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”well, thank you, friend.”[break][break]

they were going high tech today. roach stared at the device handed to him by Audric Black , exploring what he could figure out before deciding he wouldn’t need it ,but pocketing it anyways to humor them. he was outdoorsy. innate sense of direction, like a lycanroc[break][break]

already, weird things began happening. he looked over, and a shadow was moving across the ground.[break][break]

”ah shit, here we go.” he watched, wondering what they were supposed to do.[break][break]

”what do you suppose happens if your shadow runs away?”[break][break]

how did they stop it from happening? roach's cubone had an idea, at least. he raised his bone over his shoulder and brought it down with a resounding thwack upon the shadow trying to escape. [break][break]

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A confused 'huh' escapes Colton when the tracking tag and the device are handed to him by Audric. He appears slightly unsure of holding them, at least until the explanation is provided. "Wait, that's really smart," he compliments, now naturally more accepting of the ranger's gift.
[break][break]
He quickly moves to store it in his bag before they continue and push onwards, now with one less issue to worry about. They won't get lost this time around. He silently thanked Arceus for that, although the credit belonged to Audric alone.
[break][break]
"I- Erm—" He doesn't notice it until Audric's Dewpider points at it, but when Colton does, he quickly takes a step back, careful not to step on the fleeing shadow. "We're all seeing this, right?"
[break][break]
He doesn't wait for confirmation before looking back to check on his own shadow. Thankfully, it hadn't left him yet.
[break][break]
"Wait, I think I got it!" A Pokeball is retrieved and promptly tossed to the ground, allowing Colton's Gothita to escape from within. "Hecate, can you--" he doesn't really know what to ask for, really, "..catch our shadows, please?"
[break][break]
The urgency in his voice is recognized, and the Psychic-type is quick to do as asked, activating its SHADOW TAG to root everyone else's shadows in place.
[break][break]
Audric's, however, escapes the Pokemon's grasp.
[break][break]
"It didn't work," he says quietly. "It didn't work!" He repeats less quietly.
[break]

---

[break]
🗺️ 24 become trapped by the use of 'shadow tag' or 'mean look'.

[attr="class","bottom"]Audric Black virgil roach Amelia Livy [break]

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this was something to behold. roach wasn’t sure what to do, so he opted to try and reason with audric’s shadow, ”might as well stay put. ain’t ever done shit but lay there on the ground—holy magikarp, there he goes.”[break][break]

off went the shadow, and at that, the other men seemed wholly distraught. audric, in particular, was descending into a panic.[break][break]

”woah, man. i don’t think it’s that bad. hell’s a shadow good for, anyways?” he patted him twice on the shoulder, surely a comfort. when Amelia Livy offered the ranger tea, he nodded, ”tea’s usually a no-go for me, too; but sounds like it might fix your predicament.”[break][break]

he tried to move away, then, to give them all some space, "it’s time to set up camp. my gut instinct tells me this place ain't nothin' to mess with in the dark.” and it had gotten dark so quickly.[break][break]

as he moved, he was stopped short by his shadow pinned to the ground by shadow tag. "what in the hell? let me loose."

24 become trapped by the use of 'shadow tag' or 'mean look'.

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"It's so not fine, Lia."
[break][break]
Colton is adamant about that if nothing else. This? Audric losing his shadow? Them returning to explore this god-forsaken rift? Nothing about this was fine. His curiosity is going to be the death of him-- and arceus knows he was too young to die now. He's done so little and had even less to his name.
[break][break]
They can't die here.
[break][break]
"God damn it, Audric! Drink the freaking tea! None of us even know what would happen if we let you roam around without your shadow!" The way he saw it, Lia's offer of the strange and seemingly badly brewed tea was the only option left for them. As much as he didn't want to die, he also really didn't want to lose anyone. Not if he could help it, at least.
[break][break]
"Just-- please. I don't want this to be as bad as last time," his voice quiets down now, seemingly less influenced by fear and anger both, "we have to keep each other safe, and if that means we'll have to hold you down so you drink Lia's tea, and then we'll do just that. But, like, don't make us do that. I'd feel pretty weird if I had to hold someone down just so they'll drink some tea."
[break][break]
His stare peels away from the ranger and shifts to the bartender, confusion washing over his features as his eyes flutter some, "Hecate, loosen it a little, please," he requests when he realizes that he, too, was trapped by the SHADOW TAG. "Just make sure no one else's shadow escapes, okay?"

[attr="class","bottom"]Audric Black virgil roach Amelia Livy [break]

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colton fall raising his voice was surprising. however, roach gave them some room, secretly happy that someone stepped in to force the situation because it wasn’t going to be him. when asked, he handed the thermos to Audric Black , and then went to set up camp.[break][break]

with the spell tag amongst the things they’d brought along, spirits watched from afar, stirring in the growing dark. as the tent was being put up, roach’s cubone wandered around it to find itself staring up at a shadowy spirit. a bone was thrown straight through it ineffectively before whirling back into the pokemon’s hand.[break][break]

”what the—hey!”[break][break]

more spirits descended on the camp, gear rifled through. meanwhile, roach was stunned by emotion, voices, everything unseen and malevolent.[break][break]

🗺️ the SPELL TAG will attract malevolent spirits to its location, &/or can be used to place one's negative emotions though the ritual may be dangerous.