[Artifact] Treasure-hunting (Toki + Tanita + Kane)

[PyroGoth]

[Requirements: ]This event happens entirely while your character is sleeping. This is doable for all factions, and unlike the happy, fun Wonderland of the Wonderland simulation, this version seems a little more sinister and disjointed.

[ Rules ] Open to all characters (not including quest)

gaia_angelright This artifact quest differs somewhat from others, it is staggered in real time, this means each dream IC day in the forest represents roughly an OOC "day" in Inception-land, however your character gauges that. This gives this mission a gated nature, it cannot be completed in one day. When your character wakes up, only a couple of actual IC hours could have passed.

gaia_angelright If one of your party falls behind or misses a few days they are able to complete prompts to catch up with the rest of the group, this is the one exception which can be made to the nature of this quest.

gaia_angelright Seperate RPs are okay! For any other questions, feel free to ask in the qna on discord, or here!

gaia_crown [ Day 1 - The Tulgey Woods: ]

Finding the location of Wonderland is something which happens by accident. On the way to some other location in pursuit of an artifact, some hunters are known to end up somewhere else entirely due to a minor portal malfunction. Your hunter and their companions are some of these people.

The forest itself is seemingly unending, perpetually dark but with the grass and trees lit from within by strange ethereal light. The sky overhead where glimpsed through the branches is an impossible black and there is no moon.

Everything in the forest itself is not quite right and any flora and fauna that they come across is not like anything they might see on Earth. Be as creative as you like with this, all harmless creatures and flowers are free to make up. Everything is like earth seen through a bizarre lens and jumbled up with other creatures and objects, the more absurd the better.

Some examples though are animals who are partially inanimate objects and sentient plants.

gaia_crown [ The Mushroom Patch ]

You come to a grove of strange mushrooms interspersed with signs which state EAT ME. There seems to be no way forward until you do just that.

gaia_angelright These prompts can be done individually or one person can roll and people can collectively respond. This is the first day wandering in the tulgey woods. Minimum of 800 words which can be soloed or back and forth rp. The hallucinations can be individual or shared with characters present able to see it all like ghosts who can watch but cannot interact.


Roll 1d10

Quote:

1. A small green mushroom, it tastes like a favourite food. It makes the eater relive a childhood meal, including the location it happened and the people present.
2. Large red mushroom with white spots, it tastes concerningly poisonous, it makes the eater relive a time when they were very angry.
3. A soggy blue mushroom, it tastes like rainwater, it makes the eater relive a time when they were very sad.
4. Bright orange mushroom that tastes spicy, it makes the eater relive a time when they were jealous.
5. A small fuzzy pink mushroom that tastes like soft vanilla, it makes the eater relive a time when they felt strong love
6. A colourless grey mushroom which tastes like paper, it makes the eater relive a time when they felt alone.
7. A sickly yellow mushroom which tastes sour, it makes the eater relive a time when they felt regret
8. A bright purple mushroom which tastes like chocolate, it makes the eater relive a time when they felt happy
9. A green flat mushroom which tastes like a favourite drink, it makes the eater relive a time when they felt part of something
10. A brilliant white mushroom that glitters like stars, it tastes like nothing ever tasted, it makes the eater relive a time when they felt wonder

On completion of this task, when everyone has partaken of their mushrooms the way opens up, the leaves parting to reveal another twisting path onwards. Somewhere up ahead a purple cat skips off into the shadows.

gaia_crown [ Day 2 – The Winding Forest ]

After a lot more wandering through the forest, following endless winding paths, they end up in a darker, more sinister part of the woods, the path once again blocked by gnarled trees and thorns making progression difficult. In the forest, it is impossible to see the sky and any glimpse of it is pitch black. Already claustrophobic it only becomes more so.

gaia_angelright Once again these prompts can be a shared experience (with the exception of the cat prompt) but everyone needs to roll, you don’t need to do the same prompt twice. You progress regardless. Once again total word count for the day must exceed 500 words per person either in one post or spread out through some rp/discussion.

Choose a path to proceed ahead
Roll 1d4 -

Quote:

1. Caterpillar - Finding yourself herded by the brambles and thorns down a tightly winding path, you find yourself at the many feet of an enormous caterpillar smoking a hookah. It looks mostly uninterested at your arrival, but does turn its attention on you, taking a long puff of its pipe and exhaling strange undulating smoke rings. It sighs. “Who are you?” it asks.
Only if you answer the question of who you really are in 100 words or more will he let you proceed, and for your trouble you gain a piece of mushroom which lets you either shrink or grow within reason in the strange world you find yourself in, but you cannot choose which (roll 1d6, odd is large, even is small)

2. Cat - You end up on a wildly twisting path through the forest, seeing the same sights over and over. You are certain you are lost and that no matter what direction you turn you always find yourself back at the same place. Before you appears a large smile, followed in turn by a striped and sinister looking cat. No one else in your group can see him but you and he speaks to you about one of your deepest secrets. You find yourself temporarily driven a little mad by the aura of the creature and you turn upon your teammates or self. This is mercifully temporary and after several minutes sanity returns once again.

3. Tea Party - Through a broad and leafy path you come across an enormous table laid for a tea party with three figures at at it, the march hare, the hatter and the dormouse. They welcome everyone to join them but no one is permitted to leave until they furnish the others with either a riddle or a story.

4. Oysters - The path opens up to a hazy sea shore and as they go they (either one individual or any number of people present) begin to lose sense of where they are and who they are. Soon enough they have to stop exhausted, overcome with the realisation that they are and were always oysters. They stop, only to be found by a large walrus in a suit and a carpenter. What began as a pleasant walk quickly degenerates into them being eaten in a graphic and unpleasant way.

Mercifully afterwards, the entire party snaps back to reality shaken but unharmed.


gaia_crown [ Day 3 – The Red Queen’s Castle ]
Routes are player choice - Anyone wanting to reach the final throne room must pass at least one of these prompts

Route 1 - Painting the roses red
You come across a group of people sized playing cards frantically trying to paint white roses red. They enlist you to help.

Roll 1d20, if you roll above 7 then you are successful in helping them and they approvingly let you pass into the castle out of gratitude, if you roll below this then you must choose one of the below two tasks to complete to proceed.

Route 2 - The castle maze -
Another way into the castle is via the castle’s enormous hedge maze, this way is perilous and difficult but can have hidden rewards. You need to roll twice successfully to pass.

show spoilerhide spoiler

Roll 1d6
1 - Success - You mentally map out the maze as you go, successfully remembering the path you need to take.
2 - Success - Ahead of you the strange cat appears and points you down the right path.
3 - Success - Runic household item - Small runiced appliance
4 - Fail - You encounter nothing but dead ends and lose your sense of direction.
5 - Fail - A dangerous pit opens up at your feet, so close you almost fall in, realising your way is now blocked.
6 - Success - You hear arguing around a corner which leads you in the right direction.

gaia_angelright If you fail you find yourself back at the beginning of the maze, either start over the maze or choose one of the other two prompts you haven’t done to proceed.

Route 3 - Prompts
You find yourself at a strange tunnel lined all the way through with mirrors. It is dark and as you go you grow more and more disorientated. After a time you realise your own reflection is watching you. It speaks to you and states. “You will only make it if you face yourself.”

Choose one of the below prompts and write 500 words on it.

- Your reflection criticises your weakest points, tearing you down, what does it say and how do you find the strength to outpace it? Can the others hear it?
- Your reflection praises you, focusing on the good things you've done, does it help you escape the tunnel? Can the others hear it?
-There is something wrong with your reflection, it seems to talk little sense and speaks about things you only vaguely remember in dreams. This makes for a surreal experience and can be quite frightening, do the others see it too?
- Your reflection is still and silent, it follows you but says nothing at all, merely watches you, what do you do? Does it unsettle you? Do you feel like it is supporting you?

gaia_crown [ Final Day - The Queen’s Throne Room. ]
gaia_angelright If you fail at any point here you must wait another day before you can roll again (unless specifically stated otherwise)

The red queen’s throne room is enormous and is linked to a vast network of guarded rooms and corridors, at the end of these rooms is the treasure room where the valuable and often stolen treasures are stowed away by the selfish queen.

gaia_angelright Success means you can move onto rolling an artifact, Safe means if you fill in an rp post you can roll again, a free re-roll can simply be immediately re-rolled if you wish. Fail means you must wait 24 hours to roll again.

1d10

Quote:

1 - You are almost caught by the guards on the way to the treasure room, however they get sidetracked by a voice from down the hallway. It sounds familiar somehow. - Re-roll without cooldown
2 - You all successfully make it to the treasure room through a combination of stealth and sheer dumb luck - Success
3 - You find a place to hide until nightfall in a quiet and rarely visited room on the upper floors - Safe
4 - Success
5 - You find a banquet hall where you have some food to eat, no one else is here and it's a safe place to hide for the day - Safe
6 - You stumble upon an attic filled with strange toys, magical objects and concerningly, guillotines. You opt to hide there for the night - Safe
7 - OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, the group find themselves caught by the red queen and only narrowly escape with their heads intact, they need to wait before they can even think of trying again -Fail
8 - Success
9 - You find yourself cornered by a group of playing card guards, they turn you in and you are sent away from the castle. Unless you successfully helped them paint the roses red, in which case, they turn a blind eye- Fail or (if you did the roses red quest) a free no-cooldown reroll.
10 - You get lost on the way to the treasure room and need to come back the next day with a better idea about where the hell you are going - Fail

[The Treasure Room]

Quote:

ARTIFACT PRIZE LIST These prizes are UNLIMITED, meaning even if someone has one, you can get one too!
gaia_angelright Roll 1d12 to see what you find, if you wish to re-roll the 24 hour cooldown takes effect -

show spoilerhide spoiler

1. The Caterpillar’s Pipe: A strange pipe that exudes an aromatic scent.
Status Effect: When inhaled from it gives the ability to ask one question of someone which they feel compelled to answer, but only as cryptically as possible (ie: in a riddle, sarcastically, etc) (useable once a day, limited relative to the year of the person it is used on and ooc consent), the rest of the time it functions like a magical vape pen with plenty of mist.

2. The Hatter’s Hatpin A very ornate pin.
Status Effect: When used generates a fantastic and appropriate glamour hat. If the owner is sporting a neckbeard, has a penchant for fedoras.

3. Broken mirror fragment: A fragment off a mirror that seemed to have a great power.
Status Effect Lets you see someone as they really are, without makeup, enchantments or anything at all when held up, once per day. Also shows them without most clothing, so choose carefully who you point it at. Does not work on people higher ranked than you are.

4. Jingling Bell: A neat little cat bell on a collar.
Status Effect A clear ringing bell which calls forth a ghostly cat for twenty minutes, this can be pet but cannot be hurt.
Battle effect: Heals 5 HP to all friendly participants per battle/ per rp.

5. The Tweedles Rattle: A strange steel rattle on a stick
Status Effect Calls forth an aggressive raven creature which attacks anyone nearby, has 10HP and does autodamage of 5 to all per round, including the caster. This cannot be used on bosses.

6. The Hare’s Cufflink: An elaborate cufflink in the shape of a hare's head
Status Effect Can be used to turn the owner or someone else into a hare for a short period of time, maximum 5 minutes per day. Cannot be used on someone higher stage than the user. Does not work in battle.

7. The Cheshire's Smiling Signet: A ring with a large toothy smile on it
Status Effect Gives temporary invisibility (one hour once a week or 10 minutes 6 times a week) all apart from your eyes and mouth which can’t be seen when closed but is visible when open.

8. The Red Queen’s Crown: A heart shaped crowned
Status Effect Once a day lets you give an order with high persuasion. (Within reason, they can refuse on ooc grounds and consent. Doesn’t work on people higher rank than you are.) Ie: the recipient feels more inclined to agree, but doesn't necessarily mean they will.

9. The Jabberwock’s Spines: Dried, bony spines that have been broken down to form a bracelet.
Status Effect When wearing it, reflexes are quickened. This does not effect battle but can make for a very cheaty game of tennis.

10. The Walrus’ Oyster Shell: A shell shaped clasp containing some self replenishing silver powder
Status Effect Can make any food eaten sprinkled by the contents of the shell taste wonderful regardless of how horrible it may well be. Doesn’t negate poison, inedibility etc.

11. The Dormouse’s Silver Spoon: A silver spoon which sparkles when you tap it on objects.
Status Effect Can repair any broken inanimate object to its former glory as long as it is teacup sized or smaller (including phones!), cannot improve what wasn’t already improved. Once every week.

12. The Rabbit’s Watch:
Status Effect Can be set to one individual and the hands will monitor where that person is and what they are doing as long as the target is wearing a traditional wristwatch or pocketwatch (Spectre watches, Halloween watches, and phones do not count).

 

[PyroGoth]

"Hmm. This is very different from the forest I remember."

Toki walks along the path, looking around. Not another person in sight. It's night, so perhaps she is still in town...somewhere. Not that she's ever seen plants like these before. Is, uh...is that hanging flower shaped like a knife? She walks slightly faster. Why is there no one here? Even the haunted house had people. This is more than a little unsettling. Not for the first time, she wonders if it's long overdue for her to procure some type of portable weapon.

Aria Starstone

_ p a o cx

FEEL FREE TO JOIN

nuxaz

FEEL FREE TO JOIN

 

[PyroGoth]

"Perhaps the road back to town is this way."

She hurries along, trying very hard not to look at the plants and animals as she goes. Some look particularly hungry.

...Speaking of hungry, are those mushrooms?

Never being one to turn down a free meal, she stops, crouches down, and grabs one at random.  

[Aria Starstone]

Tanita had been very sure she was asleep. VERY sure. Another strange dream night, where she would do things in dreams and somehow it would affect her waking world in some way or another, it seemed! Well then! She sighed and stared around at the woods she was in. It seemed vaguely familiar, and she sighed a little as she moved through the woods.

Then she heard a voice, and perhaps footsteps. The voice sounded familiar, so she hurried up, heading for where the voice seemed to come from.

When she saw Toki, she gave a smile of relief. At least it was some one she knew! "Toki!" She called out.

PyroGoth

 

[PyroGoth]

"Now, let's see how this tas--OH! Hello! Hello! My goodness, it's nice to see a friendly face around here."

She turns to wave, a large, spotted mushroom still clutched in one hand.

"Over here! There are mushrooms! They are so cute. I think we can eat them. Look, see?"

And with that, she pops the entire mushroom in her mouth, chewing away.

Aria Starstone

GG

 

[PyroGoth]

"Huh? This mushroom tastes a little, uhm...perhaps I have made a mistake."

The taste is uncomfortably acidic, and a little ashy--not unlike the human food she was foolish enough to ingest the last time. She pauses, having second thoughts...but it's way past being too late, and she's eaten (incredibly) the entire thing.

"Huh? What? I can kind of...see something in the distance. Is that smoke? Wait, are those images--no, people? Are they moving?"

-----

"Will you stop! Yes! I do know that taking a few years off will mean I cannot continue my education so soon," Toki says irritably, pushing her brother further back with one elbow.

"I realize you are the younger child, but there is a limit to one's irresponsibility," Her brother snaps, leaning against said elbow in an incredibly aggravating manner. "Why must you travel now? Can you not just graduate? The academy is very prestigious. It is foolish to turn down an invitation just so you can go sightseeing."

She does love her brother, but sometimes. Sometimes they just do not get along.

"I am not turning down education to go sightseeing. I am simply deciding, for a few short years, not to stay cooped up in some classroom or research facility poring over books and artifacts the entire day! I'm not becoming a vagrant, brother! Besides, as I have already told you, mother and father are perfectly fine wi--"

"They spoil you too much!" He cuts her off, his voice rising. For someone who spends every day sequestered in his office, for someone who has such a good reputation among his colleagues, he can be amazingly irritating. "They have let you do whatever you want for your entire life! And now you want to put off school until you are eighteen?! What will people think of you? What kind of person do you want to become--"

"Might I remind you that they spoiled both of us! Yes, fine, I admit it, they treat us perhaps too leniently. But have we turned out so terribly? We are doing fine! And I do not know what kind of person I will become, but I most certainly do not want to turn into someone like you!"

-----  

[Aria Starstone]

Tanita walked over and was going to suggest that Toki maybe NOT do that but it was too late. She considered the situation, then finally said "Well... all right then, I suppose I should have one too, I guess."

Solidarity in insanity, she supposed. Then again, this was a strange dream. What happened in these dreams always seemed to be extremely unpredictable. She hoped the mushroom didn't poison her.  

[PyroGoth]

"Guuuhhhh. I have said too many harsh things to my brother."

Toki squints at the memory, feeling uncomfortably guilty, and hopes these three years since have been enough to rid her of her petty childishness. At least they get along better now.

"Oh no. Tanita, perhaps we should not ea--"

Oops.  

[Aria Starstone]

She looked at the mushrooms, curiously, and then one catches her eye. She walks over to it, and picks it in wonder. "Toki, look at this... it's BEAUTIFUL." She holds the white, amazing mushroom, staring at how it looks like a star, and says "I have to... I HAVE to try it, Toki!" She puts the beautiful thing in her mouth, and she chews. She has no words to describe the flavor that is filling her mouth. She knows, however, she will never forget the flavor, either. Her eyes close, and suddenly, she is remembering.

Quote:

Begin Memory
The view is up, up at a large black dragon with red markings, and a kindly smile... For a dragon. The teeth are visible, but there is no sense of fear, because this is Mother, after all. Teeth like that might be scary on some of the things in the world outside, but here, with Mother, such teeth are a sign of love and comfort, because Mother is here, and even better... She is in the mood to show off some of her precious hoard, and tell tails of how she managed to earn the items she had in that hoard. Tanita loves the days when Mother is willing to tell stories, because they are always EXCITING stories, full of adventure and even humans sometimes!

Her mother reaches out, and picks up a beautiful crown, made of elaborately carved quartz crystal, with gold chains dangling from it. The crown glitters in the light, and Tanita stares at it, in fascination and wonder that such a thing could exist. It must have taken the artisan who made it a long time to get all of that decoration carved into it, and then to attach the chains so that they just tinkled in a musical way against the crown, without tangling? It was a work of art, a true treasure indeed. Mother lowers it down, and lets Tanita hold it, carefully, then with a playful smile, Mother sets it on Tanita's head for a moment. "My little princess, such a crown is truly fit for you." The voice is rich, deep, chocolatey and it is wonderful. Tanita loves hearing Mother speak.

Tanita shifts a little, so that the fire at the center of their home can cause the crown to throw off glittering light and glints of sparkle. It was amazing to watch the way the glitters flicker around the room, adding a new effect to their already elegant home. She gives her mother a beaming smile, then carefully takes it off and hands it back to Mother. Mother puts it on a red velvet pillow next to the fire, so that the crown will continue to catch the light as Mother begins the story of how she got it.

"When I was in my 20s, darling Tanita, I ventured out into the Human World. It was a long time ago, and I was curious to see what wonders I could find. I saw many things, some of them tales I have told you in the past, but on the day I came across this beauty, I was in a forested mountain region. I was curious, because it seemed to be far from where the other humans were, but I thought I saw what looked like a road, so I followed it up, and up, until I went through a pass. It had clearly once been used as a blockade, for there were the remnants of an old wooden wall, rotting away. My interest only grew stronger at this sight, so I kept climbing higher, and into a pocket valley. It was the kind of place that got decent sun in the center, but along the sides, there was shadow for at least half the day."

Mother tilted her head thoughtfully. "I saw the remains of an old, very old, village, and the signs of fields that had been abandoned. It looked like no human had been here in many years. I sniffed around it, but found nothing of particular value... Some lost gold coins, a few lost pieces of jewelry, but that was it. I claimed them, of course, for my hoard, and was about to go... And then I realized that what looked like a pile of rubble at the other end of the village was actually a destroyed old castle. I went up, and began to move the rock, curiously. It was soon clear that this had once been a beautiful castle, but time, and who knows what else, had taken it's toll on the place." Mother sighed softly, and added "I wish I had seen it in it's prime, but perhaps it is best that I did not. Anyways, I was about to give up, but I noticed something that seemed to be glinting, and it spurred me on. I kept moving rubble, then found it... There was the last bits of a human skeleton, across a rusty ancient chest. The human bones crumbled to dust when I touched them, but the chest was sturdier. I had to work carefully to open it. Inside... I found this beautiful crown, and a book, preserved by the chest itself. I collected them both, and brought them home. Unfortunately, I have yet to find some one who can read the script in the book, so I still know nothing of the people who were there."

Mother sighed, then added one last comment. "But this is my greatest treasure, and someday, I will give it to you, when you have proved yourself worthy of it, my daugher."

Tani was filled with wonder at her mother's story, and at the beautiful thing that humans had once made.

End Memory

Tanita made a 'WHOA' face as she slowly came out of the memory, and saw it floating over her in smokey form. How strange... She looked at Toki and watched her dream too, curiously. Ahhhhhh family troubles... She walked over and gave Toki a small hug. "I like you as you are. You should not worry about what others think of you, and not let him under your skin."

PyroGoth

 

[PyroGoth]

Aww! It certainly is nice to have friends. Tall friends give particularly good hugs. She turns to watch the other (much nicer, much sparklier) memory, her face still kind of squished up against her classmate.

"Ahhh! I am jealous of your family's treasure collection. Dragons are certainly impressive beings. You know, I always wondered why the sun is stronger there. I quite like it. Well! Both suns are enjoyable in their own way. You know, my brother actually studies old books and relics and whatnot. One day we shall come visit you. He is far too much of a bookworm. Someday he will just forget to eat, and the next time I return home there will be nothing in his room but dust."

She looks up at the incredibly sparkling crown, very, very impressed.

"You will wear that someday! I cannot wait to see it. You must invite me to the coronation. Yes, yes, a coronation. How charming! Ahhh, if I could just travel to the human world like your mother did...although the time of treasure caves and castles is long gone, I suppose. What a pity."

Something at the far end of the mushroom patch catches her eye. Are the leaves moving?

Aria Starstone

F YEA WAITS FOR DAY 2

 

[Aria Starstone]

Tani laughed softly, and looked at the two memories floating over their heads. "It is a strange thing, these memories, but at the same time, learning about the past of those I consider friends is nice, I think? It gives me more understanding of those around me." She watched the memory reply, studying Toki's brother with a thoughtful expression, and then glanced at her own memory, smiling at the crown. It really was an amazing thing, and she could only imagine the size of the original crystal it had been carved from. It must have been amazing to see that, too.did

She gives Toki a grin at the idea of them coming to visit. "Please, before you do, give me warning you are coming. My mother is a wonderful dragon, but she can be territorial when she does not know who a visitor is, so I would prefer to give her warning. I do not want my mother scaring you with a fierce greeting, when it is surely unnecessary." She did not comment on her mother telling tales of eating attempted thieves. There was no reason, after all, to scare Toki, when Toki would surely not steal from a Dragon's hoard. Dragons are notoriously possessive.

"I will try to show it to you on the visit. It is mother's most precious treasure, in her collection... But coronation? When she called me Princess, it was purely in the sense of 'mother's little princess,' rather than literal. I do not think there will be one, but there will certainly be many shiny things we can see, and I can show you!"

PyroGoth

 

[PyroGoth]

"Well! That all sounds very exciting. You must show me your collection! It is so nice to have a friend who appreciates shiny things."

She babbles meaninglessly as they walk along, feeling slightly more optimistic. That was not so bad. Perhaps they will find a way out soon.

"Is, uh, is it just me or is the path getting a little darker?"

The trees seem just a little taller. The grass is just a little more overgrown. The plants block out just a little more of whatever weak light there is from the moon overhead. She shivers. It's somewhat...sinister. She sidesteps, barely avoiding scratching her leg on a thorn-bush.

"Let us stick together. And...do you remember these woods? I do not recall seeing them on any map. Perhaps I did not check closely enough."

Aria Starstone

I ROLLED TEA PARTY, U?

 

[Aria Starstone]

"I will certainly show it to you, my friend. It is, indeed, nice to know someone who values a good, shiny hoard. I wish I had more time to collect shiny things, around campus, but mostly all I can find are shiny rocks that are pretty but not valuable."

She paused, then added "But I am collecting them because they are shiny and it helps me cope with the lack of things of true value. I could not bring MOST of my hoard, after all, since it is large. Most of it was left to me by my father." She paused, and then blinked. "Ye...yes. I think the path is darker. I do not lik..."

She heard a voice, and looked up, seeing... ah what was his name... Kane! Yes that was it. Kane approaching. "Hello. Wonderland? What is Wonderland?" She asked, because she did not know. She was not familiar with this world, this strange world she had found herself in. "I do not think either Toki or I have been here before." She held a hand out to greet him, though, a friendly smile on her face for the skinwalker.

PyroGoth

I seem to, unfortunately, have gotten the Cat. Don't worry,
she'll be turning on herself. >_>:;;

_ p a o cx

 

[PyroGoth]

"Ohh! Hello! Hellooo! I have not seen you since the minipet gathering. How nice! Come, join us. Safety in numbers, and all that. Hmm. Is this place Wonderland? I have never been. How curious."

Toki squints, marveling at her classmates' dreams, and feeling a little envious. Perhaps she should have mushroom takeaway. She tries to turn back and make a quick detour to the mushroom patch--

"Huh? It's...gone. The path back appears to be gone. Oh my."

She turns back, disappointed and a little unsettled, but there seems to be something new in the distance...

"Is that a tea party?"

WASTE OF TIME TEA PARTY

A giant, wobbly table sits in the middle of a large clearing. Three figures are seated around it, making merry and eating from the oddly-colored and strangely-shaped dishes on the table. (Toki, even with her incredible lack of common sense, finds herself strangely compelled to refrain from partaking.)

They see her, gesturing with friendly faces to join them. Perhaps she could regale them with some kind of story? A tale?

She tries to walk past, but is it just her, or do those friendly faces suddenly seem...not so friendly? Do the gestures seem the faintest bit more threatening? Her way is suddenly blocked by an over-sized armchair.

It feels more and more like she has no choice but to tell them some kind of fairy tale -- so she does, trying to remember bits and pieces of stories told by her parents and grandparents, and from children's picture books she vaguely remembers reading when she was young. Something about emperors and farmers, dragons and phoenixes, stories of treasures and underwater kingdoms and pearls as large as your head. She weaves together whatever scraps she can remember from long ago, forcibly cobbling them into some semblance of an acceptable fairy tale, waving her arms and gesturing to accompany her story.

It has barely any plot, and too many colorful characters, and perhaps one too many hidden hoards of treasure, but when she finally finishes, the three creatures at the table seem entertained. They clap, and cheer, and suddenly seem so very friendly again. The armchair can be moved out of the way (was it stuck there all this time?), and the path is once again clear. They return to talking among each other, eating the strange food on the table, discussing their tea party, as if she was not still standing there.

She turns and walks away, as quickly as they can, before they change their mind.

Aria Starstone

OMG THE CAT AKJSDHKSJHG HOW DRAMATIC

_ p a o cx

HELLOOOO