QUIET MOUNDS - STEF HEART

[abardacttofollow]

You find yourself in a stone room that looks like some sort of medieval dungeon. There are (thankfully), no torture instruments, but there is a man strung up here. One large manacle is around his neck, chaining him stiffly to the door. His hands are free, but each foot is manacled to the matching bottom corner of the doorframe. There is a visible lock on each of the three manacles.

It's Stefen, and there's a knife in his chest. Despite that, he's alive, apparently alert, and doesn't look to be in pain, perhaps due to the lulling, sense-dulling music that seems to be coming from nowhere at all—in fact, if you were in pain before you entered, it's gone here. His wound is bleeding, but only a little, and he smiles his usual bright smile at you.

Behind him, but in front of the closed door he's bound to, you can see three double sets of strings running vertically. Where they meet the floor, they are fastened, and then each runs across the floor to the three doors on the opposite wall, then under them.

There is nothing else in this room.

((OOC: Here's how this will work! Since we're doing individual runs, rather than me putting up individual top levels for areas, just jump the post itself, and I'll run everything for you within your one thread. If you're wanting to do a run with someone else, just stay in the same thread together.))

Comments

[abardacttofollow]

Stef looks at him anxiously.

"I promise, I don't need you to hurt yourself for me," Randale tells Stef.

[twicebonded]

Supporting others requires a certain amount of . . . knowing that there's some risk. Every time I'm sent out to fight—you know.

But it's important to be honest and know your boundaries.

[abardacttofollow]

"Nobody will judge you," Randale says.

Stef nods after a moment, wiping at his eyes.

[twicebonded]

Randi, can I leave these hands for you to make sure they're taken care of? I think I should move along.

[abardacttofollow]

"Of course, Vanyel." Randale gives him a tired smile.

"Thank you," Stef mumbles.

[twicebonded]

[hesitates briefly, then shyly gives Stef a kiss on the cheek]

[abardacttofollow]

Stef goes very red, and Randale lets out a soft laugh, pleased.

[twicebonded]

[looks very pleased, standing and moving towards the weighted door]

[abardacttofollow]

The two are sitting together, talking quietly, as you do so.

[twicebonded]

[god I hope I didn't fuck anything up. but this couldn't be wrong, right?]

[. . . very anxious]

[abardacttofollow]

The door is there, one half of a scale sticking out of it.

[twicebonded]

[places the instrument there]

[abardacttofollow]

Click! The door unlocks.

[twicebonded]

[carefully proceeding through]

The Gift 2

[abardacttofollow]

The next is a bedroom. It is cozy despite how richly decorated it is, with a canopied bed that has two plush pillows on it, and rich, maroon heavy comforters piled up. Two well-cushioned wood chairs are pulled around a table that has a bottle of wine in it, half empty, the dregs sitting in two cups. A bookcase has a number of gorgeous, hand-bound books, along with sheafs of music on it, writing utensils, and even a few musical instruments on display.

A window is cracked, looking out over a beautiful garden, with peacocks wandering around; you can distantly see a group of women all gathered around and a man with long white hair performing in the middle. The scent of honeysuckle comes through the window. A travelling sack is behind the door you came in through, opened a little as though someone's been living out of it.

You can absolutely tell it's a bizarre mix of your quarters at court and those at Forst Reach.

Nobody is in here. As before, the cord runs through the room and under a locked door. The door again has some sort of scale-like platform attached to the locking mechanism.

A sign on the door reads: "What is the weight of family? What of love?"

[twicebonded]

[draws in a deep breath, stopped for a while, almost stricken]

[eventually he carefully approaches the bed, running a hand over it]

[abardacttofollow]

There is a lump under the sheets, something poking up.

[twicebonded]

[o-oh. a light mind touch]

[abardacttofollow]

It tries to latch on, sucking at your energy -- whatever it is is enchanted to drain the life of whoever it's stabbed into.

[twicebonded]

[gasps, shielding himself immediately]

. . . [is there a PERSON under there? can I lift the blankets or do I have to pull the thing out first]

[abardacttofollow]

There doesn't seem to be a person under there, or at least, there's no person-sized lump under it; it seems to be in the mattress itself. The comforter is over it.

[twicebonded]

[tugs the blanket back, braced]

[abardacttofollow]

It's a sharp, twisted knife, stabbed directly into the mattress, enchanted to leech on life energy, and very out of place in the otherwise harmonious room.

[twicebonded]

[how unpleasant . . .]

[shields himself very carefully, reaching out to carefully wrap a hand around it if it Feels safe to do so]

[abardacttofollow]

It seems safe, with the precautions you've taken. It slides free.