Fantasy Not Made For Earth

[TheAdventureBegins]

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Every year a group of childhood best friends would gather in their woods back home for an annual camping trip. Being college aged everyone had split on their own life's journey, but still came back home for this no matter what, everyone but Augustus. A year after high school graduation, Augustus simply didn’t show up, no one knew how to contact him, nor any idea where he could have gone. Seven years passed, and just like every other year the camping trip came. The old friends caught up and set up camp just as usual, but when night fell a strange figure emerged from the woods, a young man wearing a pointed wizards hat- it was Augustus!

He joined the others at the fire, seeming just as excited as the rest of them, but something was different about him. As he began telling his story, his words like a melody, the fire began to change color and the world began to shift.

“We are not meant for Earth my friends. We must go back home and right the wrongs of our families.”







*Please refrain from posting anything out of character in this thread. Any questions please direct to the ooc page or a private message. Lore & More will have more information about RP and rules for joining.*​

 

[TheAdventureBegins]

Lyra really had to convince her parents to let her go camping this year, which entitled an entire extra class next semester-yet it would be worth it. She couldn’t give up seeing her childhood friends, it was the only joyful thing she looked forward to. When each year's email went out from Ashley inviting them Lyra wouldn’t be surprised if she was the first to accept.

A hiking pack full of her clothes, and limited supplies she needed, including a small tent, Lyra walked the few miles to their destination; while her parents had always offered to drive her, Lyra never accepted. The weather was warm, but not hot, making it an enjoyable walk along the familiar path. During the entire way she contemplated and worried about how she was ever going to tell her friends she lived back home-the exciting stories gone forever.

Finally she arrived and began setting up her tent in the same spot as every other year. Like the past three years Lyra had been the first to arrive, and was happy to greet each and every one of her friends as they too arrived. Too excited, and also a little attempting to avoid subjects about herself, she found herself moving around the camp helping as much as possible. Unlike normal Lyra listened more than she spoke, only talking to ask more questions about them.

Slowly night came, the stars shining down through the thick tree top, a truly magical feeling Lyra had always thought. They were beginning to cook their hot-dogs or tofu-dogs over the fire, really settling down for their annual story time. Lyra stared long and hard at her friends, thinking over and over again how lucky she was to have them.

*Snap*

Lyra’s head turned in the direction she thought she heard a noise. Everything was quiet for a long time and it was easy for Lyra to forget and fall back into the conversation at hand.

“So, what has been the most daring thing you guys have done this year?” Lyra asked next when the conversation began to lull.

*Snap* *Snap*

It came again and this time Lyra knew she wasn’t hearing things. She pushed herself to her feet staring in the direction it had come from. They were in the woods after all, and this wouldn’t be the first time an animal had stumbled upon them.

“Hey, who goes?” Someone called out, Lyra no to sure it hadn’t been her. No response came, but more snaps resounded, getting closer and closer.

A shadowed figure stood in the brush in the direction Lyra had turned too. She couldn’t make out much but a tall form made taller by some weird pointed hat. Did some lunatic find their spot and was going to try and murder them? The form stepped out farther to be lit aglow in the light of the fire.

“Augustus!” Lyra cried out, running to him without a second thought, her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug. It took her a moment to realize the clothing he wore, a loose white shirt like you would see in a pirate movie, pants seemed to be made from some animal, and a long black cape covered in star constellations to match his pointed wizard's hat. He looked almost exactly as he had the last time she had seen him, just a little older.

Lyra pulled back and stared at him quizzically but didn’t say anything. Augustus greeted each and every friend as well as he could, a smile lit up his face, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Just like so many years ago Augustus settled in his spot around the circle, in-between Lyra and Elias, and began to speak almost the moment his butt hit his seat.

“You all wouldn’t believe the places I have been. What I have seen.” Augustus leaned forward, a spark of excitement, and something more glowed in his eyes. His voice was different, the words spoken as if they had a little melody to them.

“Oh how I have missed you all, but there is so much more out there. So very much. . . and I think it’s time it was shared with you all.” Lyra was entrapped in his words, the woods around her had lost all it’s noise, the only thing that she could hear, could see was Augustus.

“Don’t be scared, everything ahead of you will be worth it.” Augustus actually reached out and patted Elias’s hand before he rose to his feet. With his movement the sky filled the entire space around them, everything was the stars and cosmos containing shapes Lyra had never seen before.

“We are simply not meant for Earth my friends. We must go back home and right the wrongs of our families.” The stars fell around them and the world went black.

Lyra woke in a perfect circle of her friends, but it was not in the clearing back home.

“What is this?” She gasped out, eyes wide as she took in the purple sky above them. A soft, sweet breeze flowed past them causing the tall grass to bend to and fro. All around them was this grass, as if they were in a farm field; far in the distance dark trees could be seen only because they were the size of small mountains. The continual sweet scent of the wind was too much, everything was too much- Lyra leaned away from the nearest people and threw up.

 

[Qrowlis]

Were it not for the yearly camping trip with his friends, Elias would have abandoned this shithole town years ago. There was nothing but misery for him here -- misery and the friends who had dragged him out of it. Visiting his parents felt more like an obligation than an action done out of love, the conversation polite, but veiled with disinterest. His mother's best weapon was her tongue; a sharp, cruel thing that always demanded more out of him. Why wasn't he an overachiever like his brothers? When was he going to bring home a girl? How was school going -- oh, he hadn't dropped the veterinarian courses yet? Didn't he know people would be disappointed in him? Elias bore it all with a quiet sigh. His friends were worth this yearly barrage.

"I should get going," He said, pushing away from the dinner room table only to find his wrist ensnared by a perfectly manicured grip. He stilled, pinned by his mother's hyena gaze, and wished he had never dropped by. Just one stop before the trip, he had promised himself, just one day that felt like a lifetime.

"We want you to be happy, Elias," His mother said, "That girl you were working with on that one project, hm, Maribel, was it? She seemed nice. Bring her over for dinner sometimes."

"I will," He promised. He lied.

"And visit us more often, won't you?" She added, "It seems like we only to get to see you once a year. I miss you." A trickle of guilt, small and wriggling, wormed it's way into his heart.

"I'll do better," He said, knowing that this one was a promise he would keep.

"Good," she said, releasing him, before eying his clothes critically, "And clean up, won't you? Your shirt is wrinkled."

Elias bobbed his head meekly, "Yes mother," before fleeing his childhood home as inconspicuously as he could.

The drive to the forest cleared his head somewhat, but he still felt rattled. Encounters with his parents always put him on edge, draining his energy and leaving him feeling off-kilter. Cheer up, Elias, he thought, You'll be able to see your friends. It's been awhile. Too long. And yet, each year was another painful reminder of who wasn't there. What had happened to him? No call, no letter, no... goodbye. He'd just disappeared without a trace, leaving behind the group who had been his everything. Or at least-- that was what Elias had always thought. Before Elias even realizes it, his vision is blurring with tears, which he hastily wipes away as the parking lot looms ahead. Chin up, it was happy time.

Easing his car into a spot besides the one he recognizes as Lyra's, he grabs his hiking pack from the trunk of his jeep and treks on to where he knows a fire will be burning.

The reunion passes by like this: a whirlwind of happy greetings. Stories, each unlike the previous. The warm buzz of contentment and the growing burden of the knowledge that things were changing. His friends spoke of their years, and Elias told his tales in turn. James' who's fame and outreach was ever-growing, racking up the wins. Lyra, who's smile had once been as large as her personality; sunny and bright and cheerful, now quiet and softspoken. He squeezed her shoulder when he greeted her, wondered; what happened to you, and hoped she knew that he cared.

Ashley, Lili, Caden, who in some ways had changed utterly and yet not at all. It was good to be back among them. It hurt to think that in some ways they were growing apart. But Elias pretended to ignore the chasm that was growing ever-wider as they grew up and slowly went their separate ways, and fed sticks into the fire until it roared. Here, among his friends, he tentatively accepted the uneasy peace.

Until the twigs started to snap.

Elias noticed it around the same time Lyra did, cocking his head to the side to get a better sense of where the sound was coming from. With each moment that passed, the crunch of footsteps grew louder and louder, until a shadow loomed on the edge of the camp. Elias tightened his grip around his marshmallow stick; he wouldn't swing it unless things got serious, but it felt safer to have. Somebody called out as the stranger stepped closer, into the light of the campfire, whose flames shined brilliantly on the face of-

"August," Elias whispered, unable to tear his eyes off his oldest, dearest friend. (Someone he had selfishly always wanted more from.) He swallowed down his next words, struggling to find the right thing to say. His mind was a maelstrom of questions but his face was carefully blank. Elias picked his way over to Augustus, stumbling over Lili and nearly falling. His words, never his strong suit, continued to fail him, so when Lyra pulled away he wrapped him into a tight hug, burying his face in the crook of Augustus' neck. I missed you, I missed you, I missed you, his thoughts chanted feverishly. Elias stepped back to give him some room to greet the others, unwilling to look away for a second.

Augustus looked good. Older, but as handsome as ever. His outfit was a little odd, but he wore it well. His smile was kind, his touch soft, and he spoke with a melodic lilt to his voice that was near hypnotizing. When he settled between Elias and Lyra, it felt like a piece of him had come home again. Elias watched Augustus like a man entranced, and it was because of this that he was able to pick up on the little details. Like how his smile didn't reach his eyes, and the energy he carried; it was almost manic, like he was running out of time?

The words he spoke, they didn't make sense, spilling out of his mouth like a fine wine; so dizzying and intoxicating. When Augustus patted his hand, Elias reached for him, but his hands fell upon empty space as a blanket of star-glittered darkness slammed down upon the campsite and everything faded to black.

....

Elias woke blearily to the sound of someone retching. He blinked away the crust in his eyes to the sight of a purple sky above. What? Long grass tickled his palms, and as he sat up, a thrumming headache reared it's ugly face. His hand moved on it's own, patting the grass around him until it found someone else's, and he gave them what he hoped was a comforting squeeze.

What did Augustus do?

 

[Spoiled Bread]

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

"It's okay. I'm behind you."

Ashley waved at her overly enthusiastic dog as the canine looked behind to make sure that his caregiver wasn't left behind. The small woman was pushing one of those construction cart filled with extra things like icebox, ropes, first aid kit and many more. Sometimes she felts like she's being a bit too paranoid but she had been preparing for this event for such a long time and she wouldn't let an incident to interrupt their time just because she's too lazy to carry a few more. Besides, her house was the closest to this spot.

Arriving at the clearing, Ashley was happy to see there's already a few people. Ashley wasn't good at initiating conversation but when her turn to tell some stories come she's more than happy to share what she had been up to. All her stories were rather mundane, but she told it with such enthusiasm that for those few minutes she sounded like a kid bragging about her new toys. Compared to the others though, her life had been pretty uneventful.

She shared about her attempt at making a fish pond only for the fishes to die within the first week and she spent the next day cleaning the pond from algaes, or when Mort got his head trapped between metal bars and she broke two crowbars until she managed to bend the bars, and also about her digging up more room in her cellar so she could put a new cupboard to display her new taxidermy eyes collections. She even brought one with her and showed it, a pair of beautiful snake eyes perfectly preserved and stored inside a wooden box.

When she was cooking her hot dogs she did notice that her dog seemed rather uneasy. Mort keeps moving around and would occasionally glance at the edge of the forest as if he was smelling something, or someone, but she thought he was just being impatient for the meat. So of course she didn't see it coming when Augustus suddenly showed up, she also didn't expect her first reaction to seeing one of her old friend was to tense up. She could hear Mort barking at Augustus but that was to be expected as this would be the first time they meet each other, the girl crouched down and reassured her dog that everything was fine and the newcomer was her friend. She's happy that he finally returned. Still, even if she didn't want to, Ashley found herself rather wary with this Augustus.

Listening to his words, Ashley was both confused and intrigued by it. It sounds like... a dream. She was wondering what kind of experience that changed him into this figure when she noticed the sky had consumed their surrounding. It's like she got thrown into the space and then sucked into the black hole because everything went dark. When she opened her eyes she was with the others in what seems to be a large field. Definitely not her field though. Everyone looks confused and Lyra was throwing up. Mort was also there and she could see him waking up then immediately made a beeline towards her. Ashley opened her arms wide and tried to calm him down.

 

[Gezellige]

Like Ashley, not much had happened in Caden's year. He was a sophomore in college, which was neat. He was still living with his family, which he didn't mind - unlike many of his friends, he didn't mind his hometown, and spent a lot of his time getting to know folks as a barista, which he liked. Since everyone had moved off to more-or-less live their own lives, Caden had definitely gained a lot of friends that weren't a part of his closest friend group, and to any outsider, it might have looked like he had moved on from the rest of him. But then, that time of the year would roll around, and Caden would pack up his little tent and hike out to the woods. There, he would meet a very interesting group, but he loved them. He missed them. When he was around them, he felt really at home, like they hadn't been separated at all. Whether or not everyone else shared that sentiment was beyond him, and he didn't really care. The young man simply appreciated the time he got to spend with friends, goofing off and talking and reminiscing in what it felt like to not have a care in the universe.

After setting up his corner of their little tent-neighborhood, he started a fire in the center of the clearing, gathering several larger sticks and setting them up in a triangular shape, filling the space in the middle with leaves and smaller twigs to give the fire something to catch a hold of. When he was having trouble getting it started, Lyra - always one to help out - had made her way over and started it up, offering him a small smile without a note of condescension in it. Still, she seemed much different than how she used to be. Quickly, Caden had exchanged a glance with Elias, who he could tell was thinking the same thing. Ah, well. One of them would likely talk to her later.

When Ashley arrived, Caden was particularly pleased, as he had always had a soft spot for the smaller woman. She was the only member of their friend group who was significantly shorter than him, and Caden, being somewhat old-fashioned, felt particularly inclined to protect her for it. Not only that, but she brought her dog, as always. Caden would never complain about a dog. Holding out his hand to the dog, Caden gently tuffled it between the ears, offering Ashley a crooked smile as she began to settle herself in.

And then, not much later, there came a snap.

Caden, instinctively, looked up. By the time he had managed to notice the sound, everyone else seemed to be on edge, and were already looking towards the surrounding forest. Mort started barking, and Caden leaned forward and grabbed a stick, knowing full well it would do absolutely nothing to help if the intruder were a wild animal, but feeling better regardless. And then, when the suspense was killing him and he was about to jump up and start walking into the woods to find out what had caused the sound, out came... Augustus.

The frick?

"Augustus!?" Caden yelled, immediately on his feet. He would have been shocked enough as it were, if Augustus wasn't also sporting an outfit straight out of Comic Con. Staring at his friend, Caden glanced at the rest of his friends, seeing that everyone seemed to be just as confused as he was. The dark-haired boy closed his eyes hard, wondering if he was dreaming, before reopening them and confirming he wasn't. "Who - what - ?"

Augustus began to speak, and Caden had no idea what he was going on about. Clearly, whatever had happened to their friend, it had driven him a little off the deep end. "What kind of game are you pulling?" Caden asked when he was done, almost angry with his friend for playing with their emotions. "Where have you been? What are you doing? Dude, we need answers. We - "

And suddenly, the whole world seemed to go off-kilter. Stars seemed to swim around him and Caden felt his heart jump into his throat, before their entire surroundings faded away to a nothingness.

The next thing Caden knew, he was lying in a field with his friends. Ashley was comforting Mort, Lyra was throwing up. Caden felt someone squeeze his hand, and he looked over to see Elias, looking dazed.

Caden, weirdly, appreciated the gesture. Sitting up, he looked around, putting a hand to his head as it started throbbing. "What the hell?" He said quietly, and then with more feeling, "What in the hell? What is happening?"

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Fan had been looking forward to the annual meet up. He had emailed everything to his editor early so she wouldn't be too worried if he went dark for a few days. Although the spot they all picked always had perfect reception. The drive to the camp site was quiet and uneventful. Fan was just happy that he'd get to see everyone again. Rare was it that everyones schedules aligned so they could have even a day out together. Some were at college, some were working. Others like himself were just doing what they did to get by.

Fan enjoyed writing, he really did. Yet sometimes he saw things like Elias studying to be a vet or Caden expanding his social circle. It would remind him of how little he was doing with himself by comparison. His days usually just consisted of slamming his head into a desk while his laptop screen showed nothing of worth being typed. Forcing himself to think more positively. Fan reminded himself that he'd be with his friends, the people who knew him best. Although it was worth noting that not EVERYONE was going to be there.

After Augustus had up and vanished on them. Things got tense between everyone. Fan had always suspected that Augustus had been their glue. Without him, they fell apart quicker than a house of cards. They still cared about one another. However Fan could tell that everyone missed the presence of their proverbial rock. Without him, things just weren't the same. Pulling up to the campsite and exiting his car. Fan took note of the air. It was cleaner outside the city limits. He hadn't been out much lately. Pushing himself to give a near perfect draft to his editor so he could go on this trip with minimal worries, really took a lot out of him. That wouldn't matter when he saw everyone again.

That was when he saw Lyra. She was just as beautiful as ever. Although now her once radiant smile seemed a little sad. Ever since they were kids. Fan had always been in love with the older girl. She had been outgoing, charismatic and self-assured. The first to push ahead, the last to retreat. Lyra was everything Fan had been too scared to be. When he was a freshman. He had heard Lyra's other friends say how she only had eyes for Augustus. This broke his heart, which led to an argument with the older boy the night before he disappeared. Remembering all of this brought a bitter taste to his mouth. A bitter remembrance of his own vileness. He'd cussed his own friend out over a rumor that may not have been true.

Trying to take his mind off of unpleasant things. Fan greeted his dear friends with a small wave. They all looked pretty much the same as when he saw them last time. Happy, but seemingly burdened. Which Fan guessed was likely a side-effect of growing up. Helping Ashley deal with an excited Mort by giving the good boy some belly rubs. He also noticed Caden and Elias exchange glances over Lyra. They probably noticed how she was acting too.

As they roasted food over a warm fire under the starry sky. The sound of a snap came from the forest. Odds were it was a wild animal. If they wanted to go by horror movie logic, axe murderer. What appeared instead shocked Fan to his core. Augustus himself was standing before them. Decked out in some kind of wizard outfit and looking higher than a kite. Everyone else seemed to tackle the guy the moment they saw him. Fan wanted to do the same, he really did. Though he couldn't bring himself to. Their argument all those years ago made him feel too ashamed to embrace his oldest friend. When Augustus sat down to spill some tea. Fan was confused on his manner of speech. It was just like a character from one of his fantasy novels. Then everything went black. Awaking in a field with all of his friends surrounding him. Fan took a second to gather his thoughts. Then he wandered over to Augustus and punched him square in the jaw.

"Hey Asshole, warn us before you do this isekai bullshit" said Fan as he expressed himself quite aggressively

 

[BuggaBoo]

~ LiLi ~​

---

Spoiler: Settling matters with her brothers. Sorta...

The voices of her 2 most outspoken brothers drowned out her protests yet again. The most dominant one held his head in a double-facepalm, muttering scripture neath his breath while leaning forward into the steering wheel. The other one looked skyward, eyes directed towards the fine stitiches of the black leather covering the inside of the fancy SUV's roof above him, dark eyes searching for relief somewhere along the evenly spaced out thick red threads.

LiLi's dark eyes trembled, shooting daggers from underneath a scowling brow as she looked from her eldest brother, Lonnie, in the driver's seat then over to her third oldest brother, Monito, in the passenger's seat. She shook her head several times, partially in disdain, partially to clear her head. Dark eyes closed momentarily, full lips uttered several curse words in both English and Spanish. Finally her razor's gaze snapped in the direction of her 2nd oldest brother, Miggy, just sitting hter beside her, hoping he would be the most reasonable of the three testoterone-driven meat heads here.

Without uttering a word, she shook her neck at Miggy, all the while a pleading look plastered across her light brown face. A scoff she let out as he did not even attempt to give her a single glance. He merely shook his head slowly as he swiped and tapped away at his phone; how he got signal all the way out here was anyone's guess. A moment longer she stared at Miguel before letting out a small, sharp sound of disgust.

I wouldn't be in this sitch If KiKi had only listened to me--as soon as the thought regarding her older sister invaded her mind, she tossed it out on its ear. That thought was unfair, uncalled for and completely and utterly underhanded. Another sharp cry she let out in frustration as she stamped on the floorboard before folding her arms and whipping about to face the scene outside the rear right passenger window. Just beyond the glass were the sounds, sights and smells of freedom from all this BS; her friends were all out there in the woods somewhere...

---

One final gut check breath. A stretch of her neck to the left then right. A curt, confident, almost cocky, self-affirming nod and she walked away from the spot where here brothers had dropped her off nearly 10 minutes ago. LiLi then started to strut on over to the campsite, a small pack slung over one shoulder, a guitar case slung over the other. Every year it was something different this girl brought... or forgot. One year she awkwardly brought a large barbeque propane stove. Another year she forgot her pack and all she brought were pocketfuls of drugs and cigarettes. So having a never before seen guitar case strapped to her back was par for the course.

A black bandanna half covered her face and a lone eye for some reason, yet still stylishly skewed and tucked neath her leather ballcap. She wore another signature mid-riff exposing, jankily cut crop top to show off her tattoos and scars. A red and black flannel tied around her waist flapped gently in the breeze as both hands were shoved into her baggy black jean shorts that fell just past her knees. Tattoos peeked up on the skin exposed on her legs all the way to the tops of her black 21-hole leather boots. Strangely enough, she did not wear her hard carats of chains and diamonds unlike last year. But this time around, she wore that familiar black collar with her family's crest and saying on it and her signature bangles and bracelets.

She bit her lower lip as she scanned from left to right the faces that greeted her. Eyes half-lidded, a slow and smooth upward chinbob she greeted each; the affectations of being a calm, cool chola still followed her all the way out here in the woods.

But that all changed as soon as the four-legged slobber king rushed her. LiLi knelt down and not only patted the lively Mort, but scratched behind his ears as well. "Eyyyy...! Mordedor...! what it do, Bitey?"

A quick glance over towards the diminutive Ashley: "Giiiirl... 'member the deal? If Bitey bites me... I bite you right...?" A hint of a smile twitched at her lips, but it was all in the eyes: unlike last year, LiLi was already teasing and comfy with them all right off the bat. "Nawwww... you done a good job raising him, Ash uh--Ashley."

LiLi almost called her friend the same name she did when they were younger. The other girl always seemed to have a sweet-tooth and so LiLi started to call her Ashugar. My gosh, why does it feel so loooooong ago... meh. Dun matter, ¿hoy es hoy, no? Into a pocket she reached then instantly whipped out an item and lobbed it up and over for Ashley to catch; it was one of the sweets that Ash loved in highschool.

She then got up and reached out to fistbump with Caden. Normally a fistbump is just a quick tap. But this one bump in particular she held with him a heartbeat longer than normal. Dark eyes stared at the connection between them then she looked away from their hands and gingerly pulled away. "'Ahem... Sup, bruh. You still working at... wait. Cardy. You still at that coffee joint..?"

As they chatted, LiLi was brought back to the fistbump and she could not help but feel bad. She called him 'Cardy' because of the corny card tricks he showed off to them all. They were the same age, but technically, she was the baby of the bunch being a New Year's baby. But he being the oldest of his 4 siblings and she being the youngest of her 4 affectionate siblings, she always felt comfy hanging off of him, leaping onto him or just generally being physically close to him back in high-school. And look at them now... LiLi just could not fathom being so huggy-buddy-buddy with him anymore.

---​

She made her rounds and greeted the rest as the others made camp and set up with whatever they had. LiLi merely found a log for herself and rested her things at her feet. A deep and satisfactory inhale of the fresh woodland air she took in and stared off into the canopy momentarily, thoughts blurring between the here and now, and the lost and forgotten. It had been such a long time coming, but into her pack she went and pulled out her old sketch book and just slowly patted the cover several times. The young Latina then started tentatively tracing the frayed edges of the sheets held therein, thumb trembling in indecision to open it up and release into this world a nostalgic flood of creativity, emotions and memories over 7 years old. A huge breath she took just before-- footsteps. Quickly she stuffed the thing back into her pack.

It was Lyra. When she looked up, LiLi's dark eyes made contact with Lyra's green ones and she looked away quickly. It was like looking into the a blurred mirror made for their eyes only; both girls were holding back something from the rest of the group.

Recomposed now, she addressed her friend. Lyra had come on by to see if she needed help. "No. All good, girl," LiLi said bluntly. But then-- "...eyyyyy but later after we do some hiking you can help out by taking off my boots and making it snappy with the foot massages... sweat, smells and all, amiga..."

Suddenly the Latina's big eyes popped open even bigger and she quickly looked away, cheeks heating up. Did she just actually crack a stupid joke?

A curt inward half sucking, half clicking sound she made. "Uhhhh... I meant: nuttin.' All good, girl... just gonna.... just gonna go get some air, 'kay? Y'know Ash hates this and alll..." she said sheepishly as she whipped out a cigarette and pointed at it.

Swiftly, she got up off the log and walked off, lighting up a cigarette as she went. The hell was happening to her? What the hell was happening to them? Why was it so awkward between them now? Yes, LiLi had dipped on them for those couple of summers and yes, LiLi was always high whenever she came to the camp. And yes, LiLi was not the same anymore; she was a starting to take a major role out there in the city as a gang-banger with the rest of the Del Rios fam... but still...

---​

There was a time when she called Lyra: Butter cuz she was so quick and slippery whenever they played tag or hide-and-seek. Yes, they had changed... LiLi for the worst when the Latina dropped out of highschool... but still... the girls... the two of them... there was a time when they were inseparable for that one summer.

"Butter and Flutter... girl, you were... you were..." the muttering under her breath trailed away.

But that was it wasn't it? Lyra was just as wild and bouncy as LiLi, but at the end of the day, LiLi always looked up to Lyra as the stable ground and comforting presence she always wanted and needed because--

"...you were always my inpspiration to do as I wanted to do, not what I was told to do..."

And there it was. The reason she LiLi always found her way back here... but still... the reason to hold onto camping with friends until old and grey was like trying to grab a hold and capture the ghosts of yesterday. That was a path that was as slippery as Butter.

A sigh she let out. A slow inhale she took as she hid between trees and glanced over at Elias. Out of them all, it was he that she was avoiding. Dark eyes darkened even more. There was something about him this year. Something just under the surface. No, not under the surface... but still... she caught the glance shared between Cardy and Eli. And there it was. It was written on his face. The admission that the winds of change were rushing throughout the campsite and it flowed into all of them as they breathed the air here.

Something about today was happening to the lot of friends here. Something was about to give.

---

Lyra: “So, what has been the most daring thing you guys have done this year?” Lyra asked next when the conversation began to lull.

LiLi had begun the process of removing the mahognany Spanish guitar from the case and started to tune it up, pucking, strumming and tightening strings. When ready she answered Lyra since no once else seemed willing or too shy to answer.

"Ey, well... Haven't powdered my nose for some time now, y'all..." LiLi said softly then added a sardonic chuckle, all the while just staring at the mother of pearl inlays in the fret bars of her sister's guitar. Then she cleared her throat and stated solidly: "No more cocaine. Your girl been clean for like 3 weeks now, fam."

Then she started strumming. Then humming.

Spoiler: And then she started singing...

​

It was the song her dad had sung to her and her siblings when she was but still a small girl. And just like he did back then, she sung for them now: with all her heart, with everythng she had, with everything she loved them for. And just like back then, he sung to her and her siblings this very song before leaving them all behind in the still of that darkened summer's night. For good.

**Snap!!** Snap!!**

Instantly LiLi put down the guitar and reached for the gun tucked at the waistband at the small of her back. And grasped nothing but air. She barked out a vicious curse and shook her fists. She had promised them last year that she would never bring a gun to the campsite ever again. But they said nothing bout her 6 inch switch blade--

“Augustus!” Lyra cried out, running to him without a second thought, her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug. It took her a moment to realize the clothing he wore, a loose white shirt like you would see in a pirate movie, pants seemed to be made from some animal, and a long black cape covered in star constellations to match his pointed wizard's hat. He looked almost exactly as he had the last time she had seen him, just a little older.

LiLi just could not. Just couldn't!! She slowly stood up from the log and literally had to rub her eyes. This had to be some kind of trick. Just had to!! "What in actual J.K. Harry Potter mierda, man...?! You have gots to be fu--"

"August," Elias whispered, unable to tear his eyes off his oldest, dearest friend. (Someone he had selfishly always wanted more from.) He swallowed down his next words, struggling to find the right thing to say. His mind was a maelstrom of questions but his face was carefully blank. Elias picked his way over to Augustus, stumbling over Lili and nearly falling.

This was the 'Something-about-today-happening-to-them all' moment wasn't it? Instinctively, she reached out to Elias and with one hand, she steadied him by pressing at the small of his back and with the other hand-- Oh my gosh... the look in his eyes... oh, Eli... bruh... --she took Eli's hand and squeezed tight. "All good. Elias. I gots your back. Always. Go to him..." she whispered then let go of his hand.

When the long lost Augustus came to finally greet her, LiLi only looked down as tears spilled from her eyes rivulets streamed down her cheeks, voice hoarse and cracking up, "Oh... oh Gus-Gus... Bro... I'm soooooooo sorry I wasn't there... oh G-Gus-Gus--" She threw her arms around him and held on for dear life, sobbing away, so much unlike the LiLi then knew now in her 20's and yet so unlike the happy--go-lucky Flutter-by girl they knew as a young teen back then "--I'm so sorry I never said good-bye before we lost you!!"

Eyes, red-rimmed puffy and half-lidded, nose sniffling and wiped at several times, she leaned up against.. someone who's arms had wrapped around her. She was listening to the heavy breathing of their chest and at the same time listening the fanciful and strange words of their long lost friend. And no matter how surreal or inconceiveable this situation, all this gathering of friends and all this talk about 'home' all felt like some kind of Fate or Destiny was leading them to this moment all along. It felt like... like...

"...Something was about to give...." LiLi sighed and all went black.

---

Darkness. Sounds: Dog barking. People yelling. People groaning. My gosh, it smelled funny here too.

LiLi's eyes blinked several times and then she rolled over, squinting as her vision adjusted to the light. Just in time to see Lyra whip around and make several wretching noises followed by several messy splashing sounds. The Latina grumbled, one hand rubbing at her eyes as the other rubbed at her family tattoo on her cheek.

"Ey... you have any more to share with the rest of the class, Butter?" LiLi called over to her up-chucking friend and giggled.

This was some messed up beginning to a strung out, coke'd up dream she was having...

---

 

[eloise]

elizabeth langley

the magicless

Campsite - Another World(?)

Confused and furious

Outfit

Friends

interactions come here

Being back in town gave Elizabeth an unimaginable amount of nostalgia. The crooked old mailbox of that kind old man that lived across the street still stood strong, the creaky step of her childhood home's front porch remained the same despite her constant reminders for her mother to get it fixed or even the treehouse in the backyard that she held fond memories of. It was funny, truly it was. Some things would stay the same no matter how many years had passed. For this annual camping trip, she had taken a short leave of absence from school. It wasn't the holidays yet nor any breaks so it was the best option for her at the current moment. She could practically hear the pilling up work from lessons that she was going to be missing. Too late to back out now though. But when had she ever let something bring her down? Especially a simple matter such as schoolwork. Once she arrived back in Rhode Island study mode would be activated and she'd get right back on track in no time.

As she slammed her car door shut she could see the rising smoke from a campfire just a distance away. No doubt her lovely friends had already made themselves comfortable. They had better not have eaten smores already. Everybody had to be there to do that. It was basically tradition at this point. Well almost everybody anyways. A wry glint appeared in her eyes at that thought before Elizabeth hurried down to the campsite, kicking up sticks or rocks, and dirt in her path. Once in visible sight, she made herself known loudly. "Friends! I've missed you all! The internet simply cannot beat the magical touch of personally seeing everyone in person." She tried her best to keep in contact with everyone in spite of them all being so far away and dealing with their own issues. Everyone looked wonderful. Or perhaps that's just her wearing rose-colored glasses when it came to her good buddies but still, she thought they all looked great.

Augustus.. ? Elizabeth froze in place upon her gaze finding its way onto an unfamiliar yet so familiar figure. This.. whatever this was it had to be a joke. She was always a sucker for a good joke but this was completely unfunny. One just doesn't up and vanish for years only to reappear in front of his childhood friends wearing a weird gimmick and saying cryptic things. They all had been so worried about him. She had been so worried! Angry bubbled up inside her. This wasn't fair. He doesn't just get to do such a thing and act so nonchalantly after. Just as she stomped over to do god knows what Augustus's words had already fallen. The entire space around them had turned into glittering stars and dazzling cosmos. Like a spring of cleansing had fallen over her, Elizabeth's anger had been forgotten. Even if just for a second. Her hand reached up to touch the mesmerizing creations but unfortunately, the stars fell, and her entire world blackened before she could even react.

Elizabeth was going to kill Augustus she swore it! That was the first thing on her mind when her eyes snapped open taking in the purple sky. Wait. Why was the sky purple? This could not be possible, right? The sky literally couldn't be another color other than blue. Slowly she came up with an answer. This wasn't the Earth she had long called home. At this, she shot up like a lightning bolt, on her feet like an incoming storm. "Where is he?" Once again Augustus just disappeared. Her tone betrayed how she felt. Angry couldn't even describe it at the moment. "Is this a game to him? Going missing for years! Years! Then showing up out of the blue and doing whatever the hell this is?" Her hands clenched at her sides, turning white from being too gripped tightly. How dare he? What gave him the right? Was this the boy she even knew anymore?

coded by natasha.

 

[InTheSea]

*

location

Another World

mood

Confused, Angry

mentions

Everyone, eloise TheAdventureBegins

Danise "Dani" Brady

It was time, Dani thought to herself as she slammed the trunk on her old, white Buick. She turned from the trunk, only to look back and give the trunk a little apologetic pat. "Sorry old girl, can't help but be excited, you know?" She smiled at the inanimate object that was her car, before she twirled her keys in her fingers and hopped into the driver's seat. She looked at herself in the mirror to make sure she looked alright. She wore a simple pair of jeans, black sneakers, a hilarious t-shirt in her honest opinion, and a light denim jacket to keep the bugs off.

"Dani, remember to stop by before you head back home!" Her fathers voice rang in her ears for the umpteenth time. He wasn't even outside anymore and she could still hear him harping on her. Her lips curled into an awkward smile as she sighed to herself.

"Yeah yeah, same shit, different year. I know, I know." Twisting the key in the ignition, it took a moment for the engine to turn over and come to life. Another loving pat was given to the car, this time on the dashboard. "Hold out for me a little longer, girl." She clicked her seatbelt across her body before she pulled out of the driveway and onto the road.

It wasn't a long drive, but she made sure to park next to everyone else at the designated parking area. She didn't bother counting the cars; they'd all be there, she hoped. She didn't want to be met with any sort of disappointment in case any of them had to miss out this year; it had been a possibility since Augustus disappeared on them and one she wasn't willing to think about.

And once she reached the fire, she felt like she could really relax.

They were all there.

The ever beautiful Lyra, stoic James, the awkward-yet-handsome Elias, sweet little Ashley (Dani would never say that out loud) and her fluffball of a dog Mort, thoughtful Caden, gentle Fan, sassy Flutter, and perfect Elizabeth.

It was quick and easy to follow into the usual rhythm of greeting her old buddies, setting up her tent and assisting everyone else if they needed anything. Dani was quick to pick up on Lyra's unusual quietness, but she didn't think it would be the best thing to bring up in case something actually was bothering her friend. Not to mention it was Lyra's prerogative if she wanted to talk about whatever was bothering her. Everyone here held a bit of anxiety from Augustus' disappearance, for all she knew, it could just be that.

Lyra listened to Ashley's stories, Elias toyed with the fire and roasted a marshmallow, Caden contented himself with petting Mort, Fan watched over their roasting meals, Flutter serenading, and Elizabeth and James relaxing alongside them.

Dani herself allowed herself a moment to just be, closing her eyes as she listened to those around her accompanied by the sound of the fire spitting in the background. To exist with her friends without a care in the world. Well, maybe that wasn't entirely true. The red-head's mind went to Augustus, as it usually did while they had been camping since he disappeared. She wondered if he was alright, if he would be upset they were still continuing this tradition all these years later. She let out a little sigh, hoping that he would be happy for them...wherever he was.

Snap.

Dani didn't stir; there were so many of them. Surely it was one of her friends.

“So, what has been the most daring thing you guys have done this year?” Lyra asked, Dani's eyes pulling open as she looked over to her friend. She made a face as she thought about it. Trapping cats was hardly daring, but there was this little spitfire that took her a literal month to safely catch, whom she lovingly named Spitfire when she returned him to his colony after he recovered from getting neutered.

Snap snap.

Heads were turning, and Dani sat up on her log as she looked to the tree line. Even Mort looked uneasy as he paced their little clearing, and finally started barking.

Snap snap.

Dani stood from her log, her pulse quickening. She had seen too many damnable horror movies for this shit. Her hand reached to the fire and pulled out one of the sticks that Fan had placed within. Holding it in her grasp, she was too preoccupied to realize how absolutely pathetic the smoldering twig was in her grasp; it was better than nothing.

The snapping got closer, and the more tense everyone seemed to be. Dani grumbled under her breath when someone approached, their form shadowed before they reached the edge of the firelight.

"Augustus!" Lyra's voice cried out, the woman practically flinging herself at the newest arrival. Elias, more gently, followed suit. Ashley looked a little tense as she calmed Mort down, and Dani couldn't blame her. It couldn't be him...could it? It damn well looked like him...but... Caden got to his feet, blinking in utter confusion. Fan looked too stunned to move, much like Dani herself. Lili, in all of her humorous glory, spat out something about Harry Potter which made Dani actually look more at the person they claimed to be Augustus. He did appear to wear one of those silly wizards hats, that is for sure. She turned to look at Elizabeth who had yet to say anything, and who looked quite furious.

"Hey, Liz, uh..." Dani started to speak, but then fell silent when Augustus started speaking. He sounded a little different, but of course he was older. Yet Dani could tell just by his voice, despite the changes, it was indeed him. She could feel tears well a little in her eyes, but she blinked them back. She felt relieved, but angry, too. She wouldn't have minded if he didn't want to come to this gathering anymore...she just wished he would have said something. Anything. Why did he have to make them think he vanished...died even.

“We are simply not meant for Earth my friends. We must go back home and right the wrongs of our families.”​

"What?" Dani made a face, before lights fell around her, the stars above raining down. Everything moved in slow-motion, or fast motion...or both. Nothing made sense, the stars blinking out and casting her in complete blackness.

"Ugh..the hell..." Dani moaned from the ground. She felt woozy, confused as to how she had fallen over but thankful she didn't seem at all hurt. It took her a moment to register what was going on; the sky was purple, and not 'the sun just set' color purple either. Somewhere behind her she could hear someone retching, but the young woman sucked in a breath to choke down the same feeling.

Dani looked over to Caden who was next to Elias, Ashley was with Mort of course, Fan commented about some 'isekai' thing, and Lili commented about...well never mind. Dani swallowed again. Muttering drew her attention and she looked up at Liz who was fuming even worse than before...before all this. Groaning, Dani gathered herself to her feet and stood. She wobbled for a moment, taking in a deep breath.

"Liz..." Dani put her hand out to the fawn-haired woman's shoulder. "Let's take a deep breath, okay?" Green-flecked eyes scanned the other woman once, before she looked around at the others still on the ground. "Is everyone alright?" She grimaced as she looked at Lyra. "Lyra...are you going to be okay? Does anyone have water for her?" She looked around at her friends for help.

coded by natasha.

 

[TheAdventureBegins]

*Narrator*
​

Over the next few minutes the friends would notice the wind blowing harder, the distinct sweetness the most tantalizing smell they have experienced before. It was intoxicating, like childhood memories that you couldn’t quite remember but felt deep in your soul. The wind was warm, not a single cloud covered the strange star filled purple sky.

What could it be?

The world slowly shifted from a dark purple to everything being alighted in a hazy purple glow. The warmth of the air soon filled them deeper and deeper. Their friends blossomed and molded into beings of love in front of them, and a giddiness fell over the group. Laughter from the wind could be heard, but at this point the friends were too far gone to find it strange; instead laughter bubbled from them, as if they were in on a joke that hadn’t been spoken.


“I just love you guys.” Someone slurred out. Who was it? No one was sure, it could have been anyone, or everyone all at once.

Hours could have passed in this tall field of grass, the friends completely unaware of anything but their warmth and love, the music in their soul and the freedom they felt.

Eventually their bodies grew heavier and heavier till nothing seemed more logical than to lay down and sleep.

 

[TheAdventureBegins]

~Lyra~​

Her friend's words seemed almost muffled over the rush of blood in Lyra’s ears. Her breath came in and out heavily till she was calmed down enough to function better. The sweet wind grew easier to breath and eventually she was able to look at her friends. With a quick head count Lyra let out a quiet breath of relief-everyone was there. . . everyone but Augustus.

Oh Augustus what sort of trouble did he get them into now? Countless memories played in Lyra’s head of the infinite times he had pulled them into some mischievous plan or another; this was different, this wasn't just another game to him, this was so much more.

“I'm ok, thank you Dani," Lyra finally managed to get out, a little calmer than before. Now able to focus a little better, Lyra stared past just the number of friends, but at their faces, how they were feeling. Everyone seemed as shook up as her, but she knew she needed to be stronger. Where did she start though? How could she be strong for everyone all at once? In their past it would have been so much easier for Lyra to take charge of Augustus's mess, calm the anger, the fear. . . But, she had changed so much, gotten so . . . weak; she could hardly calm herself, let alone anyone else. Still she rose to her feet, nothing was going to happen with her just sitting near her puke pile.

Lyra blinked her eyes a few times, trying to clear away the bright sharpness of the world around her after she stood. Was she actually having a panic attack? Just as quickly as she stood Lyra sat herself back down in the circle amongst her friends, but it didn’t fix a single thing. The brightness of the world didn't dim. The colors around her seemed to swim a little, melding till everyone and everything was aglow in their own halo of light.

As if the world was in slow motion she looked to Elias at her side, and something about him just made her smile suddenly. He had always been such a good friend, so kind, understanding; he always seemed to know just when someone needed an ear to listen. Lyra reached out and couldn’t help but pat him on the arm, marveling at the warmth of his body.

Or was she the warm one? Lyra felt like she was glowing from the inside out, and had to look down at her arms to be sure she wasn’t as bright as the stars. At the thought of the stars Lyra laid back in the oh, so soft, grass and marveled at the ever shifting sparkles offset against the bright purple sky.

The purple was so pretty it took her breath away. . .Oh wait, no that was because she was laughing so hard. When did Lyra begin to laugh? It didn’t matter, it felt as if the laughter bubbled deep into her and reverberated through the land and air around her.

“I just love you guys.” The words had Lyra sitting back up staring at her friends to find who had said that. The who didn't matter, the gaze of each of her friends was all she needed. Elias, Ashley and Mort, Caden, Lili, Fantoma, Elizabeth, and Dani, every single one of their faces made Lyra's heart grow and grow till only love was on her mind.

“I love every single one of you!” Lyra yelled it as loud as she could, hoping the entire world could hear.

“I Lyra Silver Thomas will go on loving you till the end of eternity, this I swear!” She wasn’t sure where the words had come from, but they felt powerful, and the right thing to say. Lyra rose again to her feet and stumbled forward through the circle of friends completely off balance. She came to a crash at their feet, now in the very center-never had she been so unstable.

It was hard not to giggle at her own predicament, but this time she just stayed down, no reason to get up now. The giggling soon turned into hiccups, which in turn began to die down. Lyra was so tired, the only thing better than being here with her friends would probably be a good nap. Her eyes fluttered closed, then open again, weariness weighing her body down.

When had she ever been so tired? So drained? A few memories of festivals she attended while traveling around struggled to the surface, but all she wanted to do was dream them instead of think of them. Yet, with the memories a clearer certainty crashed through her brain-this was exactly like those festivals, to the T. . . Lyra and her friends had been drugged! The realization was slow, but strong as it took over her entire brain.

Lyra fought the exhaustion off and struggled to her feet, a little more stable than before. All around her it seemed her friends were in similar positions as her, at the crash end of one of the best highs they had ever had. A deep fear grew in her belly and blossomed through the rest of her-something, she didn’t know what, but something told her to not let anyone sleep. . . or else.

 

[Gezellige]

Caden, on the other hand, was having no such realization. As the wind picked up, and the world turned into a swirling lavender fog, the Chinese-American boy found himself to be completely preoccupied with a strange surge of emotions than had sprung up in his chest. No longer was he even remotely concerned about the strange predicament they found themselves in - in fact, he was thinking about everything but. All that suddenly mattered was that moment, the familiar smell that had washed over him, and the stars in the sky. Lying on his back, the young man's silver hair - he still hadn't noticed that it changed colors upon entering this new world - intermingled itself within the grass, and he traced the patterns in the sky with his eyes, marveling at how indescribably beautiful this place was.

"I just love you guys," he heard someone say. At this comment, Caden suddenly discovered that he felt wildly emotional. It was an unfamiliar feeling to him; he was pretty calm most of the time, down-to-earth and even-tempered in all of his dealings. Amongst all of his social circles, he was usually known to be the chill guy. However, when it came to how those words made him feel, a million different jumbled and repressed emotions started to the surface. In fact, he was surprised to find that his eyes were swimming with tears, and a lump had gathered in his throat.

Under any other circumstance, Caden wouldn't have been crying. Even if he had, though, he certainly wouldn't have made a fool of himself by letting anyone know it. Unfortunately, when you're in the process of being drugged, things such as dignity don't really matter - and so, where the drug had made Lyra filled with a vibrant joy over her friends, it gave Caden an overwhelming urge to cry because he just loved them so ridiculously much.

So, that's what he did. He sobbed. Tears slipped down his cheeks as he laid in the grass, and eventually his hands made it to his face. "I just feel like we've all drifted apart!" He wailed. "We used to all be so close, and now look! I have my own separate life now! We all live so far away! Why can't it be like it used to be in high school? Waaaaaa..."

It was really a very sad spectacle, in many ways. Mostly because he looked like an absolute nimrod, lying there in the grass and crying. Eventually, the boy rolled over and hugged Elias' arm to his chest, sniffling into the fabric of the other man's shirt until he looked up to see Lyra, shouting her love for them all from the rooftops. At least, she probably would be, were there any roofs to be seen.

"Lyraaaaa!" Caden sobbed in response. "I love you, too! In fact I love all of you! We need a group hug!"

No such thing was to be had, however. For directly after he said so, an overwhelming exhaustion came over him, and he felt like doing nothing else in the world but sleeping. Putting his face between Elias' arm and the ground, Caden curled up into a fetal position, letting his eyes fade dimly away into a dreamlike state. Not quite slumber, not yet - but, getting close.

 

[BuggaBoo]

~ LiLi ~​

---

For several heatbeats longer, LiLi stared at her dark haired friend, Lyra as she recovered from her 'lip-service' to the grass. It was dark here , but strangely, the light of the stars above pierced her eyes like none ever had in her waking world. Under the dreamy purple sky, the young Latina let out another small laugh as she rolled into a cross-legged position. No, that was not the wind that made her small laugh sound staggered and strained. The fear had set in.

She found the courage to tear her gaze away from Lyra. And with pupils fully dilated now, dark eyes swept in all the forms set in a circle with her, stirring, writhing, standing, stretching, speaking. Normal as normal should be after waking up in the dark, right? They looked like her friends, right? Oh, but she knew better. She had been in this predicament and many, many other ones like this so many, many times in her many, many messed up nose-candied dreams. Her 'friends...' they were going to change. Ugh... probably bugs... Yeah, gunna be ugly crawly tentacled bugs this time... They were going to chase her and she would run. They would catch her and... bad things would happen. Really, really bad things that only happen in the dark...

LiLi bit down on her lower lip hard hoping to accomplish two things. One was to try to wake up from this cocaine induced nightmare. The other was to stifle the scream that was about to erupt like a volcano from her throat and mouth. The bloodflow was rushing through her like untamed rapids of a wild river now: heat from her neck and pits, sweat off her brow and upper lip, and heart thudding like a machine gun. Whatever that thing was that disguised itself as Lyra wheeled about face now and opened its mouth. Fight or flight. Fight or flight... LiLi took a deep breath--

“I'm ok, thank you Dani," Lyra finally managed to get out, a little calmer than before.

LiLi's head snapped back as if she had been slapped. Big dark eyes grew even bigger, eyebrows nearly shot off her head. Full lips pursed tight together as she side-eyed the thing that was disguised as Lyra.

"Waithankawutnownawjuscant..." was what the sound that the scream turned into.

A deep breath she took in and held it as she scanned the others and their faces. Shoulders fell as she doubled over into her own lap, relief washing over her like welcome cool waters of the lake they had always camped beside. LiLi was in disbelief. Coke'd out dreams usually do not go like this. No, even her friends and their comments were innocuous-- innane even-- She pulled up her red and black flannel around her waist to her face and giggled into it. My gosh, they were such lame nightmare monsters. LiLi pulled her face from her flannel shirt, took another hit from the lame sweet air of this lame purple skied dream.

She shook her head and began to bubble away with hiccuping giggles. Imagine if she had just let out an ear piercing shriek and bolted while everyone complained about Augustus and tried to calm Mort and Lyra. Fight or Flight...?! Laaaaaaame... My gosh, she was the lamest of them all... LiLi tried to catch her breath but then she pointed at the dark trees in the distance, bracelets and bangles clinking together softly, "Oooooooo scaaaaaryyyyyy.... hahahahahahahah...!!"

The weight lifted from her shoulders gave her a lightness of being and so she floated upward and began to clap her hands softly to a rhythm she caught on the sweet, sweet (but laaaaame) wind. Thoughts of whipping out her sister's guitarra sifted into her mind but instead she latched onto a chill hip-hop beat. Suddenly her head was bopping and slowly but surely she started to beatbox from her mouth, lips and throat. ♪♪Boomp. Bah-tah. Ba-ticky-ton-boomp. Boomp. Bah-tah. Ba-ticky-ton-boomp. ♪♪ Hands reached out, shoulders rolled, feet shuffled in time. Swaying, turning and twisting she sauntered up to the closest of her nearest and dearest: Danise and Elizabeth.

---​

Both these girls had fantastic hair. Dani was always Dani, a beautiful cat lover whose patience you just do not wanna test. Fiery. Just like her hair... my gosh... LiLi reached out and stroked some of the other girl's hair. It was purring...! And soft as a cats, but warm as a fire. In her eyes, Dani's locks were rippling... burning, yet not dangerous with body-torching heat... The red head's hair was burning with the passion and courage only Dani Gatica could show and hold for them all. LiLi would have wrapped herself up in her friends soft crimson flames like a cozy blanket but her eye was caught by the golden glow of another.

Elizabeth's hair was pure radiance. You knew it was her from any distance when the sun reflected off her curly locks in that 'just-right-endless-summer-glow.' LiLi called her Ella (a combo of the first syllables of her first and last name) or even Nala sometimes like the lioness from that animated movie. That girl had bravery and strength just like the lions she loved so much. LiLi could only imagine the kind of strength it took for her golden-haired friend to have to get up day after day and be mother and caregiver to her own mother. LiLi made damn sure no one never effin' ever made mom jokes about Ella. But as of now, this girls golden hair radiated out like a shiny mane of a lion, reaching out towards the uncharted and unknown. Exhilarating just like all those adventures Ella loved to talk about in highschool.

A soft smile, wink and a nod she donned Dani Gatica and Ella.

"Let'sssss gooooo...!" she slurred, somehow intertwining the words into her beatboxing... and uh-oh, watch out now! Her Latina hips were bumpin' in time with the bass.

Hell-to-the-Yeah. It was dancing time...

---

Did Cardy stop crying? My gosh she sure hoped so. Did Lyra and everyone else stop yelling? My gosh, she sure hoped so. Did they all constantly catch a touch, a warm press, or even keep group hugging amongst themselves? My gosh, she sure hoped so.

The sky had lightened up and long forgotten was the notion of a cocaine induced nightmare, and into something closer to a soft, body tickling, molly spurned dream she was cast. And she did not want it to end. My gosh, why did she have to wake up? But wait... she felt tired, even sleepy right about now. So was it even possible to fall asleep in a dream. Like if you were dreaming... LiLi had a moment of sobriety as it seemed like she and the others were on the verge of passing out. She had to find out if this really was a dream.

The Latina had a couple of lucid dreaming tricks she learned from her older sister, KiKi. Focus on something familiar. Close your eyes. Count to 7. Open your eyes and if the item changes; you are dreaming. If it is still the same you are lucid dreaming and you can easily feel where 'to go' to wake up. Whenever LiLi found out she was lucid dreaming, she hated it because of the frustrating feeling of dual reality while awake. It always lingered on stronger the longer she remained in a lucid state whilst dreaming. And so she always found somewhere to 'step into' to wake up asap.

Dark eyes focussed on her sister's guitar case and she followed the steps to see if she was dreaming or not. Yup, it was still there. But no. There was no place to 'step into.' My gosh, is this really real then...? The young woman's eyes popped wide and she sprinted over to the guitar case and began to knock on it. It was solid. She opened it.

The guitar was missing. That meant...

"Dios mio... I remember I put it down when Gus-Gus-- wait. Dude, was that even Gus-- godammm!! Pendejo got us...! Guys... we been drugged... and we gunna be knocked out or we even gunna--"

The word in her mind stabbed like a hot metal poker into her heart and she looked around wildly. They were all passing out. Herself included. And to her horror, even Bitey the dog. Panic threatened to explode from her then luckily she caught Fantoma's eyes and calmed when she saw he was not completely out of it. Her friend was never one to succumb to undue altered mental states; in fact she knew he hated overstimulation.

"Fantasmo!! Fan!! Bro, we in trouble. We been drugged...!" LiLi hated the way her words slurred out; it meant she was losing the fight to stay conscious versus... the word she was loathe to say would hopefully sober up both she and her redheaded friend.

"Overdose... we gunna OD. Bruh. We. Cannot. Go. To. Sleep!!"

With each word she shook Fan's shoulders-- Dark eyes shot open wide and she smacked her forehead and yelled out suddenly: "Idea!!!"

---​

"Fan. Bro. Merry-go-round! You 'member right? My gosh, boy, do not play with me right now, you 'member Merry-Go-Round!"

This was a story telling game they played when they all got lost one summer and had to hike 2 hours straight before night fell or else they'd get completely stranded in the dark in the middle of the woods. Merry-Go-Round had someone start a story with a sentence, then rush over and randomly choose someone to continue the story by pinching the next person. Stupid and juvenile but right now this game may just very well save their lives. Mental stimulation, calling your name, and pinching were effective ways to keep someone roused when OD'ing.

"Oh...! Oh! Oh me, right...?! Flutter's first! Hahah! Kk... ahem...

"'Once upon a time not so long ago...'

"...there was like... a... like a little cat who... had a problem with always eating the wrong things... soooooo liiiiike.... like he ate... he ate... the... false lashes... of his sister cat cuz like... oh I gots it! Bruh! Get this... so like this puta was always frontin' and being like all gold-digger to all the other cats in the neighbourhood and so today of all days he was on a mission to teach his lil' sis a lesson. Dude, and it was a good one too. He was going to teach her--FANTASMO!!"

With her acryllic nails, she pinched hard both she and Fan on the soft fleshy parts at the back of their arms, then clung onto his other arm for dear life making sure they did not get separated, "Merry-Go-Round, bro!! ¡Ey y a todos! ¡Órale! You guys!! Let's gooo!!!"

LiLi took a deep breath and held it; she hoped against all hope that this would work...

---

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Fan quickly fell on his face when he realized there was in fact no Augustus to punch in the face. Otherwise he would have almost certainly punched Augustus in the face. Never one to condone needless violence. Whatever ever black magic had been worked to transport them here was quite deserving of at least a little facial injury. Looking around at the others. He was happy to see that they were at least conscious enough to react appropriately to the situation. Then the air began to change. It smelt sickly sweet and pricked his skin. While at first it was somewhat pleasant. Fan was soon experiencing some sensory overload. Crouching down to the ground and clutching his head. He tried his best to calm his mind. Right now he could feel all sorts of pleasant emotions filling his body. Unfortunately the way they had made their way in was simply too much for Fan. Then of course he heard Lyra exclaim with all her heart that she loved them all.

His heart awash with warmth. Fan suddenly stopped minding the overflow of sweetness. If it meant Lyra would acknowledge him. A little sensory overload was worth putting up with. "She said she'd love us forever.... love....love" whispered a smiling fan with his hand over his heart. Drunk on whatever spell wormed its way into their minds. Fan was so happy that he had made the trip here. That he took the time to see his friends. Without them, he had been so lonely. He even began to question why he had been so mad with Augustus earlier. Now that he was back, they were all together again. If only they could experience such bliss for a while longer. Wanting to use such an occasion to finally confess his emotions to Lyra. Fan tried to make his way to her whilst overcome with severe drowsiness. That was when he heard Caden proclaim HIS love for Lyra. A minor pang of jealously struck Fan in the heart. Chastising himself for such immature feelings when Caden could just mean platonic love. He could feel his head begin to clear.

Then Flutter began trying her damnedest to shake Fan from his funk. At first his mind did its best to try and lull Fan back to sleepiness. However the mention of Merry-Go-Round brought him back to his senses. Noticing a desperate Flutter clinging to him for dear life. Fan silently nodded and gave a much more sincere smile. Everyone had always enjoyed when it was his turn for Merry-Go-Round.

"He was going to teach her that acting like a pump a dump scheme would only work while she was cute and fluffy. The Little Cat wasn't perfect and made a lot of mistakes. However he loved his baby sister with all his heart. He knew she'd only end up crusty, old and alone if she kept pretending like this. So he got a bunch of their pretty kitty friends together and... ASHLEY!"