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Description
The autumn leaves crunched. Dry and crisp despite the cool damp air, they collected at Noctiluca's feet in drifts of gold and orange, crackling satisfyingly under her feet and working their way into her sandals and between her toes in a way that was far less satisfying. She smiled, looking up to where the pale grey sky was faintly visible against the trees arching overhead. Noodle's silhouette was clear against the sky, the baby morpus gleefully weaving through the falling leaves. Despite their crunching footsteps, the forest was quiet.

"I love this time of year." She said, giving a sigh. "Don't get me wrong, I love summer and all the sunshine in Metensia, but there's nothing quite like autumn in Colradin."

Walking beside her, his bare feet crunching through the drifts of leaves, holding his plump lluma in his skinny arms, Argus gave a small smile.

"I...I never really got out to see it much before. I like it. It's strange to be outside, but I really like it." He said, his many eyes taking in the scenery, and warily scanning the road ahead. "Um...are you sure we're not going to meet anyone out here?"

"We'll be fine." Noctiluca said. "It's the woods in the middle of a gloomy evening, I don't think many people are going to be here. And if we do, we'll hear them crunching through these leaves from a mile away. You can always jump into the bushes until they pass."

Argus gave a nervous laugh, but his eyes still darted around anxiously. Noctiluca slowed her pace, and patted his shoulder - the one she now knew wasn't studded with eyes beneath the fabric of his cloak.

"Seriously though, Argus. We'll be fine."

He gave a nod - although still not looking fully convinced. With a small shake of his head, he turned his attentions to the lluma held in his arms, her face set into an expression of indignant boredom.

"I like the way the leaves crunch when you walk through them." He said. "But I don't think Thea does at all."

"I think Thea is a lazy little lluma. I think she's tired of walking and knows she can wrap you round her little finger." Noctiluca said, with a faint grin.

"It is a longer walk for her though. She's only got little legs." Argus protested. From her perch in his arms, Thea gave Noctiluca a look that promised vengeance, just as soon as she got around to it.

"Yeah, little legs and a big fat body." Noctiluca said - this time earning an outright snort from Thea. From overhead, Noodle gave a chirp that sounded suspiciously like laughter. "She might want to stretch those legs while she's got the chance. Once the tide turns and we sail out of here, we'll be cooped up in my hut for at least a week. That's why I wanted to take a walk, before we get stuck in there for days on end and start going nuts from cabin fever."

"We should be alright. We're...sort of used to it, really." Argus said, looking down and tickling the fluff beneath Thea's chin. He gave an awkward and toothy smile. "I think we're both immune by now."

"I'll hold you to that when we're 8 days into the voyage and we both want to chuck each other overboard. ...Kidding, kidding." She added, when a look of genuine concern crossed Argus's face.

She walked on for a moment, leaves crunching softly beneath her feet. Argus shifted his grip on Thea again, the lluma giving a low grumble as she settled back against the warmth of his cloak. With a faint chirrup, Noodle circled the group before taking to the air again, a bright streak of blue and yellow amongst the soft colours of autumn.

"...Hey." Noctiluca said, after a moment. "If you've never been out the house much before, does that mean you've never even been trick or treating?"

Argus shook his head.

"I wanted to, but..."

"That settles it, then. As soon as we come ashore in Altrades, we're sticking you in a full-body costume and getting you enough candy to make up for lost time. If you can still move at the end of the night, we're doing it wrong."

"That...sounds fun..." Argus said, a wary look in his eyes.

"It will be!" Noctiluca said, nodding eagerly. "We'll get you a head-to-toe lluma costume or something. Nobody will even know you've got a few extra eyes under there."

She paused. A grin spread over her face, as she glanced back at Argus.

"...You know what else is fun?" She asked.

"Um...No?" He began - only to flinch away and hurriedly bring his bubble up as a shield as Noctiluca scooped up a handful of leaves and threw it his direction.

"LEAF FIGHTS!" Noctiluca yelled...only for her enthusiasm and her grin to die away as she saw Argus stand there, coated in leaves and looking more confused and betrayed than anything else. He spat out a stray leaf. "Oh, um, sorry... I always used to like leaf fight with my parents, but I guess-HEY!"

It was Noctiluca's turn to flinch as Argus's bubble sneaked up behind her, dumping its full load of leaves over her head, as its owner broke into a giggle.

"Hey! You sneaky-" Noctiluca chuckled, bending down to scoop up a double handful of leaves and chase after Argus, who was already running away along the path and refilling his bubble with leaves of his own, a toothy grin visible beneath his hood. "You can run but you can't hide from the leafmaster! I'm gonna get yo-"

Abruptly, Argus froze in his tracks, Noctiluca nearly skidding into him. He tightened his grip on Thea, taking a few hurried steps back, their brief game forgotten.

"There's someone there." He said, in a whisper.

Noctiluca stumbled to a halt, dropping her handful of leaves and following Argus's gaze, up through the dark archway of trees to the path ahead. There, true to what he'd said, someone stood on the path, looking all around at the towering, misty trees surrounding them. Noctiluca's brow furrowed in concern, as she took in just how small they were, just how big and fearful their wide, wide eyes were.

"They're just a kid..." Noctiluca said, frowning as she realised she couldn't see any parents following the chibling. She patted Argus on the shoulder again, feeling him shiver. "It's okay. You stay here. I'm just gonna check they're okay. Hopefully their parents aren't far behind."

She stepped forwards, towards the chibling standing on the path. As she did, Noodle swooped down, the morpus diving under the curtains of her hair, burying themselves between her neck and her hoodie. She felt them give a shudder against her.

"Get cold out there, did you?" She said, resting a hand on their shaking back. The wind whipped around her, tugging at her hair and making her draw her hoodie tighter around herself. "I'm not surprised, looks like the wind's getting up..."

She stepped forwards again, approaching the chibling on the path with a gentle smile, trying her best not to frighten them. They really did look scared, now she was closer, their big blue eyes fearful, and shiny in the way that threatened tears would be soon to follow. Beneath her hair, Noodle gave a low whimper.

"Hey there." She said, crouching down to the chibling's height. "Are you okay? Are your parents about?"

“I-I’m lost…” The chibling said, looking up at her with those frightened eyes. Their gaze lingered on her bioluminescent swirls, on the gill-slits on her cheeks. “I can’t find my parents...I wanna go home…”

Noodle whimpered again, twining their body around Noctiluca's ear. She reached up to stroke them, gently scritching under their chin as she looked around. There was no sign on any other Chi about. Even the quiet forest seemed more silent than before.

"Hey, it's okay." She said. "Don't cry, we'll find your parents. You know, I used to run off and get lost all the time when I was little, and I always found them again. Do you remember where your parents last were? Were they walking along the path with you, and you ran on ahead? Or were they at home? Do you remember your way back home? They might be waiting for you back there."

There was the soft crunch of leave as Argus cautiously approached, Thea held protectively in his grip. His eyes were wary and his steps reluctant, and Noctiluca suspected he was fighting the urge to turn and run, just like he had when he'd first met her.

"Are...are they alright?" He said, looking over to the chibling. "Are...are their parents-ow! Thea!"

Thea squirmed in his arms, her struggling legs kicking him in the process. Her eyes were wide, locked on the chibling in front of her, as she scrabbled and struggled in his grip.

"Thea, what's wrong? It-it's okay. It's a stranger, but they're just a child. They won't...they can't hurt us. It's okay." He said, stroking the fur on her chest as he adjusted his hold to avoid dropping her. Thea looked unconvinced, still kicking and struggling against him, drawing herself as far back as she could from the chibling.

“I...I think I remember the way home." The chibling said, drawing Noctiluca's attention away from Argus's struggles, as she strained to hear their quiet, uncertain voice. "Maybe my parents are there... But I’m scared... What if I get attacked by a wild animal? Could you walk me home...please?”

"Don't worry. Of course we will." Noctiluca said, smiling and extending a hand to the chibling - and trying to ignore how Noodle was squeezing her ear so tightly she was starting to lose the feeling in it. "And don't worry. There's nothing in this part of Chigon that'd attack a Chi. And even if there was, you'd be safe with us." She flexed a bicep that was more soft pudge than visible muscle. "Nothing in this wood'll mess with you with us around, right, Argus?"

"Y-yes. Sure." Argus said, attention still more on the squirming lluma in his arms than Noctiluca's words.

"We'll have you home in no time." Noctiluca continued, with a smile and nod of her head. "If you can remember where you live, why don't you lead the way?"

The chibling gave a nod, tentatively turning to retrace their steps, looking back to make sure the two were following. Noctiluca shivered again, as she straightened up and followed them. The air had turned cold - Noodle was shaking hard, still latched onto her ear, and she moved to tuck them inside her hoodie, holding them close to keep warm. She turned back to Argus.

"Perhaps we should head back after we get this kid home..." She said, giving a look first to Noodle trembling under her hoodie, then to Thea, who looked like she was seriously considering biting Argus if it would get him to let her go. "It's obviously not as deserted out here as I thought, and neither of these two are having a good time anymore.

"I don't know what's got into her." Argus said, all of his eyes fixed on Thea, face lined with concern. "She's not normally scared of strangers, she's normally the brave one out of the two of us. I hope she's not getting sick."

"I hope not either..." Noctiluca said, turning her gaze back to the path ahead, to the chibling leading them along. Or rather, she tried to. She halted in her tracks, looking ahead to the empty path leading off into the gloom. To the dark forest stretching off into seemingly endless trees either side of them.

The chibling was gone.

"...Hey!" She called out. The only sound aside from her voice was the low whine of the wind through the trees. "Hey, hello? I can't see you! Where did you go?"

She turned back to Argus.

"Did you see where she...where she..."

Her voice trailed off. The blood was rushing in her ears and her head was pulsing in time with it. Her legs suddenly seemed far too weak and far too far away. Argus's face was blurred and swimming in her vision as he staggered towards her, eyes frightened and unfocused.

Noctiluca fell to her knees her legs giving way. She was dimly aware of the pain of the fall, of Noodle squealing in her ear. Argus was a dark blur as he crashed to the ground beside her. As the last of her strength gave out and the forest turned black, she vaguely felt herself topple over, hitting the dark and leaf-strewn forest floor.

The autumn leaves crunched.

Stage 1 of the group's Halloween event.

Description
The autumn leaves crunched. Dry and crisp despite the cool damp air, they collected at Noctiluca's feet in drifts of gold and orange, crackling satisfyingly under her feet and working their way into her sandals and between her toes in a way that was far less satisfying. She smiled, looking up to where the pale grey sky was faintly visible against the trees arching overhead. Noodle's silhouette was clear against the sky, the baby morpus gleefully weaving through the falling leaves. Despite their crunching footsteps, the forest was quiet.

"I love this time of year." She said, giving a sigh. "Don't get me wrong, I love summer and all the sunshine in Metensia, but there's nothing quite like autumn in Colradin."

Walking beside her, his bare feet crunching through the drifts of leaves, holding his plump lluma in his skinny arms, Argus gave a small smile.

"I...I never really got out to see it much before. I like it. It's strange to be outside, but I really like it." He said, his many eyes taking in the scenery, and warily scanning the road ahead. "Um...are you sure we're not going to meet anyone out here?"

"We'll be fine." Noctiluca said. "It's the woods in the middle of a gloomy evening, I don't think many people are going to be here. And if we do, we'll hear them crunching through these leaves from a mile away. You can always jump into the bushes until they pass."

Argus gave a nervous laugh, but his eyes still darted around anxiously. Noctiluca slowed her pace, and patted his shoulder - the one she now knew wasn't studded with eyes beneath the fabric of his cloak.

"Seriously though, Argus. We'll be fine."

He gave a nod - although still not looking fully convinced. With a small shake of his head, he turned his attentions to the lluma held in his arms, her face set into an expression of indignant boredom.

"I like the way the leaves crunch when you walk through them." He said. "But I don't think Thea does at all."

"I think Thea is a lazy little lluma. I think she's tired of walking and knows she can wrap you round her little finger." Noctiluca said, with a faint grin.

"It is a longer walk for her though. She's only got little legs." Argus protested. From her perch in his arms, Thea gave Noctiluca a look that promised vengeance, just as soon as she got around to it.

"Yeah, little legs and a big fat body." Noctiluca said - this time earning an outright snort from Thea. From overhead, Noodle gave a chirp that sounded suspiciously like laughter. "She might want to stretch those legs while she's got the chance. Once the tide turns and we sail out of here, we'll be cooped up in my hut for at least a week. That's why I wanted to take a walk, before we get stuck in there for days on end and start going nuts from cabin fever."

"We should be alright. We're...sort of used to it, really." Argus said, looking down and tickling the fluff beneath Thea's chin. He gave an awkward and toothy smile. "I think we're both immune by now."

"I'll hold you to that when we're 8 days into the voyage and we both want to chuck each other overboard. ...Kidding, kidding." She added, when a look of genuine concern crossed Argus's face.

She walked on for a moment, leaves crunching softly beneath her feet. Argus shifted his grip on Thea again, the lluma giving a low grumble as she settled back against the warmth of his cloak. With a faint chirrup, Noodle circled the group before taking to the air again, a bright streak of blue and yellow amongst the soft colours of autumn.

"...Hey." Noctiluca said, after a moment. "If you've never been out the house much before, does that mean you've never even been trick or treating?"

Argus shook his head.

"I wanted to, but..."

"That settles it, then. As soon as we come ashore in Altrades, we're sticking you in a full-body costume and getting you enough candy to make up for lost time. If you can still move at the end of the night, we're doing it wrong."

"That...sounds fun..." Argus said, a wary look in his eyes.

"It will be!" Noctiluca said, nodding eagerly. "We'll get you a head-to-toe lluma costume or something. Nobody will even know you've got a few extra eyes under there."

She paused. A grin spread over her face, as she glanced back at Argus.

"...You know what else is fun?" She asked.

"Um...No?" He began - only to flinch away and hurriedly bring his bubble up as a shield as Noctiluca scooped up a handful of leaves and threw it his direction.

"LEAF FIGHTS!" Noctiluca yelled...only for her enthusiasm and her grin to die away as she saw Argus stand there, coated in leaves and looking more confused and betrayed than anything else. He spat out a stray leaf. "Oh, um, sorry... I always used to like leaf fight with my parents, but I guess-HEY!"

It was Noctiluca's turn to flinch as Argus's bubble sneaked up behind her, dumping its full load of leaves over her head, as its owner broke into a giggle.

"Hey! You sneaky-" Noctiluca chuckled, bending down to scoop up a double handful of leaves and chase after Argus, who was already running away along the path and refilling his bubble with leaves of his own, a toothy grin visible beneath his hood. "You can run but you can't hide from the leafmaster! I'm gonna get yo-"

Abruptly, Argus froze in his tracks, Noctiluca nearly skidding into him. He tightened his grip on Thea, taking a few hurried steps back, their brief game forgotten.

"There's someone there." He said, in a whisper.

Noctiluca stumbled to a halt, dropping her handful of leaves and following Argus's gaze, up through the dark archway of trees to the path ahead. There, true to what he'd said, someone stood on the path, looking all around at the towering, misty trees surrounding them. Noctiluca's brow furrowed in concern, as she took in just how small they were, just how big and fearful their wide, wide eyes were.

"They're just a kid..." Noctiluca said, frowning as she realised she couldn't see any parents following the chibling. She patted Argus on the shoulder again, feeling him shiver. "It's okay. You stay here. I'm just gonna check they're okay. Hopefully their parents aren't far behind."

She stepped forwards, towards the chibling standing on the path. As she did, Noodle swooped down, the morpus diving under the curtains of her hair, burying themselves between her neck and her hoodie. She felt them give a shudder against her.

"Get cold out there, did you?" She said, resting a hand on their shaking back. The wind whipped around her, tugging at her hair and making her draw her hoodie tighter around herself. "I'm not surprised, looks like the wind's getting up..."

She stepped forwards again, approaching the chibling on the path with a gentle smile, trying her best not to frighten them. They really did look scared, now she was closer, their big blue eyes fearful, and shiny in the way that threatened tears would be soon to follow. Beneath her hair, Noodle gave a low whimper.

"Hey there." She said, crouching down to the chibling's height. "Are you okay? Are your parents about?"

“I-I’m lost…” The chibling said, looking up at her with those frightened eyes. Their gaze lingered on her bioluminescent swirls, on the gill-slits on her cheeks. “I can’t find my parents...I wanna go home…”

Noodle whimpered again, twining their body around Noctiluca's ear. She reached up to stroke them, gently scritching under their chin as she looked around. There was no sign on any other Chi about. Even the quiet forest seemed more silent than before.

"Hey, it's okay." She said. "Don't cry, we'll find your parents. You know, I used to run off and get lost all the time when I was little, and I always found them again. Do you remember where your parents last were? Were they walking along the path with you, and you ran on ahead? Or were they at home? Do you remember your way back home? They might be waiting for you back there."

There was the soft crunch of leave as Argus cautiously approached, Thea held protectively in his grip. His eyes were wary and his steps reluctant, and Noctiluca suspected he was fighting the urge to turn and run, just like he had when he'd first met her.

"Are...are they alright?" He said, looking over to the chibling. "Are...are their parents-ow! Thea!"

Thea squirmed in his arms, her struggling legs kicking him in the process. Her eyes were wide, locked on the chibling in front of her, as she scrabbled and struggled in his grip.

"Thea, what's wrong? It-it's okay. It's a stranger, but they're just a child. They won't...they can't hurt us. It's okay." He said, stroking the fur on her chest as he adjusted his hold to avoid dropping her. Thea looked unconvinced, still kicking and struggling against him, drawing herself as far back as she could from the chibling.

“I...I think I remember the way home." The chibling said, drawing Noctiluca's attention away from Argus's struggles, as she strained to hear their quiet, uncertain voice. "Maybe my parents are there... But I’m scared... What if I get attacked by a wild animal? Could you walk me home...please?”

"Don't worry. Of course we will." Noctiluca said, smiling and extending a hand to the chibling - and trying to ignore how Noodle was squeezing her ear so tightly she was starting to lose the feeling in it. "And don't worry. There's nothing in this part of Chigon that'd attack a Chi. And even if there was, you'd be safe with us." She flexed a bicep that was more soft pudge than visible muscle. "Nothing in this wood'll mess with you with us around, right, Argus?"

"Y-yes. Sure." Argus said, attention still more on the squirming lluma in his arms than Noctiluca's words.

"We'll have you home in no time." Noctiluca continued, with a smile and nod of her head. "If you can remember where you live, why don't you lead the way?"

The chibling gave a nod, tentatively turning to retrace their steps, looking back to make sure the two were following. Noctiluca shivered again, as she straightened up and followed them. The air had turned cold - Noodle was shaking hard, still latched onto her ear, and she moved to tuck them inside her hoodie, holding them close to keep warm. She turned back to Argus.

"Perhaps we should head back after we get this kid home..." She said, giving a look first to Noodle trembling under her hoodie, then to Thea, who looked like she was seriously considering biting Argus if it would get him to let her go. "It's obviously not as deserted out here as I thought, and neither of these two are having a good time anymore.

"I don't know what's got into her." Argus said, all of his eyes fixed on Thea, face lined with concern. "She's not normally scared of strangers, she's normally the brave one out of the two of us. I hope she's not getting sick."

"I hope not either..." Noctiluca said, turning her gaze back to the path ahead, to the chibling leading them along. Or rather, she tried to. She halted in her tracks, looking ahead to the empty path leading off into the gloom. To the dark forest stretching off into seemingly endless trees either side of them.

The chibling was gone.

"...Hey!" She called out. The only sound aside from her voice was the low whine of the wind through the trees. "Hey, hello? I can't see you! Where did you go?"

She turned back to Argus.

"Did you see where she...where she..."

Her voice trailed off. The blood was rushing in her ears and her head was pulsing in time with it. Her legs suddenly seemed far too weak and far too far away. Argus's face was blurred and swimming in her vision as he staggered towards her, eyes frightened and unfocused.

Noctiluca fell to her knees her legs giving way. She was dimly aware of the pain of the fall, of Noodle squealing in her ear. Argus was a dark blur as he crashed to the ground beside her. As the last of her strength gave out and the forest turned black, she vaguely felt herself topple over, hitting the dark and leaf-strewn forest floor.

The autumn leaves crunched.

Stage 1 of the group's Halloween event.