felicity thinks, Zadie would really love this. She frowns at the thought of her roommate. She hasn't seen her yet. Same goes with Wyatt and Des. And Bear. And... Coriander?

They've gotta save 'em. But first, this. Thank god they've got the dream team.

"Maybe we'll be safe from the vines if we climb onto that boat," Felicity suggests, looking over at the mid-capsizing vessel. "Or if we, like, hop onto the Greentooth River monster."

She's torn between her two really good ideas.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[themurderbird]

"Monster's closer," Trudy declares, already swimming towards it. She tries to look as dignified as she can, all considering. The fact that her makeup is water proof helps considerably. "I think I'm over there," she points out, gesturing vaguely for just a second. She can swim, of course, but not so well that she can stop treading water without sinking, so she wraps her arms around the Greentooth River monster. "We need to get the memory going again, or grab something. What looks like it would glow?"

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[dareyouto]

Maisy has an impressive breast stroke for someone whose general level of athleticism is “sitting down at the pep rally”, and she makes it to the monster just after Trudy. Standing up on a lake serpent that might start moving again at any second seems like a bad idea even to her, but she hoists herself up for a second to survey the scene.

“Maybe in the boat?” she suggests.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[andpoke]

Audrey takes a moment to create a makeshift bag from her sweatshirt, and loop that from her neck. Just to carry a brick. She jumps up and down in the water. "...And that float is already golden." She points out, and without telling anyone, starts swimming to it.

"Let's each touch one thing?" That seems to be the quickest solution.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[bratsquatch]

Felicity doggy paddles after the inflatable pink coffin, her dinosaur dress dragging behind her, giving the impression that a petite T-rex is in the water.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[peckishmods]

As Audrey moves toward the float, she can get a better look at the two reckless boaters about to capsize. Oh, it's Kermit Creekmore and Jupiter Quigley, who clearly can't wait to get soaking wet.

It's weird, though.

It kind of feels like Kermit is looking directly at her.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[andpoke]

It's good to see her friends. Where was she in this? She doesn't remember it. It wasn't this year. Audrey's a little distracted, but she feels eyes on her. It's foreign, suddenly, in this environment where she's the observer.

But he's definitely staring at her.

"...Kermie?" She says aloud, trying to make eye contact. Just as an experiment.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[peckishmods]

Kermit gives no response.

Just ?watches?

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[andpoke]

...Well. This is probably all in her imagination. She keeps swimming toward the float.
She doesn't take her eyes off Kermit, though. In case.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[peckishmods]

Now that she's moving, Jupiter's eyes seem to follow her, as well.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[andpoke]

Audrey stops to tread water, cowering a little under the gaze of her two memory-friends. "Hey...guys?" She calls out to her actual living friends, the ones who aren't on a raft, and who could possibly back her up. She doesn't get closer, but doesn't move away

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[bratsquatch]

Felicity hauls herself up onto the pink coffin float. "You find something?" she calls over to Audrey as she begins to casually paddle in her direction.

Re: MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[themurderbird]

Trudy huffs, releases the monster, then starts to paddle slowly in the direction Felicity is. "Is it relevant?"

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[dareyouto]

Maisy follows Audrey at a clip, eager to get a better look at their frozen friends. The way their eyes follow them is super creepy, though. Is it a trick of the light? Maisy's not so sure.

"KERMIE?" she yells, waving her hands in front of Kermit's face. "ARE YOU STUCK IN THERE?"

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[peckishmods]

Kermie doesn't move, frozen in this moment as water laps against the boat. Maybe it is just a trick of the light. The moon was bright that night, it's been known to play tricks.

And then, suddenly, he's not frozen.

In a flash, Kermie throws himself off the boat. He dives under the water like a porpoise, grabs onto Maisy's legs, and tries to yank her down with him.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[andpoke]

This time, Audrey's the one who screams. But she's blessedly close, and dives after someone who isn't, cannot be Kermie, trying to latch around his neck and pull him off Maisy.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[peckishmods]

Audrey (ROLLED 10) gets a good hold on the Kermie-that-isn't-Kermie and he loses his grip on Maisy's legs.

But before there's time to celebrate, he's reaching for Audrey, clawing at her clothes. Not-Kermie (ROLLED 8) grabs onto the back of her dress and starts to drag her down.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[dareyouto]

Maisy, screaming bloody murder and occasionally getting a mouthful of lake water for her efforts, kicks wildly at Monster Kermit to try to free Audrey from its grasp.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[peckishmods]

Maisy (ROLLED 4) simply can't kick the monster Kermit free. His grasp on Audrey is just too tight.

The chaos ramps up with another splash. The static Jupiter is gone from the boat. She tries to grab Maisy, but (ROLLED 6) manages to only rake her nails down her legs while she kicks.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[bratsquatch]

A third splash as Felicity jumps into the water. She slides her soda can corsage from her wrist to her fist and starts punching the frauds with her brass aluminum knuckles.

"Fuck you!" she curses underwater and chokes a little bit.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[peckishmods]

It's hard to punch through water, even with aluminum knucks, and Felicity (ROLLED 3) only catches Monster Kermit's attention.

He grins. Not the kind smile of the real Kermit Creekmore, but a sharp, dangerous grin. The fake Kermit swings out at her and—well, he's a lover, not a fighter. Monster Kermit (ROLLED 1) swings with the hand holding onto Audrey and loses his grip on her.

MEMORY: Moonlit Swim

[themurderbird]

Trudy decides that because Kermit isn't as tough as Jupiter, this must hold true for their doppelgangers as well, so she decides to go after him first. Taking out the easier of the two so they can gang up on the other one send like a sound strategy. Of course, Trudy isn't the strongest swimmer. And also, her battle plan here is to cuff Kermit with the fuzzy pink handcuffs her burner wand summoned.