06* Kali sits and glances at the group and watches them go, then she 
picks up the hat and pulls it closer, in between her legs as she looks 
down at it. "Cat?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["Hat," it responds.]
 06* Kali lets out a light snicker, but it seems somewhat forced and 
fleeting. She responds mournfully, "They hate me now, don't they?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["Unlikely.  Relatively few mortals hate each other."]
 06* Kali snickers for a moment, but it sounds morose. "How well do you 
know mortals anyway?" She sighs. "If I open another portal now, will I 
get to my destination?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["I know them about as well as any impartial observer 
possibly can."  The hat smirks.  "Which is to say, not as well as mortals 
believe they know themselves."]
 01<@Ardweden> ["And that depends on the destination, doesn't it?"]
 06* Kali sighs. "I suppose." She stands slowly. "Only way to know is to 
try, right?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["It's certainly *one* way.  I suppose this is one of 
those adventures that one must face alone, at your own peril, and so 
forth?"]
 06* Kali smiles slightly. But only for a moment. "At least at first..." 
She sighs. "Maybe if they forgive me afterwards for it..."
 06* Kali takes a step towards the door for a moment, then stops. "Cat? 
What exactly did you sacrifice?"
 01<@Ardweden> [There's a pause, and then, "I'm sorry?"]
 06* Kali shakes her head. "Nevermind. Perhaps another time..."
 06* Kali goes for the door, concentrates hard on the forest, and then, 
if there's no response from the cat, steps on through.
 01<@Ardweden> [Kali steps through, and she ends up in a dense forest 
made of impossibly tall trees, with leaves falling all around her.  She 
has an extremely difficult time seeing, as there's no Joan or Susano-O to 
light up the area for her.]
 06* Kali looks about at the leaves and then frowns. She didn't think 
about the light issue. Nevertheless, she cups her hands over her mouth. 
"Caaaaaaarloooooos."
 01<@Ardweden> [There's a rustle in the distance, and then closer, and 
closer, and even closer, and then: "Kali!"  The voice is above her, and 
there's a soft thump before her, and a child (she thinks it's Carlos) 
looks up at her.  "You came back!"]
 01<@Ardweden> [He looks around.  "Where's Susano-O?  Is he okay?  Did 
the things get him?"]
 06* Kali gives Carlos a smile, but it's not as large as it usually is 
when she sees him. "Yeah. I came back." She shakes her head. "Susano-O 
didn't come this time. But he said he wanted to."
 06* Kali looks around. "Is the girl with you?"
 01<@Ardweden> [Carlos shakes his head.  "Nuh uh.  Sophie hasn't been 
around for, um, a while."  And then he brightens.  "But last time she was 
here she talked about really neat stuff!  Like a city with falling stars, 
and flying creatures, and plants everywhere!"  He scuffs the ground.  
"She goes a lot more places than I do."]
 06* Kali frowns. "Have you tried to leave? What happens if you try to 
leave?
 01<@Ardweden> ["Um..."  He thinks about that, then shakes his head.  "I 
dunno."]
 01<@Ardweden> ["But it sounds... scary.  Doesn't it?  I mean, neat, 
but... scary."]
 06* Kali shakes her head. "It's not that scary...I guess you could get 
lost..." She bites her lip for a moment. "I think we should play a game. 
Would you like that?"
 01<@Ardweden> [He brightens.  "Yeah!  What do you wanna play?"]
 06* Kali grins slightly. "Tag?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["YES!"  And Carlos tags Kali's lower left arm. "You're 
it!" he calls before scrambling up a tree.]
<Kali> Hey!
 06* Kali calls out. "Not too far! I don't have Susano-O's light to work 
off of and I won't see you." She tries to bampf onto the lowest branch 
she can see.
 01<@Ardweden> [Carlos laughs, and from the sound of it, he's getting a 
little bit of distance - up and right.]
 01<@Ardweden> [Session End!]