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As the crazy escalates, Quasit makes her way forward, coughing and wiping her eyes and nose and doing her best not to heave her meager breakfast. She starts to speak up a couple times, but the nausea and the rapid back-and-forth just overwhelms her, and she ends up just looking at the strange half-elf woman. And then she notices Selena giving her a weird, threatening side-eye, which makes Quasit noticeably double-take, after which she sighs audibly. Finally the young woman puts her fingers to her lips and gives a loud piercing ...
Then she puts her hands on her hips and gives everyone a stern look, especially the half-elf.
"OK, let's back up and start this again, shall we? Ma'am, I don't know who you think we are, but I for one have never seen you before, but someone has obviously been messing with you. And as someone who has recently been messed with mentally and emotionally, I'm willing to give you a pass for the moment."
"Now, who are you? Who is Jadrenka? Why do you for some reason think the 7 of us and our 3 animals are HER? And if you want to leave, why don't you leave? You opened this door just fine, so it doesn't seem like you're exactly locked up."
"I assure you, if you're square with us, we'll be square with you. And if we can help you, we'll help you. We are honestly, truly just adventurers who are plundering this place for loot. OK?"
Tezuzu prepares focuses on meditation preparing spells and performs a ritual after trinking some magically enhanced tea. [ooc](Casting tears to wine)
He then bonds his life energy with the rest of the party.
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Tezuzu wretches from the foul smell, but maintains his composure.
The giant magic fox Yang however does not fare as well considering his sharp canine nose being a disadvantage and he begins to roll on the floor whimpering his paws covering his nose and making a terrible yacking noise.
"Maka did you really have to...ughhh you do know fire is not the solution to every problem."
Just as the jilted half-elf begins her idiotic tirade Tezuzu draws out a vile of a chalky pinkish fluid from his robes and tosses it to Quasit. "Drink that. For the nausea, Monkey."
Looking quite perplexed and profoundly uncomfortable at wandering into what appears to be a lovers quarrel rather than something more in his own comfort zone like an undead horror, a death trap, or a gaggle of demons; the awkward bird-man steps to the side casually to let things play out trying to make himself out to appear as uninvolved in the mess as he possibly can be.
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Plus I'd spend all my time just staring in awe at all the Amazing Fox People, so if they even speak to me, I'll be tickled pink.
"Oh Quasit! You're so funny. You know we're not all amazing!"
Sakitu makes it through the awful stench without sickening. She slinks into the room with the strange lady. Nearly everything she says is confusing. Who does she think Maka is?
As Quasit tries to restore order the woman sits down in one of the nearby chairs, drops her axe and begins to weep without restraint. She speaks bits at a time.
"Then she has left me. Weeping. But.. but. Weeping. I can leave. Less weeping. Maybe they will help me. She rises slowly, giving her axe a disappointed glance, but leaving it on the floor. I don't have much of a choice. You see. We got in a fight. Some evil here deceived her. Made her doubt my fidelity. And I've been trapped here since, in our bedroom."
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Quasit seems to be trying very hard to take this seriously. She does a mental count to five, then goes and sits by the sobbing half-elf.
"Yeah, that's rough. Rule number one of lovers is that lovers fight. It's a stupid rule, but there ya go." she says in her soothing babysitter voice. She runs a finger along the chintz-covered armrest on the chair. "Hmm. Chintzy."
She crosses her legs and leans back, hands interlaced behind her head, looking up.
"I've been on both sides of this equation. It's always complicated. Love is always about trust because it's also about dependency. But you have to know when to cut the cord and move on. So, the first question you need to answer is: do I want to win her back, or is it time for me to move on?"
"Oh, and you still haven't told us your name. And who Jadrenka is. You can call me Quasit. Hey, do you like plum wine?
"My name is Marislova. And it sounds like you've been in love before. Jadrenka. She was.. We were in love. I followed her to this place.. She looks around the bedroom as if remembering. Not this place.. Rather these caverns. Here is where we made a place together."
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"Hi Marislova. Look, I gotta tell ya, as love nests go, this place is... well, terrible, actually." She chuckles at her own cool friend candor. "I'd go for someplace with fewer earwigs and spiders, personally. But that's not for me to judge I guess."
She pauses to reset the tone, then asks the 64 thousand gold question more seriously.
"Do you still love her?"
Marislova nods her head as she a few tears run down her face.
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"OK then. So you want to win her back? The last thing you should do is sneak off and escape this place then -- that'll just redouble her suspicions. She'll find you and put you back in here and turn you into a newt for good measure. We need to find her and you need to convince her to take you back."
"I'll tell ya though, whatever you fought about, you may need to swallow your pride on that one and let it go. You have to remind her of the good times. Remind her that she needs you too. Be sweet and a little submissive. Show her your belly. You don't have to admit to anything to ask for another chance. Right?"
"Why don't you come with us? We're exploring this whole place. If she's around, we'll find her."
She wipes her cheeks and nods hesitantly, "I'm not sure about all that, but I can't get out of her without help. Are you sure I can't just go back the way you came like the others said?"
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"I wouldn't recommend it. There's a group of demon-worshippers and their pet frost giants crawling around these caves too, for the same reason we are. Looking for loot. But they'll kill you as soon as they see you if they find you wandering around alone."
"I know we don't look like much, but we can help protect you. And like I said, running off and hiding is not going to help your case. You need to confront her and open your heart to her. There's no guarantee it'll work, but you have to try. Just making the effort goes a long way toward proving your sincerity."
"Not if you still love her! You don't want to run away and then regret it. Q is right, come with us and we'll help you find her sort all this out."
"It sounds like the only way for me to get out of here is to go with you all. I haven't been able to get any of the doors open. She stands, gesturing at the other doors out of the room and then suddenly, as if the sound of Maka's voice reminders her of her lover she is yelling. But she doesn't love me." She tries to quickly compose herself.
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"If she didn't still have feelings for you, she wouldn't bother locking you up." says Quasit matter-of-factly. "I mean, look, at this stage in a fight, it's all a complicated mix of love and grrr mad. But I'm sure she must feel something for you. Otherwise she'd have just killed you. You just have to remind her of the good times."
"What'd you do to piss her off, anyway? Light a cigarette during sex? Guys REALLY hate that. If you really want to play up to a guy, make him feel strong. 'Ooh, you wouldn't *hurt* me, would you?' She bats her eyes theatrically, then giggles at her own fiendishness. But she wrestles herself back on topic.
"Come on, let's check one of these other doors. Do you know where either of them goes?"she asks, pointing to the northern and eastern doors.
Both doors are well secured from what Findurel can tell. Marislova shrugs as she follows. "That's just it. I didn't do anything. Like I said, one of the evil things in this place did it. We had a fight. Not a big one. But when we were getting some space one of the things down here put some of its hair in my belongings. She found it and then the thing told her that I had.. that I.. I wouldn't." She can't bring herself to say more.
Both doors are well secured from what Findurel can tell. Marislova shrugs as she follows. "That's just it. I didn't do anything. Like I said, one of the evil things in this place did it. We had a fight. Not a big one. But when we were getting some space one of the things down here put some of its hair in my belongings. She found it and then the thing told her that I had.. that I.. I wouldn't." She can't bring herself to say more.
"Well don't worry Marislova, we've already taken care of a bunch of evil things here and we'll take care of the rest. Then we'll show Jardenka how silly it was to lock you up and then y'all can be in love and kiss again." Maka trailed into romantic daydreams while waiting for Q to open the door.
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That's just it. I didn't do anything. Like I said, one of the evil things in this place did it. We had a fight. Not a big one. But when we were getting some space one of the things down here put some of its hair in my belongings. She found it and then the thing told her that I had.. that I.. I wouldn't." She can't bring herself to say more.
Quasit is still trying very hard to take all this seriously, but the strain is beginning to show. She shares a weary, slightly stunned glance with her companions. "This is not how I thought this day was going to go." she says, a little helplessly.
She moves to pat Marislova on the shoulder. "Of course you wouldn't. I know, I know. I'm sorry sweetie." she says gently, buying time. Then she can't quite help herself. "Did you ever consider...maybe, you know, NOT dating a witch?" But she pulls herself back quickly. "You know what? Not my call. The heart wants what the heart wants. And it's probably hard to get perspective surrounded by chintz."
"Look. Cheer up. She's probably just as miserable as you are, you know? Her pride has been ruffled and her imagination is running away with her. And now maybe she can't admit that maybe she overreacted. We'll clear it up, you'll see. And pretty soon you'll be back to girl-kissing each other and... and all that."
"Now, once again, any idea what's beyond those two locked doors? Any knowledge you have of the layout of this place would really be helpful."
"So I know that way She points to the north. is supposed to be a way out. I made it that way one time, but apparently the door out only opens at certain times. The other way goes on at least five hundred feet. I've never gone the entire distance."
"So down the long spooky tunnel to find love it is!" Maka said with a cheer.
"I agree with Quasit that you should repair your relationship. Good ones, or even somewhat okay ones are too rare to let go easily. But you may want to consider that she may not express herself well or deal with her emotions well either. Witches generally learn from a young age not to express love or affection as it will be used against them. I imagine that there are other folks with similar issues." Selena remarks, more friendly but still in miss noble mode.
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"Yeah, the exterior doors open and close according to the phases of the moon, so there's no point going north right now. We'll head east. Gather up your stuff, we may not come back this way any time soon, and like I said, demon-worshippers creeping around."
As she helps Findurel crack the locked door, she murmurs to him.
She nods, picking up her axe from the floor. Other than a small pack that she carefully folds a blanket into, Marislova doesn't seem to be interested in much else.
With the door to the east unlocked, Findurel and Quasit have no issue opening it safely. Ahead they see a long passage lit only be the light from the room the party is about to leave. More webs hang from the ceiling, having been broken by the opening of the door. The passage is so covered with web that you doubt anything larger than a mouse could crawl through with out snagging one.
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The passage is so covered with web that you doubt anything larger than a mouse could crawl through with out snagging one.
"Charming decor." groans Quasit. "How many years has she had you locked up, Marislova?"
"I really don't want to burn up more stink spiders. Bull, maybe you can hold your shield forward and just kinda plow through and make a tunnel?"
Quasit lingers near the doorway and has a quick quiet word with Maka.
** spoiler omitted **
"Don't worry Q, I'll take care of her" Maka whispered back before moving besides Marislova.
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Fin nods to Quasit while assisting with the lock...
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Sakitu is nervous about Marislova but she can't help but feel sympathy for the half-elf woman. Relationships just seem to be hard. Quasit's stories for one, and Fin's. But then with Maka it seems that everyone has a relationship with her. She never seems sad. Maybe Maka has it figured out. Selena, her attitude makes it impossible for anyone to get close. Maybe that's the trick. But then there's Bulvi. Sakitu can never tell what is behind those deep eyes. He's the epitome of the strong and silent type. She can't tell if he's ever sad or not.
When Fin and Quasit open the door, Sakitu refocuses her attention.
"Ew. More spider webs and they fill the passage. Marislova, when did you last go down that way? You said you went at least 500 feet right? How long ago?" Turning to Maka she continues. "You could burn these again, right? But Quasit is afraid of the smell. Tez or Selena, can you make a bunch of wind to blow away the odor? I've seen some magic users do that before."
"Aww but I want to burn them. Spiderwebs are so fun to burn. I love the way they pop. But yeah, I suppose it would give the demons and witches a chance to plan something. Alright fine, let Bull have fun cutting them."
"Well the spiders would be puking as well. Or wait, do they not have noses?"
Maka stood in wide eyed amazement at Quasit. "I haven't ever seen a spider whistle. Or a whole bunch of other insects. I never thought about that, you're so smart Quasit!"
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"I'm a fount of useless observations." Quasit observes proudly.
Then suddenly she frowns. She looks around at everyone warily, then takes a couple steps back into the room. "I need a minute. I'll be right back. Need to check something in my pack."
She retreats behind one of the cheap velvet curtains and pulls it closed behind her.
"Oh poor Q, I told you that fish smelled too fishy. Are you sure you don't want me to stand guard? I'll turn around and hold my nose."
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"Yeah--well--you know--" says Quasit, who sounds distracted by whatever she's doing.
After a short pause she speaks again. "I'm fine, really. Just... give me a minute, ok?"
There is a sound of fabric tearing. The faint scent of the perfume she bought yesterday drifts across the room.
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"You know, they never talk about bathroom breaks in stories. But I think surviving a beating from bad fish is as memorable as surviving a beating from a demon. More so if the fish is old enough." Maka mused as she juggled a few balls of fire.
At Fin, "Given that spiders lack lungs, I'm pretty curious how you could have heard one hiss. Are you sure it wasn't just scraping legs or something?"
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"You know, they never talk about bathroom breaks in stories..."
Fin nods, blushing just a bit. "Oh...of course. I can see where that might require...a little privacy. And it's hard to find a proper spot when you're in a dungeon..."
At Fin, "Given that spiders lack lungs, I'm pretty curious how you could have heard one hiss. Are you sure it wasn't just scraping legs or something?"
Fin shrugs. "Pretty sure, since my father was speaking to it...he had a way to talk with animals..."
As the party is considering how to address the webs, Marislova retrieves a small chunk of tinder from her pack. "Don't worry, I'm not going to set it a blaze. I swear there is something stuck in the webs further down. I can't make it out." With a gesture from her free hand and a few words the bit of tinder illuminates. She slides it against the floor through several bits of web. It makes it just over ten feet before it gets stuck.
The light from the illuminated stick reflects from the dull surface of what appears to be an well worn helmet. Made of metal it looks to have offered full face covering to whomever wore it. Several small spiders skitter from its surface to lurk within it.
Findurel pauses as he mentions the glow from the helm, as if he is focusing on something further he is noticing.
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Fin suddenly throws a hand up. "Hold! There is a spot on the floor ahead that's elevated, covered in web like everything else, just below the helm ..perhaps a trap, perhaps a trap door...or, perhaps less likely, some strange creature lying in ambush...
"I'd recommend checking the glow from the helm for magic before proceeding in case this is an elaborate trap..."
Tezuzu watches tensely as Marislova retrieves an object from her pack expecting it to be a weapon or component for a spell before he visibly relaxes some once he concludes she isn't attempting anything strange or hostile. "Uhhmm, Yes. Let me take a look at that helm then. Yes."
He chants a few words his eyes glowing for the briefest of moments as he focuses on the helm.
"I am fine with maka burning the web down the tunnel....just give me ample warning so I might stand a bit further away...the smell last time was....awful..." as if to punctuate his statement Yang whimpers and transforms shrinking into his much smaller form before hiding in his carrier strapped to Tezuzu's back.
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When Findurel mentions a possible trap, Quasit hurries up whatever she was doing behind the curtain then reemerges with a makeshift mask tied about her face like a highway bandit. She makes her way to the doorway. "For the spider stink." she explains hurriedly. "Now what do you see out there?"
Once the suspicious spot is pointed out to her, she edges out into the corridor, pulls out her tools, and begins carefully poking around with her probes between the stones...