seven devils all around you, seven devils in your house

[singmod]

JUNE 2024 EVENT

PART ONE — A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME: The Darkwalker claims another victim, and that is only the beginning of troubles for the Interlopers as they face a month of endless night and green gloom.

PART TWO — POLAR SUN: As June continues, Interlopers are faced with food insecurity as wildlife flees; tensions grow as they face hunger and the Darkwalker's continued influence. On the day of the Summer Solstice, the tension finally breaks and violent chaos descends upon Interlopers.

PART THREE — REPRIEVE: The end is in sight, and an ally comes to the Interloper’s aid.

A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME

WHEN: June 1st, then onwards.
WHERE: Milton area; Lakeside area (Carter Hydrodam).
CONTENT WARNINGS: death of playable character; supernatural death; mention of dead body; themes of death; supernatural beings; themes of terror; themes of peril.

The evening is quiet and still. May draws to a close and while the sun does not completely set, it dips low enough for the sky to grow a little darkdim with twilight. The midnight sun is almost upon the Northern Territories, the air is warmer than it has ever felt — even if it remains chilly. If this is summer, it is but a gentle brush of reprieve against the unyielding winter. The Interlopers wind down for the night, many turn to their beds to sleep, others sit awake and ponder their existence in this world. They think of home, of loved ones, of their predicament here in this place. The Forest Talkers, the strange beasts and monsters they’ve encountered.

The moon wanes in the skies, nestled amongst the stars. For those still awake to notice, they can see it: slowly, one by one, the stars begin to go out. Then the moon's light is swallowed whole, and a blanket of green gloom descends upon the Northern Territories.

The sky is dark and green and terrible. Many of those will recognise it, what this means and what will come. Others will not understand it, not know what it is that awaits them all.

They will soon find out: the Darkwalker comes.

Under a green sky, a cold fear washes over you — squeezing the breath from your lungs. Interlopers will find themselves overcome with that fear, and everything in their bodies and minds tells them to run. To flee. And so you run, heading for cover. Curtains will be drawn, some may hide under beds, within closets or wardrobes. Some desperately attempt to conceal themselves, make themselves small, unseen. Some Interlopers, in that fear, may rush to friends or loved ones to hide with them, others may simply cower alone — crawling and whimpering away from the night. The fear is irrational, unable to be overcome — even by the bravest or most stoic of Interlopers.

For those within Milton, it is further away but is by no means less potent: Interlopers will find themselves frozen with the constant loom of the Darkwalker’s arrival — even if it does not come to Milton. Those within Lakeside, however, will feel the true force of this presence: more like a knife edge — painfully gripping your heart as it draws close.

The Darkwalker howls: indescribable, unnatural, demonic. Low moans and groans. It comes from the east, the faint booms of footsteps in the distance growing ever nearer. It is coming, once more. It's coming for one of you. And still, you are powerless, unable to do anything. And it is an agony, awaiting its arrival. You cry, you whimper, you cower. Curling up for some shred of comfort, and finding none.

For those in Lakeside, through the fear, they may be able to note the path: a straight line from the east towards Carter Hydrodam. It seems to go on forever, building into a crescendo. Your heart beats so hard you fear it may burst from your chest, as if you might die of fright.

There is an almighty sound; the Darkwalker devours and even with the distance you can hear it. The sound of gnashing teeth, and… laughter. There is no scream, no bright light in the sky — Enola is silent this time. There is only that laughter, echoing off into the night.

The skies do not return to normal. The green gloom hangs in the air. It is done, but it is not yet over. While the overwhelming fear dissolves away, but a kind of… dread remains on the air — almost palpable.


The Darkwalker has devoured another. Braver souls who go out to investigate into Lakeside will find just who has been devoured once they reach the Hydrodam — although it may be a day or two before they will find the body in the medical bay.

At least it is cold enough that the rot does not fully set in — but death will certainly be here.

And this is but the beginning of the Interloper’s troubles.

POLAR SUN

WHEN: The month of June, up to Midsummer’s Eve + Summer Solstice.
WHERE: Milton area; Lakeside area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: themes of survival; food scarcity/food insecurity; supernatural weather; altered mental states; mental manipulation; themes of violence; potential character injury; potential character death; potential NPC death.

In the coming weeks and days, and weeks, the green gloom lingers. From the Darkwalker’s attack, there is no sun. No day, no night. No stars or moon or sun. No Auroras. Just the gloom and biting cold. Life becomes increasingly hard on Interlopers: higher expenditure on fuel — fires and lanterns are imperative to keep the darkness and the cold at bay.

With the green gloom in the air, the wildlife becomes more scarce — as if it has been frightened away into the deeper parts of the wilds. It will be harder to bring in fresh meat in both Milton and Lakeside, and Interlopers will find that they will have to rely on whatever stores they have — and perhaps even rationing for a while.

And it’s not the only thing frightened. Even with the debilitating fear that comes with the Darkwalker’s attack gone, there is still a kind of fear that lingers on the air that slowly eats away at the Interloper’s resolve over time.

Interlopers will find themselves anxious, on edge. Some will be prone to anger in their fear, others prone to fits of melancholy: tearfulness and sorrow. Between the cold, the lack of fresh game and the fear on the air — it’s no wonder spirits are low. Bickering and minor upsets between Interlopers are likely.

They call it the midnight sun, the polar day. It's opposite is the polar night. This is neither and both. On the day of midsummer's eve, that fear on the air is even more palpable. The air feels a little stifling at times, as if the pressure is all off — often quite oppressive, a strange kind of tension. There is something brewing, a low burning thing that begins from the moment Interlopers wake — heavy and sharp in their chest.

’So, Interloper. What will you do now?’ A voice sneers in your ear. The very same voice that has haunted Interlopers since the very beginning. The Darkwalker finally speaks after all these weeks of gloom since its most recent attack. ’When all is gone, when even the sun does not rise? What will you do then?’

A nervousness sits within you as you remember the Darkwalker’s words. What will you do if the sun does not rise? If the darkness is all that is left? If the food runs out? Your wonderings will continue to gnaw away within you. The darkness is hollowing.

’Will you lean on others, like you have always tried to do?’ the voice continues. ’What bonds you hold with them, the ones with those around you. But how strong are they, truly? Can you trust them? Will it matter when your belly is empty and your heart is low? Perhaps it is time to see.

’Never forget, Interloper. I am the Rot. And I will rot within you.’

As the day progresses into the Solstice, that tension lingers in the air, and the wonderings within you continue to wear at you. You find yourself becoming more and more agitated as time goes on. Those feelings that have been brewing for some time now have started to grow close to boiling. You may snap at others, grow restless, become enraged at the tiniest of things — the upsets wildly out of proportion for the smallest slights or issues.

You find your thoughts wandering, too. Perhaps it is to someone you know in this place, or perhaps it is to someone previously unknown to you. Maybe you have an issue with this person, or perhaps the voice’s influence extends further — not only adding to your agitations but creating them, too. A slight, a grudge, a bias.

You feel a bitter gnawing within you. The nightmarish green gloom above you persists and everything bubbles up from within. From the dark, the anger within you become too much. The tension finally snaps.

For some, it might come out as a vicious argument where you air your grievances, or finally let slip the things you’ve been holding close to your chest. A verbal beat down, incredibly hurtful in nature. For others, things may be drawn to getting physical. A literal beat down where your fists grow bruised and bloody, or perhaps even worse. Whatever it is, you want to do damage to someone else — there is darkness here, and so many things come out in the dark, don’t they?

Like a ripple, all around you: all hell breaks loose. Chaos erupts, and the air is filled with violence.

Let’s hope you might stop, or someone else stops you, before someone gets killed.

REPRIEVE

WHEN: Circa three days after the Summer Solstice.
WHERE: Milton.
CONTENT WARNINGS: blood.

All things must come to an end, even the most violent of deadly storms. In the midst of the seemingly endless violence of the night, you find yourself outside. Maybe you're fleeing from another Interloper, maybe you're desperately trying to reach someone you care for, maybe you're simply trying to find somewhere new to hide. Interlopers are hunting one another, blood lies on the snow, bodies too — some breathing, some not.

Perhaps it is a trick of the light. Perhaps it's the Darkwalker’s influence still warping your already frayed mind. Or it's the blood in your eyes, your battered and bruised body struggling to get through it all.

In the gloom, you see it. See her.

A woman, dressed in furs, stones and shells glimmering on her chest like armour, stands in the snow before you. Thin and pale, eyes sunken. Her chest heaves with each breath as she looks around with wide eyes. Her hands are bare and bloody. It drips slowly from her fingers. Is it her blood? Or someone else's? You cannot tell, but you cannot mistake how thick it coats her skin.

Her head turns to look at you. You are stunned, but not frightened. Even through the gloom, after a moment or two, her eyes widen in recognition: she knows you.

Slowly and silent, other than her noisy breathing, she draws close to you. Maybe in turn you draw close to her, closing the distance between you. Up close, her eyes are blue, and sad. You cannot mistake the sorrow in them. She is tired, weary. Her hair is dark, worn loose and long. For some, you feel as if you've seen her before, but you can't quite place her face.

Softly, she says your name.

For some, there may be no recognition. This woman is a stranger, who knows your name somehow. She has been silent the past couple of months, after all.

For others, hearing her speak brings a sudden, jarring realisation: this is Enola.

She’s here. Enola. All this time, she’s whispered to you in dreams, in static, in the very air itself.

She raises one hand, dark and dripping in the green light. Lightly, her fingers brush against your chest. You don’t feel the pressure of them, don’t feel the odd heat of blood — only the weight of her stare as she holds your gaze. It’s a long moment of peace in amongst the chaos.

You feel her exhaustion, a tiredness that sinks into your very bones. Apologies, too. You have never known anything like it. But there’s something else too, something that takes a moment or two to put your finger on. Defiance. A renewal. Something shifts in the air, a growing tension, different from the kind that’s been held on the air throughout the month. It’s the coming of a storm, the rolling clouds, the growing rumble of thunder before the first lightning strike.

Enola nods, her expression grave. She pulls away and turns from you — her head lifting towards the skies as she walks. Her arms raise, bloodied hands twisting and tensing before her. They curl, almost into fists, and she makes a gesture: the slow tearing of something huge and invisible before her — a shriek spilling from her lips. A battle-cry, a last stand, a wail of agony. It echoes.

The sky cracks and splits open before you, dazzling light and colours blinding your vision into pure white. The world tilts too hard below your feet, and you don’t remember passing out.

When you awaken, Enola is gone. The skies are clear and blue, the sun is high in the sky. As you pick yourself up from the snow, in the harsh light of the polar day, blood has never looked so red. The horrors of the night laid bare. Interlopers are dead, but the Darkwalker’s influence is gone. For now.

In the wake of Midsummer, all Interlopers can do is try reconcile. Bury the dead, rebuild, lick wounds. But that feeling in the air still remains — that different, new kind of tension that has come with Enola’s appearance. The first of the lightning bolts has struck, but more are coming.

FAQs

A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME

1. Alexander Hilbert has been devoured by the Darkwalker. His remains can be found in the Hydrodam. The following note has been left by Kates concerning his death: ‘Sveta gets possession of his research notes + blood samples + creepy lab journal because it's all in Russian, lmao.’

2. Information on the Darkwalker’s attack can be found here.

3. Usually, after the Darkwalker attacks, the sky would return to normal. This won’t happen. Instead, the usual atmospheric changes that occur during Darkwalker attacks will remain in place as June continues..


POLAR SUN

1. For an idea how the setting appears for June, it's like what you see in the game during the Escape The Darkwalker Challenge. Inside, there'll be a degree of green shades to rooms etc via what comes through windows but with it being lit up via fires and light sources, the gloom will be chased back.


2. Characters are free to use this event to kill NPC Interlopers. Methuselah and Young Bill are off the table, as are two marked NPC Interlopers. Please let Mods know if you intend on doing this for record keeping!

3. These acts of violence can be physical or verbal altercations, players are encouraged to work with the prompt however they'd like! However, anything potentially world-altering (ie. building destruction) must be first discussed with mods.

4. Interlopers under the Darkwalker's influence can be stopped in a number of ways. Showing genuine care and compassion in the face of violence is one way. Knocking an Interloper out is another way. Sometimes killing an Interloper may be needed, or simply restraining them and keeping them locked up somewhere so they can't hurt anyone else until the night is over would also work.

5. Talismans made by Heartman back in March with a Ward Sigil against the Darkwalker will come into effect during this prompt. It's been an ongoing process, with new Interlopers being offered them from their arrival. Players are free to choose what kind of talisman they received, or if they chose to get one at all. Their effectiveness is dependent on the type of blood used on the talisman.

— Animal Blood: Interlopers carrying talismans using blood from animals found in the world, such as deer, rabbits or wolves will find themselves more susceptible to the Darkwalker’s influence and disposition towards violence. They will be much harder to break out of the hold over them, and become almost frenzied state.
— Monster Blood: Interlopers carrying talismans using blood from any creatures or monsters that Interlopers have encountered in their time in the Northern Territories, such as the Serpent from December’s TDM will find there are no negative nor positive effects. The talisman is essentially useless. and Interlopers will fall under the Darkwalker's influence.
— Interloper Blood: Interlopers carrying talismans using blood for Interlopers will be offered protection/resistance from the Darkwalker’s influence and disposition towards violence. They may be slightly affected but will have their wits about them more compared to others. If the blood came from an Interloper with an Aurora Feat — this protection/resistance will be largely increased, an the Interloper may even feel braver, less affected by the fear in the atmosphere.
— No Talisman: Similar to the Monster Blood Talisman, Interlopers will be affected typically by the Darkwalker's influence in due course.

There are no additional affects with an Interloper using their own blood, just if they have an Aurora Feat or not.

6. Animals owned by Interlopers will be more frightened and will want to hide away in the build up — they will be disturbed by the world. Mostly lying down and whining/restlessness. They may display some signs of aggression on occasion, but not to the same degree of humans.

7. Forest Talkers are hidden away and will not be able to be reached during the Solstice.

REPRIEVE

1. Enola can only be met alone, but she will appear to all Interlopers in Milton.

2. Enola will be nowhere to be found afterwards, there are no tracks to be followed. She has simply vanished.

PLOTTING POST

Comments

[powersuited]

[ The first time Snow had been awakened to the feeling of terror gripping her tight in her chest, Bigby hadn't been far behind. Maybe that's why, when it happens again, prompting her to jolt up all of a sudden from where she's been asleep on the couch in the living room, her first instinct is to glance in the direction of the bedroom, where she knows Bigby is still recovering. God — he's still injured, still weak, still almost helpless, and he's not going to be able to walk on his own if they need to move all of a sudden —

It's a fight every step of the way, fighting against her own fear, the panic that holds tight around her throat and makes it difficult for her to even muster up a whisper, let alone anything with any sound behind it. ]

I'm here.

[ Her eyes are wide in the darkness, but there's a strange green cast over the room — coming in through the windows, and Snow's first instinct is to stride across the space and yank the curtains closed, blocking out some of it a little more. It takes a moment for her vision to adjust, but she's quiet as she makes her way back to where Bigby's sitting up in the bed, gingerly assuming a seat on the mattress before her hand instinctively slides into his, practically holding on for dear life before her gaze sweeps back to the doorway at the sound of approaching footsteps. ]

[wolf_lover]

[Connor had been told about the coming of the Darkwalker. But there was a big difference between being told about something that could drive a person to feel abject terror and actually going through it himself. He'd been in the kitchen gnawing on part of a rabbit he'd caught in a recent hunt when he felt a terrifying sensation come over him.

It reminded him of when La Llorona had tried to kill him, her scream making him feel agonizing pain not in his body but all the way down into his very soul. Then all he'd been able to do was curl up into a ball and cover his ears, begging for her to stop. But this time was different. This time, his family was here, and he needed to make sure they were okay.

When he heard Bigby calling for his mom and his own name, he got up and struggled against the sensation in his chest that made it hard to breathe, let alone think. He made his way to the bedroom and was gratified to see his parents were already there. He went immediately over to the bed, reduced to being a scared little puppy that just wanted to be around his parents right now.]

[bigbaddy]

[ Even in the middle of the terror invoked by the approaching Darkwalker there is some relief in seeing both of them. Bigby doesn't know what he would have done if either of them wasn't around - let alone if both of them would have been out. He would have had to drag himself out of the house, even though he doesn't feel well enough to be on his feet out there, let alone with the atmosphere currently hanging over town.

But it's fine. That wasn't the case. Even if this situation is still awful, even if Bigby doesn't have a clue where the Darkwalker is headed, whether that thing isn't coming right for their house.. At least Snow and Connor are here. There's so many more people in town he ought to protect-- no, wants to protect, but it's them above anyone else. It's the two of them that are only his responsibility, after all.

So when Snow sits next to him and grabs his hand, Bigby allows it. There's not even real fluster about it, like there's no room for that emotion anymore in the middle of everything the Darkwalker invokes. Instead he just squeezes her hand - thankfully not painfully so, but it's a pretty intense squeeze all the same, despite Bigby's lack of energy.

His shared look with her is only broken by the arrival of Connor. Bigby can't forget him. Sure, Snow is the love of his life, and he's wanted nothing more than to protect her since way back when he was still a wolf, but-- Connor is his kid. He may seem on the older side in human years compared to most kids, but to a Fable like Bigby Connor really does just look like a kid. His son.

For once he doesn't really think about the implications of seeing so soft and close with Connor right in front of Snow. It doesn't feel important now. Keeping Connor safe is the only thing that feels that way, and he gestures at him with his free arm. ]

C'mon.

[ He gestures at the empty spot on his other side, and if Connor sits down on the bed, Bigby will wrap his arm across the kid's back, pulling the cub against his side. The man winces a little at the pressure, considering his wounds are still pretty raw, but doesn't mind it. Keeping Connor close is much more important right now. ]

You two okay?

[ They're not. Of course not. No one is right now.

But maybe he's just trying to get a better idea of their state. If he's already feeling this terrible, this terrified-- then how much worse must it be for people who aren't the Big Bad Wolf? ]

[powersuited]

[ The squeeze to her hand, firm and solid, is as reassuring as anything else, proof of Bigby's returning strength even if he's still in the process of healing. He even feels warmer against her now, compared to before, when she'd needed to pass on some of her heat to him — and inadvertently wound up falling asleep on his shoulder, tucked along his side in this very bed.

There's no room for thinking back to that now, though, not when she's trying to focus on taking breaths, trying to slow her own rabbiting pulse. Instinctively, she interlocks her fingers through Bigby's, pressing their hands together palm to palm, right around the time that Connor appears in the doorway.

Relief makes room in her expression too, alongside the fear; there's this strange sense of rightness that washes over her now, with the three of them all together in the same space. It's found her before when she happens to be here in the house with both Bigby and Connor, and it may even be the reason she's unconsciously been staying here more and more rather than going back to her own place — even though she has, occasionally, for the necessary change of clothes and whatnot. Right now, though, it just reassures her more to have everyone together in the same space, even if she can't entirely put a finger on the reason why.

She quietly watches Bigby pull Connor in, and without even thinking about it, she reaches out with her free hand to gently cup the younger man's cheek for a few seconds, trying to offer a small, reassuring smile. ]

It'll be over soon. We just... have to wait.

[wolf_lover]

[They'd both been through this before and Connor took comfort in that, knowing that they had experience with it, even if it had only happened one or two times before. It helped to center him, especially the physical contact between him and the two of them. He was most surprised that Snow would show him some, especially since as far as she knew he was just a fellow Fable and not connected to her in any way.

It was times like this that it was apparent Connor was very young for a Fable both mentally and physically, only in his early twenties and trying to find his place in the world. Sometimes, like right now, he still really needed his parents to show him the way. Having them around may have been a bit of an emotional crutch but right now it was beneficial. It allowed him to be able to work through the Darkwalker moving through the town.

When that crippling sensation of terror finally began to recede and he no longer felt paralyzed by it, he was able to speak.]

Is it over now?

[bigbaddy]

[ Colour both of the men in the room surprised by Snow's gesture. He's seen her be gentle with kids before, sure, but-- those were usually little kids. The kids Bigby absolutely doesn't know how to deal with. (Not that he's all that better with teens and young adults, but-- you know, it's at least easier than dealing with the very little ones.)

Connor is a little too old to fall into that category, and yet Snow is treating him so sweetly in the middle of all this. The surprise provides a bit of a distraction in the middle of all the dread and fear, though--

...

Something is off, isn't it?

Bigby realizes it the moment Connor speaks up. Yes, the fear feels less than a moment ago, like it's fading away, but there's something odd. Bigby can't remember any of the previous times being like this. It puts him on edge, slowly releasing his hold on both of them. ]

Wait. [ He says, slowly rising from where he was sitting on the bed. He winces a little in pain, but easily bites through it. He's had worse.

Bigby turns his head to look at both Snow and Connor. ]

Don't move just yet.

[ He can't help but almost make it sound like an order - but it's not even because he's angry, it's because he's worried. Overprotective. He does not want to fuck around when it comes to anything relating to the Darkwalker, and he slowly moves over towards the window, pulling aside the curtain, and..

He frowns when he spots what's out there. ]

The darkness isn't leaving. [ It's an odd tone in his voice. A little bit of a grumble, but there's also clear surprise in it. As if this sight is even taking Bigby Wolf of all people aback. ] There's something wrong. It's not supposed to be like this.

[powersuited]

[ There's relief that comes, in the wake of an event like this, where the overall feeling of terror isn't quite as crushing anymore and Snow finally thinks that she might be able to breathe again. The fact that she's not alone helps, even if it's just the three of them standing together, her hand falling to Connor's shoulder while its twin lingers in Bigby's, creating a closed circuit that, for a moment, makes her feel safer in the midst of all of it.

The fact that Bigby's moving, though, is what draws her in his direction, hand leaving Connor as she immediately attempts to steady Bigby in his efforts to stand. He's still healing, and she knows any motion at this point has got to be painful for him, but when he's made up his mind on something, there'll be no deterring him. Besides, out of the three of them, he's been here the longest, and she knows she might have to cede to his instincts if he's sensing something off here. ]

Bigby?

[ His name leaves her uncertainly — not because she's wary of him, but what he can sense that she can't, and while she's initially tempted to cling to him, to squeeze harder to keep him from looking out the window, she lets him slip free, withdrawing her hand as she lingers over by the bed with Connor. ]

What do you mean, it's not leaving? [ A rhetorical question, since he's already answered it, but she isn't moving either, per his order. ]

You've never seen anything like this before?

[wolf_lover]

[Connor waited to see what would happen, just glad to be in the same room as the parents that he loved and who loved him so much. While it was a bad time to be thinking about it, he wondered if this was a sign that perhaps he needed to reveal the truth about who Snow was in the future to Bigby and her both.

He moved just a little closer to his mom when Bigby got up, that familial pack instinct making him want to protect her. Not that Snow hadn’t always been a badass in her own right but his wolf instincts wanted to make sure nothing happened to his mother.

The fact this was something out of the ordinary according to Bigby worried Connor quite a bit. His dad had been here the longest of any of them and the fact he seemed agitated by what was going on only made Connor’s own anxieties rise up within him. Was this something new kind of hardship or torture that this place was concocting up for them? He grew tense, wishing for the thousandth time that he could still shapeshift. He’d find a form so big and bad that even the Darkwalker would have feared him.]

That definitely does not sound good!

[bigbaddy]

[ He turns back towards the two of them when they speak up, managing to tear his gaze away from the sight outside - but he can still see the dark, ominous color from the corner of his eye all the same. ]

Usually the sky clears up when the feeling disappears. When the Darkwalker leaves.

[ He figures that maybe Snow might remember it too from last time - though it's not like she really had the chance back then to look outside a whole lot, with Bigby having rushed over and having urged her to go back to sleep.. Maybe she figures that the darkness takes a little bit longer to clear. And Connor-- Shit, it's even the first time he's been here while the Darkwalker showed up in the first place, isn't it? ]

It's what happened last time, Snow. And the time before it too, before either of you two were here. It's only supposed to linger for a few moments, and then disappear along with the Darkwalker itself. But even though that thing's gone, its darkness still lingers.

[ Bigby exhales a breath so deep that it sounds like a sigh. He does still look weak on his feet as he's standing there, like he could just drop over at any moment, but-- he can't allow himself to do that. He has to be strong for them, even though he's still not fully recovered yet from what happened to him. He especially has to be strong in the face of whatever the hell is going on now. They have to be able to rely on him. ]

I don't know what it means that it didn't disappear this time around, but-- yeah, it's likely bad. We need to prepare to defend ourselves. [ Don't think he didn't see you scoot closer to Snow there, Connor. Bigby doesn't have the full picture, since he doesn't realize the family connection that's there - he just figures that it's because Connor is like him, figuring Snow has been around in their house for long enough while taking care of his injuries that she's part of the pack now, even to Connor. Atta, boy. He's proud of you. ]

[powersuited]

I remember.

[ And she does — that feeling of something having been present and then passed on, leaving her with a sense of lingering terror that isn't so immediate, isn't so seizing, but still there, like a chill that clings to your skin long after you've come indoors on a brisk winter night.

The otherworldly color in the sky doesn't clear, casting the room in an unsettling glow, and Snow lingers where she stands, with Connor over by the bed, even though a part of her wants to cross the room to Bigby, to reach out a hand and steady him until she can lead him back to her — to both of them.

In the moment itself, she's not convinced that anything she's doing is necessarily mothering, wouldn't even realize it if someone brought it to her attention. She's just used to being a figure of authority, between her job in Fabletown and being someone more recognizable to the other citizens there — and maybe it extends to her having instincts toward younger Fables, wanting to guide and help them in whatever way she can. It doesn't have anything to do with Connor, uniquely, of course. ]

How can we help?

[ She frames the question in a way not to make Bigby aware of his own limitations, but because she wants to emphasize that, between the three of them, they can accomplish more than one person could on their own. Whether it's securing the house before all bunking down in one room for the night or making sure they have enough food to get through however long this might last, she's stepping forward to assert herself as a resource now, meeting Bigby's gaze with renewed determination. ]

[wolf_lover]

[Connor, for all his usual easy, carefree energy knew there were times to buckle down and get serious. Working with the Shadow Players for a while had definitely driven that home to him. The kid had a core of steel at his center, something that hadn’t needed to be taught to him but which had simply been there in his personality right from the start.

There was no joking or other attempts to lighten the mood right now. His blue eyes held a look of determination in them and his face was serious when he spoke.]

Yeah, what can I do?

[He was determined to do whatever it took to protect his family in this place. He still held old memories of not being able to be there for his brother when they were both only just pups but he would not let something like that happen again. Protecting his pack and family was foremost in his mind as an instinct.]