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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Aug 13, 2017 19:02:23 GMT -8
Ollie hesitated for a moment, thinking carefully before answering. His brow furrowed, and he tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the table.
"Well...people have died. Sort of. When the sun finally rises, we all go outside, and there are...bodies on the streets. Torn open. Sometimes they're at our doors, leaning against them as though they were trying to get in. The thing is, though...we don't know who they are. Nobody can recognize the bodies, and nobody's ever missing. It's like these people are appearing out of thin air. They always wear the same things, too. Identical white tunics and trousers...well, they're more red by the time we find them. In any case, as far as we can tell...they just appear when the sun goes down and die before it comes back up. We don't understand it. We used to bury the bodies, but there were so many, and we didn't know what to put on the gravestones...so nowadays, we just burn them in the mornings. It's grisly, but what else can we do?"
He sighed, and took a sip of his soup. Frowning, he sprinkled some salt into it and took another sip.
"I don't know how long we'll last, though. Every now and then, we'll find that someone's house was broken into and everyone inside was slaughtered in the night. Even if we don't die...we'll run out of supplies eventually. We can't get out of the village, after all. We can grow vegetables, raise chickens and cattle, and harvest grain...but other things, we have to get from out of town."
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Nel
Committed
Climbing a grand tower.
Roleplay posts: 78
Age: 17
Physical Description: =====
A tall and slender maiden with brilliant green eyes and straight black hair. The hair hides many of her features but reveals an soft angular jawline, a small delicate nose.
=====
Clothes and Equipment: http://i.imgur.com/54Equdc.jpg
The picture shows her equipment well, however lacks her hunting dagger, a length of thin but strong rope, her "junk sack," and herb pouch.
Her quiver contains a number of different arrows with different purposes including armor piercing, grappling, fire arrows, and a limited supply of an enchanted variety.
=====
Player's online availability : Erratically, though at least daily
Registered: Jul 10, 2017 2:33:53 GMT -8
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Post by Nel on Aug 13, 2017 20:02:26 GMT -8
Nel took a bite of her soup. It was surprisingly tasty for something primarily containing turnips. The man's story put her off her appetite. It didn't stop her from continuing, forcing her stomach to accept the meal for the sole purpose of restoring her strength. The place where this all started was probably where whatever was troubling the town was, "When the sun rises, will you show me to the place where this all began?"
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Aug 13, 2017 20:20:31 GMT -8
Ollie nodded, sipping at his soup. One of the candles flickered, and Ollie glanced over at it nervously.
"Yes, of course. I'll show it to you, it's right down the street. What's the point, though? Do you really think you can do anything here? Can you really help us? You're just a newcomer who popped up out of nowhere. For all I know, you could be the monster. I don't know what to believe anymore, or whether or not I can trust my own eyes. Farmer Jenkins opened his teakettle last night, and swore that thousands of spiders crawled out. When he blinked, they were gone. Something's terribly wrong with this village, Nelisara. I don't know if it's going to stop before we're all dead."
There was a polite knock at the door, a far cry from the banging a few minutes before. A soft female voice called out from outside, pleading.
"Please, someone let me in. There's something out there, it's killing people. Everyone else has turned me away, please help me! You can't leave me out here to die like this, you just can't!"
Ollie turned white, but didn't move. He watched the door carefully, checking the heavy blockade in front of it.
"Don't you touch that door, Nelisara. I don't recognize that voice, and I know everyone in town."
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Nel
Committed
Climbing a grand tower.
Roleplay posts: 78
Age: 17
Physical Description: =====
A tall and slender maiden with brilliant green eyes and straight black hair. The hair hides many of her features but reveals an soft angular jawline, a small delicate nose.
=====
Clothes and Equipment: http://i.imgur.com/54Equdc.jpg
The picture shows her equipment well, however lacks her hunting dagger, a length of thin but strong rope, her "junk sack," and herb pouch.
Her quiver contains a number of different arrows with different purposes including armor piercing, grappling, fire arrows, and a limited supply of an enchanted variety.
=====
Player's online availability : Erratically, though at least daily
Registered: Jul 10, 2017 2:33:53 GMT -8
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Post by Nel on Aug 14, 2017 10:52:57 GMT -8
Nel looked at the door for a moment, a spoon of soup half way to her mouth, which was open. She dropped the spoon and stood, "And what if it is someone else like me?" Her voice was curt and words sharp in their meaning. Nel moved in front of the door, as far away as she could manage and still draw her bow. Which is exactly what she did, aiming the arrow at the door with a look that could only be a hunter's eye. "Ollie, move the couch and open the door. Keep the door between you and the outside. If I fire an arrow slam it shut."
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Aug 15, 2017 19:27:25 GMT -8
Ollie froze, staring at Nel in shock. The spoon dropped from his hands, clattering on the table and splattering soup onto his shirt. He didn't seem to mind the mess though, as he was still processing what Nel had said. It was a moment before he spoke, and his voice was shaky and hesitant.
"You...you want me to open the door? Haven't you been listening to what I've been saying? That's how people die, Nelisara. Is this what happened to everyone else? Did you pop out of that hole and go to their houses too, and convince them to open their doors? No...you don't sound like a murderer. Still, I don't think this is a good idea...who knows what's out there?"
Still, despite his misgivings, he got up and moved the couch out of the way. Perhaps it was Nel's steady hand on the bow that convinced him, or maybe it was the hunter's glint in her eye. Regardless, he took a deep breath.
"Are you ready? I swear, we're both going to die because of this..."
He threw the door open, revealing a small figure dressed in white. In the dim light, Nel would see a young girl of about fifteen or sixteen, terrified, dressed in what appeared to be a white nightgown. She flinched at the sight of the bow, freezing stock-still.
"Don't shoot me! Please let me in, there's something out there that's going to kill me. Please, you have to help me!"
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Nel
Committed
Climbing a grand tower.
Roleplay posts: 78
Age: 17
Physical Description: =====
A tall and slender maiden with brilliant green eyes and straight black hair. The hair hides many of her features but reveals an soft angular jawline, a small delicate nose.
=====
Clothes and Equipment: http://i.imgur.com/54Equdc.jpg
The picture shows her equipment well, however lacks her hunting dagger, a length of thin but strong rope, her "junk sack," and herb pouch.
Her quiver contains a number of different arrows with different purposes including armor piercing, grappling, fire arrows, and a limited supply of an enchanted variety.
=====
Player's online availability : Erratically, though at least daily
Registered: Jul 10, 2017 2:33:53 GMT -8
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Post by Nel on Aug 18, 2017 22:39:49 GMT -8
Nel simply nodded her head toward the right, telling her to enter. As the threat was clearly not the girl her vision went to the outside. She looked for anything that could try to enter. Her bow was more than ready to send an arrow to anything else that dared cross the threshold.
She expected Ollie to slam the door shut behind their new guest.
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Aug 19, 2017 9:02:45 GMT -8
There didn't seem to be anything behind the girl, who ran inside and hurried past Nel. Ollie slammed the door shut behind her, and there was a series of frantic clicks as he locked and deadbolted the door as quickly as he could. As he shoved the couch back in front of the door, he looked over his shoulder at the girl in white.
"You'd better not start murdering anyone, girl! If you're the murderous type, you're most certainly not welcome in my home. If you're not, though...would you like some turnip soup?"
The girl stared at him and Nel in shock, still shaking uncontrollably from fright. She glanced around the room, staring at the painted witches on the wall and picking up a stuffed bear from the shelf. Ollie protested, briefly.
"Hey! That's Mr. Butters! You'd better...oh, alright, you can have him."
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Nel
Committed
Climbing a grand tower.
Roleplay posts: 78
Age: 17
Physical Description: =====
A tall and slender maiden with brilliant green eyes and straight black hair. The hair hides many of her features but reveals an soft angular jawline, a small delicate nose.
=====
Clothes and Equipment: http://i.imgur.com/54Equdc.jpg
The picture shows her equipment well, however lacks her hunting dagger, a length of thin but strong rope, her "junk sack," and herb pouch.
Her quiver contains a number of different arrows with different purposes including armor piercing, grappling, fire arrows, and a limited supply of an enchanted variety.
=====
Player's online availability : Erratically, though at least daily
Registered: Jul 10, 2017 2:33:53 GMT -8
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Post by Nel on Aug 19, 2017 11:42:14 GMT -8
As Nel relaxed her bow she glanced at Ollie with this almost smug "I told you so," look. However the thought did brandish itself that the girl could in fact be the same one that started all of this. She certainly fit the description. But the girl had spoke, something the girl in the story supposedly couldn't do.
Nel looked back at the girl and cocked her head to the side much like a curious puppy, "What were you doing out there?"
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Aug 19, 2017 13:43:28 GMT -8
The girl stared at Nel, clutching Mr. Butters to her chest. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a terrified whisper.
"I-I don't know. I just woke up, and everything was dark. There's...there's no stars in the sky. No moon, either. The only lights were from the doors and windows of the houses, and they were all shut. The only sound was...this chewing, such an awful noise. I looked over, and saw this, this creature, big and white..."
She sniffled, still shaking.
"It was eating somebody, right at the doorstep of one of the houses. I ran away, but it's hard to run without shoes, and nobody would let me in...nobody but you. Thank you so much for saving me."
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Nel
Committed
Climbing a grand tower.
Roleplay posts: 78
Age: 17
Physical Description: =====
A tall and slender maiden with brilliant green eyes and straight black hair. The hair hides many of her features but reveals an soft angular jawline, a small delicate nose.
=====
Clothes and Equipment: http://i.imgur.com/54Equdc.jpg
The picture shows her equipment well, however lacks her hunting dagger, a length of thin but strong rope, her "junk sack," and herb pouch.
Her quiver contains a number of different arrows with different purposes including armor piercing, grappling, fire arrows, and a limited supply of an enchanted variety.
=====
Player's online availability : Erratically, though at least daily
Registered: Jul 10, 2017 2:33:53 GMT -8
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Post by Nel on Aug 20, 2017 17:28:37 GMT -8
Nel looked to Ollie, "You recognize her at all?" It was a simple question but one that would help confirm for certain whether or not letting the girl in was a smart idea. Probably wasn't but what are you going to do, Let someone get eaten on your front step?
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Aug 20, 2017 21:02:28 GMT -8
Ollie shook his head, still watching the girl nervously, as though worried that she would suddenly pounce and try to devour his eyeballs. The girl in question, however, looked about as far from pouncing as could be. She shivered, clutching the bear close. Seeing how she was clearly very frightened and harmless, Ollie's face softened.
"Come here, girl. You're safe now. Are you hungry? I've got some soup left, and it's still hot. Come on, I hope you don't mind turnips."
The girl glanced up, and after a moment's hesitation, walked over and sat down at the table. Ollie poured her a bowl of soup, which she began to eat hungrily.
"Who...who are you two? Where am I?"
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Nel
Committed
Climbing a grand tower.
Roleplay posts: 78
Age: 17
Physical Description: =====
A tall and slender maiden with brilliant green eyes and straight black hair. The hair hides many of her features but reveals an soft angular jawline, a small delicate nose.
=====
Clothes and Equipment: http://i.imgur.com/54Equdc.jpg
The picture shows her equipment well, however lacks her hunting dagger, a length of thin but strong rope, her "junk sack," and herb pouch.
Her quiver contains a number of different arrows with different purposes including armor piercing, grappling, fire arrows, and a limited supply of an enchanted variety.
=====
Player's online availability : Erratically, though at least daily
Registered: Jul 10, 2017 2:33:53 GMT -8
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Post by Nel on Aug 20, 2017 22:19:03 GMT -8
Nel aswered first, "My name is Nelisara, I'm a... traveler." With a sigh she left the rest to Ollie. She wasn't a hundred percent sure where she was herself. Elkcub? Buckle? For the first time she realized that they were the same word backwards. Strange.
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Aug 21, 2017 12:51:33 GMT -8
The girl looked up from her soup at Nel, eyes wide.
"A...a traveler? So you came to this awful place, then? Where are we? Where did you come from? Do you know what that...that thing is? Do you know who I am, or how I got here?"
Ollie sighed, patting the poor girl on the head as though she were a small fluffy animal.
"We're in Elkcub, dear. Nobody knows what that thing is, or where you came from. All we know is that nobody can get out of here. We're trapped in here until the sun comes up, whenever that may be, and even after that we're trapped in the town."
Looking to Nel, he added:
"How did you get here, anyway? I don't think you ever explained that."
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Nel
Committed
Climbing a grand tower.
Roleplay posts: 78
Age: 17
Physical Description: =====
A tall and slender maiden with brilliant green eyes and straight black hair. The hair hides many of her features but reveals an soft angular jawline, a small delicate nose.
=====
Clothes and Equipment: http://i.imgur.com/54Equdc.jpg
The picture shows her equipment well, however lacks her hunting dagger, a length of thin but strong rope, her "junk sack," and herb pouch.
Her quiver contains a number of different arrows with different purposes including armor piercing, grappling, fire arrows, and a limited supply of an enchanted variety.
=====
Player's online availability : Erratically, though at least daily
Registered: Jul 10, 2017 2:33:53 GMT -8
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Post by Nel on Aug 21, 2017 21:26:08 GMT -8
"I went down a well... then I came back up a well... I'm not sure when I got turned around." She glanced to the side realizing how crazy that sounded. "Maybe we can evacuate the town through the well," she offered off-handedly. She looked to the girl, "I'm a stranger here myself. Maybe we can be friends?" An offer to lighten her heart, with any luck. Nel has little to no experience with children in her memory so she had no way of know if it would work. Had to try.
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Aug 22, 2017 14:49:44 GMT -8
Ollie stared at Nel, giving her a confused gaze. What she was saying clearly didn't make much sense to him, although to be fair it hadn't made a whole lot of sense to her either. The girl gazed at her, unsure as to how she should react.
"Um...friends? I suppose we could be friends. I don't remember what my name is, though...and we can't be friends if I can't introduce myself, can we? Isn't that how it works?"
Ollie, meanwhile, processed what Nel had said.
"Wait a moment, Nelisara. What do you mean, evacuate the town through the well? You mean there's a way out there?"
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Nel
Committed
Climbing a grand tower.
Roleplay posts: 78
Age: 17
Physical Description: =====
A tall and slender maiden with brilliant green eyes and straight black hair. The hair hides many of her features but reveals an soft angular jawline, a small delicate nose.
=====
Clothes and Equipment: http://i.imgur.com/54Equdc.jpg
The picture shows her equipment well, however lacks her hunting dagger, a length of thin but strong rope, her "junk sack," and herb pouch.
Her quiver contains a number of different arrows with different purposes including armor piercing, grappling, fire arrows, and a limited supply of an enchanted variety.
=====
Player's online availability : Erratically, though at least daily
Registered: Jul 10, 2017 2:33:53 GMT -8
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Post by Nel on Aug 22, 2017 15:56:10 GMT -8
Nel looked at the little girl with a softened expression, addressing her first, "Well then, why don't we come up with name for you until you can remember your real name... Think of it as a nickname, friends give each other nicknames." Hopefully this would give the girl something to think about for second while she answered Ollie.
"I can't be sure Ollie. I got hit in the head pretty good. I went down a well in the town of Buckle and ended up here." she added suspiciously, "For all I know I'm half dead and this is all some hallucination." Honestly her suggestion of her status was much more likely than being in some doppelganger town with a screeching madness plaguing it.
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Aug 24, 2017 10:00:40 GMT -8
The young girl thought hard, furrowing her brow. Could she come up with a name for herself? Was that allowed? Weren't nicknames supposed to be given by someone else? Still, Nel seemed like she knew what she was talking about, so she must be right. Ollie, meanwhile, was a bit more skeptical.
"So you went into a well somewhere else and came out here? How did that work? I sure hope this isn't just all a hallucination of yours, though. I feel awfully real. It wouldn't be very nice to find out that my entire life has just been a figment of your imagination. Besides, what kind of dreams do you have? Surely your mind couldn't come up with something as awful as this! No, I'm sure it's all real."
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Nel
Committed
Climbing a grand tower.
Roleplay posts: 78
Age: 17
Physical Description: =====
A tall and slender maiden with brilliant green eyes and straight black hair. The hair hides many of her features but reveals an soft angular jawline, a small delicate nose.
=====
Clothes and Equipment: http://i.imgur.com/54Equdc.jpg
The picture shows her equipment well, however lacks her hunting dagger, a length of thin but strong rope, her "junk sack," and herb pouch.
Her quiver contains a number of different arrows with different purposes including armor piercing, grappling, fire arrows, and a limited supply of an enchanted variety.
=====
Player's online availability : Erratically, though at least daily
Registered: Jul 10, 2017 2:33:53 GMT -8
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Post by Nel on Aug 28, 2017 14:44:48 GMT -8
Nel shrugged, "I'm just as confused as you are." She withheld the fact that there was another Ollie that was busy selling porn *and* funded her trip down the hole.
Her gaze moved back to the girl who was clearly having trouble with what to call herself. Nel looked her over again and came up with a thought, "How about... Lily? Like the flower?"
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Post by Strangers and Travelers on Aug 29, 2017 6:47:08 GMT -8
The girl paused, looking up at Nel as she considered the suggestion. After a moment's thought, she nodded, smiling.
"L-lily? Like the flower? I...I suppose that's a good name. Fitting, I guess Lilies are white, aren't they? Like this...whatever this is?"
She gestured towards the odd white nightgown that she wore. Ollie frowned.
"Hmmm...I wonder where that came from. All the others were wearing them, too. It's as if they just popped out of nowhere, dressed in white. Wasn't there a fairy tale about that? People vanishing and being replaced with versions of themselves who never showed emotion, only wore white, and ate nothing but toast?"
He shrugged. Meanwhile, Lily looked alarmed.
"What? There's others?"
Ollie shook his head quickly.
"Don't worry about it, Lily. You're the only one here."
Turning to Nel, he added:
"Do you think it's about time to turn it? You can sleep in the guest room and Lily here can take the couch...of course, it's always kind of depressing going to sleep and waking up and seeing that the sun has yet to come up still."
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Nel
Committed
Climbing a grand tower.
Roleplay posts: 78
Age: 17
Physical Description: =====
A tall and slender maiden with brilliant green eyes and straight black hair. The hair hides many of her features but reveals an soft angular jawline, a small delicate nose.
=====
Clothes and Equipment: http://i.imgur.com/54Equdc.jpg
The picture shows her equipment well, however lacks her hunting dagger, a length of thin but strong rope, her "junk sack," and herb pouch.
Her quiver contains a number of different arrows with different purposes including armor piercing, grappling, fire arrows, and a limited supply of an enchanted variety.
=====
Player's online availability : Erratically, though at least daily
Registered: Jul 10, 2017 2:33:53 GMT -8
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Post by Nel on Aug 29, 2017 17:04:35 GMT -8
Nel shook her head no. Her nerves were too wired for real sleep. "I'll take a hunter's rest. Someone needs to keep an eye open in case something gets in." Her brow furrowed, "I don't want to wake up as something's prey." She retrieved her soup from the table, opting to drink what was left straight from the bowl. She sat on the floor with her back against the wall that stood in front of the front door, her bow across her lap with arrow nocked. "I'll be good here."
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