[DROP] catch them if you can

Isla take your medicine Considering herself to be doing quite well so far, Isla is admiring the number of wisps in her net when she comes across the fallen tree. Rising up on her tip toes as if she might be able to see over it before making her decision, eventually the Ancient decides she's better off clambering beneath the fallen bough. Wriggling and muddying her knees in the process, she's nonetheless cheerful as she tries to creep and crawl through the tunnel beneath the tree trunk. And if she's humming to herself and her wisps as she goes, well, so be it. If you're going to sneak through a magic forest catching mischievous balls of light, you may as well have a good time about it. Isla goes under.

With a trio of wisps now, along with the noise of others making their way through the forest, Fox at least contents himself with knowing that there are others out there helping to round up the little creatures. (That means his less-than-stellar efforts will hopefully be made up by the work the others are doing). Anyway. Checking that his wisps aren't causing any trouble in their net, he tilts his head upon coming across the fallen tree.

Then, without much hesitation at all, Fox scoots beneath it to make his way through the tunnel. He'd usually go over it, in truth, but the dice something is drawing him towards the strange underground pathway.

---

Fox goes under.

welcome to the desecration, baby

we built you up and we'll tear you right down

Random Event Like the end of a Hitchcock movie, a little dark and a lot confusing Over or under, either way, you've got to get past this tree somehow. And it seems as though Koa and Jude have done it, at first, both boys climbing over the tree and running, running, into the forest. It gets brighter and brighter, until oooop! It looks as though a group of wisps have been bundling together to create some sort of pretend sun, but as Jude and Koa approach, they disband and scatter and swarm the duo, freeing their friends from their nets in the process! When the haze clears, the two friends will find themselves alone in the forest with nothing to show for their efforts. As for the others, as they wriggle through the tunnel and out the other end, the world isn't as it was before. Standing in a veil of twilight and spangles of stars, it doesn't take long to realise that some of those stars are moving. You're standing in a space filled with will-o-wisps. Better put that trusty net to use! Jude and Koa are out of the Drop! Isla and Fox didn't post in time so are eliminated from the Drop and are unable to use it for levelling purposes. The others, write a post trying to catch as many wisps as you can! You have 48 hours. Soleil: 5 Edmund: 6

Soleil

I hear the music, I feel the beat
And for a moment, when I'm dancing, I am free

Shaking dirt off of her hair and clothes, Soleil blinks around and sees only one other person - someone her age at that - has come out the other side of the tunnel. Grinning at him, she doesn't realize the vast field of will-o-wisps until she turns around, and is agog with how many have converged on this spot. It's beautiful; dusky hues and floating, mischievous blue and white spirits that blink and smoke like fallen stars. Her net can't possibly catch them all.

Still, why not try?

Deciding to try and be sneaky and light-footed as her technique, only springing when she's close enough to catch one, Soleil dances around the open field unable to keep in her intermittent, delighted bursts of laughter.

Edmund emerges from the other end of the tunnel and his eyes widen as he takes in the swarms of wisps. The space they are in feels like magic. It's beautiful and temporarily takes his breath away. A girl his age then appears, and he sends her a small smile in return. The wisps are fast and flighty. And with a crowd of them, he imagines that they might all flee if one sounds the alarm. After thinking for a moment, Edmund decides to take an ambush approach. The Ancient locks onto a large group of them and sneaks up as best as he can. When he gets close enough, he swings his net and tries to catch as many at once as possible. ~ Edmund tries to sneak up on a large swarm of wisps and ambush them to catch as many at once as possible. Edmund Reborn In Fire

Random Event Like the end of a Hitchcock movie, a little dark and a lot confusing Run, run, run, fast as you can! It's an extended wisp-catching-bonanza, made that way by a ridiculous number of dice rolls to break a tie, wtf agile balls of light and teenagers darting to and fro. But alas, there can only be one winner, and as the wisps finally disperse (even the ones in your nets, suggesting they were letting themselves be caught), it is drumroll please Edmund who stands victorious! It might be dark now that the wisps are gone, but a sudden, fog-like cloud before the Ancient seems darker still. Slowly, it forms the shape of a smiley face, and the young man will feel the warm snap! of a bond forming. Soleil: 10 Edmund: 11 Congratulations to Edmund! You have won the Drop and receive a Darkling companion! Please let an admin know the name of your Darkling <3 Feel free to add another finishing post. The Drop will be archived in 24 hours.

The wisps vanish and Edmund pauses, eyeing his surroundings warily. The darkness in front of him grows and if not for the sudden warmth in his chest, the Ancient would have jumped back. Eyes wide with wonder, he holds out a hand. The floating darkness drifts over and nestles into his palm. "Hi." The edges of the creature blur and Edmund gets the sense that's it's saying hello too. "I'll call you... Nevermore." The edges turn sharp, and the bond turns annoyed. The Darkling floats up and body slams the ground, becoming the image of splattered paint. Baffled, Edmund watches the creature repeat the motion until it clicks in his mind, "Ok! Clearly, you've named yourself already. Paint? Ink? Splatter?" Each name thrown out is clearly wrong if the dissatisfaction in the bond is telling him anything. But the last name feels close. The Ancient holds out his hand again, and gestures for the Darkling to come close. It once more settles in his hand, seeming to sense that it's foolish bonded has caught on. "Splat?" The thrill of satisfaction and warmth that floods the bond is telling and Edmund lets out a chuckle. "You named yourself Splat? Ok. Hi Splat, I'm Edmund." A tendril of darkness creeps out and boops the Ancient on the nose as a surge of affection floods him. Smiling softly, Edmund cups his new companion to his chest. "I like you too. Let's go." -{FIN} Edmund Reborn In Fire