WEEK 2 - CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

[maladied]

Let's retire in the countryside
Just as you wish it

Welcome to Hillbury

You come to in an intricately decorated dressing room. For those familiar with it, the style seems to be that of a Victorian manor house, and to those that aren't, even you can tell this is a stately room fit for the elite. In fact, you too, are decorated to match, fully dressed in luxurious suits or dresses, elegant and perfectly tailored, but still somewhat breezy and lightweight for the time period and class it belongs to. Looking outside, you get a view of a rolling and bright countryside. In the far distance, fields of crops and grazing cows can be barely spotted, but all of the nearby landmarks are elegant manors presumably similar to the one you stand in.

Comments

SPEAK TO THE FOOTMAN

[maladied]

[The footman seems to be in good spirits. The window between his seat and yours is open, and he whistles a little as he drives the horses. You can see he's a slightly portly middle aged man with ruddy red hair. (Yes, both of them. It's fine.)

What do you want to say to him?]

[hardyboys]

[ Mabel will angle herself so she's facing out the window to the footman, coughing to get his attention. ]

How much longer until we get there?

[ .... hopefully he just gives him where they're headed also and it doesn't look too suspicious....... ]

[maladied]

[The footman glances back at her with a smile;]

To the van Zieks estate? Oh, it won't barely be a quarter of an hour, I reckon, Lady Mora!

[He knows you....]

[hardyboys]

[ ... Oh, that's creepy. ]

Do you know how many other people are attending?

[rosietaintedglass]

[The twin footmen... footing the bill for a mysterious force’s inclination for floor fingers.....

That aside, Katan will knock lightly against the front of the carriage to get the fellow’s attention.]

By the sound of things, it must be an easy journey.

[maladied]

[He glances back with a nod.]

Oh yes! Beautiful day for your famcy party, I think. Haven't had a bad day of rain in a week I'd say, Lord Katan.

[rosietaintedglass]

Good weather is a bigger blessing than you’d expect. It means those coming from farther distances and more difficult areas will be able to attend.

[taintedfayth]

[Well, if that's how Mabel is going to approach this, then he will just play along.]

I do hope that they won't halt the festivities for our sake.

[maladied]

The way I heard it was that you were Lord van Zieks' guests of honor, wasn't that so?

[He clearly doesn't care THAT much what you rich folks do but he does hear things.]

[taintedfayth]

[Hmm. Good to know.]

Even so, there are other guests there who should not be disregarded. Their enjoyment is every bit as important as ours, guests of honor or not.

[divineth]

[It’s wild to be in a horse-drawn carriage instead of one led by chocobo…]

‘Tis well to be in thy care, sir. How farest thee on this fine day?

[maladied]

[Witness our quadrupeds, Urianger.]

Meself I'm mighty fine! A shame I can't say the same fer everyone else in Hillbury, though.

[divineth]

[He puts some concern into his voice.]

Hath aught occurred in Hillbury…?

Arrival

[maladied]

[Finally, both your carriages arrive at the van Zieks manor. It's even grander than the ones you all woke up in, but has an austere edge to its construction that seems somewhat out of place in the idyllic countryside. Servants stand on hand ready to escort you inside when you're ready, but for now you may want to touch base with the other three familiar faces.

The footman will say something about readying the horses for the hunt before pulling off in the carriage. Singular. Once you look away, the two carriages have become one. That's probably fine.]

[rosietaintedglass]

... So we're not the only ones here.

[At least they all seem to match the decor. That's probably a good thing given Urianger and McGillis both also somehow fitting into Victorian carriages--

Katan nods at the other three; examining them doesn't reveal any irregularities, so he still is no closer to figuring out the exact nature of this. F.]

Do you three have any more information on where we are?

[divineth]

[It was so difficult to not hit his head on the way in and out...]

[vogelfrei]

[ Nothing like some fusing carriages to remind you, yet again, that you are not in control and even the things that feel immutable are nothing but illusions. Which is fine! It's all fine! At least this is a distraction from the misery this week has been. Sorry to everyone who has basically not seen McGillis this week before, but yay, he's here now!

He turns to the group from the 'different' carriage. ]

I assume you were also greeted as though you were nobility from this place?

[rescuebullet]

[She nods.]

They're acting like we're supposed to be here.

[divineth]

[Hello, fellow Tall man.]

Verily. We are to attend a gathering comprised of other noble houses.

[taintedfayth]

Guests of honor, if what I was told is to be believed.

[He ain't gonna question it.]

[divineth]

[Urianger looks at Katan and Nozomi with a curious look as he realizes there's another group...

...and that curiosity quickly turns to confusion to only find one carriage behind them.

Perception distortion strikes again.]

I take it everyone had some rather...interesting conversations with the footman?

[vogelfrei]

We're to be introduced into the inner circle of this Lord van Zieks... So we'd best behave as befitting our new and unexpected station.

Re: Arrival

[hardyboys]

[ Oh, good, it's not just the three of them. ]

Is it just you guys? I don't see anyone else coming out of the carriages –

[ She turns back and looks at where they all piled out of and



]

Where's the second one?

[divineth]

Yet another trick of the mind, it seemeth...

[rosietaintedglass]

This place only seems to run on certain rules, and ignores others. Some of us are completely unaware of this time and place and culture and yet have been placed here as though they belonged here.

[Glances at Urianger briefly.]

My theory is that it is like some kind of vision or dream in terms of structure.