2019.08.30 The House With A Clock In Its Walls
| The House With A Clock In Its Walls | |
|---|---|
| The Clock Strikes and the Leap is Taken | |
| IC Date | Sometime in the Future and a Long Time Ago |
| IC Time | Afternoon |
| Players | Royan, Zyler, Aaryn, Sten, Theron, Micah, Miguel, Aldric |
| Location | The Longhouse, Raven's Rock |
| Prp/Tp | Ravenscar |
| Spheres | Garou, Gaian, |
Time has passed since the mysterious arrival of the letter and the clock. How much time is a question better left for the day Sten tells the tale. After all, time is a nebulous thing. The pack, having assured themselves as best they can that the clock is not a bomb that will explode and kill them all, have moved it inside to the longhouse, placing it where it isn't in the way but where they can keep an eye on it. Still, it looms, like a magnificent raven, its mysteries waiting until the proper time to reveal themselves.
There is meat and mead available, as is per the norm when friends are invited to take part in Frostbite's hospitality. Miguel has been invited to regale them all with tales of his adventures and Zyler is helping Aaryn out with a geography lesson, it seems. Either way, the mood of the evening is warm and, despite the looming clock, totally normal.
Zyler listens to Aaryn, nodding solemnly in answer to her conjecture. "Normal. Same as you You sound same as me. All do. Why is hard to speak otherwise." He frowns a moment, then simply shrugs. "I was pulled into video game. Maybe. Don't know. Nothing tried by parents changed it. Yes? So, it is what it is."
Miguel regenerates in homid form so he can't actually get drunk but Mead is goddamn delish so he's having some anyway. At the moment he's sitting and staring at the clock "I know its not for biting. Do we know if its going to bite us though?"
The raven is .. looming. Yes, looming! There are several reasons for the loom. For one, he did not acquire that which he most wanted. Secondly, that clock is all rather ominous; and it is out looming him by its mere presence. The large raven is thusly perched upon the top of the roof, on the very edge of it just above the main entrance. He is staring at the clock, the little cogwheels in his own brain working overtime to figure this strange puzzle out. Can't be a time machine! Just can't be!
Sten looks to Miguel sitting and having mead with him "I doubt it will bite us. Though it might do something else. Considering how we got it... and the letter with it... which is odd.. but not the oddest thing I have seen around these parts" shaking his head.
And, as if on cue, one of the oddest things seen in these parts comes slinking through the room. The roan-colored pit bull moves from the entrance to the fireplace, keeping a wary distance of the clock that seems to now dominate the space. He settles on his haunches between Aaryn and Zyler and tilts his head up at Ryn ~What is it, Rage Crescent?~ He asks, in the spirit tongue.
Ryn reaches to give Tank a scritch and frowns a bit. She looks back up to Zyler and shrugs, as she caps the marker once more and slides it in her pocket. "Looks like everyone's curious about the elephant in the room." She stands, leaving Tank looking concerned for a moment, and makes her way toward a large book on the coffee table. She tugs it in her lap and addresses Miguel, "so... There's a bit of a mystery here..." And then tilts her head back to address the looming bird. "Hraf. Play the role of skald and tell us about what we found here, the rock spirit and the vision?"
Zyler looks down at the pit bull a moment, studying it. He glances over at the clock he's otherwise been ignoring, then responds to the spirit. ~Link. Door to past. Past and present. Suspect key opens door. Pulls to past. Their alpha has to do it.~ Zyler shrugs slightly, then glances over at Miguel, switching to that english. "Spirits say is linked. Past. Now. Same for clock. Yes? Payment forward for past work. That work come due. You need go past to pay for now." He tilts his head up slightly. "Can spirit awaken clock. See if it talk?"
Miguel nods at Sten and considers "You have met /the/ Racoon then. Or perhaps Elder Farshi? They have....an impact on what might be considered odd." Miguel reaches over and stabs another piece of meat to stare at for a moment before commenting to Zyler "Interesting." and then he gnaws on his food thoughtfully some more.
Common Raven opens his beak as if to speak (which is rather silly since when he speaks, he does it through mystical ways) to then click it closed. The bird tilts his head and turns an eye on Zyler a few moments, just watching. The gaze sweeps back over to Aaryn and the Miguel. He seems almost reluctant for a few moments, wings sort of spreading a bit, "Kra.." he says, "Secrets to past of Ravens Child." he shifts his body on the roofs edge a bit. Seems he's bad at being a Skald!
Sten looks to Miguel "I know Journey, do not know -the- Racoon though" shaking his head lightly with a smile. Looking to Hrafn and his... lack of Skaldiness. "It is a clock from the past written to people that should not be known by those of that time. But alas here it is... Like Agnes Nutters Nice and Accurate Predictions. We will see what it does or where the key fits" shaking his head some.
Tank eyes Zyler for a moment, but then seems to give a nod of his massive head. ~I shall call you Comrade~ he decides and settles on Zyler's foot.
Aaryn purses her lips up at Hrafn and shakes her head. "Well. I guess it's up to me, so... Drink up. I'm no skald." And so, she begins to tell the tale of what they have learned so far about these lands where they currently stand. <more coming about that>
And, meanwhile, Magnificent Raven, in his sulking hears the tiniest voice, humming a little web song to cheer him.
Micah generally remains quiet, listening to Miguel's stories, the conversations about the clock. He feels its presence as well and has been generally suspicious of it - something made of spirit but also something they don't understand how it works. Currently he is working to keep himself busy, polishing his boots, mending clothes, re-fletching arrows and making sure his things are well taken care of. "The clock makes Tank nervous. He says it makes his stomach feel funny, which considering he doesn't have an ACTUAL stomach, hasn't been much help. But other spirits seem drawn to it so he has been pretty busy keeping them away from it unless they accidentally, or purpose, set it off."
Zyler looks down at Tank, studying the pit bull a moment, then nods. Attention snapping to the side, staring at something, Zyler points. ~Comrade. Stop it, before it gets to clock!~ The pit bull would probably have a lot faster reaction time than he would, although as soon as Tank moves, Zyler is chasing after.. Something. Those who can see spirits would know what, potentially!
Theron sits along with the others, he has been here the entire time, I swear. He listens quietly as Ryn begins to speak and explain what they may know.
In the words a Theurge would use, and not a Skald, Aaryn recounts the series of events that have led them to this point - the discovery of the pillars and the words Ravenscar; The Longhouse Cleansing that awakened a slumbering spirit of anger and rage that drew on the earth itself to materialize; the night of the storm when the voices of children woke Hrafn and the Theurges from their sleep to witness a memory of times past and a peek at a distant cousin of Hrafn. Then she tells of the summoning of the earth spirit and the discovery of the names Raven's Rock and Feather-Picks-the-Lock. Finally she recounts the arrival of the mysterious letter and the even more mysterious clock.
The raven lifts his head upwards, tilting somewhat to the side before he lets out a slow, low kraaaa. His wings spread a bit, "Key?" he says then, spreading his wings and leaping from the edge of the roof. He glides straight a head a bit before he suddenly beats his wings, taking him higher. He looks almost as if he was heading somewhere ... somewhere either far away or close by! It all rather depends..
Indeed, Tank is a ferocious and speedy Tank. He lurches to his feet and scrambled towards the clock, barking at something in the spirit world. He isn't TOO ferocious though, because the spirit he is chasing is one he considers an ally and comrade in arms against his... NEMESIS
The spider speeds his lil ass up and flees into the clock for safety cause all THREE are after him
..and it did indeed depend, because the large black raven suddenly changes that ascending movement to just drop straight down and out of the sky. Then he .. disappears. Its like he dives into a none existent lake, breaking the surface of something unseen and just pops out of existence. Those who have really good eyes would have seen him craning his neck a bit before he sidesteps, most likely to look at the shiny surface that sits around his leg, just above his right clawed foot.
As Aaryn's recount of events begins to wind down, there is a commotion that begins with a shout from Zyler, followed by a barking war spirit and a death diving raven, all headed for the clock. As he is nearest, the raven is closest but just as he is about to reach the clock he disappears into the Umbra. Second comes Tank who lurches forward and jumps up towards where he has seen Bob dangling by a web towards the clock. He puts his paws up onto the side of the clock as he barks and his weight and the force of his charge causes the clock to tilt to one side... then tilt forward and it looks like it is just about to fall when Zyler brings up the rear just in time to catch it. He manages to hold the weight long enough for Micah to step beside him and the two of them begin to push the clock back into a stable standing position.
For those who can understand the language of spirits there is the faint sound of a spider yelling "AHHH!" And then "Whoops" and then, "Byebye!"
In the umbra, the clock is there, standing like a monolith in the middle of the umbrascape. The longhouse, having not been there for very long, doesn't cast a shadow here. The clock seems taller than it should be and the spirit world warbles around it. It's kinda hard to look at. The Raven doesn't see Bob but he can HEAR him through your telepathic link.
~Oooo...magnificent feather.... there is a web in here. A nice web. A BIG web~ He sounds delighted.
"Uh..." Theron slowly begins to rise to his feet when the Raven dives into the umbra. Tank is chasing things causing to clock to nearly fall. "Lets be careful with the mystery clock?"
Miguel hands the letter back when he's done with it and watches the darting around and disappearing "It is an interesting coincidence that it wound up being me of the bastet to know of this. Most of us do not learn to cross into the spirit world until much later in our training. Is that something I should get ready to do? or does the disappearing bird have that part handled?"
Sten looks to Miguel "I have no idea" looking to the Theurges, to Tank and raising a brow taking a sip from his mead though cause.. why not drink mead when you can right?
Within the Umbra, there is a monumental moment of Bird vs Clock, the match of the century. It is the sort of match where the only winner can be no one but the Clock, leaving the raven much frustrated and very unhappy. Within his mind, he's calling for Bob to come back, yelled out via the link he shares with the tiny spirit. But thats for those that can see the Spirit! He remains out of view of those within the Realm.
"Have we asked a spirit that might know some history?" Theron asks then, "Like...I dont know, Im not a theurge but the rocks near by or trees or something that maybe was here to witness the events of the past here?"
"Uhm.... " Aaryn watches the kerfuffle around the clock with some amount of concern. She blinks a few times, and responds to Miguel, "I don't think... Anyone has anything? Handled? Not remotely so..." Her lips purse and she turns to watch, arms crossed over her chest now. She looks to Micah, then to Zyler and shakes her head. That was a close one. "Should I? Go after Hrafn, then?" she asks. But then she tilts her head, "is that... Bob? Singing?"
Micah, pulling Tank back by the collar, looks back over his shoulder at Theron, "Ryn summoned an earth spirit awhile back for Hrafn so we could learn more about Ravenscar, or scarn or Raven's Rock. That's how we got the name Raven's Rock and the Corax that lives there. He said there was a storm that destroyed Raven's Rock but didn't say anything about a clock."
After some telepathic communication from Micah, Tank de-materializes in a puff of red smoke to go check on the Raven in the umbra. That way, Micah can see what is gong on there through Tank's eyes.
Miguel tilts his head and considers "Interesting. Have you tried summoning the person who sent the letter? It is not the way of my kind but as I understand your people often linger as Ancestor spirits?"
"I uh...dont know if its out place to summon that ancestor." Theron says carefully, gaze looking to Micah and Aaryn. He may not be a theurge but the berserker is a traditionalist in many ways.
Sten looks to Theron "Calling ancestors are not always a good thing... and I am not certain if Corax have ancestor spirits..." seeming to ponder the fact though since Hrafn is on other side.
Aaryn nods to Miguel, then to Theron, "well...." She begins, "We actually did attempt to summon the spirit of Feather Picks the Lock, but we weren't able to reach him. There's many different reasons why that may be... Most notably... Well, what Sten said" She shakes her head, "I don't like that they's been in there this long. Bob.. In case you haven't picked up on it... Is the Corax's familiar spirit and he, like a lot of other spirits except Tank... seems mightily attracted to our mystery clock." She shifts uneasily and heads to grab the plastic sleeve with the letter off the table, "Zyler, you mentioned the key.." Aaryn tilts the sleeve and plops the metal wing-shaped key into her palm.
Within the Umbra, there would be the sight of a distraught looking raven clinging on the clock with his clawed feet, wings spread for balance as he is pecking away furiously at the clocks door. He seems rather upset with the clock, in all honesty. As if the clock did a very bad thing. And after a bit he does call out, "You release Bob! Bloody mutinous cogwheeled trap machine!"
‘It's VERY dark in there and through the telepathic link Bob's voice seems to be getting further away. ~Magnificent feather, there is a another web that goes VERY far, one string ooooo.. so long... it calls to me... should I follow it?’
Through their link, Common Raven screams "NOOOOOO!" to Bob.
Micah takes out his longbow and flips open a mirror. "I'm going to go get Hrafn. He's freaking out in the Umbra. Apparently Bob is inside the clock and Hrafn thinks the clock ate him. I'll tell him that we have the key." And with that, the Theurge looks into the mirror and slides into the Umbra to retrieve the Raven.
Miguel nods and shrugs "Ah. Interesting." and he peers over at Micah "Clocks don't eat spiders, they chew their way through moments. History and knowledge. Not spiders."
"Need back up? Or should it be safe in the umbra?" Theron offers to Micah.
As Micah fades from the Gaia Realm he says to Miguel, in a ghostly voice, ~Tell that to the birb...~ And then fades from view before Theron can follow him through.
Well, once in the Umbra, Micah would find that getting a raven off a clock that he believes swallowed his spider buddy is not an easy task! It might actually be that he has to peel the bird off the clock before he gets any sense hammered into that bird brain of his. But once that has been accomplished, the bird will willingly return to the Realm with the man.
Zyler was glad he went right behind the dog to catch the clock. That could of been bad(tm) too. So sitting it back up with a nod to Micah, he glances at Tank, until the pit bull goes. "I asked him. Spider got in. Vanished. Bird goes after spider. Was trying to stop. Now we're invested. Time turns. Even if clocked stopped. Yes?"
Aaryn moves quickly toward the clock, key in hand. She looks toward Zyler and begins to try and open the face of the casing, hopeful to find a keyhole somewhere in there...
Miguel is hanging out in the physical realm still, moving over to watch what the others are doing with the clock "Keys are handy things, If it needs to be persuaded to open I have a Gift for that."
Aaryn begins investigating the clock, looking for a place to insert the key. She circles it around and around and looks in all the obvious places but isn't coming up with something. But then Zyler sees it, the one thing that no one else can. On the face of the clock, right in the center where the two hands meet there is the image of a keyhold, only visible in the spirit world - and since HE can see in both places at once, it appears before him as bright as a beacon.
As this is happening, Micah and Hrafn return from the Umbra, sans Tank. Once he can speak to the others, Micah explains, "Found the birb..." He points to several scratches on his face. "He's pretty worked up over Bob. I left Tank in the Umbra for now in case Bob comes out." He gives a startled cry as the bird takes off from him.
Zyler would watch for a few moments. He's even polite enough.. ok. Nevermind. He totally laughs as Micah gets clawed up for his troubles. Although by the time Micah comes back 'real' he's not laughing more. Instead, after watching Aaryn look around all over the clock for a bit, he finally steps forward and points to the hands. "Key to time. Hands come from time. Key goes here, Aaryn. Yes? Is straight forward."
And take off, he does! The bird will /not/ take this lying down! There's an awkward flurry of feathers and an insistent Kraa! As he accomplishes a rather undistinguished leap from Micah over toward Aaryn, landing on her shoulder with tight claws. He pecks at the top of her head incessantly. "Yes!" He insists, "Is Straight forward!"
Aaryn growls a little warning growl as she is accosted by both feathers and condescending tones. She looks at Zyler even as she winces at that beak in her head, "we talked about not being a jerk, k?" Yet still, she takes the key and slides it into the hands, and turns the key in the mechanism.....
The key turns. In the world of spirit there is a bright flash of light that blinds both Tank and for a moment, Micah who is looking through his eyes into the Umbra. A loud BONG! rings through the longhouse, loud enough that you can feel it through the floor and the walls...
BONG! The clock sounds again. And the front of the clock opens like a door, revealing the guts of the machine.
BONG! It rings again, and where there should be a pendulum that swings back and forth to count the time and emote the ticking of time there is only empty space.
Miguel would have his ears flat against his head in his breed form but the shift in posture shows clearly, even in homid, that he's startled and does not like. Stepping over to grab his hammer "If something not Bob comes out I'm going to squish."
BONG! A rush of wind, stale and old like opening a fresh tomb rushes out and casts dust into the air and the letter flies from the table and swirls through the air.
BONG! A rush of wind rushes in the opposite direction, like when doors are left open on a windy day and a crosswind comes rushing through a house. Only this rush of wind seems to poor into the clock. The pages from the letter start to tumble and roll towards the opening of the clock and Hrafn's wings flutter and cause him to lean forward.
Zyler would stumble at the flash, trying to blink it away as he stumbles back from the clock. Only for the heavy shuddering of the tolling. Dropping to one knee to try to gather himself, Zyler stares as the flash fades for him to glare at the clock. "Loud door. Next time can we just knock?" Shaking his head a little, Zyler glances around, then points. "Door to time. This is our ride. Time to go pay the past for the present."
Aaryn steps back and looks around the longhouse as the sound reverberates through the walls and floors. Her eyes are wide with alarm. She moves to put a hand out to either side, protectively, to those standing nearest her, almost grabbing for Zyler's shoulder as he goes down on one knee. Her attention is drawn to the center of the clock, eyeing it with district even as Zyler speaks those ominous words. There's no time to react however, before the Raven on her shoulder has hunkered down, allowing the draft to be the catalyst for his direct, and rather expedient flight, straight through the clock. "Hrafn!" Aaryn yells in alarm.. And then, there's a moment... A beat... Before she looks back at Zyler, then the others. "WHo's with us?" She rolls her hands across her hips and manifests her axes.
Miguel gives an amused look at the clock and considers "I wonder..." and then shrugs "You know what they say about cats...." and he leaps for the portal, hammer in hand.
BONG! And as the bird flies into the darkness of the clock there is a brief warble and he disappears.
Sten heads towards the clock "Come on, we have to find out what this is all about" nodding to Aaryn.
Zyler watches the others start for that clock. Eyes narrowed in contemplation, he grunts at Aaryn's call. With that, he takes off as if that was the plan all along, that knee down just an easy catalyst to launch forward and head into the time.
Ryn watches as Miguel, then Sten and Zyler slip through and bounces lightly on her heels, holding her hand out for Theron. She gives him a solemn nod, "take my hand, Theron," and, as he does, she slides into the clock.
Catching something, Zyler narrows his eyes a moment, then nods. Reaching out, he'd grab.. something, then press ahead, narrowing his profile as much as possible to press ahead of the others, latched on to.. whatever it is. That glove of his helping to make sure there's no burn on his palm as he'd seek to try to push ahead and make sure to guide the others right!
One by one, each of those gathered leap blindly into the clock, following the trail of their feathered friend. Miguel leaps first, with catlike grace and strangely, as is the way of things, the opening of the clcok expands to envelope him. He disappears into darkness. Then come Sten, with the inspiration of the Skald, he leads the pack on into the breach. If the clock could fit Miguel, it can stretch to fit his large form. Then comes Aaryn and Theron, and Aaryn pulls them through so smoothly that it is like diving into water. Zyler comes next, grabbing hold on something in his hand sliding but not rushing into the portal as it welcomes him. Finally, Micah, bringing up the rear, guarding the pack's flank as usual. He calls out to Tank through their link and is pulled through. Behind him, the clock doors slam shut.
In the longhouse, everything is still for a moment, until a red dust seems to swirl from the ground and form into a roan colored pit bull who rushes over to the clock and scratches at the door. Then he sits and whines helplessly, ~Micah? Aaryn? Spirit Crescent? Rage Crescent?.... Battle friend?.... Comrade?~
Each of you, save for Zyler, as you leap through the clock you feel your stomach jump into your throat as if you've just gone down the highest roller-coaster you've ever ridden. You feel as if you're flipping end over end, or is it that your laying flat and spinning around on your back. Oh god, this is what it feels like to be sucked down the drain of a bathtub. You're aware of a faint light, a streak, coming up to meet you but it flips in your vision. A sudden panic hits you, if you don't reach that light you might fall like this forever. You twist, you reach out and try and make it...
Behind Zyler, who is standing there calmly, lands Miguel, who twists with catlike grace and manages to catch one foot on a thin moon bridge, as thin as on the night of a new moon. He teeters and totters but he does not fall down, instead settling as if he MEANT to land like that.
Then comes Aaryn and Theron. Theron lands in a manly superman pose, but when he does so, his hand lets go of Aaryn, which is bad, because she only catches the bridge with one foot and starts to fall back.
But she doesn't, because Sten is there for her, catching her by the arm and pulling her safely back onto the bridge and safely onto her feet.
Finally Micah lands, lithe and gracefully, like he was sliding down an embankment. He reaches for his back and pulls his bow out, readying an arrow in case there are any unexpected dangers.
Landing smoothly, Zyler looks at the thread, then watches the others come along. A small shrug, he doesn't let go of it yet, simply making sure no one gets lost, persay. Once they all land, he'd hold up that fist. "Guide line. Good to have. I think Bob did it. We go. Yes?"
Mirror-Shadow lands as a fucknormous jaguar on the moon bridge like its a sturdy branch, He looks like he does that sort of thing all the time. Nodding at Zyler the cat will look to the Others to see where they're at.
"Bigass feet," Aaryn grumbles after she's solidly placed back on the bridge. "Lead the way, Zyler." Did she just say that? What the hell....
Sten looks around and down the bridge "Alright, keep close and make sure we don't loose anyone... and let us see if this bridge brings us to a diffrent time rather then a place hmm?"
At the back of the line, Micah whispers, "Tank? Tank are you there, boy?"
Beneath your feet is a bridge, much like the thinnest new moon, moon bridge. It shimmers with a metallic glow as opposed to the glow of a lune. There is a thin straight line. In the clock it was barely a filament, a thin spider's web. Here it is larger, thicker, able to be held in the hand. As it goes on it seems to get thicker and thicker. All around them it is nearly pitch black, but not quite. There are definitely...THINGS out there. Other thin filament lines trace the darkness to the left, to the right, above you, below you. Around them swirl mirrored images, or maybe shiny crystalline spirits which shimmer and move. You can see some ahead of you, and as they sense your presence, they begin to move in your direction.
Zyler raises a brow at Aaryn. Pursing his lips, he nods a little, looks around to get oriented, then starts off. Nimble.. enough. He keeps with the guiding thread he has, while walking on that bridge, following it and leading onward to whatever may be.
Mirror-Shadow is inclined to stay in his birth form unless he needs to scale up or something, his fetish hammer having disappeared to a particular pattern in the spots down his spine. He pads along behind Zyler carefully and sure footed.
Ryn's dexterous enough to follow along on the bridge, but still makes sure to choose each step carefully. She holds on to that little sliver of webbing, noticing that it gets thicker and thicker as they move along. She notices the attention up ahead... And it's just then that she starts to doubt having the spirit celebrity leading the way...
Sten walks along looking at the attention "Heads up... we might have company... any chance we can move faster? Cause otherwise we going to have company, and I am not sure if they are friendly" he let the theurges decide that part cause fucking damn there were enough of them.
Micah looks behind them as they all begin to move forward. The thin line is so small and there is no sign of the door that they came through. He can't feel the mental presence of his familiar, and while this is the first time this is happened, it isn't any less painful. "I hope he's going to be ok. Do you think he'll be ok Ryn?"
Zyler snorts, glancing back at Micah. "Quit leaning on the crutch. Walk. Run. When he returns, stronger, faster due to it. He's not idiot. Don't be idiot, Mouth." Zyler of course, saw the things coming to them. This was.. well.. standard day to day life for Zyler. So what else is new. He'd keep that pace steady. Reacting quickly is what gets people lost, killed or possessed in the umbra, afterall.
As they group moves forward at the speed Zyler sets, the crystal mirrors continue to move toward you. The twist and twirl and shimmer around you, but mostly, they crowd around Zyler. They don't attack, but they hover and swirl around you. That is when you realize you can hear voices and see images reflected in them. Images of other times, past times, events that have come before. They crave your attention and move to be seen, to be heard. And as you look into them, you see reflected back at you, events from your past. Past love, past pain, past triumph and past defeat. Do you long for that lost love, they ask? Reach for them and you have be there again. Do you wish to avenge a fallen loved one or comrade? Your enemy is here. Take him by the throat. Want to repair a mistake you made? Here is the tool. Just let go of the rope and step out and you can. You can fix EVERYTHING.
<Frostbite> Micah says, "He better be glad I'm back here or I would PUSH him off this moonbridge, promise or no."
<Frostbite> Sten says, "You will not.. but he better keep his tongue or I will. I hold no such promise"
<Frostbite> Aaryn says, "Hey. Focus on the task at hand..."
Zyler slows a little as the.. things.. crowd in around them. There's a brief moment. A hunted look, then he grits his teeth. A low, warning growl, not that he lets go of that thread, but instead switches to that spirit speech. ~We are warriors of Gaia. We're on a quest! Quit interfering and begone!~
Mirror-Shadow knows Sten's pain, though at that call out the jaguar will give a look around and ahead to see what's going on with all these spirits. It is perhaps easier for him to resist the urge to change his past because there hasn't been so very much of it. Four years, only having had two legger type thoughts for half that time. Not much story to build up regrets in.
"Hraf!" Aaryn calls out in an urgent, yet rather hushed tone before muttering, "damned bird." She keeps an eye to the area just surrounding them, acutely aware that there are visitors on either side. She frowns deeply at Zyler's helpful comments and offers, "Zyler. There's a better way to put things. Help you burn less bridges...." Her voice trails off as the spirits come nearer, attempting to tempt her with imagery. But we've already establish Ryn is nothing if not stubborn. The spirits get a low growl and nothing more.
Sten looks to the memories around him watching them taking them in. Of course he remembers them the Skald has perfect recall, he can remember every moment he has ever lived with clarity.. this was nothing new for him, nothing that would tempt him, though he cherised the moment to see them again, places and times he wanted to go back to. Opportunities lost, regrets. The large man looks around to make sure noone else has been caught by the promise "We continue, forward, these promises are empty. The past can not be changed, they are memories and they will trap you, take you off the path and you will loose yourself to history." The Beta does not know their language but he growls just the same. Those around him can see his impressive stature his strength and the Fenrir blood in him. The spirits see a fierce foe threatening them "BEGONE!" he growls towards them.
When the spirits swirl around Micah, he is at first confused. He's never encountered any spirit like this. But then come the visions and the things he doesn't WANT to see again. He turns his head and looks away, pushing forward a bit to be right behind Sten. He doesn't want to go back to the past, going back will only make it worse. There is only forward. He goes very quiet though.
The spirits crowd and the spirits tempt but the will of the travelers is strong and they are not tempted when they already know their destination, nor have they found their friend. Zyler commands the spirits and his sparkling charisma, the same charm that has one him so many friends, effects these spirits in much the same way. A few whoosh away from him, casting themselves back into the darkness but others... ohhh they are NOT happy. They back off but they turn dark. No longer do they show any of the pleasant memories of the past, only the painful ones. The deaths, the betrayals, the failures. They remain out of reach, mocking, trailing the group.
At the back of the pack, Sten gives an intimidation growl, taking on the very visage of Fenris itself. More of the spirits scatter this time, but now those that remain turn red and violent. Blood. War. Rage. Violence. Even as the group moves past the time of their own lives, back back back into the past, the mirrors show the battles and wars of the past. In some there may even be glimpses of Ancestors past, or past lives lived. But always there is war and death and destruction. The cycle repeating over and over again.
Mirror-Shadow is soaking in the unusual experience. Cats collect secrets and this is the sort of place his kind don't usually get to go. Giving a chuff of amusement, Mirror-Shadow thinks of all the bragging he'll get out of this.
They weren't in the way though. They did exactly what Zyler wanted. Getting out of the way and not slowing them down. So that handled, he didn't even worry any more about what the mirror.. things.. might be showing. They weren't part of why he was here and so, he continued on, leading towards their true destination.
Ryn looks back at the shards of memories as they grow dark, or red or... She shakes her head. She's got to keep focused. They have an ally in need. No time to worry about the little things.
Sten looks to the wars and the battles thinking he might seen a glimpse of an ancestor. The large get smiles picking up the pace though not in a way that would push or hinder those before him. "Onwards" he calls out to ensure they all stay together that the group picks up the pace. He doubted there would be combat ahead but either way he was spurred on. This would be a song to sing.
Micah continues to push forward, it's easier when they get past his own lifetime. And he saw enough war and destruction on Mars. For a Get of Fenris, these things are like background music, or a movie soundtrack. Maybe even east listening. "I'm picking up Bob's airt now. We're catching up. Getting closer."
Mirror-Shadow hears the call out that Micah has the trail and concentrates to bulk up some. Not all the way to crinos but to Chatro, the great dire beast version of a cat that was already skeery. From the twitching of his ample tail its clear he's ready for pounce.
Time, ironically enough, begins to lose all meaning as you all continue to travel onwards, forward, or is it backwards, into the past. The webs in the distance grow thicker and stronger. Some of them look like you could climb on them and walk on them as easily as you could the bridge you are walking along. The web you hold is large enough now to fit under the crook of your arm and it is getting larger. Soon it may be so big that you are pushed off the bridge entirely, you may have to resort to climbing on it, or falling. But before that can happen, first Zyler, then Aaryn and then one by one the others begin to see a light approaching. With that light you hear a sound.
BONG! You can feel it vibrating through the web.
BONG! Have you circled back around to your own time? Is the longhouse ahead?
BONG! And then below you, underneath the bridge you see floating in mid air - the clock. This one, unburnt, unmarred.
Past the clocks, the strand of time continues to grow. This, apparently, is your stop. But to get there, you're gonna have to take a bit of a... wait for it... Quantum Leap.
Zyler walks until, well. It was time. Peering down at the clock below, Zyler studies the differences in it. "3:14. 3:14. All aboard. Hands on time. This will be the stop that starts it all." He looks at the others, nods, and then with that last moment's breath, pushes off to leap for the goal.
One by one, each traveler takes the leap. Zyler let's go of the rope and falls forward - faith, the Wyld or blind luck allows hsi to catch a shifting wind (YES THERE IS WIND!) and the wind sucks him into the clock. The Bastet doesn't even position himself over the clock, he leaps from where he stands, a little excited jaguar growl escaping him as his back feet catch the side of the clock and sending him tumbling head of tail into the clock - but I'm sure he'll land on his feet. Sten and Arryn and Theron all position themselves, take and one by one hit the target square. Finally, Micah jumps but... oh shit, he's not going to make it but OOF he catches the side of the clock across his middle, knocking the air out of him as he pulls himself through with a groan.
You all come tumbling out of the clock. Mirrors-Shadow getting tied in Zyler's legs and taking them both down. Sten, Aaryn and Theron all come through right on top of each other and end up in a dog pile on the floor. And with one final BONG Micah ejects from the clock, hitting the ground face first.
As you all catch your breath and look up this is what you see....
There are some people who always manage to look well coifed and put together no matter the time of day or ridiculous situation they find themselves - like being woken in the middle of the night by a clock that has never before made a sound only to find that said clock is a door that is spilling out a bunch of strangers into your sitting room. Apparently, this man is one of those sort.
Standing at what you might estimate is about 6’ tall, give or take, this blonde haired, blue-eyed, clean-shaven gentleman looks like he is made of the best Scandinavian stock. A fine blue on black silk embroidered vest is open over a well-made, hand sewn, silk and only slightly rumpled shirt, the top three buttons scandalously unbuttoned. The sleeves of the shirt are folded back precisely up to the elbow. Well-manicured hands hold a long, thin but deadly sharp rapier and a cocked pistol pointed directly at you.
Now wait a second, a pistol pointed at company? That isn’t very gentlemanly after all, what kind of first impression is that?
Sten from underneath the pile of his pack the large man groans slightly "Mister Volucris Jase Skarne I presume?"
