Always Ascending

[Dichotomy]

That was... such a nightmare. Nothing seems to make sense. Where even was that?

I awake fitfully from sleep, feeling my curves move about me in a way that's even more disconcerting than usual given the recent contrast. It felt comforting... usual. At least for the brief moments between when I wasn't actively being assaulted by the very land of... wherever that was.

I sit up slowly "What... time is it?"

[Ryuforce]

Duran doesn't quite remember when she went to sleep. Just that at some point she found a good seat to lay in and everything went dark.

~~~

But when she yawns she stretches out and grumbles a bit, rubbing the back of her head then her back. "Ugh.. I had such a weird dream.... I was being hit by stones and tripped constantly... then I fell out of a tree.." Duran complains out loud before she blinked. Taking a look around the place she noticed Red and Naethra in tears. "Um.. are.. you two okay?"

[Nihtgenga]

"We  fucking died Duran, the fuck do you think?" came Retiaria's muffled reply.

[Alice]

Looking through Gwyn's things... A red furred squrill flops out of one of her socks.

[Ordos]

Naethra winced as Red touched her, unused and unaccustomed to physical contact.  But she couldn't push the other tiefling away.  She reached out to grab one of Red's hands and squeezed it tightly.

Damnable lineages didn't really matter if you were damned by the eyes of your home.  She shivered through the memory, Red's body a strong, grounding, warm presence. 

She tried to control her breathing.  She couldn't stop the tears, but truthfully, she didn't want to. 

[Roselli]

I get the fabric off me and see the room I was in before. Everything is so large. I hop out of the sock and land on all fours. I look around at my friends who seem devistated. What happened to them. Also why are they so large...

I spin around and see my tail and some of my body. Shit! I'm a squirrel again?? Can I at least talk this time? I can't seem to entirely understand what they are saying.

What if they think I'm just some squirrel and leave without me??

[darlingng01]

Oric:

I quickly pick up the squirrel, fearful she'll attempt to scurry off like when she was transformed by Eve. Holding her close to my face in the hopes I might hear something, I try and whisper to not startle her "Gwyn? Is that you? Can you understand me?" my grip on her is proportional to how much she struggles. I try to be gentle, but if she starts trying to flee my hands clamp down on her.

[Ryuforce]

Duran just looked perplexed at both Red and Naethra as she was told they died. "But.. wh.. what are you talking about? It was just a dream.." She looks rather confused over why the two were crying. And yet, she did remember it all feeling real and strangely vivid for some dream. Odd or not. "Um.. but yeah sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude. Was just trying to understand." She looked away awkwardly only to notice they seem down a person. Looking around at the empty cloths she soon spies Oric looking at a red squirrel. The dragonborn gasped hearing Oric call it Gwyn. "Wait, did Gwyn somehow go full squirrel again?"

[Roselli]

I'm looking around when I'm suddenly lifted off the ground and I find myself in Oric's hands looking face to face with her. She asks me something. It seems difficult to understand. But I can make it out. I can't remember if was better or worse than before.

I go to answer, "Yeah, I can understand you." But it's disheartening to hear my voice come out as a bunch of chts and noises. Argh! But thankfully it's a yes/no and I can nod. I don't feel the urgency to run like I did before.

I'm not sure how to answer Duran as I'm a squirrel. Or at least she confirms my squirrel status. I'm trying to remember why I'm like this. There was some kind of dream. But it's all fuzzy. Hard to figure out.

[Nihtgenga]

"It was real." Retiaria sighed, looking over at Duran. "Gwen must have gotten out. She must have reached a town in time. I... I'm glad for her..."

She was, mostly. But a part of her was just disappointed she'd never got to have that promised date. Gwen was no Aelia, but she was cute, and it would have been nice to begin to move on. That thought just made her even sadder, feeling like she was being unfaithful- but no, she was trapped here. Truly trapped now she'd blown her chance to escape.

[darlingng01]

Oric:

I ignore Duran, focusing on figuring this out. So the squirrel is Gwen and can understand me, but can't speak. I decide to go see Latisha to see if she knows why this happened.

(assuming she's there) I approach cautiously, in case she was the one who did this to Gwyn "We have a problem. I thought this was a safe room, so why is one of my friends now a squirrel?"

[Roselli]

Red! She's thinks I escaped and I'm some random squirrel?? Come on I need you on my side! I try to talk again, explain things but I can form any words. Grrr!

Can I point? No. Drat. I  try to jump put of Oric's hands to Red, but she doesn't let me. Thinking I'll escape.

But I look to Oric as she approaches Latisha. Maybe she knows what's going on and can fix me. Why can't I remember the dream? Why I am a squirrel?

[Alice]

Lattiasha emerges from the back room looking... Confused.. "This... is a safe place..." Her eyes flit from the squiril to the hugging tieflings and back.. "I have no idea what is happening but I'm very upset."

She looks around again looking at the bards empty clothes, "ok.. curse progressed even though it shouldn't.. got that much.. what else happened?"

[Roselli]

"What else happened?!" I yell but it's just cute little sounds. "At least your upset. That's important."

[darlingng01]

Oric:

I take a deep breath, trying to keep my calm "I'm glad you're upset. When I was falling asleep I was contacted by someone offering to get me out of here. They told me they were making the same offer to everyone. The offer would have placed them outside a city, meaning they would have to make their way there alone. I suspect it didn't go well."