[ as marcoh walks, he can flip through his little journal. everything in cabeswater is magical, though the water in particular doesn’t seem to have specific magical properties outside of being tied to the forest and the ley line itself.
curiously though, as marcoh looks, he will find some cross-referenced notes, leading him back to a section about glendower.
“Some folklore and fiction imply that Glendower has the power to call spirits from the Abyss. The power of word… potential? Spoken word. Conviction?”
these notes are kind of half-written, as if it’s a theory thought of but not fully explored.
anyway as he approaches, he can skip a stone across the water. he can see it sink… but there are no ripples in the water itself. it sinks into nothingness, and as he peers into the water he will see his own reflection looking back at him, gaunt and wrinkled and hollowed out eyes. it stares back up at him, unblinking for now.
jiaoqiu will be able to spread his cards, and when he deals a three card reading, what he finds is that despite being a full deck all three cards he plays are exactly the same.
it’s death, and death, and death.
(“Death is a symbol of transformation and new beginnings, the need to start over and let go. It is an ending.”)
over by the water, as marcoh continues to look, his face begins to rise up and out of the water inch by inch. ]
[ why in the fuck would you hit dear, sweet euphausia in the face?
the water gives way to the face rising, morphing and stretching and pulling as she breeches the surface and displaces marcoh's reflection. her eyes are dead, mouth slack and cheeks hollowed. judging by her water-logged state, she's been here for some time. you can see her face clearly, but her torso's deteriorating, legs completely lost in the inky black abyss. ]
[ He sees it shift and that's a face he recognises. A sweet girl doing her best, someone who reminds him a little of his own family. He'd never hit her. He draws back so fast off the shoreline as this zombified caricature of her rises. ]
(A face that looks familiar - unfamiliar? You remember, you don't remember, no - you remember, in passing, a few encounters-)
Siffrin tenses, one hand catching against Marcoh's back to steady him and shift closer to Jiaoqiu where he was by the waters. A hand held out just in case. ]
How long..?
[ No, nevermind that. Be wary, be careful, get ready to defend themselves if she - what? Attacks?? ]
jiaoqiu stands, gathering his cards, putting them in his pocket quickly. is eupha like, moving at them? or is she just floating in the water? either way he moves forward, frowning. there's something inappropriate and out of place that crosses his mind - something about seafood, about paprika, about a girl who eagerly offered to help him cook - and then nothing, again.
he's going to tell them to get away from the water, but his eyes are drawn to it, honestly, even as he's coming up to hold onto siffrin.
is it just eupha? ]
-- Get away from the water, I pulled death. [ transformation can also be a zombie ripping your face off, okay, let's not chance it, he thinks ]
[ it is just eupha, and she's not rising toward them like a zombie or anything.
maybe that's somehow more tragic, actually. it's just a dead girl... someone floating alone in the dark, unable to move on her own and suspended in time. when was the last time any of you saw her anyway? do you remember?
when was the last time you checked in with friends? loved ones... or have you let your own wants consume you to the point you've said "I have time later, but first, this."
[ Oh, it's not a hostile zombie... maybe? Marcoh gives it a second of waiting. Weirdly enough, not the first time he's seen a rotting doppelganger of a girl he cares about (IF HE HAD A NICKEL...?) except that one was definitely hostile. Wait, but that never happened here in Cabeswater. Hell, that didn't even happen in Heaven. He frowns a little.
He isn't going to ignore both her and the other gays to reference his notes for a hot minute. He carefully reaches to take the one Siffrin held out... but also one to 'Eupha'? As he takes a wary step back from the water shore themselves at Jiaoqiu's urging. Safety measures. ]
[ When Jiaoqiu comes close enough, meeting with their hold, Siffrin reaffirms their hold on him. Unsure what to do in the face of what is just a sad dead girl.. but not wanting to risk Jiaoqiu and Marcoh both. He can't afford to lose them. Any of them. (Oh Yves, we're really in it now.)
And then their other hand is taken by Marcoh oh okay we are gay and all holding hands. Following that step back at Jiaoqiu's warning. Pulling death does not sound good at all. Is it speaking of the death.. here? With her? Or their own impending death? They also kinda don't want to know.
Flickering their gaze to Marcoh, will he help Eupha... ]
Death is a symbol of transformation and new beginnings, the need to start over and let go. Ending. And I pulled it three times in a row.
[ does this mean we have to die to get out of this cave. drowning real. a beat, as he tightens his hold on sif's hand. ]
How did she...
[ how did she get here? when is the last time he checked in with his friends? he should've been able to save her, somehow. to save the others... the others? he shivers, unable to take his eyes off eupha. ]
... I don't know that we want to touch the water, but we may have to.
[ marcoh may not be referencing his journal right now, but...
“The power of word… potential? Spoken word. Conviction?”
these words seem to resonate with you, a bit, as you stare at the form of this lost girl.
all of you can gayly hold hands while staring at a corpse, letting her bob in the water. it's odd, isn't it? you threw a stone earlier, and it sank into nothing. and yet here's eupha, floating and staring you in the face as a reminder of your own shortcomings.
your failure to stay with people you care for. your failure to save people. your failure to hold onto those soft, delicate things.
the water continues to reflect the jagged ceiling, and yet you can't see anything else in the empty abyss. you still have a lake to cross. but there are some things you may have to let go, first. ]
[ The words swim around his head but he's not that smart. This AU is telling him he needs to be but he's actually fucking terrible with them. Not lacking in conviction though. Think. Solve a problem without your goddamn fists for once. He sees his sister in her. What would he say to her when she's sulking over her dumb giant of a brother? ]
It's alright. Nothing to be scared of.
[ Death, huh. New beginnings? He holds Siffrin's hand a little tighter then lets go to step closer to the strange Eupha wraith instead, a little wary still at the unknown situation but without hesitation. He's going to die within the year. He grimaces a bit, but that means however way he dies, there's no changing it anyways. Then nothing else but that thing can kill him. ]
[ Gently, a thumb brushes over Jiaoqiu's knuckles, squeezing his hand. It's okay. Reassure as best they can even though they can't remove their gaze from Eupha. Thinking of other faces, wondering what has happened to them. So fixated here, so focused on them. But that's nothing new, is it?
Peering up at those words, before back to the girl. Before to the water again. What will they be able to do once they reach the waters? (Is there more of them in there..?) He tenses as Marcoh's hold on them tightens before letting go and oh his
heart drops. A little panicky and take a step to follow after. ] Marcoh..?
when siffrin and jiaoqiu hear those words in particular, they feel their anxiety quelled, a little. there's a firm belief in those words, the kind that they have a hard time dismissing.
and really, is there anything to be afraid of? because marcoh reaches for eupha, and his feet touch the water. it's wet and it's cold, but he doesn't sink. he stands on the lake's surface, and he touches eupha's hand... and like a ghost, she passes through.
an illusion, it seems. a compilation of your fears condensed into one girl, those stray little thoughts in the back of your head. those core pieces of who you are. she slips through marcoh's fingers almost as if she were never there at all, and marcoh remains standing on the surface.
[ Ah. He blinks here, reaching through Eupha... just a ghost. Still, he frowns a little -- even if it's not quite right, he still feels a slight sadness for seeing her in a state like this.
They have to move though. He has to find that tomb. Assuming Siffrin did not let go, Marcoh re-tightens his grip then, gesturing with a slight shake of his head to that exit. ]
[ No one is dying ever. Not on Siffrin's watch. With his hold on Jiaoqiu, he follows with that step and that tug without any struggle. Even if Siffrin had their doubts about the water - they trust Jiaoqiu, and if it's closer to the water he wants then they'll follow with.
Though that bubbling anxiety does settle a little, breathing just a slight bit easier. As always, they trust Marcoh's words, too.
Oh bye girl....... goin' ghost girl... but oh, Marcoh's grip is back okay they just nod, glancing to Jiaoqiu quickly before ensuring they all stay close as they make the way onto the water across. It's now us and the other side at 11:44pm. ]
nothing to be scared of. okay. jiaoqiu takes a deep breath, and shakes his head. yeah. obviously - obviously there's nothing to be afraid of. it's alright. just walk forward.
so he will. he'll just take a step forward, and then keep going, and keep going. ]
We need to find Yves. Maybe he's found something to explain all this. [ ... ] Don't look down.
[ holding hands... across the water like little ducklings. nothing to be afraid of. nothing to be afraid of... the three of you make your way across the water, though if you let the fear seep in even slightly, you'll find yourself starting to sink. keep focused.
the walk across the lake feels arduous, a length much longer than it looks, but you eventually make it. you can barely even see your starting part anymore, and the opening of this cavern awaits you.
it's small though, enough that you will have to crawl. marcoh... will you even fit?
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holyspirits) wrote2025-03-02 05:10 pm
no subject
curiously though, as marcoh looks, he will find some cross-referenced notes, leading him back to a section about glendower.
“Some folklore and fiction imply that Glendower has the power to call spirits from the Abyss. The power of word… potential? Spoken word. Conviction?”
these notes are kind of half-written, as if it’s a theory thought of but not fully explored.
anyway as he approaches, he can skip a stone across the water. he can see it sink… but there are no ripples in the water itself. it sinks into nothingness, and as he peers into the water he will see his own reflection looking back at him, gaunt and wrinkled and hollowed out eyes. it stares back up at him, unblinking for now.
jiaoqiu will be able to spread his cards, and when he deals a three card reading, what he finds is that despite being a full deck all three cards he plays are exactly the same.
it’s death, and death, and death.
(“Death is a symbol of transformation and new beginnings, the need to start over and let go. It is an ending.”)
over by the water, as marcoh continues to look, his face begins to rise up and out of the water inch by inch. ]
no subject
Hm.
[ Thwaps the rising waters with his flashlight. ]
no subject
no subject
looks up from his cards at marcoh trying to slap the thing in the water with his flashlight with a dry look. okay. ]
no subject
the water gives way to the face rising, morphing and stretching and pulling as she breeches the surface and displaces marcoh's reflection. her eyes are dead, mouth slack and cheeks hollowed. judging by her water-logged state, she's been here for some time. you can see her face clearly, but her torso's deteriorating, legs completely lost in the inky black abyss. ]
no subject
[ He sees it shift and that's a face he recognises. A sweet girl doing her best, someone who reminds him a little of his own family. He'd never hit her. He draws back so fast off the shoreline as this zombified caricature of her rises. ]
What are you? Stay back.
no subject
(A face that looks familiar - unfamiliar? You remember, you don't remember, no - you remember, in passing, a few encounters-)
Siffrin tenses, one hand catching against Marcoh's back to steady him and shift closer to Jiaoqiu where he was by the waters. A hand held out just in case. ]
How long..?
[ No, nevermind that. Be wary, be careful, get ready to defend themselves if she - what? Attacks?? ]
no subject
jiaoqiu stands, gathering his cards, putting them in his pocket quickly. is eupha like, moving at them? or is she just floating in the water? either way he moves forward, frowning. there's something inappropriate and out of place that crosses his mind - something about seafood, about paprika, about a girl who eagerly offered to help him cook - and then nothing, again.
he's going to tell them to get away from the water, but his eyes are drawn to it, honestly, even as he's coming up to hold onto siffrin.
is it just eupha? ]
-- Get away from the water, I pulled death. [ transformation can also be a zombie ripping your face off, okay, let's not chance it, he thinks ]
no subject
maybe that's somehow more tragic, actually. it's just a dead girl... someone floating alone in the dark, unable to move on her own and suspended in time. when was the last time any of you saw her anyway? do you remember?
when was the last time you checked in with friends? loved ones... or have you let your own wants consume you to the point you've said "I have time later, but first, this."
would you like to pull her out, maybe? ]
no subject
He isn't going to ignore both her and the other gays to reference his notes for a hot minute. He carefully reaches to take the one Siffrin held out... but also one to 'Eupha'? As he takes a wary step back from the water shore themselves at Jiaoqiu's urging. Safety measures. ]
What does that one mean again?
no subject
And then their other hand is taken by Marcoh oh okay we are gay and all holding hands. Following that step back at Jiaoqiu's warning. Pulling death does not sound good at all. Is it speaking of the death.. here? With her? Or their own impending death? They also kinda don't want to know.
Flickering their gaze to Marcoh, will he help Eupha... ]
What should we do?
no subject
[ does this mean we have to die to get out of this cave. drowning real. a beat, as he tightens his hold on sif's hand. ]
How did she...
[ how did she get here? when is the last time he checked in with his friends? he should've been able to save her, somehow. to save the others... the others? he shivers, unable to take his eyes off eupha. ]
... I don't know that we want to touch the water, but we may have to.
no subject
“The power of word… potential? Spoken word. Conviction?”
these words seem to resonate with you, a bit, as you stare at the form of this lost girl.
all of you can gayly hold hands while staring at a corpse, letting her bob in the water. it's odd, isn't it? you threw a stone earlier, and it sank into nothing. and yet here's eupha, floating and staring you in the face as a reminder of your own shortcomings.
your failure to stay with people you care for. your failure to save people. your failure to hold onto those soft, delicate things.
the water continues to reflect the jagged ceiling, and yet you can't see anything else in the empty abyss. you still have a lake to cross. but there are some things you may have to let go, first. ]
no subject
It's alright. Nothing to be scared of.
[ Death, huh. New beginnings? He holds Siffrin's hand a little tighter then lets go to step closer to the strange Eupha wraith instead, a little wary still at the unknown situation but without hesitation. He's going to die within the year. He grimaces a bit, but that means however way he dies, there's no changing it anyways. Then nothing else but that thing can kill him. ]
no subject
Peering up at those words, before back to the girl. Before to the water again. What will they be able to do once they reach the waters? (Is there more of them in there..?) He tenses as Marcoh's hold on them tightens before letting go and oh his
heart drops. A little panicky and take a step to follow after. ] Marcoh..?
[ water you doin' ]
no subject
Marcoh. [ he says, worried, as he steps forward... but he doesn't stop him. he holds onto siffrin, ready to move forward to grab marcoh if necessary.
but if nothing really happens, maybe he'll tug siffrin a little closer to the water, with him. ]
no subject
when siffrin and jiaoqiu hear those words in particular, they feel their anxiety quelled, a little. there's a firm belief in those words, the kind that they have a hard time dismissing.
and really, is there anything to be afraid of? because marcoh reaches for eupha, and his feet touch the water. it's wet and it's cold, but he doesn't sink. he stands on the lake's surface, and he touches eupha's hand... and like a ghost, she passes through.
an illusion, it seems. a compilation of your fears condensed into one girl, those stray little thoughts in the back of your head. those core pieces of who you are. she slips through marcoh's fingers almost as if she were never there at all, and marcoh remains standing on the surface.
"Nothing to be scared of." ]
no subject
They have to move though. He has to find that tomb. Assuming Siffrin did not let go, Marcoh re-tightens his grip then, gesturing with a slight shake of his head to that exit. ]
Come on then. Let's get moving.
no subject
Though that bubbling anxiety does settle a little, breathing just a slight bit easier. As always, they trust Marcoh's words, too.
Oh bye girl....... goin' ghost girl... but oh, Marcoh's grip is back okay they just nod, glancing to Jiaoqiu quickly before ensuring they all stay close as they make the way onto the water across. It's now us and the other side at 11:44pm. ]
..Right.
no subject
nothing to be scared of. okay. jiaoqiu takes a deep breath, and shakes his head. yeah. obviously - obviously there's nothing to be afraid of. it's alright. just walk forward.
so he will. he'll just take a step forward, and then keep going, and keep going. ]
We need to find Yves. Maybe he's found something to explain all this. [ ... ] Don't look down.
no subject
the walk across the lake feels arduous, a length much longer than it looks, but you eventually make it. you can barely even see your starting part anymore, and the opening of this cavern awaits you.
it's small though, enough that you will have to crawl. marcoh... will you even fit?
from the entrance though, you a conversation. huh. ]