DUNGEON - BELLMARE MOUNTAINS, PT 1

[phantasmods]

Expedition day dawns with the androids in a final flurry of activity - this time, it's in the glider hangar, where they're furiously setting up racks of heavy coats, piles of warm socks, and snow boots, as much as they could manage to pull together. If you've already got your own, great! Otherwise, you can grab some here, though it will be in the usual amount of mismatched Keystone chic.

There's also a variety of emergency flares and the like. Strange is there to admonish everyone to take at least one - unlike Earth flares, they're magical and silent, and will recharge over time - just in case.

Because you're going up into the mountains, and even more so than the usual abandoned places that you explore, it's going to be dangerous just by the nature of the place, nevermind what you might find up there. Incendia was the biggest market for the Bellmare mountain resort, after all, and you're all quite familiar by now with how long that's been abandoned. More to the point, it's far easier to lose track of each other in the snowy slopes. Keep your phones handy and look out for each other, as well as anyone else you might find up there.

Indeed, in addition to the clothes offered for you now, Strange will push extra warm clothes on anyone with hammerspace, and Down, surprisingly enough, has emerged from their usual place with a good number of extra communication devices to hand out. You should still have signal in the mountains, even in a blizzard, but it's better to be prepared for things to screw up.

Once you're all bundled and ready to go, it's off with a wave, into the land of ice and snow.

[OOC: There is an exploration header for each area of the dungeon! Please limit yourselves to 3-5 characters per thread, and don't double dip in order to allow everyone the chance to explore! Otherwise, feel free to top-level as normal.]

Comments

[daughterofthemark]

[FEED THE PRINCESS. She accepts this gift gratefully and sits.]

Does it get very cold in Japan? These temperatures are akin to what one would experience during the winter in Caledonia.

[serrata]

It gets fairly chilly, but nothing like this. Not in Tokyo, at least – if you go up north, then it gets a lot colder. It even snows.

[ and thank god they never see any of that in Tokyo, honestly. ]

[daughterofthemark]

After we've returned to our worlds, I'll have to show you what winter is like in Caledonia. As lovely as this forest is, it is quite another matter to see the buildings and the open fields covered in snow.

[You know, now that she won't potentially have to sleep in the subzero temperatures.

Arianna sits there for a moment with her spoon in her hand.]

[serrata]

I'd love to see it. We'll make a little vacation of it and really explore.

[ She's serving herself some food as she says this and only glances back at Arianna, once she's done. ]

... Is something wrong? Is it too hot?

[daughterofthemark]

Ah! No, no, I was simply thinking.

[Arianna immediately eats a spoonful of soup to demonstrate that it's fine! It actually is a little hotter than she was expecting but she can't let that stop her now.]

[serrata]

Right. Thinking about what?

[ She says this as she settles herself down beside Arianna, in a very gentle but obvious no, you can't fob me off like that kind of way. ]

[daughterofthemark]

...returning home! I was wondering when we would be able.

[There! Something nice and simple and definitely not worth looking into further. No sadness here!]

[serrata]

I see.

[ Or rather, she sees that Arianna's probably fibbing, but she's willing to play along for now. ]

It seems like there's no real way of knowing. I haven't noticed any kind of pattern for who stays or who goes... have you?

[daughterofthemark]

[Coincidentally, Arianna hasn't heard from Faith in a while....]

I've not, no. Ah--but more importantly, we'll all return in the end. That is our goal, is it not? One we're certain to achieve eventually.

[...and in her haste to retreat from that subject she ends up pointing herself back where she was before.]

[serrata]

... If there's something wrong, you do know you can tell me?

[ Yuuri gives her what she hopes is a reassuring smile and tilts her head. ]

If you really don't want to talk, I won't make you. But it seems silly for us to dance around it when we both know there's something up.

[daughterofthemark]

[The pause before Arianna speaks is significant.]

It will truly end then, will it not? What began on my eighteenth birthday.

[serrata]

... it'd be nice, if it did.

[ Her voice is careful and level, but even that's telling – it's the voice Yuuri uses when she doesn't quite fully trust herself and the answer she's giving. ]

I'd like to say yes, of course, for definite... but I also thought things were really finished when we started settling down in Tokyo.

[daughterofthemark]

[If it's any consolation, sounding more certain wouldn't have helped in this case...]

I find myself unsure whether that is what I want.

[serrata]

Really?

[ She sounds a little surprised, but certainly not disapproving. And maybe not quite as surprised as she should be. ]

What has you thinking that?

[daughterofthemark]

I'm not certain when I first began to doubt it, but it has been some time, and when I think back, I can even recall similar thoughts from before I met you.

In High Lagaard, then in space, and finally here, I've met grave dangers. I've had to face losing the people I've grown to care for. I've felt helpless in ways I'd never imagined before.

But.. I've also met people who have become my friends and family, and we've striven toward our goals together. I've seen wondrous sights, encountered ideas I never would have heard simply living in the palace. And I cannot help but worry that that will come to an end as well.