Welcome to Gaia! ::

An ice rose and a snow owl? It all made sense now. Zurine wasn't really fit for warm weather at all. While she was more than comfortable in this heat, the icy girl was practically melting! They should have gotten her a drink or something before coming in here. Delia felt just horrible about dragging her into this endless, overheated maze now. She was just about to apologize again when the other Raevan said it was fine so long as they kept going. Well she supposed if they could find the exit sooner that'd be great.

"Well if you're okay..." Cordelia watched the girl carefully. If things got worse for Zurine, they'd just have to scream for help. Oh why, why did she leave her cell in the car this time? "Um, I'm made of smoke and a snake. That's why I'm not so bothered by the heat. To me it's more than comfortable. When it's cold like winter it really takes the energy out of me and all I want to do is sleep. But Ebby never lets me do that for long, saying my life will just pass me by if I do that." She gave a light laugh at the memories of her irritated guardian on those cold winter days. "What about your guardian? What are they like?"

"Phiel...nope doesn't ring a bell, sorry. I could always ask Ebby. She knows lots of people that I don't, so maybe she knows him." The girl smiled encouragingly. Even if they didn't know one another, Cordelia knew her guardian would still be pleased with the snake for having made a new friend. The violet haired Brit always liked hearing about all the knew people the girl met.

"Umm..." Looking about Cordelia realized just how horribly lost they were now. How could every path they took be a dead end? And how was it that they could go back one way and suddenly have it lead elsewhere? The dark Frei rubbed her face in frustration. This was really starting to hurt her head. "If I remember correctly, the Doctor's a magic user too. So I guess it's not so far fetched to think he'd have this place under some sort of enchantment."

Suddenly they came across another junction again. Or was it the same junction as before? Cordelia couldn't keep track anymore, just getting the feeling like they were going in circles. "Enchantment or not, this is seriously getting on my nerves."

The snake scratched her head in more confusion as the maze finally seemed to want to give some kind of break in their torture. Maybe she should just stop thinking about it so much and just let the maze lead them out itself. Sighing a little in relief, "Yeah it is. But just a bit. Hopefully we're closer to the exit now than we were earlier."

"Sure. Ebby likes meeting my friends." Zurine was one right? It wasn't weird to suddenly call someone you'd just met a friend, was it? Shrugging the thought off and instead trying to think of others whom wouldn't mind her natural chill on a regular day. "Hmm...I dunno. Maybe Zul or Laz? They run way warmer than most people so they'd probably be fine. You probably know them already though since they are usually at the Lab most days."

Delia tried to think of more, tapping a finger softly against her chin. Riven probably wouldn't mind, but he wasn't much for cold either. Lucia might and didn't seem to mind cold much, but it had been ages since the girl had last heard from the cat Sigel. A tiny voice in her head suddenly mentioned Basil and the girl gave a little bit of a blush. She didn't even know why she was blushing now at just thinking about him. Was it so wrong for her to think of him, even just a little bit despite what had happened?

Realizing the cobra was no good at cold as she was, not to mention she still didn't know how to deal with that other side of him, the basilisk felt it might not be so wise to try and introduce Zurine to him just yet. Besides, Cordelia still had personal matters to settle with him...them. Clearing her throat and trying to let her light blushing go unnoticed, "Uh, actually who do you know in the Lab?"

Though a bit tired, Cordelia could still see she'd said something to Zurine that made the girl genuinely happy just now. That in turn made her happy, returning the smile broadly. "I don't know the first two, but I've met Luka and I most definitely know Riven, uh, I mean Rivener." The girl made a silly face and laughed. "Sorry I tend to give people pet names and such. Oh hey! Maybe I can call you Zuri? Would that be okay? You can call me Delia, unless you come up with a more suitable nickname that you like." When Cordelia really thought about it, she had quite the collection of names herself now, but each one of them was endearing and meaningful. Well that was of any of the ones she was aware of that weren't meant as an insult. She could think of maybe one or two Raevans that might possibly fall into that category of nicknaming.

"I don't mind being called Zuri," she was in the middle of saying to Delia, when she caught sight of what was ahead, as the space opened out and let a little breeze in. In fact, it was surprisingly bracing, almost cool, in comparison to the closed-in, high-walled depths of the maze.

Zurine didn't quite know what to make of the little garden, and if the entrance hadn't closed off behind her, she might have just turned around and fled back into the depths of the hopeless maze and called this a loss. The pale little girl, shining in the dim grey light against the misplaced bright tree, gave Zurine the chills in a way she had never had before. But clearly, the maze was not going to let them out until she found what this frightening little creature was looking for. She swallowed hard, lifted her head, and squared her shoulders. "A-all right," she said, looking at Delia. "I'll start looking to the left, and you start looking to the right, and we'll see if we can't find... h-her brother, okay?" She smiled, nervously.

The other side of the maze felt creepier, much more right -- and though it made her feel even more uneasy, Zurine began to search too, methodical and careful. "You're right," Zuri said. "But it looks like we have all the time we need... by which I mean we can't leave anyway until we find --"

There! Her keen eyesight, even behind the sunglasses, caught the faintness of movement, just behind that last bush in the row. It was tall, shaped like a swirling spire, and elegantly trimmed, fatter at the base than the point, and she could see the faintest shift. "Miss -- E-er, miss ghost. And Delia, I think he's behind there..." She pointed at the topiary tree.

The shock of seeing the basilisk so suddenly makes the ghostly child pop out of the shrubbery with a gasp. Well, he less 'pops out' and more 'floats through', but you get the picture. With ghostly tears of fright in his eyes, he stares at the two female Raevans with unhappiness, then breaks out into sobs and an accusatory shout at Cordelia as he disappears.

"I only wanted to play! Why are you so mean?"

((You are now free to roll again))