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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 14, 2023 18:24:43 GMT -6
Admittedly, they did feel quite sorry for the Bulldozer. They had no way to communicate to him what was happening and why. Though, they were not sure they could explain the Mansion to a sentient creature either. But just as his nerves had begun to calm, the shift had occurred again. "Florian," they attempted to soothe him, reaching out and stroking his back. He did not budge. That did not surprise them in the least. However, it did give them an opportunity to review the puddle of blood once again. It was dried, and rusty looking. They breathed a sigh of relief. Then they realized that was still concerning. What was this place? Turning around the room, Zenjesi squinted in the brighter lighting. Where there had been bookshelves, now there were stacks of cages, piled floor to ceiling in some places. Claw and tooth marks and smears of blood throughout told a story.
Zenjesi: 0.7 Florian: 10.8 / 7.4
November: 4
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 14, 2023 18:49:43 GMT -6
If there was any truth to it was the question at this point. The entire Mansion seemed to be fond of playing tricks on the mind. So, was this truly the scene of some kind of horrible skirmish, or were these just props and decor to set a morbid ambience? The satyr's instincts were now leaning towards the latter. However, it would not be wise to completely rule out the possibility of the former. A setting like this could imply there were lethally dangerous entities wandering the halls now, either bestial or humanoid in nature. Perhaps both. But around the room, lying on the floor, they could see the last remnants of the Vai Min Mur season scattered, as if they had been accidentally discarded in the whirlwind of change that had swept over them: a ragged looking cloak, and two more of the waxy leaves. They gathered them up quickly before returning to their Bulldozer.
Zenjesi: 0.75 Florian: 11.0 / 7.5
November: 5
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Post by Silver on Nov 19, 2023 3:55:34 GMT -6
Everything seems perfectly normal and calm. Maybe even a little too much so. Nothing is making a sound at all, except you. Wait. Just you? Where did your pet go?! Without a sound or other warning, something has kidnapped your pet and taken it somewhere! Better go find it before it gets hurt!
[Your pet is gone! It can't be roleplayed for the next 5 posts while you go to find it!]
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 21, 2023 13:46:32 GMT -6
That had been their intent. Instead, as they turned, they first spied the little creature with the pumpkin head tottering around the blood stained floor. That was strange. Why would Florian relent and let it roam free? The satyr's eyes turned up to the cage that the critter had been cornered in. Florian was not there. Their heart skipped a beat. He must have found something more easily accessible to chase down. They had had their back turned for a moment too long, gathering the Vai Min Mur objects strewn about. That seemed a bit silly now. "Florian," they whispered as loudly as their vocal chords allowed. There was no responding sound or movement. They ran their fingers along the strap of their bag, a quick self-soothing gesture as they turned around the room. Where could he have crept off to? There was nothing in this room large enough to allow him cover.
Zenjesi: 0.8
November: 6
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 21, 2023 14:13:38 GMT -6
None of the cages were sizeable enough or at a height that a Bulldozer could have reasonably have crawled into, yet they found themselves bending double just to make absolutely certain. They scurried along, scanning each crate. Empty, empty, door hanging from broken hinges... darkness and reflective eyes. "Florian." It was was whispered forcefully, almost like a command, almost as if Zenjesi was demanding the Mansion prove this to be their Bulldozer. The shadows hissed. This was nearly a relief, but it was not the correct pitch or volume. Only two reflective eyes blinked at them, not six. They had known it could not have been possible, and yet their heart sank all the same. Zenjesi whirled around. Where there had been an open doorway, there was now a closed door. The door that had been damaged was gone, or, at the very least, covered by cages. The other door remained, but was also closed.
Zenjesi: 0.85
November: 7
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 21, 2023 14:26:25 GMT -6
Florian was a Bulldozer. There was no way he could conceive of opening a door via the knob or physically manage such a feat. If a Bulldozer desired to leave the room, Zenjesi had no doubt one would be able to achieve that goal, but such an accomplishment would have left evidence. There was none. The satyr's head turned up, and they narrowed their eyes at the ceiling and the gods of the Mansion they imagined lurked beyond. "You play a game with the mind of Zenjesi." They shifted on their hooves with nervous energy, then continued. "You do not play a game with the friend of Zenjesi." Silence fell. They did not receive a response. Zenjesi was no threat to the Mansion. But the Mansion was evidently a threat to Zenjesi. They could hear their heartbeat in their ears, and were suddenly painfully aware of how alone they were.
Zenjesi: 0.9
November: 8
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 21, 2023 14:36:19 GMT -6
Perhaps, came a sudden thought, it would be best just to leave. Zenjesi could simply walk away. Perhaps the temporal changes were just illusory tricks, like the photograph. Perhaps it would be best to allow Florian to be consumed by the haunt and accept that they would be alone. Perhaps... that was how they were meant to be. What would happen to their mind if they searched and searched and poured their heart into the idea of him and never found him? They should never have turned around. In this moment of weakness, they wavered in the center of the room, frozen in between times and places. Walk away. And then a thought came to Zenjesi, the memory of Florian rushing to Zenjesi's aid when they had cried out. He, of all beasts, had begun to care for Zenjesi. It was in his own subtle way, but the evidence was there.
Zenjesi: 0.95
November: 9
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 21, 2023 14:42:50 GMT -6
"No," Zenjesi whispered aloud to the urge. They could not walk away. They never really could, could they? The scent of blood finally reached their nose, and the sharpness cleared their mind. Move. Focus. And so they did. Back where they had come from, first. They grasped the metal handle, turned it with its heavy click, and pulled the door open. This room still appeared to be the entrance to the Mansion, though the dining table was now gone, replaced by many desks. The books had migrated to this room, from wooden shelves to metal ones. When they were not in a frenzy, this would intrigue them. But it would have to wait. No Bulldozer was contained here. They ducked back into the room with the cages, striding straight for the other door. This one, too, was heavy in their hand, and as it opened, it brought with a sickeningly chemical smell.
Zenjesi: 1.0 -- logged!
November: 10
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 21, 2023 17:11:28 GMT -6
Only every third florescent bulb in this room was alight, and even those that were on flickered periodically, which granted an unsettling aura. Zenjesi hesitated, unsure of what to make of the sharp aroma. Was it safe to breathe? It certainly did not smell pleasant; something about it was settling in the back of their throat. But the contents of the room distracted them from that thought immediately. This place was full of what looked to a layman like massive test tubes in which... things... were growing. Zenjesi stepped in slowly, hearing the soft crunch of glass beneath their hoof. Then the door slammed shut behind them. They jumped, but it was nothing supernatural, just a natural feature of its manufacture. The satyr exhaled. Much like the cages, some of these tubes had been broken, the contents now long gone. Clearly not all, as some still floated and -- "Florian!" Zenjesi ran.
Zenjesi: 0.05 Florian: 11.2 / 7.6
November: 11
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 21, 2023 17:26:05 GMT -6
Between two tubes that housed unrecognizable fleshy blobs stood another tube. This one, too, was full of a greenish liquid, but floating inside was a very familiar form: Florian. His legs were waving uselessly, serving only to rotate him slightly in the space. But Zenjesi could note the moment in which he saw them, as his tail suddenly thrashed, thudding hard against the glass with a muffled impact. The force of the hit reminded Zenjesi that they were lucky to be his ally. More than that, perhaps they could say that they truly were his friend. He seemed so relieved to see them in that moment that they felt a new wave of resolve. They were right not to give up hope. "I am here," they reassured him, though they were certain he could not hear them. He had begun repeatedly attempting to slam his tail and body into the tube.
Zenjesi: 0.1 Florian: 11.4 / 7.7
November: 12
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 21, 2023 19:07:14 GMT -6
But if he could not break out, for all his strength and lack of inhibition, brute force from Zenjesi's side would do no good either. They drew a breath. They would need to rely on wits, instead. There was a small panel in front of each tube. It bore some meters that Zenjesi did not slow down to interpret, as well as a couple of a few buttons and a lever. One of the buttons clearly read "DRAIN". The satyr stabbed a finger into it in a panic only to hiss in pain as the button did not give. Why? It was a button, how could it not be pressed? Zenjesi jabbed at another one blindly, only to find it did not depress either. Cursing under their breath, they began to slide their hands all over the surface as if that would help them see or decipher what was going on.
Zenjesi: 0.15 Florian: 11.6 / 7.8
November: 13
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 30, 2023 10:16:42 GMT -6
So much of this was unfamiliar to them, they were not sure what they were seeking. But then their fingertip slipped into a groove. This was immediately recognizable: a key hole. The sound they made was not unlike a growl. Where could they possibly hope to find a single key, let alone the correct one in this ever-changing Mansion? Zenjesi shook their head, turning around the room once more, trying to put the thumping and thrashing Florian to the back of their mind so they could focus. There! A desk in the corner, under a flickering bulb. They were to it in an instant. Their hands rifled over the surface, scattering papers clumsily, spilling a cup full of pens. No key. Their hands reached the drawers, pulling forcibly on one only to find it did not move either. Another key hole stared at Zenjesi from the corner of the drawer.
Zenjesi: 0.2 Florian: 11.8 / 7.9
November: 14
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Post by Zenjesi on Nov 30, 2023 10:26:29 GMT -6
They hissed, slamming a hand down on the desk in frustration. But the sound was louder than it should have been. It was not just their palm on metal, but... a deep crack from glass. They turned. It was small, but Florian had managed to land a blow that left a few thin, white lines in the side of the tube. Brute force it would be, after all. Zenjesi picked up a metal stool beside the desk, hurried back to their Bulldozer's side and swung the stool at the cracked glass. Their arms reverberated from the force of the impact. But this only seemed to spur Florian on. His tail impacted, then Zenjesi hit again, alternating. The cracks spread... and finally the tube burst open. A flood of viscous green fluid and the Bulldozer it contained poured forth, dousing Zenjesi and knocking them onto the tile floor, where they lay now, partially pinned under an upside down Florian.
Zenjesi: 0.25 Florian: 12.0 / 8.0
November: 15
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Post by Zenjesi on Dec 4, 2023 15:29:10 GMT -6
The two lay there for a moment, each catching their breath and reorienting themselves. Zenjesi began to complete a quick check of operations on themselves. Any immediate pain? A bit was blossoming where their elbow and shoulder blade had collided with the floor, nothing severe. Florian was certainly heavier on their abdomen than they would have estimated. Any other sensations? Just a bit of breathlessness, and... there was a sound. What was the sound? The satyr realized what it was before their eyes opened: the house was changing. Again. Already. They pressed their eyelids together a little tighter. What if Florian had still been inside the tube when that had happened? What would have become of him? Their mind began to traverse dark paths, before the Bulldozer shifting pulled them from their mental mire. It had only been a couple of moments. Florian was kicking his legs, struggling to turn over.
Zenjesi: 0.3 Florian: 12.2 / 8.1
December: 1
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Post by Zenjesi on Dec 4, 2023 16:29:00 GMT -6
They moved, struggling to sit up at all, or gain any sort of purchase so that they could assist him. On one hand, they were not sure if he could manage to turn over on his own. On the other, if he could, it may require using his claws, and the only thing to push off of may be their legs. But the slime was slick underneath them, and dotted with shards of glass. At least that made extricating themself from underneath him easy enough, though they felt a sharp needling first in their calf, and then their knee as they adjusted. They put the sensation out of their mind, grabbing onto one of Florian's legs, gently placing a hoof against his other side, and pulling. His tail twisted in the same motion, and he flipped over easily. The satyr was about to celebrate when he began to make some concerning noises.
Zenjesi: 0.35 Florian: 12.4 / 8.2
December: 2
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