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

[thefragment]

I want to pet a fox! Two foxes. No– three foxes. Maybe even four. Do they have that many foxes?

[ Have they paused for breath, yet? It's unclear!

Out from the pile of clothes comes a hideous Christmas sweater that's like, two sizes two big for them, but they proceed to start climbing into it. Or– no, wait. ] Here, hold my chips!

[ they fuckin yeet their bag of cheetos right at Meredith and then start pulling on their sweater. ]

[motherfucking_ghost]

There are so many of them! I got covered in a pile of them! They're so soft and cute and loveable! Oh my god. This is the best possible outcome to 'shove it in a meatsuit'.

[burninglight]

This is the cutest godsdamned thing I've ever seen in two thousand years.

[thefragment]

I'm cute? Am I cute?

[burninglight]

You're adorable. But you should probably start thinking of what you want us to call you apart from that.

1/2

[thefragment]

[ They pause, still sort of half-in, half-out of the hideous Christmas sweater. ]

Oh, a name? Hmm...

[ They pause to think. ]

[thefragment]

No fuckin' idea!

[ I'M SO SORRY ]

[windowsexplorer]

You are! You're really, really cute!

[GRABS HANDS]

[thefragment]

I'm adorable!

[ They grab onto Meredith's hands and– okay, we're just doing a little happy on-the-spot dance now. This is fine. ]

[motherfucking_ghost]

It thinks of you as a dad. You adopted a god. I love you.

[fistsofchange]

They're a god? Is that what's going on?

[burninglight]

Maybe? They're at the very least some manner of concept.

[burninglight]

I can't believe we actually pulled this off. I love you too.

[motherfucking_ghost]

It talks like us. With a filthy fucking mouth and everything. And red hair! It can talk to us now!

...

...

Seonil is gonna kill us.

[stavros]

It's like having another Tita.

Do you need help with that?

[thefragment]

[ Muffled from the inside of the sweater: ] I've got it!

[ a pause. some fumbling. ]

... I've don't got it!

[stavros]

[Kokoro walks over and carefully tugs on the sweater.]

Here, the head is there.

[thefragment]

[ It takes a moment but then, pop! Out comes their head. ]

Yessss, I'm free! [ into the armholes do their hands wiggle. ] Should I try pants, too?

[ PLEASE PUT ON SOME PANTS BEFORE YOU FREEZE, DUMBASS ]

[windowsexplorer]

[CATCH!

She will not steal any of them. Yet.]

There are so many foxes! Dozens! Maybe hundreds!

[thefragment]

Hundreds? Actually hundreds? Is this real?

If it's not real, I'll cry. That's a warning. Think carefully.

[windowsexplorer]

[A severe threat!]

I don't know how many there are, but there are definitely a lot of them in town, and a lot more out in the forest.

[byanyother_name]

[That really is cute. Well, multiple foxes is an issue for after they get out of this mountain, but one fox can be managed.

One very large fox with four weird tails, but still. The ball of fluff that is Kurama's fox form in the dead of winter curls up by Fragment-kun's feet comfortably.]

There are definitely more than four of the little ice foxes in the town.

[thefragment]

[ They make a noise that can best be approximated by the word 'hhhHHhhHHhHhhhhhhhhHHHHH' and immediately stoop to bury both hands in all Kurama's fluff. ]

Fox really is a fox! This is the best and only day of my life so far!

[foolishjustice]

[There is now a harpy...thing with similarly weird feathers folding his wing in front of his beak, as if hiding a grin.]

[thefragment]

And Birdface really is a bird... amazing! Everyone's so amazing!

[ everyone in the cavern is their new best friend as of this moment ]