The νόστος: The Log

[genpcs]

WHO: Those who signed up for The νόστος portion of the event!
WHAT: Resisting The νόστος - More information
WHEN: 1/30/2016
WHERE: Loci's Wabe
WARNINGS: Violence, Death.

Those brave enough to venture into Loci’s Wabe will start to smell a sweet scent in the air as they draw closer. What the scent belongs to isn’t exactly clear, a food, a flower, nothing comes immediately to mind. But that might not matter too much, as their surroundings might start to look a bit different. They are still in a forest, that much is sure. But if they had been paying attention to the surrounding area as they approached the forest, they should be able to note that trees are there that weren’t before.

If they came with a group or with another person, they will now find themselves completely alone, as if they somehow got separated from them as they ventured into the forest together. Whether they tried to head back the way they came or pressed forward, they still eventually wind up in a specific location. It was a beautiful, flower filled clearing in the forest. Many tiny flowers littered it, and in the middle, they will be able to make out someone’s back. If they press forward even more, they may find that the identity of the person is already known to them. Whoever it may be, when they reveal their face, they will beckon them closer.

[ooc: Responses to this should be written as a drabble, describing their encounter with the νόστος and who they see. Players should know by now which characters will live and which will die. You can write out your reply accordingly including their death in it.]

Comments

[koishi_komeiji]

The trip was started with a singular conscious decision. Mister Hat was left at home.

Koishi was making her way through the forest at a steady rate, doing her best to keep her cloak up as much as possible. Drowning in her own subconscious, she let her instinct guide her. She only knew what direction to go and not really what she was looking for, though she had been told it was a place best avoided. She honestly wasn't sure if she would find her target or not, since she didn't know what it looked like. She wasn't sure if she would be able to get it or not, since she didn't know if she could carry it. What she did know, however, is that this would be important for her sister, especially after all the worry she caused when she crashed into the Remnant household. If she did this, whatever it was, it would reflect well upon her sister. It would make people like her. It would be good... And that's all she needed to focus on.

Trailing her claws over the bark of the trees, she marked her way, defining her path for her return. She felt oddly light. Like dancing. The air was sweet. Nostalgic sweet like warm, damp earth in the early summer heat, mixed with the fragrance of flowers. It washed over her, smothering her mind further, leaving her almost drunk. Ah, she would make her sister proud.

She paused, her gaze traveling up and to either side. She had run out of trees to scratch. Wasn't this a forest? Of flowers? Sunflowers? Were those sunflowers? Her heart stirred. Didn't Satori love the sunflowers on the surface?

Why was she here again?

Smiling, Koishi drifted closer, her gaze finally settling on a pink haired figure sitting in the shade. Were they here for a picnic? She was here for something important. For her sister. That must have been it. Moving toward the figure, she didn't disturb anything, reaching down to remove her shoes and toss them aside. It had been entirely too long since they last spent some quality time together. Between Satori's guardian duties and Koishi's own absent-mindedness they really hadn't gone and had fun since... Since the hot springs. And that seemed like an eternity ago.

Placing a hand on Satori's shoulder to assert her presence before swooping down and capturing her in a tight hug. "Sis! I'm here! See? I didn't forget!"

Koishi wasn't even aware something was wrong until she felt her essence being ripped apart.

[orlokbutterfly]

He wasn't exactly sure what he was in for, but it certainly wasn't this.

It started almost the same as any other job; get the details, have a few snarks thrown about and head in. As far as he knew, he was going in for a relatively easy retrieval job. It couldn't be that hard to get a shard of something, even with the weird, crazy tales of people going insane upon entering this place. He didn't put much stock into them, but maybe he should have.

Gale noticed claw marks on the trees as he passed them. Perhaps it was someone leaving markers so they could return from the forest. It would be handy for him on the way out, certainly, but that was assuming he even needed it. Although, he was quick to notice the gradual changes around him the more he advanced. The marked trees steadily disappeared and the entire environment around him seemed to be changing, into a far more pleasant looking scene. His eyes narrowed, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw a woman with light green hair ahead of him. He knew that hair and that black dress anywhere. It couldn't be. He'd know if Lala had arrived in this world.

A wave of unease swept over him as he slowly approached. According to his mask, she didn't even exist. Was it malfunctioning? Was she real? Was he hallucinating? Everything about her was just as he remembered, there was almost no reason to doubt it. He almost felt his heart stop, tempted to reach out and touch her, but he stopped himself.

He heard that voice tell him to leave everything behind and stay with her, where they were finally free of Cardinal influence. It sounded ideal, but the rational portion of his mind soon kicked in. Lala? Tell him to give up everything? Impossible. In a fit of sudden rage, telling himself that this was nothing but a horrible dream, a beam katar appeared on his hand as he slashed through the image of the girl.

In that instant, he was grabbed and forced into the water, causing him to let out a scream. He thrashed about to fight it off, but it wouldn't work as he was dragged out of sight; the blue veins on his neck steadily changing to red before fading to grey. In his last moments as he was unable to fight off whatever it was, Gale grabbed his mask and threw it behind in the direction he came, hoping it would be found and serve as a warning to whoever would be unfortunate enough to follow.

[sizedoesntmatter]

Yugi still wondered why he had decided to do this. In his mind he figured he just wanted to help, to get his mind off of something close to his heart and close to his mind as well.

But never the less he trailed onward, seeing marks and bits as he assumed someone left them there for one reason or another, but it wasn't long before he fund himself at the place, or at a place that he had never been aware of before. Looking to the left and then the right. Each time he was sure that the sight he had seen before had seemed less than before.

Shaking that feeling off he continued to looking around, unsure of uneasy about where he was, but knowing that something was going to happen he moved to take off his puzzle making sure that it was left before before he moved forward. After all if he weren't to come back he might as well save that. No matter what.

He soon stopped and looked ahead at the figure that was before him. It was Terra and just seeing her standing there hand out was enough to feel his heart beat faster and that feeling of staying slowly spreading over. He wanted to stay with her, even if he knew it would never be in the same way.

That was enough for him to shake his head slightly as the other had moved in closer and his feelings of staying building slowly up till he couldn't fight it any more. As she reached him and held out her hand was enough for him to slowly take it and that was more than enough for them to drown the poor young boy.

[killerrose]

Walking into the forest was the easy part, those who were with her soon vanished but she didn’t really care. Ib was used to being alone. She had her sword with her, which would be enough to fight off whatever it was that lurked within the safety of the dense trees. Her fingers curled tightly around her sheath, her long brown hair falling loosely behind her shoulders a she continued to step forward. She wasn’t scared. Silently the wind pushed through the trees and familiar sent filled the crisp cool winter air.

Roses

Ib paused noticing the stretch of wood as it changed, the sickeningly sweet scent filled her senses and turned her stomach. It was always roses. She began walking forward again stopping as the forest shifted and reveled what was hidden behind the mass of trees. A field of flowers, not just flowers but rosebuds: red roses. They mixed into a sea of vibrant green grass. Then there was the figure, the back of a man, her thoughts were only vaguely aware of what she was seeing. The fingers holding her sword relaxed some as she continued towards the shadow on the other end of the field.

She knew the figure in front of her in an instant. His hair was a dark blue and his long familiar jacket tattered and torn. There was a cigarette between his lips and she watched for a moment as the smoke drew up in thin wisps and then vanished into the air. Her voice was caught in her throat and a sudden panic filled her. “What are you doing here?” Her mind was clouded but instinct told her that it was dangerous here. She was hunting.

The boy just smiled and turned towards her. ”You don’t remember?” His voice was light and familiar however there was a small twinge of disappointment. ”You told me that you would return my lighter. Besides you don’t need it anymore Ib.” The pretender smiled. ”I’ll never leave you alone again.” She felt him speaking as if his voice echoed deep within her soul.

Ib felt her heart twist in her chest, tears began to gather in the corner of her eyes and she dropped her sword. The marron sheath and blade disappeared within the grass and was left forgotten as she stepped forward. She heard her footsteps, each one pushing at the flowers and grass that gathered at her ankle. Her voice was softer now, frail. “Garry?” A tear feel down her cheek and somehow she knew that this was her Garry, not the one in Genessia but the one she had killed all those years ago. “I’m so sorry.”

The pretender held out his hand beckoning Ib to step closer. As she stepped closer she heard him whispering in his ear. ”It’s alright. I’m here now. You saved me Ib.” Tears fell without warning or hindrance as she was pulled into the man’s arms. It felt like Garry and even if it was a dream Ib didn’t care. He was with her now. She reached up placing her lips against his as he pulled her backwards towards the chilling water. The pretender’s hands gripped her tightly around the middle as they kissed, her fingers clinging to him as warmth filled the empty place in her heart. Real for fake, for a single moment she was complete. She felt him beneath her, his strong hands holding her flush against his body as they fell into the water. It was easy to let go, to stop fighting because he was there to greet her with open arms.

If this was death then it wasn’t truly so bad.

[trueseeker]

The journey into the Wabe was almost too easy, given the unfamiliarity with the area, but before Richard could notice how strange the idyllic forest was, he was caught in the Merrow's web of deceit. The first thing he notice was a smell that brought a smile to his lips. He smelled sweet rolls, just like his mother used to bake. Under normal circumstances, Richard would balk at so blunt a memory, but something about the Wabe urged him on, deeper.

As he entered the clearing, his smile broadened. He found himself in a field of wildflowers: daisies, yellow flowers, and the summer cottonblooms he'd never seen since stepping foot in the Midlands. The scent of sweet rolls was replaced with the ripe summer smells he'd grown up with, and he knew this glade. He'd camped here many times to and from various areas of Westand. This particular glade was nestled just off a side path and shortcut to his father's home that shaved days off of the trip from the North Lands to his hometown.

This glade was in the Hartland Woods, and he was home. He looked around, moving further into the glade and marveling at the rich summer tapestry created by the fading light of day. The golden sun filtered through the foliage above, dappling the flowers of the glade with dancing spots of gold and shadow, and fell upon the gleaming white dress of the Confessor on the other side of the clearing. His pace quickened as he moved across the glade toward her. Her dark hair fell about her shoulders and across her back and danced lazily in the warm breeze and he imagined as he closed that she would smell of the wildflowers she was standing amid and yearned to be near enough to make sure he was right.

"Kahlan, what are you doing here? How...did we get here?"

"Richard! You came!" She shook her head as Richard neared enough to take her hand. "You always ask so many questions." Kahlan turned, smiling broadly herself as Richard approached, and reaching out a hand toward him, the trailers of her long sleeves moving in the breeze.

"Of course I do. I wouldn't be much of a Seeker, otherwise." He returned her smile. There was a fondness in her tone as Richard stepped close to her, taking her hand in both of his, meeting her eyes.

He smiled tinged with a touch of confusion. "How did this get here, Kahlan?" Hartland was a place, not a person. He hadn't visited one of the sub-archways yet. Would he just not have noticed walking into one? For some reason, that didn't seem right, and besides, if this was in fact a sub-archway, it could only mean one thing. "What did you give up to bring this here?" His happiness at seeing her was gone, replaced with nothing but concern.

At his expression, Kahlan laughed, shaking her head at him again, making her hair sway against her shoulders. "Don't look so worried. I gave up something that means nothing here." She closed the remaining distance between then, then, pressing her body against his, and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her mouth to his in a passionate kiss.

Richard's body reacted without his input, moving his arms around her waist, he gave himself over to the need to taste her, to feel her pressed against him, but after a moment, reason stole its way into his mind, just as they moved as one, Kahlan leaning backwards and Richard following her to the grassy floor. He pulled away to look her in the eyes, his breathing heavy.

"Kahlan, you know we can't do this." He shook his head as though trying to clear a fog. Some little worry was teasing at the back of his mind but it was too obscured in a haze of desire to see it clearly.

Kahlan tightened her arms around his neck in an effort to pull him closer again but he resisted. "It's my powers, Richard. That's what I paid for this."

Richard's immediate frown of displeasure prompted further explanation from her and she moved slightly beneath him so that she was reclined on her elbows looking up at him.

"Don't you see? We can finally be together."

Richard shook his head again. "Kahlan, I-"

"Richard, look at this place," she interjected, sliding from under him and gesturing around at the picturesque glade around them. "It's just like you described, down to the last detail. Look," she pointed to a small scrub oak off to their right. "You told me that underneath that tree, you skinned your first rabbit. Isn't it perfect? And it's ours Richard. We can have everything we wanted. We can have each other, and you can have your home, one that Darken Rahl can never touch. We can be happy here."

Richard watched her, a sick pit rising in his stomach. He knew Kahlan, knew her dedication to their mission, and after arriving here, in Genessia, that unswerving devotion had turned to finding a way home, to their quest, to stopping Darken Rahl. This wasn't the Hartland Woods recreated by whatever magic Genessia used to bring pieces of their world here. That little worry quietly bouncing for attention in his clouded mind sudden broke through the fog to the forefront on his thoughts. Something had felt off about this place since he'd stepped foot in it, but he couldn't see why. Now he knew.

This was some trick of magic, and worse, a lie. "You're not Kahlan Amnell." His hand grasped the hilt of the Sword of Truth at his hip and pulled it free, the runes along its blade gleaming in the dappled sunlight a fiery white. He rose to his feet, jaw clenched so that the muscle twitched as he took a step toward her.

"Richard, what do you mean? Of course I'm-"

He shook his head. "No. No more lies." He raised the sword and brought it down on the thing wearing Kahlan's face as she tried in vain to shield herself from the arching blade. When the sword struck true, the illusion faded and and in place of his idyllic meadow, a scene of death appeared and he was alone amid countless corpses. His mind cleared as well, and his original purpose returned to his mind, but he set about searching the clearing for any signs of the others who came here with him first.

Only then would he retrieve the shard.