[popdrop] H1: Spectre & Poppy

[warpweft]

[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.]

Comments

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

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

...it goes back to Grandmother Lillith.

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

Who is she?

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

She's the one who attacked you.

Oh. Um.

[She holds up a phone.]

Cornelius texted me. He said you might be coming.

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

Is Cornelius the one that I met before?

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

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

Blob.

Person?

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

Yes. That seems accurate.

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

Yes! Then he's the one you met!

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

I see.

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

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

I, um....

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

... ...maybe.

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

May I borrow it?

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

M-maybe...

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

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

What manner of problem?

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

“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!”

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

I... see.

How important should this memory be?

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

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?

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

As you say.

How should I share it?

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

[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!

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

[Hesitates]

[Then he holds out a hand]

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

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

Whenever you're ready.

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

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

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

Okay....

[Once you’re ready, Nell closes her eyes and murmurs something to herself for a couple moments. A soft purple light surrounds her hands and, eventually, surrounds Puck too. He lifts a paw up and whaps it on your forehead.]

[It's quiet for a moment. You can feel something in your head, but it's...subtle. Gentle. Trying to be delicate while it's in there and not mess anything up, so the process takes a few moments....]

[And then the glow is gone. Nell's eyes open again. She takes in a breath, a small smile curling on her face.]

That looked like a lot of fun. [Pie looked good, too.]

[One of the doors down in the hallway can be heard opening. Nell perks up and looks in that direction.]

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

[Glances that way, as well]

May I go...?

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

[She nods.]

Yes! And...feel free to take whatever you need to. I hope it helps you.

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[taking_pains]

My thanks.

[He inclines his head, slightly, and heads off toward the hall]

Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE

[voidhearts]

[The hallway has three doors, one of which is currently open. The other two are closed and... ...locked.]