the darkness keeps growing, the shadows cutting deeper

[hfm_npcs]

Warnings: Darkness, Nox, darkness, manipulation, darkness, violence, and more darkness
Location: The sewers
Characters: Agent York, Aaron, Celestia, and a lot of Nox
When: Shortly after the attack on the city.
Summary: The Nox approach the hapless prisoners, and attempt to make them a deal

It's dark. This should come as no surprise to those who have a clear memory of what happened, but the sheer size and scope and depth of the darkness is suffocating. Pressurizing. There's a dripping in the distance and the Nox's guests will find themselves covered in...something that's rapidly congealing. Communicators don't work, and if listening close to the silence reveals they aren't alone...

Something's out there, watching the three warm bodies. Almost breathing on them.

((OOC: Check this log periodically for subheaders which will direct the plot!))

Comments

[exuviiated]

"I've been with these things before." He's talking about the gunk. The Nox, specifically, although this gunk doesn't seem to have any sentience. "I don't think it does anything, but it may make you... angrier, I guess." Or was that the effects of the Deal? (Celestia knows. York doesn't. Aaron doesn't want him to know.

[goddamngrenades]

"I'm feel'n pretty gross but I wouldn't say I'm angry. Soon as we find somewhere relatively safe to stop, if there's even anywhere like that down here? Let's get as much off as we can- especially your wings. I could try teleporting blind but I'd rather not risk it with either of you. Me, I get stuck in something? I can get out." But with Celestia and Aaron? Not a comfortable idea.

[letteropener]

Celestia, once again, felt the great loss of the bulk of her magic rather keenly. Simply teleporting the three of them out would have been so much simpler a solution than all of this.

"Well. I can certainly say I am not likely to have to worry about this substance meaningfully affecting my emotions," she said, wings quivering involuntarily.

[exuviiated]

"Oh. That's good." None of them seem to be negatively impacted by it at all past being dirty and grungy, and in particular it's matting down his hair and making sure that these clothes will be utterly unwearable ever again. It's weird. Being worried about clothes while trapped down here with a pony and and... someone else. Apparently, his life has just gotten that damn crazy that something as trivial as a favorite shirt is the only thing that makes any sense anymore.

"Should we...?" Try to go, unspoken in his throat.

[goddamngrenades]

"Only thing I'm feeling is gross. When we get out? I'm gonna need ten showers. And sandpaper." And a drink or five but- hey. Kid. Talking horse lady. Not about to talk about booze around them- it's not polite. "I'd say 'let's head north' but I have no idea which way north is right now. So...pick a direction and let's go till we find a ladder or something. There's gotta be a plaque or map or whatever that'll show us where we ware."

[letteropener]

That was unwarranted optimism, but not one Celestia tried to dispel. "I do hope it isn't a ladder," she mused, more to keep everypony's spirits up than out of any real need to worry about climbing one.

[exuviiated]

"Oh." He's smiling at that, though it isn't all that strong or amused. "Oh dear. Maybe we can find stairs, or enough space for you to fly?"

Call it foolishness, but he's feeling decently safe; he can heal them if anything goes wrong, and Celestia wields light itself, and York seems more than capable.

[goddamngrenades]

"Long as there's space above the ladder I can see? I can port you up." It seems like a straight enough shot through the dark- but that can be said of anything where the light's not a black, skittering void. Ugh.

Makes him kinda miss Georgia. Poor Georgia.