Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,921 
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:37:48 GMT -6
With half of the cemetery gone through, the degree of hope was largely teetering between that fine line of 'there's still half left' and 'this doesn't seem at all promising so far'. Realistically speaking one can't expect it to be a quick process regardless, but even so a hint of something would have been nice by that point. And more over, it was a much more disturbing thought to return to the small child only to report that the doll might be right and truly lost.
Objects had attachments, after all. A shabti to an abiharim family, a doll to a small girl, the details of the concept does not change its importance to the beholder. For all she knew, the doll could have been the father's last gift to her, even, making it a particularly symbolic attachment.
Making up details for the what-ifs wasn't difficult, considering the lack of details in the child's note.
(16)
Tèarlach: 7 (1/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,921
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:38:09 GMT -6
Even so much as a description of the doll.. though, the sphinx supposed that part wasn't too difficult. After all, they were having issues finding one doll in all this, so what were the chances there'd be more than one to find?
As he pondered that, the leash suddenly grew taut, causing her to stop mid-step. Turning to look back, Terry seemed frozen in his tracks, head pointed one direction in the darkness.. and his little nose quietly twitching. Darky blinked, brows raising, "What is it? Are you smelling something?"
The vulticus paced a little bit back and forth, nose still in the air. There was clearly something he was picking up, but what exactly was a huge unknown. It could have been the scent of discarded food equally as much as anything useful. But whatever it was looked to be strong enough (or strange enough) to catch his attention and firmly keep it.
(17)
Tèarlach: 7 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,921
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:38:29 GMT -6
Darky scratched her head, looking around in the dark field of hallowed graves and hedges, "Well.. I suppose lets try to find where this leads." and walking up closer to the pup. Getting Terry to stop was easy enough, as he wasn't a mean spirited soul and can be obedient if he tried. Getting Terry to go wasn't generally necessary, as he was a bundle of energy strong enough to be an ever-dynamo.
Getting Terry to go a specific way was a whole other matter, though.. The sphinx hoped standing closer to him would allow him to moved more towards a specific direction without having to worry about the leash stopping him. It took a few minutes, but eventually, the pup did end up moving a bit further back in the lane they had been walking down, nose to the ground and sniffing vigorously.
It was only when his tail joined in that the sphinx was daring to get a little hopeful.
(18)
Tèarlach: 7 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,921
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:38:51 GMT -6
The two backtracked a short distance, and began walking down a parallel path instead, with Terry leading the charge with his nose. Whatever scent he followed seemed to weave around the path, considering his own pattern in following it. Either a woodland creature or a skipping child - both were still an equally likely option, given the circumstances.
But eventually he rounds a hedge and remains standing close to its base, even pawing at the soil some. When the sphinx kneels down and shines the flash light on the spot, there's a bit of woollen threads bunched together visible from beneath the bush. Reaching in, the mammalian feels more cloth under her fingers, and eventually manages to pull it out from among the thin branches.
And there, right in the middle of the evening gloom and cemetery darkness, two button eyes stare back at her from a fabric doll with threads for hair.
(19)
Tèarlach: 7 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,921
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:39:53 GMT -6
It's a little musty and more than a little muddy, but otherwise doesn't seem more or less harmed than what wear and tear of constant child-like affections might do. The sphinx smiles, leaning down to plant a smooch on Terry's forehead, "Good job, boy! You did it, you found the scent!"
The pup gives a quiet yip, tail wagging madly as he jumped back and forth, as if asking for the doll to be thrown. "Oh no," the sphinx smirked, "This is not a toy for you, but let's get this back to where it belongs, shall we? There's a little girl still waiting for it to be returned."
Darky dusts the worst of the mud off of the doll, and carefully places it into the bag, before the two turn around and start to head back to the entrance of the cemetery.
(In the dark of the night behind them, a single pale shape hovers over the nearby grave, where a fresh daisy had been placed the day before, and whispers a voiceless thanks).
(20) - (added)
Tèarlach: 8 (0/5)
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Post by NPC on Apr 18, 2022 9:51:59 GMT -6
You found it! Congratulations, you have successfully completed the quest! Your QP has been added to the bank and your prize will be sent shortly.
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