(Connected to the Madness of the Skies story line.)


For the eclipse, Desdenova showed up with a much newer telescope, with a very wide lens, and side viewing port. He quickly rigged it for projection, and then added a small digital camera, going full nerd with the entire rig. He wore a rather dorky wide brimmed hat, for obvious reasons, and a Miskatonic University t-shirt, shorts and chucks.

As the totality approached, the temperature lowered, it grew darker. A few stars were shining through. Desdenova was staring at the projection of the sun on a white board in fascination, obviously dying to wait for the moment when they could look up. Crickets could be heard, and the light took on a strange tint.

From everything Nile had heard and studied, that was nothing strange. Her mother had directed her to take her sword with her in any case, for safety's sake, and for once, she hadn't argued. She brought along Dusty as extra muscle, a strange sort of two legged furry toad thing.

"This is soooo coool," murmuring. As if she could disrupt the eclipse if she were too loud?

?It is so amazing. I?ve gotten to go to a few, and it?s always like wow. The world becomes alien to itself almost," Desdenova responded, intent on that projection. ?It?ll go ? diamond ring? then? beads? and then the corona will show and we can look at it, and sometimes, you?ll see the ?rubies? that?s solar flares.?

Desdenova's eyes were enormous, and actually showing a few flecks of light in the darkness. If there was more light, the colors of his irises might even show. He had with him, as usual, Daisy, but she was merely fading tendrils of shadow winding around the telescope.

?I always wish it?d stay totally eclipsed for a little longer, just so I can study it more.?

"Taking pictures doesn't help, huh? I think this is the first one I've ever seen. I didn't get let out except in the garden until this spring, and then only with supervision. And Ilhar doesn't always like the daytime."

But that's a drow for you, so no one was surprised, probably. Nile's eyes reflected light like a cats did, so she had just a bit of red demon eyes going on, without meaning to.

?It?s not just the sun, I mean. It?s everything.? Desdenova looked up from the projection at last, and indicated their surroundings, ?Look at everything. It?s dark when it should be day. It?s turned Nature on Her ear, but it?s still Natural order. You can hear the bugs and crickets, and look at the shadows through the trees, and oh oh?? Yeah, he had a full nerdplex on.

Desdenova abruptly pulled a plastic colander from his backpack and held it out to show the tiny projections of the sun they made. Then he paused and peered at Nile, grinning! ?You?ve got your red-eyes showing. It?s cute.?

Nile made a noise, cheeks darkening and ducking her head briefly. "That might be why the eclipses are so short. To not set Natural order on its proverbial ear too much. Like how if bears don't eat enough to sleep through the winter, they get super cranky and dangerous." Lots and lots of knowledge, but not much of it was practical, in the end. Or at least, not yet.

Desdenova hissed, excited, and tugged at Nile to watch the board. That brilliant diamond ring flare faded to shining beads as the light escaped through mountains on the moons, and then? the corona bloomed like a bizarre night flower. Silence fell thickly, and time seemed to suspend. Desdenova sucked in his breath and grabbed his hat to keep it on his head and looked up.

?Look, look!?

There was that odd feeling. Unnatural in the Natural. The longer they watched the totality, the longer the Unnatural pricked at their skins, pulled on their senses.

Underneath his hand, he could feel her muscles tense. The excitement of the eclipse waned the longer it lasted.

"Wasn't totality supposed to be about a minute?" she asked, uncertain. It made a yellow flash in her eyes. Dusty only shifted on his feet, a large, furry presence nearby, silent and watching with his perpetually glassy eyes. Nile's hair was even short enough on the sides to see the hackles on the back of her neck rise. She wasn't often given to animal noises, but a growl trickled out of her throat.

"Not sure I like this now," she admitted.

?It?s? ?it should be? but it?s not?? Desdenova noted slowly. ?I didn?t make any wish, I?m not sure I even can make wishes,? he added, slowly lowering his head and looking around.

A breeze kicked up, rushing around the glen, setting the bushes moving a lot more than it seemed that they should. Considerably cooler, now. Terrifically eerie. Desdenova dug into his shorts pocket for a small silver pocket watch, and popped it open. He watched the second hand sweep, and the minute hand move, glancing up to the sun again.

Nothing. Just the magnificent aura. Dusty, meantime was sensing that things were Not Right At All. At the same time, Desdenova noticed: no shadows of Daisy. With the darkness, there was no defining for the nightmare. Or, something else??

Desdenova?s eyes widened. ??I? think we better pack up and head for home??

Dusty was not a being of much noise. What kind would a creature like him make? Maybe something slightly batrachian, but he was still a horror. Meeping wasn't dignified unless you were a ghoul. He straightened more than a little though, eyes taking on an eerie pale luminescence, and interspersing himself between the two teenagers and the path from the observatory.

"You get your telescope, I'll get everything you haven't got packed yet." Nile usually kept her sword peace-tied, but this moment seemed like a good time to free it, if not hold it outright. She flanked Des after she'd thrown things into her rucksack and drew the sword, now. Just in case, right?

?Kay?? Desdenova replied, and quickly broke down the set up. Not nearly as carefully as he normally would, and he simply left the tripod and whiteboard. The breeze had let up, but the bushes? They were still waving and rushing as if the wind was quite strong.

Desdenova stared at the bushes before grabbing the cases, and made a gesture. Nothing happened. He made the same gesture once more, a circular swing of arm. Nada. And again. Again.

?I can?t summon the gate,? he admitted, uneasy, ?I don?t even have those coppery rocks on me!? Because the coppery meteorite bits had zapped him and nullified his powers for a few moments. Nile had her sword drawn, he realized, and he flicked his hands? and got nothing.

Saying Very Bad Words, Desdenova reached into his backpack and snatched out a trio of scalpels.

?I? don?t seem to be able to use my magic.? he assured her flatly.

The look she gave him was one of alarm, now. She made a gesture as well, scowled, and attempted it a second time.

"Can't conjure ice or snow either. Vith," Nile swore. "Can Daisy take you home?"

Assuming the nightmare was still around. If that was an option, she could just fly herself back to the tree, but she'd be damned if she let Desdenova try to get back home on his own. Especially with no magic!

?She?s gone,? he replied flatly, ?I can?t feel her. The shadows aren?t letting her through. It?s all night. But she should be there.?

Not even movement under the eerie castings of darkness. Desdenova wasn?t going to panic, but he was so very rarely out on his own. Nile was there, and she didn?t have her power at hand, either. He pressed his lips together, and glanced to the observatory.

However. It seemed dark, ominous. Dangerous.

?I don?t think we should trust the observatory. Kyrian was acting pretty weird. Let?s try to get to the inn.?

Power, no, but Nile had never thought her ice talent was terribly impressive, compared to other things. Its stifling didn't make her happy, by any means, but it didn't scare her, either. Nile had her sword, and even if she didn't have her armor, she was well-versed in its use.

"Dusty, you take up the rear. I'll be in front." Which meant Des would be protected in the center. "Yeah, the Inn sounds like a good idea." She just hoped they could get there. "I've got some healing potion that Uncle Edmont brewed up in my rucksack, too. Just in case." And it didn't taste very good to her, but it worked and had no ill side effects, so...

?Oh goodie,? he grinned, lopsided. ?Let?s move, then." Desdenova picked up the backpack and case. Everything else, he just left behind. Stuff could always be replaced.

As they started off, those bushes? got bushier. Moving. Rolling through the dirt like strange moles, the roots pulled up and ?swimming? heading right for the little group. Three pretty good sized boxwoods, flailing whip-like branches. They were clearly trying to surround the lot of them.

Desdenova barked out a spell. Fail. He swore and wrestled out a lighter. However, Nile would be in line for the first lashes of the branches, each about ten feet long.

Dusty lumbered out to start eating one of the bushes, Nile lifted her sword to parry lashes of branches, hacking through the whip-like swing. Jabbing and smacking branches away, though one of the branches caught her in the upper arm, and she yelped. It wasn't much more than a welt. Nile was grateful that she at least had scales in patches...

Dusty happily devoured one and a half of the awakened bushes. The half and remaining bush backed off quickly upon realizing (? whatever animate bushes do) that Dusty found them to be edible.

Desdenova was smacked a few times, but he really couldn?t do more than? crumple up a piece of paper, set it on fire, and then rush to jam it into the half-bush. It started to flail and panic as it caught fire.

This gave Nile a fine opening on the third bush, which was also freaking out and flailing, but now, missing its longer branches. Particularly as she'd worked with Dusty about trapping an opponent between them. Dusty was not entirely sure of the fine details, but it was clearly something they had been working on.

The bush that hadn't been devoured did its best to get away, but between Dusty threatening it with his gaping maw and Nile driving it towards the burning half-bush, it tangled up in each other. Other than a welt or two, so far, she was just panting a bit. A good workout!

Both bushes sort of burned sullenly, fortunately in the middle of the pathway. Desdenova exhaled, wide eyed, then grinned to Nile.

?You?re teaching Dusty some strategic stuff?? he asked with a laugh, a bit strained.

"He doesn't always get it, but he's learning," Nile noted with a pirahna sharp grin at Desdenova. Before he could ask about that, his eyes widened, his nostril's flared.

?Let?s go, go, go. Now now now is good.?

Dusty keened a little, aggressively rather than nervously. Even though Nile didn?t have as sharp a nose as Desdenova, she smelled it: Stank. Old nasty sitting in the sun all summer PVC plastic outhouse stank. And it was getting stronger.

Nile smelled it, whatever that horrible funk was, and moved to get between whatever it was and her boyfriend, again. Admittedly, a little glad he didn't feel the need to be a thick thewed hero sort and be all in front and a target. His mother would kill her. At worst, Talice might just chew her out for coming home scraped up.

Desdneova was, they all were, raised to take cover, duck, and in general, not to draw fire! Nile?s skills with blade and any demonic know-how she had were about to be tested. A vile creature, about as big as Nile or Des, skeletal, and sheerly nasty swung from the trees to stalk for the girl.

So. Stinky. It was putting serious hurt on Desdenova simply by its stench, the boy fell back until he was practically on Dusty?s feet. Driving the two youths apart may be the idea, so he managed to hold on.

Say hello to Mr. Dretch! It snarled and lashed out a dirty, serrated short blade at Nile. It wasn't very nostril-friendly to Nile, either, but she grimaced, narrowed her eyes, and parried, trying to shove the nasty thing back away from Desdenova and Dusty. Pity her sword didn't have cold iron in it, but faeries weren't very tolerant of that, and so all she had was her sword. And her wits.

Nile's mother was an exorcist, after all. That didn't mean only ghosts. The mutt drawled something in some foul-sounding language, straightening to take all of her nine or so inches over the monster attacking her. Lording it over the beast. And showing no fear. Just disgust, because dude, you reek.

This? the dretch did not expect. It cringed back when Nile spoke, hissing and reeling back. It almost seemed ready to run. Almost. Something goaded it, and it was clear that it was being goaded. It screeched and launched back at Nile, swinging its sword, inexpert but powerful and violent. She had cowed the thing, but something else was forcing it to keep attacking.

Oh, was that smell getting worse? It so was.

Nile spat out something else, eyes narrowing. They were watering pretty well, too, by now, but Nile was at least as strong as it was. Thank you, monstrous heritage. The fact that she had scales in strategic spots on her arms and shoulders came in handy, too, as she tried to catch its sword on those patches specifically. They could withstand it.

Doing her best to drive it away, Nile snarled out the words of banishing her mother would, too, save she didn't think they'd actually work, with magic stifled so.

The Dretch squealed and it wanted away from her SO MUCH, but it could not escape. The banishment didn?t quite work. It was a different flavor of magic, being tied also into the balance of good and evil.

It would have been a quick way to get Desdenova and Nile out of there, in fact, since Desdenova could be banished, except? The Banishing and words of exorcism started to reduce the Dretch to goo.

"Oh, gross!" Nile backed away. She didn't vomit, but only just, and she was pale underneath her normal silver-gray skin tone. "I was not expecting that!"

Desdenova's hand was over his mouth, and well, that was that for him, he puked behind Dusty. Panting, he grabbed a bottle of the fizzy water and drank, then offered another bottle to Nile. He was shaking.

?Sword seems like a good idea right now. I?ve only got a few bullets for my pistol.?

First things first; before Nile grabbed the bottle, she dug in her rucksack and wiped down her blade carefully, just in case any Dretch goo had gotten on it. And a quick rinse of both the handkerchief and the blade, too. She tied the soggy hankie around her wrist, poured some water on her face, and chugged the rest of it. And let out a resounding belch, blinking.

"Yeah, I did not bring any throwing knives, either. Not that I'm any good with them, but, it's something else to stick into a monster, I guess. Going to have to tell Ilhar about this one." And demand explanations, probably.

?I?ve got throwing knives, and I?m good with them, but I don?t want to get into your way,? he admitted with a laugh, ?Plus, oh my spirits, I thought I was going to ? It?s getting worse.?

Worse. Oh yes. The smell upped its ante, going from nasty port-a-poddy to raw sewage treatment plant failure in a hot, humid environment. Desdenova started retching, and managed to stuff a bandana in his face, and got his bearings.

?Keep going," he rasped. Nile just gestured, and Dusty ducked his head underneath Desdenova's legs for the moment. Not much in the way of nostrils meant not much in the way of a sense of smell, so Dusty wasn't nearly so incapacitated. It wasn't like Nile didn't ride him when she needed to!

Luckily the eclipse made it cooler, or they'd really be in trouble. Pressing on, Nile made little flying skips, in an attempt to keep an eye out and see threats before they showed up. She hoped.

"You can get down when you feel a little better, hey?" Because barfing sucked, let's be real.

?Okay. Thanks,? he agreed with a weak laugh. Desdenova took the opportunity to pull out a ludicrously tiny pistol, a Bond two shot. It did fire .45s, but it only held two. He cracked it open to unload it, and replaced those bullets with silver loads. He kept the scalpels ready, they were steel, after all.

A quiet and unnerving several moments worth of walking, and Nile?s jackrabbit hops paid off. She spotted New Friends marching right for them.

A pack of ghasts, five of them, and a wight skulking behind them. This was the source of the wonderful aroma. Desdenova was having a bad time with it, but not so bad that he couldn?t fire off a shot at the leading ghast. One down.

Nile gulped. More gag reflex than fright, though.

"Wish I had something...wait. You still have your lighter, right?" Eyes widening a bit. Why hadn't she thought of that with the tree monsters? Digging through her rucksack now and coming up with--of all things, a little perfume bottle, with a good amount left in it. And another hankie.

"Here, spritz some on your bandana and then I'll sacrifice it." At least while the perfume was strong, thanks to the alcohol, it was fresh and clean. Aloe and lemon and pale musk. Desdenova quickly did as she said, and handed the bottle back, brows knit.

When Nile got it back, she yanked the top off, stuffed the new hankie in it, and held a hand out for the lighter. Makeshift Molotov for the win! Nile pitched it at the ghasts.

Ghast #2 snatched it out of the air and leered at the youngsters. However, its inevitable speech about their doom was interrupted when it realized that the lovely perfume had bled onto his hand and arm and he was now on fire. It ran mindlessly in circles, spreading burning chunks of itself.

Desdenova pushed himself up and pulled at the wight, specifically. He did have an ability to command the dead, but it wasn?t effortless, like his sister and father. He had to focus. The perfume gave him enough focus to try. The wight began to screech and struggle. Three ghasts remained, much MUCH more wary as they didn?t know how much more fire Nile was packing.

None more fire, unless one counted the fact that she was willing to pick up chunks of their comrade and wing it at them, which she was. Her fingers ended up a bit singed, but better that than being bitten, or worse. Her pet horror almost got carried away, wanting to thrash the ghasts though Desdenova was still riding the thing, but Nile's abrupt shriek of "Dusty!" got him lumbering to a stop, wide-eyed at her. Though really, when wasn't he wide-eyed?

Desdenova clung to the beast, his concentration rattling. Once Nile called Dusty to order, he climbed down and dropped promptly to his knees. Focus focus focus. Eyes and face blank. The wight was screeching its fool head off.

Now, Nile sent Dusty in for a few mouthfuls of ghast! Dusty literally bit off their heads. He could get his mouth around it, after all. Nile ran to get a dry stick and shoved that in a piece of burning ghast. It made a halfway decent torch, for as long as it lasted. She used that as a makeshift sword to herd the others towards the horror.

"Man, he comes in handy!" she cackled with a doofy grin to Desdenova, that he was probably too busy to see.

No one said anything about horrible fluffy monsters. One ghast lashed out at Dusty, a short sword, but Dusty simply stepped out of the way, out of the way, BITE your head off, and out of the way. The others seemed to think Nile was the better option. However, the fire drove them back into easy Dusty range.

Desdenova nodded, white faced and sweating, and without warning, the wight?s head popped.

"Oh, ick." Nile muttered as the wight's head exploded. The stench hadn't done it, but being spattered with rotting brain matter? Apparently that was beyond Nile's ability to bear. Ghasts or no, she staggered off a ways, fell to her knees, torch still in hand, and rode the vomit comet.

Making a face as Nile finished, and backing away to lurch to her feet, wild-eyed. Back to swinging her flaming torch! The barf could have cost her, those ghasts were desperate and swinging swords, however, Dusty wasn?t keen on letting anyone at his girl. He was quick to snag one after the other, then he ?gave a croakyfroggy roaring? Or possibly just happy danced.

It was still and chill, and the stench started to fade away.

"Ohthankgod." This was why Dusty was her boy. Besides Desdenova. Dusty had his own perks and she appreciated them. However, she decided that she would leave Dusty downwind for a while. All those ghasts and the fiber from the bushes would likely mean very nasty gas.

Though she might try to let him rip one off in Ginny's room. Sisterly love!

"Des, are you okay?" Nile called, heading over towards him again with the horror in tow. If he needed a ride, Dusty would, of course, oblige. He was a good horror like that. "Ugh." Carbonated anything the second time around was no fun.

?I?m okay, I?m okay,? he gasped, but maybe not? He had a bloody nose, ?I?m going to get a long lecture on being too dependent on magic when I get home,? he added with a wry grin. He staggered up to his feet and exhaled.

?Smells. Bad.? he pointed out with a lame grin.

"And we're not even in a swamp," Nile quipped in turn. "You want to ride? I'll be getting a lecture too about how I shouldn't let fashion dictate my outfit choices. Not that I could have predicted this! Besides, it's not easy to get armor in cute clothing. Not in summer. And even in winter I wear less than anyone else..." Whining, maybe. Just a little. Her face fell when she looked Desdenova over, "Your nose is bloody. And I'm out of hankies now." Maybe she ought to offer the healing potion instead...

?Bleh. I wonder if it?s sort of intelligent, whatever?s going on, because stink?s the worst for me,? Desdenova pointed out, then he snickered at her. ?You know, there?s always video game fantasy woman armor.? He can get his bloody nose the old fashioned way! ?Aim for the shiny bits.? He stumbled to his feet and took in a shallow breath, then wiped his face with the back of his hand. Euw. ?It?s okay.?

"Ilhar would brain me before I walked out of the tree," Nile said, eyes wide. She frowned. "Intelligent...gods of my fathers, I hope not. I mean, I expected some weirdness during an eclipse, but not like this?"

It might be more fun if she didn't have to actually worry about Desdenova's safety, but she was going to make damn sure he was safe, too! Letting Dusty spot Desdenova, if the boy wasn't going to ride, she got herself together as best she could and headed off in the direction of the Inn again.

Desdneova was being stubborn! ?For about five steps. Then, yeah, he climbed aboard Dusty. Fortunately, they made it back without any further trouble, but Desdenova's nose continued to bleed. Daisy finally was able to manifest in the inn, though only in her desiccated ghoulish form.

There was no arguing with the nightmare in that state. She stuffed Desdenova into her ribcage and turned to the umbra to return him home after sternly telling Nile to get herself home.

They were both going to have a lot of work to do once their parents sorted out what had happened.

(Taken from live play with Nile and yes, we are both secretly ten year olds who love fart jokes. <3)