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

[originsong]

[ I'm gonna evesdrop as much as possible. Information gathering!! ]

[abardacttofollow]

You're catching Stef's name whispered a bit. Some of the students around his desk are theorizing about what he might be off doing. Mostly boys, apparently?

[originsong]

[ or maybe he is CHAINED TO A DOOR :///!!!

can I see the scale from here. If I quietly creep closer to examine it will I be noticed. ]

[abardacttofollow]

You can see it from here! If you move closer, nobody seems to be bothered by you doing so.

[originsong]

[ is there anything on either side of the scale or is it empty? ]

[abardacttofollow]

It's a half scale; the other half seems to be inside the door itself. The half on your side is empty.

[originsong]

[ ... scooting gently around, trying to unobtrusively look for anything that is scale-sized that might theoretically weigh the same as security. mostly, just the first one as the second thing is hard to gauge just by looking at it. ]

[abardacttofollow]

Well, the students have writing materials, notes, various bits of compositional homework. The teacher has a nice decorative paperweight in the shape of a horse?

[originsong]

[ Hmmmmmm, maybe this is an essay question and I have to write on some paper how much security weighs. how to SNEAK SOME PAPER without disrupting a class!!! ]

[abardacttofollow]

Another student offers you some when she sees what you're trying.

[originsong]

[ takes it with a little 'thank you' bow! and then starts writing...

Security is very heavy. If it weren't heavy, it would be too easy to blow away or to knock down. Security is sometimes so heavy that it stops us from being able to do things. Sometimes the weight of security can also be the weight of chains holding us down, or sometimes it's the weight of a heavy door or a thick wall, but it's never light.

... And puts it on the door scale? Worth a shot right ]

[abardacttofollow]

Nothing happens. :(

[originsong]

[ BOO. folds the paper into a paper bunny and puts that on the scale, not really expecting anything from it ]

[abardacttofollow]

Also no :(

[originsong]

[ Well, it's time to do some petty theft. how long left in the class because I want to wait for it to be over before I steal the teacher's fancy paperweight '^' ]

[abardacttofollow]

The class does not appear to be ending.

[originsong]

[ I mean

I could also just put everyone to sleep with magic I guess. TIME TO SING EVERYONE A LULLABY ]

[abardacttofollow]

That immediately draws the teacher's attention. "You, what are you doing-"

[Explain the effects of ur magic lullabye so I can figure out the effects on the heart]

[originsong]

[ it SOOTHES EVERYONE INTO A RELAXING AND REFRESHING SLEEP for the duration of the song. it just seemed like the simplest solution okay! ]

[abardacttofollow]

Well, it works! Everyone is asleep.

[originsong]

[ while still singing, puts the horse paperweight?? on the scale?? ]

[abardacttofollow]

Nothing happens.

[originsong]

[ HMMMMMM what else is scale-sized but potentially very heavy. Goes to check the empty desk for stuff!! ]

[abardacttofollow]

You find some homework, including a composition (sassily?) titled Ode to Boys.

[originsong]

[ I do love boys. shuffling through in search of something with symbolic meaning!! gosh, doing Dives is hard and confusing. is having a heart always this hard and confusing... ]