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

The shadows stir...

[hfm_npcs]

As the trio wanders the sewer, they may find parts of the shadows under them...more solid somehow. And they may or may not notice the moving writhing dark among the rest of the darkness that Celestia cannot illuminate.

"Princess...

Agent...

Healer..."

But there is no missing the whispers that echo through the sewers at the same time they resonate in the brains of the Nox's captives. A set of white eyes appear in the tunnels, rapidly moving towards them.

"Welcome."

Someone wants to have words.

[letteropener]

"Good afternoon," Celestia said quite politely, neither pressing against the darkness with her light nor letting it yield around them. "My apologies for being rude, but you could direct us to the way out?"

No, she didn't expect that to work.

[exuviiated]

He doesn't know why Celestia's being so calm about this. Against all better knowledge, Aaron fights the urge to bolt back to the place he'd woken up; but York was behind him, Celestia was in front of him, and he felt frozen, anyways. Celestia's politesse, he figures, won't work; he takes a different tack.

"Why are we here?"

[goddamngrenades]

Panic or roll with it. When in doubt, follow the lead of the person with the biggest gun- right now? That's Celestia. "Yeah, We got a little turned around. Just point us in the right direction and we'll get out of your hair. or. Tentacles."

[hfm_npcs]

A small rumble of discontent from the darkness, and though it seems to emanate from nowhere, those who hear it may feel that it shakes the ground at the same time.

You are always welcome here

But you understand

We cannot let you leave.

[letteropener]

"I'm terribly sorry," Celestia said, and her polite words surrounded a thin core of diamond resolve, "but we weren't asking your permission, nor your opinion."

[exuviiated]

Aaron nods in firm agreement with Celestia, grateful that she's taking the initiative of talking to the things and more grateful still that it isn't him. He does, however, look back at York to see whether he was going to add his own comment or not.

[goddamngrenades]

York braces himself where he stands, one hand slipping out to rest against Celestia's flank, the other on Aaron's shoulder. A quick getaway might be in order. And by might he's pretty damn sure this is gonna go bad in a bad way.

"That's all very Hotel California but I think we're gonna check out now."

[hfm_npcs]

Not surprising...No one asked your permission. Or opinion. When they brought you here.

It would make sense. That you believe you could do the same to me.

Another rumble, this time accompanied by a wheezing, echoing sigh.

Do you know why. You are here?

[letteropener]

"You either intend to bargain with us or threaten us." That much was obvious, and almost beneath her to acknowledge. "Though I think you might get farther if you attempted to negotiate with us."

[exuviiated]

"I don't really care why we're here. I just want to go back up there."

He could say something caustic and rude, but. Not the best idea, even with York's hands on him and Celestia in case things go south. And didn't he say he wasn't too confident in his 'porting abilities at this depth, anyways? Best to let them handle it and keep his healing magic ready.

[goddamngrenades]

"All in favor of not negotiating with the amorphous darkness that's the sentient stuff of nightmares, say Aye." A beat. "Aye."

He's in favor of getting the hell out, honestly.

[hfm_npcs]

NAY.

The voices come from everywhere, loud as hell and belonging to many, many mouths. Pairs of bright white eyes in every size pop from writhing darkness.

When the echos vanish, the eyes remain.

It seems. That you have been outvoted.

[letteropener]

"I suggest we use a representative system," Celestia said, holding up a hoof to emphasize the reasonableness of the suggestion. "After all, as a unified bloc you would wield undue authority under a direct system. Therefore, I propose that the Nox contingent be recognized as one bloc with one vote. Meanwhile, we of the other worlds have vastly different comprehensions and motives, and therefore should each be a bloc unto ourselves -- although I would also accept, for example, blocs based on world of origin."

The others with her should probably realize she was fairly blatantly stalling -- as well as refusing to be intimidated.

[exuviiated]

At their voice-- (legion, he thinks) Aaron stiffens up like an iron rod, muscles gone completely tense, fighting back the urge to quail; biting back a startled whine. He looks down, and sees only black, so he looks back up and focuses on the bright beacon of Celestia's horn-- not the eyes, not the encroaching, pulsing darkness just out of visibility.

"I agree with Celestia. She does-- she does outrank all of us, doesn't she?"

She's a Princess. That has to count for something.

[goddamngrenades]

Well christ if that isn't unnerving-

York keeps it together. Keeps a smirk on his face and offers Aaron's shoulder a squeeze. They're still talking. It'll be fine. Ish. Sorta. Don't matter Celestia is spinning a line like a champ and, well, a princess is still a politician. Even if she's a pony. "Royalty counts double at least, it's the only way to be fair."

Not that omnipresent darkness cares much about fair but stalling is what needs to happen.

[hfm_npcs]

Then the vote would be four to one.

It is only too bad then. That you are not the one making the rules.

The eyes go wider, and the darkness begins to break off into shapes -Menacing, predatory shapes- and stalk closer to the captives.

You may stall all you like but. It will do no good until you decide.

To listen to the truth.

[letteropener]

Celestia maintained the glow of her light, though she did not yet turn it to aggressive purposes.

"If this was truth, you would simply state it without such posturing, dramatics, or kidnapping. By performing all this nonsense, you spoil any hope we have of listening."

[exuviiated]

Aaron nods in candid agreement of Celestia's argument. Despite the shadowy predators closing in, he feels slightly safer than before-- York is trying to keep everyone calm and Celestia is acting as the face of this little party, he's adding his own pale pink glow to her white one now that he has something concrete (ha) to focus on.

"And I don't think the rules you've made are very fair to begin with," he says, glaring down a oaur if empty eyes. An enemy you can see is a lot less scary than one that you can't.

[goddamngrenades]

"Riiiight- cuz the physical embodiment of darkness that dragged us down here without a word is totally gonna tells us the unbiased truth and, hey, maybe even give us some cookies!" If York rolled his eyes any harder they'd fall out of his head. "You're bad at this. It is painful how bad you're at this."

[hfm_npcs]

But when Lux does the very same thing to you? You trust him?

The eyes in the dark twitch towards the Nox spokesman before settling on them. They look...confused, if they can be said to display emotions at all.

[letteropener]

"Did we ever say that? Did we not offer to negotiate, to hear your side of the story? And yet it seems to me that Lux has never attacked us, as you have. At the moment we have cause to trust neither of you."

Celestia had made no secret of her opinion before and saw no reason to now.

[exuviiated]

"And, besides, anything coming from you can't be good, and I know it. We all do."

Which will come as a reminder for Celestia-- the barn, the darkness-- and a puzzlement for York, and a self-imposed dig at an old wound for Aaron.

"Can't you just let us go?

[goddamngrenades]

"I'm not normally one to buy into cliched 'dark is bad light is good' but when the darkness literally drags us kicking and screaming down to it's evil lair?" He sucks on his teeth for a moment, shaking his head. "Not really in the mood to trust you. Or. Listen. Maybe call a guy instead of kidnapping them. I'd say the same thing to that Lux dude too."

[hfm_npcs]

Would you trust us no matter how. We attempted to contact you?

The breathing gets heavier, the shadows displace more air, shudder and writhe with a frantic pace...

You act as though. You are the only ones here against your will. That you are the only ones. Who are soldiers in a war that is not yours.

...Then suddenly, they stop.

What have you really been told?