Home 26: Rooms to let, fifty cents

[Deathkeeper]

Felix's Tower

Working the shop can be stressful. And sweaty. And in this case, long and strenuous and involving lots of repetitive motions. Felix has decided to give Krayger a break from crafting and forging and stirring by sending him on a quick errand to....
the basement.
He has been sent to fetch a bone labeled 2-B from the vault of supplies in the tower's lower levels. Which is why a slightly sweaty minotaur in work pants is venturing into unknown territory with a light and a small card of instructions on where he's supposed to be going.
Luckily, minotaurs are good at not getting lost. Sometimes.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Felix's Tower]

In contrast to the bright and life-filled tower above, the vault is perhaps a little more in line with what might expect from a mage who stores all his magics in bones.

A trapdoor at the ground level leads to a ladder that descends into darkness.

Down here, the air is still, and stale. There's no light to speak of, not to begin with, anyway. Just many many bone lamps that need to be tapped to be activated and illuminate the pit of bones beneath the tower. Hopefully Krayger's got those instructions firmly in mind. First left, second left, third right, down a level, make a U-turn, right, second left, third right, and on and on it goes. Simple, right?

[Deathkeeper]

Felix's Tower

Luckily, Krayger thought ahead and brought a very nice lantern. Because bovines are not known for their night-vision.
Krayger is very good at navigation. He can keep note of the turns he makes and their relation to the note just fine!

Making the assumption that he doesn't turn at the second left instead of the first left because it's really dark.
This is entirely possible.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Felix's Tower]

Smart minotaur. Forward-thinking. Wise. Although the bone lamps do provide good illumination, having a lantern to avoid blundering into things in the first place is definitely wiser. Besides, as he discovers, it seems since last Felix came down here to do maintenance, a few of the bone lamps have run out of juice.

Perhaps or eager apprentice may wish to make note of this, to earn some bonus points with the old mage.

Although there are one or two piles of bones down here, for the most part everything is neatly stored in draws and cabinets, dusty old wooden furniture that lines the place, in some places getting uncomfortably close together, forcing Krayger to squeeze his way through.

It's all very dark, dusty, and quiet down here. A stark contrast to the abundance of life above. He's all alone down here and-

Gggurrrrggggle

What was that?

[Deathkeeper]

Felix's Tower

Ugh. This is the perils of places built for skinny waifs like Felix. Maybe he was decently-built for a human in his prime, but these aren't meant for a minotaur. He'll have to wash off all this dust and cobwebs later.
At the noise, Krayger swings his light around. Did one of Felix's toads get lost down here? He wouldn't be surprised at giant toads in the slightest.
"Come on now, don't make me wait all evening." he calls warily. He doesn't want to get slobber on him either when he's already coated in dust.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Felix's Tower]

Krayger swings the light about, and it pierces through the dusty gloom. Well, pierces through some of it anyway.

At the limits of its illumination, the light briefly gleams off something.

Whatever it is, it immediately lurches further back into the darkness, with a CLANK and a BONG as it bounces off something somewhere, a cluster of rattling and clattering announcing several bones tumbling to the floor.

GuuurrRRRrggggle

[Deathkeeper]

Felix's Tower

Krayger groans. Yep, seems like it's going to be one of those days. He was hoping not to need to do any critter wrestling today. Luckily Felix won't know if he leaves much of a mess down here.
Especially since Felix seems to have done so himself.
Krayger steps forward, leaving dusty hoofprints in his wake.
"Come on now, none of us have time for this." he says gently as he approaches, keeping the lantern steady.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Felix's Tower]

Whatever made that noise seems to be clanking further away from Krayger as fast as he moves forward, staying just beyond the range of his light, only occasionally giving a glimpse of a big, bulky, rather rounded-looking body.

Clank

Clank

Clank

THUNK. Wait, what does that noise me- GuuuUUURRGGLE. BLOOORP.

Well that doesn't sound goo-

Wait, look out, Krayger! Incoming giant glob of icky-looking green sludge!

[Deathkeeper]

Felix's Tower

Krayger turns quickly as he really didn't see a projectile coming. It's enough to keep his light and his face dry, but his other shoulder and arm are doused by the foul mixture.
Ew.
"Oh, you're going to get it now." Krayger growls, picking up speed as he moves forward.
He isn't armed. Minotaurs often don't need to be.

[Gullara]

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

"Mmnnnope," says Tina. She shakes her head, pulls her hands off him, puts her face in them. She turns away with another flush. "Uh-uh. Now you made it weird. It's called off. I'm calling the whole thing off."

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

Kirk lets her turn away from him, but then reaches around her to hold her from behind. "I'm pretty sure you're the one who said we should get married." He says in her ear.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Felix's Tower]

Krayger picks up the pace well enough to get a glimpse of the gurgly, clanky, uh, cauldron?

Closing the distance a little, he can see it appears to be a massive, bulky black cauldron with chunky arms and legs, and no other notable features to speak of. There's something you don't see every day! Still, it must have some way of detecting him as it attempts to keep backing up, a faint haze of purple-ish smoke coming off from some bubbling mixture inside it.

Krayger is paying attention to more than just the cauldron, right?

Like, say, to the floor as well?

Because as he advances, it seems at some point the cauldron left a few patches of sticky, slippery sludge on the floor as well! It'd be awfully unfortunate to get caught in one of those while moving quickly.

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

Melissa flashes her Mrs Peacock card at Isaac and sticks out her tongue.

Thwarted!

"Yeah but I had one of them so it must not be at least one of those three," she explains to her brother's GIRLFRIEND! "Now you roll the dice and go to the room and make an accusation."

A brief pause.

"You should yell your accusation it's more fun that way," Melissa insists.

At least she thinks it's more fun.

Maybe Isaac doesn't?

But he's a lame elephantfatbutt.

Isaac's elephant butt is not fat!
Okay maybe he's gained a little weight since his life calmed down a bit but that's kind of just the natural loxodon shape.
He rolls again.
"It really doesn't matter either way." He doesn't want to pressure Iknika into doing stuff.
"So uh, kitchen, Mrs. White, knife?" he asks, looking around.

"Human boardgames are a lot better," Iknika observes as they play. "Our games are mostly throwing things at a board and then yelling a lot. Or maybe it's just my family that do that. An it's harder to play a game without an audience down in the colony."

[Murkus]

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

Kirk lets her turn away from him, but then reaches around her to hold her from behind. "I'm pretty sure you're the one who said we should get married." He says in her ear.

[Fettina's Place - Fight!]

"Yeah! Yeah, but, like--" Fettina stutters and slumps in defeat as he puts his arms around her. She feels oddly warm and soft compared to the other times he's touched her while she's been like this. Her head bows a little, eyes on the floor.

"Now you went and ruined it. We can't be letting feelings into it... is that really something you want?" Or is he just messing with her right back? Because she can't quite tell, and she doesn't want to say anything she's gonna regret. She can acknowledge it's fair turnabout... if that's all it is.

[Gullara]

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

There's a pause from Kirk as he considers that and parses through his own feelings. Then a reply occurs to him. "We can bring as many feelings into it as there's ever been between us." He answers. As in, constantly simmering, threatening to boil over at any moment.

[Deathkeeper]

[Felix's Tower]

Krayger picks up the pace well enough to get a glimpse of the gurgly, clanky, uh, cauldron?

Closing the distance a little, he can see it appears to be a massive, bulky black cauldron with chunky arms and legs, and no other notable features to speak of. There's something you don't see every day! Still, it must have some way of detecting him as it attempts to keep backing up, a faint haze of purple-ish smoke coming off from some bubbling mixture inside it.

Krayger is paying attention to more than just the cauldron, right?

Like, say, to the floor as well?

Because as he advances, it seems at some point the cauldron left a few patches of sticky, slippery sludge on the floor as well! It'd be awfully unfortunate to get caught in one of those while moving quickly.

[Felix's Tower]

What in the seven hells is that supposed to be? Is another one of Felix's- oh dear.
Yeah hooves don't like stone floors with slippery spills when you're going fast and weigh a quarter-ton. Krayger goes skidding into a nearby rack. Hopefully this cauldron mixture all over half of him and the supplies aren't magically active.
Still he rises again and advances at the cauldron. He's going to be a little more careful now, but he can't let this thing go around making a mess of Felix's storehouse.

[Murkus]

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

There's a pause from Kirk as he considers that and parses through his own feelings. Then a reply occurs to him. "We can bring as many feelings into it as there's ever been between us." He answers. As in, constantly simmering, threatening to boil over at any moment.

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

Fettina sighs and slumps back into him, seemingly just happy for the support in that moment. She laughs. "Now you are just ****ing with me. That sounds like a recipe for disaster, you know it?"

[Gullara]

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

"Maybe." He grants her. When have they not been volatile? "Has that stopped us yet?" He kisses her neck, then twice more on his way down to her shoulder.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Felix's Tower]

Krayger collides, and bones fly everywhere. Oof, that's probably some potent potential magics going to waste right there. Thankfully this storeroom is just full of raw resources, so Krayger is spared any further magical mishaps. For now, at least.

The cauldron gives a CLANK and sets itself down. Despite the lack of facial features, Krayger might get the feeling it's watching him. I wonder what it's up to now?

[Deathkeeper]

Felix's Tower

Krayger scowls at the old thing.
"You better calm down and knock that off, or I'm gonna go get Felix to give me your command word. It's not like anyone else could have made you and left you down here." This is one advantage to Felix's method of putting names on their golems to control them, at least.
But something tells him that it's not here to negotiate.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Felix's Tower]

GRRuuuuUUUUUUURGLE! BLORP! BLORP! BLORP!

Abruptly, the cauldron boils over, and three globs of multicoloured goo strike the ground around Krayger.

And then the blobs start rising up, in vaguely humanoid shapes, that lurch and slither and ooze towards the minotaur. Growing, and stretching, and making horrible gurgling noises as they move. They do not seem friendly.

Despite not having any face to speak of, the cauldron nevertheless seems to give off a feeling of smugness.

[Murkus]

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

"Maybe." He grants her. When have they not been volatile? "Has that stopped us yet?" He kisses her neck, then twice more on his way down to her shoulder.

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

"Kirk," she barely breathes, closing her eyes and sliding a hand up onto the side of his neck. Her skin feels warm under his lips. "I can't..." She moans, only partly in sheer frustration. And she's no longer speaking of the marriage.

[Gullara]

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

"I know." He wraps his arms around her midriff and holds her there, his head nestled next to hers. "But you can do this, right?"

[Deathkeeper]

Felix's Tower

Krayger snatches up a particularly hefty-looking bone that survived his collision. Slowly, he backs up. He's only a short run back to the upstairs door.
The question is, will these things give him time to get there? He's going to need that command name to get this thing to settle down.
Or his axe.

[Murkus]

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

"I know." He wraps his arms around her midriff and holds her there, his head nestled next to hers. "But you can do this, right?"

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

"Yeah," she says, voice small. "Don't let go."

If Kirk wants, maybe they make their way to Tina's sofa eventually. She never lets him get very far away.

After a while of just being with him, she speaks up. "...Something did happen with Dena, when I was visiting her." She seems to be indicating this is related to her current plight as well, but she doesn't elaborate just yet.

[Gullara]

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

Kirk will quietly sit with her and hold her for as long as she wants. It's nice, honestly. There's no need to put on a display or any airs. Just two people taking comfort in one another.

"Oh?" Kirk prompts. He waits for her to put together what she wants to say.

[Murkus]

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

"Mmwell, it's weird..." Fettina looks for the right words. "Dena and I had a really... um... kinda heart to heart moment. It was really something. And I kinda... changed? Into my other self. But I haven't been able to shapeshift for months now."

"And we kinda... were able to fool around, like her and I used to. But I went right back not long after. I don't know what happened."

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Felix's Tower]

The oozes advance slowly after Krayger, gurgling and groaning, bodies slowly taking more coherent shapes, arms reaching out towards him as they go.

They're not very fast. He probably has time to back up out of there if he wants to. But they do now present a problematic obstacle if he wants to get at the cauldron lurking over there.

[Deathkeeper]

Felix's Tower

Krayger whacks the outreaching arms with his club and makes a break for it. Luckily remembering where he's been is easier than figuring out where to go, even with limited light and stressed. Krayger should be able to backtrack easily (but certainly not quietly).
At which point he needs to barricade the basement doors and find Felix and/or Lucas.

[Gullara]

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

"Mmwell, it's weird..." Fettina looks for the right words. "Dena and I had a really... um... kinda heart to heart moment. It was really something. And I kinda... changed? Into my other self. But I haven't been able to shapeshift for months now."

"And we kinda... were able to fool around, like her and I used to. But I went right back not long after. I don't know what happened."

[Fettina's Place - Fight?]

Kirk arches an eyebrow. "You don't have any idea what changed? There wasn't anything about being around her that was different from normal?" He doesn't know what to say, really. This whole angel thing hasn't made any more sense in the time since it first happened.

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Cass' Tower - Pondside]

"I... don't know what to say," whispers Cass, squeezing Electra tightly. "I'm glad I can be here... be that, for you."

[Cass' Tower - Pondside]


Electra holds the embrace for awhile, not saying anything further, before whispering back.

"I....I want to be that for you, too. To be there when you need me. " her voice cracks, and her back heaves with a suppressed sob. "I'm sorry. I know I hurt you last night. I didn't mean to. I didn't want to....the way I was built, the way I was trained, the experiences I had before I came to the Nexus....they've all affected me. I try to think differently now, but....I don't always succeed. I'm not perfect, and probably never will be. I want to be better, though. Will you help me? Please?"