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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 27, 2023 17:44:52 GMT -6
This time, they did not hesitate. The grey glass refracted the flickering firelight in a mesmerizing way, but they were already lost to it. Zenjesi reached out and grasped the shard. The moment their fingers made contact, they felt a vibration of energy from their hand, up their arm then down into their core, where it settled. It felt, in an inexplicable way, like it satisfied the hunger. That sensation had never followed the longing. They had never been able to identify how to put an end to it, until now. "What are you?" Zenjesi whispered to the crystal, holding it up closer to the light. They did not know and the light revealed nothing more. But they were not about to leave it here. They took one moment to guiltily glance around the scene with their limited visibility, ensuring nobody was immediately watching them as they pocketed the crystal. Was it even theft? It seemed these trinkets were meant to be taken.
Zenjesi: 1.0 - logged Florian: 8.0 / 6.0
October: 25
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 27, 2023 18:11:28 GMT -6
That was what instinct told them, anyway, and their instincts for these sorts of things were usually reliable. Social situations were an entirely different story. But these items seemed so deliberately placed... it was as if they were hidden, and just waiting to be found by a visitor bold enough to stumble across them. Zenjesi turned back to Florian and was opening their mouth when they realized he had approached them once again. Seeing as how they had released his leash, it was now trailing behind him. "I must keep my mind," they mumbled to no one as a loose apology for allowing a Bulldozer to wander the home unsupervised. But they could not quite shake the thought of the crystal. It had to be magic, in some form. But how could it be accessed? Nothing about it called to them in any other way, it did not react further... More research would need to be done.
Zenjesi: 0.05 Florian: 8.2 / 6.1
October: 26
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 27, 2023 18:27:35 GMT -6
They attempted to put it out of their mind for the moment, aware of their dangerous habit of becoming so lost in thought that they forgot their circumstances. They would need something else to occupy their attention, such as... There must be more crystals. Suddenly they found themselves standing a bit straighter as their senses reached out. Could they detect anything else? Maybe just a twinge of that pull...? A slight cracking sound made them jump. Florian, not entertained by the contents of Zenjesi's thoughts, had begun to chew on a chair leg. Zenjesi hissed in a panic. "No, Florian!" But that had been an ill-timed reaction, as now his jaws were simply frozen in place around the wood. They wiggled it best they could, but could not free it. Knowing they had only seconds more before the amulet released him, they instead lifted the chair straight up, pushing down on him at the same time with one hoof.
Zenjesi: 0.1 Florian: 8.4 / 6.2
October: 27
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 27, 2023 18:46:04 GMT -6
This resulted in an unpleasant grating noise as wood strips peeled off underneath his teeth, falling in little curls to the floor. On the positive side, they did manage to extricate the chair. They set it back down, stooping to assess the result and cringing at the sight. There was no denying the damage, though one could argue bite marks did add to the Vai Min Mur decor. "Apologies," Zenjesi whispered upward, as if to the gods of the mansion. They touched the scrapes once in a compulsive but of course entirely useless gesture to wipe them away. Florian's muscles were just relaxing again, and he looked to Zenjesi with his staggered blinks once again. They understood the message. "We will proceed," they agreed. Lingering here was clearly doing neither of them any good at all. Perhaps now, it was time to re-evaluate their need for the leash.
Zenjesi: 0.15 Florian: 8.6 / 6.3
October: 28
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 27, 2023 18:58:03 GMT -6
The amulet's effectiveness had been clearly demonstrated, and Florian had shown himself to have the potential for interest in Zenjesi and their activities. Well, the physical ones, clearly not so much the cerebral variety. They knew he was faster than they were over short distances but, if he should try to flee, they would be able to outrun him before long. Though again, the amulet would be an aid if it really came to it... "I am trusting you," Zenjesi whispered to him. They could see his eyes fix on them, and they hoped it was a moment of understanding that they shared as they unclipped the leash. They coiled it up and tucked it into their other pocket. That reminded them of the crystal again. "We shall go." Perhaps they could learn something from Florian. Standing once again, they picked up the candelabra and began to circle the table.
Zenjesi: 0.2 Florian: 8.8 / 6.4
October: 29
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 27, 2023 19:02:59 GMT -6
Almost immediately, they were distracted again. The plates on this side, it seemed, also had these strange decorative leaves placed upon them. They plucked them up as they passed, wondering to themselves what purpose they had, and what the significance of the well was. They could hear Florian pulling his way along behind them. It seemed the time in this dining hall had calmed both their nerves. Now... where to proceed? Zenjesi held the candle aloft. A doorway on either side of the room, and darkness beyond each. The choice was made by the Bulldozer, who did not hesitate as the satyr did, but continued towards the opening closer to them. They fell into step with him, extending the light ahead as they entered this new space. Their breath caught. Another crystal? No... well, yes, technically. But this was a crystal ball, resting in the center of a low table.
Zenjesi: 0.25 Florian: 9.0 / 6.5
October: 30
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 31, 2023 12:22:17 GMT -6
A quick survey indicated this was a sitting room. Another cold hearth was set along one wall - no obvious crystals were waiting atop it, Zenjesi was certain to perform a visual check - and a variety of armchairs and settees were scattered throughout the room, one chaise alone underneath the curtained window. A few bookshelves, sparsely populated, stood along the other walls. The other wall held a closed door that looked as if it had cracked a bit down the center. That was curious, but investigation of that would come later. Now that they had entered the space, Florian settled down just inside the doorway. He seemed to feel he had done his part by prompting Zenjesi to enter and by acting as security in case there had been threats lurking just inside. Now it was Zenjesi's turn to make something worthwhile and interesting of it. They stepped past him carefully.
Zenjesi: 0.3 Florian: 9.2 / 6.6
October: 31
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 31, 2023 14:05:49 GMT -6
This crystal did not seem so interesting as the first. It did not call to Zenjesi in any way. They set the candlestick on the table, kneeling down beside it. The firelight caught and revealed some sort of perpetually swirling mist within the crystal orb. They sat very still for a few moments, unblinking, gazing into its depths. Was it trying to show them something? Was it magical in some way they were not detecting? Nothing revealed itself, but that did not exclude the possibility from Zenjesi's mind. They reached out and touched a few fingers to it. For a moment, it almost appeared as if the smoke favored that side of the orb. They narrowed their eyes, willing themselves to remain skeptical. Being too eager to believe would lead them to madness and delusion, they were certain. Well in any case, this orb, too, seemed deliberately placed. They gently lifted it and placed it into their bag.
Zenjesi: 0.35 Florian: 9.4 / 6.7
October: 32
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 31, 2023 14:42:46 GMT -6
They did pause for a moment, gazing into the increasingly bulky and disorganized bag at their side. Had they known how much they were going to be acquiring during this trip, they would have planned differently. They carefully shifted a few items around. The wheffegy was doing its utmost to keep away from the slimy fellow, who at least seemed content to settle in on the rotten apple. Why had they left that in their bag? Ah well, it had worked out for the best now. They shook their head, refocusing as they looked back up to their surroundings. It struck them as strange that the house seemed abandoned. No cameras blinked from the corners, so did the owners (whoever they were) really leave their property completely unattended? They lifted the candle, rising to their hooves. Florian was beginning to pull himself over to the fireplace. Zenjesi wondered if it smelled of rodents.
Zenjesi: 0.4 Florian: 9.6 / 6.8
October: 33
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 31, 2023 15:04:23 GMT -6
He seemed to think it held something of value, as he began to root around with his nose. Zenjesi noticed this in the back of their mind, but was preoccupied for the moment by one of the old, framed photos they spied sitting on one of the shelves. It was dust-covered, but they would recognize her face anywhere. But how was she here? They advanced, but were so single-minded that they stumbled over one of the chair's legs. The candle flame flared dangerously as wax splattered out onto their hand. They hissed and swiped at it with their cloak, snapped out of their reverie by the burn. But, surely... They turned back up to the bookshelf, hurried to it, grabbed at the frame... but it was empty. There was no photo at all, let alone one of her. They laughed, a muffled and breathy sound that almost sounded like weeping.
Zenjesi: 0.45 Florian: 9.8 / 6.9
October: 34
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 31, 2023 15:23:22 GMT -6
"You tricked me," Zenjesi acknowledged, turning to look up and around at the house again. This was what they had been attempting to prevent: delusion and madness and their mind filling in the gaps. Despite themselves, they reached out and brushed their fingers over the backing of the empty frame. Not even glass to catch an errant reflection. A touch of shame lingered in their heart now. They had thought themselves somewhat better than that. Or at least, they had been doing better until now. In the background, Florian pivoted and began to try to dig something out of the ash and burned wood with his claws. But Zenjesi was distracted once again as they set the photo frame down and spotted the spine of a very familiar book. It was a story for children, not one of the mass produced works, but a quaint old one their mother had claimed to have read as a child herself...
Zenjesi: 0.5 Florian: 10.0 / 7.0
October: 35
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Post by Jack on Nov 4, 2023 11:23:00 GMT -6
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 14, 2023 17:19:02 GMT -6
Their fingers were a moment away from touching the binding when the book began to retreat from Zenjesi. No, not just the book - the entire shelf. It pulled back, twisted, turned, the bookshelves all rotating around them. They had the strange sense (though they did not have the time to look) that the furniture was melting into the floor, or that something else was sprouting from it? Perhaps both. Their candle flickered, then blew out, but somehow they were not left in darkness; a sudden, slightly nauseating flicker of florescent light buzzed into existence from over their head. Their footing became suddenly unsteady, as the floor, too, warped and buckled from dark, creaking wood to white tile. A strange, deep rumbling sound filled the air around them, almost as if the entire mansion was breathing, or shuddering. And then, slowly, stillness and peace returned. Zenjesi's hand remained outstretched, but the book was long gone.
Zenjesi: 0.55 Florian: 10.2 / 7.1
November: 1
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 14, 2023 17:27:32 GMT -6
"It was a trick," Zenjesi whispered aloud, to make it into fact. Yes, perhaps the portrait had been. But the book? Well, something like that was possible, was it not? Unlikely, but who was to say there could not be an old, familiar book in the home of a collector? But no, they must not fall prey to their wishes and desires once again. Florian snorted, and the sound pulled them from their musings. They turned, and their heart skipped a beat. Their Bulldozer was sitting in a puddle of blood. Was it his own? Was it better or worse if the answer was no? Zenjesi discarded all thoughts of the bookshelves and the mysterious items upon them, rushing over to Florian. Somewhere in the back of their mind, it registered how strange it was that, in mere moments, the sounds that their hooves made against the floor had changed.
Zenjesi: 0.6 Florian: 10.4 / 7.2
November: 2
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 14, 2023 17:32:10 GMT -6
Dropping to their knees, they also forgot, for a moment, that Florian was an aggressive and quite dangerous creature. They had a mind only for caring for him, and thus, they began to prod and pry at him, attempting to turn him over, to look for any sudden wounds or the source of the blood. Perhaps the shifting of the house - one of these temporal disruptions, they supposed - had occurred in such a way that he had been caught in the change, and -- The Bulldozer hissed, pulling away from Zenjesi and turning his attention back to the source of his distress. Another little creature, this one with sticks for limbs and a pumpkin for a head, was cowering in the back corner of a cage. Blessedly for it, the cage was too small for Florian to access, as Florian seemed to be blaming the inexplicable changes around him on this pumpkin-headed fellow.
Zenjesi: 0.65 Florian: 10.6 / 7.3
November: 3
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