[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

[soul_sister]

[Had a hand on your shoulder anyway, reflexively.

TERRIBLY, she's not even looking at your puffing.]

So, we've got a summoner.

[overclocking]

Glad you noticed.

[Wandering over to pick up the ammo box again.]

[soul_sister]

[Crouching to look at the symbols a little more carefully.]

You can't talk, Mr. I'll Stroll Right Into The Circle.

[overclocking]

Most of it was covered in rubble!

[soul_sister]

[EARPULL]

Which means some of it was! What if it was meant for destruction?

[overclocking]

[flkhs SWATS]

It's fine-- That hurts, you know!

[soul_sister]

I'll decide what's fine!

[Letting go and pulling off her remaining glove. She uses that to smudge a bit more of the circle... juuust in case.]

I just wonder why this didn't hold it.

[overclocking]

A summoning circle is only as effective as the person maintaining the spell.

[Rubbing his ear irritably]

I'm more interested in what it was. I've never felt anything like that before.

[soul_sister]

It looks like it did something to anyone that it touched the bare skin of. That's a new one by us regardless.

[overclocking]

[He looks up and around at the others at that, frowning.]

"Something"?

[soul_sister]

[She shakes her head.]

They looked drained.

[overclocking]

[... You can see him immediately assume the worst.]

[soul_sister]

Let's start herding these people back north.

[overclocking]

Yeah.

... You go ahead. There's something I want to check really fast.

[soul_sister]

Mm.

I'll meet you by the inn.

[overclocking]

[He nods and waits until she starts herding people up, then returns to the circle.

He crouches down, running his hand over the markings--feeling for its Astral or searching for any traces of its source. Where was it even calling out to? Where did a thing like that come from?]

[soul_sister]

[As your own senses, and the Astral behind it, probes deeper, down through the lines of magic and summoning...

Something slithers back up to meet you, surging through your own energy. It sifts through you, tasting your memories, faces of people, times around a cafeteria table, watching the officers, watching the children play trying to...

They flare up with such intensity that you could be living them, those idyllic days, and leaves you choked in its passing.

You distantly feel your knees hit the ground, outside of that deafening lack of energy. Whatever it was is gone now, leaving something terrible and empty in your chest. Something GONE and you can't quite place what it was, or why it was important.]

[overclocking]

[IT'S POSSIBLE THIS IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT I WANTED

He reels back as if burned, simply kneeling for a moment with his hand over his chest.

... And then opts to stay right there for the time being and review his choices, because going back seems like a terrible idea right at this moment.]

[soul_sister]

[The sound of these boots are pretty familiar, though.]

[overclocking]

[Your timing has never been good.

Literally not ever.

After a few more steps, he drops his hand and stands, without turning. Ttttotally casual, nothing to see here.]

[soul_sister]

Chrono?

[overclocking]

[He hesitates just a heartbeat too long before turning.]

That was fast. I'm guessing everyone was cooperative for once?

[soul_sister]

[There's no answer. Just closing the distance.]

What happened?

[overclocking]

Hmm? [He flicks a glance at the now-ruined circle, then shrugs.]

Nothing.

I couldn't figure out where that thing came from.

[soul_sister]

Ready to go back then?