Run, run, follow me [Open Mingle]

[saveournpcs]

Date: Saturday, 4.1.2020
Characters: OPEN

---

I.

It's midday when trouble seems to brew underfoot. Literally underfoot, in cases - wherever the Numbered are, they'll suddenly find dormice approaching them, running around their feet, in some cases up their legs, aiming to get their attention, and then running off - coming back again, running off once more in the same direction.

Trying to get the Numbered to FOLLOW.


II.

If Numbered decide to follow the mice, they'll be lead through the streets, fields, or whatever there is (in some cases, this might mean that the mice are trying to lead them through the military area aroudn the air base). Perhaps they'll run into other Numbered on the way - all mice seem to be leading those that they lead into the exact same direction.


III.

The direction of, it turns out, the tunnels under the cliffs. The mice will easily slip through the grates that bar the entries - the grates were made to keep humans out and let a tiny mice through easily. The Numbered, however... well, the grates were installed solid and sturdy to keep humans out. The mice will vanish in the tunnels and not come back.

Comments

[dreamtamer]

Thom stops in his tracks.

"Did you feel that?"

Gizmo nods, and presses into Thom's leg. "Scary. Wind shouldn't change like that."

For a moment Thom thinks about going back. But... they hadn't see any other ways out of here. And they couldn't go back the way they came. The mice were there, and Gizmo was afraid of those too.

"We have to be brave," he says aloud. "This is an adventure. We can't turn back now, right?"

Still, as they start walking again he shakily reaches out and rests his free hand on the top of Gizmo's head.

[scarsolderthanyou]

Sam jogs to catch up. "Thom, stop getting ahead of me. You shouldn't be done here by yourself. --And no, Gizmo doesn't count."

Yes, they saw the weird congregation of mice. And yes, they heard the conversation about the mice being scary and the results of it. He's not at all surprised, to be honest.

[dreamtamer]

Between the darkness of the tunnel, Gizmo's reaction to the mice and the creepy shifting wind, Thom was feeling more than a little freaked out.

At seeing another familiar face (and an adult that he trusted), it takes no time at all for Thom to tackle him in a hug.

"Grandpa! I got lost and I didn't think I would see anyone else down here."

Right behind him, Gizmo comes rushing over to bark and jump happily.

[scarsolderthanyou]

Catching his grandson, Sam says, "That's why you wait for me. I can sniff us out of here if I have to."

Speaking of, still hugging Thom and stroking his hair soothingly, he tilts his head up, opens his mouth a little, and breaths deep, testing what he can smell. Besides Thom and Gizmo and stone, that is.

[saveournpcs]

The breeze smells different depending on direction. When it comes from the direction that they came from, too, it carries the scents of sea and stone, or grass and wind, and a little bit of the mice down the tunnel that they went past.

When it comes from the direction that they're headed into... it smells like breath, really. A bit stale, a bit wet, not very stinky at all but used.

[dreamtamer]

"Do you know a way out? The mice didn't let us go back, and Gizmo doesn't like it here."

[scarsolderthanyou]

"Thom. They're mice. You could have just stepped over them."

But now he's worried and intrigued, because that sounds, feels, and smells like breathing, and...

... and oh, hey, there's an echo. Sam keeps a hold of Thom for balance, blinking in the darkness. "There's something down there. Something big."

[dreamtamer]

"But Gizmo was scared of them."

Thom glances up in the darkness, curious.

"Shouldn't we go see what it is?"

[scarsolderthanyou]

Sam is less certain. He fumbles out his flashlight to flick down the tunnel a ways. He can't see well close up, but with a little light, his distance vision is stellar. "It might not be safe, kiddo. I don't want you to get hurt."

[dreamtamer]

"We'll be careful! And Gizmo can protect me." A moment of silence. "And I don't want to stay here by myself."

[scarsolderthanyou]

"Wasn't gonna leave you here alone, Thom." They would have just left altogether. But maybe they ought to have some idea of what's down here to tell everyone else. Sam sighs heavily. "All right. Stay close, both of you. Don't make any extra noise if you can help it." The light will give their presence away plenty, probably, but better safe than sorry.

[dreamtamer]

"We promise! We'll be really careful."

Thom wraps one hand around Gizmo's collar, and steps in close behind his grandfather.

[saveournpcs]

As they continue down the tunnel, the breeze going out becomes warmer and stronger. And also more humid.

...And they're starting to hear... soft snoring? Yep, that sounds like soft snoring. A deep rumble of soft snoring.

[scarsolderthanyou]

That's unexpected. Whatever it is, is asleep? Stone keeps his free hand on Thom's chest, holding him behind him, just in case. And inches closer, flashlight on the ground rather than the open air ahead of them, not wanting to potentially wake up whatever it is.

[dreamtamer]

Thom follows along closely behind, with one hand on Gizmo. Both of them are being very careful not to make a noise.

[saveournpcs]

They reach what seems to be the end of the tunnel and step out into - actually, do they step out? The tunnel ends, but there's no wide empty space. There's a space that might be huge, but a wall blocks the way. A wall covered in giant brown fur. A wall that is moving very slowly in synch with the breeze.

[scarsolderthanyou]

Okay. Uh. What the fuck.

Sam does not say this out loud, because he has his grandson here. That is too big to be a bear. And they don't even have bears in Britain. He gives a good sniff again, trying to get some kind of idea of what it might be, keeping a good hold on Thom's shirt because no way is he letting his boy anywhere near that.

[saveournpcs]

It smells like ....a littermate of the tiny dormice that led them here, really.

[dreamtamer]

Mindful of his promise, Thom was still being very, very quiet and keeping a tight grip on Gizmo's collar.

But he still kind of wanted to get up closer. What if it was friendly like some of the little mice had been?

[scarsolderthanyou]

Yeah, Sam is not going to be trusting that. Mice are omnivores. A mouse that big is not likely to be picky about what goes down its throat. They are not waking it up.

Sam gives Thom a nudge. Back. They're going back the way they came, and tiny mice be damned. He'll scatter them himself, or carry Gizmo through, if he has to. They're going to tell everyone else what's down here, and let the group decide what the hell to do about it.

[dreamtamer]

Thom sighs. He really wanted to see more. But he'd promised.

So he takes a few careful steps back and moves back into the tunnel.

[saveournpcs]

The tunnel is the exact same as when they came down it, dark and empty. Te tiny dormice are nowhere in sight - they are, in fact, still exactly where Thom and Gizmo last saw them, and that's a good distance up the tunnel from here.

[dreamtamer]

Thom takes advantage of the moment of quiet to pull out his sketchpad from his backpack and scribble a quick message.

so sorry that took so long :(

[scarsolderthanyou]

Sam keeps an eye on the network messages, but most of his attention is on the cave, the smells in it, and looking for those little mice up ahead. They'll get there eventually, and have to deal with them.

[saveournpcs]

The mice are still where they last saw them, sitting on the sides of the tunnel. They'll look at Sam and Thom when they return, but won't approach.