Latest revision as of 07:21, 31 December 2013

Participants

• Edel
• Nuku

Date

31/12/2013

Log

Light ripples through the room in an everchanging pattern of tints and textures. Soft gray walls reflect the brilliant colors of the silk scarves that hang in the doorway, softening them to a subtle background hue. Small occasional tables and curio cabinets are scattered around the room, their sculpted lines and smooth polished wood offering a contrast to the soft hammocks and swing chairs that serve as seating. Knickknacks and figurines are arranged artfully on tabletops and shelves. A pair of tapestries hang on either side of an arch that leads deeper into the Web, and a second arch leads to the weaving room.

The previous room is gone, the door shut without remembering shutting it, though it remains, just behind edel, out of place in this new... room? The air is fresh, carrying a hint of incense, and the sound of wind chimes faintly drifts through.

Edel inhales deeply as she steps into the room, flashing a little smile. "This is a wonderous place. I like it. Quite pretty. Though I must ask the obvious question... What did you bring me here for, anyway?" She wanders around at a casual pace, observing the various trinkets. "I assume there's some purpose beyond observing me for your amusement or something. Oh! Thank you for the food, by the way. Quite thoughtful!"

"There's always a purpose," speaks a female voice as hands move to wrap around Edel from behind in a sudden embrace, "Hello! I'm..." she pauses, as if not sure. "What would you like to call me? Tonight, I am yours, in every way you could want it, and I will be your guide." The arms and hands are bare, human looking.

Edel raises her brow, tensing up for a moment before relaxing again. "Well. What would you like to be called, hmn? If you've no preference, how about I just call you... Friend, for now? We are being civil, afterall!" She tries to step forward and turn around to face the one that had hugged her. "A guide would be lovely! I have little clue as to what I'm to be doing here, afterall. It is not often that I go somewhere without a clear intent, so I am at a loss, here." Gesturing around, she asks, "What is this place, for one?"

A human from the waist up, a fox from the hips down. Female, and smiling. Her fur is a strange neon pink color, turning to vibrant dark blue at the tip of her tail and at her paw like feet. "Friend it is," she says agreeable, "Welcome. Father says you're special, and I am inclined to believe him more often than not. He also says you don't want to play like the others. Is that true, or is he playing a trick?"

Edel eyes the woman over, but rather than letting her eyes settle on the usual spots, she seems particularly interested in the fur colourings. "Hmm. Interesting indeed," she muses to herself before looking back up to meet her companion's eyes. "Your father is correct, at least about the truth of it. Special? That's a matter of philosophy, and I'm no philosopher. I have no interest in sex or pleasures of the flesh, but I delight in good conversation. There's no need to try to tempt me, if you do not wish to. I'm not quite sure where you, personally, lie on that kind of issue." Turning back to study the trinkets, she says, "Would your father happen to be one of the... Spirits, planar beings, or whatever they are called? I've seen a number of the shrines over time, and this is beginning to feel rather similar."

"He is..." she trails off again, "You have me stuck two times in as many minutes," she says with a soft huff, "You are definately special. He is here, and there, both places, always digging and looking for interesting things. Then he found your world, brimming with curious things. It took a long time to get a hole, but he did, and now you're here, visiting us." She gestures lightly, "You can take one, if you like, but you only get to keep one thing, so think hard. You may want to wait until later."

Edel leans back, stroking her chin. "Ah, take one? I think I will wait, yes. I was just looking. I'm not even certain of what they do." Turning back around again, she grins. "So! This is the home of one of the spirits, huh? Fascinating. I'm honoured to be here, certainly. You have all created quite a splash in our own world, you know. There are so many things I would ask, but I do not know where I would begin..."

She tilts her head at Edel a moment, as if considering something before she shakes her head, "We have barely begun to be present," she argues, "Father wishes to adopt a few of you, to take you into his embrace, as I am. Wouldn't that be lovely? Your world though, not like the others, already so free. I want to visit it."

Edel shakes her head. "Not you, specifically, of course. Spirits in general. There are several there already! The kitsunes, the phoenix, and even my recent patron." Tipping the brim of her hat up, she studies the foxwoman for a moment. "I am sure you will find no shortage of people to join you, though! Why can't you visit, anyway? Forgive me if it's an obvious question, but I am no expert on the matter."

"It's not obvious?" she asks, shaking her head as she moves past Edel, "Father loves us, and wants us safe. You have knives and guns and sharp claws. We can't be harmed here, within Him, even if we play at violence, but out there?"

Edel actually looks a little surprised by that. "Really? I wasn't sure if you played by the same rules as we did. That's interesting to learn, though. I can understand, though. I try my best to protect my own children, so I would probably do much the same, in his position." She begins to follow the other woman, tail twitching.

Her own tail sways leisurely left and right with each step as she moves ahead, then pauses, "You sure you're ready to move on? I should warn, some places will surprise you. I can't protect you, only guide you, but I won't abandon you either, promise." she says that with a bright smile.

Edel takes a little breath and nods. "Am I ready? Well, that I do not know. But we must move on to see the end of our journey, don't we? So move on we shall! Sometimes you have to take a chance and hope for the best. Though if you could give me a heads up of what surprises might be coming, that'd be excellent."

Moving forward, Edel finds:

Trees sparsely grow here, yet the light still seems to be blocked, stuggling to reach your eyes. Nasty-looking patches of brambles dot the open spaces, their branches reaching out to snag any loose piece of cloth or fur on wicked barbs. Shreds and tufts belonging to past travellers long gone mark the roads in this part.

A bittersweet aroma hangs in this piece of the woods, and manages to enter all but the most insensitive noses. As the mists seem to part for your questing eyes, blotches of mushrooms growing inbetween the underbrush are spotted. Their image looks tasty, as is their inviting scent, yet somehow, where the mushrooms grow, the brambles don't...

The appearance of the guide changes dramatically as the former place gives way abruptly to this untamed wild. Her fur sweeps out over the rest of her body and her claws and teeth grow dangerously large, adopting the appearance of a crazed lycanthrope, even growing and drooling a little as she goes.

Taking only a moment to observe the changes to the fox, Edel's eyes focus largely on the brambles and mushrooms. "Oh dear." Another look is spared to her fancy gown. "At least it's... Easily repaired. Well. What's the plan here, friend? Some kind of test, or...?"

She turns a, now much larger, and fuzzier, ear towards Edel, "Everything is a test, including getting this far. Did I surprise you?" she asks, licking over her furry lips as if hungry, "I can answer questions from this point on, but you have to choose where you want to go and where you want to be."

Edel chuckles softly, folding her arms as she surveys the area. "I suppose that is true, isn't it? Life itself is a test, I suppose. I suppose my next question... Is what is my objective? My goal? If this is an obstacle course of sorts, no problem!" She doesn't go for the mushrooms, but instead for the brambles, approaching slowly.

She shakes her head, "It could be," she says rather cryptically. Some guide! She's friendly at least. She moves to start following instead of leading, her breath felt as she gives little dangerous sounding growls with every few paces.

Edel glances over her shoulder, pausing for a moment before she cautiously begins trying to cross the grambles, wincing. "You're not about to attack me or something, are you? That would be a mostly unfriendly thing to do, without giving me a heads up first! I'm not sure where we're supposed to be going, anyway... Hopefully this is the right direction."

The brambles catch on delicate cloth, pulling and tugging with sharp thorns that seem almost actively malign, even finding purchase on fur and flesh beyond. The stalking fox girl seems unmolested by them, always close, breathing, growling. She does not reply to the question not exactly posed.

Edel gives a wry little smirk before she presses on, tugging up her dress a little, for all the good it'll do. "This kind of sucks, to be sure. I've faced worst in my training, though, I reckon! Must say, I prefer the room we were in before." She's not really expecting a reply at this point, but it keeps her mind off the brambles, at least a little.

One step too far, and a foot finds nothing under it, suddenly plunging into prickly darkness. Thorns rush past Edel in a stream of lacerations as they tumble feet first deeper into the strange place with nothing to show for it but ripped clothing and hide.

Spilling out onto stone suddenly, Edel finds himself in a new place:

This room at one point served as a resting place of the dead, it also lists at a drunken angle, due to an overflowed fountain at one corner of the room that's softened the earth under the large slabs of stone that make up the floor. the underground graves have risen a bit near the fountain, the bones of the long deceased seem to dance under the ripples of the clear water. The coffins of stone have tumbled out of the shelves made for them over the years, powdery rock and equally fragile bone litter the ground underfoot, perhaps causing an unwary traveler to trip into the ice cold waters from the fountain.

Friend, the guide, arrives dramatically when one of the coffins rumbles, then shatters, admitting her into the place, her body returned to its original shape, mostly. Her flesh has become pallid and grey, her eyes sunken but burning with a red malfeasance. Her formerly bushy fox tail has become ragged, with bones peeking out at places.

On the way down, Edel uttered a long string of very unladylike words, before finally going silent upon landing. "Guh. Well, you were right about surprises, that's for sure." She licks one of her fingers and brushes it against a scratch, hissing a little. "Cripes that stings." She turns her attention to her companion and frowns. "You're looking a little worse for the wear, too, huh? What's the test of this room, hm?"

She looks around slowly, "Well, it could be many things, but I am not as wise as Father. Maybe..." she says, reaching to hold her stringy tail, "He wonders if you fear death anymore. I heard you die less easily in your world than in some others?"

Edel takes a breath and plops down on the ground, cherishing the moment to take a breather. "Good question. Once upon a time, if you had asked me that I would have said no. But now that I have children, it's not about just me, anymore, is it? I have a certain curiosity about what death brings, and while I'm not really... Eager to die, I'm not quaking either. I suppose it'd be more accurate to say I'm scared of what I'll leave behind if I do die."

She nods her head, "That seems very..." She tenses, then suddenly coughs violently, hacking up a wad of tarry goo that splatters on the ground, bubbling and hissing, "Reasonable."

Edel hops to her feet with a groan, steadily reaching for one of her weapons incase the goo becomes some kind of animate monster. "Speaking of death... Are you alright? I realize this is a test, but that really can't be pleasant for you."

She shakes her head quickly, "What, no. We have to play our parts. This is a dead place. If I wasn't assigned to be your guide, I'd probably be busy trying to see how you taste. Delicious, I bet." she says, as if considering the notion.

Edel frowns a little and rolls her shoulders, wincing again. "Well, I suppose that's true. What shall we do then, guide?" She looks around the room, moving towards the fountain.

She follows along after Edel, "I'm not allowed to tell you what to do. This is your journey, I'm just here to help a little, if you ask. I can understand if you don't want to kiss right now though." she says with a smirk, "I'd watch out though. I hear cousins."

Edel pauses near the edge of the water, peering into it before looking towards the coffins. "Cousins, huh? Feels a lot like some of the puzzle games I used to play. I hope I don't have to fight your cousins as part of the test." She pushes up her glasses and casts her glance around the area, looking for anything out of place.

Scratch scratch, comes the sound of something scraping against stone. "Cousins," she agrees, glancing around again, "It's up to you, and what you do, of course. We will fight. It's all part of the show, of course. Nothing personal, you know. You're kind of cute, and you've been nice enough."

Edel grimaces and slowly draws one of her swords, adopting a defensive stance as she looks about for some kind of exit. "I would prefer not to, but if we must, we must. Let's make it a good show at least, hmm?" She tips her hat back to keep it from obstructing her view. "Nothing personal," she echoes.]

The half-fox-fox girl smiles, showing crooked teeth before she withdraws to across the room just in time for bony hands to begin shoving at the lids of the coffins. Groans of the deceased fill the room as a disheveled pile of forms begin to emerge, more than one would think would even fit in the small space provided.

Edel shuffles about slowly, trying to work into an advantagous position where her back won't be left open as she works the nanites in the area to lift and stray fragments of stone, or in some cases making some of her own, to whip through the air like a storm of shrapnel, hoping to get a headstart on things before she gets overwhelmed.

Instead of the ozone crackle, there is a bright and multihued shimmer before the rocks begin to flail and spin with angry auras of energy, slicing into the incoming zombies and sending the first few to the ground, trying ineffectively to rise again. Those behind push over the bodies of the first, reaching out towards Edel with pale dead eyes.

Edel looks a little taken aback by the display. It's never done that before, that's for sure. When the following wave comes at her, she waits until one is close enough to hit without over extending her reach, and when it comes she lashes out with a swing, followed by a kick, hoping to knock it into its fellows.

Fists don't work as well, thudding on unfeeling flesh. One is knocked back a step, but the others press around, grabbing with filthy nails to pull Edel into their unpleasant embrace. Teeth cacked with dirt of graves close in on that supple living flesh. From the other corner of the room, Friend glances away as if uncomfortable, but makes no move to intercede.

Edel scowls deeply. Group combat was never her thing, but again she lashes out with her electrified sword, this time in a broad circular arc, hoping to give herself some breathing room.

The sword finds flesh and a loud crackle echoes off the stiff stone walls. Several bodies fall back, hissing and groaning. One of the coffins explodes, admitting the spectral form of something else entirely, glaring with malovelance at the living intruder.

Edel narrows her eyes, flicking a switch on the hilt of her sword to kill the current before she makes a dash for the water, in paticular, the fountain, intent on climbing onto it to bring herself above the water.

Up onto the spire in the middle of the fountain, but as Edel touches the water, a sudden sharp spike leaps up through her, tingling from head to tail, muscles going limp. Suddenly, in the water, deeper, darker, falling out of the world and into something new entirely.

Stone-grey treetrunks flank the narrow passages on all sides, occasionally a fleck of light dances across the wall-like forest. If it wasn't for them, it would be truly dark in this part. Briefly, you think you can spot a pair of eyes looking about in the darkness between the trees and the crackling of deadwood just out of sight remind you that these woods are inhabited. Standing on an almost woven mat of interlocking roots, at least this piece of the forest has clearly visible paths.

Edel only closed their eyes for a split second, then somewhere else, laying across a mat of roots, still wet, but feeling.... better. Wounds have closed, though clothing remains tattered. Friend is back, as she was when first encountered, perched in a tree branch.

The first thing Edel does is try to wring the water from her tail, then her dress. "Ugh. If I had known about that little secret I would've touched the water when we first got to the room. But! It worked out, yeah? I'm still alive! I still prefer my duels, though."

She hops down beside Edel, and extends a hand to help them up, "I couldn't say," she says sheepishly, "Hope you don't think I'm out to get you or anything, really." Her tail, now bushy again, sways behind her as she balances on her paw like feet.

Edel accepts the hand, before scooping her sword up and sliding it back into her scabbard. "Not at all! I know how it is. I got enough of it while I was training with the jaguar back home, really. It's not my first rodeo, as it were. So, what can you tell me about this place? Doesn't look as bad as the previous two."

She looks about, tail curling slowly behind herself, "You don't understand. Father, he has a personal touch. To each person, the play is different. He's feeling you, trying to find out what kind of person you are." She leans in, "I think you're an alright person, but I don't know enough. What do you do?"

Edel claps her hands together again, taking on that same happy tone as earlier. "Well that's an easy enough question! I get asked that often enough. I make weapons and equipment, mostly. For myself, for others. Beyond that, I'm a mother, deterrent, and to an extent, a peacemaker. I work to make my corner of the world a safer place, so that I and my children can walk the streets safely. That's about it, really. I'm a simple person, with simple desires, achieved through fairly simple means."

She pats her belly, "I'm a mother too, twice. The last one was one of yours," a pause, "I mean, someone from your world. They were a very kind donor. I hope I meet her again." she sniffs at Edel lightly, a funny thing for a human nose to be doing at someone, "How many?"

Edel closes her eyes for a moment, linking her fingers together behind her head. "Five, since I've regained my mind. Three stay with me, still, while two have gone their own way. Before I was rehabilitated? No clue. Not sure I want to. I never thought I would have kids, really. They weren't my thing, but actually having them sort of changes things, I guess. They've become a big part of my life."

"What do you mean?" she asks, "What were you before that you wouldn't wonder at your children, and how would you not know?" Quizzical, baffled. "My children are now cousins, free to serve Father, like me."

Edel rubs her cheek. "What do you know of our world? When I was first infected, I was feral. As many were! And... I couldn't quite control those urges that I mentioned earlier. So I'm not sure how many children I ended up mothering. I have since regained control of my mind, however."

"You have a disease?" asks Friend, "You seem very well. You got better? I've only been sick as part of a play. I don't like it very much. I've heard some Outsiders get sick and can't stop being sick. Terrible."

Edel shakes her head, chuckling softly as she gestures to herself. "No, no. Not quite. The nanites changed many of us. We did not originally look like this, you see. We were all furless, and without tails and claws. Then the nanites happened, and we were all turned into the various things you would see out there, today."

"Humans?" she asks, then gestures to her upper half, "All of you? I can't believe it. We haven't seen a single human wander in here yet, I think." she squints in thought, "Are you trying to decieve me, fill my head with strange notions of your home?"

Edel shakes her head again, taking her hat off just long enough to run her fingers through her hair-like headfur. "No, it is all true. We were all human, and we still are, underneath it all. We just don't quite look the part, anymore. Well... Most of us. And some of us, like me, can even turn back to human, if we desire! But these different forms have perks as varied as the forms themselves, and some of us have taken a liking to them, after being stuck with them."

She ponders for a moment and adds, "Think of it like water! It can be ice, or it can be vapour, or the liquid! Each is still water, but they all do different things, yes? It is a lot like that, I feel."

She shakes her head, "You do not need to explain the art of changing for the part," she assures, "Or have you already forgotten? I have played the part of the feral hunter, and the once living girl, and the soft and pleasing guide for you just this night," she says in a chastising tone, "I can be whatever is needed for the set. I'm just not used to the idea of Outsiders who are as gifted as we are."

Edel grins and shrugs. "Sorry. I tend to ramble and go off on tangents. You're right. Did you have any other questions about my person? Or... Should we be setting off down the path once more?"

With a flicker of her tail, she asks, "How did you do that magic? Father said your magic was not like others, but it looked all the same to me. What makes Father think it is different?"

Edel taps the side of her skull with a finger. "Nanites. The same thing that changed our form can be harnessed to grant us such powers. The earth, fire, electricity... All kinds of things. The very dress and hat I wear, in fact, were made by me through nanites. Hence why I wasn't so worried about them being torn on the brambles. I can always fix it later. I can't claim to be an expert on it all, but I'd say it's different because it doesn't come from... Any kind of mystical or spiritual power. To my knowledge, at least."

Her head shakes slowly, "You keep using that word. NanMites? What sort of mite is this that does such things," she frowns a little, "And how is it not mystical when it does such mystical things." she waggles her hips then, "Your world is a curious one."

Edel lets out a low whistle. "This will be hard to explain. Nanites are... A tiny little machine like thing. I'm not sure what they were originally invented for, but they got out of hand. Really changed the face of the part of the world that I'm from. Controlling all sorts of matter and the like, by transmitting signals from one to another. There are different kinds, too! The ones I'm most familiar with are what we call buildernanites. The name is pretty self explanatory, I think. They help build stuff! I'm not... One of the bigwig scientists though, so I don't know how accurate my information will be. For all I know, there is something mystical involved and we just believe it's nanites. Goodness knows that all the spirits and stuff have complicated things."

Oh the clueless look on her face. "Tiny... machines? Little golems? I didn't see any golems when you were doing those things..." she shakes her head, "It is beyond me I think, perhaps beyond you as well. I do magic." She wiggles her fingers, fire gathering between them and dripping down to create a molten wax like ball of flame, "See? Simple."

Edel bobs her head. "It certainly is beyond me. I know how to use them, but that doesn't mean I understand them! And I'd love to be able to do magic like -that-, if it truly is different. I don't think the people from my world are capable of it, though. Which is too bad. Growing up, I always wanted to be a wizard of some kind, but I settle with what I've got."

She reaches to wrap her hands about Edel, still wielding the flame. Rather than burning, she strings it along, creating a flickering necklace of the waxen heat. Warm, but not burning. "You may keep that," she says in an offering tone, "If you like?"

Edel flashes a smile as warm as the necklace and bows her head. "Thank you. I shall treasure it for as long as it lasts. It is a rather interesting thing, to be certain. I have not seen another like it, and I'm not sure I ever will! On my world, at least."

"Then I hope you keep it, forever, to remember me by." She tries to steal a kiss then, "Even if ours is to remain platonic, that's alright. I'm very glad to have met you."

Edel chuckles softly and reaches up to touch the necklace with her gloved hand. "And I am glad to have met you, as well! But I don't think it's time for us to part yet, is it? Because I don't believe we've reached the end of the journey! Or... Have we? It's hard for me to say."

A lot of things are hard to say, as the world begins to grow hazy and indistinct. Her voice echoes out as if from far away, "I do hope you come back. Father says you were very interesting!" It's as if she's shouting from the other end of a long tunnel that's only getting longer.

Edel gives one last chuckle, though it's a bit sadder. "Maybe it is the end, then. Perhaps we will see each other again in the future. I look forward to that day." She's not entirely certain if her words are heard, but she gives a little wave. "Until then, stay safe, friend."

Just like that, Edel awakens where they had last settled to rest, with a curious, flaming, necklace still draped around their neck. One thing, she had said.