azume | Test 5.

Test 5.

VERITY

The journey this month has been easier on you in several ways; despite your losses, your numbers have been bolstered by the addition of two more this month, and unlike the unforgiving terrain on the way to Lake Acuity the routes to Lake Verity seem downright hospitable - they're straightforward, the climate is far more temperate, and there are patches of cheer visible here and there along the paths in the form of those brightly-colored flowers, even as you make your way toward the lakefront.

But the lakefront itself is perhaps unsettlingly silent; a reminder, perhaps, of what you're here to do, of the importance of your task.

You'll reach the lake sometime in the evening. The sun isn't down yet, but it looks as though it won't be too long before it dips below the horizon; there's more than enough light for you to see what the lake itself looks like, however - the water is still and clear, to an extent where you can see straight down to the bottom regardless of how deep it gets. There's no bridge or other way to cross over the lake that you can see, but once again there's a large rock formation rising out of the center of the lake and a good-sized opening in the stone, leading to what's likely a system of caverns further inside.

Your exploration starts here, next to the crystal clear waters of Lake Verity; what happens next is up to you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king, but in the fucking dark punctuated with stalagmites everywhere and great acoustics, the blind man is fucking Daredevil apparently, and that's close enough.

For a good long period of time there isn't anything too audibly off - but at the sound of Morag moving tentatively inside, there's a small scuffling noise and the sound of someone's breathing picking up; nothing egregious, but seems like someone's trying to keep out of sight to your right.]

[He isn't not Daredevil, alright.]

[Just going to tap the nearest person on the shoulder and pointedly gesture off to the right, then step back towards where they came in to cover an exit route just in case.]

[Ball's in someone else's court, he's just the tactician.]

[Atsushi hasn't made a sound since Ignis told them not to, but now he's looking off to the right...possibly edging that way just a touch.

Is there anything he can pick out in the gloom if he cautiously creeps a bit closer?]

[Some more shifting noises; it sounds like someone's picking something fairly heavy up from the floor, like they're preparing to do...something. Whatever they're picking up seems less like a box or a solid thing - there's fabric rustling, probably something more like a bag.]

[Atsushi falters, hoping that whatever that heavy thing whoever this is is lifting isn't something they intend to try and lob at his head to keep him away, at least until he realizes it's more bag-like than heavy-rock-like.

He grits his teeth, holds his breath, and edges closer, trying to peer around the stalagmites to see if he can actually glimpse anyone there.]

[...Well, it seems that whatever it was this person was planning on doing, it was either "bolt" or the fight or flight reflex is winning out in favor of the latter, at least for now; get a good enough glimpse of them and you'll notice that there is very much a Pokéball in their hand - you'll likely also notice that they are...not moving in the direction y'all came from, toward Black Mage Daredevil over there, but rather further back into the cavern.

They startle a little when they see Rin and a couple of the others back where they came from; that actually gets them to draw up short and shift away, pressing back against one of those stalagmites but thankfully not trying to duck away out of sight again.

What you're going to end up seeing, then, is a boy that looks to be definitely no more than twelve, but he's probably closer to ten; he's dark-haired and warmly dressed, in black pants and a black-and-blue jacket, with a white scarf knotted around his neck, and while it seems like he's been affected like the rest of the region - his eyes still definitely don't look right, and he seems a little off - it's obvious that at the very least his self-preservation is working.

For those of you that were there, he seems a little like Maylene when she was trying to shake off the conditioning, really.]

Hi.

[It's not tentative; just kind of a blunt greeting. He shifts a bit, holding that Pokéball out toward Atsushi in a way that's clearly not offering it - more like he's willing to use it, to rise to whatever challenge is about to happen here.]

Listen, I'm not looking for trouble, okay?

...I don't think we are, either.

[EVERYONE TAKE A BREATH, NOBODY FLY OFF THE HANDLE YET.]

Are you with Team Galactic?

Edited 2018-08-24 19:49 (UTC)

Are you...? You don't look like you are.

[He's. Trying. He's clearly a lot further along than Maylene was at the start, though finding words still seems to be a bit difficult.]

They're not...getting better. Team Galactic.

We aren't, no. And we've noticed they're not improving--still, doesn't exactly hurt to ask.

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