Inside 71: All I Want For Thanksmas Is You

[Recaiden]

[Cat Chariot]

"Uhu, 'kay. Well, see ya' then." The imp waves farewell, glad to soon be out of that place.
She turns to Yone as soon as they're out. "Right, so what's the other places like? Anything like this?"

Yone returns to the chariot and flicks the reins to start them rolling away from here.
"It's fairly sinister also; although I haven't been myself; I only know the fey there by reputation."
"It's much closer to nature, though."

[Reinholdt]

Spoiler

Show

[Court of the Deep]

The bird-creature raises its head and utters a long, high-pitched sound that doesn't really sound like any real, living bird, but perhaps like several birds at once. It goes on for a few moments, then the birds respond. They all open their beaks at the same time, but their different sounds all flow into one another, creating a whisper full of trills and clicks. The bird-creature listens intently.

"The master of the house told them to seek signs of the King's passing, but they found none. And the people in the city would not help them," it says. "Then it bade them to spread warnings and omens, but they are too few. Perhaps when the King comes back to speak to reclaim this name, they can fly out again."

[Court of the Deep]

Dena has certainly not heard the term before.

Likewise, it sounded like she didn't completely understand the term 'labourer' either if that sort of work made you one. But that was yet another thought she wasn't going to bring up, just stick to the questions. "Warnings and omens of what exactly? To scare his enemies? Whom exactly might oppose a king as grand as yours?"

[Court of the Deep]

This is too few birds to spread omens? Exactly how many were needed? This much was too much already!

"Is the Master of the House here right now?" Reina asks. Can't imagine where else they would be. Few places could match the squalid... splendor of this court.

[Morty]

[Court of the Deep]

The birds utter another chorus of sounds, which the bird-creature interprets.

"There are many who would oppose our King's return to glory. They might not have done so yet, but they will. They're jealous of his station. And they fear what will happen if the door to the Fairest of Lands is open again." It listens to the birds' song some more. "The master if the house is not here. But I can ask the birds to bring it here, if you want. It finds it agreeable to meet representatives of a prince."

[Shadowcaller]

[Court of the Deep]

Huh.

"So the master of the house isn't the same as your king then?" Dena had been given the impression that they were one and the same but now it seemed like two different entities. She wasn't sure she wanted to meet the king but as they were here to find out more about fey it would be difficult to refuse an audience with the master of this place.
She glances at Tybalt if only for show. "Since our prince would like to meet this master. What exactly is their relationship to your king?"

[Cat Chariot]

"More 'sinister' fey, eh? Ya' gotta admit that the ratio seems pretty skewed already and I don't even know what those tree fey were like." The imp remarks. "But I'll tell you a secret pal, we're kind of similar to you and I. Let's just say, ah, that before we got cursed with a name change we too were... well, like you people. Still are really. But point is, I can probably handle whatever these other fey's are."

Jim’s Apartment

"Let's hope not, that'd be terrible indeed. But perhaps it's time for me to leave then as to not let the adventure inside." She let's out a small chuckle. "However just one last thing as I couldn't help but to notice, you practice music don't you, sir?" She nods towards his hand.

[Deathkeeper]

Jim's Apartment

Jim blinks and reaches down and lifts the case onto his lap. Popping the latches open, he lifts the top to reveal a masterfully-made but well-worn violin.
"Yeah, I do. I picked up a little piano and...well I can play the classic reed pipes, too. It was to lean into the faun joke a little for parties, alright?" He looks a little embarrassed to admit that after all this satyr discussion.

[Recaiden]

[Cat Chariot]

"More 'sinister' fey, eh? Ya' gotta admit that the ratio seems pretty skewed already and I don't even know what those tree fey were like." The imp remarks. "But I'll tell you a secret pal, we're kind of similar to you and I. Let's just say, ah, that before we got cursed with a name change we too were... well, like you people. Still are really. But point is, I can probably handle whatever these other fey's are."

"Didn't I say that most fey preferred natural places? Even this one is actually meeting us outside the city."
They steer away from the alley with all the flags and set off towards their next destination.
"Cursed, huh? How'd that happen to you?" How interesting, claiming to be like the fey...but handling iron, with no names, no souls...that's worse than if they were just weird monsters, isn't it?
"Besides, you lot are pretty sinister yourself. Well, taken as a whole group of imps, you are."

[Reinholdt]

Spoiler

Show

[Court of the Deep]

The birds utter another chorus of sounds, which the bird-creature interprets.

"There are many who would oppose our King's return to glory. They might not have done so yet, but they will. They're jealous of his station. And they fear what will happen if the door to the Fairest of Lands is open again." It listens to the birds' song some more. "The master if the house is not here. But I can ask the birds to bring it here, if you want. It finds it agreeable to meet representatives of a prince."

[Court of the Deep]

Huh.

"So the master of the house isn't the same as your king then?" Dena had been given the impression that they were one and the same but now it seemed like two different entities. She wasn't sure she wanted to meet the king but as they were here to find out more about fey it would be difficult to refuse an audience with the master of this place.
She glances at Tybalt if only for show. "Since our prince would like to meet this master. What exactly is their relationship to your king?"

[Court of the Deep]

"Who could not be jealous of the illustrious King in Rags?" Reina asks. Except perhaps anyone carrying even a remote amount of fashion and design sense. "The King is opening the door again? How close is he to succeeding?" She has to wonder if the Fairest of Lands is... like from a natural beauty standpoint or an extremely just land ruled by judges and courts with no corruption. Fey are often called the Fair Folk, so she's guessing the former AND it's a land full of probably problematic fey. Might be best to keep this one door closed? Maybe. Sounds like information worth selling if they can find out where it is.

[Rebonack]

[Visiting the Church of Venus]

Well.

That's a little disorienting isn't it?

The sights and sounds and smells of another place. A... restaurant?

Maybe?

Wait, is that the Black Dragon's Den?

Rose had been in there before, back when she was still Alexander. Meeting up with some contacts. But that was a few years ago. Clearly Venus is trying something a little more fancy!

"This is really impressive! I haven't ever tried making an illusionary environment be-"

And then it's gone.

Oh.

"Why did you stop?" Rose asks.


[Plum Mountain Park Mercs]

The two fae, or rather the one fae and the small swarm of fae, are back to arguing pretty animatedly with each other over what does and does not count as magical.

Maybe moving on IS a good idea?

Or maybe our heroes could try asking some questions and interject a little bit of sanity into this inane conversation?


[Jade and Jason's Lair]

MG's eyes widen when the suit snaps over Jade. "Wow, that's actually really impressive. Where did you find this stuff?" she asks.

Then?

She gives her front hooves a little push to rear up on her back legs, giving her shoulders a roll as she spreads her shoulder blades. Watching an equestrian go from a quadrupedal stance to a bipedal one is always an interesting sight. What weird anatomy they have.

Morning holds out her hooves to take the suit. Obviously she figures that it'll have an easier time conforming to her if she's standing upright.


[Hodgepodge Street]

Yes, unpleasant is accurate.

"Probably a good idea to check it out," Jeanette says. "Maybe figure out what's causing these things and stop it before someone gets hurt. Just make sure not to fly right behind me or you'll smack into a statue."

That said, she removes her cloak and drapes it over the statue she's perched on. Honestly she really doesn't need the thing. And it's a little gaudy for her taste to boot. Then she takes off toward the most recent distortion, leaving a line of statues in freeze-frame behind her. Thankfully they don't actually get in the way provided she doesn't have to double back on herself.

Should Jack decide to follow she'll find that the smell of formic acid and rotting meat grows increasingly powerful the closer they get to the magical event. This close, it looks like the object is literally made out of a giant mass of ants crawling all over each other. Jeanette looks like she trying to decide whether or not touch the thing.

[bc56]

Jade and Jason's Lair

"It was a weird abandoned bunker over by Skyside. They made special radiation suits out of it, so I adapted it for my own armor." Jade passes over the suit, and when Morning Glory puts it on, it should conform itself to her shape even if she decides to go back to walking on all fours. "They were keeping some thing that could turn people into birds contained, so they wanted to be sure they could still use them if they started changing."

[Morty]

[Court of the Deep]

The bird-creature shakes its head.

"No, the master of this house is but one of the King's names, long since fallen from him. The Eye of the Bird watches the King's enemies and speeds his allies on their way. It never sleeps." It looks to Reina and seems shocked once more. "It is not for a lowly servant like me to know such things. The King's work will proceed as he deems fit. And then we will see the Fairest of Lands." It raises its head and lets out a low, mournful and pleading sound. After a moment, the sky seems to grow darker and all the colors are suddenly washed out, as if seen through dirty glass. All the birds' eyes change to a yellow, brown and black one and stare directly at the visitors.

"I am the Eye of the Bird.

You are not of the King.

This creature says you wish to speak to me."

The sound is coming from every bird at once, but it sounds nothing like any sound a bird should be able to make. It's like a chorus of creaking doors, old roots and branches shaken by wind.

[Earl of Purple]

Hodgepodge Street

Jack flies above and a bit behind Jeanie as they go to the next event, leaving her own statues in the air behind her. After they arrive, Jack lands and flares her wings out to either side, examining the anomaly with the eyes in her wings to try and find out what exactly is going on. They're very good at seeing hidden things, and hopefully will spot any harmful magic before it manifests. She also reaches into her satchel and pulls out an old oar. She doesn't poke the pile of ants yet, however.

[5a Violista]

[Brimstone Park]

Well, this place definitely looks nice.
Next time he's here in Inside, he should definitely come back.

Seeing the potion stand, it reminds June of the healing potion he got for Thanksmas. He gets it out and looks at it.
. . .
It's a healing potion, though, so he'll probably never use it.

Okay, so why he was here again. . .Pyrite said she lived under a rock, didn't she? There's a bunch of rocks around.
And...

He walks around a little, and, upon seeing the crater and the lava and the bushes, remembers that she said something about overlooking the caldera. But...there's a full 360 degrees around the crater to look.
He goes to the caldera and looks for a succubus-nymph that doesn't look busy, and asks her, "Hey, um...I'm looking for someone. You know a Pyrite? She looks like this...and her hair looks like this..." He describes her notable features.


[Perfectly Normal Docks]

The redhead June nods. He moves away from the mini-boulder to go retrieve his shoes and put them back on.

That was a pretty heavy rock. He needs to catch his breath, too. "So, how are we going to get it somewhere?" he asks. He puts a hand on his hip. "Actually, where did you want to bring it, anyway?"



[Visiting the Church of Venus]

Having a disembodied headache is pretty awful. Having a disembodied headache with positive feedback loops is also pretty awful.

In order to end that, Venus decides that ending the 'disembodied' part would actually be the fastest way to change that. She hopes that being...embodied...will also break the feedback loop.
Venus reappears behind the altar, curled up and with her head against the stone. "Eeuunnngnnghh," she groans. "Nnnngyh."

She raises her hand to her head. She's getting closer to being able to make words! "Uaaayooooouch. That. Ugh. Too much. Owwww."

Maybe after a bit more time, Venus can actually explain what.
She takes a lot of deep breaths, closes her eyes.
"I was, um, I was trying to recreate everything that June was experiencing but that was really stupid. Too many people, too many things going on. She had gotten used to just tuning most of everything out, so trying to pay attention to everything was. . ." She takes another deep breath and groans again. "Might've just made her spill a drink on someone."

[bc56]

Brimstone Park

"Oh, Pyrite? She lives up in that boulder over there. But you might want to check the potion shop first. She works there sometimes." The succubus nymph answers. "Need anything else?"

[Recaiden]

Vix climbs back onto the dock, dripping wet.
"I" "Can" "Push" "Roll" "To" "..."
She trails off, realizing that there's no good place to put the rock, is there? How would they get it into June's apartment? Would it even fit? And it's not like she can take it back to her old home. Even bringing it close would be too dangerous.
It's not like the mutant thought this through. It was a crazy idea caused by exposure to an expired potion combining with her own strangest thoughts.
She sits on the edge of the dock, defeated.
"Not" "Know"

[Morty]

[Plum Mountain Park Mercs]

"Klaavi" pauses. Her companion is probably right. There's not much useful information to get from this lot. Best to move on and find someone more useful. She nods.

"Good luck with your rocks. We need to keep going," she says.

[Earl of Purple]

Wandering Into Trouble Interaction Wanted!

Having come to terms- at least, as best he can- with the horrific secret imparted unto him by the green-furred gibbon, Prumathe has gone shopping once more. He's a dark-skinned young man, with green eyes and short black hair. He's wearing a pair of jeans and a black hoody, with a hardy rucksack to put his purchases in. Except the flowers; he's got a bunch of blue ones for his wife, though he couldn't tell you what they're called. He's not very good with plants.

[Recaiden]

[Wandering Into Trouble]

Spoiler: A subtle disturbance in the threads of time

Show

Okay, is everyone ready?
Ready
We already synchronized, why all these checks?

Walking down the sidewalk coming the other direction is a giant huntsman spider, several feet long and wearing a little backpack. Although, compared to most hunstman spiders, this one is far more blue, and its legs have far more blades.

She scuttles to the side to step right in front of the guy who's out shopping.
"Excuse me, are you Prumathe Octothorpe?"

[5a Violista]

[Brimstone Park]

"Hm, okay," the mushroom-guy says. He looks up at the boulder, then over at the potion shop he noticed. That one, right? Would be a good place to look.

"Yeah, I know where that is. I'll go there." He taps on his leg, and turns to it. "Thanks, that was really helpful."
He starts to walk towards that potion shop.


[Perfectly Normal Docks]

Huh.
Okay.
That's.
Well.
Huh.
June breathes in, then out. "Maybe we could leave it here? Just out of the way, a little, and then probably nobody would bother it. Especially if you make it look decent, like...it was intentionally left here. If it looks nice, then people would leave it alone, especially since this dock doesn't look very well-frequented."

He looks at Vix.
"That'll give us time to figure everything out and for you to find a place to put it."

[Recaiden]

[Perfectly Normal Docks]

Vix listens and slowly nods.
What a great idea. Make people just...pass it by.
She stands back up, getting to her right feet then her left foot, and scrambles over to the little boulder to shift it onto its side. Then she can roll it over, a little ways past the tree, and set it into the ground!
"Yes" "Needs" "Time" "Thanks" "June"
She quickly carves a line around the base of the stone, to make it look more shaped and deliberate, like a stand for the rest.
"There" "In-ten-tion-al"

[The Golden Kettle]

Alexil Chevin Daaarit, who was once a perfectly ordinary person before crashing into the Nexus, is walking down the sidewalk, dusting off hir metal hands and then pushing the flight goggles up so the moon-alien cameras that have replaced the eyes can get a clearer look around.
Job done, apocalypse averted, shi thinks. But by the balance that was exhausting. People can be loyal at the worst of times.
Catching sight of the sign outside a teahouse, thinking that a nice cup of tea would be just the thing, shi reaches up¹ and tries the door.

^{1 - Alexil is not very tall. Less than four feet!}

[Deathkeeper]

[The Golden Kettle]

The huge double-door to the restaurant is open. Inside is a tea shop. Most of it is fine wood with blue and green accents, and perhaps just a tinge more gold trim and thread than it should have if it didn't want to be called ostentatious. In the rear window the canal is visible. Despite the high-class décor it doesn't look like there's been many, if any people here in the last week. Though there is a large closet door behind the bar from which there does seem to be some rumblings and noises like packing and unpacking being done...

[Recaiden]

It immediately strikes Chevin that this place is too peaceful in a sense. It's deserted.
Shi looks about for a person, a sign, even a menu. The decor is very nice, these people at least had a sense of style.
"Hello?"
Perhaps the place is just understaffed, and the lone employee is busy putting supplies in that closet? Or distracted by something less responsible, that's possible as well.

[Deathkeeper]

The Golden Kettle

The sounds stop, and a bulky orange form (barely) squeezes back through the door. The orange-furred tiger-man is immense, both because he is over two and a half times as tall as Chevin, but also because he is extremely fat. He could compete with a space marine for inhuman levels of exaggeration, only in that he looks like he's never spent effort on anything in his life instead of living at a gym and protein factory. But that's what happens when you ask for a makeover from a djinni who likes that sort of thing, apparently. He also seems to be clad in a bedsheet tied around his waist for some reason.
"Oh. We're not actually open yet. Sorry if you wanted something. Unless you were here for a job interview or something?" he tells the newcomer, though he's not sure he has the money to pay someone even if they did apply.

[Recaiden]

Chevin looks waaay up at the tiger-man.
It appears that simply getting a pitcher of tea will not be easy. Which is a shame; tea is one of the better things in the Nexus.
"Why was the door open then? And what are you wearing?"
"I just came to get a drink; you have at least that, right?"

Chevin looks like a fairly standard, androgynous human. Apart from the skin being made of precious metals, and only having four fingers on each hand, and slightly weird proportions. Trivial differences. Hir red hair is worn in dreadlocks, and the flowing clothes that comprise the outfit are woven out of heavy rainclouds. Worn on hir twined belt are a small skull, a bone-handled knife, a magic wand, and a few pouches for miscellaneous items.

[Deathkeeper]

[The Golden Kettle]

"The door was open because I live here and I just got back from Arletane. What kind of drink were you looking for? I'm still taking courses on mixing all of these things." He looks down at himself, tugging on the cloth tied around his waist so he can see it.
"Oh. I forgot I was still wearing this. Sorry, I lost my fashion sense in a bet with a local god. I can't come up with a decent outfit if my life depended on it. And I haven't actually been out to find anything that fits me at this size."

[Recaiden]

"Where's Arletane?" is Chevin's first response.
"Tea, green if you have any of that, with sugar and one of those little sour fruits."
Losing one's fashion sense in a bet is only the fourth craziest thing shi's heard all day, but it's still pretty out there.
"Were you betting against another fashion sense, so the winner would be twice as fashionable? I wonder how many fashion senses you could collect usefully..."
"Anyway, what you need is a vest, a cape, and some of those dancing pants." shi tells him confidently.

[Deathkeeper]

The Golden Kettle]

Edgar squats down and fiddles under the counter for supplies. Luckily he has bought some supplies even if they're mostly for teaching himself how to prepare these things. He moves oddly; with strength and grace despite looking like he shouldn't have any more muscle mass than he'd need to move around at all with that shape.
"Arletane is out that way." he gestures with one huge paw.
"Nestled in the hills. It's my county. We all bet something we cared about. I lost the rounds with my fashion sense and my muscles, but I won the next ones and that's why I'm a count.
Dancing pants? I don't think I should be wearing anything tight." Does Chevin mean tights? Edgar doesn't know much about dancing.

[Recaiden]

Oh! Is tea back on the menu?
"They're not tight, they're loose so you can move your legs right in them." Chevin does note how eerie Edgar's movements are. But it's no stranger than the non-muscular smoothness hir own clockwork components can be seen to move with when pushed. Used to it.
"So you won a land? And now you're opening a cafe as a hobby?" Shi just wants to get it straight; people have much stranger hobbies, no judgement.

[Deathkeeper]

[The Golden Kettle]

"Properly speaking, I won a county about two days after I became bound in service to a very magical Lady who wanted to live on the water above an elegant, classy business. So we don't theoretically need the tea house now that I have a county to pay for our living conditions but she still wants it as a hobby. Of course, a tea-house-slash-bathhouse takes capital and staff to run. And since I am not starving the people of Arletane to fill my own pockets a week after I take my title, I don't actually have the cash to open the place yet or hire people who know what they're doing. Not that I have any more idea on how to run two ritzy businesses than I do how to run a mining county." He sighs. Being the Nexus' largest count is pretty hard when no one's around to tell you what to do. Aethiiraxa seemed pretty claws-off. Which works for a dragon but he doesn't think he wants to do that. He doesn't have nicer places to rule from like she does.

[Earl of Purple]

Wandering Into Trouble

"Um, yes? How can I help you?" Prumathe doesn't know any giant spiders- he's pretty sure he'd notice- so this stranger is looking a little sinister and knows his name. Could be a minion of his mother-in-law, or something from the Hive, but it doesn't look quite right for that. He starts to tap into his biomancy, boosting his strength. Just his strength; not his speed or senses.

[Recaiden]

[The Golden Kettle]

"Oh, I see. That sort of thing has happened to me too." Chevin says, nodding in what might be an understanding way.
"Don't suppose some Arletanens would want to come to the city to work here, as a start?" Actually, shi might have some people who could do with a little more civilization...
"Sounds like a difficult set of obligations."

[Wandering Into Trouble]

"Great! You can call me 'Moschu'. I've come back from the future to prevent a devil-related disaster. Could you come with me?"
The spider turns slightly and uses a pair of legs to carve a swirling starry portal into the air over the sidewalk.