|
Post by jarahamee on Oct 5, 2022 0:10:52 GMT -6
Una set to work grinding the ingredients together. First was the heart, which had appeared to be leathery when held, crumbled readily under her tender ministrations with the application of the pestle. Then, the Star. It had shone like the moon itself moments ago, but when ground, what was left seemed to shine with its own light, like a galaxy or a field of stars. Then came the ball of chalky earth, which came apart so easily, one would think it would have preferred to be a powder. Soon, she had a smooth and even mixture of fine, dust-like powder in a dark, reddish hue, spattered with stars and celestial bodies. Then, the liquid within the small vial was added. The mixture changed again, becoming a dark blue color intermingled with silver light and white debris swirling in waves. It was thick, paste-like. Something about this felt right to her. She now has Incomplete Mixture.
The large jar is now sitting on the table.
August and Ash plant the seed. The ground smelled good, fertile, beneath their feet, though after burying it, there was a growing feeling of missing something. They feel as if they have done the right thing. Perhaps they needed another step. Would it take as long as an ordinary plant to grow? The moments crept by.
The mummy patted the dirt once or twice, and then rose from where it was sitting to survey the farm. Was it looking for something else that might have been of use? Whatever it was, it did not seem to find it immediately, or maybe it was simply lost in thought.
The crows caw softly.
|
|
|
Post by beastly on Oct 5, 2022 14:50:08 GMT -6
(Vincent watches Una mix the stuff, admits he doesn't really know what they're doing or why. He thanks the real John for the jar and tells Una about it. He almost pets the fox but doesn't. Vincent says he thinks this may all be cult stuff.)
(Items: Flint)
Vincent watched over Una's shoulder as she mixed the things they'd gathered together, intrigued that everything was actually coming together to turn into... Something. The plankton thing was odd, but he knew he had no room to judge her joke. He thought about her question for a while, before answering in the same quiet, slightly rough voice he'd been using that suggested he wasn't exactly a well practiced conversationalist.
"I'm not sure. I think we're going to plant the seed. I do- don't know why. And it needs that."
He paused, thinking about their situation more. He had thought this was some kind of cult thing, and to be honest, he still wasn't unconvinced. They could be sacrifices. He remembered the doors, the beast and the woman, and putting his hand on the chalice. He frowned, and opened his mouth again only to hear a yip from the fox and look down to see he had found a large jar.
"Thank you," He half reached to pet the animal, then let his hand drop before the motion was deployed. "It, uhm. The mixture. It can go in here."
He tapped the jar and slid it to Una.
He stood there for long enough for the quiet to stretch, looking out of the hut for the vampire, then spoke again.
"I think it is a cult thing. Us being here."
|
|
|
Post by hadopelagic on Oct 5, 2022 18:45:59 GMT -6
((OOC: Una puts the paste in the jar and considers the danger of Cults. Items: jar with incomplete potion.
Una tipped the radiant paste into the jar, shaking the mortar a bit to ensure all the contents plopped out.
"Clever boy," she praised the dog.
Then, Una considered John's (Vincent's) suggestion.
"A cult." She searched her memory for examples of cults; although Una couldn't think of real-world references, she'd seen several fictional movies about them, such as The Wickerman, a Classic Hollywood Picture. Una found herself singing a couple lines from Willow's Song--Hey. ooh, who is there? No one but me my dear.
How did that movie end? Something about fire?
Oh, no. Now, she remembered.
"If you are right," Una said, abruptly ceasing to sing, "then we may be sacrifices, pawns in a terrible game!"
|
|
|
Post by kilnarak on Oct 5, 2022 19:35:50 GMT -6
[ OOC: Ash answers August and is a little homesick. He notes that they seem to be missing something - water? compost? ]
"Oh. Ah, no I cannot. I... usually I can be bigger? Or I can look more like you, but it... it isn't working here. Perhaps it is a quality of this place?" Ash's crest flicks back in uncertainty; he hoped it was just a quality of the place and not that he had somehow become broken. "When I was home I could... feel the others in the colony? And know their moods without sight or voice. But... but not here."
His gaze flicked down to the mound of dirt covering the seed. He reached to pat it, smoothing the earth a bit. The ground here didn't smell of rot or anything bad, but he didn't really know much of growing things - others had tended the gardens at the Eyrie, it had never even occured to him that he might need to do something similar. Still something didn't feel quite right. "Are we missing something? Perhaps, ah, perhaps compost? Or water? Plants need water, don't they?"
|
|
|
Post by indeath on Oct 5, 2022 20:13:29 GMT -6
((August tries to water the seed using his hands… Spies the jug and uses that to water the seed.)
August was enraptured by Ash, his powers sounded so cool. Much better than being a vampire for sure. No crappy sun aversions or needing to drink blood. There were so many different supernaturals out there. Everything he’d ever read about. It was very exciting. His jaw dropped at the mention of water. Of course!
“Lawdamimbo! Ya dead to right! Ya’re as smart as all get out. Water! Guys! We need water!”
He scurried over to the creek and began attempting to scoop the water in his hand but every time he lost it all too quickly. Surely there was an easier way.
Then he saw it. A jug.
“Oh! That’ll do it. What a duffer!”
He filled it up to the brim and took it over to the seed and gently watered it.
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Oct 5, 2022 21:42:18 GMT -6
Vince provides the jar to Una.
Una transfers the incomplete mixture to the jar. It looks the same as it had in the bowl. It seems to be missing an ingredient but what she has looks promising. It shimmers like debris on the surface of the sea, shifting in the gentle moonlight of the cabin. Ash suggests that August acquire water or fertilizer for the seed.
August retrieves the jug and fills it with water, before returning and pouring the water over the mound where the seed had been planted.
The mound was still for a moment. Then, with unnatural speed, a singular sprout emerged from the ground, curling out of the soil with large bean-shaped leaves. This transformation was rapidly followed by the woody stalk of a seedling young tree, growing and widening before their eyes until it became a sapling. It transformed so rapidly, one could swear they heard the wood and fiber of the structure stretch. The leaves go through cycles of growth and shed, as what seems to be years pass before their eyes.
The little tree seems as if it would grow forever, until finally it becomes a twenty-foot-tall adult tree. As soon as it stops growing upward, it seems to begin maturing rapidly. The leaves turn bright green, as if it were spring. Soon, pinkish white blossoms bloom, before being carried off by the wind, creating a snow-like rain of particles. The blossoms are replaced by heavy, deep red fruits. The weight of the fruit pulled the branches down towards the ground, and within arm’s reach.
The mummy reaches up and picks a single fruit, holding it between their hands.
The crows speak again, conspiratorially this time. The first laughs;
"They placed them in the right order, but in the wrong places. That's two fingers less." The second crow croaks
"Mistakes all around. The others will follow soon."
|
|
|
Post by beastly on Oct 5, 2022 22:32:03 GMT -6
[Vincent has no idea what the goal of this all is, he was pretty sure they were planting a tree for some reason. He'd like to keep all his fingers. He contemplates if growing another tree is the right move.] [Items: Flint]
"Yes."
Vincent exited the Hut to investigate the vampire's yelling. He stood there, scowling, watching as it tried several trips with bare hands before fishing a jug out of the water. Once water was poured onto the seed, Vincent saw it grow quickly into a tree. He blinked at the result, then looked back at what Una. She still had the mixture they'd made, had it not been needed to grow the seed? What was their goal here?
He squinted at the birds, and then looked at his own fingers. He would really rather not have two fingers go missing. What were they supposed to do? Where should the tree have gone? If they had fruit, there was probably a seed in it. Perhaps they could grow another. He frowned in thought, and walked over to inspect the tree.
|
|
|
Post by indeath on Oct 6, 2022 1:57:48 GMT -6
((August is thrilled by the tree growing, smiles at Vince and suggests they explore the other building before doing anything else. Items: Shovel.))
August jumped up and down when the tree began to grow. He couldn’t hide his childish glee at the magic before them, it was one of the best things he’d ever seen. Vampire magic tended to just be about hurting other people. Even the hunter got a wide fangy smile when he came out.
“Isn’t it somethin’? Lookit how darn juicy those apples look. Do ya want one, Johnno? You gotta tell me how it tastes!”
He wandered closer to the hut and saw the mixture then looked back at the apple in Sir Mummy’s hands. A thought struck him, worth sharing with the others.
“Ermm maybe we don’t have the full story y’all. Maybe we oughtta check out that there buildin’ Ash saw. With the spikes? Maybe there’s somethin’ there that’ll tell us what ta do next?”
There wasn’t an apple shape on the slab after all. Rushing could end badly, nothing would be lost by being careful, though the crows worried him. Hopefully they were just trying to spook em. August wasn’t super worried about lost fingers, he could grow them back after all. He would sacrifice them for the team.
|
|
|
Post by kilnarak on Oct 6, 2022 3:19:36 GMT -6
[ OOC: Ash is worried the fruit may be poisonous, and says as much. Then he asks the crow about mistakes and afterward agrees with August that they should check the other area. ]
Ash gasps as the sprout breaks free of the soil - so quick! - and he flashes a grin at August, pleased with the growth. Or at least, he grins until he realizes the tree is still growing with frightening speed, then he begins to look a bit concerned, stepping back from it. Perhaps it wasn't a real tree, but some sort of vegetal predator? It did look like a tree though as it grew, even so far as to grow red fruits.
When 'John' moved to join them, Ash inclined his head to the man, then looked to August uncertainly when he mentioned tasting the fruit. "Are the fruits apples? Do apple trees normally grow like that? I... worry that they may be poisonous. They are very eye-catching however..."
New voices drew his attention and he finally became aware of the two birds. Although they had been there for a while, he had just noticed them. He moved nearer them, peering up. "Mistakes? Have we made a mistake? Ah..." His attention shifts to August as the man steps into the hut, hearing what he has to say. "Yes that may be best. There may be other pieces of this puzzle there. It... would be best to walk, to avoid the creature above..."
|
|
|
Post by tsukikoko on Oct 6, 2022 10:52:31 GMT -6
[OOC: John is frustrate. After hearing the commotion outside and seeing the tree, he reassesses the slab, then slinks outside and snatches the fruit, before trying to wordlessly explain that he thinks it's the first ingredient.]
It took everything the Kumiho had not to raise his hackles at the comments and aborted attempts to pet him. Of course he was clever, he was more than clever! Could they not see that? Treating him as though he were a common dog, PAH! The utter humiliation.
Still, the fox did have to grudgingly admit his behaviour seemed to be warming a portion of the group to him and was likely the best way to play his hand.
Didn't mean he had to like it.
Before long, he was neatly distracted by some commotion or another outside. If John could have rolled his eyes, he would have done, as he poked the slenderness of his snout outside.
At the sight of the sudden tree, laden with fruit, John was admittedly rather taken aback. He hadn't expected that. After a few blinks, a moment to shake the surprise from his animalistic features and their yet-incomplete mixture, the fox padded his way back to the slab and gave it another look over. If they didn't need the entire mixture to grow the seed, were perhaps the top three images (oval, squiggle and strange letters) all required to generate a single ingredient? He glanced outside, could spot the attractive red of the fruit, held by the undead mummy, even from here.
John also overheard mention of checking another building, but the fox didn't agree. He also didn't want to go traipsing off and wasting time when they could be done with this task, or whatever it was.
Slinking his way out of the log structure and quickly picking his way across the land outside (while avoiding the wetter, muddier sections), the Kumiho reared up onto his hind legs once he reached the mummy and snatched the fruit neatly from that undead grip. Curling his tail around the fruit to keep it safe (the colour, at least, he found quite attractive), John first drew a hasty replica of an oval, with a squiggle underneath and a few random letters, in the dirt, trying not to shudder as he did so. The things he did for these heathens, honestly. Then he framed the picture with his front paws, trying to indicate they were grouped together. His muzzle pointed at the fruit, down to his framed pictures, back to the fruit. Then gestured with swipes of his head back towards the wooden structure with the mortar and pestle, pranced in that direction even, trying to lead the group back to the mixture so they could grind this thing up for him.
|
|
|
Post by hadopelagic on Oct 6, 2022 15:09:30 GMT -6
(OOC: Una is suspicious of the dog's genius-level intellect, but thinks he's on to something with the fruit. She asks the Mummy for confirmation. ITEMS: Flint, Jar with Incomplete Potion)
Carrying the jar, Una followed John and the dog outside; there, she beheld the tree as it grew, bore fruit, and died. When the reanimated body of Saint Leopold took one of the fruits, Una realized that he'd been guiding them throughout this puzzling rite. He knew more than anyone else in the group.
Then, the clever dog snatched the fruit away and ... was he writing? Replicating the symbols on the slate?! Una raised her eyebrows, a human expression indicative of surprise. Unless her research was severely lacking, that wasn't typical canid behavior. By the abyss, was he like her? A shapeshifter trapped in a tiny body? Was he magical? Was he possessed? Was he just a very, very clever boy?
In any case, he was signaling that they should crush the fruit and add it to the jar of pretty paste.
Slowly, still holding the jar, Una stepped forth and stared directly into the mummy's ... eyes? Voids where eyes should be? Una approached him slowly, never breaking "eye" contact, and then stopped. Averting her eyes, demurely looking at her feet, she attempted to curtsy with one hand.
"Saint Leopold, are you trying to save our lives?" Una asked softly. "Should we put the fruit in the jar?"
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Oct 6, 2022 15:15:28 GMT -6
The crows look down at Ash.
"It is speaking to us?"
The first crow squawked.
"What is its name? Who is it?"
|
|
|
Post by beastly on Oct 6, 2022 15:25:30 GMT -6
((Vince doesn't eat the fruit, mostly to spite August. He thinks it may be a good idea to talk to the people in the hut at some point. Vince agrees with the fox that the fruit should go in the potion, and thinks he's a bit too smart, but that's a good thing.)) ((Items: Flint))
Vincent scowled at August, suddenly very unwilling to eat one of those apples. They did look good, but were they safe? He didn't recognize the fruit, and the bright color could mean it wasn't safe. More importantly, he was just plain being contrary. He could admit that to himself, and he was comfortable with that.
"No."
He looked to Ash, and considered the plan to investigate the huts. They could be hostile, if there were people inside. But, if they spoke english, they may be able to get more information about where they were. The ghosts had spoke english.
"Mmh."
The hunter caught sight of the fox doing... something... and walked over with Una, tilting his head at the creature's antics.
"The fruit goes in?"
He thought it over, and shrugged. That made sense. The fox was very intelligent. Incapable of speech? He was not a walking bestiary, he'd specialized in hunting werewolves and vampires. What the animal actually was, he didn't know. He was helping, though, and that is what mattered. Vincent himself had been ready to try and plant another tree, but what the fox was indicating made more sense.
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Oct 6, 2022 15:29:41 GMT -6
The mummy watches her, at least, she could interpret it that way. The holes behind their death mask seemed to be completely devoid of any identifiable eyes. It bows back delicately, creaking a little at the gesture, then ‘replies’ as best it can.
It nods once to her first question,
Then makes one hand a fist on top and cups the bottom one, before moving the fist up and down, then nods at her second question.
|
|
|
Post by indeath on Oct 6, 2022 15:53:24 GMT -6
((Vince is successful, August is spited. ))
August frowned trying not to look as sad as he felt. He wasn’t trying to poison anyone. He’d try it himself if he could. It didn’t seem like the hunter was going to change his mind on him. At least the guy wasn’t trying to actively kill him.
He looked at the drawing and then Leo, it seemed like that was the thing to do after all. Even the fox was smarter than him.
“Are ya sure you’re not a Hau?”
|
|