Field Mission 5: Il Prigioniero, Part 1

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There was a theme park in Caleb Cleveland, Kid Cop #7: The Carnival Caper. Sirs, I gotta say, I liked that one a whole lot better. NAVIGATION Click here for the RNG thread! 1. IL PRIGIONIERO: WELCOME TO CORMANTHOR A. A CRASH BETWEEN TWO FERNS Lucretia has given the orders and locale for the next Grand Relic to be reclaimed and destroyed, a task that will present itself with many new and weird dangers that the Reclaimers haven't come across before. For anyone looking to brush up on their history of Myth Drannor, the Netheril, and the forest of Cormanthor, some of you have already learned a great deal of what occurred here, in bits and pieces. Leon, the Artificer of the Bureau of Balance, had described the tale of a very unfortunate city facing a major energy crisis that was bleeding out the land. You've already met the culprit behind one of the worst decisions humanity has ever made (Spoiler: it's Karsus, a god-tier shit wizard who sacrificed himself to get some of you out of dodge back in Lyrabar), and seen the destruction, first hand, of what happened to the Netheril via the events of Vista Virs. Phew, that's a lot of lore to take in all at once. But as history would have it, there are always a few sides to every story, and the fall of the Netheril wasn't the only mass of land that had been affected deeply by its twisted magical decay. The forested region of Cormanthor, not far from the source of corruption, did as well. Cormanthor was once home to capital of High Elves. They had resided in a city deep within, warded carefully from the outside world, known as Myth Drannor. Today, it lay in shambles, lost forever and protected by the sickened forest that surrounds it. You see, over 200 years ago, a floating city of Netherese fashion had appeared over the vicinity of Vista Virs. A battle raged on between heroic paladins and the cult that had raised it into this plane of existence. The result of that war sent the planar magics that bound the raised city into turmoil. Its target? Myth Drannor. And what didn't destroy the city from impact damage left a far deeper, darker problem among the elves that lived there. A twisted sickness, a dark corruption, it seeped deeply into the hearts of all that dwelt there. Legend has it that the Tree of Life itself, Yggdrasil, is at the heart of Myth Drannor. But that's all ancient history at this point. No one's been able to make it deep enough into the woods to find out what really happened. Most often, they find the city of Shadowdale instead, and with that... Wonderland. Speaking of which, you'll be blasted down to the outskirts of the forest. The entire balance of magic in this area is highly off kilter, which isn't entirely new to some of you veteran Reclaimers. When a Grand Relic is used, it often leaves behind a very distinct path of destruction that makes even the most learned scholars scratch their head. Magical interference runs nigh high throughout all of Cormanthor, which makes this mission particularly dangerous. Bubbles are not able to penetrate the canopy of Cormanthor or land directly at Wonderland. As Lucretia had said a few months ago, these missions are going to get harder and come with higher consequences. She has faith in all of you to make better decisions. You're the most amazing and stalwart people she's ever met, after all. Blasted down to Cormanthor in parties no more than 4, you land somewhere near the outskirts of the forest. Look behind you, and you can see the yellow-hued mountains of the Netheril behind you, boasting a land of pure desert and its own uniquely cursed roster of flora and fauna. Pitter patter, Reclaimers. Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. There it is before you, smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with an air of whispering, "Come and find out." Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness Back to top 2. THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS B. EMPTY WOODS The woods of Cormanthor were stunningly beautiful once. Before most people who walk among these trees were born, sure — but once upon a time, this was a beautiful place. A living, thriving forest, like any other great wood. When the Reclaimers enter, however, the first thing they'll notice is the silence. Unnatural, ubiquitous, and oppressive, silence is the single unifying factor throughout these woods. The trees themselves shift, first sparse pines, then white ash and beech, and finally towering oaks, maples, and hickory. The silence doesn't change. There is no noise but the wind rustling the leaves on the trees — and as you get further in, even that begins to fall away. It will become quickly apparent that there's no animal life here. This is a forest in stasis, certainly, but it's utterly devoid of birds flying overhead, four-legged creatures scurrying through the leaf debris. No deer, no wolves, no bears. No monsters. No insects, even, if you're paying attention. Those with the ability to speak with animals will notice very quickly that life simply doesn't seem to exist here. Those with the ability to speak to plants may be even more alarmed, because while the trees and other plants do respond, their replies are sluggish and distant, somewhat reminiscent of speaking to someone suffering with a severe fever, drifting in and out of consciousness. Travel through Cormanthor's forest takes a few days' time, and so much time spent in silence begins to take a toll. Never mind the fact that no matter your Boy Scout badges, you can't forage for anything useful out here: nothing from the forest that is eaten provides any sustenance. Eat a bucket full of berries, and you'll still be as hungry as if you hadn't eaten a thing. The trees press in on all sides, and you know each one is different from the last, but after a while they all start to look the same. Some will be more affected than others. Those with a madness effect (RNG'd or chosen from the list on this mission's dossier) will begin to feel it by the end of the second day. There are infinite options of how to play with this in the frozen forest, but here are a few possibilities: ○ If you have forgotten something important to you (1), it can happen quickly or slowly. Perhaps you're camping with your bubblemates, talking about someone from home. That Greg Grimaldis, was he really that bad? the Reclaimer to your right asks. Who, you ask, perplexed, brow furrowing, is Greg Grimaldis? ○ If reality is beginning to distort (2) for you, you might become abruptly certain that you're going the wrong way. Wonderland is back the way you came. Anyone trying to convince you otherwise is absolutely up to something — trying to make you look bad? Trying to hurt you? Who knows, but they're definitely up to something. ○ If you've lost valuable skills (3), they might drop out from under you at the worst possible moment. Even a forest in stasis has its hazards: pitfalls, roots that disguise holes and twist ankles, flimsy bridges that collapse and leave you hanging perilously over ravines, et cetera. Design peril to fit the skills you've lost. When you reach for your tried-and-tested knowledge, what do you know? It isn't there. You have to figure out another way out of this. ○ If you're feeling unlucky (4), guess what? The one person/thing in this whole realm that was keeping you safe isn't here right now. Everything around you is a portent of awful luck. Is that tree telling you to go die? It probably is! Paranoia creeps up on you from everywhere. Even your teammates. There's something about them that makes you certain everything's going to go to hell any minute now. C. EMPTY CITY Before you enter, you can see a town and only a town. Step across the border and you'll feel a barrier, something invisible and not quite permeable. After a pause, it seems to accept you, and your foot touches down in Shadowdale. Then you look up. You can't help but look up. Stretching so high you've got to crane your neck to see to the top is a great gold tree sprung from the center of town. You couldn't see any of it from outside of Shadowdale's borders, but the town, it seems, wants you here. It wants you to see Wonderland. This could be paradise for a while, a place to stay safe from prying eyes and protected by the vastness of the forest as the Reclaimers track down this latest relic. Except, not to put too fine a point on it, it's kind of creepy here. The whole place is empty — not everyone-got-up-and-left-in-a-rush empty, but ghost-town empty. Nobody wants to stay here, it seems. Maybe there's somewhere else they'd rather be. Regardless, it leaves you with plenty of lodgings to choose from. If you don't mind making your own fun, there's plenty to do, too: bookshops to visit, bakeries to use, butcher shops to — okay, maybe not that one. There's a courthouse, though. Who wants to play Judge Judy? Consider any shop or government building one might find in a small town to be fair game. After a few hours, though, it becomes clear that this place isn't quite empty after all. You aren't the only ones investigating. D. A FAMILIAR FACE (OR TWO) ○ The first face you see is a friendly one. Upon seeing the bracer on your wrist, Matthew Hollyweather walks right up to you, all the more readily if he remembers your face from New New Aspen. Despite the setting, he's clearly and genuinely pleased to see Reclaimers here. To those he's met before, he's eager to share all the positive change going on in New New Aspen: the newfound peace, the booming economy, pictures of one bajillion bouncing new spider-nieces-and-nephews. To those new to him, he introduces himself as Mayor Hollyweather of New New Aspen with just enough good-natured self-derision in his tone that he comes off as authoritative but kind of embarrassed about it. It becomes obvious pretty quickly that he's been here a while — a few weeks, perhaps, more than long enough to get kind of lonely. Matthew's only company so far has been that kid, who's nice enough, but only showed up a couple days ago. And why is Matthew here? Well, that's where he stops being quite so much of an open book. He's looking for something, that's what he tells you. Something he's missing . . . and that's all. If you want to know more, you're going to roll for it. Everyone can get information from Matthew, but if you were present for the New Aspen mission, you'll get +2 on any DC on top of your existing class or skill bonuses. ○ The kid Matthew is talking about makes himself known soon enough. Perhaps you catch him perusing the bookstore in his fancy-boy suit and spiffy fancy cap, nose deep in a tome his thin arms tremble to hold, clearly paying no attention to you. Or maybe he's chowing down on some truly unusual-looking fried concoction (where did he get that?) in the town square by the fountain, clearly paying no attention to you. Wherever you first see him, he is clearly paying no attention to you. Once addressed, he will brightly greet you and introduce himself as "Angus McDonald! I'm a little boy, I'm ten years old! Who are you? How did you get here? It's a really nice day, isn't it? It's nice to meet you!" Angus says a lot, actually. But other than giving off a strong vibe of needing to be noogied, nurtured, or both, he doesn't actually tell you much. Asking him anything is a good way to get the question turned right back on you. But then, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? If you can stand listening to him extoll the virtues of Caleb Cleveland, Kid Cop for a few minutes, you might level up enough to actually learn something. Of course, you can't stay in Shadowdale forever. Literally: you can't. Every Reclaimer's feet are inexorably pulled to the entrance to Wonderland after not very long at all. The golden tree at the center of town is impossible to ignore. Step into the elevator at its base, and you might very well find yourself elbow-to-elbow with Matthew or Angus, staring as the numbers tick up . . . up . . . Carrying you to Wonderland. Back to top 3. WELCOME TO WONDERLAND E. A BEARY GOOD TIME You arrive in Terminal Square, where you can sign up for a membership with Roland and find out more about this larger-than-life amusement park. The entire theme park city seems to run on a currency known as Wunderbux- directly inscribed via magic into a stone you're handed after filling out a small precursory screening by the giant anthropomorphic bear. Gifted with some starting credits and maybe a really gaudy Roland-eared hat, depending on how much of a good Wonderperson you've been so far, he explains that certain actions in the park will add credits or remove them. He advises against owing Wonderbux to Wonderland, if you can help it. "Wouldn't it be unbearable not to be able to ride the rides!?" Yeah. You know what this guy is all about. Chutes and ladders will take you all over the various places of the park, all branching out from Terminal Square. The entirety of the complex is, at scale, ridiculously large. All throughout Wonderland, you'll be treated like a king if you let yourself be pampered. The sheer amount of gilded perfection that went into crafting this place is at a scale even larger than the Moon Base. Gorgeous fountains spouting golden water are not infrequent, stands selling food of every type imaginable pepper anywhere there's space, and often as you pass by, you can hear people having the time of their lives here. F. PLAY WITH ME IN THE SPACE! There's so much to do in Wonderland. So much. Honestly, you wouldn't be the first to say it's overwhelming. That's part of the fun! Wonderland sweeps you away with all of the fun it brings. We could fill pages with the wonders in Wonderland, but why don't we stick with a few highlights and let you fill in the rest? ○ Wonder Square: When you first enter the confines of Wonder Square, you'll notice it looks and feels sort of like a casino... minus the strong and pungent smells that usually accompany those types of areas, typically. The wide birth of the room overlooks a beautiful vantage point of the top of Cormanthor's forest; pale greens look out into a sea of leaves for miles on end, as if the rest of the world doesn't exist outside of Wonderland itself. And why would you think it does, when you're here? Tables are set up for games, games, and- you guessed it- more games. Arm wrestle against a machine to test your strength. Shoot hoops into a basketball for 60 seconds. Engage in a few games of chance: Queen's Call is particularly abundant in this area. You'll notice this is where Maria can most likely be found, surveying the area like a snake mother, carefully winding herself around the pit and ensuring that no one is up to anything less than pure, unadulterated fun around these parts. You can do you best to scam a few extra Wonderbux here, either through legitimate play at any number of the machines present, or otherwise through less than scrupulous means. Don't get caught, though... it never ends up quite well. Dodging in and out of the crowds of Wonder Square, often charging forward and giving his best at a VR simulation of as snowboarding game, you might find Niel here as well. He's awfully energetic, a typical cornerstone of youth in the midst of a truly killer arcade. One thing you might notice, or might... not notice? Every now and then you might look at someone one moment, enjoying themselves thoroughly or getting a little deep into the game they play. You blink, and suddenly they're gone. And so is the recollection of events that've happened the entire last hour of your life. Something tells you not to question it, deep down. If you could only remember what they looked like... or the fact that they were even here to begin with. Oh well, there are games to be had. Might want to head on over somewhere else. We hear Event Square has a ton of live entertainment for you to check out. Some people are even saying that there's a cactus like creature performing Jazz tonight! Now that's something you've never seen before! ○ Round Square: How did you end up in this luxurious tram? It's truly fantastic. Wheeling around the entirety of Wonderland as night falls, you're swept away with the romance of it all. Look at those stars! Look at that moon! You gaze fondly at the person sharing this ride with you, and— Wait, who's that? How did they get in here? For that matter, how did you get in here? You don't remember getting on this ride. But here you are, with a fellow Reclaimer and, if you're particularly (un)lucky, a native elf, too. In the latter case, it might be a good time to ask them some questions. In the former case . . . snuggle? We're not your boss or mom. ○ Speed Square: Upon entering the speed square for the first time, another Roland will ask if you got your Roland Racing Registration! Then you'll have a stamp card shoved in your hands. Going on each roller coaster gives you one stamp on your card, which you can then hand in to a friendly Roland for a beary special reward. ○ Ghost Square: While the Ghost Square has many options to take some years off your life — from haunted houses to fortune tellers to wandering workers done up in bedsheets — the main attraction here is the Hall of Mirrors. It boasts of the "longest mirror maze in Faerun!*". Inside, all the mirrors are kept polished to perfection via magic, varying between normal reflections and wavy funhouse style, but some of the mirrors might reflect something... weird. Either a friend from your home world, or a version of you from your past, or even a reflection of the person's soul. It's a fun ghost story everyone shares. *: The poster has the tiniest print of 'that we know of'. Whoever runs Wonderland has a good lawyer. ○ Reeducation Ride™: Not everyone's the funloving sort we want here in Wonderland, but there are ways to deal with that. For anyone who cheats, is rude to carnival workers, or is a persistent curmudgeon, party pooper, or fun sponge, it's time for the Reeducation Ride™. On this disciplinary ride, you are strapped into a cart that wheels in a wide circle for three hours, during which you are hugged and complimented by a slew of Roland Replicas™. Begone, sour face! Elevate, low self-esteem! Be snuggled! Be huggled! Be happy. Everyone gets in on the fun here in Wonderland. No matter how reticent one might normally be to do so, something about this place just puts pep in everyone's step. Nine times out of ten you might be the kind of person who finds rides, games, and having fun to be childish or beneath you, but guess what? Here in Wonderland, you're at least a little into it. So are the few non-natives you see. Angus is here, trying to figure out the rules of all these arcade games. Matthew is here, getting lost in Ghost Square and wandering the food court. A couple of other faces, too. Anything in the dossier is fair game for your use. But keep in mind, Reclaimers: those madness effects? They're still very much in effect. You're still in Cormanthor forest, after all. The longer you stay, the more you play, the worse it gets. Little by little, hour by hour, day by day. Have fun, kids. Be yourselves. Don't do anything Lucretia wouldn't do. Back to top 4. OOC In order to keep to our goal of providing the most personalized Wonderland experience for all of you, we're setting a limit of 3 RNG attempts per character this log. Additionally, please be aware that while more mundane rolls will have standard-level DCs (for this log, anyway), any RNG with the potential to uncover plot information is high-risk high-reward and will have a very high DC along with steep penalties for failure. As always, we will let you know of this before we roll, and you have the option to decline any roll at any time. Other than that, this is your story to write and your setting to play with! Anything on the OOC post is fair game, and if there's something you'd like to try, please don't hesitate to let us know on the RNG thread. Back to top blurb code by photosynthesis

Comments

ota - will match tagging style

[rougerebelle]

A. Into the Distorted Woods [Limit 3]
1| Carmen had been doing her best to prepare for what may come, but there was only so much you could do to study when real world application would often laugh at such endeavors. It’s not until she steps out of the shuttle, takes in the surrounding trees and vegetation, that it really sinks in that not only is she still in another world, but that it is like anything she has encountered before.

It’s dense, like many jungles she’d been through, but that was where the similarities ended because Carmen was observant enough to pick up on the one startling fact: the silence. When you’re a thief you pay attention to your surroundings and make sure no one gets the jump on you. Most times that was in a big city or building, but even she was familiar enough with more exotic locations to recognize that she should be hearing something right now. At first she chalks it up to their arrival possibly startling any wildlife, but after walking for several hours with her group and no bird song she pauses, not moving forward. It was probably about time for a break anyway, right?

“Okay, I’m new here, but can someone tell me if it’s common for the forests of this place to be THIS quiet? There’s not even any birds singing.”

2| As the next few days pass, the lack of bird song and any sounds besides her group moving through the forest continues to unnerve her. She tries to strike up conversations sometimes, but the silence is just too oppressive and makes her want to be silent in turn. Carmen keeps to herself and takes to watching the others instead.

Something feels wrong, beyond just the silence and it grows with each passing hour. At first she couldn't put a finger on it, something lurking in the corner of her eye. You might catch her suddenly looking over her shoulder or stopping and looking up. Each time she frowns, shakes her head, and pushes on, but eventually she slides up next to you as they walk and in a low voice asks, “Is it just me, or are we being followed?”

B. Down The Rabbit Hole [No Limit]
After the silence of both the forest and then Shadowdale, Carmen was extremely relieved to find the lights and excitement of Wonderland. So much so that she didn’t think too hard about the implications of it, she was just so glad for noise outside of herself and the other Reclaimers. There was music even! Some small part in the back of her head reminded her that she SHOULD be suspicious, but it was hard to muster.

She walked towards the grand entrance and decided it was time to find out what this place was really about because clearly THAT investigation was going to take awhile.

1. Round Square| If Carmen were to try and recollect the events that led to her sitting next to a stranger on the tram ride, she couldn’t say. She was pretty sure last she checked she was heading for a completely different area. Instead she’s sitting with...well that’s a good question actually.

“Uhm...do you…do you remember how we got to this point?

2. Ghost Square| Spooky things never really frightened Carmen as a child and so Ghost Square had not been too big of a concern...at first. However, that was before she entered the Hall of Mirrors. Whether she’s behind you or ahead of you, Carmen has stopped walking and is staring with wide eyes at the mirror before her.

“It can’t be--,” she mutters. However, before she elaborates she catches sight of something reflected behind her and turns. When she looks back whatever she saw in the mirror was gone, at least if her expression is anything to go by.

3. Food Square| The Forest Fare had been nothing to write home about because it had literally done nothing for her or anyone else. It’s not surprising then that Carmen makes her way to the Food Square eventually. Carmen takes in a deep breath and can’t help but smile. “I don’t even know where to start. Let’s find something good.” Zack would definitely be making a bee-line to anything large and fried, so maybe she should do the same.

“Oh! Do you think they have funnel cakes?”

4. Wildcard Wonderland | In general it is pretty easy to find Carmen wandering in and out of different squares at different times. So you can literally find her anywhere and come up with any scenario you like. Come at me!

ghost square.

[jailed]

[ he recognizes her, from the initial arrival. and akira (dressed in a long black coat and pants, generally unassuming and 100% a rogue. and he's about to greet her when he overhears her say "it can't be." ]

-- you alright?

[ he ventures, as he takes a step forward, out of the shadows. was it him she saw, or something else? no idea. ]

[rougerebelle]

[Carmen's not sure either. She'd been seeing a lot of stuff lately, but it was reassuring this time that it was someone familiar. She does still seem a little concerned, but perhaps less paranoid...for the moment.]

I...yeah. I just saw something in the mirror that caught me off guard. Guess I'm still getting used to what all this magic stuff can do.

[jailed]

It can be hard to wrap your mind around, if you're not used to perpetually insane stuff happening to you at every turn.

[ it's meant to be reassuring, as akira slides his hands into the pockets of his coat, to levy a glance at the mirror. for now, he just sees his own reflection. ]

But you get used to it. Magic, or magic-like stuff. Miracles, curses. Potential catastrophes.

[ he pauses, before akira glances over at carmen, arching his eyebrows a bit. ]

What did you see? If you don't mind telling me.

[rougerebelle]

A few weeks ago I would have thought I was...I had traveled to so many places on my world. But this is beyond that and I'm having to reconsider some paradigms.

[Magic only existed as more tricks, slight of hand. It wasn't real back home...but she'd seen it time and again here that it was very real. She couldn't deny what she'd witnessed time and again for herself now.]

I am finding that....I do at least have being adaptable going for me.

[She looks back at the mirror. The figure has appeared again, though now that she's getting a better look after her shock she realizes he's not really looking at her.
He just seems to be posing. The man in the mirror is tall with blondish hair and dimples.
]

Hm...oh an old friend I guess you could say...Gray.

[jailed]

Being adaptable is one of the best things to be.

[ at the end of the day, landing on your feet is all that matters. but as carmen keeps speaking... akira glances into a different mirror, and sees satanael again. leering, waiting to be commanded. taunting him, almost. look at all this power you can't access.

and so: ]

I see a piece of me, so at least yours is less of an existential crisis.

[ dryly ]

[rougerebelle]

No, I got most of that out during the test of initiation.

[Carmen's reply is coy, but only because it's easier to jest than to seriously consider what some of that stuff meant. She'd dealt with her 'demons' for a long time now and after certain revelations it was easier just to let it go than dwell on it.

Most of the time.

Gray seemed to still be determined to haunt her though.]

Maybe we should keep moving then?

Food Square cos they worked hard in our last thread

[doubledsofjustice]

[The best part of any theme park should be their snacks, so Mia's super glad to see they've got such an array. Maybe it's just the whole feeling of Wonderland, but it looks even more delicious than the food from other missions-- even if it's all technically junk.]

I think it's a pretty fair complaint to lodge if they don't have them.

[Grins Mia as she takes a stride right to Carmen's side, following that statement with a little 'hey' as a belated greeting and waving her hand just a little. She's glad to see another reclaimer she recognises, even if.... she's still probably not going to immediately remember Carmen's name. Oh well.]

Yes, Good.

[rougerebelle]

[Carmen looks over and smiles slightly. Despite the past few days, or maybe because of them, it was nice to see a familiar face. She felt a little closer to Mia than some of the other reclaimers because they had shared in battle together. That tended to help with the whole "bonding" thing.]

I would think so too. Let's take a look around then. This place is huge and I've worked up an appetite.

[doubledsofjustice]

Great. I'm starving, too.

[Nothing like not being dead to boost your appetite.]

It smells amazing, too-- oh! There's that funnel cake.

[Mia gestures, pointing to a booth and changing their path.]

Have you ever been to a theme park like this before?

[rougerebelle]

Good eye.

[As Carmen had come to learn, sharing a meal was a lot better than eating alone, though she did enjoy the occasional solo breakfast coffee and pastry. She walked along with Mia and smiled when the funnel cakes were spotted.]

And, yes, though it was a much smaller park in Shanghai. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to check out much of what it had to offer.

[It had been a business trip surprisingly, one of her first ventures after escaping VILE and the first time she'd teamed up with Ivy and Zack of course...well after the donut shop anyway. Maybe that was why she was so eager to find other people to spend time with here.]

What about you? Much of a visitor of theme parks before this?

[doubledsofjustice]

Not in the slightest.

[Mia laughs just a little at that.]

I ran out of time before I could do anything like that. I will say, though, I'm pretty sure the local fairs weren't quite as wild as this one.

[There's not a hint of melancholy in her face at all when she says that, either. She's at a theme park now, so what's there to be sad about?]

That's amazing, though. Shanghai? I've never even left California.

[Los Angeles, California, which is Totally Not Japan, home of Phoenix Wright and a bunch of Japanifornian cultists, nbd]

[rougerebelle]

[Carmen notices the choice in words, but she's not quite sure what to make of it. Instead she smiles and nods.]

True, but I'll say I definitely enjoyed local fairs to something this...grand and gaudy.

[There was almost TOO much going on and it didn't feel very...welcoming. Instead she preferred the celebrations and fairs the focused on local culture and history. The food tended to be better as well.]

You learn more about people and what's important to them...a theme park is generic, it's meant to get money out of you and that's about it. Though...you usually get some fun out of it at least.

[She shrugs. Perhaps her idea of it was skewed from her ventures at Shanghai...that was a theme park owned by VILE. Carmen smiles.]

I know something about what that's like. I spent most of my life in one place...that's one reason I started traveling all over the world as soon as I was able. I've been to California too, actually. A friend and I had a fun drive through the hills and Golden Gate bridge.

[doubledsofjustice]

That's true! A cultural festival is usually a bit nicer. I'm having fun, and all, but there's something more charming about local events.

[Especially when it's being held down in the city or somewhere else away from your cult in the mountains, but shh, details.]

San Fransisco, hm? I was working down in Los Angeles, but San Francisco certainly has its sights. What was it like?

[She hasn't been there, either- but she could listen to Carmen talk about these places all day.]

[rougerebelle]

[By this point of course they've reached the funnel cake stand and Carmen puts in an order, stepping aside to see what Mia will get.]

I think...it has more heart. You can learn more about the society and the locals have put all their effort into getting it right.

[She always liked what she saw at festivals like that. Families running booths together and whole towns or counties coming together. It was something so foreign to her and yet something she greatly respected. She smiles]

It was foggy, but I guess that's quintessential San Francisco. It was really fun though, I got to see a lot of the sights though I suppose I spent most of my time in Chinatown. Although I did get a fun little item or two at a local charity auction. I always enjoy a chance to dress up.

[There weren't too many opportunities to dress up like that on her normal business.]

I've never been to Los Angeles though, you'll have to tell me about it in return.

[doubledsofjustice]

[It's classic funnel cake for Mia. Gotta stock up on those childhood experiences she never got to have.

She gives Carmen's first comment an agreeing nod and listens with intrigue as Carmen describes her time in San Fran. It's a good way to pass the time waiting on those freshly fried cakes, after all.]

Oh, it was just like any other big city, I suppose. I was a lawyer, and well, there certainly was no shortage of cases. I spent most of my time at the courthouse library for fun, too.

[A sheepish laugh, but Mia's not putting herself down or anything, and still seems good-humored.]

Talking with you, I'm starting to think my habits were a bit boring.

A-2

[reloves]

[ Honestly, something about these woods is so odd - in a way that's really hard to place, is it just the lack of sound making everything else extra weird? - that Minako hadn't even really been paying attention to the rest of the group. So she doesn't notice Carmen stopping and looking somewhere. Heck, she doesn't notice the other at all until she suddenly speaks up, making Minako almost jump a little in surprise.

When she does turn to look at the other, her eyes nervously glance back and forth. ]

Followed? [ Give her a second, she's trying to process this out of the blue. ] Wouldn't we.. hear that?

[rougerebelle]

[Carmen can't fault her for jumping. She hadn't meant to but at the same time it was more or less unavoidable in this case.]

Not necessarily. If they had enough training or magical ability they could probably mask themselves.

[It's what she believes. What is the alternative after all?

[reloves]

[ Minako glances over her shoulder for a second before looking back at the other, letting out a slightly frustrated-sounding sigh. ]

But if they can do something like that, then whatever is following us is probably really powerful. Or at the very least professional. [ How else could you learn that? ] Is that really something we can deal with?

[rougerebelle]

Sure, but why are they following us?

[Carmen never said she wanted to fight them, she just wants to find out who it is and what they want with the group. It bothers her that someone can keep getting the drop on her and even now she looks around like she's trying to catch a glimpse of them, of anything.]

We need to find them...it could be part of what's wrong with this place.