Day 011

[allthekeys]

|| THREAT DOWN

|| DAY 011: GENERAL In the earliest hours nearing dawn, Rose’s condition seems to worsen. Her skin greys, her breathing becomes erratic, and she is fevered. As dawn arrives, she rolls from her bed with a pained cry, falling to her hands and knees on the floor. Sweat falls in rivulets around her, and she abruptly bursts into flames. The fires burn hot, her greyed skin crumbling to ashes and sloughing off to pile on the floor. The flickering outline of a bird surrounds her, the flames curling and snapping. She makes no noise after the first, and crumples to the ground once the flames have extinguished. Her body, once wasted and ravaged, is now supple and strong. Skin tan and toned, long, pale hair falling in an unbroken sheet down her back. The ashes surround her, and it takes a little while for her to wake. But her eyes are clear and calm when she does. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Closer to daybreak, Tanny and the Jester leave the castle. Some might have a bit of difficulty recognizing the man without his motley, as he is now dressed plainly with his red hair combed back and one arm tucked in a sling. His face is covered with bruising, though clear of the white face-paint he is most commonly seen with. He moves slowly, but Tanny seems to recognize that he is injured and has adjusted her own stride. They are flanked by two Guards, who also seem to have adjusted their stride, and make their slow way down to the town. They turn as they reach the town, taking themselves to the Rose Cottage. The Guards stop just at the border surrounding it, passing a bundle of fabric to the young woman before the pair continue onto the door. The Jester knocks with his good hand. He knocks first four times, scrapes the back of his knuckles against the wood; then three times, scrapes again; then two, rests the back of his hand against the door, and knocks once more. His lips are curled into a vaguely amused smile as he pauses with his hand still against the door, and then steps back down to the young woman. Tanny gives him a look that hovers tangled between aggravation and amusement, and settles to wait. Whomever answers the door will need to deal with them. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Murtagh will find himself being shaken awake in the early hours of the morning. Alayne still sleeps, her face relaxed and peaceful in a way that it never is when she is awake. One of the Grey Maids stands over them, Murtagh's clothes in hand. He is quickly directed to get dressed while the woman cleans up Alayne's sleeping form. She glances nervously at the door from time to time as she works. When they have both finished their assigned tasks, the maid kneels in front of him, smearing a grey paste on his forehead and putting her finger to her lips. "The dead cannot see the dead, but they can hear them. If he catches you here, you will not survive to defy him thrice." A moment later, the Lord sweeps into the room. The chains that had been laying passive on the floor move in the air like hungry snakes, wrapping themselves around the sleeping girl. The Lord walks around her, touching her from the top of her head to the soles of her feet, his movement clearly possessive. Alayne does not wake, and she barely seems to breath. Satisfied with his examination, the Lord sweeps himself out of the room without seeming to notice either Murtagh or the maid. The maid offers only, "Be careful, each morning he comes to examine his prize." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * As dawn arrives, Mukuro will find the egg he carries on his person seems to be humming quietly. By midday, it has cracked and reveals a small damp winged serpent. The scales of the small creature are iridescent as it dries, and the eyes a vivid blue. Luce will wake up to find with him a few small shiny rocks, three copper coins, and a black crow's feather, along with a small, neat pile of fruit. Kaito will find a small, beautifully illustrated book sitting on his trunk. The inside tells a story about the founding the world. Ysayle will find a small bag sitting on her trunk. Within it are several small bangles covered in cold crystal that hums with power and energy. They are cool to the touch and remain cold. Sleeping in a smaller pouch is a small, tufted-eared mouse with giant back feet. Its fur is soft and white, and its eyes like dark spots of coal against it. Although it appears largely unremarkable while it sleeps, Ysayle may notice that she feels content and safe as she holds it. When it wakes, she will be struck by a wave of foreign curiosity as it peers up at her. While rather simple, it can clearly share its own emotions with her. Click will find a small stack of clothes suited for his form, padded to rest comfortably against his scars. He will also find a small toy that casts the shadow of a dancing dragon when it spins. Murtagh will find a stack of red blankets. They are too small to do him much good and seem unusually weighted. Also wrapped within them are several sticks on incense, a small bundle of herbs, and a little knot of hair. Burn these the first morning, save the ash. Sync will find a small ring of beads. Three of them are a deep, vivid green; the rest are mostly clear, with the one nearest to the green beads beginning to change color. || CASTLE The Castle feels tense and uneasy. The Steward stalks between his rooms and the upper floors, the Cook lingers in a hunched position near one of the fireplaces and the Hearth that normally holds food for the servants is empty and cold. Even the Chore Board is empty of instructions today. It seems the servants will be left to their own devices and be forced to look after their own needs today. The Collector's Library is in a state of extreme disarray. A large portion of the displayed items have been knocked from their shelves and strewn across the floor; some of the more fragile pieces are broken. Peals of laughter echo throughout the room. In the Basement someone is screaming, though the doors to the Torture room are closed. The smell of burned flesh lingers in the air as the voice raises and lowers as new pain registers. The new gates between the halls around the Dorms and whatever lay beyond remain. The Gargoyles posted to watch remain, but have reverted to still stone; a few of the Guards pass by periodically, examining the gate and the hallway beyond with the kind of intensity and caution that suggests some sort of plan in the works; this goes on occasionally in pairs and threes. Tapestry Woman is working steadily in her room, her gaze fixed and empty, as though she does not notice anything going on around her. Her long, pale hair has been pulled back from her face, and her fingers are worn and bloody on the loom. The Carpenter has sat down, head cradled in his hands. He makes no move to work. Something seems to weigh heavily upon him. The Tyger rises as dawn approaches, walking a slow path back to the Gold/Inferno Bedroom; the creature curls in the center of the floor, seeming asleep for the day. The staircases to the Third Floor are guarded, however, the Guards at that post seem uneasy. Early in the morning, the Second In Command is summoned to the Lord. He leaves his keys with Tanner, who seems equally unnerved by the situation, pacing in the courtyard. The guards all seem pensive, braced for something to come. They are not very talkative about it, but the echoes will notice that they seem to be putting off a lot of energy, and interacting with them for long might trigger their gifts. To the Echoes and other empaths, the air seems charged and watchful. The unnerving feeling of being watched will likely chase the most sensitive from the castle and down to the town. || THE TOWN As dawn arrives, the Night Market begins to load their carts, packing up their unsold wares and chattering all the while. One of the Children from earlier darts around with a tray full of pastries and hot liquids, her long dark hair pinned up into neat braids with a single red streak standing out among the strands. Her father, the Crystal Seller, seems relaxed as he gathers up his wares, though anyone paying attention will see that he finds her frequently and watches more closely if she lingers overlong with any one person. She seems a bright, cheerful child and is happy to accept the few coppers offered her as a tip as she works. The Bullmen gather to offer assistance, though the one with the red bundle seems a bit hesitant. With the help of one of the merchants, he has fashioned a sling over his shoulder, granting him full use of his arms. He still wraps his arm around it occasionally, clearly uncertain. His fellows do not taunt or tease him for this, and a few of the smaller ones offer to hold it. The band of Goblins take drinks from the girl and then sit on the well, merrily playings songs as the market is broken down. As the townsfolk finish cleaning up from the market, they return to the Burned-Out Row and resume their work in stripping the houses down. The ruins are no longer smoldering, though the workers are soon covered in soot from their cleaning tasks. They seem intent on starting to building new things, with the shattered tones set aside to work with. Two of the Bullmen are there to help with some of the heaviest lifting. Though no one sees them speaking to anyone, it seems that these two have claimed one of the plots they are cleaning. After the Crystal Seller has packed up his supplies and his daughter has been reclaimed from her task, he can be found playing chess with a man who looks more like a beggar than an honest merchant. The girl curls up next to him on his cloak, fast asleep. The game seems close and goes one for some time before the beggar declares a satisfied checkmate. The Crystal Seller sighs and watches him pack up the board again. “You still keep your queen too close, my young friend; learn to let her take risks,” the beggar advises. “She is a strong piece. Trust her.” The Crystal Seller waves him off, and the beggar chuckles and wanders on his way. The Frogman and his dog take their unsold fish and spend some hours haggling with the girl at the Cheese House--even though it would seem more sensible to sell his unsold product to the butcher. She is a shrewd bargainer and does not let him overwhelm her with the amount of product, and in the end they seem to strike a bargain that leaves neither truly happy, though anyone who walks in while she is hauling her newfound product into the basement will see her smiling with satisfaction. The shepherd also leads her remaining goats to the Dairy. She briefly haggles with the Cheese Woman before the goats are led inside and the woman and her dogs go on their way with a small sack of coins. Another traveler brings a basket full of small chicks and leaves with another purse as the small birds are placed inside the locked dairy to keep the cows company. At this point, the Cheese Woman has clearly barely started her morning and seems on the verge of being a victim of her own success. She keeps the babe nearby in a small basket behind the counter while she works. There is an odd sadness to her, even as she tends the baby, but she deals easily enough with her customers and does not seem willing to let the sadness drain her cheer or darken her day. There is much work to be done in the shop, and she is applying herself with as much industry as she can manage, hauling wooden crates full of jars with pickled vegetables, preserved fruit, jams, and even a ground nut paste from the basement. In the early hours of the morning, she milks the cows, churns and packs butter, and lifts curds from milk. Breaking down the fish and water plants are clearly the tasks she has assigned herself next, even if she looks drained by midmorning. Her door is propped open, and the shop is well stocked. The Tea Woman seems unusually reserved, looking out over the town with deep concern. But she does not move to halt the men and women packing up their shops, nor stop her son from packing up her own. The Butcher seems to be in a foul mood, sitting in the back of his shop plucking headless birds. Feathers and the heavy smell of blood fill the air. Butchered carcasses hang from hooks; barrels holding salt and other sharp-smelling substances have been filled with other chunks of meat, even heads of creatures; rendered fat fills small buckets. The Pub door is ajar today, the bright lights and loud noises from within creeping out into the town. The pub patrons are all merry, laughing and drinking away the day. They are also all masked, a bizarre assortment of coverings on their faces disguising them from recognition. Each of the masks have large, comical smiles painted on, lips stretched from each to ear, and no eyes to speak of, but are otherwise each unique, strange coloration and patterns marking each patron as an individual. The masks are only moved long enough to eat and drink. The bartender is currently absent, and no one will serve the servants, though none of the patrons will stop them from helping themselves to the meagre supplies of ale and vegetable stew. In the forgery, the Blacksmith's apprentice is still agitated after her unsolicited visitors have left her and she looks unhappy, if tired and weary. She keeps picking at things that don't need fiddling with, checking and re-checking her tools and equipment, and making herself busy by not actually being busy at all. The Apothecary remains closed, and although there is movement and occasional sounds from within, the apothecary himself seems keen to keep a low profile for the day. The Toy Maker is busy at work. She moves quickly about her shop, organizing things and boxing toys, pausing only long enough for repairs. Soon, she seems to run out of whatever toys fit her requirements for boxing and begins to make new toys from scratch at the counter. If asked what it is that drives her, she speaks only of a large toy order under way. It seems as though someone has requested a large quantity of toys from her, as quickly as possible. She is delighted by the work, but something nervous stays in her eyes. || GARDENS AND YARD The Garden seems to have calmed somewhat, but has redoubled its growth; nearly all worked stone structures within its boundaries have been broken down, replaced by roots, branches, leaves, and bushes interlaced and grown together. Flowering branches arch over walkways of flattened roots in places, benches of woven living wood have leaves and flowers growing from the sides, and fountains have been replaced by basins of intertwined branches. Fruit and vegetables can be found in various clearings, alcoves, and overgrown areas, while rabbits, birds, and small animals dart between branches. All throughout the garden, the plant life seems to have gone somewhat self-tending, deciding where to clear paths and where to grow barriers. Those walking through will find the plants shifting as if visibly monitoring their movement, but the attention is largely nonthreatening without provocation. The golden sapling has noticeably grown some extra branches and another foot of height; the shoots around it have leaves now of a color that almost seems better suited to precious stones than living plants, with the beginnings of flowerbuds. The Green Man wanders the area, occasionally bending over a sprout or patch of new growth; the ghost's attention seems to cause plants to grow visibly. Some of the bushes seem to be reshaping into figures, rough outlines with limbs but lacking enough definition to tell what they might be meant to be; these figures occasionally shift restlessly, testing weight and balance. The Crow that usually accompanies him flutters along close, sometimes perched on the ghost, others flying ahead to find broken branches or new shoots, cawing to draw the Green Man's attention. The previous night's conflict seems to have ended in an uneasy truce as the gargoyles return to their pedestals; the vines have grown over covering the wall along the road on that side, heavy thorns spread across them with an occasional closed large flowerbud. The Hunter has escaped from its confinement in the paddocks and is charging around the yard in a state of frenzy. Several Guards are chasing it, spears poised and ready to kill. The birds in the Aviary are still loose from their cages, although thankfully, most of them have calmed down from their nighttime antics. One Guard has been tasked with catching and returning them, but is clearly having a great deal of trouble with this effort. The two young Gryphons hang close to the Stable Boy, who seems just as nervous as the rest of the castle staff. The male is particularly uneasy, slinking along behind his nursemaid with his belly low to the ground and his wing pressed tightly to his back. The female is alert, but does not seem to share the same fright that her brother has. Just beyond the walls, there is the clear sound of a struggle. Something breaks through the trees as it flees, branches snapping and wings fluttering. There is the sharp sound that is, unmistakably to some, the sound of a bow being drawn and shot. Something cries out. A moment later a Feral Deer darts into the air, an arrow in its haunches. It careens over the wall and crashes into the ground on the other side of the wall. It manages only a few steps before it collapses on the ground, its legs giving way underneath it. The deer lies on the ground, breathing shallowly and quickly, one alarmed eye darting around in fear as it looks at anything that nears it. Its death will be slow and drawn out. No chores have been assigned today. || THREAT DOWN GENERAL: • Rose, whose condition has grown increasingly worse, bursts into flames. Once they have extinguished, her health is restored • Tanny and the Jester make their way down to the Rose Cottage • The Lord checks on Alayne in the locked room • Mukuro, Luce, Kaito, Ysayle, Click, Murtagh, and Sync have received gifts CASTLE: • The castle feels tense and uneasy. Echoes and empaths will feel as though they are being watched when they are indoors • The Chore Board is blank, and the hearth that holds food for servants is empty • The Steward stalks between his chambers and the upper floors, and the Cook is hunched near a fireplace • The Collector's Library is a mess. Laughter echoes throughout the room • There are still gates between the dorms and whatever is beyond them in the Common Hallway. Stone Gargoyles are posted to watch, and Guards pass by periodically • Someone is screaming in the Torture Chamber. The doors are closed • The Basement smells of burned flesh • The Tapestry Woman seems distracted from her surroundings • The Carpenter seems distraught and does not work • The Tyger returns to the Gold/Inferno Bedroom to sleep • The Guards near the stairs to the third floor seem unnerved. The second in command has been called to the Lord THE TOWN: • The Night Market is packing up • As the Crystal Seller is packing up, his daughter brings pastries and drinks to the townsfolk. Later on, he plays chess with the Beggar • The Bullmen are assisting; the one who holds the Cheese Woman's bundle seems hesitant • The band of goblins is playing near the well • The townsfolk and two Bullmen are clearing out the Burned-Out Row to build new things • The Frogman and Shepherd have sold some of their goods to the Cheese Woman • The Cheese Woman seems oddly sad, though she tries not to show it. She works hard and keep her shop open • The Tea Woman seems unusually reserved • The Butcher is in a foul mood • The Pub is open and its patrons are laughing and drinking merrily, all wearing masks. There is no bartender present • The Blacksmith's apprentice is still agitated • The Apothecary is closed • The Toy Maker is busy preparing for a particularly large order of toys GARDENS AND YARD: • The Garden has calmed but redoubled its growth • The Green Man and his crow are tending to the garden • The golden sapling continues to grow • The Gargoyles have reached a truce with the plants • The Hunter has escaped from its paddock and the Guards are chasing it • The birds in the Aviary have calmed down but are still out of their cages • The Gryphon cubs seem uneasy and stay close to the Stable Boy • A hunted Feral Deer lays dying on the grounds