Hmm, so you've given the bike away and made a declaration that you will never again attempt such a form of transport? Have you perhaps considered a unicycle? There's only one wheel to master there, so it's bound to be easier :)
Declaration Dread insisted on inspecting the door that led to the next room, which Fabian couldn't help but think of as the preceding room since that was the order the tour was supposed to go, before he'd let anyone go through it. While he and Rystin waited, Fabian cast around his thoughts for small talk and discovered that he had none. "You didn't look odd when you held the auditor's robe," said Rystin suddenly. Even Dread looked up. "You looked perfectly normal. Are you sure...?" His voice trailed off as he remembered that Dread had confirmed the effect. "Maybe it only affects people who can use magic?" Fabian sounded as unsure as he felt. "Or maybe the previous Director... arranged... this. Ugh. No, I really hope not." "I don't much like either idea," said Dread. "And I can't think of one I do like either. That's a very good point, though Rystin, and worth thinking about. Right, this door is safe but there is something odd about it. So be careful." "Thanks, Captain Obvious," muttered Fabian. Dread might have smiled fractionally.
The next, or previous for Fabian, room startled them all. "Auditors!" said Fabian, stepping backwards towards the wall. "Dozens of them!" It was more of a declaration than a description as all the Auditors ignored the visitors. "Models," said Rystin, looking at them. "They're not people, at least." They were stood around the room with no guard-robes or cabinets to protect them; instead they appeared to be visitors to the Halls of Sunset enjoying some exhibit only they could see. "Odder and odder," said Dread. "This is just... I don't know what's going on here." "What does this have to do with the altar?" said Fabian recovering himself. He walked closer to a model, marvelling at how lifelike it was. "This should lead into the altar room, so there should be a connection to it. But these are just -- oh! There's a plaque here! This was apparently Auditor Melanie, Scourge of the Schattenalfen." He looked over to Rystin as it dawned on him that this was apparently an enemy of the elves. Rystin shrugged. "One of many," he said. "We certainly don't bother to remember their names. I assume there are more plaques, then... so this room is a celebration of Auditors?" "Maybe they all defeated elves somehow?" said Fabian. "And the altar is then a prize?" His brain caught up with his mouth and closed it smartly. "Ah... I was thinking out loud, I'm sorry. I should have been--" "Less direct?" Rystin smiled. "Actually, it's kind of nice to hear your direct thoughts, Director. I can easily tell that you're thinking entirely about the layout of the exhibits and not about the content at all." "Yes, well," said Fabian shuffling his feet. "That's hardly better, is it?" He started to move again and his mind felt oddly blank. A few seconds later Dread seized his arm and pulled him sharply to the side. "That's what's odd about the door," he said as Fabian stared at Dread, struggling to remember who he was. Finally the mind-fog cleared and he rubbed his temples. "There's a path laid out that draws you through. You fell into it, Fab."
Greg - finally got the ability to declare records at work, which is something that nobody in our department had the access to do for quite a while. So I've got a bit of a backlog to work through.
And yes, easier by far, I'm quite sure.
This place gives me the creeps. So, um, good job on the atmosphere?
2 comments:
Hmm, so you've given the bike away and made a declaration that you will never again attempt such a form of transport? Have you perhaps considered a unicycle? There's only one wheel to master there, so it's bound to be easier :)
Declaration
Dread insisted on inspecting the door that led to the next room, which Fabian couldn't help but think of as the preceding room since that was the order the tour was supposed to go, before he'd let anyone go through it. While he and Rystin waited, Fabian cast around his thoughts for small talk and discovered that he had none.
"You didn't look odd when you held the auditor's robe," said Rystin suddenly. Even Dread looked up. "You looked perfectly normal. Are you sure...?" His voice trailed off as he remembered that Dread had confirmed the effect.
"Maybe it only affects people who can use magic?" Fabian sounded as unsure as he felt. "Or maybe the previous Director... arranged... this. Ugh. No, I really hope not."
"I don't much like either idea," said Dread. "And I can't think of one I do like either. That's a very good point, though Rystin, and worth thinking about. Right, this door is safe but there is something odd about it. So be careful."
"Thanks, Captain Obvious," muttered Fabian. Dread might have smiled fractionally.
The next, or previous for Fabian, room startled them all.
"Auditors!" said Fabian, stepping backwards towards the wall. "Dozens of them!" It was more of a declaration than a description as all the Auditors ignored the visitors.
"Models," said Rystin, looking at them. "They're not people, at least."
They were stood around the room with no guard-robes or cabinets to protect them; instead they appeared to be visitors to the Halls of Sunset enjoying some exhibit only they could see.
"Odder and odder," said Dread. "This is just... I don't know what's going on here."
"What does this have to do with the altar?" said Fabian recovering himself. He walked closer to a model, marvelling at how lifelike it was. "This should lead into the altar room, so there should be a connection to it. But these are just -- oh! There's a plaque here! This was apparently Auditor Melanie, Scourge of the Schattenalfen."
He looked over to Rystin as it dawned on him that this was apparently an enemy of the elves. Rystin shrugged.
"One of many," he said. "We certainly don't bother to remember their names. I assume there are more plaques, then... so this room is a celebration of Auditors?"
"Maybe they all defeated elves somehow?" said Fabian. "And the altar is then a prize?" His brain caught up with his mouth and closed it smartly. "Ah... I was thinking out loud, I'm sorry. I should have been--"
"Less direct?" Rystin smiled. "Actually, it's kind of nice to hear your direct thoughts, Director. I can easily tell that you're thinking entirely about the layout of the exhibits and not about the content at all."
"Yes, well," said Fabian shuffling his feet. "That's hardly better, is it?"
He started to move again and his mind felt oddly blank. A few seconds later Dread seized his arm and pulled him sharply to the side.
"That's what's odd about the door," he said as Fabian stared at Dread, struggling to remember who he was. Finally the mind-fog cleared and he rubbed his temples. "There's a path laid out that draws you through. You fell into it, Fab."
Greg - finally got the ability to declare records at work, which is something that nobody in our department had the access to do for quite a while. So I've got a bit of a backlog to work through.
And yes, easier by far, I'm quite sure.
This place gives me the creeps. So, um, good job on the atmosphere?
Post a Comment