omen post; un: bad.apple | forward-dated to april

[laniidae]

[It's a very odd post that goes up on the network during the month of April — one that seems to keep switching back and forth between text and video, almost as though control over the content of the feed is caught in a struggle of some sort, with one thing dragging one way, and another force tugging the other.]

Help. Help us. Help her. Please.

[A flicker of video appears like a flashbulb memory — a white-haired man in tattered black armor makes a sign with his fingers and says Leave Blaviken. Start over, and a second later Renfri's voice says, You're right. I can, can't I?]

We followed the moths. She —

[Another flash of video. This time it shows a great, ornately-carved wooden door set into a tall tower, and Renfri in front of it with a dagger in one hand and the other on the handle. It's not the type of door that looks as though it should have a handle at all, and yet when she presses on it, it turns easily and opens.]

— won't come back out —

[A third flash. Two things are quickly becoming apparent: that the struggle between text and video is the result of Renfri's Omen half transmitting itself and half reflecting what it sees through its connection to her — and that it's almost as though Renfri can't make up her mind how to fix her past to achieve the world she wants.]

— and soon she'll drag me in after her.

[A tall, crowned man leaves his throne and lunges to his feet, stabbing a hand decorated with a signet ring toward two figures kneeling before him — one elderly mage, one lovely queen, both trembling and wretched, and at his side a little girl with long lovely hair smirks as he thunders, Treason! How dare you speak such vile curses about my daughter!]

Hurry. Come to me. Come to me and make her leave.


[OOC: This network post takes place once Renfri has already passed through the ▲ arch, but her Omen resisted the pull and has not yet followed her in. Possible ways to play are as follows:

If you want to follow Renfri in to rescue her, your characters can seek out her Omen and use it as a bridge to enter into Renfri's altered world, at which point I will transition the thread to action and take yours on a little rescue adventure inside her fix-it world! Upon entering the dream, your character will be prompted to take on a role suitable for a Witcher-esque fantasy setting, and your task will be to convince Renfri to leave!

If you want to stick to network, her Omen can also get sucked in alone, and your character can try to coax Renfri to leave remotely!

Please note that comments are likely to include all themes warned for on the TDM, as well as delving into Renfri's backstory. Please note her character-specific content warnings and let me know if there are any topics you would prefer to avoid!]

Comments

Omen; un: sylphjayz

[returncoat]

? I think i know her.



I'm already thru the arch. where is she now? we can find her.

[Along with the text, Alvin's Omen transfers an impression of its own wings flapping, the feel of talons grasping a young, outstretched arm, and a curious sense of where people are. Maybe it's just the Sleepers' shared psychic network, maybe it's something innate to the bird Alvin believes his Omen is.

Then Ardley shares another message from Alvin.]

What's wrong with staying if she likes it here?

[laniidae]

Find the castle. She will stay close to the castle.

[There's something odd about the way Renfri's Omen keeps that particular commentary; a sense that there really aren't that many places Renfri could be, as though the world behind the arch is divided into neat halves: the place she wants to be, and the place she doesn't.

The problem is, the girl is in one, and the escape is in the other.]

She will regret it. She does not want this.

[returncoat]

[Hmmm.]

Okay. It won't be the first castle i've ever snuck into.

Do i get anything for helping?

video; un: lady

[dohaeris]

Renfri!

[sansa recognizes only renfri, but it looks enough like westeros to startle her, and the feelings are familiar, some of them (a father to protect her, never to have left home--). and renfri is her friend.]

It isn't real, Renfri! Your life is in Trench!

[and then her panic subsides, and she remembers herself.]

I have something very important to tell you, and I've finished your dress. But I'm not going in there after you, you'll have to come out.

[laniidae]

[It takes a little while before a response to Sansa's message comes; long enough for Renfri's Omen to get drawn through the arch after her, and to wend its way back to her side to repair the distance that had lingered between them. But soon enough, its eyes land on the girl she is within the illusion, and she is —

Well. Different.

Before the woods, before the first time she killed a man, she'd had long hair — the sort befitting a proper princess, thick and curling and lovely. Hacking it off had been just one of the many, many things taken away from her, back then, and it had never grown back right so she'd never tried.

But it is a clean, curious, bright-eyed girl of about nine or ten that peeps back into the video, and she wrinkles her nose at the sight of it.]

Oh, it's you again, bird! Whose tidings are you bringing this time? A witch or wizard's? For your sake, I hope not — my father won't like it if he catches you at it, you know.

[Evidently, she's concluded her Omen is some sort of familiar, and assumes the voices that come from it are likewise.]

[dohaeris]

[sansa had known a girl like that, once, although that girl's hair could never be left down for any length of time without getting terrible tangles and sometimes, leaves. she blinks back tears.

perhaps she can brush renfri's hair for her, when she gets back.]

It's me, Renfri. Do you remember being bigger?

[it doesn't sound like it. she draws a breath.]

Could I tell you a story, Renfri? A good one, with princesses? My realm has no quarrel with yours, so I don't see that your father could mind.

voice; un: AskMalice

[slayerskiss]

[Well. This is fucking bad, but she's not going to just sit here. She doesn't know Renfri super well but... This is what she's supposed to do. Dive in without a second thought, even if it gets her killed.

As if that's a downside.]

...Alright, I'm going ahead after her to try and get her out. Whether you come with me or not is up to you but I'm just gonna state for the record? I think it's a bad idea.

The omen still around to respond?

[laniidae]

Yes. I am still here — for now.

[So speaks the Omen, sounding a little strained even in text alone.]

You will need to follow me in. I can lead you to her.

[slayerskiss]

Alright. I'll meet you there. Give me a minute.

We'll get her back safe, alright?

voice: un: buttman

[shiro2hero]

[Okay, Pranked Username aside - ]

The arch. Okay. We're coming - just hang in there.

[Him and his own Omen, he means. Thankfully, he's feeling better these days, as March wanes. Follow the moths, find the lady.]

Try to hold on! We'll be there as soon as we can!

[laniidae]

[NEVER FEAR, BUTTMAN IS HERE.]

You. I know you.

[There's a short pause here; it's more reflective than distracted, like the Omen is sifting through its own recollection of something before it speaks again.]

Help me save her. She needs you to save her.

[Never let it be said that Renfri's Omen isn't just as much of a manipulative bastard as she is herself.]

[shiro2hero]

[PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN OF BUTTS.]

I - I'll do everything I can.

[Honestly, it doesn't take much to get him invested. He's already heading out the door.]

Can you show me a landmark?

video; un: wulala

[royalfling]

Oh, no. Oh no, Renfri, you can't give in-- [ Wu isn't exactly equipped to help out, most of the time. Maybe this isn't one of those times? He knows that Renfri didn't exactly have a great time back home, so this doesn't look good, it doesn't look good at all ]

Renfri, can you hear me?

[laniidae]

You. I know you.

[Of course they know each other, but that seems to just be Renfri's Omen's way of saying hello. It's not as though she and Renfri have a very close relationship, after all, what with Renfri's general distaste for the shrike she is and represents.

But still.]

I can go to her. Can you convince her to leave? If I take you to her?

[royalfling]

I can certainly try...

[ His powers only sort of work over the network, and he has no idea if they would work through an Omen, but he has to do something! He has to try. ]

Yes, yes, please go to her. I'll do my best. This can't be good for her...

audio; un: padlocks

[enblightened]

Renfri--

[No. No no no, he will not live to suffer another lost friend. He grits his teeth and seethes for a moment, but he will not allow himself to be lost to his own sufferings and fury.

Not when he is needed.]

I will come for her.

[Not another word spoken. He is on his way.]

[laniidae]

Hello, monster. Dear monster. Yes. Help me save her.

[Even in text, it doesn't sound like a condemnation; if anything it's almost affectionate.]

Follow the moths to me. I will take you to her.

[enblightened]

We monsters best remain together, aye.

Good. I shall bring her back. Me, or another.

Action

[unphase]

[they aren't close, but that doesn't matter. a person is in need of rescue, she's rescued people before, so that's what she's going to try and do again.

so Tinya goes to where she thinks the Omen is broadcasting from, cradling her own Omen up against her left shoulder. the kitten's ears were completely perked up and she was all but bristling because Moonlight does not approve of this plan, no she really doesn't. her Bgztlian is far too brave for her own good.

so as soon as she finds Renfri's Omen, she gives them a smile and bobs a curtsy]

It's a pleasure to meet you. Renfri still won't leave that place?

[laniidae]

[The Omen made itself easy to spot, at least, even in the sunless environment; when Tinya arrives, it's sitting perched on a bit of the crumbling ruin that juts up and out sufficiently enough for it to get its talons around it. It's inky black and long-tailed — a shrike. And it keeps ruffling its feathers like it's experiencing a phantom wind blowing past it, trying to force it to take flight when it doesn't want to.]

She will not. She is afraid of the path to redemption.

[unphase]

[thank the Mistress for the Omen, then. Omens were proving to be more that parts of their souls, they were their souls, only able to face up to truths their persons were unable to.

never mind Moonlight doing everything in her power to dissuade Tinya from her path. now, up to biting Tinya's thumb. Tinya coos softly to Moonlight, hoping to soothe her] It's all right, dearest, it will be only for a little while. Just a little while.

[to the Omen] Aren't we all? But how many paths does Renfri have? One? Two? A multitude?

voice; un: 3167

[lludw]

[He recognizes the username. The girl who had talked about prophecy. And he thinks he recognizes what's happening - he was dragged into his own memories and those of others a few months ago, after all.

Getting trapped there sounds like hell.]

...Where is it?

[laniidae]

Follow the moths to me. Find me.

[That seems to be the easiest way about it, all things considered. Or so the Omen believes.]

Find me, and I will lead you to her.

video; un:mako

[arclightning]

[ Well, crap.

Mako can't just leave her, not like this, and Wu's already worried about it. He's already pushing himself up, sharing a worried look with Zuko. They need their bartender, but more importantly, no doorway or arch in this city can be trusted, and if Renfri's Omen is worried, then something bad is happening. ]

Give me a landmark. Something to reach you by. Why won't she come back?

[laniidae]

The moths. She followed the moths and their promises.

[The tone of the message, despite being projected in text, is relieved and almost businesslike. It's as though Renfri's Omen is aware of who's going to stand the best chance of retrieving her wayward Sleeper, and if she had any money to lay on the odds, more likely than not she'd lay them on Mako.]

The woods, the woods, into the woods. Find me at the gate and I will guide you to her.