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

[cyan_maid]

[THERE MIGHT BE DEAD SPIDER BODIES?]

Aradia! This place is crawling with spiders!!

[Eew that better just be some kind of funky mold on top of that one and not it's brood. Jane's gonna point at it.]

Case in point!!!

[psych0p0mps]

Spiders??

[That Aradia likes to eat bugs is well established. Even more well established is the fact that spiders are not bugs. For some inexplicable reason, the very idea of spiders makes her stomach turn and her face scrunch up with disgust. Without wasting a moment, she leans on the doorway for balance and takes off one of her boots.]

Well don't just stand there, let's murder them!

[cyan_maid]

[Jane knows trolls eat grubs, but Aradia should still totally let it slip about eating other bugs.

But anyway yes, PARTNERS IN SPIDERSMUSHING]

R-Right!!!

[psych0p0mps]

[apparently worms are legit called dirt noodles i am so fucking amused right now sjakfd. and so, with one shoe off and one on, Aradia goes about killing spiders with extreme prejudice and what might be surprising strength.]

Take that! And that! ... [And then, looking at the remains on her shoe...] Hey Jane, try and hang on to the bodies, will you? I brought some jars, we can scrape them into that.

[cyan_maid]

[MM, DIRT NOODLES. But yes, spidercide is happening in here!]

Whatever do you need the bodies for?

[psych0p0mps]

[She whacks a couple more, then pauses.]

... I'll tell you, but don't tell anyone else, all right? I don't want her to find out before I'm ready.

[cyan_maid]

[A secret? Jane can keep secrets.]

I won't tell anyone, Aradia. I swear!

[psych0p0mps]

All right. Well - [she lowers her voice in case someone would overhear (or give a shit if they did).] There's this girl I really hate. And... for a while now I've been thinking about asking her out. I think I'm going to do it once we're back at the castle.

[cyan_maid]

[...That is the most confusing secret Jane has ever heard.]

Erm, not that it's my place to judge, but...why would you ask someone out if you hated them?

[psych0p0mps]

[OH RIGHT suddenly realizes she has not explained troll romance to you yet has she]

Heh - no, I mean as a kismesis. Trolls have four kinds of romantic relationships, and two are centered around hate. I don't think humans have an equivalent for it. It's like - a really intense rivalry. Really intense. But if I'm going to get her to accept, I have to do it in a way that she knows I mean business. You know what I mean?

[cyan_maid]

I...think so? I've just never...heard of more than one way to be romantic. How does hate even work in romance? I can't wrap my head around it.

[psych0p0mps]

It's... hard to explain. It's sort of like, you hate someone, but you love to hate them and want to continue hating them, rather than the kind of hate where you just want them dead.

[cyan_maid]

Hmmmm...well, when you put it that way, I...suppose it could work? [She sounds iffy, but it's probably the closest she'll get to understanding it.]

Well, if you want the spiders for this hate-love thing, then I suppose you could take them...I mean, I highly doubt anyone else will want them.

[psych0p0mps]

[Laughs] Yeah, that's true! There's hardly any meat on them anyway, haha.

[cyan_maid]

[She's awkwardly pushing the dead spiders into a little pile for you, Aradia.]

It's better than leaving them about, anyway, right?

[psych0p0mps]

[And awkwardly shuffling the pile into a baby-food size jar.]

Much better. We will get this place so clean, it won't know what hit it.

[cyan_maid]

It shall be as clean as a whistle - cleaner, even!

[psych0p0mps]

Heh - I hope cleaner. If you think about it, whistles would actually be pretty nasty, right? They're covered in spit.

[cyan_maid]

Oh! You have a point! [She chuckles.] Well, what can you do? It's an expression.