Not long after Genya starts banging on doors

[jesterlies]

Good evening members of the Grove, now that you've likely been awoken.

Your ever lovable Shadow Milk Cookie is here to remind everyone the importance of



signs.

Alas, what's done is done, however! There's nothing for it! I will be working on getting the door closed, so do not be alarmed, unless your skin starts melting off or something, in which case you should report that to me ASAP!

If you get a loud visit upon your doors warning you of the mist, please heed him! He is warning everyone on my orders, so take him seriously.

Comments

Sonboy is concerned

[lovelyredthread]

Do you need my help, dad?

he's smart

[jesterlies]

I'm afraid this is going to be aa "all hands on deck" situation, Cherub. I'm down at the Hall if you'd like to meet me.

[lovelyredthread]

I'm on my way then. Shouldn't take long.

[ His wings are basically all done growing their feathers now, so he's gonna fly over! ]

[jesterlies]

We're in the library!

[Since that's probably where they moved after getting out of the basement. Shadow Milk is laying on some comfy chase of some kind because he did not tell the netbook how the door backhand slapped his ass for trying to close it earlier.]

[lovelyredthread]

[ Depending on Shadow Milk's state he might seem kind of surprised ]

What happened? Are you okay?

[jesterlies]

[He does not look the be physically injured, but he has been laid up like a fainting Victorian.]

I'll be fine, little Cherub! The door got a little testy with me for trying to close it, that's all.

[His hand is slung across his face in a dramatic fashion, oh he is wasting away unless someone pays attention to him.]

[lovelyredthread]

[ Testy, huh? He doesn't look hurt so he has to wonder how so.

Well, for now he takes one of his father's hands, giving it little worried squeezes ]

Figures it wouldn't be that easy. What do you think we need to do?

[namuthing]

[Ew, wait, what the fuck. Genya shakes his pen a few times, then - ]

YOU DON'T HAVE TO CALL ME OUT IN FRONT OF THE BUDDHA AND EVERYONE -

[jesterlies]

I did not name your name, little rooster. You certainly removed aaaaall doubt just now.

[namuthing]

rooster! the hell kind of name is that?! it's genya, got it?

[Aaaand anyone who wasn't familiar with his writing style is now clued in as well.]

[jesterlies]

Sigh.

Well, so much for trying to cover you. You haven't stopped in your task to write this retort have you? If you miss a house, I'll make you regret it.

[namuthing]

... No!
I just - I needed to catch my breath. There are a lot of fuckin' people here, you realize that, right?

[jesterlies]

Good! I look forward to your report! I think this is a fine punishment don't you? And the lines that I'll have you write on the blackboard.

"I will not open forbidden doors to the after life." about a hundred times should suffice.

[namuthing]

a report? the hell are you expecting from it? i knocked on every door. people answered. no one is dead?

... like hell i'm writing lines, either

[jesterlies]

Oh? Done already?

Then plenty of time for you to write those lines!

[namuthing]

IT WAS HYPOTHETICAL, I'M STILL WORKING, LEAVE ME ALONE

[charlastan]

SO ON A SCALE FROM "I CAN GO BACK TO BED UNTIL MORNING AND IGNORE THIS" TO "I NEED TO ACTUALLY PUT PANTS ON AND DO SOMETHING" HOW LIKELY'S THE WHOLE SKIN MELTING THING?

[jesterlies]

A door to the afterlife was opened which I've been keeping sealed up in the basement of my Hall.

A somewhat similar door existed in my old Academy on Earthbread that was once opened, and the result of that peeled most of the inhabitants from their mortal dough like candied oranges. However this happened INSTANTLY for that door, where several of us were at ground zero for quite a while after it opened. No one's experienced side-effects YET, but everyone should be on alert.

You could very well go back to sleep! But if you wake up a ghost, don't say I didn't warn you! Of course this could just be hyper vigilance on my part, I'm not used to NOT knowing something! And I have no idea what consequences this might bring!

[lupusxylem]

I would love to wake up and just have a nice, normal morning in the Grove for once. And I do mean "normal" as in "wow that's a new weird thing of the month happening out of our control, anyway-"

Not completely preventable shit that we ourselves are causing, you feel me? Though maybe if the door was that bad you should have put more than just "DO NOT OPEN" on it. Maybe a "DO NOT OPEN YOUR SKIN WILL MELT" would have made more sense.

[jesterlies]

We all have the Witch's Curse, I'm afraid! Cursed to an interesting existence! I am just a puppet of fates design!

I ASSURE YOU I had that door locked down with half a dozen magical wards and seals that should have ONLY been crackable by Me or Lily-belle. Shame on me for not anticipating how completely deranged the abilities you people have are!

[lupusxylem]

No kiddin? So do you think it was on purpose? Or was it an accident or what??

[jesterlies]

No, no, I don't think he's smart enough to have bad intentions! I think the door just called out to him with a voice he recognized and he did what those hero-minded types like to do when they think someone's in trouble!

[lupusxylem]

Okay, yeah. That makes more sense. We do have a lotta those types here.

Guess that was inevitable to happen at some point, in that case.

[ancientlight]

Please, allow me to help.

.... And what exactly is this mist?

( And why on earth is there a door like this in the general vicinity??? But he will get to that!! )

[jesterlies]

If you insist, you can come meet me at the Research Hall, Vanilly!

As for WHAT the mist is, it came spewing out of a gate to the underworld so I can only assume it’s some unholy slurry of wayward souls.

[ancientlight]

( Oh. Oh dear... That certainly tracks for him, but...

This is a mess, and one he hopes will get an explanation. It's a bit before Pure Vanilla responds. )

Of course. I'll be there shortly.

... I assume that I did not know of this before?

[jesterlies]

[That's fine, this is a conversation he'd rather have in person, anyway.]

You did. We discovered it together, in fact. We'll talk more about it once you're here.

text -> action?

[ancientlight]

I understand. I will be there shortly.

( How much did the both of them work together on? This is another step in the right direction in catching up. At the same time, if the both of them discovered this, then it's likely that they could be the solution to putting an end to all this.

So, Shadow Milk will hear Pure Vanilla's approaching footsteps only moments after his last message. )

action

[jesterlies]

[And really, he did intend to tell Vanilla about this sooner than later, he was just waiting for him to be a little more settled before he sprung this little secret on him.]

[When Vanilla finds him, he'll be in one of the main libraries of the hall. He's laid up on the couch like a wasting Victorian but once he sees Vanilla, he shifts so he's lounging a bit more salaciously.]

Come here often?

[Vanilla would be within rights to smack him with his staff. Either way, Vanilla might also pick up through the Jam that he's been injured, but in a very strange almost spiritual way. His body's been rendered weak and cold and his stamina is fucking gone.]

[ancientlight]

( Oh, and that's exactly what happened, Pure Vanilla light hitting Shadow Milk at the top of his head, clearing his throat shortly after.

Though, it hadn't taken long for him to sense that something was wrong. His expression falls and he looks to Shadow Milk in concern. )

Are you in need of healing?

[jesterlies]

[bonked!! How could he! Just kidding, he laughs like a little shit from under his staff.]

[He shifts so he’s sitting up more, calls his staff so he can lean on it a bit.]

You can give it a try, but Lily-belle couldn’t heal very much of what the door did to me. Alas! I fear I was slapped by Death itself.

[He waves his hand towards the door.]

To go down into the basement I’ll just take a smaller form and have you carry me.

[ancientlight]

( Death itself... With how much chaos all of this is causing, how could he not feel wary? But more than that, he wants to get to the bottom of this.

Still, he'll attempt to heal Shadow Milk all the same, lifting his staff upwards just enough to use his ability. )

As long as you do not strain yourself, we can go down together.

( He's familiar enough with Shadow Milk's abilities to know how he can shape-shift with ease. )