WELCOME TO THE HIVE

[rysligparasites]

MOD PLOT: HAPPY ASCENSION DAY

It's a long journey to Kulen and you’re paralyzed for all of it. The parasites aren't very delicate about carrying you there and you may get prodded with the odd pincer, but they diligently protect you from any external threats so you arrive relatively unharmed.

They carry you into a series of tunnels and into the belly of the hive where they lay you down on the ground. You lie there, unable to move or speak as more of the parasites converge on you, chittering excitedly and smelling you with their antennae. As the paralysis starts to wear off, they roughly and enthusiastically help you up and guide you through the tunnels, excitedly showing you around.

Eventually, you'll meet a parasite with human features who will give you a stilted, but genuine welcome. Apparently you are a special guest who has been brought here to help celebrate their beloved queen's first ever ascension day! While you're here, they want to learn as much about YOU and your traditions as they can so they can make this the greatest party ever.

The parasites implore you to eat their human cooking which is mostly composed of various things (both edible and not) that they've deep fried. They worked very hard and they will be very offended if you don't finish it. They also invite you to contribute to their cave paintings which are entirely composed of parasites doing parasite things.

During your stay, you'll likely run into other monsters who've been replaced by doppelgangers. Maybe some of them have been here for a while. Maybe others have just turned up.

Your quarters are dark and maybe a little cramped given that you're sharing them with a whole bunch of insectoid creatures and maybe one or two monsters. Other than that, they're relatively comfortable.

Settle in and make yourself at home. You'll be here for a while.

Comments

[bound_skyward]

[Who knows, they might come up with a new idea along the way. That seems as good an idea as any, at the moment. Kain knows they have to take this slow, be patient, so they can figure out a real plan. He only hopes they manage it before things get worse.]

[Kain sighs in disappointment when the bugs aren't quite able to answer. So much for that. Not that he'd expected their captors to be entirely helpful, but even so...]

We may just have to search around ourselves, then, if they won't tell us. They don't seem too good at identifying us by name.

[hantale]

[Fran lets out a soft, exasperated sigh, nodding in agreement to the males words.]

Looks like it... Lets go- Hmm, this way!..

[Yes, they had just picked a direction at random... Well, mostly random, Fran avoided the path that smelled of deep-fried flowers.]

This would be much easier with a map of some sort... or our network things.

[bound_skyward]

Keeping us cut off from communication with the outside world is exactly what they want, I've no doubt. Though you have to wonder… people will surely notice we're missing, before long.

[Or have the bugs thought of that? He wouldn't put it past them to have some plan to prevent their rescue. They've been here a good couple of days already, after all.]

[Kain keeps an eye on the scenery as they move along. It really is easy to get lost down here, though.]

We'll just have to do our best with navigating. I don't think I've tried this direction yet, so… we may as well.

[hantale]

Oooh, very clever of them. I was thinking that myself, it seems a few had arrived before me... and I've been here at least a day or two?

[Come to think of it... It was hard to tell, the passage of time was darn near impossible to track without a clock or the sun to check. Neither of which were present underground.

Either way, they needed to get out of there at some point.]

Lets see! [Though, after a few minutes of walking in some random direction, occasionally getting accosted by insects, it's clear neither of them know where they're going.] MMmh- Perhaps... uh... Another way?

[They've come to a crossroads... Crosstunnel? Whatever it's called down here. If you stand in the center long enough, it can be hard to tell which way you even approached from.]

[bound_skyward]

It's hard to say, but I've been here for a couple of days as well. I don't think that it's been much longer than most of us. We'd have heard about disappearances before this, if so. So it's all… somewhat recent.

[Kain takes in the view, looking all around, trying to determine where they are, and where they should go from here. Keeping one's bearings is difficult, if not impossible, around here. Frustrating.]

This way, I think… At this rate, I don't know what chance we really have to truly escape, though...

[hantale]

Hmmm, it's not looking great... but I REALLY want to get out of here... A few days visit is fine... but this long?

[It hasn't even BEGUN, once the party starts they're stuck there for 5 more days!

For now, at least, Fran is determined to search around, at least until the two can get some general layout of the place sorted... Though no luck finding the missing Charles.]

[bound_skyward]

I'd prefer not to have ended up here at all. But who knows how long this could last? They might be planning to keep us indefinitely. This could be our new existence from now on...

[Which sounds like hell to him, since they're underground and there's no sight of the sky to be seen. Not to mention, the food isn't the greatest, and the way they keep humans... well... ugh. That's not how Kain likes it. He prefers wild-caught to farmed humans.]

[He just... really hopes he's wrong in worrying about worst case scenarios. Sure, AM doesn't seem to be here, which is the only good side to all of this...]

[They come to another fork in the tunnel.]

This way? Perhaps?

[hantale]

Perhaps. Not that I can tell the difference.

[Nope. Turns out that wasn't any better, they just ended up wandering around for a few hours and getting lost. Even after all that, Fran hadn't even figured out the layout... This place really was a maze.

Eventually they give up, slumping against a wall and letting out an exasperated sigh.]

Mmmh, Nothing... I don't think they're here. I haven't even seen any decent exits.

[bound_skyward]

[Kain kicks the wall in frustration, knowing that they've really exhausted all possibilities now. It's just impossible to find their way anywhere, with these tunnels constantly looping all around.]

I wonder how those bugs even find their way out of here. They probably have some other sense that they use, or scents we can't smell or something. Not even my senses are picking anything up...

[Monstrous enhancements are no good down here. Sigh.]

We can't resign ourselves to our fate, but I don't think we'll find a way out like this. We may have to try and... coerce one of them into telling us. There must be something they want from us... if we could exchange that for our freedom...

[hantale]

Scent? Maybe tracking? Perhaps they've just been here so long they've memorized it, even if it's complex...

[It's hard to tell with insects, honestly. Fran's head bobs, glancing around and trying to find one of the insects that can speak to them]

That... Might work. Perhaps one of the ones that looks more like a monster than an insect? They can speak to us.

[bound_skyward]

Exactly, they may have it memorized completely, or have some other means of navigation, senses that are attuned to this place.

[It could be anything, really, but the fact remains that they themselves can't sense it, unfortunately. So they're stuck working it out themselves, or, yes, working with these bugs somehow.]

Yes, one of the ones who can speak would be ideal. When I got here, they were trying to get information out of me. That might work. They wanted… [This is so absurd. He sounds foolish just saying it.] ...They wanted an idea of something I consider "fun."

[hantale]

[Well, if they're rolling with silly ideas, the nymph has an idea of just what might work. Among other amusing possibilities.]

Hmmm, perhaps we could play a little trick on them~ Claim we find drawing maps fun, or 'guarding' entrances... To try and get them to let is out, or near the exits?

[It was a silly plan, but honestly, given how odd the bugs were, it wasn't even that unreasonable.]

[bound_skyward]

Hm. That's clever... I like the way you think.

[Really, playing the bugs' own game against them is an excellent strategic plan. Kain is all about finding such loopholes and using them to their advantage. So all in all... it probably will work. Or so he hopes. There's only one way to find out...]

The mapping idea might be best, as I can't see them being too willing to let us take over their guard duties. We just have to act enthusiastic and as if it's a fun idea that we mean to share...

[hantale]

[Fran's head bobs, even smiling a bit at the compliment. Nice!]

Sounds good then! Let's go find someone who can talk, then!

[And thus, it seems they're on their way once more, still trying to break free of the cursed hive.

Speaking of which, had they introduced themselves?]

Oh- Thank you for trying to help, by the way... I'm Fran.

[bound_skyward]

All right. With any luck, we'll get a good start on this… and we'll finally find our way out of here.

[Much as he likes taking direct routes to things, he does see the sense in a good strategy at times too. They have to give it their best and see what happens.]

Ah… yes. Good to meet you, even under these strange circumstances. I'm Kain Highwind.

[Kain is as stern and serious as ever when he introduces himself, but he's not unfriendly about it, either. It's just his way.]

[hantale]

[Their head bobs, offering a slight smile for the moment. After an hour or two of wandering around with them, Fran was starting to pick up on that stoic personality quite a bit.]

And same to you... Though it's a shame it couldn't have been somewhere nicer.

[But hey, bonds are formed in the most unlikely of circumstances. Actually-]

Huh, I could have sworn I'd heard that name before... Probably on the network somewhere...

[bound_skyward]

Indeed. Not that Ryslig proper is entirely a paradise, but... it's better than this.

[They're still technically "kidnapped" in a sense, no matter how you look at it, given that they're still in a world not their own... but he'd rather be in the normal situation than this one. And anywhere with a sky above is better than a bunch of caverns of course.]

Is that so? Well, I'll communicate on there whenever there's a good reason... Unless it was someone else who mentioned my name.

/Wrap soon? (We sortof know it won't work)

[hantale]

[One eyebrow perked as the stepped forward, starting the two's journey through the caverns once again.]

Oh? I must admit, I don't really use the network much myself... It's a bit, uh, beyond my time.

yep that's good with me too!

[bound_skyward]

[Onward they go. Kain is sure to keep an eye out for any bugs who will... potentially be of some use.]

I don't blame you. It's likewise far removed from anything I have back home, although I suppose three years in a world will make you get used to anything.

[Almost anything.]