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[Zamuel]

You venture upon a well worn but decently stocked private reading room. On the wall was a framed map of the know regions of Mey Hem. Sitting in a large leather armchair was a short, heavyset, dark skinned woman dressed in safari khakis, complete with pith helmet that covered her teal hair. Setting next to her was a piping hot mug of tea. Adjusting her spectacles, she peered over a tome before looking up to see you. Speaking in a Britstralian accent, she said, Greetings! My name is Professor Angela Quercus Oakley. I have recently come upon a record of a recent holiday excursion involving some associates of mine. While I have been alerted that within may be some exaggeration, presumably it is merely part of storytelling tradition instead of inaccuracies.

Well, if you're ready, let's begin. 'It was a crisp autumn day and the leaves had begun to change...'

 
It was a crisp autumn day and the leaves had begun to change. The PoeT, Kage the Omega Knight, his friend and butler EB, and Princess Destron were travelling to visit their friend Howard Phillips at his home in the heart of the Leftofcentral Park Forest. For reasons unknown, they were travelling on foot. Things had been uneventful despite the danger potential this would usually present. While some of their friends couldn't make it, Beanuu and Roock were accompanying them. Furthermore, while Friday February happily followed, Kage found that somehow he was still in range of Oracle's commentary on the situation. Deeper in they pressed for soon, they would be there...

Spoiler

Huh? Oh, hello there! Welcome to the spoiler box! For those curious about just what this is, it can be better explained here and here. So you will know, this takes place in ambiguous time and may not be directly canon to other material in the setting.

[Destron D-69]

Destron enjoyed walks like this.... and had since removed her boots and was trodding barefoot. Stopping here and there to refill her pouch of natural snacks as she came upon them. her lips already stained the dark purple-red of her favorite barries. 

 

while not hoarding them, the others had certainly not eaten nearly as many as she had. a second smaller pouch was saved for some sprigs of mint, cinnamon and a ginger root she'd found... Howard would surely have a teapot she could use.     

[The Doctor Who]

The PoeT strode along briskly, far quicker than the others, yet making no better time, as he frequently stopped to gaze up at the sunlight through the forest leaves or feel the texture of bark and grass, collecting nuts and small flowers and leaves by some measure that he alone was privy to, his path making a seemingly random zig-zag through the woods from one curiosity to another.  Though saying little, he sang happily - flowing from light nonsense songs to lyrical expressions of the things he was experiencing.

 

Whether the lack of impending doom or the prospect of returning to the nearest thing he could call a home were responsible for his change was anyone's guess.

[MEDdMI]

EB trailed at the end of the party, his face mostly smiling and relaxed as he chatted with an occasional critter. Every now and then, he would pause and look around with tense shoulders and wary eyes before shrugging and carrying on.

[GodSentinelOmega]

Kage strode along confidently, enjoying the good weather, lack of thugs to punch and lack of impending doom.

Or at least he tried to look like his was striding confidently. He’d accepted the invitation to come along to this ‘Thanksgiving’ more out of surprise at being invited than a desire to celebrate. Oh sure, deep down he was more than happy to come along. On the surface though, since he’d never—or at least barely remembered ever—gotten to celebrate the holidays, Kage was nervous and unsure. Which explained why he was dressed in semi-casual survival gear, sturdy boots, still had Retribution with him, still had a belt full of gadgets.

And had managed to compress his armour into a slightly overlarge backpack. Even though the likelihood of him needing his armour and weapons on a visit to Howards was pretty slim.

This is what comes of being an overly cynical, slightly obsessive utility brit.

Still, he was pleased that Friday was with them and that Oracle was still connected. Though neither of them was entirely show how she remained in contact.

So he walked along and watched his friends.

Edited by GodSentinelOmega, 12 December 2017 - 07:28 PM.

[Sunbeam]

The trees open up into a picturesque, sunlit clearing. Half of the clearing is a large vegetable garden, the soil rich with corn, tomatoes, peas, and all sorts of vegetables, all mouth-wateringly ripe. Nearby is a fragrant herb garden laden with a number of plants that are thoroughly unfamiliar, and in the center is a large one-room cabin, smoke piping from it's chimney. Between the dazzling sunlight playing through the clouds and the wondrous smells, it leaves you awestruck.

 

Then an ear of corn splits in half and starts talking. And it's voice is truly obnoxious, as irritating as can be. "HOWARD! THERE'S VISITORS!"

 

A familiar voice roars through the cabin walls "Mi am up to fi mi elbows inna viscera rite now! Guests can wait!"

 

"IT'S ED-BARD! AND HE BROUGHT FRIENDS!"

 

After some loud shuffling, Howard appears in the doorway, looking just the same as ever, except that his arms really are bloody up to the elbows. He waves furiously, splattering blood on the grass. "Poet! Yuh made it! Mi ago be rite out, just let mi finish sewing up iz chest!"

 

He disappears back indoors, and the light cloud cover shading the clearing condenses into a thunderhead about the size of a head, which floats down next to the corn. A rumble of thunder that sounds distinctly like a deep, motherly voice saying "Welcome back to San Lorenzo, dear. Who are your friends?"

 

Spoiler

Translation:

"I am up to my elbows in viscera right now! Guests can wait!"

"PoeT! You made it! You all made it! I'll be right out, just let me finish sewing up his chest!"

[MEDdMI]

o____o
More than the talking corn and cloud, the sight of Howard with bloody arms and talking about (possibly) preparing some kind of meat made EB slowly take a few steps backwards.

[The Doctor Who]

The PoeT stepped forward as if all this were perfectly normal, nodding in greeting to the corn and sundry plants, then addresses the cloud, he said,

 

"O motherly storm, I come again to this door,

 As promised, with friends! To visit once more.

 The Doctor once walked with us at his side,

 And would wish of their company a lengthy encore!"

 

And here he gave a wide sweep of his arms, covering their surroundings and continued,

 

"Great joy to my heart, doth it bring to return,

 For far have I walked and and much did I learn,

 But that is a tale to tell 'round table at sup',

 So to thee, I wouldst ask, just simply: "What's up?'"

[Destron D-69]

Dee put her arms around EB and hugged him close. He was a dear friend, but the poor lad had far from the strongest constitution ...

"Perhaps you and I had best see to this Ginger root tea sooner rather than later. It is a very calming brew." 

[Zamuel]

"Sewing? Oh!" Friday turned to EB. "As a doctor, Howard might be patching someone up. Though admittedly, I don't know why there would be that much blood."

[GodSentinelOmega]

Kage was just starting to make himself relax, when the corn spoke them.

Blinking several times, Kage opened his mouth to ... then Howard appeared, covered in a lot of blood. Kage raised a finger and... The weather addressed them!

Kage simply opened and closed his mouth a few times, but words would not form. So he settled for cocking his head and the madness in front of him, while the urge to laugh built in him. This craziness seemed so...apprpriate for Howard.

[MEDdMI]

"Peppermint might be good, too." EB whimpered in Dee's arms. He then looked at Friday in horror. "Y-you don't think he's... preparing his patient for dinner, do you?"

[The Doctor Who]

The PoeT turned and stared at EB with eyes wide in shock.

 

He said,

 

"How soon ye forget the Doctor's company,

 To think he'd serve his patients so wantonly."

 

He continued, taking on a lecturing tone,

 

"We have fought in battles dark and grim,

 When blood was spilt and survival, slim,

 Wouldst now ye flinch at the surgeon's block?

 Why doth medical blood give such a shock?"

[Sunbeam]

"OH, HIM?" Corrin shakes their ear. "HOWARD FOUND HIM ON HIS MORNING WALK. GOT STRAIGHT UP EVISCERATED BY A HONEY BADGER! MEAN LITTLE BUGGERS. HOWARD'S BEEN STUFFING HIS GUTS BACK IN ALL MORNING. I'M TOLD IT'S A VERY PRECISE PROCESS."

 

The thunderhead rumbles. "I'm sure he'll be just fine, Corrin. Howard knows what he's doing. But we're here to welcome Howard's guests. How are all of you? I'm Mona, and this is Corrin. I hope the journey was not too strenuous."

 

Spoiler

Corrin is pronounced corn.

[Destron D-69]

"The walk was very pleasant, as is meeting you both. Howard has such a wonderful habit of having interesting friends... we are pleased to be counted among that number. My name is Destron, but would you kindly call me Dee - it seems to be a common shortening among the group and I do so enjoy it. Perhaps Howard has spoken of me, he and I traveled together for much of my first adventure in these southern lands." 

 

Destron waved EB's hand at the stalk of corn and the little cloud lady. Still using her other arm and the front of her body to prop the young man up.   

Edited by Destron D-69, 13 December 2017 - 06:48 PM.

[GodSentinelOmega]

Still not quite sure how to take the whole situation in, Kage just tried to smile.

“Hello. Nice to, uh, meet you?

My name is Kage. Kage Snake.”

[MEDdMI]

"I barely know Howie. And a fight is different than surgery being done in the same place where you're going to eat." EB's paler-than-normal face looked a bit silly, with his arms being manipulated by Dee.
He tried to focus on the corn and cloud. "...Does all the food talk?"

[Sunbeam]

Mona gives off a nice hum that sets everyone's air on end, obviously pleased that Dee considers her an 'interesting friend.'

"OH, NO, DON'T YOU WORRY. THE REST OF THE GARDEN'S JUST FOR EATING. AS FAR AS ANTHROS GO, IT'S JUST ME AND FIR. AND ZERO, I GUESS, BUT ZERO'S...DIFFERENT. LIKE MONA."

Corrin trails off, and Mona politely picks up the train of the thought. "Fir and Ground Zero are inside, helping Howard with the surgery. Counting Howard, the 5 of us are the permanent residents of San Lorenzo. Corrin and Fir are anthropogenics, created by...something, between Howard and Bokonon. You'll have to ask Howard for more details...or Bokonon, I suppose. Ground Zero and I predate Howard by a good margin. We came here of our own accord. Unfortunately, Ground Zero can't speak, which makes them a touch unsettling. Please be patient with them, when you meet them." You could swear you just saw a thick ball of cloud cast a reproachful glance at an ear of corn, but most people would call you crazy. Welcome to San Lorenzo.

At that moment, a shout rings out. "Alrite, him ah stable! Unna can cum inna now! But him ah sleeping, suh kip quiet!"

Translation

Spoiler

"Alright, he's stable! You can come in now! But he's sleeping, so keep quiet!"

Ooc

Spoiler

it is current midnight, so I am going to bed, but if no one has anything else to say outside I will describe the cottage tomorrow.

Oh, and Fir is pronounce like fear.

Edited by Sunbeam, 16 December 2017 - 12:06 AM.

[Sunbeam]

At that moment, a shout rings out. "Alrite, him ah stable! Unna can cum inna now! But him ah sleeping, suh kip quiet!"

Translation
[Spoiler]"Alright, he's stable! You can come in now! But he's sleeping, so keep quiet!"

Mona motions towards the door, though you're not sure how. "You should go in and meet the rest of the family. I'll stay out here and keep Corrin company."

 

Howard's cottage is actually slightly smaller on the inside than it appeared from the outside, due to Howard's preferences to line the walls with bulky furniture. Just to the right of the door was Howard's bed, which took up the whole wall and was occupied by a very pale young man with a neat suture line swooping across his chest. At his side was Howard, mopping the last of the blood off his arms and passing the wipes to a tame campfire that was seated next to him. It disposed of the bloody cloths by dropping them into the heart of the blaze and burning them away, but somehow didn't seem to be consuming the floor boards. And arching over all three of them is the ugliest, most gnarled birch tree any of you have ever seen. Oddly enough (if that phrase still holds any meaning), it was tinged a light pink, but as you come in it slowly extends a gnarled claw of a branch and presses a few twigs into the unconscious man's body, breaking his skin. As the man's color returns and the rosy hue leaves the gnarled old tree, you realize that it must be transferring blood into Howard's patient.

 

After the scene around the bed, the rest of the house could almost pass for normal. Just to the left of the door is floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, packed with paperbacks that seem to have no organization whatsoever. It consumes the entire left wall, running directly into a milk crate fort stacked with enough canned goods, preserves, and spices to last 2 apocalypses. And along the right wall is a hearth (it's normal resident occupied helping Howard with cleanup), with a large mirror hanging over it. At least, you think it's a mirror. But the more you look, the more differences you notice. The sleeping man has a light sheen of scales. Howard's eyes have no iris or pupil. The bookshelves are stacked with a precisely ordered set of Encyclopedia Britannica. EB's skin tone is just a few shade's too light, while Destron's hair is a darker russet color. Kage has both eyes his eyes while PoeT has a layer of cloth across his own.

 

And if you gaze into the mirror long enough, you can see your reflection blink.

[The Doctor Who]

The PoeT walked in with the confident stride of one who had spent much time in this house.  He fished a small packet of twigs, wrapped in leaves and moss from out his satchel and tossed them to Fir where they flashed into several colors of flame before burning up.  The PoeT's bright eyes swept around the room, taking silent stock of the changes since he'd last left.

 

Finally, he moved to a table and laid upon it several bundles of flowers, roots, mosses and assorted minerals and turned to Howard.

 

"'twas all I could find from there to here,

 The greater wood is failing at the ending year.

 Let us hope for Those Who Wander's sake,

 That few exotic medicines we must make."