the baby is very excited about this. they rattle like bones again, and then promptly drag the whole chain into the vent. all four of them will have to duck their heads in order to get through, but otherwise, it's an easy fit. they'll notice that holding hands actually makes them feel very cozy and warm, like standing in front of a space heater, despite the icy wind that occasionally blows through.
they walk for a while, and eventually, they smell... food. roasting meat, specifically. the vent is kind of dark, but they can see a shiny thing in the distance, and the closer they get, the louder the sound of clattering plates gets. that, and loud, unrestrained eating sounds from multiple sources, smacking lips, snuffling sounds...
chuck jingle tugs them along. they have their eye (presumably) on the shiny thing at the end of the tunnel.]
The hand holding is pleasant, especially with the heat that accompanies. But even more pleasant than that is the smell of roasting meat to her hungry ass. She inhales deeply, taking as big of a whiff as she can, and sighs.]
That smells so good... I wonder how long it's going to take us to get out of here. [Whining, just a little.] I'm...
[She trails off, silent for a moment. And then, for whatever reason, softly with feeling:]
[ sasazuka is a fan of meat, but the accompanying noise is uhhhh. more than a little off putting? he mumbles under his breath something about people being disgusting, while also trying to make sure their baby doesn't get go too fast as they go for the shiny.
he's not really listening to what sheila is saying, but that last thing makes him pause. ]
[ considering all they've been through so far, she's not sure they want to encounter what's making those noises. her stomach grumbles—they may not be cold anymore, but that hunger that'd struck earlier still grips her.
she squeezes sheila's hand a bit. ]
Is everything okay?
[ guess they're still moving towards the Shiny Thing. ]
[She feels famished, but also ill? The sound of other people eating has always made her nauseated and this is no exception. But also, hungry? She'll keep following along as well, but wary after Sheila speaks.]
they stop them in front of said shiny thing, and pick it up. another little rattling noise, and then they probably mess up this chain by jittering back over to harrow. they solemnly hand her an orange crystal, the size of the palm of her hand, with a circle engraved on it. congratulation.
anyway, as this is happening, they are at the end of the vent, and they can see out into the room below them.
there's a long line of huge tables, all completely covered in meat. sausages, hams, haunches of animals, fish, anything you can imagine, all stacked up on top of each other. some of it spills off the table to the floor - other pieces seem to be rotting in places. this is gross on it's own, but what's even worse are the people seated at these tables.
obscenely obese, hunched men and women are sitting shoulder to shoulder at these tables, stuffing meat into their faces almost desperately. they are about three times the size of the four of you in the vents. the noise is intolerable. half of them can't seem to breathe properly, and snuffle all over the meat - some of them are just sucking on raw steaks, and still others bite each other's hands when they stray too close to a stranger's plate.
you are still hungry, despite this.
the vent ends above this line of tables. it looks like the only exit is to jump... down onto the table. hm.]
[She sucks in a breath, watching the scene below with growing disgust on her face. Her voice is quiet when she replies, just in case the sound travels to the people below.]
I think that answers your question.
[Oh, fuck. She does not like the idea of jumping down onto the table? She would not like to be non-consensually vored? So she will glance around in hopes there's something they can hop on on the ceiling, or maybe something else on the vent, but...]
[ he does not know what is with harrow's new orange thingy, so instead he will focus on seeing if there is like. any particular spot on the table they could in theory hop onto? that won't immediately get them vored?? is there anywhere they can hide behind that isn't directly in the view?? ]
[ incredibly disgusting! vira's expression nearly contorts into a grimace before she takes a breath and smiles through the horrible meat noises. ]
Oh, how sweet. They brought you a gift.
[ good chuck jingle. since their chain is ruined she just gives them a pat on the back and goes over to look below at the 'feast.' is there an exit in plain sight anywhere? anything in the room of note that isn't a person or a meat? ]
[baby jingle rattles happily, and then zooms back to the front to crouch down and look at the guests at the table outside the vent. harrow doesn't notice anything strange about the crystal, for now, but she'll get the impression that it's very important to somebody.
the table seems to be wide enough that perhaps they could run down the middle and avoid the worst of the nasty hands grabbing for meat. there are also plates stacked up that they could maybe hide behind, as well as several forks and knives that are about the size of swords, for the four of you. the guests are very entranced by the meat - you get the impression that they might be distracted if you're quiet.
across the room is an open door, leading out into what looks like maybe snow.
as they're discussing, two of the guests that are shoulder to shoulder grab for the same piece of meat. one of them, a massive brown haired woman makes a horrendous squawking sound and slaps at the other, an equally massive blonde woman. they dissolve into a shrieking, squawking fight on the floor, but it's... pathetic, because neither of them can move very well.]
Luckily for Sheila, she does not recognize either of these ladies and therefore can't be traumatized by this. Hooray!
But she hums, nodding at Harrow's suggestion.]
Well... They're eating, and apparently not very athletic? [Watching the two giant ladies fight. Terrible. She gesticulates as she continues, acting out some very bad charades.] Maybe we can quietly sneak past them, and hide between all the other crap on the table if they look our way.
[Countdown to how long they have before Flurry throws another horrifying thing at us.]
[ unfortunately, he does recognize one of the ladies.
his reaction, at first, is a weird feeling that the brunette looks familiar? and then, you know, it can't be? the last he checked, she wasn't into feederism? but the more he stares, the more it just kind of sinks in. ]
Ichika?
[ he moves a little closer to the edge, not quiet jumping down yet but still closer than he would have gotten ten seconds ago before discussion. ]
[ unfortunately, vira also recognizes one of them.
they're so sad and unsettling to watch that it takes her a moment as the gears in her head turn, but vira suddenly freezes up, letting out a quiet, horrified noise. her usual poise evaporates instantly, clearly shaken in her wide-eyed stare. ]
Katalina?
[ anyway she definitely looks like she's about to jump down there. plan who? ]
[Shit. Fuck. It takes her a moment to understand what's going on, what they're looking at, but then it clicks.
She's holding her by the hand already, but she'll reach to grab Vira by the arm. She's not strong, but she will at least make it so if she jumps, she'll be brought down with her. And - sass(afras) aside, she glances between Vira and Sasazuka with concern for both.]
Don't. Consider the likelihood that this is an illusion meant to provoke you. Don't allow it to.
[jingle baby makes an alarmed sound at vira and sasazuka's distress, moving to pat them gently. they can't reach either vira or sasazuka's head, unfortunately, but they pat their leg instead, trying to help.
the two women seem to get tired fast, and stop fighting after a minute. they slowly drag themselves back to the table.]
She looks between Vira and Takeru, and then gently pats Jingle on their shoulder, for being such a good eldritch baby.]
... She's right. And it wouldn't even be the first time we've seen something impossibly fucked up. Remember the bleeding stars? I bet it's exactly like that. Come on.
[Pr...obably... It's unclear if she actually believes what she's saying or not.]
We can take a minute if you need to calm down, but we should get moving. This is no place to raise a kid.
[ he knows they're likely right, and that whatever this is, it's just to mess with them. it takes him a moment to really respond though, his eyes fixated on ichika. ]
Come on. We're wasting time.
[ they can't hold hands while jumping down, but he'll go to scoop up their baby. it's... mostly because he is less likely to do something stupid if he is holding onto them. and then he'll hop down to the table and will set chuck jingle down once they're there.
sometimes you are rattled and don't actually wait if the others says ok about moving but that's fine. ]
[ vira is not incredibly responsive, though all their words (and poor jingle's efforts) do seem to reach her enough that her abject shock crinkles into a vicious glower, her voice low. ]
You're right— [ of course this horrible garish thing isn't katalina ] how dare they make such a mockery of her—!
[ anyway she manages not to drag harrow down with her in a rush (or like, maybe she does, harrow is a strong independent gal and can jump into danger if she wants), but she's hopping after sassafras, quickly grabbing one of the knives on the table before they crouch behind 'cover,' aka a towering pile of meat. ]
[That's how she already feels, because these motherfuckers took her comfort sword? But yes, as long as Vira seems to have her head about her (anger counts), she'll let her jump down. She'll jump down as well, darting behind a pile of plates and reaching out to grab a fork for herself.]
[chuck jingle is happy to be held. they wrap their arms tightly around sasazuka and do their best to stay quiet and not rattle when he jumps down. they seem reluctant to be put down... and when they're placed, they stay where they are, crouching and starting to shiver.
the guests around them continue to eat - they don't notice the jumpers yet, distracted by their food. you are now armed with a knife and a fork, and also have a baby that doesn't want to move.]
Sheila jumps down alongside the others, but she doesn't make a grab for any weapons. Let the joth (jock and goth) squad get the cool cutlery swords. The fact that their baby doesn't want to move is bad, though, and she will offer to hold their hand or piggyback them if necessary. Please do not get vored, Chuck Jingle.
Regardless of whether they accept or reject the offer, she will silently glance at the rest of the group to make sure they're all good before searching for an opening. Any opportunities to sneak the next convenient cover while the guests are looking in another direction?]
[ if they want two hands then sasazuka is also here.
for now though, he just stares at ichika for a moment and then turns his attention to the exit. do they have a better view of the it now or is it still just vague snow? if there's an opportunity to move he will. he'll also grab a utensil since you never know when you may need one. ]
[ she lets mom and dad deal with their baby, narrowing her eyes on the dining party and this grotesque illusion of Katalina, which only serves to make her angrier, gripping her 'sword' tightly.
If there's an opening, she's going to move towards the side of the table closest to the exit, darting between cover to do so. Is it a clean shot from here to the exit? ]
[Likewise, she'll trust Sheila and Sasazuka to handle baby. She'll follow closely with the others, trying to date behind plates, carrying her stupid fork. to defend herself and Sheila if needed, since she has her hands full.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
the baby is very excited about this. they rattle like bones again, and then promptly drag the whole chain into the vent. all four of them will have to duck their heads in order to get through, but otherwise, it's an easy fit. they'll notice that holding hands actually makes them feel very cozy and warm, like standing in front of a space heater, despite the icy wind that occasionally blows through.
they walk for a while, and eventually, they smell... food. roasting meat, specifically. the vent is kind of dark, but they can see a shiny thing in the distance, and the closer they get, the louder the sound of clattering plates gets. that, and loud, unrestrained eating sounds from multiple sources, smacking lips, snuffling sounds...
chuck jingle tugs them along. they have their eye (presumably) on the shiny thing at the end of the tunnel.]
no subject
The hand holding is pleasant, especially with the heat that accompanies. But even more pleasant than that is the smell of roasting meat to her hungry ass. She inhales deeply, taking as big of a whiff as she can, and sighs.]
That smells so good... I wonder how long it's going to take us to get out of here. [Whining, just a little.] I'm...
[She trails off, silent for a moment. And then, for whatever reason, softly with feeling:]
Uh-oh.
no subject
he's not really listening to what sheila is saying, but that last thing makes him pause. ]
What is it?
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she squeezes sheila's hand a bit. ]
Is everything okay?
[ guess they're still moving towards the Shiny Thing. ]
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Should we keep going? Is it dangerous ahead?
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they stop them in front of said shiny thing, and pick it up. another little rattling noise, and then they probably mess up this chain by jittering back over to harrow. they solemnly hand her an orange crystal, the size of the palm of her hand, with a circle engraved on it. congratulation.
anyway, as this is happening, they are at the end of the vent, and they can see out into the room below them.
there's a long line of huge tables, all completely covered in meat. sausages, hams, haunches of animals, fish, anything you can imagine, all stacked up on top of each other. some of it spills off the table to the floor - other pieces seem to be rotting in places. this is gross on it's own, but what's even worse are the people seated at these tables.
obscenely obese, hunched men and women are sitting shoulder to shoulder at these tables, stuffing meat into their faces almost desperately. they are about three times the size of the four of you in the vents. the noise is intolerable. half of them can't seem to breathe properly, and snuffle all over the meat - some of them are just sucking on raw steaks, and still others bite each other's hands when they stray too close to a stranger's plate.
you are still hungry, despite this.
the vent ends above this line of tables. it looks like the only exit is to jump... down onto the table. hm.]
no subject
I think that answers your question.
[Oh, fuck. She does not like the idea of jumping down onto the table? She would not like to be non-consensually vored? So she will glance around in hopes there's something they can hop on on the ceiling, or maybe something else on the vent, but...]
What's with the orange thingy?
no subject
[ he does not know what is with harrow's new orange thingy, so instead he will focus on seeing if there is like. any particular spot on the table they could in theory hop onto? that won't immediately get them vored?? is there anywhere they can hide behind that isn't directly in the view?? ]
no subject
Oh, how sweet. They brought you a gift.
[ good chuck jingle. since their chain is ruined she just gives them a pat on the back and goes over to look below at the 'feast.' is there an exit in plain sight anywhere? anything in the room of note that isn't a person or a meat? ]
no subject
Thank you. [Does it do anything? Can she notice anything about it besides it being a little orange charm with a circle?
. . . Anyway, moving on to this horror show. She's hungry, but also so absolutely revolted that she can barely stand the idea of eating.]
It looks like we'll have to jump down. But let's talk through our plan.
[Are there any knives or forks on the table? Something they'd be able to pick up?]
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the table seems to be wide enough that perhaps they could run down the middle and avoid the worst of the nasty hands grabbing for meat. there are also plates stacked up that they could maybe hide behind, as well as several forks and knives that are about the size of swords, for the four of you. the guests are very entranced by the meat - you get the impression that they might be distracted if you're quiet.
across the room is an open door, leading out into what looks like maybe snow.
as they're discussing, two of the guests that are shoulder to shoulder grab for the same piece of meat. one of them, a massive brown haired woman makes a horrendous squawking sound and slaps at the other, an equally massive blonde woman. they dissolve into a shrieking, squawking fight on the floor, but it's... pathetic, because neither of them can move very well.]
no subject
Luckily for Sheila, she does not recognize either of these ladies and therefore can't be traumatized by this. Hooray!
But she hums, nodding at Harrow's suggestion.]
Well... They're eating, and apparently not very athletic? [Watching the two giant ladies fight. Terrible. She gesticulates as she continues, acting out some very bad charades.] Maybe we can quietly sneak past them, and hide between all the other crap on the table if they look our way.
[Countdown to how long they have before Flurry throws another horrifying thing at us.]
no subject
his reaction, at first, is a weird feeling that the brunette looks familiar? and then, you know, it can't be? the last he checked, she wasn't into feederism? but the more he stares, the more it just kind of sinks in. ]
Ichika?
[ he moves a little closer to the edge, not quiet jumping down yet but still closer than he would have gotten ten seconds ago before discussion. ]
What the hell did they do to her?
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they're so sad and unsettling to watch that it takes her a moment as the gears in her head turn, but vira suddenly freezes up, letting out a quiet, horrified noise. her usual poise evaporates instantly, clearly shaken in her wide-eyed stare. ]
Katalina?
[ anyway she definitely looks like she's about to jump down there. plan who? ]
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She's holding her by the hand already, but she'll reach to grab Vira by the arm. She's not strong, but she will at least make it so if she jumps, she'll be brought down with her. And - sass(afras) aside, she glances between Vira and Sasazuka with concern for both.]
Don't. Consider the likelihood that this is an illusion meant to provoke you. Don't allow it to.
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the two women seem to get tired fast, and stop fighting after a minute. they slowly drag themselves back to the table.]
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She looks between Vira and Takeru, and then gently pats Jingle on their shoulder, for being such a good eldritch baby.]
... She's right. And it wouldn't even be the first time we've seen something impossibly fucked up. Remember the bleeding stars? I bet it's exactly like that. Come on.
[Pr...obably... It's unclear if she actually believes what she's saying or not.]
We can take a minute if you need to calm down, but we should get moving. This is no place to raise a kid.
[The baby is theirs now. They are raising it.]
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Come on. We're wasting time.
[ they can't hold hands while jumping down, but he'll go to scoop up their baby. it's... mostly because he is less likely to do something stupid if he is holding onto them. and then he'll hop down to the table and will set chuck jingle down once they're there.
sometimes you are rattled and don't actually wait if the others says ok about moving but that's fine. ]
no subject
You're right— [ of course this horrible garish thing isn't katalina ] how dare they make such a mockery of her—!
[ anyway she manages not to drag harrow down with her in a rush (or like, maybe she does, harrow is a strong independent gal and can jump into danger if she wants), but she's hopping after sassafras, quickly grabbing one of the knives on the table before they crouch behind 'cover,' aka a towering pile of meat. ]
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[That's how she already feels, because these motherfuckers took her comfort sword? But yes, as long as Vira seems to have her head about her (anger counts), she'll let her jump down. She'll jump down as well, darting behind a pile of plates and reaching out to grab a fork for herself.]
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the guests around them continue to eat - they don't notice the jumpers yet, distracted by their food. you are now armed with a knife and a fork, and also have a baby that doesn't want to move.]
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Sheila jumps down alongside the others, but she doesn't make a grab for any weapons. Let the joth (jock and goth) squad get the cool cutlery swords. The fact that their baby doesn't want to move is bad, though, and she will offer to hold their hand or piggyback them if necessary. Please do not get vored, Chuck Jingle.
Regardless of whether they accept or reject the offer, she will silently glance at the rest of the group to make sure they're all good before searching for an opening. Any opportunities to sneak the next convenient cover while the guests are looking in another direction?]
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for now though, he just stares at ichika for a moment and then turns his attention to the exit. do they have a better view of the it now or is it still just vague snow? if there's an opportunity to move he will. he'll also grab a utensil since you never know when you may need one. ]
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If there's an opening, she's going to move towards the side of the table closest to the exit, darting between cover to do so. Is it a clean shot from here to the exit? ]
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