"Blackthorne isn't a siren but that's the easiest way to explain it in terms you might have heard of"
Smiling a little to herself Ameei leads the group up the stairs to the next floor, leading them past a door that reads 'Twilight's Fine Dining'. The dark haired girl gives a wrinkle of her nose as she passes "It's so dull in there" She whispers before heading further up the stairs and to the next floor.
Pausing near a door that reads 'The Autumnal Glade' she grins "Right, does this one sound interesting to you guys?" She asks happily.
-----
Redd gives a smile and explains a little more about the door the group has come to a stop beside "It's beautiful in there but if you're in the mood for music or dancing it's not a good idea, it's a little.. sedate"
Len & Smith:
"If you think Smith and Len might be there then we'll go in, otherwise I think not." Abby proves surprisingly decisive.
DM/Len
"I think I'm starting to sense a pattern here, bud." Smith says, before once again entering the establishment, and enquiring as to the whereabouts of Blackthorn.
Smith:
"Blackthorne isn't a siren but that's the easiest way to explain it in terms you might have heard of"
Smiling a little to herself Ameei leads the group up the stairs to the next floor, leading them past a door that reads 'Twilight's Fine Dining'. The dark haired girl gives a wrinkle of her nose as she passes "It's so dull in there" She whispers before heading further up the stairs and to the next floor.
Pausing near a door that reads 'The Autumnal Glade' she grins "Right, does this one sound interesting to you guys?" She asks happily.
-----
Redd gives a smile and explains a little more about the door the group has come to a stop beside "It's beautiful in there but if you're in the mood for music or dancing it's not a good idea, it's a little.. sedate"
"I think something with music would be better, would help lighten our spirits a little, plus we are bound to meet lots more interesting people there, maybe we come back this Autumnal place after to relax a little."
Iz had been following along near the back of the group, keeping quiet, and still sipping her drink, looking a little guilty as she did, as she was not very sure whether she should have snuck it out of the Grill or not.
Though having heard that there was a possibility of fae music and dances, she wasn't going to let the opportunity escape her, she just wished her fine gypsy companian could be here to enjoy it with her too.
Smith & Len:
The rest of the group head up the stairs and to the next landing where they find Len and Smith looking as though they're about to head through a door reading 'Midwinter's Retreat'
"Harker. Transon. I take it you haven't found Blackthorne yet. All the better I guess."
Kai looks to Abby, "Since we're here should we take a look around"
"Harker. Transon. I take it you haven't found Blackthorne yet. All the better I guess."
"No, not yet."
Abby grins up at Kai.
"Midwinter sounds good to me. Can we go sledging?"
With a slight grin he takes Abby's hand and looks into the room.
The 'Midwinters Retreat' appears to be a wooden lodge with thick, overstuffed, comfortable looking chairs. A roaring fire blazes in a focal fireplace and gentle snowfall can be seen out of the large window in the wall opposite the door. The sounds of friendly chatter fill the air as does the scent of tobacco smoke and fine wine.
"Hm, what do think Abby? Shall we have look around or continue on with this tour?" The envorpment brings a smile to Kai face. "There's nothing as wonderful as winter"
"No, nothing yet. This place gives me the chills, I'm going to keep trying above. Come find me, if you manage to find Blackthorn before I do."
Smith gives the others a nod, before continuing up the stairs to the next bar.
Len casts the others a worried glance, then follows Smith.
"Hm, what do think Abby? Shall we have look around or continue on with this tour?" The envorpment brings a smile to Kai face. "There's nothing as wonderful as winter"
"Sledging and snowballs would be wonderful ..." Abby looks wistful.
"No. Duty first. Let's keep my twerp brother in sight. He's got that "I'm going to find trouble" look on his face."
Reluctantly, Abby tears herself away from the prospect of snow and charges after Smith, keeping Kai firmly in tow.
"Wait for us, you gormless wonder."
"Hm, what do think Abby? Shall we have look around or continue on with this tour?" The envorpment brings a smile to Kai face. "There's nothing as wonderful as winter""Sledging and snowballs would be wonderful ..." Abby looks wistful.
"No. Duty first. Let's keep my twerp brother in sight. He's got that "I'm going to find trouble" look on his face."
Reluctantly, Abby tears herself away from the prospect of snow and charges after Smith, keeping Kai firmly in tow.
"Wait for us, you gormless wonder."
With a frown, Kai looks back to the Midwinters Retreat.
"But...but...SNOW", he says saddly to himself, as Abby drags him along.
"Ah, I never have any fun"
Seeing his expression, Abby pull him down to her level and looks Kai in the eye.
"We'll grab dork-brain and come straight back. Then we bury him up to the neck in the snow and use him for target practice. OK?"
She rubs her nose against his.
The group heads up the stairs, Smith and Len first, then Abby and Kai and at the rear a bemused Ameei, Redd and Isabella. Redd assures Iz that upstairs is where the good music is anyway as he follows along behind the determined blacksmith.
On the next floor is a door reading 'Rhythmn of the River' and again the stairs spiral onwards and upwards. On the landing you can easily hear the pounding of an intoxicating musical beat throbbing behind the closed door beside you. It's plainly obvious that talking to anyone in there will be a chore but if you want to dance it's probably a good bet.
"I'm willing to bet that Blackthorn isn't the dancing type. Perhaps we should keep going. There can't be that many more."
"Wait for us you idiot."
Abby pounds after her brother with Kai still in tow.
On the next floor is another door, this one has the word 'Silk's' embossed on it in gentle flowing script. Again the stairs continue onwards and upwards past the door.
Smith barges right through the door into Silk's.
"I'm looking for Blackthorn. We have a very important matter to discuss. Does anyone here know where he is?" Smith calls out to the general crowd.
Iz has been quietly thinking to herself, and observing from the rear, making some conversation with Redd and Ameei, as they have headed up the stairs. She paused at the Winter Realm, and longingly looked within, remembering times with her father and the tales he would weave beside a roaring fire like that.
Though once she comes to the Rhythmn of the River, she can't help but run her hand over the wood, in an attempt to feel the beat, to get an idea of the ebb and flow of the tunes played within. Feeling a little aflush from the alcohol, Iz really did feel like a dance
"Are you sure, we can't dally here a little, this place sounds wonderful, maybe since you didn't check this place, maybe I should, umm anyone interested in coming, Redd.. Ameei..?"
Iz does give a little grin as she finishes her sentence.
Abby waves at her friend as she hurtles after Smith -
"Sorry Iz, got a twerp to catch first. My turn to keep big brother out of trouble. Or maybe help him into more. Who knows?"
"I've got a bad feeling about this", he sighs and follows behind Abby.
"Me too Kai. But I don't care. Nor do you really. It's better than Clearbrook any day."
Ameei gives a little grin at Isabella and Redd "You two crazy kids have fun, we'll come back and get you, we need to head back this way for dessert after all!" She declares playfully before heading upstairs after the others.
Not needing to be told twice Redd wraps an arm around Iz's waist and easily opens the door and sweeps the young woman into the cacophony of cheerful music before letting the door slide closed behind them.
Iz:
A river of the glowing water flows along one side of the room and a bridge extends over it and to a seating area with a large bar. Despite the bridge you can already see that a lot of patrons are chosing to swim or wade across, some even staying in the glowing water, relaxing or splashing it at each other sending glowing droplets all over.
With a hearty laugh Redd pulls Isabella onto the dancefloor and starts to lead her in an energetic little dance, starting simply at first and growing more complex as he gauges her level of skill.
Everyone else heads upstairs and gets to witness Smith's question fall on deaf ears. Through this door is a sumptuous, decadent sight. The room is filled with low tables and comfy looking silken cushions. The smell of exquisite wine and various smokes, some of which are completely unknown to the group mixes with a heady blend of incense creates an immediate feeling of relaxation. A light exotic tune fills the air and a troupe of dancers, male and female, wearing very little, and what they do wear is quite diaphanous, twirls and gyrates both on a stage at the far end of the room and around the table.
As the party observes the room they notice a blue-skinned man with pointy ears take a bottle of wine from the bar, grab one of the male dancers around the waist and the pair soon disappear off behind a curtained off part of the room.
"I think we can be pretty sure he isn't here." Kai turns and stares at Smith.
"Personally this has gotten old. All you're doing is making yourself look like an ass in the process. And for what? This isn't helping us find Grace any faster. No, we're here because you had a temper tantrum, and needed to find a vent. So you decided you'd find Blackthorne, and hope he gave you reason to smash him with that hammer.", he looks at Abby for a moment than back to Smith.
"To make this worse you have us following you," Kai cuts Transon off before he continue. "Don't even think we had a choice in the mattter. Much like you, your sister worries about you coming to harm. And you know she would have followed you into Hell if it ment keeping you safe. I can guess Harker followed because he didn't want you hurt, and because he knows how you're sister feels. And me..." His fist begins to clench shut.
"I would follow her anywhere, and protect her from being hurt. Your welfare means the world to her so...But I'll be damned if the one causing her the most grief right now is you!"
"Ameei said she would help us, but that we have to wait. So I'm going to ask you this once. Let us retire for this goose chase. Go back down and calm ourselves, until we can leave to find Grace."
Kai's outburst stops Abby in her tracks and her veneer of happy confidence collapses.
Against her will a barrier she never knew was there falls down and she looks from her brother to her soulmate as if she's never seen either of them before. When she does speak, her voice sounds different to her; quieter, with none of her usual emphasis or bounce.
"Smith, listen to me. Kai's right. I would follow you anywhere, into Hell if I had to. I trust you. I need you. I'm not ready to be grown up and look after you but if I have to I will." she pauses slightly, swallows and goes on.
"Look, I'm clever, but I'm not very wise. It's taken all this time to see that you didn't want to grow up and take care of me when our parents died and you still had to do that. You weren't just being a pompous idiot.
So, can we try it this way. We'll all look after each other. You stop hunting for someone to thump because that's the only way you'll feel in control, I'll stop trailing around after you being a pain and we both listen to Kai and Len a lot more.
Oh, and whatever you say, you have a date with a snowball fight. You and Len versus me and Kai. After we find Gracie. So let's find out all we can to help doing that. You're going to lose and I can't wait."
By the end of her speech, Abby is almost back to her old self, but it's very clear she means every word.
The sound of giggling and general merriment continues around the group, generally ignoring their presence the patrons of Silk's continue enjoying taking part in a variety of fun and sinful acts. Ameei meanwhile gives a small laugh at something before looking off and around the room.
Len stands by, awaiting Smith's response to his sister.
"Fine! Whatever! Let's play in the snow! I didn't ask any of you to follow me. Let's forget why we're here. Ameei is doing a heck of a lot to help us out here, obviously."
Smith gives up, folds his arms, and is silent.
"If you listened to one word I said Smith, you'd know I meant after we find Gracie. I'm not that stupid. Idiot."
Abby's temper flares up and then vanishes as quickly as it arrived. Her face suddenly crumples.
"Please don't fight me. I love it here, you hate it, but we still need to find Gracie. That's got to be more important that tracking down this Blacktwig guy."
"Smith, you know I'll back you up on anything leading to Grace. What happened to Ameei? She's the only one who seems to know anything helpful around here."
"I'm here... and I am trying to be helpful. I don't control the door.. No-one does really and until then despite anything you might think the best course in my mind would be to relax and enjoy what's new." The small fae girl shrugs a little. "This world can be great fun if you let it... This place especially."
Iz is determined to enjoy herself at last, and her mood lightens being away from her companions, some of that group were causing her such distress. Having entered this wonderful room, all of that seems so far away, as well as all her other problems. she doesn't care what anyone thinks of her here, she just wnats to dance and enjoy the music.
She grins as Redd picks up their dance pace, and strides to be a good partner to him, constantly trying to push herself to new heights, so enjoying the wild reels and lively jigs, Se giggles to herself as she thinks what it will seems like if she left the room now with Redd, being all out of breath and red of face. With this she just grins happily at Redd, and launches into another twirl.
Iz:
"I'm here... and I am trying to be helpful. I don't control the door.. No-one does really and until then despite anything you might think the best course in my mind would be to relax and enjoy what's new." The small fae girl shrugs a little. "This world can be great fun if you let it... This place especially."
Len sighs. "Ameei, thank you, but we're not here to have fun. We did not come here, wherever we are, by our will, and our purpose is to find Grace and return home. That's what we need help with."
Moving closer to the concered man Ameei wraps her arms round Len in a loose hug. "You really are a sweet man" she says whilst resting her head against him. "I know you're all worried but it may be some time before I can help you home.. But we will find Grace I promise.. and that's not something i do lightly. But I really do mean it.. Having fun is never a bad thing and having traveled to another world myself it is easier to cope with the differences if you have an open heart to all you might experience."
Pulling back from the hug she smiles brightly up at the healer. "I even think that you might find miracles here if you search inside yourself for them.. But anyway i'm rambling.. You'll have to try and stop me from doing that dearthàir. But i'm sure the door will open soon and we can be off on the trail."
Len looks horribly uncomfortable and awkwardly returns just enough of the hug to not be entirely rude.
Picking up on Len's general mood Ameei steps futher back. Looking a little confused and more than a little hurt the small girl glances around for a moment. "If you all want to go back to the grill or stay here i'll just go and see about.. umm see if the door is likely to open soon... I'll see you later." With that she slips quickly from the room and heads down the stairs two at a time.
"Len, I still don't trust her. But I trust you, and Abby. I have to. I'll give you that much. Perhaps we could dance a bit, and then we could all retire for the night. Assuming night happens here."
Smith lets out a heavy sigh; "I'm so lost."
A scantily clad waitress with long flowing golden hair dances her way over to the group still clustered around the doorway of Silks. "Hello there" She purrs softly and slightly provocatively as she looks over the group with deep sapphire eyes "What can I do for you fine people today?"
"Since we've all made our peace," let's go in here have a drink or two," Looking at Abbb, Len, and then to Smith.
A scantily clad waitress with long flowing golden hair dances her way over to the group still clustered around the doorway of Silks. "Hello there" She purrs softly and slightly provocatively as she looks over the group with deep sapphire eyes "What can I do for you fine people today?"
Looking back to waitress "Drinks and a table for my friends and I."
"I'll stick to fruit juice this time. I think that rainbow stuff might have been stronger than I thought."
She grins at Len as she reaches out for Smith and Kai. "I'd offer to hug you, but I've already seen how well that goes down. But you're staying with us, hugged or not."
Len smiles weakly at Abby and sits, ordering another watered wine.
"I'll have something...strong, actually. Something with a bit of a kick."
As they settle down, Abby rustles about under her cloak and pulls out a small box.
"Time for a confession Smith. You're not going to like the idea of me having these, but I think you're going to like what they are."
Catching sight of her brother's face she hurries on.
"These are locksmith's tools. Good ones. Ameei keeps saying we have to wait for the door to open. Why don't we try and help it along?"
Abby
"Abby, keep your voice down. Don't let our captors hear you," Smith whispers to his sister. "Don't let anyone else see you have these. You and I will sneak down and try to open the thing once the others back off a little. Maybe if we encourage them to drink, they won't see us leave. It's worth a try!"
Smith leans over and kisses Abby on the forehead.
"Say, if we're stuck here, why not drink! Drink the whole rainbow, I say! There's plenty to choose from."