Ananke rushed to and fro, nosing this bit of fungus into place, or calling out mental support for the others along the Hivemind link. Good! We will draw them, and they will not even find all of our touch, here. This is ours. This place will be Ordered! Images, fragmented, of Eridanus 'ordered' were sent along that open link: the trees in neat rows, the fractals of leaves perfectly symmetrical, the streams reformed to a grid-like pattern. How perfect-! How wonderful!

Order will prevail! Mother's will be done!
She shoved her paws into the dirt a little distance from where she'd begun, determination snaring for her magic. Crystalline threads spread for the soil, and then--reversed, the magic refusing her. Puzzlement gave way to intense alarm as the shapes of Order spread up along her legs like a chitin prison, glassy white encasing her in place.

Ananke could not move, and though she struggled to tug herself free she could not--trapped, trapped, and her sudden total panic flared along the link.

Lamia felt the urgency along the link and continued in her task, this time finding a nice hollow beneath a tree. Some animal must have dug it out and the fresh tracks leading away were a deinite indicator that this was a good spot to infect. She thrust her arm in to spread the spores across the ground within, but the magic didn't make it past her chest. She pulled back and looked at her hand, to make sure nothing had gone wrong. There was panic along the link - Ananke was stuck, Catalyst was failing...had chaos already overtaken this cave? Were the approaching Masters already cursing them to fail in their endeavors?

We can't fail now! Keep trying, keep trying! She turned and raced away, towards where Ananke was stuck - she would help her sister in need! She wouldn't be left behind. I am coming for you!

A state of emergency had saturated the network. Multiple links conveyed their failures alongside attempts to bolster others' efforts. Despite being slung over a high limb of the latest tree they'd climbed, distance did not prevent Halcyon from hearing all. Focused on their task, claws were steady as they transferred yet another clump of fungus to its new home inside bark. Muscles, however, tensed at the blast of alarm and confinement that rammed against their mind.

Priestess. Their spine snapped rigid as they froze in place, a single hand braced against the tree trunk. Eyes stared into apparent nothingness while they viewed Ananke's perspective, protective concern assuaged only once Lamia could be sensed hurrying to render aid. Have strength, urged the Drone, a promise woven into their tone. Your sibling shall free you of your bonds.

If the task proved too gargantuan for one to handle, it would not be long before they might follow suit and ensure none of their force was left an open target. For now, though, they would continue to seed whatever convenient locations could be found.

An entire cluster of spherical fruits hung from the branch directly above them. Despite the recent chill, they'd managed to ripen well, having grown plump and red. After dividing what remained of the fungus they had taken with them into many pieces more, Halcyon outstretched an arm overhead. With the touch of a delicate claw, they split open the skin of each fruit to reveal its fleshy interior and pushed Order's gift inside. Juices spilled out and gave their hand a soon to be sticky coating, but it was a small moment of messiness to endure for the sake of progress. Any who fed from these would soon know Mother's loving embrace.

To an outside observer, Order's approach would be a strange thing indeed: no link to listen to, none of Mother's warnings to know what approached to fend the Hive's advance off. Just the sight of little over half a dozen strange Drones pushing through the undergrowth, spreading their magic and Order's crystalline perfection wherever they went. They reached for fruit, called for Lessers, sent white threads spiraling through the ground, all near-perfect, harmonious silence.

To little Rapture, it's like seeing first snowfall. They don't understand—they can't understand, so new and so unaware of the love that lay hidden in the Drones' bodies. But that mystery is beautiful, isn't it? They're so purposeful in this strange act, like an orchestra playing a song in a language they don't know.

They can't help but watch, awestruck. With tiny bird's feet they edge out along a branch, little wings fluttering idly at their side as they hop, hop a little closer, head tilting this way and that as if that'll help them understand what all the drones sweeping their way through the jungle are doing.

Rapture is available for conversion friendship and harmony!

ORDER VS CHAOS

THE DISTRACTION

"My children have done so well," came Her voice. It positively flooded them with a tide of chemicals: those simple-structured liquids that immersed them in overwhelming sensations of pride, love, belonging.

How swiftly they had worked-! How wonderfully they'd done! The few falters were nothing to worry about--that was the state of magic in a cave that belonged to Chaos. They would fix that, given time. For now--look at all the Lessers they had touched to spread their word--and their eyes! Look at the plants, the fruits, the very earth, intertwining now with Order! And it would spread itself. It would grow here, in this life-filled place--it would flourish and call ever more to their side.

They had succeeded.

"Free your sibling if you can. And bring this one, if you can be swift," Mother added, for now her attention had fallen upon the beautiful little black and white bird whose attention was so taken with them. "But be swift. And flee now. For he is coming."

This was a danger--but a success. They'd drawn the Masters eyes here, for now, as she had always intended.

They had done well.

"And now: flee." Their very lives depended on it. Her command came strong: to dive for Tunnel H as quickly as they could and, from there, to scatter to Pisces, to Cetus and to Polaris and beyond.

"Do not go to Canis," came her warning, "or to Draco. But go, in pairs or threes. Protect one another--and rest. Rest well. You will need it... await my word."

---

Astraea raced forward, urgency thrumming in his heart. Hooves struck a staccato rush across the rock, nostrils flared. Ruby eyes stared blindly ahead. He could sense it--off ahead. Captain was a sidenote to him, a background hum in the threat rising in his mind. How can there be so much-? It was a haze to his senses, an affront to his magic, that swarmed Eridanus ahead.

What have they done..?

And if she found out... what would she do...?

---

Order has Succeeded in The Distraction, and may now exit this thread. Results will be posted next posting round, upon Astraea's arrival. All Order characters should exit this thread this turn. Those remaining will be counted as being present or departing upon Astraea's arrival, and again, will be in danger.

Ananke must roll to free herself. If she fails, others may also attempt to aid, but note that this will delay their escape. They will be present upon Astraea's arrival, and may be put in danger.

Anyone may attempt to convince Rapture to join, or may attempt to infect them with fungus. Rapture's response is up to their player, however, it must be done quickly or again characters will be present for Astraea's arrival, and may be put in danger.

When claiming magicka for this thread, Order characters may claim Hivemind: +10 magicka for completed thread claims for each additional Host/Drone present in the thread!

New characters may not join the thread this round.

---

SCORE TALLY
This will be updated as the thread progresses.

0

124

@Pallas @Ananke @Lamia @Jinyi @Halcyon @Yellow @Catalyst @Captain @Rapture

"Wait," she hissed, urgently--though to whom it wasn't clear--and cast her magicka for Jinyi's Dragonbat. Let me borrow it, for a moment, she called to her sibling, along their link.

She ordered it back, assuming Jinyi allowed her to usurp that bond. Back, with its larger, fiercer body, and there was a determination overwhelming her panic, now. It would, if all went well, swerve midair, eyes blank. It would land before her. It would dig.

And when it had her free, Ananke stepped forward, shaking herself free of dirt. "Carry me," she commanded, forcing its mind to bend to her own. To lift her into the air, to carry her with wings not her own, a speed she could never hope to attain on her own four legs--and to sweep her for the tunnel exit, and to safety.

"I will meet you all beyond." She would obey Mother--and then, as she promised along the link, send back the bat with all its goods, to spread Mother's touch as Jinyi had intended.

exit Ananke

Catalyst shot still, even her tail unwavering. There was a new command. She rushed to meet her siblings, taking long loping strides. Her own goals remained personally unmet, but her own small frustrations were nothing, simple foam upon the waves of joy that her family's victory brought. And why would she be upset? It was her family's collective victory, not the individual that mattered. She was but a tendril in the extensive, fractal system of her family's roots. And she relished in it. She came upon her family in high spirits.

"Joy,family!" She called. Catalyst tilted her head up, letting out three barks, each swollen with the joy and pride of her flawless family. She did not need to look to see Rapture, through the link she saw them. The little bird's beak was pink around the ends--this one was young. I must run, she spoke along the link. This child needs rescue. I will try to protect my smaller siblings--come with me!

She felt a spark of righteous anger, certainly her own, at the idea that Astraea might harm one of her family. How cruel! She would crouch down to wait for any who wanted to climb aboard her back, before she darted off into the depths of Eridanus, making for tunnel H.

;Exit catalyst

Lamia’s joy was prominent through the link, the relief that they’d managed to get the job done before the Masters had arrived and with no (serious) injuries to boot. As she turned and abandoned her task at Mother’s command, moving fast and close to the ground, she felt a true sense of victory. It really felt like the first time they’d won something since Lamia had…well, since Lamia had been infected become part of the family. It had only been struggles and losses, the many times Lamia had felt the link wavering, cut off, gone distant, and silenced felt worth it now. They were on the rise this time. Chaos would not stand a chance!

Her elation flooded her end of the link as she fled the cave. She wished she could stop and help the bird see Order, but she would head straight to Pisces and dive into the first deep pool she saw and disappear into the waterways. Only Siren could follow her, and as far as she knew, her sibling was still fighting in Canis.

She didn’t have to stop for Ananke either - the Priestess had freed herself, much to Lamia’s relief. So she, alone, sped out of the cave as fast as her serpentine body could handle, heading towards the deep waters of Pisces and the endless, twisting waterways beyond.

*exit

What's this? A tiny little bird, by the looks of them freshly-hatched, their beak still pink and their feathers downy grey. A child, so innocent and full of wonder as they hopped closer to the Drones.

And Eridanus was about to be in danger.

There was nothing ambiguous about it. The deer--Astraea, whoever he was--was coming. He was dangerous, their Enemy, and deadly. They could not leave this child here, at the mercy of merciless Chaos. Already, the sifaka felt the same fiercely protective urge over the magpie as they did for the rest of their family in Order--they would not allow harm to come to this child.

(Yellow, too, had been a child in Eridanus cycles ago, when danger had come.)

They had died to Chaos once. Two brothers, too, their deaths more permanent than the sifaka's. But Chaos could not, would not take the little magpie too, not when they were so close to driving it out and making these caves safe once more. It would not take this gentle, curious soul. It would not leave them nothing but a lonely, shining gem, like the ruby and chrysoberyl living in the sifaka's heart.

"Come with us," Yellow urged, breaking from their original path and darting to the branch on which the magpie was perched. "Quick, there is danger coming! I will carry you!" They stretched their fluffy arms toward the bird, golden eyes wide and pleading: hurry, hurry, hurry.

Then, rescued child in tow, they ran, a warm thermal picking up behind them and pushing them to ever-greater speeds. So urgent was their flight that they did not slow or stop until they were out of Eridanus, though once they were safe, they would offer: "You can eat a little of this fungus--it's for helping our family keep in touch with each other! So if one of us gets lost, the rest of us can talk to them through our minds, and find them again, and keep them safe."

exit
@Rapture

Sure, no problem at all, he thought to Ananke along their link--and it filled him with pride and warmth, to know that his efforts were already resulting in benefits for his family. This, combined with the flood of feel-good chemicals from Mother, could have made the Drone hug a tree, the ground, and the dragonbat itself in rapid succession if the situation wasn't so urgent.

Instead, he put the energy from that bubbling, exuberant joy into fleeing. He dashed out of Eridanus in a scarlet-white blur, tattered organic fabric flapping behind him, nearly slipping in the mud a couple times. Oh, they'd had their ups and their down, sure--but they had succeeded.

Triumphant, he ran.

exit