Difference between revisions of "Log:An Ice Trip"

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The Wayhouse gets a bit quieter in the night, but there's an obvious undertone of life there. The newly made and escaped creepers and crawlers of the dark. They're usually the types not work with the lights on as much. Which makes it even odder than that the lights are on in the basemount. Usually the creaky stairs and those crannies down there are a world of darkness and shadow. Stranger still are the smells of something burning faintly down there. Is someone cooking in the basement with how good and stocked the kitchen is?

Why would someone want to cook in the basement? What's even IN the basement? Olivia is walking through, visiting the Wayhouse as she often does, and the scent of something burning is cause for concern. She pauses, sniffing the air for a moment before frowning and beginning to follow the smell. Her footsteps can be heard as she approaches, no attempt to conceal herself. "Hello? Do I need to bring a fire extinguisher down here?"

No fires are there, at least. However, what she does see doesn't make a lot of sense. A few bowls sit there, and whatever contents were inside were burned to ash. Past that she can see and smell the burnt ash smeared on the ground. It only takes a few seconds of inspection to see that the ashes were used to draw out a door of sorts. Above it all, though, is what looks like a small fog of something.

Olivia pauses at the bottom of the stairs, squinting warily. Who would do... well, whatever this is... in the Wayhouse? "Hello?" she calls again, searching for anyone that might be present, to give some kind of clue as to what's going on. The bowls are inspected briefly, their ashy contents noted before her gaze sweeps over towards the door. Probably a magic door. That leads to... where? "November's gonna be pissed," she mutters.

While she looks about she can hear the sound of something. The braying of some beast from within that fog. Eventually, something does stick its head out. The head of a feathered stag peeks through, looking about for a few beats. It stops when it catches sight of Olivia. "Ummm," it stammers before retreating back into the cloud.

Olivia likewise freezes when she sees the stag poke its head through the cloud, looking much like a metaphorical deer in the headlights. That was unexpected. "Uh." She blinks a few times before the stag disappears. "HEY. Wait, what the hell?!" Olivia moves swiftly over to the cloud, considering it with a moment of hesitation before sticking her hand carefully into it. Assuming that goes well enough, she begins to follow with the rest of herself.

Her hand feels cold. A strange feeling considering that it's nearing the summer around these parts. When she does cross through that cold appears to be amplified. On the other side she sees a wide, snowy expanse of trees and hills. Closer still are four figures. A blazing cat, a tenebrous dog, and the remainder of that feathered stag. The feathered beast has a pair of wings on its back, and it turns its horned head to a man. Maybe a man. "See. You should've kept someone to watch it."

The human figure's clearly human. Probably human. They're covered in enough layers that if there is a person under there they look like they've put on a couple hundred pounds extra. Its gait is slow and whatever eyes might be there are hidden behind a pair of frosted over goggles. Despite those layers it radiates enough heat to slightly warm up its footfalls in the snow.

Cold doesn't really bother her. Not THAT much. Olivia steps through the portal and looks around as her vision adjusts to the new environment around herself. She studies the general area, the trees and the people that are now there. One brow arches slightly as she stares at the group, arms rising to cross in front of her. "You made a mess in the Wayhouse," she says, looking from one person to the other. "What was the point of doing that, exactly? And you'd better be planning to clean it up, because the Waylady is NOT going to be impressed."

The skullcaps and scarfs start coming off as she speaks. Because that muffling that initially came through may as well be white noise on the wind. When he does finally get it off it's a currently freezing Eziyishumi. While she can easily adapt to the cold he can't. So he does the next best thing, and lifts the cat up onto his shoulders. "Heat please," he stammers and stutters to get out. The feline sighs as he settles down and starts breathing fire onto Ezi's head. The joys of being a Fireheart. "That depends on Red's mood if she'll be impressed by anything," he responds with a bit of added chittering. "I am going to clean it up, though. Just a matter of waiting it out. As you can see, anyone can pass through the door and it's a lot easier to make sure nothing gets out." Before he can go on explaining she can look around to see that the fog, or door as he put it, is nowhere to be seen.

Olivia watches as Eziyishumi puts the burning cat on his shoulders, brows rising in faint amusement. Fingertips lightly drum against her arms and she just shakes her head slowly. "She likes ME," she notes idly to him. "So maybe it's just you?" She looks around as he mentions the door, blinking a couple times when she realizes that it's nowhere to be found. "Uh... huh. So. Two questions. One, why are you out here if you hate the cold? Two, how the hell do you plan to get back?"

He pats his hip, where he keeps that bag that's always with him. "I got enough ashes to get back, and unlike this place I know where the wayhouse is. It's all about spa-" He shakes his head. "Getting back is easy. I'm trying to find something else, though. Maybe. I heard it was out here, and I didn't have any other way to verify it. I guess I could just send Knight-Magus Alexander, but I haven't heard from him in a few days." A slight shrug follows. "I think he might be dealing with a bender again. Summers and their alcohol."

"Well, what are you looking for?" Olivia looks around the cold terrain, stepping forward through the snow. Once upon a time, she'd have hated this, too. Now it's... mildly uncomfortable at most. She's still not purely MADE of snow. Yet. "Maybe I can help. Because I can tolerate this weather a lot better than you can. I'm not a... uh... whatever a Knight-Magus is, but I don't mind the cold."

"Alexander isn't necessarily one to like or dislike the cold. He's just big, tough, and can usually just punch his way through most thing." Ezi doesn't seem completely thrilled about that prospect as he lists off the better facets of his compatriot. "Anywho, yes, I hate this. I also don't really know any..." His voice trails off, smiling wickedly. It may be with a maw full of fangs, it's the same smile Olivia's probably seen on November. The mischievous, Machiavellian smile of a Fairest plotting something. "Actually, how do you fare in a fight? And how much cold can you really tolerate?"

Oh THAT look. Yes, Olivia has seen that look. And she's still human enough to be highly suspicious of anything THAT look tends to bring. "Um." She tilts her head thoughtfully, considering his question. "I can sometimes turn into ice. Though that's usually not a terribly successful attempt, honestly. I can tolerate the cold well enough. And I've held my own in a fight, but I don't have any weapons beyond my own claws. When I make them. Why?"

Ezi claps his hands, and smiles wide. "Good! Good." He clears his throat, and points off a bit somewhere. Direciton is hard since he hasn't said much on where they are. "So, you see that?" He points her towards a pair of tall trees, and behind them she can make out what looks to be a frozen lake. "There's this really big stone down at the bottom of that place. I can burn a hole through the top, but I didn't think, much, on how to get it out. Or go down there. One of those cross that bridge when you get to it things."

Olivia turns her head slightly to look towards where he's pointing, studying it for a moment and nodding slowly before she looks back towards him. "You want a giant rock that's at the bottom of a lake?" she asks, squinting with some confusion. "I don't know if I can swim while holding a giant rock. Or hold my breath for that long. I don't know how deep the water is. I mean, I might be able to tie a rope around it or something." She purses her lips slightly, thoughtfully, looking back towards the water.

"I do have you covered there." He flashes a wide grin, then, and reaches into that bag of his. A little big of clinking can be heard until he comes up with a vial containing a white fluid with little chunks swirling around inside. "Just drink this, but there is one teeny tiny side effect." Ezi chuckles, still wearing that smile. "It's just that it lasts for an hour. It'll let you breathe underwater, but it also means you drown in the air until it runs out."

"Oh that sounds lovely," Olivia says drily, staring at the vial and wrinkling her nose a bit. "I'm not a damn fish, Ezi." She rubs her hands over her face, weighing her options. On the one hand, she generally doesn't mind helping people. On the other, this sounds ENTIRELY unpleasant. "So what do you need the giant rock for? What does it do? Why is it so important? What am I getting myself into here?"

"I can join you under there to guarantee that we both have the same fate if you believe this to be too dangerous." Eziyishumi takes a few more moments before he comes up with a similar vial. "I need the rock for a thing. I can't tell you just yet. On its own the rock does nothing. It's important because I need it for what I'm currently creating. What you're getting yourself into..." The cat on his shoulder stops breathing fire to note it for him. "Potential danger and shinies." Ezi nods to that.

Olivia tilts her head and gives him a somewhat exasperated, 'Really?' sort of look. Her arms rise, crossing over her chest as she stares at him. "You're up to something. And you need my help. So you're going to have to give me a little bit more than 'I can't tell you yet' if you don't want to do this alone. It doesn't sound dangerous necessarily, but you're very pointedly evading my question of why. Which is never a good sign. So." Her eyes shift sideways towards the cat, squinting a bit at it. "Shinies? What kind of shinies? Danger... I could do without, but it happens."

"No trickery. I can't really do it that well." He still wears that smile. He may be the headstrong type. "Lying and smooth-talking is more Red's thing. We may've come from the same Keeper, but she and I aren't that much the same." Aside from being elemental Fairest that always appear to be up to something. "I want to make something. I know that much. Scout's honor." He lifts his hand and tries to cross his fingers. No dice with those gloves. "Exactly what? I don't know. I take my ideas where they lead me. That's why I created things like the Dragon's Fire."

"Something good? Something bad? Something for you? Something to share? Do I get to have part of whatever that something is, since I'm apparently being drafted to do the heavy lifting?" Olivia's brows rise slightly, eyes shifting between him and the cat now, since the cat decided to join the conversation. "I'm young, but I'm not completely stupid. I can't begin to imagine WHAT you might make with it, but I want to know that you aren't going to like... destroy the world with it."

Her reaction earns a bellowing laugh. At least until he realizes that she's serious. He stops, clears his throat. "Yes, you can have half of it. If what I was told was right it should be more than big enough. I don't have anywhere near enough power to destroy the world. Maybe a small village or three." He lifts both hands briefly, grinning. "Kidding. Kidding. But, really. If I end up not using all of it I'll give you whatever remains, too." He extends a gloved hand. "We can pledge to this, too. That I may not even use what I gain here for world domination or the suffering of another. And if I break this vow may the pain of the coldest winter come down on my head."

Olivia considers that for a few moments, studying the Fireheart. "I uh... I've never Pledged anything before. By myself, that is. I did something similar with my cousin's wife ages ago, but that was... nevermind." One hand waves a bit dismissively at the memory. Past events. Irrelevant. "Coldest winter? Seems like a good enough threat for you, considering you think 'room temperature' is icy cold. Fine. How big is this rock?"

Ezi's expressions softens for abeat, and he nods. "The Wyrd is the greatest equalizer. Paracausal thing that it is. There's no beating or denying it. Sure, some smarter folks try to get around with loopholes, but that's a whole lotta nothing and a waste of everybody's time."

Olivia shrugs a bit at that, arms loosely crossing in front of her, stance fairly calm and relaxed while she watches him. "I'm not interested in trying to find loopholes, though I understand why some people are interested in that. It's about winning for them, most of the time." She looks back over towards the giant frozen lake, pondering for a moment before shrugging and beginning to trudge in that direction. "Do you have a rope or something?"

No answer, at least not verbally. As it is now his head's thoroughly on fire thanks to the machinations of that blazing cat. There it is. It took a bit of searching in that bag, but he eventually starts pulling it out. A long length of rope that he coils up with each inch he pulls out. "Do you need to tie the rock to something or other?" he asks with a beast-like tilt of his head.

"Probably?" Olivia gives a small, almost helpless shrug. "I'm not sure how big the rock is, or if I'll be able to swim if I'm carrying it. It might be too heavy. And if it is, then I can tie the rope around it and we can haul it up that way." Pause. "After the hour is up and I can breathe air again."

"I didn't think about that. I'm used to Alexander just-" He shakes his head. "You're not Alexander. You're Olivia." He turns towared the mentioned lake, and ponders things quietly for a few beats. "I could make a door from there to somewhere else with water that's more pleasant, but then whatever might be in there can follow us."

"I'm Olivia." She nods slightly at that, the statement quite clear. Olivia waits patiently while he thinks, lifting one hand to adjust her hair as it tries to blow in her face. "It could," she affirms with a slow nod. "But maybe whatever is in there also prefers the cold. I couldn't begin to guess. I've not encountered a water beastie yet."

"I an always show you mine some day, then. Not out here. He'd freeze to do death before I would, and I'd never do that to Ekupheleni." Ezi cares more about the beast's well-being than his own as he marches forward. "So, there's no time like the present, and we can see what may or may not be at the bottom of this along with what I need." "Maybe there's nothing down there?" Olivia suggests, sounding almost hopeful. But she knows it isn't terribly likely. Not in these parts. She turns to walk with him as he starts to march towards the water, rubbing her hands together as she thinks. She hasn't really done much swimming as of late, but it's just like riding a bike... right? "I assume you're planning to wait up here?"

"I'd be a right fool to ask this of you, and to leave you hanging. I'd also be a dick, too, but, yeah. I'll be out here." He nods to that, and reaches up to grab the cat from his shoulder to hold it in his hands. The other two beasts follow behind them, although the dog stops after a certain point. Likely keeping guard. "I will have to open that top up with fire, though. You're not like Red, are you? You do seem kinda icy."

Olivia squints at the question. "Like her in what regard? I'm still more human than not. I won't melt if I'm exposed to a flame, but I'll probably burn. Like any person." She steps back slightly, giving the pair of them room to work and glancing down at her clothing thoughtfully. Shoes, at the very least, are coming off, and she sits down to pull them off, along with her socks.

"Excellent." He holds hand out to signal her to stay back. Ezi starts taking a long, slow breath inwards. He and the cat both release pillars of fire at the top of the frozen over lake until it's melted enough away that there's ample room for Olivia to fit through. "I know it goes without saying, but I like saying it anyway," as expected of a Fairest. "I owe you big time for this." With that said he then offers her the vial. "You may wanna take some of these with them." He reaches into one of the pockets of his outermost jacket before producing a pill bottle. "They taste like blood and coconut," he notes of the contents as he shakes them, "but they can help if you can't see in the dark."

Olivia does indeed just stay back a little bit at his warning, watching as the pair of them melt a good-sized hole in the ice for her. Shoes and socks are set aside, and she simply waits for them to finish with that before glancing over towards him as he offers the vial. "Coconut and... blood? Ew." Her nose wrinkles slightly and she takes both items, looking at them for a moment. This world is so strange. It's honestly better to just not ask so many questions. The bottle is opened and she takes one of them out before offering the rest back to him. "I don't really see colour either, if that's an important factor in all this," she tells him, brows rising inquisitively. "So don't tell me to cut the red wire, because it's all grey."

"Got it. Let you defuse the bombs while I run away." A raspy chuckle comes, him flashing that fanged smile. Ezi takes back the pill bottle, then. "I don't think color'll matter too much, though. It's one of those unique things that when you see it you'll know exactly what it is. So less a needle in a haystack and more a diamond in the rough. I think I said that right."

"Yeah, that sounds right." Olivia moves to the edge of the water, sitting down at the hole and sinking her feet in. It IS cold, even for her. "This is wonderfully miserable. I see why you don't want to do it." SHE doesn't even want to do it, except she has a few tricks for that. One hand reaches down to the side, fingers pressing against the ice nearby, practically drawing it onto herself. Tinkling crackles can be heard as the icy armor covers her, and she glances back briefly towards Ezi. "Here goes." Pill popped into her mouth, and downed with the vial of whatever before she slips forward and drops herself down into the water.

The concoction of oasis fruit, at least, was pleasant enough. A bit of swet, but nothing terrifying. It also washes out some of the taste of those pills. In whatever frozen hell she's inside, most things are usually gone from these parts. At least most mundane things. She can make out a few creatures down there. The largest of which is only as big as her torso. A frog-looking thing that immediately swims away as she moves down. It's a bit further down, but she can easily make out what Ezi was talking about. There's a large, rocky object that's too big and spectacular to miss. There's no light down there, but it still seems to gleam in the cold abyss. It's nestled among a large array of what look to be more mundane stones.