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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 29, 2023 20:02:55 GMT -6
"I suspect you need help," Zenjesi whispered to it. Did it have a mouth underneath the straw? It must. The satyr was reaching out for the apple and the little equine when thudding, approaching footsteps in the grass turned their attention. Ah, perhaps it was not Zenjesi's blunder but the scent or sound of tiny prey that had attracted Florian. Once again, he was approaching at a speed he did not often bother with. This was going to be another situation requiring the amulet, was it not? The little horse also seemed to notice the beast, so Zenjesi took advantage of its new terror to scoop it up in their hands. "You are safe with me," they assured it softly, settling down cross-legged and placing the small pet in the corral formed by their legs. It seemed sometimes object permanence got the better of Florian; perhaps it would be their ally in this case.
Zenjesi: 0.65 Florian: 2.6 / 3.3
Mansion: 13
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 29, 2023 20:16:21 GMT -6
In moments, the Bulldozer arrived at Zenjesi's leg fortress. He came to rest, settling back down, but his head remained raised, nose turned up. It seemed he was keenly aware of the scent of this critter yet. The little horse, meanwhile, pressed itself against Zenjesi's calf and let out a strangely dry sounding whinny. The sound was all it took to entice the Bulldozer once more. He lunged, beginning to clamber forward over Zenjesi's legs, moving with a speed reserved for these occasions. His jaws were parting again when -- "No!" The amulet flashed, the Bulldozer froze, and a growl rose in his throat as he backed off. Zenjesi had been told the amulet would not hurt him, but he seemed to have grown weary of it interfering with his plans all the same, as he rolled and thrashed in the grass, trying to fling it off of himself. "Your snack will have to wait," Zenjesi decided, plucking the horse carefully from the ground.
Zenjesi: 0.7 Florian: 2.8 / 3.4
Mansion: 14
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 29, 2023 20:29:27 GMT -6
Given the satyr never truly stood upright and the fact that their upper back was likely the only spot that would consistently stay out of Florian's reach, Zenjesi settled the little horse upon their hunched shoulder. They stood, gathered the horse's apple into their bag, and stepped over to where the Bulldozer had finally come back to rest. "Florian, come," they urged him. "Perhaps we can find a scrap for you inside." It may have been that the Bulldozer was only fueled by frustration at that point, but regardless, he actually responded as Zenjesi tugged on his leash. Florian trudged along beside them as they angled their way out of the orchard and nearer the mansion itself. It was slow going, but Zenjesi simply felt a swell of relief that they were going at all. The sun had disappeared below the treeline by now, leaving only an orangey glow around the strange group.
Zenjesi: 0.75 Florian: 3.0 / 3.5
Mansion: 15
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Post by Nadia on Sept 30, 2023 0:19:55 GMT -6
This thing looks like it's winking at you.
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 2, 2023 13:24:01 GMT -6
But that was not the only orangey glow; something else was catching the low light. It was another glass eye. Zenjesi glanced around once more, reflexively, as if they would see someone scampering off between the trees, giggling after tossing this into the satyr's path. The orchard was still abandoned, except for the two of them. Well... three, now. But of course, the eye could have been here all along. They moved to scoop it up as they walked, lest they break Florian's slow stride. Their fingers slipped around the cool orb and instantly everything went dark. For a moment, they thought they had closed their eyes. No, they were open - they blinked. Their eyes began to adjust as a strong, cold breeze swept up, throwing leaves off of the trees in droves. It was... nighttime. A thud from behind Zenjesi made them jump. Before they could turn to look, a second followed, then a third from all sides. Then the source hit the satyr on the arm: a rotten apple.
Zenjesi: 0.8 Florian: 3.2 / 3.6
Mansion: 16
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 2, 2023 13:33:02 GMT -6
What...? But before they could complete the thought, another thud and a splat; this falling apple had hit Florian on the back. He hissed, twisting to bite at the source of the assault. The wheffegy on their shoulder whinnied nervously. Zenjesi shook their head to clear it. They knew one thing: not to stand under the trees! Holding an arm up to shield the little straw horse, they pulled hard on the leash. "Come, Florian!" they urged him, all but dragging him while apples pummeled the ground around them like hailstones. The gust of wind had not relented, creating an almost deafening rushing sound as dead leaves ripped from their branches. Finally, the front walk! They burst from the tree cover, batting away a few loose leaves, and turning their back on the windy onslaught, bracing... And then the wind died down. All became still, and unnervingly silent.
Zenjesi: 0.85 Florian: 3.4 / 3.7
Mansion: 17
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 2, 2023 13:42:13 GMT -6
Feeling the hair raising on the back of their neck, Zenjesi looked around, taking in the new scene. Where moments before, lovely warm autumnal shades of leaves and apples had created a ceiling, now only dark, barren, twisting branches reached overhead. The temperature had dropped several degrees, and... of course, it was now dark. Zenjesi turned and peered up at the sky. A bright, full moon shone down on them. They stood still for a moment, the warning on the front gate returning to them: "waves of temporal displacement." They chuckled, then laughed, the sound still only a raspy breath. "How fortunate we are to witness the event," they mumbled, turning in a slow circle and admiring the transformation. Had hours truly passed? It was impossible to say. They did not feel unexpected pangs of hunger, but... Oh. They turned down to their bag, rifling through and pulling the horse's apple forth. It was brown, wrinkled, shrunken. They grinned.
Zenjesi: 0.9 Florian: 3.6 / 3.8
Mansion: 18
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 2, 2023 19:28:37 GMT -6
For once, Zenjesi could say with confidence that Florian was also assessing their surroundings. He was standing a bit taller, and although he was still, his eyes flicked occasionally at the slightest movement. They could only imagine how disoriented he must be. Could he detect things they could not? Was it better to be a sentient creature, able to anticipate something like this, or did that only leave one open to the agony of unanswered questions? Well, Zenjesi would not call the state they were in 'agony.' They actually felt quite alive! The cold air was beginning to eat at their fingertips, however, and they shivered. "Perhaps we should complete our walk," they suggested to their two companions. They turned to the mansion and found themselves frozen in place once again. Had it... always looked like this? Weathered, abandoned... a shutter barely clinging to the window. No... they would have noticed a broken window... would they not?
Zenjesi: 0.95 Florian: 3.8 / 3.9
Mansion: 19
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 2, 2023 19:38:56 GMT -6
The loss of only a few hours, they could cope with. But this... this was years of neglect, or months, at the very least. Zenjesi suddenly found themselves slipping from enthralled to frightened. Could it have been? Not two months prior, even losing years would not have concerned them. What did they really have to lose? But now, their thoughts drifted back to their kennel, the creatures who would have been locked in the dark... I should not have been so careless. The rumors and the words on the gate had enticed them without a second thought, and now... "No, it is only magic, trying to drive us mad," Zenjesi decided. They had not fully convinced themselves of that, but speaking it aloud gave it some credibility. "We must understand this place. Come, Florian." They began to walk towards the manor, accompanied by a Bulldozer who was not keen to be left behind in the cold.
Zenjesi: 1.0 - logged Florian: 4.0 / 4.0
Mansion: 20
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 3, 2023 13:02:32 GMT -6
Was this as it was for her? The thought came to them as if it was placed there by someone else, sudden and forceful. They stumbled, then stopped walking altogether for just a moment. Was this what happened around her? Is this happening to you? Zenjesi shook their head, flexed their fingers, sharply inhaled the cold midnight air, felt it fill their lungs. It meant nothing. They knew that. But it was real enough. Besides, there had been a warning sign - they would not have conjured that, would they? This was the land of the Labs. Everything was madness. The satyr drew another breath, exhaled a small cloud of condensation. Their arm was forcefully tugged; Florian had not stopped with them. "We will go," Zenjesi agreed, falling back into step with him. Or... perhaps it was better for them to lead the way. They were a marginally better decision-maker than the Bulldozer.
Zenjesi: 0.05 Florian: 4.2 / 4.1
Mansion: 21
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 3, 2023 13:10:56 GMT -6
The front door waited. Upon reaching it, Zenjesi hesitated a moment. Was there a purpose in knocking? Could anyone be inside? If they were, did they really want to gather their attention? That was a crazy thought. A crazy, silly thought. Something scraped overhead. The satyr glanced up in time to see an approaching flicker of darkness, and then something slapped to the ground behind them. Florian whirled around again, mouth open, baring two formidable rows of teeth. Zenjesi, too, leaped and turned, the wheffegy wobbling precariously on their shoulder. A dark shape... The satyr stooped, reached out with their fingertips in the darkness. It was a shingle. They picked it up, turned it over... and had it ripped from their grasp by a furious Florian. He chomped his jaws down on it, dropped it onto the ground, held it down with one large, clawed hand the size of Zenjesi's face, and tore it in two with his teeth.
Zenjesi: 0.1 Florian: 4.4 / 4.2
Mansion: 22
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 3, 2023 13:21:01 GMT -6
Zenjesi did not engage the amulet. Allowing the Bulldozer to destroy things they were holding was not ideal from a training perspective, but they were admittedly proud that he had only angled his aggression towards the shingle and not their hand. That was progress! Yes, they had the amulet's protection, but he had not even attempted it! They smiled, thoughts of madness replaced for the moment by a touch of extra warmth towards the beast by their side. Perhaps they really were bonding. The moment did not last. "Florian! Do not eat it!" they whispered in a panic, watching him begin to tilt his head back, the shred of shingle still between his jaws. "No!" So much for that sentiment. The flash of the amulet was nearly blinding in the darkness, but he froze, jaws open, head upturned. They licked their lips. This was certainly inadvisable.
Zenjesi: 0.15 Florian: 4.6 / 4.3
Mansion: 23
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 3, 2023 16:28:11 GMT -6
Was there another option? Perhaps picking the Bulldozer up and turning him upside down, but that seemed more likely enrage him. Besides, they had never before had the opportunity, and could not confidently estimate what he might weigh or if that would even be possible. So... there was only one option. This would be a true test of the amulet's power. Zenjesi sighed, bid their hand farewell, and reached into Florian's mouth. They plucked out the piece of shingle, just in time for the amulet's glow to fade, and his jaws to snap shut. The three eyes Zenjesi could see were fixed on them. "I know you are not pleased," they began, setting the half-shingle on a window sill well out of his reach. "And I know you are hungry. Enough distractions. Let us go." Sparing one more glance at the inexplicable moon overhead, Zenjesi turned and opened the door.
Zenjesi: 0.2 Florian: 4.8 / 4.4
Mansion: 24
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 3, 2023 21:23:24 GMT -6
It swung inward slowly on creaking, old hinges, revealing a dark abyss of an opening. Zenjesi chuckled. How inviting this was. They tried to recall back to the sign, and to their memories of decades past. Vai Min Mur was the next holiday, was it not? A celebration of the dark. Surely that was all this was, and not actually some sort of manifestation of madness and... The satyr stepped over the threshold, Florian following after some gentle encouragement. Unfortunately, though some light filtered from the moon through dusty windows, it was not a reliable guide. There were too many deep shadows for Zenjesi to feel entirely comfortable. Naturally, they had not thought to bring their own light... They felt a bit comforted by the thought of Florian by their side, though they were feeling progressively more guilty at bringing him along. They had not expected his nerves to fray first. Or perhaps he was just irritated. He was difficult to read.
Zenjesi: 0.25 Florian: 5.0 / 4.5
Mansion: 25
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Post by Silver on Oct 4, 2023 1:53:16 GMT -6
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