Home 23

[Gullara]

[Ghostbusting]

Kitty steps away from the arms protecting her. They've gotten far enough. The kitsune faces the spirit and as it tries to throw her... she will not be thrown. For a moment she rejects the power that the spirit is trying to inflict on her. And in that moment, she stretches out her hand and sends a torrent of white fire pouring over the spirit. It won't affect anything physical, but the spirit will feel it keenly.

And with that, she turns to face the dog again.

[McBish]

[taxi escape]

((A strange language, but words of no importance. Decoration.))

After grabbing her phone, Yna follows Ven out of the apartment and down the stairs. When arriving at the bottom, she is breathing heavily as well, and also feeling rather dizzy. She doesn't have enough blood to properly supply her legs and brain with oxygen during physical activity. She's also quite indignant at the doorman's refusal to take care of the ghost(s). Not because she knows anything about laws or conventions concerning such things, but simply because Ven seems upset too. "Can't one expect a haunt-free apartment theshe daysh? Thoshe phantomsh don't pay rent, you gotta throw them out!"

The taxi takes longer than expected to arrive, and it turns out the inside smells like someone smoked 100 packs of cigarettes in there not too long ago. Even the four air fresheners taped to the ceiling can't mask it.

They are sitting inside the taxi, en route to Ven's destination of choice. "Sho, uh, we'll be crashing at your friend'sh place for the night? Then tomorrow you could call in the ghosht removal shervice or exorcisht for your apartment. If the ghosht ish even bound to your apartment, and not to you directly. Have you heard shtoriesh of people sheeing the shame apparitionsh wherever they go?" That's probably not what Ven wants or needs to hear in this situation. Yna immediately regrets saying it, and does what she always does when feeling tense or stressed: try to laugh it down. "Almosht exclushively reported by wearersh of glasshesh. The apparitionsh disappear after cleaning them with shoap." She snickers.

They might arrive by next post.

[Down by the Docks]

The Taxi takes them out from the towering apartment buildings towards the ocean, and through a neighborhood that seems to be mostly warehouses and factories. If Yna had any doubts about Ven’s character this might seem sketchy. Maybe they are lost, but Ven doesn’t react as if they are going the wrong way.

She gives a visible shiver as Yna mentions the possibility of the ghost haunting her and not her apartment. ”Well I guess we will deal with that if it is the case.” Though she sounds tired at the mere thought of having to deal with that ghost again tonight. She gives a weak smile for the harpy’s weak attempt at humor. ”Well I will have one less window to have to worry about cleaning for a while. Not that I will be cleaning any windows there till the ghost is taken care of.”

The taxi takes them down a road that runs parallel to the coast; a few houses start to appear among the docks and marinas on the beach. They stop in front of a large hanger butted up against the ocean. The metal hanger has a small brick attachment that from the chimney looks a lot like a forge. Ven hops out and pays the taxi driver before going to the front door of the hanger and uses the large metal knocker shaped like the rear end of a seagull to alert the people inside that they are here.

They don’t have to wait long before the door swings open revealing a older man with more gray then brown in his long shaggy hair and beard. He is tall and overall skinny, but he has a bit of a round belly. He is wearing a pair of sweatpants that seems to have stains of at least four different variations, from grease to salsa, and a long sleeve concert shirt that looks to either be for a heavy metal band or a devil worshipping cult. He also has a soft white robe and matching slippers on. He hugs Ven finding her at his door.

Hi Alex, this is Yna, she was staying with me when the ghost showed his face.” Ven says as Alex ushers them both inside the hanger. Inside the large hanger it is mostly taken up by the large two engine seaplane parked in the middle. Ven obviously used to being here heads towards the stairs that lead to the living quarters found above the main floor, which remains to chilly to really be comfortable without the heat from the forge fire going.

”Yeah that stinks about the ghost. Nice to meet you Yna, any friend of Ven’s is a friend of mine.”

[Cola]

[fifty shades of shady]

Yna doesn't seem to doubt Ven's character at all, her eyes are glued to the window and taking in all the sights to see during this time of day in such a place. Which aren't many, to be fair. She laughs out loud at Ven's joke, though.

Upon arrival, the small harpy does look concerned, though. "Ish your friend a shupervillain?", she asks, sounding absolutely honest with it for once. Until Alex opens the door. "Oh. Or jusht a crazy grandpa. Hello!"When Yna sees the seaplane, she will take a few seconds to marvel at it. Wondering how it would feel to fly inside a plane, high over the clouds, instead of using her own wings.

"Pleashed to meet you, Alex!", Yna says and makes an overly dramatic bow, holding one wing in front of her chest and stretching the other one out. "And any friend of mine ish alsho a friend of Ven. No. Uhh. And any friend of you ish... eh, no matter, I like you already Alex. Thank you for having me ash well." Inside the living quarters, if there's a couch and no vacant third bed, she will curl up in a couch corner and try to keep her body warm under her large wings and poncho. She will also float a spare blanket towards her. If there is indeed a spare bed (or the like), she will sit down there. Her eyelids are heavy and she can't hide it, but she also feels like she can't just enter someone's home and hit their couch/bed/whatever without another word. Come on, at least one sentence, then she could hit that fast-forward again! "Are you a member of R.I.D., too? Ish hard to tell, the poshter I shaw only showed shilouettesh."

[Shadowcaller]

[Ghostbusting]

Sam ducks behind his shields, his lower hands grabbing onto the counter in terror. He's not able to do much of anything else.
This does prevent him from being thrown (though given that he's almost as tall as the ceiling he wouldn't have far to go) as his spider-power makes his hands stick to their surface.
Whether or not Kitty is thrown will depend on if she can hold onto the shield arms protecting her.

[Ghostbusting]

Kitty steps away from the arms protecting her. They've gotten far enough. The kitsune faces the spirit and as it tries to throw her... she will not be thrown. For a moment she rejects the power that the spirit is trying to inflict on her. And in that moment, she stretches out her hand and sends a torrent of white fire pouring over the spirit. It won't affect anything physical, but the spirit will feel it keenly.

And with that, she turns to face the dog again.

[Ghostbusting]

The looks back at her expectingly, its tongue still hanging out. It looks ccompletely oblivious of the howls of fury the spirit utters in frustration as it both fails to throw the attackers around, but also get blasted by the flame. It recoils in pain, the light of Kitty's fire mingling with the black void that makes up its being.
For a moment, it seems collapse back into the corner of the room to disappear back wherever it came from.

But yet the threatening presence within the room does not ease, still lingering like a snake waiting to strike.

[UncleWolf]

[Wayward Shrine]

Artie seems surprised at that reaction.
”Chadwick, god of travelers and candles. He has done very little in centuries, being mad, healing his madness, and now raising his son.”

Wayward Shrine

The drowess seems to settle down after the explanation though Artie will smell a hint of sulfur as if someone lit a match near by. "I see. Forgive me. The Fair Lady is a spirit of Charity. Healing is a part of that, but it is more aligned towards the healing of a person's mind, emotions, and soul.
If you have a talent in physical healing, you are more than welcome to stay here, but I would not force you out regardless. If you wish to learn what I do however, perhaps it is best to experience first hand. Can you change into a smaller form so you may bathe easier?" She asks.

[Deathkeeper]

[Wayward Shrine]

Artie nods, and shifts into a shape more akin to an equine satyr.
”I don’t think I can do healing on my own, but I will do whatever I am needed. I would be happy to apprentice to you. But I will have to stay in larger forms as my children grow.” she explains. It’s early enough that she can stay on two legs for now, though she does still look plump.

[Ghostbusting]

Sam is not comfortable with this quiet, or this chaos in his own home.
”Miss Kitty! Please do the thing!” he implored of his guest.

[Gullara]

[Ghostbusting]

Kitty crouches before the spirit one more time. She hopes this will be easy now. She produces the small skull one more time and slides it toward the dog's spirit. "Okay, time to go home now. Enough running around on your own." If the dog doesn't move, she'll touch the skull against its paw.

[McBish]

[Hanger at Night]

Alex grins as Yna bows, and returns it with a bow of his own. A bow that manages to look casual and smooth despite the obviously large amount of time Alex practiced it. He doffs an imaginary hat and pulls back the open bathrobe he is wearing over his PJ’s like it is a cloak.

The rooms that would normally be office or storage space have been transformed into a surprisingly comfy living area. Thick velvety curtains cover the walls, and plush area rugs cover the ground. A hodgepodge of furniture is arrayed in a semi-circle; two sofas, a recliner and one overly large beanbag, with a few standing lamps between them providing light for the room. One corner has a small mini-fridge and a sound system that looks like something Frankenstein would create if he worked in the electronic field over biology.

The second room which can be peered in through the curtains blocking the doorway is a messy bedroom with a large bed in the middle and more than a few piles of clothes scattered around it.

Alex follows them ushering them to the warmth of the upper rooms. When Yna hops on the squishier couch Alex points to the other one. ”If you are looking to sleep that couch is better. The one your on will kill your back. Ven you take the bed.” He says trying to lead the exhausted looking green woman towards the bedroom.

”No Alex I can’t-

”Don’t even finish that thought. I have a bed on Bertha that I sleep in half the time anyways. That is where I will be tonight. And don’t think about setting an alarm, tomorrow you are going to call work and tell them about your ghost emergency. You need rest.” Ven mumbles something that could be thanks as she is lead into the other room and flops into bed, a quite ”Night Yna.” as she quickly drifts to sleep.

Alex comes back out shaking his head and grinning. ”I am one of the co-founders of the band. Me and Patty gathered up the rest of our group. Who I am sure you’ll meet soon enough. When word gets around that Ven is in trouble I am sure the others will swing by to see what they can do. Silence actually might be able to help with the ghost. But either way don’t worry about that tonight. You get some rest, we’ll have plenty of time to talk in the morning.

[Cola]

[punk rock home]

"Sho there will be a ghoshtbushting punk rock band? You could write a shong about that." Before Yna switches over to the couch not accused of felony spine cricking, she gives the bearded man a hug. "Thank you for accommodating ush. And being sho nice to a shtranger. You'd be shurprished how many people make no effortsh to help othersh in need, even if it'sh a child." She lets go of the man, flops onto the firm couch and covers herself twofold with a blanket. Compared to what she's used to, a stiff couch and wool blanket seem almost royal. "Shleep well, uncle Alex!" Yna's relaxed sense of personal space shows again. Though he really does seem like someone who would enjoy being called that.

The sun is already up high when Yna wakes up. Nine or ten o' clock, maybe. If neither Ven nor Alex are walking about the room, she will reluctantly get off the couch to visit the bathroom, and then immediately afterwards get on it again, hiding beneath the comfy blanket. She doesn't want to leave the soft warmth yet, nor does she know what to do after getting up. So she just stays lying down, eyes closed, and starts to meditate. Nothing formal, just rummaging around the depths of her mind a little, some mental exercises, and priming her emotions as desired.

Eventually, Yna has to get up some time. Not wanting to raid the fridge on her own accord for breakfast, she will seek out Alex (or Ven) for permission. "Sho... any of you know how to get rid of ghoshtsh? Aren't there ritualsh like burning shage, or burning an animal shacrifice, or burning the entire houshe if all elshe failsh? Or chant shomething?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Ghostbusting]

Sam is not comfortable with this quiet, or this chaos in his own home.
”Miss Kitty! Please do the thing!” he implored of his guest.

[Ghostbusting]

Kitty crouches before the spirit one more time. She hopes this will be easy now. She produces the small skull one more time and slides it toward the dog's spirit. "Okay, time to go home now. Enough running around on your own." If the dog doesn't move, she'll touch the skull against its paw.

[Ghostbusting]

The dog simply stands there and will even lick Kitty's hand when she touches it with the skull. It is immediately sucked inside it, letting out low whimper.
This is followed by a howl of anger that seems to shake the very room itself and before Kitty a skeletal figure appears, as if dragging itself out of the very floorboards. It is gaunt and shadowy, made up of a black transparent matter which might as well be pixie-dust. It gestures towards Kitty and speaks. "Return my dog to me."

[McBish]

[Morning in the Hanger]

As Yna starts to think about food and the possibility of raiding the fridge she should smell breakfast being cooked from downstairs. No sign of Ven stirring from the bedroom. Downstairs Alex is busy at work making breakfast in his workshop. There are a couple of hot plates and a few Bunsen burners for a makeshift stovetop. A folding table set up with a few catering trays keeping bacon, eggs and French toast warm. He waves her down when he spots her.

”Hey come on down and grab some food. I am guessing Ven is going to be sleeping for a while still. She has needed a day of sleep for a while now.” The band had just assumed she had been running herself thin between work and the band. To find out her night’s sleep were being interrupted by ghosts puts a whole new perspective.

”I talked to Silence last night; he is probably the closest thing we have to a ghost expert. He said he would come over and try to figure out if he can help. Patty will be swinging by with some potions if we have any questions for him. Hopefully he will be able take care of the ghosts back in Ven’s apartment.” He says nibbling on a piece of bacon.

[UncleWolf]

Wayward Shrine

Nidda only nods and reaches out to gently take her hand to guide her through a pair of bare rooms and a kitchen to get to the back yard. The yard is small, nestled right in the valley of two mounds where a steaming spring bubbles forth. The edge of the spring has been lined with smooth stones to allow decent seating and a lip to grab on to. Next to the spring is a basket of soaps and sponges to wash a person with. There is even a blindfold for some reason, although the shrinemaiden doesn't comment on its purpose."If you wish, please disrobe and I will help you in." She promises.

[Deathkeeper]

[Wayward Shrine]

Artie smiles, and removes her kimono, which was apparently the only thing she was wearing. She once had the tan, rough skin of an outdoorsman, but now it's pale and smooth.
"It's been so long since I had a proper bathing partner. I've asked Azren but he never takes it the right way." she says, though she grins, thinking of the memory.

[Gullara]

[Ghostbusting]

The dog simply stands there and will even lick Kitty's hand when she touches it with the skull. It is immediately sucked inside it, letting out low whimper.
This is followed by a howl of anger that seems to shake the very room itself and before Kitty a skeletal figure appears, as if dragging itself out of the very floorboards. It is gaunt and shadowy, made up of a black transparent matter which might as well be pixie-dust. It gestures towards Kitty and speaks. "Return my dog to me."

[Ghostbusting]

Kitty turns around, the skull held firmly in her hand. "You can go with your dog back to where you belong." Kitty reasons, though she thinks the chances of that working are slim. She has the power now, though.

[Cola]

[Morning in the Hanger]

As Yna starts to think about food and the possibility of raiding the fridge she should smell breakfast being cooked from downstairs. No sign of Ven stirring from the bedroom. Downstairs Alex is busy at work making breakfast in his workshop. There are a couple of hot plates and a few Bunsen burners for a makeshift stovetop. A folding table set up with a few catering trays keeping bacon, eggs and French toast warm. He waves her down when he spots her.

”Hey come on down and grab some food. I am guessing Ven is going to be sleeping for a while still. She has needed a day of sleep for a while now.” The band had just assumed she had been running herself thin between work and the band. To find out her night’s sleep were being interrupted by ghosts puts a whole new perspective.

”I talked to Silence last night; he is probably the closest thing we have to a ghost expert. He said he would come over and try to figure out if he can help. Patty will be swinging by with some potions if we have any questions for him. Hopefully he will be able take care of the ghosts back in Ven’s apartment.” He says nibbling on a piece of bacon.

[breakfast in the hangar]

Oh yes, as soon as the delicious scent of fried bacon reaches Yna's nostrils, she jumps up from the couch and hurries downstairs. Unfortunately, one of her talons gets caught in the industrial stair's many holes, making the harpy trip and fall down the stairs. Probably her bad luck at work. But she just laughs it off. "Nah, don't worry, I'm alright, it'sh jusht a few shcratchesh. Doeshn't even hurt that much." Nope, it does hurt, a lot, but as long as she isn't actually injured Yna refuses to show any of it.

"Let Ven shleep, then. Getting out of bed can really ruin shomeone'sh day." Immediately after sitting down at the table, she goes for the bacon, tearing pieces up with her mind and floating / throwing them into her mouth. Gotta get that iron to regenerate the lost blood. "Potionsh? Alright. Can I come along, too? I'm shure I can help shomehow, for example by... uh, I can do telekinsehish!" For being so small and thin, she sure is a ravenous eater. If the bacon is close to running out, she'll go after the eggs, leaving some of the meat for Alex and possibly Ven later.

"Shadly, I don't know anyone I could call to help with ghoshtsh. Well, I do knew people, but thoshe relationshipsh have gone kinda shour." For a few seconds, her cheery demeanour is interrupted by a crack of wistfulness. "My shishter can shee the pasht of and feel information about placesh and objectsh, but she can't come and I don't think she can do shtuff over the phone." Yna washes her food down with some plain water and returns to being cheery, even if it seems a little forced. "I guessh we don't know anything about the ghoshtsh yet, do we?"

[UncleWolf]

Wayward Shrine

Nidda smiles behind the wooden half-mask she wears over her mouth. "Pity. Everyone needs time to relax." She states as she finishes lining things up properly at the edge of the spring. Only when she is finished with that does she shrug off her own kimono. Like Artie, she wore nothing beneath it and she takes a moment to climb in carefully behind her guest. She does not remove her mask however and begins to hum as she starts to help Artie bathe. Her hands are talented and know no personal space, but every touch and action is made to relax and soothe her guest rather than to entice. It might be all too easy for her to fall into a doze, but the Shrinemaiden is there to catch her if she does.

[Deathkeeper]

Wayward Shrine

Artie slips into the water easily and without comment. The effects are immediate. Artie won’t admit it but the last few months have been very hard for her, having her life uprooted multiple times, falling for a handsome man, and becoming a strange, wonderful being and then a mother. She’s a little shy about Nidda touching her more feminine regions but quickly slips into a trance. This has the small but slowly expanding side effect of causing her hindquarters to slowly slip back into their natural shape. She will pull herself together if Nidda mentions it, but if she continues to provide her care to Artie’s legs even as they become clawed and her tail enormous she will have a peacefully sleeping dragon-woman coiled around the spring. Somehow this won’t cause as much of a mess as you’d think, and Artie ignoring gravity means she can be picked up and moved even if her tail must be left where it is.

[Riss’s Place?]

Poor Sam. He wasn’t really expecting a hike. He wouldn’t have dressed in such casual stuff like his normal vest and pants. But here he is, trying to follow the directions Riss gave him. Good thing he’s well insulated.

[Shadowcaller]

[Ghostbusting]

Kitty turns around, the skull held firmly in her hand. "You can go with your dog back to where you belong." Kitty reasons, though she thinks the chances of that working are slim. She has the power now, though.

[Ghostbusting]

"I want to be free." The specter insists. "What freedom is there in that skull? You are but a jailer, fox. How can a being such as you condone that?"

[Gullara]

[Ghostbusting]

"You'd have a much more compelling case if you didn't go around harassing people as soon as you were free." Kitsuki steps toward the spirit, the skull held out in front of her.

[Terumitsu]

[Summit Springs]

Lucky for Sam, Impedance had been taken for a walk and thus wouldn't be any problem for anyone approaching the Springs.

However... There was also the spiral path of polished stone that had been cut into the mountain. Certainly it didn't go all the way up and it was clearly a sign of habitation what with the ramp itself being large enough to support a semi truck while being flanked with streams of water on both ends but those who wanted to use the front door had a ways to go.

...At least it was wheelchair accessible.

Though, if Sam had a way to call ahead and make note of the fact that he was in the neighborhood (for a given value of neighborhood), then that might help as there was certainly more than one way to get inside the place. Easier too.

[Deathkeeper]

[Ghostbusting]

Sam doesn’t exactly look happy with these pleas.
”If you were alive you’d get put in jail for breaking other people’s stuff. So get in the skull, ghostie. You’re a ghost and a jerk.” huffs the spigre.

Summit Springs

Sam doesn’t really know what to do. He actually has extremely good cardio and could easily take that run, but it would take a while and he would reach Riss’ door all sweaty. So he just sends her a little text like they agreed on that he’s at the place, kind of.

[Shadowcaller]

[Ghostbusting]

The spirit takes a long hateful look at Sam. "So you presume to order me around now, creature of mediocrity? Very well then, I shall do as commanded..." The spirit then changes into the form of a skull and darts straight towards Kitty's skull, but as it does so, it is pulling along all sort of things such as kitchen equipment & supplies, clothes, furniture, etc. All physical non-living objects it can reach to pull into the skull along with the spirit while it laughs manically.

[Gullara]

[Ghostbusting]

It takes Kitsuki a second to realize what's happening. She gives the skull a sharp tug to the side, stopping the rest of the items from being drawn in... He still might have lost a number of small items, though. She quickly stashes the skull away in her bag.

"Uh, sorry about all that." She says after an awkward silence. Not that it's really her fault, but it's a pretty crappy situation.

[Summit Springs]

As Sam is waiting, a small shape approaches him from behind. It's extremely quiet and fast, so he may not notice before there's a voice right in his ear. "Who the heck are you?"

[Terumitsu]

[Summit Springs]

Just as Mimi made her announcement, a portion of the rocky mountain face split open with an almost silent hiss to reveal an ultramodern room. The room itself was well lit though it's pale bluish-light coloring did make it out to be rather bland... However, it seemed the walls itself were main source of light which in turn resulted in obliterating any useful shadows that an eye could use to better navigate the area with...

Really it was probably a bit annoying to try and focus on although the room itself was just there as a small storage area in front of an equally ultramodern incline lift.

Of course, Mimi would just be able to fly up the lift shaft as usual if she wanted.

As for Sam, though, there was a distinct lack of reply text back although that wouldn't matter much as a moment later, one of the walls sported the words 'Hello Sam.' while the floor near the hidden entry shifted to take the appearance of a rather generic welcome mat. Once he was actually in the room, the welcoming words would disappear and be replaced with a selection:

'Entry Hall'
'Laboratory'
'Springs'
'Lounge'

Seems like a poke of any of these would direct the lift there. Useful, that.

[Deathkeeper]

Summit Springs

"I'm Sam. I'm Riss' friend and I've been invited." he insists indignantly and steps into the elevator. He barely even looks at the voice, because he's that used to voices coming out of nowhere at this point.
He waves at the words, assuming that Riss has cameras inside. But then-
"You have a spring?!" he gasps excitedly. Springs are like spas only natural!

Ghostbusting

Sam's shields block most of the random objects flying at them though he does lose some table ornaments and a vase.
"So...no one's paying me back for this, are they?" he asks glumly.

[Gullara]

[Summit Springs]

The voice is silent for a moment, but not for long. "Maaaaybe." The voice seems to move from one ear to the other. "I bet the things on that list are totally honest. Why would random words on a wall lead you wrong?"

[Ghostbusting]

"Uh, I'd love to give you some good news, but it's pretty hard to get any liability out of malevolent spirits, you know?" Kitsuki figures it's best to get out of this situation now. "But think on the bright side. It could have been a lot worse if we never took care of it so quickly. And you know who to call if you have any other spirit problems."

[Terumitsu]

[Summit Springs]

At the mention of 'springs' the word lit up and suddenly a mountainside with steaming pools underneath a rocky overhang appeared on the adjacent wall, complete with sound and a gentle panning from side to side.

As the room filled with burbling sounds intermingled with occasional birdsong, Sam might realize that near the treeline of the mountain, there had indeed been a slight bit of steam wafting in the air as he made his approach but, considering that this was an inhabited area, might have been written off as due to something industrial happening.

It looked like the words still needed to be actually selected although at least now Sam knew he'd get an idea of where he was going... Though right after Mimi had spoken, each listing now said something like 'Totally some springs and not pools of battery acid.' or 'Pretty sure this is just a laboratory for science where no laws are broken or crimes against sentiments committed.'

Hopefully none of these descriptions weren't sarcastic...

[Deathkeeper]

Ghostbusting

"How about this: you help me by helping me clean up a little, and I'll forget the fact that it wasn't hurting or doing anything until you came along." Sam says pointedly at Kitty. And he does believe her, really. But his apartment is wrecked and he needs to commiserate a little.

Summit Springs

"They wouldn't, because Riss is a good person, unlike you." Sam says at the voice, though it's doubtful that it's coming from the direction he turns to. He looks at the screen and gives a heavy sigh as he pushes the button for the entrance hall.
"I didn't bring any trunks anyway."

[Gullara]

[Summit Springs]

"Woooow." Sam may feel something sitting on his head all of a sudden. "You're a giant jerk, aren't cha? And I don't mean a jerk who's giant, and you are that. I mean a giant jerk."

[Ghostbusting]

"Listen Sam... I'm very pregnant. My feet hurt, my back hurts, and I still have a lot of work to do. I'm really sorry that this got so messy, but I'm not exactly in any condition to be helping you out."

[Terumitsu]

[Summit Springs]

Sam's back was turned to these words in particular at the moment but perhaps the words: 'Good and evil are relative terms dependent upon perspective and societal values.' would not be something a 'good' person would say.

That's.. That's probably something a villian would say.

The fact that it was followed up with 'And Mimi's my wonderful little silver mine.' probably only confused things further. At least Mimi would know that Riss was of the staunch opinion that silver was better than gold... Even though she was perhaps a little biased due to it's applications in electronics and cybernetics.

At any rate, the incline lift would be a shockingly smooth ride. If Sam didn't have any frame of reference, he might not even tell he was moving in the first place. Soon, the track split off in several directions and the lift simply took the first curve up. Hardly a minute more and he would be at the end of the ride as the lift stopped at another 'waiting room' with it's doors already open to a large, high-ceilinged room. The room itself seemed to almost be an island chain with how the water flowing through it surrounded the main path with gently arched bridges leading from 'island' to 'island.' The water itself, though was hardly more than knee deep.

Music was coming from... Somewhere though it was a gentle ambient kind of music. The walls were the same material as the floor, leading to what would be almost uncannily featureless surfaces if not for each displaying colors and geometric shapes which changed based upon the music itself.

Riss, however, wasn't visibly present... Though there was a cheerful font on the wall that said 'Hello!' across from where Sam would step out at least.