The sun hangs lazily over an uncharacteristically warm English day. It's about 3 in a lazy autumn afternoon.
It's the third day of Fall Break, and the six remaining students of the Liddell School for Youth have serendipitously chosen the same willow tree to pause and shelter from the unusually warm weather.
The large and arching branches hang down in a curtain along the outside of the circular tree, almost as if to separate this tree as a small pocket away from the rest of the world.
The students may remember that five o clock is the last call back to the building. While the school is usually rather strict, they are down on staff right now due to vacationing during the break. However, these students are the only six left, as all the others have gone on their own fall travels. The students likely at first lamented their unfortunate circumstances that prevented them from also leaving, but after three days, it's occurred that there's really nothing to be done about it.
Meanwhile on the tree a little beetle buzzes through the curtain of leaves to land on an outstretched branch.
Too bloody hot. This is suppose to be England! Thought Gwen as she lay on her back, head propped up on the roots of the great tree. Twas just exactly the clouds and fog and rain that she loved about Oxfordshire. Magic doesn't happen on warm days in the sun. It happens in the mysterious fog! Gwen sighed. I'm bored.
Tristan looks miserable he has pushed up his sleeves and rolled his pants up of his Union Jack costume. He throws the blunt wooden sword down with a quick downward thrust. He goes to boast about the fact that it stuck in the soft loamy earth but it tilted and drooped over. Surrendering to the heat he removes his hat and pulls his wool mask off. Bits of black wool cling to his sweaty face. He tucks the damp wool in a pocket rather than under his hat where he normally keeps it. He throws out his arms and falls back on the grass landing with a thump like he would make snow angels at another time of year.
He looks up "Think we could get away with swimming the prayer labyrinth at the old abbey has a pond . . . or the brook behind the field past the girls dorm."
He is interrupted by something and he waves his hand in front of his face swatting at a beetle that flew past.
Luthian simply layed back. Closed his eyes. The horses needed attention. He missed Zemha. He should be out there now. Riding on the open fields. Jumping laughing. Yet. Here he is. At school. Boted to death. Well. One thing is good about all this. He doesnt have to work in this blasted heat
"Agreed" he replies to both statements. His eyes still closed. One arm over his eyes to help make it darker
Charlotte perches on one of the lower branches. Despite the amount of time she'd spent at the willow tree, she'd still been unable to convince herself to climb any higher. The tree felt like a safe place for her. It wasn't that she didn't think it would catch her if she fell (of course it would, it was her friend), but more that if she got hurt, she knew that it would be chopped down. She couldn't be responsible for that happening. Some days, it felt like all she had. She wonders if it ever felt like she was all it had. But of course not, that was stupid. It had a lot of people who cared about it.
As the other children speak of the heat, she nestles closer to the bark of the tree, not minding the temperature in the slightest. It used to bother her that they came over, but she'd grown used to it. After all, she didn't deserve to have the tree all to herself, and since they didn't seem to want to cause any harm to it, she was happy to share something that meant so much to her.
Seeing a beetle moving along one of the branches, she puts out her hand, hoping it would land on her. Instead, it flies off, and she lets out a forlorn sigh.
Yeah, swimming sounds good. But I don't have meh suit handy just now. But I spect you knew that, didn't you Jack!?
Jack looks hurt, "Well I'd never . . . a gentleman doesn't do such things."
Edwin raises his left eyebrow as he faces the child "reaaaly, and you knew about the creak how? It's not exactly on the beaten path, you'd have to spend quiiiite a bit of time over there to find it" he says, trying and failing to keep a grin off of his face.
Noticeably hurt, "You wound me Edwin, I would not . . . I mean the creek is just past the fence I have to get grapes from . . ." Realizing that Edwin is joking.
He tries three times before he kips up to his feet. He looks Edwin's way and brandishes his wooden sword. "I demand satisfaction sir."
"Then go jump in a river" he says with a chuckle. Still keeping his eyes closed. This was just too relaxing to move or even open his eyes
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Union Jack laughs at Luthian's words.
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Noticeably hurt, "You wound me Edwin, I would not . . . I mean the creek is just past the fence I have to get grapes from . . ." Realizing that Edwin is joking.
He tries three times before he kips up to his feet. He looks Edwin's way and brandishes his wooden sword. "I demand satisfaction sir."
Edwin lunges for a large branch and quips "I don't know about satisfaction but I can give you a right sound thrashing if that's what you're asking for!" He poses with the stick jutted out in the air.
Her eyes were closed, and one arm was over her eyes as well, but the teasing smile in her voice could just barely be heard, "The dorms are empty, aren't they? Not much to see." Even her hand had stopped shuffling the cards, content to drift in the warmth and the boredom
When Ana speaks up Edwin chuckles "so you are awake, I was wondering... Do you not have any extra clothes left? Have we all just been wearing the same clothes each day for the past couple days?and I've yet to notice?"
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Noticeably hurt, "You wound me Edwin, I would not . . . I mean the creek is just past the fence I have to get grapes from . . ." Realizing that Edwin is joking.
He tries three times before he kips up to his feet. He looks Edwin's way and brandishes his wooden sword. "I demand satisfaction sir."
Edwin lunges for a large branch and quips "I don't know about satisfaction but I can give you a right sound thrashing if that's what you're asking for!" He poses with the stick jutted out in the air.
Her eyes were closed, and one arm was over her eyes as well, but the teasing smile in her voice could just barely be heard, "The dorms are empty, aren't they? Not much to see." Even her hand had stopped shuffling the cards, content to drift in the warmth and the boredom
When Ana speaks up Edwin chuckles "so you are awake, I was wondering... Do you not have any extra clothes left? Have we all just been wearing the same clothes each day for the past couple days?and I've yet to notice?"
"Really? You two want to fight allready? Can't you just relax a bit? Enjoy the shade and quiet?"
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I wouldn't mind watching a brawl. Gwen sits up and claps her hands, smiling.
Union Jack readies his blade his footing outs his a mature status with a blade,"Enguarde."
Just as the two of them are going to start with the first swing, a sudden burst of movement breaks through the curtain of hanging leaves.
A large rabbit, brown of color and wearing an antiquated outfit with pulled sleeves, a green cape and brown gloves bounds over the short roots, it doesn't seem to have noticed any of you, as it leafs through a ring of seemingly identical keys, seven in all. One might wonder why he looks through them as though they were different, when they're all exactly alike in shape, size, color, and tooth. Each is silver with three green circular gems set in the end above a triangle of the same stone.♣
He hops between Jack and Edwin, mumbling something along the lines of
"If I'm not back soon, the queen will have my feet for key fobs..."
He hops by Ama as you all stand or sit in stunned silence at a dressed rabbit talking and walking towards the trunk of the tree. He hops over a root, landing on the deck of cards, as his feet go out from under him.
"Oh!"
He lands with an oof. And quickly stands, brushing his clothes off.
"Who goes and leaves..."
He looks at the deck of cards, and his eyes go wide as he looks from the deck of cards to Ama. He shrieks and loses his grip on the keys, as they go flying.
Keys fly up and in almost slow motion, he jerks one out of the air and sprints to the tree trunk, jams it in a small hole on the tree trunk, causing a hole to open up under him that he falls through, closing almost as quick as it opened.
What on Earth just happened?
Jack looks on in wondered bemusement, "Zounds!" He looks about mouth agape. He talks out the side of his mouth not taking his eyes off the spectacle. "Am I the only one seeing this?"
He glances a sidelong at Edwin "Guess not."
When the keys go flying he fumbles for one. He picks one up and looks about at his friends. "He dropped his keyes."
Jack steps toward the space at the foot of the tree where the rabbit disappeared. He then gazed at the tree trying to find a key hole. "I think my friends our boredom is at an end."
After him! Yells Gwen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He sits upright. Unfortunately mussing most of the commotion
"Oookay? So a talking rabbit. A secret hole and a bunch of keys... Let's see if those keys does the same for us."
He holds out his hand to the first one with the keys
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Charlotte jerks up at the commotion - having assumed that she was imaging the rabbit in her bored and half-asleep state. As the rabbit disappears into the tree, she looks behind her at the trunk, as if expecting it to pop back out. She knocks on the side of the tree softly, and puts her ear to it, but hears nothing back. Resting a hand on the tree, she smiles. "I knew you were special." She says simply.
Turning back to the others, she looks a bit nervous. "But... we'll get in trouble."
"Are you being serious? Trouble? We've been here for ever. Besides. I doubt we have a serious record. Well. Most of us. I think we'll be okay. Now let's get this trunk open!"
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Anyone making a DC 15 Perception check (taking 20 is an option, but only after a failed roll) will find a small hole in the tree a key might fit into.
Jack sports a grin he puts his Union Jack mask back on holds on to his hat and puts the key in the key hole, "Here it is!"
Dam. This must be a druid tree. Gwen invokes detects evil on the tree. Pagan druids used to do all kinds of strange rituals under trees like this. Some say they even had trees that were doorways to other worlds...
Charlotte climbs down from the tree, not wanting to be left behind. Before Jack puts the key in, she stares at the knots on the tree, trying to make sense of them. She was certain that they told a story, if she only knew the language. Her ears perk up and she looks to Gwendolyn. "Other worlds?" she echoes. "What were they like?"
Gwen is curios, . She glances around, to see if they've missed something... And spots one of the keys! Scooping it up, she inspects it as they door in the tree is opened.
Luthian will go stand next to him as he opens unlocks the "door". Never know what might jump out and try to maul his face
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Union Jack gets ready to turn the keys, "Here we go."
As soon as the key is turned, a hole opens up directly under them, spreading out like water being poured. Anyone directly next to the tree falls through, and the others should probably follow quick, unless they plan to open the hole again themselves.
Falling, Gwen screams. hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh............................................... ...
Luthian grinds down on his teeth. The pull and the speed was not something he likes. So he simply closes his eyes hoping this would stop quickly
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A mouse in her hole hears Gwen coming:
.......hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! *gasp* *gasp* *gasp*
Gwen stops long enough to catch her breath and exchange glances with the mouse as she falls by. Then...
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......
Gwen continues to fall.
Each if you continues to fall down the hole in various degrees of vocalization.
It becomes immediately apparent that each of your rivals♦ is somehow being shifted into another section of the downward tunnel with no visible end. Perhaps by bouncing off of a mattress suspended by vines, or being blown along by a sudden gust of autumn leaves into a side tunnel. Perhaps even being pulled through a door after being caught by the breeches by an alligator sized cuckoo bird.
Nonetheless, and past any failed attempt to remain on the same course as them, you continue to fall for a spell alone.♠
In this time, you notice several things after you've come to terms with the inevitability of your continued descent:
1. The walls of the tunnel are covered in all manner of furniture and plant life, mostly vines and longer things, but the occasional luminous lichen or mound of multihued moss dots a chair here or a ming vase there.
2. Several things have either passed you upways or downwards, falling faster or slower than you. You may overtake an anvil or have an open umbrella plummet past you as if tied to the back of a racehorse.
3. You now notice that at a certain point the objects accompanying you stop altogether and you are now alarmingly quickly approach a large, circular Looking Glass.
This magnificent mirror encompasses all of the round tunnel you have been whiffling through for the past whiletime. As you get nearer, your speck of a reflection grows from fly sized to hamster sized to cat to chair to you sized. As soon as you can make out your image, if the immediate fear of being flattened and or sliced into confetti isn't too large for you to look past, you will notice that, while your reflection is indeed you and quite not everyone else, you don't look like you used to be used to looking like at all. Your clothes are funny, your hair is wilder, you may have unfamiliar animals accompanying you, your expression seems quite eager to meet you, and possibly most alarming, there is a curling pattern around one of your eyes, reaching a good two inches into your face. This pattern is currently black and depending on your personality may be over left or right eye, pointed and tribal looking, curly and regal looking, bold, thin, complex, simple, confusing, or endearing. It doesn't contain any symbols or words you are familiar with, or anything resembling a language or too defined of an icon.♥
After a period that almost feels like slow motion, you impact against your unfamiliar reflection, and the looking glass shatters all at once into a wild spiderweb of fragments. However, instead of the red end one might expect to meet after colliding with oneself at such speed, the glass sort of parts around you, leaving you unscathed as you dive through it almost like a liquid into an encompassing blackness all around. You fall unconcious.
What seems like moments later, you awaken on a bed of grass in some sort of cavern to a distant voice beckoning you. You are alone and in unfamiliar clothes.♣ Your grass bed points to a tunnel illuminated by fireflies and glowing plants.
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Gwen touches the side of her face where the celtic tatoo appeared. What is it? A gift from the spirits of my ancestors? Latent druid magic of some kind? Is it good or evil?
Bringing her hands down about her new clothes, she runs her fingers along the folds of rough cashmere fabrics and the bridal-lace flurishes which make up her new garmets. I've never worn such things in my life. Has someone dressed me up this way?
Coming out of her self-checks she looks around to see if the others have fallen with her nearby.
Hullo? Edwin? Ama? Are you awlright?
Loud noises had always been discouraged in Charlotte's home, so she did her best to grit her teeth during the fall - but eventually, fear won out and she screamed along with the others. She was surprised to feel a degree of apprehension when they went off on separate paths and she fell alone. It was a strange place, and while she was not very close with the other children, it was still frightening to face it by herself.
Charlotte's screams faded as she fell towards the mirror. Both because she seemed to be approaching it too slowly, and because her reflection was not what she would have expected. Her clothes were not only less drab, but completely different, and her hair was brighter. Perhaps strangest of all, there was a tattoo on the right side of her face. It came out from behind her bangs, and circled the area around her right eye. Charlotte's first impression was that it looked like licking flames - if those flames were made of shadow instead. It wasn't anything that she had ever seen or imagined, but it felt instantly like it belonged.
Her eyes curiously take in the more excited person on the other side, up until the moment of impact.
When Charlotte awakens again, she sits up on the grass, looking around her surroundings. 'Where am I?' she wonders. It sounds as though something is beckoning to her, but she can't make out any of the words. "Hello?" she calls. "Is someone there?"
What seems like moments later, you awaken on a bed of grass in some sort of cavern to a distant voice beckoning you. You are alone and in unfamiliar clothes.♣ Your grass bed points to a tunnel illuminated by fireflies and glowing plants.
Union jack screams for long moments before giving up at the futility of the situation. He cannot help but chuckle at Edwin's words. He looks concerned, "We are drifting apart. Try to stay to gether." He claws at the air uselessly.
Union Jack sees the other objects around them, that anvil fell really slow like a feather. That umbrella fell . . . well like an anvil. Jack makes several attempts to reach out toward what would normally be a really heavy object.
Union Jack sees the mirror beneath him and begins to try and remember his prayers thinking his end is racing toward him.
Union Jack awakes thankful for the soft grass beneath him. "Alive! I should pray more." He rolls over in the grass and looks up. The others are not here . . . maybe I'm . . . dead. No fire that has to be a good sign.
Union Jack stands and brushes off his clothes. He notes the unfamiliar clothes. "Whoa. Well following fireflyes and glowing plants is probably more reasonable than following a rabbit into the earth."
Jack shrugs and just to be safe also calls out,
Jack reaches for his wooden sword and follows the path before him lit by flies and plants.
Gwen approaches the glowing plants and inspects them. What the bloody knicker-snorts are these?
Waving fireflys from her face she proceeds down the tunnel.
Luthian was puzzled and very confused. Even the way his reflection stared back at hom. That was not him. That smile. Something was terribly wrong with it. What he could not place. He subconsciously touched the right side of his face where he saw the tattoo
When he awoke, he looked around. Where was he? This was not something he enjoyed very much. And what was with the wolf....? No. He had to keep calm. Noone else was there with him. He was alone. They each went into a separate tunnel. And here seems to be a tunnel system infront of him. Best go look for them
Yet he still could not shake that eerie feeling he felt looking at that warped version of himself in the mirror. What ever it was, he hoped he never finds out...
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