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writetomyheart2022-02-21 09:54 pm
yrindor) wrote in writetomyheart2022-02-21 09:54 pm
Entry tags:
[Team Three] For Want of a Mushroom
Inspired by the most recent event in the Japanese Twisted Wonderland game. Jack, Rook, and Jade join Epel in returning to Harveston for the fall harvest festival. Unfortunately, what should have been a leisurely stroll in the mountains doesn't go according to plan. Gen, 1k, G.
"We're going to find a way. I promise," Rook said. "The mountain might be big, but there's only so far that Monsieur Mastermind could have gone, and between the three of us, we'll track him down. What sort of hunters would we be if we couldn't even find a fish out of water on a clear day?"
"I'm not a hunter," Epel said. "I was never any good at it."
"Nonsense!" Rook exclaimed. "It's just a matter of practice. Plus, you know this mountain better than any of us. Knowing the territory is key to any Hunt. Isn't that right, Monsieur Tough Guy?"
Jack nodded as he unrolled a large map across the table. "Thanks to your grandmother and couple of the others for finding this for us in the Assembly Hall and letting us borrow it. We have to remember to return it before we leave."
"You didn't tell them why we needed it, did you?" Epel asked. He clasped his hands in front of him as he spoke, shifting nervously from side to side.
"I told them we wanted a better view of the mountain to plan the last day of our trip. Is that okay?"
"I think so. It's just that if they knew Jade was missing, they'd insist on sending a search party out to find him, and it's the middle of the harvest right now. It's always the busiest time of year, but with everyone getting older, that's already hard enough for them. They can't afford to be out all night up in the mountains. Plus, what if one of them slipped and got hurt? We can't let that happen."
"Why don't they ask for help with the harvest if it's too much?" Jack asked. "I tried to offer, but they all said they were fine. I could move the baskets twice as fast as they can!"
"You're a visitor," Epel said. "Harveston prides itself on its hospitality. No matter how dire things are, they'd never accept putting festival guests to work. That's why I want to bring what I've learned from Night Raven College back here in the future. They're more likely to accept new technology if it comes from someone they already know. Anyway, they'll be fine this year as long as we find Jade before they notice. Vice-dorm head Rook distracted them for dinner tonight, but if Jade is missing tomorrow morning too, they'll definitely notice."
"Which is why we're going on a Hunt tonight!" Rook said, gesturing across the map with a flourish of his arm. "Isn't it glorious? A thrilling Hunt on a clear fall night under the brilliant light of a full moon. It makes the blood sing in your veins, doesn't it?"
"I just hope Jade's okay," Epel said.
"I hope so too. Mountains can be dangerous even in the summer," Jack added.
"Nonsense! Monsieur Mastermind isn't the leader of the Mountaineering Club without reason, and he's a far more skilled adversary than he lets on. Underestimate him at your own peril. Now let's make a plan, shall we? We are here." Rook touched the small dot of the village at the base of the mountain with a perfectly manicured fingernail. "The last we saw Monsieur Mastermind, he was here." He pointed to a fork in the trail partway up the mountain. "He said he wished to observe some rare mushrooms he spotted, and he promised he'd be waiting for us at the junction when we returned from the from the overlook. However, he was nowhere to be found when we returned, and he didn't respond to any of our calls. After searching the trail in both directions, we decided to return to the village, see if he had returned on his own, and come up with a plan if he had not, which brings us to now. At the rate he moves, the farthest he could have traveled in this time is this radius here." He drew an invisible circle around the trail with his finger. "Epel, you know this area best. Are there any unmarked trails around here he could have wandered onto?"
Epel closed his eyes as if visualizing the landscape. "I'm not sure I'd call them trails exactly, but there's places where the forest thins out enough you can walk through. I used to sneak off to them all the time growing up. It's like your own secret world once you get off of the trails. You have to be careful not to get lost, but there's all sorts of neat stuff in the woods if you know what to look for!"
"Do any of them have mushrooms?" Jack asked. "Jade hasn't stopped talking about them since you mentioned this trip to him. If he saw any, he might have wandered off of the path even farther while we were gone."
"There could be mushrooms anywhere, Jack," Epel replied. "They can grow anywhere on the mountain if the conditions are right, and it was a damp summer. The best mushroom spots are where it's sheltered and cool though. There's a little valley here that everyone swears by. It's hard to find the entrance if you don't know to look for it though. The more obvious spot is below the ridge on the other side. There's stream over there too; if Jade was lost and trying to find water, he'd probably go that way."
"Do we split up then? Monsieur Tough Guy and our dear little Monsieur Cherry Apple together, and I to strike off on my own in pursuit of our dear, lost companion?"
"No!" Epel shouted. "The mountain is too dangerous at night. Even in town everyone no one goes out there alone. It's too risky, and if someone gets lost or hurt alone, then you have to send out another search party for them. We need to stay together."
"And so Monsieur Cherry Apple has spoken. We'll hunt as a group. Between his knowledge of the land, Monsieur Tough Guy's nose, and my prowess as a hunter, we'll find our Monsieur Mastermind and have him back here in a blink. What are we waiting for? We have a plan, so let's go."
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wolfodder is up next!
"We're going to find a way. I promise," Rook said. "The mountain might be big, but there's only so far that Monsieur Mastermind could have gone, and between the three of us, we'll track him down. What sort of hunters would we be if we couldn't even find a fish out of water on a clear day?"
"I'm not a hunter," Epel said. "I was never any good at it."
"Nonsense!" Rook exclaimed. "It's just a matter of practice. Plus, you know this mountain better than any of us. Knowing the territory is key to any Hunt. Isn't that right, Monsieur Tough Guy?"
Jack nodded as he unrolled a large map across the table. "Thanks to your grandmother and couple of the others for finding this for us in the Assembly Hall and letting us borrow it. We have to remember to return it before we leave."
"You didn't tell them why we needed it, did you?" Epel asked. He clasped his hands in front of him as he spoke, shifting nervously from side to side.
"I told them we wanted a better view of the mountain to plan the last day of our trip. Is that okay?"
"I think so. It's just that if they knew Jade was missing, they'd insist on sending a search party out to find him, and it's the middle of the harvest right now. It's always the busiest time of year, but with everyone getting older, that's already hard enough for them. They can't afford to be out all night up in the mountains. Plus, what if one of them slipped and got hurt? We can't let that happen."
"Why don't they ask for help with the harvest if it's too much?" Jack asked. "I tried to offer, but they all said they were fine. I could move the baskets twice as fast as they can!"
"You're a visitor," Epel said. "Harveston prides itself on its hospitality. No matter how dire things are, they'd never accept putting festival guests to work. That's why I want to bring what I've learned from Night Raven College back here in the future. They're more likely to accept new technology if it comes from someone they already know. Anyway, they'll be fine this year as long as we find Jade before they notice. Vice-dorm head Rook distracted them for dinner tonight, but if Jade is missing tomorrow morning too, they'll definitely notice."
"Which is why we're going on a Hunt tonight!" Rook said, gesturing across the map with a flourish of his arm. "Isn't it glorious? A thrilling Hunt on a clear fall night under the brilliant light of a full moon. It makes the blood sing in your veins, doesn't it?"
"I just hope Jade's okay," Epel said.
"I hope so too. Mountains can be dangerous even in the summer," Jack added.
"Nonsense! Monsieur Mastermind isn't the leader of the Mountaineering Club without reason, and he's a far more skilled adversary than he lets on. Underestimate him at your own peril. Now let's make a plan, shall we? We are here." Rook touched the small dot of the village at the base of the mountain with a perfectly manicured fingernail. "The last we saw Monsieur Mastermind, he was here." He pointed to a fork in the trail partway up the mountain. "He said he wished to observe some rare mushrooms he spotted, and he promised he'd be waiting for us at the junction when we returned from the from the overlook. However, he was nowhere to be found when we returned, and he didn't respond to any of our calls. After searching the trail in both directions, we decided to return to the village, see if he had returned on his own, and come up with a plan if he had not, which brings us to now. At the rate he moves, the farthest he could have traveled in this time is this radius here." He drew an invisible circle around the trail with his finger. "Epel, you know this area best. Are there any unmarked trails around here he could have wandered onto?"
Epel closed his eyes as if visualizing the landscape. "I'm not sure I'd call them trails exactly, but there's places where the forest thins out enough you can walk through. I used to sneak off to them all the time growing up. It's like your own secret world once you get off of the trails. You have to be careful not to get lost, but there's all sorts of neat stuff in the woods if you know what to look for!"
"Do any of them have mushrooms?" Jack asked. "Jade hasn't stopped talking about them since you mentioned this trip to him. If he saw any, he might have wandered off of the path even farther while we were gone."
"There could be mushrooms anywhere, Jack," Epel replied. "They can grow anywhere on the mountain if the conditions are right, and it was a damp summer. The best mushroom spots are where it's sheltered and cool though. There's a little valley here that everyone swears by. It's hard to find the entrance if you don't know to look for it though. The more obvious spot is below the ridge on the other side. There's stream over there too; if Jade was lost and trying to find water, he'd probably go that way."
"Do we split up then? Monsieur Tough Guy and our dear little Monsieur Cherry Apple together, and I to strike off on my own in pursuit of our dear, lost companion?"
"No!" Epel shouted. "The mountain is too dangerous at night. Even in town everyone no one goes out there alone. It's too risky, and if someone gets lost or hurt alone, then you have to send out another search party for them. We need to stay together."
"And so Monsieur Cherry Apple has spoken. We'll hunt as a group. Between his knowledge of the land, Monsieur Tough Guy's nose, and my prowess as a hunter, we'll find our Monsieur Mastermind and have him back here in a blink. What are we waiting for? We have a plan, so let's go."
wolfodder is up next!