vander's rescue

[beleos]

Who: Vander, his lovely and brave rescuers, and a whole lotta trouble
What: Vander was kidnapped by Aetós, so the people come to save him! OOC information and plotting can be found here.
Where: “The Zoo” in the Below
When: Sometime in between the TDM and March 17th OOC
Warnings: Violence, references to human experimentation/torture

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It’s a long, winding way down into the Below, and you’re being led there by what seems like a girl, though at this point you’re also confident that she’s anything but. She’s fought with Shard-Bearers and held her own but was also captured by them to be questioned. And, in that, she eventually gave a piece of information in return. Her master, Aetós, had kidnapped Vander. If you don’t kill her, she can take you to where he’s being hidden. You can save him before her master makes him wrong.

So, a rescue effort was mounted. With many Shard-Bearers across factions here either to save Vander or simple for the allure of learning more about this mysterious figure, it at least gives you confidence that it can be handled. It’s disorienting down here so far below Springstar, but eventually, she comes to what looks like a sealed-up tunnel. She holds her hands against two particular bricks, and after a moment, they glow with teal light before all the bricks seem to shimmer. Like they all suddenly break, they become floating little motes of light, and a doorway lays before you.

It's a long corridor, but it doesn’t take long before you smell it before you see anything. There’s a largely animal smell here like a zoo, but it’s tinged more heavily with the smells of blood and rot. It’s enough to make a weak stomach heave a bit or at least get the hairs on the back of your neck to stand on end. But still, the girl continues on until you can see the hallway spill out to a large room.

Laying on a dissecting table is some kind of strange animal, but standing over it is a similarly strange masked figure. Some of you know, it’s Aetós.

“Right on time, Adelfoúla,” is all they say as they stand and hold up a silver hand. A complex orb of light appears, and they crush it. In front of you, Adelfoúla only gives a dispassionate ah— that’s followed by the sound of shattering porcelain, and she simply crumbles at the waist. You can rush forward, try to meet Aetós, but calmly, they just say—

“This will be good data. Hopefully you’ll find Vander before he gets eaten.”

And with a tick like the movement of a watch’s hand, they’re simply… Gone. Those sensitive to such things will feel it, the pulse of intense, strong magic, but before you can fully process, you can hear it: the creaking of cage doors opening down the myriad of hallways that line this one large room, the rumble of growls and claws against stone. Vander is somewhere in this maze of a facility, and you have to find him. Or maybe you just have to find what Aetós left behind.

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OOC Notes : This log is a catch-all for all efforts related to the Save Vander plot! Including Vander's no fun, very bad time itself! If you'd like to participate in this plot, please see the OOC post. While the text above describes the initial arrival, this log can also be used for pre/post plot Communion, planning beforehand, etc. along with the expected threads in the facility!

Comments

[kenosnpcs]

[ For a long moment, the only thing to answer Vander is silence. It is impossible to discern what the girl is thinking; her expression is as unreadable and dispassionate as it ever is, unchanging.

But this time, there is no tray of food, no delivery of basic necessities accompanying her arrival. Instead, Adelfoúla takes a small step closer to his cell. Her voice is quiet, soft, and just as empty at her gaze. ]

You talk in your sleep.

[exhound]

[Vander just sits there and stares right back at her in that initial stretch of silence. He’s not sure what he was expecting, as this just seems to be more of the same thing he’s gotten for… however many days it’s been at this point.

Right up until it isn’t.

It draws a laugh from him, short and soft. He closes his eyes for just a moment, lips almost—but not quite—turning up into a sad smile.]

And you can talk after all, it seems.

[When he opens his eyes again, he watches her with hesitant interest. This is different. Not sure if it’s a good or a bad thing.]

[kenosnpcs]

Yes. I can speak.

[ Though there is no inflection in her voice, perhaps Vander gets the sense he is being judged for his remark, somehow.

Adelfoúla crouches down, hugging her knees to her chest, unblinking eyes remaining fixed on the prisoner like a cat watching a mouse for movement. ]

But not when Master says I cannot. Today, I can speak.

Why are you here?

[exhound]

[If she’s usually ordered into silence, then this sudden shift must be significant. He’s not sure how to puzzle out the meaning of it, though.

Just like he’s not so sure about that question of hers.]

You tell me.

[He continues to stare right back at her, brows furrowing a little thoughtfully.]

Or does that master of yours not share their schemes with you?

[kenosnpcs]

No.

[ Her answer comes plainly. ]

There is no point. I am only to listen.

But you must be special if you are here.

[exhound]

Frankly, I just figured they got tired of me trying to stick my nose in their business.

[You spend too much time trying to find someone who doesn’t want to be found, and eventually it’ll come back to bite you.]

Don’t think there’s anything that makes me more special than anyone else.

[kenosnpcs]

You are very big.

[ She tilts her head in quiet contemplation as she says it, eyes very clearly running over the length of his person. He Big. ]

That is special.

[exhound]

An observant one, aren’t you?

[He means for there to be more bite to it than there is, but there’s something disarming about the girl’s simple and straightforward curiosity. He should probably be careful about that.]

You must be special yourself, to be down here. [Even if she’s not the one caged up.] Why do you help Aetós?

[kenosnpcs]

Master commands me, and I obey.

[ There is the barest of pauses before she continues: ]

You are... new. Not an old Bearer.

[ It is posed as a question, even if it lacks the intonation of one. ]

[exhound]

[Obey… as if that were such a simple thing. The not-quite-question that follows has him narrowing his eyes.]

I suppose I am, relatively speaking. Does that make a difference?

[kenosnpcs]

[ There is a (helpful) silence in response, and for the length of the silence that comes in answer, it doesn't seem she's going to give him more than that.

But after a few beats more than is necessary, she asks something else: ]

Will someone come to save you?

[exhound]

[He’s almost convinced she’s just decided to go back to her largely silent ways, but it seems she’s got more questions locked and loaded after all.

To be honest, it’s a question that’s been on his mind a lot down here.]

I imagine they will. Wasn’t exactly a subtle move, grabbing me in the middle of all that.

[kenosnpcs]

They were your friends?

[ The pause this time is not long, the silence one that suggests she is momentarily thinking this over. ]

Then you do not want them to be harmed.

[exhound]

They’re strong. Can handle themselves.

[He does truly believe that, but of course he worries. When does he not?]

Or are you implying I’m being used as bait to lure them out here?

[Is that why he’s been doing a whole lot of waiting around so far?]

[kenosnpcs]

Master wants them to come.

[ ... ]

Are you friends with the Red Man?

[exhound]

[So, yes. Well, that’s not something he wants to hear. And not something he can really do anything about at the moment, especially when she barrels on to another question.]

Might need to be more specific about which “Red Man.”

[He’s got a couple of guesses in mind, depending on how literal she’s being with that description.]

[kenosnpcs]

You have more than one Red Man?

[ Does she think he just keeps a pocket full of them? That these are 'his' red men?? Maybe. What if he does, okay, Vander looks like a guy who could have Red Men stashed away somewhere. ]

The stupid one. He smells like sand.

[exhound]

Like sand... [A beat.] Ah, Set.

[The Red Man that sounds like a handful. He frowns.]

I suppose we're teammates. On the same side, and all. You know him?

[kenosnpcs]

Red Man.

[ Though her expression and intonation don't change in the least, the Vibes are Rancid. ]

I do not like the Red Man. You don't want him to get hurt? He is your... friend?

[exhound]

We're allies.

[Hedging that answer a little, since he barely knows the man, but still. Fellow Meridian. Of course he wouldn't want him to get hurt. Though, the fact that this seemingly stoic girl has a strong enough opinion of him to dislike him, that's got him curious.]

Why don't you like him?

[Someone was too busy throwing down to catch what happened at the Tree......]

[kenosnpcs]

[ It seems she isn't interested in answering that question, because she... doesn't, instead leaning a bit closer to curl the fingers of one hand against the bars. ]

Will you be sad if they are hurt?

[ His friends? ]

[exhound]

[He doesn't like the emphasis that the repetition gives that question.]

Yes. They don't need to be getting themselves in trouble on my behalf.

[kenosnpcs]

It is a trap.

[ It is probably obvious to Vander; he is being used as bait. ]

I don't want you to be sad. Can you stop? They are not really your friends.

[exhound]

[Yeah, that was the feeling. He sighs, then moves to bring himself slightly closer. Crouched down to be more level with her, he watches her unchanging expression through the bars of the cell separating them. That little glimpse of empathy there… it hadn’t been expected.]

Telling me to stop caring about them is probably like asking you to tell that master of yours to stop all of this.

[He gestures tiredly at their surroundings.]

Bet you can’t, right?

[kenosnpcs]

[ He moves and she watches him in silence, ever-still. ]

I am not allowed to give Master orders.

[ Yes, he's got the right of it; she can't refute that logic. ]

But, why... do you care? I don't understand.