N'awww, aren't you cute? - IC

[IcarusWings]

It is a brisk December morning, and the sun dawns on your adventures. You all sit on the cold stone outside of the mansion you have known and loved, cast out by that scum of a butler Jacques. Beneath the hill the mansion stands upon, you can see the whole city laid out before you. Your new home.

Where you go from here is your choice. Your destinies are your own now, no master to control you, no mansion to limit your roamings. Just you. Five pets against the whole world.

What do you do?

[Snowbear22]

Lucy sat outside, taking in the smells. She was sad knowing that master was not there to take her out. Being outside without a leash was a sign that she could not go home. The only thing comforting her was her collar with a tag in the shape of a bone saying her name and her squeaking bone chew toy. She carried the chew toy with her as she was being pushed out by the butler Jacques. Lucy always carries her bone chew toy when she didn't go out for a walk as it was comforting to her in troubling times.

Lucy looked at the other animals and simply asked, "Now what? We can't go home, so where do we go?" She squeaked her toy a few times trying to calm down as she paced about.

[Story Time]

"I don't know," Brass said, filling in some of the quiet outside the Digbury Mansion. A long wall of brick and mortar with a rot-iron gate impeded the immediate idea of turning around and marching back in. Duke Reginald's lovely gate had been lined with a mesh-wire fence to keep certain types of vermin out. While Brass looked up at the high gate the sturdy gears of his little mind were turning.

"We need some place warm," Brass shivered. Without much thought the dalmatian began sniffing around for any kind of scent that might be Yummy. Yummy was almost always better than Stinky or Scary. "The Big Yellow Circle will go down eventually. It'll be really cold then."

A Sniffing Roll (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11751303&postcount=1350) + Clever Rating 5 ( +2 Situation Bonus For Breed? ).

[thewamp]

Bear sniffed eagerly at the edge of the door. What silly dogs, of course they didn't have to leave. Master was in there and so was food and warm and the door was just about to open.

He stared up at the handle, growling softly and then suddenly, he had an idea. "Wait!" he said, "I know what we can do! Let's run at the door. Then Master will hear us and know to come open it."

Pacing back, he eagerly charged at the door, ramming his head into it. Bear flew back, landing feet-splayed on the ground. Undeterred, he got up to do it again.

[Snowbear22]

"Uh Bear..." Lucy spoke softly briefly dropping her toy as she saw him preparing to run into the door. She wasn't sure how to put it to him that Master isn't around or that Jacques won't let them back in. So she stopped and picked up her toy and squeaked it some more and continued pacing.

[smuchmuch]

Abby is preening somme ruffled feather. Not far her cage lies on the floor, having been unceremoniously thrown on the floor.

Everywhere around is freedom. it's so much bigger than she ever dreamed. It's also colder. And scarrier. And the house seems warm and familiar. What little she ever saw of it anyway from the confine of her permanent prison anyway.

Abby's head isn't that good at abstract thinking, they don't call it a bird brain for nothing; the future has alway been this really nebulous thing. Yet as he looks a the metalic remain and the door forever opened, she can't help but feel the end of... something.

If abby could define complex feelings, she'd be conflicted. As it is she's just cold and confused. "We can't go in anymore, can't we ?"

That and her survival instinct is vaguely trying to communicate something about not staying on the floor in the proximity of dogs and cats. you know, predators.
goos thing they're all pets, uh ? :smalltongue:

[Overlord Rion]

Walter was sulking, turned towards the city spread out before him. He vaguely remembered something his mother said before he was taken away by the Master. If you're lucky he'll have you to the end of his days. At that point he realized something; he hated his mother when she was right. "Bear, stop being a nincompoop and get ovah here. The Master is gone. On a very long trip, I think. So we're going to need anotha place to stay. I say let's go look down there. Mebbe we'll find someplace warm enough."

Walter huffed, as if sneezing. Well, he always did wonder what that place was like. No better time than the present.

[Snowbear22]

Seeing how everyone else is a little down, Lucy thought she could suggest something. She wasn't quite sure how to put into coherent thought, but she attempted. Lucy shook her head a bit after doubts crossed her mind and decided she would speak up. "Ex(squeak) me but (squeak), maybe we can find (squeak) a place if we (squeak) follow our noses and (squeak) (squeak)..." Lucy meekly spoke with her chew toy in her mouth. "... maybe we can (squeak) find a new place?(squeak)"

[IcarusWings]

Without much thought the dalmatian began sniffing around for any kind of scent that might be Yummy. Yummy was almost always better than Stinky or Scary. "The Big Yellow Circle will go down eventually. It'll be really cold then."

A Sniffing Roll (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11751303&postcount=1350) + Clever Rating 5 ( +2 Situation Bonus For Breed? ).

Your keen nose can still pick up the faint scent of the inside of the mansion, but it is already fading. About 200 yards to your right, past the house, you can smell a great deal of smoke and other foul smells, your ears also pick up a deep rumbling. The sources of these clues seem to be moving, but with others always coming to take their place.

[Story Time]

Brass's snuffling and shifting of snout suffered under the cacophony of conversation around him. The persistent sniffing only revealed a very belly-turning collection of Yucky smells. And Brass did not feel in the mood for Yucky with all of the memories of Master and Future that the other animals around him were conjuring.

A number of things came to the dalmatian's mind to say, but he ended up dismissing them just as easily. He sighed a little hollowly and popped up. With his luxurious red velvet collar that Duke Reginald had given him Brass started trotting away from the rot-iron gate to the Digbury Mansion. The angle of departure was directly away, intentionally avoiding all of the Yucky smells to his right.

"Come on," Brass sulked while moving straight down the drive way. "Any place is better than with that Big Mean Stick that kicked us out."

[IcarusWings]

The drive way follows a long, winding path down the hill of the estate, surrounded by large trees on each side. At the bottom of the hill, a large river blocks your path. The bank is covered by overhanging trees and driftwood. The river is deep, and strong.

What do you do?

[thewamp]

"What is that?" Bear whines, very concerned with this huge thing thundering past them. It looks a little like a chew toy, but much, much bigger. And unlike a couch, it's moving very fast and making a lot of noise. It reminds him a little too much of a vacuum cleaner.

Deciding discretion is the better part of valor, he huddles into the ground, hoping the huge thing rushing past won't notice him.

[Snowbear22]

As Lucy approaches the river, one thought comes to her mind. WATER! Oh how she loves to go swimming. She wasn't sure it would be a good idea (actually it would be terrible). She started to hesitantly look between the river and the shore, torn about what to do. She loves water and wants to go in. However, looking at the current she determined it to be too strong and scary for her to go in. As she was looking between the shore and the river, she spotted Bear whimpering. "Bear?" Lucy spoke quietly, not quite sure what to make of him being scared. Seeing him cowering, she quickly cowered too, thinking there might be something scary she missed.

[Overlord Rion]

At the sight of river, Walter huffed. At the sight of Bear and Lucy, he shook his head in disbelief. He really hoped this wasn't going to be a regular thing. Or else he'd become agitated, and quickly. "Lucy! Bear! Stop ye whimperin'! "Look around! Humans always put a way across things. And if not, we'll swim."

[Story Time]

Having partly preceded the group, Brass looked up and around from his lapping at the river bank. The water was quite cold, but refreshing enough for the purpose it served. Walter's snipping, today, sounded a little too blunt for the dalmatian's tastes, "Walter, leave Lucy and Bear...

"...where's Abby," Brass interrupted himself. A shift in the dalmatian's face and snout reflected concern when he did not immediately perceive the myna starling.

[smuchmuch]

Should Brass turn around, he'll see that Abby is here; silently walking (akwardly and rather slowly because she's a starling, not a striding bird) behind the others.
She's silent. But just sometime you can see she's trembling a bit like she's got a itch. The itch. It goes against every instinct in her body to resist but she's just too overwhelmed to give in just yet.

The boundaries she has known aslong as she can remember have been shatered all of a suden, things are moving so fast.
How long as it been since she was out of the mansion ? Was she ever ? The ground the river, evertthing seems so big, so vast. And above all is the great emptyness, the sky. Empty and limiteless: it's terryfying to behold and yet it beckons.

[Story Time]

While looking around down his left side Brass caught the angles of where several of his comrades' noses were pointing. It was quite close to him, but on his other side. Confusion swept over the dalmatian as to what had attracted the attention of the other animals and so he swung his head around to his right side. "What are you guys...

"Oh, Abbey!" For the strangeness of the moment Brass laughed at himself while the myna starling waddled awkwardly toward the water's edge. "Sorry about that. Um...could you do us a favor? Flap up a little and see if there is a way to cross this stream? Swimming in it would probably be a bad idea..."

[thewamp]

At Walter's shout, Bear looked up slowly. The giant blue thing that kept moving and roaring wasn't moving towards him, so at least that was reassuring. But it was also deeply confusing. He looked around at the cleverer animals. "What should I do? Someone tell me what to do! This looks far too big to run at..."

[Snowbear22]

Lucy looked up and realized and saw didn't see anything scary. She wasn't sure what to do but she figured she could suggest something like walking down further and taking a detour. Of course she'd wait until Abbey would tell them about the river. In any case she was a little embarrassed about getting scared about nothing in particular.

[Story Time]

"Easy, Bear," Brass soothed. "We're looking for a way to go over this thing." Though the dalmatian with black spots near his nose had addressed Bear directly the small dog started to scan the surrounding environment. "...some kind of log, or bridge, or something.

"We shouldn't be that far from Master's house. Maybe there's a trail..."

A Scanning Roll (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11837991&postcount=1371) + Clever Rating 5.

[smuchmuch]

Abby gives a little stare of aknowlegement to Brass. She extends her wings take a small step and... back down. She wants to help, sure but is it really such a good idea..? Her wings still hurts a bit fromt he way the butler treated her and she's feeling a bit tired. and who know what might be waiting up there....


Do I need a roll to fly or will we consider it a breed bonus ? (I assume the later but I prefer to ask just to be sure)
Oh, and I do intend to have her fly eventualy, despite her hesitations. she just need somme poper motivation to dare (fright for example,; could someone startle her ?)

[Overlord Rion]

Birds. They had wings. And in Walter's book, if you had wings, you could probably fly. There was no time like the present to find out. Walter would slowly creep around out of Abby's sight. Even more slowly creep up behind her.


And bark. Bark LOUDLY.

Shouldn't need a roll but let me know if I need one.

[smuchmuch]

Gaaah.
Insinct take over, reflexes kcik in and Abby darts into the air in a flurry of feathers. After a while ehr pace stabilizes.there's a short, but oh so tempting moment whereshe wonders if she couldn't just keep going forever. Up and up and let herself be swallowed by the imensity and never comme back.

thankfully, Icarius was human because birds have keen instincts when it comme to flight (kinda necessary, they aren't going to make much trajectory calculation), and they know when to listen. And right now Abby's are telling her she's going to strain herself needlessly and plummet if she's being stupid. With the equivalent of a pinch in the heart, Abby strays the course and lands back into the real world and the branch of a tree.

First thing to search for: food. What ? She's starving; given how fast the buttler was to get rid of them, needless to say she hasn't been fed much lately. fruits woul do for starters.
As a second though, Abby allow herslef to think that while she's at it, she might be looking for somme way for the others (but only because the look so tiny from up there, it's almost funny, so she's willing to be generous and forgive the fright) to cross the river.


Thanks. And aByy got quite the ego boost from flying as you can see. However, as to how long will it last....
Storry wise of course, crossing the river take precedence.

Not sure what to roll. Clever I suppose [roll0]+4
edit: And starting great I see.

[IcarusWings]

The view over the river is mostly uneventful, there are few floating tubs moving up and down, but the rest is just roaring water crowned by the grey sky.

Further downstream, however, is a large platform of metal and stone that straddles the river. It could be a path across if you can get to it.

[Snowbear22]

Lucy looked up at Abbey, wondering if she saw something. Mustering up the courage to ask a question, she barks out, "What do you see from your eyes in the sky? Is there a path around or must we swim across?" Lucy was still torn between swimming in the fast moving water in front of her and just meandering at the edges. She was starting to get hungry but she didn't want to mention to anyone, yet at least. If anything, squeezing her toy made her even hungrier.

[smuchmuch]

After somme hopping from tree to tree to get a closer look, and picking a few surface insects on the way if she find any (a meager diet but better than nothing), Abby hover nearer the ground and with a head sign, signal totthe other to follow her; before flying in dirrection of the large platform.

[IcarusWings]

Brass' scan is rewarded mostly with small pieces of deadwood scattered about the bank, but his eyes then catch on something interesting. The rusty tip of something is jutting out from the undergrowth. Further inspection reveals it be a long, two sided tub, a bit like a hollowed out banana.

[Story Time]

'A tub,' Brass thought excitedly. Upon searching the rusted metal item, however, all that he found inside was caked dirt and pooled water from rain. The flow of the stream was not far away, but the size of the tub made moving it into the water a daunting prospect. Sniffing around the metal rings of the handles the dalmatian wagged his tail smoothly while the front part of his body was hidden from the view of his friends by the green under-growth.

Not surprisingly Brass did not see Abby's signal. The spotted and floppy ears of the small dog did hear the other animals milling around, or moving, but Brass could not think of anything nice to say to Walter who had pretty obviously scared Abby into fluttering upward.

For only a little while Brass the dalmatian weighed the possibility of turning the tub over and using it as some kind of shelter. It was too big to carry, he knew, and Brass could not imagine his immediate animal family wanting to be burdened with such a weight. Almost sighing Brass tottered out from behind the green and began to say, "Hey guys, look what," but was stopped short. Abby appeared to be moving a distance away that was great enough to be abnormal. "Did she find something," the dalmatian asked more to himself than any other in particular.

It seemed to Brass that keeping the group together was most important. Short of Abby simply leaving them all, the spotted dog felt the urge to keep relative proximity to everyone. And so...Brass trotted down the bank in relaxed pursuit of a black starling.

[IcarusWings]

As the group get closer and closer to the platform, the foul smell returns, getting stronger and stronger. And a faint rumbling, distinct from that of the river, can be heard.

[Snowbear22]

The foul smell was starting to bother Lucy. As it became stronger she became more anxious. The scary noise wasn't helping either. At some point she stopped moving, frozen in fear. "I (squeak) don't think (squeak) we should go here (squeak)," she said between squeaks. She started quivering as her tailed drooped between her legs. Even squeaking the chew toy didn't help.

[thewamp]

Bear

Bear edges forward and barks experimentally at the platform. He's still a little embarrassed at his show of fear earlier and wants to redeem himself by hopefully scaring this noisy thing into shutting up.

He barks twice more, to make his point.

[Story Time]

If the smell and the noise was not enough to invite doubt into Brass's opinion about the direction that Abby was leading them, the strange monster-things were. They reminded Brass of the roaring Carpet Licker that Master's fellow had used. These things were not so tall, proportionally, but that did not make Brass feel better.

Even with the distance the dalmatian dog could see Big People riding inside the monster-things. Big People could normally be counted on for food, but Brass had no idea what they would do if his little party tried to use the bridge. The bridge itself appeared large and stable. Green sloped up to it on both sides along with the long black paths which the monster-things used. If the bridge was strong enough to carry the Big People and their monster-things over the water it stood a good chance of holding up five light-weight animals.

Still quite a few yards away from the place, Brass clenched his jaw in uneasy anticipation. His tail stilled as he looked across, and in some cases through, the green scrub and grass that separated the bank from the road. There was so much Yucky to smell!

"Walter? Do you think the Big People would be mad if we went up there?"

[Overlord Rion]

"Normally, I'd say yes. But since we just got thrown out, I'm going to go with...nah, they probably won't get mad." Truth was, Walter didn't care either way. They just needed shelter, and quickly. "We just need to make sure we avoid them big things the people ride in." Easier said than done, bub.

[smuchmuch]

Abby circles around the platform, it's not an obstacle for her, a bit while waiting to see what the other will do.
Even if she's starting to get a bit tired from the lack of practice, she'd rather fly a bit farther and land on one of the trees on the side rather than try the black thing. the smell is relly quite unpleasant and the loud sounds are pretty scarry.

Just alittle post to say that yep? i'm still here.

[Story Time]

The sensation of caution tingled over Brass's back in a less than pleasant manner. Standing on his four canine legs the dalmatian cringed slightly at the shoulders while paralyzed with indecision. Doing nothing, however, was also an unappreciated feeling compared to the only other obvious option.

Brass did not relish thinking of approaching the Big People, but Walter's opinion held weight assuming the terrier's experience with humans.

And so Brass approached Lucy. With that cherished toy still in her mouth the dalmatian looked past the obvious and into what he could remember of the golden retriever and Master's indulgence. "Come on, Lucy," he said gently. His head dipped down, and near, in something of a comforting gesture. "We need Yummies and a Rain Stopper. Just follow me and look cute...as cute as you can be. Maybe some nice Big And Tall will give us something good if we're as adorable as Master thought.

"You too, Bear," Brass said as he started moving toward the bridge, Abby, and the Road Crawler monster-things. "Master liked to laugh when you tried to be cute. If you can be cuter than me then I'll give you some of my chomps when we get some."

Quietly, though, Brass squelched his urge to whimper at the approaching bridge and whatever might come of it.

[Snowbear22]

Lucy hesitated for a moment, but she couldn't refuse Brass. She picked her head up a bit. She ceased to worry about her reservations and ignored the foul smell. If anything, Lucy had pride of being cute. Or well cute and smart, not that she expressed it always. "A nice Big and Tall might give us yummies and scratch my ears?" she asked quietly, her voice raising up a bit. Lucy's mouth watered with the possibility despite the long odds of possibly excited her a bit. Her tail started wagging vigorously. She briskly moved to follow Brass, ending up a few inches behind him. If anything, Lucy wanted to strut her stuff in the hopes of increasing the chances of getting something good from a Big and Tall.

[IcarusWings]

As you reach the platform, the stench becomes nigh-on unbearable, and you see huge metal boxes whizzing along at terrifying speeds, pumping smoke out from behind them. It is clear a single hit from one of them would not be good. Be careful.

[Snowbear22]

Lucy's positive attitude fades a little bit as the big boxes zoom in front of her left and right. The stench was still bothering her, but she was becoming visually more upset each box went roaring in front of her, the winding blowing her to one side. Each time the boxes came, she dove to the ground. Eventually she stayed on the ground. "I think we should turn around. These big scary boxes of noise, wind, and icky smell is scary. Also, not good to keep me looking pretty," she spoke, with more confidence with her answer. It wouldn't take a smart animal to figure out she was right. Of course, she had some feeling that they were going to dash across between the boxes and hope to get lucky.

[smuchmuch]

From above, Abby circles over the scene to take a better mesure of the situation.


Yes, pointless post is pointless but I guess it's bete rthan nothing if i understand the comment in OOc correctly.

In fact there's one thing I'm not sure I really understand, comme to think of it. Where exactly is the problem ?
fFom what I undestand what we have in front of us is a road brige over the river, right ?
And we're tryng to cross the river, so hpow are the car a probleme, can't the dogs simply walk on the sides of the road ?)