Event 4: Spring Hope Eternal

[letsplayamod]

Down to half your group's size, afflicted with hallucinations of faces long gone, you've certainly been put through a lot these last few weeks.

What's a bit more?

Upon the morning, a great clatter comes from the temple. A few pegasi have once again fled from the stables on their floor, seemingly distressed but unharmed. The cause becomes more apparent the lower you venture. Deeper and deeper down into the temple, the colder and windier it gets...

Comments

[letsplayamod]

[The moment her hand touches the glyph the light of it flashes into Vanity's eyes with a momentarily blinding brightness. It only lasts a few seconds and in those seconds a feminine voice, deep and husty to the point of nearly being a growl but crystal clear in it's diction, fills her head.]

I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?

[Could that be...a riddle...?]

[sweetsynergy]

....what.

[Her worst enemy. Her own brain.]

Fuckin' wordplay-

[letsplayamod]

[The light passes quickly and Vanity will get the feeling that she does not need to answer immediately. The riddle giver will not demand a correct answer to it's riddle until she touches it again.

Might be a good time to keep working on those interpersonal skills and ask for help.]

[yourheroine]

...?

[Even if Aoi did hear that, she doesn't know the answer.]

[sweetsynergy]

[Vanity sighs, looking around- and jumps slightly as she sees Aoi.]

[Guess who didn't realize she was being followed.]

HAa-hey, Aoi. Did you. Catch any of that?

[yourheroine]

No? Did the symbol tell you something?

[sweetsynergy]

Yeah, it, uh- hang on-

[Finally, her useless-ass power is MVP. Checkmate, atheists.]


I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?

[yourheroine]

...a bird without a beak?

[No.]

[sweetsynergy]

I think birds have ears, just small ones. Good thought, though.

[She folds her arms.]

Something that makes noise. Or reacts to it? Or both.

[yourheroine]

...a trumpet.

[No!]

[sweetsynergy]

That could fit coming alive with the wind? Blowing into it.

[That feels off, though.]

Doesn't feel like- the answers to these are always sort of weird and smug, you know? Like the point is for the person asking to feel all warm and snuggly about how much smarter they are than the one struggling to answer.

[yourheroine]

Is that why people like riddles?

[Aoi blinks, and looks for Shinichi or Miyuki.

They both shrug, as if to say that they only have as much knowledge as Aoi does on this.]

Boop boop...so it's not something solid?

[sweetsynergy]

Sure seems like it.

[She is built for the punch and stab, not- well not THIS kind of subtle, at least.]

...huh, maybe literally not solid. Something with no body. Something non-physical that makes noise. ...a stoooorm?

[yourheroine]

A windy storm...like a tornado!

[sweetsynergy]

With thunder!

[they're gonna answer wrong and die]

Wait, no, where would the part about hearing fit in?

[yourheroine]

...

Does rain start when the clouds hear the thunder?

"Oh my god."

[Miyuki facepalms in the background.]

[sweetsynergy]

[Vanity frowns, glancing at Ghost Miyuki for a second before returning her attention to Aoi.]

Mmm, don't think that's how that works. Though- you usually hear thunder before the rain gets to you? Maybe put a pin in that.

[yourheroine]

You do? So...the sound travels on the wind? Is it just thunder?

[This is how they die.]

[sweetsynergy]

I think? The sound would definitely travel ahead of the storm itself, and that's where the rain would be.

[She folds her arms, running over the riddle again.]

...and a storm cloud can be called a thunderhead, which. Fuck, I hate that, it's a head with no body-

”Oh my shit."

[Vanity twitches and tenses, stubbornly ignoring her sister.]

[yourheroine]

Really? Aoi didn't know that! You're so smart, Vanity!

[Oh no.]

1/2

[sweetsynergy]

Ha, thanks. It's all the illegal genetic engineering and programming.

[Ha. Ha ha. Ha.]

2/2

[sweetsynergy]

"Christmas crackers I can't believe I was ever afraid of you."

[Vanity twitches and stiffens again, head snapping to the hallucination.]

SHUT IT, ECH- ...oh.

[Her face freezes in an expression of horrified realization.]

Oh. Oh no.

[And shifts to something that seems unsure if it's mild annoyance or incandescent rage.]

Oh, I fucking HATE this.

[yourheroine]

...was Aoi on the wrong track?

[She looks a little concerned.]

[sweetsynergy]

I think we both were.

[She is dead inside. Typhon can no longer harm her, this is Rick bottom.]

It's- I'm pretty sure? An echo.

[AMhatemonologue.wav]

Speaks without a mouth, because you're hearing it after the sound is actually made. Hears without ears, because it's a response to a noise someone or something made. No body and the wind because- it's soundwaves, in the air.

[She's quiet, staring at the ceiling for a moment.]

...if anyone asks, this was really obvious to both of us, we answered in under a second, it was amazingly cool. Deal?

[yourheroine]

Ohhh....

[Aoi nods softly.]

Vanity was super cool figuring it out. Aoi helped too.