WEEK FOUR

[shimmermods]

FOURTH WEEK

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The Shimmer may have left you physically, but it's always with you; it's something it had insisted on yesterday, and it's something that continues to be pervasive even now, both in thoughts and within you in other, perhaps more noticeable ways. The statements that have been made weigh heavily; your surroundings continue to be influenced by something or other - plants you recognize are still present here, even as the trees themselves continue to crystallize, growing glassy white and transparent around mechanical insides - and the changes to your physical bodies are becoming more evident and difficult to ignore.

Perhaps more disturbingly, when you went to sleep in the clearing there were sixteen of you.

When you wake up, there are fifteen.

No matter how many headcounts you take, you keep coming up one short; the fact of the matter is that Rean Schwarzer is no longer among you. There's no visible evidence of where he's gone, and all of his belongings are still here; perhaps in some part of your mind, the possibility registers itself - maybe he's not with you because he went to the Shimmer. Not in the same way the cultists went, and not in the same way the ring of bodies seems to have gone, but maybe...

The thought is difficult to shake; the fact of the matter is that he isn't here, and you probably don't want to stay here. After all, your options are currently either to do what you set out to do, to return to the base and very possibly be killed for your efforts, or to remain here with the corpses.

The hike uphill is steep; perhaps it's fortunate that you're no longer tiring out like you used to. It's easier to keep going nowadays, even if it feels somewhat mechanical in doing so; your limbs know what they're doing, even if there's some reason for your mind to disagree. You seem to be making good time in moving toward the site of the initial impact of the meteorite; perhaps it won't be much longer before you find your objective.

That is, if all goes according to plan.

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY

code by vuvuzela

Comments

[scythegun]

[Yeager's a little late to get started this morning, but he doesn't hold the group up for too long and he seems just as chipper as usual once he's ready to go.

That good mood doesn't last forever, though. As we're hiking, he tends to stay near the back of the group. Usually he's the sort to never be able to keep still and moves throughout the group to chat with people, but today he's far more subdued and fidgety. At least he's not transforming his weapon, that thing is a bit too big to be swinging about so freely in closer quarters like this. He doesn't mind being bothered, but he's definitely lost in thought right now.

Once we've settled for the night, Yeager's back to his usual job of guard duty. Sure, it doesn't seem like there's anything hostile here in the mines, but that doesn't mean Yeager's going to stop doing this. If the mine's actually haunted then maybe there are ghosts to fight!!

But guard duty's kind of boring, so eventually you can find him checking out the crystal formations and occasionally tapping on them, murmuring aloud as he considers.]

I wonder if enough force could break it...?

[Once he finally does retire to his tent, he isn't leaving, and he'll hold up everyone for a little while in the morning again tomorrow as well.]

Hiking

[instrumentalized]

[ Now that his gunshot wound has closed up entirely (a little too well, really), Garma is in much better condition for walking. He's getting used to the daily marches, too, and that means he's no longer so distracted by his own exhaustion. He can start paying attention to his comrades again.

The mood is more subdued lately and he can blame exactly nobody for it, but that just makes him more determined to try and turn it around somehow. Unfortunately, even Yeager's chattiness is not helping with this anymore...? Weird.

And that's why Garma falls back and makes Yeager step one in his project. His smile looks a little forced, but hey, it's a smile. ]

In a bad mood today?

[scythegun]

Hmm, I wouldn't say that.

[Hi, Garma. The trying is appreciated, probably. Yeager's smile is easy as always, but he doesn't bother pretending to be as upbeat as usual.]

I'm not really one for places like this, that's all. The last time I had to deal with a cave wasn't all that enjoyable...

[Sure, this is a mine, but like, same thing right. Enclosed and dark and weird-looking absolutely scans for the Weasand of Cados too. And that's where a dog bullied him for awhile, it was very rude.]

[instrumentalized]

[ Yeah, this would make people claustrophobic. Even Garma is not exactly comfortable, and he is far more used to being in smaller completely enclosed spaces than most of them are. ]

I think this might be my first cave experience, personally. So I am sure I'll regret asking, what happened last name?

[scythegun]

Thankfully it isn't anything we're likely to find here [probably] since most of my problems were with some rather annoying teenagers who insisted on pestering me.

[...........they had very good reason for this, but is he gonna explain that?? hell no!]

The cave serves as a passage through the mountains, but many people avoided it because of a terrifying monster said to live within. Turns out they were right to fear it! That monster really did exist, though I'm fairly sure those teenagers took care of it.

[yeager just ditched and did absolutely nothing to help!!]

[instrumentalized]

[ ...... you kind of lost him here and it's pretty obvious by the way he goes silent and just looks over for a moment. ]

You... don't like caves because teenagers like to hang out in them? Yes, I am pretty sure we won't be having that issue here...

[scythegun]

The monster is primarily what I was talking about. I didn't have to fight it, but that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous.

[instrumentalized]

Oh, so you saw it before the teenagers did... whatever it is teenagers do?

[ Now this is starting to make more sense. Less so the teens, but hey, bit by bit. ]

[scythegun]

Something like that.

[.........he's just not gonna elaborate, anyway moving on!!]

Anyway, I hope you aren't worried about me just because I'm being a bit more withdrawn than usual!

night

[pr159]

Most things are breakable if you try hard enough.

[scythegun]

True, but this is the Shimmer we're talking about. Who knows what would happen?

[Maybe it'll start bleeding or something. Wouldn't that be wild.]

[pr159]

[ Shrug. ]

There's only one way to find out, right? If it's really that tempting, that is.

[scythegun]

[considers.........]

Probably best not to do it this late in case something bad happens.

[yeager continues to be useless, perfect for a mod character!!]

[pr159]

Probably so.

[ He won't argue with that, though it might have been fun to watch. ]

You think all of these used to be something alive too?

[scythegun]

I wouldn't be surprised. There's very little organic matter that could have once been people down here, and these formations certainly are strange...

[Another shrug.]

But I could be overthinking it. Who knows with the Shimmer.

[pr159]

Maybe we ought to get our research team looking into a few of these questions if we're going to keep shrugging everything off like this.

[ He'll hold his flashlight up to some of the formations to get a better look again. ]

The blue-tinted ones look a little like the fossils left behind by dead spirits in my world. A shame I don't have a means of testing them for similar properties.

[scythegun]

[He nods at the first part; probably best for the research team to handle it.]

Are they some sort of power source? That's what these remind me of, though they had to be excavated and certainly didn't grow naturally like this.

night

[alchemicals]

No idea. But if you're going to try, I want to be in on it. God knows I've got enough stuff to blow something up if we really want to.

[Hi, Yeager.]

[scythegun]

You certainly do know how to have fun.

[He steps back a bit with a shrug after that, though.]

Unfortunately, it probably would be a bit rude to wake everyone up with an explosion.

[...Though many of them probably aren't asleep right now anyway, and it's not like Yeager particularly cares about being rude in the first place.]

[alchemicals]

Kind of a minor shame, yeah. That, and I think Rideaux would probably kick my ass if I collapsed the mine.

[Assuming we didn't all die! Fun.]

[scythegun]

Oh absolutely, he'd be furious!

So I suppose it's for the best if we don't blow it up.

[...]

Though I do hope you have the opportunity to blow one up later!

[alchemicals]

I'll dedicate whatever stupid carnage ensues to you, I promise.

[scythegun]

You understand me so well, Kimbley.

[alchemicals]

I get that a lot, for some weird reason. You all need better friends.

[scythegun]

Oh absolutely, you'll get no argument from me! I'm not surprised though, you are easy to talk to!