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

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

He shakes his head. "I'm just getting out of this while she sleeps it off."

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

:Where will you go...?:

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

"Oh. Just to go buy some food. Don't... tell her?"

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

[shakes her head hard]

:No, of course not!:

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

He drops his voice even more. "I took a couple of coins."

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

:You earned them, didn't you...?:

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

He doesn't look sure about that, but sort of shrugs.

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

[softer]

:It's not wrong to make sure you've wrapped your belly around some food today, child. Go. I'll keep watch.:

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

"I have to finish," he says, gesturing to his bound-up legs. "But you can, um, look around if you want."

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

[nods and carefully picks her way further into the room, as if she was waiting for permission; is there anything that becomes obvious when seen from this new angle?]

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

You can see a package of something near the bottle on the old woman's bed, and the tin whistle and same moldy roll in Stefen's. The roll does have a few more bites taken out of it.

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

[something he ate as best he could till he choked on it? possibly.

moves delicately towards the package, lowering her nose to touch it]

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

There appears to be some kind of powder in it. Stef stiffens up. "Careful..."

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

[steps back]

:Dangerous--?:

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

"It's a drug, dreamerie. She uses that and drink in lieu of love."

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

[gently]

:I see. Thank you for warning me.

Lad, what's your name?:

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

"Stefen," he mumbles.

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

:My name is Yfandes.

May I ask you something, Stefen? Just while you finish up...:

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

"Okay?"

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

:Thank you.:

[a little rueful]

:This is going to make me sound addled, but... you sing love songs, don't you. And you just mentioned that she uses drugs instead of love. What does love look like, to you?:

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

"I don't sing anything much... just whatever I hear around. I guess her love is the only love I know."

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

:I see.

Do you still play the whistle?:

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

"I mean, I do sing," he says. "Just, not, love songs?" He wrinkles his nose. "I don't get the, um. Appeal."

Re: Composition 2

[ahorseforgood]

:Oh, no, I perfectly understand! And I'm sure your voice is beautiful. I just wondered if you still played as well.:

[carefully tugging at the bottle in the sleeper's hand with her teeth I guess]

Re: Composition 2

[abardacttofollow]

"I try," he says shyly. The bottle comes free in your teeth.