wooliefrand | OCEAN QUEST P2

...O, lordly time, who waits for naught,
Who takes away both tears and light
Who grinds down stone then builds it up
The one who always says "enough,"

[ oh he is so goofing on sticking to the proper rhyme scheme stab him already. but--
but he feels like.
he really really wants to get this next bit said. for some reason. ]

Though every scale won't last forever,
May theirs be kept safe, today.
Though every scale is shed... some day,
See, still, how beautiful... they gleam...

So, please...
...save them, a little longer, for me.

[ this is so fun. ]

O Holy One, with your timeless grace,
Guide us through this endless space.
In your wisdom, may we find our way,
As we journey through night and day.

[ Well, this is hardly out of his skill range. He is enjoying them make the effort, though, and when there's an opening, he sings, as sweetly as a renaissance Disney song— ]

♫ O Time, O endless beauty's heart,
Your coils bind the future, past and present sought.
In shadows deep, where whispers dwell,
Lead us through each heavenly spell.

Under your gaze, we rise and fall,
Yet in your silence, hear our call.
With each tick, a promise made,
In your eternal hands, our fears allayed.

Oh, guide our steps through this tangled maze,
With steady clockwork, guide our days.
Your endless cycle, a dance divine,

O, mighty one, let your stars align...! ♪

[ honestly? he's just enjoying the song. also, he stopped clapping because it probably doesn't really work now but. hey. they're doing the heavy work. ]

. . .

Well shxxt they might put me outta a jxb--

[A current begins to form around all present, becoming stronger and stronger with each verse, until they suddenly find themselves within a stream of warm, rushing water and rose petals, moving them along through the mist. In a way, it feels like you're riding a serpent. Or inside it. Either or.

The mist sharks persist though, ramming against the current and trying to bite through by force, following them. They can't get through with just one or two chomps, but probably best to blast them off your trail regardless.

Though, possibly more distracting than the mist monsters ramming at the stream, is that they all may suddenly catch glimpses of each other's past lives in the water rushing by them--a moment from home, a time they were sad or vulnerable, a happy memory, etc. Maybe even something you've never intended, or wanted to share.

Well it's not like everyone here wouldn't go yapping about it, right??]

[Levi does turn his magipen-armed crook at the sharks this time, using water magic to gather them up with a small whirlpool. That should hopefully pull them away from the current and leave them vulnerable.

Most of his older memories took place under the sea, so they filter into their current environment rather well. There are other sharks encircling them now, but these are from his past, rather than from the mist. The water grows bloody, which should be drawing the sharks in, but given that it belongs to one of their own and Past Levi's claws are what's done the damage, they swim off in a flurry.

Rose's shepherd grins toothily through the murk and continues on.]

[ angie's contributions:
A small, beautiful crystal, gently spinning in the middle of an iron ring,

Angel Devil, red as blood and boiling with magical power, abandoning all pretensions of civility to savagely kick an old man in black armor off of a platform as high up as a skyscraper, surely to plunge to his death--

An imperious man in golden armor with a bladed staff, looking at Angel Devil like he's a particularly loathsome bug. "My, my, what a formidable gathering. Hoping to ambush one of your enemies, perhaps?" he asks, and the memory of Angel Devil is tense as a piano wire, as he tells his younger brother, "Zidane, take your companions and go." But the scornful laughter is thick in Golden Armor's last words. ""You're the one known as ////? Hero of harmony, and chosen of Cosmos," and the wretched lie of the words is obvious from the pain crossing Angie's face--

Deep down in the roots of an immense tree,
"No one's useless," Zidane's voice insists.

the last bit is just. angie's voice, groggy with pain.
"...it's over, Master? You've fixed me?" ]

Edited 2024-04-13 04:20 (UTC)

[ It's a memory- of a cute little boy who resembles a certain Belle Melusine, down to the gradient ombre in his hair, talking to a blond gentleman who looks like a much more mature Belle Melusine... ]

"Dad! Dad! I passed the audition! I'm going to be in a musical school drama!"

Congratulations, V̝͉̗̟̝̜̀̑͑͊̂̌̇͜͜͠i͎̜̳̩̔̇̇̓͢͞l̷̪̳̝͓͍̦̀͐̃͌̒̊̽̾! What are you playing this time?"

"Oh, the star... Well, the star's rival. It's another mean villain."

"The director's got smarts, picking the cutest boy in the world as his villain."

"I was a villain bullying the hero in the last play I was in, too. Why do I keep getting picked to play the bad guy?

Do I really look that mean?"

"Oh, far from it. I think it's because you're an exceptionally beautiful, charming boy.

Stories wouldn't have any dramatic flair without villains. They're an essential, special part of any production.

Sometimes productions are more selective about their villain casting than their hero casting. You should be proud."

"Mm. I get it, Dad..."

[ The little boy seems to be accepting... but is he really. ]

Edited 2024-04-13 05:15 (UTC)

[ Ananke keeps his energy blasting arm charged, ready to take out any sharks that manage to escape or avoid Levi's whirlpool. In the meangtime, there's a scattering of moments in Ananke's life whizzing by —

—A younger, baby-faced Ananke hoists an even younger girl onto his shoulders so she can see over the crowd and into a cheetah exhibit.

—Ananke peering under the hood of a car while an older man gestures at the engine, explaining something about the inner workings.

—Ananke, fully decked out in his super suit, sprints away from laser fire. "Booster! Help me out here— Wait, you can help? Fine. Sure. I'll take any help a weird head voiAHH!" As he spoke, the suit took hold of his arm and wrenched it back with a painful snap in order to return fire against whatever was chasing them.

—A much younger Ananke being tossed into a pool, giggling madly. ]

Edited 2024-04-13 07:38 (UTC)

[ an echo of Subito's voice rings through the haze.

"--right now, my precious friends are in trouble, because I--"

"--even if we could turn back time, I would still choose the path that would lead me to you--"

"--you mean the world to me. I want to live my life always having these feelings--"

"--M̵͚̫͕̓͒͠a̵̙͎̞̽̒̚e̸͎̺͖̐́̚l̵̺͙̈́̓̚. please grant me once again the chance to save you--"

two shadowy figures — one of Subito's height and stature, and another smaller, feminine figure — walk away toward the light. ]

[The current will remember these scenes.

The memories swirl around them as they're moved along the current, and the mist sharks are caught in Levi's whirlpool. It looks like it's smooth sailing from here, and they can ride the current to their destination. . .destination? Where is that? They zip through the mist, but soon not only do their memories begin to thin out, but so does the mist itself, similar to the areas on land where they ventured out to saved their kidnapped flockmates.

And then, just as suddenly, the current stops, shooting them forward into the water, behind some greying seaweed. It's difficult to tell, even with the mist thinning out here, but it seems they aren't that far from the surface of the water, where some muffled chanting can be heard.

But more worryingly, there are other mist creatures here. . .sort of. They have the bodies/tails of the mist sharks, but shadowy, humanoid torsos. . .and are all wearing wolf masks. They seem to be swimming toward something, also in the direction of the chant. ]

[Leviathan stops when the current does, holding out an arm for the others to follow suit. He keeps his voice low.]

Mist merfolk?

Do you think they're heading toward our priest? Do we interrupt them or just follow?

[ after he's collected himself from the end of the ride, ]

I think... follow them? The ones that were fully bestial were stayed by the song... these will be closer to reason. That could be a good thing... but it makes them less predictable. Free will, and all.

Let's... go as close as we can. Here. As long as you don't attack, I can keep us hidden from sight. If they attack our priest, we'll still be able to respond quickly.

[ time to cast VANISH on everyone!!! it only lasts until you try to hurt someone, at which point the aggressive intent braaks the spell. ]

Edited 2024-04-13 18:59 (UTC)

[ Hits the brakes and frowns warily at the crowd, alert for any sign of aggression or indication they've been noticed. He keeps his voice low ]

I like staying hidden. Do you think you can cast this on your priest when we find them too?

[ whispering, ]

Staying hidden it is! I'm right with you guys.

I should be able to, but you never know what complicating factors can come up, around here... and, if they are entranced by our priest's presence, suddenly removing them from sight may well end in an abrupt turn to aggression.

I'll warn you, if I'm about to act to obscure them.

[ He's not sure how he feels about being invisible like this. ]

We could leave a decoy. Especially if the priest is there... I may be able to conjure up a glamor once I see them, but it won't last very long. We only want to buy some time, right?

Not a bad idea. How confident are you in your facsimiles?

Not as good as a schoolmate of mine, I'm afraid, but I can create an illusion so long as we have something of similar size to replace our Shepherd with.

Can you make them vanish, too?

Anything living and capable of doing harm, I can hide.

Similar size..... couldn't we use one of the merfolk?

Perhaps, but we'd have to lure one, and that alone will be risky. And we don't know what our Shepherd looks like yet, do we.

True, true...Aww~. Oh well. I would have certainly enjoyed the confusion it'd cause them.

See any particularly promising chunks of the scenery?

[ Looks around... ]

Let's look for large rocks or abandoned shells. Especially those we can pile up.

Could you cast a glamor at the priest's location? Perhaps that would be a bit complicated, but if you could make an image of the priest the moment they were made invisible...

I could, but as I said, we'd need something to cover with a glamor. I'd place the object myself, but it's likely using my magic will reveal me if I'm there- so I'd need someone invisible there to place it as soon as the Priest is taken.

The glamor will only last a few minutes, as well. I can try and hold it for five at most.

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