Random Mini-Event: Surfs Up (Way Up)

In the early evening, just as the sun sets and the bioluminescence begins to shine, the tide goes out... and out... and out. The shore is bare and the phosphorescent bacteria's glow dies down. For several moments, there is silence, then there appears a thin line of blue on the horizon as if the sun is just beginning to rise. Soon, this line becomes a wall. Keen wolves may realize this is a large tsunami-sized wave churning up the phosphorescent bacteria.

In mere moments the wave crashes down, flooding the whole shore with a chaotic swirl of black water and blue glow like a constellation forming in the sky. Any wolf on the shore at this point would be utterly swept away and dragged out to the far northeast with the current.

Skill Claim Form

If you complete this thread with at least 3 rounds each, you can claim extra skill points of your choice (posts must be loosely skill focused) for participating in a random event! Only the first three participants are allowed to respond. Please be aware that the following event has a hard deadline of June 30th

Code:

[b]Skill[/b]:
[b]Points claiming[/b]: 15
[b]For what?[/b]: Participated in a random mini-event: Surfs Up (Way Up)
[b]Proof[/b]: <a href="https://www.ardently.org/showthread.php?tid=44686&pid=275423#pid275423">click!</a>

[*code]+15 - <a href="https://www.ardently.org/showthread.php?tid=44686&pid=275423#pid275423">Participated in a random mini-event: Surfs Up (Way Up)</a><br>[*/code]

With the shift in leadership and the Pirates… err… Raiders leaving of Obsidian Beach, the young Calico Jack has found himself feeling melancholy. While many of the pack had stayed, including Rivin, the boy cannot help but feel like some monumental shift has happened. The rainy season down in Auster seems better suited to his mood and he decided to take a short trip down to unfamiliar territory. It took some doing to skirt the castle town’s lands but, with lots of luck, the boy manages to do it. Now, on a golden beach, he stands watching the colors of sunset lightly play across the rolling waves.

Thoughts tumble through his mind as he ponders what the future holds as the last rays of the dying light slip beneath the horizon. Jack’s attention is pulled out of the future and back into the moment as wonderful spectacle begins to take place. He had heard tales of the bioluminescence that lights the waters with its gentle glow but he has never actually, seen it. Wonder crosses his features as he stands at the water’s edge, watching the gentle light shine up at him. Suddenly, as if the Gods themselves are mocking him, the beautiful sight is stolen away as the water recedes down the beach.

Confusion knits his brow together as an eerie silence falls and the glow of mere moments before flickers and gutters out like someone has blown out a candle. His heart leaps up into his throat and his stomach plummets to his toes as a strange feeling tingles his nerves and sets the hair along his spine standing on end. Squinting against the darkness, Calico Jack’s icy blue eyes spy a thin line of that very same blue on the horizon. His confusion deepens and he wonders if something has happened to the sun.

As he stands there, trying to puzzle out what is happening, the boy remains blissfully unware of the danger that is building off of the shore line.


"Calico Jack"

in her infinite quest to map out as much of these strange new lands as possible, Dulla finds herself on the silken shores of an unfamiliar beach - a terrain she has very little experience with. it is this she’d have liked to blame for her distraction, drawn to the golden hues of the setting sun, the slow withdrawal of the water at her feet. with scarcely any prior knowledge, this does not strike her as strange as it should’ve; for all she knows, water may behave this way often in such a territory. and as she squints at the writhing blue line in the distance, a familiar calico pelt catches her eye.

“Jack!” she calls out, pleased to have met a familiar face. their introduction has helped to settle her misgivings about these new lands - and a part of her, childish though it may be, believes Jack knows everything about these territories. surely he’ll explain the water and it’s unusual movements? but as she trots across the sand to reach his side, her fur prickles with unease, and something stirs in the pit of her belly. tension hangs thick in the air, and judging by Jack’s expression, he’s sensing it, too. “what is it?” she whispers, as though any louder will send it all crumbling down…whatever ‘it’ is.

beyond, the water drives forward, barreling right for her oblivious figure.

Bramble looked down the shore from the steps leading up to the castle. She is sitting, alone, admiring the setting sun. Clouds roll lazily as the salty breeze presses against her face. There are other wolves down on the beach that are unfamiliar, but they don’t appear threatening either. Gulls flutter by as they come to shore for the night. Swathes of red and orange bathe the beach as it shimmers and glows. Happily unaware of what is to come, her eyes widen slowly as the waters begin to recede. Often, they would recede during bad weather and it will tell them of an oncoming storm. Yet, these conditions appeared rather pleasant. Concern switches over her expression as she stands. The wolves down on the shore aren’t aware of how far the tide is going out. Oh, no no no. Bramble is worried as she looks up to Bristle, her raven. “Go get help now,” she chides to the bird. Beginning her descent down the carved stone steps, the tawny female makes her way to the beach. Hoping to make it in time to tell them to get off the beach, she is too late. Suddenly, the water comes crashing back in. A large wave of black and blue washing over at least one of the wolves. The stranger’s scream makes her ears pin back. She had to help them. There is in no hesitation in her step as she continues to now run down the stairs and then crash into the water herself. “I’m coming!” Bramble shouts over the roar of the water. Diving into the black and blue glow, she swims as best as she can toward the girl who had been swept away. She can feel the current taking them toward the northeast. Where was it going? Bramble Carpathius

Fear settles like rock in his stomach as the thin line of blue begins to grow. A familiar voice pulls his attention from the horizon and over to the friendly Dulla. Normally, he would have greeted the kind woman with a wagging tail and joyful words but, with the strange change in the tide, an eerier tension has settled over the land. Wide, icy blue eyes turn to the nice lady and dread burns like hot embers in his icy gaze as they land on the shorter wolf. Every inch of him screams to run and the boy’s throat works to swallow down the bile that suddenly burns the back of his mouth.

Finally, as the line steadily turns grows taller, Calico Jack chokes out a single word, “Run.” The command is simple, the fear palpable as his legs begin to move, turning his body away from the growing wave. His voice grows in strength and this time he shouts the order, “RUN!” There is an urgency in the word but his tone is commanding and the boy waits for the woman to obey before taking off after her. The roar of the building water drowns out all other sounds and his ears slick back as he propels himself forward. Yet, with his longer stride, Jack does not race up to and past Dulla, as instead, the boy keeps himself behind her in a desperate bid to protect to the shorter wolf.

There is no outrunning the water for him and, in one last ditch effort to protect Dulla, he lunges forward and attempts to knock her forward toward safety. The water crashes over him, swallowing his form and slamming his body into the sand before dragging him out into the ocean’s depths. Calico Jack keeps his mouth firmly shut, as he desperately tries to keep what oxygen he has, in his lungs. The world spins, disorienting the boy until he does not up from down, forward from backward. His head spins and tucks his legs and tail to his body in the hopes of avoiding damage to them from rocks or other underwater objects.

Ears ring and he does not realize that another form has joined him in the blue and black water. The salt water stings his eyes so he closes them while he conserves his strength. Right now, the pull of the water is too strong to push against so he simple rides the current until he knows he can fight against it successfully.


"Calico Jack"

the line swells, growing larger, and Dulla’s apprehension grows with it. as terror steals across Jack’s face, horror dawns upon her in the same instant with such ferocity it steals her breath. Jack’s voice rings through the air, a single word laced with incalculable dread.

RUN!

and Dulla does. her feet carry her with scarcely a thought, keeping pace at Jack’s side as they sprint across the beach, spraying up sand in their wake. but as a thundering roar fills her ears, she takes note of Jack’s speed, of the restraint bunched in those muscled legs. surely he could out run her easily, and yet -

she staggers as she’s pushed forward and goes skidding across the sand, and yelps when water crashes into her side, sweeping her off her feet. for a moment, everything is coldwetdarkcoldsocold. instinctively, she clenches her eyes shut, feet churning as she battles her way to the surface. it’s only once her head has broken the water, gasping in a lungful of salt-hewn air, that she truly understands. Jack’s figure shrinks into the distance, flailing through the waves as he’s whisked out to sea - and a scream tears itself from her throat. “Jack!” fear sluices through her veins in icy rivulets; he’d tried to save her, had used those last precious seconds to push her into shallower waters, and now…now…

like the very manifestation of her desperate hope, a woman comes sailing overhead and lunges into the water, plowing forward with dazzling strength. “i’m fine!” Dulla rasps, lifting her chin to keep above the current. it’s not entirely true, and she’s not exactly the most adept swimmer, but in that moment, she hardly cares. “help him!” she’d vowed, after her family, that she’d always look out for herself first - fuck the rest of the world. but he’d tried to save her, and if there was one thing Dulla believed in, it was justice.

The water swelled and surged around them. It’s icy grasp raked through her veins as she struggled to breathe. Her lungs shriveled as the water enveloped her body. As much as she wanted to shrink against herself to try and stay warm, she knew she had to help save them. As a Carpathian, she felt it was her duty to at least try. If she didn’t, was she truly worthy? Moving each paw in almost frantic manner toward the girl as she surfaced, Bramble blinked away the salty and glowing algae. Him? Who? Where? Her eyes dart back and forth across the tumbling waves as she tries her hardest to stay afloat. Already her muscles grew tired. She looks once more to the girl with worry strewn across her expression. “Swim with the current!” Bramble calls out. “Just let it take you wherever it goes and I’ll come find you!” She has to nearly scream as loud as she can over the roar of the water. Turning away, hoping to the high heavens that the girl will be alright, Bramble searches. Her teal eyes try to see beneath the surface for the calico boy. Paddling, and paddling, and trying her best to stay afloat. Exhaustion trickles in as she feels the current also begin to tug her back toward the northeast. Away from the shore, away from the castle, away from safety. “Please surface, please surface!” Bramble whispers as she chokes on water. She continues to duck beneath the surface to try and look for him for a few seconds before resurfacing and starting the process over again. Bramble Carpathius

The world is dark for the young Calico Jack as he keeps his eyes firmly squeezed shut against the sting of the ocean water while he waits for ocean to sort itself out. The boy does not know if he had managed to prevent Dulla from being swept out by raging surf but, as he tumbles along, he continues to hope that she is safe. As for himself, Jack is not worried. The boy had grown up living next to an ocean and had been swimming since the day he could leave his den. Even as the cold water attempts to still his energy, he cannot help but be reminded of his home. So, for now, he simply conserves his strength until it is needed.

Finally, the spinning lessens and soon stops and his eyes fly open to immediately be stung from the salt and algae in the water. His lungs are starting to scream for air and the chill of the water is beginning to leech into his bones but Jack works to remain calm and collected. With his eyes open, he slowly releases some of the air that is being held in his lungs and only stops once he has formed a nice stream of bubbles. They float up past his head and the boy uncurls his body, rotating his body so he can follow the bubbles up to the surface.

Legs kick out in long, powerful strokes and he quickly propels him to the surface. Head breaks the free from the water and he gasps loudly, greedily sucking in deep lung fulls of air until his body is satisfied that he is again receiving oxygen. He easily treads water, his time spent swimming serving him well, as he turns his gaze back toward the beach. Straining his eyes, he attempts to spy the woman he had tried to save, only to find that he can barely see the shoreline. The current is too strong to fight against so he shouts as loud as he can, hoping against hope that she will hear him, “Dulla! Dulla, I promise I will find you!”

If he is screaming it for her to hear or as a promise that he making to the Gods, Calico isn’t quite sure but he is resolute in his conviction. Suddenly, he becomes aware of the sputtering of another wolf and the boy turns his attention to where another yearling attempting to swim out to him. Calico Jack mentally curses his luck. While he considers himself a strong swimmer, it seems that the female is having trouble and is struggling. The boy knows that it is useless to fight against the current and, as they are get further away from the shore, the turbulence that the waves had offered slowly evens out.

With strong strokes, the boy quickly moves toward the earthen hued girl while saying loudly, “It’s okay! Stop struggling. I am going to help you.” Once she stops fighting the water, Calico easily positions himself behind her. He can keep afloat until the current is done with them but the real enemy that they have to face is the cold. As calmly as he can, the boy instructs, “Good job. Now, I need you to relax. I know, I know, easier said than done but I need you to relax your body. I am going to help keep you afloat. We just need to ride out the current. Please, don’t struggle. I mean you no harm. Okay?”

Jack knows it is a lot to ask but he really does mean her no harm and, if they float instead of swim, they will conserve what energy they have to help fight the chill of the water. Once she stills, the boy loops one of his long legs underneath the taller yearling arms and tilts her body back slightly. Next, he keeps his body behind her, allowing her to rest against him while keeping the girl’s head above water. Now, they can both float more easily with the current. Icy gaze scans the waves, checking and rechecking for any signs of Dulla in the water. If she is out here, the boy is determined to help her survive the currents pull as well.

While he can keep them afloat, the chill of the water is something beyond the boy’s control. It is important to keep them both awake so, as his teeth begin to chatter, he says, “We need to stay awake. Keep talking to me. Oh, uh... Calico Jack at your service. If we were on land, I would offer you a proper bow and all that.” A chuckle is expelled past the stuttered words as his teeth clank together painfully. He continues to keeps his body relaxed while also trying to keep the girl calm and awake. As they float with the current, Jack’s mind turns back to Dulla and, once again, he hopes that she is safe.



OOC: Permission to PP Bramble given by Bunni


"Calico Jack"

the girl began to struggle, and as Dulla witnesses her plight, a glacial terror sinks into her very bones, perpetuated by the freezing ache of the water. legs kicking desperately, despair crashes into her with all the force of a tsunami. they were doomed. the yearling was struggling to stay afloat, and Jack had been swept away, and Dulla, though relatively safe in comparison, wasn’t certain she could make it to shore on her own…

and then she spots him, calico pelt bobbing above the waves as he kicked over to the girl’s side. Jack was safe. he was alive, and he was moving with a proficiency she could only envy. Dulla’s mind went back to a star-laden night spent within the cold entanglements of tree and root, and relief gripped her so tightly it was almost dizzying. beach-dwelling pirate; now she remembers. buoyed by this thought, Dulla continues to strike out in powerful kicks, and if Jack’s gaze lands on her, she raises her chin and gives a fierce, toothy grin. way to go, pirate boy.

Though she is a strong swimmer, she still fights the current. She wants to be the hero and save the boy. He still hadn’t surfaced yet and worry laces her expression. If he is lost for good… she could never forgive herself. Struggling more and more against the current as she fights to stay afloat, Bramble also continues to battle the exhaustion that seeps in. Could she win this? Her eyelids begin to flutter as she has to switch to focusing on not swallowing too much water. The young princess is sputtering and now beginning to shiver. Disappointment pounds her brain as she struggles. The tide is winning. Darkness swirls around her, threatening to swallow her whole as it canaries them farther north. Where was it taking them? Bramble wants to cry out but her silent plea is soon answered. Suddenly, the boy is near her. He is shouting over the roar of the water. Bramble listens and calms her movements. There is hardly any fight left in anymore - especially now that she knows he’s alive. “Okay, okay,” her voice is breathless as she relaxes and leans against the patched boy. It is a relief, but she cannot dismiss the feeling of defeat. How could she have allowed the water that she saw every day to get the better of her? Closing her eyes as he continues to talk to her, Bramble smiles. “Bramble Carpathius, at your service,” she mumbles as she rests her chin against the boy’s damp body. Though she is bigger than him, she is not that heavy and the water helps keep her afloat as well. “Is-Is the other girl okay?” Her voice is hoarse from the previous moments and she briefly lifts her head to look around. In the distance, she sees the other girl bobbing along, going with the current like they are. “You know, I’m supposed to be the hero,” Bramble laughs and closes her eyes again. “What brought you down to Auster, Sir Calico Jack?” She tries to keep the conversation going as they float toward the northern shore. Bramble Carpathius