scotland ♔ yet how the wind revives us here

[untethered]

♬ Presentiment - Manami Kiyota

WHO || Belle, Gold, Emma, Hook, Lila [closed]
WHAT || Several Knights take a secret journey to try to help Amara...
WHERE || Oakhurst, Scotland
WHEN || January 15th, 2014 [forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam

It's probably a very good thing that Gold sweet-talked them a car in the nearby tiny Scottish village of Oakhurst, because it is freezing cold out and snow blankets almost everything around. Walking the seven miles up the Old Road to the ruins would be a bitch and a half.

Instead, they comfortably drove past rocky downs, near stands of old-growth oak covered in snow, and past two farms that looked abandoned. No other travelers were visible on the lonely road, which finally curves, passing east of a narrow ravine. Belle signals for them to pull over here, where, at the road's closest approach to the cleft, several broken pillars jut from the earth where the ravine widens and opens into something akin to more of a deep, but narrow, cavern. Two of the pillars stand straight, but most of them lean against the sloped earth. Others are broken and several have apparently fallen into the darkness-shrouded depths. A few similar pillars are visible on the opposite side of the ravine.

Comments

[undealt]

[Gold steps forward. Mr. ARCANE LORE EXPERT and possible reptile soulbonder has all the answers.] Don't listen to it. For starters, where there's one of these beasts, there will undoubtedly be others. And they love their traps.

[His sense motive was ungodly low, so he can tell Meepo's... freaked the fuck out and honest about it, but that doesn't mean anything. He's heartless, okay.]

[untethered]

[ the kobold looks very offended by gold's accusations, puffing up his little chest and protesting: ] "Meepo not an 'it'! You an it!" [ belle gently tries to guide him back to lila's question, at least. (diplomacy 25) ]

Do you know anything about the apples the goblins have? You say your kind was fighting them?

[ he seems sufficiently distracted from gold, and then looks miserable again. ]

"Meepo knows nothing about apples... Meepo had job, and-- and--" [ and suddenly his little eyes fill up with tears and he swipes furiously at them with the back of his scaly little hands ] "Gone! All gone!"

[unhand]

[Hook likes Meepo more now that it's sassing Gold.]

What was your job?

[uncurse]

[ emma's running on like 2% remaining tolerance for the y-chromosome's shit right now, and it's written all over her face as gold snaps at the cowering kobold. her eyes shut briefly, her jaw sets, and she shakes her head. KEEP IT UP, BRO. but belle manages to soothe it, so emma just sets on further answers. gold's warning is plaguing the back of her mind, so she watches the lizard thing carefully - intentionally or not (sense motive 24). ]

What's gone? Can you tell us about what happened? [ because if something went horribly horribly wrong it's better to find out now and turn back right ... (diplomacy 24). ]

[untethered]

[ he likes all these nice ladies. and emma gets the sense that all his weepiness is very real sorrow - the little bugger seems all but heartsick as he explains. ] "Meepo was Keeper of Dragons. Important job! But clan's dragon..." [ he unleashes a tiny wail, shaking his head pitifully and sniffling ] "Filthy goblins steal Calcryx!"

[bittersweeter]

The goblins stole... your dragon? [ she glances back at the cage for a moment before looking at the cute little doodle again. crouching down, she holds out her hand a little like come here little guy, i'll protect you from the douchefaucets over there but she doesn't push because she's super nice. ] That's awful. But I think I have a good guess as to why they needed... him? Is it a him?

[undealt]

[Well, Gold critfailed his wisdom check, so he's still on Team I Didn't Come On This Trip To Be Tortured By Tiny Lizard People.] Well, isn't that convenient.

[Look, he is amnesia Belle right now. He believes that Meepo's feelings are real, but that doesn't make him less sketchy as fuck and for all they know, his friends just weeded out the weak one to get the sympathy vote.]

[unhand]

[Hook shoots Gold an acidic glare. He's sympathetic to the creature's plight at this point, and more than that, he trusts Emma's judgment. Especially in relationship to Gold.]

I'm starting to regret not trying the plan where we split up.

[uncurse]

You're not the only one. [ emma cranes her neck to glower at gold for a moment before turning to lila. ] What's your guess? [ because somehow emma is not on this same page right now did she miss something. ]

[bittersweeter]

What better to guard a stockpile of magic apples than a dragon?

[undealt]

[Gold hates all of you so much right now, but he grits his teeth and tries to be polite.] And what about the rest of your clan?

[untethered]

"Meepo take you to meet leader, Yusdrayl, if you make nice. Grant you safe passage, if you promise not to hurt Meepo. Maybe if you promise to get dragon back, leader make nice to you, answer your questions."

[ belle looks at the others out of the corner of her eye before asking him: ] There are a lot of you here, I imagine?

"Many kobolds! Will try to hurt humans, if they go on alone!"

[uncurse]

[ wow she doesn't know if she should be grateful for the honesty or annoyed at the obvious threat there. ]

Well, that simples things up. [ diplomacy is easier than fighting two inhabiting peoples every time. ] Take us to your leader, Meepo. We'll talk dragon recovery.

[bittersweeter]

[ quietly, with some laughter: ] Did you really just say "take us to your leader"?

[undealt]

[UNDER HIS BREATH] I did warn you.

[uncurse]

Oh, shut up. [ she's biting back a grin as she gives lila a little elbow nudge while she straightens up. ]

[unhand]

[Hook quietly hands Lila back her flashlight. He isn't drawing his sword again... yet. But as harmless as Meepo seems, he doesn't want to be caught with full hand if his friends aren't quite so harmless. Just a precaution.]

[untethered]

It can't hurt to try the diplomatic approach. [ she gently reminds gold, as meepo perks up completely, practically jumping up and down. ] "Big people help Meepo! Calcryx, Meepo will find you!" [ he immediately starts scampering to an archway directly across the chamber from where they entered, and belle starts to follow him, down a very long thin hall where they pass a hall that branches to the right and a few more doors. ]

[undealt]

I suppose not. At the very least, it might spare us from wandering aimlessly. [He shoots Belle a sheepish look- oh look, he'll be contrite around her.

He does, however, lower his voice in a warning to the rest.] Don't let your guard down- that one may be pure of intent, but intentions mean nothing. They're resentful, cunning creatures, and the rest of the clan may not be so eager to repay a debt to humans.

[untethered]

[ several paces ahead, at the edge of the flashlight, the kobold squeaks: ] "Meepo can hear you!"

[ belle looks way too amused, and doesn't even hide it. ] This one might get resentful too, if we keep expecting the worst from him. Poor dear.

[bittersweeter]

[ lila snickers softly, tugging her other glove off with her teeth and shoving it in her pocket. ] Oh I like him.

[uncurse]

[ emma will quietly take gold's advice, at least, and keep her hand on her gun as she follows them all down the narrow hallway. better to be prepared. meepo, she trusts, is harmless. ] So, if you're the keeper of dragons, you've probably seen this thing. How big is it, exactly?

[untethered]

"Big! Big big dragon to help kobolds take over citadel! Mascot! Very important." [ he turns to put a finger to his mouth ] "But shh! Better if guards don't hear humans. Less to explain for Meepo."

[unhand]

[Hook doesn't much like the sound of that, either, but it seems sage enough advice. He keeps quiet as they move, pausing only to shoot Emma a worried look.]

[undealt]

[Basically, Gold was right and this is shady as hell, but he is not talking anymore. Lay on, MacDuff Meepo]