Anarion

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

<Snipped quote by Anarion>

Timothy is a perfectly ordinary boy, and I'm shocked - shocked! - that you would suggest otherwise.

@TheAmishPirate

I guess you could say he's just hanging out with the wrong crowd. All the time.

Princess-Champions of Hyperborea

W.W.H.D.: Princess Hornet would want to fetch her cube companion from her knapsack and take a relaxing, manticore venom induced nap. She didn't have anyone counting on her though. Kathelia thought that maybe, if she did, Princess Hornet (who was objectively, the coolest princess) would have a device around to turn on some theme music so she could do something really, really cool.

Lacking both, Kathelia takes in the garden. Her vision is...oh mother void, how to even describe it? You're watching still, from the center of her heart, so maybe you have the best seat in the house for this. Her vision is a swirl as the sight of the labyrinth garden with its grasping vines and ivy walls wars with another of leafy trees and mountain needles from manticore poison and Kathelia's past. The two struggle back and forth, plants swirling and changing and interposing with each other until flames lick the edges and burn away the dross. She isn't stung during this time because Red shines in her left hand, the flames swirling outward and around the fist grasping it tight next to her heart. Its fires mix with those of the spear in her right hand and the manticores can't even get near her as she scans the garden, so intense is the heat.

Alina had been dragged down by vines and should be somewhere but...there was crushed foliage and...she peers through the flames following the trail to some kind of cage on a cart approaching the orchard. She thought she glimpsed someone else dart by wearing silks as well and moving lithe and fast. But that wasn't Alina, which meant, logically, that she was in the cage, so that was where Kathelia needed to go.

Kathelia spares one more thought for Kyouko before she leaves her perch. She steps past the manticores and fastens her spear onto her back, leaving the flames swirling around her. Keeping a tight grip on Red, she bends down to pick up up Kyouko effortlessly with her off hand, letting the flames part around just the two of them. "Thankth Kyouko" she says to the already drifting off fox, blushing slightly at the lisp even though you'd think she'd have gotten used to it by now. It didn't exactly fit the rainbow flame theme she was trying to pull off here.

Nevermind though. With Kyouko slung over one arm and Red held firmly to her chest, she leaps with a strength that she's never had. Her hypothesis had been right! The localized labyrinth conditions were unsuited to preventing aerial traversal! She had just enough time to exult before coming down with a Thunk and a rattling on the...area a few feet to the side of the cage. Listen! There's a big difference between theory and execution and she had hardly had time to calculate localized gravity with empirical precision before that jump, so it's pretty solid that she got close!

She cradles Kyouko to herself for the landing (gosh that's...that's really nice, does Adila feel this way when she picks people up all the time?) and then lays her gently on the ground on some grass. She rushes to the pallet, lets out a sigh of relief when she sees Alina there and pulls her spear out to slash the bars, which turn to ash before her. Her fires are dying down though. Once she finishes that, it's no more rainbow flames highlighting her pigtails, it's just red shining in that hand: beating steadily next to her heart. The edges of her vision are all fire now, crackling and surging to hold the manticore poison at bay a little longer.

"Alina, I brought your light! Itth right here!" She holds her hand out, wobbling only a little as she moves Red away from her body. It wants to come home Alina, but Kathelia is going to need a little help pretty soon because it's about to be nap time for her.

Princess-Champions of Hyperborea

W.W.H.D.: Princess Hornet, like every other victim of manticore venom that does not have immunity (magical or otherwise) would suffer a combination of symptoms typical of the clinical case, with slight variances for personal tolerance, constitution, and mental state. The typical case of manticore venom involves two primary symptoms. Physically, the body is subjected to a slow-acting paralysis. This begins with a feeling of lethargy. After a brief period of time, typically measured in several minutes, this is followed by occasional involuntary muscle spasms, a general feeling of unresponsiveness (not dissimilar to having one's arm or leg fall asleep) and eventually a gentle paralytic sleep lasting between twenty minutes and several hours, depending in part on whether the victim is woken or allowed to sleep off the effects. Some people even take small doses of the stuff intentionally, claiming that the sleep it offers is especially deep and relaxing. This also leads us to the neurochemical effects of the toxin: mild to medium hallucinogenic effects. Depending on victim, this could be as simple as a slight alteration in depth perception and distance judgment, or it can involve more complex visions such as the victim perceiving themselves as a different person or elements in their setting as entirely different objects. The hallucinations are typically not so severe as to entirely distance the victim from reality (e.g., they will not walk into objects as if they weren't there even before the paralysis) but they may be found talking to a tree or flower without possessing plant-speaking magic.

All this is to say that Kathelia had really been hoping that once free, Red would dash off to go join Alina. If she could fish it out of the bag, she could get it into its casing and toss it to Alina. But when she looks at her bag now, she's not seeing a bag of Labazaar objects and one (1) dragonfire light. Instead, Kathelia (already quite the nerd) appears to be hallucinating something from her long ago past and is seeing a mix of old toys in her bag: carved blocks, little animals and plants, jangly and shiny bits and bobs that she'd quite like to grasp if both her hands weren't full. And really, she'd quite like to take a nap right now, but she's still busy and she needs to find...something in here and get it to Alina. She spins her spear with one hand (though with less fervor than a moment ago) and tries to dig past a little sheep and a block with letters on it and find the...the thing she's looking for, a really shiny fiery toy. It's got to be in there somewhere.

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

Awww, Timmy attacking with your shadow? That's so not...normal

Princess-Champions of Hyperborea

W.W.H.D.: Obviously, in this situation, princess Hornet would pull out her trusty vine de-tanglizer, or perhaps her always consistent safety cat extraction device, or...or at least her rocket boots.

Oh...oh bother, oh dear, her backpack had nothing but Labazaaar buttons and labazaar pinwheels, and some Labazaar desert spice scented bubble bath but none of these were...were any of the things that she needed. Oh no, she had to do something, Kyouko was clinging to her and screaming but she had drowned that out 2.37 seconds ago, but she couldn't tune out Alina being captured! She could make a rush for the apples and try to save them all, it was the rational play. An IEM would make a beeline for an Alina in trouble, abandoning her apple rush and leaving a wide opening for Kathelia. But...but Alina was in danger and she was missing her lights! That little light there seemed so agitated too. Looking through her trusty Labazaar brand® spyglass (price tag still hanging off of it) Kathelia thought that the little light seemed practically antsy on top of its tree-column, like it was trying to break out of there and rush to Alina, but it just couldn't.

***
Somewhere far away and long ago now, a princess landed her Pegasus in an open field where a purple-haired princess was dancing by a gentle stream. She didn't want to scare the princess away and...you've heard this story right? They met, they agreed that Oberon was the worst, they started to fight together, but no listen. That purple-haired princess, she looked so graceful. Where she danced with her little lights, it was like the flowers could bear her weight, so light and beautiful was her step. Kazelia had watched those flowers freeze in her home and she'd heard a song in her heart for the first time in such a long time. The little embers of fire in her heart had just started to glow and when she saw Alina dancing there, she had to land. She had to approach her because...because she just couldn't help it! She didn't know how to say it back then, how to say that she was seeing something special, how to tell this little Illuminan how perfectly she moved and how her love for the land and the water were bursting out of her and through her lights and warming Kazelia's heart from far away. It made Kazelia burn that Oberon had stabbed her, and that fueled those fires too.

There had been many people Kazelia had promised to protect. Even a dragon (despite her insistence she didn't need it) and the Sun, and a goddess, and her own sisters, and she'd even shed a tear for an automaton that looked like her. But Alina had been the first. The first friend. The first one that Kazelia would protect, no matter what happened.

***

She's in the air before she can really think about it, which is good because if she had thought about it, she'd have started hyperventilating. Aerial acrobatics were for Alina, or Esmeralda Thunderbolt! Not book worms like Kathelia! But, funny, she was already in the air and her Labazaar bag was sailing from her shoulders, even as Kyouko gazed up as her mouth agape. Her super awesome unicorn spear was blazing, twin arcs of flame swirling and entwining around it and sparkling with rainbow colors. It almost looked like a little miniature fire Caduceus. She didn't land elegantly, it was more like a skinned knee though her thick overalls did a pretty good job cushioning the blow and her spear was already charring vines around the crown of Argossa as she started sweeping at all the traps stretching to meet her. One of the manticore gardeners tried to fly up close and Kathelia's flames leaped at the manticore and pushed her back with singed paws. That got a lot of attention. Sure they could drag away a tied up princess anytime, but a crazy princess hacking and slashing at the statue of Argossa and scaring off the gardeners? That needed immediate attention. Unfortunately for them, Kathelia was hacking and slashing with a goal: she jammed her spear against the statue encasing that little red light, and her magic too, sending off sparkles and lights doing everything she could to crack the stone and pry that little light free. Was she imagining it, or was it pushing from the other side too?

[rolling to keep the garden traps busy 5+1+2=8. Time bought and all attention on Kathelia (and red free I hope), but there will be some kind of retaliation at the end. Alina is at an advantage.]

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

Annalee freaks the hell out and grabs Timmy to sprint for the exit. This just got extremely real and she is out of there.

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

CREEP
WHIPPED
TRUANT

"We're done talking" she says, pulling Timmy forcefully by the arm towards the door. She's not turning her back on you, Samael but she is leaving so long as he doesn't try to pull away. She is leaving right now, pulling Timothy as fast as he'll move, keeping one hand raised and ready, and moving herself out to the library where there are other students, where you might have a reputation to uphold you see.

She's not sure if that's a gambit worth making, but she's hoping that Samael will treat dragging her back to him again with a level of difference if he's performing in front of an audience than he did when they were alone and he attacked her. If he comes ravaging after them in the library proper, it will turn noisy. There will be shouting in tongues and books flying every which way perhaps, and ideally Timmy screaming like a tiny girl. If that happens, which anyone with half an ounce of discretion would know and therefore avoid.

Really that's the ideal, this confrontation should be put off. Annalee needs a few moments alone with her things for the day. No Elodie dropping in unannounced, no being flung out of towers by a werewolf, and no vampire bypassing her magical wards. For a witch, a little time alone is power, after all.

Princess-Champions of Hyperborea

W.W.H.D.: When faced with a series of sudden developments accompanied by "friendship" Princess Hornet of course gladly accepts this friendship. Typically, in such a situation, she would choose to celebrate such an occasion by demonstrating one or more of her inventions suited to the purpose (outside the boundaries of Jedad where nobody will immediately jump out and tackle any control devices out of her hands before any buttons could be pressed).

Kathelia digs in her new Labazaar backpack with her hands free, but the closest she can find to an appropriately celebratory device is a Labazzar labeled party noisemaker that you pop and that shoots out a tiny caduceus. Since this is the best she has, she pulls it out and releases it in the area between herself, Kyouko, and Alina, to the extent that she can triangulate the position appropriately accounting for both weather conditions and current hug status.

With the appropriate celebratory act completed, she takes the opportunity to properly hug Alina. She hasn't seen her friend since the strange Labyrinth started, except in fleeting moments of the competitive games when Alina appeared either stalemated or a fleeting and untouchable dream and just it's been a while:

"Alina!" she shouts and throws herself, backpack and trinkets and all around her friend, even if her voice comes out less as a shout and more as her nerdy voice breaking sniffling sound that she's almost gotten used to (and that Kyouko blessedly hasn't complained about so far). "I'm glad you're okay!" Then because the better social niceties are beyond her, she immediately starts calculating based on Alina's final question with barely a breath. "Well, the ideal approach would be via flight, but it appears that Eupheria has carefully disabled all modes of access to airborne transportation and I don't particularly have the tools for that. One presumes that not waking the dragon is the most ideal outcome of course, since a victory using the fewest resources is most ideal, so shattering the wall would be out of the question. Some kind of suck device perhaps, combined with something to suppress sound ought to at least get us past the first obstacle..."

[I did not miss my Look Closely roll, 4+4=8. So
1. Is something hidden our out of place? If so, what looks suspicious?
2. Tell me about the sleeping dragon, how could it hurt me? How could it help me?
3. Tell me about Momma up there on the hill. What is she doing? what will she do next?
One answer will be the hard way.]

Princess-Champions of Hyperborea

W.W.H.D. (What would Hornet Do): As everyone knows, Hornet is the coolest, bestest princess in all of Hyperborea. She's smart and inventive and Kathelia hopes to one day be as good as Hornet at making stuff, but she knows she'll have to do lots of homework first before she can even get close to building real-life automatons and castle rockets and stuff. But in the meantime, Kathelia has realized (as she has been dragged before a ridiculous kangaroo court) that she can at least do her best to emulate her hero in every way possible as they make their way through the bazaar. Unfortunately, she lacks a goblin contract to set this agreement into proper and effective legalese, but lacking that she knows that by silently agreeing to the Bazaar's demands despite their unfair trial, she will be able to accomplish one (1) or more of the following objectives
1) focus more precisely on considering the magic system in the dungeon without worrying about her surroundings, since she has such kind gremlins to carry her and Kyouko along
2) avoid distractions that would get in the way of her brainstorming thanks to the friendly gags provided by the market
3) Help craft inspiration through physical sensation, which the market is providing thanks to all this new clothing and gear they're giving her including an "I <3 Labyrinth Bazaar" backpack, cap, and a t-shirt that says "I fell through the Labazaar and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" as well as through the paddling, which is very focusing and helpful for staying awake and ensuring that she won't doze off later.

So, even though Kyouko, for some strange reason, is squirming and shouting into her gag (and from Kathelia's sharp gaze also using that melodramatic cover and her pompoms to work on slowly pickign at the ropes around her hands with her little claws), Kathelia is enduring this in stoic silence. Well, she may be yelping into her gag each time she gets hit, but that's a reflex and she's just using those to keep time as she tries to focus her mind. Objective accomplished: door open. Next labyrinth zone analysis soon to start. Curse analysis ongoing and "mmmmrrrrph" that one really hurt, but that's fine, even if maybe some centaurs are a little overzealous in their physical focus increasement activities.

[Kathelia will accept her clothing and spanks without running.]

Princess-Champions of Hyperborea

A part of Kathelia is thrilled at this turn of events. Kyouko was cutting the metaphorical Gordion knot here (hopefully not the real one though, that poor gremlin!). Hogarth's House of Hot Hams was still on the right side up part of the market, so they weren't even halfway through, never mind the backtracking. Just on this block alone there was Charlie's Checkered Cheeses and Marybelle's Mystical Menagerie and Merry-go-round, which had keys attached to some of the horses and required checking. (No Kathelia wasn't disappointed that this turn of events might mean she wouldn't get to ride the merry-go-round, shut up internal brain voice.)

Another part of her was feeling sad though. A whole mixed bundle of sadness. She liked this part of Eupheria's weird labyrinth. Her nightmare creatures were...well, not really that nightmarish. More outlandish than the typical Hyperborean resident, but compared to everything out there in the universe, they were perfectly fine. They were running shops here, doing business, being friendly. Kathelia felt like she was back in Jedad. The scents of exotic spices tickled her nose and even the cheese looked like it was flavored with some kind of spicy peppers, a big wheel outside the shop had little flecks of red running through it like tiny spicy grains of sand. Even if Eupheria personally was being a total meanie-head, that didn't mean all her creatures were all the time. They had a life and independence of their own, which really shouldn't have been that surprising. Eupheria was creative. Mean, as established, but she was obviously putting her heart and soul into all of this, so it shouldn't come as any surprise that her creations had heart and soul all their own.

"Kyouko, don't!" she shouted, as loud as she could manage through her braces and everything else. Ugh, why was this curse so frustrating? She was starting to see the shape of it though. The Caduceus was a reality warper, it changed the terrain, but that was a surface level thing (she tried not to smile at her own pun). It seemed like what it was really doing was changing the role of things according to the bearer's will. Eupheria saw Kathelia's role as a know-it-all and so it shaped her slowly but surely into that role as Eupheria saw it for her theater. It shaped Alina into the role of the cat that she was playing and Adila to the dog. Even a whole bazaar shifted towards Eupheria's imaginings and the creatures she made to fill it were filling holes in her imagination, making the place according to her vision.

It was breathtaking, addictive in a way that Kathelia could appreciate as she started to understand Ourania's warning. Even someone of the purest intentions couldn't help but think of the ways that everyone around her ought to fit into the way she imagined them. It was the nature of every being with a mind to do it. Perhaps the Caduceus had once been safe for some devil grandmother who was already used to the world being mutable to her will and had the iron focus to live in that manner. She almost laughed though. For Oberon, oh for Oberon it would be nothing. Worse than nothing. He, of all people in the grand and vast universe could not conceive of anything acting beyond his control. If he held the Caduceus, the world would turn to icy stillness anywhere that he didn't immediately focus. She'd have to tell Azora, she wondered if Daddy's little girl would be so eager knowing that even she would be lost the second his attention strayed from her.

And none of this was solving her immediate problem at all! But, it was helping. It was helping her focus and see the inhabitants of the labyrinth bazaar differently. As people. She turned to look at the centaur and the little gremlins. "I'll...I'll sthtop my friend from hurting anyone. Don't worry, okay? She's jutht cranky because it'th hot and we're worried. Your mathter, she's changing uth in wayths that we don't like, that hurt uth. I know she made you all thith wonderful plathe, and I bet you really enjoy her showth too, right? I don't want to change that. I jutht want to save my friendth and help her too. I think Eupheria ith really hurting. Tho...uh...do you think you could...maybe...help uth find our way patht the next door and I'll get Kyouko to sthop making thilly threatth?"

[Talk Sense with Wisdom: Alas 1+3+1=5. And the curse advances again.]