>>31145403

The snow definitely ain’t cutting it, you could handle this if it were just outrageously spicy coco. But there’s something else to this. As you blink through burry tears, you can see the setting sun squeezing through cracks in the winter sky. Even just that little bit feels like the front of flashing heat from an oven being swung open.

Your jacket is making this absolute hell. You start at the buttons, wolf teeth you hunted yourself, cursing yourself for every last one. Even one less fang would be that much less time you have to spend wearing this prison.

You trip on something, aimlessly walking in your confusion. As you land you hear the distinct otherworldly ringing of a frozen lake. You finally have your jacket off, and you swing it wide with all your strength.

The exertion has swept the snow free of the protective layer on top of the lake. It’s so close, only a few inches of ice separate you from thousands of tons of ice cold water.

>[ ] Do something stupid.
>[ ] Think about this first. COMMAND+STABILITY

>>31145450
>[x] Think about this first. COMMAND+STABILITY

>>31145643
20 min voting time out starts now!

Also hey! You there! Thanks for reading!

>>31145670
Wow I slaughtered that sentence.

20 Voting PERIOD starts now, I meant.

>>31145643
>>31145670
wait so does this vote count?

>>31145733
Yes it counts, I just meant that I'm not starting the count down until the first vote showed up.

>>31145752
ohhhhh

>>31145450
>[x] Think about this first. COMMAND+STABILITY

Yeah, let's go with this.

>>31145450
>[x] Think about this first. COMMAND+STABILITY

>>31145643
>>31145826

>COMMAND+STABILITY TO CALM DOWN 3d10

>get rollan

Rolled 1

>>31146196

Rolled 6

>>31146196

>>31146396
welp sorry bout that

Rolled 1

>>31146406
Woops

Wrong dice

Rolled 9

>>31146196
>>31146396
>>31146428

Rolled 8

>>31146396
>>31146428
ahahahaha

>>31146501
Not a crit fail, just an extremely pedestrian success.

>>31146396
>>31146428
>>31146447

https://soundcloud.com/user7860487/3-frozen-lake-expanding-ice

> 2x1 TO STAY CALM

You think you hear someone yelling.

You put your fists together and bring them up and as far back as they will go. Another drone quakes through the layer of ice on the lake. You raise your fists again, steam wreathing your arms.

The next crack is forgiving and sharp at the same time. You hear the ice scream and shutter. The plume of steam that billows out of the hole startles you out of your stupor.

You stand back up backing away from the icy water you nearly fell in. Your gloves steaming as they quickly dry.

>1/2

>>31146652
Can you embed soundcloud links??

>>31146652

“Oh, hmm. Perhaps I should lower the dosage for the next group then?” You hear andrea start, placing a hand on your shoulder before pulling it away quickly. “Really, really, really sorry about that Fera.”

You try to focus as you peel off your third and second layers, finally kicking off your boots. The snow feels wonderful on your bare feet. At least, it does before it quickly melts and begins to boil away.

“Uh, Fera dear, could you possibly go get your friend over there to bring her clothes back up?” You wipe the sweat off your brow as you shield your eyes from the sun to look in the direction she indicates.

A dozen or so feet down the beach, on the lake, you see another hole in the lake. Mica’s red and black coat lies with her boots and a set legwarmers. Another set of leggings and a tunic float in the water, tousled around by boiling water.

>[ ] What the hell is wrong with Andrea!
>[ ] Oh gods Mica!
>[ ] Sure thing Andrea!
>[ ] CUSTOM

>>31146886
>>[X] Oh gods Mica!

>>31146886
>[x] Oh gods Mica!

>>31147023
>>31147198

You hear, but don’t see Andrea sigh as you bolt off, across the lake and to the hole. You call her name in panic as you get closer to the water. Your cadence switches from all out sprint to a short hop as you prepare the trajectory for your dive. Your feet make contact with the lake’s ice shelf one last time as you bound and angle forward. The ice buckles under the focused application of your weight, bringing your leap slightly too short. In your last second maneuvers to dodge the edge of the ice you lose track of up just as you plunge into the lake.

For a few panicked seconds you thrash at the blinding wall of boiling water that surrounds you. Once you realise it isn’t actually harming you at all, it finally clears. The entire lake is illuminated dimly by the diffused and draining sunlight from the setting sun. You can clearly see where up is again, a dreamy plane of pink and blue above you.

You strain to see any sign of Mica, or the hole you dove in.

> SENSE+PERCEPTION 6d10 TO SPOT MICA, THE SURFACE
HEIGHT 4 NEEDED FOR THE SURFACE

> Roll!

Rolled 8

>>31147433

Rolled 2

>>31147433

>>31147433
Due to player drought, I ask for two rolls from each anon, at least for now.
Honor system here peeps!

Rolled 5

>>31147433

Rolled 8

>>31147433
rollin again

Rolled 5

>>31147433

Rolled 3

>>31147433

>>31147620
>>31147702
>>31147883
>>31147892
>>31148024
>>31148123

> 2x8 TO SPOT

You see an odd discoloration in the “sky”. Some plain black clothes float weightlessly in the water. Following a trail of bubbles, you see it connects the hole you dove into to Mica’s pale form. You maneuver yourself to look to the lakebed as she continues to dive down. There is something glimmering up ahead of her, among a large rock formation at the bottom. You start moving toward her as she reaches it and begins slinking around the rocks. She looks like she’s trying to pull on something.

>[ ] Descend and help Mica BODY+ATHLETICS 4d10
>[ ] Surface and call Nolan for help
>[ ] Dive and convince Mica to surface.
>[ ] Lets assume custom from now on.

Rolled 5

>>31148135
>[x] Descend and help Mica BODY+ATHLETICS 4d10

>>31148160
Please don't roll until a vote is decided.
That way peeps don't just default to an action they already see has a success.

Thanks!

>>31148189
sorry forgot to turn off dice

>>31148239
No problem.

>>31148135
>>[X] Descend and help Mica BODY+ATHLETICS 4d10

While we wait here for the voting time to run out. I'll just mention that voting to use willpower is a thing that can be done, the likely to happen vote seems a little dangerous for us here.

Consider it? Don't? Just a suggestion, remember, you can call for a willpower vote any time yourselves.

Be sure to check the rules pastebin if you want to know specifics.

>>31148160
>>31148347

>[X] Descend and help Mica BODY+ATHLETICS 4d10

>Roll it!

Rolled 4

>>31148539

Rolled 7

>>31148539

Rolled 7

>>31148539

>>31148539
>headdesk

Mica helping you gives 1 extra die to this roll.

>[X] Descend and help Mica BODY+ATHLETICS 5d10 MICA IS ASSISTING

Don't worry, previous rolls are still legit.

Rolled 10

>>31148539

Rolled 4

>>31148539

>>31148579
>>31148596
>>31148660
>>31148705
>>31148748

>2x7 TO LIFT

You cough out a bubble of surprise at what you realise is Mica’s nude form once you get to the rocks. You quickly refocus on the task at hand and start to survey the glimmer’s source: A silvery glowing locket, just a bit smaller than your fist, strains for the surface. It’s long cord is pinned underneath the tip of a pyramidal arrangement of black porous rocks.

Mica stands with her feet on two of the base rocks, pulling on the top one. You dig your feet into the sandy lakebed and shoulder check the rock Mica isn’t standing on. With a murky crack the formation tumbles and Mica settles for pushing the cap rock off the remaining two. She wraps the cord around her arm and kicks off the surface.

You follow suit, grabbing and redirecting her to the hole in the ice.

>1/2

>>31148886

The two of you break the surface, surrounded by large chunks of ice and at least half of Mica’s clothing.

“Spirits at rest! This is great!” Mica gasps. “Isn’t, gah, this great!?” She wraps her arms around a large ish sheet of ice, using it to keep herself afloat, if not decent.

“You’re going, to get us, killed, you know that!” You bark in between gasps and laughter.

You see Nolan, joyful relief on his face, carefully walk up to the two of you. He’s down to His first pair of trousers. “Thank the gods, neither of you drowned! H-here, I’ll help you out.” He says, reaching his hands to either of you. He hasn’t seemed to realise Mica’s state yet.

>[ ] Wait! Nolan! Shes not-!
>[ ] Help me up already.
>[ ] Wait I think I saw some more of her clothes down here.

>>31149119
>[x] Wait! Nolan! Shes not-!

>>31149119
>[X] Wait I think I saw some more of her clothes down here.

Tell him to turn around and if he looks he might lose an eye.

Rolled 1

>>31149161
>>31149177

>Coin flip!

Rolled 2

>>31149362

You kick forward, planting one arm onto the ice shelf, the other forward, signaling to halt. “Wait! Nolan!” You say, just as he mistakenly grabs your outstretched arm. “She’s not-!” You are quickly slung out of the water in one motion. You hardly had the time to grab his head and spin him around before he went to help Mica up. “Mica is not decent!” You hiss into his ear, the water spray from the utterance and splashed onto him from your body quietly boil away as it lands on Nolan.

Must you defend her modesty as well?

You’re starting to think this wit- this, GIRL, is going to be a liability.

Andrea is standing nearby, her hands cupped over her mouth as she laughs into them.
“Oh! Oh wow! I’m fairly certain I didn’t put THAT in the coco.” She jogs up and collects some of Mica’s dry things, giggling all the way. You continue to hold Nolan’s head as Mica dips back into the water.

“Oh what is she doing now?” You exclaim, letting go of Nolan’s head. He slowly turns back around after eying you and Andrea.

>1/2

>>31149662

“Uh, why is she?” Nolan gabs, scratching the back of his head. You notice steam seems to rise off his broad shoulders wherever snow lands on them. Then you notice the same happening with you as the water slowly dissipates.

You hear, and feel another resonant THONK ring out from beneath the two of you. You and Nolan step out of the way as you watch for whatever on earth Mica is doing. After a few seconds, you hear the ice whining quietly as two holes melt through it from underneath. Nolan quickly finds somewhere else to look. With the sun, Andrea, and you on all sides, he settles with folding his arms nervously and looking straight up.

Mica appears from the plume of steam that results when she melts enough ice to stick her torso through. Thankfully she is dressed in the clothes she left underwater now.

“So, I know this is probably our next clue and all, but, lake!” She punctuates her one word argument with a splash. “How many chances will we have to swim under it like this?”

>[ ] She’s got a point.
>[ ] Ugh, give me that locket!
>[ ] CUSTOM

>>31149858
>[X] She’s got a point.

I have to say this side trip was worth it.

>>31149989

You posture with a huff, hands on your hips. Looking off, considering her idea, you see Andrea elbowing Nolan. He eventually turns back around, fixing his glasses, significantly less tense.

“Alright, show me how you did that.” You say, looking away from Mica.

You’ve never particularly cared for swimming, most rivers around here aren’t very deep, and the lake is filled with bland tasting fish. Prancing across the underside of the ice, like an upside down dolphin brings a certain exhilaration nonetheless. Not quite the thrill of the hunt but. It’s nice, even when you hunt together with Lem, or Gil, it isn’t quite like this.

For some reason you wish Andrea would join in too, or even that one of the other groups would show up.

After what must have been at least half an hour, you three have exited the lake, fingers wrinkly. Andrea has gotten two of her children, the boy you saw before with a missing tooth, and a slightly older girl with wavy brown hair, to bring down a few coat hangers.

By now, the heat generated by her potions has already dried the miniscule amount of clothing the three of you wear now. You see why the alchemist has been dressed like this the whole time. Any more than one layer of clothing is stifling at this point. Andrea offers to keep an eye on your extra clothes here, and explains that your “dosages” shouldn’t fade for another four hours.

>1/?

>>31150340

You start heading back over to Gil’s lodge, walking across the lake. Mica seems hugely more chipper now, even Nolan seems less stiff and out of place.

“Oh!” Mica clasps a hand over her mouth. “I completely forgot about your sister! Aw I wish she could have swam with us!”

You chuckle, a puff of fog shooting out from your smile, which is beginning to ache. “I don’t think sister would have appreciated a visit to the lake, or the coco for that matter.”

Nolan speaks up “Ok, I’m lost, who are we talking about? I don’t know anyone around here who looks like you.” You turn and look past your other shoulder.

“She’s not, well, human, Nolan.”

“But, wait, how is she your sister then?”

“The same way your mothers many sons are your brothers,”

“What? I... What? You mean you two were...”

>[ ] No, we protect each other! Stupid! [JOVIAL]
>[ ] No, we would kill for each other! [ACCUSATORY]
>[ ] No, we would die for each other! [RESOLUTE]

>>31150599
>[x] No, we would die for each other! [RESOLUTE]

>>31150599

>Also:
Fera, Mica, and Nolan have all gained 1 WILLPOWER for spending time together. And an additional 1 WILLPOWER for successfully getting the second clue of the third leg of the hunt!

>>31150599
>[x] No, we protect each other! Stupid! [JOVIAL]

>>31150599
>[X] No, we protect each other! Stupid! [JOVIAL]

>>31150684
Actually...why not both!

>>31150865
we would die to protect each other?

>>31150684
>>31150801
>>31150865

>One vote for either one and one for both. Isn't that like, the opposite of a tie?

“No, we protect each other!” You laugh. “Stupid!” Mica giggles with you, you hear Nolan scoffing as he no doubt scratches the back of his head. “We, we’d die for each other. That’s how it is.” You finally let your grin rest for a bit, the three of you coming round the front of the lodge now.

“Hey, Fera...” Nolan stops at the foot of the steps. You and mica turn just as you reach for the door. “about what Jake said back there... was about to say...he didn’t mean it. I’m sure he didn’t.” He does his best to maintain eye contact. “I don’t condone his behavior but, he’s just scared is all, we all are.” He rubs his arms. “We all are.”

You aren’t quite sure how to react. After a moment, Mica steps back down and wraps an arm around his shoulders. It’s difficult for her to do so, as he’s at least a head taller than she is.

“Come,” Mica quietly suggests, “let us meet ‘sister.’” You open the door and the two walk in, Mica letting go of him so they can fit through the doorway.

> 1/2

>>31151154
> Actually, I think this is a good place to stop for tonight.
Thanks for sticking around peeps!

I'll hang about a bit in case any of you have any comments.

>ARCHIVE http://pastebin.com/G3JFYrv1
>TWITTER @Sojourneyman

>>31151424
>good place to stop
RIGHT BEFORE WE MEET SISTER!?!?!

>>31151460
That's how the professionals do it folks!

Glad to see you're excited tho, I'd continue but, well I have a pounding headache and dads ibuprofen is looking really good right about now.

That is usually a bad sign.

Look for this quest again Monday at 4:PM MST!