Big Trouble in the Big House

[divus]

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[divus]

[The grapevines seem to snake their way around some of the masks, too, and the arcade game beeps again as Zoe gets closer. It's Pac-Man, weirdly enough. It looks like it's free to play, too.

The masks are still looming overhead, but no matter where they go in the room it feels like the leopard's eyes are watching them. There's a low rumbling coming from somewhere though, almost too quiet to hear. The vines slink to the floor, growing a little inch by inch as bushels of grapes burst from the vines themselves.

Watch your step.]

[tootsiepop]

[Hm. Don't like that!

He's about to ask Zoe for clarification, but. Uh. He stops midstep, still keeping an eye on the leopard, and holds up a hand.]

Wait. Quiet. Do you hear something?

[selfimmolates]

[it's a bit awkward, but ray adjusts his gun to grip it with one hand, as he withdraws his dagger with his other hand. (how many weapons does ray have on him? don't ask.)

he nods, quiet.]

[requiemed]

[Whispered, once she hears it as well:]

Maybe we should go.

[divus]

[The vines continue to creep along the floor, sliding around their shoes and their ankles.

Purring intensifies.

Zoe maybe has a good idea, but the vines will begin to tighten and root them into place.

Hm. Bad.]

[tootsiepop]

[Oh.

This is fine.

Connor is going to try yanking his feet out of the vines' hold, but when that obviously doesn't work—]

—Shit.

[The one (1) time he'll ever curse.

Anyway, a little help from the local braincell?]

[selfimmolates]

Damn it—!

[it takes some maneuvering, but he places his gun back in its holster. which might seem like an odd move... except it becomes clear that he wanted his hand free to, uh. pull out what looks suspiciously like a 6' utility knife??]

Zoe!

[he's going to try and pass said knife onto zoe (sorry, connor, but he cares about her more than you. also, tagging order), before he tries to cut away at his own vines with his dagger. can't exactly help the roomba until he's free first??]

[requiemed]

—Since when were you programmed to swear?!

[PRIORITIES!!

Anyways, she's taking that knife and trying not to drop it in her haste. She's echoing Ray's motions, trying to cut away at the vines enough to let her move to try and help Connor.]

[divus]

[The vines cut away fairly easily since they're just vines, but as they're cut, a red, alcoholic-smelling liquid spills from the splits in the foliage. The vines are moving faster but they're somewhat manageable. Connor might even be able to rip a vine away, but there's a new problem and it's that the leopard head mounted on the wall is eyeing them.

And roars very, very, loudly.

Hello.]

[tootsiepop]

—You had the utility knife?!

[Everyone in this group has amazing priorities.




Anyway. Connor will get down to business on his end, ripping away whatever vines he can manage. Unfortunately for them— that leopard head sure is looking at them! And it sure is, you know, growling. And doing things a dead murder cat shouldn't do.

Maybe they should, uh, get free and get gone.]

[selfimmolates]

None of that matters right now, both of you!?

[pri! ori! ties!

also yeah that leopard head sure is worrying. once he's free, he'll leave connor to zoe while he gets his gun back out, pointing it at the leopard head.]

Get out—now!

[he's waiting for you two!!]

[requiemed]

[As soon as she's fended off the vines near her, she's hurrying back to do the same for Connor, trying to move enough as she does that nothing else can take hold.

If that works, she's tugging on his arm and ushering him to the door.]

Come on!

[divus]

[The vines are wilting, withering away and wine spills in puddles over the floor. It'll cause them to slip and slide their way out of the room, and the leopard bares its teeth upon seeing Ray's gun. It snarls and growls loudly as the vines retreat to wrap through the masks, giving the appearance of more eyes watching them. The Pac-Man machine beep-boops its way through life, doing its best as the group escapes the room. The head can't go anywhere no matter how much it snarls at Ray, but the three of them can trip their way back out to the hall.

The door will slam behind them and the cat roars angrily before the low rumbling purr returns.

That's one room down. What's next? There's a door down the hall, and there's a staircase.]

[tootsiepop]

[Slip and sliding their way to safety, ig. Connor somehow, miraculously, keeps his balance even as they skedaddle over the wine puddles. No tumbling to the ground — unless Zoe loses her balance and pulls him down, that is.

Once they're all safely outside and the door has slammed shut behind them, Connor is just. Going to squint at the wine stains on his pants and shoes. Squint at his jacket. Start fussing with his tie, like that's going to solve anything.]

Well, that yielded nothing. [EXCEPT STRESS. He sounds so very annoyed.] Are you both unharmed?

[selfimmolates]

[ray doesn't care about the mess, instead holding his hand out to zoe. knife back, please.]

Yeah.

... I think maybe we were supposed to appease that stupid thing.

[like FEED IT APPARENTLY

watch them revise their strategy only for the next room to require violence.]

[requiemed]

[She's looking with mild dismay down at her converse, but when Ray speaks up, she glances his way.]

I'm fine, but... Can I keep it until we leave? You have a gun. [But, hm.] Appease it with what? Leopards aren't exactly known for eating grapes.

[stares directly at ty]

You think we should head into that room next? Maybe it'll have less death vines.

[divus]

[Someone save the distressed roomba. As it is, the house goes quiet, and somewhere above them they'll hear a lock very faintly click open.

The door to the next room, near the stairs, also clicks open. They can either investigate or they can head straight upstairs. That's up to them, but at least there aren't leopards in other parts of the house.]

[tootsiepop]

[He's fine. It's fine.]

I don't see how we were meant to appease a disembodied head. [STARES AT TY MORE INTENSELY

But

anyway—]

... Is someone else in the house with us? [Well. It's probably magical bullshit.] We should finish investigating downstairs before we head to another floor.

[selfimmolates]

I mean, it's also just as likely that Cunning is screwing with us.

[but sure, let's go.]

[requiemed]

...Yeah, I guess that checks out.

[smh @ cunning

but yes, through the other door they go, probably.]

[divus]

[As they venture through the other door, they'll find themselves wandering down a flight of stairs. For a house this big, it also seems to have a basement.

Careful, it's dark. Also there's lots of boxes? Like if you walk down the stairs you're immediately going to crash knee-first into a stack of boxes. That's probably nothing though, right?]

[tootsiepop]

[Well.

This sure is a spoopy basement. Connor pauses at the doorway, checking first to make sure there aren't any obvious light switches available. After finding none, he sighs.]

I wouldn't suppose Ray is carrying a flashlight with him as well?

[... And whatever the answer is, he's going to insist on going first. It's fine if he gets stabbed by a basement monster? Anyway— On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is their encounter with the boxes going to be, y'all.]

[selfimmolates]

[i can't answer that question because ray possibly would've thought to but i, oocly, did not so unless ty gives me retroactive permission to say he made one or something,

but ray is going to be careful as he goes down the stairs, i dunno about the rest of you!!]

[requiemed]

[Zoe’s also walking pretty carefully down these incredibly ominous basement stairs, so there will probably not be any accidental roomba stabbing.]

Do you guys see anything?

[divus]

[Nope, no lights for you guys, good luck. Luckily for them there's only a big box at the foot of the stairs, but there seem to be small glass jars scattered around the stairs themselves. They'll have to navigate those carefully to get to the bottom.

There's no leopard head or anything in the room, but they'll hear what sounds like gentle babbling of words that don't make sense. It's more nonsense than actual sentences, but it's coming from a back corner.

There are still mountains of boxes and jars though. Persist? Or head upstairs again and leave?]