Lastlook: Entering the River

[ruin_mania]

[For the past day or so, it's pretty clear the Amber Steppe has been left behind and the Totem Coast is getting closer. The air is more humid and the undergrowth has gone from a burnt amber color to be thicker, greender, and almost bordering on jungle-like. Several other streams have joined the one that the explorers have been following until it's almost large enough to start sailing on. Raine had encouraged everyone to press on, though, not sure it was time just yet (and also because she doesn't particularly like boats, okay). The cliffs around them start to grow up as well, and it probably won't be too long before the jungle becomes a properly impassable one, leaving the river as the only choice.

But this morning, another large stream had joined up with their and now it was more like a proper river. In the late morning they reach a large pier with five boats. The river also begins to take a higher road from here downstream, while the jungle starts to clog the lower road. Looks like it won't be too much longer before they're in the very painting that led them here. It's time to investigate those boats - and unload the smaller onces Percy Jackson has packed. And if you don't trust either of these, there are some inflatable rafts that Raine has packed as well.

So let's load up, and they'll be on the water by the afternoon!]

Comments

[staggeringego]

[ Hesitates. Judging by the accent, the man's voice he's American. Of course, James can't remember what the drinking age is for American muggles. Best to just exaggerate a little. He doubts that anyone's going to guess his actual age while he's a deer.

So he starts tapping his foot on the deck of the ship until he's done it about twenty times, hesitates for a moment and adds in a couple more taps for good measure. ]

[compromisedarrow]

...

[Okay, that hesitation was suspect, but, whatever.]

You can have one mouthful, okay? I don't want to deal with a dead deer.

[He offers forth the bottle he'd been drinking from, which had about a mouthful left in it.]

[staggeringego]

[ Better than nothing, he'll take it! And admittedly he's never had a drink as deer before, and dying isn't really something he's interested in doing.

Either way he leans forward and tires to grab the end of the bottle in his mouth. ]

[compromisedarrow]

[And bottle in, tilted back so the stag can drink.]

Never thought I'd ever do this...

[staggeringego]

[ Giving a stag booze? It's true, it's not something that happens often. He chugs it down like a champ though before lowering his head, trying to push the bottle towards Clint so he'll take it away. ]

[compromisedarrow]

[And have a pat on the nose for that, James.]

Don't tell anyone about this.

[staggeringego]

[ He snorts and shakes his head at the pat. More than a little patronizing, but since he just got free alcohol he can't really give him that hard a time.

He nods slightly once. Mum's the word. He wont' be telling anyone about Clint boozing up animals. ]

[compromisedarrow]

[Good deer.]

Try to stay outta trouble, okay?

[And he's off to continue handing out the rest of his booze cache.]

[staggeringego]

[ He nods his head stiffly once in the most formal way he can manage. And while Clint does that James is back to slowly picking his way across the deck and making sure this is acceptable for deer. ]