{Nexus} GLoG LXXX: The Continuation of a New Era!

[Darklord Bright]

Dock by the Lake

"Ghouls aren't undead. At least, not where I'm from. They're goblinoid- that is, two arms, two legs, a head, and so on- creatures that aren't very smart and survive by scavenging off the refuse of other beings." Myrim, being a goblin, uses the word 'goblinoid' the way we would use 'humanoid'. She explains anyway, because to the elves the word is 'not-elf (with a hint of inferiority)' and these chaps aren't goblins.

"I DON'T EAT REFUSE!" Annabelle pouts. She probably does not need to defend this, but she feels like she has to at least explain that!

"GHOULS ARE CORPSES OF PEOPLE WHO HAD GHOUL FEVER AND CAME BACK OR WERE BROUGHT BACK AS GHOULS IN ANOTHER WAY, I THINK." At least, as far as Annabelle remembers, that's the norm. Someone makes a ghoul, it gives other people ghoul fever and they come back as ghouls when they die... like a good old zombie plague! Of course, ghoulification must incubate a while, because she was certainly dormant for a long time...

[horngeek]

Garden

Abigail heads towards Jamie and Holly!

Chiquita slightly behind her. "Hey there!"

[Earl of Purple]

Dock by the Lake

"It's a different type of ghoul- you don't eat refuse and are undead capable of talking, they do eat refuse, are alive and can't talk. Though they can be trained to do some simple tasks, few people bother- they're too common to be exotic pets." Unlike marsh goblins, she says within her head.

Garden

Oddball's here, too. Currently focussing intently on Chiquita with a small smile on his face. He'd been hiding in the flowerbed, hunting for insects to eat. Or berries.

[The Bushranger]

[Garden]

Jamie looks over to the approaching Abigail, and grins, waving!
"Hi, Abby! Hi, Chiquita! Whats up?"

===

[Dock by the Lake]

"It is fascinating how different things can be called by the same name sometimes, is it not?" Taurus comments.

[horngeek]

"Aw, not much. Been looking after Chiquita."

[FireFox]

Toby is wandering around the camp.

[Hyozo]

[Garden]

"Well..."
Jamie bites her lip.
"I heard something about a Pokemon tournament. And I also saw ads advertising a supervillians' academy...."

"I don't have any Pokemon." Holly says, apparently just slightly upset by that fact. "But I could cheer for you and Oddball." She thinks about that for a moment, then adds "That supervillain thing, you think it might be fun to sneak in and spy on them?"

"Oh, hi Abigail." she'll say when Abagail walks in.

[happyturtle]

Lakeside - not right by the dock, but maybe 10 meters down the shore

Tito is placing his fish traps in the shallows. Not far off, Lily is on all fours, growling and pretending to be a wolf.

Pansy is sitting on the porch of the Main Cabin watching her children as she peels potatoes.

[Terumitsu]

[Rowan Cabin - In The Far]

A wind blew through the sea of eternal flux and change as many tiny, and not so tiny, shapes floated between the manifold membranes sandwiched together and blended about so that each was simultaneously it's own separate and distinct layer and absolutely useless in creating boundaries. Through this seething swamp wherein amorphous things swam in untold geometries and unrepeating patterns rested a grand tower of splintering flame. It was a tree, in the barest of senses at least, which delved the heights and towered the depths of many, many layers and stretched across the boundaries both flat and wide into many worlds like an eldritch Yggdrasil; an ash of molten, dripping flame and leaping, dancing acridity.

A branch, if it could be called so, reached out and grew into an interlocking sign, causing the whole of the array to violently wither. All that was left was a single spark of twisting essence which was soon carried away by the wind in the sea. The seed-spark floated through the timeless whens as the aimless wheres gradually ticked past. Like any seed, it could not grow without soil. Fortunately, the oft-ignored coldlands carried a wonderful array of fertile ground in which to take root. Drifting between the innumerable grasping arms that would pluck it from the waters and consume it, the spark-seed flowed along the windswept strata through the smallest of apertures in the barriers that dictated the realm of the coldlands.

It was horribly frigid here, and the seed would surely cease to be if no proper soil was found. But it would not have to travel far, for plots in trio were readily found. One was too much like it's home, the soil not nourishing enough for it's needs. Another was very suitable and would suffice if not for a third which bloomed with an exuberance. This plot would do quite nicely indeed, carrying all the necessary nutrients as well as an excess of vitality which could surely be put to good use. Coming to rest on the plot, the seed quickly burrowed into the soil, sending out small roots to slowly drink away at the land.

...

Julie or perhaps 'Shelly' might take note of a spectral sort of pricking sensation but beyond that, there would be little to pay attention to... At least for now.

[The Bushranger]

"Spying it is, then!" Jamie declares, far too cheerfully, before grinning at Abigail. "Well, we need to do something fun then. Wanna come with us! We'll be totally spies!"

===

Quinn, meanwhile, is sitting on the Infirmary porch, looking rather like the Hindenburg.

[horngeek]

Abigail thinks for a bit, before grinning. "Hmmm... as long as we're careful, I'm fine with it."

----

Quinn might see the meditating Rose!

[The Bushranger]

Assuming Toby doesn't find her first, Quinn does spot Rose, and will wave if and when she looks up.

===

Jamie grins back, then looks to Holly!

[horngeek]

And pretty soon, Rose opens her eyes! "Oh, hi there, Quinn. How're you?"

[Hyozo]

[garden]

"This should be exciting!" Holly exclaims gleefully. "So where is this supervillain training place anyway?"

[The Bushranger]

"Doing alright, thanks," the essentially-nine-months-pregnant Quinn says with a smile to Rose. "How have you been?"

[horngeek]

"All right. Just feeling like something's off..."

Rose frowns.

[The Bushranger]

"Oh?"
Quinn gets a concerned look on her face.
"Like what?"

[horngeek]

Rose scowls. "I dunno, just... a feeling. Last time I got it, I ended up Exalted.

After getting a spear in the gut."

[The Bushranger]

Jamie, meanwhile, bounces in excitement as well!
"Um, well, I'm not quite sure, but I did copy down the directions. I think."

****

"So, you think something bad might be coming?"
Like Spawn of Tobias II: Psychic Boogaloo?

[horngeek]

"...maybe. It's just a feeling."

----

"Well, once you find them, we'll be off!"

{{Prediction: they're going to end up captured and tied up in a cave. I just KNOW IT.}}

[Hyozo]

[garden]

"You think?" Holly asks, about halfway to laughing. "Could you check? or is the first part of spying on them going to be finding out where they are?" From her tone of voice it should be clear that while she means this as a joke, she wouldn't mind going along with it.

[The Bushranger]

[Garden]

"Well, the directions were kinda vague," Jamie says. 'Just south of the Weald', I think it was."
She grins though, clearly eager to be ready to Do Something and Smite Evildoers!

===

[Porch]

"Maybe you accidentally sampled Toby's cooking and that's all it is," Quinn quips.

[horngeek]

Rose nods. "Yeah. I hope so, anyway."

[Hyozo]

[garden]

"There's a lot of area south of the Weald." Holly says, "But I guess it would be easy enough to look for them. Supervillains tend to stick out, right?"

[Darklord Bright]

Dock by the Lake

"It's a different type of ghoul- you don't eat refuse and are undead capable of talking, they do eat refuse, are alive and can't talk. Though they can be trained to do some simple tasks, few people bother- they're too common to be exotic pets." Unlike marsh goblins, she says within her head.

"It is fascinating how different things can be called by the same name sometimes, is it not?" Taurus comments.

The whole thing confuses Annabelle, really. Silly ghouls being almost her exact opposite! This place doesn't make much sense.

"IT'S ALL VERY WEIRD." the friendly ghoul says at last. "I THINK I'M PRETTY NORMAL COMPARED TO A LOT OF THINGS HERE."

She should probably go soon though. The fish are starting to get really tempting, with that strong smell, and she does not want to eat all of them!

"THE FISH ARE STARTING TO SMELL REALLY GOOD, SO... I MIGHT GO, OKAY? THIS WAS REALLY FUN THOUGH!"

Making friends is always fun!

[The Bushranger]

[Dock on the Lake]

"Well, if you're sure you must leave? It would be nice to do it again sometime, though." Taurus gives Annabelle a smile!

===

[Garden]

"Yeah, really. I mean, they don't even know enough not to wear capes!"
Jamie does laugh now!
Really. Who doesn't know?
NO CAPES!

===

[Porch]

Quinn smiles. Nods. Winces a bit as the baby kicks.

[Gullara]

[Lake Shore]

He just can! Show Miss Renetta, Caretaker! Brinika squeaks to the drone. Play her that song with the Fraggles.
Statement: It is my pleasure.
With that, Caretaker begins to play.

[Lake Shore]

Renetta listens to the music with a wide smile on her face. "That's really nice, Brinika." She says after it's ended.


[Days Later - Forest Hut]

A few days after the expedition to the hermitage, Renetta lies curled up in bed with Waterstrider, his head buried against her chest. He's had to comfort her so much in the past; For the last few days it's been her turn to do the same for him. She can barely express her relief at having him back and safe again.

It's morning now, and Renetta woke up a bit before him. She gently strokes the back of his head and neck. "Waterstrider? Are you awake?" She says softly. If he's still fast asleep she's more than happy to lie there with him all morning.

[horngeek]

Abigail chuckles. "You know, I think that those directions might be specific enough. It seems to be the way things work here..."

----

Rose looks at her. "...baby troubles?"

[The Bushranger]

[Porch]

"Not troubles. Just getting very close to delivery time."
Quinn smiles beautifically!

[Hyozo]

[garden]

"So it's settled? We're going to this place south of the Weald and looking for people in capes?" Holly asks, still almost laughing.