Blackwater Islands benevolent

deep in the furthest reaches of the druids' grove, a strange dark plant grew, with sharp little leaves and stiff stems of a green that could almost be taken for black. it grew in creeping clusters, with bright moon-silver berries freckled throughout like a rash. they were smooth and nearly tasteless, but potent nonetheless. for many days after discovering the berries, the listener walked among the spirits.

she emerged from the otherworld changed. weak, bedraggled, but enlightened.

not far from where @Bridget rested, shrouded by trees and shadows, the hunched vantablack figure of the listener worked feverishly. at her feet, a tainted meal. a paste of crushed berries mixed with blood and minced meat was smeared into the insides of a large half-eaten hare, tucked among the innards where it would be difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish the difference in taste and texture.

when her task was finished, she brought the hare to her ward in silence, eager to see where this path led.

Bridget still wasn't sure what these wolves wanted from her or why they had chosen to save her. What she'd settled on was that they were akin to her own experience with medics... if they had the ability, and the resources, then they were duty bound to help. It was a familiar enough concept that she trusted them.

While she was (somewhat) mobile now, she was still at their mercy when it came to food. Not even she was stupid enough to try hunting in her condition... and that was saying something.

There was no way in hell that she could ask, but when the Listener came into view carrying a rabbit, Bridget's expression lit up gratefully. Oh, shit. Is that for me? Thanks!

As soon as she was sure, she'd tuck into it, completely unaware of the substance it had been laced with.

gold. she was all gold, all garish and gleaming, roughshod but beautiful. a creature fashioned under sunlight, as wild and willful as any wolf but inherently the antithesis of the midnight-forged druids. perhaps that was why they needed her.

she was grateful. the listener nodded. it was her hope that, at the end of it all, the woman would remain grateful. and loyal.

if the two could not co-exist, the listener would pray first for her loyalty.

sorry it's short! just nudging things along toward the Main Event <3

zero worries!! I've been having fun spreeing a bit lately <3

Is there anything specific she should have a reaction to? I'll just vibe unless something happens otherwise!

She didn't mean to eat it quite that quickly with The Listener standing right there, but she was still extremely thin and the cold was a powerful drive. She was hungrier than she thought. The aftertaste of portions was a bit strange, but she blamed that on the hunger as well. Of course food would taste sweeter when she'd gone without it regularly for so long. With any luck she'd gain some weight back here.

The Listener's silence was beginning to press in on her though. It felt expectant, the way she watched. And, as always, it was an unsettlingly intense look for someone their age to wear.

You don't just heal here, do you? She felt like there was more to it than that, though the only hints she'd gotten had been when she wasn't present to really hear them.

scarlet freckled the woman's pretty golden muzzle in the wake of her meal; the listener found the effect striking. she watched her lips as she spoke, eyes tracing the curve of her jaw down to the hollow of her throat. a lovely creature; to soil her would be a shameful thing, were it not divine command. that pretty throat pulsed as the woman spoke. she had questions. they always did.
we follow the unnamed god, the prophet murmured, gaze trailing to the ghastly wound that marred her perfect figure. the memory filled her, red and salt and sinew between her teeth. the god of many faces and many names. perhaps you have your own name. bear-god, daedra, loa; they are all the same.

the berries are hallucinogenic with side effects of lethargy, dehydration, migraines, & possible death at high doses. bridget has received a relatively low dose. i hope that helps <3 i made these berries up based on other hallucinogenic plants because i figured that would be easier than making people do research!

is it okay to powerplay bridget for the intro to a new thread immediately following this one?

absolutely!! And ty <3 we can fade this if you like

An unnamed god. Bridget wondered if it was anything like the gods her parents had spoken of, a being like the Dark one. She'd never worshipped them but she did, in her own way, believe the stories. She had her paws set too firmly on the ground to ever rest her fate in anything divine.

Daedra? Loa? The words didn't make sense. Bridget looked at the Listener, then at her paws, still spattered with the remnants of the rabbit. If the gods were all the same, then the stories she'd heard were different. She didn't want to think about that right now.

A soft heaviness was beginning to settle over her thoughts as the berries took effect. As the effect deepened, she'd follow the Listener's instructions with little argument, if a little distracted by her wandering thoughts.

the woman went silent, and soon became pliant as well. biddable. the subduing effect of the berry paste intrigued the listener. as she shepherded the woman from her resting place to the fey chamber, she wondered if perhaps the process of turning them to paste had altered the effects. as she arranged her upon the stone that would serve as an altar, she wondered if she would survive the night. only the unnamed god held the answer.

soon, they would all find out.