Out of all the places you could live, you chose Pelican Town?

[frozentear]

Who: All the Alices, a bunch of monsters...
What: A little town with a big problem.
Where: World Three – Down in the Valley
Warnings: Fighting monsters, probable injury and/or death, who knows what else.

Sebastian wakes up in the hot sun on the sand, and for a moment he wonders if he's back in Ankh's heart. But there were no docks there, and this beach is very familiar. There's a staff next to him, and he picks it up without thinking. As he wanders closer to the docks, it's strange how quickly it becomes overcast and then starts to rain... it's much nicer than the beating sun, though.

Standing at the edge of the docks, he wonders where the others are. He wonders if he's back home for real, even though he knows it's unlikely. However, it's the first chance he's had to be alone for a while... hard to tell how long. As he stands there, he begins to realize something is different. Holding out a hand - focusing for a second - jelly begins to drip down into the water.

Well, that's new.

Comments

Mines - First Area and just outside

[frozentear]

[He knows that house, though the colors are strangely bright here. The telescope outside that wasn't his, the garage where he kept his motorcycle. He tries to open the door, but it's locked like all the other doors in town. Figures.

Entering the mines, he spots a "MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE" sign and his eyes narrow. He's the only one in this town with a motorcycle, and he's definitely not selling it. He starts gathering the signs as he goes, thinking he'll dump them all somewhere. Too bad he didn't learn Fireball by coming here.]

Re: Mines - First Area and just outside

[notsogreedy]

[If Ankh had his normal set of powers, fire certainly would have been one of them. As it stands, he's just a bit amused watching Sebastian get so fixated on taking all the signs down. He finally comments as Sebastian spots another one and goes to rip it off the wall.]

It's not like there's anyone around here to buy it, anyway.

[frozentear]

Who knows. A monster might want it.

[Though that's pretty unlikely. Also, why are you watching him?]

[notsogreedy]

[He hasn't been watching that closely, Sebastian. It's not hard to notice someone fixating more on the walls than on potential monsters. Unless you'd rather he left you completely alone to have the monsters sneak up on you.]

Wouldn't they just steal it, then?

[It's what a Greeed would do, and he's pretty sure they're a lot more sentient than anything that lives in here.]

[frozentear]

[He does have magic now. He's pretty sure he can take a rock crab. ...Maybe not whatever else is down here, though.]

Yeah, I guess. Let me know if you find someplace to toss these, anyway.

[notsogreedy]

[Well the easiest answer would be "anywhere" considering it's not like they're going to find a dumpster down here in a cave. But before he can say that, he notices motion around the bend near where Sebastian's standing.]

You might want to throw them at the slime thing behind you.

[Possibly the most disinterested sounding warning about a monster ever. In his defense, it's not that close.]

[frozentear]

[Oh. Hmm. Yeah, he tosses them at the slime, though they don't seem to do much. Uh. He casts Frost Shot on Ankh's arrows.]

Try shooting it.

[notsogreedy]

Tch.

[So much for taking down easy monsters on your own, huh, Sebastian. But fine. It's not like he was planning on leaving the thing alive, anyway. Luckily Ankh has good aim, whether he's used to arrows or not. The shot hits.]

[frozentear]

Good shot.

[The slime disintegrates and. Hmm. Maybe it'd work to just hit them a lot next time? Anyway, the path is clear to proceed now, so he'll keep going.]

[notsogreedy]

[Ankh goes along with him, sticking close enough that either of them has backup in case of monsters, but taking enough of a different path to let them explore. After a couple minutes, it occurs to him that there's a more efficient method of scouting for anything useful. Guess who's suddenly summoning a bird and having it poke around some of the corners he hasn't gotten to.

Find anything interesting?]

[worldkeys]

[ There are a few things of note. Along the way in a couple of alcoves are a couple of chests, each with two rocks on their sides. Every now and then, if the bird waits, one of the rocks will move and a rock crab will peer out. They're larger than the normal ones, but otherwise aren't very noteworthy themselves. Even further along, there's an impassable door guarded by a normal-sized rock crab that somehow looks as if it's worried about something. Otherwise, this floor is unremarkable. It's very much a dead end, but at least they found a door. ]

[notsogreedy]

[What happens if people approach the chests? Do the rock crabs attack? Or do they just sit there pretending to be rocks?]

FIRST DOOR

[worldkeys]

[ A very large door lies here, obviously locked. In front of it is a large rock, and eventually, if approached, a crab will peek out from under it. It's smaller than the other rock crabs you'd normally see around here, despite how large the rock it lives under is. It's clearly kind of young, to be guarding this door. It obviously wants to impress somebody. It speaks, too. ]

... Hey. ... You... I want you to bring me something. I'll open the door for you. I want a beautiful abode like no other! Something sparkly... like my home now, but better.

Re: FIRST DOOR

[notsogreedy]

[When the rock crab reveals itself, Ankh's immediate response after dealing with the others is to point an arrow at it. The fact that it starts talking to him gives him pause, though, and he lowers it. A new home...]

You want a rock?

[Well okay a sparkly rock. Still a rock.]

[worldkeys]

Yes, yes!

[ The little crab seems to be a bit nervous. ]

I'm really small, so I get picked on a lot. But maybe if I have a beautiful home, I won't be.

[zinit]

[Ah, poor thing and its little problems!]

Alright, we'll try and find something for you. Sparkly, you said? ... Pyrite, maybe? Or this is a mine, so some sort of shiny metal...?

[Ah, poor Qilby, being expected to care about this crab's little problems.]

[notsogreedy]

[Ankh really doesn't care about this crab's little problems. In all honesty, he'd probably still shoot the thing if it didn't seem to know how to get the door open. Cooperating's easier, probably.]

I don't suppose you have any idea where to find something like that.

[zinit]

[Loosely, while cracking his knuckles on his knee:] It's a mine. Surely there's something, even if we have to get it from another one of these crabs.

[Doing it for the door... for the door.]

[notsogreedy]

[He replies with some slightly displeased sound of acknowledgement. He's not sure he's seen any shiny rocks in here, but that doesn't mean they aren't there somewhere. Maybe one of these abilities he suddenly has can come in handy.

Detecting any shiny things nearby?]

[worldkeys]

[ Ankh will indeed find something shiny! ...It's a chest, unguarded, in a hidden alcove nearby. In it is an upgrade for Qilby's weapon. Will Ankh try again? ]

[notsogreedy]

[Well considering that got him approximately nothing, yes, let's try that again.]

[worldkeys]

[ He has detected a node of amethyst not too far away. It's a rock with amethysts jutting out of it. Very pretty. ]

[notsogreedy]

[That's more like it. Is it possible to pick this up and take it?]

[zinit]

[Well, if Ankh isn't going to see what's in the chest, Qilby sure as hell is; it might be a clue for a puzzle to come. Curiosity killed the cat?]

[worldkeys]

[ It's merely an upgrade for his current weapon. He'll be hitting monsters a lot stronger now. Congratulations, Qilby! ]