investigating nature: shadowmire 1

[21:17] Jude Cirque whispers to Daelin: Okay, Daelin, y'trust me right?
[21:17] Daelin whispers to Jude Cirque: Of course.
[21:17] Kusho says, "Iv been picking them up as I explore since you've told me to do so."
[21:17] Jeanne Bennette says, "Mhm, it works out."
[21:17] Jude Cirque says, "Great, I'm goin' on an 'investigative study'."
[21:17] Kusho says, "Glad I was able to help."
[21:17] Jeanne Bennette says, "Although, I got caught up in some mischief."
[21:17] Majin Okabe asks, "Yeah?"
[21:17] Jeanne Bennette says, "So I had to stop early."
[21:17] Majin Okabe says, "Have fun, Jude."
[21:17] Jude Cirque says, "Uh huh."
[21:17] Kusho says, "O..."
[21:17] Kusho asks, "You okay though right?"
[21:17] Daelin whispers to Jude Cirque: Gotcha. Stay safe.
[21:17] Jude Cirque says, "If I don't come back within three hours..."
[21:17] Kusho says, "Jude."
[21:17] Jeanne Bennette says, "Mhm, it was handled swiftly."
[21:17] Kusho asks, "Mind if I join you?"
[21:18] Daelin says, "I'll clear your browser history."
[21:18] Jude Cirque whispers to Daelin: Y'send someone to the Shadowmire.
[21:18] Jude Cirque asks, "Hmm? Y'a plant enthusiast?"
[21:18] Daelin whispers to Jude Cirque: Isn't the Mire in shambles?!
[21:18] Jude Cirque whispers to Daelin: Not the inner parts.
[21:18] Kusho says, "..."
[21:18] Jude Cirque whispers to Daelin: I just want the woods.
[21:18] Kusho asks, "I guess?"
[21:18] Daelin whispers to Jude Cirque: ...I see.
[21:18] Daelin whispers to Jude Cirque: Please, stay safe.
[21:19] Daelin whispers to Jude Cirque: If you see something aggressive, run.
[21:19] Jude Cirque says, "Sure, c'mere. Just don't get bored if I take too long."
[21:19] Jude Cirque asks, "You're brave and not a tattle, right?"
[21:20] Kusho says, "Beyond brave and what happens here stays between us."
[21:20] Jude Cirque says, "Great."
[21:20] Jude marches toward the outskirts of the ruins of Shadowmire.
(Jude Cirque)
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[21:20] Kusho says, "O..."
[21:20] Kusho asks, "Shouldn't we stay away from here?"
[21:21] Jude Cirque asks, "Hmmm? And miss out on this wild ecology?"
[21:21] Kusho says, "True."
[21:21] Jude Cirque asks, "Y'see the trees here?"
[21:21] Jude Cirque says, "Stronger than anywhere else."
[21:21] Jude Cirque says, "I've no intention of goin' too far in..."
[21:21] Jude Cirque says, "Not yet at least..."
[21:21] Kusho says, "Really? They look dead."
[21:21] Jude Cirque says, "So it's perfectly safe, no reason to close it off."
[21:22] Jude Cirque says, "But it's closed off."
[21:22] Kusho says, "Hm... I hear these people attempted to destroy the Eos Temple once."
[21:22] Jude Cirque says, "Really? I just heard it had SOME Ent activity too."
[21:29] Onwards, the two continued. The verdance of greens slowly transition into a sickly purple. The air thickens, almost reeling in a scent that sways any who is wise enough to sense danger.

The outskirts of what was once the Shadowmire, a dwelling monster-kind, and what was said to be a revered domain of the Primodrial Nyx.

Now, it was merely in shambles.

"This should be far enough today," he mutters, an intent clear in his notions as he pulls out... a pencil and notebook.

Amidst the fearful decay around them, Jude seemed far more enthused with the motions of sketching the immediate presence of flora and fauna before them.

A bit boring of an 'investigative study', yet he did warn them of his intentions.

"Y'ever heard of what Moxtli was?" The Cirque questions. "It used to be such a lovely place. It's a shame it's pretty much like what's around us now." A somber tone chides from Jude, almost with a faint sense of longingness.

"This place ain't much so different. And y'know what those two places have in-common?" He questions, now momentarily passing a glance toward Kusho. "The plants that stayed thrived and grew stronger than most places. Ain't that interestin'?"
(Jude Cirque)
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[21:41] The two appear to be pushing their luck by crossing the edges of the shadowmire till the lush grass turned a sickly purple.

As they continued to journey farther into the uncharted territory, the air became foul and devoid of life; even the water appeared contaminated.

It was completely dark...

He took a deep breath and something continued to scratch at him despite the total opposite emanating from the Chapel.

His gut was screaming at him to turn around, but he was brave, wasn't he? There would be no turning back...

"What were you planning to do this far out? Just draw the diseased trees?"

Kusho began to investigate their surroundings, noticing a tunnel not far away. Would they travel into it one day?

Though the allusions of Moxtli raised a brow, he was aware with the lore and had even seen the women who were supposed to be responsible for it on occasion.

"Yes, I've heard of whatis now rubbles; it used to be home to individuals of beast-kin, those with a touch of the wild side, if you will."

Kusho offered a small nod.

"Though I've heard a few things about the Shadowmire and how it ended... No one deserves to die in such a way."

This made Kusho frown, despite the fact that he was correct: anything that survived in the rubbles seemed to grow stronger.

"You know you're right strange enough, tell me, have you heard about the rumors, a class in the sewers?"
(Kusho)
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[21:51] "Diseased?" He questions.

An idle remembrance brings him back to another who had a similar mindset. That all this was merely a tumor upon the world, thriving to thwart itself from what was natural.

"I wouldn't call the trees here 'diseased' really," he retorts. "I think 'dangerous' is a better word for it."

A view point so drawn to the naturalistic. No good, no evil. Only the idle greys of what is deemed 'natural'. Not the most popular viewpoint, yet it was clear in his words that the Cirque cherished such sentiments. "I've no idea how this happened to this place, nor do I know why. But I do know this..."

From his notepad, a hand flutters over an idle bloom. In a singular strike, a thorny bramble juts from beneath the young teenager's sleeves, shifting to whip against one of the more oversized flowers before them.

It strikes, ripping the vicious sound of whiplash that echos outward with a notable force. And yet, the lash barely dents the plant before them. As if it hit plastic, the bloom seems unphased, remaining stalwart in an odd hardiness.

"...the plants here? They adapted to what's around 'em. Any other flower would've been flicked off from my whip. Yet this one's still standin'." Adaptability, the will to thrive despite hardships. It would be clear why the Cirque was this interested in this place.

Yet if the plants out here were already deemed 'dangerous', who's to say what was further in; as Jude, too, looks upon the tunnel ahead.

Not today, he reminds himself.

"Don't get me wrong, the stench of occult ain't so gratifyin', but the plants that survived do pique my interest," he assures.

And upon the final query sent his way, a brow is raised as Jude slowly turns to glance about his housemate. Steely blues gaze upon his features, studying them with intent. "I've heard the rumors, yeah."

"What about 'em?"
(Jude Cirque)
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[22:03] Kusho gives a nod.

He fell silent after saying his peace and was listening intently to what the Cirque had to say.

He had his complete attention.

It was pitch black as Kusho peered around, peering into bushes and even coming dangerously close to poking his head inside the Cavern.

There was no light, but the fragrance gave him shivers and raised the hairs on the back of his neck. Whatever energy was lingering around it wasn't good.

Returning to the Cirque's side just in time for Kusho to see what he was attempting to show him, he whip lashed the plant in front of them.

Though it did not wither or lose a petal, it appeared unaffected, almost as if nothing had happened?!

Had he succumbed to some form of sorcery? Remaining silent and with his eyes wide open;Â  No, this was real, and the plant life in this area was miraculous.

"I agree about the stench, and the aura in this place is unsettling... Though the wildlife here is fascinating, I would gladly ignore the eerie atmosphere at any time of day to go on an adventure with you."

Despite the fact that he fell silent once more... He was questioned about his loyalty, but could he rely on the Cirque's?

"Please don't say anything..." Another few seconds of stillness. "I'll be there, and now that we've traveled this far across these lands, I believe it will help whatever you're attempting to do here."

Kusho held a odd expression on his face a cold look in those eyes.
(Kusho)
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[22:14] "This probably ain't the last time I go here," he confesses. At this point, the amount of care he has about who knows of his oddities was at a tantamount zero percent. "Maybe when I'm feelin' more frisky, I'll check what's deeper in there."

Moments pass, the sketches upon the Cirque's notebook had already begun to flutter into a grander collection. Most notably, the bloom that he had attempted to decapitate was perhaps his most interesting subject.

Such a hardy flower, even despite its fragile countenance.

Once more, the void of the tunnel that leads further into the Shadowmire attracts his eyes. An alluring invitation; like a siren singing a song to a sailor.

"I ain't no snitch," he assures. If anything, it would begin to become apparent that the Cirque had little to no intention of posing as a hinderance to anyone at all.

He would have much rather sat comfortable than put effort into getting anybody under the unwanted graces of the Academy staff. "I'm gonna be real with you. I was gonna be there, mostly because I have a funny feelin' I know who's teachin' the class."

And why he wanted to meet him seems unknown at this moment.

Regardless, the sketched outlines upon Jude's notebook soon falls into completion. In one single motion, the cover is closed as another botanical excursion draws success without any issue.

"I'm of course gonna lay low if ever I do make it to that class. I ain't into wastin' my time havin' to explain myself to incompetent staff," he mutters with such nonchalance. "Either way, I'm pretty much good here. Y'good?"
(Jude Cirque)
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[22:15] Kusho says, "Make sure you drag me along."
[22:15] Kusho says, "I could careless about the staff..."
[22:15] Jude Cirque says, "Yeah? You and me both."
[22:15] Kusho says, "I have some important stuff to get handled and they can't feed us all the wisdom we searching."
[22:15] Laurence says, "Hey."
[22:15] Kusho says, "..."
[22:15] Jude Cirque says, "Hey."
[22:16] Laurence asks, "This is the shadowmire. You know it's still haunted right?"
[22:16] Kusho asks, "We look scared?"
[22:16] Jude Cirque says, "Fully aware, uh huh."
[22:16] Laurence says, "The Tyrant is still alive and resting on the mire, if you wake them up. It's gonna be very bad news for everybody"
[22:16] Kusho says, "..."
[22:16] Kusho says, "The Tyrant is long dead."
[22:16] Laurence says, "Oh he's not."
[22:16] Jude Cirque asks, "Got any proof then?"
[22:16] Laurence says, "I saw them blast a vampire with their own weapon"
[22:16] Laurence says, "During the purge, yes... then they went to sleep once again"
[22:16] Kusho says, "Perhaps you was better off saying the Rhymes still whisper in the breeze."
[22:16] Laurence says, "No no."
[22:16] Laurence says, "You are thinking of the wrong one."
[22:16] Kusho says, "I have heard the folklore... I even seen the beast who at-..."
[22:17] Laurence says, "The Tyrant is the three eyed ogre."
[22:17] Laurence says, "That's the bastion"
[22:17] Kusho asks, "Tell him wake up then will you?"
[22:17] Jude Cirque says, "Okay now you're just makin' up names."
[22:17] Laurence shrugs
(Laurence)
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[22:17] Kusho says, "Lets go."
[22:17] Laurence says, "Rigs did call himself the bastion of the mire"
[22:17] Laurence says, "anyway"
[22:18] Kusho says, "His just trying to scare us from coming here."
[22:18] Jude Cirque says, "Yeah, yeah. You stay alive here now... guy."
[22:18] Laurence says, "heard some kids saying that there was an ogre at the sewers"
[22:18] Jude Cirque says, "I heard kids say Fenrir's die sooner too."
[22:18] Laurence asks, "You just went down there, have you found any sign of life?"
[22:18] Jude Cirque says, "Kids say a lot of things."
[22:18] Jude Cirque says, "No, we're interested, but not stupid."
[22:19] Laurence says, "Aye. you two can leave"
[22:19] Jude Cirque says, "Weird guy."
[22:19] Kusho says, "Hope he don't tell on us."
[22:19] Jude Cirque says, "I doubt the staff's gonna believe some random schmuck's words."