Difference between revisions of "Log:Exploring the Manor"

22 November, 2017

Just a little underwater adventure!

H42

It's broad daylight, and Vorpal isn't -exactly- thrilled about that, but he's gathered some friends for an excursion into part of the hedge's never encountered before now- the part leading underwater, from Lake Brunsett's hedge gate. He's got a burlap sack over his shoulder, one he plops down as they come to the water's edge. "Alright. So... not sure -precisely- what's down there, to be blunt, but that's what exploration is all about. I've got enough fruit for each of us to take a second dose if we're -somehow- under water longer than one fruit each covers. I- presume you'll be alright, Etsy? Mrbl?"

"If I drown... I'm coming back to haunt you," says Ziv, sending Neville back home once she's borrowed some of his aspects. Bats and water aren't really a good mix, which may or may not make the small Beast apprehensive herself. She kind of eyes Vorpal for a moment, then gives a shake of her wing, checking out her own clothing - hoodie, jeans, rucksack. Her ears twist forward, and then she glances over at Etsy - perhaps assuming the mermaid to be the pro on this, "Should I get rid of the clothing to swim? It's not hedgespun."

Dielle has borrowed a spear from...somewhere, today. Because guns don't work underwater and neither do bows, and she can't be sure that there will be anything to use to improvise a weapon. Other than that, once she skins out of her outer clothes, it's leggings, a very tight grey tank top to hold all the bits in, and some kind of shoes that, while not proper swim fins, will also not hold water like boots will. She sighs, and misses her boots. "Good thing that I used to be Summer, it's real useful when you can't worry about temperature." She looks over at Etsy and grins, then says, "So, how're we doin' this? Unicorns don't normally breathe underwater and I ain't a sea horse no more."

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
< 1 1 1 1 3 3 5 7 8 8 10 >

===============================-> >> Dexterity + Wyrd No Flags << <-

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 1 Success 
< 1 1 1 2 3 6 6 6 7 8 >

===============================-> >> Dexterity + Wyrd No Flags << <-

Jenny is a Jenny and has met basically none of these people before, except for Johnny, around whom she hangs like a drunk, one hand on Vorp's shoulder for suppport as she waves. She's brought a covered picnic basket and a ratty parasol. "Hullo!" She has a vaguely-what-Hollywood-thinks-a-British-accent-sounds-like accent. She peers at the bat in particular, waving to Ziv. "A bat! I do bats, sometimes." Well what the hell does that mean.

The mermaid always hums, always. Well, unless she's talking. "Yes, I am fines. Is good for a mrbls to have a fruits, actuallies? Because... is a mrbl, only looks like an otters. Is a good swims though."

"You really don't need to explain all of that," the mrbl mutters, sitting next to Etsy while the mermaid casually disrobes, like that's totally no big deal. She's a small, slender creature, her pale legs covered with subtle patterns of bluish scales. There are tiny fins at her waist and ankles now -- different to the last time Dielle saw her prep for the water -- and scars criscrossing her upper arms and her back. Most of them look like teeth, or claws, and are very, very old. She hums quietly, folds up her dress and her tatty slippers, and puts them in a plastic bag, sealing it up. That's tucked into the pack strapped across her body, streamlined for swimming, and then she slides into the water. Her feet unfold into fins, and the mermaid -- apparently unbothered by the water's temperature -- breathes contentedly as her feet relax.

GAME: Vorpal spends 2 Glamour

GAME: Vorpal spends 3 Glamour

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 6 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 8 8 8 9 10 10 >

================================-> >> Dexterity + Wyrd 9-Again << <-

"You... do bats?" Ziv asks, confused, of Jenny as her ears orient that way and prick up in curiosity. Since Etsy is disrobing, even though she didn't get a straight answer Ziv starts to shed her clothing and shove it into her rucksack - which in the end appears that it's just the jeans and hoodie. Because of course all that is. Once the clothes are off, Ziv reaches around with her claws, scratching at the patch of continued mane down between her shoulderblades and eyeing the water, dubiously. "Hope you're right about the wings working out well..." she tells Vorpal.

Vorpal snorts and shakes his head. "You'll not drown. Not if you get in the water once you eat the fruit. Don't drink the milk, it cures dehydration instantly but drowns you if you drink too much. The flesh lets you breathe water but not air. You won't be able to speak underwater, though. So keep that in mind, and if you've anything terribly important to say, now's the time." Vorpal brandishes his fingers and pops open the fruits, handing Dielle, Mrbl, and Ziv one each, keeping the last for himself. He wastes little time stripping down, either. There's so very little of him, with his clothes off. He's not skeletal, or unhealthy- there's just... nothing extra. Lanky in the extreme, more like an artist's depiction of some elven legend than a man. He looks to Etsy and Jenny for a moment quizically. "And you two'll be alright, yeah?" He's already wading into the water with the fruit, clearly ready to eat once the others join him.

GAME: Dielle spends 1 Glamour

"I did an answering!" Etsy chimes cheerfully at Vorpal, and she ducks her head under the water, then comes back up. The siren's hair spreads out around her on the water, the lilies which grow in it floating up on the surface momentarily. "I am a goodness." The mrbl takes the fruit with a mumbled "Thank you," and nibbles on it, descending into the water along with the mermaid.

GAME: Ziv spends 2 Glamour

Jenny plunks a fruit in her mouth, chewing and nodding. "Yup. Bats. A bunch of them." She explains by way of no explanation to Ziv, and shooting Vorp a thumbs-up sign. "Sure. Totes McGoats. Not sure what we're actually doing, of course." The Moon courtier casually slips off her clothes, folding and setting them neatly aside on top of the picnic basket. She slips something into the palm of her left hand as she wades out into the water, seemingly unbothered by all the nakedness going on.

Dielle takes her fruit and says, "Shit, can't y'all just day-pledge for sign language? I already speak it so I wouldn't need it, but it could work, y'know? Hey, Ziv, hey person I don't know." She grins at everyone, and shrugs a bit, then starts wading into the water, herself. (She, too, has a backpack and yes, her clothes go in it, she's following Etsy's idea of Ziploc Heaven.) Then she eats the fruit and ducks under.

"I don't get what you--OH!" the lights come on in Ziv's head as she seems to realize what Jenny is saying, and then she's giving a series of quick nods in comprehension, now. "Oh, yeah. I've seen that - it's pretty cool. I thought you mean like..." Leaving that thought unfinished, with just the hint of redness to her ears, Ziv shrugs and then goes to slosh out into the water, Winter mantle briefly coalescing around her and causing tiny ice fragments on the surface.

The fruit is spun in her fingers, before she takes a huge, crunching bite of it and swallows it down. Gobble, gobble. Not a turkey - but a fruit-eating bat.

And of course, Ziv does wave to Dielle, somewhere in there.

Vorpal sinks down below the water's surface.

Ziv sinks down below the water's surface.

Jenny sinks into the lake from the lakeshore shallows above.

Vorpal noms his fruit and dunks his skinny ass into the lake, diving down into the depths. The burlap sack is slung over his shoulder, dragging more fruit and whatever other supplies he thought they might need on their dive. He's leading the way, his movements elegant if not quick (thank you, Separation!). Following the trod, they wend deeper, until instead of merely tracing a current, they're following weaving paths through lakeweeds and such slimy delights.

-> >> Ziv to Here << <-===============================================

Rolled 1 Success 
< 1 3 4 4 5 5 7 9 >

===========================-> >> Strength + Athletics No Flags << <-

Dielle follows along, swimming reasonably well, once she finds a way to fasten the spear inside the backpack straps so she doesn't have to hold it and it doesn't impede her movements. There's not a lot of conversation, between not being able to talk, and it being hard to sign and swim at the same time.

"Oh, right, nah. Did watch two batboys going at it once." Jenny reflects, able to apparently chatter uninterrupted in this new environment, various gods have mercy upon all you poor fuckers. "Haven't fucked a bat myself though. Yet. Always time, yeah?" The dryad waggles mossy brows as she more or less levitates after their intrepid leader's skinny ass, belatedly returning a grin to Dielle, "And yeah, hullo person I don't know either. Nice to meetcha. And a mermaid. Name's Jen. Jenny. Fuckhead. Whatever works, yeah?"

Ziv's ears, at least, are growing more red as Jenny continues to talk - it's harder to really see any of the blood vessels that are usually affiliated with a blush, given her pelt. It appears she's having some difficulty in the water, but not too much. Her method of swimming appears to be a wing-involved breast stroke, which looks -incredibly- wearying and lacks the grace that Vorpal has - or Etsy, given she's in her element.

As they sweep down through the lakeweed, she gets her wing tangled in some, before an irritable burst of bubbles leaves her and she works on gnawing it off.

"Hello Jenny Fuckhead! I am an Etsy, and this is the mrbls, who is my companions!" And then Etsy disappears under the water's surface.

Literally no one -- except the mrbl -- has seen Etsy look as happy as she does right now. The mermaid literally swims circles around the rest of the group, trilling contentedly in a language that's mostly pops and clicks, and unable to be understood by anyone else here, except maybe the mrbl. Who knows? What's important is that Etsy is underwater, kicking her tail -- feet -- tail -- almost lazily but moving much more gracefully than she does even on land, which is saying something about a Separation-addicted Fairest. Her webbed hands clap together as she casually cruises alongside Vorpal. Doot doot happiest merms.

Dielle hmmms, as she looks around. She pulls her spear back out of her straps and offers it to Ziv to hang onto. Well, Ziv can hang onto one end of it, she'll keep the other. With both of them kicking, it should help a bit. She raises her eyebrows as she offers, and smiles. Here. Have some dubious help.

Vorpal slows as they get deeper, and the weed cover gets thicker. It's starting to be hard to see far at all, and he turns to glance back at the others to make sure everyone's still with him. He modulates his pace to let the others keep up- he swims nearly as fast as most people move on land, though not so quick as Etsy, to be fucking sure- and leads the way onwards.

Vorpal swims deeper into the lake, disappearing amidst the weeds.

Dielle swims deeper into the lake, disappearing amidst the weeds.

Jenny swims deeper into the lake, disappearing amidst the weeds.

Ziv swims deeper into the lake, disappearing amidst the weeds.

-> >> Jenny to Here << <-=============================================

Rolled 4 Successes 
< 1 1 2 4 4 4 6 8 8 8 8 >

============================-> >> Manipulation + Wyrd No Flags << <-

Vorpal leads the intrepid group further on, the murky weed-cover lit from above by dull, colourbleached light, more and more greytone near the surface around the rising slope of the lakebed. He pauses to look back again, making sure he gets attention as he points that way and shakes his head firmly, motioning instead towards... well. Downwards, where the trod's current leads. This is slow going. It's a good thing everyone can breathe, because they've been down here quite a while already. While he waits to be sure everyone's paying attention, his gaze flicks to each of his companions, lingering a moment on each as he... does something? Gauges their comfort so far? Maybe he's just getting an eyeful. Whatever his deal, it's fucking cold and there's not much to look at in HIS direction, unless ya like scars.

The weedling stops to help untangle Ziv, waving at the floating weeds which retract backwards. Beaming at the greeing, "Hullo, an Etsy and the mrbls. Nice to meetcha too. Hm. Who're your friends, since I guess they can't talk? Can Johnny talk?" She swims to catch up to Vorp, poking his ribs, "Johnny, can you talk?" Her teeth are chattering a little bit. She has a fair amount of elemental contracts, but not cold, and the dryad is pretty skinny.

The mermaid seems literally in her element and is contented as contented can be. "That is a Dielles, and that is a Johnny who you knows, but I am knowing as a Vorpals, and, um, this is a Zivs, she is a bats obviouslies." Apparently Etsy's relationship with the English language is 'casual, seeing other grammar systems.' She slides through the weeds, pausing to maneuver past a clump of them, and circles back to watch everyone else to be sure no one else is getting caught up. She doesn't seem cold in the least, though the mrbl is shivering a bit.

Vorpal twists mid-stroke, lifting a finger to point at... well, nothing, though shadows pour out of his digit and form a... literal speech bubble, pitch black with empty, lit space to form words. <NOT OUT LOUD. FRUIT DOESN'T DO THAT.> He shrugs, rolling in the water to keep moving down into the shadows. Even his trick won't be useful down there.

Ziv nods in Jenny's direction, looking relieved as some of the weeds are retracted off of her. She can't really go above them, since they're going down, so she has to make do and tuck in her wings partially to try to maneuver more carefully. Really, she doesn't look thrilled to be down here - she's a creature of the air, not of the water, and one of those is much heavier and difficult to move in than the other. At least, if you're not made for it, which she isn't. In the end she's probably bringing up the rear.

Dielle dives deeper into darkness, disappearing amidst the tangled depths.

Vorpal dives deeper into darkness, disappearing amidst the tangled depths.

Jenny swims in from above.

Ziv swims in from above.

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 5 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 3 3 5 8 8 8 9 10 >

===============================-> >> Wits + Dexterity No Flags << <-

GAME: Ziv spends 1 Glamour

They swim down into the darkness, and for a little bit, there is only darkness.

And then?

There's a small burst of glamour from within the group, and then a bright little light apppears, illuminating the following:

Etsy's face, neck, and upper torso. A small reflective surface.

The light pours out from a small, glass globe that Etsy holds in her hand, as she drops the metal mirror lashed at her waist back to the ribbon it's laced on. She adjusts the loop holding the map case on her back, and holds up the globe. "Here we are. Which way are we going, Vorpal?" Her voice is distorted by the water, but the mermaid seems exceptionally pleased by herself.

GAME: Jenny spends 1 Glamour

Well, that makes one of them. The sudden burst of light illuminates, for a moment, the deeply pleased and exhilirated face of- OH MOTHERFUCKER YOU GOT RID OF THE SHADOWS. Darkness DRENCHES Vorpal as he recoils, eyes blasted by pleasant, soft light. It only lasts a moment, swirling back away to leave him squinting towards Etsy- and then glancing to the others and back to Etsy with an approving nod.

Flavored with aggravation.

Jenny's eyes start to glow with an increasing bioluminscient, allowing the Moon-courtier to see where others cann- "OW FUCK SHITTER CUNTFACE" The Weedling, having just acclimated to the environment, did not expect suddenly glowing mermaids, switching her curses to Russian as she mutters and rubs her eyes. "Ow. Okay. I'm alright."

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
< 1 1 3 3 5 6 6 8 9 9 >

================================-> >> Wits + Composure 8-Again << <-

-> >> Dielle to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
< 2 3 3 3 4 6 10 10 10 >

================================-> >> Wits + Composure 9-Again << <-

-> >> Ziv to Here << <-===============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
< 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 5 6 6 9 9 10 >

============================-> >> Wits + Composure + 2 8-Again << <-

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 4 Successes 
< 1 2 2 3 3 5 8 9 9 10 >

============================-> >> Wits + Composure + 1 8-Again << <-

"Sorry, wasn't calling you a cuntface. Startled, is all." Jen adds for clarity purposes.

-> >> Jenny to Here << <-=============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
< 2 3 4 4 7 8 8 9 >

===============================-> >> Wits + Composure No Flags << <-

Dielle wasn't looking straight at Etsy OR her globe, so she manages not to blind herself. Luckily for her. Instead, she looks around the room because she really does NOT like pitch black in the hedge, thank you very much and why the hell couldn't she be a Bright One, dammit?

Ziv had probably done just about the same as Jenny, for there's a wing that lifts to cover her glowing eyes and she squints against the light. Actually, the others can hear something from her underwater, even though it's not actually speech - liquid carries sound really well. In this case, it's a high-pitched, drawn out, squeaking/shrieking sound of annoyance. Thankfully, it's short-lived.

The light means Vorpal has a canvas to paint on with shadows again, and when he realizes he's noticed some terribly regular stones down at the lakebed? The shadows lash in directing arrows, leading the others after him as he descends towards the curious fissure. He doesn't seem worried about the possibility of hob or changeling attacks. But then, has he -ever.- That might not be a good metric. Still... there he goes.

-> >> Ziv to Here << <-===============================================

Rolled 2 Successes 
< 1 2 2 3 4 5 7 8 10 >

===========================-> >> Strength + Athletics No Flags << <-

The siren hums a happy little song once she has her globe in her hand, holding it aloft like Lady Liberty, only totes nekkid and wearing only mirrors and lilies. So sort of a bizarre naked take on Lady Ophelia and Liberty's lesbian lovechild. Anyway, to end the torturing of a metaphor, the mermaid trills, "Sorry!" as people start cursing, and follows the directing arrows, casual as ever. Light aloft, leading the way.

Dielle continues to follow, but now she's trying to stick close to an Etsy, because hello, light! She seems to be having some /real/ misgivings, though, she doesn't like this, she doesn't like this, this is not gonna be good.

Ziv, thankfully, seems to be getting accustomed to trying to use wings in an aquatic environment. As Vorpal dives, so too does she, closing her talons together and using her feet and legs more effectively to kick forward, while streamlining her wings. The light's all Dielle's (and Etsys), too, it seems - it helps, but it's also nice to stay further away and allow the nocturnal contract to assist her in seeing.

Jenny's left hand has been holding something tightly in the water this whole time, and... it just continues to do so. But she squeezes a little tighter, making sure her grip is tight as she continues along nonchalantly. "So. You and me, Etsy. I mean, conversation-wise. Fuck it's getting cold though. I'mma stick by the bat chick for warmth and also cuz she's cute. Anyone wanna hear embarrassing stories about Johnny's past while he can't talk though?"

Vorpal dives deeper and wedges themselves through a crack in what appears to be a stonework wall, emerging from the silt, and vanishes into deeper darkness.

Vorpal wriggles through a fissure between some particularly regular rocks, joining you in the Depths. Wait, can you even see down here? Maybe you didn't notice that.

Vorpal dives deeper and wedges themselves through a crack in what appears to be a stonework wall, emerging from the silt, and vanishes into deeper darkness.

Dielle dives deeper and wedges themselves through a crack in what appears to be a stonework wall, emerging from the silt, and vanishes into deeper darkness.

Jenny dives deeper and wedges themselves through a crack in what appears to be a stonework wall, emerging from the silt, and vanishes into deeper darkness.

Ziv dives deeper and wedges themselves through a crack in what appears to be a stonework wall, emerging from the silt, and vanishes into deeper darkness.

Up close to Ziv, it's actually varied between cold and warm - for whatever reason, the water feels cooler out near her wings. Jenny'd probably have to cuddle right up to Ziv to get the feeling of warmth, and the batling is looking at her skeptically. However, at the offer of Johnny - Vorpal - stories while he can't talk, the Winter suddenly nods adamantly while they move along.

Vorpal snakes his way through the breach into the chamber beyond. Once Etsy makes it into the segment, everyone can see that they're... in a dungeon. A literal dungeon, but a strange one. Everything that should be on the ground is attached to the ceiling, and there's a few scattered, rusty candelabra hanging UP from the floor. The entire room is upside down, including the stairwell off down past a dozen or so cell doors.

Not that Vorpal seems to notice. He's too busy giving Jenny a look that screams "REALLY?!"

The mermaid turns back and flutters her eyelashes at Jenny. "Am always liking to hear a stories! Do tell a stories to me." She holds the light aloft, and then pauses, frowning, noticing the ... odd set-up before Vorpal does. "Everything is an upside-down. Like the shows of the four boys and the angeries girl. I am likes the angeries girl. Am understands. My favorite foods is also an important."

So that's Etsy's takeaway from Stranger Things: special foods are important. Thanks, Etsy.

Jenny loops her arm into Ziv's as if they were the closest of friends, nodding primly. The Moon-courtier for her part seems surrounded by darkness, no matter the light, but the darkness does not extend to the dryad herself. Nor is it cold, but warm and full of heady scents, alnd the faintly audible sounds of a primeval wilderness or Dionysian revelrie. Jenny seems pleased with herself anyway, eyes hooding as she nods serenely to the mermaid's request, "Yes, and the best part is that he can't even complain about the bits I'm lying about. So the important thing you have to understand is that we were both sort of seeing the same girl at the time- this was years ago- and she had a thing for dudes wearing skirts..."

Dielle looks carefully about the room, since there's an Etsy and her light. But then Jenny's talking, so Dielle moves closer to hear this story, still looking around and around and around.

Ziv had been about to try to go and 'stand' on the ceiling - she spent a good portion of her life upside-down by this point, so it might not be too big of a deal there. But then Jenny's looping an arm around one of her wings, folding down some of the webbing with the impression. In answer, Ziv's ears twitch and then fold back in the water, and she kind of... eyes the dryad, but the look soon turns to intrigue as the story begins.

But, in the meanwhile, she looks... down and starts to tug the dryad in the direction of the stairway, perhaps hoping to get a better look.

Vorpal unleashes an abrupt, burbling laugh and shakes his head, swimming towards the stairwell, pausing to check the cells. Each is empty. He waves for the others to stay near, throwing up a shadow clock on the wall. It's a guess, but there's not a ton of time left on the fruit they ate. If they run out of time, they'll have to eat another and head back. Best not to split up.

Ziv swims down the stairwell and joins you in the gatehouse.

Vorpal leads the way down into the gatehouse, which... is no less upside down. He pauses, then, peering at the titular gate... and its mortared shut, gravity inverted self. That... doesn't look like it's going anyplace, and the water in their lungs is starting to feel a little thin.

GAME: Etsy spends 1 Glamour with reason: wind 1 because i wanna be real fuckin extra

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 5 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 2 2 2 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 9 10 >

===========================-> >> Wyrd + Dexterity + 4 No Flags << <-

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 11 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 >

==================-> >> Wyrd + Persuasion + 4 8-Again and Rote << <-

Passing the globe to Vorpal, Etsy trills, "Do a holding of this up to the grates, if can put a hands through to be able to shows, is best. Or will take back. Cannot be sures of how big a hands is going to fits." And then she becomes intangible. Not invisible, just intangible. The smoky-colored mermaid is first briefly touched by her otter, who doesn't so much dap her as smack her on the knee. Go show off, you brat.

The intangible creature slides through the gate as if it doesn't exist to her, though more accurately she doesn't exist to it. Her vaguely-luminous sea-change eyes are all that is visible of her once she passes the gate, like a wild animal receding in the dark.

Etsy swims through the gate and vanishes through to the other side.

The weedling doesn't notice, anyway. Not the air thinning, I mean, continuing gaily, "So, we got Johnny all dolled up for her birthday as a surprise, right? Only I hadn't told *him* as a surprise that I was lending her my-" She trails off a little as she squints at Etsy turning intangibile and passing through the gate, "Magic..." She squints more. "What's she doing?" This to no one in particular, I guess, since Etsy is the only one who could answer.

Ziv can't really answer about what Etsy is doing, since she still can't properly talk underwater. It does appear, however, that the batling is thoroughly intrigued by the story Jenny is telling - she looks incredibly amused. There's also a sly, suggestive slide of her eyes over towards Vorpal while they wait. Oh dear.

Dielle watches Etsy leave and come back, while listening to Jenny tell what are obviously damning stories about Vorpal. She's trying to conceal a grin and failing miserably. She's enjoying hell out of this.

Vorpal takes the glowball when offered and rolls it between his palms. His angular face is... well, no better lit than ever, with the clinging shadows hiding his eyes. Still, his head gives that stereotypical bob of the head suggesting a dramatic roll of the eyes. He's not trying to stop Jenny's tale! But he doesn't seem overly invested in it, either, not directly- though the reactions of the other women are worth watching.

GAME: Etsy spends 2 Glamour with reason: breaching barriers, mrbl edition

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 8 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 2 2 2 3 4 5 6 6 6 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 >

=============================-> >> Wyrd + Presence + 1 8-Again << <-

She's only gone for a handful of seconds, and then Etsy comes back through the door, as intangible as she was before. "Hellos! Is time for all peoples who can do a separates to walk through a doors to do a helps. Is only way through is to breach a barriers. I will take a mrbls firstly, then I will come back to take anyone else who needs a takes. You can tell us the stories about the dildos once we are through the gates." Pause. "Did I guess right? Is that what did a lendings?" Etsy doesn't wait for the answer, though, grabbing her otter (the smaller, blue-furred one, not the larger, not-here, former-RAF one) and dragging it through the gate. A second later, she returns without the otter.

GAME: Vorpal spends 1 Glamour

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
< 2 3 4 5 5 6 6 9 9 10 >

=================================-> >> Presence + Wyrd 0-Again << <-

GAME: Vorpal spends 1 Glamour

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
< 3 3 5 6 6 7 7 9 10 10 >

=================================-> >> Presence + Wyrd 0-Again << <-

GAME: Vorpal spends 1 Glamour

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 4 Successes 
< 1 2 3 5 5 7 9 9 9 9 >

=================================-> >> Presence + Wyrd 0-Again << <-

GAME: Vorpal spends 1 Glamour

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 2 Successes 
< 1 1 1 2 3 6 7 7 9 9 >

=================================-> >> Presence + Wyrd 0-Again << <-

GAME: Vorpal spends 1 Glamour

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
< 1 3 4 4 4 5 6 8 8 8 >

=================================-> >> Presence + Wyrd 0-Again << <-

GAME: Vorpal spends 1 Glamour

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 2 Successes 
< 2 2 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 10 >

=================================-> >> Presence + Wyrd 0-Again << <-

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 8 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 1 2 2 2 2 4 4 5 6 7 8 8 8 8 9 10 10 10 >

====================-> >> Wyrd + Presence + 4 + 1 + 1 No Flags << <-

GAME: Etsy spends 2 Glamour with reason: breaching barriers dielle edition

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 2 Successes 
< 1 2 4 4 4 5 7 7 8 9 >

=================================-> >> Presence + Wyrd 0-Again << <-

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
< 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 >

=================================-> >> Presence + Wyrd 0-Again << <-

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 2 Successes 
< 2 2 3 4 6 6 7 7 8 10 >

=================================-> >> Presence + Wyrd 0-Again << <-

GAME: Etsy spends 1 Willpower

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 4 Successes 
< 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 >

====================-> >> Presence + Wyrd + 1 + 3 + 1 No Flags << <-

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
< 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 8 8 10 >

====================-> >> Presence + Wyrd + 1 + 3 + 1 No Flags << <-

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 7 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 2 2 4 5 6 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 10 >

========================-> >> Presence + Wyrd + 1 + 1 No Flags << <-

GAME: Etsy spends 2 Glamour with reason: breaching barriers, ziv edition

GAME: Etsy spends 1 Willpower

Vorpal swims through the gate and vanishes through to the other side.

Dielle swims through the gate and vanishes through to the other side.

Jenny swims through the gate and vanishes through to the other side.

Ziv swims through the solid material of the gate and flops like a fish! Oof!

-> >> Jenny to Here << <-=============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
< 1 2 3 4 4 4 5 6 8 9 10 >

=================================-> >> Wyrd + Stealth No Flags << <-

GAME: Vorpal regain 2 Glamour

Jen blinks and then nods, beaming brightly, "Oh, yes, quite right. Well, more of a detachable penis really. Sort of like that song. Am always happy to lend it to a good friend in need though, yeah?" Jen nudges Ziv a little at that, and then rubs the two little glass eyes in her left fist together lightly, the weedling stepping sideways into a patch of shadows cast by the returned mermaid and disappearing.

"I do not know that songs. I should learn that songs about a penis that is detaches. I am glad I did a guess!" Two more trips through the door: one for Dielle, and one for Ziv. Etsy literally comes back through, touches her illusory hand to Dielle's, and pulls her through the gate. The mermaid does the exact same thing for Ziv, and once she gets through to the other side, pulls herself through and settles quietly on one of the edges of the top of the gardens. "More upside downs," Etsy sighs. "Who can do a helps of a mrbls to get down? Do not want to have a mrbls do a falls. Oh waits. Maybe... is... is there a mirrorings... hmmm."

On the other side of the gate, the group emerges onto a relatively small ledge formed by the overhang of the gatehouse's entrance. There's plenty of room for about half a dozen people to sit around, so space isn't an issue, but for a few moments after they step out, those using oasis fruits have to hold their breath while the fruit finishes leaving their bodies. It's a good thing they were delayed underwater- too long out of the water would have caused some serious issues. Vorpal waits patiently, face screwed up, before he blanches and coughs up the water in his lungs, over the side. "Augh. Hells. That- that is not my favorite thing."

"Get... down?" Vorpal peers at Etsy, then over the edge of their platform. Down... is just into the sky. Or something that looks like a starry sky far below. "... is that where you want to go?"

Dielle follows suit, hacking all the water out of her lungs and then reviewing inputs because holy CRAP, bodies are weird things. She does make sure to do all of that not into the water they're in, because ew. "Ow. Oh, ow. Thanks for the ride through the door, Etsy. Remind me that I don't want to do this again real soon." She coughs a little more and makes an ick face.

Jenny would've got some fiendish underwater snickering from Ziv, who seems pretty well entertained by the tale from the dryad.

On the other side, though, she's too busy coughing and hacking like her lungs are trying to escape to really give much commentary. Eventually she wipes her mouth on the back of her wrist, saying, "Blech." Her voice is hoarse, and somewhat squeaky... and then she notices where they are, and her ears perk up. "Oh! Hey! It looks kind of like home!" Wherever that is.

"Get ups, downs, get to a place that is safes," Etsy answers casually. "I will bee arr bee." She's got her map case/backpack and her mirror slung around her body still, and she starts 'climbing.' "What can I say, except, ya welcome!" sings the mermaid cheerfully back to the unicorn. Her fins become sort of feet again, folding in to themselves. She isn't coughing or hacking, as if coming up from underwater is the most natural thing she's ever done except going underwater.

Vorpal squints at the distance, across the upside-down garden, tilting his head. "... is that a house?"

It, in fact, is. There's a rather fancy, if old and faded, Victorian manor house off past the garden. He studies their options for travel, considering Dielle and Mrbl, then leans over the edge to reach down and touch the spiderwebs spreading from the "roof" over to the nearest tree.

Jenny wrings her hair- well, vines- out as well as she can, the dryad stretching and relaxing at the return to desirable plant-supporting temperatures. "Mmmm. I like that it's not freezing but this is also really weird." She peers down with a hint of unease, although she does have fallbacks that would hopefully work in the event of a tumble. Still though. "Oh, like that movie with the shiny crab!" Jen does always appreciate pop culture references at least, beaming at Etsy's and then looking at Johnny. "Got a plan?"

"Yep," murmurs Vorpal as his glamour flares.

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 4 Successes 
< 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 9 9 9 10 >

====================================-> >> Wits + Wyrd No Flags << <-

GAME: Vorpal spends 2 Glamour

"Shiny...Oh, Moana!" She's looking around again, then eyes the spider webs. "Aw, shit," says Dielle. "Do those come with octo-kittens?" Seems someone isn't horribly fond of spiders. She pulls the spear out of the backpack straps and waits. "What's the plan?"

-> >> Ziv to Here << <-===============================================

Rolled 2 Successes 
< 1 1 2 3 3 4 5 6 7 7 8 10 >

=================-> >> Dexterity + Athletics.Climbing No Flags << <-

Nothing seems to happen, but when Vorpal carelessly clambers off the edge with nothing but spiderwebs beneath him... they hold his weight. They don't even react to his landing, though he winces a bit. "Mf. That kinda stings. Come on, you guys can walk on these now. Careful, though. They are -unyielding.- So kinda edgy."

GAME: Ziv spends 1 Glamour

Jenny peers at the spiderwebs skeptically. "Is... Johnny, is this safe? I can get everyone across. This doesn't look tremendously safe, to be honest."

"Hm? Yeah. The webs can't break, sway or anything. They're safer than steel right now," Vorpal explains.

For her part, Ziv is paying no attention to the pop culture references or the plan that Vorpal, Dielle, and Jenny might be formulating. She turns her head upwards, and then downwards, and then leans over to look at things before vaulting up towards one of the nearby trees on the 'ceiling'...

But, she doesn't actually find any purchase for her claws, so there's a lot of flailing and scrabbling with both wings and feet before she drops. A flip of her wings and she fans them out, and even though they're not -really- big enough to fly... they are apparently big enough to work like one of those squirrel suits. Ziv orients into a tree, proper, before dropping down with greater care onto the webs with a grimace. "...That sucks."

Jenny eyes the steel-hard weblines with misgiving, then looks at her damp bare feet. Then steel-hard webbing. The dryad sighs and climbs down, noticeably less graceful out of the water and woodland as she makes her buck-naked way across, ouching and yelping occasionally.

Vorpal waits for the others to start across, then turns back and holds his hands up towards the platform. "Mrbl- want a ride? Only one of us has to have sore feet on the other side."

Dielle sighs and starts climbing down herself, clearly not happy about anything spiderwebby. "Ziv, you ok?" she asks, concerned, and looks over at Vorpal afterwards. "Johnny, huh?" she says to him. There's an amused look on her face, before she goes back to walking along the cobwebs. At least she's not grumbling.

The mrbl gives Vorpal a sort of thoughtful, curious look, and takes a moment to prepare itself. Perhaps out of deference to Vorpal? Though the Shadowsoul is already as soaked as soaked can be. Mrbl shakes, thoroughly, from nose to tail, and smooths its tiny human-like paws over its fuffy, feathery brows. Then it climbs onto Vorpal's shoulders with a diffident, "Thank you."

Etsy hums to herself, continuing to sing the Moana song as she clambers, not solid, up to the destination, casual as can be. "... ya welcome!"

"Ngh... ow," Ziv whines in answer to Dielle's question sent her way, though she's continuing to pick her way across. "Why am I always getting my feet cut up when I go do anything..." Of course this foregoes the obvious answer of: someone doesn't regularly wear shoes. And when she's going out to do things, there's almost a guarantee she won't be wearing shoes. "...Neat place though. I'd like to come back, and... I don't know. Practice."

A glance down, and Vorpal shakes his head. "I dunno that practicing here would be such a great idea. That looks an awfully... long..." He stops and squints downwards. "... that's not wind. Is it?"

It is not. That's the sound of distant, rushing water from beneath them.

It doesn't take too long to cross, songs and Mrbldrapes and welty feet aside. There's no blood shed by the webs, but there's going to be some sore soles when they make it to the roof of the manor house's porch. Vorpal sets Mrbl down and pats its head absently before straightening. "... What do you guys think? In for a penny?" He opens the burlap sack again, pulling out a tight roll of catseye clover and biting into the spicy package while he waits.

->> +Fruit <<- Vorpal uses 1 of his pow Catseye Clover.

GAME: Vorpal regain 2 Glamour

Jenny ouches and rolls around on the other side for a minute when they land, making a face at the mermaid's continued singing. The dryad basically never wears shoes and has pretty tough soles, but the long soak didn't help things. Still, she hops to her feet, doing some stretches. She really doesn't seem to notice or care much about the nudity thing at all. "Ugh. Sure. Taking the treeway back, though, telling you that right now. Lead on, Johnny boy." She gives the scarred Lost a pat of encouragement. Wherever is most easily pattable at the moment. Starting to hum 'Shiny' to herself now also.

"May as well," murmurs Dielle. She gives Ziv a meaningful look, then nods at Etsy, and says, "I ain't much for the traditional healing powers of my people, but I hear the mermaid ain't fuckin' bad at it. Or poke Johnny-boy over there and ask for some fruits. By the way, I think there are shoes that aren't hard rubber soles, but are more like gloves for your feet." She shrugs a bit, then says, "What's the plan, Stan?"

"They don't make them for bat-feet," points out Ziv to Dielle, sitting down on the ledge in order to massage the upper ridge of her wing and her thumb into the soles of her feet. At least they -aren't- cut. This time. A flex again and then she straightens up, drifting over towards Vorpal with a response of, "Still could be good practice... but um... maybe start off with something easier, again." Her dark eyes drift to watch whatever Etsy is doing.

"It is highly recommends to offer foods to Springs at every availables, makes an easier heals, especially if that Springs did just bring everybodies through a doors which is not a cheapness," Etsy notes cheerfully, once she makes it to her destination. She slings her bag off of her back and starts digging through it absently. "Could get a shoes made for a special feets, is not so difficults. I have a shoes that fits my feets. Ask a Billy Rays, or someone elses. Is always good to have a shoes for a feets that is your feets, especially our peoples, we have so many different feets. Have a fins, have an otter feets, have a funny dog feets some peoples... "

"Oh. That's a good point. You want a salad roll, Etsy?" Vorpal pulls another bundle of clover out of the sack and offers it to the mermaid as Jenny and Ziv step nearer, his shadedrenched shoulder easily pattable by the weedling. He fishes around in the bag again, and pulls out a length of Stabapple thorn, spinning it idly in one hand before moving for the door. "Well, then- we go in. If you wanna come back, Ziv, we can, sometime- maybe after we figure out where the sky goes."

Vorpal somehow makes their way through the gardens without falling into the sky, and pulls open the front door, disappearing inside as the door shuts behind them.

Jenny steps into the foyer.

Dielle steps into the foyer.

Ziv steps into the foyer.

"I brought lunch, but it's up top." Jen jerks a thumb vaguely in the direction of the surface. Apparently that picnic basket was... actually just full of a picnic? The weedling shrugs though, "But thanks. Nah though. Sores ain't too bad. Gives me something to grief Johnny about anyway. Vorp? You only going by Vorp now?" She prods the scarred boys with an elbow, glancing over at the shoe convo and wrinkling her nose. "Eh. Shoes though. They're like prisons for feets. Nasty and unfun."

"Yeah, I have um... some of the stuff. Actually been looking for spider silk..." admits Ziv as she trails along after, limping a bit, and looking over a shoulder to first Etsy and then back towards the gardens. There's a small flick of her ears, and then she nods in agreement to Vorpal. "I'd like that. And hey! Another adventure." Someone's a little overly eager about wandering around Hedge places.

Then, over to Jenny, she notes, "You could bring baggies or something to keep it in next time... And um... not get your stuff soaked like mine probably is. Think I have a couple blushberries left, though, that are in a bag..."

"You and Nathania are the only ones seem to remember Johnny. Well. You and the body art community, anyhow. Mister Drexel remains rather popular. I go- what, a day or two?- without people asking me why I haven't got a shop open in town," Vorpal explains. "It's a little anticlimactic to introduce myself as a god and end with "oh, but just call me Jackie-boy."" He snorts, moving along into the foyer and pausing. "... wow. This place... really not doing so great, huh?"

Stepping through the front door of the manor is... unsettling. Outside, one is upside down, standing on the roof of the porch, staring at an inverted door. Inside? One is perfectly upright. And there's no real reason or rhyme to this. It just is. Vorpal stops once he steps through, glancing back at the others. "... well. That's... something." To the others, he looks like he's standing upright just like them, with everything INSIDE the manor seeming to be upside down. It's... really strange.

For someone who spends most of her time underwater, pretty much everything on land is weird. Etsy solidifies again, and starts digging through her backpack. First, a small chamois cloth, all the better to wipe off her skin with its pale, iridescent scaled patterns and the scars on her back. Then, her long, empire-waisted cotton dress and tatty cotton slippers. Her hair's still salty and damp, and leaves a wet spot on the back of her dress, but the merms doesn't seem to much care. Still, it's got to be uncomfortable, folding up fins and making them act like feet. She hums quietly to herself. "What is a weirdness?" she asks. "Oh. The upside-rightside," she agrees. It's all strange, not under the sea.

-> >> Ziv to Here << <-===============================================

Rolled 11 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 6 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 >

============================-> >> Wits + Composure + 2 8-Again << <-

Dielle doesn't much worry about putting clothes back on, since she's still got the whole tank-top/leggings/crocs thing going on. Well, something like crocs, anyway. Not as ugly. "It's like that movie with the Goblin King. The pretty one." She wrings out her braid as best she can, and adjusts her backpack.

"...It is kinda disorienting, and I'm sort of... used to periodically hanging upside-down," admits Ziv, her ears perked forward while her fur and rucksack continue to drip onto the flooring of the corridor. Albeit more slowly than they had prior. Several more steps are taken, and she peers off into the distance, flanking Vorpal, before giving off a high-pitched, clicking sound - rather, a series of them, before reorienting her ears and listening. Seeming roughly satisfied, she says over a shoulder to Dielle, "Oh, I know that movie!"

"Hn? I don't know that one. What movie?" Vorpal asks, starting around the room to check the doors. Every one he tries refuses to open. The doorknobs don't even turn. He stares at them, grumbling. "Are these even real doors?"

"The ones with the 'it's only forever, not long at all'?" Of course Etsy knows a movie by its songs, and of course she sings whenever she can. Her English behaves when she sings. The mermaid drifts along after Vorpal, moving this way and that, like she's caught in a current that only she can feel. "Can try to do a walk throughs and see, is not difficults to be intangibles. Wants to do a checks?"

Dielle grins at Ziv and Etsy and nods. "Yeah, that one. It's called Labyrinth, "Johnny". It's fuckin' awesome and the music stays with you for daaaaays." She starts feeling along the walls, trying to see if there's a door that's hidden.

Ziv's head tilts back, her ears swivelling a few times to and fro, before she eventually says to the others, "I... don't think -any- of them are real. Except the ones up there. All the rest are... decoration?"

"No, I don't know what might be on the other side, Ets. Stay with-" Vorpal glances to Dielle, squinting faintly when she makes a point of calling him Johnny. "... hm. Is it so good? I'll watch it sometime."

"NONE of them? Just the two up top?" Vorpal glances up, then heads up the stairs two at a time, trying the doors and pausing when the doors open, peering past. "... huh. Come take a look at this, ladies."

Vorpal heads into the hallways of the manor.

Dielle heads into the hallways of the manor.

Ziv steps into the hallways, accompanied by the faint scent of old carpet and dried mud. The door slams shut behind them.

Vorpal stays just past the doorway, waiting for the others to join him. The wallpaper of the hallways leaves it feeling like the myriad passages of an old hotel, with nothing easy to cling to as landmark. He's holding the door open for the others, but when the last woman steps through and he steps towards them, the door slams shut behind, leaving him whirling and trying the door, whose handle now refuses to move. "... WELL. This is... exciting!"

-> >> Ziv to Here << <-===============================================

Rolled 7 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 1 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 >

============================-> >> Wits + Composure + 2 8-Again << <-

"Is a goodness. I am having the movies on the Amazons, I buyed it with the Reggie-card." Not a credit card, the Reggie-card. Obviously. That's what that is. She doesn't seem terribly surprised that most of the doors are fake, either. "Well, is a hedgeness... " she offers absently. "Dielles, we should do a movies nights of showings, and then if is a movies do not has, I can do a buyings, and use the big house for a purposes! So many movies did not knows because ... did not have even a movies that did talks when I was before." Etsy drifts along after, followed by the uncharacteristically-quiet mrbl, who seems, for once, to not have an opinion about Reggie.

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 1 Success 
< 1 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 >

================================-> >> Wits + Composure 8-Again << <-

"...At least we have someone who can walk through walls," says Ziv apprehensively, sticking somewhere around the middle of the group. She gives out another series of high-pitched chirps again, tapping into the Contract she activated before leaving the surface. And she listens...

Or at least, she presumably listens. Her head actually ends up tilting this way and that, ears going every which way, possibly without rhyme or reason to those around her... and she actually goes a bit cross-eyed at one point. This continues a bit after the echoes the others can hear die away, and then Ziv seems to snap out of it. "...er..."

Dielle is looking around and she CLEARLY does not like this place. She edges a bit closer to Etsy and says, as if trying to distract herself, "We should totally do that. Labyrinth, the Dark Crystal and Clerks 2." Ok, that progression makes no sense. Maybe she just wants to see people's reactions to the donkey show.

"I've never heard of any of those," mutters Vorpal. "And if you wish to host a movie party, Etsy, I could be convinced to attend, though I will admit up front that I cannot promise I will be focused past the first. I haven't had much patience for... observing. When it comes to media, lately. Music is nice, though."

He glances Ziv's way when she just stammers instead of offering useful information. "... is everything alright?"

"I am not likes a Dark Crystals, but will do a watch with you. I do not like the scree scree, it does a hurts to my ears... " When Dielle edges closer, Etsy rests a webbed hand on the unicorn's arm. "Is an okays, Zivs?" It's a good thing, sometimes, to be so diffident and not really connected to the world around you. You don't get freaked out as much as other people do. Separation isn't just a contract tree, it's a state of mind. "Oh, is okays, I get distracteds anyways, but I will do a movies times. Maybe one or two or threes."

Ziv shakes her head briskly as if to clear it, sending a few minute water droplets over her companions. "Sorry... just got... kinda confused for a moment. Nothing's... staying in place, here. It's all... moving around. So I don't think there's... really a solution to this, so much as there is, um, luck."

Dielle nods at Ziv, in wordless comradery. She /really/ doesn't like this place, but she's having a hard time verbalizing it. Which is why the movie talk. "We can skip The Dark Crystal. Y'all seen the 80s version of Flash Gordon? Some of Jon's frat brothers made us watch it, that stuff was /crazy/."

"Hrgh. Fine. Then we just start trying doors. Stay close. If things are shifting around, I don't want anyone getting lost. And don't hesitate to make noise if you see something dangerous." Vorpal just starts tugging at doors, starting down the hall. A few open, but they all lead to cramped, off-angle chambers too small to be useful.

-> >> Ziv to Here << <-===============================================

Rolled 0 Success 
< 3 >

==============================================-> >> 1 No Flags << <-

-> >> Dielle to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 0 Success 
< 7 >

==============================================-> >> 1 No Flags << <-

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 1 Success 
< 9 >

==============================================-> >> 1 No Flags << <-

Sometimes, being that sort of floating-upon-the-world detritus has its benefits and-slash-or luck associated with it. Etsy coos, 'oooh, look, it's a shinies!' and drifts toward a door whose handle is a large pearl (this time, anyway, who knows what it'll be next time?). Her webbed hand reaches out, closes 'round it, and the door opens with a satisfying click. "I finded the door of opening!" she trills happily, just as the mrbl's little paws are failing as if to say 'whyyyy must you randomly open things in this place and give me a heart attack.'

Ziv escapes the hallways and joins you in the gallery.

Dielle escapes the hallways and joins you in the gallery.

"Etsy found a way out!" It's been an uncomfortable few minutes, and Vorpal moves to Etsy's side immediately, standing half in, half out of the doorway, waving for the others to move through. "We're going together, we can't assume we'll find each other again if we get separated. Come on, everyone in!"

Jenny is totally there as she has been all along. "I like the part where David Bowie wears incredibly tight pants, that's fun. Wait, Clerks 2?" The dryad is just following along and having fun, and probably not taking this as serious as she should, pffting at Johnny's concerns. "I'm sure if we get lost we can get directions from a faun that only tells lies or something. What story involving magical labyrinths and haunted mansions ever ends badly?

"Why are we doing this again?" Thankfully, Ziv's tone has some humor in it as she goes wandering off into the gallery. Once there, however, her ears perk up in the light provided by Etsy's glow-globe, before she actually heads in the direction of one of the plinths, hopping up onto it and striking a dramatic pose.

"Ummm... so manies do," Etsy answers Jenny, as the mrbl reaches up and grabs one of her webbed hands. "That was a sarcastic question, Esther," it informs her quietly. "Honestly, I don't know how you manage when I'm not around." "Very well, actuallies... but am glad for a mrbls," she confirms, drifting in through the doorway. "Is not enough paintings on a walls, should have so many. It seems like is a naked galleries... "

"Because it's here, mostly," explains Vorpal. "Worst case scenario, we can fuss around until we find the foyer again, and go back the way we came. I've got plenty of fruit for that." He wanders around the gallery with the others, confirming there's no other exits before spotting the huge plinth in the middle of the central theatre and studying it. "... The Hunted," he muses, somewhat humorously. "Interesting that all the art is absent. Come- let's try our luck in the hallways again. I think I'm the only person going to much enjoy lingering in its halls."

Vorpal leaves you behind in the gallery and takes their chances in the hallways.

-> >> Ziv to Here << <-===============================================

Rolled 0 Success 
< 6 >

==============================================-> >> 1 No Flags << <-

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 1 Success 
< 9 >

==============================================-> >> 1 No Flags << <-

Ziv gives a hop down off of the plinth before going to wander along after the others, looking vaguely disappointed for whatever reason... And kind of eyeing the corridor beyond.

Vorpal escapes the hallways and joins you in the master bedroom.

Jenny escapes the hallways and joins you in the master bedroom.

Call it the luck of the floof: Etsy puts her hand on another doorknob -- this one sparkly cut glass -- and it opens into a large bedroom. "Oooh, only needs a tanks... " she offers, drifting around the large room and slowly spinning in place, humming to herself. "Has rooms for a big tanks for sleeps."

Dielle follows Etsy in, and sighs a bit. "Please tell me I'm not the only one who finds this place seriously disturbed? It's seriously uncomfortable-making. Like it used to be haunted and the ghosts can't even be bothered but..." She trails off. "Never mind, I'm not making any sense. Even to me."

Jenny would whistle at Ziv posing fwiw. "I'm having a grand time, actually." She assures Vorp, probably with am arm pat, nodding at the mrbl's clarification. "Well, I dunno. Ironical, maybe?" She shrugs, looking at the fretting unicorn with a bit of a lopsided grin. "Eh. I mean. It's definitely weird. Doesn't feel malicious to me though. Can check for ghosts if you want?"

GAME: Jenny spends 1 Glamour

-> >> Jenny to Here << <-=============================================

Rolled 1 Success 
< 1 1 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 9 >

================================-> >> Wyrd + Presence No Flags << <-

"...I think it's the angles," says Ziv abruptly, as if that's occurred to her regarding the chatter when they enter the master bedroom. Her ears perk up, and she turns her head, taking it in, and then explaining, "Sometimes when... something's not quite right... it causes kind of a um... upset in your head. Because you're expecting something to go wrong, maybe... And this place just... it -feels- like someone should be here. Why would they remove art?"

"Nothing is ironic, in this song," sings Etsy to the tune of you know what song it's to the tune of, ahem. "Is sort of a sadness, all the empties," she agrees with Dielle, still spinning in place like a little girl who just got her first dress with a big floofy skirt. Spin spin sugar. "But if a someones did take cares of it, it would be a niceness. Imagine the Airship Adventure without anybodies, it would be so much sadness... "

Dielle shakes her head at Jenny. "I don't think there's anything here, it's just...like Ziv said, it's all off. Which is throwing me. And if something moved out and didn't want to leave the art, I could see that." She frowns, and pokes about in the room a bit. She's fairly sure, at this point, that if it's a horror movie, she's going to be eaten first.

-> >> Ziv to Here << <-===============================================

Rolled 1 Success 
< 1 1 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 10 >

============================-> >> Wits + Composure + 2 8-Again << <-

The maenaed's eyes turn pale, glassy as she looks around the room. "I don't *see* anything, anyways." Her dusky voice taking a softer, hopefully more reassuring tone. "Well, we won't split up anyways. And if worst comes to worst Johnny's pretty good at stabbing nasty things, yeah?" She ruffles the scarred boy's hair affectionately at that, which would probably induce some amount of grumbling.

"...If there were something here, there's a... good chance we would've seen some sign of it. Unless... it's like... one of those walls that eats people or something." Do those actually exist? Has Ziv fallen down a D&D rabbit hole in her excursions into the internet? Who really knows, but it is the Hedge. Anything's kind of a possibility here. "Which... I don't really -see- anything except us. And yeah, Vorpal's probably the most dangerous thing in here."

Hopefully. If he's not, the rest of the excursion is kind of screwed.

"Probablies is most dangerous Vorpals. If not, would have to do a runnings. I do have the mirrors, can only take one persons a time, though, but it does go to ... well, a few places safe, it can goes," Etsy hums. She drifts back toward Ziv, as if the air currents are directing her this way or that, or maybe she's on some sort of timer only she knows about. Who the fuck knows with Etsy, honestly. "Well, have not seen a walls that eats peoples in like... um. At least two years... " Wait, what?

Dielle turns and smiles at everyone and just says a quiet "Thanks." She appreciates the efforts to make her feel better. She looks around, and then says, "Yeah, the last time I saw anything eat anyone, it was that plant that ate Kerrigan. We firebombed the fuck out of it."

Turns out that being praised for his stabbings is FAR more important than a bit of affectionate hair-ruffling. Having spent his time near the door, waiting to be sure nothing is sneaking in after them, Vorpal flashes a winning grin as he's praised. "I absolutely am, and nothing intending harm on any of you will live to inflict it." He gestures back towards the door. "Think we're done in this room. Let's move on. I want to get you lot out of here sooner rather than later. A whole plinth to display The Hunted isn't a good sign for anyone but hunters."

Ziv escapes the manor house and joins you in the courtyard.

-> >> Etsy to Here << <-==============================================

Rolled 2 Successes 
< 5 10 10 >

==============================================-> >> 1 No Flags << <-

"I don't remember-" Possibly Jen is about to make an inappropriate joke, but bites her lip mid-sentence as she processes Dielle's statement in full. Clearing her throat and nodding at Etsy. "Well, I can get myself out if anything comes up. So that's three." She snorts a little as Vorp's head inflates a bit, following after anyway.

"I guess I'm fine, then," Ziv sounds a little bit smug on that topic, in the wake of Vorpal's words. Perhaps unwarranted? Then again, she is a pint-sized fuzzy monstrosity with claws and sharp teeth. Even if a cute one (it might be the big eyes). She trails along after the others, ears perked to any other sounds within the manor they're exploring, though it seems compulsory rather than anything she's focusing on. A little nod is given to Dielle, and she says, "We'll be okay!"

-> >> Ziv to Here << <-===============================================

Rolled 0 Success 
< 4 >

==============================================-> >> 1 No Flags << <-

-> >> Ziv to Here << <-===============================================

Rolled 5 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 6 6 8 8 9 10 10 >

============================-> >> Wits + Composure + 2 8-Again << <-

"I can take an everyones home. Is no one eated by a plants, not even mes, I only bite a Reggies," she offers cheerfully. This time, her webbed hand lands on a doorknob painted with roses whose paint's half-flaked-off. "I do like this!" She wanders over to one of the hedges, and then toward the statue. "Is like a movies of Mr. Tumnus, only these are probably a statues." Since we're relating things to movies tonight.

"You know, you lot are starting to make me feel -very- cross that I haven't seen more than six movies produced after the nineteen thirties," mutters Vorpal, striding along with the length of Stabapple twirling in his fingers. He pauses as they step outside, glancing off towards one of the trees near the hedge. "... stay here. Be ready to run back inside. There's some Fae magic over there, but it's... off. Queer. There's a hole at the heart of it."

GAME: Jenny spends 2 Glamour

Jenny snorts, "Yeah, I mean. You should. Watch more movies, love." She gives the Mermaid a beam at the assurances of not being eaten, dipping her head. "Appreciated." As Vorpal starts warning about danger, she crouches, the dryad's vines moving with more animation than usual as she murmurs, "Lemme try and take a peek, yeah?"

-> >> Jenny to Here << <-=============================================

Rolled 4 Successes 
< 1 1 2 2 2 5 6 8 9 9 10 >

==========================-> >> Wyrd + Persuasion + 1 No Flags << <-

"I did not know so many movies until I lived at the hotel that Rainbow used to own. But she is so busies, we do not see each other anymores," drifts Etsy absently. "When I was borned, did not have a movies at alls. Only a rotoscoperies." When Vorpal goes on about danger, she floats toward... and then back. And stops. Waits. "You are most scarier than me... "

One of Ziv's ears turns towards Jenny, and she tilts her head to the side, before backing up a bit from the direction the others are looking. She does give a loud chirp, but then just kind of... shrugs her shoulders.

"Someone's stuck a knife in the other side of the bush. Iron, I think. It's disrupting... something going on there." Jen straightens up, the barefoot dryad stepping closer to the hedge. It's hard for her to really feel any fear of plants, of all things.

Vorpal pauses, glances back. "Iron? An iron knife slammed into the hedgerows..?" He turns towards the hedge and squints. "Explains the hole in the magicks, I suppose. Still. Stay here. Let me look." He heads over, vanishes into the willow's branches for a few moments.

...

"... well. This-" Vorpal calls back, as he pushes the branches away, a dark, long-bladed knife in his hand. "-was holding some scrap of disenchanting magic at bay. There's a gap in the hedges, and- if my instincts can be trusted- it leads someplace familiar. I could have us back in the Riverside markets in an hour. Presuming, of course, you're all ready to go back."

"It's a bustle in your hedgerow," solemnly comes Etsy's absent drifting, as she comes sidling up to the godling and the dryad, webbed hands folded in front of herself very carefully. She chews on her blue lower lip, and then nods her head the once. "I can do a going-aways. Will it closing up behinds, or can you come back a laterness?"

Ziv's ears prick up again, and she goes over to join the little group, looking at the knife curiously and then reaching out to tick a claw on the side of the blade. Her wing folds back up after, the tines streamlining. "...I could probably go back, unless there's anything else we um... want to see or something? I -would- like to come back, though. I want to check out what's underneath of the upside-down gardens. And it -still- looks like a good place to practice."

Jenny watches the scarred man vanish up ahead, coming to a pause near the weeping willow and waiting. Turning back to the group with a shrug, "I'm easy. Can go either way." She raises an eyebrow though as she eyes the knife that the bat is fingering. "Sure we shouldn't put that back, though?"

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 8 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 >

================================-> >> Dexterity + Wyrd 9-Again << <-

-> >> Vorpal to Here << <-============================================

Rolled 6 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 >

================================-> >> Dexterity + Wyrd 9-Again << <-

GAME: Vorpal spends 2 Glamour

"Something like," muses Vorpal in line with Etsy's solemn words. "I don't think it'll close. The path is natural, the magic hiding it wasn't." He nods to Ziv as she explains her reasonings, adding, "I'll see you back, when time comes."

"Put it back?" Vorpal draws up his shadow to coat his left hand in dark, roiling shades and takes the blade to it, laying the flat across his palm. The protective, vicious darkness -dissolves- at the touch of the blade, patting easily against his palm. "This is some manner of hand-forged iron. D'you know how rare something like this is? I'm not going to shove it in a hedge and leave it. It's leaving with me."

"I do likes alsos. Will come back with, when is permits, if you are keeps," trills Etsy happily, gently floofing her skirt. "Will invites to Airships Adventures alsos. Oh! And to a big houses... " Her voice trails away, as she looks at the knife. "Is a dangerous but a goodness. Could not takes that homes through a mirrors, don't thinks... "

"Sounds pretty cool," Ziv says to Etsy, sounding briefly uncertain and turning an ear that way. She glances towards the places where Vorpal emerged from, behind the tree, and then down to Jenny before giving another little shrug, "You guys said it's a way back, right? Probably won't need the mirrors, then."

Jenny appears actually nervous for the first time, glancing at the bat and shaking her head slightly, focusing on the knife, "Like forty bucks on Etsy?" She adds quickly for clarity, "I mean, the website." Glancing back from mermaid to shadowy boy. "Dude I'll buy you an iron knife. Belated birthday present or whatever. Please just put it back, alright? Don't want whatever left this place coming back."

"I wouldn't fault you taking a quicker trip. -I- intend to walk through the Mad Garden, head back through the labyrinths and emerge in the Markets," Vorpal offers to Etsy and Ziv on the topic of mirrortravel. "As for something coming back?" Vorpal grins. "Let it. This isn't its home anymore. This is mine. It's so delightfully -dark- here. And that upside down garden is an absolute delight. No- I'm sorry, Jenny, but if something comes back here, it's going to find out what it's -really- like to be Hunted. If you're worried- then I suppose it's time we leave, isn't it?"

"What? I am not for sales!" Etsy floofs rather indignantly, before it's all clarified. Once it is, though, she huffs softly, and reaches down to take the mrbl's little humanoid paw in her own hand. "Well, if you need to do a fights, I guess I can do a heals. But usually is nothing to do a hits of you... " Her voice trails off, and she follows quietly after, perhaps lost in her own thoughts.

"...Why would you put forty bucks on Etsy? What are we voting on?" Ziv wonders, sounding confused as she quirks an ear in the direction of Jenny, listening to those words. She winces, briefly, and then says, "Talking like that you're only going to... encourage him." There's a short sigh that comes from the batling, in regards to what Vorpal may or may not do... And of course he's busy clearing that up by himself.

Another shrug, and she says, "I'll just walk back. Or... fly back. Or something. My clothes are all wet, and I don't really want to put them back on. So I'm kind of fine walking... and then I'll fly home."

The dryad tilts her branchlered head up slightly, green eyes locked on Vorpal's for a moment. A serious look there, just for a fraction of a second, as she weighs something. Then sighing, the weedling rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Alright. Fine. Try not to get eaten by a plant or whatever, okay? You're not invincible, Johnny." And she seems to then remember that the others are present, offering Ziv a rueful smile, "Yeah, probably so. I can take everyone not carrying iron back the faster route if you want. If you don't mind a minute or two of whiplash."

"Exactly," clarifies Vorpal as Etsy speaks of his capacity for avoiding harm. "And that's not going to change if something scared of a little knife wanders back into my new home." His grin spreads as Ziv confirms that he'll be but encouraged by the conversation, and looks to Jenny as she tries to coax him to be cautious. "I'll not feed some beast this evening, or the next, Jenny. My word to you. Now. You lot go with Jenny. I have a less soggy route to plot."

"Uuuuugh. I wanted to -walk- back," says Ziv, and for the moment she sounds for all the world like a teenager, and her ears droop, shoulders and upper body soon following suit. But she sighs in irritable acceptance of the way back.

The mermaid leans down and scoops up her hedgebeast, draping the mrbl around her shoulders like a stole. Etsy seems contented to follow along in silence: her fingers ghost briefly across Vorpal's arm as she passes, a prim, chaste little gesture of thanks. "Thank you for an invitings. Be safeness."

Jenny reaches out, green fingers slipping into the hedge and brushing against the bark there, holding out her other hand, "All aboard. Just grab my hand. Or whatever strikes your fancy." Mossy brows waggle at the bat in particular, although her heart is not altogether as light as she wants to pretend, giving Johnny a last concerned look.

Vorpal grins at Etsy at her thanks. "You're quite welcome. And while I'm -never- safe- I -will- be alright, in the end. Travel safe." He steps in to the sulking Ziv and wraps an arm around her from behind, kissing the top of the wild mane between her ears, then moves to meet Jenny's worried gaze and pressing his lips to her forehead. "I'll be alright. I'll text when I get back world-side. It won't be long. Promise. And next time, we'll have options to get here!"

GAME: Jenny spends 3 Glamour with reason: That Which Follows

GAME: Jenny spends 1 Willpower

-> >> Jenny to Here << <-=============================================

Rolled 3 Successes 
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======================-> >> Wyrd + Survival.Woodlands No Flags << <-