Tale as Old as Last Wednesday [Maid IC]

[Trobby]

"..." Ante's face turns a bright scarlet shade, as she finally manages to get to the tatters and severed hand after one last big jump. She is thankful, at that moment, that nobody besides Yuki was watching her do this.

"...I suppose I do have that coming to me...as comeuppance for this morning's slight." She says with a tinge of regret, as she hands the metallic hand over to Yuki, holding her tattered blouse over herself, for what little modesty it can provide.

"...I do truly and earnestly apologize, for all the grief I have given you since we've arrived. You seem very hard-working, very capable, and very strong, where I have been naught but a burden to you. I typically pride myself on staying on-task and working harder than anyone...yet to you, I must seem like a buffoon. But...I shall prove to you otherwise, Yuki."

Of course, this ignores the earlier incident of heavy drinking and revelry that Yuki displayed just the other day, but we'll let that one slide for the moment on account of Ante's wounded pride.

[Lycan 01]

With a neutral expression, Yuki pops her hand back into place, and gives a few flicks of her wrist to make sure it's properly functioning again. "Miss Ante," she states with cool aloofness, not even bothering to look at the other maid. "I am not angry with you, nor do I judge you for how you do your job. Stop worrying." A few sparks kick off from Yuki's robotic hand. "Ah, there we go. Good as new."

[Benson]

Skelly and Merry


"You know...it would be great if you could talk...or if we could develop s decent system of communication. I would love to know your story," She bent over and leaned her face toward's the skeleton's and stared, with her devlishly snaggletooth fang poking out a little.

She then shrugged and sighed and pulled the wagon out into the hallways.

[Trobby]

"I ah...yes, of course...we should probably try to fill in these holes left by the gophers." She comments idly, apparently ignoring her current shortage of topwear.

[Hawkflight]

Below Ground

"Well, then, friend cat. How do you do?" One of them asked. They bowed.

"Oh, um, I'm doing very good, thank you," said Hani, also bowing (albeit clumsily).

[Lycan 01]

"Or set traps," Yuki deadpans. "Nonlethal, of course. I doubt Terran or Prince Leon would approve of us murdering their talking vermin," the assassin observes with a sidelong glance at the offending holes.

Idea.

"I found a talking fox earlier. Perhaps we could enlist his assistance in running them off?"

[Trobby]

"A fox? Hmm...yes, yes I think that might work." Ante says with a growing smirk. "Small enough to enter the holes, sly and carnivorous enough to act as a deterrent, and not a threat to any of us three...do you think he would be willing to help, though?"

[Lycan 01]

"I'm not sure," Yuki says with a slight frown. "I'm sure with enough motivation or bribery, though, we could get him to do it. Let's inform Sir Terran of our plans."

Yuki turns to look back over at the knight. "Sir Terran? We're going to go find a talking fox. Is this acceptable?"

[Deme]

Skelly and Merry


"You know...it would be great if you could talk...or if we could develop s decent system of communication. I would love to know your story," She bent over and leaned her face toward's the skeleton's and stared, with her devlishly snaggletooth fang poking out a little.

She then shrugged and sighed and pulled the wagon out into the hallways.

He took one of his fingers and held it like a pen, and rattled a bit.

"Oh, um, I'm doing very good, thank you," said Hani, also bowing (albeit clumsily).

She instead fell forward onto one of the gophers.

"Oh my!"
"Oh dear! That vicious beast has fallen upon you like a wolf in the field!"

The remaining gopher tried punching her. It...didn't so much.

----------------------

Beach

"I think I heard the melody once, a long time ago. A beautiful song...

His voice was far-away and dreamy, still quietly attuned to the world of music as opposed to the world of man. It took him a moment to return to the mermaid in front of him, the rocks, and the sea.

"A beautiful song for a beautiful singer... I thank you for your gift, Lady Lune."

He stood and bowed, before returning to lean on the rocks she was on.

"Is there someway I could repay you that gift of beauty?"

---

Upper Garden

Terran put down his cup of tea...And tuned back into reality.

"...I hope 'twill end not in having to send talking hounds to catch the talking fox who is catching the talking gophers."

He observed, before adding,

"I shall attend to it with my trusty shovel in the meanwhile."

He went towards the garden shed to get it.

[Hawkflight]

She instead fell forward onto one of the gophers.

"Oh my!"
"Oh dear! That vicious beast has fallen upon you like a wolf in the field!"

The remaining gopher tried punching her. It...didn't so much.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to! It was an accident!" Hani hurriedly said, trying to calm them down as she stepped backwards.

[Lycan 01]

Yuki nods, and then stalks off to find the science lab. Hopefully the fox is still napping there...

[Atreli]

Lune stared out at the sea longingly before turning to him.

" You have no idea how grateful I would be if I could no longer be bunking with Ms. Merry."

She said with a short laugh.

[Deme]

"...Ah, yes. Terran mentioned you had a bit of a squabble this morning."

Leon's master skill: putting it delicately.

"I meant something perhaps a bit more.... Personal, maybe? It's always my wish to see someone truly and sincerely happy."

--------------

Lab

The Fox was looking at the closed box with some curiosity, just sort of milling about.

------------

Gopher Tunnel

"Do not be led by its falsehoods!"
"Oh, no, no, no, not again!"

They fled down the tunnel way further....
But it did look broad enough for a certain enterprising kitty to follow.

[Atreli]

Lune's eyes lowered. " I miss the water. Even though it's been such a short time away, I still want it."She sighed.

" Being able to swim freely in my down time would be lovely but I would have to be able to be close to the mansion in case of crazy, extenuating circumstances. Is there any chance of an indoor pool at the mansion and could I have permission to swim there?" She asked softly.

[Lycan 01]

Yuki coughs to get the fox's attention. "I require your assistance with something," she flatly states, skipping straight to the chase. "We have a pest problem in the garden. Would you be willing to assist us in scaring off said pests?"

[Deme]

"Sadly, there isn't. There isn't even an outdoor pool."

He shook his head regretfully; he'd like to grant her that, seeing her in her element.

"That said, you are always welcome to spend your free time here, or anywhere on the property you like; you're not stuck here."

Perhaps because he was, he smiled softly. He seemed very focused on something inside his head for a few minutes.

"...Would a large bath, like a hot spring, be sufficient?"

----

"An' what would be in it for me, cher?" Asked the fox, looking up at her.

[Lycan 01]

Yuki stares blankly at the fox for a moment. "...What do foxes even like?"

This is going to go so smoothly.

[Atreli]

Lune laughed, clearly delighted by his words.

" That would be very nice. Thank you."

[Trobby]

"I imagine...not the same things that talking foxes like, necessarily." Ante points out. "What is it that you would like, sir fox?"

[Hawkflight]

"Wait!" Hani cried weakly, as the gophers fled. Getting to her feet, she followed them down the tunnels.

[Benson]

He took one of his fingers and held it like a pen, and rattled a bit.

"Oh?...You actually are able to write?" She asked as she took a glance around the room for a per chance case of luck of spying a pen and paper.


(1d6x1)[2] Luck

[Deme]

"Well, now dat's a clever thought rightdere. What do I...How about a nice bottle a' wine?"

The fox smiled and sniffed at Ante. His little fox-grin got bigger.

---------

Undergarden

The tunnels split. Which way did they go?
(For a few ideas of approach, there's luck, there's scenting it out carefully for will, there's laying in wait for their return for cunning, or stuff like that.)

-----------

Beach

"I think this castle had something like that once...However, it'd need repairing."

Oh, yes, and
(1d6)[4] favor for earlier, with the song.

-----------

Merry's Room

The skeleton nods.

In the meanwhile, she finds a quill and some paper...
And no ink. Well, there had to be ink in the more regularly-used areas somewhere, right?

[Hawkflight]

Hani paused as she reached the fork in the road. Pausing, she carefully sniffed around, trying to smell where the gophers had gone.

[Trobby]

Ante searches the room desperately for a shawl or a sheet to cover herself up. But alas, she has no luck.

"Wine...I suppose we could get you some wine...nothing vintage mind you. I mean they are just gophers...but perhaps a nice dry merlot? Or do you have a sweeter taste, Mister...do you have a name?" It occurs to Ante that it was rather rude of them not to ask his name, but given that he is a talking fox and she is a shirtless demon, forgetting a few pleasantries is forgivable per the unusual circumstances.

[Lycan 01]

Yuki, her expression neutral, looks back and forth between the semi-exposed daemoness and the grinning fox.

She can't help but feel like she just got a one-way ticket to Creepytown.

[Atreli]

Lune jumped down off the rock and walked beside him.

" I can do that, no problem. I'll have to get started soon. Do you have any idea where in the castle it is?"" She gazed once more at the sea before turning to him.

" We should probably be heading back, I would be very embarrassed if I didn't even help a little with the work today."

[Deme]

Undergarden

Roll will.

----

Foxy Room

Oh, she wished it would have been that creepytown. The fox padded about, nodding to himself.

"Who needs a name? Not foxes, anyway....Ah, for a bitta fun, y'all can call me Reynard. The merlot'll do just fine."

----

Beach

"Well, the morning is technically free-time...If there's work being done, it's because they want to do it...But the bath might be a bigger job than for just you..."

He raised his hand as if to tap his chin with it, and then thought better of it and put his hands behind his back.

"Well, we could always go fetch them."

[Atreli]

" I'm sure they're already up to something. But I can always ask them later for help...maybe not Merry but I'm sure everyone else wouldn't mind with this little project."

Lune said with a shrug.

[Trobby]

(Foxes and Demons)

Ah, a reference to classical literature. Truly he was a fox after her own heart.

Were it not completely silly, that is.

"Then to that, we shall be tasked...though if we have to go through more than three individuals to retrieve this bottle, then we'll just have to live with gophers."

Ante winced visibly, recalling yesterday's ordeal with Hani, and the horrible, horrible tasks that they had to complete.

Why, on any Earth, would a crocodile have bananas?!

[Hawkflight]

Undergarden

Roll will.

....How did I not do that? >_<

Will: (1d6x3)[15]