Run, run, follow me [Open Mingle]

[saveournpcs]

Date: Saturday, 4.1.2020
Characters: OPEN

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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

[saveournpcs]

As he walks, the direction-changing breeze that has been around in the tunnels as well becomes stronger and warmer. Definitely, significantly stronger as he continues on in search for a front paw. It's starting to be more of a storm than a breeze.

[warped_replica]

The strength of the breathing, especially during the exhalation, slows his pace to a more cautious one. He keeps his flashlight trained ahead, but occasionally turns it upwards. Best not to go too far forward.

He’ll keep a look out for that paw, but now any sign of an ear or whiskers.

[saveournpcs]

The wind keeps getting stronger, until at the very beginning of the inwards wind, it almost knocks him off his feet.

[warped_replica]

The sudden strength of the air current at the start of the inhalation has him grabbing for the cavern wall and dropping into a lower stance to brace. Once it lessens a little he tucks his flashlight in his waistband as before and heads upwards in a second climb.

Best to not continue circling if that rush could worsen by going any further. Especially since he is near where he has been trying to get if the mouth is somewhere right ahead.

[saveournpcs]

It's impossible to tell how close he is actually to the mouth, as the wall of fur has remained unchanged, but he can tell that he's walked a bit under a mile in an upstream direction.

[warped_replica]

Too close to be comfortable if nothing more. Figuring the distance of his current position from the mouth of the river allows him to appreciate how exceedingly long this mouse happens to be while stretched out from near the head to the tip of the tail.

Keeping an eye out for anything different in the endless fur and on the cavern wall, he repeats his previous techniques to ascend back up to the top of the den.

[saveournpcs]

One difference is the strong winds that will tear at him - he'll have to find a way to secure himself against the cavern wall to not be blown off at the beginning of inhalation.

[warped_replica]

Initially, the ascent is merely a little slower than the first time he climbed at the middle. He has to go a little slower to secure his grip on the rock against the two forces of gravity and the strong air currents. He can account for that with some careful searching for better holds. What he failed to anticipate is the sudden strength in the rushing air at the switch to inhalation. Between the strength of the reversal and the surprise of it, he is yanked free from the cavern wall. He has no claws to bite with into the stone.

Scrambling to catch another hold during his drop, he manages to briefly snag a spot with one hand to decelerate the fall. The yank at his shoulder is absorbed mostly by his muscles, and reorients his position for impact along one side. When he lands, he lands with a solid thud. It knocks the air out of him, and stuns him.

...ow.

Flashlight still functioning but cracked beside him, he rolls onto his back with teeth gritted to gather his wits about him. Now painfully aware of his mistake, he realizes he will have to back trek a ways to try again. Once he lies still for a minute to wait and see if anything is broken.

[saveournpcs]

When he hits the ground with a thud, a sympathetic shudder runs through the giant body next to him, shift to the side - luckily not towards the side Ben is on, so he doesn't get smushed, but he can hear that it hits the other side of the cavern and the far end of the ceiling.

And feel it. It does shake the cave quite a lot. Rather resembles an earthquake.

[warped_replica]

Despite feeling dazed, he is acutely aware of the movement of the giant he lies beside. The shaking of the ground all around him would tell him if he could not see the way the space around him widens with the lean away from his position.

Caution would have him lay motionless longer, but this reaction from the mouse has him pushing his way to sit partially upright. The lack of sharp pangs at least is reassuring his bones are intact and aligned. His attention is not on himself, but the giant dormouse he disturbed. Maybe it has to do with the lingering familial feeling from the Echoes he received earlier, but he can only think to do one thing. He speaks. His voice is gentle, the cadence of his words slow and the tone even. He has been a big brother long enough to know how to be reassuring, and he tries to be for the mouse, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you... I get too curious sometimes. But, everything is okay. I’m going to go back to my friends, and you can go back to sleep. There might be a happy dream waiting for you.”

He aches all over, and the hand he made the grab with is beginning to throb softly at his palm, but he needs to get moving to prove his words if the mouse heard him. Taking up his flashlight as he makes his way to his feet, Benjiro tucks his other hand to his middle to hold. His duffel bag had landed on him in the fall, and goes with him as he walks towards the tunnel he had entered from initially. There is a small hitch in his steps as he begins, but it evens out as he shakes off the passing lightheadedness.

[saveournpcs]

The mouse doesn't quite settle yet, it shifts in some more minor ways, making the cave shake again. But it seems to decidedly not shift towards Ben, leaving a broad path for him to walk.

[warped_replica]

The teenager does not rush on his way out, but he does not dawdle either, and uses elbow to the wall to steady himself as he needs to as the adjustments shake the earth. He finds his way back to the tunnel from which he entered, and heads for the surface.