Descent.

[shimmermods]

CHAMBERS.

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You've been down here for such a long time.

It's difficult to tell, perhaps, exactly how long it's been; the lack of need to sleep or eat has become more and more prevalent as time goes by, and it's made it difficult to keep to any sort of schedule - and while the darkness remains unyielding and unchanging, the same can't be said for yourself, now, can it? The further you go, the more it feels like maybe you could belong here; the longer you're within this place, the less it seems to want to let go of you.

It begs the question, really: Is it the mine that's making you feel that way, or is it the Shimmer itself?

Something is different today.

There's a sudden feeling that you've found a chamber, that the shaft you've been wandering down has opened up in a way that's more noticeable than the occasional offshoot leading to an eventual dead end - this feels massive, open in a way that clears the air and spreads out far enough in front of you that it's difficult to tell how far out it actually goes. There are a few promising signs here, however, even if you can't see them very well - the sudden clearing of the air's stagnation is one, but the sound of running water trickling through here somewhere is also promising.

There's also a feeling that should be familiar by now; namely, it's the general sensation that you aren't alone, wherever you are.

You've found something, but perhaps more importantly, you get the feeling that you're coming far closer to your goal than you were on the outside; don't get too excited, though, as you still want to be careful - after all, this chamber opens downward as well as outward.

You can get down to the lower level if you pick your way down; it shouldn't be too challenging, and you'll probably have an easier time seeing once you're down there. Just don't fall.

code by vuvuzela

Comments

[shimmermods]

[It seems to take a great amount of effort, again, but a few more of those crevices slit open.

More eyes.

Many, many more eyes.]

[instrumentalized]

Yikes.

[ That's it, that's all he has to say. Wow. ]

[planetary_bonds]

...Huh.

[Well, that's. Alarming.]

How many of you are in there...?

[atrueheroine]

[YEAH, THIS IS SO MANY LEVELS OF NOT OKAY, hopefully no one minds Page just. grabbing one of her grenades, just in case.

While you're handy, Garma, have a whisper.]

Do you still have your share of that napalm we found? We might need it.

[instrumentalized]

[ ... ah. Garma nods and his voice is equally quiet as he answers. ]

It's in my bags on the other side. If we get it over to this side safely, we can... get rid of it, if need be.

[atrueheroine]

[Have a nod.]

I don't know how safe it is to move, now that it's looking at us [-with its. oh Avo. it's....dozens of eyes-], but it doesn't appear to be hostile....yet.

['Yet' being the operative word, here.]

If you want to go and fetch your bag, I'll cover you. Just be careful not to get it wet.

[She still doesn't really understand what napalm is, but wet explosives never tend to work all that well.]

[instrumentalized]

Just gathering supplies shouldn't be too suspicious...

[ For all the tree knows, he might be carrying research stuff!! ]

I'll go.

[ It's probably not going to be necessary and they'd have to take care to get all of theirs out of the way beforehand, but... yeah. If they need to be rid of this tree fast, better have this prepared.

Time to wade back and forth. ]

[atrueheroine]

[Garma looks to be crossing without any trouble, so Page will keep one eye on him and one eye on this....monstrosity of a tree. If the conclusions the others seem to be rapidly approaching is true...

....would it feel pain, if they were to burn it? Ugh, this is...a lot.]

[notjustawriter]

[Oh God.]

[abysstery]

[The Shimmer: I'll just stash all these extra eyes down here in this godforsaken cave just in case I need them later.

Heinwald's gaze darts as each new crevice opens, looking each and every one of those eyes in...the eye. Are they all of a similar color, or is it more like an amalgamation of eyes? And are they observing their observers?]

[shimmermods]

[They're amalgamous, in that they're different colors, with different shapes to them. All human eyes, but varied.

They seem to be observing the observers as well, though not in any coherent sort of way - they aren't hiveminding and looking at the same person at once, in other words.]

[abysstery]

[Heinwald thoughtfully runs a hand along its warm surface, considering the possibilities of how this tree came to be. Some of them are less pleasant than others.

He presses into it here and there. Is there any sense of movement within the tree other than the eyes? Like...human functions.]

[shimmermods]

[There does seem to be movement that would be consistent with that, yes. Less like anything is deliberately trying to move and more like... You know how sometimes you can just feel your organs doing things?]

[abysstery]

[Yeah...that's exactly what he was looking for and he's kind of impressed in a macabre way.]

I am confident in saying that this tree has innards. And I certainly do not mean wood. [And as he follows Felicia's gaze up at the grotesque limb-branches...] It is as if the Shimmer formed a tree out of humanoid bodies.

[Either that or people just kind of came up to it and fused with it. Obviously, that is not the ideal possibility!!

...especially considering what he says next:]

I would not be surprised if it were to bleed if we cut into it.

[me_underfire]

[Grace was already feeling light-headed, but she has to sit down at the thought of the tree bleeding.]

This is what happened to them. They thought they could escape but it found them anyway.

[abysstery]

We cannot say that for certain.

[But...it definitely is a possibility. He just doesn't want to default to it considering they're right in front of the tree, putting their hands on it.

...is there even an exit to this cavern though, aside from the way they came in?]

Someone had to exit the cave in order to leave that charming note at the entrance.

[bornandbread]

Don't cut into it.

[That seems like a bad idea when they're in a cave with it. And also it's really macabre, my man.]

[notjustawriter]

Don't cut into it.

[Oh god of course the tree is made of people.]

[aokisouhei]

Man, c'mon, don't.

[me_underfire]

[SHE TOLD YOU GUYS WE SHOULDA STAYED ON THE OTHER SIDE.]

[aokisouhei]

[ Uh, hm.

He's just watching this closely in case because wow that was suddenly... a lot. ]

[bornandbread]

[You know what, he's actually going to take a step back because like. One eye is fine. A zillion eyes in a weirdly organic tree? Nah, fam. He's good. He's staying by the riverbank here until further notice.]

[skelkro]

... This might be the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life.

[emma no]

[klematis]

[ For the record this is even making Hugh blink a lot, and that probably says something. ]

[pr159]

[ You know what, not the kind of tree monster he had in mind, and yet...

Yikes, though. ]