warpweft | [popdrop] H1: Spectre & Poppy

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[popdrop] H1: Spectre & Poppy

[The first thing you notice is how dark it is. It’s really, really stinkin’ dark. You can’t see anything. Even if you naturally have the ability to see in the dark, well, not anymore. Which may be the second thing you notice - any powers you have, any magic is gone. Silenced. You can’t feel it, similarly to when you’re in the theme park, with an additional sense of anxiety and loss surrounding the inability to tap into it. Even a heightened sense of emotion won’t bring them back, like it might in the theme park. If you have other powers of some kind, enhanced physical capabilities or the like, they’re either gone or significantly reduced as well. You feel extremely normal and it doesn’t feel good.]

[Whether you stay still or stumble along in the dark, at least it’s not too long. You eventually catch notice of something illuminating the darkness. You find yourself drawn to it. It's a small spherical glass object. Near the edges, it's black, but bits of purple and violet appear, gradually brightening and swirling together in a spiral shape at the center. The spiral at the center is bright enough to bathe you and the surroundings in a soft violet light. As you get closer, you can feel voices coming from the sphere. You can’t tell what they’re saying, but maybe if you were closer. You feel a deep desire in your stomach to just…reach out….]

What are you doing?

[The voice, a woman’s voice, comes from behind you. You didn’t hear anybody approaching, but you’re immediately filled with an intense sense of foreboding. You turn and look, but you can’t see anything. The darkness is once again overpowering, the violet glow from the object next to you being the only thing that isn’t swallowed up by it. All you can make out in the darkness is what may be someone’s face and…two eyes. With nothing in them. Pitch-black.]

You touched the Heart…

You touched MY Heart!?

[There’s a lot of anger and it’s not making that sense of foreboding go away. The darkness and the person(?) inside it advance towards you, slowly engulfing the violet glow around you. Just when you’re thinking you’re gonna have to decide between fight or flight, here — something moves.

Towards you.

You feel something punch into your chest and before you know it, you’re on the ground, searing pain running through your upper body. A few things briefly pass through your senses. You hear a loud scream. If you tilt your head up, you can see a long black spike…embedded in your own chest. And you can taste… …yup. That’s your own blood.

That’s about as far as you get before consciousness leaves you.]

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[Glances away down the hallway, trying to see where it leads, before turning to knock on the door]

[Someone opens the door.]

Hello! I’ve been — ooh, I guess the storm got you pretty bad. Uh, come in! I’ve got some towels!

[It’s the same voice as the one that let you. It’s a young woman, she immediately moves out of the way to let you into the apartment. It’s…a pretty nice apartment! There’s an open door leading out into the balcony (which will by the way confirm that you went from ground level to several stories up if you look out over it), a big TV hanging on the wall and an exceptionally soft looking couch, equally comfortable easy chairs positioned around it. The couch must be as comfortable as it looks, because there’s a black cat napping on it, currently catching a sunbeam from the open balcony. It regards you for a second, then goes back to lounging immediately.]

[Up on the wall, there’s a kitschy little carved wooden sign - it reads “WELCOME TO THE WITCH’S CASTLE” and it has a little painting of a witch on a broomstick on it. Three guesses who lives here.]

[You’re currently in the Living Room. You can also explore the Kitchen or the Hallway.]

My thanks. For letting me in.

Is the weather usually so intense, this time of year?

No, normally, it's just fog and some thunder. You know, just to add a little atmosphere. [She grabs a towel from the linen closet and hands it to him.] It's really been bad, lately.

[He accepts the towel and begins to pat himself dry]

Do you know what's caused it?

...usually, when bad stuff happens around here...

...it goes back to Grandmother Lillith.

Who is she?

She's the one who attacked you.

Oh. Um.

[She holds up a phone.]

Cornelius texted me. He said you might be coming.

Is Cornelius the one that I met before?

The really tall kind of. [She makes a couple gestures with her hands that don't really describe much.]

Blob.

Person?

Yes. That seems accurate.

Yes! Then he's the one you met!

I see.

...he told me to come looking for items. Is there anything in this apartment that you could consider precious?

I, um....

[She hesitates, looking around. Her eyes fall on the hallway for a few seconds.]

... ...maybe.

May I borrow it?

M-maybe...

There's just. Maybe. A. Small problem.

What manner of problem?

“Mmn… don’t get me wrong. I’d like to help you and I’d like to help—“ [She pauses for a bit, she was about to say something else, but instead says:] “Hex too. But…she can be a very private person about some things. I just don’t know if I should share too much or it’d be violating her privacy…”

[Puck jumps up on the back of the couch and lets out a little ‘mrow’. He walks towards Nell, who gives him a couple scratches. This seems to give her an idea.]

“Oh, well, what if…” [She looks at you.] “Um. This might be asking too much. But um. Would you be willing to maybe. Share something of yours first? Um. I’m a witch, too, or. An apprentice, at least. So I know a little bit of magic and Puck is pretty good for a cat, too!” [She picks up Puck. He lets out another ‘mrow’.] “We can take an important memory of yours and share it with Hex…I think that’d probably make her trust you to walk around in here a little bit more, right? If you put a bit of yourself out…you can get something back!”

I... see.

How important should this memory be?

Um...well, I don't want to make you share something super private, so...

Maybe something only a little important at first, just to see if it works?

As you say.

How should I share it?

[Puck lets out another meow.]

Uh. If we're both holding Puck at the same time, just picture what you want to share very clearly and we should be able to share it!

[Hesitates]

[Then he holds out a hand]

[She plops Puck into his hands while keeping a grip on him, herself. She smiles to him.]

Whenever you're ready.

[He closes his eyes - begins to picture the memory]

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