DUNGEON - BELLMARE ENCLAVE (BELLMARE MOUNTAINS, PT 2)

[phantasmods]

The shadows are starting to grow very long as you crest his particular ridge - it's not night yet, but it will be soon. In the shadows of the afternoon, with a tall mountain already blocking the sun, lies a snow-covered valley that is different from the ones you've come across thus far in your investigation.

This valley is home to a town, and unlike all the settlements you've seen so far - Incendia, the Telovia mining town, and the manor - it's very much active. There are actual people in the streets, visible from above, going through their days on snow-free streets, bundled up against the cold.

Those of you who asked were told of the handful of people who didn't go into the slumber of stasis as the Fissure conditions of the world grew worse and worse, instead isolating themselves and trying to continue living their lives as they could. Now, it seems, you've found exactly such a group.

Welcome to the Bellmare Enclave, and enjoy your stay.

[[OOC: Welcome to part 2 of the dungeon! For the most part, interaction with the town's NPCs can be handwaved as described on the main information post. Worth noting are the following major things: The Bellmare Enclave isn't expecting visitors, though the people are generally friendly to the new arrivals. They don't know about the time dilation effect of their Fissure - to them, it's only been about eighteen years since the Slumber Plan was put in place and they withdrew from the world. And finally, by a similar token, they have no idea how far the Fissures outside of their own have grown - while it's not uncommon for them to find odd objects from time to time, they'll assume that the characters are just arrivals from other places within their own world, rather than outsiders, until told otherwise.]]

Comments

[foolishjustice]

I promise, I'll be fine.

[He turns off his own personal stabilizer, then does his best to send across a feeling of both being used to the unusual, and taking interest in the sorts of things most people find scary or unnerving. If his reaction to Shadows is just to want to learn more about them, he doubts this will freak him out.]

[byanyother_name]

[Kurama is pretty calm, actually. There's a subdued tension to him, but it's the tension of waiting, as much anticipation as nerves. He reaches out to rest his own fingertips gently against the crystal.

Everything he offers the fragment is encouragement and welcome.]

1/2

[thefragment]

[ The crystal's light suddenly dims, as if being pointed inwards and away from the cavern. It doesn't seem to have gone, just been pointed elsewhere. And those of you who are observant will notice that the extra reflection in the crystal's surface has suddenly vanished.

You don't have long to contemplate that though. There's a sudden lurching sensation, less physical and more... magical. Like someone's suddenly reached into your chest and given the weird spiritual organ you've just now been made aware you have a sharp twist. At the same instant, all of that missing light begins to pour out of the crystal again, painfully bright. You might want to shield your eyes.

Once the brightness reaches its apex, just before it becomes painful to observe even with closed eyes, an impossible, intangible force explodes out from the crystal. There's nothing physical occurring, but it throws you all back a good few feet, away from the crystal. In that moment, the painful light dies down.

Once you've recovered and adjusted to the once again dim light of the cavern, two things become clear. The first is that the crystal seems to have lost whatever unusual properties it had only moments ago. Now it just looks like... well, crystal. And second of all... there's an extra person here.

They're in a little heap just in front of the crystal, their face hidden by a curtain of sleek, red hair. After a few moments, they manage to push themselves up onto their feet and start climbing onto their feet. You can see now that they're tall and slender, a bit more slight of build than you'd expect from someone of that height.

It takes them a moment or two to find their balance on their feet – they have to stagger and lean back against the crystal to do it – but once they have, they carefully sweep all that crimson hair back from their face and turn their gaze up to the group.

They blink once. Twice. Then they open their mouth and say– ]

[thefragment]

It is so fucking cold down here, dudes!

[ oh, ]

[burninglight]

[What.]

Do you...want a coat?

[the fuck can he do but pull one out of the armiger, man. the fuck is this.]

[foolishjustice]

That would be why most of us either have a way to resist the cold or warm clothes.

[Here, Fragment-kun...have a heavy coat.]

Aside from that, how do you feel?

[thefragment]

[ they take both fuckin coats. w a r m t h. ]

Right now? Less cold! Apart from the neck up and the ass down, that's still pretty cold.

[ they're wearing kneesocks. fucking kneesocks. god is going to die of hypothermia before you even get them back to the enclave.

And then before he can say anything else, they! point! right at Akechi's face! ]

Oh! You! It's– you're the– it's birdface! [ THEY SOUND SO EXCITED ]

[motherfucking_ghost]

Oh. My god.

Dude, that's what you get when you wear a fucking skirt! It's cold! You're in the middle of, like, the tallest mountain around!

...You want a snack? [Cuz Church'll offer up some offbrand cheetos from the armiger, nbd.]

[burninglight]

Fucking hell, do I have pants in here?

[You know what he's just going to produce a pile of clothes that may or may not include one or more kigurumis. Why do you have those, Ardyn.]

Here, there must be something that'll work...

[foolishjustice]

B-birdface?

[He blinks a bit, surprised by the sudden pointing.]

It's...a mask. The only bird traits I actually have are optional wings.

[byanyother_name]

Corvus Cantus.

[It's lightly teasing, yes.]

[burninglight]

What's a singing crow got to do with anything?

[this is madness]

[foolishjustice]

That's the name of my Noise form. Which...

[He gives the most pained sounding sigh.]

Does, actually, have a bird face.

[burninglight]

Well I'd hope so or that would be a stupid name for something that isn't a bird.

[ardyn, focus]

[thefragment]

See? Birdface.

[ They nod, sagely. ]

[thefragment]

[ THEY TURN THEIR POINTING FINGER TO CHURCH!!! ] Blue Team! [ AND THEN ARDYN ] Dad Guy!

[ and then they s w i p e those cheetos from Church, tuck the bag under one arm and start digging through the Pile O' Clothes to find a suitable outfit for cold weather. ]

Where's Toot and Crime Lady?

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Church throws his arms in the air.] BLUE TEAM!

Oh my god, they have shitty nicknames for everyone! Toot! Toot is the perfect name besides Tinkerbell for Astolfo! Crime Lady! Obviously that's Jail! [He shakes Ardyn's arm.] You adopted another one, Dad Guy!

[fistsofchange]

[This is all a bit much for Lin to take in, especially while her player is at work, but eventually she figured out how to express herself.

Softly, but with feeling:]

Holy shit.

[Despite the request, she's freaking out a little bit. Still, there's only one person "Crime Lady" could be.]

Jailbreak? I think she's still in the town, actually.

[burninglight]

[is he turning a little red nonsense it's just the cold]

[windowsexplorer]

Blue Team!

[SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS BUT SHE IS BLUE AFTER ALL]

[byanyother_name]

Jail is usually wherever the largest number of people least want her to be, I suspect.

[ax_iom]

[Lily isn't here. Lily is back exploring the caves and trying to take care of other people.

And yet, she still has this intense, terrible feeling she needs to be judging her girlfriend for something.]

[stavros]

Bird... well, I suppose he does look like one.

[That's not giggling, she is dignified. Okay, it is.]

[foolishjustice]

[Now he really looks like one.]

[windowsexplorer]

[Oh no.

They're hot.]