FINAL INVESTIGATION

[faentasy]

FINAL INVESTIGATION

Good morning and happy Friday. Despite the sense of the coming end, today starts off just like any other Friday in Aira Niluc, with a song finding its way to your ears. Normally this would be followed by an announcement, but there is only silence in it's wake.

The curious might be piqued to gather where what's becoming familiar by now, and they'll find that the fountain is completely drained, leading downward into a completely dark abyss. An emerald slide glitters, clearly an invitation of some sort, but it's probably not best to go down there until you're all prepared. Take stock of what you need, explore to find any other changes in the world, and then gather together.

The end has begun.

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[ideismo]

[...Very well, then. He's sort of grateful that he has Dein Nomos with him; honestly, he's half tempted to forego the ladder and just jump down like any self-respecting Tales character that doesn't give a fuck about their knees.

Take the ladder and be OHSA-compliant but vulnerable, don't take the ladder and actually keep a grip on his weapon but possibly break his fucking legs. Decisions.]

All three of us doing this at once seems ill-advised. I'll go.

[scythegun]

[break your knees, alexei, you know you've gotta.]

We can do another sweep up here, but if we find nothing it would likely be better to join you. Just yell if you need me!

[So yeah, he's going to be taking another look around once Alexei's descended - what about those other boxes? We should probably go through those!! What's with the watery one.....]

[biyishuangfei]

Mhm...be as careful as you can.

[ Huaisang goes back to checking the boxes again with Yeager. Anything odd or off about the fisherman's items and bells to start with while Yeager is checking out the water-filled box? ]

[faentasy]

The box with the water, when opened, releases the sound of a rushing waterfall. It's so strange, the water here is rippling and moving like this box shows a portion of river! Perhaps at this point seeing such oddities isn't so strange, but it still could bring some people pause.

The items don't seem to have anything strange, although...when Huaisang touches them he'll feel a strange familiarity for a moment: flashes in his head of a setting he saw once: a river and a very humble hut. The bells bring to mind a courtyard and a stable. Below the objects, though, he finds something else: thread. A lot of it.

Looks like Huaisang and Yeager have stumbled upon the tools someone used to create the worlds they once explored.

When Alexei jumps into the hole and reaches the bottom after a bit, thankfully unharmed. This new area is completely dark at first, until he moves one single step in any direction. Then it lightens up a little, revealing...

...revealing people. People sitting amidst dust and muck on the other end. Dirt filters through the wooden boards forming the walls and the ceiling, there seem to be no other places to go at. But at the same time there's in the air this constant feeling you're seeing something that wasn't meant for anyone's eyes. Is that good?

Maybe.

[ideismo]

[......................I SEE...

Does he recognize any of these people? What's notable about them, if anything? Do they seem to be alive in any capacity, or...]

[biyishuangfei]

[ Ah, he'll pause at the sudden familiar feeling...and then look over at the noise of the river. That's-okay, one thing at time. ]

...These items...they feel familiar from that time in the mirror. There's also a lot of thread here.

[ Huaisang will begin to tug on the thread and attempt to see if there was anything odd or noticeable about it other than the sheer amount. ]

[scythegun]

[glances over... and makes a face at the poppy seeds and peppercorn...]

Things from our visits into the mirror, hmm... I wonder what the thread's for?

[go huaisang go!! he's just here to be the peanut gallery while opening more boxes, probably.]

[biyishuangfei]

That's a good question...

[ It's all good, they are doing their best ... ]

[scythegun]

[That's. Fine. Probably. Does it look like a river at the bottom of the box or is it just river water in a box, somehow? Anything else in the water here? If not, he'll move on!

What's up with the other boxes? Is there anything important or interesting in any of them? He will absolutely go through them all!!]

[faentasy]

By the looks of it it's river water in a box somehow -- as well as common thread. When you have skill, even the most common materials can turn into marvels. Checking the rest of the boxes show a menagerie of items they'll both recall seeing in their past adventures in the mirror, except for one thing: anything representing people or animals. Looks like other than that they have found all there was to find in these boxes.

The people and animals are somewhere else:

What Alexei finds is...a lot of people he doesn't know. A surly old woman, an arrogant queen, a knight in black armor, a cruel-looking man, a beggar, a fisherman. There's also a horse and a salmon. They’re all here, all of them looking very realistic, except for one thing:

They all have buttons instead of eyes.

All of them twitch and raise their heads when someone approaches, but none of them say anything nor seem willing to talk. Their role is over, after all. They did their part long ago as part of the scenarios that played out during these few weeks, and none of them have any reason to talk to anybody else, especially to complete strangers such as everyone here.

There’s...one exception, though:

A rabbit. A rabbit lying in a corner, with a large gash across the spine. A nugget of gold is peeking from its back -- looks like this rabbit was created with that as its core. Its button eyes focus on Alexei.

“...someone...you look...older than usual…”

[scythegun]

[Is that skull lantern here!! He's absolutely taking it if it is. That is the least important part of this investigation, but he's petty and he wants it.]

Items from our time in the mirror, hmm... Have you found anything interesting down there, Alexei?

[He leans over to call down to the Commandant, but he's already moving away to go look at the window up above again.]

Huaisang, do you think we should see what's out there?

[Alexei's probably got the spooky basement covered all on his own, right......]

[biyishuangfei]

[ Huaisang is also taking the bells. Oh and the fishing rod too.

...

He's gotten too used to just nabbing things, honestly. ]

I think it can't hurt, probably?

[ He wouldn't go out there on his own but if Yeager's there, it'll be fine, he thinks. ]

[scythegun]

[Nodding! He's going to hold off on it for now until we've figured out whether Alexei needs any help down there, but this is probably something to check out in a bit!!]

[ideismo]

[Thanks, rabbit, he needed that.]

I'd imagine so. From what I understand, whomever inhabits this place tends to like children.

...Give me a moment.

[Just...let him move back to call up the damn ladder.]

It's technically safe down here, it's just incredibly confronting - is there anything up there that we can use for sutures?

[scythegun]

We have thread, will that work?

[Are there any needles anywhere in the boxes?]

[biyishuangfei]

I can pass it over if you come up, Alexei.

[ Since he has it in his hands, he doesn't mind doing that so he'll bring it up while the search for needles is happening ]

[ideismo]

That should work, I don't see why it wouldn't.

[scythegun]

I found a needle too!

[biyishuangfei]

Alright then, I'm ready whenever you are.

[ And he will pass the thread along if that does happen! We can probably say that happens at some point, whatever is convenient.

He just won't come down to do it of course. ]

[faentasy]

There does seem to be one middle along with the thread Huaisang found. It's quite thick, but it's serviceable enough.

The window seems to not have changed since it was checked a while ago. The glass seems like it could be broken if you tried hard enough, though.

[scythegun]

[Excellent, good to know. After the needle and thread exchange happens over there...]

Huaisang, please stand back. I'm going to break the window.

[Obviously he'll wait for Huaisang to get out of the way to avoid any broken glass, but once he has it's time to see about breaking it!! He's not going to be accomplishing anything with his scythe, but he can use the rifle as a makeshift battering ram probably!! So let's see about getting that window open!]

[biyishuangfei]

Alright, got it.

[ And then Huaisang makes sure he stays way clear of debris and such because getting out of the way is something he does best. ]

[ideismo]

[Once he's obtained supplies from Yeager and Huaisang, Alexei will go back down and approach the rabbit in question; he isn't really one who knows much about sewing or suturing, other than "it closes whatever the fuck has been ripped open", so he's just going to be working toward that aim if the rabbit allows it. He's just going to kneel down nearby and pick it up if allowed, and acknowledge, quietly, that this is probably going to suck.]

I don't have much experience with this, you have my apologies.

[He figures that just...closing up where this damn thing is gashed open should probably be at least something worth doing; if this thing fights him then so help him god he tried. He'll be keeping the gold thing in there if possible, that seems important?]

[faentasy]

The glass shatters, broken by the unforgiving battering of a hefty scythe. The glass shards fall into the nothingness outside, falling out of sight -- it's an expanse of white. Nothing comes in other than moonlight, but...looks like it's safe to look outside.

...

Curious. Yeager and Huaisang will feel nothing. Usually when they did something they shouldn't have, there'd be palpable disapproval around them, but there's nothing. Given how this is obviously damaging the environment that there's no disapproval can only mean one thing:

The entity watching over everything is not here. Looks like the characters in the realm of Aira Niluc will have liberty to talk about the investigations later.

Will you look through the window, Yeager? Huaisang?

In the meantime, Alexei does what he can with an injured rabbit. It lies somewhat limply, letting Alexei work, with barely a protest. Although it's hard to see anything in its button eyes, it does seem grateful for the attention.

"...I'm glad you're here. She's not listening right now, so I suppose it's now or never to talk, right? I...I thought this was all the usual for her. I told that blonde girl to think hard and long before accepting the wish, but now that I'm seeing you maybe...it's not the usual. What's happening?"

Blonde girl who went through the mirror, presumably -- Edelgard.

[ideismo]

I'll let you know if it's safe down there, at any rate.

[...And you know what, fine. You only live once, Tales disregard for knees is go. Might as well jump down and scare the fuck out of whatever bugs are down there.]