061014-Beau-Tunnels

[01:58] -- chessAficionado [CA] began pestering ravishingCalypso [RC] at 01:58 --

[02:00] RC: Well, what are you doing?

[02:01] CA: Well after the wall appeared, she probably continued down the path, abiet much more cautiously...

[02:01] CA: *albeit...

[02:01] RC: The walls are covered in lines from sami's glowing paint.

[02:01] CA: "So... I thought lights weren't supposed to work miss mystery woman..."...

[02:02] RC: You hear a female voice. "Only some don't work, some do. Would you like me to shut these off? Are they BOTHERING you?"

[02:02] CA: "Define bothering"...

[02:03] CA: "You are using my girlfriend to bait me into a trap I have already fallen into"...

[02:03] CA: "And I must give you credit, you made me fall in quite deep"...

[02:04] RC: "Bother, verb: taking the trouble to do something, worrying, disturbing, upsetting, noun, the second definition as applied to a situation."

[02:04] CA: "And you are also rather cheeky..."...

[02:05] RC: "Aah yes, you don't like cheeky girls."

[02:05] CA: "Oh? Have we met before?"...

[02:05] RC: "No. But I'm observant. Sami's not cheeky at all, is she?"

[02:06] CA: "She can be when she wants to be"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:07] RC: "And how would I see that side of her?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:08] CA: "Is the nightmarish illusion monster asking me to help her manipulate my girlfriend?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:08] RC: "No. Your girlfriend was easy to manipulate."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:09] CA: "... Is that so?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:09] RC: "Quite. Honestly, Doir's more difficult."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:10] CA: "And why are you telling me all this?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:10] RC: "I'm bored."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:11] CA: "You've grown tired of pushing Nate to murder?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:12] RC: "He has no desire to murder. He's curled up in Aura's arms right now, sleeping like a baby." The lines of paint around the room are beginning to fade off.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:13] CA: "Aura is in the castle"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:13] RC: "Is she?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:13] CA: "Yes, she is"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:14] RC: "are you sure?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:14] CA: "Yes, she was asleep, and she is smart enough to not enter a dark tunnel underground alone"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:15] RC: "But she wasn't alone. She thought Nate was with her the whole time."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:16] CA: "Any why would she think that?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:16] RC: "Because of the illusion I sent up."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:17] CA: "And why would you waste your illusion on her? She wasn't even taking these trials"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:18] RC: "Who said anything about trials?'

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:18] CA: "The queen"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:19] CA: "To go to Cetus and retrieve the psychopomp"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:19] RC: "Yes, but what makes you think THESE are the trials?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:20] CA: "Because what else would they be?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:20] CA: "Why would there be a random illusion maze under the throne room?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:20] RC: "Because I am angry. And I've decided to take it out on you."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:21] CA: "And what are you angry about?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:22] RC: "Why would I tell you?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:23] CA: "Because maybe I can help?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:24] RC: "You have helped. You abandoned Sami in the dark. And now she's caught. Thank you for that."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:24] CA: "...No she isn't"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:25] RC: "Are you sure?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:26] CA: "Yes, she isn't stupid... she wouldn't fall for your traps..."...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:26] CA: "You're simpy trying to scare me..."...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:27] RC: "Am I?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:27] CA: "yes, because that is what you do"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:27] RC: "How do you know what *I* do?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:27] CA: "Because you're doing it right now"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:30] RC: "So I AM scaring you. I'm sorry, would you like some comfort?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:31] CA: "What is that supposed to mean?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:31] RC: "Maybe if I brought you one of your friends?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:32] CA: "It'd just be an illusion woudn't it..."...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:33] RC: "How do you define an illusion?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:35] CA: illusion: noun a thing that is or is likely to be wrongly perceived or interpreted by the senses. ...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:35] CA: *" "...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:36] RC: "Then no, It's not an illusion, as you wouldn't be interpreting it wrongly."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:37] CA: "Would I? I'd be interpteting it as reality when it'd just be your magic, unless you plan to reunite my actual friends"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:38] RC: "But my 'magic' as you so colloquially put it, makes reality."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:40] CA: "What would you prefer? Powers? Illusions?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:42] RC: "Nothing. I'd prefer you accept the evidence in front of you, as you and your friends have been so reticent to. At least Nate was reasonable."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:43] CA: "Either way, I will have to politely decline your offer, as I have no right to be comforting myself while my friends are in danger"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:43] RC: "As you like. Would you at least like a snack or something?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:49] CA: "Why are you being so kind all of the sudden?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:50] RC: "Because I have been told that humans like to eat to ease emotional distress, especially regarding the loss of a loved one."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:50] CA: Beau stops. "What do you mean by that?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:51] RC: "Well I'm certainly not giving Sami BACK."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:51] CA: "Excuse me?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:52] RC: "There are interested parties that will pay quite well for her."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:53] CA: "Like who?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:53] RC: "Tsk tsk, don't fret over it."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:54] CA: "What are you talking about?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:55] CA: "Why would anyone buy Sami?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:55] RC: "It's better for you to just move on, anyway. Here let me see if I can whip something up for you."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:57] RC: The path ahead opens up, and reveals a lovely, meticulously decorated bedroom. There's a large open window overlooking a field of flowers, and beside it, a chessboard with a chair on either side.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[02:58] CA: "W-What is this...?"...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[03:00] RC: The door across the room opens, and Butler comes in, carrying a tray with food and tea on it. "There you are. I've brought lunch, you must be famished." He sets it on your bedside table. "Fancy a game of chess?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[03:00] CA: "B-Butler..."...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[03:01] RC: He looks up from pouring tea into a small china cup on a saucer. "Yes?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[03:02] CA: "I... I need to find my... friends..."...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[03:04] RC: "Yes yes, I'm sure. One moment." He sets a cup of tea by one of the comfortable chairs at the chess board, before going over to a cabinet and opening it. An array of stuffed annimals are tucked away inside, and he begins pulling them out. "Mr. Frumpypants, Miss Tenebrose, Princess Pepperlocks... Anyone else?" He turns to you with an affectionate smile.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[03:05] CA: "N-No... what about S-Sami and Nate and D-doir... they're out there..." Beau wavered, taking one step forward and another step back...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[03:06] RC: "Oh, would you like me to call their parents and guardians? Have you friends come over for the evening? Your birthday is coming up, if you'd like a party."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[03:09] CA: "N-No they're in the maze and that lady and... you're not real but... why does it seem so real?" She took a couple more steps forward...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[03:12] RC: "Did you have a nightmare or something?" He looks quizzically in your direction. "You wait here and eat your lunch, I'll send for a doctor." With that, he exits, leaving you in your bedroom.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">((Too be continued))