Difference between revisions of "Log:Wave Way"

9 December, 2019

Darling it's better down where it's wetter.

Crystal Falls

Hien's requests were simple enough. He'd asked around and eventually was pointed to Poppy. Because Oasis Fruit wasn't much of an option another of the aquatic sort was best. The Beast was looking for a guide because there was word of something strange in his general patrolling area.

The Hedge Warden had went for Poppy, since there weren't many other options he waited around oustide of Alchemy for and made a bee line for the beginnings of the place. Getting here from the lake was easy enough from the mortal world.

"This is the place," he says when they eventually get there. He points down to the water, "Since it's underwater it's just you and I right now. This shouldn't be too specifically dangerous, but if it is I have my swords." Despite his words he's wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and beach shorts.

The siren was, perhaps, a bit bemused at the sudden appearance of Hien, but didn't seem particularly fazed by the request. After changing into a simple black wetsuit, of all things, Poppy's happy to accompany the other watery Lost to the local Hedge, arching an eyebrow at the gesture towards the water. "I mean, it's the fucking Hedge, it's never not dangerous. But point taken. What the hell's going on right now, exactly? Also...do you know ASL?" Opalescent eyes are inquisitive.

Hien shoots an askance glance her way at the query. He shakes his head, admitting, "Not really. Why would I need to-" His voice trails off and his eyes go wide. "See, I never thought of that. I've never had to hunt with another person. Most people can't swim in anything stronger than a swimming pool. Something to do a quick pledge for?"

Poppy grins sharply, opalescent eyes glinting. "Well, you catch on faster than the average asshole. Yeah, it's pretty goddamn handy as long as you can see, because then you don't have to worry about talking underwater. I'm working on a Contract that might get around that shit but...that's a work in progress, and worth about jack and shit today." The siren considers, then nods. "Quick pledge works." She pauses, then asks, "How long can you hold your breath? Or can you just breathe the fucking water?"

"Seeing is the easy part for me. The hard part is, as you guessed, the talking part." Hien waits a moment to think about that question. "Somewhere around an hour, give or take. It's longer than the rest, but I make up for it with speed. Usually because I can go far and fast enough that I don't always need to worry about time."

"I can't see in the dark, exactly, although I can function. Not my favorite fucking thing, since shit can get the drop on me more easily," Poppy says frankly. "Dim light I can manage a bit fucking better." At his question, she nods. "I've got about a half hour before I have to breathe, so that's something to keep in mind, depending on where the hell we're going. I suspect you're faster than I am, too." A sharp smile. "I figured it's better to lay out logistics ahead of time and skip any fuckups that result in someone getting hurt. And by 'someone' I mean probably my ass."

Hien nods along, and starts stretching. "I'll be aware of it, mostly. One of the many things Communion can do for me. I don't do much planning, though. Fuck ups are part of the fun, and I can usually get myself out of most of my problems. Sometimes." He returns her smile with a wide, toothy one of his before dropping it and turning to look back down. "I won't go too fast, mostly. Worst case I can swim or teleport back." With that said he leaps off the cliff, and dives for the water below.

Poppy gives Hien a wry look, then simply nods. Once he dives off the cliff, she pauses for a moment, taking a look around to see if anything seemed to notice the disturbance in the water. Then she follows him in turn with a serpentine sort of grace.

The water is as cold as can be expected during these cold winter months. The immedate entrance into the water from the Changelings alerts the flora and fauna of their presence. Some coral around shrink away, although they could just as easily be wrong. Little critters can be found around seaweed, and they dart away here and there. Hien turns to her, flashing a few things here and there. "Watch for anything blue and shiny," says the man with blue scales with flashes of light over his body.

The look Poppy gives the other Lost at that request to look for something resembling nothing so much as himself is as dry as the water is wet and she signs, /Like you?/ Her expression then turns amused, even as there's a hint of her glamour in the water, a brief shift towards salt with a hint of metallic reminiscent of blood, a shadow of sea-smoothed, skeletal branches at the corners of one's eyes. She does glance around, however, green-blue-blonde hair haloing about her head as she moves.

Hien is quick to shake his head and sends the tendrils of his hair about. /Big. Long. Maybe has wings./ He stops on that last bit for a second, and continues signing. /He wasn't sure on the wings, though./ As Hien flicks his fingers about she can see bits of light flicker behind the Beast. In a few seconds it disappears without a trace. Worst case it tries to eat.%R

A sharp grin. /Sea serpent? Good times./ Poppy then tilts her head, trying to get a better look at that flickering of light beyond Hien. /So do you glitter, or is there something behind you?/ the siren signs, hands moving gracefully through the water, light glinting a bit against her own silvery scales.

Hien shrugs to her first question. The second elicits a tilt of his head. He qickly signs to the negative, and then turns around. He doesn't look back to her, and starts pushing forward into the water. He motions with a finger it move forward, and deeper they'd need to go.

The siren obligingly starts after Hien, humming absently under her breath, the eerie harmonics of her voice carrying through the waters with a disturbing clarity - at least until she seems to realize she's doing it an censors herself, the sound abruptly cutting off. Poppy makes an apologetic face, should Hien look, but overall she's scanning for any further sign of the hedgebeast

Hien is fast down there, but doesn't go any further than needed. Deep enough that light still dances around them, but it is dimming. As they continue on the beasts around them give just a bit of room. They're far enough away that if either Changeling lashed out they're safely away from a swipe at them, but just close enough that both Lost need to hope things don't go wrong.

The wildlife isn't too different from what Poppy remembers. Slips, tiny little fish that swam in swarming schools moving in the shape of a much larger fish. Further around are lykes. The ultra-thin eels that buzz around as they search for prey. Moving further along and deeper down they can sense a quick change as something large moves around below them.

There's another trace of glamour from the siren, that hint of blood-laced salt, even as she drops deeper in the water; Poppy isn't a slow swimmer, but clearly lacks the speed of the higher Wyrd lost. Suddenly dark eyes consider the local wildlife before locking onto that larger beast below and she gives a warning sort of hum directed towards Hien.

Hien may have a nose on him, but Poppy has him beat by a very large margin. He follows along on a trail that leads him to a set of swarm of slips, and it leaves him growling in the water.

Poppy, though, picks up something else. One that leads further and further down. Down in those depths she can smell it. Something. Some things drifting deep down there in the shadows and way from the light.

The siren pauses for a moment, closing her eyes briefly as she literally tastes the water for a moment. Opening her eyes again, she shifts her attention deeper, frowning; giving a quick burst of speed, she catches up to Hien, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. Should he turn, Poppy signs, /There's something deeper. That way. Blood./ She points. There's something gnawing at the edges of her expression, a kind of hunger. Hopefully she doesn't end up going full-on feeding-frenzy at any point.

Hien stops, turning to Poppy. He was ready to say something, but then he catches Poppy's signing. His gaze narrows, and he looks away to where Poppy motioned. Back to her he turns, and nods his head.

Down and down they go. The further down the more potent that smell. That coppery sent comes from far too many places to count. The strongest comes further ahead, and then they can both see it. Scores of bodies bound in green seaweeds, held in place by tight little bows. Some of them look humanoid, and some much more feral There are at least three dozen they can see for now, and Poppy can smell that much more.

As they descend, Poppy's frown deepens; once the source of the trail becomes clear, the siren actually starts swearing, the sound entirely distorted in the water and words indecipherable, for all the inflections aren't terribly difficult to interpret. Her expression is more than a bit strained, even as she swallows, hard.

Hien stops when Poppy starts swearing, and whips around to see the siren. All the bodies and bloodshed does little to bother the Beast as he signs, /Do you need to stop?/ He stops to look around. All that death. All that pain. All of it tied down in the depths.

As he asks that she can see it again. Swimming further back. Impossibly large. It's scent is difficult to pick out of all the blood, corpses, and carcases. As it disappears into the darkness again she can get something of an idea of its massive size, and she can make out those wings Hien spoke of.

The siren shakes her head, hair drifting like a corona of seaweed. /If we can get to clear water, I'll be fine. Otherwise I'm going to end up stopping for a snack we'll all regret./ Her gaze snaps towards that movement, and for a brief second she's entirely, unnaturally still before she resumes signing, /Oh. There's your gigantic monster./ Poppy points towards the vanishing beast.

It moves around with as much grace as can be expected from a massive sea creature. It is slow for its size, but still fast enough that its gone from sight after one little blink of its lights. In its wake are more of those corpses, moved about by its girth.

Hien watches Poppy's signing, and signs back, /Get ready, then. Worst case is that it goes after you./ After that he blinks himself, and then starts jettisoning off where Poppy pointed off too. He's fast, and likely too fast for his own good as he darts after the beast.

The beast is something oft rumored about, but rarely ever soon. An aguana. An urban legend. A rumor. Something that can't be real, and supposedly unseen since the 70s. The thing is as intelligent as any human, if not smarter. They're powerful beasts, and trap hunters. Whether due to their faerie nature or general psychosis they keep stores of food and things around to eat as needed. There's no such thing as too much with these creatures.

Poppy frowns. /Well of course that's a fucking worst case scenario-/ and then whatever else she's signing is lost as Hien bolts after the beast. The siren hangs motionless for a moment, then mutters to herself, the harmonics and water distorting her words again before she starts swimming after him. Traceries of her glamour hang about her, testament to some other contract being invoked.

Hien was already a head as she catches up, and he's gone. One second he's there, and another he isn't. Neither here nor there is the Beast anywhere to be seen. Instead as she goes forward she's eventually greeted by a maw wide and large enough to swallow her whole. Then she sees something above that. Two very big, very bright eyes shining their light on her. "What do we have here?" it bellows in her mind.

The siren doesn't quite startle, although she does momentarily go very, very still. Then she blinks, giving the maw and the eyes a long, considering look before offering a wave. /Tourist?/ she signs, perhaps testing if the monster also speaks ASL. Hey, there are weirder things.

It stares down at her moving hands. Or her? It's difficult to say for as large as it is. It sits there in the darkness, and after a few moments of silence she can see its lights flicker again. The thing is at least 20 meters long, and maybe a meter or so thick. couple of meters or so down from its head are a pair of arms with fingers that end in stubby little claws. Much further back, and closwer to the end of its tail are a pair of wings nearly the shape of fins.

It reaches out its to try taking a bite out of the Fairest. When it comes up with nothing more than a bunch of water that sloshes around in its mouth it draws back. Its eyes narrow for a beat. "Strange. What are you, ghost?"

The siren shrugs at that lack of response, staring back at the beast. As it attempts to take a bite of her, she manages /not/ to shriek, although it's a close thing, her dark eyes widening briefly. At that question, she makes a face and tries just talking, although likely not trusting it to be effective amid the water. "Tourist," she tries repeating. "We don't taste like much."

"Tourist?" That word hangs in his maw for a few moments longer. "Then stay a while, and let me judge that theoryx." Aguana are known to be intelligent, but not to speak. Not in such a manner, but here she is with this beast. "I can always show you so many delights, at least before your passing."

Poppy gives the aguana a sideways look at its offer. "To be entirely fair, by definition a tourist never stays," she says cheerfully, apparently just going with 'talk into the water and the giant hedgebeast will understand.' "Although I won't lie, I'm definitely a bit curious about the 'delights' part. I mean. You've got a pretty goddamn impressive larder going."

"Several of the people here were tourists at one point, but even they have found their home here." He leans forward his mouth mere inches from her transluscent form. "Eventually this should end, though. No? If you could end this parlor trick of yours I can explain everything I mean, and more."

As the beast's thoughts echo in her head she can see Hien above the hedge beast. The man's covered nearly head to toe in blood and viscera, and seems to be readying something. In both hands she can see a blade in each, although the one in his left is much larger than the other. He's not quite near the beast, but his violent intentions are quite clear as he kicks through the water.

The Autumn looks as though she might be considering the Aguana's offer, despite the fact that nobody sane really should consider doing so. On the other hand, it's over ten times her size, and that grants the Legendary Pokemon some degree of respect. "I mean, you did try to eat me. Or at least taste. So that's something I'm really not sure I'm all that excited to experience, in case you forget about explaining and get tempted to try a snack." Poppy doesn't comment on Hien's appearance at all, despite the rather dramatic nature of it.

Hien's approach is slow, his blades still at the ready. The Beast is going clear for the dome of the hedge creature. A small burst of speed comes with a flash of light, but he keeps his course steady.

The Hedge Beast hums, the sound of it rattling around in Poppy's head for a few seconds. "Come now. It isn't that bad." He spreads his arms, presenting the chorus of the dead littered and held down all around them. "I give you my word that I won't eat you if you solve two problems. No more, no less." It smiles, its teeth a tad too human. "What more could you have to lose?"

"Pretty sure I could lose a hell of a lot of things, honestly. My head. Maybe an arm or a fucking leg. My sanity. I don't suppose you know Cthulhu?" An inquisitive look. "I'm definitely not sure about a riddle game with something that's sure as fuck older than I am and probably a hell of a lot smarter. Although I'm perfectly happy to /hear/ the problems." Poppy grins sharply, if cheerfully.

Hien continues his swim, and is almost there. He pushes his weapons to the fore while kicking at water. Just when it seems like he might have his chance the beast pays him no heed. The most Hien gets is a simple sway from the beast that sends Hien careening away from them both.

"Don't worry about that pest," the beast tells her. "He will die soon enough." A smile for the Fairest, then. "Now, where were we?" A beat passes before it continues on. "Oh right. Tell me, little one. What do you rides on thunder, and is born in the crucible of nature. That which knows no equal, and reigns supreme above all else."

"Right," the siren replies, dark eyes following Hien as he's shrugged to the side. Then she turns her attention more properly to the hedgebeast again, likely trusting the other Autumn to try again; she seems game enough to provide an ongoing distraction. "So just to clarify, I answer the two riddles and then you're not going to fucking eat me. Except you already can't eat me. So what do I win, besides the fact that that's a damn good riddle and I'm definitely going to make sure I save it for parties?" Poppy asks curiously. "I mean, I'm cool with damn good riddles, I'm just curious."

The thing smiles at her. It opens its maw wide as if to let a laugh, but the water remains still as the loud chortling echoes around her head. "Good. Good. You witches and your lot can only remain in my abode for so long, and I do so enjoy those that can make this fun." He 'clears his throat,' and then continues on. "Yes, as I was saying. I won't eat you if you can get them both right, and I won't even chase after you." Beat. "I'll just wait for you to expire as I expect you to, and collect my prize eventually. None have left my lair with their hold of the mortal coil intact."

Poppy gives the creature a curious look. "All right, so I can take some guesses at the fucking riddles, but explain to me why I can't just leave and visit for coffee and shit and to entertain you another fucking time?" The siren drifts backwards as though testing the waters behind her. "Also, how many guesses do I get per riddle?" A sharp grin.

The beast waits a few moments before answering. "I do suppose that you can have two chances if you can make this interesting." It shifts from left to right, and creates a few small waves in the act. "We can do this, but you need to answer. The longest I have seen from your ilk lasted but a passing of the moon to the sun."

The siren nods. "Right. So before I answer, I think I'd like to clarify that if I get these fucking riddles right, I and any companion that I may have are allowed to return to our homes unmolested." Poppy tilts her head, expression inquisitively. "Since just not chomping us and not chasing us doesn't help if we can't find the goddamn way back."

It lifts a loft scaled brow at her query. There is a resounding hum until it finally answers. "If you can swear that on your name I find those details amenable. For now. I do want something of my own in return." It smiles, again, and opens its mouth for her to see row upon row of teeth until it reaches the hole that leads to its gullet. "If you do fail I think I have other uses for you. You will have to bring others in your place."

Poppy tilts her head again, hair haloing in the water with the movement. "So to make sure I know what I'm agreeing to, you're willing to let me and any companions go, but you want me to swear that if I fuck up and answer these riddles wrong, then I have to bring people to you in my place as the price of letting us go home. Equal number of people for people set free."

"My, my." It swishes about again, smiling wide and pretty. It brings its hands together, and it almost looks comical in comparison to its massive body. "You understand me perfectly. See, we may yet find ourselves in an excellent situation. You have and understand all of what this deal entails. I will not bite into you or your companions, and will leave you to go as you please."

The siren grins cheerfully at the beast. "All right. And 'go as you please' includes home? You realize, of course, that there are some bastards that aren't as trustworthy as you are when it comes to following the letter of these kinds of fucking agreements. It's created some bit of paranoia, unfortunately, and I really have found I perform much better when those kinds of questions are answered." Poppy beams at the aguana.

"Untrustworthy? Me?" It almost sounds offended as it speaks in her head. Despite the field of corpse left to float like lillies in the water. "OH well, yes. 'As you please' does include home. I swear you quicksilver folk would name the moon and stars are your home as well."

Poppy gives the hedgebeast an interested look at that remark about moon and starts. "You know...well. That's going to have to be a conversation for another fucking day. As you noted, we actually /don't/ have all goddamn day." Another sharp grin. "So to answer your first riddle, it is a dragon." She gives the aguana a curious look. "Any relation of yours?" A blink. "Sorry, I'm getting off topic. You're just really damn good at making me think. That wasn't easy. But you did have another riddle?"

He frowns, as best he can while looking forward. "You are correct." It pauses a moment. "The riddle. I am not related to those foul-smelling beast of the skies, and I have no need for a crown. You are also correct in that you do not have all day and night, and I prefer my prey not to die frightened. It sours things oh so much. I do forget myself." It goes up, and then back down until it's looking up at her. "What is born by the sun and dies every night. More fleeting than your kind, but ever more eternal and long-loved. It brings with it knowledge and brilliance, and bleeds over the horizon as it dies."

The siren gives the beast a sympathetic look for her correct answer, then she laughs, a musical ripple. "Who's to say I don't already taste like crap? I mean. Not that I've tried me." Poppy falls silent, then, considering the question - or, at least, almost silent, as after a moment a soft hum fills the water around her. Finally, she says, "I think the answer to your riddle is 'the day.'"

"You have flesh and skin and bones. You undoubtedly taste quite delicious. I had one of your kind, a squid of sorts. He tasted of ink and something spicy. He had tentacles, and they even had a certain crunch to them. That may have been the teeth. I find it hard to tell sometimes. It could also have been the bones, I suppose. It might even have been their armor. It is hard to tell how many layers of skin you things have." It stops its rambling, and grows still for a few seconds. "Hmm. You are correct, it seems. A shame, that."

Poppy hums throughtfully at that description. "I probably cannot actually fucking answer that for you," she says frankly. "So I'm not going to dwell." At that response, she gives a sinuous shrug. "Hey, none of this shit is easy, so you can take pride in that. I appreciate learning a thing or two." Opalescent eyes skim the surroundings. "I should probably collect my companion and go, though. Time passes and all that shit. That said? It was absolutely fucking fascinating to meet you." An emphatic nod. "I'm unlikely to ever forget this."

"Yes, yes. Take your victory and go." He moves around again, drifting further upward. "As for your companion I haven't the faintest of clues where he departed, but do know that if he comes here again and attacks me that I will consume him and his soul." It turns around, leaving Poppy to move as she pleases. "Please, don't be a stranger."

Hien, for his part is near the bottom of the waterfall. He looks exhausted, and has his hands on his knees. The power of his fae bearing shifts even the driest spaces to something slick and wet while he catches his breath. He was heading back to the water right when Poppy comes into view. He asks, "That really you, or I did I hit my head harder than I thought?"

"Thanks, and so fucking noted," Poppy replies cheerfully before she starts making a quick exit. Once she's a polite distance away, she pauses, closing her eyes for a moment and focusing. Reassured that she's going in the right direction, she puts on a burst of speed to make the surface before what air she has runs out. Once she spies Hien, she makes a face even as she makes her way up onto the shore. "I mean, unless we're both fucking hallucinating. Which is possible; that thing was a goddamn aguana, and they screw with your head. It could have kept us there until we were chum." A discordant note touches the harmonics of her voice. "How the hell are you?"

"The last time I felt that kind of pain I had my arm cut off. So, yeah. There's that." He rubs at the side of his head, agitating the tentacles that make up his hair. "I had to keep moving down in the air until I could safely hit the ground. I may need a few dozen drinks after this, and maybe see if I can get Chinese around this time."

Poppy gives Hien a sideways look. "You had to keep moving down in the air until what? You've completely fucking lost me." The siren arches an eyebrow, giving the other Lost a long look. "I'm with you on the fucking drinks, although I'm supposed to work tonight if we're back in time, so that's going to be fun. Anyways. We should let people know that thing's out here; it's going to take a hell of a lot to kill it. Personally, I'd just avoid the fuck out of it."

Hien moves in a flash of glamour and in the blink of an eye. One second he's standing with her, and in the next he's well above her nearly a solid ninety meters above. Within the time it takes one to breathe in and breathe back out he's back on the ground. "Like that. Except that lizard fuck knocked me higher than I've ever been. On my own, anyway. I wager if I go back down there with The Storm God's Finger I can gut it from mouth to ass."

The siren blinks. "Well. That's a fucking shitshow. And as for gutting it, I'll leave that between the two of you; I'm not up for killing /that/ level of shit. Just keep in mind that the kind of traps it sets are in your own fucking head. I mean, not that that's a good reason for /not/ killing it, but sometimes poking the unholy union between a Mindflayer and Legendary Pokemon is a bad idea." Poppy tilts her head. "Regardless, I'm assuming you want Chinese and booze now and repeat attempts at killing that shit later."

"The fuck is a poke-" He lifts his hands up and shakes his head. "Never mind. That thing needs to go, but I'll get some bigger guns. Maybe some plastique." Hien shrugs, and goes back to messing with his hair again. "Either that or see if I can drain all the water out of this place. Not sure what something like that might do to the rest of this place, but..." He shrugs again. "...I'll burn that bridge when I get to it."

Poppy grins sharply. "Yeah, you don't really want to know. That way lies a hell of a lot of madness. And plastique might be the way to fucking go, honestly - if you think that shit'll light up in the Hedge." A musical snort greets that suggestion of draining the water. "That seems...perhaps a bit more difficult. Anyways, hope that was helpful to you; I should probably get my ass back to the bar and see what time it is. And how sane I'm fucking feeling. I don't recommend bargaining with that thing."