The Saucy Salmon has docked at the outpost, and disgorged its passengers and some of its cargo (several small barrels of molasses). Mr. Scone takes in a deep breath of the 'rich' marshland air, then coughs for a bit. "Ah, yes, I can see why the locals sprung for a lector," he notes to the Lapi and two Akwavi that also disembark with him. "I do not see much else which offers entertainment hereabouts."
Aviri says, "Sprung for a lecture?" Aviri asks, securing his bag firmly on his shoulders. "What good would a sermon do against stink?""
"I'm a lector, boy, not a lecturer," Mr. Scone points out. "I read to people. The news of the day or books. Usually while they work or go about other activities that would preclude them from reading themselves should they have the talent for it."
"Ah, I see," Aviri says, looking back toward the outpost. "So, er, what's the news?""
"Well.. I don't think they get any out here," the Rath'ani admits. "Aside from what the bargemen bring. I do have a selection of books that I'm sure will be adequate."
"So ye just stand around in the middle of town an' tell stories?" Linyala chirps, bounding up behind them and looking over Bog Bend in all its... glory.
"Of course not," Mr. Scone says. "I do it in the tavern, usually."
"Is that it?" Trilup asks, pointing to the obvious building. "Because I smell pancakes."
"So, people choose to live here?" asks Aviri mostly to himself, eyeing the building.
"T'aint so bad. Kinda like home if home were right on a river, were bigger, an' smelled worse." Lin chirps.
"And had no warrens," Aviri says.
"People live everywhere, lad," Mr. Scone says. "Usually because they were born there or the wagon broke down. The people were here first, then came the swamp."
"Lapi are rare in Sylvania," Mr. Scone explains, as he follows Mr. Catbutt, who is carrying the casks of molasses. "Akwavi too. Everyone will know you're from Stonebarrow."
Linyala ponders for a moment then exclaims, "Does that mean we're famous?"
"Well.. infamous.." the Rath'ani claims. "The further you are from Stonebarrow, the wilder the stories get."
"Wild?" Aviri asks. "What's wild about Stonebarrow?""
"Swampy." Lin says sagely.
Mr. Scone just raises an eyebrow at Aviri. "Well.. you're all supposed to be bloodthirsty assassins you know," he points out. "It was generations ago, but plenty of towns still remember the Bloodfur March from Tursdi to Stonebarrow. Your ancestors cut a swath of destruction through Sylvania they say."
Aviri looks into the sky, trying to imagine legions of lapi in uniform, armed to the teeth, laying waste to everything in their path. It apparently amuses him because he lets out a chuckle. "That'll be an interesting reputation," he says.
"Except for the otters of course," Mr. Scone says with a smile. "They came much later."
"Aww." Lin pouts, "But we would make the best asassikinators."
"We barely have asses though," Trilup says to Lin. "It's all tail!"
Aviri gives Mr. Scone a look as if to say, "I've had to put up with this for days."
"There's always enough to pinch," Mr. Scone warns. Mr. Catbutt enters the tavern, and a cheer goes up! "Right on time!" several voices chorus.
"I thought asassins killed folks all sneakily. What's it got ta do with our tails?" Lin asks, swinging hers back and forth now that she's thinking about it.
"I don't kill people sneakily," Trilup claims.
"I kill them with my killer cuteness!" she adds, and mugs.
"Lin doesn't kill anyone either," Aviri hazards a guess. "She just pretends she does." He nods toward the cheers. "Looks like Mr. Catbutt's popular. Or his molasses."
Scone leads the way. The tavern smells overwhelmingly of pancakes. Every table has stacks of them in front of patrons. The bar counter is covered in more pancakes. "Do you think we can get some?" Trilup asks Aviri, tugging on his sleeve.
"Are you hungry?" Aviri asks, a half-loaf of carrot bread still in his bag, albeit kinda stale by now, "or do you just want something good to taste?"
"Yes." Lin chirps and sticks out her tongue at Aviri.
The lapi nods. "Well, then sure. But you'll pay me back when we get paid for this." He begins looking for an open table.
"That is a silly question," Trilup replies. "They are pancakes. You gotta eat 'em! Pancakes!" This last exclamation includes a bit of shoulder shaking.
The tables are all rather large, with benches instead of chairs. Still, the nearest patrons hastily clear space for the new arrivals by shifting to the sides. There are a lot of Rath'ani and Khattas, and also some 'smaller' breeds of Rhian. And a few rather large, hairy and somewhat frightening hogs, but they aren't sitting at the tables.
Meanwhile, the molasses is delivered, Catbutt takes the payment, and the casks are immediately tapped. "Who wants molasses on their hotcakes?" the waitress asks, and lots of hands go up.
Aviri timidly takes a seat where he can, gesturing the others to do the same, unsure of how to proceed here.
Linyala hops up next to Aviri and smiles at the person on her other side. "Hiya!" She chirps.
"Ahh!" the Rath'ani next to Linyala yelps. "Don't steal my blood!" He then graciously offers his plate of pancakes as a snackrifice.
Aviri raises an eyebrow at the Rath'ani but says nothing. He does give Linyala a look as if to say, "I'm going to have to put up with that for days?!"
Linyala looks so happy to have gotten free pancakes. "Thank'ee! But why would I want yer blood?" She asks and takes a bite of pancake.
"To.. sell? Use for warpaint?" the raccoon asks. Trilup, sitting in between the other two, pokes Lin. "Share, I got nobody to intimate-date."
"I hate to spoil Lin's fun," Aviri says to the Rath'ani, "but we're not bloodthirsty ... anythings." He pauses, and a look of horror flashes by his face. He recovers quickly. "If you tell me how much that was," he says indicating the plate of pancakes, "I'll reimb ... pay you back."
Linyala slides her plate over a bit so Trilup can have some. "Well, we did have a vampire a while ago. But he's steaked an' dead now." She chirps.
Trilup snags a pancake, and tries her best to stuff the whole thing into her mouth at once. The woman next to Aviri notes, "It's pancake day. They're free. You are from Stonebarrow though, aren't you? Why would you be away from home if you aren't out to kill someone?"
Aviri tilts his head a bit. "We're delivering a ..." he takes a deep breath. "Harmless package," he finishes. "Do people really think we're cold killers? I mean, now, not ... whenenver we were?"
An older raccoon on the opposite side of the table says, "When I was a boy, the Gallee came. Took our village, had their soldiers in each of our houses. Were gonna start executing Eeee. One of our Korvs snuck out, went to seek the Bloodfurs of Stonebarrow. Few days later, I remember waking up by the fireplace. My bed was taken by a soldier, see. 'Cept it was all quiet, and when I looked in, his head was gone. All of their heads were gone, the lot of them."
"Cooool!" Trilup says. "And nobody saw nuthin?"
The old man shakes his head, then eats his pancakes.
Aviri elbows Trilup and shakes his head. "Well," he says to the natives, "we're just travelers. Messengers, you might say." He looks around. "Er ... how does one go about getting a plate of pancakes, though?"
The waitress passes by, and plate of pancakes miraculously appears (well, is carefully placed) in front of Aviri and Trilup and the man who gave his up to Linyala.
The lapi makes a point of politely thanking her before calmly cutting into his pancakes and chewing, doing his best to look like anything but a killer.
Lin looks over at Tril behind Aviri's back, pokes her with her tail, and mouths, "We've gotta ask the elders about this when we get home."
"So you aren't on some mercenary mission?" the woman asks Aviri, then gets a skeptical look. "Of course.. you wouldn't admit that you are in any case, would you?"
"Newp!" Linyala chirps. "So ye kin pretend that we aren't bloodthirsty ruffians and we kin pretend yer normal townsfolk goin 'bout yer daily business." She says with an exagerated wink.
"No pretending needed," Aviri says sharply. "You two are so difficult!" To the woman he hold up his hands and says, "Seriously, we're just on our way to deliver a package. Nothing more. Just ... delivery." He resumes eating.
The one next to Linayala looks them over, as if trying to decide if their packs are big enough to hold severed heads.
"Now now, leave these fine young travelers alone, Bessy," another Rath'ani says, coming up behind the trio and.. patting them on the shoulders. "I'm sure they aren't here to cause any trouble! Why.. I'd even trust them in my own boat. They must be going somewhere other than Bog Bend, after all."
"Well thank'ee mizz." Lin chirps, "But we won't be goin' by water fer the last leg o' the trip. The Road of Fluffy Doom awaits!"
Aviri groans. "No doom," he says into his arm as he holds his head in his hands. "No doom, no killing, no ... " he fails to find a third thing to decline. "Just ... delivery." Once more he tries to eat his pancakes.
"And do you kids know how to find your way through the bog?" the new raccoon asks, somehow jovially.
"Well we live in a swamp." Linyala chirps, "A bog shouldn't be too hard ta navigate."
"Ah, know how to spot quicksand, and giant bog-leeches, and vampire mushrooms already I assume," the Rath'ani says, nodding his head.
"Vampire.. mushrooms?" Trilup asks around a mouthful of pancake.
Aviri waves that off. "Can't be worse than vampire tomatoes," he says.
"They look like the screaming mushrooms from a distance, but also a bit like the ones that grow near strangling willows.." the man assures Trilup.
"Ah, tomatoes.. well, that's fruit, not fungi," the man also points out to Aviri.
"Berry of a nightshade," Aviri says back. "I'm sure we'll be fine."
"Aviri knows plants." Lin says, noding her head. She adds in a conspiratorial whisper to the Rath'ani, "And talks to them. Duno if they talk back though."
The man bobs his head, and then pats them all on the shoulders again (although Trilup gets a head-patting instead). "Well, all seems in order then!" he declares. "Enjoy your pancakes!" And then he's wandering off towards the bar.
"They do," Aviri assures Linyala with a wink, watching the Rath'ani walk away. "He was an odd fellow," he says simply.
"He wasn't looking at us when he found us," Trilup whispers.
Aviri holds a hand up, stopping Trilup there. "No ominousness during pancake-time," he says. "I want to enjoy one thing on this trip before something bad happens."
Linyala smoothes down the fur on the back of her neck and resumes her atack on the pancakes. "Der shool be sum kinda 'pothecary whur ya kin find dee not creepf plant pipfle." She says with her mouth full.
There are, alas, no second helpings - and toppings do cost money, especially honey. Molasses is cheaper, but not by much. Someone figured out how to pack the house and still make a profit while giving away free food, clearly. Mr. Scone is talking to someone who is probably the tavern owner as well, off in the corner.
Aviri sighs contentedly, pushing the empty plate a bit away from him. "Okay," he says, "now you can be ominous."
Lin swallows her last bite of pancake. "That guy was creepy."
"I saw him coming towards us," Trilup explains quietly. "He was looking up."
"Maybe he heard us talking," Aviri says with more confidence than he felt. "Some people can move about eyes closed just by listening and feeling around."
"Silver?" Lin asks quietly, "Did you get any ghostly vibrations or summat off him?"
"I know when I'm being felt-up by someone's eyeballs," the ghost replies in Lin's ear. "He can see me."
"He kin see ghosts." Lin whispers to Aviri and Trilup.
"Like a witch?" Trilup squeaks.
Aviri nods at the revelation. "Well, Lin, I task you to ensure we're not followed."
The three newcomers are still getting lots of nervous or curious glances from the others in the tavern. Even Aviri can hear the occasional whisper between locals speculating on who they're after.
Aviri sighs. "We should go," he says. "Sooner we leave, the sooner we can get through that swamp." He begins casually nudging the otters out of the bench.
Nobody stops them from leaving. Back outside.. well, it's a matter of figuring out how to proceed. Apparently the most common means of getting around for those who don't fly is on the back of a 'tamed' and saddled hog. There are also lots of flat-bottomed boats of various sizes.
Aviri looks around at the surrounding swamp. "Think we could rent a boat?" he asks his companions.
Lin fumbles with her pack for a moment and tucks something (lockpicks) under her knife sheath. "That's what the creepy, ghost oogler was almost offerin'." Lin says.
"I meant a boat," Aviri says. "Not a guide, not a passenger ... just a boat for us and that box."
"Ah." Lin chirps, "Well there's also the matter of if we'll be able ta return it in one piece. Not like we kin just send it on back once we get ta the other side. Gotta stash it or somethin until we're on our way back."
"Well, I don't like the idea of slogging through the swamp, nor do I want any creepy do-gooder to help us. Trilup, any ideas?" Aviri asks.
There is a distinct lack of Bote Rentils booths here. "Uh.. steal one? Or.." Trilup seems distracted as she watches an Eeee girl ride-float past on a giant hog, towing a raft behind her. Apparently the hogs either float or are very good swimmers. "We could ask a vampire?" she finally suggests. "There weren't any bats in the tavern, so I bet they're all vampires, because.. you know.. free pancakes.."
"Nah," Aviri says. "The only vampire I know would do horrible things to Silv. And we're not stealing a boat," he says to Lin.
Lin stops with one foot in the air and a determined expression. "Why not? She asks. "We'd have so much more trouble tryin' ta rent one then not bringin' it back fer a few days. We'll bring it back when we're done with it an' this way no-one asks any questions."
"Excpet why we stole their boat," Aviri says. "No stealing." He sighs. "Don't you otters excel at making boats?"
"We could make one," Trilup offers. "Lots of reeds in the shallows. Or.. walk. It's not a swamp, it's a bog, so.. shallower?"
"If we're walkin', Aviri's buyin' a long pole first. Or we could just find a good stick." Lin suggests, "Quick sand an' sink 'oles, an' all those gruymbley things that kin be hidin under yer paws."
Aviri turns to Trilup. "You can make a raft? Nothing fancy, just enough to keep up up?"
The smaller otter looks thoughtfully at the other boats on display. "I can try.." she says. "I mean.. I know how to make a canoe. But these are all flat boats. That means the water is gonna be shallow in places, or more like loose mud than water. They're made more for not-sinking than for serious floating."
"I'm good for not sinking," Aviri says. "But, honestly, if we have a guide or a ... creep, we can't find the combination to that infernal box along the way."
Linyala whacks Aviri's leg with her tail. "After ALL that about waitin' ta figgure out how ta open it. NOW ya think it's a good idea when we're in a bog with quicksand an' magic, vampire mushrooms?" She turns to Trilup. "Well, day's wastin'. Let's go make this crazy bunny a boat!"
"Maybe these boats are really cheap," Trilup also suggests. "You should try to find out how much they cost." She then bounds to the edge of the dry-ish ground, and starts collecting reeds.
"Would you rather have a freaky box or a random stranger?" Aviri asks Linyala. "Though you're right, we probably should wait until after the strangling willows." He heads off toward the boats.
Linyala follows Trilup to help gather reeds. On her way, she grumbles aloud, "He's crazy Silv. Talks ta plants, makes big speeches then changes his mind all sudden like not a day later... This is so COOL! I'm takin the next weird scouting asignment when we get back ta Stonebarrow!"
The boats are all unique in some way. Either by the fanciful carvings or color or other details, in order to make them stand out from one another. An Eeee watches over the docks while hanging upside-down from a cross post. Possibly a vampire type, since there's no smell of pancakes coming from him or her.
"That guy is still looking at me," Silv notes. "He peeks around the corner of that outhouse every so often. I'm tempted to moon him."
Lin watches out of the corner of her eye until she sees him poke his head around. "Silv? Can you... Focus your presence on Trilup fer a few minutes?" She asks quietly, "Keep his atention away from me?"
"I suppose I can try," Silv offers. Trilup shivers immediately after, as if getting a sudden chill.
Aviri finally works up the courage and leans toward the bat. "Er ... excuse me? I'm ... looking to rent a boat for a few days?"
"I just need ta fetch somethin. Keep an eye on my pack will ya?" She says to Trilup and pulls her rope from her bag. She waits until their stalker is ducked back around the side of the outhouse to dart away from the other otter. She heads for the other side of the outhouse and starts sneaking around so she'll be right behind their stalker when next he ducks back, ready with the rope.
The Eeee looks down at Aviri. "You don't look local. Do you even know how to use a bog-raft?" he asks.
"Not personally, but my companions do." Aviri gestures toward the otters. "They're awkwavi, and we live in a marsh. It's kinda their element."
"I don't think anyone rents their boat," the watchman tells Aviri. "There is the boatwright, who makes and sells them though."
"How much do they cost, usually?" Aviri asks.
"Dunno, never bought one," the bat admits, and rustles his wings.
The lapi bites his lip. "Okay, thank you. Er ... where is the boatwright?"
Creeping around the back of the outhouse, Lin readies her wrope and waits for the right moment. Just as the Rath'ani starts to duck back into the shadows, she jumps forward, knocking him down. A quick motion loops the rope around his feet and a jerk on the end pulls the knot tight. "Why are you following us?" SShe growls as threateningly as possible, admittedly that isn't very threatening.
"Agh!" the Rath'ani coughs out when he hits the ground. "You've got a ghost," he admits.
Linyala taps her hat and says, "Whatever you were doin' worked fine, I've got 'im." She sits on the Rath'ani's back to keep him from getting up. "So?" She asks, "You've never seen some people with a ghost before?"
"Not a ghost like that one," the man admits. "You're taking her to rest, ain'tcha?"
At the sound of the commotion, the bad dock-guard turns to look at the otter riding the back of the raccoon. "That would be him over there," the man tells Aviri.
Aviri looks, and sighs. "Of course it would be," he says. "Thanks for your help." He heads toward Linyala and the downed racoon.
"Yep." Lin chirps, "An ya know it ain't polite ta go sneakin' around and stalkin' people." She says with not a trace of irony."
"Ghosts aren't people anymore though?" the man offers up uncertainly.
Aviri stops above them, "Linyala, what are you doing? Is ... hey, it's you. Linyala, let him up; he doesn't look like he's going to hurt anyone."
Trilup watches, holding a clutch of reeds. Since she's 'got' Silv, she doesn't move, just in case the harmless looking guy isn't harmless.
Linyala gets up very slowly but keeps a hand on the rope just in case. "Ya know. You could have just said you could see her. It's not a big secret or anythin', we just don't bring it up because, well, ghosts." She pulls a funny face.
"I couldn't say it in the tavern," the man claims, getting back to his feet. "People would not have reacted well.. and I wasn't sure if you knew you had a ghost." After brushing himself off he holds out a hand towards Aviri. "Diverse," he says. "Diverse Alarums, at your service."
Aviri shakes the Rath'ani's hand. "Aviri Chalk," he says. "I heard you're the guy to go to for a boat."
"Yes, me and my brother Excursions build and repair boats here at the outpost," Diverse claims, smiling. "I got the impression that you did not need such conveyance."
"Well... You were creepy." Lin says.
"I.. thought I was being friendly," Diverse says apologetically to Lin.
The otter pats him on the shoulder. "It's alright. Though you might want to work on that a bit." She smiles.
"So.. you do need a boat?" Diverse asks. "But not a guide?"
"I don't think you'd want to be with us for any length of time," Aviri says. "Things ... happen."
"Can you tell me more about your.. ah.. friend then?" Diverse asks, and gestures for them to follow him.
Linyala runs off quickly to get Trilup. "He seems alright. An' I don't think we'll need ta make our own boat anymore. Come on." She chirps, grabing her bag, she runs back to rejoin Aviri.
"Why don't we let our friend decide that?" Aviri says. "It's not really our place to tell you if she doesn't want it."
"She's giving me an odd look," Diverse admits. "Oh.. and my brother doesn't see ghosts, just so you know.."
"Does he know that you can?" Lin asks.
"This place has lots of ghosts, so.. yes," Diverse explains, as they turn a corner to come before the boatwright's building, which has a big sign reading 'Diverse Alarums and Excursions Boatwrights'. "EXCURSIONS!" he yells through the door. "CUSTOMERS!"
Another Rath'ani comes to the door, looking nearly identical to Diverse. "Yar, brother? These kiddies here?" If Excursions can see the ghost, he doesn't let on.
"They need to get through the bog," Diverse notes. "And get back again."
"Ain't keeping the boat then?" Excursions asks the trio.
"No, we'd just like to rent it," Aviri says.
"Unless there be somethin' we may run across that'll scuttle the skiff?" Lin asks, gesturing vaguely towards the marsh.
"Aye, plenny of hazards for the unfamiliar," Excursions notes. "Which is why we don't usually rent boats to strangers. Might not get it back, y'know? We'd need a deposit to cover the cost, see, just in case."
"How much would it be?" Aviri asks.
"An how much fer a guide?" Linyala adds.
"Orrrrr," Diverse interrupts, "Might we could settle it with services rendered." He grins a bit too widely.
"What? We never do that.." Excursions starts to say, before Diverse bops him on the nose. "Might be able to get yer a guide too... jus' might."
Lin winks and lightly punches Diverse on the shoulder. "You just want ta oogle Silver more don'tcha."
Aviri looks uncomfortable. "I can get plants for you," he says. "Other than that, I don't think we can render any services to you...."
"Oh, no, nothing like that," Diverse claims, waving his hands. "See.. it's about our.. inheritance.." Excursion's eyes go wide, and he quiets down.
"Why do I already not like the sound of this?" Aviri asks.
Lin hides behind Aviri. "Run before he tells us his life story and insists we steal back some trinket a noble stole from his family a few years ago!"
"See, our Pa.. he was a gambling man. Good at it too," Diverse says. "Maybe a little too good, if you catch my meaning," he adds, tapping the side of his nose. "Some folks're sore losers. Pa got chased out into the bog with his winnings.. and.. well.. he didn't come back out. But neither did the loot."
Aviri raises an ear slightly (it's a long, floppy ear--he can't raise it ALL the way!). "So, you want us to search the entire bog for something that's probably a few meters deep in mud?"
"Oh no," Excursions says, joining in. "We know exactly where it is! Just can't get past Pa.." Diverse bops him on the nose again to shut him up.
Aviri's eyes light up. "Oh ... okay. I think we could do that," he says, looking to his companions for confirmation.
"Why us in specifical?" Trilup finally asks.
"So you're tellin us that yer father is hidin out in the marsh, sittin on a pile o' ill-gotten treasure, and you want us to find it an' get it from him just to get a ride across to the other side?" Linyala asks.
"Well, it's a bit more involved than dat," Diverse admits, still smiling. "See, Pa isn't so much hiding out as he is haunting the treasure. But since you gots yer own ghost.. thought maybe you can get him to.. you know.. move on.."
Aviri nods. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Though, I'm not sure how good us having a ghost is going to be. Still ... what's the harm?"
"I can prolly kick an old man ghost's butt," Silv claims.
"So, you'll do it then?" Diverse asks. "We'll need to go out at night - can't risk being followed and all."
"Alright!" Lin exclaims, standing tall, puffing her chest, straightening her hat, and cinching her pack. "Let's do it! Silv, kin ya ghostify my knife just in case we need ta skewer 'im?"
Aviri laughs. "Night's fine by me. Where do we go?"
"Just be back here at nightfall," Diverse says. "We'll take care o' the rest!"
Aviri nods slowly. "Right," he says. "Er ... anything we could do until then? Need help ... building a boat, or something?"
"Oh, we'll be getting ready ourselves," Diverse claims. "You can use the boathouse though if you want to.. take a nap or whatever.."
Aviri says, "Okay, thanks. Well make that our base of operations until night." He looks to Linyala. "We won't destroy it."
Linyala pouts, "Aww. But bath houses are perfect for magicking."
Diverse leads them over to the doors to the boathouse, which are, of course, over water. But there's an access door that isn't, at least.
"Thank you very much," Aviri says again, looking around the boathouse.
It's a bit like a barn, except one with water in it. The floor is made of planks and piers, and there's no boat currently docked in it. There are also several barrels of tar and a lot of loose ropes.
"I'll come 'round again when it's time to go," Diverse says, and leaves the three travelers in the boat house.
Trilup immediately goes to make sure the door hasn't been bolted from the outside. "Looks like we can come and go," she reports.
Aviri sits on a barrel of tar after ensuring it's not going to leak on his clothes. "Okay," he says, "since that box only does illusions, it shouldn't hurt anything to try another symbol."
Linyala peeks out of the door crack to make sure Diverse is gone. "Could do." She says, "But I don't trust 'em. I'm thinkin' we do one symbol an' then I go see if I kin' find out anythin' more by eavesdropin an checkin' out their house."
"What if they have bodies hidden in their house?" Trilup asks, her fingers jamming into her mouth right afterwards.
Aviri sighs. "They don't have bodies," he says. "And if they try anything, we can stop them. Or, at least, I can. Might hurt Silv, though...." He fingers the chalk in his pocket. "Anyway, no sneaking around the house! We need their help, remember?"
"Then we don't deal with 'em an we kin leave an anonamouse tip that there are bodies stashed in their house." Lin offers, "Oh, come on. Ah'm just so much baggage without bein' sneaky. If they're hidin' somethin' important, it's better we know before it rises from the murky depths an' eats us."
"And if you're caught?" Aviri asks. "No. No sneaking, no eavsdropping. We're not assassins, remember? We need these people to like us, and nobody likes a sneaky spy."
"Who knows what they do to criminals out here," Trilup frets.
Linyala huffs and tosses the box at aviri. "Hold this." She says and stashes her pack in a corner. The box has the first three symbols in place on the spinners. Lin sets up her notes on a barrel. "Well? Let's do this."
Aviri catches the box, surprisedly, and tosses it back when Linyala seems ready.
Trilup stays close to the water, in case she needs to make a quick getaway. "If we melt in here, we'll run through the deck boards into the muck," she points out.
Aviri shrugs. "Illusions," he claims. "Plus, muck can't hurt us if we're already muck. And I doubt the box'd do the same thing twice."
Lin snags the box out of the air. "Let's just drop it in the bag once it starts doing its magicness." She says and starts fiddling with the puzzle part. "Tril, keep the sack on call will ya?"
Aviri pulls his own bag closerto his body, worried that Linyala'd snatch it and use it as a curse-buffer. He likes his bag!
"Oh, right." Lin says and tosses the leather sack she's been using to hold her writing supplies to Trilup.
Trilup is burdened by the sack now, which means she has to stand closer.
As always, nothing seems quite the same on the box when it comes to the bits that slide or turn or twist. Eventually, a bit clicks and slides to reveal.. a glowing blue diamond shape.
Linyala imediately dumps it in the bag and pulls the draw string.
Aviri just watches ... waiting, still clutching his bag.
And then it gets dark. Not just nighttime dark, but solid dark, like the entire building has been filled with tar. It doesn't last, though. When the light returns.. there are extra people. Standing or sitting next to each person is.. themselves.
"I don't think the sack helps," one of the Trilups notes, since both of them are holding onto the sack.
Linyala looks herself in the eye and raises her left paw, the one not holding the sack.
The other Lin looks at the paw, and then slaps it with her own left paw. "High five?" she guesses.
Aviri quickly jumps off the barrel, looking at himself, then at the others. "Er ... this is new," he says.
"Well.. at least we won't look silly talking to ourself now," the other Aviri claims.
"Close enough!" Lin chirps, "So you're like, an ilusioney me. Can you walk through walls and stuff?"
Aviri grins and nods. "True!" he says. "Though ... we'd probably still talk to ourselves, also.... like ... what I just did there."
"Dunno, let's see!" Lin-two says, and then.. punches Lin-one right in the nose! It hurts! "I think that's a no.."
Lin rubs her nose and narows her eyes at Lin-two. "I'm calling you Nil from now on." She leans over and jots down a quick note about the latest symbol.
"Wait, I'm the real one, you should be Nil!" Nil claims.
Aviri rubs his chin. "Wonder if this'll be permanent," he says, still talking to himself and not the other Aviri. He shakes his head. "Think of all the stuff we could learn, Aviri!" he says brightly. "We'd be able to be in two places at once!"
"Well.. I dunno if I wanna do the same stuff anymore," AviriTwo says, then walks over to Lin and taps her shoulder.
"No." Linyala says flatly. "We're not doing this routine. We're above this." She turns back to her notes then looks up at Aviri's clone. "So what should we call you?"
"How about.. oh.. Viril," the clone says, then puts an arm around Lin, dips her back and snogs her. The Trilups giggle in stereo, but haven't let go of the sack still.
Aviri watches him kiss Lin, and says, "Oh." He sits back on the barrel and just kinda ... looks at the wood floors, twiddling his thumbs. "Wonder if any fungi are growing in here...." he says quietly.
This asault does not go over well for Viril. Linyala keeps leaning back as he tries to snog her, hooking her tail around his footpaws and spining him off to the side. Viril rolls, ears over tuft, over the edge of the boards and splashes into the water below. Lin seems surprised that the maneuver actually worked, she even held onto the bag! "And that's why you should be nice to girls!" She shouts at the floundering lapi.
Aviri ... the real Aviri, looks up at the splash, and can't help but laugh once, the smile lingering on his face. He nods to Linyala. "Good job," he says. "Odd that ... the box'd duplicate my body but not my mind. What's different about your clone?"
"Well," Lin says, dusting herself off with her free hand, "They're obviously oposite clones. I'm all stealthy and nice, means my clone is prolly 'bout as civil as a cudgel and as stealthy as a minotaur."
"I'm much smarter and clervererer, obviously," Nil claims, and does a handstand. There's no sign of the dunked clone reemerging from the water though.
"We probably should make sure they don't get out and cause trouble," the Trilups say, then look at one another.
Linyala tickles Nil's feet while they're in the air.
"Ack!" Nil squeaks, and falls over. "This one is violent, we'd better tie her up!" she claims.
Aviri noticed his counterpart didn't reappear. He stands up from his barrel and peers into the water--very wary of the edge. For the briefest moment he appears to be hesitant about something, glancing toward the otters, but then he says, "Hey, I think if we throw them down there they disappear."
"Yer the one who punched me in the nose, ya great watterwalloper." Lin takes in the matched Trilups and bops herself on the forehead. "An' this is what we get for not keepin' track of a clone." She says.
"Wait!" Lin barks, "That's prolly the trick here. We have ta toss the right part of a pair an whichever one we toss stays gone."
Aviri shrugs. "Well, hold Nil down, then, but I doubt the real us would vanish in that water." He looks for the Trilups, keeping an eye on the Lins to he can keep track of which one's which.
"Could we have Trillup hold Nil down?" Lin asks, "I don't want to get my me's confused."
"I don't wanna get involved," the Trilups both say. "Why not have both Lins just jump into the water at the same time?"
"Nobody's grabbing me," Nil insists. "Getting wet doesn't mean nothing! Maybe that Viril guy just can't swim?"
"Aviri isn't reknownd for his swimming skills." Lin admits, "But so far you've just been kind of mean and arguey. What's in it for me to keep you around?"
"Hey, I still think I'm the real one," Nil points out. "It's easy to prove too!" she claims, looking smug.
Aviri sighs and steps toward the Linyalas. He points to the Lin that entered the room with him. "You're Lin," he declares. "And you're Nil. Lin, hold Nil down and we can throw her into the water."
"No." Lin says to Nil, again, "I said we're not doing this, we're not doing this. We all know which one of us is Linyala. Either you pull yourself together an' give us a good reason not ta toss you, or we kin find oout how well an illusion of me kin swim."
The faux-otter (fauxter?) jumps back away from everyone. "Hah, you're trying to trick me, but I know how to tell a fake from the real thing!" she says.. and then takes off her vest. "If I'm the fake, then this vest should just vanish when I let go." She drops it.. and it vanishes. "Oh.. uh.. huh," Nil goes, clearly not having expected that result.
"So..." Lin says, siddling up to her double, "Now that that's sorted out, how's about goin to get some towels while we see if'n we kin sort out the two Trilups?"
"Towels?" Nil asks, trying to retreat from Lin. "Heeeey... you aren't still gonna dunk me right? You wouldn't do that! I'm your.. ghost.. like.."
Aviri shrugs, heading toward the Trilups. "You're her clone," he says, gesturing to Linyala. "I'll let her decide."
"Naw." Lin chirps, patting her double's shoulder, "Just go out and see if you can find a few towels. It's been a long morning and a wash would be nice."
The doppleganger looks uncertain, and heads for the door, then stops. "I've got not top!" she points out. Not that it really matters, given the fur and general lack of development.
Both Trilups huddle together at Aviri's approach. "What are you gonna do?" they ask.
"You're an Aquavi." Lin says, exasperated. "Nobody cares. The vest was for pockets an' adventure gear." She makes shooing motions with her hands and goes to help Aviri sort out Trilup.
Aviri stops and tilts his head at them. "Why would I do anything?" he asks. "I'm just ... here to observe. At least you two seem to be getting along swi---er, just fine."
"Someone will comment," Nil mutters, and opens the door. She steps outside.. and explodes. Despite the noise.. nobody rushes to see what happened.
Linyala claps and cheers. "Got mine!"
"Aaaaagh!" the Trilups wail. "What if we all explode though?"
Linyala sticks a finger in her ear and wiggles it. "That doubled voices thing yer doin is givin' me a headache."
"Nobody's exploding anybody ... else," Aviri says. "My clone was ... very much different than me. Linyala's closer. Trilups, you seem pretty identical. I'd be hesitant to try and make a decision at the moment. So long as you're okay with there being ... two, of you, I think we should keep it like this until something more concrete shows up." He looks at Linyala. "We're not going to throw them both into the water or out the door."
"Neither of us are going out that door until one of you does first," the Trilups claim.
"Quite right." Lin nods, "I don't want to risk losing the real Trilup. But first." She pulls a frayed corner off her vest and flicks it out the door.
The bit of leather just sits there on the threshold.
Linyala scoots forward, opens the door farther, and flicks it outside then retreats to the far end of the room with the bag.
Still no effect.
"We aren't made of leather," Trilups point out. They look to Aviri next. "So.. is it safe?"
Aviri says, "That doesn't prove anything; your clone's already gone. Sending some of Trilup's clothing through--whichever Trilup--doesn't say anything, either, if it explodes."
Lin frowns at the bit of leather. "It doesn't seem to be exploding or vanishing." She says, "I'll just... step out for a moment. Hold the bag for a minute?" She holds the bag out to Aviri.
Aviri accepts the bag and turns to Trilup. "Even if it's safe for Lin or I, it might not be for either of you. Let's just stay in the boathouse until ..." he bites his lip. "Well, like I said, you're pretty identical, and I personally don't mind two Trilups for a while."
Lin scrunches her eyes shut and leaves the boathouse.
Everything is fine once Lin steps outside. And then she explodes..
And finds herself back in the boathouse, next to the sack with the box in it. All of her fur is standing on end.
"I'm starting to think this box doesn't like me." She deadpans and rummages through her pack for her brush.
Aviri nods. "Like I said, let's just stay here."
"Oh.. oh.. Aviri.. if you go outside you'll drown!" the Trilups claim.
Aviri lifts an ear. "So ... I won't go outside, then," he says. "Simple enough to evade." He chooses a barrel and sits down. "We've got all day to figure this out."
"What if it doesn't wear off, like the other times?" the Trilups ask. "We should wait in the water... Lin should wait in the water, so if you go out and end up where the forward version of you went into the water she can fish you out right away!"
"Or I could just explode again when I go in the water and end up back here." Linyala counters. Then jumps into the water.
Nothing happens, aside from Lin getting wet. And there aren't any towels still, since Nil exploded before she could get any.
Linyala, upon not exploding, swims around the boathouse and tries walking up to the front from the other side.
"I can swim," Aviri says. "That ... thing melted because he wasn't me." He folds his arms across his chest, not angrily, but just because that's something he could do with them. "Any ideas how to tell you two apart?" he asks the Trilups.
No explosion! Whatever it was must have passed for Lin.
"Take off a piece of clothing," the Trilups note, since that worked for Nil. "I think whatever happens to the copy.. that ends up happening to the real one. Well, not really, but.. you go through it, sorta.."
Linyala examines herself thoroughly then hugs both of the Trilups. "Thanks fer that trick." She says, getting them both sopping wet with her apreciation.
Aviri stops them from throwing the clothing into ... wherever. "Hold on," he says. "Lin didn't throw her coat into the water first. It might just be the first one to leave the area gets destroyed."
"So..." the Trilups say, looking to Aviri. "How do we find out?"
Aviri shrugs. "How'm I supposed to know? The other things stopped of their own accord after a while...."
"And Aviri could prolly go out through the door an not explode or melt." Lin adds.
"So.. he should go get some towels?" the Trilups reason.
"Why should I get the towels?" Aviri asks. "If I leave, you're gonna shove 'em into the water, or something," he accuses of Lin.
"Hey!" Lin exclaims, "I'm not my evil twin." She rolls her eyes at Aviri. "I'll do my best ta figger it out while you're getting the towels."
"And who'll be the cool voice of reason?" Aviri asks. "You're an akwavi, do you even need towels? I thought you were all waterproof!"
"This is silly," the Trilups say, and stand up. Hand-in-hand, they head for the door. "We'll be the brave ones and find out what happens!"
Lin gets out of their way.
Aviri shrugs. "If you both realize the consequences...."
The two otter girls step outside. Nothing happens to either of them. After a moment of surprise, they turn around and come back inside without a word.
Aviri nods. "Okay, I'll get the towels..." he says, standing up and heading out the door.
As soon as he steps outside.. Aviri finds himself back inside, in the water.
"Huh." Lin looks down the hole in the floor. "Alright down there?" She asks.
Aviri coughs in surprise, then pulls himself out onto the deck. "Yeah, fine," he says, flicking off the excess water with a hand. "Just ... fine." He sits on a barrel, putting his bag aside.
"Ohhh, maybe you had to leave with your double," Trilup suggests. The other Trilup notes, "Wait.. how does this solve anything?"
Linyala looks around at her friends, she doesn't seem impressed with their situation. "So Trilup can leave with Trilup, I think I've got mine all worked out, an' Aviri can't leave or he poofs into the water. Can you Trilups tell each other apart?"
"Not so much anymore," the Trilups admit. "But Aviri should be able to leave now that he's gone through what his double did."
Aviri flicks more muck off his beautiful fur and, frowning, heads for the door again.
Nothing happens this time. But he's still mucky and wet.
Aviri nods and continues on. "Be back with towels ... hopefully," he says back to them.
"Might want to bring soap too!" the Trilups call out.
Once Aviri has left, the Trilups turn to Lin and say, "I'm scared now."
Linyala pulls the box from its bag and checks if the rune is still glowing. "Yeah. It's not so easy for you. Aviri's clone was all opposite of what he's like, an' mine was more mean. Yours is pretty much... I can't tell. Could you stand a bit appart so I can see if there's anything different that we haven't noticed before?" She asks.
"If we do that, we'll probably change," the twins suggest. "I mean, we've been next to one another this whole time, but your doubles weren't."
The symbol is still exposed and glowing. Although it hasn't been dialed into the combination yet.
Outside.. well, the bog is a messy place. There are cistern-fueled cleaning stations scattered around, so it's possible to wash off the muck with fresh water at least, Aviri finds.
Aviri wastes no time in doing so, the water feeling nice in lieu of muck. That done he continues his search, the Trilups far from his mind as he does so.
Linyala has never had this chance before. "Okay, how's about you two stay right there an' I try dialing the symbol into the box while it's still glowin'." She says then tries turning the fourth dial to show a blue diamond.
"What do you think.." the girls start to say, and then there's a loud POP as the symbol is dialed in. The glow stops and the box shuffles its surface.
Linyala quickly looks up to make sure Trilup is still there.
There's no sign of either of the younger otters, but the leather satchel is positively bulging and shaking.
Linyala pulls the drawstring open as wide as she can and looks inside.
Trilup gasps and spills out of the sack like she's made of springs. "Aaaaugh!" she moans.
Eventually Aviri finds someone selling blankets. Not quite the same as a towel, but it could be cut into towel-sized chunks.
Aviri pats his soaked pants, finds a few coins. "How much for a blanket?" he asks, dripping at the vendor.
Linyala sits down next to Trilup and grins, "Do you think you're you?"
"Three shekels," the vendor says. She smiles brightly, showing off vampire teeth. But then, she's an Eeee, so that's not the same as being an undead vampire.
"I.. uh.. that was unpleasant," Trilup says once she gethers herself and checks that all her parts are there. "Are you gonna tell Aviri that you just had to do that one thing to make it all stop?"
Aviri looks at the four wet coins in his hand and offers three of them. "Thanks," he says in advance.
"At least we've got a handy way to make it stop now." Linyala says, "Though next time it'll prolly make it hard for us somehow." She turns the box over in her hands a few times. "Yeah. I'll tell Aviri, it's prolly a good idea fer all of us to know what turns it off."
The blanket is handed over. It's a bit course, but then it's not really meant to be slept in.
Aviri accepts the blanket with another nod and thanks and returns toward the boathouse, hoping the fiasco was all settled, wrapping the blanket around himself partly as a way to get himself dry, and partly to keep himself warm whilst being covered with cool water.
Linyala waves at Aviri when he gets back, "Turns out all you have to do to make the box stop the magic is turn the dial to the latest symbol." She says and flops down against a tar barrel.
"Instead of.. you know.. stuffing it into a sack," Trilup notes. She doesn't look all that happy about losing her twin.
Aviri pulls the half-wet blanket off himself, his fur--at least those bits that had been exposed to the blanket--all dissheveled and poofy. "Well, that's handy to know!" he says, handing the blanket toward Linyala. "Sorry about ... using it first," he says.
Linyala shrugs and pats herself down with the blanket. "Thanks. I was partly dry anyways." She says then holds it out to Trilup if she feels like drying off at all.
Aviri pats down his fur. "Trilup, you doing okay?"
"I guess I am.." Trilup says. "It was nice having someone just like for a little bit. I wonder what happens to them. They aren't ghosts like Silv. Imagine haunting yourself?"
Trilup accepts the blanket once Lin is done, and cocoons herself in it so just her face is poking out (and some of her tail).
Lin grabs her brush off the barrel and starts smoothing out her ruffled fur. "They were prolly just as real as the blood. There enough to touch an' talk to but just a kind of magickey projection of an altered verion of us?" She guesses.
"Illusions," Aviri says. "Though Natasha might be able to give you a clone, when we get back to Stonebarrow."
"Now I'm wondering what it'll be like when Silv is gone," Trilup says. "Isn't she the only reason you spent time with us, Aviri?"
"Spent?" Aviri asks. "Well, at first it was because you took me to Swampy's Tree of Death, and then again to Swampy's Lair of Death ... so, no." He smirks at Lin. "Can't say the same for her, though!" The smirk grows into a grin.
"So when we get home, you'll go with me to Things of Death?" Trilup asks, looking hopeful.
Lin raises a paw, "I'm here 'cause of some chalice thing you guys were after but then we all got rolled together when the tunnels colapsed in and followin' discretely isn't really any good sein' as we all got haunted together..." She trails off, "Now I'm here for the adventure, the cool hat, an to eventually figgure out that chalice from earlier."
Aviri smiles. "I actually don't mind hanging out with you, Trilup, even without the Things of Death. In fact ... I'd prefer without, if that's okay with you."
"Alright.. I'll go flower picking with you sometime then," Trilup agrees. "There's bound to be a monster eventually.."
"That sounds nice," Aviri agrees.