kingdomdaze | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Everyone
When: Day 5, bright and early in the morning
Where: Labyrinth!
What: A daring labyrinth

[you somehow land into this labyrinth with a hard thud, sending clouds of dust flying everywhere. what you're in now is a stone room that has a flickering torch placed on each wall. it smells a bit dingy in here, like what one might picture an actual labyrinth or dungeon to smell like.

there doesn't actually seem to be much worth investigating in this room, aside from a sign and three old, wooden doors before you. the sign reads:

"If you risk it all, you gain it all. If you risk nothing, you gain nothing."

somehow, very inexplicably so, you get the strange sense that the riskier you play, the better the prize.]

(( RULES — PRE-MINGLE — WHICH DOOR DO YOU CHOOSE? — POST-MINGLE — TREASURE ))

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[the abandoned car has smoke coming out of its exhaust, and it's inexplicably full of smoke, too... but it has all of its tires, so as abandoned as it is, it's not actually missing anything. there's no key in the ignition, and you can make out the scent of gasoline. however, at least there are a pair of giant dice dangling from the cracked mirror.

the psychic reader calls out, "Oh? Oh, do you want that car? Is that your car, sir, is that your car? I can fix it for a reading, yes I can!"]

[Do they have cars in Elympios? Sometimes it's better not to think too hard about these things...

If he can get the car working, it'll be easier to get out of the city and head toward that mountain. Given that he just... maybe murdered an innocent skeleton... leaving the city limits seems like a good idea. Which means he's going to have to pay attention to this phony psychic, doesn't it? Sigh. Rideaux strolls toward the psychic reader.]

And what does that involve?

[the psychic seems... very excited.

"I'll give it for free, I just can't get any customers, no I can't. And once you let me see into that future of yours, I'll give you something to pour into that car's tank that'll get it jumping, that's fore sure! All I'll need is that pretty hand of yours, that's all."]

[SHARP STEP BACKWARDS. He's really not so sure he wants confirmation of that, thank you very much.

But then again, why should he believe any nonsense these people say? He's here to make a new future, isn't he? He's here to decide a future for himself, using the Queen's power. Whatever this person decides to tell him, it has no bearing on what will actually happen. Hah! How stupid of him to feel nervous, even for a second. Rideaux shrugs—it's totally casual, he definitely isn't on edge right now.]

Then make it quick. Some of us have places to be.

[And he offers his hand, though you might have to take the glove off.]

[she all-too-eagerly takes your hand into her decrepit one.

and she doesn't bother taking your glove off either—weird. instead, she suddenly unveils a cleaver and tries swinging it down over your wrist]

[HOLY HELL. Rideaux really isn't anticipating that, distracted as he is with faux-bravado. It also doesn't help that he's holding baby and bomb box with his other hand. With only a second to react, he does just about the only thing he can - it's Chromatus time again. Maybe it won't stop the cleaver, but hopefully it'll lessen the blow considerably. Having both hands is great, thank you.]

[it certainly lessens the blow—you still have two hands!

the old psychic seems displeased, lifting the cleaver up and leaning the dull end against her shoulder. her voice sounds like its creaking.

"Didn't I say 'take your hand?' I sure did. And didn't I say 'I'd give you something to pour into that car's tank?' I sure did. Why is it that you agree to this, and change your mind, sir? Sir?"]

[Not that he isn't furious, but killing her outright is probably out of the question. Too many potential witnesses. Rideaux grinds his teeth in silent frustration before hitting on the perfect solution.]

If it's futures you want, take his hand instead. He's got a whole sorry life ahead of him.

[Why yes, yes he is offering the baby.]

[the psychic smiles, exposing a mouth of no teeth, then eagerly reaches out to take the baby with one hand.]

[And Rideaux offers it up! But keeps a firm grip on the poor kid. You're allowed a hand, psychic, but you're not having the whole cabbage.]

[this psychic's grip is firm on the baby... but she gets the idea. no tugging. she closes her eyes and concentrates.

"Yes... yes, a shame, a crying shame! This baby could grow up to devour the world. One worthy of a sacrifice to the god! I foresee trouble following, only trouble..."]

Edited 2015-10-03 16:40 (UTC)

[What, no cleaver for the cabbage? He'll try not to take that personally, lady.]

That's fascinating, truly. Now how about you fulfill your side of this little bargain and get that vehicle moving, hm?

[she grins her toothless grin, releases her grip on the baby, and reaches behind her counter to pull out and hand you a plastic quart of a red liquid.

"Blood will get that car runnin', and in exchange I've got a lot of it for you so you don't have to bleed yourself dry!"]

[Rideaux's pretty sure this isn't how cars work, but nothing else about this labyrinth has made sense so he's just going to go with it. Giving the psychic one last look, he snatches the quart of blood and heads back over to the car.

Firstly he's gonna open the doors to get all that smoke out, casually tossing the cabbage and his various ill-acquired goods onto the backseat in the process (although he's keeping the tiny violin, the scarf and the diamond in his pockets). It takes him a minute to figure out where the blood is supposed to go, but he pours it in and then hops into the front seat (changing back from his Chromatus form again before he does so - those ridiculous shoulder spike things wouldn't fit in a car).

So, this is it. Is this car manual or automatic?]

[that baby is putting up with you so good, though it does start crying in the back. the psychic waves you off as you hop in!

and fortunately this car is automatic—whether you know how to drive or not, it'll be amazingly easy to figure out how to make it work the way you want it to.]

[Alright, baby, it's road trip time.

After possibly a slightly rocky start getting everything figured out, Rideaux is going to drive out of the city and toward the mountain! And try to ignore those stupid dice hanging from the mirror. Whoever the previous owner was, they sure had terrible taste.]

[the road is a bit bumpy, but otherwise drivable.

you can see a lot from this distance! the path leads two ways: left, towards a mountain with a door at the base, or right, towards a ruined forest.

the mountain doesn't have a snowcap. however, floating over-top is an odd cloud that has colorful lights on top, as though there's something on it. that really long ladder leading up towards it might be some additional evidence.

the ruined forest seems to be nothing but tree stumps and wreckage. hanging over that ruined forest is an active storm cloud. but... you can see a tower built from many logs, too.]

[Neither of those options look very tempting... the idea of climbing any ladder isn't very appealing at all, but that battered forest looks like a whole lot of trouble.

It's the storm cloud that settles things. Rideaux heads on toward the mountain, parking up and taking some time to further examine that door at the base.]

[the door is ajar—but it seems that its completely dark inside. before the door is a mat that reads "STAY OUT." there are no windows to allow you to peer in.]

[Fortunately, Rideaux ~acquired~ a magic see-in-the-dark diamond during his little skeleton adventure. Time to use that, and take a second look through the gloomy dark.]

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