DAY 007

[allthekeys]

|| Day 007: GENERAL The sun dawns on grounds that are considerably more dry. The last of the snow has long melted and the mud dried, leaving behind patches of dried, caked dirt here and there around the grounds. The day is bright, the sun falling over the grounds through only the thinnest hint of the usual fog overhead; the air is pleasantly warm, with an occasional light breeze. In the Town, the bonfire from the previous night has burned down; the tables and odd kegs and worn tankards are still present, as are a number of the stakes and skewers. The townsfolk seem to want nothing to do with them, skirting the edge of the square and avoiding them; a few of the Guards have started hauling things away, taking apart the creatures' macabre revel. The Drowned Woman momentarily pauses in her languishing in the middle of the town, looking at the guards about her with trepidation. Then she sighs, sadly, and moves away from them. She gives a long, searching look to the castle before turning and leaving town. She disappears from sight soon enough, the wet trail following her seeming to end abruptly. The Scaled Boy sleeps in Dorm Twenty curled up beneath a blanket and against Hibari or Murtagh, occasionally throughout the day he will rise to stroke the small dragons that also occupy the room. He seems a bit dazed, and is quick to make way for anyone who moves to brush past him. The Gardens seem to have settled from their rage of the previous night, turning more green with some flowers beginning to bloom. While less hostile, those passing through them will find that an occasional vine or branch may catch at their ankles and clothes a little as if investigating, while those over eighteen and vaguely human will occasionally find the paths within the garden shifting on them – never enough to keep them lost for long, but enough to be confusing. Occasionally an odd cloaked figure can be found in the back reaches of the Garden, as Sil seems to have staked out a particular clearing to go through pieces of deadwood that might be usable for other things. The Green Man occasionally shambles through parts of the garden, pausing to examine certain plants that perk up and grow a little further at its care; it does not seem to pay attention to most working in the garden or passing through. In the glen where Amaterasu took the child, the trees are heavy with clearly out of season fruit, while a small natural-stone fountain runs with clear water; the girl is still shaken and prone to silently clinging, although she is calming. In the Stables the silver colt is once again in his stall, though held only with a head rope. Tanny is rubbing him down, and has filled his pan with a warm mash of grain. The horse seems to hate men, and will strike out at any who attempt to enter the stall. Though he does not really seem to care if women come in with the girl. She speaks to him softly and constantly, sleeves rolled up and cloak set aside. His saddle sits on a rack outside the stall, the leather still wet. Those who attended the Banquet will find themselves overcome with a sense of intense exhaustion as the morning arrives. They will be unable to stay awake, falling asleep at the table. Each will wake with a Grey Maid beside them, offering tea and a lighter breakfast fair. They will find that they wake with very bad headaches, no matter how much wine they drank or did not drink, and that the strange tiredness fogs their minds for the rest of the day. Their finery has been stripped away, leaving them in the plain slip of the underdress and any undergarments they might have been wearing, though their hair is still hopelessly tangled around the ornaments. The women who attended the Banquet will find that they wake to still more gifts. Bottles of wine, fine sweets, and fresh roses have been left on their trunks. A note that reads "I shall see you again" has been left on Rei’s trunk. While Lind will find a note that reads “Tonight you should come to my side, I shall show you this castle and all its wonders for you to admire.” On Rachel's trunk a note has been read that reads "Fly for me. I will give your desires." While the fine dresses have been taken away by the maids, the Collars remain. In the Common Room, the note from before has been torn off; those with particularly sharp eyes might notice a few scraps of it curling in the fireplace. The chores have been posted as normal, although as of the morning the room is still a mess from the previous night's chaos. With the daylight, though none reaches the basement, whatever was disturbing the earth seems to have settled for now. The dust that was stirring all night coats the floor in a fine layer, and a long, thin crack has appeared near the door of the Torture Chamber, but otherwise all seems normal. A set of foot prints is visible in the dust leading to the Chamber, but no other sign of the Executioner remains. The woman in the Tapestry Room is again hard at work at her loom, her bundle sitting in a basket beside her. She hums to herself as she works, a faint smile curling her lips as she does so. The other Crafts People are not nearly so cheerful to find themselves again at work. The Gold Bedroom door remains locked; noticeable heat radiates out from it, although there are no further flames under the door. Some of the enclosures in the Zoo are once again occupied. One enclosure with trees has the Amphiptere flitting through it; the Centaurs are on display in another cage, and the Gryphon seems more at ease in her enclosure than before. The Manticore is on display again, while another enclosure has been switched to show the strange rabbitlike creature; one on the end is filled with a shifting darkness that seems to watch anyone close by a little too keenly. In the Holding Room one of the empty cages hangs open; one of the guards is inspecting the lock and door with a great deal of concern. The Gem Bedroom door is open; the bedding is disturbed, and parts of the carpet seem to be stuck together with a dark red liquid that also spots some of the blankets and sheets. Someone has put out the candle in the Tailor’s Shop, the dust seems to have moved a bit. Though there are no discernible footprints in the mess, a small handprint has been left on one of the door jams. The town itself seems to be getting back to work, leaving their locked doors behind to tend to the mess that the winter has made of their place. The workers return to the Burned Out Row and at least one of the houses seems to be in the process of being rebuilt. The gardens that have been planted are already putting up shoots, and a few early greens are already being used to supplement what remains of the winter stores. Characters who helped in the kitchen during the night will receive an extra half-day's wages. The chores for the day have been assigned: Dorm 18 - First Floor Dorm 19 - Kitchen Dorm 20 - Second Floor Dorm 21 - Groundskeeping/Garden Dorm 22 - Groundskeeping - Roads, Yard, Stables/Outbuildings Dorm 23 - Basement Dorm 24 - Groundskeeping/Garden Dorm 25 - Groundskeeping - Roads, Yard, Stables/Outbuildings Dorm 26 - Second Floor Dorm 27 - First Floor

Comments

[shuttersense]

A bit late, but Rei would like to make a gift of the roses, sweets, and wine to the cook, the grey maids, and the guards if they're interested.