Tale as Old As Last Wednesday II [Maid IC]

[Benson]

"Very well. I suppose it doesn't truly matter that much." Ante admits. "We, all of us, are here together now, come Hell or High Water."

She considers the phrasing of that last statement, and decides that if she could, she would ask to do it over again.

"I will say this though. I am looking forward to washing this grit and grime off in the bath when this is all over."

"Yea....me too....Dust and dirt....I cannot say its a style I'm into.." She faintly smiled, still avoiding looking Ante directly in the eyes.

[Atreli]

Lune had been flipping absently through the pages of some old book when she heard Yuki.

As she began to put it back she saw a drawn portrait of a little fairy girl sitting on a window.

Astrid.

Lune wanted to scream but instead she just inhaled sharply and closed her eyes.

When she opened them again the picture was just of a bird, a simple, ordinary, freakin' bird.

She slammed the book shut and put it back on the shelf with a thud.

Turning to Yuki and Leon she said quickly, "Oh good, you found them! Should we get out of here then to look over them? There's such crummy light in here."

[Lycan 01]

Yuki raises an inquisitive eyebrow. "And what sort of threats or obstacles might these caves hold? Do I need to go retrieve my gear?"

[Deme]

"Well, the more traveled bits are fine, but... I didn't even know that these pump caves existed, so who knows what would be in them? I'm not sure what your 'kit' might be, and you probably don't need all of it. However...
I certainly think some manner of self-defense wouldn't be misplaced."

He felt a little uneasy in giving Yuki carte blanche to carry whatever it is that would make up her kit around a place of residence; his impression was that it'd be dramatically excessive. He may have imagined some sort of bristling porcupine of weapons. Maybe a rocket or two, and some of those devious little hand-cannons she seemed fond of.

"We may consider getting reinforcement from everyone, since we don't know what sort work will be waiting."

[Deme]

And so Leon walked into, maps and things from the library in hand.
The room he walked into was pretty fixed up, and decently debugged. The maids have worked hard, and he nods at them gratefully.
(1d6)[2] favor for the maids who helped in the library.
(1d6)[3] favor for the maids who cleaned, including Hani.

"Who's up for archeological plumbing?"
Terran picks up a rag and wipes the mortar from his hands.

"...Archeological plumbing?"
"A splendid term, isn't it? I just invented it."

[Trobby]

"Ah, would these piping systems be anything like the ancient catacombs of France?" Ante asks. "If so, we should perhaps take a spool of thread to avoid getting completely lost."

Hani makes a mental note to herself not to chase the thread if they agree to Ante's idea.

"Hyperbole aside, Master Leon, how deep down are the pipes for this bath going to be?"

[Deme]

Leon shrugged at the comment about Ancient France, as France was not a thing that existed in this universe.

"They're rather large, but... The pump station isn't much further down than the ice pit, and we have a map."

He showed the blueprints, which indicated a tunnel, with a stop in the middle, that went down to sea level, or deeper.

[Atreli]

Lune kept backing away from all of them. They fit so well. When...she didn't. The fairy popping in and out of her mind like the little warrior was really and truly there, tormenting her. Pointing out something she couldn't figure out just yet.

She wanted to help but decided to leave the other girls in peace while she paid the fairy a visit.

Quietly slipping out of the door she vanished down the hall, hoping to return a few moments later.

[Lycan 01]

Some of the maids may notice Yuki is absent when Leon arrives. She's gone off to gather a few things.

In fact, as Lune tries to sneak down the hall, she'll discover Yuki approaching from the opposite end. Her arm is properly back in place and repaired, and she's sporting quite a few new additions to her uniform. A brass cuirass that covers her torso and accentuates her cleavage a bit, some brass vambraces over her wrists, and a brass gorget and collar to protect her throat. She's also carrying a brace of flintlock pistols slung over her chest, an ornate saber sheathed at her side, and a backpack that's got rope and a lantern hanging off of it.

"Ah, Lune," the assassin greats her with a courteous nod and a faint smile. "Heading off to gather your gear as well? Is there anything you'll be needing? Lamp oil? Rope? Bombs? I have plenty to spare, my friend," she says with an idle wave of her robotic hand.

[Atreli]

Lune forced a smile as Yuki's face twisted into hers for a flash of a second.

" Yes, of course I am, You'd best get a head start though while I hunt mine up."

As much as she made it sound like the truth, the lie rang loudly in her ears.

Weeeelll...it didn't have to be a totally lie, she could always get gear later...

[Benson]

Leon shrugged at the comment about Ancient France, as France was not a thing that existed in this universe.

"They're rather large, but... The pump station isn't much further down than the ice pit, and we have a map."

He showed the blueprints, which indicated a tunnel, with a stop in the middle, that went down to sea level, or deeper.

"So....are we effectively going to be...dungeon exploring? Is it going to be dangerous?......I found a scythe in the cellar.....I'm...kinda good at using it...cough...mmmm...should I go fetch that?" Merri asked, in her awkward way, grabbing at her apron.

[Deme]

"Well, I don't exactly know what sort of trouble we'll find there -- it might be nothing...Yuki's going to get some materials, and I'm sure that means 'weapons,' and we'll have Terran...but if it'd make you feel better, you may."

She did seem to Leon, as always, nervous. So if that would make her feel more comfortable, and less out-of-place, then by all means. But he at least wanted to offer some manner of support.

[Lycan 01]

Yuki studies Lune for a moment. Something seems amiss. But... being personable is not Yuki's strongpoint. She's good at killing people, not helping them sort out their feelings. She gives a small smile after a moment. "Alright. Let me know if you need any help," she says with a small nod.

She then turns, and heads off to join the others...



A moment later, Leon and the others will be graced by the appearance of a heavily armed and lightly armored assassin. "I hope I have not missed anything important?" she aloofly asks as she strolls in.

[Atreli]

Once Yuki was gone, Lune dashed down the hall and zigzagged through rooms and corridors until she ended up smack dab in the entrance way to the lab.

Leaning against the wall, she took in some deep breaths before gaining the courage to look up and face the sleeping fairy there was causing her such grief.

[Deme]

Except she wasn't there. The box was empty. The fairy, whoever, whatever she was, wasn't there.


---

"Ah, I was just briefing everyone... See? Yuki's... Perfectly prepared."

Leon was slightly worried at the level of preparation, but Terran gave Yuki a respectful 'good call' sort of nod.

[Atreli]

"No!" Lune dashed up to the empty box and looked on in disbelief.

She fell to her knees, not giving a care in the world of all the dirt.

"Why are you doing this to me There are so many here who don't like me can't you haunt one of them??" She moaned in a soft voice. " Why me?"

Laying down on the cool floor, she curled herself into a ball.

It was rhetorical even as the words left her lips.

She knew why Astrid has chosen her but she just didn't want to believe it.

It was too cruel.

[Trobby]

Ante went silent upon seeing Yuki approach.

It wasn't as if she hadn't seen well-armed individuals before, that wasn't the issue. And certainly she had seen cleavage before quite a few times...but the two combined in one package gave her room to pause.

She almost didn't notice when Hani returned to her side, hiding behind her leg carefully.

"Um...mister Leon, sir...should we...should we all get flashlights so we don't get lost?"

[Deme]

"Well, this is a fantasy setting, so we don't have that sort of thing, Hani... But we have some lanterns to take with us, to light the way," Leon said, conversationally, making sure to meet Hani's eyes and speak gently.

"I fear I may have missed a spot," Terran side-eyed the damage to the fourth wall. "But I shall fetch the lanterns, and then we shall commence!"

He returned a moment later with them.

[Lycan 01]

Yuki jostles her backpack a bit. Which also jostles her armor-accentuated cleavage. "I have spare lamps and ample lamp oil," she states factually. "Also ropes, climbing pitons, compass, survival rations, and a small number of high-yield explosives."

[Atreli]

A fierce look came over her all over sudden and then she stood slowly up.

Astrid had to have been here.

Leon had opened the box.

He saw her.

She just knew it.

She wasn't going crazy.

Maybe the fairy girl had been moved somewhere else.

That had to be it right?

With a burst of speed Lune ran out of the lab and onward to search the other rooms.

[Benson]

Merri blinked her eyes, pausing, getting a good look at the assassin maid. "I shall assume a 'no' that I should get that weapon I found in the cellar." She said to no one in particular and raised her brow.

[Deme]

Leon watched Yuki jostle and present a list of her supplies, not unappreciative of the armored cleavage. He turned his eyes towards Merry, and with a smile responded,

"I think we'll be fine, thank you, Merry. It seems our fair Valkyrie has planned for any eventuality."

He chuckled a bit, having gone from exasperated to amused at the amount of preparation that going down to look at plumbing involved. Of course, this was the sort of thinking that got him into trouble.

---

((Lune, give me a roll -- luck's the default -- or pick a room from the map))

[Trobby]

"Well...should we get started then? I'm certain Miss Lune will be able to find us...after all the cellar can't be that big...can it?"

Ante thinks about this for a moment. Yesterday she wandered into a room where mushrooms attacked and she relived her childhood. And there were colonies of talking animals living in the walls.

"....Well we can leave a roll of yarn for her to follow us, can't we?"

[Deme]

"A sound notion..."

Leon drew himself inward, crossing his arms and bringing a talon-hand near his face. It was apparent he was worried about something, but then he shook himself, wings flaring, and nodded.

"Mozart, Hani, do either of you have such a thing?"

They were cats, after all.

((I'll let Hani answer first.))

---

Lune stumbles into the workroom, but she doesn't find Astrid there. Given how mentally stressful this situation seems to be for her, she takes [roll]1d6[/roll] stress.

[Trobby]

Hani ponders this for a moment, but resignedly shakes her head.

"No sir...the last one we had got all tangled up and we had to cut it."

[Deme]

"Mozart?"

The cat-man stretched. "Yeah, I've got something, boss. I'll go get it."

To save on time, we'll have him just come back with it shortly.

"Alright! We'll be off! The entrance is in the kitchen."

And so they set off, any last comments and objections probably coming now.

[Lycan 01]

At Merri's mention of not needing a weapon, Yuki reaches back into her backpack, her expression neutral as always.

Merri soon has a brutal-looking trench knife being held up in front of her face by an assassin, albeit as an offering, rather than a threat or attempted homicide. "A perfect mixture of blunt force and piercing trauma potential," Yuki states matter-of-factly. "Take it. I have more."

How many more? Probably best if nobody here ever finds out...

[Benson]

Merri stared at the weapon in front of her face and just sorta raised a brow. "Errrm...oh eh uhm..heh...ah...t-thank you." She pressed her lips together and slightly puffed her cheeks and took the trench knife into her hands. Well, it wasn't her super cool awesome scythe.....but it was cool like with that whole way the handle was.

[Deme]

"Ah, well, thank you, Yuki."

He says, looking dubiously at the knife in Merri's hands.

"We'll begin unravelling our thread and be off!"

And so down they went into the tunnels...

At first, while they were still in the well-travelled areas, with the larder and so on, the lighting was good and the floor was still smoothed, But one or two seemingly random turns later (They weren't exactly random, since Leon was consulting a map, but there seemed to be no underlying trend to their direction, or clear marking), the ground was uneven, the torches dark -- only Terran and Yuki's lanterns marking them. There was the sound of bats and, as they descended, the increasing roar of the sea pounding outside.

Leon stuck in the middle, with Terran immediately in front of him, holding up a lantern. Mozart moved about unevenly, sometimes ahead of the group or lingering behind, moving through the ranks quietly. If there was an alternate tunnel, he'd dart down it for a moment or two before coming out. The tunnels are wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side...

Let's hear everyone's walking order and attitude, if you would.

[Lycan 01]

Yuki takes point, leading from the front. She walks along, expression neutral, eye narrowed a bit as she observes her surroundings and keeps her senses open for all signs of danger. Her robotic hand is holding her lantern out in front of her, while her right hand rests at her belt, within quick reach of any weapon of her choice. She says nothing as they walk, focused only on the job...