Welcome to Gaia! ::

When the group enters the doorway, they realize they have entered THE BATHROOM. It is entirely too grandiose, along with everything else in the mansion. Tile lines the room from wall to wall, and four statues of peacocks stand proudly around a sunken-in section of the floor. Upon closer inspection, the lowered section is revealed to be a bathtub, large enough to seat at least twenty people. Strangely enough, there’s still water in it, warm enough for mist to rise from the surface.
Around the corner and down the hallway is a vanity, the great mirror stretching to the ceiling. Different sorts of makeup are sorted in acrylic boxes on the counter, and a rather stylish settee sits before the counter. For those who know Autumn, it’s definitely the sort of setup she would adore.

Several steps into the bathroom, and the doors slam shut behind them. An audible CLICK signals the doors locking. The group is stuck. Whatever it is they’re meant to do in here, they’re going to have to figure it out before they can leave…

"Oh, wow." Temperance looked around eagerly; she'd never ever been inside a bathroom quite like this. It was frankly too much in the best way. She trailed her fingers along the head of one of the peacock statues before venturing further in. The sudden click of the door had her whirling.

Temperance stiffened. "Uh, are we stuck?" Her blue eyes widened and she wrapped her arms around her middle. "M-maybe there's another door back here." If she had been thinking properly, she would have double-checked the lock, but she was not. Instead, she moved further in, a glint of silvered glass distracting her. The mirror in front of her was so huge, so tall and so clear. She wondered if it ever steamed up. She pressed her index finger into the glass, just to leave a print.

All at once, water begins gushing from the open mouths of the peacock statues. It pours into the bath, and the movement reveals something hidden at the tub’s bottom. Something very LARGE, in fact. The shadow seems to stir at the disruption, and with a surprising speed, bursts from the water and screams. The cry is painful, forcing the group to the ground in pain.

When they look up, they are greeted by the sight of a monster. Its head resembles a peacock, but rather than rich blue, its coat is a striking blonde-gold. Piercing green eyes stare at the group before it, laden with venom and hatred. The beast raises its plume in warning, neck craning around to look at the assembled dreamers. Its powerful neck connects to the body under the water- an elongated fish’s frame, built with spikes that are all flared defensively. If anyone recognizes the body, it is that of a lionfish- meaning this beastie is as toxic as it is nasty.

It gives another scream of anger, and dives beneath the surface of the bath. Oddly enough, the water flowing from the statues does not stop. Instead, it overflows the bath, pushing water out to the level of the group’s shoes. If they don’t figure out something, and fast, they’re all likely to drown.

Or be bird food. Whichever untimely fate meets them first.

Temperance dropped to the ground, hands clamping over her ears. She didn't look up again until the water reached her knees, damping her stocking. With that, she surged to her feet and started forward, staring at the water and the thing that had disappeared beneath it. Asiya seemed to be attempting to soothe the creature, but all that was ringing in Temperance's ears was boss fight music. She didn't even know if this counted as a 'boss' or just some normal denizen, but everything looked like a boos fight when she had no magic!

"Fry it, Asiya," she muttered, whirling around. She wouldn't try to all out attack the bird thing; the water was more of a problem. Temperance looked around wildly. There simply wasn't much in the room. She hooked her hands around the settee, but found it too heavy for her thin arms. With a few quick steps, Temperance grabbed the heftiest makeup box and headed over to the water. She grunted, unladylike, and heaved the chair up and bashed it at one of the peacock statues. Maybe if she could disable the statue itself... Well, Temperance would have to hope she was coordinated enough to do it properly, anyway.

Autumn!

Autumn's voice was coming from the peacock, and she didn't take her eyes off of it when it spoke. So these monsters weren't supposed to be this way? Maybe they were meant to be friendly, but something went wrong? She had no idea, but she figured it had something to do with why Autumn was trapped in the first place.

The monster lunged at her, but missed, luckily for her. She would have been birdfish food, had it been lucky enough to hit. When it dove underneath the depths, Asiya jerked her head toward Temperance and Erin. She gave them a determined look as she took off her headscarf to reveal long, black hair with a slight wave. "I'm going under, she told them, looking at the water of the tub.

Surely, like other bathtubs, there would be a drain to let out the water. "Distract it, if you can."

And with that, Asiya took a big breath and submerged herself in the tub. Once she was under, she then opened her eyes and started to look for a way to get rid of the water. Thank god she didn't have a fear of water or swimming.

There is, in fact, a large plug at the bottom of the tub. Asiya can reach it if she dives quickly enough, but she has the distinct feeling that if she touches it, it's IMMEDIATELY going to get the bird's attention. And it will NOT be happy with her.

The shadow drifts ever-closer to Temperance, and its head breaches the surface with a scream as it lunges for her. By some short miracle it misses her, crashing back into the water with a splash. The beast swims away, plotting. Waiting.

The water is up to their waists

Going down after the plug was a risk. It would certainly alarm the monster, but she had no other choice at this point. It was either that, or the water would continue to rise and they'd all be dead. Asiya couldn't let her friends die, so she would do whatever it took.

Briefly, she came up for air. "I found it," she gasped, only to disappear down under the depths again. There really wasn't much time to sit and chat; not as the water got higher and higher. Once she was back underneath, Asiya dove down and made her way to the plug as quickly as she could.

In order to make sure she pulled it up, the artist wrapped both her hands over it. She then pulled on the plug with all of her might, hoping that she would get it and that the water would begin to drain.

Oh, please work. Please work. Please work!

The bird notices Asiya's efforts too little, too late. It has the advantage under the water, with the speed lent by its fins, but it is just not enough. It banks too hard, missing the girl, and winds with its plumage caught in the hard-pulling drain. It lets out an angry, strangled cry as it cannot pull itself up away from the drain. It thrashes, and thrashes... and finally, it stills. It would seem, despite the bird's fishlike body, it needed air to survive. It has drowned.

The girls find themselves standing- not floating- in the room once more. The water has all gone, and they are perfectly dry. In Asiya's hand, she holds a key.

It is over. They find themselves with the group still in the house, coming back together at last.