[Day 2, Night - A House South of Town]

[direstnews]

[Written into the ground alongside one of the houses to the south of town tonight are a series of strange letters, forming a rough circle near the wall. A figure of approximately Loki's build, not there during the day's exploration, leans against the wall at the corner. The door to the house is open.]

[Some hours after the sudden switch from day to night, Loki stands in front of the door, a candle before him, a kitchen knife in one hand and a spoon in the other. He checks the mirror set carefully in the darkness, nothing yet visible in its surface. Then he strikes the knife with the spoon's handle, and he holds his breath - and he waits.]

Comments

[atacarme]

[she glances up and curses - that barrier didn't work, so this is going to be all combat, isn't it.

Leaping back, she shouts out another string of words, and throws her hand up; a bolt of lightning shoots down from the sky, right at the black figure]

[12npcs]

[The lightning seeps into the mass, lighting random colors and patterns in an eerie blue glow. It bubbles and bloats, several portions of it exploding outwards...

A hand clatters to the ground as the tattered remains continues towards you.]

[atacarme]

[w . . . welp.

Draws her sword, waiting until it's just above her to slice upwards]

[12npcs]

[Your blade cleaves through it, meeting a sort of wet, empty resistance as it parts the beasts flesh. The dark blood pours over you as the two halves of it flop to the ground around you...

Your head throbs, body reels from the dark magic suffusing you. Inside your mind, you feel something wild and imaginative blossom in your mind, hurdling every question you've had since coming here, mad intrigue amplifying every puzzle.]

[atacarme]

[she goes still for a moment, eyes wide as she reels, the grip on her sword loosening until it clatters to the ground.

Along with that rush of questions comes a horrible scream, because well. Half Elves and dark magic have never mixed well at all]

[12npcs]

[Just when you think you might go mad of it, it fades. It drips off of you and sinks into the cobblestones at your feet leaving you with a terrible, empty apathy.]

[atacarme]

[see, she'd wonder about that, if she wasn't sinking to the ground too. Her knees give out and she crumples, the overload of dark magic just a bit too much for her. She at least manages to catch herself, but]

[12npcs]

[As you do, a piece you were just about to fall INTO is stuck by a sai and snapped away from you, and up a nearby wall.]

[atacarme]

[oh . . . well, thank you whoever did that.

Just going to. Take a moment to gather her shit]

[overclocking]

[After blowing up a monster and a building and stuff.

One hand picks up her fallen sword, while the other is held out to her, wordlessly.]

[atacarme]

[she slowly glances up at the hand, then follows it up the arm to his face, blinking slowly.

Then reaches up to take his hand]

[overclocking]

[He helps her up carefully, attention split as he keeps his ears trained on what's going on with the others.

His eyes stay fixed on her, though.]

Are you alright?

[atacarme]

[shakes her head, slowly, but wordlessly reaches out for her sword]

[overclocking]

[He hands it to her without resistance, but hovers for a moment like he's not sure she's going to stay upright.]

[atacarme]

[she's a little shaky on her feet, but she stands up straight, then sheathes it.

. . . and stumbles a step. He'll catch that she's paler than usual under the hood]

[overclocking]

[Taking a half-step forward when she stumbled, then stops.]

--I think you need to sit the rest of this out.

[atacarme]

I am fine.

[overclocking]

[.......... no, you're clearly dumb as shit]

The others will handle this.

[atacarme]

[oh look they already did.

Once it's all said and done, she lets out a heavy breath and just. Sits again, right there]

[overclocking]

[Wwwatching for a moment]

... We have a first aid kit, if you need it.

[soul_sister]

[And from the other side, a steadying hand.]

[atacarme]

[jerks in surprise, glancing down at her]

[soul_sister]

Take it easy. You look more than a little shaken.

[atacarme]

[swallows hard and shakes her head . . . then just sits back down]

I am fine.

[soul_sister]

Uhhh huh. You get any paler and I'd be able to see through you.