Unleash the Podlings!

[cityship]

||Pod Release Protocols Initiating,|| Stacy announced to the denizens of the upper levels. Down the the Pod Caverns, familiar sounds made themselves known:

Pop. Pop pop pop. Poppuhpoppoppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiiiissssss.

Mist sprayed from the cracks in the pods before the new crew members were summarily ejected from warm, comfortable stasis to their new chilly, damp reality. They'd either meet each other in the Caverns or in the upper levels, where the previously popped crew would also be waiting for them, if Stacy had anything to say about it.

This time, there were two pods spitting mechanical beings out of a more oily mixture, and one podling who was significantly smaller than most of the others.

Pop. Poppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiissss.

Comments

[cityship]

||Do you require assistance?|| The voice doesn't seem to be going away.

[oneiropompuppet.livejournal.com]

Penelope jabs wooden fingers over her wooden skin. She'll splinter to pieces otherwise. The Mask shows her skin goosefleshed, shows tears and snot beginning to dribble down her face. A low moan works her way from her tight throat.

She begins to breathe in and out slowly. (Abdominal breathing helps prevent an imbalance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the bloodstream.) She reminds herself that no one's ever died from a panic attack. (Coping statements.) She begins to focus on what is happening now. (Process of acceptance and acknowledgment.)

The process takes minutes - but, gradually, she raises her head. She uncurls. With a great effort, she stands stiffly, not looking at the silver strings that dangle from her wrists, her arms, her feet, her legs.

She looks about for her new fae master. Escape is next on the agenda, if she can make her legs obey her.

[cityship]

The tentacle with the needle finally disappears back into the wall, as if sensing it wouldn't be needed. ||Would you care for clothing?||

[oneiropompuppet.livejournal.com]

She nods, still wary.

[cityship]

||Follow the lights.|| As the voice speaks, pustules on the floor light a path winding up and through the caverns. Along it are more pods like the one Penelope emerged from, but if she stops to examine them she'll only see the shadow of a limb, or a vague shape.

[oneiropompuppet.livejournal.com]

At least she can walk. Her legs are graceless and heavy. She follows slowly, alert (as alert as a stunned mind can be) to any further needle-bearing tentacles.

She stumbles, once or twice, over her strings. She doesn't have the ability to sit still and tie them to her.

[cityship]

The path is long, but eventually it leads to a circular room. There, tentacles dangle from the ceiling, and there's only one door, but no needles are in sight.

||Please move to the center of the room.||