CROSSROADS ※ 1: DISCUSSION POST [mod event] [video] [open]

[konman]

Okay, so those bird dudes weren't lying about the different paths. I found the crossroads they're talking about.

[Kon really shouldn't be tromping around alone like this so much but he's used to being nigh on invincible. It's going to take a while for him to get used to the idea that he's not.]

[The road was all overgrown but there is a road through the woods - and it leads here, to a place where the line of the forest breaks into wide fields of golden grasses. Kon sets up his mirror to expand to its largest side and leaves it to float. There's a crossroads here with a battered wooden sign. The wood is so faded and weathered that words can no longer be read on it.]

[The path splits off into three paths. Down the left-most path, the unlabeled path leads down a dark and dreary road towards some hills. One hill can be seen all the way in the distance, standing out above the others. Rising a thousand feet above the rest of the land around it, it's covered in battered ruins that offer at least some shelter from the elements and cover from potential enemies.]

[Down the center path, the path clearly leads to a sinister-looking wild forest, a dark and dreary wood that seems filled with endless shadows. The path disappears into the woods and the tangled branches make it impossible to see into the forest's depths, especially at this distance.]

[Down the right-most path, there's candy. No joke. Dirt and normal plants start to give way to cobblestones made of hard candy and sugar-spun delicate trees. Gummdrops line the side of the road. The other two paths are grim, with even the hilly path dim from cloudy skies, but this path seems to have clear skies and constant sun.]

[Kon stands in front of the mirror, so that the paths are behind him.]

So our choices are: the Land of the Hill Trolls, Mirkwood, and Candyland.

[He narrows his eyes.]

I don't trust Candyland. [He gestures vaguely at it.] The other two roads have the good graces to be creepy from the get-go, but that looks deceptively nice. It's trying way too hard to be cheerful and sunshine-ey.

[ooc: See the OOC Post here.]

Comments

[outofresets]

You can't live off candy.

[ This is spoken with the wisdom and disappointment of someone who has tried. ]

And Kon's right, it is pretty suspicious that it's the only way that's not super creepy upfront. Kinda makes me think of one of those honey traps for bees.

[ He still totally wants to snag some of that candy when they go by it though. ]

[awfulcer]

And what do you think's in that weird forest? [Dixon points at where it's visible behind Kon, not at anything in particular there but just at the whole concept of a dark, creepy forest.] All I'm saying is if there's a creepy witch out there who wants to kill us, their house is probably in those woods. And if it's not witches, it's gonna be giant spiders or werewolves or some of those Supernatural demons.

[His momma likes that show. He's just happened to have caught a season or two over her shoulder. Or six.]

And you can at least eat candy better than wind and brambles. [He switches to pointing at the hilltop path, giving Bart a look like he's just been betrayed.]

[konman]

Actually, I totally agree. The weird forest probably has witches, too.

The hills have good visibility. It'll be harder for anything to get the jump on us, there. Hills also aren't known for witch problems like candylands and evil forests are.

So no brainer.

[awfulcer]

Okay, point. But we're in for shit if we go in the ruined buildings up there, I just know it.

[konman]

My sight's probably better than what you're getting through the mirror.

[It's not what it was, but it's very high end human in this world.]

And it doesn't look like buildings that could have stuff in 'em. It's just...wreckage. I think it'd be good cover but it doesn't look intact enough that anything could be hiding in it.

[awfulcer]

Look, you wanted genre-savvy? There's definitely mole people in those buildings. Or a big spider. Or a killer rabbit.

[konman]

I'll give you a killer rabbit or big spider maybe, but this is fantasy. Mole people would be contemporary fiction, not fantasy.

[mark_in_the_sands]

There are any number of literal underworlds that could qualify. They'd probably object to being called "mole people", though.

[wherenoonegoes]

The dark elves probably wouldn't be too happy to be compared to moles, either.

[mark_in_the_sands]

I think most people would object to being compared to moles. Weird commonality, right?

[She's joking, because that's what you do in the face of no good options. But she gets serious again quickly, because that's also what you do.]

I don't know much about dark elves, not a big thing when and where I grew up, but ruined buildings could very well house surprisingly-mobile dead.

[awfulcer]

What's that?

[Way to use terms he doesn't know shit about, Kon.]

[outofresets]

[ Unfortunately he doesn't seem to register the betrayed look, he's in thinking mode and mostly getting carried away with his own thoughts. ]

Yeah, I'm actually not with Kon about going to the hill top...sorry Kon.

But Huginn and Muninn did say all the ways were bad. Bad enough they didn't even want to fly over them. So we're definitely going to run into something awful either way.

And I'm thinking, there's gotta be a reason it's all candy, right? Like, what if something there is turning stuff into candy? And what if we go in there and turn in to candy, too?

[ On second thought, maybe he won't grab any of the candy...just in case... ]

I mean, that's a worse case scenario, but with the woods, at least we would know we're stepping into a situation we can hopefully fight off, I guess.

Also, less concerning but still something to think about; if we have to take bathroom breaks I would personally rather do that behind bushes and trees than up on a hill or behind candy canes and gumdrops.

[awfulcer]

We can just make someone else eat the candy first. As a test run. Feed it to Phos.

[The kid's got some points, though. It's enough to get Dixon to rearrange his second and third choice. The woods are still, to use a technical term, "creepy as shit", but exposure isn't going to be great either. And they don't know how long they'll be on that route dealing with sun and sparseness.]

On the other hand, though, if someone gets lost in the woods we ain't never finding them again.

[astrarche]

I can track them.

[Probably.

Maybe.]

[awfulcer]

Alright, that makes one. And what, twenty other idiots to keep an eye on?

[outofresets]

Phos doesn't eat.

[ Because that's totally the only issue with that plan. Though really, he's choosing to take that as a joke, because that couldn't be a serious suggestion...right?

At the idea that someone might get lost forever he just shrugs. ]

The teleportation will just [ He makes an exaggerated "poof" motion with his hands ] poof them back with the rest of us eventually.

[ Thinking on it some though, Dixon did have a point, too. ]

But we should probably make sure no one ever goes off alone, no matter what route we take. Maybe have a kind of buddy system or something? Even if we can just get ported back to the group no one should have to be lost alone, especially if something attacks them.

[awfulcer]

Right, so he'll be immune to anything too bad happening.

[It's a combination of a joke that turned into a half-baked idea is what it is.]

That's what I'm saying. Someone gets lost in the forest, it don't matter if they're close or far out if they get killed before they get back to the group. At least on the hills we'll be able to see everyone in the group, notice if anyone goes missing or ain't keeping up.

[shipoftheseus]

[A shitty idea. Here's Phos chiming in via mirror from the Brugh with a flat look.]

You know I don't have...whatever it is you people have to turns organic gunk into energy, right? If I put that stuff in my mouth it'll just sit there until I spit it out. Besides, I'm not even there.

[awfulcer]

I'm not keeping track of your whereabouts, Farrah.

[shipoftheseus]

[ pffffft ]

I doubt you're keeping track of anything.

[awfulcer]

Why, you gonna pay me to?

[outofresets]

You're stuck in the creepy place people have been talking about?! You guys okay over there?

[shipoftheseus]

Yeah, it's not awful. At least there's food for everyone else here. And much comfier beds.

[They can't help but sound very slightly smug in saying so. Give them a break, there are few luxuries a rock can actually appreciate.]

[outofresets]

[ There's a pause where he looks slightly stunned as he takes that in. ]

I didn't hear anyone saying anything about food and beds!

[ If he sounds a little indignant it's because that's some important information to know right there! Why is he only hearing that now?

While he tries to force himself not to pout, he's not doing a great job of it. ]

I mean...at least you guys are okay there.

[outofresets]

Okay...yeah, that's a good point. The hill thing, not the Phos thing. We're not doing that.

[ Just going to shoot that one down, just in case. ]

Though if that one guy actually knows the woods like he says he does, maybe he can get us through them faster. I don't know...

[ Chewing on his lip a bit as he thinks the situation over, it seemed this wasn't as easy a choice as he initially thought. This is why he leaves the group decision stuff up to people like Tim and Cassie who were good at taking all these little details into account and making decisions that would be best for the whole group. ]