pitch-dark hook the great!

★ BOSS OF THE MOLES ★ hook affiliated with gnostic hymns

[leaderofthemoles]

            DIGGERTRON! GO, GO, GO!!!

                         A private RP blog of Hook from HSR, written by taro!

              TALENTS.    ✧     MUN.    ✧    MUSE.    ✧    AFFILIATION.

[leaderofthemoles]

[GOTCHA] sender (Rebel) is caught by receiver (Hunter).

⋆˙⟡ ——————— ⟡˙⋆

utterly embarrasing . . . the last few seconds of the game, so close to victory and her winning streak would remain untouched - unfortunately, the strings of fate were pulled taught. Fischl supposes there was only so much to do before the luck she was bestowed with ran out.

“ . . . you . . . ” though, when she gets a good look at who caught her. . . instead of more annoyance or anger, an impish grin appears, “ so it seems that the youth are not entirely incapable! why, the prinzessin der verurteilung praises thy swiftness. . . ”

WINDTRACE ASK MEME. / accepting

This game requires a lot of running and sneaking around and hiding... Just the right kinda game for the Boss of the Moles! Zipping around's her passion, and catching bad guys ( though these people weren't real bad guys ) is but a few of her specialties! And this game is basically a fancier version of hide-and-seek, right? None of these fellas know what's coming to them...

Hook has to admit, this round was testing her seeking skills. Every ol' Rebel had been caught except for one, and she was starting to lose hope... But, like a shining light, the answer revealed itself to her just as the timer reached closer and closer to zero...!

"A-ha!" Triumphantly, she bounces in victory once the last of them's gotten tagged, cheering for all the effort Hook put into this round. "The Prinzessin der Verurteilung is no match for Pitch-Dark Hook the Great! You better think twice before underestimating me! But I must say, you did really good! Almost gave Hook a run for her money there, ehehe... ha..." 

That was too close to time's up for comfort....

Man... Since when did grown-ups get this good at games like this? Looks like Hook's gonna have to study their ways too if she wants to keep her winning record from all the way back in the Underworld...

[renascinem]

Windtrace / Snowtrace ask meme.

Story has it that, once upon a time, rebels from the City of Mondstadt organized and rose in rebellion against the tyrannical aristocracy. Forming an underground resistance, they were a thorn in the corrupt nobles' side for a long time - all while said nobles retaliated with brutality using their own henchmen.

Today, the history of those difficult and tragic times is preserved in the form of a traditional game. Several locations have been host to the fun and joy of Windtrace - this year, it's the mysterious Dragonspine's turn, causing some to dub the event "Snowtrace".

Young and old, experienced and newcomer, local and traveler - all who want to experience Mondstadt's history and tradition are welcome to join and participate.

---

Happy Windtrace season! Reblog to accept asks. Send with "reverse" to switch roles between sender and receiver.

---

[CHAT] sender (Rebel A) and receiver (Rebel B) casually chat while hiding. Surely nothing at all will go wrong and this will have no consequences whatsoever.

[HEAT] sender (Rebel A) and receiver (Rebel B) activate a heat source to warm up, discussing strategy, the moral choices that led someone to organize such an event in this frozen hell, and whatever else comes to their minds.

[ALERT] sender (Rebel A) warns receiver (Rebel B) about the approaching Hunter.

[DISGUISE] sender (Rebel A) and receiver (Rebel B) disguise themselves as objects together. Isn’t it kinda funny that you can just turn into a barrel?

-

[CAN’T SEE YOU] sender (Hunter) runs right past receiver (Rebel) disguised as an object, failing to recognize them.

[CAN SEE YOU] sender (Hunter) uses Hunter’s Intuition to mark receiver (Rebel) with a light pillar in order to find them. Uh-oh.

[DISPEL] sender (Hunter) dispels the oh so carefully planned disguise of receiver (Rebel). Rude.

[CHASE] sender (Hunter) chases receiver (Rebel) across the whole field to catch them. Haul those buttcheeks buddy!

-

[NOPE] sender (Rebel) uses Transparency to vanish right in front of receiver (Hunter)’s eyes. Results may vary.

[BAIT] sender (Rebel) leaves behind an illusory bait for receiver (Hunter) that, when triggered, throws a buncha snow in their face to blind them. Again, rude.

[GOTCHA] sender (Rebel) is caught by receiver (Hunter).

[PLEADING FACE] sender (Rebel) is approached by receiver (Hunter) and makes puppy eyes at them, hoping that the power of friendship will win them over.

[geniuswhizkid]

── .♡ the children yearn for the mines, officer.

commission > down in the chasm to find the thieves and ignore warning signs with Pitch-Dark Hook the Great

[geniuswhizkid]

it's always the ones who are after mora that get bit in the hind when the mora can't run to them . . . traveling all the way here was something. convincing the conch gang that it'd be fine after the last few times was another thing. it was real cool to see all the things the nations have. Aino is going to make a floating house, just like the ones in natlan and the jade chamber. wouldn't that be cool?

it's only right to start thinking of a new concept. she can make it a similar shape to her current house - maybe a bit smaller for scale. kuuvakhi is harder to utilize like that. the "floating" houses in nasha town utilize kuuvakhi energy repelling one another, and it could only go so far. if the connection is disturbed for any reason, the houses tumble. “ . . .maybe concentrating the energies is the key, and she can make something similar to how the elevators are. . . instead of regular stabilizers, it can be gardens and plants? ” she speaks aloud to musecatcher as she manages her way down to the side of the chasm.

anyways - her original purpose here to find the thief who took something from her. she assumes they ran here to use her gadget - and she needs it back. these stinky adults with their shiny uniforms are big bums, though. the whiz-kid, admittedly, hasn't a clue on how to deal with them. there's nothing like that in nod-krai. there's the fatui, but those fatui are stinky. there's the lightkeepers, but they generally don't care what Aino does until its time for the seminars. there's the voynich guild, but. . .

ahem. she's gotten better at sneaking around. Aino thinks there'd be a side entrance that's less guarded. side entrances are always like that. what she doesn't expect is. . . someone else who is small and dressed similar to her ( but in browns and yellows ).

must be the moon's guidance, or whatever lady moonchanter would say. a friend and potential partner in hunting!

“ hi! ” Aino calls, noting the - oh that claw is so cool. . .

“ my name is Aino, 'n i have a . . . proposition! i'm here for the . . . thing 'bout the treasure hoarders. the adults at the front won't let me in! ” she is partially aware that this is not how greetings are meant to go, but surely the way the next part comes out will be more grown and would convince this other person ( even with her iffy greeting. ) “ my proposition is -- uhm. . . help me get into the chasm, 'n. . . i'll pay you back. i have mora, and i can make robots, too, if you want. i'm really good at that. ”

if this doesn't work out - Aino'll do it herself. probably.

@leaderofthemoles

[leaderofthemoles]

Diggertron was starting to feel lighter than usual after visiting this Liyue place for a bit. That means that it needs a refuel! But it’s just Hook’s luck that the grown-ups here are just as stingy as the ones back in Belobog. Whenever she tries looking for merchants to sell her something that can work as fuel, they always give her a funny look and turn her away. Hmph! If Hook can’t buy through the market like how the big guys do it, then she’ll just have to go straight to the source—

The Chasm!

Sure, there’s tons of rumors going around about how mysterious and dangerous it is, but… But Hook’s not scared! If the miners in the Underworld can go back and forth with minecarts full of Geomarrow, then she can do this trip, just this once. For Diggertron. Just this, um, once. And also, what if she happens to find a super rare gemstone that she can sell back in Belobog for a load of shields? Not only can she refuel, but her and Daddy will be swimming in money. The opportunity is just too good to pass up!

She doesn’t care if those grown-ups are guarding the entrance like their life depends on it, because a Mole always finds a way to get what they want. Sucks to be them, because a kid like her can squeeze into any ol’ nook and cranny like a true adventurer would. Hehehe…

“Huh?” But– What’s this? A fellow kid looking to enter the mine?

Hook perks up at the word ‘proposition’... So, a deal, she says? “Oh, Hook doesn’t really need Mora. All Hook wants is– hold on, you can make ROBOTS?”

That means she must be some kinda genius. Like Clara! But Hook’s never seen Clara make a robot from the ground up before, only fix the ones that were already broken. If she can recruit this one to the Moles, they’ll be truly unstoppable…!

“Y’know what, Hook knows just the spot! Follow me!” Hurriedly, she tugs on the other girl’s sleeve, urging her to follow. The spot she leads her to is hidden under the shadow of a small cliff, a gap between the rocks that adults can't fit in.

“Okay... I was trying to find an entrance that looks less scary than this one —not that Pitch-Dark Hook the Great would be scared or anything — but if we're dealing with Treasure Hoarders, then we need to get to the mines as quick as possible! ... Before we head in, what's the thing with the Treasure Hoarders?”

[stonepaz]

— A LITTLE MISS WITH A BIG MESS .

what's better than one life-threatening minor ... ?

[stonepaz]

"Clear the way. Make sure everyone's able to evacuate."

The IPC Senior Staff mech nodded, and began lifting fallen over pillars and roof shingles to help people make a clean exit. Topaz glanced around the Aurum Alley carnage and sighed. That Fei Yan... she knew how to cause trouble. While she hadn't been too keen on Vidyadhara politics, she knew enough to glean that this situation was a bad one. She had to intervene, else this little miss could cause huge problems for the IPC shareholders in the Luofu.

She stepped over a broken tile. Numby, ever by her side, trotted over it. What remained of this humble soup canteen was nothing short of ruin. Roofs, pillars, and tables crashed and splintered. Ahead, the dying embers of a stovetop flame threatened to spill over to the cooking oil that had been toppled all over the counter. Topaz jogged over to it and killed the flame, which let out one last burst of fire. Numby whimpered, and Topaz soothed them with a quick cooing sound.

"It's alright, there's nothing to worry about." For Numby, at least. Grown-ups like her had plenty on their minds.

"Whose child is this?"

The robotic voice of the IPC Senior Staff rang above the murmurs of evacuation, and Topaz turned to find a familiar young girl standing amidst the destruction of the shop. Those clothes...

Numby yipped. Their stubby little tail wagged, causing the bell wrapped around their waist to jingle.

"Yeah, she's from Belobog, I know," Topaz muttered in response. Quietly, like one might a frightened dog, she made her approach toward the Underworld child. She didn't know the name, but she'd seen her around enough to know that she was her own brand of trouble. Kids these days. Either they were pulling pranks or causing the political destabilization of an entire nation.

"Brendan, hold off on doing anything to the kid," Topaz raised a hand toward him, then turned to the young girl, "Hey there... uh, what brings you here?"

Numby neared the child and began sniffing around her feet.

@leaderofthemoles

[leaderofthemoles]

It’s been so long since Hook went to the Luofu… The last time she went to Aurum Alley was when Mister Svarog asked her for advice on what to buy for Clara, but today, Hook now has the golden chance to buy something for herself! What kinda food should she try this time?

She wanders for a little bit, stopping when her attention is drawn to one of the food stalls with loads of customers. If there’s a lotta people there, it must mean the food is super good! But little did she know that when she walked up to the back of the line, chaos would ensue…

And now, here she is, standing in the destruction, unscratched thanks to Diggertron shielding her from the debris. She can’t bring herself to move away even after everybody’s already left. It reminds her of when she visited that city… Soaring Heights. It was so scary, so—

“Oh! Uhm!” She snaps out of it and stares wide-eyed at the lady with red in her hair. Wait, why does Hook feel like she’s seen her before?

Ohhh nooo. Oh no, oh man, oh no. She remembers her and the lackeys behind her! That’s one of the bigwigs at the IPC, isn’t she?! And whenever the IPC is around, that means trouble’s around. Hook’s not in trouble, right? They wouldn’t arrest a kid. Right?

It’s a bit hard to take this seriously when the little fella circling her looks so cute and huggable. Maybe enough to rival Junjun… But hold! What if it’s a sneaky tactic to get Hook’s guard down? She can’t be swayed that easily!

Must. Not. Pet. The trotter. THIS IS SERIOUS ADULT BUSINESS.

“Hook’s not doing anything bad, promise! I was just looking for some snacks, a-and then all of a sudden, BAM! The roof fell down!” Hook lifts both hands in surrender, passing a glance at the critter. “Um... Hook might've knocked something over before that, but... That's because another kid spooked me!”

[leaderofthemoles]

wanted plots - december

Heya! White baby would like more friends or family or both. Please help her.

DMs or pings in Discord are preferred. Tumblr IMs are fine but expect a longer response time.

REQUIRES TEYVAT MUSE:

[CHASM] - Hook is used to being underground, so she has no problem with going down the mines and investigating what's up! ... What? There's spooky stuff down there? [taken!]

SEA OF QUANTA:

[HYDROGEN BABY VIDYADHARA] - The only thing that will get through to a kid.. is another kid. Or so doth say Pitch-Dark Hook the Great. She doesn't know much about the ins-and-outs of Luofu politics, but if this dragon kid's got what it takes to be a leader like herself, then maybe an uprising wouldn't be so bad... (AKA the prompt where your muse can teach Hook about politics and how things aren't as simple as they seem) [taken!]

[leaderofthemoles]

[ PLAZA ] 

Loud gasps and claps of praise could be heard throughout the square as a large crowd gathered together to surround a couple of street performers that perform a razzle-dazzle of tricks, having everyone on the edge of their seats with what they were going to do next.

The two girls make it up to this crowd, but they weren't able to see over the tall wall of bodies that block their view. Huohuo looks on with a bit of sadness as she tried to make squeeze past, but was essentially pushed backwards away from for her efforts. She looked like she wanted to try again, but refrained, knowing it was pointless as it was to result in the same outcome.

Mr. Tail, glances at the Foxian's sad look then turns to the blonde girl, Hook, he believes her name was, throwing her a mischievous smile as a plan begins to form. "Hey Hook! You think you can use that cool contraption of yours to make a way forward?"

Whatever those people are doing must be really cool and never-seen-before if so many are gathering here. But not even Huohuo and her talking tail can push past, which makes Hook real sad… and mad, too! Don’t these grown-ups know anything about respect for the little guys?!

After she has a go at trying to push through long legs and pouting at her fail, that frustration quickly goes away when the tail gives her a brilliant idea. 

“Hehe! This ‘cool contraption’ is called Diggertron, and yes! Hook knows just the thing to get us to the front row…” The girl pulls Huohuo by the hand to hold onto one of the metal bits of Diggertron, and gestures at the empty space along the back of the crowd. “You gotta hold on tight, ‘cus Hook’s going to drive this thing around and it’ll go whoooosh around the place, up to where we can get the best view possible!”

With a tug, Diggertron’s wheel pops out and starts rumbling against the floor. It’s been so long since she took it out for a spin. So long that she doesn’t realize that Huohuo and her tail are kinda heavier than Hook thought, completely messing up her steering skills and causing them to– “W-Wait, slow down! Diggertron, stop!”

“WE’RE GOING THE WRONG WAAAAAAAAY!!!”

[feliscus]

　🌢　onward, 'til the end.

soaring heights / finale　⸻　hook, welt, & lyney

[secondsovereign]

WELT HAS TO LAUGH, Hook reminds him so much of Joey at that age that muscle memory kicks in, pulling the fresh scarf from his pocket and setting it up like a hammock before he's swooping the child up into his arms and depositing her safely into the hammock on his back. "There we go, you should be able to see them a bit better from up here, Kiddo." A pat on the head as he allows gravity to flow beneath him, to extend his senses like a network of vines reaching out further and further beneath the city. He knows what he's searching for, that familiar heartbeat that the core in his body is attuned to, turning in the direction of the alleyway that would reunite them once more.

"Hmm... feeling lucky about this way, looks like they got ahead of us." He knows how, singularity rebuild cost them time, but it made up for it in terms of combat benefits, so he turns and begins a brisk walk towards the outskirts of the city, past the ruined building that once held the fight club he'd threatened to bring down by the forces of gravity alone. "Keep an eye out won'tcha, wouldn't want to walk into them now, would we?" A joke, one designed to keep the child's attention away from the cracking bones beneath his feet.

"It always manages to astound me you know, as a boy I used to look up at the heavens and wonder if there was life out there, floating around all those distant stars..." A story is always a good distraction in his opinion, a way to keep the mind and senses overwhelmed rather than make children deal with the harsh realities of war. "... Yet here I am some... 70 odd years later exploring them. Believe me, some of the things I've seen would amaze you, for example, a world where their trees are made of cotton candy, a rather marvellous discovery I assure you."

-> @leaderofthemoles // @feliscus

[leaderofthemoles]

"Woah!" Hook wasn't even able to process it before Mister Welt lifts her into a cloth. He has a point - she can see things better when she's hitching a ride and not thinking about whether she can keep up with the other grown-ups. Plus, Mister Welt seems super strong for a guy with a cane! 

Ah, so that's his plan! He wants Hook to be on lookout duty while they make their way over to the place. "You bet! Hook's got the eyes as sharp as a super smart automaton!"

There's nothing really out of the ordinary that she can see, except for everything else. Broken buildings, broken windows, broken dumpsters set on fire. She felt kinda bad that they were destroying what looks like a peaceful city, but if the streets are constantly changing, is it even real? Does it even matter?

She looks up to the weird, scary, twisty-looking sky as the man talks about heaven. She knows that he's trying to distract her from the worse going on, and there's grown-up things that maybe she's not supposed to see. Even then, she takes the bait, wanting to believe that everything will turn out okay in the end. "Trees made out of cotton candy... You know, after everything I've seen, I can believe it."

... Wait, did he just say he's over 70 years old??? He's older than Daddy, but looks younger at the same time! What's his secret? Maybe he isn't human like she thought... That would explain all the cool things he's done so far.

Hook peeks from behind Mister Welt, looking at a large building that's seen better days ahead of them. Isn't it supposed to be a hotel? It looks so... sad.

Were they too late?

[ @feliscus @secondsovereign ]

[feliscus]

　🌢　onward, 'til the end.

soaring heights / finale　⸻　hook, welt, & lyney

[feliscus]

he doesn't wait to be told twice, barely needs to be told once. this time, there are no flashy tricks and pyrotechnics, just a bow in hand and quickly drawn. a twinkle sparks in his eyes, a grin upon his lips as the arrow flies. “of course!”

magic is a precise art. it only takes a single slip for an entire illusion to crumble. and so, his aim must be perfect—lyney never misses. be it on the stage or on a battlefield, he simply cannot afford to.

the magician doesn't look to see if his arrow lands, already sprinting after his retreating allies. a hand raises, head turning just a fraction to wink before he snaps his fingers. a spark, then fire. “show's over, thanks for coming!”

“the others,” he starts in a gasp as he catches up with the group, twisting back every now and then to keep an eye out for any other stragglers, “do you think they'll find their way there too?” / @leaderofthemoles · @secondsovereign

[leaderofthemoles]

Magic Hands really knows how to do... well, magic! His aim is so good, she wonders how he learned to use a bow like that... Another question to ask after this is all over.

"They have to... Or else Hook will be super mad!" She wouldn't wanna be separated from them for too long, especially when everything's falling apart. Hook fully believes they have more than enough power to take out any bad guys in their way, so... they have to make it. They need to.

The girl has zero idea of where to go, so she follows the adults around her. Guess the old witch has a point when she tells Hook to listen to grown-ups when she's lost, as much as she hates to admit it.

The street they're running through looks like it joins up with another, and the little girl glances at one of the rushing figures down one of the alleyways while she zooms alongside her group. Is that one of them?

Actually, that's probably her imagination, or whatever trippy magic stuff is happening here. Dang it! "How much further is it? Are we there yet?"

[ @secondsovereign ]

[feliscus]

　🌢　onward, 'til the end.

soaring heights / finale　⸻　hook, welt, & lyney

[feliscus]

every shift of the city is enough to make his head spin, soaring heights molded and melted down and remolded yet again. how many times can a city change before home is no longer home? if all its residents are gone, who will carry it all in their memories?

lyney bolts down an empty street, familiar pathing, familiar roads. three shadows of his companions follow after him, and further behind them still, a sizable group of their foes in pursuit. good. a performer needs his stage, and the magician has long since graduated the shadowed alleyways and quiet street corners. a wide, open area that they can take advantage of—it comes into his line of sight before long, there, in the distance...

not a moment to waste. the moment he crosses into the park, lyney spins sharply on his heel, fire following the raised flourish of his hand. “would you like to see a magic trick?” his pursuers charge, ready for a fight. but the magician has never been much of a fighter. with a snap of his fingers, the illusions of his companions vanish into a flurry of cards. and all at once as their foes stumble straight into them, they are set alight.

the smaller of their foes fall quickly to the flames, but they hadn't been his concern. one still looms above them all, shrugging the fire off like an inconvenience. “now, quickly!” lyney cries out, spinning to find his actual allies. / @secondsovereign · @leaderofthemoles

[leaderofthemoles]

Uuuuu, can't things just be normal for once in this city?! This has to be some kind of bad dream... If this keeps up, Hook won't be able to tell left and right!

Their group separated into two teams, and the girl chooses to follow Magic Hands ( who she's been working with for the past week ), Uncle Ezio, and Mister Welt. She hasn't figured out a cool title for the old men yet, but after this is over, she'll definitely get some inspiration...

When Magic Hands does those cool card tricks of his, she watches him with anticipation. In a blink of an eye, just like that, the smaller chumps vanish into flames. "Wh- You can do that?! You HAVE to teach me the way of the cards after we beat this sucker to a pulp!"

Right on his signal, she unlocks the wheel from the middle of Diggertron's hand and slams it onto the ground, its engine raring to go with a loud VROOOM!

Offffff sheeeeee goeeeeeees!

"Make way for Pitch-Dark Hook the Great! GYAHAHAHA!" Hook may look like she's dangling for her life off Diggertron, but little did they know that this boss got her own tricks up her sleeve. "Here comes the fire!"

The flames rise, and soon Hook flies into the air, setting of a big, ginormous, spectacular explosion throwing that big fella off their game! With Diggertron's help, she steers her way back to the ground, joining the rest of her crew.

"Hit 'em, gramps!"

[ @secondsovereign ]

[feliscus]

　🌢　fire escape.

soaring heights / week 2　⸻　hook & lyney

[feliscus]

every second seems to drag like an hour, pacing back and forth through the aisles, checking and rechecking the same shelves that he's looked through a thousand times. rosseland has long since retired from the task, curled up in the hat that lyney's set off to a counter on the side.

so much for competition—neither of them have found very much at all. even lyney's seemingly endless energy has nearly exhausted itself. still, he shakes himself back into focus. one more look around, then he'll suggest that they try somewhere else...

“lyney! look, look!”

he jolts at hook's voice, tensing in preparation for bad news, but there's no warning or panic in her tone. indeed, when he turns to find her in the doorway to the storage room, box in tow, he greets her with a ready smile, striding over as she pulls the flaps open. “oh? what have we here?”

the magician doesn't think he's ever been happier to see water before, even when he'd been watching the floodwaters of fontaine recede. “that's a point for you then,” he concedes. but now...how to transport it all between the two of them? “wanna see a magic trick, hook?” lyney asks like he would an audience as he returns to retrieve rosseland and his hat, reaching within to draw out a magic pocket before replacing it back on his head. “watch closely. if you blink, you might miss it.”

it takes a moment to move them from box to pocket, but in the end, it all fits with space still to spare. it's certainly the more practical of lyney's many tricks. hefting the straps over a shoulder, he flashes hook a sharp grin. “i'll race you to the next store. and i bet i'll find something before you there too.”

the next few stores are similarly devoid of life, though at least more fruitful endeavors than their first. a few more drinks join their collection of water bottles, alongside some wrappers and cans of food that have yet to go past their date. there had even been some medical supplies tucked away into a corner of one of the stores. it's a sizable enough haul, lyney thinks, to help sustain their small group.

“it's getting late,” he calls out as he finishes checking over the last of the shelves. there's nothing left that might be useful. “we should start heading back to the bus stop before the sun sets.”

[leaderofthemoles]

“A magic trick?” Hook tilts her head curiously at the pocket in the magician’s hands. She’d never seen Magic Hands do anything very magician-like until now, and a magic trick would be a really neat thing to keep up her spirits.

“Wooahh, how did you fit all of those bottles in there?!” Her voice squeaks in wonder. This kinda bag is PERFECT for treasure hunting! “Once this is over… Hook wants to see more magic tricks, please!”

They go on with their business, pretty much taking all the useful supplies they found in each and every one of these stores. They make a good team! But that doesn't change the fact that Hook is worn-out from searching across the block all day. Whew!

“Yeah… I’d like to sit down at base for a bit before we deal with those meanies again.”

And the evening that follows feels even longer than the daytime. Goons have invaded the entire city like Fragmentum, and none of them look happy to see the Boss of the Moles and her entourage lurking around the block. To Hook, this is a war, and she thinks the grown-ups around her think so too.

At first, the little girl was raring to go, ready to show those thugs what they’re signing themselves up for. Diggertron had been her trusty companion for such things, after all, and she’s sure that her teammates also have their own strengths to pull the weights off. It turns out the goons they fought were even more merciless than the ones they first met! 

One after another, they chip at Hook a notch just when she’s about to tag team them alongside Magic Hands, and perhaps for the first time in this long string of events, she realizes that she’s just a girl. A kid caught up in a mess that she isn’t ready to face…

By the time the 2nd day arrives, then the 3rd day arrives… and then the 4th, they had once again set off into the streets for supplies in the morning. 

Had it really been four days of looting, and working, and beating up goons? No wonder so many grown-ups end up being sad and mopey, if this is the type of life they have… Minus the looting and beating up goons part, she supposes. Those don't really seem like normal adult things.

“I really hope this ends soon so that we don’t have to keep doing this… Um, with everyone getting hurt, and everything.” She murmurs while moving some medical supplies into his trusty Magic Pocket, the routine already sort of memorized in her head. Her head’s a bit heavy, and her body has this sore-ish feeling with what’s happened ( maybe it wasn’t a good idea to blow up a wall off one of those stores… ), but Hook refuses to sit back and not do all she can to help the grown-ups.

[feliscus]

　🌢　fire escape.

soaring heights / week 2　⸻　hook & lyney

[feliscus]

lyney turns as hook calls back, falls into a crouch to find her in the aisle across him. no luck for her either, then. one side of his lip quirks in a faint smile as he calls for rosseland from wherever the cat's since wandered off to. “we'll help these people as much as we can,” he promises when she asks, expression softening too.

in the end, hook is just a kid, after all. even the youngest of his siblings are too, no matter how they have been raised in the warmth of a hearth. but just like them, hook has that same spark of determination in her eyes. “so, don't worry too much. it'll be over soon.”

after a beat, rosseland arrives with something caught in his mouth, picking his way across the shelves to reach his perch on lyney's shoulders as the magician rises back to his feet and brushes off the ash. when he holds a hand out, the cat drops it into his waiting palm obligingly: a pack of...expired nuts.

“well, it looks like you're already ahead of us,” lyney says as he deposits the packet back onto an empty spot on the shelf. “all we've managed is some food that's too old to eat.” and then, a grin, a slight tip of his hat. “but don't think rosseland and i will make it easy for you to win! we'll turn it around, just you wait!”

and so the magician and cat go, venturing further into the next aisle for treasure. or at the very least, something still edible.

[leaderofthemoles]

“Hah! Good luck trying to beat the Boss of the Moles!” She smirks to herself, already shoving her hands into a pile of dusty goods sitting in a crate. “When it comes to finding scraps and useful stuff, Hook knows just where to find ‘em!” Oh, this is gonna be good! 

…

…..

Some time later, Hook is dragging her little feet up down one of the storage room aisles for what felt like the hundredth time.

I’m. So. BOREEDDD-AH!

It’s been HOURS and none of us found ANYTHING…

Obviously, this store had been abandoned for a while. A long, LONG while! There’s food packaging that’s been expired for more than a year! What kinda store owner must this person be to not track their own goods? Or have they really been gone for that long? She doesn't understand how grown-ups have all the patience to stick to one activity for more than a couple of hours, much less the entire day. Not even the thrill of competing with Magic Hands and Cat in the Hat can keep her going anymore...

But then, just as Hook was about to kick the bucket and give up… She notices a box that’s left perfectly unopened among the old, beaten up ones…

Could it be…?

“Lyney! Look, look!” She springs to life and eagerly calls out to him like an excited dog, pushing a box across the floor out of the doorway with her whole body weight. When she can see his attention successfully grabbed, she pulls the cardboard flaps open and peers into the box as if they’d just found a real treasure. “Look ~ what ~ Hook ~ Found… Hehe!”

Inside were untouched, unopened bottles of water. At least it was a start!

[feliscus]

　🌢　fire escape.

soaring heights / week 2　⸻　hook & lyney

[feliscus]

this store must've still been open, not too long ago. it is not the tells of abandonment that litter the quiet building. when lyney brushes a finger against its half-empty shelves, his gloves come away covered in ash rather than dust. it must've been one of the buildings to catch fire amidst the chaos, though there's no sign of the flames now save for the soot.

“rosseland, don't eat that!” he calls over his shoulder as the cat paws at something on the ground, reaching for a tin of crackers left behind on the shelf to turn over in search for a date. but whatever he finds only makes his face wrinkle as he sets it back down and moves on. no good, then. but he'd been expecting to not find much from what was left behind on the displays by previous scavengers. they'd have better luck breaking into a storeroom to find their stock in the back.

and so he rounds the end of aisle to glance around for his companion, the youngest of their little tour group. “find anything yet, hook?” soaring heights is no place for a child at the moment, really, but lyney has seen his younger siblings through situations more dangerous than scavenging a store for supplies. the most danger she'll face here might be a collapsing board from the ceiling or two. / @leaderofthemoles

[leaderofthemoles]

There was so much chaos, so much destruction happening that these buildings looked like the abandoned buildings in the Underworld. Was it really that long ago since they arrived here?

“Hmm, nothing special yet…” She peeks at him from an empty space in the aisle between them. “There’s so much grey stuff all over the place…”

Her voice softens, and it doesn’t have the same punch to it as her usual style of speaking. “Mister Magic Hands, do you think this will be over soon?” 

While getting to rough up one of those goons back then was fun, the longer this went on, the more it’s settling in that they may be in bigger trouble than Hook expected. If there’s something so dangerous that even those thugs ran away, would it be possible to even get through this? If the old witch or Daddy knew about what she got herself into, they’d probably be super mad! … Or sad.

But! It does Hook no good when she’s thinking like this and feeling down! She just has to keep going, like grown-ups do!

The girl firmly shakes her head, the determination returning to her eyes. There HAS to be something they can do about all of this! Even if Hook, admittedly, has her own limits…

“Ooh, ooh, when we return to the others, we’re gonna show off ALL the cool things we found! I bet I can find more stuff than you, Magic Hands and Cat in The Hat! Like... this!” Hook wiggles her arms, doing a little 'tada!' at a bag of... instant coffee packets?

[leaderofthemoles]

triple the threat, triple the trouble

REVELATIONHeights2025 - Grit Won't Quit / hook, jiaoqiu, moze

[revelation-heights]

"What?!" The lady looks appalled at Moze's request, "No, you can't just say that! Not in front of your family..." But he disappears before she can say anything more.

A few moments pass. Jiaoqiu's star anise bursts into flames, and the approaching men can't help but yell. One of them tries to put the fire out by stomping on it. The rest are more focused at charging towards you all.

"Oh, so you've got a few tricks up your sleeve, huh?" The masked man snarls, "We'll see how well that works when you take a batting!"

He uses the end of his bat to knock Hook into a goon's arms. The goon lifts her up and over his head, kind of like a sack of flour, and starts carrying her away from the fray. The masked man, meanwhile, quickly swings his bat at Jiaoqiu's torso. He's holding back a little, you can tell. Maybe his boss wants you all in one piece.

While that happens, one of them swings his knuckles at Moze. You'll recognize this as the masked man's partner from earlier.

"Put that knife down!" He yells, the cut on his cheek still bleeding, "Damn, you're really gonna kill someone in front of a kid? At least I'm just trying to rough you up—!"

@leaderofthemoles

[leaderofthemoles]

There’s too much going on for Hook to process right now, but what she does know is that she’s actually getting kidnapped by one of these chumps!

She screams and wiggles her arms and legs, trying to break free, but she's no match for his hold on her. Why are grown-ups so strong...

Urrrrgh, NO MORE NICE HOOK!!!

“Put! Hook! DOWN!”

Diggertron’s fist clenches and Hook knocks it against the thug’s back as hard as she can, hard enough for small flames to spout from where its fingers start. The flame catches onto the guy’s clothes, and the panic that he goes into is enough for him to let go of Hook. She won’t lie, seeing him dance around trying to pat his clothes and roll the fire out is kinda funny. “That’s what you get for picking me up without permission! Heh!”

She quickly gets back to her feet, and can still see Fox Man and Hood Guy fighting the rest of ‘em, hoping to return to their side. “Pitch-Dark Hook the Great is coming, featuring the one and only Diggertron!”

[ @taciturncorvidae @spicehill ]

[leaderofthemoles]

triple the threat, triple the trouble

REVELATIONHeights2025 - Grit Won't Quit / hook, jiaoqiu, moze

[spicehill]

the loud-speaking woman's assumption beats him to the next words on his lips as he considers the fact that hook probably looked too young to be an employee, quickly filling in the blanks for herself with new assumptions --- and was still speaking loud enough for everyone on the block to hear her. "ahaha, well..." a hesitant laugh at first as he listens to the litany of emotional thoughts coming from her, and he second-guesses if the room now feels lighter even with his damaged vision... only to turn back towards the door with a look of dread when he hears voices shouting again outside.

the next sound after that is a loud crashing, thudding, and what sounds like more things falling afterwards; eyes widen in alarm, immediately concluding who just fell from the lack of a firey girl's voice and the depth of the pained grunt. "moze --- !? moze, did you just..." when was the last time something like this happened? years ago, probably, while training with the general...? a quick turn in the direction of the woman he'd followed at a slight distance. then, voice drops softer.

while hurrying over in the direction of the quick commotion, he nudges slightly into the counter, but otherwise finds who he's looking for when a shoe catches shadows on the ground that are far heavier than any books. then, jiaoqiu kneels down, a hand holding onto one shoulder. "moze. are you alright? those voices outside..." probably too late to run this time.

@leaderofthemoles. chaos daughter let's goooooo

[leaderofthemoles]

“Hide! Hide!” Hook tugs at the woman’s bag and points towards the back end of the bookstore, but it looks like the lady got zero clue of the trouble the three of them are in. She didn’t expect Hood Guy to trip over, either! He doesn’t look like the kinda guy who would, and Fox Man’s reaction proves that. If the thugs break into the store, who knows what’s gonna happen?!

This means business now.

With a ‘harumph’, the girl walks to the front door and heads out. She widens her stance and spreads her arms, her body just about big enough to get in between those bad guys and the entrance.

“ENOUGH!” Hook yells, locking eyes with one of the men. That’s the guy that was threatening to beat us up, isn’t he? There’s double of them from the last time she’s seen ‘em, and while deep down Hook is actually scared, there’s no better choice than this… “I dunno what you guys want with us, but Hook won’t let you go anywhere near this store! Or Fox Man! Or Hood Guy! Don’tcha know when to give it up and scram?! If you guys lay a hand on Hook’s family, then Hook will make YOU regret it!”

She must’ve reached them, because those chumps haven’t moved an inch the moment she started talking. One of them even looks like he’s about to cry. Hah!

Their boss, or, miniboss? moves to the front of the crew, and gives them two choices. Go with them peacefully, or fight…

How’s this any different from before???

Er, Hook guesses that this time he’s going at it with less threatening vibes. Not that Hook trusts him any more than she does ( she doesn’t ). But, if they fight here, that poor lady’s gonna be watching them cause terror and destruction right in front of this bookstore…

No! She’s Pitch-Dark Hook the Great for a reason! And Pitch-Dark Hook the Great won’t back down without a fight!

“You still haven’t given us a reason to trust you folks to not do anything shady... How about this: we do a match-up, just like how it works at the Fight Club back home! If we win, you have to leave us alone for good! If you win, we’ll go with you. Peacefully!”

[ @revelation-heights ]

[leaderofthemoles]

triple the threat, triple the trouble

REVELATIONHeights2025 - Grit Won't Quit / hook, jiaoqiu, moze

[revelation-heights]

It's been a while without any disturbances. The pitter-patter of footsteps has faded away, and silence once more envelopes the streets of Soaring Heights. You're safe, it would seem.

But a harsh knock interrupts the peace. It's loud enough that you all can hear it from inside the building. The person knocking is no goon or masked assailant, though—it's a young woman, maybe around 30-something, who has her arm around a patchwork totebag. She's squinting at the windows, trying to look inside. When she sees you all, her expression brightens.

"Hey!!!" She has a very loud voice, you notice. She waves at you all from the glass, "Sorry, I know it's a really weird time right now, but I'm looking for a book. Uh, it's a long story, but it's super important that I find it. Anyways, I saw you guys inside so I thought you might've been open?" She flicks her head back to the front of the shop, "But the door says closed, so I'm not so sure…"

Like many businesses, A Thousand Words' owners had disappeared during the night, while it was closed. You three are likely the first people to enter in a while.

The woman has her hand on the door handle. "Can I come in? I'll just check it out super quick!"

@leaderofthemoles

[leaderofthemoles]

Hook tried to call someone, but she only ended up hearing a bunch of long, annoying beeping noises. Hmph! At least HER phone has games on it! This thing’s useless!

THUD THUD!

The loud knocking makes the girl flinch and almost drop the old phone. She hangs it up back where it originally was and gets down from the stool to look at what’s outside the window. A lady…?

“Uh.” Hook awkwardly side steps towards where Fox Man and Hood Guy are standing, eyes locked on to the lady outside. Do they look like the kinda people who would run a bookstore? She whispers to the two men with her hand shielding her mouth. “Should we let her in? What if the bad guys find us?”

The lady doesn’t seem to be a liar… Maybe she really is looking for a book? Hook doesn’t know what to do in a weird situation like this! “Ask her what book she’s looking for! Or, uh, just say we’re closed and cleaning up or something…”

[ @taciturncorvidae @spicehill ]

[leaderofthemoles]

triple the threat, triple the trouble

REVELATIONHeights2025 - Grit Won't Quit / hook, jiaoqiu, moze

[revelation-heights]

There are a few things to note about this store you all just entered. One, it's a bookstore (named 'A Thousand Words,' which is only a little cringey), so there are plenty of shelves running through the room; two, its windows haven't been covered by anything; three, there's a backdoor behind the counter that's padlocked.

From the large window, you can see that the streets are empty. Your assailants have yet to catch up to you, but you're sure if there's anyone else lurking in the shadow. The store you escaped through shares walls with its neighbors, but it does so happen to have an alleyway across the street from it. Could goons be hiding there? You can never be too certain. The way they spoke of reinforcements made it sound like there's a lot of them. Who knows—maybe these men are outside already lying in wait.

Discarding the possibility for now, though, you can enjoy a brief moment of respite, and perhaps even find something within the bookstore that can help you better plan a proper escape. A city map can be found in a rack near the counter, and there's a landline hanging by the wall that seems to still be operational. Could you phone a friend? Maybe, if you wanted.

There's another choice you get to make in a situation like this. If these men are already trying to find you, and you have this store all to yourself… perhaps you could lure them into a trap, then fight them with a clear advantage. The best defense is a good offense, isn't it?

@leaderofthemoles

[leaderofthemoles]

Books and books and books… 

Hook doesn’t read a lot of them, but the place is actually pretty cool! It reminds her of the Underworld, except it’s, well, not underground. Why do the people running these stores have to disappear? Did they do something bad to deserve it?

Ah, she almost forgets that they’re supposed to be hiding away from those thugs!

What did Seele tell her to do when she’s in trouble… Think, think, think…

Right! Call for help!

The phone with the wire on the wall looks old and ancient, but it’s probably usable! With the help of a stool nearby, she climbs and looks at the machine and the poster of numbers next to it. Hook can’t believe people still use these things! Er, you put the top part against your ear, right?

She balances the phone against her ear with her shoulder, and reads the list of numbers. Too much information for Hook…

One of the numbers has ‘Emergency Services’ next to it. Should Hook try calling that number? She’s never done this with an old phone before, but might as well try…

One… One… One… One… One… ( How many ones are in this?! ) Nine…

[ @spicehill ]