sent to: everyone (slightly forward dated early morning, first day of event)

[youmiscalculated]

[ Adora's still shaking a little when she closes her eyes and tries to focus on sending her message. At first the words come across shaky, but they even out. On one side, Catra's holding her hand, and it gets a little easier. ]

ᓮ ᖱᗝﬡ'𝜏 𝜏ᖺ⫯ﬡⲕ ᓰ'𝓿∈ ⲙ∈𝜏 ᨆ∈ᖇႸ ⲙᎯﬡႸ 𝖮⨍ Ⴘ𝖮υ.

[ A deep breath, and it all smooths out. ]

𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞❜𝐬 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚. 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈...𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈❜𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞❜𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭: 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧. 𝐈❜𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡. 𝐈 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧❜𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐈❜𝐦 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰.

𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬? 𝐈𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭—𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭—𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞; 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫. 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝❜𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭...𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧❜𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬, 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝.

𝐈❜𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲. 𝐈❜𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧❜𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞.

[ She's genuinely distressed by this, and she swallows hard, looking over at Catra before going on. ]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭; 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧❜𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭❜𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲. 𝐈𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥. 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐭, 𝐈❜𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲.

[ It isn't always up to her, she knows that, it's a lesson she had to learn the very, very hard way. But old habits are hard to let go of, and it was her vision. She feels responsible, and she can't even give a better description of who she saw to try and warn them better. Adora isn't sure how to end her thoughts, so it takes a lengthy pause for the last bit to come through. ]

𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧❜𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭...𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥.

Comments

private.

[wiedzminka]

[ Close to an hour later, after the initial post (which Ciri did not see because she tends to cut off these communications; apparently, this time she'll just have to deal with the distraction while information must be shared), Ciri tries to reach out to this 'Adora' using only her will directed at the unfamiliar name.

Somehow, it works. ]

Adora?

My name is Ciri.

I'm told you had a vision concerning me. Something about a monster in the desert. Can you give me any further details on the landscape you saw?

[youmiscalculated]

[ Adora's seen this name floated as she looks up at the ceiling, and she swallows, not wanting to let this person down. ]

𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠.

[ Yet again, she cycles through the nightmare-slash-vision, trying to see at the edges of the beast's visions, trying to capture what was on the peripheral. The beast rises from the sand, shakes it off, and— ]

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬? 𝐎𝐫...𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝?

[wiedzminka]

It's all right. I'm safe at home.

Your vision has yet to come to pass. That's why I'm trying to prepare, and any additional information you can give me will only help.

What was the beast seeing? Could you tell anything more about it, besides it being very large?

[youmiscalculated]

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭❜𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐯𝐞? 𝐈𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.

[ She says that with a question at the end because she doesn't know detailed information about the Free Cities and if a hole can just be cut into rock like that. ]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬...𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮. [ As she's talking, she reaches out and squeezes Catra's hand. Ciri's safe, nothing's come to pass. She repeats the words in her head without sending them, then continues. ]

𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭❜𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡.

[wiedzminka]

There are other beasts of a similar nature in the Free Cities' outer territories. Enormous worms that burrow underground. They are native here.

You're certain this one isn't?

In your vision, you could feel that?

[youmiscalculated]

[ Her surety comes back quickly. ]

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧❜𝐭. 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧❜𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧❜𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.

[ There's a slight delay before the next message. ]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝.

[wiedzminka]

I understand. I believe you.

Don't worry. Dispatching monsters is my job. Your warning has given me ample opportunity to arrive prepared. Thank you.

[ Her assertion that the Singularity is scared, however-- that's certainly something. There's a slight delay on Ciri's side as well before another response. ]

What kind of visions did you have back home?

[youmiscalculated]

[ Adora can't help the flicker of a smile when she reads the words against the wall. She's a fighter. ]

𝐈 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨. 𝐀𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧.

[ Although she's hoping that's done with now—at least on Etheria. ]

𝐌𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭...𝐦𝐞. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈❜𝐦 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧❜𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧❜𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈❜𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.

[ Maybe that's more information than Ciri wanted or needed (and it probably comes with more questions than answers), but it comes spilling out of her thoughts. She doesn't understand why the Singularity picked her; she can still feel fear thrumming through her, like static in her veins. ]

[wiedzminka]

[ In truth, Ciri understands. Exceedingly well.

Visions, prophecies, unable to control when they come or what they entail -- all of it is familiar to her. It's difficult to convey emotion through the writing, but there is a sense of warmth to her words. ]

That sounds difficult. I appreciate the effort you've gone through to warn me.

Were you recently Summoned?

[ She seems new. Scared. And connected, somehow, to the Singularity (something about how she declared so definitively it is afraid reminds her, with a vague sense of unease, of the way Julie talks about it, like a sentient creature.) ]

Where are you?

[youmiscalculated]

[ Adora nods before realizing Ciri can't see her. And she is scared, she thought she left all of this behind after Horde Prime was killed. The only comforting thought is that it isn't just her. This world's entire fate isn't on her shoulders. ]

𝐈❜𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰, 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈❜𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧❜𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?

[ That, to her, is the worst part right now. Until she realizes she'll have her own fighting to do, she hates that she's been given a vision she can't do anything about other than this. ]

[wiedzminka]

Maybe you aren't meant to fight it. Maybe you were only meant to warn me.

Or maybe there was no reason, but you have found one with your choices.

You chose to act instead of keeping it to yourself, despite not knowing why or how or even who you saw. That's commendable.

[youmiscalculated]

[ Adora is so mission focused, that she has no idea how to do just this. Still, she can recognize that it would have been easy to say nothing and hope it was just a bad dream. ]

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐢. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐨𝐧? 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤.

[wiedzminka]

Of course.

You'll see snow-peaked mountains, forest, and an old stone fortress once you enter. A white wolf guards the place, but pay him no mind; tell him you'd like to leave a message for me, and he'll let you through. If you leave a note for me at the fortress doors with a time you'd like to meet, I'll be there.

Take care of yourself too, Adora. I'm sure we'll have a chance to speak more soon.