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 Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 12:28 pm
Drawn once again by curiosity, Laurus approached the empty pedestal to read the plaque. She was still mulling over the puzzling words, when the Goddess spoke. Her gaze would have lingered on the glowing instrument, the wires so briefly crackling with energy, but the Goddess handed her a bag. A gift.
Unsure what to make of that crooked but hopeful smile, Laurus bowed her head over the bag, fitting key to lock and turning. She opened the bag, anticipation rising despite herself, only to find nothing inside. When she looked askance at the Goddess, Laurus found her clenching and unclenching a hand.
It was a small error, it seemed, one that the Goddess could fix with her help. Laurus didn't consider declining. Fetching more parts hardly sounded like a burden. She glanced down at her own heart when the Goddess named the part she was after. What could the Goddess mean? She would find out soon enough in the secret labs, no doubt. Why tarry and ask when the answer was so close at hand?
The pair of scissors lay cool in her hand as she walked, under the Goddess's beaming gaze, into the thin opening. The darkness bothered her not at all, but the steady thunks were yet another puzzle, one she hoped would soon be solved.
The thumping couldn't be caused by the three doors facing her, she supposed. She stared at pumpkin, spiral, and tree for a few seconds before striding with long steps straight to -- and through -- the second door.
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:36 pm
Calls and cheers greeted Laurus as she strode through the second door. Though the name they repeated was unfamiliar, there was a sense of nostalgia here that warmed her and kept her from fidgeting under the attention. She walked on, the afterimage of shadowed, still figures seared into her mind's eye even after they had faded from sight.
And then the door shut behind her, leaving her in utter darkness. She strained to look and listen for any clue that might tell here where to go next. The hallway left her no option but to move forward. So she did, trying to ignore the way the path seemed to shape itself to her steps. The changing shape was unsettling but apparently harmless, and she was willing to see where this took her.
When Laurus's knees bumped gently against something, she reached out her hands, not without trepidation, and felt for its edges. It was a large crate blocking her path. There seemed to be no going around it. She reached up, noting that its top was open, with an odd shape sticking out.
After encountering vicious creatures outside, she really should have left the odd shape alone, but she grabbed onto it, caution thrown to the winds for no reason she could explain. The ragged, empty fabric slipped out of her grasp, landing inside the crate with a thud. Following the fabric, she stood on her tiptoes to look inside. Within lay a glowing yellow heart. So that was where the thumping came from. And that must be what the scissors were for.
Snip, snip, snip went her scissors, as neatly as she could manage in the yellow light. Over the sound of the scissors, she could hear a name. Petrus. Bold, bright, and laughing.
As she pondered the name, her hands continued their work. At the end, she stared down blankly at the still-beating heart for a moment, her mind miles away, until she came back to the present with a little shake of the head. Reaching into the crate, she lifted the heart free of the surrounding fabric.
"He's so small," she had said, laughing, as she drew close to the little scareling dozing in a basket.
"You were just as small once," their father pointed out. "You'll grow, and so will your brother." Fair enough. She shrugged a shoulder, continuing to watch the little sleeper.
Once their parents had left the room, she woke up Petrus, greeting him with the scariest snarling face she could make. He surprised her with a gurgling laugh. Young as he was, he had courage. She could respect that.
She had wanted a younger sister, but looking at Petrus, seeing his ember-red eyes meet hers with a sleepy smile before fluttering closed again, she decided that a younger brother wasn't so bad either.
The heart no longer moved, stone-still in her hands. She held it for a moment longer, then settled it into her bag. Now the Goddess's comments and her wry, rueful expression came back to Laurus, the words taking on a distinctly sinister feel: "They don't need theirs after all. They didn't quite make it." What had the Goddess meant?
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:10 pm
With the heart retrieved, Laurus resumed her walk, mouth set in a neutral line. The ends of her mouth turned down and down as she walked a path that grew increasingly fluid. She dismissed the splash, but the footsteps behind her made her turn. Was there someone else? But no, there was no one to be seen. She considered calling out, but she doubted someone (if there were in fact someone around) would answer when they'd bothered to hide from her.
She continued, the water closing in around her and chilling her. Her steps took her ever deeper in. If there were any other way... The sloshing came back, louder this time, accompanied by words: "Please give it back."
She pivoted around faster. Still, there was nothing, no one.
Forward. The water level, up to her neck now. Maybe it would be better to turn back. As she was thinking that, the voice spoke again: "Please give me back my--"
This time, she would not be allowed to turn. Before the voice had finished the sentence, an iron grip took hold of her and thrust her down into the water. She twisted and splashed, but the grip was inexorable. Only when she felt herself fading did she manage to fix her gaze on her attacker, whose sunken teeth were bared in a snarl that reminded her of what she had seen as she extracted the requested heart.
Its -- his eyes were blank, glassy. Seeing that was almost as painful as being pushed down into the water. Petrus was light warmth and laughter, not this.
She crouched on the roof, still and silent, determined to ignore her injuries. Picking a fight with her control freak of an older brother was never a good idea, but she didn't regret it in the least, even now that her parents were insisting that she apologize. She wasn't planning to, of course. That was why she was here, aches and pains all over, with a wintry breeze gusting over her.
She tensed as the roof creaked with the weight of another body, then relaxed again as she recognized the light steps. Petrus offered no words today but simply sat down beside her in companionable silence. They sat there, together, for a long time.
For an instant, remembering who he was and what he meant to hear, Laurus was tempted to give in. But the Goddess needed this. And, really, what good would the heart would do for this blank-eyed creature, who was a mere sad shadow of her brother? She had to leave, had to get back to the Goddess, had to make this right.
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:17 pm
Clinging tight to that resolution, Laurus reached for her scissors and struck. Its point went in so easily she was surprised. She had no time to wonder at it, her attention ensnared by the dreadful shriek Petrus uttered. It went on and on, and then he was gone.
Back on land, she coughed up the rest of the water. The shining light led her to the door, and she moved toward it. Wait. Could it really be Petrus again, standing hollow-eyed in the distance, with her scissors clenched hard in one fist?
She looked back -- leaving aside the potential threat, she owed her little brother that much -- but there was no one, as before. Disappointment warred with relief. Just as well, she decided in the end. She wasn't sure what she could say. He was always the one for words, not her. And the Goddess was waiting.
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:07 am
TASK 2
"You cannot escape forever," the Goddess said.
Laurus agreed silently, despite her newfound (or newly returned) contrary streak. In fact, she agreed with everything the Goddess said after that too. Could she be growing too compliant and subservient? Or was it simply that her desire for strength and understanding were too easy to see?
Her agreement bothered her, certainly. Nonetheless, it didn't bother her enough to disagree for disagreement's sake when it would be counterproductive to her goals.
She accepted the small jeweled dagger that the Goddess offered. Her eyes studied its blade, its inset stone, the little claw that dangled from it. As she scrutinized her new weapon, it rusted, taking on hues that reminded her of Ruin. Symbolic, perhaps?
It was time for action, not speculation. Under the Goddess's bright gaze, she set off to confront her Fears.
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:10 am
Laurus woke shivering. When had she fallen asleep? Her hands braced against the cool metal table (was this the reason she felt so cold?) as she sat up, taking in her surroundings. Or trying to. The stark white light was so bright that she narrowed her eyes against the glare.
She didn't think she was missing much, anyhow. The room was four white walls lit by white lights in a white ceiling. So much white it was almost boring.
The dissonant hum in the air and the brilliant light all around grated. Onwards, then, one unsteady step after another. She had just stepped through the door into an equally bright hallway (pity) when something slammed behind her. It couldn't be the door she had just passed through; it remained open, allowing her a view into the empty room. It was unlikely to hold any answers, so she went on. To her satisfaction, her steps grew steadier.
There was an exit in the distance. Simple enough, but beautiful to Laurus's eager eyes. She sped up.
Thud. She turned to see only white lights and blank walls. There was nothing here that she cared to linger for. She faced the exit again.
Thud. She turned again, expecting nothing. Good thing she had turned around anyway -- someone wreathed in shadow was watching her. Without intending to, she bared her teeth, but something told her that this figure would not be so easily scared off. Indeed, it came closer, the screeching of rusted scissor blades alternating with its thudding footsteps.
Laurus lost no time in running toward the exit. A fist banged against the door in frustration as she realized that it was locked.
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Yvessa rolled 1 4-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:12 am
Panic gripped Laurus. She jabbed random series of numbers into the keypad. None of the ones she tried were right. Wouldn't it be a laugh if the door didn't open to anything. Her surroundings blurred and faded, giving way to a memory.
It was a long trek through the wilderness. Still, she had kept up with him through it all, even beating him to the campsite by a few feet. As they slowed to a walk, panting, she caught a faint, approving grin on Albin's face before it returned to its usual grim expression.
The vision of the past warmed her, but only briefly. The figure in the distance was still a threat.
Distance Remaining: 45
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Yvessa rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:33 am
Panic deepening as the figure drew closer, Laurus decided to shove at the door. If luck would not serve her, perhaps force might? But force did not prevail either.
"Always so impulsive," the figure forty feet away mocked. She didn't turn back to see if there was a sneer on his face, but she could hear it in his voice. "You've got no finesse, either. When are you going to learn that force can't solve all your problems?"
The words rolled off her. He must be talking about someone else. Before this door, force had served her well enough.
Distance Remaining: 40
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Yvessa rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:35 am
Maybe she hadn't pushed hard enough. She tried again. Still nary a movement on the door's part.
"Our father always liked me best," the voice continued. "You and Petrus were disappointments at best."
She rolled her eyes. Who talked like that? And it was clearly a case of mistaken identity. She had no idea who Petrus was, nor did she have a father. But good luck explaining it to her nemesis with his idee fixe. She went on fussing with the keypad.
Distance Remaining: 35
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Yvessa rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:37 am
Laurus leaning her forehead against the door, closing her eyes and willing her panic away. When she opened her eyes again, she had calmed down enough to notice a paper to her left. It read A=0, B=1, C=2.
But what could that mean? Panic set in once again.
Distance Remaining: 30
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Yvessa rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:40 am
Laurus examined the paper more closely, even holding it up to the light in hopes that the passcode would reveal itself, but no luck. She tossed the sheet down in a fit of self-pity.
Distance Remaining: 25
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Yvessa rolled 1 4-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:43 am
She looked around wildly, but nothing in sight helped. Her vision swam, and another memory bobbed to the surface.
"It was completely inappropriate. Have you no shame, no sense of honor and fair play?"
Albin lived by his stringent code of honor, even when it inconvenienced him. Even when it endangered those around him. Scoffing in response was, in retrospect, too provocative, even if she genuinely felt that she did right.
"You never learn, do you," he snarled, anger emanating from him.
Distance Remaining: 20
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Yvessa rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:45 am
Third time could be the charm. Laurus threw her entire weight against the door. Predictably, it didn't budge.
"Weak, that's what you are. Weak in mind and in body," said the shadowy figure, gliding closer. "You'll never catch up to me this way. Or any other way." His talk was getting on her nerves. He couldn't actually mean her -- she didn't remember any of this weakness -- but it was still distracting.
Distance Remaining: 15
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Yvessa rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:47 am
Laurus stared at the paper again in desperation. It was no more forthcoming this time around than it was the previous couple of times. In the meantime, the shadowy figure was creeping closer still.
Distance Remaining: 10
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Yvessa rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:50 am
Laurus's attention skipped back to the paper. It held a clue for getting out of this mess, if she could only figure it out! But she couldn't, she really couldn't.
She curled up by the door, shaking with frustration and desperation.
Distance Remaining: 5
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