Open Getting Lost While Standing Still

[Ambrosia Alar]

When Jomi sank into Madeira’s body, Ambrosia knew exactly what he was doing. He was possessing her, putting on her body like a suit and wearing her around. It had happened to Ambrosia once, long ago, but she still remembered the feeling. It was, at the same time, both uncomfortable and comforting. Maybe the comforting part was only because the ghost who had possessed her was trying to save her, but Ambrosia had never felt safer than she had in that moment. There were many parts of being possessed that were discomforting. The lack of control, sharing so intimately with another soul, and the general exhaustion that came afterward were some of them, but what had been the worst for Ambrosia had been that the ghost had acted more comfortable in her body than she was. Her body had moved more fluidly and gracefully while possessed than Ambrosia had ever been able to make it do. Jomi walked Madeira across the tavern and seated her at the bar. For his part, he moved the spiritist’s body fairly well. Somewhere, from the dusty corners of her mind, Ambrosia recalled a conversation with her spiritist sister where Bethany had mentioned that spiritists’ bodies were better attuned for possession. Ambrosia winced when she saw Madeira’s general condition. She was covered from head to toe with ashes and had a vague sense of exhaustion to her, post-possession fatigue, Ambrosia assumed. “Sorry, Madeira. That was a bad idea. I should’ve known better. Ionu wouldn’t make anything that simple. On the positive side, you look great in gray. It suits you.” Ambrosia smiled at her pun, then immediately followed with an apology. “Sorry. Puns probably aren’t what you’re looking for right now.” She held up a bottle of wine. “Maybe this though?” After Madeira responded, Ambrosia saw to it that everyone else who wanted more drinks had them, then made her way to the front door. There was no sense in getting flustered over Velindor not immediately reappearing. It wasn’t like the Ionu that Ambrosia knew to kill someone just for the sake of illusions and pranks. This was probably the deity’s way of toying with them more. For all she knew, Velindor would come tumbling through the fireplace or a door or someone’s mug at any moment. Ambrosia’s mind was drawn to the question at hand. It was a mystery, something to be found out, and Ambrosia had to know. Swinging open the front door, she ran her hands over the door frame once, just to be certain there wasn’t something off about it. The wood had been polished smooth by the many hands that ran over it each night. There was a local rumor, more of a superstition, that one’s fate turned ill if they didn’t rub the door jamb as they went through. Ambrosia wasn’t the superstitious sort, but for this task, she’d take all the luck she could get. Glaring out of the door, Ambrosia waited on its precipice and considered everything around her before she began to test ideas out. First, she reached one hand through the door and pulled it back, then repeated the action with her other hand. Nothing happened. Nothing changed. When she had walked to the door, she had been drying two beer mugs with a bar towel. Holding up the first mug, Ambrosia tossed it, opening first through the door way, and a loud clatter at the back of the tavern told her the mug had been affected the same as the people. Taking the second mug, she tossed it through, base first this time, expecting it to come clattering back through the back door. Instead, it fell to the street and into the path of a passerby. The woman glared at Ambrosia, so the barmaid shown her best smile and waved. The genial response wasn’t what the woman had been expecting, and in her confusion, she returned the smile. “Should I pick this up?” The woman reached down to fetch the now dirty mug. “No, that’s alright, love. I’ll be out in just a moment for it.” She was feeling confident in an idea building in her head. Turning around to face the captives of the Rear, Ambrosia gave them all a wink and a smile. “Wish me luck.” She stepped backwards through the door, and her foot fell on the hard packed surface of the street as the door swung shut in front of her. And nothing happened. She didn’t fall through. She didn’t disappear. Looking about and finding herself out on the street, Ambrosia threw her hands into the air proudly. “Haha! Victory.” “See how easy that was?” she asked, as she pushed the front door of the Rear open and stepped through. And found herself out on the street again. Ambrosia stared in shock at the woman holding the discarded beer mug. Turning back to the tavern, she pushed the door open and found herself gazing through the doorway to the exact same street on the other side, the other woman still holding the mug questioningly. Ambrosia let the door swing closed and leaned against the front of the Rear with a sigh. “Well… shit.”

[Madeira Dusk]

The dangerous thing about possession, Madeira knew, was not always about a ghost's maliciousness but it's negligence. Even dazed and confused and snorting ash from both nostrils, Madeira tensed as as Jomi slid into her body. Her soul relinquished it's hold on her bones and made way for the intruder, smoothing the instinctual, animal sort of
panic that always accompanied the action. He settled and rolled her to her feet. But while he was piloting her body, he couldn't feel bite of her bruised knees on the hard floor, or her need to cough the ash from her lungs. Without that connection to the vessel it was very easy for a possessing spirit to break bones, split muscle or simply forget to breath.

He handled her roughly, yet he was surprisingly courteous. He even deposited her on a chair before dropping her body like a cut puppet. She was able to slip back into control before her head hit the counter, and she jolted back into total consciousness with a jerk. She scrubbed at her dirty face with her equally dirty sleeve as Ambrosia offered her even more wine.

"Yes, please. My mouth tastes like a crematorium." As her drink was poured, she offered Jomi a subtle nod of thanks. She sipped her wine sourly, not quite ready to join the renewed riddle solving as Ambrosia slipped out from behind the bar and started fiddling with the door. Instead the Spiritist's eyes roamed the stools, her brows knitting together as she noticed a shine of silver had disappeared from their little band of unfortunates.

"...Where's Velindor?"

At that moment the snap of a closing door reverberated behind them, and Ambrosia was gone. But not gone like Madeira had been, or even their missing spider friend. She was out. And for some reason Madeira recognized that they were still being played, because their hostess didn't immediately return with a victory cheer and another round of alcohol.

What? What? Ionu wouldn't let Madeira, Jomi, Azurdae and Velindor leave, but it wouldn't let Ambrosia stay? What was this puzzle! And now with two people gone they had lost one third of the brainpower dedicated to figuring it out.

Luckily the Spiritist knew of a way to get outside help.

She held her still bleeding forearm over the ashy counter and shook a couple drops of blood onto the dark mahogany. With the tip of her finger she scribbled a sixteen-pointed star in red fluid and worked a silver ring from her left hand and placed it in the centre. Her two rings- one on her left hand, one on her right- were hollow. One held a drop of Jomi’s soulmist, and the other held a portion of her other ghost. And together with blood, a symbol and a name she could call either of them to her.

"Emma." She spoke clearly at the ring inside the rapidly congealing blood. Nothing happened. "Emma!" she tried again, her cheeks burning as several patrons twisted around to see the loon yelling at her jewellery. Madeira cleared her throat delicately. She centred herself with a breath, and felt for that drop of soulmist in the ring. She imagined it as a tether, an anchor and a leash. It wanted to return to her ghost, she just had to help it along. With eclipsing concentration she pulled hard at the mist and invoked with a name.

"EMMA CHAMELLE!"

The air in the bar popped and shivered as the ghost blinked into existence. A plump little girl in a frilly nightdress appeared over the bar above the ring, looking shocked and slightly miffed. Her brown hair fell over her face, and her hands bunched nervously in her skirt, partially obscuring the sores covering her skin.

"Maddy?" the girl posed it like a question. "I was talking to Raj."

"Hi kitten", the Spiritist smiled as the girl floated to the floor. "Sorry to disturb you, but my friends and I really need your help. Can you do that for us?"

"He's not your friend." Emma immediately pointed at Jomi, all childish innocence and clear brown eyes. "You said he's snippety, and a lout."

"He is, and thats why you're my favourite."

"Oh."

"This is my other friend, Azuridae" Madeira turned the child’s attention to the Eth, and was forced to hide a charmed smile when the girl’s dead eyes lit up at seeing the majestic beauty. "Azuridae, this is Emma."

She gave the two a chance to introduce themselves, and then explained to the child what they needed: "Outside there is a pretty blonde woman, and it might look like she's trying to get inside. Go find her, ok?" Emma nodded, still staring in rapture at Azuridae.

"Can I come back after?" she asked. And Madeira had the sneaking suspicion it wasn't her company the ghost wanted.

"Of course. Come straight back." she made sure the ghost gave her another portion of soulmist to replace the one used in the ring for the invoking, and sent her on her way.

The child drifted through the front door with no problems, and Madeira let out a sigh of relief. Finally, something was going right. Now all that was left to do was wait.

And wait.

And wait.

By the gods, did Ionu just lock her out?

Mumbling angrily to herself, she dropped the ring back into the star of blood. Her fists bunched and her eyes screwed shut, and she used the fresh soulmist to find the girl and drag her back.

"Emma Chamelle!”

The girl once again stood dazed and confused on top of the bar, and the temperature in the room dropped perceptively.

"I found her!" The girl recovered quickly and smiled, obviously pleased with herself.

"That's great, kitten. Why didn't you come back?"

"I wanted to, but it wouldn't let me." That sounded like the perfect mirror problem that the rest of them were having. So why wouldn't the city let Madeira, Jomi, Azuridae and Velindor leave. But wouldn't let Ambrosia and Emma in? What separated the two groups?

"But I can stay now, right?" the girl pleaded, inching closer to the Eth.

"Ok, but be good."

"'Kay."

OOCI smell a conclusion! Who wants to take a crack at the riddle?

Also, if you want to play the NPC while she's outside, Ambrosia, you're welcome to. Her info can be found on my CS.

[Velindor Calendula]

“Well, this was a horrible idea,” Velindor thought to himself as he felt the cobbled street vanish beneath his feet, casting him into a freefall through...where, exactly? He wasn’t sure, only that he could feel his stomach lurching as he fell. Suddenly, his stomach felt lurched sideways, and the next thing the spider knew, he was flung through an open window high in the Rear’s ceiling. “Petch,” was the only thought he had time for as he twisted in the air, desperate to gain any kind of purchase to prevent his plummet to the floor below. When one outstretched hand managed to catch hold of a rafter, the tiny hooks in the Symenestra’s flesh allowed him to keep a firm grip before clambering up onto the horizontal beam, looking down at the scene below. From his new, unexpected vantage point, Velindor watched with a mixture of horror and morbid interest as the ghost seemed to dissolve itself into Madeira’s body. Whatever happened immediately after that, Velindor was unsure. His use of suggestion on the Ethaefal had apparently triggered another of the migraines that had been plaguing the Symenestra for the last several days. The spider’s vision blurred and his body wobbled, only his natural affinity for climbing keeping him atop his perch among the rafters as the pain annihilated all other senses. By the time had subsided from a deafening cacophony to only a mild racket in his brain, Velindor noticed the ghost pouring itself out of the blonde human, then shooting off into the chimney, apparently looking for Velindor. For his part, the spider barely had the energy to speak through the dull, constant ache in his head, much less yell loud enough to be heard over the new crowd of drunks that had entered. Ambrosia’s exit, however, commanded his full attention. She’d done it, somehow! The barmaid had actually managed to get out of the tavern! Velindor took several deep, calming breaths to try and push the pain back, much as he did when preparing to make use of his magical talent. Opening his eyes, Velindor oriented himself toward the floor and began climbing down with care. The spider resumed his spot at the bar, placing delicate fingertips to rub circles into his temples, hoping in vain to soothe his throbbing cerebrum. After a much needed pull from his glass of wine, Velindor watched with great interest as Madeira performed her ritual, summoning a small child ghost, whom Madeira promptly sent in search of Ambrosia outside. The little girl was reluctant, enthralled as she was by Azuridae. “Not that anyone could blame her,” Velindor thought with a smirk as he continued nursing his wine. He waited in silence for the ghost return. Eventually, the Spiritist woman was forced to summon her once more, as the little ghost had apparently gotten stuck, much in the opposite way in which the group inside was stuck. Now this was quite peculiar. Velindor’s mind churned, dragged down by the weight of his throbbing headache and the heady buzz provided by the wine. What did separate the two groups? On the one hand: a human Spiritist, a ghost, a Symenestra herbalist, and an Ethaefal...what did that woman do again? No matter. On the other side were a human barmaid, and another ghost. Clearly, life and death had little to do with the matter, nor did the gender of either party. Curious. Something to do with the inn itself then? Or their relationship to it? That seemed plausible, though it failed to explain the little ghost’s inability to return. “Return! She wanted to come back, and couldn’t! Ambrosia wants back in, and can’t!” A flash of inspiration struck Velindor through the haze of his headache, and he began to voice his thoughts aloud. “Ambrosia never intended to leave the Rear, she works here, yes?” He nodded to the little one, “and the little one wanted to stay with Azuridae. To stay inside.” Tapping his temples with long ebony claws, Velindor continued, a small grin of satisfaction spreading across his lips. “So they were able to leave. But we,” he indicated the three living present, as well as the ghost Jomi, “we all wanted to leave, and were stopped.” He paused, pondering his conclusion before finally speaking, “We have to want the opposite of what we want in order to get what we want, how wonderfully Alvadas!”

[Ambrosia Alar]

Ambrosia calmed her frantic mind. Eli and his band were enough at home in the Rear to serve their own drinks and honest enough to pay for them. First things first. She walked over to the woman holding the beer mug. “Sorry about tossing that in your path, love.” She went on to explain what had happened. Ambrosia’s easy smile and simple explanation seemed to work, because the woman smiled back as she handed the cup to Ambrosia. “Does Ionu usually single you out? Ambrosia laughed. “No. In fact, I feel like Ionu tends to give me only the most benevolent illusions. I don’t know why today of all days Ionu decided to change that. I blame it on the ones in the bar,” she added as a joke. “I think Ionu had it out for one of them, and I got caught up as an innocent bystander.” “You hardly strike me as innocent, dear.” Ambrosia didn’t let that bother her. “I don’t? Well, that’s good. The innocent ones are always so boring.” The woman laughed with her this time, and the two made their way over to the front wall of the Rear, leaning against it as they talked. “So you’ve been stuck with a mystery.” Absentmindedly cleaning the mug with her bar towel, Ambrosia nodded. “That I have. I guess in a way, it’s a blessing. I like mysteries and curiosities. Maybe Ionu thought I was bored.” She gestured to the door of the bar. “Do you wanna give it a try?” The young woman shook her head adamantly. “Definitely not. Chances are I’d end up stuck inside as well. I don’t even like to drink.” Ambrosia nodded in agreement. “No sense in risking it. I wonder why it let me out. I didn’t even want out.” “That sounds about right,” the other woman responded. “Ionu enjoys His games.” “You said ‘His.’ Do you really think Ionu is a man?” The young woman nodded. “Only a man could be such an ass.” Ambrosia laughed. The other young woman began fidgeting early on in their conversation, obviously not wanting to spend her day outside of an establishment she wanted nothing to do with in the company of a complete stranger. “You don’t have to stick around, love. I’ll be fine on my own.” The other young woman smiled and took her leave. Ambrosia kicked herself for not getting the woman’s name but quickly moved on to other things. There was a riddle to solve, a game to be played, and Ambrosia didn’t like getting beat. She tried everything she could think of. She walked through the door backwards. She walked through the door without looking. She walked through the door backwards without looking. And on and on. Nothing worked. She was about to give one last attempt when a young ghost wandered through the front door. Though the air’s temperature dropped ominously, Ambrosia felt a comfort at the ghost’s arrival. The apparition would have been a pretty little thing had it not been for the sores that marred her skin. Curly hair spilled down over her shoulders, and she looked at Ambrosia with victorious brown eyes. “Are you the pretty blond woman I’m supposed to find?” Ambrosia raised her eyebrows and smiled. “Somebody inside thinks I’m pretty? Do tell.” The ghost’s big brown eyes got wider, and she went silent. Laughing so her smile brightened, Ambrosia reassured the girl. “I’m only kidding, little love. What’s your name?” The ghost considered her for a moment, then gave an answer hesitantly. “Emma.” “Emma’s a lovely name. I’m Ambrosia.” Emma spun back toward the door. “I found you. Now I’m going back in.” The child’s abrupt entrance only to be followed by an equally rapid exit almost left Ambrosia lost for words. Almost. “Emma, wait,” she blurted out. She found people tended to listen more if their names were used, children especially. “Don’t you think you oughta stay out here and help me for a bit?” “Maddy said to come straight back after I found you.” The ghostly girl looked desperate to get back inside, not because she disliked Ambrosia but because she wanted the company of someone else inside more. Perhaps Madeira. But Emma was a child and one who seemed used to being told what to do, and since Ambrosia was an adult, Emma didn’t dare not listen to her. Ambrosia wondered who had her so well trained. Maybe Madeira. Maybe it just came with being a young child. “I’m sure Madeira wouldn’t be angry if you stayed and helped me for a little.” She gave the ghost a sneaky smile and a wink. “Besides, I won’t even hold you here that long. Alright?” Emma gave Ambrosia a suspicious glare, then, “‘Kay.” “Good. I just need to ask you a few questions is all. How did you get out of the bar?” Emma’s eyes went wide. “I didn’t know I was in a bar. My Papa said that bars are no place for little girls like me. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know. I didn’t-” “You’re not in trouble, Emma love,” Ambrosia interjected quickly as the little one’s eyes welled up with tears. “I just need to know how you got out.” Several moments passed while Emma tried to collect herself. “I- I just walked out.” Ambrosia frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. “Yeah. Me too. Even though I didn’t wanna.” “Me neither.” Ambrosia gave Emma another smile. “Because you didn’t wanna leave Madeira?” Playing nervously with the hem of her nightgown, Emma hesitated. “Yes.” That was a lie, but Ambrosia didn’t push. She let the girl imagine her deception had worked and continued to question her. “Is Madeira your best friend?” Emma shook her head. “No. She looks after me. She’s my friend, but Raj is my best friend.” “Oh, is that so? Who’s Raj?” “He’s my bondmate.” One simple statement like that one set Ambrosia’s mind bursting with questions. Did a Kelvic’s bond last beyond death? How long had Emma been dead? If it had been any length of time, chances were Raj was dead. Most Kelvics didn’t live too long. Was Raj still alive? Those were the first questions, but in another moment, Ambrosia had more. Things like why did it seem that most ghosts insisted on materializing with all the grotesque deformities and wounds that led to their deaths? None of those seemed appropriate to ask, especially to a child. Instead, Ambrosia dismissed the ghost. “I promised you I’d let you go back, didn’t I?” Emma’s eyes brightened, and her head bobbed up and down. Ambrosia flicked her head toward the bar. “Go ahead, Emma. Thank you for helping me.” The dismissal and allowing her to go back in were all part of a small test in her mind. Despite her want for the little one’s happiness, Ambrosia seriously doubted the girl would make it back inside, though somehow Emma had made it in to start with. Watching the ghost hopefully, Ambrosia’s eyes followed her as she went through the door. There was a moment where she was gone, and Ambrosia felt relief only to have that snatched away as Emma suddenly reappeared walking back out of the front door. “But I was just here,” the ghost complained and turned around to try again. Time after time, Emma drifted through the door only to pop back through it again. Every time she came through the door, the ghost turned back immediately to try again, giving Ambrosia no chance to stop her. Eventually, Ambrosia placed herself right outside the door directly after Emma went through. When Emma suddenly stumbled back through the door and into Ambrosia’s body, she started. Ambrosia herself froze like the air in her lungs, and a vicious, burning tingle filled her body wherever the spirit was in contact. It took her a moment to catch her breath after Emma stepped out of her body. “You’ve already tried the front door a couple dozen times, Emma. Maybe we should slow down and think about this. Alright?” Emma pouted. “’Kay.” Ambrosia was about to offer a suggestion when the girl disappeared in to thin air. “Emma?” Ambrosia wasn’t sure if the ghost was still around and just not materialized or if she was actually gone. When several more times calling the girl brought no answer, Ambrosia assumed the latter and slumped with her forehead against the door of the Rear. Her next words came as a concession of defeat and another quiet sigh. “Damn it.” She was about ready to give up.

[Jomi]

“We have to want the opposite of what we want in order to get what we want, how wonderfully Alvadas!”

"And how the petch are we suppose to do that?"

The Spider was clever and got Jomi's head spinning. it was the only possible explanation for Emma and Ambrosia being unable to return while keeping the rest of them from leaving. But figuring out the riddle was only half the battle.

The chaotic din in the tavern faded away as Jomi contemplated their predicament. Eli and this companions seemed to tire of waiting for their barmaid to return and had taken it upon themselves to distribute the wine. Their laughter was becoming more boisterous by the tick as Jomi's form began to fade, too wrapped up in his thoughts to maintain his form.

Madeira had already proved that invoking was a cheat code to circumventing the illusion by bringing Emma back to the tavern when Alvadas had locked her out. If he could get her outside she should be able to blink him to her. Which begged the question, what does Madeira Craven want more than to leave?

"I have a vested interest in making sure my meal ticket survives this.” he addressed the remaining group snidely. “The rest of you are on your own."

The room temperature dropped as Jomi pulled his soulmist back to his core. He curled the loose tendrils up towards his face, giving it more substance, and turning to Madeira so she could see his grim set expression clearly.

"Maddy, look at me. I want to make a deal with you."

The soulmist he couldn't control swirled chaotically at his feet as he seemingly choked out his words.

"I will submit myself to your every whim and follow orders immediately and without question. I'll work tirelessly towards your goals and serve you faithfully until the day you finally bite it."

Jomi extended his arm then, stretching it in front of him with palms facing out in a pacifying gesture as his carefully constructed poker face dissolved into a shit-eating grin.

"If you come over here and shake my hand. Any attempt to leave and the deal is off, I won't be offering this again."

[Madeira Dusk]

Madeira had her head in her hands, her fingers massaging into her temples as the Symenestra mumbled to himself. She wasn't paying him the least bit of attention, until his voice lit up with discovery.

“We have to want the opposite of what we want in order to get what we want, how wonderfully Alvadas!”

Naturally, Jomi came in first with a sneering reply. But Madeira looked up, blue eyes catching Velindor’s gold and sharing in his epiphany. Her mouth curled with a bitter sort of smile that never the less lit up her sooty face.

"How now, that is very Alvadas. How did we not see this before? Good thinking Velindor!"

Around them the rest of the tavern went on drinking, unaware that a great mystery had been solved by the odd group at the bar. Not that, having solved the mystery, they were any closer to beating it. Madeira drained the last of her wine and chewed her tongue. Emma was talking Azuridae's ear off a couple seats over, and Jomi was deep in his own
thoughts. And just as Madeira's head was about to dip back into her hands, her servant spoke up.

Madeira turned to him. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion, only to snap open a tick later in amazement. He was offering her everything. Every single thing that was his to give. If only she would shake his hand.

She knew Jomi was not an idiot, though she considered him emotionally stunted and a shameless lout. There was a reason he would just turn to her and offer his soul on a platter. It took her a chime to work out what his game was, and when she did it was clear by the way her shock fell away to snarling disappointment.

"Oh you little- You evil!" Aware that sweet little Emma was looking over curiously from the other side of Azuridae, Madeira was reduced to letting Jomi feel the full extent of her wrath through her ice cold stare.

Of course, you couldn't leave until you want to stay. He was offering up everything she had spent two seasons trying to drag out of him without compromise, knowing she had no choice but to refuse him.

But now she had to do it for the other two. Jomi was wrong if he thought he was going to save his 'meal ticket' and leave the rest behind.

"Azuridae, Velindor", she breathed hard through her nose and made sure she had both their attention before she continued. "If you follow me out that door, I will let Jomi and Emma wear you like sock puppets.” she threatened, and hated herself for it. But what better way to get the pair of them to want to stay than to threaten them for leaving?

"Alright, we ready?" she gathered up her pack and brushed ash from her shoulder. "Lets go. I'll be back for you, Emma, just stay there."

So leaving her two ghosts and the rowdy patrons behind, Madeira tapped her way across the floor and threw the front door open for the second time. She winced as she stepped over the threshold and emerged, blinking, into a crisp evening. Syna's light had turned into a greenish tinge over the mountains since she had entered the tavern what felt like bells ago. She watched as a cobblestone peeled itself off the street near her feet and scuttled away on crab-like legs. And Madeira began to accept that she was outside. She made it!

She stood there gormlessly for a moment before remembering herself. With her still bleeding wrist as a palette she used her index finger to scribble the requisite sixteen-point star in the palm of her hand. Then she worked her opal ring off her finger and held it carefully in the centre of her palm. Eyes closed and brow creased in concentration, she felt for that small fragment of soulmist in the hollow stone. With her own soul she opened a connection and like a magnet she used it to drag it's owner to her presence.

"Emma!"

A crackle of electricity and a sudden chill told her it had worked. The little girl appeared suddenly and slightly windswept and in a swirl of her own mist. Madeira spared her a smile before swapping her opal ring for the black agate on her left hand. Once again she disappeared behind her consuming concentration.

"Jomi!"

[Jomi]

Jomi's smirk only grew wider at Madeira's restrained attempt to cuss him out. A couple of the taverns other patrons glanced over their mugs to regard the odd happenings but quickly returned to their drink mates, no one in their right mind would think to interfere in a dispute between a Craven and a ghost.

Madeira recovered quickly and turned with a huff, offering Emma and himself as threats to Spider and Sparkles before marching out the the door and onto the street.

A rush of chilled air swept through the room as the odd group left one after another, letting the door shut behind them with a heavy bang that was nearly drowned out by the roguish laughter of the remaining patrons, leaving the two ghost. As Jomi waited a knot began to form where his stomach should have been, he was regretting his earlier treatment of the spiritist, seeing that he was now completely at her mercy. Now that she was freed from Ionu’s trickery there was nothing stopping Madeira from leaving him locked in the tavern as a punishment. These moments of introspection on his reliance of Madeira always made him seethe with anger. It was becoming clearer the more time he spent with the Craven that he needed her a lot more than she needed him.

As the loose wisps of soulmist around his feet began jitter nervously Jomi felt a familiar pull at the core of his soul. Evocation was always a jarring experience for a ghost. In the time it took to blink his world had changed. The rowdy, boisterous atmosphere of the tavern was replaced with the tranquil stillness of a quiet street. Jomi’s soulmist seemed to seize for a brief moment as a wave of shock rolled through his body. He took a moment to gather himself before nodding at Madeira in a quick 'thank you’ gesture, going out of his way to avoid eye contact, still bitter about having to be rescued by his Master.

Just as he was turning to leave Jomi noticed a flash of yellow out of the corner of his eye. Ambrosia stood beside the door, calm and collected, if a bit miffed, immediately Jomi flashed her a toothy grin.

“Hello Sunshine, we solved the riddle.” Jomi’s soulmist flickered with renewed energy as he slid between the barmaid and the tavern door, arms crossed over his chest and a flippant tone in his voice.

“You just need to want to stay out here more than you want to return to work, and Ionu will let you back in. I’ve no idea how you’re going to do that but I’ll be here to keep you company until you figure it out.”

As much as he had wanted to leave the ill-tempered ghost was more than willing to stick around if that meant he got to spend time with his new favourite person, even if he was well aware that company would be forced.

[Ambrosia Alar]

Ambrosia sighed again, mostly because there was nothing else to do other than that and think. She had made it out, and so had Emma, mostly because neither of them wanted to. It was taking her brain a while to sort that simple idea into a coherent understanding. It took her so long, in fact, that Madeira walked through the door while Ambrosia’s mind was still at work on figuring it out. Madeira did something with her blood while Ambrosia looked curiously on, and suddenly, one at a time, Emma and Jomi appeared before them, drawn by the pattern she had painted on her hand. Jomi took notice of Ambrosia and smiled. “Hello, Sunshine. We solved the riddle.” He seemed pleased with himself, and his soulmist practically leapt for joy as he crossed his hands over his chest smugly. “You just need to want to stay out here more than you want to return to work, and Ionu will let you back in.” Jomi offered to stay and keep her company while she figured it out. Ambrosia gave him her very best smile. Every little thing Jomi did endeared him to her a little more, and while Madeira seemed constantly at odds with him, his sarcasm and biting wit only made Ambrosia smile more. “So I have to not want what I want. Thanks. I was about to get there on my own, but I appreciate the help making that last connection a little more quickly. No wonder Emma and I got stuck out here.” Throwing him a quick wink, she reached through him and placed her hand on the door. “Wish me luck.” Pushing the door open, Ambrosia was greeted by a view of the inside of the Rear. It looked as if the well wishes had worked well, but Ambrosia didn’t step over the threshold. Once she did, she knew she would be stuck inside for the rest of the night. Alvadas was going to let her in now, because in was not where she wanted to be, not the most anyhow. Her new favorite people were out here on the streets, and Ambrosia had so many questions for them that she wanted answered. She stared through the front door, debating on whether or not to enter. Eli saw her and motioned her in. “Ambrosia! You’re back. Come on in. We’re bored of serving our own drinks.” Ambrosia shook her head. “I can’t,” she lied with a shrug. "Ionu won’t let me back in. You know our deity. Up to its usual shenanigans. Cade should be here soon, and he’ll look after you the rest of the night, assuming Ionu lets him in. Just make sure to keep the place looking good until he shows up and remember to pay for your drinks. When Cade does show up, let him know what happened, please.” Eli shrugged and waved good bye, reaching over the counter to grab a bottle of degtine and several shot glasses. Ambrosia hoped he had caught enough of what had happened to let Cade know why she had left. If not, she’d just explain it tomorrow night. Closing the door, she turned back to her new acquaintances. “Well, it looks like I’m free for the rest of the night. I hope you don’t mind me tagging along on your way home. I could use the fresh air and good company.” With so many questions for both the spiritist and the ghost, Ambrosia didn’t know where to begin but went with the one question she knew would include them both. “So how’d you two end up stuck together?” She hoped Madeira’s house was nowhere nearby and that the walk would leave plenty of time for all the details. It was turning out to be a good night. WC=630

[Madeira Dusk]

“Don’t encourage him”, Madeira rolled her eyes and laughed as Ambrosia met Jomi’s baffling attempts at flirting with a wide and genuine smile. The euphoria of being finally free was such that Madeira found their antics cute instead of disconcerting.

To her surprise, the barmaid did not immediately enter the Rear after working out the rules of the Trickster’s game. She stood on the threshold and spoke to the patrons within, pulling a quick white lie out of thin air.

“I can’t,” she said with a shrug when asked to come inside and serve her customers. "Ionu won’t let me back in.”

A practised liar herself, Madeira was impressed with her steady tone and easy reasoning. As she was appreciating the performance, Emma floated to her side.

“Thank you for helping, Kitten.” the spiritist turned to her ghost and passed a hand over her hair in a loving gesture, feeling the tingling cold of her soulmist passing through her palm. “I’m very proud of you.”

The girl smiled and swelled importantly. “Does that mean I can have some mist?”

“Of course you can.”

“Can Raj have some?”

“If he wants to.”

There was a snap of a closing door and Ambrosia turned back to their motley group. Madeira was not surprised to notice that the woman’s eyes sparkled even in the dark. Emma was the first to answer her.

“Yah, come home with us!” her soulmist swirled in an excited little dance. “You can meet my bondmate! And Maddy’s bondmate! They’ll like you.”

They turned as a group and continued down the street, the two humans doing their best to step around the skittering cobblestones that kept peeling up from the road and scuttling away. Ambrosia asked how the unlikely pair of Madeira and Jomi wound up together.

“We’ll there was this angry dog…”

They spent the rest of the way explaining the insane circumstances of which they met. A story involving a haunted necklace, a large Akvina Deerstalker called Nabia and a bottomless pit that somehow launched them out of a trough at the Unstable Stables. Throughout which they both bickered hotly about the details and insisted that the other came out looking like more of a fool at the end of their adventure. Emma, who had heard this story before, spent the time racing on ahead and coming back wearing various neighbourhood cats for Ambrosia to stroke.

Eventually, the Madeira’s key led them to her tiny little cottage. She unlocked the door and ushered them all inside. In no time a fire was lit in the hearth, introductions had been made with the taxidermy tiger head mounted on the wall (whom Emma insisted was very taken with Ambrosia) and Bird the blue pigeon. Settled comfortably, the strange group talked late into the night.

word count: 465

[Chameleon]

Your Grades Are Here...

 

Madeira

Skills...

• Socialisation: 5XP
• Observation: 3XP
• Leadership: 1XP
• Spiritism: 2XP
• Logic: 1XP

Lores...

• Madeira: Surrounded by bees
• Ambrosia: Barmaid at the Stallion’s Rear
• Velindor: A Symenestra
• Stallion’s Rear: Illusion of constellations in the wine
• Stallion’s Rear: Exiting to enter again
• Azuridae: An Ethaefal
• Ambrosia: Know about Spiritism
• Velindor: Knows little about Ionu
• Emma: Useful help

Other...
Madeira hasn't failed to disappoint! The NPCs you use are almost the greatest!

 

Ambrosia

Skills...

• Socialisation: 5XP
• Observation: 1XP
• Leadership: 1XP
• Logic: 2XP
• Subterfuge: 1XP

Lores...

• Madeira: Has an air of refinement
• Stallion’s Rear: Illusion of constellations in the wine
• Madeira: Surrounded by bees
• Madeira: A Craven spiritist
• Stallion’s Rear: Exiting to enter again
• Velindor: Knows little about Ionu
• Velindor: Symenestra
• Jomi: A ghost
• Stallion’s Rear: Unable to enter

Other...
I'm really liking Ambrosia - she's such a ray of sunshine. Love what you did at the end, too!

 

Jomi

Skills...

• Materialisation: 4XP
• Projection: 1XP
• Possession: 1XP

Lores...

• Madeira: Surrounded by bees
• Ambrosia: Barmaid at the Stallion’s Rear
• Azuridae: An Ethaefal
• Stallion’s Rear: Exiting to enter again
• Velindor: Knows little about Ionu
• Velindor: Symenestra

Other...
Jomi's fun! It's a shame he couldn't get many skills, because he certainly had some good ideas!

 

Velindor

Other...
Make sure you've paid your expenses for Summer 517, then PM me to get your grades!

 

Azuridae

Other...
Make sure you've paid your expenses for Summer 517, then PM me to get your grades!

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Comments...
I loved this thread! I've been following it for ages, and I'm glad that I got to read it again. It was really fun to see these characters getting together to try and solve this puzzle from Ionu - and they did it really well, too!

Don't forget to mark your request as graded. If you have any questions and concerns, don't be scared to send me a PM - there's always a chance I might have missed something!

Enjoy Your Grade!...