FIREBIRD'S REALM - GROUP TWO

[dramatispersonae]

((skills are on! please join #chasingthesun if you can!))

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[brotagonist]

The bathtub's infected!

[heroic_homemaker]

[...Pokes the bathtub]

[dramatispersonae]

It feels like it's squirming under your hand in an awful sort of way, but it looks like it's staying perfectly stationary...

[brotagonist]

[tries to turn off the bathtub tap?!]

[heroic_homemaker]

[This is kind of gross, is this what the darkness feels like? Maybe I should test it by touching the crack too.]

[dramatispersonae]

There's a grating and a horrible burnt-plastic smell, but the tap sputters off.

Fire, your hand goes in without resistance. You don't feel much of anything except warmth though.

[brotagonist]

Do you think we should check the rest before we stick our arms in there...? Doesn't that hurt?

[sounds pretty neutral about it honestly]

[heroic_homemaker]

Actually no, it's kind of hot. It's not really what I was expecting... Maybe there's fire in here?

...Ah, but maybe you have a point and we should come back to it.

[brotagonist]

There's a kitchen with a hearth down the hall. Let me just run down there and see if a fire's lit. I'll be right back!

[HEADING TOWARDS WHERE HE REMEMBERS THE KITCHEN BEING!]

[dramatispersonae]

You head down a flight of stairs to the huge castle kitchen. There's plenty of tables and polished utensils and a woodpile, though it doesn't seem like anyone's cooked anything here in forever. The fire's unlit.

There's a large set of doors out! There's also a small, narrow hallway in the back if you're paying attention, but it's farther away.

Also, a rip has opened over one of the tables, dropping soot all over the stacked pans there.

[brotagonist]

[GETS A STACK OF PANS OUT OF THE WAY :T and then checking out that narrow hallway]

[dramatispersonae]

It leads on, very deep. It's straight, but dim, running to dark -- and unlike the kitchen, it's dusty and cobwebbed.

[brotagonist]

[COMBEWEED YOU MEAN

heading down there as fast as he can, gotta get back to Fire quickly!]

[dramatispersonae]

It leads to a black metal door. There's no lock, only a scroll pinned up:

With no wings, I fly.
With no eyes, I see.
With no arms, I climb.
More frightening than any beast;
Stronger than any foe.
I am cunning, ruthless, and tall;
In the end, I rule all.

Who am I?

[brotagonist]

Oh hell.

[I'LL GO BACK AND POKE AT THE RIP WHILE I THINK ABOUT THAT ONE]

[dramatispersonae]

Your hand goes through? You don't feel much of anything. Soot gets all over you.

[brotagonist]

Eeerghhhh...

[c-clears the pans and stuff off the table, tidying up D8< then generally canvasses the kitchen for clues and starts poking in everywhere because oh god]

Come on, Lloyd, think! What can see and climb and scare people!

[heroic_homemaker]

Okay.

[...Sticks his arm a little further in when he leaves, poking around]

[dramatispersonae]

You still don't feel much of anything...?

[heroic_homemaker]

Is it really just empty?

[Huh. Welp I'mma stick my head in and look see]

[dramatispersonae]

You see the landscape of endless sky and endless fire. If you don't pull away you'll be lost again . . .

[heroic_homemaker]

[By pull you away, you mean take my time staring in awe, right?]

[dramatispersonae]

Do you have eyes to see anymore? Is there a you doing the seeing?

[heroic_homemaker]

[O O P S]

[Man I hope Lloyd isn't poking around in mysterious rips too and can come pull me out]

[dramatispersonae]

While you've temporarily lost your sense of personal identity, you at least get to see it when tentacles of swirling brightness and colour start breaking through the fire.

(they're wrong they're wrong they're wrong)