Variorum of Victoria: Chapter the First: A Twisted Schema

[nijineko]

The first thing you become aware of is a touch of vertigo, with nausea, and a pounding headache. After a few moments, however, these sensations fade, leaving you cautiously touching your head to see if the pain is really gone. You open your eyes....

Nothing.

Traces of panic thread inward. You blink, and suddenly you can distinguish shapes. Color, green, all green, in a riot of variations sweeps into what you see. Sound bursts inward, awakening a phantom throb of the headache. Slowly things become clear, or rather somewhat more clear. Massive trunks surround you, a dim glow of twilight green filters down from the shadowy branches above. Birds, frogs, insects, many throats give voice, creating a constant ocean of sounds.

An odd, somewhat unpleasant smell reaches your nose. It creates a heavy tang upon your tongue. You are laying on your back on a large patch of moss in a crook of roots at the foot of a giant tree. Above you on the trunk a mark that looks suspiciously like your up-side-down imprint is burned into the shelves of fungus growing there, though the tree appears superficially undamaged.



You are entirely alone.

[Arahira]

I sit up but don't even attempt to stand until my head feels right again.

"Couldn't be in a city. No. Had to land in a damned forest." I mutter as I stand and straighten out and dust off my dress.

Nothing in hand I look around for my parasol and little bird.

* Search check *

When I find them both I double check all my pockets, fix my hair then look around to see if there was an obvious direction to go or if I was good and lost.

[nijineko]

After a few moments of searching, you find them under where you were laying. Other than being a bit dirty, neither are damaged. The tree trunks stretch endlessly in antediluvian twilight in all directions. Noises attest to the presence of all too much fauna.

The occasional spear of sunlight forms a narrow golden shaft in the otherwise dim green shadows. Off in the near distance, you hear a loud crashing sound of something large moving. Briefly glimpsed, a few hart dash past.

After straightening and adjustments, you feel somewhat better. But the forest looks as dim and uninviting as ever. Turning in a slow circle you are about to give up on selecting a direction, when a warmth awakens in your heart and flows down your arm. Your arm rises involuntarily and points. The warmth pulses. You are drawn in that direction.

[Arahira]

I shake the dust off my parasol then wind my little bird back up and hope it still works. I look in the direction of the crash, watch the hart run by then go back to winding, or fixing if I must, my little bird. If I can't fix the little bird at the moment then I put it safely in my bag.

To attempt to repair my bird if need be:

* Craft *

I feel extremely creeped out by this sudden warmth, mainly the involuntary movement, but I just sigh and head in that direction. Anywhere was better then here.

*I think that little bird would have to be pretty messed up if I couldn't fix it with that roll.*

[nijineko]

Some minor cleaning out of the works, unwedging some dirt or similar matter, and the bird is winds up just fine. You strike of in the sensed direction, winding in and out of the massive trunks, clambering over tangles of roots where you must. Some squirrels chatter back and forth above your head, and soon you are batting away gnats and the like.

{does the bird play automatically when wound, or only when triggered?}

[Arahira]

"Stupid bugs!" I whine as I keep walking."This forest needs a means of transportation other then my feet."

Tired from walking I flop on the ground to take a break." I'd better end up someplace nice where I can get a good meal." I complain more." And a bath."

A short break and I head off walking again.

* I was figuring a trigger. Otherwise it would sing all the time and that would get annoying. Maybe when I say a certain word it sings the tune of a song I know or something then stops when its gone through its cycle... like a music box type thing?*

[nijineko]

You clamber around some more trees, and abruptly find a small vale. In the vale is a house. The first floor is stone, but the second is made of wood. A thickly thatched roof and rows of flower boxes lining the top of the stone walls give the house a natural charm. A slight break in the trees allows some meager shafts of sunlight to filter down, completing the picture. The door, a tall, wide, wooden affair, is visible from where you stand, it appears partly open.

[Arahira]

"Finally. Signs of something other then trees." I mutter to myself as I approach the area. As I look around and I am reminded of a painting I once saw on the wall of my mother's studio.

"Cute." I say quietly with a raised eyebrow as I take a quick look around before approaching the door.

When I reach the door I knock, even though its open, and walk in." Hello?" I call out and hope I haven't made the owner of the house angry by entering." Anyone home?"

[nijineko]

The house is dim, but enough sunlight filters through the open windows to see by. You are in a simply but well appointed room. There is an unlit fireplace to one side. And grouped around it are three chairs, each of a different size. Besides each chair a small matched table waits. There are some woven rugs upon the floor, and shelves line one side of the room. Various natural products resides there, bits of bark, herbs, flowers and the like, scenting the air.

There is a large straight staircase leading upstairs against the far wall. Underneath the staircase is a large doorway through which can be seen another room. There is a faint scent of musk in the air, barely detectable over the riot of scents all around. There are some vines growing from large pots which have climbed the wall near the fireplace, and along the beams overhead. They give off a sweet scent that reminds you of something.

Some large, fat bees take off from the vines overhead and bumble out the open windows with loud droning sounds.

[Arahira]

I watch as the bees leave then look around the rest house, including upstairs. Is the place dusty or does it show recent signs of activity? Also I search for something to eat at the same time. I only go for the honey that might be on the vines as a last resort, I've had more then enough encounters with bugs for the day.

* Search *

Whatever I find to eat I sit at one of the chairs and tables. Wouldn't want to make a mess in a home that isn't mine.

[nijineko]

You wander up the stairs and find a couple of bedrooms. The first, larger bedroom has two beds, with a woven rug in between. A closet takes up an angle in the the corner. There are more decorations, wooden carvings of fish, mostly. The second, smaller bedroom, has a small human-sized bed, and a scattering of wooden animals and plants of all sorts about on the floor. This room is somewhat messy. Another small closet takes up room in a corner.

Back downstairs, the room below the staircase proves to be a kitchen. Through a stone pipe protruding from the wall, water splashes continually down into a raised basin. It runs out through another stone pipe at the bottom, back the way it came. From the closet in the angle of the room comes an cool earthy smell. This proves to be a hallway of sorts leading down into the ground. A root cellar.

Hanging from overhead are many, many fish, smoked and cured, judging from the smell. Upon the counter near where the water pipe is, are three wooden bowls of differing sizes filled with some kind of mush. It smells of herbs and honey.

You take your selection into the first room, and find that the smallest chair is the only one sized for a human.

[Arahira]

I grab one of the smaller fish from the cellar and take the middle sized bowl. I was hungry enough the small bowl wouldn't be enough but the big bowl was too much. I eat my fill, clean up my bowl and then decide it was about time I cleaned myself up.

I do my best to clean up my dress, reminding myself to make dresses with less lace on them next time as it was a pain to clean.

"Maybe Stripes next time too." I mutter as I'm scrubbing away."Dark ones."

I would clean my dress properly but I'm not really up for getting caught in someone else's house half dressed. Whoever these people were they could be home at any minute and that could be rather awkward.

All the walking, climbing, scrubbing and eating though makes for a very tired me. I wonder how angry they would be if I were to head upstairs to sleep. Those beds looked awful comfy. I think about it for a few seconds more then head upstairs. Maybe just a short nap. Going into the cluttered room with the smaller bed I take off my boots, lean my parasol against the wall, activate my little bird and sing quietly to myself until I fall asleep. Hopefully I'll wake up before they get home.

[nijineko]

You sleep. At first the slighty musky scent to the bed troubles you, but finally your exhaustion catches up to you. You dream. In your dream, you are being held gently by someone you can't get a glimpse of. You seem to be floating, perhaps an elemental airship. Around you are dim figures milling about, and talking. Snatches of conversation can be heard through the periodic sounds of insects buzzing about the airship.

"Mommy, it stinks!" A high pitched voice.

*slap* "That's rude, dear, we don't talk like that about others." A soft rumble.

"Worse than roaches, they are." A deep bass.

"Now, you! How can we expect our little one to learn any manners when you don't show them yourself." The soft voice.

A deep *harrumph*

"Well, obviously it must be punished." A sly tenor.

"How? It's not one of us. There are the treaties, you know." The deep grumble.

"First, it destroyed that chair... second, it stole from you... third, like all of it's kind it moves in and makes itself at home. Besides, and forth, it's not supposed to be in our woods at all! It has already broken those worthless treaties." The sly persuasive voice.

"Why do you want that chair anyway? You've never made one, or wanted one before." The soft voice questions.

"I'm just being helpful. After all, now that THAT has destroyed it, what use is it to you? I'll take it off your hands, you'll make another one, anyway." The sly voice.

"Mommy, it makes so much noise!" The high voice.

*slap* "That's still rude, dear!" The soft voice, but a little more sharply.

"Mommy, mommy, it's waking up!!!" Ever higher than before, somewhat hysterically.

The oddness of the conversation finally penetrates, and the buzzing insects break off with an unlady-like snort.

[Arahira]

'Oh Crap...' I think in my head as I realize the voices weren't a dream. Someone asks for your help and then they throw you to the dogs. Here I thought I'd get to see new things and maybe study new magics and here I am trespassing, stealing and about to die.

I sit up slowly, and as non threateningly as I can, then stand. I look at them only long enough to see who/what they are then keep my head down.

" I'm sorry." I say quietly." I'm not from here. I'm completely lost and I apologize for intruding in your house."

* Diplomacy in hopes I don't get to die before I get to meet the people who dragged me here. *

*I'm guessing not with that roll*

[nijineko]

When you sit up, there is a general step back. Before you, crowding the room is a giant brown bear with crossed leather straps, bandolier style, and a thick leather belt with a metal buckle. Various things hang from the belt, but the one that rivets your attention is the one that the bear drops a paw to when you stand up... a really big sword.

On the other side of the doorway stands a smaller (but still much bigger than you) brown bear, wearing some kind of loose vestments. This bear also has a belt, narrow, and braided with flowers. A sickle hangs from it. Peeking out from behind this bear is a small brown bear, about your size, only much thicker. This one seems to be wearing a smart little jacket, but it keeps hiding behind the other.

Sitting in the doorway is a fox, also of brown coloration, though of mixed browns in stripes with some spots.

The middle-sized bear says, "Well, it was obviously hungry and tired...." This one has the soft voice.

The little one pipes up from behind, "It was rude not to ask first! No manners!" High voice.

The middle-sized bear raises a paw, pauses, then folds her claws primly. "You are right, dear."

During this exchange, the fox "whispers" to the big bear, "I warned you about making a home like this, now you have humans! And didn't I say so!" Sly, very sly.

The big bear just rolls his eyes, and huffs a bit.

The fox continues. "What are you going to do about the chair?"

"Don't be so impatient," the big bear replies. "I'll look at it first... maybe we can fix it." Big deep voice.

The fox snorts disbelievingly. "You shouldn't have to. If it hadn't broken the chair in the first place...!" This accompanied by a wave at you.