January Open Log

[cameprepared]

🧙 WHO: Claire Redfield & YOU
⚔️️ WHAT: Open Log for January
🕒 WHEN: January!
🗺️ WHERE: All over the island
⚠️ WARNINGS: Possible violence, and Claire's usual warning for talk of zombies, viral outbreaks, and body horror.




A. White Cliffs

Claire had not missed the influx of new people, and she'd taken to helping where she could, namely by gathering up supplies and going to the beach, but that was only a single day's worth of work. She also spent a fair bit of time around the White Cliffs, mainly because it was an out of the way place she could work.

Magic was something new, and she was still working through ways to make it work without backfiring. Plus there was experimenting with combining it with things she was familiar with...like her gun. Which wasn't great for doing around people, so the isolated spot she's in feels right.

Anyone out by the Cliffs will probably hear the repeated barks of gunshots, as well as the bark of an actual canine. Following the sound will lead them to Claire, standing a safe distance from the edge and aiming a gun at a target sitting on a rock. Beside her, sitting within arms reach, is her familiar. The huge black dog's eyes turn to anyone approaching, and...his tongue lolls out in a doggy smile that prompts Claire to turn around.

"...Hey."


B. Bridge Trolls


Never let it be said that Claire wasn't ready to fight, and never let it be said that she wasn't fully prepared to retreat if things got rough. Especially if there was a trap she'd set up. The sharp bark of gunfire and the general sounds of combat are pretty easy to make out, but likely drowned out by heavy footfalls moving up a hill on the Western road to Camelot.

Sprinting full tilt over the hill ahead of the noise comes Claire, her familiar a dark blur at her side. She's breathing heavy, but other than that, unharmed.

"Shit!" she yells when she sees someone atop the hill. "Hey! Run! I've got a couple of trolls following me, and you do not wanna get caught by 'em."


C. Shadlin Showdown


The call to investigate had caught Claire's attention even after the harrowing troll battle, and she wasn't about to miss out on that. She had an explorer's heart, and so that meant ignoring the call was not an option. She and her familiar made the trek fairly quickly, but when they reached the intimidating wall of trees that was the Dusklight Woods, she found herself staring.

The massive forest gave off a dangerous feel, a place that probably shouldn't be intruded upon, and even her familiar seemed a bit intimidated by it. Frowning, hand on her gun, she forced herself to move forward into the shadow of the treeline, but no farther yet. Breathing in, she looked around and spotted another would be explorer.

"Creepy place, huh?"



D. Wildcard

I'm happy to set up closed starters, or do any number of other things. If you have something you want to do with Claire that isn't listed, drop me a starter! Alternatively, hit me up on Plurk at intercession to plot something

Comments

[blue_ice]

Kaiba shakes his head with a small smile. "Good to know. Mercury mostly zaps things...which is useful sometimes, but we need stealth right now. I just hope my nose isn't as...strong."

He wags a finger at the small dragon on his shoulder, who hisses back. Ah, the usual. Properly warned, he starts to work through a trail nice and slowly, a small lantern in hand. It flickers oddly, and...is there another light in the trees? He sees an odd blue light and gestures to it. Is it following his arm's movement. Couldn't be.

"Do you see that?"

[cameprepared]

Claire quietly puts a hand on the grip of her gun as they walk, ready to draw at a moment's notice. She almost does when she spots the flickering light, but when he points it out and it doesn't immediately coalesce into a threat, she thinks better of it. With a nod, she replies.

"Yeah. Moving lights. Like a will-o-the-wisp, maybe?"

[blue_ice]

"Will-o-wisp..."

He pauses to listen to the forest, and there's an odd howl in the breeze.

"They set out to trick travelers, right? Lure them into traps? I've had enough of that for a while."

[cameprepared]

"That's the legend, yeah. Though I think they're mostly just swamp gas."

At least, that's what she imagines they really were in Ireland.

"Means we should be careful though."

[blue_ice]

"Of gas. Right."

He certainly doesn't want to pass out here while they're alone...but the further they walk, the more he begins to doubt.

He can hear a strangely familiar howling over the wind, and he visibly flinches---though he tries to course correct immediately, pressing a hand against a nearby tree.

"Did you hear something?"

[cameprepared]

"Yes."

She moves closer to him, circling the wagons, so to speak. Her attention darts around the area, her familiar's nose sniffing the air.

"Sounded like trouble. What direction do you think?"

[blue_ice]

"This way." He points slightly to the left and starts to move in that direction. He can feel the eyes on him, but..there's nothing to see. He rubs his eyes.

And then stiffens at the sound of another shriek. Much closer this time.

"No!"

And he's breaking off into a sprint in that direction.

[cameprepared]

"Kaiba?!"

The shriek is one thing, but him starting to run is another. She draws her gun and follows now, her familiar bounding along ahead of her to point out a clear trail.

"What's going on?"

[blue_ice]

Someone is on a mission. His bat is brandished, he's looking around wildly...logically he should run from whatever it is, not to it.

But here he is, bat held loosely in hand, looking around another clearing.

"I was sure something was going to jump---I heard voices. Didn't you?"

Or is he going mad already?

[cameprepared]

"Jump...?"

She trails off to listen, but shakes her head, completely confused.

"No. No I don't hear anything at all. Dude, slow down, this is probably a trick."

Some wicked fairy may be up to no good!

[blue_ice]

"Trick..."

Is it? He leans down to focus on his feet, Mercury suddenly crawling into his line of vision. He pets the dragon's head absently.

"Driving anyone who passes through mad would...let them keep their secrets, I suppose."

He's still breathing hard. It felt real. And he was angry, too, that it got into his head so easily.

[cameprepared]

"Yeah."

When she reaches him, she sets about using her magic, creating a barrier of shadows around them, bending the light to menace the nearby forest.

"...We should back off. I don't think staying here is smart, if they're getting in your head."

[blue_ice]

That seems to calm him some, but then he looks frustrated for an entirely different reason.

"It's not real. Logically, of course it's not. I shouldn't..."

A growl, and he punches a tree. That just gets him injured knuckles, so that wasn't smart.

"You haven't heard of any exorcism rituals that can stop this, have you? I need to do something before I come back."

[cameprepared]

"I haven't. But, we can find out in town."

That's the best she can offer right now. She's worried, and she's considering pulling him back, like it or not.

"C'mon, Kaiba. Let's move."

[blue_ice]

"Right. Moving."

Kaiba shakes his head and follows reluctantly, still bothered by that odd prickle in his head.

"I...guess I'll update you if I find anything else out. But I'll stay close to town while I'm a liability."

[cameprepared]

"Yeah. I feel you."

Claire moves towards the light of the treeline, looking back over her shoulder warily.

"Something's rotten in the state of Denmark, here. Not sure what, but I don't think I'll be coming back here again."